SADAAT – THE DESCENDANTS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (P.B.U.H)

To talk about sects and clans created over the ages without mentioning the father of all mankind, the first human i.e. Adam is neither possible nor advised, for it all starts with him. The reason why his mention is so imperative is that as Adam was sent to earth in punishment for his sin, induced by Eve his woman companion, the fate of human kind was written down and sealed. They were flawed and dysfunctional; their fate was ordained to be in division and segmentation. From this segmentation the world would see the rise of many an evil and bear with it as best as they can.

The separation of Adam and Eve’s progeny into two separate streams borne out of necessity, has grown over time and developed into marked sects and religions, practiced and spread in God’s course and man’s greed and deliberation. We begin and end with Adam, the first human ever created by the Almighty God, who having all the privileges and favors of God could not stop himself from committing one error and straying from the path specified by the Divine. Today we falter just like the first man did; we stray from the right path and pride ourselves in the segmentation of one religion, one society, one civilization into sects and different belief systems. The fine lines made for identification are now far wide and gaping. What should have just been for identification is today a source of a lot more evil and nourishes one of the innate attributes of mankind.

Looking at the division of mankind into various religions and sects from a different perspective one is forced to think that this just might have been the grand plan of The Almighty. We today introduce ourselves mainly as Muslims, Christians and Jews etc, all these religions sent from God; a little different from one another but no doubt fundamentally quite the same. This line of difference was created right at the beginning as we come to the known history and the Prophet Abraham to whom we can trace our lineage. He is at the pinnacle and from him we can trace the various other Prophets and their families and henceforth follow the path of human division into sects and races.

History of the Syed Clan

As mentioned above the great story begins with our Prophet Abraham who is forced to alienate his Egyptian wife Hagar on the wish of his first wife Sarah. From the womb of Sarah the seed of Abraham produces a son by the name of Isaac when Abraham is a hundred and Sarah is ninety years old. Isaac’s children produce according to the covenant made by God with Abraham a long line of Prophets some known some unknown, some with miracles untold and others with wisdom unparalleled[1].

The two famous and known religions of the world i.e. Christianity and Judaism were also bestowed upon Prophets born within this line of the children of Isaac and his son Jacob. They were called the tribe of “Bani Israel”; from them would come many Prophets in the centuries to come and bring forth the message of God to their people. The calm, submissive Jesus who believed in complete submission and the passionate Moses, were bearers of two of the most prominent religions of the world from the Bani Isreal clan.

Bani Israelites were proud of their ability to produce Prophets with many miracles and abilities setting the background for the introduction and struggle of the last Prophet (P.B.U.H). This time not one of their kin but an outsider, someone who came from the other line of Abraham’s descendants. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was born to the Banu Hashim clan, this was the line formed by the union of Abraham and his Egyptian wife Hagar, and the son born to them named Ishmael. The wife and son who were left desolate in the sun baked desert, forced to strife for mere existence and the basics of life in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba, on the command of Princess Sarah. Banu Hasim one of the sub clans of the children of Ishmael later on in the centuries were designated as the keepers of Ka’ba - the House of God (Built initially by Abraham and later renovated by many Prophets). It was built around 1900 BCE which is roughly believed to be the time when Abraham lived. The Ka'ba has maintained its venerable status as the destination of pilgrimage in the eyes of the pilgrims and the Arab population of the Arabian Peninsula down the centuries. Banu Hashim for their responsibility as the keepers of Ka’ba was a prominent clan and hence the power struggle between Banu Ummiya (another sub clan of the children of Ishmael) and Banu Hasim was a constant factor in the background of the struggle of Islam and its Prophet (P.B.U.H).

Around the time of 1610 AD when Muhammad informed his close relatives about the voice of God that had instructed him to recite a new message to the people, his clan Banu Quraish, a sub division of Banu Hasim, was assigned the upkeep of the house of God. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) at the time of receiving this message from God was a man of forty and married to a wealthy trader in Mekkah Hazrat Khadijah. It was her wealth that got spent in the way of God for spreading his message to people far and wide.

The Nucleus of the Clan

Tracing the history of man from Adam to Abraham to Muhammad human race has been divided into various branches based on religion, beliefs, culture, ethnicity and race. As Muhammad took wives initially in a monogamous way during the life of Hazrat Khadijah, contrary to the customs of his sect and Arabian cultural norms he was deprived of a son from this and future marriages. His daughter Hazrat Fatima from Hazrat Khadijah is featured as the dearest to the Prophet (P.B.U.H) and her marriage to Ali Ibn-e Abi Talib marked the rise of a new sect that would be known as the “Syed” clan.

The Prophet (P.B.U.H), Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Fatima are the three building blocks of this clan. Significantly the children of Hazrat Ali with his other wives, like Hazrat Abbas son of Um-al-Baneen, are not known as Sadaat. The significance of Hazrat Ali is apparent from his title “Haider Qarrar”. He was also called “Sher-e-Khuda” meaning the Lion of God, due to his bravery and many feats of chivalry performed in the heat of battle. He was the Prophet’s companion and partner through thick and thin.

The numerous battles fought in the name of Islam rendered him as the bravest man feared by even the most dangerous of fighters. He was not just an excellent fighter but a most intelligent strategist, known not just for his tact on the battlefield but also for his wisdom. For after the death of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), people from all over came to him to solve their disputes, untangle their matters and answer the many puzzles of life and existence. He also developed the concept of the “x” value in mathematics and laid the foundations of algebra and astronomy.

Hazrat Ali was the first cousin of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and on a number of occasions was referred by him as his brother. His matrimony to the Prophet’s daughter Hazrat Fatima and the two sons’ borne from their union mark the first born Sadaat into this world. From hereon the children of these two sons namely Hazrat Hassan and Hazrat Hussain would be identified as Sadaat and be the direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).

Fight for an Arabic Islamic State

The religion bestowed upon the last Prophet (P.B.U.H), according to God was complete and carried intelligences and guidelines for not just personal worship and beliefs but also provided a system of governance for the state and clan. This basic element lays the grounds for a future struggle of the descendants of the Prophet, for their legacy was to carry forward the ways of Islam into the matters of state.

The hot ground of power struggle that was hence created after the death of the Prophet (P.B.U.H) thus resulted in many battles and blood shed on the Arabian soil. The system of Caliphs was initiated as a means of societal and state correction and control. As was evident to the descendants their legacy down the road was in the association of the Muslim religion with the formation of the State. Almost all religions in the world are regularly used for political aims but Islam apart from this was also created for state-building purposes, hence even today the ideology of a Muslim state coincides with the governing principles of Islam[2].

Shiaat and Sunni Belief System

The Caliphs that took the state governance into their hands at the onset made efforts to continue managing state affairs according to the teachings of Islam included in Quran and Hadith. After the rule of the four Caliphs namely, Hazrat Abu Bakar, Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Usman and Hazrat Ali, the idea of a caliphate, transgressed into a Sultanate under the rule of Ameer Mavia. He declared himself Emperor or Sultan of the Muslim Empire and after him his son Yazeed took the power seat. Hence, the rift in Muslims that was created after the death of the Prophet (P.B.U.H), against his beloved and trusted Hazrat Ali Ibn-e-Abi Talib, grew in the time of Mavia and his son Yazeed as they were never counted amongst the supporters of Ali. That difference of loyalties still continues to grow wider under the guise of the two main divisions of Muslim beliefs i.e. Shiaat and Sunni belief systems.

The rise of the two belief systems was a result of the struggle of Banu Umayyad family to gain power and riches. Mavia’s successor Yazeed a son of the clan established his rule and forced the Grandson of the Prophet (P.B.U.H) Hazrat Hussain to declare him the representative of the state and Islamic tradition. It was purely a political gimmick played by Yazeed to capture the trust of the people by having the Prophet’s Grandson declare him as an authority on the traditions of Islam. This is the point where the great sacrifice of Hazrat Hussain is called upon to save the religion and legacy of his Grandfather, the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). Hence, the first Sadaat and descendants of Muhammad shed their blood on the sands of Karbala to mark the beginning of the course of Islamic history.

IMPLICATIONS OF HAVING A SYED IDENTITY IN THE PAST

The Migration to Iran

During the rule of the Umayyad Family and the Abbasid clan after the end of the Caliphate system and the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali, the fourth Caliph, many efforts were made to destroy and distort his history and name along with the sacrifice of his younger son. The bone of contention between the two parties or the root of hatred for Hazrat Ali had been his closeness with the Prophet (P.B.U.H), apart from the many relations slaughtered by the two thronged sword of Hazrat Ali in battles with infidels, for the course of the spread of Islam was not without bloodshed.

As the rule of Umayyad family continued over the centuries their oppression and injustice forced many a Syed families to flee from the land of Arabia and find a safe haven in Iran and other surrounding countries. Many families had to hide and disguise their identities in order to escape the cruelties committed against Sadaat in the land of the last Prophet (P.B.U.H). In Iran these people could save themselves and their families from the rising momentum of hatred of those in power against the direct descendants of the Prophet (P.B.U.H) and Hazrat Ali.

Iran was a state with a majority of Shiaats and hence, they had a high regard for the family of their Prophet. Even today Iran is considered to be a Shiaat state where a high majority is loyal and committed to the Sadaat (Descendants of the Prophet). They remember the sacrifice of Hazrat Hussain and the love that Hazrat Ali had for his Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). In Iran the escaping Sadaat families lived in peace for many years to come and many settled there on a permanent basis, interwoven into the culture, society and the beliefs of the Irani people.

This was a cultural amalgamation of the Arab Sadaat with the Irani Shiaats, where both held similar beliefs and valued the same fundamentals, and hence could live in harmony and considerable security. This was not the place where they would have to hide their identities; the Sadaat families openly declared themselves as the descendants of the Holy Prophet and were given much respect.

Spread of Islam - Preaching and conversions

As time passed and the Umayyad family lost its power and the world dynamics changed shifting the power balance from one community to the next, Muslim migrants in Iran were able to subside their past filled with blood and tyranny committed against them. They started to flourish and prosper in the arts and teachings of Islam and the many mysteries hidden within its manifold scriptures. They became Islamic historians, Sufis and Preachers.

From here started the journey of the Sadaat in the propagation and spread of Islam, they traveled world over preaching the message of Islam and its fundamental governing principles. These Syed Sufi saints were not just emanating from Iran but also from countries like Turkey, Iraq and other countries where they had spread during the Umayyad and Abbasid family rules.

This spread of the message of a peaceful and practical religion i.e. Islam became their legacy and destiny. They traveled the world over and arrived in the sub-continent and had a major influence on the people after the Muslim Empire was established in Delhi. By this time the Sufi fraternities had formed and they traveled with their entourage of Saints, Walis, Craftsmen and many talented individuals. These Sufi Sadaat ruled the hearts of the people; they touched many souls who converted to Islam due to their teachings. The entire Sub-Continent and many Russian states were influenced by their efforts and their dedicated cause of service to humanity.

They did not just spread the message of Islam but taught many crafts to the local people like one of the many prominent names featured in history is that of Syed Ali Wali Ameer Kabir Hamdani. He came to Kashmir from the land of Hamdan in Iran and converted the entire Kashmir and Northern areas which include Gilgit, Skardo, Baltistan etc. In his quest for the spread of Islam and its traditions he brought many renowned craftsmen along with him who taught the craft of Shawls and Carpet making to the Kashmiris, one of their assets till date. These today form the culture and heritage of a beautiful and reminiscent Kashmir. Syed Ali Wali Ameer Kabir Hamdani later traveled to the Russian states and converted them to Islam and his final resting place, a tomb dedicated to him a Sufi Preacher, is also in Russia[3].

Apart from him many prominent names are featured in the historical literature on the propagation of Islam by Sufi fraternities. One amongst them is Data Ganj Baksh, who came from Ghazni and settled in Lahore. The spread of Islam in Punjab is mainly due to his efforts[4].

Many other Sufi saints have established their names in the spread of Islam including Fareed Gang Baksh who came in Multan and settled in Punjab and Shabaz Qalandar in Sindh.

Sufi Poets

Fulfilling their duties as the descendants of the Prophet these Sufi saints were the miracle workers who have resulted in the spread of the true events in the history of Islam. Following in their foot steps many Sufi Poets in times to come wrote poetry on the history of Islam and highlighted the true meaning of Islam and its main contributors. Famous Sufi poets like Bulleh Shah and Rumi within their poetry have left messages to be decoded by those who have the insight. Baba Bulleh Shah whose real name was Syed Abdullah Shah, was a Punjabi Sufi poet and humanist. He is believed to have been born in the small village of Uch, Bahawalpur in modern day Pakistan. His ancestors had migrated from Bukhara in modern Uzbekistan, in 1680[5]. When the masses faltered and started focusing on the wrong details of Islam, these sufi poets wrote poetry to correct those who cared to think. One of the poems from Baba Bulleh Shah tries to focus the attention of people on the simplicity of existence and religion, as it states:

Ik nuqte vich gal mukdi eh.
(The subject of matter finishes/lies in one point)

Phar nuqta, chad hisaabaan nu,
(Get the point and leave all other accounts)

kar duur kufar diyaan baabaan nu.
(Keep the chanpters of sin closed)

Laah dozakh gor azaabaan nu,
(Send the horrors of the grave to hell)

kar saaf dile diyaan khavaabaan nu.
(Clean up the dreams/thoughts in your heart)

Gal aise ghar vich dhukkdi eh,

(For the subject lies/inflames within the heart/place)
ik nuqte vich gal mukdi eh.
(The subject of matter finishes/lies in one point)

Aiven mattha zimeen ghasaida,
(For no reason you rub your forehead on the ground)

lamma pa mahiraab dikhaida.
(Showing the sign of piousness on your forehead)

Phar kalma lok hasaida,
(Reciting the Qalima for the people)

Dil andar samajh na liaaida.
(Not understanding the real spirit in your heart)
Kadi baat sacchi vi lukdi eh,
(Sometimes this talk seems truthful)

Ik nuqte vich gal mukdi eh.
(The subject of matter finishes/lies in one point)

Kaee haaji ban ban aaye ji,
(Many came as Pilgrims)

Gal neele jaame paaye ji,
(Dressed in blue)

Haj baich takey le khaaye ji,r
(They sell the status gained by their Pilgrimage)

Bhala eh gal kinnu bhaaye ji.
(How will anyone like this charade?)

Kadey baat sacchi vi lukdi eh,
(Sometimes this talk seems truthful)

Ik nuqte vich gal mukdi eh.[6]
(The subject of matter finishes/lies in one point)

IMPLICATIONS OF HAVING A SYED IDENTITY IN THE PRESENT

Respect and Honor

After the fall of the Umayyad Sultanate and the revival of the history of Islam, people started viewing Sadaat with respect and honor. Today being a Syed holds a certain degree of respect from the masses. Individuals can take pride in the fact that they are the descendants of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). But the tragedy is that they have forgotten the true meaning of being a Muslim and a Syed. We take pride in being of a certain clan and have become introverted and use our clans and families as a way of discrimination.

Where the teachings of the Sufi saints were completely different from what we have retained in the present age. They did not believe in division, segregation and segmentation. Their message was loud and clear, focused on the fundamentals of Islam and the building up of a society where all are equal and together set the foundation of a healthy and prosperous society and community. These messages of community building and the uplift of fellow humans are evident in the system of Zaqat and Hadia apart from the many others, within the Islamic principles of State functions.

Sufi poet Bulleh Shah discourages being classified even as a Syed for he wanted Muslims to move beyond the boundaries of clans and sects and come together as a whole, in tune with the Supreme Being. In one of his poems he states in:

Jaira sanoon syed saddey
(Who so ever calls us Syed)
Dozakh milay sazaiyyan
(Hell is there’s in punishment)
Jaira sanoon Raain akhey
(Who so ever calls us Raain)
Bahistaan Peengaan Payaan
([It is not like they will have] swings in heaven)

Inter-Clan marriages

One of the misconceptions and misrepresentations of Islamic traditions was and is the concept of marriages in Syed families. It is widely believed that syed families cannot marry outside their cast and clan. This is one of the distortions of Islamic teachings that focus on equality of mankind. Religious censorship of this sort cannot be a part of Islam that treats all human beings as equal with no superiors based on ethnicity, religion, color and race. In Islam a person can marry someone who believes in God any of the books sent by him through his many Prophets. For the message has and always will remain the same, people need to view all the religions as a continuation of one message modified and adjusted according to the time and societies it was sent in.

A lot is left to interpretation and thought, we human beings have been given the gift of intelligence which is a tool to think and ponder over the various issues of life and religion. Many Syed families have moved beyond these matters but many still continue to believe in them and so not allow their young to marry in any other clan apart from Sadaat.

Conclusion

We human beings need to understand one thing and one thing only that superiority and goodness come as a result of a person’s actions rather than his origin or birth. It is about time that humanity realizes that what is more important is how we deal with each other in everyday life and to what extent we make an effort to fulfill our obligations to God. The Syed clan was created for a reason and they have continued to fulfill their responsibilities in one way or the other like any other sect or religion. The misconception that they are superior for being born as Sadaat is wrong. Yes all those Sadaat along with non-Sadaat who spread Islam to the world, who gained the favor of God by their actions are superior, not for their Syed identity but for their efforts and actions.

The message of God is given clearly for anyone to understand in one of the verses of Quran, which states:

“Mankind! We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another”[7].

It becomes evident that the purpose of our lord and creator in dividing us amongst various nations and clans was for identification not for leading us into blood shed, bigotry and segmentation.

[1] The story of Abraham, From the Hebrew Bible - http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/abraham.html
[2] http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~mattom/science+society/lectures/illustrations/lecture16/muhammad.html
[3] Interview with Kausar Hamdani a descendant of Syed Ali Wali Ameer Kabir Hamdani
[4] Sufis and Spread of Islam - http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A004&Pg=2

[5] Baba Bulleh Shah Sufi Poet – Orkut community – www.orkut.com
[6] Baba Bulleh Shah Sufi Poet – Orkut community – www.orkut.com
[7] www.google.com/thelifeofmohammad//com

Recurring Nightmare

and it all seems to keep on happening again and again.......

Yesterday I received an email that showed some gruesome images of people shot and left to die on the streets of Karachi. Most of those dead were lying on Malir road. Tears of frustration and anguish sprang to my eyes, but mostly I cried because I was angry. Angry at the fact that why is it always the poor and pathetic who find themselves in dire straits every time there is unrest in the country. I remember reading something on the lines of “All revolutions need Blood”; I have one amendment to make to this, according to what I believe now “All revolutions need Blood of the poor”. It angers me to think that when there is peace the rich stay in their homes enjoying all the comforts of their accumulated wealth while the poor are wanting for every little thing imaginable. On the opposite side if there is ever turmoil in the country we see the rich still in their home contemplating how to save that extra buck they have here or there, while where are the poor? Well they are in the streets, fallen prey to the words of petty politicians, frustrated beyond console and desperately wanting to vent their anger.

These fellow country members have reached the point of no return and we see vultures hovering above them in the form of government and our political parties. Feeding them lies and deception, these vultures bring them to the streets. The rich snigger at their actions, are they crazy what good will burning a few trucks or cars do. We call them illiterate and delinquents; my submission is that they are not the aggressors but the victims. We all know this but we hardly stop and think about it before condemning them to the gallows, they deserve it, that’s what we say. What we do not realize is that we by not raising a word against the injustices around us, using our resources to bypass them rather than fixing them have brought the poor to this point. It is not their fault that they are beyond the point of caring, they have nothing to loose unlike us. We God forbid cannot be a part of a movement or a rally can we, what about our families, I have responsibilities, but what of all the money I have worked so hard for, who can bear that heat, are some of the thoughts that spring up in our brains. We say we are not emotional or fools to be led by the false promises of the ooh so many manipulators. A comment on similar lines motivated me to write this. The poor to their non-functional brains are foolish but what they never stop to think is that the person out in the streets burning cars, raising slogans and carrying the flags of this party or that is not foolish but desperate. He is at the brink of emotional, physical and mental breakdown, at that point he doesn’t care about lies or deceptions, and all he cares for is to give an outlet to his anger. Can you blame him if he goes around creating havoc on the streets?
Coming back to where I started from, the grotesque images of dead bodies lying on malir road shook me up and I thought why is it that it is always the poor who end up giving their blood for this country when they hardly get anything in return. The clerisy or the cream of the country never has and never will pay with blood for this country that is so used to soaking the blood of poor.

We cannot now do much for those who lay dead on the streets of Karachi but what we can do is ensure that their deaths do not go in vain. I hear some half hearted apologies made from the party’s representatives responsible for all the bloodshed in Karachi on Saturday, without taking the blame or facing the repercussions for their actions. All I ask from anyone in the right position is to make sure we do not accept those verbal apologies but make an example of those responsible for the tragedy that befell Karachi on Saturday, the day our Chief Justice was supposed to visit the city in a peaceful manner. I for one want to see some heads rolling, lets not shed only the blood of poor but mix it with the blood of the ones in authority that day.

Rising Haze

Sitting at the widow you stare at the gathering mist..its white sheet of pure wetness...its ability to consume a whole person within the blink of an eye and its slow motion as the movements of a slumberous walker. As you witness the rising white clouds, small golden lights make way through the haze and make there presence apparent. For it is evening, and the sun has already dipped into the distant crevices of the univrese. Its last rays of light lost between the steely thickness of the clouds in the sky..letting only the faintest of red light pass through them. Mimicking the explosion of a ray of light into soft orangish red clouds of dusk.

These small energies twinkling in the far distance of the night closeted by the misty haze create an enchanted atmosphere, making you half believe that you are witnissing the rise of a magical forest infront of your eyes...filled with the sounds of owls and crickets. The movement of dark unidentfied shadows within the greyish white haze raise goose bumps on your body...as the white now has taken on another color....it spreads with a tint of black...its thickness increased manifolds and its ghoulish nature becoming more sinister. You can hear sounds..sounds that are muffled, not clear....they come close and than disapear into the darkness surrounding you.

You search for the reassuring golden lights....lights that will be your harbour...your mooring in this unrecognizable place where one after the other...the whiffs of mist hit you like the waves of the ocean. You try to find those small lights of hope...those small anchors of faith to help you survive this ordeal. No not ordeal this mystery of the moment created by the rise of that fog. For you are lost..lost into time...following your imagination as if wound like a clock. Your thoughts chalked out your feelings mapped. You cannot escape the imprisonment of the moment for it holds you captive. Its beauty heartbreaking.... its mystery insatiable. You cannot find the way to clear the haze for it calls you in...deeper and deeper...and in you go...more and more...going further and further as a fall without a break...a tunnel without an ending...a well without a bottom.

You try to shake off the feeling but its crept into your soul...making it so hard to let go and see clearly. Your vision is blocked and you try desperately to find a solid hold..,something to pull yourself out...out of this haze, this mist, this confusion. But where are those lights..those little relics of safety. Try turning your head and there is one....than another...ooh there yet another...there is one more and another and another and another. A smile spreads on your lips for you can feel your body..feel the ground beneath your feet. You can see the small lights that had dissapeared into the night. They are back again...comforting and reassuring....cradling your nervy body and soothing your heart.

For you know where you stand now...what was behind and what lies ahead!!!

EMERGENCY (Marshall Law) in Pakistan Nov 3rd

We have all witnessed the military rule in our country and the deteriorating economic situation. The main reasons for which Emergemncy was declared in the country seem a pack of lies behind the case on the current governement filed in supreme court. We are all know why the emergency was declared by our present rulers who belive themselves to be gods above all laws and regulations. If they are trying to save their skin by selling out our country, i believe we the people need to do something about it.

Our only chnace for democracy and civil rights is in the strength of our present judiciary...not with the military government nor with any political leaders of today. We the people need to stand behind the judiciary and do our part in the restoration of democracy in the country. The political leaders all starting from Benazir Bhutto to Nawaz Sharif are all slaves of their desires for money and power not unlike Gen Pervaiz Musharaf. If we know this truth we will see where our loyalties ought to stand.

It heartens me that the so called snobs and elites of Pakistan have not become entirely desensitized by luxuries and lives of comfort...student protests form reputable universities is a proof of the fact that we still feel and can retaliate against oppression, sensorship and Dectatorship. It has been six days since the rule of the so called emergenc/marshall law has prevailed in our country, it is time for us to stand and fight for what is right. The rule of army never has and never will be beneficial for any country, even right now many of our ally nations with whom we have fought against international terrorism namely US and Uk have withdrawn their support to the country. I wonder how Gen. Musharaf feels when he is left in the middle without his long standing support from America. This is the time for all political leadres to take notice and learn never to sell their country to foreign rulers in the anticipation of aid and support.

The US has and always will be a great manipulator of the world, taking advantge of various leaders like Saddam when it has its axe to grind and turning her back on them the moment their purpose is served. Gen. Musharaf has started the beginning of his end with the current declaration of emergency and attacking the judicial system prevailant in the country. I pray for democracy, a free economy, a civic society, awareness amongst the people and equal rights to all !

If you want to read further informed comments on the present situation in the country visit the folllowing links below:

http://pakistanmartiallaw.blogspot.com/

http://thelandofpure.blogspot.com

What if Today was your last day on Earth?

Thud thud thud.....you can hear your heart beat...everything goes into the background. You are caught up in a moment of silence that screams in its hilarity. The white comes upon you and encircles your being with a white sheet of nothingness...you cannot see beyond yourself cannot hear beyond the frantic beating of your heart...the calmness of the moment sooths you. But you have this dread in your heart..this state of confusion...a feeling of foreboding that cannot be shaken off. You expect something to happen yet it doesn't happen....every molecule of your body knows there is something coming your way..this cannot be it...for sure this cannot be it...

A light pair of feet interrupt your reverie and you look arround to identify the source of the sound...there is nothing behind you or to your side. No silhouette faltering behind or hiding in the cloak of white...you turn and turn in desperation trying to see...but your eyes encounter nothing. There is a dread in your heart...you do not know when it started, why it started or when will it go away.....your mind fails to register. You know you are missing something..there was something there...within your reach..yet you cannot remeber what. The pounding heart evidence to a phenominal activity...there must have been something. You know that but what?

A slight touch on the skin at your neck....your hand instinctively reaches the point of contact but there is nothing there. Nothing...no contact of flesh with flesh just a smooth brush of finger tips...how distinct in this state of ambiguity...so candid yet unmarked...unidentified...a part of the white haze for sure. You want somthing solid to hold on it...but the haze makes everything liquid...

This smell suddenly surrounds you...exuding from somewhere in the white light...you can see this red glaze errupting from somewhere...it has this fiery existence....reaching towards you. The orange and red such a sharp contrast to the white. But why are you thinking of this...the spreading flame cannot be right...you ought to do something...may be run..yes running seems like a good idea....yes run run....but why arn't you running...run you say to your feet run...damn it run....move....for the red comes for you. Surely this cannot be good...you cannot really move....your mind in a state of panic...alright may be shield yourself from the approaching fiery clouds...yes yes shield yourslef with your arms....yes arms rise..rise now to shield me form the impact....rise arms why wont you rise....Thud....thud...thud..thud.thud.thud.thud.thud.thud.thud......and that aweful sound....a gush of hot wind and your feet leave the ground.........

Disoriented Communication

Hmmmm..... a phone call gone haywire...a talk gone astray and a message of love lost.... all can make you sit back and realise what an amazing thing communication between people can be.

I for one have always observed the perils of communication between collegues, between mates, between acquaintances, between lovers, between married couples. What makes a bumpy road for them, no matter what the relationship inbetween is either the lack of communication or too much communication. With these two scenarios both parties know where they stand...but the most lethal that i have seen yet, is miscommunication...coming to a point where you would rather let it fall, leave it to die rather than try to make the other person understand what it was all about...thats the place of danger....you don't come back from that point on.

They say that "An arrow once thrown and a word once spoken can never be taken back", i realise to my horror that ominous as the above statement might sound...it is as true as the daylight that we live and breath in. Scientifically looking at the scenario of miscommunication, you can draw the analogy of a chain reaction happening...one word uttered can lead to something menacing...the result of that coupled by your brain patterns and insecurities or troubles from the present world...all rolled up in a ball of anger, can errupt and wash away all that is held dear and close to the heart.

Its a shame how we humans forget the love shared, the understanding developed, the laughter shared...in moments of anger. I dont know how the heart that loves you and you know loves you from its very core, can deliberately hurt you...and not just that..it actually utilises the knowledge gained from the time spent together, the insecurities shared and the confidences given against you. It all sounds very sinister i know but i have seen it happening right in front of my eyes...something you cannot close your eyes to....as it stares you in the face and demands acknowledgement.

You feel breathless, caged, trapped ...the conversation twisting and turning infront of your eyes....those beads of words that make a beautiful adornment with the strings of love and understanding...you can see them coming apart...and for what...your words having left the crevices of your brain through my mouth change form and shape in front of your eyes...in mid air they hang in their state of distortion...you dont mean to dictate anything, never could dare and never will...

Between yourself and the other person now there are words and distorted meanings...your external circumstances make you tough and unyielding...maybe resentful....the case is the same with the other party as well. They too are tortured by something that you didn't have the heart to ask after the converstaion goes beyond your line of compromise or understanding. Thats when you cannot stop yourself from giving in to anger. You fall prey to the words spoken and maybe not meant....but what makes you dejected and strained is that feeling of loosing your breath...the words encircling you like a taunting web of accustaion... your brain stopping to function, your sense leaving you completely and drawing you to your climax....

You realise you never would have severed the link if it had'nt been for that feeling of breathlessness...of loosing your grip on reality...In a relationship when accusations start flowing your way and you start reacting, thats when things get out of hand...all you can think of is that you're not this person, you are not who your are made out to be...for you dispise that person ...if someone were to actually convince you that you are that person you would not be able to survive. Would not be with them, would not be having that converstaion, would not be able to speak....and surely would not be able to love!

Katas Raj Temples

"Hindu Temple walls of reverence"

Built in 600 A.D the temple complex at Chakwal personifies the mortification of the Hindu god "Shiva". He on the death of his beloved wife "Satti" shed tears of anguish and bitterness, giving rise to two water reservoirs whose waters flow in their tranquil calmess.....disturbed occassionally by the fall of a stray leaf or a water toad that has made its home below the moss covered surface of the water. One of these water ponds popularly known as "Pushkar" is near Ajmer in India the other one is at "Kataksha" at Katas (Kalar Kahar) in District Chakwal. The image on the left is of "Kataksha"visited by myself along with my family on the 15th of October 2007.

The temple complex from a distance seems like any ordinary building with a domed top....but as you drive closer the temple walls with their sheet of moss and mildew...carving arches, significant of the time of construction, become vivid in all their past and present glory.....they are an embodiment of religious veneration....carrying within them the impressions of many generations of proud and courageous Hindu idols. For a Muslim who has little knowledge of Maha Bharat and the many tales of chivalry, courage, devotion, war, revenge, rage, deceit, adultery and sexual intercourses.....i am not fit to go into the religious significance of the temple or the rituals and rights that might have been carried out in its many spaces. I only bear witness to what the eye can behold, the heart can feel and the mind can imagine.....for the mind can imagine a lot...

The water in the pond is of the clearest Emerald green that you ever saw....looking at it your pupils dilate to soak in the brilliance of the color....... so distinct and contrasting with the dark, dingy and decrepit walls of the temple rising above the water level. The water itself is a harmony of clarity and muck.....traveling the eye a little farther off from the source you will see the moribund and torpid water.....covered with a thick layer of moss..... barred and bound by the passage walls that lead to the temple........thus trapped it signifies the death of something that once was alive with all the vigor and valor of existence. Maybe the soul of the temple is gone....gone as its practicing loyal subjects are gone...now the temple walls bear witness to the keen site seers who only come to see what was in the past a place of great respect. Maybe it still is...but to me the walls seemed to cry...to cry for their old glory.....now all that they see are humans who come to watch without any respect for the beliefs and the rights that once crowned and glowed in every part of the temple complex....its various hidden and apparent crevices, room spaces, walls and domes.

For the temple has been unpracticed for quite some time now.....site seers’ loiter within its walls taking images of empty rooms, desolate arches, dingy walls and soiled passages. It has become something of a showpiece....having lost its purpose...vanished within the folds of time....its structure witnessed by many yet its soul and life felt by few. It must shed tears of sad desolation just as the god after which it was built....for the temple too has lost something important to time and decay....to the daunting reality of loss, demise, faltering devotions, shifting respects and fading significances.

Now it is exposed to the heart wrenching reality that the tears that come to some innocent eyes aren’t due to devotion or spiritual and religious relief...they are due to the bigotry and division of man that lies naked and exposed in every facet of our lives. We have made ourselves and the innocent generations after us scared of anything that is foreign...that doesn’t seem or look similar....that has a division from our value system.....we are not just paranoid we are devoid of the ability to understand, to mingle, to respect, to acknowledge and to stand as one......stand as one, as we will surely stand on the day of judgment. Exalted or fallen not due to our race, ethnicity, color or appearance but due to our actions....actions towards all....towards the Lord himself, his many manifestations and towards his many people.

These are just thoughts and ramblings of someone trying so very hard not to judge, divide or criticize....someone who would want to see things through the eyes of those who believe in them....someone who would rather accept than reject the many possibilities and branches of life....someone with a soul that identifies with others....someone who is angered at the senseless accusations, judgments, divides and snobbery that come as a package and get transferred from our parents to us.....and from us to our children....and maybe from them to theirs. Maybe its time that we stopped....stopped and just respected others for who they are and what their actions are rather than what they look like or what they believe in.