Comments on: Will the real culprits please stand up!

By: H.M. Naqvi

H.M. Naqvi — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:21:57 +0000

We have to understand that we are on our own. We weren’t a few years ago. We are now.

We cannot rely on the our boorish democrats or the broader bureaucratic and military infrastructure. We cannot rely on the courts. And the media may or may not empathize with us. They have their own problems, their own demographic. We only have each other.

Although the incident at the festival may have been more a lapse of judgment than a principled stand, it is ultimately our responsibility, our duty, to take on the retrograde forces unleashed in this state head on. We are in the midst of an existential calamity of epic proportions.

VASL is a stellar organization. It is our duty to support them.

By: Ammad Tahir

Ammad Tahir — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:37:35 +0000

I just want to repeat what Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto said in his speech to the Security Council which was this: “You want to silence our voices by arms?” this clearly represents him as an icon against Violence. I believe, all the people who are scared or apologetic are sub-conciously supporting the same violence we are against. We are not progressive at all. Whether we are artists or socialites, we are all conservative, backward and primitive and shall remain so if we still don’t allow a different perspective to be published or presented to the public. We shall remain uneducated and uncivil and America shall bomb us to the middle ages.

PS:I was there! I was scared, and I ran for my life but i still support freedom of artistic expression and I am strongly against legallisation of aggression!

By: All Photoshops Are Created Equal | Mystery Blog

All Photoshops Are Created Equal | Mystery Blog — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:33:28 +0000

[...] I expected the Pakistani blogosphere to universally condemn the hooligans of the reigning party who perpetuated this violence and stand with the artists’ right of self-expression. I certainly do. But, the Pakistani blogosphere seems to be universally condemning the unknown artist, instead. It is, they say, “akin to a political blasphemy” or “ridiculously meaningless” or “monumentally stupid“. Their critiques of the artist and of the festival organizers, directly or indirectly, condone the violence that shut down the festival. [...]

By: Meanderings

Meanderings — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 07:33:11 +0000

[...] My earlier post on the Shanaakht mess has met with considerable criticism; which is absolutely fine – many valid points have been raised – but I am pained to be included in a group that one blogger writes about “… and it continues with tacit support of our so-called liberal intelligentsia”, because I commented strongly on the stupidity of the artwork. I have also been blown away by the inability of so-called educated people to read, analyze, and process. [...]

By: Statment on behalf of Concerned Citizens of Pakistan | Shanaakht Festival | Teeth Maestro

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 21:48:19 +0000

[...] been initiated. Tags: Benazir Bhutto, Free Speech, Karachi, PPP Comment Meta: Leave a comment | Subscribe to the Comment Feed | Upload your Comment Image Some Related Posts: Open letter to Sindh Minister for Culture |Shanaakht FestivalThe image that led to the ransacking of the Shanakht FestivalCitizens Campaign to Reclaim KarachiInvestigative Pictures released by Gov of PakistanYoutube blocked in Pakistan [...]

By: All Photoshops Are Created Equal

All Photoshops Are Created Equal — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 21:23:34 +0000

By: Zakintosh

Zakintosh — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:33:18 +0000

@Bina – I didn’t make the comment about your statement. Shayan did.

By: Hasan

Hasan — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:18:44 +0000

I agree completely with Rameez and Kamila above. Personally I think CAP overdid the apology bit. Whatever I may think of the merits of the picture, that is not, and should not have been, made the focus of the issue. The issue was the hooliganism and the mode of expressing a reaction to the artwork. By repeatedly saying they would have taken it down had they been asked – or SHOULD have taken it down as others have been holding forth – the organizers are restricting the space for all other artistic dissent as well and encouraging all those who want to enforce their point of view. Tomorrow, someone else will find something offensive and use the same procedure for ensuring it is removed from public view. We already saw an indication of that in the press conference, where one journalist even objected to an image of a rupee not which had the Quaid’s picture replaced with a dollar sign.

Of course this is not the first time it has happened: the Jamaat has attacked Karachi University’s Visual Studies department simply because they think all such activity is against Islam and most people are too scared to even attempt any strong comment on MQM leaders in Sindh or the Taliban in NWFP etc. But that is precisely the point: bit by bit we continue to cede space. It was the inability to raise a voice earlier that has emboldened others.

Imo, yes, there are sensitivities involved and one should be very careful about what you exhibit (only for the reason that you don’t want to endanger the rest of a good initiative and that creative spaces need to be gradually expanded) but once a decision has been taken after due consideration, one should stand by it, not disown it. One should not forget that ‘art’ is inherently provocative if it is going to instigate debate and thinking.

I think pinning blame on VASL or the Arts Council or the artist is not going to serve the issue at hand. That should remain creating tolerance for dissent, even if that dissent is expressed in an odious manner.

By: Jamal Ashiqain

Jamal Ashiqain — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:09:11 +0000

@Zak: I am not against the artists right to express, she can say what even she pleases to, in her own show or in this case in a differently themed show.

Lets suppose If I write something in favor of consuming liquor and read it out-loud in a gathering of Taliban’s, and not just any other gathering but the one which is called to discuss a peaceful solution with them. I am sure to harm not only the peace process but also enrage the Taliban’s beyond control.

The artwork was just an ill timed statement, delivered to the wrong set of audience, it was only logical that it was to back fire.

By: Bina

Bina — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 04:23:58 +0000

@Zak – I didn’t say that art should promote happiness or world peace. Some of the best art highlights unhappiness and war. What art does is to help us understand our humanity, the thing which links us all to each other, no matter what other differences we may have in religion, creed, gender, or race. There’s a blurry line between art and political protest, and when a piece of art sacrifices beauty for politics, that disappoints me personally.