Bushry Column - Maldives :: Dhivehi Observer

Bushry Column

Blabbing of an addict

Mohamed Bushry , 11th June 2005

We all know Brigadier Adam Zahir don't we? The guy with broad shoulders and an aloof look. It's only a foolhardy few who would seek to cross Mr. Zahir. I hope I don't cross him by writing this column. I happen to know a quite different side of the Brigadiers life and character. No! I'm not talking about anything shady as such. This might sound ridiculously unbelievable to some people, but Mr. Adam Zahir was our mathematics teacher while I was studying at grade five in Majeediyya School. This seems like ages ago. I hope I don't sound too immodest when I say that I was always good at mathematics. I think Mr. Zahir was one of the teachers who laid my mathematics foundation. The other two teachers are Mr. Adam (owner of Asrafee Bookshop) and of course, Mr. Dissaneika (I hope I spelt that correct).

Coming back to the subject of Brigadier Adam Zahir; he wasn't such a tough guy when he was a teacher. In fact he was soft-spoken and very kind to his students. Being good at mathematics I thought I was one of his favorite students. The feeling was mutual. Hence it was quite a shock for the whole class when our favorite maths teacher one day came to school wearing a policeman's uniform. We were told that President Gayyoom's armed forces had recruited our teacher as a Sergeant at NSS. I still remember the day when Mr. Zahir came to school, wearing a white shirt with three stripes on his shoulders. The three stripes represented his position as an NSS Sergeant.

He shook the hands of many students and teachers. It was an emotional farewell for many. As a young boy I felt abandoned. We were sad to see our teacher go. Mr. Zahir was a teacher that I, among many other students, respected.

Even after he left his teaching profession, I often met Mr. Zahir on the roads of Male'. He always greeted me with a smiling and friendly face of a teacher. This went on for some years, until I graduated from Majeediyya and until after I completed my A Level studies. It was at this time that I started writing for Haveeru daily newspaper. My columns and articles were often critical of the government and the system.

Many smiling faces of friends suddenly withered once I became a writer. People who use to speak to me on the roads suddenly started looking the other way. People started ignoring me. I felt like an outcast.

I spent three and half years abroad for my university studies. Once I came back, one day I met Mr. Zahir on the road. His face registered no hint of recognition. I didn't blame him. How can anyone remember all his students after years of change?

Writing is my hobby. It's an addiction as well. Some people smoke or do other addictive things. Thank Allah I don't smoke. My only addiction is writing. Even when I'm intimidated and crushed for my writings, I still somehow rise from the ashes and write something. Those who take my writings personally are those who hate me most.

Writers are indeed carrying out an immense social responsibility. Someone once used the term "watchdog". Dogs or not, we writers do a lot of dirty laundry on behalf of the public. We take many risks so that the public benefits from the resulting changes. We often become loners and outcasts because those in power get cross with us. We are sometimes jailed, beaten, intimidated and harassed. Simply because we strive to express the truth. To borrow a term from Islamic terminology, writing is indeed a form of Jihad. Those who undertake jihad seldom get any rewards or words of appreciation. I personally believe that all writers and reporters are addicts for their professions.

I have sacrificed and forgone many opportunities in life simply because I couldn't keep my itchy pen in my pocket. When the time comes for me to say goodnight to the people of this world – when my appointed term on this beloved land comes to an end, I would go to sleep, a happy and contented man, in the firm belief that I have done my share of the social responsibility. I seek no glory. I'm only a selfish addict who is just doing something that I love doing – writing.