Miss you DAD!!!

"I wrote this poem for my dad who left this world when I was in the United States for my exchange year. I couldnt even meet him for one last time, and when I returned home, I couldnt see him or talked to him, he was silent in the tomb.."



How could you leave me alone like this..
Common dad, couldnt you wait??

I wish I could see you for one last..
either you couldnt wait, or I was late!!

God snatched the one from me whom
I wasnt ready to lose at any rate!!

In the back of house, you have been laid..
I am searching for you everywhere like a mad!!

Mom is crying for losing her mate..
Whole village is sad for losing the pate!!

Forever, I am deprived of your shade..
your love, your thoughts will never fade!!

If you have one, then go hug your dad..
Don't wait till you say that you ever had!!
 

RAMADAN AND MUSLIM UMMAH

Think Over It….

"Once there was a loud noise, screams of a person, in Chitral bazar. When I moved near the noise, I saw dozens of people kicking a man, and I heard their sounds saying " why did you eat in Ramadan, you munafeq,ramazan khor".The person was shouting for help, but everyone was joining the group to kick him instead of helping him. I was very surprised to see this cruel situation. After a big struggle, I was able to find the reason for the inhumane action of the people. It was the holy month of Ramadan, a month in Islamic calendar where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and they don’t eat anything during this period. Everyone in bazar was punishing the person because he ate something in bazar, but the person was not Muslim. He was Kalash, and there is not any concept of Ramadan in his faith, but the people didn’t even ask him a question and start kicking the poor guy till he almost fainted". One of my teachers told me this story.

         After I heard about that accident, I am so disappointed on our brothers who call themselves Muslims. They fast in Ramadan and do actions like that. Is it the message of Islam? Is it what Ramadan is all about? Is fasting a duty which should be observed by people who even don’t believe in Islam? Is it the Pakistan which Quaid-e-Azam and our ancestors achieved for us? Is it the rule of Islamic republic of Pakistan? Is democracy in Pakistan practically observed by actions like this? Does our government protects the rights of minorities like this, or there aren’t any rights of minorities? Is this the lesson of acceptance we get from our Madrassahs where we are taught Islam?

         I always wonder if Pakistan is a democracy or not. We keep hearing that Pakistan is a democracy, but is it really? Islam is a complete code of life, and the laws of Pakistan are according to Quran. I always want to know where in Quran it says to force non-believers to practice Islam? Do the people who were beating the poor guy never read the verse of Quran " la ikraha fid diin" which means "there is no forcing others in Islam" ? Why do we want to impose our believes on others? Would anybody convert to Islam by looking at our stupid actions which some people would name Tabligh. I guess people would say good bye to Islam because of Muslims like the people who were beating up a non-believer for eating in Ramadan.

     Ramadan is a very holy month where Muslims fast, but does not eating anything makes us so stupid that we don’t respect others? Do we even need to fast if we can't control our anger? Do we never think that how much other religions take care of Muslims in the month of Ramadan, and they don’t eat anything in front of us? No restaurants or any other eating places are open. Is it how we respect others when they eat and we are fasting because it is not a part of their beliefs? Are we that full of ourselves for being a citizen of "La illaha Illallah" ? Did we forget the "Bhai Chara" which prophet (peace be upon him) had established between Muslims and non-Muslims at that time when Muslims were almost ruling over the whole place.

   One thing which I don’t like is that we take prayer and other religious duties as everybody should do just like we do. Shouldn’t we keep all our personal believes and "ibadaat" to ourselves rather than imposing on others. The main reason I am saying this is that it is educational era, and everybody knows what he/she should do. In religious point of view, would you be punished for someone else's sin in the Day of Judgment? I guess not! As a conclusion, I pray that may Pakistan become a real democracy rather than a theocracy, and may Muslims understand Islam well rather than creating their own Islam. ( Ameen)n)

Come On Dad!!!

Come On dad!!

Thousand times I tried to write on this topic, but every time I start thinking about it, I end up in wetting the page with tears instead of writing something. If you have your parents alive with you, then you are the luckiest person, and you wouldn’t understand why it is hard to write on this topic. If you are someone like me, and you don’t have your dad in this world, then you can understand why it is so challenging to write about your bad luck.

Parents are always loving and important to everyone, but losing a dad like mine is not easy. He was a great friend, a leader, a role model for many people including myself, an adviser, and a great person. I consider myself the luckiest person for being a son of such an awesome dad, but at the same time I think that I am the unluckiest person because I couldn’t see my dad for one last time when he was leaving this world and was meeting his everlasting life.

            I went to the United States as an exchange student for a whole year. Going to a foreign country in a full scholarship was really exciting not only for me but also for my whole family. I said goodbye to my family with smiling face, and I could see the sadness in the faces of my parents because they wouldn’t be able to see me for a whole year. I was just relaxed and excited to enjoy a full new life so I didn’t give any importance to the goodbye since I was meeting my family after only one year. My dad and I went to the other village to catch the land cruiser. I wish I knew that it was the last walk with my dad forever, not only for a year. My dad said goodbye with proud tears, but I was rushing to experience a year in different way and come back. I wish that I had known that that was the last chance for me to hug my dad, and I wouldn’t be able to see him again. The last words coming from my dad were not that important at that time, but I wish I had saved them somewhere. During my stay in America, I would receive calls from my dad. I had never seen him missing me that much. He would want to talk to me for hours and just listening to me, and I would try to avoid his questions so that I would have a good story to tell him when I get home. He asked me to take a lot of pictures so that he could see them. I wish I had told him everything on phone and wouldn’t have trusted this not trustable life.

            I was lost in the fun life of America, but in the last two months of my stay, I just wanted to return home, see my family, and live my real life. In the last month of my exchange year, I never got a phone call from my dad. The last time he had called me, he promised that he would talk to me after a week. Alas!! That week never came. My dad didn’t keep his promise. I kept waiting to hear my dad, but he never talked. Nobody told me what was happening, but the sixth sense inside me had told me what happened. I knew that my dad cannot be alive without talking to me for a whole month. I was so lost in the last month, and finally it was over. I was so darn ready to return home to see my dad, and tell him how worried I was when he didn’t call me. I was thinking to be angry with love. I was so eager to share my exchange year my dad, the only person who would be so excited to hear from me. I could hardly wait to reach home after the long travel of three days.

            Finally, I reached the main town of Chitral, where I was expecting my dad to come to welcome me. Instead of the smiling face of my dad, I saw many of my uncles and cousins with fake smiles on their faces. I was really worried at that point. I was wondering if my dad was sick or something. We went to my uncle's apartment in the town, and I saw some more people like my principal and some more relatives there. I just wanted to hear what had happened because I was so confused at that time. Thousands of thoughts start to revolve in my mind. Did something happen to my mom, whom I always worry about, or did something happen to any of my siblings or was it really my dad. At last, an uncle of mine was kind enough to tell me the black news which I was never ready to hear. It was something which was like an electric shock. When I heard that I had lost my dad; I felt the first feeling of an orphan. The room began to spin around me, and there was a lock on my mind. I was not able to think about anything. All I could see was the smiling face of my dad in front of me.

            Was this what I was expecting when I was going on my exchange experience? Whose fault was it? Is God that cruel that he never let me see my dad for one last time, and my dad died from a heart attack twenty days before I reached home? Which kind of heart attack can snatch my dad from me? Didn’t the death think about me that I was his son, and I was not home yet so death should wait for a while? How can my dad leave me that alone in this world? Is this what the world does to everyone or is it just me? Is it because I am unlucky? People say that it was a judgment, but first of all, how was I supposed to believe it? I am never going to accept it! This is not true…how can my dad die before hearing to all my stories and see all the pictures which I took just for him? How didn’t my dad think before dying that there is no one else who is there to listen to me and call me with sweet nick names? Am I not getting a kiss on my forehead after I finish my talk about my stay in USA? I accept that his life was that much, but is 17 an age for me to be called an orphan? Why do other people have their dads for 100 years? Is my dad never going to see me a grown up man? Is there no one to tell me how much I have changed, and how should I change more? Did my village lose a great leader? Who is going to do all the work he was doing for the power production project in the village? Who is going to support my family? Last of all, who am I going to call "dad", and who is calling me by my nickname "khan"?

            With all these questions, I had to go home and support my broken family. What such other questions were making my mom cry, who lost her life partner. I was supposed to support my family, and I was not supposed to cry! How was I supposed to control my tears when I lost a big part of myself? How much parents love their youngest kids is not hard to understand, and I was the unlucky youngest kid who would never ever get his dad's love. What was my dad thinking when he was leaving me? How did he feel when he saw everyone except me around him? I just paused my thoughts and feelings as I entered home. My only sister, brother and mom couldn’t hold their tears, but I did. I forced myself so much that my feelings died. Now I hardly know what it means to be sad or happy. People came to visit me. They took me to the back of my house where my dad was buried. The man whom I was expecting to hug me when I came home was so silent. He was so hidden from me. I could not touch him, see him or hear him. People were pointing to a small building as the permanent house of my dad now after. What can a son feel at that time? Who can understand me? My dad was not ever going to answer, no matter how loud I shout or how soft I talk to him.

            Now, when my brain started working partially properly after twenty days, I think that my dad was such a great person that this world didn’t deserve him. I had heard this Chitrali saying so many times but now I know what it means " Great people don’t live long". Hundreds of people came to my house every day for these last twenty days, and everyone was crying for my dad. I felt that it was not only my lose. That is the kind of death which I would wish for the person whom I loved so much. How wouldn’t a person like my dad go to heaven? As a Muslim, I accepted it as a judgment from God. I think that one day I will have to say goodbye to everyone else in the world, too. I was thinking that I wouldn’t be able to live one day without my dad. I was so mad at the singing birds that how can they sing without him, but his lose made me live and stick to life. It is the most unexpected thing ever happened in my life, and my wish of seeing my dad for one last time will remain a wish forever and ever and ever. If you have your dad alive with you, then please go hug him for me because you never know your last hug. I can write a whole book on this, but what else can I say now except that I will wait to meet my great friend, loving dad and brave leader in Heaven if I was able to carve my life in the way my dad had. Then we will live in a world where there is no America or Pakistan, and where there are no heart attacks. May his soul stay in peace. Ameen

            "Khuda janae yae dunya jalva gah hae naz hae kis ki

Hazaron uth gayae, ronaq magar baqi hae majlis ki"

page 3

to Islam. The credit does not really go to the religion, but it was because of the people. It is very same case why people like Americans. The main idea of the examples is a proof that people are influenced a lot by other people. If a person has positive outlook, then other people in the society will of course copy that person. The most honorable thing in the world for most people is belief and if positive outlook can change belief then it can change anything. A person with positive outlook is like a shining star on sky for sailors.

    Every development is a change, but every change is not a development. To bring development, the community should have overall positive outlook, but every individual is equally a part of the overall. Life is not about to live for one self, rather life is to serve others. A candle burns itself and gives light to others. Trees are standing calmly in the blinking sun of hot summer and provide with shade to a tired traveler. In the same way, creation of man is also for helping others, and helping is not possible unless a person has positive outlook and thinks about the unlucky sector of community. It can all happen as a result of positive outlook of an individual.

It can be concluded that an individual has great impact on society. Positive outlook of a person can benefit the community because every action done is a fruit of a seed, the outlook.

page 2

obviously. Expecting of changing or affecting others without changing oneself can be put in the circle of oxymoron. The first thing needed in the society is to start with oneself. It is the idea of inside out. Positive outlook makes a person responsible and charming part of society because all the actions are servants of the outlook of the person. Thus having a good personality by a positive outlook is the best contribution to the society.

      After making oneself a positive person in the society it is time to affect others. Humans have the same characteristics as mirror. If a person laughs in front of a mirror, it never cries. Similarly, the relationship between people depends on how they treat each other. If a person keeps positive outlook about others, then there is no doubt that others will have the same response. This chain of positive responses make a network in the society and leads to success and happiness .millions of books have been written, thousand of ideas have been introduced, several religions are present in the world but the only thing which has affected man is a person’s way of thinking and living. Indonesia is the biggest Muslim populated country in the world. it is interesting that Islam did not start in Indonesia, but it puts a question in mind that then how does Indonesia has the largest Muslim population? The answer is quite simple. Muslims went to Indonesia for trade and the actions, honesty and the way Muslims treated Indonesian forced compelled them to convert

page 1

Topic: “How my Positive Outlook Benefits my Community”

Number of Words: 769

It is nature of the nature that things are formed by the combination of other things. Sand particles combine to form desert, trees come together to make forest, ocean is the sticking together of water drops, and in the same way living together of people makes a community. If a single fish in a pond is muddy, then it makes the whole pond dirty. This tells the importance of individual in a society in either positive or negative ways. There is no concept of right or wrong, but it is the way one thinks. Some of the good things are obvious but most of them are complicated, and they can be only reached by having a positive outlook. Positive outlook shapes one’s life in a better way, influences others positively and makes a better society.

     If anything happens, then there is a philosophy that there is something already happened due to which the new thing happens. A person is known by different actions the person does, but actually actions are the obeying of what the upstairs thinks about. This particular reality tells that outlook is the seed to all kind of deeds. Good or bad Habits of a person are governed by outlook the person has. Human being has been created with the ability of judgment. If one wants to be a good person, then the person should sow the right seed or lay a good foundation, and things which follow will be good,

Topic: “How my Positive Outlook Benefits my Community”

Number of Words: 769

Writer’s Name: Abdul Wahid Khan.

Adress:

S8440A Hemlock Road, North

Freedom, Wisconsin, 53951.

Phone Number: 6085445501 and 6083701894.

Name of School: Sauk Prairie High School.

Date of Birth: 1st of March 1995.

positive outlook

Topic: “How my Positive Outlook Benefits my Community”

Number of Words: 769

It is nature of the nature that things are formed by the combination of other things. Sand particles combine to form desert, trees come together to make forest, ocean is the sticking together of water drops, and in the same way living together of people makes a community. If a single fish in a pond is muddy, then it makes the whole pond dirty. This tells the importance of individual in a society in either positive or negative ways. There is no concept of right or wrong, but it is the way one thinks. Some of the good things are obvious but most of them are complicated, and they can be only reached by having a positive outlook. Positive outlook shapes one’s life in a better way, influences others positively and makes a better society.

     If anything happens, then there is a philosophy that there is something already happened due to which the new thing happens. A person is known by different actions the person does, but actually actions are the obeying of what the upstairs thinks about. This particular reality tells that outlook is the seed to all kind of deeds. Good or bad Habits of a person are governed by outlook the person has. Human being has been created with the ability of judgment. If one wants to be a good person, then the person should sow the right seed or lay a good foundation, and things which follow will be good, obviously. Expecting of changing or affecting others without changing oneself can be put in the circle of oxymoron. The first thing needed in the society is to start with oneself. It is the idea of inside out. Positive outlook makes a person responsible and charming part of society because all the actions are servants of the outlook of the person. Thus having a good personality by a positive outlook is the best contribution to the society.

      After making oneself a positive person in the society it is time to affect others. Humans have the same characteristics as mirror. If a person laughs in front of a mirror, it never cries. Similarly, the relationship between people depends on how they treat each other. If a person keeps positive outlook about others, then there is no doubt that others will have the same response. This chain of positive responses make a network in the society and leads to success and happiness .millions of books have been written, thousand of ideas have been introduced, several religions are present in the world but the only thing which has affected man is a person’s way of thinking and living. Indonesia is the biggest Muslim populated country in the world. it is interesting that Islam did not start in Indonesia, but it puts a question in mind that then how does Indonesia has the largest Muslim population? The answer is quite simple. Muslims went to Indonesia for trade and the actions, honesty and the way Muslims treated Indonesian forced compelled them to convert to Islam. The credit does not really go to the religion, but it was because of the people. It is very same case why people like Americans. The main idea of the examples is a proof that people are influenced a lot by other people. If a person has positive outlook, then other people in the society will of course copy that person. The most honorable thing in the world for most people is belief and if positive outlook can change belief then it can change anything. A person with positive outlook is like a shining star on sky for sailors.

    Every development is a change, but every change is not a development. To bring development, the community should have overall positive outlook, but every individual is equally a part of the overall. Life is not about to live for one self, rather life is to serve others. A candle burns itself and gives light to others. Trees are standing calmly in the blinking sun of hot summer and provide with shade to a tired traveler. In the same way, creation of man is also for helping others, and helping is not possible unless a person has positive outlook and thinks about the unlucky sector of community. It can all happen as a result of positive outlook of an individual.

It can be concluded that an individual has great impact on society. Positive outlook of a person can benefit the community because every action done is a fruit of a seed, the outlook.

Taste of diversity(BUBW)

                                 Abdul Wahid Khan,

                         YES, Pakistan    

                                                 BUBW Florida 2012 Alumnus

SEED OF ACCEPTANCE (BUBW)

Life is all about learning but we never notice how much we learn every day. People grow up but never notice that they are growing up till they are old, in the same way learning can happen without noticing it. This thrust of learning made me attend a conference held in Disney World Florida called BUBW “Better Understanding for a Better World”. Before going to the conference, a lot of imaginary images were being formed, but to be honest the conference was so great and mind-blowing that after it ended I had to tell my imaginations that they were very less expecting. Now my words are totally hesitant to describe the conference because like my imagination they think themselves to be very limited, but just trying to talk about ocean in the language of water drops.

    The ice breaking game on the first day stunned me by introducing thirty one different countries. In my entire life I have never been to such a garden of diversity where I could smell the scent of different flowers of different colors and scent. After that, it was an awesome part of my life when Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus were taking pizza from the same table ignoring the physical boundaries of geography. Very few people experience such an experience, and if they do, they are called lucky.

   Next day, all those charming flowers were watered by sessions and talks by Imam Bashar Arafat and others. We discussed the reasons which cause disturbance in the world, and how to deal with those challenges. Role of youth in the global world were discussed too and there was a very great lecture on leadership as well. There can’t be any more important topics than these in our today’s world for youths and these really changed our views and made us think!

On Friday, we went to a church where we were stuffed with information about Christianity, then to synagogue where we were given lecture about the ancestor of all the main religions, Judaism. After that we spent a long time in Mosque. As it was Friday, so we could attend the Friday special prayer. I could see the relief and comfort Muslim kids got after the prayer and kids who didn’t attend the prayer were happy to see Muslims bowing before God and listening to Khutba (the talk before Friday prayer). Then there was an open panel discussion where religious leaders from Christianity, Islam and Judaism talked about all those religions and answered different questions. This talk changed many of our stereotypes and I could feel that all these religions are fruits of the same tree but just from different branches.

   Students gave presentations about their countries.Pakistan, India and Bangladesh mega group gave a presentation together. This gathering has happened after a long time. This gathering of subcontinent was giving me such a different feeling which can’t be explained in words. We couldn’t come with differences between these three countries but there were a lot of same things like language and we all sing the same songs.

Besides all this learning, there was a lot of fun too. Trying to talk and sing in all those different languages. It was so sweet when all other countries were joining to sing “Jivae Pakistan”. Visiting all those fun stuff in Disney world don’t need to be explained like different countries, magic kingdom, animal kingdom, etc. The best part was when it was raining and 31 different countries were taking shower under the same shower.

    After four days, BUBW came to an end with giving us a new start, lot of great friends, unforgettable memories and unlimited fun. After the conference when I checked my Facebook, there were 60 friend requests waiting, this is how we will stay connected. It was not a religious conference but conference of religion of humanity. I am thankful to BUBW administration and American government to arrange this conference. A lot of money was spent on this conference but it was a lot better than making a weapon. It changed inside of mine and there is a ray of hope that these conferences will change our world by making bridges of peace and burning the fire of heartedness by the shade of love. One day we will feel proud to be a part of a better world!

EXCHANGE YEAR..My article to local Newspaper

 

In The Name of ALLAH The Almighty
 

Let us keep some and change some
Hello every one. I am Abdul Wahid Khan from Yarkhoon, Meragram No 2.

I was a student of 9th class in Aga Khan Higher Secondary School when met two people who had spent two years in USA as exchange students. After talking to them, put my self in their place and found myself in a totally different place but as usual neglected it soon saying “I have too many day dreams” . Who knows about life, I was one of the selected YES (Youth Exchange and Study) participant for the year 2011-2012. In the last week of August I said good bye to my family, heart touching breeze of Yarkhoon, love of Chitrali people and sweet Urdu and Khowar etc. it was a long flight from Islamabad airport to Washington DC and it seemed super long because it was my first time to go to any foreign country.

As soon as landed on the land of USA, every thing was different except the piece of English which I had. Then I came to the state of Wisconsin, where I saw my host family with a beautiful chart “Salam Wahid”. As soon as they saw me, my host brother called my name in English accent. After a good concentration I understand that it is how I would be called here. There started my exchange year.

I live in a small house in a tiny village. When I look out and don’t see mountains anywhere then I miss Chitral but then the cold weather and snow gives the same scene.

Time table is quite different. Breakfast very early in the morning, then lunch in school at 11 30, which we would call “Chastakal” in Khowar but here it is lunch time. School goes till three and again dinner time around six. Life is so much busy. I just hear the early bell of my alarm and the 6 o’clock church bell at night and don’t know where the rest of the day goes. The day is very tiring specially hearing to all English and curving your mouth to pronounce things correctly and almost repeating everything twice or thrice because of our strange accent. Therefore I hit the sack early in night.

School system is very different here. There is a variety of classes you can take according to your interests. There is no difference between boys and girls. If we are saying that girls should cover their face so that boys cannot see them then here girls can easily say that boys should cover their eyes so that they cannot see girls’ faces. Teachers are very much friendly and every thing is discussed freely in class. Students move around classes and teachers stay in their classes. Music is one of the important and encouraged parts of school. Everyone knows about music. There are sports after school and kids participate very keenly in the sports and I got a chance to play soccer here. American football is very famous sport and I miss cricket when football doesn’t make sense to me. We get a lot of homework every day and kids here do work after school too and I am still confused how they do all these things in same day.

The society here is very well built and it seems to me that it will take centuries for us to be like this society. Honesty and trust is on its peak and sometimes I think that these people have stolen most of the things Muslims are supposed to do and here we are just watching them but there is a hope that we will wake up soon before it gets too dark. Education up to high school is free in public schools and there is not a lot of private school. Kids of rich and poor people learn from the same white board that is why there education system is good. People not only care about themselves but also about their society. Even small villages have most of the basic necessities of life and most of the things in the society are done by civilians. Caring for environment is one of the things which are different. Every kind of job is respected and social inequality is not as high as we do.

I had great time talking to the people about Pakistan and life in Chitral. They are totally surprised to see all those differences. They ask a lot of questions and are interested to learn about culture. It is amazing that how my host family welcomes me and shares their life with me which anyone of us will hardly do.

I am missing my parents, friends and school but representing my country as a young ambassador is worth it. I will be here till June and I hope to experience some more things which are different and I hope that we will copy some of the good things these people have rather than just criticizing some of the things which are against our religion.




Abdul Wahid KhanUSA.

Exchange Year..My essay to a newpaper (Chitral Times)

Dear Mom

    Pantoum : “Dear Mom”

You are the one who gave me birth,

I was precious thing for you on earth,

For many long nights, you didn’t sleep,

Dear mom, your love is so deep

I was precious thing for you on earth

I grew up in the lap of love

Dear mom your love is so deep

I don’t know how I can pay you back

I grew up in the lap of love

You taught me to talk, how to walk

I don’t know how I can pay you back

Life takes me so far from you

You taught me to talk, how to walk

It is not only you who miss me

Life takes me so far from you

I really really miss you too mom!

NEW YEAR

What is new in u , new year?
from the same east sun will appear !
The world is busy in same fight!
Did u make the sorrows any light?
people fight for or against religion!
Did u make whole world a same region ?
The nations are like running kite!
Have u made peace as winning height?
I don't want more from u my dear !
Just don't u see the third world's tear?
Plz bring humane in every human!
Make "helping others" the only canon!