Proper Response to Kirpan and other Minority Rights
With Quebec Assembly’s recent decision to ban Kirpan in the assembly, the issue of allowing Sikhs to carry a sheathed knife into public places has come alive again. Being a visible minority immigrant myself, the issues of minority rights concern me. I was born and grew up in Dehradun, then a sleepy town in foothills of Himalayas in Northern India. After the separation of Pakistan all Hindus including Sikhs were driven out of Pakistan and the population of Dehradun doubled within a month. A large number of the ‘refugees’ were Sikhs whom we considered another sect of the broad Hindu faith. They were welcomed in the community. They became integrated and contributed to the community with their energy and varied talents. We had a few Sikh families living near us and we children played together without any consciousness of differences of culture because except for the turban there was none. They went to Gurudwara, the Sikh temple, and celebrated Guru Nanak but then other Hindu sects also went to their different temples and had different deities. We spoke different languages at home and Hindi in public and at schools but shared the same values. There never was a problem between Sikhs and others during my life in India for the next fourteen years.
I have written this to make it clear that I have no communal prejudices against Sikhs or any other minority. I have compassion for their inconveniences having suffered them myself and pride in their achievements which are many. I appreciate a colourful turban and the handsome bearded face as much as a hijab, a fez, a Gandhi cap or a bald head. I often talk in Hindi to strangers wearing turban and invariably have an interesting conversation. A large majority of Sikh immigrants have adjusted to life abroad. Most second generation Sikhs have given up the turban, don’t speak Punjabi, refuse arranged marriages and rarely go to a Gurudwara, just the way my children don’t follow my parents’ traditions. As is to be expected, this large scale disavowal of cherished values is hurtful to a few immigrants who wish to continue the traditions in their original form. It increases their resolve to preserve their ‘culture’ whatever the cost and whether it is necessary or even rational. It is a small vocal minority that screams about their rights and suppression of their freedoms. The vast majority goes about their daily lives earning their living and enjoying the fruits of their labours the best they can. The impact of the few disgruntled immigrants is picked up by the media and blown out of proportion. Then it sways some politicians afraid to lose crucial support. Blatant political words and actions follow which create more brouhaha and a mole hill becomes a mountain.
Carrying a kirpan hidden on one’s person is one of the five requirements Guru Gobindji instituted in 1699 which the ‘devout’ Sikhs are dedicated to preserve. It is no different than the command of Bhagwan Mahavira who instructed Jains, my sect, to give up on worldly pretensions, including all apparel. The Jain edict is harmless and is never raised because thankfully only a few monks follow it. The issue with kirpan, on the other hand, is often in the news. The real objection to kirpan is not the size of the blade nor that it has only been rarely used but that it is concealed and is available for use and gives the owner power over others. Carrying a weapon at all times was perhaps necessary in the violent period of eighteenth century India when every one carried one. In Canada in twenty first century it could arguably provide a defence against bullying but surely not the kind we would wish to encourage in a law abiding community. Unfortunately, it is just one of the issues which continually crop up; wearing niqab and establishing sharia legal system are two of the other examples of the same type. There is a possibility, albeit remote, that the rights of former U.S. nationals to carry weapons may be raised sometime in the future. All human rights issues of minority rights have to be handled the same way. Before any action is taken on them we need to answer two questions. First, do we need to consider every demand made by elements of every minority group as if it were a national crisis? Second, how will our response impact on us and on our children? Our personal and collective reply should be determined by our view of whether the issue will go away if we look the other way and, in the particular case of concealed weapons regardless of their size, are we comfortable sitting next to an individual or when our children play with a kid who has one on his person?
Alberta's Next Premier
I am alarmed at the thought of Ted Morton as our next Premier. Prof. Morton is as close to Sarah Palin's gang known as TEA party as any one can be. I am afraid that Alberta under him will become a foothold from where TEA party can spread its wings into rest of Canada. Do Albertans really want this? I for one don't and I will do my best to stop him. This post is just the beginning.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Obesity Industry and the Economy
I have struggled with near obesity all my adult life. Two lessons I gleaned from fifty years of weight watching are that genes and metabolism are key factors in how heavy one is and the daily exercise is important for good health and longevity but a more important factor is what and how much one eats. Unfortunately, limiting what you eat is hard. Humans have a weakness called taste and unlimited capacity to consume. Some like me are basically insecure and eat whatever is around even if they don't like it. A whole industry has developed over last hundred years to capitalize on these frailties and has contributed to obesity. ‘Obesity Industry’ not only includes the purveyors of addictive and unhealthy food and drink producers like Coca Cola, MacDonald’s, and Nestle’s, they also include corporations who sell cure for obesity like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. The following table of latest available figures from leaders of three segments of this industry gives an idea of their size and importance to the economy. The numbers are for Coca Cola, MCDonald's, and Weight Watchers separated by a comma:
Total Revenue, billions 31,23,1.4
Gross Profit, billions 19, 7,0.7
Net Income, billions 6.8,4.5,.18
Market value, billions 130,80,2.8
Annual dividend payout, billions 3.0,2.5,.05
Advertising budget, billions 2.4, 1.0,0.2*
Number of employees, thousands 43,400,28
* Estimated
Some of these figures are only partially true. For instance Coca Cola figures do not include the bottlers and franchisees who have additional employees and advertising budgets. To get an idea of their relative scale, sales of Coca Cola represent $100 per American and total revenues of the Federal government of Canada for 2010 is 231 billion and it employs approximately three million people. Total revenues of Coca Cola are greater than total retail sales in Canada in a month.
One can generalize from these figures that several million people earn their living in obesity industries, their direct contribution to the economy is in hundreds of billions and their market value could be as much as a trillion dollars. In addition, they spend tens of billions of dollars in advertising which support your favourite TV channels and magazines even though, unfortunately, a good portion of advertising is focused on children and young adults to get them hooked in a life long addiction. The industry can argue that it pays in taxes much more than what the obesity adds in healthcare costs.
Obviously an industry of this size can not be shut down in a day without catastrophic consequences to the employment situation and the general economy. The transformation of Obesity Industry into 'Healthy Citizens Industry' will have to be gradual also because you can not change the habits of a generation in a few years. To achieve an orderly transition lessons from tobacco industry might be useful although it should be noted that the impact on the economy of controls on that industry was reduced substantially by increased penetration of Western tobacco companies in Eastern Europe and Asia. It is almost useless to reduce bad eating habits by advertising since these companies have the resources to outdo any official campaigns. To achieve the positive results ‘freedom of speech’ granted to the companies whose products have been proven harmful needs to be curtailed. Less advertising by Coca Cola for example will help the sale of milk and unsweetened orange juice and improve the health of young adults. The efforts to improve the health of ordinary Canadians are likely to have a better outcome with reduction, hopefully elimination, of promotion of fatty foods and drinks and no chance at all in the current free for all. Further controls on the contents of these products can be gradually introduced as the new ones gain acceptance among the industry and the consumers. This is the recipe for success.
I have struggled with near obesity all my adult life. Two lessons I gleaned from fifty years of weight watching are that genes and metabolism are key factors in how heavy one is and the daily exercise is important for good health and longevity but a more important factor is what and how much one eats. Unfortunately, limiting what you eat is hard. Humans have a weakness called taste and unlimited capacity to consume. Some like me are basically insecure and eat whatever is around even if they don't like it. A whole industry has developed over last hundred years to capitalize on these frailties and has contributed to obesity. ‘Obesity Industry’ not only includes the purveyors of addictive and unhealthy food and drink producers like Coca Cola, MacDonald’s, and Nestle’s, they also include corporations who sell cure for obesity like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. The following table of latest available figures from leaders of three segments of this industry gives an idea of their size and importance to the economy. The numbers are for Coca Cola, MCDonald's, and Weight Watchers separated by a comma:
Total Revenue, billions 31,23,1.4
Gross Profit, billions 19, 7,0.7
Net Income, billions 6.8,4.5,.18
Market value, billions 130,80,2.8
Annual dividend payout, billions 3.0,2.5,.05
Advertising budget, billions 2.4, 1.0,0.2*
Number of employees, thousands 43,400,28
* Estimated
Some of these figures are only partially true. For instance Coca Cola figures do not include the bottlers and franchisees who have additional employees and advertising budgets. To get an idea of their relative scale, sales of Coca Cola represent $100 per American and total revenues of the Federal government of Canada for 2010 is 231 billion and it employs approximately three million people. Total revenues of Coca Cola are greater than total retail sales in Canada in a month.
One can generalize from these figures that several million people earn their living in obesity industries, their direct contribution to the economy is in hundreds of billions and their market value could be as much as a trillion dollars. In addition, they spend tens of billions of dollars in advertising which support your favourite TV channels and magazines even though, unfortunately, a good portion of advertising is focused on children and young adults to get them hooked in a life long addiction. The industry can argue that it pays in taxes much more than what the obesity adds in healthcare costs.
Obviously an industry of this size can not be shut down in a day without catastrophic consequences to the employment situation and the general economy. The transformation of Obesity Industry into 'Healthy Citizens Industry' will have to be gradual also because you can not change the habits of a generation in a few years. To achieve an orderly transition lessons from tobacco industry might be useful although it should be noted that the impact on the economy of controls on that industry was reduced substantially by increased penetration of Western tobacco companies in Eastern Europe and Asia. It is almost useless to reduce bad eating habits by advertising since these companies have the resources to outdo any official campaigns. To achieve the positive results ‘freedom of speech’ granted to the companies whose products have been proven harmful needs to be curtailed. Less advertising by Coca Cola for example will help the sale of milk and unsweetened orange juice and improve the health of young adults. The efforts to improve the health of ordinary Canadians are likely to have a better outcome with reduction, hopefully elimination, of promotion of fatty foods and drinks and no chance at all in the current free for all. Further controls on the contents of these products can be gradually introduced as the new ones gain acceptance among the industry and the consumers. This is the recipe for success.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Anatomy of two Shootings
The New Year had an inauspicious start with two political shootings in the first week. Although half a world apart these cases have similarities; polarized populace and discontent with the politicians. The Governor of the Province of Punjab in Pakistan was killed on January 4 by his own security guard. Then on January 8 a gunman killed six people and shot Representative Gabrielle Giffords, thankfully not fatally, in Tucson, Arizona. The Governor was killed because he supported the weakening of harsh fundamentalist Islamic laws of the country. Ms. Giffords was shot presumably because the gunman did not consider her tough enough against illegal migrants from Mexico
The two countries where the incidents occurred are the opposite poles any way you look at them. Pakistan, for all practical purposes, is not a functioning state. For most of the fifty three years of its existence, it has been ruled by military dictators with iron fists. Its current civilian government is divided and weak. Civil disobedience is common, corruption is rampant, army acts independently of the government, federal and provincial governments are continually in conflict and riots and suicide bombings are common occurrences in major cities. The general populace is desperately poor and illiterate. It is polarized into two camps: religious fundamentalists and the moderates who want to modernize Islamic practices. The war between these groups has raged for some time with varying intensity and many leaders have become its victims.
Conversely, the United States is a democracy with a cherished system of government established two hundred and fifty years ago. But it does have a history of violence in civilian and political spheres. The country has a unique distinction among developed countries of losing four Presidents to assassins while in office and attempts made on the lives of several others. Such unsavoury record in a small country would not cause much stir but it is a serious concern when it blights the only major power. The situation is even more worrisome because the so-called ‘economic engine’ of the world currently has severe financial problems; the recession of 2008 caused general population a lot of grief and no relief is in sight. The hands of the government are tied with a war in Afghanistan, the huge budget deficit and the debt mountain growing rapidly. It doesn’t help that a significant portion of the U.S. government bonds are held by China, not a friendly state by any definition. Then there is the politics of government, federally and in most states. There is a continuous warfare between the White House, Senate and the House of Representatives and the judiciary in the form of Supreme Court has its own political agenda. The party discipline does not exist in the two major parties and each member of the Senate or the House votes as s/he chooses. The government appears to be unable to act whether to direct the economy or provide the essential services like education or effective medical care. Even modest federal legislation and regulations are challenged in the law courts by belligerent southern states some of whom are in dire straits themselves. The wealth is concentrating in fewer hands and the divide between rich and working Americans is becoming wider as the middle class shrinks due to wage stagnation, increasing unemployment and catastrophic drop in the value of homes.. No wonder the general population is feeling more and more frustrated. Some of the rich are exploiting the situation by using the media they largely control to convince a large number of people that they also could become rich if the controls and taxes on industry and capital were abolished. The economic uncertainty and these media campaigns are polarizing the nation into two camps: capitalist wannabes and the moderates. The first camp wants unregulated free enterprise, less government and low taxes. The second camp consists mostly of professionals and academics and wants the government to provide social services and tax fairly to pay for them. If the two groups do not agree on appropriate steps to resolve the financial crisis, there is a possibility that discontent in the society would rise to a point where serious upheaval becomes a reality.
The shooting in Arizona is an expression of the frustration felt by people whose high hopes have been dashed by the recent economic collapse and the absence of signs of its revival. It could be a harbinger of worse yet to come. It is a warning to the leaders that urgent action is needed to revive the economy and increase the employment. This is not likely to happen overnight. In the meantime it is vital that the polarization is reduced and the expectations are brought down to a realistic level.
An Opinion:
Both issues, fluoride in our water and lanyards for kids in schools are examples of democracy gone berserk. The water supply is a health issue and it is the business of city's water supply authority to determine how it is filtered and add whatever the health experts recommend, whether it is chlorine, fluoride or any other substance. Most people, including myself with eight years of postsecondary education in science, know nothing about water and should leave it to experts. Similarly, if school board is responsible for kids' safety and education standards they have a right to decide how they go about doing it. If wearing a lanyard is all that much of a bother, how do these kids do what a teacher asks for home assignment which is much bigger intrusion on their time and energy?
I often wonder why any one goes in public service occupations any more when every one claims to know more than the professionals, does what he or she wishes and then blames them when the problem does not go away.
The New Year had an inauspicious start with two political shootings in the first week. Although half a world apart these cases have similarities; polarized populace and discontent with the politicians. The Governor of the Province of Punjab in Pakistan was killed on January 4 by his own security guard. Then on January 8 a gunman killed six people and shot Representative Gabrielle Giffords, thankfully not fatally, in Tucson, Arizona. The Governor was killed because he supported the weakening of harsh fundamentalist Islamic laws of the country. Ms. Giffords was shot presumably because the gunman did not consider her tough enough against illegal migrants from Mexico
The two countries where the incidents occurred are the opposite poles any way you look at them. Pakistan, for all practical purposes, is not a functioning state. For most of the fifty three years of its existence, it has been ruled by military dictators with iron fists. Its current civilian government is divided and weak. Civil disobedience is common, corruption is rampant, army acts independently of the government, federal and provincial governments are continually in conflict and riots and suicide bombings are common occurrences in major cities. The general populace is desperately poor and illiterate. It is polarized into two camps: religious fundamentalists and the moderates who want to modernize Islamic practices. The war between these groups has raged for some time with varying intensity and many leaders have become its victims.
Conversely, the United States is a democracy with a cherished system of government established two hundred and fifty years ago. But it does have a history of violence in civilian and political spheres. The country has a unique distinction among developed countries of losing four Presidents to assassins while in office and attempts made on the lives of several others. Such unsavoury record in a small country would not cause much stir but it is a serious concern when it blights the only major power. The situation is even more worrisome because the so-called ‘economic engine’ of the world currently has severe financial problems; the recession of 2008 caused general population a lot of grief and no relief is in sight. The hands of the government are tied with a war in Afghanistan, the huge budget deficit and the debt mountain growing rapidly. It doesn’t help that a significant portion of the U.S. government bonds are held by China, not a friendly state by any definition. Then there is the politics of government, federally and in most states. There is a continuous warfare between the White House, Senate and the House of Representatives and the judiciary in the form of Supreme Court has its own political agenda. The party discipline does not exist in the two major parties and each member of the Senate or the House votes as s/he chooses. The government appears to be unable to act whether to direct the economy or provide the essential services like education or effective medical care. Even modest federal legislation and regulations are challenged in the law courts by belligerent southern states some of whom are in dire straits themselves. The wealth is concentrating in fewer hands and the divide between rich and working Americans is becoming wider as the middle class shrinks due to wage stagnation, increasing unemployment and catastrophic drop in the value of homes.. No wonder the general population is feeling more and more frustrated. Some of the rich are exploiting the situation by using the media they largely control to convince a large number of people that they also could become rich if the controls and taxes on industry and capital were abolished. The economic uncertainty and these media campaigns are polarizing the nation into two camps: capitalist wannabes and the moderates. The first camp wants unregulated free enterprise, less government and low taxes. The second camp consists mostly of professionals and academics and wants the government to provide social services and tax fairly to pay for them. If the two groups do not agree on appropriate steps to resolve the financial crisis, there is a possibility that discontent in the society would rise to a point where serious upheaval becomes a reality.
The shooting in Arizona is an expression of the frustration felt by people whose high hopes have been dashed by the recent economic collapse and the absence of signs of its revival. It could be a harbinger of worse yet to come. It is a warning to the leaders that urgent action is needed to revive the economy and increase the employment. This is not likely to happen overnight. In the meantime it is vital that the polarization is reduced and the expectations are brought down to a realistic level.
An Opinion:
Both issues, fluoride in our water and lanyards for kids in schools are examples of democracy gone berserk. The water supply is a health issue and it is the business of city's water supply authority to determine how it is filtered and add whatever the health experts recommend, whether it is chlorine, fluoride or any other substance. Most people, including myself with eight years of postsecondary education in science, know nothing about water and should leave it to experts. Similarly, if school board is responsible for kids' safety and education standards they have a right to decide how they go about doing it. If wearing a lanyard is all that much of a bother, how do these kids do what a teacher asks for home assignment which is much bigger intrusion on their time and energy?
I often wonder why any one goes in public service occupations any more when every one claims to know more than the professionals, does what he or she wishes and then blames them when the problem does not go away.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Nuclear Iran: Issue of the New Year
The most important issue of the New Year is likely to be the development of nuclear weapon capacity by Iran and how the West copes with it. Iran has been much in the news during the past decade for several reasons. They have supported insurgents in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and elsewhere in the Middle East instead of using their oil wealth for the benefit of their own people. There has been cruel suppression of political opposition and enforcement of outdated Islamic laws. But much more alarming, there has been a strong belief in the West and fear in Israel that the country is building nuclear weapons while claiming to be developing nuclear power. A variety of sanctions have been imposed on Iran by the West with no material results.
The issue is complex and many faceted. The foremost consideration ought to be that several other nations in the area have nuclear weapons and nothing of any consequence has been done about it. Pakistan, an almost failed state which has been supporting Taliban not so secretly while taking billions in aid from the West, has had these weapons for decades. Their scientists are known to have sold nuclear secrets to other belligerent countries. Yet the U.S. and its allies have supported the regime throughout and no pressure has been put on successive military and civilian governments of that country to destroy nuclear weapons. Israel is known to have them too, but no one has mentioned any cuts in billions of dollars in aid annually, leave alone applying sanctions. North Korea has the weapons and freely brandishes them. There has never been any suggestion of ‘surgical strike’ on Pakistan or North Korea as there is in case of Iran.
While the fear of Iran in Israel is understandable, we in the West must appreciate the fear of Israel and its weapons in Iran? The U.N. Security Council has done nothing to understand these fears and to assuage them. If Iran’s march towards nuclear power status is to be contained it may be better to bring some balance in policies towards Iran, Israel and Arab countries. While guarantees for the safety of Israel are understandable, we do not have to help that country in oppression of Palestinians by looking the other way or finding lame excuses. While Israel has to be strong to defend itself it does not need to threaten its neighbours periodically. If the Middle East issues were resolved with fairness it would be possible to persuade Chinese or Russian to the Western viewpoint on Iran and achieve some progress.
This conflict has the potential of igniting a major confrontation between East and West which no one wants. Ten years of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq has damaged the economy of the U.S. and Europe and the priority must be getting it back on growth track. The situation will be helped if the U.S. could persuade Israel to be less belligerent in its negotiations with Palestinians and give up its own nuclear arsenal. To expect Iran to submit to Western demands in current political environment is dreaming in Technicolor. Mullahs are religious fanatics and giving in under pressure from infidels is not their way. Another long war in the region or the nuclear annihilation of Iran are not the options which can be contemplated by any President or the Prime Minister. Negotiations between all parties are the only way out of the impasse. A conference of all countries in the Middle East and the members of the Security Council to discuss the denuclearisation of the whole region, not just Iran, is more likely to bring long lasting peace than sanctions and military threats to one belligerent state which itself has felt threatened by external forces since the current regime took power there three decades ago.
The most important issue of the New Year is likely to be the development of nuclear weapon capacity by Iran and how the West copes with it. Iran has been much in the news during the past decade for several reasons. They have supported insurgents in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and elsewhere in the Middle East instead of using their oil wealth for the benefit of their own people. There has been cruel suppression of political opposition and enforcement of outdated Islamic laws. But much more alarming, there has been a strong belief in the West and fear in Israel that the country is building nuclear weapons while claiming to be developing nuclear power. A variety of sanctions have been imposed on Iran by the West with no material results.
The issue is complex and many faceted. The foremost consideration ought to be that several other nations in the area have nuclear weapons and nothing of any consequence has been done about it. Pakistan, an almost failed state which has been supporting Taliban not so secretly while taking billions in aid from the West, has had these weapons for decades. Their scientists are known to have sold nuclear secrets to other belligerent countries. Yet the U.S. and its allies have supported the regime throughout and no pressure has been put on successive military and civilian governments of that country to destroy nuclear weapons. Israel is known to have them too, but no one has mentioned any cuts in billions of dollars in aid annually, leave alone applying sanctions. North Korea has the weapons and freely brandishes them. There has never been any suggestion of ‘surgical strike’ on Pakistan or North Korea as there is in case of Iran.
While the fear of Iran in Israel is understandable, we in the West must appreciate the fear of Israel and its weapons in Iran? The U.N. Security Council has done nothing to understand these fears and to assuage them. If Iran’s march towards nuclear power status is to be contained it may be better to bring some balance in policies towards Iran, Israel and Arab countries. While guarantees for the safety of Israel are understandable, we do not have to help that country in oppression of Palestinians by looking the other way or finding lame excuses. While Israel has to be strong to defend itself it does not need to threaten its neighbours periodically. If the Middle East issues were resolved with fairness it would be possible to persuade Chinese or Russian to the Western viewpoint on Iran and achieve some progress.
This conflict has the potential of igniting a major confrontation between East and West which no one wants. Ten years of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq has damaged the economy of the U.S. and Europe and the priority must be getting it back on growth track. The situation will be helped if the U.S. could persuade Israel to be less belligerent in its negotiations with Palestinians and give up its own nuclear arsenal. To expect Iran to submit to Western demands in current political environment is dreaming in Technicolor. Mullahs are religious fanatics and giving in under pressure from infidels is not their way. Another long war in the region or the nuclear annihilation of Iran are not the options which can be contemplated by any President or the Prime Minister. Negotiations between all parties are the only way out of the impasse. A conference of all countries in the Middle East and the members of the Security Council to discuss the denuclearisation of the whole region, not just Iran, is more likely to bring long lasting peace than sanctions and military threats to one belligerent state which itself has felt threatened by external forces since the current regime took power there three decades ago.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
A Happy and Prosperous Nwe Year to you and your loved ones.
A Deal in Morocco
After travelling for eighteen hours on four planes Ravi and Monica arrived in Fes, Morocco on a pleasant afternoon in utter state of excitement. They had a five star hotel booked in the oldest walled community in the world, built in the ninth century on the northern fringe of Sahara desert by Sultan Idris as the foundation of his empire set to last for centuries to glorify Allah and his prophet Muhammed. A half hour ride in a Mercedes diesel almost as old as the Medina itself and emitting as much fumes as the total population of a couple of hundred thousand humans burning wood and coal for cooking and heating delivered them to the gate of the Medina nearest to the hotel. A young man promptly appeared out of nowhere, loaded their suitcases in his push cart and conveyed them to the hotel five minutes walk away. He wanted to be paid as much as the cab fare from the airport and after much haggling agreed to release the case for about half as much, approximately ten dollars. It should have given them a clue of what was to come but blame it on the jet lag or the thrill of new culture around them it did not register.
An hour in the majestic courtyard of the hotel sipping mint tea and munching cookies was a pleasant introduction to luxury that was Riad Fes, their hotel. A young Arab lady presented herself. She was wearing tight blue jeans and a revealing pink sweater, no hijab (head scarf) leave alone Niqab (veil with a slit for the eyes). She explained in reasonable English the amenities offered in the hotel and other services including recommendations on the guide and local travel. They promptly booked an English speaking guide for the next morning, specifically opting for sightseeing over shopping. The hostess led them to their room on the roof. It was elegantly furnished with traditional local decor and had a bed big enough for a Sheikh and four wives. Instead of customary chocolate on the bed, there was a plate of cookies with two bottles of water on a brass side table. The evening was spent absorbing the atmosphere of Arab culture with a lute player briefly interrupted by the dinner of Tajine.
The morning arrived soon enough, hastened by the call of Muezzine from several mosques in the area, or were these recorded vioces on the loud speakers to be broadcast five times a day set slightly out of unison to create the atmosphere unique to a Medina. Ravi got out of the room, walked over to the edge of the roof and watched the sun rise behind the domed roofs of ancient houses built on the rolling hills within inches of each other. He woke Monica up and they enjoyed one of the best sunrise views of their lives with arms around each other.
It could be the jet lag or the beautiful sight they had just witnessed, or both they could not go back to sleep. They talked of all the wonderful things they would do, visit the mosques in Medina, look at all the traditional shops, leather factory, carpet warehouses, visit the mosques where millions of devotees of Allah have prayed every day reciting the words specified by the scholars of Quran. On other days they would visit the Atlas mountains, see the caves where families still lived like they did thousands of years ago, visit Mecnes, another historic town nearby and roam around the new Fes by themselves. A memorable week was on the horizon and they were eager to grasp it.
A leisurely breakfast, not included in the two hundred dollars a day charge for the room but what kind of miser would worry about such details in this lap of luxury, brought the hands of the clock to nine. A quick brushing of the teeth and they were ready to meet Abdallah, the English speaking guide and the master of their day, to show them the sights of Medina and to protect them from aggressive merchants of carpets, leather jackets and local spices they did not need at their age.
A visit to the king's palace, to one of its many entrance gates to be precise, beautiful carved and firmly bolted, was followed by a short drive to the farthest entrance of Medina. Abdallah took his visitors past entrances of several mosques dating back several centuries but Monica and Ravi could not see them because only the Muslims are allowed entery. How any one knew that Ravi was not a Muslim is a mystery yet to be resolved. After walking along several narrow streets with only a few local shoppers and even fewer tourists, they entered a porch through the huge gate with the view of an enormous courtyard. Our guide asked in an unusually humble tone, "Will you like to visit the cooperative where the world famous Fes wool carpets made by the widows and orphans are sold at ridiculously cheap."
Monica interrupted, "No, we are not interested in buying anything. We are at the stage in our lives when we are reducing our possessions, not adding to them."
Ravi contradicted his wife, "Let's go in. There is no harm in seeing the beautiful articles. No one is forcing us to buy anything."
"He is right Missus. There is no pressure. It will be nice to rest for a few minutes and sip some mint tea too."
A very respectful elderly gentleman in baggy white cotton pants, calf length beige tunic and red Fez cap with black tassels came into the porch, bowed deeply and said looking in the direction of Ravi, "Please bless this establishment with your presence. It is the only government certified coop in Fes. Every carpet, big and small, is made by widows and orphans in their homes and most of what an item is sold for goes to them. But you do not have to buy anything. Just look at a few rugs and tell us what you think of them. Your opinion is as valuable to us as your Euros or dollars or pounds."
Monica turned to Ravi and said in a wavering tone, "Let us not fall in this trap. Once we go in we won't come out without parting with more than we can afford."
Ravi was not convinced. He came around Abdallah, put his left arm around Monica's waist and said in the sugary voice he used when he wanted her to do something against her better judgment, "Let's go in for a few minutes. No harm can come out of it. It will be interesting to compare them with Indian and Iranian carpets. You know I am upto any tricks they can play on us."
Monica had her doubts but gentle push from Ravi's arm soon had her in the courtyard. Before long they were sitting on a divan sipping sweet mint tea. A young man in a grey jacket, blue shirt and brown pants came through the back door, introduced himself as Mohamad and after some small talk solicitously asked them the details of their careers and family. When Ravi told them that they had two sons and a daughter he perked up, "How old is your daughter?"
She is twenty five," Monica replied.
"She lives in Canada, I suppose. Is she married?"
"No. She is a career woman. No time to meet men."
"No need to look any further. I am an eligible bachelor. Just the right age, thirty five. I will love to live in Canada where I could ski all year round; not just once a year."
"Give me a picture, I will show it to her. She will contact you if she likes it," Ravi replied.
"Just consider me your son-in-law. You won't find any one better anywhere - fluent in three languages, graduate in Islamic Architecture from the University of Fes. Who could be more qualified?"
In the meantime, a crew of four short and thin but muscular men had brought out several rolls of carpets and were spreading them on the floor. The carpets were huge, thirty feet long, twenty feet wide, one inch thick. Great variety of designs in every colour one could imagine. With each carpet Mohamad named the weaver, how long it took to make it - anything between six months to two years. Wool imported from New Zealand at special rates for widows and orphans of Fes Medina. Carpets kept coming, as did the mint tea and cookies. Clock kept ticking. Abdallah was oohing and aahing at every carpet, "Work of art", "Best I have ever seen", "Will suit any decor" were just some of his comments. Occasionally he would ask Ahmed the price and comment, "Why so cheap? Don't widows and orphans eat?" Mohamed would answer, "It is Ramadan. All carpets are reduced to sell, before new supplies come in."
Monica nudged Ravi every few minutes whispering that it was time to move on, there was a lot to see before lunch. But Ravi did not pay any attention and examined every carpet in detail asking questions about the weave, quality of dyes and expected life of the carpet. The answers were always the same extolling the virtue of the carpet. It was now noon and Mohamed was becoming more excited about the quality and price of the carpet adding new inducements with each passing minute, “Because they are made by the orphans and widows and sold by the cooperative, and Canadians are so generous, there is no customs duty.” “Shipping by air by DHL is included in the price.” “You can sell each of these in Arts auction anywhere in America or Europe for ten thousand dollars.” “Buy three of them, sell two and you will recover the cost of your holiday.” “Buy six and sell four, you will have a long queue of men wanting to marry your daughter.” Spiel went on, Monica continued to fidget and Ravi, entranced, did not budge from the floor with carpets all around him. He had a gleam in his eyes that alarmed Monica. Mohamed was getting impatient as if he had another appointment, “Tell me which six carpets you like, I give you such a good price that you will thank Mohamed for ever even if your daughter does not like him.” Monica went to Ravi, pulled him aside and said quite clearly so every one could hear, “They are pulling wool over our eyes. Don’t be a fool. If you are so struck by these carpets, select a small one that will fit in our bedroom.” The man in Fez interjected now after having been a quiet observer for two hours, “His price for three is a very good deal. It will not be so good for only one.” Mohamed had his final word, “I can’t offer free shipping for one and there may also be customs. If you buy three full size carpets made by widows and orphans for their cooperative, I will throw in these small silk rugs for free. But you must decide soon. These poor workers have to break for lunch.”
Ravi’s resistance, generally solid as a rock, had completely broken down by now. The man who had walked away unscathed from seasoned sellers in Indian, Persian, Turkish and Egyptian markets and haggled in Nieman Marcus in Dallas and Tiffany’s in New York selected six of the most expensive carpets bigger than any room in their house. Mohamed ushered them into a windowless office upstairs lighted by one forty watt bulb and furnished with two dilapidated steel desks, four shaky wooden chairs and an outdated computer where Ravi lamely handed his credit card for the price quoted by wily Mohamed. Fifteen minutes later they came down to the courtyard, Ravi clutching a receipt for twenty five thousand dollars for six large and three small carpets. There was a group of six European tourists, four elderly rather plump women and two shriveled men canes at their sides, sitting on the Divans. Mohamed clapped his hands and announced to them, “MY friends from Canada just bought ten big carpets for their home, please cheer for them.” Europeans looked strangely at Ravi and Monica as they walked towards the gate. Four assistants followed them with heads down. “These poor assistants have no salary or commission and deserve a tip,” Abdallah said to the floor. Ravi pulled out a five hundred Dirham (Fifty dollars) note and handed it to the assistant leading the line up. No doubt the guide claimed a hefty share of that too.
An hour later when they were waiting for lamb couscous for lunch the folly dawned on Ravi and regrets over being mesmerized by a carpet seller in Fes Medina took hold of him. Monica did not add fuel to the fire and left him to stew when she attended to the email. The issue was not mentioned again till they were working on customs declaration at the Calgary Airport.
The carpets were delivered six weeks later after Ravi had paid the customs duty in high four figures. Small rugs were used in bedroom and their home office. They are having a hard time in deciding what to do with the large ones. Enquiries about “Art Auctions” have been inconclusive and carpet dealers have not returned their phone calls. Ravi was quite depressed last time I saw him and Monica’s efforts to cheer him up a little have fallen flat so far. However, I have known Ravi for a long time and he has rebounded from real calamities before. He will get over it too and one day would be bragging about how he turned a bad deal in the oldest Medina in the historic city of Fes into a hugely profitable one.
A Deal in Morocco
After travelling for eighteen hours on four planes Ravi and Monica arrived in Fes, Morocco on a pleasant afternoon in utter state of excitement. They had a five star hotel booked in the oldest walled community in the world, built in the ninth century on the northern fringe of Sahara desert by Sultan Idris as the foundation of his empire set to last for centuries to glorify Allah and his prophet Muhammed. A half hour ride in a Mercedes diesel almost as old as the Medina itself and emitting as much fumes as the total population of a couple of hundred thousand humans burning wood and coal for cooking and heating delivered them to the gate of the Medina nearest to the hotel. A young man promptly appeared out of nowhere, loaded their suitcases in his push cart and conveyed them to the hotel five minutes walk away. He wanted to be paid as much as the cab fare from the airport and after much haggling agreed to release the case for about half as much, approximately ten dollars. It should have given them a clue of what was to come but blame it on the jet lag or the thrill of new culture around them it did not register.
An hour in the majestic courtyard of the hotel sipping mint tea and munching cookies was a pleasant introduction to luxury that was Riad Fes, their hotel. A young Arab lady presented herself. She was wearing tight blue jeans and a revealing pink sweater, no hijab (head scarf) leave alone Niqab (veil with a slit for the eyes). She explained in reasonable English the amenities offered in the hotel and other services including recommendations on the guide and local travel. They promptly booked an English speaking guide for the next morning, specifically opting for sightseeing over shopping. The hostess led them to their room on the roof. It was elegantly furnished with traditional local decor and had a bed big enough for a Sheikh and four wives. Instead of customary chocolate on the bed, there was a plate of cookies with two bottles of water on a brass side table. The evening was spent absorbing the atmosphere of Arab culture with a lute player briefly interrupted by the dinner of Tajine.
The morning arrived soon enough, hastened by the call of Muezzine from several mosques in the area, or were these recorded vioces on the loud speakers to be broadcast five times a day set slightly out of unison to create the atmosphere unique to a Medina. Ravi got out of the room, walked over to the edge of the roof and watched the sun rise behind the domed roofs of ancient houses built on the rolling hills within inches of each other. He woke Monica up and they enjoyed one of the best sunrise views of their lives with arms around each other.
It could be the jet lag or the beautiful sight they had just witnessed, or both they could not go back to sleep. They talked of all the wonderful things they would do, visit the mosques in Medina, look at all the traditional shops, leather factory, carpet warehouses, visit the mosques where millions of devotees of Allah have prayed every day reciting the words specified by the scholars of Quran. On other days they would visit the Atlas mountains, see the caves where families still lived like they did thousands of years ago, visit Mecnes, another historic town nearby and roam around the new Fes by themselves. A memorable week was on the horizon and they were eager to grasp it.
A leisurely breakfast, not included in the two hundred dollars a day charge for the room but what kind of miser would worry about such details in this lap of luxury, brought the hands of the clock to nine. A quick brushing of the teeth and they were ready to meet Abdallah, the English speaking guide and the master of their day, to show them the sights of Medina and to protect them from aggressive merchants of carpets, leather jackets and local spices they did not need at their age.
A visit to the king's palace, to one of its many entrance gates to be precise, beautiful carved and firmly bolted, was followed by a short drive to the farthest entrance of Medina. Abdallah took his visitors past entrances of several mosques dating back several centuries but Monica and Ravi could not see them because only the Muslims are allowed entery. How any one knew that Ravi was not a Muslim is a mystery yet to be resolved. After walking along several narrow streets with only a few local shoppers and even fewer tourists, they entered a porch through the huge gate with the view of an enormous courtyard. Our guide asked in an unusually humble tone, "Will you like to visit the cooperative where the world famous Fes wool carpets made by the widows and orphans are sold at ridiculously cheap."
Monica interrupted, "No, we are not interested in buying anything. We are at the stage in our lives when we are reducing our possessions, not adding to them."
Ravi contradicted his wife, "Let's go in. There is no harm in seeing the beautiful articles. No one is forcing us to buy anything."
"He is right Missus. There is no pressure. It will be nice to rest for a few minutes and sip some mint tea too."
A very respectful elderly gentleman in baggy white cotton pants, calf length beige tunic and red Fez cap with black tassels came into the porch, bowed deeply and said looking in the direction of Ravi, "Please bless this establishment with your presence. It is the only government certified coop in Fes. Every carpet, big and small, is made by widows and orphans in their homes and most of what an item is sold for goes to them. But you do not have to buy anything. Just look at a few rugs and tell us what you think of them. Your opinion is as valuable to us as your Euros or dollars or pounds."
Monica turned to Ravi and said in a wavering tone, "Let us not fall in this trap. Once we go in we won't come out without parting with more than we can afford."
Ravi was not convinced. He came around Abdallah, put his left arm around Monica's waist and said in the sugary voice he used when he wanted her to do something against her better judgment, "Let's go in for a few minutes. No harm can come out of it. It will be interesting to compare them with Indian and Iranian carpets. You know I am upto any tricks they can play on us."
Monica had her doubts but gentle push from Ravi's arm soon had her in the courtyard. Before long they were sitting on a divan sipping sweet mint tea. A young man in a grey jacket, blue shirt and brown pants came through the back door, introduced himself as Mohamad and after some small talk solicitously asked them the details of their careers and family. When Ravi told them that they had two sons and a daughter he perked up, "How old is your daughter?"
She is twenty five," Monica replied.
"She lives in Canada, I suppose. Is she married?"
"No. She is a career woman. No time to meet men."
"No need to look any further. I am an eligible bachelor. Just the right age, thirty five. I will love to live in Canada where I could ski all year round; not just once a year."
"Give me a picture, I will show it to her. She will contact you if she likes it," Ravi replied.
"Just consider me your son-in-law. You won't find any one better anywhere - fluent in three languages, graduate in Islamic Architecture from the University of Fes. Who could be more qualified?"
In the meantime, a crew of four short and thin but muscular men had brought out several rolls of carpets and were spreading them on the floor. The carpets were huge, thirty feet long, twenty feet wide, one inch thick. Great variety of designs in every colour one could imagine. With each carpet Mohamad named the weaver, how long it took to make it - anything between six months to two years. Wool imported from New Zealand at special rates for widows and orphans of Fes Medina. Carpets kept coming, as did the mint tea and cookies. Clock kept ticking. Abdallah was oohing and aahing at every carpet, "Work of art", "Best I have ever seen", "Will suit any decor" were just some of his comments. Occasionally he would ask Ahmed the price and comment, "Why so cheap? Don't widows and orphans eat?" Mohamed would answer, "It is Ramadan. All carpets are reduced to sell, before new supplies come in."
Monica nudged Ravi every few minutes whispering that it was time to move on, there was a lot to see before lunch. But Ravi did not pay any attention and examined every carpet in detail asking questions about the weave, quality of dyes and expected life of the carpet. The answers were always the same extolling the virtue of the carpet. It was now noon and Mohamed was becoming more excited about the quality and price of the carpet adding new inducements with each passing minute, “Because they are made by the orphans and widows and sold by the cooperative, and Canadians are so generous, there is no customs duty.” “Shipping by air by DHL is included in the price.” “You can sell each of these in Arts auction anywhere in America or Europe for ten thousand dollars.” “Buy three of them, sell two and you will recover the cost of your holiday.” “Buy six and sell four, you will have a long queue of men wanting to marry your daughter.” Spiel went on, Monica continued to fidget and Ravi, entranced, did not budge from the floor with carpets all around him. He had a gleam in his eyes that alarmed Monica. Mohamed was getting impatient as if he had another appointment, “Tell me which six carpets you like, I give you such a good price that you will thank Mohamed for ever even if your daughter does not like him.” Monica went to Ravi, pulled him aside and said quite clearly so every one could hear, “They are pulling wool over our eyes. Don’t be a fool. If you are so struck by these carpets, select a small one that will fit in our bedroom.” The man in Fez interjected now after having been a quiet observer for two hours, “His price for three is a very good deal. It will not be so good for only one.” Mohamed had his final word, “I can’t offer free shipping for one and there may also be customs. If you buy three full size carpets made by widows and orphans for their cooperative, I will throw in these small silk rugs for free. But you must decide soon. These poor workers have to break for lunch.”
Ravi’s resistance, generally solid as a rock, had completely broken down by now. The man who had walked away unscathed from seasoned sellers in Indian, Persian, Turkish and Egyptian markets and haggled in Nieman Marcus in Dallas and Tiffany’s in New York selected six of the most expensive carpets bigger than any room in their house. Mohamed ushered them into a windowless office upstairs lighted by one forty watt bulb and furnished with two dilapidated steel desks, four shaky wooden chairs and an outdated computer where Ravi lamely handed his credit card for the price quoted by wily Mohamed. Fifteen minutes later they came down to the courtyard, Ravi clutching a receipt for twenty five thousand dollars for six large and three small carpets. There was a group of six European tourists, four elderly rather plump women and two shriveled men canes at their sides, sitting on the Divans. Mohamed clapped his hands and announced to them, “MY friends from Canada just bought ten big carpets for their home, please cheer for them.” Europeans looked strangely at Ravi and Monica as they walked towards the gate. Four assistants followed them with heads down. “These poor assistants have no salary or commission and deserve a tip,” Abdallah said to the floor. Ravi pulled out a five hundred Dirham (Fifty dollars) note and handed it to the assistant leading the line up. No doubt the guide claimed a hefty share of that too.
An hour later when they were waiting for lamb couscous for lunch the folly dawned on Ravi and regrets over being mesmerized by a carpet seller in Fes Medina took hold of him. Monica did not add fuel to the fire and left him to stew when she attended to the email. The issue was not mentioned again till they were working on customs declaration at the Calgary Airport.
The carpets were delivered six weeks later after Ravi had paid the customs duty in high four figures. Small rugs were used in bedroom and their home office. They are having a hard time in deciding what to do with the large ones. Enquiries about “Art Auctions” have been inconclusive and carpet dealers have not returned their phone calls. Ravi was quite depressed last time I saw him and Monica’s efforts to cheer him up a little have fallen flat so far. However, I have known Ravi for a long time and he has rebounded from real calamities before. He will get over it too and one day would be bragging about how he turned a bad deal in the oldest Medina in the historic city of Fes into a hugely profitable one.
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