From: dogar@rtsg.mot.com (Haroon H. Dogar)
Subject: Immigration  (was Re: SALMAN RUSHDIE)
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 16:03:16 GMT

v5086u6r@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu (Naveed S Memon) writes:

>Naveed Bhai, you went to a Guns N Roses concert and you were actually expecting
>social "correctness"? :)  Actually I have hated this group eversince I read the
>following lyrics in their debut album, btw I have gone through these lines 
>before on s.c.p, and alt.rocknroll, they lines were

>"you faggots and foreigners, you come to this country and spread the f'ing
>disease?".  These lines appeared in the Rollong Stones in 87 when GnR hit the
>13 year old ninja-turtles for the first time. Axl Rose at that time defended
>his sentiments towards "Pakis and Iranians working at 7-11s", these days I have
>heard that he says that he was too young at the time. Earlier this year, the
>ex-homophobe headlined the Freddy Mercury tribute/charity concert at Wembley.
>For me, political correctness of a band is important although a dear friend,
>who read the Axl interview after I mailed it to him, asked me to listen to 
>the music and stop thinking too much, but I always wonder if you can separate
>the artist from his ideas. If you want to check out the GnR song in question, it
>is called "One in a million". Actually GnR fans[the whites mainly, have yet to
>see a black man wearing a GnR Tshirt] give me the creeps :) but ofcourse I 
>cannot picture you with a tattoed serpent on your chubby arm saying VLSI sucks!
>:)

Driving in to work this morning, I was listening to Morrissey singing about
being "...the last truly Brittish people the world will ever know," and I
thought of you Naveed (the younger). I've always been opposed to borders,
but I have found myself sympathizing with some of your concerns about
Sind and the potential loss of the "native" culture. Being more American 
than Pakistani (but more Muslim than anything else :-)), I probably don't
have the same respect for ancient European cultures. The United States
has always been a constantly changing mix of people from all over the
world, so I tend to see those opposed to non-white U.S. immigration as
simple bigots (I know ... nothing is ever that simple, but ....). My question
to you and to Nadeem is about immigration in the ancient European countries.
How do you view the potential loss of the native culture to an ancient
culture? How do you feel about the high desi population of Sheffield
(running joke is that you need to have a Pakistani passport to visit
Sheffield and once you're in they won't let you out :-) ) or Southhall?

Personally, I remain opposed to borders.
However, here's my hypocrisy:
I listen to Morrissey, and I think, "aw gee isn't that sad, but hey... 
things change, life goes on." However, I know that I wouldn't have
such a cavalier attitude if it were the culture of the land of my
father's fathers that was disappearing. (Sure, the way of life in
Punjab could use a good kick in the butt, but I don't know if I could
handle the complete loss as well as I expect the Europeans to handle it.)

Anyway, just curious about other desi opinions regarding European immigration.

-hd
"London is dead."
        -Morrissey