Like an exogenous bad news that suddenly stunts the market and everyone – no matter how risk averse, above board they may have been – are negatively impacted – every Pakistani-American felt a ton of bricks when Attorney General Eric Holder announced that an individual from their community may have driven an explosive laden SUV to Times Square.
Among many aspects that I admire about my new ‘homeland’ one that is most precious is the justice system. I understand Faisal Shahzad’s presumption of innocence and I am sure when he has his day in the court he will be afforded that right. I am hoping he can miraculously explain why he bought a SUV and paid cash for it, how did his SUV showed up in the middle of Times Square with explosives and why he was going to Dubai and not Pakistan?
But candidly speaking – that is my wishful thinking.
For a minute, let’s assume that Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-American who lived in Connecticut was indeed the individual who attempted to wreak havoc and harm innocent people. What than should we do? We, the hyphenated Pakistanis who have made this country our own- how do we purge our communities from poisonous, misguided individuals?
I feel there is larger and more complex question that plagues us but we are not the first immigrant community to face this challenge.
In the post 9/11 world the key issue around which debate, hopes, and hostilities often crystallizes is religion. Religion has become an emblem of cultural and personal identity for many. I believe ‘Pakistan’ as a nation state does not have such an animosity that an individual of Pakistani descent will risk their own life and attempt such a heinous plot.
And, I want to stress that because pre 9/11 I didn’t find that many young men and women in New York with accentuated religious identity. Heck – I was a young man not long ago and the only person I knew somewhat religious left America after completing his residency. He realized that with his world view he was better off living in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan.
Bill Maher is right: Secular values are non-negotiable
Those who migrated to this country in search of a secular society (trust me there are plenty of Pakistani atheist and agnostics in New York as well) find themselves in rather vulnerable situation. And, majority who consider religion their personal matter also find themselves under microscope. But that is the exogenous bad news impact – even when you are not responsible your equity shrinks. Tough luck!
Last week Bill Maher said something very interesting:
“Although America likes to think it’s #1, we have to admit we’re behind the developing world in at least one thing: Their religious wackos are a lot more wacko than ours. When “South Park” got threatened last week by Islamists incensed at their depiction of Mohammed, it served—or should—as a reminder to all of us that our culture isn’t just different than one that makes death threats to cartoonists. It’s better.”
I totally agree and that is one of the main reasons why I am at home in East Village, New York. Problem arises when Bill Maher says “their religious wackos” many with Muslim names and backgrounds are unsure if they are part of “their” or “ours.”
I know this binary is rather linear and their can be a horizontal way of looking at cultural community as well.
Talking about Indian writers in England, Salman Rushdie suggested these individuals who are neither completely English nor 100 percent Indians have “access to a second tradition.” And he argues that this tradition is one of cross-connections, not roots. He writes: “the cultural and political history of the phenomenon of migration, displacement, life in a minority group,” constitutes its own community “cross- and intraculturally.”
If we agree with Rushdie and locate ourselves in the “cross-connected” community and do not assign much value to the “roots”, it becomes much easier to grasp and respond to the post 9/11 identity crisis that has put many young men behind beard and young women behind veil.
The politics of identity is a constant process of negotiation. I have written earlier that identity is fluid and contextual. I am a Pakistani when someone in New York asks me ‘where are you from?’ When the same question is posed in Lahore, I am from Karachi. I am a ‘man’ when around women- I am a ‘straight man’ around gays and an ‘old man’ around young kids. This relationality – different agenda joined within the same contested historical space – is central to the concept of identity.
Trust me – I did not digress. I wanted to make sure we are on the page and we define ourselves as hyphenated or “cross-connected”, and if we have made this land our home – we must categorically and unequivocally condemn this misguided individual.
And, we must stay on high alert. Remember those five men from Washington DC, Virginia areas were nabbed in Pakistan because their family and community pro-actively sought solution. If someone was keeping an eye on Faisal Shahzad, we may have averted this too.
We should keep an eye on every individual who we suspect of becoming a religious wacko. We should discourage our young men and women from accentuating only one aspect of their identity – that is “religion.” We should absolutely remind them that “secular values of America are non-negotiable.”
Ibrahim Sajid Malick is a Pakistani-American writer, technologist, and social entrepreneur. He has been writing on Pakistani society and politics since 1986. He has held several media, communications, and technology positions for organizations large and small. Mr. Malick graduated from New School for Social Research with a master’s degree in anthropology. He holds several technology and management certifications. He works for a leading technology firm and blogs at www.ibrahimsajidmalick.com
@Shazia: My dear sister from Lahore. I am also from Pakistan but now I live in Dallas, TX. For how long can we continue to deny our problem? We sound parent of a heroin addict who keeps on saying “my son is doing bad things because he is bad company.” Sooner we realize our problem, sooner we start rehabilitation, sooner we will progress.
Faisal Shahzad told the FBI he trained at a terrorism camp in the Waziristan region of Pakistan. We should take that with grain of salt- but understand that it is very likely true.
As an American of Pakistani descent, I am ashamed, saddened and outraged at the terrorist act in New York City’s Times Square.
I know that the majority of Pakistani-Americans believe that there is never any justification for terrorism, no matter how deep or severe the grievances. We condemn all acts of terrorism committed in the name of a country or religion.
All communities have bad apples, and it is impossible for any law-abiding majority to completely eliminate the despicable acts of such individuals. Most of us are contributing daily to the prosperity and betterment of our communities.
People who practice violence and terror to achieve any political objectives do not belong to Islam — or any other religion, for that matter.
@Shazia: Hassan Abbas (who is from Lahore), a fellow at the Asia Society, writes the Punjabi Taliban network is a loose conglomeration of members of banned militant groups of Punjabi origin-sectarian as well as those focused on Kashmir-that have developed strong connections with the Pakistani Taliban, Afghan Taliban, and other militant groups based in FATA and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).
The Punjabi Taliban provide logistical support for attacks on cities in Punjab province and include individuals or factions of groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and their various splinter groups, along with small cells unaffiliated with any large group.
Abbas writes that many of these militants “directly benefited from state patronage in the 1990s and were professionally trained in asymmetrical warfare, guerrilla tactics, and sabotage.” The Punjabi Taliban are distinct from the traditional Pashtun Taliban, experts say. They are usually more educated and more technologically savvy.
I found your entry interesting thus I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog
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@Faik Siddiqui:
why are u targeting hindu? it is highly offensive and shows ur intolerance and lack of knowledge about Hinduism.
Hinduism teaches “god is one” only worshiped in different names/ and practices. hindus respect allah, buddha krishna and all forms because according to hinduism all refer to same god only worshiped in different names, and because we believe the spark of HIM resides in all beings.
when we see remnants of god(goddness)in person irrespective of his religion.we respect them and place them to the value of god.that is why we revere sai baba who is muslim saint but god to hindus because he is part of god.
ur lack of knowledge is i suppose because of certain policitical fanatics who play vote bank politics,manipulate those poor masses for their current misery on past,by feeding history of mughal invaders who brought down their temple,taxed,beheaded them. that doesnt mean all hindus fall for their trap of lack of governance and then deflect it by some other issue.
no hindu can hate allah as allah and krishna are one and the same god !
it is only because people like u target/abuse them by offending them based on religion they retaliate. how can a hindu be a hindu when he doesnt follow hinduism the very union and commononeness of one god?
so plz dont bullshit about religion being the motto of this article. understand religion than comment.
ur dislike for the person is understandable,but his wife based on religion shows ur bigotry!
then what is the difference between u and them(westerners)??
u term hindus anti islam , and they all muslims as terrorist.
hypocrites
@Sharjeel:
27/37/47
i wonder why i dont see any of these in my daily times paper in india.hmm mayb they arent serious issues anyway
except for naxals india offlatly posses no threat. and that too it targets security personals not us,
naxals target corrupt politicians because as per their agenda they work for it and money belongs to poor. if these situations where so grave indian army should had been invovlved in it. but it has only put bsf there.
now india doesnt have canadian,amercian British and many other country nato counties invovlved in it ? isnt it? doesnt that show the seriousness of problem on pakistan side and the one in india?
india wud never had pointed finger at pakistan if ur country wudnt be issuing degree in jihad crash caurse to target india and other countries in world.
and u expect world to be silent? why dont u recognise the problem and solve it instead blaming others?
we are not interested in pakistan issues, but mumbai attacks came from pakistan. have the naxals from india targetd any other country? no!
then how can u compare a global problem with a minute issue
about seperation of any one from india that will never happen. ur leaders are saying this from past 64 years ,2 more years and they will split…
@Sharjeel:
what india is doing in kashmir..yes u have a point offlatly they had been too rash agreed ,govt had taken serious notice of it and set guidlines ,
about the number killings u suggest ,look how many militants pok had sent on this side ,which ur former president Musharraf himself confessed there are camp trainings in pok and they sent infiltors to indian side to create havoc .and that pakistan has right to do so because it was promoting its own countries national interest.wow terrorizing other country is ur national interest?
u mind when indian army kill millitants and people who choose voilence?
then what is ur country doin in swat,baloch? mercy killing?? they have killed too so u want to be hipocrate minding india maintaing law and order and dont mind when u do the same. u infact support china doing the same thing who is against democratic value and jailed noble laureate. islamic democratic pakistan indirectly supports communist way of punishing one asking freedom of speech in china..by condeming the laureate given by norway. than what values of democracy and freedom does ur country talk about?
u talk about killing.why dont u talk about kashmiri pundit killings and mass ethnic cleansing done and ur militants and separatist? killing of baloch mass kidnapp etc?
india has no problem with pakistan, yes india would had never interfered or commented on it, but where is the justice for mumbai attacks that ur countrymen ransacked my city with ak 47 shooting 257 people and hundred more injured? what did we do to u that ur country gifted us this?
and then when we tell u to kill terror infrastructure arrest perpetrators,u reject it saying there is no terrorism, god knows when pakistan will wake up to see the damage terrorism creates
[...] of Islam seems to be gaining currency around the world and we ought to be more vigilant (please read my article on Shahzad Faisal’s crazy attempt), but she does not speak for me when she invites profiling of my sons and nephews – and millions [...]