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One Act Play
Before Dinner
By: Dr. Maqsood Jafri
Main Characters
General ( Retd) Rashid Safi
Mr. Zaheer ( Businessman)
Professor Akram
Barrister Khalil
Col. Matin
Ms. Zaheer
Ms. Anila( Social worker)
Mr. Hassan( Politician)
Scene (Curtain Rises)
Drawing room of Mr. Zaheer in Islamabad, Pakistan. Mr. Zaheer is an aged
businessman. He is a social figure of Islamabad. Time 8p.m. It is a well
furnished and richly decorated drawing room exhibiting a heavy mid-Victorian
sumptuous style. It is furnished in a charming good taste. A wonderful site
portraying splendor of interior designing. The costly curtains are drawn over
the windows.Heavy engravings on the walls are quite visible and magnificent
paintings hang over the walls. In a corner stands a huge table with soft
drinks. On side small tables are lying the cigarette boxes, ashtrays and
match-holders. Dry fruit is the specialty of the feast. Air conditioner is
on.Tthe room is cozy and the room atmosphere plausible and romantic.
General Rashid Safi is a retired man with grey hair. He seems to be quite
arrogant and is smoothing his mustaches. He gives stolid and serious looks with
elderly autocratic impression. He sips coke with a method and gives reflexes of
superiority complex. In a prudent and impudent tone he breaks the ice.
General Rashid Safi: Oh, we are having tough times. There is no law and
order in the country. Corruption, corruption everywhere.
Mr. Hassan: ( Ironically). Who is responsible for all this humbug?
General Safi. ( Thoroughly alarmed). No body save the politicians. These roughs
beguile the people. They loot and plunder them. There is no body to check them.
Mr. Hassan: But, General, is it not a fact that we have a very bitter long
record of marshal laws in our country. We have badly failed in establishing
justice through the rod. We must use reason and educate our people. We should
provide them economic justice and democratic freedom. Our people are humans.
They are not animals to be dealt with rod. love begets love and violence begets
violence. Do you agree?
General Safi: ( Irritably)Nope. Nothing can be achieved unless we use blind
force. Force is the only remedy of our all social, political and national
evils. We are soldiers. We do not discuss or debate. We only act. We either do
or die.
Mr. Hassan( soberly) Well. I agree with you. Force has its' vital role. But it
is used against the enemies. It is not for the countrymen. For our people we
should use the force of reason; not the force of rod. We have to solve the
basic problems of the people and for that we have to awaken the masses from the
deep slumber. We have to educate them for their rights. Our people need to know
about their rights. We do not need feudalism and militarism. We need social democracy
to steer the skiff out of the tempest. For making our country a well fare
democratic state we need to implement justice.
General Safi: It is all trash. It is a dream. You live in the dome of dreams.
We need discipline. We do not need democracy. Rod is the only remedy of all our
ailments. How can you give democratic rights to such an illiterate and poor
people? They are not the salt of the earth. They are the scum of the earth.
They need stern and strict handling.
Mr. Hassan: Respected General. May I know who has kept these people poor and
illiterate? Who has denied them the right to live honorably? Who is sucking
their blood like leeches and bugs? Aren't we responsible for their miseries?
What is the role of the generals, bureaucrats, clerics, industrialists and the
politicians? Is not the elite class responsible in destroying our country?
( The bell rings. Mr. Zaheer goes out. Enters a smart colonel whom all
exorbitantly greet. He is a serving colonel in army and is a great patriot and
a reasonable soul. He notices the uncongenial atmosphere as an aftermath of
some heated discussion in a cool room).
Col. Matin( Jokingly utters) It is very hot and humid outside but it seems your
heated discussion can not make the room hot as it is air conditioned. Warmth is
only in your skulls. What is going on?
(Ms. Zaheer is the hostess. She is in her forties. She is a very decent,
graceful and impressive lady. She is the core of attention of all guests. Her
gravitating figure mesmerizes all. She is well educated and courteous. Her
admirers and fans are numerous. She notices the heated discussion between
General Safi and Mr. Hassan. She is admired for serving her family friends with
dainty dinners.She cuts the joke with Col. Matin to normalize the situation).
Ms. Zaheer: Friends the nation is fed up of the political mess up. Our rulers
whether military or civilian have looted and plundered our country. In my
opinion, we must promote literary and cultural activities. We must tell our
younger generation to take interest in poetry, music, calligraphy, woodcutting
and handicrafts. It is our national duty to tell our youth to avoid religious
extremism, sectarianism, regionalism, racialism and feudalism. They need to
know the modern ideas and moderate visions.
Col. Matin: In the presence of my senior General Safi, I must shut my mouth. It
is the part of our training. But with his kind permission, I would humbly
submit that we do not have democracy in Pakistan. It is feudal democracy or
capitalist democracy. The majority of our people are illiterate and poor. They
are not free in the real sense. It is called mobocracy. But it does not mean
that we should not allow democracy to flower and flourish. Once Winston
Churchill was asked if democracy fails but is the alternative. He retorted:"
more democracy." The only remedy of bad democracy or failed
democracy is the continual democratic process. I am a military officer but I
have taken oath not to subvert or abrogate the constitution of Pakistan. The
article 6 of our constitution suggests the capital punishment or life
imprisonment to its' abrogator.
Ms. Zaheer. Friends please leave the political discussion and come to normal
lively conversation. Mr. Matin, where is your wife? Why hasn't she come? I miss
her very much.
Col. Matin. I pressed her much but she refused to accompany me.
Ms. Zaheer( wondered): Why? Is she well?
Col. Matin. She is alright but she avoids mixed gatherings. She likes the
company of ladies. She is quite conservative.
( Miss Anila is a twenty year old mod girl. she is very sharp and bold. She is
a writer and a student leader. She is also the member of an NGO that works for
the emancipation of women and the women rights).
Ms. Anila: (Tacitly) May be Ms. Martin is orthodox and she has radical
ideas. It is difficult to change this mind set. The fundamentalists are
incurable. They need to understand the needs of modern age.
Ms. Zaheer. Please don't say so. Ms. Matin is a university professor. She is
doctor of philosophy from the Harvard University of America. She is not
conservative or a fundamentalist. She is a moderate lady.
Miss Anila: Then why should an educated lady behave like an uneducated village
girl? I do not believe in gender discrimination. Our educated ladies should
adopt Western modern norms and culture.We have to progress. We are
progressives. We should keep pace with modern civilization.Time is running out.
We have to seize the moment.
(Professor Akram is a learned man. He is the professor of English literature in
a local college. He is a scholar and author of some books. He gets agitated on
the views of Miss Anila. He believes in moderation. He is neither conservative
like clerics nor modern like atheists. He is the staunch follower of the
progressive and moderate views of Dr. Iqbal and Quaid-e- Azam, the founding
fathers of Pakistan).
Professor Akram: I don't find any sense in adopting Western culture. We
must adopt the scientific and rational outlook of the Westerners. We have to
progress in science and technology. Science is universal. Our religion teaches
us to learn from the cradle to the grave. The Quran ordains to master the
material cosmos and capture the natural forces. The Western civilization has
been even rejected by the intellectuals of the West. This civilizations teaches
nudity, obscenity, same-sex, free sex, homosexuality, lesbianism,
commercialism, capitalism, atheism, consumerism, imperialism and individualism.
Miss Anila( annoyed) How can you ignore the democratic and humanistic spirit of
the West? Can you deny the rational mind set of the West after the Renaissance
Movement?
Professor Akram( patiently): No sane person can deny the democratic and
humanistic bents of the West but their freedom is for them. They have been
enslaving the African and Asian nations. Even today, they have enslaved us by
exploiting our natural sources. They support the Arab kings. They are silent on
the issue of Palestine and Kashmir. Where is their democracy? Where is their
claim of justice? They are hypocrites.
Miss Anila: Would you please tell me what we have to offer to the world so far
as Science and literature are concerned? Do we have people like Newton,
Pasteur, Einstein, Neil, Shakespeare, Dante, Goethe, Keats,Milton,
Chaucer,Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Yean Paul Sartre and Bertrand Russell?
Professor Akram: I endorse your views that we need to progress in Science
and technology. There are no two opinions about it. We must promote rational
and scientific attitude but you should know that we have produced great
rationalists and scientists like Jabir bin Hayyan. Avicenna, Ibe Ishaq,
Averroes, Al- Farabi, Razi, and Khawarzmi. Our poets like Rumi, Saadi, Hafiz
Sherazi, Firdousi, Umar Khayyam, Qaani, Bedil, Amir Khousrou, Mir, Ghalib, Dr.
Iqbal and Faiz are the shining stars in the firmament of poetry.
Miss Anila( Amazed): wow. I have heard the names of some of them but never
found an opportunity to read them. I am told most of them have been translated
in English and French. I really feel guilty of not reading them. Now I will
make it a point to read them.
Mr. Hassan( Inquisitively): Respected Professor; Would you kindly enlighten us
with your learned views about our cultural heritage? It is very sad that we do
not know much about our philosophers, poets and scientists. It is sorrowful
that we talk much on religious controversies and political rifts and are quite
oblivious of our literary and cultural excellence.
Professor Akram: ( Lighting his cigar): Friends, I am not Mr. Know all. I know
that I know not. Neither am I a pedant nor a pedagogue. As you have asked me
about our culture, I would like to tell you that culture is two faceted. Outer
culture and Inner culture. Outer culture is local. We wear different dresses
per local requirement, local weather and local culture. But we do not roam
around with out dress. To wear dress is a universal culture. No religion or
sane person appreciates nudity. Humans have same instinct. The whole of mankind
is one community. We must promote oneness of mankind.
( Mr. Zaheer interrupts while puffing). Friends; you have involved Professor
Akram in a very serious discussion. He is a great scholar and can talk on any
subject tirelessly.
Barrsitar Khalil( Cordially): I am enjoying the company of old and young. There
is a gap of communication between the old and new generation. It is called
generation gap. The progressives negate the old traditions and the
retrogressive mind set does not accept the modern life style. I had been in
London and did Barr-at-law from Lincolns Inn. I have closely studied the West
and the East. Once, in London, in a club I was shocked to see a Pakistani young
girl dead drunk and dancing with a British guy. She was proud to be the girl
friend of a Londoner. She was a Muslim girl but believed in the Western style
of life. Such modernity is not acceptable to us. The other way round, I see
absolutely illiterate girls in our society. They are treated like cattle and
chattel. They are like slaves. They are not permitted to get education and have
no free marriage choice. They are killed if found involved in love affair. We
must condemn both extremes. Extremism of all sorts is injurious for any
society. May be it is religious extremism or social extremism.
Professor Akram( Meditatively): I endorse the views of Barrister Khalil. It is
very sad aspect of our times. Our clerics are short sighted and narrow minded.
They are sectarians. They do not have rational attitude. This is the reason our
younger generation is fed up of them and is seeking refuge in Western style of
life. We must acquire Western rational and scientific aptitude but we must not
adopt their culture. As palm tree can not be planted in the cold and snowy
valley, similarly the apple tree can not grow in the hot desert. Science is
universal but culture is local.
( Mrs. Zaheer begs leave and goes to the Kitchen. Supervises the prepared food.
Gives instructions to the cook and steward and comes back).
Miss Anila. Sir, I am interested in the rights of women. I am a feminist. I
fight for the rights of abused women. I stand for the emancipation of women. I
see that in some Arab countries, the women are denied of their basic rights.
They can not drive. They can not get education. They are the victim of domestic
violence. They have not free to marry. They are the victim of forced marriages.
They can not do office jobs. They are treated like slaves and concubines on the
false pretext of religion.
Professor Akram: I agree with Miss Anila. It is the height of travesty that
religion is being misused and misinterpreted by the stakeholders. The old Arab
kings and wealthy people marry young girls and spoil their life. These
obnoxious rites are justified by conscienceless clerics who issue edicts in the
favor of such inhuman and unnatural acts only for monetary gains. I strongly
condemn such closed and nefarious culture. But we must not promote Western
culture. In the West the ladies have free choices. They enjoy the boon of
freedom. It is an admirable thing. But we can not ignore the misuse of this
unbridled freedom. Freedom is not with out limits. The high ratio of divorce
and domestic violence are rampant in America and in the West. Haft caste
culture has destroyed the family life. Moral values are in decadence.
Miss Anila: I agree with the opinion of friends that in some Asian and African
countries, the women are maltreated. The ladies are forced to wear shuttle cock
even in hot and humid climate. Our clerics are not clear about the concept of
veil in religion. Some say that there is no need of face covering while some
emphasize on face veil. Head scarf has also been made a divisive and debate
issue. But, today after listening to the views of Professor Akram, I am
convinced that the Easterners are violating the rights of women but the
Westerners have also made the woman a commodity on sale. On every neon and TV
screen we see the half naked pics of the young girls. In the West the ladies
wear mini skirts and bikinis. With half naked bosoms they loiter everywhere. It
is also unnatural and invites to sexual harassment. The naked parts of women
body allure for sensuous inclination.
( Till now Col. Matin was silently listening to the conversation. The wreaths
of his cigarette smoke were flying like fleeting silvery clouds nigh the head
of Mr. Hassan. He is staring at Mrs. Zaheer with lustful eyes and requests Mrs.
Zaheer for a cold glass of water. She presents him a glass of water. Col. Matin
smooths his erect mustaches while smothering Mr. Hassan with the swirls of
smoke who unfortunately is sitting next to him).
General Safi. ( Mystified). I think when Mrs. Col. Matin avoids the company of
gents in such social gatherings, she avoids many troubles. Such dignified
ladies avoid the dust of diryt eyes, lascivious looks, scandalous scenes and
wagging tongues. Some people keep their wives in the four walls of their homes
just to act like heroes in the company of the wives of others. In the name of
modernity, we invitie a big catastrophe. A national collision; a moral
collapse. We must educate our daughters and provide them healthy atmosphere to
live. We must respect their choice as our holy religion grants them social and
civic rights.
Mr. Hassan: I appreciate the views of General Safi. I am happy to learn that
General Safi is a moderate man. He believes in the respect and freedom of
womenfolk but rejects the Western style of life. It is also the matter of a
great pleasure to know that Miss Anila has changed her views about our culture.
We must avoid the hideous, vile, venomous and disastrous alien culture.
Professor Akram. In India, the ladies were burned alive with the dead body of
the husband. It was a cruel practice. In Arab, the girls were buried alive at
their birth time. Even today in some African and Asian countries the ladies are
the victim of inhuman rites and rituals. I appreciate the struggle of Miss
Anila for the rights of women. We have to support such moves for the betterment
of our society. We have to treat them like honorable humans. But I also agree
with General Safi that in the name of modernity we should not promote obscenity
and immorality. Some Western sponsored NGOs are corrupting and corroding our
culture. In Education and Health circles the role of ladies is very paramount.
They must be inducted in these departments.
Miss Anila. Sir, Should other doors of progress be closed on ladies?
Professor Akram. What do you mean? What are the other doors of progress? To be
the personal secretary of some capitalist or industrialist or of a bureaucrat.
In America, France, England and Canada, we see young girls nakedly dancing in
the clubs just to fill their stomach and meet their educational needs. It is
the grim aspect of capitalism. The prostitution is the result of poverty. We
need social justice and economic parity to grant honor to our ladies.
Mrs. Zaheer. I think some ladies are bringing bad name to our culture. They are
ignorant of their ignominy. They tradition of family life is being shattered.
Last year I was in America. Some American ladies told me about their social
problems. They said that the divorce rate was on peak. The reason being that
the business ladies are free to make or break the family. They attend the
offices and come back home extremely tired. They do not prefer to produce kids.
They prefer to rear kittens and dogs instead of children. Evey thing that
glitters is not gold. They feel loneliness. The grown up children leave them.
They have been thrown in the dustbin of time. In old age they suffer emotional
set backs in Charity Homes. Children ask about the real father. Some ladies
were chronic spinsters and I could not bear their miseries and I sobbed on
their so called modernity. These Western ladies are like hirlings or hackneyed
carriages. They have lost dignity. They are pitiable. The Westerners have
double standards and are two faced nations. We can not find the words such as
sacrifice and loyalty in their dictionary. They have commercial mentality.
Mr. Hassan. We are away from the spirit of out religion.We lay more stress on
rituals, historical disputes and juristic differences. We must adopt the
rational, humanistic and progressive spirit of our religion. On one hand we
must discard feudalism, sectarianism, parochialism, capitalism and jingoism and
on the other hand we must also reject Western economic system and immoral
culture.
Barrister Khalil( curtly remonstrating with Mr. Hassan). I diametrically oppose
Mr. Hassan. Religion is an opium. It is the greatest menace for mankind. It is
the cause of all wars and bloodshed. Religion is irrational. It is a tool in
the hands of hardliners to hoodwink the fools. It is a hurdle in the way of
progress. The religions cap reason and promote superstitions. They are the
apple of discord. The followers of different religions mercilessly kill each
other. Recently in Myanmar, The Buddhists mercilessly killed the Muslims. Even
the kids were cut in to pieces. Hitler uncouthly killed the Jews. The holocaust
is the grimmest act of Hitler. The Israeli Zionists brutally massacred the
ladies and children in the Palestinian camps of Shatella. In all
countries, the hardliners are killing the followers of other faiths. We must
ban religion as Lenin had banned it in Russia.
Professor Akram: I humbly disagree with Barrister Khalil. Religion is neither
an opium as said by Karl Marx nor the apple of discord as said by Bertrand
Russel. It is the misuse of religion by the priests. We must love all mankind
as ordained by Jesus Christ. We must grant Justice to all as propounded by
Prophet Mohammad. Reason and religion are one in the hands of philosophers and
prophets and are poles apart in the hands of priests and parsons. Religion is
to serve and guide man. Man is more important than religion. The purpose of
religion is to provide basic universal tenets for all humans. It does not
divide. It unites. The purpose of religion is to guide us to the ways of God.
John Milton was absolutely right when he proclaimed so. To worship God and
serve mankind are the two missions of all religions. Apart from these two
mantras all is trash and rubbish.
Miss Anila: The discussion has become very philosophical and my brain feels
encumbered by the load of arguments. I write poetry as well and enjoy the songs
of love. Love pervades reason. Love is God. love is humanity. Love is life. I
am of the view if we learn the code of love and embrace the Religion of Love,
there will be no racial and religious hatred.
Mrs. Zaheer invites all to have dinner as the sumptuous dinner is ready. All
feel relaxed after getting ensnared in the meshes of serious discussion. They
move to the dining room and enjoy delicious food. After taking food Mrs. Zaheer
cheerfully announces that now they are going to be entertained by a song by
Miss Anila. All feel jubilation on this announcement and move to the drawing
room.
Miss Anila in her melodious voice sings a poem of Oliver Goldsmith titled
"She Stoops to Conquer."
" Ah, me; When shall I marry me?
Lovers are plenty but fail to relieve me.
He, fond youth that could carry me.
Offers to love, but means to deceive me.
But I will rally and combat the ruiner.
Not a look, not a smile shall my passion discover.
She that gives all to the false one pursuing her.
Makes but a penitent, loses a lover."
All are cheered up and enthusiastically clap. They thank Mr. Zaheer and Mrs.
Zaheer for arranging such a meeting in which food for thought and stomach
relished them. All leave for their homes.
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