Re: Pakistan - Can We Get Our Priorities Straight?

[Peter Frank]

Where's the locked thread for Pakistan relief (I've checked all forums and it doesn't exist)?

Who doesn't recognize that this massive human tragedy (occurring in bin Laden's back yard) is an extremely rare opportunity to let these unfortunate victims and the world at large know exactly how compassionate and generous the American people are -- independent of government actions?!

Many Americans despond over how Bush has alienated the Muslim world with his arrogant detachment(creating a fertile ground for the very terrorism he vowed to destroy). Well, here's our chance to trump Bush's feeble and calculated machinations; and give to the world a true representation of what grass roots America really stands for.

Please boldly donate to the international fund of your choice (This thread will be unapologetically and regularly kicked).

Previous GD threads on this matter:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5016532
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5023810
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5017243
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5015957&mesg_id=50159
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5027071
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5024082
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5029264


edit for extraneous verbiage ;)

[Oversea Visitor]

1. Help New Orlean hey

There are more countries in the world than US. We can cover it.

[Peter Frank]

2. I'm Not Quite Tracking You...

Please elaborate.

[Peter Frank]

3. Kick ...

:kick:

[Ilsa]

4. I got an email from UNICEF for Pakistan relief and will donate

later today. I'll be passing it around my email list.

[Bridget Burke]

5. City Councilman M J Khan gave a list to the Houston Chronicle.

• The President's Relief Fund (Pakistani government): www.embassyofpakistan.org

• The Islamic Society of Greater Houston: www.isgh.org

• The Islamic Circle of North America: www.icna.org

• The United Nations Development Program me: www.undp.org

• The United Nations Children's Fund: www.unicef.org

• International Red Cross/Red Crescent: www.redcross.org

• Aga Khan Development Fund: www.ismaili.net

• Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent in North America: www.appna.org

While some local Pakistanis awaited word from relatives back home Monday, others scrambled to collect funds for earthquake recovery efforts.

The Pakistanis, inspired by the plea for help from their president, have set up a number of different funds in the Houston area to collect aid for the region devastated by Saturday's magnitude-7.6 earthquake. An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people died.

"We come here with a very simple message: Help," Houston area resident Gulfaraz Khan said at a news conference held at a local restaurant.

www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3390693

We have many Pakistanis living in Houston. After Katrina, the Pakistani embassy in DC offered help. The local Pakistani Consulate set up a Relief Center offering many services to evacuees. Including medical help, since many Pakistanis here work in that field:

www.embassyofpakistan.org/news157.php

[Peter Frank]

6. Great News...

...particularly --

"...We have many Pakistanis living in Houston. After Katrina, the Pakistani embassy in DC offered help. The local Pakistani Consulate set up a Relief Center offering many services to evacuees. Including medical help, since many Pakistanis here work in that field:"
www.embassyofpakistan.org/news157.php

Sure is a small world after all.
____________________________________________


The question still remains though, where's the mobilization here???

Check for yourself ...At this posting, in the last 5 pages of GD threads -- only 5 reference the East Asian quake at all; and only 2 (aside from this thread) reference aid.

This thread on page 4 got six responses -- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5029084&mesg_id=5029084


This one on page 5 got zero response --
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5029264

Am I the only one who's shocked and astonished here?


edit for syntax

[Bridget Burke]

8. Why doesn't DU have a special "spot" for Earthquake Aid?

Is Pakistan so far away? (Not from me--I've known quite a few Pakistanis.)

Some idiot on CBS news last night (repeated this AM) did a spot on how stressful it is to see all these disasters on TV. People will just get tired of the images. This just in: Tom Cruise & his GF are expecting!

[Peter Frank]

9. Exactly My Point...

We may be weary of the recent spate of global disasters, but at least there should be a locked thread on donating to earthquake relief. ...Particularly when all our aid and goodwill in this case will certainly have the effect of neutralizing some of the anti-American sentiment right there on al Qaeda's home turf.

I heard a Muslim spokesman say yesterday, "Muslims are not ungrateful;" then he went on to say how our generous aid (in food, materials and aid workers) during the sunami changed countless minds about Americans & America. I have to wonder how many potential future terrorists will turn out differently because of this.

Imagine how fruitful a concerted effort in earthquake relief might prove to be.

[Peter Frank]

10. Did You See on This Board That...

The First Lady's clothes might be too tight? --
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5028626&mesg_id=5028626

...142 responses thusfar.

[cynatnite]

7. Red Crescent Society...

Here's the web page for their Pakistan branch...

http://www.prcs.org.pk/default.asp

I gave yesterday.

[Peter Frank]

11. Kick...

I gotta go to work now. Will the seemingly few who get the importance of this issue please keep kicking this 'till it gets the proper attention (sorry the attention eclipses that of Laura's wardrobe)? :sarcasm:


edit for punctuation

[Bridget Burke]

12. The BBC page offers a few more links ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4330488.stm

Including the Kashmir International Relief Fund: www.kirf.org

Kashmir is reputedly one of the most beautiful places on earth. I'd always hoped the political turmoil would die down, so I could see for myself.

[Peter Frank]

13. If We Mobilize Enough Aid, Maybe We Could Soon Safely Visit Kashmire...

Kashmiris reach out for badly needed food and blankets in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Tuesday just as humanitarian aid began to trickle into the hard-hit area close to the epicenter of the October 8 quake.

In parts of northern Pakistan, India and the disputed region of Kashmir, entire villages were destroyed, leaving millions homeless. Survivors searched through mountains of rubble for food and clean water.
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/world/0510/gallery.quake.relief/content.1.1.html

[Peter Frank]

14. Kick...

:kick:

[Peter Frank]

15. Kick...

:kick:

[Peter Frank]

16. Still Kickin' it...

Who would like to voice where he/she agrees or disagrees here?

[EFerrari]

17. Those poor people in Kashimir. It just breaks your heart.

I think we have Bush-related PTSD and it seems like one calamity after another for years now.

But, you're right. Thank you for the list. :hi:

[Bridget Burke]

18. Nonmilitary rescuers are working with sledgehammers & crowbars...

BALAKOT, PAKISTAN - Sijjad Rehman came from a town down the road, walking the last 10 miles with a pickax over his shoulder. Hassan Durraini came from near the capital, bringing milk and rice and cookies.

Mohammed Patan said simply that he came from "over there," pointing into the mountains that surround this small town, which sits almost at the epicenter of Saturday's earthquake and where nearly every building was destroyed.

Like an army of rescuers, thousands of people have marched on Balakot and other badly damaged Pakistani towns in the past couple of days, bringing what relief they can to places that have so far seen little of it.

www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/headline/world/3392471

One group of military passed through but claimed they could do nothing without orders. Perhaps the central government will blame the governor & mayors; the officals may have different titles, but General Musharraf is a good pal of GWB.