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Eid Mubarak from Pak1stanfirst!
Last Updated on Wednesday, 17 November 2010 00:02 Tuesday, 16 November 2010 23:54
Eid-ul-Adha or in other words known as 'festival of sacrifice' is being celebrated among Muslims to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail as an act of obedience to Allah. Allah intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead. This festival not only teaches us obedience to Allah but also to make solemn sacrifice if needed for the will of Allah. If we look into the current situation we will find that among all the chaos we are somehow forgetting the ground realities. We somehow have become oblivious to all the bad things happening around us or are it just that we have given up. It is commonly seen in the market that a women, nicely dressed up with matching shoes and all, hands full of Eid shopping bargaining with this little that "hamara apna guzara hota nai, tumhari madad kahan se karein". Why have we become so insensitive and ruthless? Why do we always forget that time changes and so do things around us? Recent floods have devastated half of our country and have changed the course of life for many people. We still are oblivious to other people's needs and we are all concerned only with ourselves. we criticize our leaders all the time for being selfish and corrupt but we always over-look ourselves that we are doing exactly same but on a different level. So let us make a resolution at the end of this Islamic year that inshAllah from now onwards we are going to change ourselves and we will make people change their perspective about things as well. Eid Mubarak; Kulli `aam wa antum bi-khayr. May this Eid bring great peace and blessings in our beloved Pakistan and the entire Muslim Ummah. Team The Pakistan First Group P.S Don't forget to hug the policeman at the mosque who spent this Eid protecting you!
Patriotism
Last Updated on Monday, 15 November 2010 14:34 Monday, 15 November 2010 13:15
Author is Editor In Chief of Pak1stanFirst and hosts Editor's Show on WatanRadio.
Patriotism, is mostly treated as a word from the English dictionary, it should be, only when used in a sentence. But when it is put to practice I ask you not to look upon it as ‘just a word’. Think instead, of the act that makes an ‘action’ patriotic. Look at the intention that makes a decision patriotic, look at the sacrifice that makes a human patriotic.
Dinning out on the 23rd of March or the 14th of August is a costly patriotic act, thus, limited to very few people in our country. But what about those for whom every day and every night is full of patriotism? There are many who sleep hungry every night but live their lives minus any iota of corruption.
I remember a picture that I once saw when the hurricane Katrina had hit the United States. It depicted people looting shops and homes. But I also remember those visuals on TV from the October ’05 earthquake in Pakistan, when people opened up their shops to give free food, shared their water and clothes with others.
What if someone unknown, with a big beard, knocks on your door and tells you that he has just fled his home - will you keep him in your house? Share your food and your clothes with him? And then, what if someone else knocks on your door with 5 family members, would you tell your children to share their clothes and toys with these unknown people?
What if you have so many unknown people walking into your home that you share everything with them and are left with nothing but a small blanket to sleep with?
People in Mardan and Dir have done this. This is ‘patriotism’.
While standing in a flood relief camp the other day I saw a young boy probably 7 or 8 years old roaming around. In one hand he was holding his younger sisters hand and the other hand was tightly quenched. Neatly dressed, he was trying to talk to the relief workers but everyone was busy. After a few attempts, he went into a corner for a while and then tried again to talk to the workers. I thought he must be lost so I went up to him to ask where his parents were. The boy took me to them. The gentleman affirmed but before I could leave, the young boy asked, “Uncle, will you also not listen to me?” I replied “who’s not listening to you, what happened?” He said, “Uncle I have been trying to give this money for those people whose homes were filled up with muddy water on television but no one is taking the money will you give them this money?” For some reason, I could not think of any answer but a question slipped my tongue. “Why do you want to give them this money?” His reply shook me to the core, “They are Pakistani I should help them; shouldn’t I?” The boy lifted his hand and left the most valuable (quenched) fifty four rupees in my palm that I was ever given. Boy’s mother saw tears in my eyes and said, “He insisted of giving his pocket money and brought us here as well”.
When the West says; “A friend in need is a friend in deed” we believe them, but when we Pakistanis are together, as one, in time of crises, are we not a nation? Helping each other in the time of need is a bad thing, now?
Whatever that Lawyer’s Movement was about, whatever that Chief Justice wanted, I could hardly care less. But don’t overlook that lawyer who saw his children sleep at night on empty stomachs, as he couldn’t make money that day since he was fighting for justice in his country - not selling it.
How can you and I ignore that patriotic act?
For God’s sake, even the maximum torture a ‘Talib’ could do to a non-Muslim in Pakistan is to put ‘Jazia’ on them against which they provide them security and justice according to their religion. Also, I have never heard that non-Muslim Pakistanis are flogged in trains like chickens and burned alive. In Pakistan I have never heard of a church burnt to the ground either – with the bishop, his wife and his five-year-old child still inside. And people still say Pakistan never exhibits true unity and bonding?
Patriotism is not an economic scale from which you measure constant progression of development on every level. Even if it was, name me any other country in the world, which fought three wars, lost a part of it, helped destroy the world’s super power and has an archrival on one side, 7 times bigger in size, but still survived. And in its history the economy never went - with all the turmoil going on - below 2.5% GDP.
Tell me about a country which started with Rs. 200 million in cash, no industry, no resources, no government infrastructure, no offices and became what it is today. Let it be no surprise that in 2004 and 2005 we were the second fastest growing country in the world according to international organizations.
I think we ought to thank the Almighty as from Rs. 200 million cash today; we stand more than $1 trillion in just 62 years. Although we could have done much better.
Let it be known; Pakistan is a great nation. It has the power to not only survive in the gravest of times, but it has also taken the responsibility to save the world from the menace of terrorism and militancy.
The time for hopeless banter should be gone, now is the time for rising again - with hope, belief and hard work. The time for only criticizing and criticizing alone should be done with, now is time for only developing minds, hearts and the will for a rising Pakistan.
After learning from our past, this time we shall be better and more resilient.
Before you talk ill about this country don’t forget the Kashmiri Intifada. These Kashmiri’s are brutally murdered and killed by India’s state terrorists and every day they are giving lives for this country, our country; Pakistan. Do remember the only thing coming out of their mouth while being burned alive, while being abused by Indian army, while be tortured to death is nothing else than ‘Kashmir banay ga Pakistan (Kashmir will become Pakistan)’. And the only flag they ever raised in Kashmir under the occupation of a terrorist state like India was of no other than that of Pakistan; A flag that represents hope, ideology and a nation.
Our country is not as bad as we think it is. We have just stopped looking for the better things it gave us. Remember we don’t have to follow another nation, which does not share the same ideals and beliefs as us we just have to do groom our own.
Let it be known; the people of Pakistan are patriotic, they are the followers of Allama Iqbal and they will one day make their homeland, as their Quaid said: “The greatest nation-state on earth”, a homeland they call Pakistan, ‘The Land of the Pure’!
Poem: “My Dream” – Iqbal looking for his Eagles
Friday, 12 November 2010 18:40
Background:
The 133rd birthday anniversary of the Poet of the East, Doctor Allama Mohammed Iqbal would be observed on 9th November, 2010. As we look through the lattice of history, we realize that the greatest hindrance in recognizing the excellence of a genius comes form his contemporaries. Iqbal was one of those rare geniuses whose excellence in the field of poetry as well as political thinking was recognized throughout the world in his lifetime. Iqbal’s poetry imbibed a new spirit in the people and he himself played a significant role in the struggle for independence of the subcontinent. He expected the youth to look forward and high, as they were courageous and brave like Eagles. Lets join hands and revive the idelogy of Iqbal.
Yesterday night,
In dream I fright,
Saw an aglow,
Stands below.
I am anxious,
Heart says inefficacious,
The shadow is clear,
Iqbal came near.
Holds my wrist,
Said, I am exist,
What you give to my land?
Which I give in your hand?
He takes me away,
A gloomy place and say,
How many lives were rewards?
For the land given by the lord.
I said, I don't know,
He replied oh wow,
Thousand bloods were driven,
How could you forgiven?
Where are my young eagles?
Who are born for struggles?
Who pull stars down from sky?
Who shelters on mountains and fly?
As I look over his eyes,
His face down and cries,
Did you read my verses?
In which you start rehearses.
I said no,
He replied so,
If you ever reads,
You found various seeds.
Though if this land is spoiled?
Its mean you need great toiled.
O' my eagles its time to stand?
For the land which is your sand.
Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal: The Great Visionary.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 November 2010 15:47 Tuesday, 09 November 2010 15:14
Allah had gifted three great leaders without whom, Pakistan would simply not exist today. These were Muhammad Ali Johar, Allama Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. There was great friendship between Muhmmad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal. All three were free of inferiority complexes and possessed unblemished characters. Of course a lot of rubbish had been thrown on them by evil forces without any substance and proofs. They stood in their own style against the English colonists and forced the foreign occupiers to leave the subcontinent and at the same time made sure that Muslims of the subcontinent do not succumb to the Brahmin imperialism. .
Every human being has many aspects of his or life. One may excel in one or two of them. Iqbal not only had multidimensional personality but he excelled in all of them. He was a par excellence poet, a magnificent philosopher, outstanding scholar, a great historian, an outstanding writer, a political analyst, a superb leader and a wonderful human being. Leaders like Iqbal are born in centuries. Iqbal is not merely a Pakistani Philosopher, poet and visionary; he is in the hearts of Afghans and Iranians. The people of these two countries love his poetry as part of Iqbal’s poetry is in Persian language so they can smell the fragrance of his words and hear the music of his poetry directly. On the other hand his poetry and philosophical writings are well known by the Europeans and Arabs through translations of his writings. In this capacity and position Iqbal is second to none and many consider him the best writer and poet of all time based on verifiable parameters e.g. translation ofwritings in various languages and chairs at different Universities of the world etc.
There would be very few students in the world on whom their teachers has written books, Iqbal is one of them. His British teacher had written a book on him and German intellects fell in his love. Professor Anne Marie Schimme, 1995, who was chosen as the ‘Author of the Year’ at the International Book Fair at Frankfurt (Germany) spent hours explaining Iqbal poetry . Egyptian singer Um-e-Kulsum sang translation of his Shikwah and Jawab-e-Shikwah in Arabic.
His poetry is superbly designed and crafted gold studded with real glittering, spontaneous and balanced beautiful words of diamond. He invented many new combinations of the words and gave different meanings to the old words. His selection of the words is simply superb; the words and verses are very meaningful and motivating. There is no cheapness and no vulgarity.
Unlike most great poets and philosophers, he was very practical man who participated in hectic political activities and society reforming movements. He earned his own bread and was quite content person. He went to the skies as he detached himself from the earthly greed and materialism. He would simple not accept any case as an advocate no matter how much you offer him once his budget of the month acquired. The rest of the time he devoted to the humanity. Same was true with Quaid-e-Azam. Had both of these great men engulfed in money Making, there would be simply no Pakistan and the world would have been deprived of the great work of Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Iqbal is very balanced persona and on the straight path and didn’t bend to any side and didn’t go astray. On one hand he condemned the Western Civilization and on the other hand he condemned the Mullaism. He did both in such a beautiful and powerful way that both got stunned and speechless. The English rulers could not send him behind the bars and the theologians could not condemn him; and when they tried in hurry and haste, they became silent after an indirect response from Iqbal which exposed the folly of these narrow minded people as happened in case of Shikwah and Jawab-e-Shikwah.
Iqbal’s balance emerged from two main factors; his parents utmost care in his raising. His both parents were Hafiz-e-Quran. It was narrated that his mother did not feed him her milk as she became little skeptical about the money earned by her husband in one episode. She fed Iqbal on goat milk which her father had given to her. Iqbal as a child used to learn Quran where a great scholar picked him and said that he would himself teach and groom this extra ordinary brilliant child. Iqbal learned English from a missionary school. His brief stay in Europe made him see the positives and negatives of so called Western Civilization Iqbal in his life underwent many turmoils, some of which were quite hard. At one juncture he was to give up his poetry all together when his ex teacher Sir Arnold motivated him to not to do so and consoled him.
Iqbal’s love with Quran is eveident from the fact that he used to recite Quran day and night and used to cry and weep so that the copy of Quran used to get wet, which was then taken by his servant to the roof to dry it in the sun. Iqbal’s powerful, elegant, superb and artistic command on language along with his wittiness, eloquence is directly derived from Quran-e-Majeed. When great Italian leader Mussolini asked him from where he gets his wisdom, he simply pointed to Quran-e-Kareem.
Iqbal is not hopeless from his nation. He said that this earth is very fertile if it is little wet. Iqbal has motivated youth to get detached from petty materialistic goals and objectives. He shows that their destination is beyond stars. At times he complains that the wisdom and religion were snatched from religious scholars by some smart and stylist. He severely criticized Madrassahs saying that these strangulated the students so from where the Kalima will come which challenges all false gods.
Iqbal promotes education and research and consider materialism and greed a poison for these. He asks who has stolen the sharp sword of research and hard work as you are now left with the cover of the sword only. He prays to Allah Ta’lah to grant us the same wine (Quran) and the same vessel (Sunnah of the Prophet, PBUH) so that we can get our lost destination. He says that if the chest is bright then the concerns and talks of a person is a true life but if it is a dark then all talks and concerns are eternal death. He asks Allah Ta’lah that please do not deprive my night from beautiful moonlight as you have full moon in your treasures.
Iqbal wants his youth to make your hair more shining i.e. sharpen your skills and training and grasp and seize the intellect wisdom, consciousness, vision and heart. Iqbal says that there is no “Shokian in the Husn (beauty) and no heat in love” referring to apathy of the Muslim Ummah and loss of true objectives.
Iqbal is fully aware of idiocy and folly of Western democracy and the satanic scripts played behind the curtains as evident from his famous poem “Iblees’ Mahlees-e-Shoora” where the grand Satan says that every thing will be like before but from behind the curtain and through giving false sense of participation to the people. As Iqbal criticized Western civilization, Communism and safeguarded the status and finality of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he attracted baseless allegations from various quarters. His elder son late Aftab Iqbal had answered and correctly refuted all those allegations.
It is indeed a great shame that the Governments have done very little for Iqbal. When we visited Iqbal’s home in Sialkot we were shocked to see very Narrow Street with hardly any place to park. His home had none of his cards, poetry books and writings for the visitors to take with them. I suggest that his residence should be made a walking museum and beautiful cards with his great poetry should be available to all at nominal cost. Both federal and Punjab Government must take appropriate actions to bring our youth to Iqbal as this will produce enormous enthusiasm and movement in our youth. The youth will then make its own position in the world of hard work and create its own night and days.
Patriotism or “FASCISM”?
Last Updated on Sunday, 07 November 2010 00:16 Sunday, 07 November 2010 00:13
It is said that before the creation of a country, an Ideological Nation is needed but if it is a Group of Ethnicities then no Ideology can bring them on one page. It’s been almost 64 Years since Pakistan came into being, but still after 63 years I see people from different Ethnicities, Culture, Language & Backgrounds sharing the same land. If this is why Pakistan came into being then what was wrong in sharing a land with Hindus and taking a separate land where one nation (Muslims), can live together. I believe still after 63 Years we do not know the right reason why we came into being otherwise we, instead of being known as Pathans, Punjabis, Sindhis and Balochis, would be living as Pakistanis. The only reason for opting to take a separate land was; “Hindu India and Muslim India must be separated. Because the two nations are entirely distinct and different and in some matters antagonistic to each other. Let me tell you some of the differences. We differ in our history, culture, language, architecture, music, laws, jurisprudence, calendar and our entire social fabric and code of life – Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah – 1947“ There had been something always in fashion in Pakistan that has taken away people’s attention. In 70’s it was “ Protestants Culture “ ,then in the 80’s it was ” Jihadist Culture” , later in 90’s it was a transitional period from Extremism to Nationalism, last but not the least from 2000 to 2010 , it was a time when people showing love to your land became a fashion. In this span of time a lot of fakes stood up and pretended to be Patriotic but in real they were those “Intellectual Morons” who wanted to convert Patriotism into Fascism and made this as a Fad. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Well, fear and about 200 million fascists - Franklin D. Roosevelt “ Today, most of so-called patriots are just attention seekers and nothing else. They cannot do anything for their country but they will show a lot of patriotism, passion, love and madness for the land but in real they do not know what they really want out of all this. They are self confused and they even inject this viral infection of being liberal to others as well. They take examples from Islam and incorporate them with their liberal views & practices. Why do they do so? Is there any hidden agenda behind all this? Is all this done intentionally or unintentionally? Are they really serious about playing their part for the betterment of the land or is it just a words game? What do they really want from Pakistan or from Pakistanis? There will be very few people who could answer this but if I share my personal opinion then I would say that they all are attention seekers and nothing else, as if they were patriotic enough so we would not be suffering from poor leadership, corruption, bad governance, electricity crisis, price hike and so many similar challenges. “Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself – Thomas J . Watson “ They are unworthy to show gratitude for this Pakland as they are nothing other than bunch of losers who claim to be patriots but in reality they are not. Only reason why they opted to become patriots is just because these days “Loving Pakistan” is in “Fashion”. They cannot sacrifice anything for this land or for this nation and they would rather prefer their personal benefits over national Interests and similar people come into politics and never let those true patriots come forward who sincerely wants to serve their country. A good example of true patriot would be those 1.4 million Muslims who never reached this land after partition of Greater India into two parts or those who stood by with their leadership “Patriots always talk of dying for their country and never of killing for their country - Bertrand Russel” Now it’s up to us that how we express our patriotism and how we want to pursue all this and how we want our future leaders to be. “It is a characteristic of all movements and crusades that the psychopathic element raises to the top – Robert Lindner” Closing Remarks: ” There can be always one right point of view out of two possible options. Difference between WORDS & ACTIONS can lead you towards DISTRACTION. Choose one and BE THE ONE - Amaan Tareen “
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