MOIN ANSARI
Editor: Rupee News
www.rupeenews.com
NOTE: This site is a very important,
extremely well
researched and
beautifully formatted (which cannot be duplicated
here - I tried!) - but
is highly recommend to visit to better understand
Central & South Asian
realities! H.H.C.
President:
American Joint Multifaith Association
http://www.ajma.org
NOTE: This site is a very
important, extremely well
researched and
beautifully formatted (which cannot be duplicated
here - I tried!) - but
is highly recommend to visit to better understand
Central & South Asian
realities! H.H.C.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The program can be viewed in its
entirety by clicking the you tube link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7xVPVtvFDA
- MOIN ANSARI
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
More about: MOIN ANSARI
Mr. Ansari lives in the greater New York
Area and has been very active in the interfaith
movement in the aftermath of the events
that led to 911. He is the president of American Joint
Muslim Association (AJMA) (http://www.ajma.org)
and the Editor of Rupee News
(http://www.rupeenews.com).
AJMA started out as the American Jewish Muslim Alliance but
matured into more faiths joining
the organization. Mr. Ansari has worked with the local
synagogues, churches and mosques
and temples to build bridges of harmony among all
Americans. He works with Rabbi
Michael Lerner and ajma is a Tikkun entity.
As a patriotic American citizen Mr. Ansari
has struggled for civil rights issues, specially those
pertaining to the Muslims in who
suffered the backlash of 911.
Mr. Moin Ansari is a strategic thinker, an
investigative historian, a political scientist and an
expert on South and Central Asia. He
focuses on terror and occupation issues of the Greater
Middle East and looks beyond the
rhetoric found in the mainstream media. His in-depth
analysis, and profound knowledge of
Afghanistan and Pakistan allows him to shatter the
prevalent paradigms and report on
latent and hidden issues. His analysis and predictions shed
light on the complexities of the
jig saw puzzle of West Asia. Mr. Ansari has a Bachelor’s in
Political Science, International
Relations and General History. He also has several other
degrees in Engineering and
Management including an MBA. His deep knowledge of the
history of South Asia, specially
Pakistan and India shows well in his current analysis and
reports on Delhi, Islamabad, and
Kabul. Mr. Ansari.
Mr. Ansari has written extensively on the
origins and birth of the Indus Valley Civilization as
well as the independence movement which
led to the withdrawal of the British from South Asia
and the re-creation of the
Pakistan—this time as a homeland of the Muslims of Western part
of South Asia. Mr. Ansari
considers Pakistan as a reincarnation of the Indus Valley
Civilization which existed on the banks
of the Indus .
As a student of Political Science Mr.
Ansari is keenly aware of the Grate Game being palyed
in the Hindu Kush and sees
America’s strategic interests in jeopardy because of the perpetual
mimetic warfare being conducted
across the Khyber. This incessant warfare interferes with
the American interests beyond the
present decade. The current war will not be successful in
surrounding China and
threatening Iran a nd Pakistan. It crates more Anti-Americanism and
is counterproductive. Mr. Ansari
believes that that concerted police actions can nab the bad
guys hiding in caves. Carpet
bombing, daisy cutters and drone attacks will perpetuate the
situation where ISAF, NATO and the US
forces have lost 80% of the land mass of Afghanistan
to the 38 or so insurgent groups
that are fighting the occupation in Afghanistan. If America is
to succeed in Afghanistan, it
must end the war and must implement a Marshal Plan for
Pakistan and Afghanistan. The US
has to sign an FTA with Pakistan allowing Pakistani
businessmen access to the US and
European markets. This will boost Pakistani exports and
send the money directly to the
people, not to corrupt US and Pakistani officials. Eliminating
poverty will ensure stability in
South Asia. Bombs and drones will not.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Immediately below a brief interview with him from
Moin Ansari is a political scientist at heart and has been writing for
more then two decades about Pakistan, Pakistani history, and building the
right international relations of Pakistan. Moin Ansari is an executive in
the Information Technology industry and has been for the past 25 years. He
has three bachelors degrees, and two masters degrees from the best
universities in the USA. He blogs
here.
Could you tell us what made you decide to blog?
I was one of the original founders of soc.culure.pakistan.history and other
newsgroups. This was “blogging” in the 80s and the 90s. It was like today’s
forums. In many ways I miss the interactive newsgroups. I learned a lot and
created two books out of the interaction. I blog to discuss Pakistan’s lost
history, and bring a positive perspective about Pakistan.
What do you think sets Your blog apart from other blogs?
My blog has in-depth material and unique ideas that are useful for Pakistan.
My blog brings positive views and news about Pakistan, defends the Pakistan
ideology and disseminates the moderate Pakistani-Muslim American point of
view. There is in depth discussion of our Pakistan movement. My blog uses
correct Pakistani maps.
If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success,
what would it be?
Hard work! Hard Work! and Hard Work!
What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?
Happiest: Finding 400 of my lost articles on the internet
Gloomiest: December 16th 1971
Urdu Blogs have got huge potential, when do you think they will really
take on the online horizon in Pakistan?
I am trying to get my own Urdu blog going. Our media and Urdu newspapers
need to use Urdu instead of “English in Urdu script”. 2.2% of Pakistanis use
the internet. Now this government has built the largest WiMax network in the
world. Urdu and regional language blogs will allow Pakistanis to discuss
Pakistani issues without outside interference.
If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no
worries about how it’s paid for - what would your top 3 choices be?
Ngorogoro Saffari Park ( I am going in 2008)
Norwiegian Fiojrds (I am going in 2009)
Tour of historic Islamic Sicily ( I am going in 2010)
What is your favorite book and why?
After the Quran (Mohammad Asad’s translation), my favorite book is “Muhammad
in our Times” by Karen Armstrong”. She has defined the faith in American
terms and answers all the criticism of our prophet. My other favorite book
is “The Indus Saga” by Aitizaz Ahsan which describes the Pakistan that
existed 5000 years ago.
What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them
or not)?
Well that depends if it a man or a woman!!!!!!
In a woman……!
OK! because it is a family oriented blog…I will stop! (smile!!!)
Do you think Pakistani politicians could benefit from the social networks
and things like twitter?
Yes, but our politicians are techo-illiterate. I cannot imagine any one of
them logging on to the internet. Our newspapers do not use RSS feeds, or
blogging for feedback for their reporting…
Whose Future is more bright in Pakistan; English blogs or Urdu Blogs?
Both. We must all work to develop Urdu blogs to preserve our national
language and building another vehicle of national unity of Pakistan. All of
us must build the Urdu blogs and learn from each other to do this.
How Pakistani bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?
Google Adsense. Developing journalistic skills. Sell technology and ideas!
Teach others!
Modeling and placing webcams in their homes? (smile!!!)
Do you think Pakistani bloggers tend to remain somewhat self-centered and
really don’t go out of their shells? Is it the oriental style of blogging,
or they are still unsure about it?
The internet offers a unique opportunity to learn and inform. Pakistani
cyber cafes are used for porn, and blogs for “galee galauch”. I see very
little historical content and discussion of the Pakistan Ideology or
technology that can help Pakistan. Simply cutting and posting newspaper
clips is not blogging. Where are the technology Pakistani blogger? Where are
the music Pakistani bloggers? Where are the Pakistani bloggers dedicated to
archeology, and building religious tourism? Where are the Pakistani bloggers
on developing cheap wind farms? I find Pakistani bloggers “cutting and
pasting” news and plagiarizing other blogs. The blogs are partisan name
calling. I find the level of English really bad. Few Pakistani bloggers
bring new and unique stories or in depth analysis. Most of the discussion is
about useless babble. For example, I saw hundreds of blogs about the flour
shortage, and saw just a couple that tried to investigate the reasons for
the global shortage of wheat and rising prices. Pakistani oil is subsidized.
When the real prices are raised to market prices, it will create an
avalanche of inflation. I don’t see any blogs.
Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on
their hands?
Yes! Well at least, they are spending time in the pursuit of knowledge which
is also an “ibadaat”! Smile! (attempted humor!!)
What are your thoughts on corporate blogs and what do you think the
biggest advantages and disadvantages are?
I hate them!
Does it pain you or proud you that we have made a history by electing a
uniform general as our president?
“Democracy” is over rated. China, Korea, Taiwan, and Malaysia grew to become
Asian Tigers without it. Our best performance was during the “Decade of
Development”. In Pakistan and Iraq voting creates problems..Every country
needs a few decades to keep the lid of centrifugal forces. India has 89
insurgencies ragin in more than 1000 districts. This is not in the news.
Democracy” was invented in 1945 to wage war and occupy Germany and Japan.
“Democracy” was used to take power from Muslims in India and dis-inherit and
remove Muslims who were in power in India in the princely states.
“Democracy” was used to partition Pakistan in 1971 and divide Iraq in 2003.
“Majoratarianism” in India keep the 150 million Muslims without any
political or economic power
Do you think this whole emphasis on blogs and whatever online is a
significant indicator to show that the web, the social web, is becoming a
very important social force?
Yes! Can we use it to develop Pakistan, or are we going to waste QWERTY on
gossip. On a lark I posted the Britney Spear story. Unfortunately it is the
number one story on my blog. All substantive articles are second or third!!!
My literrary article on Lady Macbeth predicting the death of Benazir Bhutto
remains unread!!!
What do you think where the Pakistani blogosphere is right now?
It can used to develop our country, or it can be used for ethnic and
linguistic divisions. Right now it is being used for the negative. Your site
is a notable exception!
Who are your top five favorite bloggers in Pakistan?
Check out my blog moinansar.wordpress.com. I constantly update it.
PakPositive is certainly one of the top ones. I also like Unique Pakistan.
Both present a good picture of Pakisan.
Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger in
Pakistani blogosphere?
No! Most of it is same old same old.
PakPositive and Unique Pakistan come closest to the “wow” factor..
What is the future of blogging in Pakistan?
It has tremendous potential to refute the negative propaganda about
Pakistan. Negative propaganda effects each person of Pakistani origins in
the pocketbook. If every Pakistani blogger went to news.google.com and
searched on Pakistan and then wrote responses to each negative article about
Pakistan and Islam, we would have a much healthier image of Pakistan.
In political respect, can we say blogging a ‘democracy of message’?
More like “Mobocracy”!
Can Pakistani blogosphere play any notable role in the forthcoming
elections, if they happen at all?
Blogs should go beyond elections. Each politicians record has to be
analyzed. Blogs should defend the reasons why Pakistan was created. Blogs
must understand that there was no “partition”, it was separation and
independence.This is not just semantics…it is very important because our new
generation does not understand the facts of history. “Partition” represents
the division of something called “India”. When the British came, they found
more than 566 states. When they left they left the same number of states
plus the dominions of India and Pakistan. Read all about it on my blog. Even
Wikipedia has linked my article to their site
You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your
personal and professional life?
None at all. I am still the couch potato I always was!!
What are your future plans?
Hakunah Matata! Dont worry be happy…and write books!
Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?
Use my material on Pakistani history and defend the genesis of Pakistan and
or history. Develop and investigate new technologies to solve Pakistani
problems. Watch out for the “foreign hand” and stop the self flagellation.
Use the power of the internet to talk about wind farms for energy, geo
thermal energy, increasing the per acre yield of wheat, making Balauchistan
arable, building ski slopes on K-2, creating new cities, and helping each
other develop our journalistic skills to keep a free press.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Immediately below a comment from his very well
researched, beautifully formatted and very
informative
web site
www.rupeenews.com
-------------------------------------- 
Moin Ansari
Moors:Before Columbus” (“1421”) Columbus
sailed from Muslim Spain and many of the
sailors were Muslim 
