Asif Khan Inc.

Of Presidential Swearing-Ins and Ceasefires

As is usual while having dinner, I was switching channels and happened to stop at HBO’s telecast of the ‘We Are One’ concert, of which I had seen pictures in the morning papers, and knowing that there was a superlatively impressive lineup of performance artistes, with Stevie Wonder (an artiste who has never failed to unimpress me) bang on center of the stage at that moment, I just managed to linger on. Yes, it is historic and everything; however, for the record I would just say this.  Human tendency is to look for anything which can provide a sliver of hope during times of duress. In many ways, yes, the election of a Black American as a president is symbolic of Change in many manners. What bothers me is the immense brouhaha that has surrounded this, and the thrusting of hope on a single individual from all corners of the world. No offense to anybody’s capabilities, but what could the average African or Asian expect from this change, and frankly the US itself is in dire need of change, and it should suffice if just the US gets back up on its feet.  Plus, times of economic meltdown don’t really warrant pre-presidential-swearing-in ceremony expenses in the region of $50Mn.

While Americans do have something to look forward to, it looks like a group of people pushed out of their land on the other side of the Atlantic also have something which just might be something to look forward to, though the vision might just comprise of a huge void filled with concrete rubble and human carnage. Israel has declared ceasefire, and Hamas goes on to declare victory. All this after more than 1300 casualties (including a sizable percentage of children), 5000+ injuries, incalculable infrastructural damage, strikes on UN run school and refugee shelters, the UN crying hoarse that its ‘unacceptable’, the Israeli PMs ’apologies’ on the ’unintentional mistake’,  and nobody having the power of an audible voice caring (or daring) to say anything. Which makes Bono’s act during the We Are One concert somewhat confusing.

Though there wasn’t supposed to be any political partisanship during this concert, Bono did manage to ruffle a few feathers with his proclamation of freedom to be an Israeli dream, as well as a…Palestinian dream, although that poignantly awkward, achingly pronounced pause before the mention of Palestine did leave me thinking about its possible cause. And if Bono seriously does feel for Palestine, it is worth asking about why he kept his quiet all this time for the past three weeks, in contrast with his usual image of working for the alleviation of misery worldwide. I mean, why now?

As far as speaking about dreams is concerned, Israel probably achieved its vision some sixty years back, and for Palestine, there probably isn’t anything left to dream about anyway.