Snarl!

I agree with the Farhat Hashmi part but terming the ban on headscarfs ``as the most progressive act`` is beyond any rational thinking. The ultimate freedom of choice should rest with the people and not with the government especially in matters related to one`s religion.

#106

Explains what? Please explain.

Ah, Zulu master. Been missing you. Explain your conspicous absence? And enigmatic statement.

Explains alot.

Hey no hard feelings, Sir. Mine was merely a joke ... alhumdulillah.

See, the difference between a human and an animal is communication. It is what divides animals from man, our ability to discuss matters formulated into a coherent and understandable language...Unfortunately, you seem to have bundled NFP`s entire article into your own thinking into one word by which you understood the whole thing...That of a low, guttural sound uttered by an animal...Snarl!

That probably explains where you are coming from and why you think I would drool over a literate, educated and covered lady such as F. Hashmi, Astaghfirullah. I really don`t blame you. Human language is quite complex, and naturally, some people tend to judge a statement on its intstinctive rather than intrinsic value...Like I said, I don`t blame you...You read into my writing from where you are coming from...

As for the stuff, I kicked it a long time ago Alhumdulillah...Wouldn`t recommend it to anyone...

As far as my writing is concerned, I have a right to disagree with anyone I want, and there is little you can do about it, except snarl at me, which you are at a liberty to do and did...My views don`t agree with NFP, but regardless I have respect for him as a writer...

I read in your profile that you are going to be a journalist...Well, good for you and I wish you all the best...An advice: If you don`t agree with someone`s view, refute it with fire and blood, but do it impartially...Anytime you get personal is the time to be quiet because you obviously have nothing to say...

SirHumonoid, it seems that peshawari stuff got YOU more than NFP! Agree with riffat. Read acidity. And if you STILL think NFP`s gone mainstream then I think it`s time you kicked the habit too.

PS: Stop drooling over F.Hashmi while stoned. Look and hear her with a stright mind. Like the post-drug-addiction/nervous-breakdown NFP. Not that it would`ve mattered EVEN if he would`ve seen her during his druggie/psychosis days. The results would`ve been the same;i.e:SNARRRRRLLLL!!

Ref:#101

Oh, come on. Have you read NFP`s Acidity? It`s ANYTHING BUT mainstream. And tell me how many pakistani journalists are attacking the fundas and ppl like hashmi and israr? The urdu press is as usual right wing and the english press is just too scared. In fact ppl like hashmi are having a ball, really. And since you believe they are doing a great job, maybe this is why NFP`s articles are irking you these days?

I know...It was probably ``Charas de Peshawar``...If NFP is reading this, he knows what I am talking about and the loving nicknames and euphemisms people call their charas...HAHA!

Mine BTW was `Kashti`, or a boat on which you sail away...What an exercise in excuse for futile thinking...Anyways, glad he`s kicked it...

Whatever, I see a definite change in his writing style...It is more powerful, perhaps that`s due to the media being used, (internet as opposed to a published magazine), but I don`t think it`s going in the right direction...It`s very mainstream whereas before it was completely off the beaten track...

It`s something I`d read from any two-bit journalist voicing the concerns of the religious and spiritually deprived and confused masses, sans the rancorousness of NFP...

Every journalist today I read who can hold a pen is out to discredit those herding and shepherding the populace towards the Faith...Termed extremists, fundos, Mullahs, seems the job of every journalist that is born, the first words to scribble out of his pen are `extremism, fundamentalism, Mullahism`...Easy to ride the mainstream wave of popular sentiment fueled by western media, and what saddened me is the extension of the Big Brother media mentality by stalwarts such as NFP...

Reminds me how easy it is to ride an anti-Islamic horse all the way to the top a la Rushdie, Manji and Nasreen...Really doesn`t take much, you see...Tick off more than a billion (sincere) people of a certain belief, and you can be assured of a nice pat on the back and security in the belief that you will be made a shining star despite the garbage that you put out...

Anyways, don`t want to go off at a tangent here, but in Spiderman I heard Peter Parker`s uncle say to him, `with great power, comes great responsibility`...No doubt, to be remembered by such a non-chalant person like myself, NFP must have something running through his pen for me to admire him and remember him like this...

Ferhat Hashmi has my admiration too...Whatever she has done, she has brought a sense of definite (and in my view right) direction to thousands of women and in some cases, men like me, alone and single handedly...She spreads the Faith through her talk, and in my books (me being a Muslim), is a noble, cherishable and enviable task...

His caustic and often personal remarks about Mrs. Hashmi have left me rather humbled about my opinions regarding NFP...I will however not doubt his prowess as a writer, but will however read between the lines as to whatever he has to say...

I don`t agree with his speculations regarding whatever he wrote, they are after all, just that, speculations, however a well written piece, regardless...

First of all there is nothing called as nervous breakdown. It`s just a socially accepted term for the medical term psychosis. People who suffer a bout of psychosis are said to have a nervous brreakdown. Many well known writers have had it. And if NFP did too than I think it actually made him a much powerful writer. Rude but true.

So what if Paracha had a breakdown? He writes like a man on the edge. Quite like most good and daring writers.

#97
Lol!! True, true.

#96
It was I believe drug addiction followed by a nervous break down. But what is all this got to do with Paracha`s views? Most great artists, musicians, writers have had nervous break downs but have continued to produce great works. I`ve been a long time fan of Paracha`s as well and I think currently he is writing some of his finest stuff.

A potpourri of controversies, which has the rabble-rousers clamouring, all asserting their point of views in this pseudo-intellectual rat race. Next thing, we will have someone standing up for Mustansir Hussain Tarar, while the rest go chaotic over Shadi Online....

And all Rahat Kazmi is good for is his extensive library of sorts, and that`s about it.

Rahat kazmi who? That TV actor? Marxist? Ha! Doesn`t he live in this huge house and drives this huge car? Man, bts, read your marx again, buddy.

Salamalaikum...

As usual a well written article By Paracha as expected...When I was in Pakistan it was due to Paracha and Cowasjee that I bought Mag magazine and their insight into different aspects of culture and society...

However I believe Mr. Paracha went through a rather harsh and extreme nervous breakdown for him to have had a moment of clarity to have written such a western-oriented jingoistic themed article...

The depth of his knowledge in writing down his epiphany in the form of this mainstream `wannabe different` article is evident from the fact that he considers the Hijab, a religious obligation for Muslim woman, as a fashion statement...What next?

This is my first time interacting on Chowk, and after having read Mr. Paracha`s couple of articles, though saddened by the demise of his intellectual prowess and the appearance of mass gratuitous mentality, will be a good ride...

#93_nvp2003

hello,

Say that again.. R.K. -- a `pretentious liberal`...

Either I`ve misunderstood him for the three years that I`ve been with him, or you are mistaken..

As far as I know, he is the first person who introduced me to leftist ideologies of existentialism and marxism; he is the one who dragged me out of the dogmas of religion.. Probably all of my leftist tendensies have taken root in his classes. That`s all I know.

He`s probably the most well read person on literature I know of (along with Madame Arfa Syeda Zehra).

A second argument could be is that he is someone who has maintained a different set of principles when dealing with me and something different when interacting with you..

No clue..

Anyhow, for me, this is an irrelevant debate. What matters to me is that he is a teacher who turned my life 180 degrees. A guru, who continues to influence me and the way I think. Someone who doesn`t fail to convince me.

So, label him whatever you may wish to. Can`t care less...:)

Regards
Bilal