Pakistani celebration in Lodi canceled

The annual celebration of Pakistani Independence Day, a three-year tradition in Lodi, has been canceled this year, organizers say.

The cancellation comes as the result of a lack of organization among founding members of the event, though some speculate recent news of possible terrorism links in the area might put a damper on public celebrations.

In past years, the one-day August event has featured music, dancing, food and games -- all put on by the South Asian Culture Club and Community Partnership for Families of San Joaquin County.

But this year, there wasn't enough of an organized effort to get the celebration off the ground.

Some suggest now might be an opportune time to focus on an event that would unite a politically fractured Muslim community, though the original organizers of the celebration say the decision has nothing to do with politics.

Former Lodi City Manager Dixon Flynn was actively involved in the sponsorship of past Pakistani celebrations. He is also a current member of the Breakthrough Project, an organization that promotes cultural diversity.

"Because of all the recent scrutiny ... they're probably hesitant to come out in front of (the public eye)," he said.

The community has been in the media spotlight since two mosque members were arrested for lying to federal agents about possible connections to a terrorist camp in Pakistan, while two former religious leaders were charged with immigration violations.

In addition to the arrests, several members of Lodi Muslim Mosque are embroiled in a lawsuit over control of the nonprofit religious corporation, and other members have filed suit over money spent on the Farooqia Islamic Center project, a school planned for Lower Sacramento Road.

Nawaz Shah, a former SACC member involved in the planning of the first Independence Day celebration, maintains that the group decided not to hold an event because its members have not been active.

"It's not because of political issues," he said. "It's just because everybody's busy."

Some SACC members moved on to college, while others started jobs or families, Shah added. And because there is, essentially, no club left, there won't likely be a Pakistani celebration unless a new organizer steps forward.

"If somebody else wants to do it, it's up to them," Shah said, adding that recent politics within the Muslim community had no bearing on the decision to cancel the event.

Flynn said he hopes to see the event continue in the future and that disputes between warring factions in the Muslim community will not cause people to lose sight of the importance of celebrating a culture.

"The (celebrations) we've done in the past have been very successful," Flynn said. "I know I learned a lot from them."

Contact reporter Sara Cardine at sarac@lodinews.com.