Taliban Threats Aside, The Show Goes on in Lahore

Lahore has always been known as the heart of Punjab. A commercial hub, dynamic political center and cultural capital. Even the birthplace of fashion. But it's just 230 miles from the Taliban's base, Peshawar. And now, it's the new frontier in secular Pakistan's growing struggle against the militants. Few have experienced this as personally as puppeteer Faizaan Peerzada. He is president of the Rafi Peer Theater Workshop, and has been producing performing arts festivals for the last 25 years. We have been receiving threats since the last four festivals, that working on an event where many cultures come and perform their own expression is totally un-Islamic, and you are spreading obscenity and you are polluting the minds of the young people towards dance, towards singing, and all these expressions are forbidden in our religion. If you don't stop this festival, we will pass a "fatwa" against you guys, and if you don't stop this process, we will make you an easy target. The threats materialized in November 2008. Three bombs exploded in rapid succession, right outside the complex where his festival was taking place. Authorities say the Taliban did it. The hall that we were using for film screening, 80% of the ceiling had come down. The impact of the sound of the bomb was so much that half of the audience would have blown their eardrums. This wasn't the only time Peerzada was affected by the growing might of militants in Lahore. In April, a cafe owned by Peerzada was targeted while a Sufi music festival was going on inside. Even in this year we did the Sufi festival, in very odd circumstances. A day before, the restaurant got burned very mysteriously, and it has been informed that it is very clear that an insider was bought out to burn the restaurant through the Islamists because a lot of people had come from Swat. In the last one year, militants have repeatedly attacked cultural activities in Lahore. Organizers of fashion shows and musicians have received threats, urging them to abandon these supposedly un-Islamic activities. Analyst Imtiaz Alam says the militants are targeting Lahore for obvious reasons. Lahore has become a very high-profile target for the terrorists, because they think they can exert a bit of pressure. These are pressure tactics of the warriors, because Punjab represents the dominant elite in Pakistan's army or civil bureaucracy or business and the cultural center. So the war appeared to be far away in the FATA region somewhere, but now it has reached Lahore after recent bombings. But with the rise of the Taliban, Lahore has started to change. Burqas and veils can now be seen on streets. Grand weddings are a thing of the past. And girls are fearful of going to school. One of the most startling changes has been made at Kinnaird College, Lahore's premier educational institute for girls. After receiving threatening letters, the college insisted that all students dress conservatively. I have become very conscious that I can't wear jeans. The threats are very worrisome. It is difficult to live like this. I don't know what to do. Not too far from Kinnaird is Hall Road, Lahore's electronics center. This trader showed me letters received from a party for the preservation of morality. The letter urged them to destroy all un-Islamic materials. Out of fear, the traders did just so, and made a huge bonfire of pornographic CDs and DVDs. I am very disturbed by what is happening in Pakistan. Muslims are killing Muslims. Our business is suffering. A lot of labor is dependent on our business directly, and affecting our business harms all that are related. All are worried and no one knows what's happening. The work of securing Lahore falls on the shoulders of this man. He heads the anti-terrorism squad in Lahore. He says that as Lahore has changed, the police has also changed its tactics in order to better protect the residents of this city. The installation of the closed-circuit cameras, the establishment of the sentry posts, the establishment of the observation posts, the barriers, the concrete barriers, the fortified bunkers. These are the steps to minimize or contain the loss. This is the strategy being adopted by different organizations keeping in view the target. Though fear abounds in this city of dance, music and theater, those who live here are determined to put up a good fight. For Faizaan Peerzada, continuing to arrange festivals is his way of opposing the militants. On the last day of one of his recent festivals, he made an uncharacteristic gesture. We had the folk puppet festival, which brought in 17,500 people through this gate, and we had Rs 50 (U.S.$0.60) ticket which, on the last day, just before the festival started, this guy was setting up his table [for tickets], and I said no, let's pull this out, no ticket, because people are under pressure, and what is this going to make? A couple of rupees is not going to save the festival. Despite the security threats in Lahore, the residents are determined to keep coming to Faizan's festivals, and Faizan is determined to keep organizing them.