As of January 4, 2010, citizens of 14 nations – Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – have all been dubbed countries of “interest.” And no, not interest in a good way, as in, “We see you as fellow human beings, let’s have a conversation and get to know one another.” Interest as in, “Hi, we see you as an immediate threat because of your religion and nationality, let’s have a conversation with my ominous rubber glove.”
And here I thought eight years after 9/11, we had learned so much.
I could get angry with Umar Farooq Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian who attempted to detonate an explosive in his underpants, forever earning himself the nickname “pantybomber.” Thanks to his actions on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day, not just Nigerians, but people from 13 other countries dubbed “state sponsors of terrorism” have to suffer the consequences. The new rule will also apply to anyone traveling to U.S. destinations from those countries, who will all face extra scrutiny at airport screenings.
I could also point a finger at U.S. intelligence agencies, who reportedly had enough information to “head off” the attempted bombing but “failed to connect those dots,” noted President Obama in a statement yesterday. According to his administration, Obama further asserted in a meeting with Cabinet advisers and members, “This was a screw-up that could have been disastrous. It was averted by brave individuals not because the system worked, and that is not acceptable.”
But riddle me this, Mr. President – if the intelligence agencies screwed up, and the system failed to work, why are scores of people paying the price? Is this a sign of that mutual respect you so powerfully called for during your speech to the Muslim World in Cairo? Because, let me tell you, I don’t feel mutually respected when Don Juan of airport security calls me out of line, and not because he wants to perform a rubber sock puppet show for my enjoyment.
I am all for keeping us safe, and I am all for fending off terrorist threats. I am from a country whose citizens have been victimized by terrorism, that has been waging its own war, however successfully, against a similar threat. Last year alone, over 3000 people died in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. So believe me, I understand that you don’t want that threat on your soil. But neither do we. Treating each individual as one massive threat will only add to the problem, because it fails to recognize the nuances of this conflict, or the tremendous importance of perceptions. It is sad that in the eight years after 9/11, that lesson still has to be learned.
Good post Kulsoom! Very well articulated.
Excellent post
For mullaj, it ij a nice change to be ujing rubber glove, Jarnailly, we dont uje that!
Aj wije man said, when life give u nimbu, make nimbupani. AoA!
Rabayl & Khurrum, thanks!
Lal Brof, thank you for that awesome comment. I will cherish it with all my heart.
A very well written article..following you on twitter as mrityunjoykjha….I have always been saying/reporting that “logon(ord people) ki kya khata hai…?
Good post Kulsoom! I’ll be onboard a US-bound flight tonight from Karachi, so I’m going to experience this first hand!
[…] as in, “We see you as fellow human beings, let’s have […] Read more at: CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan brave individuals, cairo, christmas day, farooq, fellow human beings, intelligence agencies, […]
God i’m so angry.
and i’m also glad your blog has a wide readership.
Yo Kulsoom, u don’t need to worry u hold a US passport. U just claim yourself as a Pakistani.
Yo, ZH, try again. I hold a green Pakistani passport. So, I ain’t “claiming” anything.
Just brilliant Kalsoom.. Simply love it! 🙂 You heard about naked strip search for all Pakistanis on US airport?? That’s the limit of disgrace! :@ :s
Saba,
Where did you see that?
Somebody on the radio was talking about it!
@Saba
WHAT?!
Great article! Kudos to you Kulsoom for having the balls to speak out….AND in the right way!
It really is a sad day for all us poor Pakistanis.
Excellent post. Very well written. Will definitely follow this blog.
I can see the “interest” list only expanding.. Eventually covering the whole of Muslim Majority Countries..
Hope India doesn’t get onto the list.
US is the technological leader of our times and for a developing country its very important for its citizens to travel to that country and do business and interact; For its citizens to learn Science and Technology in worlds best Universities most of which are situated in the US. This is undoubtedly a big blow for Pakistan’s growth.
Indian Muslims are also not immuned to it but considering Muslims from India have not been involved in Terror attacks they are relatively off the radar. Thanks to a Vibrant Society and Pluralistic Culture in India ,Muslims of India are very moderate and Progressive.
[…] CHUP – Say Hello to my Rubber Glove Attackerman – Obama’s racial profiling will endanger America […]
Well said. Dems regularly get lambasted for being a bunch of retards in Govt. and it seems to be showing up again. We get screwed a little bit more because Homeland Security and US Intelligence agencies are doing a good job or resembling imbeciles.
Well, guess what, Obama has also invalidated the distinction between Ahmadis and rest of the Muslim Pakistanis. The guy with the rubber glove won’t be checking that anti-Ahmadi clause in your passport.
You are not the only one complaining.
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/countries-of-interest-a-pakistani-perspective/
EXTREMELY well said!
[…] of Interest By Torkham طورخم Over at Changing Up Pakistan (CHUP), Kalsoom eloquently articulates her position on the new US aviation security rules: As of January 4, 2010, citizens of 14 nations – […]
You said everything anyone could have said- for a people who are such huge voices of human rights and privacy and personal space – how can they not see this as something that will anger and enrage people?
Understood there are security concerns but this will only make matters worse in the long run.
Very well read- I posted it on my fb profile also- sorry! figured it needed as much reading as possible!
Thanks so much!
Great post, as usual. As much as it bothers me knowing that I will be subjected to the infamous rubber glove because of my religion and the info on my [green] passport, I think there is little else left to be done.
The intelligence agencies and the TSA are obviously not apt enough to control the situation, so unfortunately us travelers will have to suffer. I definitely don’t condone the decision, but I have no faith in the system to successfully weed out those that may put our lives in danger–as sad as that is.
I know I will certainly feel very differently once I get on a plane returning to the US, but for now, patience is definitely a virtue!
This really needs to be spread wide.
Well said Kulsoom, May Allah gives us strength to face it all.
Have you tried to submit it to W. Post, or any reputable news papers as an op-ed (OK, I’m totally ignorant about how to go about that so I apologize if this is a really dumb comment). Anywa, well said, honey. You nailed it….
My brother and I both travelled to the US from Pakistan right after this was implemented. Honestly, neither of us saw any major changes, except for an extra “frisking” at Dubai airport (uncomfortable but definitely not embarrassing or humiliating). In fact, at JFK airport, where we have received major scrutiny in the past, immigrations and customs seemed so overwhelmed with dealing with passengers that they barely looked at me (or other passengers from Pak), although they knew where we were coming from- and this is just two days after the new rules were implemented. What I saw just confirms that despite US intelligence and all of TSA’s measures there will always be cracks in the system. This, coupled with the incredibly high anti-American sentiment (even from the Western educated and upper middle classes) I felt in Pakistan this year confirms what Kalsoom mentions above. The US is losing its battle by failing to the nuances of this conflict, and by continuing to ignore the tremendous importance of perceptions.
Besides the fact that it is discriminatory, it is also not even an effective counter measure. I would at least be somewhat less frustrated if the new policy actually substantially dimished the threat, but it doesnt.
If you talk about specifics, what else can you do? Bend over and dump all the security procedures and just trust the Muslim fanatics to spare innocent lives?
How is it discriminatory? Should people of all countries go through this instead of a few?
No we need to work on better intelligence coordination so that ppl like Abdulmutallab aren’t allowed to board planes.
Airport security has already been ridiculously high for everyone, and now with the body scanners this is something that will impact everyone. But to throw out a blanket policy for all citizens of 14 nations adds another dimension to the issue – given the tremendously high anti-American sentiment throughout the world, policies like these will marginalize moderate Muslims, the people the U.S. should be getting on their side. Just my two cents.
You cant practically implement the procedures you and I desire.. Also, westerners are highly paranoid people. The govt over there will never EVER ease the security procedure,especially for Muslims. The security procedures will only increase to cover all the Muslim world.
I heard a couple of people talking the other day that they will try their best to avoid traveling to certain Muslim majority countries because their Passports might be flagged! I found this really interesting.
US is the technological leader of our times and its really bad for the country in question if their citizens cant go to US to do business or to learn Science and Technology in the world’s best universities,most of which are situated in the US. It is a big blow to the growth of any country if travel of the common man is scrutinized so much to the US.
I hope India doesn’t get on the “interest” list. Muslims in India has been model citizens and practice a very peaceful and spiritual version of Islam and are highly moderate and progressive. I am talking about Muslims because Muslims are the only ones targeted in this exercise..
Yes, everyone should go through the same security screenings – US passport or not.
Your comments are racist and offensive.
Anoop –
Yes, if we truly want the policy to have a long-term effect, then increase the screeing procedures for ALL inbound international US flights. Otherwise, the system is a joke and only for show. Obviously, we will never do this — mostly for political reasons.
As I mention on my blog, Al Qaeda will simply use an operative with a passport not on the countries of interest list.
We need a better, more comprehensive strategy. This policy is only tactic, and a fairly ineffective one at that.
@Torkham طورخم,
Man, You are right. But, this is out of the question for now since US,even if its the sole superpower, is image conscious.
They will not scrutinize everyone coming into the US. Atleast until something happens to point out the lapse in security in that aspect.
Valid points. But consider the number of terrorist acts that have been perpetrated by people from a specific religion/from a specific geography over the last 10 years and it is proven that one cannot be careful enough.
If 20 people in a flight are inconvenienced to save the lives of 250 others (and thousands on the ground), so be it.
The onus is not on America or any affected country to try and treat Muslims with kid gloves but on the Muslims to prove that they are not terrorists who will potentially endanger the lives of thousands.
If my family member was traveling on a flight and if there is even a 0.5% chance that one of the women may be a terrorist and hiding a bomb on her person – I WANT a search to happen and I want the search to be thorough enough.
Bringing peace to the Muslim world through policy will take years and years and a lot of self-introspection by the Muslims themselves (for eg, why is it that they are the leading cause of terror worldwide?). In the meantime, it is good to be inconvenienced a bit for the good of many. I dont mind spending an extra hour in the lines to remain alive and not go down in flames because of some nutcase religious fanatic.
mayya,do you know what the chances are?
9.67 X 10^16 PERCENT.
By contrast, the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are about 1 in 500,000. This means that you could board 20 flights per year and still be less likely to be the subject of an attempted terrorist attack than to be struck by lightning.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/12/odds-of-airborne-terror.html
@Mayya: THANKYOU THANKYOU FOR SAYING WHAT YOU SAID.
@nsahmed: why dont you let rest of us decide for ourselves if we are willing to take that .000001% chance of dying in the air.
You mean 9.67 x 10^-16 %
It’s a valid argument. Let’s be logical!
Great Post Kalsoom and very timely.
Those arriving to the US from any one of the” Club 14 ” in the next 30 days, watch out as the” Rubber Gloves “are eager & Rear(ing) to go. Eat a lot of Chicken Tikka Massala & Daal before boarding the flight. No guarantees but might hasten the Rubber Glove check.
On the other hand, maybe some of the top people in Homeland Security & other Agencies have bought Stocks in the companies that manufacture these X-Ray Machines….From 40 Machines to a minimum of 400, if not more, says Janet Napolitino, Secy Home land Security.
Welcome to the USofA.
Why is this all of a sudden such a big deal for Pakistanis, who have to already go through such elaborate security measure (full frisking and patdowns) in their own airports before every flight ?
What is really amusing here is that this whiny post is on the same blog where there is literally no end to the daily moaning about how Zardari is not doing MORE to safeguard against the daily suicide bombings in the country.
Now that Obama has taken at least some steps to block at least some paths for suicide bombers, we have suddenly realised the impact of these measures on personal privacy and personal liberties. I would have thought that you guys would be asking much more stricter security then just frisking of passengers to/from 14 countries.
Cannot agree more. The same anti-Zardari (means anti-democratic institutional) folks are ultimately supporting the Army and then they also cry foul when there’s no democracy in the country.
Cannot agree more.
This event showed the political immaturity of. Obama by over reacting. To a situation for his polical opponents that he is strong in natinaol security. I think Obama is going to be Gorbachvf Of USA.
Anoop– India has produced a couple of terrorists here and there– Dawood Ibrahim…. therefore I prefer that you also share the refreshing feel of a cold rubber glove post-20 hour flight
Maya– while I understand your fears (as Kalsoom eloquently said nobody has terrorism like Pakistani’s– we live in paranoia all the time not just at the airport) but it sounds incredibly ridiculous that you think that “the onus is on Muslims” to prove that they are not terrorists. The vast, and I mean vast, majority of Muslims are peace loving people— even the anti-Western middle-class that Eman mentioned is purely politically-based and not “lets kill the west”-ideology— it is not the responsibility of 99% of the people to sit and condemn a minority.
Muslims are fighting the extremism every day–whether it is the Pakistani soldier, the Afghani jirga’s, or the common policeman at the checkpost. We condemn extremism by shunning it– but it is utter nonsense to say that the onus is on us. As allies– the US and the Muslim world have to share the successes and failures of this war. Finding scapegoats will get us nowhere.
Happy new year to all– I hope Pakistan has a much safer and successful decade than the last.
Love
@Tiger,
Dawood Ibrahim is a terrorist alright but where is he now?? In India?? India did give birth to him but Pakistan deserves the credit to make his D-Company a top terrorist organization.. Dawood is designated a International terrorist by the UN and USA and his official residence is given as somewhere in Karachi. I can provide you links if you need.
Dawood would probably face death if he steps in India. India is a civilized country. Only Pakistanis,I guess, see through India for the evil it is. Good luck with that. 🙂
India is on its way to becoming the Super Power and US not dare piss it off. On its current growth rate India will be the 3rd largest economy by 2050. Maybe even earlier than that! If the efficiency of our economy is increased further then we’ll be the 2nd or largest economy in the world. But, there are a lots of ifs and buts there so lets say India is going to be 3rd largest economy.
USA needs allies,democratic allies and India is on top of the list. It would not dare to piss India off.
I know India has poverty,sickness,etc but its on the upward swing.
You recently saw how the govt of India reacted to few Racist incidents in Australia. Imagine USA doing that in a grander scale. Indian politicians would have a field day and USA will have to revise its policies or lose as an ally.
So what can one expect? Due to the excess militant bombings in 2009 we have to face all this and undoubtedly once again Pakistan is in the top list. This is due to the growing militancy in Pakistan and casualties. Unless we do not curb extremism in Pakistan we can not revise out image even internationally.
Kalsoom
The article by Cyril today in dawn is a very interesting read. He has made some interesting assumptions on Zardari’s hesitance to transfer presidential powers highlighting potential threat posed by Nawaz Sharif. My own speculation is; apart from PML-N and establishment, it could be internal power struggle within PPP. BB’s tragic death was not only a genuine blow to party but to the family as well. Gilani has emerged as a relatively popular PM generally more favourable to opposition, army and other power brokers in Pakistan. YRG, gaining more political clout and backed by some powerful elements within PPP, could be the biggest threat to Zardari (strictly an assumption). Also one must take into consideration the dynastic issue within Bhutto family. Bilawal still very young, neither by any stretch of imagination showing any talent or flair (something BB possessed even in her very early) could be a real source of concern. Political analysts have done a remarkable job of bashing Zardari and his tenure as president so far but PPP too has ably kept their internal issues discreet and any possible rift between PM and president has merely been subject of speculation, nothing concrete. Nawaz may not be after his throat, but the establishment definitely is. The guy has too much of a negative reputation to be accepted as the legitimate president of republic of Pakistan. Zardari still needs his presidential powers including 58 (2)(b) and more time perhaps for the dynastic consolidation
Would appreciate your feedback:)
Butterscotch,
I feel like the Zardari-PPP internal dynamics merits its own blog post, so thanks for calling attention to it! It seems like recent media headlines have said Zardari has weathered, but I agree that there is and has been an internal power struggle between Zardari and Gilani and his supporters – we’ve definitely seen that in Zardari devolving powers from the presidency and Gilani increasingly being painted as the “good cop” to Zardari’s “bad cop.” I don’t think Zardari will be ousted necessarily, but I do think that there has been a quiet (or not so quiet depending how you look at it) internal shift.
I think it depends on how this list of 14 countries is wielded. If the approach is simply “This guy is from Egypt, let’s check him out” it will achieve less than nothing.
If, on the other hand, it’s a case of “Hey, this guy paid for his ticket with cash a week ago, has no luggage AND hails from the open and enlightened Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — maybe he deserves some special attention” then I’m not sure I have a big problem with that.
All I know is that airport security has to get smarter. We can’t give everyone a rectal exam and random screenings are pointless. Profiling — something I believe the Israelis do to good effect — should be part of that. Does that mean everyone from Pakistan or anyone named Khalid should be given a strip search? No, but such factors — along with behavior — should be considered as pieces of the overall puzzle.
Agreed.
Airport security is the last line of defense for terror threats, that’s why you rarely see such occurrences, and when you do it is because of the inefficiencies and red tape of the intelligence departments. I completely agree with Kalsoom that security measures “fails to recognize the nuances of this conflict.” It is always very reactionary. What can one do- Bet on stocks that specialize in the xray machines and scanners airports will be using heavily. (They’re up as much as 25%). There’s some dark comedy for you.
It is utter nonsense and cow-crap to say that since the vast vast majority of Muslims are peaceful people, have nothing to do with the terrorist minority among them and therefore the vast majority should be spared any scrutiny and responsibility for the menace coming out of the Muslim world.
The very reason that a terrorist minority even EXISTS among the vast vast majority of peaceful Muslims is that this vast vast majority of peaceful Muslims PROVIDES an ecosystem where such a terrorist minority can come into being and then thrive like wild bunnies. This is no different then white supremacists racist groups finding roots ONLY among the ultra-rightwing supre-red states/localities in the USA.
It is the “tolerance”, often indirectly and at times directly, for a certain type of mindset/thinking/opinions in wider societies like Pak, Saudia and Afghanistan that terrorists are coming out of there wazoo. Do the Pakis ever wonder why there are no armies of Islamic terrorists coming out of India or Malaysia or Indonesia or even Bangladesh ? All of these countries have many more Muslims then Pak.
Pakis need to take responsibility and ownership of what is going in their own backyard, living room and kitchen and perhaps then their neighbours and Americans will stop being suspicious of every Paki.
Agree and this is because the folks have victim’s mentality and victims can apparently do whatever the heck they want, it is their struggle. The same goes on for those who hold on to conspiracy theories of all kind, it is victim’s scapegoat route.
Blah blah blah blah…the argument is that the heightened security measures at airports isn’t the answer to the underlying issue. You’re preaching to the choir…Pakistan needs the right leadership and big stick to take care of the terrorist issue- agreed. Until that is resolved you’re blabbering just annoys me.
Colin,
I seriously agree with you. A young 23 year old buys a 1 way ticket with cash & no Luggage…….Hello! For starters, the system needs to reject his request for a ticket. And to add insult to injury, his Father went begging to the US Embassy & the CIA Operatives there in Nairobi saying that his son has gone FUNDU & might become a S…… Bomber…….so what do we do……add more X-Ray Machines & show the FINGER to all the people of whom the vast majority reject Terrorist and are rallying behind ther Troops who are fighting them (Pakistan & Saudi Arabia)from the Club 14.
SECURITY is Primo Uno! but, but for Gods sake, let’s not throw the baby with the bath water.
These Mother ……. Terrorist sitting in Caves are having a good laugh that they have brought us all down to their level & PANIC is the order of the day!
by the way, they might have also invested in these stocks.
Sorry but this kind of C… is not going to Fly to Far & for to long.
We should be riled up, on both the TSA and the Nigerian. Just as Ali Sheta eloquently articulates in his piece on MuslimMatters.org, we should engage in the civic society. Thus, later, when such horrendous calamities befall, we can more effectively denounce them.
http://muslimmatters.org/2010/01/06/thoughts-in-the-wake-of-the-latest-terror-scare/
It’s a terrible point you’d make and you’d totally leave the nation exposed, if not subjected to extreme inefficiencies, if you were in charge of security for the United States.
I think Ann Coulter said it best on the O’Reilly Factor when she said (paraphrased) “all the terrorists from 9/11 and thereafter have looked alike: men between the ages of 16 and 28, olive or dark skin, dark brown or black hair, and 2/3rds of them were named Mohammad.”
Let’s face reality cut all to the chase — if you’re traveling and you fit that description then you are going to get searched. It’s unfortunate that a certain minority (muslims from 14 countries) have to be screened, but I bet the vast majority of them, desiring to enter into the United States, being citizens of another country with no legal right to enter the U.S., will have no problem undergoing extra screening that legitimately targets their specific population.
What you write sounds in liberal hurt feelings and makes for incompetent national security policy.
Zoj –
You are really quoting Ann Coulter!?
I’ll write a full response to you and S. Harpasand and especially Mayya on my blog tomorrow.
pakaf.wordpress.com
wow kalsoom, i love how you have so many comments! it is obviously a sign that your blog is loved and read by lots of interesting/ed people. i enjoyed reading thispost and am worried not so much for myself but for the male population from this pool. men who originate from these countries, whether they have a canadian, us or eu passport, i fear, may be under scrutiny.
This decision shows obama’s political immaturity just doing a knee jerk reaction. Other countries should do the same to them,as world is not a US colony .
Dear Kalsoom
I wish to take your imagination on a trip.
Imagine this. Pakistan is engaged in overt and covert action in Nepal. Pakistani military has an uncomfortable relationship with Indian armed forces who have promised cooperation but some of whom might sympathize with the Nepalese rebels because they are Hindus. Nepali leadership regularly vows on TV that they would somehow find a way to kill scores of Pakistani citizens.
In 2001, a British national is caught in a flight to Karachi, attempting to bomb a PIA flight with his bombs concealed in his shoe. He was trained in India. An Indian national, freed from a Chinese prison after a successful Hijack is implicated in the 2002 abduction and murder (by slitting the throat) of a Pakistani journalist in India. In 2005, people of Indian origin attack buses in Britain killing 56, injuring 700. The perpetrators were trained in India. A coordinated commando style assault by Indian nationals kill 180 people in Myanmar, India due to internal political compulsions is dragging its feet during investigations. India is struggling with internal forces trying to take the country on a fundamentalist path, with regular blasts and shootings. Some terrorist leaders in India fault the Indian government and armed forces for being too friendly with Pakistan and release regular videos promising to bomb and shoot Pakistanis.
In 2009, a Nigerian national is caught with the identical modus operandi of the 2001 bombings. You are the President of Pakistan whose primary duty is to protect the life and liberty of Pakistanis. Would you
1. Screen all Indians flying to Pakistan, in a professional and courteous manner ?
2. As a demonstration of mutual respect not screen Indians specially ?
3. Sympathize with Indians because they are victims of terrorism too and not screen them at all ?
Please do think carefully. I wish to see your reply.
Message of Change,for 14 countries on the profiling:
“O’mama “:say hello to my rubber glove !!”
It’s an irony,a half black president brings racial/country profiling (14 countries),worse than Bush(3 countries).
Not to belabor the point. But every article protesting the singling out of Pakistan has this very subtle subtext (which may or may not be intentional) which is noxious and in some ways a commentary on our very own attitudes. Typically, we can find one of four subtexts
1. “Disrespecting” the travelers by a pat down search might create more Jihadis in Pakistan.
2. “Disrespecting” the travelers by a pat down search might cause public opinion in Pakistan to not be very supportive of eradicating Jihadi violence in Pakistan.
3. The actions of some random politician in some country, has the potential to radicalize vast swathes of our population despite our best efforts to prevent it. In this sense, a societal preponderance for random violence is influenced more by Obama’s policy than by our own policy.
4. I am an innocent Pakistani, why are you messing with me ?
Let me deconstruct it one by one.
1. “Disrespecting” the travelers by a pat down search might create more Jihadis in Pakistan.
Well, if a pat down search is enough to push some travelers over the edge and make them suicide bombers, then how are you going to prevent them from other influences ? Like the sermon of the local Mullah. Or the speech of Mr Z. Hamid. Or one of the inflammatory talk shows.
2. “Disrespecting” the travelers by a pat down search might cause public opinion in Pakistan to not be very supportive of eradicating Jihadi violence in Pakistan.
This is a pathetic excuse. Are we even serious about what kind of society we want to be, if we would get pissed and not try to root out jihadi violence from our society because someone “disrespected” us through a pat down search ? This is like a societal version of suicide bombing. We will commit suicide as a society to spite US ! This transactional relationship of hoping to get paid everytime we catch a terrorist, or hoping to get appreciated everytime we kill one has seeped into our psyche ! Do we want to live in a peaceful progressive society or are we just after money and respect ? If our resolve to root out jihadi violence is weakened because of some pat down search in a US airport, I sorry to say that I dont see a future for our country !
3. The actions of some random politician in some country, has the potential to radicalize vast swathes of our population despite our best efforts to prevent it. In this sense, a societal preponderance for random violence is influenced more by Obama’s policy than by our own policy.
Ah our typical Pakistani habit of blaming everyone and sundry for our own failings ! Have madrassas been registered ? Schoolbooks been revised ? LeT shut down ? Concerted campaign waged to take back our frontier ? Investment made in our police and investigative agencies to catch and punish the perpetrators of numerous bombings ? Hate speech vendors shut down ? Do all these make a difference or pat down searches make a difference ?
4. I am an innocent Pakistani, why are you messing with me ?
Well, how would they know that ? We do appear to be Jihadi sympathizers claiming that our will to fight the jihadis will be eroded if someone searches us ! On the other hand, this is a wake up call (shameful and stressful, but nevertheless necessary) to clean up our act.
I sincerely hope that this new promulgation serves as a wake up call and as a trigger for introspection, rather than as an opportunity to write many articles on yet another manufactured outrage.
Salam.
[…] 3: Discussion on Kalsoon’s Blog Entry on Pakistan getting into the list on “countries of interest” in regards to Airport […]
The very first thing is to confront that this is our war. It is on our soil and the militants are trying to take over our country as their playground for future. We have to fight them out as this cannot lead to a safe future for our kids and people tomorrow.
I am not flattered that Pakistan name is the list of the top countries. We have to admit that we do have a militancy problem in Pakistan that is on the rise. Unless we do not speak against it as a united voice our image globally can not be improved and we can not thrive as a nation.
I guess this leaves us with the option of the all-Muslim airline. If some knickerbomber blows us up mid-air, at least we get martyrdom.
On the other hand, security would be very light–no gloved hands exploring unknown cavities.
Small catch though, they probably only trust an auto-pilot hard coded to land in Mecca no matter what your destination of choice.
Boils down to choice between dignity and destination.
[…] Shahrukh Khan has also mirrored his real life onto the reels here: Muslim husband, Hindu wife, happy family. Underscoring the point that what we choose to call our religion is not as important as how we choose to implement it. There are extremists everywhere; there are good and bad people everywhere – again, one would assume that no one needs to be TOLD this, but prejudice and discrimination are still alive and well. […]