The Urdu Press in New York

Won`t see this in Pakistani newspapers

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FBI seeks Pakistani man for questioning
Search is `one of a number of factors` in raising terror alert
From Terry Frieden
CNN Washington Bureau
Friday, February 7, 2003 Posted: 6:23 PM EST (2323 GMT)
photo
Mohammed Sher Mohammad Khan`s name turned up in an overseas investigation, the FBI says.
MOHAMMED SHER MOHAMMAD KHAN
Height 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 7 inches
Weight: 132 pounds
Hair: Black
Eyes: Black
Health: Asthmatic
Possible aliases: Muhammad Shir Muhammad Khan; Mohammed Essagh; Ja`Far Al-Tayar; Jaffar Tayar; Jaafar Al-Tayyar; Ali Abdul Qadir; Abdul Qadir.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI asked the public`s assistance Friday in locating a 36-year-old Pakistani man named Mohammed Sher Mohammad Khan who is believed to have entered the United States a week before the attacks of September 11, 2001.

The FBI insisted that it had no information that the man is connected to any potential terrorist activities.

Law enforcement sources told CNN that an intelligence investigation overseas turned up information about Khan. Those sources said Khan made terrorist threats against the United States, but very little is known about him.

An FBI official cautioned against concluding that the search for Khan is solely responsible for the announcement Friday that the U.S. government has raised the national color-coded threat level to indicate a ``high`` risk of a terrorist attack. The desire to question Khan is described as ``simply one of a number of factors taken into consideration`` in adjusting the threat level, and ``not the primary reason.``

``Based upon information developed in the course of ongoing investigations, the FBI would like to locate and question this person,`` the FBI statement said.

Khan is believed to have entered the United States on September 1, 2001. He is described as an English speaker who sometimes has a beard. He is asthmatic, the FBI says.

The FBI is asking law enforcement agencies around the world to help find Khan.

The FBI placed a photo of Khan on its Web site, www.fbi.gov, and asked anyone with information about him to contact the nearest FBI office.

He is listed as standing 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 132 pounds, with black hair and black eyes.

The FBI says his name could be fictitious and lists several possible aliases: Muhammad Shir Muhammad Khan; Mohammed Essagh; Ja`Far Al-Tayar; Jaffar Tayar; Jaafar Al-Tayyar; Ali Abdul Qadir; and Abdul Qadir.

sadna #26: `The point is, perhaps the problems faced due to new INS regulations will lead to a step forward in evolution of Pakistani-American organisations and media and their manner of functioning wrt community concerns`

Won`t happen. Pakistanis who have interest in organize anything are pan Islamists. They will be busy creating the `muslim nation` in the America. Pakistan-first Pakistanis talk, not act.

A good down-to-earth subject and treatment for once.

I am reminded of a comment made on PBS by a woman involved in one of the Indian-American TV production companies in NJ. If I remember right, she said that the infamous `dot-buster` attacks on Indians in the 80s were a turning point in Indian community`s self-awareness as a community with common interests. In the aftermath of these attacks the Indian community realised like every other microsm in US society, it was upto them themselves to raise their own voices to defend their own rights and for this it was important to get organised aong themselves and to build alliances between organisations.

She said that it was during that period that Indians realised that it was difficult for them to pursue justice/raise concerns as individuals, that officaldom took citizens concerns a lot more seriously when these concerns were raised with the backing of community organisations rather than individuals. Apparently this self-awareness also led to Indian-American media becoming much more vigorous than before and apparently thats when her own TV co was born.

The point is, perhaps the problems faced due to new INS regulations will lead to a step forward in evolution of Pakistani-American organisations and media and their manner of functioning wrt community concerns.

rehan, sameersaab, thank you

samina
i saw it at the karafilmfest- a week long film festival screening shorts, documentaries, features & films from all over the world..organized by young pakistani filmmakers, 9/11 was screened as something of an appetizer... monsoon wedding followed soon after.. i liked hamdani`s mom at the funeral but thought it could have been more tear jerking :).. but maybe that was the idea- to not leave the viewer sniffing but deeply disturbed

Sameer Bhaisahib,

No, I`ve been really swamped these days-a lot of stuff is passing me by; whether thats good or bad I cannot say...

Rehan, Cheese,

11/9/01 was shown at the Walter Reade Theatre at Lincoln Center over the weekend-unfor. if you blinked you missed the movie showings, a real shame because its a movie that should be viewed by every American. Each short film was profoundly moving and well crafted-I`m hoping to write this up asap and submit it to Chowk. If not, I`ll post a review someplace on Chowk. When we went the place was packed with people on standby and the audience itself was somewhat diverse-many Latin, South Asian, Asian and Anglo folk and very few African/Americans in attendence. This is the kind of movie we should try to bring back here for a proper screening.

Mira Nair made a film about the Hamdani family in NYC after their son had disappeared and focused on the mother`s faith, confusion, and pain in response to the reactions of neighbors, press and govt. agents. It is based on Mohammad Hamdani, the paramedic who rushed to the Twin Towers in order to help, died, and was lost in the wreckage. What is so affirming about Nair`s presentation is that the Hamdanis maintain a resilient dignity and identity throughout their and the Pakistani community`s ordeal. The mother, a wonderful persona delivers the final word during a eulogy for her son-a symbol of the Pakistani Americans who see the US as their own country. Abida Parveen used to good effect and a sly reference to Monsoon Wedding-a whole other subtext of the life, multi varied culture and sensuality of desi identity.

Samira Makmalbaf`s short was excellent and devastating. More later.

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shah. #23

{Christopher Hitchens is a rabid publicity seeker. He wrote a book called ``Missionary Position(s?)`` trashing Mother Teresa. These days he goes after Kissinger. He has delusions of being another Orwell now that he has turned agianst left-liberal orthodoxy after 9/11.}

I have read Hitchens` ``The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice``. It is slim enough to finish in the bookstore. It is well-written and persuasively argued. Among other things, Hitchens claims that the quality of the medicine practiced in Mother Teresa`s homes was atrocious given the resources she eventually had at her disposal; that she seemed to glorify suffering and physical pain; and that she had no qualms hobnobbing with dictators and taking money from the likes of Charles Keating of S&L notoriety. He also attacks her opposition, in India of all places, to any artificial methods of contraception - the official position of the Roman Catholic Church, of course.

It is of secondary importance whether Hitchens` is a `rabid publicity-seeker` (aren`t they all?) or has `delusions of being another George Orwell`. What matters is whether his claims are factual and his arguments sound. Incidentally he also wrote approvingly of the 1998 nuclear tests in the Indian subcontinent for puncturing a great deal of hypocrisy. So his break with the favourite positions of the left-liberal orthodoxy seems to have come well before 9/11.

re #22 and 23
Christopher Hitchens is a rabid publicity seeker. He wrote a book called ``Missionary Position(s?)`` trashing Mother Teresa. These days he goes after Kissinger. He has delusions of being another Orwell now that he has turned agianst left-liberal orthodoxy after 9/11. He writes quite welll and his case is usually much better argued than other self-promoters like Arundhati Roy.

sameeroo...it`s Christopher Hitchens...I`ve heard him on Booknotes when he was talking about his book on Orwell. But let`s not mention his name too much over here, otherwise we may get the attention of someone from another board, like YLH. :-D

Saminashah: Have you read a book titled, `Two Faces of Islam` by Stephen Schwartz? He was on C-Span last night on booknotes series. He said that most of what is said at chowk and in press (Urdu including) is the result of Saudi/ wahabi influence on Islam in USA and worldwide.

By the way, I heard that a well-known liberal, secular, progressive, usually anti-Bush, anti-American and leftist, Christopher Hutchins is supporting war against Saddam Hussein.

Congratulations Rehan Bhai. You`ve finally discovered what your forte is. Translation of cheesy rags fit to to be used only as table mats for the rich desi food served in paper plates in Jackson Heights. May the force be with you.

anNy:

Been busy. Although the above should suffice to satisfy any aunty cravings.

later
-sac

ABDUL & HAMIDM

Hamidm and Abdul get pulled over for speeding on a Texas Highway. When the trooper approaches the car, Abdul the driver says ``What`s the problem, sir?``

The trooper takes out his machined aluminum flashlight and whacks Abdul across the head saying ``You don`t speak to a state trooper unless you`re spoken to. Now give me your Muslim Registration card, driving license, passport, visa and ownership``.

The trooper writes out the citation and gives it to Abdul who responds ``Thanks a lot``

The trooper again gives Abdul a dose of the flashlight and says ```When you address a state trooper, you finish your sentence with the word sir``.

He then walks over to the passenger side and whacks Hamidm with the flashlight.

Hamidm says ``What was that for, sir?``

The trooper says ``I was just fulfilling your wish. Y`all wouldn`t have gotten 100 yards down this road before you`d have said to your friend, ``I wish he`d have hit me with that flashlight (mujhe mar kay dekhta na saalaa``, so I fulfilled your wish.``

Rehan:

Thank you for the extra efforts of translating from Urdu to English. This is commendable indeed.

I would say the following:

1. Apart from the above stories, my general problem with Urdu press is that it is very emotional. Journalists tend to talk about problems without raising any hopes and coming up with solutions to overcome them.

2. The need of the time is to buckle up for the tough road ahead. Those Pakistanis, who in the good old days, went to foreign lands illegally, have to suffer unlike other nationalities for in todays world there is no level playing field. Some of the times, they will be deported (from USA) and at other times, detained on accusations of having links with Al Qaeda (Kenya, Italy, India, etc.).

3. We should not expect too much from the Government, as it itself is under pressure to stabilize Pakistan. However, I would rather expect the Government to step in now to prevent migration of illegal Pakistanis into Canada.

I wish you all the best in your future undertakings.

iamthecheese
the reporting and column writing has progressively become more interesting in pakistan post, sada e pakistan and pakistan news in particular...
m r farrukhi of pakistan post and mohsin zaheer of sada e pakistan have talked to families who have been raided, people who stand in lines in front of the INS and who are crossing the border into canada...

this doesnt mean there is not rubbish by the bucketloads on the editorial pages of these papers, but that is true also of dawn, news, jang, chowk...

however, pakistan news has two female columnists and an openly gay columnist (who is also a poet and critic), sada e pakistan runs ayaz amir`s dawn column in urdu on the same page as qazi hussain, pakistan post does run the old faithful and very dead maudoodi but it also has dr. askari rizvi (who wrote recently a terrific piece on the pakistan army`s genocide of Bengalis in `71, one of the great but least often commented upon mass murders of a century that did well with them)...

bhains, thats just the kind of encouragement i adore on chowk, thanks

samina where did you see mira n`s 9/11

anna, hi!

samina
are u talking about the very short film by mira nair based on the true story of the hamdani family and their son post 9/11?

Thank you Mr. Ansari. It is the first time ever at Chowk that I really liked what you have written. Thank you for standing by with the others. God bless you.