The Lament of Master Yoda nice piece!

Pakistan\'s Afghan Policy You`re just re-iterating a version of history... people in Pak have been trying to work towards this for a long time, nothing new here... what would be new is if you Indians actually showed you cared and helped those Pakistani people that are trying for the above policy change instead of constantly attacking us at every given opportunity thereby distancing even those Pakistani people that are of the same viewpoint as yourselves.

Instead of writing blah blah like the above (which have been written many times over in many countries in many languages) try writing an article that explains to your Indian countrymen the value of trying to connect and actively help those Pakistani people who want to resolve Pakistan`s issues in a peaceful and open manner.

Articles like this that regurgitate various news items, constantly telling us what to do make me a tad peeved, as the first thing that comes to mind is `Dont you think we already know this woman! and why didn`t you guys listen to us before Pakistan bashing became a fashion?` In some way or the other you all helped and contributed to this along with Amreeka and Yurop, if not logistically or financially then by generating the hate required for it. Now you`re telling us, the general Pakistani whom has zip control or significance to do something about it... the cheek! Where were you guys when the generals and dictators came into power and hung our elected PM`s, when we had coup after coup? When slowly but surely every little bit of control and democracy was taken away from those that reside there? And now you have the cheek to tell us to `fix it`!!!

Well Bibi i could use the choicest of Punjabi but i shall refrain, as it wont really get us anywhere. Ms Aparna Pandey, how do you expect those people whose back has been broken by their own govt. (supported by many other 3rd countries) to fix the sh*t you (and us) don`t like?

You ppl sit accros the border all snug, vengeful, and full of hate, ever thought of actually reaching out to the people of Pakistan? Your Bollywood is in every Pakistani home, but you still produce cr*p films like Border etc. that do nothing to help ordinary people to people relations.

Until you guys are sincere about helping us, then shove this article where the sun don`t shine!

A

Veil for vendetta you`ve just upset the way they want pak to be portrayed, and `raaz khol` `ed them...

The villagers are unaware of what you have written,

A) Cause they dont have access to the net
B) They don`t understand Angraizi
C) If someone translated it into Urdu they wouldn`t understand it cause they are not educated enough.

Veil for vendetta Nice article... now all the middle class shehri ppl will get very upset with you!!!

Marriage in Hiding when was marraige ever `blissfull` just look at our parents generation, most of them made do, cause they had to, not cause they wanted to, and if they wanted to get out they could not... so both resigned themselves to their kismet...

things are changing now, people marry becuase they are in love with each other, more and more people are marrying out of cast etc, because they want to, my Bhabhi is from a diff cast, but my bro is happy and she is a very cool person and respects our parents... so things are beginning to change and so are people... its not all gloom and doom...

i think if anything many marraiges are becoming `blissful` becasue people actually want them, rather than just doing it for the sake of it...

And what does Islam or the author say about two of my friends who are Muslim women and have married Hindu men? (neither of the couples are religious, but both women have more sway about religion and stuff) The kids if anything will be brought up more Muslim than Hindu!

Does this not defeat the purpose of why Muslim women shouldn`t marry diff religions?

Click!! Very well written, and i really enjoyed reading it...

good work, keep it up!

Sissy Fascists vaisey a nice read!!!

Sissy Fascists kaal

it was not (the mullah version that is), and even now people can see its not, esp for this day n age. but its genaral philosophy can be applied to new situations.

The Iftaar Party Scene in fact i just went to the GEO website and told them that!

The Iftaar Party Scene I think Amir Liyakat, is kanjar number one. I can`t stand him and his do gooder attitude he puts on, he is such an actor and an irritating c*nt. He oozes imaanless falseness, he reminds me of those black preachers from Amreeka.

How pakis can fall for his cr*p i dont know, it p*sses me off when people cant see right thru him... there is something really dodgy about that guy... i dont like him

The Veil Issue, Once Again MAnto,

Aparna makes valid points, and kudos to her!

Musharraf’s Coup - Seven Years Later Faisal,

You are right, Islam does shape the lives of ordinary people and so it should, i`m not denying that, but whose Islam, and which kind, there are many of it and all versions shape the the lives of their various followers... i`m not asking for Turkish secularism, but we have experimented enough with Islam...

Am not sure about Karachi but the part of Pak i come from (Punjabi country side) more than Islam its the weather that shapes and affects peoples lives, if the monsoon is shit and erratic so is our crop harvest... Islam is always going to be there, the way it was for my grandparents and so on, just not so politicised and in your face kind of...

Islamabad`s `Islamic policies` have wreaked havoc in Pak, there was no Sunni Shia tension in Jhang when my dad was a kid, how come we`re plagued by it now!

Where i grew up was mainly pak Punjabi, the few Mirpuris came later, they mainly are in northern England. And yes, some educated Pakistani ppl are beginning to do something about this state of affairs, just as they should...

Regards art, and culture, i have to disagree, the govt. does have a major role in encouraging it and yes on this account the Pak govt. has failed miserable. Ask charlie and he`ll tell u the insane amount of money the govt. of France spends on art and culture, apparently its more than all of pak`s GDP or something like that. Look how the world runs to Paris for chic, and shi shi culture! Thats an investment, they make money out of it, and all the french frogs have something to do, something nice, and productive and pretty that makes them money, not terrorism and politics the way we are consumed by them.

As for our language, compare these two websites for yourself firstly Urdu

National Language Authority

http://www.nla.gov.pk/

Very thakiya hua site, and this for the language that should drive our Pakistaniyet.

Now Turkish

http://www.tdk.gov.tr

You`re right things aren`t that bad, but they`re no where near good!

KH

A

Musharraf’s Coup - Seven Years Later Faisal,

Pakistaniyet doesn`t have to be forced like in Turkey, but, at least encouraged, debated, talked about and promoted by the govt. If Pakistaniyet was really successful then would we have had the Baloch crisis?

Islamabad seems to be so out of touch with the general population. In a way Salim is right, religion shouldn`t be part of politics as all it does is cause more problems, the govt`s business should really be forwarding the state of Pakistan and ensuring it, and its people are successful, thereby making Pakistan more attractive to be part of.

The Turks have developed a very strong contemporary culture, and are very proud of it, instead of adapting english words straight up like us, they have the Turk Dilli Kurumu the Turkish authority that ensures the Turkish language is up to date and contemporary. There are many people in Pak who refuse to speak Urdu. The national language has no institutional support and even Urdu speakers have allowed it to become so anglified that those who have not had a decent English education cannot understand a lot of what they say, thereby distancing the general population even further.

The provincial languages have never been given their rightful place which has resulted in some people rejecting the national language. this in turn leads people away from Pakistaniyet. Nor is Pakistaniyet reinforced or encouraged through provincial languages.

Regards our culture, art, and music, only now this has got some breathing space, these along with language are very important to ensure cultural survival of Pakistan and Pakistaniyet.

India has Bharat Bhuvan (Its High Commision in the centre of town, very swish) and Nehru House (Its cultural centre, with constant cultural shows) in London, Pakistan has zip, even performing artists from Pakistan recently came for the Muslim Cultural festival and played in Nehru House (Nusrat`s nephew and co - God, is it just qavvali we have?). Pakistan has a shabby high commission tucked away in west london whose highlight of the week is juma namaz! and that too outside with no decent wuzu facilities!!!

The concept of Pakistaniyet can be helped to stay alive if the cultures that make up Pakistaniyet are allowed to blossom. Why are there no British Pakistani performing artists? Becasue for the Indian kids there is cultural activities (such as music and dance) and they go on to fuse that with gora stuff and then britney wets her pants and wants some of that `tabla sound` in her music.

The Pakistani kids dont have that they have, you guessed it, the mosque, boring Islamiyet, and miah mullah from AJK and co to beat them silly and talk about jihad in Pahari or really shitty Urdu. How come you don`t get any Indian kids blowing up the tubes in London? Cause they`re all busy making money, music, or education.

when i was growing up the only cultural outlet i had was Urdu A level class where i read Manto, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Munshi Prem Chand and co, and learnt about Pakistan before and after it came into being.

My Sikh friends knew how to do Bhangra well before i did, there was nowhere i could go to learn or no one to teach me (i actually learnt that and drees dance in the Pind) they knew how to play dhol and tabla, none of us Pakis would have known how to even hold it. Why was there not a Paki cultural centre to show us what we could do and become? Instead of drugs (and then gettin all paki schizo and going holy) my cousin could have taken his frustration out in dhol, or expressed it thru vanjli! wtf, he could`ve got creative and done some fusion shusion and ended up on JLo`s next album, instead he ended up with two kids, a kebab shop and a beard.

Slowly, slowly the younger kids loose all connection with Pak, and what do they have left, Islam (and not even the nice Sufi version, but propa Arbi hard core) they identify with Ummah and not Pakistan, or Pakistaniyet, because there is nothing to identify with. As the Paki govt here has encouraged eff all culture, and now, Pakistan gets the blame for all hard core Brit Pakis on a mission to blow something up.

Then they wonder why pak has a bad image abroad!!! If dau takka countries like Montenegro can advertise all 3 sq km of their `emerging` country all over the london tube station why cant a huge country like Pak (often called Asia`s hidden jewel)? Cause we don`t know which part of our country to advertise to tourists, we don`t know what part of our culture to put up there, the two bit rishvat khors in the high commission cant speak the english required to contact London Transport to arrange for the advertising let alone decide whether Amna Haq should be allowed to be shown on London tube system with or without duppatta! Cause we dont really know (officially) what our culture is, where its at, and where its going.

Where are contemporary Pakistani artists, sculptors, painters, writers, film directors, actors (they`re all runing away to India), singers (so are they!), etc? These are all the people that will ensure Paksitaniyet survives and becomes stronger.

With direct and precise policies the govt. can ensure Pakistaniyet`s survival not only in Pakistan but within the diaspora as well (so that they become for Pakistan an advert and not a shameful burden)

My do paisas worth!

Ally

Musharraf’s Coup - Seven Years Later faisal

tho i agree with what you are saying also like to add, Turks have a Turkiyet or a Turkishness to bind them. Pakistaniyet is no where near as strong in Pak as Turkiyet in Turkey.

Whereas becasue we are such a diverse nation, ethnically and religiously, Pakistaniyet should be given importance above all ethnicities and religions, there hasn`t really developed a strong Pakistaniyet that binds ALL of Pak`s people together. Maybe thats something we need to work on.

Most mullahs use the kalma as answer to Pakistan`s mutlab kya? But that, unfortunately has casued more problems, and also automatically excludes our religious minorities. thats not whats going to work, we need something else, what, i dont know.

At the same time UK, is a federation of four diff countries, under one queen, 300 years after the UK came into being, even now there is diff between the people, tho for the most part they get on. So i suppose its an evolution thing thats gonna take time.

Turks had ataturks ideals enforced on them, in this day and age that wouldn`t work esp in Pak, we have to find our own model that works for us.

Musharraf’s Coup - Seven Years Later 13& 14 bang on!

Its almost as if the Pak govt is out to make life difficult for its people. In the country these are exactly the problems we have, hence the survival of chudhrism and vaderaism.

My Ramadan Nice article Fiza... I`m just lazy so i haven`t been fasting!!!

Urstruly

Changi maar kuTTh payee LOL!!!!

#5 by harimau on October 5, 2006 5:09pm PT
So Fiza studies at Berkeley and still believes in nonsensical rituals!

Proof that you can take the girl out of Pakistan but you can`t take Pakistan out of the girl!

Hmmmmm Harimau ji and what do you say of Karva Chot vrat that my Big Indian Baji/Didi`s keep for their hubby`s long life, here in London?

What about Pooja, PaTh, Aarthi etc, these all too are rituals. They are not nonsensical but provide us with something, thats why we do them. Just because you study at Berkely doesnt mean that rituals you were brought up with will cease to affect you, or you will not get something from them.

How would your reaction have been had this been some Hindu girl from Mumbai reminiscing about Navratri or Dusehra???