The Rock Star and the Mullahs

AhmedBilal/40 welcome back You mean the Pakistanis and Indians were dancing together did anybody step on anybody else`s toes did you not object if some Indians were dancing too close to Pakistanis terrible now you will be labled a Paki-basher too got to go find a thanedaar and a Hyundai Santro now.

#41 by jang on July 14, 2004 3:02pm PT -- 00181596
#38 by omar_r_quraishi on July 14, 2004 6:42am PT
look, junoon is a ``rock`` band with wailing guitars. they may be riding the sufi band-wagon, but they aint no sabri brothers. so i think their audience is the burger class. if that is incorrect, tell me why so with something more logical than calling me delusional. and jang is me.

dude why comment on something u have little or no knowledge of ? as in the pakistani music scene -- jang is u ???? wow, how profound jang jee --

#38 by omar_r_quraishi on July 14, 2004 6:42am PT
look, junoon is a ``rock`` band with wailing guitars. they may be riding the sufi band-wagon, but they aint no sabri brothers. so i think their audience is the burger class. if that is incorrect, tell me why so with something more logical than calling me delusional. and jang is me.

ballukhan

The blueprint for what you describe as the ``ambitious`` mullah`s M.O. was handed down by Washington. The root of the problem started with their unthinking and destructive policies. So-called Jehadis are no different than anti-commie barbarians who Americans supported in South and central America.

Now, Americans are out of that game. Yet the momentum of the Jehadi`s goes on strong. Mullah does it for what he thinks is a higher cause, but is himself being used by Generals just as America used Pakistan. It`s like a father who abuses the child...child ends up becoming an abuser as well.

Needless to say, the source of the problem may be America but they`ve completely washed their hands of the mess...Paks can cry over the rubbish or do their best to clean it up. For certain, putting this responsibility on anyone else (esp. Americans again) will only lead to a bigger mess.

I don`t understand those Pak generals sometimes...cold war is over, yet they doggedly stick to cold war stratagems.

Junoon did a concert here a couple of years back. As usual they were nice enough to let us gather in front of the stage and party. The crowd had a large number of Indians too. Everything was rock n roll as usual till they started a patriotic song “Jazba-e-Junoon”. When they reached the “Pakistan kabhi na bhoolo” part, a portion of the dancing Indian crowd stopped, which was followed by embarrassed looks and whispers. But soon they realized that it was ok and joined the chorus in best spirit of having fun with the music.

#32 by jang on July 13, 2004 2:43pm PT
perhaps the establishment tacitly supports anti-music stance becuase music would tend to be indian (although clearly, everyone loves the music). juoon etc is ok as its kind of phoren and more or less restricted to the burger class.

-- yet another pearl of wisdom from the delusional jang jee -- who by the way refuses to reveal his `persona`-- yes ali azmat is so phoren -- esp his broken english and his frequent use of punjabi in tv interviews --

#35 by vertex on July 13, 2004 10:50pm PT

Ofcourse most of the `revolutionary` separatist movements all over the world have ripped heavily from the Handbooks of Socialistic Guerilla Warfare. So the Islamic revolutionary ripping is understood. Ofcourse the average mullah is more of a bufoon- whose knowledge of nature and sciences is tolerated as a part of our folklores . He is a good chap who tries to keep the Ummah together with his services.
But the ambitious ones are the dangerous ones- and their machinations has an economic base which I have spoken in the Jehadi economics. This economy only benefits these ambitious mullahs and those elites who want to utilize his power of unlimited violence over the people due to his band of zealots that he grooms. So these ambitious mullahs are like a mob leader- like a state within a state who creates his own rules by his power to interpret the tradition and the faith and by the power that he holds over the followers. And once he has access to the latest arms - his power to threaten others becomes manifold- and becomes virtually un-assailable.
That is what has happened in Pakistan- its mullahs have become organized mob leaders and have access to the latest arms. They are ambitious, they want a piece of pie from their local economy which thrives despite them (modern states call this as Taxes!) and for doing all this they have the desire and courage to proclaim themselves as the sole representative of the almighty. The Jehadi economy now runs the madarassas, gives salaries to the Jehadis, provides insurance covers to the Jehadi families, run the best arms and narcotics business, sell anything they can , provide protection, seek taxes and protection money (as donations) and even helps army (or anyone for that matter!) to topple governments.
So who is to blame still for this- the Americans or You and Me?

#35 by vertex on July 13, 2004 10:50pm PT

Ofcourse most of the `revolutionary` separatist movements all over the world have ripped heavily from the Handbooks of Socialistic Guerilla Warfare. So the Islamic revolutionary ripping is understood. Ofcourse the average mullah is more of a bufoon- whose knowledge of nature and sciences is tolerated as a part of our folklores . He is a good chap who tries to keep the Ummah together with his services.
But the ambitious ones are the dangerous ones- and their machinations has an economic base which I have spoken in the Jehadi economics. This economy only benefits these ambitious mullahs and those elites who want to utilize his power of unlimited violence over the people due to his band of zealots that he grooms. So these ambitious mullahs are like a mob leader- like a state within a state who creates his own rules by his power to interpret the tradition and the faith and by the power that he holds over the followers. And once he has access to the latest arms - his power to threaten others becomes manifold- and becomes virtually un-assailable.
That is what has happened in Pakistan- its mullahs have become organized mob leaders and have access to the latest arms. They are ambitious, they want a piece of pie from their local economy which thrives despite them (modern states call this as Taxes!) and for doing all this they have the desire and courage to proclaim themselves as the sole representative of the almighty. The Jehadi economy now runs the madarassas, gives salaries to the Jehadis, provides insurance covers to the Jehadi families, run the best arms and narcotics business, sell anything they can , provide protection, seek taxes and protection money (as donations) and even helps army (or anyone for that matter!) to topple governments.
So who is to blame still for this- the Americans or You and Me?

ballu,

Actually, scourage of do-it-yourself Jehadi groups didn`t start untill Afghan war. Once the self-help books went out, you had do-it-yourselfers popping up everywhere from Bosnia to Kashmir. Most of the manual is ripped out of the pages of Socialist revolutionary tactics anyway....

Anyhoo, your average grunt mullah isn`t really a part of the process. ISI S*it disturbers and secular types (first Americans, now Pakis) are actually runing the show...and quite frankly the ``opposition`` is making it easy to gain recruits because of their brain-dead, penis-swinging attitudes when confronting ``Jehadis`` (i.e. anyone who doesn`t follow govt. line).

#31 by Ras on July 13, 2004 10:25am PT
I think we all pity the poor, un-educated and the simple `mullahs`. The problem is that the `mullah` fails to understand how the almighty has not provided him with the comforts of life on the earth when he has already given it to them the apostate west?

So he goes with vengence to destroy all that is not with him and uses religious sermons as the starting point of his frustration due to his marginalization in the world economy. Then he starts a Jehadi group, recruits poor boys, gets some dollars from Chowki sympathisers as donation, then constructs his own house with these dollars, finds a decently clean and healthy bride and marries, then he expands his jehadi business by making some hits, and then he organizes a gathering against American expansionism, then he collects more money from business houses and political parties- and now we have another mullah who has arrived!!! The story is clear - unless and until the Chowki contributers stop giving him the dollars he will keep on expanding his jehadi-business untill it engulfs the Pakistani economy itself.

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perhaps the establishment tacitly supports anti-music stance becuase music would tend to be indian (although clearly, everyone loves the music). juoon etc is ok as its kind of phoren and more or less restricted to the burger class.

First of all I`m really glad to see this article on CHOWK.

I really liked this program and tried to promote its viewing within our community last year.


RE: #25 ``seinfeld`` all I can add is touche!


Although my problems with these people referred to as ``Mullahs`` continue I do respect

some of them for the work that they do. They are a part of our culture and have a place

in it that cannot be ignored. At birth, weddings and death, these ``Mullahs`` are there

for us. I hope that some of the other Liberal-Left Wing- Secularists will find some

more appreciation of them too.

It is not the ``Mullahs`` but these born-again ``Professional Muslims`` that are

the problem, those that have weird political and social agendas and fly planes into

buildings. Those that cannot tolerate dissent, minorities and the talent that God has

given to individuals to excel in the arts. Those that think Islam starts and ends with

the suppression of women and cannot control their lust at an exposed ankle.


That said and done, Salman, in my handful of conversations with him appeared to be a

reasonable and down to earth chap who is probably more religious then I am. He is

respectful of religion and that is why the ``Mullahs`` respect him in return. Maybe a few

more of us can be more accomodating and open to communicate new ideas to religious

people too and at this time help the ``Mullah`` in his time of crisis.

( I can`t believe that I just wrote that! )


Ras

Islam seems to be a very funny religion. It is a game of ``Find-A-Hadees`` for those who can learn to read and ``Listen-To-A-Fatwa`` for those who can`t :)

Ballukhan

Yaar, but is there ANY way muslims have discovered to be able to keep the Mullah from forcing his way (or the female Mullahs we see on Chowk, from forcing their way) of life on the others? As you would understand, for non Muslims, THAT is the heart of the matter.

#16 by Bina_Shah on July 11, 2004 8:38am PT

I think this point was left unappreciated! Yes, if mullahs hate music, shaved men, lipsticks on women, all icons of the modern living then he is welcome to lead his way of life of the middle ages.
He has no right to force his way of life on the others!!!