Guest Blog by Asim Khan
Dear New York Times Editors
Response to Mr Friedman’s article “Calling All Pakistanis“..He wanted ordinary citizens of Pakistan to protest. Well here is the protest in words, from an ordinary Pakistani which is more effective rather than being on the streets. Mr Friedman must realise that his statements cannot be tolerated as they do not represent the overall picture and the correct one. If he has any shortage of ideas, I can understand that but not through boredom this article which is meaningless and fails to take into account anything with consideration and care. I hope you pass this message onto him and appropriate action taken.
There comes a time when all one can do is to report and write based on their own perceptions – remote and alienated in their own ways to see what is actually happening outside US. Thomas Freidman seems to have picked another example where he is mixing too many things without due consideration and care. Another example how to spread a message in the most negative sense.What has he achieved from this and what was the impact? At times, this whole concept of sitting thousands of miles away, in a most comfortable surroundings do not necessarily mean that you know what is actually happening in the world which has become unstable not because of religion but the politics and policies of the West in order to pursue fanatically the interests and gains for safeguarding their concepts of democracy. This is what Pakistan and ordinary citizen of Pakistan will be protesting about. Why should we protest as we did not kill anyone in Mumbai.
This is what happens when there is no clarity and appropriate judgment. Mumbai attack has been condemned by all Muslims and no one is happy but how can one expect to condemn something when the other side has condemned Pakistan in their false accusations as an easy way out. India has falsely accused Pakistan in many instances before only to find out later, it was their own people and own problems. The problems which India currently faces are huge and uncontrollable. If this is an attempt to create a standoff between India and Pakistan, then I am afraid it’s not going to happen as India knows it very clearly and what that means for all its economic progress and future. The solution is to accept and share and have the concept of respect and trust.
Mr. Friedman, I am sorry to say India never has accepted Pakistan as a mutual friend or agreed to any of the proposals that have been brought out in the past to transition into an understanding based on justice and tolerance. And this propaganda of doing the protest for Mumbai is not alone Pakistan’s responsibility. There should have been protest in the streets of West when Pakistan’s airspace was violated on numerous occasions, when people in FATA and our tribal areas were murdered in the name of terrorism and when there were bomb blasts in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and all the other cities. Why have this indifference? The people who have lost their lives were innocent and civilians and it doesn’t matter which religion, creed or sect they belong to, it should be condemned. But to highlight this fact of protest illustrates the thinking behind Mr. Friedman’s approach that if Pakistanis don’t come out on the street, then that means they are responsible for Mumbai attacks. This is where the problem begins in his analysis.
Secondly, how can Mr. Friedman justify his very own Government stance on this so called war on terrorism which has become war of terror.The US policies and the people like him were responsible for creating that sense of fear in the world to completely decimate Iraq first and now Afghanistan and Pakistan. How can he justify these actions on any grounds be it moral or ethical that it is okay to wage wars on developing nations and third world countries because they pose a threat to USA or any other on the principle of religion and fear.
Also USA has never really supported the lawyer’s movement in Pakistan. A perfect opportunity to bring some sense and justice but instead they have carried on with their policies of the past to support dictators or those who under the disguise of democracy carry out the most villainous acts and disservice to their people to support America’s claim and these wars of interest.
He is asking the question to all Muslims and yet the title of the article is “Calling All Pakistanis”. This type of immaturity is prevalent in the western media. After every incidence, there come stero-typed, clichéd responses which we have become accustomed to.
He starts off by saying that all those protest that took place in Pakistan all over was over cartoon a meaningless exercise. It may appear to Mr. Friedman meaningless and futile but there was a clear message and again an element of ignorance played by Danish cartoonist and the rest for portraying Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) in a manner which was derogatory and not acceptable. The very first paragraph highlights his ignorance disguised as wisdom. How can a person like Mr. Friedman be accepted as a leading commentator on issues of Islam and the rest where he doesn’t have any remote idea what it means to Muslims and the whole Islamic world “the Danish cartoon affair”.
Let me ask the question to Mr. Friedman as I do not remember any single protest or voices of reason and logic from India about Pakistan and its loss in all those bomb attacks and suicide plots in last two years that has taken thousands of ordinary Pakistani lives. Did he protest in Times Square? Did he ever protest about anything? The answer is NO. But he has the wisdom to share his convoluted views to the rest of the world by being irrational and irresponsible behavior.
Then he goes onto describe a hypothetical example if Indians were to crash into Karachi and kill those people. This is one of the most absurd and shocking statements I have seen from Mr. Friedman. How can he propose such solution in the wake of what has already happened. Basically he is following the same rhetoric without any evidence and without any facts to reinstate this view that the people in Mumbai attacks were Pakistanis. And then to bring out an example inciting Indians to follow the same only tells one thing, the idea to propagate to create a situation between India and Pakistan where the only beneficiary of this exercise will not be Pakistan or India but USA. Lets destabilize another region; lets create another war; let’s start up another campaign is the message I see disguised within his statements.
India as I stated earlier on has huge problems. So far, all the world has ever known is Bollywood and IT. Now with this incidence, it has exposed India’s inability to control its own borders, inability not to act upon intelligence when they knew and most importantly to ignore all what has happened in India and all the unrest that exists in all those minorities and quarters within the society. What happened in Gujrat couple of years ago was a shameful act. Did India do anything? The answer is No. What happened to Christians who were burnt by Hindu fanatics? Was there any response and protest within India? The answer is NO.
Pakistani Government may be weak thanks to all those wars we have been fighting on USA’s behalf but its people are not weak and stupid. They can see Mr. Friedman where you are coming from and all the hidden and sinister views you nurture, you adopt and propagate through your articles.
He is keen to have whole Pakistan brought out in the streets to grieve for the loss which ordinary citizens of Mumbai had to go through. I condemn those attacks and all Pakistanis have condemned those attacks but by protest…Let me ask the question to Mr. Freidman. Did the protest in New York, Washington and most importantly in the streets of London against attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan had any impact on Bush and its policies towards those regions. The answer is No. It was the biggest protest in London that took place and people came from all walks of life, from all quarters. And yet their views and protest were ignored and forgotten by the governments and elite. Did he participate in any of those protests or was he writing another inflammatory article on Pakistan, its inhabitants and all the issues
And in the rest of the article he carries on again playing at the edges with stereotyped and misjudgments about Pakistan and Muslims, the notions of hell and heaven and trying to incite the people from this belief that whatever comes out from West is necessarily the best thing to adopt and accepted.
Mr. Friedman needs to realize and accept one very important aspect on this whole thing. The evil of terrorism is not the religion (be it Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and so forth) but the politics.Politics when it completely ignores the basic principles of humanity, their needs and expectations. Politics when it fails to appreciate the problems and all the issues that surrounds nations be it Pakistan, India or anyone for that matter. The hidden beast which the Politics have carried within the policies of the West and its propagators to resolve the problems of the world by force rather than dialogue, through oppression rather than understanding; through acceptance rather than alienation; and through concepts appealing rather than advocating we are right and you are wrong. Pakistan has seen enough of this in its last sixty one years of existence and how all what has happened for all the wrong reasons brought a nation into turmoil..It is this he needs to understand v- the core issue and its impact and protest about it rather than being the mouthpiece for another ideology, for another half-baked solution and for another article to illustrate his ignorance and behavior which creates confusion and breeds hatred.
Rumi once said that wisdom is something that does not rely upon the condition of being old. You either have it or you don’t. Mr. Friedman today has exposed himself that he is definitely not one of them who can be called a wise person within all premises of wisdom. The voices of reason within him are absent.
ASIM KHAN
Comments
42 responses to “Response to Thomas Friedman’s article “Calling All Pakistanis””
Asim – a great response – thank you
very well written. And so very true
Friedman the Fraudulent has a long history of lecturing any body and every body that does not fit in his Israel centric point of view of the world. Just as the Zionists found India, The Fraudulent also was not far behind. He has been praising and raving about India for some time now. In his previous career The Fraudulent was the captain of the ‘Israel Apologist Team’ he has lately handed over the job of washing Palestinian blood from Israel’s hand to other members of the cult (trust me there are many) and has been mainly been concentrating on lecturing Muslims about modernity and democracy, he believes that he has become elder statesman of the cult now . Don’t waist your breath on this guy, he is not ignorant…
Friedman is right and you are wrong. Ordinary Pakistanis should come out on the street and protest against the recent terrorist acts in India. They should do this for two reasons: first, to show solidarity with the innocent Indian citizens who were killed; and second, to show the radical Islamic elements in Pakistan, and indeed throughout the entire Muslim world, that Pakistanis do not stand with, and for, them.
Excellent reply…This is the only way to shutup these wanna be wise people.
Very well written and a great reply. It is evident from their own website that majority of Mr Friedman’s readers did not agree to his blame smear on an entire nation of people on evidence that does not even exist.
My thanks to Asim Khan for a well thought out and articulate response.
I (and I think every sane Pakistani) feel terribly sorry for the victims of the Bombay terror attacks.
I have a couple of fundamental issues with Friedman’s article. One, he says that “terrorists often are just acting on what they sense the majority really wants but doesn’t dare do or say”. This is just plain ridiculous. That would imply that Taliban (or whoever) are blowing up girls’ schools in NWFP because majority of the masses want them to do so. I’ve never heard anyone utter something this stupid nor have I ever come across any research piece that would support his statement.
Second, Freidman hypothesizes that the Muslim world would be aflame if a sunni imam and his family had been murdered. I know, for a matter of fact, that he’s wrong. Muslims have been dying, in dozens– in Iraq, in the Pakistani tribal areas– but no one has come out to protest for them. He used to be a serious commentator but I don’t know what’s wrong with the Times now.
I have two question for the readers of this blog:
Are majority of Pakistani mosques/madrassas really financed by the Saudis?
Besides Taliban, are terrorists a product of madrassas? I’ve always thought that they’re a product of mullahs/crazy fanatics who brainwash them.
You guyz are really dumb.. who is this fuc!&%$ Friedman and who the hell he is saying what we need to do and what we not to do.. if he has an opinion.. let it be.. as every other person has an a$$ and opinion..
our only grief is.. Our only fault.. flaw.. frailty.. feebleness and sin is weakness.. if u guys have come across a bit of history, the only lesson it teaches, ‘might is right’..
so what happened in india, it’s simply bcz of their internal turmoil and this is only a begining.. I hope for more.. it’s not that I am ok with killing of innocent lives but shakespare says, murder shall breed murder, so we can’t expect shower of roses for cultivating bombs..
what happened in india, is very much logical..
and this fuc!&%$ Friedman is mere a barking ba$t@^d..
AH, Fraudulent never asked the Israelis to demonstrate against occupation, daily killing of Palestinians, bulldozing their houses, and believe me you want extremists..the whole place is full of it. They believe God is in the business of promising people real estate. Fraudulent also never had any advise to the Hindu, Christian or other extremists around the world. As a matter of fact Fraudulent seriously floated the idea that Sabra and Shatila even though happened under Sharon’s nose, he some how was looking the other way and did not know it was happening!
AH, wanna go out and demonstrate, by all means, I agree that these brain dead extremists need to be protested and confronted, BUT NOT BECAUSE A CORRUPT, RACIST AND PSEUDO-INTELLECTUAL LIKE FRIEDMAN SAYS SO.
Excellent article Asim!
So called journalists of USA are getting fat cheques and maybe high quality spirits from Indian Businessmen to write these articles.
It is about time ,USA have to understand us from within instead of listening to Indain born genereous and hospitable bussinessmen.
Are we shocking you USA ,our reaction cannot be judged.
If USA journalists are afraid to visit Pakistan or to cover Afghanistan war,than they must ask their government why
despite being a superpower they are scared so much why they are not respected,trusted and loved around the world?
USA journalists and writers instead of concentrating on us like guinea pigs should concentrate on their government and policy making.
SHAME ON USA FOR ELECTING GEORGE BUSH SENIOR AND JUNIOR TWICE;we protest against that.
George Bush should be trialed for genocide in Afghanistan and Iraq and forcing Pakistan to enter into war on defenseless people of Afghanistan.
USA should allocate special fund to compensate families of Afghanistan who have directly been afected and were forced to migrate and have lost precious lives and family members.
weapons of mass destruction biggest is hate and USA has supplied that in abundance to the islamic world and sensitive people around the world.
Being a Muslim and a proud Indian I don’t agree with Mr. Freidman’s this article. But I completely agree with his analysis of differences between Muslims in India and Pakistan. A single line summarizes that, When a muslim kid in India sees a mansion he tells his father, one day even I would live in a mansion like this and when one in Pakistan sees a mansion, he says, one day I will destroy this mansion.
Mr. Friedman has visited Pakistan and India several times and is aware of situation. I had pleasure of listening to him couple of times.
Muslims in India will have a great life if Pakistan and other Islamic countries leave them alone. Whether its 93 riots in Mumbai or Gujarat riots all were started after Pakistan sponsored act of terror. I am angry with Hindus who killed Muslims in Riots but I am more angry with Pakistanis who enacted 93 Mumbai blasts or Godhra incident.
http://indianmuslims.in/iqbal-jinnah-abul-kalam-azad/
Do you guys actually believe this comedian called Zaid Hamid? Send him to a comedy show in India and we can have yet another winner of comedy show from Pakistan:
http://indianmuslims.in/hindu-zionists-behind-mumbai-firing-zaid-hamid/
http://indianmuslims.in/mumbai-attacks-terrorism-muslim-response/
Dear Syed
We have no intention of sending any muslim to India from our ISI chief to Zaid Hamid.But do let me know when all your fasadat are over I would like to visit Taj Mhal and Ajmeir Shrief.
Regarding muslim boy dreams ,well I am a girl and my dream is to built something more beautiful than Taj Mahal with a combination of Dubai architect and it is going to be built on Sea front ,its name would be ALTAF ROYAL,six star hotel built by Altaf Bhai.
Syed, i doubt you are Indian Muslim, or even Muslim. To put your mental state in little order, this example is only enough that in Pakistan Muslims don’t burn hindus and Christians and rape nuns. If Pakistani so called extremist Muslims were really extremist, they would have killed Pakistani hindus first, because it would have been soft target then going in India and killing them. Same as Indian coward hindus kill Muslims time to time. Don’t tell us how peaceful you are as most of Pakistanis watch bollywood movies to kill sometime not to believe that india is as lovely and peaceful as it appears in these movies.
with regards to Zaid Hamid, I am really glad that you guys are doing very well job to promote him, because he wasn’t that popular before you indians start bashing him, and since the speak what most of Pakistani thinks, his voice should be heard across, and you guys are helping us out. Thanks for that.
Well Syed, from reading what you have to say, it does seem Friedman is doing a fine job. Cult has a superstar with global appeal, even among Muslims…imagine that!
Beautiful ,work of art ,an apt response to USA ,Qalam-e-Faiz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JEaZhQ7kY8&feature=related
Listen to this statement guys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMd98kcRkyU&feature=rec-HM-r2
Syed, f%&k Friedman, look you got real journalists in your own backyard, sure NY Times and W.Post wont print them, how could they, these guys have honor.
Sorry forgot the link…
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/17121.asp
This one holds for people in Pakistan as much as for those in India. It’s time to come out of self denial
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/06mumterror-indian-muslims-must-come-out-of-self-denial.htm
The Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008 have again brought to the fore the tragedy that is Pakistan. Pakistan is a country that has been the incubation center for a host of dangerous terror groups including the Lashkar (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed and Taliban. These groups have been developed, armed and inspired by the ISI and elements of the Pak army.
The tragedy of Pakistan is that the elite will not do anything against these elements as their business interests could get harmed. The politicians will not act against these groups for fear of dismissals or assassinations. And the common folk are too distant to know the goings-on of the army. That leaves the media.
In the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, the Pak media instead of using this opportunity to expose the Pak intelligence and army establishment has gone into a jingoistic and nationalistic direction. Thereby they have now complicated the situation completely and turned public opinion in Pak into a point of no return. Now no Pak politician can cooperate with India even if he wanted to. They should have perhaps used this opportunity to expose the perpetrators of heinous crimes and terror in Pakistan, their Army and ISI’s complicity in shaping the terror landscape in the sub-continent. But they chose to play the opportunist ostriches…
One can argue that the Indian media was also jingoistic and nationalistic post the terror attacks. But they spared no politician and put the blame for intelligence failures squarely on the leadership leading to a raft of resignations. Alas, not so in Pakistan. There the media has shielded the instigators, their guardians as well as the politicians who are guilty of inaction. Pakistan’s tragedy is that it is Pakistan. India’s tragedy is that its in the neighborhood.
Mr.Syed
We are not typing in Farsi so why you still think Indian muslims and Indian articles represent us .
Which part of conversation you do not understand??
Syed
India has close work relationship with Afghanistan maybe that is why India is afraid to blame terrorists in case they really invoke the anmosity and rath of terrorists in that case India will loose all contracts of work in Afghanistan.
India thought Pakistan is a soft target,we are fighting with Afghanistan and USA and ready to take offensive from India so who is in self denial???
Hi Pat
Dear that was a name given to you for to be used at call center only while working for outsourcing companies of USA and UK.
Please mentain your ID at least on the blogs.Or has booming economy taken names away from Indian people.The sentence construction,thought process you are using is so not English or Amex,including the prejudice and narrow mindedness.Own your name first.
All the world is bent against us but look we are standing with our names ,with our religion,with our army and with our country.
If Indians thought we are stupid and foolish to accept their charge sheet ,think again ,we have not accepted that from USA even.
For kind information of Indian people ,who are trying to cover their anmosity in sugar candy sentences,look at the identity USA has given you,
“WATCH DOG in ASIA” so is your leash in USA hands,than tell me which is a free country the one who is fighting against all odds and aserting ,that we are muslims we are independent we would not accept your title of TERRORISM or a country which accepted its role to be used agressively against its own neighbours Pakistan and China and think it will lead them to success.
There is only one tragedy which struck Hindustan ,its leaders,look at Mr.Gandhi,Indira Gandhi,Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Ghandhi,what happened?
Hatred from within people,despite being biggest democracy and secular state?
Your freedom and secularism is that Sonia Gandhi has stopped children from participating in politics.
Do not preach us what is freedom what is struggle,what is democracy provide protection to your no one politicians heads of congress first.
Our leader Benazir came to Pakistan and took bullet for us.
Our leader Musharaff faced Terrorist attacks just like other Pakistanis.
No one is hiding here?Which country and people are more strong.
Yes we did this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bT7VlydI1c&feature=related
and this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai7CN3gCwzw
Pakistan is a country of great people in Politics we are emerging our problems are ours ,our political process is ours,our Democracy despite Martial laws is ours.
We do not need imported ideas from West for Democracy ,we will find our own answers.
Our aspiration and spirit,we are defiant and resolute .
PAKISTANI TUGHE SALAAM
Hey Asim, if you may consider it a tribute: I was thinking of writing a response to Friedman’s article but now I will not, and instead just quote you on my blog. Great job, congrats and best wishes!
And these steps would not work without pens for hire like Friedman…
http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/7hxmp/yet_another_example_of_how_us_foreign_policy/c06pe3g
More from the industry that Friedman belongs, a must watch of you want to understand how wars are started…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVWMa-EhACU
Hey Syed, our Muslim Indian friend…do you know RAW?
http://www.prisonplanet.com/arrest-provides-more-evidence-india-israel-and-the-us-behind-mumbai-attacks.html
Thanks Asim Khan for the article which pretty much captures the fallacies of Mr. Friedman. I wish you had worked a bit more on your english (choice of words, diction etc.) and did somewhat better proofreading before posting. For example, consider this passage:
“….problems of the world by force rather than dialogue, through oppression rather than understanding; through acceptance rather than alienation; and through concepts appealing rather than advocating we are right and you are wrong.”
You can see the shift in thought here … bad/good.. bad/good … pair all of a sudden turns into good/bad.
The other problem I see is that your response lost it focus when you started discussing things much wider than Mr. Friedman’s article. When you have many things to say say them one at a time or divide them into multiple articles.
Regardless, please folks keep writing, it is important because for far too long only west has spoken and we have listened. Masmanz is right, to improve the content and quality try to use all the means, computer’s own corrective tools and for longer more complex texts proofreaders, but do express as best as you can.
Karim G
I have checked out all the links you provided ,War made Easy is such a fantastic film please do keep us posted.Just wanted to let you know I am following closely and Thank you.
We must try to improve our expression but let us not forget ,as long as people are expressing,I would say people of Pakistan hold back their openions because of spellings and grammar,they must know ,this is not exam,it does not matter ,what matter is thought process and expression.
The easier the diction ,more easy it is for everyone to read.
I mean after George Bush and Sarrah Palin do we need to be quite because of our spellings,we have to defend ourselves and we are desperate,Write with emotion and courage tough
Well Christmass is approaching and New Year is at hand.
Since I am thinking about politics so much I could not think anything else;
My wish list for Christmas eve is:
AZADI MUBARAK HOU KASHMIR,an Independednt state.
If that does not happen:
That is my new year resolution.
Independence and freedom for Kashmir and Afghanistan and Pakistan free of US forces.
Note:These are dreams of Independent person.
This is not a voice of military ,this is a voice and dream of civilian and USA have understanding between a determined civilian and its dreams nothing can stand.
INDIA knows it as well in Kashmir Border area despite mines every summer poor people cross mines to cutt grass for their animals to be used as fodder for animals.How do I know,no I do not work in CIA ,I happen to belong to a border village at Azad Kashmir.
Between desperation,hunger ,life and death ,their is no deifference.As when we say PEACE ,US and India think PIECE.
I like Obama and Hillary
I have high hopes of woman defence secretary of USA not only because she is a woman but because she is Hillary.She must know she deserved the job even in Clinton time.
Well Obama is handsome and a courageous man but “Handsome is who does handsome”.
Listen to us the muslims ,you do not have to rage wars you can win us with a smile ,only stop murdering and stop ignoring voice of your conscience and sleep peacefully .
Sweet dreams
We are awake ,tomorrow is Eid and we are awake dreading what tonight or tomorrow will bring us,it could be anything from an attack from India,stray or guided misile from USA military in Afghanistan to a massacre on Indian muslims to a genocide in Indian Kashmir?
or a response from Lashkar-e-Taibah,no we are not a country torn in war ,we are not a failed state,but tomorrow maybe I wakeup to this breaking news from USA media,we do not need freedom and democracy ,we are quite satisfied and happy with our political process.
The question is can we the Pakistanis sleep?Yes we can,our army is stronger than we think and people are cleverer than Zardari.
This is old but I am posting it just to make the point that Thomas (Liar) Friedman has been at it for a very long time, preaches genocide to his cult members and submission to others…BTW I wish my pen had vigor of this author…alas!
December 2, 2000
Thomas Friedman’s Joystick
By Ahmed Amr.
Editor
(RE: Thomas Friedman’s column, NYT Dec 2, 2000)
Guess who was having a wet dream when he wrote the following words. “Israel will attack every Syrian tank and missile battery inside Lebanon. But in order to do that Israeli jets will also have to destroy the Syrian radar and missile batteries just inside Syria that also cover Lebanese Airspace. The (sic) means a Middle East war. Goodbye, Syria. Goodbye, Nasdaq. Hello, oil crisis.”
Nice guess, but it wasn’t Sharon or Barak? It was Thomas L. Friedman writing in the New York Times, an ethnic daily journal that caters to a large Jewish readership in the United States. Forget about the piss poor quality of the writing. This moron is trying to say something.
You can see the drool on Friedman’s face when he penned the following lines addressed to the President of Syria: “Bashar, did your late father ever tell you what Barak did last year? One night, it was about 3 a.m., Israeli F-15 fighter jets, using Israeli-designed electronic countermeasures and laser-guided smart rockets, flew into Lebanon in the dark of night and blew up 10 tanks belonging to your Palestinian guerrilla pal Ahmed Jabril. Do you know how many rockets the Israeli jets fired in the dark to knock out those 10 tanks? Eleven. Do you know how accurate that is? You couldn’t score that high in Nintendo.”
There goes little Tommy Friedman again, comparing a murderous war with Nintendo.
Someone should take the joystick out of his hand before he hurts himself. There is more from this freak of a journalist who has somehow landed a permanent place on the editorial pages of the New York Times (the daily ruse). Friedman boasts about IDF military might like an adolescent Israeli who has swallowed whole the complete Encyclopedia of Zionist mythology. Fancying himself at the head of the assault, Friedman blabbers the following lines “Many Israeli generals believe Israel’s deterrence capability has been badly eroded and they may need to put on a real sound and light show that will demonstrate to the whole region just how sophisticated its air force has become.” I bet he had his toy helmet on when he wrote those lines.
If Friedman is that desperate for a ‘sound and light’ show, he can wait for the fourth of July. But that would be a little too American for this brand of ethnic journalist. The thing about Friedman is that he is an erratic chameleon. One day he is giving sincere advice to Arafat. The next day you find Friedman condoning Israeli violence against unarmed Palestinians resisting the brutal IDF military occupation. The same IDF Friedman uses as an altar for his wet dreams.
The New York Times has always had an open podium for this kind of blatant pro-Israeli advocacy. Now, in the great tradition of Randolph Hearst, it wants to start a war in the Middle East. As a party to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, when the New York Times wants a war in the Middle East, it gets a war going. Memo to: Thomas Friedman. In a real war, the other guy fires back.
January 3, 2001
I have gr8 respect and admiration for Mr. Thomas Freidman. However, i would like to know his views / view-point / prediction / opinion about RSS – The largest terrorist factory in the world. Does Mr. Freidman know about RSS. I hope he does.
now pakistan has accepted their involvment . how ridiculous your article looks now. the ifference is thomas friedman knew the reality of pakistani sponsored terrorism and you being pakistani is blinded by silly patriotism and nationalism . i hope when you write next time you should check the reality and should base you article on reality however painful the reality is.