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."

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.