ALL
INSTITUTIONS ARE POLITICAL
Dear rafi,
Thank you
for your honest letter. I think we are at the same wavelength. We both
welcome healthy and constructive disagreements.
I believe
that dialogues and disagreements in good conscience are an opportunity
to learn and grow and I am optimistic we can do that. So feel free to
disagree.
In my
opinion all institutions are political and they all have a dark side.
Even the most noble ideas, when transformed into organizations and
institutions start losing its innocence and purity. But some
institutions are more respectable than others. For me Noble Committee
and Amnesty International are peace loving and more respectable than
those Religious Organizations and Institutions that promote violence.
Noble Committee nominates Peace Winners while Amnesty International
announces Prisoners of Conscience. In 1948 Amnesty declared Khan Abdul
Ghaffar Khan as their Prisoner of Conscience while in the eyes of
Pakistani Government he was a traitor. So that choice was also a
political decision on Amnesty’s part. I might disagree with some of the
choices of Amnesty but I respect the organization. The other
organization I respect is PEN International as they support those
writers who suffer because of their writings. Again some writers might
have a doubtful character in my eyes but I respect them as an
organization. Interestingly Nelson Mandela was never supported by
Amnesty International as he advocated an armed struggle as a guerrilla
warrior but when he made Peace with De Klerk and paved way for Peaceful
transfer of power in South Africa then he was considered for a Noble
Peace prize alongside De Klerk.
I find it
amazing that human beings change over the years, so do nations and world
opinion. I try to focus on the services of Leaders and Organizations
overlooking their weak spots. I sometimes wonder if you are an idealist.
Do you see yourself as an idealist? And what do you think of Khan Abdul
Ghaffar Khan (Bacha Khan)? I saw him when he came to Pakistan after his
lengthy exile in Afghanistan. I listened to his speech and was amazed at
his strength at that old age. It was the first time I heard someone
publicly challenging Mohammad Ali Jinnah and idea of a separate country
for Muslims. He was more of a follower of Mohandas Gandhi than Mohammad
Ali Jinnah and that is why known as sarhadi Gandhi and his followers
Khudai Khitmatgar. He was a very religious man but believed in Peace. He
was a Peace loving Pathan and Muslim very different rather opposite to
Mullah Omar and Osama bin laden.
I might
disagree with Ghaffar Khan’s religious values but I admire his support
of education and peace. He spent nearly 33 years of his precious life in
jail, maybe even more than Mandela. I wished he had received Nobel Peace
prize.
Dear Rafi,
Before I
received your letter I had started writing you another letter about my
sweetheart Bette Davis. I know you feel more comfortable with
philosophical discussions but excuse me if my philosophical letters are
mixed with personal letters, as I want to share with you all aspects of
my life and not just my intellectual ideas. But you respond to only
those parts that you are comfortable with and feel free to disagree. It
adds spice to life as far as it is like chicken
wings…mild….medium…hot…and not suicidal.
Affectionately
Sohail |