Pakistanis are friendly and loving people, not terrorists: Aisam (Statement At US Tennis Open)

[Turborama]

Source: APP

NEW YORK, Sept 13 (APP): Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi delivered his message of love and peace loud and clear, and it had nothing to do with tennis, or even the US Open doubles title for which he put his heart and soul but didn’t succeed. After the final on Friday afternoon, the 30-year-old Pakistani star tennis player took the microphone and addressed the estimated 15,000 at Arthur Ashe Stadium—probably the biggest crowd to watch a Grand Slam doubles final— saying the Americans needed his words the most.

“I want to say something on behalf of all Pakistanis,” he said following Friday’s 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) defeat to the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike. “Every time I come here, there’s a wrong perception about the people of Pakistan. It is the wrong perception that Pakistan is being a terrorist country,” he told the crowd and the millions of people watching the final on television around the world. “We are a friendly, loving, caring people and we want peace as much as you guys want it. May God love us all.”

Later, Qureshi expanded on what he had told the crowd. “There are extremists in every religion, but just because of them you cannot judge the whole country as a terrorist nation. I just wanted to get this message across as a Pakistani.”

The crowd jampacking the stadium responded by giving him a standing ovation and tears to Bob’s eyes. His doubles partner, Rohan Bopanna of India, stood by him. Together, they’ve formed the politically charged tandem known as the Indo-Pak Express. U.N. ambassadors from Pakistan and India—Abdullah Hussain Haroon and Hardeep Singh Puri, respectively—sat side-by-side in the President’s Box - the second straight match they’ve attended together - cheering the same unexpected struggle their team brought to the greatest doubles team of all time, the Bryan brothers.

Read more: http://ftpapp.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=115811&Itemid=2

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Warring countries come together at U.S. Open

Doug Mead
Palm Springs Sports Examiner

September 13th, 2010 11:29 am PT

On a Friday afternoon in mid-September, American tennis stars Bob and Mike Bryan, brothers who had previously won eight Grand Slam doubles' tournaments, were preparing to play in the finals of the U.S. Open. They had counted two prior U.S. Open championships among their Grand Slam titles, and were favored to win their third in this match.

They were paired up against an unlikely duo. India's Rohan Bopanna and Pakistan's Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, partners who have been playing together since 2003, have been dubbed the "Indo-Pak Express" due to their unlikely partnership. Their respective countries have been engaged in a decades-long war with no clear end in sight, yet these two athletes, in spite of their country's differences, come together on the court to show that harmony can indeed be achieved when politics are not on display.

The match itself was riveting in nature. There was not a single break of serve in the entire match, with both sets moving to tie-breakers. The Bryan brothers prevailed in both, winning the match 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), giving them their third U.S. Open doubles' championship and ninth Grand Slam win overall, two shy of the all-time record set by Australians Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.

The true story of this day belonged to Bopanna and Qureshi. Thrown together as a pair to try to inspire peace between their homelands, their match was viewed in person by the Indian and Pakistani ambassadors to the U.S. The diplomats watched the match sitting side by side. When the match had concluded, Qureshi was handed the microphone and given the opportunity to share his feelings with the American people. “There’s a bad perception that Pakistan is a terrorist nation,” Qureshi told the crowd in a sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium. “We’re a friendly, loving, caring people. We want peace as much as you guys. May God bless us all.” The Indian and Pakistani ambassadors then draped 5,000-year-old ceremonial cloths over the shoulders of the Bryan brothers, who had already announced that, through their foundation, they were donating money to aid victims of recent flooding in Pakistan that has affected more than 17 million people.

Full piece: http://www.examiner.com/sports-in-palm-springs/warring-countries-come-together-at-u-s-open

[Bragi]

1. This isn't "breaking news"

This happened 3 days ago and was widely reported at that time.

e.g. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/09/11/2010-09-11_aisamulhaq_qureshi_delivers_message_of_peace_at_us_open_after_indopak_express_su.html

[cosmicone]

2. not LBN n/t

[Turborama]

4. Stalker!

[Turborama]

3. Seems like you two have been put on ignore for a good reason

I'm going to make a guess you're complaining about the content of this OP. You hardly ever post any OPs in LBN so in that respect your opinion doesn't really carry any weight.

Thanks for kicking the thread, though.

[joeybee12]

5. One of the Bryan Brothers and Leza Huber won mixed doubles...

against a India-Pakistani duo...cheers to Mr. Bryan for noting the push for understanding their opponents were striving for.