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communities
and I think if we support him; it will do a lot of good to the city. I hope
you will look at him with color blind eyes and see what he is doing for all
of Houstonians. Please be fair with him.
Viewpoints at
www.houstonchronicle.com
Brown was on the Job:
I fully agree with your analysis about Mayor Lee P. Brown’s performance
during recent flooding. His dedicated person and calm attitude once again
proved that he is the right person for the job. Not only was he on the road
from 6 a.m. to midnight from the day the flooding started, but his wife,
Francis, was also working behind doors to help the needy.
On Sunday, after the flood had receded, I called Mayor Brown to ask if the
Pakistan Association of Greater Houston could provide any assistance. Brown
asked that we coordinate our efforts with Frances. Mrs. Brown, along with
our group and 11 medical volunteers organized by my daughter Sana, rushed to
LBJ Hospital where there was a severe shortage of staff. Mrs. Brown, our
volunteers, and I worked from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. until additional nurses
and doctors arrived from Memorial Hospital.
We
must appreciate the city employees’ efforts and everyone who participated in
relief efforts. With Mayor Brown’s leadership we will make Houston a
world-class city and a better place to live.
February 24, 2003:
To:
viewpoints@chron.com
Response to: “Chief C.O. Bradford’s Perjury Case”
Dear Editor:
Please, refer to
your article about Chief C.O. Bradford my comments are as follows.
The perjury case
against Chief Bradford was not only wasting the tax payers’ money but it was
also a failure of our grand jury system. My trust level in the system is at
the bottom. Now anyone who does not like anything of me can put me in the
misery of self defense and I will just hurl all my life savings to pay for
my defense.
I think we
should have law by which these kind of legal fees be paid by the state or
county to protect innocent people like Chief C.O. Bradford.
Viewpoints at
www.houstonchronicle.com
Disasters Bring Early Christmas for Politician
Like the Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane
Rita, the earthquake in Pakistan, has brought an early Christmas for many
politicians. I wonder if what we see on TV, hear on the radio, and read in
newspapers, is true as politician brag about their contributions to help the
poor people affected by these disasters. I have attended several events to
raise money to help the victims and mostly I have seen politicians
projecting themselves and their agenda to get votes rather than helping the
poor. In one case, I noticed Councilman M.J. Khan gradually was getting more
time on the TV screen to show that he was helping the Mayor during Hurricane
Rita. Mr. Khan and several politicians are trying to cash their positions to
get re-elected but we need to evaluate what they have done to help the poor
victims of these disasters. Maybe we can ask for accountability of these
politicians to make public what efforts they made except getting free
publicity from the media.
The Pakistan Association of Greater Houston and
the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce, U.S.A. opened their community center as a
shelter during Hurricane Katrina and relocated 270 families and served food
and supplies to 2,500 families. During Hurricane Rita, the Pakistani
Community Center was ready to accommodate evacuees. Now, after the
earthquake in Pakistan, these civic associations are ahead of many and are
collecting funds to send their representatives to provide relief efforts
directly to the victims of the earthquake. Politicians should collaborate
with civic organizations to support such relief efforts rather than just get
free media projections in order to get re-elected.
May 22, 2004:
Viewpoints at
www.houstonchronicle.com
Response
to: “Mayor Already Took Pay-Cut for city”
In James Clair’s May 21 letter, “City workers take brunt,” he asked if Mayor
Bill White is taking a cut in salary or else working harder.
While working as the chief executive officer of the Wedge Group, Bill White
must have been earning more than $1 million in salary and stock options. He
used to work executive hours, but now he works from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven
days a week, with a modest city salary of about $120 thousand a year
(approximately $16 per hour).
Do you not conjecture he has already taken a huge pay-cut to serve our city?
I know Mayor Bill White has to make some tough budget decisions, but at the
end of the day, it will bring positive results for all.
To:
Viewpoints@Chronicle.com
Response to “It’s more
like a big thumb down for Bush’s staff”
Responding to
Elizabeth Drew’s article “It’s more like a big thumbs down for Bush’s staff”
I agree with her assessments.
Bush’s staff is
keeping him away from all the minorities: the African Americans, Jews,
Asians, and the Hispanics.
I was a member
of Bush’s exploratory committee and during a reception in Houston out of 500
participants; there were about ten minority participants.
If Bush is
relying on Anglo voters only, he is not likely to get close to Gore’s
success. Times and demographics have changed Bush’s need to bring people
from various walks of life, origins, religions, and educational backgrounds
to make a homogenous group to fight this election; otherwise I foresee the
same results as met by senior Bush’s last election.
Money may buy
votes, but if you let everyone play a role in the system, you have a better
chance to win. Learn a lesson from Lee Brown. He gathered a homogenous
group of people in his campaign and despite all the big money Moshbacher
had, Brown still stood out as a winner.
May 14, 1998:
Viewpoints at
www.houstonchronicle.com
Given the Neighborhood,
India had to go Nuclear
Please refer to
Dr. Huku Israni’s article “Given the neighborhood, India had to go Nuclear”
published on May 14, 1998. My views are as follows:
Nuclear bombs
may unite 980 million Indians against the United States, but it will not
feed the poor and hungry. India cannot compare itself with industrialized
countries of the world that possess nuclear devices. People of these
countries are not dying of hunger and starvation like in India, where the
majority of the people are living in poverty. India should develop programs
to feed their poor rather than becoming a nuclear power to escalate the
arms-race in the region.
Next, Pakistan
is going to divert most of its resources to produce nuclear devices. This
will result in more starvation of both Pakistanis and Indians. Poor people
of Pakistan and India will be the great sufferers not the privileged like us
living in the United States of America.
Pakistan and
India must resolve their disputes, settle the Kashmir issue, and live like
decent and cultured neighbors. They should sign a no-war pact for twenty
five years, reduce their armies by fifty percent, and utilize their
resources for industrialization of their countries. Once every Indian and
every Pakistani is provided with basic amenities of life such as those in
other industrialized countries and have enough resources to divert towards
nuclear program, only then can they opt for becoming nuclear powers.
February 15, 2000:
Washington Post
Response to: “Clinton’s Asian Agenda Calls for
Tricky Maneuvers”
Mr. Jim Hoagland:
In reference to
your editorial “Clinton’s Asian Agenda Calls for Tricky Maneuvers,” one
needs to consider the following facts as well.
Your comments
“Drop the Pakistan stop over idea now. Recognize China’s self-interested
pleading on India and ignore it politely and go to India with realistic
goals rather than in quest of legacy,” are disappointing and show that
either you are insensitive about the region or you are paid by the Indian
lobbyists.
The United
States of America should not forget that Pakistan has stood up shoulder to
shoulder by implementing their strategically agenda in the region which
brought communism down, causing the fall of the Russian Empire. It was
Pakistan which served as a bridge between the United States and China.
Pakistan has always supported the United States’ interest and now you are of
the view to drop it: you mean to dump the country.
Realistically,
Pakistan is as important as India and President Clinton must visit both
countries and work on the following issues to bring stability in the
region.
- Pursue the Army Junta
to restore democracy and give a schedule before Clinton makes the
decision to visit Pakistan.
- Be a mediator between
Pakistan and India to resolve the Kashmir issue, which is threatening
the region with a nuclear war if no resolution is enforced in the next
few years. Even if the United States policy makers have decided to
catalyze war between India and China, (to destabilize the region by
pushing China as well as India behind in their economic progress), it
will not be a wise move to ignore Pakistan which can be used as a buffer
any time. For a short run, it may be a good policy to keep Pakistan and
India or India and China at war, but in the long run the United States
needs more friends in the region than enemies. Pursuing a policy of
divide and rule like the British Empire may be successful in the short
run, but on the long, it can collapse world power status of the United
States just like the fall of the British Empire. We need to preach for
world peace and use all our resources to bring peace in the Middle East,
South East Asia and Eastern Europe. And the United States can play a
vital role to restore democracy in these troubled areas.
May 18, 2004:
Viewpoints at
www.houstonchronicle.com
Response to: “Uncle Sam’s Coattails didn’t reach
India
Subject: Policy Failures
With
reference to an article by Jim Hoagland, “Uncle Sam’s Coattails Didn’t Reach
India,” my comments are as follows:
Our foreign
policy is based on short term goals and on our elections. Every four to
eight years we sideline someone else resulting in losing friends all around
the globe. Our policy has been to buy out leaders, not to reach the people
of foreign countries. How can we give billions of the taxpayers’ money and
still they burn our flag in their backyards. This is only because we do not
go to their neighborhood and improve their life. We do not create programs
to improve their infrastructure which can give them jobs, medical care, not
do we help build educational institutions or small industries. The result
is that we have kings and army dictators as our friends all over the globe
but their countrymen are our enemies. If we want to keep the influence on
many countries, we need to make sure that the aid given to them must be
used, not to upgrade their armies but to improve lives of the poor people.
Then and only then will we get pro-American leaders elected in those
countries.
December 12, 1999:
To:
Webmaster@dawn.com
Economic Fantasies of
General Pervaiz Musharaf
General
Musharaf’s speech, written by some Harvard Graduate, was full of economic
fantasies. However, our foremost concerns of restoring democratic
institutions have completely been ignored. Moreover, accountability of the
Army generals was not mentioned. Eighty percent of the country’s budget
goes to unnecessary maintenance of the Army personnel. He has no plans to
reduce expenses in that area, nor has any plans to weigh the assets of the
generals. I am not pleading for politicians, but I would like to see the
process of accountability in action across the table. Then and only then
will this country be revitalized. In addition, on one hand General Sahib is
stating to be equally fair to the four provinces and on the other, has
abolished quota system and wants to hire everyone on a merit system. Merit
system is only fair if the government provides the same facilities to a
child born in Karachi and the one born in a village of Sind or Punjab or
Baluchistan. Quota system must be implemented and merits should be within
rural and urban areas. General Sahib, as usual, like Zia, wants to stay as
long as it takes to eliminate all the political forces that can hinder his
way. Maybe we are going to see another ten years of Army rule like that of
in the time of Zia.
Letter to President Pervaiz Musharaf:
Subject: Changing the Course of a Nation
As General
Zia, who promised to restore institutions within ninety days but governed
the country for 11 years and abdicated only by meeting a drastic death; how
long will your time table of two years last?
People,
especially from the Punjab, are not happy to see as Urdu speaking general
taking over the democratic government with a majority rule by the Punjab.
Their perception is that Urdu speaking people have always come behind doors
to grab power. You need to prove that you are working in the interest of
the country and not for your community. Your actions to handle the MQM will
be a test of your administration as to where your sympathies are.
Finally, honesty
which was supposed to be the best policy is no longer the true fact in
Pakistan. We need to restore confidence among all the brethrens of the
nation. We must ensure equality for all the people in the house based on
general criteria of population. If we could achieve satisfaction among all
the members of the federation, then this family will survive. If you fail
to provide the goods then this family does not deserve to stay under one
roof and will be split into weaker pieces rather than one strong house. So
the ball is in your court. Though you have been forced to jump in this
situation, maybe God almighty will save this nation through you. So good
luck. We are all anxiously waiting to see what measures are taken.
My prayers are
with you to change the course of this nation.
(My prediction was correct
that General Sahib is still making moves to hold to the power and has done
nothing for the common men.
June, 2004:
Viewpoints at
www.houstonchronicle.com
Response
to: President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharaf’s article: “A plea to
Muslims for Enlightened Moderation”
In reference to President of
Pakistan General Pervez Musharaf’s article: “A plea to Muslims for
enlightened moderation” my comments are as follows:
I fully agree
with the general that until and unless cleansing against Muslims all over
the globe is not stopped, uprising of people will not end. One should not
forget the desperation level of those young people who are ready to blow
their bodies, only because they have no other way to show their
frustration. We may spend billions of dollars to fight terrorism but we
will not be successful until we reduce the desperation within those under
privileged communities.
To reduce
terrorism we must support true democracies (not staged democracy like
Pakistan), establish educational institutions, upgrade infrastructure, and
create jobs through small industries in poor countries.
We as
pioneers of the democracy, sideline with dictators to achieve our short term
goals but never make an effort to upgrade lives of poor people. We donate
billions of our tax dollars to third world countries, but why? People still
hate us and burn our flag any time they get a hand on it.
Moderation can
only be achieved if people are treated equally, by giving them political
freedom and opportunities to make a decent living. Poverty and starvation
will never bring moderation.
Fancy words from
politicians have no effect over those people, as they know that at the end
of the day the poor remain poor; whereas, the rich get richer by the day.
Viewpoints at
www.houstonchronicle.com
Pakistan: an Erratic Dance Partner
in War on Terror
With
reference to Jim Hoagland’s article Pakistan: an Erratic Dance Partner in
War on Terror, my comments are as follows.
American
policy towards Pakistan has also been based on the basis of personal needs.
We have always supported the Army Dictators to achieve our short term goals
and never let the democratic institutions flourish. One needs to analyze why
the common man of Pakistan waves a banner “Death to America” or burns our
flag? This is because we have done nothing to upgrade their day to day
lives. 85 % of the aid given to Pakistan is used for military maintenance
and up gradation. There is no infrastructure, no schools and no hospitals
for the poor.
If U.S.A.
wants to be successful in the third world countries, we must stop backing
dictators and take measures to facilitate the process of true democracy and
provide funding to upgrade institutions, build industries and create jobs
for the poor. Only then will these people stop burning our flag.
Viewpoints at
www.houstonchronicle.com
Feud Swells in Pakistani Community.”
This is with reference to Edward Hegstrom’s
article titled “Feud Swells in Pakistani Community.” I regret to say that
this is a one-sided story narrated by Mr. Hegstrom. As I was one of the few
people who were interviewed by Mr. Hegstrom to write this article, the
content seems to be very unfair and biased. Ghulam Bombaywala’s hard work,
honest, genuine, and sincere community service has been overshadowed by his
personal bankruptcy. I wonder if this article is written to crucify
Bombaywala or to let us know about the split and division in the Pakistani
community.
Yes, there is split in the community as happens in
every vibrant and active community. It is because of the difference of
opinion and variation of views but not because of Bombaywala’s financial
problems.
Bombaywala has led Pakistani American Association
of Greater Houston (PAGH) for the last five years and has done both an
exemplary and commendable job to serve the Pakistani community. His major
achievement is to take an insolvent and in debt community organization with
assets of minus $11000 inherited by him at the expiration of M. J. Khan’s
tenure as President of PAGH, to a politically powerful and economically
successful corporation with assets of approximately 2 million dollars.
The split is because Bombaywala and his group won the elections
and have been winning for the last five years. Whereas M.J. Khan’s group has
been pulling all the negative tactics and undemocratic procedures to take
control of the organization, without the mandate of the people. M. J. Khan’s
group has boycotted the elections because they cannot win democratically
held elections.
The split is because two Pakistanis ran for
District F seat to execute M.J. Khan, who has accomplished and delivered
nothing to serve the community, even though being President of PAGH for six
years as well as City Council man for the last two years. This is a battle
and clash between two groups and two ideologies. Dragging in the arena
Bombaywala’s personal financial matters had nothing to do with the
community.
The split is because M. J. Khan’s group that has
led the PAGH for decades could not build a community center to serve the
people. Bombaywala has achieved the goal and Pakistani Community center has
become a reality. This center has been serving not only the Pakistani
community but also the mainstream Americans as seen during the Katrina and
Rita Hurricanes. This center was the hub for tons of relief supplies sent to
earthquake victims in Pakistan. M. J. Khan has done all the lip service and
photo-ops but come up with no concrete help to the people who are suffering.
M. J. Khan represents a small ethnic group of the
Pakistanis who are seven percent of the Pakistani population; whereas,
Bombaywala represents every ethnic group of Pakistan. M. J. Khan has never
held a job in his life and has been supported by his wife throughout his
life. Whereas, Bombaywala came here with nothing and made a fortune and now,
if he is passing through some bumpy and tough times, we should not crucify
this man just because M. J. Khan couldn’t deliver to the community what
Bombaywala did.
I, as a trustee of the Pakistani community center,
in all solemnity, guarantee that this center is an economically viable
project and financially self-sustained venture. It will serve the needs of
the Pakistani community. This center will provide the services for senior
citizens, after-school programs, low-income medical care, computer training,
and language classes and will be used as a family meeting place. The rental
income from retail shopping center in the front face of the center shall pay
off the 1.5 million loan acquired to purchase and remodel the existing HEB
building located at 12368 Bissonnet at Dairy Ashford.
In short this is a classic example of the
historical conflict: between the person reaching the peak and the other
person who has done nothing for anybody. There is a split based on political
motives not the community issues.
Houston is home of 70,000 Pakistanis, mostly
engineers, doctors and businessmen. In such a big group of people comprising
a community, there is always difference of opinion. However, this community
is proud of their heritage and is busy in serving the city of Houston and
trying to achieve excellence in all fields of life. We are proud that we are
serving this community and are part of the mainstream American system.
Conclusion: With hard work of Bombaywala and my self we transformed the old
HEB Grocery building to a 3 million dollar community center which is one of
its kind Pakistani American Community Center in North America. Upon my
complaint Ed Hegstorm was reprimanded and eventually left Houston Chronicle.
This shows the power of the pen which is mightier than sharp swords. M.J.
Khan got elected as City Councilman has never visited the Pakistani American
Community Center nor he has supported the project though this center is
located in his own District F.
September 2006:
Viewpoints
at www.houstonchronicle.com
Homeless in Houston
Reference to your report, about discouraging to give your change to the
homeless; my comments are as follows.
Attached you will find two reports on the subject above written by me while
working as Advisor to Mayor South Asian Affairs City of Houston from July
2002 to August 2004.
The solution suggested by Mayor Bill White, not to give your change to
homeless but to donate it to the charities will not solve the Homeless
problem.
Most of the charities spend 85 % of charitable funds in administrative
expenses and only 15 % funds are used in real programs. HUD and other
federal funds given to so many charities have produced no long-term
solutions to eradicate homeless people from streets.
In
my view, following are the long-term solutions.
1.
All HUD and Federal funds disbursed to charities should be audited and a cap
of 40% administrative cost is imposed.
2.
Mayor should appoint a council for Homeless to give recommendations and long
term solutions where and how to move the homeless from streets.
3.
Following City of San Francisco pattern City of Houston should originate a
homeless Park with small log cabins with wooded bed and a small closet. This
log cabin is assigned to homeless for only one week at a time. This way we
can move the people from streets and under bridges.
4.
Start a Public Awareness program so that major corporate donors and wealthy
people can create some programs to help the homeless by getting them jobs.
4.
A coalition between City Restaurants and Food bank be created which can
collect left over foods from Restaurants and distributed to the homeless.
6.
Veteran’s Administration should take charge of the majority of the homeless
who are Vietnam veterans who have been abandoned by the government.
7.
Many of the homeless are mentally challenged and MHRA cannot provide
services for them. State, County and City should find ways to get help to so
many of those who need mental healthcare.
Politicians always talk about homeless and poor but I don't see any programs
implemented to help the needy. Let us stop talking and act sincerely and
make the things happen to help these homeless.
Viewpoints at
www.houstonchronicle.com
U.S.
shouldn't back Musharraf
Since
9/11, Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has been misleading the
United States with a deceptive and ambiguous war against terrorism. To
satisfy the Bush administration's agenda, Musharraf has very deceitfully
drained billions in aid that was distributed among the top army officers
without any trace and government audit. Musharraf's slogan of "enlightened
moderation" to support secular elements has produced more extremism,
abhorrence and extreme dislike for the United States. It is time the U.S.
government stopped supporting a dictator and enforced measures to bring
democratic forces in power.
MANZOOR A.
MEMON
executive director, American Muslim Chamber of Commerce-USA, Deer Park
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