What Lies Beneath: Dispatch from the Frontlines of the Burqa Brigades

Dr. Fawzia,

After looking at some of the UP entries on this piece, I felt motivated to go back and do some digging into your bio (on-line). Here are my comments:

(1) You have written for ``counter punch`` web-site - which is not a party beverage - but perhaps one of the last refuge of hiding places for discredited lefties (IMHO).

(2) A 2003 article you wrote appears to peddle the familiar line that (a) ``true`` Islam has nothing to do with terrorism, (b) 9/11 was inspired through the acts of ``imperialistic`` US policies and ``Zionist`` influence.

Those views are highly disturbing, especially coming from somebody who lives in the USA and therefore ought to be grateful to that country.

I would be interested in learning if you still subscribe to those same views or have moderated the same.

Unlike some dishonest (IMHO) interactors here who unkindly compare your looks to a certain variety of movie actors - I do not believe that looks (although quite photogenic in this case (especially compared to certain others of bovine features)) ought to play any part in these ``intellectual`` discussions.

Re: # 143

zeemax,

....... like muhammad ata you have seem to have a serious problem with women - seek some help before you do something terrible .......

#146 by hamidm2,

I`m all for feminists as far as they are horizontally inclined.

Re: # 146

hamid sahib,

as opposed to making sexually explicit comments about women scholars with whom he disagrees?

148 by neembu,

Neembu, I haven`t raised any issue of agreeing or disagreeing with this stupid article. I have only said I detest the condescending, arrogant, and contemptuous tone used.

#142-#148: what seems to be the issue?

#149 zeemax: You actually read this article? Why?

Re: # 145

to whom are you referring and where is your own picture?

Re: # 150

Tahmed Sahib,

Please the thread I`ve posted on UP today. Zeemax Sahib is in full pathology there.

Re: # 147

zeemax

(((((((I`m all for feminists as far as they are horizontally inclined.)))))

ROFL...

Re: # 145

bj mian,

....... i think that academia in general is the ``last refuge of hiding places for discredited lefties`` ....... let alone folks like ward churchill, even the `celebrities` like noam chomsky, cornel west, robert jensen, paul krugman, howard zinn, sami al-arian and masadi are part of this refugee community ....... and these seemingly benign people can be vicious, as lawrence summers found out ..........

....... in any case, they do serve a purpose by keeping npr in business and countering the equally looney right-wing talk radio ..........

#151 by tahmed32,

I usually read articles before commenting. You don`t?

Finally read this article. I think it is a simple, clear narrative of the author doing what too few chowkies seem capable of doing - i.e. give a fair hearing to those whose views they may not be predisposed to agreeing with.

Great article.

Stupid, shameless remarks about the author say nothing about the author. Spit at the moon and it will land on your own face.

Re: # 155

Hamid Sahib,

Just curious, could you post what you have read by the scholars you dismissed?

allah-o-akbar!! by the grace of al-lah, the most merciful and all powerful, we have defeated the enemy and won a great victory....over a bunch of school girls.....

Lal Masjid boys` madrassa captured

Pakistani security forces raided and captured the boys` madrassa run by the radical clerics of the Lal Masjid and took into custody a large number of students.

A series of massive explosions and gunfire rocked the area around the besieged mosque complex creating panic among people in the Pakistani capital.

Jamia Faridia madarassa, which had over 3,000 students on its rolls, was taken over late Friday night by the security forces.

This was after a series of deafening explosions in areas near the Masjid complex, where several hundred militants led by deputy head of the mosque Abdul Rashid Ghazi are holed up and engaged in a tense stand-off with security forces, witnesses and media reports said.

The madrassa is located in a posh area in the capital and is about 4 kms from the mosque.

A large number of students were also taken into custody. Most of the boys of the madrassa, however, are believed to have been holed up in the Lal Masjid along with Ghazi and other militants.

Jamia Hafsa, the girls` madrassa, is attached to the mosque which is located in another posh area of the city.

Jamia Faridia, the boys` madrassa, was allegedly constructed on illegally acquired land at the foothills of picturesque Margala Hills.

According to Ghazi, the two madrassas housed poor children numbering about 7,000.

#156 i never commented on the article - only on others posts. Until now (see #157), and having read the article and your comments about the writer, I have provided my comments.