MARASIS AND PHANDS INVASION OF OUR DRAWING ROOMS
EVERY DAY MEDIA PATRONIZING VULGARITY IN OUR HOMES

It was unthinkable a few decades back. All our children knew the difference between dignity ad vulgarity. Crass jokes of the man on the street were unthinkable in our drawing rooms, and the subjects fulsome in all ways. Innuendos of sexual behavior and making fun of victimized boys, assaulted at working places. Room for jokes here! Has our every day morality sunk to such lows? How and why did this invasion occur?

Most of these actors and actresses are street born and street spun. Undignified behavior. Imtiaz Ali Taj and Hijab Taj would have fainted in the spells of such people at Alhamra Art Center. A cultural place for advancement of Islamic Culture marooned on the threshold of money making mechanism. While our political leaders are devising ways of being scot free from any scrutiny, the quality of our laughter is no longer that of human beings.

Foreign lobbies have fascinated us with stress on FOLK ARTS, while shunning FINE ARTS from society. Our Identity and our Ideology is at stake. While Fine Arts are related to copied narratives of Western Masters, we do not see the evil being generated by this gimmickry of Art in Pakistan. More on that later!

The RAW DEAL spun on our cultural activities. Our celebration of BASANT with kite flying as well as cricket matches. Thanks Allah that our Army is trying to rescue our Cricket sports from the clutches of money makers. One should explore who was responsible for the kite flying debacle. It is time to restore dignity all around to make Pakistan Pakistan again.

THE TRADITION OF PEHLAWANS IN LAHORE
NO LONGER THE GRANDEUR OF YESTERYEARS

Men fought with each other for rewards. Men also perfected wrestling as a sports, in which no harm was done to others. It was a gentle sport here. Nobody got hurt. No broken limbs, nothing, but pure fun. That is why wrestlers grappled in mud. So that no hurt ever took place. When the Japanese wrestler Inoki broke the arm of Akram Pehlawan, it was something new. It had never happened before in our long tradition of wrestling.

Emperors grappled too. Emperor Babur was fond of wrestling. Other Emperors were fond of watching. The cousin of Emperor Akbar was a famous wrestler and his mausoleum still exists in Lahore, but it is the Governors House now. Outside the Lahore Fort, frescoes of Pehlawans are still there. A Royal sport with great pomp and glory. Now the Akharas are gone and the level of Pehlawans is down graded. Much hype is done but grass root wrestling is gone. We used to watch small boys learning these tricks from their Masters. Now no one sends their kids for evening classes like this. Just as vulgar Cable has invaded our drawing rooms, so had this sports been reduced to a vulgar class of people. Rustam Zaman Gamma Pehlawan was the last of our icons. Now the same family is in the political arena. Who cares about rules of playing dirty?

FEARING FAILURE IS OKAY BUT LETTING FEAR OVER RIDE IS SUICIDAL
WARS ARE NOT WON BY SUCCUMBING TO SCENARIOS OF DEFEATS

Observing people is a habit we picked up ages ago. And the intellectual and emotional quality of most befuddles you, and the realization sets in that most people will not come up to the standards of valour set by or historical icons. Even a study of the life of our Prophet (PBUH) and the four Caliphs is enough to tell us the difficulties they faced in life. Messengers of Allah faced the public wrath all the time to bring message of hope for the oppressed in society. BUT THEY STUCK TO THEIR PRINCIPLES RIGHT TILL THE END AND THEY NEVER GAVE UP. Where does the breaking point of individual comes, when the society stands at vanishing point? A democratic system spun by political demagogues to better their own end, has in fact become a curse of the many over the right thing of action. Probably if we put democracy to test, more people will vote for Satan and his ways, rather than the benevolence of Divinity. The lure of Satan is at all times here with seduction away from the right thing. Our benevolent Allah asks us to seek recluse from the malignancy of Satan. If the corrupt does not get punished, it engenders evil in society. It looks like Pakistan stands forsaken both from within and without.

Singing songs of hope on the social media is no substitute for solid action. Human laws are not Divine laws. Breaking them requires courage of conviction. It seems nobody is convinced right now that we are on the threshold of utter destruction. Not a time to fret about a green or red signal. Perhaps the moment of breaking the signal pole itself. Who knows about the future? Peace matters. Insaaf matters. The Pakistani revolution is held up by lure of greed. Some will gain, most will lose. Learning nothing from Nero. We will fiddle while Rome will burn!

THE GOOD CHARACTER OF AMERICAN CIVIL WAR ROCKED THE CIVILIZED WORLD
VIBRATIONS RECEIVED IN LAHORE EVEN IN THOSE TIMES OF MORAL CORRECTNESS

We come across all kind of books. The older the better. So we were surprised to see a biography of Abraham Lincoln translated and published in Lahore. Not in these modern times but in a time when the concept of America would itself be vague to people here. It was a well read book. People had studied it. People had enjoyed it and praised Abraham Lincoln for his vision of freedom. USIS used to distribute literature on American history and I remember they were giving a pamphlet on Abraham Lincoln. People here realized what the vision of Lincoln was and admired his skills in implementing that BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Today that battle of ideas is re-emerging. A portion of America which believes in all that Lincoln taught them in theory and practice. And on the other hand a group of people vying with ruthless capitalism to undo all the good that character did to the world. An American lady friend wrote to me very recently:

 “The racism and bigotry I have witnessed lately makes me so afraid for the next generation, with the hatred over so many meaningless things dividing them.”

The civilized world always respected other ways of life. No one dared to say despicable things about others. And yet the filthiest things are said with ease today. Caricatures and cartoons of Prophets are in vogue without any regret. Can Ideology be forced on the gunpoint? The on goes natural then.

Recently we had rallies in the USA. One was Anti-Muslim rally and to counter that there was an Pro Muslim rally. Amazing the civil war looks to be back in the offing. Images of same are so repulsive on one hand, that showing them gives a cultural distaste of things. All working on stereotypes. Nobody even knows the truth or cares to seek the truth. Certainly lobbies engendering these differences. In the end it is PEACE that matters. And nobody seems to be in a mood for peace. The catastrophe of War cannot be understood till it comes to you. Let the world live in peace!

UNIMAGINABLE TODAY A RUSSIAN OCCULTIST IN LAHORE
ROSICRUCIAN MADAME HELENA BLAVATSKY 1856 AND 1880

We hear of writings on Lahore all the time. Some are well known, some relatively unknown, and some of even unimaginable existence. One such memoir is of Helena Blavatsky visit to Lahore. The Rosicrucian are considered earlier Freemasons in Lahore. That a chapter was opened that early is not well known but premises of same existed over a long period of time. This memoir was recently translated into English and even then is not available in print. It has details which are different from other writings. Worthy of reading of life in Lahore in 1856 on her first visit. I read it with great pleasure and with great difficulty.

Slowly and steadily Lahore is pictured with writings of many people. We explore unknown sources all the time. But this one is really different. For one Blavatsky believes that Satan is the god of our planet and no one else. This is revealed to the final tier of the Freemasons too. We live with views which are not ours and find it strange how intelligent people can arrive at such deductions which are contrary to the inspiration of the world. A latest survey in Britain reveals that 53% of people are without religion. It would be okay to know how many believe in Satanism. Anyway our discussion is Lahore only and we can refer to any source for same.

AN AMAZING DOCUMENT OF MUSLIM CARING OF CHRISTIANS COMMUNITY
YES, ACHTINAME SECOND YEAR OF HIJRA BY PROPHET MUHAMMED (PBUH)

Today the relations between Muslims and Christian is a buzz word. Nobody care to look at the back ground of same. In the second year of Hijra, taking into account the possible insecurity of Christians with Islamic advancement, the Prophet (PBUH) engendered a testament which was written by Hazrat Ali, Blessings of Allah be upon him too. It was a literal grant to the Christian community in the area of Mount Sinai, and it ensured a peaceful co existence between the two communities. The Prophet (PBUH) himself put the impressions of his palm on the document. It guaranteed the Monks and the Christian families every kind of freedom to practice their religion as well as sanctity of their place of worship.

The original document existed for many centuries and was with the Turkish Sultans. But copies of same were made over time We here attach a copy made in 1858 but literally it has everything word to word that the original said in the 2nd Hijri. It is an eye opener in today’s world where the magnificent attitude of the Muslims is totally disregarded with time. Even the Bible was translated into Arabic in those times and we will talk more about it later. Till then enjoy the epitome of Muslims Christians relation in a document!

ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION DRIVEN TOWARDS CULTURAL EXPRESSION
POSSIBLY EARLIEST ILLUMINATED QURAN IN EXISTENCE 680-720 AD

Aesthetics came into Islam very early and research continues on same. Discovery of host of earliest Islamic manuscripts in the Great Mosque of Sanaa in 1972 and restoration project started by the Germans. One such discovery of fragments of a Quran in a mosque in Sanna in 1972, revealed that from around 680 to 720 AD (carbon dated) the illumination of Quran in text had already started, and obviously this Quran was not meant for every body, and is probably remnants of a Royal Quran linked to the Caliphs themselves. Huge in size of 20 inches by 18 inches, there would be a volume of 500 plus pages, and it is all covered with paintings. As more research goes on, enjoy the sight of such an early naqashi on a Quran, with arch, pillars as well as a mehrab. And multiple storeys of same, reflects the architectural developments in those days. Hanging burning lights from the ceiling tell us the kind of mosques prevalent in those days. The architecture of buildings such as mosques and palaces was very much on and we will talk about it elsewhere. Till then enjoy!

PASHA THE FORGOTTEN GUIDE WHO LED AUREL STEIN TO MIRAN
AND HOST OF OTHERS WHO ULTIMATELY GOT NO CREDIT AT ALL

Sir Aurel Stein embarked upon a remarkable journey from Lahore. He discovered the splendour of Central Asian frescoes and put his name on the great art discovery of their times. Obviously it was financed by others and others led him to the sites. Miran Fort was a remarkable discovery with many frescoes intact after centuries. Today the pigments are studied for their durability etc as well as technique. But it was charted and the artist TITA isolated as one of the artists.

The typical Western hypocrisy of immediately connecting the name TITA into TITUS of Roman origin. Is there any proof of this conjecture? Of course not. Tita is merely Tita and should be read as that. When the name Titus is discovered the name can make that conjecture. Tita did not sporing from Rome and landed in Miran. Imagine a gruesome journey from somewhere to there and the lust for creativity and legends and reality. And Tita’s work is not available on the internet? Sally Ann Rosenberg looking out for same. Internet is not a replacement for solid research. Kanwal Khalid tells me that the best of research is no longer available on the internet. Removed to deprive poor nations of facility or something else! Who knows?

M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI AND THE CHUGHTAI SCHOOL OF ART
NOT TRADITIONAL, NOT MODERN: JUST PURE CHUGHTAI ART

A dictionary defines the word ‘Modernism’ in this particular way:

“Modernism was a movement in the arts in the first half of the twentieth century that rejected traditional values and techniques, and emphasized the importance of individual experience.”

In this way it is clear that Modern Art was termed as Art done from 1900 to 1950, that rejected TRADITIONAL VALUES AND TECHNIQUES and spoke of a NEW EXPERIENCE. M.A. Rahman Chughtai, National Painter of Pakistan, and Modern Master of Islamic Civilization belongs to this particular period of time. The techniques used in painting before him were related to Oil Painting or Tempera painting. Both these techniques he rejected and evolved a new technique of his own, which was a amalgam of traditional Mughal techniques of painting with Japanese Water Colour Wash method. And the fresh innovation of the technique was all of his own making.

Working on various subjects beyond time value, he emphasized ideas from past, present and future and presented his own experience of them. As the great Islamic art scholar, Basil Gray wrote:

“By his natural gift for colour harmony and for sensitive and lively line assiduously developed, Chughtai was enabled to achieve a personal style which at the same time appeared like a fresh blossom grafted into an old stock, and thus at the same time both old and new.”

Simone Wille, a scholar working on ‘Modern Art in Pakistan’, has this to say about M.A. Rahman Chughtai:

“The South Asian Muslim artist Abdur Rahman Chughtai (1897-1975) and his contribution to modernity are significant for Pakistan’s art history, since Chughtai was the first artist to anticipate a Muslim cultural position located in Lahore, as opposed to a nascent Hindu and national art promoted by the Bengal School.”

In Pakistan nincompoop analysts and critics dismiss Chughtai as a Traditional painter. People who really know how to dissect art knows that this is not the case with him. He is totally new in his ideas, technique and working, and that is why his art is known as the CHUGHTAI SCHOOL OF ART and nothing else matters. Pakistan has not evolved art critics with capability of looking at the finer points of art. Art gimmickry abounds here and we write about it all the time. Gimmicks do not make great art at any time! Modern art in Pakistan is just copy masters of Western art and poor copy makers of all times. Without any Ideology, they float on funds provided by foreign masters. And sink in the anarchy of thoughtlessness without any feelings.

YES, THE GOSPEL OF DEMOCRACY IS SLOWLY BEING SHATTERED,
THE BEST OF DEMOCRATIC NATIONS BRINGING UP NINCOMPOOPS

The Judea-Christian-Muslim traditions rocked the world with an Ideology of its own. No one can question cardinal principles like Prophet Moses Ten Commandments. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) spoke of the brotherhood of humanity in his last sermon. The moral values generated are beyond question by any lobby. We all knew that the gospel of democracy was wrong. It divided the nation, not unified it in whole. For us quality mattered over quantity. If there was democracy in Arab world when the Prophets came, they would have rejected all the Prophets. But the Prophets (PBU them) prevailed with their Divine messages. In Pakistan Quaid e Azam prevailed finally for he was a beacon of truth and dedication. Democracy which should have brought the best out in Pakistan, brought out the worst of us. The chorus of democracy always goes on that finally democracy will mature into something great. Look at the greatest democracy of the world and you will see the same repetition of things. The worst of that world is leading an Ideological state. The Western world is facing the failure of democracy everywhere. And they have not come to grip with the realization of a failing system.

The quality of leadership matters. People who lead nations matter most. Constitutional legislation should guarantee character of people in power. We hear of sections 62 and 63 all the time. But the same were never implemented! Quality matters not quantity. There are morons and then there are so called intellectual morons (you would have heard of evil geniuses but not these). You see them hanging with their sullen faces outside Press Clubs with spectacles of other civilizations. Their retinas do not focus on their own Ideology for they themselves have none except acquisition of resources from outside lobbies. It disgusts the people of Pakistan. Dacoits reigning the country and intellectual morons defending them. The transition is inevitable. But will it be smooth or will it rock us like nothing else. The earthquake of politics is taking its toil. It is time sanity prevails otherwise the anarchy and chaos will shatter us! It is time for the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take the next rational step of Section 190 for the welfare of the country. Restore us, restore Pakistan and move forward!