Black Panthers and Colonialism

 This article was written a few days after May 1, 1998, after meeting some of the Black Panthers in Los Angeles, at the funeral of Eldridge Cleaver. It was published in Palestine Times around the year 2000. The paper stopped publishing in 2007. Links to the original issue are: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20010504044545/http://www.ptimes.com/issue86/articles.html#13

http://www.ptimes.com/issue86/articles.html#13

 

Black Panthers and Colonialism

By Fazeel Azeez Chauhan

The Civil Rights Movement heroically reversed the effects of slavery in America. Even today, it is important to understand what strategies were used to create slavery so that we can better defend ourselves. The British Colonialists used the same tactics to create self-hatred among the natives of India.

What is the process that turns a human being into a creature of self-hatred and self-doubt whereby the enslaved becomes fully controlled and fearful of another person? The slave master uses the process known as "seasoning" to condition slaves. Strong men and women are broken down, tortured and stripped of their dignity through seasoning. The process re-makes the person into an image, pleasing to the oppressor.

To maintain fear and control, seasoning usually involves the enforcement of five strategies:

1- Establish and maintain strict rules.
2- Implant in the slave a consciousness of personal inferiority.
3- Make the slave believe that the master has enormous power.
4- Strip the slave of his roots and identity, including his name, culture, history and language. Make the slave admire the standards of "good" conduct of the master, so that the slave longs to be like the master.
5- Impress upon the slave his utter sense of helplessness to create a habit of perfect dependence.

When the slave fears for his own personal life, more than the survival of the group, the seasoning process is complete. This is yet another example of the philosophy of divide and conquer. It creates mistrust, apathy and cynicism among the poisoned society. Similar to the slave masters, the British Colonialists proclaimed proudly, "We will not only rule them, we will control their hearts and souls for generations to come."

On 15 October 1966, the Black Panthers for Self Defense Party was created to combat this racist philosophy, which continued through Apartheid and segregation. The Black Panther Party played an essential role in the Civil Rights Movement. The founders were fed up with the non-violent approach, because African Americans were being killed, beaten, humiliated and oppressed every day. Bobby Seale and Huey Newton decided one day to take matters in their own hands to change the injustices of the status quo. Within an hour, they came up with the goals of their party, those being:

1. Freedom and power to determine the destiny of their community.
2. Full employment for their people.
3. An end to the exploitation of their Black community by Capitalists.
4. Decent housing, fit for shelter of human beings.
5. Education for their people, which exposes the true nature of the American society. They wanted education that teaches them their true history and their role in the present day society.
6. All Black men to be exempt from military service.
7. Immediate end to police brutality and murder of Black people.
8. Freedom for all Black men held in jail.
9. All Black people who are brought to trial should be tried by a jury of their own peers, from their own community.
10. They wanted land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace. They wanted a Black Colony.

Langston Hughes, a famous musician, was a Black Panther who said, "The Panther in his desperate boldness wears no disguise. He is motivated by the truest of the oldest lies." The text paper "Arm the Masses" proclaims, "What we believe equals revolutionary nationalism and socialism for the Black Nation. Forty million Africans are captured inside the racist, capitalist U.S.A....". To help their community, the Black Panthers designed new and innovative social programmes that continue to this day. These include, but are not limited to, free breakfasts for students, free medical clinics, free clothing and shoes, free education and assistance for the elderly.

FBI director J. Edgar Hoover called the Black Panthers "the greatest threat to the internal security of the country". The police and the FBI infiltrated the Panthers through their Counter Intelligence Program to destroy the party and assassinate its leaders. They provoked violence between the Panthers and the U.S. Government. They created internal fragmentation through their propaganda to stop the Panthers' alliances with other groups.

One of the leaders was Kathleen Cleaver. She received a law degree from Yale and is a Professor at Emory University Law School in Atlanta. A reporter, Eldridge Cleaver, joined the Panthers two years after the assassination of Malcolm X (Malik Shahbaz). Eldridge (El Rage) was soon framed with a murder case and the couple had to go into exile in Algeria. Their Muslim son was raised there and in Somalia. Eldridge passed away a few weeks ago.

The Panthers admired the revolutionary Philosophy of Malik Shahbaz, who called for freedom and justice for the oppressed people "by any means necessary". A major activity of the Panthers was policing the police. They confronted the police, equipped with law books and rifles, when it was legal to do so. For further information, read a book or see the movie "Panther". Their common slogan was "Power to the People. Power to the People". We should be grateful to African Americans for their sacrifices. We enjoy several freedoms because they fought to attain these rights for all of us.

 

 

Honouring African Americans - Published in Palestine Times (2001)

The following article was published in Palestine times (in addition to Pakistan Link), around 2001. The paper Palestine Times, stopped publishing in 2007

Information about Palestine times:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_Times#:~:text=Palestine%20Times%20was%20the%20only,Jerusalem)%20and%20the%20Gaza%20Strip. 

Link to the following published article: 
https://web.archive.org/web/20010108030200/http://www.ptimes.com/issue81/articles.htm#anchor765307*

When the Innocent are Deemed Guilty

 

Unfriend Me.......................................... (alternate title: You Might be a Jackass IF...)

Unfriend Me.......................................... (alternate title: You Might be a Jackass IF...)

 

I wish to lose thousands of Fakebook “friends”. If any of the following are true for you, please unfriend me. If you don’t understand what’s in this list, it clearly means you don’t know the difference between right and wrong, or don’t care about it. So unfriend me. Thanks.

 

 103 reasons to #unFriendMe 

 or

 You Might be a Jackass if...

 by Fazeel Chauhan (11-7-17 )

1) If you don’t respect other human beings 

2) If you’d rather be right, instead of: do the right thing

3) If you are a fan of Trumps

4) If you use excuses, lies and justifications to continue your bad behavior

5) If you like military rule in any part of the world

6) If you can not do justice

7) If you belong to the Republican party

8) If you like to ask people which country or neighborhood, or caste they are from so you can judge them

9) If you make stereotypes of Brown, Black, Native, Asian, White people or other groups

10) If you think saying anything against American policies is anti-American

11) If you don’t like poor people

12)  If you think personal corruption in a person’s character, is okay

13)  If you hate Muslims or Islam

14)   If you hate a group of people based on their religion or place of birth

15)  If you dehumanize and depersonalize other people

16)  If you think your religion has a monopoly on wisdom

17)  If you measure people based on how much money they have

18)  If you like to wave your flag to claim you are superior to others

19)  If you have Xenophobia, homophobia or Islamophobia

20)  If you support groups or people who are funded by the CIA

21)  If you like the policies of the American “Tea party”

22)  If you are a fan of the Bhutto politicians of Pakistan

23)  If you like to put other people down, or to make them fail

24)  If you are a supporter of the Sharif politicians of Pakistan

25)  If you are a bully, or humiliate, or make fun of other people

26)  If you are a fan of Altaf Hussain or MQM

27)  If you are a fan of “religious” politicians like Fazl-ur-Rahman

28)  If you think there is no corruption in America

29)  If you think racial profiling is good

30)  If you think you are superior to others just because of your color, religion, race, ethnicity, national origin

31)  If you think there is no corruption in Pakistan

32)  If you think that only your religion is true and others are false

33)  If you think only your religious sect is valid and other sects are fake / non-believers

34)  If you think there are no bad people among religious people

35)  If you think there are no good people among non-religious people

36)  If you blame the victim

37)  If you think that every person already has equal opportunities and there are no social factors working against individuals

38)  If you think it’s normal that there are 70 million dogs and cats in America

39)  If you think that free universal healthcare is not a human right

40)  If you think Muslims are terrorists

41)  If you believe Osama bin Laden was not created by the U.S.

42)  If you think the Mujahideen of Afghanistan were not created by the U.S. and their sons the Taliban were not trained by the U.S. 

43)  If you think Saudi Royals are holy and not corrupt

44)  If you think that Guantanamo is good

45)  If torture is okay with you

46)  If  you are against Black Lives Matter

47)  If you think sexual abuse is not common in your own community

48)  If you have a high tolerance for the misconduct of preachers

49)  If you don’t know the difference between teachers and preachers, and you support preachers more than teachers

50)  If you can not recognize fake preachers or are a fan of fake preachers like Aamir Liaqat, Nouman Ali Khan, etc

51)  If you’re a fan of Rahat Ali Khan

52)  If you like talking about fashion, and want to follow the latest fashions

53)  If you flash purses which are over $500

54)  If you don’t know the difference between right and wrong and find loop holes in the grey areas

55)  If you like to show off your money, your breasts, your status and your conquests

56)  If you use people for personal gain and then discard them

57)  If you are a poser

58)  If you think Saudi Arabia does not have social ills like rampant pornography

59)  If you don’t care about the people who are less fortunate. If you are callous

60)  If you don’t help people who are in need

61)  If you like to take selfies

62)  If you have low standards of behavior

63)  If you don’t like children

64)  If you are full of bullshit, meaning hypocrisy

65)  If you use double standards

66)  If you like to gossip about people who are not around to defend themselves

67)  If you like to kill time

68)  If you think it’s okay to spend billions on warfare instead of healthcare

69)  If you like Bollywood movies and their sexualized song and dance

70)  If you like Columbus

71)  If you think countries don’t engage in state sponsored terrorism

72)  If you like Disney movies and don’t think they brainwash children and turn them into consumers living in a fantasy land

73)  If you don’t like people’s accents

74)  If you take loans from friends but don’t give it back though you have the money

75)  If you listen to Fox News or right wing talk radio

76)  If you don’t like other languages, or don’t like people who speak other languages

77)  If you think war is good, and killing people makes you feel proud

78)  If you don’t want gun control

79)  If you think atomic bombs are good

80)  If you think there is no connection between the Ammo-sexual gun culture inside America to the war mongering policies and weapons sales outside America

81)  If you like to criticize other people but can’t praise them when they do something good

82)  If you have prejudices against in-laws or automatically hate them

83)  If you harm others and think you’re doing them a favor

84)  If you justify the 800 military bases of the American empire, in 70 countries

85)  If you don’t give credit where credit is due

86)  If you think society has no responsibility in creating crime and poverty

87)  If you can’t survive without maids and servants and use them to show status

88)  If you praise the tall buildings, clock towers and luxury lifestyles of the elite and ruling class of Muslim countries

89)  If you think it’s okay for religious “leaders” to make big money from selling religious items or religious knowledge

90)  If you are being oppressive toward other people

91)  If you think you have automatic entitlement to get favors from people just because you were pampered by your parents

92)  If you are 100% sure you are going to heaven

93)  If you can not tolerate a difference of opinion which disturbs your comfort zone

94)  If you are cruel to other people

95) If you think it’s okay for new age gurus to make big money from selling spiritual items or knowledge

96)  If you make other people fight with each other

97)  If you are a taker and not a giver. Or if you hoard knowledge and don’t share it

98)  If you are closed minded, stubborn and not open to learning

99)  If you are a menace to society, what Robert Bly calls a “savage” man 

100)  If you are rude, obnoxious, negative or nasty, by default

101)  If you love brand names and use them to cover your insecurities

102)  If you can’t practice: live and let live

103) If you use the veil of religiosity to hide your hypocrisy 

Pakistani Railway Mafia

 

(33) Pakistani Railway Mafia

1998 by Fazeel Azeez Chauhan

In order to help facilitate the looting of Indian treasures, the British decided to build decent railways. Of course, it was the Indians who spilled their sweat and blood to do the actual construction. Last month, during a visit to the Pak (sacred) land, I experienced the unholiness of today's Pakistan Railways. My friend Shehky and I had decided to take the round-trip from Lahore to Karachi by train.

We went to Lahore Railway station, on the day of our trip. At the ticket counter, the clerk who probably makes less than 2,000 Rupees ($40) a month, gave us a very bad attitude. He was so rude that I couldn't even get a straight answer from him about the train schedule. It was his negative way of exerting power to get a sense of superiority over the customers. We finally discovered that there were no tickets available. So Shehky took me to a restaurant across the street from the station. There, in black market, we got two tickets for 1300 Rupees each. Of course, the face value of each ticket was only 780 Rupees. Who made the 520 Rupees of profit on each ticket? The Railway Mafia.

This is nothing new, everyone knows about the tickets being sold in black. Usually, a traveler only has to ask a Kulee to purchase a ticket. It seems that railway workers on many levels are part of this mafia ring. From the Kulees on up to the executive management, everyone gets their share of the 520 Rupees profit from each ticket. The biggest proof that they're all in it together, is that you will never be able to buy a counterfeit ticket. That's because the Pakistan Railway Mafia is so powerful, that they've destroyed the competition from any other mafia. The tickets themselves are so simple that anyone could easily print fake ones. But nobody has dared to do so to challenge the Pakistan Railway mafia.
          At the Karachi station, the Railway had displayed large banners announcing that they would not tolerate the black marketing of tickets. "Violators will be jailed and fined" was the main line of the drama. In Karachi, for the trip back to Lahore, the Kulees were asking for 1500 Rupees per ticket. The Railway mafia falsely claimed that it was now too risky to sell tickets in black. They used this trick to hike up the prices even more. We got two tickets which ended up being in a women's compartment. There are six bunk beds for the people in each compartment. The other four people in our compartment happened to included two young women and two young girls. The oldest was about 21 and did not like us being in her vicinity, possibly because of my long hair and Shehky's earrings. Maybe we don't look like two ideal "mama's boys". She contacted the Railway authorities to have us moved, but they were of no help. Later she became a bit friendly and gave a blanket and pillow to my friend who was feeling cold.

In the adjacent compartment was a woman with her two daughters who were visiting from England. Her sister was also there and she was obviously a sincere old timer from a small town in Pakistan. She offered us a large plate of homemade Biryani. On her genuine insistence we accepted and enjoyed the delicious meal. Their younger daughter was about five years old and was playing house on the very top bunk bed, which is about 5 feet above the ground. The poor girl rolled over and had a terrible fall to the ground. But luckily, she was spinning during her fall and thus miraculously didn't have any significant injuries. God does protect his good people.

Guess what happened when we arrived in Lahore from Karachi? My friend Shehky is an artist and has been gradually moving his belongings to his new home in Lahore. He had a suitcase full of metal tools and instruments for wood carving. As soon as we stepped off the train, an officer of the mafia pulled us aside. He told us that each passenger is allowed only 20 Kilograms of baggage. Anything heavier should have been checked in and stored in the baggage compartment. This was a new rule, which very few people knew about. In fact it's another trick for the mafia to make money.

Here's how the Railway mafia rips off people: The officer took us to a weighing machine. The machine indicated that our suitcase weighed 65 Kg. At the top of the machine was a sign that said "Warning - This machine can show inaccurate measurements at any time". But nobody was paying any attention to this sign. We were asked to pay 22 Rupees per Kg, totaling 1430 Rupees. We objected with agony. At that time, a man wearing very nice white clothes appeared on the scene. At first he seemed to be an employee of the railroad, but later turned out to be a taxi driver, who was part of the Railway mafia. Bargaining, diplomacy and arguing back and forth resulted in a bribe of 400 Rupees. This included the taxi fare to our home. The kind gentlemen of the mafia assured us that we would get home safe and sound.

When we arrived home, we had to pay 400 Rupees to the taxi driver. He probably got 100 Rupees as his cut. The other 300 Rupees went to his mafia friends at the Railway station. Though the amount is only $8 for me, but for a person struggling in Pakistan, 400 Rupees is a lot of money. On a daily basis, the Railway mafia is thus robbing hundreds of people. It's just another example of an elaborate "number two" or fraud system created to make money for the authorities. These people have the audacity to call themselves Pak- and Muslims. It's estimated that 90% of Pakistanis don't even pay their electric bills and pay bribes instead. Show a non-Muslim a few common things in Pakistan and he will be convinced to never become a Muslim because we are such bad examples of the faith. If "Cleanliness is Half the Faith" then Americans practice half the teachings of Islam, but Pakistanis don't. Enough Pakistanis are corrupt and not on the straight path of Islam. That's the cause of our suffering and downfall

How To Stay In Your Power

 

(32) How to stay in your power

by Fazeel Chauhan 1998

• Follow the 5 pillars of Islam
• Find out what your higher purpose is. Practice it in small amounts every day
• Remember your wins
• Create a context to set up yourself to win at a goal each day
• Make a list of the things you need to do and face
• Take care of things you've been avoiding and get them over with. Complete them
• Meditate
• Keep in touch with what's going on inside
• Know your strengths
• Don't dwell on your shortcomings
• Vird (Chanting)
• Read Quran
• Read inspirational poetry like Iqbal
• Write something everyday
• Do affirmations
• Keep your surroundings clean and organized
• Talk to friends you trust and share your life with them
• Don't hold on to resentments. Forgive
• Exercise every day
• Make a daily check list to help complete tasks
• Avoid stress
• Get enough rest
• Don't take your health and time for granted
• Be Thankful for what you have
• Lower your expectations for being happy
• Don't hurt anyone except in self-defense

 

Affirmative Action and Proposition 209

 Affirmative Action and Proposition 209

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  10-28-96)

Is there a conspiracy against non-white immigrants? In California the same people who brought us proposition 187 a couple of years ago, are now bringing us proposition 209. It assumes that racism does not exist anymore and that Affirmative Action programs should be terminated. If the two dots are connected, I wonder what the projected ultimate goal is. If we as part of the "minority" don't vote against 209, then we are on our way to legalized racism.

Proposition 187 targeted "Illegal" aliens, denying their children education and medical care. As Dr. Hathout mentioned, "Even if a person doesn't have proper papers, I will still treat him like a human being and give him the medical care he needs." Proposition 187 attempted to legalize immoral treatment of undocumented aliens and it passed. Proposition 209 is the next step, which takes certain rights away from "legal" aliens. What's next? Separate passports based on which country a person immigrated from? Legalized racism based on your color? Currently, people with "European" features are not likely to be asked to prove whether they are legal or whether they are "American." Nobody even talks about the thousands of illegal Italians in New York. In fact, immigration from European countries is encouraged. Governor Wilson and his supporters are targeting the non-white people.

Some students have been on hunger strikes and demonstrating at the Federal Building on Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood. This is a tradition that Mahatma Gandhi popularized. But Jackie who is an activist says that appealing to an oppressor's morality only works when he has morality. So what can we do? Believe it or not, your vote is extremely powerful. Elected officials do care about your vote. Even if you are not a citizen and not eligible to vote, you have every right to call or write to them and state how you feel. Even President Clinton responds to letters within a month. Many government officials are on the Internet and can be contacted easily if you have a computer. You can contact your local library to obtain names, addresses and phone numbers of all your representatives.

Many people, especially "Americans" say that they don't want to get involved in politics. Even though politics is a dirty business, still, we cannot escape the effect it has on our personal lives. For example, proposition 209, will affect all of us because we are a subset of non-white immigrants. Although a lot of energy is required these days to earn a good living, we should not be blind to the big picture. In politics, there is a lot of misinformation. For example, proposition 209, which takes away rights from minorities and women, is labeled as the "Civil Rights" initiative. This kind of "double-speak" can confuse even a sensible person.

Affirmative Action programs which were designed to combat racism are now being called reverse discrimination. The truth is, Affirmative Action is a sensible remedy for addressing current discrimination against people of color and women. It is a means of giving equal opportunities to people of color and women for hiring, promotion, public contracting and public school enrollment. Currently, 86% of jobs are not advertised, and are filled through word of mouth. Affirmative Action is a door opener for people who would otherwise be shut out of good schools, government contracts, and public jobs. It is not a system for hiring unqualified people. No program requires anyone to accept substandard or unqualified applicants. It is not a quota system and it is not a remedy for past discrimination. Unfortunately, discrimination continues to be widespread today. Just ask a conscious non-white person. According to Californians for Justice, Caucasian men make up 96% of CEO's, 85% of tenured professors, 89% of US Senators and 100% of all U.S. Presidents. On the other hand, people of color and women get the lowest paying and least desirable jobs. They also have much higher poverty and unemployment rates. Radio station KPFK 90.7 FM is also a good source of un-biased news and information.

Don't be fooled by Proposition 209, which they are wrongly calling the "Civil Rights" initiative. It eliminates all public equal opportunity affirmative action programs. This "Civil Wrongs" initiative offers only racial division, gender exclusion and open discrimination. The dangerously vague language also legalizes discrimination against women and girls. Does it sound like Apartheid as in South Africa? The initiative falsely assumes that the effects of past and present discrimination don't exist. It takes us back at least thirty years. Fortunately, there are groups like "Angry White Men Against Prop 209" a beautiful bunch of guys from Oakland. Please, vote against Prop. 209 on November 5th and write your elected officials to discourage them from putting such a bill on the ballot in the future

Thanks, Rodney

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  5-12-93)

The whole country watched the brutal beating of Rodney King by four cops. Their guilt was documented on a video, yet the jury found the policemen not guilty. I asked Jameel about his thoughts and feelings about the case and the riots that followed.
"I don't blame the people for rioting", he said. "You have to look at the history of this country. You have to objectively see the tremendous problems with the social, economic and political systems of this country. A closer look shows that fairness isn't equally likely for minorities and the less privileged. Police beatings and unjust verdicts occur every day. We just don't see it... until it happens to us. Only then do we usually try to do something about it.
"To fix a problem, first we have to acknowledge that it exists. But usually, Americans choose to not see things that may upset the status quo. If the sleeping masses wake up and see what the U. S. is doing to their own people, as well as to other countries, then they would become very upset and will do something to change it. This is what people were attempting to do through rioting. The Rodney King verdict woke up some people with a big jolt. Some took to the streets and expressed themselves violently. The destruction is seen as sad and scary by most people, but in the bigger picture of things, it is not a big deal. About fifty people died and there were about a thousand fires. Compared to the 300,000 plus human beings killed in Iraq and the total destruction of cities and industries there, the L. A. riots are minuscule. Why didn't the American people riot then? They didn't identify the death of Iraqis as a problem.
Problems are usually allowed to get out of hand before they are noticed. Consider for example the millions of deaths in Africa due to hunger and disease, lack of human rights around the world, the population explosion which is suffocating the Earth, the cutting down of the South American Rainforest at a rate of one acre per second and ozone depletion, the conquering of the Native Americans and the deletion of their history, slavery of blacks and ongoing racism, teachers who don't get paid enough, daily gang shootings in L. A., assassinations and government overthrows of sovereign nations by the CIA, enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world sixty times over, the two-party political system in the U.S., both of which are two sides of the same coin, the ever growing multi-trillion dollar U. S. deficit and the violence and tension in the Middle East, Kashmir and the new Soviet republics. These are massive, sad, scary and upsetting problems about which most American have not done much. These are the things that people really need to protest and correct. If the people lead, the leaders will follow. But for most people, if it's N.I.M.B.Y. (Not In My Back Yard), they don't care and they remain asleep. People started "caring" when their back yards were on fire.
"Politically, the American people are very naive. They will have to open their eyes to the identify problems such as the Rodney King case, and become involved to correct them. Not budging from the status quo and the comfort zone create numbness. On the other hand, each change is a chance for progress and learning. The last riot in L. A. was twenty five years ago. That means the people have been asleep for many years because as I said, there are far more important issues to protest about than a police beating. Hopefully this protest has paved the way for people to get actively involved in trying to correct other problems.
There has been destruction but the positive aspects have far out-weighed the negatives. The violence may not have been an appropriate means, but at least the people did something to get the attention of the powers-that-be. Maybe they were also tired of peaceful demonstrations, which nobody seems to care about. In a numb society, outcries of injustice can be very healthy because they can wake people up. Thanks to Rodney's verdict, the people attempted to take things into their own hands. Their methods may have been wrong, but at least they tried. They attempted to change things, to correct wrongs and to make progress. The roots of the problems are in the overall economic, political and social systems. Those are the areas that always need to be actively evaluated and corrected. As a first step, we must have equality for all human beings"

Mind and Media

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link ~ 1-7-93)

Knowledge is power. At a recent gathering to celebrate Quaid-e-Azam's birthday, I learned how much he stressed the importance of attaining knowledge. In his will, he distributed all of his belongings among three schools. In today's fast paced information age, the media of film, tv and radio can be excellent sources to provide us with knowledge.

Many people have suggested that education can solve a lot of our problems. If people are well informed, they tend to become more objective. They may become more tolerant of other points of views and may some day use non-violent means instead of resolving conflicts through fighting and warfare.
The U. S. as a super-power, can influence the events taking place in the world. This country and its people have the potential to create a world focused on destruction or on peace. Therefore, it is very encouraging when the media does a good job of informing the people. Without information we are blind. Learning and growing is what life is all about. I would like to draw your attention to some of these refreshing, and some very courageous efforts on the part of the media.
I was glad to see a famous director, Oliver Stone, use the medium of film to inform the people about one of the most popular leaders of this country, John F. Kennedy. The movie "JFK" tells us that he wanted to end the Vietnam war and cut military spending. He wanted to dismantle the CIA, and he was against attacking Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also played a role in helping Blacks and other minorities get equal rights. JFK had some revolutionary ideas about changing the policies of this country in the world. But he was viewed as a threat by some, and was assassinated. The conspiracy theory points the finger at the CIA, the military and even the Vice-President, Linden Johnson. This high budget and widely distributed movie by one of the country's leading directors is being well received by the movie-going audiences. It has made people raise questions about what really goes on in the government. The film is an eye-opener and I highly recommend it.
There are other good movies also, which have a similar theme as "JFK". Since Pakistanis love to see movies, I'll mention some of them. An excellent movie about the Iran-Contra affair is "Cover Up". It has been showing in Santa Monica for the past few months but is also available on video. The Christic Institute is a law firm that has taken on, and won, historical issues such as the Karen Silkwood case. The movie "Silkwood" was based on this case. The Christic Institute has a case pending against the people involved with the Iran-Contra affair. They have researched and documented evidence that supports the claims of the movie "Cover Up". It tells how Reagan and Bush knew all along, about the CIA's involvement in weapons and drug smuggling. A movie with some positive and enlightening ideas is "Mindwalk". It deals with personal, political and global issues.  It is based on a book by Fritjof Capra. He is a leading scientist in Physics who connects it with mysticism. "Dances With Wolves" tells us that all people are the same and that the real enemy is within each of us.
PBS uses the medium of television positively, with their wide range of programs, to effect the lives of the viewers. One of my favorite shows is "Frontline". A few months ago, I saw two movies on Channel 28. Award winning, "The Official Story" from Argentina deals with the disappearances of thousands of people in their country. Another very disturbing film "State Of Siege" is from Uruguay. It is about the police departments of countries around the world. Many countries send their top police officers to be trained in the U. S. Torture techniques and fear tactics are some of the topics covered in the training classes. The police headquarters in Uruguay were partially run by an American "advisor", in 1971. This was how the U. S. was able to exert direct control over the people of that country.
A good source for news and information on the radio is listener sponsored KPFK, 90.7 FM. An enlightening talk show on KLOS, 95.5 FM with host Frank Sontag comes on Sunday night at midnight.
I commend all the people in the media who are trying to empower us with knowledge. I hope this trend continues and that we'll see less of the usual sex and violence and more of vital issues that effect our world and our lives.

Honoring African Americans

Honoring African Americans

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(as published in Pakistan Link, Los Angeles, 1997)

February is Black History month and it serves as a great reminder of the immense contributions which African Americans have made to this society. Their teachings can profoundly help and accelerate the progress of Pakistanis and other Muslims in America. The extreme degree of their human experience and their devout legacy deserves tremendous honor. We need to thank all minorities who came before us. They have given their lives for obtaining Civil Rights for our children. They can teach us immensely if we are willing to be humble and accept that we have a common milieu. 

If we as Muslims want to become aware of our predicament, we must begin by getting an accurate picture of American history. The book "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn is compulsory reading. It will shock you with the truth from page one. Native Americans were already here for thousands of years before the Europeans like Columbus arrived at the new world. Ironically, Columbus was actually looking for India, to enslave my own ancestors. Zinn's book quotes Columbus' own journal about his intentions of importing slaves and gold to Europe.
Historically, there has always been a small group of people exploiting a much larger group who may be the poor, weak or non-white. We must be aware of the idea that the media defines and divides the world into the categories of "the West and the Rest". In the scheme of American definitions, we are classified as minorities. We are included in the groups of Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and immigrants. We should join the ranks of our fellow minorities and do our fair share. If united, this group of "'minorities" can be very powerful. Otherwise we fall prey to being divided and conquered by other people. The people classified as "minorities" in America can teach each other astronomically because we share most common values. We may have different religions, but our culture, morals, behavior and predicament are the same as native or traditional people of the world.

The legacy and teachings of Native Americans also deserves tremendous honor. The first owners of this land are classified as a "minority" who did not "immigrate" to America. The first "non-Europeans" who immigrated here, but against their will, were Africans. It is guaranteed that their words will enlighten you. Their experience will help you progress much faster. We are not the first minority or the first immigrants here. Africans, have been here for hundreds of years before us. We should always enlist their help and cooperation so that we do not have to keep re-inventing the wheel. Thus we need to appreciate and honor them.

If you are facing raci~m, ask an African American about the experience of his ancestors. If you feel that you are among aliens, watch movies like "Amistad." Invite an African American family over for dinner and engage in a dialogue about your common issues. Their heart, hope, persistence, faith, humbleness, pride and power will invigorate and catapult you. In addition to dialogue, read books written by African Americans and other minorities. Get beyond only watching movies such as Malcolm X. Find out who struggled for hundreds of years, bit by bit, to get equal rights for "people of color". As a rule, any dominant culture tries hard to maintain the status quo. It wasn't Anglo-Americans who initiated the ideas of Civil Rights against slavery, apartheid and racism.
Our Muslim parents push their kids to pursue careers which are only financially rewarding such as business or medicine. Why should it take five more decades to realize that we need to encourage kids into the arts, politics and social work? The Jewish people are a great example of a small group of people who became very influential by teaching their kids to go into the powerful areas of media, politics and finance. We should learn from them. Your children can be the next heroes for people around the world, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Mohammed Ali. African Americans are usually the best athletes but why are they, prevented from being coaches? The best Cricket, Squash, Kabaddi and Hockey players in the world are in our genes. Why do we keep them dormant?

White supremacists continue to use IQ tests and various studies to prove that other minorities somehow lack certain human elements. But look at how African Americans prove them wrong by their accomplishment in science, as well as arts. Louis Lattimer is a famous scientist and inventor. African American scientists are not well publicized but artists will tell you that even art involves a high level of mathematical and scientific abilities. Notice that often Anglo-Americans are made legendary by the media while minorities are ignored. For example the notion that "Elvis is King". What about Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Miles Davis and Jimmy Hendrix? African Americans are the pioneers of pop music. They sang gospel and the blues from the time of slavery and later invented the highly complex style called jazz. Actors churn up their ancestral emotions and deliver heart wrenching performances in the theater. Dancing is so instinctive for African Americans that their beautiful dance of life leaves us envious. Tony Morrison is a Nobel Laureate for Literature.

Some of our Muslim brethren look down upon other sects. But any human being who claims that he is a Muslim, probably shares at least 70% of your beliefs. So why not joyfully embrace him for that? Us Pakistanis have the common disease of pointing the finger at others and being unable to see that the other three fingers are always pointing at us. The Nation of Islam has done a lot of revolutionary and brave work. Most Anglo-Americans believe the trash on TV and don't even know who is Allah or Muhammed. If a group of people like the Nation of Islam can teach someone the basics of Allah, Muhammed and Quran, then each student receives thousands of benefits. Instead of dividing people based on differences, and judging other groups, we should accept them for being like us. Which Muslim group will organize the next Million Man March?

We also import prejudices from the old country where human supremacy based on skin color and money is rapidly becoming common. We need to be aware of how beautifully these lies are fed around the world through TV and movies. African Americans and Muslims are portrayed as criminals and sub-human.

Caucasians are portrayed as admirable heroes, even if they are shown as killers. Some churches which present Jesus as a White man, subtly give the message that Caucasians are godly and can't do no wrong. Immigrants like us were lucky enough to have experienced life in other environments. We are very perceptive and can also in return be good teachers. These statements are not anti-anglo. They are human beings like the rest of us, but no race or skin is superior. The extreme of unity is Allah. The benefit of human unity is that we can teach each other and together, greatly accelerate our progress.

Deadened

Deadend

Shirley: I got my degree five years ago. Did you go to Cal State?
Fazeel: Yea I studied Computer technology and Psychology there

Shirley: So are you Indian?
Fazeel: My parents are Indian. I was born in Pakistan, raised in Saudi Arabia and New Orleans

Shirley: Really?!!!! My grandma's Indian. She used to make goat curry and everything
Fazeel: That's great. I guess a lot of people have Indian blood in the Carribean

Shirley: You're Muslim right?
Fazeel: Yea. Ahamm (wondering what's next)

Shirley: My uncle's side of the family is all Muslim too
Fazeel: Wow! That's wonderful

Shirley: You know I wanted to ask you something. My husband gets a newsletter from his church...
Fazeel: He's African American too, right?

Shirley: Yes, we get this newsletter from our church which says that Muslims believe Black people have raisins for brains
Fazeel: (Silence. Shocking dismay). Hmm where should I start to say that it's not true...

- Based on a true incident in 1993, Los Angeles

Absorption

Absorption

Outside a closed church

Damaged by the earthquake

I pass by him

Every afternoon around 2

The air of broken dreams

The marks of spilled guts

Stain the sidewalk

Around his escaping body

Facing the wall

Asleep on a cardboard

Next to a pillow

Of strange belongings

A thousand footsteps come and go

Ten thousand cars drive by

Does anybody really see

Or worry about him?

Why don't I ever say hello

Or ask how I can help?

Fazeel Azeez Chauhan

9-16-99

447

447

'fore '47 my father was Indian

And his fathers ages before him

Now they shred us

Into a thousand tribes

And a hundred shades

Between black and white

Columbus sailed to plunder India

But found West-Indians instead

Europeans invaded Indians

In both hemispheres

And natives were made to change

Natives and Indians are all the same

We still share our roots and a name
   When the link is forged
          Our global circle will emerge
                Standing face to face
          With our commanding surrogate parents
     We will be honored
We will make it a sensible place

'fore Pakistan my father was Indian                             

And his fore fathers ages 'fore him

(by Fazeel Azeez Chauhan)

1-15-99