This Fire Needs to Be Put Out

Mr. Fareed Zakaria, It is an INCREDIBLE coincidence that you lost sight of the fact , it was India that Financed, nurtured & gave political cover for the LTTE, which nearly destroyed a neighbouring COUNTRY of 20 Million people, just 20 miles off a coast of India. (I will leave it to you to name the Country)
Ofcourse, as we all know now, it (LTTE) became a Monster, that even its Master (India) could not control. So while America made all its mistakes, backing whoever was on the other side of the Cold War, India did the SAME in their back-yard.
So you know who the LTTE is - right ?, if not, then shame on you !!! & you ought to resign an an Editor, in double quick time, as you have no busines commenting about Terrorism in South Asia. Your roots, does not make you a professional journalist, capable of commenting on a subject of this magnitude, which the NYT calls the most significant terror incident, since 9/11. After you tie in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and completely MISS the wood for the trees !, have you become so interiwined with propaganda & geo-politcs laced Western journalistic culture that you lost your sanity & was unable to see above the propaganda of geo-politcs and narrow self-interests rooted in cold-war type alliances that have literally caused the birth of these TERRORIST groups.
It is still NOT too late, I AM SURE YOU HAVE THE RESORCES TO DO THE RESEARCH and come up with a more complete assesment, that justifies your status as a Professional journalist , as opposed to just another representative of an up and coming interest group and added to that being blinded due to your roots, instead of it enhancing your worldly view.
In this age of Barack Obama, hopefully you can break from the past & be objective, atleast for the sake of humanity !!!!
Sam
(Fishstation@Hotmail.Com)

Actually in this case, for Muslims, nationalism is bigger than religion although I am sure Pakistanis feel a kinship with Indian Muslims even now. In the Babri Masjid riots in Mumbai I saw people (not Hindus or Muslims but INDIANS) killed in front of my eyes. So perhaps Muslims have leaders in high places but that does not mean that they will not be made an example of if there is an Indian link to these terrorists. I think it will be better for the Indian Muslims if the blame is placed squarely on Pakistan in terms of safety. However, those who say that Pakistan should be eradicated are just speaking out of sheer outrage or are from the right wing who has been given fodder to express their own radical views at this tragic time. Those who agree with them have fallen into the terrorist trap to break down the relations between the 2 countries. You are putty in their hands. The best way to weaken a country is to start a war. I pray we are not headed in that direction.

It is a bit strange that even highly educated Muslim writers like Zakaria and Amanpour, in Larry King Live, cant resist pointing out a major 'flaw' in the Indian system that muslims do not hold proportionate representation in government jobs and political power and therefore may have some justification to be attracted to terror. India is a free society and people are free to pursue any profession and compete on merit. Some of the top professionals in all sectors are muslims. Just turn the yellow pages in any major US city and you will find that the percentage of Indian muslim doctors among Indian Americans is more than the muslims in India. Muslims, as well as several other communities, have never invested in education, and consequently dont land as many white collar jobs as some other Hindu communities. At the same time look at how disproportionately high is the Indian muslim percentage is among Indian expats in the midle east. No one complains because that is supposed to be normal for muslim countries to prefer muslim staff from India. Secondly it is natural for minorities not to occupy political leadership all the time in any country and India is no exception. I have never come across a Christian or Hindu Emir or Sheik in the middle east or any muslim majority country. But that again is supposed to be 'natural'. The fact is muslims always demand a disproportionate share of the pie .....or else.

What do you mean by a "call to arms"? Who are you advocating should be taking up arms? And against whom? Or is the "call to arms" just a bonehead choice of phrase by a headline writer who didn't read your piece? Because it sounds as if you are merely recommending, as US leaders did after 9/11, that people continue to shop (and travel, and go to public places) to show the terrorists that they have not won.

Mr. Zakaria says..."India also has a political problem with its Muslims. It remains unclear whether any Indian Muslims were involved with these attacks, but it is quite possible that the terrorists had some small pockets of support in the country."

Yes, for muslims - regardless of what country they live in - religion is first! Small pockets? How about pockets and pocktes of them supporting all over the country. Unlike the past attacks around the country, these attacks are getting the world attention because of the "westerner lives" and the high profile venues involved.

Bollywood stars, A turban head PM, a muslim President, successful fortune 500 CEOs, Mr. Zakaria himself -- all these success stories are perhaps exception and not a norm when it comes to the "india's political problems" with minorities.

How about Mr. Zakaria & his family, and the likes giving up their stinking high paying $$$ assignments and spending some time to educate and bring change in the community they grew up in?

Comment:
Fareed, Your analysis is incomplete as you miss a critical point. There is a sikh minority prime minister (inspite of the communities misgivings against the hindu majority) or an Indian Muslim who is the richest man in the land, even Tata is a minority. Heck, Mumbai's police chief is a Muslim, the top three Indian male movie stars are Muslims. The king maker of the ruling party is a Italian catholic.

The Indian constitution, laws and the rules are not discriminatory towards Muslims, they have not been for the last 60years, but you miss the elephant in the room when you fail to point out the communities apathy towards reformation and the total absence of credible muslim leaders.

Where is the Indian Muslim MLK or Obama?

Oh..they are editing Newsweek or making money on Wall Street or narrowly focusing on identity politics.

Indian Muslims need reformation and giants like your Father Mr.Zakharia. Mumbai needs more professionals like Mr.Karkare.

PS: My personal opinion. Emigres like us have chosen to tie our destiny with America. We have washed our hands off India and its problems. So we have lost the moral right and intellectual ability to make expert analysis, as if we have our ears on the ground.

I read this article and have followed Mr. Zakaria's commenst frequently in the past. I agree that India's majority Hindu population has showed remarkable resilience and patience with terrorism for the last 3 decades. This year there has been an attack in every major Indian city almost every month. The Hindu resilence and patience has been taken for granted and reflects as cowardice and hence the rise of the new disgruntled Hindu fundamentalism, as Mr. Zakaria points out. When he points out in this article that Muslims in India are underepresented and gives the reader the impression as if they are oppressed, what he conveiently forgets to mention is that in every sphere of Indian socio-political arena Muslims are in the forfront. The top echeleons of movies, sports, jobs, politicians are all filled with Muslims and they are in far better shape than their counterparts in Pakistan or other Islamic nations. So, its not the fault of Indian govt., as he points out, which has given the Muslims special status and recognition as minorties, but the influence of a failed neighboring state which has a history of anarchy, violence and a hub of international terrorism. The home grown element is limited to Muslims who are unwilling or unable to rise in the socioeconomic arena and are vulnerable to being brainwashed by fundamentalists from across the border. This is no way reflects a lapse in Indian govt., or indian (Hindu) people who have been extremely accomodating to all religions out of which only Muslims seem to have problems. I find Mr. Zakaria's commentary lopsided, biased, wrongly blaming the Indian sociopolitical system and much soft on the real culprits based in Pakistan. He also does not share the fact that he is a Indian Muslim and would have found it extremely hard to break the mould had his ancestors migrated to Pakistan. You can take a Muslim out of Pakistan but can take Pakistan out of a Muslim.

Mr.Zakaria is, certainly, one of the prominent scholars and critics of the 21st century. His writing has connection that is more logical and supporting details thus what he writes arrest the readers' attention soon. I have read his all books and newspaper articles because I find them very engrossing and interesting. In the courses of reading his articles, I have happened to read his recent Newsweek article but he found more emotional attachments such as a savory Indian food and the scenic beauty of Mumbay and so on. In his latest book "The Post American World"-he repeatedly advocated about the two emerging nations, for example Indian and china. He, however, has forgotten to point out possible threats from terrorists to china and India.

Hey Monk: Your comment about religion seems to betray an atheistic hubris, religious bigotry or willful ignorance of history, possibly all three. While it???s undeniable that murderous and inexcusable atrocities have been committed by mankind in the name of religion, the scale of these are ???minuscule compared with the death tolls produced by the atheist despotisms of the 20th century. In the name of creating their version of a religion-free utopia, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong produced the kind of mass slaughter that no Inquisitor could possibly match. Collectively these atheist tyrants murdered more than 100 million people. ???Religious fanatics have done things that are impossible to defend, and some of them, mostly in the Muslim world, are still performing horrors in the name of their creed. But if religion sometimes disposes people to self-righteousness and absolutism, it also provides a moral code that condemns the slaughter of innocents. In particular, the moral teachings of Jesus provide no support for - indeed they stand as a stern rebuke to - the historical injustices perpetrated in the name of Christianity. ??? The crimes of atheism have generally been perpetrated through a hubristic ideology that sees man, not God, as the creator of values. Using the latest techniques of science and technology, man seeks to displace God and create a secular utopia here on earth. ??? Whatever the motives for atheist bloodthirstiness, the indisputable fact is that all the religions of the world put together have in 2,000 years not managed to kill as many people as have been killed in the name of atheism in the past few decades.???

gommy, you are such a hopeless idiot. Obama is not even yet the POTUS and you are bringing up his name. before there was an OBAMA there was evil on earth caused by religion so STFU. why didnt your daddy bush solve all the problems instead of bankrupting america by going after a nation that was not part of 911. shut you racist pig. right wing moron.

It would appear that Thomas P.M. Barnett's ideas about the "non-integrating gap" and India as one of the "seam countries" may have even more evidence for being a useful way to analyze the world.

Mr. Zakaria, I read your intellectual articles. Being a Indian origin You do not have to be Rocket scientist to
know the root cause of this problem. Why do you blame Radicals ? What did happen last ten years in INDIA
will give you lot of clue. Just look at the Communal riots are going on every year, demolition of Mosques and
churches. Innocent people are being So do not blame jihadis

Typical Liberal puke. NOW, Al Qaida is a PROBLEM. NOW, that the Lefts' Boy is in the big chair, look out. We've got to all come together, leave the patisanship behind us, and get some troops over their to DIE for their country. Don't worry your pointy little head, Zakeria. You have your Messiah, now. He's gonna bring everyone together. His work has already begun. I could be wrong, but by my estimation, ATTACKS, around the world, have been INCREASING since the ONE has ascended. And guys likethis twit, Zakaria, I think, will soon be sufferring from buyers remorse. They will REALIZE, that 'Soft Power' is really, NO POEWER at all. Espescially when it's happenning where YOU'RE FROM. Right 'Fareed'? Idiot.

Pakistan is a unstable country and it will remain show. Pakistan was born amidst chaos. This country has gone through one dictatorship to another and is surviving and coming into news because of this. US and Wester nations showed interest on Pakistan only because of situation in Afghanistan (during Soviet occupation and 9/11 attack). The developed countries showered Pakistan with money but the country has nothing to show for it.
Pakistan as a country must be dissolved and creat new independent countries like Baluchistan, Sindh, Punjab and Kashmir. This will bring peace to the people of that region.

I don't see how the fire can be put out. It certainly makes sense as a "Wishful Thinking" , but George Bush's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has radicalized the Muslim population. India's Muslim minority population also has always felt socially marginalized, and the recent ratification of the U.S.-India nuclear
cooperation agreement has casted India as a collaborator of the U.S. - the archenemy of Muslims.
It is unacceptable to Muslims to see the traditionally pro-Russian India tilt toward an alliance with a strongly anti-Muslim and warmongering U.S., and a possible better U.S. under Baraq Obama is just a speck in the horizon. And the Pakistani nationalist movement that has fought a bloody war with India over Kashmir for 60 years felt that agreement created an anti-Muslim axis against their aspirations.

Pakistani nationalists have always felt that their existence was threatened by the much bigger India, and
India's military invasion and liberation of East Pakistan province that created the nation of Bangladesh
in 1971 has kept the Pakistanis edgy. Now, with the U.S. in Pakistan's back in Afghanistan, the constant U.S. bombing of their villages from there, a further planed increased military presence, and with the the U.S.-Indian relations cooperation becoming closer in their front, Taliban and Pakistani nationalists feel betrayed and abandoned by their corrupt pro- U.S. government. The bombing of the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan was their first mission, and the attack of Mumbai was their second. And this is the beginning of a new mode of warfare in the cities - from their previous tactics of attacking Indian villages in Kashmir.

This Fire Needs to Be Put Out? With the highly radicalized Muslim s feeling surrounded, with the Americans in their back -Afghanistan- and a U.S. friendly India in their front, with a Pakistani president known as "Mr. 10%" [prior bribes percentage for business with the Pakistani government], and a $20 to 80
million a month of U.S. bounty to the Pakistani government to hunt for anti-American Muslims {Talibans],
the Pakistani nationalists see their country coming under the control of the U.S. -an Indian ally- and the
cause of Kashmir's liberation sold out. Now, they have adapted new tactics, and new modes of operations to preserve Pakistan's honor, the Muslim honor, and keep the cause of Kashmir alive.
The may or may not get any ISI funding or training anymore, but the surfacing of Iraq war insurgent
tactics in Afghanistan and Pakistan proves that there is plenty of tactical warfare experience available
to them, and certainly good funding form other Muslim sources.

Again: This fire needs to be put out? Don't hold your breath. This is a Muslim grievances simmering volcano that just spew out its pyroclastic flow. There would certainly be more eruptions. Nikos Retsos, retired profes

Fareed Zacharia, you are the voice of reason in a world that seems to be going mad.

As an American Christian who loves both India and Pakistan and has dear friends in both countries, the people of both places are among the best people I know.

Your sensible approach to this scourge of terrorism, that both countries must come closer and cooperate, is the best, most humanistic and rational approach.

God bless you...

I beleive Newsweek should limit the thread. It is often being used as a medium to spread hatred and poison the minds of readers. Decency should prevail.