Fear Mongering : perhaps we need an Alien to help us identify our mistakes and help us change

FEAR MONGERING : WE NEED AN ALIEN TO HELP US IDENTIFY OUR PROBLEMS AND CHANGE Yesterday evening I watched the Bollywood movie " PK " staring Amir Khan as PK an alien who does not belong to our " Gola " ( earth ) and Anushka Sharma as Jaggu who just completed her journalism education from Belgium and is a news reporter in Delhi . She found "PK " in the streets who dealt things in his own unique way which grabbed Jaggu"s attention .He is an Alien type human his unique sense of style , peculiar way of talking and eating pan makes him very different from others .PK asks questions which nobody had asked ever, each question initially sounds like a big joke but then it leaves question mark on one "s mind. Some one stole his remote control and now he is unable to send messages to his space ship, his quest for his remote control brings him to Delhi where he finds that " human beings ask God for help and guidance ". The movie " PK " is a statement on the most touching subject that is Religion. Producer Raj Kumar Hirani tells the different ways religion is used and demonstrates each contradiction in a humorous way. The movie makes us laugh but also makes us think. It makes us cry for the right reasons. It helps us find faults in our beliefs. It makes us think that are the "so - called religious leaders and religious fanatics" using fear mongering to scare us ? The movie is a satire which deals with perhaps the most important issue faced by humanity these days which is " propagators of religion thrive on the fear of those who flock on them". After watching this movie I thought about the people who shot Malala Yousufzai two years back just because according to them girls should not go to school . I also thought about the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram which kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls and I thought about the latest massacre the massacre of innocents students in a Peshawar School . The ability of any of these groups to attract global attention depends to on how shocking and how horrific their actions are. A school attack involving dozens of child victims sends shock waves around the world. Prophet Mohammed (SAW) said "seek knowledge even if you have to go to China to find it". Prophet Mohammed ( SAW) said "Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave”. "Aisha al-Siddiqa ( PBUH) was a hadith-narrator, scholar, intellectual and jurist of great standing. She is believed to have reported 2,210 hadiths Abu Hurayra, ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Amr and Anas b. Malik (PBUH)were the only ones from amongst male hadith-narrators who had narrated more traditions than she did. This itself explains that women could not only teach women but also men . How can Islam be a religion which is anti - education when the Holy Prophet always emphasized on the importance of education . Why do these called " Muslims " kill students, they certainly are not following the teachings of Islam . Somewhat like in the movie " PK " there are people around us in the " real world "who are promoting religious bigotry . They are using scare tactics , perhaps our world also needs " an alien " who can identify the problems in our views and our beliefs and help us change !!!

DKNY RAMZAN COLLECTION

DKNY LAUNCHES RAMZAN COLLECTION Famous American label DKNY's Ramazan collection is available exclusively at their Middle East stores, and the 12 looks are simple, elegant and striking in pastel shades. DKNY’s campaign is part of a big push the label has been marketing in the Middle Eastern Markets.DKNY recently launched a Middle East website and opened several stores in Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. After Chanel this will be the second biggest American brand to launch a " Ramzan Collection".

LYARI FILM FESTIVAL trying to encourage youth of Karachi If you are familiar with the demographics of the city of Karachi you would have read about the suburb of Lyari which has produced very talented boxers , it is a small fishing town . Lyari has been hard hit by sectarian violence in the last two decades . Lyari Film Festival will take place in the last two weeks of September 2014 . It is a project of Nosach Films Academy in collaboration of WDFP (Women Development Foundation Pakistan) & KYI(Karachi Youth Initiative). This festival will feature films made by young film makers from Lyari in particular and Karachi in general.

Pakistan gets it's first Pakistan Idol

PAKISTAN GETS ITS FIRST PAKISTAN IDOL ZAMAD BAIG from Mandi Bhauddin wins the coveted title , brand new car , lots of cash and a singing contract from Geo TV today ........he becomes the first Pakistan Idol . A country which is badly affected by inflation and insecurity presented an awesome oppourtunity for its youngsters to audition for a reality singing contest and it provided an oppourtunity for its people to enjoy a singing competition where they can vote for their favorite contestentant . Geo TV launched this franchise which auditioned 28 thousand contestants in 9 different cities . The first group of 86 contestants were invited to perform in Karachi where 13 were selected . Every week one was eliminated . The five month long journey reached its climax when three contestants Muhammed Shoaib from Peshawer , Zamad Baig from Mandi Bhauddin and Ali Asad from Karachi reached top three and today at the Grand Finale Zamad Baig won the title after recieving one million votes . Today " s event was a two hour long episode with mesmerizing performances by the queen of Sufi music Abida Parveen and rock star Ali Zafar. Being a Pakistani away from home I enjoyed watching our talented youngsters .........

4th youth art exhibition

My younger daughter Amber won MLK essay contest here is her essay : Martin Luther King Jr. Dreamer or Visionary? Martin Luther King Jr. Dreamer or Visionary? Martin Luther King Jr. was simply a man to himself, however people saw him as a hero or savior of the Civil Rights, and indeed he was but it’s his beliefs that really defined him. In 1955, King was arrested by leading a boycott in a transportation company at Alabama, which demanded non-whites to give up their seat to any whites that boarded and they would get up and move to the back of the bus, King didn’t seem this process was fair to the African-Americans who have rights as well as whites. He kept on giving speeches and protests that weren’t violent at all. He put his life in risk just to speak out his mind and try to get other victims to stand up to themselves. In 1963, King continued his work to try to encourage other African-Americans by protesting to the whites and writing speeches getting him in the headlines global. One included King’s “I have dream” speech, in Washington D.C, which touched many others deeply. One quote from this speech is, “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.” What I understand from this piece of King’s mastery speech is that he’s saying that even if the non-whites get their rights back they as a community will always stick together and make sure that if they ever get into a situation like the civil rights movement they will never forget about their hope. King’s death was so powerful and inspiring that the congress made a law for the Civil Rights Movement. King’s awards included the Nobel Peace Prize, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, and The Congressional Gold Medal. King’s legacy will always be remembered to all, his acts spread across the Atlantic Ocean into South America which influenced the Black Consciousness Movement and Civil Rights Movement in South Africa. Albert Lutuli, one of kings inspiration, fought racial justice in South Africa, was also a African American Nobel Peace Prize winner. His family also followed King’s footsteps. Starting out with Coretta Scott King, King’s wife, the same year of King’s assassination established the “King Center” in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as both social and civil justice. King’s son Dexter King is serving his part by being the King Center chairman. Lastly, Yolanda King, King’s daughter, was both motivational speaker and founder of Higher Ground Productions, an organization specializing in diversity training. Martin Luther King Jr. inspires me because he believed in others and he knew that his words will cause people to think their minds off, and that he never gave up on them he kept on pushing them even if that meant pushing them to the extremes. He would always have faith in everyone whether their race, gender, religion or ethnicity he thought everyone was part of the solution that will forever face the earth, the symbol for hope. “The difference between a dreamer and a visionary is that a dreamer has his eyes closed and a visionary has his eyes open” ~Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream

Congratulations Mrs Fernandes

Congratulations Mrs Fernandas Norma Fernandes worked as a teacher and later as Headmistress (Kindergarten/Junior Section) of the Karachi Grammar School from 1966 to 2009. In January 2006, Norma Fernandes moved to a new area of responsibility within the Karachi Grammar School, as Advisor, working with the Board, the Principal and the Internal Management Team and also giving confidential advice to parents. In 2009, she retired from the Karachi Grammar School after more than 50 years as a teacher. Mrs Fernandes recieved the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz by government of Pakistan on 23 rd march 2014 for her services to education. (It is the fourth-highest decoration given to any civilian in Pakistan ).