Chapter 1: Keep the Faith

Chapter 1 : Keep The Faith



PROLOGUE (Also Including Words of Caution)

Hi Everyone,

It's Been such a long time since I have written anything form my side, it feels like I have become stranger to many things. An empty mind is a devil's workshop, they say. So After about 4 months of absolutely nothing to do except appearing in sequels of Job Interviews, watching late night telly +movies, timeless slumbers, hangout/ dine out with mates, reluctant books reading, playing 'Pakistani X-Games' like Dabbu, Karem Board, Ludo, Re-learning of Bike & Car driving lessons to face the frantic Traffic of Karachi, and not to mention my new & favourite hobby i.e. "the instant handing over my CVs to acquainted and unacquainted ones, with the aim "k bus handover zaroor kerni hai chahey koi jhootey moo hi q na maang ley" etc etc.

So being unoccupied to any '9-5 job- oriented activity', my mind too started spinning up stuff I don't think a sane person would want to listen to. And probably that's the exact reason why I felt that GMAIL & my blog would be the perfect avenue for me to test it on harmless souls. Therefore I am sharing these texts with you. Each mail is labelled as "Chapter" with one main heading and of course with No Definite Conclusion or Sane Moral of The Story at the end.

My request to all recipient of this mail, please ignore these heap of texts for your own sake, it neither contains any wisdom in it nor having any precious pearls of knowledge. You have the liberty to treat these series of emails either as Spam or Junk. I wrote these for self pleasure and with no intentions to delight or amuse anyone. ~ ALSO Before I start, let me make a plea to everybody reading this: Even if you have nothing sensible to say regarding these mails, then please Do Not Say and for God sake Mean It. From these series of mails which I will be sending time to time in near future here is the Chapter 1.




Chapter 1

Keep The Faith



I think, most of you'd be wondering how many days have passed since I wrote or mailed any stuff after "22 days so far in Karachi and still counting" ( the mail I wrote right after 22 days after coming back from UK). Well I'm also not quite sure, but think it's been quite a long time. Also, it has been a long time since I am enjoying a label of "Being Jobless & UK Returned" here in Pakistan.

Well Folks, I had plenty of interviews since my arrival here in Pakistan and honestly speaking my faith has been tested throughout this unemployment run, and I'm sure there's more testing to come. Whenever I get an Interview Call, I feel anxious about the interview, but a voice at the back of my mind continues to assure me that "Oh Zeeshan even if this interview isn't successful, You are still firmly in the God's hands and like other Trillions of creatures in this planet You also haven't been abandoned". Therefore there cannot be any 2 nd opinion regarding in this matter that; God is for us, and if He's for us, what more can we ask of Him?

The impatience & irritation that I've felt, accompanied by heavy doses of frustration, aggravation, disappointment, nuisance and helplessness, just goes to show me how dependent I am on God. At this time I remember the beautiful saying of Kashif (a good friend of mine) who once said that "Zeeshan one of the most difficult time in one's life is when he starts to doubt his own abilities & skills because of circumstances he is making every effort but nothing is happening" I can't explain all of those moments when I've felt even having the 2 Best Degrees from best institutions, as though no one in the world would hire me, and as though my immediate future was in vertical descent. Yet, even if it were rapidly spiraling downwards, God would certainly be there, and sometimes I'd miscalculate how far I need to fall to comprehend His (GOD's) dominion & sovereignty over my life.

Well I am not alone and just like me there are thousands of peoples in the world with same questions and similar worries. I'm unemployed. Who am I now? What am I supposed to do now? How will I get a reasonable job? Where I am standing as compare to my friends? I worked so hard for all of this but where is the return? Where is the fruit of my Hardships? Where is God in all of this? Am I alone on this?

One of the most reassuring, comforting and heartening observations (or revelations you can say) I've made throughout this period of unemployment has been this: I am not alone & I am not abandoned. First and foremost, like everyone else God's always with me. Because He has promised to be with me at all times. He never leaves His man. He's omnipresent, ubiquitous and all-pervading. Secondly, as a human, I am not the only single sole in this whole universe that is in a unique position of unemployment. It may feel like it sometimes, and self-pity scrapes the walls of my mind, but truly speaking, I am not alone in all this. There are plenty of other peoples who are more qualified, more experienced more skilled, more talented, more capable and more gifted than me but they are also unemployed. Just like me they also wait for 'Sunday's DAWN Newspapers' to search for jobs in Careers Pages, and just like me, handover their CVs to their acquainted ones with a request to pass it to the concern authorities. Yes this is a reality ……Just go, look around and see very clearly that there are many, many others who are unemployed, on disability, or are unable to work due to any reason.

Well folks From my experiences, I have learned (and still learning) that sometimes the voice that lay blame on you of "Being the only person in the world with an unemployment dilemma" is the same voice that tells you all of the other lies: Zeeshan "You're unemployable," "You haven't accomplished anything in your life," "You have no achievement" "You'll never get a job," "No one would hire a guy like you" "Look at yours friends they are Managers now" And that devilish voice could go on and on and on until you start believing it to be true.

I am writing because may be these inner voices which are coming somewhere from my inside, and which are turning themselves into words right now, could draw out that devilish voice. I realized that There is a definite purpose, a job, a role or some kind of work, that God wants us to do. And He's got it there for us but at one specific time. The Job, The role, The post, The designation, The occupation or The work may not be glamorous, may not be high profile or high status, and it may even seem ordinary, mundane or useless. But knowing that God gives us all the things, He is Most Merciful, Most Compassionate, and bestows His infinite Blessing on us round the clock , therefore being His creature ,we can rest assured that our working lives or the things we do each day, each moment can bring glory to God. We should keep our faith only and only in HIM.

In the end I must share you two most beautiful quotes of great Khalil Jibran which will summarize of whatever I have written above, Jibran says;



"Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking."


"Faith is knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof."

22 DAYS so Far in Karachi ( and Still Counting)

(A mail written to my friends after 22 days of my return from UK)

Asalam-o-Aalaikum Warah- matuAllah-e- Wabarakatahu



Hope and pray that all of you will be doing well; by the blessing of Almighty God I am also doing very good, having and enjoying the best time with my family and friends



Well, it's almost three weeks now since my journey to Britain ended, and my feet are again on the same soil / ground which I left three years ago…. Well truly speaking, Returning to yours own homeland, itself is an unbelievable experience which words cannot describe, I believe that those who have never left their home can never ever have even a slight idea of this experience I m talking about. My friends, this is also an ultimate reality that departing yourself from your loved ones, from yours family, those streets, localities, and neighbourhood where you spend yours childhood and youth is not an easy thing to do, it demands loads of courage, audacity and patience, but as you all know that big dreams ask for bigger sacrifices, so same is the case for the people who leave their homeland for their dreams, goals, and objectives.



Comparing to UK, Life here in Karachi seems to me a little bit sluggish, the reason is, there are plenty of daily routine works which I have to skip here deliberately while in old days I was so vulnerable to perform those daily activities as 'MUST DO' there in Britain. Cooking, shopping, washing clothes, cleaning are to name few of them. I also do not indulge myself with anyone in the futile debate of "comparison" between UK and Pakistan, i.e. which is good and which is better, and I often escape in such situations by saying that 'one cannot compare his shoes with Taj Mahal in anyway' and frankly speaking, to me the comparison doesn't make any sense between those two worlds who are in stark contrast of each other in most of the aspects, where one country's issue is Hunger / Poverty ( Pakistan) and the other one's Obesity (UK)



The day I have arrived here I have been facing with these three burning questions from most people…. most prominent of them is 'why did you come back to Pakistan while millions of people are so desperate to go there ' my reply is 'I have my own reasons and circumstances' the other two prominent questions are 'how is the life of Muslims over there in Britain, are they facing troubles living there' I responds to them as ' they are enjoying a far more better life than the people in Pakistan' and the third one is too personal so I better quit it and should not discuss it here …actually one cannot explain his circumstances and reasons to every passer-by for leaving and coming back and same is with my case If I don't feel comfortable answering to their 'burning' questions, I don't answer them, that's all, and don't bother about their resentment too in their response.



Karachi is having, probably the worst Load-shading these days, one can witness my body with lots of kisses by mosquitoes when I wake up the other day, after struggling, crusading with the army of these stubborn and mulish flying creatures, in an electricity-absence night……. but I need not to worry about these tiny flying irritators whenever there is Coil, or Mat in my room …... The rise of consumer banking has a prominently affected on Karachiites' life. People can afford a car or at least a bike very easily, as there are plenty of domestic and imported brands available both for four wheels and two wheelers, now. Three years back, when I left Karachi, having a cellular phone was considered a luxury to some extent….. but now I often hear the ringing of my colony's sweeper's mobile when he comes and ring my door bell for Trash …hehehehehe



Well, my Job Searching is still going on, though I have no luck so far, but I hope I will get a good one soon and I need yours pray as well in this regard.





In most part of Karachi I find construction works, plenty of fly-over, Underpasses and other relevant development works are going on. The way the new Karachi city government built flyovers and underpasses especially at Lalu Khet and Liquatabad and reduced the traffic load miraculously ... there is non stop traffic from Civic Centre till Nazimabad. Law and order situation in Karachi is commendable and consequently the Pathan hotels, restaurants, shops and bazaar opens till late night. Char Pai, Takhat or Café Pyala type hotels are growing like mushrooms and now, they are not only confined to men only but families also enjoying, eating and spending their time there. I also enjoy my time with my buddies in such hotels having tea, cold drink and *&^% (you know what I mean…. hehehehe). Also our Mamoos I mean policewalas are also not a problem for Karachiites any more, because they are under surveillance of those people who are bigger crooks than these policewalas I mean MQM ( hehehehe)……..



Well, I still have plenty of things to share which I am avoiding due to fear of getting my mail More Lengthy and More Boring so I think I must stop here but don't worry I will continue to bore you with my mails in future too…hehehehe.



OK friends, I end this mail by sharing my thoughts (and especially addressing to my all those friends who are away from their homeland for any reason) that, to some people, success might mean wealth. To others, it is recognition, good health, good family, happiness, satisfaction, and peace of mind, hobby, higher education etc, success can mean different things to different people so just narrow down your priorities in order to declare yourself successful, my understanding is that, one should not measure his success his position, designation, salary, income, bank balance or social status in life but by the obstacles he overcame to get there…..therefore do not determine your Success in life by how you are doing compared with others in terms of salary, income etc , but by how you are doing compared with what you are capable of doing …I hope you get my point.



Any way time to leave. Keep remember me in yours prayers.



Was'Salaam and Regards



Rao Zeeshan Ali

GEO (jeenay do????????) [ A Forwarded Mail & Its Response ]

Dear All
this mail was forwarded to me couple of days ago and i thought I should reply to it so first read the Fwd mail and then read my reply . no wonder if you also been through the same mail .
Regards
Zeeshan

---

Plz clear your mind and think
I think you are not aware of GEO...its been funded by usa govt......just think, what jew / indian/ American lobby want ……… the basic , idea is to promote frustration, and despondence in a nation so they start to demoralized .and the future can be mapped as they want to project in the minds of 50 percent Illiterate population....that are born muslim ,,,can't read ..but can see
why on earth USA is concern with only GEO ,why cnn bbc and bush quote GEO? why not other tv channels in china ? japan, CUBA ,Indian channel,arab, france ..... ?why only pakistan ??????

• why geo showed ..peoples body without head ,only fingers parts, people dying after bomb blast ,?does any other channel show these thing????
• Just think……
• (in India more then 2000 muslims were killed in Gujarat for three months!!!! any 36 hours live coverage of these killing have any one seen on ZEE or star or sony, etc any Indian channels???? Babri masjid was destroyed by hindu any live coverage ???? nuns in tamil nado of India were burn alive in church and for next 6 hours the church was burning did any Indian or cnn or bbc showed that ?????in france 700 cars were burn in one day ) ,,,
• There are 89 separatist movement in India in 2007 …from bihar to Kashmir assam etc….
• Do you see on any Indian channel showing ...250 million people sleeping on footpath?????
• (zee India never showed killing of Kashmiris and the attack on GOLDEN TEMPLE ,killing of Sikhs in Indian soil///////
• how many Israeli channel show killing by Israeli soldiers ????when they kill Palestinians?????
• have you ever seen Indian president or politician been given GALEE on tv channel during live coverage????
• any killing by irish republican army
• 30,000 rape cases in USA do you see on tv????but you see muktaran maee on geo/cnn/bbc
• Why geo was not concerned with benazir wealth and property?? And Nawaz sharif property??

WHO is GEO ???? just think ???? they telecast a false news about emergency and stock market crashed in Pakistan …

• do you know Kamran khan was getting RS 25 lakh per month ,
• do you know DR shahid masood, was a member of NSF student party ( a political left wing student party against Pakistan and Islamic forces…. He use to sit around girls all day long ) with RS 22 lakh per month and home in dubai and karachi ,,multiple visa …
• ..same amount been paid to hamid meer editor ausaf……even nadia khan with Rs 6 lakh per month…. Such huge amount just to for free ???????
• when they were not able to broadcast the 8 hour cricket match they said they lost 1 billion rupee ,and just imagine without any money just for free they were broadcasting judge activity in peoples party car for free ], Nawaz sharif for free and benazir for free……all... 36 hour coverage just for free ?????????????????by a private channel !!!!!!!!!!!!!
• 50 percent Indian dramas on geo and 25 percent with mix cast (Indian and Pakistani) and Indian films (which are ban in Pakistani cinema are been broadcasted by geo) movie like "khuda key liyaeh" an issue of so that people can play with Islam and its culture …..were telecasted.....
• alim online where mr amir liaqat sitting in grave and dramatizing islam ..he translated the dua of imam kaba and .broadcasted by his name on tv .... Audience 50% jahil people in pakistan
• geo did not showed any good news like islamabad peshwar motorway but instead it showed dead people in karachi ....they never discuss 5.1 billion dollar of oil refinery in pakistan instead they showed beheading of Pakistani people... never discuss why America is telling musharf to take his uniform ????/why usa is interfering in our business..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

itna jhoot bolo key ….log sum jahen kuch to succch ho ga ….
Rasuul pak said…budd.GUMMANee nahi karna chahiyeh and he also said for a muslim to be liar is without any enquire /investigation he communicate …….

A COUNTRY WHERE 60 percent of population cannot read and never been to school media must not be free ......

Regards . . .
Pakistani

MY RESPONSE

Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn to do things the right way.

--Benjamin Franklin

Well Dear Pakistani! I must convey to you that If a little knowledge is dangerous, so is a lot of ignorance which leads to pettiness, fear, dogmatism, egotism, prejudice and dull criticism and that is the feeling what I found throughout this mail . Though, to me, This mail is nothing but amongst hundreds of those mails which are written by a single "self- acclaimed well settled critic mind" and being spread to hundred of peoples and those hundred of peoples considering it a "Sadqa-e-Jaiyah" forward this mail without any particular perception or viewpoint for the relevant material.

Skipping the prologue and coming to the point, this mail contains some very interesting "facts" which compelled me to write the reply for this mail. I must also clear that I am neither a Die Hard Fan of GEO nor a paid employee not even a Blind Supporter, but only an unbiased viewer who at the same time, value and criticize GEO's programs and policies with open mindedness and if necessary, criticize them logically. any way coming to the point.

The first allegation about GEO is " being funded by USA and Jew Lobby to create harasses frustration and nuisance in the country". I can only say that this statement is very old but the "accused one" is new. It is a very common practice amongst "very patriotic Pakistani" people who enjoys accusing anything from NGO to Political party to a TV Channel (the new trend) being funded by JEW & American Lobby. My dear brother, do you know that our very own Pakistani Army has been supported & funded by American & Jew lobby from time to time for their particular agenda and the whole world knows about it, so if they back a famous TV Chanel then what is so special about it? Also, you did not provide any proof or evidence regarding your stance but I can provide you couple of authentic references regarding my stance relating to Pakistan Army.

Since I do not have any idea that why CNN & BBC didn't take any step when there was any ban on channels in India, China, Cuba etc therefore I cant answer for this but one should keep in mind that GEO is the biggest and most viewed private TV channel in Pakistan headed by Biggest Media group of Pakistan, therefore, are you expecting CNN and BBC talking about imposing the ban on low profile TV Channels like "Dhoom TV" or "Apna Channel"?? does it make any sense?

Now coming to answering yours mail point by point

GEO is not the only channel on this whole planet but media giants like CNN, BBC also shows such videos from time to time, worst one I remember this time was Ethiopian civil war videos when Commander Farah Eided's butchery was showed to all over the world not only in live Broadcast but in BBC's documentary afterwards. And mind you Pakistanis are not new to such photos & videos, thanks to Newspaper likes "Awam", "Evening special" and" Ummat" etc who, has already "developed" our taste to such videos, and photos, long time ago. But still my stance is that All TV channels specially GEO (being the leader) should avoid telecasting such incidents of massacres in their reports and news

Yar, If any of Indian news channel did not show Gujrat's Muslims massacre then whats your point? Their videos can be viewed on internet. Didn't you remember that Zee showed the videos of Tehelka.com exposing the corruption of Indian army regarding Arms and Ammunitions and resulted in the fall of DeoGoda government ( correct me if I am wrong). Gujrat's massacre videos were banned because it was a Hindu Muslim riot in which Hindu hooligans started that bloodbath so media somewhat remained biased throughout the incident. Didn't CNN show Bosnia's scenes of carnage to the whole world? If GEO showed the demolition of newly built SherShah Bridge in Karachi in Sept and didn't telecast the news of USA's Annapolis bridge devastation which was bigger calamity than Karachi Bridge then does it still prove your point?? ….so showing and not showing some news by some big news channel proves yours point for Geo being USA/ Jew lobby funded? Huh

If GEO is not concerned about Benazir or Nawazsharif wealth and property then still this is not the justification for yours accusation, everybody in Pakistan knows about BB and Nawazsharif 's corruption. Surrey Palace, Mr.10% , Yellow Cab scheme and the list is endless for both of them….don't you remember that weekly magazine " Takbeer" headed by Late Mr. Salah ud din exposed the "underground exclusive" photos of BB and her mother dancing and drinking in London? So what was the output? BB become the PM afterwards…did you forget the slogan of MQM in Karachi…. a picture of young lad having a Gun in his hand with the caption "Huqqoq ya Maut" could be seen all over Karachi during 80s to 90s…. So My brother !Every Pakistani is aware of the dishonesty and corruption of our beloved leaders but now people are not much concerned about these issues ….but they are more concern about their personal issues.

I personally do not like couple of programs of GEO and also criticize them.."Ghamdi",and "Aalim Online" are to name a few but at the same time I also appreciate the efforts of GEO for such programs like "Gumnaam" which you intentionally or unintentionally forgot to appreciate and mention…….programs like "hum Sab Umeed sey Hain" played an important role in exposing our politics and politicians but you also skipped it …….

Regarding Mukhtaran Maee I agree with you to some level…and I personally feel that it should not be highlighted in the media to such extent but on the other side incidents like Mukhtaran Maee gave courage to all other rape victims women that if they wont standup for their right& justice then they will continue to become the victims of such heinous& barbaric acts….

If Kamran Khan is getting 25Lakh per month from GEO then does it make him Corrupt?

If Dr. Shahid Masood is getting 22 Lakh from GEO and having a posh house in Dubai then does it make him Corrupt?

If Dr. Shahid Masood used to sit with girls during his college then does it make him a Bad Character? Yar please don't act as a" Stinky Jamati" be a gentleman I wonder if he used to sit with guys then you probably declare Dr. Shahid a GAY ….hahaha

If getting a good salary is a criteria of declaring someone a corrupt then Hey "Pakistani" if your father is a finance Director in some MNC and getting 15lakh per month then he must be a corrupt person right na?

What Dr. Shahid & Kamran khan are getting in terms of their salary is their personal issue combined with their expertise and capabilities…..Christian Amanpour of CNN is amongst the highest paid journalist on this planet does it make her Corrupt as well?

C'mon yar don't act as a loser…. come with some logical arguments and proper references… if getting high salary make someone corrupt then you must have a habit of declaring every high salary person as a "Master Corrupt"…..wow what a discovery you made…Bravo Bravo

Some of my friends are in senior managerial position at GEO at they told me that GEO is financially so strong that it can continue to pay its employees for 1 year or more without being broadcast so yelling over broadcasting for only 36 hour live transmission doesn't make any sense….one must keep in mind that GEO is headed by the largest media group of Pakistan having very strong financial assets

I personally find plenty of objectionable things in Dr. Amir Liaquat Hussain especially in religious matters which I wont discuss at this moment, but If Dr. Amir acted as a copycat and translated the dua of Imam e Kaaba then does it also make him a part of Jew lobby? Did he violated the "copyright act"of Iamam-e-Kaaba's dua or all Imam-e-Kaaba's dua are copyrighted which anyone cannot translate and say it on any occasion? And mind you…. 50% Pakistani people are not Jahil but Jahil are people are like you, who, without any logical support or references, enjoys declaring and labeling other as jahil, corrupt, Jew lobbyist etc etc…..if you have the guts then come up with sensible arguments & proofs.... as it has become very easy in our society to accuse someone without any logical reason and evidences.

And what can I discuss about yours self-declared conclusion that "A COUNTRY WHERE 60 percent of population cannot read and never been to school media must not be free"......
The least I can do is to bang my head on the wall over such absurd declaration. God give you enough wisdom I pray.

In the last I request you (Mr. Pakistani- the writer of this mail) to read your own lines which will help you understanding my stance………. let me copy paste it for your ease

"Rasuul pak said…budd.GUMMANee nahi karna chahiyeh and he also said for a muslim to be liar is without any enquire /investigation he communicate"

Also, my request to all readers that please don't become a marketing tool for spreading such mails while considering it a Sadqa-e-Jariyah, such mails creates nothing but more annoyance, irritation, frustration, nuisance and aggravation in our society.

All readers are welcome to contribute to my reply, discuss it, criticize it …I will really appreciate it.

And I wonder if I could meet this guy who actually wrote this mail.

Remember me in yours prayers

Regards & Was'Salaam

Rao Zeeshan Ali (Another Pakistani)