tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36542915641299207452024-03-19T04:41:30.066-07:00ChowrahaCrossroads of thoughts and actionsFiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-35155617480442041672019-05-29T13:32:00.004-07:002019-05-29T13:35:54.244-07:00Celebrating my friends this Ramadan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Recently when my six year old shared her dream with me, awe struck, as she was, so was I. She witnessed a sky full of angels while she, somewhere in the open, stared at them excitedly. She woke up frightened though, as if she had done something wrong seeing the unseen angels. But I was just struck by how her dream was like a dejavu of my one memory that inspires me, moves me, and pushes me forward to this day – to strengthen and rejoice my friends, whose bonds are unbreakable. <o:p></o:p></div>
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On one laylatul qadr* many years ago, before we were mothers, I remember reading an anecdote with my best friend, Maryam. We were spending the laylatul-qadr together driven by the same will, both of us fervently eager to stay up the whole night, and ready to motivate each other to stay up all night to pray and meditate. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a summary of a saying from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). I remember it as follows: When a friend goes out to meet another friend to learn about Allah and to grow closer to Allah, angels cover the sky shading him until he reaches his friend. The angels then protect this friends’ gathering until they both reach their respective homes. I remember trembling with excitement, that night, a strange awe and pride sensing the angels above our heads covering us and shielding us, and praying for us, asking Allah to shower His mercy upon us. I remember trembling, just like my daughter was trembling with excitement and joy today seeing the angels. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It wasn’t a very big house or a very big garden but I remember it very well, then I too was a six year old. It was one of the most serene houses I had ever lived in. Serene, beautiful and pure - my nani’s (grandmother’s) house, in a quiet, friendly neighborhood in the middle of the city – my first home and my earliest memory of Ramadan. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My cousins, earliest best friends, and I would play in the garden, that felt perfectly big then, waiting for the sirens from the nearby mosque at sunset indicating iftar time, just before the call of the muezzin. We would rush in to announce “its time for iftari its time for iftari” – where the azaan from PTV would be blaring on small television sets while the grown-ups were collecting round the iftar table. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There was a sense of celebration, something we never witnessed in any other month of the year but this – a sense of togetherness in happiness; my friends and I. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Back in the day, even when my parents moved into our own house, far away from nani’s house and from my cousins – Ramadan had a way of helping me find my friends. My friend Fareena who was intriguing to say the least with her French passport and thick French accent when she spoke in English, was a newcomer in school. We were elated when we discovered that we went to the same mosque, Sultan masjid, for taraweeh prayers**. We nudged each other, nudged our moms, and rushed to these prayers to stand next to each other in congregations. We tried hard not to chat too much between the prayer breaks, tried hard to look more focused than the other, sometimes failing miserably.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mills College, Oakland (California)</td></tr>
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She was with me in college, not in the same one but in the same country. We were away from family this time, alone at sehri (the morning meal before beginning the fast that begins at the break of dawn) Ramadan brought us together – it had its own way. This was before facetimes and whatsapp calls. We called each others’ landlines, better than any alarm clocks, while we prepared our sehri. Fareena boiled her prepackaged noodles, while I had sandwiches put together to us by the college cafeteria (as compensation for missing our lunch). We made sure we ate together keeping each other awake and motivated to stay strong and eat well in the quiet of the dawn. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Fareena found a Muslim community to pray taraweeh together with while her spirit motivated me to pray mine in my dorm room alone. I was in a small, liberal arts college, with hardly any Muslims on campus located in an Oakland I didn’t know very well. My first year in Ramadan, my Afghan friend Zarena and I printed flyers out and stuck them around campus asking if anyone fasting was looking for a buddy to join them with during sunset meals. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We found a Hispanic friend, an introvert who had recently discovered Islam and a Yemeni friend, petite but fiercely staunch in her faith. Together we made sure we met at iftar in the school cafeteria and shared how long the fast was on campus and how easy or difficult it was to concentrate on lectures. A Mexican worker in the college kitchen would sneak extra pieces of fruits or layers of cheese into our sandwiches (for the next morning sehri) just feeling sorry for us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Rosa, Fatima, Zarena and I fought to collect funds from school, the funds Jewish students received easily for their rituals and religious events. We were lucky we were taught the ins and outs of campaigning for funds by an Indian origin, French and Francophone teacher who was Hindu herself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes we tried to find each other for suhur but it was too cold and too dark to venture out of our dorm buildings to join the others. Whenever we did, it was with the motivation to help Rosa, the Hispanic convert, say her prayers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My college cafeteria, Founders Hall, that served the best food</td></tr>
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These were all friends, sent by my Ramadan, to keep me going and to keep the joy kindled. Friends like Zarena who met me late night in my dorm room to pray Iftar and feed me noodles - my forever Iftar pal in that lonely campus in Ramadan. </div>
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Friends like the petite Yemeni who said little but did much to show her love. One eveningwhen I was so exhausted from the long Ramadan fast and the college schedule I slept at an odd time almost missing the dinner, ie the iftar, at cafeteria. Had I missed it, I would have missed out on any opportunity of getting food on campus, and worse still also of finding suhur for the next morning. I was so deep in my sleep I missed all the calls but an incessant honking outside my dorm room woke me up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Fatima in her vintage Mercedes, honking and waiting for me, ready to speed me down the road to the cafeteria. It’s strange because she was not someone who lived on campus and was hardly ever there in the evenings. We giggled, and laughed on the way to the cafeteria, me probably giddy-headed after my deep sleep was abruptly broken and her because of hunger. But Ramadan has its ways!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I graduated and returned to home to Pakistan, to the same Laylatul Qadr friend who pushed me to stay up through the night meditating. When we slowed down or felt sleepy, we put on nasheeds. We then reverted back to a book, to a story, some more dua and to that anecdote that pulled us together. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Today, I see the same focus, the same giggles, the same glances and the same return to concentration in my daughters when they unite with their friends each Ramadan for playdates put together with an effort to celebrate this Month of community. This is an age of distraction, much less serene, than my childhood. What remains the same and will remain to do so till the end of time, are true friends, these bonds not tied by blood or kinship, but by unconditional love and mutually felt excitement, inspiration. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramadan play date at a friend's of my children</td></tr>
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Every Ramadan before I was a mother, I craved the presence of “friends” who helped me improve myself, think and act positively and spread this positivity around me. Every Ramadan, I found them. With every new Ramadan, I remember each one of my Ramadan friends with a nostalgia unmatched. Our friendship detoxed our souls and rejuvenated our minds. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now that I am a mother of three, my nostalgia is coupled with an acute desire and prayer that my children, understand the importance of true friends ("aulia" as I have always understood them to be), of positive friends, of friends who make them better versions of themselves and who unabashedly push each other towards their best. <o:p></o:p></div>
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+++THE END+++</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Night of Glory – falls on any one of the odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan. Muslims believe that the Quran was first revealed on this Night and prayers during this Night are rewarded more than any other night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">**Special night prayers held only in Ramadan. In the mosques these are held in congregation. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-80782466928070006772019-05-07T11:01:00.001-07:002019-05-08T02:06:04.904-07:00Ramadan Challenge 2019: An ayah a day | an activity a day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"All praise is due to Allah, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, who made angels having wings, two, or three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Indeed Allah is over all things competent." (35:1)</span></b></h4>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My six year old daughter recently woke up with a fright, which I later learned to be awe. She was frightened because she felt the presence of Allah in her dreams. She saw blue angels with wings covering the sky in uncountable numbers and she was so excited seeing them that she thought she offended Allah by seeing the unseen. This was the best time to celebrate angels with her. Until now I had only discussed with her and her four year old sister the two scribe angels who sit on our shoulders penning down our good and bad deeds. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To follow the RamadanChallenge2019 - "An ayah a day| an activity a day" please follow this link here: <a href="https://addictedtoramadaning.blogspot.com/">https://addictedtoramadaning.blogspot.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What is Ramadan Challenge 2019?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7 years ago I took up the challenge of writing about 30 amazing Muslim women during the 30 days of Ramadan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;">Inspired yet again, this year I</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 255);"> have taken up the RamadanChallenge2019 with one ayah a day and a reflective activity for the little ones. To follow this RamadanChallenge subscribe to the blog or returning to this link here:</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://addictedtoramadaning.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">https://addictedtoramadaning.blogspot.com</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the last few years Ramzan has coincided with Summer holidays for our nephews, nieces, cousins and kids. Hope the inspiration in these posts help us feel a little less helpless in this hot yet amazing time of the year</span><br />
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Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-19353138640846334422014-05-16T00:25:00.000-07:002014-05-17T00:27:47.627-07:00You may be kicked for mourning in Turkey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When Erdogan’s aide, Yerkel, kicked a mourner several times during his official visit to the site of Soma mine explosion, he made it clear that not only does he lack control over his anger, but that he also has little regard for humans. The Turkish government needs to take strong actions if it hopes to atone for this absurd show of power and rectify its image but more importantly if it wants to assure its citizens that such incidents won’t happen again! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yusuf Yerkel kicking a protestor - Copyright: Guardian</td></tr>
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Yusuf Yerkel, accompanying Prime Minister Erdogan to Soma in the wake of the coalmine tragedy has admitted to kicking a protester. The mine incident has already witnessed over 280 deaths while scores remain missing. Soma, as is the rest of Turkey, is already fuming from the fatalities and the lack of safety measures for their workers. </div>
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Turkey has seen rapid economic growth in the last eleven years under Erdogan but still suffers from some of the worst health and safety standards for its workers. Yerkel’s kicking of the mourner only added irony to Erdogan’s unsympathetic words during an earlier speech when he said that “accidents happen” and “this is the destiny of the job.” </div>
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Although the Prime Minister’s office distanced itself from Yerkel’s actions, the reality is that it can’t run far from it. Yerkel has struck a huge blow to his government’s credibility. If Erdogan wants to regain it, he needs to demonstrate that he will not tolerate such abuse of power now or in the future. </div>
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Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-59297074256336066542013-08-17T03:20:00.001-07:002013-08-17T03:20:12.266-07:00Lessons from Islamabad #manwithgun episodeWhen the man with the gun, overtook Jinnah avenue in Islamabad, parked his car near the important Blue area and air fired using his Kalashnikov while<br />smoking and drinking energy drinks, all forms of media joined the<br />breaking-news bandwagon. Everyone turned into crime experts, terrorism<br />analysts, police advisers and law enforcement critics. Everyone was more<br />intelligent than those managing the situation - as is always the case in<br />Pakistan perhaps. Some found it tragic, whilst others found it entertaining,<br />yet none could turn away from the story. Lessons learnt? Many actually, and<br />I want to pen them down before more is learnt about these terrorisers and<br />I'm proven wrong. <br /><br />A super bored nation<br />We are a super bored nation - despite all the bombings, target killings,<br />drone attacks, spy attacks, honour killings, etc we still find it<br />entertaining to cling on to a family in Islamabad.<br /><br />We love drama and especially family drama. His name varied from Sikander<br />to Kamran and Ramzan, he is said to have a 40 year old Arab wife in Dubai,<br />he had killed his brother in Sialkot and escaped...we heard it all on TV and<br />tweeted it! <br /><br />Women re-defined<br />Women aren't really that suppressed - here was a partner in crime, very<br />calm for someone who had no clue what her husband was upto until she was<br />caught in the situation playing the most crucial negotiating role. <br /><br />Woman brought sanity - taking care of her husband's demands, the loo her<br />child needed to go to while on live tv, handling telephone calls, and being<br />the messenger between police and husband including writing down the demands on a notepad, she was really the saner of the two.<br /><br />Burka isn't that oppressing - as upsetting as it may be for those human<br />rights advocates opposing the burka avenger for glorifying the oppressive<br />burka, this wife of the #manwiththegun should have made them re-think.<br /><br />An educated nation?<br />Our media isn't true to its word when it says education is the only key.<br />To be honest, had they spent even 1% of this time to the Egyptian massacre,<br />we would have been a more educated nation. A point that calls for<br />#zarasochiye<br /><br />Hollywood or no Hollywood? Our media forgot what it always said about the<br />lack of education in the country. One of the leading television channels<br />titled their screen in urdu and translated here "jinnah avenue a scene from<br />hollywood" but the news anchor kept advising people to move away from the<br />site of crime, warning that this was not a hollywood movie. says its not<br />Hollywood movie but that's what their title says I'm confused <br /><br />Terrorism and consumerism:<br />Thanks to the breaking news nature of media running out of things to say,<br />we heard several times that the #manwiththegun was drinking energy drinks.<br />That couldn't have made a good ad for the energy drink! <br /><br />At least we are better than General Al-Sisi:<br />Whereas in Egypt thousands of peaceful protestors can be massacred, at<br />least we should be proud that we still have humans in our security forces<br />not killing a single armed man. While young women can be killed ruthlessly<br />for asking democracy, here a woman aiding her terrorist husband can walk<br />freely between the police and her car safely. <br /><br />The media dilemma:<br />Hamid Mir had little to say about media responsibility but blamed the<br />government for not knocking sanity into the heads of the media and asking<br />them to leave. He has a point though. Had media not sensationalised this<br />event, perhaps as many people as did collect in the area wouldn't have, and<br />then perhaps the police would have been able to do a better job. But had the<br />media not been there, someone like Zamarud Khan wouldn't have been disturbed enough to resolve the conflict! <br /><br />Children have it the worst:<br />In all of this drama, we can't help but wonder what lasting negative<br />impact this episode will have on the children. They saw their father<br />smoking, holding on to weapons, (air)firing, stealing the car at gun point<br />and then being taken down in the most terrorising way too. What environment<br />were they growing up in? What will they learn when they will grow up to<br />google this day in Pakistan history? What will they think when they see the<br />videos, the analysis, the words and the tweets. <br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-35913693558074224762013-08-16T09:44:00.001-07:002013-08-16T09:47:59.358-07:00Family politics - PTI versus JI<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What happens when one brother supports PTI and the other JI. You have a highly politicised house that has learnt how to play its own politics within its boundaries.<br />
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<a href="http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/17135/what-happens-when-one-brother-belongs-to-ji-and-the-other-pti/" target="_blank">My blog post published in The Express Tribune </a><br />
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad</div>
Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-76964065090823217312013-03-27T03:06:00.000-07:002013-03-27T23:53:30.871-07:00When the storm spoke for Imran Khan's PTI<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>The following blog post has been republished with the permission of the author Fayez Asar and originally appeared as a Facebook note on the author's page - this post is an account of the 23rd March 2013 PTI rally in Lahore, Pakistan. </i><br />
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<b>10 Magical Minutes at the PTI Jalsa</b><br />
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I wanted to write about the entire Jalsa at the Minar-e-Pakistan on 23rd March 2013, but I’ll save that for another day. Right now, I just want to write about the last 10 magical minutes of the Jalsa. Just those last few minutes made my entire trip completely worth it.</div>
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The weather was extremely pleasant throughout the day. It was not too hot to begin with and the occasional light drizzle helped cool everyone down even further. The mood was extremely festive as it always is at PTI Jalsas. As expected, the crowd became much more focused once Imran Khan stepped onto the podium. The crowd knew that this was a special day where he was going to officially kick off PTI’s election campaign by delivering a big speech. People knew that Imran Khan was going to summarize the principles on which the Naya Pakistan would be built. All singing and chanting came to a halt as they listened to every word attentively and clapped on all key points with proud passion and discipline.</div>
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2013-Mar-23: PTI Jalsa</div>
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However, things changed quite dramatically as Imran Khan started making his 6 promises to the nation. As if his simple and clear promises were not enough to signal a refreshing wind of change, God wanted to give his own signals to the incompetent and corrupt leaders of the old Pakistan. It was as if God wanted to show them how fierce and decisive the winds of change will be for them. The drizzle quickly turned into a massive storm with intense thunder, lightning and wind. Our clothes were completely drenched in rain water in no time. The wind was so strong that the rain drops were blowing completely horizontally from behind the crowd straight into the strong and broad shoulders of the lion of Pakistan standing before us. His strength and ferocity in this situation gave energy and courage to his young and old tigers alike. It felt like each promise shook the very foundations (or whatever is left of it) of the old Pakistan. With each promise the storm gained strength.</div>
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We had promised our leader only moments ago that we would stand there with him no matter how severe the storm got. We were not going to let him down so soon. We all stood there until as long as we could see him up on stage. I turned around and all the nearly half a million of us seemed just as resolute in spite of the dangerous lightning, rain and wind. We all wanted to make the Jalsa a great success by standing resolute, not realizing that the Jalsa was already a success long before Imran even stepped on the podium. We did not know that nearly 0.5 million had showed up (there was no internet access there). We could only guess by seeing how cramped up we all were in such a big park and the fact that we could see a sea of people even outside the park.</div>
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By the time Imran Khan was done explaining his third promise, the rain and wind were so strong that we could barely hear him any longer. The entire crowd around me was convinced that God was signaling his approval of each word being spoken by our truthful and upright leader and the wind was a wind of change and rain was washing away the old, corrupt and incompetent and leaving behind a Naya Pakistan. The realization that God was very visibly there with us caused everyone to enter a kind of trance where even the calmest of souls were screaming and roaring. I have never experienced such loud crowd sustained for so long. This felt like a scene from a movie (a Brave Heart or a Gladiator), except that this was real life and I was right there in the middle of all this. We could tell that our lion continued with his speech in spite of the storm which added to the drama. We couldn’t hear him, but that was OK. He had already promised that he will only speak the truth and will always fight for justice. We trusted him to continue shaking the foundations of the old Pakistan with each word that he spoke.</div>
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Imran Khan inspired everyone in those 10 minutes to become a lion like him. When he leads, a whole nation follows. I hope the passion from those 10 minutes spreads like wildfire across all of Pakistan over the next 50 days helping PTI sweep the elections and results in the emergence of a Naya Pakistan soon afterwards. I hope our flags flutter as proudly as the flags were fluttering in those 10 minutes of wind storm. I hope the strong and proud shoulders of the young men holding those flags form the foundations of this Naya Pakistan. I hope my children and their children experience the same kind of pride and passion I did on the 23rd of March, but I hope that pride is based on who we are then and not just based on who we want to be. The struggle will not be easy just like it wasn’t easy facing the storm that night, but with the right leadership and our resolve we will insha-Allah achieve this dream of a Naya Pakistan.</div>
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Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-84845063826824508942013-01-22T09:38:00.000-08:002013-01-22T09:44:20.043-08:00The debate on the meaning of Pakistan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Pakistan is a state. But what kind of a state is it? Is it a nation state? Is it a country for Pakistanis? If it is then we need to understand who Pakistanis are. Are they a group of people who speak the same language? Or are they from the same race? <i>The only commonality amongst all Pakistanis (or at least 95% of them) is Islam</i>. This is why during the movement for independence of Pakistan the slogan on the tongue of Pakistanis was <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">پاکستان</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">کا</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">مطلب</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">کیا؟</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">لا</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">الہ</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">الا</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">اللہ</span> (What does Pakistan mean? There is no god but Allah). The slogan was the heart beat of every Muslim of subcontinent who supported a separate homeland. And this is why the leaders of Pakistan movement created a slogan <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">مسلم</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">ہو</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">تو</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">مسلم</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">لیگ</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">میں</span> <span style="font-family: 'Geeza Pro';">آو</span> (Muslims should be Muslim Leaguers). These slogans were rationalized by Quaid e Azam in his speech at many occasions. </div>
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One such occasion was his address to Civil, Naval, Military and Air Force officers of the Pakistan government at Khalaqdina hall, Karachi on 11<sup>th</sup> October, 1947. He said: “The idea was that we should have a State in which we could live and breathe as free men and which we could develop according to our own lights and culture and where <b>principles of Islamic social justice could find free play</b>.” </div>
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Just 19 days later (30<sup>th</sup> October, 1947) in a speech at a rally at the University stadium Lahore; the Quaid categorically said that “We have been the victims of a deeply-laid and well-planned conspiracy executed with utter disregard of the elementary principles of honesty, chivalry and honor. We thank Providence for giving us the courage and faith to fight these forces of evil. <b>If we take our inspiration and guidance from the Holy Quran, the final victory, I once again say, will be ours.</b>”</div>
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Thus, Pakistan was founded on solid ideological foundation. This ideology was further communicated to the nation by the founding fathers in the form of Objective resolution. <i>The forces of evil are till today conspiring against Pakistan</i>. Our ignorance from our ideology and history is further complicating the situation. </div>
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Many people not aware of Quaid’s vision for Pakistan assume that Pakistan was created to protect the cultural heritage of the Muslims. If that was the case then Quaid e Azam would not have appointed Leopold Weis as the member of “Islamic Education Board” and later as permanent representative of Pakistan to UN in New York. This Leopold Weis (Muhammad Asad) in May 1947 in his column in a magazine “Arafat” said: “<b>It is impossible to create nationalism amongst the Muslims of India on the basis of race because Muslim nation over here is based on diversified racial background</b>. But I am afraid that Pakistan’s ideological basis can be derailed because of another reason. That fear is because of overemphasis on “cultural heritage”. Instead of talking about “common ideological basis”; emphasis is being given on specific cultural, social norms and tradition and common economic benefits. There is no doubt that cultural norms and traditions and economic interests will play an important part in future shaping of the nation. But what needs to be remembered is that these important characteristics cannot be separated from our ideological vision”. </div>
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So it is the strengthening of this ideological vision that will strengthen Pakistan. An ideology whose source of “inspiration and guidance is the Holy Quran”. It is this Holy book that directs us to find the best principles in the character of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him)</div>
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لقد<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>کان<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>لکم<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>فی<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>رسول<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>اللہ<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>اسوہ<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>حسنہ</div>
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And his example motivates us to create a state on the lines of the Islamic State of Madinah. A state where the cornerstone of the society was <b>love and brotherhood amongst humans</b>. A society that ensured that <b>no rich sleeps while a poor goes hungry</b>. A government that was not only worried about the death of humans due to hunger on its border but also of animals. A country that respects the <b>“family” as an important unit</b>. <b>A state that facilitates humans to recognize God’s love and pursue happiness in his love</b>.</div>
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Enemies of such a state – commonly accuse that a state founded on the basis of Islam will be cruel to minorities. But they forget (and so do many Muslims) that an Islamic state does not protect minorities due to its secular duties but also because of its divine ordainment. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Prophet’s instruction warns Muslims that he himself will be witness against those Muslims who will oppress minorities</span>. <b>The constitution of Madinah sets an example where the articles regarding Jews read something like:</b></div>
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<li style="font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b>Jews (of the state) will be treated equal and helped. They will not be oppressed and no one will be helped against them.</b></li>
<li style="font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b>The Jews of Bani Auf along with Muslims will be one political unit. To Jews their religion and to Muslims their religion. </b></li>
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This is why throughout Muslim history; people of other religions found safe haven in Muslim lands. Spain under Ummayyads and Turkey under Ottomans were the best examples. And this is what the Quaid had in mind when he said:</div>
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<i>“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan.”</i> (Presidential address to the constituent assembly of Pakistan at Karachi on 11<sup>th</sup> August, 1947)</div>
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Only three days later during the transfer of power ceremony; Mountbatten suggested tolerance like in the era of Emperor Akbar. At this the Quaid said:</div>
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“The tolerance and goodwill that the Emperor Akbar showed to all the non-Muslims is not of recent origin. It dates back thirteen centuries ago when our prophet (PBUH) not only by words but by deeds treated the Jews and Christians, after he had conquered them, with the utmost tolerance and regard for their faith and beliefs.”</div>
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Revinq</div>
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19<sup>th</sup> January, 2013</div>
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Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-4639463868827038612012-05-30T08:04:00.006-07:002012-05-30T08:08:50.330-07:00Cairo - the best trip I could have hoped for<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had always wanted to visit Cairo, since my days in college. It was partly from all the anticipation about it and the love my brother had created in my heart for Egypt. He is a huge Egyptian-fan and since he is 11 years older than me, I find myself almost always in awe of any story or experience he has to share.<br />
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Our recent trip to Egypt and Cairo was every thing I had heard about Egypt. The hospitality and warmth shown to us there by our friend and his friends was more than we could have imagined. I dont think I can imagine Cairo in any other way. Everyone at work and even in my family was worried about the conditions in the country, the protests and our safety. Our hotel was only 5 minutes from Tahrir square but we witnessed a buzzing, peaceful city enjoying its every day life and busy in it. <br />
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We went right before the elections. As with any new democracy there was a sense of fear and bitterness amongst people there, unsure if the people standing in elections represented the true spirit of the revolution they had stood for. But I was excited to have visited the country post-revolution any way. I saw extremely peaceful rallies in Alexandria for Muslim Brotherhood, which I could have never witnessed before in Egypt. The cities were plastered with campaigning posters of the various contenders. This was a spirit that is meant to be appreciated and I do sincerely hope that the years to come show more fruits of democracy than bittnerness for it.<br />
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I have put together a blog post in one of my travel blogs on how to spend a quality week in Cairo. I am sure this itenerary will help you if you are planning on visiting Cairo and if not, you will enjoy seeing what Cairo and its people have to offer!<br />
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<b><a href="http://viewfrommarrakech.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/travel-plan-for-seven-days-in-cairo.html%20" target="_blank">Read: Travel plan for seven days in Cairo</a> </b><br />
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Enjoy!</div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-61208991303519238352012-03-03T17:53:00.000-08:002012-03-03T17:54:31.545-08:00Why the urge to burn a Holy Book?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Note: The following blog post has been contributed by Zarena Jabbar, a dear friend on a recent event in Afghanistan and her thoughts on its reactions worldwide.</i><br />
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It has been a few years now that we hear talks of the Muslim holy book, Quar’an, being put on “trial” and then burned. Lately an unsettling feeling has overcome me after hearing about the Qur’an burned in Afghanistan on February 20th by U.S. soldiers. My belief in extreme human ignorance has been confirmed by the level of insensitivity that is on the rise in our society and around the globe. I am baffled by how easy it is for a human being to disrespect a holy scripture that is believed by billions around the world to be the divine words of God and a book that teaches only generosity, kindness, modesty and submission to One God. Have the non-believers ever picked up a copy and read a verse for themselves, or better yet, have they heard the book be recited which has left billions of people around the world humbled and moved to tears. Could the reason of attempting to destroy or burn the Qur’an just be that--Ego, Ignorance, hate or is it something deeper?</div>
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In 2010 Reverend Terry Jones, pastor in Florida, announced that he was on a mission to burn the Qur’an on September 11, 2010. There were many pleas from government officials which enticed him to back down from the radical “stunt.” We thought that story ended but were unfortunately wrong. Mr. Jones came back in January 2011 and “put the Koran on trial” and continued with his rant of showing the world what a “dangerous book” this was and on March 20, 2011 in Gainsville, Florida Mr. Jones did the unthinkable and burned the holy book in front of 50 people inside his church. What was gained from this cruel act, some say it was fame or fortune but I think it was mere unrest in the world. Our job has become harder in light of these events in continuing to preach the core principles of co-existence, peace and tolerance. Teaching hate in the name of religion is unacceptable and every peace loving human being must stand up against people like Mr. Jones and his followers who think it is quite okay for youngsters to wear T-Shirts to public schools that read “Islam is of the Devil.”</div>
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All this has been on my mind along with the talks of soldiers flushing the Qur’an in toilets in Quantanamo Bay etc. when most recently on February 20th 2012 in Bagram Air Field-Afghanistan several soldiers out of “ignorance” decided to dispose of the Qur’an in a burning garbage pit even after being warned by fellow afghan soldier. This ill-mannered act has sparked violent protests in Afghanistan and unrest around the globe. With these tragic events unfolding in my life time, I question how much is known about this book and what it means. Do these lunatics not realize that the stories of all the prophets including Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him), Abraham (PBUH), Moses (PBUH) and our beloved Mary are all revealed in this book by the supreme being. This makes me wonder about the motives – is it true ignorance or is it coupled with the fear of knowing more than our comfort zones, digging deeper and learning about a religion that billions have accepted as a way of life which has given them a purpose for life so that they do not wander in this world unhappily any longer.<br />
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The Qur’an is a final revelation as believed by Muslims and is the literal words of God, revealed over many years (approximately 23 years) by Angel Gabriel himself to the final prophet Muhammad (May the mercy and blessing be upon him). The Qur’an is full of wisdom and full of Gods unparallel mercy and justice on his humankind. This book is core to Islam, one can not call themselves Muslim if they don’t believe in it. Qur’an is considered very unique in its content and style to the point that it can not be translated; therefore, any translation is considered an interpretation of the meaning of Qur’an. As Jesus (pbuh) was given the miracle of giving the blind site and Moses (pbuh) given the miracle of parting the red sea as such Muhammad’s (pbuh) miracle was the Qur’an. It is a miracle that has sublime tone and beauty. It is possible to see Muslims moved to tears when they hear or read the Qur’an. Over 1400 years the Qur’an has not been tampered with, hence, Muslims read the exact words that were revealed by God himself; a Muslim on one end of the world will read the exact words in the holy book that another Muslim will read on the other end. For these reasons, the Qur’an is a highly respected and revered book which is why there are outcries in the world when Muslims hear talks of the Qur’an being burned or unfortunately see the thrown into fire pits. This book is not a symbol like a man made flag but rather a divine revelation – words of God himself.<br />
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September 11, 2001 was very tragic, many innocent lives were lost including Muslims and many more innocent lives were impacted by its after effects; either through wars, direct discrimination, racism or profiling. When I first heard of September 11th, it was around 8:00AM and I was walking to my Accounting class in Mills College with a friend. It was a beautiful crisp morning and Mills is full of some amazing and very tall eucalyptus trees which give off this sweet dewy and nutty smell early in the morning. My friend started to tell me about what had happened in New York and seemed so worried; I am very visual so I had to see on screen for myself but nonetheless that walk to class was interesting. Since I hadn’t yet witnessed the plains crashing into the twin towers I couldn’t grasp what had happened on the east coast. However, during that walk to class, as Economic students, we started analyzing the incident in economic terms and its ramifications on the country and the world’s economic stability. I recall my friend exclaim “imagine what will happen if everyone looses all their money in the bank” we might go through a depression again! Now that sounded scary to me. Later as I saw and learned more, it was all so devastating. My heart went out to those that were impacted and at the same time fear over came me not of what will happen to the stability of the economy but the stability of peace around the world. I found myself pray that “please don’t let it be Muslims.” I found myself glued to the radio (I didn’t have a TV in my dorm room) as days went by there were talks of Afghanistan and Bush going to war and life as a Muslim as I knew was no more. Being the only Afghan on campus at the time, I started to become fearful for my safety. I became fearful for my parents who lived in a predominately right winged, white neighborhood at the time. I became fearful for my family members who still resided in Afghanistan.<br />
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My fears were slowly surfacing, one day I remember my little brother, who was in 4th grade at the time, run home with a pant and shouting in the living room, “Guess what our neighbor’s bumper sticker says?” I thought it would be something fun and unique and asked what! To my dismay, he said that the bumper sticker read “Kill ‘em all and let Allah sort ‘em out” I was shaken and decided to go outside to read for myself. The impact of those words was so strong. I stood there reading and re-reading that sticker with a wave of electric vibes running through my veins. Since then those letters imprinted<br />
to my memory. At that moment I developed a sense of panic, not only for my family who had to deal with these neighbors but the realization that life as we knew it was not going to be the same for Muslims in this society or the world. That fearful state has never really left me and those words from the bumper sticker continue to echo each time I hear of hate crimes towards Muslims or those perceived to be Muslims, hateful words towards Islam and violent acts towards the peaceful religion.<br />
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I have asked myself over and over again how I can overcome my deep fears and have realized that if I can only reach out to each Muslim and Non-Muslim and explain to them to judge Islam by learning about it through the Qur’an and not judge it by the acts of a few shallow minds. Burning a holy book will not accomplish much but understanding it will help one become a more tolerant human being which may be preached by the very religion they follow. There are many people out in the world who will do unacceptable acts in the name of religion, be it Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, Sikh and etc. but best are those who step out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves to learn about their neighbor through text, history, poetry and build respect.<br />
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“Say, ‘If all mankind and the jinn would come together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce its like even though they exerted all and their strength in aiding one another.” (Quran 17:88)<br />
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“Or do they say that he has invented it? Say (to them), ‘Bring ten invented chapters like it, and call (for help) on whomever you can besides God, if you are truthful.” (Quran 11:13)<br />
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“And if you all are in doubt about what I have revealed to My servant, bring a single chapter like it, and call your witnesses besides God if you are truthful.” (Quran 2:23)<br />
<br /></div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-46081856490275194632012-02-29T17:57:00.000-08:002014-05-10T05:52:59.179-07:00Being politically incorrect in Pakistan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am one of those that does regularly enough watch the Morning shows on Geo TV and I must confess they do entertain me. Recently though, I understand it was to celebrate diversity and to show the hidden talents of Pakistan that Baluchis were invited as guests to the show. This was timely as there are talks recently in the political scene, whereby those speaking of an independent Baluchistan spoke more actively and opened a debate on media. Although excited about the show, what disturbed me was the language and its nuances throughout the show. They appeared extremely politically incorrect and furthering the stereotypes prevailing in our society about Makranis. I do have utmost respect for the guests in the show who despite such comments from the well-meaning host, handled themselves gracefully.<br />
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Here's my blog post about this: <a href="http://www.chowk.com/FizaPK/iLogs/tv/Being-politically-incorrect-in-Pakistan">http://www.chowk.com/FizaPK/iLogs/tv/Being-politically-incorrect-in-Pakistan</a><br />
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Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-1543966840162774552012-02-14T06:09:00.004-08:002012-02-14T06:09:51.711-08:00Sports or politics? Lessons from two nations...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
More often than not, sports have shown to have a life and
significance beyond the realm of “sports”. Defined as a form of
“physical activity” and mostly coupled with culture and media by world
governments, sports is often seen as a form of “entertainment” for its
audience. The tragic events at Port Said earlier this month where the
Al-Masry met Cairo’s Al-Ahly for a football match, was far from the
description above when it turned into a debacle with 74 dead and many
more injured. More sadly, it was yet another moments in history where
politics killed innocent lives and the sport became the “murderer”.<br />
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To me personally, the incident was a stark and painful reminder of
the attacks on the Sri Lankan team in Pakistan and the Pakistani driver
who lost his life. It is still unclear who was behind those attacks
but it was extremely clear that this wasn’t sparked by hatred for the
Sri Lankan, probably the only team after Pakistan that Pakistanis
actually have a sense of affection for. There was “politics” in play
and it won in its aim of hampering the morale of Pakistanis, a proud
nation that breathes cricket.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.projectcarousel.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Egyptians-march-in-cairo-007.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3261" height="180" src="http://www.projectcarousel.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Egyptians-march-in-cairo-007-300x180.jpg" title="Egyptians-march-in-cairo--007" width="300" /></a>Egyptians, too, are a proud nation whose self-confidence was further
boosted in the revolution earlier last year. Like cricket is for
Pakistanis, Egyptians too breathe football. And like the Sri Lankan
team attack killed the sport in Pakistan, it has marred football in
Egypt too. The Al-Ahly team’s goal keeper immediately came out saying
they would be unable to play the sport again knowing it killed 74
Egyptians. The tournament, for very obvious reasons, had been called
off indefinitely. Like Pakistanis, Egyptians are convinced 74 people
don’t just die due to football match riot and “other hands” are
involved. Al-Ahly fans were amongst the fore-front revolutionaries whose protests led to Mubarak’s ouster.<br />
<br />
Andrew Strenk in his paper called “<a href="http://ann.sagepub.com/content/445/1/128.short" target="_blank">What Price Victory? The World of International Sports and Politics</a>”
points out quite rightly that there has been “a long tradition of
mixing sports and politics which dates all the way back to the ancient
Greeks. The development of the Turner movement in the German states of
the 19th century, the rise of the Sokol movement in neighboring Bohemia,
and the formation of the International Olympic Committee by Baron
Pierre de Coubertin later in the same century all served to reinforce
earlier traditions linking sports to politics. The result of these
developments was to produce a war without weapons.”<br />
<br />
Pakistan and India have been playing this war for years now where
every loss is felt painfully across the world and every victory hailed
as a victory of many sorts beyond “sports.” Andrew Strenk will have to
reconsider his thoughts today. Unfortunately, as politics becomes more
volatile, perhaps even more militarized than before, weapons are
demonstrating a direct impact on sports too. When 74 lives are lost at a
football match, its not a war without weapons.<br />
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Unfortunately, in this war who loses the most? It is the sport and
the people! In Pakistan, cricket lost and Pakistanis lost as the label
of a “terrorist” nation became difficult to shed off. In Egypt,
football lost and the people did when many on Twitter and elsewhere
voiced their concern at media showing Egyptians as “violent.” The
sooner we realize that sports is beyond sports, and its politicization
may lead to its weaponization the sooner we can protect our only ray of
genuine happiness.</div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-53473322064016261562012-01-20T05:43:00.000-08:002012-01-20T06:13:14.392-08:00What my nani taught me about being a woman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkJ2e7cv4LOpiyWNeVmTDFJ4Hl_B3PCD1dw34zYar_JCJ45Kt418u-WNPtlIA9JPBuNtcY8dagCnvZk_mc-ouKCvraOBCoX6W8vjPz3hipIBWQCwuT14QLAWmd1b0m1-1qwXhlKgClnal/s1600/nani-amma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkJ2e7cv4LOpiyWNeVmTDFJ4Hl_B3PCD1dw34zYar_JCJ45Kt418u-WNPtlIA9JPBuNtcY8dagCnvZk_mc-ouKCvraOBCoX6W8vjPz3hipIBWQCwuT14QLAWmd1b0m1-1qwXhlKgClnal/s1600/nani-amma.jpg" /></a>It was the day I was leaving for university in <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" id="" target="_blank">Oakland, California</a>
after my winter break in Pakistan. I had gone to spend the day with my
nani before I left for the airport. I have always been shy about showing
affection publicly, so as soon as I found myself alone with her, I put
my hands on her arm and tried to tell her I was leaving for the airport
soon to go to uni. I wasn't even sure if she could understand what I was
saying or if she was upset with me, a girl, for leaving my family and
studying miles away in a different country. Deep down I wanted her to be
proud of me but I had not heard her talk in weeks if not months.
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There was a pause
before she turned to say in her frailest, weakest voice, "dil laga kar
parhna, bohot mehnat karna aur apna khayal rakhna" - <i>put your heart into your studies, work hard and take care of yourself. </i>
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I wasn't sure how to
react, my heart was pacing with excitement and I wanted to run out and
call my mother and my uncle and say "look <i>nani amma</i> still does
understand everything. She spoke to me." I was also shocked because
perhaps I was too naive then to understand how such a traditional
looking woman could push herself so much to convey her thoughts despite
her weakness. It was the most genuine reaction I had ever received.
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My nani suffered from
Parkinson's disease, which I felt became so severe towards her last few
years that she was not just bed-ridden but also unable and unwilling to
say a single word for days. We forced her to sit up regularly so her
body benefited from some movement. She looked at us intently but I don't
remember her sharing any emotions or words. In her last few years, she
wouldn't even stir if the room rocked in laughter. All of us
grandchildren in Karachi were encouraged to surround her bed daily
without miss, talking and laughing to keep that sense of life around
her.
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It was during this time
that I would watch her and regret I did not get the time with her when I
was mature enough and she was fine. I was intrigued to know what her
youth was like in unpartitioned India, how women participated in the
Pakistan movement, and what they hoped for the future.
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It was an extremely painful
process seeing someone like her decline as she did. At the hands of
Parkinson's we lost a strong woman, highly intelligent and intellectual
in her own right. Her knowledge of Persian and Arabic always surprised
us. Our family has deep pride in Urdu and while growing up, but
when back in the dial
up days, I was once writing an email to my aunt, I giggled to myself when
Nani Amma dictated her message in very-British English. In her old age
when she was fine, she could answer all the tough multiplication
questions I hurled at her.
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Nani Amma completed her
matriculation in 1945 from Patna University and admiring her calibre,
was immediately invited to teach English and Maths to the girls of Patna
High School. She managed to achieve all of this after getting married
while expecting her first-child. She taught during the time when Muslim
students were resisting Hindu hymns in school assembly, and bowing to
Gandhi's image - my cousin being one of them in the same school. I was
told stories about her being extremely fearful for and at the same time
proud of the Muslim girls of her school playing their part in the
struggle for their rights. She was a keen observer of politics, an
ardent reader of "ismet", a monthly journal founded by Allama Rashid <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://1" id="" target="_blank">ul Khairi</a>, in which Dr. Shaista Ikramullah regularly contributed, whom my nani greatly admired.
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My handsome nana, a
student activist of his time, captain of his Aligarh medical college
cricket team, proposed directly to my nani's father for her hand in
marriage admiring her intellect and wit. My aunt tells me how my nana always laughed
that in their house a curry was cooked in three different pots - my nani
would be so engrossed in her books, that she would have to save the
meal from burning by tranferring it to another pot before it was fully
cooked.
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I remember my nani
laughing and telling my mum how if I was so fond of Turkish people, then
she should just find me a Turkish boy to marry. I was 13 and had just
returned mesmerised from a vacation in Turkey. My mother was livid at
the suggestion "corrupting my mind" and I was so impressed when she said
"what's wrong? They are Muslims, there is nothing wrong with my
suggestion" and smiled at
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It was almost as if
that generation was more liberal yet stronger in their identity, more
forward thinking and yet more grounded than maybe even the generation
after them. Perhaps it was because theirs was an era that understood why
Pakistan was needed for the Muslims of the sub-continent, witnessed the
caliphate fall in Turkey and Palestine being taken away subsequently.
This was the generation of men and women that joined the struggle for
Pakistan and won it because of their unity, passion and integrity.
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I am proud of being the
grand daughter of a woman who admired education in girls like it was
meant to be. Now when its been 5 years to her death, and I am married
(to a Pakistani mind you) and settled in my own life, it has become
clearer than ever before the role my grandmother's personality has had
on me and my life. I wonder if I would have ever been as moved by world
politics and its plight and inequalities if I had not been born in her
family. I wonder if my mother would have had the same strength of
identity which she engrossed in me as a child.
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Every time I think of
my <i>nani</i>, I think of that precious moment we had together before flying
off to university. I just kept staring at her, her lips moving in
mutters as though making <i>dua</i> - I wanted to take all of her image in before I left. She was no longer there next time I returned to Pakistan .
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</div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-32989045603214524142011-10-04T05:49:00.000-07:002011-10-05T03:40:03.806-07:00Imran Khan - a dispensable party or a complacent people<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In his recent launch of new book, Imran Khan spoke to an auditorium full of supporters and fans at the UCL on what the purpose and message of his book was. Mr. Khan explained that the book dedicated to the youth of Pakistan aimed to unravel the realities behind the world post 9/11.<br />
<br />
In a country constantly faced with militant attacks, drone attacks,suicide bombs, target killings and American warnings and threats as we have only most recently witnessed, it is no exaggeration to say that Pakistan is one of the biggest victims of the world post 9/11. The problems faced above and the repercussions to these is both an international affair and of domestic significance too. In the increasingly globalised world thanks to means of communications, trade and media, it would be naive to assume that the two are separate from each other especially in a country sandwiched between India, Afghanistan, Iran and China.<br />
<br />
<b>Where do we begin then?</b><br />
<br />
It's only logical we begin at home. How so? It makes sense to first rid our country from the corruption, dishonesty and greed that are trade-mark of it's many times tested politicians. Mr. Khan reiterated that Pakistan's major problem was not terrorism but corruption and dishonesty. The concern over extremism versus liberalism, fundamentalists versus moderate Muslims, secular or non-secular are not the concerns of the masses - these are topics of discussion over "elite dining tables."<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-azFxQ23JHTqmQTJSqQeh9w9d9ghwnEI0fBr-lZd3SGuB4sgZNkEd4Et6_xNE6mytWAegasaPLgM6PWOzamFTj-otaYyKZJkFqndLnzbONH4aS8czTkHK1G-KJI5xKLf_M_3AoaWaFVy/s1600/PTI.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-azFxQ23JHTqmQTJSqQeh9w9d9ghwnEI0fBr-lZd3SGuB4sgZNkEd4Et6_xNE6mytWAegasaPLgM6PWOzamFTj-otaYyKZJkFqndLnzbONH4aS8czTkHK1G-KJI5xKLf_M_3AoaWaFVy/s320/PTI.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imran Khan speaking at UCL(Sep 2011)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>It all sounds good on paper, but can Imran Khan really win or topple votings in the upcoming elections? How will PTI succeed without previous precedence of vote banks? </b><br />
<br />
According to Imran Khan, in Punjab and Sindh, 50% of the registered votes are fraudulent while the percentage is even higher in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Supreme Court has demanded that this be resolved and Imran Khan is hopeful that this will go in his favour. After all, the recent Pew research and Yougov polls indicate that the gap between opinion in his favour versus the support for others is widening. <br />
<br />
<b>But who are the people involved in PTI?</b><br />
<br />
The main questions from the audience revolved around Imran Khan's team. George Fulton in his recent article on Imran Khan's popularity did not point out anything extraordinarily different from what people have been saying - is it all about Imran Khan then? It's a one-man show!<br />
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PTI rightly points out that what is needed to run a country is an institution, not a party. Perhaps we are convinced that Imran Khan doesn't have a team because PTI does not consist of names notorious for their greed, dishonesty and corruption - it's made of people who are strong institution-builders and who have the right intentions. <br />
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Jinnah did the same - he was elitest, representing the masses surroundimg himself with respectable, honest names not corrupt politicians. Jinnah left us too soon but at least he gave us a country - a mammoth task. Should we not have put our trust in him had we known he would have left us or would be unable to ensure a system around him?<br />
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We often ask why we cannot replicate an Arab Spring but little faith do we have in others like us, and the ability for us to join hands and step up. Having said that, it took many years of "apparent" lack of faith in change, and complacency in Egypt before Egyptians surprised the world with their power. It's too easy to reject positivity around us and highlight what's wrong but it only takes a gleam of hope to lay our trust in us and bring about a change. <br />
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More links:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://youtu.be/GSfDM2RPZZ4">Watch Imran Khan talk about 9/11, Muslim world and politics</a></li>
<li><br /></li>
<li><a href="http://youtu.be/Kqo1tahS7ys">Imran Khan at the UCL talking about Pakistani media and political awareness</a></li>
</ul>
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<div class="blogpress_location">
Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=London,United%20Kingdom%4051.575074%2C0.088670&z=10">London,United Kingdom</a></div>
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Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-68676455358551359152011-08-05T21:15:00.000-07:002011-08-08T07:52:18.184-07:00The Arab Spring: "Hey Mubarak, Nobody Likes You"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YuG-pLVwPM1BEVRT4_FW8ZXeII7yRwZQnfWyi-ypQJkMgFZbhb4cqFyqX5s89YAW-1K2kvExbWqbG7-gFEqsCvc98MT1JEmYhoiGfRIjG8G36GVI3wkpA4mo8I9TVEXCyyw5VqvADRU/s1600/Clean+Egypt.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YuG-pLVwPM1BEVRT4_FW8ZXeII7yRwZQnfWyi-ypQJkMgFZbhb4cqFyqX5s89YAW-1K2kvExbWqbG7-gFEqsCvc98MT1JEmYhoiGfRIjG8G36GVI3wkpA4mo8I9TVEXCyyw5VqvADRU/s320/Clean+Egypt.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638488830721423426" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fiza asked me "What are your thoughts on the Arab Spring?"
<br />To be honest, I didn't see it coming. From the students I talked to/debated with at the American University in Cairo (AUC) to the man on the street who sold fruit to me, I didn't see it coming. From the students, I heard bitterness in their voices but never enough anger to start a revolution. After all, you do need a certain amount of anger to fuel yourself to camp out on the streets, risk your life and your loved ones too. Maybe anger is the wrong word, but you do need <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span> inside of you to become part of a revolution. And while I constantly heard Egyptians expressing their unhappiness with the state, they all seemed to have such a defeatist attitude in the end.
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<br />I remember arguing with one AUC student proclaiming that change <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> possible, that with hope <span style="font-style: italic;">anything</span> can be possible. I was obviously reeking of typical American idealistic values. I probably could have just worn a sign around my neck saying "YES WE CAN" or "FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY WILL RULE" It would have had the same effect as my words did on this AUCian. He was convinced that Egypt would never change because its people were so entrenched in its corrupt system. He thought the only way for anything to change would be through one person, a leader who rises up to fight for the common good of the people. Even if that meant fighting against them. In the middle of our debate, he just looked at me with slight disgust and said something along the lines of "You have your Obama."
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<br />And with those words, everything became clear. He was right. Here in the U.S. we did have our Obama. It was perfect. We had endured 8 long years of hell (well for a lot of us. I won't speak for all) and all of a sudden, someone new came along and swept us off our feet. He gave riveting speeches on hope, change and how there actually was a light at the end of the tunnel. Honestly, it felt like we were in one of those inspiring movies. Finally, someone was there to tell us everything was going to be ok.
<br />Yet here we are....a divided nation drowning in debt, fumbling to keep up with the rest of the world in terms of education and healthcare, still trying to get out of our own wars, and still terrorized by hatred stemming from all around us. Both domestic and foreign.
<br />However, that is a tangent thought, which is already being discussed in every other news outlet across the U.S.
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<br />Going back to Egypt, I said that I didn't see it coming. Not that I didn't see any change coming at all, but I didn't think it would come in this raw form of a revolution. And although everything seems to be in chaos, I am glad that at least the system has been uprooted. Imagine having to live in a state where the police are not there to protect you, where you can't believe your own media because they aren't allowed to say anything that goes against the government. Imagine living under that for 30 years.
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<br />These revolutions are not only standing up to the corrupt Arab dictators, but also to North America and Western Europe. The revolutions are proof that the people (in this case Arabs) know what they want. And they don't want to wage a war or Islamic jihad on the so-called infidels around the world. And they certainly do not all want to pledge allegiance to terrorists. They just want their basic rights. The right to live freely and without fear of punishment from an unjust regime. Is it really too much to ask your own government for a stable economy, jobs, to be treated with respect and dignity? After all, the duty of a government is to take care of the nation and its people. Somehow Arab governments have simply assumed in recent decades that their job is to maintain order. However, they seem to confuse the word "maintain" with "silence." All fingers definitely pointing right now to Bashar al-Assad's Ramadan massacre against his own Syrians.
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<br />I believe that for Egypt, desperate times called for desperate measures and it was time to go out into the streets. Egyptians were realizing that they cannot simply wait and ask nicely anymore. However, now that they have seized what rightfully belongs to them, it remains to be seen how it will all be handled. Will Egypt decide to turn completely secular? Or perhaps religious parties may take the majority in their parliament? How long will the military be in charge?
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<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">The most incredible part about Egypt's revolution was watching how Egyptians from all walks of life were coming together to take ownership of their country. And they did with respect for each other. I was completely moved by pictures I saw of Egyptians sweeping the streets with their brooms during the revolution. People were camping out laughing and talking under the threat of tear gas, looting and other violence. Even though they knew they were potentially risking their lives for this cause, Egyptians stood together. They set up neighborhood watches and protected each other, no matter what background or religion they came from. This was a revolution for Egypt. Not Muslims or Christians or any political parties. For Egypt.
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<br />These days, we can only wait and see...and hope for the best for Egypt and the Middle East's future. But at least now we can say that something in the Arab world has certainly changed</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">.
<br /></span>Lenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02683582584778644842noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-90248366005910238702011-05-05T08:24:00.000-07:002011-05-06T06:52:34.508-07:00Post Bin Laden: A Neo - War on Terrorism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Monday morning, last day of bank holiday weekend, and I was sleeping in late when a message from a friend in Egypt woke me up - "Osama bin Laden is dead" it read. Being my mother's daughter, any such news on TV and my first reaction is to run to the TV and staye glued to it for the next several hours, if not the next few days, flicking between news channels and hearing every political analysis possible.<br />
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My first reaction? I thought Osama bin Laden died a few years ago! The next slightly saner reaction? Pakistan is screwed now! But the more and more I think about it, the conspiracy theorist within me continues to stare back at me saying "The war on terrorism is so not over...it might just be the beginning!"<br />
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Victory is like an opium you get addicted to. The death of bin Laden is a symbolic victory as many are calling it, but it is a huge symbolic victory which makes his enemies feel more addicted to winning, and definitely invokes a stronger self-belief in their method of struggle against him and his allies. What's the message? The 10 years of war on terrorism seem to have been well-spent! (Although in reality, it took 10 years of billions of dollars spent across the world, an ugly war in Afghanistan and a falsely waged war in Iraq, operations after operations and thousands of deaths around the world every year to find one Osama bin Laden on May 2nd 2011).<br />
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There's a huge debate on whether this is a set-back for Al-Qaeda or not? Some claim this is de-moralizing news for the terrorists while others claim that Osama was a mere symbol, and Al-Qaeda had moved on and will continue. There is a huge relief in the fact that "the Arab awakening" as it is being called, had already proven that Al-Qaeda had weakened. The Arab youth has shown that an "Al-Qaeda inspired jihadist revolution" is not what is needed, when people power without arms can topple Pharoahs like Mubarak.<br />
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Some time ago to my blog post on Egyptian success at toppling Mubarak's regime, someone had left a comment asking whether I believed it was as simple as people power or whether there were "outside" hands involved in fueling the Arab awakening. Was this a set-up for the Arab world? I must be a strange combination of a conspiracy theorist and an optimist but I still strongly believe in the power of people and in the purity of the intentions and actions that led to "the Arab Spring" which is still flourishing. Any thing to rid the likes of the heartless, authoritarian rulers like Mubaraks and Qaddafis cannot be any thing but a happy revolution for me.<br />
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But I cannot ignore the way the world is shaping in 2011 and to me it almost embarks the launch of a new era. What better timing could fate have chosen for Bin Laden when the Arab world is so involved in its own revolutions and mayhem, and when Pakistan does not have a proud face anymore to say any thing. Afghanistan is just relieved that its not involved in this story. The timing is just perfect! <br />
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My google alerts set on Egypt, every day send at least a few articles and blog posts that focus on the rise of Muslim Brotherhood and "the likes" in the country..read "Islamists", "hard-lined", "right-wing", "extremists" at the same time - all words that do not exactly connote any positivity thesedays. Since the death of Osama bin Laden, there have been ominous maps being shared and discussed on channels ranging from BBC and CNN to AlJazeera and Geo all showing countries where Al-Qaeda is active - Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and never to forget Pakistan. Pakistan is an epoch story in itself - if it knew where Osama was, it has obviously pretended to be an ally while aiding terrorism, hence doomed! If it did not know where Osama was, that's a seriously faulty army and intelligence, hence not believable and so doomed! But what's common between the rest? Algeria and Yemen and to a certain degree Saudi Arabia have all been impacted by the Arab revolutions.<br />
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Sure, Ayman Al-Zawahiri is Egyptian but that's where the story ends. Where the story picks up for me is with the alarm bells <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2011/05/05/the-new-egypt-a-gateway-for-terror-2/">these sort of statements</a> accompanying Egypt's involvement in the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. "If Cairo’s desire for a more ‘independent’ foreign policy translates into warmer ties with terrorists, America’s own long-standing support for the Egyptian military may eventually need to be reconsidered," <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704436004576299221858212248.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">wrote the neoconservative <i>Wall Street Journal</i> Tuesday in an editorial</a> that called Egypt’s latest moves "an unsettling preview of what could emerge" from the so-called "Arab Spring". The Egyptian Foreign Minister has announced that within the next 10 days the border between Palestine and Egypt will be opened, first time since Mubarak's fall. There are already analysts saying this is worrying for the US that does not want to see warmer relations between Palestinian "terrorists" and Muslim Brotherhood.<br />
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One world less of Ben Ali was fine. Mubarak going away was undoubtedly great! But a whole big Arab region devoid of ugly but nevertheless extremely strong (and strong-headed) leaders like the Qaddafis, Assads and Mubaraks (not to mention Saddam although he seems out of the "Arab Spring" symmetry here) is also a world with a huge vaccum. <br />
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As Imtiaz Gul, a Pakistani political analyst pointed out on Al-Jazeera today, and I would like to expand on - the Arab protests cannot be seen to be a complete tangent from the world we knew with "Al-Qaedas" around. It took 10 years of the world swinging between war on terror, Taliban and Al-Qaedas to prepare a field where the revolutions took place. Human mind and humanity in general does not work in independent steps unaffected by the world and its trends around them. According to Gul, Al-Qaeda's message was or perhaps still is in their perceptions a fight for "justice" against the "powerful" which to me easily reads as the so-called "Arab Awakening".<br />
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Ripe in its democracy, the situation can easily be "manipulated" by "Islamists" and "sympathizers" of terrorists. Will it then take long to show that the revolution was certainly backed not by outsiders but the conniving little insiders - it can't be that difficult. Algeria has seen Islamists in the past just like Turkey is the most secular Muslim nation in the world run by an "Islamic" party. Vulnerable as this region is, it will need to be saved from hard-liners and why would the powerful ones not come to aid?<br />
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Do I want to doubt the Arab awakening? No, definitely not. Do I want to see others taking advantage of the Arab revolutions? A louder no! But can I help not notice a strong and scary trend? Hmm not really!<br />
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...And the conspiracy theorist within me lives on...<br />
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</div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-12706959582823736722011-02-10T11:43:00.000-08:002011-02-10T12:14:03.350-08:00What Egypt Taught Me: People plus Media is equal to Power<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwBQO2IN7BzVeNgnoSsBj_OaUOrHOppz4zjiNIcTxenxathNz8qzgHOyt9phLOC4SFqiP0HVc2rUl0is720j9gq0DoEz9fN1oMe2XreW0l39vVj27H_8_XD-8xavnb7RSNL1XBglEc5EB/s1600/Tahrir-Square_Protests.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwBQO2IN7BzVeNgnoSsBj_OaUOrHOppz4zjiNIcTxenxathNz8qzgHOyt9phLOC4SFqiP0HVc2rUl0is720j9gq0DoEz9fN1oMe2XreW0l39vVj27H_8_XD-8xavnb7RSNL1XBglEc5EB/s320/Tahrir-Square_Protests.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As I sit here breathless in London, flicking channels between Al Jazeera English, BBC, CNN and France 24, in anxiety and excitement to see what Hosni Mubarak will announce within the hour, I cant help but realize what the last 14 days with Egypt has taught me. It's been a rush of emotions, for me in the last few hours, a non-Egyptian, feeling in one with the Egyptians standing on Tahrir Square, and all the revolutionaries around the world. I have been going to work every day but keeping my browser tabs open to Twitter, Al Jazeera English Live stream and BBC live stream following closely what the youth in Cairo and Alexandria were achieving by the mere power of their unity and patience.<br />
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<b>Power of People</b><br />
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Hundreds of people sacrificed their lives in this struggle but it only strengthened the resolve of the activists from Maidan Tahrir (Liberation Square). Noam Chomsky has spoken about people power being a power to reckon with, that when united can confront the political-economic powers of the world combined. Egyptians demonstrated in their country the essential ingredients of " people power" - a combination of unity, faith and discipline - essential ingredients for success in any country as pointed out by Muhammad Ali Jinnah during the movement for the creation of Pakistan.<br />
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Wael Ghonem and April 6th Movement activists demonstrated how it was not a spur of the moment reaction that Egyptian youth undertook but an intelligent coming together of plans, strategies and its execution. The queues outside Tahrir Square were a sight of immense strength, the patience of protestors camping at Tahrir square sharing celebrations, foods, and keeping their struggle a peaceful one was immensely exciting.<br />
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This power of the people can not only be seen to bring down authoritarian regimes like Tunisia and Egypt but also international powers like USA, China, France, and UK repeatedly wording out their commitment to allow Egyptians to draw out their own history. Media too has been manipulated by people power. The images on State TV in Egypt throughout the revolting period were a mellowed down version of the protests, editorial policies that showed things were under the government's control. Now, half an hour before Mubarak makes his appearance live, State television is showing the same images of hundreds of thousands of Egyptians celebrating their near victory as any other independent channel.<br />
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<b>Power of People Using "Media"</b><br />
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What these last two weeks have also taught me is the power of people when they embrace all tools available to them to express their opinions. Technology has played a huge role in the roll-out of events in Egypt. Wael Ghonim in an interview to an international channel confessed that it was months of preparation over internet that galvanized the revolutionaries.<br />
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Despite Egypt censoring internet providers for almost a week in Egypt since January 25th the power of global communication thanks to the presence of internet technology defeated the Mubarak regime on this front too. At this point in time, matters are so different that there is even free wireless setup at Tahrir square for the hundreds of thousands of civilians to make use of. Al Jazeera English tweeted its news throughout this internet black out, being re-tweeted by internet activists from around the world and spreading the word throughout the world. Journalists from within Egypt spoke to colleagues and friends outside of Egypt over telephone, who in return tweeted on their behalf.<br />
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At this moment, when television channels from around the world are showing the scenes from Egypt at their prime, I cannot help but notice that I am blogging on my laptop, following tweets on the side, Whatsapping on iphone with my friend in Egypt, watching Al Jazeera and BBC on TV and noticing the crowds of people waving their country's flags and chanting slogans and singing songs in anticipation for what looks like the victory of people power! </div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-3699164355576257252011-01-15T07:51:00.001-08:002011-02-01T02:41:47.287-08:00Operation: Tunisia Cyberwar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnQFxCvzztbRoPTPpQl5Vdsb-ZihAS_qOaTthBzoHqEvfZeKba81QhRxAS_zAiQpBtHVa77kPEvvcDp6DuOvcLqtvV35A4FvPj8ECGFHqVyal9iVDFzCpYMmuUXkYyK3RiF9xP3TpXGPk/s1600/Tunisia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnQFxCvzztbRoPTPpQl5Vdsb-ZihAS_qOaTthBzoHqEvfZeKba81QhRxAS_zAiQpBtHVa77kPEvvcDp6DuOvcLqtvV35A4FvPj8ECGFHqVyal9iVDFzCpYMmuUXkYyK3RiF9xP3TpXGPk/s320/Tunisia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #505050; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;"></span><br />
<div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><i>Note: This was originally posted on "Project: Carousel" a student led online community working under the auspices of The Centre for Media and Film Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)</i></b></div><div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Any form of speech used for pulling communities together to criticize a government or ruling group’s action has historically met with tightening of laws, suppression of freedom and unjust actions at the hands of the rulers. Growing tensions in Tunisia over the dissatisfaction of Tunisians over poverty and soaring unemployment coupled with the unproportional wealth of the ruling elite in their country are increasingly catching much needed attention but perhaps still not as much as is necessary. Only very recently has the international world begun to take notice of the disturbances in Tunisia and it could be thanks to the cyber world ensuring the protests make it to the eyes of the outside world.</div><div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Anti-goverment protests triggered after young unemployed university graduate named Mohammed Bouazizia set himself alight in frustration on December 17, 2010. He died while being treated in a hospital near Tunis, the capital, on January 5, according to family members. Since then scores of others who were part of the protests against poor living conditions and policies that favor the elite of the country have either been lost their lives at the hands of government forces. The president of the country Ben Ali has been in power for the last 30 years and many resent the wealth that the ruling family owns in comparison to the living conditions for the people of the country.</div><div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Not surprisingly, the government has managed to clamp down media activities covering the protests and defaming the ruling party. That should not be a difficult task considering even private television channels are owned by members or friends of the ruling family. Online efforts by activists are meeting ugly fate too. Government agents are hacking activists’ networks and tracking down citizen journalists. Most video-sharing sites are being censored now in Tunisia along with news websites like Nawaat, Al Jazeera Arabic, and, even Al Jazeera English. Tunisian activists set up “Tunileaks” on the model of Wikileaks which was banned immediately by the authorities. Index on Censorship has discovered that independent journalists in Tunisia including print and television ones as well as online citizen journalists are routinely tracked down and persecuted.</div><div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But what Tunisia is seeing is a pulling-together of a counter-cyber war parallel to the battle being fought by Tunisian citizens in the offline-world in the villages and towns. Bloggers, website owners and online activists are finding ways to break proxies and launch their online campaigns for freedom of speech in Tunisia. Foreign hackers, dubbed “hacktivists” and functioning under the banner name of “Anonymous” are reacting to government online actions by sabotaging the state’s own sites.</div><div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">#Sidibouzid has become the Twitter tag attached to the voices of the protectors. Dedicated twitter users are tweeting as and when things happen being the first ones to announce names of protestors who die at the hands of the troops. “Weddady” tweeted saying he has been an activist for 20 yrs but has not witnessed anything like whats happening in Tunisia before. On Facebook too, Tunisians continue to share videos of victims’ funerals, protests and mistreatment at the hands of government troops.</div><div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Social media in this context not only becomes a perfect alternative space when traditional media is clamped down but also a vital right-hand to traditional media as well as the actual movement underway. I do not agree with opinion-holders that social networks can have limited impact on change in Tunisia. Whether the online activists within Tunisia are well-connected or not, the tweeting, re-tweeting, posting and sharing of posts is what traditional media from outside of Tunisia’s borders relies on when home television channels and print medium are censored by the government.</div><div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CNN’s Octavia Nasr considers that despite the fact that the internet is longer and more broadly established in Tunisia than in most Arab countries, its online activists are not so well personally connected. On the other hand though, what we are already seeing is Algerian online activists using Facebook, Twitter and blogs to draw paralles between their struggles and that of Tunisians’ although both are undergoing trouble at home due to different reasons. The ability for social media to win supporters outside of imaginable borders is what makes it a tough opponent. Tourism industry in Tunisia can easily be hampered by the word of mouth effect of social media. Given what we saw earlier in 2010 in Iran and now what tremendous strength Tunisians are showing online, it is important to realize that social media is not just an alternative medium but an un-ignorable tool that goes hand in hand with all forms of media to function well.</div><div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It is ironic that in today’s world besides the ever growing presence of media, lives lost over hatred and bigotry make greater spectacle but hundreds of thousands lives lost due to hunger and poverty are often forgotten. It takes a young, university graduate to give up his precious life for others to speak up and it probably takes still a lot more before the news makes it even bigger in global media.</div><div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">***</div><div style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here’s some of what Tunisians have filmed…<br />
<a href="http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/01/10/tunisia-algeria-the-revolution-will-not-be-televised/" style="border-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/01/10/tunisia-algeria-the-revolution-will-not-be-televised/</a></div></div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-50485080024438350022011-01-05T12:00:00.001-08:002011-02-01T02:33:51.064-08:00(Re)-considering Pakistan: Salman Taseer, Blasphemy and PeopleThe extremely sad assassination of Salman Taseer has shocked Pakistanis throughout the world and is a shrewd reminder of how Pakistan’s state of affairs have reached a point that not a day goes by without a disturbing news. Living outside of Pakistan, I am trying as quickly as possible to hover all the details, and reactions about the tragic death of a well-renowned governor of the country.<br />
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There are articles over the net discussing groups that hold the assassin as a hero and others condemning the vileness that is attached with any murder. The incident is a sombre reminder of where Pakistan is coming from, and the direction in which things are leading. For me, it is an episode of bafflement, a reminder that things in the country are no longer wrong or right, they are chaotic and we have ended up in this in a complicated trail of events because of our own short-sightedness and lack of sensitivity.<br />
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There are speculations on whether the murderer acted under the instructions of a bigger “extremist” group (I hyphenate that word in this context for no particular reason but to remind myself how I don’t want to get comfortable using it anywhere assuming that it has the same meaning universally). There is even question of a third party incentive involved. What I am interested in however is the ability of a man to act with such conviction over the forthrightness of his action and the response of others supporting it. <br />
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I am in no way condoning the act nor claiming to be a religious scholar or even an expert in legal matters. I do believe that it is for the government to decide in an Islamic state on who is to be punished and who is to be redeemed and if people were to take law in their hands there would be anarchy. <br />
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The gap between those for blasphemy law and those against it has only widened and the issue remains as black and white between the two sides as before.<br />
<br />
In Pakistan, an Islamic state with a Muslim ruler, they still continually take law in their hands and I have trouble understanding why. Is it because our people are too emotional, too zealous? Or is it that they feel they cannot rely on the authorities to take action? If the literary elite, the journalists, the opinion holders on the net and tv believe the blasphemy law is black law but the great majority of the public rejoices the action of the man who opened fire on Salman Taseer then what does it depict of the Pakistani society. <br />
<br />
It is only sensible to feel that 26 or 27 bullets to kill someone is not just an act of murder but a form of statement to all those committing or supporting blasphemy in the country. In reality, perhaps, Salman Taseer's murder has probably won him more sympathy, even support than before. However, to the murderer and those who support his view that does not mean any thing and would not change their act next time. The murderer probably did this in all loyalty to his expression of love for the support of Holy Prophet and his faith. <br />
<br />
Ever since the war on terrorism our lives have increasingly been entrenched in a conundrum where as time passes by it becomes more and more unclear where the war began and who is the enemy now? When Pakistan chose to ally with those waging the war on terrorism, it alienated it's own vast majority of people who saw more in common with their own people than the "western forces". Their worst fears maximized when drone attacks killed innocent Pakistanis in their villages. The government becomes as distantly cold to them as its ally forces bombarding their homes. <br />
<br />
It could be this anguish that leads the common Pakistani to take law in his hands, to demonstrate vengeance. But to leave it entirely on that is over-simplification too. <br />
<br />
Blasphemy law has existed for over two decades and reactions over blasphemy and religious minorities have always been rather strange even incorrect. A twitter user popular amongst the local bloggers on Twitter related how his driver asked if Salman Taseer was Qadiani commenting on this is how they think. <br />
<br />
But what have the authorities, even private organizations or us the literary or literate elite done to change it? How many bloggers, columnists even vigil holders joined to demand more tangible steps to bridge the gaps between the "masses" and them? Have we tried to speak their language, to take steps that bridge the communication gaps? Perhaps dialogue is better than critique. Perhaps not assuming superiority over the other, we can try and "speak with" them not "speak to" the public. <br />
<br />
An answer would be to support causes that promote education. <a href="http://www.tcfusa.org/">The Citizens Foundation</a>, <a href="http://www.zindagitrust.org/">Zindagi Trust</a> and many other organizations are doing immense work to bridge the gap of education between the privileged and non-privileged. However, mere financial support of such organizations is not enough. An attitude change is required to break our bubble and those of others so that we can breathe the same air. There is a need to step out of our shoes and into others' to see the world through their eyes. Humbling of our thoughts and our opinions of ourselves is required so we can see whether we are looking down at others while talking to them or whether we are actually communicating. This is where dialogue will begin and this is where we will make everyone feel welcomed. When others will feel they have the whole country, the authorities, the powerful, the elite on their side only then will they have trust built in them, only then will they feel safe in their homes, only then will they not depend entirely on their instincts and feel the need to show others their anger by taking the law in their hands. <br />
<br />
It may not bring Salman Taseer back and it may not stop all our problems in the immediate tomorrow either but we can at least be on the road to recovery from this mess we have made of our beautiful home. <br />
<br />
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhoneFiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-67170977851920517322010-12-25T06:59:00.000-08:002011-02-01T02:33:35.773-08:00Begum Nawazish Ali: Frivolous Entertainment or Playing the Political?<div align="center" class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">"The sophisticated and flirtatious Begum Nawazish Ali has been on Pakistani airwaves for a few years now. With people tuning in to watch her gril</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">l, </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">joke around, and shamelessly flirt with her guests who include celebrities and politicians, her talk shows have been huge hits....Her</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">invasive questions, political interest, and classy style have made her a sensation on Pakistani television. Not to mention her beautiful saris, and flawless make-up.</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">” </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">(</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Sobia 2008)</span><span lang="RU" style="color: #666666; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Most introductions to Begum Nawazish Ali are similar - sharing amazement at her grace, her ability to flirt with every male celebrity or politician she brings as a guest on her show and </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">the level of</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> popularity she has received ever since she first came on air. The reason behind all of this amazement and interest in Begum Nawazish Ali is the fact that she is actually a male dressed up as a female hosting one of the most popular </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">talk </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">shows on television in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">The program</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> called “the Late Night Show with Begum Nawazish Ali”</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> raises questions at numerous levels and makes an extremely interesting case-study to discuss when looking at the "entertainment" industry and trying to understand its role in society. </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Most accounts studying “entertainment” tend to find it divergent from any thing “informational” and hence are quick to dismiss entertainment as being unimportant. As Dyer (1992: 2) explains “part of its (entertainment’s) meaning is anti-seriousness…It rejects the claims of morality, politics…in a culture which still accords these high status.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Studying the example of the Late Night Show with Begum Nawazish Ali, I will try and undo the politics depicted within this show and why the Late Night Show is still classified as “entertaining.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU">"This idea, that politics is contained within non-political arenas like entertainment, is, of course, a familiar one</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">” (Street 2001: 61)</span><span lang="RU">. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There are innumerable examples in history where tools of “entertainment” have been used to give voice to societal and political concerns. For example, John Street (2001: 61) shares Eugene Genovese’s (1976) account of American slave workers using songs as a voice for their defiance.</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A documentary-film by Bahman Ghobadi called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No One Knows About Persian Cats</i> highlights singers in contemporary Iran using their talent to raise their concerns regarding their government and its repressive policies. </span><span lang="RU">In a country which gets its idea of conception from a revered poet Allama Iqbal (Shamsie </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">et al 2002</span><span lang="RU">), where singing has been an act of defiance against authority (</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Organic Brew 2010)</span><span lang="RU">, and where social reformist bands are at the forefront of the music scene (insert laal band blog), being political has never been neatly confined in the realms of traditional “politics.”</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Pakistani singers like Shehzad Roy have sung entire albums voicing their laments with the way the United States is meddling with Pakistan and with the way the Pakistani governments are meddling with the future of its citizens (Ahmed 2008). Street (2001: 61) points out that although “</span><span lang="RU">Political identities and arguments feature constantly in pop culture</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">” “</span><span lang="RU">Seeing popular culture as 'political' remains a feature of the modern world.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">”</span><span lang="RU"> (Street 2001: 61) </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The following paper aims to study the example of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Late Night Show with Begum Nawazish Ali</i> and seeing how entertainment plays with ‘the political.’ </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">However, b</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">efore delving into an analysis of Begum Nawazish Ali, it is important for the purposes of this paper, to define what entertainment is. </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Understanding "</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">E</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">ntertainment" </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Typically the definition of entertainment assumed widely is that of entertainment being taken</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> quite literally</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> "as entertainment" (Dyer</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> 1992:</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> 1). Dyer (</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">1992</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">) explains that this means taking seriously the common sense of entertainment, notions like escapism, glamor, fun, stardom...as well as phrases like 'it takes your mind off things' ". Due to a lack of audience surveys, it is difficult to analyze exactly what the audience thought was entertaining about the show</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> as the term is understood from the definition give above</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">. However, based purely on the content of the 'Late Night Show with Begum Nawazish Ali' it is not difficult to gauge why Begum Nawazish Ali may bring fun for her audience. A male dressed up in </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">gorgeous</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> saris, wearing flawless makeup and pulling the image off extremely well (as demonstrated by the show's popularity<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU" style="background: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>) is "entertaining" in</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> a society</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> itself</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> where the norm does not dictate such behavior</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">.</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> Perhaps this shows that the audience does not expect a male to be capable of appearing as graceful and with a flawless skin as Begum Nawazish Ali appears and this astonishment is a source of pleasure.</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> Unlike other talk shows, here is a male figure pretending to be a female and bringing </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">eminent</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> and respected figures as guests brings pleasure</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> to the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">program</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> viewers</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">. The set-up of the studio as Begum Nawazish Ali's drawing room (living room) and the different <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">saris</i> (but equally beautiful each time) she wears on every program showcase </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">“</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">glamor</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">”</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> and </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">“</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">stardom</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">” in Dyer’s words stated above</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">. </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">The above definition of “entertainment” is to “assume…that entertainment is already unproblematically known, neutral and given, is ‘only’ entertainment” (Dyer 1992: 7). </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">A contrary definition of "entertainment" to the one above is what </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">James Linton (1978: 17)</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> called sugar</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">on the pill, where sugar is the literally-speaking "entertainment" aspect of a program and pill is the ideological viewpoint it stands for. The "entertainment" aspect of a show then proves to be a disguise for the programme-maker's intent of either publicizing a certain viewpoint of the world or using the "entertainment" platform to condemn a group of people or different groups of people and their ideologies (Dyer</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">1992:</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">5</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">). The following paper looks into how Begum Nawazish Ali in her Late Night Show manages to represent several identities </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">(</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">and hence opinions</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">)</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> by disguising herself in an interesting yet love-able urban and elite widow character who woos her guests with flirtatious innuendos. </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">However, scholars like Bloch (1996) believe that this pill form of entertainment alone cannot make a change and for the pill to be available on television screens and gain popularity without facing much opposition requires a change in societal trends as well. Nothing will occur without social and political change (Bloch 1996). </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Dyer (1992: 12) possibly would explain the same concept by saying that “entertainment is not simply a way of describing something found equally in all societies at all times.” </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Duffort (2001) explains Bloch by giving the example of Spice Girls saying that Spice Girls managed to commercialize "Girl Power" because the idea of women's rights was more acceptable during their era than three decades ago. It is interesting to point out here that "in a country where extremists are at war with such cosmopolitan heresies, Ali Saleem (the real name behind the character Begum Nawazish Ali) has never received a single threat over his open lifestyle<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU" style="background: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>" (</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Wallace</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">2008</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">). This fact itself speaks of the media liberalization prevalent in Pakistani society and makes it necessary for me to explain it further in the following section of the paper. </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="Div" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">A Product of Media Liberalization</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Without any doubt, President Pervez Musharraf who came into power following a military coup in </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1999</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> and remained in power till 200</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">8</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">, was the man behind media liberalization in Pakistan. "...Even his critics acknowledge that...Musharraf's eight-year rule has seen a historic liberalization of television in the country" </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Bruce Wallace (2008) </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">points out</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> in the LA Times</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">. Prior to his policy on media liberalization state-owned channel was the only national option for the television viewers and was full of news regarding the Prime Minister and the government's publicity. Satellite had made its way before Musharraf but cable was introduced by him and with his media liberalization policies there was a sudden mushrooming of all types of Pakistani channels. Immediately, there was a boom in 24-hour news channels and entertainment channels in the country airing programs ranging from talk shows, political sattire and soaps. </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Wallace’s (2008)</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> <span lang="RU">article reminds us how "Musharraf used to express pride in having opened up the airwaves. In his 2006 autobiography, he wrote that he expected free media would show the face of a more modern, culturally rich Pakistan, both to itself and the world." </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">The program, "Late Night Show with Begum Nawazish Ali", is hosted by Ali Saleem, dressed up as a flirtatious widow of an army officer who invites celebrities and politicians alike and seductively asks them poignant questions</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> (both regarding the guest’s personal life and those</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> that concern the public</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> directly)</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">. </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Wallace (2008)</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> is correct in pointing out that "there are no reliable audience measurements in Pakistan, and even the</span><span lang="RU" style="color: #666666; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">number of cable recipients is inaccurate because many people simply tap into cable the same way some have been stealing electricity for years." Hence, it makes it difficult to share the exact viewership of the program. For the same reasons it may even be difficult to say which class Begum Nawazish Ali is more popular in and what the demographics of her audience looks like. But there is little doubt to the program's popularity by merely reading the coverage it has received worldwide. The program was first aired on Aaj TV in </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">2006 and</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> gained such level of popularity that "advertising rates during its weekend prime time slot are triple that other shows in similar slots" (</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Zaidi 2007</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">). As a result, Saleem became one of the highest paid television hosts in the country and rival channels began struggling to get him on board with alluring offers (</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Zaidi 2007</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">). </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">As a result of the media liberalization that was introduced by Musharraf, the trend of political satire caught on in the television industry. One of the first such shows was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hum Sub Ummeed Se Hain</i> (We are all expecting) where actors dressed up as political figures and played out carefully written satire scripts. Ali Saleem’s first television appearance which caught public’s eye was his parody of the late Benazir Bhutto<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> in this show that appeared on Geo television network. Ali Saleem dressed up as a female figure, Benazir Bhutto, and excelling at it had already reached a level of expectation and likeability amongst his viewers. Analyzing in light of Bloch’s views as stated above, Begum Nawazish Ali arrived at a time when there was already a level of acceptability in a man dressing up as a woman appearing on television. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Furthermore, media liberalization alone cannot be enough for the acceptance of a cross-dressed show host to appear and gain so much popularity. In Pakistan, a population of transvestites has been living within their social communities. In the face of the discrimination they faced in the society, in 2009 the Pakistani Supreme Court ruled that transgendered citizens could not be discriminated against (Berry 2009).</span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Begum Nawazish Ali – </b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Representation, Identity and ‘the Political’</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">Television schedules and newspaper layouts draw seemingly neat boundaries around what is 'politics' and what is 'entertainment'...But this formal distinction between what counts as 'politics' and what does not is not as clear as it sometimes seems. (Street 2001: 60). In this context, I find Khiabani and Sreberny (2007) very informative in explaining how social realms play into “the political.” They (2007: 563) explain that “while the social might be defined as the realm of sedimented social practices, not all of which are put into question at the same time, the realm of the political is … where agonistic debate about social practices takes place…” </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In the following section, I am going to study the Late Night Show with Begum Nawazish Ali in the light of the way it constructs "an account of politics and power relations" (Street 2001: 62) in the Pakistani society.</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU">"The way 'politics' emerges in mass entertainment is through the stories it tells, the jokes it makes and the motives it assumes." (Street 2001: 79)</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">.</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">It is interesting to note how the program that chooses to show Begum Nawazish Ali as an elite woman describes her as having a military background – automatically evoking power. Begum Nawazish Ali, draped in her expensive saris inviting guests to her beautiful drawing room late on a Saturday evening for some gossip over tea</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> also</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> aims to</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> represents the elite culture</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> of a society.</span><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> </span><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">“</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Ali Saleem said he had always been most comfortable around older women. He described a sheltered childhood, growing up with the privileges bestowed upon his father in a state where the army was by far the most powerful institution.” (Wallace 2008).</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="RU"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">John Street (2001: 76) talks about how “o</span><span lang="RU">ne of the key features of popular entertainment is the way it operates across the boundaries between the public and the private, thereby 'domesticating' politics, particularly</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="RU">through its emphasis on the family".</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Begum Nawazish Ali,</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> as</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> the wife of a late army officer, comfortably shares jokes about her elite lifestyle and social life. In doing so, the character shared with the public what this lifestyle was like and the powers she gained from being in this social position. Ali </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Saleem</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’s</span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <span lang="RU">character</span></span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Begum Nawazish Ali</span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> is based on the wives of army officers he met </span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">while growing up in military bases around the country. His father, a retired colonel, is a </span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">military academy contemporary of Musharraf and a retired colonel. </span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Ali Saleem shared with </span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">LA T</span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">imes (2008) in an interview</span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">that </span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">"These wives are so political</span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">…</span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">They sit there in the background, and then you discover that promotions and things like that happen because of them, who they like and who they don't. They have great power over their men"</span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> thereby giving an example of the corruption in the most powerful institution of the country. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">The host, a male dressed up as a woman, can also be seen as representing the transgendered population of Pakistan. It is interesting because being a gay is not possible in the Islamic republic, however being transgendered or eunuch is. Indeed, the term<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> hijra</i> in Pakistani society evokes all the terms such as gays, homosexuals, transgenders, etc. Sanjeev Berry (2009) in his article in the Huffington Post describes how “the word </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hijra</i> combines a range of sexual identities -- gay crossdressers, hermaphradites -- who identify as female, and male-to-female transgendered individuals. In Indian and Pakistani English, words like "eunuch" and "transvestite" are often used in place of the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hijra</i>.” </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">This may possibly also be the reason why Ali Saleem has not faced a backlash for his character of Begum Nawazish Ali. Although, being gay publicly is still not easy in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the public appearance of transvestites is<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_edn4" name="_ednref4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> and Ali Saleem in his character is not necessarily showing his gay side (by dressing up as a man and showing his sexual preference for male guests) but rather his transsexual representation by cross-dressing like a female and showing his preference for male guests that he invites to his shows. Going back to Duffort’s (2001) point above, this acceptability of transgendered people perhaps allowed for the acceptability of the show<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_edn5" name="_ednref5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">We live in a society that has a lot of gender biases; where there is a</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">lot of prejudice against women</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,” Ali Saleem shared his concern in an interview (Pakistani TV drama blog</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">). </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">However like Dame Edna, Salim</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">s teasing and sarcasm has allowed him to tackle head-on the discrimination women face in Pakistan</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">s male-dominated society. </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">My show is about empowering women psychologically</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">, Salim told the Associated Press on the set of his popular show filmed in Karachi. </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I am trying to show people that there is no difference between men and women.</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Men and women are equally capable of doing all the same things</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">…’</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“ (Despardes 2007) </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">In this light, a “male”</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> <span lang="RU">dressed up as a "female" could</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> simply</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> be seen as a man trying to assist the feminist cause in Pakistan.</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Politics and femininity have often been seen as each other’s antithesis (Sreberny and van Zoonen 2000: 1). Begum Nawazish Ali represents the paradox in a society where the champion of a woman’s cause has to be a man. </span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Ali Saleem told Wallace (2008) in an interview that</span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“</span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">If she was really a woman, flirting with men the way I do, she would have landed in hot soup," he said. "As a man in a male-dominated culture, I get away with much, much more than she would." </span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">For a woman to hold a conversation of sexual nature, as implicit as it may be, is not necessarily the easiest task on broadcast television in a society which has elements of conservatism. Against this background for Ali Saleem to dress up as a woman and be so daring is pushing the limits of society’s expectations of a woman. A “woman” </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">talking about sex publicly in this context, and not simply being subjected to it, becomes a political act here. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="Div" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="RU">Transnational Aims of Begum's Late Night Show<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <!--[endif]--></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">“</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">To the actor Saleem, there is little doubt about why audiences are tuning in – </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">they’re all waiting to see what the well-coiffed, manicured character will say next.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">’ (Zaidi 2007</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">Female guests often find themselves comparing wardrobes and jewelry with her, while male guests have had to bear the brunt of a suggestive proposition from her.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">’ </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">Some people compare her to Dame Edna's character on British television,</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">’</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";"> said Saleem, "but Begum Nawazish Ali is much too sophisticated to ever be that crude.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">’<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">Perhaps in the programme makers minds there was little comparison between Dame Edna and Begum Nawazish Ali but more of an interest in improving the image of Pakistan. Given the post 9/11 scenario of the world, Pakistan has turned out to be one of the biggest casualties of the war on terrorism. The government has been a war against Taliban for years and much of the international coverage has chosen to focus more on its “failed state” and “most dangerous country in the world” images. </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">In LA </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">T</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">imes</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> (2008)</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">, B</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">egum </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">N</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">awazish </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">A</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">li</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">tells Wallace that</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> "My existence on TV discredits the misconception that Pakistan is a country of bearded extremists," he said. "I want to show the world that we are just cool, normal people." Muslim Media Watch asserts the same and shows how </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">the</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> country has embraced</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">the Late Night Show with</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> B</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">egum </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">N</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">awazish </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">A</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">li</span></i><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> and made it the most popular show. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "verdana\, sans-serif";">Thanks to satellite and cable television, Late Night Show with Begum Nawazish Ali could be seen outside of Pakistan and it did catch a lot of international attention too. Ali Saleem, to break the misconception about religious extremism in Pakistan shared a story with LA Times. </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">He recounted </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">how while on a domestic flight he came across a lot of religious leaders who were on the flight too. “While</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> collecting his bags from the overhead compartment upon landing,</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">”…</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">“</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">one of the mullahs put a hand on his shoulder.</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">”</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Ali Saleem confessed that he was taken aback. </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> ‘</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">He told me he liked the show,</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">’ </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">" recalled Saleem, clearly thrilled to tell the story.</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">”</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> <span lang="RU"> </span></span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">The Late Night Show with Begum Nawazish Ali</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> was not just an attempt at improving the image of Pakistan but also of raising the Pakistani point of view on the international politics of the country. </span><span lang="RU">"Using 'wit and ridicule,' writes Dustin Griffin (1994: 1), satire 'seeks to persuade an audience that something or someone is reprehensible or ridiculous'. (Street 2001: 63) </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">On one </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">of her </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">show</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">s</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Begum Nawazish Ali </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">berated </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">an</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> American leader who had</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">called</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> her up that evening</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> to complain that </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">she had invited a terrorist as a guest to her show (Wallace 2008). The show that night was a leader from a religious party and an ex-mayor of the city of Karachi. Begum Nawazish Ali said </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">"The CIA tells you I've got a bearded Taliban suspect sitting in my drawing room?" she said incredulously. "Georgie, do something about your paranoia. Your CIA cannot see a thing." </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">(Wallace 2008)</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Sanjeev Berry (2009) echoed the same views as that of Ali Saleem in his article in the Hufington Post. Talking specifically about the US media, Berry described how the US had developed a narrative for Pakistan that was different from that of India’s. Pakistan was a “failed state” full of extremists and suicide bombers. India was an economically advancing country, the largest democracy in the world and hence an ally. Berry accused the media of only picking up stories about the specific countries that fit the narrative of the respective country. He wondered why the story of the Chief Executive granting equal status to transgenders did not make it to the news, but when India a few months later granted equal rights to homosexuals the story was covered worldwide. Berry explain how lives of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hijras</i> in both India and Pakistan were the same and the term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hijra</i> meant the same in both the countries. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In an article in the leading English </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">newspaper in Pakistan, Mohsin Hamid<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_edn6" name="_ednref6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">[vi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> (2010), described the various reasons for optimism in the Pakistani society despite its current war between Taliban and the government, and the toll it is taking on civilian life and peace in the country. He explains how</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> “</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Culturally, too, we are incredibly diverse. We have transvestite talk-show hosts, advocates for “eunuch rights”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">burka</i>-wearers, turbaned men with beards, outstanding fast bowlers, mediocre opening batsmen, tribal chieftains, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bhang</i>-drinking farmers, semi-nomadic shepherds, and at least one champion female sprinter. We have the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party and we have Porsche dealerships. We are nobody’s stereotype.</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">”</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Dealing with the Paradoxes</span></b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Just as “politics” playing into “entertainment” is a paradox that emerges when entertainment is looked at closely, Begum Nawazish Ali’s Late Night Show, as an example in itself, deals with several paradoxes.</span><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">To begin with, here is a homosexual man dressing up as a straight woman. If we agree with the above account that Begum Nawazish Ali is representing the rights of a woman to be accepted as someone who can dictate her life’s pleasures, it is paradoxically a man representing this life of a woman. “Although women’s function is often to decorate programs, their increasing visibility also provides chances for alternative portrayals of gender identities” (Aslama 2000). Despite the fact that the show may be empowering for the cause of women, it has to take the host of the show to adorn him/herself lavishly and expose the femininity of the character to catch the public’s attention.</span><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It just does not take a man to present a woman’s cause but a host from an elite background to question the politics of power. </span><span lang="RU">"The review of satire in Britain since the 1950s highlights that the satirists tend to be men, highly educated and middle-class...If any thing, the satire of the 1960s was even more a product of privilege.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Ali Saleem was brought up in an army household and brought in his show how military remains one of the most powerful institutions in the country. </span><span lang="RU">For Wagg </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">political sattire</span><span lang="RU"> emerged 'from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">within</i> the culture of the dominant social classes' (ibid.: 255; original emphasis). </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Saleem recalled. "Our water and electricity never went off. We had our own clubs." (Wallace 2008)."We had no contact with the real world that most Pakistanis face," </span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU">Hewison (1988: 34) makes a similar point: 'Private Eye shows how the satire movement was a means of ventilating ideas rather than challenging society with some new complete blueprint (Street 2001: 67)</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">.</span> <span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The LA Times article points out how </span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">"The Late Show's" true subversiveness l</span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">ay</span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> in its willingness to deal with underground topics such as sex, homosexuality and recreational stimulants. "</span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> ‘</span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I'd love to get stoned with you,</span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’</span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> the Begum told handsome Indian actor John Abraham as she swooned during a show shot in the Indian city of Mumbai recently. Though the show's conversations are conducted in a patois of Urdu and English, that one-liner was intentionally delivered in English. Most of the Begum's riskier material is in English, making it more of an in-joke among more cosmopolitan viewers.</span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">”</span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">(Wallace 2008)</span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">. </span><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Speaking of paradoxes, it is the conditions that prevail in a society that may attract the audience to enjoy shows that demonstrate a world beyond the horrors of life (Dyer 1992:14). In other words, when a society lacks a certain aspect, that is when it attracts itself towards the opposites. </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Interestingly</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> enough, this is the paradox that prevails in entertainment too – whereas it represents the horrors of life as proven by the politics of power the Late Night Show brings to light, the show also serves as a form of escapism from the horrors of life present in the politics of power. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Dyer (1992: 24) shares how scarcity in a society calls for broadcast programs to show abundance, exhaustion in lifestyle calls for energy in programs, dreariness demands intensity, manipulation calls for transparency, and fragmentation in a nation attracts sentiments of community. “The advantage of this analysis is that it does offer some explanation of why entertainment <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">works. </i>It is not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just</i> left-overs from history, it is not just what show business, or ‘they’, force on the rest of us, it is not simply the expression of needs – it responds to real needs <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">created by society.</i> Although, this analysis does not take into account what the audience itself may claim to enjoy about the show, but it is an analysis that becomes interesting to look at in the context of Begum Nawazish Ali’s Late Night Show in Pakistan. A country where an extremely large population lives below the poverty line, she represents abundance, a nation which has been riveted with conflict within itself may it be of domestic nature or with the Taliban the show demonstrates a more cool and modern front of the country as Ali Saleem himself puts it. A society which otherwise ridicules and discriminates against transsexuals (the law claiming their equal status being only a recent one) wants to see a show which demonstrates the opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Entertainment is, therefore, more than “just” entertainment and it would be ignorant to regard it as frivolous and unimportant. More often than not, the way producers make the show and the way audiences receive it reflect the politics of power in a society. Throughout history and up to this day, tools of entertainment have been used to express laments against authority and it can therefore be concluded that entertainment plays in the field of political constantly. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">Begum Nawazish Ali, represents the voice for those who have been "othered" in society including women, homosexuals and trans-sexuals. Paradoxically what B</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">egum </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">N</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">awazish </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">A</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">li</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> also represents is the skewed balance of power in society whereby it is a male</span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> (brought up in an elite family)</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";"> that is able to become a voice for the mis-represented or the "marginalized" in society. Begum Nawazish Ali is a role played by Ali Saleem who declares to be a bi-sexual and openly admits to being a "woman in a man's body." </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "arial\, helvetica\, sans-serif";">At the same time the show is an identity for Pakistan against the image that it is portrayed with in media outside of Pakistan. It is a performer’s attempt to portray Pakistan differently from what the outside media has mostly shown it as. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Div" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I would like to use the same anecdote John Street (2001) used in explaining entertainment’s importance. He recounted how </span><span lang="RU">"Margaret Thatcher once defended a comic who told a tasteless joke at a party rally: 'It is a pity if you cannot regard the remarks of a comedian as being exactly what they are: humour, and that is all' (New Statesman, 10 October 1997). </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Unfortunately, entertainment cannot and should not be dismissed so easily as being frivolous and unimportant. It is obvious from this paper that in entertainment lies the account of politics and power which speak volumes about the society the show emanates from. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span lang="RU"><br />
<a href="" name="FOOTNOTE-1"></a><br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <!--[endif]--></span><a href="" name="FOOTNOTE-2"></a><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" /> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /> <!--[endif]--> <div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;"> <div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="RU">In the section titled "A Product of Media Liberalization" I explain further why I claim the show to be an extremely popular one. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;"> <div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="RU"> Ali Saleem calls himself a tri-sexual. "I will try any thing" (</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">in article “A Male Feminist” – see reference</span><span lang="RU">). This is further explained in the sections below. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;"> <div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="RU"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Fomer Prime Minister of Pakistan, and daughter of late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Ms. Bhutto was one of the most popular figures of the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn4" style="mso-element: endnote;"> <div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_ednref4" name="_edn4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="RU"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">From my own personal experience, I have always come across “hijras” (transvestites as described in the paper above) begging on the streets. They have certain habits or traits that people enjoy looking at – I have often found male chauffers (an occupation very common in Pakistan due to the labor being cheap) laughing at them. Personally, I have found transvestite beggars to be known as behaving lovingly (although perhaps teasingly) towards the males they are begging in front of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn5" style="mso-element: endnote;"> <div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_ednref5" name="_edn5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="RU"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This does not imply that there is no stigma or discrimination against the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hijras</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div id="edn6" style="mso-element: endnote;"> <div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiza/Downloads/PAPER_GLOBAL_MEDIA_II.doc#_ednref6" name="_edn6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span lang="RU" style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-language: RU; mso-pattern: solid white; mso-shading: windowtext;">[vi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="RU"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Famous contemporary fiction writer – author of “Moth Smoke” and “the Reluctant Fundamentalist.” Hamid lived for over two decades in the US and UK and only recently moved back to Pakistan permanently. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="RU">Reference:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ahmed, Issam 2008. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pakistani protest music: alive and well in times of turmoil</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Guardia</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">n</span></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Music Blog</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span lang="RU">5 Sept</span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2008/sep/05/relaxleaveeverythinginalla">http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2008/sep/05/relaxleaveeverythinginalla</a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aslama, Minna 2000</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Private Talk in Public: A Case of Finland</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’, in Annabelle Sreberny and Liesbet van Zoonen (ed.),</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Gender, Politics and Communication</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span></i><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hampton Press</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> New Jersey</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, pp</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 275-298.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Berry, Sanjeev </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2009, ‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lack of Coverage on Transgendered Pakistanis Shows Bias in US Media</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huffington Post</i>. Viewed</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 10, April 2010. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><</span><span lang="RU"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sanjeev-bery/lack-of-coverage-on-trans_b_262351.html"><span style="color: #551a8b; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sanjeev-bery/lack-of-coverage-on-trans_b_262351.html</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">></span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bloch, E</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1996,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">The Utopian Function of Art and Literature</span></i><span lang="RU">, MIT Press, London</span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU">Duffort, Mmedo 2001</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">,</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘</span><span lang="RU">Entertainment and Utopia</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">’,</span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.generalimprovement.com/">Www.<span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: RU;">Generalimprovement.</span>Com</a>, </span></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Blog. Viewed 20 March 2010. <</span><span lang="RU"><a href="http://s104030255.websitehome.co.uk/entertainment.htm">http://s104030255.websitehome.co.uk/entertainment.htm</a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Despardes 2007. Blog.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Viewed 12 April 2010. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://despardes.com/newsmakers/default.htm"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://despardes.com/newsmakers/default.htm</span></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dyer, R</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 1992,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Only Entertainment</span></i><span lang="RU">, Routledge, London.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hamid, Mohsin</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 2010,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Room for Improvement</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn Editorial</span></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9 April</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">viewed</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 10 April 2010. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><</span><span lang="RU"><a href="http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/room-for-optimism-940"><span style="color: #551a8b; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/room-for-optimism-940</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span lang="RU">Hewison, R 1988</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">,</span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Too Much: Art and Society in the Sixties</span></i><span lang="RU">, London</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">,</span><span lang="RU"> Methuen. </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Khiabani, Gholam and Sreberny, Annabelle 2007. Politics of/in blogging in Iran. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East</i> vol 27</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> no.</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">pp </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">563-579</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Linton, James 1978</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But it’s only a movie</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Jump Cut</span></i><span lang="RU"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">vol. </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">17</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, pp</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 16-19</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span lang="RU">Shamsie, Kamila et al. 2002</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">,</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘</span><span lang="RU">A Poet is Heard in the Land</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">’,</span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Index on censorship</span></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, vol.</span><span lang="RU"> 4</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">,</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">pp </span><span lang="RU">196-200</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">.</span><span lang="RU"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU">Sobia</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> 2008</span><span lang="RU">, </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Drag to Riches</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Muslimah Media Watch,</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">March 27,</span><span lang="RU"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">viewed April 09 2010,</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://muslimahmediawatch.org/2008/03/from-drag-to-riches-2/</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Street, John</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 2001,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Mass Media, Politics and Democracy</span></i><span lang="RU">, Palgrave</span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> New York.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU">The Organic Brew</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> 2010,</span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Iqbal Bank and Faiz and Communism</span></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">,</span> <span lang="RU">March 20</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">,</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">viewed April 02 2010,</span> <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><</span><span lang="RU"><a href="http://www.streetphotos.net/blog/index.php/archives/2010/03/20/iqbal-bano-and-faiz-and-communism-hum-dekhengai">http://www.streetphotos.net/blog/index.php/archives/2010/03/20/iqbal-bano-and-faiz-and-communism-hum-dekhengai</a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wallace, Bruce</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 2008,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span lang="RU">He gave Pakistan her voice</span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">LA Times</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span lang="RU">January 22</span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">viewed March 29 2010,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><</span><span lang="RU"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Zaidi, Hasan</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 2007,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">MSNBC World Blog</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span lang="RU">January 31</span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, viewed April 10 2010,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><</span><span lang="RU"><a href="http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/31/45890.aspx"><span style="color: #551a8b; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/31/45890.aspx</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bibliography (Global Media II): </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ahmed, Issam 2008. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pakistani protest music: alive and well in times of turmoil</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Guardia</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">n</span></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Music Blog</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 5 Sept</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2008/sep/05/relaxleaveeverythinginalla">http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2008/sep/05/relaxleaveeverythinginalla</a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Akbar</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">, Arifa 2009,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Life’s a drag act for the TV presenter challenging homophobia in Pakistan</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Asia World</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> 23 November</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">viewed April 10, 2010, <</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/lifes-a-drag-act-for-the-tv-presenter-challenging-homophobia-in-pakistan-1825925.html"><span style="color: #551a8b; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/lifes-a-drag-act-for-the-tv-presenter-challenging-homophobia-in-pakistan-1825925.html</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aslama, Minna 2000</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Private Talk in Public: A Case of Finland</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’, in Annabelle Sreberny and Liesbet van Zoonen (ed.),</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Gender, Politics and Communication</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span></i><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hampton Press</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> New Jersey</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, pp</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 275-298.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Bakshi, Amar</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> 2007, ‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Begum Nawazish Ali: Drag Queen defies U.S</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Washington Post</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aug 14, </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">viewed April 10 2010,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/america/2007/08/begum_nawazish_ali_drag_queen.html#more"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/america/2007/08/begum_nawazish_ali_drag_queen.html#more</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">BBC News</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Gay Pakistan: Less inhibited than the West</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">, viewed April 12 2010,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4583911.stm"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4583911.stm</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">></span><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Berry, Sanjeev </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2009, ‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lack of Coverage on Transgendered Pakistanis Shows Bias in US Media</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huffington Post</i>. Viewed</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 10, April 2010. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sanjeev-bery/lack-of-coverage-on-trans_b_262351.html"><span style="color: #551a8b; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sanjeev-bery/lack-of-coverage-on-trans_b_262351.html</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">></span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Bloch, E</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> 1996,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">The Utopian Function of Art and Literature</span></i><span lang="RU">, MIT Press, London</span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Duffort, Mmedo 2001</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Entertainment and Utopia</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.generalimprovement.com/">Www.<span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: RU;">Generalimprovement.</span>Com</a>, </span></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Blog. Viewed 20 March 2010. <</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://s104030255.websitehome.co.uk/entertainment.htm">http://s104030255.websitehome.co.uk/entertainment.htm</a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Despardes 2007. Blog.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Viewed 12 April 2010. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><</span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://despardes.com/newsmakers/default.htm"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://despardes.com/newsmakers/default.htm</span></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dyer, R</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 1992,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Only Entertainment</span></i><span lang="RU">, Routledge, London.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Göle, N 1997</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Gendered Nature of the Public Sphere</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Public Culture</i>, </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">vol. </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> no.</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 1</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hamid, Mohsin</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 2010,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Room for Improvement</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dawn Editorial</span></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9 April</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">viewed</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 10 April 2010. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/room-for-optimism-940"><span style="color: #551a8b; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/room-for-optimism-940</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Hasan, Syed Shoaib</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> 2006,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Pakistan’s ground breaking drag artist</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">BBC News</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">, </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">6 November</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">viewed April 08 2010, <</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6111410.stm"><span style="color: #551a8b; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6111410.stm</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Hewison, R 1988</span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Too Much: Art and Society in the Sixties</span></i><span lang="RU">, London</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span lang="RU" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Methuen. </span><span lang="RU" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hobart, M</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 2006</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Introduction: why is entertainment television in Indonesia important?</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In </span><i><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That's entertainment! elites, media and the masses in post-Suharto Indonesia</span></i><i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span></i><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Special Edition of <i>Asian Journal of Communication</i></span><i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, vol.</span></i><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 16</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> no. </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hobart, M. 2006. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Entertaining illusions: how Indonesian élites imagine reality TV affects the masses</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">i</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">n <i>That’s entertainment! élites, media and the masses in post-Suharto Indonesia</i></span><i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span></i><i><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Special Edition of <i>Asian journal of communication</i></span><i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, vol.</span></i><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 16</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> no.</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 4.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Khiabani, Gholam and Sreberny, Annabelle 2007. Politics of/in blogging in Iran. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East</i> vol 27</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> no.</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">pp </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">563-579</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Linton, James 1978</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But it’s only a movie</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Jump Cut</span></i><span lang="RU"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">vol. </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">17</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, pp</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 16-19</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Masood, Salman. Jan 3<sup>rd</sup> 2007. When she speaks, he’s breaking all of Islam’s taboos. NY Times. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/03/world/asia/03karachi.html?_r=1"><span style="color: #551a8b; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/03/world/asia/03karachi.html?_r=1</span></a></span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mojab, S</span><span style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 1998,</span><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘ </span><span lang="RU" style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Muslim” women and “western” feminists:</span><span lang="RU" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span lang="RU" style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the debate on particulars and universals”</span><span style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span lang="RU" style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Monthly Review,</i> Dec 1998</span><span style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Najmabadi, S. 2000</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(Un)Veiling Feminism</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Social Text<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">,</span></i> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">vol. </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">18</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> no.</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 3, Fall 2000, </span><span lang="RU" style="background: yellow; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">pp. 29-45</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Shamsie, Kamila et al. 2002</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A Poet is Heard in the Land</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">’,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Index on censorship</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">, vol.</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> 4</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">pp </span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">196-200</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Pakistani TV drama (Blog). A Male Feminist. <a href="http://www.pakistanitvdrama.com/interviews/a-male-feminist-rangeeli/">http://www.pakistanitvdrama.com/interviews/a-male-feminist-rangeeli/</a></span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Singh, Kishore. October 16, 2007. Lunch with BS: Begum Nawazish Ali. Business Standard. <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/lunchbs-/begum-nawazish-ali/301302/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/lunchbs-\begum-nawazish-ali\/301302/</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Sobia</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> 2008</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">, </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Drag to Riches</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Muslimah Media Watch,</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">March 27,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">viewed April 09 2010,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://muslimahmediawatch.org/2008/03/from-drag-to-riches-2/</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sreberny,</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Annabelle 2004,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Society, Culture and Media: Thinking Comparatively</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, in J. Downing et al, eds, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sage Handbook of Media Studies</i>, 2004</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Street, John</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 2001,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Mass Media, Politics and Democracy</span></i><span lang="RU">, Palgrave</span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> New York.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The Organic Brew</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> 2010,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">Iqbal Bank and Faiz and Communism</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> March 20</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">viewed April 02 2010,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.streetphotos.net/blog/index.php/archives/2010/03/20/iqbal-bano-and-faiz-and-communism-hum-dekhengai">http://www.streetphotos.net/blog/index.php/archives/2010/03/20/iqbal-bano-and-faiz-and-communism-hum-dekhengai</a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wallace, Bruce</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 2008,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> He gave Pakistan her voice</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">LA Times</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> January 22</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">viewed March 29 2010,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Zaidi, Hasan</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 2007,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="RU">MSNBC World Blog</span></i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> January 31</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, viewed April 10 2010,</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><</span><span lang="RU" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/31/45890.aspx"><span style="color: #551a8b; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/31/45890.aspx</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div></div></div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-16054501033291096342010-10-18T05:06:00.001-07:002010-10-18T05:06:09.059-07:00Tale of Two Women<a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/articles/39/A_tale_of_two_murdered_women.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><u>http://www.aljazeera.com/news/articles/39/A_tale_of_two_murdered_women.html</u></span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<span style="color: #a00000; font-size: medium;"><b>A tale of two murdered women</b></span> <span style="color: #2f2f2f; font-size: x-small;"><i>By Walid El Hourican </i></span> <br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Neda and Marwa: One becomes an icon, the other is unmentioned </b></span></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>On June 20th 2009, Neda Agha Soltan was shot dead during the post-election protests in Iran. The protests occupied the largest news segments around the world, with analysts and commentators predicting the fall of the Iranian regime and the dawn of freedom breaking in “the axis of evil.”</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Neda’s death became an icon of the Iranian opposition and <u>a symbol for millions of people of the injustice of the Iranian regime</u> and the defiance of the protesters. Neda’s death was put in context. It was taken from the personal realm of the death of an individual to the public realm of the just cause of a whole society. </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">On July 1st Marwa El Sherbini, an Egyptian researcher living in Germany, was <b>stabbed to death 18 times inside a courtroom in the city of Dresden,</b> in front of her 3-year-old son. She had won a verdict against a German man of Russian descent who had verbally assaulted her because of her veil. Her husband, who rushed in to save her when she was attacked in the courtroom, was shot by the police. </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><b>Marwa’s death was not reported by any Western news media </b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">until protests in Egypt erupted after her burial. The reporting that followed focused on the protests; </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><b>the murder was presented as the act of a “lone wolf,” thus depriving it of its context and its social meaning</b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">. </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The fact that media are biased and choose what to report according to their own agenda is not the issue in this case. What the comparison of the two murders shows, is <b>that European and Western societies have failed to grasp the significance and the importance of the second murder in its social, political, and historical context.</b> </span> <br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><b>The “lone wolf” who stabbed Marwa 18 times inside the courtroom is the product of the society he lives in.</b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> If anything, the murder of Marwa should raise the discussion about the latent (perhaps not so latent anymore) racism against Muslims that has been growing in European societies in the last few decades, and noticeably so since the mid-90s. </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>It would be difficult to avoid relating the crime to the discussions about the banning of the Niqab, or the previous discussions about the wearing of the veil</b>. These issues and others pertaining to the Muslim immigration in Europe have been occupying large parts of the public debates in several European countries. It would also be difficult not to notice </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><b>the rapid rise of right wing populist parties to power in several European countries in the last decade, all of which have built their discourse on the fear of Islam and the “immigration problem.”</b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The absence of reporting, or adequate reporting of the murder, and the alarm bells that did not ring after this murder, <b>reflect the denial in which European societies and public discourse are immersed</b>. </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">While <u>Europe preaches freedom of expression</u> and the need to accept otherness, and while <u>Europe preaches about the dangers of racism and sectarianism</u> in third world countries, and while <u>Europe warns about hate speech and anti-Semitism</u>, we see </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">race-driven crime, prejudice, and hate speech gaining both legitimacy and power in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Denmark and other democracies in the old continent.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><b>Race-driven crimes are constantly presented as exceptions within a tolerant society. However, the recurrence of exceptions puts in question their exceptional nature.</b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The absence of Marwa’s story from the mainstream media and the failure to start a debate about the immediate dangers of present European anti-Muslim racism shows the depth of the problem and draws us to expect a gloomy future for Muslims in Europe. </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><b>Muslims like Neda only get to the news if their story serves the dominant narrative that presents Islam as the primary threat to freedom,</b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> while <b>Muslims like Marwa who expose the pervasive racism of the West and challenge the existing stereotypes fail to get their story told</b>.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">What is significant to note is that in <b>Neda’s case the media accused the Iranian regime as the authority responsible for the context in which the crime was committed rather than looking for the person who actually shot her.</b> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><b>The accused is the establishment or the institution rather than the individual shooter</b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">. However, in the case of </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><b>Marwa’s murder the media were persistent in stressing on the individuality of the murderer, calling him a “lone wolf”, implying that he is a social outcast who holds no ties to the society he lives in.</b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <b>The murderer was given a name “Alex W.” and the institution, the society, and the establishment he lives in were taken away from the picture.</b> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">While <b>Neda’s death enjoyed wide arrays of interpretations and readings in context,</b> </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><b>Marwa’s death was deprived of its context and was presented as a personal tragedy, featuring a madman and his victim.</b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Meanwhile Europe keeps shifting to the right at an accelerating pace, and cultural stereotypes, failure to integrate (read: social and political alienation), miscommunication, and a growing financial crisis only nourish this trajectory and support the populist and chauvinistic discourse of various newborn and resurrected right wing parties. </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">In the 1930s, following the big economical crisis of the 1920s, a young populist right wing party suddenly rose to power in Germany and few predicted what was to follow. <b>There is no realistic proof to say that Europe is a more tolerant society than any other, or to say that people necessarily learn from their history, or even that some societies are exempt from racist behavior.</b> All the evidence points to the end of the European myth of post-war tolerance; and the media have yet to connect the dots before history repeats itself.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<span style="color: #2f2f2f; font-size: x-small;"><i>-- Walid El Hourican be reached at: </i></span><a href="http://us.mc1103.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=walid@menassat.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2f2f2f; font-size: x-small;"><i>walid@menassat.com</i></span></a><span style="color: #2f2f2f; font-size: x-small;"><i>. This article appeared in CounterPunch.org. </i></span>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-25328785678037294992010-10-15T07:13:00.000-07:002010-10-15T07:16:35.258-07:00When Water Becomes Excess<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB"></span></b><span lang="EN-GB">This year marks a strange reminder or rather a strong nudge for me pointing out at the calamities of our ignorance and weakness. When the floods hit my homeland Pakistan, I couldn't stop crying sitting far away and thinking why it is the helpless and the poor that always suffer from the lack of planning, lack of concern from the end of the educated, the somewhat elite, and the ones that can influence change. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">In a country where people pray for rains to come down and bring water that helps in harvesting new crops, the only resource of living for many, it was tragic that these rains actually became a menace. It was as though the waves would not stop - every day local news channels covered stories of barriers, roads and wells that broke in innumerable villages and small towns. Now that the floods have stopped, due to the stagnant waters, and displacement of millions of people there are diseases like malaria, dengue, diarrhea, stomach flus and eye infections that are affecting those who survived the natural disaster. </span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> Today when <a href="http://blogactionday.change.org/">hundreds of bloggers around the world</a> are discussing water, I can't help but wonder what we could have done and can still do to save ourselves from such future plight. Many point out that part of the problem lies in deforestation - forests could have held the waters back. Another reason is probably corruption on part of the politicians and elite in not using resources to build a system that would fight floods. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">In July 2010, to address the water crisis, the UN announced that access to clean water and sanitation was a human right. Clean water is far from reality to many around the world though. What can be done to ensure that our waters are clean, is to realize that each one of us can make a difference. We make sure that we close our taps when we are applying soap on our dishes. Put all the dishes with applied soap on one side and then release water to wash them together, if that helps. We also make sure that we stop polluting our waters - our rivers, lakes and seas. We might be able to afford mineral water bottles but those who cannot deserve not to be taken for granted.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">What will also help is spreading education about the usage of water and cleanliness amongst everyone. <br />
If applying filters are expensive, at least teach people to boil water before drinking it.</span><span lang="EN-GB">Every day, 2 million tons of human waste are disposed of in water sources. This not only negatively impacts the environment but also harms the health of surrounding communities. Death and disease caused by polluted coastal waters costs the global economy $12.8 billion a year.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-58393764248954244212010-08-24T12:32:00.000-07:002010-08-24T12:32:22.278-07:00A Comedic Approach to Ground Zero Mosque Debate<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<h1 class="PageTitle" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 24px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a debate="" ground="" href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/3-reasons-the-ground-zero-mosque-debate-makes-no-sense/" makes="" mosque"="" no="" rel="bookmark" sense"="" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #01194a; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 24px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Permanent Link to 3 Reasons the " zero="">3 Reasons the "Ground Zero Mosque" Debate Makes No Sense</a></h1><div class="SectionHeading3 FLC" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(235, 235, 235); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(235, 235, 235); border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(235, 235, 235); border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(235, 235, 235); border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-height: 1.2e+007px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><ul class="HorizontalList" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(222, 222, 222); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 2px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; display: inline; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px;">By: <a href="http://www.cracked.com/members/G-Stone" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #01194a; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Gladstone</a></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(222, 222, 222); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 2px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; display: inline; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px;">August 20th, 2010</li>
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</ul></div><div class="userStyled" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="blogContent" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px;">I don’t usually write about politics. It’s important, but something I want no part of – kind of like a raw sewage treatment facility. But frankly, I haven’t been this upset in a long time. And it's due to the logic-hating, herd-mentality rhetoric that some have been flinging in opposition to the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque.” For the uninitiated, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-03/ground-zero-mosque-plans-move-forward-after-new-york-landmarks-panel-vote.html" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #c40001; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">there are plans to construct an Islamic community center in lower Manhattan</a>. And, of course, lower Manhattan is where the World Trade Center stood before terrorists destroyed it, thereby murdering 3,000 Americans. I was working in New York City at the time. As was my father. As was my pregnant wife. I remember the day well. And the days that followed. I think most of all, I remember standing on the Staten Island Ferry, coming home with 200 other silent, reverent New Yorkers of every age, race, and religion, as we watched our city still smoldering a full week later. And it is with this backdrop that I can say to every politician spouting off and opposing the construction of this Islamic community center: “Shut up. Go away. You hate America.” <a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/201008200843361.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #c40001; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-21042" height="295" src="http://www.cracked.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/201008200843361.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: right; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="20100820084336" width="300" /></a>I’m talking about people like professional political tumor, <a href="htthttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/08/newt-gingrich-compares-ground.htmlp://" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #c40001; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Newt Gingrich,</a> and future worst President ever, <a href="http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/08/14/sarah-palin-questions-obamas-support-for-ground-zero-mosque/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #c40001; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Sarah Palin</a>, who have both slammed supporters of the Islamic community center with rhetoric so flawed, I’m afraid even linking to it might impair your computer’s higher functioning circuits. But it's not just them. Due to the wave of misinformation being spread, apparently <a href="http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/poll-68-of-americans-oppose-ground-zero-mosque.php" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #c40001; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">68% of Americans also oppose the mosque</a>. How did this happen? Well, basically a complacent or a complicit media helped perpetuate three ideas that are either outright lies or intellectually dishonest arguments designed to bring out the very worst in all of us. And as you continue to hear them--and you will--take out this column which you will have already printed and laminated, and recite thusly:<div id="Title_box" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #7f7f7f; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 40px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><div class="Title2" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 35px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1. It’s Not at Ground Zero</div></div>The proposed structure is not on the hallowed ground of the former World Trade Center. It’s at an abandoned and private building blocks away that used to be the Burlington Coat Factory. That means that if every one of the “g’s” that Sarah Palin drops when she’s talkin’ folksy were 10 by10 feet large, you could still stack over 120 of them from Ground Zero to this community center. Easy. That sort of makes all the difference, doesn’t it? I know, when I first heard they were building a mosque at Ground Zero, I literally said, “What the fuck.” Like out loud and everything. I didn’t even pull a “WTF” despite years of writing for the Internet. That’s because for the last nine years, we New Yorkers have listened to countless proposals and plans and ideas of how to best rebuild the area while honoring the memories of those who died. And suddenly it seemed we were being told, “Yep, it’s all decided. Mosque. We want a mosque here. Just feels right.” <a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/map2.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #c40001; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-21047" height="289" src="http://www.cracked.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/map2.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="map" width="300" /></a>So yeah, of course, no one was on board. That just made no sense. What happened to that proposed waterfall and wall of names? Nothing happened. Because no one was ever building a mosque on that site. It’s just a lie that was told to you by people who wanted you to be afraid, upset, and hurt. People who wanted to manipulate your tender emotions to inspire contempt for the government. It’s about as intellectually dishonest as manipulating debate footage to make it appear that “Drill, baby, drill” is Sarah Palin’s stance on partial birth abortions. It's just wrong. And to those who say that any location in lower Manhattan is too close for a Muslim structure, let me remind you that right now, in the shadow of what would be the former World Trade Center, there’s a Halal Meat Hot Truck with a multi-denominational line that wraps around my building every day at lunch time. And I’m positive that’s owned by a Muslim. And I’ve even suffered at his hands. (Spoiler alert: avoid the goat rhoti). Should he move a few more blocks away too? Of course, not. That would just be silly, right? Is it different? Why? Because mosques are religious and the 911 terrorists perverted Islam into something violent and hateful? Guess what? Those knights did the same thing to Christianity for the 300 years of the Crusades, and no one’s saying that churches shouldn’t be built anywhere in … Europe.<div id="Title_box" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #7f7f7f; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 40px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><div class="Title2" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 35px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2. It’s Not Strictly A Mosque</div></div>A mosque by definition is a purely religious structure. This is a large proposed community center, open to the public and set to house, among other things, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anushay-hossain/park-51-the-ground-zero-m_b_686950.html" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #c40001; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">a basketball court</a>. Yes there will be a prayer space inside it as well, but you don’t call St. Mary’s Hospital a church because it happens to have a chapel inside it, do you? Well, maybe you do. You read about politics on the Internet from a guy who claims not to write about politics, so maybe you’re functionally illiterate. But the point is, you shouldn’t. But “Islamic Community Center open to the public” doesn’t have the same ability to scare people the way "mosque" does. I mean, you hear "mosque" you think mosquito, you think STING! You hear "mosque" you think “mask,” you think DECEPTION! You hear “community center” you think “OK. One more place I’ll never go.” So, yeah, clearly the decision was made by those who hate you to call this the “Ground Zero Mosque” even though it’s not at Ground Zero and not technically a mosque. Why are we still discussing this? Why haven’t you already asked Sarah Palin if she’s the devil on her Twitter account? Oh, that’s right. Because the devil is supposed to be good at lying.<div id="Title_box" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #7f7f7f; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 40px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><div class="Title2" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 35px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3. You Can’t Simultaneously Acknowledge A Right And Insist That Your Government Suppress It</div></div>But the real reason I’m writing is not just because of people like Sarah Palin, but because of shameful, spineless panderers like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Here’s a statement from each of them designed to give the appearance of being tolerant while adhering to good old-fashioned common sense values:<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><strong>From Sarah Palin’s Twitter Feed:</strong></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://twitter.com/SarahPalinUSA" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #c40001; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">“We all know that they have the right to do it, but should they?”</a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><strong>And from Harry Reid’s spokesperson:</strong></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/08/16/129237919/sen-harry-reid-build-mosque-elsewhere" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #c40001; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">While respecting that Muslims have a First Amendment right to religious freedom, Reid "thinks this mosque should be built some place else," his spokesman Jim Manley said Monday.</a></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Let me make something clear. In order to make these statements you must hate two things: logic and America. There is NO way to say that an individual has a protected right to do something and simultaneously criticize your government for not suppressing the execution of that right. There is no way for President Obama or any other president to put a stumbling block in the way of the free exercise of religion without violating the sanctity of that freedom. Should I say it more simply? OK.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><strong>You can’t legally stop people from obeying the law.</strong></div>The Burlington Coat factory is private property. Those who want to build on it are private citizens. They are violating no law in wanting to build a community center. Under what authority do you propose we stop them? There is no “unless you’re a Muslim within X yards of a national tragedy exception” to the free exercise of religion. Do the Gingrichs and Palins and Reids want to start a precedent where you can compel people not to exercise the freedoms guaranteed under our Constitution provided enough people don’t like you? <a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Halal1.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #c40001; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-21045" height="265" src="http://www.cracked.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Halal1.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; float: right; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Halal" width="300" /></a>And what are we saying to Muslims? That if they were good Americans they would willingly give up their rights? I can’t think of anything less American than that? This is America. We do what we want. And all you have to do to have that right is be a citizen here. And if you’re a traitor, well then we will prosecute you for treason and penalize you for taking up arms against the greatest country in the world, but we will NOT start curtailing your freedoms based on mere speculation fueled by lies about what you’re building and where you’re building it. In the days following 911 it was very popular to say that we couldn’t do anything differently in America or “the terrorists would win.” We can’t stop driving gas guzzling cars. We can’t stop supporting dictators in other parts of the world for financial or political gain. We can’t vote for a Democrat. Most of that was rhetoric. Some of it was probably true. But one thing is definitely true: if we ask our leaders to start dishonoring the freedoms that make this country great, the terrorists surely will have won. And I don’t want to see that. Because unlike those with power and influence who would lie to you, I love America.</div></div><br />
<br />
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more: <a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/3-reasons-the-ground-zero-mosque-debate-makes-no-sense/#ixzz0xYNkyJNv" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.cracked.com/blog/3-reasons-the-ground-zero-mosque-debate-makes-no-sense/#ixzz0xYNkyJNv</a></span>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-55419433684996748272010-08-21T06:39:00.000-07:002010-08-21T06:39:07.416-07:00Obama's Stand on Mosque Weakens<hr align="left" size="1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cccccc; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; height: 1px; line-height: 0; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-top: 12px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><div class="timestamp" style="color: #a81817; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: normal !important; margin-top: 15px; white-space: nowrap;">From THE NEW YORK TIMES</div><div class="timestamp" style="color: #a81817; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: normal !important; margin-top: 15px; white-space: nowrap;">August 17, 2010</div><div class="kicker" style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin-top: 15px; text-transform: uppercase;"></div><h1 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 2.4em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.083em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><nyt_headline type=" " version="1.0">Our Mosque Madness</nyt_headline></h1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"><nyt_byline><h6 class="byline" style="color: grey; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 2px;">By <a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/maureendowd/index.html?inline=nyt-per" style="color: #000066; text-decoration: none;" title="More Articles by Maureen Dowd">MAUREEN DOWD</a></h6></nyt_byline></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"><nyt_text><div id="articleBody"><nyt_correction_top></nyt_correction_top><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">WASHINGTON</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Maybe, for Barack Obama, it depends on what the meaning of the word “is” is.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When the president skittered back from his grandiose declaration at an iftar celebration at the White House Friday that Muslims enjoy freedom of religion in America and have the right to build a mosque and community center in Lower Manhattan, he offered a Clintonesque parsing.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">“I was not commenting, and I will not comment, on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there,” he said the morning after he commented on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there. “I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That’s what our country is about.”</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Let me be perfectly clear, Mr. Perfectly Unclear President: You cannot take such a stand on a matter of first principle and then take it back the next morning when, lo and behold, Harry Reid goes craven and the Republicans attack. What is so frightening about Fox News?</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Some critics have said the ultimate victory for Osama and the 9/11 hijackers would be to allow a mosque to be built near ground zero.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Actually, the ultimate victory for Osama and the 9/11 hijackers is the moral timidity that would ban a mosque from that neighborhood.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Our enemies struck at our heart, but did they also warp our identity?</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The war against the terrorists is not a war against Islam. In fact, you can’t have an effective war against the terrorists if it is a war on Islam.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">George W. Bush understood this. And it is odd to see Barack Obama less clear about this matter than his predecessor. It’s time for W. to weigh in.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">This — along with immigration reform and AIDS in Africa — was one of his points of light. As the man who twice went to war in the Muslim world, he has something of an obligation to add his anti-Islamophobia to this mosque madness. W. needs to get his bullhorn back out.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are both hyper-articulate former law professors. But Clinton never presented himself as a moral guide to the country. So when he weaseled around, or triangulated on some issues, it was part of his ultra-fallible persona — and consistent with his identity as a New Democrat looking for a Third Way.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But Obama presents himself as a paragon of high principle. So when he flops around on things like “don’t ask, don’t tell” or shrinks back from one of his deepest beliefs about the freedom of religion anywhere and everywhere in America, it’s not pretty. Even worse, this is the man who staked his historical reputation on a new and friendlier engagement with the Muslim world. The man who extended his hand to Tehran has withdrawn his hand from Park Place.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Paranoid about looking weak, Obama allowed himself to be weakened by perfectly predictable Republican hysteria. Which brings us to Newt Gingrich.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Gingrich fancies himself an intellectual, a historian, a deep thinker — the opposite number, you might say, of Sarah Palin.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Yet here is Gingrich attempting to out-Palin Palin on Fox News: “Nazis don’t have the right to put up a sign next to the Holocaust Museum in Washington.” There is no more demagogic analogy than that.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Have any of the screaming critics noticed that there already are two mosques in the same neighborhood — one four blocks away and one 12 blocks away.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Should they be dismantled? And what about the louche liquor stores and strip clubs in the periphery of the sacred ground?</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By now you have to be willfully blind not to know that the imam in charge of the project, Feisal Abdul Rauf, is the moderate Muslim we have allegedly been yearning for.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So look where we are. The progressive Democrat in the White House, the first president of the United States with Muslim roots, has been morally trumped by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, two moderate Republicans who have spoken bravely and lucidly about not demonizing and defaming an entire religion in the name of fighting its radicals.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Criticizing his fellow Republicans, Governor Christie said that while he understood the pain and sorrow of family members who lost loved ones on 9/11, “we cannot paint all of Islam with that brush.”</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">He charged the president with trying to turn the issue into a political football. But that is not quite right. It already was a political football and the president fumbled it.</div><div><br />
</div><nyt_correction_bottom><div class="articleCorrection" style="margin-bottom: 2.8em;"></div></nyt_correction_bottom><nyt_update_bottom></nyt_update_bottom></div></nyt_text></span>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-92052445494378732682010-08-18T05:03:00.000-07:002010-08-18T05:03:55.262-07:00Debate over Mosque Near Ground Zero splits GOP<div class="storyDateline">Reporting from Washington — </div>As top <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/parties-movements/republican-party-ORGOV0000004.topic" id="ORGOV0000004" title="Republican Party">Republicans</a> including House Minority Leader <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/john-a.-boehner-PEPLT007549.topic" id="PEPLT007549" title="John A. Boehner">John A. Boehner</a> and former House Speaker <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/newt-gingrich-PEHST000779.topic" id="PEHST000779" title="Newt Gingrich">Newt Gingrich</a> attack plans for an Islamic community center and mosque near the destroyed World Trade Center site, a larger schism is opening up in the GOP over the inflammatory issue.<br />
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Some Republicans fear that pressing the issue carries risks, diverting attention from bread-and-butter issues and undercutting the party's efforts to broaden its base — just as it is losing ground among other ethnic minorities such as Latinos.<br />
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"This is a distraction from a winning game plan," said Grover Norquist, a conservative activist who a decade ago worked with <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/presidents-of-the-united-states/george-bush-PEPLT000857.topic" id="PEPLT000857" title="George Bush">President George W. Bush</a> and his political guru, <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/karl-rove-PEPLT007553.topic" id="PEPLT007553" title="Karl Rove">Karl Rove</a>, to cultivate Muslim American and Latino voters to try to build a more diverse and durable Republican majority. "It is very stupid, when Republicans are poised to win an overwhelming victory in November over Democratic spending, to focus attention on this issue."<br />
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Gingrich, in recent appearances, has compared construction of the mosque to placing Nazi signs near Holocaust memorials. <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/sarah-palin-PEPLT0007504.topic" id="PEPLT0007504" title="Sarah Palin">Sarah Palin</a>, former GOP vice presidential nominee, <a href="http://twitter.com/SarahPalinUSA/status/18858128918">called the mosque project</a> an "unnecessary provocation" in a <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/internet/twitter-inc.-ORCRP00010280.topic" id="ORCRP00010280" title="Twitter, Inc.">Twitter</a> message.<br />
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"Ground Zero Mosque supporters: Doesn't it stab you in the <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/human-body/heart-circulatory-system-HHA000028.topic" id="HHA000028" title="Heart and Circulatory System">heart</a>, as it does ours throughout the heartland," read another message by Palin, who like Gingrich is a potential presidential aspirant with an eye on the party's conservative base.<br />
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Norquist, whose wife is Muslim, has emerged as the most outspoken foe of politicizing the mosque issue. But other Republicans — especially those focusing on the midterm election or in swing states — have taken similar stands.<br />
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"As it relates to religious buildings in the vicinity of ground zero, it's either all or nothing — churches, synagogues and mosques should be treated the same," Chris Gibson, a Republican running against a House incumbent in upstate New York, said on his <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/internet/facebook-ORCRP006023.topic" id="ORCRP006023" title="Facebook">Facebook</a> page.<br />
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In New Jersey, GOP Gov. Chris Christie warned Tuesday against politicizing the mosque dispute and tarnishing "all of Islam" with fears of terrorism.<br />
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"What offends me the most about all this is that it's being used as a political football by both parties," Christie said.<br />
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The controversy has been rippling through the political world all summer. But the turbulence intensified sharply last week when <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/barack-obama-PEPLT007408.topic" id="PEPLT007408" title="Barack Obama">President Obama</a> <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/15/nation/la-na-obama-mosque-20100815">defended the right of Muslims</a> to build the center, later adding he was not advocating its placement near the Sept. 11 attack site.<br />
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In the days that followed, Democratic candidates were asked by Republican opponents whether they agreed with their president on the issue.<br />
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In a measure of how awkward many <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/parties-movements/democratic-party-ORGOV0000005.topic" id="ORGOV0000005" title="Democratic Party">Democrats</a> felt about Obama's statement, Senate Majority Leader <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/harry-reid-PEPLT005460.topic" id="PEPLT005460" title="Harry Reid">Harry Reid</a> (D-Nev.), a close Obama ally facing a tough reelection fight, distanced himself from the president in a statement saying that the mosque should be built elsewhere.<br />
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Republicans redoubled their efforts, with Boehner criticizing the president. "The decision to build this mosque so close to ground zero is deeply troubling, as is the president's decision to endorse it," the Ohio Republican said Saturday.<br />
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Gingrich argued that authorities had the right to bar the mosque construction because it was akin to the "Japanese putting up a site next to <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/wars-interventions/attack-on-pearl-harbor-%281941%29-EVHST0000156.topic" id="EVHST0000156" title="Attack on Pearl Harbor (1941)">Pearl Harbor</a>."<br />
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" <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/parties-movements/nazi-party-ORCIG00000044.topic" id="ORCIG00000044" title="Nazi Party">Nazis</a> don't have the right to put up a sign next to <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/massacres/genocide/the-holocaust-%281934-1945%29-EVHST000013.topic" id="EVHST000013" title="The Holocaust (1934-1945)">the Holocaust</a> museum in Washington," Gingrich said Monday on Fox News. "There is no reason for us to accept a mosque next to the World Trade Center."<br />
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Norquist attacked Gingrich and others for rhetoric that he believed gave a "get out of jail free" card to politically vulnerable Democrats.<br />
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"It is an opportunity for all big-spending Democrats like Reid to change the subject" in a close election year, Norquist said.<br />
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In response, Gingrich said in a statement that he favored religious liberty but that his "opposition to the ground zero mosque is principled and focused on the outrage of triumphalist radical Islamists choosing a deliberately provocative site."<br />
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He added: "As to politics, the American people are instinctively opposed to the ground zero mosque, by 68% to 29%. Why would taking the 68% side be a weakness?"<br />
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The controversy comes at a time when some Republicans also are concerned that their party's focus on illegal immigration — especially a new drive for a constitutional amendment to deny automatic citizenship to U.S.-born children of foreigners — could also undercut the GOP's long-term hopes of expanding its appeal to the nation's burgeoning Latino population.<br />
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"In the long term, there are reputational issues for the Republicans that could make it very tough to compete, particularly at the national level, given the changing demographics of the country," said Michael Gerson, a former speechwriter for George W. Bush.<br />
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Gerson backed Obama's initial remarks on the topic, saying that a president had no other choice but to take a stand.<br />
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"I have spent time in the West Wing and know what it is like for a president who has Muslim citizens, has armed forces at his command and has Muslim soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq who are fighting at our side against Islamic radicalism" to oppose construction of a mosque, Gerson said. "A president cannot say that a holy building serving people of this faith somehow desecrates Manhattan."<br />
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Bush has stayed out of the political dispute over the mosque. His spokesman, David Sherzer, said Tuesday that Bush would have no comment on the building plans. Less than a week after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Bush visited the Islamic Center in Washington. "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam," he said then. "Islam is peace."<br />
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A group of prominent Arab American and Muslim Republicans circulated a letter Tuesday to top party officials, expressing concern over the language Gingrich and other notables were using in the debate.<br />
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The signers included Norquist's wife, Samah, who served as an advisor in the George W. Bush administration; former Bush <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/executive-branch/white-house-PLCUL000110.topic" id="PLCUL000110" title="White House">White House</a> aide Suhail Khan; and Sherine El-Abd, president of the New Jersey Federation of Republican Women.<br />
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"While we share the desire of all in our party to be successful in the November elections, we cannot support victory at the expense of the U.S. Constitution or the Arab and Muslim community in America," they wrote.<br />
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<i>janet.hook@latimes.com</i><br />
<br />
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</div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3654291564129920745.post-4754683415200692652010-08-17T14:34:00.000-07:002011-02-01T02:34:46.106-08:00Just How Far Is the "Ground Zero Mosque" From Ground Zero?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">The "Ground Zero Mosque" that we have been and will be hearing so much about is not exactly a mosque, nor is it at Ground Zero. Here's why: you can't see Ground Zero -- the former site of the World Trade Center -- from the future site of the Cordoba House.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">From 45 Park Place, the former Burlington Coat Factory building that will make way for the Cordoba House, it's two blocks, around a corner, to get to the WTC site. Park Place doesn't lie between the construction site and any mass transit stations, so you would need to go out of your way to have it offend you.</div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you look up <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=W+Broadway+at+Vesey+St,+NY&daddr=45+Park+Place,+New+York,+NY&hl=en&geocode=Ff85bQId-quW-yktMYF6GVrCiTFnGrTEC3ua6Q%3BFUU-bQId0bKW-ynzWfMlGVrCiTGMLJmWn2uicw&mra=ls&dirflg=w&sll=40.712386,-74.011213&sspn=0.003952,0.009559&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=18" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #058b7b; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_hplink">the walking directions</a> you'll notice that it takes a couple of minutes to walk the distance (approximately a tenth of a mile) between the two spots. Pretty much two minutes exactly when I took the trip with a shaky video camera. Here's the clip, first sped up to 4X speed then slowed down to 1X</div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more....<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-sledge/just-how-far-is-the-groun_b_660585.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-sledge/just-how-far-is-the-groun_b_660585.html</a></span></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>Fiza Asarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310604670437630744noreply@blogger.com1