Friday, September 26, 2008

Hello Gorgeous

If there's anything that's managed to overshadow the Marriott blast, it has to be grieving widower Zardari's comment to Sarah Palin that she looked "gorgeous" and his offer to hug her if the photographers wanted that.
Read this account:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/When_Zardari_met_Palin/articleshow/3525596.cms

This just before he went up to the UN General Assembly, pulled out a portrait of his assassinated wife Benazir Bhutto, and devoted three-fourths of his speech to her.

Embarrassed Pakistani papers tried to play down the comment, many did not carry it and those that did, buried it. But it's doing the rounds anyway, and it's also eliciting some strong reax. Read this SMS message that went around two nights ago from Tahira Abdullah, a well-known rights activist and feminist:
"Please also raise and comment on Pres. Z'ardari's TOTALLY inappropriate & unacceptable behaviour with sarah Palin today. It is sexist, insulting, humiliating, politically incorrect, ethically and morally worng, contrary to diplomatic norms, & ABOVE ALL, an affront to BB's memory. It is a source of national embarrassment. He must apologise".
Dawn newspaper, one of the newspapers that ran the story, had an editorial this morning:http://www.dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/opinion/editorial/an+insensitive+gesture

4 comments:

Pamposh Dhar said...

Wow, how truly inappropriate. Sexist in the worst possible way, implying that people judge a female politician not on her work but her looks. Quite amazing from a man who was married to a head of government.

sks said...

Yes, if it hadn't been for the photograph, I wouldn't have believed my eyes when I read this in the Indian Express! Most inappropriate. And it even overshadows the fact that McCain referred to him as Kidari in the debate ...

Unknown said...

So in character with the man, isn't it? That he would have the gall to do it in public - that is surprising...
Sarah Palin, I have a feeling, is not going to forget this in a hurry.

good going man! keep writing, i'll be checking...

Unknown said...

o, btw, the above was me. :)let it not be said i'm afraid to have my name beside the truth!

ramya