In a country where violence is now a daily occurence, where innocent civilians are an everyday casualty, there is an increasing realization that the power to change that reality lies in the hands of Pakistanis. Last week, Pakistani foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, outlined a strategy for battling terrorism in Pakistan, which includes a media campaign explaining “the importance to Pakistan’s people of winning the war against extremists in the tribal areas.” A feature in today’s Washington Post noted,
The television advertisement that debuted this week starts with a simple scene: A mother is waiting on a street corner for her child to get out of school. It looks like any other sunny day in any one of Pakistan’s major cities. Then the car bomb explodes. The grisly scene is followed by a simple message delivered by a series of glamorous-looking Pakistani celebrities, including movie stars, singers and artists: “We are not terrorists.”
This is not a new message, but it comes at a time of increasing urgency. The fundamental message behind last year’s hit song, “Yeh Hum Naheen,” [This is not us], that Pakistanis do not support terrorism, has been reignited within this context. Featuring the vocal talents of some of Pakistans biggest music artists, including Haroon, Ali Haider, Ali Zafar, Shufqat, Strings, Shuja Haider and Hadiqa Kiani, “the song of reconciliation, a message of peace and a message of truth,” became so popular that it was re-released this past June with a petition urging Pakistanis who condemn terrorism to join the cause. Currently, the foundation’s website reports that 62,809,427 people have signed this petition [click here to sign].
The campaign’s founder, Waseem Mahmood, told The Independent, “The reality is, a few people are distorting Islam to their own agendas, but now, finally, the masses are standing up…If we have 60 million plus people, twice as many as voted in the last elections, then how can Pakistan be seen as a nation of extremists?” [See Yeh Hum Naheen song with English subtitles, below]:
The foundation’s message is further enhanced through a broader multimedia campaign, including billboards, television commercials, and advertisements, [see below]. Its work is further proof that this current war against militancy and terror, is our war.
Other blogs that also discussed this topic: Teeth Maestro & All Things Pakistan
CHUP! - Changing Up Pakistan 
@ YEH HUM Naheen, ( before whom are they pleading ?)
yeh hum naheen ? to phir kaun hay ?
yeh woh hein ! jinkay samnay tum faryad kartey ho !
yeh woh hein ! jo tumharey mulk key dushman hein !
yeh woh hein ! jo Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir aur Palestine
mein genocide kartey hein, kiun keh tum
musulman ho !!
yeh woh hein ! jo Pushtoonistan chahtey hein,
Jo Pak flag jalatey hein,
jo Islam-dushman aur Pak-dushman hein
yeh woh hein ! jinki 21 consulats Afghanistan mein hein
yeh woh hein ! jin ko Mosad aur Raw ki training milti hey !
yeh woh hein ! jinkay pas US$ ki devalued currency kay
suitcases full hein,
yeh woh hein ! Inko pehchaano, inko pehchaano !
Han ! tum khoob pehchaantay ho unko !!
Had to see closer under the slogan saying
” Dehshat-gardon to rokiay ”
hav’nt got the vaguest idea, the Govt. should stop
the terrorist or Sherry Rehman ? perhaps green zone
will help carry on the message !
( I could have written a better Naghma and composed
heartfelt music )
Ad business is going good, what a culture already
developed.
The actual tune is not what matters. This is a great movement and I recommend we all sign the petition. Thanks for promoting this K!
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I agree with O, I think it’s more the sentiment and intention behind the movement rather than the lyrics they chose. It’s the fact that over 60 million people have signed a petition. Sure, it might be a little touchy feely for some people (very “Heal the World”-esque), but I think all that is needed in a world flooded with cynicism, hatred, and intolerance. The use of Pakistani celebrities to market this message is a great way to target younger Pakistanis.
This post is awesome. I’m so glad that you help to not only enlighten us but also non-Pakistanis who read this. Seriously, so glad and so very proud to know that you’re doing this for a nation that a lot of us have forgotten while we’re lost in our own lives.
“This is not a new message, but it comes at a time of increasing urgency.”
Spot on. Given the wide-range of social effects that will almost certainly arise from the economic crisis, it’s important that efforts are made towards moderate attitudes and peaceful methods.
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@James,
spot on ……… towards moderate attitudes and peaceful
methods.
invasion, attacks on sovereingnty, children and women butchered, FATA’s IDPs raised to 4 millions, infiltrations of
agents,
Our Government has not even thought of complaining to
UNO against all these atrocities.
Our fat arse diplomates in UNO, ( recently “dispatched ”
News paper tycoon’s family) do’nt simply, busy in throwing partys in honour of ” their ” benedicted arrivals.
Its sufficient just listen to our FM Hazrat Pir Makdoom
Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s religiously & mystically obtained analysis ordered from the western hemisphere.
yeh hum nahin……these are the talibans who train children and teenagers ….suicide bombing in the name of jihad!!!!
I think alot of people have misconseptions about Pakistani’s and Pakistan in general. I quess b/c only those Pakistanis seem to be in the spotlight who do nothing for the country but fill there own bank accounts with ilegitimate money. We need to have a good networking system of educated, enlightened Pakistanis not just in Pakistan, but all over the world who are committed to solving issues of present day Pakistan. We are a diverse naion, that consist of several ethnicities, cultures and religions with a lot of undiscovered and underutilized potential. United we stand, divided we fall.
thanks,
Amina
@ is old and outdated, these are Batilans made in India
who are killing our children and women, killing in the
name of crusades and Pipelinestan.
@Ameena Saeed,
right you are , madame, and I may add, that our diversity
and richness of culture and history plus Islam, made the
marginals go mad with jealousy, envy, and complexes,
they want to go as far as Genghize or Halaku went and
destroyed humanity.
We are Muslims, our country is a Muslim country, with
non-muslims living side by side with all rights.
We are a new nation of 60 years with all her ambitions, and
what “they” call failures, so WHAT ?????
We have a constitution, we are new democrates since 1947
We have a geo-political and richest cultral history.
Our Civilization gave languages, Arithmetic, Astronomy, Astrology, culture, gastronomy, architecture, litrature,
agriculture, ideologies to the WORLD.
We hold the unique subcontinent’s cultural, spritual and
political banners, we represent the glorious history, the
turbulant present, and the brightest FUTURE, Inshallah,
Down with our enemies, let all recognize Pakistan’s
sufferings at the hands of B A T I L A N S cowards.
The Lilliputians of today can not become taller than their
Kalashnikov
jeway, jeway Pakistan, sada jeway Pakistan
@ O
@ Kalsoom,
I think the tune i.e. music and poetry needed, ought
to be hair raising in order to add enthusiasm and
enthrilling ” Josh” and walwalah to fight back the
collective hysteria that we are facing from the few
thousands of Anti-Pakistan old age pensioners.
yeh hum naheen , this is a message for those who are in kashmir ,afghanistan,palastine n iraq that YE HUM NAHEEN. . . . . . .
@ bilal zaheer,
can you please precise !
[…] they are indigenous to the region. Although most of us do not see them as one of “us,” [Yeh hum naheen] they are arguably less of an “other” than the United States, particularly with their […]
@ zara si aahat hoti hay,
to dil sauchta hay
Kahien ye wo to nehien,
kahien ye wo to nehien
Batilans, 5th columnists & their agents.