Welcome to Sha's place. Here I like to put down my thoughts on any topic that touches me, however having lived in three different continents so far I have been lucky to view and interact with different cultures. Diversity of human race intrigues me, especially the beautiful way we all connect and relate to each other. Feel free to visit, browse and leave your feedback.
This is a dilemma faced by almost everyone at some stage in their lives. If only there was some kind of instrument like a baramoter that could gauge the sincerity level in a person and one could adjust their trust meter accordingly...
Science tells us that each one of us has a natural instinct for survival, we can smell the danger or maybe feel it in the pit of our stomach. Some people even have symbolic dreams warning them of danger.
Alternatively, faith tells us to keep on believing in God and in our heart... for He is present in all pure hearts. So we start that first step towards trust and learn to let go. Shunning our doubts and taking that giant leap of faith, because it feels so ' good' 'just right'. For those who are lucky to have their trust honoured it is a re-affirmation of the world's beauty, the power of their heart and faith.
There are others who after a while feel like thunder has struck them and their self esteem and faith all comes crashing down. Where did I go wrong? What happened? They keep on hearing this broken record in their heads. Sometimes paralysed for life, unable to recover or at the least being cynical of every new encounter.
Is this fair? Why is it like that with some people? Are they too trusting or are they stupid? Or are they simply the unfortunate ones who have been cheated and robbed of their innocence. People say such people can hear the alarm bells but they choose to be oblivious and this is why they get hurt. They have ignored the signs and so they must pay the price.
To trust or not to trust? Is it really that simple to discern?
No matter how much people in my country may dislike the U.S administration, there is definitely one positive side to it. Those who had never heard of Pakistan, know about it now..( although not in the true sense) So we must be thankful to this fame ( pun intended). Although sport fans are familar with the cricket star Imran Khan and Squash Champion Jehangir Khan, people generally have a very vague understanding of the place itself.
The images that people generally conjure of Pakistanis is bearded men wearing turbans and women clad in head to toe burqas living a very primitive life in some mountains...this is when you realise how the media has defaced the real beauty of this land. Modern Pakistanis are no different from any educated class of people in the world.
There is a wrong assumption, especially about women. Mostly people feel that women are very submissive and highly suppressed and are surprised to know that Pakistani moms drive their children to school and also balance a career at the same time. True there are issues in some remote villages but generally the Pakistani woman is more informed. We are proud to have female politicians, a female prime minister and a woman as the head of the State Bank. Women excel in all fields from being heads of multinational corporations, large financial institutions, architects, doctors, teachers, designers, pilots and even in the army as generals.
I am often amused at the look of astonishment on people's faces when I tell them I am from Pakistan. The next question is, "How long have u been here?" . " Just over a year." and they look incredulously, " Oh, I thought you have been here for many years, you are so confident and your English is so good". The same happens with my other family members here and we feel we are the true ambassadors of Pakistan and aim to slowly dispel the negative notions about Islam and our own culture. We are what we are today because of the education and skills we received back home.
The images in the video posted above give few snap shots of Pakistan. It's not as if I don't enjoy being in Australia. It's a beautiful country with great friendly people. My only aim of posting such information is to give a different view of my country which has unfortunately become synonymous with cross border terrorism. Our army is battling against insurgents under very challenging circumstances and the masses are scared and worried with the increasing de-stability in the region.
Still, its a wonderful place with the most beautiful deserts and famous mountainous regions...Although the war on terror has destroyed some very lovely resorts and wiped out places of livelihood for the villagers :(
Pakistan has a great mix of culture that is unique in each province/region. This adds its own individual colour. The rich cuisine from the South of the country to the Frontier and Tribal Areas in the north have a myriad of different tastes and flavours. From the all time favourite spicy 'Biryani' to tantalising ' Sajji' and a wide range of cool summer drinks and teas, there is something to suit every taste bud.
The province of Sindh is known for it's famous saints and there is lovely historical
architecture in different parts, some dating back centuries. The lovely Shalimar Gardens built by Emperor Shahjahan in Lahore are a masterpiece of Mughal architectural brilliance while the Shah Faisal mosque in Islamabad is an example of modern Islamic architecture. These are just a few sites to visit. For all those who love shopping, there is soo much to choose from. Rich fabrics, lovely cool cottons, hand embroidered cushions, hand woven rugs and carpets and don't forget the scrunchy dry fruit galore in Quetta and Gilgit. It's simply a steal and the genuine warmth of the people will make you keep coming back for more.
My own work with the Aga Khan Education Service gave me the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful places in the world. While the Aga Khan Foundation works tirelessly for the social and economic development of the people living in the remote, challenging areas of Pakistan it also does a great service of opening the door to beautiful cultures and architecture that need to be preserved and cherished. A visit to the rocky and breathtakingly beautiful areas in Chitral, Hunza, Gilgit and Skardu have made me feel like I have already visited paradise on earth.
So on behalf of every Pakistani I say, " Khush Aamdaid" . Welcome to my Pakistan. :)
Recent conversations with a few friends evoked my interest in the name 'Khan' and it's origins. Being a descendant of Khans from Afghanistan who travelled to India and later moved to Pakistan, I generally assumed that all Khans came from different parts of Afghanistan.
But, to verify my knowledge I checked for information on Wikipedia and I learnt that the most famous Khan in history was Genghis Khan. He was not from Afghanistan, but a Mongol. However, Khan (Nasta`liq: خان) is a surname and title in Asia. It can have one of several connotations, all related in some capacity to the title of Khan, which originated in Turkic and Central Asian traditions and was thereafter historically granted to Muslim rulers. Infiltration of the name in to central Asia led to the term being used also as a surname or suffix by people of the region, especially the Pashtun[1] and from them to the Muslim Rajputs.[2]; Baloch tribes in Balochistan and in Sindh; Northern Iranian Turkic tribes; Subcontinental musicians; Sudhans of Kashmir; Krrals, Dhunds and miscellaneous tribes in northern Asia. It is though generally used as a shorthand name for Pashtuns/Pathans throughout South Asian Subcontinent. In India it is referred to as name for Pathans as a caste in the same way as Brahmin or other title. Khan is also a last name found in Tatars , a Muslim Turkic speaking group, mostly in Russia. Also been known to be part with Ghengis Khan's army.
It is also a family name for the descendants of people upon whom the British Raj bestowed the title Khan Sahib or Khan Bahadur. It is now a widespread surname in most countries of Central and South Asia. Khan is the surname of over 80,000 Britons, mostly British Asian, making it the 80th most common surname in the United Kingdom, and one of only a handful in the 100 most common surnames which are of neither British nor Irish origin.[3]
Another Pathan friend pointed out that all true Pathans are actually descendants of Jews. This was the first time I had heard of it.
What I had learnt from my father, who was keen on tracing family roots was that his great grandfather came from Afghanistan, " Laal Khan' was a very respectable person in his tribe and some of his family members actually chose to leave normal life and adopted a solitary life of saint hood.
Another 'Khan' recently said that he had Greek blood in his veins and that Khans are true warriors.
In present times we are all familiar with celebrities like Imran Khan, Riz Khan and of course the top Bollywood actors Shahrukh Khan and Amir Khan.
The present crisis in Afghanistan and the continuous political instability in Pakistan has inflicted more Khans than ever before. To some people it is tantamount to genocide of a brave race who is being wiped out by malicious super powers to gain strategic gains in the region. True that there is general instability in the entire country, but the areas close to Afghanistan and Balochistan borders are the worst hit.
To me it really does not matter where we come from, but the interesting conversations I had recently with people with this same surname has started a quest for learning more.
So if u r a Khan and can add to my knowledge by sharing what u know, that would be just great. Only when we truly begin to understand ourselves can we actually reach out to others too.
