|
“The next President must deliver a speech to major Muslim forum within
first 100 days of Presidency”
Dr. Raza Bokhari, CEO of Parkway Clinical Laboratories
We
are fond of quoting success stories from Indian and American Jewish
community, not realizing that Pakistani American community has matured
significantly not only in exploring business opportunities available in
the ‘the land of milk and honey’ but also in the field of medicine and
civic and political engagements. Dr. Raza Bokhari, an MD turned
entrepreneur, is one such example. He truly is pride of Pakistani American
community, a model we all should endeavor to follow.
Mr.
Bokhari has a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Punjab,
Rawalpindi Medical College, and an Executive MBA from Temple University,
Fox School of Business & Management. That’s because “my calling was more
toward healthcare business executive as opposed to a practicing doctor,”
says Dr Bokhari while describing his switch of fields.
In
October 2004, Philadelphia Business Journal (PBJ) named Dr.
Bokhari’s company, Parkway Clinical Laboratories, as one of the top three
small businesses to work for in the greater Philadelphia area. Parkway
Clinical Laboratories had made significant place in the field of testing
for substance abuse.
In
January 2007, Mr. Bokhari traveled to Malaysia and Indonesia on a State
Department public diplomacy speaking circuit. In one of the gathering he
was the agent of ‘hope’ and ‘change,’ in another people told him that he
sounded like President Bush.
He
describes himself as a moderate Republican who believes in stem cell
research and supports the concept of fiscal responsibility.
Dr.
Bokhari met with the Senator from Illinois, and a Democratic presidential
candidate Barrack Obama last week. Though a registered Republican, he has
donated to Republican as well as Democrats’ campaigns. He and his wife
contributed to Obama campaign last year– “I make contributions to have a
mind share and hope that as an outcome of interaction…we learn something
from them and they learn from us.”
Like
most, he finds Mr. Obama a “charming” man with “great sense of humor.” In
his book, Obama had mentioned that he took drugs as a teenager, a
personality aspect that earned him front page coverage at the New York
Times.
In
their meeting Senator Obama asked Mr. Bokhari if he should be tested for
substance abuse. To which Mr. Bokhari responded “Not today where you
stand.” Nevertheless it is not a farfetched thought as McCain’s contact
with female lobbyist was a sort of scandal.
At the occasion, Mr. Bokhari presented Obama
with a self authored paper titled “How
to curb Anti-American Sentiments in Pakistan.”
In the
paper, one of the reasons he cites
for anti-American sentiments in Pakistan is
“Threats
by some US Presidential candidates to unilaterally attack al-Qaeda targets
in Pakistan and [to] take control of Pakistan’s nuclear assets in the wake
of political instability.”
He presented the same paper to Senator John
McCain. Very rightly, Dr. Bokhari felt that the presidential candidates
need to know about Pakistan from someone who knows Pakistan, realizing
that democracy is important for Pakistanis but bombing is not a good idea.
He, however, feels that McCain is “a closet
Democrat,” which is why conservative Republicans do not trust him as
much. But McCain-Huckabee ticket, he feels, can be “a hell.” Even more
unlikely is Clinton-Obama pair.
Many American Muslims are skeptical of
presidential candidates when it comes to civil rights. In his paper to
McCain and Obama, Mr. Bokhari urges all
Presidential candidates to
“embrace Senator Obama’s pledge to deliver a
keynote speech to a major Muslim forum in the first 100 days of office to
dispel misperceptions that war against terrorism is a war against Islam
and make Pakistan as the venue to make that speech.”
Dr.
Bokhari has hosted parties and get-togethers for Senator Arlen Specter,
Congressman Pat Murphy and many other federally elected officials’ in his
house. Congressman Murphy, who has endorsed Mr. Obama, had invited Mr.
Bokhari to be his guest in one of the events where Obama was also present.
His
allegiance to President Bush can be translated to his utter support of
President Musharraf. Mr. Bokhari, like President Bush, feels that “we
can’t throw Musharraf under the bus,” and hopes that General ® Musharraf
clings on to power as President for another few years. However he agrees
that he has lost his popularity after March 9th, 2007.
He
advises the new Pakistani leadership “to go on a campaign to educate
people that war on terror is not American war only, it’s a global war.
There has to be an open dialogue [to fight it] and demonizing the US on
the streets of Pakistan is not helping anyone and this has to be
realized.” At the same time he is embarrassed to learn that Asif Ali
Zardari, Ms. Benazir Bhutto’s widower, is trying to be a Prime Minster
when he had declared that he does not wish to be a Prime Minister.
To promote education in Pakistan, he supports
Obama’s $2-billion Global Education Fund. The funds, he suggests, should
be spent in Pakistan where madrassas are preaching hatred. He feels
that “this is not the war of clash of civilization, this war is created by
a very few, who are not in minority, who wish to create chaos by adopting
ghastly measures, enforcing division between Islam and the West.”
He feels that we should not negotiate with
terrorists who are creating havoc in the Northwest of Pakistan because you
can’t make peace if you’re not willing to fight for it. He concedes that
weapons are not the way to make peace.
Mr.
Bokhari has been the President of Pakistani American Public Affairs
Committee (PAKPAC). He feels that “the community is engaged in volunteer
spirit and is doing pretty good job given limited resources and time.” He
appreciates individual’s contributing time to bringing awareness in the
Pakistani American community.
As a
business executive he feels that “Pakistan has done remarkably well
economically.” He goes on to say that “in rural Pakistan, not much has
changed, but in urban Pakistan there has been great prosperity.” The
statement sounds ironic given the food and energy crisis in Pakistan.
Nonetheless Dr. Raza Bokhari is the embodiment of American Dream come
true, a reason for which many many people immigrate to the United States
of America. In Pakistani American community, he is a success story that
must be told to encourage those who are striving toward a better life in
America.
|