Adil Najam
My posts over the last few days have all been designed to build up to this (here, here and here).
Irrespective of whether Abdul Sattar Edhi is a Pakistani or not, irrespective of how much most Pakistanis hold his selfless zeal in reverence – and irrespective also of all the ways in which a few have tried to malign him – I believe that Abdul Sattar Edhi deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. I need your help in putting together a nominations package.
I do not wish to make this a nationalistic thing. He would not like that. For me it is a humanistic thing. As he has made clear again and again, humanism and humanitarianism is more important than everything else; certainly it is bigger than nationalism.
Here is a man who has dedicated his whole life to serving the most marginalized and the most wretched in society. The destitutes, the mentally ill, corpses left by the roadside, children abandoned at his doorsteps, women kicked out by their families. When there is no one to go to, there is always Edhi Sahib to go to.
As importantly, he has done this – in his words – ‘wholesale’. He has single handedly built – literally by begging – a social services structure at a national scale. Bigger than what governments have. He has never taken a ruppee as salary himself. He lives in a two room apartment that most middle class Pakistanis would not call home and he oversees the largest ambulance network in the world, now with airplanes and helicopters, a multi-million dollar enterprise of relief, of goodwill, and of humanitarianism. If he does not deserve the Nobel Award, I do not know who does.
As I had mentioned in the last post, the Edhi Foundation is collecting signatures on a petition that he be given the Nobel Award. I like other bloggers (here, here, and here) would urge you to sign that petition and join the thousands others who already have.
But I think we can do a little more. Here is how.
I checked out the website of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee and looked at their nominations procedure. It is not clear whether they accept petitions or not, but it turns out that they do have categories of individuals who can make nominations (which are due by February 1). One of those categories is “university professors of social science, history, philosophy, law and theology.” I am not sure if I have much standing with them, but I fit into that category, and therefore I believe I have the ability to formally send in a nomination, and I plan to write in a nomination letter over the next few days.
What I would like to do, then, is to ask you all to write your own testimonials to why Abdul Sattar Edhi deserves a Nobel Award in the comments section. We want to gather as many testimonials/comments as possible.
Personal stories and examples of how he touches people’s lives and meets the ideals of the Nobel Peace Prize are especially useful.
So let me please request you for your help. If you agree with me that Abdul Sattar Edhi deserves a Nobel Peace Prize:
- Please leave a testimonial in the comments section saying that he deserved the award why you believe that Abdul Sattar Edhi deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.
- Please email this post to your friends and ask them to do the same.
- If you are a blogger, please spread the word on your blogs and to your readers and ask those who agree with my proposition to leave a testimonial.
And to meet the deadline we need to do all of this in the next few days. I have no pretensions that a letter from one professor will do the trick. But since I have this ability, I want to at least give it a shot. At least we would be able to say, we tried.
What do you say, folks?
Mr. Abdul Sattar Edhi, a great man a kindhearted man who’s periorities are to serve human cause, I name him an angle in
Pakistan. Last year I thought to write a book about his humanitarian services to let other world know that Mr. Edhi
inspite of his simplicity and humble personality he is great person on the soul of Pakitan who has vision to expand
his humanitarian services overseas. I felt lucky when I got a chance to talk to Mr. Edhi when he visited Dubai last
year on his way to London. I taked with him for 45 minutes in a hotel room in Dubai accomapnied with his wife. Truely
speaking I was quite impressed when I listened to him. He stunned me to tell that inspite of life threatening calls,
and even physical attackes on his life, he continued his mission and will continue until his last breathe as he strongly
believes that Allah is always with him to guard him.
Hence I strongly recommend that Mr. Edhi is the most deserving person to have NOBLE PEACE PRIZE. I wish and pray that
such prize this time must go to Mr. Edhi’s lap. Good Bless him.
[quote]”From those cradles outside Edhi houses for people to leave their infants instead of doing some sort of harm to them… “[/quote]
I am glad Ibrahim has reminded us of the cradles outside Edhi homes.
A terrible incident took place in Karachi during Zia’s time. (All terrible things seem to have happened during that merde-monin’s time), which prompted Eidhi to place the cradles in front of his centers.
Someone had left a newborn child on a street side in one of the localities in Karachi. When the local mullah came to know about it he delivered a fiery speech in the mosque about increasing “fahashi” and permissiveness in the society. In his speech he kept referring to the abandoned child as “that ‘haraami’ lying on the roadside” in such a manner as if the child was was equally responsible, and as sinful, as his parents were. The people listening to his sermon got so worked up that many of them, after leaving the mosque, headed towards where the child was lying on the roadside and started pelting him with stones. The child died.
Next day when the story hit the press the people were stunned but did not know what to do. Zia was everywhere. It was then that Eidhi came up with the idea of placing the cradles out his centers to save the live of innocent and helpless newborns.
Thank you Ibrahim for refreshing our memory.
I have not had any personal experience with Edhi’s organization, but have read about him for years. I have always thought of him and the foundation he established as fit candidates for a Nobel peace prize, and have been surprised that they have not received the prize yet. There are many people who have done work like him in various parts of the world, but few that have had the widespread impact he has had. His nomination has my endorsement.
Adil, I hope you succeed in your nominating effort on Mr. Edhi’s behalf. I can’t think of a more selfless individual whose work has saved and enriched so many lives.
I have seen Edhi’s great work that he has done for the people of Pakistan and other countries as well, people like you and me. I’ve personally been to his center and how he has organized it all is remarkable keeping everything upto date and records updated and audited. He deserves the noble prize indeed for the work he has done for the humanity.