Islam has exerted so much emphasis on good relations with our neighbors, and there is a very solid reason for that. Good neighborly relations make for a beautiful and peaceful community.
Just this morning I was listening to a lecture at UW-Madison about Relations of United States with European Nations. The lecturer has designed a road map of US economic and political power interlinked with the good neighbor policy with European countries. He outlined the four P's that are necessary to achieve this goal of reaching ultimate power. The four P's are: Partnership, Prosperity, Prudence and Power. After the WWII, United States worked in Partnership with its European allies to build its Infra-structure, first with America and then in Europe. They collaborated in building highways, Industries and universities to help recover the loss in the war in Germany, UK and other countries in the European nations. Also they created NATO, which helped the United States and the Europeans to safe guard each others geo-political interests. This sharing of wealth, technology and intelligence laid the foundation of prosperity in 1945 that enabled the Europeans and the Americans to reap the benefits of from 1970 to-date. Co-operations and collaborations rendered prudence and trust in the hearts of the people of the two continents and lead them to achieve their goals of becoming the most powerful and economically balanced nations in the world.
Moral of the story....We should pay heed to the words of our prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h), and force ourselves to be patient, tolerant and kind towards our neighbors. We need to deal with our issues, try to find an amicable resolutions to our conflicts, even if it means to sometimes sign treaties from a point of weakness. But in any case, we should be a trust worthy and honest neighbor and we need to apply all means to improve our image and build trust in the hearts of our neighbors. We need to work sincerely to protect, provide and improve each others homelands. Their friends should be our friend, and our enemy should be their enemy too. For this we must first open our minds, then our hearts and eventually our homes to each other. Partnership is the only way to become prosperous and prudent and eventually powerful.
We are as strong as our neighbors. When all the fingers come together they become a fist. Fist is power.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
So Much Going on......
So much going on in such a short time...In fact, I do not know where to begin. First the good news.
Hurray to the Pakistanis for restoring the judicial system in a very peaceful and democratic fashion. Made all of us very proud. Cheers to the judicial system in the united states for helping Defendant Tammi Lafave Change her plea to Guilty to the charge of Felony Murder of Haroon Khan, and will be sentenced in May 2009.
Good news for the Muslim students all over USA and the world over for striving towards and achieving their goals. Especially the girls in my community. Maria Din for getting into the medical School and Faiza Khan for receiving her first interview at the Medical school.
Now the bad news. It is sad though that we are not seeing our young men as ambitiously motivated and academically excelling as our girls. They are in no way less bright or intelligent than girls, but maybe they are too much into party right now. This leaves great opportunities for the girls to grab and climb up the social,intellectual and financial ladder. God speed to the girls. But all this is going to come and bite the boys in the back later on. They will ultimately lag behind in all aspects of life which will in the end bring them down emotionally too. They should remember regardless of their social or cultural upbringing it is the man's job to be the bread winner. Women are becoming more independent and since men are loosing their position in life to women more rapidly, as a doing of their own, the situation is challenging all the carefully constructed institutions of society. Women now have a voice in the world. Good, very much so, bad..to some extend. There are two sides to every picture. When a woman holds a job, she is aggressive, trying to prove her worth. She has a voice at home, when she earns more or equal to her husband, she challenges and in some cases imbalances the hierarchy of the order. You may have a financially better home, yet not so emotionally. Since the taste of power is quite new to women, in general, it will take a few generations for us to overcome and restore balance. But if our men loose their place in society once, remember it will be gone for ever. It is always easy to fall in a pit, but very hard to climb up. It took women more than a millennium to reach the brim of the well, I don't know if men have that will power or the guts to do it.
....Behind every successful man is a woman....(she is pushing him ahead).
Q. What happens when a woman is ahead of a man....?
Hurray to the Pakistanis for restoring the judicial system in a very peaceful and democratic fashion. Made all of us very proud. Cheers to the judicial system in the united states for helping Defendant Tammi Lafave Change her plea to Guilty to the charge of Felony Murder of Haroon Khan, and will be sentenced in May 2009.
Good news for the Muslim students all over USA and the world over for striving towards and achieving their goals. Especially the girls in my community. Maria Din for getting into the medical School and Faiza Khan for receiving her first interview at the Medical school.
Now the bad news. It is sad though that we are not seeing our young men as ambitiously motivated and academically excelling as our girls. They are in no way less bright or intelligent than girls, but maybe they are too much into party right now. This leaves great opportunities for the girls to grab and climb up the social,intellectual and financial ladder. God speed to the girls. But all this is going to come and bite the boys in the back later on. They will ultimately lag behind in all aspects of life which will in the end bring them down emotionally too. They should remember regardless of their social or cultural upbringing it is the man's job to be the bread winner. Women are becoming more independent and since men are loosing their position in life to women more rapidly, as a doing of their own, the situation is challenging all the carefully constructed institutions of society. Women now have a voice in the world. Good, very much so, bad..to some extend. There are two sides to every picture. When a woman holds a job, she is aggressive, trying to prove her worth. She has a voice at home, when she earns more or equal to her husband, she challenges and in some cases imbalances the hierarchy of the order. You may have a financially better home, yet not so emotionally. Since the taste of power is quite new to women, in general, it will take a few generations for us to overcome and restore balance. But if our men loose their place in society once, remember it will be gone for ever. It is always easy to fall in a pit, but very hard to climb up. It took women more than a millennium to reach the brim of the well, I don't know if men have that will power or the guts to do it.
....Behind every successful man is a woman....(she is pushing him ahead).
Q. What happens when a woman is ahead of a man....?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Stop this madness, there are more important issues at heart.
What is going on in Pakistan is beyond me. Shouldn't the Sharif Brothers have appealed in the higher court instead of taking the people out on the streets.
Why is it that our politicians talk to no end of the supremacy of the law and the judicial system but their actions contradict their speech. WHY? Don't they believe in the fairness of the same judicial system they always uphold as supreme. Why do they want the people of Pakistan to decide on the streets? Do they not understand these rallies, protests and marches disrupt not only the daily activities of the citizens of their country, in fact, the country looses billions of dollars in revenue when the market is shut down, the schools are closed and the daily life is affected.
I have never seen our politicians take a such a strong stand on issues of education, health, research and productivity of the country. The school system in Pakistan is dilapidated, the curriculum is outdated and the infra structure is corrupt and rotten to the core. Our children are reading thirty year old course material, which has been done with in all other progressive countries a long time ago.
Health system is no better than our education system, it is unfair, unjust and inconsiderate. Lives are lost every minute of the day due to inattentiveness of the doctors or post operative care. God forbid, if you don't come from an influential family or you don't have a doctor in your family, you will be left at the mercy of the physicians who wouldn't care if you live or die.
Coming on to research. It is the backbone of every developing country. It is the reason, why the developed countries can become interested in our education system. Pakistanis have always proved themselves in the field of science everywhere in the world. They are regarded and respected for their academic excellence and research achievement all across the world. Now that it has become next to impossible for our youth to sail to new lands in search of knowledge and prosperity, the Government of Pakistan should grab this golden opportunity. They should encourage our universities to develop a strong research program, provide funds to renovate their laboratories and help advertise and publish the scientific work in international journals to bring world focus and grants into Pakistan.
This is a tall order, I know, but it is not impossible. We have to stand up as a nation and demand latest education for our children. Parents need to be more involved, demanding, inquiring and participating in the school system. Same with health system and Inshallah in a few years we shall see the results of our efforts.
These are different times. Virtual schools and universities are becoming a reality. Our universities and schools should collaborate with the education institutions across the global village via internet. American and European institutes should be contacted to form a sister plan, which will enable our classrooms to interact, exchange and learn new ideas from each other. This shall form a harmony among the students but will induce understanding and respect for different cultures.
In the end a note for our politicians, KHUDA kay liyae, stop playing with the country. Be honest and sincere. Let this government complete its term and prepare for the next election. You have a great opportunity to write history, by upholding the law, behaving as civilized and educated political party and gaining confidence of the nation by serving them better. Let democracy take roots.
Why is it that our politicians talk to no end of the supremacy of the law and the judicial system but their actions contradict their speech. WHY? Don't they believe in the fairness of the same judicial system they always uphold as supreme. Why do they want the people of Pakistan to decide on the streets? Do they not understand these rallies, protests and marches disrupt not only the daily activities of the citizens of their country, in fact, the country looses billions of dollars in revenue when the market is shut down, the schools are closed and the daily life is affected.
I have never seen our politicians take a such a strong stand on issues of education, health, research and productivity of the country. The school system in Pakistan is dilapidated, the curriculum is outdated and the infra structure is corrupt and rotten to the core. Our children are reading thirty year old course material, which has been done with in all other progressive countries a long time ago.
Health system is no better than our education system, it is unfair, unjust and inconsiderate. Lives are lost every minute of the day due to inattentiveness of the doctors or post operative care. God forbid, if you don't come from an influential family or you don't have a doctor in your family, you will be left at the mercy of the physicians who wouldn't care if you live or die.
Coming on to research. It is the backbone of every developing country. It is the reason, why the developed countries can become interested in our education system. Pakistanis have always proved themselves in the field of science everywhere in the world. They are regarded and respected for their academic excellence and research achievement all across the world. Now that it has become next to impossible for our youth to sail to new lands in search of knowledge and prosperity, the Government of Pakistan should grab this golden opportunity. They should encourage our universities to develop a strong research program, provide funds to renovate their laboratories and help advertise and publish the scientific work in international journals to bring world focus and grants into Pakistan.
This is a tall order, I know, but it is not impossible. We have to stand up as a nation and demand latest education for our children. Parents need to be more involved, demanding, inquiring and participating in the school system. Same with health system and Inshallah in a few years we shall see the results of our efforts.
These are different times. Virtual schools and universities are becoming a reality. Our universities and schools should collaborate with the education institutions across the global village via internet. American and European institutes should be contacted to form a sister plan, which will enable our classrooms to interact, exchange and learn new ideas from each other. This shall form a harmony among the students but will induce understanding and respect for different cultures.
In the end a note for our politicians, KHUDA kay liyae, stop playing with the country. Be honest and sincere. Let this government complete its term and prepare for the next election. You have a great opportunity to write history, by upholding the law, behaving as civilized and educated political party and gaining confidence of the nation by serving them better. Let democracy take roots.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
What a heartache.
It took me a day to finally find words to express myself. The terrorist attack on the bus of Sri Lankan Cricket team just a mile from the Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore, was horrific. Who are these people, I wonder. How dare they hijack a nation, a country, kill its policemen, injure its guests and rob them off pleasure of cricket. It is a sad day in Pakistan. Every Pakistani is praying for the speedy recovery of the injured cricketers.
This horrific act is not an isolated case anymore. All the muslim countries are now suffering from cases like these everyday. People are not safe anywhere, when they leave homes for work or school or even to shopping, it is always at the back of their minds that they may never return home. Suicide bombing, snipper firing, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, and car bombs have become a norm in our countries.
I have always believed that radical elements in the society can only be neutralized by promoting awareness of civic duties, patriotism, nationalism and above all humanitarianism.
Our religion, Islam, the most beautiful religion in the world, a religion of love, peace and brotherhood. A religion that places mankind above God. A religion that advocates and educate believers and non-believers alike to love and protect thy neighbors; killing is forbidden, taking one life is equivalent of killing the entire human race; to be quiet rather than speak a word of evil, lest it may hurt someones feelings; to distribute all our surplus wealth and food amongst strangers; to protect and propagate all creations of God; to be kind and just to all regardless of their religious beliefs, cast, creed, color or nationality. Allah said,"Pious among you is the one who is the most humble" and Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said," if you stay angry with your brother for more than three days than you are not one of us", which means you are not a Muslim.
These twelve men with back backs and armed with weapons and satellite phone are not Muslims, and they are definitely not Pakistanis because Pakistanis are extremely hospitable people, they lay down their lives to protect their guests.
Now the time has come that the civil society should rise up against these elements among us. Because there is no doubt that these criminals must be staying somewhere among us, eating and drinking with us, hiring vehicles and loading them up with weapons and some one some where is always aware of their suspicious movements and activities. If we are sincere with ourselves, sincere with our children and the next generations and our countries then it is our responsibility to inform the law enforcement authorities of such activities. It is now the duty of an average citizen, to protect its country, because it is impossible for our police and armed forces to curb these elements without the help of its citizens. We have to put our differences aside and work together to rid our homes of this menace.
This horrific act is not an isolated case anymore. All the muslim countries are now suffering from cases like these everyday. People are not safe anywhere, when they leave homes for work or school or even to shopping, it is always at the back of their minds that they may never return home. Suicide bombing, snipper firing, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, and car bombs have become a norm in our countries.
I have always believed that radical elements in the society can only be neutralized by promoting awareness of civic duties, patriotism, nationalism and above all humanitarianism.
Our religion, Islam, the most beautiful religion in the world, a religion of love, peace and brotherhood. A religion that places mankind above God. A religion that advocates and educate believers and non-believers alike to love and protect thy neighbors; killing is forbidden, taking one life is equivalent of killing the entire human race; to be quiet rather than speak a word of evil, lest it may hurt someones feelings; to distribute all our surplus wealth and food amongst strangers; to protect and propagate all creations of God; to be kind and just to all regardless of their religious beliefs, cast, creed, color or nationality. Allah said,"Pious among you is the one who is the most humble" and Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said," if you stay angry with your brother for more than three days than you are not one of us", which means you are not a Muslim.
These twelve men with back backs and armed with weapons and satellite phone are not Muslims, and they are definitely not Pakistanis because Pakistanis are extremely hospitable people, they lay down their lives to protect their guests.
Now the time has come that the civil society should rise up against these elements among us. Because there is no doubt that these criminals must be staying somewhere among us, eating and drinking with us, hiring vehicles and loading them up with weapons and some one some where is always aware of their suspicious movements and activities. If we are sincere with ourselves, sincere with our children and the next generations and our countries then it is our responsibility to inform the law enforcement authorities of such activities. It is now the duty of an average citizen, to protect its country, because it is impossible for our police and armed forces to curb these elements without the help of its citizens. We have to put our differences aside and work together to rid our homes of this menace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)