‘mourning delights…?’
Lahore Bar District Association Seceretary, Latif Sirraw, protesting on Mall Road Lahore (Thursday), with the lawyers community and civil society activists, in the wake of recent clashes in Karachi, which caused the deaths of 15-17 people including the burning to death of 7 lawyers, several injuries and several other losses.
Photo Credit: Umer Sharif, Daily Pakistan
In this crucial stage of struggle for the restoration of judiciary, such irresponsible behavior can affect their efforts adversely.
What do you say?
Err….~
Dear Usman,
A reader of your blog forwarded this post to our circle of friends. I made some comments which my friend recommended I post back here:
"About having fun, yes, you’re right, from a PR point of view, they should probably have avoided being caught on camera in a jovial mood. But then, really, I can’t help feeling that the camera-man was being very opportunistic. He shows us a picture and relies on our social conditioning to fill in the context.
The original blogger (Usman Latif, Lahore Metblogs) called his post ‘mourning delights’, which could be construed as a take on ‘morning(-after) delights’ or ‘Arabian delights’. In any case, the word ‘delights’ stands out quite garishly. The blogger sees the photo, snickers to himself and makes the connection with sensual/carnal/worldly pleasure/delight.
Some questions that come to mind:
1. Do these two people know each other? Are they related in some way?
2. What he doesn’t bother to explain or investigate is:
a. Who is the lady in the picture? (And, by the way, to me, she seems to resemble Bina Qureshi, who, for all her upper-class exclusivism, will always have my respect and gratitude as one of the people who went looking all over the katcheris of Lahore trying to find out where the police had taken us for a hearing.)
b. What had just been said? It seems that the joke/pleasantry brought smiles to at least a few other people in the crowd, none of whom seem to be in an particularly festive mood.
c. Supposing a few of us were participating in the rally and during the sloganeering, someone said something outrageous – maybe a sarcastic remark about Altaf bhai – and we burst out laughing spontaneously and at that moment someone took a picture and called us a bunch of insensitive louts with no regard for the seriousness of the occasion, would that be justified?
d. In fact, was the blogger, Usman Latif, more indignant at the fact that people were laughing during a sombre occasion or by the fact that the picture shows physical contact between a man and a woman in a public place?
e. If the latter (physical contact), then he should certainly have found out the answers to questions 1, 2(a) and 2(b) above. Without that information, this is poor reporting (at best) and downright insulting and cheap behaviour (at worst) such that Lateef Sira and the un-identified lady could probably bring defamation charges against the ‘Daily Pakistan’.
If the former (non-seriousness), then he should at least have found the answer to 2(b).
f. A less important, yet intriguing point: the 2nd picture is named ‘Socialist Lawyer 1’. I have only recently become aware of the details of the (generally stupid) ideological battles that were fought between so-called socialists/communists/progressives and so-called ‘Islamists’/conservatives in Pakistani universities until the early 90’s. I wonder if the photographer, blogger and the lawyer aren’t still caught up in that ill-informed battle of empty slogans. I mean, as far as I know, Lateef Sira is actually a former member of the IJT and, if I’m not mistaken, he’s a member of the JI these days. So it would be doubly ironic if a so-called ‘Islamist’ lawyer’s moment of light-hearted banter (if that’s what it was) is used to defame both the lawyers’ movement and ‘socialist lawyers’."
I would just like to add that the chain of editorial command at the "Daily Pakistan" is just as complicit in this poor example of journalism as the photographer Umer Sharif.
Regards,
Aman
[…] the weekend I stumbled across an interesting post on the Lahore Metblogs that was titled: ‘mourning delights…?’ and contained two pics of a lawyer and an un-named woman in a kurta and denims walking, […]
Very well said mr. Tobateksingh
I guess without knowing whats the relation between the two, its too negative to make something out of nothing.
Also, considering a larger cause, highlighting such minor issues for the sake of earing bucks for the paper
[…] the weekend I stumbled across an interesting post on the Lahore Metblogs that was titled: ‘mourning delights…?’ and contained two pics of a lawyer and an un-named woman in a kurta and denims walking, […]
Hey I don’t care who they are..but dude thats funny….and whats up with you guys…don’t you realise ….we are getting there….a moderate enlightened nation…what could be better dipiction then this…….at least some one is having fun…….and I know whats the big fuss here…you are jealous cuz you aren’t getting any……….peace every body!!
well well well…
a lot has been said in my absense..
that’s what I xpected but really sorry that I couldn’t reply because of unavailibility.
let me start from Mr Aman from Toba Tek singh.
@ Aman
man your questionaire filled with clauses didn’t work for me except reminding me of the typical "Katchehri Culture" and "Katcheris" (courts) filled with ‘Men in black’, waiting for their livelihood..
Actually I was expecting someone capable or that Mr Sirraw himself would reply (may be he did under another name i.e Aman.. just a thought) to my post but the sad thing is that the reader of our blog mailed it to lawyers circle, as said by Aman, and the circle considered Mr Aman the best available representative to answer to this..
it’s ok but.. I’m still unable to understand it and yes, I’m snickering at it too..
Aman, Your really long reply is just a piece of an unsuccessful struggle to convince me that what I have showed is just ‘poor reporting’ and ‘cheap behavior’ etc, as you said..
I am least concerned in answering ur questions but as they have been uttered, few clauses from my side..
– First, The content is lifted from a national daily ‘Daily Pakistan’ which means that it’s already in the mainstream media and I believe the editorial team of the news paper is much more sensible and are aware of the fact that what they r showing and how they r showing.
– Second, it’s nothing against the "Judges Movement" or "Lawyers Movement", as u poorly understood, but just a picture of little (may be) irresponsibility showed by on of the two secretary of Lahore Bar Association. Actually, you didn’t focus on my last lines in the post which I believe is poor understanding from ur side (may be due to high emotional quotoint). This post is just pointing out one single act/incident of one single lawyer which definitely not represents the whole lawyer community so u and other lawyers must not be worried.
And also refer to my other post (http://lahore.metblogs.com/2008/04/11/3-days-mourning-n-boycott-lawyers/) coz; if u think u r able to teach others the journalistic ethics, u must be aware of the fact that the more coverage has been given to ur movement and less to this unfortunate act.
– Third, I really don’t feel something confusing that I should research about. I or the photographer didn’t attacked their personal life or relations. They got photographer’s attention just because they were doing it so privately. And seriously, I was unable to justify myself that what ever happend could be an act in over-joyment or an accident. I believe, that’s a pure intentional act.
– I don’t know whether u r a member of any Bar Association or not..
if you are, you must be knowing it.. n if not, you should ask ur fellow lawyers who are members of the Bar Association that how many times they had to appologise (on Monday, Tuesday and after..)for this and for the reactions of some lawyers, against the media and others, after the publishing of this photo in the newspaper.
If he had been so innocent, he would have not appologized (especially during the "Khaaksaar Rally" on Tuesday).
Just get out of the box n try talking to the other fellow members of the movement n they will tell u that what they felt about it and was it ‘photo fixing’ (as Mr. Sirraw claimed) or a real one..
It feels like selfish that not a single lawyer from ur or any other circle replied to the post (http://lahore.metblogs.com/2008/04/11/3-days-mourning-n-boycott-lawyers/) and felt so angry on the exposing of the hidden side of some elements under the umbrella of lawyers movement.
The one, who’s has done wrong should be pointed out and must be criticised. You are with a cause and as far as I understand, people are more concerned and have sympathies for you just because of the cause you promulgated and (are now trying v. hard to achieve it) not the lawyers movement itself.
And yes offcourse, you very well thought of filing a suite against the newspaper as it is what the lawyers are at home in (filing suites), and yes, now; they have left with nothing to do except the rallies, protests and filling suites against the ones who represent them to the society. and especially, I’m a fan of the art how you delay cases for years for the provision of justice..
for more reference just visit the link at Dawn (http://www.dawn.com/2008/04/14/nat20.htm) mentioned at WeCiteBlog (http://wecite.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/monday-blues/).
And yes offcourse the capton of the picture.. that was just to make it easy for myself to search and re-search the image again from the archieve of my computer.. but good observation..
that’s it for now.. will appreciate more constructive questions..
we should be open mind about these types of working relationships, and should not see it one sided only.
Yes this looks like the premiere of "MOHABATAN SACHIAN"
This is Enlighten Moderation. Pakistan is developing