Farewell CLF 2014 -An Overview

By Sarah B. Haider 

   

The third day of the Children’s Literature Festival Karachi marked the end of this year’s fête. A huge number of teachers, students and parents attended the festival with full zest and fervour.

The enthusiasm of the students, teachers and parents can be gauged from the fact that everyone was punctual and people started coming to Arts Council as early as 9.00 am on a Saturday!

Since it was a free public event, people from different backgrounds came to attend it. Though there were many sessions that were specifically aimed for teachers, students from all age groups enthusiastically participated in them. For instance, the session on “Addressing conflict through interactive reading”, “Innovative teaching methods,” and “Session on ICT”, were largely attended by children who not only listened to the discussions intently but also participated in them.

Miss Amna, an O level teacher present at the event said, “I really liked the session on Innovative Teaching Methods by Nusrat Ali. The different creative methods of teaching that he came up with were excellent and are sure to help teachers if they adopt them in their classes.”

The festival not only hosted various interactive session, theatres, musical and dance performance, painting activity, storytelling sessions, but also held a book fair. A large number of people, both kids and adults, visited the book stalls and bought the books of their choices.

“I came here to attend the festival with my friends, but I ended up buying a few books for myself. One can find all kinds of books here at the book stalls, ranging from story books to general knowledge books. However, I think they are pretty expensive”, said Faiza, a student from Army Public School, Karachi.

Among the sessions, the storytelling and theatres turned out to be the most popular among kids. The performers and storytellers did an excellent job by keeping the audience engaged from the start till the end. Keeping young children focused is not an easy task, but organisers did a wonderful job.

“The story telling and sing-song sessions conducted by Toffee TV were amazing. The presenters narrated the stories in such an intriguing manner that children as well as adults were completely absorbed in the story. I am sure the kids as well as all the teachers and parents here have thoroughly enjoyed the sessions,” stated Fatima, a primary teacher from the City School who came to attend the festival.

Similarly, the theatrical performances conducted by NAPA, Thespianz Theatre, students of AMI School and Gripps Theatre were simply outstanding.

“I really loved the theatre Chilghozay aur mozay. It kept all the students from my class totally engaged in the play. Children of Karachi need more such events to take place,” said Anam, a student from Happy Home School.

Hamza, an 11-year-old student happily expressed, “I loved the play “Ali Baba Chalees Chor”, organised by NAPA. I have read the story but the performance was so amazing that I will always remember the story word to word. Usually when my friends and I gather for some recreational activity, we make a lot of noise together for the sake of fun, but this story was so good that all of us watched it quietly.”

Though, the festival was dominated by school kids and teachers, many housewives and fathers also came to attend the festival.

Mrs. Arsalan, a housewife who has recently come to Pakistan from the UAE said, “It is indeed a very healthy activity for kids. In a city like Karachi, where every now and then something bad is happening and schools get shut down, children need something constructive like this so that they can get away from their suffocating routines and engage themselves in something positive”.

Likewise, Mr Anjum, a businessman who specially came to attend the festival with his 10-year-old son said, “The Children’s Literature Festival organised by Oxford University Press is indeed a very positive step to educate children.”

Mr Anjum was of the view that such literary activities for children could be a splendid way to spread awareness among children about Urdu and English literature, including drama and theatre. It can also open new avenues for children to participate in theatres when they grow up.

Carrying around 15 books in his hands that he bought for his son from the book fair, he further said, “I want my son to become a big fan of reading. Such literary events can inculcate reading habits in all children and should be conducted more often.”

The article was published here.

Mountains of Waste

The Himalayas, without a shadow of doubt, are one of the most beautiful tourist spots in the world. From snow-covered peaks to breathtaking hill stations and valleys to awe-inspiring flora and fauna to the tranquil aura surrounding the entire region, the Himalayas are surely a glimpse of heaven on earth. They are popular for their scenic beauty and are also home to some of the loftiest peaks in the world, including the famous Mount Everest.

Every year, the Himalayas attract thousands of tourists from all over the world who come to the region for sightseeing and trekking. Living in magnificent surroundings and waking up to such a spectacular panorama is certainly a dream come true for any tourist. The images of the Himalayas that appear online, in magazines and on television are enough to convince anyone that no place could be more wonderful than this.

Sadly, however, for the people of Nepal, the country’s pride – the incredibly striking mountain ranges – are fast becoming a rubbish dump. The high levels of pollution are damaging the splendor of the mighty Himalayas.

According to estimates, around 35,000 tourists, including expedition teams, visit the Everest region every year. With the ever-growing number of tourists in the mountains there is also an increase in heaps of beer and soft drink cans, empty mineral water bottles and other waste material. Tourists throw litter without thinking twice about its impact on the environment in the long run.

Some decades back, there was hardly any garbage on the mountains. But in recent years, every village in the Himalayas can be seen littered with plastic all the way up to the Everest base camp. This is because previously, there were no more than a score of mountaineering expeditions and less than a hundred trekkers visiting the Himalayas every year. Today, the annual number of expeditions has grown to over 200 and of trekkers to over 50,000. To top it off, there have been no arrangements in Nepal to treat the waste as there is no developed recycling industry there.

This is not all. Like in many other parts of the world, the Himalayas are also facing the negative effects of global warming. Over the years, wrong models of development, an improper use of resources, changing lifestyles and modern consumerism has led to environmental pollution as well as resource depletion. As a result, the glaciers in the Himalayas are rapidly melting. This impact of global warming in the Himalayas will have devastating consequences both for the environment and the human population.

In order to tackle this situation and to lessen the alarming intensity of environmental pollution, a ‘Zero Waste Himalayas’ campaign was initiated by groups and individuals across the Himalayan Mountain region. The campaign was launched with the technical guidance of Thanal – an environmental organization based in Kerala, India, that works for the alleviation of problems related to public interest, particularly environment, agriculture and livelihood generation.

Started in 2010, the ‘Zero Waste Himalayas’ initiative is aimed at promoting ethical, efficient and economic resource use and resource recovery in the Himalayan region. Its main aim is to make the Himalayas waste-free and make Nepal plastic-free. The campaign has attracted people from all walks of life, including native Nepali people, tour operators, government officials, mountaineering experts and environment representatives from across the globe. The initiative calls for an urgent need to devise a waste management strategy to achieve its goals.

According to research conducted by the Solid Waste Management Technical Support Centre (SWMTSC) in Nepal, about 170 metric tons of waste is generated annually in the Mount Everest region. Out of this, plastic accounts for 21 percent of the waste, paper and cardboard 22 percent, metal and glass 13 percent, textiles four percent and foodstuffs, human waste and bodies account for the remaining.

The poor management of waste and the excessive use of plastic bags pose a serious risk to the environment as well as public health in the country.

Though the campaign was started with great enthusiasm and fervor, there were a number of challenges – both on the macro and the community level – that had to be tackled first. For instance, when seen at a macro level, Nepal has faced political instability for decades and hence waste management has never been a priority for the establishment. Similarly, there was an absence of proper laws or policies that could tackle environmental issues and neither were there any punishments for the violation of environmental laws.

Another big hurdle was the lack of funding for environmental initiatives. At a micro level, issues such as lack of information and awareness of environmental concerns, lack of access to TV or radio or other media due to poverty and lack of integrated voices in civil society about environment etc., hindered the campaign from its very outset.

However, through various seminars, conferences and activities, the initiative addressed the challenges and formulated solutions from time to time. Since its inception in 2010, the ‘Zero Waste Himalayas’ campaign has continued with full zeal and enthusiasm. Every year, the campaigners hold various activities and continue to work to make the issue of waste and climate change in the Himalayan region a global priority and summon more organizations and individuals who can commit to learning and taking action towards making the Himalayas a waste-free region.

The article was published here.

Mangrove forests in Pakistan: An asset fast depleting

By Sarah B. Haider

Natural resources are surely an asset for a country. This is especially true for forests, because forests and biodiversity are key to all forms of life. This is because they pave way for greater opportunities for people in terms of medical discoveries, economic development and greater adaptability to climatic change. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, only about 4.8 percent of land is covered with forests, which is far below the optimal standard of 25 percent for a country. Despite the low percentage of forests in Pakistan, deforestation continues to take place countrywide, thus posing great threats, such as desertification, flooding and endangering of wildlife.

This particularly pertains to the mangrove forests, found in the Indus Delta and coastal areas of Arabian Sea around the coast of Karachi and Pasni in Balochistan. These forests are immensely important in many ways, and their depletion is causing a variety of problems, not only to the environment but also to the country, at large.

Discussed below are some of the advantages of mangroves, along with the devastating impact the removal of these forests causes.

Destruction of natural habitat

Packed with life, mangroves provide a natural habitat to a huge number of micro organisms, insects and snakes, birds and various mammals. Not only this, these forests provide a physical breeding ground to different sea creatures like fish, crabs and shrimps and mollusk species. These fisheries make up an indispensable source of food for thousands of coastal communities around the world. In Pakistan, these forests provide a main source of earning to local fishermen. However, because of the increase in pollution and the reduction of forest cover, fishermen are compelled travel far-off inside the sea, which makes them susceptible to be caught by the Indian Navy.

Scarcity of migratory birds

During winters, a huge number of migratory birds come and nest in these forests to breed. Earlier, various bird species like ospreys, wood storks, a variety of herons and egrets, bald eagles, cormorants, brown pelicans, ibis and roseate spoonbills, etc. used to visit the mangroves on a yearly basis. However, over the past few years, the number of guest birds has greatly reduced because of the destruction of these forests in Pakistan.

Economic importance

Economically, they are of immense importance too, because Mangroves are a great source of timber, fuel, railroad ties and tannin. Also, commercial mangrove production is necessary for the construction of boats, houses and furniture. Moreover, mangrove plants are largely used for medicinal purposes. For instance, extracts from mangroves and mangrove-dependent species are extensively used as effective medicines against human, animal and plant pathogens. These plant species are also used to treat many skin diseases, including leprosy, with ashes or bark infusions of certain species of mangrove.

Natural barriers to storms and tsunamis

Mangroves act as natural barriers in protecting coastal communities and urban centers from tsunamis and storms. This is because these forests slow down the flow of water and prevent soil erosion. They also help in reducing sedimentation in the sea. Lately, Tsunamis have become a real menace for Karachi and since mangrove trees are being ruthlessly chopped, it can aggravate the situation further in case of an uninvited coastal storm.

No tourism

Unlike many other countries of the world, Pakistan has failed to tap into the tourism potential of mangrove forests. Because of the rich diversity of life, these forests have been popular tourist attractions which Pakistan could utilise as a source of revenue generation.

Despite the fact that mangroves are of immense economic and environmental importance to Pakistan, over the last five decades, they are being subjected to over exploitation and massive population pressure, and hence, these precious forests are fading away fast.  It is high time the concerned authorities took action to preserve these precious forests before they become extinct.

The article was published here.

Wazir mansion: A walk into the past

By Ayesha Ahmed & Sarah B. Haider

Sitting amid a busy commercial area, precisely on Barkati Street, Haji Sharif Balwani Road, off M A Jinnah Road near Meriwether Tower, Kharadar, Karachi, stands out an edifice like no other in its vicinity.

Overlooking the tall, ancient buildings of the British era, Wazir Mansion, the house, where Quaid-i-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah was born and raised, is one of the prized landmarks our nation possesses.

As one enters the dimly lit mansion, one is bound to travel into the past. An aura of antiquity, that is inherent to the building, captivates them.

History

The parents of the Quaid-i-Azam, Jinnah Bhai Poonja and Sakina Bano, moved to Karachi during the late 20^th Century from their ancestral village Paneli (Gujrat, India) and acquired two rooms on the first floor of this two-storey building constructed during the Colonial period.

On the auspicious day of 25^th December, 1876, the founder of our homeland and the great Muslim leader of the 20^th century was born here. When the Quaid-i-Azam left for London, in 1892, for higher studies, his parents and siblings were still residing in this house. However, after the birth of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, the house was sold and the Quaid’s family rented another big house in Ramhee Patia building, Khori Garden, Karachi.

As for the ownership of the mansion and the origination of its name, it is said that Gowardhan Das was also among the owners of this building. From him, Wazir Ali Poonawala, by whom this house had got its name, Wazir Mansion, bought it sometime in the 1940s.

The Quaid-i-Azam and his sister, Fatima Jinnah, were both born in the Wazir Mansion. As a matter of fact, he spent over sixteen years of his life, along with his entire family in the very house.  Before the mansion was turned into a museum, the ground floor was not a part of the house but consisted of different shops. During early-1953, the government of Pakistan purchased this building and on the 14^th of August that very year, the house was converted into a museum. From then onwards, the site was opened for public.

Security measures

After the tragic attack on the residency of the Quiad-i-Azam in Ziarat, Balochistan, on the 15^th of June, 2013, the Sindh government ensured to take adequate security measures and to this end, rangers have been deployed outside the building. A round-the-clock surveillance is provided to this structure to counter any potential terrorist attacks.

Preservation

As with any ancient building that is prone to wear and tear over the passage of time, maintenance and repair is essential. Hence, the walls and pillars of the Wazir Mansion have been built out of stone masonry in lime and jute mortar. This revamping, which is carried out from time to time, has rendered the building its sturdiness and durability. This is the reason why it has managed to exist since hundreds of years providing support to the building. Also, the building material used is capable of efficiently fighting the volatile weather of Karachi.

Moreover, apart from the custodian of Wazir Mansion who oversees all the affairs related to the building, there are nine other staffers who take care of different parts of the mansion. From cleaning to fumigation, archiving of books to looking after the furniture, and attending to the visitors, they are always present to execute their duties.

After the government of Pakistan purchased the building, they completed all the urgent and necessary repairs and handed the building to the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan, on the 13^th of August, 1953. This step was taken under the 18^th Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Furthermore, in 2004, a project worth Rs 25.037 million was initiated for the evaluation, strengthening, preservation and rehabilitation of the edifice. These activities were carried out to revert back the birthplace of the Quaid-i-Azam to its original form by the department of Archaeology and Museums. The project was duly completed in 2010.

Problems

Wazir Mansion is a heritage site. Being the place of birth of the founder of Pakistan, the building is an asset for the country. Sadly, however, the surrounding areas of Wazir Mansion are in shambles so much so that one cannot even envisage it. Heaps of garbage is dumped near the building, situated in a very congested area. During the monsoon season, the condition worsens because the road is steeped and gutter water accumulates outside, making it extremely difficult for people to go in and out of the museum. Also, the building is located in an area which is not easy to find. There are no sign boards that could direct people towards the building and since the area is so jam-packed, people often get lost when finding the place.

Visitors

On the 25^th of December, a lot of people come to visit the building. Though the number of visitors has sharply decreased over the years due to various reasons, many patriotic people pay a visit to the mansion. Earlier, a lot of foreigners used to come and visit these places but with the passage of time, the number has become scarce.

The display galleries

After the completion of the project in the year 2010, the Wazir Mansion was turned into a museum comprising three storeys: a ground floor with a library and a Reading Room, the first and the second floor.

The first floor was where Jinnah was born. The museum has his personal furniture, used by the Quaid as the First Governor General of Pakistan, on display. These include his office chair, dressing table, a bed and a writing chair. Also, there are two shelves that house hundreds of Jinnah’s law books –all present in pristine condition. The historical impression of this place not only mesmerises the visitors but also leaves them inquisitive to delve deeper into the life of the great leader.

On the second floor of the museum, the gallery displays various belongings of the Quaid. These include the personal furniture of his wife, Maryam Jinnah (Rattanbai Petit), smoking pipe, a walking stick, Muslim League badges, his neck ties, his court dress, his shoes and many other personal possessions gifted to the museum by Jinnah’s sister, Shireen Jinnah.

Published in The News Supplement, 25 December, 2014

Say NO to food wastage!

 By Ayesha Ahmed

 Do you eat to live, or live to eat?

As much as your conscience is coercing you to agree with the biological sense inherent in this concept, the truth is that we all love devoting our attention to food. Food is, hands down, the most major attraction of all the attractions, regardless of the nature of the occasion.

Unfortunately though, in the quest of keeping our taste buds tantalised, we, more often than not, stock our plates with more food than we can consume and, consequently, most of it is wasted.

United Nations Secretary, General Ban Ki-Moon has, hence, rightly said, “We live in a world of plenty, where food production outstrips demand.” However, “870 million people remain undernourished and           childhood stunting is a silent pandemic.”

Think

Have you ever pondered over the resources you consume? Do you make an effort to conserve water? Do you turn out the extra lights without getting the regular bashing by your dad? Do you avoid making emotional/ extravagant choices whenever possible? Do you have plans of running a responsible organisation or are you ambitious about working in one, perhaps?

If you responded affirmatively to at least two of the aforementioned questions, then you should take pride in the fact that you are playing your part in ending a global waste epidemic, in which almost one-third of ‘good’ food goes to trash.

Eat

It goes without saying that you are what you eat. Some of us eat to maintain our health while majority of us just like indulging in food, whenever we can.

However, regardless of your association to food, one thing that matters the most is being smart. It is mandatory that you contemplate the way you shop for food, serve it, eat it and, most importantly, discard it.

So, eat…to your heart’s content, but of course thoughtfully!

Save

Ever wondered where all the products on the grocer’s shelves come from?

With the easy availably of food, it is only natural to shrug off activities involving grocery shopping, cooking, eating and, certainly, trashing. Undeniably then, the acts of harvesting, manufacturing packaging, shipping and merchandising the food required for our sustenance are hardly paid any heed.

It, therefore, shouldn’t come as a surprise that there is little or no awareness about the score of food that ends up in the garbage along the entire food supply chain during production, distribution, consumption and disposal.

Sadly, such a colossal food loss and waste is playing havoc with the economy, society and environment, at large. About time we seriously thought about saving, not only for ourselves, but for our fellow beings and certainly the planet!

What’s it all about?

Did you know that one in seven people, in the world, go to bed hungry daily and over 20,000 children, aged five and below, die from hunger everyday?

It is tragic how the planet is striving to attain resources to nurture a whopping population of seven billion people (growing to nine billion by 2050) and yet, as estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a third of global food production is either wasted or lost.

Owing to this massive inequity in lifestyles and the overwhelming effects it has on the environment, the theme for this year’s World Environment Day celebration- Think.Eat.Save. Reduce Your Foodprint - encourages each one of us to become more aware and think over the food choices we make and how the environment has to suffer the devastating consequences.

World Environment Day

Every year, everywhere, everyone

The ritual of celebrating World Environment Day started in 1972 and ever since then it has turned out to be one of the primary modes through which the United Nations enlightens people across the globe about the environment and stimulates political attention and action.

World Environment Day, celebrated on 5th June every year, is also given so much significance because it’s probably the only day when people from all walks of life take out some time out of their busy lives to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter prospect for themselves and their progeny.

WED’s campaign this year - Think.Eat.Save. Reduce Your Foodprint - urges each one of us to come together and contribute against food wastage and then witness the might of collective decisions to reduce food waste, save money, lessen the concussion instigated by food production and consumption and encourage food production processes to get to the next level.

The global host for WED 2013 was Mongolia, a country whose economy is growing by leaps and bounds and one that is yearning to transform into a green economy and a green civilisation.

The reason behind choosing Mongolia for hosting WED 2013 is not because it is a big waster of food but because of the traditional and nomadic lifestyles of its people who can use their ancient wisdom to come up with great ideas of avoiding food waste in the contemporary age.

Here’s a blast from the past- Genghis Khan, the renowned Mongol General, and his troops made use of this peculiar food, borts, when touring through Asia and did not feel the need to rely on elaborate supply chains at all. Borts is actually processed beef equivalent to the protein of an entire cow, however, it is minimised to a size as small as a human fist.

This incredible technique of preservation, without refrigeration, was capable of preparing a meal equal to quite a few steaks when the protein shavings were immersed into hot water to make soup. Besides, Mongolians have several other secrets worth sharing that can help a great deal with the preservation of food.

Let your act begin at home!

As General Ban Ki-Moon says, “Although individual decisions may seem small in the face of global threats and trends, when billions of people join forces in common purpose, we can make a tremendous difference.”

Keeping that in mind, there is plenty we can do at an individual level to not waste food and charity, unquestionably, begins at home.

Listed below are a few ideas which I found quite easy to follow to reduce my foodprint and hope you will too.

Buy funny fruit

A great amount of fruits and veggies are disposed off because they don’t look ‘right’, probably because there is some fault in their colour, size or shape. So, the next time you hit the market, purchase such foods which will otherwise be wasted.

Donate

You can actually kill two birds with one stone by giving away extra/unwanted food. You won’t only be avoiding food wastage this way but will also be feeding the poor at the same time who can,   unfortunately, be found at every nook and corner of the country.

Freeze it

Bought seasonal fruits in surplus and afraid you won’t be able to have it all in time? Freeze it!

Frozen foods remain edible indefinitely. So, freeze fresh produce and leftovers if you won’t have the chance to eat them before they go bad.

Invent new recipes

There are many creative ways to deal with remnants stored in the fridge.

Scour the web to search for new recipes using leftovers and also learn innovative methods of storing food to keep them safe for a longer period of time.

Learn and Educate

Did you have any idea about how ONE litre of milk is produced? Yes, by using about a THOUSAND litres of water!

It’s extremely important that you keep yourself up-to-date with the environment impact of food product. Also, tell your peers and friends how their individual actions against food waste can make a big difference!

The original article appeared here

Do you eat to live, or live to eat?

Do you eat to live, or live to eat?

Shades of Ramazan

By Sarah B. Haider

The month of blessings is finally here.

Every year, Muslims all over the world wait for the commencement of this holy month.  Though, fasting and prayer may seem difficult to practice, all the Muslims out there treasure this month and wish it would last forever.

Ramazan provides Muslims with an opportunity to bring the best out of themselves. In fact, it could become a turning point for many Muslims to become better human beings.

Sadly, though, the opposite happens!

This light write-up highlights how many of us tend to act in a weird fashion during this blessed month.

Listed below are some of the typical categories that one comes across during Ramazan.

The social media fanatic

The presence of this person is a must in everyone’s Facebook or Twitter list. They compulsively update their status or tweet about their minute-to-minute activities to grab attention.

As soon as the Ramazan moon is sighted, they are the first ones to congratulate everyone with a “Chaand Mubarak” status. And the moment they would wake up for Sehr, you’d find their status update saying,

“Just woke up for Sehri – Feeling excited”.

Throughout the day, they would keep whining about their fast on the social media. “Two hours to go, feeling extremely hungry”.

Right before the Iftaar, you are likely to see their status update yet again, but this time, it would be something like this, accompanied with a few pictures of mouth-watering food,

“Waiting for iftar with friends” – at a top-notch restaurant of the city.

Though, many of us do not realise it, one’s religion is personal and advertising it is nothing short of a sleazy act. Fasting is all about patience for seeking Allah’s pleasure, and definitely not people’s attention.

The bear with sore head

This person has serious anger management issues, and is almost always in a black mood. The problem exacerbates during fasting as his stomachs growls for food and therefore all hell breaks loose.

Such people are often spotted on the streets during Ramazan, particularly during a traffic jam. With the iftar time approaching, their fury heightens particularly.

If, God forbids, someone dares to overtake their cars, they turn into animals and use foul language, and even worse, engage in physical fights, paying no heed to the purpose of their fast, which requires endurance and humility.

The canting braggarts

 Such people have a profound love for boasting about the religious rites and duties they perform.

If they give charity, they make sure that everyone gets to know about it. If they are offering prayer five times a day, they make sure that someone or the other sees them.

During Ramazan, their desire for bragging about their religiosity increases by leaps and bounds.  They would often bombard others with absurd questions like, “Hello, aren’t you fasting? How can you not?”

Though, many people don’t do it intentionally, but one must remember that Allah doesn’t like showing off.  Our purpose should be solely to please Him, not to impress people.

The sanctimonious evangelists

These people have a holier-than-thou attitude towards everyone.

During Ramazan, they think that they are the only devout Muslims existing on earth, and everyone else is an infidel. As soon as they get to know that someone is not fasting, they start talking behind their back.

They are also the ones who are always ready to police people’s morals. You are likely to hear them commenting, “Why did she have to wear sleeveless dresses in Ramazan? She is spoiling every man’s fast”.

Though, it is a good thing to appreciate good deeds and condemn evil ones, demeaning someone on the basis of one’s own piousness is fruitless!

The frail adherents

These people are intrinsically religious and practice all religious rites with utmost devotion and sincerity.

However, during Ramazan, all their energies get exhausted (along with their religious devotion). During the fast, they incessantly complain about feeling weak and fragile.

They would refrain from doing any work and pretend that they are sick to the stomach. Whenever you ask them for a favour, they usually snap back, “Yaar, mera roza hai” (Dude, I am fasting!)

For such people out there, remember that your fast is meant to be an act of obedience to Allah. So don’t deem fasting a Herculean task. It is, after all, for your own good.

So, now that you have all the categories straight, which one do you think you fall into?

Ramazan Mubarak!

From a father's daughter

By Ayesha Ahmed

 The last time I met him was seven years ago. He kept fumbling with the electronic tasbeeh in his hands and looked very vigilant of his surroundings. I could not understand why until his wife approached us and lipped, ‘You need not talk in such quiet hushed tones; I’m sure you guys have much better things to discuss, than me.’ 

  

I wanted to hug him, kiss him, take a stroll with him, demand for candies, do all those things which we used to indulge in back when I was a seven-year-old kid, but his indifference left me shattered.

Stress and perpetual fights between my parents had led to my father walking out when I was just an eight-year-old adolescent and the next time I met him was 10 years later, when I was 18. He said he still had recollections of the day he left us (my mom and me) … how I had kept waving at him excitedly thinking I would get to see him again as soon as he would get done with his assignment overseas. He blamed fate and claimed it had something else in store for us. Therefore, he decided to start a new family in a new country, because he just couldn’t cope with the existing one anyway.

I don’t think I can ever bring myself to comprehend the mindset of a man who finds it perfectly fine to accuse fate for keeping his only child then deprived of a parent. My only hope is that he did it because he saw himself failing as a father and might have thought I would be better off without him.

Never did a day go by when my mother wouldn’t make me count my father’s despicable traits and tell me about his maliciousness; how he was never there when I was born, how he unconcernedly left for his job slipping a five-hundred rupee note in her hands to deal with the childbirth expenses; how she had to struggle with the in-laws to enrol me in one of the leading schools of the city of those times, how my maternal grandparents would spend on me instead of my father, as his hard earned cash would religiously be transferred to his elder brother’s bank account.

But I always tuned a deaf ear to her wailings because I liked being my daddy’s girl. I stuck up for him, defended him and treasured every phone call he made, even if it would be once in a month. After all, what can you expect from a child who has to bear the brunt of adult confidences! But tell you what … it had more to do with my age.

There exists a fine line between growing old and growing up. And I am a staunch believer of the fact that you can’t grow up until you can acknowledge and deal with your parents’ strengths and flaws.

Today, at 25, I have gone full circle from idolising my father to being outraged at the way he abandoned us to a mature acceptance of the entire episode.

There will, however, always be a void because I don’t think I can ever relate to how it feels to have your father’s protection and support, to see him telling you how proud he feels of you when you have graduated and to be exhilarated on you receiving your first pay check. But oh well, c’est la vie (such is life).

Now I’m frantically looking forward to my wedding month because he has promised to be there with me on my big day. I can already foresee that that meeting will be our last one, but I have always treasured our time together and now that there is so little of it left, I cannot stop fantasising and conjuring up those moments of togetherness.

  

Happy Father’s Day, Abbu! I know you don’t believe in this but I couldn’t care less. I have always loved you and will do it till my last breath, whether we are physically together or not!

Love, your eldest daughter.

 The original article appeared here