Taseer is by profession a journalist, and while that comes through in his ability to ask the right questions of people, his writing style is far more personal than you'd expect from a reporter. He makes no pretense about this being an objective study of Islam; rather it's a personal voyage undertaken in the hopes of bridging the gap between himself and the father he was estranged from for over 20 years, and that comes across in his writing. His yearning to understand both his father and the religion he professes to practice, and the frustration and confusion they generate in him, predominate throughout the book as he intersperses accounts of his travels with recollections of his attempts to find common ground with his father.
In many ways this is one of the bravest books you'll ever read, as Taseer doesn't hesitate to voice opinions that are going to be unpopular with people at all ends of the political spectrum. His compassion for the people he meets allows him to see beyond their words to the need that gives them birth, giving the reader a deeper understanding of where their opinions were born. The title of the book, Stranger To History, refers obviously to Taseer's ignorance of his father and his Muslim and Pakistani inheritance. However, it can also relate to what he has witnessed in his journeys in Syria and Iran where history is being rewritten to generate hatred against the West in order to solidify the current regime's power bases. While he doesn't offer any solutions or comfort that there is some easy way to change or prevent what is happening, hope can be taken from his time spent in, of all places, Iran in the people's determination to deny the regime in any small way they can.
Although his attempt to reconcile his own history with his father is somewhat of a failure, Taseer consoles himself with the fact that he has been able to connect with his personal history of being a product of both parts of the Indian subcontinent. By having both countries he has had the chance of "embracing the three tier history of India whole, perhaps an intellectual troika of Sanskrit, Urdu, and English. These mismatches were the lot of people with garbled histories, but I preferred them to violent purities. The world is richer for its hybrids." While he may not have come any closer to discovering his father, or his father's religion, he has discovered himself.
Article comments
1 - Christy Corp-Minamiji
And yet another book to add to my "I want" list. Nice review.
2 - John Lake
In the past and even today in many parts of the world, religion is the fundamental issue. This is true, in fact, in many parts of the United States. In remote areas, atrocities are being committed in the name of religion. The Muslim religion seems to answer many questions, and to give guidance to people, but young people today are beginning to think, perhaps rightfully so, that any religion is in fact flawed; any irrational belief is counter- productive to rational pragmatism. Every society must give its members reason beyond law to behave in a socially acceptable manner. Given only the law, many would see no reason not to follow their personal greed, or lasciviousness, to the destruction of that society. So, we have an impasse. If we are being constantly watched by an all-powerful figure, capable of reward, or punishment, we will comply, and yes, the world will be better for it.
But this dream of a better world has been tinged and tainted. Many with little else to live for try to expand these religious ideas to fill the hours and years of their lives. Personal drives become a factor and, over generations, the zealots begin to see this supreme judge actually wanting them to do things destructive to all society. Superior people, who have devoted more time to their study of religion, feel they must force their beliefs on others.
In any case, I have seriously digressed. My purpose here is and was to address the changes taking place in Pakistan. A religious person assumes that the changes are hinged on belief and idealism. A more pragmatic person may suspect an economic motivation. If I were to undertake to criticize the Pakistanis, I would look for an economic issue. I would involve the American Secretary of State, and her overwhelming belief that money will solve all the problems of the world. She gives away millions of dollars of more, and bitterly accuses those accepting her money of wanting still more. It wouldn’t be surprising if that very money were at the core of the current upheavals.
I don’t have enough insight into the world of Pakistan to create an intelligible article. Perhaps you do. If someone could outline some of the crucial issues, it would be a meaningful step in their resolution.
I might apologize for my long-windedness. I am hopeful that someone can give a clear, rational explanation or interpretation of the ongoing developments in Pakistan.