The Price of Peace
Last night there was a suicide attack in a mosque not so far away from my home. a couple of people were killed and the angry mob took to the streets, burning down several petrol pumps, shops, cars, buses and the nearby KFC (which consumed 6 innocent lives who were hidden inside the restaurant). I wont comment on who I think was responsible for the suicide attacks, nor will I comment on the extent to which the retaliation should (or could) have been limited to. But what I do wonder sometimes is a really challenging question that often bothers me: is it better to stay here in Pakistan or go and live abroad? Fine let’s say we prefer to earn rupees over dollars; that we would rather prefer to sacrifice our passions and hobbies for the duty to our homeland; that we prefer to live in a non luxurious and inconvenient system of life rather than the systematic and free flowing easy way of life abroad. Fine. Agreed. We prefer to do all this. But the important question is: with the fluctuating security conditions around us, can we sacrifice our lives living here? And that too knowing fully well that most often than not our blood will not be for the sake of our homeland. Unfortunately, in fact very unfortunately, nowadays in Pakistan and more so in Karachi (very very unfortunately) the system is:
-your cell phone or your life
-your new car or your life
-your jewelry or your life
-the money u just withdrew from the bank or your life
-change your political views/attachments or your life
Isn’t it a pity that we're now weighing such a sacred, priceless entity as OUR LIFE with worldly goods? There have been youngsters who have DIED just because they hesitated to hand over their cell phones to the dacoits. There have been newly weds who have been widowed only days into their marriage because they took too long to take off their jewelry in a robbery. This is seen and reported more in Karachi than in other cities (and I’ll give my views on that some other time), but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening in other locations around the country. The sad thing , and which brings me to the root of my question, is that the people we are running from; the people we are scared off; the people for which we’re using security guards and alarm systems and car trackers; the people against who we’re filing reports and running cases; the people who are killing the innocent; robbing, stealing, raping; the people who we’re scared will burn our cars (or the NUST transport van for sure ) the next time an incident like this happens; the people who are blowing themselves up in the most sacred and secure place on this planet; and the people who we cant put a finger on…….these people are all part of us! They’re all part of the same culture, the same heritage, the same ideology, the same international status, THE SAME BLOODY NATIONALITY!
If we have to sacrifice our luxury and dreams and passions for the homeland in which we are terrorized by our own race of people, tell me why then, is it not better to go and live abroad, where if we still are terrorized and threatened and disrespected, at least the thought might make us feel better that the oppressors are foreign tyrants and that this sort of behavior could be expected. We still would be living our dream life, and (for the ones that are of that kind) going for what makes us passionate about work and education
What is the price of peace do we have to pay? Because the highest price anyone can offer is their life, and at the moment even this seems to be falling short of a solution.
the infuriating result of hard work
something much
much worse happened than what i had predicted the night before last..yeah my journal and graphs were all photocopied and all...but the thing that totally flipped off my head was that the goddam teacher didnt show up..can u believe how cruel that is..whatever...he had to take a team of sub lieutenants to a swimming competition at the academy...i hope they got their butts kicked there
I never thought I'd die alone,
I laughed the loudest who'd have known?
I trace the cord back to the wall,
No wonder it was never plugged in at all.
I took my time, I hurried up,
The choice was mine I didn't think enough.
I'm too depressed to go on,
You'll be sorry when I'm gone.
I never conquered, rarely came
16 just held such better days
Days when I still felt alive
We couldn't wait to get outside
The world was wide, too late to try
The tour was over we'd survived
I couldn't wait till I got home
To pass the time in my room alone.
I never thought I'd die alone
Another six months I'll be unknown
Give all my things to all my friends
You'll never step foot in my room again
You'll close it off, board it up
Remember the time that I spilled the cup
Of apple juice in the hall
Please tell mom this is not her fault.
I never conquered, rarely came
But tomorrow holds such better days
Days when I can still feel alive
When I can't wait to get outside
The world is wide, the time goes by
The tour is over, I've survived
I can't wait till I get home
To pass the time in my room alone.
Blink 182-
Adams Song
the tyrannical result of hard work
did i stay up till 3 last nite? well its past 5 in the morning and ive been working straight for almost 5 hours now. we have to give in this practical journal. no body had any readings, no body had any theoretical background, no body had any idea whatsoever ...and when i mean no body, i mean excluding me and another friend of mines. but seriously, here ive worked my butt off, i cant feel my back, i ve slept like 6 hours in the last 40, and when i go to college tomorrow, everyone will just copy off my work.i spent 4 hours just on the graphs using excel and they will get photocopied. thats the way the education system is here..there i go complaining again..but i mean isnt it a little unfair? no its not i guess. its too bloody damn unfair to even mention. im caught in between working so hard (which makes me possessive of my work) and being the nice guy trying to help ppl out (to the extent that im literally printing out graphs and tables for them..its a really sticky situation to be in...and this isnt the first time..ive lost count of how many times and how many ppl have copied off my work..its just 10 % of the final weightage, but its 150 % of my hard work and time investment....but have no fear...inshaAllah justice WILL be served....
p.s. i guess the only good thing i can take out of this is the fact that after a long long time i prayed fajar with full consciousness..otherwise when i wake up from sleep to pray, im so sleepy i dont remember when i start praying and when i end it. infact i get an idea of when my prayer is finished by counting unconsciously the number of times my head hits the floor for sajdah
gosh its 3 in the morning. and ive just finished my work. i had to make this formula sheet for the upcoming test. id like to say much more on this whole thing but i know my teacher uses the internet too and i wanna get an A in this subject :P one of my teachers already has found out about the pnec blog one of my friends has put up, so i cant guarantee this wont be kept a secret too..anyways im off to sleep now
my biggest problem:
i cant recognize the person i see when i stand infront of a mirror...
arright after much persuasion (partly from my friends and partly by the sprit of inspiration breathing down my neck), ive finally created my own blog..my very own stampmark into the info highway world...my bold statement about my own views and thoughts and the desire to let known to the world the hammad no one knows.......................................................but now what?
and who would wanna read my posts anyway??
