Gay rights, American Muslims and religious laws

American Muslims! do you want American Laws to be based on religion? if not then why all the arguments against gay marriage are coming from religion?

If you have been to Muslim gathering, especially for Jummah namaz, you would have met many concerned muslims and heard ceremons from the pulpits. I did…..

Recent declaration by Obama to end descrimination against Gays marrige rights have stirred quite a bit of uneasynes among religious leadership (if there is something like that in Muslim community of America)

In masajids you might be Imam mentioning gay rights and getting angry on that. You will hear things like they are going to indocternate the children, if we alow gays getting married then next they will going to allow sex with animals, and even you might hear the argument it is slippery slop if we tolerate gays getting married next it might be having sex with kids (yup, for a second i could not believe when I heard such arguments), one Imam pointed out that your child might come home and say dad today my teacher Ms. Jeniffer’s husband came to visit her and her name was Andrea, what you are going to say to them.

I will not go in details about “question of consent” which an animal can’t give. Or Muslim children grow in America where most of the kids are having sex (straight or not) or atleast know that kids around them have boy friends or girl friends. So how traumatic their teacher having gay husband would be?

I will not even go and discuss that in this society people of any inclination are having sex with who ever they want and are open about it, so is big fuss is just giving them legal rights (which as a human they must have) not the physical act itself?

Keep all these aside, and acknowledging that all Ibrahimic religions (Jeudaism, Christianity and Islam) view being gay a sinful act. Question is which one of these wants to have American laws defined according to the religion? Do jews and muslims want America to have Christian laws? If not then why the reasoning they are presenting is coming from the religion?

Why I only hear God has forbiden this act, Allah destroyed a nation for that, ……. where are other detailed reasonings. Because if we start having religious argument here, where it will stop. Why not next have discussion about who could actually be called Christian or Jew or Muslim? Why not go ahead and ban any criticism of any religion? But then who will define religion? Why should Christians accept Islam to be religion? if they do then why not some Spagheti God? Should punishments be also derived from Bible, old and new Testaments?

American Muslims should know better, religious arguments about laws will lead to religions laws and those laws might not be ones that let minorities flourish.

 

Salman Taseer’s Murder: Belt up to fight the intolerance

You must have heard the Parent example for rationalizing violence, The Parent example goes like this, with little variations; “If a shopkeeper curses your father and uses —- words for your mother, will you beat the heck out of him or not?”  This is most used example to justify violence especially in the cases related to Blasphemy. Well I can beat the heck out of that guy but then I will spend years in the jail.  Most importantly from when the Emotional Responses become basis for actions, judge might reduce my punishment but punishment I will get.  Question should not be what I will do, question should be what Law says.

Why I am telling you about this?

When I heard about Salman Taseer’s murder I was thinking it will result in huge change in Pakistan

After just few hours I know what direction we are going. In all the media not one religious scholar has clearly condemned the killing. Fazl-ur-Rehman have included the phrases, that hint that they hold Salman Taseer to be responsible for his murder.  Some other religious and non-religious leaders were clearly saying that he should have been more careful in presenting his views.

Fan page has been setup on the Facebook for that murderer,  he is being called Ghazi by some religious group openly, a guy on twitter is sending salutes to the killer, Adil Najam of Pakistaniat.com is getting threatening comments on his blog, the people on the news channels are rationalizing actions of Malik Mumtaz, some religious leaders are advising against offering funeral prayers, and list continuous.

It’s time to belt up and stand up against the intolerance; it’s time to start telling “No it is not Ok for some one to be whacked up for what he/she has said”

No, no one should be declared Non-Muslim for their views, it’s only their right to declare their faiths.

It’s time to start asking our leadership for condemning such actions.

If we will stand up, if we don’t speak up; we might see people been killed for even things smaller that this. I was horrified to see a guy saying those who question Blasphemy Law are hurting feelings of people of Pakistan and then in not so open phrases defending the killer. This all appeared like threat to other people who criticize Blasphemy Law made by Zia-ul-Haq.

Let’s raise the voice so that Mumtaz Qadri does not become hero, we should be strong to disallow creation of other Mumtaz Qadri’s, we should make enough noise so that people should think twice before supporting a murderer.

 

P.S.

I hate terrorists, not only because they kill people. But also because they make Martyr out of those who should not be respected; first Zia should have been hanged he became Shaeed, Benazir should have been tried for all the corruption and mismanagement she was made Shaheeda and now Suleman Taseer who should have been removed from governorship (for bullying the elected govt. of Punjab not on his stance against Blasphemy laws) and spend rest of days thinking about days in governorship has become Shaheed.

But all things aside, his death will play an important role here in which direction Pakistan has to go. He is high profile enough to not let the matter die for weeks. It will be interesting to know what khutbaas are given during Friday prayers; and how people react when Malik Mumtaz is tried in the courts.

 

 

Governor Salman Taseer assassinated by intolerance

Governor of Punjab Pakistan Salman Taseer has been murdered by his own guard citing that Governor called Blasphemy laws black laws. How much intolerance we can live with? Where is freedom of expression? Can we not criticize a law made by humans?

Killer Mumtaz Qadri is not sole responsible, we all are. Our media anchors, our columnist, our religious scholars and our intellectuals, we all are.

One of the the worst part is there was rumor (according to the TV. Channels) that Salman Taseer was about to removed from Governor’s post. The guy who should have been thrown out of the govt. has now become Pakistan’s hero.

I never liked this guy not because he was vocal against the Blasphemy laws, I respect him for that, but his overall behavior was more of the bully than a respected governor.  Now it’s really hard time for me to say anything against him; he is dead and has been killed for one thing I hold dear, Freedom of Expression.

Let’s not let this person’s spilled blood go waste, let’s start pushing for more open attitude, making people realize that no one will be safe if we let this intolerance attitude prevail.

 

Burn Quran Day and My City Gainesville

As many of you know I live in Gainesville. Among whom who don’t know many will hear this city’s name in few days, unfortunately, for a wrong reason. Recently a church named Dove Church, reportedly having less than a hundred members, announced that they want to burn the Quran (Koran).  I know what you will be thinking, or at least among many of you, there will be disbelief and anger. I want you to control your anger and listen.

Three and a half years in Gainesville and today for the first time I am little afraid. I live in fear of how my country men will react. Will they morph into the lynching crowd of Sialkot? Will they burn fast food restaurants as they did when protesting against caricatures killing two of their own country men or will they set cars and buses on fire? Will they become the monsters the Dove Church envisages Muslims to be?

Muslims of Gainesville need you to remain calm, remember that this does not represent America, this does not represent Florida and this does not represent Gainesville. It is one of the most diverse and welcoming city you can find.  Three and a half years in this city and I have not met one person who has discriminated against me for being Pakistani or being Muslim. My face does not hide from where I am and my name is quite indicative of what my beliefs are.

I want you to remember that this action is being done by a fringe group. Remember that this is not a global conspiracy against Islam; these are just few hate mongers trying to get attention.

Just let me give you a little history: previously this pastor tried to pull of a stunt by asking school-going children of his congregation to wear shirts with “Islam is of the Devil” written over them. Before this no one knew of them. Even before the Muslim community became aware, that school’s administration asked those students to either change their shirts or cover them. This event pushed the Gainesville community to re-introduce school uniforms. Rest of the community in Gainesville, both Muslim and non-Muslim, reacted against it peacefully.

There is one more reason – I have not seen before Muslims of Gainesville as united, as energetic and as active. And Gainesville community supports us; they are against this hateful act. From the day this pastor has announced this program, we are getting support from all-around. Muslim Community of Gainesville has decided that they will not protest. We will respond by servicing the community. On that day we will be having multiple events to help the people of Gainesville who need us. There will be a food drive for the homeless, blood drive and book collection drive.  On other days we are having doing community outreach, having Koran 101 day and opening our Masajids to anyone who wants to come and ask any question.

Why are not we protesting? Because it does not deliver anything, it’s useless and it can result in confrontation. Confrontation is one thing we don’t want. And we don’t want Muslims living away from America to become violent. Your violence, smoke coming out of burning tires and effigies will only harm image of Muslims. We, Muslims of Gainesville, are setting example of how to react intelligently and peacefully; please help us.

I know you are hurt, but will anger go away by doing what we do? Don’t burn things; don’t come out shouting in the streets, drying your throats. There are many things you can do; Pakistan is going from worst crisis now, why not have Largest Donation Day? Or Biggest Blood Collection Drive? Many schools have been destroyed; why not get money for one School?

If you want to show your anger, do it by sending letters. Write letters to the American Embassy, to White House and if you want to Dove Church, telling them to read Book not Burn it.  Educate people about Islam.

Many people will ask why they are allowed to do it. They will say it because they are being allowed this means American Govt. is involved. Remember this is the country, where you can burn the flag of this country, where you can say you favor Hitler and not get arrested.

Most of you know these things and understand the Freedom of Expression comes with the extra responsibility of bearing ignorance, but most of our fellow citizens don’t understand it. Please educate them. Don’t let this become opportunity for radicals and extremists.

 

Kashmir; students ask for Azadi

In Pakistan the media is not giving much heed to what is going around in Indian Held Kashmir, might be they want to distance themselves from the events. Reading news articles, both by Indian and non-Indian, it seems everyone is in conclusion that they are largely based on anger of local people, more on the basis of how govt. is treating them.  Have a look at BBC’s Soutik Biswas Deja vu in Kashmir and Wall Street Journal The New Kashmir Anger.  Indian Army is marching in the streets of Kashmir and Media restrictions have been placed. Due to media restrictions no newspaper was published yesterday.

One of the Interesting news was about the Film Lamhaa. IBN CNN reported Kunal Kapoor’s tryst with danger in Kashmir and what was danger? He was performing Lamhaa’s scene in front of 400 schools students and some students start objecting to what he was saying.

Kunal says, “I was saying my lines when suddenly some students said that you are not making sense and everybody joined them. However, there was another group of students who were supporting what I said. This small argument led to a big argument where both groups started arguing with each other.”

He further elaborates, “In the midst of this big argument, I didn’t know what to do and I was simply standing. Then suddenly from nowhere a student came and shouted, ‘Kashmir ko kya chahiye?’ (What does Kashmir want?), and the rest answered in one voice ‘Azadi’ (freedom).

These are not words from some Pakistani or any other non-Indian personality, we can’t say that he is twisting it to make it against India. So when I listen and read many Indian commentator saying whatever is happening in Kashmir is Pakistan’s doing or they have been manipulated by few, I want them to listen and observe Kashmir. Try to understand what the people of Kashmir want. One of the excellent interview is what Mehbooba Mufti gave to IBN CNN on 8th of July 2010 http://ibnlive.in.com/news/mehbooba-blames-government-for-kashmir-violence/126260-37.html?from=search . She truly said that the said alleged tapes regarding the so called Separatist Leaders can’t be used as an excuses of State sponsored violence Kahmiri people are facing.

 

Citizenship of Pakistan? question of Sectarianism

The recent attacks in Lahore has triggered many articles, blogs, rigged by emotions. Attack on the Ahmedi mosques and attack on the Data Darbar.  Yes  both as many that went before should be condemned, but these two triggered more emotions than any. First one, because it was attack on the community that  has been declared non-muslim and faces the hateful emotions every day. Second one because Data Darbar is considered to be centerpiece of Lahore, it’s place where hungry can get food, people come to pray and get peace., that’s the place where no one is stopped and everyone is welcomed, they say no one can die of hunger in Lahore, because there is Data Darbar. It is part of culture and to many part of their faith.

In these emotions, lots of people wrote a lot, unfortunately some of them in these emotions connected the things wrongly, they want to change the law, they throw blanket racist label for whole Pakistan, they say Pakistan is riddled with sectarianism. Yes it is, law needs to be changed, people do become racist. Sectarianism do exist. But during all this discussion many of them become too critical and less rational. Well, it irked me (because when there is too much emotion and less rational then these are just words not solutions) but not so much because atleast they were saying correct things.

What forced me to write this blog was this piece Sectarianism has poisoned Pakistan by Basim Usmani.  He starts good and makes good point about remembering violence in which Shia community was targeted during 1990.  Then he makes one big mistake, he says

To have a Pakistani passport requires citizens to assert that they are not part of the Ahmadiyya community.

Well that’s  not true. Have a look at the PDF. I don’t want to discuss whatever a Govt. should have a say in declaring someone Muslim or non-Muslim, but what Basim is saying is factually incorrect and leads the readers to believe that Ahmadis are not given Pakistani Passport. One feels that he might just want to point out absurdity of such clause on the Passport, but later down he states that

Pakistanis must stress how being born or raised in their country is enough to be Pakistani; laws preventing Ahmadis from referring to themselves as Muslims were amended to the constitution by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s.

Again mixing two things, They are Pakistani. I have friends from many faiths, Suni, shia, Christians, Hindus, Ahmadi, etc… from Pakistan and I know few who did have their Passports.

I don’t doubt the poster’s sincerity, however I doubt his effort and effort by the Guardian to publish such essay without checking the facts.  From here he starts looking like a person having very few first hand experience of actual life in Pakistan.  For example he says

When you are pulled over by street police in any major Pakistani city, the first bit of information the police ask for is your family name. From one name your caste, religious beliefs and affluence is determined.

When police stops you they ask you for you licence and ,as they say, qaghzat (papers). The affluence is determined by the ride (car/bike) you are on not your name. I have been stopped many times in Lahore, sometime when I was driver and other times when I was passenger I don’t remember they asking your family name. They might ask your name but explicitly going for the family w.r.t knowing your influence name is quite a stretch. There are so many Chaudry’s in Lahore, there are Chistis, there are Gujjars, and these are the names used as last names I don’t think Police let’s you go just because you are Chaudry, yes dropping of few other names might play the game, but it is not dependent on your cast or religion. I have seen in US, sometime cops letting guys go (stopped for over speeding) because they were from the city where cop used to live or study, does that make them racist?

As for the name, my name, plus my father’s name plus my family name all indicate I am Shia (which I am not).  Never in my life I have experienced discrimination from people who just knew my name . I did had little love affair with black pents and shirt, which is taken as signature of Shia in Lahore,  and I never carry label on my head indicating I am Sunni.  As I explained before I do have many Shia friends,  in school and college years we do make fun of each other but never on each other’s beliefs. One of my best friends that I made during the college years is Ahmadi.  He used to study with us, I don’t know if anytime he was stopped in college because he was Ahmadi.

I am not saying the sectarianism is not in Pakistan, it is there. I have heard so many times these sentences, like  what face you will show to Hazrat Muhammad (S.W) if you have an Ahmadi friend, but when an Ahmadi is standing in your shop do people don’t sell them their things? Do people ask to see their ID cards when they meet you (I know it happens in Japan, they ask for your Name Card not ID card though) Are you not offered a job in Lahore if you are not from Lahore? Or you are not allowed admission in the college because you are Shia or Sunni? Does police asks you extra Chai/Pani if you are christian? Just blindly throwing Racist label will not solve the problem.

Problem is invisibility of mutual tolerance and abiding law. We don’t have Sectarianism we have Groupism.

Punjabis are beaten in Queeta, Sindhis beat Muhajirs, Muhajirs block Pathans, Pathans don’t like Punjabis, these are also some stories you will hear. Are they beaten because Punjabis are Sunni and Sindhis are Shia?.

More importantly do you see a Pathan getting beat in Mazang Lahore? We don’t hate others as much as we like OURS. Might be because we are still in the earlier stages of Globalization. We live in isolation from each other. Our children are born, raised and get job in same city. There are streets where no new person has come to live for previous two generations. We are more local and less global.  But no we are people living in segregating society and no we are not living in Jungle, please don’t make one out of it.

Solution is more openness, openness for each other and openness  in discussion, questions like Why religion should be on Passport is valid question and could only be answered by national debate.  Throwing people in the Jail because they question other’s Faith will not solve the problem. We are fighting against terrorists who plan to throw anyone in Jail that has opinion other than ours. We can’t fight them by making our version of it.

 

Here we Go Again (Google banned?)

Dawn reports that Lahore High Court has banned 9 websites, including heavy weights like Google, Yahoo and Bing.  Again Why?

due to “material against the fundamental principals of Islam and its preaching,”

There are no words to say here. Yes, I can say one thing, hey why stop here, just ban the damn internet and  burn the libraries.  Google, Yahoo and Bing?  really you will ban the search engine because some one searches a material using it?  Under which rule can you ban a search engine. Why not ban computers? they are the tool used by many to access these services.

There are hundreds of other cheap search engines, one can use if want to.

Please guys don’t shove this thing down the carpet, it is a legal problem, should be solved legally. Can a tool be held responsible on how it is being used? Should CD Writers be baned because people write pirated software using it?

Keeping everything aside, who gave LHC authority to ban some services for whole Pakistan?

Does he has such authority? Who controls the Internet? Federation or Provinces?

These are the questions that need to be answered.

I am really disappointed, it was something even Musharaf did not did, when media was being blocked.

 

Facebook; Question to Lahore High Court

With all the regard to the said judges or judge involved in the decision; I cannot and will not accept such order; regardless how we feel about the someone drawing candidatures of Prophet (SW).

These orders are not only against Freedom of Expression but they amateur and will not generate any positive effect. Foremost they decrease my confidence on the courts for making rational and lawful decisions.  If we allow and accept such decisions, we are opening ourselves other rulings that can be more than just baning of social network site.

This whole episode has left me with lots of questions, some of them are as follow.

1) Under what Law a “Lahore High Court” can ban International Service for whole Pakistan? What is jurisdiction of LHC?

2) Under what Law can it even ban it for even city?

3) Was Facebook issued a notice?

4) Was anyone against the Facebook Ban was there to point the inherent flaws in such order?

5) How many judges were involved? 1,2 or how many. If it was 1 person decision, are we willing to let 1 person make decisions which can effect huge population of  Pakistan?

6) If that particular page of the Facebook was already blocked by PTA then why was it necessary to block Facebook?

 

Me, Pakistan and media

Yes,  I am about to block all the websites that can give news about Pakistan. How can you concentrate after reading all this. Bomb blasts, rising prices, electricity not there, and now Shehbaz making stupid remarks.

One good thing is atleast they can’t say or do stupid things and get away with them; remember Zardari & Child Born in Rikshaw both President and PM both had to do something to correct it, electricity theft atPML-N rally and now Shehbar Sharif making this statement. Credit must go to media and some form of working democracy. Few years back during dictatorship of Musharaf clothes were tore away from the bodies of prominent protesters and nothing happened.

I know there are many other cases where our politician’s and their worker’s transgressions are covered up, but then democracy is also work in progress.

You, see that’s what happens, I start thinking about Pakistan, reading about Pakistan and then oh this, oh that keep bubbling in my mind.

Right now I have to concentrate on my work, that’s what Pakistan needs more people doing their job correctly. So bye bye news for sometime

 

Question to Supreme Court Why Saqib Nisar and why Khawaja Sharif ?

Here comes the new mess.

Again in Pakistan, Judges and Executive are face to face.

Ok, for people who don’t know, visit

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/president-elevates-justice-sharif-to-sc,-appoints-justice-saqib-as-lhcs-acting-cj-sc-suspends-notification-govt-claims-it-consulted-cj-legal-fraterni-420

From what I have heard, Chief Justice of Pakistan wants to elevate Justice Saqib Nisar to Supreme Court where as Govt. wants (more specifically it appears President of Pakistan wants) Chief Justice of Lahore Hight Court Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif.

What I have heard that it appears Chief Justice has more say in who’s to be elevated to the Supreme Court.  However what has concerned me more is Why Chief Justice wants a specific person to be in the Supreme Court and not the other one?

Is Justice Khawaja Sharif (Chief Justice of Lahore) less competent than Justice Saqib Nisar? or is it just personal preference?

If it is based on merit that I will be really interested in knowing why a Chief Justice of Lahore is less competent that his junior.

On the legal grounds, to me atleast it appears Cheif Justice of Pakistan has more firm standing because Govt. has to take the Supreme Court’s recommendation, which it has become evident that they have not taken. But the Supreme Court has to explain what is the criteria in which a person is elevated to this highly prestigious institution.  Just because you are legally right does not make a decision right.

Just because you can do something does not make it a correct decision.

He must explain why he is not picking the senior most judge to the Supreme Court. What is the mechanism of such process?