Thoughts. Words. Action.
Note to my Children |
Aug 7th, 2016
Me, cradling you so gingerly, You, wriggling in my arms, Breathing your first breath, Hold on tight, my dear, and think of me, Never ever let go, of how it used to be You, smiling your first smile, Staring at me lovingly, With brown sparkling eyes, Hold on tight, my dear, and think of me, Never ever let go, of how it used to be You, taking your first steps, Wobbling to and fro, Holding on to my finger, so very very tight, Hold on tight, my dear, and think of me, Never ever let go, of how it used to be Me, pushing on the swing, You, yelling gleefully, You could touch the sky, from the rope on the tree, Hold on tight, my dear, and think of me, Never ever let go, of how it used to be You, smelling your first rose, I plucked from the bush, Carefully, thorns removed, Hold on tight, my dear, and think of me, Never ever let go, of how it used to be You, shedding your first tears, From a scrapped knee? Or just feelings hurt? Hold on tight, my dear, and think of me, Never ever let go, of how it used to be You, singing your first notes, So pretty, on the stage, smiling through joyful tears, Hold on tight, my dear, and think of me, Never ever let go, of how it used to be You, dancing your first dance, Your little fingers, stretched out, Beckoning me, ‘Come on!’ Hold on tight, my dear, and think of me, Never ever let go, of how it used to be You, driving the first time, Starting, stopping, and then again, Me sitting next to you, clutching my seat, Hold on tight, my dear, and think of me, Never ever let go, of...
Innocence lost, Beggary and Religion
As I read Mobeen Azhar’s article (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22729351) on the ‘Child victims of Pakistan’s begging mafia’, my heart felt heavy. I was torn between the sense of relief that someone is championing this social disease – organized beggary by exploiting children and twisting religion – at the heart of a state that positions itself as Islamic, and the anguish of seeing another report that casts a dark shadow of my country of birth. It is true that I have spent more of my life in my adopted country, the US, than the country I was born in – Pakistan, but it is virtually impossible to break all ties, real or emotional, to the place you were born. Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan. Official census puts the population at around 18 million, but conventional wisdom says it is 3 to 5 million more. If you live there, beggars are part of the fabric of society. You see them everywhere, women, children, old men. Some simply frail and in tatters, some handicapped, with twisted limbs. You generally become immune to them. Sometime you given them the change you have, other times you just shoo them away or ignore their pleas. Then you run into a ‘rat-boy’ or ‘rat-girl’. Those particular...A Cause Worth Rallying Around
What makes an entire nation, even the entire world rally around a person? It takes a hero. Not because they think of themselves as a hero, but because they find the courage to stand up against something that makes no sense to them. In this case, Malala Yousufzai, a fourteen year old Pakistani girl making good on a personal commitment to get an education, no matter what the cost. The rest of the world looks at their actions, listens to their words, and aspires to be like them. It also takes a villain performing a cowardly, hateful and inhumane act. It takes a group, like the Taliban, that through some twisted logic believes itself to be right, and superior to all creation. It takes a few of these cowards to walk into a school bus, identify our hero, and shoot her in the head. But our hero survives. If this is not divine intervention, what is? Over the last few weeks, since this heinous act by the Taliban, all sides of the political spectrum in Pakistan has spoken and acted in unison against this heinous act. Talk about a rainbow coalition. Then the support has spread outside the boundaries of Pakistan. The US, the UN, the EU and other...How to spend $700,000?
How to spend $700,000? There was once a minister in the federal government of a country. He had a wealthy friend. There was also a retired provincial legislator in the same country. Collectively they had about $700,000 (the minister $100,000; the friend $400,000, and the legislator $200,000) to spend and wanted to find that special something that would give the best return. They looked into real estate. The global economy was down. Almost anywhere in the world, one could find bargain properties at 25%-50% of what they were going for 2 to 3 years ago. Land was still the most secure investment, and prices were bound to rise again – all part of the natural 10-12 year cycle. But they realized they already had extensive real estate portfolio. They were in a quandary. What to do? As they brainstormed, one of them blurted out – we should consider supporting some sort of humanitarian cause. Everyone looked at him strangely. What would be the return on that? Well, maybe not so tangible, and not so overt. But it could make a dent in the seemingly hopeless efforts to improve and better develop the foundations of the society they lived in. Why would we want to do that? The others asked...The Uplifting and the Heartbreaking
Life. It can uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time, in the same place about the same people. The uplifting. The 18 Edhi homes, run under the Edhi Foundation umbrella are located in practically all the major metropolitan centers of Pakistan – 7 in Karachi, 3 in Lahore, and one each in Multan, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Chitral. These walls, serving as orphanages, havens for the mentally and physically handicapped, and refuge for female victims of domestic abuse, house between 8000 and 9000 children, men and women. For more than 55 years, Edhi and his non-profit foundation have been providing humanitarian services in a country that seems to continue to need more and more of it. The numerous services provided by the Edhi foundation include ambulance services, free kitchens, child adoption and care services, rehabilitation centers and educational services. Even now, when all this is in place, it is difficult to imagine the scale of the change this one man has been able to make. The heartbreaking. Last week, nine newborn children die in 12 hours in Larkana, at the Chandka Medical College Hospital. The cause of this heartbreaking event? According to the regional government it was power outage. According to the hospital administration, it was the perpetual overcrowding...September 30 thoughts
Freedom of speech, an inalienable American right, is fast spreading as an inalienable human right across the globe. The accessibility of a podium through technology has made it possible for anyone and everyone to opine freely on whatever topic is dear to their hearts. This is a good thing. And a bad thing. The world now feels more and more like a school yard, with individual and nations being the kids in the yard. Parts of the world where ideologies driven by a small group had a stranglehold have found they no longer can wield as much control as they could even a year ago. On one side, every lunatic’s hate-filled voice can be heard across the world in seconds. On the other, we have a victim mind-set, waiting for somebody to breathe the wrong way so a death sentence, a price on the head of the offender and those of similar ilk can be handed out. Who’s to blame? Who is more at fault? The provoker who knows exactly what words to use to evoke the most fury, ruffle the most feathers, and most deeply wound delicate constitutions? Or the self-proclaimed chosen people who are more than happy to show the world just how quickly they will kill...
