BlogNAC investigates Muslim Extremism in the Indian Subcontinent

Since our intrepid BlogNAC investigative reporters were already in the neighborhood investigating Elephant Polo in Nepal we decided to extend our stay and write a little piece on extremism in India and Pakistan. While religious extremism in the Subcontinent is already a fairly well-explored and documented area of study, we at BlogNAC decided to investigate a different type of extremism, the type found in our 1997 edition of the Guiness Book of World Records which we always bring along with us on business travel.

Our first stop was in New Delhi where we hoped to interview Gul Mohammed, who according to our copy of the Guiness Book of World Records was not only the world's shortest living man, but also the shortest man ever verifiably recorded. Standing at a staggering 22 1/2 inches and weighing in at 37.5 pounds, Mr. Mohammed was to be a central figure in the investigative report.

Unfortunately, we arrived a little too interview Mr. Mohammed who passed away on October 1, 1997. Despite his fears of being done in by stray cats or dogs while eating alone or by the unruly street children who would frequently steal the wares he was selling roadside, Mr. Mohammed was ultimately felled by a more equal opportunity killer, lung cancer.

[Pictured above is Mr. Gul Mohammed. Notice the lack of concern in his eyes even as he is approached by the deceptively innocent-looking street children who will likely beat up Mr. Mohammed before making off with his samosas.]

Undeterred, we continued on across the border where we hoped to interview Pakistan's Mohammad Alam Chana, the world's tallest man according to our copy of the Guiness Book of World Records. Again our intrepid reporters were foiled by the death of our interviewee, who succumbed to kidney failure before entering a coma and dying on July 2, 1998. Damnit.

However, we did not leave Pakistan empty-handed as we managed to find Pakistan's tallest living man Naseer Soomro. Mr Soomro, like Mr. Chana, often complains that his celebrity status makes it impossible for him to go anywhere in public without large throngs of people pursuing him. The provincial government purchased Mr. Chana a specially designed car and BlogNAC hopes they do the same for Mr. Soomro.