Just a Woman

[What is sadder is that the security guard got riled up only because he assumed that Aisha was a syed...]- #87

manto...
do the syeds have a horn on their heads or noor coming out of their ears that even jahil security guards can differentiate a syed from a bhangi...please explain...

manto # 87 ``So your pathetic little attempt to use this to attack me as usual is unnecessary and wrong``

Dear Manto, I was merely making a point, not attacking you! Now please dont use this as an excuse to stir up a chowk mob against me. You are in Pakistan, I am in US, and so you dont have any advantage of ``daring proximity`` to carry out your revenge against me.

#92
Whats this?! Do ankhein, barah haath?!

LOL!!


What next?
BJ 007??!!

#88 Samankhan

Yes, ma`m! The list of the even dozen is:

BeeJay=bjkumar=Stan=Beej=CD_Lion=Delta_High=Beej.=BJK=bjkumar.=bj2=BJ003=BJ004

Most of the nicks besides ``bjkumar`` are currently banned.

Sincerely,
BJ Kumar

Re: # 43

Point taken.

No one can now reverse freedom of press, says Najam Sethi

By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: Najam Sethi, editor of Daily Times, told a meeting here on Tuesday that no government will be able to take away the freedom that the media has won for itself in Pakistan through its long struggle.

He was speaking at a meeting organised by the Heritage Foundation to discuss the current judicial and political crisis in Pakistan. Shuja Nawaz, author of ‘Crossed Swords,’ a book on the Pakistan Army, and Hassan Abbas, a Boston-based Pakistani academic and author, also addressed the meeting.

Sethi provided the audience that included several South Asia experts with a detailed account of how the crisis had developed and why it was necessary to resolve it sooner rather than later so that the situation does not turn into one of chaos. He said the MQM, which had received a “green light” from the president to block the chief justice from addressing the Karachi bar, is the biggest loser today, especially in the Punjab where it was trying to set itself up. It is clear by now that the president, despite being advised by some to withdraw the reference made to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), is not going to do so. Benazir Bhutto is not going to return as she is scared of what the court cases against her might produce. She also has fears about her physical safety. Nawaz Sharif is primarily interested in Gen Pervez Musharraf’s removal from the scene. He said if the chief justice is restored, it will not suit the government, and if he is not restored, the crisis will be prolonged. However, if Gen Musharraf makes a deal with the PPP, it can work. There is still time, although it is running out fast. The window of opportunity is going to close before long. If Gen Musharraf decides to impose martial law, as he has once indicated by referring to “extra-constitutional” steps, it will result in “political anarchy”.

Sethi felt that an arrangement between the civilian politicians and Gen Musharraf is necessary to restore order. He said the war on terror cannot be carried on by a fully democratic government, nor will it be possible to proceed with the peace process with India, as an alienated army will see to it that both are blocked. Similarly, the progress made on women’s rights and other civil society initiatives by the Musharraf regime will be put on hold if not reversed. A fully democratic government will be susceptible to the influence of conservative clerics and right-wing elements. There will be pressure on the government for further “Islamisation”. He warned that if Gen Musharraf is ousted, there will emerge 20 centres of power, all clamouring for a piece of the pie. He said Gen Musharraf should see the wisdom and advisability of playing a “transitional” role in bringing about an understanding between the civil and military establishments.

Lisa Curtis, head of the South Asia programme at the Heritage Centre, who moderated the discussion, said that the United States should encourage Gen Musharraf to bring in a secular, democratic order in Pakistan. She felt that if Gen Musharraf continues to act in an autocratic way, it will be bad for the US, no less than for Pakistan.

Re: # 44

True!

#82 bjkumar

I must say your post has some how stirred me - though busy preparing news abstracts for the day my mind is wandering in search of topics to write about!
Thank you for the appreciation and encouragement.

A little confusion here:
I`ve been away from Chowk for quite a long time now and I am wondering if you are THE BEEJAY?!

Regards,
Saman Khan

Malik99,

I think the Jinnah quote was an apt juxtaposition to the Col`s quote. So your pathetic little attempt to use this to attack me as usual is unnecessary and wrong. I suggest that you kindly take off the blinkers that you wear and look at stuff on its merit.

The issues highlighted here are manifold and disturbing and only one of them has anything to do with harrassment the author felt:

1. The frustrations of a society deprived of entertainment which forces men to resort to such behavior.. and it is not simple eve-teasing when two men feel confident enough to physically threaten a woman walking alone in a parking lot/basement. It really has little to with anything but a power trip that these men would have felt.

2. On another website, this article got comments like ``What were you wearing?`` Let us put aside the fact that there is nothing provocative about a loose shalwar kameez and a dopatta which is what most Pakistani working women, including Aisha, wear... is there any justification for men to feel empowered enough to go up to and physically threaten a woman even if she was something provocative?

3. Security Guards are not a mob. What is sadder is that the security guard got riled up only because he assumed that Aisha was a syed... this is absolutely the bottomless pit of a sick society based on caste and false honor.

4. And the worst part in the whole thing was this:

The Colonel said that it is hard for these guys to differentiate between the “type” of women they see. Some women hold men’s hand in the parking lot. What he meant to say was, this was a simple case of miscalculation. You lady, are a married woman, with kids, I know your boss, your husband and so via the men associated with you, you deserve respect and I’ll punish these men accordingly.


BJKumar`s 23 does capture this in a unique dialogue ... but it has also trivialised these very serious issues.

Re: # 23

This is fucking awesome. BJ, you are usually a shitty writer but this one is pure gold.

#84 by burpinder on May 30, 2007 8:27pm PT

gandhi boinking his neices is almost like mo boinking his child bride...

so gandhi is almost like mo...

This story is wrong at so many levels:
- Invoking the Qaid`s name in vain (isn`t that blasphemy or sumfn?)
- Quoting Gandhi`s sexual peccadilloes in a blatant attempt to tittilate/ provoke
- Good cop-worse cop game played by the Hamdanis (or is it the Hamdani-Sarwaris?)
- Unfairly appealing to chowkie ladeez latent feminism

In fact the only good thing about this is the fact that it inspired BJ to come up with #23.

Anyway am done here.

A story that starts with a quote from Jinnah should at least live upto certain expectations. Once I got over the hurdle of understanding what actually transpired, I found myself feeling bad for the guy who got badly beaten by the colonel, especially since I could not make out the severity of his crime. Beating of a human being by stirring up a mob is a serious thing and I am sure author would not have undertaken this step had she been living in US. This mob justice is prevalent in Pakistan, as evidenced by May 12 events in Karachi, and unfortunately even educated folks like author are not immune from that.

So in the end we have a guy with possibly broken bones for a crime that did not seem to endanger author at anytime. Eve teasing in public places around the world a is a nuisance at best, and very rarely a personal threat. If this can lead someone to stir a mob, then what to say about more serious issues!

On a side note - it is quite clear that author is trying hard to match her husband`s love for Jinnah and hatred for Gandhi by out-doing him in quoting Jinnah and bashing Gandhi. But it appears to be as unnatural and as misplaced as the quote in the beginning of the story. For a successful marital relationship, it is not necessary that husband and wife must be of the same strong opinions on same topics. In fact wife could have a passion for painting and husband could have a passion for, say, Jinnah and they could still live a blissful life.

#35 Samankhan

My dear, while you are here, let me interject! I encourage you to write more often - you REALLY need to!

Your ``Advantage, Men`` and ``So Long Farewell`` - the two that I have read - were my absolute favorites!

In school it was the usual my daddy`s bigger then your daddy, here in Chowk it`s upgraded to my country is then your country,my religion is better then your religion etc etc! Can`t we grow up and have decent,healthy discussions!

Oh my! These interacts are resembling petty playground squabbles.