Mohajirs Are People Too

chacha #34 "I am in awe of your clever answers to questions which I cant imagine anyone with an IQ of more than 20 would actually have asked you."

please stop being a plate pisser by referring to americans as having an IQ lower than 20! Watch the first video in #33.

How insecure does a man have to be to announce on the internet how people "marvel" at him!!

Now THIS is where an IQ greater than 20, or 5 minutes outside the cantonment, would have come in handy for you. When I talked about the "marvel" part, I wasnt referring to myself. I started that whole para by writing a big IF: "For example, I have this policy that if a non-muslim friend asks me".

And my hypothetical questions are not baseless. Those with IQ's greater than 20 know of the situations when an american born and raised hijabi girl with perfectly American accented english gets asked "where are you from?". Ok, this is pardonable since hijab is not that mainstream in US, yet. But what is amazing is the unpardonable dropping of the jaws when she responds "I am from Boston!". And the american equivalent of pakistani cantonment kuttas aka neo-conish republican types may insinuate "and was it your brother or your father who beat you into wearing this...thing?"

So yeah, questions like these are not common. But you have to have an IQ of at least equal to your age to grasp the situation around where you live. But wait, that "An IQ at least equal to your age" may be a good joke when you are in your 20s, but not when you are 65!

Atif #32: I am in awe of your clever answers to questions which I cant imagine anyone with an IQ of more than 20 would actually have asked you.

And when you write "he marvels that I fit so comfortably in the western as well as eastern society," I get seriously worried about you. How insecure does a man have to be to announce on the internet how people "marvel" at him!!

this is what I mean by my post #32:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jifTmG9drjE&feature=related

http:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYlaIxNX01Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOCf3pg5Z 74&feature=related

izuber "Having read several comments/interactions by readers of your article some don’t find it appropriate that you may have adopted an abrasive tone in describing people other than mohajirs or Urdu speaking"

i am surprised that anyone would consider my comments on non-mohajirs as "abrasive" or "inappropriate"! Would it have helped if I had put this line in the footnote - "Atif is a non-mohajir and hence its entirely appropriate and politically correct for him to make fun of his fellow non-mohajirs" ?

Muslims in general, and Pakistanis in particular have become quite sensitive - and sometimes rightfully so. But I think we need to take a chill pill once in a while. For example, I have this policy that if a non-muslim friend asks me whether I believe in "Jihad by sword", I dont launch into this defensive "Oh we are so peaceful people" and all that. I tell him straight out that I dont know of jihad of any other kind, and watch his eyes as they widen. If he asks me whether I would have four wives, I tell him that getting married to two would be a good start. When he marvels that I fit so comfortably in the western as well as eastern society, I tell him this is as per Al-qaeda's "sleeper cell" guidebook.

I wonder if that Men's Bathroom attendant will ever find out that he's been written about and discussed in a Chowk article. I can just imagine what his reaction would be. I've always tried to avoid availing his sevices cos I know he'll expect a tip in exchage and normally I never have any local cash on me at the time.

The article is well written and I'm surprised that someone could notice so many "postive" things about it. My own experience hasn't always spared my mind enough to notice the good things that this airport has going on. Next time I go, maybe I'll take a different look at it.

The Duty Free Shops at the Departure area are pretty decent but forcing people to walk through them is a bit over the top.

cliffy boy "tinda sharif made us a beautiful airport and people's behavior just changed overnight ....fuk there isnt even paan kee peek on that airport."

i wasnt aware that this airport was built by Rogaine Sharif!

but you do make a very interesting observation about changing people's behaviour overnight. I believe this behavioural change on the part of citizens can occur if the administrators pay attention to the smallest of the details, like ensuring NOT ONE paan kee peek in the environs of terminal.

If you google the phrase "broken windows theory", you will get more details on what I mean.

aasif "it seems like now you know as much about kiranchee as tehmed chachoo knows about life outside of cantonment..... ;) "

hahhaha! but in my case, at least I stepped out of the terminal for 5 minutes :)

salim "Now, come on, did you really find the condominiums at the airport?"

no i did not. and this is exactly where I feel that all pakistanis - mohajirs, punjabis, pushtoons, balochis - are stuck in the 20th century.

Nikhat "Seriously I missed it completely so dumb of me..."

Now lets not be too harsh on ourselves by questioning our intellect. its just an article. i am sure you are quite a smart person than you give yourself credit for.

Cliffy boy "This is a loopy article because thats atif's provocative style, its actually not meant to be offensive to anyone."

It takes a man to know a man's style. Thanks!

salim "Salim “Leave it to you to write a complete and delightful article after only a few minutes of observation.�

aha! finally someone who found an element of "humor" that I had originally intended! Indeed, the fact that all of this observation of karachi and mohajirs is based on "five minutes of walk through the airport" and the rose tinted glasses of stay at the first class lounge seems to have been lost.

#23
"Lets not forget who we are."

All muslims of the subcontinent have hindu ancestors.

There is a lot more in the background than what is visible in the colorful painting; without the extraordinary contributions of people of various ethnic backgrounds it would not have been possible to culminate what you noticed in the given picture of Karachi that you observed and recorded in your comments.
One of the pioneers of Urdu at all levels was Baba-e-Urdu, Maulvi Abdul Haq and one can look up his life history and achievements in detail by visiting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maulvi_Abdul_Haq .
Another few who dedicated their lives to the mission of imparting education and establishing institutions that would help create more knowledgeable and educated Pakistanis included Quaid-e-Taleem Late Mr. A.M. Qureshi (Founder Islamic Education Trust & Islamia College Complex Karachi), Khadim-e-Islam Late Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani, Mohadis-e-Azam Late Allama Suleman Nadvi, Former Governor State Bank of Pakistan Late Mr. Zahid Hussain and Khadim-e-Qaum Late Mr. Syed Ahmed Ashraf while a summary of their achievements can be referred to by visiting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamia_Science_College_%28Karachi%29 .
Another stalwart Pakistani originally from Peshawar thus a Pushtoon brother of ours was Sardar Abdur Rab Nashtar who served the people without distinction along lingual or ethnic sub-divisions and was a dedicated and devoted Pakistani a summary of his life and career can be referred to at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Rab_Nishtar .
Another contributor to the educational & academic well being of the upcoming generations was Seth Ahmad Dawood, one of the pioneering industrialists of Pakistan who being a great visionary through his auspicious Dawood Foundation incepted the Dawood College of Engineering & Technology a degree college for engineering. Mr. Dawood established a trading house dealing in commodities, textiles, jute and yarn, with branches in many cities and towns in pre-partition India. He was commanded by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to migrate to Pakistan and set up industry.
Similarly another contributor to the mission of educating was SIR ADAMJEE HAJI DAWOOD who was honored by "The Pakistan Memon Educational & Welfare Society" that established the SIR ADAMJEE INSTITUTE (SAI). The aim of the society has been to impart education to youth without any discrimination.
Habib Bank, Hamdard Trust, Valika and the list can go on and get longer if each and everyone is mentioned have all contributed not only to Karachi but to entire Pakistan.
Government National College, Karachi was founded by a group of dedicated teachers and city philanthropists as “National College� in 1956 under the umbrella of “National Educational Society� established in 1954. The society comprised of Mr. Saudagar Darwesh (President), Professor Hasan Adil (Secretary), Professor Hasnain Kazmi, Mr. Asghar Hussain (Advocate), Mr. M. M. Malik and Mr. Shamsuz Zaman (Advocate). The college was initio headed by Professor Hasan Adil — March 1956 through September 1972. It was nationalized on September 1, 1972. The college had been working under double shift programme till 1993 when the evening shift of the college was granted the status of a separate and independent college by the Provincial Government.
Rana Liaquat Ali Khan Government College of Home Economics was founded by Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan wife of first Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawab Liaquat Ali Khan.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Pakistan's founding father, realized the importance of financial intermediation while he was campaigning for the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of India. He persuaded the Habib family to establish a commercial bank that could serve the Indian Muslim community is initiative resulted in the creation of Habib Bank, with HO in Bombay and fixed capital of 25,000 rupees. The bank played an important role in mobilizing funds from the Muslim community to finance the All-India Muslim League's campaign for the establishment of Pakistan. Habib Bank also played an important role in channeling relief funds to the people hurt in the communal riots and violence that preceded the departure of the British from India. Habib Bank Limited established itself in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1941.

After Pakistan was born in 1947, Habib Bank, at the urging of Governor-General Jinnah, moved its headquarters to Karachi, Pakistan's first capital. The Habib family owned and managed the bank until the Pakistan government nationalized it on 01 January 1974.

Education is the backbone of any society while maintaining good posture is a must for the health of a backbone and it is the culmination of a few contributors mentioned above among numerous others that have changed the lives of so many that received their education which brings about the level of interaction experienced by people with a good sense who are able to observe.

It would not be out of place to mention here that while majority of such institutions took good care of those who were not able to afford the fees to receive education at such institutions even after having created such institutions from their charitable trusts and educational foundations they went farther but supporting those who legitimately could not afford to pay the fees.

Having read several comments/interactions by readers of your article some don’t find it appropriate that you may have adopted an abrasive tone in describing people other than mohajirs or Urdu speaking .e. those who sacrificed their entire wealth, property and even for some it was their loved ones whose lives were taken by those that opposed the creation of a homeland for the “Muslims of India�, while some go to the extent of attempting to over rule the facts involving with the progress of Urdu as a language, for those who may not be aware of the roots of Urdu language I would like to mention here that there are three principle locales that are considered to be the cradle(gahwara) of Urdu language, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Lahore while literary people from Punjab deserve the credit to have played a credible role in the establishment and progress of Urdu and even today there are many great writers and poets from Punjab that intensively participate in activities surrounding Urdu literature, similarly there have been many literary Sindhi intellects who have demonstrated a credible participation in Urdu literary works as a matter of fact I had the pleasure of meeting (Late)Mr. Abdul Wahid Sindhi who was renowned for Urdu text books he authored and were adopted by the education system in India as well as in Pakistan.

It is my earnest request and wish that we should give up and refrain from this habit of placing wedges amongst ourselves and envying instead of taking pride in each other each time we forget who we are and what our mission was in establishing and founding this nation of Pakistan we should revisit the theme of our main mission i.e. “a separate homeland for the Muslims of India� and overcome the superficial differences which get us stuck in the false pride which is not so important.
Lets not forget who we are.

n cause we r ppl n not hindoos...if u fukk with us than we'll fukk u up so bad ..u wont know what hit yaa...and eventualy Ishrat-ul-ibad will become governer and altaf kullo-shareef will be the darling of Army...n the rest is as they say is history...

yaar teefay.. nice diary page you got there..
it seems like now you know as much about kiranchee as tehmed chachoo knows about life outside of cantonment..... ;)

tahir #16 {"The greatness of forever-at-war Karachi would perhaps increase if they placed a 'visitor's book' at the airport in which folks from other Pakistani towns might jot down in in a few words what they really think of Altaf the absconder."}

Tahir,
Don't bother! Some of us so-called "Mojos" are learning the stupidity of his violent actions - may he always be in London to shave the Queen.