If Pakistani liberals find themselves a marginalized group these days, it鈥檚 because they鈥檝e failed to combat the powerful anti-elite rhetoric of Islamists.
That鈥檚 what Ammar Aziz, a 23-year-old rights activist from the city of Lahore, believes.
Now he鈥檚 on a mission to fight for the country鈥檚 impoverished downtrodden peasant and labor classes, using politically charged music and documentaries to highlight their plight.
鈥淣obody is talking about the working class in the country, the real majority鈥� says Mr. Aziz. Instead, Pakistan鈥檚 liberals cloister themselves behind walled compounds and surround themselves with luxury items imported from the West, creating resentment among the poor around them.
The youngest member of a popular leftist pop band 鈥淟aal鈥�(meaning Red), Aziz has just released a new song 'Inquilab'(revolution), dedicated to freeing Pakistan鈥檚 bonded laborers. He鈥檚 also directed a video for the band, 鈥淎waken my life,鈥� that rails against the economic disparity and political corruption which strikes at the heart of what ails his country. In addition to helping organize protest rallies, he's working with political groups to organize peasant and worker rallies thousands-strong in rural Punjab.
Underpinning his work is a strong belief not just of a fairer society, but of checking the influence of the Taliban. Four years ago, a prominent Karachi-based seminary handed down a Fatwa against Aziz for helping to produce 鈥淭aqwacore,鈥� an award-winning documentary on an Islamic punk rock group touring Pakistan. He was forced into hiding. More recently, Aziz has been using his platform as a blogger for Pakistan鈥檚 Express Tribune newspaper to highlight social issues, including a 海角大神 girl鈥檚 rape and forced conversion to Islam of a 海角大神 girl last Christmas.
Says Ammar, Pakistan鈥檚 US-backed liberal elites present the masses with a false binarization. 鈥淧eople say, 鈥榚ither you oppose the Taliban or you oppose us [Pakistan鈥檚 liberal elites] and America,鈥� 鈥� says Aziz. 鈥淲e say there鈥檚 a third option.鈥�
鈥揑ssam Ahmed, Lahore, Pakistan
Next in the series: The Social Media Stars
