Dr. Aisha Aijaz – Page 2 – My Bit for Change

Of Regrets and Apologies

“We are sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military. We are committed to working closely with Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent this from ever happening again”, said Hillary Rodham Clinton to Hina Rabbani Khar on a telephone call, and Pakistan reopens its border to NATO supply convoys into Afghanistan after a seven-month blockade since November, when an American aircraft killed 24 Pakistan soldiers.

The nation went into shock and twitter was bombarded with questions like ‘Was this really an apology’, ‘they said sorry which they say even when they sneeze and did not apologize’ and ‘Is Clinton Camera-shy for a formal apology?’

I sat down and thought for a moment, ‘Would we be happy and satisfied if the word regret and sorry is replaced by an apology, a formal one, with a US official appearing on media? The civilian and military leadership was so inclined to open the land routes that even a slightest blink of the eye was enough for them? How was it different from Cameron Munter’s condolences given immediately after the incident and those too in Urdu for which he must have done an extra effort to sound more convincing to the sheeple he was addressing. And, hand over heart, would you be satisfied if your wishes or demands of a ‘formal apology’ are met. Would you believe these statements coming from a super power that has a history of war crimes and blatant lies, very well acknowledged by internationally accredited activists and impartial commentators. Let us go through just a few of these.

-Just a few months ago, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta apologised to the Afghan people for an incident in which copies of the Quran were burned and said that it wasn’t intentional.

‘These actions do not represent the views of the United States military. We honour and respect the religious practices of the Afghan people, without exception.”

NATO commander John Allen also addressed to the ‘noble Afghans’ and that too with an extra effort of learning to say ‘Assalam Alaikum’ and ‘Manan, Tashakkur’ to ‘calamin-ise’ the blistered sentiments with his amazing Pushto and Persian.

-Shortly after that, international media breaks the news, that a course for US military officers has been teaching that America’s enemy is Islam in general and suggesting that the country might ultimately have to obliterate the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina without regard for civilian deaths, following second world war precedents of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima.

“This would leave open the option once again of taking war to a civilian population wherever necessary (the historical precedents of Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki being applicable to the Mecca and Medina destruction decision point).”

The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Martic Dempsey responded to it as “the material in the course was counter to American appreciation for religious freedom and cultural awareness. It was just totally objectionable, against our values, and it wasn’t academically sound,”

-A few weeks after burning of the Holy Quran incident, comes the horrible news of a US sergeant killing 16 innocent civilians, out of whom 9 were children and later all the bodies were set alight. As always, the authorities tried to explain, they do not represent anybody. They were just mad (disagrees Robert Fisk).

Remember, US senator John Kerry was “deeply sorry” over the killing of two Pakistanis by a US official, and promised justice if he was handed over to the US? Similarly, there are numerous incidents which have torn apart United States claims of freedom and equality, belief in humanity and justice for all. Illegitimate drone attacks on Pakistani soil and civilian casualties are very frequent. Detainees in the Guantanamo held without charge, Abu Ghraib’s disturbing pictures where the soldier refuses to apologize for her ‘prisoner on the leash’ and other disturbing treatment, US military officials using Quran as target practice and urinating on corpses, Aafia Siddiqui’s physical and sexual abuses in the world’s most horrifying jail, sentenced for allegedly shooting (missing the target) a US soldier while a Marine gets three months in jail for massacring two dozen civilians in Iraq, are just a few. With a war that began with a lie of ‘Weapons of mass destruction’ in Iraq, US remains the first and the only country to have used Nuclear weapons and is the biggest manufacturer and supplier of chemical weapons. Let’s also recall heavy usage of white phosphorus on the city of Fallujah.

A former American soldier who fought at Fallujah says:

“I heard the order to pay attention because they were going to use white phosphorus on Fallujah. In military jargon it’s known as Willy Pete. Phosphorus burns bodies, in fact it melts the flesh all the way down to the bone, I saw the burned bodies of women and children. Phosphorus explodes and forms a cloud. Anyone within a radius of 150 metres is done for.”

What has the US or the NATO apologised for in the past? And if they have apologised, have the injustices and war crimes stopped? Have they ever apologised for Hiroshima ‘formally’ or for the usage of napalm bombs and chemical weapons on Vietnam civilians? I must mention, they felt ‘sorry’ for deliberate syphilis infections in Guatemala as a part of medical tests without prior consent.

So my dear countrymen, what is it that we really want? With this history of regrets and condolences of the masters, even a formal apology means nothing. I remember from my childhood what my mum used to say every now and then to my little brother, ‘My son, you say sorry and then repeat the same thing? What kind of an apology is this? Saying ‘sorry’, means you admit your mistake and you would never do that again’. Unfortunately this does not mean anything in the real world and our mums had kept us in a world of fantasy and text bookish philosophy which we only come to find out as almost non-existent as we grow up to the ugliness of the mighty in this world.

A dog is no doubt man’s best friend. But, either our spineless leadership should come out of this ‘ideal friendship’ and let us live like a sovereign nation, who is capable enough to deal with its own issues (including terrorism that started after US invasion) or keep wagging the tail and make us all a mere joke . The precious 24 soldiers would never come back and nor would the thousands of other soldiers and civilians who didn’t get a name. The solution is: this war MUST end!

I leave with you the words of an American activist, a daughter of a Jewish mother and an Iraqi father demanding the same as I do today. No justice, No peace!

Why Don’t They Leave Then?

As if multitude of problems facing us; war, poverty, terrorism, unemployment, power cuts etc; was not enough, our buffoon leaders grasp every opportunity to embarrass the whole nation in front of the whole world. The nation which has produced best doctors, engineers, physicists and world record holders IT professionals, has to face further humiliation of becoming a laughing stock because of cowardly decisions and goofy viewpoints of the ruling elite. I wonder why we are condemned to be ruled by worst of the lot which leaves us humiliated time and again.

Mr. Prime Minister (my heart sinks while addressing you by this title), your latest interview to CNN was one of the many examples of the above. The body language, selection of words, and irrelevant and weightless answers would annoy anyone, let alone the interviewer. And when a Prime Minister of a country is spoken to, by an interviewer as to ‘Look me in the eye and answer me’, there is surely something seriously wrong in stance and policies of the state that he is representing. The lady should understand that this part of the world does not know what resigning on moral grounds mean. That is only why you had to rely on generalised patent answers. Every time this issue of resigning on moral grounds arises, it reminds me of David Blunkett the British Home secretary, who resigned by taking full responsibility of defaming his government due to his action of only fast tracking a visa application. But here, Mr Prime Minister you are actually standing firm as a scapegoat of an already defamed corrupt government like a stubborn child protecting an evil ‘friend’.

Your answer ‘Either choose democracy or dictatorship’, is a patent, prewritten formula for these interviews and talk shows. If one even thinks that this government is dysfunctional and corrupt, they are blasphemers, backed by the army, wanting big boots to intervene in the civilian territory. Oh no, Mr Prime Minister, not every question befits this answer. Not everything and anything is a ‘conspiracy’ against democracy. If the leading lot is corrupt, if the President has heavy accounts and properties outside the country the legitimacy of which needs to be looked into, it doesn’t mean we want dictatorship. Trust me, we hate it. That only simply means this is NOT democracy where people do not have the right to object and demand trials on corruption. You remind us of the will of people when you are told that according to a Gallup survey, 80% of the nation is frustrated and fed up with the dysfunctional parliament and civil institutions? Nothing can be more naïve than that. And you ask, why don’t the one third of the nation who wish to leave the country, leave then?

Let me answer you why. Remember the flood victim Mohammad Akram? A 30 year old man sick of his life who torched himself in front of your residence as he was frustrated to death because of unemployment? Remember, Kamran Ijaz Gul a child who topped his Class-VII examination and committed suicide because his poor parents could not buy him new school uniform.

Remember, only a few days ago in Multan, a one year old child died due to extreme heat in a bus stuck in a traffic jam caused by people protesting against loadshedding.

These people whose ‘will’ you talk about would leave the country if they had money and opportunity. But they haven’t seen a few thousands of rupees together, let alone millions of dollars that the leaders of this country have and deal with every day. Of course, your question, ‘who’s stopping them depicts your ignorance and apathy towards the nation you claim to lead. And of course, you wouldn’t know how painful it is to stand under the scorching sun at a bus stop with a hungry child in lap as you have millions of pounds to spend on your lavish and luxurious ‘Limousine’ tours. You wouldn’t know how a parent feels to see their child commit suicide. You wouldn’t know what it feels like to see your children prepare for an exam with no fan, no bulb and still shine. You wouldn’t know what it feels like to receive a bad news about a loved one, dying in a clash created for political/personal interests. And you wouldn’t know how it feels to see your loved one having a cardiac arrest in an ambulance when the traffic comes to a halt because of PM’s or President’s motorcade of Mercedes passing by. But trust me, Mr. Prime Minister you and your company are answerable for the herd of donkeys that you are leading. (16 crore, yeh gadhay jink a naam hai Awaam).

The country has already suffered from the worst brain drain and your indifference is making it worse. The lady asked you, ‘Who is running the country in your absence?’ We really want to know, who runs the country even in your presence? The nation is struggling to survive on its own with nobody to look up to for help and hope in your team. My question to you Mr. Prime Minister and company: you have money, properties, palaces, and friends outside Pakistan and you have the opportunity more than anyone else in the country. If we are going to Stone Age even after your ‘country friendly’ policies and getting nothing from you, why don’t you and your team leave the country alone? And your question, ‘who’s stopping them (to leave)’ further disconnects the tie, so let’s do it. No one would stop you, I promise!

The Album of Life

There was once a world without you. Someone was celebrating your expected and awaited arrival and someone bore hardships and pains to bring you into this world. With the first click you land into this place which is a beautiful masterpiece of the creator. You are an adorable baby, a joy to your parents who bear those sleepless nights and support your helplessness with unconditional smiles on their faces. Just with a few more flicks, you are a daring toddler of your proud parents who cherish the first steps of your independence and confident walk. Your mind tells you that you can do it but your body disagrees. This still developing co-ordination between your brain and body makes you stumble. But there is always a pair of gentle hands to pick you and tell you, ‘You can do it’. Those hands and reassuring hugs make you fearless and failures do not scare you. Falls and bumps don’t stop you from experimenting new challenges.

You talk silly and they kiss you. You do not make sense and they hug you. You trip and they lift you high. You scribble lines and they appreciate you with raised eyebrows and dropped jaws. You do most silly things to catch their attention and make your presence felt. You go cross if ignored and they try to please you with hugs and kisses, hide and seek, ‘horse-rides’ on their backs etc. You can’t share them with any other child as you are too possessive about them.

With a few more flicks you are a confident school going child. Exams are the most difficult days in one’s life, you think. But, they support you and celebrate when you get down the stage after a performance or winning a race. Their world revolves round you. Their sleeps, social life, work and holidays; you are one factor that affects all of these.

Life is changing for you. You feel you are big and smart enough to know everything; a teenager filled with energy. Something in you tells you that you can conquer the world. Your ideals begin to change. ‘No’ is the word you don’t like to listen but would use often. You see colours in your life and with a few more flicks you have another beautiful person to fit in frame with you and soon the cycle repeats. You have a little one of your own and you are overjoyed with this little cry and chuckle in the house.

This album of life is strange; an overlapping connected series of circles where we all are in different stages of the track.

The lovely hands which cuddled you are now wrinkly and those bright faces are now sagging. The legs, which ran with you on the shoulders, are now weak. They trip and topple. Despite their physical weakness, their support makes your life and career successful. They are entering into the last phase of their lives. They have started talking silly. They sometimes make no sense at all. Laugh, cry or shout for no logical reason. Sometimes their ‘childish’ and attention seeking behaviour disturbs you. They need someone to talk to, sit with them and hold their disjointed wrinkly hands without even asking for a word, or sometimes just a word of love and a gentle smile exactly like you did when were young and silly but adorable to them, remember?

‘And whomsoever We bring to an old age, We reverse him in creation (making him go back to weakness after strength); so do they not understand?’ [Al-Qur’an 36:68]

Life goes on and a day comes when they reach their finish line in the circular track of life. (The circle doesn’t stop for anyone). The beautiful hands, the shady trees under which you felt safe, the warm hugs that gave you confidence are no more.

If you had any sleepless nights because of them, and you got a chance to feed and clean them like they did when you were young, consider yourself as an extremely lucky person, although no one can return the debts of parents’ love and hardship; not even a single scream of the mother when she cried and tried to bring you to this world and smiled immediately after you came in her arms.

Another flick! You’re a weak elderly with your children running for a ‘successful’ life and you are sitting in an armchair, reading newspaper with those glasses on and a walking stick by your side. Your mind is still young and keeps reminding you the highly energetic life you spent which involved struggle, joy, grief, and celebration, disappointment and hopes. But your body doesn’t agree. You know everything that the world holds, with people around you who think you know nothing, but they don’t realise they are just a few steps behind in the big circle of life.

The circle of life never stops. We don’t have a special eye to look at the future but our parents are a mirror of where life could take us. Our boasting energetic bodies and minds do not allow us to see that we’ll be in exactly the same state of feebleness, frailty and dependence if we live up to that age. Life is too fast and unpredictable and we are all running after ‘God-Knows-What’ with too little time to love each other. It’s the love and the loved ones who make life worth living. Let’s give our parents their rights, our love and respect. We can try to return at least 1% of what they’ve given us; sit with them, listen to them, obey them in Allah’s limits, smile at them, hug them often and feel the contentment and blessings of Allah that come our way. If we have this treasure and guaranteed entry to paradise and God’s pleasure, we shouldn’t waste our chance.

‘And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: “My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young.” (Al- Qur’an 17:22-24)

Rachel Never Died

Rachel Corrie, beautiful soul, born in Olympia, Washington was no ordinary child, no ordinary 23 year old student and no ordinary human being. And people, who are extraordinary, never die. They live for ever in the hearts and minds of their followers. They give direction to many and because of them, hope never dies. Because of such crazy and courageous, the ugliness of injustices is exposed.

Her 5^th grade speech ‘I am here because I care’ revealed no small dreams. At such a tender age, she talked of the oppressed, the poor and hungry and resolved to eradicate the ugly realities by the year 2000. As a student, she was different and wanted to explore the world especially after 9/11, year 2001. Ditching a beautiful and colourful American dream which she could have lived like many of her age, she travelled thousands of miles to Gaza to act as a human shield, where mercy and humanity is butchered every day and night, where men, women and children are murdered as a part of ethnic cleansing program, where houses are bulldozed, olive trees are cut, help including food and medicines from the rest of the world is denied and flotillas travelling to help humanity are attacked.

‘’Anyway, I’m rambling. Just want to write to my Mom and tell her that I’m witnessing this chronic, insidious genocide and I’m really scared, and questioning my fundamental belief in the goodness of human nature. This has to stop. I think it is a good idea for us all to drop everything and devote our lives to making this stop. I don’t think it’s an extremist thing to do anymore. I still really want to dance around to Pat Benatar and have boyfriends and make comics for my co-workers. But I also want this to stop. Disbelief and horror is what I feel. Disappointment! I am disappointed that this is the base reality of our world and that we, in fact, participate in it. This is not at all what I asked for when I came into this world. This is not at all what the people here asked for when they came into this world. This is not the world you and Dad wanted me to come into when you decided to have me.’’ (28.02.2003)

On the day she died (16.03.2003), she was 23, dressed in a fluorescent orange vest and with a megaphone in her hand she was trying to stop the demolition of a Palestinian home where she lived with the children who were considered family by her and vice versa. She was mercilessly crushed under a military Caterpillar bulldozer which came towards her, knocked her down, crushed her with its blade, backed up, and ran her over again and she died shortly afterwards. ’My back is broken’ were her last words.

What did she have in common with the Palestinian; faith, ethnicity, skin colour, language, social background? Absolutely nothing! What was common was humanity. She had eyes that could appreciate the truth, mind that wasn’t closed because of any bias, heart that would cry on injustice and brutality and a soul that would feel the pain of Nazi-style genocide.

Her emails to her family are a must read in which she accounts Israeli atrocities towards innocent Palestinians.

”I think, although I’m not entirely sure, that even the smallest of these children understand that life is not like this everywhere. An eight-year-old was shot and killed by an Israeli tank two days before I got here, and many of the children murmur his name to me, “Ali”–or point at the posters of him on the walls. The children also love to get me to practice my limited Arabic by asking me “Kaif Sharon?” “Kaif Bush?” and they laugh when I say “Bush Majnoon” “Sharon Majnoon” back in my limited Arabic. (How is Sharon? How is Bush? Bush is crazy. Sharon is crazy.)”

In 2003, Rachel’s news opened a new aspect of Palestinian cause to me. I learnt humanity existed above the boundaries of faith, ethnic origins and languages. I came to learn there are people on this earth who would risk their lives and everything for some other people despite absolutely no worldly strings attached between them. And it’s to date that I have explored a world that is cruel, unjust and merciless, but such people are a reason to live and resist. They give you direction, motivation and energy to challenge the ugly forces of the world.

For me Rachel Corrie is not the name of a person. It’s a phenomenon which embodies humanity, resistance, courage and craziness. Yes, she was as crazy as it needs to be to shake the world and stir the plans of the handful of unjust men ruling this world. And it’s this craziness and madness which is the ultimate requirement to challenge falsehood and malice. Human beings live and die, but phenomena, missions and ideas never die. They’re like beacons of light for generations to come. Rachel Corrie, an American, a peace activist and a trailblazer, will always be my hero.

“Love you. Really miss you. I have bad nightmares about tanks and bulldozers outside our house and you and me inside. Sometimes the adrenaline acts as an anaesthetic for weeks and then in the evening or at night it just hits me again – a little bit of the reality of the situation. I am really scared for the people here’..“When I come back from Palestine, I probably will have nightmares and constantly feel guilty for not being here, but I can channel that into more work. Coming here is one of the better things I’ve ever done. So when I sound crazy, or if the Israeli military should break with their racist tendency not to injure white people, please pin the reason squarely on the fact that I am in the midst of a genocide which I am also indirectly supporting, and for which my government is largely responsible. “I love you and Dad…” Email to parents ~ 27.02.2003

Time’s running out

Time’s running out

My dooms day is near,

My interrogation started,

In front of everyone,

I’m unable to endure.

A sack full of sins

Being carried to the Lord

Upsurges my fear.

The whole world’s watching

Those huge and trivial ones

I committed with arrogance

Or were unknowingly done.

The book of my life,

Has nothing to rejoice

Or please the Lord,

And the black words in bold

I wish could be scrubbed

Before they were told.

I face my Lord with utter shame and disgrace,

He refuses to look at me,

And turns away His face.

That’s my disgrace.

The world sees it all

With dread and jaws dropped

I wish I could flee

Or my book of deeds swapped.

It’s too late for now

I already missed my chance.

I helplessly run around

but no way’s to be found.

Wishing He could caste an eye

of mercy at me, for once.

But this bag is too heavy

for Him to discount.

I suddenly wake up trembling

Drenched in sweat.

But what a joyful moment,

it was to get

Another life, another chance

to counter the effect.

It’s like I’ve been gifted with another interval

To gather some pearls to adorn my chronicle

some erasers to gather to undo the mess

to forgive, to forget, and sins to confess

The last breath is near, I see it very close.

As the pages of an album,

with a flick, a beautiful pose,

Another flick you depart,

As once-beautiful, withered rose.

Love Him, Follow Him

Love is a beautiful emotion. It encompasses all the most beautiful things in the world. Every relation and connection gets stronger and durable when there is an element of affiliation and love added to it. Beginning from our first love as a child for our mother to choosing someone to spend our entire life with, love is what makes life worth living. And, like all precious things in the world, this priceless treasure demands guarantees to keep it flourishing.

When you love someone, they are always on your mind and become the driving force of your direction in life. You love to follow them, obey them, do whatever you can to please them and try your best to avoid whatever displeases them. You share with them your problems and consult them for their best advice. Their name soothes you and their company is the most precious time of your day. Never do their messages and mails go unread or ignored. The world sees you change when this beautiful feeling overpowers you, may this love be for a human, a mission, a career or simply a car or a gadget. Love changes your priorities and the colour of this feeling is evident on your face, feelings, words and actions.

We all love the Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the personality whose greatness is acknowledged by Muslim and Non-Muslim thinkers and scholars. A warm friend and a guide for his companions, a devoted and loving husband for his wives, a shady tree for his daughters, a leader of the Ummah, an exemplary politician and a reformist who transformed the most uncultured Bedouin into the most disciplined force of people known to history.

His message which begins with the oneness of Allah and accountability of our deeds in front of Him, gives answers for all the problems we face today. But how many of us have actually explored the message he brought. Do we really know the message? The Quranic code of life sent to us though our beloved messenger of Allah still remains untouched only to be ‘recited’ when we are in trouble or a calamity afflicts us or becomes a part of the deluxe package that goes with the bride. How many of us consult his way in our practical lives when it’s a matter of celebration or woe.

We never see the Prophet (SAW) telling a lie, deceiving a human or even an animal, breaking a pact or a promise. He forgives and prays for the humiliating tribal chiefs of Taif and the people who throw stones at him. He rejects social inequality and all sorts of racial supremacy and lays down in his final sermon, the basic charter of human rights,

‘An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. ’

He sets best examples of justice and warns that the previous nations were destroyed because they only punished their weak and poor for crimes. He teaches us to have best of our behaviours and ‘akhlaque’ with our neighbours (Muslim or Non-Muslims) so much so that he once thinks that they might get a share in inheritance (because of the stress Allah has put on their rights). He cries for Allah’s forgiveness for us and stresses us to remain united and not be divided due to language, castes or sects.

‘‘Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.”

Non- Muslim minorities are at peace under his rule. Justice is served irrespective of faith, status or personal affiliation. He lifts the status of a woman from the one who was buried alive at birth to as high as a guarantee to get best rewards, may it be through serving and obeying one’s mother, taking care of a wife or raising a daughter with love. He brings a message that puts rewards in charity and spending from what we love most, giving an orphan a home and helping a widow to survive.

No one has the right to question anybody’s sincerity of the claim of ‘love for the Prophet’ but we all need some serious self-evaluation. When we claim to be his followers, it automatically makes us his ambassadors and representatives in whatever role and responsibilities we take. Do we consult the Prophet (SAW) in different matters of our lives?

Let’s follow the Prophet (SAW) to prove that we love him. Let’s celebrate him every day. Let’s light up our hearts with the beacon of his message like we light up the streets on his birthday. Let’s engrave those beautiful stories of his life, which we memorize and narrate, on our actions. Let’s check if our deeds are compatible with our claims of love towards him. In following him, lies the secret of Allah’s love, mercy and forgiveness for us.

‘’Say, [O Muhammad], “If you love Allah, follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” [Al-Qur’an 3:31]

A milestone achieved!

‘My Bit for Change’ has achieved a big milestone in the form of Best Activist Award at Pakistan Blog Awards 2011. With the highest number of votes on the nomination, MBFC topped the category.

With nearly 22,000 facebook fans in a short span of 10 months, MBFC is expanding every day with a new spirit. Every little bit towards change is helpful. But what do we call ‘change’? To us, change needs to start from within, of course without ignoring the responsibility of changing the environment. Both need to be worked upon, in parallel. In a world where social media is playing its role of breaking and leaking facts, spreading news about injustices and oppression, (hidden by the corporate media) and overthrowing brutal dictators, every one of us has a responsibility. As we say ‘We are not responsible to change the whole world, but we’ll surely be questioned about our bit if it could help and our silence where a word mattered most.’’

MBFC introduced ‘different blogging’ based on morals, values and mental decolonization, hard to find on conventional media. Unless we stand on our feet and represent and take pride in our identity, the world will always look down upon us. We’ve shared news of the oppressed from Palestine and Kashmir, pictures as they happen whether it’s Pakistan, Gaza or Wall Street, injustices and double standards of neo colonial forces, Islamophobia, casualties of innocent people due to home grown terrorism or this ‘War of terror’, quotes of the learned, revolutionary poetry of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Habib Jalib, and Manzar Bhopali (from India), liberating and enlightening verses of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Hadith and the Quranic Verses. We have posted content to bring different faiths and ethnic groups together as we strongly believe in spreading love because life is too short to hate anyone and besides, hatred and parting only weakens us and serves enemies’ interests. Also, we strive to stitch the moral fabric of the society ripped apart by conventional media.

MBFC which was founded by a few enthusiastic volunteers has transformed into a blogging forum with its ‘writers family’ growing incredibly because all of us want to ‘speak and get it out of the system’ for the better.

‘In the times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act’’ ~ George Orwell

We owe a word of thanks to Pakistan Blog Awards for providing all the bloggers a platform helping them to get encouragement and recognition. We also owe a word of thanks to those 22,000 fans who add their bits every day and the people who voted for us and cherished our victory.

But most of all, we are extremely grateful to Almighty Allah and pray that he accepts every little effort to bring about positive change in the society. We are more humbled by this achievement and are fully aware that the responsibility has only increased. But ‘together we can do it’. You are the real force behind our success and it’s just the beginning of the path towards the goal. Keep bringing your bits, write when it hurts and raise your voice. It matters!

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Jack Kerouac

Is The Silent Majority Awake Now?

Nearly two decades of ‘slow but steady’ struggle which sometimes looked like a ‘one-man’ show and labelled as ‘just a fan club’ by critics has surely turned the tables in one big show of strength. “The Lahore Jalsa” has shaken repeatedly tested corrupt giants. There is a fear in their tone, and you can sense it.

Pakistan is a country where:

– 60% of the people enjoy the day of election as a ‘day off-work’ at home and opt not to vote
– one-third of the voters list constitutes fake and non-existent names
– majority of the voters decide overnight to cast their votes due to pressure, fear or incentives like a day’s ration, sewing machines, or ‘Ghee ke dabbay’.

True, along with the corrupt ruling elite, the silent majority is equally to be blamed for the mess. The majority who either do not know the power of their vote or cannot think of a reason to come out of their comfort zones to vote. They dwell in air-conditioned rooms, cars and offices, hardly knowing the problems of a common man, so why bother?

I feel lucky to have witnessed a day when people, especially youth, from all social backgrounds, some wearing Shalwar Kameez and headscarves and others in jeans and designer sunglasses, some travelling by public transport and others in their valuable and comfy cars, some speaking the Lahori style Punjabi and others insisting on their ‘dude’ style English, all came out to gather in the heart of Punjab under Jinnah and Iqbal’s posters, Pakistani flags, National Anthem and songs on the 30^th of October on Imran Khan’s call to be part of ‘Tsunami of change’.

After carefully watching the big day in the history of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf and the utter failure of media to ‘change the topic’ or turn a blind eye to the mammoth crowd, one wonders as to what has brought the sleeping silent majority out. Fifteen years is not a long time, keeping in mind the fact that a sport hero turned politician, with no roots in established political houses of the country, and with no experience of fraudulent short cuts, talks about dreams which this nation had probably dumped into cold storage for years.

The critics may, very rightly, say that this big crowd doesn’t mean anything electorally and wouldn’t constitute a single seat constituency but it cannot be ignored or taken lightly that people from all walks of life, from labourers, hawkers, rickshaw drivers to educated youth from all colleges and universities including the most ‘westernised’ reached the uneven ground of Minar-e-Pakistan which most of the elite youth might not have been to in years.

What was the motivation? What was the call for? The question is extremely significant. The ruling class has always talked about problems of common man but all we have seen is years of hopelessness, heaps of broken promises and blatant lies. No one has delivered. Standard of living changes after elections but only for those who reach the Parliament houses, ever expanding offices, ministries and ranks created every day. It has never trickled down to the commoners.

The call to gather was for ‘change’. Imran Khan talks of the common man and he has delivered, although on a smaller scale (Shaukat Khanum and Mianwali University Projects). He talks of the ‘Rule of Law’. Having explored the Western culture and comparatively studying Islam, he takes pride in owning Islamic values and systems. He promises not to bow for anyone’s interest and keep the interest of Pakistan supreme. He opposes Pakistan’s alliance with US War on terror and condemns the innocent casualties as a result of US drone strikes in Pakistan.

‘Friends with all, slaves of none’ was his message boldly sent out from the stage surrounded by thousands of chanting and adrenaline pumped Pakistanis. And most important of all, he takes inspiration from the Qur’anic principles of social justice and equality, Iqbal’s philosophy of ‘Khudi’ (self-respect) and Jinnah’s concepts of Islamic democracy. He strongly believes in Pakistan being an ideological state based on Two Nation Theory , a concept disputed by westernised ‘liberals’ in the country who are bent upon labelling him as ‘Taliban Khan’. Call it wishful thinking, but if the right-wing hardliners do not see him ‘up to the mark’ and the secularists see him as a ‘Mullah’, the nation would look up to him as a moderate leader capable of establishing a modern Islamic state.

Excerpts from Imran Khan’s latest book: Pakistan-A Personal History:

“Gone were the insidious humiliations of colonialism and the fear of being drowned in an overwhelming Hindu majority in an independent India. We were free people, free to rediscover an Islamic culture that had once towered over the subcontinent. Free, too, to implement the ideals of Islam based on equality, and social and economic justice. A democracy, as Pakistan’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah said, not a theocracy. We were to be the shining example in the Muslim world of what Islam could achieve were it allowed to flourish. Such dreams we had…”

“ …Iqbal not only conceived of a self-governing Muslim state, his passionate voice awakened and activated Indian Muslims motivating them not only to strive to free themselves from the bondage of imperialism and colonialism, but also to challenge other forms of totalitarian control. Believing fervently in human equality and the right of human beings to dignity, justice and freedom, Iqbal empowered the disempowered to stand up and be counted.”

This rally is not less than a wave of big change and a practical demonstration of the Gallup survey and also the WorldPublicOpinion.org survey in collaboration with U.S. Institute of Peace with statistics inferring:

‘..strong public support for a wider role for Islam. Asked to gauge the importance of living “in a country that is governed according to Islamic principles” on a 10-point scale, 61 percent give an answer of 10 (meaning “absolutely important”). The mean response is 9.0’

So, Pakistanis want rule of law, and self-respect and a society based on Islamic principles, exactly the things promised by Imran Khan. That is why they came out in numbers to show their unconditional support. A ‘clean sweep’ in coming elections still looks unrealistic for Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf. However, by joining hands with honest forces, without compromising his principles, Imran Khan is capable enough to change Pakistan for better.

Still Seeking Independence

From grandpa’s diary:
‘My six year old granddaughter Zara is all excited to celebrate the 64th birthday of Pakistan. Every year when this day arrives, it brings back many beautiful memories. Poverty, homelessness, travelling in the worst circumstances, leaving behind our homes; nothing looked ugly, nothing felt difficult. I was a young and energetic teenager, a student for whom going to school had multiple reasons. Of course, my parents like all the others, wanted me to be a successful man but there was something else in my blood which pushed me every day to an institution where we met, planned and strengthened our ideas. The most wonderful and rarest of the blessings of that time was a true leader in the shape of Mr Jinnah. Our energies were different. Our blood was gushing more powerfully than many others in the united India. We were so close to the goal, a dream was to come true towards which I had seen my grandparents and parents struggling with all their devotion and commitment. Our lives were like those of a tenant’s who was eagerly waiting to move to his own house. We were struggling for a home where we could live according to our wishes independently, where we are not answerable to any ‘Landlord’ except the True Lord, where no one else could impose his rules and regulations on us, but God. I had lost many friends, uncles and cousins during the struggle. A lot of blood was spilt, but not wasted, I was sure. Everyone was talking about ‘the time’ which was near and as sure to come as a written fact. We could see it coming with our very eyes.

14th August 1947 was the day no less than Eid for us. My forehead was prostrating in front of Allah whom we had made promises with; a deal that we made about implementing His laws, if He gives us a land with no interference from anyone. My eyes were tearful with my heart jumping in joy and humble with thankfulness to God. Our ‘haveli’, our decades old business, our property and valuables, jobs and careers; nothing was a hindrance to travel to our new born homeland. We were desperately seeking for this day of ‘Independence’ when we are nobody’s slaves but the Creator’s. The very thought of the long awaited moment when we’d kiss the land was working as adrenaline in our blood vessels. Days or nights didn’t matter, we were moving. A big number of people lost their lives in this transit but the caravans wouldn’t stop. Nothing could halt the sea of these charged and sparked people who left by choice everything they had, for a dream, a promise, a struggle and a mission. We had broken the idols of colonial captivity and seen Iqbal’s dream becoming a reality under a selfless man called Jinnah and we were all motivated for a better tomorrow.

Zara shakes my arm to bring me out of a very true movie saved in my eyes and dearest to my heart, which I watch every now and then but more so in August every year. She wants me to leave gardening and come indoors as she wanted to show me her green outfit that she bought for school celebrations.

I am a 79 year old frail man with no physical energy left in me. I have seen these 64 years like a Banyan tree that bears the most scorching sun and also refreshing rains. I have been an honest man and have given every drop of sweat to this land. After seeing Zara’s glittery green dress, I sit back to analyse why this land of mine is in a mess. There is still bloodshed, poverty, homelessness, displaced people, and this actually is ugly and painful. Independence from all worldly masters is what we strived for. The proposed dream of Iqbal who left us many years before Independence Day was based on faith i.e. to live according to the Rules and Laws of Allah with no interference from anyone. The whole struggle was based on this fact and the demand of separation was based on Muslim majority areas. But this is the very foundation which some people are questioning today. 64 years down the road, listening to a discussion in a TV show as to whether Pakistan was created in the name of Islam or not is absurd and extremely painful. Such conversation and the dishonesty that prevails on individual and national level is equivalent to breaking the pact that we made with Allah and betraying the blood which, I still have faith, wouldn’t go waste.

Following Islam at individual level or practising ‘Sovereignty belongs to Allah’ at national level, is still a myth. The injustices in the society, the bloodshed, the linguistic divisions, the social deprivation, and inequality of men on material grounds, are surely ugly. The idol of colonial times is not entirely broken either. Our identity is still vague. We still worship some worldly gods and that too happily. My people are still unsafe not because of a foreign regime but due to some men who are from us, look like us and speak the language that we understand and claim to lead the country and hold the governing offices. Our decisions are not taken by our own men or in our own interests. Many of our sons and daughters have been sold for foreign money. Many are missing for years. Many are bombed to death by monstrous drones. Big fish get away with everything. Poor get crushed in the cruel ‘system. Foreign spies are willingly welcomed through front doors and helped to escape through backdoors after killing our men… Too much, too ugly!

I miss Jinnah, someone who could look daringly into the eyes of the colonial monsters , walked with a head up high, knew the worth of this nation and could say a bold ‘NO’ in the best interest of his people. The frailest of nations we were but we stood behind him with strong faith and formed a force which no power in the world could beat. With no money, no alms, no arms and no treasures, the people turned into a tornado and broke all the barriers to achieve the goal. I miss a leader, who could take us to the door of true ‘independence; which I am still seeking.

But, all is not ugly. There is something extremely beautiful about today as well, despite the thick clouds of despair. It’s the devotion of the new generation and the youth and its unshaken affiliation to this gift of Allah, Pakistan. The energies being brought together to pull the country out of the mess and the growing awareness of the problems we face, is a silver lining. The magnitude is small when I compare it to the force pushing us into the ditch, may it be foreign hand or our own enslaved leaders or demoralising media elements. But, same was the case in 1947. The two opposite forces were not comparable in strength and magnitude and would never be. It’s faith and trust in God which has always made our side of the scale heavier and that’s what is required. Allah will fulfil the promises of His bounties if we fulfil our promises that we made with Him more than half a century ago.

‘Recall My favour which I had bestowed on you, and fulfil your covenant with Me and I shall fulfil my covenant with you, and fear Me alone.’ [Al-Baqarah 40]

I feel tiny hands wiping tears off my face while I sit in the arm chair with my eyes closed. I open my eyes to see my Zara, my faith and hope for Pakistan, the surest reason to smile again’.

Mayoos to nahin hain umeed e sehr se hum..

Also appeared on Aaj.tv, The News Tribe, Weekly Pulse Magazine and Hurriyat News

As venomous as it gets!

You thought they were saviours, your representatives whom you elected and sent forth with hopes in your heart and responsibilities on their shoulders. You thought they were there because their prime interest was to lead the way towards betterment of the country, and make you a force against all the monstrous problems the country is facing. How naive! No doubt we are always told “jaisey awam , waisey hukmaran”, (like people like leaders). But I must say they probably are worst of us.

Sindh’s Senior minister Mr. Zulfiqar Mirza’s tone and derogatory language, gave us a shock not for the first time. There are many others out there, who hold very important positions but have given us mini heart attacks with their venomous tongues. Mr. Mirza calls the people who migrated to Pakistan from India as “bhookey nangey” and goes on to claim to be a part of people who helped them to get back to normal life. He further attacks the leader of Karachi’s biggest party as ‘badmaash’ and urges the people of Karachi to rise and get rid of them,“In kambakhtoN say Jaan ChhuraeiN”. His eyes, language and words had nothing constructive, nothing to bring hearts close, nothing to work for the better, nothing but hate! So he was bound to be summoned by the honourable President, who must have given him a hard time extracting a quick apology for his most irresponsible speech.

But who would summon Mr President who holds the highest office in political world of Pakistan and whose words and tones were no better than those of an illiterate/uneducated class who have never attended school and have never learnt any manners to get along in society. He makes a funny sound and labels PML-N leadership having mentality of blacksmith (lohaar) and Maulvi; both probably abusive words in his vocabulary, and leaves both his friends and foes shocked.

His obedient servant, Mr. Faisal Raza Abidi in one of the talk shows defended his master in a manner even worse. He adds the term “Burqa” in the list of abusive words which Mehar Bokhari challenged very intelligently. Mr Abidi showed same instincts as his beloved leader and program ended in a furious dog fight (reminds me of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s masterpiece in urdu literature)

The trend is not new or confined to one party. It’s become a norm to attack each other’s human shortcomings or private lives, be it personal or family.

Mr. Chaudhry Nisar, who seems to be a sensible man, in his mission to humiliate MQM’s leadership, discusses Mr Hussain’s medical /psychological problems, his rehabilitation treatment and his ex-wife’s views about him; all unacceptable on religious, moral and ethical grounds.

He gets a response, ten times worse. Mr Waseem Akhtar directly asks Sharif brothers as to “what sort of ‘treatment’, do they keep visiting London for. The nation needs leadership and their problem is hair transplant to hook girls” He warns, “we know whose daughter ran away with whom and we know all about their illegal activities , so they better keep their mouth shut”.

Mustafa Kamal is simply outraged by PML-N’s blasphemous comments and in a talk show asks one of their representatives “mard kay bachhey bano”. He asks Jasmine Manzoor to turn off his mic and labels him and his leadership as ‘pimps’ and “jaanwar log “ and again targets PML-N’s leaders’ daughters. He threatens, this PML-N man would never be allowed to enter Karachi and even leave his own house in Punjab if he uses any bad words against his Quaid. Mr Nazim finishes his talk with his favourite term, “Ulloo ka patha” (I could not find a translation for the word, can anyone help?)

Not long ago, Mr Babar Ghauri battles Imran Khan not on a logical or statistical ground but reminds him that he was a playboy in the past (which is between him and Allah, might not be true, he might have repented but Allah forgives, man does not). He waves a child’s picture in the TV show and asks Imran Khan, who her father was, as she resembles him. A cheap shot indeed!

Imran Khan with all the qualities of a true leaders, holds his anger and talks about real issues on the TV show. But he forgets it’s a YouTube world and his fans and followers proudly posted his unofficial reply on social media where he laughs and makes everyone around laugh as well, with his comments “I can show you thousands of children in Africa who resemble Babar Ghauri”; an equally cheap shot, purely based on Mr Ghauri’s complexion.

And of course we haven’t forgotten PTI Sindh’s representative hurling a glass of water at Chief Minister’s advisor as they exchange abusive language in a live TV show.

Women have been equally vocal in their attempt to be “mardoN kay shaana bashaana” (shoulders to shoulder with men). No doubt they are equally talented.

Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan engaged in shameful discussion, not very long ago, when Kashmala Tariq teases her about her background and her activities in FJ Medical college. Dr Awan throws this back in a most unacceptable fashion, leaving Javed Chaudhari and Shireen Mazari both shocked and embarrassed. She says that “She is ‘’at least’’ not from Heera Mandi and was not elected through someone’s bedroom”.

Another masterpiece, I remember was Samina Khawar Hayat’s performance in Jasmine Manzoor’s show, where she takes a ‘Lota’ out of her handbag to practically demonstrate why politicians (her opponents, of course) are called Lotas. She spins it like a spinning top (Lattoo) on the desk and as a part of her demonstration breaks a clay pot in studio, the manner in which these Lotas should be taken to task.

Enough of entertainment videos I have provided in this blog to keep you amused for days. But one question we should ask ourselves. Are they saviours? Are they capable of leading us? All they have and all they display is hate, immaturity and non-professional attitude. They widen gulfs between us and divide the nation. Their prime interests are personal or party issues. They spit venom because their leaders are targets of “blashphemy”, not because you and I are in trouble, not because we are dying every day and not because the main issue of this nation is survival. They are far from goals and far from national interests.

They make and break alliances, they stab and apologise each other, they group and regroup, they manipulate and manoeuvre, just to stay in power.

A total overhaul is required. The change needs to come from within. We need to educate masses and choose carefully. Once we are educated/intelligent and sincere to the country, we’ll have similar leaders; educated and cultured for whom national interest would be the decisive factor for making and breaking political relationships.

They are from us, so let’s change ourselves. Change the language, the patience level and mentality of the ones who elect them. We can make a better choice next time, can’t we?

Also appeared on The News and Aaj.tv