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*

Morons like Aamir Liaqat make a mockery of religion

 

from Petition Against Aamir Liaqat:

"Morons like Aamir Liaqat make a mockery of religion"

https://www.change.org/p/boycott-amir-liaqat-in-ramzan-we-don-t-want-aamir-liaquat/c

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

The Sword of Friendship

 (4) The Sword of Friendship

1-31-91

by Fazeel Chauhan

Majeed is a graduate student of sociology. I recently met him in one of my classes. This is what he had to say: "Sometimes I don't know who to trust. Due to some of my recent experiences, I am very afraid of getting close to people.

"I am a foreign student and have no family here. So my friends are very important to me. But making friends is not easy, specially in Los Angeles. Here, everybody is very busy in their own world, trying to survive. Sometimes, I'm not sure who my friends really are. I've been hurt so many times by friends in the past that now I have developed a defensive attitude. In order to protect myself, I don't get close to anyone and I avoid friendships. The closer you get to someone, the more deeply they can hurt you. It seems like friendships are very temporary here. I feel like "friends" just hang around for a while, until they are able to take advantage of me in some way. There are times when I have five or six friends. Soon afterwards, they fall off one by one, like autumn leaves. Then I find myself all alone again.

"You may think that I'm over-reacting, but there are too many examples to recount. A few people I know here used to be my friends in Pakistan. But they changed after coming here, and now we are like strangers and don't get along with each other. In the beginning it was very hard to accept that they were not my friends any more. Some of the friends I made here, had the Jeckyl and Hyde syndrome. In front of me they claimed to be my friends. But a time came when I witnessed their other side. It turned out that they were just using me and were not sincere.

Naeem, was a very good friend of mine for about a year. One day, I was very surprised to see him acting like a stranger. His friends told me he had a drug problem. I offered him my help, but he completely denied ever using drugs. I was very disturbed to find that I didn't really know him and that he had the ability to look me straight in the eyes and tell me white lies. I thought I was such a fool to have believed the many lies he must have told me in the past. He was dishonest with me and I could no longer trust him. When you find out that someone you care about lied and deceived you, it makes you crazy because you don't know where the lies end and where the truth begins.

"Aqeel is one of my married friends. We both had a mutual friend named Elyas and he was a single man. The three of us spent many weekends together. Then we found out that Elyas was openly making passes at Aqeel's wife. We were really disgusted. This was a man whom I had known for many years. I was very disappointed and hurt. Now I don't know what this friendship was all about. I wasted so much of my valuable time with this hypocrite. I can't convey how badly this hurt Aqeel.

"Many problems with friendships occurred when money was involved. I loaned money to a few of my friends. They usually were in a desperate situation and asked me to do them a favor. I helped them when they needed me, but they weren't there when I needed them. Often, they would not return the loan for a long time and would forget all about it. Then I would have to look bad and chase them to get my money back. They know very well that as students, we barely have enough money to survive. We can't even afford to give spare change to a homeless person. Some would turn the situation around and accuse me of valuing money more than the friendship. But what about their end of the obligation, their promise, their commitment? If they valued my friendship enough, they would have paid me back on time and in full, instead of taking advantage of me.

"I am very hurt to find that I cannot tell when my friends are lying to me. I trust them so much that I don't expect them to deceive me. Why can't they be as sincere and loyal to me as I am to them? I don't think my expectations are unreasonable. In Pakistan, my friends and I truly trusted each other. But here, I can't tell who I should trust and who is insincere and who's lying. On the outside, there is this pretentious front, but inside, they are totally different. I'm never sure of what their motives are."

I could relate to Majeed's experiences. When I first met him, he tried to avoid me too. But eventually, I was able to get through the walls he had erected around him to protect himself. I tell him not to lose hope, that there are many good people out there. For example, my best friend Javed, who now lives in Australia. The thousands of miles between us did not affect our friendship because the trust and commitment are so strong. Deep within us, we have the understanding that we'll be good friends for a long time. Whenever I talk to him, it's like he's there right beside me, like he never left. I am fortunate enough to have a few good friends who genuinely love me. But I've had bad experiences too, just like Majeed.

It is tempting to become selfish and egocentric, like the negative people in our lives. But then how can we live with our selves? How do we go to sleep at night knowing that we've hurt somebody? How do we rationalize our bad behavior? How do we convince ourselves that the damage we did, served a "good" purpose?

I'm sure, there are a lot of Javeds out there. If we assume that there are not, we are doing injustice to them and to ourselves by depriving each other of a valuable friendship. If we have no friends, then life seems meaningless. Humans are after all, social animals. We need to socialize with each other for our survival, much more than we realize. Life seems like death when we have no friends. So we have to take the risk to reach out and connect with somebody. Life is a series of risks and gambles. If you don't roll the dice, you'll never win. You may find a person like Javed, or you may find someone like Elyas. We should be aware of the risks, but should not let fears rule our lives. If you are someone's friend, please be kind and value the trust that has been given to you. Strangers can't hurt us nearly as much as friends can. Friends can cause us deep emotional hurt which can have longterm psycholological effects on us. The poet sufi Bulleh Shah in particular stresses:

Don't break anyone's heart

Because God lives there

In each of us there is an animal; the devil within. But there is also a saint inside all of us. Let the saints take over and chit chat about God's beautiful creations. There are too many miracles to discover and not enough time

Independence Day

                         Independence Day

by Fazeel Chauhan

8-14-93

What does independence mean to me?
It is many things: Freedom, autonomy, maturity, connectedness and open mindedness.
Our goal should be to be the best that we can be - intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Trouble is, we as human beings are very tempted by our comfort zones. We arrive at a comfortable point in life and then stop to enjoy it. This resting point represents a stagnation in our growth process. The giant sequoias, evolve from a small seedling. Their growth doesn't stop and because of their adaptability, they are able to flourish for thousands of years. Those of us who do not continue to grow, change adapt, stop evolving and perish. the chains that bind us are all the things, beliefs and excuses that stop our growth. Our goal should be to break these chains and strive to be free in the truest sense.

One essential value is open-mindedness. We need to be accepting of other people's views and feelings. Why is it that I don't see any signs on the buses here, that forbid political arguments? People don't have violent fights over politics, honor and religion here, because they are somewhat open-minded. Egocentrism, tunnel vision and narrow mindedness are signs of ignorance and fear. When children start growind, they ask why about everything. Questioning should be allowed so that people can form their own opinions. "Other" opinions that "they" have should be tolerated by "us". As immigrants, we may be viewed as different and separate. But the fact is that we are all connected. We are the same- all "one".
Discrimination is a blindfold and it is psychological genocide. There is no doubt that it exists in the world, but as individuals, we should avoid it. Somebody's last name, economical status or social status, their gender or religion should not be viewed as inferior to our own. At CSULA, on the statue of Confucious it states: "Among truly educated people, there is no discrimination". We should educate ourselves in and out of school. But there are those who are educated but still ignorant. We should allow the education and learning experiences to change us and expand our views.

This is what independence means to me. One day soon, enough of us will join hands and embrace each other, to celebrate the independence of our souls

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

The Honorable People

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  10-5-95)

Forty Eight years ago, millions of Muslims of the Indian Sub-continent gained their freedom. They did not want to live under the oppression of the British or the Hindus. They wanted independence and the freedom to practice their religion and culture without restrictions. Half a century later, we're still slaves. We are not independent and free. Our actions and current circumstances show that we are not living those values that the founders envisioned practicing. Corruption, injustice, oppression and civil war are the diseases destroying our country Pakistan.
The Westerners came hundreds of years ago and enslaved our ancestors. Their motive was greed of power and money. They ruled our people and stole the material goods and ancient treasures of our land. They made us conform to their thinking, laws and values and attempted to divert us away from our magnificent heritage. They used the tactics of divide and conquer to oppress and control us. The brave people who stood up to fight them were killed or bought. They were our enemies and they taught us to hate ourselves. They looked upon us as the "dirty natives." They made us learn their English language and steered us away from our own richer languages. So they brainwashed us into believing that our old traditions and native values were wrong and that it was good to be modern and westernized. We began to lose our integrity, got confused, and started becoming like them.
The British were able to come in and invade the land, hearts, souls and minds of our people because we had become weak. Specifically, we lost the values which had made us powerful, honorable people and the integrity which had kept us on the right path. When we became weak on the inside, both the devil and the British were able to conquer us.
Our forefathers dreamed that things would be different after independence. Our ancestors gave their lives to attain freedom for their future generations. They hoped that we would live happily ever after in our sacred and "Pak" land. The dream has turned into a nightmare today, especially for the people in Karachi. With so much unrest and lawlessness, nobody knows who could get killed next. So many people have guns that it has become like the wild west. Corruption is rampant in our motherland. A poor man who does not have money or connections, is powerless and vulnerable. Freedom of speech means that a person may be killed if he says what he really feels. The basic human rights that we enjoy in America have to be bought and sold in Pakistan. We are still weak because we still allow ourselves to be divided and conquered.
Part of the problems in Pakistan is the covert operations of outside forces like the CIA. We should learn planning skills from the British, Americans and Jews. Their planning is for the next five hundred years. The imperialist British said "We will not only conquer their lands and minds, we will rule their hearts and souls for generations to come." Today, many generations later, our hearts and souls are slaves to the west. A Caucasian man told me proudly "Don't fool yourself. Just because the British flag was replaced by the Pakistani flag in 1947 does not mean that you are free. Any imperialist government still rules the colonies even after granting them "independence.""
The language we are communicating in today is English. It's difficult to communicate feelings and emotions in this language. For example, there are so many different words for love in Urdu. But English is a necessity in today's world. That's fine, but what's really repulsive is when in Pakistan people proudly and abundantly use English words in their Urdu conversations. The more "westernized" a person looks, the more respect and admiration he gets. Today, a popular song is "Goree". Why is white considered more beautiful? Is it because we believe the Caucasians who told us that we are the "dirty natives" and the whites are godly?
Religion and spirituality are very personal things which are between a man and his God. Yet so many people are oppressed in the name of religion. In Pakistan, many people are not educated enough to properly interpret and analyze the teachings of a religion. The people are threatened not to question "religion". The biggest enemy in our culture is self-righteousness. There are so many egocentric people who think that only they are right and everybody else is wrong. They have no tolerance and are threatened by a difference of opinion.
Twenty years ago a boy was born in Karachi. At a very young age he started having dreams in which the great heros of the world appeared to him. Men like Tipu Sultan, Hazrat Imam Hussain, Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley and Allama Iqbal would talk to him in his dreams. They urged him to be a righteous man and lead his people out of their miserable state. For several years, he strengthened his spirit. Then he started teaching people the ancient ways to make them honorable again. He asked these people of integrity to join him and formed a movement called the "Honorable People".

About a million of these warrior souls are now working for human rights in Pakistan. Their values are rooted in their own rich and ancient eastern heritage. These men and women do not compromise their principles and choose death over slavery. These humanitarians are united and are willing to give up their lives to wrong the rights in Pakistan. They will jump off a cliff before taking a bribe. They are not hypocrites or jealous of others. They protect and empower women and children. They ensure that the poor and needy also get the same basic human rights as everybody else. They make peace among warring factions. They talk to the men who want their own little kingdoms and persuade them to join the Honorable People. As leaders of our society, they make long range plans and visualize where our society should be in five hundred years. They care about other people and are not selfish. They believe that their purpose in life is to serve other people. Will you become an honorable person to help your children? What stops you from joining the Honorable People?

Gambling

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  3-15-95)

Kamran has lived in this country for the past six years. He came here on a student visa to pursue higher education and has just completed a master's degree in Computer Science. Now he's faced with a dilemma. Should he go back to Pakistan or stay here. I have frequently met people who have had to make this important decision. Like the major choices in life, it's a big gamble. Weighing the pros and cons of either option can be very difficult. Here's what his situation is:
"Up until a few months ago, I wanted to stay here. I had planned to send resumes to various companies to look for a job. Someone out there would hire me, I thought, and sponsor me, so that I could live in this country legally. But now I'm not sure whether it's wise for me to stay here. To extend my visa and to buy myself some more time while I'm in the process of making a decision, I have enrolled into a MBA program at my university.
"I have talked to a few of my colleagues who are in the same boat as me. One of them is from Algeria and he was the top student of my university. He was doing an internship with one of the defense contractors. As a project leader, he designed some technically difficult systems, using the latest tools and proved himself a valuable asset to his company. He worked extra hard and obtained awards and recognition from the employer. Yet, even after all of that, the company did not sponsor him. He ended up going back to Algeria and opened up a school there to teach computers and became very successful.
"It seems like I will not be able to stay here. The economy is in bad shape and many computer professionals have been laid off from their jobs. How can I compete with someone who has working experience and citizenship as well? I'm scared and unsure of my future and I don't want to make the wrong decision. I have been in school all my life. Now it's time to get a job and I don't know if I will be successful. That's the main reason I haven't really tried to get a job and have been procrastinating.
"One option I have is to work on my own by assembling and selling computers. But I will be illegal and always concerned about it. Another choice is to marry my girlfriend. She's American and we've been dating for about two years. She says she's in love with me and wants to marry me. But I just don't know. My family would not approve and seems like inter-racial marriages are much more susceptible to failure. When I consider getting married to her, the line between genuine care and taking advantage becomes cloudy. It will break her heart when I go back to Pakistan.
"I know these guys who are in the Desi mafia in New York. They can get me a fake passport or green card. But I've rarely done anything that illegal and risky in my life. The FBI is after them and I'd probably end up getting caught and deported. I don't want to get into that kind of trouble. I think I'll just head back home to Pakistan.
"I love this country and there are so many opportunities and choices available here which are not in Pakistan. I have grown tremendously in the years I've lived here. Twenty years of living in Pakistan could not have taught me the things I have experienced in the last six years in America. But the dirt beneath my feet is not mine and these people in the streets are not mine. This language and culture is not mine and I feel isolated. Friends are hard to find here and people are spiritually starved. Then there is racism and lack of acceptance of "colored" people.
"I think I'll be able to readjust in Pakistan. I have a family that loves me and friends that genuinely care about me. If you have money over there, you can live like you were in America. There's a lot of things I don't like about my country. And I'll have to get involved in trying to correct them. I should work to help my own people. I'll open up a computer school there and improve the life-scope of my own folk. I'll get married to one of my own kind and hopefully not live unhappily ever after. Life is a series of choices, a bunch of gambles. Each choice you make opens up a new world to you and simultaneously shuts out another universe of options. I hope I'll make the right decision. Only time will tell"

Child Abuse

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  10-10-95)

 It has been said "If you must beat a child, use a thread". In America, even though it is illegal, each year around one million children suffer from child abuse. Sadly, in Pakistan, child abuse is not viewed in general as wrong or destructive to children. Therefore, the vast majority of children end up being abused. Growing up and as adults, millions of these children suffer from mental, social and behavioral problems. Parents and adults need to be aware of the tremendous damage abuse can do to a child's life.
Growing up, my friends and I were frequently abused by people in our families and by our teachers. "Abuse" is usually defined as non-accidental physical attack on (or injury to) children, by individuals caring for them. But abuse can also be verbal, sexual and emotional. It is very painful to see how the lives of some of my friends were destroyed by their parents or "loved ones". My friend Nadeem's parents were working in Dubai and had left him with his aunt in Pakistan. She often used her shoes to beat Nadeem senselessly, on his face and head, in front of the whole neighborhood. This made him feel worthless and humiliated. He's turned into a hermit who finds it very difficult to express his feelings positively and keeps failing in his business ventures. He neglects and abuses his own children, following in his parents' footsteps. Ahmed's father, a military man, was sure that physical punishment and fear tactics were the best means of disciplining his family. He tried to gain their "respect" by scaring them to death. He would line up the whole family in a row and then beat them up one by one, with a broom or hockey stick. Ahmed was so terrorized by his father that he would urinate in his pants. He has developed into a very depressed and scared adult. He is a rebel and hates any kind of authority. He cannot forgive his dead father nor forget his crimes.
These abused children were not mischievous or trouble makers by nature. It was usually the abusers who demanded far more than what the children were capable of providing. Azam's father hit him in the head with an iron rod. He is convinced that this caused brain damage, making him epileptic. He has developed into a very violent person now. Tranquilizers can't calm him down and he frequently beats up various members of his family, including his old father. Indeed, children are not born violent. They learn it from their parents.
Some children experience emotional rather than physical abuse. They may be neglected and ignored by the parents. Waseem was such a case. He had a very sensitive personality. His parents were emotionally unavailable and inattentive, which made him feel rejected and worthless. Thinking no one loved him or cared about him, he started abusing himself with drugs. Now he's a heroin junkie, who has no "self" left. Some adolescents feel very pressured by the family to excel in school. There are cases where kids commit suicide upon failing their exams. Sexual abuse is far more common than we think. Its existence is minimized and denied. My friend Farooq was sexually abused by his uncle. He's an emotionally disturbed adult now, who goes to therapy to heal the pain. He's unsure about his life, particularly about his sexuality. These were some of the cases of young boys whom I personally knew. For little girls I fear that the predicament is much worse.
Child abuse and domestic violence is found in all segments of society. Abused children are not happy, don't feel good about themselves and tend to not enjoy life. They have low self-esteem, poor self-control and negative feelings about the world. Some show high levels of rage, frustration and aggression. Emotionally neglected children who experience lack of love and care, tend to be withdrawn and depressed. They exhibit mental and behavioral problems as they become older. Children learn what they are taught, especially from their parents. Abusive parents teach their children to do the same and the vicious cycle continues from generation to generation.
On the other hand, children who are given love and attention, come to believe that they are loved and look at the world in a positive manner. They have high self-worth and a successful lifestyle. In the book "The Road Less Travelled", Dr. Scott Peck states the following: "If a parent can give a child the feeling that s/he is loved, the child develops high self esteem and self-worth. It is a feeling that no gold in the world can replace. The child grows up having this feeling deep within him/her, that cannot be taken away. Even if s/he's faced with a major crisis, s/he's able to overcome it, believing that s/he has the ability to do so. S/he feels very confident and knows that s/he deserves the best in life, including happiness, love and prosperity. Therefore, s/he does not hesitate to achieve high goals and success.
Most parents want to be good parents. Classes that teach parenting skills often help prevent parents who have abused their children from doing so again. The psychology section of the local bookstore or library is full of books that can help you become a better person and parent. An excellent book by Tara Singh is "How To Raise A Child Of God". Another highly recommended book is "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise Hay. If you have been a victim of abuse, it is very sad and I empathize with you. But there is lots of hope. You can turn your life around and stop the never-ending poisonous pedagogy that has been going on from generation to generation

Hopes and Dreams

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~ 1-22-92)

Younus came to the U. S. two years ago as a foreign student, to get a bachelors degree in civil engineering. He came here in search of hope, opportunity and a better life. But his plans were altered due to a strange twist of fate. He recently had a brush with death when he was shot two times.
His parents almost lost their only son. He had come to the U. S. for higher education upon his father's recommendation. After graduation, Younus had planned to work here for a while and then hopefully land a job in the middle east, that paid well. His father had sold some property to get enough money to send him over. He continued to financially support Younus as much as he could, but the expenses were too great. So Younus decided to start working here.
He applied for a working permit to get a part time job so he could partially support himself. For a while, he worked in the campus library but was paid close to minimum wage. Then, a few months ago, he found another job at a liquor store, working as a security guard. His job was to guard the liquor store at night. He expected it to be an easy job. The hours were great and he would also be able to do his schoolwork at his job. Besides, the pay check at the end of the week would be a little bigger.
A couple of weeks ago, the incident took place while he was at work. He had stepped outside the store for a few minutes. When he walked back in, he saw a man robbing the cashier at gun point. The robber was startled when he saw the security guard walk in and he panicked. He turned around and shot at Younus three times with his hand gun. He missed only once. Two of the bullets hit Younus and he fell to the ground, screaming in agony and pain. The robber snapped the few dollars from the cash register and ran out the door.
Younus lay on the ground in a pool of blood, his life flashed before his eyes. He screamed in pain, disoriented and shocked at what had just taken place. The cashier, tried to comfort him while they waited for the ambulance and police to arrive. The police was unable to find the gunman, he had escaped. The paramedics worked fast, trying to stop the bleeding at the two wounds. Younus was in bad shape as the ambulance rushed to the hospital. The first bullet had hit him in the ribs, two inches below his heart. The other one went through his right thigh.
The doctors told him later that if he had arrived at the operating table half an hour later, he would not have survived. But he was very lucky and they were able to save his life. He was in intensive care for a few days and eventually his condition stabilized. He's at home now, but still confined to his bed, as he recovers. He still can't believe that this happened to him. It was totally unexpected. Still in shock he wonders why this happened to him and how he could have avoided it. He had done nothing to hurt the gunman. He just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Younus is going back to Pakistan in a few days so that his family can take care of him. They are worried and scared. They want him to come back home and forget all about America. Younus is a fighter though, he says he'll come back to finish his studies, as soon as he's recovered. I don't know how he will rationalize what happened to him. How will he deal with the incident? And what about the gunman? What was his motivation? How does he live with himself, knowing that he almost killed another human being?

Some times I wonder, why bad things happen to good people. Younus was a good person. All he wanted was to be able to live a better life. He didn't want to hurt anybody. We all have our dreams and we all make our plans. But behind the veil, there are unknown forces that have their own plans for us, leaving us with too many unanswered questions

Ali Haider Show

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  7-31-95)

Ali Haider, Bushra Ansari, Bunny and Milestones have been touring together for the last six weeks. Los Angeles was the last leg of this tour. Unfortunately, for the artists, the end of this tour was marked by an unpleasant experience. The problem had to do with the financial contracts. This was one reason why it took so long for the performance to begin. Originally, the show was to start at 7:30. Then, in last week's Pakistan Link, the new show time was changed to 8:30pm. But it was 10pm when the curtains finally opened and Bushra Ansari took the stage with Allah-Ditta band.
I think you'll agree that it's about time that we as a community start being on time. As artists and promoters, we need to begin the shows exactly at the announced time. This is the promise that you've made. On the other side, the audience needs to be in their seats at the scheduled time. Another factor which caused the delay of this show was that many people did not arrive at 8:30. In general the attendance was low and I suppose the organizers were waiting for more people to arrive before they started the show. If the artist, promoter or audience is late to a gathering, nobody wins. We all lose. And what we lose is our most valuable asset which is time. It's about time that we discard the idea of "Pakistan Standard Time."
Bushra Ansari sang beautifully. Her voice is very melodic and her personality is very confident. When some men were making too much noise, she told them directly that it's better if they let her talk. I like seeing that positive power in women. Due to the low attendance, $10 tickets were not sold. Only $15 and above were available and this made some people angry. To ease the tension, Bushra told a good joke about miser husbands. I guess us men don't spend enough money on the women and we're miserly with our compliments too. I wish someone had taught me how to compliment a woman. So I have a request to the elder males in our community. Could you teach us younger guys what you've learned in life so that we don't make the same mistakes again? Teach us the practical stuff, not the theoretical.
Bushra introduced the stage band. The Allah-Ditta band had a bass player, guitarist, drummer and a keyboardist. They were good musicians but lacked energy. Some day, I'd like to see the Desi versions of "Flea" and Pete Townsend, jumping all over the stage. These musicians exemplify the celebration of life through their energy.
The next band to take the stage was Milestones. Unfortunately, the band's name was incorrectly pronounced and advertised several times as Mile Stone. Sounds like a rock that's a mile long. The audience didn't seem very familiar with this band. For me, It was awesome to finally see them perform and to hear "Candy's" voice leading this band. Wow. Things really have changed. A Desi woman was wearing pants and singing "Blue Suede Shoes." Her voice was very impressive and well-trained. She's the Desi "Sade." I'll bet that Sade was a great influence on her hypnotic and smoothly flowing voice. Even her hairstyle was like Sade. The best moment for Milestones was when the bassist was singing a rap song and Candy was weaving a web of harmonies over it. From the first time I heard her, I said that this woman is very talented and she will go very far.
Bunny took the stage and raised the energy in the hall with a few upbeat dance tunes. I think the bad dudes sitting in the back harassed him too much. I felt bad for the guy. An artist cannot give you his best if he's under stress from the organizers or from a ruthless audience. Us artists are usually the sensitive type. And I could see that something was bothering Bunny. Maybe he didn't feel enough cohesion with the Allah-Ditta band. They probably performed together rarely because Bunny has his own band. Bunny's performance was very good. Especially when he grabbed a guitar and played along as he sang. Bunny is a talented musician with a voice that has strength and depth. I talked to him backstage. He came across as a very friendly, humble and caring man.
Ali Haider performed about ten songs. Out of all the musicians, he had the greatest energy. He danced around on stage and got the audience to sing along with him on a few songs. Then he came off stage in the middle of a song. I thought he was going to say a few words to the rowdy guys in the back. But he went and sang to a few women instead. The audience really loved it that he came down and mingled with the crowd. Ali seems to be getting increasingly popular. He's also trying to break into the Indian market. Unlike many other pop bands, I didn't notice any stolen riffs in his music. What we need is originality and not copies of western songs. And Ali Haider definitely is original and very creative.
The show ended at 1am. The sound quality was sloppy. This was not the musicians' fault but had to do with the proper blending of all the instruments. I discovered that the musicians did not have a chance to check their instruments beforehand. And this is why the sound was not mixed properly. All these musicians were very talented. It is unfortunate that their sound quality lacked perfection and that they did not have enough time to show us more of their musical abilities.
When I protested the Gulf war, very few people showed up at the demonstrations. But a Raiders football game or a Guns 'n' Roses concert can attract 80,000 people at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Is there more peace in the world after either event? How can we gather people together and empower them to make the world a better place? How about taking 1% of the time at our functions to address the real issues of Muslims? Maybe a five minute speech on Bosnia and a donation box would've made a difference at this concert. What do you feel?

Are You a Fish or a Frog

Are You A Frog Or A Fish?

by Fazeel Azeez Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link ~ 10-11-96)

Hey, where are you from? This question is asked of us because we are viewed as different; Frogs among Fish. Maybe the issue is not Frogs and Fish but Cowboys and Indians. Yea but what's this Fishy Froggy business anyway.......
Well, I'll quote my Amphibious friend from Ottawa, Canada "I believe it was Imam Abdullah Hakim who told me about fish and frogs. He used these two animal types to describe the two basic kinds of Muslims: "fish" and "frogs". Fish, being water-dwellers, rely on their special environment to carry out all of their activities of life; on the other hand, frogs, which are amphibious creatures, can thrive both in water and on land. "Fish" require ever-present, supportive and homogeneous environments to function successfully. But "frogs" can make it ANYWHERE. Do you seek to spread yourself beyond the scope of your comfort zone? Are you a frog? How far are you willing to venture? If you have thick, slimy, green skin then come along with me!".
Hybrids like us live in the U.S. but are linked to other countries, through an invisible umbilical cord. Those of us who've lived in the "old countries", swam and played among the local schools of fish. There we were fish and not viewed as frogs. The millions of beautiful and colorful fish were of all shapes and sizes. To a large extent, we understood our people and our surroundings, and enjoyed a certain amount of comfortable belongingness there.
Now we've come out to a new land, a different world. Some of us hybrids were born here yet don't feel we belong solely to this land. We long for a swim in the deep ocean and sometimes we venture out there with our friends, fish and frogs alike. As frogs, we are likely to float on top of the water, near the shore, with our vision reaching into the heavens. Through the clouds and the pollution, we try to ponder who we are, where we are and where we belong. And how many years more will we have to live here to be not considered "Foreigners". We may experience that today, fish in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans view us as strange green aliens. So it makes us speculate where can we fit in.
Young people like us often wonder "Who the hell am I? Am I American, Pakistani, or Muslim"? We wonder which group we belong with, Caucasian, African, or Hispanics. Sometimes application forms force us to be incorrectly classified as "Asian" by which they mean Pacific Asian only. Other times we're stereotyped as Arabs or Middle-eastern people. As we ponder these questions and form our self-identity, we beg, borrow and steal pieces of ourselves from various sources. An African American friend recently educated me about the idea of the "Looking Glass Self". It states that we look at ourselves through other peoples' eyes. Us Frogs don't often have the luxury of looking at ourselves through our own people's eyes. So we often see ourselves through American eyes. And sadly, the American eye usually captures us at our worst, and presents negative images about us through the media.
My friend ZZ from Washington D.C. says "I think an important issue that we, as the "first generation", face is culture. What are we? We are hybrids, that is a pertinent term. But where do we draw the line? As an American born citizen, I think I should consider myself an American. The only life I've known is being in America. But I also value my parents' roots, Pakistan. But their parents were Indian. It's really confusing, living in a "hybrid-culture". During the day, we work and hang out with Americans, talking to them, eating their food, experiencing their values. Yet, when we come home to our families, we are eating curries and rice, speaking Urdu and listening to Indian music. At least my parents usually do. I enjoy that too, but, jeez I gotta turn on MTV and watch Alternative Nation to get a grip. And adults wonder why so many of us are so messed up. We have no idea who or what we are. At least, I feel that way sometimes."
How can we ease this situation of duality? That will come from supporting each other. To help each other deal with our common predicament, we need to share our tools. We need to really talk and listen to each other. We need older people to be open to their children and also to mentors youngsters. We may not be able to solve all our problems, but sometimes it helps greatly just to express our feelings and to know that we're not alone in feeling like a fish out of water. Our people lack a survival manual, a history and power in this land. But gradually, our Pakistani community is getting more established here and our broader, amphibious views are benefitting other communities as well. We can also learn valuable adaptation techniques from other communities. Achieving a healthy balance within ourselves is not easy, but none the less, it's a great adventure

American Born Pakistanis

American Born Pakistanis

by Fazeel Chauhan
(Published in Pakistan Link ~  2-19-91)

Eighteen year old Uzmah Multani is the founder and current president of the Pakistani Student Association at California State University, Los Angeles. Two years ago, she decided to form the organization on this campus to encourage Pakistanis to get involved in social and cultural activities. Her intention was to provide a common platform where Pakistanis could meet and exchange their views about life in the United States and to offer support to each other. She has worked very hard to serve our community in a positive manner. Personally, I have found valuable friends and support, through this organization. The following is a synopsis of a conversation I had with her about what it's like being an American born Pakistani. She talks about some of the difficulties posed to Pakistani Americans. I believe these statements also ring true for those of us who have been here for many years.

"I was born in California and have lived here all my life. As I was growing up, my family enriched my life by instilling in me, the traditional Pakistani values. While at school, the American culture also had an influence on my life. When I was a child, some people viewed my identity with a bit of mystery. Their reactions would some times make me wonder what I was: Pakistani or American. My physical characteristics, language and values were Pakistani, yet my spirits were somewhat American.

  

"Most first generation Americans like me, seem to live two roles. Yet it is not like two separate and parallel lives, one American and the other Pakistani. Usually people take the best of both worlds and carefully sculpture a good combination that best suits their individual personality. Like myself, they still consider themselves as Pakistanis. But Some hardliners disagree and question our freedom of choice and want us to be just like a picture in their minds - a stereotype. If our individuality and uniqueness makes them uncomfortable, they become afraid and their narrow minds cannot accept us. This is the unhealthy "either / or" thinking. To them, it has to be either "A" or "P". They want to classify us and put us in a convenient box or category. Prejudice is based on this type of thinking that "I am right and you are wrong", or "We are good and they are bad." But the fact is that there are very few absolutes in the world. The definition of a pure American or a pure Pakistani is extremely subjective. Some ethnocentric and egocentric people want to divide humans into such categories so that they can discriminate against one group or the other.

"Some Caucasian Americans are prejudiced against other Americans who are non-white. I'm sure that just like us, most other non-whites have witnessed plenty of discrimination of this type. I founded PSA because I consider myself a Pakistani. I'm sure you're aware of the sad reality that some Pakistanis are prejudiced against each other. For example, some Pakistanis discriminate against American born Pakistanis. Yet most people do generally accept and respect Pakistani Americans for exactly what we are. They accept us as equal and don't get hung up on differences in languages, religion, culture, gender or place of birth.

I think that being a Pakistani American is a gift. Friends have commented to me that having two identities is far more beneficial than one. We can have Pakistani friends as well as American. Pakistani Americans have the capacity to look at things in a different light and in a more open-minded perspective. I believe that one person's culture, language or gender does not make him or her better than the next person. What really counts is what we have inside of us. Pakistani Americans are exposed to more than one ethnic group, culture and language. This educates them in different areas of life and enables them to relate more openly to people with different backgrounds. They usually view themselves as world citizens and are more willing to accept people of different ethnicities as equals.

"I used to attend Arabic classes at the Islamic Center every Sunday. I mixed with children from various other backgrounds. However, the common denominator of being Muslim united all of us. Students were not classified into different categories, they were just educated. It was then I realized that individuals who classify others are simply trying to prove their own superiority. Religion always taught us unity and equality. Yet humans persistently attempt to supersede all moral codes by implementing their own personal rules and subjective values. Around the world, this factor encourages separatism, ethnic violence, prejudice and war.

"Man has created borders that divide countries and their people. We should not view "us" as better than "them". Rich or poor, Pakistani or American, Punjabi or Sindhi, Shia or Sunni, we are all equal. We have to climb over these walls to the "other" side to get the "other's" perspective, an additional point of view. We are all mirrors and what we see in others are reflections of ourselves. If "others" seem different than "us", we should overcome our fears and try to relate to them objectively. Growth is not possible without objectivity. I wish that we'll soon see a day when Pakistanis can get along with other Pakistanis, Americans can get accept other Americans and people of all "colors" in the world can peacefully and harmoniously unite together, like a beautiful rainbow"

I am chapta I am kalla, Part 1 (to the desi when he hates)

I am chapta I am kalla, Part 1 

                (to the desi when he hates)

I don’t co-sign the bullshit when you use racist names like kalla and chapta
When you spread hate, I will hold you accountable, I am a chapta

My mother was a war refugee from Jammu (Kashmir)
Like the victims from Vietnam, I am a chapta

Like Bruce Lee and the teachers who taught me about Chi,
And how to unleash the life force using Qi Gong and Reiki, I am a chapta

You can’t lie that in America, most of what we consume is made in China
You are what you eat, I am a chapta

The Cambodians in America say the eyes of my guru
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, look Asian, he is me, I am a chapta

To honor my boss who was my friend at work and died young
Like his beautiful children, I am a chapta

Like the Malaysian, Uighur and Indonesian Muslims
Praying to your God, I am a chapta

My last name is not Khan, like half of Pakistan
Still, my family DNA has slanted eyes, I am a chapta

Like Buddhists who practice meditation,
Non-violence and compassion, I am a chapta

(by Fazeel Azeez Chauhan,  5-15-17)

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