Farrukh Khan Pitafi’s Official Website

As the Olympic torch was brought in public in Islamabad I was wondering how many of the participants know of the Mount Olympus, the Olympian gods, Hercules’ mythical contributions to the origins of the game. Again had anyone there heard of Coroebus (a cook from Elis) who had won the lone sport in the first Olympics ceremony of the recorded history running naked?
This particular point on Coroebus’ dress code is seldom emphasised or else next you will find the nudist nutters doing the cha cha on the Olympics grounds. Just do not forget that there have already been uncountable incidents of streaking during Olympics. Not to mention there is also such a thing as ‘Nude Olympics’.
But let us come back to our emphasis on history and civilisation instead of nudity, no matter how tempting. I know, I know many of you would say that the nudity found today is an inextricable part of the post-modern civilisation. But right now only history please. Does it not astonish you that when such a historic event has come to the land of such an old civilisation, the poor torch has to face such extra-adventurous ordeals as the odds of being snatched or stolen?
Since we are talking of history, let me also add a bit of my personal history too. My wife never lets me forget that at the start of our married life both of us had vowed to go to the Beijing Olympics with our first born. Our first born seems ready now but I am not. Oh no, not for any humanitarian reasons. What a journalist usually earns barely pays the rent. Of course in this world of inflation it seems almost impossible to go to such an expensive event, especially when no time is seriously left and they say they have sold all the tickets already.
Frustrated I immediately open my spiritual eye. O Olympian gods, can I come? Then the realisation comes that I am not in Greece but in an Islamic republic. I sober myself and change tack. O merciful Allah, can I please go there just for a day? Again, comes the voice, what are you doing? You might be sitting in an Islamic republic but China is a communist country. My thoughts then lead me to an image of Chairman Mao, but before I even open my mouth Deng Xiaoping walks in. I am so unnerved by the changing direction of my prayer that agitated I give up at once. Perhaps it is better to stay put and feel frustrated.

But that was my personal tragedy, let us now focus on the more important and unfortunate phenomenon of Sinophobia. Thanks to the conservatives presence everywhere, particularly in the West, China is still being viewed as a hostile enemy and an energy dump. While in the past people used to talk of China’s fossil fuel consumption, now they talk of its food and water consumption. Imagine it!
It is clear that when the neo-cons realise that there is no longer meat in belligerence against Islam, they turn to China and Russia. We can treat Russia some other time, so let us talk of China here. While it is understandable that the human rights organisations that criticise Gitmo and Abu Ghraib with equal ferocity protest what happened in Tibet, what shocks me is that even the neo-cons are calling for the boycott of the Summer Olympics. Sirs, wash your own stables first. My all time favourite weekly newspaper, The Economist, on March 15 ran a cover on China’s energy consumption.
Let me first talk of China’s energy consumption and then we will attend to the Olympics. As far as China’s food consumption is concerned let me point out that there is no zero sum game involved on the global level. China’s taste for food is far too different from that of the entire world. It essentially implies that what China eats can comfortably be produced on its own territory. If a limited class has taste for the foreign food and products, it happens everywhere in the world. Likewise, it is time that the world leaders instead of bickering and warring on what remains of the fossil fuels reserves should actually explore the alternative energy sources. Also is it not time that the world leaders instead of complaining about the population growth/explosion give thought to some serious space colonisation ventures? We are living in a young universe brimming with energy and the entropy we fear is far, far off.
Now let us discuss the Summer Olympics and China’s stature as a responsible state. As I often point out China surely has freedom, democracy and human rights deficits but it can also not be denied that the country is taking great pains in transforming into an open society. The concept of ‘three represents’ has already changed many dynamics on ground. It is true that it still has some touchy places like Tibet, but as the country moves towards more representative government this would change. By hosting the Olympics this time it is signalling that it wants to embrace the world with openness. It is our choice whether we rebuff it or cuddle with it. If it is rebuffed, I am afraid the West would be viewed as repeating the same mistake of supporting Chiang Kai-shek.
China has time and again shown that it is a responsible power. From the issue of North Korea to the changing position on Myanmar it has proven that it takes its international commitments far seriously. And let me also ask where the US would have been had China and Japan not invested so heavily in the US dollar. China, like the Muslims of the world, is a reality of life folks. You cannot wipe it off the planet. Why should then not everyone engage it in a dialogue? I strongly recommend that you listen to the Teaching Company’s audio lecture titled ‘From Yao to Mao - 5,000 Years of Chinese History’. If you cannot find it in Pakistan, e-mail me at farrukh.khan@pitafi.com and you will get a free copy.
Similarly, it is unfair to complain too dearly about China’s trade competitiveness. It is simply hypocritical that on one side we advocate the cause of free trade and on the other we fear China because it can produce things at far cheaper rates than us. Competition, no matter in economics, politics or sports, is always good. Perhaps it is time for a warm bear (or Panda) hug.

Posted on April 18th, 2008 under International •  Print This Post •  Email This Post • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback