I have shifted my blog to musingsofabub.wordpress.com. All news posts will now be published there.

Thank you. 

Of religious extremism and the like

On 13^th May, 2015, approximately 43 were killed (of which 16 were women) and 13 others were injured near Safoora Chowk in Karachi, when 6 armed assailants opened fire inside a bus full of members of the Ismaili community. Half a dozen children were reported to have been murdered as well

It seems like another daily dose of sectarian violence. Another day in Pakistan. Another minority, another sect, another community murdered. Another group of people shot over their beliefs. Another massacre of the people of Pakistan. Another planned attack. Another daily dose, another day.

I do not know what is more upsetting: that people are being killed brutally just over a difference of religion, or that people are defending the terrorists and calling the victims Kafir and claiming that the attack was “well-deserved”. Truly, I have never seen a nation as united as Pakistan when it comes to cricket and hating India, and as divided as Pakistan when it comes to Islam. A minor difference of opinion between one sect and another, and the sects declare each other Kafir. A difference over how one sect offers their prayers, and they are declared Kafir. A difference over how one sect offers they yearly pilgrimage, and they are declared Kafir. One little difference is all it takes for the leaders of one sect to rise to the status of God and declare all the other sects Kafir.

Not only are the illiterates trying to sit in the place of God and declaring who deserves to live and who doesn’t, even the literates aren’t far behind. They will be liberal in every single aspect of life, but when it comes to Islam, their conservative opinions state that anyone with a slightly different belief is nothing short of a Kafir. Not only do I blame the terrorists and the conservative mullahs for the ruins that this country is in now, I blame the literates as well for their claims of only themselves being Muslims enough and no one else rising up to their standards of Islam; that Islam of whose principles they might not even be aware of.

The cities of Pakistan are weeping blood, the roads have become red rivers. Every part of Pakistan’s earth has absorbed the blood of innocent “Kafirs”. Schools and colleges are bleeding. Mosques, temples and churches are bleeding. And now, the streets and roads are bleeding too. No one is safe because according to these barbarians, we are all not Muslims. We are all infidels in the eyes of the terrorists. We are all wajib-ul-qatal in the minds of the conservatives. And we will be, till these terrorists are wiped off the face of the earth.

On the other hand are our “brave” and “courageous” politicians, our leaders, who stand up in front a few journalists, with a hundred bodyguards behind them, condemning the attack and declaring a war against terrorists and declaring that justice will be served. An approximate of Rs. 5 lakhs will also be donated to the affected families, as if that is the price of the life of their loved one. When the press conference ends, they’ll walk back to their respective limousines and drive back to their well-protected mansions and forget about it within minutes. No justice will be served. No culprit will be caught. Life will move on until another attack takes place.

I don’t demand for justice anymore. I don’t demand for equality any more. I don’t demand for anything anymore, except for the right to live. Every citizen of Pakistan from the poor to the rich, from Sunnis to Shias to Ahmadis to Christians to Hindus to atheists, from children to elders, from males to females to transgender, every human should be given the right to live. That is all I ask from my leaders now. That is all I expect of them. Nothing more. Everything less.

Women, time to stand up for your own self

Every day, I read articles about cheating husbands, abusive boyfriends, men who mock and jeer at women they’re involved with. Every day, I hear women hating on men and complaining about the independence they have never gotten from their significant others. Every day, I listen to the same whining over and over and over again. And it got me thinking.

Have these women ever tried to save themselves?

Why must all women depend on men? What is with this norm in our society that has led all women, or most of them anyway, to believe they cannot possibly survive without a man in their life? Why can women not believe they alone are enough for themselves, that they can educate themselves, get a job, work, and support themselves? Why do these women want everything handed out to them on a silver platter? That if, God forbid, they are divorced or separated from the husbands and have children to support, they don’t need their ex-husband to support them; they can pretty much do it on their own by working. Why this dependency on men, why this belief that without a man, a woman is nothing?

I completely disagree with the concept that a women always needs a man in her life in order to live it happily. She can do it quite well on her own, she just needs to know that. Abusive and cheating men should be punished, and they should be bashed for treating women in demeaning ways. They should even be ostracised from the society. But, on the other hand, why should women wait for someone to save them? If they are in an abusive relationship, why can’t they be strong and get out of it, no matter how difficult it seems? It’s not easy to get out of a relationship, much less a marriage, but why not take some action to take control of one’s life instead of complaining to the whole world about how badly their husbands have treated them? Would the readers be able to save you? Would they be able to do anything except to pray for you? Would they be able to save you from the hurt and pain? No. Only you can help yourself. Only you can save your mind and soul.

The problem with our society is that a lot of mothers teach their daughters right from the beginning that they need a man, and encourage them to fantasize about marriage all the time, so they have absolutely no aim in life other than that. Then, when, in rare cases (which are increasingly becoming frequent), the marriage backfires with men cheating and abusing and beating and lying and betraying, they do not want to give up the marriage because they have been brought up to believe that the ending of a marriage is, in fact, the ending of a women’s life, socially, mentally, maybe even physically.  

There are several women who have been beaten with sticks and thrown acid on, and they still choose to stay with their husbands. When asked why, they say “The beating of a man is also a sign of his love. It’s when he stops beating me that I get worried." What can you say to someone who thinks like this? How can you possibly save someone who doesn't even want to save their own self? 

But on the other hand, those women also exist who have stood up for their own rights. Women who have been strong enough to separate or divorce themselves and their children from abusive husbands. Women who have been courageous enough to leave a husband who has cheated on them. Women who have stood up to men who have done nothing but insult them. Brave women. Valiant women. Fearless women.

It's high time us women started thinking about our own selves for once, instead of thinking about what the society thinks. It's about time for us to take some action, to take control of our own lives and to let no one dominate it. It's about time we stood up to men who have cheated on us and abused us, verbally and physically. It's about time we saved ourselves instead of waiting for a superhero. It's time.

                                                                                                                         

Guest Post - Why is the right of woman to cover themselves so controversial?

Can you imagine being made to feel like you do not belong? Can you imagine being made to feel that you are inferior because of a piece of clothing? That your ideals are wrong if they are different from the norm? This is something that people faces even today. With time, our society is becoming more and more judgemental and narrow minded. Today, we see various campaigns trying to promote and diversity, trying to make people feel comfortable in their own skin. But the moment a a yellow flower appears in the midst of red roses, it is plucked out. We are indeed promoting diversity but only vocally, the truth is that tolerance for difference of opinion is scarce. Everyone wishes to be different but is not ready to accept the individuality of others. 

Recently, a controversy commenced in Canada regarding the hijab that Muslim women wear. A few days back a Quebec judge refused to hear a Muslims womans case only because she was wearing a head scarf. In her defense, the judge recited Article 13 of the regulations of the Court of Quebec. That article states: "Any person appearing before the court must be suitably dressed," so, leaving it to the discretion of the presiding judge. What this article does is send a message to the people that if a judge decided to discriminate against a certain person then he or she has the right to do so. Basically, the law in this case gives the judge a free hand. This can backfire easily, like it did in this case. Canada is known for its peaceful and tolerant environment, and indeed it is so but here a person of the law tried to abuse their power, while in reality it was not abuse at all. It was actually approved by law.

This sends us a dangerous message. A message that courts can now openly condone discrimination while using the excuse of secularism. The irony is that the first and foremost reason why the hijab is worn by Muslim women is so that they are not subjected to superficial discernment and are not judged by their attire and outward appearances but are rather judged by their character and views. Alas, the western world has objectified Muslim women by reducing them to the garment they choose to wear. It is sad but the fact is that liberals are liberal when it comes to their own use.  If it clashes with their own ideals then even the liberals back off.

We have reached the 21st century but the debate over a woman's clothing is still going on. What's mind boggling is that society accept women with revealing and minimal clothes, but if she decided to cover herself up then it must be condemned. Why is it so unfathomable to imagine that a woman might not feel comfortable in exposing herself to the world? What we do not realize is that revealing and minimal clothes are accepted because man feeds off of them while covered clothes are looked down upon because they do not flaunt a woman's beauty enough to pleasure a passerby's eyes.

The thing is, no matter what a woman decided to wear, it is her choice. It is absurd to think that if she decided to cover herself then she must have been forced. While no one considers the fact that maybe she was forced to reveal herself by wearing mini skirts or shorts by her family. Yes, Islam does ask its followers to cover themselves and practice simplicity, but why is Islam always targeted? Why doesn't anyone question why the nuns cover themselves? A Muslim woman can be asked to take off her head scarf, which to her is not only a garment but a safety blanket while a nun will be respected because of her veil. 

In my experience, mostly people appreciate and respect women who wear a head scarf. I have never been targeted because of my veil but to think that in a part of the world, the act of a woman choosing to cover herself is banned is ludicrous. Today, almost every nation speaks of gender equality and diversity. Then why was the ban of the headscarf in France not condemned enough? Isn't it atrocious to ban a person from following their beliefs? Beliefs that are not hurting or proving to be injurious to anyone. On what basis can you ask a woman or even a man to leave their beliefs? On what grounds can you ask them to stop following the teachings of their religion when they are not hurting anyone? The result is that Muslims and other minorities are being made to feel like second or third-class citizens in their own homes.

The positive outcome from the case in Canada is that many people have condemned this discrimination. There is no logic on banning a piece of clothing other than to impose your will on another person, 'live and let live.' The point is not just about a Muslim woman. It is about diversity. A diverse nature and people make our surroundings beautiful and it is the responsibility of those in power to ensure equality and tolerance, only that will make us a more tolerable and open society.

This post is written by Sana Ahmad who tweets at @sanaahmad95

Hate and Discriminate - The Words of the Day

Walk over to someone on the street. Anyone. Choose at random. Tell them women deserve to be equal to men. Watch their happy, smiling face slowly transform into a devilish face, full of fury and rage. Watch them tell you through gritted teeth that women can never be equal to men, that their job is to stay home, do household chores and be a baby-making machine. Watch them yell furiously about how your theory is idiotic and stupid. Watch them seethe in rage. And walk away.

Go to another person on the street, specifically a person who has a beard and is wearing shalwar kameez. Tell them everyone who says they are a Muslim, are. Even the Shias and the Ahmadis. Watch them spit on the ground at your theory. Watch them then laugh in your face for how delusional you are. Watch them call you a Kafir for even thinking that way. Watch them say Shias and Ahmadis are Wajib-ul-Qatal. Then walk away.

Go to yet another person on the street. A well-to-do man, this time. You’ll notice by the way he walks, and his suit will speak volumes of his money, anyway. Go up to him and tell him that he and his servant should be treated equally. They are both humans, they are both the descendants of Hazrat Adam, therefore, they are equal. Watch him turn red in rage. Watch him shout at you for telling him such foolish stuff. Watch him tell you how much he earns and how less of it is given to his servant. Watch him tell you that servants are to be treated as lesser human beings. Watch him. Then smile at him and walk away.  

Now, walk up to a female, a very materialistic one, which will be obvious by her attire and her strut. Tell her you know she uses her charms to get ahead in line for payment of a utility bill, or for any kind of work she needs done. Watch her open her mouth in horror. Watch her tell you of your audacity to say that even though she knows it’s true. Watch her flip her hair and tell you you’re not important enough to be talking to her anyway, because she believes she is a celebrity. Smirk, and walk away.

Now, sit down and think. Why did everyone get so riled up when they were compared to people of the other gender, religions and color? Why were they furious at the whole point of equality? What could you possibly have said that made them so angry as to end up insulting you but not accepting the idea of living peacefully and harmoniously?

The answer is hate. The answer is discrimination. The two words that everyone lives by. On the outside, everyone will admit openly that they have never hated anyone and that they have never discriminated against anyone. However, deep inside, they all do. Sorry, scratch that. WE all do. Because that’s how 95% of Pakistan has been brought up. To hate anyone who is different. To detest anyone who talks about living harmoniously. To shout and yell at anyone who talks about being equals with people we consider as lesser human beings.

The concept of living in peace and equality only seems perfect while it’s written on paper; in actual implementation, it seems quite difficult. It’s difficult to make a servant, who you’ve been abusing and scolding and torturing over the tenure of his service, feel as if he is your equal. It’s difficult for most men to believe women should educate themselves and go work. Likewise, it’s difficult for women to believe that not all men are out there to discriminate, insult, abuse, torture, rape, kidnap, or kill them. It’s difficult for a religious extremist to believe that people who he has been calling an infidel for the better part of his life, might just be Muslims. Therefore, we all choose the easier way out: we hate. And we discriminate.

The results of this hatred and discrimination are devastating. Feminist groups now don’t call out for equality; they raise slogans of hatred against men. On the other hand, men raise their hands on their wives and daughters to make sure they don’t even THINK about going out because that way, according to him, they’d be defined as sluts. Religious extremists give sermons on infidels and order people to wage war against them, resulting in the massacre of hundreds of minorities each year. And lastly, the master regards his servant with such abuse that the servant thinks of himself less as a human and more as an animal.

But why? Why doesn’t it stop? Why must this all go on? Why is equality such an easy concept only on paper and not in actual practice? Why must we hate? Can’t all of this just stop? Can’t we all unite? Why must we divide? Why?

It’s high time we decided what’s more important. Our own egos or the bigger picture. Our self-made problems or the actual problems that exist in this world. Celebrities talk of how they want to achieve world peace, but world peace starts at the individual level. By the art of tolerating. Not only another person’s habits and flaws, but also an opinion which might be different from ours. By the art of love. By the art of tolerance. This is the only way that hate and discrimination can be eradicated. Therefore, spread love. Spread harmony. Spread peace. And stop hating. Stop discriminating. And definitely stop the unnecessary bias against people who have nothing against you.

World peace, here we come!

Freedom Of Speech, And The Hypocrisy That Entails It

On Wednesday, 7^th January, 2014, two armed terrorists entered the Charlie Hebdo offices and opened fire, killing 12 people including caretakers and journalists. Witnesses reported that the gunmen were shouting “Allah-u-Akbar” (God is Great) while shooting and claimed that they avenged the insults hurled at the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) that were prominent in the caricatures made by the cartoonist of the infamous magazine.

The West came out on the streets, claiming that freedom of speech is their right, and they can say whatever they want about whatever they want and no one should shoot them down for it because it is their right to speak freely. But why is their freedom of speech only applicable to Islam and Muslims? Why is their freedom of speech limited to making cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and laughing on them? The incident has greatly disheartened me because of the image these so-called Muslims (read: terrorists) are spreading regarding the religion of peace, that is Islam. But as they say, and rightly so, there are black sheep in every community, society and religion. While there are Muslims all over the world who are spreading the true message of Islam in the form of peace, there are extremists and terrorists as well, who are killing in the name of the very God who taught them to live in harmony.

As a Pakistani, I'm used to this – terrorists killing in the name of Allah, extremists claiming they are following the true Islam, assailants declaring that they are clearing the Earth of all the “dirt and mud”. I'm used to all of that. So, even though it came as a shock that something like this happened in the West, it did not come as much of a surprise that these so-called “Muslim” extremists were behind it. What shocked me more was the reaction from the West. They declared this as an attack on the freedom of speech and said that it was “just a cartoon” and “all in good humour” and “it was nothing to be insulted about”.

So I ask the people of the West this – would you tolerate it if anyone raised a finger on something you firmly believed it? Would you be able to endure the laughter and mockery on your religion that would, according to the people mocking it, be all in “good humour”? Putting religion aside, if someone abused you, or your wife, or your parents, or your children, claiming it was his right of freedom of speech, how would you feel? As a woman, if a completely random person came up to you and insisted that women are inferior to men, and they shouldn't be allowed to vote, work or go out in general, would you be completely okay with it or would you feel frustrated because of someone limiting your life and your beliefs?

I am not in any way advocating in favour of the attack, because it was not only uncalled for; it was completely inhumane and barbaric. However, being given the right to freedom of speech does not mean that a person gets the right to abuse, insult or humiliate another person’s faith and belief. The right to having an opinion comes with a huge responsibility; that of expressing an opinion without humiliating someone else. Express it in such a way so as to not offend anyone. Because if the situations were reversed, and an offensive opinion about their religion or beliefs was publicized, they wouldn't be able to tolerate it either.  

When Islam is ridiculed and mocked, people tend to give it the name of free speech. If Christianity or Judaism or Buddhism is mocked, the same people claim that it is hate speech. So why is Islam the only religion that should be mocked in the name of free speech? Why is that not considered hate speech? Why is Islam being judged on the action of a few extremist black sheep, who probably don't even know what Islam actually teaches? Is Islam so degraded that if I, a Muslim, travel to France or Germany or Denmark, I'd be ostracised completely just because of the religion I belong to? Would that be fair? Or would that be considered a hate crime?

I believe freedom of speech is a right that transforms almost everyone into a hypocrite; not because people start stating opinions that aren't exactly theirs, but because they state their own opinions too crudely and brutally, not keeping in mind the fact that other people might get insulted. And when the same situation is inflicted on them, that is, when others indirectly insult them and then declaring it was just their idea of “freedom of speech”, they get offended. Therefore, freedom of speech does have some limitations, and I believe we would all be in a much more harmonious position if we were to limit ourselves to them instead of overstepping them, leading to violent clashes and chaos.

Furthermore, hate speech in the name of freedom of speech is not only a crime, it is obvious racism. And the only way to remove this is to believe in equality, and to unite in the face of terrorists. Be in harmony. Stop hating. Stop blaming. Start loving. Start uniting. Terrorists exist in every religion and community, but that does not, in any way, make the respective religion or community responsible for it. As someone said rightly so - "Don't blame religion if your perspective is stained". Therefore, I believe hate speech should not be tolerated by giving it the title of freedom of speech, and anyone who does so, should suffer the consequences. 

Peshawar bleeds dry - 16th December, 2014

16^th December, 2014 has turned out to be the worst possible ending of the year 2014 with 130 people killed, out of which 120 were children and more than 150 injured.

It all began on the morning of 16^th December, 2014, when six to eight militants entered the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar and opened gunfire and blasted bombs, killing anyone who came in their way. The counts started from 7 children dying to the martyrdom of 130 people, within a few hours, at the hands of these terrorists. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the dreadful massacre.

Twitter and Facebook was full of concerned youngsters and adults when the death count was increasing; people who were not even related to the deceased or the injured were just as worried for the safety of the children of the nation, the children of Peshawar. Silent prayers were on the lips of every Pakistani today. Every Pakistani was waiting for it all to end, everyone was hoping to wake up from this horrible nightmare to realize it wasn’t true. All citizens of our beloved Pakistan were united, with eyed glued to their televisions, praying, and hoping against hope, because there wasn’t much else they could do to help.

I watched the parents and relatives of the dead, running about frantically in search of their loved ones. Mothers were fainting, bursting into terrifying wails on hearing the news of their children being brought back from school in a coffin. Fathers were torn apart after being informed that they would have to organize a funeral of their child. Brothers and sisters of the deceased could not imagine that they would now have to live a life without their siblings.

I watched the bloody bodies of the injured being rushed to the hospital on my TV. I saw 130 coffins being prepared for their respective funerals. I saw the coffins with the tiny bodies of the children in it, being carried by fathers, brothers, relatives and volunteers. I watched little kids being rescued by the Pakistan Army and running to their parents, with tears streaming down their face. Every channel I turned to, I saw two things: chaos and fear.

It’s a feeling so terrifying that it cannot be explained in words – the bewildering feeling of thinking what makes the terrorists do something so barbaric, horrendous and inhumane so as to kill children, little innocent children, who had done nothing wrong except for waking up and going to school? What makes them turn into such cruel and vicious creatures who kill 130 people and believe that they have successfully achieved their Heaven? What makes them believe that taking revenge because of the Zarb-e-Azb operation, by taking the lives of children could somehow be justified? But I wonder why I even ask these questions when I know the terrorists have no remorse or guilt, that they have died at the hands of the Pakistan Army but their fellow terrorists are probably dancing around in glee at the “success” of the operation.

A statement by the spokesperson of the TTP was released in which he said – “It’s a revenge attack for the army offensive in North Waziristan.” They were so intent on hurting the Army officials in every way possible that they entered one room and just asked the children inside to raise their hands if their fathers were in the Army. All the kids who did were shot point blank. Such is the barbarism of these animalistic Taliban. Even animalistic sounds like an unreasonable word to justify them, because even animals take care of their young.

I heard a statement of one of the elder students who survived. He said – “the terrorist entered our room and told us to recite the kalma.” Why did he order them to recite it? Because he wanted to kill them as a Muslim. Another statement of a father of a martyred child gave me chills down my spine. He said – “my son went to school in a uniform, and he came back in a kafan.” Another father said – “My child has not wanted to go to school today, oh how I wish I had listened to him”.

The fact of the matter is this – 130 people have died today (141 as of the latest count), over a 100 people have been injured, but these are just statistics for us now. We do not mourn human lives anymore. We do not have sympathy anymore. We do not feel the pain anymore. We feel horrified today, but by tomorrow we will have forgotten and we will have moved on to something else to cry about.

The government has announced a 3-day mourning for the lives lost. Did they give any thought to the mother whose whole life will not be spent in mourning? Did they give any thought on the emptiness of the houses of the families of the deceased? Did they give any thought to the children who will now be scared of going to school to achieve education? Did they give a thought to the stress disorders that will haunt the surviving children and their families, and all of Pakistan for the rest of their lives?

Political leaders have “condemned” the attack. They have demanded an investigation, and they have asked their officials to increase the securities of school. But does it make any difference? What use is the security, now that so many children have lost their lives? What use is the security to the dead children now? What use is the condemnation which is just a façade to show to the nation? What use is the investigation which will be left in the middle of nowhere?

Today is truly a black day. Today is truly a day of mourning. Today is truly a day when the nation lost their own children, their own future, and their own next generation. No words said can be meaningful enough to lessen the excruciating pain of this incident. But I have a prayer – that may God take His revenge. May God bless the martyrs. May God bless the affected families. May God burn the terrorists in hell. And may God make Pakistan, the Land of the Pure – pure from evil, pure from massacres and pure from terrorists. May God save Pakistan. 

Blasphemy Law: A Blasphemy In Itself

A couple of weeks ago, social media burst with the news of a video of Junaid Jamshed where he insulted the wife (Hazrat Ayesha) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In this video, Junaid Jamshed insulted Hazrat Ayesha, trying to prove a point about how women are flawed and defected.

As soon as the video went viral and people started hurling abuses at him for giving such insulting remarks to the wife of the most revered Prophet in Islam, Jamshed made a video, apologizing for his remarks, and claimed that he is a flawed human, and that since he gives lectures thrice a day, a mistake of this caliber was bound to happen. The video captures him putting his hands in front of people, crying, and begging them to forgive him for committing such a horrifying mistake.

While, most of the people believed Jamshed’s apology and forgave him for the video, I believe otherwise. I believe that he does not get to make such a horrendous mistake and then get away with it just by making a video, with tears streaming down his face. I will not even talk about whether he bothered to ask forgiveness from Allah, because that is a matter which will remain between the two of them. However, does him being a popular figure mean that he is exempt from all the sins he commits, just by making a video? Why then were the other accused persons not allowed a chance to spare a few minutes and make a similar video? Why was Asia bibi imprisoned and not given a chance to defend herself? All the accused would have been either alive or free, living their life normally instead of rotting in jail for Section 295-C which claims: Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.

This does not in any way mean that I support the blasphemy case that has been filed against Jamshed. He has lowered the status of women in Islam, even though they are given a much higher status. He tends to degrade them instead of dignifying them. However, all of that aside, my question is this – why is the blasphemy law not equal for everyone? Why are people defending Jamshed, and where were they when all the others were being accused and killed for blasphemy? Why were those perpetrators never caught?

Jamshed has been known to flee Pakistan to United Kingdom soon after the blasphemous video went viral. No one will admit this but everyone knows that he is not coming back anytime soon, not until this case is closed, not until his own fellow citizens forgive him, and most importantly, not until everyone forgets about this and finds somebody else to blame everything on. It does make me think that he is lucky he has the money and resources to fly away to another country, while Asia bibi, who was also accused of blasphemy and was arrested and imprisoned, had nowhere to escape to.

The blasphemy laws, giving the right in the hands of man, to hand out a death sentence or a life imprisonment penalty, have given liberty to many a people to accuse their enemies of blasphemy, thereby allowing them to punish them for crimes they might not even have committed. While our country is called the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, these laws are in no way Islamic and they need to be removed if the citizens of Pakistan are to live their life in peace. 

All apologies

Dear person with the bad eye,

I apologize for my rude behavior. I should not have stared at you so blatantly for having a bad eye. I should not have stared at you because you were different. It wasn’t your fault that you were born with it. You did not ask to be this different. I’m sure you must have had a difficult time going about, with people awkwardly looking at your eye, just like I did.

You were so polite, helping me buy the Converse I had come to buy. You even went out of your way to give me a 10% discount. You even told me I could replace my Converse if I didn’t find them too comfortable. You told me to come back soon for the new stock. You told me to have a nice day. Basically, you were nothing short of a perfect gentleman.

But I kept staring at your eye. While on one hand, I was trying my level best to pretend you were just as normal as I was, on the other hand, I couldn’t stop thanking God it was you and not me. I felt ashamed of myself for ostracizing you from my definition of normal but I couldn’t help it and I want to apologize to you for that.

I’m sure you must have met a lot of people in your life who mocked you or jeered at you because of your eye. You must have experienced people cringing at you when they see your face. You must have faced rejection while making friends, while applying for jobs, while just trying to live your life as normally as you possibly could. And I apologize for that. You see, us, normal people, we have a disability too, of the mental kind. We just can’t accept people who have physical disabilities. We can’t “hang out” with people who have a defect of any sort, because some time or the other, we end up letting them know we think they’re abnormal, they’re peculiar, they’re weird, that they’re just not like us.

All I want to say is a sorry and a thank you. A sorry for being so rude, for making you feel like you weren’t, when actually you are more normal than most of us “normal” beings. A thank you for being kind and polite even though I was technically very rude to you. I don’t have much to say because I am not able to express my feelings into words but in the words of Nirvana:

What else should I write
I don’t have the right
What else should I be
All apologies

Sincerely,

Me.

Pakistan - where everyone has a license to kill

Welcome to Pakistan. The Land of the Pure. The country known for its tourism and rich culture. The country known for its different cuisines. The country known for its historical place. And very unfortunately, the country known as the place where everyone has a license to kill.

The chaos and turmoil due to terrorism in Pakistan is on a constant rise. Various minorities are openly declared Wajib-ul-Qatal (worthy of killing) on national media. Banners can be seen against different sects instigating people against their existence. Wives, husbands, children are killed over petty issues. Parents, siblings and relatives are shot over property related problems. Suspicion is the cause of many women dying at the hands of their husbands and brothers. The list is endless.

Minorities including Shias, Ahmadis, Christians and Hindus suffer the most. They are publicly declared second-grade citizens. Most of them are not even given their due rights. When they are killed publicly, no news channel speaks for them, some newspapers don't even bother reporting the deaths. Day after day after day of sectarian killing, and no action is being taken. Furthermore, the killers are thrown flowers upon and congratulated for killing a Kafir, encouraging them to kill more people. 

The more people like me write posts trying to create awareness about the value of a human life, the more people are dying every day. I think people have become materialistic and have associated extremism with religion. I believe they have forgotten that once you shoot and eventually kill a person, you can’t really undo it. I believe that once you pull that trigger, once you shove that knife in someone’s abdomen, once you strangle someone’s throat, you can’t rewind time and pretend it never happened. You have to live with it all your life, and it will haunt you throughout the time you have left.

But what baffles me is this – who gave these people the license to kill? I know God didn’t. You just have to read the Quran properly to know that because Islam was and never will be a religion that promotes violence. Then who? And what makes these people believe that killing people on the basis of religion will grant them Heaven? Who’s to say they won’t be eternally damned? Furthermore, what makes the people, who kill people on the basis of property and other petty issues, think they can take this property with them to the other world? Don’t they know a coffin only has place for them and their deeds?

It’s such a common act nowadays. Shoot anyone who doesn’t agree with you. Put someone in their grave if they try and voice their opinion. Bury them if they so much as try to utter a word against you. I wonder if they’ve ever thought about what would happen if they were on the receiving end of that bullet. What would happen to their family if they were stabbed so many times that their bodies would become unrecognizable? Who would support their parents/children if they were to be shot, shoved in a garbage bag and thrown in the sewers?

Blood has been shedding over the smallest of issues nowadays. It’s not time to ponder over one’s actions. Killing people over your own frustrations will not lessen them. Snatching someone away from their family because you don’t believe in their faith will not make you any more righteous, or any closer to God. Spilling blood of your own fellow countryman will not make you love your country more.

No one should be given a license to kill on the basis of beliefs, petty issues, property issues, or a mere difference of opinion. This is how tolerance is learned. This is how harmony will be achieved, by learning to agree to disagree, by acknowledging that people think and believe differently and by realizing that we’re all humans, we all belong to the same country, and at the end of the day, we’re all Pakistanis. We need to stand up for each other, not against each other. After all, this is what the unity in Quaid-e-Azam’s Unity, Faith and Discipline stands for. And that is the only way Pakistan can be saved.

I am an Ahmadi and I love Pakistan

No matter how much I love Pakistan, it is not the place for me to be right now. No matter how much I say I love it, I will always be labelled a traitor in the place I call home. No matter how much I sacrifice for my country, my fellow citizens will always look at me with contempt and hatred. No matter how patriotic I am, I will be punished.. for being me.

I am an Ahmadi. I believe in the Oneness of Allah. I pray 5 times a day. I recite the Holy Quran. I fast during the month of Ramazan. I wish to go and perform Hajj one day. Then why must my religion make me out to be a traitor? Why must my faith decide that I should be murdered? Why must my belief make me so unworthy that even my own country, my homeland, fails to own me anymore?

I was born in and have lived all my life in Pakistan. Despite all the economic and social issues, I have loved Pakistan deeply and have never been able to imagine a life in any other country. Why then has my love for my country been reciprocated with hate? If I have never done anything bad for my country, why has it passed out a death sentence for me?

There are so many questions in my mind. I have been asking them from people who hate “my kind”, religious and non-religious people, and I have never been able to get a proper answer. The main question is this – who gave people in power the right to act like God? I know that the God I know does not give His rights to anyone. There is only One God and there always will be One. And He does not give anyone rights to kill innocent people, to massacre them, to murder them, to desecrate their graves, to makes their lives a living hell.

These people who pretend to take God’s place, they don’t know how Merciful He is, how Compassionate He is, how Gracious He is. Why then do they make Him out to be a God who punishes people for living in peace and for practicing their religion? Why do these people drag my beautiful God’s name when they are killing people like us, people who are not worthy of living in their eyes, minorities like the Shias, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, Hazaras and a hundred others that live in this country, fearing death with each passing second? If they did not deserve to live, why did God create them in the first place?

The flag of Pakistan has two colors – green and white. The green represents the majority, and the white represents the minority. I don’t remember ever reading that the minorities were not to be given equal status, I was never told that minorities were to be looked down upon, or killed, or shot, or raped, or kidnapped, or tortured, or humiliated. I was never told that minorities were not the “official” citizens of Pakistan. I was never told that living as a minority in Pakistan would mean I, or the million other minorities currently residing in Pakistan, would be somehow on a lower status as compared to the “official” majority of Pakistan.

I am a Pakistani. No one can take that away from me. You can shoot me for loving my country. You can torture me. You can kill me. But you will never be able to snatch away my love for Pakistan and my belief in Ahmadiyyat away from me, no matter how hard you try. You say you are “cleaning” Pakistan from all the traitors, but I say this. It is traitors like you, killing innocent people, who need to be thrown out to disinfect Pakistan. It is your intolerance that needs to be punished. It is your fatwey that need to stop being published. It is you. It is not us. And as time will tell, it never will be. 

What about the common man?

It has been 3 weeks since the Azadi/Inquilaab March started. Thousands of people came out of their homes to march against the current government for their poor governance. They have been living without proper shelter and sanitation for weeks now. Every night is dangerous for them for fear of attack by the police. And if that isn’t enough, there is frequent rainfall, much of which continues throughout the whole night.

It has been 3 weeks. And these people haven’t even THOUGHT about going back to their respective homes. Why? Because they have already experienced worse conditions and for them, this couldn’t get any worse. They don’t have electricity, gas or water. They’re unemployed. It is difficult for them to even provide food twice a day for their families. How worse could it get for them?

Meanwhile, an egoistic war carries on between Imran Khan, Tahir-ul-Qadri and our very own Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. None of them refuses to back down. None of them refuses to negotiate through talks. At this point, I believe their egos have reached such a high point that maybe they have forgotten about the common man, and just want to win this for the sake of their egos. But what then?

I don’t doubt the honesty of Imran Khan. Regardless of how immaturely he has handled the situation and regardless of how his speech has been a tad bit abusive towards Nawaz Sharif, he still seems to be an honest man. But now, after this egoistic war, it also seems as if his ego has gotten the better of him.

But I rant not for the politicians but for the common man. Who looks after them? Who cares for them? Who provides for their basic needs? They have been sitting in the open air for 3 weeks now, and who knows how long they’re here to stay. Some of them have been beaten up. Some of them have been injured. 3 of the women have even passed away. Did they expect that they would die waiting for this independence that maybe isn’t going to happen? Did they expect they’ll have to sacrifice their lives? I really don’t think so.

I don’t for a second sympathize with the government, because if the protesters were peaceful, they should not have ordered the police to throw tear gas and rubber bullets. Rumors have it that actual bullets were also fired. Blood donors were called from all over Islamabad and Rawalpindi to help the injured, and when they arrived, the police would not let them in. According to some reports, proper treatment was not provided to the injured, and they were being discharged without any medical care. A friend’s mother was also shot when she ran to help a baby girl. There were women in that March, there were so many children. And still the government orders the police to fire bullets.

On the other hand, I don’t sympathize with Tahir-ul-Qadri or Imran Khan either, who make decisions on the spur of the moment, thinking they can win this war and topple the government by their spontaneous decisions, not realizing that lives could be lost and people could be injured. And their supporters follow them blindly, because most of them neither know the first thing about politics nor can they see the pit their politicians might be throwing them into. Yesterday, when people (Tahir-ul-Qadri’s supporters or Imran Khan’s, we still don’t know) marched into the PTV station and allegedly vandalized it, after calling them back and scolding them for doing so, both TuQ and Imran Khan gave statements that these people did not belong to their party. But how can they not? Both leaders have been giving speeches, in which they have been instigating their supporters against the government. Didn’t they realise the people would get violent? These people are, after all, here for their freedom, and the leaders have told them that no freedom comes without struggles and fights. 

I worry. Not for the politicians. Because whatever the outcome may be, they’ll still end up in their mansions with their money and their luxuries. I worry for the common man. I worry for the lives lost. I worry for the injured. I worry that when they return to their homes, and circumstances don’t change, there will be more bloodshed. I worry that when they return to their respective cities, more violence will be incited. I worry that they will realize that they have been used in this power game. I worry that when they realize that, the politicians might have to run for their lives.

This protest should be for the common man and for him only. Egos need to be put aside. Money and power needs to be put aside. And the politics need to start thinking more about the country and its citizens and less about themselves. 

Limit of inhumanity - the Gujranwala incident

It was the night of 27^th July, when an angry mob attacked and burnt five houses, a storage building and several vehicles over alleged blasphemy. The blasphemy was against an Ahmadi young man for putting up a blasphemous image of the Ka’aba on Facebook. He kept on trying to deny it but it was not enough for the angry, inhumane creatures who just wanted revenge for something that never happened in the first place.

Eventually, an angry mob gathered and began protesting and eventually attacked and burnt homes and other property belonging to members of the Ahmadi community. Not only that, when the people inside the houses were trapped, the door locks were filled with elfy to prevent any escape. Windows were broken and petrol was set on fire to cause smoke to suffocate them. The mob was dancing happily on the streets after setting the houses on fire, while the police watched from the sides, doing absolutely nothing to intervene.

Meanwhile, inside the houses, a 55-year old woman, an 8-month old girl, Kainat and a 7-year old, Hira, passed away, unable to fight any longer. A woman miscarried during this incident and was provided medical treatment at Fazl-e-Umar Hospital in Rabwah. Following the violence, all the Ahmadi families fled Gujranwala, with nothing in their hands.

I keep wondering; is there any limit to this inhumane attitude? Will this ever end? I thought the violence had reached its peak 4 years ago on 28^th May, 2010 when 86 Ahmadis were massacred while they were in a mosque for Friday prayers. However, this seems even more inhumane, because a 7-year old girl and an 8-month old girl lost their lives. Why? Because they were Ahmadis. How could an 8-month old girl, who does not even know how to talk properly, have possibly done something so horrendous as to get this fate?

What shocked me even more was how they were celebrating murdering people, and that too, in the name of Allah. When Allah has ordered all mankind to live in harmony, and has ordered all Muslims to make Islam the most peaceful religion to exist, how can these animals kill innocent people and celebrate and dance as if they have been given the news that they’re surely going to Heaven?

When I sit and think about it, it shocks me to the very core. How can people murder innocent people? How can people torture them, burn them, degrade them? How do they not feel any remorse? How do the face of the people who they’ve so brutally murdered, not haunt them for life, in their dreams or otherwise? And then it hits me; they have been born into this chaos of a theory. They have been brought up that way, being taught along the way that killing anyone from another sect, especially Ahmadis, will make them Jannati. And that is why killing does not eat them from inside. Because they believe they are doing the right thing. And it is so saddening. Not only for the innocent victims, but for themselves as well. Because they are just building up the wrath of Allah. Allah is always Just. And He always Watches and Protects, and He always gives Justice in one way or other to the innocent, and always punishes the guilty.

Ahmadis all around the world are so saddened and shocked at the inhumanity and the torturous minds and actions of these so-called Muslims; I can’t even begin to imagine how the people directly affected from this incident would feel like. Especially the mothers who lost their children, the born and the unborn. My heart and my prayers go out to them.

All we can do now is pray. Pray and raise awareness. And help them in whatever small way we can. May Allah be with all Ahmadis and may He punish the guilty for all their actions. 

Dr. Mahdi Ali - An Ahmadi cardiologist martyred - 26th May, 2014

A US based cardiologist, Dr. Mahdi Ali, visiting Pakistan to provide free healthcare was shot down a few hours ago today near the Ahmadiyya cemetery (Behashti Maqbara), Chanab Nagar (Rabwah), Punjab. He had just finished paying his respects at the graveyard, when he was shot down by unknown assailants while coming out of the graveyard. He was murdered in front of his wife and toddler son. He has two other sons as well, a 5 year old and a 17 year old.

Dr. Mahdi Ali just recently came to Pakistan as a volunteer to serve in rural areas of Punjab to provide free healthcare of poverty stricken people. Dr. Ali was providing his services at Rabwah's famous Tahir Heart Institute.

Dr. Mahdi Ali was martyred after Fajr prayers. Why? Had he done ill to someone? Had he committed a heinous crime? Had he committed illegal acts? No. His crime was being an Ahmadi. His crime was belonging to a faith which is not socially acceptable for the people of Pakistan. His crime was being a known cardiologist from the Ahmadi sect, who came to Pakistan to provide free treatment to the poor and the needy. His crime was that he was not violent. His crime was that he was true to his faith. His crime was faith in Allah.

Dr. Ali was shot in front of his own and a toddler son. How will his wife forget the bloody image of his body out of her head, how will she stop thinking about the gunshot that took her husband’s life? How will Dr. Ali’s three sons carry on knowing their father was murdered, knowing they must now live a life without him?

Do the killers have no remorse? Or guilt? How do they expect to live with blood on their hands, how do they live with a face of the victim in their minds? Does it not haunt them? Don’t the cries of the deceased’s family not push them to the edge of insanity? Doesn’t the face of the toddler, whose father they snatched away too early, make them feel any remorse? How can a man be so brainwashed as to not feel all this?

Furthermore, what do these killers hope to achieve by murdering Ahmadis? Do they get some reward out of it? Has God promised them some special, secret reward that none of us are aware of? Do they instantly get closer to Heaven each time they take a life, no matter whose it is? Does that strengthen their faith? But then, how can killing a person strengthen anyone’s faith? Isn’t faith strengthened by prayers and meditation and fasting? As far as I remember, I was never taught to kill people or to torture them in order to get some special treatment from God.

Islam was chosen to be the last religion on Earth because it promoted peace. It never provoked anyone to go out to war, it never demanded any man to take the life of an innocent man, and it never commanded its followers to put on the armor of God and rule this world, when obviously they are not meant to do so. Islam teaches peace, not violence. Islam teaches harmony, not cacophony. Islam teaches love, not hatred. Then why are Ahmadis hated so much, when they have always promoted peace and love? Isn't it funny to see how these so-called Muslims are teaching people Islam, these "Muslims" who kill other Muslims? These Muslims who murder innocents in the name of God, and end up being a disgrace to the entire Muslim community? These Muslims who do not even KNOW the meaning of Islam, let alone be its delegates.

The killers and the murderers and the oppressors need to open the Quran they so claim to know all about, and they need to read its translation, and they need to understand what God wants them to do. Killing Ahmadis will not strengthen their faith, murdering innocent people will never ever grant them what they claim they have already gotten. After all, Allah is ever-Watchful. He knows what is in every man’s heart, and He is the One who will give justice to the oppressor and the oppressed. Allah is Watching.

May Dr. Mahdi Ali rest in peace, and may his family bear this loss with strength, grace and dignity, and may the killers of this innocent, innocent man be punished for the heinous crime they have committed.

Aspiring to be a journalist in Pakistan

I started writing at the age of 9. I remember my essays and stories back in 3^rd grade, some of which even won me some prizes. I have been meant to write, to express, to let my feelings flow into words. I have always loved how words could beautifully express a person’s feelings at a specific point in time, how they could send you in a completely different world, away from reality. The main thing that amazed me was how much words could make you feel.

I started writing again a few years later, but it was more real than fictitious, based on current affair and human rights. Mostly, I wrote about Ahmadis and how their rights have been violated by the so-called Muslims of Pakistan. It was then I decided (a little bit too late) that I wanted to be journalist. I couldn’t possibly study it but I could try and write, learn some tips, get more recognition.

Everyone around me has been asking me to stop writing. Close friends, family, acquaintances, and even some people on Twitter. Not because I am a horrible writer (God forbid) but because they are scared for my life. They know what happens to people who speak out, who voice their opinions, who are blatantly honest. They kept telling me to go abroad and start writing there but for as long as I’m in Pakistan, I should just remain quiet. Or I should use a pen name. Something, anything, which would protect me.

This is the situation of journalism in Pakistan. People who speak the truth, who create awareness in people are being slaughtered like animals. People who dedicate their life to the country are being attacked. People who are doing what they have always been passionate about are being blown to bits and pieces. Is the truth so hard so hear that you’d rather kill someone than hear it? How brutal can you really be?

I have wanted to be a journalist for a long time. I have wanted to serve my country through my word, even though being an Ahmadi, I will always be discriminated. I have wanted to create awareness about the rights being denied to minorities in specific and humans in general, all over Pakistan. But I also know that if I get published in a paper that would be it. Being an Ahmadi AND a journalist? Double treat for the illiterate, inhumane terrorists residing in our country.

I didn’t write this post because I’m scared for myself. I wrote it because I’m afraid for the hundreds of journalists who are brave enough to step up and speak the truth, and end up getting murdered in cold blood. How long will we tolerate this? How long will the government keep hiding murders and condemn them dutifully and forget about them an hour later? This terrorism can’t go on forever, journalists shouldn’t be targeted.

All I want to say here is this. Killing journalist does not hide the truth. If one dies, another will take his place. The truth will always remain. No amount of murders will hide it. The terrorists will only be adding sins on their accounts instead of virtues.

Stop killing journalists.

Stop killing honesty.

Stop killing.

Just stop. 

Gossip, the scariest of all flaws

Gossip, we all do it every day. Even self-righteous people who claim they have never talked about anyone behind their backs, have done the exact same; they just refuse to deny it. It’s a norm, now. Everyone does it, you, me, our neighbors, our friends, everyone.

I wouldn’t call gossip a sin, but I would call it a major flaw, something I’m trying to get rid of these days, so I thought maybe I should talk about it.

Gossip is the same as backbiting, no matter which way you put it, no matter how much you deny it. It will always be a synonym to backbiting, it always has been. The worst thing about gossiping, in my opinion, is not hurting people, horrible as it may be. The worst part is spreading rumors about someone, without getting your facts straight, throwing another person’s reputation down the drain, forgetting that they are also human. Even if you THINK you have your facts straight, what if you don’t know their side of the story, just the side you THINK you know? And even you do know some delicious, juicy secret, why spread it? The person who told you must have entrusted you with it, thinking you would keep your lips sealed, but you ended up blabbering out the whole thing as if you were talking about the weather. Why? Don’t people have feelings?

What people, addicted to gossiping, don’t realise is what they would do if they were put in the same situation. What if one day, they were being gossiped about, ridiculed and mocked, what if they were the hot topic of discussion every day for people? It’s the worst possible thing to be talked about, especially if it’s in a negative way. Most people don’t realise it until they’ve been put in that position, but now and again, everyone experiences it. And it’s only when they experience it do they realise the horrible, sinking feeling of people judging your every move.

I do not meant to point out anyone’s flaws here, we’re all human and we’re all flawed in one way or the other. But we can’t possibly justify our flaws by saying that we’re only humans. Being Ashraf-ul-Makhlooqat, we have been given the intelligence to realise and rectify our wrongs, and bring a positive change in ourselves. We should try to rectify ourselves in every way, because there is ALWAYS room for improvement in all of us.

It is true what they say – you don’t realize something until you actually experience it. Gossip is similar. You won’t understand atrocity of gossip until you get talked about. Don’t worry! Everyone gets talked about. You will only be spared if you sit in your home, being anti-social, with no technologies whatsoever. But even then people will wonder where you have disappeared off to. See? It never ends.

So next time, when you decide to talk about someone’s personal life with juicy bits and pieces which may or may not be true, think about how you would feel if someone did the same about you. Because karma has a way of coming right back at you. Always remember that. 

TTP website granted access?

On Saturday, the banned militant group, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan launched its website, hosting videos, a magazine, and its leaders’ interviews and statements. It would serve as the central information portal.

The website contains the TTP flag, verses from the Quran, videos containing hate especially against the security forces. There is also a message of TTP deputy Shaikh Khalid Haqqani for the people of Balochistan, and pictures of slain TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud and his successor and current chief, Maulvi Fazlullah. Also posted on the website are pictures of houses allegedly bombed by the army, details of the TTP position on the current peace process and information about the recent assassination of TTP leader Asmatullah Shaheen in North Waziristan Agency.

My question is this – Why is a terrorist site allowed access, a site which will bring terror and violence, but sites relating to Ahmadis, Shias or Balochis are blocked? Moreover, Youtube, which was used an educational site and an entertainment has been blocked for over a year but the TTP site is given approval?  Why the discrimination? Either PTA should block contradictory sites completely, or it should allow access to all sites. Furthermore, there is no point of granting access to a terrorist site. Is the government so under pressure by TTP that they are willing to agree on everything they ask? Makes me wonder how the negotiations are going to end up. Kind of scares me more.

The website contains videos spreading hate and propaganda material, especially against the security forces. Why is the government still not taking action on it? Which way are these negotiations going? Or are they only negotiating for their own lives and not the whole country’s?

Youtube, which was used to educational and entertainment purposes, has been blocked for over a year because of a blasphemous video. Time and again, the issue has gone to court, but without any result. The maulvis and religious extremists just won’t allow that website to be unbanned. But a TTP website? It’s such an innocent site, it can never be banned.
The second question that comes to mind is this – TTP are completely against the idea of the West and adoption of any practices of the West. How then did they decide to make a website, or use computers, something which signifies the West in every single way? Or their a rule that everything western that is practiced by the TTP is Halal and everything else is Haraam? How discriminatory is that?

Regardless of how much the government wants to show that these negotiations are going to work, terrorist sites need to be shut down by the PTA. They have already shut down hundreds of harmless religious sites, one terrorist site wouldn’t hurt them. PTA seriously needs to set their priorities right over what sites they believe should and shouldn’t be blocked.

What's more important - Famine in Thar or the objectification of women?

While the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) is doing its level best to undermine the women of Pakistan by giving parents/guardians the license to give away little girls in marriage and freeing men of the need to secure the permission of their first wives before admitting second wives to their harems, people in Tharparkar are dying from malnutrition. They don’t have food to eat. Young children are dying from starvation.

Tharparkar did not receive any rain this year and all the reservoirs have dried up, leaving it in a famine-like situation. Tharkparkar is hit by such a situation every couple of years during which they have severe shortages of food and water, causing starvations and eventually, deaths. This year round, more than 36 children died of malnutrition. Most of the children were under 5 years of age. Numerous animals and livestock died, forcing families to pack up their belongings and move elsewhere.

A lot of starved children and pregnant ladies have been admitted to the hospital in Mithi. Relatives of the patients admitted to the complained that its administration was not providing medicines and they were forced to buy expensive drugs. “We cannot feed our children, how can we purchase medicines?” The hospital also gave a statement saying they were facing a shortage of doctors, nurses and paramedics, adding to the frustration of the famine-affected people.

Although the Sindh government has declared Tharparkar a calamity-hit district, it is yet to take any concrete measure to avert further losses. Its announcement to provide 60,000 wheat bags to the drought-hit people of Thar is yet to materialize. The district administration is reported to have told the relief commissioner that 60,000 wheat bags would not meet the requirement of about 175,000 drought-hit families.

When such a situation is affecting the country where people are dying, why is the media diverting the attention to the idiotic “Islamic” rules made by the CII about how girls should get married as soon as they hit puberty and encouraging men to take on second and third and fourth wives? Islam never taught this. Islam always gave women a high status but this, this is degradation. This is pure humiliation and the people passing these fatwas know it. Just because they can’t satisfy their own sexual frustrations, they decide to make a law out of it?

I told this to a friend and she says so what? It’s not like anyone’s giving them any importance. But that’s where she’s wrong. When media is giving so much attention to something, people tend to take interest. And since we were all born with extremism embedded into our minds, people do listen, and then people take action. Next thing we know, parents are getting their daughters married at the age of 14. Husbands are taking 4 wives, because that’s what Islam allowed, right? Islam does NOT allow women to be objectified, but that’s what the modern-age mullahs are teaching the nation. And that’s exactly what’s being implemented.


But I digress. My point of writing this post was to create an awareness of the famine in Tharparkar district. People there need you. They need food. They need water. They need treatment. Please do whatever you can do help them. They are our fellow citizens after all, and if we won’t help them, who will? Help them, and spread the message. If the government is too cruel and ignorant to help them (and yes I consider giving them just 60,000 bags to be a cruelty, when they need, at the very least, 5 times that amount), maybe we should try and assist our fellow brothers. Raise awareness. Raise your voice. Do what you can. Save lives. 

They keep saying time and again that time heals all wounds. But what if time just reopens them and lets them bleed for life? 

Dunya kitni darpok hai iss ka mujhay ab andaza ho raha hai

Aaj subha say main aik cheez daikh rahi hoon. Naam kisi ka nahin loon gi because idhar ronay walay bohat hain. DMs main baat lay jaatay hain aur phir kehtay hain main buri hoon. Khair choro.

I'm a very opinionated person. I need to have an opinion on everything. And if I don't know about something, for example, politics, etc, toh main search kernay beth jaati hoon. I can't stand not having an opinion. Laikin kuch loug hain iss dunya main, badnaseebi hai unn ki kay woh itnay jiyaalay nahin kay apna opinion poori dunya kay saamnay hazir ker sakain. Kyoon? Unn kay peechay police lagi hai? Ammi nay mana kiya hai? Girlfriend/boyfriend nay break up ker laina? Nope. Baat sirf itni hai kay unnko ye dar hai kay kyoon kay unn ka opinion baaki sab say different hai toh unn ki baisti ho gi, ya people won't like them anymore.

Ji, sahi parha hai aap nay. Loug sirf iss liye apna opinion nahin batatay cuz unn ko dar lagta hai kay loug unn ki shaid baisti ker dain ya phir unn say baat kerna chorh dain. Twitter aur Facebook per aur social forums per ye cheez bohat nazar aati hai. Agla banda chaahay kitni hi ghattiya ya ghalat baat ker raha ho, ye loug unn say agree hi ker jaatay hain taakay inn ki popularity intact rahay.

Sawaal hai mera aisay logoun say. Aap ko popularity toh mil gayi, followings/friends bhi mil gaye? Izzat mili? Self-respect mili? Nahin nah. Toh kya faida aisay fame ka jis main aap nay zaleel hi hona hota hai? Matlab ye baat aaj aap mujhay samjha hi dain kyoonkay mujhay toh ye baat samajh aati nahin. 

Jahan tak mera khayal hai, everyone has their own opinions and thoughts, and everyone is original in that way. But if you keep trying to agree with others just for the sake of getting people to like you, then I'm sorry, you neither deserve that fame nor the popularity that you speak of. Also, you need to have the guts to tell people they're wrong where they ARE wrong, or to tell people you think differently. There is absolutely no harm in thinking differently, unless you make it out to be that way. For example, I absolutely hate nose piercings. Matlab. Zeher say bhi buri lagti hain. Laikin ab agar discussion ho rahi hai iss per toh main yeh bol doon kay nose piercing achi hai just because everyone else is saying so, means kay main intehaa kisam ka lota hoon. Hai baat kay nahin?

Iss liye baraaye mehrbaani, have some guts, koi aap ko khaa nahin jaaye ga for having an opinion. Ajeeb darpok ho sab. Opinion rakho, don't be afraid to voice it. Koi kuch bolay toh aagay say sunanay ki himmat bhi rakho. Aur khuda ka naam loh, ye popularity aur fame qabar main nahin aaye ga saath. Iss kay peechay bhaag bhaag ker apnay aap ko dunya aur khuda kay saamnay zaleel nah kero.