Travelogue: Iraq

Going to Iraq isn't something that people would appreciate if you tell them. Its not like going to Venice that they'd want to go with you. Instead, when you tell people that you are visiting Iraq, they question your sanity.

At least that's what my friends did when I told them that I'd spend this winter on vacations to Iraq.
"Are you insane? Out of all the places in the world you choose to go to Iraq. That's suicide,"
they claimed.

Nevertheless, I went there and I don't regret it.

To be honest, I expected the country to be in more deteriorating state than it was due to the war. Since the northern parts are occupied by the Islamic State, there was no way i would risk my life to go there. So my travel was confined to only Baghdad, Karbala, Najaf, Kufa and Kazmain. The only reason why we came to Baghdad was that we landed at the Baghdad International Airport.

Karbala

Karbala is best known as the place where, several years ago, the Battle of Karbala took place between the forces of Yazid and Hussain ibn Ali. Even today, a significant number of Muslims, particularly known as Shiites mourn the brutal killings of Hussain ibn Ali (grandson of the prophet) and his companions, children and mistreatment of Yazid's forces towards the family of the last prophet of Islam, Muhammad (pbuh). To the Shiites, Hussain ibn Ali is the third out of 12 Imams.

The Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain. Hussain ibn Ali was killed on the 10th of Muharram (1st month of Islamic Calendar). The day is known as Ashura. After forty days of Ashura, the Arbaeen is obserbved, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. This year, it was estimated that around 20 million  people came to Karbala between the forty days.
Some pilgrims walk to Karbala from Najaf, covering a distance of almost 90km on foot. Many even walk a longer distance of 425 miles (684km) from Basra to Karbala.

The Shrine of Abbas ibn Ali from a road in Karbala. The shrine is connected to that of Imam Hussain's through a path called "Bain ul Haramain".

The place from where Zainab bint Ali saw the fight of her brother,
 Hussain. In Arabic, it is know as "Tila e Zanabiya"
(The Mount of Zainab)

A monument marking the area where the camps of
 Imam Hussain and his family were set.

 

The shrine of Muhammad and Ibrahim, sons of Muslim bin Aqeel, who was the emissary of Imam Hussain to Kufa.

Shrine of Aun, son of Zainab bint Ali.

Today, Karbala is a city with people living their lives like they do in any other city in the world. It has bustling bazaars, chaotic streets and busy restaurants. Since I was confined to a protected area; that surrounding the shrines, I could not venture into more areas of the city. Here's a glimpse of life of the humans of Karbala.

Date palms on the outskirts of Karbala.
Iraq is the 5th largest producer of dates,
after Algeria and before Pakistan,

Stoves like these were quite a common sight, especially in Karbala. The stoves were always on, and had whole chicken inside, somewhat like our local Chargha in Pakistan. I have no idea what its called or how it tastes (because I am not a fan of middle eastern food as it is quite contrary to our very spicy, desi food.)

Like in many youngsters, Shisha seems to be quite popular among Iraqi youth as well. And how could it not be? After all, this is the Middle East we're talking about. It runs in their blood. 

Iraqi bakery items, dry fruits, sweets etc.

The crime rate in Karbala seemed low. To my dismay, this is how many of the shops were close at night. While taking a stroll, I saw a shop closed like this with some jewelry (artificial) inside, It was very surprising for me, considering I belong to a metropolis with crime and robberies as common as having food. 

Souvenirs from Karbala include things related with religion and also jewelry with either birth stones or those which hold religious importance. Ittar, a kind of persume, is also sold at stalls to tourists.

Many pilgrims buy the sand of Karbala and also tasbih made out of it.

People also buy their Kaffan (a clothing worn by a Muslim when he/she dies and is buried.)

It is Muslim tradition that whenever they go to a holy city, they bring back Tabarruk for others. They are small packets with accessories used for prayer, rings, and dry fruits and sweets.

Najaf & Kufa

Our next stop was Najaf. The city is burial place of Ali ibn Abu Talib, the fourth Caliph as well as first Imam of Shia Muslims. Due to the presence of the Shrine of Imam Ali, the city has earned a reputation of being Holy for people, who come to the city as pilgrims. 

The Najaf Seminary (Hauz e Ilmia) is one of the world's most important centers of Islamic education. It was the largest center for the Shia school of thought until the emergence of Koum, Iran. 

The Holy Shrine of Ali ibn Abu Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Within the Shrine are also buried, prophet Adam and Noah (Nooh). Ali ibn Abu Talib was the fourth Caliph and also the first Imam. 

Another wonder that lies on grounds of Najaf is the Wadi -us- Salam (The Valley of Peace) cemetery.

Wadi -us- Salam is the worlds's largest graveyard, covering 1485.5 acres of land (almost 13% of Najaf). The Imam Ali Mosque (Shrine of Ali ibn Abu Talib) and the graves of prophets Noah and Adam are also part of the graveyard.

The cemetery is the final resting place of more than 5 million people.

It is estimated that during the Iraq war about 200 to 250 corpses were buried here almost everyday. Even today, about 90% of those who die in Iraq are buried in the Wadi -us- Salam. Some also claim that this was the world's first cemetery.

The Wadi us Salam is also the final resting place of prophets Hud and Saleh.






Koufa is another city, so close to Najaf that they are almost one city now.

The importance of Koufa lies in the fact that it became the capital of the Muslim empire during Hazrat Ali's caliphate, with the Mosque of Kufa being the center of governance.

The Mosque of Kufa holds immense religious and historical importance because of several reasons.

Firstly, prophet Muhammad prayed here during his trip to Meiraj (the skies).
Secondly, the flood of Noah started from the ground of this mosque. Yes, water poured out of the ground to mark the start of the great flooding.
Also, Imam Ali used to give lecture here and would pray at this mosque, make decisions, and answer questions of those seeking for answers and help.

The Mosque of Kufa is the place where Imam Ali was martyred while he was leading the Fajr prayers at the mosque, by a poisoned sword.


The mosque was reconstructed around 5 years ago by the Bohra community, and I must say that it is stunning. The distinct colour scheme with combinations of very pastel shades of golden and beige gave it a very unique look. The mosque is simple yet extremely beautiful. Most mosques are very colourful and full of patterns, in contrast to which it it very elegant.

Masjid -e- Sehla

The Masjid -e- Hanana (left). Hanana means affectionate in Arabic.

Legend says that when the dead body of Imam Ali was being taken from Kufa to Najaf, where he is buried, this osque was in the way and its minaret bowed down in respect.

Unlike churches, which are usually beautified with the help of  colourful frosting on windows, usually illustrating a scene from the Bible or that of Jesus and/or Mary, or with paintings, and an overall Gothic style of architecture, mosques have their own unique style with floral patterns, Arabic calligraphy (usually verses of the Quran), names of God, and symmetrical patterns. Islamic architecture consists of domes and minarets with almost no paintings of humans and animals as it is generally discouraged that there be illustrations of living things within sight while worshiping to avoid distraction. 

The entrance to Mosque Hanana is one such example of how colours and patterns are used in a combination on the entrances, walls, domes and minarets of mosques. 

The entrance dome of the Shrine of Zaid ibn Ali ibn Hussain, from the inside. Zaid ibn Ali was the grandson of Imam Hussain through his only survivng son after the battle of Karbala, Imam Zain -ul- Abideen. 

History reveals that Zaid started a campaign against the Ummayad rulers to avenge the murder of his grandfather and his companions and the mistreatment towards his family. While fighting against them in a battle, he got injured and died. His companions buried him under a running stream so that the enemy forces do not know where he is buried. However, the forces found out and his grave was dug out, body beheaded. His body was then hanged around different parts of the kingdom, and then was left hanging in Kufa for four years. It was then burnt and the ashes were thrown in the Euphrates river. 

Quite brutal history. 

The Shrine of Zaid Shaheed from the outside.

The man on the left gestured me to take his photo, and I did.

The fact that there was a language barrier between us sure did become a constraint in having a long conversation, but it could not stop us. 

I asked "Anta Iraqi?" (Are you Iraqi?), he nodded.

"I am from Pakistan," I told. 

"Ah Pakistani! Ahlan wa Sehlan"

(He welcomed me to his country)

And this was it. I knew I couldn't talk more because he wouldn't understand, and he knew I wouldn't understand Arabic. We shook hands, I showed him the photo and he liked it. I said "Khuda Hafiz" as I walked away and we smiled at each other.                 

The Euphrates is one of the two rivers
that flow through Iraq. The other being
River Tigris.

Travelling, overall is a wonderful experience. But one of the best parts of travelling to other countries is that you get to meet people from different places and cultures, sometimes speaking the same language as you and sometimes not even that, yet we still communicate. 

During my trip, I came across people from Lebanon, Iran, India, Bahrain, Canada and Iraq itself. It was really nice to talk to those people and discover and discover what languages they speak, how they live, and then telling them how life is here in Pakistan. 

This particular trip was a great experience. I hope I travel to as many places as I can in the future because its always worth it, irrespective of the place. After all, there's a reason why god made us into so many continents and countries; he wants us to see them all. 

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.

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