Daily Times

The title of this column might sound like that of a Dr Seuss book, but the context is more sinister. Political slander and smear campaigns have been the norm for years. This should not be the case but it is. History shows us that from as far back as ancient Rome, political rivals have employed the art of the ‘rumour’. The origin of the word comes from the Latin Rumorem (nominative rumour) meaning noise, clamour, common talk and hearsay. It all boils down to false and derogatory information that is then spread via different frequencies in order to undercut opponents’ integrity and thus the votes of the people.

Pakistan’s social media trends have highlighted a disturbing lack of maturity. Even amidst dark humour there is still slander. Twitter trends such as ‘Nani’ (maternal grandmother) and ‘witch’ – from either side of the political divide – are not funny in a politically correct world. Neither is throwing ink and eggs on anybody, as recently shown on the news.

I do not speak of a global phenomenon occurring (and one cannot even condone those). Let us stop relating every cultural instance to “the West did it first”. Or it is “worse out there.”

If we are the ones to portray or claim self-righteousness under the banner of a Democracy, a Republic or Riyasat, whichever we choose; then perhaps we could refrain from the current trends that are taking place both in actions and words. The term ‘Nani’ is not exactly political wit; to imply something negative to what is simply the role of many women in life. Plus, whatever happened to our commitment to “empowering women”?

Pakistan’s social media trends have highlighted a disturbing lack of maturity. Even amidst dark humour there is still slander. Twitter trends such as ‘Nani’ (maternal grandmother) and ‘witch’ — from either side of the political divide — are not funny in a politically correct world. Neither is throwing ink and eggs on anybody, as recently shown on the news

Similarly, calling somebody a ‘witch’ should neither be acceptable in the drawing room nor on social media. Culturally, it is used as an insult here. It may not be in other parts of the world. But given the cultural landscape where politicians give interviews speaking about the federal capital being held in the grip of an occult, consider how it looks to the outside world.

Another interesting thing to note is that feminist forums have stayed silent on all fronts in our country when it comes to this one. Surely, feminism stands for all women, regardless of political leanings.

Elsewhere, there are countless moves to try and “out” dynastic politics, as we are now so often told we must do. Bluntly put, dynastic politics will continue here as in other places in the world. Our western counterparts have children lined up from birth, prepped and trained to take over. It is a global occurrence. What we can agree on is that those inheriting the ‘dynasties’ must be able to deliver and serve their country when their time comes, with sincerity.

We must also contend with cyber bullying. Everyone is now trolled, and this extends beyond chosen ‘targets’ to include their families. One can understand if they are breaking the law but what has become of us that the mere sharing of an opinion results in toxic onslaught. Cyber space has become a constricted land where if you post a thought – a troll must take you down. Online judge and jury, these political trolls, will all too readily bandy about the ‘elite’ label to try and do maximum personal damage to both character and integrity. Naming and shaming somebody merely for their economic position is deplorable. Optics wise, this simply shows a attacking itself and its own citizens. It is a divisive tactic and not the integrative Pakistan we had been promised. Ordinary civilians and their families represent the future generation of leaders and supporters and they will lose faith in those who currently yield power. Cyber bullying has become an intense ground of personal vendettas.

In terms of politics – the good, the bad and the ugly – whatever you feel personally, take the opposition out in terms of the law. Call them out for fraud, line up court cases (again not guilty unless proven otherwise). Call them out for issues which are crimes against the state. Utilise democratic rights to call them out. But can we refrain from derogatory tactics which are now (mostly) used to shame women? The optics remain faded in a wasteland of personal attacks now assimilated into the culture of social media.

There is a global village aligning itself to a more unilaterally formulated policy on diplomatic ways of building narratives. Pakistan has a good opportunity to join this circle. In a world now with interdependent relationships, we here seem to be whittled down to throwing ink and eggs and name calling. As somebody observing this said, this is not who we are, nor what we should become.

The writer is known for her articles on Cultural Impact and tweets @hayasehgal9