Lodi - Guns and Roses update

I attended a wedding at Lodi, at a B&B called Wine & Roses. It was an eclectic Californian wedding with dedication to redwood trees printed on recycled paper, Jane's addiction melodies played as the bridesmaids walked in and the vows were based on Apache songs and excerpts from Khalil Gibran. I met a debonair Pakistani-American gentleman whose illiterate father came to California in 1930's and married an American. The real estate developer went to school in Abottabad Public School in Pakistam between 1965-1969. He was very well mannered and reminded me of an Uncle of mine, we shared a delightful conversation, as his American wife watched him adoringly. It was a timely reminder on the history of the Pakistani community in Central valley.

Later I went to the local Mosque on Poplar Avenue in Lodi. The front door was barred. Around the back, I was followed in by a journalist with a goatee, a photographer’s half sleeve jacket and a couple of telephoto cameras. Inside random Shalwar adorned and bearded Pakistani lounged around. One of them asked, Can I help you, I said I am here to pray. One white bearded gentleman asked me if he could advise me. I said sure. ‘Please roll up my jeans as that is Sunnat.’
I replied with a tad bit of impunity . . 'Kaka, at least let me do wuzu first before you correct me'.
Two nafils later, I am chatting with them and over listening to the stern faced journalist question Kaka. He asked Kaka's last name and when he came to US. It amused him, ‘A girl was fishing in Sacramento River and she pulled me out'.

The journalist did not smile; he was investigating a scuffle that happened in the mosque last week. Finally I get Kaka to myself and I put on my best behaviour.

Kaka founded this mosque in 1983. He came to the US in 1957 from Attock in Pakistan. He came to NY, did not like it and settled in Sacramento valley and supplied farm contract labor for years.
'I use to own a lot of land in Lodi, all of which is developed as strip malls and hotels. I came here in 1957 by chance. I was a Policeman in Peshawar and some men came to obtain a bicycle permit, I helped them get it. They used to work in American consulate; this is when US had an Air Force base in Peshawar. They asked me for my name and a month later, I had a visa for America.'

What about Hyat Khan and his son arrested for terrorism charges?

'All contrived. His son grew up here, he just went to Pakistan to a JUI run seminary to hifz (memorize) the Quran. This is plain to us; none of them are involved in terrorist activity. There only crime is that when questioned, he lied to FBI if he had been to a madarsah in Pakistan, because he was afraid'

I said that this is post 911 hysteria. They will go after any Muslim given flimsy evidence.

'But this is not done by any American. There is politics in the mosque. We Pakistanis are responsible. The current President, he first informed the FBI against the old Imam and said he had over stayed his visa. We are also sure that he is the one who went to the FBI with the story of his son going to a Madarsah in Pakistan. Petty politics. Of course once you give a straw to FBI they will make a thousand bales out of it. That is why their was a scuffle in the mosque here last week, and the journalist was around asking questions'

I did not wait for Zuhr prayers, I was disgusted by the pettiness of Pakistani community as well as they incredible lax journalism. I have long ago stopped being disappointed by the investigative authorities of this country.