Muslims in Infidelistan: A Ready Reckoner Salim:

In #88 you were among those addressed: “I would also like to remind everyone here, including the writer, that this is not UP. Kindly desist from in-house name-calling.”

As the writer you should have tried to moderate the board, instead of responding to every reply that came your way. Once your piece is up here, it becomes your responsibility to a large extent to sift out irrelevancies.

You do understand that not everyone will like what you have written. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes several posts for them to make their point. Instead of getting involved in this, you ought to have seen that several FP regulars, including our writers, had positive or at least critically studied comments to make. (You still do not know what I think, and I do not have to like everything I publish. This should be a lesson for those who shout about freedom of expression and diversity of viewpoints.)

It was your job to have taken it on the chin once and moved on.
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There was a charge of plagiarism that was unfounded; then there were comments about “lack of originality”, which is entirely a subjective POV; and now finally, issues have been raised.

This is an invitation to anyone – male or female – to submit a rejoinder to this article in the contribution form if they feel strongly about it; the article will have to deal with only the issues that have been raised after 350 posts.

As I had stated earlier, there is absolutely no reason for me to defend the selection of this or any other piece; the interactors can deal with the merits or otherwise of what they read on their own steam.

It might be pointed out that not one of those who have been raising their voices has sent us any feedback against this piece.

Besides, no one has to worry about no sunshine as the women’s history month comes to an end because I read that such months and days are not even noticed by some feminists because they are too busy; as it so happens, a good deal of time was taken up here to tell a man that he is not funny.

Some of you might like to join in dealing with ‘abusers’ by not expending this much energy on them.

I suppose women’s history month would include some proactive involvement. Re. putting up stuff on women, there have been two articles and a series of poems – the latter got a sarcastic comment from a woman interactor. For the rest, where were they? A sentence? Could these not have been discussed further?

And a man may profile a woman; a woman may profile a man. This is not a zenana.

If anyone here has substantial opinions they wish to formulate, then nothing ought to stop them. Just do what you can and do not demand what others ought to do.

It is far better to contribute with your ideas.

Thank you,
Editor

Different Strokes We welcome these voices, and their being put together while holding onto their diverse identities says a lot about being secure. It is demeaning to belittle such an ability.

As we said in the introduction: March 8 is International Women`s day. We present four new voices here who have conveyed with simplicity their even more simple thoughts. Today may be just another day but each day counts.

Muslims in Infidelistan: A Ready Reckoner There is absolutely no reason for me to defend the selection of this or any other piece; the interactors can deal with the merits or otherwise of what they read on their own steam.

However, a serious allegation has been made pointing towards plagiarism. Kindly provide us with the links of the sources from where you are convinced portions have been so plagiarised and, as in the recent past, when we have been given such evidence by serious vigilant interactors, I have removed the article. Send this information to me at editors@chowk.com.

The sentence from the Sunday Style section of NYT that has been quoted just does not work. Not only is it a bit of a stretch, the fact is that this article was submitted much before that appeared.

Therefore, before hurling accusations it would do the interactors some good to be sure of their position and back it up.

I would also like to remind everyone here, including the writer, that this is not UP. Kindly desist from in-house name-calling.

Thanks,
Editor

Assessing Pakistani Science Please discuss the subject at hand and any issues related to it.

There is absolutely no reason to be abusive towards any group/person, and this is not the place to have a dialogue about the media or whether your letters are published by a newspaper. You can do so in private communication or in the open forum. Do not hijack somebody`s board with inanities.

Thanks are due to the interactors who have complained about such posts. It would help us further if you could also specify the replies that go against Chowk guidelines, here or elsewhere. Write to us at feedback@chowk.com.

Assessing Pakistani Science This matter has been settled as far as Chowk and the writer are concerned. It was not an issue with us and Dr. Hoodbhoy was not asked to clarify. He did so on his own.

Should the newspaper concerned have a problem and an allegation is being made against the writer (for which no evidence has been provided), then the Editor/publisher of the paper should get in touch with Dr. Hoodbhoy instead of a spokesperson (appointed or otherwise) asking us to act as a courier service. I have not received any ``letter of protest``, either.

If and when that happens, we will do what is necessary.

I request the interactors not to get into further discussion and derail the main topic.

Assessing Pakistani Science This is a message received from Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy:

``For all concerned with the issue: It was mutually agreed upon by Dawn and myself that there would be no restriction on republication of my article ``Assessing Pakistani Science``. In fact, Dawn and I have already given permission to other publications to reproduce at will and without charge.

The matter of copyrights is irrelevant, and I see any attempt by an
outside party to raise this as a mischievous attempt to distract readers
from the content of my article.``

Assessing Pakistani Science Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy has been a Chowk columnist for several years. He sent this piece without any footnote attributing it to where it might have been published earlier. (Surely, this was not a commissioned piece!) One assumes he has complete control and syndication rights over his articles, and is free to share his work wherever he wishes to.

Before accusing Chowk of ``standard practice to lift material``, do buffer your accusation with examples. If anything, we have a surfeit of articles -- both topical and otherwise -- and many from the active Chowk community itself.

There is to be no further discussion on this matter to divert attention from any discussion that will take place. Should Dr. Hoodbhoy himself ask us to credit any other publication, we will gladly do so. Not otherwise.

Editor

The Facticity in Fanaticism Kindly restrict your comments to the topic without resorting to personal attacks or responding to them.

Thanks.

Expression of Freedom: An American Invention There is no reason for interactors to indulge in abusive language (and this includes the writer of this piece). Also, if an accusation is being made about the article not being original, please direct me to the `original` work.

It is absolutely unnecessary to bring in the Chowk editor in almost all interacts or make insinuations about a ``gang``. If you must, then fight content with content. Consider this as adding to the ``quality control``, which incidentally is not about keeping ONE person happy.

There is to be no further dicussion on this post.

Thanks.

Encore Soft Hindutva? The following response is from the author Subhash Gatade:


Re: 153 by Ajeya on January 21, 2006 8:24am PT


Mr. Subhash Gatade,

I do not know what your background is, but here`s a question for you:

Don`t you find it irresponsible to be criticizing Hindutva/RSS/VHP on a forum that is based out of an ISLAMIC nation?

Kind of like when Arundhati Roy went over to Pakistan to castigate the Indian government for it`s lack of democracy.

Would you go to Taliban country to condemn the lack of human rights somewhere else in the world?

Don`t you guys see the irony here?

Other than publishing your writing (I would leave that unqualified, so as not to give you an excuse for not responding), what is it that you are achieving here? Almost all educated Indians who are not of the JNU variety would look down upon you.



Dear Mr Ajeya

Thanks for the interesting query. But before coming to the point raised by you I would like to share a few things about myself, so that you can look at my writing in proper perspective.

As far as my educational background is concerned I have done my M Tech in Mech Engg way back in 1981 from Banaras Hindu University and has been involved with radical movements since college days only. I do not know whether I can call myself a writer or not but it so happened that I have been writing on all issues, which I consider important since late seventies only. At times I feel it is just an extension of my ‘activism’ which definitely won’t make me a writer as one understands the term. Before the advent of the internet all my other ‘writings’ in Marathi, Hindi as well as English had a limited audience and was mainly published in newspapers and magazines. And as I have told you I have been writing on similar themes I first did writing for some public cause.

Thanks to the net that it is easy to share my ideas with a larger audience now which crisscrosses national, regional boundaries. It is really heartening to see many likeminded people sharing similar ideas.

As far as writing against Hindutva’s communal fascism is concerned I think they need to be exposed at every level –national as well as international – so that people get to know the ‘homegrown fascism wrapped in a ‘missionary’ clothing’ which we are facing here. Ofcourse that does not stop me from writing against the Talibans or for that Christian Fundamentalists or Sikh terrorists whereever I find space.

I do not deny that writing against “hindutva fascism’ consumes more of my bytes than the other fundamentalisms/ fanaticisms because in the Indian context I see them as an imminent danger. Secondly, it is also a fact that the different types of fanaticisms/ fascisms feed on each other. It is not just a coincidence that in Pakistan or in Bangladesh these type of fanatic forces gained an upper hand in the polity in late nineties or early part of the 21 st century. For a more tolerant and inclusive south asia we need to fight against all such manifestations of intolerances may it be of the ‘Hindutva’ kind or of the Taliban kind.

As far writing on a website run from a ‘Islamic nation’ is concerned I would just like to raise a question. I am more and more convinced that like ‘fanatic’ forces on both sides of the border there are genuine, peace and democracy loving forces also on both the sides. Is not it time to get out of the mindset which ruling classes of both the countries have carefully peddled where one finds ‘conflation of the people with the ruling classes of both the countries’ in the minds of the people on both sides. It is high time we are able to differentiate that interests of the President of Pakistan or for that matter Prime Minister of India and the interests of the ordinary Pakistanis or Indians.

Don’t you think that both the countries have shed enough blood to prove their supremacy in the area and have now been compelled to talk of peace because of this urge from the people on both sides who want to turn a new leaf. My writing on different issues is just part of that process so that we understand each other’s problems in a better way and if possible help each other to wriggle ourselves of the situation wherein we have been put by circumstances.

Once again many many thanks for the honest query
subhash

Balochistan Militancy -- An Insider\'s View To khamkhwa. and others,

It has been communicated to you before, to report specific instances of interacts to the moderators use the feedback form linked at the bottom of each chowk page. Please do not use the article space for such discussions.

Sincerely,
Chowk-staff

Remembering Munish Please refrain from using interact space to post message to Chowk staff, use the feedback link at the bottom of each page if you have questions which need our attention.

Thank you,

Chowk Staff

Nowhere: The Utopian Destination Please keep the comments relevant to the article other comments may be sent in feedback using the link in the footer.

Sincerely
Chowk-staff

Ouch, It ‘Stings’? Kindly avoid frivolous comments that have nothing to do with this piece or the site.

Thank you.

The Invisible Editor, My Foot! Why are people not sticking to Chowk guidelines? You have been given the choice to put people on `Ignore` if you feel you do not wish to interact with them.

The other new option set up is to play the role of vigilant. If you feel that the guidelines are being ignored/abused, write with specifics to http://www.chowk.com/paint_feedback_form.cgi. One hopes that this forum too is used with prudence and maturity.

Since a request has been made: This is to clarify that Yasser Hamdani was never a moderator or Chowk staff.

India Did Not Kick Us Out Those of you who wish to bend rules and fight your battles, kindly do so where you started them. Do not mess up other article boards with filth. It will not be tolerated. Your views on the subject under discussion, or art/culture are welcome, though.

One should hope this is clearly understood.

Thank you.