Response to Thomas L Friedman’s Article: “Calling All Pakistanis” in New York Times
By Asim • Dec 6th, 2008 • Category: Politics, Worth A Second Look • 6 CommentsDear New York Times Editors
Response to Mr Friedman’s article ” Calling All Pakistanis”..He wanted ordinary citizens of Pakistan to protest. Well here is the protest in words, from an ordinary Pakistani which is more effective rather than being on the streets. Mr Friedman must realise that his statements cannot be tolerated as they do not represent the overall picture and the correct one. If he has any shortage of ideas, I can understand that but not through boredom this article which is meaningless and fails to take into account anything with consideration and care. I hope you pass this message onto him and appropriate action taken.
There comes a time when all one can do is to report and write based on their own perceptions - remote and alienated in their own ways to see what is actually happening outside US. Thomas Freidman seems to have picked another example where he is mixing too many things without due consideration and care. Another example how to spread a message in the most negative sense.What has he achieved from this and what was the impact? At times, this whole concept of sitting thousands of miles away, in a most comfortable surroundings do not necessarily mean that you know what is actually happening in the world which has become unstable not because of religion but the politics and policies of the West in order to pursue fanatically the interests and gains for safeguarding their concepts of democracy. This is what Pakistan and ordinary citizen of Pakistan will be protesting about. Why should we protest as we did not kill anyone in Mumbai.
This is what happens when there is no clarity and appropriate judgment. Mumbai attack has been condemned by all Muslims and no one is happy but how can one expect to condemn something when the other side has condemned Pakistan in their false accusations as an easy way out. India has falsely accused Pakistan in many instances before only to find out later, it was their own people and own problems. The problems which India currently faces are huge and uncontrollable. If this is an attempt to create a standoff between India and Pakistan, then I am afraid it’s not going to happen as India knows it very clearly and what that means for all its economic progress and future. The solution is to accept and share and have the concept of respect and trust.
Mr. Friedman, I am sorry to say India never has accepted Pakistan as a mutual friend or agreed to any of the proposals that have been brought out in the past to transition into an understanding based on justice and tolerance. And this propaganda of doing the protest for Mumbai is not alone Pakistan’s responsibility. There should have been protest in the streets of West when Pakistan’s airspace was violated on numerous occasions, when people in FATA and our tribal areas were murdered in the name of terrorism and when there were bomb blasts in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and all the other cities. Why have this indifference? The people who have lost their lives were innocent and civilians and it doesn’t matter which religion, creed or sect they belong to, it should be condemned. But to highlight this fact of protest illustrates the thinking behind Mr. Friedman’s approach that if Pakistanis don’t come out on the street, then that means they are responsible for Mumbai attacks. This is where the problem begins in his analysis.
Secondly, how can Mr. Friedman justify his very own Government stance on this so called war on terrorism which has become war of terror.The US policies and the people like him were responsible for creating that sense of fear in the world to completely decimate Iraq first and now Afghanistan and Pakistan. How can he justify these actions on any grounds be it moral or ethical that it is okay to wage wars on developing nations and third world countries because they pose a threat to USA or any other on the principle of religion and fear.
Also USA has never really supported the lawyer’s movement in Pakistan. A perfect opportunity to bring some sense and justice but instead they have carried on with their policies of the past to support dictators or those who under the disguise of democracy carry out the most villainous acts and disservice to their people to support America’s claim and these wars of interest.
He is asking the question to all Muslims and yet the title of the article is “Calling All Pakistanis”. This type of immaturity is prevalent in the western media. After every incidence, there come stero-typed, clichéd responses which we have become accustomed to.
He starts off by saying that all those protest that took place in Pakistan all over was over cartoon a meaningless exercise. It may appear to Mr. Friedman meaningless and futile but there was a clear message and again an element of ignorance played by Danish cartoonist and the rest for portraying Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) in a manner which was derogatory and not acceptable. The very first paragraph highlights his ignorance disguised as wisdom. How can a person like Mr. Friedman be accepted as a leading commentator on issues of Islam and the rest where he doesn’t have any remote idea what it means to Muslims and the whole Islamic world “the Danish cartoon affair”.
Let me ask the question to Mr. Friedman as I do not remember any single protest or voices of reason and logic from India about Pakistan and its loss in all those bomb attacks and suicide plots in last two years that has taken thousands of ordinary Pakistani lives. Did he protest in Times Square? Did he ever protest about anything? The answer is NO. But he has the wisdom to share his convoluted views to the rest of the world by being irrational and irresponsible behavior.
Then he goes onto describe a hypothetical example if Indians were to crash into Karachi and kill those people. This is one of the most absurd and shocking statements I have seen from Mr. Friedman. How can he propose such solution in the wake of what has already happened. Basically he is following the same rhetoric without any evidence and without any facts to reinstate this view that the people in Mumbai attacks were Pakistanis. And then to bring out an example inciting Indians to follow the same only tells one thing, the idea to propagate to create a situation between India and Pakistan where the only beneficiary of this exercise will not be Pakistan or India but USA. Lets destabilize another region; lets create another war; let’s start up another campaign is the message I see disguised within his statements.
India as I stated earlier on has huge problems. So far, all the world has ever known is Bollywood and IT. Now with this incidence, it has exposed India’s inability to control its own borders, inability not to act upon intelligence when they knew and most importantly to ignore all what has happened in India and all the unrest that exists in all those minorities and quarters within the society. What happened in Gujrat couple of years ago was a shameful act. Did India do anything? The answer is No. What happened to Christians who were burnt by Hindu fanatics? Was there any response and protest within India? The answer is NO.
Pakistani Government may be weak thanks to all those wars we have been fighting on USA’s behalf but its people are not weak and stupid. They can see Mr. Friedman where you are coming from and all the hidden and sinister views you nurture, you adopt and propagate through your articles.
He is keen to have whole Pakistan brought out in the streets to grieve for the loss which ordinary citizens of Mumbai had to go through. I condemn those attacks and all Pakistanis have condemned those attacks but by protest…Let me ask the question to Mr. Freidman. Did the protest in New York, Washington and most importantly in the streets of London against attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan had any impact on Bush and its policies towards those regions. The answer is No. It was the biggest protest in London that took place and people came from all walks of life, from all quarters. And yet their views and protest were ignored and forgotten by the governments and elite. Did he participate in any of those protests or was he writing another inflammatory article on Pakistan, its inhabitants and all the issues
And in the rest of the article he carries on again playing at the edges with stereotyped and misjudgments about Pakistan and Muslims, the notions of hell and heaven and trying to incite the people from this belief that whatever comes out from West is necessarily the best thing to adopt and accepted.
Mr. Friedman needs to realize and accept one very important aspect on this whole thing. The evil of terrorism is not the religion (be it Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and so forth) but the politics.Politics when it completely ignores the basic principles of humanity, their needs and expectations. Politics when it fails to appreciate the problems and all the issues that surrounds nations be it Pakistan, India or anyone for that matter. The hidden beast which the Politics have carried within the policies of the West and its propagators to resolve the problems of the world by force rather than dialogue, through oppression rather than understanding; through acceptance rather than alienation; and through concepts appealing rather than advocating we are right and you are wrong. Pakistan has seen enough of this in its last sixty one years of existence and how all what has happened for all the wrong reasons brought a nation into turmoil..It is this he needs to understand v- the core issue and its impact and protest about it rather than being the mouthpiece for another ideology, for another half-baked solution and for another article to illustrate his ignorance and behavior which creates confusion and breeds hatred.
Rumi once said that wisdom is something that does not rely upon the condition of being old. You either have it or you don’t. Mr. Friedman today has exposed himself that he is definitely not one of them who can be called a wise person within all premises of wisdom. The voices of reason within him are absent.
Trackback URL
|
|
|
Hi Asim,
A very thought provoking response to the American. I know only a poet can write this. But as you point out some Indian events i want you to study the event fully instead of going by propaganda dished out by your or our media.
1)godhra riots.
It was started by Kuchchie Muslims who burnt ALIVE 50 Hindu pilgrims who didnot pay for their tea at the railway station.
Hindus goons retaliated may be with covert connivance of gujerat state and killed 2000 Muslims.
Now you will say it is disproportionate to the original offense or You can also say was not the act of kuchie Muslims disproportionate horribly so?Here the Hindu hurt psyche was exploited by hindu fundamentalists to gain power.
2)Killing of 45 christians and driving out of christians and rape of a nun in Kandhmal of Orissa .
Now again think what christians did there. They killed a 85 year old Hindu swami and 4 of his disciples who was running a girls school on similar lines like christian missionaries for 130 tribal girls.Kandhs who are hindu tribals retaliated against panna christians who are also scheduled castes. There is nothing like Hindu fundamentalism here. I am saying this as an Indian christian.Ofcourse hindu fundemntalists will exploit this and win election as kandh tribals are in majority.
You as poet must ask your own conscience why Your only Nobel Laurette Scientist Dr.Salam is today will not be considered a MUSLIM!!!! Your first foreign Minister will not be consdidred a Muslim today. Both are Quadanies!!!!
Can you imagine your first minister of law was a Hindu backward caste leader like our Ambedkar!!!!!Can it be done in today’s pakistan?See what happens in Karachi today?Why this HATE? wHO IS FEEDING It IN yOUR COUNTRY?
Please read the following article by our own Indian Muslim cleric and you can decide that One must HATE THE JEWS as the mumbai terrorists did and not only killed Jews but also mutilated their bodies due to hate or read the article by freidman again.
“”"”"”" Every Sunday morning, the renowned Delhi-based Islamic scholar and thinker Maulana Wahiduddin Khan addresses a group of his disciples, speaking on various issues. His lecture on November 30 focussed on the recent terror attacks in Mumbai. This is a translation of the lecture by Yoginder Sikand, with some slight modifications that were needed to clarify certain points.
On November 26, Mumbai witnessed the worst kind of terror attack. Ten terrorists entered several buildings and indiscriminately fired at people, leaving behind several dead and wounded.
According to a tradition, at the time of the Prophet there was a man whose only concern was to speak negatively of the Prophet and spread wrong ideas about him. The son of this man became very angry and asked the Prophet to allow him to kill his father. The Prophet told him not to do that, as then people would say that the Prophet allowed killing among his people. The lesson which can be inferred from this incident is that anything, which defames the name of Islam should not be done. These incidents are mentioned in books but people fail to infer or draw lessons from them as they do not engage in deep study.
In the Jewish Talmud there are many stories. In one incident, the Prophet Moses prayed to God: “O! God, take anything away from my followers but do not take away their wisdom.” God replied: “O! Moses, if we decide to take away something from a community, it is their wisdom that we take away.”
Today, many Muslims have lost their wisdom, as is evident from the events which have taken place recently. Those Muslims who are said to be involved in terrorism in Mumbai gained nothing. In Palestine, the Arabs have been fighting for the last 60 years and have not achieved anything. In many places Muslims have resorted to suicide bombings, although suicide is unlawful in Islam. This is a result of deterioration and lack of wisdom. Those who are behind these suicide attacks are not afraid of accountability and the fact they will have to stand in front of God after death.
What is the reason for this madness and how did it originate?
The reason for this madness is hatred. Hate can make a man do anything. Hate began from Satan. When God created Adam, He asked the angels and Satan to bow before Him. Satan however, did not bow and consequently, God said to him: “You and your followers will go to hell.” Satan had developed such hate for man that despite knowing that he will be cast into hell, he did not obey God’s command. Hate is so blinding that it can take one to hell.
I have studied in Muslim seminaries, madrassas and have participated in numerous Muslim gatherings, and in many of these places hatred and pride is instilled in the minds of Muslims. They are taught: ‘We are the caliphs and vice-regent of God on earth.”
I once met an Arab whose first question to me was, “Who are we?” He then said: “We are the Caliphs of God on earth.” I told him that this is not written anywhere in our books. The Sahih Al-Bukhari says that Muslims are witnesses of God. That is, they have to spread the message of God on earth. The same is alluded to in the Quran, that is, the task of Muslims is to spread God’s message and lead a life according to His instructions. However, Muslims have made themselves the self-appointed Caliphs, and have launched all sorts of movements that propagate the ideology of capturing political power. This thinking emerged when the Ottoman and Mughal empires declined, and Muslims started considering the rest of the world as usurpers and oppressors who snatched their rights and power from them.
Political power is like an examination paper. A test paper can never be the monopoly of one; it would change hands from people to people as God wants to test every community. Hence if political power has been taken away from you then you need to have patience. When political power was with you then it was your test paper and now, when it has been given to someone else, it is their test paper.
No Muslim leader could tell this to the Muslims and pacify the political shock which they received after the breaking up of the Muslim empires in the face of Western colonialism. No one told them that their test paper of political power was over and now they should concentrate their effort on some other constructive activities like education, reform, dawah work etc. In Palestine, for example, it was God’s decision to give the political power to somebody else. Hence, Muslims should have accepted it, but they started fighting and now 60 years of fighting has given them nothing. Muslims should have realised that God had now wanted to test some other community. Therefore, he gave them political power. But Muslims rose up to fight, and it was equivalent to fighting God’s decision and hence they attained nothing. As a result, all the Muslims got conditioned in hateful thinking.
Before the Second World War, the thinking of the Japan [Images]ese was same as that of the Muslims. Hirohito was the emperor of Japan at that time. The Japanese had the concept of Imperial Divinity, that is their king — the so-called ‘god-king’ — should rule the world. Consequently, they fought with many countries. It was the Japanese who started the concept of suicide bombing known as hara-kiri. But in 1945 America dropped two atomic bombs on Japan and the Japanese army was completely destroyed. Japan suffered a humiliating defeat. Then the Japanese developed second thoughts, that is, if the king was god then he would have saved them, but because they were severely crippled due to those bombs they realised that the king was not god. Hirohito then renounced the concept of Imperial Divinity and the Japanese have never looked back since then.
This makes me ponder as to why this hate does not get finished among Muslims? This is because Muslims’ hate is a reflection of a certain mind-set. The so-called ‘god-king’ of the Japanese was proved wrong and therefore the concept of ‘god-king’ died. However, a mind-set cannot be done away on its own. The mind-set which inspires hate for others in many Muslims cannot be killed like an individual. Nor can it cannot kill itself. This mind-set can be replaced by deconditioning alone.
Hirohito said “I’m not god,” and this led the Japanese to discard their unfounded notions and pave the path to progress. But the case of Muslims is very different. In their case, their mind-set has to be transformed to change their thinking. The thinking of Muslims has to be changed. There has to be long process of deconditioning.
There are two kinds of deconditioning: one is the Prophetic deconditioning; that is the deconditioning which the Prophet did of his companions. Then the companions did the deconditioning of some of their companions. But now there is no prophet and so self-deconditioning has to be done. This is a very difficult task. Ideological deconditioning has to be done among the Muslims to help them come out of hate.
It is essential to understand that distinction between the negative engineering of the mind and positive engineering of the mind. Today, minds are being negatively engineered with hatred and pride. Many Muslims live in this fallacy that they are a special race, and when they are not treated specially then they are frustrated and hold others responsible for their not receiving the special treatment that they expect. The mission of positive engineering of the mind is very difficult. You have to do merciless introspection. It is our test to convert the thinking of people from negative to positive.
The terrorists who assaulted Mumbai had done extensive planning. This made me think why these people were so capable of negative planning, and completely lacked any inclination towards positive planning. This sort of mentality, unfortunately, has become endemic among many Muslims. Nobody is doing planning for the positive task of spreading God’s message, and love and peace. This is because as years passed by, this work became dead in Muslims. But it alone can promote positive planning as it requires well-wishing for the whole of humankind. We must therefore focus our energies on spreading God’s love and restrain from any negative and destructive activities.”"”"”
WITH KIND REGARDS ASIM
Dear Johann,
all humans are equal
you said “Many Muslims live in this fallacy that they are a special race, and when they are not treated specially then they are frustrated and hold others responsible for their not receiving the special treatment that they expect.”
donot give muslims special treatment but atleast give them the basic human rights
atrocities in Middle East are being commited against muslims, is the blood of muslim cheaper than a jews”s blood?
i would again like you read the eyewitness account of the JEWS they were not indians they were not muslims they were JEWS who went to nariman house
are you willing to belive a person sitting thousands of miles away who has only a biased media as a source of information or the person who saw things with his own eyes just ASK YOURSELF and reply to yourself
as for the muslim hate for jews is concerned muslims are weak (and its muslim”s own fault) no one listens to them then the commit sucide bombings to get attention , and they do get attention , which encourages others to follow the same path.
and perhaps that is the reason there are various regional sepratists armed groups fighting in india also they are not muslims why are they fighting?????
you see anyone oppressed hindus muslims or anyone might take up arms
its not related to religion its related to being suppressed
Friedman is as biased as they come. Period.
Amen to this article. The sheer ignorance and arrogance of Friedman’s article was overwhelming. Very well said, Pakistani Spectator.
I think Johann talked about the ethnocentricism prevalent in many muslims today. That is not a fallacy. But don’t forget, this a phenomenon exhibited by ever group of people on this planet.
That’s how communities work.
Dear Mohamed sajjid,
I posted an article by Maulana Wahiddin , an Islamic scholar of Delhi. It is his views. When i post something all people immediately come to point out that
1.India has naxal problem, and other terrorist groups etc and they are not Muslims etc.
INDIA HAS 137 TERRORIST ORGANISATIONS ALL FIGHTING AGAINST STATE AND KILLING INNOCENTS AND INDULGING IN VIOLENCE.
2. But they donot go out of India and fight against pakistan,banglADESH or Myanmar etc.They fight Indian state due to their grievances and i donot deny their existence as you people either deny or turn blind eye to their activity by saying all sort of defnce for their VIOLENCE.