The following article written by the well known Kuwaiti personality, appeared in Kuwait's Arab Times dated 10.09.09. It is reproduced in goa.kranti for the information of its readers.
GOA.KRANTI.
HAVE CLERICS HEARD OF MOHAMMED LAL?
By Ali Ahmed Al-Baghli.
Former Minister of Oil, State of Kuwait.
We heard the story of a Kuwaiti and a Bedoun who returned from Afghanistan recently. They were shocked when they discovered that consuming and planting hashish are part of the daily activities of ‘jihadists’ in Afghanistan, instead of reading the Quran and praying to Allah, the Almighty, as we envisioned and in accordance with what the religious preachers in Kuwait told them before they headed to Afghanistan to fight against the so called ‘unbelievers’.
These preachers stay in Kuwait. They have not gone to Afghanistan. They drive the latest luxury cars, eat the best foods, and earn large sums of money from donations of Islamic charities, in addition to Zakat paid by Muslims! They mislead the public under the guise of protecting religion and the holy sites of Islam.
Let us tell them the story of a poor farmer in Afghanistan named Mohammed Lal. He is currently with the Taleban fighters. The preachers in Kuwait believe they share the same faith with these fighters.
Lal is a resident in a remote village near Aerogun Mountain. On August 20, 2009, he woke up at dawn, turned his face towards the direction of Kabah in Makkah and performed the Subah prayer. After praying he worked in his farm where he planted wheat, barley and corn, not hashish or opium. (Taliban believes the Salafi Islam monopolizes narcotics plantations).
After four hours of hard labour in the farm – Lal’s main source of income to support his wife and their nine children, he went to nearby village – Sheran – to vote in the election. Despite his poverty he believes he needs to fulfill his national duty – to vote in the election. ThreeTaleban fighters stopped him on his way to the village. When they asked for his destination, he told them the truth that he was going to Sheran village. The Taleban fighters tied him up and found the election card in his pocket. They beat him to serve as deterrent to other citizens. They cut his nose and ear to scare the others. Taleban was against the election, so they asked the citizens not to vote. (The Independent Newspaper in London published the story).
Back on the local front, we read a report published on Aug. 4, 2009 in Al - Dar daily about the Public prosecution’s order for the arrest of six Kuwaiti religious men and two famous political activists. These people are known for their political stand and religious activities in Kuwait.
According to the Kuwaiti and Bedous who came back from Afghanistan, these are the same people who encouraged them to join the Taleban and al-Qaeda to fight against the US and other foreign forces in Afghanistan.
Let me pose a question to these Islamic preachers in Kuwait and the political activists who support them, if you strongly believe that fighting for the Taleban and al-Qaeda is the essence of ‘jihad’ (holy war), why don’t you go yourself?
September 11, 2009
September 7, 2009
G'bye Goa:Goans Worldwide. By Valmiki Faleiro.
G’bye Goa: Goans worldwide
By Valmiki Faleiro
The August 23 column on Goan emigration worldwide elicited, expectedly, many
responses. I’ll share as many as this space provides, before we turn over to the story
of in-migration into Goa.
Fernando do Rego of Panjim, retired Dy. Director of Agriculture, often rejoins with off-
beat comment. To my tongue-in-cheek line, “there would be no place on earth where
a Goan didn’t piss,” he joined in: “Where is God? He is everywhere. But before him, a
Goan was already there!”
Rego told of his friend touring Iceland. “Seated in his hotel lounge sipping a drink, a
lady approached and, after courtesies, sat next to him. After some drinks, she got
cozy and offered him her services. He casually asked her from where she was. Her
reply: Goa. Imagine a Goan prostitute warming up in a land of ice!”
Fernandobab also pointed out I had forgotten Goans in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T),
“where our Banalcar poet, Berardo Pinto Pereira lived and his family still does.” An
unintended omission. Berardo’s widow, Dr. Lexley Pinto Pereira, teaches at a
medical university in St. Augustine-Trinidad and lives there with her family.
Thanks to another friend, Merwyn Lobo in Canada, Mabel de Souza Pooran who
lives in Port of Spain wrote, “Hey, I am Goan to the bone, and I’ve lived in T&T since
1979! There is a scattering of Goans here. Austin Trinidade born in Kenya was until
recently Chief Medical Officer of San Fernando Hospital in Trinidad.”
Anjuna-rooted, Pune-bred Placido D'Souza, a career diplomat, now retired in the
USA, was India’s Ambassador in two dozen countries or more. Wrote he, “An update
on Valmiki's article which I read with interest. As India’s High Commissioner to T&T,
concurrently accredited to eight countries and three territories in the Caribbean, I
presented credentials in Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Dominica & Antigua and Barbuda (apart from T&T), and Letters of
Credence in the British territories of Anguilla, Montserrat and Turks & Caicos Islands.
The only country to which I did not present credentials was Grenada, for reasons that
we need not go into. In T&T, I ran into a Goan Menezes family; in Saint Lucia, the
head of Health Services was a D'Souza; in Turks & Caicos Islands, the British
governor's wife was a Goan from Dar-es-Salaam. As Ambassador to Zaire, also
accredited to Congo (Brazzaville), Central African Republic, Gabon and Equatorial
Guinea, I met Goans all over.”
Don’t know how, but I also missed Switzerland. Wrote Bernardo de Sousa from
Geneva, “There are Goans in Switzerland, so your list now increases to 92.” (Actually
93, dear Bernardo, after T&T!)
Ethiopia was included, and Gabriel de Figueiredo now settled in Australia (son of the
famed 20th century Goan music Maestro, Antonio de Figueiredo), added at Goanet
(www.goanet.org): “One of my colleagues from the Brazilian Naval Commission in
Europe, now living in Sao Paulo, once told me that her great-grandfather was a Goan
from Ethiopia...”
Vivian DSouza, a banker who retired in the USA but returned to his native Socorro
said, “Must tell you there are several Goans still living in Zanzibar including the
illustrious Wolfango Dourado who at one time was Attorney General of Zanzibar.
I returned last month from Zanzibar and spoke to several Goans who live there.
“In T&T, there is a Goan girl married to a Trinidadian of Indian origin, Mabel de
Souza, now Pooran. Don’t know of any Goans still in Somalia, but while it was still
British Somalia, P.P. Mascarenhas worked for Barclays Bank in Mogadishu. I later
worked under him in Tanzania and often heard his stories about times in Mogadishu.
I met a Goan named Frances DeSales, now in the USA, who once lived in Kabul and
worked for the American Embassy there.”
At Goanet again, Wilson Soares sought details of any Goan in Panama. Roney
Viegas sought to know if the largest expatriate Goan community was in Mississauga.
Alfred de Tavares in Stockholm told him he believed the densest conglomeration of
Goans (“with all relevant derivatives of "Goaness") was in Portugal. Steve Pereira
met some Goans working in Shenzhen (mainland China), and one from Pilerne in
Tanggu-Tianjin. Bernado Colaco in Macau (ok, baba, now China) said he found a
Goan in Guangdong, making Sarapatel/Sorpotel! (ENDS)
The above article appeared in the Herald, Goa, edition of September 6, 2009
By Valmiki Faleiro
The August 23 column on Goan emigration worldwide elicited, expectedly, many
responses. I’ll share as many as this space provides, before we turn over to the story
of in-migration into Goa.
Fernando do Rego of Panjim, retired Dy. Director of Agriculture, often rejoins with off-
beat comment. To my tongue-in-cheek line, “there would be no place on earth where
a Goan didn’t piss,” he joined in: “Where is God? He is everywhere. But before him, a
Goan was already there!”
Rego told of his friend touring Iceland. “Seated in his hotel lounge sipping a drink, a
lady approached and, after courtesies, sat next to him. After some drinks, she got
cozy and offered him her services. He casually asked her from where she was. Her
reply: Goa. Imagine a Goan prostitute warming up in a land of ice!”
Fernandobab also pointed out I had forgotten Goans in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T),
“where our Banalcar poet, Berardo Pinto Pereira lived and his family still does.” An
unintended omission. Berardo’s widow, Dr. Lexley Pinto Pereira, teaches at a
medical university in St. Augustine-Trinidad and lives there with her family.
Thanks to another friend, Merwyn Lobo in Canada, Mabel de Souza Pooran who
lives in Port of Spain wrote, “Hey, I am Goan to the bone, and I’ve lived in T&T since
1979! There is a scattering of Goans here. Austin Trinidade born in Kenya was until
recently Chief Medical Officer of San Fernando Hospital in Trinidad.”
Anjuna-rooted, Pune-bred Placido D'Souza, a career diplomat, now retired in the
USA, was India’s Ambassador in two dozen countries or more. Wrote he, “An update
on Valmiki's article which I read with interest. As India’s High Commissioner to T&T,
concurrently accredited to eight countries and three territories in the Caribbean, I
presented credentials in Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Dominica & Antigua and Barbuda (apart from T&T), and Letters of
Credence in the British territories of Anguilla, Montserrat and Turks & Caicos Islands.
The only country to which I did not present credentials was Grenada, for reasons that
we need not go into. In T&T, I ran into a Goan Menezes family; in Saint Lucia, the
head of Health Services was a D'Souza; in Turks & Caicos Islands, the British
governor's wife was a Goan from Dar-es-Salaam. As Ambassador to Zaire, also
accredited to Congo (Brazzaville), Central African Republic, Gabon and Equatorial
Guinea, I met Goans all over.”
Don’t know how, but I also missed Switzerland. Wrote Bernardo de Sousa from
Geneva, “There are Goans in Switzerland, so your list now increases to 92.” (Actually
93, dear Bernardo, after T&T!)
Ethiopia was included, and Gabriel de Figueiredo now settled in Australia (son of the
famed 20th century Goan music Maestro, Antonio de Figueiredo), added at Goanet
(www.goanet.org): “One of my colleagues from the Brazilian Naval Commission in
Europe, now living in Sao Paulo, once told me that her great-grandfather was a Goan
from Ethiopia...”
Vivian DSouza, a banker who retired in the USA but returned to his native Socorro
said, “Must tell you there are several Goans still living in Zanzibar including the
illustrious Wolfango Dourado who at one time was Attorney General of Zanzibar.
I returned last month from Zanzibar and spoke to several Goans who live there.
“In T&T, there is a Goan girl married to a Trinidadian of Indian origin, Mabel de
Souza, now Pooran. Don’t know of any Goans still in Somalia, but while it was still
British Somalia, P.P. Mascarenhas worked for Barclays Bank in Mogadishu. I later
worked under him in Tanzania and often heard his stories about times in Mogadishu.
I met a Goan named Frances DeSales, now in the USA, who once lived in Kabul and
worked for the American Embassy there.”
At Goanet again, Wilson Soares sought details of any Goan in Panama. Roney
Viegas sought to know if the largest expatriate Goan community was in Mississauga.
Alfred de Tavares in Stockholm told him he believed the densest conglomeration of
Goans (“with all relevant derivatives of "Goaness") was in Portugal. Steve Pereira
met some Goans working in Shenzhen (mainland China), and one from Pilerne in
Tanggu-Tianjin. Bernado Colaco in Macau (ok, baba, now China) said he found a
Goan in Guangdong, making Sarapatel/Sorpotel! (ENDS)
The above article appeared in the Herald, Goa, edition of September 6, 2009
September 5, 2009
JINNAH ZINDABAD.
JINNAH ZINDABAD.
Among all the leaders of undevided India, I admire Mohammad Ali Jinnah the most. His ferocity and intelligence to outbeat all the top and mighty Hindu leaders showed how clever and great he was. His argumentation and challenges to Nehru, Sardar Patel and Gandhiji showed Jinnah’s smartness. He never trusted Nehru and other Hindu leaders though he had full faith in Gandhiji’s sincerity. For this reason he told Gandhiji: “Mr. Gandhi, for me to trust, there is only one Gandhi in India and that is you”. If Nehru and Patel and also others of their ilk showed little understanding to Jinnah’s views, today we would not see India portioned. That India was portioned was a blessing in disguise for Indians is another matter yet my admiration goes to Jinnah for his single handedly fight for the establishment of Pakistan.
Though Jinnah fought for the creation of Pakistan, but it was Poet Iqbal who conceived the idea of forming a separate homeland for Muslims from the sub-continent. In his fight for Pakistan Jinnah defied all the top Congressmen of highest stature and because of this I admire Jinnah. To defy and challenge great Indian Congress Party stalwarts was not an easy task, it was a job of really a gigantic figure and Jinnah was one such gigantic figure in undevided India. He never trusted fanatic Hindu mentality and their domination. He wanted to destroy fanatic Hindu “dadagiri” by putting forward his agenda and he did it while he was alive by partioning India, of course to the satisfaction of his followers and to the grief of Gandhiji. Nehru and his supporters internally wanted partition because thru partition they wanted to break the majority of Muslims in undevided India. And this is exactly what has happened otherwise Muslims in undevided India would gain upper hand which fanatic Hindus and Nehru did not want to happen. They wanted leadership of India to remain into the hands of Hindus. Now that the leadership of India is gone into the hands of Christian and that too a non-Indian, Italian Sonia Gandhi is a complete different matter and a shame for fanatic Hindus. Shortly India will have a Prime Minister in half Indian and half Italian, that is Rahul Gandhi the son of Italian Sonia Gandhi. Both the warring factions of Hindus and Muslims are now adoring Christian Sonia.
Though Jinnah died a long time back yet even in his death he is destroying fanatic Hindu dominance in India thru remote control from his grave. BJP is a political party of Hindu fanatics; they are craving to turn India as the monopoly of Hindus. Advani the mighty leader of BJP went to Pakistan and eulogized Jinnah. His opponents in BJP castigated Advani leading to a severe blow to the party prospects which suffered a severe blow in the last general election. It was Jinnah’s ghost that haunted and damaged BJP. Jinnah Zindabad because even in his death he is punishing fanatic Hindus in India under BJP.
In the recent controversy of the book by Jaswant Singh, the Hindus in India under BJP again received a jolt leading to the further disunity in BJP camp. Jaswant Singh was thrown out of the BJP party for praising Jinnah and belittling the roles of Nehru and Patel. As things are moving now, day by day, BJP is going down in its ratings since Indians even Hindus are discarding this party. According to political pundits, BJP will disintegrate into pieces, thanks to Jinnah whose soul is still haunting Indian Hindu fanatics. I admire Mohammad Ali Jinnah for giving sleepless nights to Hindus under BJP. Jinnah Zindabad because even in his death he is powerful to inflict heavy damages to Indian Hindu fanatics.
Jinnah was purely a secular Muslim whose knowledge of Islam according to information was very minimal. He was reluctant to observe the rituals of Islam even during the Ramadan time. Having Hindu ancestry, he was a good Whiskey drinker and even pork eater. His personal habits never distracted him from his feelings towards his religion. It was a misfortune that he died so early when Pakistan the nation he brought into existence needed him very much. With his death, much of secularism has died in Pakistan leading to mushrooming of religious fanatic groups who are terrorizing Pakistan and neighbouring countries and in the bargain discriminating against minorities and harassing peace loving community of Christians in Pakistan.
To develop Pakistan the early Pakistanis have done yeomen services for their motherland, their sacrifices in building Pakistan and bringing it to its current level was not a joke, it is a living miracle. In size and in wealth and in assets at the time of partition of Pakistan was small compared to India but inspite of all the deficiencies the patriotic Pakistanis especially the early Pakistanis worked very hard and selflessly to develop their country. Today Pakistan is not only an industrial power but more than that it is a mighty Nuclear Power sending shivers into the spine of its hostile neighbours. Educational standard is very high now though at the time of partition Pakistan could hardly boast of one reputed University. The way post World War II Germans struggled to develop Germany by undergoing lot of sacrifices and bringing Germany to its present high level in the same way post partition Pakistanis worked hard and sacrificed a lot to develop and to industrialise Pakistan.
The early Pakistanis used to bring stationery from their homes to work in the Government departments. Many times they used to sit under the trees and do their official work in the absence of proper departmental places. To stick official documents many times they used to use thorns of the trees and plants instead of clips and pins which were not readily available. In many of the schools students had no benches to sit yet they sacrificed and did their education turning them into scholars. This was the history of early Pakistan and with such a weak history for Pakistan now to attain such a mighty height is really a miracle created by all the Pakistanis whose patriotism is second to none. They have a killing instinct to fight for their country.
The birth of Pakistan is like a miracle and its survival and development is the result of the sacrifices of their elders backed by the strong sense of patriotism of every Pakistani to his country. This sense was inculcated in every Pakistani by its founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah whom I say “Jinnah Zindabad”. Would anybody throw me out of India for saying so? Is it not a fact that Jinnah’s contribution to Pakistan is laudable? Even in Kuwait, Pakistanis are more united and homogeneous while we Indians are disunited and sectarian. The Pakistani leaders such as In-charges, Managers and CEO’s are supporting their compatriots while Indians are destroying their own Indians working under them. My recent article in three parts on “DISGRACEFUL INDIAN MANAGERS” will give the testimony to what I said.
While concluding, I once again say Jinnah Zindabad.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
Among all the leaders of undevided India, I admire Mohammad Ali Jinnah the most. His ferocity and intelligence to outbeat all the top and mighty Hindu leaders showed how clever and great he was. His argumentation and challenges to Nehru, Sardar Patel and Gandhiji showed Jinnah’s smartness. He never trusted Nehru and other Hindu leaders though he had full faith in Gandhiji’s sincerity. For this reason he told Gandhiji: “Mr. Gandhi, for me to trust, there is only one Gandhi in India and that is you”. If Nehru and Patel and also others of their ilk showed little understanding to Jinnah’s views, today we would not see India portioned. That India was portioned was a blessing in disguise for Indians is another matter yet my admiration goes to Jinnah for his single handedly fight for the establishment of Pakistan.
Though Jinnah fought for the creation of Pakistan, but it was Poet Iqbal who conceived the idea of forming a separate homeland for Muslims from the sub-continent. In his fight for Pakistan Jinnah defied all the top Congressmen of highest stature and because of this I admire Jinnah. To defy and challenge great Indian Congress Party stalwarts was not an easy task, it was a job of really a gigantic figure and Jinnah was one such gigantic figure in undevided India. He never trusted fanatic Hindu mentality and their domination. He wanted to destroy fanatic Hindu “dadagiri” by putting forward his agenda and he did it while he was alive by partioning India, of course to the satisfaction of his followers and to the grief of Gandhiji. Nehru and his supporters internally wanted partition because thru partition they wanted to break the majority of Muslims in undevided India. And this is exactly what has happened otherwise Muslims in undevided India would gain upper hand which fanatic Hindus and Nehru did not want to happen. They wanted leadership of India to remain into the hands of Hindus. Now that the leadership of India is gone into the hands of Christian and that too a non-Indian, Italian Sonia Gandhi is a complete different matter and a shame for fanatic Hindus. Shortly India will have a Prime Minister in half Indian and half Italian, that is Rahul Gandhi the son of Italian Sonia Gandhi. Both the warring factions of Hindus and Muslims are now adoring Christian Sonia.
Though Jinnah died a long time back yet even in his death he is destroying fanatic Hindu dominance in India thru remote control from his grave. BJP is a political party of Hindu fanatics; they are craving to turn India as the monopoly of Hindus. Advani the mighty leader of BJP went to Pakistan and eulogized Jinnah. His opponents in BJP castigated Advani leading to a severe blow to the party prospects which suffered a severe blow in the last general election. It was Jinnah’s ghost that haunted and damaged BJP. Jinnah Zindabad because even in his death he is punishing fanatic Hindus in India under BJP.
In the recent controversy of the book by Jaswant Singh, the Hindus in India under BJP again received a jolt leading to the further disunity in BJP camp. Jaswant Singh was thrown out of the BJP party for praising Jinnah and belittling the roles of Nehru and Patel. As things are moving now, day by day, BJP is going down in its ratings since Indians even Hindus are discarding this party. According to political pundits, BJP will disintegrate into pieces, thanks to Jinnah whose soul is still haunting Indian Hindu fanatics. I admire Mohammad Ali Jinnah for giving sleepless nights to Hindus under BJP. Jinnah Zindabad because even in his death he is powerful to inflict heavy damages to Indian Hindu fanatics.
Jinnah was purely a secular Muslim whose knowledge of Islam according to information was very minimal. He was reluctant to observe the rituals of Islam even during the Ramadan time. Having Hindu ancestry, he was a good Whiskey drinker and even pork eater. His personal habits never distracted him from his feelings towards his religion. It was a misfortune that he died so early when Pakistan the nation he brought into existence needed him very much. With his death, much of secularism has died in Pakistan leading to mushrooming of religious fanatic groups who are terrorizing Pakistan and neighbouring countries and in the bargain discriminating against minorities and harassing peace loving community of Christians in Pakistan.
To develop Pakistan the early Pakistanis have done yeomen services for their motherland, their sacrifices in building Pakistan and bringing it to its current level was not a joke, it is a living miracle. In size and in wealth and in assets at the time of partition of Pakistan was small compared to India but inspite of all the deficiencies the patriotic Pakistanis especially the early Pakistanis worked very hard and selflessly to develop their country. Today Pakistan is not only an industrial power but more than that it is a mighty Nuclear Power sending shivers into the spine of its hostile neighbours. Educational standard is very high now though at the time of partition Pakistan could hardly boast of one reputed University. The way post World War II Germans struggled to develop Germany by undergoing lot of sacrifices and bringing Germany to its present high level in the same way post partition Pakistanis worked hard and sacrificed a lot to develop and to industrialise Pakistan.
The early Pakistanis used to bring stationery from their homes to work in the Government departments. Many times they used to sit under the trees and do their official work in the absence of proper departmental places. To stick official documents many times they used to use thorns of the trees and plants instead of clips and pins which were not readily available. In many of the schools students had no benches to sit yet they sacrificed and did their education turning them into scholars. This was the history of early Pakistan and with such a weak history for Pakistan now to attain such a mighty height is really a miracle created by all the Pakistanis whose patriotism is second to none. They have a killing instinct to fight for their country.
The birth of Pakistan is like a miracle and its survival and development is the result of the sacrifices of their elders backed by the strong sense of patriotism of every Pakistani to his country. This sense was inculcated in every Pakistani by its founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah whom I say “Jinnah Zindabad”. Would anybody throw me out of India for saying so? Is it not a fact that Jinnah’s contribution to Pakistan is laudable? Even in Kuwait, Pakistanis are more united and homogeneous while we Indians are disunited and sectarian. The Pakistani leaders such as In-charges, Managers and CEO’s are supporting their compatriots while Indians are destroying their own Indians working under them. My recent article in three parts on “DISGRACEFUL INDIAN MANAGERS” will give the testimony to what I said.
While concluding, I once again say Jinnah Zindabad.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
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