Azadi march- the debate from what will to what could!

I wonder if our motherland ever imagined that the irony of fate will walk her straight to the worst political standstills of all the times right after one of her birthdays- that one day of commemoration of her resilience! Sorry was all I could offer her on account of our 'gorgeous' political sense, political enthusiasm, political aspirations and political deeds- on this birthday. Her 'birthday-political-drama' though was aired without a knock at anyone's conscience. During this 'highly rated' drama, rain might not have doused the spirits of the protestors like many other unpleasant realities did! Stranding his followers (high and "wet") right in 'Azadi arena' while they were bubbling with enthusiasm for change they left their houses for- truly only got IK in as controversial a position as the 'incident of Model town' got NS administration lumbered into. Equal footings now- I assume! But even if the PTI Junoonist chooses to forgive his Quaid once again (some of them with big hearts already did, specially after the second night he spent in container at the site)...is it going to help lessen political confusion lingering around in the air to any extend? Hard lines! I guess it might just be worsening it! IK- political analysts agree- is stubborn enough to go out on a solitary protest if he had to, for what he believes in (though TuQ, Musharraf and Sheikh Rasheed might never abandon him now that iron is this hot). But the question here is, if what he believes in is working for anyone around at all? (apart from aforementioned 'luminaries'). Today, anyone with some political sense in the country can sense the deadlock IK has steered everyone into, not just with the un-constitutional demand for PM's resignation but sudden brainwave of civil disobedience too. NS won't ever resign for the bliss of children of revolution (I'm sure they are not naive enough to have misjudged their options as to this demand) and IK (even though sources report he might back out on his demand) strongly stated that the only way to rid Islamabad of his Junoonist is if NS resigns for the greater good! Fat chance! The debate of what might happen (keeping everyone's stance in mind) still is futile to its core, what with Pakistani politics' fame for the staggering velocity of changing scenarios. The foot ball in our country moves like a pingpong ball in the courts of participating parties. Instead, let's see what could've been done to avoid this deadlock! Initially, most analysts were siding with IK because of how justice was denied to him that he knocked so many doors for. But the exuberance he stepped out of his den with, soon had everyone pointing out toward the political suicide he was trying to commit! Long march clearly was NOT the sole answer to the crisis he was facing. My husband used to be such a staunch PTI Junoonist that I would find it scary at times. But IK's political immaturity soon had him turn his back on our 'triggerer of Tsunamis' (like many others), for he believed, there could have been better practical solutions to the situation. 'Let's suppose, today NS actually resigns for the greater good', my husband puts, 'this still won't bring any change IK cries for. The new elections would be conducted through the same corrupt system that he has problems with. A resignation won't change the whole system and make it suddenly acceptable for our man here. What then? Problems with the transparency of another election? Then problems with another elected prime minister because of the same corrupt system (if this prime minister doesn't happen to be IK this time)? And then it will go on and on and on! That's real mature now'! What he could've done here though (for real change and for real 'Naya Pakistan') was working on this popular one liner. 'When you don't agree with the system; work harder, reach the top and change the system'! Not easy, but workable (one that might save many re-electoral expenses). IK could've worked on making allies for approval of bills to induce transparency in electoral processes and election commission itself, trying to calmly handle political scenario of the time alongside (something he really REALLY needs to do presently too). Now whenever the 'next time' for elections came, could have become 'first time' for real transparent elections, endorsed by all the parties that did support the aforementioned bill initially! True it could've taken IK some time (he had 5 years) and energy (he could try lessening his temper tantrums to conserve that) but this could've given us all hope for a future that Pakistanis would actually vote for this time. But then we wouldn't have this 'birthday-political-drama' and surely things would have been a lot less spicier in the country. Now who would want that for the 'birth month' of Pakistan?!

Preparing for 'Jashan-e-Azadi'

Mum's been frantic since last weekend, 'we're next', she'd remark, listening to commentary about no supplies, barred roads, fuel shortage etc in Lahore. All she did then was shopping like crazy for our larder. 'just in case', she'd mumble as we'd ask if we were preparing for an apocalypse, knowing in her heart of hearts that we'd be thanking her as 14th august will draw closer. That's how we're preparing for 14th august, 'Jashan-e-Azadi' that we call it. I wish I won't but secretly, I agree with her. Hundreds of containers have arrived in Islamabad already, workers at petrol pumps and CNG stations are haughty already and the prices of edibles and household commodities are hiking like it's Ramazan again. Lo and behold! We're preparing for 'Jashan-e-Azadi'. I fail to determine what's the real issue here. If it's this 'pointlessly-called-for-march', or 'insecurity-of-government' or 'over-enthusiasm-of-Inqalabi-fanatics'. There might be a dozen other factors here but the real point still stands out- alone, high, shinning like bright daylight for us to somehow spot it. The point is, 'what's up with folks here, seriously'? No seriously! What really is up with us falling for the same political dramas and never becoming tired of becoming political pawns again and again. What's up with us not getting 'naya Pakistan' is NOT a paint brand that we'd buy and brush all over the country. What's up with us being this naive??? IK's sole stand for this protest was rigging in 4 constituencies of Punjab where he wanted re-counting (re-elections now). After having built enough pressure though (true, election tribunal and Supreme Court had been biased dealing with him initially, with government taking him over too offhandedly, worsening state of affairs to this degree finally) he had government consenting to re-counting of votes in 10 constituencies instead. So IK has shown enough power already to government that they're asking for dialogue. But they say, 'power is intoxicating' and it clearly has stung IK. Demanding re-elections throughout the country is as foolish a call as it can get. But I wonder, how can the people ready to pop up in streets for him not see it. By 14th August, showing full might of his street power, IK would've brandished all his cards (clearly not getting importance of keeping some cards hidden, specifically when other party already is kind of intimidated, cause you can just get as powerful as your LAST card can make you). But the major issue isn't IK's political immaturity as much as it is the fanaticism of PTI Junoonists. Blood runs high in those young veins but only long as it's a question of being on the streets and not doing anything for change that actually might help. Hint: changing themselves first. No sir, long as change's concerned, their country comes first!! To add icing to this political scenario, TuQ with his enthusiasts is ready to canoe in the 'stream of revolution' too. How TuQ has made 'living' a hard choice for Lahories is not a hidden fact, now that he wants to have people of Islamabad savour that taste too. We can't help but see 'Jashan-e-Azadi' here in light of how people from Model town are facing severe lack of basic-most household supplies, how people from Lahore are seeing Inqalab through blocked roads and discontinued civil services, how people from outskirts of Lahore are falling victims to Inqalab as the barred roads prevent them from getting even to hospitals! Soon this's going to be the story of Islamabad. Closed markets with no where to get basic supplies from, inflation mounting high, blocked roads, closed or out of access hospitals, transportation gone, academic institutions closed, all businesses having come to a halt.....this is how we are going to have 'Jashan-e-Azadi' here. And the problems PTI Junoonists and TuQ Inqalabies (if their number rises as per anticipation) preparing to gather in this city (that can hardly contain its own residents) are going to be really ugly too. But who cares! Inqalab after all comes first! So, PTI has every right to boost its street power to mourn mishandling of Pakistan at hands of government, but no, PTI should not be held accountable for its own handling of KPK where things are a lot worse than they're in PML-N run areas. TuQ should be granted access to the streets-guarding-constitution for his protest, but he should never be asked about his yield the last time he used these street for similar purpose (apart of-course from personal gains). Indeed, They should both be allowed to celebrate 'Jasahan-e-Azadi' as they please, even at the expense of tribulation of nation cause it's their 'Jashan-e-Azadi' too. 'A LOT' is going to happen this 14th...so a lot for media to cash too, all in one day! And that's what makes media prepare for 'Jashan-e-Azadi'.

Pyare Afzal- the tragedy

And Afzal died tonight, running a wave of nationwide feminine grievance. I did not know 'Pyare Afzal' was this popular until I saw my news-feed swamping with mourning statuses tonight after the speech by prime-minister. No one however, I daresay, needed anything to do with Mian Sahab tonight when Afzal was the vox-pop of town. Looking at the flood of those lamentations, I found myself standing in the pair of those 'ignorant shoes' again that I had promised myself I won't step into after getting gaped at by people asking me how did I like 'hamsafar' or 'zindagi gulzar he' (drat I missed another one!). But then I rushed to my sister for help and had her reel off a quick version of story (the time efficient version of entertainment) before I got asked again of my stance over the tragedy. And now, I'm ALL ready! Thinking about the unfortunate address by prime-minister though, I couldn't help but pity the lack of 'show-biz' sense of his advisory committee for not having suggested against this time for an important address. I am most certain Afzal tonight swiped 'prime-time' right out of prime-minister's liar to an effect maybe of him not even noticing it. Far as this national tragedy of Afzal's demise is concerned (I'm sure Mian Sahab would be the only person not grieving tonight for the loss- more for his recently acquired personal grudge), I fear if all female mourners would get a shoulder for crying tonight- by which, I'm not suggesting any usual-consortial-indifference regarding such crucial issues, cause males, well, (I'm going to say it real quick) 'they care too'. For the majority however of non-married mourners, there might be no solace other than chanting about how great a man Afzal was (and pyara like they dubbed him themselves) and how great hopes did they have associated to the departed soul- as they talk amongst themselves and inundate Facebook and Twitter with their laments. The thought of man but being mortal is all that might comfort them tonight. This loss though is immense but I hope our ladies will find the courage of excusing Khalil-ur-Rahman Qamar now after having said enough about how his pen is drenching in the blood of their national hero. And I also wonder how the director missed myriads of those comics posted yesterday with threats saying, 'the director is so dead if Afzal died tomorrow'. I'm really sorry about you Mr. Director.

Pied-piper and Ishqi-fied zombies

After getting deflated pretty bad in a series of events happening over past couple of years, most of them scandalous- the Inqalab drama at airport and in the plane (Man! do i miss those comics!!), PAT activists-turned-terrorists, an enthusiastic long march a year ago ending at a sudden whim by TuQ after talks behind closed containers, series of videos exposing TuQ's contradictory stances over political and religious issues - I resorted to such a strong doubt of TuQ ever getting air enough in his lungs to blow a trumpet for his devotees to gather again. I doubted he'd ever have guts enough, I doubted those trumpets would have any range or reverberance to them again and I doubted the enthusiasts from across the country hadn't seen the real motives behind the mantra of Inqalab already. I doubted and I was happy we were going to have one less political theatre to watch and endure. I was happy the naive enthusiast would finally have eyes open...too bad, turned out, naive was the only creature doubting 'resilient Powers of TuQ'. I gaped as I heard TuQ declaring that the youm-e-shuhada might just as well turn to 'youm-e-inqilab' with his soldiers around the country cheering the announcement and here I was thinking 'inqilab'- after a real hard luck in all previous episodes- coming for a TuQ-catchphrase might sound like that from the 'boy who cried wolf', to his devotees.

It looked however like I knew not an iota about 'ishq' from Iqbal's dictionary or I'd have known a little about this blinding enthusiasm that stringed hundreds of thousands of men and woman to our 'pied piper' of the day. Too bad, they don't see, Pied-pipers since time immemorial only had two destinations to deliver their cargoes to- both destructive only for cargoes. They can't see, they won't listen, they will never get it. True, 'Iqbal's Ishq' has no antidote, it doesn't offer the infected any luxury of accommodating reason. True, the only remedy for ishq is one we see in the demise of the bug hovering over at fire. (At least some of us won't have an embarrassed reunion with Iqbal in the hereafter! 'We understood you and the Ishq, screwing all reason, just like you wanted it' they will proclaim with pride while the rest of us will stand with our heads hung down before Iqbal). So now that we know there might be no way around it, no way of talking sense into any party involved...here's a little practical something. Screw petrol, screw trialled roads! Grab some pop corns, switch your TV on, turn all lights off and enjoy the show of the 'Pied-piper', working your fingers alongside for constant online commentary of where the piper's heading with these devotees. All hail these 'Ishqified Zombies'! All hail the 'Dexterous Pied-piper'!

On the road to civilization!

A friend's cousin was robbed of his cell phone & all dough he had then, on his way back home last day. One of the thugs, before scramming away turned toward him n asked considerately, 'oye, kiraye k paisay hain'? Our poor boy, all terrified yet puzzled, mumbled, 'Ji...nai ji'! The thug looked at him from behind his stocking mask for an instant & fished out a ten rupee note from his pocket the next, 'ye lay...wapis bus pay jaen'!!! Now that, really is something, isn't it??? I mean whoa!! My insides are all jumping & thumping ecstatically, for it quite seems like we at last have started knocking off Civilized Youth (though it might as well be the Barakah of Ramadan =D but for a good day today, let's all stick to the former notion)... On the road to civilization , that is...we are!! Salam to those thugs who retrieved my faith in humanity!! Happy reading folks =)

And Another Opinion!

There was a time when people had ridiculous ideas about education of girls & about the continuity of ancestral occupation in a family. With time though, the most ludicrous of them were rejected & ultimately we rid our minds of many old superstitions & beliefs that maybe looked good only with the ancestors from antiquity. Some of them, unfortunately, in the name of tradition still continue to cling to the foundation of our society & some still, as have the disguise of religion…persist to sit in the very base & the worst thing to mention is -none of us now seems willing to shun these parasitic traditions out.

This particular night, I have the *shab-e-Barat* or celebration of *Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan (the middle of Sha’baan)* as an example.

Just because mum always made *soji ka halwa* & had it distributed throughout the street, Grand pa always had a *pulao ki deg* made on the special day, chachu always brought crackers & candles for the celebration of night, & just because their elders always kept doing the same, on the same day….never implies that we too have to follow the tradition & accept it as it is, without even knowing why we are doing that. & if you have those answers, well…let me reel off the answers most of people have for those celebrations, for you:

1- People’s lifespans are decided & written on that day, or it is decided who is to die in the coming year, so it clearly becomes the night of saying prayers.
2- Because all about the life is decided on the day, this one is auspicious for family gatherings & people should gather together in the manner of an EID to celebrate the day.
3- As the day is auspicious, one should fast on the day too.
4- For the Fasting & prayers of night, one should be rewarded with the celebrations on the next night, the cracker & lightening part folks.

These are the beliefs that we keep for celebration of *shab-e-barat* but if we actually think this is a religious issue, have we ever tried to trace back its religious authenticity??

In al-Saheehayn it is reported from ‘Aa’ishah (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) said:
“Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours [Islam] that is not part of it, will have it rejected.”

In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated from Jaabir (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) used to say in his Friday khutbahs: “The best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (SAW). The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented, and every innovation (bid’ah) is a going-astray.”

So the Ahadeeth clearly state that one should seek the truth in all cases from the Holy Quran & Sunnah, & those who innovate something new in Islam are doing the most evil act (even if the intention is pure). So if we want to single out the day & night for fasting & worshipping, we must have some clear example of that from the life of Rasool Allah (SAW) or from holy Quran.

In al-Saheehayn, it is narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever prays qiyaam in Ramadaan out of faith and seeking reward, Allah will forgive him his previous sins” and “Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and seeking reward, Allah will forgive him his previous sins.”

So if we find any evidence of Rasool Allah (SAW) advising the Ummah to say special prayers in a night, we only find that about *laylat-al-Qadr* & never about *Shab-e-Barat* or even *shab-e-Mairaj*. The advice as well as Sunnah, the practice by Rasool Allah (SAW)…as no body ever stated that he (SAW) singled out this day & night for special worship. If he (SAW) never said or did any such thing & if we find no evidence of any special night except for *laylat-al-Qadr* from Holy Quran, who are we to decide it on our own that shab-e-barat is an auspicious night & we’d be pious to go through special worship this night, even when Rasool Allah (SAW) never did??

There are some Dai’f (week) & mawdoo’ (fabricated) narrations as to the speciality of this night, but then again, there were strict ruling against them.

Imaam Abu Bakr al-Tartooshi (RA) said, in his book al-Hawaadith wa’l-Bida’: “Ibn Waddaah narrated that Zayd ibn Aslam said: "We never met anyone among our fuqahaa’ who paid any attention to Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan, or who thought that this night was any more special than other nights."

It was said to Ibn Abi Maleekah that *Ziyaad al-Numayri* was saying that the reward of Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan was like the reward of Laylat al-Qadr. He said, *If I heard him say that and I had a stick in my hand, I would hit him. Ziyaad was a story-teller*.

So do we now say we fell for story tellers’ tricks??

Based upon all these evidences & on the base of finding no authentic evidence form the Life of Rasool Allah (SAW) of singling out this day & night for special worshiping, or any thing from Holy Quran for that matter…wouldn’t it be right to tell ourselves, we only follow this tradition cause we saw our mum doing that & she saw her mum doing that!!!
But here’s a question, if your mum’s mum never let her go to university cause she thought it was a *shrine to infidelity* & your mum would have the same thinking when it was your time…how much of your favor would she have in it???

It’s time that we open our eyes & think out of our own minds & stop following traditions just because they were always followed.

Allah knows the best…may we be guided by HIM!
JazakALLAH n stay blessed! =)

The Realm of Truth

I could never quite understand why Iqbal always talked about heart afore mind. To me, mind was the essence, fated to be the authority, designated to be the ruler of the body but this erudite man would silently negate & perhaps smile too at my confusion, through the divine work he left for us.

Why would mind, in spite of being amongst the nobs of nature, not get what heart so easily could, in his philosophy? Why would it always lag behind ‘ISHQ’? In what sense was intuition above reason? Wasn’t that ridiculous of such a learned man to let rationality sag beneath instincts, mind beneath heart...or had he some rational point for that?

Time kept flying and I kept defying the philosophy…or so to say, kept looking for the reason he erected his ideologies on, when so suddenly; in the last place I could imagine…I found my self looking right in the proud eyes of the reason behind his philosophy of ISHQ’s kudos!

That was a lecture (by Professor i so esteemed once) about the origin of universe & life!

The speech rose mildly from various cosmological disturbances, flowed slickly into the making of heavenly bodies, drove earth methodically out of the parent elements in that confusion &….curiously (or at least I found it) went kneeling straight before ‘evolution of life’, staggering me like anything!

What had been smoothing its way straight to the heart & mind a little while ago, as an ‘authentic epoch narration’ so suddenly changed its way & stuck like a stale lump of something in my throat!

‘Evolution’…did the man call it the next ‘scientific’ step’?

I couldn’t help asking then, ‘is evolution your personal explanation for present diversity of life, too, professor’?
‘indeed, yes…for we have no better explanation’, returned the sage man, ‘mind needs reason to swallow stuff, science likewise needs evidences capable of convincing 5 senses & evidences plus reason right now, all are favoring the theory of Evolution’!

Whether was that a shock for me to hear those words tumbling out of the mouth of professor I esteemed the most or just my moment of “grasp”…I did not know then. I just kept trying to follow the lecture, shunning away the subliminal thoughts buzzing in my mind, ‘he said he believe in it? Why would he need evidences to deny it when our ideologies strictly do? Why would someone look for a reason first to nod to the faith, the faith that’s very openly disallowing this fallacious theory? What is the thing that makes a scholarly, mature & sensible man deny the truth…is that the arrogance of having a mind that can think. is that the capability to think up reasons to negate what you can’t see, touch, smell, taste & hear? so it's the mind that becomes mutant'!

‘Bay khatar qoud para aatish’e namrood may ishq
Aqal hai mehv’e tamasha’e lab’e baam abi.........'

There I was...without knowing that I got my answer, I got it! The learned man though couldn’t instill the ‘evidences of nature’ in my mind but very effectively, elucidated the ‘philosophy of Iqbal’ to me.
Why rationalism was said to have an anti-Islamic stance became so obvious!

The idea of evolution seconding ‘atheism’ always weighed more then the ‘theory of evolution’ itself so professor’s answer so suddenly undid the reef knots of my mind that once favored ‘rationalism’!

‘eyes can’t see flow of electron…yet we believe in this something called , ‘electricity’…echoed in my mind, ‘eyes similarly never saw the supreme monarch running worlds for us…should this be enough to believe in, ‘death of God’? If mind always needs reason & reason wants taming of 5 senses…can it be enough to say, ‘there exists no God for 5 senses can’t catch him as He is.’?

Those who will mange to conjure up an answer in negative…beware! You volunteered to take refuge in ‘traditionalism’ or so they call it!
You might be jeered at by the rationalists as soon as you like publicizing your new belief. There is a parasite called ‘religion’…you’d soon be diagnosed with its infection. Some would even suspect you get yourself doped up with ‘dogma’ & this is where the ordeal starts. You’d find it hard to stay put against the flocks of ‘Parasite free rationalists’ hurling at you, hoards of evidences your senses would so willingly love yielding to…but remember, this is where the heart has to take control of mind…where intuition has to overthrow reason (for some time) & where ‘ISHQ’ has to rise above all other passions & what you would see before yourself is called, ‘truth’….subtle truth of nature…the Ultimate Truth!



This is what Iqbal’s Philosophy taught me (or the lecture of an almost atheist)!
Let the heart be your master, the thinker…mind would do good to be a courtier to find it the evidences for the truth it accepts.
Put them right in order…rest would all come right on its own & you will find your right stance amongst the myriads of ‘----isms’ scattered about. This is where you’d be welcomed to the ‘Realm of Truth’!

(Friday, 16 October 2009)