Mr Anis Shivani, at the outset, let me inform you that I am proud to be a Muslim, I feel it an honor to be a Pakistany, and, you can bet your sweet patootie, I am glad that I am a Memon. These three make one hell of a great combination. Moreover, for your knowledge, my elders were born and lived in Bantva, although I was born in the year 1950 in Karachi.

You have a pronounced beef against the wealth that the Memons accumulated. You are allergic to the so-called seth. You are entitled to be your own judge when it comes to matters relating to a person’s beauty, for after all, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. The Memons did not get their money looking for Ali Baba’s treasure or Aladdin’s lamp. The quintessential quality of the Memon is to work hard, to create a market, to source goods from the best places or producers, and to stand by solidly after agreeing to a contract. This trait endeared the non-Memons to deal with the Memon businessman or industrialist.

The Memon businessman prospered inspite of the apparent handicap of not having any fellow community members in the bureaucracy, in the government, or in the armed forces. They judiciously utilized their hard-earned capital to create a niche for themselves both on the domestic front and in international markets. They strictly adhered to the concept of quality control and always believed in giving a little bit more. They are taught that a satisfied customer is a happy customer and that you have to invest in the customer for the future good of your business. If as you say, the Field Marshall was very considerate towards the Memons by bestowing them with import licenses and other protection measures, then you should also know the reason behind this. He knew that the Memons would (and did) deliver the global market for the country’s products.

Dr. Gustav Papanek and his wife, Hannah, did do a lot of research on the Memons and, if I remember correctly, they were impressed by the contributions of the Memon businessmen. The pre-nationalization era, especially Ayub’s decade, saw a surge in industrialization, a process which put Pakistan on the avenue of development. The Memons went for this industrialization with a fervent zeal. In another two decades, Pakistan would have been ranked with Japan. Alas, the dwarfs in the political field conspired to dismember the country. Pakistan lost a lot of industries. And the Memons suffered the most. But did they complain ? Oh no. Alas, then the Chairman from Larkana got his priorities all warped up and he succeeded in injecting a lethal dose in the veins of the country’s industrial base by rashly nationalizing industries. And the Memons suffered the most. But did they complain ? Oh no. They changed their course and were back in other spheres of business doing what they did best. EXCEL ! Like the Phoenix, they always rise from the ashes. And they will always do.

Yes, you are right that the Memon entrepreneurs ploughed their profits back into the business because they are long-term planners and not fly-by-night operators. Yes, you are right that the Memon entrepreneurs built community projects like schools and hospitals. Yes, you are right that the Memon entrepreneurs are now in the big leagues in speculative ventures. And yes, you are right that (some) Memon entrepreneurs, like the Tawakkals. are defaulters, according to the LIST.

But you are very wrong when you generalize the Memons as very "unattached" caring only for their own community and considering everyone else as bahar-gaamwallas, in the derogatory sense of the word. You are probably unaware of the social welfare activities undertaken by the various Memon organizations and Jamaats. You are probably oblivious of the causes espoused by the Memons. This community does most of this work silently, in Allah’s way, and not for publicity. Philanthropy is not an easy way to get "respite", as you proclaim insincerely. No sir, Mr Harvard (Yale ?) Economist. Social work is an inherent part of a Memon’s life, whether he is a businessman, a clerk, a doctor, or whether she is a housewife.

You have absolutely no idea about the Memons of today. It seems you are sitting in the Delorean. You are obsessed with a few stray cases of opulence which could be anybody and not necessarily a Memon. There are Ms Nouveau Riches in the Chinioti, Delhi Punjabi Saudagaran, or she could be the wife of a corrupt bureaucrat. There is no big deal in inviting 2000 guests at a wedding. (I’ll have to ask President Badar Anwer of Karachi Gymkhana whether they allow 2000 plus wedding affairs).Today, the wedding dinner is more for public relations then inviting the relatives. More emphasis is placed on the people one wants to do the PR deal with. Hey, even Altaf Hussein of MQM once invited thousands at the Valima of his trusted lieutenant, Salim Shehzad. The President and Prime Ministers routinely attend the weddings of the children of Grade 22 superannuated bureaucrats. So what ? If someone wants to be lavish they have a right too, cause it’s their moolah. And moreover, the furniture maker, the food caterer, the boutique designer, and the jeweller also have to make money, or don’t they ? The video man, the pan-wallah, and the music ensemble are ubiquitous by their presence at every function, and not just at a Memon do. And, by the way, where did you get this idea that the Halai Memons are the seths, the Kutchi Memons are the accountants, and the Sindhi Memons are the drivers. Man, you are ancient history, more like T-Rex of Jurrasaic Park.

Today, there are brave and energetic Memon leaders who are spearheading the cause of their fields with dedication and diligence. Yes, Ahmad Dawood, the 91 year old (Mashaalah), the Armand Hammer of Pakistan, is still totally involved in his vast business empire and so are a few more of his contemporaries. Sure, there will always be a Moustache Pete, doing his thing somewhere, so be it. Then we have the Young Turks, who combine the traditional Memon ethics with the most modern business practices. They care for the human element too. They understand the color of money too. They seek new markets for their products too. And they also EXCEL too. They are into giant industrial complexes and in small factories. They are pillars of the Stock Exchanges and they run the Jodia Bazar. They are leaders in textile processing and they are kings in polyester yarn (which you also mentioned). And, if Mian Nawaz Sharif wants to get the country out of the economic quagmire, he should give a Senate ticket to a Memon, get him elected, make hime the Minister of Finance, and lo and behold, Pakistan would be a country to reckon with. We talk and understand finance. We also can and like to make money. We can make the Treasury vaults filled up with cold cash. This ain’t no idle boast.

Take the various trade and industry Associations and the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Memon hierarchy, if it so wants, can have a stranglehold on most of these organizations. But the Memons are not chauvinistic. They prefer to work hand in hand with the Chiniotis and the Delhi biradari. They wait for their turn to lead like the others. They give credit whenever credit is due and do not carp and whine against any community. And thus the other communities reciprocate in the same way. I was elected the Chairman of SITE Association of Industry unopposed. I got the highest votes (70-82%) when I stood for elections as member of the Managing Committees of the Karachi Chamber, the Pakistan Readymade Garments Association, and the Pakistan Cotton Fashion Apparel Association. I always get elected unopposed as member of the Managing Committee of Employers’ Federation of Pakistan. And do you think only the Memons voted for me. No, buddy-boy, no ! And that’s just a personal example. You think I went around bad-mouthing fellow Memons to get the non-Memon vote ? Or wrote defaming articles in the national press ?

You get piqued that we invite Moin Akhter to our functions and then laugh at his jokes on Memons. Hey man, we are so generous and so warm-hearted that we never mind. The police or the lawyers or the neighborhood Mullah may get teed off if someone even tries to have fun at their expense, and so they routinely come out with press releases and protest marches. You live in the States. You know that even a Polish-American would himself tell you a "Polack" joke. Like any other member of the Muslim Ummah, we like to take advantage of every opportunity to go to Makkah and Madinah. I can only say that it is the will of Allah. May all Muslims get this favor of the Almighty. If someone told your sister in America that he is a Memon and a jannati, so what ? The Jews consider themselves the Chosen People. And every Muslim is indoctrinated from childhood that he will be a resident of Paradise. (One should pray and repent).

I am glad you have a high esteem for Edhi Sahib, although you have inserted a mean dig that "I almost don’t think of him as Memon." Yes, every man and his uncle will undoubtedly hail this Man. He has done what very few would even contemplate, let alone do. He transcends nationality, biradari, or religion to put his message and deed into the fore. I am proud that he is a Muslim, a Pakistany, and, of course, a Memon. You better believe it !

Mr Weekly Columnist, you emphatically state that "I frankly don’t care much about the Memons." You also want us to "count me out as one of your own." Well Mr Smart-Pants. I don’t know what’s your problem. Your attitude smacks of one who has been "rejected" as a potential husband to someone’s charming daughter. (I ain’t sure you’re married or not). You may have been denied a well paying position in a Memon establishment and so you wanna blow steam. (I’m assuming you want to work / do business in your homeland). Or, you are depressed because the New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers and you lost a bundle in your strong belief that the team founded by Lombardi is no match for your home team. (I’m assuming you enjoy football. I love this game, even today, and I came back from Muncie, Indiana, way back in 1973).

Since you are at present a resident of the Land of the Stars and Stripes, and since I too am a proponent of Freedom of Speech, and since the respected Editor has allotted you valuable space to vent your hatred against the community of your forefathers, I too reserve the right to speak in defense of my community. Well, if you insist to withdraw from this community, it’s your choice. I would just repeat to you, Bubba, what the kind, old African-American matron from Atlanta, Georgia said : "Hallelujah. If y’all wanna stay out, sho nuff, be gone. And you don’t come back now, you hear" !

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