Islamists outdone by Moderate Pakistanis in flood relief

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Islamabad - Islamists might be more organized in their relief activities for the millions of flood victims across Pakistan and even better at publicising their efforts for political gain, but ordinary, moderate people are far ahead on the ground.

Saira Bano, 24, does not have links with any political or religious groups. What motivated her was empathy for the flood victims. After a couple of consultations with her classmates at Islamabad's National University of Modern Languages, which promotes moderate and liberal values, Bano launched a campaign to help.

"We started donation collections from the university. We asked the students to give whatever they can do - all of their pocket money or just one rupee, a glass, a bag of wheat flour or bottle of water," she said. "We collected much more than we expected."

Within few days, Bano, her classmates and teachers at the international relations department had raised 4,705 dollars and collected used clothes for the flood-affected people.

"We went to the market, bought ourselves the items and packed them here at the University," Bano said. "Each packet consisted of two-time uncooked meal for a family of seven to eight people, and clothes for male, female members of the family and children."

The three truck loads of aid were distributed in Nowshera, a city in the north-western province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where the floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains devastated large areas and forced millions to take refuge in relief camps or stay in the open.

Encouraged by the early success, Bano and her colleagues collected donations and now have enough money to dispatch several trucks of relief items to the central province of Punjab.

"Our department has only 60 volunteers but almost every department in this university and all the other universities in Islamabad are helping the flood victims. Everyone is helping them - not only the Islamists or extremists," Bano said.

More and more educated, moderate Muslims are getting involved as awareness about the extent of the disaster is growing in Pakistan, mainly thanks to the country's proliferating television channels.

"So far the focus has been on the organizations that are linked with militancy. Everybody believes that perhaps these are the ones which are doing the most in terms of providing aid to the flood victims. But that's not a true perception," said Rasool Bux Raees, a political scientist at Lahore University of Management Sciences.

"Militants are visible in relief activities not because of the reality on ground but because of the Western media's sensitivity towards them," Raees said. "Whatever little they do is highlighted because of this attitude of the Western media and the good work of the rest of the general society and organizations remains unacknowledged."

With little wish to publicize their good works, tens of thousands of Pakistani people are mobilized at community level.

Hundreds of doctors and nurses are travelling from town to town and village to village to provide free medical aid to flood victims. Agriculture scientists are volunteering to advise farmers how they can restore their livelihoods.

Artists are helping out, too. Pop star Abrar-ul-Haq, despised by many Islamists for his bold songs, has recruited hundreds of fans and volunteers for the relief work using his charity, Sahara for Life.

As the workers carry food items to the affected areas, Haq is in Britain to raise funds.

A popular TV anchor Talat Hussain joined hands with Kashif Abbasi, a competitor from another channel, and raised millions of rupees. Both journalists are viewed as severe critics of the government.

"People are giving donations only to those people who have some credibility. The government under President Asif Ali Zardari has no credibility," said Raees.

Zardari spent several years in prison while facing corruption charges though he was never convicted.

"People even don't trust those westernized non-governmental organizations which are run by the westernized women who participate in television shows with fancy clothes and thick layers of make-up on their faces," said Raees. "They are from the elite Pakistani class which has robbed the poor public over the years, and yet the international donors only trust them."

According to Raees, the international organizations, including the UN, which have no direct link to ordinary Pakistanis, should rely on the groups and individuals who "dress like Pakistanis, who talk like Pakistanis, whether they are religious or moderate."

"Only such individuals and organizations can understand the actual needs of the flood victims," he added.

Copyright DPA