I saw this online today about a protest by some Pakistani-Americans in Chicago and am posting for your consumption. I noticed that Teeth Maestro had commented on this article on the original site, but I was shocked at some of the hatred that people show towards Pakistan.
A group of Pakistani-Americans and anti-war activists delivered a letter today to the Chicago office of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, calling on him to cool political rhetoric about bombing targets in Pakistan.
“We are particularly concerned with your public pronouncements earlier this week in support of violating the borders of our ally, the country of Pakistan…,” the letter says. “You must understand the sweeping dismay that your avowed support for U.S. military incursions into Pakistan … has elicited among untold numbers of Pakistani-Americans and peace activists across the country.”
Ifti Nasim, the host of a Pakistani radio show in Chicago called Sargam, said the U.S. was “making a mistake” by “attacking Pakistan and making Pakistan your enemy.”
He and other protesters criticized U.S. military incursions into Pakistan’s tribal areas in the northwest part of the country to attack Taliban and Al Qaeda targets. They also decried the Bush administration’s use of unmanned military drone aircraft, which has resulted in civilian deaths.
Said Umar Khan said his hometown of Mardan outside Peshawar in Pakistan’s troubled North-West Frontier Province has seen a wave of displaced people escaping fighting in the tribal areas. A recent explosion rocked his sister’s home, damaging windows and walls, he said.
Negotiations with Taliban leaders–not Pakistani or U.S. military actions–will end the violence, Khan said.
The tough rhetoric against Pakistan in the presidential campaign has left many Pakistani-Americans wondering which candidate to support.
“McCain and Obama are the same,” said Raja M. Yaqub, chairman of the Coalition of Pakistani Organizations in Chicago. “Muslims and Pakistani Americans are confused over who they should vote for.”
On Thursday, Obama campaign officials restated his comments from the debate earlier this week. They added that Obama understands Pakistan is an “important ally” and is also calling for a partnership with the South Asian nation through increased U.S. aid for health, education and security.
When you read the comments, there is a vicious strain of “kill of the Pakistanis” in the thread. Many wanted to bomb Pakistan until we “hand over bin Laden,” like we have him under military protection. Another said that “if you don’t want us to cross your borders, don’t be a haven for terrorists,” interesting coming from a country that hid behind the Pakistan Army and the Mujahideen against the Soviet Army. The resounding call for US-based Pakistanis (legal and illegal) to go back to their home country was my favorite.
When the first Gulf War happened, I was living in the US and one of these illiterate, unplanned pregnancies walked up to me and told me the same. My answer, “I’m Pakistani, not Iraqi, you dumb shit.”
My answer to you today, “I’m a Pakistani, not a Terrorist, you stupid shit.”
Here’s what I don’t understand… on one hand that don’t know why there is so much anti-American sentiment in Pakistan and on the other hand, they hate us so much that they want to bomb our country until they prove that they were wrong about bin Laden being in Pakistan.
But let’s be honest, the US military is already negotiating its exit strategy from Afghanistan by re-installing the Taliban as part of the government. And even then negotiating through the Saudis.
So tell me this, since its the Taliban, and not Pakistan, that has given Osama bin Laden a home and protection for so many years, does anyone in the US think that once you broker a power sharing deal with them, they will hand him over? Are you really that stupid?
Otherwise, what would be the reason to broker a peace deal with the people that had a hand in the planning and attack on 9/11 without getting bin Laden or any other high value al-Qaeda target?
Karzai may be a US puppet, I guarantee the Taliban is not.
Source: Chicago Breaking News
Related posts:
- The Long Road to Chaos in Pakistan
- Bush Had No Plan to Catch Osama bin Laden
- Say It Ain’t So Nic Robertson - Part I
- How To Squeeze Jihadi Culture Out of Pakistan - Vali Nasr
- Afghanistan. Pakistan. Forgotten. - Joe Biden
- Are Pakistan and the US on the Brink of War?
- “Pakistan on the Brink” - NIE
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Comments ( 3 )
Teeth Maestro opined on Oct 11 08 at 2:37 amYeah when I was reading that site - I realized this debate was not about Pakistan - but instead Pakistan was being used a a lunching board for each side democrats and republicans to attack each other- people still are stuck in their small corner on Manhattan Circle with no idea what happening on the other side of hte world
its important to bring good leaders so that atleast they can handle the situation - and I feel Joe Biden has an idea of the pulse of Pakistan -
McCain - Palin will be scrubbing the floors of WalMart which Pakistan goes to hell —- This election is very critical,
Khalid opined on Oct 11 08 at 7:33 amI completely agree. The Obama - Biden ticket gives Pakistan more breathing room to work with the US government and resolve some long standing domestic problems. It’s like I said on your blog, with Obama - Biden, we know that Biden will be the rock that Obama can default decisions to because of his sheer knowledge about Pakistan. Palin’s White House would mean Pakistan would be in worse situations than Afghanistan is today.
It just seems to me that, in the 10 years that it’s been since I moved home to Pakistan, America has become very openly racist. Some of the comments being made about Obama by the Republicans really shows us the mentality and intelligence of the party.
Chris G opined on Nov 14 08 at 12:29 amComing in late on the conversation, and it has certainly changed now that Obama-Biden have won the election. (cleanly and clearly, thankfully)
I think it depends on where you are in the US on how open the racism is. I work in a university town, very diverse, and the racism certainly is less and I’d expect it to be. However I live in a more rural area and even so, the racism from my perspective (and granted it’s the perspective of a white guy who considers himself anti-racist) has actually decreased over the last ten years.
There’s still plenty to go around unfortunately, but it will be fascinating to see how racism plays out over the next 4 (hopefully
years now that we have a non-white in the White House.
