Sensible sequel, befitting message

A red mark on the calendars that no one in the foreseeable future will be able to forget; a day when an extremist faction coloured the walls of the Army Public School (APS) with the blood of schoolchildren. Not only Pakistan, but the whole world mourned the death of these little angels. They were the martyrs of a war that Pakistan has been fighting since 9/11 — the war on terror. That event in the US changed the landscape of many countries, but Pakistan has been one of the most affected countries in the post-9/11 scenario.

A courageous effort from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) brought to light the intrepid side of Pakistan’s young guns. The message focused on the strength of character of our children, who were dragged into the war by cowardly extremists. The words “Mai aisi qaum se hoon jis kay wo bacho se darta hai” (He [the militant] is afraid of the children of my country), echoed in every nook and corner of the country. The heads that had wilted with depression rose again, with hope. The song symbolised not only the voice of the kids who were part of the massacre and survived, it also served the purpose of sending a straightforward message to the extremists — even our kids are not afraid of you and are ready to fight for their beloved homeland when and if need be.

As the day of the first anniversary of the APS attack drew closer, the ISPR released a sequel of its first effort. “Mujhe maa us se badla lene jana hai, mujhe dushman ke bachon ko parhana hai” (I have to avenge myself mother, I have to teach the child of my enemy). The tilt towards education, which can enlighten extremist minds, is now the main focus of the campaign.

As a firm believer in education being the best cure for all the woes of the world, I personally stand with this message. Fighting hate with hate and trying to keep our-killed versus their-killed count equal is not going to eradicate terrorism in the long run. Education, combined with awareness, can help eradicate this social misery from its root. A solution to terrorism is not far. If not now, then surely in the future, this problem is going to be solved — but what everyone wishes for is that the sooner we leave this crisis behind, the better.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th,  2015.