Comments on: Tahmena Bokhari; Muslima Extraordinaire

By: Tahmena Bokhari

Tahmena Bokhari — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:59:59 +0000

Dear all readers,
I want to thank you for all of your positive feedback and support. I am honoured to have been profiled in PoliGazette and I thank Michael van der Galien for interviewing me. I hope to read all of your comments on my websites as well, and I look forward to continuous international reporting and thought provoking stories by the writers of PoliGazette.
Sincerely,
Tahmena

By: Big supporter

Big supporter — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:54:28 +0000

Thank you so much for this interview and connecting us to Ms Bokhari’s websites. I especially like the videos and fabulous pictures she took. Her insights are very powerful and I appreciate the strong messages put forth in the above article. I will be looking forward to seeing and hearing more about Ms Bokhari’s work in the future. I think she is certainly a world class lady that should get high recognition for her work.

By: Selin

Selin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:08:43 +0000

I absolutely agree that there needs to be more constructive news coverage related to positive role models like her. Because strong Muslim women do exist and we need to know more about them and what they do. Definitely a breath of fresh air in the media that otherwise chooses to cover Muslim women as oppressed, second-class citizens, etc.

As someone who actively critiques coverage of Muslims in the Western press, this time I need to praise the editors. Thanks for defying the usual stereotypes.

By: Muhammad Razaque Abbasi

Muhammad Razaque Abbasi — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:00:02 +0000

I AM VERY GLADE TO KNOW YOUR ACTIVITIES. I WILL CONTACT AGAIN. MUHAMMAD RAZAQUE ABBASI SAUDIA ARABIA DAMAM

By: Sonia Iqbal

Sonia Iqbal — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:03:52 +0000

Michael,
Thank you so much for writing and publishing this story. This is a great interview and Ms Bokhari raises interesting debates and controversy in her answers to your direct questions. You asked questions that I think many would ask. Ms Bokhari appears to be a strong leader and we need leaders like her working for our country. This article and your magazine deserves wide global recognition. I am looking forward to seeing more of Ms Bokhari in the news. Amazing!

By: Sonia Iqbal

Sonia Iqbal — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:00:13 +0000

Michael,
This is a great interview and thank you for publishing it. Ms Bokhari is a fascinating woman and raises some interesting controversies and debates. I think your magazine deserves wide global distribution. The women of Pakistan hardly ever make the news like this and we need leaders like this working for our country. Looking forward to seeing more of Ms Bokhari in the news and thank you for bringing her story to our attention.
Amazing!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:33:15 +0000

Hi everyone,First I want to praise the writer and publisher of this magazine who so boldly chose to profile a Muslim Pakistani woman! Bravo to you. Of course it is not such a difficult sell when it comes to Ms Bokhari. Ms Bokhari is an example for all human beings, not just women and not just Pakistani. Ms Bokhari is right that there is little glamour in this work, but you Ms Bokhari are a superstar for us. I am sick and tired of seeing these millionaire actors shown on media helping the needy. What the heck do they know about social work? Notta! You are so right Ms Bokhari in that the real people out in the villages need the recognition. You, Ms Bokhari, are the real deal and you are the woman we should all be supporting.Thank you.

By: Sultan Khan

Sultan Khan — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:17:44 +0000

I am impressed with your interview. You have expressed your ideas and practical work very nicely. I congratulate you on your achievements and hard work and appreciate the objectives and projects you have mentioned in the interview. I can definitely understand the problems in social work as I have been associated with a few organisations and did personal work too for over thirty years without any monetary benefits or any kind of publicity. No doubt you are a qualified person but in your interview you did not ignore those who have been doing it at thier own….I may also mention here that I have worked with many well known female social workers but never seen a person like you who is working in so many dimensions….In the end I would say only that your interview was FANTASTIC.

By: Karim S Sheikh

Karim S Sheikh — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:59:21 +0000

Well done Tahmena, indeed, you are performing a great job by building bridges between Western and Eastern World as a Pakistani Muslim. But the notions and the intensions are purely universal humantarian that is the basis of all world religions and ethics generally, and for Islam particularly. By doing these so-called (in a religious transparency, which is sourse of motivation or inspiration for you) bold anglic deeds you are questing to fill the gap of the clash of ignorance about Islam or Pakistanis among the Western circles. In the contemporary world, its the biggest generousity and the basic pillar of Islamic teachings to donatate your ‘time’ and ‘knowledge’ for the sufferd poor humanity (of the developing countries). Last but not least, in my opinion you are not a nationalist but an internationalist. Keep it up.

By: Jonathan Wilson

Jonathan Wilson — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:16:09 +0000

Very interesting indeed. Hopefully the media will stop presenting Muslims as evil, and present them in a more positive way. You can only blame the Liberal Alarmist media for that, who wants to scare you about basically everything.

By: Habib Jan

Habib Jan — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 07:26:07 +0000

You are not only a philanthropist but a role model for all those Pakistani origin young generations born in the western society who have the time,resources and facilities to do a lot for the uplifting of our society.You are also indeed dispelling the notion that muslim women are illiterate,supressed and have no role in development and gender sensitization.Keep it up Tahmina B.

By: Neelo Gillani

Neelo Gillani — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:42:27 +0000

Thank you very much for publishing this story. What an amazing woman! It is so validating to see a Pakistani woman being profiled for the world to see. And she is a role model for all. I have always wondered why western women can be role models for all nationalities and why Asian women can only be role models for Asian women? I agree with Tahmena that Pakistani Muslim women can be and are role models for all the women of the world.
Great story.

By: Mike Ghouse

Mike Ghouse — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:24:05 +0000

Tahmena,
I like your take on the social work and how it is viewed diferently in different regions. Particularly this part "I felt that I was not any more deserving than my clients who were born into poverty, or did not have control over their circumstances. I stopped wearing jewellery and make-up and did not buy new clothes for a long time." I can relate with that most of it, except the Jewelry part!

We do this work because it yields greater satisfaction and grounds you the earth. All my work about 25 hours a week for the last 20 years… was all my work, my time and my money. No remuneration and I agree it would be nice to get paid.

Thanks for sharing.

Mike Ghouse