Back in the Classroom

Today was the first day of classes for me this semester. Groan. While I love teaching, I must say that it seems more and more difficult to start teaching again every semester. And perhaps it's also become much more predictable - what the students will say, what they will want, what they refuse to "get." And this semester is going to be maybe my hardest ever, with tons of work, and I'm not looking forward to it. Meanwhile, I am seriously in love. With my phone. It's just beautiful, and exactly what was I was looking for in the last 1.5 years of my search for a new phone. And I can now text to Pakistan, India, UK... anywhere in the world my heart desires. Well, that would probably exclude Latvia, where they recently held anti-gay protests as activists were trying to stage a gay pride event.



Now, usually anti-gay protestors don't amuse me, but these morons are just so silly! Look at their T-shirts! What a bunch of freaks. By the way, similar protests happened in Estonia, Lithuania, and Russia.

Pakistanis Denied Entry Into U.S.

Two family members of one of the "Lodi group" have been denied entry into the U.S.:

Muhammad Ismail, a 45-year-old naturalized citizen born in Pakistan, and his 18-year-old son, Jaber Ismail, who was born in the United States, have not been charged with a crime. However, they are the uncle and cousin of Hamid Hayat, a 23-year-old Lodi cherry packer who was convicted in April of supporting terrorists by attending a Pakistani training camp.

Federal authorities said Friday that the men, both Lodi residents, would not be allowed back into the country unless they agreed to FBI interrogations in Pakistan. An attorney representing the family said agents have asked whether the younger Ismail trained in terrorist camps in Pakistan.

Both men are U.S. citizens, and do not hold dual Pakistani nationality. They tried to come back earlier in April, but were turned back from Hong Kong airport, where they had to pay for their own flight back to Islamabad! Apparently the U.S. government has put them on the "no-fly" list (is it a matter of time before all the homoFOBS are on that list??!?). The FBI is demanding that they submit to an interview in Islamabad, without lawyers present! They have already submitted to an FBI interview earlier in the year. The FBI also wants them to take polygraph tests. They have so far refused to do so, and a lawyer from the ACLU is handling their case.

Hell, why don't they just go ahead and make it a law forbidding entry into the U.S. for brown people? Why don't they just go ahead and set up those internment camps already? Who are they kidding?

cricket and compulsory national identity

Like so many South Asians, I have always known that the sense of joy I feel at seeing someone crack a cricket ball off into the distance is entirely wrapped up in the politics of my past, present and future.

The current furore about alleged 'ball tampering' by the Pakistani cricket team brought home to me yet again that cricket has been irrecoverably stolen by the false pretensions of national identity. Of course, for so many of us, this is hardly news. We grew up in a subcontinental political world where the blood thirsty fantasies of our insecure politicians were regularly translated into the heat and dust of the cricket pitch. But this time it is England that has re-triangulated that dynamic: the dying imperialist power stokes seething passions by one, quick, racist allegation. And yet again, the national authorities of the postcolonial countries - in this case, India - fall over themselves to discredit any hope for postcolonial solidarity. This despite the real and growing support amongst Indians on-the-ground for Pakistan, and repeated statements of disgust at the racist actions of the umpire.

I took this photograph from behind the Taj in January of 2006. I think the barbed wires framing that symbol of a pre-national cultural ecumeme, displaced upon the shadowy figures of young boys playing cricket on the rapidly drying banks of the once vibrant river Jamna speaks volumes to the present state of Hindutva, forced national identity, subcontinental cultures trapped behind national pretensions, and the ever lasting sound of 'aaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!'




With love and kisses to all homoFOBs everywhere,
Shefali.

Bugti Dead. Now What?

Akbar Bugti was killed on Saturday in a military operation. Unconfirmed news reports also claim that two of his grandons were killed as well. On Sunday, Quetta exploded in violence. (So did parts of Karachi.)



My sister texted me from Islamabad, wondering, "is this another Bangladesh"? In some ways, she's right, because the Baluch nationalists feel as aggrieved as the erstwhile East Pakistanis did. At this juncture, the two main factors that are responsible for the Baluchistan situation are perhaps ratcheted up to their highest level: the economic exploitation of Baluchistan (mainly natural gas), and the brutal military repression and occupation of the region. The last Baluchistan crisis was in the 1970s, but that was eventually forcibly suppressed, with the military especially keen to hold on to a restive province immediately after another one had been "lost." This time around, a military government is in power, which enjoys (on most days) the support of the U.S., and which can use the convenient ruse of the "War on Terror" to crack down on any and all domestic opponents.

This, by the way, is not meant to be a tribute to Bugti. But he was held in high regard and affection by his people, and his death may yet prove to be one of those highly charged symbolic events that finally galvanize a people past the tipping point. In any case, I fear there will be much more violence to come in the immediate future, whatever happens.

In a weird coincidence, the U.S.-based Armed Forces Journal recently published an argument for redrawing boundaries in the "Greater Middle East," which includes Pakistan. According to this argument, Baluchistan would become an independent country. (Pakistan would be downsized to existing Punjab and Sindh only, with NWFP going to Afghanistan.) This is completely counter to what the Pakistan establishment wants, but it is a chilling reminder of the kind of influence and ambition U.S. policymakers have in the region.

Republican Candidates Call For Racial Profiling

There are currently THREE Republican electoral candidates who are calling for the increased profiling of Muslim/Arab airline passengers. They are Mark Flanagan, running for the House in Florida's 13th district; Paul Nelson, running for the House in Wisconsin's 3rd district; and John Faso, running for governor of New York state. Faso has said the following:

If a 25-year-old Muslim man who has been traveling frequently to Yemen or Pakistan tries to board a plane, then not only statistical analysis but also common sense tells us that he is more of a potential threat than the grandmother from Queens.

Nelson, the candidate from Wisconsin, offered this helpful advice when he was asked how screeners could tell if a passenger was Muslim or not: "If he comes in wearing a turban and his name is Muhammad, that’s a good start."

In a way, it's actually a relief to hear these explicit expressions of bigotry, rather than having to deal with the usual veneer of politesse and euphemistic bullshit that accompanies such ideas. And frankly, I'm surprised there are only three such candidates (I'm sure more will emerge as the election draws nearer). Needless to say, I hope all three of these candidates lose badly and go crawl back under the rock they came from.

Clifton Beach

I recently returned from a visit to Pakistan. I was mostly in Karachi, but spent a few days in Lahore where I met up with Toorie. The trip was fantastic (barring a mishap that, thankfully, all have recovered from). One of the things I really love doing in Karachi is going to the beach. I think Karachi has some of the best undiscovered beaches in the world.



Of course where I REALLY wanted to go was Hawkesbay, but that trip is a much bigger production, so I had to settle for a quick trip to Clifton. There's something about the sea that I just love, and connect to. I'm sure growing up in Karachi has a lot to do with it, but I also have come to really appreciate the sea after having lived in Texas for so many years. Even though the beach at Clifton is horrible, it was really nice to see the crowds enjoying themselves, and the water is always beautiful.

"It's Not Cricket!"

I don't know if you are all following the latest cricket drama. Pakistan is touring England, and had already lost the test match series. The last match was being played at the Oval in London. Pakistan looked like it might pull off a win in the last match to look at least a little respectable. On Sunday, out of nowhere, one of the umpires penalizes Pakistan 5 runs for "ball-tampering." The entire Pakistani team basically revolts, claiming they have done no cheating, and ask for evidence to be produced to back up the charge. They go back to the dressing room, refusing to come out to resume play. The match is eventually awarded to England as a forfeit, the first forfeit of an international test match in 129 years of the game.

The umpire, David Hair, is a white Australian who has had questionable dealings with non-white teams before (Sri Lanka, most notably). In addition, there were TWENTY-NINE cameras trained on the action on the field, and thus far, not one of them has recorded anything questionable by the Pakistani players. There will be an official ICC hearing, and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have already said they will support Pakistan. Interestingly, India has basically come out against Pakistan (but maybe they will change their mind - let's hope). All this reminds me of the hyper-charged racist atmosphere that accompanied Pakistani tours of England in the 1970s and 1980s. Am I just paranoid, or does this event coincide perfectly with the most recent "terrorist alert" in the UK?

Here's one comment on the affair. I don't have any illusions about the integrity of Pakistanis, but I'm betting on Inzi's squad this time.

Lebanese LGBT Org Gets Support at Out Games

Helem, the Lebanese LGBT organization, was unable to send its member to the OutGames plenary session in Montreal this week due to the continuing destruction of Lebanon by Isreal. Instead, the member sent a video statement, which was apparently received with a lot of support from the audience, some of whom gave a standing ovation. You can see the full story and look at the video statement here.

Mullahs on Earthquake Relief: Women Need Not Apply

Just when one thinks that the mullahs can't possibly get any worse, they manage to scale new heights in idiocy. This is the latest bit of lunacy (via The Daily Times):

Clerics want no women aid workers in quake areas

MANSEHRA: Clerics in the NWFP want authorities to expel all women working for international relief agencies in earthquake-affected areas by the end of this month.

The clerics accuse the women, including Pakistanis employed by foreign non-government organisations (NGOs), of dressing improperly, mixing with men and drinking alcohol.

“We are not against the NGOs, but we are against them spreading obscenity in society and trying to weaken our faith by corrupting our women,” Moazzam Ali Shah, head of Tehreek-e-Islaha Muashra, or Movement to Cleanse Society, said.

The clerics have not said what action they might take if the women aid workers are not asked to leave. More than 50 international NGOs are based in Mansehra carrying out relief and rehabilitation projects for the victims of a massive earthquake that killed over 73,000 people and rendered millions homeless in Kashmir and NWFP last October.

“We know an ultimatum has been given and we are waiting to see what happens,” said Frank Lehmann, a senior official with World Vision, an NGO involved in providing schooling for children still living in tent encampments. “We respect the local culture and try to behave accordingly,” Lehmann said, adding that the relief agencies had raised their concerns with the local authorities. Police have given assurances that aid workers will be protected, while talks are held with clerics to settle the issue. “No one would be allowed to disrupt relief work and we are absolutely serious about security issues,” Waqas Aziz, a district police officer, said.

“We see this as a local issue, which is being defused. But we have told the NGOs to take care about local sensitivities while working in this area,” he said.

Jamaatud Dawa, a charity with links to banned militant organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba, is active in the area, and its officials in Balakot said they supported the allegations against the foreign aid workers.

I know of several women who are working in these areas, and they are generally not the sort of women who will be scared away by some half-sentient mullah. However, it is interesting that the main target might be foreign female aid workers; the main group quoted above is World Vision, a US-based Christian aid group (yes, one of those really awful "let's save the dark-skinned victims and while we're at it let's try and convert them too" type of groups - they are pretty active in Darfur, for example). That does thicken the plot a bit, but of course does not justify this absurd behavior on the part of the mullahs. But let me also make a request to World Vision: please stop trying to convert Pakistanis to Christianity. They already have many mind-numbing extremist versions of religion to choose from, and they don't need your version to confuse them even more.

Female Councillors Held Hostage in NWFP

This really pisses me off (although it shouldn't surprise me). Courtesy The Daily Times:

PESHAWAR: Having succeeded in overturning a jirga-decision last year that sought to prevent them from filing their nomination papers for the local bodies polls, Upper Dir’s elected female councillors now face a new political battle: the right to attend their respective council meetings.

As the situation currently stands, female councillors are barred from council meetings, with male relatives attending the sessions on their behalf.

“This practice, which deliberately deprives women of their political rights, is encouraged and supported by the leaders of the District, Tehsil and Union Councils,” a spokesperson of Individualland, a group of political analysts, told Daily Times on Wednesday.

Requesting not to be named, the spokesperson said that, according to Individualland researchers, the majority of elected female councillors were being represented at meetings by male family members.

“The male members regularly attend the district assembly sessions on their behalf, sign in for them, speak for them, vote for them and of course, needless to say, also collect their honorariums,” she said.

In Upper Dir, she said, sons, brothers, husbands and fathers were representing female councillors on reserved seats. So, for all practical purposes, the men in Upper Dir were occupying seats reserved for women while the elected women were forced to sit at home, she added... [More here]

And what is the federal government doing about this? Let me guess - nothing. So much for enlightened moderation. By the way, who/what is "Individualland"??