Obama is Better for Jinnah\'s Pakistan Masadi #34 {"So no the job market for Muslims wont improve because a US president had a middle name of Hussein, a name they associate more with Saddam Hussein than they ever will with Barack Hussein, that btw was for foreign consumption just so as to sway idiots like you and others in the ME that the US is a completely open society where Muslims are allowed access to the highest office"}

Masad Sahib,
Are you therefore suggesting that American Muslims adopt the Jimmy Khan, Dave Sharif, and Pinky Pahalwan nomenclature. Pretty soon, we will run out of Shan, Sarah, Mariam, and Harris facades.

Obama is Better for Jinnah\'s Pakistan Anil Sahib,
I was using the "beta" term in the most affectionate of intentions. :)
But then "beta" could mean not ready for primetime. LOL

Obama is Better for Jinnah\'s Pakistan Chaltahai #32,
McCain is seen in a video singing "Bomb Bomb Iran, Bomb Iran." Does it mean that McCain will bomb Iran?

General Colin Powell – A Day Late and a Dollar Short #10 Posted by masadi on October 24, 2008 12:41:24 pm
{"Thanks for letting us know that you have been among the group that has been censoring my articles....I know Sohail the shrink is among them as is Gill the plumber..."}

Masadi Sahib,
Thank for finally explaining why my article had its last paragraph deliberately removed when my last article was published. Repeated request via messages, posts, and feedback to restore the paragraph were simply ignored. Now, I think I understand your own problem. This is a shame.
Salim Ahmed Chauhan

Are the Converted Tribals Really Hindu? Romair #279
Very good explanation of why Hadith is relevant but not completely and totally reliable as a source for law and government.

Are the Converted Tribals Really Hindu? Hamidumdum Sahib,
I am in the difficult position of having to vouch for Tahmed Sahib's veracity. Yes, because of the shariah-compliance stipulation, the Amana Fund that avoids financial stocks, pork production, gambling, and prostitution stocks, has actually posted a hefty gain. Of course, not all of the Amana Funds are shariah-compliant and therefore most did post losses in the 30%-40% range.

The good by-product of the shariah compliance was that the fund avoided financial stocks and that in itself helped it achieve success - talk about good luck.
Salim

History and Origins of MQM Part II {"barrister i wouldnt bother responding to that, if he is serious then he is insane. Let it go."}

When left with no arguments or logic, why do certain inferiority complex-laden sophomores resort to questioning the sanity of their adversaries? I think that it's insane to consider everyone to whom you lose your arguments as insane.

History and Origins of MQM Part II While this topic may be interesting, I refuse to join the unpatriotic so-called "Pakistanis" in degrading the concept, people, unity, society, and state of Pakistan. Little do these myopic midgets realize that they are providing free entertainment to our stingy neighbors seated in the cheap seats - but then maybe that's exactly the audience they mean to please. Lanat he in ghaddaaroN par.
Salim Chauhan

MQM - History and Origins My friends,
ML, MQM, PPP, and the rest of these groups of clowns are associations established to attain, protect, coordinate, maintain, sustain, and improve Pakistan and Pakistanis. If they fail in this purpose they should be replaced with organizations that can deliver. ML gave us a "moth-eaten" Pakistan and eventually was booted out of governmnet by a majority of Pakistanis. If the discrimination against Mohajirs subsides and MQM cannot morph itself into a different organization it too shall disappear in favor of something more appropriate.

After all, even the BJP wants to be known for more than just Modi, Thackeray, Babri Masjid, and Gujarat.

MQM - History and Origins #86 Posted by hamidm2 on October 7, 2008 4:04:23 am
Re: # 85

{"tahmed sahib,
.... i am surprised at you reaction to ahmedmadani sahib's style of english ..... he is perhaps the most knowledgeable and intelligent interactor on chowk and his acerbic posts are not only funny, they also have a lot depth and content ...... i, for, one enjoy the heck out of his posts ...... the man is a genius !
madani sahib, keep them coming ......"}


#85 Posted by tahmed32 on October 6, 2008 10:50:24 pm

{"Mr. Madani #84 In addition to its other virtues, I see that Karachi also has learned english language professors like you. The "rest of Pakistan" can only stand in awe of specimen like you of the Herrenvolk of Karachi."}

Tahmed Sahib,
Needless to say, I wholeheartedly agree with Hamidumdum Sahib. I have the utmost respect for his views. By "his" I mean Mr. Madani and not necessarily Hamidumdum Sahib. I always look forward to reading Madani Sahib's views. He has an inimitable and very interesting style of writing uninterrupted thoughts that are often linked by brilliant examples from geography, history, mathematics, and economics. The man is truly a genius and so is Hamidumdum Sahib for calling him one.

Chowk Staff, please ban Tahmed Sahib for confusing Madani Sahib for a Bihari.

Respectfully hollered,
Salim Ahmed Chauhan

MQM - History and Origins Dear Meiraj08, Viqarm, MatloonbZaman,
I responded to each one of you with long, detailed, and very positive reponses. Unfortunately, Chowk Staff has decided to ban my nick Salim_Chauhan to enforce some subjective and biased agenda of their own.

Basically,

Meiraj - your passionate post about Urdu being your language and Karachi being your city really touched my heart. I support you in your case, your vision, and your logic. Political jargon, racist bigotry, and ethnic jingoism notwithstanding, Urdu is YOUR language, Karachi is YOUR city, just as much as Pakistan is MY country. God bless people like you and may Pakistan have more loyal and patriotic citizens like you. Don't let the selfish, divisive, and hate-mongering so-called "leaders" get you depressed. One of you is more precious than all of them. Thanks. Salim Chauhan.

Viqar Bhai,
I agree with your sentiments and your points. Slogans alone cannot attain what we must accomplish in reality. Positive slogans merely help to offset the bigotry, racism, and ethnically divisive garbage uttered by our politicians.

To be successful, we will have to, as you say, give and take. Only through compromise will we attain most of what we all want - safety, unity, prosperity, justice, equality, opportunity, and really Islamic environment.

MatloobZaman Sahib,
Thank you for seconding my comments about Hurricane Payee. One person like him can dispel the damage caused by many of the ethnic jingoists and divisive chauvinists. Yes, Harry Pi is fair, unbiased, patriotic, and all Pakistani. Even as a Muslim he is a shining example of a person regardless of being a Sunni or Shia - we don't know and we don't care. He is that good a person. Mashallah.

Thank you for your posts,

Sincerely,

Salim Ahmed Chauhan

We Have Met the Enemy and the Enemy is Us! Satan Annie #408,
Why are you so filled with hatered?
Whether I am a pseudo Rajput or a Turquoise Turk or a pathetic Pakistani should not make you hate me. Having murderous aspirations and kissing Narendra's bum are not going to make you successful. Showing sympathy and affection, even toward your enemas, will make you a better person. What have these BJP/RSS/VHP/BD/SP/JS/SS goons done to genuine Hinduism?

Pakistani-Americans or American-Pakistanis? Atif #9,
I support your suggestion for Pakistani-Americans to emulate Jewish Americans in placing their religious identity above their country of origin one. This increases our numbers, our influence, and we gain from the common goals and efforts of those with whom we have almost everything in common.

The key effort should be in ensuring unity - Shias, Sunnis, Smileys, and yes, even Ahmedis. Seriously, my friend, we need a sustained effort to bring these energetic folks back to their faith and possibly remove the common misunderstandings that have plagued our relationship with them. I think that the overwhelming majority of Ahmedis recognize the folly in proclaiming any Messenger after the Holy Prophet (PBUH). The intolerance, that we must admit has inflamed passions, has helped some Ahmedis to circle their wagons and possibly become entrenched in their misguided assault on mainstream Islam. Let's open the umbrella of Islam wider and more encompassing to shelter us all and invite those who want protection from the downpour of inequality, oppression, and injustice.

Pakistani-Americans or American-Pakistanis? #2 Posted by BJ2 on September 27, 2008 7:11:35 am

Dear Mr. Coomar,
You are back to your chauvinsim. Unlike American Indians (LOL), Pak Americans have not outsourced millions of American jobs to Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Gurgaon. American Injuns have backed such rascals as Stephen Solarz and Sen Pressler for their anti-Pakistan rhetoric. The most patriotic American Injuns, in my opinion, was Sitting Bull. :)\

Oh, here is some advice to you and your fellow American Injuns:

"The number of Indian-origin individuals in the USA is small – perhaps too small to make any difference on issues of substance. Their best bet is to combine their group efforts with regular Americans – with whom they have more in common than many Indians tend to admit.

The following tendencies need to be curbed by the Indian Americans – if they have to make progress in America.

(1) Remember that India is another country – a foreign country to the USA. You are here as individuals – not as agents of India Shining and your first duty is to this country – not to that far-away India or that even farther away (mythical) Hindutva.

(2) Remember that this country has evolved over time and there are many things it has learned over that time. Some of those things are hard-learned lessons. For example, racism (of any kind) is harmful. So is religious bigotry -- for example, making a distinction between how you treat Muslims, whether Arab, Pakistani, or African-American. Downgrading women is also harmful. You do no favors to anybody, certainly not to the USA and most certainly not to your women-folks when you insist on treating them in accordance with how you treated them “back home� – no matter whether your justification for that is based in societal customs, economics, or religion! You need to discard those practices AND attitudes instead of developing a ghetto mentality about such practices and attitudes."

Pakistani-Americans or American-Pakistanis? Kulharee Sain,
Pakiturk is yours truly,
Salim "Mir Jafar" Chauhan. LOL

Pakistani-Americans or American-Pakistanis? {"Often times mosques in the community can subliminally tell Pakistani-Americans to vote which one way. It happened during the 2000 Presidential elections, and again in 2004. Pakistanis in New York voted pretty much like one block. Care to guess who they overwhelmingly supported in 2000? Yep, G Dubya.

In the end, it is not important which way the Pakistani-American community votes, what is important is that it votes. It is my hope that Pakistani-Americans will be part of the USA as much as Jewish-Americans and will play a much bigger role in decades to come.

God bless Pakistan
God bless USA"}

Feroz Bhai,
I liked this article. It does demonstrate a maturing of the phenomenon known as the immigrant's challenge in voting his/her conscience, his/her interests, and his/her bias for the "old country."

Immigrants from Pakistan are no different. For domestic issues, most tend to favor Democrats, but, unfortunately, there had been a misguided perception, that Republicans were better for Pakistan. In 2000, a few hundred Pakistani-American votes in Florida, if voted without concern for the "benefit" to Pakistan, would have landed Gore in the White House. I believe that the Pak-American vote went something like 70% for Dubya. Perhaps, Gore's choice of that weasel, Lieberman, had a lot to do with it. It affected the general Muslim vote against Gore, which went for Dubya as high as 90% in some areas. Good article and glad to observe your real thoughts.