Buffalo

Anne:

The last three posts have perhaps less to do with Buffalo than what I am going to post here. It is a news clip from today`s Toronto Star. (Lazy me, saves me the trouble to sum up the story.) What irks me is the word abuse most of us indulge in. In particular Khalid Usman`s use of ``VERY HAPPY`` and ``Its fantastic.`` Ugh!

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February 16, 2000


Father agrees to bury Farah in Canada

Accused man bows to pressure from mother and community

By Jennifer Quinn

Toronto Star Staff Reporter

`He felt that the issue of Farah Khan`s burial was becoming a vehicle for certain individuals and certain groups to promote their own self-interests.`
- Mohammad Syed Lawyer for Muhammad Arsal Khan, Farah`s father


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The father of Farah Khan has changed his mind and will allow his little daughter to be laid to rest in Canada.
``In light of all the recent developments, Mr. Khan is relenting and giving permission to have Farah Khan buried in Toronto,`` Mohammad Syed, one of Khan`s lawyers, told The Star last night.
Muhammad Arsal Khan, 36, and his wife, 45-year-old Kaneez Fatima, have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Farah`s death.
Khan had asked that the remains of the 5-year-old girl be sent to Pakistan for burial. Last week, Farah`s mother, Shahida Jabeen, flew to Canada. She announced Sunday that she would fight her ex-husband`s decision in court.
Those proceedings were to begin today in the Superior Court of Justice, but appear to have been scuttled by Khan`s decision. Khan changed his mind at the Toronto (Don) Jail, where he remains awaiting trial, and informed his lawyer last night, Syed said.
``He felt that the issue of Farah Khan`s burial was becoming a vehicle for certain individuals and certain groups to promote their own self-interests,`` Syed said, noting the decision was made with ``the best interests of Farah and the Muslim community at large.``
Last week, members of the Muslim community wrote Khan in jail, asking him to change his mind. He rejected their request.
Khan has asked that the funeral be small, that the media stay away and that he be kept abreast of the arrangements, Syed said.
Khalid Usman, a member of the group working to see the child laid to rest in Toronto, said last night he welcomed Khan`s change of heart.
``I think people will be VERY HAPPY and relieved that little Farah is going to get (the burial) she deserves,`` Usman said. ``IT`S FANTASTIC. (my caps - t ) Now, we can go ahead and do the right thing.``
Usman said the group would try to get Farah`s funeral arranged as quickly as possible - perhaps even as soon as today.
``If not, then Thursday,`` he said.
The community members supported Jabeen`s wishes and said Khan`s decision to have his child buried in Pakistan was religiously incorrect.
Jabeen has said her child should be buried in the place she died.
The news was greeted cautiously by Omar Farouk, president of the International Muslims Organization, which had been supporting Jabeen.
``If what you`re telling me is true, then that`s the best news I`ve had for Farah and her mother and the community that`s supporting her,`` Farouk said.
Khan gained custody of Farah when he and Jabeen divorced in Pakistan. Although he is accused of killing his daughter, Khan retains the right to determine where she should be buried.
Khan`s family has said Jabeen gave up all rights to the little girl at the time of the divorce.
Shaukat Ali, Jabeen`s brother, who accompanied her on the 30-hour trip to Toronto, insists Jabeen never relinquished her rights to the girl.
That was echoed by Jabeen`s lawyers, who noted the case isn`t a custody matter but an estate issue.
``Custody is not an issue here,`` Khalid Baksh, who represents Jabeen, said yesterday afternoon.
``Ms Jabeen cares - and has always cared - about Farah. Just because her husband had custody of her doesn`t mean Ms Jabeen had given up any rights.``
Baksh had also intended to ask a judge to appoint the Office of the Public Trustee and Guardian to represent Farah`s interests. He was not available for comment last night.

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This fellow Khalid Usman is a local borough councillor, educated, a former chartered accountant, as educated as they come.

The little child Farah was cut up and body parts were scattered all over the city. The police has recovered some parts. The Father and his current wife have been charged with first degree murder.

And we see this tamasha of local leaders shedding crocodile tears, posturing, monopolising TV and Newspaper coverage. And a if all that was not disgusting enough, today Mr. Usman choses unfortunate phraseology to express his glee at not having to go to trial to wrest the body parts from the father (who wanted the daughter buried in Pakistan) so ostensibly these pseudo leaders can have some more limelight exposure.

What kind of person would use VERY HAPPY and IT`S FANTASTIC under these circumstances?

I apologise for using this space. Wish Chowk has some nook for discussing Word Abuse.

rgds

t

Jonty,

We authors don`t pare our nails. We give them French manicures :)

Bina.

Hee hee hee hee hee hee. Who says that only Spain has the most thrilling bull fights. I enjoyed this article.

Azam Khan

interesting, well written, enjoyed the style but i have the same question pm does, what happened next?

Charming and delightful!

So glad to see something unrelated to politics or ‘crook-it’. I love the simple and elegant writing style. Short and succinct sentences, no passive voice: virtues I strive for but seldom achieve. Strunk and White could hardly find fault with the piece. A simple skit crafted very neatly. Please write more.

...SR

Anne:

Almost feel like saying welcome back! Where have you been?

Enjoyed the tale. Ah, what do they say, the well laid plans of men and mice.....or it it men and buffalo?

rgds

t

Anne,

Enjoyed reading the piece. Lets have more.

Anne,

Simply exquisite! Keep writing!

To Whom it may Concern

I am in a tough spot. I have run into a baddtameez fellow in an exchange on the ``He had no Choice``, board (#1162-64). I can ``take care of his post`` myself, but I am afraid that I may have to turn to a higher degree of `uncivility` than is acceptable to me. Please help. Anybody, from Right, Left, Centre, or from out of the perihery and parameter. Column Masters: Please do not mind my post on your board.

Sincerely,

Shahzad C

Dear friends:

On the home/front page of Chowk, there is a yellow box on the middle right hand margin (actually, the ``marginal`` writing ends there). That yellow box has an item ``speaker`s Corner``. Click on it and you can leave a message for the administration of the Chowk. I left one that I think, would interest all the current posters on the Chowk. Please read it (by going to ``replies`` of the ``Speaker`s Corner``), and if you agree leave a message of your own. Or, merely ``me too``. I hope most of you remember that post!

Sincerely,

A Gnostic

Anne - Nice flow and theme, but felt incomplete at the end. I mean, I felt incomplete, even if you completed your story. Reminded me of Naguib Mahfouz`s short story writing style. Read a whole book of his stories and each left me feeling incomplete. :-(

=zensufi=

Anne: Silly. OK. I get it. (Really ;-)

Bina, you`re cooler than a dozen cucumbers.

Jonty

Bina:

Ahem, ``We authors...`` Bina? :)

Rehan.

Jonty, the point was to be silly, but ok....

Anne, if what you said in the post was self-evident in the story- and I believe it was- then what was the point of saying it? All that stuff about `the layered patterns of prejudice` made me cringe. If people don`t `get it`, or need every little detail spelled out for them, that`s their problem, not yours. You know what they say- `If you have to ask...`

(But don`t mind me. I`m just one of those annoying literary purists who believe that the work should speak for itself, and that the author should remain in the background, like a non-interventionist god, paring his nails.)

Jonty,

really sorry to have ruined it for you, but the tacked-on `ending` was a tongue-in-cheek half-joke (obviously not a successful one). I didn`t say anything new; I was hoping all I said in the pseudo-ending was self-evident in the story itself. Oh, well....