Mohammad Yousuf: A tribute

Re: # 61

You are a good man sir. I think it was individuals like urself that motivated Maulana azad to stand firm on his belief. But i am afaraid u r in minority, nevertheless it was my pleasure.

Mr. Muzammil,

I think you should have just written about your thoughts about Islam and the afterlife, and left bechara Mohammad Yousaf out of this. While a lot of people credit God or Allah or Mataji with their success there are also other things in this world. This is a rather poor excuse of an article, and I will attempt to explain why. You suggest that Yousaf becoming a Muslim has changed his life for the better, which is true perhaps to some extent, but he was doing just fine as a Christian as well. You can believe in anything, and that belief will be part of what guides you to success.

Your article breaks down and turns into a sermon rather than an article about a fine kirkat player. I really don`t understand why Chowk put this in Gymkhana. It belongs in some other khana, and I shall politely refrain from mentioning the possibilities. All the things that you have exhorted your brothers and sisters to do are just as well done by those who are not Muslim. I mean no disrespect towards your faith, but you have in just a few strokes disrespected the faith to which Mohammad Yousaf previously belonged, and to which some of the readers here belong to, including myself. What you are suggesting that no one who strongly believes in any faith other than Islam can rise to the success that Yousaf has, in Pakistan. I don`t know if you really understand how all over the place patronizing this is. Heaven forbid that this feeling be shared in Pakistan, by believing liberals as well, to remind us Christians of what our place is. We know that Yousaf used to make the sign of the cross when he was a Christian, and he performed wonderfully on the days he did that as well. His conversion, and it is a conversion, mind you, to Islam has been good in so far as it has already been suggested, he now knows the heights he can achieve materialistically as well as spiritually.

P.S. And yes, it is far more polite to refer to Yousaf as Mohammad Yousaf. If he no longer believed in the faith he was raised in, and decided to change that as well as his name, then the ullu ka paTTha should no longer be called Youhanna.
P.P.S. Greetings to you CC and Ijaz, and a very merry Christmas to you and your families. Peace!
P.P.P.S. KyooN Chowk editors par ghussa kartay haiN? Don`t you know they are believers in free speech, and the right to express an opinion no matter how disagreeable one might find it. Of course they haven`t always practised it, but bah`r haal. . . let them publish these things. . . you`ll still be here to kachhrofy it, and Chowk goes on to brag again after another year of great success!

Re: # 56

doublec

You say:

``and why should i below steam on other non muslim countries when Pakistan was the country i was born in, the country that i cared for in the same way a muslim did. Why was i made feel different then?``

The question is who is a Muslim in Pakistan? Read Munir Inquiry Report of 1953. The so called `Ullema` of Islam could not reach a common definition of Muslim as that Report would show. Then come to Bhutto times when the very constitution of Pakistan was converted into a `takfiri` Fatwa. As a result even the Muslims who had strived for Pakistan, the land as a refuge for Muslims, lost the very right to call them Muslims unless and until they submitted an affidavit to that effect. How insulting I felt when as a syed I had to submit an affidavit for being a Muslim for even a minor amendment to my passport. I now feel all the more insulted when a Choora Masih is being extolled as a hero muslim without indicating whether he had submitted the required affidavit calling Ahmadies as `Non-Muslim` and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the sect, an impostor. It is not clear also whether he was circumcised.

Veritably, Pakistan, the land of the Muslims, has been turned into a theatre in absurdity by the `Jahil` Mulla as a vengence of their defeat in preventing its establishment.

Abu_safwaan

Tha`t OK, my friend. We got trapped in such a distraction.

This is about something that all Pakistanis should be celebrating, and of which we Indians should be jealous yet offering our grudging admiration. So let`s assume that is precisely the outcome the author sought, although some of his words could be interpreted differently. :)

Three cheers for Mohammad Yousuf, and three cheers for Pakistan!

Re: # 59

Sir,

I think his last couple of sentences might be worth reading again. ``no matter what I am about to write, some how Islam and after life becomes unavoidable maybe because in my head that’s an inescapable reality and sooner we recognize it better it will be for our perpetual harmony. ``

He makes it evident that his belief system is what drives him. We have every right to agree or disagree with him but his sincerity shouldnt be questioned, we should give him the benefit of the doubt.

Abu_Safwan

What you wrote makes eminent sense. For whatever reasons, the man is doing better now as a cricketer. That`s his and Pakistan`s good fortune. If the magic touch was in his renouncing Christianity to become a Muslim, that`s great, just as others may do better by renouncing Islam to become Christians or whatever else suits their particular temperament better.

The point of difference (and hopefully, Ahmer Muzammil will clarify his position) was that the author, may be unwittingly, turned the tribute to the cricketer into a tribute to Islam, at the expense of Christianity`s good name.

Again, Ahmer Muzammil himself may have wanted to do nothing of that sort. In which case, ALL Pakistanis - Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and Atheists - can go back to doing what they should have been doing, celebrating the cricketer`s achievements, irrespective of the person`s current name or religion.

PCs are leading the way. Those of your genre migrated long ago and those that remain have no ambitions. I am running a big revival project and it appears the most onerous task I ever faced. Those who studied with me in school did not excel either. Dance parties and fashion were name of the game.

Ijaz,

``To Doublec`s question as to who has excelled after Cornelius et al, well there are many. There are bankers, businessmen, red tapes in the armed forces, bureaucrats, engineers and doctors.``

True but mostly Punjabi are leading the way. The others have migrated.

There was a time when we made fun of the PC`s but now think they are the future. ( i hope you get the hint)

Teshah,

My questions from post 48 still remain unanswered:

and why should i below steam on other non muslim countries when Pakistan was the country i was born in, the country that i cared for in the same way a muslim did. Why was i made feel different then?

Sirji i was brought up in a liberal city like Karachi where religion was not such a big issue than the villages and i was still treated like a foreigner. I feel sorry for those mashi`s that were born in a village. My question to you is, why did you and the muslims of Pakistan not follow Quaid`s words? Why are we not given the same rights that are given to 98% of the population of Pakistan? Why do we have a separate voting system where i am forced to vote for someone who i have never met or may be living 100`s of miles away from me? What have you done to stop this injustice on your fellow country men?

#50 by abu_safwaan on December 8, 2006 6:00am PT
Re: # 49

`Yes, Yes we should get a lecture on learning english from someone named devkant. The end must be near. Stop shaking your head first and wipe that dot off before you join your mates for high-tea @ the country club. Chinese and indians speaking english? This must be the best joke of the century. The reason you all are not able to relate with the insistance of muslims on being proud of their religion is because it`s rather hard to be proud of worshiping cows, monkeys, snakes elephants and who knows what else. Do us all a favor and preach your hindu-bretheren to start taking baths and get in the habbit of using deodrants before you march on to bring Muslim youth within the mainstream of the west. `

sir, the fact that you can speak english does not mean that every one of your country men can speak the language. i never said anywhere that you should not be proud of your religion. but being obsessed with it is what gives rise to tensions. if being proud of your religion means that a lady teacher will not remove her burqa while teaching little kids, then nothing more can be said about you and your religion. Hindus may worship anything they want, but at least they do not enforce their religion or their religious identity on others (except in some parts of india where rss, vhp and shiv sena fundus are hell bent on converting everyone to hindusm). just because you want to bury your head in the sand does not mean that wrong becomes right. the fact that pakistani muslims in european countries are largely uneducated, jobless and wanna be jehadis cannot be hidden by the hindus that worship cows.

Teshah
if i understand your post correctly, then what you mean is that doublec must also blow his steam on those countries that do not treat paki muslims in the same manner with which minorities are treated in pakistan.

if the above is what you mean, then I think you may be partly correct. but blowing staem at those countries is not going to make any difference. its all about tolerance and adjustment. most eurpoean countries are willing to make it (but i suspect their patience is being severely tested), but pakistanis are not and will never be till they idolise the arabs.

rgds,

devkant.

Re: # 49
devkant

I am sorry to say you misunderstood the import of my sentence below which I had let deliberately open-ended:

````A question, however, arises, ``Why don`t you blow your steam on those countries also which do not treat the Paky Muslim minority as they treat all minorities in their own country, especially the weaker ones, on religious grounds.``

The pronoun `they` I had meant both ways. It also meant the country of the Paky Muslims. I had meant why the Christian and secular countries treat the Paky Muslims in the same way as minorities in their country whom they do not consider to be Muslim are treated even constitutionally by the state, despite, as you say, their bigoted segregation.

#52- abu

Actually it pained me to see a low-cast man making cricket his profession and cult by downgrading the religion to just a sport.

#53 by Ijaz

You are right. During his captaincy for a short while I had heard a man, watcing cricket match in Austrailia on TV, saying, ``Inhon ne kia jeetna he jab ek choorhe ko inhon ne Captan bana dia he``.

Yousaf was a BALMIK whose family embraced Chritianity at partition. He was bred in a society which was inbreeding and unlike me or Doublec, had little chance of mixing with his muslim peers. It was within this cacooned complex that he came to rise as a Cricket Star. He was supported relentlessly by his own community but always felt an alien in the highly Tablighi Cricket Team. As the pressures arose, he found it difficult to concentrate on his profession. Finally he took the plunge and now has the pressure off him. Relived against peer discrimination, he is now performing better.

As a Pakistani Christian, I have also faced such isolations as have many others. Its all about what one feels in Carrying the Cross. Some take pride in carrying it while others are too feeble and give up. Having said that we remain Proud Pakistanis.

To Doublec`s question as to who has excelled after Cornelius et al, well there are many. There are bankers, businessmen, red tapes in the armed forces, bureaucrats, engineers and doctors.

Re: # 51

Sir,

the point that you are missing is that christianity isn`t doing it for mohammad yosuf and myself, however its very capable of fulfilling billions of others and is doing so at the moment, so i dont think that writer is suggesting that all muslims are world class cricketers and or in order to be mentally stable all should be mulims instead of christians, it cant be any farther from the reality, what he is saying is that for yosuf an INDIVIDUAL it has worked out for the best. In Yosuf`s point of view christianity wasn`t the answer, Islam was. As a free citizen he has that right to make that choice and before everyone start quoting the incident of that afghan guy, let me be the first to say that as far as i am concerned any muslim has the right to convert to christianity if they sincerely feel that thats where the salvation is. My only contention is that if we insist of on being law-abiding citizens in USA then we must be proponents for law of the land be abided in every country how ever ridiculous it might be. If we live in a country we should follow the law of the land and if its not our cup of tea then migrate.

Let me also say that we in pakistan don`t treat minorities fairly. But it has less to do with the religion and more to do with the financial and social stature. establishment molest and ravage poor without religious discrimination. That caste-mentality has nothing to do with islam and everything to do with our past as hindus and the tribalistic and millitary/wadeyra shahi rut that we are stuck in ever since our inception.

abu_safwaan

This is the classic problem with interpretationism.

You (and gypsy_heart before you) suggest that the author is expanding on the benefits of being merely focused and/or `having his head in the right place.``

It seems to me (and a few others), on the other hand, that in this article Mr. Muzammil has essentially abused Christianity, declaring it a religion not on par with Islam as far as motivating someone (and many other good things) go.

Is there a rational approach to resolving this problem?

Re: # 49

Yes, Yes we should get a lecture on learning english from someone named devkant. The end must be near. Stop shaking your head first and wipe that dot off before you join your mates for high-tea @ the country club. Chinese and indians speaking english? This must be the best joke of the century. The reason you all are not able to relate with the insistance of muslims on being proud of their religion is because it`s rather hard to be proud of worshiping cows, monkeys, snakes elephants and who knows what else. Do us all a favor and preach your hindu-bretheren to start taking baths and get in the habbit of using deodrants before you march on to bring Muslim youth within the mainstream of the west.

I think the writer has made it abunduntly clear that not all good muslims are good cricketers that notion itself is obtuse, what he is saying that yosuf`s head is in a good place right now. The problem is not with yousuf the problem is with all you haters. He is quite comfertable in his skin, however you all are obssesed with his conversion. This absurd notion that he converted for captainacy is laughable. Can anyone put a hand on their heart and say this absurdity with a straight face? If he infact had converted for that reason alone, did he really have to go to this extreme, i mean can u not tell from his interview that this guy is really in to it and in my opinion for all the right reason. Its people with low self esteem who see an ulterior motive in everything, grow up and move on and get down on ur hands and knees and pray to whoever that you pray to that tomorrow kaneria doesnt have an epiphany otherwise you all will die with depression.

#47 by teshah on December 7, 2006 6:56pm PT
``A question, however, arises, ``Why don`t you blow your steam on those countries also which do not treat the Paky Muslim minority as they treat all minorities in their own country, especially the weaker ones, on religious grounds.``

i think teshah sahib, before asking this question you must have a look at different minorities in those countries and see how well have most integrated into the society except the pakistani muslims. I have personally seen pakistani muslims born and brought up in bradford in england and not being able to speak proper english. nothing is more rediculous than not being able to speak the language of the country where you are born and brought up.

and this is just the tip of the iceberg. how many pakistani muslims actually attend normal public schools. even if they do, how many end up finishing it and getting proper jobs. most pakistanis are so obsessed with their religion that apart from islam, they end up knowing nothing. the race riots a few years back in bradford and oldham and more recently in paris hasn`t helped either.

compare that with indian and chinese expats and see how well they have integrated in societies where they have migrated.

I think before blaming anyone, you must first look within yourselves and then point a finger.

rgds,

devkant.