“The Only Window” - by Roman Ahsan

“THE ONLY WINDOW”

- by Roman Ahsan [Nov. 2011]

It’s a different kind of autumn this year. The trees are not just shedding leaves, but the birds are leaving the nests and the bees have failed to gather honey in their hives. Winters are coming soon and it seems that the winds are going to turn extremely cold. The rabbits are preparing for the bad times in their own way but what about the wolves?

The boat of Pakistan continues to float but with sharks all around in the sea. Is there a cure for the cancer? Can our dreams come to reality? Truth is bitter, can we swallow it?

We start seeing some signs when we ponder over these questions…

All Spiritual people & Islamic scholars (whether educated / enlightened / rigid) in Pakistan are unanimous on one point. We Pakistanis are facing hardships since such a long time because we are not trying to please Allah and are not obeying His commandments (same could be said about the whole Muslim world). Just one example is how prostitutes (excuse my expression but we call them celebrities) are dancing in every household due to 'no check' on Cable TV channels. This is not a joke, but a real and serious thing we don't pay attention to which accounts for individual as well as collective sins as a nation. And then there are countless other evils we need to curb in this country!

This is how our enemies have fooled us. They have managed to trick the whole world into believing that whatever extremism is happening in the world is due to Islam and its rigid followers, Islam is bad and the people practicing it are hypocrites, so you need to follow ‘all’ the latest 'progressive' trends with your eyes closed and without questioning anything. Realistically speaking, our people need release also in these troublesome times and the fault lies with the government for not creating pure modes of entertainment. Allah is punishing us…through floods, dengue outbreak, terrorist activities (either covert or inside jobs but mostly it is foreign funded using our own people), corrupt leaders, economic slowdown and what not?? War is also one of God’s ways of punishing a nation, especially in the kind of situation we are right now.

We cannot afford wars with any country. But what if God forbid we have to face a war? The preparation for wars is ‘not just’ by amassing military equipment. In Holy Qur’an, it is clearly given that believers (Muslims) can overpower their enemies even if they outnumber them by many times. But for that, they have to be ‘true’ believers and not in the kind of state we are today! The Spiritual and religious elements say that we need to repent and mend our ways (the whole nation)….a collective repentance is required…..a day fixed when it is announced before hand….but with corrupt leaders, can you expect this? As for the common citizens of Pakistan, all are not corrupt but they fail to recognize the beauty of Islam due to propaganda by our enemies (and within our country) and also due to inadequate religious upbringing. There has always been the dilemma in this country, which path to adopt for Islam due to existence of so many different schools of thoughts. People are confused over so many choices. Still, we cannot pin all hopes to the youth and there is always ease for educated people to find their direction. One only needs to have an intention of turning towards the right path, and God will make things easy for him/her.

War is ugly. Just like a wound leaves behind a scar, war changes the psychology of a nation. We are not hopefully moving towards a war (though war is always unexpected), but the conditions in our country are deteriorating very fast.

IF WE WANT TO AVOID CALAMITIES, INCLUDING ANY WAR IMPOSED ON US (OR IF WE HOPE TO WIN ANY WAR IMPOSED ON US) THEN THERE IS ONLY ONE WINDOW FOR US TO DISCOVER…..!! THE WINDOW WHICH OPENS TO SALVATION WHERE WE EARN THE SUPPORT OF OUR CREATOR …!!!

"Rising Above" - by Roman Ahsan

‘RISING ABOVE’

[PART II of FORSAKING THE ‘AMERICAN DREAM’]

By Syed Roman Ahsan

KEYWORDS: International isolation, survival, self-reliance, Pakistan, USA, Adaptation, NATO, technology, corruption, honesty, superpower, Unseen Divine Force

Published in PAKISTAN TODAY - ‘THE REVIEW’ – December 04, 2011

The game of survival is always challenging in dire straits. It is all about making adjustments and evolving along with the shifting circumstances. Perhaps one of the stories that best expresses this idea is ‘The Swiss Family Robinson’. First published in 1812, it is a novel about a Swiss family shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. Forced to remain on the island the stranded folk start to explore the island and the wildlife, construct a house around a huge tree and slowly start building a life for themselves there. Pakistanis are perhaps more familiar with the American TV series that was aired in the 1970s. The threat of pirates, an uncertain future and other issues of survival ensured plenty of adventure stories for us week after week.

There are many moments in life when things do not always proceed as per our expectations and even all hell breaks loose. Yet we have to be smart enough to make careful choices of the solutions to fight a particular calamity or a series of calamities. Adaptation is an age old tradition. With the advent of winters we start wearing warm clothes and say goodbye to T-shirts. Similarly, when a man switches to a freelance home-based job after an extensive work experience in office, he has to adjust to altogether different schedules and get used to being in the same environment all day long with no respite.

Our country has been facing several years of persistent chaos that is seeing no end. We are perpetually confused about future strategies and particularly at this juncture, unsure about our survival as a nation if we break ties with the US. When we tune into the local TV channels, endless debates seem to be erupting everywhere. Do we really have a possible solution for this mayhem? Our plight is like that of amateur acrobats performing on a tight rope 100 meters above the ground without any provision of a net underneath to cushion their unexpected fall.

Independence is the dream we started with and where are we today? Pakistan is a country blessed with abundant natural and human resources. It is said if only our agricultural sector is adequately nourished with proper reforms, we could become self-reliant besides bringing in foreign exchange from exports. This does not however include ‘mango diplomacy’ to please those in the US government who are fooling us from day one. The cruel tongues that utter orders of invading other nations can never really be restrained by the sweet taste of mangoes. They perhaps need the fresh taste of more blood!

An attack on US embassy which kills US marines is taken as an act of aggression but the issue of scores  of innocent civilians being killed regularly in drone attacks in Pakistan is treated as if those deaths measure up to zero. Even the lives of 28 boys of Pakistani military do not matter who are shelled by a NATO helicopter crossing the Pakistani territory two-kilometers inside. The blind can also now clearly distinguish between our friends and foes but many in our country are still in a state of denial.

Gaining self-reliance is by no means an easy task, yet not an impossible one also. The time has come perhaps that we get out of the shackles of our association with a country we rate as a superpower forgetting that the only Superpower is the One God who provides us with sustenance even when we barely deserve it. It is a simple matter of faith over worldly reasoning. Germany was totally destroyed after WWII, but the Germans resolved to put the country back on the track. Their hard work has eventually made the nation economically sound.

It is often said that our projects could never materialize without the technological support of the United States of America. We prefer to close our eyes to situations where our people show brilliance in different fields. The cry that ‘all’ brains are leaving this country for better prospects abroad is exaggerated. Majority of the technocrats in this country have still chosen to stay back even when there seems to be fire all around. Also, a visit to the slums in this country can reveal striking phenomena. How about a small electronics store owned by a laidback engineer where his assistant assembles and manufactures 14” color TV sets by using the picture tube of a computer monitor? Being sold at a cheap price, these are as durable and functional as genuine TV sets. And how about a deaf man working since more than 40 years in the same firm, and currently designing sensitive technical equipments for clients in his current position of a design director?

The level of corruption in our country has been cursed since decades. The interesting thing is that this alarm is raised by the corrupt themselves also. Still it is not that much of a hopeless situation when you see an ordinary cobbler charging only 20 Rupees in these times for mending an expensive travel bag. Similarly, what can you say about a poor man who repairs watches going the extra mile in fixing your watch. The honesty level is no doubt rare here but if we stop talking about such cases and narrating their stories, then we are to be blamed only for our fate!

It is said that Pakistan should not aim for ‘international isolation’ in these times when we could gain from knowledge bank of the advanced counties. While this is true, but perhaps we only need to isolate ourselves from those nations that are creating havoc in this world through their wars and start thinking of forming alliances with a new set of countries that carry relative harmless designs against the outer world. We should also not forget that these are dangerous times when our national security is threatened by our enemies.

This world is just a mirage and everything in it is temporary. We are passing through a phase which has to ultimately end one day. We need to stand up and embrace our real values as Muslims and as Pakistanis. It is our God-given duty to contribute to the glory of ‘Land of the pure’. Before that however we have to trust in the Unseen Divine Force that transcends all powers. We should also not be afraid to cut down on our cosmetic living standards influenced by the artificial media hype and to adopt simpler lifestyles.

It is high time not just to cut off NATO supplies but to rise above any inferiority complexes that make us bow before oppressors. We can live without the ‘American Dream’!!

Forsaking The 'American Dream' – by Roman Ahsan

Forsaking The 'American Dream'

– by Roman Ahsan

October 30, 2011 - The Review - ‘PAKISTAN TODAY’

The article below is from the perspective of those who have never visited USA, yet have still fallen for the American dream – Please feel free to submit your comments as to how you feel about the insights below:

The Scene: A fighter jet out of control plummets towards the ground. The pilot, sporting a white helmet struggles desperately to regain control over the plane, but it crashes to the ground. The man barely survives. But wait! “They” had the technology to rebuild Steve Austin (Lee Majors) as the world’s first bionic man. After an operation in which they planted mechanical devices in his body, Steve was able to run faster than a speeding car, could punch through solid walls and was equipped with an enhanced eye-vision enabling him to see the details of a tiny object 100 meters away.

This was the plot line of “Six Million Dollar Man”, the American TV series that seized the world by storm in the 1970s. Run on the local television network in Pakistan a little later like all other American TV shows, the series nevertheless had us all transfixed. We started identifying ourselves with heroes like Steve Austin, who like Spiderman, were committed to defeating the forces of evil by taking on the ‘bad guys’ in the neighborhood. Week after week, new stories awaited us which captured our innocent imaginations!

There were countless other American TV shows in the 1970s that catered to our fantasies. “Little House on the prairie” showed the day to day struggle of a farmer living with his wife and three daughters in the old West. Again, like the other good guys of the TV shows, the farmer was shown as a noble and harmless person. Indeed, such people have to encounter more problems in their lives compared to others which provided material for the TV show.

The big screen also cast a magic spell in the days of Hollywood classics like “Ben-Hur”, “Cassandra Crossing”, “Crazy Boys”, “Yeti”, “Superman” and others. On the mini-screen, though movies were shown only twice a week and were mostly old, yet they were also eagerly awaited by the crowd. Be it a comedy, a tough Western story, a fuzzy feel good romantic flick, a fun movie or an intense war movie with a heavy cast - viewers would be fighting off sleep to catch them on the telly late at night.

The 1980s had arrived, and it was difficult also to escape the song numbers churned out by US music artistes with audio cassettes being an essential part of a teenager’s collection. American novels also provided coveted entertainment during vacations. Though magazines like Time, Newsweek and National Geographic do not exactly qualify as light reads, but they also had the capacity to grab the reader’s interest while lending us a different thought process. We grew more and more enamoured with American lifestyle!

Who can really discount the charismatic aura of the American Dream? Why are the Pakistanis (and the world in general) so mesmerized by its magic? There is just one word perhaps, ‘perfection’. The Americans are perfectionists and they know how to package and sell everything - be it a novel, a TV show, a movie, a product, a brand or an idea with a touch of class and appeal. Sadly, this includes war also! The saying is undeniably true; Hollywood truly is America’s biggest propaganda machine. The American government gets away with blatant lies partly because we are so blinded by the American dream that we are unable to recognize the truth.

For people like me who grew up loving the American dream, it is so shocking and disappointing that the US government has a different act than Archie, Indiana Jones or James Bond. The Americans as shown in their TV shows stand for honesty, courage, generosity, friendliness and compassion amongst other traits. The heroes in Hollywood movies are like saviors responding quickly and effectively to challenging situations or to rescue the oppressed. The fictional American superhero “Superman” created in 1938 stands for the symbols of courage and chivalry as presented in countless comic strips, comic books, radio / TV shows and movies ever since. But where are Superman and Batman now? Why are they not saving the world from the evil forces that are creating havoc through wars, invading one country after another on the pretext of different excuses?

The administrators of US government need to pay heed that they are creating hatred all over the world against USA through their policies which is giving rise to resistance movements globally. Instead of labeling all resistance movements in the domain of “extremism”, the US government needs to rectify itself. The focus of ‘the land of opportunity’ should be on making this world a better place to live in where people of all countries could co-exist in relative peace and harmony. Is it time to end our romance with the “American Dream”?

"Of heaven, fire and blood" - by Roman Ahsan

Of heaven, fire and blood

Published: January 3, 2010 |Daily Times |Boss Supplement

By Syed Roman Ahsan

The time is close to 9:30 AM. An executive is enjoying his last moments of a good night sleep it being his day off. Suddenly, he feels as if a plane has crashed in his backyard. He gets up horrified and rushes there amidst screams that come from the neighborhood to discover that the scene is undisturbed. Confused, he paces to the TV lounge and turns on the set where some breaking news flashes about a terror strike with a commentator taking the name “SB&B”. That man was me who had worked at that firm for five years which became the target of a suicide attack in March 2008, the office building being two kilometers away from my home. Since then, the overall situation in the country has not really improved rather we seem to be drowning further in chaos.

Our beautiful country to which we owe a lot yet really fail to contribute anything seems to be sinking in a sea of fire. Our hearts cry out when people die, when smoke arises from buildings, when innocent crowds are swept away in flames and when our brave soldiers die while being confronted by the satanic forces. The fear has gripped our souls making us forget the colors of life. Though we try to carry on with our lives normally, yet we know that there are no promises. Still we have to move on with courage and act as a strong nation which is being put through a test!

The persisting turmoil has affected the common man’s life most. It is he who has to pay the price. Whenever he leaves his home in the morning, he does so with the thought that he may not return safely that evening. The greatest tragedy occurs when normal and healthy people are left injured, with missing limbs or other precious body parts. They are forced to lead a crippled life then. Whether one is a bread earner, a student or a housewife, this reigns as the greatest fear in the minds. When a mother sends her lovely children to schools, she does so with the greatest worries. She relaxes only when they return safely in the afternoon.

Our enemies are trying hard to break up the country. If on the one hand there are suicide attacks backed by covert forces then on the other hand sites are being blown up by remote controlled explosives. Whenever a ghastly incident occurs, the first question that arises is whether it was a suicide attack or a bomb explosion. Whatever the case be, we need to be vigilant. The continuing state in the country has however left most of us immune. We proceed with our daily businesses normally because we are not the affected. Though we are monitoring the grievous situation of our homeland, are seized by anxiety and mourn whenever a terrorist strike takes place, yet only those who are directly involved in an incident are the ones that suffer. The catastrophes leave lifelong scars on the minds of the survivors. Many families get deprived of their heads, while others are left with beings that are rendered invalid for the rest of their lives. What they go through is only what they experience while the rest of us cannot imagine their suffering.

Considering that it has been more than three years that the traumatic conditions in the whole country are persisting, we have to really think how we, the common people can make a difference. Have we gained any lessons from the continuing situation? It is easy to blame the ‘jihadis’, the foreign secret agencies or the inside elements that are collaborating with them, but are we trying to improve ourselves as individuals? Have we learnt the value of our relationships with our close ones and are we trying hard to foster them? Have we started respecting our institutions more while doing justice to our duties? Do we now think of taking care of the elderly in a more proper fashion with focus on respect?

What about our businesses? Have we stopped lying and deceiving other parties? Does honesty matter to us more now? When we commute in our daily life, do we bother to identify the helpless beings that we see apart from the crowd of professional beggars? We do not even consider lying as something immoral as it has become our second nature. Have we learnt the beauty of telling the truth? Our tongues are still as sharp as before. Do we try to use sweet words filled with warmth now? Our attitudes nullify our purpose of creation. Have we become gentlemen and ladies now? Have we rooted out prejudice, jealousy, pride and selfishness from our hearts? We cry out to God whenever a terrorist strike happens, but have we tried to strengthen our bond with the Almighty?

If we seriously ponder, we are not that helpless in the present situation. We just need to think about changing ourselves and act brave while continuing our journey in this world. We owe this to the coming generations!

"When Emotions Backfire" - by Roman Ahsan

WHEN EMOTIONS BACKFIRE:

By Syed Roman Ahsan (Nov. 2009)

Published @ EzineArticles.com

http://ezinearticles.com/?When-Emotions-Backfire&id=6003761

Also Published: DAILY NEWS – Karachi.

Emotions are wonderful. They can make you laugh, cry or fall in love while not being confined to any age, race, season or place. When you dive deep into the sea of emotions and come out floating, you are rejuvenated with a new spirit. You get enhanced with a rich experience that teaches you about the philosophy of life. The sad thing is that one can get deeply hurt also owing to intense emotions which again depends on our respective vulnerabilities. Life is not fair sometimes. It treats all of us differently but shows its worst side when it comes to feelings. The promise of spring fails sometimes when autumn reigns with full force instead.

Sensitivity and strong feelings complement each other. Men are not any stronger than women when it comes to matters of heart. In fact men with sincere feelings could be more prone to pains of love compared to women. Our Creator intended love to reside in the depths of our hearts. It is very natural for us to manifest our feelings to members of opposite sex. Yet, the only desirable thing for us is not to get carried away in our pursuits of love. Still, we just cannot help it at times. A person in love desperately seeks the completion of his soul through reciprocation of his feelings. The greatest tragedy in life occurs when a lover's expectations extremely exceed the loved one's response.

In today's world workplaces offer more opportunities to males and females to interact with each other since they spend a full day there compared to co-educational institutions. In majority of cases mutual physical attraction propels a man and a woman to come closer. A sincere man does not aim for casual affairs but looks for the realization of his dreams through the bonds of a marital relationship. Lady luck does not readily comply though. Man's sincerity does not merely fulfill a dream. A girl has to be genuine in her pursuits too. It could be that either she is just looking for friendship in the process losing control of her emotions at times thus conveying certain signals to the man even though she never means to flirt. The poor man interprets her caring gestures as a real interest in him making him further fall for her. Even though he only wishes to concentrate on his job at his respective workplace initially but when nature thrusts an opportunity in his face, it becomes a helpless situation for him. It seems almost impossible for him to resist the advances of a female especially if the two share a common outlook on life. Events just get rolling towards an unknown destination where it is difficult for both to harness the reins of self-control!

When God created Adam, a being superior to angels, He infused in him sentiments which His earlier creation lacked. Heaven became his abode where he had access to everything he could possibly wish for. However, man remained dissatisfied and craved for someone to share his life with. Eve was eventually created as the answer to his loneliness, a most beautiful partner. He was immediately drawn towards her and wanted to touch her but was at once admonished by the Divine Authority and commanded that she could only be his once he entered a formal contract with her. And this is what remains to date. We see that even the first man created by God whose pure soul had not yet been corrupted with shades of evil felt himself weak against the temptation of a woman. A beautiful girl in today's world knows this weakness of men. She wants to be adored by men and feels offended when they ignore her. In fact she is flattered when an attractive man lavishes attention on her. Both of them look for opportunities where they could possibly engage each other's focus. Man generally takes the lead in aspiring for the girl's attention. Situations arise though where the man is indifferent but it is the girl who deliberately distracts him thus forming a chain reaction. The longings of the soul make the man fall deeply in love with the girl only to find out finally that his feelings cannot be seriously reciprocated. Femme fatale seals the relationship and just walks away!

The pain of loss of love is equivalent to the sorrow which one feels upon the death of a loved one. Heartbroken and dejected, he loses interest in everything. Time will heal the wounds and the picture will just fade away, he consoles himself. All that is left behind is the need for him to pick his soul and start walking again.

Does David Borenstein make sense when he says: "Feelings are not supposed to be logical. Dangerous is the man who has rationalized his emotions."?