BY ALNAS ZIA
It is a matter of great national pride when your country
tops headlines in the international news media. But Pakistanis only seem
to make
the news for actions that leave their compatriots bowing down their heads
in utter shame and disappointment. Ajmal Kasab and Faisal Shahzad, for
instance, have truly disgraced the country and it remains a sad reality
that we don’t get to hear stories of Pakistanis who show courage and
determination in times of distress.
Thankfully, an article published by the BBC is a rare
exception that deserves to be shared with the world and especially with
the Pakistani youth who are discontented with the way their country is
portrayed abroad.
The article tells the story of Meena, a young girl from
Pakistan whose own brother and father beat her because they wanted her to
be a suicide bomber. The article claims that there is no proof that her
account is accurate but the police consider it crucial information in the
fight against terrorism.
Meena is only 13 years old and comes from a rural,
uneducated background. She miraculously managed to escape the nightmare
that her pro-Taliban brother and father made her go through every day.
They wanted her to stay in the confines of their home and obey their every
order. Worse, they threatened to mutilate her if she went against their
word.
Meena describes the heinous activities of her brother to
help the Taliban carry out terrorist acts throughout Pakistan and
Afghanistan. She also recalls the horrific story of her younger sister
whose youth and innocence were snatched away when her brother forced her
to become a suicide bomber. It was heartbreaking to read how the wailing
protests of her mother fell on deaf ears as her sister was taken away in a
car with the burden of not only the bomb that was attached to her tiny
frame but also of the gruesome mission looming ahead of her.
Fortunately, Meena managed to escape from her traumatic
life when one day she followed a pet goat to a nearby stream just when a
helicopter gunship attacked her house and turned it into rubble right in
front of her eyes. Uncertain of the fate of her family members, she kept
on walking until she reached a nearby town.
Her story is inspiring, if not unusual. There are probably
hundreds of girls like her who go through such nightmares every single
day. Anne Frank’s story of courage and motivation in the face of adversity
may have inspired many but, unfortunately, we rarely get the opportunity
to hear other such life stories. The reality is that there are far too
many Anne Franks living a life of obscurity in our world today and each
and every one of their stories would be a source of inspiration for us.
Meena’s story deserves our attention not because it is
unique but because of her determination and courage to come forward and
make her experience public. I admire her for taking a bold stand against
the Taliban and having the audacity to question their motives. Her doubts
about the Taliban might not impress us but we have to understand the
background that she comes from: the men in her family did their best to
brainwash her and make her believe that suicide bombing is an act pleasing
to god.
Unlike too many other young Pakistanis, Meena made the
effort to think rationally despite her lack of education and exposure to
the world. She could easily have fallen through the cracks and have given
in to her brother’s ideology. She could have been any one of those
nameless suicide bombers who blow themselves up in the name of god. But
she broke through that false ideology. She had faith in god’s message of
peace and tolerance and in the real meaning of jihad.
Meena has certainly fulfilled her duty as a Pakistani and
in doing so she gives us the conviction to do the same. She wasn’t
bestowed with luxuries or even a supportive family but she had a strong
faith and character that kept her going despite her traumatic life. We
should take a page from Meena’s book and harness our education and
achievements to promote a positive image of Pakistan and to make our
voices heard.
It is the responsibility of each and every Pakistani
individual to make the most of his or her life to improve the country’s
increasingly tattered image. We can do it by the power of our pen and the
impact of our words; yes, this is our jihad and we can do it without guns
and bombs.
(Alnas Zia is a California-based journalism major who
blogs for literary salvation. This article was posted on the Dawn
blog on May 13, 2010.)