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An American in Lahore
America-bashing has taken the shape of a master craft, which is well-rehearsed and constantly repeated.
The writer has covered Pakistan for The New York Times since 2002 and was part of the reporting team that won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Pakistan and Afghanistan salman.masood@tribune.com.pk
The shooting in Lahore has all the potential to erupt into another public relations disaster for America in Pakistan, where anti-Americanism is already high, whipped up by rightwingers and nationalists as a convenient bogey all the time. The US is held responsible for everything that goes awry in this ‘land of the pure’.
America-bashing has taken the shape of a master craft, which is well-rehearsed and constantly repeated. In such an atmosphere of mistrust and acrimony, a shooting spree that leaves more questions asked than answered is a troubling development and couldn’t have come at a worse time.
One cannot deny that American citizens have to be cautious and wary about their security in the country. They often encounter hostile behaviors and political and religious sentiments override many social interactions. American motives are under constant scrutiny. The alliance with the US is perpetually judged in black and white. Religious and nationalistic rhetoric presents a distorted and skewed relationship between the two countries.
American officials are often labeled as ‘Blackwater operatives’ by some sections of the local media, and this has endangered their lives.
The fact that many Americans and other diplomats carry arms while travelling inside the country, keeping in mind the precarious security situation, is not a secret, and known to both the public and the local law enforcing authorities.
It is still not exactly clear what really happened in Lahore on January 27. Raymond Davis claims that he acted in self-defence. But is he guilty of using excessive force? Could he have acted with more restraint? What is his actual background? Pakistani officials also need to thoroughly investigate the two motorbike riders. Initial accounts by police say that two weapons were found with the two dead. Street crime is nothing new. Is there any credence in the claim by the family of one of the deceased that one weapon was licensed and carried due to a family feud?
The facts need to be ascertained but, more importantly, made open to the public. The law should run its due course.
This unfortunate episode provides a window of opportunity to the US as well. Instead of maintaining a silence, which would result in furthering poisonous rumour mongering and conspiratorial speculations, US officials need to be transparent and open. Their silence would be heard loudly and presented as a testimony of guilt by those who oppose the US in an almost knee-jerk reaction. One incident, if badly handled, can wash away all the good that the United States has done recently for the flood victims in the country.
The shooting has already put the Pakistani government under pressure and officials have tried to dismiss the impression that the US citizen would be meted out any preferential treatment. Mr Davis has been charged with murder. The trial and its proceedings should make for riveting headlines.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2011.
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Reader Comments (20)
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Fairly well written.Recommend
salman:
you mean for the american?
The facts need to be ascertained but, more importantly, made open to the public. The law should run its due course.
obviously
the implementation of laws for pakistanis is different kettleRecommend
mr salman,frankly you are biased writer.Recommend
You wasted first 5 paragraphs in defending US of A for all sorts of wrong reason.
The fact of matter is, the public opinion would have been different if USA had shown some leniency in Pakistan Scientist Dr. Aafia case .
oh no i am not a right winger, i am a liberal but i support Aafia, because Raymond end up killing whether in self defense or something else, the crux is afia has been sentenced for 75 years for an attempt to murder in comparison with Raymond who didn’t attempt to murder but murdered it with not 1,2 or three but used four bulletsRecommend
I just have one question. How many bullets did the two Pakistanis fire at Davis so that he would have to react in self-defense. Perceived threat is not a viable excuse for self-defense.Recommend
@Farahi: So its alrite to get mugged, and get shot at – and then act in self defence.Recommend
@yasser is raymond free or under arrest? your justification that you are a liberal means zilch. You seem to b a closet fundoRecommend
In the present circumstances the best the US Govt should do is to announce that their citizen be tried in a Pakistani court. American or Pakistani lawyers could fight his case.
It would do two things. One build up the prestige of the Pakistani courts. And second show the Pakistani Nation that the US Govt does ask for special treatment when it comes to its citizens.Recommend
Simple solution, cut off the money America gives and Pakistan can scream US abandoned us. America says, you don’t want our help so we left. How about that?Recommend
A very sensible piece of writing on the issue. Instead of taking sides of making assumptions the writer has wisely cautioned against judging the parties involved without having all the facts. Unfortunately, US bashing is big business in Pakistan these days. It ensures political heaven for the ones indulging in it and it really does not matter if they twist a few facts on the way. I surprised at those people who say that they are with Dr.Afia and because America handled that poorly hence we should give them a tit for tat. While in reality we should all stand for justice. The guilty should be punished and the innocent left alone. I hope that ultimately we will start to look beyond personalities and make a stand for justice without having a biased opinion on the basis of religion, color or creed.Recommend
Had it nt been the media trial, and the police system, who for a while mugged the situation, Raymond would hav been at large by nw, Surely, more than a test case for PakistanRecommend
@Ammar
“@Farahi: So its alrite to get mugged, and get shot at – and then act in self defence.”
Absolutely! It is not wise to go crying to your nearest police station, that is only, if the mugger would let you!Recommend
The American is in a no win situation. As far as pakistani awam is concerned he is already “guilty”. If he is proven innocent the media and the fundos will cry sell-out buy the goverment and burn tyres.
To those posters who want to know what would happen if the tables were reversed i.e. had a pakistani killed three white man in USA, what would be his(pakistani’s) fate?
First of all, the comparision is un-warranted, in US any body who is found guilty of crime will be punished, even the president of US. Whereas in pakistan, only the poor and minority gets punished, Even Qadri woho had killed Salman Taseer in cold blood has not been prosecuted because no prosecutor is ready to prosecute him, may be out of hear for his life or his sympathy for qadri!
First have a justice/court system in place like USA in pakistan and then ask for comparision!Recommend
@Fact Check:
hey check, the given money is our, u know vat? america didnt pay our money back since 20 years which he got for f16 delivery, america is fraudia, and he is not gvng money, we are taking that money becoz we are helping him by savng american soldiers from taliban in afghanistan.. america knows that if pak allows the taliban, they will vanish away all the americans in afghanistan in just one month, thats y america is gvng money to pakistan for its own need. got it u chicky chikRecommend
So the first few paragraphs are all American flag waiving and Pakistan bashing while the remaining few paragraphs are a pathetic attempt to convince the readers that your position is to judge this issue objectively? Note that the American is repeatedly named by the author and is humanized while the deceased are not even named and just referred to in abstract terms. He has provided the American’s side of the story, but didn’t even bother with the Pakistani side, except to throw into question the reasons offered by the families of the dead for their having a weapon……in the meantime..the author provides his own justification for why the American should be armed in Pakistan.,,,something he refers to as “undeniable”. No mention in this piece of the other poor by-stander who was crushed by the Americans’ vehicles….but he felt it entirely appropriate to throw in that the US govt provided flood relief assistance.Recommend
hisham,
F 16 money is closed case, March 16, 2005; George Bush announced F16 sales to Pakistan. Check the link.Recommend
This guy “Davis” doesn’t exist anywhere in the USA. We know this because almost all local newspapers in the US have Internet editions, and there is no story in his local newspaper about him being accused.Recommend
@Ammar and G.Din the rule of law does not wither away just because you are in Pakistan. To date no media outlet has stated that any shots were fired at the American. More important the Tribune and Dawn have both stated officially that both Pakistanis were shot in the back. Lastly SOP for traveling in Pakistan and Afghanistan is always in diplomatic plates. Only contractors do not travel in diplomatic plates like Davis. And more importantly as ABC has stated he is not a diplomat.
In other words, no diplomatic immunity. No actual threat. He fries.Recommend
@Harry Bowman:
since he doesnt exist, he must not b an american either. he’s a Caucasian of unknown desendent who US consulate is demanding to b released. why is US interferring?Recommend
Why are you so worried about the US image? The atrocities perpetrated by the US intelligence are a big part of the lifeblood that fuels the fire of fanaticism, across the world. How can we so forthcoming in our righteous indignation of the violent religious fundamentals and yet so tame and withholding of the same outcry when the shoe is on the other foot. Why is all of our “understanding” and the sense of fairness and never ending patience reserved for these “violent criminals” from the west when we, rightfully, show none of it for someone like “Qadri” or a suicide bomber. Is it because you think that condemning Raymond Davis will somehow embolden the religious fanatics among us ? Ever wonder what it will do for the fanatics cause if our reaction to a blatant murder of Pakistanis by foreigners remains as limp, lukewarm and timid as this write up?Recommend