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Dear Pervaiz Sahib!
Thank you for keeping distant friends informed of the
activities in Toronto thru your web-based sharing efforts.
I heard from friends that last meeting to foster
friendship with India, Pakistan and Bangladesh witnessed some booing in
addition to ecstasy of music.
I do not know how bad it got there but I suppose it
must have been somewhat ugly that prompted the President of FOTH to offer
an apology on our friend Rafi Aamer’s write up. It raises few questions in
my mind. Please correct me if I have wrongly perceived anything for I was
not there and allow me to share my questions and comments:
· Is
booing the best way to offer a rebuttal?
· Was
Rafi Aamer’s write-up appropriate for the occasion or did his write up
defeat the idea of friendship?
· Should
FOTH president have offered an apology on Rafi Aamer’s?
I have read two available presentations. I believe
both gentlemen have done a good job and hinted at problems in their
respective countries; please see just a couple of quotes for reference.
From India, Mr. Vijaya:
“However, it is also my
opinion and observation, that when manipulated by the so called religious
and political opportunists, we freely and endlessly offer our thoughts,
our times, our energies, our monies, and all of ourselves, to them, for
their benefits, but we suffer everlasting disgrace and loss”. etc…
From Mr. Aamer:
“Being a Pakistani going
thru the traditional education system of Pakistan, I was made to believe
that Indians, especially Hindus, could never be trusted. …. After going
thru such venomous literature that was forcibly pushed down our throats,
is it any wonder that most of the people of my generation always look at
India suspiciously?” etc …
I have only few quick comments to make: One, I am not
sure why president of FOTH had to offer an apology on behalf of Pakistani
representative and not on behalf of Indian representative because, I
understand, both of them were saying the same thing.
Second, our friends Rafi and Umesh have made
statements only. I wonder if they can substantiate their statements with
facts, if there are any. A person like me has no clue to the validity of
their claims because I have been in North America for so long. It’s hard
to accept anything without data to back it up.
Finally, the question of appropriateness of Rafi’s
write-up for the occasion! Well, this is very much a judgment issue. I
wonder why Umesh Vijaya’s presentation (including quote above and few
other statements) could be deemed appropriate for the occasion and not
Rafi’s, for I think both of them said similar things without having laid
any facts on the table. Can somebody explain how it could be inappropriate
if these guys were speaking the truth and how statements of one
presenter were more appropriate than the other?
I believe booing does not do a good job of fostering
friendship. Arguments, speaking the truth and genuinely owning the strains
of past relationships would do it better. I wish our friends had refrained
from booing. Whoever wished to offer a different perspective then, please
say it now for everybody to read. Friendship means freedom to speak also.
I hope FOTH will continue to strive on intellectual
fronts and will keep the tradition alive.
With best of regards,
Tahir |