I was among those that were never confused upon the status of so-called Islamic militants and their vicious intentions from the day when they started to grasp their paws in Pakistan right after the 9/11 incident in America following America's attack in Afghanistan in 2001. I always praised and stood by President Pervaiz Musharaf stance
"sb say pehlay Pakistan" even when Pervaiz Musharaf has been handed death sentence after court trial on high treason case in Pakistan.
It was my last semester in Quaid e Azam University, Islamabad, when the world observed two highest twin towers collapsed under a terrorist attack. The time proved that all that debris of those towers fell on thousand miles away situated country Pakistan with no offense. First, it was 9/11 that changed every Pakistani's life and made it miserable for the next 15 years and then it was 16th December 2014 atrocious attack of terrorists to kill more than 130 students in a school, which took Pakistan out of religious illusions and traps. It aided Pakistan with its blood to strengthen as a nation.
On the very next day after 9/11, when I rode on University bus then we were told that all routes had been changed. From now the bus will not cross the American Embassy, Islamabad as it was doing for the past 30 years. We saw barriers, blocks and Red zones for the first time in Islamabad following the suicide bomb blasts, and terrorist invasions till 16th December 2014. All government buildings and sensitive roads were cordoned off and no one could pass near them. It was a terrible feeling of living scared in one own free country.
For more than a decade I fell into many arguments to defend my point till the day when all Pakistanis had to observe the black day in APS school, Peshawar in 2014. All that time years I couldn't understand why educated people around me were reluctant to call them terrorists even looking at frequent suicide attacks all across Pakistan? Why ulemas, politicians and civil society don't stand against fake and false propaganda about Islam in Pakistan? Does a country that was built in name of Islam need guns after 60 years of its birth to continue with the tag?
Even it was a day when one of my colleague that was senior English teacher forced me to choose among Islam and Pakistan on the very debate of terrorist presence in Swat and on an Army operation. She tried to shut my mouth by Iqbal's verse that
She said that I worship Pakistan as taking it as an idol and I m not a....she said that I m afraid of wearing an Arabian full gown (when I already cover myself with shawl), men are afraid of keeping beard and mustaches, all are afraid of following Islamic rules otherwise we should stand by terrorist's message.
I was like, "what!
You mean that the burning of girls' schools, the kidnapping of young boys for jihad, killing of innocent is just to let women wear the abaya (gown) and men to keep beards and mustaches then it's not the way. I and many others like me follow all Islamic rituals by will and we don't need anyone to gunpoint us for the same but she was not convinced.
After September 11, 2001, for all that years full of fear for catching up in any blind suicide terrorist attacks, I missed my joyful days in school, college and then university: going on trips, celebrating festivals, the powerful triumph of competing India as an enemy in every field. It was painful that my students can't enjoy all their young days in schools or in parks like me. All trips, parties even morning assembly were closed for years. We forgot the real passion of our survival to see an eye to eye to India which we only took an enemy. The images of seven atomic bomb experiments from the only Islamic country in the world were blurred. The progress was stopped and we slept in load shedding and without fuel vehicles, but no one was ready to come in front and call them terrorists and they kept on rising and mounting like any monster, like any termite.
I met that colleague after 16 December 2014 and asked, 'Is this what you were waiting for? How much more blood you want to make this country an "Islamic one"? Can't we love Islam and Pakistan at the same time? Can you choose your body and soul? Can you live safe and content with one of your parents missing? Is it enough or do you want something more to get out of your illusioned and trapped propaganda about Islam.'
Like any other Pakistani, any other mother she was also out of tears on that day. She said, 'Don't leave them. I don't want to see a single one who was in planning, facilitating or having sympathy with these terrorists.' She cried out. 'How could I fell into this confused religious trap when I was educated and could know between right and wrong. This never could be Islam. Islam never asked not to love and protect your country. I'm sorry if I could understand it before then these APS kids would be with us,' she confessed.
She was not the only one that was left confused among choosing amid religion and country. Almost more than half Pakistani including politicians and defense forces had soft corners for terrorists before the APS incident because of terrorists' proclaimed Islamic ideology. The religious trap was set by planning from powers of the world to take their revenge on the 9/11 incident and many of us couldn't notice it.
"Cruelty ends when it is out of patience" and the same happened after 16 December 2014 in Pakistan when terrorists killed more than 130 young students while they were studying in the school. The sacrifices of APS kids broke every trap of the enemy. The sacrifices of 16th December 2014 brought everything back to normal as it should be in any free and dignified state. The blurred images were cleared. The lights were turned on. The barriers saw their homes and no more roads were red and sensitive. All terrorists were called terrorists and were sent to hell. The APS kids couldn't go on trips, they couldn't enjoy school parties and morning assemblies but I believe those boys are happy in heavens that their sacrifices set their mates to live a joyful and safe life in their home and that is Pakistan but asides APS kids sacrifices demand from us for not to ever confused in loving your land, your country Pakistan. That we Pakistanis will never give any space to any enemy to breach our sovereignty and attack our innocent again.
I always wished that 16th December 2014 might never happen and now I pray it never happens again anywhere in the world. Ameen
"sb say pehlay Pakistan" even when Pervaiz Musharaf has been handed death sentence after court trial on high treason case in Pakistan.
It was my last semester in Quaid e Azam University, Islamabad, when the world observed two highest twin towers collapsed under a terrorist attack. The time proved that all that debris of those towers fell on thousand miles away situated country Pakistan with no offense. First, it was 9/11 that changed every Pakistani's life and made it miserable for the next 15 years and then it was 16th December 2014 atrocious attack of terrorists to kill more than 130 students in a school, which took Pakistan out of religious illusions and traps. It aided Pakistan with its blood to strengthen as a nation.
On the very next day after 9/11, when I rode on University bus then we were told that all routes had been changed. From now the bus will not cross the American Embassy, Islamabad as it was doing for the past 30 years. We saw barriers, blocks and Red zones for the first time in Islamabad following the suicide bomb blasts, and terrorist invasions till 16th December 2014. All government buildings and sensitive roads were cordoned off and no one could pass near them. It was a terrible feeling of living scared in one own free country.
For more than a decade I fell into many arguments to defend my point till the day when all Pakistanis had to observe the black day in APS school, Peshawar in 2014. All that time years I couldn't understand why educated people around me were reluctant to call them terrorists even looking at frequent suicide attacks all across Pakistan? Why ulemas, politicians and civil society don't stand against fake and false propaganda about Islam in Pakistan? Does a country that was built in name of Islam need guns after 60 years of its birth to continue with the tag?
Even it was a day when one of my colleague that was senior English teacher forced me to choose among Islam and Pakistan on the very debate of terrorist presence in Swat and on an Army operation. She tried to shut my mouth by Iqbal's verse that
'In taza khudaon may "Watan" sab say bra hai'
She said that I worship Pakistan as taking it as an idol and I m not a....she said that I m afraid of wearing an Arabian full gown (when I already cover myself with shawl), men are afraid of keeping beard and mustaches, all are afraid of following Islamic rules otherwise we should stand by terrorist's message.
I was like, "what!
You mean that the burning of girls' schools, the kidnapping of young boys for jihad, killing of innocent is just to let women wear the abaya (gown) and men to keep beards and mustaches then it's not the way. I and many others like me follow all Islamic rituals by will and we don't need anyone to gunpoint us for the same but she was not convinced.
After September 11, 2001, for all that years full of fear for catching up in any blind suicide terrorist attacks, I missed my joyful days in school, college and then university: going on trips, celebrating festivals, the powerful triumph of competing India as an enemy in every field. It was painful that my students can't enjoy all their young days in schools or in parks like me. All trips, parties even morning assembly were closed for years. We forgot the real passion of our survival to see an eye to eye to India which we only took an enemy. The images of seven atomic bomb experiments from the only Islamic country in the world were blurred. The progress was stopped and we slept in load shedding and without fuel vehicles, but no one was ready to come in front and call them terrorists and they kept on rising and mounting like any monster, like any termite.
I met that colleague after 16 December 2014 and asked, 'Is this what you were waiting for? How much more blood you want to make this country an "Islamic one"? Can't we love Islam and Pakistan at the same time? Can you choose your body and soul? Can you live safe and content with one of your parents missing? Is it enough or do you want something more to get out of your illusioned and trapped propaganda about Islam.'
Like any other Pakistani, any other mother she was also out of tears on that day. She said, 'Don't leave them. I don't want to see a single one who was in planning, facilitating or having sympathy with these terrorists.' She cried out. 'How could I fell into this confused religious trap when I was educated and could know between right and wrong. This never could be Islam. Islam never asked not to love and protect your country. I'm sorry if I could understand it before then these APS kids would be with us,' she confessed.
She was not the only one that was left confused among choosing amid religion and country. Almost more than half Pakistani including politicians and defense forces had soft corners for terrorists before the APS incident because of terrorists' proclaimed Islamic ideology. The religious trap was set by planning from powers of the world to take their revenge on the 9/11 incident and many of us couldn't notice it.
"Cruelty ends when it is out of patience" and the same happened after 16 December 2014 in Pakistan when terrorists killed more than 130 young students while they were studying in the school. The sacrifices of APS kids broke every trap of the enemy. The sacrifices of 16th December 2014 brought everything back to normal as it should be in any free and dignified state. The blurred images were cleared. The lights were turned on. The barriers saw their homes and no more roads were red and sensitive. All terrorists were called terrorists and were sent to hell. The APS kids couldn't go on trips, they couldn't enjoy school parties and morning assemblies but I believe those boys are happy in heavens that their sacrifices set their mates to live a joyful and safe life in their home and that is Pakistan but asides APS kids sacrifices demand from us for not to ever confused in loving your land, your country Pakistan. That we Pakistanis will never give any space to any enemy to breach our sovereignty and attack our innocent again.
I always wished that 16th December 2014 might never happen and now I pray it never happens again anywhere in the world. Ameen