Karachi Could Bleed To Pakistan\'s Death Tirish Mir,
I hate to repeat the old Mughal proverb, but ...

"Yeki Afghan, doyum Kambooh, soyum badzaat Kashmiri. "

Is it any wonder that Akbar moved swiftly to balance his Imperial army with Rajputs?

So, Ghol Makhora.

Karachi Could Bleed To Pakistan\'s Death Anil #104 {"Malihabad ke "Dusseri Aam" ka koi jawaab nahin hai."}

Anil Bhai,
Aap ke kahne par hammay bhi yaad aagai. Shukriya.
Pathans are good people, especially once they have been civilized by the grace, culture, and civilization of Oudh :)

Karachi Could Bleed To Pakistan\'s Death TrichMir #28 {"Pathans must have forced Hindus to deny you your rights in per-partition India. Pathans must have kicked out all Hindu Sindhis from urban Sindh so that the progenies of ameer Temur could seize their property, Pathans must have incited all those sindhi mohajer riots in Urban Sindh, only pathans must have been involved in all those shia sunni riots in karachi, pathans must have armed jamatis in karachi who were all mohajirs by the way, and it must be pathans who filled your naive hearts with hate against Punjabis. Far more Pashtuns live in Punjab, Islamabad and some eastern districts of NWFP where the majority are non-Pashtuns than in Karachi but no ethnic riots ever took place in those places. Quetta is half Pashtun and half Baloch but no riots ever took place between these two communities in this city. Hazaras have been living in Balochestan for more than a century and Pashtuns, Balochs and Hazaras get along very well."}

Mr.Mirich Tir,
Now you have done it. Thank you for spurting your hate-filled ethnic venom. In my post in #11, I have clearly blamed the MQM for this latest violence and compared it to the BJP in Modi's Gujarat. You, on the other hand, are providing a cushion for blatant anti-Muslims like Sanitary and nkg to use your rhetoric as justification for killing Indian Muslims.

Now, allow me to set you straight. Mohajirs are not one ethnic group, one linguistic group, or even one provincial group. The so-called Urdu speakers of Karachi consist of Dilliwallas, UPites, east Punjabis (Panipat, Karnal), Biharis, CPites (now MP), Rajasthanis, Bengalis, Gujaratis, and people from Hyderabad (AP), Bombay, Madras, and Mysore. This represents almost all of the provinces of India and even you must agree that we are talking about several races, languages, cultures, and viewpoints. So, suffice it to say, you need to stop your nonsense about Mohajirs being akin to Bengalis. By the way, there are plenty of Urdu-speaking Pathans from India - Delhi, Moradabad, Rampur, Shahjahanpur, Badayun, Malihabad, and other places.

Now let's talk about the wonderful Pathans of NWFP, Baluchistan, and Afghanistan - how they are able to get along with other groups. The fact is that Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazaras are all afraid of Pathans for the latter’s' violence, cruelty, and overwhelming participation in Tally Ban militias. The Hazaras escaped from the cruelty of the Pathans in Afghanistan by coming to Baluchistan, where they fell prey to Pathan murder and mayhem all over again. It was a Sunni Pathan moola who fatwa'ed that killing of Shias is justified and that it is permissible to rape Shia women. Shame on you and your kind for this ethnic, sectarian, provincial, and misogynist bias.

It is a fact that Sunni extremists from up north have been dispatching wave after wave of suicide bombers to blow up Shia mosques with Shias inside them. However, the rational Urdu-speaking Shias and Sunnis of Karachi have refused to fall for your ruse and get embroiled in sectarian violence. Too bad the people of Iraq, NWFP, and Afghanistan can't be that logical.

Instead of trying to contain this NWFP-generated violence and stupidity, you are pouring ethnic gasoline on the lunacy enveloping Pakistan today. Please grow up.

Karachi Could Bleed To Pakistan\'s Death Rashid,
Thank you for presenting this pessimistic, yet realistic, appraisal of life in my beloved Karachi. If the MQM is really involved in this latest upsurge of ethnic violence, it is behaving just like Modi's BJP in Gujarat. The only difference is in the numbers.
While most of us are against the Tally Ban and what they stand for, it is just as horrible as their tactics to resort to ethnic cleansing, mass murder, and violent intimidation. I am very upset at this horrible news of murder and mayhem in my Karach.

Taliban: The Golden Goose And The Deadly Noose #173 RiazHaq {"The two chalenges are of totally different scale in terms of the effort/means required and the ultimate impact of such an effort. "}

Riaz Sahib,
I can cite several proverbs like "every journey begins with a small step" and "mighty rivers start as drops of water." Of course, it's not going to be easy to upset a 62 year old system of privilege, corruption, and rape of the motherland. But if we don't put them on notice, they will simply believe that Pakis don't care.

Taliban: The Golden Goose And The Deadly Noose #172 Hasho{"Forget abt what happened in Vietnam and Iraq, the European invading armies destroyed there own kind during the first and second world war. Not just in terms of military destruction but also in terms of rapes, sodomy and multiple other crimes."}

HP Saeen,
As always you bring us back to history so that gullible desperados like Freehussaini Sahib can see the future in the rear view mirror. :)
As you said, WWII was the ultimate in sexploitation of the victims. After having debauched their way all across Europe, the Germans were defeated by the Russians, who bestowed all sorts of sexual innovations on the surviving frauleins. The victorious Americans saved the West Germans from the rapacious Russians, only to inflict the benevolent form of sexual license that only American servicemen can impose. France, UK, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Phillipines, Vietnam, and now Iraq will never forget how the Americans spread their wealth and the native women to make legends out of gossip. Just wait till Freehussaine becomes a suicide bomber to avenge the honor of his relatives. :)

Taliban: The Golden Goose And The Deadly Noose {"Do you think the current corrupt system can be changed with "zero tolerance for violence"?"}

Riaz Sahib,
Yes! The lawyers got the CJ restored with miminal violence. Only Manto was caught throwing a few bricks at the cops. :)
Someone suggested a Gandhiji campaign. We Muslims have somehow always underestimated the power of peaceful persuasion. We need to shame the military into becoming Pakistanis again - instead of behaving like a bunch of Madoffs on Wall St.

Taliban: The Golden Goose And The Deadly Noose {"When the golden goose tightens the deadly noose, the whole world will lose and the only winner would be regression and brutality. The knowledge of impending doom is agonizing and helplessness blows my mind."}

Rashid Sahib,
Thank you for your timely article exposing the complicity among the ruling elite, the Paki Army, the feudals, and the supermullahs, now notoriously known as the Taliban.

This is nothing new - just a bit more grotesque than its model, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. When one sells one's soul to the devil, one shouldn't complain about the horns growing from one's diabolical head. Zia sold Pakistan to the Saudis and we now have Sharia, flogging, beheadings, amputations, religiously-ordained debauchery, and a total disregard for democracy or the wishes of the masses.

Just as the Saudis will drag Islam through any gutter to ensure the stability of their illegitimate regime, the Paki elite have learned to use Islam to force their will upon the masses.

We need to accept the failure of Islam in its unnatural and unnecessary role as administrator and enforcer of morality. Sharia Law never worked and never will work - let's accept it.

Having said all that, I am rather puzzled by the Chicken Little roles being played by Freehussaini and Tahmed Sahibs. One would reimpose Sikha Shahi and the other is inviting American military help to rescue Karachi. Hamidumdum Sahib, today's Sardars are different from their ancestors. They couldn't stop the wanton massacre of their people in '84 and they certainly won't rescue your house in Dearborn, let alone in Swat. As for Americans rescuing Karachi, please don't hold your breath. The billions and trillions squandered by Bush and his buddies in Iraq have taught an expensive lesson to the Land of the Free - CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.

The solutions to Pakistan's numerous problems are located where they always existed - true democracy, fair and just implementation of law, opportunities for the huge majority of poor Pakis, cessation of using Islam for nefarious purposes, zero tolerance for violence, and complete emancipation of ALL Pakistanis - especially women, particularly those living under the dual oppression of being poor and female.

Islam is a wonderful religion, but even God cannot help Muslims if they keep using Islam as a basis for every evil ranging from rape, murder, oppression, cruelty, and terrorism.

Journey to Istanbul: A Travelogue and An Ode to Melancholy Asif,
My apologies for responding so late. I have been traveling and didn't get a chance to read your questions.
Istanbul is a fabulous place to live. It's a delightful median between the west and east. There is a lot to do and the fact that you are always close to the water never leaves you lacking for spectacular vistas.

The cost of living is certainly lower than the US, but as for most things, the answer is always "it depends." Villas and apartments in the areas north of Levent to Zekeriakoy all along the Bosphorus can be expensive - monthly rent from $2000 to $4000. The apartments on the Asian side in Kadikoy to Yenikoy are much more reasonable - ranging from $800 to $1600 per month and utilities are extra. Food is relatively cheap.

For a comfortable life in Istanbul, one would need a net salary of approximately $4000 to $6000 per month.

The more reasonable places to live are on the Asian side in Anatolia and I would prefer the southern coast opposite Cyprus - beautiful views, lovely beaches, and fantastic weather. Istanbul does get quite cold in the winter. But, then nothing comes free in life. :)

Journey to Istanbul: A Travelogue and An Ode to Melancholy Asif,
Thank you for sharing your memorable and well-documented visit to my city. The skyline of Istanbul is undoubtedly one of the most delightful and invigorating sights in the world. The string of massive mosques that dot the European hillside is like a necklace of shimmering pearls that adorn the beautiful neck of this Princess of Cities. I am glad that each cami in succession became your favorite monument in Istanbul. When you have a chance next time, don't miss Eyyup and observe the devotion of the pilgrims as they make their way through the shrine. Beautiful article about a beautiful place. Now people will accuse you of being Salim Chauhan. :)

Tense Day in Delhi with Pakistani Journalists Regarding the stupid rants of Mullah Snot of Swat

This cleric is as committed to democracy as is Modi - in other words they support democracy as long as the verdict is in their favor.

There is very little difference between the khaki chaddi wallay goons of the BJP/RSS/VHP/BD/JS/SP/SS and the bearded fundo weirdos of the JI/JUI/JUP/LeT/JeM/SeS/Tally Ban/Al Kada.

These violent lovers of Ram and Allah will blow up trains, flog female fannies, tear up valentine cards, drag girls by the hair from bars, disrupt beauty contests, and practice homosexuality while suppressing heterosexual behavior.

While they may differ in their aims, they are quite comparable in their tactics of violence, intimidation, and sutpidity.

Tense Day in Delhi with Pakistani Journalists Ajeya #267 {" All I care about is to see islam reach its logical demise around the world. The day the world weans itself off of oil, EVERY country aorund the world will start criticizing islam "}

Ajeya Sahib,
And before oil, it was spices. Before spices, it was steel, before that it was books and medicine. Before that it was access to Jerusalem. Pretty soon you will realize that both your theory and the grapes are sour.

Tense Day in Delhi with Pakistani Journalists Ajeya,
The only useful purpose served by you BJP/RSS/VHP/BD/JS/SP/SS goons is that you validate our faith in our faith and make us grateful for Aurangzeb, Jinnah, and Bhutto.
Lagay Raho.

Tense Day in Delhi with Pakistani Journalists #254 ajeya {"Then why does every statistic say that Pakis are HATED, whereas Indians are LIKED by people around the world"}

Ajeya Sahib,
And that is exactly when President Hussain and the FOP group are going to give Pakis billions in social, economic, and military assistance.

One for the massa and one for 'is dame
And none for Lil Black Sambo who cries all the tame.

Tense Day in Delhi with Pakistani Journalists #256 nemesis3 {"Whoever is the writer of this shit is ignorant of the fact that sex determination is totally banned in India entailing severe punishments, including cancellation of licence of the doctor who performed it."}

Nemesis,
So is casteism. And we all know that there is no discrimination against Dalits in India. :) Also, there are strict laws against bride-burning, child labor, and mixing urine with cooking oil.

Tense Day in Delhi with Pakistani Journalists Ajeya #246 {"I'm saying that you might be one of the few with the criminal disposition that supports and enables intimidation by murder and violence to silence critics in Islam."}

Ajeya Sahib,
You, like Dr. Bang A Lun, have an answer for everything. One of the reasons, Injun smartasses are resented throughout the world, is their quick and dirty leap to explain everything they do and everything others might do. This is just free advice to my Hindu friends and please pay heed to it.