Cheema Communications
News Stories
- Bob Etheridge Receives Wide Support for 2012 North Carolina Governor Race
- Pakistani American Physicians Organize Free Clinic Day; November 19, 2011
- From Kharotabad to USA; June 14, 2011
- APPNA 2011 Summer Meeting
- Pakistani Investigative Journalist Brutally Murdered; June 1, 2011
- Palgrave Macmillan Media Release on Saleem Shahzad's Brutal Murder; June 1, 2011
(A version of this news story was published in the Houston, TX, based Pakistan Chronicle weekly)
APPNA 2011 Summer Meeting Youtube Video:
APPNA Holds 34th Annual Summer Meeting in Saint Louis
by Dr. Manzoor Cheema
Pakistani American physician organization APPNA (Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America) is one of the largest professional bodies of the Pakistani Diaspora. This year’s APPNA convention took place in Saint Louis, MO, which brought together approximately 2,500 physicians and their family members. APPNA’s president, Dr. Manzoor Tariq, described his personal experience of rising from poor family background to a successful medical career in the U.S. This achievement of upward social mobility for many Pakistani American physicians is contrasted with extreme poverty and insecurity within their native Pakistan. Consequently, many APPNA members have engaged in relief as well as social justice issues in Pakistan.
During the convention, APPNA’s alumni member AIMCAANA (Allama Iqbal Medical College Alumni Association of North America) organized a talk titled “Dare to Speak” to condemn assault against journalists in Pakistan. This talk featured Pakistani journalist Umar Cheema (no relation to me), who was tortured, widely believed, by the members of the Pakistani intelligence agencies. Other speakers included veteran Pakistani American journalist Anwar Iqbal; Bob Dietz, Asia Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); and Jonathan Friendly of Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship (AFPF) and Daniel Pearl Foundation (DPF). Funds were collected for the murdered Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad at the end of this talk. On the following day, APPJD (American Pakistani Physicians for Justice and Democracy) and WAPPNA (Women Physicians of APPNA) organized a talk against rising extremism in Pakistan, which featured Sheharbano Taseer, daughter of the slain governor Salman Taseer; famous columnist Kamran Shafi; Senator Robert Casey - member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs; and Dr. Fareeha Piracha of Sabaoon - an organization dedicated for de-programming and rehabilitation of youth suicide bombers.
This year’s convention had all the usual festivities and excitements, including APPNA bazaar, a fashion show, mushaira, concerts and a closely contested election, which led to the victory for Dr. Javed Suleman as APPNA president-elect for the year 2013. The concluding ceremony included speeches by Senator Robert Casey and Ambassador Marc Grossman – the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Beyond APPNA’s organizational focus on Pakistani American physicians, the resolve exhibited by many APPNA members to work for democracy and freedom of speech in Pakistan bodes a good omen for their native country.
Picture captions (from left): Umar Cheema received an award for courage in journalism by Senator Robert Casey; Anwar Iqbal spoke during "Dare to Speak" social forum; members of AIMCAANA organized "Dare to Speak" social forum; Shehrbano Taseer and Kamran Shafi spoke during a social forum on radicalization in Pakistan.
Picture captions (from left): Dr. Manzoor Tariq served as APPNA's 2011 president; Dr. Saima Zafar is APPNA's 2012 president-elect; and Dr. Javed Suleman is APPNA's 2013 president-elect
