The nights are long without my beloved".
Shah Husain Devotees of the sixteenth century Muslim Sufi Saint Shah Husain believe he was in love with Madhu Lal, a Hindu Brahmin man. The two men, whose attraction to each other may well have been platonic, are buried next to each other in a famous Lahore shrine where there is an annual three-day celebration by hundreds of thousands of followers of the famous mystic.
Called Mela Chiraghan or the Festival of Lights, the three-day celebration of Madhu Lal Hussain started today in Baghbanpura Lahore. The event's name comes from a large fire, alao, at the shrine where people throw candles, oils and terra-cotta lamps (chiragh) after making wishes, according to a report in The Express Tribune. The fire remains lit for the entire duration of the urs.
Reporting on the same-sex relationship of Madu Lal and Shah Husain, NPR's The World quoted Pakistani-American Professor Taymiya R. Zaman of University of San Francisco as saying: " You can't look at something that already existed and there is a shrine devoted to it and say it was unacceptable ".
Anyone who's spent time in Pakistan knows that lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) exist in the country, though this fact is not openly acknowledged or discussed for fear of backlash from conservatives. This has begun to change, however, with recent Supreme Court decisions acknowledging the rights of transgender community as equal citizens under Pakistan's constitution. The nation's highest court has ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure that transgenders are registered as voters and be allowed to contest for parliament in the upcoming elections.
Other than transgenders who are in the open, there are groups of gays and lesbians who meet secretly, according to the New York Times. There are anti-LGBT colonial era laws on the books, but such laws are not enforced. In fact, there is no active state-sponsored witch-hunt of such groups in Pakistan. Their situation is more akin to the US military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy which began in the Clinton Administration and remained in force until recently.
Pakistan is in the midst of big social changes internally. But, as the New York Times reported recently, anny attempt by outsiders to influence it invites a severe backlash. Here's an excerpt of the New York Times story:
Shah Husain Devotees of the sixteenth century Muslim Sufi Saint Shah Husain believe he was in love with Madhu Lal, a Hindu Brahmin man. The two men, whose attraction to each other may well have been platonic, are buried next to each other in a famous Lahore shrine where there is an annual three-day celebration by hundreds of thousands of followers of the famous mystic.
Called Mela Chiraghan or the Festival of Lights, the three-day celebration of Madhu Lal Hussain started today in Baghbanpura Lahore. The event's name comes from a large fire, alao, at the shrine where people throw candles, oils and terra-cotta lamps (chiragh) after making wishes, according to a report in The Express Tribune. The fire remains lit for the entire duration of the urs.
Reporting on the same-sex relationship of Madu Lal and Shah Husain, NPR's The World quoted Pakistani-American Professor Taymiya R. Zaman of University of San Francisco as saying: " You can't look at something that already existed and there is a shrine devoted to it and say it was unacceptable ".
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| Drag Queen Ali Saleem (aka Begum Nawazish Ali) |
Anyone who's spent time in Pakistan knows that lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) exist in the country, though this fact is not openly acknowledged or discussed for fear of backlash from conservatives. This has begun to change, however, with recent Supreme Court decisions acknowledging the rights of transgender community as equal citizens under Pakistan's constitution. The nation's highest court has ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure that transgenders are registered as voters and be allowed to contest for parliament in the upcoming elections.
Other than transgenders who are in the open, there are groups of gays and lesbians who meet secretly, according to the New York Times. There are anti-LGBT colonial era laws on the books, but such laws are not enforced. In fact, there is no active state-sponsored witch-hunt of such groups in Pakistan. Their situation is more akin to the US military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy which began in the Clinton Administration and remained in force until recently.
Pakistan is in the midst of big social changes internally. But, as the New York Times reported recently, anny attempt by outsiders to influence it invites a severe backlash. Here's an excerpt of the New York Times story:
That clash of ideologies was evident last year on June 26, when the
American Embassy in Islamabad held its first lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender pride celebration. The display of support for gay rights
prompted a backlash, setting off demonstrations in Karachi and Lahore,
and protesters clashing with the police outside the diplomatic enclave
in Islamabad. This year, the embassy said, it held a similar event but
did not issue a news release about it.
“It is the policy of the United States government to support and promote
equal rights for all human beings,” an embassy spokeswoman, Rian
Harris, said by e-mail when asked about the backlash. “We are committed
to standing up for these values around the world, including here in
Pakistan.”
Well intended as it may have been, the event was seen by many in
Pakistan’s gay community as detrimental to their cause. The 33-year-old
activist strongly believes it was a mistake.
“The damage that the U.S. pride event has done is colossal,” she said,
“just in terms of creating an atmosphere of fear that was not there
before. The public eye is not what we need right now.”
Despite the hostile climate, both the support group and O continue their
work. O is currently researching violence against lesbian, bisexual and
transgender Pakistanis.
“In a way, we are just role models for each other,” the 30-year-old
said. When she was growing up, she said, she did not know anyone who was
gay and she could not imagine such a life.
“For me the whole activism is to create that space in which we can
imagine a future for ourselves, and not even imagine but live that
future,” she said. “And we are living it. I’m living my own
impossibility.”
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