My voice against brutality

As most of you might know that there have been some serious bombings being done by Israel on their non-existent neighbour (which was previously a country), Gaza. Statistics show that in total more than 1500 Palestinians have been killed while only 13 Israelis lost their lives. Isn't that ironic? Is that what you call war? No this is a genocide. A massacre. And guess what? The international community seems to be quiet. The champions of human rights, the United States of America and the United Kingdom seem to be ignorant. Remember 9/11? Remember how the eyes of the people got full of tears? (no intentions of saying that they were somehow wrong) but here is where the irony comes; Ever since that, millions of innocent Muslims have been killed, bombed and injured in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Gaza, Bahrain and a lot if other countries. But they remained quiet. And now they are quiet again. Since 1947, the Zionist movement has snatched land from the Palestinians who originally owned it. Yes some was bought but a lot of it was taken away... And then, when the people of Gaza retaliated, Israel has been conducting operations.

What my purpose of posting is? Not to whine about it, but through this platform, I hold my self responsible of awakening my readers. Yes! While we are relaxing, partying and having fun in our life, the Palestinians are being killed. The mothers in Gaza are worrying about  their kids. They simply don't know when they will be next. While we are whining about bad hair days, less pocket money, slow internet or our bosses/ teachers, the people in Gaza are fighting for their rights, their land. Fighting for LIFE.

I stand with my Palestinian brothers and sisters. You should too! And you don't need to be a Muslims for that, you just need to be a human being. You need to have a heart. You need to have humanity; for I see humans but no humanity.

Oh and on a very serious note: Please know the difference between Zionists and Jews. Don't ever justify Hitler's holocaust on basis of what Israel is doing. Zionism is a movement, not a religion. Judaism is a religion. You need to respect that. No matter which religion you belong to, you have no right to blame all of this on the Jews. Please don't. Blaming all the Jews for what Israel is doing is like blaming all Muslims for what the Al-Qaeda has been doing. There are good and bad people everywhere. Not all Muslims are like Osama bin laden. Not all Christians are like Adolf Hitler. Not all Jews are Zionists.

Photo taken from ZaidAliT.

I am a Pakistani Muslim and I stand for Gaza. I am against Zionism, not Judaism. :)

*The statistics have been taken from Wikipedia

*Pardon the quality of this article. I wasn't in the mood of writing a good piece. I just wanted to get the message across and honestly,  didn't have much words and vocabulary to express it. 

*Share this.

*Show your support

*Write about it if you can

*Spread awareness

*Keep in mind the difference between Jews and Zionists, 

#peace 

Mercato Mall, Dubai: A journey through Photos

Hello guys!! It's been such a long time since I've last posted here... Actually I was on vacations from the 20th June to the 28th.

So I went to Dubai for the first time in my life and I found it to be a wonderful city. In this post, I am not going to write much. What I'm going to do is show off my photography skills (not that I am a proper photographer but I like practicing it as a hobby.)

I went to the Mercato Mall in Dubai and I loved the way it is designed and decorated. So here it goes.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you......The..... Mercato Mall!!!!

Karachi's Special Magic

Although I've lived in Karachi from the day I was born and have never lived in any other city of this world, I am still incapable of fully understanding this masterpiece. This is a city which people refer to as home but yet at the same time just can't stop being hopeless. People keep on loving it even though it sucks from them the joy of living but still they can't just hate it. It is orthodox. Sometimes, full of religious injunctions. At the same time, the city houses those who live life to the most secular end. This is a city where people you'll see the rich enjoying life like nothing ever happened. And a poor population being crushed between the sheer madness, ignorance, inflation, strikes and hatred. The cafes are still filled with people buying cappuccinos and cold coffee. A city with people still queuing for Ginsoy and still enjoying the Bundoo Khan tikkas. Bakeries still get to make couture cakes. Fashion is still at its peak with numerous Fashion weeks being conducted. Cinemas are still visited by movie lovers. Literature and Art are still being celebrated through festivals and stage shows. You still see people using Iphones, Ipads and almost every expensive gadget. There is still life in the city. But then come the contradictions; People are increasingly getting mugged. Unemployment is gobbling the future of the young graduates. Intellectuals are moving away. People are being killed in the name of religion. They are being taken away their right to freedom of speech. They are growing immune to the everyday killings, snatching and the increasing death toll while the city grows to become more and more prone towards terrorism. The future of this beautiful and awe inspiring city is hazy and the sunlight is being blocked by a mass of heavy, dark clouds. But somehow Karachiites find the sliver lining and live by it until another heartbreaking incident occurs and then the cycle hope and sorrow goes on and on.

Jameela the Saviour.

Hey guys, this is a fictional story that I wrote a few months back as a school assignment. Hope you like it. :)


After a long busy weekend, Friday was finally here. In the evening, I sat on the living room sofa to watch television.

Jameela, our maid came by, walking like a model wearing the type of clothes that were always an eyesore to me; bright yellow shirt with shiny red lining on the sleeves and parrot green pyjamas which had orange polka dots on them. It seemed as if she came from a party.

"Jameela, can you make me a chicken sandwich?" I requested.

"You never let me sit, Asad!" she frowned.

I decided not to bash her because I knew that she was going to make it anyways.
Suddenly, the T.V went off itself. It seem weird to me because there was no one else in the living room. So i went to check.

To my dismay, there was a small mouse nibbling the cable. I got agitated and scared so I jumped back on the sofa. At first, I thought of approaching Jameela for help but I refrained because she always looked for opportunities to make fun of me.

"I wish I had a cat, she would have killed this creature in no time." I mused.

It was a situation in which I was standing between the devil and the deep sea. If I told Jameela she would make fun of me or at least mock me, and if i did not. the mouse would roam in the house freely.

I had soon realised that taking an action was necessary. So, without keeping in consideration what I would get to listen in return, I took Jameela's help.

"Jameela! There is a mouse in our house. Would you please do something about it?" I shouted.
"I am scared of mice." I confessed.

"Oh God! I cannot believe that you are scared of mice. Men in Karachi are so feminine. Come to Gujranwala, I will show you how real men are; strong, tall, muscular and fearless." Claimed Jameela, feeling smug.

She went towards the T.V to examine but saw nothing. Spotting the mouse in the house was like finding a key in a haystack; almost impossible.

It shocked me that Jameela was so intelligent. I always assumed that she was empty headed. From the store room she brought a mouse trap, hung a piece of apple and left it in the living room.
In hope, that the mouse trap would be useful, I stepped down the sofa and walked towards my bedroom as fast, alert and careful as I could.

"Finally!" I said with relief, as I reached my room.

With a big smile on her face, Jameela told "you will get to know the results in the morning. Don't count your chickens before they hatch, my dear. The trap can turn out to be unsuccessful as well."

Internet Censorship: PTA's new love?

September 17 2012
The day it all started. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) imposed a ban on the most popular video sharing site Youtube on the grounds that it had a blasphemous film published that they refused to remove. I was never in favor of banning the site just because it refused to remove it but the people in our country just want to get to the extreme.
The ban was a result of widespread violence and rioting in the country so I don't completely blame PTA for banning it at that time.

But now, it has been 2 years and all the educated intellectuals have been launching a lot of campaigns to convince the government to un-ban Youtube as it had become a great hassle for those who relied on it not for  dramas or entertainment but for education and reference.

Before I proceed on other band which I am very strongly against, I would like to enlighten you with some very good campaigns run to pressurize the PTA but 'unkay kaan main jun na reengi'.

The campaign was called #kholobc by Pakistan for All.

Also, the campaign contained a song by Ali Gul Pir, which too was called #kholoBc.

In would have lived with the ban (NOT) but the fact that the censorship started increasing could not be left unnoticed. Some months back, they had also blocked access to IMDb. Thank God they granted us our right after many Pakistanis resisted and retaliated on the Social media.

Chalo isko bhi bhula do. Is say bura ye hai ke they have censored certain words and whenever they are written on the search bar, you couldn't proceed. I remember when few months back I searched "Role of media in promoting sexuality" and what I got in return was a red sing saying "This is for your saftey". I could not search because it had sexuality in it.

And then comes the current campaign of banning Facebook pages. The PTA banned the Facebook page of rock band LAAL. Later they banned the very famous page 'Taliban are Zaliman' which focused on enlightening people against  the Taliban and promoted living with harmony. Pages like The Traitors of Pakistan, All Pakistan Kaafir Alliance, The Kaafirs of Pakistan, Anonymous sons of Pakistan etc are also threatened because they too are doing the same work. They tell people how important human life is, how important rights of minorities are. Speak for rights of Ahmedis. Respected the Pakistan Army. Talked against Talibans. Spoke against the corruption.  I guess the government has other sentiments and doesn't want to give all these rights to people. This is absurd and I stand AGAINST Internet Censorship in Pakistan. You should too!

I hope everyone grows mature enough to realize how important it is to live in peace, harmony and liberty. Thank You! :)

Coca-Cola and Happiness.

Ever seen a Coca-Cola ad on TV or the internet? I bet you have! And I am pretty sure that you fell in love with the campaign because that's how the Coca-Cola Company rolls.

Alright! Alright! I know how harmful for our health Coca-Cola is. I know the amount of sugar they add, the carbon-dioxide etc. But I am not asking you to have a bottle of it. Just making you admit that he marketing strategies of Coca-Cola are exceptional.

Such is their power of convincing the audience to like the product that I prefer Coke over Pepsi just because of their ads and the amazingly attractive bottle with a sexy, red strap saying 'Coca-Cola'. Oh and the cans are just love. They are nothing less than a lady in red. Extremely seductive.

See what I mean...

While Pepsi uses celebrities to sell their products, Coca Cola applies art and ideas to attract their customers. This is the reason why Coca Cola is a lot classier than Pepsi or in fact any other fizzy drink. In recent days, I have been going through a lot of Coca Cola campaigns and have assembled some of the very good. Actually, I like all but I will only post two or three that I have watched.

How good unexpected happiness can be.^

The ad I share above is one that I loved. "Twist happiness" I mean just look at it. Isn't it a wonderful idea to promote talking in people? Oh yes! Hats off to whoever agency that gave the idea.

Want to see another one? Yes Please! They're so good that you just won't stop falling in love with them. This is what I call IRRESISTIBLE

. 

Okay so this video contains 3 different adverts. The first one is from Coca-Cola Pakistan, showing the brighter side of the country in order to create hope. Those who don't know Urdu, the main line was "Forget sadness, for hope has blossomed. Our hearts are full of life, Happiness is what is next to come."
The second ad is Coca-Cola International and it needs no explanation and is very clear. The Third is Coca-Cola India where again through an addictive song in Hindi, the company provides reasons to believe. It basically says: "The ray of hope and the expectations like sunshine, there are less reasons to cry and more excuses to smile." :)

In the above video, they show smiling faces all around the world.

This is another Coca-Cola Pakistan ad. The song playing at the back is one of Pakistan's greatest singer, Alamgir's song: Albela Rahi. The guy who speaks (not sing) at the back in Urdu is saying "If doing good for someone is craziness, then I would love to be called crazy." I love this one because it lightens up the mind and promotes a good, friendly and happy society.

Now let's end the greatness by posting one really nice song by Coke Studio Pakistan. Coke Studio Pakistan is basically a recorded musical show, one of its kind. It has a total of 6 seasons as of now and the 7th season is scheduled to be released. The song that I am sharing is an old Pushtu/ Afghani/ Persian song that has been sung again by Zeb and Haniya in a different and modern way. Please listen to it and search on Youtube for Coke Studio so that you can listen to more of Coke Studio's awesome songs and get to know the cultural heritage of Pakistan and our music industry. The second song is 'Bolay' by Uzair Jaswal which too, I am sure will make you fall in love with it. 

Here is their website: Coke Studio Pakistan

Alright! good bye guys. May you all live happily. Keep smiling.

Please follow my blog by clicking on the follow this site on the right side of this page. If you liked my blog and this post, and you think that it is worth reading then share it on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or whatever you use. Even if it isn't worth being spread, just do it. There's no harm in doing good. ;)

The Shiite Belief: Clearing Misconceptions

As I am a Shiite Muslim I need to clear up something in the mind of others who see me from as almost a non-Muslim. I often search on the internet to find out what people think about Shiites. Sometimes, I do find really good things and good remarks from people of different schools of thought, out of the good ones, I really liked this blog:  Sunni Muslim Prays at a Shia Mosque

However, seeing something good and positive is not always the case and I still get surprised to see how people hate my belief and have so many wrong perceptions about it. Not only on the internet do I see those stuff but occasionally me or someone (Shiite) I know gets inquired about our belief. There have also been a lot of moments when the questions of the people have been so irrelevant and their perception so untrue that I get surprised by it. But no matter how irrelevant things are, I believe that asking is the right thing as it clears up the misconceptions in one's mind. Therefore, I decided to answer some the questions that we mostly encounter.

I am no scholar so I can not give full explanation of things but I am pretty sure that I know the basics. So there we go:

1. Do Shiites not pray to Allah? 
Alright, this is something that is veryyy common. So common and irritating that I want to bang my head on a wall when I read posts that claim that Shiites do not pray to Allah  but to Imams. This is false. We pray to only one God, just like every other Muslim. I can say that with complete satisfaction because too pray Namaz and there is no step where we pray to anyone else. We bow down to Allah and prostrate in front of him. I hope that helped.

2. Do Shiites have a separate Quran? 
No! Not at all. Shiites have the same Quran as Sunnis or any other sect of Islam. Someone once asked to my relative, "Is it true that Shiites had a Quran of 40 Juz' and that 10 of them were eaten up by a goat?" This was the most shocking thing I could have heard. Please guys! even if someone tries to convince you, I promise that they are wrong and don't ever believe it. All Muslims follow one Quran which has 30 Juz'.

3. Do Shiites preform Hajj in Iraq, or Iran or Syria? 
No we don't. Hajj is the obligatory pilgrimage that every Muslim performs in Saudi Arabia in the month of Zil Hajj (12th month of the Lunar Islamic Calendar). As far as the visit to Syria, Iran and Iraq is concerned, it is an optional visit and does not replace the importance of the Hajj. We don't have to go to these places but we do go to the shrines of Imam Hussain(a.s), Imam Ali (a.s), Imam Ali Raza (a.s), Hazrat Zainab and other important personalities i.e. the Ahl-e-Bayt (The household of the last Prophet of Allah). Long story short, our Hajj and your Hajj is performed at the same place and in the same dates. :)

4. Do Shiites hold Imamat at higher rank than the Holy Prophet(p.b.u.h)?
We DO NOT hold the 12 Imams at a higher rank than Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h). Period.

5. Why do Shiites wear that red thread? Even Hindus wear that. 
That's right, even Hindus wear that. Wearing that has nothing to do with Islam. It is just a way of people of only India and Pakistan to express their sorrow (even I didn't understand how and I don't do that). As Muslims who had lived in India under a heavy majority of Hindus, many activities of their culture also became a part of the culture of the Indian Muslims. One example is the Rasm-e-Henna or Mehendi which is a popular cultural wedding ritual in Pakistan but has nothing to d with Islam. It is a cultural thing.

6. Is it true that Shiites have a different Qibla?
Many people think that the Shrine of Imam Hussain(a.s) is the Qibla for Shias and they recite namaz in that direction. This is FALSE. We have the same Qibla. Like everyone else, we pray in the direction of the Holy Kaaba which is situated in the Holy city of Mecca. No building is holier to us than the Holy Kaaba and the Sacred Mosque.

The Holy Kaaba.

Conclusion:

At the end, I would like to only say that every sect of Islam has minor difference and more than Shia, Sunni, Wahabi we are Muslims. The followers of the same God, Quran and Prophet. 

No individual has no right to declare the other as a Kafir or a non believer. :)

Live and Let Live. 

For more, please follow my blog and subscribe. Share it to promote a peaceful and better understanding between the Muslim Ummah. 

Stories From British India #1

I remember some of the stories that my grandmother used to tell about her life in Jaipur, before they migrated to Pakistan in 1947. I don't really know about the present, but according to her, there were a lot of Monkeys in the city back in the days when they used to live there.

I personally found the story about Monkeys and Jaipur very funny and was always curious in knowing how it was to live among all those Monkeys. A greater reason for my curiosity every time she discussed India, was my interest in knowing how life would have been in the Indian Subcontinent back then when Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and others lived together.

"She once told me a scene that took place at her Phuppo (her aunt) who was making chapatis for lunch. After a long battle with the dough, trying to make several perfectly shaped rotis, she had finally wrapped them in a cloth to keep them hot and prevent them from hardening (Yes! Desi chapatis literally get hard and dry if left out).

After all the hard work, she placed them on the kitchen counter and left the kitchen to complete other domestic chores. She had left the kitchen window open.

To her dismay, when she came back to the kitchen the scene was absolutely different. All the time she was out of the room, doing other chores, the room was not left unattended. There were monkeys safe guarding the kitchen. Or I should say, they came to attack the chapatis.

Yes! there were monkey in her kitchen and they had unwrapped the cloth which covered the chapatis. She panicked. Tried to hush them. Screamed. Yelled at them. And then, all hell broke lose. The monkeys became chaotic. Skillfully, they gathered as many chapatis as they could and escaped the kitchen through the open window, which acted as a doorway for them to do this crime."

Imagine how much anger would have prevailed in her as those mischievous monkeys took away the food she cooked. Now she had to make the chapatis all again. Have you or someone you know ever been a victim of losing all your hard work at the hands of someone else? If so, then feel free to share it with me and lighten up your sorrow.

If you have any such interesting stories then please share them in the comment section. Thank you and goodbye. :)

At the Sea View (beach).

While living in Karachi, and that too in an area where I see the beach almost everyday, I had very little importance of it until my relatives came from an inland city and we took them to see the Karachi seaview. That day, I decided that why not I go along with my camera and capture something or the other around. So I have captured some of the shots that I would like to share with you guys. :)

A man with his source of income. The colourful items on his slab are candies, toys and gums that he is selling here at the seaview.

It is quite common to sight people carrying thing like this on our beach. It is a way of earning for these poor men and the products are a source of joy and fun for the people at the beach, especially kids. 

This is an example of how camels are decorated. People pay their care takers to take a ride.

While I was walking on the grey-ish brown soil of the coast, I took some more photos. Contrary to popular trend at beaches, mostly observed in the Western world, Pakistani beaches are different. We do not have women in bikinis and swimsuits. I doubt if anyone would want a tan here anyways. Instead, Karachiites come to the beach to enjoy the maritime influences and have a round or two of four-wheeled motor bikes or ride the beautifully dressed camels and horses. 

A guy while he rides the back of a horse, skillfully.

A ghora-wala with his horse, hoping to find a sawari.

Another very interesting thing that you might not witness near a Western beach is the presence of snake charmers who are a source of not just entertainment but also fascination (probably for people like me who watch it for the first time.)