MASUD SHEIKH

 
 

Dear Tahir,

When simply reading the two statements, you are correct that the difference between Rafi & Umesh’s statements seems little, other than the following:

Umesh’s statement takes no names, while Rafi’s statement names both Pakistani and Indian leaders. Additionally, Rafi’s statement uses stronger language, and squarely lays the blame on the side that he knows, i.e. Pakistan  

It is difficult to say how the evening would have transpired if Rafi himself was reading the statement. It was read by Mr. Jawaid Chaudhry Virk, who was unable to find a suitable response to the booing. Subsequent to statement reading, Najeeb - who was MC at that time – commented that India had parties like RSS & Shiv Sena. Farzana took the initiative to apologize, which saved a bad situation degenerating further.     

Rafi - and those with a different experience - were reflecting “their truth”, as they saw it.

Take care,

Masud Sheikh 

"Our greatest challenge is to rekindle the great Canadian sense of purpose.

To discover, once again, that we are stronger together" - Stéphane Dion, Liberal Party leadership candidate. More @ http://stephanedion.ca/?q=en/node

 

"To defeat evil, we may have to traffic in lesser evils" - Michael Ignatieff, another leadership candidate of Liberal Party of Canada