Ali Gokal2013-05-18T14:45:03-04:00Ali Gokalhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=ali-gokalCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Ali GokalGood old fashioned elbow grease.The Killing Field of Quettatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.28558932013-03-11T17:55:01-04:002013-05-11T05:12:01-04:00Ali Gokalhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-gokal/
Yet in some parts of this world, fractured, blinkered and fanatical, personal beliefs matter a great deal, and tolerance remains a myth.
In Quetta, western Pakistan, it matters a great deal what your beliefs are. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say it is a matter of life and death. For to be a Shia Muslim in this arid region, you are living in a perpetual state of peril.
After the Prophet Muhammad's death Islam cleaved into two main branches. Sunnis and Shias disagree as to who was the rightful successor to the Prophet, and therefore whose teachings should be followed.
Whilst differences may not have been reconciled, many Muslims, aware of the teaching of the Qur'an to make peace between two believers, have agreed to disagree. But not all. Some go so far as to exploit sectarian divides for their own sinister purposes, promoting bloodshed for political gain.
The tale of sectarian violence in Pakistan is not unknown. Within the last two months, however, the carnage has escalated to unprecedented heights. In January twin blasts killed or injured at least 200 people. Ten minutes after a suicide bomber detonated inside a snooker hall, a car bomb exploded, killing dozens of rescue workers, policeman and members of the press.
"It was like doomsday," a policeman said. "There were bodies everywhere."
There are no words I am familiar with to describe the evil, sadistic and disgusting minds that planned this attack. Nor can I express my loathe for Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the extremist militants who rushed to take credit for the mass slaughter, and who brand the victims as wajibul-qatl (deserving of death).
What, you ask, was the cause of the violence? The local population are moderate, practising Shias.
The authorities have been, at best, feckless - and at worst, downright prejudiced. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had promised to "[eliminate] those responsible for playing with innocent lives". However, he is part of a warped system that has cowered before militant groups. Instead of marginalising and destroying extremist forces, Pakistani intelligence has felt it was best to leave these malevolent forces to their own devices. Responding to the death of forty civilians, chief minister of Balochistan Aslam Raisani said it was "no big deal", and that he would support the grieving families by sending a "truckload of tissue paper... to wipe their tears".
Scores of breadwinners in this Quettan neighbourhood have been slain. Dozens were blown to pieces as they exited the mosque following the evening prayers. A generation of orphans and widows is the legacy they leave behind.
What did the mourning women do? They refused to bury their dead. They would not lay their husbands, fathers and sons to rest until action was taken. Their vigil was joined by the people of London, New York, Toronto, Sydney, and many more. Strikes commenced in Pakistan's commercial city, Karachi. Only after the regional minister tendered his resignation did the sit-in end.
The long-suffering Hazara community, migrants from Afghanistan, has been torn apart by the Quettan disaster. For them, it is not the recognisable Central Asian features they bear but the religious convictions they hold that is their jeopardy. How brave they must be to continue to frequent Shia mosques. What is next for them?
"Stepping out of the ghetto means risking death. Everyone has failed them - the security forces, the government, the judiciary," said Human Rights Watch's Ali Dayan Hasan.
So let us not fail them. The shackles on international pressure must be broken. Diplomatic and political advances must be made to the Pakistani government to take charge of this warzone. The "callousness and indifference" of the authorities cannot continue. In an age of universal media access and wide lens coverage we must never turn a blind eye to the afflicted.
The term genocide is banded around with much emotion and little understanding. Whether or not the mass killing of Hazaran Shias falls strictly within the definition delineated in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, to which Pakistan is a signatory, this humanitarian crime needs to stop.
If you still doubt whether these "incidents" in Pakistan are worthy of our attention, I refer you to this chilling letter from Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a public calls-to-arms:
"All Shi'ites are worthy of killing. We will rid Pakistan of unclean people. Pakistan means land of the pure and the Shi'ites have no right to live in this country. We have the edict and signatures of revered scholars, declaring Shi'ites infidels. Just as our fighters have waged a successful jihad against the Shi'ite Hazaras in Afghanistan, our mission in Pakistan is the abolition of this impure sect and its followers from every city, every village and every nook and corner of Pakistan.
"Like in the past, our successful jihad against the Hazaras in Pakistan and, in particular, in Quetta, is ongoing and will continue in the future. We will make Pakistan the graveyard of the Shi'ite Hazaras and their houses will be destroyed by bombs and suicide bombers. We will only rest when we will be able to fly the flag of true Islam on this land of the pure. Jihad against the Shi'ite Hazaras has now become our duty.
"We will not let them escape alive in 2013 from Balochistan."
The time to act is now. We can all be proud of the freedoms we enjoy, the liberties we exercise. Let's make sure this is a privilege all can relish, especially in the killing fields of Quetta.]]>In Arsène We Trust?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.21968232012-11-27T19:00:00-05:002013-01-27T05:12:01-05:00Ali Gokalhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-gokal/
"Arsène Who?" the Evening Standard famously asked. But very quickly Arsène Wenger set about imposing an avant-garde revolution on this club steeped in tradition. New fitness regimes, strict management of nutrition and rules on lifestyle breathed a fresh spirit into Arsenal.
Wenger's appointment quickly reaped rewards. Through a meticulous and regimented diet and training scheme, he earned the respect of George Graham's legendary defensive quartet: Adams, Bould, Dixon and Winterburn, prolonging their careers.
He is most famous, however, for implementing a free-flowing, forward-thinking style of football built around unfamiliar foreign imports. Some were plucked from anonymity; others had their dwindling careers rejuvenated. Within a short period of time both Wenger and his players escaped the clandestine confines of anonymity and emerged as a classy outfit, who were genuine trophy contenders. As he said, "We do not buy superstars. We make them."
'Le Boss's' methodology could best be described as avant-garde. He worked his principles and implemented his now famous philosophy. In his first full season in charge, Wenger's Arsenal won the league. In the season that followed the Gunners went agonizingly close to the FA Cup, the League once more and lost the UEFA Cup Final on penalties.
All the while Wenger remodelled his team. Out went Marc Overmars, 'Manu' Petit and Niclas Anelka. In came Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires and Sol Campbell. The domestic double was won in 2001-2, and the FA Cup was retained the next year, but this was but a prelude for the crowning glory of the 2003-4 season: the year of the invincibles.
Quite simply, this band of brothers is the best team we have seen on these shores since the founding of the Premier League. With Henry's clinical pace and finishing, Bergkamp's exquisite finesse, Vieira's steel and Campbell's towering presence at the back, Arsenal were magnificent in the League, remaining unbeaten the whole season.
It is remarkable now to look back at that historic achievement. Wenger had said some months previously, when his team had gone 29 games unbeaten, that it was possible. It was a ridiculous statement. In Arsène we trusted. And he duly delivered. Spend two hours of your life and drool over this footballing feast: you only live once, after all.
Seven years on from the 2005 FA Cup and the picture is not so rosy. Wenger has rebuilt team after team, yet none seem to have either the flair or efficiency or the defensive solidity and robustness of old.
The stars of Highbury were in due course replaced by the Emirates' own shining lights: Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie; but in each incarnation of Arsenal since the invincibles too much burden has been piled on the young shoulders of one or two.
Year-after-year Wenger expounds the unparalleled potential of his teams, to the extent it is no longer clear whether he speaks out of conviction or habit. The class of 2007-8 came closest to fulfilling Wenger's dreams, but crumbled under the immense psychological and emotional pain Eduardo's horror leg-break against Birmingham caused. The promise of each set of players has been ebbed by injury or exit.
Wenger's previous strengths now seem his greatest weaknesses. His incessant preference for youth over experience once appeared inspired; it now seems naïve. His financial prudishness used to be a mark of the man; now his refusal to 'splash the cash' appears misguided and woefully childish.
This is the greatest problem with any visionary. To realise their reverie they must have undying, unquestionable, irrefutable faith in that objective, lest they fall short in staying the course and seeing it through. But when the tables turn, when the circumstances change, they rarely can amend, change - forget even commit an absolute about-turn.
This is why perception of Wenger has changed: from innovator, classed 'ahead of the times', to antiquated, stuck in the past. He has gone from Le Professeur, wise and insightful, to the out-of-touch teacher, trapped in his ways.
For the times have certainly changed since the mid-2000s - let alone the 1990s when Wenger landed in London. All teams have adopted rigorous and holistic training methods as commonplace; statistical analysis is part-and-parcel of the game; whilst the hunt for the 'next-big-thing' seems more frantic than ever before.
Surely the biggest change is in the game's financial state. In the era of Abramovich and Mansour, money appears no object to competitors. But for Arsenal, balancing the financing of a new stadium without accepting the repeated advances of a financial backer is no easy business. Commercial contracts were front-loaded in 2004/5 to fund the move to the Emirates. As a result the club short-sold itself for years; a position which has only been recently rectified. The club's hierarchy remain club football's most staunch advocates for Financial Fair Play, putting all their monetary eggs into one uncertain basket.
It seems to me, on the financial point, Arsenal is run as a business, which is where the fundamental problem lies. But a business Arsenal is not, with shareholders who seek dividends, but a football club, whose fans yearn for glory.
Though undoubtedly brilliant, it must be confessed that Wenger does not match Sir Alex Ferguson as the Premier League's greatest manager. Although Ferguson has had greater financial spending throughout his tenure than his French counterpart, the Scotsman has repeatedly constructed title-winning teams.
Wenger's term in north London has seen many peaks and troughs. It is indisputable now though that the club's first priority is qualifying for the Champions League. When Wenger said in the early 2000s that his team could go unbeaten we ridiculed, we scorned at his abracadabra prophecy. We were all proved wrong. For the sake of the sanity of every Gooner, let us hope this is again the case.
Sixteen years on, our trust in Wenger has been built, consolidated and then slowly and repeatedly questioned, with the latest oddity being the substitution of Olivier Giroud for Francis Coquelin at the dying embers of the draw at Villa Park. "You don't know what you're doing", fans chanted. It is amazing that the ecstatic high of a memorable victory in the north London Derby and the miserable low of a draw against Aston Villa can come within ten days of each other. This is commonplace for Arsenal fans these days.
Ultimately we've no option but to trust. He won't be leaving any time soon: all there is to do then is get behind North London's tall, bespectacled Frenchman and hope he comes good once more. In Arsène We Have To Trust.]]>Opening the Games in Styletag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.17124412012-07-27T23:28:46-04:002012-09-26T05:12:33-04:00Ali Gokalhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-gokal/
The first ground of attack was to be cost. £27 million pounds - a tremendous waste indeed. The money could have fed 1,350,000 hungry, desperate families for a month. It could have employed 1000 nurses for a year. A choice was made at some stage between our evening of entertainment or almost one and a half million destitute families having food and water tonight. Stark.
The second was to be the substance of the ceremony itself. The world's attention is on London - and we choose showcase the English countryside. Really? My appeal to Danny Boyle: stick to documenting the Third World or crime dramas with Ewan McGregor. I feared our Games entrée would appear drab compared to the hustle and bustle of Beijing's aesthetically vivacious opening ceremony in 2008.
I am becoming less and less a fan of Mitt Romney, and was thus genuinely concerned his negative predictions for the Games would turn out to be correct. He said of London 2012: "It's hard to know just how well it will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting." Tonight's ceremony was potentially the perfect banana skin, a facepalm moment of truly global proportions.
As it happened, it was a Belgian and not a Brit who provided the low ebb for the evening. Jacques Rogge's uncharismatic speech was out of step with a ceremony of character and spark. His sleep-inducing voice was a far cry from the flash and dazzle of proceedings, as well as the charm and good-nature of the previous speaker, LOCOG chairman, Lord Coe. Rogge will be familiar to news-followers for rejecting calls for a minute's silence to commemorate the victims of the 1972 Munich Games attack.
But what a magnificent spectacle it turned out to be. Boyle's vision was to paint a picture of Britain's history, its journey through time, and the industrial transformation that made London a sprawling metropolis. From soldiers to Suffragettes, the Royal Family to factory workers, he effected this transition with taste and splendour. This is partly what the Olympic Games are about: celebrating one country's culture and tradition in front a global audience.
There was dutiful recognition for the National Health Service and Armed Forces, as well as two obligatory rain showers. I am delighted the NHS was given such prominent position, if nothing else than because it will irk the onlooking Mitt Romney, who has committed to overturn President Obama's Affordable Care Act (and to annoy all Brits in the meantime). There were 70 sheep, too. What would we have done without the sheep?
Rowan Atkinson made a welcome droll appearance as the inept and inattentive Mr Bean, whilst Daniel Craig was on Her Majesty's Not-So-Secret Service as Bond and the Queen leapt from a helicopter into the Olympic night. Maybe the most unexpected comedic cameo came from David Beckham when bringing the Olympic Flame to Sir Steve Redgrave's via speedboat. So not only was the ex-England captain kept out of the Olympics football team, but the Olympic stadium too.
A troupe of over 1000 drummers gave the ceremony a bombastic and fulsome beat. Boyle's affinity to expression through music was enhanced as he brought every genre and era of music to life. No doubt the Queen jammed regally to Dizzee Rascal. As Hazel Irvine said, it was "a soundtrack to many of our lives".
There were more sombre moments, too. A sequence on the July 7 bombings and a moment's silence for departed friends and family of those in the stadium served as reminder that in glory is often tempered by tragedy and exuberance diluted by sorrow.
It was promising to see Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei send female athletes to the Olympics (the latter two also chose female flagbearers): a proud and worthy moment for the International Olympics Committee. My fingers are crossed that this is a step towards gender-equality and long overdue social change in those countries.
All in all there was no banana skin moment, no cause for red-faced embarrassment.
Earlier London's Mayor Boris Johnson stepped forward to rebuke Romney's broadside. "He wants to know whether we're ready. Are we ready?" Boris asked a crowd of over 50,000. "Are we ready? Yes we are!" And ready London has proved to be. Perhaps the millions spent could have been better allocated. A cynic will call the ceremony it an exercise in British self-aggrandisement that screamed 'Rule, Brittania!'. Yet it was not. It was a celebration of the human spirit on these islands. In a world when we all-too-often allow ourselves to be separated through insignificant differences, the Olympics crosses borders to bring us together. There exists always the temptation for a writer on such an occasion to overstep the hyperbole mark. Nonetheless I take my hat off to Boyle. He brought the curtain down in style.
A Romney spokesman called Johnson "eccentric, odd", but Boris will inevitably sleep well tonight. His city has done itself proud. Bring on the Games.]]>What Does RVP's Decision Mean for Arsenal?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.16502922012-07-05T00:00:00-04:002012-09-03T05:12:07-04:00Ali Gokalhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-gokal/he will not sign a new contract to keep him at the Emirates stadium beyond next season. It is difficult to underestimate the consequences of this decision.
One would have presumed Arsenal would sell him on, just as they did in similar circumstances with Samir Nasri last year. If shock can ever be familiar, it is with Arsenal fans, following consecutive summers of huge discontent. Shock is turning to bitter anger amongst supporters, with many, this writer included, feeling it is not so much the fact that van Persie is choosing not to sign a new contract - for who can blame a champion player for being ambitious - as much as the manner in which proclaimed his wantaway reveries, through a strongly-worded blog-post on his personal website. His message was so starkly different from the teary, heartfelt bows Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry made from the club, and one would expect more from a player who has seen the loyalty of the club first-hand during his frequent spells on the sidelines.
And despite his talk of "huge respect" for Wenger and all associated with Arsenal, it is clear that van Persie's statement was all of his own doing and the club were not consulted about its release.
A statement on Arsenal.com states "Robin has one year to run on his current contract and we are confident that he will fulfil his commitments to the club", suggesting he will be forced to stay at the club. But how can the Dutchman remain? Van Persie will no doubt be desirous to leave north London for pastures new as soon as possible. He would join his new club next summer on the cusp of thirty. Moreover, how can the Arsenal armband, sported in the recent past by legends such as Adams and Vieira, be entrusted to a man rubbing his hands to do a runner?
The principal ramifications are certainly not financial - though van Persie's stinging words to the effect he "disagrees" with the club's direction will certainly hit his transfer value, should Arsenal indeed sell him this summer. It is known Arsenal had set aside substantial funds for his new contract, including an increase in his weekly wage to £130,000 and a potential bonus pot of £5 million.
One could say the greatest implications will be felt on the pitch. Van Persie scored a sublime 37 goals in all competitions last year. A poor European Championship didn't show the best of the striker but few Oranje players have come away from Poland & Ukraine with their reputations enhanced. Game after game this North London talisman single-footedly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. He shared an almost telepathic relationship with Theo Walcott, Alex Song and Tomas Rosicky last season.
Equally impressive to his role as spearhead of the Gunner's attack was his leadership. For all of the brilliance of former Arsenal prince/skipper/playmaker, Cesc Fabregas, he could not galvanise the team the way van Persie has the last year. He led by example, demanded that bit extra, encouraged, stoked and always seemed to embody that guiding principle of football: respect the name on the front of your shirt more than the one on your back and you will succeed. So often did TV cameras pan to Arsenal's lucky charm with his arm around a younger player, murmuring precious words of wisdom into their eager ears. Even at post-match interviews he handed his man of the match champagne bottles to younger team-mates, stating they earned it more than he.
Just this week Wenger said: "We want to keep Robin van Persie at all costs, because we depend on him offensively. I have always supported him, even in the hardest times, and I hope he will end his career at Arsenal."
Now Le Boss will be hoping the cascade of goals will be somewhat through new signings Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, who both enjoyed career-high seasons last year. However they will take time to adapt to the breakneck pace of the Premier League. The likes of Walcott, Gervinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey and indeed Wilshere when he returns from injury will have to shoulder greater responsibility.
The most calamitous result of van Persie's statement is his point about the club's desire. For two years Arsenal have sought to convince players they possess ambition and the capacity to fulfil those lofty aspirations. And today marks the second year players have turned away unconvinced. It is a damning indictment. Van Persie has wittingly or unwittingly painted Arsenal as a gimmick club, masquerading to be what it is not and failing at the charade.
What happened in behind-the-scenes conversations with Ivan Gazidis and Arsene Wenger we may never find out - unless Wenger gets round to writing that tell-all book he's been teasing us about for a year. Nonetheless, these are the salient facts. The club has not won a trophy in almost eight years and the Invincibles are now but a distant memory. There has been no paradigm shift, but signs of progression are there. Some £25 million has already been splashed on two shiny new international strikers, both signed up before the transfer window even opened. This is a far cry from the panic-induced shopping spree of last summer.
Also, a clear-out is being talked of, with Arsenal ready to dispose of the handsomely-paid mediocrity that haunts Ashburton Grove's balance-sheet: Chamakh, Park, Denilson, Djourou, Squillaci and so forth are all in the shop window. As The Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson says, it would be fascinating to hear RVP explain the path he thinks Arsenal could tread without spending money they don't have. I for one did not realise van Persie was a seasoned businessman of the pitch as well as a starlet on it.
Whether Arsenal sends him happily into the sun now or keeps him kicking and screaming for a year, the club faces another monumental test of character and fortitude. The Robin van Persie ride is coming to an end, but Arsenal's rollercoaster looks set to go on for days, weeks, months, and maybe years to come.]]>