WHOOPS: Miss Pakistan World says we must condone Mumbai attacks

[See SAJAforum's full coverage of the Mumbai attacks]

Poor Miss Pakistan World.

She, ie. 23-year-old Natasha Paracha, agreed to appear on CNN to speak about something she clearly doesn't know anything about: India-Pakistan relations in the wake of the Mumbai attacks. She was also caught on camera, self-consciously touching her face as it to make sure her makeup were okay. And her earpiece kept falling out of her ear. And if that weren't humiliating enough, they made her wear her Miss Pakistan World sash.

But then she had to go and say this:

"The image of Pakistan has been threatened with these recent attacks. And I feel that now as Pakistanis we have to stand up and condone what has happened in the country of India and in these Mumbai attacks."

Surely she meant "condemn," yes? Well, unfortunately for the two nations on the brink of war, she repeated herself, most confidently.

CNN host ANNA COREN: How can this image be improved?

PARACHA: We as Pakistanis need to work together. And Indians as well need to work. And work on this friendship we have. And condone these attacks, thoroughly.

CNN's Coren must've thoroughly enjoyed the exchange. She had not one but two chances to subtly correct Paracha, and chose not to.

Paracha, by the way, is a graduate of UC Berkeley, according to this interview, and currently works as the chair of Pakistani affairs with the United Nations International Renewable Energy Organization..

She concluded by saying, "The government is doing the best it can but definitely it's going to be long battle, it's going to be a long war against terrorism."

Comments

[Roderick Gaerlan]

I'm sure Miss Pakistan World knows the difference between condone and condemn. She is an intelligent woman and a Cal-Berkeley graduate in Poli-Sci and Business. She was probably a little nervous and her head was going a hundred miles an hour. CNN's Anna Coren failed to show professionalism (or perhaps, she didn't know the difference between the two words) by allowing Natasha Paracha to misspeak on CNN without correcting her subtly.

[Quotes buff mike]

its ok, her intentions are clear anyway

[ian]

Surely after years of education, there must have been some opportunity to learn there is a discrepancy.

[Essar]

Yes, we can explain away her "error" for any number of reasons, several of which are brought up in the other comments. I'd like to take a different approach. Can we simply attribute this to a Freudian slip? Perhaps she said what she most wanted to suppress; and she expressed what most in her community would have said but for world opinion and reaction.

[Abbas]

I think Indians just need any reason. Clearly this young 23 year old must be nervous.. As all can see that her english is very very good. One word and yes.. we shall all start a war....

Guys... like that over 200,000 died in Tsunami.. and same thing happened in indian between the Hindu Muslim riots..

How many muslims and Kashmiris have India killed.... but thats ok... we forget Indian is a country that loves peace...

But getting back to one girl who tried to express her views, with only 1 error....

The whole of India should now go to war...
Man you guys... need just anything.. just about anything....

[Essar]

Abbas, the number of Muslims and Kashmiris "killed" by India (by Muslims and many others in India, in case you are tracking) are dwarfed by those killed by "Muslims" in India over time and those that continue to be killed around the world by "Muslims" (are there any others in Pakistan, tell me?) educated and trained at the innumerable terrorist training universities in Pakistan.

Speaking of Indians and India wanting to start a war you ought to look into what it the Pak Govt and ISI and its many fanatics have been trying to do for long. To expect someone to not react to provocation for long, especially when a knife is constantly being brandished around and held to the throat, is to be unrealistic.

Getting back to this girl...you say her english is very very good and I agree, after all she went to a good school (not to some place that trained the ten that landed on the shores of Mumbai) so what do you have to say to Freudian slips?

[SunshineOnBigots]

>How many muslims and Kashmiris have India killed....

Abbas, since you seem to care so much about Muslims and Kashmiris being killed by India could you also speak up for those Muslims, particularly the Shias and Balochs and Sindhis and Kashmiris and moderates, killed *by* Pakistan (by Muslims and the correlation between the country and the faith is far more accurate as there are no other there in Pakistan compared to say...India!)? Perhaps you might be considerate to add the Ahmadiyaas and Bahais, silenced as they are in Pakistan but given voice in India to practice their faiths?

And while you are at it, could you clarify what gives you and others of your ilk the right to speak for other Muslims? who voted you to that position?

The medieval era is far behind the rest of the world, maybe not you and your bigoted crowd. The Caliphate--how do you say it? Khilafat?--is a thing of the past. India has moved on and absorbed what was left behind when the "elite" chose Pakistan and the facts speak for themselves: it has done a better job, a far better job, of coping with what it has than the havoc the "elite" have wrecked on Pakistan, its neighbors, and the rest of the world. Man you guys...jealous, envious, desiring to take the world back to the neanderthal era, need just anything...just about anything indeed.

[Jaya Kamlani]

Have none of you used a wrong word inadvertently, especially when they sound so close? Condone vs Condemn. It was just a slip of her tongue. I am much older than Natasha, but from time to time I am sure I must have used a wrong word mistakenly. So take it easy on her.

By the way, I am a Hindu, originally from India. Like Natasha says, let the Indians and the Pakistanis work together on building a relationship. Regarding the Mumbai attacks, I feel you should let the CID, FBI and other investigative agencies resolve the case, but the people of the two nations need to come together. Let the animosity dissipate. The two countries cannot keep fighting wars unto eternity. It does not solve anything.

Remember Gandhiji said, "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."

Jaya Kamlani

[SunshineOnBigots]

Sure, we all use the wrong word inadvertently once in a while and occasionally, as is well understood, those faux pas fall under the category of "Freudian slips" and reveal something that's worth understanding. And what's wrong in enquiring whether Natasha's slip is Freudian, tell me?

These bigots, and there are plenty too in India I admit (and have come to recognize they may serve a well needed balance to those across the border), don't understand fact from fiction (witness their brouhaha over "The Satanic Verses"), progress from regress (the state of affairs in the two countries and societies is telling, isn't it?), and perhaps the stick over their head is the only way to drill sense into them. Sense that the Islamic epoch is in the past, Mohammed is a part of history (if that) like many others and not above it being judge and jury, and his followers and believers either learn to live with others or face the consequences.

[TM]

Recent events notwithstanding, most people see things like this, chuckle and move on with their lives without trying to intellectualize it.

[ashishdimri]

Dear SAJA,
Natasha did the right thing!
Unlike Pakistani diplomats and senior defence officials,she used her position to represent morality and common sense.
May those in high power, take cue from her dignified behaviour.
yours,
ashish dimri

[Amar]

A mistake is understandable but she clearly does not know the difference between the two since she used it twice! Obvious mistake to any intellectual human being.

[PRIYA]

Everyone needs to calm down,

Thank god young people are standing up and making sure that their voice is heard!

[Rafay Kashmiri]

@ It is absolutely abhorent to see how anti-Pakistani
propaganda is orchestrated by your Indian sponsored
media, you are shamelessly hiding the massive terrorism
that India is perpetrating inside India with
450 millions of Dalits on daily basis,
380 millions of minorities at the peril of extermination
92.000 Kashmiris muslims have been slaughtered since
1994
7.000 Kashmiri muslims been tortured killed in custody
10.000 Kashmiri muslimahs have been raped by Indian Army
20.000 Kashmiri muslims have disappeared since 1994

there are 700.000 Indian troups maintaining Martial law
in Kashmir, the worst example in contemparary history,

1.6.millions of Iraqis been Genocided by US led troups
with 11.000 mercenaries,

687.000 Afghani muslims have been exterminated my US led
troups,

This interview is as shamefull for you Anna Coren for
CNN in the light of the above horrific figures,
who are The terrorists ? d'aprés vous madame !

[Rafay Kashmiri]

@ Mumbai attacks were pre-planned by Indian Raw
with the "ashirvad of " Batilans, who are Batilans ?
does anybody know ? yes of course you all know, they
are CIA, RAW, Mossad, Mi6, Khad, Takfiris and other
small share-holders of this huge
" Consortium of Terrorism " The big Industry, India has
become major stake-holder for the region with straight
military and torture tactics supplied by Israel.
what are they selling, to whom are they selling their
product ?
This Industry has 2000 billion US$ turnover a month.

[Rafay Kashmiri]

@ India has emerged as major regional supplier,
manufacturer and producer of terrorism by recruiting
agents and providing them with arms and explosives,and
training them brainwashing the recruits.
150.000 Indian troups will be deployed in Afghanistan,
Indians are already supplying terrorism to Tamil Tigres
for the secession of Sri Lank, Napal has fallen victim
already, Sikkim has been annexed to India, Bajpaiy
offered China to recognize Tibet as Chinese if China
recognize Sikkim as Indian, China refused !
Bangladesh is yet another victim of Indian Chanakyaism,
Bhutan is alredy neutralized by Indian intrigues,
The population on Indian islands are exterminated !

India has emerged as major Terror manufacturing country
eversince the combined meetings held in september 2007
in FAIZABAD AND BADAKHSAHN of BATILANS, Benazir was
assassinated just two months after !!

The little pisseuse of Paracha does'nt mean anything !
who the hell is that donkey who called her
Miss Pakistan ?

[Sonu]

somebody who confuses "condone" with "condemn" clearly lacks a basic intelligence. she should stick with trying to look pretty, rather than attempting in vain to look smart...

[Haziq Siddiqi]

We can condone what Miss Pakistan obviously said in error.

How many of Dubbya Bush's asinine pronouncements have we condemned, I ask you !

At least Miss Pakistan looks more beautiful than the Dubbya, any day of the week !

Haziq Siddiqi

[Rafay Kashmiri]

@Haziq Siddiqi,

Gora Babu's asinine pronouncements are not to be
condemned, Indian sagesse !

[Rafay Kashmiri]

@ Sunshineonbigots,

you are the exact figure of Batilans descriptions
given by webster Tarpley on

http:/www.youtube.com/watch 2v=21 db/warskle
Webster Tarpley

its hallucinating revelations !! watch it and tell
others to watch it.

[exsqueeze me]

the $7 billion donation promised by a lame duck W to Pakistan has put fire back into rafay kashmiri's tongue. lashkar-e-taiba, after ISI approval, has finally mailed his paycheck for his gun-toting exertions in the caves of tora bora and mountains of kashmir. but remember 7 billion is the size of the dog food industry in the U.S. jamat-e-dawa, the new off shoot of LeT will have no such entitlement even though cat food industry is about the same size as dogs. between cats and dogs, mullahs and terrorists, rafay is confused. China and Chanakya have messed him up even more. talk to him about the posthumous complaints of ahmadiyas, shias, mahajirs and of the undead christians in pakistan and he will come up with a

moral: there are few things easier than to live badly and die well. long live the terrorist, albiet rafay kashmiri, philosophy.

[Raja]

Mariyah Moten's official site: www.mariyahamoten.com
First Miss Pakistan Bikini - check it out