The changing face of America

His Excellency, Tauheed and Romair:

Kindly also note that the Western press treats Pakistan (and Pakistanis) as their favorite whipping boy. For example, the following news was published in their newspapers and electronic media, but quickly taken off:

1. Indian companies had collaborated with Iraq on chemical weapons.

2. An overwhelming majority of top 52 most wanted criminals in Iraq were educated in India.

3. An Indian has been caught in selling arms and ammunition to the terrorists.

On the other hand, not a single Pakistani that has been arrested has been proven guilty. All of them are either released or found to be some other nationality. But the intended damage is done for our enemies to capitalize on.

I believe that Pakistani-Americans should seriously consider turning one of their organizations into a pressure group. I agree with Romair whole-heartedly on this one.

ahmedzai #44 not influential. just with time to kill when i could be doing something useful (like dropping my umpteenth pearl of wisdom on chowk). ;-)

ahmedzai #49 I am not sure if the facts are with you (and Romair) on this one. Agreed, over the past few months there have been a number of newspaper articles expressing skepticism about Pakistan as an ally (it is seen as a ``doubtful ally``). Rather than rejecting such skepticism off-hand as is essentially what Romair and HE and yourself are doing, I would ask the following questions: WHY they are saying this. There are two basic complaints that are expressed in the US press vis-a-vis Pakistan, as follows:

a. That Musharaff is not sincere in curbing terrorism. He is in fact using islamic extremists to maintain his own power in Pakistan by making them the alternative to his rule. And he has very specifically done this by interfering with the last elections to keep the mainstream secular parties out of power, while bringing the religious parties as the main opposition group. In addition, known islamic terrorists are allowed to go free in the country (e.g. the leader of a proclaimed terrorist group).

b. That Pakistan is dragging its feet in sending troops to Iraq. Most recently, someone pointed out how Turkey had no problems agreeing to send 10,000 troops to Iraq a few days ago, while Pakistan is still calling for a UN umbrella. This is more debatable.

On a., as a Pakistani, I in fact share the concern expressed in the western press. The maulvis have come to power thanks to money given to them by one military dictator (zia), and elections tilted in their favor by another (musharaff).

NOWHERE in all this do you find the discrimination of muslims. Indeed: the same columnists (like Hoagland) who write the most frequently about Pakistan being a reluctant ally, are also (as I have seen not just Hoagland, but ultra-right/conservative columnists like George Will) the ones who point to the large secular-minded middle class in Pakistan whose voice is being suppressed.

By ignoring what is actually being said, and simply posting generalities about the anti-pakistan bias of the western press, we pakistanis are our own worst enemies: we complain about mullahs and the military in pakistan, but we also complain when some columnist in the western press expresses the SAME misgivings.

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Temporal:

``today is Oct 9...i am talking in the present... what-if discussions are unrealistic and untenable...what if the French had replied to Tipu in the affirmative?...what if that turncoat Nizam had not sided with the British?...what if....khair...

...all am saying is that Kashmiris` feeling and decisions should have paramountcy over GoP and GoI`s wishes...also let me clarify...i mean all Kashmiris``

No wonder you are called Kofi Annan of Chowk. Your positions are always so morally well fleshed out that I don`t even feel like arguing for fear of feeling like a prick. Bring me a UrsTruly type to fight with anyday. Then at least I can self righteously feel self righteous. :)

Aliya, I guess the only way to overcome such treatment is to continually reach out and be yourself -- intelligent, considerate and generous. And of course stand up and fight, if it is oppressive
There is always someone trying to make you the Other. WE do it ourselves.

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While we are discussing the world in general than any particular country :) I want to use this board to share my beef with the despicable characters at the Saudi Consulate in NY City. One of the most screwed up Muslim Country! This is one country that makes my blood boil.

Why cannot a Single Muslim Woman perform Umraa on her own? Every time, I have planned to land in S.A in transit to perform Umraa, these manhoos characters have created road-blocks for me. They never let me even join my parents and sister in Jeddah while I was planning my trip from NY to Jeddah in late 90s. The cold and curt voice from Saudi Consulate told me that I could not land in Jeddah without a mehram. Interestingly, I have a lot of family in Jeddah, including my uncle and cousins. It was just that they would not issue me an umraa visa without a mehram accompanying me from the US. What nonsense! That`s what happens when the Muslim Men are allowed to lay out rules and regulations per their understanding. A male mind in general is a weak mind. So if 100 weak minds get together to devise policies, they are going to be weak policies. I wish that country gets more women in power and those female minds provide support to the weak male minds.

On another note: What if I do not want a mehram to accompany me?

Umraa is between me and my God. What is the role of a mehram there?

I am inshallah planning to write a note to the Saudi Consulate stating to wake up and smell some coffee beans. It`s an insult towards a Muslim Woman to deprive her of her basic right to pay respects to her holy places. It makes you feel so bad as if you are incompetent or foolish to be on that journey. The more I think about these discrepancies and unfairness, the more I detest the orthodox clergy and rulers. I wonder why Allah Taa`la let these nuts sit and rule the Holy Places for the Muslims :(.

re:#9 by Romair

``Just like there is a huge gap between the views of John Ashcroft and the views of MMA. Ashcroft being less extremist than MMA, which is less extremist than BJP. But all three are ideologues, and thus need to be controlled. ``
Ask your MMA to do better than BJP. Under BJP, India is about to hit a 8% growth rate. What are you, a jerk?
Sridhar

Samina and TAhmed:

Shukriya...I just wrote my previous note cum unending post in the heat of the moment ...it seems something sane may have spilled out :)

TAhmed:

I find your remarks about Aliya quite condescending. First of all, why are you tweaking her name and making it sound like a male ? You may have overlooked the fact that the article was penned by a female than a male;but still that`s a little strange. I hope you were not on something while reading this article(serious concern).

Secondly, your other remarks about the chocolate stuff were equally out of line. She is stating her experience as a student in a new country. Why shut her up? That`s very sad. And, this is our weakness as Pakistanis/Pakistani Americans or from Timbuktu. We do not have the tolerance to withstand diverse point of views. Sharing silly nonsense is one thing, but sharing personal experience is another. And, inculcating tolerance to listen to the other person is certainly not everyone`s cup of tea. Probably, that`s something that we all need to work on as part of our Year 2004`s resolution.

Chowk will die and be deprived of Pakistani participation if we do not let people speak about what they believe in, what they have gone through, how they envision this world, how they intend to lead their lives and last but not least, who they are.

Regards,
Zahra

Metamorphosis: From USA to USSA

That America is changing, and rapidly so, is not in question. The points raised by the author and most commentators only touch upon peripheral issues or some minor symptoms. The author`s airline and customs experince, in addition to being an unfortunate combination of attitudes may also have something to do with a mismatch between her/his expectations and the actual events. That is not sufficient grounds on which to declare the arrival of a sea change in the USSA.

The other theme that is being mentioned by many is the singling of Muslims. Yes, there are some elements that are now more expressive of their aversion towards Muslims generally, and since those kinds of people are also in law enforcement agencies, it has resulted in unfortunate incidents which cannot be explained away by random chance alone but have to be considered as a symptom of an increasing general bias. But that, I beleive, is a passing phase and should eventually pull-back from current high levels even if it does not totally subside. Blacks, Chinese, East European Jews, Japanese, Irish and Italian Catholics, Koreans, Vietnamese and Iranians have all experienced ``selective treatment`` by American society at various times in the country`s history. At the present time it is the Muslims turn, but this too shall pass.

The real (and most ominus) change that is overtaking America is that it is turning into a fascist police state, and that is not just for Muslims or Arabs (though these groups may feel singled out and paranoid at the moment).

Fascism is when an authoritarian government, in order to consolidate power in the hands of an oligarchy, concludes that government alone isn`t enough and thus reaches out to industry and forges an alliance, bringing former executives of the nation`s largest corporations into high government positions. A flood of government money pours into corporate coffers to fight an ever expanding war against real or imagined enemies that supposedly lurk within the homeland, and to prepare for wars overseas. Fascism encourages large corporations friendly to the elite in power to acquire media outlets and other industrial concerns across the nation. Fascists build powerful alliances with industry; one or two corporate allies get the lucrative contracts. Soon more follow and the selective corporations flourish.

It is a historical myth that the Soviet Union was a ``communist`` country. In fact what we had there was ``state monopoly capitalism`` where one mega corporation, called the Communist Party, Inc., merged and acquired the entire economy and contolled the lives of ALL employees. It was fascism at its ultimate. The USSA is heading in that direction though it is, as yet, nowhere as close. We in America can still proudly claim that we`ve got the world`s best democracy that money can buy. In its truest form we have a government of the corporations, by the corporations for the corporations and everyone else can go to hell.

It is in recognition of this gathering storm beyond the horizon, that after 24 years of living in Ameica, my wife and I are moving and taking our kids to Europe to make a new home there. Europe is not too far behind, but the distance between Western Europe and the United Soviet States of America is still great enough for our personal comfort.

...SR

The American Heritage Dictionary (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1983) : ``fas-cism (fbsh`iz`em) n. A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism.``

Zahra,

For a second time I find myself agreeing with you!

ZahraJ--it is haram for a woman to travel to umrah or hajj without a male mahram. This is why the Saudis--whom I do not like much either--will not issue you with a visa without one. It is the Sacred Law as taught to us by Allah via his Beloved Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam. As Muslims we hear and obey.

For all those whiny pakistanis who think increased security at US airports is so-o-o unfair, this news item from todays NYT may be of interest:

England fans deported from Turkey

Forty-three England football supporters are being deported from Turkey ahead of the Euro 2004 qualifying match...The strict measures are in place to ensure no violence flares at the match...
``They have not been guilty of any criminal behaviour, it is just that the government and police service here adopted the approach where they refused them access,`` he said.
... The deported fans, all men aged between 20 and 35, were not on a list of 1,800 banned people, he said, but the measures were appropriate given previous violence.

``The best way to reduce disorder is to make sure the fans do not come alongside each other.``
Mr Swift branded those trying to get to the ground ``damned irresponsible``.

``They are not doing us any favours as British subjects,`` he added...


End of extract from NYT


So: here we have the british official siding with the Turks and calling his fellow brits ``damned irresponsible`` even though the 43 men were not just given an extra check by airport security but actually sent back to UK by the Turks purely on the basis of ``racial profiling``. Compare this to the pakistani whining - not one pakistani official has had the guts to say that the US airport people do extra checks for a good reason. What a difference an ounce of character and honesty makes!

Zahraj: Agreed that the name Aaliya is female - i simply didnt give second thought to the nick (since it is what the person writes that I am interested in, not whether it is a he or a she or a space alien from the third planet from the star alpha centauri. You should ask my wife who will tell you I dont need to get high on anything to come up with such bloopers: last night, at a ``sweet sixteen`` party for a friend`s daughter, I mistook a mother of two teenagers as being one of the teenage classmates. although in my defence the mother does keep herself very fit and young-looking, and did not seem offended at all at being mistaken for a teenager.

i beg to differ on chocolates. i think it is childish to complain about being discriminated against because they didnt give her a piece of chocolate with her halal food.