Reforming Religious Fundamentalists Masadi Sahib, you and HP should book a joint session with Dr. Sohail Sahib. You have often accused HP of being a dimwit, I think you two need to have a heart to heart in presence of a professional.

Reforming Religious Fundamentalists Dr. Sohail Sahib, In my village a guy ran a cycle shop and one day I went to his shop to get my cycle repaired and he admires my wrist watch. He asks me to take it off as he wants to closely examine it. While looking at the watch, he says “IdiaN tyre TubaaN buht fit nay” (The watch has very good tires and tubes). What I mean to say is that you always look at every issue from the position of your profession. The rehabilitation of religious fundamentalists may be found in by providing psychiatric and psychological treatment, but the success can only be realized by addressing the surroundings that produce religious fanatics. Poverty, lack of self-worth, unemployment, crumbling infrastructure, lack of freedoms, are some of the causes, and any solution to this problem can only be successful by addressing these issues (in addition to what you are proposing).

Pakistani-Americans or American-Pakistanis? Salim (159), the point HP is not getting thru his empty head is that vote is obviously a personal matter, but the community getting together can wield a lot of power, in shape of organizing events and calling for candidates to come and sell themselves, and let them know what can they do for “our” community. I organize many such events. It happens with all the communities where I live, and people still vote for the one they like.

The Health and Medicinal Benefits of Very informative and extremely educational. There are things I have learned about that I didn’t know existed. Thank you Paracha Sahib. Keep up the good work, and continue exposing the ills of our society that are prevalent in rural, urban and suburban areas of Pakistan, as well as other places with cable and satellite TV receptions.

We Have Met the Enemy and the Enemy is Us! Dear Salim, the additional paragraph changes everything. Why bring Kashmir into the equation of how corrupt our Army is? Don’t you think that they are the one who use Kashmir as an excuse for their continued looting and betrayal of our country? What are we going to do with Kashmir that we haven’t done with Baluchs, the Pathans, the FATAs, the Ahmadis, and so on? Kashmir should stay where it is, and may I suggest that you recite Taran-e-Hindi at the end of your article:

Saray JahaN say achcha, Hindustan Hamara
Ham bulbuleiN haiN es Ki, yeh GulsitaN Hamara

Mazhab nihi sikhata Aappis maiN bayr Rakhna
Hindi haiN ham, Watan hay, Hidustan Hamara

Sir Kulharee Iqbal

We Have Met the Enemy and the Enemy is Us! Salim, good honest write-up. However, you missed the single common strand that runs thru all stupid groups. It’s the WMD, aka Wahabi Money Donations, since the 79 Iranian Revolution. Pakistan used to be a peaceful country even with the history of our wars with India. It was not until Zia bastard sold our nations to dogs, the house of Saud. The present day Pak Army is the single most corrupt institution in the country and the world. I agree with those who call for its disbanding. They have brought nothing but disgrace to Pakistan and have killed for the most part Pakistanis and East Pakistanis. They should at a minimum change their name to Indian Infantry.

September Morning Alphay, Bhatti is trying to defend dead Arbis of 7th century as if. You know the Arbo-Turkic-Persio complex.

Let me share a good news. Last year, the Ahmadiya Jamat built over 50 schools and 20 clinics in west Africa alone, while some self-righteous believers were busy killing their own kind. Ahmadiya community has a presence in Israel as well (for 80 years). Bhatti can get upset all he wants, it is not going to change anything, we will keep doing the good things. Inshalla.

September Morning Beej Yaar (152), no one has suggested that the Gitmowasis are not entitled to due process, but it would not appear to be a sincere submission when such a suggestion comes from places where human and civil rights are not part of the vocab. I wouldn’t like a Saudi Prince lecturing me on democracy.

September Morning I think the premise of this article was misunderstood by some of my dear friends here at Chowk. The purpose was to generate a discussion on owning up to our own misgivings without pointing fingers at everyone else but ourselves. No one ever suggested that Bush is a Saint or that the American aggression is in any way justifiable. And 9/11 happened (I swear it happened unlike the moon landing) I was witness to it, and I have pretty gory memories of the day, and I can only imagine what people have to go thru (yes, in places like Baghdad and North Waziristan, etc.) on daily basis. Their pain is not any less (or any more) severe than those affected by the 9/11 attacks. The question this article hoped to beg was to “what are we doing about it”. I think I failed in presenting that clearly.

Thank you all for your cordial, friendly, and lively participation in this discussion.

A Special Ramzan Mubarak to Masadi Sahib with an Arbi style kiss on the cheek.

September Morning Masadi Sahib, is this TNI just a lipstick on a pig? You haven’t really changed much. I just stopped by to say hello. I will participate in this discussion later in the evening.

There is no ‘honour’ in killing Please don't fight guys, it is Ramzan.

Masadi Sahib makes a good point, and GDP is a useless indicator for economies where a good chunk of the economic activity is either undocumented or is underground. International comparisons of this indicator will always have built in biases. The success of European postwar recovery lies in IMF, the World Bank, favorable tariffs and the steel industry.

Alcohol and Teenagers: A Lethal Mixture I am in DC getting my son moved into his dorm. I had sent an edited and spellchecked version of this article to Chowk edirots, I guess that didn't make it in time. Anyhow, when I return on tuesday, I will be able to partake in this discussion. Until then, cheers, bottoms up, salut, and LaKhaem.

How real is your politik? Masadi Sahib, Namaste. How’s the load shedding situation these days in lovely country of yours? At least you get internet access, so it mustnt be that bad.

Half of Pakistani newspapers (at least the English language dailies) have millions of similar articles written in the aftermath of Mushy’s resignation, and no one offers any solution as to what needs to be done. Pencil tigers if you will. What is stopping these people from actively getting involved into the process? These complainers make absolutely no sense. What do they expect? It’s Pakistan for crying out loud. When you build a swimming pool and have no water to fill it with, diving should not be a sport you should try. You created Pakistan on the basis of faith, now suck on it. Or drown.

Best wishes from New York.

Long Live the King: Musharraf’s Controversial Legacy “I’ll never forget what one of the military generals—not half as tipsy under the influence of alcohol as he was inebriated by the arrogance of power—said..”

Dear Mr. Ambassador, the above statement of yours is very unbecoming of a career diplomat, even though you mentioned it only in passing. I wonder what the good General told his friends about you. The rest of it is just your opinion.

What Talibanization? Paracha Sahib. Some experiences yove had. The parallel that comes to mind regarding Tablighis’ is that of bee and nectar. A bee only sucks on the flower where it will find juice.

Here is New York (and I guess elsewhere in the US as well) there is a similar group (traditionally known as the Bible Students “Taliban”) but more commonly referred to as Jehovah’s witnesses (not considered Christians by other Christians because of their rejection of the Trinity). But unlike the Tablighis or the Talibs, the JWs have had a huge impact on the civil liberties and laws of the US. Although they go house to house preaching (like Tablighis) but they don’t force themselves upon you in public places. They just sit on a bench with their magazine (Watch Tower) and hope that someone will talk to them. They are a very interesting group of people.

There’s a book “The American Religion” by Harold Bloom. A fascinating read about the role of religion (or modern American religion of the 19th century, e.g., Pentecostalism to Southern Baptism) on the US culture.

Pura Vida – 2 Weeks in the Land of Ticos Between my wife and I, we have been to half of the world. In all honesty, I have not been to any place where I had felt that I could live for the rest of my life. Costa Rica was one place where I thought I could.

Why are we fighting?