International tolerance day

Posted by: Jarri Mirza
Guest blog: Humza Ikram

Today world is celebrating International tolerance day but sadly Pakistani society is getting more and more intolerant. Our right wing media is spreading a lot of hatred in our society and the beauty of our pluralistic society is now sadly a memory of the past. One of my young cousins ,who is an avid Zaid Hamid viewer, has sent me a picture of a map showing India to be a part of Pakistan. He urged me to make it my face book display picture. The following is a post by Nadeem Paracha highlighting the importance of tolerance in social life. Also, checkout the following video and see how Zaid Hamid is spreading hatred towards Hindus. I'm wondering how insecure Hindu community living in Sindh might feel in their own country.


Blow Daddy

By Nadeem Paracha

Daddy?
Yes, son.
Are we going to have a war with India?
Perhaps.
Oh, goody. We will thrash them, right? Like we did in 1857!
It wasn't in 1857, son.
Oh, okay. But whom did we thrash in 1857?
The British, son …
And the Hindus too, right?
Well …
Did Quied-e-Azam fight in that war along
with Muhammad bin Qasim and Imran Khan?
No, son. The Quied and Imran were born much later and Muhammad bin Qasim died many years before.
Then who ruled Pakistan in those days?
There was no Pakistan in those days, son.
But there was always a Pakistan! It has been there for 5000 years!
Whom have you been talking to, son?
No one. I've just been watching TV.
It figures.
Daddy, why are all these people against us Arabs?
Arabs? But we aren't Arabs, son.
Of course we are because our ancestors were Arabs!
No, son. Our ancestors were sub-continental.
Sub-what?
Never mind.You seem to like wars, son.
Yes. I like to watch them on TV.
But real wars are fought outside the TV, son.
Really? How is that possible? What sort of a war is that?
Never mind.
Daddy you look worried.
Of course, I am, you little warmongering punk!
Daddy. Why are you scolding me?
Because TV is talking rot and so are you!
Daddy, are you turning into a Hindu?
No!
Daddy, have you become a kafir?
Keep quiet! No more TV for you! Go watch a movie on the DVD player, or listen to a CD.
Can't do that.
But we have so many DVDs and CDs, son.
Not any more.
What do you mean?
I burned them all.
What?!
I burned them all.
I heard that! But why?
They spread obscenity.
Oh, God. Son, go do your homework. What happened to that science project you were working on?
It's almost complete.
Good boy. What are you making?
A bomb.
What?!
A bomb.
I heard that! But why?
Because I am a true Muslim mujahid who hates America.
But only last week you wanted to go to Disney Land.
That's different.
How come?
Mickey Mouse is a Muslim.
No he isn't.
Is so. He converted when he heard the azaan on the moon.
On the moon?
Yes. Because the Earth is flat and …
What??
The Earth is …
I heard that!
Daddy, do you want to see my science project, or not?
Gosh, that bomb? But your science teacher will fail you.
No she wont.
Really …?
Yes. I plan to blow her up as well.
God, what is wrong with you? Go call your mother!
She can't come.
Why not?
I've locked her in the kitchen.
But what for?
A woman's place is in the kitchen. I will not let her out until she starts wearing a hijab!
But she's your mother!
No. She's a woman!
So?
So she should be hidden.
Hidden from whom?
You, me, the whole world and Tony.
Tony?
Yes, Tony.
But Tony's a cat.
Yes. But he's a male cat.
Son, have you gone mad?
No. By the way, I've made sure Kitto starts wearing a hijab as well.
Kitto?
Yes, Kittto.
But Kitto's also a cat!
Yes. But a female cat.
But she'll suffocate.
Oh, she's already dead.
What?
She's already dead.
I heard that! But how?
I buried her alive.
You what??
Yes. To avenge Tony's honor. But now I will behead Tony.
But why?
To save mom's honor!
Oh, God!
Don't say that. Always say Allah Hafiz instead of Khuda Hafiz.
What's the difference?
Daddy, do you want to be beheaded too?
No!
Do you want to be stoned to death?
No!
Do you want to be flogged?
No!
Do you want to get your arms chopped off?
No!
Then stop asking stupid questions. By the way, I won't call you daddy anymore.
What will you call me then?
Whatever is Arabic for daddy.
I don't know any Arabic, son.
That's because you are a kafir.
Who the heck are you to tell me who I am, you little fascist twit!
What's a fascist?
An irrational, violent, self-righteous mad man!
WAAAAAAA!!
Why are you crying?
You scolded me.
Okay, I'm sorry. You have to be tolerant and rational, son. Now be a good boy and go read a book instead of watching TV.
I have no books.
Of course, you do. I bought you so many books.
I burned them all.
What?!
I burned them all.
I heard that! But why?!
They were all in English.
So?
Christians speak English.
But we are speaking English as well, aren't we?
WAAAAAAAAAAAA …!!
What now?
Zionists made me forget Arabic!
But you never knew any Arabic, son.
WAAAA … yes I did until you and mommy gave me polio drops … WAAAA …
Okay, tell me, can you do me a favor?
Sure, dad. (*sniff*).
Can you blow up something for me?
Oh, goody! Of course, dad. What should I blow? A CD shop, a hotel, a school …?
No, no, something a lot more sinister.
Mom?
No, no …
What then?
The TV set!
What?!
Blow the TV Set.
I heard that! But why?
Just do it!
I see. Dad?
Yes.
You're so unconstitutional.

...

source

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Guest blog: Sangh Privar - The Hindu Taliban of India

SANGH PARIVAR- THE FAR RIGHT FRINGE

By Qudrat Ullah

Launched by the inspired volunteers of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with the sole purpose of attaining Gandhian Swaraj, the loose conglomerate of a total of 31 zealot organizations called Sangh Parivar has emerged as the multi headed hydra of the Hindu far right In India to frighten its minorities. It represents popular movement for the establishment of a ‘Greater India’ with total Brahminical hegemony, to be comprising of Pakistan, Afghanistan and other neighbors in the immediate periphery, with the socio-political status of non-Hindus to be limited to serfs only. These assorted organizations within Sangh Parivar particularly include Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Rashtriya Sevika Samiti, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Vanavasi Kalian Ashram, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Vidya Bharti, Sewa Bharati and many more. Although, the different organizations within the Sangh Parivar run independently and peruse dissimilar policies and activities, but the stated mission of these activities has been attaining the 'Saravangeena Unnati' (all-round development) of India.

More preferably termed as the ‘Hindu Taliban of democratic India’ Sangh Parivar uses Hindu mythology and various hate symbols for the propagation of its political motives and to mutilate non Hindu minorities to an extent where they discontinue to grow up as an independent identity.

It was during Vajpayee’s time that relations and contacts of Sangh Parivar’s Dharam gurus and Hindutva leaders with Israel increased manifold. Hindutvadis got support and motivation from Israeli secret agency, Mossad’s operations against Arab and Muslim countries. It was during the rule of BJP’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee that a strong foundation was laid for the visits of Hindutvadis, especially the Sadhus and dharam gurus of Sangh Parivar to Israel. These visits are increasing now as Indian army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor has also recently gone to Israel. It is important to note that involvement of army officers, Bhonsla Military School of Maharashtra run by central Hindu military education society and the members of different wings of Sangh Parivar, in various terrorist activities in different states should not be a surprise as terror tactics are a forte of Sangh Parivar to achieve goals.

Among Sangh Parivar's connected organizations, active training of martial arts is given to RSS's women branch (Rashtriya Sevika Samiti), Bajrang Dal and its women's branch, Durga Vahini. Training camps and physical trainings are not new for these organizations; they have now started arming their volunteers in a military pattern as well. Volunteers’ indoctrination is carried out in such a way that they start viewing Muslims as an enemy to be fought with. Arms training camps are regularly organized by them in different parts of the country, where young men and women are trained in the use of guns as well as trishuls, sword and other martial arts. This trained cadre is then used against minorities and for other terror related activities.

Since 1947, RSS has been indoctrinating and creating more and more organizations to carry out its objective of one Hindu nation, to work for the modern version of Brahminical system and to get annexed border countries. Its trained swayamsevaks, have already made inroads in various political formations like Bharatiya Janata Party, Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarhti Parishad, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashrma, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Munnani, Bajrang Dal, Samajik Samrasta Manch and also created subsidiary women organizations like Rashtra Seviak Samiti and Durga Vahini etc. Their second strategy is to infiltrate in the different wings of state machinery including police, bureaucracy, Judiciary, education and media and their major strength comes from infiltration in all spheres of socio-political life. RSS’s vicious grip on society cannot just be assessed by the electoral strength of BJP alone. That’s why Atal Bihari Vajpayee once declared that first he is the swayam sevak of RSS and then the prime minister of India. This is the control of Hindu right that even a prime minister could not dare to denounce his RSS identity.

In modern day India, which projects itself to be a secular democracy and claims to be politically neutral towards all religions, with no constitutional role of any religion in government affairs; the political Hindutva has been successfully manipulated by this tiny, yet most powerful, Hindu fundamentalists, as a tool to attract more and more Hindu zealots and then, exploit their clout to lynch minorities, of which Muslims and Christians are the main targets. Sangh Parivar’s political jingoism is based on selected teachings and the culture of elite Hindus, which give priority to the Brahminical values of caste and gender based inequality in the society in which all other non Hindus are required to live as apartheid creatures with no future prospects.

It is noteworthy that one of the most powerful media in India i.e. state television network has been used to spread the message of Hindu militancy. According to one political observer, ‘the forces of Hindutva see the Indian people as a vast mass which is waiting to find, or rediscover, its common culture and identity. The catalyst in the process was television. Although Ramanand Sagar's epic was screened by Doordarshan, it spawned several variants in regional languages as the state monopoly over television was withdrawn. The telecast of the Ramayan was the precursor of the Ram Janam bhoomi movement which in turn, saw the ascendancy of the BJP to the status of the single largest party.’

Sangh Parivar’s profile proves that its every action is aimed at subverting Pakistan or hurting Muslims. We should, therefore, remain vigilant as Indian sponsored Taliban terrorism has already done too much havoc with our country as Pakistan is facing the defining moment of its history when our fiend neighbor is bent upon to obliterate its most terrific neighbor Pakistan.

In the given circumstances, Pakistan’s populist Prime Minister ZA Bhutto’s epiphany that ‘all wars of our age have become total wars... It would be dangerous to plan for less, and our plans should include the nuclear deterrent’ must be our most conspicuous agenda.

qudratulla@gmail.com
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Hinduism: An eco-friendly way of life

A thought provoking article by Riaz Sohail on BBC Urdu dot com, comparing the treatment of peacocks in Sindh by Muslims versus Hindus.

Shame on those Muslims who claim that their religion is a message of peace for all living creatures but whose actual practices are in direct opposition to their religious principles.

Sharm tum ko magar naheen aati.

مسلمان مور کے دشمن اور ہندو محافظ

ریاض سہیل

بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، کراچی

تھر کے صحرائی ٹیلوں اور گھروں میں اکثر مور رنگ بکھیرتے نظر آتے تھے

تھر کے صحرائی ٹیلوں اور گھروں میں اکثر مور رنگ بکھیرتے نظر آجاتے تھے مگر اب چند ہی ایسے گاؤں ہیں جہاں بارش کی آمد سے پہلے چیخ چیخ کر آگاہ کرنے والا یہ پرندہ بچا ہوا۔ پاکستان میں سب سے زیادہ مور اسی صحرائی علاقے میں پائے جاتے ہیں۔

روایتی طور پر مور کو خوبصورتی، خوش قسمتی اور مقدس علامت مانا جاتا ہے، کئی شاعروں اور مصوروں نے متاثر ہوکر ا سے اپنے گیتوں اور فن پاروں میں محفوظ کیا ہے۔

مور صرف ان علاقوں میں موجود ہیں جہاں ہندو آبادی اکثریت میں ہے اور انہوں نے ان کی حفاظت کے لیے ضابطہ بنایا ہوا، قحط کے دنوں میں بھی یہ لوگ انہیں دانہ پانی فراہم کرتے ہیں۔

تھر کے ضلعی ہیڈ کوراٹر سے چالیس کلومیٹر دور ایک سو گھروں پر مشتمل گاؤں ڈیڈھ سر میں دوسو سے زائد مور موجود ہیں۔

پرائمری ٹیچر محمد چارو بتاتے ہیں کچھ عرصہ پہلے تک ان کے گاؤں میں ایک بھی مور نہیں تھا برابر کے گاؤں سے ایک دو مور یہاں آئے، جس کے بعد گاؤں والوں نے ان کے شکار اور پکڑنے پر پابندی عائد کر دی۔ مقامی پنچایت نے فیصلہ کیا کہ جو بھی خلاف ورزی کرے گا اس پر پانچ ہزار روپے جرمانہ عائد کیا جائے گا۔ جس کے بعد نہ وہ ان موروں کو پکڑتے ہیں اور نہ ہی دوسروں کو پکڑنے دیتے ہیں۔

صحرائے تھر کی آبادی انیس سو اٹھانوے کی مردم شماری کے مطابق نو لاکھ سے زائد تھی جس میں تقریبا پچاس فیصد آبادی ہندو ہے، یہ صحرائی علاقہ ہر دوسرے سال قحط سالی کا شکار ہوجاتا ہے۔

مالنہور وینا گاؤں کے رہائشی ریٹائرڈ استاد پریم شیوانی کے مطابق پہلے تھر کے ہر گاؤں میں مور پائے جاتے تھے مگر انیس سو پینسٹھ اور اکہتر کی پاکستان بھارت جنگ کے بعد یہاں سے مقامی ہندو آبادی بڑی تعداد میں نقل مکانی کر کے بھارت چلی گئی اور وہاں سے مسلمان آبادی یہاں آگئی، اس کے بعد تقریبا ستر فیصد دیہات سے مور نایاب ہوگئے ہیں اور جن تیس فیصد دیہاتوں میں موجود ہیں وہاں بھی روز بروز ان کی تعداد میں کمی ہو رہی ہے۔

کچھ دیہاتوں میں اب بھی مور اعتماد سے گھومتے پھرتے دکھائی دیتے ہیں۔

محکمہ جنگلی حیات کے چیف کنزرویٹر حسین بخش بھاگت بھی تسلیم کرتے ہیں کہ ہندو کمیونٹی نے مور کو تحفظ دیا ہے۔ ان کے مطابق تھر اور عمرکوٹ کے صحرائی علاقے میں جہاں ہندو آبادی ہے وہاں مور کو کافی تحفظ ملا ہوا ہے، جہاں جہاں بھی ان کے گاؤں ہیں انہوں نے باقاعدہ ان کا تحفظ کیا ہوا ہے، وہ نہ کسی کو پکڑنے دیتے ہیں اور نہ کسی کو مداخلت کرنے دیتے ہیں۔

سرحدی علاقہ ہونے کی وجہ سے سرحدی فورس رینجرز کے اہلکاروں کی جانب سے مور پکڑنے اور گاؤں کے لوگوں کی جانب سے مزاحمت کی کئی شکایات سامنے آتی رہی ہیں۔ اقلیتی لوگ جو عام طور پر کسی جھگڑے میں نہیں پڑتے مگر مور پکڑنے کے خلاف ڈسٹرکٹ ہیڈ کوارٹر مٹھی میں کئی احتجاج کرچکے ہیں۔

ڈیڈھ سر گاوں کے محمد چارو بتاتے ہیں کہ غیر مقامی لوگ مور لینے آتے ہیں مگر وہ انہیں پکڑنے نہیں دیتے، ایک مرتبہ رینجرز والے ان کے گاوں آئے تھے کہ انہیں مور کے بچے چاہئیں مگر انہوں نےمعذرت چاہی جس کے بعد وہ دوسرے گاوں گئے اور وہاں جاکر نوکری کا آسرا دیکر مور کے بچے لے لیے۔

پریم شیوانی کے مطابق مور کو بطور گفٹ بھی استعمال کیا جاتا ہے ماتحت افسرانِ بالا کو خوش کرنے کے لیے مور بھیجتے ہیں۔ اس طرح مقامی لالچی قسم کے لوگ افسران سے تعلق استوار کرنے کے لیے بھی مور پیش کرتے ہیں۔ یہ صورتحال رہی تو آئندہ دو دہائی میں یہ پرندہ مشکل سے بچے گا۔

بارش کے دنوں میں مور انڈے دیتے ہیں ماحول کے تحفظ اور بقا کے لیے کام کرنے والے ادارے سکوپ کے مقامی رضاکار بھارو مل بتاتے ہیں کہ یہی سیزن انڈے اور بچوں کی فروخت کا ہوتا ہے۔ مور کا انڈہ لے کر اس کو مرغی کے نیچے رکھا جاتا ہے اور جب اس میں سے بچہ نکلتا ہے تو اسے فروخت کردیا جاتا ہے، ان کے مطابق جو ٹرک مال مویشی لیکر جاتے ہیں ان میں مور بھی چھپا کر بڑے شہروں کو بھیجے جاتے ہیں ۔

اللہ رکھیو کھوسو کے مطابق جو لوگ بچے لے جاتے ہیں وہ اکثر مرجاتے ہیں ایک سو میں سے صرف ایک ہی بچ پاتا ہے،اس وجہ سے ان کی نسل کو خطرات ہیں۔

محکمہ جنگلی حیات دو سو روپے کی معمولی فیس پر مور پکڑنے کا اجازت نامہ جاری کرتا ہے مقامی لوگوں کے مطابق پیشہ ور شکاری اس اجازت نامے کا غلط استعمال کرتے ہیں، اس پرمٹ کے مطابق ایک وقت ایک ہی مور رکھا جاسکتا ہے مگر یہ شکاری ہر چکر میں ایک مور لے جاتے ہیں۔اگر کوئی پکڑا بھی جائے تو اس کی سزا صرف ایک ہزار روپے ہے۔ کراچی سے اسلام آباد تک ان کا کاروبار کیا جاتا ہے اور ویب سائیٹ پر ان کی تشہیر ہوتی ہے۔

کچھ لوگ مور کو خوش قسمتی کی علامت بھی سمجھتے ہیں۔

محکمہ ماحولیات کے چیف کنزرویٹر حسین بخش بھاگت کے مطابق جنگلی حیات کے قانون کے تحت مور کو تحفظ حاصل ہے اس کے رکھنے، پکڑنے اور اس کی فروخت پر مکمل طور پر پابندی ہے، مگر روایت کو بھی جاری رکھنے کی وجہ سے اس کی اجازت دی ہوئی ہے کہ کسی کو گھر پر مور رکھنا ہے تو اجازت نامہ حاصل کیا جاتاہے۔

وہ تسلیم کرتے ہیں کہ مور پکڑے جا رہے ہیں لوگ اس کاروبار میں ملوث ہیں مگر وسائل اور افرادی قوت کی کمی کی وجہ سے وہ انہیں روکنے میں کامیاب نہیں ہوسکے ہیں۔

تھر کے کچھ علاقے بجلی سے روشن ہوگئے ہیں مگر بجلی کے کھمبے اس پرندے کے لیے خطرناک ثابت ہوئے ہیں، مور اڑ کر بجلی کے کھمبے پر بیٹھتا ہے اور بجلی کے جھٹکے کا شکار ہو جاتا ہے۔

مقامی لوگ مور کو مغرور پرندہ سمجھتے ہیں مگر ان کے مطابق یہ گاؤں کا زیور اور ان کی زندگی اور ماحول کا ایک حصہ ہیں۔ اس سے پہلے اس علاقے میں پائے جانے والے پرندے کونج، سارس اور ھنج پہلے ہی ناپید ہوچکے ہیں، محکمہ جنگلی حیات کا کہنا ہے کہ اس بات پر غور کیا جا رہا ہے کہ مور کے شکار کے پرمٹ جاری نہ کیے جائیں

Hinduism: An eco-friendly way of life

In Hiduism, plants and animals have a distinctive place. All the Gods and Goddesses are associated with a particular tree or animal. Thus, Hindu culture teaches us to respect other living beings and live together sharing mother earth.

CJ: Dr. Krishna

Fri, Sep 11, 2009

IN THIS era of global warming, much effort is given to promote environment-friendly living and lifestyle. In this regard, Hinduism is very much forward and since time immemorial, Hindu rishis (sages) were much aware of thePanchabhuta (five elements) and the need and also the process to live in harmony with everything animate and inanimate in this world. For example, in Hinduism even Gods are imagined in natural atmosphere and worshipped associating them with animals and trees.

Lord Vishnu (the saver of the whole universe) is imagined as sleeping peacefully on the bed formed with Sheshanag (great snake) on great ocean. Lord Shiva is meditating on glaciers, accompanied by bull named as Nandi and River Ganga is flowing out of the hair of his head and snakes are playing peacefully on his holy body. The ocean and the glaciers are most important chain for existence of this globe and are thus kept as most sacred place and protected from any human intervention.

In Hinduism, all Gods are worshipped with one animal as vahan (carrier/company). Apart from spiritual meanings, this is helpful to protect animal bio-diversity; all the animals which have an important role in environment are preserved carefully by allotting a special status as attached with Gods-- for example, beautiful white swan is associated with Lord Brahma (the creator) and Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of education and fine arts). God Maheswara is sitting on Brisava (great Ox ), Lord Krishna is associated with cows. Dhavali and Saoli are the names of His two favourite cows. Goddess Laxmi is accompanied by owl or elephants, Devi Durga is sitting on a lion, Devi Ganga is sitting on Makara (an ancient sea-animal looks like an elephant), Lord Ganesha is worshipped with a mouse and Lord Kartikeya is seen on a peacock.

Among dus avatars (ten incarnations) of Lord Vishnu, fish, tortoise and wild boar are described as the three most primitive avatars. In this way, Hindus tried to point out the chain of evolution of life on earth, and this also gives a special protection to tortoise, fishes and wild boars.

Most of the temples in India, especially in rural areas are home to different animals like monkey, tortoises, fish, snakes, bats, owls etc. In many Shiva temples, snakes are worshipped. Snakes easily move in and around the temples, take milk from devotees, nobody harms them and even they don't harm any one. In many ways, Hindu culture teaches humans to build a humane relation with animals and live together sharing the earth.

Ayurveda (the Veda for life) prescribes many herbal treatments for many diseases; this not only saves human being with natural medication, but also saves herbs and plants as useful friends of human being and facilitates respect to nature.

Also it offers many natural pest control measures which are popular and used in homes. For example, turmeric powder is used to get rid of red ants in the kitchen. Sarpagandha plant is planted near the courtyard to repel snakes etc. These prevent the use of chemical pesticides.

In rural areas of Orissa, farmers rarely kill rats; they just catch one rat, colour it hugely with sindoor (vermillion) and release it. Next day, rats stop visiting the place for at least three months. Biodiversity management groups may list out such practices and encourage replication of these 'good practices' to keep the food-chain intact and help preserve the bio-diversity.

To protect the environment, protection of trees is very necessary. Hindu culture gives special attention to this also. Banyan and bata trees are given the status of God and imagined as an abode of Lord Narayana. These trees cannot be cut or uprooted according to Hindu culture and plantation of these plants is considered as most pious work.

But unfortunately, after English subjugation of India since 1757 to 1947, a tendency of rejecting all the practices of Hindu culture as 'foolish thing' or 'blind faith' is embedded in the mind of people and this has taken much toll on relation between human and nature also.

Bio-diversity of India today, is almost destroyed. Sustainable education to people through generations on importance of bio-diversity and its impact on global warming is a Herculean task. Our culture could do it in a simple way—way of love, respect and mutual recognition!

http://www.merinews.com/article/hinduism-an-eco-friendly-way-of-life/15784009.shtml

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Fata’s 35 Hindus migrate to India

To our Hindu brothers and sisters, we have only this much to say.

"We are sorry. This is not Jinnah's Pakistan. This is Wahhabis/neo-Deobandis Pakistan."

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Fata’s 35 Hindus migrate to India

Monday, 09 Mar, 2009

More then 200,000 people have fled the fighting in Fata to different camps in Pakistan.—AP/File

AMRITSAR: A group of 35 Hindus, nearly half of them women, from Pakistan have crossed over to India and asked the government to allow them to settle in the country, Indian media reported Monday.

'We were living in Pakistan under extreme fear due to the domination of a strong group of Taliban who are running a parallel government,' Jagdish Sharma, a resident of tribal area near Peshawar in Pakistan, said according to report.

Four families comprising 16 men, 16 women and three children crossed over to India during the last few days through the Attari check post and later went to Delhi where they got a one-year visa and permission to stay in Amritsar.

'We strongly urge the government of India to allow us to stay here in India permanently, since we don't want to move back in that hell where there is no life security,' said Sharma.

Hardwari Lal, resident of Orkzai agency said: 'I was running my grocery shop there which was forcibly taken over by the fundamentalists who also took possession of our entire property.’ (Dawn)

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And to our Eruropean guest, once again, we say: "We are sorry. This is not Jinnah's Pakistan. This is Taliban's Pakistan."

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Under house arrest

By Maureen Lines
Monday, 09 Mar, 2009

“I HAVE received many calls from our supporters concerning your safety,” wrote the chairman of my UK-based charity’s board of trustees. The targeting of the Sri Lankan cricket team has sparked significant panic abroad.

In Peshawar, life has become increasingly difficult for foreigners. During the days of the Mujahideen, there were frequent incidents of car bombings in the area; NGOs had the usual security guards as well as crow’s nests installed above their gates, which were manned by armed Afghans. Weapons were carried casually and ostentatiously. And the American Club was a swinging rendezvous joint for journalists, aid workers and tourists. All this is no more.

The club is still open, but its clientele reduced dramatically. There are just a few of us here now, and we all keep our heads down. Venturing forth is a hassle. A trip to Islamabad means remembering a list of items — besides our passport, ID card and mobile phone. Women have to remember the chador.

I know a Swiss woman who was grumbling about wearing it and had the same problems as I; wearing the attractive and colourful kameez in the summer is one thing, the dupatta, once learnt, is easy to manipulate, but the chador is much more of a challenge. If it is long, it becomes dangerous as it is all too easy to trip over it. Or it gets caught in the car door. All too often, I find myself flinging the garment off when I enter the secretariat to visit a government functionary. This usually results in comments from my driver but I am too glad to be free of it to heed his advice.

Expatriates have no tolerance for embassy directives. Everyone feels that embassies overreact. But at the other end, something as benign as walking to enter a particular building causes disbelief and resentment — take a security guard who, regardless of the fact that he had been seeing me every week for many months, wanted to search for me and it took several people to assure him that I was without evil intent.

One of my great pleasures in Peshawar is to go to the old city. I used to love strolling through its narrow, dusty streets with my camera and chat with shopkeepers. Once, just after 9/11, I took a team of European television journalists on a tour of the old city. Everywhere, people called out to us with welcoming smiles and even today, when I venture there with a camera, albeit with that wretched chador, the shopkeepers still smile and wave to me — the famous hospitality and friendliness of the people lives on.

Friends in Islamabad have begged me to leave Peshawar and come to their city. How can I leave my home, my office, my work? And would I still not be under ‘house arrest’ there? None of the foreigners go to restaurants anymore, but they do here in Peshawar; people in Islamabad either stay home or visit friends’ homes. However, some still take a walk in the hills or visit tourist sites.

Even if I have to be swathed in several yards of material, I would still prefer Peshawar, a city I now call home. Except for occasional trips to the bank and government offices, and a few visits to Islamabad, I remain within my four walls. But I still lead a busy life. I run my office and am involved in my charity and NGO, enjoy my garden with my dogs and keep abreast of events through the Internet, newspapers and the television. I still have the phone to talk to friends and once in while someone comes over for dinner.

At the moment, I am planning a spring visit to Kabul, and am also figuring out how to get to Chitral. Perhaps my chador will not be sufficient. Many times in the past, I have gone through the towns of Timergara and Dir in disguise. On several occasions, it was to outwit the police in the outlying villages of Chitral district, as law-enforcement agencies were hounding me to permit them to provide security to my driver and me. Now it is a different ball game. When I leave my house, I am actually venturing out into a dangerous and hostile world. (Dawn, 9 March 2009)
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