May 26, 2009

Related to the previous post

Reading about how the Sindh and Punjab government initially acted, only one poem came to mind:

Musheer by Habib Jalib

me ne us se ye kahaye jo das crore hain,
jehl ka nichor hain
inki fikr so gayi
har umeed ki kiran,
zulmaton me kho gai
ye khabar darust hai,
inki mot ho gai
be shaoor log hain
zindagi ka rog hai
aur tere paas haiinke dard ki dawa
(This I said unto him
These, who form a hundred million
Are an epitome of oblivion
Their thought is no more
Every ray of hope
Has been devoured by murk
True is the news
They have lost the life
Conscious less are they!
A curse to life!
And thou hath
What cures their ills)

Taken from Chowk.com

http://www.chowk.com/ilogs/71218/48277

Sindh & Punjab Refuse To Accomodate IDPs

This is an outrage. A display of utterly uncivil and downright pathetic behaviour by the Punjab officials, and in Sindh's case, the people.

Based on the information provided through various news websites, such as this, basically what's happening, or rather what WAS happening is that while Sindh officials welcomed the IDPs in to their province, the workers of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) were protesting against them moving into Karachi. While in Punjab, the officials themselves refused camps for IDPs being set-up in Punjab.

Now apparently, this is what was happening initially. As per this article the Punjab is now allowing land for IDPs to be set up.

Call me skeptical, but I'm feeling as if this is an act done just for the elections which Nawaz Sharif is now entitled to compete in. Maybe he really means it, he seems to have changed, but knowing how well Pakistani politicians play the hypocrisy game, we can never be too sure.

I wonder what news is on the Sindh side.

This is an act that Sindhis and Punjabis, infact, all Pakistanis who think Pakistan must be "Sindh" or "Punjab" should be ashamed of. Here we are, facing a human crisis with the intensity level as that of Congo/Darfur, and there they are contemplating whether Sindh and Punjab should allow relief efforts for IDPs because they are Pashtuns or non-Sindhis/Punjabis? What kind of a conscience does one have to have for such uncivilised behaviour to take place? Oh wait, that's right, illiteracy, or better yet, pure selfishness. Our country is falling into pieces and all one sees right now is an ethnic battle that these individuals are fighting against. Who cares who is Punjabi, Mohajir, Pathan, as long as we are Pakistanis. It's about time Pakistanis got together and united as one people. I can't even say that Pakistan is going to crumble because it already has. I understand that the Sindhis may have concerns regarding the over-crowding of an already crowded area. There is a highly inefficient water/electricity supply and the transfer of another, say, 5000-6000 people at the least would result in a lot of trouble. But stop to think for a minute, the Government (ha, as if) and the people are providing relief efforts. And this is a crisis, it's not a point to contemplate. Pakistanis have to ask permission before they can enter a province of their own country? I don't feel the lack of jobs or any other elements in a society can justify such an act of selfishness. This is not what you call a free country!

Of Porsches and bestfriends ^____^

TehBoogieMonsterMan says:
*Hello my bestfriend
Once upon a December.. says:
*hey
*whats up?
TehBoogieMonsterMan says:
*Here's the dilemma..
Once upon a December.. says:
*yes
TehBoogieMonsterMan says:
*See, I want to be a doctor. And I don't know what to do.
Once upon a December.. says:
*doctor?
*really..
TehBoogieMonsterMan says:
*Yeah ..
*and..a journalist
*and a lawyer
*and an artist
Once upon a December.. says:
*and why would u wanna be a doctor
*ok slow down my porsche

May 25, 2009

Swat Valley Crisis 101

What is it all about?
The operaion Rah-i-Rast by the Pakistani government to fight the Taliban insurgents and terrorists was announced in late April. As many as 200 militants have been killed so far, and the internally displaced Pakistanis of the Swat Valley that have escaped the war ridden region add up to nearly 200,000. This has led to a humanitarian crisis for the IDPs of the Swat Valley region, as those IDPs are cramped into camps that are constantly running out of place.


What are the problems being faced?
The refugees are used to the cold weather of the mountaneous region of Swat, and their transfer to the camps has resulted in diarrhoea and dehydration. There is no electricity and the water supply is limited. The unbearable heat is a cause of great distress for children and adults alike. Food supply is also limited as all the aid being supplied is not reachign each and every camp. Medicines are only restricted to painkillers and those of cold and flu. There is a shortage of female doctors and cultural aspects of the Sway Valley people results in a higher number of diseases among the women that are left uncured by the male doctors.


How can I help?
Possibly the hardest thing right now for the overseas Pakistanis is just sitting here and watching, unable to be physically there with our homeless brothers and sisters. But the least that we can do right now is make our donations and contributions in any possible way.
You can donate to the MKR Foundation. Pak Associations in the country of your residence are collecting non-perishable items to deliver to those in the relief camps. For those in Dubai-
You can help out by calling 04-337-3632 or 04-337-7678. You can contribute financially through United Bank Limited (Diera Dubai Branch) with the title Pakistan Association Dubai. Account # 080 104 62 29 SWIFT Code: UNILEAD If you want to email them pakassoc@eim.ae and their website is www.pakassociation.com
(Taken from James Nightline blog)

Various cellular numbers are also provided in certain reigions on which you can text and donate money through your network provider.

What items are needed for donations:
Clothes, medicines, sanitary commodities, water coolers, fans and tinned foods top the list in this case.

May 24, 2009

Annihilation


Riven by perfection,
Decadence can be healing.
Frozen in bewildering snow
An ignition can be life-saving.
For on raging nights when clouds are ablaze
When agile fury sets a heart on flames,
Therein grows from among the ashes of fatal catastrophe,
A phoenix once fallen, now born anew.

Arfah Shahid Siddiqi
24.5.09

May 23, 2009

Tag

So...Homer Chacha tagged me with 10 things I would want to teach my kids..hmm..weird, 'cause I've often thought about these things. Let's see, 10 things I want to teach my kids (in no particular order):

1. Age doesn't matter when it comes to ethics:
A lot of the times you would've seen elders shun you out of the room because a sexually inappropriate scene is playing on the screen. If it's wrong for kids, it's wrong for you! Wrong is wrong, no matter what. Right and wrong applies equally to all. Similarly, "You're a kid, you should go get water for me!" Wth? I mean okay, it's a nice thing to do, and you do so out of respect for your elders. But to enforce this and be ungrateful and to think it's someone's DUTY to do it for you, I beg to differ. You can request someone, but not force them to go and do it for you and claim it your right, and not even thank them for it!

2. Pride/arrogance/ego = total no no
This gets you nowhere in life, and you learn nothing, absolutely zilch with that attitude. Pride is only for the one who is perfect, and no human is perfect. Everyone has faults. Pride is only for Allah Alone, the Most Beautiful, The Perfect. Arrogance and ego = one pathetic personality.

3. Gender-bias is wrong. Period.
Expecting a girl to KNOW how to clean/cook. What if she was a princess in a palace and had cooks and cleaners all the time? =_=. Besides, why ONLY women? Why not men? Are they not necessary for him for survival? Or are women only subjected to men's personal maid? =_=
Fine, one should be saleekemund and ghar chalana aana chahiye
magar agar nahin ata toh azaab nahin ajeyga! Aapko bhi toh nahin aata!
It should not be restricted to just gender. It's about being an individual. If men and women are equal, they should be treated that way. Men are not expected to know, women should not be expected to know either. Same goes for stitching, crafts, cooking, etc. The rules apply for all otherwise they're not fair.

4. Be yourself (and encourage them for doing so)
A lot of times when children are acting like themselves, they are shunned and rudely told them that they are wrong. They are children, they should be corrected politely. And NEVER shunned for being themselves. Their individuality comes from their pure innocence, and that should never be taken away from them at a young age.

5. Respect is not just for elders, but for everyone:
This is something that unfortunately many of us forget. Respect is essential for a successul, thriving and ethical society, not just elders. Respect for humans is what makes us considerate and understanding and caring about each other. My children should know that respect does not alleviate your status or elevate the other person's ego- it's something that is a basic human right.

6. Parents are your bestfriends
I would want them to share everything with me, so that I am able to guide them towards the right and warn them against the wrong. Friends, often at a young age, can influence a child through peer pressure, and that's what I don't want my children to give into or to succumb to- I want them to be individuals in its literal sense- a gem of their own kind, and be what they are. Staying true to themselves, and if I'm their bestfriend, they will look up towards me more than their friends.

7. Having unfaltering Faith in God
Nothing philosophical about this one. Just making them realize about the Truth and the Light and the Beauty of Islam

8. Standing up for your rights:
To be demanding is one thing, and to claim your rights is another thing. Know the difference and act accordingly.

9. Sacrifice
One doesn't get everything they want in life. If that were the case, the world would be at conflict (worse than now). Sacrificing for others is important, and in some cases, even essential. Everyone can live for themselves, but to live for others, very few people do that. Don't be absolutely selfless because in today's world, one can't survive like that. But know WHEN and HOW to sacrifice. That's what I want my children to know. I want them to sacrifice some of their desires to make others happy, because then God will reward them with much better things, and the reward HEREAFTER is what counts most.

10. Follow your dreams, but remember that the ultimate abode is in the World After
I want my kids to follow their dreams and achieve as much as they can from this life, but before taking thier decisions, they should be mindful of God and know that thier ultimate abode is the Hereafter and so all their efforts must not be futile and be lost in the wordly ways. Achieve whatever you can in this world and follow your dreams, but always take Allah's hand with you, whereever you go. And that is what will truly give you success.

I tag: Ugly & Ayla(already tagged by Homer Chacha), Richa (this should be interesting :P), Rabia, Mari, Naina, Mubi, Seher Baji, Ubeee, Rabie, Mav, Meena.

May 5, 2009

My girl RyRo wrote this for me <3

Don't play with me girl you got my heart tripping.
Say those words once more I feel my tears dripping.
The heartbeat's leveled out, let us talk now.
The world seems to be jealous, but we'll keep our vow.
Together we'll make it through I'm sure.
Our bond being tight; our feelings secure.
Can you hear all their voices? They speak about us.
But don't mind, don't care, I won't make any fuss
You and me, we know what makes the world go round
We know the truth, a long time ago it had been found.
So you and me- this unexplainable bond we share
I truly hope it stays forever and continues to grow stronger, I swear


Is she amazing or is she amazing?

May 1, 2009

Divine Intervention

Divine Intervention

For every tear fallen,
And every dream broken.
For every sigh unheard,
And every cry unheeded.
For every moment you crippled,
And every moment you fell.
For every plea,
And every hope.
For every soul crushed,
And every heart broken.
For every spirit dampened,
And every aura darkened.
For every prayer unanswered,
And every ego crippled.
For every desire unsatiated,
And every hunger emaciated.
For a past that never ends,
And wounds that never mend.
For every thought uninspired,
And every colour faded.
For every lost battle,
And every lost warrior.
For ecstatic moments unsmiled,
And each emotion disguised.
For a world that never was,
And never will be yours:
Some day a thousand splendid suns
Shall rise to the zenith of grueling sense.
Rays of wisdom shall dance down,
Basking a wall-flower in unfathomable glory.
Every petal illuminated
With Divine Light,
Every herb cleansed anew
With droplets of rain.
This is for you, and this is for I,
This is for me, and for my life.
Someday you and I, we will rise;
Rise to the zenith of unfathomable glory.

1.5.09
Friday.