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?
Abdusatar Edhi is someone that makes me proud of Pakistan. During the riots of 1988 in Karachi between Mohajirs and Pathans communities, Edhi ambulances helped saved many lives by transporting injured to hospitals. I along with many Karachities are witness to the service provided by Edhi Ambulances.
I will go so far to say that he is probably the first of Pakistanis to cross the lines of caste, creed, and enthicity to serve humanity in distress.
He should be recognized for his services to humanity at large.
There is something seriously wrong with this guy, helping out selflessly and also the pakistani nation. Nooops this is not natural, such people should be rounded up and deported to places which deserve their presence. It’s because of such people that we are spared Allah’s wrath.
i have a lot of respect for mr edhi, who has devoted his life in the way of the creators path, allah.
its disrespectful to associate mr edhi with such a thing as nobel smoke screen award .
this award is made by non muslims for non muslims,
if u look at its past receipients most of them have acheived nothing in reality, but falsehood painted over thier failures to make them worthy of nobel smoke screen award.
so if you truly have respect for mr edhi,then pray for him in your heart, because the best award is allah’s, and 1 can not compare anything with our creators award or bounty.
may allah bestow his bounty on mr sattar edhi.
ameen!!!
In my humble opinion, Mr Edhi is the most reliable person who can help you out whenever there is a grave situation.He is a true humantarian on this planet.He has helped everyone everywhere. May Allah bless him always! I give my vote in favour of Mr. Edhi who is matchless. After considering Mr. Edhi achievements, one can easily confess the presence of Allah. Thanks to Allah that He has bestowed Pakistan with such a person who is down to earth and very simple at heart.
May you live long my dear sir.
Well since we people are immune with not coming forward for
a cause, so it seems likely that we can make it happen.
We as a Nation can never rise:-(
Mr Edhi along with Mrs Edhi and Edhi Foundation truely deserve a Nobel Prize. The principle they operate under are among the true principles that can unify the human race and create a lasting peace on earth. Nobel Committee should consider this aspect the operations of Edhi foundation. Mr Edhi doesnt not need any recognition for himself, he himself is bigger than that. He should be recognized for the benefit of the world, specially for bringing the East and West closer, for empowering the huge mass of moderate muslims who are engaged in a constant battle against negetivism.
No matter he gets a noble prize or not, he has got one in
my eyes. What a man, what a life.Absolutley remarkable.
In a nation that seems to be falling to pieces, it is people like Edhi Sahib who gives us all hope that hope cannot be lost. Abdus Sattar Edhi is the shining beacon that all Pakistanis are most proud of.