Violent Changes

You clearly have a way with words. I read one article by an Indian doctor on CNN who took care of the body parts that came in. There were unanswered questions about putting one person`s pieces in one body bag or keeping them separate. It was too much reality for me...I remember waking up and trying to figure out if that was real or a movie.

Aisha

Jawahara, this was truly heart-touching and simply beautiful. You are right, life must go on, and it`s going on. Tomorrow awaits us all, even if we don`t care enough about it, due to our individual circumstances.

Regards,

Kiran

Jawahara, this was truly heart-touching and simply beautiful. You are right, life must go on, and it`s going on. Tomorrow awaits us all, even if we don`t care enough about it, due to our individual circumstances.

Regards,

Kiran

jawahara:

[...I will let life go on. I will live life. Because they might kill me and those I love, but they shall not own my life while I am still alive...]

...more power to you...mean it...i mean we can do two things in the aftermath...live with a new resolve or blank it out and live...this `we` is a qualified ‘we’...those of us lucky enough to be in north america...

...did I say lucky?...well that is subjective...but relatively we have it easier here...and whatever option we follow...we would live...till our allotted three score and ten or whatever...

...but I wish we would take a moment from our lives and visualize how the powero uno is perceived...rightly or wrongly in the world...and in this moment of introspection ALSO resolve to do something about changing that perception...or the edifices would continue to roll down in the face of injustice perpetrated...and no power on earth can stop the steely determination of one prepared to gamble away his/her life...and the blatant injustices will continue to clone hundreds of thousands of osamas...

...the dichotomy of the west...particularly the americans is appalling...the military dictator being wooed now merited five scornful hours last year...khair...that is nothing but real-politik...

read on...

...imagine you live in a twenty room house with your husband a child and member of his/your extended family...each room to one family...and in those twenty room...some rooms are off limit because they are forcibly occupied by the local goon...so to visit to the bathroom next door....day in and out ..you have to take the opposite path and go through a circuitous and longer route...and living in your own house you have to carry identifications papers...because to visit the bathroom you may have to pass through the goons check post...and of course you are imprisoned in that house...for years indefinitely...your source of income is erratic and depends on the generosity of the occupying goons...your freedom to breathe even is violated...UN’s declaration of human rights is only a glint in your eye...how you wish!...you have to suffer every moment of your existence...at the beck and mercy of the local goons backed by the almighty powero uno...hope is another dark forbidding four letter word...you cannot hope...simply not allowed...oh yes...you can throw stones...and hurl verbal abuses from the minaret against the goons...but there is no solace in that...it does not fill the empty bellies...does nor extinguish the anguish of the soul and mind...so one day you come to the reckoning that your life is meaningless...and if not for yourself...for the sake of others you should do something...anything with it...and reluctantly you decide to gamble...and hope for a better tomorrow...so you lit your life...to bring hope...yeah the four letter word...

(...as I was telling samina elsewhere....aren’t we like the coconut shell awashed in waves?...we drift...get deposited on shores...get pulled away and floated on other waves...submerging, riding, destination not known till we disintegrate...)

...it is this kind of a mindset jawahara that created the conditons worldwide whereby the US is almost universally perceived as the bigger partner against some people and some religion...

...if you want to stand tall...stand up to wrongs of the past...provide hope...an inkling of justice...and give hope to those who have no hope...

(this is my emotional response to yours...i know you would understand!)

love,

t

Jawahara:

Right on. You really said what I have been feeling. Reading this was an act of catharsis for me.

Thank you.

Jawahara

Outstanding. I know the feeling. I will be flying in a couple of days and feel emotions that never bothered me before...

Yes, Temporal I do understand your emotional response. Yes, I agree with America`s questionable conduct in the world and the myriad miseries of the world. This was just what I felt at the time, no analysis, no intellectualization, no reasoning. Just feeling.:-)

Re: temporal #3

You mentioned dichotomy of the west. Let me mention the dichotomy of middle east.

The late Hafez al-Assad has perhaps ordered the killings of many, many more Arabs than Ariel Sharon ever has or will. Yet one is the Lion of Damascus and the other, Butcher of Sabra and Shatila. The death of innocent Palestinians by Israeli sniper fire engenders a murderous and suicidal zeal, while their `elimination` by PLO and Tanzim barely registers in the consciousness of people ready to blow themselves up.

I hope I am not being too impertinent.

Regards

[[``I will go back to work in a tall building. I will fly. I will let life go on. I will live life. Because they might kill me and those I love, but they shall not own my life while I am still alive``]].....

Jawaraha,

That is so true.Life has to go on, and all the attatchments which come with it.This was a very brave thought .... we all needed a dose of it , as so many of us have been perturbed physically, mentally, emotionally and financially.

It is true that we face all sorts of problems of different magnitudes , and the solution is not to dwell on them, but rather to find a way to solve them .

``Baat itni si hai kehdey koi NaadaaNo sey,

Aadmee woh hee hai jo khela karey Toofaano sey ``.

Long Live and Happiness always,

love,

shirin

Reply Temporal # 3

Emotion is not enough then, is it?

It has been said that the USA as a nation was forged into one in the blood and fire of the Civil War. The USA of today, a nation with far greater diversity than the USA of the 19th and most of the 20th centuries, has certainly been forged together again in the blood and fire in the tragic collapse of the World Trade Center.

Re: jawahra

“Yes, Temporal I do understand your emotional response. Yes, I agree with America`s questionable conduct in the world and the myriad miseries of the world. This was just what I felt at the time, no analysis, no intellectualization, no reasoning. Just feeling.”

I live in UK. My mother had come to visit us from India. She is 84. She was not with me when this tragedy happened. I met her four days later. She started talking about this immediately on my arrival. She was clearly disturbed by this. She said that

“..I see those towers collapsing in my sleep. It is a terrible loss of life.. just think of those innocent people.. the rise of religious fundamentalism is a dangerous trend for the whole world …..”

then she paused for a few seconds and said “ …. The arrogant way the Americans have been behaving this sort of thing was bound to happen…”

I fully agree with your feelings but the writing lacks my mother’s pause of a few seconds which does not, in any way, reduce our abhorrence of terrorism but does help put things into perspective for future actions.

My sentiments exaclty.

Moving work; thank you.

RAJ II

jagdeep #11:

...humari taraf say amma ko aadab aur pyar...aur oon say guzarish kijiaye kay hum sub ko apni du’aouN may yaad rakhaiN...

...you are so right...that pause was so meaningful...so pregnant...

...in the aftermath of the kamikaze attacks the desi diaspora in states is suddenly awakening and rediscovering their american loyalty...which is good to a point...one should always be grateful to the host country...but sooner or later one has to start wondering about the whys...otherwise we would always be susceptible to more such actions in future...that is all...

...arrogant AND unjust!...


MastRam #7:

...like your monicker...and no you are not being impertinent at all...

...bhai who said we live in a just world...(and no am not defending or qualifying anything)...dichotomy is another name for the times we live in...

...what altaf hussain did to karachites...what bezamir/brother sharipov did to the muhajirs through state appartchiks...what muslims did to the pandits in kashmir...what bal thackeray did to the mumbai muslims...moving on...chiapas...basque...mandino...irish...the talibaans to the afghan shias...the continuous ‘casticide’ in bihar...

...but...

...the dichotomy of the US Raj II overshadows and overwhelms all other dichotomies...it is contradictory to the american values...the greed of the ike’s ‘military-industrial complex’ has to be checked and put under control by the american public...and one way of doing so is to put their past and present policies more under the glare of public scrutiny and highlight their flaws...to usher in a slightly more just world...
...only by eliminating and diminishing the causes can we hope for a more just and peaceful world...otherwise as I said elsewhere...nobody... no power on earth can stop a determined person’s chosen path of (self) annihilation and destructive fury...no one...

Zafar Al-Talib #10:

...no...they never are...as a relief mechanism they are ok...but we must always express emotions AND...also do something about what gives rise to them...but you knew that already!...

regards,

temporal

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temporal # 14:

The dichotomies, and greivances, perceived or real, intentional or unintentional will always remain in every society, in every people. That does not mean that we should not work to improve on the situation or make people aware and understand/communicate better with each other.

However, people who preach non-communication, hate, intolerance, death, or suicide are a part of the problem and need to be dealt with. So-called Muslims like Osama/Taliban and Co. have no plans for reconciliation or tolerance. Their awoved goal is to cleanse their immediate vicinty of people who do not agree with their brand of religion and take it from there to the rest of the Ummah and so on. I could go on... but we are all aware of their ideology and the means through which they enforce it. They are a part of the problem and need to be `fixed`.

We will always be susceptible to attacks, but if we don`t stop these madmen in their tracks, they will gain a stronger foothold and will become more violent, vocal, & powerful as they have over the years in Pakistan.

I don`t agree with violence... Similarly in this case violence is not the solution... people need to have more choices (jihad or ??smoke weed, be creative, make music, masturbate, pray, work, travel, procreate, help others, etc.)... whatever, but destructive choices need to be eliminated and should be discouraged and not made easily available...

A complex situation with no easy answers.... save for one: Get those responsible making the situation worse for everyone and make them pay.

re temporal #14:

temporal:

Apart from the moral standpoint, why is it the US`s responibility to be fair and equitable in its dealings? Where is the responsibility of the rest of the world? A call for more rational US behaviour implicitly accepts US hagemony in world affairs. Is that hagemony no matter how fair the right thing for the rest of the world?

The US will never get it right no matter how hard it tries if it keeps getting into questions of morality rather than personal interests. That is the lesson the rest of the world needs to imbibe. The Muslims need to be introspective and figure it out for themselves how their religion needs to be reformed. Leaving it to the yankees will cause nothing but more problems.

later

-sac

``We must not make the blunder of trying to foist a government on the people of Afghanistan,`` (FM, Abdul Sattar)

To foist a government could never be a bigger blunder -- than the MOTHER of all BLUNDERS -- ie to ``foist`` a bunch of religious hoodlum Talibans -- on the shoulders of hapless men and WOMEN of Afghanistan -- as was done by the ``brilliant`` Pakitan army.

The West owes it to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan DOES need a multiethnic normal government -- it did not exactly ``elect`` -- the Talibans -- the illegitimate Rosemary Babies of West`s anti communist crusade.

sac #16 and karakoram #18:

...having re-read my previous posts I apologize for failing to fully postulate my views that give rise to the erroneous impression that I fault ONLY the US...no so...

...let me re-state in no un-equivocal words...those who perpetrated these ghastly acts must pay for their deeds...but we have to make sure only those responsible get hurt not the innocent bystander...and WE should be on guard for any future terrorist attacks on ANY innocent civilian ANYWHERE in the world...

...and at the same time WE should seek ways to eliminate or diminish the CAUSES that lead to such ghastly acts...have said enough on that already...one without the other would serve no purpose other than perpetuating this endless cycle..

rgds,

t

To try and translate the Urdu lines of Poet Ahmad Faraz:

``The flood of blood has reached the streets of
the city Faraz
And you are happy that its time to go home?``


Well wriiten as usual JS.

Ras

jawahara,

even this article of yours reads like a movie, very sad but uplifting at the end.

t-bhai #20,

well said.

I was watching one of those News channel ``Town Meetings`` the other day, in which several young people were speaking about this tragedy.

One girl stood out in particular, she had lost her father in the WTC attack. She was very calm and told everyone that her father would not have wanted innocents to be killed in retaliation. Just as she had lost an innocent loved one, she doesn`t want others in the world to suffer the same fate.

If that isn`t noble, I don`t know what is.

I do think that the US will be more careful in it`s current war strategy, to try their best to avoid civilian casualties. Who knows though.

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A DIFFERENT WORLD

``let me re-state in no un-equivocal words...those who perpetrated these ghastly acts must pay for their deeds...``

THAT IS TEMPORAL IN #20. I do agree with that, the perpetrators should be tried...sorry...they are dead, with the crime.

All other people associated with the crime are only circumstantial, there can be no `proof` that is acceptable to the ones who broadly accept the premise of those crimes, who finds `dichotomy` every where.

This style of crime is part of the world, there is no way this can stopped, let alone eliminated. All that is possible is some containement measures, like the foot and mouth decease in cattle, one can kill a few, isolate others, have some preventive actions. There is one last possiblity, to mutate the virus so that it is no more. Can any one revise the book.

Jawahara,

A really emotional piece that was well written. You write very well. I liked this as I think it expressed a lot of thoughts that many people are thinking right now.

September 26, 2001

Forget ,the right to privacy ,miranda rights & 5th Amendment ,your trail will speak volume of you WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO TELL THEM.

TOOLS FOR THE AFTERMATH

In Investigation, Internet Offers Clues and Static

By JOHN SCHWARTZ[]

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/26/technology/ebusiness/26SCHW.html

September 26, 2001

Forget ,the right to privacy ,miranda rights & 5th Amendment ,your trail will speak volume of you WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO TELL THEM.

TOOLS FOR THE AFTERMATH

In Investigation, Internet Offers Clues and Static

By JOHN SCHWARTZ[]

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/26/technology/ebusiness/26SCHW.html

naah #19 That foreign secretary deserves to be fired - even assuming he was speaking from what he perceives to be in the interests of Pakistan, he could have something more constructive like not wishing to replace one dictatorial government (taliban) with another (Northern Alliance). And provided some reasonable solution (e.g. UN protectorate in Afghanistan perhaps for three or four years until the Afghan society is back on it`s feet).

nasah #19
You should hear this:

http://freshair.npr.org/dayFA.cfm?display=day&todayDate=09%2F25%2F2001

Teri Gross of Fresh Air talks to journalist Sebastian Junger who ``.. traveled to Afghanistan [last year] to profile Ahmad Shah Massoud..``

I completely agree with temporal. ALL innocent lives are precious and must be protected at every cost. But as sac pointed out it is not fair to give this responsibility to the U.S only. Everybody should join in. The other countries are not completely without resources.

Re Jay # 24

I do not think that revising the book would help, for no one would pay attention to the changes. Another `jihad` would break out against those who would try to do such an `unholy` act. Long-term solution in my opinion is education and the short-term goal should be to cut all financial help. I for one have completely stopped giving chanda (something i religiously did) for jihad in Kashmir.

It`s time for peace.

Apparition

``I do not think that revising the book would help, for no one would pay attention to the changes. Another `jihad` would break out against those who would try to do such an `unholy` act. Long-term solution in my opinion is education and the short-term goal should be to cut all financial help. I for one have completely stopped giving chanda (something i religiously did) for jihad in Kashmir.

It`s time for peace.

``

Very true.

PS My family and I never gave any chanda to RSS and Bajrang dal. And I will never give them any chanda in future.

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temporal #3

....... i understand your emotional response and we are all sympathetic to the palestinian condition, BUT if the palestinian question was resolved tomorrow, as it well might be, do you really think that the militant islamists would give up their jihad against the infidels, heretics and apostates ? .... i doubt it ..... and really it is quite silly to blame america for tha miserable condition of the ummah .......

.......... and let us not forget that the arabs contolled arafat`s palestine till 1967 and they chose not to give it to him ... not to mention the fact that they refused to let the jews pray at their silly wall for twenty years .... at least we have been able to pray at the dome under israeli occupation ...... don`t get me wrong, i am not apologising for the israelis, but the fact is that we have been our owm worst enemies ......

.... the islamists, or whatever they call themselves, are ideologically opposed to modernity and civil society and will not be pacified even if america withdrew from the world ....

I wish that this lady would write for CHOWK too..

From The News International (Jang Group) Pakistan


Identify the real enemy

Comment

By Mariana Baabar

ISLAMABAD: It was the United States of America at its best. It was the United States of America at its worst. Out of the rubble of concrete, steel and political confusion two men emerged who shared a mutual trait--common sense, combined with humility. After September 11, these qualities were in short supply.

Secretary of State Colin Powell and Mayor R Giuliani of New York City, steered the superpower out of the political and administrative anarchy, and only tomorrow will tell if they have really succeeded.

Giuliani, who was stepping down from office in the midst of personal problems was the local hero that the nation desperately needed. Seen around New York with his trade mark baseball cap, from the time he set his eyes on the twin infernos, till date, Giuliani was under no illusion that there would be some sort of miracle and a big number of survivors would emerge.

Without giving up for a single moment on rescue efforts, two weeks after the disaster, he has proven right. He never raised false hopes, even as the streets of Manhattan were lined day and night with people hoping against hope that some signs of life would emerge from the rubble.

Today, there is not a single person in New York who wants to see him leave his office. The Big Apple will never forget him even as he is determined to use the wreckage of the two World Trade Centers to create a monument, for the two giants that dominated the landscape of New York.

On the other hand it was refreshing for us, to watch Colin Powell refusing to act like a hot headed General, desperate for war to get even and resort to short term measures. Even in public statements he refused to shoot from the hip. His was the voice of sanity, something which was needed more by his inexperienced President.

It was again Powell, who in dozens of press briefings and interviews, gave indications that unlike the first impression that the Bush administration was preparing for an immediate strike inside Afghanistan. The General did not appear apologetic to remember lessons from history and was in no hurry to see American forces trapped in unfriendly terrain. At the time anyway Bush appeared convinced.

Many in Washington are ready to give credit to Powell for initiating a process that have lifted some sanctions on Pakistan, and President Bush appears to be convinced of keeping Pakistan (military government notwithstanding) on its side, for a campaign against terrorism that will see the face of war, as never seen before.

It was again only after the most gruesome attack on the United States, that the propaganda and shadows that the chicken Washington had been chasing ever since the fall of the Soviet Union, came home to roost. The propaganda of Islamic fundamentalism, which had served as a diet for unsuspecting Americans, suddenly surfaced in different cites and there was genuine fear that the backlash had the potential of turning into a nightmare that the Bush administration could do without.

Suddenly from the President of the United States to commentators on television, great pains were being taken to explain to the people that Islam was a religion of peace and that terrorism was terrorism and there was no such thing as `Islamic terrorism`. But the ground realities on the streets were proving otherwise and for many who paid for the American propaganda, the price was innocent lives. The new `version` of Islam had come too late.

It is the same mindset, in its quest for perceived threats, those who coined the term ``the Islamic bomb`` are today ready to once again demonstrate their own version of ``selective morality``. Suddenly it is all right to do business with those who possessed the `Islamic bomb`.

In the days to come the United States of America will need more people who think like Giuliani and Powell. President Bush could do well with their sane advice and refrain from commenting on the length of people`s beards.

Because today it is `beards`, `turbans`, `Arabs`, `Asians` and `shalwar kamizes` that are perceived as threats by the ordinary American. Little do they realise that the real enemy is elsewhere. The real enemy is the so called `strategic interests` of the United States and it is time that America redefines these interests.

(The writer has just returned from New York.)

There is a complex ,in genuinely decent ppl. that they cant say ``NO``.

ITS AS IF SOME PPL. FEEL GUILTY WHEN THEY SAY ..NO!!

How else can you explain Saudi ,Kuwaiti ,during Desert Storm ,when America pushed itself into their country & asked for permission later SO TO SAY .You understand what im saying by that.The gulf countries Qatar,Bagrain,UAE,& Doha have had to say forced YES too.

I feel for Pervaiz Musharaf bechara ,yes ,i dont envy his position ,leave alone volunteer for it as he has done.



Ever since the United States Army massacred 300 Lakotas in 1890, American

forces have intervened elsewhere around the globe 100 times. Indeed the

United States has sent troops abroad or militarily struck other countries`

territory 216 times since independence from Britain. Since 1945 the United

States has intervened in more than 20 countries throughout the world.

Since World War II, the United States actually dropped bombs on 23

countries. These include: China 1945-46, Korea 1950-53, China 1950-53,

Guatemala 1954, Indonesia 1958, Cuba 1959-60, Guatemala 1960, Congo 1964,

Peru 1965, Laos 1964-73, Vietnam 1961-73, Cambodia 1969-70, Guatemala

1967-69, Grenada 1983, Lebanon 1984, Libya 1986, El Salvador 1980s,

Nicaragua 1980s, Panama 1989, Iraq 1991-1999, Sudan 1998, Afghanistan 1998,

and Yugoslavia 1999.

Post World War II, the United States has also assisted in over 20 different

coups throughout the world, and the CIA was responsible for half a dozen

assassinations of political heads of state.

The following is a comprehensive summary of the imperialist strategy of the

United States over the span of the past century:

Argentina - 1890 - Troops sent to Buenos Aires to

protect business interests.

Chile - 1891 - Marines sent to Chile and clashed with

nationalist rebels.

Haiti - 1891 - American troops suppress a revolt by

Black workers on United States-claimed Navassa Island.

Hawaii - 1893 - Navy sent to Hawaii to overthrow the

independent kingdom - Hawaii annexed by the United

States.

Nicaragua - 1894 - Troops occupied Bluefields, a city

on the Caribbean Sea, for a month.

China - 1894-95 - Navy, Army, and Marines landed

during the Sino-Japanese War.

Korea - 1894-96 - Troops kept in Seoul during the war.

Panama - 1895 - Army, Navy, and Marines landed in the

port city of Corinto.

China - 1894-1900 - Troops occupied China during the

Boxer Rebellion.

Philippines - 1898-1910 - Navy and Army troops landed

after the Philippines fell during the Spanish-American

War; 600,000 Filipinos were killed.

Cuba - 1898-1902 - Troops seized Cuba in the

Spanish-American War; the United States still

maintains troops at Guantanamo Bay today.

Puerto Rico - 1898 - present - Troops seized Puerto

Rico in the Spanish-American War and still occupy

Puerto Rico today.

Nicaragua - 1898 - Marines landed at the port of San

Juan del Sur.

Samoa - 1899 - Troops landed as a result over the

battle for succession to the throne.

Panama - 1901-14 - Navy supported the revolution when

Panama claimed independence from Colombia. American

troops have occupied the Canal Zone since 1901 when

construction for the canal began.

Honduras - 1903 - Marines landed to intervene during a

revolution.

Dominican Rep 1903-04 - Troops landed to protect

American interests during a revolution.

Korea - 1904-05 - Marines landed during the

Russo-Japanese War.

Cuba - 1906-09 - Troops landed during an election.

Nicaragua - 1907 - Troops landed and a protectorate

was set up.

Honduras - 1907 - Marines landed during Honduras` war

with Nicaragua.

Panama - 1908 - Marines sent in during Panama`s

election.

Nicaragua - 1910 - Marines landed for a second time in

Bluefields and Corinto.

Honduras - 1911 - Troops sent in to protect American

interests during Honduras` civil war.

China - 1911-41 - Navy and troops sent to China during

continuous flare-ups.

Cuba - 1912 - Troops sent in to protect American

interests in Havana.

Panama - 1912 - Marines landed during Panama`s

election.

Honduras - 1912 - Troops sent in to protect American

interests.

Nicaragua - 1912-33 - Troops occupied Nicaragua and

fought guerrillas during its 20-year civil war.

Mexico - 1913 - Navy evacuated Americans during

revolution.

Dominican Rep 1914 - Navy fought with rebels over

Santo Domingo.

Mexico - 1914-18 - Navy and troops sent in to

intervene against nationalists.

Haiti - 1914-34 - Troops occupied Haiti after a

revolution and occupied Haiti for 19 years.

Dominican Rep 1916-24 - Marines occupied the Dominican

Republic for eight years.

Cuba - 1917-33 - Troops landed and occupied Cuba for

16 years; Cuba became an economic protectorate.

World War I - 1917-18 - Navy and Army sent to Europe

to fight the Axis powers.

Russia - 1918-22 - Navy and troops sent to eastern

Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution; Army made five

landings.

Honduras - 1919 - Marines sent during Honduras`

national elections.

Guatemala - 1920 - Troops occupied Guatemala for two

weeks during a union strike.

Turkey - 1922 - Troops fought nationalists in Smyrna.

China - 1922-27 - Navy and Army troops deployed during

a nationalist revolt.

Honduras - 1924-25 - Troops landed twice during a

national election.

Panama - 1925 - Troops sent in to put down a general

strike.

China - 1927-34 - Marines sent in and stationed for

seven years throughout China.

El Salvador - 1932 - Naval warships deployed during

the FMLN revolt under Marti.

World War II - 1941-45 - Military fought the Axis

powers: Japan, Germany, and Italy.

Yugoslavia - 1946 - Navy deployed off the coast of

Yugoslavia in response to the downing of an American

plane.

Uruguay - 1947 - Bombers deployed as a show of

military force.

Greece - 1947-49 - United States operations insured a

victory for the far right in national ``elections.``

Germany - 1948 - Military deployed in response to the

Berlin blockade; the Berlin airlift lasts 444 days.

Philippines - 1948-54 - The CIA directed a civil war

against the Filipino Huk revolt.

Puerto Rico - 1950 - Military helped crush an

independence rebellion in Ponce.

Korean War - 1951-53 - Military sent in during the

war.

Iran - 1953 - The CIA orchestrated the overthrow of

democratically elected Mossadegh and restored the Shah

to power.

Vietnam - 1954 - The United States offered weapons to

the French in the battle against Ho Chi Minh and the

Viet Minh.

Guatemala - 1954 - The CIA overthrew the

democratically elected Arbenz and placed Colonel Armas

in power.

Egypt - 1956 - Marines deployed to evacuate foreigners

after Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal.

Lebanon - 1958 - Navy supported an Army occupation of

Lebanon during its civil war.

Panama - 1958 - Troops landed after Panamanians

demonstrations threatened the Canal Zone.

Vietnam - 1950s-75 - Vietnam War.

Cuba - 1961 - The CIA-directed Bay of Pigs invasions

failed to overthrow the Castro government.

Cuba - 1962 - The Navy quarantines Cuba during the

Cuban Missile Crisis.

Laos - 1962 - Military occupied Laos during its civil

war against the Pathet Lao guerrillas.

Panama - 1964 - Troops sent in and Panamanians shot

while protesting the United States presence in the

Canal Zone.

Indonesia - 1965 - The CIA orchestrated a military

coup.

Dominican Rep- 1965-66 - Troops deployed during a

national election.

Guatemala - 1966-67 - Green Berets sent in.

Cambodia - 1969-75 - Military sent in after the

Vietnam War expanded into Cambodia.

Oman - 1970 - Marines landed to direct a possible

invasion into Iran.

Laos - 1971-75 - Americans carpet-bomb the countryside

during Laos` civil war.

Chile - 1973 - The CIA orchestrated a coup, killing

President Allende who had been popularly elected. The

CIA helped to establish a military regime under

General Pinochet.

Cambodia - 1975 - Twenty-eight Americans killed in an

effort to retrieve the crew of the Mayaquez, which had

been seized.

Angola - 1976-92 - The CIA backed South African rebels

fighting against Marxist Angola.

Iran - 1980 - Americans aborted a rescue attempt to

liberate 52 hostages seized in the Teheran embassy.

Libya - 1981 - American fighters shoot down two Libyan

fighters.

El Salvador - 1981-92 - The CIA, troops, and advisers

aid in El Salvador`s war against the FMLN.

Nicaragua - 1981-90 - The CIA and NSC directed the

Contra War against the Sandinistas.

Lebanon - 1982-84 - Marines occupied Beirut during

Lebanon`s civil war; 241 were killed in the American

barracks and Reagan ``redeployed`` the troops to the

Mediterranean.

Honduras - 1983-89 - Troops sent in to build bases

near the Honduran border.

Grenada - 1983-84 - American invasion overthrew the

Maurice Bishop government.

Iran - 1984 - American fighters shot down two Iranian

planes over the Persian Gulf.

Libya - 1986 - American fighters hit targets in and

around the capital city of Tripoli.

Bolivia - 1986 - The Army assisted government troops

on raids of cocaine areas.

Iran - 1987-88 - The United States intervened on the

side of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War.

Libya - 1989 - Navy shot down two more Libyan jets.

Virgin Islands - 1989 - Troops landed during unrest

among Virgin Island peoples.

Philippines - 1989 - Air Force provided air cover for

government during coup.

Panama - 1989-90 - 27,000 Americans landed in

overthrow of President Noriega; over 2,000 Panama

civilians were killed.

Liberia - 1990 - Troops entered Liberia to evacuate

foreigners during civil war.

Saudi Arabia - 1990-91 - American troops sent to Saudi

Arabia, which was a staging area in the war against

Iraq.

Kuwait - 1991 - Troops sent into Kuwait to turn back

Saddam Hussein.

Somalia - 1992-94 - Troops occupied Somalia during

civil war.

Bosnia - 1993-95 - Air Force jets bombed ``no-fly zone``

during civil war in Yugoslavia.

Haiti - 1994-96 - American troops and Navy provided a

blockade against Haiti`s military government. The CIA

restored Aristide to power.

Zaire - 1996-97 - Marines sent into Rwanda Hutus`

refugee camps in the area where the Congo revolution

began.

Albania - 1997 - Troops deployed during evacuation of

foreigners.

Sudan - 1998 - American missiles destroyed a

pharmaceutical complex where alleged nerve gas

components were manufactured.

Afghanistan - 1998 - Missiles launched towards alleged

Afghan terrorist training camps.

Yugoslavia - 1999 - Bombings and missile attacks

carried out by the United States in conjunction with

NATO in the 11 week war against Milosevic.

Iraq - 1998-2001 - Missiles launched into Baghdad and

other large Iraq cities for four days. American jets

enforced ``no-fly zone`` and continued to hit Iraqi

targets since December 1998.

These * *100 * * instances of American military

intervention did not include times when the United

States:

(1) deployed military police overseas;

(2) mobilized the National Guard;

(3) sent Navy ships off the coast of numerous

countries as a show of strength;

(4) sent additional troops to areas where Americans

were already stationed;

(5) carried out covert actions where American forces

were not under the direct rule of an American command;

(6) used small hostage rescue units;

(7) used American pilots to fly foreign planes;

(8) carried out military training and advisory

programs which did not involve direct combat.

U. S. Government Assassination Plots



Following is a list of prominent foreign leaders whose assassination

(or planning for same) the United States has been involved in since

the end of Second World War. The list does not include several

assassinations in various parts of the world carried out by anti-Castro

Cubans employed by CIA and headquartered in the United States:

LIST A: NON MUSLIMS

1949 - KIm Koo, Korean opposition leader

1950`s - CIA/Neo-Nazi hit list of numerous political figures in

West Germany

1955 - Jose` Antonio Remon, President of Panama

1950`s Chou En-lai, Prime Minister of China, several attempts

on his life

1951 - Kim Il Sung, Premiere of North Korea

1950s (mid) - Claro M. Recto, Philippines opposition leader

1955 - Jawar Lal Nehru, Prime Minister of India

1959 and 1963 - Norodom Sihanouk, leader of Cambodia

1950s-70s - Jose Figueres, President of Costa Rica,

two attempts on his life

1961 - Francois ``Papa Doc``Duvalier, leader of Haiti

1961 - Patrice Lumumba , Prime Minister of Congo (Zaire)

1961 - Gen. Rafael Trujillo, leader of Dominican Republic

1963 - Ngo Dinh Diem, President of South Vietnam

1960s - Fidel Castro, President of Cuba, more than

15 attempts on his life

1960s - Raul Castro, high official in government of Cuba

1965 - Francisco Caamanao, Dominican Republic opposition leader

1965 - Pierre Ngendandumwe, Prime Minister of Burundi

1965-6 - Charles de Gaulle, President of France

1967 - Che Guevara, Cuban leader

1970 - Salvadore Allende, President of Chile

1970 - General Rene Schneider, Commander-in-Chief of Army, Chile

1970s and 1981 - Gen. Omar Torrijos, leader of Panama

1972 - General Manuel Noriega, Chief of Panama Intelligence

1975 - Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire

1976 - Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica

1983 - Miguel d`Escoto, Foreign Minister of Nicaragua

1984 - The nine commandantes of the Sandanista

National Directorate

1980`s - Dr. Gerald Bull, Canadian Ballistics Scientist

assassinated by Mossad in Belgium.

Partial List of Muslim Leaders Assassinated or

Attempted Assassinations

1950`s Sukarno, President of Indonesia

1957 Gamal Abdul Nasser, President of Egypt

1960 Brigadier General, Abdul Karim Kassem, Leader of Iraq

1980-86 Muammar Qaddafi, Leader of Libya, several plots and

attempts upon his life

1982 Ayatullah Khomeini, Leader of Iran

1983 General Ahmed Dlimi, Moroccan army Commander

1985 Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadllallah, Lebanese Shiite Leader

(80 people killed in that attempt)

1991 Saddam Hussein, Leader of Iraq

Reference: Blum, William, ``KILLING HOPE - U.S. Military and

CIA Interventions Since World War II,`` Appendix III

U.S. Government Assassination Plots, page 453,

Common Courage Press, Monroe, Maine 1995. ISBN 1-56751-052-3

Very likely Victims :

April 4, 1979 - Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Leader of Pakistan, for pursuing making

of

Nuclear Bomb.

August, 1988. General Ziaul Haq, Military Leader of Pakistan.

1995 - Murtaza Bhutto, Son of ZUlfiqar Ali Bhutto, Anti-American

would-be Leader - Pakistan.

March 25, 1975 - King Faisal of Saudi Arabia through his Nephew, Saudi

Arabia

for imposing 1973 Oil Embargo.

August 24, 1999. Mullah Mohammad Omar, in Kandhar, Afghanistan.

|

``À``List of Known Assassination Plots

1950`s Sukarno, President of Indonesia

1957 Gamal Abdul Nasser, President

2001 Since early this year more than 40 Palestinian leaders assassinated

through surrogate Israel.

If, as most would agree, the atrocities of September 11th are just that - atrocities of the worst kind, inexcusable and unjustifiable - then we cannot attach conditionalities to our condemnation of them, or the search for justice in their wake.

America`s many wrongs should not form part of any such discussion. Talk of chickens coming home to roost and reaping the whirlwind is specious and dangerous. Militant Islam would exist, and does exist, in spite of (or not solely because of) American imperialism or Zionism. It is the principle of western society that militant Islam is so vehemently, violently, opposed to. It wants to throw acid in the face of the unveiled woman, for no other reason than the fact that she is unveiled.

Jawahara, a beautiful article. Thank you.

Ras,

Thanks for the article. I`m glad someone else was picking up on this text/subtext theme, or the mainstream media talking through both sides of its mouth. And I am not particuarly happy to have this feling confirmed.

Btw, some NYorkers aren`t thrilled at Mayor Guilliani`s hemming and hawing about a third term in office, which does violate NY state law. NY columnist Jimmy Breslin (sorry ladies and gents, have to drag him into this again) summed the Mayor up in this phrase: A small man looking for a balcony...

regards

Bijli 35

You prove my point. US has intervened in hundreds of places. Few of them other than some mad countries have promoted terrorism and then come to Chowk to defend it.

CHANGE TO NON-VIOLENCE,

What ever happebed to the freedom fighters of kashmir, the people in revolt against the oppression of the indians. They have gone to fight another war in another jihadic frontier. At last there is the proof, kashmir violence will not stop with meetings, it will stop only with hardware actions, like the one now.

ras siddiqui #34,

good article

hamidm #33 You get partial credit on this one. You are right insofar as you indicate that even if there was peace in the middle east, there would still be trouble. However, peace in the middle east would definitely lower blood pressures all around, and thus help ``drain the swamps`` that feed terrorism. If you dont believe me, look at the tremendous pressure now being put on Israel (including a few choice words personally delivered to Sharon by the British foreign secretary) to try and make peace. Furthermore, the underlying cause of terrorism is not merely blind following of an ideology (again if you dont believe me, read what people from Bush down are now saying across the world), but something else. The economist article on the subject, which indicated reasons like envy and resentment of the riches and power of the US is closer to the truth although neither the terrorists nor the Islam bashers in South Asia will accept that.

One more thing to my previous post - as Dawn reports, the EU mission to Pakistan has lifted those dumb trade quotas they used to have. Dawn reports that the US is planning the same. ``Trade not Aid`` was something that people way back in the 1960`s used to ask for (a Latin American economist whose name I forget was at the forefront on this). But politicians in the west would succumb to domestic political pressures from farmers. Looks like the need to ``drain the swamps`` that breed terrorism is finally being recognized. This summer in Pakistan I had wondered what all these youngsters being taught in madrassas were going to do when they grew up, lacking any marketable skill. So, if we get the Pakistan economy moving, this should go a long way in solving the problem. And this would be to the advantage of everyone, not the least of which is India (with the minor exception of those morbidly opposed to being stood up by the formation of a separate country in 1947, and these people will not matter any more) which would then have Pakistan at peace with itself and with India.

I pray that things keep to move in this direction.

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Five Muslim protestors killed in India

LUCKNOW: Five people were killed on Thursday after police fired on demonstrators protesting the arrest of leaders of a banned Islamic student organisation in this northern Indian city. The violence erupted after a police crackdown to seal off the offices of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which came hours after New Delhi imposed a nationwide ban on the radical Muslim group.

Officials in New Delhi said the group was outlawed following reports that some SIMI leaders had close links with Islamic separatist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen in Kashmir. They said intelligence reports also linked SIMI to a string of bombings in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and New Delhi and added the attacks were conducted on the behest of Hizbul Mujahideen.

Home Minister L K Advani warned of ``firm action`` against the SIMI. Hundreds of police personnel were deployed in Lucknow with shoot-on-sight orders, officials said. A police spokesman said that five people had been killed and added that an indefinite curfew had been imposed in parts of the city after police put down protests over the arrest of three local SIMI leaders. Police also arrested 67 SIMI supporters and leaders on Thursday throughout Uttar Pradesh, officials here added.

[The carefree, innocent days of the 90’s were truly gone...]

Yeah!..., thanks a lot to the NSA, CIA, FBI and all those three letter sleuths... i just happened to read this:

http://www.michaelmoore.com/2001_0912.html

Quite interesting... and to quote this guy:

[We abhor terrorism — unless we’re the ones doing the terrorizing.]

How sadly true.

Hamidm:

You might also have added that the Palestinians rejected the UN Partition Plan of 1947 that Israel had accepted, which would have given them a territory equal to half that of Israel today (certainly much more than what they are willing to settle for today) and Jerusalem. The Israelis did not control Jerusalem (at least not the Palestinian/Arab quarter) until 1967. I remember the response of the eloquent Hanan Ashrawi when she was asked about this during the Arafat-Barak negotiations last year...`Blunders have been made`... is all she would say.

To Civilisation, if I can Find Her



`First, find and punish the men responsible, Laden if it was him. Not by landing a gigantic force in a ravaged country, but by the same kind



of tight, focused operation that found gruesome



success on September 11,` says Dilip D`Souza.

Attack on the US: The Complete Coverage

WOW,Dilip ARE YOU SURE ,WE NEED TO BE COMPLIMENTING THEM SO SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dilip D`Souza

To Civilisation, If I Can Find Her

I hear there`s a war on the way. I hear it`s going to be between the civilised world and the rest. Between the free democracies of the world and the rest. Between barbarians and the rest. Terrorism, my Prime Minister Vajpayee said the other day, is a `great threat to our people, our values and our way of life.` The attack on America, he went on, `is a stark and terrible reminder of the power and reach of the terrorists to destroy innocent lives and challenge the civilised order in this world.` And in this coming war, President Bush announced, `you`re either with us or against us,` forgive me if not quite in those words. `Us,` it`s safe to assume, refers to this civilised world.



So as an ordinary human being, horrified and angered by the brutality of September 11, in the fond belief that I`m somewhat civilised, I`m anxious to choose my side. But I`m somewhat baffled as well. I look for this civilisation and I begin to wonder: just where is it?

When Chile`s elected leader Salvador Allende was murdered and one of the century`s worst dictators Auguste Pinochet, put in place to spend a generation molesting that country and killing its citizens, was that civilisation? When a vast Soviet army overran Afghanistan and reduced that once fabled country to rubble, its proud people so devastated and demoralised that they cannot rise to shake off the tormentors who drove out the Soviets, well, was that civilisation?

When Rwanda`s Hutus erupted in a hellish orgy of hatred and slaughtered their Tutsi countrymen for three months and the rest of the world preferred to look the other way, even quibbled over whether this genocide really was genocide, now was that civilisation? When, perhaps inspired by a hate-spewing figure whom a perverse Afghan cabal fiercely protects, maniacs with knives hijack planes and pilot them into two towering buildings and a squat one, taking 6,000 unsuspecting humans with them to fiery deaths, hey, is that civilisation?

When in the capital of the world`s most populous democracy, a prime minister is assassinated and that is excuse enough to slaughter 3,000 Sikhs, and the country -- India, of course -- has not for 17 years found the will to punish the powerful men who led that slaughter, hello, is that civilisation? When Russians and Chechens maul and murder each other in arguably the world`s most vicious war, look upon each other as just vermin to be exterminated, hmm, is that civilisation? When Israel elects a leader whose idea of negotiating peace is to shove ever more Jewish settlements down Palestinian throats, devoting ever more of his country`s armed forces to ``protecting`` these illogical and unsustainable enclaves, thereby spilling ever more blood in that Holy Land, tell me won`t you please tell me, is that civilisation?

I could go on, you know. South Africa, the Congo, Bombay, Turkey, Cambodia, Nicaragua: I could really go on and so could you.

So when this is the wealth of civilisation on display, year round, the world over, it`s enough to leave a man scratching a hairy scalp in despair. Just where are the values that are `under threat,` the `civilised order` that`s being destroyed? And what`s a man to do when he`s told `you`re either with us or against us`? Where does his revulsion at, for example, the American role in Allende`s murder and Pinochet`s regime place him: with or against? Is he `with us` because he thinks the hijacking pilots, the men who murder in Kashmir, are terrorist scum? Or is he `against us` because he thinks the murderers of the Sikhs are also terrorist scum?

Now I hardly mean to say that there are no principles of civilised life that are worth protecting. Nor that they suffer no threats today. Nor even do I want to introduce a meaningless moral relativism into the debates we are all wrestling with these days. The assaults on the WTC and the Pentagon were, as Robert Fisk says, crimes against humanity. Period.

But I do mean to say, let`s be careful when we rush to stake our claim to be good. Let`s be careful when we talk so easily of civilisational struggles between Good and Evil. Partly because we all have our dark little secrets that will come tumbling out. But mostly because this is an empty exercise in futility. It produces the grotesque scenario that is unfolding before our eyes: the massing of a mighty military machine to launch an assault on possibly the world`s most ruined and desperate society; and these preparations cheered on by my country. Such an assault will kill precisely the wrong people, ruin that society even more, and leave all the hatreds intact, ready to strike again in more spectacularly horrific fashion.

There`s no good there, and certainly no civilisation. That is no war against terrorism that I want to be part of, that I want my country to be part of, that I want fought at all. That is, to repeat, just futility.

It is futile because it can never stamp out terrorism, just as the mere spraying of pesticides never eradicates malaria. You do eradicate malaria by starving its carriers of the conditions in which they thrive. In much the same way, as so many have pointed out, you destroy terrorism by addressing the conditions that spawn terrorists.

Which means: no longer must we tolerate a world in which a minority lives pampered, wealthy, protected lives while the majority scrounges outside for the next gulp of water. That applies to the USA and Bangladesh just as much as it applies to Malabar Hill and the homeless beggars who roam its streets. (Why must a civilised world think it is acceptable that some of its residents sift through garbage for food?). No longer must justice be so selective that it is injustice above all. That applies to murdered Palestinians and disappeared Chileans just as much as it applies to the silent victims of riots in India. (Why must a civilised world think it is acceptable that riots ``just happen`` and so are normal?). No longer must corrupt or hate-mongering ``leaders`` be allowed to hold power, escape their crimes, just because they serve particular political purposes. That applies to Pinochet and Mobutu and Mubarak and Nawaz Sharif just as much as it applies to Thackeray and Jayalalithaa. (And yes, why must a civilised world think a Mobutu must be propped up only because he claims to be a bulwark against Marxism?).

In short, and we might as well face it: terrorism didn`t just arrive on our planet one recent morning. Oppression, poverty and injustice produce the hatreds that send terrorists to flight school in Florida. Tackling those enormous but never insurmountable problems, understanding that if they persist we are all threatened, will choke off terrorism.

In that sense, the planes that sliced into the WTC were true children of this globalization we hear so much about. With one cataclysmic explosion, they woke up America and the entire globe. Not just to the ``power and reach of the terrorists``, but also to the consequences of the illusion that ``we`` are safe behind our gates and barbed wire and security guards and immigration laws and eyes that are so firmly shut to the misery that wallows beyond their lids. Whoever ``we`` are, the misery now belongs to us all. It always did, but if we chose not to know it before, we know now. We can`t afford not to. `No man is an island,` John Donne did indeed write in 1623, but take more heed of what he wrote only a few words later:

Any man`s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

Yes: after the bell tolled so horribly in NYC and DC, let`s know that it tolled for us. How must ``we`` respond?

First, find and punish the men responsible, bin Laden if it was him. Not by landing a gigantic force in a ravaged country, but by the same kind of tight, focused operation that found gruesome success on September 11. I am no military man, so I have no idea how difficult that will be. But however difficult, it is the only way to get the culprits.

That done, open `our` eyes to all that`s around us. Free of political bias, free of hypocrisy, free of hollow words about ``our`` civilised values and their ``barbarity`` and everybody`s religion. Let`s understand that the way we live, the choices we make, the things we do, the policies we follow, cannot but leave their mark. In all humility, let`s each recognize our own mistakes and failures, whether religious, societal, political or personal. Let`s rebuild beginning from that foundation. I have no idea how difficult all that will be either. But however difficult, it is the only way to launch a successful assault on terrorism.

If it happens, that kind of introspection is far more than the way to eradicate terrorism, more even than the only possible silver lining to the sickness of September 11. It is the very meaning of civilisation.

Commentary from the current Pakistan Link


A Silver Lining for Pakistan

By Syed Rashid Husain


The large section of expatriate Pakistanis in the Gulf, with families living in Canada and the United States, are becoming increasingly worried about the safety and security of their family members, in the wake of the recent tide of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim incidents in North America and in parts of Europe.

Canada for the last many years has been attracting a significant number of immigrants from this part of the world. Many among these new immigrants were Pakistanis. All their life-long savings in the process were also being transferred to their new abodes and many among them made investments in real estate in parts of Canada and the US.

Many here believe this flow of cash from this part of the world has contributed significantly to the economic growth and the prosperity of those regions. Many Pakistanis later opted to leave their families and children behind in Canada and the US and returned to the Gulf to continue earning their petrodollars. In fact, there is an area in Toronto, Canada, which has been nicknamed as “Begum Para,” being mostly inhabited by the wives and children of the immigrants from the Gulf, whose husbands continue to work in the Gulf.

Many others here have their children studying in the various universities and colleges in the US. The turn the events have taken recently is a point of major concern for many among the Pakistani expatriate community here.

Tahir’s parents live here in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Tahir was sent to the US recently to pursue his master’s program in engineering. Immediately after the Sept 11 tragedy, the atmosphere on the campus he was studying became so tense that some of his close friends advised him to stay with them rather than staying in his own dormitory. Thus he is now living under the “protection” of his friends. One however, has to be fair and point out that the friends who offered protection to Tahir were also Americans.

Stories of abuse of Muslim students, specially the girl students preferring to take hijab, have been reported by many here. Tahir’s parents are now increasingly worried. They are not sure what next to do. Should they call him back? Is the next question that stares them in their eyes.

TBZ’s family lives in Canada. They are a permanent resident there. TBZ himself lives here like many others, earning his livelihood. He is also worried about the prevailing situation. On the day when the terrorists attacked New York and Washington, some of their family friends came in and told his wife to stay in low profile and avoid sending out the children unnecessarily. TBZ says, all said and done, “God forbid, in case my wife pushes the panic button, I will have no other choice but to call them back immediately.” Panic buttons have been pushed at some other places.

MM is a senior business executive working in Saudi Arabia for the last many years. His family also lives in Canada. Recently his wife was here visiting MM, when the attacks took place on Sept 11. After hearing of the tense situation in parts of North America, the poor lady wanted to go back immediately to her children, who were then in Canada. Although she left with the first available flight, before leaving she confided to some of her friends that in case the same situation persists, she would prefer to pack up from Canada and come back to Saudi Arabia, where the husband works.

SRH is scheduled to visit the United Kingdom on a business trip early October. He is now thinking if it would be wise for him, while sporting a small beard, enough to make him conspicuous as a Muslim, to go to the UK on the trip. Apprehensions in his mind range from inconvenient and tough immigration procedures at Heathrow to the possibility of vandalism of some sort on the streets of London.

WHS has lived in the Gulf for almost two decades. Some six to seven years back he moved to Canada with his family. His son, having a master’s degree in engineering from a prestigious university in the US, is well placed in Canada. But despite this, immediately after the incident when some one from here telephoned him to enquire of his welfare, WHS asked him to look for a job for his son in the Gulf.

MK is a senior business executive working for a leading multinational. He is a US citizen. His children were born and bred up in the United States. His young school-going daughters take hijab. Now they are reluctant to go to the US, their birthplace, on their next vacations, for they fear becoming open targets of hatred and bias that has been witnessed there in recent days.

Some reports are already mentioning of large-scale cancellations of airline bookings from here to North America and Europe. Many parents are rethinking about their decision of sending their children to Europe and the US for higher studies. The UAE and Kuwait governments have already announced that they would bring back, for the time being, all their students currently studying in the US.

The offloading of two passengers, appearing to be from this part of the world, from a domestic US flight as their fellow passengers insisted on not flying along with these two “Middle-eastern-looking” guys has also left many rethinking their next move.

As the situation stands, the recent events would have a deep impact on the people here, on the flow of immigrants to North America. Many would now be increasingly hesitant to take that decision.

In all this unfolding drama, there is a silver lining also for Pakistan. Many here are now realizing that despite all the drawbacks, Pakistan may still be their only good option. If this thinking takes roots, the assets and the lifelong savings of overseas Pakistanis in the Gulf that was until now flowing to other “greener pastures” without any hesitation and breaks, may soon be diverted to where it actually belonged - Pakistan.

I did not think I would ever cut and paste lengthy articles, but this one was circulated by an Arab gentleman and I thought deserved to be seen by the good people on chowk. The way in which the Americans have tried to make the minorities at ease represents the best of mankind. I pray that those with anger and hatreds in their hearts learn something from these big-hearted people. God Bless the USA.

Expressions of Support Surprising to Muslims

Public displays of compassion, kindness come as a shock to many Middle Easterners, who had been braced for a widespread backlash.

By SOLOMON MOORE

Times Staff Writer

September 26 2001

It was a white-hot e-mail, still echoing with thunderous keystrokes: ``Go back to your beautiful land of sand and pig dirt, and take your HATE with you!``

Culver City-based IslamiCity.com, a popular Islamic Web site, was an easy target after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But Mohammed Abdul Aleem, the site`s chief executive, thought the insults had more to do with ignorance than anger, so he replied with a short compilation of Islamic scripture.

The next day, the writer`s anger had turned to shame: ``I want to apologize for the hate mail I sent you the other day. I was upset by all the things that happened. My brother, who works in the armed forces, lost several of his friends at the Pentagon. . . . I appreciate your calm and informative response . . . and as a result have since then come to my senses.``

Reports of ethnic profiling and sporadic attacks on perceived Middle Easterners persist, but Muslims in Southern California say they have been astounded by more numerous reports of restraint and kindness. They see it in the woman who brings roses to her Persian American colleague. They hear it in the reassurance of the auto mechanic who tells his Pakistani customer, ``It`s OK`` to be named Mohammed.

The explosive rage that initially seized many Americans seems to have become less focused on Islam and the Middle East in general and more focused on Osama bin Laden and terrorists in particular.

Many Americans also are investigating, some for the first time, one of the world`s great faiths and oldest civilizations. Bookstores are selling out of copies of the Koran. University classes and teach-ins on the Middle East and Islam are filled to capacity. Middle East scholars are being invited on television news shows repeatedly and being spotted on the street like celebrities. And many everyday Middle Easterners--Muslim or not--are fielding a daily barrage of questions about Islam from neighbors, co-workers and strangers.

``They don`t ask in a rude way,`` said Mitra Mikaili, a Persian American who is a member of the Baha`i faith, a persecuted minority in Iran. ``They say, `You are from that part of the world. What is your insight about this?` They ask about the Muslim religion and the way they do things.``

Other local Middle Easterners are reporting more visceral expressions of support. On a call-in show on Radio Iran, KIRN-AM (670), one caller said her Wilshire Boulevard doorman had even gotten into the act.

``Since the attack, he hugs me every time I come home,`` she said.

A Westwood psychologist, Nehzat Farnoody, said one of her colleagues gave her flowers and said, ``Nothing has changed.``

Such displays of compassion come as a shock to many Muslims and Middle Easterners, who braced for a widespread backlash after Sept. 11 and are still keeping an eye out for scattered incidents of discrimination.

Some Muslims in Southern California say that public shows of support from political leaders, such as President Bush reading peaceful passages from the Koran, set the tone for the rest of the country.

``We are overwhelmed,`` said Mahmoud Abdel-Baset, religious director of the Islamic Center of Southern California. Since the attacks, the Los Angeles-based center has hosted a steady stream of dignitaries, including Gov. Gray Davis, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn.

There also was the quiet Christian man with anger in his heart for Islam. Abdel-Baset was locking up the center`s mosque when the man came in and wandered around for a moment.

``He said he had lost a friend in the World Trade Center attacks,`` Abdel-Baset said. ``He told me, `I want to come face to face with a real Muslim person. I want to overcome my anger toward Muslims and separate it from the people who committed this.`

``It was the first time he had been in a mosque, but I didn`t lecture him on anything, nor did he ask questions. He just wanted to see a real-life Muslim and talk to him. He cried on my shoulder. I cried too.``

Sarah Eltantawi, a spokeswoman for the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Southern California, said her organization has been deluged with requests for speakers and literature.

``I am a cynical person,`` she said. ``But I am heartened by the earnestness and sincerity with which people are trying to learn about Islam.``

Eltantawi said the supportive response toward Muslims is especially surprising because of the treatment she received as an Egyptian American Muslim during the Persian Gulf War a decade ago.

``People had these inflammatory T-shirts [against] Iraq,`` she said. ``People were calling me a Jew-hater. It was terrible. It`s different now.

``I think people are desperate for an explanation of what happened, and getting to know Islam is part of that explanation.``

Katherine Koberg, the religion editor for online bookstore Amazon.com, said copies of the Koran are selling at unprecedented levels, with three editions on the religion bestseller list at one point.

Doug Dutton, owner of Dutton`s Brentwood Bookstore, said he is sold out of most copies of Islam`s most holy book.

``Having seen other situations from the Gulf War to Iran contra . . . I`ve seen books on current events and history go like this before,`` Dutton said. ``This is different because these are people who are very interested in looking beyond the headlines and at the actual texts of 1,500 years ago.``

Richard Hrair Dekmejian, a USC professor on Middle Eastern politics, said this thirst for knowledge about Islam is a result of the powerful impact of the Sept. 11 attacks and the general lack of religious knowledge in America.

``We don`t offer our citizens a comprehensive view of the world,`` he said. ``Now, all of a sudden everybody wants to know. I get stopped all the time because I talk about this on TV. . . . They stop and ask, `Is Islam violent? Why are they doing this?` ``

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FACTS ABOUT ISRAEL

Did you know that non-Jewish Israelis cannot buy or lease land in Israel?

Did you know that Palestinian license plates in Israel are color coded to

distinguish Jews from non-Jews?

Did you know that Jerusalem, both East and West, is considered by the

entire world community, including the United States, to be occupied

territory and NOT part of Israel?

Did you know that Israel allots 85% of the water resources for Jews and

the remaining 15% is divided among all Palestinians in the territories? For

example in Hebron, 85% of the water is given to about 400 settlers,

while15% must be divided among Hebron``s 120,000 Palestinians?

Did you know the United States awards Israel $5 billion in aid each year?

Did you know that yearly US aid to Israel exceeds the aid the US grants

to the whole African continent?

Did you know that Israel is the only country in the Middle East that has

nuclear weapons?

Did you know that Israel is the only country in the Middle East that

refuses to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and bars international

inspections from its sites?

Did you know that Israel currently occupies territories of two sovereign

nations (Lebanon and Syria) in defiance of United Nations Security Council

resolutions?

Did you know that Israel has for decades routinely sent assassins into

other countries to kill its political enemies?

Did you know that high-ranking military officers in the Israeli Defense

Forces have admitted publicly that unarmed prisoners of war were executed

by the IDF?

Did you know that Israel refuses to prosecute its soldiers who have

acknowledged executing prisoners of war?

Did you know that Israel routinely confiscates bank accounts, businesses,

and land and refuses to pay compensation to those who suffer the

confiscation?

Did you know that Israel blew up an American diplomatic facility in Egypt

and attacked a U. S. ship in international waters, killing 33 and wounding

177 American sailors?

Did you know that the second most powerful lobby in the United States,

according to a recent Fortune magazine survey of Washington insiders, is

the Israeli AIPAC?

Did you know that Israel stands in defiance of 69 United Nations Security

Council Resolutions?

Did you know that today``s Israel sits on the former sites of more than

400 now-vanished Palestinian villages, and that the Israelis re-named

almost every physical site in the country to cover up the traces?

Did you know that it was not until 1988 that Israelis were barred from

running ``Jews Only`` job ads?

Did you know that four prime ministers of Israel (Begin, Shamir, Rabin,

and Sharon) have taken part in either bomb attacks on civilians, massacres

of civilians, or forced expulsions of civilians from their villages?

Did you know that the Israeli Foreign Ministry pays two American public

relations firms to promote Israel to Americans?

Did you know that Sharon``s coalition government includes a party -

Molodet- which advocates expelling all Palestinians from the occupied

territories?

Did you know that Israel``s settlement building increased in the eight

years since Oslo?

Did you know that settlement building under Barak doubled compared to

settlement building under Netanyahu?

Did you know that Israel once dedicated a postage stamp to a man who

attacked a civilian bus and killed several people?

Did you know that recently declassified documents indicate that David

Ben-Gurion in at least some instances approved of the expulsion of

Palestinians in 1948? We often hear of Ehud Barak``s generosity about an

alleged return of 95% of the Palestinian Occupied Territories. When

Palestinians refused, they were blamed for ``missing an opportunity.``

Did you know that the Palestinians have already accepted Israel``s

existence on 78% of what was Palestine. Bible: God said to Abraham, ``Unto

thy seed, I will give thy land.`` Abraham had two sons. Ismael -the Arab

son, and Isaac -the Jewish son. So even if one wants to go to the Bible,

the land would belong to both.

Did you know that Palestinian Christians are considered the ``living

stones`` of Christianity because they are the direct descendants of the

disciples of Jesus Christ?

Did you know that despite a ban on torture by Israel``s High Court of

Justice, torture has continued by Shin Bet interrogators on Palestinian

prisoners?

Did you know that Palestinian refugees make up the largest portion of the

refugee population in the world?

WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT!? THE LEAST ANYONE CAN DO IS LET OTHERS KNOW!

Shahgul,

Did you know that any Chowkie who brings up the Palestinian issue will be told:

1. They are anti-democratic for daring to critique this sad state of affairs

2. They are anti-semitic, even though Muslim and Christian Palestinians are semitic people

3.That those who bring this up do it only for religious reasons; i.e. Palestinians are muslim, go talk about China, despite the fact that any human right abuse should be an outrage, anywhere, anytime

4. Muslims deserve it

5. Palestinians are a minority, minorities are always discriminated; regardless of the fact that the Palestinians have been made into a minority on their own land (some more US style democracy, I guess)

6. The Palestinians lost their one opportunity and so this chance will be lost for the rest of eternity, regardless of how insane and brutally treats Palestinians

7. No Arab state is democratic, so why shouldn`t Israel be run as an apartheid state? (can`t quite follow the logic here)

8. WHO cares?

Ignore them. Good for you!

regards

edited version, sorry

Shahgul,

Did you know that any Chowkie who brings up the Palestinian issue will be told:

1. They are anti-democratic for daring to critique this sad state of affairs

2. They are anti-semitic, even though Muslim and Christian Palestinians are semitic people

3.That those who bring this up do it only for religious reasons; i.e. Palestinians are muslim, go talk about China, despite the fact that any human right abuse should be an outrage, anywhere, anytime

4. Muslims deserve it.

5. Palestinians are a minority, minorities are always discriminated against; regardless of the fact that the Palestinians have been made into a minority on their own land (some more US style democracy, I guess)

6. The Palestinians lost their one opportunity and so this chance will be lost for the rest of eternity, regardless of how insane and brutally the current govt. treats Palestinians

7. No Arab state is democratic, so why shouldn`t Israel be run as an apartheid state? (can`t quite follow the logic here)

8. WHO cares?

Ignore them. Good for you!

regards

Faiza #52 So Bijli/Bapu/etc. has grown one more personality - Faiza.

Now why would anyone want to post under different names? I think the answer is obvious - (a) in the first instance, this is to give the impression that one`s personal views are shared by many people. (b) but then (a) is only possible if one think`s one`s views are so unique and so important that they must be imposed on other people by hook or by crook. Trouble is, these views are neither unique (being along the usual India vs. Pakistan lines) nor is it important to impress anyone on chowk (after all, how many people read chowk compared to, e.g., Dawn newspaper?)

1. They are anti-democratic for daring to critique this sad state of affairs

Samina, if some called you undemocratic for bringing up anything, that`s uncalled for.

2. They are anti-semitic, even though Muslim and Christian Palestinians are semitic people

The word anti semite has picked up a different over-tone. Replace semite by Jewish. I`m not saying that you are anti -Jewish, just trying to explain the intended meaning as opposed to the technical meaning.

3.That those who bring this up do it only for religious reasons; i.e. Palestinians are muslim, go talk about China, despite the fact that any human right abuse should be an outrage, anywhere, anytime

The Palestenian conflict is looked upon as a Muslim-Jewish conflict, the Kashmir conflict is looked upon as a Hindu-Muslim conflict, the Chechen conflict is looked upon as a Slav-Muslim conflict, and so on and so forth in Bosnia and Kosovo. The people responsible for bringing about a religious overtone to an ethnic conflict are organizations like the Islamic Jihad and Hamas and Hezbollah, self-confessedly Islamic in nature. The PLO is a secular orgainzation, but by failing to condemn the above mentioned organizations, they have forfieted their own secularist credentials.

Yes, Human rights are the same everywhere, but they can never be looked upon in a vaccum. The Nuremburg accused Nazis would have looked pretty funny if they talked about Human rights. Similarly, people who talk about throwing the Jews in to the sea also look pretty funny when they turn around and ask for human rights.

4. Muslims deserve it.

That unfortunately is a perception that exists in many parts of the world. I wouldn`t deny it. In a sense, it is similar to the perception that America had it coming for the WTC attacks. The vocal minority is making life hell for the majority.

5. Palestinians are a minority, minorities are always discriminated against; regardless of the fact that the Palestinians have been made into a minority on their own land (some more US style democracy, I guess)

Samina, this arguement can go on and on and on. If the Palestenians say ``All or Nothing``, then they will get nothing. Forget the wars etc, when Barak, coceded so much, why did Arafat say no? Secondly, when have the Palestenians ever ever given the Israelis an opportunity to trust? Never.

6. The Palestinians lost their one opportunity and so this chance will be lost for the rest of eternity, regardless of how insane and brutally the current govt. treats Palestinians

See above..

7. No Arab state is democratic, so why shouldn`t Israel be run as an apartheid state? (can`t quite follow the logic here)

The logic is why make a special case out of Israel. What does Israel owe to the rest of the world? The Palestenians said that they made a major concession by conceding Israel`s right to exist. Big deal. Israel is out there, exisitng and progressive. Do you how insulting it would be for India to say after 50 years of Pakistani independance, oh right, we acknowledge your right to exist.

Israel gives the Israeli Arabs more right than the Arab nations do their own minorities. Why then pick on Israel? Why not Saudi Arabia? Why not Syria? Look, ultimately, one can pick on whomever one wants, but if you want to convince the world of moral righteousness, then you better make sure you are blameless. Otherwize, it comes down to the example of Milosevic accusing America of violating his humn rights.

8. WHO cares?

A lot of people do care. The question is how much?

shahgul: You are probably right on each of these indictments, or close enough. However, what is the answer? I present to you the following options:

a. The ``standard`` solution: Continue to equate Jews or Zionists with evil, and to provide examples of their misdeeds. Mullahs in Pakistan have been