The Express Tribune Magazine - September 11

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

Cover Story 20 What if 9/11 Never Happened?

Perspectives on a Pakistan that may have been 24 Dollars and Sense Was 9/11 a boon or bane for Pakistan’s economy?

26 The More Things Change A dispatch from a world in which the TwinTowers never fell

Feature 32 False Prophet of Fear Like every other business, the terrorism analysis industry also has its share of scam artists

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36 An American Jihad Talat Hamdani transformed a personal tragedy into a national campaign

Positive Pakistanis 42 Sister Act Two courageous girls set the stage for the empowerment of women in Pakistan’s tribal belt.

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Health 48 Daadi’s Diary Say ‘ta-ta’ to upset tummies!

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 50 Advice: Mr Know-it-all solves your problems 52 Reviews: the dreamer in us identifies with Steve Rogers on an emotional level 54 Ten Things I Hate About: Being a British Pakistani

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Magazine Editor: Zarrar Khuhro, Senior Sub-Editor: Batool Zehra, Sub-Editors: Hamna Zubair and Dilaira Mondegarian.

Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Anam Haleem, Tariq W Alvi, S Asif Ali, Samad Siddiqui, Mohsin Alam, Sukayna Sadik.

Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi.

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk 4

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Multi-brand store, The Designers, was launched in Karachi

Ayza, Dania and Malaika Wardha

Afsheen

Umar Sayeed and Frieha Altaf

Nadia

Kiran Haroo

n and Samee

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Ilona, Fauzea and Mohsin SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

n

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Huma Adnan and Fatima

Madiha

Rabia

z

bbas and Aya

na, Zaheer A

Marium, Ra

Shamoon Sultan and Saira

8

Amera SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

Qandeel, Asad and Nieni Rafi

Sadaf Malaterre

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Imran Kureshi and Musarat Misbah

Haya and Nazia

Nida Yasir

Marvi Tehmina Khaled and Nubain Ali

Erum

10 SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

Amna Andleeb Rana

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Babloo and Sara Gillani

Reema

Abrar and Hareem

Fia and Rubab Rizi with her daughter

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Ali and Onaiza SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

Ahsan and Racheal

Masooma an

d Rubina

PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR & EVENTS

Abrar-ul-Haq launched Preeto couture in Lahore

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Zainab and Mariam

Fawad and Fiza

Ursala

Juggan Kazim Khawar Riaz and Ayaan

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Natasha SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

Turab, Salma and Bilal

Sophiya

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Shaheen Khan showcased her Eid Collection in Karachi

Shumaila and Sophia

Hammad, Sophie and Bilal Samia, Kausar and Samreen

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Shahnaz and Mubarak SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

Fatima

PHOTOS BY FARHAN LASHARI

Uzma, Shaheen and Rubab

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

COVER STORY

what if 9/11 never happened?

BY GIBRAN PESHIMAM

They say you cannot understand a beginning until you see the end. And despite the passage of 10 years since that Tuesday morning, we still live in the dust cloud of the fallen towers, unable to pierce the gloom of the present to see where the future will take us. While time will be the best judge of the true importance of the day four hijacked planes were used to attack the world’s sole superpower, a decade on, one can question if September 11, 2001 was indeed a true ‘turning point’ of history, especially for Pakistan. What if 9/11 had never happened? How big a difference would it have made?

Graham Allison, Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Professor at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

He adds: “Had the US not been victim to an act of mega-terror-

ism, American policy would not have adjusted to the reality that

all civilized people now live in a world where super-empowered individuals and small groups can kill on a scale that was previously the preserve of nations.”

And with this realisation came action and consequences – par-

ticularly for Pakistan.

A VICTIM OF GEOGRAPHY

According to security analyst Gen. (retd) Talat Masood, the first

Foremost of the by-products of 9/11 was the launching of a US-

change in world outlook as far as the American public was con-

call the “War on Terror” – under which the US invaded Pakistan’s

consequence of 9/11 was that it “brought about a comprehensive cerned.” Secured by two oceans and safe borders, America had considered itself untouchable.

“It punctured the ‘security bubble’ in which most Americans

20

their TVs and occasionally send forth expeditions to help,” says

lived, imagining that wars and violence only happened ‘over

there’; that Americans could watch conflict in distant lands on SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

led global offensive, military and ideological, which we today neighbour to the west, Afghanistan. The impact on Pakistan was inevitably devastating.

“Pakistan is the one country, aside from Afghanistan, that has

suffered the most [as a result of 9/11],” says Masood. “Afghanistan would have continued to be unstable, but the impact [of that

“US interest in Pakistan would have been peripheral. There were other interests such as [proximity to] Iran, China etc, but not at the level that exists today ... It would not have been a key ally to US in terms of vital interest,” says Masood.

instability] on Pakistan would not have been as great,” he says,

feated in Afghanistan, points out that “Nawaz and Clinton had

tants who escaped from Afghanistan into Pakistan, thus sowing

Nawaz who went to Washington after Kargil.”

adding that after the US invasion, there was an “inflow” of milithe seeds for future conflicts.

BAD ROMANCE The invasion of Afghanistan brought Pakistan to the frontline.

managed to strike some sort of relationship ... after all it was That said, Prof Allison adds in an important qualifier: “US-

Pakistan relations were troubled before 9/11, were troubled after 9/11; [and] will be troubled as far as the eye can see.”

While a temporary period of warmth followed in Pak-US rela-

Pakistan became a ‘key ally’ – a big step up from its near-rogue

tions post 9/11, things appear almost back to square one a decade

which resulted in punitive sanctions. To make matters worse,

nal, is on the verge of sanctions and is still being lectured for its

state classification in the aftermath of the 1998 nuclear tests

there was a military coup a year later, which further isolated Pakistan from the world.

But after 9/11, things changed.

“US interest in Pakistan would have been peripheral [had 9/11

later. Pakistan is once again under pressure for its nuclear arsealleged support for militant outfits.

There are relations – but troubled, much like before 9/11. In-

deed, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

not occurred]. There were other interests such as [proximity to]

OF DICTATORS AND DEMOCRATS

not have been a key ally to the US in terms of vital strategic inter-

taken over in a military coup back in 1999. The US, the stated pol-

Iran, China etc, but not at the level that exists today ... It would

Running Pakistan in 2001 was Gen Pervez Musharraf, who had

est,” says Masood.

icy of which is to support democracy, had frosty relations with

But to establish whether the sudden surge in relations was

sustainable, leave alone beneficial, one must re-examine where Washington and Islamabad stood on the eve of 9/11.

When asked about the state of Pak-US relations prior to 9/11,

Pakistan under his military leadership until 9/11, when they needed Pakistan on board and had no option but to work with the general.

On the other end, it can be argued that any sane leader in

former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence Gen. (retd) Asad

Musharraf’s place would have inevitably had to join hands with

relations.” Durrani, who was the chief of the ISI from 1990-92, a

And inevitably whoever was at the helm of affairs would also

Durrani says “there was some sort of rapport ... but not very cosy period in which Pak-US relations soured after the Soviets were de-

an irked superpower which was, quite literally, out for blood. have had to deal with the backlash – when the aggrieved mili-

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

21

COVER STORY tants turned their guns on Pakistan.

It remains a fact however that the war gave an otherwise floun-

dering Musharraf legitimacy and international support, much

like the 1979 Soviet invasion had come to General Ziaul Haq’s rescue.

In exchange for his support against extremists, Musharraf was

seemingly given a free hand to subvert the political process.

“American support for dictatorial rule would not have been

there, and Pakistan would have moved towards democracy a great deal sooner,” says Masood, adding, “Musharraf would not

have lasted. Ties were cool – difficult – after Kargil and Musharraf. But that was not a bad thing. Sustained US pressure would have brought about democracy.”

Gen (retd) Hamid Gul, however, thinks otherwise. He says the

notion that the US had to support Musharraf after 9/11 is simply

false. “Musharraf was put there by the US ... they demolished democracy,” he claims, adding that Musharraf was told to take over but not to declare a full-blown martial law. “Remember, he

became the CEO and not a martial law administrator.” Further

proof of this collusion, he says, is that the US also accepted his referendum.

‘BETRAYAL’ AND BLOWBACK Pakistan’s involvement in the War on Terror had a major impact

on its own policies, especially when it comes to dealing with militant outfits - patronised or otherwise.

“Pakistan had serious problems – home grown militants pro-

moting its interest in Kashmir, and promoting talibanisation in Afghanistan,” says Masood, but adds that, “this phenomenon

could have been managed much easier [had it not been for 9/11].

It would have corrected itself on its own.”

In a world where the towers never fell, Pakistan would have

had to ultimately deal with these elements for its own interests, but 9/11 and the US’ new resolve meant that there was little time

for dillydallying. They had to do it now, and do it on the US’

terms. Consequently, anti-militancy efforts were to be handled

at a pace that wasn’t domestically sustainable or even possible.

What was initially a creeping threat of extremism and radicalisation turned into full-blown militancy once Pakistan took an about turn in its domestic policy against militant groups.

“To say that militants suddenly appeared after 9/11 is wrong ...

there were such people before that as well. However, after 9/11 – as a result of that cooperation [with the US] - it was obvious that these

people completely turned against us,” recalls Durrani. Part of the

reason was that Pakistan’s reversal was seen as a betrayal by many such groups. The former ISI chief says that there was “an exponential rise in militancy after 9/11 ... dormant figures and groups reemerged ... militant groups found space in which to grow.”

22

Gul, however, strikes a dissenting note, saying it is not the lo-

cal groups that are attacking Pakistan’s interest, but only those SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

groups being sponsored and funded by foreign powers such as

PRESSURE AND PRIORITIES

find a solution to these elements on its own – and at its own pace.

ship’ has been massive loss of life, insecurity and infrastructural

the US. He does agree though that Pakistan was not allowed to “They forced us to go into the tribal areas. But when we did, we

did so with our own strategy. Remember that there was a peace pact in 2004.” This, he says, angered the Americans who then decided to ramp up pressure and take matters into their own hands.

Naik Muhammad, a militant leader based in the tribal areas,

with whom there was a peace pact was killed in the “first American drone strike” many years after 9/11. The first suicide attack only took place after this, he says.

ISOLATION WAS NOT INEVITABLE Proponents of Musharraf’s support for the War on Terror would argue that Pakistan did benefit greatly from US support following 9/11. Economically and politically, wasn’t Pakistan in a critical condition before US-led international attention shored it up

The most obvious impact of the post-9/11, US-Pakistan ‘partnerdestruction.

“Social fabric, political institutions and law and order were

affected,” says Masood. But the damage has been more comprehensive than that.

Other, long-term compromises were made as a result of the US

presence in Afghanistan and the pressure on Islamabad to make the War against Terror its utmost priority.

The collateral was “the domestic emphasis on education, and

improving the economy – the economy has never been given the attention it deserves – critical infrastructure [and] institution building ... as a result of a heavy foreign presence in the neighbourhood, these sectors were compromised,” says Masood. We are paying the price for this reorientation today.

If Musharraf’s two years before 9/11 are anything to go by,

and bailed it out from a crisis, they ask?

Pakistan was on a markedly different trajectory priority-wise:

have soon been over,” says Masood, talking about the pressure Paki-

Accountability Bureau had been unleashed and the country was

“Though difficult, [the international isolation before 9/11] would

stan faced for its nuclear tests, Kargil and, of course, a military dictatorship. It’s a view shared by Durrani. “Yes, there were some

problems after the nuclear [tests] – but to say we were bankrupt is wrong,” insists Durrani. “Policies pursued by Nawaz and Benazir did have an effect on the economy.”

Things during Musharraf’s era may have “looked better” says Dur-

rani, but he questions how “solid” that economic development was.

There was a “squeeze” after Pakistan’s nuclear tests admits Gul. “But other countries were quietly helping. We would have handled it.”

Believing that Pakistan’s economy would have resurged on

its own requires Panglossian faith, but one thing is certain: we would have had to take tough decisions, which we’re taking now – on energy, subsidies, and fiscal prudence – back then.

Bailing out Pakistan only delayed the resolving of structural is-

sues in our economy that have persisted to this day.

the Higher Education Commission had been set up, the National being run by a cabinet of technocrats, not politicians. Another

casualty of reprioritising the war on terror was the security that came with an extremely expensive nuclear weapon programme.

With a secure nuclear arsenal in hand to fend off Indian adventurism, one can speculate Pakistan would have been able to lessen its expenditure on conventional weapon systems. But fighting militants meant you needed conventional weapons again

– and Pakistan’s biggest military asset was useless against this faceless and flexible enemy. Ironically, the nuclear asset itself seemed to now need protection.

When we look back at 9/11 now, it is with the benefit of a de-

cade of hindsight. And hindsight, as they say, is always 20/20.

“We could have managed the situation much better,” con-

cludes Durrani. “It was our responsibility – we could have taken

care of it. But our leadership failed [then] and continues to fail [now].” a

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

23

COMMENT It is always a pity when a nation wastes a dictatorship. For the Pakistani economy, that is exactly what happened with the Musharraf administration during the 2000s: the opportunity for structural reform was squandered because of the spigot of cash that Washington opened up after 9/11 in a bid to bribe Islamabad into cooperating in the ‘war on terror’.

When Pervez Musharraf took power in a military coup in Octo-

ber 1999, the country’s finances could hardly have been in worse

shape. To his credit, the general decided to confront the prob-

lems head on and sought the help of the International Monetary Fund in confronting the government’s financial challenges.

Between October 1999 and September 2001, the government

seemed to be making slow, but steady progress on stabilising Pakistan’s economy. The rupee had stopped plunging (a drop that had started with the imposition of US sanctions after the

1998 nuclear tests) and the budget deficit was on its way to being controlled.

This is not to suggest that all was hunky dory. The govern-

ment’s drive to document the economy, quite literally at the barrel of a gun, failed miserably. The Federal Board of Revenue

was also not really able to collect much more in terms of taxes, at

least as a percentage of the total size of the economy. But at least there was a sense of urgency about the reforms and a seriousness of purpose that seemed to define the stewardship of the economy in those early years.

After 9/11, however, there seemed to be almost no end to the

amount of money the government could ask Washington for and we once again fell into the old habit of not taxing our own peo-

ple, spending as much as we liked and sending the bill to good old Uncle Sam.

So would the Pakistani economy have been better off had those

planes never smashed into the World Trade Centre? The short answer: barring two sectors, yes.

What really drove the Musharraf-era boom The number speak for themselves: the Musharraf administra-

tion averaged 7% annual economic growth for most of the time it was in office. At one point (fiscal year 2005), Pakistan was the third-fastest growing economy in the world. Per capita income

WHERE WOULD THE PAKISTANI ECONOMY BE IF 9/11 HADN’T HAPPENED? Apart from the incalculable damage caused by terrorism and internal conflicts that tore the country apart post 9/11, more money from Washington also perpetuated the government’s — and the people’s — bad habits

BY FAROOQ TIRMIZI

rose and the debt-to-GDP ratio — a key measure of the nation’s

Checking the counterfactual

indebtedness — fell to levels not seen since the early 1980s.

Would the Arabs have invested in Pakistan had 9/11 never hap-

enforced discipline on the government, and the rise of middle

— the Abu Dhabi Group and investment houses from Dubai —

So how did Musharraf do it? It was a combination of IMF-

classes in some of the world’s leading emerging markets, both of which are phenomena that had nothing to do with 9/11.

Lowering inflation A good portion of the Musharraf boom was due to the fact that the

pened? The reality is that the biggest Arab investors in Pakistan had been investing in Pakistan since the late 1990s. There is no

reason to believe they would not have been attracted by the improving macroeconomic stability in the country had 9/11 never happened.

There may have been a slight lag: investments may have

government put itself on sounder financial footing and aimed at

flowed in slightly later, and maybe of a smaller size. But had

therefore interest rates — dropped to the low single digits in Paki-

reasonable to assume that the net effect would have been better

controlling inflation as one of its top priorities. Inflation — and stan, almost unprecedented since the late 1970s.

The low cost of borrowing made it possible for many businesses to

grow a lot faster than they would have. That, combined with Shau-

the economy continued to improve its own capacity, it seems for Pakistan in the no-9/11 scenario than what actually ended up happening.

kat Aziz’s eminently sensible decision to continue Nawaz Sharif’s

The two exceptions

more room for the private sector to grow than ever before.

matter how rosy a picture one paints of a no-9/11 world, there is

policies of deregulation and privatisation meant that there was

There are, however, two very clear exceptions that stand out. No

Both of these policies were put in place before 9/11 and there

no denying that Pakistan’s real estate sector and capital markets

is little reason to believe they would have been discontinued had

the event not happened. Indeed, the government may have con-

benefited tremendously from the event.

Both sectors were the primary beneficiaries of the fear that

tinued to introduce even more structural reforms had Islamabad

drove many expatriate Pakistanis to move their money back to

economy acquiring an even stronger foundation for growth.

bled in value in the year immediately following 9/11. Real estate

not been able to turn to Washington for money, leading to the

Riding the commodity boom The second phenomenon that helped Musharraf’s economic re-

cord was investment from the Middle East, driven by high oil

Pakistan. The benchmark KSE 100 index of the stock market dou-

prices across urban Pakistan skyrocketed by roughly the same

percentage. It was this boom that drove the government to even create policies for the capital markets in the first place.

So how much of a detrimental impact would it have had if

prices.

these two sectors never went through the post-9/11 boom? The

ing to other avenues for investment after 9/11 — a phenomenon

cement sector, but not to the point where it had a measurable

While it is true that investors from the Arab world began look-

which benefited Pakistan tremendously — what really caused

them to look for different avenues was the record spike in oil pric-

es. That spike was caused primarily by the rise of middle classes in countries such as India, Brazil and China.

As these countries consumed even more, their appetite for

reality is: very little. Real estate drove some of the growth in the

impact on employment. And despite the Musharraf-era boom in the stock market, Pakistan’s financial sector remains dominated by traditional banks.

We would have fended for ourselves

oil kept growing, causing prices to rise and the coffers of Arab

In short, not having America’s money would have forced us to

middle class happened because of a wave of neo-liberal policies

made it a little easier to make the right choices. We may not have

investment houses to continue to swell. The rise of the global that were adopted worldwide — to varying degrees — after the collapse of the Soviet Union (again, unrelated to 9/11).

confront our problems. Having a dictator at the helm would have enjoyed the honeymoon period with America, but we would have done just fine, and certainly better in the long run. a

COVER STORY

the more things change…

BY MOEED YUSUF

Counterfactual experiments are always difficult exercises as you are left to toy with countless ‘what if’ scenarios. What follows is a thought experiment which illustrates one, rather grim but plausible outcome of a ‘minus 9/11’ world. I look back at the past decade, using hypothetical markers and events (please note than even though the discussion may seem to be depicting reality, I am creating a hypothetical scenario), to construct what could have been Pakistan’s geo-strategic outlook had 9/11 not happened. It challenges the premise that all of Pakistan’s current geostrategic woes are courtesy of 9/11.

It is September 11, 2011. Al Qaeda is back in the news — and in a big way. Last week’s attack on USS Lincoln in the Persian Gulf was the deadliest terrorist strike against a US target since the American

Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility and, unusual as it is, it has emphasised

that the attack was personally planned by the group’s ‘Afghanistan-based leadership’.

Alarm bells should go off in Islamabad; Pakistan is certain to

face renewed pressure to revise its pro-Taliban policy. Already,

today’s international press stories are suggesting that the US is contemplating “all options” against Al Qaeda presence and the

Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Some are arguing that the UN

22 SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

the more they stay the same should be leveraged to authorise limited use of force against the

parties, they have created a strong support base even outside the

stan — who have not done their part to enforce previous U.N.S.C.

taking a U-turn on the Taliban policy may create a serious inter-

perpetrators and to sanction neighbouring states — read Pakiresolutions aimed at isolating the Taliban.

This may or may not happen. But what is becoming increas-

ingly clear is that the world’s patience is running out with the

Taliban and also with Pakistan, which is holding out as the lone supporter of the government in Afghanistan.

bordering Pakistani tribal areas. The Pakistani state worries that nal backlash, egged on by Al Qaeda and other affiliated militant outfits operating from Afghanistan.

Pakistan is also feeling ‘boxed-in’ on the principal pillar of its

foreign policy: India.

Both sides have continued their tit-for-tat Machiavellian ap-

Pakistan’s Taliban policy is still dictated by the traditional se-

proach. Despite significant international pressure since the 1999

two-front situation. Over the past decade, the Pakistani state has

cy in Indian Kashmir even though the level of support has ebbed

curity paradigm: the need for a friendly Afghanistan to avoid a been widely criticised for persisting with this stance. At the same

time however, the international community has been more than happy to use Pakistan, albeit quietly, as a conduit to the Taliban.

Kargil war, Pakistan has persisted with support to the insurgenand flowed depending on the circumstances and the intensity of international pressure at any point in time.

India, remaining true to the tradition of this rivalry, has also

The reality though is that Pakistan is no longer in control of

continued its interference in Pakistan. The Pakistani state has

2000s the once pliant Taliban leadership has been charting a

bulent Karachi (where an Indian role was also alleged during the

this relationship. Since the late-1990s, and increasingly in the course quite different from Pakistani preferences. The Taliban

rule has become increasingly radical; they have adopted an even more dogmatic and uncompromising stance towards the average Afghan citizen; they no longer seem concerned that their territory has become the global hub for ‘jihadists’ with varied inter-

repeatedly alleged Indian involvement in the intermittently tur1990s) and Lahore, and in Balochistan where nationalists have

risen against Islamabad for various reasons. The extent to which

New Delhi is meddling is unclear. But most Pakistani policymakers in the know insist that it is enough to keep the pot boiling.

The Pakistani state’s view is that the world has been unfair on

national or country-specific agendas; and as the international

the Kashmir issue. Despite a host of international resolutions

has openly courted Al Qaeda to acquire much-needed monetary

mir seriously. There is also resentment over the global indiffer-

financial squeeze on the Taliban has tightened, its leadership assistance.

The Pakistani state has found itself in a tight spot. On the one

hand, the Taliban do fulfill the mandate of being unthreatening

to Pakistan and in supporting the Pakistani security establish-

ment’s position on India. On the other hand however, Taliban

and pledges, India has not been pushed to negotiate on Kashence towards India’s meddling inside Pakistan and on what are perceived in Islamabad as deliberate Indian efforts to discredit

Islamabad’s position through an aggressive public relations campaign in Western capitals.

Indeed, there is no doubt that Pakistan has been blamed for

tactics have embarrassed Pakistan on numerous occasions. Is-

mistakes which are its own, and others, which objectively speak-

more so after the Saudis and Arab Emirates “de-recognised” the

foreign policy. Interstate politics is not about fairness — never

lamabad has been under constant international pressure — even Taliban owing to their growing links with Al Qaeda — for what is largely seen as a policy of appeasement towards Kandahar.

ing, may not have been. But this can’t be the basis of a country’s has been and never will be.

As painful as it may be for a Pakistani mind, Pakistan’s India

Insiders also tell me that the Pakistani state feels “stuck” and

calculus has to be seen in a different light. The fact is that unlike

the Pakistani security establishment than the other way round.

begun to attract the Western world through markets, promises

helpless. They argue that the Taliban wield more influence over

Virtually all Pakistani efforts to convince the Taliban to moder-

ate their views have failed; episode after episode has proven the

Taliban to be defiant in the face of Pakistani pressure. In fact,

courtesy of the Pakistani state allowing the Taliban a virtually free hand in terms of physical presence and ease of movement in Pakistan, and unchecked access to right wing Pakistani political

Pakistan, India has begun to transmit positive energies; it has

of monetary returns, and in terms of its strategic value in countering rising China. Moreover, the India-US alliance has matured

surprisingly quickly and while Pakistan has every reason to cry

bloody murder on the defence deals and the civil-nuclear agreement between Washington and New Delhi, this is a game of interests — a game that India is winning.

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

27

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

COVER STORY

Osama remains in Afghanistan

Sporadic attacks on US interests continue

Islamabad can get upset but it can’t change reality simply by

certainly a fallback option, but its best use for Pakistan is as a

positive returns and its present interests align with the U.S.

substitute. From China’s point of view, they have sent enough

objecting to it. This is international relations 101: India offers

more neatly. Therefore, it will get concessions; its narrative will sell better; Pakistan’s pleas to examine India’s meddling inside

Pakistan will go unheeded but Pakistan’s Kashmir policy will get

battered; India’s military build-up will be appreciated as a right of the world’s largest democracy but Pakistan’s efforts to upgrade its nuclear arsenal in response will be seen negatively.

signals to make this clear: their neutrality during Kargil; their constant praise for the India-China economic relationship; and

their decisions not to veto the U.N.S.C. sanctions of 2003 and 2007 against the Taliban all point to this sentiment.

So where do we go from here?

How about realising the need to genuinely reorient the tradi-

To be sure, the world, including the US, cannot afford to ig-

tional strategic mindset? I say this not only because Pakistan is

large population and a strategically important location — but it

the ‘jihad factory’ may be getting out of control even if we don’t

nore Pakistan — after all it is a nuclear weapons power with a

is finding reason to tilt decisively in India’s favour. So while Pakistan will not be abandoned, it will not be satisfied either.

becoming increasingly friendless in the world but also because realise it.

The ultra-right, which the state has patronised, has spread

Finally, a word about the ‘all weather friend’: China. From Paki-

its tentacles gradually, but smartly. Their social networks have

under increasing pressure from the rest of the world, and as the

garb of holy preachers that their social wings operate under also

stan’s perspective, this is the silver lining. As Islamabad has come

US-India alliance has marched on, Beijing has found reason to intensify its support to Pakistan. The multiple defence agreements,

a civil nuclear deal, and even direct economic assistance (which

goes against China’s investment-driven assistance model) are all signs that the Chinese see added utility in supporting Islamabad.

That said however, I see the Pakistani leadership reading too

won them ardent supports — often times even recruits — and the makes their fund raising campaigns resounding successes. The

confidence with which they are glorifying jihad is quite striking.

There are even reports that some organisations have begun to bad

mouth their state patrons for being insincere to the cause of jihad — for not being ‘Islamic’ enough.

If the state waits much longer, it may find that it cannot tame

much into these overtures; a feeling of growing isolation is

the militant outfits even if it wants to. The naivety in believing

world. This is unlikely to pass and Beijing itself will be unhappy

then be exposed in a nasty manner. Pakistan has not felt any

prompting them to see China as a substitute to the rest of the about this.

Chinese mercantile instincts will never allow it to rupture ties

30

supplement to positive ties with the rest of the world, not as a

with New Delhi for Pakistan’s sake; nor will Beijing upset a su-

perpower beyond a point solely to appease Islamabad. China is SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

that ‘jihad’ will always remain purely externally oriented may

serious violent blowback from its pro-militancy and pro-Taliban

policies yet — but this may change if Islamabad continues to remain complacent.

A strategic rethink doesn’t mean giving up on core interests. It

Pakistan’s Taliban policy is still dictated by the traditional security paradigm: need for a friendly Afghanistan to avoid a two-front situation. Over the past decade, the Pakistani state has been widely criticised for persisting with this stance. At the same time however, the international community has been more than happy to use Pakistan, quietly, as a conduit to the Taliban.

The Taliban: from a strategic asset to a liability. only implies reassessing and reorienting policy to best align na-

to Pakistani thinking and thus requires India to be more forth-

How about a gradual reversal of the pro-militancy policies?

remain patient, and rather than ignoring Pakistani geo-strategic

tional interests with global realities.

How about intensive de-radicalisation, de-mobilisation, and rehabilitation of the anti-India groups? How about seeking to pull

back from the Taliban regime gradually without rupturing ties

coming. The world must also offer extensive economic support, concerns and compulsions, use its newfound leverage with countries like India to provide Pakistan space to alter its policies.

If peace in South Asia is a common interest, as is professed to

and forcing them to fuel trouble in Pakistan? How about mend-

be the case, this is the quickest way to get to it: Pakistan has to

ghanistan and investing more in Afghanistan’s development?

it to do so.

ing fences with other Pashtun and non-Pashtun elements in AfHow about opening up economic ties with India? How about a simultaneous re-prioritising of domestic resources to build up

Pakistan’s export and market potential which would attract the world and, over time, create a vital stake for them in addressing Pakistan’s concerns? How about seeking Chinese (and other

partners’) help in approaching Pakistan more from an economic rather than a strategic lens? And how about keeping up the

military’s upgradation but without allowing it to overwhelm the state’s resources?

To be sure, the world cannot escape blame for failing to facili-

tate Pakistan’s move in such a direction. Just like I am pleading

more realism in Pakistani policy, the world, including India also has to be more realistic in its approach. Kashmir remains central

change and the world has to create the conditions that will allow

Now back to the real: readers should note how similar the situation would have been (at least under this scenario) for Pakistan even if 9/11 had not occurred.

Pakistan would have been spared the violence it faces today; it would not have had to bear the brunt of a war next door; and terrorism would not have become a household term. However, Pakistan would still not have been sitting pretty. Its policies would have come under increasing criticism and it would have felt just as ‘boxed-in’ thanks to India’s rise and the world’s frustration with the Taliban’s Afghanistan (presuming, as I have, that they held on to power throughout). a 31 SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

FEATURE

false prophet of fear

BY HUMA IMTIAZ

In an age of televised terror, ‘experts’ like Walid Shoebat reap profits exploiting people’s fears and prejudices.

32 SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

In the think tank community in Washington, DC, experts are a dime a dozen. You want someone to speak on Islamic radicalisation in prisons?

Boom. That same person can also talk to you about Afghan reconciliation, and the entire Middle East region from Iran to Egypt. In some cases, the expert of choice seen pontificating on

the topic du jour may have actually last visited the region over five years ago. But in many cases, these experts do continue to study the region, albeit from a safe distance, and are knowledgeable or experienced enough to be believable.

33 SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

FEATURE Up until fairly recently, Walid Shoebat was considered to be an

expert who actually knew what he was talking about.

This is how Shoebat describes himself on his website: “I used to

be a radicalised Muslim willing to die for the cause of jihad until I

converted to Christianity in 1994. As a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) I was involved in terror activity, and was imprisoned in Jerusalem for three weeks. In prison, I

was recruited to plant a bomb in Bethlehem as a result of which, thank God, no one was injured. My mother was an American and my father a Palestinian Arab.”

As a convert from what he describes as a violent ideology, Shoe-

bat certainly didn’t mince his words when talking about Islam and its adherents.

From mainstream religious figures such as Imam Feisal Rauf

(founder of the Cordoba initiative, more popularly known as the

man behind the Ground Zero mosque) to organisations such as the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Shoebat has accused all and sundry of supporting terrorism.

He has not just appeared on mainstream media organisations

as an expert, but also at conferences sponsored by the US Government, where he has earned thousands of dollars for his speak-

ing appearances. For many ratings-hungry channels competing against each other in an age of televised terror, Shoebat was the go-to man.

So far, there’s nothing that really separates him from the

countless terror experts that grace TV screens and seminars, ex-

cept for his ‘experience’. And, of course, the fact that he’s most likely a complete fraud.

While many organisations had repeatedly drawn attention to

Shoebat’s dubious credentials, it took a while before the main-

stream American media caught onto the scam that they themselves had fallen victim to.

In July this year, CNN’s Anderson Cooper finally investigated

Shoebat’s claims, finding no evidence of him being a terrorist,

nor did Shoebat’s relatives, who were interviewed for the inves-

one had been hurt or killed by [his] bomb.”

Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom

tigation, support his claims. More damningly, CNN’s Jerusalem

Foundation, calls Shoebat a scandalous outrage. In a telephone

no record of a firebombing at its now-demolished Bethlehem

for over two years, and in the process of the investigation, con-

bureau reported: “The Tel Aviv headquarters of Bank Leumi had

branch. Israeli police had no record of the bombing, and the prison where Shoebat says he was held ‘for a few weeks’ for inciting anti-Israel demonstrations says it has no record of him being

interview, Weinstein said that they had been tracking Shoebat

tacted CIA, Mossad and other organisations, “No one had ever heard of him.”

“It’s an absolute outrage. Shoebat says that Islam must die…

incarcerated there either.”

it’s old school racism and prejudice.” Weinstein expressed anger

as early as 2008. In an interview, they grilled Shoebat over his

payer funds for his speaking appearances, but that he had also

Ironically, the Israeli media had caught the scent of deceit

claims and the fact that the purported bombing attempt was never reported in the media at the time. Cornered, Shoebat answered that he wasn’t aware of any coverage as he had “been in

hiding for the next three days”. This is despite the fact that in

34

relieved when [he] heard on the news later that evening that no

2004, he had told Britain’s Sunday Telegraph that he “was terribly SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

at the fact that not only had Shoebat been paid with federal tax been present at an event organised by the Department of De-

fense. It seems that CNN’s and Mr Weinstein’s research in this case was better than that of the US government itself.

And it doesn’t seem like much has changed either. In May this

year, CAIR sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet

Napolitano, condemning the Department of Homeland Securi-

ty’s move to invite and pay $5000 to Walid Shoebat to address an

So are there more Walid Shoebats out there?

“There is an entire industry of these people going around,”

event organised by the department. In its statement, CAIR com-

claims Hooper, “and they are training law enforcement person-

devil’ and that President Obama is a Muslim. The use and fund-

Islam. We have asked the Department of Homeland Security, the

plained that “the speaker, Walid Shoebat, claims ‘Islam is the

ing of Islamophobic private trainers harms our nation’s safety and security and contradicts both DHS policy and your public

statements on improving relations with the American Muslim community. Promoting anti-Muslim hostility only serves to tear down hard-won trust and spread unjustified fear and suspicion.

The fact that repeated calls for government investigations of this disturbing trend have gone unanswered sends a very negative message to American Muslims and to the larger society. Islamo-

nel including FBI agents on how to distrust Muslims and hate

Department of Justice, the White House, Congress, CIA , Customs and Immigration…we’ve approached them about this matter, but we haven’t had a positive response. We have heard some vague indication that there will be a reappraisal of a process of

hiring trainers but we haven’t seen anything yet.” A request sent to Walid Shoebat to respond to allegations levied against him went unanswered.

Terrorism analysis is now quite literally a global industry, and

phobic trainers are undercutting your efforts and those of Presi-

as with any other money-making business, has its share of frauds,

with Islam or Muslims.”

is disturbing is that it seems that in this case even the US govern-

dent Obama, who repeatedly states that our nation is not at war

In a telephone interview with the Express Tribune, CAIR spokes-

man Ibrahim Hooper says, “We’re specifically going by the twopart investigation by CNN’s Anderson Cooper that exposed him

conmen and snake-oil salesmen. While this is to be expected what

ment didn’t do its homework, wasting not only US taxpayer money but damaging its own credibility in the process. a

as a complete fraud.”

Walid Shoebat, on his website, calls CAIR “The number one

radical Islamic organisation in the USA, which needs to be probed and shut down for sponsoring terror.” Hooper laughs at the accusation, “Naturally when scam artists are exposed as frauds they try to go after the messenger instead of dealing with the facts.”

scaremongering Walid Shoebat has made thousands of dollars peddling what is most likely a lie.

35

FEATURE

an

american jihad

Muslim, of Pak and missing th Towers fell...23 Salman Hamda considered a te But the truth w else entirely.

BY MUHAMMAD BILAL

>>Casualty Count Of the 2,753 people who lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks, according to the Telegraph, 32 were Muslims.<< Talat Hamdani’s struggle: “This is my son’s America, too.”

Talat walked the length and breadth of Manhattan, searching for her missing son, her lungs hurting from the dust now rising from the debris of the towers, her feet aching — but she would not give up her search. Days turned into weeks. Still, there was no sign of Salman.

Despite everything she had been through in the last ten years, Talat Hamdani, a Pakistani-American substitute teacher in New York City, was still caught off guard when her 7th grade student called her a terrorist.

“Why did you call me a terrorist?” asked Talat.

“Because you guys attacked the twin towers,” replied the

14-year-old.

It’s an accusation that would hurt anyone, but for Talat Ham-

dani, it cut to the core. That’s because for her, 9/11 was not just a national or even a global tragedy, but a deeply personal one.

And even today, she remembers every detail of the day her life

changed forever,

“It’s a very clear Tuesday,” Talat remarked to her younger son,

Zeeshan, as she drove him to college on the morning of September 11th, 2001. Her eldest son, Salman, 23, a cadet with the New York

Police Department and a certified emergency medical technician (EMT), was still in bed at their home in Queens, when she left at 7:15 a.m.

36

At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

kistani origin he day the Twin 3-year-old ani was initially errorism suspect. was something

L LAKHANI

north tower of the World Trade Centre. According to the 9/11 com-

Talat tried to piece together what had happened to her son. She

mission’s report, in the 17 minutes between 8:46 and 9:03 a.m.,

reasoned that he probably heard about the first plane hitting the

Well over a thousand first responders were deployed, an evacua-

EMT, he would have gone directly to lower Manhattan to help.

the largest rescue operation in the city’s history was mobilised. tion began and the critical decision was made that the fire could not be fought. Then the second plane hit.

As the news spread, chaos ensued. With phone lines jammed

tower on his commute to work on the no.7 train. As a certified She knew Salman was the type of person who went out of his way to help people. But she did not know where he went from there.

As she was leaving Rockefeller University, the security guard at

and communication nearly impossible, Talat wasn’t initially wor-

Salman’s office made a curious remark that stuck with Hamdani.

the attack. He was trained as an EMT after all, and she reasoned

with them.”

ried when Salman didn’t answer his cell phone in the hours after

that he would have rushed to work on a day that his particular

“I have a friend in the FBI,” he said. “I will ask him if your son is

As she left Salman’s office, she joined many others who were

skills would be greatly sought after.

desperately searching for their loved ones in Manhattan. Her

and still there was no word.

thought. Then she checked at the morgue — maybe he was dead.

But then minutes turned into hours, and day turned into night “The night passed and then we got worried,” says Talat. “He

was not like this. He always called in when he was late.”

first stop was St Vincent Hospital. Maybe he was injured, she But there was no sign of him.

Talat walked the length and breadth of Manhattan, search-

The next morning, she went to Salman’s office at Rockefeller

ing for her missing son, her lungs hurting from the dust now

one had seen him. Salman had not checked into work on Septem-

would not give up her search. Days turned into weeks. Still, there

University in Manhattan to find more about his whereabouts. No ber 11th, 2001.

rising from the debris of the towers, her feet aching — but she

was no sign of Salman. The atmosphere was thick with distrust SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

37

FEATURE and hostility as much as with dust from the destruction of the towers. When Zeeshan started printing ‘missing’ flyers for his

brother Salman, his co-workers were taken aback at the name ‘Mohammad’ on the flyer. They advised him to drop the ‘Mohammad’ from the posters. Talat says some of the flyers were ripped apart nevertheless, even on her own block.

Two police detectives dropped by her house later that month,

saying they were visiting families who had lost loved ones on

9/11. In the house, their eyes froze on a picture of Zeeshan’s grad-

uation day. Salman was posing with Zeeshan and another boy, who was originally from Afghanistan.

“Who is that boy?” asked the detectives.

“It’s probably one of his class fellows,” replied Talat. They

seemed satisfied as they left. But she began to develop doubts as to the real purpose of the visit.

Could it be that Salman was alive and in custody? After all,

scores of Muslims were being detained in New York and family members were often being kept in the dark. There was still no

“…Mohammad Hamdani’s mother is convinced the government

sign of her son in the lists of the dead or injured, so the Hamda-

already has her son in custody, simply because he’s a Muslim.

rogated. The alternative was too horrible to contemplate.

FBI or any of the other task forces, whatever,’ said Talat Hamdani.

pleading with President Bush to let her know if Salman was

Queens home for his job as a research assistant at Rockefeller Uni-

nis began to hope that their son was in fact being held and interTalat Hamdani decided to write a letter to the White House,

being held by the government. But a month later, the Hamda-

nis had still had no word. In despair, Talat decided to travel to Makkah to perform Umrah and pray for her son’s safe return.

On her flight to Saudi Arabia, on October 11th, 2001, memo-

ries of Salman’s childhood raced through her mind. He had been

‘They have him. I don’t know who ‘they’ is -it could be the CIA,

Hamdani was last seen, Koran in hand, leaving his Bayside,

versity, but he never made it to work.

His family distributed missing-person fliers in the fear that the

23-year-old, who is trained as an emergency medical technician, went instead to the World Trade Centre to help and was killed.

But investigators for the FBI and NYPD have since questioned

born in their home in Karachi’s Nazimabad area, and had come

the family about which Internet chat rooms he visited and if he

His favourite movie had always been Star Wars, and his devotion

When Talat finally reached the Ka’bah, tears welled in her eyes

to America with his parents in 1979, when he was only a year old.

was political…”

to the film had survived into adulthood. The number plate of his

and she begged God to reunite her with Salman. She knew her

recalled, and even as a child had shown a desire to help others.

Hamdani received word that New York Congressman Gary Acker-

Honda read ‘Young Jedi’. He loved playing cops and robbers, she “He used to bring sick pigeons home to nurture them back to

health,” Hamdani says now. “Most of us can see the pain of others, but he could feel the pain.”

It didn’t come as a surprise then that, spurred by his desire to

son was not a terrorist. Later, while she was still in Saudi Arabia, man’s office had called the family unexpectedly, saying he had

information about Salman. She returned from her pilgrimage with a renewed sense of hope.

Ackerman met with Hamdani and questioned her about

help others, he opted to become a doctor.

Salman, his politics and the family.

particular she recalled the visit made to her house by a reporter

dani, referring to the US Attorney General. After the meeting,

port. He had questions about Salman, and the Hamdanis told

tion about Salman.

All these thoughts and more raced through her mind but in

from the New York Post just a few hours before she left for the airhim whatever they knew at the time. Her son was still missing

“He indicated that Salman might be with Ashcroft,” says Ham-

Ackerman asked her to write to John Ashcroft for more informa“He did not deny that Salman was alive,” she says, referring to

and the family thought he could be one of the many Muslims

Ackerman, as her voice begins to crack. “He gave us hope.” Alas,

The next day, October 12th 2001, the Post published an article

The answer finally came a full six months after Salman had

who had been detained by the government after 9/11.

with the headline, “Missing or Hiding? — Mystery of NYPD Cadet

38

Salman (right) with a colleague at Rockefeller University lab.

from Pakistan.”

The article went on to quote Hamdani directly:

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

this too was a false hope.

gone missing. In March 2002, two police officers knocked on her door a few minutes before midnight. Salman’s remains had been

found at ground zero, along with an EMT bag containing emer-

Far from being involved in the attacks, Salman had rushed to Manhattan after hearing of the attack. Heedless of his own safety, he had entered the smoking towers to try and help people. It was this heroic mission of mercy that he was engaged in when the towers fell. gency medical supplies.

“His body was found in 34 pieces,” says Hamdani, as she breaks

down during an interview nearly a decade after September 11.

Pausing for a few minutes to find her voice, she continues. “Only

his lower body was found. I’m not even sure it was his. But the jeans I was given were his.”

ic Cultural Center, New York City’s largest mosque. With the coffin draped in the American flag he was buried a hero. In April that

year, the Rockefller University also announced the establishment

of the Shaheed Mohammed Salman Hamdani Memorial Fund, a scholarship meant to benefit Pakistani-American students. At the funeral, Congressman Ackerman presented Salman’s family

with a U.S. flag that had flown over the Capitol building, noting that Salman was “a hero and a real martyr in the finest sense.”

But years later, Hamdani feels her son is being discriminated

against, even in his death.

“When I received formal documentation for the 9/11 memorial,

I discovered that Salman’s name is not going to be honoured in section one, with first responders from the NYPD and FDNY,” she says.

“His name will be in section six, as a person who happened to

be there at the time,” she continues. “His sacrifice should not go to waste. He should be honoured.”

Hamdani complains that this type of discrimination hurts her

twice as much. Not only did she lose her son but she has to fight for his legacy because he happened to be a Muslim.

“If injustice is done with your son,” she says as her voice begins

to crack again. “You have to fight it.”

These days, Hamdani lives by herself in Suffolk County and

“I was hoping he was detained,” she says. “I couldn’t accept

works as a substitute teacher at Lake Grove High School. Her

The truth had finally been revealed. Far from being involved

health declining rapidly after Salman’s death.

that he was dead. I couldn’t accept it.”

in the attacks, Salman had rushed to Manhattan after hearing of the attack. Heedless of his own safety, he had entered the smok-

ing towers to try and help people. It was this heroic mission of

mercy that he was engaged in when the towers fell. He had died a martyr in the truest sense of the word.

206 days after his death, Salman’s funeral was held at the Islam-

Salman’s funeral service in New York.

husband, Saleem, a convenience store owner, died in 2003, his “Before 9/11, I was like most Pakistani women,” Hamdani ad-

mits. “I didn’t know a lot about politics. But everything changed on September 11th, 2001.”

Hamdani joined an advocacy group called September 11 Fami-

lies for Peaceful Tomorrows, which tries to channel the grief of 9/11 family members into action to break the cycle of terrorism and war. Today she is an activist and spokesperson, fighting

against what she sees as the unfair stereotyping of an entire community. This is her American Jihad.

When controversy over a proposed mosque near ground zero

flared up last year, Hamdani was the only Muslim 9/11 family member to speak out at the local community board hearing.

“Oh my God, it was horrible,” says Hamdani, recalling her ex-

perience. “I learned the meaning of heckling that day.”

She received hate mail in response to her public defense of the

mosque. One of the e-mails read: “All Muslims are not terrorists.

But all terrorists are Muslims. Go back to where you came from.”

Talat says she is determined to clear the cloud of suspicion

weighing down Muslims in America by spreading awareness about the stories of ‘real’ American Muslims like Salman at pub-

lic forums and in the media. Her son may have died ten years ago but her spirit remains undefeated. There could be no greater

tribute to the young Jedi who gave his life while trying to save others. a

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

39

POSITIVE PAKISTANIS PEOPLE

sister

act

BY SAID NAZIR

If it weren’t for the support of their father and the persistence of their mother, Farida Afridi and Noor Zia Afridi would not be able to read a single word of this article. But today, the two are not only final year students of MSc in Gender studies and holders of MBA degrees, but

are also determined champions of women’s education and em-

the girls’ parents to support them after several long conversations. “I told them that there was no harm in women working in

the field,” recalls Jaan. “Far from earning the girls a bad name, their social work would actually increase their families’ prestige, if they served the local community well.”

“We told our parents that we would work in accordance with

powerment.

our religious and cultural traditions, assuring them that we

customs started when they were school children. “After we com-

work. Finally, they agreed,” says chadar-clad Noor, who covers

Farida and Noor’s long struggle against discriminatory tribal

pleted our primary education, our male family members wanted

us to stop going to school,” says Farida. But the girls’ parents

would never let the family honour suffer because of our line of half her face while working in the office and in the field.

As for Lal Jaan, he was not only the initial inspiration for

were adamant that they would continue their education.

SAWERA and a key mediator during its establishment — his as-

been issues close to their hearts. It was to win these rights that

one. Presently, he is volunteering as a technical advisor. “With

Since then, equal status for women and children’s rights have

the two established the Society for Appraisal and Women Em-

powerment in Rural Areas (SAWERA) in the Jamrud subdivision of Khyber Agency in December 2008.

“The government is oblivious of the general attitude of tribes-

men towards women and the extent of inequality in our patri-

sociation with the organisation has turned out to be a long term

the exception of eight women volunteering for SAWERA, more than half of the 20-member staff consists of tribal women,” says

Lal Jaan, who is of opinion that the local staff gives SAWERA an edge over all others in the field.

Before the establishment of SAWERA, says Noor Zia, “Only

archal society. This pushed us to start a struggle for their em-

men were leading NGOs in Jamrud. Rigid tribal customs pre-

Peshawar.

cerns with ease. Ours is the only functional organisation in the

powerment,” says Farida, sitting in her well-furnished office in Interestingly, though their struggle is for women’s rights,

their inspiration was a male student-cum-social worker named Laal Jan. “We used to see Laal Jan as a student, doing social work

vented them from approaching women and addressing their conarea which is led by women, and works for the welfare of women and children free of traditional constraints.”

Since its inception, SAWERA has held a number of aware-

in our village. His dedication provided us with the impetus to

ness sessions for locals with regards to women and children’s

It wasn’t a smooth ride. Their parents may have been in favour

respecting tradition has paid dividends. “We are well respected

step into this field,” says Farida.

of their education, but seeing their daughters transform into

pioneering social workers was something else. They faced tough resistance when they told their family about the path they had

42

Farida and Noor were told that they shouldn’t continue their education after primary school. Not only did they finish University, they are now changing attitudes and empowering other women in FATA.

chosen for themselves — to promote women’s rights by launch-

ing an NGO. Eventually, Laal Jan came to the rescue, convincing SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

rights. Highly attuned to local sentiments, SAWERA’s policy of in the community…everyone knows our family background and

our struggle for this cause has been well-received,” says Farida.

“Keeping local tradition in mind, we cover ourselves in chadar and hold our activities inside houses — rather than out in the

open — which encourage the local people to cooperate with us.”

“The government is oblivious of the general attitude of tribesmen towards women and the extent of inequality in our patriarchal society,” says Farida.

powerment of women which is essential for their self reliance

and independence,” says Lal Jaan proudly. And most of SAWERA’s projects focus on just that. The NGO opened two garment shops with the help of a donor, which are successfully being run by two

poor women from their homes in Gul Rehman village. Also, during 2009, SAWERA helped establish six male and female Com-

munity Based Organisations (CBO) each, later linking one of the female CBOs with an international donor, which is now running a vocational training centre for women in Tedi Bazaar Jamrud.

“A number of women are making money out of it, while oth-

They also avoid implementing projects on controversial issues

ers are learning the skill of sewing and embroidery,” says Farida.

munity against their cause.

work to support their studies and to sustain their NGO when they

come beautifully, local militancy is another story altogether.

families, neither do we ask them to support us,” says Farida, who

like AIDS and family planning, which may incite the local comWhile local customs are a challenge that SAWERA has over-

Like all other organisations engaged in this field, SAWERA occasionally gets threats from militants. Preferring to be part of

Farida and Noor Zia earn a small amount of money from their

have no running projects. “We don’t give financial support to our along with Noor, enjoys financial independence.

In an effort to disprove stereotypes, Farida and Noor are pav-

the solution, it held a workshop on peace in the region last year

ing the way for many others and have cleverly surmounted the

an active role in countering terrorism and militancy,” says Noor.

want to reach out to more and more people, by extending their

in which more than 50 women participated. “Women can play

“By educating women, we can prevent their sons from becoming militants and by educating children we can enable them to choose a better future for themselves.”

At present SAWERA is running three Information Technology

multiple challenges of being women in tribal society. Now, they

operation to the rest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. “This is

just the beginning … we still have a long way to go to change the plight of women in these areas,” says Noor.

The two girls, who started with a personal struggle to acquire

(IT) centres in Jamrud, with segregated classes for male and fe-

an education, have actually begun a women’s movement which

rolled by their parents only after our colleagues addressed their

stan’s tribal belt.

male students. “Half the students are female — they were enreservations about sending their daughters to the IT centre,”

Noor reveals. The project aims to equip students with enough computer skills to enable them to secure jobs.

“One of the primary objectives of SAWERA is the financial em-

may well have far-reaching and radical consequences in Paki-

a

If you know of any people who have achieved something positive, either for themselves or for those around them, please mail us at magazine@ tribune.com.pk and help us share their story with the world.

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

43

HEALTH

daadi’s diary

BY SAMAN NIZAMI

Daadi reveals the secrets to a happy stomach

After a month of fasting, everybody looks forward to some ‘feasting’ during the Eid holidays. It is tough to contain yourself faced with the huge variety of scrumptious sweets and savouries served up everywhere you visit. In fact, most of our friends and family spend Eid snacking away on these tasty treats, and quite a few suffer from the side effects of this festivity — indigestion.

Here are a few tried and tested home remedies for your tummy troubles, from my Grandma’s secret stash!

Before trying oral remedies for gastrointestinal dis-

comfort, give these exercises a shot:

• Lie on your back and lift knees to stomach (I did this with my babies from day one as it gives immediate relief).

• Crouch on the floor like you’re looking for something under a sofa.

• Circular massage on the stomach: apply firm but gentle pressure on the abdomen under the rib cage and work clockwise around the area (also good for babies).

• Stand and stretch — raise both your arms and try to touch the ceiling.

Place a hot water bottle on your abdomen to relieve

gas and cramping. With babies, remember to wrap the bottle in a towel, to prevent burning.

Cumin seeds (Zeera): Take with yoghurt, after meals,

to prevent heartburn. This remedy, courtesy my late

Daadi, was a lifesaver this Ramazan, since parathas for sehri always left me with heartburn- but not anymore!

Carom seeds (Ajwain): These seeds are antibacterial, antiviral and antiparasitic. Add a pinch to food, or tea, for

a unique taste and aroma; treat your taste buds and aid digestion simultaneously.

Lemon Fizz: Blend one whole lemon with 1 tsp of sugar

and half a cup of water. Strain into a glass, pour in enough of any clear fizzy drink to top it up, and add a

big pinch of black salt. Drink immediately, or the lemon

rind will make it bitter, to ease bloating and gas. A yum-

48

my cocktail after heavy meals!

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

Mint (Podina): It soothes the stomach muscles to

ease cramps. You can chew on it, add some leaves to tea or pop a mint candy in your mouth. I always carry some in my bag since it’s great for motion sickness too.

Cinnamon-Ginger tea: ¼ tsp cinnamon powder + ¼

for its health benefits, but also for its delicious

tangy-sweet taste. Brew 1 cup half strength tea, add 1 tsp lemon juice and sugar to taste. Drink af-

ter meals to aid digestion, or on an empty stomach to prevent dehydration.

Rice water (Peech): This is an age-old, remarkably

tsp ground ginger + pinch of cayenne pepper + 1

effective remedy for treating severe diarrhea,

utes. Take 2 tbsp every 15 minutes to calm the

water until really overcooked. Strain, and take

relieve gas and nausea.

Add a little sugar if you like a spoonful of sugar,

cup boiling water — cover and brew for 10 min-

digestive system, counteract stomach acids and Fennel (Saunf): Boil 2 litres of water with 1tsp fen-

nel and 1 green cardamom (choti elaichi). Cool to room temperature and use as drinking water to

prevent gas, cramps and indigestion. My mom

made this for me after I had my kids. It worked like a charm and helped my children get through their ‘colic phases’ too.

Diarrhea, as a stomach problem, is in a league

of its own and so demands unique remedies:

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: It is the most important and foremost remedy for diarrhea. Make a hydrat-

ing solution (to replace electrolytes, water and glucose) by adding 2 tbsp sugar or glucose, and 1 tsp salt to 1 litre of water. Drink it frequently.

Modify your diet: Don’t aggravate an already ailing

even in babies. Boil 1 tbsp of rice in 1 ½ cups of

a spoon of the starchy liquid at short intervals. it really helps the medicine go down. Brown rice works best.

Coriander (Dhania): Boil 1 tbsp of coriander in 1 cup

water to extract its juice. Take small sips intermittently to prevent dehydration and treat diarrhea.

Bananas: They are easy to digest, suitable for all age groups and provide lots of energy. Make a smoothie by blending 1 banana, 1 cup water and 2 tbsp of flour for quick relief from diarrhea.

Yoghurt: It is highly nutritious and can be easily digested, even by babies. It helps alleviate diar-

rhea, and resupplies good bacteria to the digestive tract (which are depleted during diarrhea).

Jelly Slurp: This is definitely my kids’ favourite di-

digestive system. Eat plain bread, crackers, rusk,

arrhea remedy — dissolve jelly in 1 cup hot water,

pasta to give your stomach a rest.

sets. Gelatin has a binding effect and the high

boiled rice, yogurt, bananas and plain, boiled

Tasty Lemon tea: My family loves this tea not only

then stir in 1 cup cold water. Drink before the jelly sugar content provides energy. a

daadi’s cupboard

Aniseed, coriander seeds and mint leaves — your go-to herbs for treating an upset stomach As with any other mode of treatment, the remedies need to be used regularly, at least three times a day, to gain full advantage.

These remedies are equally effective for adults and children. Please use your own discretion when using these remedies for treating infants, and patients with allergies or pre-existing health conditions. This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace the advice of your physician. Consult a doctor if symptoms persist.

49 SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

ADVICE

mr know it all From relationship blues to money woes, Mr Know It All has the answers!

Q. Dear Mr Know It All,

I am in a great depression and would be thankful to you from the core of my heart

if you could help solve my problem. I was in a relationship with the most trustworthy and loving guy on the face of this earth, and we both were very serious about each oth-

er. We were class fellows and fell in love in the 9th grade, and our love for each other

was almost exemplary. The first 20 months of our relationship went by very smoothly, but then we broke up intentionally because he thought that being in a relationship could destroy our lives and future as we were having too many fights. We had a great

discussion about this and he managed to convince me that breaking up would be a healthy step. But my problem is that I can’t forget him! I know he still loves me and

cares for me, and that’s making things worse. He fears we’re too immature to handle this and is afraid our parents will eventually force us to break up. I don’t know what to do or think anymore… How should I overcome my feelings for him?

Depressed

A. Twenty months is exactly the kind of time a 15-year-old guy takes to get bored

with a “relationship”… especially the kind in which he has to spend more time argu-

ing and trying to make sense of girlie feelings than doing other, more enjoyable stuff

with his girlfriend. I’m not saying it’s your fault he chickened out entirely, no, but in all fairness, I have a feeling you jumped into this whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing

thinking that he would be IT: your knight in shining armour; the man who would

build you your dream house on the prairie and father your army of cute little children…

Love doesn’t work that way, and sulking over what could have been rarely helps the

situation. Life and dating and relationships are all about trial & error, and you’ve got your whole life ahead of you to make this experiment work. Instead of obsessing over what was clearly an error, allow yourself to grow from this experience instead. After

all, these break-ups just teach you how to make better lemonade… and did I tell you

50 SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

boys love girls that make good lemonade?

they didn’t, here’s a little scenario you can play in your head the

next time someone threatens to turn you into a nervous wreck:

Q. Dear Mr. Know It All.

I’m a 20-year-old boy. I have always been a good student and

consider myself to be talented and creative. I was always a very

stubborn kid, yet I was also very shy and sensitive. I’m not very good-looking so when I was a child, people often used to make fun

of my ‘ugliness’ because of which I’ve developed some complexes. I get nervous easily, and can’t bear harsh words from anyone, espe-

cially my family and the few friends that I have. I find it difficult

The person has gone to the loo at a posh restaurant and has just realised there’s no water or toilet paper around! Suddenly, their good looks and urbane coolness are not enough to get them out of

this particular mess. They’re panicky and totally helpless… why?

Because they’re human. Just like you. They also go to the loo,

have embarrassing bodies and spend an average of five minutes a day (and I’m not kidding here) passing gas.

Everyone’s prone to finding themselves stuck in embarrassing

to talk confidently to people, more so if I don’t know them well and

situations just as easily as you and I, kiddo, so don’t be too hard

affected by these complexes. I didn’t make a lot of friends and my

stand in front of the mirror and wish we had smaller ears or a few

am in an unfamiliar environment. My school life was adversely

class fellows never really made any attempt to befriend me either.

The same thing happened in college and now my psychological

problem has followed me into my workplace. I find it impossible to express myself in front of my boss and colleagues. Whenever my

boss asks me something, I go numb, and am unable to speak con-

on yourself. I assure you even the coolest of us also sometimes

more muscles... or how if we only knew all the right things to say at the right time life would become so much easier!

Q. Dear Mr Know It All,

I am a very reserved person, and I am beginning to feel that

fidently. I get emotional and teary, which is very embarrassing. I

this has done nothing but tarnish my reputation. I am often per-

cousins without feeling inferior, and whenever my brother’s or fa-

spoken to and I often reserve my opinion in conversations. I shy

face the same problem at home. I can’t enjoy the company of my

ther’s friends come to visit us, I get anxious around them as well.

Please help me solve this problem as I can’t live like this anymore!

Complex

A. Believe it or not, your problem is not your fault but your

parents’. Protecting children from the big bad world doesn’t only mean sheltering them from the big bad people that inhibit it;

ceived as a girl with a lot of ‘attitude’ because I only speak when

away from making friends and limit my acquaintances to a select few. It is difficult for me to walk up to people and strike up a con-

versation; as much as I’d love to, I just cannot seem to pull up the courage to be a socialite. What can I do to reverse this?

Misunderstood

A. I could do a little tap dance here about how you need to nur-

it means making them believe in themselves, and instilling in

ture your soul and empower yourself from within if you want to

bad people. I wish your parents had done that for you… but since

your own person and finding the courage to be an easy friend-

them the confidence to know that they’re no less than those big

overcome the inhibitions that are holding you back from being maker and whatnot, but I won’t. What’ll help you more in a situation like this, I believe, is if you simply stop succumbing to

the grandma voices in your head and learn to control your brainswitch! Forget the niceties your parents taught you twenty years

ago because they don’t apply anymore. Be a loudmouth, and just turn the little switch off whenever you start overthinking stuff.

This world has become the playground of the obnoxious socialite, and you don’t need courage to become one of those, you need

ILLUSTRATION: JAMAL KHURSHID

an opinion … so force yourself to voice it every chance you get!

The more in-your-face and forthright and blunt you are with the people you meet, live and work with, the more friends you’re eventually going to make.

Just so you know though, the word ‘hermit’ for some reason

always reminds me of a bug ... and we all know the miserable

end most bugs meet. So change quickly, before someone stomps you out!

a

Got a problem you just can’t solve? Mail us at magazine@tribune.com.pk and let

51

our very own whiz take a crack at it!

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

REVIEW

film `

no grey areas

BY MISHA HUSNAIN ALI

The Help is a dramatic tale of a white woman writing a book about the experiences of the black women who work as maids for the rich, white inhabitants of Jackson, Tennessee. This movie stirs up controversy about the apparent ‘white saviour’ complex it fuels, like fellow offender, Sandra Bullock’s The Blind Side.

Eugenia Phelan (Emma Stone), affectionately known as Skeeter, is a young woman who forsakes the traditional route of marriage to a suitably wealthy young man and instead escapes to university.

The story begins with Skeeter’s return to Jackson when she first starts noticing the blatantly horrible treatment of ‘the help’ by her friends. She then decides to write a book about their stories to help propel herself to her dream job at a major publishing house in New York. The story escalates as she is egged on by the head honcho at the New York publishing house, Elain Stein (a brief but effective appearance by Mary Steenburgen).

In her quest to break through the world of the help, Skeeter approaches Aibileen (played to understated perfection by Viola Davis), who works as a maid for one of her friends. Initially reluctant, Aibileen predictably comes around. The audience is then slowly exposed to the emotional stories the maids have to tell as Aibileen is joined by her friend, the indomitable Minnie (Octavia Spencer).

Further gems include the overdone villainy displayed by the leader of the white ladies and primary supporter of the act to force nonwhite people to use separate facilities, Hilly Holbrook. Bryce Dallas Howard plays the villainous Hilly to shrill perfection. Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain) also has a very believable turn as the not very bright but large-hearted girl who desperately wants to be part of the clique of women who spurn her advances at every turn.

One of the most impressive performances is by veteran actress Cicely Tyson, who plays Constantine, the maid who served as a mother, friend, confidante and advisor to Skeeter. While Constantine’s disappearance is a constant theme of Skeeter’s narrative, she 52 appears in a mere three scenes, all of which will move you tears.

SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

tearjerker The Help will play you like a finely-tuned stringed instrument in terms of inducing tear jerking moments, and laughs and cheers for the plucky characters Thanks to the power-packed female performances, The Help will play you like a finely-tuned stringed instrument in terms of inducing tear jerking moments, and laughs and cheers for the plucky characters. On the other hand, the men of this movie are as disappointing as cardboard cutouts. The male characters serve merely as plot devices (directing the protagonist to an important location when required), as remembered memories (Aibileen’s son, as she recounts his story) or as caricatures of domestic abuse (Minnie’s husband Leroy). The white men are cut from the same mould, be it Skeeter’s suitor who balks in the face of what she has covertly accomplished, or Hilly’s husband, who simply cowers as his wife plots, schemes and screams.

Despite the somewhat predictable storyline, The Help is a movie worth watching, not just for the message it provides, but because it is filled with some of the best performances you will see this year.

Despite running over two hours, the movie keeps you emotionally invested — so much so that you may find yourself sitting quietly till the end of the credits — as many were during this writer’s screening, unable to just casually walk out and immediately forget what we had just seen.

film `

stars and stripes

BY NOMAN ANSARI

Captain America: The First Avenger, is one of the better superhero movies out this season, and an example of how a multilayered lead character can make for a compelling piece of cinema. Starring Chris Evans, in what seems like a role he was born to play, this origin story is part of a set up for the upcoming cinematic version of Marvel Comics’ superheroes team, The Avengers.

The First Avenger, set mostly during the Second World War period, tells us the tale of Steve Rogers, a man who possesses the heart of a lion (“I hate bullies”), but a body woefully inadequate for his dream of joining the armed forces. When asked if he wants to kill Nazis that badly, Rogers says that he isn’t driven by blood thirst but rather by a need for justice.

After the military rejects him for the umpteenth time, Rogers comes across Dr Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), a German scientist who has defected to the United States, and is looking for a candidate to experiment upon with his ‘Super Soldier Serum’. We learn that before he switched sides, Dr Erskine’s first test subject was Nazi officer Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), whom comicbook aficionados know better as the super villain, the Red Skull.

The film shows us that while the serum did bless Schmidt with super strength, it also amplified the very nature of his soul, driving his evil hunger for world domination.

After his own transformation is successful, Rogers dons the Captain America costume to become a symbol for the allied effort; comic books and TV spots starring him are produced. This is closer to the truth than you might imagine, as the superhero Captain America was actually written in the 40s as part of a PR effort against Nazis. Eventually, Captain America becomes more than an icon, leading on the battlefield and delivering decisive blows against the Axis powers.

It is human nature to cheer the underdog, and the dreamer in us identifies with Steve Rogers on an emotional level. And when he becomes the powerful Captain America, we love the fact that

roger that The dreamer in us identifies with Steve Rogers on an emotional level on the inside, he hasn’t forgotten that he is still that little guy from Brooklyn.

Chris Evans does a stellar job of playing Captain America, and his performance gives a surprising depth to what could otherwise have been a one-dimensional superhero. In fact, the cast is the movie’s main strength: Tommy Lee Jones, who plays the sceptical Colonel Chester Phillips, adds to his reputation as one of the best actors in Hollywood. Hayley Atwell shines in her understated role as agent Peggy Carter. Finally, Hugo Weaving seems to have perfected the art of playing the menacing villain and is deliciously diabolical as the Red Skull.

Despite a few action sequences that are more serviceable than spectacular and hurried pacing in some scenes, director Joe Johnston (October Sky) has produced a solid character driven film here, that not only has a moving message of inner strength for the younger audience, but at its core, is a pretty darned good superhero movie. a 53 SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

THE HATER

10 things I hate about ... being a british pakistani

1 2 3 4 5

The fundamentalist fashion. The wiry beards on the chins of teenage boys from Bradford to Bristol are

already looking a bit passé, fellas. Props for predicting

the ankle-swinger trend before it became universally fashionable, though.

The lack of progression. I’ve only been to Pakistan

three times, but it’s clear our native Pakistani brethren

are years ahead of us in terms of ideas, fashion and entertainment. Your women wear sleeveless kurtis

with jeans, we’re still in patiala shalwars. Let’s use our politicians as a crude metaphor: you have Hina Rabbani Khar, we’ve got Sayeeda Warsi.

The pitiful selection of spouses. Is it just me or are we facing a bit of a crisis here girls? It seems we have

a few options. 1. The Cousin 2. The Rudeboy 3. The

Mummy’s Boy who won’t leave his postcode 4. The

Imam wannabe 5. The Party Animal or 6. A mixture of 4 and 5, depending on which day of the week it is.

The need for role models. Apart from the boxer Amir

Khan — and he really doesn’t have universal appeal —

we have none. I’m not talking about ‘successful people’ here, I mean genuinely famous ones. On the Wikipedia page for ‘List of British Pakistanis’ our famous ones in-

clude a fictional television character, a Michael Jackson impersonator and someone called Nigel Le Vaillant.

The outrage at mixed marriages. We arrived in Britain

a very long time ago. Aunties, Uncles, larkis and larkas, it’s natural that a few of us will marry white (or even black) people.

54 SEPTEMBER 11-17 2011

6 7 8 9 10

BY ANEALLA SAFDAR

The feeling of inadequacy. Although British Pakistanis

have formed a strong community of our own, the facts

remain unchanged. We will always just be a bunch of BBCDs to ‘real’ Pakistanis or a load of ‘Pakis’ to the (far rightish) British people.

The invasion of privacy. My father has nicknamed one of my Aunties ‘Radio Pakistan’. You might have thought

Twitter was the quickest way to spread information/

gossip. That is, of course, until you meet this Aunty and many others like her.

The expectation that we can all speak Urdu. Jinnah didn’t speak it well and desi films have subtitles now, so there are enough excuses not to be fluent. Don’t be surprised that to some, Urdu might as well be Swahili.

The “Are you X?” question. Fill X in with any other

brown race you can think of. “No, I’m Pakistani!” should be tattooed on my forehead.

The assumption that all Britpaks know each other.

There are more than a million of us here. Although

most of us come from the same region (i.e. somewhere

in the Punjab), no I really don’t know your doctor, taxi driver or the lady who taught you how to make a curry last year. a