Writing skills..“I would rather be in hell with Marylyn Monroe and Nicole Kidman, than in paradise with you.” Amen to that.
Sons catch on fathers habits...an article today by Rehan..
Last bastion of free speech
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Rehan Latif
From Shaw, Lenin & Bhutto to present day bigots: A sad decline of a proud tradition!
Perhaps one of the most fascinating places to visit in London is Speakers’ Corner, the world famous free-speech gathering held every Sunday at Hyde Park. Arguably the greatest remaining stronghold of the Athenian debating custom, it leaves one with an invigorated sense that freedom of speech is alive and well. On any given Sunday, there is an assortment of speakers from every walk of life, every class, and almost every country, speaking on the widest possible range of subjects. The crowds come customarily and unfailingly, regardless of what the notoriously unpredictable London weather decides to dish out on the day.
Possibly, they come for the same reason that has turned me into a regular visitor for the last two years. The need for human interaction, that subliminal human urge for disagreement and conflict, to hear new opinions, and to see great – if sometimes slightly unhinged – minds clash on issues with straight talking and stimulating opinions. Sure, you might not agree with them, and some of their opinions might seem politically incorrect, but in this modern world, straight-jacketed by etiquette and self-consciousness, it is refreshing and stimulating to hear contrary views.
Of course, like so much in England, Speakers’ Corner has a rich history. Speakers stand on soapboxes, something that has held since its inception in the 1870s when standing on a soapbox was expected in order not to show disrespect to Great Britain by bad mouthing her while standing on her soil. Now it is seen more as a necessity for speakers to be seen and to stand out in the vast throngs of the crowd. The extraordinary roll call of Speakers’ Corner’s former regulars shows that the leafy surrounding has been a breeding ground for some of the most revolutionary and avant-garde ideas ever produced. Their names roll out like a dream team of the most influential people in modern day history: Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, George Bernard Shaw, George Orwell, student leader of 60s Tariq Ali and even our very own ZA Bhutto, who was a regular visitor in the 50s and 60s.
Interestingly, one of the old veteran speakers, Simon, who still holds open discussion platforms, recounted to me a story about a young Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto, who used to frequent Hyde Park with a beautiful young blonde and gave some impassioned speeches on the benefits of socialism. A well turned-out feudal, lavishly groomed, advocating the benefits of socialism, Simon would never forget it. Indeed the Pakistani nation never forgot it! For it, too, was on the receiving end of the ‘socialist charter’ of one of the subcontinent’s greatest political geniuses, who honed his oratory skills in Hyde Park and Mochi Gate. The roots of ‘thuri see pita hun’were instilled by Bhutto’s sojourns to Speakers’ Corner in the early 50s.
Brooding nostalgically, Simon believes Speakers’ Corner has lost some of its passion in recent years because the intellectualism of the old has been gradually replaced by a desire simply to entertain. “Now look at what has happened,” he explodes, “we have become a Disney attraction and it is because of all these tourists.”
However, budding political heavyweights still frequent the park, especially during the summer, when dissidents from many repressive societies descend on London and take to their boxes, where they find a welcome outlet to argue their views and lash out at their respective governments. They range from critics of Zimbabwean President Mugabe, to Islamic militants attacking the leaders of Saudi Arabia, to Burmese democracy activists and supporters of free market reforms in China. Arabs constitute a large section of these dissenters, which may serve as a useful barometer of the level of impatience that many of them have for their royal families.
Perhaps one of the healthiest aspects of Speakers’ Corners is the fact that rival groups can at least come face to face and discuss their problems, which is sometimes impossible in their own country. Take Israel and Palestine. Whilst it would be unthinkable that they would hold talks in their own region, at Speakers’ Corner they manage to debate the problems head on. Admittedly, emotion clouds most logical thinking during these encounters, but it is always healthy to see some sort of progress between these bitter enemies.
Issues involving religion are usually the most explosive, especially between the various extremist factions that crop up. Some of these ‘extremists’ are simply deluded on a grandiose scale. They put up impressive placards and then proclaim themselves as the living reincarnation of Jesus Christ or Buddha, or whoever may take their fancy. Perhaps one of the most perplexing slogans I have ever heard came from one Christian radical, “Accept Jesus Christ, Reject God”. He calls his little mix, Christian Atheism. As I have mentioned, it helps to be open-minded.
Muslim groups are also in on the act with regular attendees who try to explain their particular interpretation of Islam, or simply use it as a forum to launch the now tiresome, cliché-ridden tirade on ‘decadent’ Western civilisation. Regrettably, as with most fundamentalist groups it is pointless to argue with people with a strong fixation, be they Christian, Muslim or Jewish. The only belief that they all share is that only they are destined for heaven, whilst the rest of us are condemned to damnation. One razor-sharp tongue commented during a long tirade by a Christian radical, “I would rather be in hell with Marylyn Monroe and Nicole Kidman, than in paradise with you.” Amen to that.
The arguments between these factions can also get rather long-winded and depressing if you stay too long. When it comes to seriously convoluted arguments it is, naturally, historical facts that are the biggest casualty. The historical record is artfully juggled around to favour the particular opinions of the speaker and it seems pointless to remind them that some of these events happened over a thousand years ago and it might be time to move on and concentrate on other issues. But perhaps this is one of Speakers’ Corner’s most important lessons – that in life it helps to be flexible and tolerant.
It seems to me that most human disputes are rooted in history, and the misinterpretation of history according to a speaker’s understanding. The very reason that people can come and speak their heart out on anything is the success of pluralism and tolerance over closed societies – ironically the kind of societies or ideologies which some of these speakers advocate and want to create. Taking people back in time seems to be an obsession of every fanatic.
As I walk back home, I think of Simon’s lamentations, that there is a definite qualitative decline in the pedigree of speakers from George Bernard Shaw, Vladimir Lenin and ZA Bhutto to perverted bigots expounding the virtues of extremist ideology. Speakers’ Corner is presently more like a zoo where freedom starved Arabs first taste the virtues of free speech. On that count alone, it is a tradition worth continuing. |
