Did Imran get the money?

Please use this space to post your comments related to this editorial. For comments or questions related to the webiste, content, policy, etc. use the feedback form.


NOTE: (Action may be required on your part) If you contribute articles to Chowk then please note that we use your email address on file to communicate with you regarding your article. If your email address on file is outdated then you may not be receiving such communication. Please check and update your email address in your account information page. This address is also used to respond to querries sent using the feedback form.

FV:
Can you advise how to hold a ``proper`` fund raiser?
Would you show other ways of holding a ``minute`` silence. The purpose is to show solidarity and respect. What other ways can it be symbolize?

Why do we sleep through the ongoing tragedy of illiteracy, malnutrition, infanticide, child marriages, dowry deaths, honour killings, farmer suicides?
We also have our and our family to take care for? Everyone cannot be a social worker or write articles. We probably do by feeding poor (not everyday), accepting birth of daughters, not accepting dowry and respecting women. Would like the government to take care of farmers as a city dweller, dont know how to assist them or have even time for that.

I lost respect for this man-imran khan- when he made derogatory statements about indian women and actresses.

{``And our one minute of silence is not even a whole minute. As we sat there prepared for 60 seconds of remorse, we were snapped out of it in less than half the time.``}

Farzana,
So, you noticed that too? Did you really time the one-minute of silence? :)
That`s what I like about you - always interesting and never boring. This article was so relevant that many of us can easily identify with it. I like the way you bring up issues that we all are curious about, but never seem to be able to discuss.

Farzana, the awkward issue of Indians not being able to travel to Pakistani Kashmir, not even to help earthquake victims, is a direct floodlight on the idiotic nature of Indo-Pak relationship. Close enough to care about each other, but far enough to accept help from those who should be even farther away.

Thanks,

Miss Farzana Versey
Yes, good editorial, based on your own observations leading you to write to judge other people`s good intentions. For my self , If I have to choose, I will rather help all people on this earth quietly.Exactly like, give with one hand, so that other hand shouldn`t know. But, my observations are quite opposite to one of your`s. There is a thing called inspiration or motivation or if, you degrade this word, copying is the basic human nature which we can`t avoid. Some of us, if, do something good they wish to be admired and praised. In return, they do more and more. While some others just help others and wish to advertise their good deeds purely with so, called good intentions to inspire or motivate others to get involved and in this way spread their light everywhere.
Now, there are times, like earthquake in Pakistan, where I believe, no matter what your intentions are , we need money and people, rolling over to help them in any way. B/c all ways whether private, advertisements or show offs lead to help those in dire need. Go, ask them who lost their loved ones, their body parts, their homes and their dignities, ask those who don`t have anything to eat, nothing to wear, no shelter and not even clean water to drink, who are unable to combat snow storms, which has already started. Ask those who are being amputated daily and then asking others to shoot them,b/c they can`t take this life with out limbs. Ask those whose miseries are numerous and they are almost buried alive under the burden of their sadness to an extent that those unfortunate ones are even unable to feel the sadness and cry for thier lost loved ones, they don`t have the blessing of even to mourn,b/c they are numb with all these atrosities one after the other. Ask those who are still digging under rubbles in the hope of seeing their loved one`s bodies or who knows, may be, may be alive. Ask them who start their days digging and end digging with their bare hands to see some light,but, in return nothing,but, their sad echoes. Ask them who have nothing to look forward for with no memories left,b/c they lost their sanity as they were unable to take that tragedy with their sane minds(may be they are the only lucky ones)!!!!!!!!!

Imran Khan, no matter how much hypocrite this man is!!! I always respect his good deeds with the core of my heart and soul. Starting from making Pakistan`s cricket team, the world`s renouned one to building of Cancer hospital in Lahore to helping earthquake victims.
I salute his efforts for earthquake victims, I don`t care what his intentions are/were. The whole point is, the man is helping the real victims and that is the only truth I can feel and see ,in fact, when you feel extreme pain for earthquake victims, you just want to help, no matter what, where, who.......
It is samething, when you have a kid and kid gets fatal disease. You take your kid to every famous and competent physician possible, still, at the end all of them tell you, endstage disease. No cure. You don`t give up. You start going to hakeems, so,called saints or baba ujmariey type people(even if you don`t believe them),b/c , at this moment all you want is hope and help, any where, any way and any time.......................You start begging those whom you never thought worth of even one look, in your good times..........

Conclusion:-When we are in darkness, we need light, no matter it comes from Sun or Moon or stars!!!!!
Thanks

Farzana Versey
We, humans judge other humans with our own narrowminded judgemental eye glasses with out thinking , others can judge us the same way. Thanks

Confronting someone is a serious responcibility. Exercise it carefully, and always beware of judging.

Your Word instructs us not to judge;
So, Lord, we humbly pray,
``Restrain our lips when we should speak
And things we should not say.``

If Imran got money, then more less he got short end of stick. Huge Granth have both Divine and Jemimah. Man has the pancake and the syrup - just waiting for scrambled eggs now.

Only if Pakistani-Americans could attach some conditions with their donations – i.e, telling the dictatorship that we will only send help if he sits down with India to resolve the Kashmir issue once for all. These poor Kashmiris have experienced enough misery for the past 60 years that the earthquake seems pale in comparison. There are brother and sisters and families on either side of the border who don’t know if their loved ones are dead or alive (even before the earthquake). The LOC should be all around one Kashmir to keep the Pakis and the Indians out.

Regardless of what one thinks of Imran as a person or a politician..he has done a lot of positive work during the post quake period. Most of it was low key initially and I remember him appearing on Geo TV looking absolutely exhausted right after coming back..

Imran`s heart is in the right place.

All he needs is a good PR company to help him learn how to communicate. He comes off as too simple minded.

if this is supposed to be an editorial then surely FV should know that editorials are not signed -- its understood that they are on behalf of the editor

Hi FV,

There is nothing wrong with Kebab grease as long as that is not all that you

remember out of this fundraiser.

And as to your not being (visually?) overwhelmed by IK, all I can say is that we Pakistanis

believe that he makes us look good on the front page of any newspaper or magazine.

His intellect and grasp of political realities needs improvement. In that department

he could learn a great deal from BB and not from Qazi Hussain Ahmed.

FV, you wrote this piece as a distant observer that missed a great deal.

Maybe publishing that photograph you mentioned would help readers believe that you were

really there!

Anyway, kidding aside, we hope to see more such writing from you here on CHOWK.

To me your following observation needed a lot more elaboration:

``What made an impact on me was the space Indians and Pakistanis shared and the admiration the latter expressed for some of the big Indian names present there.``

This fundraiser has raised a lot more than funds. It raised the possibility of a revival of

the good old days when Pakistanis and Indians here in America could show a collective care

that did not have to take into consideration any Line Of Control.


Regards

Ras H. Siddiqui

(PS: My Report will be in the Pakistan Link Community section on Friday December 2nd)

Farzana Versey on suicide watch already now that Laloo is out of power?

A reply since this is a sensitive subject:

Being a distant observer is as good a way of observing as any. I was indeed the outsider looking in, which is why I could ask questions that go beyond this one fund-raiser. I have been a `participant` as well, and the three points I noted in the beginning would apply to me as anyone else, at least to a degree.

I am sure Imran is doing a lot of good work and I wish he were `used` more effectively.

And, yes, the ``conspiracy of silence`` and ``ongoing tragedy`` are issues that need to be examined.

PS: Imran using his fingers to eat is memorable because it was an anachronism in that gathering and in that one moment he asserted an identity. (Anyway, I balk at the thought of using a knife and fork with naan.)

PPS: I was there, but ``being seen`` was not on the agenda!

Imran is a true leader in my opinion. He may not be the best politician (he is too idealistic to be a successful one anyway) but his intentions are quite positive. His efforts to raise funds for the earthquake are not surprising, given his record of social work.

It`s sad that he wasn`t able to raise a million dollars from a community that probably paid more to the US govt. in taxes but kudos to him for at least making the issue heard.

Yes, there are problems in Pakistan, like Northern Areas not allowing Indians in their state but this is their particular law, not the law of Pakistan in general. Moreover, the need of the hour is donations instead of people lining up to go to the affected areas.

Thanks for covering the event Farzana.