Reaction

Happy New Years Everybody! (except for 12 head)

re: 12-head retard AAmir

{{You know i dont lie when i say i have 1801.q. I am far from numb skull.If you want credibility ,you will be judged by your evaluation of me & i have already been certified scholar .Why dont you stop listening to wrong ppl. who are jelous of my confidence & mistake my arguments for arrogence.}}

thanks for the first good laugh in the new year

The standard of chowk --- both in terms of articles and interactions --- has gone down drastically in recent days :-(

bleh...i get pulled aside at the airports for additional frisking every now and then...big friggin deal...got a stare from some honky on the flight the other day...big friggin deal...i`d rather they search me as much as they want than have another terrorist incident...

self serving indeed!

F. Zehra Rizvi,

I am glad that you expressed yourself here. We
sometimes need to take that thin layer of formality off to approach what we really feel.

What pi$$i$ me off most of all is the hypocrisy
behind all of this new found love for freedom and democracy in Afghanistan. What really gets my goat is that over the long years when I was opposing dictatorship in Pakistan (remember those
lovely Zia years anyobody?), I continuosly got reminded that Jihad was GOOD and that such groups
based in Pakistan, supported by Uncle Sam were
``Freedom Fighters`` for the free world.
Today these same people have the audacity to question my commitment to democracy and freedom
and not to mention loyalty to the United States?

More Later

Ras

While I understand the feelings of those who faced racial discrimination after 9/11, I feel that sometimes we Muslims over-react. I live in a white neighborhood, I am one of the only two ‘desis’ in my office and generally most of my neighbors and colleagues have been very supportive. They understand that most of the Muslims living in North America are not responsible for or involved in the terror attacks of Sept. 11.

Since the attacks I have spoken at a church group and a university on terrorism and Muslims and found the audience willing to go beyond common prejudices. Some of them even made serious attempts to understand the issues involved and read the books and articles I had suggested.

As a journalist working for a mainstream American news agency, I wrote at least 50 articles on the issues concerned with or emanating from the Sept. 11 attacks, often talking to Muslim clerics both in and outside the United States.

Not even once my editors edited out the portions they did not like, not even those based on interviews with Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Samiul Huq.

While these two scholars advocated attacking Americans and other Western nationals living in the Islamic world if bin Laden is killed, more sober scholars like Prof. Anis Ahmad of the Islamic University, Islamabad, tried to explain why there was so much anger and frustration against the West among the Muslims.

All such observations and comments were published as they said and I wrote. Here is a comment I received from my Managing Editor on a piece about Kabul: “..., I can never forgive you for writing this. I thought as a hardened journalist, I was incapable of crying but you made me cry.”

And what will you say about Robert Fisk’s comments after he was attacked by a group of Afghans near Chaman? He wrote, “I understand why I was attacked and sympathize with those who attacked me. I would have done the same, if Afghan planes were bombing my cities.”

Don’t we Muslims over-react a little? How would have Muslims reacted if the 9/11 had happened in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia?

Best. Darkhorse

Darkhorse # 4

``Don’t we Muslims over-react a little? How would have Muslims reacted if the 9/11 had happened in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia?``

Yes, desis do overreact. If the planes would have hit Mecca (as sacred to Saudi Arabia as Wall Street is to USA in a way), I do not believe many whites would have lived to complain Saudi misbehavior.

In my company in New York, twelve people have been fired so far for making indecent remarks (verbally or e-mails) about Arabs and/or Muslims. I am sure that other firms are also trying their best to make sure that no employee has to suffer indignities due to criminal acts of their co-religionists.

This, however, does not mean that New Yorkers are not seething with anger against jihadis and Muslim fundamentalist education. You can see it in the coverage on Fox, MSNBC or CNN and 90% approval rating for Bush. Pakistan is under microscope for questions like - can it control Talibans, Osama (if he is there), fundamentalists? The bull crap that worked for India, ``moral and political support only``, will not work with the uncle. US wants this cancer out NOW. We can not take ANY chances with these bxstexds. Our employees, once politically correct mask is out and they are out of company premises, openly talk about nuking the criminal monsters, in as many countries as needed, to fix the problem once for all.

The self flagellation simply will not stop. there is no hiding from this - we can have a ``good attitude``, ``accentuate the postive`` etc. here`s the way it is: ``With us or against us`` - there is no gradation or degree, no room to negotiate the entry of reason.

These are the first shots, anybody who thinks we have heard the last of these events and players, and that long term consequences (even if unintended) will not result is deluding him or herself.

This is a good reality check. Somehow people find it difficult to believe how easy it is for America to turn back to its ``old`` ways - coloured`s coudn`t even drink from the same fountain as whites only 40 years ago...

Truthfully, we must try to understand things from thier perspective. Everyone generalizes and we may have acted like them if it happened to US...

I especially enjoyed the REALISTIC language (and the blatant HYPOCRISY of Chowks ``editors`` - what else is new...)

TERRIBLE AMERICANS,

It is pathetic to see a pakistani complaing about over reaction by the americans. If you have any guts write about the spontaneous distruction of temples in pakistan when babri was dismantled.

Talk about what the pakistan gvt has done about it while in india even after a decade we are taking about it.

Just go back to pakistan and relive and record thae reaction of the pakistanis, followers of islam, the religion of peace.

PILLOW TALK, AN INTERVIEW WITH MUSHERAFF,

PT, Is it true that OBL is in pakistan

M, Yes, he is in pakistan

PT, Is he a honoured guest as in afgh, or is he going to be tried as a war criminal.

M, He is no guest, but we are going to use him to destroy our enemy.

PT, That means al quida will fight in kashmir.

M, No not at all, we are going to send him to kashmir.

PT, How will that help.

M, As soon as he is in kashmir, we will inform the americans. We will position him near indian military positions and the US bombs will destroy them.

PT, That appear to be a good idea.

M, Yes, we have asked Laskers to move OBl to various catonments in india and keep informing the americans. That will be the end of india the terrible hindoos as my friend hamid used to say.

PT, A devastated india and afghanistan, that will be in line with their new friendship.

One of those `Letters to the Ed` which most definitely fall on deaf ears. Just thought I`ll post it here to, if nothing else, take it outta my system :-P

Dear Editor (The Friday Times)

I`m absolutely dumbfounded, shocked, horrified etc at this utter waste of time, money and server space called ``Girl Friday``. Would you mind letting the public know WHAT in the world is on your mind that you insist on publishing this absolute crap, week after week after week. I`m so not able to understand what purpose, if any, is printing of this bull serving and what do you want the reader to get out of this non sense?!? Your neo-liberal crap on other pages of the site is enough for one to pull hair outta his/her head, then why this BS? WHY?

Regards

zehra

I have believed ever since i read your work some 3 years ago that you are possibly the finest female-asian-writer living.



this piece was incoherent and distorted for `real`- it had none of the skillfully deliberate and planned disturbing symbolism of your other pieces. I wont comment on the content since it does things to my mind which are all too familiar and make me angry and sad and so many other things i dont have the energy to deal with anymore.

I hope you and your amme soon feel peace in this world gone mad.

I dunno b/c i am not in the same boat .But those neophyte arrogantly calling themselves AMERICAN teen Paki ,Indian,Chinese,Korean...dont forget that they are afterall hyphenated Paki -American ,Indian -American ,Chinese -American ...etc.NO MATTER HOW MISSGUIDEDLY ASHAMED THEY MAY FEEL ABOUT THERE HERITAGE THROUGH THE PRISM OF AMERICANA.

A good and overdue look at the side of the picture no one seems to have mentioned, so far, i.e. what the hell is going to happen to Muslims in the USA who look Middle Eastern, if another terrorist attack occurs here.

The situation isn`t this bad in California. Probably because it is geographically distant, or because nearly the whole, ``Middle Eastern looking`` community is in very strong positions. For example, my reaction to anyone who would make any kind of a comment towards me or my religion, would be a simple, ``fu * * off.`` One should not live one`s life in any kind of fear of anyone. However, it seems like the situation in the Northeast coast is different. I have heard this from others in that area, as well. People actually seem to be living in fear.

In a sense, one can only blame the Americans to a certain extent. People of Middle Eastern descent are blowing up their property, and sooner or later there was bound to be a backlash. At least, the Americans have attempted to be civilized within their own borders, even if this civility is decreasing by the day.

However, the first backlash should be against their own State Dept. But Americans are too naive, either deliberately or unintentionally, to realize what their State Dept. does, outside their own borders. I was in the military when the Afghan war was going on. During a few month long training course in the US, I remember watching a video, alongwith a large group of US soldiers, of the Afghan Mujahideen fighting the Soviets. After the video, everyone got up and gave a standing ovation to the Mujahideen. Every Muslim from all over the world was recruited by the CIA, to create an, ``Islamic force,`` (not a military force, mind you, but specifically an Islamic force) to fight the Godless Soviet empire. Just ask Zbignew Brezinski. So, at least some percentage of the blame for the deaths of the WTC tragedy is on the hands of the US State Dept.

If there is one more terrorist attack in the US, then the Middle Easterners in the USA need to re-prioritize their priorities. There will definitely be more, ``anti-terrorism`` laws, etc. What other option is there for the US govt? These will effect all people who look like Arabs (including Pakistanis and Indians), and all countries that have significant Muslim populations (including Pakistan and India). The group worst effected by this will be the children. I guess they will get the taste of what African-American children feel like.

My gut feeling is soon there will be a sharp move of Pakistani immigrants from the USA to Canada (specially if there is one more terrorist attack in the US, or if the US attacks one more country). This is actually a good thing. Within fifteen to twenty years, I think the country of choice for Pakistani immigrants and students will be China. Due to this, I think Pakistan should completely throw in its lot with China, right now. Pakistan needs to become China`s Canada (or Mexico). And just ensure that relations with the US never get bad (which now they will not).

The Pakistani-Americans need to figure out what kind of a face they will put on in the US society. They can either crawl back into the mouseholes and live scared. Or they can face the situation head-on, and react strongly to any attack. Or they can live in a state of fantasy, and continue to think that, the US laws and policies will only effect the, ``non-secular`` Pakistanis/Muslims, i.e. the ones who don`t go to Mardi Gras and get drunk. It is this third arrogant fake group that I do not respect. If the axe falls, everyone, including our Islam-denouncing Pakistanis of Chowk, will be considered cousins of Qazi Hussain and Fazl-ur-Rahman, by the US govt. So the third group needs to be specially careful.

The above situation has not been reached yet. And it may never be reached. But it is only one major terrorist attack away (which may occur if the US starts to attack Iraq). I think first generation immigrant Pakistanis need to accept the fact that regardless of how liberal (generally a good thing), secular (sometimes a good thing, sometimes bad), or non-Pakistani (always a fake and bad thing) they want themselves to be viewed as, the rest of the society will always see them as Pakistanis. And their relations with the society will be dependent on the policies Pakistan adapts, vis-a-vis America. Luckily, the current govt. has received wide acclaim in the US, hence Pakistan is a, ``friend.`` The expatriates need to thank Musharraf for that one, and hope he stays around for a while. He is the only Pakistani (or South Asian) leader who has a lot of credibility in the US.