The Downward Spiral to Anarchy

I write this blog today thinking about how my son will perceive this world. The world we live in today is a far more dangerous place than what it was when I was growing up. Granted, it was still quite dangerous living and growing up in Pakistan, but it was never ever this dangerous. We used to get occasional problems in the country, but never was it a place where your personal safety is at risk no matter what you do and where you go. I write this after watching the images and reading about what occurred in the last couple of days in Islamabad. I am referring to the cowardly suicide attack on one of the icons of Islamabad and Pakistan as a whole, the Marriott hotel. Some people may think that this is just another terrorism attack that has been going on since Pakistan stood side by side with the United States in the so called war on terror. But believe me; this is entirely different and very significant.

The Marriott hotel in Islamabad has been an icon of prestige and life at the high end. Its location makes it a special attraction for foreigners and of course a target for attacks like this. It was as guarded as a hotel can be, for a place where normal public can also have access. I make this point to note that this was not only a place for people to stay – it was a special meeting point, it was a place where people had coffee, enjoyed dinners, had weddings etc. Its location is merely a few kms from the Presidential and Prime Minister’s house, making it even more secure.

This is really worrying to me as this gives everyone the message that no place is safe anymore for normal people. People to eat out and not worry about safety, is not the case anymore.
The people who are in government and in positions of power have been stuck in power wrangling have done nothing to address the urgent need of fixing this major problem threatening to destroy Pakistan. People like Nawaz Sharif keeps giving deadlines for bullshit problems when there is so much killing and suffering in the country. How can these leaders get on with their lives when they are not even trying to address this urgent need? Why don’t these people at least try and put some of the effort they have put in to try and topple the previous leader into addressing this? This decease as Asif Ali Zardari called it in his address to the country has the capability of destroying the entire fabric of society in Pakistan.

I was speaking with a fellow Pakistani the other day who was talking about having some faith in Zardari who hoped that he puts some of his ‘business-man like’ effort into solving some problems in the country. As much as I hate the leaders of Pakistan – what can a normal person do? One has to hope in order to go on. The life of the people on the street is not getting any better – in fact with all these maniacs trying to blow things up, it has made Pakistan even more vulnerable and unstable, economically and generally.

One DOES need to hope that these people in power can try and solve the major threat faced by this country in its 61 year history. I pray that the leaders in Pakistan can take a lead in solving this, rather than worrying about their seats of power. I pray that the religious leaders of Pakistan can take the lead in eradicating this ‘cancer’ and tell people that Islam is a religion of peace and loving. It is a religion that teaches one to be a better person, by being forgiving and having love for his fellow human being. This is a religion that tells one to treat life with respect and shed no innocent blood. I pray for the people who lost their lives protecting other people. They are the real martyrs here not the people who carried out the attack.

Living in a western country you think how people of other faiths must think about people of the Islamic faith. They must think Islam teaches something which these fanatics are willing to die for and cause havoc and destruction. Why would western people even think about investing or even sending their cricket team for example to visit this dangerous place?

All I can say is that God help Pakistan – it is on a dangerous downward spiral towards anarchy

Change is coming

The US presidential election is in full swing. I follow this race to be the leader of the ‘free’ world quite closely and am quite interested in the ups and downs of this campaign.

First of all it is quite refreshing to see after a while (8 years) an American leader who looks the part. I mean the last 8 years have been quite bad for America – in almost all ways one can think of. Be it foreign image/policy and economy among other things. The last leader looked like a dumb spoilt brat who has been given something he couldn’t handle.

This new leader is talking about change, he is talking about real reform, and he is talking about engaging all leaders of the world in a more diplomatic stance to enhance the credibility of the United States of America.

The leader I am referring to is of course Barrack Obama.

It is interesting to note that he has been talking about change from day 1. Since the time he came from nowhere to beat Hillary Clinton, which no one could have ever imagined a couple of years back. Even in that contest, the mantle of change was tried by Clinton, but was forcefully taken back by Obama’s campaign. Even though their views were more or less the same on almost everything, the mantle of change was always trumpeted by the Obama campaign – and still is.

Now we see the Republican candidates, John McCain who is a patriot and a war hero. But the Republican convention did not spring anything new that they haven’t said before. It was all about the American hero blah blah – of course they steered clear from any of the current administration people Dick Cheney has been off the radar for some time now, George W Bush made a brief appearence. I won’t even talk about Sarah Palin as I think it’s just useless. And finally, the bombshell by McCain, ‘Change is coming’ he mentioned in his acceptance speech.

Now that is just ridiculous! I mean how can they be so blatant to actually say that they are for change. I mean first of all, look at McCain’s policies – his policies are exactly the same as the current administration. I was watching the daily show with John Stewart the other day where he made a comparison of McCain’s acceptance speech and George W. Bush’s speech at their conventions. It was funny to see that there were quite a few instances where they have simply repeated even the same words in their relative speeches. Even Sarah Palin’s speech was written by Bush’s speech writer – this is not change.

This is just the same old people with different leaders in front of them. It is the same policies and the same attitudes towards the people of the world.

I don’t proclaim myself to be an expert in foreign policy or even day to day American problems. But I do know from a person who is observing this race from an objective point of view, that these are the same Republicans who brought the world the most hated leader in the world. They can try to talk change, but they are absolutely not for change and for more of the same.

American people are one of the friendliest in the world as personal experience tells. It would be good to see an American leader also like these people and who is a leader that will lead the world to a better tomorrow.

I personally hope that the Democrats seize power and Obama is elected president. I guess I will have to wait and see what happens on November 4th when the American people are going to decide the fate of a lot of countries in this world.

From Prisoner to President!

Warning: Anger filled rant below

I cannot hold my silence much longer. I know that my words and my rant will make no difference to the world. However, it’ll at least help me with my frustration, anger and a sense of desperation that is going through me these days. I am in this state because of something that is about to occur in my homeland of Pakistan.

Asif Ali Zardari: The name synonymous with corruption is about to become the President of Pakistan. It is beyond this blog how completely flabbergasted I am by this event about to occur. There are umpteen articles and news pieces that show him as being a man who takes pleasures in accumulating huge amounts of wealth for him. A man who likes to appoint ‘his’ people in all the right places in the country of course after a minimal fee.
Living in Pakistan when the Bhutto government was in power, I myself saw and heard all this craziness occur in the city of Karachi. Travelling in private jets, building huge mansions were just some of the things you could see occurring regularly. Building a prime minister house which is probably as large as the presidential house and accommodating a polo field at the back, for Zardari’s love of horses and the game of polo.

The point is, this man was all the wrongs that people could see when Benazir was in power. Getting people killed, burning places where he didn’t get his way was just a few things that happened.

Now this man is going to become the most powerful man in the country of Pakistan. He will have total immunity from prosecution – no matter what happens. I don’t foresee him changing at all unfortunately. Now he will have access to do anything and everything he wants to the people of Pakistan. He will build palaces and empty the country’s wealth and fulfil his own ambition.

I really don’t know what to say – I really don’t know what is going to happen to my beloved Pakistan.

They say leaders of a country are like the most of the people of a country – which I don’t really know what to say about now.

I refer you to this article for further reading - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/05/world/asia/05zardari.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp