Connections

To dionysus,

After spending six weeks in the land of the kafirs, all that comes to me is that you are a `mara kazutha`. In any case you have mistakenly identified the crucial difference between the indian and the pak situation. In pakistan jihad is a popular movement, when Mianji signed the simla accord the elements os the army and the ordinary garden variety jihadists created the kargill invasion. In india the average hindu has more pressing problems while in pakistan it is the average person fueling the jihadic embers. That is why no treaty what so ever can solve the kashmir problem. The questions of what to do with the madrassas will remain. That is the very reason why the tears for the earth quake victims are just the product of onion juice applied on cue.

Touching! I wish more people on both sides felt like this.

Jay #29

Stop your pathetic whinging and whining, moron. Pull your head out of your ass so you can see that its the Indian army that`s waging a Hindu Jihad on the hapless people of Kashmir.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1171000/1171664.stm

Police shoot Kashmir protesters

Police grapple with a protester in Srinagar Four civilians have been killed and 17 others wounded after Indian troops opened fire on demonstrators in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Police said more than 1,000 people gathered at Haigam, 40 km north of the state`s summer capital, Srinagar.

They were protesting against the alleged killing of a pro-independence activist, Jalil Ahmed Shah, in police custody on Wednesday.

Mr Shah was a deputy district commander of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) which suspended its militant activities six years ago.

The AFP news agency quoted a witness as saying women and children blocked the road at Haigam, chanting pro-freedom and pro-Islamic slogans.

``Security forces opened fire after protesters pelted stones at them,`` a police official said.

The BBC`s Altaf Hussain in Srinagar says the death toll could rise as the wounds of some of the injured were serious.

Arrests

Protests were also held in Srinagar where reports say 20 people, including the daughter of a former Indian home minister, were arrested.

Mehbooba Mufti, a former member of the state legislature and daughter of Mufti Mohammad Syed, was detained after she marched through central Srinagar with more than 100 supporters.

A spokesman for the JKLF said the Indian authorities had arrested Mr Shah a couple of days ago and returned his body on Thursday.

The JKLF is demanding a formal investigation into the killing.

An Indian Government ceasefire is currently in place in Kashmir, as part of a peace initiative.

But despite the truce, violence has continued with militant groups - who rejected the ceasefire - targetting security forces.

MaheshG #28

``...please let us be``?? Is this is a joke or what? I told you before and I tell you again, you are not the victims in South Asia, you are the oppressors.

When Nehru conned Sheikh Abdullah into helping India in its invasion and occupation of J & K he sealed the fate of South Asia. You Indians chose the path of confrontation, now live with the consequences. You thought you were gonna push Pakistan around in the same way you bully Nepal and the other countries of South Asia. Well, some lessons just have to be learnt the hard way, don`t they?

Stop feeling sorry for yourselves and check out the following thesis (chapter one: ``The Indian Occupation of Kashmir``) to see who`s the victim and who`s the oppressor:

http://www.amherst.edu/

Tears to a cue

Long long ago, a pulitzer award winning photo was that of a woman in free fall with her two children as a fire escape ladder colapsed. It was the height of journalistic achievement, a shocking scene did not let out the sigh of exasperation, just took the camera out to click the sight. It needs a level of insensivity and immunity to the surroundings, an earth quake in a country can be induced to shed tears to a cue. The good natured people on the chowk have walked past the jihadic fund collectors, throwing a few paises into the begging bowls to shed a few tears to the cue on the chowk. For the many on the chowk who have long forgotten about their home country and the jihadic ferever that has engulfed it, please do read the wnews item, the words of the minister, to know thy country.

For a generation that has learned the k for kafir axiom, may not find the contradiction, one is a jihad to kill the kafirs with religious connotations, the other is piece of jounalistic extravagenza embelished with poetic imagery, tears on cue to the internet audience.

Moin warns of law banning Jihad funds

By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD, Feb 13: Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider reiterated on Tuesday government`s resolve to ban collection of donations in the name of Jihad and said that the government might issue a notification to this respect.

``We will not allow the people to collect Jihad fund on every road and street and outside mosques of the country,`` the interior minister told reporters in an informal talk after the launching ceremony of the Pakistan Origin Card (POC) at Nadra headquarter.

Answering a question, the minister said that the Interior Ministry would issue the notification if so required. ``We have announced our policy so let`s see how do they respond,`` the minister said, requesting the reporters not to make this issue a controversy.

He said that setting up of Jihadi camps, seeking donations, everywhere and displaying of banners, inviting the people to get training for Jihad, in the country`s streets did not go well in the outside world. ``What we are trying to show to the external world,`` the minister remarked, adding, ``this is not the reflection of a civilized society``.

The minister said that one did not know where was the money, collected in the name of Jihad, being spent. The minister, however, said that if someone wanted to make voluntary donation for Jihad he could do that.

With regard to the display of arm, the minister said that the government`s policy on display of arms would be enforced across the board and without any discrimination.

Replying to a question about his request to Taliban that Pakistanis should not be imparted Jihad training inside Afghanistan, he said, ``we don`t want that our people get Jihad training and then fight against the Taliban opposition.`` He said Pakistan did not want to interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.

The ban on collection of Jihad-donation is the second major initiative taken by the government to control the activities of religious organizations propagating for Jihad.

The step has been taken in the backdrop of the chief executive`s recent direction to ministers and foreign missions that efforts should be made to change Pakistan`s image from that of a fundamentalist state to a moderate Muslim state.

According to sources, new initiative taken by the government is the part of its policy to keep a check on the activities of Jihadi organizations as a only a few days ago upon his arrival from Kabul, the interior minister has disclosed that he had called upon the Taliban authorities not to impart Jihad training to Pakistanis.

Dawn of 14022001

Agreed, a beautiful article. How long will this bleeding for Indians continue. A month or two? After that it`s back to the same old Jihad against Hindu kafirs. If you Pakistanis really feel for Indians please let us be. Donating tents for Indian victims and at the same time donating money towards Jihad just won`t cut it. If you really feel that we are siamese twins cut in half by land please just let us be.

WASTE OF CHOWK

Along with the politicians, CNN and the red cross, chowk also has responded to the statistics and that is a waste of chowk. Leave the tears and baby kissing and the crying old man and the wailing mother to the CNN. Disaster induced feeling of indo-pak oneness, let us a drp a few big bombs. The greate good people of pakistan are drowning in tears, but the hands are still stretched out to give that last paise to the jihadic fund collector at the mosque. Get real, go to the Lakar e- toiba meeting at madreke, a dead kafir is a good kafir. Read the book, or ask asif about jihad.

Bina:

Great article. You`ve expressed your sentiments very well and I couldn`t have agreed more with them.

Syed Ahmed #22:

[I think tragedies remind us of the innate fragility of life, and the sheer stupidity of

ideologies that cause that loss of life.]

--Very true. And those who `give` their lives for the sake of these ideologies don`t realize how weak they render the confidence of the loved ones they leave behind, in these ideologies sometimes. Can you blame them for wondering, in their weak moments, whether it was all worth it?

A noble sentiment but misplaced, Bina. International disasters call for compassion from every side, but what our bureaucracies like to call `ground realities` are almost writ in stone.

Bina Shah -

I started reading thru your stories today, one by one - have to admit was doing this to kill time - but ended up being simply enthralled by them. This brings me to your story Fishhooks. THe interacts are intriguing to say the least not to mention th etitle. For the benefit of some of us who have come late into the game - would you pls consider submitting it again or if not pls let me know where I can get it. And thankyou for a most wonderful afternoon.

aicha

i agree.

I think a more balanced perspective is to admit that there is a divide between Indians and Pakistanis,- we have religon, politics, ideology, etc etc... But Humanity transcends those differences, - and maturity lets us look beyond those differences to things that bind us togeteher. And part of that New perspective, is to admit ground realities, and to try to resolve issues that confront us as a people.

Instead what we see on the chowk is antagonistic rhetoric ( with juvenile antics), from Pakistani`s trying justify their existence on the Indian bogey and the Indians ( adding fuel to the fire) conspicuously trying to Indianize the Pakistanis...


I think tragedies remind us of the innate fragility of life, and the sheer stupidity of
ideologies that cause that loss of life.

For anyone who wants answers to questions regarding inherent differences in ideology between India and Pakistan should read Amitav Ghosh`s ``Shadowlines.`` It gives a glimpse at how absurd the divide actually is. Enough said. Great article Bina.

Best

Sheheryar

Very well expressed and well meaning sentiments.

As `Solitude` writes `Religion is the main cause of our differences` and I may add `mixing religion with politics is the main cause of most of our problems`.

``We are not all that different. Fear is the same color on all our faces. Love is the same emotion in all our hearts. Our tears bleed the same salt. We have connections that go deeper than boundaries, futher than politics, longer than history.

Your pain is our pain, for have we not always been Siamese twins cut in two by the heaving separation of land? ``

Beautiful Lines! Very moving.

Thanks

Fozia Zaidi

Bina :-)

That was a moving article and very heartfelt. Most of the people aren`t probably going to believe me when i write this but i was very saddened to see the wretched condition of the indian people after the earthquake and felt very moved. My heart went out to them. There was an image of a grown man crying [i think he must have lost his family]--and i was so moved tears came to my eyes. This is a time to help our brothers [used generically here] in hindustan--despite our differences with them--as it is a human obligation and also an islamic obligation to help

the poor and the destitute and the needy and those in situations such as these. i am so glad pakistan send aid. alhamdulillah. I want an islamic state governed by shar`iah in pakistan becoz i honestly believe that such a state will be the solutiuon to all our problems [not a talibanized islam but Traditional Islam]but that does not mean not helping others. indeed, islam *is * the religion of helping others. and at this time our indian brothers, whoever they be, need our help.

My Sufi Grandshaykh said [rahmatullah alayhi]: The greatest ibadat is khidmat-e-khalq [serving humanity].

May Allah give us the tawfeeq to act on that. ameen. And may He alleviate the misery of our brothers and sisters in Gujarat. ameen bi jaahi sayyid al aalameen.

* * * * * *

ps shocked readers prob. think this contradicts my post about the blasphemy law but wallahi it does not. that is upholding the honour of Allah`s Habib sal allahu alayhi wa sallam and this is helping other humans. That is Islam and this is Islam. Insha Allah.

* * * * * *

``Your pain is our pain, for have we not always been Siamese twins cut in two by the heaving separation of land? ``

Get it straight - it was not the ``heaving separation of land`` but religion that is the root of all our ``differences``.

Your attempts at empathizing however are appreciated.

urstruly:#10

Very well said.

Let these poor folk bask in the ``enlightenment`` of the eclipsed sun.

Where else can they use english as a language to continue to do their ``home-work``.This is what was taught by their massas and this is what they are parroting.

The young generation of muslims in Europe & America was not fed the stuff which is still causing colic to these aged(but never grown-up) Convent-iers or Saint-eers.

They have never produced ANYONE who has been an achiever in ANY field.

Keep gnawing at their stumps.

__________________________________________________

wassalaam

Dear Writer,

Thanks for the impressive contribution on the terrible quake incidence.Loss of human lives is for sure the big one.We need to help the poor lot in any way,any where.Yeah,its the time to share the ill fate of the neighbours.But

I cannot understand the words like ``Connections deeper than history `` and `` Siamese twins cut in two by the heaving separation of land``.Yes the two nation theory is a truth shinning like the sun.We need cordial relations with neighbours but never at the cost of our basic idealolgy.If u don`t believe ,its another case then.

Take care

J

Very true. ``Our tears bleed the same salt``---well said.

Urstruly (reply #6)

says: ``I object to the first line of this article.

Author should have refrained from pushing controversial and sensitive agenda at this time.

``

Objection noted. Overruled :)

You are naturally funny. Congratulations.

Peace.

Just writing to endorse the sentiments expressed by Bina. On hearing the news, I called my familiy in Bombay and Karachi to find out how they were coping. For many of us, who have relations on both sides of the divide, the absurdity of the national security ideologies that are dominant in both India and Pakistan, has always been self-evident.

Take care,

tariq

REPORT CARD: HINDUSTANI PERFORMANCE IN KASHMIR IN YEAR 2000

Following is the report card representing the performance of Hindu-stani Government in Kashmir for the year 2000. I take this moment to make an appeal to all the good people with good conscience in the world to voice against this genocide of Kashmiri people. I would also request all decent Hindus to act and stop the rabid actions of their government. It is just a matter of time when all of those who committed atrocities will be dragged in front of International Court of Justice. But before that they will have to answer to the Kashmiri people. Now that when practically each and every household has suffered at the hands of rabid Hindus, it is time that all of those with live conscience should wake up. The time to act is now:

Report Card for year 2000:

Kashmiris who gave their lives for their motherland
3401 (ave. 283/mo)

Deaths/Shahadats in Army/Police Custody
363 (30/mo)

Wounded
3844 (320/mo)

Arrested
3058 (254/mo)

Rapes by Hindu Army and police
281 (23/ mo)

Property Damaged (number)
1604 (133/mo)

A month by month breakdown is available at following site:

http://www.jang-group.com/jang/index.html

I would request all people with live conscience who value human life, to forward this link and the figures to your human rights organization.

Thank you.

Fairdinkum

Such statements have political connotations which may irk the hell out of people. That is the last thing we want at this time.

For the past three to four years Indian media and some Paki ``intellectuals`` have been sending this subtle but stealth message on people being ``one``. Whereas Indian media represents aadha titar aadha batair type characters who are confused about their identity to represent this oneness-Paki intellectuals do their ``wardaat`` under the guise of humanism.

It is unacceptable until and unless geographical disputes are settled first. Besides what the hell is common between us any way other than being human and that aint enough.

Bina,

You have this uncanny ability of expressing emotions through your words. Thank you for sharing this with us.

urstruly,

``Borders may divide us, but land connects us.``

with all due respect, i disagree with you! it is presumpteous to declare that Bina has an agenda to follow. She has done an excellent job by writing this piece. Perhaps you are reading too much into her above statement... please clarify you position!

Very well expressed sentiments!
Although I believe that this was a 7.9 earthquake
(I`ve been through a 7 in the late 80`s in San Jose), the point to remember here is that the forces of nature do not differentiate between Hindu or Muslim when they kill.


Ras

I object to the first line of this article.

Author should have refrained from pushing controversial and sensitive agenda at this time.

People of India and pakistan r in a very peculiar situation.They can`t live together because of historical aminosity between Hindus and muslims but at the same time they can`t live apart.We have common languages,cultures etc.

To me as an Indian relation between India and Pakistan can be brotherly only when 2 things happen.Firstly,Kashmir must be solved in an amicable manner(convert LOC into international border) because if pakistan feels it can get kashmir by covert/overt operations it shows underestimation of us Indians resilience.

Secondly ,Pakistans economic development and political development will make any kind of dialogue realistic.Because pakistan is under the influence of jehadis who don`t even have regard for ahmediyas,shias etc,.

Yes I know common pakistani wants good relations but system there is not allowing good people to come to power.Only feudals and army people have hold on power.I am sure again Bhutto or Sharif will be back in power after the army goes back to barracks.

Bina:

I understand, I understand...I have always called ours a sibling rivalry. A friend in Pakistan, whose letters I had not responded to, was panicky, ``Are you ok?`` and then angry, ``You just cannot take me for granted`` and finally he managed to make me feel guilty, ``Perhaps you are involved with some earthquake relief work``. I was not, am not and, although I have put my name up to be part of a group, I wonder if I will be able to take it. But here was a person across the border, a recently-acquired friend, who was concerned.

I feel guilty about this as well, an individual in a Bombay apartment safe...I only felt the tremors, but there are no cracks on the walls or my psyche. I sometimes wonder if there is a greater pain because Gujarat is where my roots are.

How can anyone, especially you temporal (#1), say that if this earthquake jolts us, then the disaster would not have been in vain? Our PM said much the same thing, that since Gen. Musharraf had offered help, this was a great opportunity to look for solutions for peace. I think it amounts to making use of a specific tragedy. The lack of peace between the two countries should be tragic enough to jolt us. I know that you are not a politician, t, but think about it...

The most sensible solution came from a member of the studio audience during a TV discussion from Ahmedabad: He said if even ten per cent of the funds and manpower that were earmarked for our ``national priority`` (temple construction) went into scientific research, we would be doing a service to the country.

As of now,we can only feel the pain of random images.

Farzana

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

Dear Bina:

There indeed are moments when our humanness dominates over all othernesses. I wish such moments coincide more often with somewhat normal times. Thanks!

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

Bina:

This reverberated for a long time, when I read it the first time. And again when I read this now. ``They were all my sisters, in that moment.``

We have so much more in common.

Culture, dharti, mores.

More than what they try to indoctrinate in us.

What do we have in common with those shrouded usurpers pretending to be the guardians of the two shrines?

True, a schism is driven in by our perceptions of different gods. But the core humanity is the same.

Am saddened to see the pictures and read of the catastrophe.

If those tremors jolt us out of our slumber and rekindle our common bonds, perhaps, the destruction and havoc would not be in vain.

If....

Perhaps....

sadly and hopefully,

...t