Pakistanlink’s
Brittleness
By Siddique Malik President
www.spreadfreedom.com
I
had almost finished writing an article analyzing
the link between religion and terrorism when my
short piece (May Allah Bless America) appeared
in your issue of 1/28/2005. You took out the comparison
between alcohol and religion from it, diluting
one of its strongest arguments. I wonder if this
purge was an isolated act of involuntary guardianship
or reflected a well-entrenched editorial policy
that would always take a custodial look at religion.
I
believe that journalists and editors should not
indulge in the act of judging over the ‘suitability’
of an argument. I was about to send the new article
to you for your consideration but I balked. The
article takes a frank, yet a realistic look at
certain harsh realties in the Muslim world. Your
editorial cleansing has made me pause and wonder
if it will be too much for you to swallow. Censorship
by governments and consequently by editors (as
a precautionary measure) is a common phenomenon
in information starved, brittle and suppressed
societies of the Third World. However, it is definitely
a unique event in a country that celebrates freedom
of speech as an essential ingredient of its national
psyche and an article of its Constitution.
This contrast helps one conduct a quick mental
comparative analysis of the reasons for the continued
abject despondency (political, economic and social)
of the Third World and omnipotence of America
and other countries in the same league of elevated
realization of freedom and openness. Your esteemed
magazine has the word ‘Pakistan’ in its name and
its contents reflect upon ethnicity of the American
society, features that help accentuate its message
and highlight the multicultural strength and diversity
of the great nation in which it resides. However,
this does and should not be a justification for
the replay of traits that will keep a poor country
in the suffocating grip of backwardness.
On the contrary, this unique bicultural exposure
should empower you to challenge and debunk the
ideas and habits that sustain suppression and
close mindedness. You should be preaching the
virtues of openness and high quality journalism
to your contacts in Pakistan instead of adopting
their defensive techniques.
(We don’t pretend to be forward looking; we really
are. However, we cannot be wholly immune to the
sensitivities of our readers. - Editor)
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