Tribute to Qassem Soleimani

It is a tribute to that brave man who was born in Kerman province of Iran. He worked as a construction worker in his teen years to pay the debts of his father. Later, in 1975, he become the contractor for Kerman water organization and spent his spare time in lifting weights and attending the sermons of Ayatuulah Khameni. A fierce military strategist, fighter and a pious leader was no other than Qassem Suleimani.

Though from his appearance he looked like a simple man who disliked his own publicity but the magnitude of his presence is felt by everyone who ever encounters him. Following the Iranian revolution of 1979, he joined the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Early in his career he was a guardsman, later participated fiercely in the Iran-Iraq war of 1980. From there, he quickly earned the reputation of bravery and eventually become the commander of 41^st Sarallalah division while still in his 20s. In the year 1998, he became the commander of Qudus force of IRGC who were responsible for extraterritorial military and clandestine operations. In 2011, he was elevated to the position of Major General of IRGC- Qudus force by Ayatullah Khameni.

The world will remember him as a shadow commander and a spymaster who was equipped with a mastery of clandestine operations. Though, he was not only a remarkable leader, with all his attributes, but also a devoted and a saintly servant of Ahl-ul-Bait (A.S). It was widely stated by his compatriots that during the unrest in the city of Sammara because of ISIS, he always went to the Holy shrine of Ahl-ul-Bait (A.S) to refresh his soul where he often rested in the basement of the Shrine.

Martin Jay in his article on Daily Sabah once said,” Sulaiman has taught us that death is the beginning of life, not the end of it”. It shows his devotion of eternal life after death. He was thirsty for martyrdom. He wanted to meet his creator the way Ahl-ul-Bait (A.S) met. Ayatullah Khameni was his spiritual and a political leader who once told him that,” O! Qassem Suleimani, you are the one who was martyred at the front of numerous occasions and is a living martyr of the revolution”. It means he had everything a martyr should have, the loyalty, devotion, piety and bravery. He himself once said during the South-West Aleppo Operation against ISIS that, “Martyrdom is what I seek in mountains and valleys, but it isn’t granted yet”. How fortunate he was that the martyrdom which he sought relentlessly was granted to him by the Almighty.

Not only he loved Ahl-ul-Bait(A.S) but he was also a devoted follower of their simplicity. The idea of his simple life could be measured from the fact that in 2012, Iran media reported that he might be replaced as the commander of Qudus force in order to allow him to participate in the 2013 Presidential elections. Similarly, it was also speculated for the 2017 presidential elections. Meanwhile, in his response he finally said that,” I will always remain a simple soldier serving Iran and the Islamic revolution”. It shows that he was not a seeker of fame, nor a dreamer of lavish lifestyle but a man with a simple life who had the fierce fighting skills the world had ever seen.

Furthermore, it was the teaching of Ahl-ul- Bait (A.S) to support and defend your Muslims brothers in hardships. Thus, following that, he defended his Muslim brothers in Middle East. It is widely believed that he was the principal leader and the architect of the military wing of the Lebanon Shia party, Hezbollah, who had constantly faced the aggression of Israel and defended the rights of Palestine Muslims. The Middle East, especially Iraq and Syria, will remember him for his untiring services of defending them against ISIS. Both nations were engulfed with ISIS’s notorious designs of massacres and tragedies which they inflicted upon the masses, especially on Shia Community. His strategies and war tactics had not only thwarted the ISIS prevalence in Iraq, but also uprooted them completely. Thus, Hadi-al-Amiri, the former Iraqi minister of transportation rightly said that,” There would be no Iraq, if Sulaimani had not helped”.

In Iraq, he bravely and cunningly fought the war against ISIS. According to the Los Angeles Times, Amerli was the first town of Iraq which has successfully failed the invasion of ISIS because the mastermind behind devising the strategy to defend it was Qassem Sulaimani. On one another instance it was noted by the Iraqi official that it was the rapid response of Iran militia led by Qassem Sulaimani that halted further spread of ISIS in Mosul. Further, in 2014 the city of Tikrit was captured by ISIS and they massacred 1600-1700 Iraqi cadets then a strategy to recapture the city was drawn by Qassem Sulaimani who personally directed the operation and recaptured the fallen city. Thus, a former CIA officer rightly described him as the most powerful operative in the Middle East!

Similarly, in Syria it is believed that it was his strategy that helped Bashar Al Asad to turn the tide against rebel forces and recapture the key cities and towns. Undoubtedly, Bashar Al Asad formally requested Russian intervention in Syria which has had its own impacts. However, ultimately it was the collaboration of Qassem Suaimani and Russian dignitaries which unshackles the Syria from rebellion forces. His importance was manifested from the fact that at one instance, Ayatullah Khameni sent a senior envoy to Moscow to meet President Viladmir Putin regarding the Syrian intervention while Putin responded by saying that “okay we will intervene. Send Qassem Sulaimani”. Later, he arrived and showed the Russians that how capturing few important territories in Syria will make them conquerors. Thus, the suit is followed and the mixture of Russia’s military advancement and the mind of Qassem Sulaimani has unshackled the Syria almost entirely from the grip of rebellion forces.

Clearly, his reach was not limited to the boundaries of Iran. Therefore, US General David Petraeus rightly recounted a message of Qassem Sullaimani where he said to him that,” General Petraeus, you should know that I, Qassem Sulaimani, control the policy for Iran with respect to Iraq, Lebanon, Ghaza and Afghanistan”. Indeed, he was the most powerful person of Iran after Ayatullah Khameni.

That brave Muslim who prevails in every nook and corner of Middle East is no more in this world. No one will ever forget the barbarity inflicted by US, which killed him today in a cold blood. Meanwhile, his long awaited dream of martyrdom came true and he left this temporary world for the eternal life in heavenly abode. The legacy which he left behind will be followed by millions. In conclusion I would like to say that, he was not merely a man but, in fact, a state of mind; there is Sulaimani lying inside every man. May his soul rest in peace.

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A tragic story in my own words (review: when breath becomes air)

 

                                                “When breath becomes air”

“When breath becomes air”, is a memoir of Paul kalanithi. He was an exemplified man, with dominant curiosity about life and death. Like every other intellectual, he was so curious about his life and the profession he would choose in future. Therefore, after acquiring several degrees in literature, science and medicine; he opted for neurosurgery as his profession, to understand this life more vividly by operating the most vital organ of human body. In his memoir, he described what it liked to be a neurosurgeon during the first year of his operating residency. The cutting of skin, opening of skull and the inhaling of burnt flesh’s smell. However, as time lapsed he became accustomed to such practices. He understood slowly and gradually, that in neurosurgery, It was not only the brain, but the hands, eyes and every organ that should be quick and aware. He also mastered the technique of how to create a calmness and serenity in the life of patients and how well to advise them, to choose a particular decision. No doubt, he was fond of literature, he knows psychology and he had empathic feelings beyond the operation theatre, in the common lives of his patients.

His life was moving smoothly, as planned. He was happily married with Lucy (a doctor as well) and somewhere they both were dreaming of having a child. In the midst of this, Paul suddenly started to loose his body weight. The appetite was dwindling, fatigue was a daily routine and a severe back pain had started to crush his back. It might be due to the over burdened schedule of residency, he thought. However, his health was deteriorating, day by day. Something was not good about his health, deep inside his heart, he knew that. Therefore, he was searching those symptoms on internet to unearth the hidden disease. As a doctor, he and his wife had the idea that the symptoms were telling the tale of the bloodiest CANCER. However, terrified enough both were not taking its name, widely and openly. Soon, they were scheduled for his X-ray, and when the results arrived their doubt had started to turn into reality. A blurry lungs on X-ray and a chronic back pain had drag them toward MRI. After MRI, he himself saw his reports and the lung cancer was evident in it.

All the future planning, dreams, ambitions and his quest to understand life and death was shattered. For him, his own life was turning into the real example of life and death. He was 36 years old, during that cursed diagnosis. Almost, more than half of his life was still unexplored. Once a highly talented doctor, now lay in a hospital as a patient. Moreover, he and Lucy had always wanted to have a child, so they decided to have one. It was their love, which made him brave and stronger to fight such a dangerous disease. During his most fragile moments, once Lucy lay her head on his chest and then asked abruptly, is laying my head on your chest causing you difficulty in breathing? He replied, Lucy it is the only way through which I know how to breathe. However, he went through all the treatments, from a mere tablet to chemotherapy but nothing stopped the cancer from spreading. Then there was a time in his life, when merely holding his head was a great labor work to do. Lately, he was so fragile and feeble that he had developed a difficulty in breathing. Therefore, one day only taking a single breath was like a great battle for him to win. Then, he was shifted to the emergency room where he whispered in the Lucy’s ear that, are they going to put me in a ventilator? Lucy remained silent, tears roll down from her eyes. Indeed, he knew and the doctors suggested the same, however, he opted for morphine to be injected in his veins to reduce the intensity of pain and the oxygen mask should be removed, so that he could die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life on ventilator. Morphine injected, mask removed and the tears roll down from his eyes. His parents, brothers and Lucy paid him tributes and said their goodbyes. Then, slowly, he went into the realm of unconsciousness and then he took a long and final breathe. It was the time, when his breathe becomes air and Paul Kalanithi had left this world by leaving Lucy his wife and Cady his eight months old daughter, behind.

“A tale of OTP-7 (2nd group) in the domain of NIBAF”

Life has played with all of us in its different flavors. The infinite wilderness of uncertainty was ended in our lives and the most beautiful feelings of happiness were started to dominate our horizons. That day was literally the first day of our lives when we received our offer letters from SBP-BSC for the post of OG-1  (Officer grade 1).

It was like a dream comes true for many of us. New aspirations, new interests, and the hunger for more growth in SBP-BSC were rapidly developed. Astonishingly, it has ignited a new spark of motivation in our souls. The sense of most elevated life was quite recognizable, when we become the part of this prestigious institution.

During the initial days of our work, we the second group of OTP-7 batch knew that in our near future we will receive the one month training from NIBAF. Meanwhile, the ‘ex-NIBAFIANS’ at our respective workplaces always told their tales and for a moment they drift away into their lovely memories. A beautiful smile and a long sigh hinted us about their marvelous life at NIBAF. This increases our curiosity to its zenith. We already started to imagine that our life at NIBAF will turns out to be a life changing experience.

That day was near, which has to bring the cure for our curiosity. Unfortunately, the journey toward NIBAF has welcomed us with different modes of protests, blockages and hindrances due to ‘DHARNA’. However, we the young officers were passionately determined to reach at our destination on time. Therefore, we faced all the hurdles and hardships and reached at NIBAF as soon as possible after our reporting date of 26^th-Nov-2017.

Forty four officers of OTP-7 (2^nd group) have just arrived at NIBAF. Each and everyone with a different cultural perspectives and the background histories. How amazing it is! When we come to know that NIBAF was that magical platform which will not only mould our personalities but it will also curb all the differences between us. It was the power of this institute which makes us ‘ONE’. Indeed, NIBAF has not only given us love and comfort but it has also united us.

The search from our eyes and the desire of our minds for socializing has just begun when we see each other for the very first time. Everyone has started to share their experiences and ideas. Moreover, this institute has provided us with the platform of interaction. Those who share the more common ideas become the more closer friends. Those late night chit chats, sharing secrets, gossiping, travelling together, laughing on silly things and a tension free life has glued us together.

During this writing, still the half journey at NIBAF remains. However, I already feel myself as a professional officer with the sufficient set of skills and knowledge. The people who are responsible for watering and providing the nutrients to our brains are our trainers, who are the encyclopedias of knowledge and training skills. Surely, without them we would have never felt that tremendous change in our lives.

In conclusion, I must say that NIBAF is not only an institute, but an idea which has the power to transform our lives. It has the quality to ingrain the beautiful vision of success in our minds. This institute has provided us with all types of comforts, education, skills, and most importantly the experiences of beautiful souls and smart minds which we will never forget in our lives. The decorated rooms, spacious library, tasty food of cafeteria and the healthy environment of playing area are the crown jewels of this marvelous institute. Moreover, this institute has flooded our brains with the wisdom of unity in diversity. Without a doubt, we must admit that the life at NIBAF has positively changed the way we see this world.

 

 “On earth there is no heaven

But there are pieces of it like NIBAF”

Give way to ambulance, somebody you love might be in there.

Introduction:

Sometimes between the life and death, it is the speed of ambulance which decides the fate. It is an angel with a rubber tires, steel body, the radiating red and blue lights and a roaring sound of siren. In its sensational siren and the booming lights, there is a blend of strong signals, which tells the tale of emergency and hope.

The dark clouds of despair starts to form in the lives of those miserable souls, whose loved ones wander between the see-saw of life and death, due to some misfortune event. In that wilderness of distress and despair, the furious ambulance with a roaring sound of siren arrives and kindles the ray of hope. This magnificent beauty fetch the broken, wounded and collapsed bodies, rush them toward the center of healing. Thus, the role of ambulances in our age is no less than the guardian angels. However, the path from the point where the uninvited emergency emerges to the healing world of hospital is not a journey of bed of roses, but a thorny treacherous terrain of traffic and pollution.

Few seconds late creates the chaos. The hope dwindles. The beautiful little world of the victim breaks down into pieces. Several lives turn upside down. The victim maybe the only son of their parents, he/she maybe the sole bread earner of the house, maybe he/she has just started his/her new life after facing so many challenges. Such a tragedy, when such emergency incidents appear then in the end, the entire life of the victim depends on that day’s traffic and the behavior of drivers. In short, this is a story of distance where lives gamble, inside the ambulance, during the tense journey toward hospital.

The perpetrators who make such journey terrible are no other than the common citizens. Astonishingly, they also possess the valid driving licenses! It takes less than a minute to press the breaks, turn the steering wheel, flash the indicators and provide a way to the ambulance in order to save a life. Unfortunately, most of the drivers fail miserably in this simple act of kindness. In fact, the whole culture of driving in our society is notorious. People who create impediments in the way of ambulances have no idea that providing a way to ambulance is a synonym of saving a life.

There is a need of spreading the wind of awareness. Reinvigoration of those ignorant souls and pouring them with the emotional intelligence may soften their hearts. However, a full enthusiastic and committed action is required to spread the awareness and develop the methods to facilitate ambulances in traffic. These methods will not only help to save the precious lives, but the fragrance of morality and ethics will also prevail widely. Moreover, It is also written in the ‘’Quran Shareef’’ that saving a one life is equals to saving the whole humanity, therefore, providing a way to ambulance is not only included in the realm of morality and ethics, but it is also an indication of the word of Allah for the Muslims to follow.[1]

 

Provide way, save a life and be a hero:

Do real life heroes exist? It is one of the tricky question to ask in our age, where the fictional movies are made in abundance and viewed in millions. The image of heroes in our minds is attracted from the power of cinema. Therefore, with our traditional point of view we believe that the heroes exist, however, not the real ones but those who only dwell behind the screen! Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest lie which has dominated our minds. The answer to the above question is simply yes, because along with the imaginary ones, the real life heroes exist.

Real life heroes are amongst us, who are unknown to the masses. They are unsung heroes. They are the men of honor and dignity, courage and nobility, ethics and morality. They are the ones who do not expect from the world to recognize them and to proclaim them as heroes. In movies the fictional heroes get admiration from the millions of viewers. On the other hand, the real life heroes are admired by some people, but their weightage of nobility increases because the God is on their side. Only because of them the belief in humanity still exist. This phenomenon makes them distinguished heroes, who are the best of all.

The good news is that, anybody can be a hero! There are some secret ingredients which makes a common man the real life superhero. The secret is very simple yet unknown by the masses. It is to feel the emotions of others and helping them as if you are helping your loved ones. Providing food to a starved, helping the blind to cross the road and treating the old ones with due care are some of the examples of heroism. However, the heroic act which is at the top of all is to save a life! And the most easiest way of saving a life is no other than providing a way to ambulance, while you are driving.

Therefore, ‘’Providing way, saving a life and becoming a hero’’ should be our motto in life. This slogan can save thousands of those lives, who lost their battle inside the ambulances and around the traffic. Always remember that the people who drive the vehicles are ordinary but soon after providing the way to ambulance, they become extraordinary! Only those people can feel the emotions of others. No doubt, there is a pride and prestige in becoming a hero. We should follow the footprints of those legendary heroes. Currently there is a deficit of such heroes in our society.

 

 

[1] https://quran.com › Al-Ma’idah

Untold tales

                   ^REVIEW

^{This book has unearthed the hidden patterns of political psyche which were always conceived as myths, in our society. It is a work of the renowned bilingual poet of Pakistan, Harris Khalique. The sweetness and the kindness of the author can be felt by the reader, throughout the text. Sometimes the despair has dominated and screamed from his dialogue, when he described the sufferings of a common people. However, sometimes the pages are rejoiced with the kindled hope, when he encouraged us to close the doors of bitterness and intolerance.}

^{Khalique’s work is comprised of four long essays. 1.Blood, 2.Sweat, 3.Tears & 4.Ink….. All are interconnected with the different flavors of struggle, suffering and creativity.}

^{He has unfolded the mysteries of 1971 cataclysmic disaster. He tried to mold the foul frequencies of our lenses, through which we see that tragic event and dragged us toward the realm of reality; where he tried to mitigate the illusion in which we dwell. The writer flavored his arguments with the book of Ayub khan’s biography, Friends not masters, where Ayub had severely criticized and ridiculed his own countrymen (Bengalis) in 1960’s. They were portrayed as impure with the touch of Hindu culture. Along with social, economical, psychological and physical torture, the ridiculous comments by the President of their own country, where they were in majority, were totally absurd to think about. Moreover, the writer has tried to close the gap of hatred and bitterness for Bengalis. He encouraged us to learn from the wounded states of World war 2, who have evaporated their grief, sorrow and anger with the lapse of time. Now they have risen in the arena of world.}

^{Moreover, moving toward the realm of religious intolerance, he reminded us that Turkey, Egypt and Jordan have full diplomatic ties with Jews of Israel. He crushed the ideology that Hindus and Jews are teaming up to crush Muslims. He cleaned the blurred screen from our eyes and tried to show us that how much the lenses of other Islamic states are changed from ours when we judge India on the basis of religion. It is purely the hatred of partition we are carrying forward not the religion, he emphasized.}

^{Furthermore, by the agenda of no more lies and no more running, Khalique quoted the 2005 speech of Air Marshal retd. , where he accepted that the war of 1965 was miscalculated. That was planned for self-glory not for national interest.}

^{He also tried to tell the untold tale of the sufferings which were endured by the generation of Pakistani idealists. Their revolutionary minds were crushed. The tragedy of torture and the sickness of suffering was told. Irony of the situation is that the victims were totally unsung and not known.}

^{Further deep in the text, the writer had chosen five miserable women and their gloomy stories. He discussed the story of each unfortunate woman and told the cause by condemning the government’s sluggish policies, their attitude and foul plans and objectives. In short, he clarified that all the social, economic, emotional and physical abuses were not initiated by extremists or terrorist, but by the government itself.}

^{In last, he praised the prestige of poetry. He described its power to heal.   He said that the wounds can only be healed by the poetry of Amrita Preetam and the fiction of Saadat Hasan Manto, who have converted ‘Hindu suffering’ into ‘Human suffering’ and ‘Muslim tragedy’ into ‘Human tragedy’. It means he encouraged the tolerance to be prevailed. He provided examples to live in harmony with different sects and religions. He taught us that how moving on, leaving the past far behind and looking for the new opportunities without any bitterness and hatred will create the prosperity in all three pieces of subcontinent; Pakistan, India and Bangladesh..}

 

^{QUOTES AND PHRASES FROM THE BOOK:}

1. ^{We live in an age where fiction is written in haste and sold in abundance.}
2. ^{Great patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonourably, foolishly and viciously.}
3. ^{It is because of art and creativity in Pakistan that hope refuses to sink in the deluge of sorrow.}
4. ^{A myth cannot be challenged once the majority begins to accept it as the eternal truth.}
5. ^{God is always on the side of bigger battalion.}
6. ^{Battles can be won and lost, but no one wins or loses a war.}
7. ^{The character of a person is more important than their ideology.}
8. ^{Becoming one of the elite is the ultimate dream of a middle-class.}
9. ^{Each night when I lie down in my bed, an infernal sleep accompanied by a series of nightmares begins (quoted while glancing at the violent condition of Pakistan)}

 

10. ^{In Pakistan, English is the language that brings power, prosperity, privilege, and prestige.}
11. ^{A normal human being without power or pelf has the potential to become a beast in certain circumstances.}
12. ^{Mediocrity is promoted by creating a ‘conspiracy of noise’ in its favor and genius is suppressed by hatching a ‘conspiracy of silence’ against it.}
13. ^{As events impact nations, words impact individuals.}

 

Ignore, Its random

Pheeeewwww!! Things are amazing. In February i appeared in an exam, which may change my life for good. It was my dream to be the part of bureaucracy, to serve my nation, to participate in the well being of pauper and to maintain the proper tracks of prosperity and success. Therefore, I chose to take that exam which is called CSS exam (Central Superior Service). It is a bridge, hard as concrete and hot as fire, to cross. In order to reach in the world of bureaucracy that blend of concrete and fire must be crossed.

Well, believe me that waiting is killing me at a slow pace. The result of exams will most probably be announced in October 2017. And right now i am completely blank that what should i do with my life. It has been stuck. Oh God! make the time fly faster………..

A tale of my personal life

Life has played with me in its different flavors. After class of 12th, the solitudeness had grabbed me from my throat. I chose accountancy for my professional life just after failing the entrance test of IBA (institute of bussiness administration) Sukkur. I failed to join the bachelors program of BBA from that institute.

After failing, the only thing i was watching from my eyes and feeling from my heart was the infinite wilderness of darkness. In that dark world, my mind was shut. I just needed an immediate replacement so that i can assuage myself and create a self-satisfaction that im not a failure. I barely know about accountancy. I guess it was in my destiny. I chose ACCA (Association of chartered certified accounting) certification for my study.

The institute, where Acca course was offered in 2011, was only located in big cities and i belong to a village. A phase of solitude begin. I started my journey of living alone. It has molded my personality. The happy face with a wide smile was turned black and white. Day by day i was dying two steps further than a normal human being.

During those weird and dark days, still a light of happiness was glittering. She was my girlfriend. Her name was R—a. I condensed my whole world and imagination in our relationship. That relation was the core purpose of my life. I took her as granted. I might have suffocated her life with my extreme love bondage. I might have turned her life like a bird in a cage. Sooner she decided for a break up! I, who made her my whole world has just left me. My heart was shattered. Life had stopped making any sense. The sucidal thoughts have dominated my mind. I lost 7 kgs. Crying and pain was my only food for the next coming few months. I failed my complete semester of Acca in dec, 2012. She left me in oct 29th, 2012.

At that time my personality was transforming at a rapid pace. I forgot the sound of my laughter. Seriousness was prevalent in my life. I was 19, but was feeling like a 70 years old man waiting for his time to die. Life had turned upside down for me.

The time had come when once again i needed something to make my everything in order to live a “life”, as a matter of fact which i hated the most. However, I distanced myself from everything. I lagged behind from my friends and their developments of life. Because my life had took a diversion. Well, i made study as the sole purpose of my life. It is evident from the fact that though i failed a complete semester, but, i completed my education earlier than most of them in my class…..

 

When you really think!

The air was thin, sun was at its zenith. It was a normal day for everyone but not for him. Serenity has spread its wings and dominated his horizon of thinking. Tranquility was at its peak from the outside, however, the tides of stormy thoughts were started to form in his inside. He was curious to unearth the hidden patterns of ”Reality”.

His mind was flooded with the curious questions.

Is the way we are living our lives a reality? Is there any concept of illusion? Are we slaves of the hidden designers of the world? Who are we? What is our purpose on earth?

When no solid answer was popped up, only then he comprehended that how puny we are! ”We are not in a realm of reality”, he thought. Life is a big illusion. We only follow the footsteps of our ancestors which are full of muddy streams. Our minds are closed to think about the reality. Emotions and feelings have crippled our power to analyse and judge the reality of life.