Aisha Sarwari October 12, 2006
#68 Posted by ahmedmadani on October 14, 2006 5:58:16 am
Re: # 64
Good evening everybody. This paper is misused by some bad notorious people to make propaganda against good people and nation of pakistan. This responsibility of owner of this newspaper to no all ow any tV coming on here. When I opened it automatic propaganda machine started and I had to go watching tv broadcast from some nasty looking Indian man talking about not so good things happned here and magnifying it. The man looked smug and think he is shaved sikh shame (or just hybrid sikh/hindu) to his race and some nice looking white woman a christian he should be ashamed of propaganda. It went for almost 10 minutes including troublmaking lady from pakistan who is professional agitator, I do not to add more she is LAWYER, that tell being Lawyer is worst people than police beating.Police beat and go away lawyer is low caste people and just blood suckers . Any way that is not big news. Big news is ARJUN is again allowed to post all propaganda and not his rights curtailed. Some time back he was banned its needed again.
Any way I do not like people indulging in the president when he is getting more favourable things for our country. He has made MMsing look like stupid and all muslims over world is happy about his tour of USA, canada, england all nicwe countries. If you do not like him I challenge to propose who will be better. Answer is nobody. Not mantos or lawyer lady or any body can replace General. Its not easy to be president. He has put his life on line from time he allowed USA to care of afghan terrorists. Things are not easy and he is trying best. He has got F-16s now new JF-17 which produced by Pakistan and China together is his achievement. He most recognised muslim face after OBL in west and is work horse of moderate islam. He has taken too much crap from little people. He is moderate and modern has allowed his son to go usa and settle, he could have brought him in poitics and made P.Minister but he picked man to improve economy which has put pain on face of indian PM who is not even elected and a man at mercy of woman. General is selfmade man not made in and approved man from usa like all other. He is man of street and knows how to dael with politicians and had handicapped NS and BB. But Altaf has made him his dog, he is more afraid of Altafbhai than Americans. They are both brainy urdus (new sindhis) they respect each other. They both together have kept retards of punjab and sindh in check . He is only leader who tell and follows his words and world respects that. He told baloch terrorists and their problem makers to shut up and stop blasting national assets. They did not give attention and he took care with little missiles fired by F-16 and problem is over. This blasting entertainmaent of blowing pipeline have come to end. Soon Bib G will be working and 30 meter depth channel making going on and soon very large crude carriers will be coming to big G. Soon will be rotterdam, london, antwerp od asia and that little place will control oil prices as huge refinires and will be exporting finshed products from coming black liquid gold into high speed disel, jet fuel, petrol and naptha and tar for export. All locos from China shuntting at big G to load goods for Eurore and loading and unloading and sad RAW agents will be feeling very sorry.
If you do not like general find better or shut up, he is not perfect but he is better than all who critic him.
Any way stop arjun and do not allow tv clips as they are exremely damaging and give bad picture of social order and woman status. Managenent can help by not allowing any pic, images, or voice transmission and curtail propaganda once for all. Some body may not like General but for world he best maderate face of pakistani people.
Let year has 1000days and let general live and rule 1000 years. Ruling pakistan and improving is not easy job one has put life on line, its not job as PM of uk. Just tired of bashing by little people. Just somebody go usa does not mean they are smarter than General. His book is at best selling top list heard id good news as people of america will get real picture to understand his ``majburis`` od different situationa like recent understanding with traibals etc.
Insead of criticizing you pay 5% extra tax for Kashmir struggle , I am tired of people who want govt to do all but they do not come forward and pay extra to govt say for libreration of K.
Good evening everybody. This paper is misused by some bad notorious people to make propaganda against good people and nation of pakistan. This responsibility of owner of this newspaper to no all ow any tV coming on here. When I opened it automatic propaganda machine started and I had to go watching tv broadcast from some nasty looking Indian man talking about not so good things happned here and magnifying it. The man looked smug and think he is shaved sikh shame (or just hybrid sikh/hindu) to his race and some nice looking white woman a christian he should be ashamed of propaganda. It went for almost 10 minutes including troublmaking lady from pakistan who is professional agitator, I do not to add more she is LAWYER, that tell being Lawyer is worst people than police beating.Police beat and go away lawyer is low caste people and just blood suckers . Any way that is not big news. Big news is ARJUN is again allowed to post all propaganda and not his rights curtailed. Some time back he was banned its needed again.
Any way I do not like people indulging in the president when he is getting more favourable things for our country. He has made MMsing look like stupid and all muslims over world is happy about his tour of USA, canada, england all nicwe countries. If you do not like him I challenge to propose who will be better. Answer is nobody. Not mantos or lawyer lady or any body can replace General. Its not easy to be president. He has put his life on line from time he allowed USA to care of afghan terrorists. Things are not easy and he is trying best. He has got F-16s now new JF-17 which produced by Pakistan and China together is his achievement. He most recognised muslim face after OBL in west and is work horse of moderate islam. He has taken too much crap from little people. He is moderate and modern has allowed his son to go usa and settle, he could have brought him in poitics and made P.Minister but he picked man to improve economy which has put pain on face of indian PM who is not even elected and a man at mercy of woman. General is selfmade man not made in and approved man from usa like all other. He is man of street and knows how to dael with politicians and had handicapped NS and BB. But Altaf has made him his dog, he is more afraid of Altafbhai than Americans. They are both brainy urdus (new sindhis) they respect each other. They both together have kept retards of punjab and sindh in check . He is only leader who tell and follows his words and world respects that. He told baloch terrorists and their problem makers to shut up and stop blasting national assets. They did not give attention and he took care with little missiles fired by F-16 and problem is over. This blasting entertainmaent of blowing pipeline have come to end. Soon Bib G will be working and 30 meter depth channel making going on and soon very large crude carriers will be coming to big G. Soon will be rotterdam, london, antwerp od asia and that little place will control oil prices as huge refinires and will be exporting finshed products from coming black liquid gold into high speed disel, jet fuel, petrol and naptha and tar for export. All locos from China shuntting at big G to load goods for Eurore and loading and unloading and sad RAW agents will be feeling very sorry.
If you do not like general find better or shut up, he is not perfect but he is better than all who critic him.
Any way stop arjun and do not allow tv clips as they are exremely damaging and give bad picture of social order and woman status. Managenent can help by not allowing any pic, images, or voice transmission and curtail propaganda once for all. Some body may not like General but for world he best maderate face of pakistani people.
Let year has 1000days and let general live and rule 1000 years. Ruling pakistan and improving is not easy job one has put life on line, its not job as PM of uk. Just tired of bashing by little people. Just somebody go usa does not mean they are smarter than General. His book is at best selling top list heard id good news as people of america will get real picture to understand his ``majburis`` od different situationa like recent understanding with traibals etc.
Insead of criticizing you pay 5% extra tax for Kashmir struggle , I am tired of people who want govt to do all but they do not come forward and pay extra to govt say for libreration of K.
#67 Posted by MantoLives on October 14, 2006 5:41:20 am
Bj, bj, bj,
You fluff up every Indian from Gandhi to Sadna and yet they disappoint you again and again. You fluff, fluff, fluff all day and to no avail.
FYI I never said I wasn`t talking to you. This is not unplugged pai... all I said I was ignoring your abuse and personal attacks on unplugged ... which is why you are on my ignore list there. It doesn`t mean that I don`t have the right to take your sorry little behind to china town... Also the name Muhammad is spelt many ways. Mahomet, Mehmet, Mahomed (this is how Jinnah actually spelt his name) and Mohammed are all the same... a rose is a rose by any name.
You fluff up every Indian from Gandhi to Sadna and yet they disappoint you again and again. You fluff, fluff, fluff all day and to no avail.
FYI I never said I wasn`t talking to you. This is not unplugged pai... all I said I was ignoring your abuse and personal attacks on unplugged ... which is why you are on my ignore list there. It doesn`t mean that I don`t have the right to take your sorry little behind to china town... Also the name Muhammad is spelt many ways. Mahomet, Mehmet, Mahomed (this is how Jinnah actually spelt his name) and Mohammed are all the same... a rose is a rose by any name.
#65 Posted by lovely_k on October 14, 2006 5:18:50 am
*Though most of the world knows George Orwell for his book, Animal Farm*
Nop. He was known for all time famous ``1984``.
*Kargil was a reaction to what he revealed to be an attempt by India *
Nop. It was fixed wrestling. It was a pretext of regime change in PK. You see this is how Hegelian Dialect works.
Problem: Kargil, produces a Hero defeated by EVIL industrialist
Reaction: What`s going on. PM`s a traitor. Needs a `patriot`.
Solution: Army`s intervention and take over.
:) he and his cabal is as much a patriot as Unocol`s Karzai is an Afghan.
He was needed to facilitate the invasion of Afghanistan. He took over somewhat exactly an yr before 911. Right man for the right job at the right time in a right place. Ideal. Isn`t it?
Nop. He was known for all time famous ``1984``.
*Kargil was a reaction to what he revealed to be an attempt by India *
Nop. It was fixed wrestling. It was a pretext of regime change in PK. You see this is how Hegelian Dialect works.
Problem: Kargil, produces a Hero defeated by EVIL industrialist
Reaction: What`s going on. PM`s a traitor. Needs a `patriot`.
Solution: Army`s intervention and take over.
:) he and his cabal is as much a patriot as Unocol`s Karzai is an Afghan.
He was needed to facilitate the invasion of Afghanistan. He took over somewhat exactly an yr before 911. Right man for the right job at the right time in a right place. Ideal. Isn`t it?
#64 Posted by bjkumar on October 14, 2006 3:51:49 am
#63
Abey Yasser kee dumm:
(I thought you were not talking to me. Such a liar!)
Much as you are dutibound to play your wife`s own ``knight``, this here is a crappy piece of “review” and you know it!
In fact the world at large knows it!
Take for example where she calls Mushy head of the state of a developing nation – you know that is not true! How can Pakistan be called a developing nation – it is fully matured and it is fully developed – to the best of its ability. In fact, if one is to go by the geographic size alone – it is not only no more maturing, it is past that phase since 1971 and entered the next phase - a SHRINKING nation!
And how can she even suggest for George Orwell would have read the Mushy memoir? Everyone knows that Orwell is dead! Dead men don’t read! They just lie dead - sometimes along with inanimate objects like mirrors!
And how can she call the Hudood laws “extra constitutional”? Isn’t Pakistan brimming full with hot-shot smartass lawyers who can jump up and challenge any “extra constitutional” laws in a jiffy? What happened – did all the Pakistani lawyers turn into jelly and butter – jelly in their spine and butter for the Mushy`s boots?
And how can she take exception to clarity? EVERYBODY, with the exception of lawyers, knows that clarity is a good thing! Actually, the lawyers know it too – but being lawyers, they deny it because it would mess up their livelihood.
And she forgets the most basic of facts – nobody in Pakistan gives a hoot about what ANYBODY, including her, says of the book. The public agencies are all going to buy it with public money – like it or not – getting their butts kicked in the latter case with khaki boots, and that khaki boot is all that matters in that land of the Pure!
And also your wife’s example of oxymoron is all messed up.
The real example of an oxymoron is a “secular” democratic Islamic Republic – called Pakistan! In practical terms, it means killing all non-Muslims so that Pakistani Muslims can be VERY secular with other Pakistani Muslims!
And one more thing. This one is just too incredible – I think chowkies will be shocked!
The wife of Yasser does not know how to spell Jinnah’s first name right! Yup, she mis-spelt Mohammed Ali Jinnah!
Make sure that for the next review she does of a book, she actually reads the book.
And the review needs to be about the BOOK, not about HER good old days as a university student in USA!
Abey Yasser kee dumm:
(I thought you were not talking to me. Such a liar!)
Much as you are dutibound to play your wife`s own ``knight``, this here is a crappy piece of “review” and you know it!
In fact the world at large knows it!
Take for example where she calls Mushy head of the state of a developing nation – you know that is not true! How can Pakistan be called a developing nation – it is fully matured and it is fully developed – to the best of its ability. In fact, if one is to go by the geographic size alone – it is not only no more maturing, it is past that phase since 1971 and entered the next phase - a SHRINKING nation!
And how can she even suggest for George Orwell would have read the Mushy memoir? Everyone knows that Orwell is dead! Dead men don’t read! They just lie dead - sometimes along with inanimate objects like mirrors!
And how can she call the Hudood laws “extra constitutional”? Isn’t Pakistan brimming full with hot-shot smartass lawyers who can jump up and challenge any “extra constitutional” laws in a jiffy? What happened – did all the Pakistani lawyers turn into jelly and butter – jelly in their spine and butter for the Mushy`s boots?
And how can she take exception to clarity? EVERYBODY, with the exception of lawyers, knows that clarity is a good thing! Actually, the lawyers know it too – but being lawyers, they deny it because it would mess up their livelihood.
And she forgets the most basic of facts – nobody in Pakistan gives a hoot about what ANYBODY, including her, says of the book. The public agencies are all going to buy it with public money – like it or not – getting their butts kicked in the latter case with khaki boots, and that khaki boot is all that matters in that land of the Pure!
And also your wife’s example of oxymoron is all messed up.
The real example of an oxymoron is a “secular” democratic Islamic Republic – called Pakistan! In practical terms, it means killing all non-Muslims so that Pakistani Muslims can be VERY secular with other Pakistani Muslims!
And one more thing. This one is just too incredible – I think chowkies will be shocked!
The wife of Yasser does not know how to spell Jinnah’s first name right! Yup, she mis-spelt Mohammed Ali Jinnah!
Make sure that for the next review she does of a book, she actually reads the book.
And the review needs to be about the BOOK, not about HER good old days as a university student in USA!
#63 Posted by MantoLives on October 14, 2006 3:07:31 am
Dear bjkumar,
Given that you can`t write a single sentence in the English language without proving to us that you are an utterly muddled fellow, I suppose you should take some of your own advice.
Anyone with basic comprehension skills intact will see that Aisha has not for single minute let the general off the hook for anything ... but then that too would be too much to ask from someone like you.
They say a picture says a thousand words... This woman in the picture... I am guessing probably the unfortunate Kasturba... is for some reason a few steps behind her patti permeshawar... It puts into perspective Sadna`s surprise that Aisha and I have a slightly different perception of Musharraf`s writing style.
Given that you can`t write a single sentence in the English language without proving to us that you are an utterly muddled fellow, I suppose you should take some of your own advice.
Anyone with basic comprehension skills intact will see that Aisha has not for single minute let the general off the hook for anything ... but then that too would be too much to ask from someone like you.
They say a picture says a thousand words... This woman in the picture... I am guessing probably the unfortunate Kasturba... is for some reason a few steps behind her patti permeshawar... It puts into perspective Sadna`s surprise that Aisha and I have a slightly different perception of Musharraf`s writing style.
#62 Posted by bjkumar on October 14, 2006 2:48:55 am
#61 Manto
Yasser, make sure to arrange some English spelling classes for Ms. Aisha Sarwari, so she does not make asinine mistakes like she did in this crappy “review”! Also, it is fully understandable why she wishes to kiss the boots of the Mushy – like a sati-Savitri, she is trying to get you off the hook for calling the General the son of a canine species! Nothing doing - you can squirm, but it is only a matter of time before the Mushy comes after you.
Most likely, when he is convinced that you can get more than two votes - your own and Aisha`s! (In about fifty more years or so!)
#41 Hamidm2
[don`t start posting pictures of naked men again - i see it coming]
Mian Hamid. Your aversion to naked brown skin is legendary in these waters – which makes for a highly gladdening (and perhaps enriching) material for the Drs. Sohail of this world!
Therefore, as requested, mian Hamidm2, the following is strictly for YOUR viewing pleasure. (Everybody else, especially chowk-staff – look away!)

#61 Posted by MantoLives on October 14, 2006 2:23:31 am
JG,
I am merely commenting as a fellow Pakistani and a chowkie. I have the right to my own opinion.
I believe however that Aisha Sarwari has firmly put you fellows in your place with her #29.
I am merely commenting as a fellow Pakistani and a chowkie. I have the right to my own opinion.
I believe however that Aisha Sarwari has firmly put you fellows in your place with her #29.
#60 Posted by JG on October 14, 2006 2:11:52 am
Mantolives,
Why are battling your wifes battles, she has written this article so let her be answerable.
Why are battling your wifes battles, she has written this article so let her be answerable.
#59 Posted by MantoLives on October 13, 2006 11:27:16 pm
Looks like most idiots here did not even bother to read the article...
This is also from the same article...
I’m in Lahore though and my country is headed by a military dictator who can neither be dictator enough to do away with the extra-constitutional Hudood laws, nor benevolent enough to resign as army chief and stand for elections. Filp-flopping between appeasing the mullahs and the west, he plays to the theater by walking the much acclaimed tightrope of a moderate Muslim country’s leader, all on Pakistan’s expense.
... Yet, I find that Musharraf’s understanding of the political history of Pakistan’s creation is a bit shallow. Had he really understood how much Jinnah’s Pakistan is violated in the attack on the parliament’s sovereignty, he would have stepped down as army chief the first date at which the Supreme Court mandate expired.
So far this is what has happened on this thread:
Instead of reading the article in entirety, after reading snippets of the article..
1. Sadna, being the pavitar Hindu nari inspired by Hindu cultural life (read ``Kyunki Saas bhee kabhee bahu thee) as she puts it, is shocked and awed by the fact that a wife dare have a disagreement with her husband.
2. BJkumar goes into hyperdrive of paranoia because lately his fantasy world seems to be crumbling and people are beginning to see Indians like him (and Gandhiji who believed that in order to be a true Indian, one has to be Hindu first and that a true society could only be based on caste) in their true light ... exclusivist, racist, casteist bigots masquerading as a ``secular`` nation ...
3. Maccacas go wild.
This is also from the same article...
I’m in Lahore though and my country is headed by a military dictator who can neither be dictator enough to do away with the extra-constitutional Hudood laws, nor benevolent enough to resign as army chief and stand for elections. Filp-flopping between appeasing the mullahs and the west, he plays to the theater by walking the much acclaimed tightrope of a moderate Muslim country’s leader, all on Pakistan’s expense.
... Yet, I find that Musharraf’s understanding of the political history of Pakistan’s creation is a bit shallow. Had he really understood how much Jinnah’s Pakistan is violated in the attack on the parliament’s sovereignty, he would have stepped down as army chief the first date at which the Supreme Court mandate expired.
So far this is what has happened on this thread:
Instead of reading the article in entirety, after reading snippets of the article..
1. Sadna, being the pavitar Hindu nari inspired by Hindu cultural life (read ``Kyunki Saas bhee kabhee bahu thee) as she puts it, is shocked and awed by the fact that a wife dare have a disagreement with her husband.
2. BJkumar goes into hyperdrive of paranoia because lately his fantasy world seems to be crumbling and people are beginning to see Indians like him (and Gandhiji who believed that in order to be a true Indian, one has to be Hindu first and that a true society could only be based on caste) in their true light ... exclusivist, racist, casteist bigots masquerading as a ``secular`` nation ...
3. Maccacas go wild.
#58 Posted by freesoul on October 13, 2006 10:44:18 pm
be afraid of the day when the wife is defended by not just the hubby but 10 children on this site.
u moron Indians won`t be able to beat this 12-persons team.
and yes, the article sucks...she just wanted to see a pakistani face on the tube, and she got it....now jumping up and down like a monkey.
u moron Indians won`t be able to beat this 12-persons team.
and yes, the article sucks...she just wanted to see a pakistani face on the tube, and she got it....now jumping up and down like a monkey.
#57 Posted by arjun2 on October 13, 2006 8:28:45 pm
I heard Rahimullah Yusufzai being interviewed on NPR(I know, but it`s a long drive from BWI): He said the paki army got it`s ass kicked by the pushtun tribesmen which is why they signed the peace deal in whch they gave the jihadis all they wanted..The paki army lost 700+ soldiers and they were confined to their camps..they couldn`t step out without being attacked..
El-president basically agreed to release all the captured men, give them their arms and give them their vehicles..
folded in kargil, folded in siachen, folded after the stone age call and folded in the tribal areas..maybe he should call himself Folderraf..
El-president basically agreed to release all the captured men, give them their arms and give them their vehicles..
folded in kargil, folded in siachen, folded after the stone age call and folded in the tribal areas..maybe he should call himself Folderraf..
#56 Posted by arjun2 on October 13, 2006 6:29:38 pm
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#55 Posted by arjun2 on October 13, 2006 6:26:30 pm
Manto`s Pakistan..
btw: Mushy can`t face the mullah in the country where he controls the army? No wonder he folded like a cheap lawn chair and left the bodies of his men abandoned on the mountains of Kargil..
Chances of manto`s dream of a secular pakiland confortable in it`s Islamic identity: ZILCH...
No Dates, No Dancing
Why Pakistan`s university students are embracing the fundamentalist life
By ARYN BAKER / LAHORE
Like many other universities around the world, Punjab University in Lahore is a tranquil oasis far removed from the rest of society. But to Westerners, there`s little else about Punjab U. that seems familiar. Walk around the leafy-green 1,800-acre campus, and you will encounter nothing that resembles frivolous undergraduate behavior. Musical concerts are banned, and men and women are segregated in the dining halls. Many female students attend class wearing headscarves that cover everything but their eyes. This fall, when the university`s administrators tried to introduce a program in musicology and performing arts, the campus erupted in protest. ``Pakistan is an Islamic country, and our institutions must reflect that,`` says Umair Idrees, a master`s degree student and secretary-general of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (I.J.T.), the biggest student group on campus. ``The formation of these departments is an attack on Islam and a betrayal of Pakistan. They should not be part of the university curriculum.``
What`s most striking about that climate of conservatism is that it is being driven not by faculty or administrators or government officials but by students. At Punjab U., I.J.T. is the most powerful force on campus, shaping not just the mores of student life but also larger debates over curriculum, course syllabuses, faculty selection and even degree programs. Nationwide, the group has more than 20,000 members and 40,000 affiliates active at nearly all of Pakistan`s 50 public universities. Students who defy I.J.T.`s strict moral code risk private reprimands, public denouncements and, in some cases, even physical violence.
In a country where most politicians cut their teeth as student activists, the rise of groups like I.J.T. provides clues to Pakistan`s political future. Although the country is officially aligned with the U.S. in fighting terrorism, it is beset by an internal struggle between moderate citizens and the fundamentalists who aim to turn the country into an Islamic state. As the hard-line demands intensify, President Pervez Musharraf has backed away from some policies sought by the Bush Administration, such as cracking down on radical religious schools, known as madrasahs, and curbing Pakistani support for the fundamentalist Taliban across the border in Afghanistan. Observers say that Musharraf`s retreats on contentious issues have only strengthened the radicals. ``The universities reflect what you are seeing in the larger political landscape,`` says Samina Ahmed, South Asia director for the International Crisis Group, a think tank. ``The moderate parties have been deprived of their experienced cadre of potential recruits, but the religious parties haven`t.``
College campuses in Pakistan are becoming prime battlegrounds in the war for the country`s soul. Political organizations have been banned from schools since 1992, when violent clashes between the student wings of rival political parties led to the deaths of dozens of students. But by outlawing political activity, the government opened the door to religious organizations such as I.J.T., which acts as an advocacy group that serves as a liaison between students and administration. Founded in 1947, I.J.T. has hundreds of thousands of alumni who provide the group with organizational and financial support, with the goal of ``training the young generation according to Islam so they can play a role in Pakistan`s social and political life,`` Idrees says.
A visit to Punjab University reveals what that means in practice. About 2,400 of the university`s 24,000 students belong to I.J.T. Members are expected to live morally and to abide by the Koran`s injunction to spread good and suppress evil. For many, that involves adopting an austere lifestyle. Members meet for regular study sessions and must attend all-night prayer meetings at least once a month. Outside the classroom, complete segregation of the genders is strictly observed. When asked, many members are critical of the U.S. and its policies toward the Muslim world; although the group has no ties to terrorism, it`s likely that some members sympathize with al-Qaeda.
And yet for some, the appeal of I.J.T. has less to do with ideology than a desire for a platform to voice their grievances. Rana Naveed, 22, a soft-spoken communications student who sports just the beginnings of a beard and wears tight, acid-washed jeans, is troubled by some of I.J.T.`s more extreme pronouncements, especially its stand on the proposed new music program. But he is excited about the prospect of becoming a full-fledged member in a few weeks, when he will take an oath of loyalty and then work to spread his faith and dedicate himself to the welfare of other students. ``There are certain things I don`t agree with,`` says Naveed. ``But as a member, I will have to submit to their way. I.J.T is the only platform to put forward my proposals to the administration, because they turn a deaf ear to regular students.``
An atmosphere of moral rigidity governs much of campus life. I.J.T. members have been known to physically assault students for drinking, flirting or kissing on campus. ``We are compelled by our religion to use force if we witness immoral public behavior,`` says Naveed. ``If I see someone doing something wrong, I can stop him and the I.J.T. will support me.`` Threats of a public reprimand or allegations of immoral behavior are enough to keep most students toeing the I.J.T. line. There is no university regulation segregating men from women in the dining halls, but students know that mingling is taboo. ``If I talk to a girl in line at the canteen, I.J.T. members will tell me to get my food and get out,`` says Rehan Iqbal, 25, an M.B.A. student, who is sitting on the floor of a hallway with female classmate Malka Ikran, 22. It`s a nice autumn day, and a shady green lawn beckons through an open window, but they dare not sit outside. It`s too public. ``There are certain places where I know I can`t talk to my male friends,`` says Ikran. When asked what would happen if she talked to a boy at the library, for example, she just shrugs. ``I don`t know. I would never try it. I`m too afraid.``
It`s not just students who feel stifled by the I.J.T.`s strict moral code. Faculty members at Punjab University say that if I.J.T. objects to a professor`s leanings, or even his syllabus, it can cause problems. It doesn`t take much to raise questions about a teacher`s moral qualifications. ``Those who could afford to leave, did so,`` says Hasan Askari Rizvi, a former professor of political science who is now a political analyst. ``Those who stayed learned not to touch controversial subjects. The role of the university is to advance knowledge, but at P.U. the quality of education is undermined because one group with a narrow, straitjacketed worldview controls it.``
Groups like I.J.T. are likely to grow more influential, not less, as its graduates move into the political arena. For those students aiming to become social activists on campus, and later politicians on the national stage, involvement in I.J.T. is the only forum available to learn the necessary skills. I.J.T. groups across the nation have embraced the opportunity to mold Pakistan`s future politicians. In addition to taking classes on the Koran, members learn how to debate, how to present and defend their views and how to write persuasive proposals. ``I.J.T. trains and promotes leadership qualities,`` says Mumtaz Ahmad Salik, president of the P.U. staff association and a professor of Islamic studies. ``When a national political party catches anyone who has been trained by I.J.T., they benefit.`` Most I.J.T. members who choose to enter politics after graduation go on to join Jamaat-e-Islami or other fundamentalist political groups. Some sign up with more centrist parties, although they bring with them fundamentalist thinking that has contributed to the general turn toward conservatism in national politics.
For now a future in politics is far from the minds of most P.U. students, who just want to enjoy their last few years on campus. ``We would love to have a student union,`` says Iqbal. ``Then we could plan events and activities and take care of the students` problems ourselves. Right now, only I.J.T. has that kind of power. If the I.J.T. had competition, that would change. Then you would see what students really think.`` But until free elections and campaigning are permitted, the religious groups will continue to walk large on campus. The same could be said of Pakistan.
btw: Mushy can`t face the mullah in the country where he controls the army? No wonder he folded like a cheap lawn chair and left the bodies of his men abandoned on the mountains of Kargil..
Chances of manto`s dream of a secular pakiland confortable in it`s Islamic identity: ZILCH...
No Dates, No Dancing
Why Pakistan`s university students are embracing the fundamentalist life
By ARYN BAKER / LAHORE
Like many other universities around the world, Punjab University in Lahore is a tranquil oasis far removed from the rest of society. But to Westerners, there`s little else about Punjab U. that seems familiar. Walk around the leafy-green 1,800-acre campus, and you will encounter nothing that resembles frivolous undergraduate behavior. Musical concerts are banned, and men and women are segregated in the dining halls. Many female students attend class wearing headscarves that cover everything but their eyes. This fall, when the university`s administrators tried to introduce a program in musicology and performing arts, the campus erupted in protest. ``Pakistan is an Islamic country, and our institutions must reflect that,`` says Umair Idrees, a master`s degree student and secretary-general of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (I.J.T.), the biggest student group on campus. ``The formation of these departments is an attack on Islam and a betrayal of Pakistan. They should not be part of the university curriculum.``
What`s most striking about that climate of conservatism is that it is being driven not by faculty or administrators or government officials but by students. At Punjab U., I.J.T. is the most powerful force on campus, shaping not just the mores of student life but also larger debates over curriculum, course syllabuses, faculty selection and even degree programs. Nationwide, the group has more than 20,000 members and 40,000 affiliates active at nearly all of Pakistan`s 50 public universities. Students who defy I.J.T.`s strict moral code risk private reprimands, public denouncements and, in some cases, even physical violence.
In a country where most politicians cut their teeth as student activists, the rise of groups like I.J.T. provides clues to Pakistan`s political future. Although the country is officially aligned with the U.S. in fighting terrorism, it is beset by an internal struggle between moderate citizens and the fundamentalists who aim to turn the country into an Islamic state. As the hard-line demands intensify, President Pervez Musharraf has backed away from some policies sought by the Bush Administration, such as cracking down on radical religious schools, known as madrasahs, and curbing Pakistani support for the fundamentalist Taliban across the border in Afghanistan. Observers say that Musharraf`s retreats on contentious issues have only strengthened the radicals. ``The universities reflect what you are seeing in the larger political landscape,`` says Samina Ahmed, South Asia director for the International Crisis Group, a think tank. ``The moderate parties have been deprived of their experienced cadre of potential recruits, but the religious parties haven`t.``
College campuses in Pakistan are becoming prime battlegrounds in the war for the country`s soul. Political organizations have been banned from schools since 1992, when violent clashes between the student wings of rival political parties led to the deaths of dozens of students. But by outlawing political activity, the government opened the door to religious organizations such as I.J.T., which acts as an advocacy group that serves as a liaison between students and administration. Founded in 1947, I.J.T. has hundreds of thousands of alumni who provide the group with organizational and financial support, with the goal of ``training the young generation according to Islam so they can play a role in Pakistan`s social and political life,`` Idrees says.
A visit to Punjab University reveals what that means in practice. About 2,400 of the university`s 24,000 students belong to I.J.T. Members are expected to live morally and to abide by the Koran`s injunction to spread good and suppress evil. For many, that involves adopting an austere lifestyle. Members meet for regular study sessions and must attend all-night prayer meetings at least once a month. Outside the classroom, complete segregation of the genders is strictly observed. When asked, many members are critical of the U.S. and its policies toward the Muslim world; although the group has no ties to terrorism, it`s likely that some members sympathize with al-Qaeda.
And yet for some, the appeal of I.J.T. has less to do with ideology than a desire for a platform to voice their grievances. Rana Naveed, 22, a soft-spoken communications student who sports just the beginnings of a beard and wears tight, acid-washed jeans, is troubled by some of I.J.T.`s more extreme pronouncements, especially its stand on the proposed new music program. But he is excited about the prospect of becoming a full-fledged member in a few weeks, when he will take an oath of loyalty and then work to spread his faith and dedicate himself to the welfare of other students. ``There are certain things I don`t agree with,`` says Naveed. ``But as a member, I will have to submit to their way. I.J.T is the only platform to put forward my proposals to the administration, because they turn a deaf ear to regular students.``
An atmosphere of moral rigidity governs much of campus life. I.J.T. members have been known to physically assault students for drinking, flirting or kissing on campus. ``We are compelled by our religion to use force if we witness immoral public behavior,`` says Naveed. ``If I see someone doing something wrong, I can stop him and the I.J.T. will support me.`` Threats of a public reprimand or allegations of immoral behavior are enough to keep most students toeing the I.J.T. line. There is no university regulation segregating men from women in the dining halls, but students know that mingling is taboo. ``If I talk to a girl in line at the canteen, I.J.T. members will tell me to get my food and get out,`` says Rehan Iqbal, 25, an M.B.A. student, who is sitting on the floor of a hallway with female classmate Malka Ikran, 22. It`s a nice autumn day, and a shady green lawn beckons through an open window, but they dare not sit outside. It`s too public. ``There are certain places where I know I can`t talk to my male friends,`` says Ikran. When asked what would happen if she talked to a boy at the library, for example, she just shrugs. ``I don`t know. I would never try it. I`m too afraid.``
It`s not just students who feel stifled by the I.J.T.`s strict moral code. Faculty members at Punjab University say that if I.J.T. objects to a professor`s leanings, or even his syllabus, it can cause problems. It doesn`t take much to raise questions about a teacher`s moral qualifications. ``Those who could afford to leave, did so,`` says Hasan Askari Rizvi, a former professor of political science who is now a political analyst. ``Those who stayed learned not to touch controversial subjects. The role of the university is to advance knowledge, but at P.U. the quality of education is undermined because one group with a narrow, straitjacketed worldview controls it.``
Groups like I.J.T. are likely to grow more influential, not less, as its graduates move into the political arena. For those students aiming to become social activists on campus, and later politicians on the national stage, involvement in I.J.T. is the only forum available to learn the necessary skills. I.J.T. groups across the nation have embraced the opportunity to mold Pakistan`s future politicians. In addition to taking classes on the Koran, members learn how to debate, how to present and defend their views and how to write persuasive proposals. ``I.J.T. trains and promotes leadership qualities,`` says Mumtaz Ahmad Salik, president of the P.U. staff association and a professor of Islamic studies. ``When a national political party catches anyone who has been trained by I.J.T., they benefit.`` Most I.J.T. members who choose to enter politics after graduation go on to join Jamaat-e-Islami or other fundamentalist political groups. Some sign up with more centrist parties, although they bring with them fundamentalist thinking that has contributed to the general turn toward conservatism in national politics.
For now a future in politics is far from the minds of most P.U. students, who just want to enjoy their last few years on campus. ``We would love to have a student union,`` says Iqbal. ``Then we could plan events and activities and take care of the students` problems ourselves. Right now, only I.J.T. has that kind of power. If the I.J.T. had competition, that would change. Then you would see what students really think.`` But until free elections and campaigning are permitted, the religious groups will continue to walk large on campus. The same could be said of Pakistan.
#54 Posted by echoboom on October 13, 2006 5:20:43 pm
#52 by harimau
May I politely , but firmly, ask you to cease & desist from such blatant, unprovoked, and vulgar comments. Such a fine lady does not deserve such cyber-assault.
Be as dirty with me as you want, but spare the decent & polite ones.
The above applies to all/any aspiring yahoos on Chowk.
P.S: Is CHOWK-STAFF sleeping ,selectively, at the switch? Two days solitary is the LEAST this deserves.
Mohammad bin Quasim.
May I politely , but firmly, ask you to cease & desist from such blatant, unprovoked, and vulgar comments. Such a fine lady does not deserve such cyber-assault.
Be as dirty with me as you want, but spare the decent & polite ones.
The above applies to all/any aspiring yahoos on Chowk.
P.S: Is CHOWK-STAFF sleeping ,selectively, at the switch? Two days solitary is the LEAST this deserves.
Mohammad bin Quasim.
#53 Posted by harimau on October 13, 2006 4:22:02 pm
Ref Mantolives #12
[Addendum to #11
The word ``views`` in the last line between ``his`` and ``down your throat``.]
Thanks for the clarification.
I was wondering how your original post escaped the Chowk editors!
[Addendum to #11
The word ``views`` in the last line between ``his`` and ``down your throat``.]
Thanks for the clarification.
I was wondering how your original post escaped the Chowk editors!
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