Eid Mubarak

Normally a time of joy and celebration, Eid this year will be a bitter-sweet event at best. Millions of our fellow citizens will be spending today in makeshift refugee camps, trying desperately to escape the floodwaters with what little of their belongings they could grab on to, praying for protection from flood, famine and theft. It is difficult to find joy in a season when so many of our compatriots are in such pain and suffering. And yet Eid also has a habit of bringing out virtues in us that we had forgotten we were still capable of. The spirit of generosity that takes root at the beginning of Ramazan reaches its peak at Eid, with giving out Eidi (gifts, both cash and kind) to all and sundry being a cultural tradition that we can be proud of. Having gone through the collective sacrifice of Ramazan, most people, even those who chose not to fast, make an effort to include even those who cannot afford to celebrate on their own.

Despite its religious origins, Eid has become a cultural tradition enjoyed by all Pakistanis, regardless of religion or religiosity. It is a time to meet family, friends and loved ones, many of whom we may not get to see over the normal course of the year. The bonds of fraternity during Eid cut across all of the many cleavages that divide us and remind us of our common humanity. It is also a time when the economy expands, in a manner that has grown increasingly similar to the expansion in consumption that takes place in Western economies during Christmas. The increased spending usually translates into higher incomes for retailers and manufacturers and in turn for those further down the economic food chain. In essence, Eid is an annually scheduled economic stimulus that costs the government not a dime and, given the relative lack of consumer financing, does not add to the national debt burden.

The national economy could certainly use such blessings. Despite the cultural reasons for joy, there has not been much economic reason for good cheer of late. One hopes that the Eid effect serves to mitigate at least some of the negative impact of the largest floods in the country’s history. We hope that the spirit of sacrifice and generosity that has been displayed thus far will continue during and after the festival, particularly with respect to how we contribute to alleviate the suffering of the flood victims. This Eid, more than any other, should become one dedicated to serving our fellow citizens in their hour of need and in doing so, strengthening the social contract that forms the core of every liberal democracy: that our common humanity calls upon us to take responsibility for the collective good.

It has been comforting to see many of even some of our most privileged compatriots doing their level best to serve their country during this crisis. This sense of civic responsibility has been building over time and should only be strengthened during Eid. For if Ramazan and Eid are about anything, they are about remembering those less fortunate than us, those who need our help and those whose gratitude for our service can be the source of our moral salvation. The ritual and tradition are meant to serve as incubators of a connection that can bring us closer together. More than any other time in its history, Pakistan needs for its people to put aside their differences for the collective benefit of the nation – because, clichéd as it may sound, our individual progress and prosperity in intricately tied with that of our country.

Torn asunder by terror and fanaticism, inundated by flooding and deemed an international basket case by the global community, Pakistan could use a reason to celebrate. If that celebration comes with a call to serve and an outpouring of our own legendary hospitality to each other, then so much the better. We are the key to our own happiness. Regardless of religion, caste or creed, this newspaper would like wish all of its readers a heartfelt Eid Mubarak.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2010.