Page 5 - Pakistan Link - January 20, 2023

OPINION PAKISTAN LINK - JANUARY 20, 2023 - P5
n By Dr Akbar S. Ahmed Cool Encounters walked toward the door. Someone and young men kicking footballs,
American University was waiting inside and opened the and even the cushions to sit on in
Washington, DC door straightaway. We were taken the atrium resembled the colors of a
upstairs to the living room which was football and were designed as deflat-
ocieties that are confident in of modest proportions and had mod- ed footballs. Dr Kreft explained the
their identity are more accept- est furniture. A small table had been German passion for football and how
S ing of difference, whether racial arranged for lunch. The menu was Germans relate their pride and iden-
or religious. There is a ‘cool’ factor simple and there was no dessert. We tity with their fortunes as a football-
where the arts are were joined by two of Salmond’s staff. playing nation.
freely pursued, there Salmond himself was the perfect As we were ushered into the of-
is an environment of host — hospitable, humorous and fice of Dr Koch, I was struck by its
openness and creativ- full of anecdotes. Harrison who was simplicity. Arsallah Khan Hoti and
ity and acceptance of proud of his Scottish ancestry was Dr Amineh Hoti, who were with me,
religious and cultural thrilled by Salmond and so was my could not help compare the humil-
diversity. grandson Ibrahim who was the more ity and simplicity of the VIP we were
I saw this in my first encounter difficult to please as he was a teenager meeting to Pakistan’s elite. Apart
with the US in the 1980s when I ar- The fact that the picture hung alone, high above us, almost as a talisman, conveyed to me and not so impressed by high office or from one black and white picture,
rived at the Institute for Advanced that it had some deep meaning for the occupant of the office. It was Schopenhauer, the age. As Salmond entered the room, I there was nothing else — no pomp-
Study in Princeton. I was struck by German philosopher. Wow, I thought to myself; this was German cool - Goodreads held out my hand to shake his hand. ous-looking pictures of heads of state
how civilized, welcoming and gen- He reached out and embraced me. or the minister, no colorful calendars
erous Americans were. Today in Eu- sions of Scottishness developed over and the nations of East Europe, where But it was Salmond’s humility of the Alps, no football hero scoring
rope this is happening in Germany, years of English domination” (Karen the opposite is true — they are not and humor that won over Ibrahim. goals in heroic poses while distort-
a vibrant, innovative and open na- Gardiner, “ Is it the end of the Scot- confident, are insecure, and unsure In fact, when Salmond took pictures ing his limbs, and no photographs
tion with confidence and a thriving tish Cringe? “ BBC News, January 25, of themselves, thus reverting to pri- with him, he lent across with his el- of poised wives and scrubbed chil-
artistic spirit, notably in Berlin. It is 2016). mordial forms of identity that resist bow on Ibrahim’s shoulder and his dren with shiny faces which are so
also happening in Scotland, which Societies that feel confident and outsiders. With the economic crisis, legs crossed in a mock vaudeville common in offices in the US. I was
has steadily become an artistic haven, are dynamic are able to integrate out- xenophobia, terrorism and the enor- comic pose as if they were old bud- intrigued by who was in that photo-
recognized around the world and on siders comfortably. In Scotland, I saw mous flows of refugees, you have a dies. All this was cool enough; then, graph. Perhaps his father, I thought
the cutting edge in the fields of visual proof of this when I met two immi- perfect storm in these countries. as we left, Salmond said to me we will but decided it was someone else. The
art, fashion, literature and music. grants who held important positions. I saw this confidence and cool in meet again, inshallah. fact that the picture hung alone, high
Both Germany and Scotland Scotland had appointed a young man visits to both Scotland and Germany. In Berlin, I had the occasion above us, almost as a talisman, con-
are increasingly comfortable in their with a Pakistani background to an In 2013, I visited Alex Salmond for a to call on the senior German envoy veyed to me that it had some deep
identity — witness the response to important position in the cabinet and private lunch in the First Minister’s in-charge of Afghanistan and Paki- meaning for the occupant of the of-
two significant 2014 events in both fielded another, a woman this time, as residence in Edinburgh. Accompa- stan, Dr Michael Koch. The meet- fice. It was Schopenhauer, the Ger-
countries: Germany’s World Cup a Member of Parliament. In Germa- nying me were Harrison Akens, my ing had been arranged by our friend man philosopher. Wow, I thought to
victory and Scotland’s holding of its ny, Angela Merkel took in over one assistant from Washington DC and Dr Heinrich Kreft who had received myself; this was German cool.
referendum on independence. Both million refugees when the US, tra- Ibrahim Hoti, my grandson who had me at the reception. As we walked (Akbar Ahmed is the Ibn Khal-
resulted in a surge of confidence ditionally hospitable to immigrants, joined us from Pakistan. When we through the impressive foreign office dun Chair of Islamic Studies, School
in their identity following years of accepted a mere 2,600 with heated arrived in the taxi, I asked the driver building, I could not help but notice of International Service, American
self-loathing, for Germans horror debate accompanied by unpleasant whether he was sure this was where the vast central space at the entrance, University, Washington DC. He is
and soul-searching at their culpa- abuse (a presidential candidate called the First Minister lived because I did festooned and decorated with a foot- a Wilson Center Global Fellow. He
bility in the Second World War and Syrian refugees “rabid dogs”). not see a single policeman outside ball motif. It was in the days leading was the former Pakistan High Com-
for Scots the “Scottish Cringe: a per- The situation in Scotland and the house or anywhere in the entire up to the World Cup final and there missioner to the UK and Ireland
sistent sense of inferiority, self-pity Germany can be contrasted with that square. The driver said he was sure was a genuine football fever in the and in 1970-71 was Assistant Com-
and embarrassment at overt expres- in European countries such as Greece saying, “Not in Scotland!” and we land. There were images of footballs missioner in East Pakistan.)

China and India, Not Just Mexico, through Additional Nations to Yield
n By Sunita Sohrabji the Fighting Emerging Narcotics

hina and increasingly India Lasting (FENTANYL) Results Act
produce more than 90% of Feed US Fentanyl Addiction was signed into law last year. The
C the precursor drugs neces- legislation, sponsored by Senators
sary to manufacture the fentanyl con- Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hamp-
sumed in the US, which challenges shire, Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and
the narrative that Mexican cartels John Cornyn, R-Texas would build
alone are responsible for America’s foreign law enforcement capacity to
opioid crisis. detect synthetic drugs.
Drug trafficking from Mexico to A research paper published last
the US was a front-burner issue at the October in the journal Frontiers
North American Leaders Summit Jan in Public Health noted that India’s
10, when President Joe Biden and Ca- large pharmaceutical industry cre-
nadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ates a perfect environment for the
met with Mexico’s President Andres manufacturing of synthetic fentan-
Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City. yl. The Center for Strategic and In-
Ahead of the summit, Biden ex- ternational Studies noted the emer-
pressed his frustration with Mexico gence of India’s involvement in the
for its alleged lack of cooperation on opioid crisis in a paper published
drug trafficking. The three leaders in 2018, focusing on the country’s
agreed to expand the provisions of massive production of tramadol, a
the North American Drug Dialogue. less powerful opioid.
But a bilateral approach may not More than 107,000 people died
necessarily be the end of all fentanyl, of a drug overdose in the 12-month
notes Ariel Ruiz Soto, policy analyst period ending August 2022, accord-
at the Migration Policy Institute. “We ing to the Centers for Disease Con-
should be talking about how China is manufacture the drug, as well as con- significantly vetted they are when they spected,” he said. trol and Prevention. More than two-
absent from this conversation.” tinuing to supply fentanyl that is 90% come into the US Mexico border.” “99% of the fentanyl is coming thirds of those deaths are attributed
China initially fed the US much of pure, versus supplies from Mexico An employee of the US Inter- from precursor drugs from China,” to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
its fentanyl supply. Since 2016, when that often have less than 10% concen- national Trade Commission — who Rep David Trone, D-Maryland, said Just two grams of the drug, less than
fentanyl made a significant presence tration of the drug. spoke on background — told Ethnic in a press statement last month. The a teaspoon of salt, can be lethal. Fen-
on US shores, 97% of the illegal fen- Ruiz Soto noted the majority of Media Services that shipments of fen- congressman ushered the bipartisan tanyl is 50 times more powerful than
tanyl used in the US was sold on the fentanyl comes through ports of en- tanyl from China were made via the Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and For- heroin and 100 times stronger than
dark web and shipped in from China. try, not between ports of entry. “So, postal service or expedited delivery mulating Effective New Tools to Ad- morphine; it has remained the lead-
While Mexican cartels have there should be better screening, there services, such as FedEx. dress National Yearly Losses of Life ing cause of death for Americans
largely taken over some of the pro- should be more investment in detec- “One of the major problems of (END FENTANYL) Act through the aged between 18 and 45 since 2019.
duction and much the distribution of tion of drugs at the US ports of entry.” detecting fentanyl trafficking from House. The Senate passed a similar On December 9, 2022, EMS host-
the deadly drug since 2020, China — “But that shouldn’t be conflated China was the overwhelming num- version of the bill last summer, led by ed a briefing with journalist Sam Qui-
and increasingly India — produce the with how migrants seeking asylum ber of packages coming through. Sen Rick Scott, R-Florida. nones on America’s growing fentanyl
majority of components necessary to are arriving between ports and how Not all of them were able to be in- Another measure, known as epidemic. – Ethnic Media Services
www.Pakistanlink.com