Sunday, January 24, 2010

Does God understand Urdu?



As soon as our Elders introduce us to God ,they start telling us the ways to communicate with him and very soon one realizes that what a difficult task it is! as Arabic seems to be the only language which can travel from the earth to the skies so we have to speak it even when we do not understand it!

At later stages we learn expressions like inshallah which means with God’s will but practically our acts prove that we believe in everything but God’s Will like References to get Jobs or bribery for smooth functioning. We offer our daily prayers in Arabic and again when we do not understand what we are saying to God so deeds contradict the words. We rush to finish our prayers only to get back where we had left from in the life based upon the sole objective of directly or indirectly accumulating wealth.

When we are born than call for prayer (Azan) is made in our ears and when we would die than our prayers would be offered. In spite of knowing this as the time between the Call and the prayer we are occupied in everything which is temporary and we are ignorant of what would last beyond death. Probably without exception all the religious scholars are convinced that prayers should not be performed in Urdu (some might not be sure if prayers in Urdu would even be accepted)but if prayers are meant to discipline us than how can we follow a discipline which we do not understand ?



Similarly if we are handed over a machine manual than this manual is supposed to help us running the machine and if we can not understand it than it wouldn’t be of any use even if we learn it by heart. Quran is supposed to be the manual of Life. We take pride in finishing its chapter in 20 min, we show respect to the people who have learned it by heart by addressing them Hafiz saab but what’s the point in learning it or reading it with command when we fail to comprehend the code of life in it!

Is language actually significant in religion if we actually believe that God is all around us?

How can we be proficient in a language (Arabic) which is not practiced in routine and if we need to practice it than what is that need?

Do you think Quran should be taught in Urdu at the age when our kids start taking its lessons?

Should prayers be offered in Urdu?



Please participate by adding comments to the post!
And remember that this blog has been established to generate discussions and sharing of ideas by common people so no body is right and no body is wrong .Its just ordinary people sharing what they have in mind!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Are we loosers because of our parents?



In any society (civilized or uncivilized), Systems prevail to coach the younger about ways to behave or survive .These systems are run by the elders and are adopted by the youngs as effectiveness of such systems is time proven and it continues to be so till the time some change is observed in the society or environment and the elders make modifications in the systems to adopt or reject such change and progression of the society continues. Civilization keeps on following the path to progress but its focus remains at the basics like Food, Shelter and clothing even though time keeps on redefining and reshaping our hunger and need for protection.

Such systems also prevail in our society where elders guide in the light of religion, culture and traditions but apparently our elders are not convinced about any single system(If fundamental guidance should come from Nationalism? Islam? Economic interests?).Whatever they teach is restricted to sustaining or improving family’s socio economic status. They emphasize on education as it brings greater job security (but that is all that it does!). They also tell us to behave like a Muslim (to the extent practices don’t displace us from our comfort zone and we can help the needy and perform Pilgrimage through the money earned by bribery and other unfair means!).


Being children our evaluation is on the basis of our obedience and ability to earn. Assuming that it is not an over simplification of the issue but at times I feel that the reason we are not growing as a Nation is that we missed parents like Jews have who made sure that their younger ones stick to their roots without loosing focus on their objective of controlling power centers of the world. Proof of Jews being better parents is the success which they have achieved in Economic, Media and Research related fields (probably three more blog posts can be uploaded just to list down Jewish Nobel Prize winners, Media enterprises, Financial Hubs and achievers).

Too much obedience kills spirit of free thinkers who can challenge the system and ill traditions. Our elders always look happy while telling us that how beautiful the past was (when they were young!) and how pathetic the present is and they almost always never realize that actually its because of mentally living in "The Past" which keeps them from preparing the young for "The Future!" Our society still has not learned that it’s the combination of wisdom by the elders and energy of the Youth which makes a nation progress and not by raising a breed which is just trained to follow the rules rather than challenging them!

Please participate in the discussion by adding comments for/against the following opinions and do mention your name at the end.

Should Economic prosperity be considered as a criterion to judge paternal abilities prevailing in a society?

Are Japanese, Jews and Americans better parents than us?

We the Pakistanis loose at every front (Sports, economy and system development etc) not because we are unfamiliar with struggle but because we don’t work hard and our elders have nothing to do with it?

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Are we different from Meera (Irtiza Rubab)?


Before answering this question we need to describe her.

She is a Pakistani Film actress who was commercially successful in Pakistani movies /T.V commercials and later on she appeared in few of the Indian movies by mainstream distribution houses. That was when Pakistani Classes started noticing her and that was when Pakistani media started highlighting her poor English and immature media statements. Recently Pakistani media broke two scandals about her secret marriage and her failed attempt to host a program in English.

If we list down the reasons of her ridicule than here are the main ones

1: She speaks incorrect English

2: She did Kissing scenes in an Indian movie

3: She married secretly and denied it

4: She makes media statement which most of the Pakistani people find hard to swallow

Let’s see if she is an exception!

1: For her incorrect English
When I ask people that would they laugh in the same fashion if Julia Roberts speaks incorrect Urdu than the usual reply is Oh! She (Julia Roberts) is different! She is such a beautiful great actress and than I ask if looks and performance are the criteria than why are we stuck with Meera’s English and than they say “If she can’t speak it than she shouldn't try it!” but the fact remains the same that we find it stylish to speak incorrect Urdu but display our national inferiority complex when we judge people by their command over a foreign language rather than their expertise in certain areas.

2: Criticism over her Skin exposure and kissing scenes in Indian movies becomes the funniest!
When done by the people who are regular viewers of English movies and have absolutely no idea of what is going on in Pakistani movies! What she does on screen has no justification but if she is bad because of her extreme display than why are Indian and English movies allowed in Pakistan? And what about all the T.V shows on cable with viewer’s classification of 16&18 SNLV ratings but practically absolutely no viewer’s restriction?

3: She kept her marriage secret
the way most members of our society hide their corruption (which prevails from a motor mechanic to Head of the state. Major portion of our society is corrupt .More corrupt are the ones who have more authority and the less corrupt ones are desperate to expand their share!

4: She acts naive at media
than are the Politicians different in this regard? Any one can refer to YouTube to compare conversation between Firdous Ashiq Awan and Kashmala Tariq or Fauzia Wahab’s replies to Javed Chaudhry and more which have been collected through various channels and shows.

I am not a Fan of Meera and I have never admired what she does at or off the screen but I do appreciate the way some of our actresses try to face the world because if I had born in the neighborhood where most of them have born and raised the way they have been raised, I really don’t think I could ever face the world after knowing what it thinks about me!

What is your opinion? Are we (Pakistani society collectively) different from Meera?

Please reply by adding comments and do mention your name!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Is the Nature retaliating? (Should we bother about it?)



About an year ago I saw a movie called “The Happening” .It was based on the theme that the way Humans are damaging it, Nature has started reacting .In the movie this reaction came through plants. After watching the movie I felt it was entertaining but now I feel actually it was alarming!
Why?
Please consider the following facts!

I checked Brief History of the most commonly known diseases which have an epidemic element and the list included

HIV Aids more than twenty-five million people around the world have died of AIDS-related diseases. In 2008, 2.7 million people were newly infected with HIV, and 2 million men, women and children lost their lives. 33.4 million people around the world are now living with HIV. according to http://www.avert.org/

Swine Flue Recent World wide total: 1,562,049 cases, 16,665 deaths according to www.flucount.org

Bird Flue There have been 252 human deaths globally from the H5N1 strain and 399 confirmed cases of infection since 2003, according to WHO data.


What these three diseases have in common is that their origins are associated with what Humans have traditionally lived with or consumed for their survival!

HIV Aids virus originated in populations of wild chimpanzees in West-Central Africa

Swine Flue is related to regular exposure to pigs

Bird Flue related virus is often traced to locations where humans, chickens and pigs live in close proximity.

As per my understanding animals of chimpanzee family are consumed in Africa whereas Pig(Pork meat) is majorly consumed in America and Europe.Chicken meat is consumed throughout the world.Now when these animals are becoming the source of such epidemics than it can be considered a change in Nature’s behaviour just like about 20 years ago in order to stop Mosquitos from spreading Malaria,It was suggested to keep the neighbourhood clean but now those Mosquitos are spreading "Dengue" for which they live on clean water(like swimming pools,Water tanks or water stored in plant pots).
I would always want to know more about the changes in Nature’s behaviour but like some other people at times I feel that instead of observing the changes in Nature’s Behaviour we should be analysing the Human behaviour which has changed over period of time due to uneven distribution of wealth.We should be more concerned about the large numbr of deaths coming by Famine, Terrorism and Wars rather than the ones through animal spread viruses!




Does it suit the thirld world’s citizens to think about Nature and Pollution when we are stuck in lot more basic issues like providing basic education,clean water and effective administrative systems?

Or

We should be concerned about Nature and its related elements because they also have an influence on Human Beahviour and over a period of time those civilizations have progressed which closely observe Nature and the Environment which they are living in!

Please share your opinion by adding comments to the post!(and do mention your name at the end!)

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