We the people and change

Discussing Corruption,  personal failings, Hareem Shah & now a boot (by Faisal Wada) is our total political culture. Politicians pull antics and anchors get ratings because people love this kind of nonsense. This is what has become of us. This is our total political, mental and intellectual worth. This is what we are. We the people crave for worthless stuff. We the people complete this vicious circle. In bigger picture, politicians and presstitudes (media) are nothing without people. People elect politicians and people follow presstitudes. 

Any creative work is art. Art reflects a nation's character. There must be great creative minds around but artistic waste has taken their place. Quality of thought in dramas has taken a nose dive with common subjects of betrayal, living together without nikah, extra marital affairs and lately (to my horror) drag queens taking center stage in dog pooh like 'Tum Meray Pas Ho', 'Ishq Mamnoa'. Worst part is that these are popular dramas. Dozen odd writers, two dozen media houses and couple of hundred actors and actresses in Karachi are trying to shape the society with their twisted minds and extremist liberal agenda. But we can't blame those commercial artist who want to make quick money whichever way possible. 

Again, it all sells because we the people love it. So, we the people may keep pointing finger on everyone else but we the people are responsible for whatever happens to us. Most unfortunate part is that we the people are not willing to affect change in anything in our powers and we wish everyone else and everything else around us to change. Nothing that brings us out of comfort zone will be implemented including tax paying, traffic rules, tidying up public places and the list goes on. Yet, we continuously blame everyone directly or indirectly involved in bringing us to this point from Muhammad Bin Qasim to Mughals and from Muhammad Ali Jinnah to Imran Khan and everyone in between them. Likewise, its so easy to fix blame on institutions alone including army, judiciary, executive and legislature completely ignoring the fact that institutions also consist of we the people. We don't for a second pause and think what have we done to bring about any change? Even the basic unit of socety i.e. a household is not in order. Values are not economically driven but we keep blaming poor financials of a household for all its woes because economics has become the new set of values.

So every which way we look at it, we the people are responsible for whatever has happened to us or is happening to us. The amount of change we aspire for is directly proportional and totally dependent on the amount of change we are able to bring about in our lives breaking the barriers of personal and collective comfort.

Process of change begins with a thought and above are enough thoughts for a working Thursday. 

Only Allah knows the whole Truth. 

US-Iran conflict - Part two

Nothing changed in Iran in recent past, however, two major shifts took place in power matrix, Trump and MBS. They seem to get along really well. This change at the helm of affairs affected hitherto serious (unannounced) bonding of US-Israel-Iran trio.
So much happened in recent past. Iran was giving real grief to incompetent Saudi forces through Houthi rebels in Yemen. In September last year, attack on Aramco facility of Abqaiq cost KSA a fortune. It resulted in oil price hike in the world which again benefited Iran more than any other country in the world. Iran is being audacious and lately, pursued her goals tenaciously. Particularly, taking down American contractor in Kirkuk at the eve of new year sparked protests by Sunnis majority against Shia govt of Adel Abdul Mahdi in Baghdad.
Ok pause here and connect the dots from checking ISIS' advance to Kirkuk attack last week, General Qasem Soleimani despite being popular No 2 in Iran was becoming a nuisance for Mr Hssan Rouhani. A theory is also circulating that due to deep rooted covert alliance, US was given a nod by Iran to take him down. Rest all is easy in a country that thrives on grief. Mourning procession and tears are common in Iran. Don't worry too much about that Red Flag unfurled over Jamkaran Mosque of Qoum, these are just antics to vent revenge and nationalist fervor in controlled environments. Iran never had an all out war with either US or Israel, nor will it ever have. It will continue its usual posturing and that's it. Eventually, after a symbolic retaliation, Iran will vow to avenge Qasem Soleimani through proxy war which means you would never get a measure of when and exactly how this revenge will take place. This theory appears much closer to realities on ground. 
The other theory is that MBS, has been able to finally create a wedge between traditional friends. With his money and influence, he avenged Houthi and Abqaiq mastermind through third party i.e took down Qasem Soleimani without breaking sweat.
Whichever theory among above is correct, there will be no war in Middle East in coming days and months. Oil prices will soar and both KSA & Iran will make more money.
Funniest and most ludicrous battleground will be set in Pakistan where people with sectoral inclinations will latch on each other for supporting either of KSA or Iran and people with no sect like the scribe will get most abuse from all around.
Only Allah knows the whole Truth. 

US-Iran conflict - Part one

Ok seems like its time to make some enemies right at the start of the year.
There is no real propinquity for KSA in Pakistan for the word Saud in its name. However, nearly quarter of our population affiliated to Iran for sectoral reasons is emotional to say the least. Emotions are nemesis of logic. We are born perfect Muslims and we adopt a sect because our parents had one and they had it because their parents had one and we keep picking fights for the rest of our lives defending those sectoral beliefs. A story of 99% of Pakistani Muslims.
So implications for Pakistan in US-Iran brewing conflict are none whatsoever because Pakistan is comfortably lapped in US-KSA corner of the ring. Our side is chosen and clear at the outset. And its not a matter of choice. Since I'm not a diplomat, so I have the advantage of not spinning things in diplomatic language.
US and Iran are not enemies may be because after US and Israel, Iran has third largest jew population in the world who have synagogues, are well settled and move at will between Israel and Iran. Traditionally,  gloves never went off between this trio, nor will they in current scenario. If your sectarian red light is on, please leave this useless piece and do something better, for I don't have a sect, so I don't know what it feels like being a person of any sect in a situation like this.
Irani general Qasem Soleimani was instrumental in checking the advances of ISIS in Iraq. An ISIS created by US. Hyped by US and checked by Iran should raise some eye brows in curiosity. Not only that Iraq was gifted to Shia minority but from west of Balochistan till Mediterranean Sea south of Lebanon, for the first time a telling Iran controlled belt was created which was knocking at the doors of Qatar, Bahrain and UAE. Over the past two decades, all this space was allowed to Iran by US in cognizance to Israeli interests in the region. I have no problem with Iran's expansion as long as its not done in the name of God. Political and economic growth and hegemony is every country's right in the Free World.
There is no Sunni world. KSA does not represent sunni Islam. KSA represents Al Saud tribe who somehow got the privilege of looking after Harmain Sharifain. But when you have money, custody of holiest of places, you may tend to expand or challenge corresponding expanding ideology like that of Iran's. So KSA, over the years continued building an air of insecurity among ardent sunni Muslims around the world for its own hegemonic designs in the region. But with very little success except some easy buy offs like Pakistan who could not manage themselves but were smart enough to make a bomb (literally an insurance bond).

To be continued in part two. 

US-Iran brewing conflict and us

Notwithstanding the fact that sides are already taken, people are circulating the posts/ ideas that Pakistan has nothing to do with US-Iran conflict just like it had nothing to do with KSA-Yemen conflict. 

Beggars are not choosers. Apart from issuing restraint statements for both sides, compliance to KSA-US policy in ME is our only option.

We could have had a say in this conflict or any other conflict, had we managed this country the way Qauid would have liked us to manage. But we took lead from Quaid e Awam, Quaid e Jamhooriat, Quaid e Naswar, Quaid e Lohar, Quaid e what not and see what has become of us. Our side is already chosen for us way before this conflict took a boil. For curious, implications for Pakistan are none. Nothing whatsoever. Specially, after pulling out from Malaysian Summit, there shouldn't be any doubt about our future role in Middle East. What do we expect from Riasit e Medina? Will it deviate from Medina? And Medina these days is Muhammad Bin Salman. 

Happy new year?

On the way back from a tiring flight and being stuck in traffic for the past couple of hours as people are out on the roads celebrating New Year, got me wondering why these exuberant Muslims are celebrating so hard? What diffrence change of Gregorian Calendar date makes in anyone's life? It would be great to find a rational answer to this enigma of life that why we celebrate this date change? What change, change of date brings to anyone's life. Pretty much like celebrating birthdays notwithstanding the fact that clock ticks forward whereas individual life clock is set on a countdown. Quite ironic? Absence of logic may not be as painful as presence of absolute nonsense like being on the road the activities visible are:

1. Loud music mostly Indian.

2. Pindi biker boys cutting across from every side.

3. Fights & abuse due to 'influence'

4. Fireworks, really? We go out to beg for money & we so proudly burn money in firecrackers.

5. Traffic violations galore. Seems like a matter of social pride and moral obligation to break the rules.

And those much awaited new year parties planned well ahead of time to celebrate 'something' for unfathomable reasons.

If the indifferent and emotionless needle of time has ticked over one more second, minute, day, month and year, what have to really done to go berserk with rowdy celebrations? Or have sober party? Or have a decent party? Or get slushed for what? But if you still insist you deserve to express your celebrations through any of these ways, go ahead. Have a great night. Have another pointless celebrations for achieving nothing. Advance apologies to liberal extremists for a spoiler. However, for better understanding of everyone, next Christmas besides asking Santa from where does he bring all those gifts, do ask him about reasons of festivities at the turn of the year. 

India Today - Part 1

Hindu Extremism is on the rise. Hindu nationalists are xenophobic and love war-mongering. It serves Modi's 'successful' political model of Gujrat really well. But will it work? Is India resilient enough to withstand current tide of extremism? Before we probe into this, lets see how Pakistan fared through dire straits of extremism.
Now brace yourself. Pakistani nation is the most resilient nation on God's earth. It has been tossed around between worst dictatorships & even worse political regimes. There is serious competition between the both for being worst than the other. Politicians joined the bandwagon of dictotors and juiciary bowed to the laws of necessity. Particularly three darker decades (1985-2018) when politicians were born & bred in dictatorships,  on every given opportunity that had fiascos of corruption besides hitting each other where it hurt the most. Yet, this nation weathered the storms of darkest dictatorships and darker democratic reigns.
Pakistan is surrounded by Far Right Governments all around. Whereas, despite continuous hullabaloo of extremism for past three decades, Pakistani people resisted, fought & overcame the menace. Because this nation is not bonded by something as fragile as Secularism. Though we badly mismanaged ourselves, ransacked our own ideology but both people and ideology has the strength to resist and recover.
Starting from China, a one party communist government and a shade of extremism. Afghanistan is synonymous with Taliban extremism, whereas, Iran is epicenter of shia extremist form of government. And India's mask of secularism is giving way to its ugly hindu nationalist extremist face. In North, we have Himaliyas and in South Indian Ocean. So its extremist form of government, people and geography all around us. All these shades of extremism have attacked us from all sides but none lasted for long. Such is the strength of this nation.
Second term of BJP will change India forever.
Wait for part 2 on India's current wave of extremism, its impact on us and future.

Happy Birthday Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Happy Birthday sir, thank you for the miracle you pulled for us. Though most of us spent last 72 years undoing this miracle yet it stood the test of time. Because if it didn't, it would have defied the very spirit of a miracle. So its here to stay only to shame us that we failed to play our due role. But hope is the fuel of life. Good leadership besides other wonderful traits exudes hope for others. Today, should we not make an endeavor to take a leaf out of Quaid's life? 

It is terrifying to imagine, what would be it like without your leadership before partition. And after partition, we have seen what can become of a nation without credible leadership. Only if this leadership didn't have a small issue of 'integrity', we could have pulled more miracles. On the other hand, there is not a single lie anyone could associate with Muhammad Ali Jinnah. What most people miss out that he was a specimen modern Muslim. He had the knowledge of the world and times in which he lived in sync with organic knowledge of Islam. His attire was up to date and his spirit was Muslim to the core. Hence, difference of human evolution between MAJ & Mullah was that of 1400 years. Both in knowlege of deen & duniya, he outdid Mullah. 

Modern liberals have gone step ahead of religious orthodoxy. Modernity has been seriously misinterpreted by current lot. To them it is selective adaptation of current modern civilization. Not its principles but lifestyle, outlook & attitude in the wrong sense of the word seems to have become our definition of modernity. As if slavery of a century was not enough, this false sense of modernity has further confused the confused. Resultantly, kids don't have role models to follow, young don't have organic knowledge of Islam, middle age don't have clear mission statement and old age don't finally become those role models which kids needs to learn from and follow in every household. Let's take away one thing for every age from glorious life of MAJ. 

For kids his legacy is to gain knowledge of the world through education.

For young his legacy is to be the best in respective domains and rise above self. 

For middle age his legacy is to make difference in others' lives through ideology (of Islam). 

For old age his legacy is of being a leader of character and hope because every elder is a role model at least for his own family. 

May Allah keep his blessed soul in highest of places. Ameen