Everyone is hoping for a Friday Eid because two Khutbas spell the downfall of the ruler. This is a popular superstition in our part of the Muslim world, that a Friday Khutba and an Eid Khutba on the same day are curtains for the Hakim-i-Waqt.
All kinds of ways, some sane, some stupid, have been tried to dislodge the present incumbent from the presidential seat without success. As a last resort people are hoping this superstitious mumbo jumbo might work where protest marches, confrontations and court cases have failed.
As the situation becomes more and more hopeless, more and more people are putting their hopes in the superstition. On September 29 the Supreme Court dismissed on technical grounds petitions against General Pervez Musharraf holding two offices, thus giving a legal boost to the president to contest the election for the second term in uniform.
I hate to be a wet blanket and remind the superstitious that the president will be confirmed in his seat as of today the 6th of October 2007, while Eid if it falls on a Friday will come later, on the 12th.
A diehard believer in the magic of the double Khutba is not discouraged. He said Nawaz Sharif was also re-elected but a double Khutba soon after, led to his ouster by Pervez Musharraf. He said there was a double Khutba in the year the C-130 blew up taking Zia ul Haq to meet his Maker. He said at that time Zia had laughed at the superstition, he was so confident the public could not dislodge him from his presidential seat.
I tried to introduce a little factual comment, to the effect that the public did not dislodge him, neither did the double Khutba, that it was an inexplicable blast inside the plane. But it is hard to convince diehard believers in superstitions, the stars and other occult sciences.
I am infected with foreboding that this Eid-ul-Fitr will be coloured with fear rather than festivity. Instead of fussing about the usual enjoyable preparations such as new clothes, sheerkhorma and muzafar I plan to sandbag the front of my apartment, stock the pantry with tin food and dry snacks. I do not plan to stock the freezer because when there is trouble the KESC takes a long holiday and the raw food inside the freezer is likely to spoil. I am so worried that I even expect the Sui Gas to take a long holiday.
It is overblown fear, I agree, but you cannot deny that the atmosphere smacks of the smell of blood, bomb blasts and the sound of batons cracking skulls and the cries of the victims of police atrocities. In such a situation is it possible to think rationally and pretend nothing will happen on Eid day when every male in town will congregate for the prayers?
I am not the only person infected with foreboding. Although Eid shopping is going on and the shops are open till late at night to cater to the customers, there is one area where the usual enthusiasm for preparing for Eid is not evident. That is at the tailor's shops.
There is one below my apartment and last year the tailor was busy from the first week of Ramazan. It was irritating to hear the whirl of the sewing machines, the chatter of women and the cassette player loudly playing a mix of pop and pious chants through the day and through the night.
This year there is no rush for Eid clothes. The tailor-master has not hired extra workers and shuts his shop latest by eleven at night. Another tailor's shop which is visible across the road from my balcony is open till midnight but a neighbour pointed out there was not much activity even there. She said the tailor probably keeps the lights on for the boys who play night cricket or that he himself joins in the game.
This is not much of a yardstick by which to gauge the mood of the public, but it is a point to note. Why isn't there a rush to have new clothes sewn for Eid? Women and children love clothes and any occasion including Eid means a festive wardrobe, not one or two but a whole range of new suits.
It could be that the range of readymade party wear has improved and the price is right. Sunday bazaar and Bohri bazaar, Tariq Road, Lines, though cheaper than boutique suits, are either too fancy or too gaudy to suit middleclass tastes. A survey showed they have appeal for the Liaquatabad, Orangi and Lyari crowds, so the middle class is still not attracted but Behbud welfare run by ladies has been producing a lovely line of party wear for kiddies.
They do good business through the year as there is a demand for their cute ghararas and shararas for weddings as well as Eid and Bismillahs. But that is just one decent place for kiddie's party wear. It, too, cannot explain the slack business at the tailoring shops.
However, we Karachiites are not too comfortable being worry bugs. This was evident at an iftar party where I mentioned the slack business at the tailor's and the superstition of double Khutba. People began to joke to laugh off the fears. I heard one good joke: What will Musharraf wear when he removes his uniform? A Bush-shirt.
Few have considered that a general who retires not only sheds his uniform but also the power it represents.
So isn't it puzzling that General Musharraf who has resorted to all sorts of tactics to get the right to contest the presidential elections in uniform, has also promised to abide by the pledge he made to the Supreme Court that if elected he would give up his army post before taking the oath of office of president. Does it mean, if he is not elected he will continue as army chief? As far as one can read between the lines, there is really no "if" involved. Everything is being done to ensure the President is re-elected no matter what.
So he needs the army clout for his election but he agrees to give up that clout as soon as he is elected. It means he is banking on something or someone stronger than our army.
Could it be the USA and Bush? It is no secret that the American president has faced a lot of criticism for supporting an army man in Pakistan, war on terror no war on terror. He has in fact put his faith in a general rather than a civilian which is undemocratic. An election does not sanctify the uniform.
If Musharraf did not have an assurance that he will have American support when he is out of uniform, I doubt he would shed his army dress just to please the local politicians who have been demanding it. They have been demanding for many years but it did not move Musharraf to give up his uniform these past eight years. So may be that "Bush-shirt" is not just a joke.
As for the double Khutba superstition, I have a solution. Have two Eids like last year. Those who don't want Musharraf can have it on Friday. Those who like him can celebrate Eid on Saturday. How's that?
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