Why The Covering of the Kaaba Should be So Glamorous?

By Shah A Siddiqui

It has bothered me since last so many years when I see every year on 9^th Zill Hijjah the changing of covering of the Kaaba takes place in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Since the last couple of years, I have searched so many books on this issue and found nothing but a ritual not mentioned in the Quran or Hadith.

The practice of changing of the covering of the Kaaba has been carried out since last 5,400 years. It is a custom started by the Prophet Hazrat Ismail (PBUH) 4,000 years before the origin of Islam. There is a different narration about who put the first covering around the Kaaba but it is reported that Hazrat Ismail (PBUH) was the first person who put the covering around the Kaaba. It is also more widely accepted that a Yemeni King, Asad Abu Karib, put the first covering around the Kaaba. Once he traveled to Makkah and stayed there for six days; he sacrificed animals and gave the meat away to the people of Makkah and to the poor. When he was in Makkah, he saw in his dream that he put a covering around the Kaaba and the next morning he realized and put a fabric around the Kaaba. He saw in the dream three consecutive nights, so he changed three days with different fabrics. Thus he was known as the first person to put covering around the Kaaba.

According to a narration, our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had once covered the Kaaba with Yemeni fabric. Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Usman covered it with thin Egyptian fabrics. The Islamic scholars explaining Hadiths say that it is possible that Hazrat Muhammad (saws) used different fabrics at different times around the Kaaba. During the era of Ignorance, the Kaaba used to be covered by woolen fabric. During the era of four Caliphs, the covering was changed every year. Hazrat Muawiyah changed it twice a year. Different color of fabrics was also used like red, white, green, yellow and black. Caliph Mamun Abdul Rashid and Fatimid Caliph used white covering for the Kaaba. During the time of Abbasid Caliph Nasir, used the green covering for the Kaaba then during the time of the same Caliph it was changed to black. From then on, the covering of the Kaaba is black. The covering of the Kaaba was never ignored during the history of Islam. There was set up a foundation in a village near Cairo by Salih Ismail bin Nasir to cover the expenses of covering of Kaaba.

The covering called ‘Kiswah’ used to be prepared out of Saudi Arabia in Egypt, Iraq, Sudan and India until 1927. Later the covering of Kaaba started manufacturing in Saudi Arabia.

I know some of us don’t know the history of the covering of Kaaba, so I thought it is important to apply a little historical background about the “Ghilafe Kaaba” the covering (Kiswa) of Kaaba for our readers. The purpose of bringing this sensitive issue of “Kiswa” is to know the concept of spending millions of Saudi Rials to change the covering is justified or not.

This year the Saudi monarchy spent 22 million SAR which is equal to 5,866,000 US dollars in the preparation of ‘Kiswa’ the covering of the Kaaba. This is a huge amount and the details are as below:

• 150 KG pure gold and silver has been used in inscribing the calligraphy on the covering.
• 670 KG Pure silk fiber used for making the Kiswa measuring 657 Square Meter. The covering ‘Kiswa’ was made in 47 pieces which are 14-meter high.

At the early age of Islam, the covering ‘Kiswa’ use to be very simple and just covering the Kaaba with fine clothes and not unusually expensive fabrics. At that time the Muslim population was not much compared to this time and everyone was happy with their life. Saudi Arabia’s total population is estimated about 32.2 million and according to an estimate as quoted by an American Journalist in New York Times Lynsey Addario that at least 20 percent of the population if not more, lives in crippling poverty. You can see beggars panhandle Riyadh’s luxurious shopping mall and a few kilometers from the world richest capital Riyadh people are struggling to survive with a meager wage in a capital’s southern slums. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has strict control of the media and the foreign journalists are not having much access to the underprivileged neighborhood to find out the facts or interview the people who are suffering there under the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia spends 22 Million SAR every year on the changing of covering of the Kaaba ignoring their own citizens who are suffering from the poverty and could not pay their electric, water and medical bills. Although it is propagated in the media that the inhabitant of the Kingdom is living their lives lavishly which is totally untrue.  The Muslim world always looks for Saudi Arabia to come forward and help the poor countries. What we can anticipate from the Kingdom who could not eradicate poverty from his own country.

In my opinion, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia should stop spending a huge amount on Kiswa, instead start working on uplifting the daily life of his own more than 20% people who are still living under less than poverty level in the country. If you look around the world from Africa to Asia people are dying due to starvation, sickness, unavailability of clean water and shortage of medicine. There is no education at all in so many countries, so the money which is being utilized in making the expensive covering of the Kaaba (‘Kiswa’) could be spent on the making the world a better place to live for the mankind.

Allah, is not going to be “pleased” with the expensive covering of Kaaba or its ornaments, if his own people die with hunger, shortage of medicine, unavailability of clean water. I would propose that instead of annual changing of Kiswa in the month of Zill Hijjah, it could change every five years or every three years at most.

If something has not been told by Allah or it is not cited in the Quran or Hadith, then why it is so significant for the Saudi Kingdom to spend millions of Saudi Rials on the preparation of Kiswa (Ghilaf e Kaaba) and why it is not important for this monarchy to donate these millions of dollars to the poor who are in need of basic necessities of life. But from this huge amount the Kingdom should start working in his own country first and eradicate the poverty from his own land and then start helping another country regardless of religion which is the lesson of Islam. 

The religion of Islam shuns and discards ostentation and show off. The draping of the cubical shape Khana e Kaaba does not fit into the obligatory duties and fundamental beliefs of Islam. Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) never did it although he could have done it with any amount of gold and silver. He lived a very pious and simple life and emphasized the same for all other Muslims of his age and of coming times.

The covering Khana e Kaaba with gold & silver studded wrap is not the only negation of Islamic essential beliefs but also a violation of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH). The fact is that other religion or non-Muslims can be impressed by our piety and noble conduct but not by the show off of richness and unnecessary ostentation for the performance of Hajj which is one of the five fundamental obligations of Islam. These obligations are shahada (faith), five times prayer, fasting, Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah) and Zakat(charity). As such we Muslims must ponder which way we are going.

Do we want to impress the followers of other religions that Islam loves gold, wealth, and richness? What can impress them are simple and chaste life. What the Saudis are doing by spending millions of dollars on simply covering Kaaba is not in accordance with the basic teachings of Islam. On the contrary, it is a violation of Islam.

The accumulation of wealth and gold is strictly prohibited in Islam. That is why I would beseech the custodian of Khana-Kaaba to initiate the noble and simple ritual of covering Khana Kaaba with simple clothes on which should be written Kalema and other Quranic ayas concerning hajj. The money that is spent on the extremely expensive wrapping of Kaaba should be distributed among the poor and needy people. Thus not only we would be fulfilling real Islam but also Allah will be pleased with us.

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 Shah A Siddiqui

 Bureau Chief,

 Muslims Abroad

 Columnist,Critique Writer, Freelance Journalist, Calligrapher, Artist

 shahjeesblog.blogspot.com

“Clean Up” Turkey, President Erdogan

By Shah A Siddiqui

The Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s “clean up” mission is very important keeping in view the unsuccessful coup by the faction of the armed forces, air force, and civil administration. Erdogan is a popular leader and assumed by the Turkish people, can do whatever he wants to do for the improvement of the nation. He is the true, honest leader. His action aftermath of the coup looks like an action of a ‘Military Dictator’ but this is the only remedies he can use to restore the peace and constancy in the nation. After hours of Council’s meeting today, it has been determined that all the three commanders will continue in their position which is a serious signal that the military Chiefs are loyal to the government of Erdogan.
There is a news that President Erdogan wants the armed forces and national intelligence agency brought under the control of the presidency, which will be the major part of overhauling after the failed coup. It will be a nice copy of US systems where the President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces and has control of the powers.
Turkish people should be grateful to their President for bringing up the economy from the ditch of a failed economy to a self-sufficient status. Since 1961 Turkey had 19 IMF loan accords and Erdogan was inherited the debt of 23.5 billion dollars to the IMF, which was reduced to $ 0.9 billion in 2012. If this situation happens in Pakistan, then our country had gone to bury under double debt to the IMF. The reason is only ‘honesty’ of president Erdogan, who loves his country and the people.
In my opinion, Erdogan should carefully consider the removal, arrests of the rebel faction of the army and civil administrations and put them behind the bar no matter if they are 16,000 people, 10,000 soldiers, 50, 000 states employees, 200 Generals, 32 Admirals, 1100 Officers, 436 junior officers. No matter if the figures go double in numbers. There should be no mercy or leniency for the culprits, perfidious and traitors of the nation.
President Erdogan is doing a great job and he should continue till the Turkish people have faith in the leader. He is the only leader after Kamal Ataturk the father of the Turkish nation. The world and the Turkish people recognize his leadership from the time he took over the charge of Mayor of Istanbul to the President of Turkey.
The world should support the action of President Erdogan and his cabinet so that he could bring the peace and stability back in the country and process of democracy could be extended.
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 THE TURKISH PEOPLE HAVE FAITH IN TAYYIP ERDOGAN

By Shah A Siddiqui

17th July 2016      

I watched live on ARY news the unsuccessful military coup from the start to the arrival of President Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul at the airport, where he addressed the large crowd. When the first ticker started on the TV and the breaking news about the Military coup flashed, it shocked me. Within a few hours the situation started turning against the rebellions and finally after the statement of Tayyip Erdogan appeared on news media that “the people of Turkey will face the armored tanks and army on the streets of Ankara and Istanbul” and another statement after a while appeared on the media” I will be among my people tomorrow morning.” After the news break in Turkey about the military coup and martial law, there was no mob on the street and it was speculation that the coup will accomplish with a successful end. Slowly the people of Turkey welcomed the call of President Erdogan and started pouring on the street of Ankara and Istanbul. The world saw that a man laid down in front of the military tank in support of his country’s democracy and his leader Tayyip Erdogan. I saw on TV that the mob was so enthusiastic and furious that compelled the armored trucks and military to go back to their barracks. The martyrs of a few hundreds of people are nothing to save the democracy and bury the military coup once for all. Today the world is praising the people of Turkey for their courageous action against the unsuccessful military takeover. 

Mustafa Kamal Ataturk was the father of the Turk nation, but I would say that Tayyip Erdogan is the great leader and saver of the modern Turkey after Mustafa Ataturk. It would not be an exaggeration if I say that at this time he is the most powerful leader in Turkey. People criticize him harshly for some of his policies, but the other hand the masses love him too, as it was revealed after his last night stating that “the people will reply the army in the morning “His journey of progress started when he was elected the Mayor of Istanbul in 1994 and people feared that he will impose Islamic laws as he was affiliated and was follower and active member of the Islamist Welfare Party. Erdogan is a genius person and he understands the sentiments of the public & the essence of time. When he took over the charge as the Mayor of Istanbul, he became pragmatic in the office and he picked up the core issues and concerns of the people. The time he had sworn in as the Mayor, the situation was worst in health care, water, public transport, the environmental pollution and above all the economic was derailed in Istanbul besides the whole country. Erdogan as a true and honest representative of the people worked hard and during his Mayoral period, he fixed most of the issues. The transportation, healthcare, water shortage and basic problems got fixed and not only this, but he paid back the debt to Metropolitan Municipality and the top of that invested extra 4 billion dollars in the city. He built highways, bridges, viaduct, and the water shortage problem was solved by laying a hundred kilometers of new pipelines.

He controlled and took precautions to prevent the corruption. He became a shining star in the sky of Turkish politics and when he served the people and showed the governance he became a popular leader.

In 2001 he organized his own political party and in the election of 2002 he gained a landslide victory and captured two third seat, but due to ban by the Judiciary, he could not become a Prime Minister. Later, when the Election Board canceled the voting in Siirt and announced new election on January 9, 2003, Erdogan was permitted to participate in the election and this election was again a big win for him and elected Prime Minister of the country.

He is very brave & very courageous leader among Muslim countries, he is not scared to warn any country on the basis of Muslim issue and he did not compromise the ongoing issues in the Middle East or Europe. Turkey downgraded diplomatic ties with Israel and halted defense-related trade after the confirmation by the Israel government that the government of Israel will not apologize for the raid on the Mavi Marmara ship which had attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Later on this open threat by Turkey, Israel had to bend down and released a statement that he wanted to stop the tension with Turkey. Erdogan loudly condemns Israel on the issue of Palestine and we did not notice that any other leader from the Middle East or Pakistan can support the Palestinians and condemn Israel.

Tayyip Erdogan has emerged as a new and energetic leader after the unsuccessful coup and he started a new life along with his cabinet members to take the country at another face of economic development. He was very confident when addressing the crowd at the airport, which proves that he will definitely take action against those culprits of the army and he clearly said that the time has come to ‘clean up’.

Tayyip Erdogan has clearly mentioned that Fatehullah Gulen has instigated this coup, who is sitting in Pennsylvania (USA) and he sounded out” Turkey can’t be ruled from Pennsylvania”. He requested the United States to arrest and extradite the cleric Fateh Ullah Gulen.  Turkey is a major alliance of the United States in the region and lets us find out what action could be brought against the cleric Gulen. 

The State Department has replied that if anything proves that Gulen was involved in the coup, then the United States will take action.

The unsuccessful coup in Turkey is also a great lesson for Pakistan and its governing party. Nawaz Sharif’s government should not live in any misunderstanding or any miscalculation that the public will support him or will come out like the Turkish people supported his President and Prime Minister and pushed the military tanks and armors back to their barracks and hundred got martyred.

Nawaz Sharif is NOT Tayyip Erdogan and he should read the writings on the wall. And the people of Turkey have faith in Tayyip Erdogan.

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Solutions for Pakistan

By Saeed Qureshi

Unlike Saudi Arabia and Iran, Pakistan is not a religious but a nation state. It should be liberated from socio-religious taboos that hinder its progress and development like other developed nations around the world. It was Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who switched Pakistan then relatively a secular state towards a theocratic state. It was the unbelievable mind boggling somersault that came from a highly modernized, secular leader and proponent of democracy, human rights, equality and liberty.
The submission of ZAB under pressure from the religious right and theocratic forces to Islamize Pakistan was the most grievous debacle that plunged Pakistani into a morass of religious fanaticism that has ever been swelling and, of late, has assumed monstrous proportions. Thereafter, the society, the state and the national institutions in Pakistan have remained subservient to the burgeoning religious militancy. The predominant role of Muslim crusaders in anti-Russian war in Afghanistan gave a kind of cart-blanche and brazen leeway to further push Pakistan into the lap of theocracy and unhindered mushrooming of religious dogmatism.
Mr. Bhutto spoke in favor of downtrodden sections of society and by taking shelter under Islamic socialism nationalized banks and industries. But these steps were taken at a time when socialism was on the decline for being a failed economic system. For the time being there was a bubble of economic boom and the people believed here was a liberator and redeemer who will take the country to new dazzling heights of glory and dignity.
But alas by two disastrous decisions, he watered down his achievements of liberalizing society, endearing Pakistan to the whole world particularly the Islamic bloc. One was to block Awami League from forming the government and also to spur Pakistan army and the morally bankrupt president for triggering civil war in East Pakistan culminating into dismemberment of Pakistan.
The second devastating decision was the amendment in the constitution that became a stepping stone for the clergy and religio-political parties with Jamaat-i-Islami in the lead to hold and spread their obscurantist agenda in Pakistan. He declared Ahmadis as non- non-Muslims. He banned liquor first in 1974 in the army mess halls. After the PNA movements for Nizam-i-Mustafa and against rigging of election in 1977, he again budged and as a political ploy, declared prohibition on the sale of alcohol and closure of liquor bars in Pakistan in April the same year. Ironically while the opposition forced ZAB to go back on his previous agenda of opening up society, they supported the advent of military rule under General Ziaul Haq in whose tenure Bhutto was hanged.
 Ever-since those blighted, indiscreet and self-serving decisions just to placate the religious parties and to stay in power became lasting millstones around the neck of Pakistan as well as the society. Pakistan has been paying a heavy price for Mr. Bhutto’s egregious blunders made for the sake of personal aggrandizement. Had it been done for the sake of Islam one could take it as justified and sublime. But sacrificing his lofty agenda of building a new Pakistan on the altar of expediency and as a bargaining chip for hanging on to power was outright rank and loathsome opportunism.
His successor Gen. Ziaul Haq was hundreds times more focused on Islamizing Pakistan and one shudders to see in the hindsight how he forced his religious idealism by using naked and brute force and state power in crushing the opponents and those who spoke for fundamental rights and democracy. The Afghan anti-communism war gave an enormous fillip to his myopic agenda and what was missing in the Islamic impulse of Bhutto was irretrievably furthered and hammered by Ziaul Haq. The passion of Bhutto for Islamizing Pakistan was a spurious ploy while that of Zia was in right earnest, although both pushed Pakistan into a dreadful religious paradigm whose latest manifestation are Taliban and Al-Qaida.
It is indispensable that some visionary, courageous and progressive leader can reverse that retrogressive trend set in motion by Mr. Bhutto and later by Gen Ziaul Haq. Towards that goal, the following reforms are of utmost importance:

• The nomenclature of Islamic Republic of Pakistan should be changed to the Democratic Republic of Pakistan.

• Liquor and similar beverages should be allowed in Pakistan under state rules for sale and use. That would prevent illegal and underground trade of liquor, forcing the people to use injurious and toxic drugs such as heroine and pot. The people were free to use these delights in undivided India and for several years after the birth of Pakistan. This fundamental right should be restored to them.

• The religious seminaries should be integrated with the main schooling system in Pakistan. The subject of Islamic teachings and jurisprudence can be made a part of the academic syllabus.

• The number of mosques should be fixed for a certain number of residents in a locality.

• The Imams and clerics (who lead prayer) should be appointed by the local governments or administration. There should be some required qualifications and knowledge of Islam for every Imam to be appointed. They should be barred from sermonizing against their rival sects.

• Religious fanaticism and militancy should be curbed with full might by the state.

• The Shamanism (Peeri and Mureedi and fake sainthood) should be curbed at all costs. The worship and idolizing the dead as redeemers of human problems has to be banned.Feudalism in all forms should be eradicated.

• The rewards to the military officers by way of huge tracts of lands should be discontinued. That was a colonial practice to create loyalists in the army. The military top brass thus becoming landlords and big landholders try to protect this anti-human institution.

• The sectarian outfits, the religious militancy, the groups involved in destabilizing Pakistan on their own or at the behest of the foreign inimical powers should be eliminated so that the people feel safe and resume their normal life.

• For trial of the terrorists, extortionists, killer gangs, saboteurs and arsonists now spread all over Pakistan making a mockery of the Law enforcement and legal system have to be killed on the spot or tried summarily to be executed through summary trials. When peace prevails the traditional legal and police system can be restored.

• The separatist movements and insurgents like the BLA should be handled the way Sri-Lankan government dealt with the Tamil Tigers. The armed skirmishes with BLA would not yield any desired results so soon. The army can launch a quick and brutal blitz for debilitating and stamping out this network that purportedly is fighting a proxy war for some foreign anti Pakistan powers. If parleys can bring some kind of pacification, then that option may be tried before launching a full scale army operation. Same treatment should be meted out to the Taliban and those elements that want to turn Pakistan into medieval theocratic state.

• The FATA region should be declared a province of Pakistan like other provinces. The frontier regulations and special status in regard to FATA should be done away with. The FATA once joining as a part of Pakistan without being administered under special status would end it as the hub of countless criminal activities emanating from this region.

• The four existing provinces should be replaced by at least 16 provinces for good governance and decentralization of powers.
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The writer is a senior journalist, former editor of Diplomatic Times and a former diplomat. His blog is www.uprightopinion.com

Are you Afraid of Death?

By Saeed Qureshi

Are you afraid of death?  Whether you are or not, death will come anyway. One usually starts thinking about death towards the fag end of one’s life. The concept of death is scary and dreadful because it’s the irreversible transformation from existence to extinction. Death is described to be “the termination of the biological functions that define a living organism. It refers both to a particular event and to the condition those results thereby”.
The fear or paranoid of dying is common to all human beings. The animals too have the fear of death but perhaps it is explained more in their defense against the danger to their survival. In a fight between the beasts when one is killed, the other leaves the fighting ostensibly perceiving that the enemy has passed to another stage where it cannot fight back.
We have seen lions, killing their prey and waiting for their death and by pressing the jugular vein of the victims. It means that besides humans that conceive death by virtue of their intelligence and consciousness, the animal too instinctively know the difference between the state of life and death.
I have seen certain individuals in life who had no fear or phobia of death. Rather they were happy and exuded satisfaction that they were passing away with no remorse or regrets that could have weighed heavily on their minds. The deeply religious people were content at the time or before death because they unflinchingly believed that in the hereafter or so-called next world, they would ever live in the paradise: an everlasting abode of complete happiness, pleasure, and leisure.
 The short and limited life span in this world has always posed an intriguing question and perplexing enigma to the human beings. It is an existence that ends with decline and death. Every religion has wrestled with this paramount question and has tried to answer it with its own kind of explanation.
The three Abrahamic religions namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam, talk of a paradise that can be only achieved if certain conditions are fulfilled. These conditions differ between these three main religions. The Jews, of late, are moving away from the dogma of paradise after death and maintain that such a paradise would be created by the man himself on the planet earth. The Christians identify the path to paradise in the belief of Jesus Christ as the son of God.
The pre-requisite for Muslims’ to earn the blissful paradise is to follow the path of God revealed and illustrated in the holy Quran through Prophet Muhammad and marginally in the previous scriptures. But for all these religions the picture of paradise is similar: a place of perfect joy, limitless entertainment and endless both spiritually and in worldly pleasures.
 As German author Gerhard Herm stated in his book “The Celts-The People Who Came from Out of the Darkness: “Religion is among other things a way of reconciling people to the fact that some day they must die, whether by the promise of a better life beyond the grave, rebirth, or both”. All the religions invariably believe that the human soul is immortal and that after death “it journeys to an afterlife or that it transmigrates to another creature”.
In comparison to heaven or the paradise, the hell is a dreadful place with all kinds of torments and pains that one can think of in this world. That abhorrent place is for those who are sinners in religious terms. A sinner is that who defies, violates or breaks the canon teachings sent to the humans through the God’s emissaries called prophets. For non Abrahamic religions, it is only the soul that survives and gets into the cycles of rebirths and finally joins the soul of God. For Buddhists it dissipates after purification of sins.
 Islam presents a graphic and well laid out sketch from man’s final wisp of breath to the first step into the paradise. It’s a long journey. For Christians the concept of limbo, purgatory or a temporary sojourn for the souls of dead is mentioned but they also believe that the dead lay in the grave both with flesh and soul. Muslims believe that while man’s body is in the grave, his soul waits in the limbo (Barzakh) to return, on the Resurrection Day, to rejoin the body for judgment.
For Muslim believers the Day of Judgment is very rigorous followed by crossing over a hair thin bridge to reach paradise or fall into the hell down below. So the elements of fear and enticements are central to the explanations of respective religions about the life after death.
The fear of death stems from the inevitable yet harrowing compulsion that despite one’s will and wish, no one can escape this unavoidable end. It is perturbing to leave one’s joys, wealth, kith, families and the phenomenon of life full of sound and fury for an unknown destination from where no one has ever returned. The myth of separation of soul from body leaves no possibility, how infinitesimal it might be, for a man to relive again. The body and his physical shell decays and cannot be revived.
As for returning from the next world back to the previous one, there is no evidence that such a world, as man perceives, exists. To return from the unknown world, it is first necessary that the soul and body must unite together. A dead man or his remains have no consciousness to recall the soul and be resurrected again. Therefore, this realization of permanent departure from a world of so much fun is at the root of man’s horrific view about death.
The second reason that causes man to be terror-stricken about death is the horrifying stages through which one has to pass through after his demise from this world. If there were no such graphic depiction of gruesome events and horrendous phases a person has to go through after dying, he would not worry a bit, what he presently shudders to think of? If one knows that no torment is going to follow after his death and he would dissipate like other things, he would not be afraid to die as he is with these horrific eventualities.
For instance in Islamic belief, after he is laid in the grave, a faithful Muslim will face two fearsome angels who would question him about certain elements of his faith. They would bludgeon him repeatedly if answers are not right. It is not known how long they would thrash him and finally leave him in that mauled situation. A pragmatic and scientific mind would not believe how in a small dark grave that kind of interrogation can take place. If there is going to be a “Dooms Day” for final award of hell and heaven, then why this preliminary questioning was necessary.
Then it is the torment of sinners’ soul in the purgatory, to continue till the Day of Judgment. Finally comes the mayhem of the “Judgment Day” with description of unbearably hot environment and God himself dispensing justice to the resurrected people according to the nature of their good or bad deeds. But this scary episode doesn’t end here. He has to cross over a bridge thinner and sharper than a razor’s edge. This is an ordeal that is most daunting as still there is a chance of misstep and one can plunge into the deep stinking ditches of hell with leaping fires.
In hell he will be roasted and would be fed on boiling water and cyst and constantly flogged. There is a long list of spine chilling punishments. For Muslims and Jews and to some extent for the Christians, life after death is not a smooth sailing. It is replete with sufferings, distress, agonies, torture and trial of most brutal nature. As for non Abrahamic religions, it is not the body but the soul that undergoes unrelenting torment till salvation.
In nature everything is bound by an abiding and fixed cycle of birth and death. Everything that exists whether living (humans, animal’s birds etc) or non living (stones, trees, soil etc) is subject to an inescapable and inexorable principle of creation and extinction. Human race too is captive of that immutable law.  But because human have intelligence, they also possess investigative and curious impulse to find out what happens after the man dies. Hence all explanations!
Nevertheless, the one that is conclusive or bears logical evidence is yet to come. But in a nutshell, like a fallen tree that remains on the bank of river for hundreds of years without any movement or a rock silhouetting for millenniums till it wears down, man too is born and withers away. The dead body is immune from any feelings or vagaries of nature.
The concept of grave primarily devolves on those humans who are buried. It doesn’t apply to those who are blown into pieces in war, buried in desert, drowned in the sea, draped by rocks or swallowed by volcanoes.
In the universe, things undergo a constant process of transformation from one form to another. The soil turns into rocks after billions of years and vice-versa. All existence from an atom to space is in a state of flux. There is the simultaneous process of births, extinction and rebirths taking place.
The death of one thing is the birth of another like a flower blossoms when the bud wilts. Humans think self- delusively that they would be treated differently after death. But the nature cannot apply its principles selectively. Once a man is gone, he is gone forever. The human progeny, however, continues in different human formations. Rebirth after death with punitive or gratifying connotations is therefore all speculation, irrelevant and figment of mind.
The writer is a senior journalist, former editor of Diplomatic Times and a former diplomat.This and other articles written by him can be read at his blog www.uprightopinion.com.

One can be Moral without being Religious

By Saeed Qureshi

While I contend that man can be ethical and righteous without being religious, I am in no way suggesting, that one should abandon practicing religion. Morality, essentially, is a virtue that is personal and the human beings follow it out of social and personal obligations or volition.
Let us put it like this, that even in heathen and secular societies, the people, at the same time, tell lies and speak truth. Truth is a component of virtue that one believes not because of religious compulsions or motivation but because it is a positive social value that is appreciated while it’s opposite falsehood is disliked.
When we are speaking truthfully, we seldom think we are doing so because the religion ordained so, but because it is right and commendable to do so. Same mindset applies to other innumerable virtues and ethical values that we practice in our daily lives.
To be law abiding, to care for others, to be compassionate and considerate, to be kind and humane, to treat aged and children with kindness, not to steal, to murder, or rape and so on,  are invariably are virtues that are cherished and commended  equally in the irreligious and the rigidly religious societies.
The religious commandments or injunctions if vigorously and earnestly applied during our social dealings, then of course, we may not err or indulge in immoral and unethical pursuits either by word of mouth or by our actions and deeds. Yet in our daily life and in social interactions, we make a mess of the moral codes ordained by our religions.
Irrespective whether we believe in Judaism, Christianity, or Islam or any other religion, countless times we lie, swindle, weigh less, adulterate the foods, and charge more. We do not keep our promises. We molest, kidnap, speak rough even use abusive jargon, enter into fratricidal disputes, tamper with out utility services, power meters, evade or do not pay our tax in full.
We solicit jobs through bribery or influential contacts; prefer our relations and friends for jobs or contracts via nude and unabashed nepotism and so on. We seldom think that all these vices and foul activities are forbidden by religions and despised by the society.
Therefore, whether we are religious or not, we demonstrate outward social behavior without keeping in mind all the time that these are do’s or don’ts contained in the religious codes. If we still persist in good behavior as well as bad behavior then certainly we are simultaneously complying and breaching the tenets of the religion.
The claim or argument that religion fosters absolute morality would look convincing if we can divide the human race into two clear sections, one being wholly moral because of being religious and the other being entirely immoral because of being irreligious. We know we cannot draw out such clear-cut distinction.
If morality were entirely exclusive to religions, then the human generations existing before the advent of religious eras would have been immoral. In the prehistoric ages when there was no ownership of land or property, the communities would be knit into bonds of fraternity, work together, equitably divide their food and resources, and share each other pains and pleasures. Those generations believed in spirits, deities, demons and souls. But certainly they were not the adherents of traditional religions that sprang later.
Even the wicked Pharaoh admonishes Prophet Abraham for falsifying his real relationship with Sara, who was his wife but he faked her as his sister. In this episode, the conduct of the heathen Pharaoh looks more moral as compared to the religious apostle Abraham. If we accept the plea or ruse of Abraham as the need of the hour, then we are tainting or bending the inviolable religious canons with regard to the virtue of truth.
The core aim and underlying purpose of any religion is absolute morality and piety. In addition, it connects the creation that is human being with the creator that is almighty God. In religion, there cannot be any compromise or modifications on the belief in a super human power or God. Nevertheless, when the faith pertains to the affairs of the societies or mutual interactions, the laws and traditions of the religion mingle with the mundane laws of the society and thus the people follow both of these.
The Christian Orthodox Church is succumbing to the pressures and imperatives of the modern societies to the extent that it now permits marriages for nuns and priest. Of late, it has conceded the use of condoms and even gay and same sex marriages. Beyond the cardinal belief in God, the religions flourish and remain vibrant on the strength of their customs and rituals, which are vigorously practiced.
The faithful relish, cherish, and draw bliss and spiritual elevation by observing these countless religious chores that become an integral part of our social milieu. They feel that their bond of obedience with God is strengthened and the reverence for the messengers is reinforced. The examples are Hindus converging on the river Ganges every year and celebrating various festivals like Holli and Krishna Janamashtami etc. The Muslims celebrate religious days, pray, fast and perform pilgrimage. The Jews go to Jerusalem and Roman Catholics go to Rome.
Every religion has a pantheon of deities, an array of rituals and an assortment of customs and innumerable taboos and shibboleths. In Christianity, there is a vast plethora of symbols that are dutifully performed during the service. Some of these are use of candles and rosaries, images of saints, chants, incantations  prayer books, incense, holy water, long robes, everlasting light before the alters, serving of bread, the special architecture of the church buildings and so on. As stated above, In Hinduism, there are countless deities as symbols of various powers, the river Ganges as purifier of sins, the temples, and the sacred books: Vedas, Brahmanas and Upanishads and Puranas.
In Jewish faith, there are many symbols such as tabernacle, Star of David, the holy books Torah and Talmud, Sabbath, festivals and circumcision and so on. In Islam such symbols are the mosque, the minarets, the curved sword, the green color, the holy house of God in Mecca the black stone, the sacrifice, the two sacred festivities: one after the fasting and another on the eve of pilgrimage. The list is long. I shall leave other smaller religions that are immersed in a sea of customs and rituals.
Arguably, while these customs and traditions are fervently and zealously followed by all the religions, yet this does not stop them from killing each other and occupying each other’s lands and enslaving them. In history and even in present times, there have been horrendous ethnic cleansing of the adherents of one religion by the followers of the other religion such as between Jews and Christianity and Christianity and Islam, Hindus and Muslims, Jews and Muslims etc.
Simultaneously, the religious and secular, or irreligious societies profess principles, precepts, and laws that are intrinsically moralistic.
However, at the same time morality could be variously interpreted and is relative in case of each society. In permissive yet religious societies as in the West and the Far East, such pastimes as nightlife, clubs, drinking and dancing are integral part of the social life. In dogmatic Islamic countries, these social features are sins liable for harsh punishments.
Yet in these glamorous and socially open societies, people abide by law, respect each other, give charities to the poor and downtrodden, take maximum care of the toddlers and young children, and maintain nursing homes for the old people. They behave politely and respectfully to each other. Any discrimination based on color, ethnicity religion or gender is unlawful. Although, these and similar other values are preached by religions, yet these are also manifestly practiced in religiously liberal societies. It means it is the culture or the law that enforces these good traits. That eliminates the difference between being religious and non-religious in order to be socially moral.
The citizens of these religiously tolerant countries obey the civic rules, seldom taint the food, or tamper with their meters. Their agitations and protests rallies are orderly and peaceful. They maintain environmental cleanliness and respect the rights of their neighbors. They are by and large peaceful and allow religious freedom for all believers.
Such societies are havens of civic comforts and facilities. These are moral and human manifestations of such societies, which accord scant or customary regard to religion. Nevertheless, they believe and practice the well-established principles of morality, ethics, and good conduct. These serve their people well and manifest good governance for the welfare of their people.
Temperamentally humans when born, possess inbuilt good or bad traits with varying degrees. These traits are not influenced by external factors and remain as the unalterable part of one’s personality till the last breath. These may be suppressed under peculiar conditions or circumstances but can never be eroded or rooted out from the mind.
As such socially and temperamentally, some people tend to be highly moral, less moral or conversely highly immoral or less immoral. A miser and greedy man can never be generous, a brave person cannot turn coward and a cruel person would be devoid of compassion, a timid would not be outspoken and an introvert cannot become an extrovert, et al.
Humans tend to be hypocritical in posing as moral and religious by exhorting others to be good while they would be wicked themselves. The religious clerics, clergy and preachers though preach moral values, do not offer practical examples by their own conduct. They ask others to be frugal and simple, while they themselves wallow in wealth and lead lavish lives.
They crusade against the moral evils and goad reverence for God. Yet they exploit their adherents by using wrath and pleasure of God. Many of them work as touts of the respective governments. They are known for hoarding money and even caught in heinous rape of minors.
Such a sermonized morality looks to be sham and mere humbug.
As morality is ingrained and very personal to an individual, my accent is on social and ingrained moralities and not political or for show off. In politics, morality is nonexistent as the interests of state supersede the moral contours set by religious movements and gospels as well as the traditional social or individual morality. For this reason, an absolute religious government is hard to work for a longer period of time.
Secondly the religious doctrines and tenets are meant for a specific period of human societies and become outdated and collide with the emerging conditions in subsequent times. In simple words, the societies are dynamic and evolutionary while the religions are static.  Thirdly morality is a universal virtue and is not exclusive to the religions. Fourth, we have seen that the religious societies get infested with divisions, factionalism, power struggle and disharmony because of irreconcilable sectarianism.
Only the religion of the majority remains dominant. The religious bias takes its toll of suppressing smaller religions by the adherents of the majority religion.  That phenomenon deprives a society of the moral fiber by way of intolerance, lack of coexistence among various denominations and faiths.
These are inhuman and immoral manifestation that may be scantly found in a secular societies or a nation state. Just to reiterate that religions bind us to the faith in God and to practice rituals and moral principles. Yet we have seen that even in religious societies, people are not angles. They commit crimes, are intolerant, tell lies, swindle, cheat, steal and pilfer, usurp and indulge in immoral pursurits.
The writer is a senior journalist, former editor of Diplomatic Times and a former diplomat.This and other articles written by him can be read at his blog www.uprightopinion.com

When our lives were spared by the robbers in Maputo.

By Shah A Siddiqui

It was a hot summer night in February 1993, in Maputo (Mozambique) when I heard, “Alam, Alam, look someone is at the window.” My wife tried to wake me up and before we could become alert, all of a sudden the intruder jumped on our bed, right from the window, and he cocked the gun. It was about 2 am local time. Our flat was on the 2nd level of the edifice. “Shhhhh. Don’t make any noise,” he ordered us at gunpoint and asked about if any other person is in the house. In the next room our three kids Shaheryar, Asfandyar and daughter Urooj were sleeping without knowing what was going on with their parents in the next room.
The robber was standing on our bed continuing to point a gun at us and warned that If we make any move or produce whatever noise, he would kill us. He was holding a submachine gunn. He was busy interrogating me about the cash, gold, and electronic items in the apartment, and in the meantime, my wife told me in Urdu that “Alam iss ki gun khali hay aap pakar lein” (Alam, he has empty gun, so you grab him). He was local Mozambican, but we were in shock when he responded with, “Hey my gun is loaded, and I can shoot you guys.” All of a sudden he pulled a wooden stick about 10-12 inches long from his shoulder bag and pushed it in the throat of my wife. He was very smart, and that's why he understood what my wife could have said to me. He was communicating in broken English. Normally Mozambican don’t speak English or any other language except Portuguese.
He forced us to hand over the key of the apartment first and pushed us down from the bed on the floor and gave us bags to fill with our valuables. We had no choice but to obey the order. The robbers warned us that more people are down the apartment and watching. “If you do something wrong, then I will kill you guys and run away.” He moved to another room where my kids were sleeping, but thank God the kids were smart and did not make any noise. The robber started forcing us to finish the job as soon as possible. My wife and I started to fill the bags with valuables like VCR, Camera, cutlery, pedestal fans and about $ 750.00 and a local currency about 60K cash. The burglar spent about 45 minutes, and those 45 minutes were like 45 years long as we were in the state of shock ad misery.
We had learned about such robbery and violent deaths in the urban center, but not in the diplomatic vicinity. We were sure that after sweeping everything, this guy will definitely kill us on his way back. He orders us to sit down on the floor and did not permit us to get to the kids' room. When he left us in the room we were just praying God to spare our lives. After 5 minutes when we felt that there is no movement in the room, we both slowly get up and started walking to our kids' room. The intruder had left our home with valuables and we were floored. We hugged our kids and thanked God for his mercy on us.
In the morning, I went down to see how he dared to jump through the window, inside my bedroom on the 2nd floor. He had used a grappling hook to scale the three story apartment.
I reported the incident to the local agencies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mozambique. They just said sorry for this robbery and promised to arrest the robber which was just a typical reply to the Embassy of Pakistan in response to our letter. I was also advised to go a nearby Police Department of the area and file a case of the robbery, which was a painful experience for me. The Police department was about a couple of miles from our apartment and around 10 am I drove there to file a report on the robbery incident. In Mozambique, they speak only one language and that is Portuguese. The police station was reminding me of a Pakistani police station where no one bothers to listen to you or register FIR(First Information Report). The language barrier was also a big problem. I tried to explain myself to them in my broken Portuguese, but they were not in the mood of listening or to realize the agonies of the victim. One Police officer was enjoying his breakfast with a cup of coffee and a piece of bread without butter or jam. The other guy was helping me to write the FIR in Portuguese. It took me more than an hour to get out of this police station. Bribery was very common at that time in Mozambique, and I am sure this country must enjoy the ‘bribes ‘as we do in the third world nations. I thanked and appreciated Mr. Fernando Mujui for his services and gifted both the officers Mt.500 each for their “courteous & quick response”.
The next day I received a phone call from the police officer Fernando, who expressed his gratitude for the gift and told me that in a couple of days they will come up with some results of the robbery.
It was more than 2 years’ time that I spent in Maputo and I was aware of their ‘working’ culture and official manners, I was not very much hopeful that the local authorities would be able to catch the perpetrator. After three days I received another phone call from the police station, and the officer on the phone was not the same whom I had bribed. When I asked about Fernando, the guy told me that Fernando was off for the day. The Police officer said, “I have news about your robber.” I was surprised that finally they found him, but he told me that the “intelligence agencies are still looking for the guy.”
The following day Fernando called me to the Police station and told me the story. I was surprised to learn all that he had to say. The robber was found to be an army personnel belonging to the government party ‘Free limo’ and due to ongoing rebel fighting in the country and bad economy, the government officials, army, and police all were suffering from hardship. This guy who robbed my apartment was on active duty in the daytime, but at nighttime he robbed me. Most of the ground forces and police officials used to be involved in the robbery and they targeted foreigners.
After this robbery incident, my wife was so frightened that at night she could not sleep for many months, despite the fact that we installed burglar bars for our doors, windows, and balconies. She used to wake up from sleep at night with dread. I was also not comfortable at night during sleep.
After this horrific robbery incident, I was desperately looking to buy a gun for our safety, and in a couple of days with the help of one local friend I bought a small handgun. It was the first experience in my life to have a gun and learn how to shoot. To have a gun under the pillow at night used to give me some sense of relief, but I felt more worry to hide it from my kids who were very young. My older son was 12 years, my daughter was 7 years and the youngest son was 5 years old. When I used to go to work, I would hide the gun in the safe to the knowledge of my wife, but I used to be worried all day until I reached home from work.
My family did not want to stay in the country after this robbery and I was compelled to write to my headquarters, to recall me, and after a few months, I was back to Pakistan.
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Shah Siddiqui,
Bureau Chief
The Muslims Abroad, Pakistan Abroad, Urdu Times
Columnist, Critique Writer, Freelance Journalist
You can read more at :
http://shahjeesblog.blogspot.com

A Man of Vision-Mr. Nadeem Zaman, President of Pakistan Society of North Texas.

Interview by Shah A Siddiqui

It was evening of last week when I took time to sit and chat with Mr. Nadeem Zaman, the President of Pakistan Society of North Texas (PSNT) at his beautiful home in Frisco. I have been after him for long since after he won the election of the esteemed office of the President of PSNT. He is young, energetic and full of enthusiasm to serve the community. PSNT (Pakistan Society of North Texas) is fortunate to have a dynamic President for the last 16 months. He has excelled all previous Presidents in full filling the mandate of PSNT and the laid down objective for which the PSNT was formed 30 years back.

Truthfully the PSNT all along the year have been mostly ineffective, docile and dormant organization. The Pakistani community living in the DFW has been having numerous complaints and objections about the performance of this, otherwise a very prestigious representative body of Americans with Pakistani origin.

Happily, that stage of PSNT’s image has “good for nothing image” has undergone a radical productive transformation and the credit of this remarkable achievement goes to the incumbent President Mr. Nadeem Zaman. For these 2nd year term, he has been entirely riveted on improving the PSNT and in this regard, he has taken a number of steps and decisions, that have greatly improved the performance and output of PSNT.

Mr. Nadeem Zaman is a sincere person with superb quality of leadership, drive, initiative that has helped the PSNT as truly representative of the Pakistani Americans. For instance, he has raised the funds of the PSNT and, other than the trust money which is $ 250 K. The PSNT has a separate account that has gone up to around $100 K during the past 4 years.  It is indeed a monumental achievement. This was made possible because of his persuasive qualities and absolute honesty and the wealthy Pakistanis are ready to contribute donations for the PSNT.
It should be remembered that Pakistanis had many complaints about this organization which ranged from misused of funds and inactivity in addressing the day to day problems of the Pakistani community living in America.

 In an interview with this Bureau Chief, Mr. Zaman explained at length the goals that have been met and the achievements and changes that he brought about with his personal efforts and by dint of dedication towards reactivating the role of PSNT and the fulfillment of its charter.

Now among the annual functions or events that PSNT use to hold in a year towards the most
Prominent: One is the Annual Dinner hosted every year on 23rd March commonly known as Pakistan Day. The second biggest event in regards to Pakistan is the celebration of Pakistan Independence Day on 14th August every year. During the previous year and under the different executive bodies there was a mess up and confusion as well as to whom to invite and whom to not.
The common Pakistanis complained that only a coterie of rich and well to do Pakistanis were invited in the both functions. The common Pakistani would not show in large number because of lack of rapport and link between them and the top notch of PSNT.Now Mr.Nadeem Zaman has changed the culture and practice ever since he has been the President for the last more than 16 months. He said that “the annual dinner held for 23rd March is exclusively for the businessmen, for the elite, Congressmen, local city officials, the Judiciary and rich individuals. The aimed behind this strategy is to raise funds and to generate goodwill among the prominent and important members of the society. Understandably, only those people can be invited who can donate reasonable sums of money which we can utilize that fund to celebrate the second annual function that’s the Pakistan’s Independence Day held every year on August 14. He said that it is a general and open day in which all Pakistanis and non-Pakistanis are welcome to join. The celebration of this day renews the commitment and loyalty of the Pakistani Origin community to their original motherland Pakistan.”
Talking about the Independence day celebration, he disclosed that “In the past we use to charge a minimum of $5.00 as entry fee, but this year the PSNT is planning to keep the Independence Day celebration/Mela totally free for all Pakistanis and non-Pakistanis and the venue will be more attractive and larger. We will try to rent the Southfork Ranch, which is only 25 minutes away from Plano. It is worth to mention here that this Southfork Ranch is becoming famous after the TV show ‘Ewing Family’ It will be an all-day event for children and adults.
PSNT (Pakistan Society of North Texas) more often uses its funds to help needy and poor families. Recently PSNT helped with more than 2 trucks of loaded commodities and foods for the tornado disaster city of Rowlet and Garland areas which was appreciated by the local city Mayor and officials. Nadeem Zaman has disclosed that last year PSNT had helped a widow lady from Pakistan and paid $ 2300.00 when she was in need. Highlighting yet another achievement during his tenure has raised the membership of PSNT from 1100 to 1900 and he hopes that the membership will increase with the time passage.
On my question about the purchasing of Pakistan House and the trust money, which would use for the purchase of the property, Mr. Nadeem Zaman replied “How we can buy a property for $ 200K to 300K which we have and who will own the property? It will be a big legal issue and to avoid such legal issues we have a plan that now an exclusive office would be rented where the activities and deliberation will be carried out independently as and when these will be needed.
Mr. Nadeem Zaman has a vision about the future of PSNT. In his interview he made a very important disclosure and which he aims to peruse for the rest of the period as the president of the PSNT. Recently he met some official of the Dallas County and during the conversation it was revealed that there were sizeable funds allocated for the welfare of the immigrant community. Perhaps because of ignorance these funds were not claimed by the representative immigrants’ bodies.  As such the County had to surrender an amount of $ 60 K, back to the allocating authority.  Mr. Zaman has decided that he will try to get those funds from the authorities and utilize them for the Pakistani qualified students and other needy people, eligible for such assistance. Hopefully he would translate his pledge and plans into concrete reality by getting the amount and distributing the amount to the people like poor student, homeless people and resource-less patients which would indeed be a huge blessing for all of them.
He has been involved with PSNT since last 6 years and he served as a volunteer and General Secretary before he won the election of the President. He reiterated that, whether he works with PSNT or not, but he will continue working for the uplift of the image of Pakistanis so that all Pakistani Americans could be recognized with respect and dignity in this country. He was proud to say that it was the first time in past 30 years that the Pakistani flag was hoisted in the city hall by his efforts.
Are you going to contest for the 2nd term of the office? I asked him my last question, He said “No, absolutely not, I will leave the room for others, moreover, I have to do something more for the community after this experience as President of the prestigious PSNT.
I enjoyed very much talking to him and got some wrong conception removed from the mind myself, and I trust after this interview most of the community people will understand better to Mr.Nadeem Zaman in a positive way. I wish him all the best for the remainder of the time he has to serve the community from the platform of the Pakistan Society of North Texas.
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The Panama Leaks and Nawaz Sharif Family

By Saeed Qureshi

A team of The International Consortium of Investigate Journalists (ICIJ) leaked the Database Documents commonly known as Panama Papers. ICIJ works forPanama Papers. Panama Papers is the largest international organization of its kind across the globe. The leaked documents involving 214000 offshore companies were researched by around 400 journalists around the world from 80 nations. The number of confidential documents researched is 1.5 million. Besides 100 media organizations including BBC, Guardian, Suddeutsche Zeitung, Falter, etc. were involved in this research. The collected information runs into 2.6 terabytes of data.

The Central actor or facilitator mentioned in the historic and unprecedented so titled “Panama Leaks” is Mossack Fonseca. It is a law firm of Panama that works globally to establish, manage and sell the anonymous businesses and companies to prospective interested parties.

Mossack Fonseca manages the secret assets of major banks, legal firms and asset management companies. Its shady deals also encompass industrialists, actors, the world’s rich and famous politicians, personalities, fraudsters, drug smugglers, professionals, etc. Thus the beneficiaries and clients of the Mossack Fonseca can evade taxes and and money laundering.

It prepares fake documents, creates phony directors and hides the true identity of the actual owners of the offshore businesses. In simple world it helps, in an apparent legal way, the money laundering of the black or illegitimate wealth.

Undoubtedly, it is one of the biggest and unprecedented scandals of money-laundering unearthed ever. It would be interesting to watch what action the respective governments take against the figures, companies, politicians and business cartels of their countries. Whether the Panama government or an international forum would take Mossack Fonseca to task or the respective governments would prosecute those companies and individuals whose names are in the papers.

From Pakistan three children of the incumbent Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, namely Hasan Nawaz Sharif, Hussain Nawaz Sharif and daughter Marian Safdar have been mentioned in the Panama Leaks. From India there are 500 industrialists, Bollywood actors, Politicians who used the service of Mossack Fonseca to hide their wealth. This list includes Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya, Rai KP Singh, Anurag Kejriwal and many others.  

In Pakistan there is a massive backlash from the politicians against Nawaz Sharif and his family. Imran Khan, the Chairman of the PTI and some of his colleagues have been most aggressive and have demanded by the NAB to immediately launch an investigation into the recent revelations about Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family’s alleged offshore wealth.

Calling for prime Minister’s resignation, the PTI chief has asked the prime minister to reveal to the nation how such huge sums were transferred abroad.  The Chief of Jamaat-i-Islam Siraj-ul-haq has joined the chorus of bitter condemnation and scathing censure.

Besides PTI, Sheikh Rashid, the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, Ayaz Amir a columnist and Sirjul-Haq the Chief of Jamat-e-Islami among others have castigated the prime minister on formation of one man judicial commission. They rejected this decision of Nawaz Sharif  and opined that it was going to be mere an eye wash in probing the truth about the serious accusation of money laundering as leaked in Panama Papers.

It looks like a sudden bolt from the blue for Nawaz Sharif government already caught up in unbridled religious militancy and continuous lawlessness and unremitting. There could a possibility that opposition might force either derailing the PMLN government or his resignation as the prime minister.

The allegations of the opposition members though legitimate look like a political move to embarrass Nawaz Sharif personally and to replace him. Perhaps it is the most embarrassing and trying time for Mian Nawaz Sharif and his children although there are many other heads of states or the government caught into this sudden whirlwind of hug scam.

Although the three children of Nawaz Sharif have tried to clarify their position yet the barrage of incriminations against Sharif family seems to be bulging. Their explanation is that they had been doing their business out of Pakistan for about twenty years and their wealth was not transferred from Pakistan but earned abroad. Mariam Safdar in her press statement said that “the info provided by leaks does NOT say any wrongdoing involved. Distortion is willful that a couple of media channels are using to settle scores"

In a televised address to the nation Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced to constitute a Judicial Commission to probe ‘allegations’ being faced by his family members in the backdrop of Panama Papers leak.

But how far and effective this explanation would be to convince the critics and whether the storm would finally subside or not cannot be predicted   

In the wake of this mega bombshell of concealment of wealth, the Iceland's prime minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson has resigned. There could be many more resignations in the time to come.

The writer is a senior journalist, former editor of Diplomatic Times and a former diplomat.This and other articles by the writer can also be read at his blog www.uprightopinion.com.

  

Eminem - "Not Afraid" Clean Cover by Sparsh Shah (PURHYTHM)

Good Parenting and Interfaith marriages

By Mike Ghouse

Good parenting and interfaith marriages |http://interfaithmarriages.blogspot.com

Once your kids turn 18, you would know if you have failed or succeeded as a parent. I am pleased to share the two sides of the coin.

On Friday the 18th day of March 2016, it was a joy to officiate an interfaith marriage between a Muslim bride and a Mormon groom.  What transpired there was a joyful union of not only of the man and the woman but of their families.  I am pleased to share a few good things after the ceremony. I hope some of you can relate with it, and some rejoice it knowing that there are so many great parents out there.

Some of the most beautiful moments of the weddings that I cherish were; the statement made by bride’s father, "My daughter took complete charge of this ceremony; it's all her planning." He was very proud of the fact that his little daughter is so capable. The Mother of the Bride on the other hand was standing quietly and admiring her daughter’s freedom and independence.  I wish I had taken her picture, she was standing right in front me absorbed in her daughters happiness.  The Grooms parents acknowledged how they have raised their son to be open minded about fellow humans. Of course I can relate with his faith, one of my best friends was a Mormon. Groom’s mother was serenely happy and the father felt proud of seeing his son making a great choice.

This is the ultimate achievement of good parenting that your kids are independent and are ready to live their lives on their own terms. When you off spring becomes free, it is the ultimate in joy!

On the other hand, if your kids fear you, you are missing the beauty of the relationship, but don't lose hope, you can start the process of restoring the relationship now.

In one of the interfaith weddings I officiated a few years ago, a Christian man turned Atheist was marrying a Hindu girl, and his parents had disowned him and did not want to talk with him unless the girl is converted. (Conservatism is a part of every religion).  It took some counseling and the father agreed that he will attend the wedding ceremony if I call on Jesus as witness, and groom agreed to live with it.  After all that is the whole purpose of interfaith marriage ceremony, to give a semblance of their faith in the sermon.  After the ceremony, the father who was standing aloof in the corner, walked up to me and gave a big hug and joined his kids in the celebrations. Thank God, the tenseness between the families evaporated.

You may consider watching the movie “2 States” with English subtitles; it is one of the finest Bollywood movies made about a tyrant father restoring his relationships with his son. However the main plot of the movie is humor that comes with inter-ethnic marriages.

Good parenting involves a good relationship. Here is the litmus test; If your kids are excited to share their story or talk with you without fear, you are a damn good parent, and you are blessed with the relationship to cherish for a life time.

Discipline yes, punishment no.

I never spanked or screamed at my kids, there was no need for it, but, I am glad their mother gave them the discipline while freedom was my thing.

It tears me apart when a few men shout at their kids, let alone beat them up. What a shame it is, they are incapable of respecting their own offspring, what will they respect then?

One of the greatest lessons I have learned from my ex-wife was to keep love to discipline ratio to be above 4: 1, that is, give them love and hug four times before a disciplinary command. It worked well for me even though I was a failed disciplinarian, I just couldn't be tough, particularly with my girl, when she responded with Yes Sirs, nor was it with my boy, I could not stand humiliation on his face.  Now, as a Grandfather I watch him deal with his little son, and what a joy it is for me that he treats his kid with patience, logic and reason, and the little sucker responds to him, just like he did with me. I am all smiles.

A few men have the arrogance to believe, that, unless you scream and frighten your kids, they don't learn, that is baloney!  Imagine working for a boss who screams at you, thank God that is a disappearing breed now. I had one like that in India.

What is the need to control kids?  Instead you ought to think about these to restore your relationship with your family members;

Take the pledge!

"Let them be who they are"
"Let me get out of their way"
"Let me shed my arrogance to teach them"
"Let them make mistakes and correct themselves"
"Let them be independent"
"Let them make their own decision”
“Let me be a good listener to my kids”
“Let me not interrupt them while they are talking”
“Let me believe them when they say even the most outrageous things”
“Let me be their friend”


It is never too late, both the parent and the kids desire, want, and seek this, take the first step and enjoy the relationship with your family members.



Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 talk/text

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, Interfaith Wedding officiant, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine, motivation, and foreign policy. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Visit him (63 links) at www.MikeGhouse.net and www.TheGhousediary.com for his exclusive writings.
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My Unforgettable Visit to Agra. 

By Shah A Siddiqui

I am writing about some very remarkable and interesting journeys of my life, and I would love to share those memories and incidents with my readers.

I remember when I was a young boy, someone had told me that the black mole in the middle of the foot arch will keep me traveling, and it is a fact. Since 1978 I started my traveling, and the first stop was India, where I was posted on a diplomatic assignment. During my diplomatic life I enjoyed visiting and staying abroad. After exploring India from West Bengal to UP, AP, Rajasthan, my next stop was Poland, a beautiful country of Eastern Europe. After Poland I visited Russia, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovak, Holland, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Canada and Bangladesh. My traveling did not stop even after I immigrated to the United States. Due to the nature of my job, I already traveled and explored three-fourths of America and Puerto Rico. I think traveling is a blessing.

When I was posted in India on a diplomatic assignment from 1978 to late 1984, I utilized my holidays to tour historic places all around India.  I have many precious memories of my visits from Capital New Delhi to West Bengal. I seldom missed a chance to avail of any holidays. I was single when I was posted to New Delhi, as such I used to hang out with a group of like-minded bachelors. It was my first posting abroad in a country where the ‘officials’ of both Pakistan and India rarely treat each other well. We were not allowed by the host government to leave the city without ‘special permission’ and visa on our passports despite holding a diplomatic passport. The reasons are very obvious- our mutual hostility towards each other. Even the Pakistan High Commission staff that enjoyed diplomatic immunity would be required to possess a special security permit to move around in the city. The Pakistani government treats the Indian diplomats with the same protocol and yardstick.

To start with we planned to visit Agra on the invitation of a local host from a locality ‘Gali Bara Hakeeman.’ I cannot forget the hospitality of that kind host Mohiuddin, who took us around the Agra city and Jaipur. It was the night before ‘Holi,’ the Indian festival of joy and colors. Our group of three friends traveled by train, and it took six hours to reach our destination. I usually preferred to travel by train in India because the Indian Railways system was nice at that time.  Passengers could enjoy different sceneries and stopovers at many railway stations and could interact with different people during their travel time.

My host had made excellent arrangements at his residence at Gali Bara Hakeeman. The house was built in old style with a large courtyard, green trees, and flower plants. Our room relatively larger, was adjacent to the living room where the host family played carom board and cards. It was a great fun time for all of us because even at night the young boys were out playing, dancing to music the way we in Pakistan celebrate ‘Chand Raat’ before Eid. After dinner at around 10 pm my friend took us for a small ride around the neighborhood. We all were surprised to see the exuberance and excitement of Holi that night. Young girls, boys, men and women of all walks of life were together enjoying their time regardless of their religious affiliations. I saw Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims were playing with colors and throwing the vibrant powdered color at each other, singing songs and dancing in the streets and parks. It was unbelievably that we all were remain awake until 5 o’clock in the morning, yet woke up at 8 a.m. I cannot forget the breakfast prepared at home. It was not a breakfast delicacy, but a lavish feast with the diversity of different dishes such as feerini (rice pudding), Aalo bhaji, Suji halwa, Puri, Nihari, Haleem, Naan, sweets, kachori and delicious chai.

My mother had told me about the Holi when I was a child that it is the  holiest festival of Hindus yet it is also glamorous and with unbelievable festivities all around India. What my mother told me was now in full play before my eyes, though the celebration of Holi I was watching and also read in the press but seeing is believing. It was incredible. We had clearly told our host that we would not participate in the throwing color ritual, nor anyone should attempt to be physical for throwing and rubbing colors on our faces due to driving reason that it would spoil our attire.

However, despite all these warnings and please somehow we all engaged ourselves in that ritual that cannot be celebrated without the diversity of colors to be thrown at the people around you.  We all three friends and our host Mohiuddin with his brothers and friends threw colors to each other. Despite precautions, we could not spare ourselves with rainbow up colors and we got our dresses already painted with various kinds of pigments. We hastily rushed to the market to buy new shirts, etc. but to our utter disappointment rather repugnance before the market closed and for good reasons the entire community was as sleep.  

The next morning, we left the house early to enjoy breakfast in a restaurant on our way to see Taj Mahal. We were desperately searching for any dress shops so that we could change our spoiled apparel and head for Taj Mahal. The shops used to open at 10 am so just after breakfast we went to a nearby shopping center, which was about 20 minutes away from the restaurant. It was interesting that we entered in a ready-made store and whatever we choose for trial, we bought right away and threw away our ruined shirts in the store’s trash can.

I the hindsight, I regret the decision for discarding the color spattered shirts which, if, kept could have been a life time souvenir and memento to be shown to a friend and children in the coming time. Moreover, I could feel and smell the love of our host, who spent 3 days with us and made our trip a memorable.

It was about noon time when we arrived at the Taj Mahal. It was amazing to see the Taj Mahal in front of me. I had read about Taj Mahal in the books and magazines and seen it in documentaries, but in reality, I found this ancient historical building much more beautiful. The sudden feeling of awe made me speechless and I was captivated by the majesty of that imposing monument. The Taj Mahal edifice was decidedly a feast to the eyes as its beauty was beyond the description. The monument to its beauty, elegance and unique structure covered with floral and mosaic figures is one of the wonders of the world and has been enjoying the status for many many years now. I will quote here, “Taj Mahal Muhabbat ki ankhon se tapka hua woh anso hay jo dunya ke gaal pe jam ke reh gaya hay.”(The Taj Mahal is like a drop of tear from a lover’s eye lid which has frozen on the cheek of the world).

This monument is very precious and beautiful and is included in the Wonders of the World. This dome was completed in 1648 and was open to the public. Its beautiful art work with precious stones under the dome and around the wall will mesmerize you. The Arabic calligraphy has no comparison as it has been beautifully engraved with precious stones such as lapis, jade, crystal, Lazuli, amethyst and turquoise. The four minarets at the four corners of the floor are visible from afar. You cannot imagine the skills and techniques of the engineers of the 16th century who worked for 22 years to complete this dome. At that time, there were no heavy earth moving equipments, trucks or bulldozers. Lifting heavy stones of marble must have been a life threatening issue, but the laborers had to work.

The visitors and  archeological  experts claim that the shimmer and the whiteness of the mausoleum have gone with the passage of time, and it is also mentioned in history that the British government and their officials also played their part to deface the Taj Mahal, who chiseled out precious stones and Lapiz, Lazuli, amethyst and other costly stones from the wall and interior dome. After more than 330 years after its construction, Taj Mahal is still bright and milky as what a normal eye can observe, but from the eyes of experts the Taj is losing its beauty and splendor day by day due to acid rain caused by air pollution due to the development of various nearby  industries. I think it could be hard for the public to stare directly at Taj Mahal that time when it was allowed for the public after construction. While a normal person can feel the shine and the milky attraction of the building because the Taj Mahal is totally built of white marble.

I saw myself, the left over pieces of the black stones which were there behind the Taj Mahal across the Jumna river. It is believed that Shah Jahan had planned to build another Taj Mahal with black stones next to an existing monument of white marble and it is seems to be a myth which has been picked from the book by Jean-Baptist Tavernier, who was one of the first European visitors to Taj Mahal. Emperor Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb Alamgir (Abul Muzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Mohammad Aurangzeb) was a die hart Hanafi Sunni Muslim fanatic.

The famous Islamic religious decree known as a “Fatwa-e-Alamgiri”, (The Religious Decrees of Alamgir) was written and adopted during his time. In a matter of conduct and lifestyle Aurangzeb Alamgir presents a contrast with his predecessor and even his successor. He was deeply religious minded emperor, believing in simplicity and austerity. He discarded the plan of his father, of building a new Taj Mahal with black stones. Perhaps this could be one of the reasons for Aurangzeb Alamgir to depose his father Shah Jahan being obsessed for mighty buildings and imposing monuments at the cost of people.

Everyone knows that the Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal, and just after completion of this monument Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb, who put him under house arrest till his death and buried him in the mausoleum next to his wife.

It is said about Taj Mahal that if, someone did not see Taj Mahal during a night of the full moon then he was deprived of a magnificent spectacle of a lifetime. Yet I am one of those fortunate people who had this rare and unique opportunity, not only the sunlight but also at night with a dazzling light of a full moon basking that grand building in which Shah Jahan’s most beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal is resting in eternal peace. Historically, we all know that Aurangzeb not only deposed Shah Jahan but also made him a captive in a nearby building called Musamman Burj in the Red Fort in Agra from where the wretched monarch and founder of Taj Mahal use to see Taj Mahal the: monument of his dream and culmination of his abiding love for his most favorite wife. What a rise for a downfall!

The captivating spectacle in a night basked in the scintillating glare of the full moon has always been embedded in my mind and soul.  That unforgettable scene is still fresh as if I am still sitting on the lush green grass of the Mughal Garden’s Char Bagh and intensely watching with awe and undivided attention that amazing phenomenon known as the Taj Mahal. I have no words to describe the beauty of this wonder of the world and a symbol of love. Hundreds of couples were kissing and hugging each other in this romantic night. Hundreds of photographers were lined up to capture that moment, which will come again after a month with a full moon.

Taj Mahal faces south and moonrise starts from the east and it takes hours to come over the top of the monument. I was thinking that this is the best place for the lovers to come and renew their love under the shadow of this great monument where the two great lovers are buried forever. On the other hand, it came to my mind that this Mughal emperor was a King and had access to all sorts of wealth, so he made a mausoleum for his wife in her memory called "Taj Mahal” after death, but what if a poor man dies, despite a lot of love and affection for his wife he cannot even erect a 10ft pillar of love in the memory of his wife. What a beautiful line of a poem is this “Aik Shahenshah Ne Banwake Haseen Taj Mahal—Ham GareeboN Ki Muhabbat Ka Uraya Hay Mazaq”  

 I was compelled to think that behind this majestic and beautiful monument there is a sinister story hidden behind this love story that Shah Jahan ordered to mutilate the hands of all the artisans and laborers who built the Taj Mahal so that the workers cannot work somewhere else to build the same kind of “glorious building”. It is also a matter of repentance that while these expensive and costly monuments were built from the public money, those emperors of that time did not think of building educational institutions, hospitals and public service institutions.

By seeing the Taj Mahal, a longtime dream of my life had come true. There were many more historical places to see and for me to admire, but due to paucity of time it could not be possible during my stay in India. Our next target was Agra Fort, which is about 3 km away from the sister monument of Taj Mahal.

 This Red Fort of Agra was originally built in the 11th century by a Hindu Sikarwar Rajput, according to historians. Sikander Lodhi was the first Sultan of Delhi who shifted his office and residence to Agra and lived in the fort. It was the second capital of Sikander Lodhi’s era till his death in the fort in 1517. After his death, Ibrahim Lodhi, the son of deceased ruler Ibrahim Lodhi governed the country for 9 years from this historic fort. Ibrahim Lodhi was defeated and killed in the first war of Panipat in 1526, and after the fierce fighting of first Panipat, Mughal emperor Babur seized and captured the fort and the palace where Ibrahim Lodhi used to live. Emperor Humayun was crowned in this fort in 1530. Later Sher Shah Suri defeated him in 1540 and remained in the fort till 1555 when Humayun recaptured the fort. One Hindu King Hem Chandra Vikramaditya defeated Humayun and conquered the fort and after winning Agra, Hem Chandra started for Delhi to oust the Mughal emperor from Delhi, but Mughals defeated the king Hem Chandra under the leadership and command of Mughal emperor Akbar in the second war of Panipat in 1556.

The renovation and expansion started of this fort when Akbar moved into this fort in 1558. The fort we see now, was a brick fort known as ‘Badalgarh’ and when Akbar captured this fort, it was in a very bad condition and there were a lot of structural damage. Emperor Akbar ordered to rebuild the fort with red sandstones and it took 8 years to complete with 4000 laborers.  This wonder of the world came under UNESCO in 1983.

 There are hundreds of sites inside the fort one can explore and learn about this magnificent fort.

I saw the historical Shish Mahal, Darbar e Aam, Darbar e Khas, Moti Masjid, and Nagina masjid. Moti Masjid was built by Shah Jahan with white marble and Nagina Masjid by Aurangzeb. Nagina Masjid was specially build for the ladies of Mughal family members. Dewan e Khas, built with semi-precious stones from inside, where Akbar and later Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb used to come and meet their special royal guests. When you go to Diwan e Khas, the balcony, where the Mughal emperors use to show up to hear the public grievances, is quite elevated from the ground and the decorations of the balcony with stones are still very impressive upon the mind. Graceful stone carvings on the walls and moldings have been done uniquely.

This fortress has two historical gates, namely Delhi Gate and Akbari Gate. Akbari Gate is the main entrance to the Fort. When we were walking out from the Shish Mahal, I heard that the local guide was telling a group of tourist about the house arrest of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan by his own son Aurangzeb in this fort, and the guide was pointing the specific place where the Mughal emperor was imprisoned. The place called Musamman Burj, a tower with a beautiful balcony, is believed to be where Shah Jahan after 8 years of imprisonment and later buried next to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal in the Taj Mahal. I visited the same place where Mughal emperor Shah Jahan used to stand up and see the mausoleum of his wife through the eye lid holes of the Musamman Burj. It was a very poignant moment for me when I thought for a while, the love of the king for her and his isolation from the outside world, and he was even not allowed to go to see his beloved’s tomb.

 The world has seen the pomp and show of all the Mughal emperors from Jalal Uddin Akbar to Bahadur Shah Zafar and their splendor era of ruling the subcontinent for hundreds of years.  And even after the end of their imperial rules in 1857 the world can feel and witness the grandeur of Mughal imperialism.

 It was around 7:30 pm and started getting dark and we decided to end our visit for the day. We all were tired due to the very long visit. It was a very interesting, informative, and unforgettable trip to Agra with my friends and I cannot forget my host Mohiuddin for his all types of hospitality and excursion and I would say that because of my friend’s support this trip became extremely memorable.

 My next trip was Sikandarabad, Agra and very soon I will write an account about this historical city.
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