Pakistan: Media Under Siege

anil #71 I once heard a prominent American journalist (Pam Constable of the Washington Post)describe her experiences in South Asia, and she made an interesting comment on how she saw her role as a journalist - which she said was that of a sponge. i.e., to soak in as much as she possible could of what was going on, and then pass it on.

As humans, we no doubt can never be totally free from biases. But hats off to all professional journalists - and I think the subcontinent can proudly claim to have increasing numbers of such true professionals describing events to us.

#69 TAhmed32,

[So, please ever dont put on your "dunce" cap again when writing posts to me. I expect you to write like an intelligent person.]

TAhmed32, I will write any damn well way I please to any damnbody that suits my fancy – and I don’t care much for this “Mushy” act you are trying to pull here.

Perhaps the irony escapes you that the Mushy is also asking the press to write “intelligently” – and by his definition, “intelligent” means – to agree with him!

Taslima is a writer. She has a right to express her views. She is in India. You are neither Bangladeshi nor Indian – what you say on this issue is as irrelevant as what an Albanian monk could say!

anil #70 To leave Musharraf out of the current crisis would be like discussing Hamlet without prince Hamlet. Having said that, in answer to your question - the rubber stamp does not do anything to the army one way or another.

So let me rephrase your question to something more realistic: i.e. Will the current crisis result in not just the removal of Musharraf, but also an end to military rule in Pakistan? Any answer at this stage would be simply a guess, obviously. Since we dont even know for sure how the current crisis will play out wrt Musharraf.

As for the Supreme Court - no doubt Musharraf has dealt a severe blow to Pakistan by destroying the Supreme Court. But again - there is every reason to believe that as and when democracy is restored in Pakistan (as it will no doubt one day), the Supreme Court will come back that much stronger.

I see you havent considered the premise I had made, btw - that the battle is already lost for Musharraf.

Re: # 68

Tahmed Sahib:

I am with you that Tasleema and Pak Media cannot be compared. I may also add that, unlike as BJ says, Media should report. It's experts should express their opinions elsewhere, and not bias the news reporting process. I realize it is a tall order to isolate personal prejudices, which frequently are co-mingled. But then everybody cannot be a winning journalist.

Re: # 42

Tahmed sahib:

"...the Chief Justice has already won.... Reason: the key issue ..... was the Mush getting a rubber stamp from the Supreme Court..."

Let us leave Musharraff out. Don't you think that the Army has now got the rubber stamp Supreme Court?

Sadly, the independent judiciary has once again been choked. A powerful institution stands destroyed. It took judiciary over 10 years (= NS + Musharraff times) to have an independence and be active. It is hard to predict how long it will take now to get judiciary back to Oct. 2007.

It was sad that BB decided not to be inside the system and reform from within. She started confrontation even before she became PM. Indira Gandhi was "elected" by "syndicate" in the congress, as they thought through her they will come in power. Hence they voted her to lead Congress Parliamentary Party that made her the PM. It did not take her long to throw syndicate out, all thru the democratic process.

Pakistan badly needs democratic leaders. I do support Sadna's advice that all Pakistani's participate in election. I would add that they vote to give a single party absolute majority. Only then a face off in democratic institutions will be credible to put Army back in the barracks, and show the world that Pakistani civilian institutions can control nuclear trigger also.

bjkumar: further to #68: as for "guts" - that is again an uncharacteristically dumb statement on your part. I wont bother to explain to you why that is a stupid statement, because I think you are quite capable of figuring that out yourself.

So, please ever dont put on your "dunce" cap again when writing posts to me. I expect you to write like an intelligent person.

bjkumar #66 This post is below average for a generally sensible poster like you - i.e. you use strong words (hypocrisy) to back a weak argument (i.e. that the Tasleema whatshername in India is the same issue as the issue of muzzling the media in Pakistan). Your argument that they are the same issue is a weak one because it one can stretch any two issues to find some common ground and claim they are the same.

KRashid1961,

It is meaningless to couch the issue in terms of “respect”. The concept of what constitutes “respect” is very subjective and it lies in the eyes of who gets that “respect”!

The point is – is one to be ruled by the laws of the society or the laws of the Mullah-interpretations of the Book of one segment of the society.

What is your position?

If you believe in the freedom of expression - which is the topic of this board then do you have the guts to say that openly to those same fundamentalists who are after the Taslima's blood?!

If you do not have that ability, then your rant at the Taslima is simply a fake a marriage of convenience with those same jihadi killers!

TAhmed32.

People should have the freedom to express their views. They should not be threatened with death or other punishment for expressing those views.

Mushy is punishing the press for expressing its views.

The Bengali fundamentalists are threatening the writer Taslima for expressing HER views.\

The underlying issue is the freedom to think independently and it is one and the same issue.

If you condemn one form of suppression but go wishy-washy on the other, it is fair to accuse you of hypocrisy.

Your directive to Ajeya – to “go somewhere else” is very similar to what the fundamentalists are saying to Taslima – to “go somewhere else”!

#60 Posted by krashid1961

[Ajeya:
I don't think you can comprehend a Muslim mind.
Secular does not mean to disrespect ones prophet. Nor is it right. He had the right question. Why does she have to write. To proof that she is non religious and antiprophet.
What is so "SECULAR" and "RATIONAL" about teasing ones religion or sacred people. What would you do if someone badmouth your mother or father. Will he/she show "SECULARISM" and "RATIONALITY" ]

If he/she does not, the proper way to deal with it is the Legal System.

Not murdering that person.

This will be hard for you to understand. But if you get this, you won't be a true Muslim any more.

Re: #58 by tahmed32

[#56 this is not the kolkata board. go spread your misery on the kolkata board]

It's all the same board, my friend. The disease is one. The symptoms are many.

No. The disease is not Danish Cartoonists. Not Taslima Nasreen. Or VHP suicide bombers.

It's Islam.

krashid: i think you will find the kolkata board more relevant to this subject. it would be nice to keep this board focussed on the serious crisis pakistan is engulfed in. thanks.

#59 bubba: "pomposity" does not violate chowk guidelines. :-)

#54 anil: your premise that masadi may be an agent is certainly plausible - every time there is a discussion on the serious crisis Pakistan is going through, he floods chowk with posts geared to make chowk posters (myself, quite often) critical of the musharraf government the issue.

However, while thanking you for pointing this out, I think the answer is simpler than you may think - masadi is simply a self-important jahil who can only do what jahils do, namely throw insults at others. I say this because I doubt if any agency would bother with this pitiful little corner of the internet - they have bigger things to worry about.

So much for masadi and his diatribes.

I would be interested what you think of my view that Musharraf has already lost even as he is busy imprisoning people right and left, pulling the plug on the media - see my post #42 below.

Ajeya:
I don't think you can comprehend a Muslim mind.
Secular does not mean to disrespect ones prophet. Nor is it right. He had the right question. Why does she have to write. To proof that she is non religious and antiprophet.
What is so "SECULAR" and "RATIONAL" about teasing ones religion or sacred people. What would you do if someone badmouth your mother or father. Will he/she show "SECULARISM" and "RATIONALITY"

Re: # 48 Posted by tahmed32 on November 24, 2007 9:53:09 am

[masadi: dont blame hamidm - i red-flagged your posts.] Thank you for red flagging masadi's posts. Indeed his posts have objectionable content. Could you now please start flagging Romair's post as well? His lengthy posts do not contribute anything, except for his pomposity.