Recently my 8 year old has been reading the newspaper and talking amongst her friend about the recent flood catastrophe so one day she asks: “Why has Allah made so many poor people die in the flood? They didn’t do anything wrong.” Honestly, I am at a loss of words to this question but this is a question that is perhaps being pondered over globally whether any creed or cast? God is Omnipotent. Then how come Pakistanis are undergoing a series of misfortune? Mid 2010 has witnessed several tribulations for Pakistanis: The powerful Cyclone Phet that hit in June, then the Air Blue Crash taking innocent lives of 152 passengers, then the recent calamity of the flood that is spreading. These disasters seem endless as we head towards the end of the year.

The question arises: Is God angry with the Pakistanis and hence we as a nation are being punished? But why and what about the innocent ones like Sher Muhammad who says: Amongst other things he had lost were hundred and twenty bags of maize. “That’s all I had. I have lost everything, my cattle and my orchard of apples that was ready for harvest. But I am grateful to Allah that we are alive.” (Dawn: When water became malevolent: Ismail Khan, Thursday, 19 Aug, 2010). Sher Muhammad seems like a grateful servant of Allah yet he is enveloped in this affliction. One may wonder.
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The Scandal is out… the Heaven has fallen… as if the flood waters raging from Northern Himalayas to the Southern valleys of Sind weren’t enough to drown a Nation … our beloved “Idiots” have breached all of the remaining dams of trust… Saying is… to drown in shame all u need is “Chullo bhar Paani” (a small cup of water)… why await the greatest flood of last 100 years…

I ask the nation to demand Excellence… from ourselves … from our Heroes… from our nation builders…  Let’s seek again the days where we cherish the true heroes only and not drug addicts like Asif and Shoaib Akhtar .. or habitual betters like Kamran Akmal …. Let’s recall the days of Hero of Sharjah the legendary Miandad… of Sydney, the Tiger Imran Khan, of Dehli… The magician Hasan Sardar.

As today all of you (read us) are asking the question… What..? Why..? I do no more but to remind us of “HOW” we got here… let us recap the way us, the Pakistani nation have raced ourselves to “Mediocrity” and now digging to become the exemplary milestones of “Below Average Attitudes”
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Ramadan is a month of countless blessings and virtues. The word Ramadan is derived from “ramdh” which means “burning of the feet from heat” This is because of the fast, which burns the sins of a Muslim into ashes. This month is so precious that one should fast, recite Qur’aan and keep himself engaged in worship (Ibaadat) day night.

Last night as I was switching channels I came across the campaign launched by Olpers for creating awareness in this holy month of Ramadan and I must say that Olpers deserve round of a plause for this beautiful campaign. A simple message yet conveyed very beautifully and I am sure this will create a positive impact on the whole nation as it is the voice of every Pakistani.

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Pakistan is experiencing the worst flooding it has seen in over 80 years. Entire villages have been washed away, an early estimate of over
1,600 deaths so far and over 2 million displaced or otherwise affected. Not only is the immediate water damage causing havoc, the floods have inundated crop-producing areas, dealing a crippling blow to the
agricultural-based economy and threatening a food crisis. The Pakistani
government now struggles to rescue and provide aid to millions – while
still fighting with militant Islamist forces in many of the hardest-hit
regions. With even more heavy rains predicted in the coming days, here
are a handful of recent photographs of Pakistanis as they cope with this
latest disaster.

We appeal to all Pakistanis living in United States and elsewhere in the
world to generously donate to the following three Michigan based
Pakistani Organizations. Emergency assistance is urgently required and
your immediate assistance would be greatly appreciated. “In the
aftermath of the floods there is a serious risk to survivors from
potentially deadly diseases which will spread as a result of
contaminated surface and drinking water.” Your donations will help make
a difference to the people of Pakistan whose homes and livelihoods have
been washed away by severe monsoon floods.
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Source: Taken from the talks of Hazrat Mufti Taqi Usmani

1. Ask Allah for facilitation (tawfeeq) to benefit from the blessings of Ramadan daily, from now onwards.

2. Make a firm determination to abstain from all sins. Especially those committed by the eyes, ears and tongue.

3. Try to free as much time as possible from work and other commitments for pure worship (ibadah).

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Children

I met Vasu (Dr. Vasu Singh) after I looked her up on the St Luke’s Physician’s website. I am new to the area and was looking for a family physician. Her face was most familiar and gentle. I did not know her from any other past experience but something was familiar about her. I called her office and made an appointment. When I went to see her, she was very warm and quick to invite me to meet her socially. Sensing a feeling of ease and comfort I shared with her that I did not know any one in the area and have no connection with the “Desi Community, eventually we became friends. Our friendship is in early stages but every time I talk to her she is very receptive, her whole family is like that. Today she asked me if I was interested in joining a local organization called “Lehigh Valley Association of American Doctors of Indian Origin. I told her that I am very interested in being a part of any community form South East Asia, if they are willing to invite me regardless of my race, religion and/or geographic origin. She asked me to write an article on “Desi Kids” growing up in America. I thought for a while. I am a writer, so the writing part is not difficult, but what she had asked for was personal.

I grew up in the city of Rawalpindi in Punjab, Pakistan. My first memories were of green beautiful fields of Punjab, hot tea in mud cups, friendly neighbors and eating a hot breakfast off the stove. Read more…

And then came the breaking (read shocking news) of Pakistan disgraced…. “Doing everything but playing cricket”, ex-captain Shoaib Malik… tying wedding knot with the sensational tennis star diva from India Saania Mirza.. Yes indeed we all have those What!, Why?, When? How? … So here is our list of top ten Ideas behind the How, Why and What Next, on  the news of Shoaib Malik is becoming “Shoaib Mirza”… soon

10 ) Malik completed his hat-trick (Aisha, Sayali Bhagat and now Sania)

09 ) They are a perfect match, Saania Mirza’s tennis ranking are fast approaching  Shoaib Malik’s batting average numbers.

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We were sitting at the Shaukat Khanum Hospital’s consulting clinic in Karachi. My sister who was diagnosed with malignant tumor wanted a second opinion and treatment. It was impressive not the waiting area but the banners and pana-flexes around displaying the success stories of Shaukat Khanum hospital. Pictures of patients who were cured by the experts and details of facilities available at one and only cancer hospital of Pakistan.

After sudden diagnoses of cancer to my younger sister, needless to mention that we spoke with, discussed and contacted every doctor we knew or we didn’t know. Talked to family, friends or neighbors studying medicine at Ziauddin to Agha Khan and now at Shaukat Khanum. In search of a miracle though right from the physical examination to the biopsy report of the breast lump, was declared as the malignant one. This was indeed a nightmare for the family and a huge shock for the 28 yrs old newly married girl.

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Being a single person I may not qualify to write about the subject, but then I believe that you don’t have to take poison to know if it’s deadly or not or I don’t have to jump into the fire to know it burns. Point is, do I really have to get married to understand the complications of marriages or do I have to fall in or fall out of love to understand the mechanics?

Marriages for me are the strangest thing that happened to human kind. Two strangers get married for more strange reasons sometimes for the looks, sometimes for the color of skin, sometimes to make ‘Others’ happy as the boy and the girl wants to go with the will of the parents rather with the heart of their own, sometimes in the process of proving love to each other and sometimes for the companionship they never cherish. What so ever the reason, two strangers pronounced husband and wife to start a strange life one can ever imagine.

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One of the few child hood memories that remain unmarked is my uncle’s adult Labradore “Jackie”. We were always told to keep a good distance from him though he was very friendly and as a child I never understood why he was treated as some “indistinct”? As I grew-up  I came to know the reason, a school of thought  believed (in fact still many believes) that  the good angels who are responsible to shower us with the blessings  like money and food never visit a home  with dogs. Only one condition allowable to keep dogs at home and that is if they are kept for the purpose of security. Other reservations sighted against dogs were that they are not clean specially their saliva.

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