A Time for Renewal

Reply RSaxena # 520

``There`s nothing wrong with hugging trees, not showering for days, creating trouble at WTO meetings, piercing your belly button, riding around on your skateboard, and wearing unwashed Quiksilver clothing, is there?``

No, no, nothing morally objectionable to it, but I am too desi to cope well with the no bathing bit...

(Also the pierced belly button, while delicious on the few tends to be repulsive on the many.)

hamidm

”…..and settle the boxers vs. briefs issue ..........”

….boxers, definitely boxers….esp those white, silky ones with the big red hearts….or those…um….colorful ones with the hawaiian-inspired prints….: )

EMERGING NEWS:AFP

Crack scientists from Pakistan Army and Anthropologists from Pakistan Institute of Advanced Islamic research have discovered a new strain of anthrax called `Moderatus Talibanicullum` . This strain of anthrax was long dormant. However, due to the heat produced by recent American bombing , this strain has staged a comeback. Surprisingly, this strain has been discovered by Pakistani scientists after years of effort. However, rival scientists from India, Russia say such a anthrax version is genetically not possible. Fierce debate rages on in the scientific community.

dost-mitter@494:

Hold on Dost! beautiful things like the Taj should haven`t been in india the first place. hats off to those bunch of thugs for attempting to make the Taj blend seamlessly into the Indian ambience...

Reply RSaxena # 508

``Misguided ideologies find life in desperation and poverty. In prosperity, they become marginalized (even though they don`t go away), like the KKK is in America or the neo-Nazis in Germany. No?``

Saxena

Prosperity does tend to marginalise them, but I do not agree that it is an automatic solution to divisive ideologies which are articulated and presented in a conscious attempt to shape cultural and political life. Taking your example of Germany - most Germans are not neo-Nazis, but German polity towards foreigners and asylum seekers was largely being shaped in response to right wing concerns - UNTIL other points of view began to be consistently presented in public discourse. (Their policies are not perfect, but at least they are now discussing positive changes.) Ditto for France - the French Government was leaning towards implementing the Right`s views on foreigners until organisations like SOS Racisme made sure that a more humanist position was argued and gained currency. The price of freedom etc.

So I agree with you, to an extent, but I think that prosperity is only ONE of the factors which are necessary for divisive politics to be defeated. Also take the example of where I live - Australia. A few hundred asylum seekers arrive in boats on the Northern Coast of the country and the Government starts interning them and reacting hysterically - essentially implementing a policy articulated by the far right One Nation party. And only after the fact has opposition to this policy begun to be articulated and argued in the media. If there had been an engagement on this issue earlier I think the Government would have been a lot more level headed in its response.

Zafar

KKK: Theses boys are still around. Please dont divorce them from the RACIST system that is AMERIKKKA. CIA/FBI agents have ALWAYS been down with the Klan. Just recently evidence was shown by chomsky et all at the racism conference.

An aryan/friend: thanks for the input. Im busy till the weekend but I will recheck my sources and get back to you. By the way, by disappear I didnt mean actual disappearance-Ill claer this up shortly...

Breaking News 19th Oct 2001

Reuters

In an apparent bid to counter the shrill vioces coming out of Islamic countries that the current campaign is directed against Islam, US President Bush has ordered strikes on Eskimos based in Greenland and the Vatican. These strikes on Eskimos who are predominantly Chritians will prove to the world that current campaign is not against Islam. It has been reported that anthrax is being manufactured in Igloos and dreaded terrorist ``Been Laid`` is hiding in one of the new igloos.

The OIC has welcomed the new bold intiative and complimented President Bush. The Islamic world is now convinced that the strikes are not against Islam.

Dost-mittarji, When I read about the vandalism of Taj, I felt a deep sense of shame as an Indian. These people are no different than those who planed down(what else can you say, it was not bombed or missiled) WTC. Don`t know what they achieved by doing this.

fairdinkum #487 I dont think there is much you or I can do to fix Saudi Arabia. At least they have tons of money to help them drown their sorrow. What we the ``educated muslims`` can do is to kick the mullah out of Islam and kick politics out of Islam and kick tradition out of Islam. And we are left with is the Quran. And in the Quran there are some good tips on how to live one`s life. And these are incredibly similar to the values emphasized in the US (honesty, respect for differences, scientific inquiry, and so on). So, all we are really obliged as ``educated muslims`` is to be good citizens of whatever society we live in. That is all.

The tides of history will wash away the Saudi kingship in due course, and one day that society will join the civilized countries of the world.

Fatimah #495 Good of you to send condolences to Indians affected by floods...some of them may be having their internet connections out of order and so may be unable to access chowk and read your condolences.

(sorry, but I couldnt resist this - no disrespect intended to your post or to the flood victims).

If they mess up Taj Mahal before I get the chance to see it I will write some really, really nasty posts on chowk...then they`ll be sorry!!!

hamidm #509 ``think about what does an afghan have to live for anyway ``

I trust you will advise an afghan on this issue next time you see one in Pakistan...he may beg to disagree...he may even get physical...y`know those uncouth louts, lacking knowledge of English, living in that third world that you have sometimes heard people talk about...he may decide to dispatch you to this land of milk and honey you think that poor people keep dreaming about in muslim countries...

Dear Romair:

#501

Thanks for posting excerpts from an interesting column on PML aboutturn.



“Why are Pakistani political parties ready to milk any situation to their own advantage. If Musharraf had taken a decision in favor of the Taliban, these same parties would have protested in favor of the US policies. They just want to cause trouble, and get into power, with total disregard for the country.”

True indeed.

Does the naked opportunism of PML -- siding with the rabid Talibani Mullahs –- surprise anyone?

Aren’t these, the same people -- who peddled the obscenities like the Sharia bill, interest free banking, and Islamization craziness -- to a modern Pakistan?

These are the moments when one gets a nauseating feeling that it may not be Musharraf who destroyed democracy in Pakistan -- it may have been that quisling -- ``democrat`` Nawaz Sharif -- with a chameleon like conscience of a greedy turncoat -- who burglarized the nascent democracy in Pakistan to its bare bones.

As to the QUESTIONS:

“Where exactly does this put the lovers of free-for-all secularism and free-for-all democracy in Pakistan?.

Who will they side with on this issue?

Will they side with the current military leadership, or with the political leadership?”

The ANSWER -- without question -- they will side with the ARMY -- because it is NOT POLITICS any more – it is a TREASONOUS ARMED INSURRECTION by a bunch of traitor Mullahs acting as a fifth column in support of a foreign government -- and it’s ARMY’S JOB -- not the politicians -- to QUELL it by every means at its disposal. Period.

regards

Re: Zafar

``Sounds like a bunch of tree hugging hippie $hit to me.``

There`s nothing wrong with hugging trees, not showering for days, creating trouble at WTO meetings, piercing your belly button, riding around on your skateboard, and wearing unwashed Quiksilver clothing, is there?

Re: Dost Mittar #494

Of course I condemn it, but I`d rather not invite the retards in Congress (Manmohan Singh being the exception these days) to power. The right course of action is not to start throwing out governments (of course that`s the voters` choice) but to prosecute the hooligans in court.

If Republican party workers go on a drunken brawl somewhere, are you going to suggest that Bush`s government be voted out?

Hamidm:

You were assigned a task. Please report your progress:attempt,initiative, action, and lesson learnt.

Be brief and succinct!

Thanks.