Noorul Huda Shah’s Confession
Reference: Ms. Noorul Huda Shah’s article appearing in Daily Kawish of 17th May 2001.
I would like to tell all those writers whom nature has gifted with the talent to contribute in developing a society and enriching its culture (or to say annihilating and debasing it depending upon individual’s approach) that your role goes a long way then you probably know yourself. Your words are surely going to survive a million times more than signatures of bureaucrats and the speeches of statesmen. So to vent out your personal hurts or hallucinations (bound to occur to an artist who surely is sensitive) in such a way that it becomes reflective of a given culture is a dangerous crime.
I do not wish to go any further on “Psychological War” referred to in her article. But I surely would advise that any such work of art should always be labelled as a work of art alone, reflecting writer’s personal beliefs, in Prefaces written on such books. Any such Drama or Play should always follow the slide telling the audience that whatever they are about to watch is purely fictitious.
The revolutionary lady, with a pen mightier than sword, who embarked upon taking the bull of gender discrimination by its horns, has lately confessed that she too finds herself equally involved in raising/fanning certain issues pertaining to gender discrimination which at times are concocted. She has lamented about her views on “Karo Karee” and “Marriages with Quran”, which she did not witness with her own naked eyes. Lately, she has realised that certain cultural habits are actually based on pure human reactions and are not reflective of a particular culture.
With deep regard to this remarkable woman of swaying words, I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to her for being truthful to her conscience. Seldom does a person of her stature would fall for such confession!