Israel is the light onto the nations

Israel is the light onto the nations’ says the Torah. Indeed it is, and not just because the Torah says so. Israel is ahead of everyone else in many fronts. Take for instance, terrorizing civilian populations and practicing some of the most devastating murderous tactics upon elders, women and young.


The Jerusalem post reported yesterday that the Chairman of NATO's Military Committee, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, visited Israel earlier this week to study “IDF tactics and methods that the military alliance can utilise for its war in Afghanistan.” A senior Israeli defence official added "The one thing on NATO's mind today is how to win in Afghanistan…Di Paola was very impressed by the IDF, which is a major source of information due to our operational experience."

I would advise both the Israeli official and Admiral Di Paola to slightly curb their enthusiasm. The IDF didn’t win a single war since 1967. Yes, it murdered many civilians, it flattened many cities, it starved millions, it has been committing war crimes on a daily basis for decades and yet, it didn’t win a war. Thus, the IDF cannot really teach NATO how to win in Afghanistan. If NATO generals are stupid enough to follow IDF tactics, like the Israeli generals, they will start to see the charges of war crimes pile up against them. They may even be lucky enough to share their cells with some Israelis in due course, once justice is performed.

Admiral Di Paola spent two days with the infamous IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the man who led the IDF into Gaza last December.

In the Jewish state they were very enthusiastic with Admiral Di Paola’s visit. They regarded it as just another reassurance of ‘business as usual. The visit of a NATO high supreme official was there to convince them that no one takes note of the Goldstone report.

...

Israel is the light onto the nations

Eid blues

After 9 days of a living and lively home, there is now silence.

Little Haneya and her parents have left - my son back to Dubai, since his leave has been cancelled by his manager, my d-i-l to her parents' house with Haneya. For a whole year I won't be seeing them in person. :(

Now I know how my mother felt when I would leave, or when I wouldn't visit her.

My daughter and s-i-l also came for a visit, and they too have left.


The wife is watching cricket. When my son was here, I rediscovered my interest in cricket, but it has waned with his departure.

ملیر کی گلیاں - زینت حسام

sorry, don't feel like translating it now. Maybe later:

taken from:

http://www.urduseek.com/node/2663

the streets of Maleer by Zeenat Hissaam

ملیر کی گلیاں
Posted Thu, 2008-02-14 19:10 by Anonymous
ملیر کی یادوں کے ساتھ ہرے بھرے پیڑ وابستہ ہیں: امرود، آم، انار، نیم، گلاب، چمبیلی، موتیا۔
ہم بچے نانی کے گھر ہر ہفتے جایا کرتے۔ نانا اور ماموں کے کوارٹر ملے ہوئے تھے۔ ہر کوارٹر میں ایک کمرہ اور ایک بڑا سا آنگن تھا۔ نانا، نانی کے ساتھ خالہ رہتی تھیں اور ماموں، ممانی اور ان کے تین بیٹے ایک ساتھ۔ دونوں کوارٹروں کی درمیانی دیوار نہ تھی لہذا یہ ایک بڑا سا گھر نظر آتا۔ نانی کے آنگن میں امرود کے تین چار پیڑ قطار سے لگے ہوئے تھے اور ایک انار کا درخت تھا۔ ماموں کی طرف ایک بڑا سا نیم کا پیڑ اور موتیا، چمبیلی، اور گلاب کی جھاڑیاں تھیں۔
چھٹیوں کی دوپہر ہم بچے درختوں پر چڑھتے، امرود توڑ توڑ کر کھاتے، آنکھ مچولی کھیلتے۔ شام کو سڑک کے اس پار ملیر ریلوے اسٹیشن کی سیر کو جاتے۔ اور اسٹیشن کے باہر ریل کی پٹریوں کے نیچے بنی پلیاؤں کے اندر بیٹھ کر اوپر سے جاتی ہوئی ٹرین کی آواز سنتے۔ رات کو نانی چار پائیوں پر صاف ستھرے بستر لگاتیں اور ہمیں کہانیاں سناتیں۔ اور ہم تاروں بھرے آسمان کو تکتے تکتے سوجاتے۔ یہ ۱۹۶۰ کی دہائی کی بات ہے۔


تب ملیر کے ہر کوارٹر میں آنگن اور پیڑ ہوتے تھے اور گلیاں صاف ستھری۔ ہواؤں میں امرود کی مہک اور چمبیلی کی
خوشبو بسی ہوتی۔ رفتہ رفتہ لوگوں نے پیڑوں کو کاٹ کر اضافی کمرے بنانے شروع کیے۔ کچے آنگن پکے ہوتے گئے۔ پیڑوں کی تعداد گھٹتی گئی۔ گلاب اور چمبیلی کی جھاڑیاں بھی بتدریج کم ہوتی گئیں۔ کمروں کے باہر ٹین کے شیڈ ڈال کر برآمدے بنائے گئے۔ یہ ۱۹۷۰ کے عشرے کا ذکر ہے۔
آبادی بڑھتی رہی۔ ۸۰ مربع گز پر بنے ہوا دار اور روشن گھر گھٹے ہوئے چھوٹی چھوٹی کھڑکیوں والے تاریک، ایک منزلہ، دو منزلہ بدصورت مکانوں میں تبدیل ہو گئے۔ گلیوں کی چوڑائی کم ہو گئی کیونکہ لوگوں نے گھروں کے باہر ناجائز احاطے تعمیر کر لیے اور سیاہ آہنی گیٹ لگا لیے تھے۔ پیڑوں کی شاخوں کی جگہ اب ٹی وی اینٹینے، سیاسی جماعتوں کے رنگ برنگے جھنڈوں اور ٹیلی فون کے بے ہنگم تاروں نے لے لی تھی۔ یہ ملیر کالونی تھی ۱۹۸۰ کی دہائی میں۔
اور آج، اپریل ۱۹۹۵ کی ایک صبح، میں ملیر کی ایک پکی سڑک پر چلتے ہوئے اس حصے پر قدم رکھتی ہوں جو کلاشنکوف کی گولیوں کے چھوٹے چھوٹے سوراخوں سے چھلنی اور ایک انسان کے خون سے سیاہ ہے۔۔۔ وہ انسان جسے آج سے پندرہ دن قبل سڑک کے اسی حصے پر سفاکی سے قتل کیا گیا۔ میں ان تبدیلیوں کو گرفت میں لانے کی کوشش کرتی ہوں جو گزشتہ تین دہائیوں میں اس زمین، اور اس زمین کے باسیوں کی روح میں در آئی ہیں۔ کتنی گمھبیر تبدیلیاں ہیں یہ۔ اور کتنا مسخ کردیا ہے انھو ں نے ، ملیر کو، جو کبھی ایک سرسبز اور پر امن وادی تھی، اور اس کے مکینوں کی روح کو، وہ سادہ لوح ، مہمان نواز مکیں جو پیڑوں، پھلوں، پھولوں، سبک ہواؤں اور ز ندگی سے محبت کرتے تھے۔

اس منظر کا تصور میرے ذہن کے دریچے میں ثبت ہو کر رہ گیا ہے: دوپہر کا وقت ہے۔ زندگی کا کاروبار جاری ہے۔ سڑک کے کنارے بنی چھوٹی چھوٹی دکانوں میں گاہک کھڑے اشیاء صرف کی خریداری میں مصروف ہیں۔ بچے گلیوں میں کھیل رہے ہیں اور عورتیں گھروں کی دہلیز پر کھڑی ایک دوسرے سے باتیں کر رہی ہیں۔ ایک کار سڑک پر رکتی ہے۔ سامنے حلوائی اور ڈرائی کلینر کی دکانیں ہیں۔ گاڑی میں سے تین مسلح آدمی اترتے ہیں، ڈکی کھولتے ہیں۔ ایک ادھ موئے، نیم جان، کمر تک ننگے آدمی کو نکالتے ہیں جس کے ہاتھ پشت پر بندھے ہوئے ہیں، اور اسے تپتی ہوئی تارکول کی سڑک پر پھینکتے ہیں، اس پر کلاشنکوف سے گولیوں کی بوچھاڑ کرتے ہیں، پھر اس کے چہرے پر ٹھوکر مار کر یقین کرتے ہیں کہ وہ مرچکا ہے یا نہیں۔ اور جب اس کا خون آلود ساکت چہرہ ایک طرف ڈھلک جاتا ہے تو گاڑی کا دروازہ کھول کر اطمینان سے بیٹھتے ہیں اور گاڑی آہستہ خرامی سے سڑک پر چلتی ہوئی لوگوں کی نظروں سے اوجھل ہو جاتی ہے۔
لاش تین گھنٹے خون کے تالاب میں ڈوبی پڑی رہی۔ وہ ایک تنومند، گھبرو جوان تھا۔ کوئی لاش کے قریب نہ پھٹکا۔ سڑک پر زندگی کا کاروبار جاری رہا۔ البتہ ایک وحشت ناک خاموشی پھیل چکی تھی۔ لوگ سرگوشیوں میں باتیں کر رہے تھے۔ وہ اپنے کام جلدی جلدی نمٹا رہے تھے اور لاش کو کن اکھیوں سے دیکھ رہے تھے۔ آخرکار تین گھنٹے بعد ایدھی کی ایمبولیس پہنچی اور لاش اٹھا کر لے کر گئی۔ "ہفتہ بھر وہ لاش مردہ خانے میں پڑی رہی۔ پھر کہیں جا کے اس کی شناخت ہوئی۔ پتہ چلا وہ فوجی تھا،" سفید بالوں اور جھریوں بھرے چہرے والی بزرگ خاتون موضوع سخن سے ہٹ چلی ھیں۔ میں ملیر کے اس گھر میں بیٹھی ان کے نوجوان بھتیجے کے بارے میں بات کرنا چاہ رہی ہوں جو چند ماہ پہلے اس گھر کے اندر قتل ہوا۔
"خدا رحم کرے ہم سب پر۔ ہمیں کیا ہوگیا؟ کیا ہمارے اندر شیطان حلول کر گیا ہے؟" مقتول نوجوان کی پھوپھی، تسبیح ہلاتی ہوئی، تیز تیز بولے جا رہی ھیں۔ مقتول کی ماں کسی سوئم میں گئی ہوئی ہیں اور میں گھر کی عورتوں سے بات کر رہی ہوں۔
"لوگوں اتنے بےدرد، اتنے بےرحم ہو گئے ہیں۔ اس طرح ایک دوسرے کو قتل کر رہے ہیں کہ بھیڑ بکریوں کو بھی ایسے ذبح نہیں کیا جاتا۔۔۔" مقتول کی چچی تاسف سے سر ہلاتے ہوئے کہہ رہی ہیں۔ "ساتواں روزہ تھا۔ میں ظہر کی نماز کے بعد تسبیح پڑھ رہی تھی۔ ریحان دوسرے کمرے میں نماز پڑھ رہا تھا۔ ریحان کی ماں بھی نماز پڑھ رہی تھیں۔ دودھ والا دودھ دے کر پلٹا تھا اور میں دودھ کی تھیلی ہاتھ میں لیے باورچی خانے کی طرف مڑی ہی تھی کہ اتنے میں ایک سفید کار گھر کے گیٹ پر رکی، تین آدمی بڑی بڑی بندوقیں لیے دراتے ہوئے اندر آگئے اور چلا کر پوچھا ُریحان ہے؟ُ انھوں نے جواب کا انتظار بھی نہ کیا اور سیدھے اندر چلے گئے۔ ہمارے گھر کے ساتھ والا مکان ریحان کا ہے اور اندر سے ایک چھوٹا سا راستہ جو دونوں گھروں کو ملاتا ہے۔ بس وہ سیدھے اس راستے سے ہوتے ہوئے اندر چلے گئے۔ ریحان ظہر کی نماز پڑھ رہا تھا"، چچی ایک دم سے خاموشی ہو گئیں۔ پھوپھی، ماں اور چچی کی چیخوں اور بچوں کی خوف زدہ ہو کر رونے کی آوازوں کے درمیان قاتلوں نے کمرے میں داخل ہو کر گولیوں کی باڑھ ماری۔ "ریحان کے ہاتھ نماز کے لیے بندھے ہوئے تھے۔ سینے پہ بندھے ہاتھوں کے ساتھ کوئی آواز نکالے بغیر گر گیا۔ بائیس گولیاں نکلی تھیں جسم سے"، وہ مجھے بتا رہی ہیں۔
"یہ سب کچھ منٹوں میں ہو گیا اور قاتل جس راستے سے آئے اسی راستے واپس ہو گئے۔ دو کے منہ پر ڈھاٹے بندھے ہوئے تھے اور ایک جو درمیانی راستہ پر جم کر کھڑا ہوا نقاب نہیں پہنے تھا"، چچی نے بتایا۔ شاید آپ اسے پہچان سکیں؟ میں سوالیہ
"میں؟ نہیں۔ نہیں۔" وہ گبھرا سی گئیں "مجھے اس کی شکل بالکل یاد نہیں۔ ہوش وحواس میں کہاں تھی تب۔"
"اگر پہچان بھی لے تو کیا ریحان ہمیں واپس مل جائے گا؟ جانے والا تو گیا،" پھوپھی جلدی سے بولیں۔
پھوپھی مجھے وہ کمرہ دکھانے لے جاتی ہیں جہاں وہ قتل ہوا۔ یہ ایک بہت تنگ سا کمرہ ہے۔ جس میں صرف ایک صوفہ سیٹ ہے جو تین دیواروں کے ساتھ لگا ہوا ہے۔ صوفے کی وسطی میز کو چوتھی دیوار کے ساتھ لگا کر رکھا گیا ہے اور کمرے کے وسط میں دری بچھی ہوئی ہے جس پر جائے نماز بچھائی جا سکتی ہے۔ چاروں دیواریں، اور صوفہ سیٹ گولیوں سے چھلنی ہیں۔ میں صوفے پر بیٹھی ہوں۔ ریحان کی چچی ہمارے لیے چائے لے کر آتی ہیں۔
ستائیس سالہ ریحان سات بھائیوں اور ایک بہن میں سب سے بڑا تھا۔ ریحان کے باپ تیرہ سال پہلے طویل بیماری کے بعد فوت ہوئے۔ ریحان اس وقت آٹھویں میں تھا۔ اس نے پڑھائی جاری رکھی اور لیاقت مارکیٹ میں اپنے ماموں کی دکان میں بطور سیلز مین کام شروع کیا۔ بی۔کام کرنے کے بعد اس نے ڈوپٹوں کی دکان لگائی۔ دو چھوٹے بھائی اس کی مدد سے جمعہ بازار میں اسٹال لگاتے۔ پورے گھر کی ذمہ دار اس پر تھی۔
"ریحان کے قتل کے بعد سب کچھ ختم ہوگیا۔ بھائیوں نے تین ماہ سے جمعہ بازار میں اسٹال نہیں لگایا ہے۔ ایک چھوٹے بھائی کی ذہنی حالت بگڑ گئی۔ عجیب بہکی بہکی باتیں کرنے لگا ہے۔ پنڈی بھیج دیا تھا رشتے کے چچا کے پاس۔ لیکن کوئی خاص فرق نہیں پڑا ہے۔ گھنٹوں چپ چاپ بیٹھا رہتا ہے۔ خلا میں تکتا رہتا ہے۔ ہاتھ کھڑے کھڑے سینے پر باندھ لیتا ہے جیسے نماز پڑھ رہا ہو اور بڑبڑانے لگتا ہے: ُمیرا بھائی ستائیس سال کا تھا۔ اس کی شادی ہونے والی تھیُ۔ اور پتہ نہیں کیا کیا،" پھوپھی کہہ رہی ہیں۔
کیا ریحان کسی سیاسی پارٹی سے وابسطہ تھا؟
پھوپھی اور چچی خاموش ہو جاتی ہیں۔
"ہمیں کچھ زیادہ معلوم نہیں۔ آپ اس کی ماں سے بات کریں آ کر۔ وہ بتائیں گی سب"۔
ریحان کا تعلق MQM سے تھا۔ محلے کے لوگوں سے معلوم ہوا۔ تین سال پہلے ریحان کو اغوا کر لیا گیا تھا۔ اٹھارہ دن بعد واپس آیا۔ "ان دنوں اس نے ایک جگہ نوکری شروع کی تھی اغوا کے بعد اس نے ہمیں کبھی کچھ نہ بتایا۔ لیکن اس کے بعد سے مہینوں وہ دہشت زدہ رہا۔ ہفتوں کھانا نہ کھا سکا۔ نوالہ ہی نہیں نگلا جاتا تھا۔ ایسا خوف، ایسی دہشت تھی کہ ہم نے کچھ پوچھنے کی ہمت نہ کی۔ ماں اور پھوپھی کے بیچ میں لیٹ کر سوتا۔ راتوں کو گھبرا کر اٹھ بیٹھتا۔ بس کچھ نہ پوچھو کیسا کڑا وقت تھا۔ لیکن ایک تسلی تھی، کہ زندہ سلامت تو ہے۔ اب تو سب کچھ ختم ہو گیا۔ یاد ہی رہ گئی ہے۔

ملیر : اے۔ون ایریا
دیواریں میں لکھے نعروں سے اندازہ ہوتا ہے یہاں MQM حقیقی کا راج ہے۔ ۱۹۷۰ کے عشرے تک یہ علاقہ ایک کھلے وسیع میدان پر مشتمل تھا جس کے کنارے بیرکوں کی صرف ایک قطار تھی۔ یہ بیرکیں شیڈ کے نام سے مشہور تھیں۔ شیڈ کے آس پاس کچھ جھگیاں تھیں اور بھینسوں کے باڑے۔ یہاں پنجابی، سندھی اور مہاجروں کی ملی جلی آبادی تھی۔ ۱۹۸۰ کی دہائی کے اوائل میں یہ علاقہ دلالوں کے ہاتھ میں آیا جو علاقے میں جلد ہونے والی قانونی پلاٹنگ کے منتظر تھے۔ دیکھتے ہی دیکھتے یہاں کچے گھروں کی قطاریں کھڑی ہو گئیں۔ ۸۰ کے وسط میں ساٹھ مربع گز کے پلاٹوں کی حد بندی شروع ہوئی۔ شیڈوں کو منہدم کیا گیا اور پرانے مکینوں کو نئے پلاٹ الاٹ ہوئے۔ لیکن ان گنت پلاٹ دلالوں کے ذریعے کراچی کے دوسرے علاقوں سے آنے والے لوگوں کے ہاتھوں فروخت کیے گئے اور یوں اے ون ایریا ۱۹۸۰ کی دہائی کے تین خطرناک عناصر ہتھیار، ہیروئن اور MQM کی پناہگاہ بن گیا۔ ۱۹۹۲ کے وسط میں ہونے والے واقعات۔۔۔آپریشن کلین اپ اور حقیقی کی پیدائش۔۔۔۔ نے بارود کا کام کیا۔
"ہم ملیر میں ۳۵ سال سے ہیں لیکن ایسے حالات نہیں دیکھے۔ یہ MQM کی دھڑےبندی تھی جو ہم سب کی بربادی کا باعث بنی۔ لالوکھیت، کورنگی اور دوسرے علاقوں سے MQM کے لڑکے چھپنے کے لیے یہاں اٹھ آئے۔ چھپنے چھپانے والوں نے ہمارے علاقے کا ستیاناس کیا۔ اب یہ لڑکے بندوقیں لٹکائیں گلیوں میں دندناتے پھرتے ہیں اور کوئی پوچھنے والا نہیں۔ ڈاکے ڈالتے ہیں، بھتہ لیتے ہیں۔"
"سب سے زیادہ دکھ کی بات یہ ہے کہ یہاں انسانوں کی کوئی عزت نہیں رہی۔ ہماری گلی میں ایک بوڑھا، سفید کچھڑی بال، سبزی کا ٹھیلہ لگاتا ہے۔ اسے ان لڑکوں سے التجا کرنی پڑتی ہے۔ ہاتھ باندھ کے وہ ان اٹھارہ اٹھارہ برس کے لڑکوں سے کہتا ہے، ُسر جی، پھیری لگا لوںُ۔ ایک ہفتہ ہوا، ان لڑکوں نے پنساری کی دکان لوٹ لی۔ گلی کے بچوں میں لوٹی ہوئی ٹوفیاں اور دو دو روپے تقسیم کیے اور کہا، ُبولو، حقیقی زندہ بادُ۔ ہمارے دودھ والے نے میرے میاں کو بتایا کہ لڑکے اس سے دس ہزار مانگ رہے ہیں کہ اسلحہ خریدنا ہے۔ غریب دودھ والا دس ہزار کہاں سے لاتا۔ بیچارہ، یہ علاقہ چھوڑ گیا۔ خدا جانے اب کہاں دودھ بیچاتا ہوگا۔
"تو یہ حال ہے ہمارے علاقے کا۔ یہ غنڈے بدمعاش جن کے منہ سے ابھی دودھ کی بو آتی ہے، نہ صرف یہ کہ بھتہ مانگتے ہیں بلکہ تمہارے منہ پر کہتے ہیں کہ اسلحہ ختم ہو گیا ہے، بندوقیں لانی ہے، گولیاں خریدنی ہیں،" سکینہ، عمر پچپن کے لگ بھگ، مادری زبان پنجابی، سانس لیے بغیر بول رہی ہیں۔ تین سال کے عرصے میں سکینہ نے اس علاقہ کا جو اخلاقی اور معاشرتی زوال دیکھا ہے، اس نے ان کا سر چکرا دیا ہے۔
میں ان کے گھر میں اپنی خالہ کے ساتھ ان کے بیٹے کا حال پوچھنے آئی ہوں جو گلی میں چلنی والی گولیوں سے شدید زخمی ہوا تھا۔ میری خالہ گورنمنٹ کے ایک ادارے سے وابستہ ہیں اور اپنے شوہر اور بچوں کے ساتھ اس علاقے میں رہتی ہیں۔
"اس دن بہت فائرنگ ہو رہی تھی۔ احمد نے ہم سب کو اندرونی کمرے میں جانے کو کہا اور برآمدے میں آیا کہ گیٹ بند کر لے۔ خدا جانے اس کے دل میں کیا سمائی کہ اس نے گیٹ ذرا سا کھول کر باہر جھانک لیا۔ ایک گولی اس کی دائیں آنکھ کے اوپر لگی اور وہ وہیں گر پڑا۔ باہر لڑکوں کی آوازیں آنا شروع ہوئیں، ُاحمد بھائی کے گولی لگ گئی، فائرنگ بند کرو، فائرنگ بند کروُ۔ فائرنگ بند ہوگئی۔ چند لڑکے ہماری مدد کو آئے اور احمد کو جناح اسپتال پہنچایا گیا۔ دوسرے دن دو تین لڑکے میرے پاس آئے اور کہنے لگے، ُخالہ معاف کرنا۔ لیکن یہ ہماری گولی نہیں تھی جو احمد بھائی کو لگیُ۔ ذرا دیکھو، ان کی ہمت۔ اور ہماری بےبسی! کیا کرسکتے تھے ہم۔ اگر وہ لڑکا بھی، جس کی بندوق سے چلی ہوئی گولی احمد کو لگی، ہمارے پاس آجاتا تو ہم کیا بگاڑ سکتے تھے اس کا؟ کیسا زمانہ آگیا ہے۔ کوئی ظلم کے خلاف آواز نہیں اٹھاتا۔ اور اٹھائے بھی کیسے؟ کوئی دو لفظ بول دے تو جان سلامت نہیں،" سکینہ کہ رہی ہیں، ؛ہر حال میں جیئے جانے کی ہوس نے ہمیں کہیں کا نہ رکھا۔۔۔" وہ چپ ہوجاتی ہیں۔
"جس دن میرے بھائی کو گولی لگی جی چاہتا تھا پورے اے ون ایریا کو جلا کر خاکستر کر دوں،" احمد کی چھوٹی بہن کی آواز غصے سے کپکپاتی ہے۔ وہ بی۔اے پاس ہے اور ایک دواؤں کی کمپنی میں کام کرتی ہے۔ اس کی دو چھوٹی بہنیں سامنے دری پر بیٹھی مٹر کی پھلیاں چھیل رہی ہیں۔
یہ چھ بہنیں اور تین بھائی ہیں۔ احمد سب سے بڑا ہے۔ دو بہنیں نوکری کرتی ہیں۔ باپ کبھی فوج میں سپاہی تھے اب معمولی پینشن ملتی ہے۔ احمد ایک فیکٹری میں کام کرتا تھا۔ پھر اسے فیکٹری سے نکال دیا گیا۔ فیکٹری نقصان میں جا رہی تھی لہذا تیس آدمیوں کی چھٹی ہوئی۔ "ایک دفعہ احمد نے باہر جانے کی کوشش کی۔ آٹھ ہزار مانگ تانگ کر کسی ایجنٹ کو دیئے۔ لیکن یونان والوں نے پکڑ کر واپس بھیج دیا۔" احمد دو سال سے بےروزگار ہے۔
میں خالہ کے ساتھ ملیر کی گلیوں سے گزر رہی ہوں۔ "اس علاقے میں بہت اسلحہ ہے۔ چند ایک خالی گھر ہیں جہاں لڑکوں نے قبضہ کیا ہوا ہے۔ یہ گھر اسلحہ ڈپو بنے ہوئے ہیں۔ کبھی ان گھروں کے دروازے کھلے ہوتے ہیں اور قطار سے لگی ہوئی بندوقیں، کلاشنکوفیں اور گولیوں کی پیٹیاں ہر آنے جانے والے کو صاف نظر آتی ہیں۔ بندوقیں لٹکائیں یہ لڑکے گولیوں کی پیٹیاں ادھر سے ادھر پہنچاتے رہتے ہیں۔ آج کل البتہ یہ لڑکے روپوش ہیں۔ جب سے دو امریکی مارے گئے ہیں، تب سے زرا سکون ہے۔
"یہاں دو بدنام ترین لڑکے ہیں حقیقی کے۔ ایک کو تو پولیس گرفتار کر کے لے گئی تھی۔ محلے والوں نے سکون کا سانس لیا کہ چلو ایک تو کم ہوا۔ لیکن ایک ہفتے بعد وہ لڑکا واپس گلیوں میں گھوم رہا تھا اور فخریہ انداز میں لوگوں کو بتا رہا تھا، "دو لاکھ روپے دیئے ہیں"۔ ان لڑکوں نے کمسن بچوں کو تنخواہ پر رکھا ہوا ہے جو پولیس یا دوسرے گروپ کے لڑکوں کے آنے کی اطلاع انھیں وقت پر پہنچاتے رہتے ہیں۔ یہ بچے بڑے ہوکر کیا کرسکیں گے؟ ہمارے محلے میں الطاف گروپ سے کسی کو کوئی ہمدردی نہیں ہے۔ لیکن حقیقی والے ان سے بھی بدتر ثابت ہوئے ہیں"۔
ہم ایک گھر میں داخل ہوتے ہیں جس کا سربراہ، ایک ادھیڑ عمر کا آدمی، پانچ بیٹوں اور پانچ بیٹیوں کا باپ، دو ماہ پہلے فائرنگ میں ہلاک ہوا ہے۔ بیوہ کسی کام سے باہر گئی ہوئی ھیں۔ میں لڑکیوں سے بات چیت کر رہی ہوں۔ سب سے بڑی لڑکی ۲۰ سال کی ہے۔ "اس دن ابا سہ پہر میں گلی کی نکڑ پر مکینک کی دکان سے اپنی اسکوٹر ٹھیک کروا رہے تھے کہ کچھ مسلحہ افراد گاڑی میں آئے اور گولیاں برسا کر چلے گئے۔ مکنیک تو اسی وقت ختم ہو گیا۔ ابا زخمی حالت میں سڑک پر پڑے رہے۔ کوئی اٹھانے نہیں آیا۔ اتفاق سے میرے بھائی نے اس دن فیکٹری سے چھٹی کی تھی۔ جب گولیاں چلنی بند ہوئی تو وہ باہر نکلا۔ دیکھا ابا سڑک پر پڑے ہوئے تھے۔ بہت خون بہہ گیا تھا۔ اسپتال جاتے وقت راستے میں ختم ہو گئے۔
"میرے ابا اور بھائیوں کا کسی بھی پارٹی سے تعلق نہیں رہا لیکن ابا کی موت کے بعد MQM اور حقیقی دونوں تنظیموں نے دعوہ کیا کہ ابا ان کے پارٹی کے ہمدرد تھے۔ یہ جھوٹ تھا۔ بعد میں جب اخبار سے لوگ آئے تو بھائی نے کسی سے بات نہ کی۔ کیا فائدہ ان سب باتوں کا۔ الٹا نقصان ہی پہنچ سکتا ہے۔ ایک آدمی نے کہا میں دستاویزی فلم بنا رہا ہوں۔ دنیا بھر میں دکھانے کے لیے کہ کتنا ظلم ڈھایا جا رہا ہے۔ لیکن میرے بھائیوں نے منع کر دیا"۔
ہم چار پائی پر بیٹھے ہیں اور بچے ہمارے گرد گھیرا ڈالے کھڑے خاموشی سے ہماری باتیں سن رہے ہیں۔
"ابا موٹر سائیکل میں دکانوں کو مال سپلائی کیا کرتے تھے،" وہ مجھے ب تا رہی ہے۔ اب گیارہ افراد پر مشتمل اس خاندان میں دو کمانے والے ہیں۔
"جب بھی فائرنگ ہوتی تھی ابا کہتے دروازہ بند کر لو، باہر نہ نکلو۔ بہت ڈرتے تھے۔ ہنگاموں سے دور رہتے تھے۔ دو دن پہلے ہی کہا تھا کہ کھڑکیوں، دروازوں میں لوہے کی جالی لگوا لیں گے۔ بہت وارداتیں ہو رہی ہیں۔ کسی کو کیا معلوم تھا خود ہی واردات کا شکار ہو جائیں گے"۔
کیا حکومت کی طرف سے کوئی معاوضہ وغیرہ ملا؟
"ہمیں صرف FIR کی کاپی ملی جو پولیس نے خود درج کی تھی۔ اور ابا کی موت کا سرٹیفکٹ، جو اسپتال والوں نے دیا۔"
"لیاقت آباد میں بہت برا حال ہے۔ جہاں میں رہتی ہوں۔ لیکن یہاں کے حالات تو بہت ہی خراب ہیں،" ایک بوڑھی خاتون جو گھر میں مہمان آئی ھیں بتانے لگیں۔ "دو مہینے پہلے میں یہاں آئی تھی۔ بس سے اتر کر گلی میں داخل ہوئی۔ میری نظریں اتنی کمزور ہیں کہ میں صرف زمین کی جانب نظریں جمائے رکھتی ہوں کہ کسی پتھر سے ٹھوکر نہ کھاؤں۔ ادھر ادھر تو دیکھتی نہیں ۔۔" انھوں نے موٹے موٹے شیشوں والا چشمہ درست کیا، اور بولیں، "میں جب گلی میں داخل ہوئی اور نظر اٹھائی تو دیکھا تین لڑکے یہ لمبی لمبی بندوقیں کندھوں پر لٹکائے کھڑے ہیں۔ میں وہیں بت بن گئی۔ مجھ سے اگلا قدم اٹھائے نہ اٹھے۔ خوف تھا کہ ہلی اور ان لڑکوں نے گولی چلائی۔ ایک لڑکے نے میرے سفید گال اور جھکی ہوئی کمر کو دیکھتے ہوئے کہا ُاماں ڈر گئیں؟ُ میں بولی ُبیٹا، ڈروں کیسے نہیں؟ بندوق جو اٹھائے ہوئے ہوُ۔ بولا ُاماں، تم تو خود مری ہوئی ہو۔ تمہیں کیا ماریں!ُ
ہم تنگ گلیوں سے گزر کر خالہ کے گھر واپس لوٹتے ہیں۔ "یہاں منشیات کا مسئلہ بھی ہے،" خالہ کہتی ہیں۔ ایک مکان کے باہر بنے ہوئے چبوترے پر ایک آدمی بیٹھا ہے۔ سرخ آنکھیں، گالوں کی ہڈیاں نکلی ہوئی، خالی الزہن، خلا میں گھورتا ہوا۔
"کچھ لوگ کھلم کھلا بیچتے ہیں ہیروئن۔ ایک پکڑا بھی گیا تھا۔ لیکن چھوٹ کے آگیا۔ اس کا بھائی وکیل ہے۔"
میری خالہ کو حالات سے باخبر رہنا پڑتا ہے۔ ان کے بچے چھوٹے ہیں اور اسکول کالجوں میں پڑھ رہے ہیں۔ بڑی بیٹی کراچی یونیورسٹی میں زیر تعلیم ہے۔ دو لڑکوں نے تکنیکی ڈپلومے لیے ہیں اور اب ٹیکسٹائل ڈیزائن کا کام شروع کیا ہے۔ خالہ کی زندگی جدوجہد کی داستان ہے۔ خالو کی مسلسل بیماری کی وجہ سے گھر بار کا پورا بوجھ ہمیشہ خالہ پر ہی رہا۔
"اور اب میں سوچنے لگی تھی کہ چلو بچوں کی تعلیم ختم ہونے کو آ رہی ہے اور وہ برسر روز گار ہونے لگے ہیں۔ سکون سے بقیہ دن گزر سکیں گے۔ لیکن اب یہ گھر ہے، اور ہم،" خالہ ہرے بھرے گملوں پر نظر ڈالتی ہیں۔ برآمدے میں سیمنٹ کی چادر ڈلوا کر لوہے کی جالی لگوائی ہے۔ سفید پینٹ تازہ ہے۔ "اور یہ محلہ۔۔۔ جو تیزی سے تباہی کے گڑھے میں گر رہا ہے۔ کبھی کبھی مجھے یوں لگتا ہے کہ جیسے میں دلدل پہ چل رہی ہوں۔ بس ایک تسلی ہے، اگر اسی تسلی کہہ لو،کہ میں تنہا نہیں ہوں۔ ہم سب ہی اس دلدل میں دھنستے جا رہے ہیں۔ لیکن شاید آگے دلدل ختم ہو جائے اور زمین مضبوط، کون جانے۔۔۔"، خالہ کے چہرے پہ ایک موہوم سی مسکراہٹ ہے۔
**
زینت حسام

The Quide Azam, Pakistan and us

The Quide Azam, Pakistan and us

Debate has been going on (and raised again by comments on Jaswant Singh's book) about what the Quaid wanted Pakistan to be. A case in point is Yasser Latif Hamdani's article "Jaswant's book and Partition" in the News, Pakistan, Sep 24, 2009.



Mr Hamdani's reading of the history of our Quaid is essentially correct, but I find the last paragrah a rather misleading statement of choices.

There are others who argue that "Pakistan ka matlab kiya, la ilaha illallah" (what is the meaning of Pakistan - there is no god but Allah. And contrary to Mr Hamdani's that does not imply that we have to live in a ghetto with a terrorist mentality. That is grossly unjust way of putting things.

I am not a historian, nor an academic of Pakistan Studies, so I do not remember the exact words, but I do recall reading that this question was asked of Mr. Jinnah by the Hindu Press walas that he used to be in the Congress and for Hindu-Muslim unity, why was he now campaigning for an independent Pakistan? He answered that once he was also in the primary class.

This speaks volumes, for it says that he had matured.

My intention is not to get into what Mr. Jinnah wanted Pakistan to be. Let me reiterate that he was an excellent person, very upright and took the legal vs. the populist way to achieve for us Muslims an independent state. His integrity and capability and achievements deserve all the praise we have been heaping upon him.

The issue is different, though. Whatever his views on what the Pakistani state should be, those views were appropriate for him, and while appreciating his merits, we should not blindly follow what we think he wanted us to be.

For us, the question is whether as Muslims we are required to have an Islamic state, to be governed by laws derived from the Quran and the Sunnah, or are we required to adapt our ways to the dominant systems in the world.

That’s the issue, and that is what needs to be debated, if a debate is needed at all.

Bashing Wahabism and Wahabis

From time to time, vitriolic pieces appear in the press by regular contributors and even the editors on the evils of Wahabism. These writings show a lack of understanding of the origins and propagation of this term. Wahabism is a misnomer coined by the British to turn away the Indian Muslims from those who were resisting Imperialism. The term was of course eagerly adopted  by the exploitative pirs and jagirdars who used to milk the ordinary Muslim through ensuring his contribution to the local saints at their graves, a practice that has not gone away after independence. A little help in the form of cash and land grants by the British was also persuasive. The same is now being applied today for the benefit of another Imperial power, and its local cohorts. Unfortunately the so-called "progressive" elements among us are also in the forefront of this bashing.



Even if we accept the term, what the terrorists are doing in the name of Islam is not Wahabism, but since saint-worship (or any other deviation from monotheism) is equally abhorred by them and by the so-called Wahabis, those with an agenda to mislead the common Muslim have started to use the old prescription of Imperial Britain now adopted by the US, as advisd by the Rand Corporation.

What is that which Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab taught? Is it anything new? Has anyone bothered to go through his "Kitabut Tawheed", or the equally reviled "Taqwiautul Eemaan" by Shah Ismail Shaheed who was martyred at Balakot while fighting the Sikhs. Has anyone forgotten what the Sikh Maharaja did to Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, or the state of the Muslims under Sikh rule?

I have read both these books, and also those who oppose these writers. I have read supporting and refuting arguments and the sources cited therein. I find that these books only quote relevant passages from the Quran and Sahih Ahadeeth. Of course, those who want to ascribe Divine attributes to humans or other creations of Allah, would be offended.

To be fair, shouldn't people read the author's own words and the history of their movements themselves before commenting.

Kitab-ut-Tawheed

http://drabdulmajid.com/KITABUTTAWHEED.aspx

Kitab-ut-Tawheed in Arabicكتاب التوحيد الذي هو حق الله على العبيد


Taqwiyatul-Imaan

Testimony from a website:

Justifying Wahhabism


The relationship between Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab and Ibn Taymiyah

(Qur'an 49:6) O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done. (Qur'an 49:6)

Abdul-Wahhab was indeed influenced by Ibn Taymiyah. In fact Abdul-Wahhab started a similar movement at his time. He had his da3wa (invitation to Islam) in the heart of the Arabian Desert, while Ibn Taymiyah in the center of the area and heart of Islam at that time, Sham (Syria).

Muhammad Bin Abdul-Wahhab came at a similar time, when in Arabia people had started worshipping stones and grave in the name of Islam. He fought a lot of innovations and additions to Islam and his efforts succeeded in uniting with the family of Sa3ud and forming the first Saudi state, but at that time the family of Saud were righteous people, unlike the family of Saud of today. It is interesting to note that Abdul-Wahhab and his students were all Hanbalis, just like Ibn Taymiyah. The first Saudi State ended with the 3rd Ottoman campaign led by Muhammad Ali Basha himself.

Frankly, I hear a lot of slander thrown at Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab, and I personally used to dislike him. But when I read his book Kitab al-Taw7eed and checked the accessions thrown at him I did not find any of the slander thrown at him truthful. Some cases he is clearly innocent from what is said, sometimes what they accuse him of is clearly in accordance with Quran and Sunnah. Like for example the Sufis attack him for destroying the dooms that were built over the graves of the Companions, but the fact is there are many Hadeeths that say that such things are the actions of the Jews and Christians, and that those who build such things are the worst of the creation and that the Prophet cursed such a thing, and that he strictly forbade such a thing. So as you see, those who attack him are either ignorant about the Sunnah or are just venting out hatred against Arabs.

Some of the other innovation Abdul-Wahhab students canceled, was the innovation of performing four prayers one for each school (mathab). Like a Hanafi would do Athan (call prayer) and then all the Hanafis would perform the prayer behind a Hanafi Imam, then a Maliki would do Athan and the Malikies would do their prayer and so on. Abdul-Wahhab students canceled this and praying in the Ka3ba returned to be unity like it was at the days of the Companions and like it is today, thanks for Allah.

In fact if Abdul-Wahhab is what I know about him by now, then he is Insha' Allah another reformer (Mujadid) like Ibn Taymiyah: he revived the forgotten of the Sunnah, he fought innovations, and he returned the people to the understanding of the Companions.

As for the Wahhabi Da'wa today, many Wahhabi people live in Saudi Arabia. Almost all people in Mecca and Medina belong to this school. They don't use the term Wahhabi, but rather, Salafi Da'wa or Ahlul Sunna wal Jama'a. Although, they have a negative view about women and some modern inventions, they played in important role to keep Islam alive in Arabia. They also played a significant role in raising up Islam and resisting missionary Christians in the Muslim world. Many people think that Wahhabi people are bad because the King of Saudi Arabia is bad. This assumption is clearly wrong since the Saudi kingdom does not follow that school. Their jails are full with Wahhabi scholars. Some people (unfortunately) slander Wahhabis as a way to slander Arabs. If you want to know the truth about those people, I advise you to check this site that is maintained by a famous Wahhabi scholar: www.Islam-qa.com and check out www.usc.edu/dept/MSA

Ultimately, I advise all Muslims: Do not judge people before you listen to them.

وهو صوت عاقل في العالم المجنون

Like I tried translating my blog into Arabic through Google Translate.

Well, not the whole blog, just the main page as of today: August 1st, 2009

The result is rather pleasing, although I haven't read the whole page yet.

The tilte of the blog translates well, too:

وهو صوت عاقل في العالم المجنون


and he/that is وهو

صوت عاقل a sane voice

في in

العالم المجنون the mad world


not bad, not bad at all!

A gaping hole in the bedroom wall

The scene: a house in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, early morning, June 1993

A man is removing the air conditioner in his bedroom, His wife asks: "What are you doing? The AC is working fine". The man does not answer. He keeps at his work. When his wife's voice become too loud, he tells her quietly. "I am taking it for the Bosnian guests". "The what? …" His wife is flabbergasted. "This is my AC. I need it in my bedroom. What will I do without it? You know you cannot buy me another one."

"You will be all right. After all, we have lived without an AC for until this summer."

"I can't live without it. Leave it alone". The woman is in no mood to let go of her comfort appliance.

"Look, we are from a village in this hot part. These people are from a place that is even cooler than Kashmir. They will fry in this heat. They need this AC much more than we do."

When the wife does not stop protesting, the man tells her he will send her back to her village, where there is not even an electric ceiling fan.

Saying this he walks out and heads towards the motor rickshaw stand. The wife stares at the gaping hole left in her bedroom. She feels too angry to cover it with something. Let him do it when he come back. Outside, the man has hailed a rickshaw, A long time ago, pedaled rickshaws were banned, and replaced with motor ones.

The scene changes to just outside Madinatul Hujjaj - the city of the Pilgrims, a complex of plain buildings built for departing pilgrims to Mecca. It comes alive only prior to Hajj, when intending pilgrims are trained and facilitated for their onward journey to the holy land. This is June, much too early for Hajj, but it is inhabited again, as the first batch of Bosnian guests (as the refugees are called) have arrived in the night and accommodated here.

Outside the Madinatul Hujjaj gate, one sees a sea of people in all sorts of vehicles, and even on foot - carrying various things, charpoys (beds), bedding, covers, kitchen ware, daigs (huge cooking pots with cooked food), fruits, meat, chickens, vegetables, pedestal fans, toys for kids, refrigerators, … and this man with an air conditioner. And there are guards, police, welfare organisations' employees, ...

"Please, please, take this AC inside and give it to the Bosnians", he is pleading with everyone he thinks has an official position or may be of help, but no. The guards are not letting anyone or anything in. They have instructions to make sure the guests are not disturbed.

Everywhere is the same story. People have brought out what ever possessions they have for their guests. "Please, please, take these and give to our guests".

As Sajida Sladjic, the Bosnian ambassador to Pakistan, tells this story to us, her special guests at the Bosnian Village, her eyes are filled with tears. "Where else will you find such people, who remind you of the Ansaar", she asks.

The curious case of US consulate in Karachi

Pakistanis subsidize the poor US government!

Shawkat Aziz, a Citibank banker in New York, was imposed on Pakistan as a wonderboy who would take Pakistan out of its economic mess. He was not the only one to be so imposed. Moeen Qureshi, and Shoaib, among others, had preceded him in the list of such wonder-boys.

He was made the Finance Minister, and then the Prime Minister. Here is the first order he issued on becoming PM:

The first order of PM Aziz: serve the US
Concessions to friendly countries is a norm, says former official

by Ansar Abbasi

Saturday, May 23, 2009




ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday was told about the first order issued by Shaukat Aziz, soon after taking oath as the prime minister of Pakistan in 2005. It was to give 28 acres of KPT land, worth billions of rupees, to the US for construction of its consulate in Karachi for only Rs 1.1 billion on a 99-year lease.

On the personal instructions of Shaukat Aziz, the Americans were given the land at the laughable rate of Rs 15,000 per square yard against the market rate of Rs 222,000, causing a loss of billions to the country.

When the Aziz scam was being unfolded in the PAC in pindrop silence, his two former cabinet ministers -- Hamid Hiraj and Zahid Hamid -- and six PML-Q MNAs, now sitting as members of parliamentary accountability, who had voted him to become the premier, were present.

The PAC was told that the 28 acres were actually given to the Americans before the visit of then US President George Bush, who was set to raise this issue in his bilateral talks with President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

Bush was informed that the land had already been transferred to America on their own terms and a happy Bush walked out of the conference room with a huge smile on his face. It was disclosed that the secretariat of Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), which was the backbone of the cotton economy, was asked to vacate its building urgently so that it could be handed over to the US for construction of the consulate. For the last four years, the PCCC is using a rented building and had paid huge rents to private owners.

The story was unfolded by KPT Chairperson Nasreen Haq. The scam surfaced in the PAC meeting when KPT and Agriculture Ministry officials brought their own controversy over the payment of PCCC building handed over to the Americans. The Agriculture Ministry officials were claiming to have been denied Rs600 million as compensation from the amount to be received from the Americans.

Secretary Establishment Ismail Qureshi was summoned to explain how could he as secretary agriculture had shown no resistance to this move and quietly let the PCCC building be handed over to the US without considering its implications for the cotton committee.

Ch Nisar wondered as to how could all this be done so blatantly by the prime minister of Pakistan and most importantly, how the US could do all this. He said now the Americans might know that why the people of Pakistan did not like them.

“It’s simply mind-boggling,” observed a seriously disturbed Nisar after coming to know the scandalous details. He blasted Shaukat Aziz and said he had already fled the country. “Now what should the PAC do, as the honourable Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had already escaped from the country,” observed Nisar.

Chaudhry Nisar asked the concerned authorities to get the facts verified whether Pakistan was ever given such a huge concession of getting 28 acres of land in Washington, New York or other cities on such concessional rates.

When this correspondent contacted a former official, who was a close associate of Shaukat Aziz, he said only friends of Pakistan were given special treatment during the tenure of the former prime minister. He said the US has always been helping Pakistan in time of need. He said to give concessions to friendly countries is a norm in international relations and unnecessary criticism on this count should be avoided.

The curious case of the US Consulate in Karachi

Musharraf, the clean guy

Everyone, except the army, was corrupt, he said, and set about cleaning the system. Here is a sample of Mr. Clean_Guy's actions:

Documents reveal power scandal in Chak Shahzad palaces
Government found illegally subsidising Musharraf, Shaukat’s electricity bills

Saturday, May 23, 2009
By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, who have built up multi-million rupee palaces in the name of farmhouses in Chak Shahzad bordering Islamabad, are getting subsidy on their electricity bills and are charged at the cheapest agricultural rates, copies of their bills obtained by The News have revealed.

A selected few amongst the other highly influential and well-connected residents of Chak Shahzad are also paying the cheapest rates with the connivance of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco).

While the whole world knows that Musharraf has constructed a modern house on the farm, obtained for breeding poultry and vegetables, the Iesco is still allowing him to enjoy the cheapest of power tariff D-2(1), which is meant for agriculture tube-wells and lift irrigation pumps and is even subsidised by the government from the taxpayers’ money.




Because of Iesco’s generosity, Musharraf was charged, at least, Rs 50,000 less than the ordinary consumer for April 2009. He has been enjoying similar tariff concession for the last few years which, according to the Iesco sources, is illegal and nothing but cheating and fraud.

Sources in the Iesco reveal Musharraf is one of those over a dozen influentials who are misusing the D-2(1) tariff in their respective farmhouses, which are either used for residential purposes or for industrial and commercial purposes.

Such influentials, besides Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz who fled from the country within weeks after completing his tenure, includes former PML-N senator Saifur Rehman and top parliamentarians and retired defence officers.

The area SDO, Mian Jamil, when approached confirmed to The News that those using the farmhouses for residential purposes were charged at A-1(a) tariff, which is meant for domestic consumers.

He said such residences if using D-2(1) tariff, were involved in illegality and their power connections should be disconnected.Although, an Iesco source insists that this cheating is going on with the connivance of the authority officials, and SDO Jamil, while admitting that he knows that the agriculture tariffs are being used by Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz, said action would be taken against the violators once The News highlighted the issue.

Iesco spokesman Chaman Khan was not immediately available but a senior Iesco officer Executive Engineer Rashid, while talking to The News, said residential meters were installed at the residences of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz.

When told that according to the electricity bill of these two farmhouses (see attached copies) the tariff type is given as D-2(1) which is for agricultural use, he said it was not in his knowledge. When asked whether there was any policy of Iesco to give concession to influential or government persons, Rashid said there was no such policy and he would investigate the issue tomorrow.

In the case of Saifur Rehman, whose Chak Shahzad farmhouse is also being used as Redco’s site office, SDO Jamil said his connection was changed a few months back and given industrial tariff. The Admin officer at Rehman’s site office when contacted did not offer any comment.

However, the electricity bill of Saifur Rehman’s place shows that the D-2(1) tariff is still intact at his residence though it was showing not to have consumed even one unit of electricity since January this year. An Iesco source said at least 24 air conditioner units are fixed in the Redco farmhouse buildings.

The SDO also confirmed that a former ISI chief, who is also residing in the same locality, was provided free-of-cost transformer and poles, etc., following orders of the then-Iesco chief Brigadier Shahbaz.

Normally every farmhouse is supposed to pay for Rs 700,000 to Rs 1,000,000 for transformer, which is mandatory for each connection. However, this retired general is using normal domestic connection.

Iesco sources say Gen (retd) Musharraf’s farmhouse was also provided a free-of-cost transformer and other equipment in 2006, which was of higher cost than the one offered to the former ISI director-general. These sources said some senators, including a former Senate chairman, a retired admiral, and a former brigadier, a business group, etc., are also using the D-2(1) connections.

Gen (retd) Musharraf’s electricity bill for the month of April for which the reading was done on May 2 shows that despite consuming 5,600 units, his current bill was calculated at Rs 25,841 at the flat rate of Rs 4 per unit.

On this amount, which includes a general sales tax of Rs 2,763, Musharraf was given tariff subsidy of Rs 8,010, which reduced the bill to Rs 17,831. This is only possible because of the special connection given to the former general. In case of a normal domestic connection, Musharraf would have been charged a much higher rate according to the tariff for domestic consumers.

If an ordinary domestic consumer consumes 5,600 units per month, he would be charged at the following rates: Up to 100 units @ Rs3.29 unit; from 101-200 units @ Rs4.96 per unit; from 201-400 units @ Rs8.03 per unit and above 700 units @ Rs10 per unit. The total would thus be Rs 73,498. It shows Musharraf had saved more than Rs 50,000 in just one month because of this illegal connection and fraudulent use of concessional tariff.

Quranee Urdu, or Urdu words from the Quran

The easier it is here, the more difficult it will be in the Hereafter

we born Muslims did not have to struggle with having to search for the truth, except may be in a superficial way. Being brought up as Muslims we could always see the wrong in other aqeedas. There is a downside, for all will be asked what action they took on the knowledge they possessed.

Some take it to mean we should not try to gain knowledge - if we do not know, we won't be asked about it, but that is wrong. We will be taken to task for not trying to learn.

Those who understand Arabic will have a harder time. Those of us who have a language close to Arabic, will also have to explain why we did not try to learn it.

Subhanallah. There is good news for those who can understand, read and write Urdu:

Urdu is similar to Hindi. Both were indistinguishable, except for the script. Urdu became closer to Arabic because of incorporating the script, but retaining a few letters of the alphabet for sounds peculiar to its Indian origin.

A book called "Quranee Urdu" has just come out by Col. Aashiq Hussain. He has spent his life in the education corps, with Urdu, Arabic and linguistics as his passion. He claims that 94% of the words in the Quran are in use in Urdu in some derived form or the other (sometimes the meanings are different from the Quranic ones).



The book is actually an encyclopedia, although small as encyclopedias go. In the first of its three parts, the author takes a root word of the Quran, and shows its various transformations or similarities in Urdu, with an example from an Urdu couplet for the use. This part forms the major portion of the book. The second part contains those Quranic words which have not been incorporated in Urdu. And the third part is just two pages of pronouns and huroofe jarr.

As a test I took a list of Arabic verbs (some repeated in the list or different meanings), and tried to write out any related Urdu word that immediately came to mind. See what you can make of it:

English pronunciation Arabic usage in Urdu
==================================

accept qabela قبل qubool, maqbool
advise nasaha نصح naseehat
allow samaha سمح
appear dahara ظهر zahir
arrive wasala وصل wisaal
attach rabata ربط rabita
bake khabaza خبز
beat daraba ضرب zarb
begin bada’a بدأ abadaul abaad
bind rabata ربط marboot
bleed nazafa نزف
blow nafakha نفخ
break kasara كسر kasr
burn haraqa-sharp h حرق
calculate hasaba حسب hisaaab
carry hamala حمل hamal, hamila
chew madagha مضغ
collect jama'a جمع jama, jamay
copy nasakha نسخ naskh, nasikh
crawl zahafa زحف
cross 'abara عبر ibrat
cut jaraha جرح jarah, jarrah
dance raqasa رقص raqs, raqqaas
deliver naqala نقل naql
describe wasafa وصف wasf
detect kashafa كشف kashf, kashif
dig hafara حفر
dislike kareha كره kirahat
do ‘amala عمل a`mal
draw rasama رسم rasm (tradition)
dream halama حلم hilm, haleem
dress labesa لبس libaas
drink shareba شرب sharaab, sharbat
earn kasaba كسب kasb
eat akala أكل
enter dakhala دخل dakhl, dakhil
escape haraba هرب
explain sharaha شرح sharh
fall saqata سقط saqit
feel sha’ara شعر sha`ir
find wajada وجد wajd, wajid
follow tabe'a تبع taba`y
forsake hajara هجر hijr, hijrat
freeze jamada جمد jamid, jumood

go dahaba ذهب
grind tahana طحن
guard harasa حرس
hit daraba ضرب darb
hurt jaraha جرح jarah, jarrh
joke mazaha مزح mezaah
jump qafaza قفز
kill qatala قتل qatl
kneel raka’a ركع ruko`o
know ‘arafa عرف urf, urfiat
laugh daheka ضحك tazheek
lay raqada رقد
leap wathaba (th as in thin) وثب
leave taraka ترك
let go, left taraka ترك tark
lie kathaba (th as in that) كذب kazib
listen same'a سمع sama`a, sama`y
look nadara نظر nazr, nazzara
lose khasera خسر
make sana’a صنع sana`at, sana`y, masnua`at
mean kasada قصد qasd, qased
murder qatala قتل qatl, qatil
obtain hasala حصل hasil
open fataha فتح fath, fateh, maftooh
pay dafa’a دفع
permit adena أذن izn, azaan
place wada'a وضع waz`a
plant zara'a زرع zira`at
play la'eba لعب lahw wa la`ab
prevent mana'a منع man`a, mana`y, mamno`o
promise wa'ada وعد wada`a
push dafa'a دفع dafa`a, dafa`y
put wada’a وضع waza`a
reach wasala وصل wisl, wisaal
read qara’a قرأ
refuse rafada رفض
regret nadema ندم nadim, nidamat
request talaba طلب talb, taleb
ride rakeba ركب rakaab
rise nahada نهض
rule hakama حكم hukm, hukumat
run rakada ركض
saw nashara نشر
scream sarakha صرخ
search bahatha (th as in thin) بحث
seek bahasa بحث bahays
show ‘arada عرض `arz, `arzee,
sink gharaqa غرق gharq
sit jalasa جلس jalsa, majlis
slay dabaha ذبح zibah,
sneeze 'atasa عطس
spill dalaqa دلق
spit basaqa بصق
split qasama قسم qasm
spread nashara نشر nashr, nasher, manshoor
squeeze 'asara عصر asr, asre hazir
stand waqafa وقف waqf, waqif
steal saraqa سرق masrooqa
sting lasa’a لسع
strike daraba ضرب zarb
succeed najaha نجح related: nijaat
swear halafa حلف halaf
sweep masaha مسح masah
thank shakara شكر shukr, mashkoor, shukria
think fakkara فكر fikr, afkaar
thrive najaha نجح
touch lamasa لمس lams
understand fahema فهم fahm, tafheem
wash ghasala غسل ghusl
wear labesa لبس libaas
win rabeha ربح
work 'amela عمل `aml
worry qaleqa قلق qalq
write kataba كتب ketaab, kateb, maktoob

world heritage tour: Moenjodaro

This is part of the Indus Valley civilization, which thrived about 5000 years ago. The city had straight and perpendicular road grid, covered sewage lines running along the roads, and the city was made entirely of unbaked bricks. It had a rich quarter: on higher ground, and more spacious, and a poor quarter, the opposite.

Seals and Toys from this and the sister site of Harrappa are also dintinguishing features.

The reason for suffering in this world

It is wonderful we haven't had more accidents and sufferings than we have had.

There is so much that could have gone wrong in my life.

And whatever has gone wrong, has also resulted in my betterment, and whatever hasn't, obviously was for the good.

alHamdulillah.

When the doctors told me I would go blind in six months, and I thought the world had ended for me, and I blamed Allah for shattering my dreams. Little did I know that my affliction would save me from being insufferably arrogant.


When PPL recalled me from the UK, and I had to give up my scholarship for returning, and I found they had no job for me, and that there were no jobs in the country, period. Little did I know that this was so that I could bring my mother and younger siblings to safety from a war-torn zone.

When I fell out with the management at ICI, little did I know that I was on the path to Hell. Had I stayed on, I would have become an infidel, and Allah was saving me from that fate.

When I was in Canada, looking for a new life, and finding it near impossible in the freezing cold in an economic downturn, little did I know that I was to be set back upon the path of Islam.

When my immediate and powerful boss made my life hell; when I had no supporters, little did I know that Allah was still protecting me and would provide for my needs, despite the efforts of all in the power elite who wanted me thrown out.

When I was denied promotion, year after, when my tasks on near completion were taken away from me and given to blue-eyed boys, little did I know that this was to keep me from the burden of higher responsibility, so that my load may be lighter in the Hereafter.

When people around me and I were not getting on well, and I felt miserable, little did I know that this was to correct the mistakes I have made, and to set me free from dependence on other humans, and to turn to Allah.

All these hardships were to bring me back to Allah (swt), His Prophet (saw), and His words - alQuran.

There are others who do not need such shakeups to come to Islam. There are others who suffer more before they realize the Truth. In my case, Allah set the medicine that was right for me. In every case, where there is a desire to escape Hellfire, however buried that desire may be in the heart, the medicine is just right for that person.

There is so much that can go wrong. All the many viruses and bacteria that are inside and around us, can wreck havoc with us.

A little change in the chemical balance inside us can make us mad, literally.

Just a small change in the chemical reaction that goes on in just one cell, can start the chain reaction that leads to cancer.

A stroke, an onset of Diabetes, a small infection that grows into pneumonia, ... there is so much that can go wrong.

We speak, we write, and our choice of words may be unwise. We may be feeling down, or we may be misunderstood. And that may hurt people, but somehow it is overlooked. Somehow it does not flare up into a war and broken relationships.

There is so much to be thankful for.

alhamdulillah

world heritage tour: Petra

Here is Petra on the world heritage site. The panoramic photos are awesome.

Petra: interactive map

world heritage tour: Damascus

It is amazing the info available on the net. take a look at this site:

world heritage tours

I registered and looked at ancient Damascus. Here is a map displayed when we search for damascus. To discover more, and see the interactive panoramic photos, go and register. If you can, donate as well, and do subscribe to their feed:

world heritage tour.RSS

and for Damascus (Damishq), the link is:

Damascus interactive map

The war on Muslims - III

comment on previous two posts by JustOne

I agree with you, but...

Do you think maybe it starts from a far more micro level then what you have proposed?

The muslim world is faced either with things like dwindling literacy rates and minimal health care OR with mismanaged resources.  Not to mention petty corruption, broken homes, and a preoccupation with western popular culture that is spacing out both the youth and adults.

I mean I point the finger at myself first.  Currently, I am a part of the problem, if only by lack of action to bring about a lasting change.

timbuktu's reply:

Of course, the problems do stem from the individual, whether of the elite or the common man.



I am not sure if it is true that there is dwindling literacy and health care rate. True that the government funded services have failed to keep with the rising needs brought on by increased population, urbanization, improved infrastructure and hence demand, and increased expectations. In the private sector, however, both indicators have gone up, unless the increase in population has caused a decline in the percentage of those covered.

The economy, literacy rate, and health care can be improved if there is investment in the Ummah. As I have mentioned on other threads, consider the 3.1/2 trillion dollars of only Saudi money parked in the US. $2.3 trillion of this was private money, and $0.8 trillion was Saudi government's. Who are the Saudi individuals who have that kind of money? They are the princes and associated tycoons, of course. Where did they get this money from? From sale of the oil and execution of infrastructure projects at inflated rates. To whom does the oil belong? It should belong to the Saudi people, but since this is a kingdom, it is usurped by the royal family.

Imagine what just the investment of this 3.1 trillion dollars can do to the Ummah. There are other Muslims with large amounts of money - the Kuwaitis, the Emiratis, etc. And here the external factors come into play. If Suhartu had not been placed in power in Indonesia by the CIA, the murder of over a million Indonesians would not have taken place, and the oil money from Indonesia would have been invested in Indonesia, not in the US. Similarly, the history of Iran would have been different if Musaddiq had not been deposed by CIA.

The leadership of Pakistan has been mostly feudal, and it pays only lip service to Islam, which it uses with either direct assumption of peership, or co-opts the local peer to control the rural population.

There are other players here, too: Musharraf and other generals before him, Zardari and other corrupt people before him. If the money they had swindled from their nations had not found safe havens in the West, it would have to stay in their homelands, and would have to be invested there.

Since these generals and politicians and business leaders come from the ordinary citizen class, it is indeed our failure at the micro level. We are not just good Muslims. Having accepted that, is it necessary to become good Muslims in order to defeat the Imperialists of today? It is true that the Quran tells us if we are good Muslims, Allah (swt) will hand over power to us.

If you look at the history of Muslims, time and again an ideologically motivated group has managed to gain control of a region and dispelled the kuffar. Yusuf bin Tashfeen's murabeteen were not the same as the easy-going urbanite Andalucíans, yet they were the need of the hour. The muwwahedeen who replaced them were followers of Imam Ghazali, a different approach to the deen, but they too were successful in defeating the Christian Reconquesta until the Andalucians as a whole fell to schism on ethnic and sectarian grounds.

The culprit then is schism, but I agree that this comes from the individual's ignoring of the basic injunctions of being one ummah in the Quran and Sunnah, hence it is a failure at the micro-level. What I have demonstrated above is that despite this schism, many times it was possible to impose rule of one group, and keep the kuffar at bay. Of course it is better that instead of a coercive imposition, there is voluntary acceptance (and that would definitely involve power sharing). There are many organizations that claim to bring Muslims together as one. Some individuals among them may falter, but by and large these organizations do try.

Unscrupulous people come mostly from the class educated in the secular western way. Me and you are part of this class. But not all from this only class are corrupt. The madrassa educated (and scion of the very pious Mufti Mahmood) Fazlur Rehman gets into politics, he plays the same game, but he is not the only Islamist player. There are others, and they are seemingly pious.

What happened in the decolonization era was a fraud. The departing empires left behind a class to which the empire's capital was still home. The leadership was subservient to the white master. The leading world powers also devised financial institutions - the World bank and the IMF - that served to bring the so-called independent nations under inflated debt burdens, so as to keep them permanently under their thumbs. The leaders of these third world countries were encouraged to be corrupt and wars were imposed on them so that the loot could find its way into the banks of the West.

This is the story of my generation. We understood some of what was happening, and we struggled in our own ways to break the yoke.

My intention is to make people aware of what is happening around them. Just as decolonization was made possible due to several factors - indigenous struggle, development of an aware class in the center of the Empire, economic decline of the Empire through wars, this struggle for emancipation may involve  all three factors. Of course, it is Allah's will that will cause the emancipation. But we have to analyze and struggle accordingly. Praying in the dead of night may not be enough.

If people in the West were made aware of the money-laundering that goes on there, eventually loot and corruption on such a large scale may come to an end.

The war on Muslims - II; Failure of the State

 Failure of the state


Friday, February 20, 2009
By by Dr Masooda Bano

The agreement between the NWFP government and Maulana Sufi Mohammad of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat, which promises enforcement of 'Nizam-e-Adl Regulation' in Malakand division in return for promises of Maulana Fazlullah and his followers stopping taking the law in their hands does not have an easy response. True, the regulation will only lead to some cosmetic changes and Qazi courts already exist in that area. Also, the Malakand division and FATA already have many peculiarities and if the population there has a higher preference for Shariah law then the solution might be to let them have a slightly different set of constitutional rules. Finally, it has been argued that imposing the regulation will deprive Maulana Fazlullah of the moral authority that he enjoys among his recruits. This far the arguments make sense. However, what is important is that this peace agreement does not deter analysts from arguing for bigger reforms within the state that are required to check underlying causes of the mayhem visible in Swat today.


Academic research not just in Pakistan but globally on the phenomenon of Islamic militancy shows only three main causes of Islamic militancy. The first one, which often the liberals in Pakistan and the Pakistani state refuse to acknowledge, is that international jihad is supported not only by madressah recruits. Rather it primarily draws on educated and middle and upper income groups because some individuals actually are ideologically driven and want to address perceived injustices. A recent study exploring profiles of over 300 prominent figures involved in Islamic jihad shows that these individuals come from secular institutions and not from madressahs. Thus, a sense of injustice regarding Western policies towards the Muslim world does act as the primary mobilizing force for international jihad.

However, a distinction needs to be maintained between purely Islamic jihad and the domestic activities of many Islamist groups, which could also be involved in international jihad but at the same time, unlike Al-Qaeda, maintain a visible presence in the given country and engage in day to day politics and undertake social mobilization to put pressure on the state to move towards an Islamic way of life. At one end, these groups represent movements like Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East and Jamiat-e-Islami in South Asia. At the other end, especially when in the hands of relatively uneducated population, such movements become close to what is now commonly referred to as Taliban.

The process through which these groups, especially Taliban, win popular support is by providing the answers to day-to-day failures of the state. Having done extensive interviews in the Lal Masjid when under siege and having also met those residents of G6/4 who supported Lal Masjid's abduction of Aunty Shamim, it is clear that what enables the leaders of Islamic groups to gain public support is the failure of the state to deliver. The girls within the Red Mosque and the residents of G-6/4 did not talk of international jihad. They talked about the failure of the state to dispense justice to the weak on an everyday basis. It is the failure of the state to provide security of basic rights that is increasing the appeal of these radical groups within the ordinary public. These groups promise an alternative and for many in the population the promise of an alternative is more appealing than the stifling status quo. We must remember that in the initial period, it was episodes such as the one where Maulana Fazlullah and his followers rescued two abducted girls and subjected the abductors to punishment that won them popular support. Such instant justice could not have been secured through the corrupt state system

But, finally, what is also very important is to note is that research also shows that these groups can only retain their popular appeal for long if their leaders demonstrate high moral behaviour. This is where the Swat episode is very suspicious. When Islamic radical groups, start bombing girls schools or kidnapping people for ransom, they quickly lose popular support. In such contexts, it becomes very dubious whether the concerned groups are really Islamist groups or a bunch of criminals up for sale to the state agencies or outside interests to promote some vested agenda. Thus, what is happening in Swat is to be distinguished from the recruitment for Islamic jihadi groups like Al-Qaeda.

While the latter has more to do with western policies, the former is directly linked with the failure of the state to meet people's basic needs or worse it is actually a product of elements within the state that are benefitting from western aid coming to Pakistan in the name of fighting militancy. The Nizam-e-Adl Regulation will thus not address the fundamental forces driving the militancy in Swat because the resistance is not a result of ideological indoctrination; it is a result of failing state structures.

The writer is a research fellow at the Oxford University. Email: mb294@ hotmail.com

Failure of the State

The war on Muslims - I

To think that there is no war on Muslims is to close your eyes to the truth, and to buy the line of our enemies.

To start with, we accept that there are major internal problems with the Muslim world, and these need urgent attention.

However, there are similarly urgent external problems. To dismiss these as conspiracy theories would be to bury our heads in the sand.

The primary aims of the major powers are:



1. To hold on to the resources of the world, and to wrest control of those resources to which they have little access.

2. To make sure that Israel remains unchallengeable in the region, which now includes Pakistan.

3. To test their latest weapons, and to get rid of older stock by using them, while being paid for it.

4. To support their major industries, including the war industry as above, and the oil industry.

5. To ensure the flow of net capital to the West's banking and financikla system.

To this end, the first and the second US-Iraq wars were fought:

The state of Iraq has been effectively divided into three ineffective weak regions, thus removing the threat from Iraq to Israel

The deal with the Kurds, and then with the Iraqi central government, weakened by the civil war, fueled by the invasion and sustained by agent provocateurs. Around 80% of the oil revenue (after deduction of inflated production costs) is now ensured to the western oil companies.

The Great Game is now being played for the resources of Central Asia. And for this the focus is on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

This is why the US is upset with the deal for Shariah in Malakand. It prefers a civil war in Pakistan.

For the internal problems. I will post an article by Dr. Masooda Bano.

USA not an ATM, and Pakistan no vending machine

America not an ATM

Monday, February 16, 2009

This is with reference to the article “Can the US get real on Pakistan” by Mosharraf Zaidi (Feb 12). I want to ask the writer when Pakistan will learn to ‘get real about its relationship with the United States’? From the 1950s onwards the US gave an immense amount of aid to Pakistan to build its military and economic potential. However, it should be clear to Pakistan that the US will never go to war with India for Pakistan’s sake. That was something the Americans emphasised right from the very beginning. Despite the huge amount of aid that Pakistan received and in spite of being a US ally for five decades the average American sees Pakistan as a dangerous country. The US gave Pakistan aid and helped it both economically and militarily. However, Pakistan betrayed the US trust by secretly building nuclear weapons while insisting it was doing nothing of the sort.

Also while doing all this Pakistan still insists it is America’s ally and keeps asking for economic and military aid. Pakistan needs to realise that the United States is not an ATM machine where Pakistan can keep taking out money without there being any accounting. There is a need for Pakistan to realise it cannot have its cake and eat it too.

Greg Martin

Springfield, MA, US

USA not an ATM


Pakistan no vending machine

Thursday, February 19, 2009



This is with reference to Greg Martin's letter "America not an ATM machine" (Feb 16). As a Pakistani I am extremely offended by the writer's assertion that Pakistan is a banana republic that has no economy and military and is strictly dependent on US aid. The writer seems to be imagining things when he makes the claim that Pakistan expects the US to go to war with India for Pakistan's sake. Furthermore, I wonder if the opinion of average Americans matters considering that they can't even locate Pakistan on the map let alone understand the dynamics of the problems that Pakistan is facing today.

The average Pakistani sees the United States as a global bully. How can the average Pakistani respect the US if it keeps on attacking Pakistan's sovereignty day in and day out via drone attacks? Do I need to remind Mr Martin about how the US ditched Pakistan after achieving its goals in Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion?

The fact of the matter is that America needs to realise that Pakistan is not a vending machine that it can just use and then discard.

Zubair Nabi

Islamabad



*****

This is in reference to the letter titled "America not an ATM machine" by Greg Martin (Feb 16). Mr Martin seems to be slightly well-versed with history than the average American. Yet, he suffers from partial amnesia. He remembers the aid that flowed to Pakistan from the US in the 1950s but somehow forgets that it was given because Islamabad was a CENTO/SEATO ally during the Cold War and to counter a USSR-leaning India. He remembers the aid given during the 1980s but forgets that Pakistani intelligence and troops were coordinating the US fight against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan.

He also remembers the aid given in the past eight years but forgets the thousands of Pakistani civilians and soldiers who have died fighting yet another war on behalf of America. He says that Pakistan secretly built nuclear weapons but forgets that the US is the only country to actually have used a nuclear device on an enemy population. It is time for the US to stop pointing fingers and clean up the mess it has created over decades of incompetence in world affairs.

Syed Umair Javed

Islamabad

Pakistan no vending machine

Timbuktu, Islamic History: video by Dr Abdul Hakim Quick

isn't this great?

An Eyewitness Account of the Eruption of Vesuvius

My dear Tacitus,

You ask me to write you something about the death of my uncle so that the account you transmit to posterity is as reliable as possible. I am grateful to you, for I see that his death will be remembered forever if you treat it [sc. in your Histories]. He perished in a devastation of the loveliest of lands, in a memorable disaster shared by peoples and cities, but this will be a kind of eternal life for him. Although he wrote a great number of enduring works himself, the imperishable nature of your writings will add a great deal to his survival. Happy are they, in my opinion, to whom it is given either to do something worth writing about, or to write something worth reading; most happy, of course, those who do both. With his own books and yours, my uncle will be counted among the latter. It is therefore with great pleasure that I take up, or rather take upon myself the task you have set me.

He was at Misenum in his capacity as commander of the fleet on the 24th of August [sc. in 79 AD], when between 2 and 3 in the afternoon my mother drew his attention to a cloud of unusual size and appearance. He had had a sunbath, then a cold bath, and was reclining after dinner with his books. He called for his shoes and climbed up to where he could get the best view of the phenomenon. The cloud was rising from a mountain-at such a distance we couldn't tell which, but afterwards learned that it was Vesuvius. I can best describe its shape by likening it to a pine tree. It rose into the sky on a very long "trunk" from which spread some "branches." I imagine it had been raised by a sudden blast, which then weakened, leaving the cloud unsupported so that its own weight caused it to spread sideways. Some of the cloud was white, in other parts there were dark patches of dirt and ash. The sight of it made the scientist in my uncle determined to see it from closer at hand.

He ordered a boat made ready. He offered me the opportunity of going along, but I preferred to study-he himself happened to have set me a writing exercise. As he was leaving the house he was brought a letter from Tascius' wife Rectina, who was terrified by the looming danger. Her villa lay at the foot of Vesuvius, and there was no way out except by boat. She begged him to get her away. He changed his plans. The expedition that started out as a quest for knowledge now called for courage. He launched the quadriremes and embarked himself, a source of aid for more people than just Rectina, for that delightful shore was a populous one. He hurried to a place from which others were fleeing, and held his course directly into danger. Was he afraid? It seems not, as he kept up a continuous observation of the various movements and shapes of that evil cloud, dictating what he saw.

Ash was falling onto the ships now, darker and denser the closer they went. Now it was bits of pumice, and rocks that were blackened and burned and shattered by the fire. Now the sea is shoal; debris from the mountain blocks the shore. He paused for a moment wondering whether to turn back as the helmsman urged him. "Fortune helps the brave," he said, "Head for Pomponianus."

At Stabiae, on the other side of the bay formed by the gradually curving shore, Pomponianus had loaded up his ships even before the danger arrived, though it was visible and indeed extremely close, once it intensified. He planned to put out as soon as the contrary wind let up. That very wind carried my uncle right in, and he embraced the frightened man and gave him comfort and courage. In order to lessen the other's fear by showing his own unconcern he asked to be taken to the baths. He bathed and dined, carefree or at least appearing so (which is equally impressive). Meanwhile, broad sheets of flame were lighting up many parts of Vesuvius; their light and brightness were the more vivid for the darkness of the night. To alleviate people's fears my uncle claimed that the flames came from the deserted homes of farmers who had left in a panic with the hearth fires still alight. Then he rested, and gave every indication of actually sleeping; people who passed by his door heard his snores, which were rather resonant since he was a heavy man. The ground outside his room rose so high with the mixture of ash and stones that if he had spent any more time there escape would have been impossible. He got up and came out, restoring himself to Pomponianus and the others who had been unable to sleep. They discussed what to do, whether to remain under cover or to try the open air. The buildings were being rocked by a series of strong tremors, and appeared to have come loose from their foundations and to be sliding this way and that. Outside, however, there was danger from the rocks that were coming down, light and fire-consumed as these bits of pumice were. Weighing the relative dangers they chose the outdoors; in my uncle's case it was a rational decision, others just chose the alternative that frightened them the least.

They tied pillows on top of their heads as protection against the shower of rock. It was daylight now elsewhere in the world, but there the darkness was darker and thicker than any night. But they had torches and other lights. They decided to go down to the shore, to see from close up if anything was possible by sea. But it remained as rough and uncooperative as before. Resting in the shade of a sail he drank once or twice from the cold water he had asked for. Then came an smell of sulfur, announcing the flames, and the flames themselves, sending others into flight but reviving him. Supported by two small slaves he stood up, and immediately collapsed. As I understand it, his breathing was obstructed by the dust-laden air, and his innards, which were never strong and often blocked or upset, simply shut down. When daylight came again 2 days after he died, his body was found untouched, unharmed, in the clothing that he had had on. He looked more asleep than dead.

Meanwhile at Misenum, my mother and I-but this has nothing to do with history, and you only asked for information about his death. I'll stop here then. But I will say one more thing, namely, that I have written out everything that I did at the time and heard while memories were still fresh. You will use the important bits, for it is one thing to write a letter, another to write history, one thing to write to a friend, another to write for the public. Farewell.

-- Pliny the Younger (A.D. 61 - 113)


Found on the Website VolcanoLive.com ... it is a site well worth visiting!

Vesuvius the Volcano

Pliny the Younger describes Vesuvius eruption in 79 CE

7. The story of Caius Julius Polybius

7. THE STORY OF CAIUS JULIUS POLYBIUS

By Rossella Lorenzi



A day in the life of one of Pompeii's residents is re-created in this fictional account based on research findings.

Caius Julius Polybius woke up early that summer day in A.D. 79. He was excited: workers were to arrive soon to restore some rooms in his beautiful house.
He was proud of himself.

A descendant of a former slave who in A.D 14 wrote and read the testament of the emperor Augustus, he was now a wealthy and respected merchant.

He opened the front door and breathed deeply the cool air of the morning. Like every day, he read the graffiti on the facade of his house: "The mule drivers ask you to elect Caius Julius Polybius as duovir." He smiled.

At 65 he was finally enjoying an enviable social position, holding the most important public office in Pompeii.

He turned and began to walk through his house, stopping to look at a fresco and admire his treasure. Others in the city had more interesting pieces. How much he would have liked to have had the silver collection he saw in the House of the Meander!

Yet, he couldn't complain: on the table, lit by a bronze lamp sculpture of young Apollo, were bronzes, vases, a beautiful embossed tray, and the best piece of the collection, a Greek water container.

The house was bustling. Women were already in the kitchen preparing honey doughnuts and Julius' favorite dish, garum, a sauce made with marinated fish.

In the garden, a tortoise was sleeping under the fig tree, undisturbed by Julius' grandchild, who had just put down a tree ladder and a basket full of figs. The earth was shaking lightly beneath people's feet, but nobody cared. They were used to earthquakes, which occurred often in Pompeii.

But at noon a frightening roar made the 12 people in the house forget their lunch. Julius looked at Mount Vesuvius. A huge cloud spewed out of the massive volcano, and fire reached for the sky. Soon white and gray pumice began to fall from the column of smoke. A false night, darker and thicker than any night, descended on the city.

There was panic. People cried in terror, rushing into the streets looking for shelter. Like everybody, Julius and his family tried to escape, but a horse that had collapsed on the ground blocked their way. They returned under a shower of burning rock, flaming cinders, fragments of lava and pumice. They rushed into two rooms in the back of their house, away from the street.

They sat on the floor and waited for what seemed an eternity. In the darkness, they could hear groans of the dying and shrieks of the terrified, noises from the mountain, the sound of roofs collapsing. It was nothing compared to what was still to come.

At 7 a.m. strong winds howled down the streets, bringing sharp streams of ash, poisonous vapors and an unbearable temperature.

In Julius' garden, the tortoise withdrew into its shell for the last time.


 End of slide show. But click here for ongoing archaeological work in and around Pompeii. »

 
Next

7. The story of Caius Julius Polybius

6. Pompeii: part II

6. POMPEII: PART II
By Rossella Lorenzi



"Here are impressive pieces of evidence of the degree of civilization in Pompeii," says Paolo Galluzzi, director of Florence's Institute and Museum of the History of Science.

Several of the contraptions show a surprising similarity to modern machines. For example, any Pompeian embarking on a trip could establish how many Roman miles he had traveled through the use of a contraption attached to the wheel of a cart. For every mile, it dropped a pebble into a box.

To help assemble this strikingly detailed re-creation of life in Pompeii, researchers employed a range of high-tech tools. Among them were DNA testing of bones to decipher genetic history and physical analysis of the bones to study the physical structure of Pompeians and to determine some of the most prevalent diseases, such as arthritis.

With high-powered microscopes, scientists analyzed pollens, animal bones and fragments of wood, glass, plants and daily objects to figure out the natural history of the region as well as cultural and agricultural practices.

Using 3-D forensic techniques, they reconstructed the faces of four Pompeians (including Caius Julius Polybius), bringing the ancient residents back to life hundreds of years into the future. Their blank eyes stare at a harsh, unforgiving light.

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Pompeii, part II

5. Pompeii

5. POMPEII
By Rossella Lorenzi
 


More than 400 finds recorded by 25 international research groups in the past 10 years have provided the most accurate picture of what life was like in Pompeii.

At the time Mount Vesuvius erupted, this was a wealthy Roman trading town, famous for its fish sauce and grand villas. Indeed, it was international and cosmopolitan.

In addition to Greeks and Etruscans, the population included residents from Africa. Of Pompeii's 20,000 inhabitants, half were children. The average Pompeian woman was 4 1/2 feet tall and lived to the age of 39. The average man was a few inches taller and could expect to live to the age of 41.

Pompeians poured their savings into their houses. Wealthy people enriched their homes with elegant courtyard gardens decorated with frescoes of plants and flowers and an abundance of modern conveniences. Each room was heated by hot air running through cavity walls and spaces under the floors, while sophisticated hydraulic pumps provided running water.

The entire city had an excellent system for the control and distribution of water. From a great reservoir, water flowed invisibly through underground pipelines into drainage systems and into aqueducts supported by arches. It reappeared in the city's houses, public buildings and fountains.

"The ancient Romans achieved their power because they had a deep knowledge of technology and science, not to mention that they understood many aspects of nature," Paolo Galluzzi, director of Florence's Institute and Museum of the History of Science, said.

Having studied iconographic sources and ancient texts for three years, Galluzzi has been able to reconstruct models and computer animations of the complex machines created by the ancient residents.

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Pompeii

4. The story of Lupercus

4. THE STORY OF LUPERCUS
By Rossella Lorenzi
 


Lupercus is one of the only victims whose identity has survived, thanks to his personal bronze seal declaring his status as an imperial slave. This fictional account of his last day is based on the recent findings.

It was a summer night in A.D. 79 and Lupercus watched a young couple sitting cross-legged on the beach at Herculaneum. They looked like they were under the spell of the Cupids on the fresco near the Decumanus Maximus, but it wasn't a romantic moment. The couple was frightened; torrents of hot mud were spewing out of Mount Vesuvius.

Lupercus cleaned his mouth with his left hand. Despite the sea breeze, his tongue felt furry with thin ash. In the other hand he held his bronze seal, inscribed with "Lupercus Augusti servus." It was the only thing he took with him as he rushed to the beach.

He looked again at Vesuvius, worried. "I am close to the water, I shall be safe," he reassured himself. But what would happen to the imperial villa he had to take care of? He had worked so hard to make a good impression on the emperor and be released one day.

After all, he wasn't a just a common slave. He had been appointed with a great responsibility: he had to take care of the garden of the villa that had belonged to the lunatic emperor Caligula.

He looked around at the crowded beach. The women wore their most beautiful jewels. Lupercus recognized the matron of the house with the mosaic atrium: she was wearing rings on every finger and two beautiful bracelets in the shape of snakes. A more modest woman was carrying a basket with nuts and pomegranates, while others carried bronze oil lamps.

"It is going be a long night," Lupercus thought. Some lay on the beach to sleep, while many others decided to find shelter in the boat chambers.

Lupercus entered the one reserved to men. He noticed the doctor with his bag of surgical instruments and a soldier clad in armor, who stood at the entrance.
There was nothing to do but wait. They huddled together in a circle, talking late into the night.

Suddenly, an unbearable heat struck like lightning. The soldier was thrown on his face, his arms outstretched to try to break his fall. Lupercus fell with the others in a tangle of bodies.

Outside, gray ash drifted down like snow. The young couple lay solidified on the beach, the man's arm wrapped around his love.

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\The story of Lupercus

3. Two days in August 79 AD

3. TWO DAYS IN AUGUST
By Rossella Lorenzi
 


Aug. 24, A.D. 79

1 p.m.: When the people of Herculaneum saw a column of smoke bursting from Vesuvius, reaching nine miles into the sky, they looked around, astonished. As the first ash fell on the roofs of their houses, they understood it was time to run. Most stopped to gather what belongings they could: money, jewels, the family dog. Everybody rushed into the streets. Some thought the sea was their route to safety; those who didn't try to escape on boats assembled on the beach.

Midnight: The cloud reached almost 19 miles into the sky, and torrents of lava poured down Vesuvius. The beach probably offered a spectacular view of the eruption, but the fugitives didn't live much longer to admire it.

Aug. 25, A.D. 79

1 a.m.: A cloud of gas and ash plunged down on the town; the hot breath of Vesuvius killed the fugitives in a fraction of a second. By studying bone fractures and the position of the remains, anthropologist Paolo Petrone and volcanologist Giuseppe Mastrolorenzo established beyond a doubt that the fugitives were wrapped in a 900-degree Fahrenheit cloud. They died instantly of thermal shock, not from slow suffocation as scientists long assumed.

1 to 6 a.m.: More surges followed.

7 a.m.: A devastating surge killed the remaining inhabitants of Pompeii; they lay down with death on a thick carpet of pumice.

8 a.m.: Silence fell on Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Two days in August 79 AD

2. Herculaneum

HERCULANEUM
By Rossella Lorenzi
 


Since it was discovered in the 18th century buried under 75 feet of solidified ash, the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum has always been overshadowed by Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius.

Yet, in ancient times, Herculaneum was a dream town. Overlooking the Bay of Naples, it was the aristocratic dwelling of a wealthy elite, a cluster of fabulous villas and gardens.

"Herculaneum could not stand out in all its importance because of problems with digging. The resistance of the volcanic material made it very difficult to excavate, not to mention the urban settlements that had grown above the ancient town.
There is still a lot to discover about this place," archaeologist Mario Pagano, director of the town's excavation, said.

Indeed, a 18-year dig led by Pagano near the ancient seashore has provided the conclusive evidence on how the victims of history's most famous volcanic explosion died.

The excavation uncovered 300 bodies, a significant and precious sample of Herculaneum's population, which at the time of the eruption in A.D. 79 numbered about 5,000.

Pagano's team found bodies of adults on the surface, many carrying money and valuable objects; deeper down, they found children and newborns.
Most of all, Pagano found 80 nearly intact bodies trapped by death as they packed into 12 storerooms on the beach to escape the molten lava and boiling mud pouring down from the crater.

It has long been assumed that the victims died from asphyxiation. But a study of the bone fractures and the position of the remains, indicates that the fugitives died instantly from extreme thermal shock when the surge hurled down on the beach area, covering the seven miles to the coast in about four minutes. Herculaneum was baked in seconds.

"These 80 people do not display any evidence of voluntary self-protective reaction or agony contortions. They were killed before they had time to display a reaction, in less than a fraction of a second," said study author Giuseppe Mastrolorenzo, a volcanologist with the Vesuvius Observatory.

The finding prompted a team of archaeologists, vulcanologists, geologists and anthropologists to draw a diary of Herculaneum's last hours.

Herculaneum

Pompeii: The Last Day - I/7

The Long, Deathly Silence

By Rossella Lorenzi

"You could hear women lamenting, children crying, men shouting. There were some so afraid of death that they prayed for death. Many raised their hands to the gods, and even more believed that there were no gods any longer and that this was one unending night for the world." —Pliny the Younger, circa A.D. 97 to 109

It all lasted 19 hours.

Then, there was only a long, deathly silence. Pompeii lay buried for nearly 1,700 years. It wasn't until 1748 that archaeologists began slowly uncovering the ancient city, preserved under 9 feet of volcanic ash and frozen in time by Pliny the Younger's vivid report.

About three-fifths of the city has been liberated from the solidified volcanic ash and pumice that engulfed it. But many questions remained unanswered for a long time.

What was life like under the volcano? What exactly did happen that summer day in A.D. 79? Here we take a look into the latest findings.

The Long, Deathly Silence

Vesuvius: Deadly Fury

BBC: Pompeii, The Last Day - part 1 of 5

BBC: Pompeii, The Last Day



BBC - Pompeii - The Last Day

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JuD writes to the UN for lifting of ban

JuD writes to the UN for lifting of ban
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The News International reported on its front page today (Thursday Feb 5th, Kashmir Day) that the Jamaatud-Dawa has made a six-page representation to the Secreatary General of the UN that the ban on its activities at the misinformation campaign of the Indian government is unjustified under the rules of the UN as it is neither connected wih the Taliban or al-Qaeda, and is not engaged in any activities related to terrorrism. Rather this ban is detrimental to the people of Pakistan as it has resulted in cessation of JuD's welfare activities.

I read this report together with the representation in the printed newspaper, but the http://www.thenews.com.pk site is down. The report starts on the front page in a small column and continues on page 8.

Now it is up to the UN to either prove that the JuD is a terrorist group, or to lift the ban and apologize to the people of Pakistan, including the Hindu and Christian womwen and children which were being supported by the JuD, and who have now been without this humantarian support ever since the ban on JuD.

Nandankanan, Chittagong: once my home

What is my home?

Among other places, once we also lived in Jamila Manzil, in a lane off the main road where the Nandakanan Buddhist Temple is situated. The temple had a huge statue of Buddha, and I wondered why people prayed to it. I went to Chittagong Government College. And I went to many schools before that. At Chittagong, it was St. Placid's.

When I lived there, Chittagong was my home, or so I thought, until I was told that I was mistaken. I wasn't a Bengali, and so I could not consider it my home.

Most of my life up to age thirty was spent like that. I have lived in many places. Most of the time, I fell in love with that place, thinking it was home, and then discovered that no, it wasn't. I did not have the right identity, that I did not speak the right language, the color of my skin wasn't right, mine was not the right religion, etc. etc.

Until I figured this Earth couldn't be my home. It was just a transit camp. Since that discovery, I haven't been pushed out, although having the wrong identity has not left me.

It does not matter to me anymore. If people want false identities, it is their choice. On the Day of Judgment the only real identity that will count is whether you are of the people of Jannah, or of Jahannam; whether you have recognised your God as the One, indivisible, above everyone beyond comprehension, etc. or you follow false gods, including your whims.

Here is the entrance to the Buddhist temple there, that I passed every day to College: