The Organic brew; London, pakistan, photography, travel, poetry & a general acerbic sentiment.

Obama, a connoisseur of Urdu poetry. What next?

// June 25th, 2009 // Pakistan, Poetry

Even to the initially somewhat cynical, like me, Obama does have a way of growing on you. Undoubtedly due in no small part because of the sheer depth of experiences he has had, which makes him so interesting and multi-faceted.

I previously posted a snippet from his interview with Dawn, the major english daily in Pakistan. Apart from everything else he discussed, this was was the bit that the cognoscenti have picked up on most:

‘Any plan to visit Pakistan in the near future?’
‘I would love to visit. As you know, I had Pakistani roommates in college who were very close friends of mine. I went to visit them when I was still in college; was in Karachi and went to Hyderabad. Their mothers taught me to cook,’ said Mr Obama.
‘What can you cook?’
‘Oh, keema … daal … You name it, I can cook it. And so I have a great affinity for Pakistani culture and the great Urdu poets.’
‘You read Urdu poetry?’
‘Absolutely. So my hope is that I’m going to have an opportunity at some point to visit Pakistan,’ said Mr Obama.

Obama’s (admittedly tenuous) links to pakistan have been of mild interest to many, not least because, it ensures that he must therefore know that pakistanis, like, i suppose any country aren’t a monolithic entity, and that despite the news being hijacked by a rabid, crazy fringe – these nutters are indeed a minority. And the rest of us just want to get on with it, and delve in our own idiosyncrasies.

Ive been travelling pretty frequently recently, and I come across a number of people, who, once they get to know me a little better, obviously want to see what I make of the situation in that bit of the world that seems to get a new, more cryptic and dehumanised acronym everyday (crucible of terror, af-pak.. etc). And I suppose its an obligation on me to point out the obvious: we cant all be gargoyles.
But to the soundbytes like “they are a minority”, perhaps because of their abuse by politicans, almost inevitably lead to glazed eyes and a feeling I’m attempting to avoid the issue. Far better, is the subtly of Obama’s approach. Discuss literature, the arts and culture – even if only to contrast, and it would be a blind man who doesnt see that for each of us the tribulations, joys and wonders of life and living are pretty much the same.

Hath not a Jew eyes; hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer that a Christian is?

Related posts:

1. Obama’s interview with Dawn Pakistan
2. Of urdu poetry
3. karachikamera
4. Habib Jalib: urdu revolutionary poet – now hip again
5. Ghalib: still breaking boundaries?