Under the shade: Loitering commuters to be treated with Islamic art

Newly built bus shelters at the capital to be decorated with Islamic calligraphy.


Express/afp June 23, 2011

ISLAMABAD:


To give a more spiritual flavour to the capital, bus stops are being decorated with Quranic verses and Islamic calligraphy. These shelters which have for long served as advertising spots for various companies, and even politicians during election campaigns, will now have a chance to highlight a “positive message” for the residents.


The Capital Development Authority (CDA) plans to roll out 100 new bus shelters – locally known as sunshades – painted with flowers and religious verses to spruce up the 1960s purpose-built capital.

“The new sunshades will not only provide protection to the commuters from inhospitable weather but will also project the art of Islamic calligraphy and our rich heritage,” CDA official Haji Mehboob Ahmad told AFP.

The CDA intends to erect 30 such shades in the next two months, the hottest and wettest of the year as the monsoon season sets in, at a cost of Rs400,000 each, after the public responded well to the pilot programme.

Set up near Islamabad’s commercial Blue Area, not far from the seat of government, the first stop has been lavishly painted green, purple and yellow, inscribed with verses from the Quran seeking protection from evil.

The name of Allah has been painted in Arabic calligraphy and there is a public service message exhorting bus users to respect public property.

“This bus stand belongs to you. Please take care of this sunshade and keep your city green and clean,” the message says.

The project has attracted local press attention and residents are also seen praising the new shelters.

“It really looks great. The beautifully designed sunshades with calligraphic art,” said Imran Hussain, a telecommunications worker, waiting at the new bus stop surrounded by huge trees.

“I have decided to approach the CDA management to put up one in an area where I live. It really looks good,” he added.

The municipality, which is heavily committed to mega building projects such as new under-passes and flyovers in the growing city of more than one million, says the bus stops have a practical benefit.

“These messages will enhance awareness among people on crucial issues of water conservation, sanitation and importance of anti-littering,” said CDA official Ramzan Sajid. Furthermore, the idea can be used to promote the message of peace and unity among the local populace.

“CDA can disseminate a positive message through beautiful Islamic calligraphy. There are so many verses and Ahadis that urge the followers to live in harmony and foster brotherhood,” said Fauzia Minallah. He said that the municipality was conducting detailed surveys to designate appropriate places for the new bus stops pending top-level approval.

The bus stop calligraphy has been inspired by renowned Pakistani calligrapher and painter Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi. Known internationally for his skills, Sadequain is often credited with a renaissance in Islamic art in Pakistan.

“We needed these sunshades to provide relief to the commuters who use public transport in the harsh weather conditions and to project our rich Islamic heritage and message of Islam through Quranic verses,” Sajid added.

Talib Hussain, a bearded student at a local madrassa, is also a fan of the new bus stops. “It is kind of a prayer to see and read verses and the names of God written in calligraphic art on the sunshade,” he said.

Harris Khalique poet, writer, political activist when contacted, said being an aesthete, like good calligraphy, see it as a great form of art. Shakir Ali, Sadequain and Gul Jee were amazing calligraphers besides being painters.

“But somehow painting holy verses on bus stops by CDA seems hypocritical as this country and its state institutions are about letters sans spirit,” he remarked. When Halaku invaded Baghdad during the middle ages at the beginning of the decline of Muslim civilization rather than gearing up to fight, the rulers decided to gather in the central mosque and recite Quran. that was the greatest disservice to Islam, he said.

On the question of the religious orders about inscribing the verses from the holy scripture, Prof. Habibur Rehman Asim from International Islamic University said, “Islamic calligraphy should be placed on a height from the ground and on a strong paper, rocks or board. After these measures are taken, and a natural calamity causes damage to the writings, then it would not be sin for anyone.”

Moreover, such measures to “beautify” the capital have been taken in the past, but they usually fall prey to vandalism. “Whether it was the sports facilities in the playing grounds or the renovated commercial areas for the shoppers, lack of maintenance by the authority and rowdy usage by the locals have always rendered such efforts meaningless,” said Imtiaz Ahmed, a resident of F-7.

Adding on to the Ahmed’s thought, Nashwa Qureshi, who works at International Organisation for Migration, said, “I am in favour of making the city more beautiful, but CDA should take precaution against vandalism,” she added. “The calligraphy should be kept in plastic coating or placed at a higher place.”

AFP with additional reporting from our correspondent



Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2011.

COMMENTS (45)

sonam | 12 years ago | Reply Mark my words. This will lead to many blashphemy cases. Non muslims who are already being treated very badly are in more serious porblem.
Farhan Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply @Biall Khan: What is wrong in that ? ... There effort is to please God, not you or me ... Its their act and they will be judged by God himself. If you say 'killing someone is haram' is prohibited, then I would say Lying, Watching XXX, Alcoholism, Gf/Bf chakkar bazian, Prostitution and so many things are also prohibited. If you people do 'so many' prohibited things in your life then why do you have objection on others doing 'one' wrong thing ?
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