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CONTINUATION                                                                                                         PAKISTAN  LINK - OCTOBER 20, 2023 - P23

        Is the Israel-Palestine War Deepening   Isaacs checked on friends. Online,  forced his desire to aid the local Jew- ate, healthy, long-lived, non-polluting,  presents  me  a  copy  of  the  recently
             US Inter-Ethnic Hate?   he  also  saw  pro-Palestinian  demon- ish community and continue to sup- but  also  mean-spirited,  selfish,  and  published edition, painstakingly sign-
            (Continued from page 5)  strations  breaking  out  in  various  US  port Israel. He is still trying to figure  egotistical than to a nation whose citi- ing it with her left hand, her writing
       — on the war-motivated grounds that  cities.  Despite  the  complexities  of  a  out how to talk about the attacks with  zens  were  impoverished,  plagued  by  hand immobilized by a fracture. Later,
       the family was Muslim.        decades-old conflict, he said, “I don’t  his 6-year-old child. But, like others,  disease, but were generous in time, ef- a  botched  surgery  damages  a  nerve.
         Addressing fault lines in US Pal- have any tolerance for any kind of ra- he remains hopeful.  fusive in hospitality, austere in habits,  She hopes she’ll soon be able to write
       estinian support              tionalization of what we’ve seen.”  The  2020  Pew  study  tapped  into  and selfless for the community.  again, but that never happens.
         Fatin Jarara — a Palestinian com-  He  wondered  how  the  attacks  that optimism among Jews, with more   Al-Qur’an very beautifully tries to   She  signs  another  copy  for  our
       munity  organizer  working  with  Al- might impact attitudes, and conversa- than  two-thirds  of  respondents  say- inculcate these feelings about generos- journalist  friend  Raza  Rumi,  who’s
       Awda New York: The Palestine Right  tions, going forward.   ing they believed Israel and Palestine  ity and kindness by saying: “And they  visiting  Boston  for  the  Asma  Jahan-
       to  Return  Coalition  for  20  years  —   “I’ve  always  said  that  we  can  talk  could find a way to coexist peacefully.  give food in spite of love for it to the  gir memorial we’ve organized. Unlike
       said  the  very  framing  used  for  the  about anything as long as we can start  Those  Isaacs’  age  and  younger  were  needy,  the  orphan,  and  the  captive.”  flighty me, he read Meatless Days age
       briefing,  “the  ‘Israel  versus  Hamas  on a mutual common ground, that Is- the most positive.  Correspondingly,  Prophet  Muham- of 19. Re-read it several times for its
       conflict,’ is problematic to me, because  rael has a right to exist and an obli-  “I’m always hopeful,” he said, “that  mad urgedthe believers to be the em- “literary magnificence as well its reso-
       this  implies  that  this  is  an  issue  be- gation to defend its citizens,” he said.  people will see through it to the hu- bodiment of goodness when he said,  nance  for  dislocated  Pakistanis”,  he
       tween a whole nation of people and a  “I think you’re starting to see a shift  manity on both sides.” - USA Today  “He is not a Muslim who eats his fill  says. “Her wit, one-liners and totally
       militant group, when it’s not just that.  away from a kind of universal accep-           when his neighbor goes hungry.” I do  unique  way  of  looking  at  the  world
       This is an issue of occupation imposed  tance  of  those  two  things,  unfortu-  Ending Global Poverty Must Be the   believe  that  out  of  sheer  thoughtful- never stopped amusing and inspiring
       on indigenous people … In one week  nately, among some communities.”  Prime Concern of the UN  ness, goodwill and generosity, serving  me”.
       of bombardment on Gaza, more have   In recent days, such divides led to   (Continued from page 6)  humanity will become an instrument
       been killed than in a year of bombard- ongoing fallout at Harvard University,  bia, racism, anti-Semitism, etc. Think  in eradicating poverty significantly.  Asma Jahangir
       ment on Afghanistan.”         where  alumni  and  others  criticized  of the horrifying volume of violence in   (Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai is the Chair-  After Asma’s sudden departure on
         Describing US responses, she said  student  groups  that  issued  a  state- the  world  whose  fundamental  cause  man,  World  Forum  for  Peace  and  February 11, 2018, it seems everyone
       the push for support of Israel “is al- ment attributing the violence to Isra- can be traced back to such social divi- Justice. - gnfai2003@yahoo.com)  wants to come together to mourn and
       ready  very  high.  The  talking  is  done  el’s treatment of Palestinians. At New  sions. It infects every country on the   celebrate her. Raza connects me with
       for  you,”  often  without  verification,  York  University,  a  student  was  ac- planet. And if even one person suffers   Sara Suleri: Beyond Borders  some young Pakistani lawyers at Har-
       she said, offering as example President  cused of “cheerleading” after posting  from  invidious  discrimination,  then   (Continued from page 16)  vard who want to pay tribute to Asma.
       Biden’s  claim  of  having  seen  photos  about her solidarity with Palestinians  all  are  threatened,  and  civilization  is  It was Asma Jahangir’s passing in La- More friends join us.
       of  babies  decapitated  by  Hamas;  the  on social media. A law firm rescinded  tarnished.  hore that brought me close to Sara Sul-  Unexpectedly, Sara reaches out to
       photos never surfaced and the White  its offer of a job following the incident,   I do believe that the issue of pov- eri in Boston.  me.  She  wants  to  participate.  Given
       House later walked back this claim.  the New York Times reported.  erty  eradication  should  be  the  main   Sara,  says  Tillat,  “actively  sought  her  general  ill-health,  I’m  apprehen-
         Fatin Jarara, Al-Awda NY: Palestine   Those  views  were  less  visible  to  focus  of  the  world  powers  includ- the  company  of  Pakistani  women”.  sive. Can she do it, will she be able to
       Return Coalition, says conflation of the  Isaacs when he was growing up in a  ing the United Nations. Never before  The observation echoes the first line of  address a large gathering?
       Israeli state with Judaism inaccurately  Jewish family in Indianapolis, attend- have so many suffered amidst liberty  Meatless Days: “Leaving Pakistan was,   Asma’s  memorial  takes  place  on
       casts  the  territorial  conflict  between  ing synagogue and celebrating his bar  and luxury of the few. The wealth of  of course, tantamount to giving up the  Saturday, Feb 17, 2018, at Weiner au-
       Israel and Palestine as a religious dis- mitzvah. Reverence for the State of Is- single individuals exceeds the wealth  company of women.”  ditorium,  Harvard  Kennedy  School.
       pute.                         rael was a constant, he said.  of many nations. In highly developed   It  was  at  our  mutual  friend  Dr  Sara arrives as the hall fills up. She’s in
         Conversely,  Jarara  said,  as  Pales-  During his college years at Indiana  countries, the number of people living  Sughra Raza’s apartment in Boston by  a wheelchair, attendant in tow. She sits
       tinians, “we have footage after foot- University, he said he wasn’t aware of  past  80  years  is  soaring.  In  deprived  the Charles River that Sara and I had  quietly  listening  to  the  other  speak-
       age;  I  grew  up  on  it  my  entire  life  his  generation’s  diverging  viewpoints  and convulsed countries, the average  met in passing some years earlier. Sara  ers – Amartya Sen, Ayesha Jalal, and
       …  and  there  is  a  very  hostile  envi- on the issue. He traveled twice to Is- longevity  is  but  half  that  age.  While  lived upstairs in the same building.  other luminaries. Then she stands up
       ronment to it in the United States,”  rael,  trips  that  deepened  his  under- citizens  of  some  African  countries   Since  her  husband  Austin  Good- and walks slowly to the podium.
       as  many  sympathizers  fear  showing  standing of Israeli-Palestinian issues.  are  starving,  the  rich  countries  are  year’s  death  in  2005,  Sara  had  been   Despite her frailty, she has every-
       support at all. For example, “yester-  After becoming a lawyer and mov- beset  with  obesity.  Discrepancies  of  talking  about  moving  to  be  near  one  riveted  with  anecdotes  drawn
       day at Brooklyn College, a New York  ing back to Indianapolis in 2014, Isaa- these  types  are  morally  disturbing.  friends  after  retiring  from  Yale.  She  from her long association with Asma
       City councilwoman went to the Pal- cs said he volunteered with the local  The  United  Nations  is  ideally  suited  was  visiting  Sughra  in  Boston  when  in Lahore. There are poignant pauses
       estine  rally  with  a  concealed  carry  Jewish Community Relations Council  to ending these shocking inequalities  Sughra mentioned that an apartment  and audience laughter. She speaks of
       gun … she thought that she could in- in part because he saw anti-Semitism  because it hosts all the nations of the  on the floor above was for sale.  Asma’s sincerity, courage and authen-
       timidate the youth scot-free, but she  rising. After the attacks last week, he  world and endows each with identical   “I’ve  bought  it”,  Sara  announced  ticity – traits that apply equally to Sara
       was arrested and charged this morn- said  he  noticed  the  public  response  voting power in the General Assem- when Sughra came home from work  herself.
       ing,” as it was illegal under state law  didn’t  seem  as  widespread  as  when  bly. The poorest and the weakest are  that evening.  “I  was  a  bit  airy  fairy,  and  Asma
       to possess a gun at a protest.  Ukraine was invaded or other coun- equal to the richest and the strongest.  They had developed a close friend- would  tell  me  to  put  my  feet  on  the
         “As Palestinians, we see all lives as  tries faced terror attacks.  Dr Luis Felipe López-Calva, Global  ship since first meeting in Cincinnati  ground – I am walking on the ground.
       worthy of living a dignified life,” she   “At times, it feels very lonely to be  Director for Poverty and Equity of the  in 1991 at the home of Dr Azra Raza,  And that is exactly what I needed”. The
       concluded. Those in the US who sup- Jewish,” he said.       World Bank wrote today (October 17,  Sughra’s older sister, an oncologist and  laughter  is  fitting,  given  how  much
       port the Palestinian cause “don’t want   Jewish community comes together  2023), “With all that we have learned  writer  who  hosted  an  Urdu  Mehfil  fun Asma was. That too is something
       to see violence” and “don’t want to see  in solidarity with Israel  in recent decades, we have a chance to  series  at  home.  She  had  introduced  they have in common.
       people  losing  their  lives,”  but  “want   On  Monday,  Isaacs  helped  orga- make a real difference going forward.  Meatless Days to all her siblings.  This is perhaps Sara’s last public ap-
       to see my people live a dignified life  nize a solidarity gathering at Congre- A  world  free  of  poverty  on  a  livable   pearance.
       too. They want to see my people lib- gation  Beth-El  Zedeck,  a  synagogue  planet is in our line of sight. But it can  Meatless Days
       erated.” – Ethnic Media Services   tucked into an Indianapolis neighbor- only happen if we take action now.”  “Someone has said about two writ- Ghalib and Dr Azra
                                     hood  of  sprawling  lawns,  for  com-  It is characteristic that national or  ers meeting, that they looked at each   A couple of years later, she hosted
         A Gulf of Perspectives Is Growing   munity members. Cars soon jammed  international  organizations  employ  other  and  in  the  reflection  of  their  a  mehfil  at  her  Boston  apartment  to
         among US Millennials amid War in   the  residential  streets  leading  to  the  quantitative  benchmarks  to  measure  eyes  saw  their  own  identity”,  Sara  discuss the book she co-authored with
                   Israel            synagogue.                    success in meeting enumerated objec- would say later.      Dr Azra Raza, aiming to introduce a
            (Continued from page 5)    Police  were  on  hand  for  security,  tives, like the eradication of poverty.   The effervescent Sara they know is  generation to the joys of Ghalib. Dur-
       Hamas  attacks  amplify  solidarity  and  attendees  had  to  pass  by  guards  For instance, a longstanding objective  different from the tall, ghostly, quiet,  ing the year-and-a- half they worked
       with Israel                   with metal detectors before entering.  has been for each nation to contribute  somewhat  intimidating  presence  I  on  the  project  together,  they  were
         Eli Isaacs, a 36-year-old Indianap- Hundreds  turned  out,  holding  the  a specified percentage of its gross do- first encounter at Sughra’s place. Later  “joined at the hip”.
       olis attorney, was having a slow morn- blue  and  white  flags  of  Israel.  Grief  mestic  product  for  humanitarian  or  I will be privileged to discover for my-  A  Tribute  to  Ghalib:  21  Ghazals
       ing at home last Saturday with his wife  and anger filled the large synagogue,  foreign  aid.  Companion  quantitative  self the “warm, sensitive and brilliant  Reinterpreted (Penguin-Viking 2009)
       and  three  young  children  when  his  its sea of seats stretching outward to- benchmarks have been set for literacy,  woman,  delightful  person  and  genu- is the second title, after the first one
       phone started pinging.        ward wood-paneled walls.      vaccinations, annual income, longev- ine  friend”  as  historian  Ayesha  Jalal  went out of print. “I preferred the first
         Alerts and texts piled up. The enor-  “The last three days have brought  ity, smoking, etc.  describes her in an email from Lahore. one,  Epistemology  of  Elegance,  be-
       mity  and  horrifying  violence  of  the  sadness, horror, shock, anger, frustra-  There  is  nothing  inherently  mis-  At  our  first  meeting,  I’m  too  em- cause it was mine,” says Sara, drawing
       attacks  –  the  deadliest  by  Hamas  in  tion and so many other emotions that  chievous  about  these  development  barrassed to tell Sara I never finished  laughter.
       Israel’s history – slowly sunk in as he  are difficult to articulate,” said Rabbi  yardsticks. But they should never dis- reading Meatless Days. The cover fea-  Azra says the two people who have
       watched cable news and more report- Hal Schevitz.           tract  from  our  recognition  that  the  tures the photo of a beautiful woman,  impressed  her  the  most  in  her  life
       ing emerged.                    The mayor of a town near the Gaza  highest  in  our  objective  consists  of  elegantly dressed in a gharara, a tikka  are  women,  writers  Sara  Suleri  and
         He  would  learn  that  Hamas  had  border,  who  had  recently  visited  In- non-quantifiable characteristics. These  on  her  forehead.  She’s  looking  down  Quratulain Haider in India, both with
       invaded by land, sea and air, catching  dianapolis, had been killed, said Marc  would include acts of charity, humility,  at a little girl holding her hand. Sara’s  much in common. She tried her best
       the military off guard. Militants went  Swatez, head of the Jewish Federation  courage,  benevolence,  magnanimity,  older  sister  Ifat,  killed  by  a  hit-and- to get them to meet but Sara didn’t get
       on a killing spree, including shooting  of Greater Indianapolis. Others were  self-restraint, and non-vindictiveness.  run driver.  the visa.
       more than 200 people at a music festi- worried about relatives and friends.  It  would  seem  to  me  to  turn  logic   The  horror  of  that  tragedy  tran-  (Beena Sarwar is a journalist, art-
       val. They terrorized small towns and   “It  feels  very  real;  there’s  not  too  and morality on their heads to award  scends time. It’s at the heart of Meat- ist and filmmaker currently based in
       took hostages, including women and  many  degrees  of  separation,”  Isaacs  higher social development acclaim to  less Days Sara’s elegant, personal-po- Boston.  She  tweets  @beenasarwar.
       children. Overall, more than 1,200 Is- said.                a  nation  whose  citizens  were  univer- litical memoir, first published in 1989,  This is a Sapan News Service syndi-
       raelis have died as a result of attacks.  Isaacs  said  the  conflict  only  rein- sally  economically  prosperous,  liter- that I finally read a few years ago. She  cated feature.)
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