The MF Husain Controversy: Identity, Intent and the Rise of Militant Fascism ##116,
Actually I meant the mother not the son..but that made your day and that of people like Hamidm who know that they live a hypocritical pathetic life defending what their own quaid could not.

Kaura # 236,

We live in the world of double standards. Only for the non muslims that is. For The pureland, everything is eternally pure and absolute. We are the cause of double standards and they are intent upon removing this, so they can have only one. You can be a Christian, Hindu, Buddhist or anyone....
The troglodytes in NWFP are their friends ( and now reluctant enemies i.e if we believe them), so all this hoopla about profanity against any religion should first be tried in Peshawar..eerrr wait how about in punjab claiming Abdus Salam was the true son of soil. I am sure Tahmed and Hamidm will take up the mantle... after all they represent the true ideal secular pukistan..

The MF Husain Controversy: Identity, Intent and the Rise of Militant Fascism #118

Ab dekho kitne kharaab log hain ye....Hai allahhhh

The MF Husain Controversy: Identity, Intent and the Rise of Militant Fascism #113,
You are a good friend to the rescue.
I tell u, coming from you, "horrible hindoos" is a delight as opposed to just "pakistan" from any western media. Thats not my feeling.....just some of my white anglo-saxon guys I frequent the bar with. but then they I may be wrong......the freedom of expression that you guys experience in Waziristan by the good looking pathans is better than us people. But hey... aren't they also exercising their freedom of expression on you guys just like you did on them for the last 50 years?

Look here, I am just enjoying some St. Remy XO ( just being a braggart...)..I guess this should be given to every Indian soldier..(ooooopppsss I forgot.... they did well without it...)). We are baniyas so need to spend money when not required.

The MF Husain Controversy: Identity, Intent and the Rise of Militant Fascism #112,

So we take one case of your bigoted friend and extrapolate on the rest of the community. Now that is how allah decreed muslims to behave vis a vis non-believers. Well that does not surprise me- God's warrior.
Bottomline--- It is illegal in India to discrimate on the basis of Caste, sex, religion or language. Now it's your turn to inform me the same from Paki constitution's POV.

Hmmm the pre-islamic period of india.....what can we say..except you should have had your high school education out of pakilnd....even education in france or UK (which ruled over us) may give you better idea. But then, as I understand your history books don't begin before Bin qasim. Now its my experience...(unlike the believers of Gandhi) that some brainwashed people cannot be reasoned with. Gandhi was adamant that even Hitler can be reasoned with. Well I am no Gandhi......

How about we start with some history books on ancient civilizations, then on to the Vedic period, Upanishads ( ohhhhh i know the upanishads are brimming with fury against the unbelievers....... this is why i find the desert religions so calming), then to Buddhism, Ashoka , How about Kanishka ( whose capital was in peshawar), then to the Guptas (the golden period of 400 years asper some stupid moronic western historians and chinese travelers of that time). Look dude.....this is called get an education.

The MF Husain Controversy: Identity, Intent and the Rise of Militant Fascism #108,
Excellent points on sati and caste system. We are in 2009. India seems to be dancing with time and outlawing such beloved ideals that you pakistanis love to throw on us. How the Hindus decreed fatwas against all who opposed such god gievn laws is enshrined in the hearts and minds of the followers. We hindus enjoy daily cursing of some dalits and other some such with complete protection from the law. But then I know, you guys have reformed so many islamic laws and become the promised land of the world' subjugated and poor. They are all knocking on your doors. If I am not mistaken somehow most of these immigrants are loonies who want to blow themselves up based on the word of god that is enshrined in your constitution.
I am tired of appeasement of pakistani culture which only reminds me of Hitler's era of Nazis being pamepered by superpowers. The only thing you can gloat about is that your nation is somehow being compared with Germany 70 years back.

The MF Husain Controversy: Identity, Intent and the Rise of Militant Fascism Further to # 107,

This is why with American revolution and french revolution the western world got rid of the obtrusive religion in the lives of common people and allowed for true art and science to flourish. This is impossible in the Islamic world for as long as religion becomes the deciding factor in everything, be it taking a leak to art, science and how you wash your hands. You need to officially remove these laws as governing for true freedom to sprout in the hearts and minds of people. Until then we all thank jinnah for leaving us with a lesser "burden" to civilize and "enlighten" with the true meaning of freedom.
While you and I enjoy the freedom to converse on the so called profane topics, note that the law in India also does not support the hindu nuts hounding MF Hussain. Can the same be said for islamic nuts in pakistan? or in any islamistan?
No law can be imposed upon any populace without having some affinity with the values of the locals. This is why an openness to ideas and the spirit of exploration based on ancient indian ethos finds resonance in the modern indian constitution based on freedom of expression. This provides thankfully an umbrella to people like MF HUssain and Tslima Nasreen. Those that wanted a different umbrella opted out decades ago. And we want nothing to do with that anymore.

The MF Husain Controversy: Identity, Intent and the Rise of Militant Fascism #101,

You may not like it. But that's a factual differentiation between east and the god governed western tribal religions. Freedom of expression in any western society vis a vis science or art (be it the muslim society or the medieval roman world) was always limited and ruled by what religion decreed to be true. Live with it.

The MF Husain Controversy: Identity, Intent and the Rise of Militant Fascism Freedom of expression is not a one way street for one section of society only while the other esctions display extreme sensitivity. If I support MF Hussain then I do completely support Rushdie and others in all religions and cultures. Art in the islamic world is dead because it is within the confines of what the religion lays down as moral or immoral. But do the Hindu nuts have to stoop to the same values as practised by the Islamic world? Why are these people comparing or emulating the behavior and values of regressive 7th century arabs? Seventh century India was more liberal in values as compared with today's Hindus. But now we should change ourselves because " look these people also don't tolerate what we routinely do". I think this entire comparison with any Abrahamic culture will lead to problems in our society. We are best when left completely uninfluenced by this moral blanket of suffocation by the western tribal values of yesteryears.

The MF Husain Controversy: Identity, Intent and the Rise of Militant Fascism Beena,

Thanks for writing on a very pertinent topic. By the logic of shiv sainiks perhaps most of the ancient temples I have visited will have to be destroyed. I consider MF Hussain to be an Indian citizen who's free to express his culture any way he wqants to. More power to him.
But this rise of militant fascism has political roots in Congress too. Most of these regional fascist tendencies have been nurtured by Congress to wedge the state community and win votes there. Yes appeasement of minority is a relevant factor, but so is a complete lack of ancient India's values and culutre which fly against what these fascists stand for.

Adios

Irrational Patriotism, Liberalism and Nuclear Arsenal Madani # 87,
"Give your feeling'

I gave your feeling from the other board about how water is useless after electricity is extracted from it to some top Universities in the US. They are working on it. But to reach to your stage of intellectual (and by that the quintessential paki level) the rest of the world will take some time. So forgive us if we "slave dogs" don't understand it. After all your nation, awam, religion and religious seat (Mecca) are all making the rest of the world slaves with their intellectual prowess. Now I know that you and Hamid's grandfather were taken by it a long time back. Pardon us, for the rest of the world is a little slow in uptake. Keep banging your head to the floor and sending your money and sons to jehad and we'll finally get it. I have to say though that even dogs don't send their offsprings to death knowingly. What does the paki awam become then!

Irrational Patriotism, Liberalism and Nuclear Arsenal Pardesi & DM,

The official historian of India is Riaz...not you bunch of indian Panjoos. Kindly let the man
have his say. Millions of Indians await his enlightening speech just like another moron from Pukiland who claimed that Gandhi was a bigot and fundamentalist.

I say...Sikh separatism started the day Guru Nanak was born. After all he wanted to separate one section from another. Look at the pristine and peaceful Pukiland..with all minorities thriving and shining the light of hope to all the world's oppressed. Hindsight is 20/20 my friends...now you know why Jinnah the prophet created this paradise. To end all the separatist evil ideologies emanating from India.

Adios

Islam and Modern Times: Is There a Case For Reinterpretation? Dost,
You have pleasantly surprised me with your views in this thread.
But all power to these thoughts.

GHQ Attack-Serious Questions Pardesi,

We need to add one more scenario:
Scenario3: Army and buddy taliban join to rout the bad talibans. They anyways don't care about the civilians.

In the process of scenario 3, after routing the bad guys,the army and taliban both gain credibility again and get back to status quo. Pakistan has a history of repeating the same scenarios over an over again with one thing constant, the army.

Now coming to the odds, Scenario one is more likely than scenario 2 anytime. The civilan gov. does not have the balls to take on army with anyone's help. The population does not support any such venture.

GHQ Attack-Serious Questions Only two powers have Guns and God on their side. Which third power will go is quite clear. The powers with Guns and God had been flirting with each other for a long time.

Obama\'s Regional Strategy and India Dost,
Good summary of the recent Indo-American turn of events.

Overall I believe it is good for India that we're not a focus of powers like US. It gives us the space to mold and shape our destiny without interference. It also allows us to continue on a path of self reliant econmoic, social, political paths. The only undesirable in this scenario is the inability of India to take care of its own security threats. We seem to be relying just on the US pressure in the region without having to make any efforts of our own. Either way, that scenario should change and India should become a little more self reliant there also.

Adios

Talk English, Walk English Shoaib,

A good and relevant article.

I wonder if the potential of many intelligent and creative students across the villages in India speaking in different native tongues can be utilised if english is required in higher education. Perhaps it would be better to instruct them in their respective native languages and not instill a fear of lack of english. Most non-english educated people become diffident and cannot pursue further studies despite being good at their subjects.

Adios