Traveling to Nepal

South Asia has immense potential to grow as a region and we need to foster cross border relations at people to people level. Realizing the significance of our region, I will be embarking on a peace journey from 26 Nov-13 Dec, 2012 to Nepal, one of the important countries in this region. I will be a attending a peace training program in the country of Mount Everest. As a Pakistani, this will be my first visit to any South Asian country. I look forward to share my Nepal experiences soon!

 

Real Heroes of Pakistan

The real hero of this country is the grass-root worker, a common man who does not own a computer and have no idea of face book.

After an activity in my training session today, among the participants, one of the workers spoke about something which mesmerized and inspired me than ever before! This hidden Hero of Pakistan told me that he and his friends after every few weeks spend some time for a voluntary work from cleaning beach to planting trees etc. 

One day he and his friends went to one of the major roads of Karachi and started cleaning the shoes of policemen who at first were shocked on what was going on with them. Once they realized that they were having some people who really cared for them, they could not stop their tears pouring and thanking these senior volunteers who are the workers and live hand to mouth.

Story doesn’t end here friends! Guess what?  Number of cars passing by stopped and passengers and drivers stepped out of them and they all started cleaning the shoes of the policemen who are labeled everyday as the most corrupted in our society. With the round of applause, I promised this worker that I will share his true story wherever possible for me and request the same from you if you are inspired by it.

Thank You!

Stop Palestinian Genocide!!

This human barbarism is lot worst than recent natural calamities!! Images coming from Gaza are horrific and alarming!! All limits have been crossed with abusing international human rights laws and deliberately targeting children in Gaza which has only one tactical purpose and that is the genocide of Palestinians. 

This bloody massacre in Gaza must end with immediate, comprehensive and durable ceasefire! World MUST act now to stop this mass killing before its gets too late! Prayers for peace!!!

Pictures courtesy: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20376278 

Malala is immortal!

Malala Yousafzai won international acclaim for speaking out for girls barred from school by the Taliban was critically wounded Tuesday ( 9th October, 2012) by a gunman who boarded her school bus, asked for her by name, aimed his pistol at her head and fired, officials said. May Almighty bless her with very speedy recovery!!! (Ameen)

Lord, make us all an instrument of peace like Malala!

Watch this fantastic documentary about the brave Malala Yousafzai -instrument of peace and icon of our struggle against religious extremism in Pakistan!

This is where my journey toward peace began!

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." -- St. Augustine


From my archives: This is where my journey toward peace began in teen years, it was my first ever traveling alone experience in the year 2006, forget outside the country, in those days I had never ever traveled alone domestically. Stay tuned for more of my traveling stories:-)

5 urgent steps for a peaceful world

Dear Friends,

There are two kinds of people in this world, those who are working together for peace and are building bridges of peace & friendship across borders and there are those who produce defamatory movies/cartoons. We must not get hijacked by the later one and should not react violently as doing so we only harm ourselves. Former one wage non-violent protest and are part of the civilized world.

As we strongly condemn and are immensely hurt by insulting film targeting the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H). Just like that, it is also hurting that a Church has been gutted by a mob in our own country on Love for Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) Day.

While traveling around the world, in my interactions with friends across borders and giving interviews and writing about interfaith harmony, I have been saying that we must have freedom of speech, but a responsibility follows with this and there are some things that should not be done. However, time and again such movies, cartoons and hate material have been coming by those who are well-wishers of the clash of civilizations. I suggest that time has come to take following 5 steps urgently at international level for a peaceful world:

1- All the UN member countries at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly MUST demand and take measures to stop hate-mongers from touching subjects against any religion.

2- There has to be an international resolution which states that all authorities have a duty to act in case of incitement to imminent violence i.e. by removing a video and publication and taking a strong action against those who are involved in it.

3- We need to have an international law which bans hate speech against any religion.

4- Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be reviewed. It should clearly differentiate between freedom of speech and hate speech.

5- We must continue to create dialogues of interfaith harmony between governments, organizations and at people to people level and come up with positive publications/materials which promote peace between civilizations.

One of my friends from Bulgaria beautifully puts it: "I am glad there are active young people like you! Keep on the way you do it and there will be peace on Earth. It is natural human desire. Nobody gets up from bed, thinking "Let's see how much will I suffer today!" We all came into this world as brother and brother, and we will walk hand in hand one day! I just hope you and I will have enough breaths remaining, so that we could see it"!  

May Almighty give us strength, determination, and willpower to find the path to peace in our world! (Ameen)

Statement on defamatory film

"There are two kinds of people in this world, those who are working together for peace and are building bridges of peace & friendship across borders and there are those who produce defamatory movies/cartoons. We must not get hijacked by the later one and should not react violently as doing so we only harm ourselves. Former one wage non-violent protest and are part of the civilized world"-Bilal Masood