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I despise the corrupt: Fatima Bhutto
Writer Fatima Bhutto wishes she was immune to high fever, loathes dictators and identifies with Micheal Corleone.
Writer Fatima Bhutto wishes she was immune to high fever, loathes dictators and identifies with Micheal Corleone (in Part I, not Part II).
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Justice.
What is your greatest fear?
That power and violence conspire so that injustice prevails.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Silence.
On what occasion do you lie?
There’s never a good reason, though I know (did I say know? I meant, am related to) a few congenital liars who would disagree with me…
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
As a teenager I felt I had been robbed of great height. I’m fine now though.
Which living person do you most despise?
I despise the corrupt, who believe that power is an excuse for violence and injustice, those who follow the dictates of fear over principles, David Miliband, proponents of censorship, Ariel Sharon and bigots of all persuasions.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Warm heart, clean hands, cool mind. Obviously that includes a sense of humour and some serious IQ points.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Bravery, independence and ethics. The ability to be a trailblazer. Same as above really.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Depends on who I’m talking to. Basically, mind your own beeswax.
Which talent would you most like to have?
High hay fever immunity, I’ve decided that’s a talent worth having.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My embarrassing turn in regards to Twitter. I love it, but I sincerely hope it’s just a phase.
Where would you most like to live?
Karachi, always. It’s my city by the sea.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Corruption, moral, political and financial. It is the absence of dignity and justice.
If you didn’t do your current job, what would you choose to do?
I would do what I do, writing, thank you very much.
What is your most marked characteristic?
You’d have to ask those closest to me, but I think I have moxie.
Who is your hero of fiction?
Atticus Finch.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
At a talk on Songs of Blood and Sword in London recently, the moderator was Michael Radford, a great director. He told me he had worked with Al Pacino and that I reminded him of Michael Corleone (the early days, Part I not Part II – that’s an important distinction that mafia movie fans will appreciate). I’m not sure he meant it as a compliment, but I took it as one.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Dennis Dalton, my mother Ghinwa, my brothers Zulfi and Mir Ali, Malcolm X, Seymour Hersh, Fred Hampton, the Pakistanis who brought the world’s attention to the citizens disappeared by the state as part of the war on terror, all those who fight against the violence of their states, Henry Porter, Dr Mubashir Hasan.
What’s your favourite quote?
“The struggle of people against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting” Milan Kundera.
How many hours of loadshedding did you experience yesterday?
As I’m on my book tour I’ve managed to escape KESC’s criminal loadshedding, which is no longer a summer feature but a year round delight. That said, while in Bangalore I had about a minute’s worth of loadshedding (it was impressively short), and last week while in a London cinema the bijli went and the film reel burned. I felt blissfully at home.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 20th, 2010.
Reader Comments (49)
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I would only feel Fatima being rational if she dares to bring his fathers criminal activities on forefront. But she is yet one more upcoming biased person who don’t have rational aspect of history. Recommend
Haha! her comments on lying and morality are hilarious. Considering how factually inaccurate her book is.Recommend
So here we have another imported political leader for the country. Does she know what it feels like to be poor in Pakistan?Recommend
Why is she wearing a “tilak” on her forehead?Recommend
Ms. Bhutto when the Zardaris will be done destroying the PPP for sure, it will be nice to see PPP jiyalaas calling for a real Bhutto to please stand up (Bilawal ain’t one no matter how many bhuttos he add in his last name). Sooner or later your bound to end up being the leader of your grandpas party, weather you like it or not. Now you hate politics, then you wont have a choice. Only and only then you will be judged with a hope of not ending up like your aunt (by that I meant corrupt), before that we hold our judgment.
@Rosilva
Did you even read what she said or you were too stuck at her tilka? Recommend
Serious IQ points? Seriously???Recommend
Be brave not is words but in real life and fight against the corruption and injustice. You know what is injusticeRecommend
AHK what are those exactly? You sound like a Zardari-ite. Get a grip on reality. There are pages and pages of footnotes, or can’t you read?Recommend
Only the corrupt lie!!!Recommend
AHK Get a grip. There’s nothing inaccurate about Songs of Blood and Sword – there are pages and pages of notes and tons of factual research. Or can’t you read? Recommend
She’s wearing the bindi at her book promotion in India. Pakistani women wear bindis too, why are people becoming so religiously/ethnically intoleratn?Recommend
I think she’s funny, her prose excellent and her heart in the right place.Recommend
Why does Fatima Bhutto has to portray her father as the unsung hero after his tragic death? She differs herself from the BB on the grounds of justice, whereas she herself has avoided to discuss the deeds of her father.
The paradox of Pakistani nation is that everyone becomes a hero after death and automatically becomes “Shaheed”, no matter what he did while being alive.
When do we expect you to standup FB and begin the charity at home?Recommend
I’m happy with whatever she says, it all makes sense to me even if it does not. The fact that she reminds someone of Al Pacino, is hot. Also she has more character than that kid Bilawal, i’d be more than happy if she ruled me or the countryRecommend
huh! who cares!Recommend
Good Luck Fatima!Recommend
I have read SOBAS and that actually made me aware of Pakistan more than I was aware of in past 30 years. Now if what she had written is true, she can be a good leader and bring development to Pakistan. Let’s just hope that she does join politics and bring some peace, development and prosperity to Pak and reduce the terrorism and anti India hate so that we all can live in peace.Recommend
Fatima Bhutto is a very talented and skilled lady but is playing in the hands of conspirators…ppl who have put the Bhutto family to sword…they are not the well-wishers of this family…her uncle Mumtaz Bhutto was not liked to either Bhutto or Benazir…she sides up with him too…she must use her talent and skills in the right place and she will surely do well..he is mature now and needs to identify who have been the wrong ppl and who r the right !!!Recommend
Abhigyan…Get hold of 9th grade Pakistan History book, that would tell you more about Pakistan than this book stopping just short of calling Murtaza Bhutto the next Jinnah!Recommend
she despise David Miliband also, amazingRecommend
do you despise corruption more than an act of hijacking?killing of innocent people?Fighting against own country? You may write anything against the Bhutto family but you can not be the one to lead PPP.You have not been honest in describing various events in your book.Recommend
What did poor David Miliband do? LOL!!! Recommend
Against Cultist Desi culture in full sing.
She is talented and more importantly pretty.
Why is she cool?
Because she has a Bhutto in her name.
If she wasn’t a Bhutto nobody would know her and if she didn’t speak English nobody would know who she is either.
I hope media would highlight some unknown but talented Pakistanis.Recommend
I know many people (myself incuded) who have hope that fatima presents the new and better generation of politicians in pakistan. that is, if she ever decides to choose that path.
We are also aware that we placed the same hope in her aunt, Benazir, until her administration turned out to be as corrupt as they come.
Here’s hoping Fatima stays the course.
PS And fatima, if you are reading this, do get rid of that bindi. Looks horrid on anyone and especially so on someone blessed with natural beauty.Recommend
Seriously People lighten up. i doubt that anyone of you read her book, because it clearly states it is a daughters memoir. if any of you by chance planned on writing a book re your father. would u actually abuse him in it.. the fact that she has written a boook about her father weighing the pros and cons is commendable enough.Recommend
Fatima Bhottu,,,,teenager…….woh , jock of the day………Recommend
if she hates her aunt(benazir) so much, calls her corrupt and murderer then why has she displayed the name of her aunt,benazir on the front page of her ”must read” book.just to cash on her name?ironically,she is introduced on every forum as the neice of former Pakistani PM ,benazir bhutto.no one seems bothered about her ”iconic”father .Recommend
Micheal Corleone is the same person in Part 1 & 2. Its just that with time his true personality came out in the light!
Beware……choose your sentences wisely Madam. Recommend
and,yet she despise corrupt—.haha.she is a hypocrite.Recommend
fatima, get rid of that bindi. you are immaculately beautiful, not needing any embellishment. oh, don’t put such a dark lipstick either. let the pink of your lips show. Recommend
oh the irony…. Recommend
i think she is only interested in writing, people of Pakistan should not expect her to come into politics, nice straight forward Pakistani girl who like to avoid Pakistanis and who saw bad times in her childhood when her father died in front of her :-(Recommend
Sometimes I wish we could believe ppl related to politics somehow. She is a fascinating writer, a beautiful woman but thats about it. Looking at her I wish I could believe every word she says but the later part of her name would forever stop ppl doing just that.Recommend
Fatima is one of the intelligent girls.
She should work hard to become an ambassador of peace in the country.Recommend
I don’t think she wants to be in politics, does she? Our country needs more people outside of the political arena to breed some kind of intellectual debate and introspection among our so called educated elite. Do we know enough about our history and are we capable enough of having a debate with someone who has taken the time and made the effort to pen down her thoughts and experiences? We are criticizing her bindi when really we should be reading her book and asking her questions that will either hold her accountable for what she’s written (if it’s not grounded in facts) or it will make us more educated about the reality coming from someone who went through it. All through the ages, esp. since 9/11 we have suffered because whenever someone criticizes our religion or throws a twisted fact in our face, we are not informed enough or not confident enough to refute it. Let us start reading and writing more so we can improve the quality of our public opinion and dialog!! Recommend
well said sameera!Recommend
Fatima Bhutto is brave, educated and above all a realist. She is not your average urbanite who has never set a foot outside the urban cities of karachi, lahore islamabad etc and yet claim to know all about the real politik and assume that military is good and democracy is bad. it is the people who run these institutions that are bad and need to be weeded out. Fatima have faith in the future of pakistan and believe in democracy because afterall democracy is a evolution of the nations politics and eventually it will filter out the good the bad and the ugly.
come next elections, the rulers will be booted out and then slowly and gradually the real representatives of the people will start filling the parliament. it may take two three maybe 5 more elections but that is when system will be cleansed.
have faith in the people of pakistanRecommend
@rosilva one – heard of do as the romans do?
btw, Chuck Norris’s IQ is 6000 !!! He’s up for grabs..Recommend
she believes in democracy—–,really? go and read her interviews.on every forum she criticises and bad-mouth our politicians.i was shocked to see her condemning pakistani politicians in dehli at the launching ceremony of her book.why she keeps insulting our country where ever she goes. to her information ,there r about 150 indian parliamentarians in the present assembly against whom criminal cases r registered.and who can forget ”pholan devi”. yet they r given respect because they r elected people in the world’s ”biggest democracy”.i have never come across an indian disrespecting his/her elected representatives before an international audience.yes,pakistan is a nascent democracy,our system has many flaws but atleast we r trying to put our political system on the right track.fatima has no right to insult the people of pakistan .she has really dissappointed me.Recommend
she forgot to mention her poltical mentor ,the feudal lord ,mumtaz bhutto,as her hero.afterall,he is always there in her party’s jalsas and keep backing her mother ,ghinwa.i feel ”sorry ”4 him.fatima,dont be rude?Recommend
very much impressive && simple but sorry to say that her Heroez shud be QUAID E AZAM mohammad ali jinnah or abdul qadeer khan etc….
Or Katrina Kaif shud b her heroine coz shez much better than david milliband etc :))))))))))))))))))))))))
bezt of like fatma :)Recommend
I disagree with Chuckie Norris IQ?
To me it seems Syd forgot to put Minus besides it…it should read -6000.Recommend
I strongly hope, Pakistanis are no more credulous to be cheated with bombastic words by imported leaders. Using Bhutto name will never make you a leader, nor do we have the courage to see you as a leader as we have been tolerating the other passengers of your boat badly. To be simpler, your party and family do not have any local and impressive story. Recommend
For all of you who have expectations with the landlords (Jagirdars)/ Majawars, Businessmen & their children to change this country’s destiny … my condolences dearsRecommend
I am very skeptical of people who are convinced that politics is a dirty pond but would never volunteer to do something about it. I would much rather see Ms Bhutto do something for the common man from the Parliament House than write books and columns; she can put her influential name to much better use.Recommend
to all who have commented above…….
You have no right at all, you are only a CNIC.
we are blessed with the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, hubbies in ample to be ruled.
Just wait till who comes next to rule us….Recommend
fatima is mr. bhutto in infancy hope should would not be pro jagirdars in her later life. a talented and dis believer in the hereditory politics of pakistan. leftleaning must go to interior sind to to loearn and live with the poor peopleRecommend
That book of hrs is so badly written it is worse than a Mills and Boon book. It is riddled with inacuracies and outright lies. She has her own fathers name wrong. The `Bhutto children never had a French nanny and a host of other falsehoods. She would love to be Prime Minister of Pakistan but does not have the guts it takes to be a woman in politics in a fundo male dominated country. I could go on and on but refuse to waste any more of my time writing about her. How do they have so much money to be travelling en famille all over the world? her father never had a job so he never earned. The grand father whose name fame and money she uses and then writes rubbish about him.Recommend
What ever her father was, he was killed brutally rather ferociously.Did she get justice?????
Miss Bhutto who ever you are, human by nature is corrupt. She is a writer and she has her own concepts of categorizing people and ,situations which are almost her own creations.Recommend