Dr. Zafar Iqbal in Washington

WASHINGTON (TIP): The Global Beat Foundation of USA (TGBF) organized an online discussion on US Presidential elections on 18th October 2020.  Using Zoom technology and Facebook, the overall discussion centered on the possible impact of the election on South Asian communities in the US and in South-Asia. The overall impression of the panelists comprising South Asian scholars, social activists, and journalists was that in Pakistan national politics seems to have pushed US elections out of focus while in India President Trump dominates the narrative as PM Modi’s friend. The participants at this debate also noted most Americans were not even discussing foreign policy issues this election season.  John Lennon, a veteran Journalist with vast experience as an international reporter at the Voice of America, observed that the Presidential election 2020 is the most contentious election in his adult life. He apprised the audience of the prevailing issues facing the nation and their possible impact on the election. He mentioned the enhanced racial tensions, concerns related to surging COVID-19 infection due to the lack of comprehensive policies of the administration, increasing unemployment and its influence on economic problems, etc. Currently, there are more than 60 million people are unemployed, he said.

Saima Iqbal, a former BBC journalist, who now works for a French media outlet in New Delhi, said that the Indian media are currently centered around PM Modi’s ideology. “The coverage of the US election in India is influenced by Modi’s friendship with President Trump and the media continues to talk about “marrying of thoughts between Trump and Modi,” she added. The Indians, however, did take notice of Kamala Harris’s nomination because her mother was an Indian but quickly moved back to the Trump-Modi friendship, she added.

Farrukh Pitafi, journalist, analyst, and talk show host Pakistan Television in Islamabad observed that initially the US election generated some interest in Pakistan but as “our politics heated up, the focus moved almost entirely to national politics. Most Pakistanis believed that both Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden had similar views on Pakistan, and so “whoever comes to power, things are going to remain the same,” he added.

Misbah Azam, a Pakistani American scholar and  Talk4Pak news show host from San Jose, California, opined that the main difference between President Trump and Vice President Biden is that Trump likes to continue his “America First” policy, while Biden would be more inclined towards re-forming the US leadership role in the world which the US is losing during Trump presidency.

Meriam Sabih, a Pakistani American journalist and public speaker, Philadelphia, said that a Biden-Harris White House would be more interested in strengthening democracy in Pakistan while “a Trump presidency would be more careless on this issue.”  She urged Pakistani Americans to focus more on our local issues here and not to oppose Kamala Harris just because she was an Indian.

Fareeha Rehman, Digital editor working for a US news channel, was excited by the inclusion of a South Asian woman in this election. “A lot of South Asians are enthusiastic about someone from their own community,” she said.

Anwar Iqbal, a veteran journalist, and correspondent, Daily Dawn was the MC, and Nadeem Hotiana, former Minister Press and Information, Embassy of Pakistan moderated the discussion. Raza Rumi of Ithaca College, Cornell University, New York gave concluding remarks.