Adil Najam

The funny part – probably the only funny part – of the entire Raymond Davis fiasco is US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton claiming that “the United States did not pay any compensation” or ‘blood money’ to secure the release of CIA operative Raymond Davis (who had earlier killed two Pakistanis in Lahore and caused the death of at least another two) under the Sharia Law provision of ‘diyat.’ Reminds one of her husband, Bill Clinton’s, famous line that he had smoked marijuana but did not “inhale.”

Not as funny for some, including Ms. Clinton (who, like her husband is also a well trained lawyer and does not inhale), is the fact that whether the US paid it directly or had some fixer of choice – maybe the Saudis (although they deny it) – to pony up the cash it was an arcane and less than endearing provision in Sharia Law that saved this CIA agent’s skin (see images above of court documents, based on Sharia law, detailing the deal and distribution of blood money along Sharia stipulates, paid to victims families – whether by the US or not, but certainly on its behalf).

One wonder’s how all the red state legislatures voting to outlaw Sharia Law in the United States will react to that little factoid.

Adil Najam

The man who (sometimes) calls himself Raymond Davis and has been described various as diplomat, technical adviser, intelligence operative, consulate official, CIA contractor, security consultant and much more, has been released and is already out of Pakistan. His release came as a result of a convoluted, arcane and unusual arrangement of “blood money” being paid to the families of those killed under what may or may not have been entirely voluntary circumstances. By refusing to have the case of Raymond Davis tried in a court of law, the US has decided to have it tried in the court of Pakistani public opinion. That is a case it is sure to lose!

After weeks of diplomatic tension and an obvious desire by both the US and Pakistan government for this story to ‘just go away’ this turn of events – although itself not surprising, since this has been on the cards for weeks – is likely to have many surprising results including those that neither side might wish for. But the one thing is clear: the story will not go away. Not now. And not anytime soon.

Mast Qalandar

In an earlier post I had described the different Pugrees worn across Pakistan, including the famed and flamboyant Peshawari Patkaiy or Kullah. There is an interesting story passed down by generations of students of Islamia College Peshwar about how this particular turban, once part of the prescribed college uniform, was abandoned by the College.

As a background information I should add here that Islamia College Peshawar (ICP) was founded in 1913 by Sir Sahibzadah Abdul Qayyum, a Pushtun, and Sir George Roos-Keppel, the then British Chief Commissioner of NWFP, who was a virtual Pushtun in that he spoke Pushto fluently and also understood and adopted many of Pushtun customs.

While founding the ICP the two gentlemen tried to model their institution after the Aligarh Muslim College, which was founded 35 years earlier by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Following Aligarh’a example they also chose black achkan as part of the uniform for ICP students. To the achkan they added the local turban as head-wear. Both gentlemen, I should add, we proud turban-wearers themselves.