The Racist Within

Blah, blah, blah.

I have yet to see any substantive response from any Orientalism-lover (the thesis in it, I mean) to the different critiques of Said that I have put up. All I see is non-stop ad hominem arguments, the sure sign of a second-rate mind launching a third-rate defense of a bad idea.

I`ll ignore Wajahat`s blatherings since he has described himself (``sporadic Pseudo Intellectual Outbursts``) quite accurately. What more do I need to say?

Saminaasha

I agree with your views that Orientalism when applied to expats have taken a new dimension, something edward said briefly touched upon in Orientalism. In the perspective of the Subcontinental Minorities in the US, another factor that comes into play is the Success factor the Indian-Pakistani Minorities have enjoyed in states which reenforces this condition of ignorance towards Orientalism. Infact it cannot go without saying that these questions have only risen after the mass-suspiciousness of the brown skin Arab/Muslim Looking people post Sep 11. As one African American Author recently put it, We are the New Blacks.

The Majority of the Chowkies belong to this successful Expat community and therefore it is hard for many to question their part in the scheme of things. I mean to put crudely, why ask questions when blaming Bin Ladin and the fundo elements seem to be the easy way out.

The author has certainly hit upon a strain of ideology among chowkies-the complete refusal to interrogate our political and economic complicities with Orientalism. My feeling is the Muslim Americans of my parent`s generation are much more willing to engage in the significances of current American domestic and international policy-even though they have spent at least 20 years in this country as taxpayers, contributors to various professional sectors and local communities. What we see expressed by some vocal Chowk interactors should not be taken as the Pakistani American opinion-there would be GREAT disagreement to the positions taken on Said or even this article.

I have asked some of this generation to interact on Chowk, apparently they`ve been to busy. Hopefully, a few will join us eventually.

Fuzair

I understand that this piece is far below your intellectual level, infact its so far below it that your intellect is not able to counter or confirm the allegation within it. Or maybe it is you who this article talks about when it touches upon those who have become more committed to these western ideologues of orientalism and racism then those who concocted it.

#2 Durman.tk

We have to remind ourselves that it has only been 50 years since the the American Whites have found it in their hearts to give the Black equal standing(even that after a very intense movement of Civil Rights), something which is still exclusive to the cosmopolitan city centres than the majority of Middle America. Yet these people today send soldiers to Iraq from the Americas on the promise that if they survive this war they will be given American Citizenship. Racism has just changed not ended.

Forget Pakistan - think of Mughalistan.
http://mughalstan.freeyellow.com/
Doctrines of the Mughalstan Movement
Pan-Islamism - All Muslims are regarded as Muslims, whether Sunni, Shiah, or Sufi. Sufists - whether Ahmadiya, Sikh or Nanak-Shahi, Qadiani or Zaydi are all considered Muslims. It is this Pan-Islamism which shall permit Mughalstan to hold together.
Mughal-Muslim Culture - Virtually all South Asian Muslims are regarded as Mughal-Muslim. All Urdu-speaking Muslims are considered the descendants of heroic Mughal-Muslim invaders; only 5 % ( Moplahs, Tamil Moros, etc.) are viewed as converted `Hindus`.
Mughal-Urdu Language - All dialects of Urdu are regarded as part of one language. Punjabi, Urdu, Musulmani Bengali, Musulmani Oudhi, Musulmani Sindhi, Musulmani Kashmiri are all regarded as dialects of Mughali (ie. Colloquial Urdu). Urdu is viewed as having been born in the camps of Mahmud-e-Ghazni; it is thus a derivative of Ghaznavid Persian and is not derived from Sanskrit as is taught in Brahminist school text books. Mughalstan Nationalists hold it to be the most refined language in the world.
1000-year Caliphate - The entire period from 945 AD - 1857 AD is viewed as forming one single empire, the Mughal Caliphate. Mahmud-e-Ghazni is viewed as founder of this Caliphate. Britishers and Brahminists destroyed this Caliphate to establish the Anglo-Brahmin colonial state. Delhi is viewed as the capital of this caliphate, which is thought to have been founded by Qutb-ud-din.
Apex of Civilization - The Mughal Caliphate is viewed as the greatest civilization and empire ever built in the history of the world. Longer-lasting than any nation in history, it was far richer and more splendid than any of the states before or since.

Ref fuzair #3

[Hey Chowk!
IF you are so short of halfway decent or semi-intelligent writing, just say so and I`ll submit a piece!]

You could always write about that mysterious and inaccessible city of Ottawa. Or about the cultural and artistic treasures of Ouagadougou. These should appeal to Chowk editors as well as a large part of Chowk readers.

;-)

fuzair:

forget said...he will survive on his own in death too...

but

yes write for chowk...you always make for an interesting read

..t

fuzair

Please do submit an article.

Hey Chowk!

What is it with your fascination for Edward Said, Said-wannabes and fellow travellers? This is at least the third such bit of tripe that I`ve read on Chowk in the last couple of months. IF you are so short of halfway decent or semi-intelligent writing, just say so and I`ll submit a piece!

What a waste of time and space.

The Western society to my experience has been the most racist, although they claim they work for world peace yet the amount of racism between the White and Afro American bands is so obvious in all parts of the US for example...A white petrol station would shut off its petrol if a black drives in.......The Western society has to stop this hypocrisy and mend themselves

The final paragraph of this article did not make any sense.