Of Affluents And Sychophants

#: 19

sigalph235

re nasah #3

I feel but pity for the impotent rage about George W. Bush. Sorry to bust your bubble, but just like Reagan he`ll be reelected in 2004 while you leftist-pinko-apologist-liberals are still whining about how he is not smart or intelligent or some such nonsense. Dude, learn from the mistakes of the Commies: they underestimated Reagan to such an extent that they still cannot understand what knocked their slave empires off the world maps within a decade.



Sglph235

God save from One Eyed Bangal from Bangladesh ,the poorest country in the world without quoting the derogatory sentence of Henry Kissenger the republican..

Kuch tou sharam karo be sharam

Why do you blank out your recent memory like your Alzheimer overcomed Reagan .Only in 90s 2 term president who FKed his bamboozled across the blue dress of all Republicans secretaries Bil Clinton is Democrat which inert, insipid ,dry & dried prune Bush can never match including the 2nd term ..WANT TO BET ?

Guru Ji maharaaj -- please check your diction before fussing about the typos in one of your chelaas like hamidm`s reply.

For example this gem of a sentence -- ``Congrats Rao on this master piece....keep writing! Dont be bothered by stupid and ridiculous comments of people like hamidm. hamidm please write a article on your OWN for us.`` -- has three glaring MISTAKES:

master and piece -- should be one word masterpiece -- ``hamidm please write ‘a’ article’ -- should be -- hamidm please write -- AN article ----- and finally -- if you really want to be a literary nitpicker -- ‘Congrats Rao` -- should be three words -- Congratulations rat`s Rao:-)

just a passing suggestion.

RE: Reply #: 35 guru_jee

Guru Sahib,
everyone has a right to be critical,
even of critics. But let us not get too touchy.
Not everyone likes Ghazals and the same goes for
other aspects of the vocal, visual and language arts.
hamidm to me is a superior writer and basically
is unmatched in the replies section. But it is true that he has not written an article here on CHOWK yet (or has he?).
Not everyone likes Merlot wine either, but
hamidm was that fine year after which they broke the bottle.

Ras

a great article man.....well done.....great piece of information and vocabulary too.....Congrats Rao on this master piece....keep writing! Dont be bothered by stupid and ridiculous comments of people like hamidm. hamidm please write a article on your OWN for us....we`ll be glad to see your ``MARVALLOUS`` Contribution...:) i hope u must be able to write better than ur child :) STUPID!

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Saminashah

from Washinton Times:

``Muslim youths turned in by their own

By Anwar Iqbal

UPI South Asian Affairs Analyst

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Many of the hundreds of Muslims arrested in the United States since Sept. 11 for immigration violations and suspected links to terrorist groups were turned in by their friends and relatives over petty disputes, lawyers and social workers said.

The first government crackdown following Sept. 11 focused on those suspected of having links with Osama bin Laden`s al Qaida terrorist network. More than 1,200 people were arrested during this phase that lasted from Sept. 12 to Nov. 30, 2001.

Out of these 1,200, the Immigration and Naturalization Service short-listed 170 people as ``material witnesses,`` a term used to define people who could provide information about the hijackers and other suspects. Others were charged with immigration violations. Most of the others were deported.

The U.S. government`s second phase, that started April 14, targets 300,000 people, focuses on deportation absconders, a term used to define those who have already been ordered to leave the country but are refusing to do so.

During meetings with representatives of the Muslim community, INS officials assured them that neither of the two campaigns was targeting Muslims. In the first phase, they said, U.S. officials only focused on those who had strong resemblance to the hijackers.

The INS also said many of the deportation absconders it is seeking are from the Americas.

In both the campaigns, many Muslim immigrants were reported by their own friends and relatives.

Official records seen by United Press International tell sad tales of backstabbing and betrayal.

In the greater Washington area, two rival Pakistani-run fast-food franchises each reported illegal workers at the other; 80 Pakistani nationals were arrested.

In other cases, in-laws led immigration officials to estranged spouses, often over minor domestic disputes.

``At least 25 percent of the detainees were betrayed by someone they trusted,`` said a Muslim social worker who provides legal advice to those in trouble.

``Sometimes local Americans were more helpful than fellow Muslims,`` the social worker said, displaying several pamphlets published in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Hindi and Bengali by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The pamphlets tell Muslim immigrants living in the United States what to do and whom to approach when confronted by officials from the Immigration and Naturalization Services. It tells them of their rights and ways to defend themselves.

At least 18 Pakistanis contacted the embassy in Washington, asking the staff to report a particular person to the police or immigration officers because he or she refused to lend his car to them or failed to return money.

Imran Ali, a Pakistani diplomat who provides consular assistance to immigrants in trouble, said many lawyers -- mainly Muslim, but also American -- exploited the situation.

``They often gave them wrong advice, asking them to apply for political asylum or change their address or simply (to) run away from the police,`` said Ali.

Ali said many Muslim immigrants now sought by the INS came to the United States during the Clinton era when immigration controls were not very strict.

He said a large number of immigrants from rural Punjab province in Pakistan came with well-forged visas.

``The credit goes to a gang of expert forgers operating in those areas in the 1990s,`` the social worker said.

Once they cleared a U.S. port of entry, most Muslims -- like other immigrants -- never went back, not even after their visas expired.

``But unlike other immigrants they were not good at legalizing their stay,`` said a Muslim lawyer who helped some of them. ``Instead of trying to join the mainstream, they were content with working at jewelry shops, grocery and liquor stores and gas stations as illegal workers, receiving less than minimum wage.``

Ali, of the Pakistani Embassy said, when they thought of legalizing their stay, lawyers told them how to ``dodge the system rather than ... find a way within the system.``

The most common advice was applying for political asylum.

``Overnight, students, cab-drivers and businessmen became political workers, claiming discrimination at home,`` said the lawyer.

Since most had no political background their applications were rejected. Lawyers then told them to marry American women to avoid deportation. However, once an order is issued, it is almost impossible to avoid deportation.

Many returned home and applied for immigration at a U.S. mission.

After Sept. 11, many of those who were married to U.S. citizens and had been living here for years were also arrested.

``This led to many tragedies. Families got separated. Husbands and fathers were deported while wives and children were left behind,`` said Ali, who said he saw several families ``being ruined.``

``And it`s not just the emotional stress. Many small businesses went bust because those who were running the shops or restaurants were deported and those left behind were too young and inexperienced to replace them,`` he said.

SaminaShah

Hello Samina, how are you? In good spirits I hope. It was indeed sad to read the letter you posted. These are a punishment US authorities have imposed on the conscience of the US itself.

That`s right, political expediency meets conscience - conscience loses - how different is the nature of fear and bigotry from one part of the world to another - right!

This dark cloud has a silver lining for all immigrants and especially immgrants form Muslim lands - it is they who reap the fruit of the sacrfices their parents are sowing today - if the American dream has become a nightmare, if a generally oppressive atmosphere exist today, be reminded that Allah has not brought his creature to abandon him. Fear and bigotry and powerful friends in the US but neither is it without opponents in the US and the Law must be repeated and aggressively appealed to tear to shreds the veils of fear and bigotry.

Trial, not of the culprits but of the victim

``Abdul Khaliq used her legally as his wife,``

``USED HER LEGALLY`` - every word reverberating as the rebellion against God and His law, making a mockery of Man`s law, challenging the very notion of civilized behaviour. In the taodays Pakistan, Laws are ``Hurdles``, that`s right, no pride in complying with the law, instead the boastful cleaverness in having overcome the ``hurdle`` that is the law. Rape, even gang rape is LEGAL if you are married to a perpetrator?????? And you call yourself a Muslim? Give us Justice!

``Mukhtiar Mai breaks down after grilling by defence lawyers

(Updated at 2200 PST)

MULTAN: Mukhtiar Mai who was allegedly gang-raped as a punishment sanctioned by a tribal council denied in court Wednesday that she had married one of the accused.

Defence lawyers claim Mukhtiar Mai, 30, underwent a formal marriage ceremony to one of the accused on June 22, shortly before the attack, after her family offered her as compensation for her brother`s alleged affair with the accused`s sister.

Mai broke down weeping under cross examination on her third day of testimony, as defence attorneys fired a volley of questions at her alleging she was technically the wife of defendant Abuld Khaliq Mastoi.

``Abdul Khaliq used her legally as his wife,`` court officials quoted defence lawyer Zulfikar Ali Malik as telling the court.

Mai categorically denied any marriage took place.``

Tahmed - is it true that if we focus on How something is said, that we may then paint WHAT is being said, in that light? Is technique more important than substance or is technique indistinguishable from substance?

arjun m.

as usual, you have something large wedged somewhere and it seems to have taken control of your entire corps. Is there ever anything intelligent you have to say other than pakiland this and pakiland that? Give it up maaan...zindagi ka safar aisi nafrat ke liye itna lamba nahin hai. Take deep breaths, find positive energies..why be so obsessed about pakiland`s obsessions. Develop newer healthier ones..in other words...it`s getting really old maan, as are you undoubtedly. :)

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mr hamdani

is pakistani nationalism alive and well in pakistan?

I have read hamidm, temporal and fozia`s sonorous critiques lambasting, and indeed slating most unequivocally, this jargonisity filled and doubtlessly audaciously bodacious contribution to English literature. I presume, has Chaucer`s ancient bones joggling (new word I have acquired whilst skimming through this article) in his grave. Shakespeare has just requested his gravestone to be changed to read

``Sticks and stones merely break my bones,

But Rao sahib`s chowk article will crush them``.

And this opening sentence is so awe inspiring I am still digesting it, prior to moving to the next sentence: ``The idiom that feeble specie –without an aficionado – has no worth on the earth planet is, by and large turning into an intact fastidiousness.``

I now realize how limited by cranial capacity is, how miserably incompetent my poor brain, as it struggles to understand the deep meaning that no doubt underlies this opening sentence. But then Rao sahib has been 40 years as government journalist. That is equal to spending 4000 years on mars planet.

I have read hamidm, temporal and fozia`s sonorous critiques lambasting, and indeed slating most unequivocally, this jargonisity filled and doubtlessly audaciously bodacious contribution to English literature. I presume, has Chaucer`s ancient bones joggling (new word I have acquired whilst skimming through this article) in his grave. Shakespeare has just requested his gravestone to be changed to read

``Sticks and stones merely break my bones,

But Rao sahib`s chowk article will crush them``.

And this opening sentence is so awe inspiring I am still digesting it, prior to moving to the next sentence: ``The idiom that feeble specie –without an aficionado – has no worth on the earth planet is, by and large turning into an intact fastidiousness.``

I now realize how limited by cranial capacity is, how miserably incompetent my poor brain, as it struggles to understand the deep meaning that no doubt underlies this opening sentence. But then Rao sahib has been 40 years as government journalist. That is equal to spending 4000 years on mars planet.

Chowkies,

Passing it on....:

A lot has been said in the last few months about the detentions of Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians;

hopefully, this first-hand account from a detainee who

was deported to Pakistan last month will make this

issue less abstract to many people.

----

Hello,

Those of you who have watched Missing Bird would

remember Farooq, one of the interviewees of the

documentary... His interview had taken place in early

spring and he had talked on camera about many issues

including current detentions of Arab and South Asian

immigrants. Sadly few months after, same fate fell

upon him. Farooq was taken from his home of 10 years

by FBI on April 25th for overstaying his visa and had

been detained at Middlesex County Jail in New Jersey

till June 28th and then was deported to Pakistan under

brutal conditions.

The following is the email that he wrote from

Pakistan to his friend David Case describing the

conditions in prison as well as his deportation

process. He wants to share his experience with other

people:

HELLO DEAR DAVID CASE

I hope you are in good health. I am so sorry for not

being prompt in responding to your letter which i

recieved in jail right before my deportation. The

mental scars of that ordeal will haunt me for a long

time. I along with other 131 detainees were treated

worse than the most hardened and bad criminals. like

some crazed murdering lot. the only crime people like

me have done was to try to achieve a dream. The so

called American dream. none of us was a criminal or

had links to terrorists or harbour ill thoughts for

USA. All we were trying was to make a living and

live peacefully and be a productive resident of the

country which rewarded our hard work financially and

we were able to support our families. In my

case the FBI did a complete check of my record and

there was not even a misdemeanour there. i spent 10

year s only working, paying all my bills; and

supporting my family so that they were able to have a

decent life; all taken away on the morning of april 25

when early morning around 5.30 i was handcuffed and

dragged to start my ordeal as a potential terrorist

just because i am a muslim. I am on record on

the video and the radio that i hate the terrorists

and fundamentalists who have given such a bad name to

Islam. Anyway to cut the long story in short

my life worth 10 years and dreams were shattered .we

were taken to a jail in new jersey in north

brunswick.very remote and hard to get to for

vistors.It was a tough time. The conditions weren’t

nice. the A/C was kept at such; about freezing

temperatures that inmates were ill with cold and

flu,cough,fever all the time.i spent teo months

literally in fever and pain because my joints

will kind of freeze..

We were provided with only one blanket which to my

surprise was moth eaten and very short.so short that

one can only cover their feet or head at a time. i am

going to answer your questions now

Brutality of correction officers towards

muslims:

there was a feeling among all the prisioners

(muslims)that they are unduly haraassed. different

methods of mental punishment were in vogue.most of the

muslim and specially pakistani prisioners were housed

close to the

guards/correction officers table. the wireless

radios will crackle all nite. they were kept on high

volume. they will play cards very loudly waking

us up countless times.even with my request to transfer

me to a distant corner of the block i was in was

refused. although i explained that i have a

neurological ailment(multiple schelrosis) and i

need some sleep to avert fatigue which is very

dangerous for me the muslim prisioners were regularly

reffered by few officers as ``motherfuckers``.after a

brawl between two detainees, a sargeant Delgaddo

came in the block and called all muslims sone of

bitches by name.

Brutality of other prisioners towards muslims

the other prisioners by and large were sympathetic

except few who, judging the ill behaviour of the

correction officers, were always taunting muslims as

terrorists. curses were flown at us every time of day

and nite.some times we have to defend ourselves but

that will bring the wrath of correction officers by

locking us all down labelling us as ``fucking assholes``

Mail delivery

mail delivery was very haphazard. almost every one

missed mail. even when it was delivered, the

correction officers will yell and curse when prouncing

muslim pakistani names.

Visitations

it was a big problem. the detention centre was in such

a place that visistation was very difficult.the time

slot was very small and in addition to that the

correction officers woyuld shave off some time .we

were not allowed to touch or shake hands but still we

will be strip searched every time which is

humiliating.

Use of telephones to call friends/lawyers

the phones were very very expensive. one can only make

a collect call. the first minute was $4.99 per minute

and then $1.00 per minute.the call only lasts 20

minutes. usually people were ; left stranded because

of a glitch in the computer system of the telephone

provider.people; cannot call any more after a few

call.no reprieve was given to inmates even after

repeated requests for it.

Food

food was absolutely horrendous.we were feed all kind

of crap.the feeding times were 5.30 am for

breakfast,11.30- 12.00 noon for lunch and 5.30-6.00

p.m for dinner.after that we will be hungry for 12

hours. if one need to eat something, one have to buy

it from the detention centre commissary.it was only

allowed to order once a week and in the last two weeks

of my stay twice a week.not every one had money so

inmates were usuallly reduced to asking/begging for

bread pieces around 10.00 p.m.that is if one had no

money.and it was hard to get money because the mail

system really was; bad.i know some muslim prisioners

whose money orders were recieved by the detention

centre but not credited to their accounts even after

three weeks. Also we were regularly given pork

products.the muslim inmates refused to eat pork

products always. i worked in a deli for few years

(blondie`s luncheonette on greenwood ave and prospevt

ave in windsor terrace section of brooklyn) so i would

tell that ; we were served pork products. especially

in the morning when people are groggy with sleep there

will be ham slices or pork sausages with the

breakfast,usually it was the major portion of break

fast so muslims have to go hungry.

Recreation/excercise

the only recreation was badly tunes tv ; showing few

channels and access to a courtyard to play basket

ball.that too by few prisioners because muslim

inmates wrere shunned fromm every where.excercise

was allowed few times a day but the weights and other

stuff to be used by inmates wrere very heavy and

bolted shut so it cannot be changed. on one weight

machine the weight was 400 pounds.i never saw any one

lifting it. so people were reduced to only do

pushups etc

Sleeping conditions

we were alloted bunks with threadbare blankets and

smelly sheets.in the first two blocks of the detention

centre there were no pillows but in the last one there

were one pillow a piece.even if we send the sheets for

laundry they will come back more dirty and smelly. if

the inmates try to wash it themselves then they would

be cursed by tghe corrections officerrs and

withheld from the courtyard privilige.

Medical conditions

i have never thought that medical conditions would be

that primitive in a detention centre.on my arrival the

doctor argued with me that since my gait seems ok so i

don`t look like i have M.S.then when; he finally;

aacepted my plea he prescrbed a small dosage of fever

reducers for me to be used.when i use an injection of

ineterferon three times a week i have very high fever

for 12-16 hours.my doctors prescribed me fever reducer

like advil or tylenol every six hours. the strength

was to be 1000 mg.in the detention center

they only provided me with 325 mg.that to very

haphazardly.i wasreduced to a bed case on the day of

my injections because the the medication was not

enough to reduce the fever.in that state eating or

simply walking or seeing was a big deal for me.my

repeated requests for the increase of dosage of the

fever reducer went unnoticed; well that was that.as

for

themy last few daysbefore my deportation were very

bad. i will never forget them.

midnite june 26 we (all the pakistani) were asked to

line up .we were marched to the front office.where we

were all hand cuffed and shackled.a chain was tied

around our waists and the hand cuffs and shackles

linked to it.around 2.00 am were

were herded in a bus and taken to the new hemisphere

building INS office on 590 route Newark,N.J.we were

kept in the bus shackled and chained untill 9.00a.m

there. then we were marched ten at a time in the

office for processing.in breakfast we were only given

a water bottle,few french fries and egg.that

we have to eat with our hands cuffed to our waists in

chains.they only way was to eat like an animal with

ones tongue; balancing the food tray onthe

knees. it was an experience. then around10-11 am we

were taken on a long ride to an

airport in upstate Newyork.there a Marshall`s service

plane was ready to take us. the busses and vans were

parked on the tarmac in the blazing sun for

three hourw. there was no aironditioning in the

vans or busses.few of us inmates including me fainted

because it was so hot and we were not given

any water despite requests.when after three hours of

hellish experience we boarded the plane we were still

shackled.the plane flew us to louisiana to

some detention centre in tenace(may be i am not right

in the last few words of the name) parish detention

centre. we reached there around 10p.m during the

flight we were given a sandwhich and a water bottle.

going to bathroom was an ordeal too because can`t use

any thing chained and shackled.at the parish detention

centre we were unshackled. after been chained for 22

hours i was not able to walk and stummbled all over.

they have to help me putting in a bed. we were again

given water bottle and a sandwhich.in the morning we

were again handcuffed but not shackled.we were put

in a air Luxor chartered flight(portugese) and flown

to pakistan. we remained handcuffed in those plastic

cuffs all the way to the Islamabad international

airport.

once there we were hurriedly herded to a secluded

place in the airport and not allowed to meet the press

or media so we can tell what treatment was awarded to

pakistanis whose country and government

are cooperating fully with the US government in

fighting terrorism.the flight was 18-20 hours long

and we spend every minute handcuffed. one has to get

permission for going to bathroom.and that was also

scowled upon; until that fatefull nite of june

26 when i along with others was handcuffed and

shackled for 22 hours in a row and then again for

approx. that time i was of the thought that US

government is doing what it should do to protect it

self and every thing was a reaction to a very very bad

terrorist act against innocent people . But after

being

treated worse then cattle and shackled and chained

for; so long i will never forget it. that was not

right treatment with us. us being

pakistani/muslims. i was not guilty of any crime and

not at risk of commiting any

My friend i feel very bad and thats also a reason

i was not able to write to you earlier. it brings back

bad memories of ill treatmentwhich i do not

comprehend. I still think American people are very

nice but naive and trust their government too much.and

the action of the government is not squeaky clean. it

reeks of somehting,coverups and bad decisions.

whatever.

May GOD bring you all happinness and solace. i will

write again.

Visit our website at www.asata.org

The Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA) works to educate, organize and empower the Bay-Area South Asian community in order to end violence, oppression and exploitation within and against our diasporic South Asian communities

Hey all!

Just got to this board....

Mr. Rao,

This seemed interesting, if needlessly digressive in text. (In fact, many of the digressions took me out of the text; i.e. was too much of a struggle)

Am I detecting satire, disgust and irony in your tone? Most of us agree that this case (and sadly others) are a clear signal that severe measures must be taken; it was good to read your take.



Perhaps you could focus on the men in the Panchayat, or the police or the men who assault women in these cases. I remember reading an article in the NYTimes last sunday, in which a young woman drank poison in her doctor`s office because-you are not going to believe this-she saw the creeps who raped her run past the doctor`s window. They were escaping the jail. Sucessfully. The doctor turned around and found her dead on the floor. The doctor admitted that he has seen so many cases similar to this one, that he has learned to become numb to this situation. We are ALL failing women in Punjab.

Rape, Rape! an epidemic of rape - The truth about religiosity in Pakistan

``Family thrashed for refusal to withdraw rape case

MULTAN: Two rapists and their accomplices late on Sunday severely beat up the complainant and his family in Qatal Shah village, near Jhuggi Wala (Jatoi), after they refused to withdraw the rape case against the rapists. Rapist Jafar Hussain Gopand and Mukhtar Hussain Gopang and their accomplices Khadim Gopang, Javed Ahmed and Muzaffar Abbas barged into Ghulam Akbar Sontra’s house and dragged him, his wife and their daughter out of the house and beat them up severely for registering a rape case against Jafar, Akhtar Mastoi and Mukhtar. —Staff Report``

``Girl raped for political exploitationBy Abdul Sattar

MULTAN: The head (Chaudhry) of Murad Village (Hasilpur sub-division – 150 km southeast of Multan) allegedly raped his servant’s daughter at gunpoint about three months ago but the servant filed the report against the village head on Sunday after he feared for his and his family’s lives.

Muhammad Aslam, the servant, told Sadar Hasilpur Police on Sunday that he was an old servant of Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf and was looking after his guesthouse (dera). There months ago, he said in the presence of a crowd, his daughter came to the dera to give him lunch but he was not there at that time. Taking advantage of his absence, Ch Ashraf held her hostage at gunpoint and raped her, he said, adding that Ch Ashraf threatened to kill her if she told anyone about it.

However, the weeping girl told her mother and she later told Aslam. Aslam said when he protested against his daughter’s rape, Ch Ashraf and his younger brother severely beat him. Later, he said, Ch Ashraf along with Ch Sadiq, Ch Amanat Sahi, Liaquat Ali and Ch Muhammad Nawaz – his friends and relatives — pressed him to blame their political opponents for his daughterr’s rape or leave the village. They also threatened to kill the family if they opted for an abortion, as they wanted to exploit the issue in the forthcoming elections against their opponents, Aslam alleged. He also said that his daughter was now three month pregnant.

Later, the molested girl also narrated her ordeal to the police and said that her lips were sealed to save her father’s life. She said she had also turned down an offer to take money from Ch Ashraf in damages. Sadar Hasilpur Police Station was investigating the case.``