Sunday 15 March 2009

Sherry Rehman: A woman with moral courage

Well done, Sherry! I can't remember when was the last time, in Pakistan, when I saw a powerful government minister resign, from a job that she obviously loved and enjoyed, on the grounds of opposition to wrong policies of her own government. One can mention leader of the upper house Senator Raza Rabbani resigning last week - but his, in my view, was a reaction of a scorned loyal jiyala (Jiyala: loosely means a deveotee, and it has become a buzzword in Pakistan largely taken as a devotee of Pakistan People’s Party), who was hoping to be the next Chairman Senate and resigned when he didn't get the coveted prize. Sherry, on he other hand has taken a stand on moral gorunds - her opposition to government's atempts to silence independent media - target once again the Pakistani television channel GEO who are banned from transmission in Pakistan. I was talking to my brother in Pakistan this morning who was watching GEO on cable TV - since yesterday even the cable TV operators are now defying the government bans. More on thais civil disobendience later...

This short post is to rejoice the moral courage of a young woman in Pakistani politics who has taken a moral stand. she hasn't left the party on whose platform she has struggled for bringing back democracy, nor has she denounced the political ideology she beleives in - Just taken a moral stand. In a herd of morally and intellectually incompetent people surrounding president Zardari she was a breath of fresh air that will be sorely missed.

During last two weeks, for me images of two woman define Pakistan - one is Sherry, a an epitome of modern Pakistani woman who did not sell her soul for political and financial gains. Other one was Laila Muqaddas (the relegiously headscarfed hypocryt) who allegedly sold herself for 30 million.

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