IF YOUR HOUSE IS BURNING

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/05/11/if-your-house-is-burning/

The Prophet Muhammad would target the leaders of a community when spreading his message. This was not because he was a sycophant, but because he knew that values trickle down.

On Wednesday one of Mr. Trump’s supporters said, “Shoot them!” when referring to migrants to the USA, and President Trump let the supporter’s comment go with an indulgent laugh. Mr. Trump’s reaction carries much more resonance than the supporter’s because Mr. Trump is the President of the country.

After hearing many angry responses to the episode, among them several saying that such a reaction from the top brass should not be allowed to slide, you wonder what happened to the comment made by our own PM about Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the one where he called him ‘sahiba’. There is no difference between this comment and Mr. Trump’s reaction. In fact, the likeness between the two leaders reveals itself regularly, and quite astonishingly.

The fight for gender equality has been going on for generations all over the world, including here in Pakistan. By that one comment Mr Khan set back years of hard work by activists everywhere, including at home

Because he is the PM, what Mr Khan says, matters. His comment demeans the female gender because he used the term ‘sahiba’ as a joke. And true enough, The Guardianrecently reported that in Pakistan, ‘stories of murdered women are recorded with grim regularity in one and a half inches of a single newspaper column.’

Mr Khan’s comment not only lays him open to an accusation of libel, it was vulgar, and it dropped a ton of heavy bricks on the fight against discrimination that cross-gender persons everywhere have been fighting for generations all over the world. It also tells us much more about our PM himself than anything else he has said or done to date. Aside from anything else, it shows him to be attempting deception.

“End your ego, think of your nation,” said Mr Khan once. Yes, he was thinking of the nation and of himself as its leader, with that comment against Bilawal, because he was appealing to the lowest and largest denomination in the country, the uneducated segment, the segment that is in a majority, from where any leader gets most votes. And yet he is on record as saying that he has always believed that one should not be scared of losing.

“Bravery is standing with the truth, and the right,” he also said at some stage. How brave is it to pander to the largest, most convenient segment of society without having the guts to fight its prejudice? Where, for example, is the action against extremist groups? “Visionary leaders do not make popular decisions, they make the right decisions,” he also said once, in which case he was referring to someone else, not himself. And the list goes on.

The hardest battle to be fought in this country, as in many countries, is the one against bias of every kind which is to be found throughout society. Those who give in to prejudice have not thought about the matter and are often in no habit of debating ideas, certainly not debating beliefs that they have grown up with. For such persons, violence rather than debate is the weapon closest to hand. These are the people who are easiest to influence and indoctrinate, who shoot at innocent children and teachers in schools, who kill worshippers in places of worship, who indoctrinate children to blow themselves up at shrines and other such places. It is a mistake to generalize, but few people will disagree that this is where the most gender bias is to be found, both against women and against cross-gender persons. And this is where our Prime Minister has irrevocably slotted himself.

No one, with any intellect worth mentioning, should care how Mr. Bhutto Zardari categorises himself, gender wise. What this poor country needs is a person with guts and integrity. Nothing else matters. Mr Bhutto Zardari has shown himself to be neither for now, but he is young and has not had the opportunity yet.

Mr Khan is neither young and he has ample opportunity. What has he shown himself capable of? One must give him his hospital and his universities. They are an undoubted achievement. Perhaps he ought to have remained involved with these things and let the country alone.

The fight for gender equality has been going on for generations all over the world, including here in Pakistan. By that one comment Mr Khan set back years of hard work by activists everywhere, including at home.

“If your house is burning,” our PM said once, “wouldn’t you try to put out the fire?”

Yes, but we’re waiting for you to drop the matches, Mr. Khan.

CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATION

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/05/05/childhood-immunisation/

As medical knowledge currently stands, it is clear that immunisation protects the immunised person, and society, from the spread of infectious diseases. Immunisation is, therefore, beneficial and important. One of the greatest disservices done to Pakistan was by the man Shakil Afridi who called himself a doctor yet conducted a fake hepatitis vaccine programme in Abbottabad in collusion with the CIA, the aim of which was to flush out Osama bin Laden then in hiding in that area. Afridi gave credence to the anti-vaxxers’ suspicion of vaccinations, by associating immunisation campaigns with what is vaguely and ominously termed ‘foreign agendas’, or attempts by outside forces to manipulate snd harm the people of this country. As always, when there is anything important at stake involved, our ultra-religious brethren used this fear and they stand solidly against vaccinations and vaccinators. They are responsible for the illness and suffering of countless children and their families, and the death of many vaccinators doing their job.

Educators should also make sure that students know how dangerous childhood diseases can be. This should be taught to science and humanities students alike, since the children of today are the parents of tomorrow and will one day have to decide whether or not to vaccinate their child

As a result, during the course of the most recent polio campaign, after a violent mob burnt down a government health facility, and a polio vaccinator died – the latest of many in the past, the federal government suspended the campaign, at least for the present.

Polio is still to be routinely found in Pakistan (as well as in Afghanistan and Nigeria). The matter cannot be ignored. So, what is to be done?

One could make vaccinations mandatory and protect the vaccinators by more stringent means, such as calling in the army to provide the protection. Or one could educate and persuade the anti-vaxxers to change their minds.

Mandates and bans have never proven to be the solution. To quote a passage from a Harry Potter novel, when the headmistress banned the students from reading Harry’s interview, Hermione says: “Don’t you see? If she could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person in the school will read your interview, it was banning it!” And she was right. By the end of the day, although the printed copy of the interview was nowhere to be seen, every single student was quoting it.

Mandates set people’s backs up, create a following for the thing being forbidden– just because, and generate further violence. Ten protestors dying following riots and ten children of disease, the result is the same.

Mandatory vaccination was first attempted in the UK in the 19th century but was later abandoned. In today’s world, when people are considerably more resistant to anything smacking of State intrusion, even in Pakistan, it would not have been a popular move.

In France, up until last year just 70 percent of the population was vaccinated.  Early in 2018, 11 childhood vaccines have been made compulsory. The penalty for infringement is that the unvaccinated child is barred from creche, nursery, school or summer camp, public or private. The move would not have a leg to stand on in Pakistan, where the bulk of children do not attend nursery, school or summer camp, public or private. In France, there is also the threat of fine and imprisonment, but that was theoretical, and the French government was expected to increase monitoring last year. The exceptions were for children whose parents could produce a written medical exemption. In Pakistan where every medical form can be obtained for a price, this is not a solution either.

The only remaining option appears to be awareness by means of campaigns and education. It generally boils down to that. It is a long-term measure but really, the only one. The government might give a mind to if it has any to spare after its petty brawls.

There is an obvious difference in the two segments of society: the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Children who have had MMR and polio vaccinations for example do not get Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Polio. Those who have not been vaccinated, do.  This is one gap that can be bridged without a large financial outlay. Creative, well designed campaigns to highlight this fact and bring it to people’s conscious notice can be conducted, routinely, exhaustively.

Vaccinations should come with incentives. Health centres should BE very well protected, and should possess a pleasant environment for children and attractive facilities for parents of vaccinated children only, such as a meeting place with the occasional screening of free movies, free teas, and so on.

Schools much teach how disease occurs, show students bacteria under microscopes, and provide information on these bacteria can be destroyed. At present, science students in government colleges are quite unfamiliar with microscopes, and some have never even seen a magnifying glass. Educators should also make sure that students know how dangerous childhood diseases can be. This should be taught to science and humanities students alike, since the children of today are the parents of tomorrow and will one day have to decide whether or not to vaccinate their child.