Adil Najam
Ramzan Mubarak! Aazadi Mubarak!
Every year around this time we talk about the Holy month of Ramzan, how it is celebrated in Pakistan, and how its true purpose is to understand how those in need feel. Every year around this time we talk about Pakistan’s Independence Day, how it is celebrated in Pakistan, and how it should be a time to think about what we have done, and can do, for our country. This year Pakistan Day arrives at the very beginning of Ramzan. It also arrives as the entire country is submerged not only in a massive flood calamity but in a pale of gloom, despair and despondency.
The message that this confluence brings with it is as obvious as it is important.
If ever there was the time to demonstrate just what the real meaning of Ramzan and the real significance of Independence Day is, this would be the year.
One of the verses that I have often quoted on this blog is:
jissay bhi daikhiaye gilla
‘watan say yeh nahiN milla, watan say woh nahiN milla’
koee nahiN jo yeh kahey
‘watan ko tum nay kiya diya, watan ko meiN nay kiya diy[Everyone is complaining:
I did not get this from my country; I did not get that from my country
Nobody seems to be asking:
What did I give to my country; What did you give to your country]
This is the time to prove this wrong.
The message of Ramzan – of understanding and feeling the pain of those in need, and of opening our hearts and hearths to share with those less fortunate – comes perfectly timed and perfectly in tune with the challenge we face today. Would this not be the perfect time to do just that: to open our hearts and hearths to share with those less fortunate?
We have written before about the power on ONE. And that ‘one’ has to be be us ourselves. It is good that the rest of the world is beginning to realize the scope of this calamity and responding with generosity. But the primary responsibility of dealing with it remains ours alone. It is poignant that we had to write very similar thoughts about aazadi (independence) on last year’s Independence Day as the country struggled with dealing with the IDP crisis. But let us remember on this Independence Day, that with the fruits of aazadi come the responsibilities of aazadi!
We all know that Ramzan is a time for religious introspection. But we also know that for many Ramzan is also a time for culinary extravagance. Let us, for example, pledge that for all of us who can afford to do so, we will on each day of this auspicious month of Ramzan, take out the resources for one displaced family’s daily food needs. If just eight percent of Pakistani households contributed that to the flood relief efforts (there are 175 million Pakistanis, of whom some 14 million have been displaced by these floods) we would at least meet the nutrition and food needs of those affected for an entire month.
Of course, we need – and need to do – much more. But here would be a real start. This is something that many people already do in the month of Ramzan. Let us do so systematically this year. Let us do a little more than we do other years. Let us do so with a purpose and a mission as we rise to the challenge that our nation faces, but as a means to put real meaning into Ramzan and into this year’s Independence Day.
P.S. Information on avenues for sending relief support to flood victims is available here. All Things Pakistan has already been making donations to the flood relief efforts (here and here) and, on behalf of our readers, will continue to divert all of our advertising revenue to this cause.
Ramadan Kareen and Happy Independance day of 1947 only to all of Pakistanis, because after that our leaders become under pressure of corruption. Now every body can see the leaders of Pakistan, what are their businesses? How they are making fool to nation? One was shouting on his tenture ” Qarz utaro Mulk Sanwaro”, where the money gone. Once got the chance to serve people of pakistan during the tenure, but failed to satisfy people of pakistan and when finalized to serve sincerely, lost life. One has quoted to analys a leader: If you want to know how the leader(s) are, just check the nationals / people, you would better know about the leader of that nation. If the leader would sincere the people will also be and if the leader is corrupt then ALLAH HI HAFIZ hei mulk ka. I do humbly request all Pakistani brothers and sisters to please be sincere with the nation, be united against the enemies, don’t vote any politician, vote only to the sincere person among us. Ya Allah Hamare Mulk ko tamam dushmano ke shar sei mehfooz farma aur hume apne mulk ki khidmat kerne ka moqa inayat farma. (Ameen)
According to http://www.slate.com/id/2185349
[All Muslims are expected to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives, though many have to overcome significant obstacles to do so. The Hajj is a huge expense for a typical Pakistani. The cost of making the trip starts at $2,500, nearly three times Pakistan’s average income. Despite these hardships, there are many more Pakistanis who wish to go to Mecca each year than there are Saudi visas. In 2006, nearly 140,000 applicants vied for 80,000 visas through the Pakistan government’s Hajj program. In order to decide who gets to go, the government holds a lottery. As a result, among the visa applicants, there’s a group of people randomly selected to participate in the Hajj and a comparison group of would-be pilgrims who applied but didn’t get to go. The two groups look very similar—the only systematic difference is that applicants in one group won the lottery and those in the other group didn’t. If the Hajjis come back from Mecca more tolerant than those who didn’t get to go, therefore, we know it’s the result of the Hajj, not something else.]
The number of 160,000 for the year of 2010 appears to be correct. About 90,000 will get the visa. Four years ago the trim cost was $2,500, now it should be certainly more. This year (2010) the cheapest package is Rupees 350,000 per person. The total sum for 90,000 persons is 31,500,000,000 Rupees, or 31.5 billion Rypees.
If it is donated to the charity work, it will help to save many lives. Is it not better to save a living soul on this earth than saving a soul under the ground after death??
For self-acclaimed “Allama” Asim:
Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by[reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].(Quran 30:41)
Use this Ramadan as an “excuse” to read and understand Quran. Try once,atleast!?
We, students of Pakistan, can play a big role in this hard time. If every student takes a responsibility to guide 1000 uneducated persons simply that the real meaning of Islam and Pakistan is “sacrifice your important things for others” then we can easily build our Pakistan and Pakistani morals.
Happy Independence Day!
http://indiafirstfoundation.wordpress.com/2010/08/ 14/aazadi-mubarak/
India First Foundation