Wednesday, June 10, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 7
Column
Student dispels ignorance writing of life in Pakistan
Once someone asked me if people in Pakistan own televisions.
That comment marked the height of ignorance, but the fact remains that most of us are, to some extent, ignorant about the people of other nations — especially those in the eastern world. But that is to be expected of self-absorbed, mid-western college students. After all, there is not much international coverage in
the commonly available media in Lawrence. And let's face it, unless we are international relations majors, the status of impoverished Nigerian women is
Nadia Mustafa
editor at kanaan.com
not one of our top concerns
The recent nuclear situation on the subcontinent brought Pakistan and India to the center-stage and ushered in a global realization that Pakistan is not technologically backward, but how many of us spent the first two weeks of summer glued to CNN?
So when I talk about going to Pakistan for the summer, most people are curious to know what life without McDonald's is like. They assume Pakistan is a minimally developed, non-corporate desert. Many don't realize the significance of the fact that life without McDonald's is not life without McDonald's anymore.
Admittedly, Pakistan is still plagued with the common problems existent in a less developed country. Electricity fluctuates, there is not enough running water, there is no substantial middle class, and there are no concepts of social services or personal security. Added to that list are poverty, pollution, overcrowding, corruption and political violence.
But these things do not stand in the way of westernization. The
corporate world has invaded Pakistan through franchises of McDonald's, Subway, Kentucky Fried Chicken, United Colors of Benetton, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Satellite dishes provide homes with MTV, CNN, BBC, the Cartoon Network, TNT and unfortunately, shows such as Baywatch and Beverly Hills 90210. Young Pakistanians are avid fans of the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys and watch movies like *Titanic* and *Good Will Hunting* on video before they leave American theaters.
Perhaps most importantly, the highly stereotyped role of women in Pakistani society is undergoing drastic changes. Contrary to popular images, most women no longer cover their heads and are demanding equality on many levels. They are entering business and politics and fostering grass-roots activism.
It goes without saying that Pakistan is nowhere near becoming the western world, but in many areas, it is developing quicker than we wish to believe. Despite this, the country retains a certain unique charm that is obsolete in the U.S. where everything seems to blend together and looks basically the same. Its charm lies in the occasional cow crossing the street, the colorful street bazaars where one can haggle a deal and the intricately hand-painted buses crammed with passengers hanging out of the sides.
We must overcome traditional stereotypes and outdated images as we enter an increasingly global world economically, politically and professionally. And it's no one-way street. I try everyday to convince my cousins from Pakistan that the average American college student is not Kelly or Brandon on 90210.
Mustafa is a Tapeka senior in english.
Drugs involved in Hartman case
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alcohol, cocaine and a prescription anti-depressant were in Brynn Hartman's system after she shot and killed her husband, actor Phil Hartman, and then committed suicide.
released Monday showed. He had taken an over-the-counter cold medicine.
The Associated Press
Hartman, the 49-year-old star of television's NewsRadio and a former cast member of Saturday Night Live, did not consume any illegal drugs, toxicology results
The reports showed Mrs. Hartman, 40, had a blood-alcohol level of .12 percent, well above the .08 percent legal limit for California drivers. The alcohol mixed with the drugs amplified the effects, authorities said.
Los Angeles County coroner's Chief Investigator Craig Harvey said he was unsure when she had ingested alcohol. But he
said traces of cocaine in her blood showed she had taken the drug within five hours of her death.
Therapeutic levels of the prescription drug Zoloft also were found in her blood, Harvey said. He did not know whether Mrs. Hartman had a prescription for Zoloft, which is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder.
Coroner's investigators found
a prescription for an antibiotic but no other prescription medication in the house when they removed the Hartmans' bodies, Harvev said.
The Hartmans were found dead May 28 in their suburban Encino, Calif., home. Police said Mrs. Hartman shot her sleeping husband several times before shooting herself hours later.
The Hartmans' two children are living with relatives out of state.
Train wreck survivor search ends
The Associated Press
BERLIN— Rescue workers ended their search yesterday for remains at the site of last week's high-speed train disaster, and the German railway reopened the Hamburg-Hanover line to rail traffic.
Illustrating just how gruesome the crash was, officials lowered the death toll for a second time — from 98 to 95 — as forensic experts continued to piece body parts together to identify the dead.
Police representative Joachim Lindenberg said workers sifting through the last bit of sand found a women's watch and small
pieces of flesh before the site was turned to the railway today.
"Everything has been scoured that's there to be scoured," Lindenberg said.
An hour later, a regional train from Hamburg passed through at 44 mph — one-third the speed of the InterCity Express that derailed June 3 and slammed into a concrete bridge, crumpling the cars like tin cans.
The effect of the high-speed impact on bodies of the victims has made it difficult for officials to determine exactly how many people died. They believe 90 people died at the scene, and five died in hospitals.
All but one of the 95 victims has
been identified. police said.
Meanwhile, the German national railway said it was investigating a newspaper report that it had rejected an internal proposal in 1995 for an electronic monitoring system of the wheels on express trains.
Officials say they believe a broken wheel caused the wreck in the northern village of Eschede, although they have yet to determine what caused it to break.
The mass-market Bldf newspaper said the railway rejected the electronic monitors as impractical and unreliable.
Twelve of the 59 original model express trains pulled out of service for safety checks after the crash were back in service yesterday. Rail officials said no defects had been found yet.
Rescuers look for trapped people after blast
The Associated Press
Explosion
ignited dust created a lethal situation at a Haysville grain elevator near Wichita, causing the deaths of two people and injuring 11 others.
HAYSVILLE, Kan. — Rescuers dug through an underground tunnel trying to reach four people buried under tons of rubble following an explosion at a huge gain elevator complex that killed two and injured 11.
grain out of their path. They were frustrated because grain kept falling down after they cleared an area.
Rescuers heard thudding sounds in the area they were searching, said Fire Chief Garv Curmode.
Citizen Lloyd Gerald said the blast shook his house 10 miles away.
Rescuers were searching an 800-foot section of a 1,200 tunnel. By 2 a.m., they had cleared about 450 feet of the tunnel.
The rescuers, working in shifts of three crews of 18 people, were using shovels and bulldozers to clear
A 62 member team from the Federal Emergency Management Agency arrived with a truckload of sophisticated equipment.
M. D. Bradshaw/KANSAN
Relatives of the missing workers gathered at a nearby elementary
school as the search went on following the explosion around 9:20 a.m.
Eleven people were taken to hospitals after the explosion at the elevator belonging to DeBrute Grain Inc. of North Kansas City, Mo. Three remained hospitalized in critical condition, one was in serious condition, two were fair and the others were treated and released.
Six of the people were rescued from the roof of the complex about five miles south of Wichita. One was flown to safety by helicopter, and the others were rescued by crane.
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