On Stranger Tides

I faced a dilemma about a month ago where I had to choose between going to a place close to home and one much further away for a five day program. I’d have company for the one closer to home, and not for the one further away. And keeping in mind I was fasting, I had to make a reasonable choice. Me being the weird one, chose the one further away. Why? In the hope to meet new people, I guess.

On the first day, on the journey there, I pondered over my decision, was it worth the effort? Would it be five days of boredom and annoying people? Strangers as they were, would they accept me?
Well it was made pretty clear as to how the rest of the next four days were going to pan out at the end of the first.

I learnt that its easier to develop a relationship with people when the fact that a common activity is to be performed with a common goal. Working together creates a bond that is free from judgment and preconceived notions. People have different strengths and weaknesses. We all think teamwork is working together and coordinating smoothly. It isn’t. Teamwork means lending your strength to cover up the weakness of a team member and others doing the same. We will never stop learning, and apart from academics, I learnt that the joy of performing an activity in perfect harmony with people who are as skeptical as you are, is a gem in itself.

I don’t say this often, but I really look forward to meeting those 47 people again, who were my group members, rivals, teammates, and audience, all at the same time.

Taha Sheerazi

The Boggart in my closet.

“A Boggart is a shape-shifter that takes on the form of its intended victim’s worst fear.”- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Fear. There is no definite explanation. No refined description. It is wholly subjective and yet objective.
If we had to stand in front of a Boggart, what would come forth? A phobia we suffer from? A figure from the past that haunts us?

Whatever it is, we can’t wave a wand and say Ridikulous and banish the Boggart. (If it were ever that simple).

Our Ridikulous is the way we tackle it, or get around it, or live with it till a point it stops worrying us and our minds begin categorize it as an every day occurrence.

We live every day being uncertain about what the next hour holds for us. Not as bad as a Final Destination movie, but it is still uncertain. In theory, every hour holds a Boggart. But now we follow Murphy’s law and don’t give it a second thought.

The question is, if we didn’t have. Boggart behind us, we may never get things done. Laziness comes with no skill and at times, all we crave is a pillow and a blanket. It’s the one thing you can say the human race got right.

We don’t know what form our Boggart may take, but whatever it is, it’s out there, waiting, to sneak up on us, catching us totally unawares.

Islam and Terrorism. Peace and Chaos. #peshawarpain

For many people, Islam, terrorism and Muslims fall in the same basket. Who can blame them? With the recent terror attacks and killings and the workings of ISIS(Islamic state of Iraq and Syria), everyone would look over their shoulder in a public place.

After the attacks on Mumbai, which took pace on the 26th of November, 2008, nothing was the same. 12 terrorists unleashed havoc in the worlds busiest and most crowded city.
The city of dreams people called it, where dreams were came true or they were shattered. On 26th November, the city was brought to its knees by 12 terrorists, all from Lashkar-E-Tayaba, a terror outfit in Pakistan.
After that day, I’ve never felt safe. Sitting in a bus I’d check under the seats for anything suspicious. Paranoia crept in. Distances which I could walk, I walked. I avoided trains and buses. I’d use taxis but I was still paranoid as the gunmen had left 40 kilos of RDX in cab as they got off. It exploded later killing dozens of people. The master mind behind the attacks Hafiz Saeed still roams freely in Pakistan and delivers sermons and speeches to the public like a common politician.
The recent hostage situation in Sydney also shocked the world. A nation that prided itself when it came to peace was rocked to its core. Had ISIS spread to the developed countries?
The terrorist was an Iranian by the name of Man Haron Monis. He was gunned down after 16 hours and the whole incident claimed two lives. Two lives lost. A small number compared to the number of people who die everyday in the middle east and Pakistan due to terrorism.
Another incident that happened around the same time was the hostage situation in the working class district of Dampoort in Ghent, Belgium. Later, it was declared that they weren’t actually terrorists and it was relating to a quarrel involving drugs. In my mind, I was mildly surprised that they weren’t jihadists. Why was I surprised? Every terror incident I saw included Islamic extremists. Was that how I saw my religion? The fact that I was even surprised horrified me. Every day they tarnish the Islamic faith and misinterpret the meaning of jihad. So much so that I was scared to call myself a Muslim in front of new people.
But then again, life goes on.
On Tuesday, a school in Peshawar was attacked. Children, women and people were killed. Why should I bifurcate? Shouldn’t I just say people were killed?
No. Children. Lives nipped in the bud. They are the one thing that every parent cares about. They are a mother’s dream. They are the future. We see joy and love in them. A mother prays that her child will grow up and be successful.

More than 130 children lost their lives on that fateful day. More than a hundred families mourned their death. No, the world mourns their death. Lives destroyed. Dreams shattered. Family’s torn apart. Futures destroyed. No parent should bury their own child. How much pain can the world bear. Haven’t we had enough?

“My child was my dream. And now my dream has been taken away from me. I have no one left.” The words of a mother as she buried her 8 year old son.
“He left in a uniform in the morning, now he returns in a coffin. Allah how can you allow this!” Words of a devastated father as he is informed about the fate of his 11 year old son.

There used to be a time when any kind of blast or terror activity was given in the front page of a newspaper. Now it rarely makes the 3rd page and is crammed into the side on the latter pages. It falls under the heading of “In Other news” nowadays. Have we become that indifferent? That heartless? That weak? That scared?
We could blame Pakistan for not taking a stronger stand against terrorism. We could blame the USA for facilitating the birth of the Taliban and the AL Qaeda. But to what end? What’s done is done. What can we do for peace? How can we achieve the human part in humanity?
Most of the terror groups are now rallying to ISIS. Their numbers are in the thousands. Everyone nation is on the alert because they feel vulnerable. Where were they when the atrocities were committed in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Does it take the death of thousands of people to open the world’s eyes? Pakistani, Indian, American, British, Iranian, Chinese, or Arabian. It doesn’t matter who we are. Nations despise each other for trivial things, when a common enemy exists. We are human. We have a heart. A heart capable of many things. And it beats for those lives lost, families destroyed and dreams torn apart. Feel their pain. Their grief. Their helplessness. We aren’t there yet. But we could be tomorrow. Let’s be vigilant. Let’s spread peace. Let’s make this world a better place.

Taha Sheerazi