KARACHI:
It is a longstanding belief that nations that tend to forget or suppress their literature slowly start to morally deteriorate. One may be reminded of dreadful crusaders — the Mongols — who burnt the libraries of Baghdad. These heart wrenching invasions wiped out the long history of Muslims in the region. All the books were either looted or burnt. There is a myth that the dust of burnt books when thrown in the Tigris River darkened its water. This marked the end of the golden Muslim period under the Abbasid Caliphate.
Regrettably, Pakistan does not need an enemy for this. Due to the lack of maintenance, libraries across the country have slowly withered. Those that remain in good shape have become centres of student politics which is detrimental to society in the long run. There is a dire need to awake the masses from their deep slumber and enlighten them. The responsibility of building libraries of the country should be with the state. Preserving our literature, culture and heritage should be of utmost priority in times of social decay.
Awais Gopang
Sukkur
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2021.
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