Page 23 - Pakistan Link - October 20, 2023

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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