ZAHEER BHATTI
THE ‘Blame Game’ which has become a habit with some hegemonic nations of the world as well as their remote controlled international organizations, has seen no respite even in this hour of trial of the entire mankind. Conspiracy theories promptly started taking the rounds with Donald Trump subconsciously naming Corona as the ‘Chinese Virus’ only to eat his words later asking the People’s Republic for help and cooperation, but not before China hit back with suspicion that the virus was transmitted to China by the US Army. Nature soon made Trump realize his unpardonable foul-mouthing with the outbreak fast eating into his own backyard, with the possibilities still taking the rounds that this was in fact a manmade disaster rebounding upon him in consequence of his own indiscretion. The malady nevertheless ought to have made the hegemonic world see signs of ‘The Day After’, and vow to destroy the lethal Armoury it was merchandising among nations, so that the resources it was burning in accumulating hellfire, may be used for fashioning a genuinely ‘New World Order’ where human beings begin to value each other; frustrating the ever-instigating Satan in them, and earn God’s eternal blessings.
Amid belated realization by Trump of the need for a global response to fight the pandemic, it is unfortunate that several thousand Americans have filed a suit in a Florida court holding China responsible for damages caused to the Americans due to the Corona virus; a perfect example of man falling from the donkey-back and blaming its owner. Worst still! A matter of universal shame that the American President should choose to withdraw funding to World Health Organization on the pretext that it failed in its duty in handling the Corona pandemic; when the US itself was looking to be the worst offender in meeting the challenge.
But there can be no worse example of extreme moral degradation and a diseased mindset than the recent ridiculous Indian media chorus quoting ’sources’; obviously under Government tutelage, accusing Pakistan of scheming to infiltrate Pakistani Corona patients via Nepal into India to spread the virus in that country. Indian media in doing so were only mirroring India’s own mindset and similar ploys it has been inventing all along against Pakistan. Pakistan on the home front was fairing no better; perhaps the only country in the world involved in petty internal political feuds at a time when even Saudi Arabia was contemplating truce with Yemeni Houthis, while historically warring Iran and Saudi Arabia had endorsed the decision to disallow congregations in Makkah and Madina mosques; putting their sectarian stand-off on the back burner in view of the Pandemic.
But the Pakistani Government having failed to revive its Local Bodies system which has an in-built mechanism to reach out to its masses at the grass roots, does not even make a mention of it and hurries instead to put together a Party-tagged ‘Tiger Force,’ indicating that it has no sense of urgency nor propriety. The unfortunate disarray within Pakistan is reflecting both in collection of donations as well as disbursements; the Prime Minister’s Corona Relief Fund attracting not half the response it should have generated with several NGOs collecting donations and executing relief work on their own without central coordination, resulting in ugly clashes among them at places. For God’s sake activate reputed local elders and ‘Town Committees’ under supervision of the Administration where there are no Local Bodies, instead of wasting precious time on creating an untrained politically-tainted force. The other worrisome factor is that the religious leadership which rather than aiding the Government to combat spread of the virus by devising SOPs and elaborating on social-distancing and other precautions for devotees congregating in mosques for prayers, was instead demanding lifting of restriction on prayers in the mosques. They have argued that if restrictions on daily wagers in the construction industry can be relaxed, why not allow citizens to pray together particularly during the approaching month of Ramazan to seek God’s mercies; but without a word on SOPs. This is in disregard to relevant Ahadees and authentic edicts issued by Ulema of Al-Azhar University in Cairo. And while it is not correct to equate relaxation for daily wagers and labourers with mosque congregations in view of crowding inherent in prayer situations, appeal by the religious leadership to the well-off and God-fearing to donate generously so as to provide sanitizers, scanners and masks to all mosques countrywide is most desirable, because when even affluent countries like the United States is experiencing shortage of protective gears it would be unfair to expect cash-starved Pakistan to officially meet the need.
But should the Government decide to relax restriction over praying in congregation in the mosques, whereas the appeal from the country’s religious leadership to the media that they repeatedly advise readers, viewers and listeners to observe precautions is welcome, with the media mostly inaccessible to lower and poor classes, precautionary instructions should be displayed by the Imams at their mosque entrances all over the country asking devotees to come with ‘Wuzu’ from home and their face and hands covered as a pre-condition to enter a mosque, and also ensure compliance over maintaining minimum four feet distance from each other while praying. A word though to the WHO charged with promoting health security at critical times; pointing its accusing finger at Iran for the spread of Corona in Pakistan. It ought to have instead censured the US over its insensitivity to Iranian call for lifting of sanctions to enable it fight the pandemic, failing which Iran was forced to return the pilgrims from Pakistan being unable to hold them. Pakistan was equally unprepared, but had panic not set in, both countries perhaps with a timely goodwill gesture from WHO if not the US, could have set up emergency units with the help of their respective defence forces for screening and isolation which they ultimately did, but only when it was too late.
—The writer is a media professional, member of Pioneering team of PTV and a veteran ex Director Programmes.
