R O N I Nammar yasir’s personal blog

What does the world out there think of an average Pakistani? Post 9/11 this question would have a very different answer but things drastically changed for the land of green we all call home. So what went wrong? Not any of the attackers in 9/11 were Pakistani. Osama Bin Laden was in Afghanistan at the time of the attack. Saddam Hussayn which was danger to United States was the President of Iraq and not Pakistan. For the past 8 years we ‘supported’ US in their war, we practically took back our stance on Kashmir and sincerely started peace talk with neighbour India. And despite incidents like Samjhota Express where a service office was involved in the Killing of Pakistanis, we hardly ever confronted the Bharat Sarkaar for their demanding role in this relationship. For all these years our president taught us the lesson of moderation and we tried not to be extremists and evolved as Enlighten Moderated Pakistanis Muslims (if there is such a term).

The above para might sound irrelevant to this post but it surely defines the time line in which the Pakistani blogosphere was born. So to understand the psyche of an average Pakistani blogger one needs to go and study the post 9/11 Pakistan. Last Sunday bloggeres from Karachi were invited to t2f (the second floor) to meet Nick Fielding who is associated with immediate.org.uk. Nick is a senior journalist, public speaker and co-author of Masterminds of Terror. As a senior reporter of Sunday times he covered the repercussions of 9/11 from Afghanistan.

The agenda of the meet up was to have a perspective on the use of technology and new media and how an average Pakistani is getting benefitted from it. He was amazed to find out that we Pakistanis have a growing network of bloggers. He knew about teabreak which came as a surprise to me. But this clearly reflects the quality of the blogs that are the part of our network. On his question of what an average Pakistani blogger thinks; my answer was; that an average Pakistani blogger is a patriot who scribbles its quill to show the world that this country comprises of hard working men and women who have nothing to do with terrorism or west perceived extremism. We don’t regard Taliban or Alqaeda members as our heroes nor find the US (drone) attacks and intervention in the country praiseworthy.

In the end we agreed to advocate blogism and found it obligatory to spread the word. It was encouraging to witness that an average powerless Pakistani blogger can actually help to improve country’s image; a duty which payed ministers and bureaucrats failed to perform.

Photo credits: Madam Jehan Ara

People who showed up at the event: Jehan Ara,Sabeen Mahmud, Mohammed Nawaz, Farzal Dojki, Munir Usman, Fariha Akhtar, Sahar Ali, Nick Fielding and RONIN

Popularity: 11% [?]

Getting the job done becomes quite difficult especially when your work is interdependent on others. But then there is no ideal working condition. You have to make the most of what you have and mould yourself accordingly; and this is the real test of your patience and self esteem. One thing that I have learned in the short span of my working experience is honesty, being honest with yourself and your work should be one’s agenda. No matter how big or small is the nature of your job or the size of your company; you should be honest with yourself and your work. Period!

Things don’t remain the same ever, and believe it or not luck plays a very mysterious role in your career. Dont agree with me on this one, so answer this simple question. If Bush was not such a big Screw Up, would there have been a Black President in a country like America? Obviously not

Coming back to the topic, I have decided to dedicate the year ’09 to personal grooming and improvement. Time management is the real focus, because if I am able to get a hang of it the rest of the puzzle pieces will fall in their respective positions. At least that’s what I am hoping

Ok, before this post sounds like the blogger I don’t

Popularity: 14% [?]

Year 2009 celebrations in different part of the world, especially in Pakistan

Popularity: 29% [?]

A guy and his buddy were drinking beer at a bar on a Saturday night.

Guy: Hey! Did you hear some terrorists went on a rampage and killed around a 100 people in Mumbai India?

Buddy: Whatever.

Guy: What do you mean whatever? It’s all over the news.

Buddy: Five thousand people were killed in 2 days in Rwanda.

Guy: What’s Rwanda?

Buddy: My point exactly.

So a random and stupid question just popped in my head. How come a 100 people die in a busy and prosperous city and it becomes the most important thing in the world, while 1000’s die in places like Rwanda and Dafur, and nobody gives a goddamn?

A couple of lines in the newspaper and 45 second bulletin on the TV and thats that. Thats about all the attention those dirty, illetrate, sunburnt and poor people deserve. Whereas citizens of a metropolis and a commercial center, they deserve all the attention the world has to offer. So I guess one can deduce that in order to have the attention of the world, you have to be important and rich.

Which brings me to my second ridiculasly idiotic point. Why did those boys do what they did in Mumbai? Obviously they were aware that they were not going to get away with it. Obviously they knew that what they were doing will not solve any of thier problems. Either they were brain washed by elements who want to destabilaze India’s growing economy, or they were really bored and thought it might be awesome fun shooting up people on the streets. Or maybe…. just maybe they could not stand the uneven distribution of wealth, the oppression and the discrimination any more. Maybe where they grew up all they saw was poverty, desperation and hopelessness. And one day, all the anger which had been building up inside for years violently eruptes, the flames of which ask these questions as they engulf everyone in their path:

Why should they be happy and not us?

Why should they have opportunity and a future and not us?

Why should they not pay?

Indeed those gun wielding, grenade throwing, crazy bastards wanted to let the world know about their plight, their misery. All they wanted was some attention.

“Didnt nobody tell you that attention is reserved for the rich and privileged?” A sane person asked.

“Well then thats just the kind of city I am gonna shoot up.” Replied the insane as he loaded his AK-47.

Popularity: 33% [?]

The more I try to comprehend the psyche of the American voters, the more the subject matter gets complex. When a dictator like Saddam or Hitler carries out a genocide you can not blame the citizens of that country, because they don’t bear the responsibility to elect/choose their representatives. But what will you call those people who re elects the same jerk who’s responsible for the unjustified war in Iraq and Afghanistan?

As the elections are getting nearer the political stage is getting more Hollywood-ish. Governor of Alaska; Sara Palin is receiving all the (irrelevant) attention in the media for her spoofs and gaballay (idiosyncrasy). And how Pakistanis can forget the Zardari Palin episode. Well , the truth is that most Pakistani men need some counseling on ‘How to charm women when everyone on the tele is watching you :P’

But briefly going through the Republicans election strategy I want to ask one question; ‘What on God greens earth were they thinking?’ They chose McCain a 70 something who is reportedly a patient of skin cancer and what if the old guy dies? Then the Americans would have Sara Palin as their first Woman President. Goodness gracious me! I am sure that day Hillary Clinton will take her own life

On a more serious note its surprising how the Republicans are willing to risk the future of America and countries that are inevitably associated, by running an old goof (McCain) partnered by an under experience hockey Mom for the White House race. But then they  had Bush for 10 years, how bad it can get? Okay, dont answer that question

One last thing, is it just me or American Media is actually sexist, You know what I mean?

<br>Read: Rolling Stone take on McCain and Mad Dog Palin</br> ———<br>SNL skit onPalin and Clinton:</br>  <br>  </br>   <br>Mat Damon rips Sara Palin:</br> <br>

Popularity: 7% [?]