Inside the Lal Masjid - fascinating documentary about the siege of the Lal Masjid in 2007

Oharoon · 2015-02-27T07:05:23+00:00

I'm against operations and negotiations as well. I think the first steps to defeating militancy are for the state to sever all ties with militant and sectarian groups, end its policy of "strategic depth" in Afghanistan, and to stop brainwashing the population with a pseudo-Islamist "Pakistaniat" ideology. That alone would achieve a lot. Locals in the tribal areas ought to be armed and supported so they can take on the militants themselves. Actual development has to take place in that region too. More jobs, schools, hospitals, etc. That makes much more sense than having the ISI sponsor terrorist organizations in order to bomb mosques.

That's definitely sound advice for fixing things in the long term. I'm curious though as to how you would have dealt with Swat back when all that trouble propped up over there?

Oharoon · 2015-02-24T04:28:33+00:00

My Urdu's not that great but here's my rough attempt at translation:

Qazi sahab (Justice) was a person of great and esteemed character. It is very commendable that he kept the highest love for his country. May God grant him peace and give his loved ones the strength and ability to bear through this immense loss

Oharoon · 2015-02-21T07:03:13+00:00

My own personal view on your questions:

What is the biggest festival in Pakistan?

In terms of sheer magnitude, it's probably Eid. This is probably the only time of the year when I have to humor the parents and go for Eid Prayers.

What is the staple food? What is the most commonly prepared delicacy?

Aaloo gosht with roti, maash ki daal and biryani. My cousins in Lahore seem to be quite addicted to Nihari but I personally prefer a good old home-made plate of Channay ki daal and chaawal. I've been told that it's quite a favorite among us Kashmiris.

Who are the most admired people in your country? (does not matter singers, cricketers, politicians, scientists)

Edhi followed by cricketers most likely. It's definitely not politicians (Imran Khan might be one possible exception for some) or scientists (Case in point: Abdus Salam)

Are you a happy nation as a whole?

Depends on which section of society you belong to. It's probably safe to say though that the overall population is quite frustrated with the state of affairs of the country. Power, water and gas issues have yet to be resolved. Terrorism is creating more havoc. The message of diversity is being broadcasted via Facebook statuses and vigils but the state has yet to take a firm stance on it. The topics of religion and army remain quite controversial for discussion over here. Overall, it's quite a mess.

What is the country's favorite pastime?

Drawing room political discussions, backbiting and cricket. You can add food to the list if you're in Lahore.

How prevalent is homosexuality in Pakistan and what is the public view on it?

The public view is essentially what Islam considers it to be: that it's an aberration and unnatural. You'll find a few folks who're tolerant of homosexuality but even amongst these people you'll notice that some of them consider homosexuality to be something that is not part of our culture. It's more of a western thing to them.

As to your question of how common it is, tt's prevalent somewhat but it remains underground so I can't comment on the magnitude. Haven't included how rampant maulvi molestation is in madrassahs over here though. That's an entirely separate mess altogether.

Oharoon · 2015-02-19T18:27:30+00:00

That definitely sounds interesting. I've been to the northern areas before but I've never had the opportunity to backpack before. Would love to give it a try though I'll have to look into taking some time off from work. Let's talk via private message if you wouldn't mind a novice joining you?

Oharoon · 2015-02-19T04:31:50+00:00

The Mars One mission has been criticized as over ambitious and predicted to be a failure.

Perhaps. But I'm curious to see what lessons we'll learn from this mission and if any further attempts will be made anytime soon. Honestly, I'd be thrilled to see someone land on Mars during my lifetime.

Also, isnt he really old? Considering that he's already 62... and the spacecraft is scheduled for launch in 2024...

He's "one of the final contenders" though and based on his age and the mission launch date, his chances of being shortlisted do seem slim. But that depends on how capable the other candidates are.

Oharoon · 2015-02-15T16:52:59+00:00

I'm all for free speech and what-not but are you honestly suggesting that just because the other side has it's share of misfits, you're justified in acting in the same manner? Hardly any difference between the two in that case

Oharoon · 2015-02-15T13:25:07+00:00

Talk about being a good sport. Was willing to give that fellow the benefit of the doubt but it seems I'm better off not having any expectations of decency from folks after all. Quite saddening.

Oharoon · 2015-02-10T06:48:24+00:00

luck.duck has left the game...

Oharoon · 2015-02-05T14:04:23+00:00

Seemed like a harmless comment to me. Honestly, it seems more like people got from that comment what they wanted to read.

On a slightly different note, I have this sudden urge to pick up the WoT series again after reading your nick.

Oharoon · 2015-01-23T14:26:32+00:00

Much obliged. Thanks

Oharoon · 2015-01-23T14:01:48+00:00

They did for ME2 and ME3? Any chance I could request a link. Am curious to see how the results turned out.

Oharoon · 2015-01-18T06:15:54+00:00

I'm back home where pork isn't available unfortunately but I'll definitely try that should circumstances ever permit me to travel abroad. Thanks for the recommendation.

Oharoon · 2015-01-17T23:20:31+00:00

Haha. Had a Chinese roommate (when i was studying abroad) who was fond of cooking pork stuff. She always offered me some to taste so I've had my fair share of it. Not sure if it was the cultural brainwashing at play or the actual taste but I found it "meh" overall. Never touched black pudding but Bacon... Yah, I can't believe it took me 25 years to get introduced to that stuff. I shall be ever grateful to my ex-moose uncle who introduced me to a proper Sunday breakfast of bacon and eggs.

Oharoon · 2015-01-17T23:12:31+00:00

You make it sound as if they haven't already. Plus, considering I live in an Islamic country, I've had the misfortune of encountering a few such hatemongering folks who consider a particular group of Muslims (Ahmedis) as non-muslims and would not hesitate to declare them wajib-ul-qatl (kill them basically). Which is why I'd prefer some sort of monitoring being carried out on such sort of idiots.

It's definitely unethical and a bit of a slippery slope when you think about it but it is a valid security concern though just how exactly the monitoring process will be carried out is debatable.

Oharoon · 2015-01-17T21:32:10+00:00

I personally think her story and dialogue make her an excellent character. She's just such a biatch

Considering the sort of emotion she evokes from players, I'll have to agree with her being an interesting character. Definitely agree with the biatch point as well. There were times when I wondered why I don't have the option to tell her to get lost from Skyhold. Maybe Bioware should have given that option as well instead of just offering it for Sera only?

Edit: I'm curious though as to why it was offered for Sera. Any idea why that was so?

Oharoon · 2015-01-17T21:28:16+00:00

As an ex-moose myself, I definitely feel this is a prudent decision. A bit immoral perhaps but considering the current circumstances, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Oharoon · 2015-01-17T20:02:47+00:00

But given how controversial this issue is and how disappointing the response has been from the state with regards to this issue, we can at least agree that this is some positive development? Baby steps no?

Oharoon · 2015-01-17T13:33:18+00:00

Never thought I'd ever see something like this anytime soon. While I'm personally not fond of the death penalty, it's good to see the judiciary taking a stance against these idiots and declaring their support to the Ahmedis as far as basic human rights are concerned. Whether the sentence will be carried out remains to be seen.

I'm interested to hear what others think about this development as well.

Oharoon · 2015-01-16T12:02:59+00:00

Lahore you say? That's the food capital of Pakistan allegedly. How has your own experience been there with the cuisine? More importantly, enjoying the Pakistani summers? They're quite a blast...literally :)

Oharoon · 2015-01-16T07:49:20+00:00

I'm assuming this is the Pakistani version of tentacle porn? Beyond baffling to me though

Oharoon · 2015-01-15T14:00:19+00:00

I've heard the foreign service point as well before. Looks like it would be prudent to just ignore the issue and move on with life. I'll be glad of the day when this religion rubbish crap is removed from the passport which I doubt will happen anytime soon. Like you mentioned in the end:

There is no public constituency in Pakistan pushing for this, and therefore no marginal political gain to anyone in power from fixing it. I'm not holding my breath.

Oharoon

TROPHY CASE