#GlobalPoliticalEconomist

Babies Know?!

2012-11-06T11:08:00.000-05:00

If babies are any predictor of electoral college, President Obama clearly has an upper hand. GPE would bet President getting reelected with a whopping 303 electoral votes!!

Some Analyst Would Agree With The Current InTrade's Electoral Map

2012-11-06T08:09:00.001-05:00

If you thought Governor Romney already had a steep hill to climb, now add the equation where Obama seems to be leading with a huge majority of electoral votes.

This might be a very optimistic scenario, but it is no doubt that Obama will come closer to this, getting way above the 270 required electoral votes.

To add to the list of maps, here's what Jim Crammer predicted:

Obama Sweeping The Election - According To InTrade

2012-11-03T15:05:00.001-04:00

The inTrade predication market gives Obama a whopping 190 delegate victory, just three days before the election. With Virginia leaning Obama, President could snatch another 13 votes making his victory even bigger than the safe majority he currently has.

9/11: Science and Conspiracy

2012-11-03T12:32:00.001-04:00

National Geographic Channel conducts a forensic investigation to test some of the most common conspiracy theories of 9/11 and mysteries surrounding the attacks.

Imran Khan Supporting & Legitimizing Taliban Propaganda

2012-11-02T13:32:00.000-04:00

Imran Khan - chairman of PTI, Pakistan's radical rightwing political party - in his recent tweets defended the Taliban propaganda by legitimizing what they claim their war to be. He supported them by admitting that Taliban's war against America is for their religion. While a rational person would argue that Taliban are only fighting to seize political power through violent means.

Imran Khan tweeted:

One, we have to get out of Americas war, stop drones to deny hardcore militants the narrative of Jihad. They use it to creat suicide bombers
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 2, 2012

Denial of 'war against infidels' narrative will also turn around many. In this way reduce the size of militants to a small hardcore
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 2, 2012

Besides his tweets being factually wrong, there is a bigger problem with what he is suggesting. His statements can be seen as another Pakistani leader's attempt at manipulating Afghanistan's politics and future. Khan has also stated that the "holly war" in Afghanistan is justified by Islamic Law.

The sheer fact that the Taliban, (which he mentions) are the Afghan Taliban (not the Pakistani Taliban) and are the ones America is fighting in Afghanistan using ground troops and in Pakistan using drone warfare, shows Imran Khan is either a person who is too naive and ignorant or a manipulative liar who would say anything to win the urban conservative vote.

Linking Afghan Taliban and their war against U.S. (and their ambitions of taking over Afghanistan) to the Pakistan Taliban who reject Pakistani courts, constitution, and democracy is not only a mistake on Khan's part but also seems to be a strategy to confuse his young supporters into becoming increasingly anti-American in a nation that already blames America for all their ills.

Imran Khan's solution to fighting militancy in Pakistan (against Pakistani Taliban) is to let Afghan Taliban get the control of Afghanistan, while letting Pakistan Taliban move deep into Pakistan and take over like they did in Swat and Red Mosque a few years ago. He opposed the government's actions against the Red Mosque extremists as well as the military operation against those who occupied Swat and continue to occupy FATA areas to launch attacks on mainland Pakistan.

In a nutshell, Imran Khan will support anything that's good for his career even if it is bad for Pakistan.

Imran to ‘punish’ Nato forces for US drone strikes

Pack Your Bags - You're Going To India

2012-10-31T19:58:00.000-04:00

Pakistan and India have moved to the liberalized visa regime, according to an agreement signed by both parties. The agreement is practically the first step towards easing the travel restrictions between the two countries since 1974, when the old visa regime came into force.

The liberalized visa accord allows for issuance of visas to the elderly and children on arrival. It facilitates visas for group tourists and allows for issuance of multiple-entry visas to businesspeople.

This is a significant milestone since the relations between the two countries have never been any closer.

A Must Watch Documentary TV Series; The Men Who Built America

2012-10-30T21:46:00.001-04:00

John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and J.P. Morgan rose from obscurity and in the process built modern America. Their names hang on street signs, are etched into buildings and are a part of the fabric of history.

These men created the American Dream and were the engine of capitalism as they transformed everything they touched in building the oil, rail, steel, shipping, automobile and finance industries. Their paths crossed repeatedly as they elected presidents, set economic policies and influenced major events of the 50 most formative years this country has ever known. From the Civil War to the Great Depression and World War I, they led the way. Using state of the art computer generated imagery that incorporates 12 million historical negatives, many made available for the first time by the Library of Congress, this series will bring back to life the world they knew and the one they created. The event series will show how these men took a failed experiment in democracy and created the greatest superpower the world has ever seen. We see how their historic achievements came to create the America of today.

(Source: History Channel)

Obama's Chances Of Winning Surge According To The Intrade Market

2012-10-30T19:03:00.000-04:00

Obama's chances of getting re-elected are surging at a whopping 66%

The surge started Tuesday afternoon & has gone up since then.

Would it be the aftereffects of hurricane Sandy and the need for a leader, rather than an inexperienced hopeful, that the tide is turning in favor of President Obama. His chances of winning the November 6th contest are improving, which only a week ago seemed to be turning in favor of his opponent Mitt Romney. It is yet to be seen what happens a week from now, but the nation's mood seems to be to stick with the incumbent.

This Romney Parody Account Made Me LOL

2012-10-30T14:34:00.000-04:00

A Song, A Message, To Those Who Wanted Malala Dead

2012-10-30T10:52:00.000-04:00

Malala Yousafzai's message for educational equality has resounded throughout the world. Targeted by the Taliban and shot at close range for supporting education for girls, she is recuperating in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England.

In tribute, Alphabet Kids and The Pihcintu Multinational Children's Chorus have joined hands to produce "Malala's Song."

Welcoming immigrant children from around the globe, Pihcintu helps restart young lives. War-torn villages, bloodshed, refugee camps, famine, and political turmoil were devastating realities for many of the young singers before being embraced by the warmth, companionship, and harmony the Chorus provides.

Like Malala, Pihcintu has touched the hearts of people everywhere. Through the healing power of music, these vulnerable, yet brave, young women have learned to trust, hope...and laugh again. It was only natural that they would reach out to their sister Malala through song.

Hurricane Sandy, Gangnam Style?!

2012-10-29T22:48:00.000-04:00

My Favorite Online Cricket Game

2012-10-29T16:42:00.001-04:00

Interactive Map of Drone Strikes in Pakistan

2012-10-29T15:07:00.000-04:00

Watch The Hurricane Live From This Cam In New York

2012-10-29T10:34:00.000-04:00

What Disqualifies Imran Khan's PTI From Elections in Pakistan?

2012-10-28T15:47:00.001-04:00

The answer to that question is this document, Political Parties Order 2002: As Imran Khan's political party openly runs fund raising campaigns around the world, without any mechanism of identifying the citizenship of its donors. This jeopardizes the legality of those funds and in turn of the whole political party.

Here's a registration document for the PTI USA LLC, which is registered as a foreign agent in U.S.A. to collect funds on behalf of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf.

Drones Kill So Malala Can Live

2012-10-27T22:50:00.000-04:00

The protester held by this protestor speaks for every civil Pakistani who was angry at the Taliban attack on the 14 year old Pakistani school girl and education activist. It speaks of the fact that the drone warfare actually does more good than it hurts in casualties.

As stated by the graphic bellow; the drones, since the war on terror started, has killed around 474 innocent civilians. Which is only 2.4 percent of the total number of innocent deaths if you account for those killed by Taliban during those years, which runs upward of 19 thousand deaths.

As these facts aren't enough to convince the right wing conspiracy theorists. Who from time to time come up with the most absurd conspiracies to malign Malala or mix up her issue and the issues of women's rights, right to education, and the issue of Talibanization with the issue of drone attacks in Pakistan.

One of Pakistan's prominent journalist Wajahat S. Khan helps us understand this better.

Pro-Taliban Politician Detained By American Authorities

2012-10-27T14:15:00.000-04:00

Pakistan's Cricketer-Turned-Poiltician Imran Khan was detained Friday night by the U.S. authorities at Canadian airport before his flight to U.S.. It is said to be for his pro-Taliban, pro-Afghan-jihad, and anti-drone views.

Mr. Khan later tweeted;

Imran Khan's visit to Canada and the U.S. is to raise funds for his radical rightwing political party, Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf. Khan and his party has also held an anti-drone march earlier this month. Where he described the Afghan-Taliban as fighting legitimate jihad against the U.S. and drones attacks against Taliban illegal. He also made anti-christian and anti-semetic statements to attack his political opponents.

Khan stated;

"Listen Maulana, you said Jews and Christians are joining the PTI march, but in your presence and Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, there is no need for any Jew or Christian, as you three are worst than (every one of) them (combined)...you have proved (this) by your policies" - [Business Recorder]

Some have stated "money laundering" to be the reason of his detention.

Fawad Rehman Tweeted;

Imran Khan repeated some of his views in his recent interview.

How the U.S. electoral map might end up looking.

2012-10-27T11:39:00.000-04:00

How the U.S. electoral map might turn out to be.

This is where the InTrade map stand as of today.

Amb. Husain Haqqani on Pakistan's Foreign Policy.

2011-05-25T20:09:00.002-04:00

Amb. Haqqani has repeatedly argued that it were the Pakistan’s insecurities towards its much larger neighbor and a foe India – that forged previous military relationships between US and Pakistan – which has changed over time and US needs to address Pakistan’s much larger concerns which are not only the military needs but also social and economic situation.

There needs to be a partnership between the democracies of two nations that will help complete the democratization of Pakistani society. Ambassador argues that the goal should be to offer alternatives to militancy and militarism and a future to the very vibrant youth of Pakistan, which can only be done by helping Pakistan increase its literacy rate from 49% to upper 90s.

Mr. Haqqani recently gave a speech on Pakistan's foreign policy to students at Islamabad's National Defense University. Bellow are the clips from his speech.

Emotion and Reality in Pakistan's Foreign Policy. Speech at National Defence University Islamabad:

Osama's Aftermath: The Real Issues.

2011-05-11T09:04:00.000-04:00

Just a little more than a week ago, the world's most dangerous man - Osama bin Laden - was executed during a covert operation ordered by the world's most powerful man - Barack Obama - the President of United states.

The news of Osama Bin Laden's execution was rather a sigh of relief for the whole world. As President Obama officially announced this news to the world, he did not forget to mention the contribution of Pakistan in the war on terror and in helping US capture Osama Bin Laden. He also mentioned that President of Pakistan - Asif Ali Zardari - was pleased by the fact that world has seen the end of the most gruesome man in the recent history.

It was clearly a victory for mankind and peace loving people. Especially for the Muslims, who after the events of 9/11, were stigmatized and were personified by Osama. Although, I would partially blame Muslims who, were and still, are confused to where they stand in their support. Which helped promote, rather than defuse, this impression.

Severity of the 9/11 events and the need to respond led many, including the then US President George W. Bush, to make mistakes. Mistakes aside the US, and later Pakistan, was on the right side of the history. In a war against global terrorism, and those who had pledged to kill the innocent.

As Pakistan and US fought the war many victories along with mistakes were made. There were tons of human-rights violations, many soldiers lost their life, and enormous collateral damage, of both US and Pakistani military forces, and innocent civilians inside Afghanistan and Pakistan. That also coincided with the damage done by terrorists who struck back at Pakistan - by killing thousands in suicide and other attacks - for supporting the war on terror, which is a war against them and their ideology.

The mistakes US made during the last decade, fighting terrorism, is constantly debated openly in the American media and society at large. Though similar activity takes place in Pakistan, I am skeptical about the fairness of the debate. There is a lot of political rhetoric and media spin, especially due to the hatred for the US, but most importantly for satisfying the audience and winning TRP wars.

The topic most discussed by the Pakistan media is of the country's sovereignty, and the implications of losing it during this war. Most media men and rightist political analysts and politicians argue that the partnership with the US has led to the loss of Pakistan's sovereignty. They say, as US drones and or soldiers enter Pakistan for special operations and executing terrorists, they're violating Pakistan's sovereignty.

However, they fail to realize that sovereignty is a subjective matter and is often more of a political slogan then a reality. No one nation has complete sovereignty, as they are a part of international organizations such as UN, or in agreements such as NAFTA (North American Free Trade Treaty), or European Union. In all cases some form of sovereignty is compromised for greater goals.

Pakistan, perhaps, had given up some of its sovereignty by indulging into a proxy war with India. Or at the time of "Afghan Jihad" when Pakistan took in many foreign fighters and trained them on its soil, opened borders with Afghanistan, where anyone could freely travel to Pakistan, without any consideration to Pakistan's own sovereignty. The recent war on terror suggest the same. Most of the terrorists who are living in Pakistan illegally are transgressing Pakistan's sovereignty.

The fact remains that US and Pakistan has mutually agreed on eliminating terrorism from Afghanistan and Pakistan. US has also pledged to rebuild Afghanistan and help Pakistan's fledgling democracy through support and civilian along with military aid. The partnership includes joint intelligence sharing and operating against militants and terrorists wherever they are spotted.

Although, at times there is disagreement between US and Pakistan in the methodology and goals of the war against terror, it is still in both nations' interests to continue to work together, and so they do. Even with the recent events that led to tensions between the two countries, they are still willing to build upon more trust and learn from their mistakes. Which is a positive sign.

Developing good relations with the US, Afghanistan, and India has always been and always will be in Pakistan's best national interests. The citizens of all these nations need to support and in some cases press the governments and establishments of their respective countries in moving towards the direction that will do nothing but bring prosperity for South Asia and the world at large.

Nawaz Sharif, a Bin Laden ally.

2011-05-02T18:32:00.003-04:00

A lot has been said and written on Osama Bin Laden's links to Pakistan's former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif. I gathered a few articles and clips from a show that gives a gimps on the ties between Pakistan's largest right-wing political party and the man who was world's most wanted guy - till the US operation took him out.

This issue was also recently discussed on Aaj tv show, Bolta Pakistan, in which the hosts questioned their guest regarding Osama Bin Laden's attempt to maneuver Pakistan's internal politics.

Daily Times of Pakistan reports - Sunday, March 21, 2010:

Ex-ISI official says he arranged 5 meetings between Nawaz, Osama

LAHORE: Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official Khalid Khawaja has claimed that he arranged five meetings in the past between former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden on separate occasions.

In a recent interview with a private TV channel, Khawaja said Nawaz asked the al Qaeda chief to provide financial support for “development projects”.

“I still remember that Osama provided me funds that I handed over to then Punjab chief minister Nawaz to topple Benazir Bhutto’s government,” said Khawaja, adding that Nawaz met Osama thrice in Saudi Arabia alone. “Nawaz insisted that I arrange a direct meeting with Osama, which I did in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “Nawaz was looking for a Rs 500 million grant from Osama. Although Osama provided a comparatively smaller sum ... he secured for Nawaz a meeting with the Saudi royal family.”

The former ISI official also claimed that Nawaz had met leaders of Islamic movements around the world.

Khawaja said following a “forced retirement”, he went straight to Afghanistan in 1987 and fought against the Soviet forces alongside Osama. daily times monitor

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=20103\21\story_21-3-2010_pg1_6

Daily Times of Pakistan reports Tuesday, September 08, 2009:

Osama introduced Nawaz Sharif to Saudi royals: ex-ISI chief
LAHORE: Osama Bin Laden introduced Nawaz Sharif to the Saudi royal family in the late 1980s, and – during a meeting – the former prime minister had asked the Al Qaeda chief to provide employment to Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia, claimed former ISI chief Khalid Khwaja on Sunday. According to the Times of India, Khwaja – who was close to Nawaz in the late 1980s and early 1990s – made the claim in an interview. “During his first visit to Saudi Arabia as chief minister of Punjab in the late 1980s, no one from the royal family gave Nawaz importance,” he said. “Thereafter, on Nawaz’s request, Osama introduced him to the royal family,” said Khwaja. “A close aide of the Sharif family and I arranged at least five meetings between Nawaz and Osama in Saudi Arabia.” daily times monitor
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=200998\story_8-9-2009_pg7_13

While this happens to be not something new or unknown. Nawaz Sharif's ties to Osama Bin Laden always bothered former Prime Minister late Benazir Bhutto, for which she had contacted George Bush Sr. in 1989. President Asif Ali Zardari had mentioned this in his interview to an American channel's show "Meet the Press"

Former ISI chief Khalid Khwaja has confessed on various occasions to playing the role of a mediator for several meetings between Mr. Nawaz Sharif and Osama Bin Laden. On September 8th 2009 he again mentioned this on Ary News channel's show 11th Hour.

In another show:

A comprehensive timeline of Nawaz Sharif's history and links to Osama Bin Laden is also mentioned with many other proofs and articles in a non-profit organization's website www.historycommons.org:

Spring 1989: ISI and Bin Laden Allegedly Plot to Kill Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
Hamid Gul, Nawaz Sharif, and Osama bin Laden conspire to assassinate Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Husein Haqqani, a Pakistani journalist who claims to have been involved in the plot, will later say that ISI Director Hamid Gul contacted Osama bin Laden, who was then known to provide financial support to Afghan mujaheddin, to pay for a coup/assassination of Bhutto. Gul also brings Nawaz Sharif, then the governor of Punjab province and a rival of Bhutto, into the plot. Bin Laden agrees to provide $10 million on the condition that Sharif transforms Pakistan into a strict Islamic state, which Sharif accepts. [LEVY AND SCOTT-CLARK, 2007, PP. 193-194] Bhutto is not assassinated at this time, but bin Laden allegedly helps Sharif replace Bhutto one year later (see October 1990).

October 1990: Bin Laden Allegedly Helps Install Pakistani Leader Nawaz Sharif
In October 1990, Nawaz Sharif is running for election to replace Benazir Bhutto as the prime minister of Pakistan. According to a senior Pakistani intelligence source, bin Laden passes a considerable amount of money to Sharif and his party, since Sharif promises to introduce a hard-line Islamic government. Bin Laden has been supporting Sharif for several years. There is said to be a photograph of Sharif chatting with bin Laden. Sharif wins the election and while he does not introduce a hard-line Islamic government, his rule is more amenable to bin Laden’s interests than Bhutto’s had been. Sharif will stay in power until 1993, then will take over from Bhutto again in 1996 and rule for three more years. [REEVE, 1999, PP. 170-171] Former ISI official Khalid Khawaja, a self-proclaimed close friend of bin Laden, will later claim that Sharif and bin Laden had a relationship going back to when they first met face to face in the late 1980s. [ABC NEWS, 11/30/2007] There are also accounts of additional links between Sharif and bin Laden (see Spring 1989, Late 1996, and Between Late 1996 and Late 1998).

July 1993: Ramzi Yousef and KSM Attempt to Assassinate Pakistani Prime Minister
Ramzi Yousef and his uncle Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM) unsuccessfully try to assassinate Behazir Bhutto, the leader of the opposition in Pakistan at the time. Yousef, with his friend Abdul Hakim Murad, plan to detonate a bomb near Bhutto’s home as she is leaving it. However, they are stopped by a police patrol. Yousef had hidden the bomb when the police approached, and after they left the bomb is accidentally set off, severely injuring him. [RESSA, 2003, PP. 25] KSM is in Pakistan at the time and will visit Yousef in the hospital, but his role in the bombing appears to be limited to funding it. [RESSA, 2003, PP. 25; GUARDIAN, 3/3/2003] Bhutto had been prime minister in Pakistan before and will return to power later in 1993 until 1996. She will later claim, “As a moderate, progressive, democratically elected woman prime minister of Pakistan, I was a threat to the fundamentalist zealots on multiple levels…” She claims they had “the support of sympathetic elements within Pakistan’s security apparatus,” a reference to the ISI intelligence agency. [SLATE, 9/21/2001] This same year, US agents uncover photographs showing KSM with close associates of previous Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Bhutto’s main political enemy at the time. Presumably, this failed assassination will later give KSM and Yousef some political connection and cover with the political factions opposed to Bhutto (see Spring 1993). Sharif will serve as prime minister again from 1997 to 1999. [FINANCIAL TIMES, 2/15/2003]

Late 1996: Bin Laden Influences Election in Pakistan
Not long after bin Laden moves back to Afghanistan (see After May 18, 1996-September 1996), he tries to influence an election in Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan, is running for reelection against Nawaz Sharif, who had been prime minister earlier in the 1990s. (Bin Laden apparently helped Sharif win in 1990 (see October 1990).) “According to Pakistani and British intelligence sources, bin Laden traveled into Pakistan to renew old acquaintances within the ISI, and also allegedly met or talked with” Sharif. Sharif wins the election. Bhutto will later claim that bin Laden used a variety of means to ensure her defeat and undermine her. She will mention one instance where bin Laden allegedly gave $10 million to some of her opponents. Journalist Simon Reeve will later point out that while Bhutto claims could seem self-serving, “her claims are supported by other Pakistani and Western intelligence sources.” [REEVE, 1999, PP. 188-189] It will later be reported that double agent Ali Mohamed told the FBI in 1999 that bin Laden gave Sharif $1 million at some point while Sharif was prime minister (see Between Late 1996 and Late 1998). There are also reports that bin Laden helped Sharif become prime minister in 1990 (see October 1990). While Sharif will not support the radical Islamists as much as they had hoped, they will have less conflict with him that they did with Bhutto. For instance, she assisted in the arrest of Ramzi Yousef (see February 7, 1995), who had attempted to assassinate her (see July 1993).

Between Late 1996 and Late 1998: Bin Laden Allegedly Pays $1 Million to Pakistani Prime Minister
According to FBI agent Jack Cloonan, in 1999, imprisoned double agent Ali Mohamed will tell Cloonan that he helped arrange a meeting between bin Laden and representatives of Nawaz Sharif, who is prime minister of Pakistan from 1990 through 1993 and again from 1996 to 1999. Mohamed claims that after the meeting he delivered $1 million to Sharif’s representatives as a tribute to Sharif for “not cracking down on the Taliban as it flourished in Afghanistan and influenced the Northwest Frontier Province in Pakistan.” It is unknown when this took place, but it is likely between late 1996, when the Taliban gain control over much of Afghanistan and Sharif as prime minister would have been in a position to crack down against them or not, and late 1998, when Mohamed is arrested in the US (see September 10, 1998). Cloonan will later say that he believes the information from Mohamed is accurate. [ABC NEWS, 11/30/2007] There have been other allegations that Sharif met bin Laden in 1996 and used his help to win the election for prime minister (see Late 1996), and also allegations that bin Laden helped Sharif win the election for prime minister in 1990 (see Late 1996).

For full timeline visit http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=nawaz_sharif

Poll: What did Pakistan know about the US operation to take OBL out?

2011-05-02T16:58:00.004-04:00

This is Why You're Going to Hell

2011-04-30T22:18:00.001-04:00

You are the most righteous person in the world. You belong to the family of Syeds, the descendants of Prophet. Thus you are superior to all your peers and wish to be treated that way. After all you never forget to mention anywhere that you are a Syed. How could normies treat you like one of them.

You have read Quran multiple times and invited all your friends and family to celebrate each time. Although you did not understood a single word, but the point was to read it respectfully, and place it back in the cabinet wrapped around in a nice pocket with attar sprinkled for good smell. You shall not touch the book till you need to read it to bless the deceased.

You grew up praying 5 times a day, even if you missed the prayer you made up for it. You never cared if the whole world turned around you had to pray. No man or his needs could come between you or your prayer. You could be in the guinness book of world records for not missing any prayer what so ever.

Your attire has always been Islamic. A pure and simple shalwar kamiz, which you wore all the time not just for Friday and Eid prayers like the others who do not know the way to be a proper Muslim. Speaking of Eid you alwys celebrated the holy day with great Islamic spirit. You gave and received Eidi, prayed and ate all you could, and always visited all your friends and family. You made sure you spent good amount of money on all your Eid clothes. After all you could not look inferior to anyone else, this is your religious obligation, and your honor.

Oh and there was no Eid-ul-Adha when you did not buy the most expensive animal to slaughter. You made sure you hand deliver all the meat to all your friends and family. And you also gave some to your servant, who would distribute it to poor. Not to mention you made sure no Kaafir gets his hands on your holy meat, cause that would defeat the purpose of your qurbani.

You stopped going to school just so you could memorize every single chapter of Quran in perfect Arabic, that too in Arab accent. You knew every single word that has been written in the Quran, and you will never forget it. You believe you are entitled to more sawab since it was not your language that you memorized it in, which made it even harder for you to learn. You did not learn the translation though, why would you? You don't want to get confused by the complex matters prescribed in the holly text. Quran is not rocket science that you can research, it is a deen. Only a proper immam will teach you the ways of your religion.

You went to your local mosque everyday and always made sure you collect the most chanda. After all it is for the Afghan, Kashmir, Iraq, and Palestinian Jihad. This is the only way those people could live peacefully. Kufars need to be thought a lesson. You would too enroll in the Jihad, and slaughter Kufars with your own hands, but it was your mother who stopped you. You cannot disobey your mother, after all you will not attain Jannah without respecting her.

You never forget to sit in the front of the Mosque and kiss the Maulana Sahab's hand every time you see him. You always used the proper, Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wa barakatu, to greet people. And never replaced Allah with Khuda. You do not start a sentence without a bismillah. Your vocabulary includes so many Arabic words that even Arabs are ashamed to be so illiterate. These are the holy ways, only they will lead you to Jannah and the hoors.

You made sure your wife wears a full burqa that no animal, let alone a man, has ever seen her face. After all she cannot be revealed to men. You know very well what men think of women who reveals herself. You made sure Islam comes before all her demands. She knows she must not work, for it is against your honor, and you rather kill her than let her out in the men's world.

You make sure you only make friends with the people of your own sect. After all you don't want to be corrupted. They are worst then the Kaafirs and so you can do nothing but wish death upon them. You always hated the way Islamic Republic of Pakistan lets them have same rights as everyone else. Well not all of them have same rights. But they should all be put behind bars, or executed for that matter, for their beliefs. This is why you hate Pakistan's democracy and moved to a different country.

Even after your hijrat to the west, you didn't forget your Muslim brothers and their pain. You still cussed the nation that gave you its citizenship and wished Iran had gotten nukes. You pray for China to have better economy than the nation where you live. After all they refused your application for free health care just because you make too much money in your business. It is yahood's system and their CIA never grants Muslim applications unless you are on their payroll and working against Islam. This is why you bought a dish receiver from a Muslim brother, a one smart brother, who figured how to cheat Kufar's system and watch free TV. You never pay a single dime to Kufar's company.

You do not wish blessings upon the Christian or Jews, even if they wish it to you. That would be harram. You hate it when Hindus wish you Sallam, it is harram for you to wish back, Oh and speaking of harram, you make sure you drive a 100 miles to get to your favorite brothers' store who is the only vendor you know that sells 100% hallal meat.

You're a haaji, completing your 5th hajj and plan to spend another thousand dollars for the next one. It only makes you a better Muslim and brings you closer to Jannah. You make sure you follow all sunnahs, which is why you always keep maswaaaq in your pocket, and your beard has gotten longer then the height of your one year old kid. . You make sure to cover the TV with a bed sheet before you pray. It is also why you have no pictures inside your house. It is harram you know.

You will never adopt a pet dog, even if your kid demands it. Oh and that kid is going to the private Islamic school. No matter how ridiculously expensive its fees are and how bad the level of education. And as soon as your son is old enough for high school you are moving back to Pakistan or an Islamic nation for that matter. Cause you would never want him to study with the Kufars.

This must get you to Jannah. Right?

Wrong...

Even with all this, you will still go to HELL... why?

Because you are a hypocrite, a big fat hypocrite!!

Decrypting Aafia Siddiqui

2011-04-26T23:16:00.002-04:00

In an update on notorious Aafia Siddiqui, Guardian published an article quoting the Guantanamo files, giving astounding details surrounding her case. I had earlier written a piece, discussing the same issue, which I believe needs to be updated and reposted on this blog.

The legal assistance and the embassy services provided to Dr. Aafia Saddiqui was unprecedented and is probably the first ever for any Pakistani citizen held in United States on charges of terrorism. It was Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts that helped expedite the trial process and assured the family of Ms. Saddiqui that there will be justice.

It is certainly a rare and a strange case, the lady that was wanted by Pakistani and American authorities in 2003 has suddenly become the most valuable person to many Pakistanis. She has been named “daughter of Pakistan” a term coined by none other than the right-wing political parties. The same parties demanded her to be repatriated in return of Raymond Davis, a CIA operative who was held by Pakistani authorities on the charges of shooting and murdering two people in Lahore. Whats even more striking is that even terrorists such as Hakumullah Mehsud labeled her “sister in Islam.”

Aafia and her husband, Dr Muhammad Amjad Khan, divorced a year before she had disappeared. Her husband describes her violent nature and extremist views to be the reason of their divorce. Her activities and links to world’s most wanted terrorists had gotten her and her husband on the terror watch-list. Since her husband was not involved, and did not know of her links with terrorists, he was only questioned by the American authorities but never arrested.

United States intelligence agencies have said that Ms. Siddiqui has links to at least 2 of the 14 men suspected of being high-level members of Al Qaeda who were moved to Guantánamo in September 2006. NYT

There is no doubt about her acquaintances to the terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, It was the reason she was being watched by agencies for a long time. The only reason she was not charged under the allegations of terrorism is because, although she had intentions to, she had not yet attempted to commit an act of terror. The allegations against her are a combination of both the US intelligence analysis and direct testimony by at least three senior Al Qaeda figures, including the 9/11 plotter Khalid Sheikh Muhammad. If she didn’t have such motives, she would have never fired at an investigation officer, or have ended up in Afghanistan after hiding for five years.

Before her arrest, U.S. authorities had called Siddiqui an al-Qaida sympathizer. She was never charged with terrorism, but prosecutors called her a grave threat who was carrying ”a road map for destruction” — bomb-making instructions and a list of New York City landmarks including the Statue of Liberty when she was captured. NYT

In order to avoid arrest she kept a low profile, and was said to be missing during the the five year period of 2003 to 2008. She was arrested, in Ghazni Afghanistan in 2008, after authorities became suspicious of her loitering outside the provincial governor’s compound. She was carrying instructions on making explosives and a list of New York landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Empire State Building along with sealed bottles and glass jars filled with liquids and gels. According to the Guantánamo files, she had "plotted to smuggle explosives into America and offered to manufacture biological weapons [for al-Qaeda]." The files claim that Siddiqui was at the heart of an Al Qaeda cell based in Karachi between 2002 and 2003, which conspired to mount fresh attacks in the US, on Heathrow airport and inside Pakistan.

According to the files, the cell planned to smuggle explosives into America under the cover of textile exports – 20 and 40ft foot containers filled with women's and children's clothes. The explosives would be used to attack "economic targets" inside the US, according to KSM.

The Guantánamo files give fresh details on Siddiqui's relationship with Ammar Baluchi, the nephew of KSM and a senior al-Qaida figure facing a raft of serious allegations – facilitating the 9/11 attackers, acting as a courier for Bin Laden and plotting to crash a plane packed with explosives into the US consulate in Karachi. Guardian

She tried to escape the detention by shooting at the FBI officers, for which she was tried and convicted at United States District Court in Manhattan.

While in custody, on July 18, 2008, prosecutors said, Ms. Siddiqui grabbed an M4 rifle from a police station floor and fired on Army officers and F.B.I. agents. She was shot in the abdomen. NYT

It is believed that she was never arrested or tortured prior to 2008 incident. Her husband claims that the pictures that have been floating around the media with her lip badly hurt is an old picture. In an interview to The News:

He added that Dr Fowzia had similarly threatened him several years ago by taking a picture of Aafia while she was asleep after she injured her upper lip (by a milk bottle) in an accident. Dr Fowzia warned Amjad that if he tried to divorce Aafia, she would use the picture against him alleging him to be an abusive husband. “It was made to appear in the picture that Aafia was badly injured. Today, the same picture is being circulated in the media to claim that Aafia was tortured for years in Bagram,” he revealed.

Experts believe that it was her own behavior in the courtroom that contributed towards a negative perception of her. Her frequent outbursts and at times failing to cooperate with her own lawyers, ended up hurting her case. Due to her objections a few jurors had also stepped down from the bench, which leaves no room for any biases from the side of jurors. She was sentenced 86 years' jail.

Pakistan Ka Matlab Kya

2011-04-25T01:00:00.000-04:00

In her recent article Marvi Sirmed - a rights' activist and an independent researcher - has insisted upon the importance of a national identity, which she believes to be absent in Pakistanis and especially the youth. This, the idea of identity, has been discussed by many columnist and researchers in the past. Solutions are given, theories are formed, but the debate must continue. Although one thing is for sure, the slogan "What's the meaning of Pakistan," which was used to create Pakistan, is a question that haunts Pakistan till the day.

The identity crises that many, including Marvi, are pointing to, emerges from the concept of Muslim supremacism, that lets majority of Pakistani youth believe in a false sense of identity based not on their culture, heritage, history, language, or traditions but a concept of religion and its domination. Their pride and allegiance is not with their local customs but with a theoretical idea that links them to the Muslims who follow totally different cultures than their own and creates prodigious perplexity over the ownership of an identity.

This lack of identity stems not from the faith of Islam or the popular Muslim belief, but is seeded in the concept of the State of Pakistan and the way it was created and the direction it is being steered. Evidently the partition of greater India in itself was a forced mechanism, derived from political and ideological differences between Muhammad Ali Jinnah (The founder of Pakistan) and Mohandas Gandhi. It was the mistakes of the two, which gave birth to the idea of a separate identity framed around the concept of a two nation theory based on the perceived differences between the Muslims and the Hindus. Pakistan was Jinnah's political, rather then ideological, concept. As it was opposed by prominent Islamic theology based groups within greater India.

As Pakistan came into be, it became evident that it lacks a valid argument to support the bloody and heinous partition. Whereas India retained its identity in the historic name, its culture, pluralistic society, heterogeneous customs, and unity as a federation. It cashed in on its diversity along with its Indian values and clung to a democratic system to govern the state. Whilst in Pakistan the idea of Islamism was promoted fervently by the elite establishment, to force a homogeneity in a reluctant and somewhat lost nation. The lack of democracy and basic human rights not only evoke Bangladesh to separate but exposed the two nation theory and its vulnerability in a diverse society.

As Marvi Sirmed concluded in her article that:

It is important, in short, to be Pakistani before being a Hindu, Christian, Sikh or — yes — a Muslim. The texts beginning from a clichéd ‘all of us are Muslims’, need to be totally shunned in favour of a nation state-based identity, which would not only drag the society towards egalitarianism, but also would define our wider international behaviour.

Pakistanis must not see their diversity as a disability but rather Pakistan's fortitude that strengthens it as a nation. Pakistan needs to completely shun its two nation theory and accept its indigenous - Indian - culture and heritage as its real identity. It needs not to be Islamic Republic of Pakistan but a Union of Pakistani Nation. It is paramount to strengthening its democracy and the constitution, which will polish its true identity. The constitution - in diverse nations like Pakistan - is the backbone of the union, laying down the principles and the framework for a united nation. Last, but not least, educating the youth about democracy and the constitution will pave the way towards a new direction - a new of Pakistan.