Love Jihad and other stories...

My friend Mirza, now confesses that once he fell in love with a "Brahmin Ki Bitiya" and came close to marrying her. She too liked him and agreed in principle to explore the option....LOL

The story of Mirza falling in love with her is interesting: One night Mirza called up that "Brahmin Ki Bitiya", requesting her to wake him up at 4 am since he had a 5:30 am flight to catch. She called and used these lines in chaste awadhi accent -

"Suniye.....Dekhiye....uthitye.....Sahar Ho gayi.....aap ki flight hai....dekhen please uth jaiye....please suniye..."

Mirza loved it, and fell in love with her. Next thing we know is Mirza offered a quick marriage with only a small condition that she will wake him up every morning, using the same lines she had used that morning.

Grapevine has it that, even Mirza offered to be converted to Hindusim provided he be made a Brahmin...He was told that as of now he is a "Mallachi" and his wish can never be granted.....:))

Sometime later, better sense prevailed and they decided to remain friends!! Mirza says he did not want his marriage to become a politico - religious football. Later Mirza even played cupid and found a Brahmin match for her....however, she refused to consider him.

I think Inter-religious marriage happen coz youngsters don't find match in their own communities. It is scary to marry someone who has different eating habits and prays to a different God.

That Brahmin ki Bitiya could not find a match in her own community and is against dowry system, our Mirza could not find a Muslim girl coz Muslim girls are taught only to cook, clean and bear children regardless of educational qualification ....... their intellect is considered too weak to be developed by their handlers.

These days Mirza and "Brahmin Ki Bitiya" are debating how long they have known each other. Mirza says 10 years whereas she confirms it is just 7 years....to which Mirza asks "why it feels like 10 years?"

Brahmin ki Bitiya has no response to that Question.....LOL

Yazidi......

Are you in any way RESPONSIBLE for this 15 year old kiddo, dropping out of school and picking up the gun to safeguard the honor of her family?

I can hear a resounding NO.......think again!

Are You NOT responsible for increasing the hyper religiosity in your time line on FB, in your house, Mohallah, City, Country and eventually the World. I am talkn' all Gentiles and not so faithfuls, Hindus/Muslim/Christians and Jews.

When the HYPER- RELIGIOSITY or what I call religious temperature Index (RTI) of the World increases so does crimes against people of other faiths and denominations. Your God asked you to be a faithful but not HYPER faithful. He asked you to protect the weak and not even cut down a tree even during a battle.

Then why, in your name this beautiful kiddo has to forgo her teenage years of fun and care free life? Just because she belonged to a certain tribe in Kurdistan...and her tribe's name is Yazidi. Is that it?

What I am noticing is a maniac like obsession with religion on all sides. This single minded religious fervor has taken the word "Tassawuf" and "Ijtihaad" from our lingo. Its all about symbolism now......

Here is a story of not too long ago......

My friend's father in Allahabad area was a trustee of a temple. Once, he was in the temple attending the meeting of the trust when Muzzin called for Namaz. My friend's father excused himself to attend the prayers. But the Hindu trustees asked him to pray right there in the temple complex and HE DID.

Do we have such example of secure faiths in our middle now? Why not? Because we have become less secure about our faith, because we have become hyper -religious, because we are less tolerant now....

And that's why this kiddo is out there under the scorching desert sun......walking with a bottle of water and a gun....while we dream awesome dreams for our daughters.

As far as I am concerned, I would be proud to have such a brave heart as my girl....a girl who can go from holding pen to holding a gun, can only be my daughter and I will not allow anyone to kill her in my name!!

Dasht

Ye Dasht to Apni Zaat Ka Hai
Kaun Ise Ab Kaatega?
Kaun Chunega Gard Se Phool?
Kaun Sitaare Baantegaa?

(C) Shahid Parvez Sayed, August 23rd, 2014

Azaadi Mubarak.....

Azaadi Mubarak!!

As you go about hosting the National Flag tomorrow morning, distributing sweets and appreciating the efforts by the founding fathers in securing the freedom for you, remember the story of a Pagal ie a man man of Lukhnow.

The year was 1928, and Simon Commission was in India to determine the future of India. It had seven members but none of them was an Indian leader, and as result India's political leadership decided to boycott it. Commission went from one town to the next but always met with protesters holding black flags.

When it reached Lucknow and was holding the meetings at the British Residency near Aminabad. British government had made sure that protest are broken up and no one is allowed near Residency.....

Azzadi ke Jiyale were frustarted as they could not voice their opinion openly. They were wondering what to do when a neighborhood pagal, a man with who never made sense and was considered useless suggested that we "fly kites with the message "Simon Commission Go Back" written on it". And that the kites battles should take place resulting in kites falling in the Residency with the message written on it..

Hundreds of kites were flown within hours that day.....It was raining kites in the English Residency.......Englishmen were embarrassed and surprised at the ingenuity of the Indians...

No one cared to pay respect to that Pagal who came up with the idea....a pagal whose name we don't know....a pagal who too wanted freedom just like you and me......a pagal who knew his life would not change regardless of India gains freedom or not....still he did his part in our freedom movement.

A un-named pagal who deserves to be remembered tomorrow.....by all means necessary!!

I am sure you all will.....

Wafa it is....

It was on 21st Roza, Hazrat Ali (RA)'s 1316th Martyrdom Anniversary that her husband left her for a heavenly journey.

Their marriage was not the usual one. In addition to other usual stuff, it had Shia-Sunni Divide to bridge. And they did a splendid job at it - I think. There are many stories of what challenges they faced and how they fought all opposition. When the CUSTODIANS of Shia-Sunni Divide, could not stop them from marrying, they banned entry of mother to her home. It remained that way for 20 years....till father's death.

Its been 37 years since father died, still each Ramzan she recites 2/3 Quran on her own and dedicates it to fathers soul on the 21st Roza. This ritual is suppose to help the departed soul in the hereafter specially in making the day of judgment transactions easier.

She has been doing it for 37 years, yes thirty seven years.....except this year. She was too in-firmed to recite Quran this year.. I asked her whey she did not delegate it to me or to someone else. She said " I like to do it on my own and will do it once I feel better".

I see her acts as epitome of Wafa and love. No one forced her to do what she has been for 37 years...no one cared and there was no reward for it. Still, to improve the conditions of father, my mother has been doing the Quran Recitation for so long.....

I never look at Romeo - Juilet, Shireen - Farhaad stories to know what love can be....I got a better and more real example -- right here at home!!

The Moral of the story is: No matter how nasty a woman behaves with me, after doing the usual Maatam (Mourning), I go back to my default mode of being in love with the concept of women. I think they are far far capable of more Wafa then we, men can ever achieve!!

Here is to my first love....my mom!!

ps: My rebellious streak to break all the walls of color, nationality, caste, religion, age and social status comes from them......Mind it!!

PPS: This should also explain why I have "admirers" in all colors, nationalities, caste and religions including Pathans.....LOL