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Binny losing his market in Pakland
The third anniversary of 9/11 has not brought Pakistani poster vendor Fateh Mohammad any windfall profits, unlike past years when his pictures of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden were big sellers. The bearded 50-year-old, who earns his livelihood in the city's bustling Saddar market said he sold only seven posters until Friday, while last year 500 were purchased by fans of the man regarded a hero by Muslim zealots. "I may sell few more on 9/11, but generally people don't seem to be interested in Laden's pictures any more," Mohammad told AFP with a wry smile. For Mohammad, Hollywood characters like Harry Potter and actors like Brad Pitt are becoming more popular and their posters sell like hot cakes among the youngsters in the world's second largest Muslim country. After Pakistan abandoned the hardline Taliban regime in Afghanistan and joined the US-led war on terror in late 2001, the Osama factor remained potent among certain groups in the country. But while such sentiments are still prevalent in the conservative tribal territory along the Afghan border, they are apparently losing their commercial value. "Our business thrives on current events," said a garment dealer in Karachi who use to sell bin Laden's shirts in the past. "There is little market for Bin Laden or Saddam Hussein but with one big event they can stage a comeback and we will give fresh orders for shirts with their photographs," shopkeeper Sher Zaman told AFP. Analysts believe that euphoria created by 9/11 terror attacks on United States among Muslim hardliners has considerably died down with the passage of time. Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-09-10 |
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