Friday, October 19, 2007

"Long Live Bhutto" Banner: Why English?

I wondered about the "Long Live Bhutto" banner - in English - in photos My first thought was that the banner was intended for an English-speaking audience, probably the UK, the Commonwealth, or America. The Commonwealth was my best bet, since Pakistan is a member, again: I think. That country has popped in and out a couple of times.

A little checking showed that English is an official language of Pakistan:
  • 48% Punjabi
  • 12% Sindhi
  • 10% Siraiki (Punjabi, with differences)
  •  8% Pashtu
  •  8% Urdu (an official language)
  •  3% Balochi
  •  2% Hindko
  •  1% Brahui
  •     English (also an official language, and 
        the lingua franca of Pakistani elite 
        and most government ministries)
  •  8% Burushaski and other languages
So, that banner is most likely a symbol of pan-Pakistani support, more than an effort to get on the evening news.

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

Posts about Benazir Bhutto.
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Blogroll

Note! Although I believe that these websites and blogs are useful resources for understanding the War on Terror, I do not necessarily agree with their opinions. 1 1 Given a recent misunderstanding of the phrase "useful resources," a clarification: I do not limit my reading to resources which support my views, or even to those which appear to be accurate. Reading opinions contrary to what I believed has been very useful at times: sometimes verifying my previous assumptions, sometimes encouraging me to change them.

Even resources which, in my opinion, are simply inaccurate are sometimes useful: these can give valuable insights into why some people or groups believe what they do.

In short, It is my opinion that some of the resources in this blogroll are neither accurate, nor unbiased. I do, however, believe that they are useful in understanding the War on Terror, the many versions of Islam, terrorism, and related topics.