Musharraf Grilled (‘Pwned’) by Confident Islamic Student in Open Forum

24. February, 2008 Uncategorized 28 comments
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This is quite old, but very relevant and applicable to current times. The youth, who is a student of an Islamic seminary in Karachi , is obviously very eloquent, and does an amazing job of handing it to Musharraf (observe Mushi's face turning different colors as he is listening). The Urdu he uses is a bit too hard for me to do a good translation :) So, I would appreciate if any of the readers could add the translation in a comment, which I will move back into the post.

Musharraf's response was in two words: pathetic and arrogant. And I think anyone with the slightest objectivity would agree. I know Mushi has had his moments. But on this one, he got pwned!!

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Amad

Amad Shaikh is one of the founders of MuslimMatters, Inc. His identity is shaped by his religion (Islam), place of birth (Pakistan), and nationality (American). By education, he is a ChemE, topped off with an MBA from the Wharton. He was one of the founders of the TDC, and in what seems like a distant memory, he served as the President of U. Houston's MSA. His interests include politics, cricket, and media interactions. Career-wise, Amad is in management in the oil & gas industry (but one who still appreciates the "green revolution").

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  • Hid

    MashaAllah..eloquent, confident, and knowledgeable (three difficult combinations to find in Paki youth)

    JazakAllah Khayr for sharing it

  • http://www.themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

    It’s funny when I saw Musharraf writing in his notepad I was thinking “he is definitely writing an order to ‘disappear’ this guy.”

    Would some brother care to translate this, I am really interested in what this brother is all worked up about.

    Also I have to mention that Musharraf is really bad at the whole dictator thing. Now the Arabs, they have tyranny down pat.

    I wish this vid had subtitles, then I could Islamify it without hesitation.

  • http://irrelevantopinions.blogspot.com Faraz

    I really dislike that term “pwned”. It’s even worse when it’s spelled wrong, as it is in the title. The title would have been just as meaningful without that silliness that’s about three mistakes away from actual English!

    Unfortunately, my Urdu is fairly weak, so I wouldn’t trust myself to translate.

  • http://www.themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

    Faraz, I really appreciate you sharing your opinion on the term “pwned” it was a daring foray into post structural linguistic decontructionism. Please keep them coming.

  • Hid

    I can translate some of it =)

    Amad comon, we know you can translate it, it doesn’t have to be perfect.

  • http://www.muslimmatters.org AnonyMouse

    Faraz, you’re obviously not with it! Pwnage is THE it thing these days… you’ve been pwned! ;) :D

    (But I agree with you, it’s extremely irritating!)

  • http://www.muslimmatters.org Amad

    good catch on the spelling… it’s fixed, but its not going away. I gotta stay up with the in-lingo dude.

    P.s. i am not that old though, not “uncle age” definitely.

  • http://www.themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

    Mashallah, a sophistimacated address to a dictator and equally sophistimicated discussion here in the comments section.

    Amad, do you mind posting your address, phone number and social security so that I can easily find you and personally “thank” you for getting us into this lovely discussion.

  • http://muslimmatters.org ruth nasrullah

    Well I must be auntie age because i’ve never heard of it and don’t even know how to pronounce it!

  • http://www.muslimmatters.org AnonyMouse

    Pwned: a slang term that implies domination or humiliation of a rival, used primarily in the Internet gaming culture to taunt an opponent that has just been soundly defeated.

    Pronounced: “owned!”

  • http://www.mujahideenryder.net MR

    This is why Pakistan banned YouTube!!!!

  • http://thesunnah.wordpress.com abu ameerah

    this clip is old…and i don’t think the deobandi guy pwned Mushi.

    also, i like the guys kufi…but i wouldn’t wear it.

  • http://www.muslimmatters.org Ahmad AlFarsi

    I believe the term “pwned” sprung from an old computer game (Warcraft I), in which after you lose in some aspect of the game, a message would appear saying “You got pwned!”… the message was an inadvertent typo which, to the perhaps joyful suprise of the game developers, became common usage in the internet lingo.

    I didn’t verify this claim, so take it as “da’eef” for now :)

  • http://www.muslimmatters.org AnonyMouse

    “i like the guys kufi…but i wouldn’t wear it.”

    Are you waiting for it become the official new fashion and featured on a male model strutting down the catwalk on style.com? :D

  • Faiez

    I agree with abu ameerah.

  • Hid

    Why did you have too use the word Deobandi to describe the brother? Does it really matter whether he is Deobandi or Barelwi?

  • Sabir

    Ruth,

    The term comes from the fact that the ‘p’ and ‘o’ are located next to each other on a QWERTY keyboard. I think it originated in the online gaming world, where gamers would typically trash talk each other during the game. This practice would frequently result in typographical errors, of which ‘pwned’ was the most prominent. Another common variation is ‘pwn3d’. (resulting from the fact that the ’3′ is right above the ‘e’).

  • Hazem

    I’m still waiting for the translation.
    Any day now…

  • http://www.muslimmatters.org Amad

    Hid:

    I can translate some of it =)

    Amad comon, we know you can translate it, it doesn’t have to be perfect.

    Sr. Hid is on the job… trust me, my urdu sucks. Besides, it would be nice for our regular readers to offer us some blogging relief :) ??

    So, Sr. Hid, how about a basic gist? I am sure we can then all help as necessary?

  • Pakistani

    Salam, I watched the question part of the video wayy back, and like you was very impressed. The student basically asked Pres. Musharaf, that isnt he insulting the soul/rooh of Quaid-e-Azam M.A.Jinnah whos portrait is behind him by usurping power and denying democracy to Pakistan as M.A. Jinnah clearly said that military should remain under civil rule at all times and few other things. The crowed roared in applause as you can see..contd.

  • Pakistani

    I really thought that the student had had him, but some time ago I saw the reply.
    Interestingly theManofFewwords the topic of disappearance of the questioning did come up. Pres. Musharaf in reply laughed and said that u can yourself judge from your own question the freedom of speach that he has provided to people because if he done this in the past he would have known what his fate would have been, to this the student clapped and laughed in agreement(since youtube is block in Pakistan so I am recalling from memory, plz spare the mistakes)…contd..

  • Pakistani

    Then Pres. again asked that shouldnt you apply this freedom of speech to all, as a while back a madrassah from karachi(probably the questioning students madrassah) torched a building due to some row over expression of speech. To this everybody including the student applauded. It was very good and entertaining Q&A session which I YET to see anywhere in the Muslim world. Sorry I cant remember all and describe it for you.

  • Pakistani

    And MR. this is not why youtube is banned, it is due to this;
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080226/ap_on_hi_te/youtube_outage_pakistan

    Has anyone seen the interview of Pres. Musharaf in the daily show by Jon Stewart?….

  • Pakistani
  • http://muslimology.wordpress.com Dawud Israel
  • http://muslimology.wordpress.com Dawud Israel

    Be sure to check out part 6 since it’s like a foreshadow of Pakistan today:

    http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-8717663203591737169&q=Pervez+Musharraf+daily+show&total=16&start=10&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2

    Do you think he was referring to something?

  • http://www.themanoffewwords.com theManOfFewWords

    Pakistani, that’s funny. Pervy Busharraf says look at how great I am I didnt disappear him for speaking his mind!

    Your not SUPPOSED to disappear him!!!

    In the words of Sheikh Chris Rock, “That’s like someone saying, I take care of my kids! of I never been to jail! What you want a cookie? You are supposed to take care of your kids, you aren’t supposed to go to jail.

    Well Busharraf, here’s your cookie!

  • Hid

    Br Amad, i saw 9 when i left Pak =) so u can imagine how my translation would sound so i think i shouldnt even bother =)