iFaqeer

Palin Meets Zardari; a Different Take

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:14:50 -0500

I am not sure I completely agree with, or endorse the thought, but this bears quoting. It's something Nosherwan Yasin said on a mailing list this morning about the whole Zardari hits on Palin brouhaha (in case you've not followed it, check out the post and discussion Teeth Maestro's blog here.):

Although I agree that such statements are inappropriate in foreign relations, I can't help but see an unintentional advantage (of sorts) of Pakistani chauvinism in dealing with such a character. The politically correct, hidden misogyny of the American politician really has no answer for the snide, smart @ss, belittling demeanor that Palin seems to exhibit. She reminds me of the typical sitcom girlfriend, you know the one that will not let passive guy X go out with his friends and Y humiliating him to a laugh track, constantly nagging and yelping without any real knowledge of anything.

But good old sexism, in societies where it is acceptable, such as Pakistan, provides a trump card.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Zardari - Pakistan - Palin

SAJA Panel Discussion on the South Asian Blogosphere

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:21:54 -0500

SAJA BRIEFING: The South Asian Blogosphere and How Its Changing the Media 8:35pm
Website: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/saja/2008/09/26/desiblogs

The South Asian Journalists Association presents an online panel discussion among some of the best-known names in the South Asian blogosphere. They will discuss the state of the blogosphere (South Asian and otherwise) and how it is affecting how news and information about South Asia and the diaspora is gathered and shared. Sabahat Ashraf of iFaqeer; Anil Dash of AnilDash.com; Karthik of Uberdesi.com; Maria Giovanna of Filmiholic.com; Arun Venugopal of SAJAforum.org

Technorati tags applicable to this post: iFaqeer - Blogging - South Asian Blogosphere - Indian Blogosphere - Pakistani Blogosphere

As Gandhi would have put it...

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:07:51 -0500

I apologise for the hit-and-run post, and though I have great respect for the man, I am not a Gandhian. But following everything over the weekend, I am left with a thought this morning that channels Gandhi; A War on Terror would be a great idea--if either the West or Muslims choose to take up the idea.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: War on Terror

The More Things Change...

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:59:49 -0500

I am reminded of something my father said about 20+ years ago: "Over the decades, Pakistan has made wonderful progress in everything--except politics." [On my father, today, the 6th of Ramazan is his first "barsee", as we say in South Asia--the first anniversary of his passing by the Islamic calendar. Please do keep him, and us, in your prayers.] I am attaching an op-ed from the person who is Editor Reporting for The News in Karachi (one of the two largest English papers in Pakistan; this one is owned by the Jang Group) and is a family/childhood friend. Over the years, I have been amazed as I watched him evolve into something really rare--and almost unheard of in the US mainstream media today ;) --a truly objective journalist.

Two paras I'd like to quote in next comments:

"Pakistan is a somewhat strange country, one may concede. We are happy to give an unelected military general nine years in power but balk at allowing the same to be given to someone who is not rigging the elections. Only because we think one is a “decent man” and the other, in our eyes, is not. An officer who violates his own pledge to protect the Constitution is acceptable to us because of circumstances but a politician who breaks an agreement with a fellow politician cannot be trusted."

A word for "Non-Resident Pakistanis":

"Overseas Pakistanis, whose crucial remittances keep our boat afloat, are usually well meaning, but bitter at the same time. The fundamental difference between Indians and Pakistanis abroad, and here one is generalising, is that when Indians meet socially they talk about how to make things better for those back home. Pakistanis, instead, criticise what is happening in Pakistan and pat each other on the back for being lucky or fortunate enough to get out of the mess. It sometimes seems they take pride in predicting the end of Pakistan, as if by this happening their decision of leaving the country would be vindicated."

On issues that face Pakistan:

"Power of any kind is an issue. There are many who ask when our other power crisis will be over and who is responsible for the mess we are in today. The callous manner in which the Karachi Electric Supply Co has been handled leaves many questions in our minds. For example, what change was made by the army administered management when it was put in charge of the utility, apart from overcharging unsuspecting customers?

The selloff also had its critics, but the manner in which KESC was managed by its new owners left a lot to be desired. Then the upright German CEO was summarily dismissed, and finally the ownership again changed hands in very unclear circumstances. None of this happened in the time of Mr Zardari. But it is unclear what the present government has in store in terms of fighting the power crisis in the country. There seems to be no action on this front. Instead, as we have seen in the past, near and dear ones are being bestowed with cushy jobs."

And lastly:

"The bigger issue is whether Mr Zardari is up to the challenges before him. Possibly not. One of the reasons is that it is highly likely that there will be a power confrontation between the PPP and the PML-N. In this, the establishment is set to back the PML-N. With the exit of President Musharraf, all the old players are aligning with each other. Past friendships are being renewed. The Sharif brothers are more acceptable to our doubters at home and abroad."

And so the game continues. (Do read the whole Op-Ed here.)

Who benefits? Don't look now, but the most organized and well-thought-out force in Pakistan today is way to the right of any of us.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Benazir - Pakistan - Zardari

On President Zardari

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:58:54 -0500

Just wrote this in reply to a birthday wish I got from a friend on Facebook, who mentioned that he will always remember this as the day we elected Mr. 10% as our President:

The supreme irony is that he got elected on a day that is celebrated as "Defence Day".

You and I don't have to like it, but the man--or should I say Da Man aka Maanroo Saeen--has more legal right to be President of Pakistan than Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto ever did. He might be as corrupt as his wife, Nawaz Sharif, and Imran Khan rolled into one, but he's also more politically savvy than all of them combined. Paradoxes are us, man! Democracy is messy, and all that cool stuff, what? After all, American elected--or gave 49% of the vote to--George W Bush not once but twice.

More later. I have a major project to launch this weekend.

Update: I posted a longer item on this issue later. Please do read it, too.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Benazir - Pakistan - Zardari

Palin Comparison...s

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:09:03 -0500

I'll have more to say on professional women and sexism later, but a couple of quick things:

I am surprised no one's calling her "Pit Bull Palin" yet. After all, she approved that nickname herself last night!
Just saw someone (a couple of someones, actually) post the following on Facebook. I HAD been wondering whether anyone had documented the criticism of Hilary for using the sexism card:

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Palin - Sexism - Pit Bull Palin - Daily Show - John Stewart

What would Obama mean for Silicon Valley--and Tech/Industry generally?

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:38:22 -0500

One thing I have been wondering about Obama and what he said yesterday is what he means for Silicon Valley and Industry/Tech generally. Specifically, what does it mean to eliminate capital gains for start-ups, and stopping tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and giving them to companies that create jobs in the US of A? Care to comment:

http://www.wadiwallah.com/blog/2008/08/29/obama-what-does-he-mean-for-us-in-silicon-valley/

Ahmad Faraz, RIP; Haq Maghfirath Karay...

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:40:07 -0500

If there was every a time to to invoke the old line "Haq maghfirath karay, ajab azaad mard th-haa", it is today, as we mourn the passing of a titan.

From The News:

Legendary poet Ahmed Faraz passes away
Updated at: 1720 PST, Thursday, July 17, 2008

CHICAGO: Renowned poet and literary figure of Pakistan Ahmed Faraz died of kidneys failure here at a local hospital on Thursday.

He was under treatment at a hospital in Chicago.

Update: News reports and his family attest that he is still alive but struggling. Please keep him in your prayers. [09:34 Pacific Time.]
http://pakistaniat.com/2008/07/17/ahmed-ahmad-faraz/

On Zimbabwe, Mubgabe and the International Community

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 21:27:38 -0500

Just had the following to say about Zimbabwe to a friend who was despondent about the recent Security Council disaster on Zimbabwe:

"The Zimbabwe situation is not just a symptom of UN dysfunction. There's a couple of other layers to it: including Africans themselves not being able to bring themselves to go after a person who was once one off their most respected freedom fighters. The loud and aggressive posture Britain, for one, has taken about Mugabe--and for a very long time--grates even on my sensibilities as a person born in West Africa and who still remembers when Zimbabwe became independent. In fact, the British--and even the BBC's--attitude to Zimbabwe plays the same role George Bush's posturing on democracy does: driving people further into the arms of radicals, or at least making it difficult for people to stand what seems like the same side as them."

Powered by ScribeFire.

Blogging from my (i)Phone

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:19:03 -0500

Let's see if this works.

If you're going to read one Op-Ed on Karachi...

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:52:41 -0500

Karachi at dusk

We've had a lot of angst, and whatnot about the events in Karachi. Please do read the piece below. Kamal is a friend, too, but he's evolved into one of the most objective observers I know in the business--anywhere. [Yes, more so than I.]

Much as it is tempting to get angry at this or that party, the events of 1973--or Palestine in 2007/8--should force us to take a step back and think. And think not even the cycnical 'Who benefits from this turmoil?' that we've all come to do every time something happens in our country, but think 'Who loses from, as Kamal calls it, the "crippling [of Pakistan's] commercial capital?" no matter how justified one's personal outrage. Wasn't it the same people now crying out about the events of April 9 also the ones that expressed outrage and being boggled by the outrage and unrest at Benazir's assasination?

Often nations like ours cry out for a Mandela. But is it too much to ask for each of us to try and reach for Madiba's way of trying to heal a society that is fractured and at war with itself?

The Empire strikes back again
[The writer is editor reporting, The News]

Once again Karachi is in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. The manner in which unidentified persons created havoc on April 9 within hours of a scuffle at the City Courts speaks of a conspiracy to undermine the writ of the state. As usual, the state was caught napping.

The events of April 9 need to be examined further, not swept under the carpet. Men in civilian clothes appeared on the streets and directed the burning of cars and initiating random incidents of firing. Nearly ten people have died so far as a result of the incidents that took place that day.

The police and Rangers, charged with law and order, were nowhere to be seen. This has become the routine in Karachi. Equally routine is the fact that no one is taken to task. Once the trouble dies down, it’s business as usual. And as present indications show, the new government is following the same strategy.

This is true not just of Karachi or Sindh. In the past couple of days, several incidents have taken place all over Pakistan, which indicate that the foundations of the Gilani government are being shaken. The attack on Arbab Ghulam Rahim may have been the work of a disgruntled PPP worker, but the attack on Dr Sher Afgan was most probably the work of a “higher” body. The violence in Karachi and the incidents that surrounded this were also the work of an organised network intent on crippling the country’s commercial capital for reasons best known to it.

More at: http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=106641

Cross-posted on the iFaqeer, ProgressiveIslam.org, Pak Tea House, Doodpatti, by Tohfay blogs.
Technorati tags applicable to this post: Karachi - Pakistan - Muslim World

Pakistani Censorship Downs YouTube--Globally!

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:51:01 -0600

In my last post, I mentioned the then breaking story that the Pakistan Telecomm Authority was in the process of blocking YouTube from the country. The "reason" given a video that was disrespectful to "An Hazrat, Maulana Mohammad, Rasul Allah", as we are wont to say in Pakistan, or "The Gentleman, Our Lord, Mohammad, Prophet of God". Of course, amongst our wonderful, patriotic Pakistanis, there were the immediate questions about whether that in itself was a rumour or documented. Well, please do take a look at one of the documents that went out from the Pakistan Telecomm Authority to the ISP's on Siliconstani's blog.

The suspicions on the part of the grapevine is that this blocking/censorship happened when it happened because of videos that were ending up on YouTube of vote rigging--both in Karachi and Lahore and elsewhere. Though the brunt of the suspicion is about videos of rigging in Karachi, and pro- the MQM.

But, wait! There's more!!! Breaking news right now is that the way the regulatory organizations for the Internet in Pakistan went about blocking YouTube has caused an outage/inaccessibility of the site globally! Check out the BBC report here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7262071.stm

The first thing that went through my head when I saw that story was that people like me often hear from fellow Pakistani expats that we should not discuss our home country's dirty laundry in public--you know, like raising Internet censorship at meetings where Pakistan's technology industry is being discussed. I wonder what they think of sweeping our issue under the rug till a SNAFU like this happens does for the much-maligned Image of Pakistan that our PUPPIES (Pakistani Yuppies) keep talking about.

Interesting thing is, as I was saying earlier to someone, this case illustrates beautifully the issues related to censorship. If you accept that censorship is okay in some circumstances (the one that the British set the precedent for in South Asia just happens to be hurting the sensibilities of major communities--today's Shining India also continues to ban stuff on that basis, from Rushdie to blogs), then governments will inevitably use the power either ineptly, or maliciously.

Now, I am not one to buy into American exceptionalism, and am often the one in a discussion amongst immigrants to challenge the "Milk and Honey" view of our lives in this country, but the First Amendment to the US Constitution is written the way it is for a reason: "Congress shall make NO law restricting the freedom of speech". No if's, and's and but's; it's something even the US Supreme Court has never really lived up to. There is no such thing, as someone once said, as "being a little bit pregnant". Either you're okay with censorship, or you aren't.

The right way to control harmful speech, or offensive speech is NOT governmental control. It is in society; if you're offended, use the avenues reserved for that offense. If you harmed, use the methods for restitution of that harm. In some societies, it is law suits and other legal action (used to be that was what Muslims believed in, too); in others it is duels with a choice of weapon at dawn.

I am sorry, but I have paid a personal price in my life because I refused to live in the Gulf. Both my dear mother and my father-in-law would have loved it for me to take a job there and be nearer to them. And as for Pakistan, I cannot with a straight face keep on complaining about a "Show Cause Notice" from the Zia Regime for a small, very small Christmas message I put on the Contents page of a youth magazine in 1987 and yet say it is okay to block YouTube or Facebook. My conscience won't let me. If I am okay with the latter, then I should be okay with the former.

Censorship is censorship. If you're okay with censorship, please say so. I am not.

Cross-posted on the iFaqeer, Wadiblog, ProgressiveIslam.org, Pak Tea House, blogs.
Technorati tags applicable to this post: Pakistan - Internet Censorship - YouTube Outage

Democracy Rules! Pakistan Blocks/Bans YouTube

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:53:00 -0600

There's an old (from our youth :p) Bollywood song that goes "Main ro'oon ya hansoon; karoon mai kyaa karoon?!" or "Should I cry or laugh; To do, what do I do?"

Users subscribing to the Internet though the PTCL (Pakistan Telecom Corporation Limited, the semi- or formerly-government-owned corporation), in particular, have been getting the following message today if they tried to access YouTube:

-------------- Dear Internet Users Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (www.pta.gov.pk)has directed all ISPs of the country to block access to www.youtube.com web site for containing blasphemous web content/movies. The site would remain blocked till further orders from PTA. Meanwhile, Internet users can write to youtube.com to remove the objectionable web content/movies because this removal would enable the authorities to order un-blocking of this web site. Best Regards Manager Technical Assistance Center Micronet Broadband Pvt. Ltd. Islamabad -------------

For background, see:
http://www.teeth.com.pk/blog/2008/02/22/youtube-blocked-in-pakistan/
http://www.teeth.com.pk/blog/2008/02/22/vote-rigging-videos-in-karachi-could-this-be-why-youtube-is-blocked/
http://www.kidvai.com/windmills/2008/02/last-laugh.html

Cross-posted on the iFaqeer, Wadiblog, ProgressiveIslam.org, Pak Tea House, blogs.
Technorati tags applicable to this post: Pakistan

Azad Karachi Radio Program10 Now Online

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:53:24 -0600

Program 10 of Azad Karachi Radio, the Urdu podcast I produce, is now online. The first program of 2008 has guest Mehdi Hasnain join iFaqeer and Cemendtaur to discuss the American Elections, the Pakistani situation and events with Ayesha Siddiqa in California as well as a media item.

The program mentions, amongst other things:

ABN Chicago's Urdu Talk Radio Show
...and of course, Cemendtaur and iFaqeer's own blogs and the Karachi Photoblog and سمندطور کی اردو دنیا (Cemendtaur ki Urdu Duniya)

Program 10 of Azad Karachi Radio is availble here:

http://azadkarachiradio.blogspot.com/2008/02/program-010-february-20-2008.html

Formally speaking, Azad Karachi Radio is produced out of Silicon Valley and is a service of Azad South Asia, a collaborative media effort initiated by yours truly and Cemendtaur. You can reach the team at iFaqeer@gmail.com or leave comments on either this blog or at Azad Karachi Radio.

Again, please leave comments, feedback, suggestions, and other input by posting comments on our blog pages or via email at iFaqeer@gmail.com.

Cross-posted on the iFaqeer, Wadiblog, ProgressiveIslam.org, Pak Tea House, Urdu ke Naam, blogs.
Technorati tags applicable to this post: Urdu - Hindi - Urdu Podcast - Pakistani Podcast - Indian Podcast - Hindi Podcast - Moderate Muslims - Progressive Muslims - Benazir - Pakistani Elections - US Elections - Barack Obama - Hilary Clinton

The iFaqeer blog moves to blog.iFaqeer.com

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:33:44 -0600

Just moved the domain of this blog to blog.iFaqeer.com. Nothing else changes, and the old URLs should still work.

Just added the new domain to my Technorati Profile, too.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: iFaqeer

Kabul; Britain; Putting a Face on Blogging and Civil Society in Pakistan...

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:52:12 -0600

Sorry I have been MIA for a bit. A couple or three things jump out from the New York Times, NPR and the 'Net this morning.

Firstly, there's an op-ed in the NYT this morning by the country director for the Institute of War and Peace Reporting providing his personal perspective about the bombing of the Serena Hotel in Kabul, a watering hole (and just a place to hole up) for expats, particularly. And there have been other stories about Afghanistan in The Times, on NPR, other places in the last few days. It seemed to hit me; is it a coincidence that the Western Media and Zeitgeist is sitting up and noticing--or should I say acknowledging, since some information has always been around--that Afghanistan is down the tubes because the Taliban, as Mr. McKenzie tells us, have now started a policy of targeting westerners?

The other thing that jumped out at me was from a series that NPR is doing on Muslim Women in Britain.

As I have said umpteen times, until we sit up and notice that the folks who are adopting the niqaab in Britian today are not adopting the traditional ways of Muslims, but something new, we are only going to continue headlong towards the abyss as a planet. After all, does it make any sense to, on the one hand, say that the radicals are a throw-back to medieval times and that "[o]ne meets an increasing number of British Muslim[s]... who are saying … you should go back to the veil, you should go back to our traditional ways" on the one hand and then admit that, for one, the "Hizbut Tahrir's goal is to promote a global Islam, cleansed of all ethnic or cultural traditions." I mean, think about that!

As I have acknowledged before, it is good to see folks (including Muslims, especially in Britain--the US is a generation or so behind in these matters, but what can one do about that? some things just have to run their course) finally engage with the fanatical tendencies within Muslim communities in a more detailed way. But until and unless we all--both outsiders and within the community--stop framing the discussion as, how did Sylvia Poggili put it? being the discussion between people who are "secular" and those who are "devout"; between those who think Sharia is a good idea and those who are against it, we are doomed to have the "Clash of Fundamentalisms" be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Until we start to think about what parts of the Muslim Ideological landscape--like the equivalents in other faith communities and ethnic groups and so on--are the ones from which terrorism and militant, inflexible fanaticism stem and until even us Muslims stop saying this is just about Islam versus the West or that this modern neo-purist strain that is so dominant today is the same as "traditional Islam"--or, worse, The One True, Pure Islam as practised by The Prophet--we're up the wrong creek without a paddle.

And lastly, a shout-out to my peeps, so to speak. There's a clip on Google Video today of an interview with two of Pakistan's most prominent bloggers on an English-language breakfast show. Well worth watching, what with Pakistan in the news in such a big way.

[Original at The Teeth Maestro's blog.]

Cross-posted on the iFaqeer, Wadiblog, ProgressiveIslam.org, and Pak Tea House, blogs.
Technorati tags applicable to this post: Pakistan - Muslims in Britain - Afghanistan - Sylvia Poggioli - Bloggers - Teeth Maestro - Jamash - Hizbut Tahrir - Islamism

Mohsin Hamid on Events in Pakistan

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:02:40 -0600

Mohsin Hamid's latest op-ed is pretty good. Recommended reading for anyone who wants to know how things looked/look from the perspective of the every day life in Pakistan. You can read it here, on the Washington Post site.

I attended a talk by him at Stanford last year, and my first reaction was that what he was saying, the world view and experiences were the experiences of any Pakistani of our age and station, so to speak. (I think he's about a year older than me.) And he writes well. It's good to have him around, with his facility with English and "global" culture to bring that voice, that view of the world to the table. And given his visibility and position as a globally-best selling author, to have what he says read and noticed.

Of course, I am still very disappointed with him and others of our generation and/or background--and this even includes, to some extent, folks like Imran Khan, who made sympathetic noises--for initially supporting the military take-over in 1999. But more on that as and when I can write--or maybe some readers can comment and discuss that aspect.

Cross-posted on the iFaqeer, Wadiblog, ProgressiveIslam.org, and Pak Tea House blogs.
Technorati tags applicable to this post: Benazir - Pakistan - Mohsin Hamid

Funeral Services for Benazir Bhutto...and a word on the religious tenor of the Bhuttos

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 21:23:53 -0600

Just learnt that a Ghayabana Namaaz-e-Janaza is going to be held for Benazir Bhutto after/with Friday prayers at the Masjid-e-Farooq-e-Azam in Concord, California. I am told it is off the Clayton Exit, across from the Safeway and near the BART Station and there will be a prayer meeting (Du'a) at the BART Station afterwards.

Sorry about the late notice, but I just found out.

There will most probably be services in other places around the world. Please feel free to post information in the comments section here to inform others.

For those not familiar with the concept, "Namaz-e-Janaza" is the South Asian name for the Muslim prayer said at a person's bier before he or she is interred. There is a tradition of saying the exact same prayer "ghayabana", or "in absentia", in situations like this where a lot of people not physically present at the burial want to participate (or in cases where a body is not found; but that's another story).

As a matter of clarification, I am forwarding this not because I am a fan or follower of Benazir, her father, or the PPP, but for all their faults and follies, both she and her father were in a tradition of South Asian and/or Muslim leaders going back at least to Akbar, who chose to make at least a public connection with the more folksy interpretation of their constituencies' faith(s).

In my book, she gets credit for being the only Muslim leader I have ever heard invoke Ijma, the Islamic concept of consensus as a source of community self-governance .

The discussion on KQED about Benazir's passing and it's aftermath went well and the audio archive should be available at:

http://www.kqed.org/pgmArchive/RD19/20071223/week

Photo is an AP image taken off the BBC website.
Cross-posted on the iFaqeer, Wadiblog, ProgressiveIslam.org, and Pak Tea House blogs.
Technorati tags applicable to this post: Benazir - Pakistan - Ijma

Benazir Bhutto, "Daughter of Pakistan, Daughter of the Muslim World", RIP

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 04:09:22 -0600

At least a couple of people have wondered why I haven't posted anything on my blog. Folks have been asking why I haven't posted anything. Been distracted because my wife and kids were en route to Karachi. Finally had them rerouted directly to Delhi from Hong Kong, skipping Karachi for now.

I hope to write and post. For now, you can catch me on The Forum on KQED tomorrow morning.

http://www.kqed.org/programs/radio/forum/

Notes on the quote on the subject and on the photo above: The photograph above often appears on Wikipedia articles and updates about Benazir. It is an image I captured myself at Chandini Restaurant in Newark California on September 28th, 2004 and made available under GPL License through that site. (See articles on my blog here and here.) The quote is from President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, the person she met as her last official appointment.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Benazir - Pakistan

What is Civil Society? Just a Nice Phrase?

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 04:15:25 -0600

"Civil Society" has become the new touch phrase in Pakistani politics. And it's gotten to the point where people express the same kind of cynicism about it that is usually reserved for words like "Islamist", and "War on Terror", and, well, "Progressive Islam". A friend on one of our alumni mailing lists was getting pretty disgusted by Nawaz Sharif's piling on to the Civil Society bandwagon.

But words have meanings, and undue cynicism can be self-defeating. In fact, we need to fight the battle of perception and how things are framed. That's been quite a discussion in US politics and thought, particularly kicked off by the book by George Lakoff titled Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate

And in our own situation in Pakistan, it is important to keep people honest in their language.I think it would go go a long way towards a better society.

And honestly, I have the same attitude towards "terrorism", "moderate", "Islamist", etc. See, for example, my post on the concept of one man's terrrorist being another man's freedom fighter or other posts on being flip with language, such as this one about terrorists that are "Hindu" or "Islamic".

And to further that cause, here's my definition of "Civil Society":

Anyone who's not affiliated with a political party or a government servant (including military).

What's yours? What's your pet peeve in terms of language?

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Pakistan - Emergency - CrisisPK - George Lakoff

Geo Taken Off the Air by the UAE...but how is this surprising?

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 04:33:14 -0600

The word going around about the Dubai/UAE government forcing the Geo Television Network (or parts thereof) off the air is "shocking"...

Miriam Webster defines "shocking" as " extremely startling, distressing, or offensive".

Offensive, yes. But startling? Unless you were--and most of us were--in denial, how is this startling? Distressing, well, if your world view was built on absolute monarchies doing the right thing more often than not, than yes, I can see how it would distress you to see them do othewise.

Startled I am not. My dear mother would have loved for me to live and work in the Gulf and I always said “Pinjra pinjra ho tha hai; chahay sonay ka ho.” [A cage is a cage, even if it is made of gold.] The places are absolute monarchies and they have always had very good relations with Pakistani governments, especially absolute Pakistani governments.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Pakistan - Emergency - CrisisPK - Geo TV

On Greg Palast on Hillary and Musharraf

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 01:41:37 -0600

There's an article going around by Greg Palast whose operative paragraph is:

You’ve seen all those creepy photos of George Bush rubbing up against Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf, the two of them grinning and giggling like they’re going to the senior prom. So it’s hard to remember that it was Hillary and Bill who brought Pervez to the dance in the first place.

To me, the point that article makes is that bad foreign policy that most often flies in the face of democratic ideals and the best interests and aspirations of the "natives"--not to mention the longer-term interests of America and its people--is a bi-partisan epidemic in the US, and we shouldn't forget that. Venting all our frustrations at placards of George W. Bush might feel good but is not going to help anybody in the medium-to-long term. What we need to do is to try and help the whole US establishment see the light...

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Pakistan - Emergency - CrisisPK - Hillary - Hillary on Pakistan - Hillary on Musharraf - 2008 Elections - 2008

Thoughts from a tired, but joyous activist

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:32:43 -0600

Folks I need to get some sleep. I have installed Picasa and will get more functional on the Wiki and lists and so on tomorrow. Promise.

Shab Bakhair, as the traditional greeting goes; a good night to all--and may the Subha, the morning, be even brighter. I am not kidding when I say that my pride and joy in all the activism and engagement we are seeing today far, far outweighs my pessimism over where our country and our communities (South Asian, Progressive, Muslim, ...) find themselves today. At least for this one moment in time, it is good to be part of something.

I haven't yet gone to a gathering where I can open up and just scream some naa'ray, but that might change this weekend. I leave you with something that's a work in progress and an attempt to update the chant of the late 70s when the people borrowed Bhutto's "Jamhuriyath kay theen nishaan; Talba, Mazdhoor aur Kisan" [Democracy (has its) three symbols; The Students, The Workers and The Peasant] and chanted:

Talba bhee maangain Azadi
Mazdhoor bhee maangay Azaadi
Kissan bhee maangay Azaadi
Is Martial Laa say Azaadi
Is General Zia say Azaadi
Azaadi, Azaadi, Azaadi....

The Students demand Freedom!
The Workers demand Freedom!
The Peasants demand Freedom!
From this Martial Law; Freedom!
From this General Zia; Freedom!
Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! ...

Like I said, we need an update, please help me finish this by finding something to rhyme with "Mazdoor" and complete the picture on who's involved:

Talba bhee maangain azaadi
Wukla bhee maangain azaadi

Mazdhoor bhee maangain azaadi
Akhbaar bhee maangain azaadi

Kissan bhee maangain azaadi
Jawaan bhee maangain azaadi
Imran bhee maangay azaadi

Is Martial Laa say Azaadi
Is General Sia say Azaadi
Azaadi, Azaadi, Azaadi....

The Students demand Freedom!
The Lawyers demand Freedom!

The Workers demand Freedom!
Newspapers demand Freedom!

The Peasants demand Freedom!
The Soldiers demand Freedom!
Imran demands Freedom!

From this Martial Law; Freedom!
From this Black General; Freedom!
Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! ...

Good night, and good luck.

Technorati tags applicable to this post: CrisisPK - Pakistan - Emergency - Slogans

Fixing my Odeo Channel

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 20:00:54 -0600

Just trying to fix my Odeo Channel (odeo/1fd0971260f4b11c); it wasn't updating right

Technorati tags applicable to this post: iFaqeer - PodCast - Pakistan - Muslim - Progressive

Into the marketplace with bejewelled limbs we go...

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 04:19:38 -0600

... so said Faiz Ahmed Faiz, probably the most popular poet of revolution in the latter half of the 20th century in South Asia; Pakistan, India, and particularly on the Left.

South Asia has a very rich tradition of poetry, one which draws on both the spiritual tradition that gave the world Rumi and Khayyam, and the revolutionary spirit of the last century or two. And because of the Sufi tradition it is steeped in, allegory, depth of meaning, and multi-faceted verbiage is the norm, rather than the exception. The words "Aaj bazaar main pa-bajaolaan chalo..." are probably some of the most recognized word. The "jewels" being described are, for the uninitiated, the ball and chain of oppression. Here's the poet himself reciting the poem, with English sub-titles, followed by one of the best renditions of the poem with music, in this case with an overlay of dramatic video:

[You can read the piece by Dr. Adil Najam, where I first found this video, here.]

But wait, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists has sent out a poster that puts these words above a poster that just needs to be seen to be believed. You couldn't, as we say, make this stuff up:

Please check in regularly at WikiPakistan's Emergency 2007 pages:

http://pakistan.wikia.com/wiki/Emergency_2007

for updates. And contribute what input you can, participate in whichever way you can.

[My previous post on the issue, introducing the Emergency 2007 wiki pages, by the way, is here.]

Technorati tags applicable to this post: Pakistan - Emergency - CrisisPK - Faiz Ahmad Faiz