here's a story about the most interesting period in Muslim history.
its a historical fiction based on real events:
The year is 73 After Hijra.
Its been 63 years since the Prophet died.
The rule of the Khalifa is firmly established in Egypt, Syria, and Persia.
And armies are poised to go eastward towards India and westward towards the Sahara
On a hill outside of a city, in a valley surrounded by dessert, a man and his young son dressed in white sit peacefully looking out at the graceful sand dunes. "SubhanAllah," he whispers to himself, "glory be to Allah," as he bears witness to the beauty of God's creation. Out in the distance, on the road that leads to to Medina, he sees a rider approaching on horseback kicking up a large trail of sand and dust. "He must be a messenger. He is coming towards the city at great speed. There must be some important information for the Khalifa," the father says to his son.
On the outskirts of the city, the rider races past groups of men dressed in the uniforms of the Khalifa's army. They are gathered together in their tribes with supplies being distributed. the commanders of these group are wearing a different color turbans than the rest. One of them calms his soldiers down,"Relax, that was a horse from the Khalifa's stable! There must be important news from Medina."
Inside the city, the call to prayer is being said for the Sunset prayer. the rider slows down as he passes groups of people dressed in white going the same direction that he is. The men in the group wear two white sheets, one wrapped around the lower body and another draped over the shoulder. They are all heading towards a large building in the center of town. "I guess the Khalifa is at the Sacred Mosque. That rider looked like one of his messengers," says one of the men to his wife. "I pray to God that everything is all right, he looked very upset," she replies.
The horse comes to a stop at one of the many doors to the Sacred Mosque. The messenger ties his horse to the post and enters the mosque uttering a short prayer in arabic. He is looking downward as he crosses the threshold, making sure that his right foot enters first. He looks up, and in front of him is the new rectangular building in the center of the mosque courtyard draped in a new cloth with arabic calligraphy. "Salam Alaykum," he says as he walks into mosque. "Wa Laykum asSalam," says an old man sitting nearby, looking up from his Qur'an and replying to the greeting of peace. The old man notices the troubled look on the messenger's face and says, "Oh it's not that bad young man, you know the Rasul said that if he had the chance, he would have expanded the Kaba onto the foundations of Prophet Ibrahim's original mosque. The Khalifa did a good thing here." "I'm not bothered by that sir, I worry about what might happen if the Banu Ummaya reach us again. Please pray for us," the messenger says, as he looks around scanning the mosque for any sign that the Khalifa is present. The old man nods yes and returns to reading his Qur'an.
The messenger walks into the courtyard and heads towards the usual place where the Khalifa sat with his ministers before they offered the Sunset prayers. As he comes close he hears a voice say from behind, "What news from Medina?" It is Khalifa Abdullah Ibn Zubayr. The fist length white hair on his beard are still wet as he returns from doing his wudu. "Sir, our army has retreated from the front lines. The Bedouin tribes that were going to help defend the city are surrendering. They have learned that Hajaj himself is commanding the invading army. The stories told by Iraqi refugees in the city have scared them. What do you command me to do, sir?" The Khalifa does not react to the bad news. And as the call to stand for prayer is made by the Muazzen, he looks into his messengers eyes and gives a reassuring smile. "Its time for Salah. Lets go pray Maghrib first, then we plan our defense of Mecca." As they walk towards the lines of worshippers circling the Kaba, the Khalifa says, "You were just a little boy when Banu Ummaya tried to invade us the last time, it back when I was elected Khalifa..."
flashback:
13 years ago, in the year 60 after hijra.
introduction-
The Khalifa Muawiya, who had ruled the Muslim ummah for 20 years had been sick and there were rumors floating around of his death. Muawiya had appointed a governor for Medina from among his clan, the Banu Ummaya and had made Damascus his capital. In his last visit to Medina he had asked his governor to gather the notable of the second generation and whoever remained of the Rasul's companions, and wanted them to pledge allegiance to his son Yazid as the next Khalifa. They had dismissed Muawiyas request and the Khalifa had returned to the Ummaya base of support in Syria to plan for his son to become his successor with or without them. Not much time had elapsed since this incident.
Inside the old Masjid Nabawi, amidst the palm trunk columns in the oldest parts of the mosque sat two groups of men. One group was around Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. In other group sat Abdullah ibn Zubayr, the first child born in Medina to the Muhajireen community from Mecca. Both Husayn and Abdullah father's were the Prophet's first cousins. Husayn's mother was the Prophet's daughter Fatima, and Abdullah's mother was AbuBakr's daughter Asma. By 60 AH the two of them had grown into the leaders of the 2nd generation Muslims of Medina.
A man entered the mosque and gave each of them a message, "the Governer summons you to the government house immediately to discuss an important matter." He conveyed the message and then left. Abdullah got up and walked over to Husayn and sat down next to him and said,"What do you think the governor wants?" "I don't know, maybe Muawiya really is dead and he wants us to give allegiance to Yazid." replied Husayn. "Are you going to go?" asked Abdullah. "yes, I want to see what he has to say." replied Husayn. Abdullah then said, "I'm not going to go, and I don't think you should either, we should get out of here. Since we don't plan on giving allegiance to Yazid we should go to Mecca. We can be protected at the Kaba." Saying this Abdullah got up, went back to his companions and left the mosque to make preparations to leave the city as soon as possible. Husayn got up and prepared his companions for the meeting with the governor...
chapter 1: meeting with the governor
chapter 2: Husayn to Karbala
chapter 3: IbnZubayr in Mecca
chapter 4: the rise of Marwan
chapter 5: the man named Hajaj
Final chapter: the defence of Mecca
Monday, May 21, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
privitization
there is violence in pakistan again, this time its different, its about who has power. ok ok its not different. but one of the background issues is different. in the case of the pakistan steel mill, the judge at the center of the storm suspended moves by the government towards privitization.
a government can:
1-develop an industry as a public institution to benefit its people.
2-make public a private institution to benefit its people.
but can it
3-privatize a public institution to benefit its people?
what does it mean to privatize?
it is a change of ownership.
right now the government manufactures steel and sells it to the poeple and the revenues (in theory) go towards maintaining and improving the government or that factory. there should theoretically be no profit motive other then the public good.
to give ownership to a corporation that protects its shareholders (a single person or collection of investor) from liability, and allow them to manufacture steel and sell it to the people for profit. to set a price that is determined by the law of supply and demand, which covers their costs for maintaining and improving the factory and allows them to make however much money they want for themselves.
of course the government will still be able to gain revenues by taxing the corporation. so there is no loss there as long as the tax is collected, of course the corporation simply passes on the cost of the tax to the people by raising the price. in the end the money goes to the government from the same source. the buyers of the steel. but if the owners made a profit for themselves the government can still get a portion of that money when it collects taxes from individual owners. in the end its the people who end up paying more for the steel in order for the corporation to make its proft.
this is true as long as there is only one steel mill and it is privately owned. but the people benefit when there is more then one and the steel mills have to compete for costomers. of course they can get together and fix the price so that they both benefit. but thats were the government comes in. it must allow for competition by breaking up monopolies and punish price fixing.
is this what will happen in Pakistan? i don't think the Pakistan Peoples Party thinks so. I met know supporters of the PPP who are against the privitization effort because they think it will only benefit the new owner. there is also an element of workers rights. employees of the steel mill are government employees and i guys that means they have some rights and job security, while employees at private corporations are vulnerable to decisions made to gain profit.
i think in theory they have a point. steel could be seen as public good, and the fact that there is only one mill means that this monopoly could set whatever price they want. and that the workers will not have the same benefits and job security they currently have.
but in reality they are assuming too much, they are assuming that the government is not corrupt in its operation of the mill, that money isn't already being made by those who are at the top, that the workers are not subjected to the will of the that the top official's cronies.
the biggest risk in privatization is that the quality will suffer because of the profit motive and the lack of competition. but this will only lead to another corporation making a mill that produces better steel. so while for the short term it will not be good, for the long term good of pakistani steel and manufacturing, privatization is the way to go. pakistan is too currupt for any public institution to live up to its maximum potential.
a government can:
1-develop an industry as a public institution to benefit its people.
2-make public a private institution to benefit its people.
but can it
3-privatize a public institution to benefit its people?
what does it mean to privatize?
it is a change of ownership.
right now the government manufactures steel and sells it to the poeple and the revenues (in theory) go towards maintaining and improving the government or that factory. there should theoretically be no profit motive other then the public good.
to give ownership to a corporation that protects its shareholders (a single person or collection of investor) from liability, and allow them to manufacture steel and sell it to the people for profit. to set a price that is determined by the law of supply and demand, which covers their costs for maintaining and improving the factory and allows them to make however much money they want for themselves.
of course the government will still be able to gain revenues by taxing the corporation. so there is no loss there as long as the tax is collected, of course the corporation simply passes on the cost of the tax to the people by raising the price. in the end the money goes to the government from the same source. the buyers of the steel. but if the owners made a profit for themselves the government can still get a portion of that money when it collects taxes from individual owners. in the end its the people who end up paying more for the steel in order for the corporation to make its proft.
this is true as long as there is only one steel mill and it is privately owned. but the people benefit when there is more then one and the steel mills have to compete for costomers. of course they can get together and fix the price so that they both benefit. but thats were the government comes in. it must allow for competition by breaking up monopolies and punish price fixing.
is this what will happen in Pakistan? i don't think the Pakistan Peoples Party thinks so. I met know supporters of the PPP who are against the privitization effort because they think it will only benefit the new owner. there is also an element of workers rights. employees of the steel mill are government employees and i guys that means they have some rights and job security, while employees at private corporations are vulnerable to decisions made to gain profit.
i think in theory they have a point. steel could be seen as public good, and the fact that there is only one mill means that this monopoly could set whatever price they want. and that the workers will not have the same benefits and job security they currently have.
but in reality they are assuming too much, they are assuming that the government is not corrupt in its operation of the mill, that money isn't already being made by those who are at the top, that the workers are not subjected to the will of the that the top official's cronies.
the biggest risk in privatization is that the quality will suffer because of the profit motive and the lack of competition. but this will only lead to another corporation making a mill that produces better steel. so while for the short term it will not be good, for the long term good of pakistani steel and manufacturing, privatization is the way to go. pakistan is too currupt for any public institution to live up to its maximum potential.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
immigration
a few days ago i had a conversation with a friend about immigration.
i think there should be no immigration....
because...
i think there should be no border control.
lets take this idea of a global village a little further.
political borders are a good idea
-to define a sovereignty,
-to define a jurisdiction for the law,
-to define a place of identity,
-to define an area of service.
but that's it....
people should be allowed to come and go as they please.
people should be able to apply for citizenship.
and if they are granted citizenship then they get to participate in democratic control,
but regardless of them being citizens or not, if they choose to work within these borders then they have to pay taxes. employers can give them a pay check and if they don't have a social security number then instead of the usual payrol taxes that are cut for us citizens they would have their own tax which is cut from their paycheck. lets call this tax, a guest worker tax or something. maybe like 2.5 percent or so. half of which will go for us to maintain and protect this political entity and into a defence department fund to maintain military bases on US soil for self defence. and the other half would go into a trust fund that provides services to sick and poor guest workers who choose to live here but are unable to support themselves. like a network of government run shelters with clinics and soup kitchens and social workers.
if they choose to buy property in a city, they would still have to pay property taxes like everyone, to support the local government services. and utility bills like everyone, to pay for the infrastructure. and sales taxes like everyone, to support all sorts of things.
but until they apply for citizenship they don't get to vote for changes to the system.
but if they choose to enter our economic and our social environment they should be free to do so, we will be nothing but better for it.
what about those who want to harm us? what about security? I ask you, can we ever really be secure from those who want to harm us? if they want to do it badly enough they will ALWAYS find a way. This does not mean that we don't have a well funded and able military to defend us from an invading army, or that we don't fund an able military that can take another territory and make it a part of our nation if our elected representatives vote on it. But it does mean that we must control our behavior and be responsible for the actions we take around the world that make more enemies who will want to do us harm.
i wish we would deal with this situation realistically. we need immigrants. and security is an illusion. the only real way to be secure is to not feul hatred against us by wielding our power arrogantly.
i think there should be no immigration....
because...
i think there should be no border control.
lets take this idea of a global village a little further.
political borders are a good idea
-to define a sovereignty,
-to define a jurisdiction for the law,
-to define a place of identity,
-to define an area of service.
but that's it....
people should be allowed to come and go as they please.
people should be able to apply for citizenship.
and if they are granted citizenship then they get to participate in democratic control,
but regardless of them being citizens or not, if they choose to work within these borders then they have to pay taxes. employers can give them a pay check and if they don't have a social security number then instead of the usual payrol taxes that are cut for us citizens they would have their own tax which is cut from their paycheck. lets call this tax, a guest worker tax or something. maybe like 2.5 percent or so. half of which will go for us to maintain and protect this political entity and into a defence department fund to maintain military bases on US soil for self defence. and the other half would go into a trust fund that provides services to sick and poor guest workers who choose to live here but are unable to support themselves. like a network of government run shelters with clinics and soup kitchens and social workers.
if they choose to buy property in a city, they would still have to pay property taxes like everyone, to support the local government services. and utility bills like everyone, to pay for the infrastructure. and sales taxes like everyone, to support all sorts of things.
but until they apply for citizenship they don't get to vote for changes to the system.
but if they choose to enter our economic and our social environment they should be free to do so, we will be nothing but better for it.
what about those who want to harm us? what about security? I ask you, can we ever really be secure from those who want to harm us? if they want to do it badly enough they will ALWAYS find a way. This does not mean that we don't have a well funded and able military to defend us from an invading army, or that we don't fund an able military that can take another territory and make it a part of our nation if our elected representatives vote on it. But it does mean that we must control our behavior and be responsible for the actions we take around the world that make more enemies who will want to do us harm.
i wish we would deal with this situation realistically. we need immigrants. and security is an illusion. the only real way to be secure is to not feul hatred against us by wielding our power arrogantly.
only loneliness
at this moment i am alone in my room...
In the past I was in the company of many friends,
and i enjoyed it.
but occasionally...
the stress of a social life
and its responsibilities took its toll,
and there was a longing for solitude.
a break to be alone and contemplate,
a time of rest so that i can find that peaceful center within,
before returning to a social environment.
at this moment i am alone in my room.
For the past year i have been in the company of my wife,
and i enjoyed it.
but occasionally...
the stress of married life
and its responsibilities takes its toll,
and one would expect a longing for solitude.
i get a moment to be alone in my room...
...but there is no rest.
...and there is no peace.
...only loneliness.
i long for the company of my wife.
i have fallen in love with her.
i guess solitude is not for lovers.
she is my peaceful center within.
useless rebellion
there is news today of a renewed cycle of violence in palestine. israel bombed gaza in what it claims is retaliation to attacks and now hamas says that it will resume suicide bombings in israel. i don't understand the strategy of suicide bombings against civilians. i understand suicide missions against a military target, like a check post or guard tower or patrol or a base. that seems reasonable to me for a fight between unequals. but why civilians?
let me think this through out loud:
one national military vs. another national military
one offensive vs. one defensive
one winner and one loser
and after the peace talks
there is a new border
what should the losing national military do?
1-organize and fight a second round.
a chance for Egypt and Jordan to regain their territory
2-sign a peace deal and move on to other issues.
they have understood that they were the losers
and they are not strong enough to go head to head and win.
so they have sighed peace agreements.
what should the inhabitants of the defeated territory do?
how do you go from being powerless to having some power?
1-realize that they are residents of another country now.
they are lucky this is not the middle ages where they would have been sold into slavery, they have to realize that things will not be the same, there is a new master of the land now, a new king who has taken their land by force and they were not able to stop in war. they would have been begging for mercy and if granted would have tried to adapt to and take advantage of the new situation. but lucky for them, in our time, humanity has determined that there is something called human rights, and they can organize and try to establish some rights for themselves and try to become equal citizens of this new country that they belong to, become citizens of israel since they longer live in jordan(west bank) or egypt(gaza).
2-organize a rebellion against the new country and gain independence.
to force the new power out of the land that it conquered.
this is difficult if the new power's desire to retain the land is as strong as the inhabitants desire to expel them. israel's imperial agenda has a strong historical and religious component. making it quite monster to defeat.
How do you force an invader out?
1-organize, strategize, recruit fighters, train.
its not difficult if the new power is unjust, the people will find the rebellion and join it. but if it gives them rights, security, and opportunity for success, then a strong recruitment effort is needed, maybe even brainwashing to convince the recruits that things are not as good as they seem. but israel has not been a just conqueror, its every action in the conquered land breed new rebels.
2-take out its physical methods of control.
from within the conquered land and outside. maybe attack occupation forces, maybe attack check points, maybe attack supply chains. We have violent examples from the american revolution that show how to drive out an imperial power. We also have non-violent examples from the Indian revolution that demonstrate that we can disrupt control by not cooperating.
3-demoralize the enemy.
i think this is what the palestinians think suicide bombings will achieve. but its not the occupation military they wish to demoralize, its the citizens of the conquering nation. maybe it comes from a belief that the citizens are the source of strength for the enemy.
4-create an alternate government before Independence.
gain the support of the inhabitants and legitamacy to rule
its natural that there will be competing forces internally, and its natural that they will want to fight for control of the alternate government amongst themselves. but its a shame that they don't realized that their struggle for independence is not yet over.
so anyways i think they have a bad strategy to demoralize the enemy, it keeps making the enemy angry and fuels a desire for them to not only NOT give them independence, but to obliterate them in anger. imagine if the world wasn't watching.
let me think this through out loud:
one national military vs. another national military
one offensive vs. one defensive
one winner and one loser
and after the peace talks
there is a new border
what should the losing national military do?
1-organize and fight a second round.
a chance for Egypt and Jordan to regain their territory
2-sign a peace deal and move on to other issues.
they have understood that they were the losers
and they are not strong enough to go head to head and win.
so they have sighed peace agreements.
what should the inhabitants of the defeated territory do?
how do you go from being powerless to having some power?
1-realize that they are residents of another country now.
they are lucky this is not the middle ages where they would have been sold into slavery, they have to realize that things will not be the same, there is a new master of the land now, a new king who has taken their land by force and they were not able to stop in war. they would have been begging for mercy and if granted would have tried to adapt to and take advantage of the new situation. but lucky for them, in our time, humanity has determined that there is something called human rights, and they can organize and try to establish some rights for themselves and try to become equal citizens of this new country that they belong to, become citizens of israel since they longer live in jordan(west bank) or egypt(gaza).
2-organize a rebellion against the new country and gain independence.
to force the new power out of the land that it conquered.
this is difficult if the new power's desire to retain the land is as strong as the inhabitants desire to expel them. israel's imperial agenda has a strong historical and religious component. making it quite monster to defeat.
How do you force an invader out?
1-organize, strategize, recruit fighters, train.
its not difficult if the new power is unjust, the people will find the rebellion and join it. but if it gives them rights, security, and opportunity for success, then a strong recruitment effort is needed, maybe even brainwashing to convince the recruits that things are not as good as they seem. but israel has not been a just conqueror, its every action in the conquered land breed new rebels.
2-take out its physical methods of control.
from within the conquered land and outside. maybe attack occupation forces, maybe attack check points, maybe attack supply chains. We have violent examples from the american revolution that show how to drive out an imperial power. We also have non-violent examples from the Indian revolution that demonstrate that we can disrupt control by not cooperating.
3-demoralize the enemy.
i think this is what the palestinians think suicide bombings will achieve. but its not the occupation military they wish to demoralize, its the citizens of the conquering nation. maybe it comes from a belief that the citizens are the source of strength for the enemy.
4-create an alternate government before Independence.
gain the support of the inhabitants and legitamacy to rule
its natural that there will be competing forces internally, and its natural that they will want to fight for control of the alternate government amongst themselves. but its a shame that they don't realized that their struggle for independence is not yet over.
so anyways i think they have a bad strategy to demoralize the enemy, it keeps making the enemy angry and fuels a desire for them to not only NOT give them independence, but to obliterate them in anger. imagine if the world wasn't watching.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
courage and action
today i added some more items i wrote during my fight to save my badai abbu. they date from 9-6 to 9-9 of 2006. Here's a follow up on what happened.
He died a few days after i set up the nurse.
After hiring a nurse and making sure that the family allowed him to attend to my uncle, i was informed by the nurse that a doctor should come and do some testing. the results were not good. it was basically too late and his deterioration was too far along, and there were signs of potential organ failure. nothing much could be done other then to comfort him and care for him, which the nurse did.
I got a call from my cousin informing me of his death a couple days after I had returned to Islamabad. I flew back to karachi as soon as I could and was able to attend his funeral prayer, carry his casket to the grave, and bury him myself.
Was it worth it?
the family relations will never be the same.
i will meet them when i go back in a few weeks. it will be awkward for me. i can't smile and pretend that it never happened. but i will drop by to say salam and see how everything is going. they are also my relatives. and if my actions for my uncle were based upon some sort of duty towards family, i'm sure that some sort of duty towards my aunt and cousins is still in effect. but i have'nt thought about what that duty is.
its when family fails to take care one of its own that any outside body should interfere. I now understand a real reason how a family can fall apart. will i be that member of my family that fails to take care of his own because of how they reacted to my actions? or will they fail to come to my aid in times of trouble because of my actions towards them?
I don't know.
I pray i'm able to rise above.
I pray i'm able to live up to the ideals i set for myself.
InshaAllah I will.
so was it worth it? of course it was. the future will present its own challenges. our action in the present is what defines us. simply taking action defines us as courageous people. and if those actions are based upon right principles and solid morals then we can define ourselves as principled and moral people. it would be a shame to look back at those times when we failed to act and realise that we were nothing but cowards. i'm glad I have a brother who helped me rise to the challenge and overcome my fear of action in that trying time. In the end, its the immediate family that one must count on, and I thank Allah for a brother like Fawad.
He died a few days after i set up the nurse.
After hiring a nurse and making sure that the family allowed him to attend to my uncle, i was informed by the nurse that a doctor should come and do some testing. the results were not good. it was basically too late and his deterioration was too far along, and there were signs of potential organ failure. nothing much could be done other then to comfort him and care for him, which the nurse did.
I got a call from my cousin informing me of his death a couple days after I had returned to Islamabad. I flew back to karachi as soon as I could and was able to attend his funeral prayer, carry his casket to the grave, and bury him myself.
Was it worth it?
the family relations will never be the same.
i will meet them when i go back in a few weeks. it will be awkward for me. i can't smile and pretend that it never happened. but i will drop by to say salam and see how everything is going. they are also my relatives. and if my actions for my uncle were based upon some sort of duty towards family, i'm sure that some sort of duty towards my aunt and cousins is still in effect. but i have'nt thought about what that duty is.
its when family fails to take care one of its own that any outside body should interfere. I now understand a real reason how a family can fall apart. will i be that member of my family that fails to take care of his own because of how they reacted to my actions? or will they fail to come to my aid in times of trouble because of my actions towards them?
I don't know.
I pray i'm able to rise above.
I pray i'm able to live up to the ideals i set for myself.
InshaAllah I will.
so was it worth it? of course it was. the future will present its own challenges. our action in the present is what defines us. simply taking action defines us as courageous people. and if those actions are based upon right principles and solid morals then we can define ourselves as principled and moral people. it would be a shame to look back at those times when we failed to act and realise that we were nothing but cowards. i'm glad I have a brother who helped me rise to the challenge and overcome my fear of action in that trying time. In the end, its the immediate family that one must count on, and I thank Allah for a brother like Fawad.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
connecting to our roots
I had an idea a few years ago while I was an advisor of Muslim Youth of North America. There had been a trip to China led by Dr. Umar Farooq Abdallah. It was a tour of Muslim China. I thought it was a great idea. I thought that there should be more tours to places of importance to Muslim history led by scholars. It would be great for American high school age Muslims who need to connect to and develop a sense pride in a Muslim Identity.
Its not just simply an ignorance of Muslim History that can be remedied by a class or lecture. Its tough growing up as part of a minority that is often vilified. It leads to a desire to deny that identity. Nobody wants to be an outcast, especially a youth. What can be done to replace a desire to deny it with a desire to belong to it? Maybe a fun trip that allows a youth to experience the beauty and achievements of Muslim history.
This idea came back to me while I was listening to the Pakistani ambassador. I thought of making a much narrower focus of the trip. I think I can design a tour for the children of Indian and Pakistani-Americans. I was thinking about my daughter, and how the more removed we get from the country of origin, the more difficult it is to connect to that aspect of our identity. A cultural festival or sattelite TV or a family wedding can only do so much. Unless the youth actually visits the motherland and beholds its achievements as well as its failures, that identity will be superficial. And most likely will not be passed on to the generation to come.
My family was able to go often. I think I know my roots. Not many are as lucky. What if they don't have the means? What if they can only go once in their life? Well, that trip better be a good one, especially if its at the right age when a youth that belongs to a minority is going through an inner struggle to sort an identity. It would be an awesome service. I think I put together something like this for the newly reinstated Pakistan Culture Society as long as the Ambassador can help with some logistical support.
Its not just simply an ignorance of Muslim History that can be remedied by a class or lecture. Its tough growing up as part of a minority that is often vilified. It leads to a desire to deny that identity. Nobody wants to be an outcast, especially a youth. What can be done to replace a desire to deny it with a desire to belong to it? Maybe a fun trip that allows a youth to experience the beauty and achievements of Muslim history.
This idea came back to me while I was listening to the Pakistani ambassador. I thought of making a much narrower focus of the trip. I think I can design a tour for the children of Indian and Pakistani-Americans. I was thinking about my daughter, and how the more removed we get from the country of origin, the more difficult it is to connect to that aspect of our identity. A cultural festival or sattelite TV or a family wedding can only do so much. Unless the youth actually visits the motherland and beholds its achievements as well as its failures, that identity will be superficial. And most likely will not be passed on to the generation to come.
My family was able to go often. I think I know my roots. Not many are as lucky. What if they don't have the means? What if they can only go once in their life? Well, that trip better be a good one, especially if its at the right age when a youth that belongs to a minority is going through an inner struggle to sort an identity. It would be an awesome service. I think I put together something like this for the newly reinstated Pakistan Culture Society as long as the Ambassador can help with some logistical support.
Friday, May 11, 2007
pakistani-american
I am never too far from the issue of identity.
Who am I? What am I? etc.
my biology based personal, family, and ethnic identity:
i am the father of Maha, the man named Asad, the son of Hamid, from the clan of Siddiquis, of North Indian Arabs.
my value based religious and sectarian identity:
i am Asad the anarcho-Sufi wannabe, Traditionally Sunni raised, Reform minded Muslim.
my professional and educational identity:
i am Asad the Associate Architect, Chairman of the Board, and Teacher
political and geographic identity:
Asad the...
this is an important one because our geo-political environment has a big impact on our culture. it goes far beyond just issues of citizenship and civic rights and social responsibilities. it is a very important part of our identity. our environment plays a role on the the language we speak, food we eat, the clothes we wear, the houses we live in.
I think about my parents, my wife, my daughter...
hmmm...
You can be a Pakistani and you can be an American.
and you can be an American-Pakistani like my wife.
She is a Pakistani, but one that happens to reside in America.
and you can be a Pakistani-American like my daughter.
She is an American, who's mother is Pakistani.
but what am I?
my parents were born in India, and became Pakistanis, only later to move to US and become Americans. Did they cease being Pakistani-Americans when they gave up their Pakistani citizenship? No! Being Pakistani meant something other then just citizenship or a place of birth to them. Maybe its about a connection to a place where you spend your formative years.
I wonder they ceased being Indian when they became Pakistanis? In that case they could have also chosen to cease being Pakistani when they became Americans. But they did not do that. They retained a connection to India. eventhough they did not call themselves Indian-Pakistanis. Their immigrant identity was important to them, but their pride in their new country of citizenship was even more important.
Eventually they ended up in America. and while their latest immigrant identity is important to them, I wonder if it is superseded by pride in their latest country of citizenship? They have lived longer here in America then either India or Pakistan. At what point does someone Become just an American like they became just a Pakistani?
Its a strange sort of pride that i still don't fully understand. Its a fondness for an idea that never became fully realized. They are proud of being Pakistani, eventhough they were not born there, and they hate its politics, they hate its corruption. My father chose to give up on Pakistan for the sake of a better job. I don't know if he thought much about these issues of identity in such abstact theoretical ways. He was much more ambivelent to these things, he moved around all his life. He just lived life, he was happy simply Hamid the owner of All State. My mother on the other hand grew up in Karachi and only moved here because her husband lived here, so I can understand her attachment to the country she grew up in.
So what am I?
I was born in and grew up in Hialeah. So a Hialean?
or am I an Indian-Pakistani-American from Hialeah?
or a Pakistani-American?
or a just an American?
I am NONE of the above and ALL of the above.
call me Abu Maha ibn Hamid Siddiqui al Hialeahi
Who am I? What am I? etc.
my biology based personal, family, and ethnic identity:
i am the father of Maha, the man named Asad, the son of Hamid, from the clan of Siddiquis, of North Indian Arabs.
my value based religious and sectarian identity:
i am Asad the anarcho-Sufi wannabe, Traditionally Sunni raised, Reform minded Muslim.
my professional and educational identity:
i am Asad the Associate Architect, Chairman of the Board, and Teacher
political and geographic identity:
Asad the...
this is an important one because our geo-political environment has a big impact on our culture. it goes far beyond just issues of citizenship and civic rights and social responsibilities. it is a very important part of our identity. our environment plays a role on the the language we speak, food we eat, the clothes we wear, the houses we live in.
I think about my parents, my wife, my daughter...
hmmm...
You can be a Pakistani and you can be an American.
and you can be an American-Pakistani like my wife.
She is a Pakistani, but one that happens to reside in America.
and you can be a Pakistani-American like my daughter.
She is an American, who's mother is Pakistani.
but what am I?
my parents were born in India, and became Pakistanis, only later to move to US and become Americans. Did they cease being Pakistani-Americans when they gave up their Pakistani citizenship? No! Being Pakistani meant something other then just citizenship or a place of birth to them. Maybe its about a connection to a place where you spend your formative years.
I wonder they ceased being Indian when they became Pakistanis? In that case they could have also chosen to cease being Pakistani when they became Americans. But they did not do that. They retained a connection to India. eventhough they did not call themselves Indian-Pakistanis. Their immigrant identity was important to them, but their pride in their new country of citizenship was even more important.
Eventually they ended up in America. and while their latest immigrant identity is important to them, I wonder if it is superseded by pride in their latest country of citizenship? They have lived longer here in America then either India or Pakistan. At what point does someone Become just an American like they became just a Pakistani?
Its a strange sort of pride that i still don't fully understand. Its a fondness for an idea that never became fully realized. They are proud of being Pakistani, eventhough they were not born there, and they hate its politics, they hate its corruption. My father chose to give up on Pakistan for the sake of a better job. I don't know if he thought much about these issues of identity in such abstact theoretical ways. He was much more ambivelent to these things, he moved around all his life. He just lived life, he was happy simply Hamid the owner of All State. My mother on the other hand grew up in Karachi and only moved here because her husband lived here, so I can understand her attachment to the country she grew up in.
So what am I?
I was born in and grew up in Hialeah. So a Hialean?
or am I an Indian-Pakistani-American from Hialeah?
or a Pakistani-American?
or a just an American?
I am NONE of the above and ALL of the above.
call me Abu Maha ibn Hamid Siddiqui al Hialeahi
the honorable mr. so and so
For the past couple of days Pakistan's ambassador to the US had been in here South Florida. I was invited to attend a few of the events surrounding his visit. Its interesting how people use these moments of proximity to those in power. Some are there purely for the photo op, for a chance to prove to themselves that they are not completely insignificant.
Others use it as an opportunity to be significant, some will vent frustration about broad issues like corruption or injustice or poverty or human rights or development, as if this guy will go back to his superiors and say:
"mr.president a nice lady in miami who i have never met before has informed me of such and such, and i heard the same complaint in some of the other cities i visited, i think we must take action now."
Wouldn't it be great if it was that easy!
Some will try to get a commitment for action on a particular situation. Like my friend the attorney, defending Pakistanis who the US government is trying to deport. Why is it that the Saudi Embassy will fight very hard to defend its citizens in such cases, yet Pakistan will allow Immigration agents to split up families and deport them with no cause, without any significant involvement from the embassy.
As if the role of Ambassador does not include serving Pakistani citizens, and just be the good yes man "they" want him to be.
It brings up a good question.
Why would he risk his status? Would I if i was in his position?
I was invited to these events yet I chose just to observe, I did not say anything. Would I take advantage of my proximity to take action on a cause, and risk the displeasure of the powerful, and risk not being invited to sit at their table. But those are just assumptions I am making. Assumptions based on either a fear of the unknown or a desire to continue feeling important because I'm one of the few invited to attend the party. Maybe the powerful would not take displeasure at my action, maybe the powerful would still keep me at my rank.
But in the end who cares what the powerful think or what happens to me. Maybe the cause is more important. And to miss an opportunity to take action is proof of my uselessness and the meaninglessness of my rank.
More important then to achieve a high rank or a seat at the table, is to use that rank and that proximity to help others. Its in helping others, in that self sacrifice, that we gain real respect from others. And even if I were removed from my position, I would still retain the real power that comes when people respect you, admire you, and turn to you in times of need.
I pray that the Ambassador realizes his true potential.
Others use it as an opportunity to be significant, some will vent frustration about broad issues like corruption or injustice or poverty or human rights or development, as if this guy will go back to his superiors and say:
"mr.president a nice lady in miami who i have never met before has informed me of such and such, and i heard the same complaint in some of the other cities i visited, i think we must take action now."
Wouldn't it be great if it was that easy!
Some will try to get a commitment for action on a particular situation. Like my friend the attorney, defending Pakistanis who the US government is trying to deport. Why is it that the Saudi Embassy will fight very hard to defend its citizens in such cases, yet Pakistan will allow Immigration agents to split up families and deport them with no cause, without any significant involvement from the embassy.
As if the role of Ambassador does not include serving Pakistani citizens, and just be the good yes man "they" want him to be.
It brings up a good question.
Why would he risk his status? Would I if i was in his position?
I was invited to these events yet I chose just to observe, I did not say anything. Would I take advantage of my proximity to take action on a cause, and risk the displeasure of the powerful, and risk not being invited to sit at their table. But those are just assumptions I am making. Assumptions based on either a fear of the unknown or a desire to continue feeling important because I'm one of the few invited to attend the party. Maybe the powerful would not take displeasure at my action, maybe the powerful would still keep me at my rank.
But in the end who cares what the powerful think or what happens to me. Maybe the cause is more important. And to miss an opportunity to take action is proof of my uselessness and the meaninglessness of my rank.
More important then to achieve a high rank or a seat at the table, is to use that rank and that proximity to help others. Its in helping others, in that self sacrifice, that we gain real respect from others. And even if I were removed from my position, I would still retain the real power that comes when people respect you, admire you, and turn to you in times of need.
I pray that the Ambassador realizes his true potential.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
hijab is fard?
In the panel discussion at Georgetown, during the question and answer portion of the program, an older turkish lady came to the mic and stated her opinion about how surprised she was with American religiousness when she first arrived in this country from her own secular Turkey. Then she went on to express her views about islam. She mentioned that she had read everywhere in the Quran and did not find that the hijab was required, and also feared the rise of the extremists who advocate the hijab.
One of the panelists was the first female president of MSA. She chose to reply to this older turkish woman by mentioning how much she respected women with other opinions and was not out to force anyone to do anything, unlike the Turkish government. Which is pushing its anti-hijab policy on students who cover. Of course, she said this very passionately, and drew applause from the audience. The old turkish lady tryed to say something in return but never got a chance, the young activist went on with her comments about rights, freedom, and tolerance.
During the next question, the old lady decided to leave the hall. She looked like someone who no longer felt comfortable in the gathering. I wish the young activist had shown more understanding towards this lady. The view she expressed is held by many people. Yes, while this young activist may have learned to respect those who read the Quran and find that hijab is not required, this is not the case with many of the religious zealots. They view the non-wearing of the hijab as a sin. They do not tolerate another opinion on the subject.
A good example is a guy I met that night at my friends house. We endedup having a long conversation about this subject. He was not willing to acknowledge any other opinion then the wearing of hijab as a fundamental part of religion. It led to a very interesting conversation.
I said that it could be possible to hold another opinion.
He said no, that hijab is a matter of consensus.
I asked him who he was talking about.
I mentioned that nothing in Islam has ever had consensus,
of course, I had to clarify this... "other then the very basic of things like the fact that Muslims must pray, and fast, and give charity." On every other subject, muslims have disagreed. They even disagreed on what it meant to have consensus. So I asked him what sholars is he refering to? Because if he is stating that something is fundamental requirement of the religion, a FARD, the burden is on him to prove it. To say something is fard is very serious.
I mentioned the fact that the same scholars he was refering to (but could not name) divided the issues into matters of Usul and matters of Furu. The fundamentals of the religion and the details of the religion. And they even differed with each other on the meaning of these categories, nevermind the disagreements on what the categories contained. Does Usul refer to the principle beliefs (aqida) and Furu refer to the religious laws (fiqh); is Usul about methodology, or maybe its about the general law and Furu refer to the technicalities of that general law. Anyways, I brought this up to him to demonstrate the fact that he should NOT just dismiss my claims with a statement like "but there is consensus." He should know what he is talking about.
The Turkish lady should have been shown more respect. As young activists we grew up unaware of what the caliphate had degenerated into and what it must have taken to create a new nation out of the ashes of the first World War. And while we can condemn the zealot secularist, we should not forget to acknowledge the existence of zealot revivalists. We must advocate for understanding, and tolerance on all sides.
One of the panelists was the first female president of MSA. She chose to reply to this older turkish woman by mentioning how much she respected women with other opinions and was not out to force anyone to do anything, unlike the Turkish government. Which is pushing its anti-hijab policy on students who cover. Of course, she said this very passionately, and drew applause from the audience. The old turkish lady tryed to say something in return but never got a chance, the young activist went on with her comments about rights, freedom, and tolerance.
During the next question, the old lady decided to leave the hall. She looked like someone who no longer felt comfortable in the gathering. I wish the young activist had shown more understanding towards this lady. The view she expressed is held by many people. Yes, while this young activist may have learned to respect those who read the Quran and find that hijab is not required, this is not the case with many of the religious zealots. They view the non-wearing of the hijab as a sin. They do not tolerate another opinion on the subject.
A good example is a guy I met that night at my friends house. We endedup having a long conversation about this subject. He was not willing to acknowledge any other opinion then the wearing of hijab as a fundamental part of religion. It led to a very interesting conversation.
I said that it could be possible to hold another opinion.
He said no, that hijab is a matter of consensus.
I asked him who he was talking about.
I mentioned that nothing in Islam has ever had consensus,
of course, I had to clarify this... "other then the very basic of things like the fact that Muslims must pray, and fast, and give charity." On every other subject, muslims have disagreed. They even disagreed on what it meant to have consensus. So I asked him what sholars is he refering to? Because if he is stating that something is fundamental requirement of the religion, a FARD, the burden is on him to prove it. To say something is fard is very serious.
I mentioned the fact that the same scholars he was refering to (but could not name) divided the issues into matters of Usul and matters of Furu. The fundamentals of the religion and the details of the religion. And they even differed with each other on the meaning of these categories, nevermind the disagreements on what the categories contained. Does Usul refer to the principle beliefs (aqida) and Furu refer to the religious laws (fiqh); is Usul about methodology, or maybe its about the general law and Furu refer to the technicalities of that general law. Anyways, I brought this up to him to demonstrate the fact that he should NOT just dismiss my claims with a statement like "but there is consensus." He should know what he is talking about.
The Turkish lady should have been shown more respect. As young activists we grew up unaware of what the caliphate had degenerated into and what it must have taken to create a new nation out of the ashes of the first World War. And while we can condemn the zealot secularist, we should not forget to acknowledge the existence of zealot revivalists. We must advocate for understanding, and tolerance on all sides.
the opposite sex
I got a call from my cousin today asking me about my thoughts on the issue of hanging out with the opposite sex. I've had a different upbringing then most in the mainstream. When I was growing up, I never had female friends with whom I hung out. My friends, those whom I chose to be my companions, were boys...
whether in my schools, in my neighborhood of Palm Springs Hialeah, in my immigrant community of Pakistanis, or in my religious minority community of Muslims... All boys!
Why no girls? well its complicated. Of course girls were around. But, I never considered them as my friends. Thinking back on it now, I guess I put them into other categories.
1)family
2)friends of my sister, or sisters of my friends
3)colleagues in my classes or youth organizations
but there was no forth category of:
4)girls I chose to be my friends
not until college. and even then I found it very awkward to deal with girls as friends. I would not know how to talk around them, or how to compose myself around them.
Why? Maybe because of my involvement in youth groups that taught us to constantly be on guard with the opposite sex. Maybe because of the way my mother raised me. But, I can't really remember any instance of my mother telling me not to make friends with a girl. I don't understand why I didn't. I got involved in youth groups at an early age. Religious modesty and rules of interaction were matters of dogma that were ingrained in me.
I guess I was always conscious of the fact that they were female. I guess I would identify their sex before I would identify them as who they were. I'm sure my body language conveyed a message that I was uncomfortable with them. I guess thats why they didn't like me very much. At least thats what I hear from those who knew me in college. My inability to feel comfortable around women extended into any conversations I would have with potential fiances. Anyways, towards the end of my stay in Austin, I began to open up a little. And included some girls into my circle of friends.
My background has put me in a disadvantage. And I'm sure some uneasyness will show itself in any interactions I will have with professional architecture colleages. I still feel awkward making friends with a woman. And the only woman I really hung out with is my wife. And the real hanging out happened after we got married.
whether in my schools, in my neighborhood of Palm Springs Hialeah, in my immigrant community of Pakistanis, or in my religious minority community of Muslims... All boys!
Why no girls? well its complicated. Of course girls were around. But, I never considered them as my friends. Thinking back on it now, I guess I put them into other categories.
1)family
2)friends of my sister, or sisters of my friends
3)colleagues in my classes or youth organizations
but there was no forth category of:
4)girls I chose to be my friends
not until college. and even then I found it very awkward to deal with girls as friends. I would not know how to talk around them, or how to compose myself around them.
Why? Maybe because of my involvement in youth groups that taught us to constantly be on guard with the opposite sex. Maybe because of the way my mother raised me. But, I can't really remember any instance of my mother telling me not to make friends with a girl. I don't understand why I didn't. I got involved in youth groups at an early age. Religious modesty and rules of interaction were matters of dogma that were ingrained in me.
I guess I was always conscious of the fact that they were female. I guess I would identify their sex before I would identify them as who they were. I'm sure my body language conveyed a message that I was uncomfortable with them. I guess thats why they didn't like me very much. At least thats what I hear from those who knew me in college. My inability to feel comfortable around women extended into any conversations I would have with potential fiances. Anyways, towards the end of my stay in Austin, I began to open up a little. And included some girls into my circle of friends.
My background has put me in a disadvantage. And I'm sure some uneasyness will show itself in any interactions I will have with professional architecture colleages. I still feel awkward making friends with a woman. And the only woman I really hung out with is my wife. And the real hanging out happened after we got married.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
truth of love
Last night I sat in a bookstore cafe reading a book called "crouching father, hidden daughter". As I drove home, I thought about my understanding of love. It keeps evolving. I wondered if there are really different types of love or if these are just different degrees of this one thing. I wondered about my love for my mother, my grandmother, my sisters, my wife, and now my daughter. Is it different for each? I don't think I've come to any conclusion yet, but I do think that my love for my wife has a unique place. My mother and grandmother have worked their magic since I was born, and my sisters and daughter have worked their magic since they were born. Those relationships CHOSE me, they were not chosen BY me. I have chosen to have a relationship with my wife. And I wonder if an emotional connection based on choice is different from those based on birth.... Anyways, I learned the truth of this: with any relationship involving love (any type and/or degree), there are two players involved, the lover and the beloved. And when a lover acts lovingly to the beloved, the beloved starts to love the lover in return. So, while there is nothing in this world like a feeling of love for a beloved, it is action that takes us to the ultimate station of existence. A Lover who is Loved in return.
Monday, April 30, 2007
I ain't No Goofy Soofy
Last week I attended an event at Georgetown University. It was about Islam in America, and the panel included prominent journalists, scholars, and leaders. But there was one panelist who was different from the rest and can be identified with Pakistan more than America. It was Salman Ahmad from the Pakistani Rock group Junoon. Apperently he is in the US now and from a look at his web site it appears he is teaching and keeping himself very busy spreading the word of peace and unity.
I like him. I think his work is great. But I think he could be much more powerful and influential if he backed up some of his claims about sufism with more scholarship. It would just take a couple of books for him to add depth to anything he says about the subject of mystism, music, poetry, and Bulleh Shah.
He says that he is inspired by the sufi poet Bulleh Shah and Sufi Islam. But he seems to display a lack of knowledge about the subject when he speaks. Especially when its to a university crowd or sitting among scholars who may have read up on the subject.
What is his Bulleh Shah's Sufi Islam. He seems to put it at odds with the Islam taught by the Mullahs. I define Islam a submitting to the will of Allah, and when one submits the self ceases to exist. this denial of self can take many forms, one form is the intensely experience based self sacrifice of those called sufis, where remembrance of the divine leads to a self awareness that one is nothing, that there is nothing real, nothing worthy of recognition but Allah. The life of the sufi becomes a series of emotional, experience oriented actions that continue to reinforce this awareness. Yes, This is Islam, this is submission to Allah.
On the other hand, there is the form of submission that recognizes that Allah is not just Real and worthy of recognition and awareness, but that Allah has also given us a revelation composed of words that teach us how to deny our self. That by denying our desire to do what we want and instead do what Allah tells us to do in his revelation, Is this not also Self sacrifice? So is this not also Islam? Yes, This is Islam, this is submission to Allah.
Salman seems to pit these two forms of Islam against each other when he speaks about the subject. I wonder if he is aware of those who have mastered both forms of submission. I think he is.
What he fails to mention is that the Sufi Islam he refers to is actually a form of submission of a specific group of sufis. He should not try to speak for all sufis. he should say that he follows a way of Islam that was practiced by the Qalandars. I love the Qalandars, they are my heroes as well. They are revolutionaries who do not deny Allah, or his Revelation, but deny the authoritarian human who claims to be the advocate of Allah. The Qalandar followed his own path towards the Divine Beloved. This did not mean he violated the revelation. It only meant that he denied the extreme adhereance to ritual and form. His was a life of meditation and contemplation that led to expressions of His love of Allah in any form: the poetry of Baba Bulleh Shah, the dance of Lal Shahbazz, or the philosophical writings of Fakruddin.
To simplify the way of the Qalandar and turn it into sweeping generalizations about Sufi Islam versus Mullah Islam is to miss the point and would make many Sufi Scholars of Mullah Islam lower there head and feel pity at his ignorance.
I like him. I think his work is great. But I think he could be much more powerful and influential if he backed up some of his claims about sufism with more scholarship. It would just take a couple of books for him to add depth to anything he says about the subject of mystism, music, poetry, and Bulleh Shah.
He says that he is inspired by the sufi poet Bulleh Shah and Sufi Islam. But he seems to display a lack of knowledge about the subject when he speaks. Especially when its to a university crowd or sitting among scholars who may have read up on the subject.
What is his Bulleh Shah's Sufi Islam. He seems to put it at odds with the Islam taught by the Mullahs. I define Islam a submitting to the will of Allah, and when one submits the self ceases to exist. this denial of self can take many forms, one form is the intensely experience based self sacrifice of those called sufis, where remembrance of the divine leads to a self awareness that one is nothing, that there is nothing real, nothing worthy of recognition but Allah. The life of the sufi becomes a series of emotional, experience oriented actions that continue to reinforce this awareness. Yes, This is Islam, this is submission to Allah.
On the other hand, there is the form of submission that recognizes that Allah is not just Real and worthy of recognition and awareness, but that Allah has also given us a revelation composed of words that teach us how to deny our self. That by denying our desire to do what we want and instead do what Allah tells us to do in his revelation, Is this not also Self sacrifice? So is this not also Islam? Yes, This is Islam, this is submission to Allah.
Salman seems to pit these two forms of Islam against each other when he speaks about the subject. I wonder if he is aware of those who have mastered both forms of submission. I think he is.
What he fails to mention is that the Sufi Islam he refers to is actually a form of submission of a specific group of sufis. He should not try to speak for all sufis. he should say that he follows a way of Islam that was practiced by the Qalandars. I love the Qalandars, they are my heroes as well. They are revolutionaries who do not deny Allah, or his Revelation, but deny the authoritarian human who claims to be the advocate of Allah. The Qalandar followed his own path towards the Divine Beloved. This did not mean he violated the revelation. It only meant that he denied the extreme adhereance to ritual and form. His was a life of meditation and contemplation that led to expressions of His love of Allah in any form: the poetry of Baba Bulleh Shah, the dance of Lal Shahbazz, or the philosophical writings of Fakruddin.
To simplify the way of the Qalandar and turn it into sweeping generalizations about Sufi Islam versus Mullah Islam is to miss the point and would make many Sufi Scholars of Mullah Islam lower there head and feel pity at his ignorance.
a new post!!!
its been a while...
so at my wifes request,
i will try to start posting again.
there is much that has happened since the last post.
three words: MAHA SUMR SIDDIQUI
my incredibly cute little baby girl with the chubbiest cheeks.
MASHALLAH!!
She also has a powerful leg slam.
MASHALLAH!!
INSHALLAH,
she will be great at soccer and martial arts.
so at my wifes request,
i will try to start posting again.
there is much that has happened since the last post.
three words: MAHA SUMR SIDDIQUI
my incredibly cute little baby girl with the chubbiest cheeks.
MASHALLAH!!
She also has a powerful leg slam.
MASHALLAH!!
INSHALLAH,
she will be great at soccer and martial arts.
Saturday, September 9, 2006
a nurse
“Four mental patients and a little girl,” that is how my phupa describes the situation at my thaya’s house.
Today we brought over a nurse. He described what sort of care he can provide. My aunt felt she could do everything herself, and she did not want a stranger in the house. It is useless to reason with her. She is not sane. But it is her house, and it is she who must willingly accept a nurse to assist her. Tonight I go back to try to convince her son, another crazy person, that the nurse is a good idea. If he says no, I can’t give up. I have to show up at the house with the nurse. He might let us in and see that it is beneficial for him that the nurse be allowed to help, that his life can be easier; or he might not even open the door for us.
The real question for me is when do I stop? I know I am not as good as my brother when it comes to dealing with these crazy people.
Today we brought over a nurse. He described what sort of care he can provide. My aunt felt she could do everything herself, and she did not want a stranger in the house. It is useless to reason with her. She is not sane. But it is her house, and it is she who must willingly accept a nurse to assist her. Tonight I go back to try to convince her son, another crazy person, that the nurse is a good idea. If he says no, I can’t give up. I have to show up at the house with the nurse. He might let us in and see that it is beneficial for him that the nurse be allowed to help, that his life can be easier; or he might not even open the door for us.
The real question for me is when do I stop? I know I am not as good as my brother when it comes to dealing with these crazy people.
Thursday, September 7, 2006
Reality Check
I am coming from a culture where life is valued.
Maybe this is because I am removed from death and the dying. Dealing with the dying is not a part of my daily life. It was for a brief moment. But my father had a different personality than the rest of his siblings. He lived life to the fullest, and he clung on to it to till the very end. I did not have to deal with a person who had lost hope.
Maybe I would see things differently if my father had been different. It is easy for me to say that my relatives must give my uncle the will to live. It is difficult for me to see a perspective in which it is better for him to die.
Even before he had the stroke that has left him in need of physical therapy to regain the full use of his left arm and leg, he had nearly lost his eyesight and had difficulty walking. He lacked the desire to deal with his diabetes, and his wife it seems has always been against any serious medical treatment whether it was for her parents or now for her husband.
Should I let it go (my principles and values of life, doing good, being responsible)
and face “reality”?
Maybe this is because I am removed from death and the dying. Dealing with the dying is not a part of my daily life. It was for a brief moment. But my father had a different personality than the rest of his siblings. He lived life to the fullest, and he clung on to it to till the very end. I did not have to deal with a person who had lost hope.
Maybe I would see things differently if my father had been different. It is easy for me to say that my relatives must give my uncle the will to live. It is difficult for me to see a perspective in which it is better for him to die.
Even before he had the stroke that has left him in need of physical therapy to regain the full use of his left arm and leg, he had nearly lost his eyesight and had difficulty walking. He lacked the desire to deal with his diabetes, and his wife it seems has always been against any serious medical treatment whether it was for her parents or now for her husband.
Should I let it go (my principles and values of life, doing good, being responsible)
and face “reality”?
Taking Action
How do I take action in a social system built upon principles that are different from my own?
I guess my own values are:
-giving love,
-doing good,
-being just,
-fulfilling duty,
-being free,
-having knowledge,
-and taking action.
The values of my family in Pakistan are:
-showing respect,
-not violating a code of honor,
-obeying authority,
-and being fatalistic.
When I told my relatives last night that they can’t let my uncle die like this, that they have to give him hope, and that I will do whatever I can to help, regardless of who gets in my way; I may have let my emotions take over, I raised my voice to those who are older than me. I wasn’t alone in the room. There were other relative there who say that they feel the same as me, that what is going on is not right. But over the past month they have been unable to take action.
So when I said what I said. I expect support.
But instead my cousin tells me that she thinks I should not have raised my voice to an elder. I told her that regardless of what people think about me or what I did, it is more important to save the life of my uncle, that in the end that is the goal. I don’t care if people think of me as disrespectful. I believe that we will be held accountable to God as individuals. And I don’t believe he will punish me for raising my voice to an older cousin and aunt who I believe are inadvertently killing my uncle and relatives who sit idly by letting it happen.
I guess my own values are:
-giving love,
-doing good,
-being just,
-fulfilling duty,
-being free,
-having knowledge,
-and taking action.
The values of my family in Pakistan are:
-showing respect,
-not violating a code of honor,
-obeying authority,
-and being fatalistic.
When I told my relatives last night that they can’t let my uncle die like this, that they have to give him hope, and that I will do whatever I can to help, regardless of who gets in my way; I may have let my emotions take over, I raised my voice to those who are older than me. I wasn’t alone in the room. There were other relative there who say that they feel the same as me, that what is going on is not right. But over the past month they have been unable to take action.
So when I said what I said. I expect support.
But instead my cousin tells me that she thinks I should not have raised my voice to an elder. I told her that regardless of what people think about me or what I did, it is more important to save the life of my uncle, that in the end that is the goal. I don’t care if people think of me as disrespectful. I believe that we will be held accountable to God as individuals. And I don’t believe he will punish me for raising my voice to an older cousin and aunt who I believe are inadvertently killing my uncle and relatives who sit idly by letting it happen.
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
The will to live. That is what is missing. My uncle has lost the will to live. He has given up. Given in to the idea that it is his time; that God has chosen this time for him; and there is nothing more to do; other than pray for forgiveness, pray for the success of others, and wait to die… Oh yes, and occasionally ask God why! What a horrible situation. How do you encourage someone to live?
Tuesday, September 5, 2006
family
what is a family?
what is the responsibility of one member to another?
what if you do not carry out your responsibility?
who does that responsibility then go to?
if it falls upon me,
then how far should I go...
to act upon that unfulfilled responsibility of another?
what are the consequeses of my actions?
should i care about the consequeces?...
if it is now MY responsibility,
then i should go as far as i think I have to!
damn the consequences!!
i'm here in pakistan. i came to attend my sister-in-law's wedding in islamabad. it was supposed to be a relaxing getaway. a chance for my wife to see her family again. she had married me 8 months ago, and moved to america about a week after our wedding. we came to pakistan on the first flight we could get right after her immigration interview. her sister's wedding events were set to take place a couple days after we arrived. she was very eagerly awaiting this trip for the last few months...
the first day went fine. so did the second.
on the third day everything changed.
we recieved word in the morning that my aunt in karachi had passed away...
i went to karachi and spent the couple days before the wedding with my family. my brother and my aunt's sister had taken the first flight they could get from miami. my sister was already in karachi for the past week buying things for her own wedding next year...
about a month or so ago, my father's elder brother here in karachi, had suffered a stroke. my sister had already gone to visit him a couple days before and she said that things were not good. after my brother arrived we went together, the three of us...
my joy had turned to sorrow...
and after the initial shock and confusion,
the more aware i become of what is going on here,
...i feel anger.
tonight i spoke my mind to my family.
after i speak i always think about what i could have said that i did not.
and what i did say that i should not have.
it could have gone differently...
NO! it went how it went!
i think about the consequences...
NO! damn the the consequences!
what is the responsibility of one member to another?
what if you do not carry out your responsibility?
who does that responsibility then go to?
if it falls upon me,
then how far should I go...
to act upon that unfulfilled responsibility of another?
what are the consequeses of my actions?
should i care about the consequeces?...
if it is now MY responsibility,
then i should go as far as i think I have to!
damn the consequences!!
i'm here in pakistan. i came to attend my sister-in-law's wedding in islamabad. it was supposed to be a relaxing getaway. a chance for my wife to see her family again. she had married me 8 months ago, and moved to america about a week after our wedding. we came to pakistan on the first flight we could get right after her immigration interview. her sister's wedding events were set to take place a couple days after we arrived. she was very eagerly awaiting this trip for the last few months...
the first day went fine. so did the second.
on the third day everything changed.
we recieved word in the morning that my aunt in karachi had passed away...
i went to karachi and spent the couple days before the wedding with my family. my brother and my aunt's sister had taken the first flight they could get from miami. my sister was already in karachi for the past week buying things for her own wedding next year...
about a month or so ago, my father's elder brother here in karachi, had suffered a stroke. my sister had already gone to visit him a couple days before and she said that things were not good. after my brother arrived we went together, the three of us...
my joy had turned to sorrow...
and after the initial shock and confusion,
the more aware i become of what is going on here,
...i feel anger.
tonight i spoke my mind to my family.
after i speak i always think about what i could have said that i did not.
and what i did say that i should not have.
it could have gone differently...
NO! it went how it went!
i think about the consequences...
NO! damn the the consequences!
Monday, September 4, 2006
i'm here in pakistan. i came to attend my sister-in-law's wedding in islamabad. it was supposed to be a relaxing getaway. a chance for my wife to see her family again. she had married me 8 months ago, and moved to america about a week after our wedding. we came to pakistan on the first flight we could get right after her immigration interview. her sister's wedding events were set to take place a couple days after we arrived. she was very eagerly awaiting this trip for the last few months... the first day went fine. so did the second. on the third day everything changed. we recieved word in the morning that my aunt in karachi had passed away... i went to karachi and spent the couple days before the wedding with my family. my brother and my aunt's sister had taken the first flight they could get from miami. my sister was already in karachi for the past week buying things for her own wedding next year... about a month or so ago, my father's elder brother here in karachi, had suffered a stroke. my sister had already gone to visit him a couple days before and she said that things were not good. after my brother arrived we went together, the three of us...
Sunday, September 3, 2006
Saturday, July 8, 2006
marriage
i am married now.
i am having a child now.
i am graduating from architecture school now.
life is good.
i am having a child now.
i am graduating from architecture school now.
life is good.
Thursday, October 6, 2005
"do you really want to?"...she asks
i knew it...
i felt it...
i could tell in her voice when she called...
something was wrong...
Asad you idoit.
you irresponsible fool...
you keep saying you will do it and then you don't.
what will people say if they ask you to do something and you tell them: "hey, no disrespect or nothin', i'm kind of burned out! i'll get to it when i'm able to get to it!" YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!! You must meet expectations! BUT... in a desire to not let people down, you keep saying you'll do it and then, when you don't, you only end up letting them down. whats going on? what's the real problem? IS IT TRUE?? Is it really an issue of not having my priorities straight.... will I become less burned out through prioritizing?
i don't know... i have so much to do, and everything is seen as a priority by the one who has asked me to do it. being unable to prioritize = no priorities. i really don't WANT to do anything. everything is equally NOT a priority. i want to escape. and knowing that i can't, only makes me want it more...
what do i do...
i tell her that maybe its because of too many things going on at the same time. maybe after my schooling is done, or... but she is right! how can she be sure that there is any room for her right NOW? i sure as hell havn't demonstrated it.... can I make room?? she asks if i really want to get married? and why?
well... one reason i'm getting married really is because society has determined that i should get married. but what do i think... should i do what society expects?? (the answer is yes... its not fun being the only one among your friends who is not married... its not fun always being asked 'so when are you getting married'... its not fun... its time to move to the next stage in life... marriage... kids... companionship...) but i'm asked: Are you ready? well... am i? probably not? i wish i wasn't so burned out... an arranged marriage with someone from a different culture, lifestyle, that i met only twice? it will require time and effort. am i ready to take it on? the answer is no, i'm not ready. but when will i ever be? at some point in life we just have to go ahead and do something you are not completely ready for.... something that is important and can probably bring in to your life something that is missing...
i tell myself that marriage between two people who weren't quite comfortable with each other have work out fine. my parents, my grandparents, several friends... have all done well. i really do think that marriage and love are two separate things. she might not have (or get) the type of devotion she expects from someone that is madly in love with her (or even someone who is reliable and deserves to be trusted to be a faithful companion). i've done a lousy job of proving myself. if anything i've done the opposite. she has every reason to feel hesitant. but she should know that she will have someone who knows about the importance of family and responsible relationships. and believes in the evolution of an arranged relationship into a loving marriage. i don't know what else to say... my mind is going blank.
i felt it...
i could tell in her voice when she called...
something was wrong...
Asad you idoit.
you irresponsible fool...
you keep saying you will do it and then you don't.
what will people say if they ask you to do something and you tell them: "hey, no disrespect or nothin', i'm kind of burned out! i'll get to it when i'm able to get to it!" YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!! You must meet expectations! BUT... in a desire to not let people down, you keep saying you'll do it and then, when you don't, you only end up letting them down. whats going on? what's the real problem? IS IT TRUE?? Is it really an issue of not having my priorities straight.... will I become less burned out through prioritizing?
i don't know... i have so much to do, and everything is seen as a priority by the one who has asked me to do it. being unable to prioritize = no priorities. i really don't WANT to do anything. everything is equally NOT a priority. i want to escape. and knowing that i can't, only makes me want it more...
what do i do...
i tell her that maybe its because of too many things going on at the same time. maybe after my schooling is done, or... but she is right! how can she be sure that there is any room for her right NOW? i sure as hell havn't demonstrated it.... can I make room?? she asks if i really want to get married? and why?
well... one reason i'm getting married really is because society has determined that i should get married. but what do i think... should i do what society expects?? (the answer is yes... its not fun being the only one among your friends who is not married... its not fun always being asked 'so when are you getting married'... its not fun... its time to move to the next stage in life... marriage... kids... companionship...) but i'm asked: Are you ready? well... am i? probably not? i wish i wasn't so burned out... an arranged marriage with someone from a different culture, lifestyle, that i met only twice? it will require time and effort. am i ready to take it on? the answer is no, i'm not ready. but when will i ever be? at some point in life we just have to go ahead and do something you are not completely ready for.... something that is important and can probably bring in to your life something that is missing...
i tell myself that marriage between two people who weren't quite comfortable with each other have work out fine. my parents, my grandparents, several friends... have all done well. i really do think that marriage and love are two separate things. she might not have (or get) the type of devotion she expects from someone that is madly in love with her (or even someone who is reliable and deserves to be trusted to be a faithful companion). i've done a lousy job of proving myself. if anything i've done the opposite. she has every reason to feel hesitant. but she should know that she will have someone who knows about the importance of family and responsible relationships. and believes in the evolution of an arranged relationship into a loving marriage. i don't know what else to say... my mind is going blank.
measurements and a mid term
how can measurements be such a hard thing to get? i needed to have myself measured for my wedding clothes. I also had to recommend a Sherwani style i like. I said i'd do it by friday... of LAST WEEK!! Last Friday, on the due date, I started carying around, in my back pocket, a printout of the measurement form my fiance e-mailed me. my future in-laws needed them ASAP to give to a tailor. I just needed to find someone to take them so that i could send the reply. It didn't happen. I don't know why? I would arrive home with the form still in my back pocket, empty! WHY?? How hard is it to stop at some dry cleaner or... AHAA!! A MACY's behind the wall of the construction site that i've been going to for the past week for building inspections... I'm such a moron.... so, a couple of hours ago, I FINALLY GOT THEM! I finished making the cylinders for the pour going on, and I loaded the concrete cylinders made the previous day. I completed my structural inspections. I signed the log at the trailer. and I hosed off my boots (including the dirt and concrete on the bottom of my pants). and I went to the nice clean MACY's suit section for measurements. I had left the house in the morning and now it was already 2pm. no time to go to the office today. Now... I wanted to get to the unversity a little early so that I could do some last minute review of my notes before the Mid-Term at 3pm. But NO! I must get those measurements.... Its been little things like this that kept me from being able to get the measurements before. Its hard when everything is a priority. It becomes so stressful that nothing stays a priority for more then a brief moment in my mind and everything becomes a drag.... Eventhough its an hour drive from the construction site to campus, I wish i was able to drive in a thunderstorm and study at the same time. I try, I attempt to open my notebook... DAMN!! its not going to work. Its raining too hard... It is said that a successful marriage is about compromise and sacrifice (it is especially true for the wedding itself). my mid-term had to take the hit this time. I don't mind. (I can say this after its over now, luckily it wasn't too hard.)...
I have so much i need to do i guess it would help if i take a moment to jot them down: (in no particular order, other then how they come to mind) 1.get the rolls brakes fixed. 2.get the pool fixed 3.get the house landscaping finished 4.get the office construction done-decide on what i want to do about the construction permit -now mind goes blank... think think 5.get done with choosing the place for the wedding reception in miami -mind goes blank... think think 6.make diagrams needed for my thesis site study 7.finish finding the climate data and wind directions for miami of my site study... mind goes blank... think think... 8.finish cleaning out the closets, dependant upon on the sorting of the garage 9. finish sorting the garage, dependant upon fixing the rolls (OK i guess not, i can just pull it out of the garage until the next hurricane warning) 10.finish fixing the boat 11.decide what to do with the boat, should i sell it? the rent is too much for it to just sit there all the time not being used... think think what else do i have to do... oh yeah, 12.return Jihad's file on AMILA(i've had it since before he left Austin) 13.finish the hadith table i'm making for my sunday school students 14.finish dealing with the partition issue for the the school 15.finish the cost/benefit analysis on school space options 16.start writing the paper due on tuesday for theory class 17.start working on the project due for professional practice class ...think think what else do i have to do... 18........i think about the wedding in pakistan... what do i have to do for that... what do i do to gain some trust with mehreen... 18. buy a phone card to be able to call mehreen more often... 19.tell everyone to stop backbiting and gossiping and second quessing each others intentions............ 20.deal with the loan issue to pay off the property 21.get Ragiv to give me an update on the finances of the company 22.finish with dealing with Basit and the company marketing brochure 23.... i guess thats all that comes to mind right now, but i have a feeling there is more... i'll continue this list later... actually i'll post an update to this list with everything prioritized and check off which ones are complete and which ones still need to start...
I have so much i need to do i guess it would help if i take a moment to jot them down: (in no particular order, other then how they come to mind) 1.get the rolls brakes fixed. 2.get the pool fixed 3.get the house landscaping finished 4.get the office construction done-decide on what i want to do about the construction permit -now mind goes blank... think think 5.get done with choosing the place for the wedding reception in miami -mind goes blank... think think 6.make diagrams needed for my thesis site study 7.finish finding the climate data and wind directions for miami of my site study... mind goes blank... think think... 8.finish cleaning out the closets, dependant upon on the sorting of the garage 9. finish sorting the garage, dependant upon fixing the rolls (OK i guess not, i can just pull it out of the garage until the next hurricane warning) 10.finish fixing the boat 11.decide what to do with the boat, should i sell it? the rent is too much for it to just sit there all the time not being used... think think what else do i have to do... oh yeah, 12.return Jihad's file on AMILA(i've had it since before he left Austin) 13.finish the hadith table i'm making for my sunday school students 14.finish dealing with the partition issue for the the school 15.finish the cost/benefit analysis on school space options 16.start writing the paper due on tuesday for theory class 17.start working on the project due for professional practice class ...think think what else do i have to do... 18........i think about the wedding in pakistan... what do i have to do for that... what do i do to gain some trust with mehreen... 18. buy a phone card to be able to call mehreen more often... 19.tell everyone to stop backbiting and gossiping and second quessing each others intentions............ 20.deal with the loan issue to pay off the property 21.get Ragiv to give me an update on the finances of the company 22.finish with dealing with Basit and the company marketing brochure 23.... i guess thats all that comes to mind right now, but i have a feeling there is more... i'll continue this list later... actually i'll post an update to this list with everything prioritized and check off which ones are complete and which ones still need to start...
...God Bless America
sunday night, after a hard day of pumping out dirty water and cleaning out the left overs of my neighbor's large beautiful tree that hurricane Katrina toppled into my pool, my mother informed me that Nani-ammi's oath ceremony is at 8am tomorrow morning....
i go to sleep thinking "oh great!!! its raining like crazy outside".
Citizenship is a wonderful thing...
i served as my grandmother's translator as she went through the face to face citizenship interview and oral exam. she passed! and now, monday morning, the big day had come. the oath taking ceremony, the final step in a process that began when she first arrived here in the mid 1980s...
i woke up at 6 am. i had to go pick her up and then drive to the miami beach convention center during rush hour. but before that... the pump i rented to drain the pool is due at 8:30, the place opens at 7. i better leave the house by 6:30 to pick up my Nani... from her house it will take one hour to get to the beach. but before i leave, can i go one more round of pumping?... Yeah! the rain from the night before must be drained for me to continue cleaning my pool......
...6:45 i'm running to pack up the pump into my mother's car so that she can return it for me. Damn! I'm LATE!!!! Early morning traffic has built up on Hialeah's streets and there is no way i'm going to make it.
...7:30 we are on the road, Nani-ammi is amazingly calm for someone who is about to miss the ceremony, and I'm driving as fast as i can when you have a grandmother in the passenger seat next to you. she tells me about how she has no metel boxes in her purse this time (to carry her pan) she has eaten it before we left
...8:00 we finally make it to the Highway to Downtown. and by this time we start talking about what we will need to do to get into the ceremony at Noon. The noon ceremony is when my Aunt and my cousin are scheduled to take their oath. What can we do? Will they reschedule? What will they say? How hard will it be? I hope I haven't caused a major delay in her process... everything was going so well.
...9:00 we finally find a parking spot as close as you can get to the convention center entrance. Thanks to my father's diabetes I have inhereted his Disabled Parking Permit. I was probably meant to have it just for this occasion. we approach the security guard at the closed doors to Hall C, the one her invitation letter tells her to report to...
"better run if you plan on get through those doors before they close!... Enter through Hall D" he says.
WHAT???
ONE HOUR LATE!
and I still made it!!
We are among the last to enter the hall...
I see them closing the doors behind us...
We are rushed towards the next Hall and told that they are about to start. Its so exciting! I'm so emotional at this point, so happy that I have to hold back an unusual desire to cry as I walk hand in hand with my Nani as fast as she can towards her assigned section...
Thank God its the first section!
The ceremony begins a couple of minutes after we take our seat...
imagine "we would have been sitting hear for an hour" she says to me....
we better tell my sister to get here early for the noon ceremony...
some thoughts that came to mind that can be developed in later posts:
-the MC says that he will call out the countries of origin that are present and asks folks to rise when their's is named. cheers and claps are heard when a country is called. its strange how people retain a pride of their former place of citizenship, yet also don't feel it is important enough to live there anymore. is this unique to the american experience?...
-in the oath the new citizens vow to defend and fight for the nation by joining its military if the law makes them, being a born citizen myself, i never had to take such an explicit vow, maybe if i did, i would see loyalty, patriotism, and war differently...
-i'm amazed in the way you can replace the words "america" and "democracy" with "islam" and nothing would change in the way you talk about the two, does this mean that they inevitably become competeing forces when they become imperial. i guess not, because they are not equal at the moment, the rise of america has come long after the decline of islam. the difference is that while islam is spoken of in imperial ways it is only talk based on what used to be, while america is happening now...
-i'm amazed as to how much reference there is of God during the ceremony they play the song "God Bless the USA," the new citizens are led by one of their own as they say the pledge of alegience "...one nation under God" it just makes me think about the point i made earlier in the similarity and apparent conflict with islam...
-as my grandmother rises when the MC calls out Pakistan, i rise with her, so while i never really was "from pakistan", i kind of acknowledged it now in some way, i was conscious of this idea as i was standing there...
-many americans take some sort of formal oath that makes them conscious of their duties as a citizen, i think there should be some sort of formal oath to make those of us born here that aren't in the military, or naturalized immigrants, aware of our rights and responsibilities. maybe it should take place on a state by state basis. when a born citizen of a state becomes 18 they should be forced by law to register to vote and serve for a 2 year term as a member of the national guard of the state, maybe only 2 months minimum of which should be "active service" for your fellow citizens, and the first time they go to vote or do their service, at the polling place or at the guard training center they would take the oath. i think our country as a whole would benefit from something like this in each state. those of us that are born here would be just as conscious of our citizenship as those who choose to become americans are.
i go to sleep thinking "oh great!!! its raining like crazy outside".
Citizenship is a wonderful thing...
i served as my grandmother's translator as she went through the face to face citizenship interview and oral exam. she passed! and now, monday morning, the big day had come. the oath taking ceremony, the final step in a process that began when she first arrived here in the mid 1980s...
i woke up at 6 am. i had to go pick her up and then drive to the miami beach convention center during rush hour. but before that... the pump i rented to drain the pool is due at 8:30, the place opens at 7. i better leave the house by 6:30 to pick up my Nani... from her house it will take one hour to get to the beach. but before i leave, can i go one more round of pumping?... Yeah! the rain from the night before must be drained for me to continue cleaning my pool......
...6:45 i'm running to pack up the pump into my mother's car so that she can return it for me. Damn! I'm LATE!!!! Early morning traffic has built up on Hialeah's streets and there is no way i'm going to make it.
...7:30 we are on the road, Nani-ammi is amazingly calm for someone who is about to miss the ceremony, and I'm driving as fast as i can when you have a grandmother in the passenger seat next to you. she tells me about how she has no metel boxes in her purse this time (to carry her pan) she has eaten it before we left
...8:00 we finally make it to the Highway to Downtown. and by this time we start talking about what we will need to do to get into the ceremony at Noon. The noon ceremony is when my Aunt and my cousin are scheduled to take their oath. What can we do? Will they reschedule? What will they say? How hard will it be? I hope I haven't caused a major delay in her process... everything was going so well.
...9:00 we finally find a parking spot as close as you can get to the convention center entrance. Thanks to my father's diabetes I have inhereted his Disabled Parking Permit. I was probably meant to have it just for this occasion. we approach the security guard at the closed doors to Hall C, the one her invitation letter tells her to report to...
"better run if you plan on get through those doors before they close!... Enter through Hall D" he says.
WHAT???
ONE HOUR LATE!
and I still made it!!
We are among the last to enter the hall...
I see them closing the doors behind us...
We are rushed towards the next Hall and told that they are about to start. Its so exciting! I'm so emotional at this point, so happy that I have to hold back an unusual desire to cry as I walk hand in hand with my Nani as fast as she can towards her assigned section...
Thank God its the first section!
The ceremony begins a couple of minutes after we take our seat...
imagine "we would have been sitting hear for an hour" she says to me....
we better tell my sister to get here early for the noon ceremony...
some thoughts that came to mind that can be developed in later posts:
-the MC says that he will call out the countries of origin that are present and asks folks to rise when their's is named. cheers and claps are heard when a country is called. its strange how people retain a pride of their former place of citizenship, yet also don't feel it is important enough to live there anymore. is this unique to the american experience?...
-in the oath the new citizens vow to defend and fight for the nation by joining its military if the law makes them, being a born citizen myself, i never had to take such an explicit vow, maybe if i did, i would see loyalty, patriotism, and war differently...
-i'm amazed in the way you can replace the words "america" and "democracy" with "islam" and nothing would change in the way you talk about the two, does this mean that they inevitably become competeing forces when they become imperial. i guess not, because they are not equal at the moment, the rise of america has come long after the decline of islam. the difference is that while islam is spoken of in imperial ways it is only talk based on what used to be, while america is happening now...
-i'm amazed as to how much reference there is of God during the ceremony they play the song "God Bless the USA," the new citizens are led by one of their own as they say the pledge of alegience "...one nation under God" it just makes me think about the point i made earlier in the similarity and apparent conflict with islam...
-as my grandmother rises when the MC calls out Pakistan, i rise with her, so while i never really was "from pakistan", i kind of acknowledged it now in some way, i was conscious of this idea as i was standing there...
-many americans take some sort of formal oath that makes them conscious of their duties as a citizen, i think there should be some sort of formal oath to make those of us born here that aren't in the military, or naturalized immigrants, aware of our rights and responsibilities. maybe it should take place on a state by state basis. when a born citizen of a state becomes 18 they should be forced by law to register to vote and serve for a 2 year term as a member of the national guard of the state, maybe only 2 months minimum of which should be "active service" for your fellow citizens, and the first time they go to vote or do their service, at the polling place or at the guard training center they would take the oath. i think our country as a whole would benefit from something like this in each state. those of us that are born here would be just as conscious of our citizenship as those who choose to become americans are.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
the call
when you fall in love,
there is a desire to be in the company of the beloved.
to gaze at her beauty. to touch her soft skin. a sensual experience, where you share a time and a place together...
what if this is not possible,
what do you do if you cannot be in her physical company?
i guess that is where the phone comes in, a way to share a time but be in different places. you fullfill your desire of company through hearing her beautiful voice. you feel satisfied to at least be able to talk to your beloved...
and if that is not possible, then there are ways to at least be with her intellectually, experiencing a virtual companionship with the one you long to be with, using the old method of sending love letters, or new technologies that speed up the virtual process....
* how wonderful, that longing to be in the company of the beloved....... so what do i do if i'm not yet in love, what do i do to fall in love with the woman i've selected for marriage?
there is a desire to be in the company of the beloved.
to gaze at her beauty. to touch her soft skin. a sensual experience, where you share a time and a place together...
what if this is not possible,
what do you do if you cannot be in her physical company?
i guess that is where the phone comes in, a way to share a time but be in different places. you fullfill your desire of company through hearing her beautiful voice. you feel satisfied to at least be able to talk to your beloved...
and if that is not possible, then there are ways to at least be with her intellectually, experiencing a virtual companionship with the one you long to be with, using the old method of sending love letters, or new technologies that speed up the virtual process....
* how wonderful, that longing to be in the company of the beloved....... so what do i do if i'm not yet in love, what do i do to fall in love with the woman i've selected for marriage?
Saturday, August 6, 2005
bismillah
i will start this blog with past writings regarding issues that are very important to me. or were important to me when i wrote what i wrote. issues regarding identity, faith, activism, love...
enjoy.
enjoy.
Friday, August 5, 2005
simplicity and experience
i like cermonial events,
but i don't like things that are exagerated or too extravegant. i like simplicity.
simplicity is related to elegance.
i have observed that everything elegant has an element of simplicity to it. we should have elegance in ceremonial events. and to have elegance they should be simple. by simple i don't mean austere, or minimalist.
for example: if i desire a cloth with patterns on it, i can have those patterns embroidered on with shimmering beads and different color threads, or i can have that pattern built into the weaving of the cloth, in the same color of the cloth. i think thats what i mean by simplicity.
i don't want to sacrifice beauty or elegance, but for some things to be beautiful and elegant they must sometimes be simple. but it does depend on the particular situation. there may be situations where its the application of a pattern with shimmering beads that makes it beautiful. i hope this makes sense.
now...
what makes the ceremony an event is the experience people have at the ceremony...
by experience, i mean i don't like things that are staged for show and/or overly planned out, especially if the planning involves recording the event for posterity, often involving a camera, picture or video. i don't think a camera should decide the pace and the places of the people at the event. its like staging an event to be recorded rather then recording whats going on. we should forget the picture perfect, forget what others will think, and just go with the moment, experience it to the fullest. let the cameras capture the reality of imperfections rather then the perfect images.
but i don't like things that are exagerated or too extravegant. i like simplicity.
simplicity is related to elegance.
i have observed that everything elegant has an element of simplicity to it. we should have elegance in ceremonial events. and to have elegance they should be simple. by simple i don't mean austere, or minimalist.
for example: if i desire a cloth with patterns on it, i can have those patterns embroidered on with shimmering beads and different color threads, or i can have that pattern built into the weaving of the cloth, in the same color of the cloth. i think thats what i mean by simplicity.
i don't want to sacrifice beauty or elegance, but for some things to be beautiful and elegant they must sometimes be simple. but it does depend on the particular situation. there may be situations where its the application of a pattern with shimmering beads that makes it beautiful. i hope this makes sense.
now...
what makes the ceremony an event is the experience people have at the ceremony...
by experience, i mean i don't like things that are staged for show and/or overly planned out, especially if the planning involves recording the event for posterity, often involving a camera, picture or video. i don't think a camera should decide the pace and the places of the people at the event. its like staging an event to be recorded rather then recording whats going on. we should forget the picture perfect, forget what others will think, and just go with the moment, experience it to the fullest. let the cameras capture the reality of imperfections rather then the perfect images.
Wednesday, August 3, 2005
blind following
...sometimes its quite liberating to follow blindly.
it frees you from worrying about your actions. *It shouldn't free you from being held accountable for your actions! but, when you carry out an act that has precedent in local tradition, i'm sure you are quite worry free as you do it. blindly following is also related to the idea of imitation. we imitate in order to learn how to do something.
when confronted with a situation in which we don't know how to act, we can do one of two things:
-learn about the best course of action and take it;
-or imitate what others we are familiar with have done (tradition).
not all tradtion is bad. it can be the case that centuries of tradition have refined a practice into an excellent form. (for example, in architecture there are master craftsmen like masons and carpenters who learned through imitation).
it frees you from worrying about your actions. *It shouldn't free you from being held accountable for your actions! but, when you carry out an act that has precedent in local tradition, i'm sure you are quite worry free as you do it. blindly following is also related to the idea of imitation. we imitate in order to learn how to do something.
when confronted with a situation in which we don't know how to act, we can do one of two things:
-learn about the best course of action and take it;
-or imitate what others we are familiar with have done (tradition).
not all tradtion is bad. it can be the case that centuries of tradition have refined a practice into an excellent form. (for example, in architecture there are master craftsmen like masons and carpenters who learned through imitation).
Sunday, July 31, 2005
questioning inhereted values and marriage
some say that we don't think about our values enough, that we just imitate without thought. but i think inhereted values are questioned all the time. and i think they always have been. nothing is exactly the same as it was. things are always adapting to new circumstances. most of the time its in small ways that go unnoticed. and occasionally there is something that shows up which causes drastic changes quite rapidly (like the internet). love is one of those values, but a wedding is not a value, it is an inherited method of conducting a marriage... inhereted practices are questioned and modified just as much as inhereted values are. if one was to find a historical record of how weddings were conducted in colonial karachi and compare them to weddings now, there would be enough changes to prove my point. marriage is an inherited method of creating order... the concept of marriage is definately a value, but it's purpose is to create order. and trying to change anything that disrupts the established order faces resistence from those who maintain that order. its quite natural. but questioning the idea of marriage is very different from questioning the methods of conducting a marriage. to question the idea of marriage is almost like questioning the idea of order itself. that piece of paper, the marriage contract, that contractual agreement between two parties is where change can be forced.
Monday, July 4, 2005
poser activism
recently, a self sacrificing immigration attorney was taken out of action by the government... that's scary stuff... but here's what i find interesting, "The sixteen-year-old admits that previously, she did not want to be a lawyer because she hardly saw her mother, who was working all the time. Forgay has changed her mind. “Now, after seeing what happened to my mom, they may be able to stop her, but they can’t stop me from helping people who need it.”" at the ISNA convention a couple of years ago, there was a film being shown in the film festival that my brother was coordinating. it was about the Union Carbide gas plant disaster in Bhopal India that happened several years ago. well, the Indian government did very little for the people affected by that disaster. And now the mothers of kids who died of gas poisoning and don't want to see such a thing ever happen again or want to be justly compensated for their suffering have become some of the strongest activists for that cause. To me these are REAL activists. there is a real passion that you notice in their voices when they speak - or in their eyes when they look at the camera - or in their fist when they clinch it. Its a passion that i didn't have when i would organize something for Palestine, or Bosnia, or Kosova. don't get me wrong, its not that i felt nothing, but i didn't really care about the cause to say "by any means necessary". and that is what distinguishes a Real activist from the poser that i was/am. Over the past few years I've come to believe I have no business speaking about that which i don't know. And the things I know are islamic art and poser-activism. The responsibility to organize lies with those who are most directly affected. They have the passion that is required to see the mission accomplished. They will succeed or they will die trying. without that drive any activism is a waste of time. a diversion from responsibility that will no doubt make the pseudo-activist feel good, but in the end will do little to advance the cause. Last night I attended a fundraising event for an organization founded by a Pakistani pop singer, Shahzad Roy, it runs primary schools for poor rural pakistani kids and pays them to attend (in an effort to curb child labor and educate poor kids)... now how does this fit into my views of activism... well, there is a difference between issue oriented activism and institution building: both require organization and struggle; both require a means of support; both require people with a passion for the cause... activists may be involved in institution building but building an institution does not make you an activist. I admire that lawyer's daughter for what she wants to do. She has the ingredient that can make her more powerful then her mother. More powerful then all the lawyers working in CAIR or the ACLU combined. The effort to gain more civil rights is feuled by people like her. I admire activists. I support activists. My aunt in Pakistan is a women's rights activists. And if I'm affected by something that leads to a passion in me for a change, I hope that I can be the type of activist that the cause needs and not the type that gets in the way. peace and love.
Oh my God! i'm getting married
its starting to hit me now. for a long time the idea of me getting married was kind of abstract. even after i gave her the ring. maybe because there was no date, it still felt like an idea, not reality. so it didn't really affect me so much. but now... i'm feeling it. that "oh my god i'm getting married!" feeling. it hit me after a phone call from mahreen. its not bad or good, its just a feeling i havn't felt before. i'm kind of feeling helpless. my mind starts to go blank when i think about what i have to do now. even though my sister and my mamoo got married in karachi, i didn't do any of the planning. i've felt helpless before, back when i was having difficulties in architecture school. but that was a bad helplessness, it was mixed with a hopelessness about the future, this time i'm actually looking forward to the future. i can see it, touch it, taste it. i want it. i want her. but to get to be with her, i have to do something that i don't know. in a place that i don't know. and that makes me feel a little helpless. i ask myself "what do i do next?" and i have no answer. i thought i knew our traditions, but at the moment, i can't recall any procedures and protocals. images of past weddings flash in my mind. but they are completely out of sequence. this will be such an important event in our lives and here i am not able to comprehend how to do it. i can see why my mother was so nervous, and why she wanted her brother and mother to be with her. i'm feeling the same loss of my father that she's been feeling for the past few months. that feeling of loss comes and goes. i felt it last year when we were going through reforms in our company, and i feel it now. but when i think about the reception we would have here in miami. i feel good. i can imagine the happy faces of all of my fathers friends. they kind of see me as a son, i was one of the first of their kids to be born in miami. they are really looking forward to this. i imagine that miami event, and the nervousness kind of goes away. while most of what i need to do will be taken care of by my mother, it's time for me to call my cousins and get some advice on what my role should be.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
to submit
so, it seems the stars have determined my personality and character traits
they say I seek balance, I seek harmony, I try to see both sides: ie. indecisive
...that sure sounds like me.
...they say that me and that lioness will fit like missing pieces of a puzzle!
each complimenting the other,
making the picture complete!
...nice.
...got lucky I guess.
…what if they had said otherwise?
now... why do I find it hard to have faith in the stars?
or any other type of determinism…
maybe they are God’s way of giving clues to how everything works.
to be used in conjunction with prophetic sayings and holy revelations.
He seems to have made things easy to figure out.
...if I use the right key!
I must find the Key Master!
ahh... determinism.
my genetic code has determined my natural abilities and weaknesses
my looks, my habits,
...my potential diabetes damn it!
...and I know my upbringing and peers have determined my values
...oh, and lets not forget...
- it is said that God has determined who I will marry and how and when I die
and the ground in which I will be buried will drag my body to it:
"mitti khech ke..."
- Darn!...
it seems that anything I will try to do to affect these,
will only screw the programming up,
or fall in line with that which is meant to be anyways.
...If I let go of my ego
and these foolish delusions of freedom
it seems I can live a stress free life.
- All I have to do is submit...
take the punches to the gut...
take it like a man...
smile, just lie down and wait to die.
- ahhh... to submit...
to become a slave to determinism.
- So...
why can’t I do it...
why can’t I relinquish this useless need to control?
why am I so skeptical...
is that also part of my programming?
determined by the genetic code for my brain?
or thoughts springing from a consciousness planted by the Divine?
or is that a glitch in this system?
a weakness susceptible to exploitation by that cursed shaitan!
Stop that evil whispering!
you damned dirty bastich!!!
...and let me submit!!
they say I seek balance, I seek harmony, I try to see both sides: ie. indecisive
...that sure sounds like me.
...they say that me and that lioness will fit like missing pieces of a puzzle!
each complimenting the other,
making the picture complete!
...nice.
...got lucky I guess.
…what if they had said otherwise?
now... why do I find it hard to have faith in the stars?
or any other type of determinism…
maybe they are God’s way of giving clues to how everything works.
to be used in conjunction with prophetic sayings and holy revelations.
He seems to have made things easy to figure out.
...if I use the right key!
I must find the Key Master!
ahh... determinism.
my genetic code has determined my natural abilities and weaknesses
my looks, my habits,
...my potential diabetes damn it!
...and I know my upbringing and peers have determined my values
...oh, and lets not forget...
- it is said that God has determined who I will marry and how and when I die
and the ground in which I will be buried will drag my body to it:
"mitti khech ke..."
- Darn!...
it seems that anything I will try to do to affect these,
will only screw the programming up,
or fall in line with that which is meant to be anyways.
...If I let go of my ego
and these foolish delusions of freedom
it seems I can live a stress free life.
- All I have to do is submit...
take the punches to the gut...
take it like a man...
smile, just lie down and wait to die.
- ahhh... to submit...
to become a slave to determinism.
- So...
why can’t I do it...
why can’t I relinquish this useless need to control?
why am I so skeptical...
is that also part of my programming?
determined by the genetic code for my brain?
or thoughts springing from a consciousness planted by the Divine?
or is that a glitch in this system?
a weakness susceptible to exploitation by that cursed shaitan!
Stop that evil whispering!
you damned dirty bastich!!!
...and let me submit!!
Monday, May 23, 2005
a love riot
my heart aches...in my trips to pakistan over the past few years i've noticed a serious need. the need for a love riot...the muhabbat is missing...its among people i call family!!! something has gone...where's the light hearted fun and laughter? i remember it from my childhood...i want a return to that INNOCENCE! something new has taken its place...a tension filled drama fueled by gossip and backbiting he-said/she-said bull****...i despise it!! ...it makes me want to SCREAM!!!maybe its not new...maybe its always been there and i was too young to notice...O Allah! Why the Mmmph did you open my eyes to muhabbat...?? Damn you Hafiz... Why did you teach me about ishq??? I didn't know it in childhood...I want a return to that IGNORANCE!! NO NO NO!! no... I refuse to believe that its always been there! This stuff IS new...as my mothers cousins have grown up, they have started to dislike each other and fight among themselves...as my own cousins have grown up, some have become quite miserable people...i remember them as happy kids..."Oh but there are reasons Asad!" "You don't know..." please... please shut up!! there are always reasons to argue, reasons to hate...but I want to have hope that there are more reasons to love...I want to hope...I want to love...I refuse to share in their misery. I want to start a love riot...I want to grab the next relative i see saying this or that about another relative and kiss them on the lips to make them shut up...pucker up fools...here i come!!!
Sunday, May 22, 2005
impulsive actions
i deleted some things i posted on orkut about my engagement. i felt that what i had said had been read and now i didn't want a written record of it. so i just deleted them. i wanted my words to live on only as a legend told by others. for them to spark "the legendary love of asad and mahreen"!!! i didn't think of the negative consequences of the delete, some people were really upset by the delete, they started to think something was wrong ...i didn't realize that people had taken possession of my words. its like i went in and stole something. it even caused confusion for mahreen... our relationship is still quite fresh... i don't want my mis-steps to cause doubts... doubts must give way to understanding... so i explain why i did what i did. i like the excitement of impulsive actions and its aftershocks. it's hard for me to be troublemaker in the real world... too much of a acha bacha... so i cut myself loose for brief moments that i go into the virtual! i want to start a love riot among our relatives. i think i want too much... wait... a love riot???!!?!?? hmmm...
absence is to love...
impromptu poetry whispered to a beloved gets the job done then vanishes into the realm of imagination! sometimes its good that those words are not recorded... they inspire feelings and thoughts in the heart of the beloved. but those thoughts are raw... they need to be cooked... separation provides the fire! i will leave it to your imagination to remember what i said...
but this reminds me of a quote i read on a soldiers blog. the soldier goes by the name 'thunder 6' and his blog is called '365 and a wake up'. its a great blog, very powerful. here's the quote: "absense is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguished the small, and inflames the great."
...how true... i want to be the type who can inspire a love so great that absence cannot extinquish it. right now i have a problem of communication. i don't know if my words are powerful enough to sustain a love through physical absence. and it becomes a bigger problem when the words themselves become absent.
but this reminds me of a quote i read on a soldiers blog. the soldier goes by the name 'thunder 6' and his blog is called '365 and a wake up'. its a great blog, very powerful. here's the quote: "absense is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguished the small, and inflames the great."
...how true... i want to be the type who can inspire a love so great that absence cannot extinquish it. right now i have a problem of communication. i don't know if my words are powerful enough to sustain a love through physical absence. and it becomes a bigger problem when the words themselves become absent.
Monday, April 25, 2005
i'm an extremist?
i've learned that several of my relatives in pakistan think of me as an extremist. i'm no extremist! i only pretend to be an extremist... no i'm kidding!! i don't pretend to be anything. ...i AM quite traditional. meaning: ...1- i acknowledge the traditions of my parents and ancestors; ...2- i appreciate those traditions; ...3- i try to understand them; ...4- i try to follow those that seem to be relevant to making my life better.... by better, i mean: more grounded and happy!
* i do think that there are some major forces at work that are causing instability in the world around us. among the desi muslims i know in america: some people find security from this instability in the outward symbols of religion. some find it in superficial indo-pak culture. for me i guess its tradition. real tradition.... but my tradition and religious identity was not by choice, i just grew up in it. and sometime around the age of 18, i began to appreciate it. but i also try to understand the "why and how" of it, so that i can make the necessary adjustments to it, to keep it relevent to my life as an american. this includes my religion. i try to gain knowledge of it. i try to follow it, but am not a zeleot for all of its outward symbols. maybe, the relatives in pakistan think of me as more traditional because they compare me to themselves. in my trips to pakistan, I found that I had read much more than many of them about our religion and culture. They form an active part of my conscious identity. For many in pakistan its passive, being from india or being muslim is taken for granted, its only natural.... but because i'm more passionate about my religious identity then them, I can see why they would think I was MORE traditional and hence probably extreme. But a Fact remains... My side of the clan really IS more traditional. I think of a family chart i created several years ago.... There were a bunch of Naqvi sisters a few generations up: one married an Alavi, one married a Kureshi, one married an Abassi, and one married an Usmani... Abbasi and Usmani were my great grandparents...Usmani was Mufti-e-Azam of Hyderabad and very religious, much more traditional then any of the other names i mentioned. Its something I'm proud of. My grandmother is his daughter. My mother is his grand daughter. the force...uh, i mean the tradition, runs quite strong in my family.... But i don't think this make me extreme. It DOES mean that i grew up with much more religion and tradition than other relatives, Eventhough i was in America, most probably because I was in America.... ahhh, and this leads me to another possible reason why i guess they think of me as more traditional then i am. Most of my relatives have a stereotype of how liberal a pakistani becomes in America. I don't fit that stereotype. plus, there is a slight difference how i am among my elders and how i am among my close friends. i maintain a certain amount of adab when i'm with elders. so this porbably adds to their perception of me as more traditional then other americans.
* i do think that there are some major forces at work that are causing instability in the world around us. among the desi muslims i know in america: some people find security from this instability in the outward symbols of religion. some find it in superficial indo-pak culture. for me i guess its tradition. real tradition.... but my tradition and religious identity was not by choice, i just grew up in it. and sometime around the age of 18, i began to appreciate it. but i also try to understand the "why and how" of it, so that i can make the necessary adjustments to it, to keep it relevent to my life as an american. this includes my religion. i try to gain knowledge of it. i try to follow it, but am not a zeleot for all of its outward symbols. maybe, the relatives in pakistan think of me as more traditional because they compare me to themselves. in my trips to pakistan, I found that I had read much more than many of them about our religion and culture. They form an active part of my conscious identity. For many in pakistan its passive, being from india or being muslim is taken for granted, its only natural.... but because i'm more passionate about my religious identity then them, I can see why they would think I was MORE traditional and hence probably extreme. But a Fact remains... My side of the clan really IS more traditional. I think of a family chart i created several years ago.... There were a bunch of Naqvi sisters a few generations up: one married an Alavi, one married a Kureshi, one married an Abassi, and one married an Usmani... Abbasi and Usmani were my great grandparents...Usmani was Mufti-e-Azam of Hyderabad and very religious, much more traditional then any of the other names i mentioned. Its something I'm proud of. My grandmother is his daughter. My mother is his grand daughter. the force...uh, i mean the tradition, runs quite strong in my family.... But i don't think this make me extreme. It DOES mean that i grew up with much more religion and tradition than other relatives, Eventhough i was in America, most probably because I was in America.... ahhh, and this leads me to another possible reason why i guess they think of me as more traditional then i am. Most of my relatives have a stereotype of how liberal a pakistani becomes in America. I don't fit that stereotype. plus, there is a slight difference how i am among my elders and how i am among my close friends. i maintain a certain amount of adab when i'm with elders. so this porbably adds to their perception of me as more traditional then other americans.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
consumerism
Omri mamu said "There was a time when one went to Lahore and knew he was there before he could see the nametag of the city on the Railway Station. I don’t think that may be true anymore. For that matter, I don’t think that may be true for other metros of Pakistan also and is trickling down to our other ‘exotic’ locations. The individualities of the places, attitudes, cultures, etc. are the victims of ‘Commercialism’ running amuck."...
The individualities of a place consist of what:
... 1: first the physical characteristics -
- race and ethnicity of the people and the language they use to communicate;
- then the local resources available to make shelter, clothing, food.
... 2: next the cultural characteristics -
- what they do to “socialize”relax, recreate, and celebrate (music, sport, festivities, etc);
- how they govern their communites (family and government structure, etc);
- what they do to earn a living using the local resources (industries, commerce, services, etc);
- how they transmit their shared knowledge and language to each other and to their children (literature, arts and sciences)
... from among the above, what exactly is the victim of “commercialism” and how?
how is he defining “commercialism”?
... dictionary.com gives me three:
... 1-The practices, methods, aims, and spirit of commerce or business.
... 2-An attitude that emphasizes tangible profit or success.
... 3-transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services).
this last one is from princeton university.
... -The last definition does not exclude it from being different in different regions. A form commercialism can exist within any individual community that operates through buying and selling. It is neither positive or negative for a community, it is neutral. But if it is accompanied by an attitude that emphasizes profits or success, I can see how someone would consider it positive or negative. But what if the individual community already had the idea of profit as a part of its culture? An argument can be made that the community’s commercialism, is a part of its individuality.
... -Sure, I can see how when the commodities being sold go from being regional ones to ones supplied from outside the region, it can cause a decrease in the distinctiveness of the community given to it by the region’s resources and its own people.
... -There are natural upheavals like catastrophes—earthquakes, volcanic eruptions come to mind—that are non-controllable phenomena. Commercialism can also be categorized in just such a way, can’t it?
... -I can understand how a drastic change in the natural environment can change the regional resources available to buy and sell, build with, make clothing with, and make food with. or how a disaster can wipe out a significant portion of an ethnicity in a region. This obviously has effects on the physical characteristics that give a region its individuality and distinctness. And yes much of it is beyond control. and will most likely cause a “paradigm shift".
... -But, to claim that “commercialism” is similarly uncontrollable might be a stretch. I need more information to understand what he means. How is “commercialism” uncontrollable? As long there is a demand for a product there will be commerce for that product. So I can see how it can never really be eliminated, but I can see many ways that it can be controlled. Didn’t soviets do it? Don’t Cuba and North Korea do it now?
... -They all cause a paradigm shift in the way people think, live, socialize. The shift manifests itself ruthlessly like it has a mind of its own and doesn’t care whether anybody likes it or not. It has an edge to it like someone saying, “so sue me!”
Sure, I agree, often a change in thinking fed by uncontrollable events is so pervasive that one person or even small groups of people can do nothing much to counter its effects. There was a similar paradigm shift in the thoughts of most average americans after the events of 9/11, it was a paradigm shift involving they way they viewed security as opposed to liberty......
Omri mamu claims that "Initially, it was the five-star hotel chains that led the way."
... -What about Coke and Pepsi? What about Toyota and Suzuki? I think there were many goods and services that came from outside Pakistan, long before the hotel chains. Now, there is a tendency to ignore the particular goods and services that Karachites sell to other regions within Pakistan, or Lahorians sell to Balochistinians, or Kashmirites sell to Peshawaristaninians. And aside from it being local or alien, does it make a difference if the product is branded by a maker who has incorporated him/her/itself as a protection from liability? Should preference be given to the unincorporated local product maker?
... -Now, about brands. It was a natural evolution of commerce to figure out that a logo and a brand can help sell something. Is this inherently an evil thing? When technological advancements enabled the creation of photography, radio, television, and internet, should sellers be denied the use of these to sell legitimate goods and services? What if the maker of the branded product is local and unincorporated? What if the selling of these goods and services brings much needed economic growth to a stagnant region?
... -What if the local product made from regional resources is not able to brand itself and thus sells less? Does this mean that controls must be placed on goods from outside the region? What if the local product is of bad quality? Does the elimination of competition, by better products from outside, give the local brand the incentive to improve? What measures should be put in place to ensure an improved local product, a local product that does not get drowned out by the brand from outside that has more name recognition and more money for research and development of its product? Should I simply stop asking these types of questions, bail out from the system, and simply advocate a non-commercial counter-cultural lifestyle that reinforces a possession free non-competitive regionalism?
... -However, it was only the privileged and the elite who felt the ‘uniqueness of total offer.’ That was followed by the phenomena of satellite television and fast food chains. When this happened, as they say, all heck broke loose. Now when one goes out of Karachi to any other metro city in Pakistan or vice versa, one is apt to not get the distinct impression that one is in a different city.
Omri mamu also claims that "Progressively, the chances are that it will get worse."
... -I think it helps if we don’t think of it as getting better or worse. I think we must see it as a natural evolution of human life, commerce being a part of it. The choice is clear: become like a Dubai, a place with little local distinctiveness other then the desert environment on its outskirts, or retain some of the distinctiveness that comes from not only your natural environment but also from earlier traditional practices. Local leaders, elite, artists, teachers, must instill a pride of their regional environment and cultural traditions. Local corporations must produce quality products that take advantage of regional characteristics but don’t harm the region. Local governments must encourage and support local industry so locals have a means of employment. The people must build and hold accountable a strong independent justice system to hold corporations liable for lying about a product, and the damage a product causes. Ha! Easier said then done Asad!
... -OK OK, I’m afraid chances are that it will “get worse”. People continue to get suckered into buying products from outside that cause physical harm and a loss of distinctiveness of culture. People do not develop a pride of their region, and instead destroy it through pollution, mismanagement, and exploitation. But all is not lost, this can be countered, by those willing and able to become the type of parents that continue positive traditions and pass them down to their children. Liberal individuals can complain about loss of identity and distinctiveness all they want, but it is meaningless unless they are willing to accept tradition and the role it plays in perpetuating a culture. I think Commerce and Tradition can probably co exist and balance each other. Being too rigid in tradition suffocates a peoples ability to survive in a constantly evolving world, and Being too commercial makes one nothing but a shallow tool. Being both makes us distinctive and our distinctiveness may help give us a competitive edge in certain global markets.
The individualities of a place consist of what:
... 1: first the physical characteristics -
- race and ethnicity of the people and the language they use to communicate;
- then the local resources available to make shelter, clothing, food.
... 2: next the cultural characteristics -
- what they do to “socialize”relax, recreate, and celebrate (music, sport, festivities, etc);
- how they govern their communites (family and government structure, etc);
- what they do to earn a living using the local resources (industries, commerce, services, etc);
- how they transmit their shared knowledge and language to each other and to their children (literature, arts and sciences)
... from among the above, what exactly is the victim of “commercialism” and how?
how is he defining “commercialism”?
... dictionary.com gives me three:
... 1-The practices, methods, aims, and spirit of commerce or business.
... 2-An attitude that emphasizes tangible profit or success.
... 3-transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services).
this last one is from princeton university.
... -The last definition does not exclude it from being different in different regions. A form commercialism can exist within any individual community that operates through buying and selling. It is neither positive or negative for a community, it is neutral. But if it is accompanied by an attitude that emphasizes profits or success, I can see how someone would consider it positive or negative. But what if the individual community already had the idea of profit as a part of its culture? An argument can be made that the community’s commercialism, is a part of its individuality.
... -Sure, I can see how when the commodities being sold go from being regional ones to ones supplied from outside the region, it can cause a decrease in the distinctiveness of the community given to it by the region’s resources and its own people.
... -There are natural upheavals like catastrophes—earthquakes, volcanic eruptions come to mind—that are non-controllable phenomena. Commercialism can also be categorized in just such a way, can’t it?
... -I can understand how a drastic change in the natural environment can change the regional resources available to buy and sell, build with, make clothing with, and make food with. or how a disaster can wipe out a significant portion of an ethnicity in a region. This obviously has effects on the physical characteristics that give a region its individuality and distinctness. And yes much of it is beyond control. and will most likely cause a “paradigm shift".
... -But, to claim that “commercialism” is similarly uncontrollable might be a stretch. I need more information to understand what he means. How is “commercialism” uncontrollable? As long there is a demand for a product there will be commerce for that product. So I can see how it can never really be eliminated, but I can see many ways that it can be controlled. Didn’t soviets do it? Don’t Cuba and North Korea do it now?
... -They all cause a paradigm shift in the way people think, live, socialize. The shift manifests itself ruthlessly like it has a mind of its own and doesn’t care whether anybody likes it or not. It has an edge to it like someone saying, “so sue me!”
Sure, I agree, often a change in thinking fed by uncontrollable events is so pervasive that one person or even small groups of people can do nothing much to counter its effects. There was a similar paradigm shift in the thoughts of most average americans after the events of 9/11, it was a paradigm shift involving they way they viewed security as opposed to liberty......
Omri mamu claims that "Initially, it was the five-star hotel chains that led the way."
... -What about Coke and Pepsi? What about Toyota and Suzuki? I think there were many goods and services that came from outside Pakistan, long before the hotel chains. Now, there is a tendency to ignore the particular goods and services that Karachites sell to other regions within Pakistan, or Lahorians sell to Balochistinians, or Kashmirites sell to Peshawaristaninians. And aside from it being local or alien, does it make a difference if the product is branded by a maker who has incorporated him/her/itself as a protection from liability? Should preference be given to the unincorporated local product maker?
... -Now, about brands. It was a natural evolution of commerce to figure out that a logo and a brand can help sell something. Is this inherently an evil thing? When technological advancements enabled the creation of photography, radio, television, and internet, should sellers be denied the use of these to sell legitimate goods and services? What if the maker of the branded product is local and unincorporated? What if the selling of these goods and services brings much needed economic growth to a stagnant region?
... -What if the local product made from regional resources is not able to brand itself and thus sells less? Does this mean that controls must be placed on goods from outside the region? What if the local product is of bad quality? Does the elimination of competition, by better products from outside, give the local brand the incentive to improve? What measures should be put in place to ensure an improved local product, a local product that does not get drowned out by the brand from outside that has more name recognition and more money for research and development of its product? Should I simply stop asking these types of questions, bail out from the system, and simply advocate a non-commercial counter-cultural lifestyle that reinforces a possession free non-competitive regionalism?
... -However, it was only the privileged and the elite who felt the ‘uniqueness of total offer.’ That was followed by the phenomena of satellite television and fast food chains. When this happened, as they say, all heck broke loose. Now when one goes out of Karachi to any other metro city in Pakistan or vice versa, one is apt to not get the distinct impression that one is in a different city.
Omri mamu also claims that "Progressively, the chances are that it will get worse."
... -I think it helps if we don’t think of it as getting better or worse. I think we must see it as a natural evolution of human life, commerce being a part of it. The choice is clear: become like a Dubai, a place with little local distinctiveness other then the desert environment on its outskirts, or retain some of the distinctiveness that comes from not only your natural environment but also from earlier traditional practices. Local leaders, elite, artists, teachers, must instill a pride of their regional environment and cultural traditions. Local corporations must produce quality products that take advantage of regional characteristics but don’t harm the region. Local governments must encourage and support local industry so locals have a means of employment. The people must build and hold accountable a strong independent justice system to hold corporations liable for lying about a product, and the damage a product causes. Ha! Easier said then done Asad!
... -OK OK, I’m afraid chances are that it will “get worse”. People continue to get suckered into buying products from outside that cause physical harm and a loss of distinctiveness of culture. People do not develop a pride of their region, and instead destroy it through pollution, mismanagement, and exploitation. But all is not lost, this can be countered, by those willing and able to become the type of parents that continue positive traditions and pass them down to their children. Liberal individuals can complain about loss of identity and distinctiveness all they want, but it is meaningless unless they are willing to accept tradition and the role it plays in perpetuating a culture. I think Commerce and Tradition can probably co exist and balance each other. Being too rigid in tradition suffocates a peoples ability to survive in a constantly evolving world, and Being too commercial makes one nothing but a shallow tool. Being both makes us distinctive and our distinctiveness may help give us a competitive edge in certain global markets.
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