Surrendering to the extremists

The censor board’s decision to prevent the new film Tere Bin Laden from screening in Pakistan is nothing short of cowardice. Without so much as a single threat, the censor board has given in to the perceived fear that the Pakistani population does not have the ability to laugh at itself. The only comfort Pakistani cinema fans have is in the delightful irony of having a comedy film mocking the irrational sensitivities of a segment of the population banned to protect the sensitivities of that same segment of the citizenry. The reason given for the ban is that it presents a security threat, in that militants may well attack movie theatres which screen the film. Surely, this is tantamount to the worst form of surrender to the extremists. That the ban has taken place under a government led by a party that has always stood against fanaticism and obscurantism makes the whole episode all the more unfortunate. After all, one wonders what exactly the government is afraid of, and whether the prohibition is nothing more than pandering to the extremists. The only result of that will be to embolden them further.

The government should immediately overturn the ban on the film. The protagonist in the film, musician Ali Zafar, has made a name for himself in the country and overseas in his chosen field and his effort needs to be acknowledged not spurned. If the government is afraid of any threat to cinema halls, then it should share this intelligence with cinema hall owners and work out a security plan. Pakistani film-goers need to decide for themselves whether the film is good or bad or whether it is offensive. In case of the latter, the sensible thing usually is to not see the said production. Bear in mind that according to a comprehensive survey held in 2009, a mere nine per cent of Pakistanis had a favourable opinion of the al Qaeda chief.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2010.