Train from Pakistan, 2004: The Return

jang #312 actually, religion always played second fiddle to power politics in the ottoman empire. The same was largely true for the mughals too - aurangzeb was the exception that proved the rule. Indeed, as Armstrong reports, during their conquest of north africa muslims actually discouraged conversions since conversions dried up a source of taxation (jaziea).

This is reflected in muslim art as well - artwork for mosques is strictly religious in nature (calligraphy, Quranic verses) as would be true for any religious place. But artwork for the palaces is very different with pictures and everything (mughal miniatures are of course well known in india, similarly persian carpets for palaces had romantic pictures of women and their aashiqs, and even the ottomans took it easy).

Given the pervasive belief even among balanced, intelligent Indians like you that muslim history is based on religious fanaticism, I am beginning to think that there has been a good deal of brainwashing done in India by your hindu-chauvinist politicians. Isnt it nice to be able to come to chowk and set your minds free from the shackles of RSS. :-)

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Ref salim #284

[Pakistanis and Muslims are very experienced at building great cities and preserving them for themselves or leaving them for others to enjoy - Cordova, Granada, Cairo, Tehran, Lucknow, Baghdad, yes even Delhi. And that skill has not been lost in the new generations - Ankara, Islamabad, Kuala Lumpur are testiments to our zeal for building cities.]

Would that include the preservation of buildings by Muslims that took place on Sep 11, 2001 in New York City? Or the Bamiyan Buddhas?

salim

``Yes, I agree that Istanbul is the finest example of Muslim architecture -``

would that be the aya sofia mosque? are there any ``remnants`` of byzentine architecure preserved by any chance? i guess constantinople was just an unknown shanty-town on the land-route to india before turki conquest, right? it was on the verge of the age of reason (e.g. the byzentines had already discovered perspective in their paintings), but then the turks happened and reason got replaced by the shining light of true-belief.

salim chauhan, you are a true warrior. stop using religion as a girlie excuse, use reason instead belief and fight a good rajput fight.

Ref HP #273

[The mindset you have has no value for life. Killing Babies, women and elderly is okay for you, Sandaas and A-hole as long as they are Muslim or belong to other minorities in India.]

Well, I have been reading the Koran on the web. Let me read the Upanishads and maybe my mindset will change!

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As we draw towards the end of this series of articles and interacts, I would like to place my closing remarks here:-

a) I thank all those who made this trip possible for us.
b) I am grateful to all those who read and interacted.
c) I shall repeat this trip again, and with a camera as well as experience.
d) My views, interacts and responses were basis what I saw.

And finally, I realise there is no way I can please everybody, but the fact that independent polls shows that 96% of all Pakistanis and Indians here agreed with my views, reviews and analysis makes me happy and fills me up with a determination to continue wearing my eppaulettes . . . err, bang away on my typewriter . . . I mean keyboard.

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If, however, as a writer, I was asked what would really make me happy, what would I ask for?

I would ask intelligent and non-combative readers from Pakistan to select a good newspaper of today`s date, go with it to the famous Govt. College Lahore gate, and take a dated photograph of three girls wearing denim jeans reading it.

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Thank you

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Tahmed

Post#298

Quote:

`` So excuse me if I tell you I am not interested in your explanation of what veeresh meant. ``

You are not interested in my explaination? Have I given you any explaination?

On the contarary, I have been very polite, and have given you an escape route in a subtle manner. Note, I even used the word ``inadvertantly`` (in my previous post to you, on the similar subject) in my post so that you can look again, at what you had written/claimed. That was giving you a way out, in a polite way.

You are claiming that Veeresh said X, and I have quoted from his posts only to show that he has not said, what you claim he has.

I have not given any explaination but it is questioning and refuting your claim. Please check again.

Tahmed32

Post#298

Quote:

`` I realize by now this herd instinct of many (not all) indians where they jump to one another`s defense regardless of what the issue is (a clear sign of a cowardly, unprincipled lot), and your picking one out of a number of absurd things written by this man, and then attempting to split hairs to prove that he did not mean what he said on this point, is just one more example of this. ``

Sir, in the past he may have had been to moon, mars, heavens above or wherever else. That could be an issue but it would be a different one. Your post from where I have quoted or is in question, consist of 5 points. Of those, I have picked two. That is 40%. That in no way means, splitting hair or attempting to split hairs.

Ref #301

`` thick and dense grass`` maybe thats the reason u r not getting laid .... and hence getting desperate ....

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harimau #247
PS: Just a thought - no cantonment but imperial past and old city - Hyderabad(6.4M agglomeration) could serve for comparison too, if the CM let loose for 10 yrs with World Bank billions and IT fervor could be matched.