My Chronicles...

25/05: This side of Pakistan

Disclaimer: The credit for this article lies with Tals Diaz and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I am posting this here for informational purpose only.

Source

By Tals Diaz
Philippine Daily Inquirer

“When the doors of perception are cleansed, man will see things as they truly are, infinite.” –William Blake

“We are going to sky, who wants to come with us? We have gone to heaven, we have been the friends of the angels, And now we will go back there, for there is our country.” –Rumi, Sufi poet


MANILA, Philippines—From afar, they looked like vultures circling over prey. As we moved closer though, we saw them for what they really were—majestic eagles, hundreds of them, circling languidly over the terracotta-stained houses lining the streets of Karachi.

Truly, there are things that need to be seen up close to gain a much better perspective.

Mention the name Pakistan and immediately you evoke feelings of fear and awe. For you could say that the country has had its lion’s share of bad publicity. Largely due to a West-centric media, its PR portfolio reads like an eternal caveat: a nuclear-powered, hardline Islamic nation under tightfisted rule—certainly not the winning combination to inspire an entry in the “Must See Places on Earth” traveler’s list. Add 9/11 to that wicked equation, when Pakistan had become a victim of its own geography since the US focused its ensuing War on Terror on neighboring Afghanistan, and you’ll most likely dismiss the country as a dangerous land.

The only thing more dangerous, I believe, is perception that is bloated as truth.

So what is the story behind the headlines?

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14/05: Earthquake in China of 7.9 Magnitude

It has been some months since I have tried posting anything new to my blog. I have been lethargic and somewhat busy with my ongoing project(s).

However, the recent earthquake in China has shaken me out of my stupor and taken me back to the haunting memories of the earth quake in Kashmir in 2005. You can read my posts about it here and here.

It is said that a single picture speaks a thousand words. Look at these 50,000 words and see for yourself what shook me out of my stupor.

In this time of need of our Chinese brothers and sisters, I extend my deepest condolences for the loss of life that they have experienced. We, as Pakistanis, will remember our Chinese friends in our prayers and good wishes. May the souls of those who suffered and lost their lives in this earthquake rest in peace. Amen.

Relationships are turn asunder by death and injuries and times like these are the true test of human resilience. I am sure the Chinese nation will pull through the difficulties and make a new better path for themselves. Fortunately, the Chinese government has responded decisively and quickly without need of external prompting. This is extremely fortunate and speaks in itself for how much China has undergone a transformation for the better.

In all, I would ask the Chinese people to remain steadfast and have patience for loved ones lost. Remember the fond memories and symbolize the dead with those memories. Once again, my deepest condolences for your losses and the destruction incurred due to this natural calamity.

22/02: Railway Pictures

Pakistan Railways has been the state operator for rail based transportation system since independence. Some months back, I had to visit Rawalpindi Railway Station and snapped a couple pictures. For some reason which I fail to understand, these pictures fascinate me. The pictures are below:


The above picture shows a train ready to start its journey.


I got some drinks at the Railway Restaurant and the above switch board caught my eye. It surprised me that they are using such old switches and that they are still operational. It seems as if the British era relics have survived the many years of service (with maintenance and repair, of course).

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16/12: Where There Is A Will, There Is A Way - The Hijab Dilemma

The issue of hijab riles many people and is considered an oppression by some. A news report recently came to my attention which provides yet more credence to the fact that the issue is not so much about it being unfair on the wearer than the society just being hesitant to adopt a change and accept it. This paranoia can be detrimental to a society and the values it adheres to.

The news item is titled "More Muslim girls wear scarf in games". Miss Dewnya Bakri should be an inspiration for other Muslim girls and women who hesitate to wear hijab due to taunts and questions about it asked of them. She proves that where there is a will, there is a way for young Muslim women to be an active part of the society while not leaving their religious obligations at the side.


No one can force a Muslim women to wear a hijab, but if it is indeed her choice to wear it, no one can stop her since it is her right except where it may cause her or those around her any harm. Considering the controversy of banning the hijab in some European countries and a few women losing their jobs in Britain, unless all religious items are banned (which would include crosses, the skull cap for both Muslim and Jewish men (Kippah)) it is discrimination if only Muslim women who want to wear hijab are stopped from doing so solely on the basis of other people feeling intimidated.

In doing so, we ignore the wisdom of hijab. It covers the head and bosom of a woman. One may wonder exactly what function this serves. It basically enables a woman to be judged on the basis of her qualities other than her physical attributes which certain men seem so fond of doing. Let's face it, not all women are blonde hotties (as the term goes - no offence intended to blonde women). What are women, who lack the impressively dimensioned physical attributes to do while the others get all the attention? When we bring in the prevalent insecurity in women about how they look and what people think of them, this becomes all the more of a serious concern. Ultimately, a woman becomes an object rather than her own person who is intelligent, clever, witty and charming. Would a woman really want to be treated as an object rather than her own person?

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18/08: Pakistaniat and Common Sense

I have often enough heard that Pakistani citizens tend to violate laws when at home and strictly follow them when abroad. I have found this to be true to quite an extent, specifically where following the law abroad is concerned. Even when inside the country, the educated citizens tend to follow the laws most of the time, most being a key word here. I think the best way to determine the attitudes of the citizens of any country towards the law is to observe the roads in its cities and villages and see how many people follow the traffic laws. During a recent trip to UK, I found it very refreshing when I saw people following the law and not taking liberties with it. Obviously, there are exception but as a norm, people abroad respect the laws and expect others to do the same. This is a very positive trait which I liked a lot.

During my trip, I also visited Southall in London for dinner at the Lahore Restaurant. The streets were littered with crushed cans and packaging materials of various products [surprisingly enough, one can find a lot of chewing gums stuck on roads in most parts of England - rather disturbing when you consider the nicer aspects of the country] and there were an excessive number of Indians, and a comparatively smaller number of Pakistani and Bangladeshi citizens amidst large boards depicting posters of Indian films being shown in the local cinemas. It is even called Little India by some. I felt pangs of embarrassment when I compared the place to other areas of London. All it takes is cleanliness and a better way to dress and talk to improve the soft image of the place to any visitors like me. Is that too much to ask? Pile the desi chicks [young women from India and other surrounding countries who are born or brought up (or even both) abroad] on top of this who think they have conquered the world by dressing in Western attire and their lame attempts at cat walking makes one want to flee to the North Pole, make an igloo and become a hermit. But enough of that! I seem to be digressing from the main point of this post.

Breaking the law is not something to be proud of. It's rather shameful and the consequences could be dangerous as is most often observed in road accidents where violating the traffic signal results in putting your self and some other unassuming victim at risk of fatal injuries in car accidents.

I recently read an article by Adnan Gill titled 'Pakistaniat and Common Sense' which prompted the above thoughts. I have posted another of his article on my site before which can be read here. The article made me stop and think about the reason(s) people violate laws. To me, it primarily seems as a way to stand out and be noticed. There are other reasons but this seems to be the most relevant of them all

On that note, I leave the reader with Adnan Gill's thought provoking article. All credit for the article below belongs to him. Without further ado...

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