Can I build One Pakistan without Disparity

I WANT TO BUILD ONE PAKISTAN ON THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUALITY AND JUSTICE 

Can I? 

I hear political leaders talking about Naya Pakistan ( new Pakistan) and more Prosperous Pakistan...good initiatives but has anyone thought about building One Pakistan...a Pakistan which is strong and united where everyone is provided the basic necessities of life and a chance to be successful...

There is a sharp contrast in the lifestyles of the rich and the not so rich in Pakistan. The middle class is shrinking rapidly as a matter of fact has shrunk by now.

The rich 10% have too much money they shop, eat, live lavishly... the other 90% barely can survive the 30 days of the month. Inflation has eaten them up! They can't afford anything good...

The focus is always on the owner of the restaurant or the glamorous lady who owns the boutique. They both sit in their beautiful offices and give interviews about the success of their businesses while their chefs, waiters, tailors, embroiders sit in the back in a dark or dingy kitchen or work room in the scorching heat cooking or stitching ...

Why are such individuals not given proper attention or respect, why manual labour is so cheap in Pakistan?

Why people seldom show respect to the "working class"?

Why ? It's the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Is that what Islam teaches us?

The son of a mill worker goes to a very small not recognized school. He may be smart and hard working but he may not be able to get admission in a good college either because he could not afford it or the school he went to did not provide him or her with good education. On the contrary the quite spoiled and very average child of the mill owner gets the best education money can buy in the country or overseas. 

Even education and medical treatment in Pakistan are not granted by availability or by merit but just according to connections or by offering money.

How can such a country prosper?

The son of the Gardner can play cricket with the son of the homeowner but his job will be of entertaining the rich kid. Right from the beginning the poor learns to obey and the rich to command? Why? A person is acknowledged by the virtue of his status and connections not by his character...

So painful yet so vibrant...

Why the gap between haves and have nots growing which political leader will erase it? 

I wish I can get a magic wand to change all this! 

A female boxing club in Lyari,Pakistan... Empowering Women through Sports!

A Female Boxing Club In Lyari, Pakistan... Empowering Girls Through Sports 

Pakistan has produced some outstanding sports personalities over the last few decades... but most of them are Men, why? It is a country with some outstanding women authors, politicians, singers, media personalities... then why just a few prominent sports women? Mainly due to restricted resources and social clichés. 

There are very few female training camps and gyms for female athletes in the country. These are mostly located in the bigger cities and are generally quite expensive. Last month a NY times article on a girls boxing facility in Lyari, Karachi caught my attention. Sanam Maher"s article explains the vision behind the first boxing training camp in Lyari. 

They are part of the first-ever official training program in Pakistan to teach women how to box. The First Women Boxing Coaching Camp has been organized by the Sindh Boxing Association (SBA) in Lyari, Karachi, a neighborhood known for two things: gang violence and sports stars, particularly footballers and boxers, including Olympian Syed Hussain Shah.

It all started when a 16-year-old girl, Khadijah, approached the 2013 Sindh boxing champion and resident of Lyari, Nadir Kachi, and asked him to train her. She wanted to learn to box, but couldn’t find any club willing to teach her. All the girls she knew used to watch videos of matches or training sessions and practice in their homes. They had no way of competing, as no inter-club, district, provincial, or national-level boxing fights are held for women in Pakistan.

Nadir took Khadijah to his coach, Younis Qambrani. “I have been training my daughters to box since they could put on a pair of gloves,” explained Qambrani, whose family includes several gold medalists in the sport. Qambrani started including Khadijah in those training sessions. A few days later, another girl showed up asking for training, having heard of Khadijah’s sessions. Word spread and before he knew it, Qambrani had 13 girls in his home, all wanting to become boxers. At that point, the coach knew he had to find a space and an official program for them."

Sanam Maher and her husband Mustafa Abbasi along with the club officials are raising awareness for this initiative. When I contacted them they informed that the idea for a female boxing club will be a pass time for local girls as well as giving confidence to the girls. 

"The club started out with 17 girls who wanted to learn how to box and who are  from families that have a background in sports, so they were naturally inclined to be interested in the game."

"The Sindh Boxing Association received some seed money from the government for the  10-day training camp - Rs150,000. The organisers are still lobbying for further government support and funds."

 When I asked them what is their vision for future, they replied 

"To train the girls to compete at national- and eventually international-levels. The  girls have to start out competing at inter-club level (there is a sister club set up in  North Karachi, so girls from these two clubs can fight each other), before moving  on to district levels and so on. The coach also wants to train some of the girls to  be referees and umpires or coaches so other girls and women may have access  to the  sport."

Look out for future international female boxing champions from Pakistan. Any amount of donation and a great deal of appreciation is needed for this project. 

Hobby of yesterday/ great profession of today

WHAT USED TO BE A HOBBY OF YESTERDAY IS A HIGH PAYING JOB OF TODAY

Growing up my Grandfather"s advice to me and my siblings was :

"Parho gey likho gey to bano gey Nawab aur kheloy gey kudo gey to hi gey kharab "

( if you study hard you will become an honorable person , if you just play you will waste your time ).......

It's true our grandparents generation thought that there are few decent, financially secure professions like law,medicine, banking, engineering, teaching, business or civil service. Everything else like sports, designing,entrepreneurship, cooking or broadcast journalism is just a past time hobby or a side job and it cannot be a full time career.

Most of us  agreed with that notion in the 70s but now 35 years later... No way! Time has changed. When I look around I see basket ball players and golfers becoming millionaires  ; getting admissions quite easily in Ivy League colleges courtesy of their sports credits. Many young twenty year old athletes earning a six figure salary.

In the world of today being a good sportsman could get you popularity all over the world and make you rich very easily and very quickly . What people thought earlier was to work hard, study and make money. Sports were something to relax. It was never actually considered a serious profession until the end of the 20th century when sports like baseball , tennis , cricket and rugby started to change the logic. 

Is the spirit of hospitality once shown by Native Americans lost in the America of today

Is the Spirit of Hospitality Once Shown By the Native Americans is Lost in the America of Today 

Thanksgiving is a popular holiday celebrated across North America and American territories. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. This particular holiday contains a spirit of nobility. America is at its best on Thanksgiving, families get together, wonderful meals are cooked and everyone shares quality family time around the kitchen table.  

It is an occasion to say thanks to God, family and friends. 

As Americans prepare to get ready for Thanksgiving Dinner in the last week of November it's worth keeping in mind that the United States has a long history of welcoming strangers to their land and taking in refugees.

Some of the first settlers who arrived on America's shores were Europeans. They fled their home countries in search of a new home. When the Mayflower ship landed in New England in the early 17th century, the people abroad that ship established a harvest celebration that would later become known as Thanksgiving. In this celebration they sat down for dinner with the Native Americans who were gracious to share their land with them.

George Washington after he became the first President asked Americans  to celebrate Thanksgiving but it was Abraham Lincoln who made Thanksgiving an official holiday during the Civil War so as to bring the citizens together. The woman who championed the Thanksgiving movement  Sarah Hale, wrote in 1864: “Let us each see to it that on this one day there shall be no family or individual, within the compass of our means to help, who shall not have some portion prepared, and some reason to join in the general Thanksgiving.”

Just as Americans prepare to show hospitality during Thanksgiving now in the year 2015, a nasty national debate is in progress over the issue of refugees. President Obama plans to welcome 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States. After the Paris attacks, the plan has been widely criticized by nearly half the US governors. They fear that some of these refugees may harm the country and its citizens later on. Others argue back that the United States already rigorously vets all refugees and asylum seekers.The angry rhetoric over Syrian refugees and whether to admit them into the country is quite contrary with the United States' historical role in the world… that of helping others and giving shelter to the oppressed.

Will the Thanksgiving Celebration with all its traditions be able to rekindle the spirit of "welcoming" among Americans?

Chocolate Hero

CHOCOLATE HERO

Waheed Murad is regarded as the only actor of Pakistan film industry who secured the highest number of Platinum, Diamond, Golden and Silver Jubilees. 

The iconic film legend died on 23rd November, 1983 – when he was only 45 years old.
He was the only child of renowned Pakistani film distributor Mr. Nisar Murad. He received his early education from Karachi Grammar School, S.M. Arts College Karachi, and Masters in English literature from the Karachi University. 

Waheed Murad acted in a total of one hundred and twenty four films (two of his films were released after his death) out of which 38 were black and white and 86 were colored. He was awarded four Nigar film awards. Waheed Murad is considered as one of the pioneering Rock n Roll stars of Pakistani showbiz world.. mainly due to his romantic style of acting. He was given the title of 'Chocolate Hero'. His hair style was very popular among young Pakistani men during the 70s and 80s. 

The life story of Murad is quite similar to that of Elvis Presley and analogies have been drawn between these two icons. 

In November 2010, 27 years after his death, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari awarded him the Sitara-e-Imtiaz - Pakistan’s highest civil honor.

Your Children and Our Children

Your Children and Our Children

The children who live with criticism, learn to condemn.

The children who live with hostility, learn to fight.

The children who live with encouragement, learn confidence.

Those children who are acknowledged, learn to appreciate.

When you look at test tubes in a pediatric ward of a hospital the color of blood in each test tube is the same. Same color of blood of a child whose parents are Hindus or Muslims, Christians or Jewish. Those test tubes have the names of every child, if you take out the names can anyone tell which tube belongs to which child? The answer is NO!

This is the story of 3 close friends; they tease each other, make fun of each other, wrestle with each other but when some other kid try to make fun of one of them all three of them come together and defend each other. Their friendship is stronger than anything. Their names are Asad, Arun and Zeik ; a Muslim, Hindu and a Jewish kid. They visit Asad at Eid to eat Sivayaan and throw colors with Arun on Holi. They help Zeik light up the nine branched menorah on Hanukkah.
       Their story is possible only in America, their friendship is possible only in America!

This is the story of every other child living in the United States. This is the beauty of this country where you have people of various religions speaking different languages live on the same neighborhood. 

This is the story of my child who is Brown and my neighbor’s child who is White. Public Schools in many American Cities has kids speaking many languages. No one stops them by doing so!

When a child is born in the United States of America his or her parents religion is not written on the birth certificate. Many subjects like Maths, English, Science,Arts, Geography are taught in  American Public Schools but Religion is not taught in these Public Schools. 

Color of skin, faith and dialect has not defined America and American Dream, Why Now? 

"Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

‘Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!’cries she

With silent lips. ‘Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’”

This quote comes from Emma Lazarus' sonnet, New Colossus written on the Statue of Liberty, New York.

Many people enter America every day. This process of arrival in the United States has been going on for many years that is why it is called a land of immigrants. America has become a beacon of hope  for millions of people and their children. 

If we look closely a refugee or an immigrant has faced some kind of terrorism or oppression that is why they leave their "homes" in search of "a new home"!

If you give love and compassion and opportunity to these Americans and their children,  they will respect you America...

Like they always have...

They will not betray you...

The Invisible Victim of Domestic Abuse.....A Man

The Invisible Victim of Domestic Abuse…A Man 

His face looked so peaceful, sleeping peacefully. Finally he was free, from all the pain and all the sufferings!

Uncle Imam was a bright student who lived in a small town in rural Punjab. He wanted to study engineering. His village did not had an engineering college so his parents send him to Karachi to live with his Khala when he got admission in the Engineering  University.

He lived on the third floor in his Khala"s house, worked at a local tv repair shop as a part-time help to support himself. He ate lunch and dinner at the local street cafe nearby. Uncle never wanted to be a burden on his aunt. Alia was his class fellow who he really liked. She was a smart, hard working girl. After completing his degree Uncle Imam got a very good job in a multi-national company in Karachi. When he went back to his village his mother distributed mithai in the village. 

"I want you to marry a "chand si dulhan" , now," said Amijaan.

"There is a girl named Alia she was in college with me," he told her.

"Not at all, you will marry your Khala"s daughter Khalida, after all your Khala took care of you while you were studying in Karachi and your Khala and Khalu have sent proposal for their younger son for your sister," Ami announced quite authoritatively.

Uncle Imam married his cousin after 6 months, it was perhaps the beginning of a very tough journey.

Khalida was the only sister of 3 brothers, very spoiled, highly short-tempered and very judgmental. Uncle Imam tried to make her happy but there was never any stoppage to her sudden temper tantrums.

" Ami please talk to Khala jee, her daughter had made my life miserable. She does not likes any of my friends or their wives.  She fights with everyone the milk-man, neighbors even with her own brothers," Uncle Imam asked his mom couple of years after the marriage.

" I think she needs psychiatric help," he sounded extremely sad.

His mother spoke to her sister but it made the matter worse.

The next evening when Uncle Imam returned from work Khalida had gone to her parents house, he went to pick her up she yelled and screamed at him in front of her entire family. 

"I am not ‘pagal,’ I don't need any psychiatric help or anger management", Khalida  was literally screaming out loud.

" Ami I can't live with this woman anymore," he called his mother.

" No beta if you leave her , your sister will also be sent back to her parents house, please accept her for your sister’s sake,” his mother was crying.

He resisted for few days but then went back to bring Khalida home. She came back with him on one condition, "He will keep no contact with any of his family members!"

They were married for almost 7 years and had no children. "Let's go to a doctor and get some medical help," Uncle said to her one day. 

"Doctors just want to get hefty checks from patients, I will go to Pir Sahab for dua, we will have a child soon after his duas," was her reply.

Khalida spent more than 10 years going to different Pir Sahabs, spent thousands of rupees on black magic. 

They never had children and she blamed Uncle Imam’s family for all her miseries. Uncle called them once in a while and secretly sent his parents money through an old trusted friend. 

When his mother had a massive heart attack he went to see her without telling Khalida. "Beta, I am so sorry for ruining your life, please forgive me," were her only words. She passed away the next day.

They had been married for almost 20 years and Khalida had also started physically abusing her husband. The couple had no friends. Uncle was  not allowed to watch TV or read newspapers as according to Khalida everything has become too "westernized". 

     Earlier this morning I got the news of Uncle Imam’s passing I rushed to their house with my family. My father was his only trusted friend from college. Maybe his only confidant. 

"Imam is in a better place now,” said my father. Uncle proved to the world that he was an obedient son and brother. 

Khalida  was sent to a psychiatric hospital few weeks after his death. Her brothers and their families refused to keep a "psychopath" in their house.

Uncle Imam was a one of many men who are victims of domestic abuse. Maybe "the invisible, the silent victims of domestic abuse".

In cases of domestic abuse all over the world, the stereotype involves a man abusing a woman. In some cases the story goes the other way around.

In a study by HelpGuide.Org( a non profit organization) in almost 33% of reported cases of domestic abuse all over the world the victim is a man.