HOW TO BUILD BRIDGES AND INFLUENCE CIVILIZATIONS

An Interview With World Renowned Pakistani-American Media Personality Imran Anwar


By Pakistan Times Staff



Lahore  - May 29:  Imran Anwar, the well-known Pakistani entrepreneur, and internationally recognized media expert seen regularly on global news media like Fox News Channel and CNN, is on a visit to Pakistan this week.. Known to most people as the “Father of the Internet email system in Pakistan” he is also the person who pioneered the introduction of global branded credit cards like MasterCard to Pakistani banks and consumers. The Pakistan Times got an opportunity to meet with and interview him during this visit.

 

Pakistan Times: Considering your track record of pioneering new and innovative technologies and businesses in Pakistan, we are always curious to know what your next areas of interest are for development in Pakistan.

 

Imran Anwar: Thank you for your kind words, but I am just an ordinary Pakistani with the belief that there is so much potential in this great country that anyone with an idea and conviction can achieve great things, or start the ball rolling on what become great things. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to pioneer email in Pakistan and to be the cofounder and co-owner of the top level .PK domain with an old neighbor from Lahore. But, quite frankly, if we had not done it, eventually someone else would have done it. I am only thankful to God that I was able to set the ball rolling.  Now I am planning to get the ball rolling on a private sector general aviation manufacturing industry in Pakistan.

 

PT: Your IMRAN.PK was the first Internet Service Provider of Pakistan. Why did you not remain in the technology field you pioneered in Pakistan?

 

IA: Well, IMRAN.PK became the first ISP simply because there had to be an ISP for people to start getting email even in its most basic form. But, even then, it was clear to me that the days of small-business ISPs were numbered, in Pakistan and even in America. Even in the USA a few large companies now carry the lion’s share of Internet email accounts.  So, we started small dial-up operations in Lahore, followed by Karachi, and Islamabad and with associates in several other cities. But that was to get the ball rolling. At no stage did I feel I could afford the resources needed to offer the kind of infrastructure that only large organizations can afford and that clients would demand.  So, I consider my role to be that of a catalyst, get the chain reaction started, and then get out of the way, and hope the government departments also stay out of the way of progress! (Laughing) Today there are many more Internet Service Providers in Pakistan than there are honest politicians.

 

PT: Did you do the same with the credit card industry?

 

IA: Yes, basically, at that time local banks only issued their own “delayed debit” cards that only worked at a few merchants. The idea was to help galvanize the market for credit services in Pakistan, which can be a great resource for middle class consumers and a great convenience for high-spenders.  The biggest achievement really had been to convince the major credit card brand to agree to issue their branded cards in Pakistan. When I had flown from New York to Singapore to meet the Chief Executive of their Asia Pacific operations, he had shown me a list of countries that they considered “sovereign risks” – that is, they could not even be sure if those countries would survive in the next 20 years.  I tell you, it can be quite shocking to see one’s homeland listed on such a list.. Fortunately, they agreed to take a chance on my premise that the Pakistani market was going to be a great and successful venture for them and it appears to be that way when I see how many people are using these cards here today.

 

PT: What are the lessons you can teach people from your achievements and your contributions to Pakistan?

 

IA: (Laughing) Well, I would not dare imagine I can “teach a lesson” to anyone – especially considering how many people carry illegal weapons these days! But, I think, all I have learnt myself, and what I hope others observe and put to use, is a simple fact of life, that most of the people I speak to or receive emails from seem to have forgotten. ONE PERSON CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.

 

PT: Do you mean one person can solve all the problems by himself?

 

IA: No, it does not mean if you or I just take some steps 1-2-3 and suddenly a miracle occurs and all problems are solved. It means you, or I, or the person reading this interview, simply says: “Someone has to take the first step to get the ball rolling. I choose to be that person.” As we saw in the Internet Service Provider example, the simple IMRAN.PK operation started the ball rolling, with a couple of PCs, modems and rudimentary software a few years ago. Then it is the natural scheme of business, technology and life. A good idea or a good business concept will take on a life of its own. It gains momentum as more and more people benefit from it - and more and more people get into the business. This leads to what I call a positive circle instead of the vicious circle of hopelessness or negative expectations many people tend to fall into.

 

PT: Why do we not see more examples of such “positive circles”?

 

IA: Well, there are many more capable people than me doing wonderful things even more than I can. But, in general, except for a few exceptions, our problem is that we are all waiting for miracles or magic potions to solve our problems overnight – while missing out on thousands of opportunities to get the ball rolling in whatever small way we can. This applies in business, technology, and life.  If you and I choose to arrange for one poor child to get healthcare or a decent education, the world will not suddenly become perfect. But, if others follow our example, do even better than we did, we can start mini-revolutions, sometimes without even leaving the comfort of our homes.

 

PT: We often see you on Fox News Channel and CNN. Can you tell us a little more about that?

 

IA: Of course. One of the biggest problems we Pakistanis face as a nation, and we Muslims face as an Ummah, is that because of the actions of a few extremists, fanatics and misguided people, the entire Ummah has been branded terrorists and Islam is maligned in the Western media. Instead of understanding that in today’s interconnected world the battle in the media is sometimes even more important than in the battlefield, we simply assume we can do nothing about it.  

 

PT: What has been your experience with the Western media and especially about Fox that many people believe is anti-Islam and anti-Muslim?

 

IA: Well, it is a little more complex than that. Not only are there gross misconceptions about Islam and Muslims, it sometimes appears that our religion has been hijacked by a few fanatics. Then the whole world, with the help of the major global media, believes untruths about Islam.  Our lack of action or response or visibility makes the problem worse.

 

PT: Please explain that.

 

IA: Unfortunately, there are no major or well-known Muslim names among the global media commentators.  Even the few Muslims we see on-air on global channels, including people with Pakistani backgrounds, are more than happy to criticize Muslims, openly attack Pakistan and show their true colors.  This is on top of the attacks on Islam, Pakistan and Muslims that we endure from most of the other commentators anyway. So the challenge is not to have someone simply speaking the mantra that “Muslims are perfect” but credible commentators, who are considered fair, balanced and objective.. This way the global audience listens to their opinions with an open mind.

 

PT: But what about the assertion that Fox News Channel is anti-Islam?

 

IA: I am fortunate to be interviewed by some of the best news anchors in the business on Fox News Channel, which has made quite an impression on the worldwide audience and especially in the USA. Many people criticize Fox for being too conservative or even “right-wing” and some even accuse it of Islam-bashing. The fact is that I have always been on-air with sharp, incisive and knowledgeable people. I have had on-air discussions with smart people like David Asman, Linda Vester, Bob Sellers, Eric Shawn, to name a few.. I have regular exchanges of views with globally respected anchors like Rita Cosby. I am often invited on-air on their shows like Fox News Live and the most popular Fox & Friends weekday and weekend shows. These shows are hosted by many different people.  They have different interests, opinions and backgrounds. The programs are in many different formats, reaching totally different audience segments.  So, it has been my experience that the Producers at Fox News Channel and their bookings people do their best to be objective and fair.

 

PT: So are Muslims equally and fairly represented in the media?

 

IA: Well, it is not quite that perfect. While I do not find a “conspiracy” to condemn or block Muslims from getting on air, it is true that there is not a single Muslim anchor on any of the major channels, not just Fox.  Part of the problem is that there is not that large a number of Muslim Americans who are active in the electronic media like TV. The second issue is that it is not even recognized as a problem.  Even in non-news and non-cable TV shows there are hardly any Muslim or Pakistani-Indian-South Asian type characters, even in shows based in the purely cosmopolitan city of New York, which is teeming with people from these countries.   The few that there have been seen, tend to follow ridiculous stereotypes of stupid people who shake their heads when they speak.  So, the American media organizations need to be more aware of this issue.

 

PT: How can this problem be solved?

 

IA: The hottest issues in the news these days generally relate to Muslim countries. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America. There are far more Muslims than other religious minorities in America, but they are almost totally invisible in American TV and news programming. We do not need some “Muslim quota” for the TV channels to fill. Instead, we need more bold, outspoken, objective and reasonable people willing to express honest and intelligent opinions. We need Muslim viewers and audience members in different countries to communicate with the media organizations.  If they see some bigotry or biased coverage, they should complain, loudly and clearly. If they see something good, they should send a quick email in appreciation. Sometimes media organizations are not even aware that they are being perceived as biased or unfair, because people do not even take the time to send an email or letter to the media organization.  With just a little effort, and two-way communications, we can achieve much better, balanced and fair coverage for Muslims and Islam. This will help the rest of the World understand Muslims and Islam much better. That will help build bridges between civilizations and make the world a safer, happier, place.