4th September has been good to artsyHANDS. One of our very own fans: Maria Kazmi mentioned us in the Cyberia for Us section in today’s Us Magazine! (O joy!), willdriver opened up fartsyFEET, and the our Facebook fanpage is getting better and better..

In today’s (4th Sept) Us Magazine, I (this is to say, Waisybabu) finally received feedback on my previously published “A Quaid’s Dream”(14th August issue of Us).

Our readers and basically just about everyone I knew loved the article, but there was this one guy that thought it was actually offensive and disrespectful!

Read about the uber-negative feedback, after the jump!

It certainly wasn’t what I expected when Butt-sahab stated this:

Apology demanded!

Salam Ed,

In the issue of August 14, 2009, there was a stupid and nonsensical article by Awais Imran. Ed, how on earth can you give space to such an article? The rubbish penned down by the writer was full-fledged disrespect. It was really disrespectful when he called our great leaders ‘dead men’. I think they deserve a little more respect. Later, in the article, the writer showed disregard for Liaquat Ali Khan by cracking a joke over his death by saying “the bullet is still stuck where it hit”. Awais should apologise for saying so. And Ed, you should also express regret for printing it.

Awais Butt, Wah Cantt

The letter can be seen in photographic form here.

My Reply:

Salaam Ed,

This letter is with reference to Awais Butt’s letter to Us in last week’s issue about my previously published “A Dream” on 14th August.

To start off, I’ll state that I appreciate the fact that Awais has the full right to disagree with anything he feels is not right. But to take out words out of my mouth is something that is completely wrong. I believe that he took the article in the wrong context…

I do not see how calling our great leaders “dead men” is disrespectful, especially considering how at the very climax of the write-up, I gave great importance to the message of Iqbal, Jinnah and Khan.

As for the “The bullet is still stuck where it hit” statement, that was purely metaphorical. It was both, a reference to Pakistan’s shameful state (and how it has hurt Khan) and how Khan was assassinated.

I hope this clears everything. Readers of Us who missed “A Dream” previously may read it again online by checking out bit.ly/a-dream

Awais Imran

It’s kinda awkward sending out a letter to someone who has the same name as you, but there’s a difference: the other Awais has a butt in his name. O_O

What do you think of Butt’s feedback? Is it baseless? Did my article get too imaginative and dreamy? Was my reply appropriate? Your comments are highly appreciated!

Waisybabu

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EDIT: Just one week after Awais Butt gave his feedback, Us magazine published Taimour Nazir and Awais Imran’s reply-back letter! We know a few other people also sent in their letters, it sucks how they weren’t published

Thank you so SO much for your support!