New York: New York Police Department’s (NYPD) Indian Officers’ Society (IOS) organized a fun-filled family picnic at Elley Pond Park in the Queens area.
On this occasion, children and adults did a lot of fun activities and enjoyed the jumping castle. There were also good competitions in video games.
On this occasion, the Vice President of the Indian Officer Society, Hasan Syed, said that today was a very good event in which Hindus, Muslims and people of different communities enjoyed together, and such events should continue in the future.
Members and their families were served with a variety of food.
Deputy Inspector Adeel Rana, president of the New York Police Department’s Muslim Officer Society (MOS) was also present on the occasion.
The participants said that such activities are like a breath of fresh air for them. Due to their professional duties, they often cannot participate in such activities.
Members of the Indian Officers’ Society and their families who participated in the picnic had a fun-filled day at Elley Pond Park and thanked the officials for the excellent arrangements.
Texas: The Pakistani-American community has urged the United States to revisit its decision of issuing a 3rd category advisory for its citizens who wish to travel to Pakistan, saying the move will bar them from visiting their beloved homeland.
The advisory warns that there are serious threats of terrorism and kidnapping in Pakistan, so Americans who want to travel to Pakistan should reconsider their decision.
Regarding the 3rd category advisory from the United States, a meeting was organized at the residence of renowned physician Dr. Bilal Pracha in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Bilal Paracha, the host of the event, while raising the issue of advisory in his opening address, said that this is a very alarming situation, the government of Pakistan has to take effective measures in this regard.
In this situation, those overseas Pakistanis who are playing an important role in the country’s economy are afraid to go to their own homes.
In the ceremony, Pakistani Americans demanded Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan from Jamaat-e-Islami to talk to the government of Pakistan and raise this issue in the Senate.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said Pakistan is currently facing the worst political and economic crisis in history; inflation there has increased even more than the already defaulted Sri Lanka.
The country’s political system is held hostage by family limited companies, but hope should not be lost.
He said that the people of Pakistan have become aware of the facts, the facts cannot be hidden in this era of technology. America’s history is an example, it took them a hundred years to develop themselves, it will take time, but the future of Pakistan is bright.
Majority of Pakistanis living in USA usually travel to Pakistan with their families during summer vacations with the aim of spending summer vacations with their family.
Usually people plan for this several months in advance. Due to the above advisory, Pakistani Americans are avoiding traveling to their beloved homeland.
On this occasion, the audience also asked Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan questions regarding the current situation in Pakistan, including his visit to America, to which he gave detailed answers.
While Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan also informed the people about his meeting with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who has been imprisoned in the US prison for the last almost two decades, now.
New Jersey: The prominent social and business figure, and beloved leader of the Pakistani-American community Sam Abrar Khan was laid to rest in a New Jersey cemetery with groans and sobs. He passed away at a hospital in New Jersey, on May 29.
His funeral prayer was performed at Al Wali Mosque in New Jersey, which was attended by thousands of people.
In the funeral prayer and burial, those who loved him not only from New Jersey but also from different cities of the United States came together like the fans of a great hero when he dies.
Sam Khan was also a beloved figure of the South Asian community of the American state of New Jersey.
The Pakistani and South Asian American communities are deeply saddened and bereaved by the death of Sam Khan and are calling his death an irreparable loss.
TEXAS: The well-known Muslim scholar of the US, Sheikh Yasir Qadhi has announced to provide legal assistance to Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who has been imprisoned in the United States for the last two decades, saying that she should get all the rights available to prisoners according to American laws.
Sheikh Yasir Qadhi while addressing the Muslim community along with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s sister Fouzia Siddiqui and Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan at the Islamic Center in Plano, Texas, said that Dr. Fouzia Siddiqui has appealed to the community for help.
He said that the condition and well-being of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui should be checked regularly and that she should be provided with all the facilities that the law entitles her to in prison according to American laws.
Sheikh Yasir Qadhi said that he decided to hire a lawyer in this regard so that Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s well-being can be inquired about regularly according to the law.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, imprisoned in America for 20 years, has met her sister, Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui.
Fouzia Siddiqui, while explaining the meeting with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, said that American Muslims should provide financial, legal and moral support for her sister Aafia Siddiqui.
On this occasion, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said: “I am not representing Pakistan; I have come to meet my sister Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in a personal capacity. American Muslims do their part for human rights in relation to Dr. Aafia.”
Dr. Fouzia Siddiqui and Dr. Mushtaq on this occasion demanded the government of Pakistan to talk to the American authorities for the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and play a role in making possible the release of Aafia Siddiqui from the American prison.
New York: After Department of Correction officials said that they would not continue a policy of reporting deaths to the public, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander updated the Comptroller’s Department of Correction (DOC) Dashboard to ”say deaths in custody were “unknown.”
In recent weeks, DOC officials failed to notify the public about at least two deaths: Rubu Zhao, 52 and Joshua Valles, 31. Jail officials reportedly also sought to prevent the release of a federal monitor’s report that noted with alarm on Friday, May 26 “serious and disturbing incidents involving harm to incarcerated persons” that were not properly disclosed to the monitor.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander reiterated his call for a federal receiver to step in to manage the city’s jails:
“DOC leadership apparently doesn’t care about the humanity of the people in its custody enough to even report honestly when they die. The appointment of a federal receiver to operate Rikers is a moral and operational necessity to confront the jail system’s utter disregard for transparency and accountability. The lives of people awaiting trial are not disposable and their deaths cannot be swept under the rug,” said Comptroller Brad Lander.
The Comptroller’s dashboard monitors pervasive issues in the City’s jails, including staff absenteeism, missed medical appointments, and incidents of violence among detained people and staff. It also tracks the jail population every month and length of stay. The Comptroller’s Office publishes data to this dashboard monthly to provide increased transparency and accountability over the City’s jail system. The most recent update was May 15.
New York: Immigrant advocates joined City Comptroller Brad Lander and Council Member Shahana Hanif demanding at least $70 million for asylum seeker legal assistance in the City budget as negotiations head into their final month.
On May 9, 2023, Lander and Hanif sent a letter to the administration calling for this focused investment, stating “it is critical – not only for those seeking asylum, but also for the City’s long-term fiscal stability – to significantly ramp up outreach and legal immigration services to help asylum seekers navigate the paperwork that will enable them to live, work, and contribute to our city.”
“It’s been more than a year since the first asylum seekers arrived in New York City, and we still haven’t filled a contract for legal services. Clearly, $5 million isn’t enough to fill the needs of the nearly 50,000 asylum seekers in our care, and is why no provider has taken this inadequate contract. It’s clear we need the full $70 million,” said Immigration Committee Chair, Council Member Shahana Hanif.
“I’m proud to join forces with Comptroller Lander to make it explicitly clear to this administration that the current legal services RFP falls woefully short. We can’t meet this moment with half measures and underfunded mandates; we need real resources to get people the legal status they need.”
“The Administration continues to scramble to scale up emergency shelter, but has yet to dedicate resources toward pro se clinics and pro bono legal representation that would open pathways for asylum seekers to secure employment and permanent housing,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “For the fiscal stability of the City and long-term welfare of new arrivals, the City must take a cost-saving approach by budgeting for the resources to navigate asylum seekers through our complex immigration system. Obtaining work authorizations and legal status will ultimately seed new lives, businesses, homes, and community for asylum seekers here in New York City. To live up to its ideals as a place of refuge and compassion, New York City must commit to increased legal services funding for asylum seekers.”
“At a time when many new and existing immigrant New Yorkers are desperately looking for legal assistance, it is time for the City to build on the success of the legal services infrastructure by investing a minimum of $70 million dollars for the upcoming fiscal year to be able to expand legal services across immigrant communities,” said Luba Cortes, Immigrant Defense Coordinator at Make the Road New York.
“Our Right-to-Shelter only means as much as the support we give to those seeking shelter to successfully get on their feet with dignity and create a new, stable, and safe life,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “As we push for immediate housing for our city’s incoming asylum seekers, we need to be proactive about creating the infrastructure to guarantee their long-term success. But I want to be clear, outcomes for people are completely dependent on our support now. I’m proud to be joining Comptroller Brad Lander, Council Member Shahana Hanif, NYIC, & Make the Road NY to call on Mayor Adams and the City Council to allocate an additional $70 million to expand services for our asylum seekers.”
“As over 70,000 asylum seekers are making their way into New York City from border states, we must shift our strategy beyond shelter care, to providing legal services, outreach, case management, and pro se clinics that could further stabilize their lives,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “Whether fleeing unstable economies, violence, or hunger, they like the millions before them, deserve the opportunity to pursue the American Dream. I want to thank New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, City Council Immigration Committee Chair Shahana Hanif, the New York Immigration Coalition, and Make the Road NY for proposing an increase in city funding to ensure our new neighbors receive support during this transition.”
New York: Famous travel writer, and columnist Qamar Ali Abbasi’s 10th death anniversary was observed in New York.
A memorial prayer ceremony was organized at the residence of Abid Rafey, a social personality of Long Island, which began with the recitation of the Holy Quran.
The event was administrated by Mamoon Ayman and Wakeel Ansari. Late’s wife Neelofar Abbasi and son Wajahat Ali Abbasi were invited as special guests while many social and literary personalities were also present on this occasion.
Abid Rafey and Wakeel Ansari, who were among the hosts and organizers of the event, narrated to the audience the memories and time they spent with Qamar Ali Abbasi.
Bashir Qamar, a friend and social personality said that Qamar Ali Abbasi was not second to none in storytelling.
On this occasion, Qamar Ali Abbasi’s wife Neelofar Abbasi and son Wajahat Ali Abbasi said that such people are very rare and lucky who get sincere and true loving friends.
At the end of the ceremony, prayers were also offered for the forgiveness of late Qamar Ali Abbasi.
The speakers said that Qamar Ali Abbasi is no longer in this world, but his words and memories are our valuable assets that will always be with us. Finally, the guests presented a bouquet to the wife and son of late Qamar Ali Abbasi.
At the second round of talks to design a loss and damage fund for climate-fuelled extreme weather, Global North nations doubled-down on ‘solutions’ that would likely deepen the debt crisis in the Global South.
Between 25 and 27 May, the Transitional Committee for loss and damage convened in Germany to discuss plans for the new fund. However, as the Canarypreviously reported, Global North nations were keen to utilise existing structures to deliver sources of loss and damage finance. This is not what Global South nations have been calling for.
In essence, Global South nations articulated the need for a new grant-based facility. Conversely, Global North countries focused on loan and insurance mechanisms. Naturally, these will likely further entrench the debt burden on countries contending with the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. Moreover, these structures maintain unjust colonial economic power dynamics.
For example, Oxfam has estimated that G7 governments and banks are claiming US $230m a day in debt from the Global South. It stated that:
Over half of all debt payments from the Global South are going to the G7 or to private banks based in G7 countries, notably New York and London.
In this way, finance continues to flow into the coffers of the Global North from the Global South – in spite of unjust climate consequences.
Funding structures that fail Global South communities
The multilateral development banks (MDBs) and insurance schemes that the Global North wants to address loss and damage haven’t exactly got form on successfully aiding countries in extreme weather crises. The World Bank Group (WBG) is the largest multilateral institution providing climate finance to Global South countries for adaptation and mitigation of climate impacts.
However, in January, Climate Home Newsreported that a WBG climate finance project had failed to protect residents in Karachi’s slums from the devastating floods that have hit Pakistan between 2020 and 2022. Worse still, provincial authorities used the funds to demolish homes that had been built without planning permission.
As a result of the construction work, residents of the informal settlement also suffered increased risks to the flooding. Specifically, the project focused on Karachi’s ‘nullahs’ – riverbeds that carry wastewater to the sea – which get clogged by litter.
Locals told Climate Home News that no fatalities had ever occurred in the nullahs themselves before the project began. But during the construction works, several people died when extreme flooding turned the nullahs into quicksand-like conditions.
Meanwhile, climate justice groups highlighted in a 2022 report that a previous insurance-based scheme had failed to deliver vital funds to countries in crisis. For instance, Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Facility (CCRF) disbursed less than 1% of the estimated finance needed after hurricane Maria hit Dominica in 2017. The WBG supported this insurance facility.
Alongside its partner institution, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the WBG has heightened global economic and development inequality. The two institutions have imposed capitalist ‘structural adjustment’ programmes – austerity – on Global South countries to meet their debt.
In other words, these predatory financiers have ‘underdeveloped’ vital public services and resources. Meanwhile they continue to push for unjust and unsustainable energy infrastructure that Global South countries can’t afford anyway.
World Bank entrenching debt
Moreover, WBG climate finance has added to Global South nation debts. In 2020, for example, the World Bank Group (WBG) and other MDBs provided over 70% of climate finance in the form of loans.
Meanwhile, as the Canary previously reported, the WBG has failed to align its investment policy with Paris climate goals. Instead, it has continued to pour financing into fossil fuel projects:
to the tune of $165bn since countries signed the Paris Agreement.
Naturally, the promotion of fossil fuel projects through these loans is also deepening Global South debts. The collaborative debt and climate justice report explained that:
many global south countries are trapped in a debt-fossil fuel production trap whereby countries rely on fossil fuel revenues to repay debt, anticipated revenues from fossil fuels are often overinflated and require huge investments to reach expected returns, leading to further debt alongside the environmental and human harms caused by such projects.
For example, the report highlighted how lending institutions had promoted the Vaca Muerta fracking mega-project in Argentina. The WBG has funded this project through its financial lending arm, the International Finance Corporation. As the Canaryidentified previously:
the potential societal costs and losses of the project could amount to 13 times the country’s national debt.
This demonstrates how the WBG’s function is not to promote development to support Global South countries. Instead, the WBG serves the economic interests of rich Global North nations. Author and anthropologist Jason Hickel has poignantly captured the dynamics of this unjust system:
To put it simply, rich countries have disproportionate influence when it comes to setting the rules of international trade and finance – and they tend to do it in ways that serve their own economic interests, quite often at the expense of everyone else.
In other words, the WBG’s true mandate preserves the cycles of debt that render Global South countries at the mercy of the Global North economic agenda. Naturally, this is the continuation of a colonial transfer of wealth and resources from the Global South into the Global North.
Unjust economic systems founded in colonialism
Further to this, the Canary’s Maryam Jameela has previously pointed out that the climate crisis is inextricable from colonialism. Jameela stated that:
the impact of flooding in Pakistan is made worse because of the colonial climate crisis. The actions of Western countries like the UK, US, and Canada have directly created the deaths and displacement of people in Pakistan.
Jameela also highlighted that:
Pakistan’s historically lacklustre infrastructure cannot be explained away without adding in the British empire’s impact.
In other words, colonialism’s role in shaping development historically has compounded the impact from the climate crisis today. Of course, the World Bank Group has had a huge role in influencing the shape and direction of development.
The Gender & Development Network (GADN) has underlined the colonial origins of the Bretton Woods Institutions. This includes the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) which:
simply maintained exploitative relationships under a new guise and was described by Ghana’s first prime minister, Kwame Nkrumah, as ‘neo-colonialism’.
Moreover, it described how Global North colonising nations established these institutions to curtail newly independent nations’ attempts to create:
a New International Economic Order that would see the redistribution of wealth from the Global North to the Global South.
Today, as then, Global South nations are articulating their demands for a more just and equitable world. A loss and damage fund free from the paternalistic hands of Global North colonial institutions must only be the start.
New York: New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has said that some of the largest agencies in the city have spent very minimal amount of advertising on Ethnic and Community Media despite the relevant law has passed in 2021 that bounds them to spend at least 50 percent advertisement budget on ethnic media.
Talking to a media roundtable at 1 Centre Street South, Conference Room, New York, he said that before 2021 there was no obligation on city agencies about spending advertisement money on ethnic media.
However, the 2021 local law was passed by NYC Council that bounds them [agencies] to spend at least 50 percent advertisement budget on ethnic media, but not a single largest agency has followed the law as their advertising on ethnic media remains very ‘embarrassing’ in the year 2022.
Ethnic and Community Media outlets provide an important way for the City to make sure that all New Yorkers, including those with limited English proficiency or who are part of immigrant communities, are aware of City government programs and services
In 2019, Mayor de Blasio issued Executive Order 47 (“EO 47”), requiring City agencies to spend at least half of their annual print and digital advertising budgets with Ethnic and Community Media outlets starting in Fiscal 2020.
In June 2021, the City Council passed Local Law 83 of 2021 (“LL 83”), establishing a Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media (OECM), and substantially incorporating the reporting requirements of EO 47 into local law. LL 83 also modified the requirements slightly, including incorporating radio and TV spending into the 50% mandate
Sharing a 2022 report, New York City Comptroller said that NYPD has just one percent of its total advertising on ethnic media, and the case of other major civic agencies are not different from NYPD.
He said, “Some of you are lobbying for the implementation on local law that was passed in 2021.”
He said a small number of agencies acceded 50 percent benchmark. Those who have acceded the 50 percent advertizing share on ethnic community meida, I must appreciate and give them credit. Fire department gave 50 percent, another agency contributed some 69 percent of its advertising on ethnic media, he said.
Meanwhile he also stressed upon the need of enforcement of the city’s prevailing Wage laws. He asked contractors that if they are getting city funding to construct schools and other buildings, they have to follow the city laws. “Unfortunately sometimes contract cheat workers.”
He said his department takes complaints and do investigation. Overall, we collect money on behalf of workers however sometimes it can be challenging for us to manage things when the workers are not registered or documented. We maintain registry.
The roundtable was to provide reporters with the opportunity to ask questions directly to the Comptroller, and for the Comptroller’s office’s efforts to measure and address issues with language access at city agencies providing services to the public.
China’s presence at LIMA 2023 – whether via military platforms or commercial entities exhibiting at the Langkawi show – illustrated how the Asian superpower has expanded its footprint in Southeast Asia. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) dispatched a Type 052D destroyer, while anchored nearby was the Pakistan Navy’s brand new Type 054A/P frigate PNS […]
Our team has noticed over the past year or so that when we cover global politics, particularly in relation to Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia, our coverage often elicits comments from self-proclaimed anti-imperialists. Recently, some of this criticism has intensified in relation to articles we’ve put out about Imran Khan and Kurdistan. We’re no strangers to criticism, but we’ve noticed a pattern to comments that crop up repeatedly. We’d like to respond as a team to this pattern of criticism, and make our position clear.
People, not states
These claims centre around the apparent belief from a group of people that all our coverage of international politics should be doggedly anti-US with no exceptions. They believe such a position to be inherently anti-imperialist. The problem with this is that these anti-imperialists believe state actors like Putin and Erdoğan – vocal critics of US domination – should be supported in their efforts to dismantle US hegemony. This is in spite of the documented atrocities both have visited on ethnic minorities in their respective countries.
For example. one author has dedicated an entire article to claiming that the Canary is intentionally pushing “Anglo-American empire” propaganda with our coverage of both Khan and Turkey. On social media, we’ve been accused of taking “Qatari blood money” over this. The Canary has also been said to be “deliberately omitting” US imperialism from our Pakistan and Turkey coverage, and trying to shape a “US/West-friendly perspective”. We’ve also come in for repeated attacks, historically, for criticising Russia and its invasion of Ukraine.
At the Canary, we believe this to be a deeply dangerous set of beliefs that harms the people caught up in geopolitical battles. We are not oblivious to the fact that other emerging powers wish to exert their influence in Pakistan, Ukraine, Turkey, and other areas. However, criticism of populist figures is not an open invitation to Western war hawks to charge into countries that have already been ruined – and also formed, in the case of Pakistan – by genocidal powers. Our politics has always been, and will always be, guided by a commitment to reporting on the people caught up in these battles, not the states that wage them.
We’ll now respond more specifically to two instances where recent reporting has been criticised by so-called ‘anti-imperialists’.
Kurdish revolution
We’re proud to support Kurdish people in their struggle for freedom, and we have a long history of doing so. Critics have claimed that supporting the revolution is tantamount to supporting the US. They say this is because the Kurds’ tactical coordination with the US in the struggle to defeat Daesh amounts to a “US-backed illegal occupation.” To call the autonomous administration an ‘occupation’ is a mind-bendingly warped take on the reality of revolutionary struggles in North and East Syria.
What would critics have done if they had been living in Kobanî during the Daesh siege? Would they have watched their community die, rather than accept the limited US support on offer? Military coordination with the US has been a survival tactic for the revolutionary forces of North and East Syria. The movement knows that US imperialism is opposed to their revolution, and only supports them militarily when it aligns with US interests. The coordination with the US remains a contradiction for Rojava’s radicals, but one they are all too aware of. One of the impressive things about the Kurdish Freedom Movement is its ability to remain true to its revolutionary spirit while sitting with the contradictions that arise from the practical reality of the struggle.
It is a grim reality that our critics – who claim they are steadfastly against US imperialism – ignore the bloody authoritarianism, colonialism, imperialism, and racism of Putin, Assad, Erdoğan, and the rest. It cannot be acceptable to align one’s politics with blood-soaked dictators at any cost – particularly when that cost is ignoring the struggles of oppressed communities fighting for their survival.
As radicals, we need to be allies to people struggling for freedom globally, not to states. We need to remember the spirit of revolutionary internationalism, and to do what we can to materially support our comrades who are fighting against imperialism around the world.
Racial literacy
We have also received criticism of our coverage of Khan’s arrest in Pakistan. This criticism is from the same purported ‘anti-imperialist’ crowd mentioned above, who argue that by criticising Khan (who has nominally opposed US influence) we’re implicitly advocating for US influence and control in the region. Criticism in itself is not our issue, but such bad-faith analysis rankles.
If commenters cannot understand why articles written by Pakistani people living in Pakistan, and edited by Pakistani editors, are critical of Imran Khan beyond ‘you want to prop up Western neo-imperialism’, then we cannot help you.
Some criticism has also claimed that, in spite of writers and editors working from what they know and experience, our education in the West invalidates our reporting on Pakistan. We would argue that colonisers devalued or outright eradicated native centres of learning and processes of knowledge production. Colonisers created a hegemony of Western languages and epistemology, forcing Black and Brown people to speak their language and study in their systems in order to be heard. As a result, Black and Brown people had to become proficient with the colonisers’ tools in order to advocate for our humanity. So we jumped through all the hoops, only to be told by ‘anti-imperialists’ that their education makes us too privileged to speak for our own people.
Accusing us of lacking anti-imperialism is laughable, but more than that, it is dripping in colonial racism. The Canary is one of few politics-focused media outlets in the UK where people of colour make up the majority of its editorial team. The people of colour who work and write at the Canary routinely risk their safety and wellbeing in confronting and demonstrating the violence of settler colonial states like the UK and the US. It is not by being ‘pro-intervention’ that they ended up on no-fly lists and Prevent’s radar.
Internationalist solidarity
We will not allow such criticism to go unchecked, because it is exactly the kind of bad-faith reading which seeks to dismiss valid critique with misinformed and baseless accusations. At best, such analysis of our coverage is purposely obtuse. At worst, it’s blatantly racist, diminishing the right of people from the Global South to tell their own stories and be an authority on their own struggles. It disregards the working class and multiply-marginalised people caught up in these struggles across the world. Instead, it originates only from the contrarian interests of people untouched by colonialism and racism.
DALLAS: Well-known businessman, and senior member of PSNT Board of Trustees Amir Ali Rupani, and his family hosted a grand Iftar Dinner at a local hotel in Dallas that was graced by the entire Dallas administration besides a large number of people representing the Muslim community, with their presence.
Mayor of the City of the Dallas Eric Johnson, Congresswoman Addie Narnez Johnson, Deputy Mayor of the City of Dallas Omar Narvaez, and elected representatives of the City of Dallas, judges and commissioners also participated in the ceremony.
The entire administration of the City of Dallas attended the Iftar to show solidarity with the Muslims.
The ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran.
On this occasion, Imam Omer Sulaiman highlighted the blessings and importance of Ramadan, while Azhar Aziz emphasized the need for religious harmony and informed the audience about the key purposes of Ramadan in Islam.
The Mayor of the City of Dalles, Eric Johnson, said in his address that the city of Dallas has returned to its full potential since Covid-19. Meanwhile, the contribution of the Muslims of Dallas is unforgettable.
He said that he is very happy to participate in this Iftar along with his team. He added that such ceremonies not only increase religious harmony but also help in knowing each other’s culture.
He said he is grateful to Amir Ali Rupani and his wife Parveen Rupani for the successful organization of this event and at the same time assured that the he will continue to participate in Iftar with Muslims in future.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Mayor Dallas Omar Narvaez said that Pakistani Americans living in Dallas have played an important role in the development of the city.
Asian Trade District Harry Hines is not only a major commercial center of the city but the tax revenue collected here is equal to North Park Mall, the poshest mall in Dallas and for this he would be grateful to the Pakistani and Muslim community.
In addition, in this event, the Imam of the centeral mosque of the Dallas, the well-known Islamic scholar Imam Omar Sulaiman, Islamic Society of North America Azhar Aziz, The Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, The Dallas County Judge Tara Khan, The Dallas County Commissioner District 1 Theresa Daniel, The Dallas County Judges, District Judges including County Commissioner District 2 Andy Summerman, The Dallas County Treasurer Pauline Medrano attended.
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson was honored for introducing the first Ramadan resolution Pakistan Society of North Texas Chairman Board of Trustees Dr. Riaz Haider, Member Abid Malik, Barkat Basria, President PSNT Salman Tabani, Vice President Ghalib Hussain, General Secretary Abid Baig, Joint Secretary Nazia Khan, PakPAC President Dr. Rao.
A large number of political and social personalities of the city including Kamran Ali, Nadeem Akhtar, chairman of APPAC Dallas Chapter, Aslam Rahi attended.
New York: New York Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James served food items to the fasting Muslims at an Iftar Dinner organized by her office in collaboration with the New York Police Department NYPD’s Muslim Officers Society (MOS) at the Turkish Islamic Center Tayyap Sultan.
The Muslim community attended the Iftar dinner in large numbers.
Addressing the participants of the ceremony, Attorney General said: “I want to thank all those who welcomed me to this sacred place.”
She also appreciated the services of Muslim Officers Society and its President Deputy Inspector Adeel Rana.
On this occasion, Adeel Rana said that Turkish Islamic Center Tyyab Sultan is our favorite mosque.
There couldn’t be a better place for this dignified ceremony than this Turkish cultural center.
He said, “Unfortunately, Turkey is in a very difficult situation right now. We want to support our Turkish brothers and sisters and bridge the gap between all communities.”
Other participants in the iftar dinner also expressed their views on this occasion.
When it was time to break the fast at the dusk, the Azan-e-Maghrib ( Evening pray calling) sounds were raised to sky, after which prayers were offered in congregation.
The Iftar dinner was attended by the Muslim community in large numbers and thanked the Lord for His blessings during the blessed hours of Ramadan.
New York: New York Police Department’s (NYPD) Muslim Officers’ Society (MOS) hosted a grand Iftar Dinner at NYPD’s Head office.
The event began with the recitation of a few verses of the Holy Quran. Apart from the Muslim community of different countries, people belonging to other religions also participated in the Iftar Dinner.
The US National Anthem was also presented at the ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Inspector Adeel Rana, President of the Muslim Officers’ Society of the New York Police Department, said that it is a proud day for all the members who have been working hard for many years to build a strong society.
“We have always committed to the mission of building strong ties among the Muslim community,” he said.
On this occasion, Deputy Police Commissioner of NYPD, Edward Caban, while greeting Muslims on Ramadan, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in the preparation of this program.”
Imam Tahir, the Muslim Chaplain of the New York Police Department, explained the virtues of fasting and said that it is a worship that is common to other religions in the world.
While addressing the ceremony, other scholars also explained the teachings of the religion.
The participants in the Iftar Dinner said that today we are celebrating the annual Iftar Dinner at the police headquarters, and want to convey that the New York Police Department stands with the Muslim community, and we invite people of all religions here every year. so that they can know about our religion.
Awards were also given to Turkish Consul General and other social figures including Pakistani Consul General Ayesha Ali in New York at the ceremony.
A short documentary on the work done by the Muslim Officers Society for the flood victims of Pakistan was also screened at the event.
Evening pray call (Azan-e-Maghrib) was also offered and the participants were served with delicious Iftar Dinner.
The annual Iftar dinner of the New York Police Muslim Officers Society was attended by members of the Muslim community as well as members of other faiths.
New Jersey: The music-loving fans living in the United States of America (USA) are impatiently waiting to be enthralled by the heart-touching voice of Pakistan’s globally acclaimed Singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan who is set to deliver a series of mesmerizing performances in the U.S next month.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is arriving in the USA by the end of this month, where he will perform as many as twelve shows in different states.
In this regard, a press conference was held in the American state of New Jersey, in which Arif Khan, Rehan Siddiqui, Atiq Sheikh, and others from all over America. The promoters attended.
Arif Khan said in the press conference that he had been trying for a long time for this show and: “We are happy that we succeeded in it.”
Rehan Siddiqui, a show promoter from Houston, said that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is coming to the grand show after a gap of four years and it is a great opportunity for Khan’s fans in America to see their favorite singer live.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who participated in the press conference via Zoom video, not only answered the questions of the journalists but also sang the famous OST.
Other promoters participating in the press conference said that like in the past, all the shows organized this time will set records.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has not been able to visit US for some years due to not getting a visa, but this time, he intends not only to present his music in a new way, but also to leave memories in the hearts of his fans for a long time.
New York: American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) held a grand Iftar Dinner that saw overwhelming participation from the Pakistani community, American officials, political figures, etc.
The event began with the recitation of the holy Quran followed by Naat e Rasool (SAW).
APPAC Chairman Dr Ijaz Ahmed thanked the guests for their valued participation.
“Allah has once again honored APPAC to hold this blessed event,” said Vice President APPAC New York Chapter Naheed Bhatti.
While Director Dr Ghulamullah Shehzad said that the organization not only work for the community uplift in New York but also played a vital role to inculcate education and conscious amongst the community people.
The event saw overwhelming participation from Pakistani community.
Consul General of Pakistan in New York Ayshia Ali said APPAC has provided a good platform once more for the community people to sit together and share their feelings with each other’s.
Famed religious scholar Aniq Ahmed prayed for the wellbeing of Pakistanis.
Karachi: A seven-member team of international experts reached Karachi for the treatment of an ailing elephant Noor Jahan at Karachi Metropolitan Corporation-run Karachi Zoo.
As per KMC, the experts convened a adetailed meeting with the administrator Karachi Dr.Syed Saif-ur-Rahman and the management of Karachi Zoo on Tuesday.
According to the details, a delegation consisting of experts from Egypt, Bulgaria, Germany and Austria reached the zoo today where they had a detailed discussion with the Administrator Karachi Dr. Syed Saif-ur-Rahman regarding the treatment of the elephant. Director zoo Khalid Hashmi, zoo veterinarian Dr. Aamir Ismail, Abida Raees, director of Pakistan Animal Welfare Society Mahira Umar and other officers were also present.
These experts belong to the animal welfare organization Four Paws and this organization has a global reputation for the care and treatment of animals around the world. Administrator Karachi Dr Syed Saif-ur-Rahman said that all arrangements are complete for treatment, medicines, X-ray, crane and special lighting in the elephant enclosure.
He thanked the team of experts for coming to Pakistan on the invitation of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation for the treatment of Noor Jahan, the elephant. Administrator Karachi said no effort will be spared in the care and treatment of the animals present in Karachi Zoo.
Dr. Amir Al-Khalili, the head of the team, while speaking, expressed his satisfaction with the arrangements and said that on Wednesday he will start the regular treatment of elephant Noor Jahan and if a minor operation is required, that will also be done. He said that according to the initial report, the elephant is suffering from joint pain due to which one of its legs is affected and the elephant is facing difficulty in walking.
He said that animals can get this kind of disease and it is a normal thing. The delegation also reviewed the arrangements made in relation to the treatment in the elephant enclosure and the medicines, injections and other facilities ordered for the treatment.
Earlier, Administrator Karachi thanked the members of the Four paws and appreciated their services at the global level and welcomed them to the zoo. Coming to Karachi is a special expression of the love of animals by the members of this organization.
“It is impossible to stay in your home if it is underwater. You cannot grow crops or raise livestock if it has not rained for years.” —Atlas of Migration 2022, Rosa Luxemburg Institute
Everybody who is passionate about mountaineering knows about Pakistan, which is home to five of the 14 tallest peaks on the planet. At the same time Pakistan is also a country characterized by sustained population growth and migration outflows. In this short article, we bring the example of Pakistan to elaborate on the issue of climate migration.
Last summer, the extreme monsoon rains, which happened just a couple of months after one of the deadliest heat wave, resulted in the country receiving about three times its usual rainfall for the month of August. Consequently, the Indus river—that starts at the Himalayas and flows through the entire length of the country, before emptying into the Arabian sea—overflowed into its banks and flooded a third of the country, affecting the lives of over 33 million people, and destroying vast stretches of cropland. This resulted in thousands of people losing their lives and the destruction of food crops and other key exports of the country. Six months after the catastrophic floods, the people of Pakistan are still struggling for potable water and sanitation. What makes this all the more poignant is the fact that Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of the global greenhouse gas emissions that cause these extreme weather events.
However, the people of Pakistan are not alone in this climate vulnerability. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 3.3 – 3.6 billion people across the world live in contexts that render them highly vulnerable to climate change. People living in regions like West-, Central-, and East-Africa, South Asia, Central and South America, Small Island Developing States, and the Arctic are particularly susceptible to climate hazards. The deterioration of environmental conditions due to climate change is forcing more and more people to leave their homes. Experts at the Institute for Peace and Economics estimate that about 1.2 billion people will be displaced globally by 2050 if natural disasters continue to occur at the same rate as the last few decades. But these are conservative estimates, given that such natural disasters are expected to intensify and become more widespread in the coming years.
Contrary to the concerns of many in the West, the Global Trends 2021 Report of the UNHCR—the UN Refugee Agency—shows that almost 60% of the 89.3 million people forcibly displaced migrated to places within their country. Of those that left the country, 72% were hosted in countries neighboring their country of origin. However, international law today only recognizes refugees as those who are unable or unwilling to return to their country due to well-founded fear of being persecuted on grounds such as race, religion, or political opinion. Therefore, the UNHCR prefers to refer to those fleeing their country due to the effects of climate change as ‘persons displaced in the context of disasters and climate change,’ thereby keeping them out of the ambit of protection granted to ‘refugees’ under international law.
Efforts towards predicting climate change-induced migration have been difficult because migration is typically driven by a multitude of factors and almost never by a single cause. Environmental factors are increasingly influencing other drivers of migration such as economic (job opportunities), social (education, family), and political (persecution, conflict, policy incentives). A recent report by Oxfam shows the links between climate change and hunger in 10 of the world’s greatest climate hotspots. In regions where people’s livelihoods depend on farming and livestock, extreme weather events (like floods and droughts), as well as slow-onset events (rise in sea level or desertification) are affecting food security and driving up food prices.
At the face of it, migration presents benefits for the individuals, the sending state, and the host country. At the origin, out-migration can help communities find new income sources and become more resilient to environmental change. At the destination or arrival point, immigration can provide cheap and/or skilled labor force in economies facing the consequences of an aging population and low birth rates. Nevertheless, even in such abject scenarios, the decision to migrate is not as straightforward. The cost of migrating deters the poor (and often, the most vulnerable) from relocating. Even factors such as ongoing conflicts prevent people from leaving these regions. Those who manage to migrate are faced with xenophobic reactions in host countries by people who perceive them as competition for jobs or as a security threat. Studies have found that the effectiveness of migration is impeded by factors such as exploitation faced by migrant workers, the adverse effect on their health, and the increased gender-related vulnerability of women and children where men migrate for jobs.
All this points to the crucial need for international policymakers to address efforts towards climate change mitigation, even as they work to address the reality of climate migration. The latter requires efforts to define, quantify and predict climate migration in the coming years. A potential solution to the former lies in adopting nature-based solutions which are actions that protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems to address societal challenges. The traditional knowledge of indigenous communities could prove invaluable in this regard.
For its part, Pakistan has already initiated efforts towards mitigating flood risks by focussing on reforestation and afforestation, wetland restoration, sustainable land management, and green infrastructures. For the rest of us, it is not too late to reduce our carbon emissions and provide the most vulnerable communities with the (financial) means for enabling effective, and possibly nature-based, adaptation.
This post was originally published on Common Dreams.
KARACHI: Pakistan has termed the rumours about beginning of trade with Israel a sheer propaganda, amid hue and cry from Pakistani citizens on social media over the alleged commercial ties between the two countries.
A day earlier American Jewish Congress had allegedly made an announcement that a shipment of Pakistani food products had been delivered to Israel by Pakistani-Jewish businessman Fishel Benkhald.
Benkhald also shared on March 28 a video on Twitter of dates, dry fruit, and spice containers he had exported to Israel.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson to Pakistan’s federal commerce minister Jehangir Akram confirmed that the rumours about begining of Pakistan-Israel trade is sheer propaganda after the Press Release of American Jewish Congress which was misrepresented.
Even in their press release they nowhere mentioned about official trade between Pak-Israel, he said in a statement.
However, neither we have any trade relations with Israel nor we intend to develop any. A Jewish Pakistani Fishel Benkhald has sent food samples to three businessmen in Jerusalem & Haifa through UAE in personal capacity who he met in foreign countries during food exhibitions.
Nevertheless, it was not supported by Pakistan Government and no banking or official channel was involved either.
KARACHI: Karachi Institute of Heart Disease Federal B.Area, the second largest cardiac hospital in the port city has established a state-of-the-art Research Department.
Administrator Karachi Dr. Syed Saif-ur-Rahman on Saturday inaugurated the Research Department.
He said that Karachi Institute of Heart Disease is the second largest cardiac hospital in Karachi and today is significant day because a formal research department has been established here which is the backbone of any institution.
Later he presided over a meeting with leading cardiologists of Karachi and said that doing research is not a trivial task and it is through research that the world has progressed.
He said Modern research has brought about a revolution in medicine as well as in different fields and those diseases which were not possible to be treated earlier are now being treated as a result of research which is benefiting the suffering humanity.
He said that KIHD will gain a prominent position in the world of general research and the latest research from all over the world will be brought to cardiologists through this general. He said that through this medical student will also be able to benefit.
In the meeting held on this occasion, Professor Dr. Tariq Ashraf was appointed as the Chief Editor of Research General.
Chief Executive of the Institute, Prof. Rafat Sultana told the meeting that national and international cardiologists were included in the editorial board of Research General so that the best research work can be published in Research General, she said that seminars, symposiums and workshops will also be organized under the Research Department in which cardiologists will be invited to present their experiences and observations regarding heart diseases in the light of modern research so that the doctors and medical staff associated with this field can benefit.
Washington: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will recognize Dr. Farha Abbasi, a renowned psychiatrist and active member of Pakistani-American community in Michigan, as one of the nation’s top women faith leaders.
Women on the Frontlines: Celebrating Women Faith Leaders, an event that would be hosted by Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra on Thursday, 30th March 2023 to honor 15 women faith leaders for their incredible work and extraordinary leadership qualities in the service of humanity.
Dr. Abbasi is Assistant Professor in Department of Psychiatry at Michigan State University and core faculty member of the Muslim Studies Program. She received the American Psychiatric association SAMSHA Minority fellowship in 2009 and used the grant money to create awareness about cultural competency, to redefine it as not just tolerance but acceptance. Her areas of interest include faith & cultural psychiatry and teaching medical students how to provide culturally appropriate care to Muslim patients.
She works directly with Muslim American community to encourage integration rather than isolation from mainstream society.
Dr. Abbasi is the founding director of the Annual Muslim Mental Health Conference which was attended by experts from 30 countries. She also launched a Global Muslim Mental Health Conference in Malaysia and Jordan. She is also making efforts to create safe spaces for people affected by domestic violence and substance abuse.
Ambassador Masood Khan telephoned Dr. Abbasi today and felicitated her for making Pakistan and Pakistani diaspora in the United States proud with her singular achievement. “It is yet another feather in our cap, proving huge talent and capabilities of Pakistani diaspora,” he said.
Talking to the Ambassador, Dr. Abbasi said that she has been working for past 15 years not only to reinforce efficacy of faith and cultural based solutions in addressing mental health issues but also to remove stigma that typical surrounds mental health issues especially in the developing countries.
Masood Khan appreciated her services in providing healing touch to those who needed our attention the most. He also acknowledged her efforts in bringing people of the two countries together.
Masood Khan said that mental health facilities were available in all major hospitals of Pakistan and efforts were afoot to ensure provision of such facilities in far off places.
He said that the psychiatry was being taught in major universities of Pakistan and was becoming a popular discipline . The Ambassador added that efforts were being made to create robust linkages between universities of Pakistan and the United States for sharing of knowledge and expertise.
Ambassador Khan further said that doctors’ community of Pakistani descent in the United States could significantly help their Pakistani brothers and sisters in addressing issues related to mental health issues, creating greater awareness, overcoming resource constraints and most importantly removing stigma attached to such issues due to variety of reasons.
KARACHI: The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan(HEC) has announced that admissions to two universities – Metropolitan University Karachi, and ISRA University has been halted due to gross violations of and non-adherence to the body’s guidelines.
The commission has again displayed on its website it’s previous notice that asked students not to take admission in ISRA University.
In another statement on its official Twitter handle, the commission said: “Metropolitan University, Karachi is chartered by the Government of Sindh in private sector and recognised by Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan.
The university was allowed to offer undergraduate degree programmes (ie, BBA, BS-Commerce, BS-Education, and BS-Islamic Studies) with 40 seats per semester only through its principal seat located at Sector 34-A, KDA Scheme # 33, Main University Road, Malir Cantt, Karachi.”
The HEC further said that the body would recognise/attest the degrees of students enrolled only in the above-mentioned degree programmes.
This will be done as per data shared by the university “in line with HEC directions/guidelines and subject to the fulfilment of all legal/codal formalities”.
However, the statement said that due to “gross violations, operating through unauthorised campuses/study centers and non-adherence of HEC guidelines”, the admissions of Metropolitan University have been stopped by the commission with effect from August 5, 2022.
According to the statement, unauthorised campuses of the university are located at Sukkur, Larkana, Quetta, Rawalakot, Islamabad, and Chakwal.
“Students and the public at large are hereby advised not to take admission in Metropolitan University, Karachi,” the statement said, adding, “degrees of students enrolled in Metropolitan University, Karachi after the cutoff date shall not be recognised by HEC”.
Meanwhile a student responded HEC saying:
“Why don’t you display these alerts on banners at all the unauthorized campuses? Why not shut those unauthorised campuses which are involved in fraudulent activities and take legal action against their owners/managers?”
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought the need to protect their forces with ground based air defence into sharp perspective The importance of ground-based air defence (GBAD) has been brought into sharp relief by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At time of writing (early January), Ukraine claimed to have shot down 281 Russian aircraft, 266 […]
DADU: New York Police Department’s Muslim Officers’ Society (NYPD’s MOS) has been engaged in the reconstruction of the houses of the Sindh Police damaged in the 2022 ruthless floods and heavy rains in the province.
The MOS has constructed more new houses in Dadu district and handed them over to the affected police personnel.
Mashuq Ali Gopang, a resident of Dadu’s Tehsil Johi and head constable in Sindh Police, faced two major tragedies in his life simultaneously. Six months back, his leg was broken in a traffic accident and his house was also destroyed in the floods. As clearly mentioned In the Holy Qur’an, the Allah Almighty says: indeed with difficulty there is ease, so the difficulties of Ali Gopang are no more. According to doctors, he will start walking again in four to six weeks, while MOS has been so kind to built a new house for him.
Part of the house of Head Constable Muhammad Ismail Panwar was affected by the rain. When MOS started the rehabilitation work of the flood victims in Dadu, they constructed a room according to his needs, in which the family is now living happily.
House of police constable Koro Soomro in Pir Mashaikh village was also washed away in the flood water. When the MOS came to know about the damage, it began reconstruction of the house and completed it within a few weeks.
Similarly, the age-long earnings of of Head Constables Zulfiqar Ali Khoso and Ghulam Sarwar, who reside in Khoso and Kanbar neighborhoods respectively also lost in the floods. The houses built by them were destroyed in the torrential rains, but nature was kind again and made the Muslim Officers Society a resource for their help and now the new houses were handed over to them after construction.
After the construction of the houses in Dadu, the representatives of the Muslim Officers Society and the team of Voice of South Asia inspected the damaged houses of the Sindh Police officials in Tehsil Khairpur Nathan Shah and assured the victims that new houses will be built and handed over to them before Eid-ul-Fitr.
KARACHI: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stepped up to improve healthcare system of Balochistan – the most poorest and neglected provinces of Pakistan.
As per details WHO will rehabilitate as many as 100 primary healthcare centers in at least a dozen of districts of Balochistan badly damaged in last year’s monsoon rains and heavy flood and provide them the required medical equipment and solar systems.
According to Quetta Voice the 2022 torrential rains and floods in Balochistan damaged more than 700 Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Health Centers (RHCs). The floods damaged many buildings of the BHUs, and some buildings are even not able to be used.
This had severely affected the health services in all 26 flood-hit districts of Balochistan.
The medical staff was facing difficulties in the treatment of patients because of the lack of equipment and the damaged BHUs.
The provincial health department and WHO has just recently signed six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in this regard at a ceremony held on Thursday, according to Daily Dawn.
The ceremony was attended by WHO country head Dr Palitha Mahipala, Health Minister Syed Ehsan Shah and Health Secretary Muhammad Saleh Nasar.
Under the MoUs, WHO will rehabilitate 100 primary healthcare centres in 12 districts and provide medical equipment, furniture and solar systems. Under the agreement, the provincial health department will ensure continuity of health services through human resources and ensure supplies from the health system.
On the occasion, equipment and vehicles donated by WHO for National Maternal and Newborn Child Health programme were handed over to the health secretary.
The solar system for the provincial EPI cold chain room was also inaugurated. The system would save fuel bills of around Rs80 million annually.
Speaking at the ceremony, the provincial health minister thanked the WHO country head for providing not only the medical equipment but also medicines for flood-affected people.
The health sector is already suffering because the government of Balochistan is continuously ignoring it. The situation is worse in the far-flung areas of the province when it comes to health facilities.
The floods disrupted the health system all across Balochistan, particularly the Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Reginal Health Units (RHUs) in Lasbela, Jafarabad, Pashin, Naseerabad, Killa Abdullah, and Kohlu.
The floods damaged 700 BHUs out of which 278 are completely destroyed and are totally inactive, according
The air was fragranced by rose petals and the accompaniment of cooing doves. I sat cross-legged, my back resting against ancient bricks and drank in the scene before me.
Nameless devotees were coming forward to the tomb, bowing, paying their respects, making silent petitions, and then moving on.
Only I and a few others remained, soaking it in, feeling the presence of the place, trying to comprehend.
And as I did, I prayed.
First, I rattled through the perfunctory prayers. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. Then my mind stilled, emptied, as I tried to hear that still, small voice that once spoke to Elijah in a cave on Mt. Carmel.
What would God say to me today? What words did He have to convey? What was my lesson to be?
And then, unexpectedly, they formed on my lips.
Not what I anticipated, yet they came, over and over again, until I was chanting them like a mantra, and their syllables were cleansing my soul.
I pass by this town, the town of Layla
And I kiss this wall and that wall
It’s not love of the town that has enraptured my heart
But of the One who dwells within this town
The only question was, why these words? What did they mean?
I was in Pakistan on holiday. Well, my kind of holiday, which, unlike many people’s, involves neither beaches nor much relaxation but instead a smorgasbord of historical, political, and religious sites.
The Tomb of Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam, Multan (Copyright: Matt Pointon, 2023).
Two days earlier, I had fulfilled a long-time ambition and visited Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak.
Nanak was the founder of Sikhism and is perhaps my favourite religious figure from a tradition other than my own. He is a man that all pilgrims should learn about because he was one of us.
He started his spiritual career by bathing in the River Beas near his home in Sultanpur. He then disappeared for three days and when he returned all he would say is: “There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim“.
His message was that instead of manmade labels, we are all human – we are all disciples of God.
Shortly after this experience, he set off on the first of his five great Udasis or pilgrimages, travelling north, south, east and west to the holy sites of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam.
He visited Mecca and, according to some sources, perhaps Jerusalem and Rome too.
He wore a costume that was a synthesis of Muslim and Hindu dress and he embraced everyone, regardless of race, faith, caste or gender.
Like I said, he was one of us. You could imagine chatting to Nanak in an albergue in El Burgo Ranero or passing him on the Way near to Astorga whilst on the Camino de Santiago.
An early 19th century mural painting depicting Guru Nanak by Gurdwara Baba Atal (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nanak though, did not appear out of nowhere. He was a product of two great spiritual traditions: the Hindu Bhakti movement and Sufism within Islam.
Both of these movements disregarded old certainties and preached a personal devotion and spirituality of love over convention and form. And it was these Sufis that I’d come to see in Pakistan.
Everywhere I went, I sought out their shrines and knelt by them, asking for guidance. Which is how I found myself sitting by the Tomb of Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam in Multan.
Shah Rukn-e-Alam was a 13th century saint of the Suhrawardiyya order of Sufis. That much I knew. The question was: why was he telling me about the Town of Layla?
The words I knew already with great familiarity. They are a stanza of a poem by the great Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi.
The poem is the story of Layla and Qays, two lovers who were kept apart by a cruel world.
Qays wished to marry Layla, but her father refused. So, he retreated to the desert and became a hermit, composing poetry in her honour, and earning himself the nickname of “madman” (Majnun) from the locals.
Layla and Majnun are widely known across the Muslim world as being symbolic of tragic lovers, the eastern Romeo and Juliet as it were.
Azerbaijani folk art based on the Layla and Majnun poem by Nizami Ganjavi (CC BY 3.0).
Although I’d known of the story for years, it came into focus last year when I began my friendship with S. I describe this in my essay “The Lady with the Raven“.
When we ceased contact, I spoke to a friend about it and he said: “Oh Matt, you are like Majnun!”
I asked him what to do about it, and he suggested embracing being Majnun, going with it and seeing where it led me. I did as he suggested and what resulted was perhaps the greatest period of sustained creative output in my life.
By channelling the emotions and committing them to paper, I wrote poetry and stories that I did not think myself capable of.
The story of Layla and Majnun, two tragic lovers, seems at first to have little to do with faith and pilgrimage. But, as I travelled around Pakistan and recited the mantra at every shrine I visited, I realised that it very much concerns the spiritual seeker.
It is a story that can be read on two levels.
On the basic level, yes, it is a story of boy meets girl, society tells them they can’t be together and they waste away in separation yearning for one another, to be reunited only in death.
Yet on another level, I realised that this separation – which is the key to the whole tale – can also be taken to represent the separation between the ultimate lovers – God and man.
Sufis often refer to God as “The Beloved“and aim to attain unity with Him (something which does not go down well with many mainstream Muslims who view such thoughts as highly blasphemous).
So, if I am Majnun, yearning for the one that I am separated from, then Layla is God (Him – or Her) – self, sitting in her tower. God is to be glimpsed from afar but impossible to get close too.
And yet we try. For that is what pilgrimage is all about.
We journey to get closer to God by exploring His world, meeting our fellow pilgrims and, most important of all, learning to understand ourselves a little better.
And when seen in that light, the words make sense with a clarity and beauty that is overwhelming:
I pass by this town, the town of Layla
And I kiss this wall and that wall
It’s not love of the town that has enraptured my heart
But of the One who dwells within this town
This town of Layla is the world, our world. It belongs to Layla because Layla is God. Layla created it and sustains it.
We pass by it because, it is through journeying that we can come closer to Her.
We kiss this wall and that wall, this tomb and that shrine, but why?
For love of the cold, unfeeling stones? Not at all. Instead, because of the One who dwells within.
The Tomb of Haji Syed Sakhi Sultan, Manghopir (Copyright: Matt Pointon, 2023).
Out there, by the shrines of a faith not my own, I learnt a valuable spiritual lesson. Pilgrimage is prayer and all travels can be a pilgrimage. If only we treat them as such.
So yes, plan your next Camino, take a trip to Lourdes, Walsingham, Rome or visit Jerusalem. There is value to all those things and they are beautiful.
But, next time you go into town to do some shopping, or attend a work meeting in a strange city, also become Majnun. Wander about that town. Kiss this wall and that wall.
Let your heart be enraptured, not of love for the town.
But of the One who dwells within that town.
The town of Layla.
About the author
Matt Pointon is a practising Anglican from Stoke-on-Trent. He has been interested in world religions and interfaith activities since 2000.
His passions are pilgrimage and writing.
He has travelled to holy sites from Jerusalem and Amritsar to Iona to Eihei-ji. In 2021, he completed the 500-mile Camino Frances and in April 2023 will be walking from Florence to Rome along the Way of St. Francis.
His particular interests are Celtic Christianity, Orthodox monasticism, early Islam, Sufism and the life of Guru Nanak.
His day job is working for the trade unions.
Featured image: The Tomb of Hazrat Shah Rukn-e-Alam, Multan (Image credit: Aa Dil).
Mr. Iqbal, Mr. Jinnah, and their political party worked selflessly toward the cause of Palestine after World War I, despite chasing the dream of Pakistan. They sent Indian Muslim delegations to aid with the Palestine question, built anti-British/Zionist momentum through scathing letters and speeches, passed countless resolutions for Palestine, organized Palestine Days, and started a Palestine Fund for Arab victims et cetera. They did so much, that on several occasions even the Grand Mufti of Palestine acknowledged their efforts.
Pakistan’s Current Situation
After the Abraham Accords in 2020, the Middle East’s already waning anger toward Israel dissolved further. In a shock move Oman, UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan, recognized Israel. There were similar murmurings of Saudi Arabia being next as it was not possible for UAE, Bahrain, and Oman to recognize Israel without big brother Saudi Arabia’s blessing.
While in office, Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan verified that he was fighting enormous exogenous pressures to recognize Israel. One of the nations placing such pressures, he asserted, was America, yet he abstained from referencing the other countries. However, he did note that they were close allies of Pakistan, which many perceived as Saudi Arabia and UAE. Imran Khan’s position on the Palestine issue, aptly, reflected that of Pakistan’s founders as evidenced by his statement that Pakistan cannot make any decisions on a matter which has been refused by the Palestinians.
Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa: A Semi-Closeted Zionist
In April 2022, Imran Khan was ousted through a no-confidence motion. Many in Pakistan, including the former PM, assert that the then-army chief Bajwa was behind this – this is no surprise as the military establishment has ruled for 33 years directly; and always indirectly. After Imran’s removal, information regarding how Bajwa was undermining the ex-PM became public knowledge. While the mainstream media remains largely muzzled, journalists, analysts, and even ex-army officers began unveiling Bajwa’s obfuscated plots via YouTube and Twitter. From ousting Imran Khan to jailing and even torturing critics (politicians and journalists alike), everything was exposed. Videos such as “Woh Kaun Tha?” (Who was he?) by investigative journalist Arshad Shareef, who was later murdered in Kenya under suspicious circumstances, went viral. The video (the original deleted) implied culpability towards Bajwa on his copious behind-the-scene ploys.
One specific area where Bajwa’s manoeuvrings were exposed was vis-à-vis recognizing Israel which Imran Khan was clearly against. This assertion grew more substantial when senior journalists revealed more information. For example, senior anchor Imran Riaz Khan, (unrelated to ex-PM Imran Khan), expressed that when Bajwa met journalists, he would state that Pakistan ought to soften its stance on Israel. Bajwa would express his bafflement in front of the journalists regarding how Arab states were normalizing relations but Pakistan persisted with a stringent anti-recognition of Israel policy. Imran Riaz also noted that while meeting journalists in a one-on-one environment, General Bajwa would push them to start a discussion on the potential of Pakistan-Israel relations on TV and/or social media.
Another senior anchor Hamid Mir expressed that General Bajwa was constantly undermining Imran Khan and was pushing him toward the recognition of Israel. Bajwa’s romance with Israel was additionally established when Hamid Mir wrote in an article, “Gen Bajwa also wanted to engage Israel but Imran Khan was reluctant.” On another anchor’s show on TV, Hamid Mir asserted that Imran Khan should take the name of the person who was pushing his administration to recognize Israel – signifying Bajwa. Due to this and various other conspiracies coming to light, Imran Khan’s popularity has peaked while Bajwa has become one of the most detested figures in Pakistan’s history.
Pakistani-American Delegations Visit Israel
When the new PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) government sponsored by and beholden to the army chief and the military establishment took charge, Bajwa’s pro-Israel policies seemed to manifest. In May 2022, a group of Pakistani-Americans visited Israel which set off tremors across Pakistan. Pakistanis were infuriated as this delegation, sponsored by Sharaka (a pro-Israel civil group), met with Israeli president Isaac Herzog. More concerning was that an anchor from PTV (Pakistan’s state telecaster), Ahmed Qureshi, was part of this group. Anila Ali, the head of the delegation gave the Israeli president a book on Pakistan’s founder, Mr. Jinnah – the irony being Mr. Jinnah’s feverish opposition to Zionism. Facing heavy reaction from the public, the PDM government declared that it did not send the group to Israel and that the delegates were dual nationals. They were forced to fire the PTV anchor, however.
A couple of months after this, a second Pakistani-American group sponsored again by Sharaka met the Israeli president. This designation was shockingly headed by Nasim Ashraf, a previous Pakistani minister (and another dual national). These two delegations touted that they were working for the cause of interfaith harmony but many analysts exclaimed conversely. For instance, Electronic Intifada notes “… the real purpose of these visits – typically led by Muslim Zionists – is to open a path to formal diplomatic and even military relations between Islamabad and Tel Aviv.” This is further proven by Sharaka and other like-minded groups’ ties to US government institutes as well as Zionist organizations – the implication being that such groups can be and are used surreptitiously by US-Israel agencies.
Raza Rumi of the Pakistani publication Naya Daur notes: “There must be some debate going on, and this visit was just a testing-the-waters-type visit.” Such delegations are utilized to measure public perception as well as influence it. For instance, in 2017 an interfaith group of Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, and Hindus from Bahrain visited Jerusalem, three years before Bahrain began diplomatic relations with Israel.
Lastly, the timing of these delegations visiting Israel is suspect as they occurred shortly after the pro-Palestine PM Imran Khan was removed from office, and Bajwa, then chief and still a Zionist could pull strings freely.
Will Pakistan Accept Israel?
Pakistan is nearing economic default, industries are shutting down, terrorism is rising once more, and inflation is wreaking havoc. Perhaps the Israel-US nexus could offer monetary relief and perhaps later military aid in exchange for recognition – this might sway the government to build a pro-Israel narrative to sell to the public. Since most of the debilitated PDM government is indebted to Bajwa because of their myriad corruption charges magically evaporating after they assumed power, this might be plausible. Furthermore, the PDM government has realigned towards the US, as Bajwa wanted, which was under threat when Imran Khan was PM. For Israel to attain nuclear Pakistan’s recognition would be a political masterstroke. Netanyahu is on record as claiming that Pakistan is the biggest threat to Israel behind Iran.
Although Bajwa is no longer the army chief, Asim Muneer, his replacement, is accused of being Bajwa’s veritable arm and vehemently anti-Imran Khan as well. Recognizing Israel would be an affront to Pakistan’s revered founders, to the resilient Palestinians, and to the Muslim world. Pakistan’s founding fathers drew a glaring line in the sand when it came to Israel – to cross beyond this pale would be an outright moral catastrophe for the country.
KARACHI – The International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi (UoK), has announced the country’s largest two-months 16th Summer Internship Program-2023 in science and technology during June and July 2023.
The last date for the submission of application is 31st March, 2023, while only online applications will be accepted at https://bit.ly/320ZOWS.
Spokesman of the ICCBS – University of Karachi, on Friday said that the ICCBS announced the Summer Internship Program for last year’s graduates and final year BS, MSc, PharmD, BE, BBA students in various fields.
In his message, Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Director of International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, and Coordinator General COMSTECH, said that the international center strived to promote science and technology capacity in Pakistan. This internship program is an excellent opportunity for talented students to get the exposure of working in this world-class research and academic institution, he said.
The internship program will be carried out in the various fields of sciences, including Analytical Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Structural Biology, Virology, Organic Chemistry, Bioequivalence Studies, Nanotechnology, Diagnostic Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular Bank, Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry, Plant Biotechnology, Cell Physiology, Biomedical Engineering, Genomics, Civil Engineering, Immunology, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Microbiology, Mechanical Engineering, Pharmacology, Information Technology, Proteomics, ISO, Quality and Project Management, Stem Cell Research, and Library and Information Science, the spokesman said.PR
New York: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) USA chapter held a grand protest demonstration at Times Square, the busiest neighbourhood of New York, against the current political situation in Pakistan.
They urged the authorities concerned to hold an early election in the country in light of the court directions.
A large number of PTI-USA workers and community members participated in the demonstration.
The protesters were carrying banners and placards in their hands, inscribed as “illegal arrests of PTI workers in Pakistan strongly condemned.”
PTI USA leaders said on this occasion that we have gathered here to tell the world that Imran Khan is struggling in a country where corruption reigns, mafias rule, there is neither justice nor truth. freedom of speech.
Imran Khan has stood up to bring justice and peace to the people of Pakistan.
The participants of the demonstration said that the whole world knows that the current government has no competence. We and our leader demand that new elections be held as soon as possible.
The persecution of media, people and political opponents should be stopped.
The participants condemned the violation of the sanctity of of families and their privacy in the Lahore’s Zaman Park incident and demanded the holding of early elections.
Washington DC: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers gathered in front of the White House to register their protest against Pakistan’s incumbent government’s ‘anti-democratic’ actions against Imran Khan.
Hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf activists gathered outside the White House, amid strong winds, and harsh weather, and condemned the PMLN-led coalition government’s actions against party chairman Imran Khan.
Former President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf USA chapter and senior PTI leader Junaid Bashir organized the demonstration in front of the White House in Washington DC.
A large number of people from different states of America participated in the demonstration. The protesters also raised slogans in favor of Imran Khan. People participating in the demonstration said:
“We have come here to draw attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistan and the threats to democracy. We want the government of Pakistan to immediately stop threatening Imran Khan. The current set-up of rulers in Islamabad is a threat to Pakistan and must be removed now.”
Pakistani community members were also present on this occasion. The participants said that it is now necessary for us to raise our voice because it would be a criminal act not to condemn what is happening in Pakistan.
What we have seen in the last few days is not politics, it is an attack on democracy and democratic values.
A large number of women were also included in the protestors. The protesters called on the international community to condemn the violations of basic human rights by the government of Pakistan and the detention and torture by the security agencies.
The protesters demanded an end to the targeting of political opponents through arrests and false accusations.
All politically motivated cases should be withdrawn. The series of bans on press freedom should be stopped, the brutality of peaceful protesters by the police should be stopped. All political workers should be released and proper security should be provided to Imran Khan.
