Obama’s Promise
Ather Naqvi June 5, 2009
#38 Posted by bhs75 on June 7, 2009 7:05:22 pm
you guys talk about opression of women in the arab world as you have not seen it happening it in india or pakistan? camon guys, we know what goes around!!! the whole region has this virus !!!
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#37 Posted by bhairav on June 7, 2009 6:42:48 pm
Nice one from Jemima; wonder how pakistanis would have survived without her......
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Jemima Khan's broken country
In Pakistan, refugee children live with the trauma of having witnessed beheadings, yet she still finds much to beguile her
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6446446.ece
:
:
The next day I set off for the refugee camps close to the Swat valley, where the army is fighting the Taliban. Before I leave, Imran’s chowkidar (watchman) tells me that the newspapers in Pakistan are all funded by Yehudis (Jews). His Kalashnikov-toting commando — it’s the first time Imran has felt the need to have security — nods, adding that there are no Taliban. They are a fabrication by Jews and Hindus to destabilise Pakistan. He adjusts his belt of bullets.
Pakistan pulsates with conspiracy theories. One, which has made it into the local newspapers, is that the Taliban when caught and stripped were revealed to have been “intact, not Muslims�, a euphemism for uncircumcised. (Pakistanis are big on euphemisms.) Their beards were stuck on with glue. “Foreign elements� (India) are suspected.
:
:
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Jemima Khan's broken country
In Pakistan, refugee children live with the trauma of having witnessed beheadings, yet she still finds much to beguile her
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6446446.ece
:
:
The next day I set off for the refugee camps close to the Swat valley, where the army is fighting the Taliban. Before I leave, Imran’s chowkidar (watchman) tells me that the newspapers in Pakistan are all funded by Yehudis (Jews). His Kalashnikov-toting commando — it’s the first time Imran has felt the need to have security — nods, adding that there are no Taliban. They are a fabrication by Jews and Hindus to destabilise Pakistan. He adjusts his belt of bullets.
Pakistan pulsates with conspiracy theories. One, which has made it into the local newspapers, is that the Taliban when caught and stripped were revealed to have been “intact, not Muslims�, a euphemism for uncircumcised. (Pakistanis are big on euphemisms.) Their beards were stuck on with glue. “Foreign elements� (India) are suspected.
:
:
#36 Posted by bhairav on June 7, 2009 6:29:52 pm
Another one........
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From “This is not a Western Conspiracy�
"When you feel that whenever you leave your house there are hidden eyes that spy on you, follow your movements, watch you with suspicion and misgiving, and make you return quickly back from where you came - this is part of the culture of fear. And without the least bit of doubt, it is not a Western conspiracy that was hatched against you; this is a product of your own country.�
"When your young children come home from school and tell you that they learned that day that the 'others' are despicable people who do not deserve any respect, acceptance, or appreciation, and that God commanded them to hate ['the others'] and to fight them, at all times and everywhere - this is an institutionalized plan for disseminating hatred. Don't worry, this is not a Western conspiracy gainst you; this is a product of your own country…�
"When all the years of your life are stolen from you… and your vitality, your mind, and your soul are wrested away, all in the name of religion, customs, traditions… and an outmoded heritage - and you know that this has usurped your right to life - don't weep and don't cry, and don't imagine that this is a Western conspiracy against you; these are actions and behaviors that are a product of your own country.
"When everything you hear, see, feel, and perceive tells you that women were created to be a receptacle for you, and that [a woman] is an incubator for your pure offspring, and that you can replace this receptacle whenever you want, and do with her whatever you see fit, and when your friends add a harem of miserable women to their lairs, and think of them as their very private possessions, like hens in a coop or ewes in a pen… don't be surprised. Know that this is not a Western conspiracy that has been hatched against you; this is a product of your own country.�
Wajeha Al-Huwaider is an amazingly fierce and brave woman. The fact that she is a Saudi woman just makes her more so.
------------------------------
From “This is not a Western Conspiracy�
"When you feel that whenever you leave your house there are hidden eyes that spy on you, follow your movements, watch you with suspicion and misgiving, and make you return quickly back from where you came - this is part of the culture of fear. And without the least bit of doubt, it is not a Western conspiracy that was hatched against you; this is a product of your own country.�
"When your young children come home from school and tell you that they learned that day that the 'others' are despicable people who do not deserve any respect, acceptance, or appreciation, and that God commanded them to hate ['the others'] and to fight them, at all times and everywhere - this is an institutionalized plan for disseminating hatred. Don't worry, this is not a Western conspiracy gainst you; this is a product of your own country…�
"When all the years of your life are stolen from you… and your vitality, your mind, and your soul are wrested away, all in the name of religion, customs, traditions… and an outmoded heritage - and you know that this has usurped your right to life - don't weep and don't cry, and don't imagine that this is a Western conspiracy against you; these are actions and behaviors that are a product of your own country.
"When everything you hear, see, feel, and perceive tells you that women were created to be a receptacle for you, and that [a woman] is an incubator for your pure offspring, and that you can replace this receptacle whenever you want, and do with her whatever you see fit, and when your friends add a harem of miserable women to their lairs, and think of them as their very private possessions, like hens in a coop or ewes in a pen… don't be surprised. Know that this is not a Western conspiracy that has been hatched against you; this is a product of your own country.�
Wajeha Al-Huwaider is an amazingly fierce and brave woman. The fact that she is a Saudi woman just makes her more so.
#35 Posted by bhairav on June 7, 2009 6:22:12 pm
She ain't bad looking either; i wouldn't mind...
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Wajeha Al Huwaider
Profession: Writer and journalist
http://www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/writersunderthreat/saudiarabia/wajehaa lhuwaider/
Wajeha Al-Huwaider has been subjected to harassment since May 2003, when she was first banned from publishing. A prominent Saudi Arabian author and journalist, Al-Huwaider wrote for the Arabic language daily Al-Watan and the English language daily Arab News. Al-Huwaider writes on political, social and cultural issues in the Arab world, including women's rights, the treatment of the Shiite minority, and relations with the West. She also writers poetry and short stories. In 2004, she received the PEN/NOVIB Free Expression award.
On 20 September 2006, Al-Huwaider was arrested in her home by the Saudi secret police and questioned about a protest on women's rights she was organising, despite the fact that the protest had already been cancelled due to fear of reprisals. Before she was released, Al-Huwaider was forced to sign a statement agreeing to cease all human rights activism. She was also banned from travelling outside Saudi Arabia. The travel ban was lifted on 28 September and she was able to return to Bahrain where she currently resides.
--------------------------------------------------
Wajeha Al Huwaider
Profession: Writer and journalist
http://www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/writersunderthreat/saudiarabia/wajehaa lhuwaider/
Wajeha Al-Huwaider has been subjected to harassment since May 2003, when she was first banned from publishing. A prominent Saudi Arabian author and journalist, Al-Huwaider wrote for the Arabic language daily Al-Watan and the English language daily Arab News. Al-Huwaider writes on political, social and cultural issues in the Arab world, including women's rights, the treatment of the Shiite minority, and relations with the West. She also writers poetry and short stories. In 2004, she received the PEN/NOVIB Free Expression award.
On 20 September 2006, Al-Huwaider was arrested in her home by the Saudi secret police and questioned about a protest on women's rights she was organising, despite the fact that the protest had already been cancelled due to fear of reprisals. Before she was released, Al-Huwaider was forced to sign a statement agreeing to cease all human rights activism. She was also banned from travelling outside Saudi Arabia. The travel ban was lifted on 28 September and she was able to return to Bahrain where she currently resides.
#34 Posted by bhairav on June 7, 2009 6:16:30 pm
More from the same Arab babe
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http://memri.o rg/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA31206
Arab Women Are Worse Off Than the Prisoners in Guantanamo
In an article published May 25, 2006 on the reformist website www.rezgar.com, [7] which Al-Huwaider signed "The Second Rosa Parks," she drew a comparison between the lives of the prisoners in the "terrible inhuman prison" of Guantanamo and the lives of the Arab women: "...Anyone who examines and analyzes the lives of the prisoners in Guantanamo, and compares them to the lives of the Arab women - particularly in the Gulf states, and especially in Yemen, Oman and Saudi Arabia - will discover that there are very many similarities... First, in some Arab countries a woman is a prisoner in her [own] home, and can only move with the permission of her guardian, or, more accurately, her jailor. Her situation is similar to that of a prisoner in Guantanamo.
"Second, in some Arab countries, the woman's guardian is her owner, and the one who has the legal right to use her. He controls all her affairs, great and small. His role is very similar to that of a jailor in Guantanamo.
"Third, a prisoner in Guantanamo, like many Arab women, is not the master of his own body. He has no power to control his own fate, and his personal freedom has been taken away, along with his right to protest his situation.
"Fourth, the prisoners [in Guantanamo] are not protected by law, and their lives are the property of their jailors, just as the lives of the Arab women are in the hands of their guardians. When the guardian feels that his wife has crossed a red line, she is doomed to a die terrible death.
"Fifth, many Arab women have tried to escape or to kill themselves as a way out [of their plight], but they failed just as the Guantanamo prisoners [who tried to escape] failed.
"Sixth, some Arab women are forced to wear impractical and suffocating garments in colors that do not suit the scorching climate of our [region]. [In this respect] the prisoners in Guantanamo are better off [than the Arab women], since they wear practical, light-colored clothing suitable for the climate [in which they live].
"Seventh, a prisoner in Guantanamo [can] see the sun, feel its rays and enjoy the caress of fresh air on his face, even when he is physically in chains, whereas the women in some Arab states are shackled [both] physically and spiritually. They carry these chains around all their lives, beginning in childhood... The minute the girl enters her teens, she no longer sees the light of day, and she cannot breathe fresh air except through a veil, since she is covered from head to toe in black garments.
"Eighth, all human rights [organizations], up to and including the U.N., have condemned what is happening to the prisoners in Guantanamo, and have demanded that the Pentagon release them. But nobody has lifted a finger for the Arab women who have been kept prisoner for hundreds of years. No organization, local or international, official or unofficial, has bothered to expose what is happening to them in the dungeons incorrectly referred to as 'their homes.'
"Ninth, the plight of the Guantanamo prisoners is temporary. They might be released at any time, and then they will return to their ordinary lives as Arab men, and may even receive a medal of courage. The Arab women, on the other hand, will remain prisoners until the day they die, and their tragedy may also continue in the coming centuries, until the women... [Finally] manage to seize their rights, attain [equal] status and restore the dignity that has been taken away from them.
"Finally, the female Arab Guantanamo prisoners [i.e. the women] have never been warriors or suicide [bombers]. They never joined any terrorist organization and have never harmed anyone, but they nevertheless live as prisoners all their lives, and their situation is, in some of the respects mentioned above, far worse than the situation of the prisoners on that island. There is nobody in the U.N., or in any other [organization], who takes an interest in their [plight]; nobody protects them or presents their grievances to the world's judicial bodies. This is even though there are millions of them, as opposed to the 500 prisoners in Guantanamo, who knew, [when they set out on their operations], that they might be killed or arrested.
"I wish I knew why the situation of the women in certain Arab states is not condemned by the countries of the world, and does not enrage their citizens. Why do the human rights activists ignore their suffering as though they do not even exist? Why isn't the cry of these millions of women heard, and why isn't it answered by anyone, anywhere [in the world]? Why? Why? Why? Is it because they are women, while our patriarchal world is ruled by men without an ounce of compassion in their hearts? Maybe that is [indeed the case]."
--------------------------------------------------------
http://memri.o rg/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA31206
Arab Women Are Worse Off Than the Prisoners in Guantanamo
In an article published May 25, 2006 on the reformist website www.rezgar.com, [7] which Al-Huwaider signed "The Second Rosa Parks," she drew a comparison between the lives of the prisoners in the "terrible inhuman prison" of Guantanamo and the lives of the Arab women: "...Anyone who examines and analyzes the lives of the prisoners in Guantanamo, and compares them to the lives of the Arab women - particularly in the Gulf states, and especially in Yemen, Oman and Saudi Arabia - will discover that there are very many similarities... First, in some Arab countries a woman is a prisoner in her [own] home, and can only move with the permission of her guardian, or, more accurately, her jailor. Her situation is similar to that of a prisoner in Guantanamo.
"Second, in some Arab countries, the woman's guardian is her owner, and the one who has the legal right to use her. He controls all her affairs, great and small. His role is very similar to that of a jailor in Guantanamo.
"Third, a prisoner in Guantanamo, like many Arab women, is not the master of his own body. He has no power to control his own fate, and his personal freedom has been taken away, along with his right to protest his situation.
"Fourth, the prisoners [in Guantanamo] are not protected by law, and their lives are the property of their jailors, just as the lives of the Arab women are in the hands of their guardians. When the guardian feels that his wife has crossed a red line, she is doomed to a die terrible death.
"Fifth, many Arab women have tried to escape or to kill themselves as a way out [of their plight], but they failed just as the Guantanamo prisoners [who tried to escape] failed.
"Sixth, some Arab women are forced to wear impractical and suffocating garments in colors that do not suit the scorching climate of our [region]. [In this respect] the prisoners in Guantanamo are better off [than the Arab women], since they wear practical, light-colored clothing suitable for the climate [in which they live].
"Seventh, a prisoner in Guantanamo [can] see the sun, feel its rays and enjoy the caress of fresh air on his face, even when he is physically in chains, whereas the women in some Arab states are shackled [both] physically and spiritually. They carry these chains around all their lives, beginning in childhood... The minute the girl enters her teens, she no longer sees the light of day, and she cannot breathe fresh air except through a veil, since she is covered from head to toe in black garments.
"Eighth, all human rights [organizations], up to and including the U.N., have condemned what is happening to the prisoners in Guantanamo, and have demanded that the Pentagon release them. But nobody has lifted a finger for the Arab women who have been kept prisoner for hundreds of years. No organization, local or international, official or unofficial, has bothered to expose what is happening to them in the dungeons incorrectly referred to as 'their homes.'
"Ninth, the plight of the Guantanamo prisoners is temporary. They might be released at any time, and then they will return to their ordinary lives as Arab men, and may even receive a medal of courage. The Arab women, on the other hand, will remain prisoners until the day they die, and their tragedy may also continue in the coming centuries, until the women... [Finally] manage to seize their rights, attain [equal] status and restore the dignity that has been taken away from them.
"Finally, the female Arab Guantanamo prisoners [i.e. the women] have never been warriors or suicide [bombers]. They never joined any terrorist organization and have never harmed anyone, but they nevertheless live as prisoners all their lives, and their situation is, in some of the respects mentioned above, far worse than the situation of the prisoners on that island. There is nobody in the U.N., or in any other [organization], who takes an interest in their [plight]; nobody protects them or presents their grievances to the world's judicial bodies. This is even though there are millions of them, as opposed to the 500 prisoners in Guantanamo, who knew, [when they set out on their operations], that they might be killed or arrested.
"I wish I knew why the situation of the women in certain Arab states is not condemned by the countries of the world, and does not enrage their citizens. Why do the human rights activists ignore their suffering as though they do not even exist? Why isn't the cry of these millions of women heard, and why isn't it answered by anyone, anywhere [in the world]? Why? Why? Why? Is it because they are women, while our patriarchal world is ruled by men without an ounce of compassion in their hearts? Maybe that is [indeed the case]."
#33 Posted by bhairav on June 7, 2009 6:07:54 pm
Not that I care much for Arabs and what they write but for anyone who does.......
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In a satirical poem titled "When," posted on Arabic reformist websites including http://www.aafaq.org , reformist Saudi author and journalist Wajeha Al-Huwaider lamented what she regards as the conditions in the Arab world. In the introduction to this poem, she wrote: "'When' is an ode to the troubles of the Arab citizen.
The following are excerpts from the poem:
"When you cannot find a single garden in your city, but there is a mosque on every corner - you know that you are in an Arab country…
"When you see people living in the past with all the trappings of modernity - do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country.
"When religion has control over science - you can be sure that you are in an Arab country.
"When clerics are referred to as 'scholars' - don't be astonished, you are in an Arab country.
"When you see the ruler transformed into a demigod who never dies or relinquishes his power, and whom nobody is permitted to criticize - do not be too upset, you are in an Arab country.
"When you find that the large majority of people oppose freedom and find joy in slavery - do not be too distressed, you are in an Arab country.
"When you hear the clerics saying that democracy is heresy, but [see them] seizing every opportunity provided by democracy to grab high positions [in the government] - do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country…
"When monarchies turn into theocracies, and republics into hybrids of monarchy and republic - do not be taken aback, you are in an Arab country.
"When you find that the members of parliament are nominated [by the ruler], or else that half of them are nominated and the other half have bought their seats through bribery… - you are in an Arab country…
"When you discover that a woman is worth half of what a man is worth, or less - do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country…
"When you see that the authorities chop off a man's hand for stealing a loaf of bread or a penny, but praise and glorify those who steal billions - do not be too surprised, you are in an Arab country…
"When you are forced to worship the Creator in school and your teachers grade you for it - you can be sure that you are in an Arab country…
"When young women students are publicly flogged merely for exposing their eyes - you are in an Arab country…
"When a boy learns about menstruation and childbirth but not about his own [body] and [the changes] it undergoes in puberty - roll out your prayer mat and beseech Allah to help you deal with your crisis, for you are in an Arab country…
"When land is more important than human beings - you are in an Arab country…
"When covering the woman's head is more important than financial and administrative corruption, embezzlement, and betrayal of the homeland - do not be astonished, you are in an Arab country…
"When minorities are persecuted and oppressed, and if they demand their rights, are accused of being a fifth column or a Trojan horse - be upset, you are in an Arab country…
"When women are [seen as] house ornaments which can be replaced at any time - bemoan your fate, you are in an Arab country.
"When birth control and family planning are perceived as a Western plot - place your trust in Allah, you are in an Arab country…
"When at any time, there can be a knock on your door and you will be dragged off and buried in a dark prison - you are in an Arab country…
"When fear constantly lives in the eyes of the people - you can be certain that you are in an Arab country."
-------------------------------------------------------
In a satirical poem titled "When," posted on Arabic reformist websites including http://www.aafaq.org , reformist Saudi author and journalist Wajeha Al-Huwaider lamented what she regards as the conditions in the Arab world. In the introduction to this poem, she wrote: "'When' is an ode to the troubles of the Arab citizen.
The following are excerpts from the poem:
"When you cannot find a single garden in your city, but there is a mosque on every corner - you know that you are in an Arab country…
"When you see people living in the past with all the trappings of modernity - do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country.
"When religion has control over science - you can be sure that you are in an Arab country.
"When clerics are referred to as 'scholars' - don't be astonished, you are in an Arab country.
"When you see the ruler transformed into a demigod who never dies or relinquishes his power, and whom nobody is permitted to criticize - do not be too upset, you are in an Arab country.
"When you find that the large majority of people oppose freedom and find joy in slavery - do not be too distressed, you are in an Arab country.
"When you hear the clerics saying that democracy is heresy, but [see them] seizing every opportunity provided by democracy to grab high positions [in the government] - do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country…
"When monarchies turn into theocracies, and republics into hybrids of monarchy and republic - do not be taken aback, you are in an Arab country.
"When you find that the members of parliament are nominated [by the ruler], or else that half of them are nominated and the other half have bought their seats through bribery… - you are in an Arab country…
"When you discover that a woman is worth half of what a man is worth, or less - do not be surprised, you are in an Arab country…
"When you see that the authorities chop off a man's hand for stealing a loaf of bread or a penny, but praise and glorify those who steal billions - do not be too surprised, you are in an Arab country…
"When you are forced to worship the Creator in school and your teachers grade you for it - you can be sure that you are in an Arab country…
"When young women students are publicly flogged merely for exposing their eyes - you are in an Arab country…
"When a boy learns about menstruation and childbirth but not about his own [body] and [the changes] it undergoes in puberty - roll out your prayer mat and beseech Allah to help you deal with your crisis, for you are in an Arab country…
"When land is more important than human beings - you are in an Arab country…
"When covering the woman's head is more important than financial and administrative corruption, embezzlement, and betrayal of the homeland - do not be astonished, you are in an Arab country…
"When minorities are persecuted and oppressed, and if they demand their rights, are accused of being a fifth column or a Trojan horse - be upset, you are in an Arab country…
"When women are [seen as] house ornaments which can be replaced at any time - bemoan your fate, you are in an Arab country.
"When birth control and family planning are perceived as a Western plot - place your trust in Allah, you are in an Arab country…
"When at any time, there can be a knock on your door and you will be dragged off and buried in a dark prison - you are in an Arab country…
"When fear constantly lives in the eyes of the people - you can be certain that you are in an Arab country."
#32 Posted by ahmedmadani on June 7, 2009 3:14:21 pm
Re: # 30 Prof. What happens to palestine is important but most important is Kashmir and he is backstabbing GOP. You are american so its is important to you but kashmir more important here and he is backstabbing after harvesting Muslims votes in usa. He has forgotten ladder he used to climb. Not fair not moral to treat second most partner on WOT after usa itseo obama will not abandon us. How you think about requesting col Gadaffy to arbritation ?Kindly read his article on this topic and comment. Thanks will wait for you opinion on Col G for helping both sides.
Good day
Good day
#31 Posted by ahmedmadani on June 7, 2009 3:07:20 pm
Today news says "US will not meddle in Kashmir, says Riedel"
What all this fuss about Obama, he is not going to keep his election promise to lean on India to solve problem.
Before WOT started by GOP it was promised to work on "Kashmir" problem and make India flexible to accomodated interests of pakistan. That was all bluff just get muslim votes in usa and he has achived not shaft for all muslims who voted for him. Now as war stated by GOP can not go back for peace as wonded tiger of TTP is now most dangerous. Again follow international thug as junior partner and he does not value largest partner.
Only way is solve problem is to have Col Gadaffy like person who is very smart and sympatheic to pakistan and has excellent relationship with India can do miracles, he has changed lot. He was sorry for many past things, left nuclear weapons, he said he has respect for mr.Gandhi etc so can cajole india.
He can be good messenger of peace. Please read his / Gadaffi's article on Kashmir.
Good day
What all this fuss about Obama, he is not going to keep his election promise to lean on India to solve problem.
Before WOT started by GOP it was promised to work on "Kashmir" problem and make India flexible to accomodated interests of pakistan. That was all bluff just get muslim votes in usa and he has achived not shaft for all muslims who voted for him. Now as war stated by GOP can not go back for peace as wonded tiger of TTP is now most dangerous. Again follow international thug as junior partner and he does not value largest partner.
Only way is solve problem is to have Col Gadaffy like person who is very smart and sympatheic to pakistan and has excellent relationship with India can do miracles, he has changed lot. He was sorry for many past things, left nuclear weapons, he said he has respect for mr.Gandhi etc so can cajole india.
He can be good messenger of peace. Please read his / Gadaffi's article on Kashmir.
Good day
#30 Posted by RiazHaq on June 7, 2009 5:22:15 am
Re: # 29
malikrashid,
I agree with your sentiments about Obama and his speech. But, seen from the American political context, I think he went further than anyone thought he would, or any American president has in recent history.
He pushed all the right buttons for his multiple audiences, and earned generally positive reviews with the exception of extreme right. But then extreme was not the people he was appealing he was appealing to. He was looking for support from the mainstream of America and Islam.
I am hopeful that Obama will follow this up with real action. He has already started by pushing Israel on settlements. But he has huge obstacles ahead. Only time will tell if he can succeed.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide
malikrashid,
I agree with your sentiments about Obama and his speech. But, seen from the American political context, I think he went further than anyone thought he would, or any American president has in recent history.
He pushed all the right buttons for his multiple audiences, and earned generally positive reviews with the exception of extreme right. But then extreme was not the people he was appealing he was appealing to. He was looking for support from the mainstream of America and Islam.
I am hopeful that Obama will follow this up with real action. He has already started by pushing Israel on settlements. But he has huge obstacles ahead. Only time will tell if he can succeed.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide
#29 Posted by malikrashid on June 7, 2009 2:27:28 am
PREACHING FROM THE TOP
Do Muslims view the West as hostile because of modernity and globalization?
It is hard to find a Muslim who hates telephone, radio, air travel, news-papers, computers, television or films. There could be some Amish among Muslims but they would be an exception.
If the President was referring to the absence of democracy among Muslims as a sign of their aversion to modernity, his mention of US role in ousting of Mussadeq provides the right answer.
Globalization has not found many opponents among Muslims yet because the US war on terror received all attention in recent years. The President said, �…Muslim majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspiration.�
The President mentioned founding of Israel as the cause for displacement of Palestinians. Instead of a shy admittance, USA and Britain could accept responsibility along with Israel for the death, destruction and displacement of Palestinians. That could be a starting point towards building a bridge to peace.
On the nuclear issue, the President sounded accommodating of Iran’s use of peaceful nuclear energy but insisted on implementation of NPT. Israel’s nuclear weapons were not mentioned.
President Obama declared that US does not seek permanent bases in Iraq or Afghanistan. US insistence on entrusting India with the Afghan affairs is a cause of major concern for Pakistani establishment
The President announced support for education, health and economy in the Muslim countries. He reiterated US resolve for gender equality but his support for democracy seem to allow for dictators and monarchs as long as they pledge a peaceful evolution of participation in governance. Isn’t it the same old policy of condoning dictators?
The President however did cast USA as a Muslim inclusive country in his speech, instead of a Judea-Christian imperialist power. He pleaded for tolerance of other faiths among Muslims and asserted that moral authority can not be claimed by violence.
Moral authority is what the USA needs, to re-establish itself in the Muslim world, as a friend and a partner.
.
Do Muslims view the West as hostile because of modernity and globalization?
It is hard to find a Muslim who hates telephone, radio, air travel, news-papers, computers, television or films. There could be some Amish among Muslims but they would be an exception.
If the President was referring to the absence of democracy among Muslims as a sign of their aversion to modernity, his mention of US role in ousting of Mussadeq provides the right answer.
Globalization has not found many opponents among Muslims yet because the US war on terror received all attention in recent years. The President said, �…Muslim majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspiration.�
The President mentioned founding of Israel as the cause for displacement of Palestinians. Instead of a shy admittance, USA and Britain could accept responsibility along with Israel for the death, destruction and displacement of Palestinians. That could be a starting point towards building a bridge to peace.
On the nuclear issue, the President sounded accommodating of Iran’s use of peaceful nuclear energy but insisted on implementation of NPT. Israel’s nuclear weapons were not mentioned.
President Obama declared that US does not seek permanent bases in Iraq or Afghanistan. US insistence on entrusting India with the Afghan affairs is a cause of major concern for Pakistani establishment
The President announced support for education, health and economy in the Muslim countries. He reiterated US resolve for gender equality but his support for democracy seem to allow for dictators and monarchs as long as they pledge a peaceful evolution of participation in governance. Isn’t it the same old policy of condoning dictators?
The President however did cast USA as a Muslim inclusive country in his speech, instead of a Judea-Christian imperialist power. He pleaded for tolerance of other faiths among Muslims and asserted that moral authority can not be claimed by violence.
Moral authority is what the USA needs, to re-establish itself in the Muslim world, as a friend and a partner.
.
#28 Posted by Pardesi on June 7, 2009 1:35:02 am
#25 Posted by RiazHaq on June 6, 2009 6:43:23 pm
"Significant part of the acceptance of sycophantic culture in India comes from the inhumane system that legitimizes exploitation and abuse of one group of human beings by another group, simply based on the accident of birth. They all know that George W. Bush was born with a "silver foot in his mouth", as former female Texas governor Ann Richards described it."
Riaz, just to help you rebuild your credibility ...
Ann made those comments about Bush Sr and NOT George W, whom you hate so much :)
"Significant part of the acceptance of sycophantic culture in India comes from the inhumane system that legitimizes exploitation and abuse of one group of human beings by another group, simply based on the accident of birth. They all know that George W. Bush was born with a "silver foot in his mouth", as former female Texas governor Ann Richards described it."
Riaz, just to help you rebuild your credibility ...
Ann made those comments about Bush Sr and NOT George W, whom you hate so much :)
#27 Posted by akcheema on June 6, 2009 11:15:17 pm
Riaz Haq sahib ... this 'pak alumni worldwide' thingy ... can we drop that please ...
... unless you claim to represent all the Pakistani alumni worldwide ... I am a Pakistani alumnus (so to speak) and you certainly don't represent me
let's interact here as ourselves rather than claiming to be someone we are not
Thank you and kind regards
... unless you claim to represent all the Pakistani alumni worldwide ... I am a Pakistani alumnus (so to speak) and you certainly don't represent me
let's interact here as ourselves rather than claiming to be someone we are not
Thank you and kind regards
#26 Posted by bhs75 on June 6, 2009 7:18:44 pm
"isreal is not going anywhere"
I have been saying this for a while now and I say again,if the muslim world make peace with this fact & recognise that, alot of problems will be solved in no time.
I have been saying this for a while now and I say again,if the muslim world make peace with this fact & recognise that, alot of problems will be solved in no time.
#25 Posted by RiazHaq on June 6, 2009 6:43:23 pm
Significant part of the acceptance of sycophantic culture in India comes from the inhumane system that legitimizes exploitation and abuse of one group of human beings by another group, simply based on the accident of birth. They all know that George W. Bush was born with a "silver foot in his mouth", as former female Texas governor Ann Richards described it.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide
#24 Posted by RiazHaq on June 6, 2009 6:30:53 pm
Re: # 23
Not all Indians, but some horrible ones lick shoes and unmentionable parts of the anatomy.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide
Not all Indians, but some horrible ones lick shoes and unmentionable parts of the anatomy.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide
#23 Posted by KHYBER on June 6, 2009 5:44:46 pm
Re: # 20Riaz...Indians know how to lick shoes of people in power.
http://pukhtunkhwatimes.blogspot.com/
http://pukhtunkhwatimes.blogspot.com/
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