If only our great thinkers could learn to talk, and our great talkers could learn to think!

Speaking of right man for the right job. We see a great number of mis-fits around us. We see people who never played even Ludo, as head of Sports boards, we see people who have got nothing to do with finance, as our finance ministers, we see people who cant even talk or explain things as our information minister, people who cant even handle internal affairs as head of foreign affairs, people who dont know anything about aviation, as head of CAA, a target oriented businessman as head of our country and hundreds of more examples could be mentioned here ..... but at the of the day these mis-fits are no good for our country.

The hiring at senior positions by the government is politically motivated that gives a chance to every Tom, Dick and Harry to enjoy the top positions with out having necessary ability and thus ruining the whole system.

Question comes to our mind" Are we short of specialists and consultants? Answer is no despite the fact that the brain drain from Pakistan is evident when a lot of talented people who are masters in their own fields, leave Pakistan in frustration cause they were not given the right environment and opportunities to serve Pakistan and they had to no option to return abroad where they got their higher education. Secondly our top men either corporate bosses or heads of the state, dont like to hear NO and problems with professionals is that they can only do whats right as per their knowledge and understanding.

We are in a moral and administrative crises and need to identify the best men and women around who have the necessary back ground to help us get out of troubled waters. These people should be given an all out chance to guide us through and to redesign our workings right from up holding of Islamic laws, Banking, finance, defence, Judiciary, Sports, Women and child rights, education, justice, exports, industrial management and you name it. Its about time that we and our leadership let the specialists work independently with out any un-due pressure so that things can be improved with a much rapid pace as compared to the speed of recovery right now.

But it can be done only from people like us and the professionals in print and electronic media to highlight this need with an uproar to people in the government and to people in walks of life. Its time to focus our efforts on the re-construction of Pakistan and forget about scandals in politics, film industry, Sports etc in Pakistan and around the world and start highlighting lack of able men around in every possible field which can put Pakistan on fast track as far as socio-economic development is concerned.

Lets join hands to get our bloved homeland out of trouble!

The life long silence and sufferings!

When she is born, majority of the parents start treating her as a burden from the day one, mothers start fearing that she badly needs a baby boy next time to avoid any complications in their married life. Her birth is considered as a bad omen and bad luck and an un-wanted person. She is alone, ignored and not properly brought up by the parents. Her rights to basic education and higher education are often denied. She is considered as a helping hand to mother, care taker of brothers and sisters and her father. She lives in dreams which are often not fulfilled cause there is no body around to give her the love, affection and guidance she needs to excel in her life. She is deprived of the basic rights and her voice if raised is being forced to silence as our society has established the rule that she can not be a rebel in Man's world. Yes she is the Pakistani woman in the role of daughter, sister, mother and a wife.

Our Religion stresses strongly on the security and self respect of women but no one amongst us is coming up with an arrangement to provide her safe, healthy and care free working environment to study, work and play her part in the progress and development of our country. We have double standards, we dont send our daughters out to study cause the society is not yet ready to provide the much needed respect and security to her. Question is who is the society? Its all of us whose collective thinking and effort bring about a rational or irrational change in the system, and a of today our efforts are not good enough to support more than 50% of our population.

The elites and the well off class dont have such problems, their daughters feel fully secured, are well educated and even go for studies abroad and move around in the society with confidence of their family and educational back ground and even work as business organization's heads. But the lower middle class does not have means to educate them and they focus on giving education to their sons rather cause they consider them their future earning hands and the parents who give proper education to their daughters by working very hard to bear their educational expenses even dont feel comfortable to send their daughters to work in private organizations where there is no concept of basic employee rights and a every third male is a wolf in disguise of a man!

We start blaming governments, institutions, law enforcing agencies and when we could not find any thing else, we hold society responsible for it. Where is our role to support the women of Pakistan? We think Government and NGOs are responsible to improve their well being and provide secured environment to them to study and to work, agreed but they cant do it alone, a much needed support from our end is to be extended.

A lot of women sit at home after doing masters in various fields cause there was no granting of permission to do the job either from parents or from husband or his family. We are short of female doctors, IT specialists, scientists, engineers, writers, teachers, poets, members of the parliament and provincial assemblies, local bodies government, architects, designers, Textile marketers, aviators and many of such position in a lot of different fields. Its not the fact that women lack the spirit or basic qualification rather they are better than men in most of the fields but they are not provided the ease and comfort level to work freely in a secured environment. Ultimate goal of life for parents is get their daughters married in a good family with an equally good life partner and they think they have done justice to the role of being parents. Which is wrong, parents should plan their daughters future the way they plan it for their sons. Our Man lead society does not believe in making women independent through their own earning either from business or via job to maintain their so called supremacy over women. We are Nation having most practical and accommodative religion but in terms of real life situation we are narrow minded, arrogant, non accommodative, less supportive and very little open to providing opportunities to women who if properly included to come forward and give their share in the progress of our country can make such a significant difference that we can ten fold the speed of of our development and we could be a much better and stable economy.

She is being sent to the land of unknown, or in totally different family set up, or made life partner to close to impossible man in terms of her well being, or forced to be life partner of a persons she does not like, or have to bury her dreams of becoming the best professional working women in her respective field cause her parents decide where she should marry or she is been given very limited choices even they ask her willingness. Parents think that their role and responsibility is over when they get her married and she has to bear every thing including mental and physical torture in case her husband is a psychotic, or even does not treat her well or give her proper respect and breathing space to live. She keeps her silence and cool for the sake of her parents and keep on bearing every thing cause she knows her parents wont be able to face the society if she chooses to leave a person who is not her husband by any definition available.

I consider this a crime on every body's part to destroy the life of an innocent soul who has also got every right to enjoy her life to the fullest, domestic crimes against women are at very rate in our society and only handful of women are able to reach courts on their own or with help of NGOs, rest of the women pass their lives as if serving a sentence of life time imprisonment or house arrest where she has to take permission of every thing she does, has to give explanation on every dime she spends and above all has to work like a bonded slave to look after every member of her husband's family. Parents when send their daughters away from home after wedding, weep for a week or so and then start thinking that she is very happy and living an ideal life and never try to find out whats in side her heart. Even if the daughter tells them she is in trouble, they keep on advising her to deal her husband and her family with patience even the so called husband beats her every day like an animal, or keeps on torturing her. Parents are more concerned about their respect and honour which they earned with efforts and hard work over the years and let their daughter's live with a beast, some time willingly ar at times not knowingly. A girl before marriage who has not seen much of an out side world, has not got any experience to read the mean motives of her husband and In laws, blindly trusts every one and often suffers.

These silent sufferings are not fully documented and high lighted by NGOs, media whether print or electronic, but when they do highlight it, they do it in such a manner that it hurts the family members of the suffering girl in an irrecoverable manner. Who will provide justice to these innocent women who dont even file a complaint and keep on living with sufferings and sorrows around her. This can be done when we give proper respect, education and equal chances to excel in life to her so that no body can take un due advantage of her being dependent first on parents and then on her life partner. The improvement will start from our homes when we start giving respect and the right to women to take major decisions in her life with our support and provision of best education and equally good opportunities to strive in life with excellence.

Their are people who look after their daughters, sisters, wives and mothers equally good and go ends out to give them good education, respect and a prosperous working life, not every person is having negative notions for females, we should follow these people as our role models and ideals and learn from their life styles. Irony of the situation is that there is a majority of the population which is not willing to accommodate females in their so called world. The test ofmanlihood is not in torturing and mis-treating women but it is in the way to treat them with love, care, affection and above all as a human being who has own dreams and paths to follow in their lives to get a sense of achievment and confidence.

We are at fault first, not them!

The news papers are full of indications that there is no hope for common man, the electronic media Internet and Television Channels are screaming aloud that we are on the verge of a massive economic and ethnic disaster.

No hope is the signaled from any where. But I still see people going to mosques despite threats of terrorism and violence, I see kids going to school, I see people going to cinemas and enjoying with their families, I see a lot of kids in the parks on the week ends and on daily basis at evenings. I see people befriends with others regardless of their religion caste and where abouts, I see people still going out to courts to seek justice, I see people still willing to vote, I see people coming out to support their leaders on the political rallies. I see people making good money in business cause they are working extra hard to fight recession and poor economic conditions. I see more cars on the roads then ever before, imported cars business is still on boom, banks are not allowed to do car leasing but people have not stopped car buying on cash from 600 cc cars to 3000 cc luxury Sedans. Textiles in severe depression, I dont see any change in life style of the industry big shots, people are still working in the private and government organizations, all expensive schools are having regular new students registration for admissions, We see entertainment business doing well on the average, still records selling well even of the singers/artists who are not the most famous ones. I see farmers ploughing the fields, crop is not bad for cotton and wheat and sugar cane. People are making more than enough money to survive apart from the daily wages workers but even they have work in hand to survive.

What I do not see is a decrease in our spending on useless traditions on weddings, our buying exceeding our earnings by using credit cards cause we are brand conscious for clothing, watches, cars, shoes, audio and video systems and many more. Our spending is not planned according to our means and the whole benefit is going out to banks and the people who sell these branded stuff. We love to eat out at expensive of places but we are not willing to share our earnings to the people who do not even get a decent meal a day! We talk about Islam and we do not study it and find it more attractive to adopt the western norms which are rather taboos in our religion, we look for short cuts for every thing and then blame that there is a great deal of corruption in the society although we are encouraging it our selves, we blame our leaders and consider our selves relieved of the down fall of of the economy and degradation of living standards of a common man, we criticize our governments spending on education and health but are not willing to take the responsibility of giving decent education to one deserving child, we highlight poor conditions of hospitals but are not willing to pay taxes with an excuse that our tax money will be mis-used by the government. We scream aloud to have an up hold of Islamic Law in Pakistan, but we do not like the way our religion tells us to punish the culprits of thefts, murder, sexual crimes and frauds cause the laws are straight forward and severe.

We are an emotional Nation, we start spending a lot when there is an alarming need to help the people in suffering like the current situation in IDps and earth quakes few years back but we lack this spirit on regular basis. 50% of the people come to offices with an intention of not to do work and facilitate people, we do our job and rate it as a favor to people despite the fact we are paid for what we do at the job. We like to waste half day in discussions over politics, religious affairs, world scenario, movies, TV channels famous programs, top models and actresses, heroes n heroines etc and end our day by blaming government for load shedding and not taking care of the people, petrol price hikes, inflation etc but we completely ignore our role and share in making the things right, things can be improved if we only start doing our work on timely basis and with a willing spirit to help people around us and try to manage our expenses with in our limits so that we cant keep an eye on the income gathered from un-fair means.

Most of the revolutions were having a same origin or root cause: social in justice, deprivation, hunger and starvation. We are heading towards the same scenario but if we could put our act together rightly we can still reverse the the effects if we as individuals decide to contribute our share fairly. But government alone cant do it, if we rate government not competent enough, then we should vote for the competent people for the next elections (a lot ofeducateted people dont even cast the vote and blame the system and government all the time) Our approach to the religion, society and the law is self centred, as long as we are safe, we are not moved at all despite lawlessness and turmoil around us.

Blaming and criticizing is our national hobby and we do it for the sake of doing it as every body else is doing it. We rate our selves better than our leaders cause we never got the chance to lay our hands on the National resources so we are good citizens as long as we are not tested in this field. In Pakistan the person is called a Saint unless and until he or she gets caught or exposed. We are making hue n cry over an MNA being caught red handed to use stolen credit card, but the Evil dies itself, those of you amongst us who feel they are better than her can be caught some day on not paying taxes or paying not to the full, on making our houses boundary walls bigger than the actual land bought, mis-using government resources and company resources (private sector) etc and many more.

There is a law of the country but above it its Law of the Nature which is more Powerful, When Allah decides to answer the prayers of the crushed and depressed people, then a strange power of do or die comes to the people who were passing their lives in a dull and useless manner. When this happens we see dictators die on the streets, Kings hanged in Public, Presidents brought before firing squads, elites sent to prison and an ordinary man becomes the Savior of people and Humanity. Man can not rule by force, by love or by law for ever, there is an end to every story whether its sad, happy or horrifying and the end matters on what the main characters in the story of life had been doing? But before that we need to a psycho-analysis of our personality on the whole and believe me we dont need any body's help, we do know what's wrong in us all we need is a courage to admit it and then take the corrective actions and preventive measures to start contributing from our share in making the things right and then keep on moving in the right direction, if we achieve this then we would be able to choose better leaders (the lesser evils as they will not be Saints but they would know that people and the law is watching every move they make).

In the present circumstances, the fault lies with us as individuals and not only with our leaders and ruling class! Lets work together to improve things practically and stop the blame games, criticism is good when its been done with positive motives behind it, so lets correct our selves first and our leaders will be forced to correct their style of governance seeing this major change rather a chain reaction of correcting attitudes in us the people of Pakistan.

Way to go in Private Jobs!

Below is not applicable on all the private sector organizations, this is for the ones who treat employees like animals and bonded slaves. 1. Employees are like the people working in the red light area, they dont get respect even they earn a lot. 2. Cant trust even your own Shadow, the more you trust people the more you get heart, Selfishness is the key to success. 3. Dont train a junior under you, may be in an other 20 years he might replace you. 4. Managements use you as toilet paper, when the purpose is served, they throw you out. 5. Say yes to every demand of management even if its not in the interest of the company or against professional ethics as you are rated as "Bought Servants for Life" 6. Praise your boss even if he is stupid, this would help you become a boss. 7. try to be part of system, if you are a professional and honest, there is a little room for you in this dirty world of private sector. 8. When you perform well, you are not accomodated in personal growth and monetary benefits, if you performance is a bit down, your management will throw you out like trash with out considering your years of efforts and contribution in the growth of the company 9. Even if you do the impossible, its not just enough for the company 10. Temperament should only be for juniors, for seniors, you play soft and make them comitt blunders Betray for success even you got to do it to your own brother 11. Every working day can be your last day and every next working day can also be your last day: what a job security, what a private corporate sector set up what a country!!!! be ready for surprises 12. Dont argue with old employees even if they dont know a clue about the work they do, they are company assets and you could be thrown out if you finger any company asset 13. if some body is not sure, make him more confused to get eventually get rid of him 14. You work only with your team, and in order to build a team, you might have to sacrifice genuine and non genuine players who are part of your team. 15. Dont get sick, companies pay you for a healthy being and for always being present or else you resign and relax at own expense. Dont go with your family on recreational trips, recreation is only for mill owners and not for employees 16. People involved in lip servicing, are the most successful people at jobs 17. Dont try to make your own decision, ask management even if you have to go to toilet. 18. No body is a sincere friend in private sector jobs, use your friends as steps in a ladder for your growth as mills management uses managers for own growth and later on say bye bye and dont even recognize them after words.

The after effects!

[1] Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the
other is the husband!

[2] Don't marry the person you want to live with, marry the one you cannot
live without, but whatever you do, you'll regret it later.

[3] You can't buy love, but you pay heavily for it.

[4] Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take
it anyway.

[5] My wife and I always compromise. I admit I'm wrong and she agrees with
me.

[6] It doesn't matter how often a married man changes his job, he still
ends up with the same boss.

[7] They call our language the mother tongue because the father seldom gets
to speak!

[8] Man: Is there any way for long life?
Dr: Get married.
Man: Will it help?
Dr: No, but then the thought of long life will never come.

[9]Why do couples hold hands during their wedding? It's a formality just
like two boxers shaking hands before the fight begins!

[10]Wife: Darling today is our anniversary, what should we do?
Husband: Let us stand in silence for 2 minutes.

[11]It's funny when people discuss Love Marriage vs Arranged. It's like
asking someone, if suicide is better or being murdered.

[12]There is only one perfect wife in the world and every neighbor has it.

Sultan Salah ul Din Ayubi: The legend never dies.

Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi, the hero of hundreds of battles, was the person who for twenty years braved the storm of the Crusaders and ultimately pushed back the combined forces of Europe which had come to swarm the Holy Land. The world has hardly witnessed a more chivalrous and humane conqueror.
The Crusades represent the maddest and the longest war in the history of mankind, in which the storm of savage fanaticism of the Christian West burst in all its fury over western Asia. `The Crusades form’, says a Western writer, `one of the maddest episodes in history. Christianity hurled itself against Muhammadanism in expedition after expedition for nearly three centuries, until failure brought lassitude, and superstition itself was undermined by its own labour. Europe was drained off men and money, and threatened with social bankruptcy, if not with annihilation. Millions perished in battle, hunger or disease and every atrocity imagination can conceive disgraced the warrior of the Cross’. The Christian West was excited to a mad religious frenzy by Peter the Hermit, and his followers to liberate the Holy Land from the hands of the Muslims. `Every means’, says Hallam, `was used to excite an epidemical frenzy’. During the time that a Crusader bore the Cross, he was under the protection of the Church and exempted from all taxes as well as free to commit all sins.
Peter the Hermit himself led the second host of the Crusaders comprising forty thousand people. `Arriving at Mallevile, they avenged their precursors by assaulting the town, slaying seven thousand of the inhabitants, and abandoning themselves to every species of grossness and liberalism’. The savage hordes called Crusaders converted Hungary and Bulgaria into desolate regions. When they reached Asia Minor, they, according to Michaud, `committed crimes which made nature shudder’.
The third wave of the Crusaders commanded by a German monk, according to Gibbon, `were comprised of the most stupid and savage refuse of people. They mingled with their devotion a brutal licence of rapine, prostitution and drunkenness’. `They forgot Constantinople and Jerusalem’, says Michaud `in tumultuous scenes of debauchery, and pillage, violation and murder was everywhere left on the traces of their passage’.
The fourth horde of the Crusaders which had risen from western Europe was, according to Mill, `another herd of wild and desperate savages… The internal multitude hurried on the south in their usual career of carnage and rapine’. But, at last, they were annihilated by the infuriated Hungarian Army which had a foretaste of the madness of the earlier Crusaders.
Later the Crusaders met with initial success and conquered a major part of Syria and Palestine, including the Holy city of Jerusalem. But their victories were followed by such brutalities and massacres of innocent Muslims which eclipsed the massacres of Changiz and Hulaku. Mill, a Christian historian, testifies to this massacre of the Muslim population on the fall of the Muslim town of Autioch. He writes: `The dignity of age, the helplessness of youth and the beauty of the weaker sex were disregarded by the Latin savages. Houses were no sanctuaries, and the sign of a mosque added new virulence to cruelty’. According to Michaud: `if contemporary account can be credited, all the vices of the infamous Babylon prevailed among the liberators of Scion’. The Crusaders laid waste to flourishing towns of Syria, butchered their population in cold blood and burnt to ashes the invaluable treasures of art and learning including the world famous library of Tripolis (Syria) containing more than three million volumes. `The streets ran with blood until ferocity was tired out’, says Mill. `Those who were vigorous or beautiful were reserved for the slave market at Antioch, but the aged and the infirm were immolated at the altar of cruelty’.
But in the second half of the 12th century, when the Crusaders were in their greatest fury and the emperors of Germany and France and Richard, the lion-hearted king of England, had taken the field in person for the conquest of the Holy Land, the Crusaders were met by Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi, a great warrior who pushed back the surging wave of Christianity out to engulf the Holy Land. He was not able to clear the gathering storm but in him the Crusaders met a man of indomitable will and dauntless courage who could accept the challenge of the Christian West.
Salahuddin was born in 1137. He got his early training under his illustrious father Najmuddin Ayub and his chivalrous uncle Asaduddin Sherkoh, who were the trusted lieutenants of Nooruddin Mahmud, the monarch of Syria. Asaduddin Sherkoh, a great warrior general was the commander of the Syrian force, which had defeated the Crusaders both in Syria and Egypt. Sherkoh entered Egypt in 1167 to meet the challenge of the Fatamide Minister Shawer who had allied himself with the French. The marches and counter-marches of the gallant Sherkoh and his ultimate victory at Babain over the allied force, according to Michaud, `show military capacity of the highest order’. Ibni Atheer writes about it: `Never has history recorded a more extraordinary event than the rout of the Egyptian force and the French at the littoral by only a thousand cavaliers’.
On January 8, 1169 Sherkoh arrived in Cairo and was appointed as the Minister and Commander-in-Chief by the Fatimid Caliph. But Sherokh was not destined to enjoy the fruits of his high office long. He died two months later in 1169. On his death, his nephew Salahuddin Ayubi became the Prime Minister of Egypt. He soon won the hearts of the people by his liberality and justice and on the death of the Egyptian Caliph became the virtual ruler of Egypt.
In Syria too, the celebrated Nooruddin Mahmud died in 1174 and was succeeded by his eleven year old son, Malik-us-Saleh who became a tool in the hands of his courtiers, specially Gumushtagin. Salahuddin sent a message to Malik-us-Saleh offering his services and devotion. He even continued to keep his name in the `Khutaba’ (Friday Sermons) and coinage. But all these considerations were of no avail for the young ruler and his ambitious courtiers. This state of affairs once more heartened the Crusaders who were kept down by the advice of Gumushtagin retired to Alippo, leaving Damascus exposed to a Frankish attack. The Crusaders instantly laid siege to the Capital city and released it only after being paid heavy ransom. This enraged Salahuddin who hurried to Damascus with a small force and took possession of it.
After occupying Damascus, he did not enter the palace of his patron, Nooruddin Mahmud, but stayed in his father’s house. The Muslims, on the other hand, were much dismayed by the activities of Malik-us-Saleh and invited him to rule over the area. But Salahuddin continued to rule on behalf of the young Malik-us-Saleh. On the death of Malik-us-Saleh in 1181-82, the authority of Salahuddin was acknowledged by all the sovereigns of western Asia.
There was a truce between the Sultan and the Franks in Palestine but, according to the French historian Michaud, `the Mussalmans respected their pledged faith, whilst the Christians gave the signal of a new war’. Contrary to the terms of the truce, the Christian ruler Renaud or Reginald of Chatillon attacked a Muslim caravan passing by his castle, massacred a large number of people and looted their property. The Sultan was now free to act. By a skilful manoeuvre, Salahuddin entrapped the powerful enemy forces near the hill of Hittin in 1187 and routed them with heavy loses. The Sultan did allow the Christians to recover and rapidly followed up his victory of Hittin. In a remarkably short time, he reoccupied a large number of cities which were in possession of the Christians including Nablus, Jericko, Ramlah, Caesarea, Arsuf, Jaffa and Beirut. Ascalon, too, submitted after a short siege and was granted generous terms by the kind-hearted Sultan.
The Sultan now turned his attention to Jerusalem which contained more than sixty thousand Crusaders. The Christians, could not withstand the onslaught of the Sultan’s forces and capitulated in 1187. The humanity of the Sultan towards the defeated Christians of Jerusalem procures an unpleasant contrast to the massacre of the Muslims in Jerusalem when conquered by the Christians about ninety years before.
According to the French historian Michaud, on the conquest of Jerusalem by the Christians in 1099 `the Saracens were massacred in the streets and in the houses. Jerusalem had no refuge for the vanquished. Some fled from death by precipitating themselves from the ramparts; others crowded for shelter into the palaces, the towers and above all, in the mosques where they could not conceal themselves from the Christians. The Crusaders, masters of the Mosque of Umar, where the Saracens defended themselves for sometime, renewed their deplorable scenes which disgraced the conquest of Titus. The infantry and the cavalry rushed pell-mell among the fugitives. Amid the most horrid tumult, nothing was heard but the groans and cries of death; the victors trod over heaps of corpses in pursuing those who vainly attempted to escape. Raymond d’Agiles who was an eye-witness, says :that under the portico of the mosque, the blood was knee-deep, and reached the horses’ bridles.’
There was a short lull in the act of slaughter when the Crusaders assembled to offer their thanksgiving prayer for the victory they had achieved. But soon it was renewed with great ferocity. `All the captives’, says Michaud, `whom the lassitude of carnage had at first spared, all those who had been saved in the hope of rich ransom, were butchered in cold blood. The Saracens were forced to throw themselves from the tops of towers and houses; they were burnt alive; they were dragged from their subterranean retreats, they were hauled to the public places, and immolated on piles of the dead. Neither the tears of women nor the cries of little children— not even the sight of the place where Jesus Christ forgave his executioners, could mollify the victors’ passion… The carnage lasted for a week. The few who escaped were reduced to horrible servitude’.
Another Christian historian, Mill adds: `It was resolved that no pity should be shown to the Mussalmans. The subjugated people were, therefore, dragged into the public places, and slain as victims. Women with children at their breast, girls and boys, all were slaughtered. The squares, the streets and even the un-inhabited places of Jerusalem, were strewn with the dead bodies of men and women, and the mangled limbs of children. No heart melted in compassion, or expanded into benevolence’.
These are the graphic accounts of the massacre of the Muslims in Jerusalem about ninety years before the reoccupation of the Holy city by Sultan Salahuddin in which more than seventy thousand Muslims perished.
On the other hand, when the Sultan captured Jerusalem in 1187, he gave free pardon to the Christians living in the city. Only the combatants were asked to leave the city on payment of a nominal ransom. In most of the cases, the Sultan provided the ransom money from his own pocket and even provided them transport. A number of weeping Christian women carrying their children in their arms approached the Sultan and said `You see us on foot, the wives, mothers and dauthers of the warriors who are your prisoners; we are quitting forever this country; they aided us in our lives, in losing them we lose our last hope; if you give them to us, they can alleviate our miseries and we shall not be without support on earth’. The Sultan was highly moved with their appeal and set free their men. Those who left the city were allowed to carry all their bag and baggage. The humane and benevolent behaviour of the Sultan with the defeated Christians of Jerusalem provides a striking contrast to the butchery of the Muslims in this city at the hands of the Crusaders ninety years before. The commanders under the Sultan vied with each other in showing mercy to the defeated Crusaders.
The Christian refugees of Jerusalem were not given refuge by the cities ruled by the Christians. `Many of the Christians who left Jerusalem’, says Mill, `went to Antioch but Bohemond not only denied them hospitality, but even stripped them. They marched into the Saracenian country, and were well received’. Michaud gives a long account of the Christian inhumanity to the Christian refugees of Jerusalem. Tripoli shut its gates on them and, according to Michaud, `one woman, urged by despair, cast her infant into the sea, cursing the Christians who refused them succour’. But the Sultan was very considerate towards the defeated Christians. Respecting their feelings, he did not enter the city of Jerusalem until the Crusaders had left.
From Jerusalem, the Sultan marched upon Tyre, where the ungrateful Crusaders pardoned by Sultan in Jerusalem had organized to meet him. The Sultan captured a number of towns held by the Crusaders on the sea coast, including Laodicea, Jabala, Saihun, Becas, Bozair and Derbersak. The Sultan had set free Guy de Luginan on the promise that he would instantly leave for Europe. But, as soon as this ungrateful Christian Knight got freedom, he broke his pledged word and collecting a large army, laid siege to Ptolemais.
The fall of Jerusalem into the hands of the Muslims threw Christendom into violent commotion and reinforcements began to pour in from all parts of Europe. The Emperors of Germany and France as well as Richard, the Lion-hearted, king of England, hurried with large armies to seize the Holy Land from the Muslims. They laid siege to Acre which lasted for several months. In several open combats against the Sultan,, the Crusaders were routed with terrible losses.
The Sultan had now to face the combined might of Europe. Incessant reinforcements continued pouring in for the Crusaders and despite their heavy slaughter in combats against the Sultan, their number continued increasing. The besieged Muslims of Acre, who held on so long against the flower of the European army and who had been crippled with famine at last capitulated on the solemn promise that none would be killed and that they would pay 2,00,000 pieces of gold to the chiefs of the Crusaders. There was some delay in the payment of the ransom when the Lion-hearted king of England butchered the helpless Muslims in cold blood within the sight of their brethren.
This act of the king of England infuriated the Sultan. He vowed to avenge the blood of the innocent Muslims. Along the 150 miles of coastlines, in eleven Homeric battles, the Sultan inflicted heavy losses on the Christian forces.
At the last the Lion-hearted king of England sued for peace, which was accepted by the Sultan. He had found facing him a man of indomitable will and boundless energy and had realized the futility of continuing the struggle against such a person. In September 1192, peace was concluded and the Crusaders left the Holy Land with bag and baggage, bound for their homes in Europe.
`Thus ended the third Crusade’, writes Michaud, `in which the combined forces of the west could not gain more than the capture of Acre and the destruction of Ascaion. In it, Germany lost one of its greatest emperors and the flower of its army. More than six lakh Crusaders landed in front of Acre and hardly one lakh returned to their homes. Europe has more reasons to wail on the outcome of this Crusade as in it had participated the best armies of Europe. The flower of Western chivalry which Europe was proud of had fought in these wars’.
The Sultan devoted the rest of his life to public welfare activities and built hospitals, schools, colleges and mosques all over his dominion.
But he was not destined to live long to enjoy the fruits of peace. A few months later, he died on March 4, 1193 at Damascus. `The day of his death’ says a Muslim writer, `was for Islam and the Mussalmans, a misfortune such as they never suffered since they were deprived of the first four Caliphs. The palace, the empire, and the world was overwhelmed with grief, the whole city was plunged in sorrow, and followed his bier weeping and crying’.
Thus died Sultan Salahuddin, one of the most humane and chivalrous monarchs in the annals of mankind. In him, nature had very harmoniously blended the benevolent and merciful heart of a Muslim with a matchless military genius. The messenger who took the news of his death to Baghdad brought the Sultan’s coat of mail, his horse one dinar and 36 dirhams which was all the property he had left. His contemporaries and other historians are unanimous in acknowledging Salahuddin as a tender-hearted, kind, patient, affable person— a friend of the learned and the virtuous whom he treated with utmost respect and beneficence. `In Europe’, says Phillip K. Hitti, `he touched the fancy of the English minstrels as well as the modern novelists and is still considered the paragon of chivalry’.

REFERENCES:

Maalouf, Amin. The Crusades Through Arab Eyes. Translated by Jon Rothschild, 1984. Al Saqi Books, 26 Wetbourne Grove, London W2.

Do we need any other support or reference?

Lets read the below Hadith and ask our selves the question” On whome we are counting on?

Abu Hurairah Radiyallahu anhu reports

that Nabi Sallallahu alaihi wasallam in a Hadith Qudsi narrated

that Allah Ta’ala says:

I treat My men according to his expectations from Me..

I am with him when he remembers Me;

and if he remembers Me in his heart,

I remember him in My heart;

and if he remembers Me in a gathering,

I remember him in a better and nobler gathering (of angels).

If he comes closer to Me by one span,

I go closer to him an arm’s length;

if he comes towards Me an arm’s length,

I go towards him two-arm’s length;

and if he comes to Me walking,

I run to him.

(Bukhari)

Its a simple answer to our every day problems starting from house hold, business, education, ruling a country and you name it. On the contrary, its a strange and painful reality that majority of the Muslims do not have the basic knowledge of Islam as they do not study Translation of the Holy Book Quran by themselves and are often confused by the so called Authorities on the religion, Lets review our Quran, its far better spending time on Quran than reading of the international best sellers and watching the greatest of the movies and documentaries. I have tried it and felt very good cause it took out most of the confusions I had in my mind. Lets be clear about the concepts of Islam by putting in our effort to study Islam on our own first and if needed seek guidance from any scholar who does not spread the word of violence and hatred in his books or speeches.

We are in the most difficult time of our history our Book clearly teaches us cricis management through following the Islamic principles, encourages unity, mutual consultation, equality, justice, rule of the law, respect for women, elders and children and above all the right and responsibilities of each and every individual in a society.

So the message is simple, precise to the point for all of us to re-think our standing on the current scenario.

Do we need any other support or reference?

Lets read the below Hadith and ask our selves the question” On whome we are counting on?

Abu Hurairah Radiyallahu anhu reports

that Nabi Sallallahu alaihi wasallam in a Hadith Qudsi narrated

that Allah Ta’ala says:

I treat My men according to his expectations from Me..

I am with him when he remembers Me;

and if he remembers Me in his heart,

I remember him in My heart;

and if he remembers Me in a gathering,

I remember him in a better and nobler gathering (of angels).

If he comes closer to Me by one span,

I go closer to him an arm’s length;

if he comes towards Me an arm’s length,

I go towards him two-arm’s length;

and if he comes to Me walking,

I run to him.

(Bukhari)

Its a simple answer to our every day problems starting from house hold, business, education, ruling a country and you name it. On the contrary, its a strange and painful reality that majority of the Muslims do not have the basic knowledge of Islam as they do not study Translation of the Holy Book Quran by themselves and are often confused by the so called Authorities on the religion, Lets review our Quran, its far better spending time on Quran than reading of the international best sellers and watching the greatest of the movies and documentaries. I have tried it and felt very good cause it took out most of the confusions I had in my mind. Lets be clear about the concepts of Islam by putting in our effort to study Islam on our own first and if needed seek guidance from any scholar who does not spread the word of violence and hatred in his books or speeches.

We are in the most difficult time of our history our Book clearly teaches us cricis management through following the Islamic principles, encourages unity, mutual consultation, equality, justice, rule of the law, respect for women, elders and children and above all the right and responsibilities of each and every individual in a society.

So the message is simple, precise to the point for all of us to re-think our standing on the current scenario.

The complex of Casts and Sects: The seed planted by the British, has now grown in to a poisenous Tree of Hatred!

Divide and Rule, the golden and proven successful policy of the British which helped them in ruling the Sub-continent for years. The irony is that they landed on our land with a handful of traders who formed East India Company.

Read the history and relate it to our present day scenario, Are not we spending rather wasting half of our life time in developing grudges, differences, hatred and lack of co-operation entirely based on our religious, ethnic, casts, sects and regional differences. Our pace for the development is very slow cause we have time for every thing other than the positive contribution to the prosperity of Pakistan. We can not leave our false visions and un-realistic mind sets cause we take pride in representing a certain group or tribe in our society. We consider it a Taboo to study the clan norms whether these are correct or not cause we are blinded by the base less faith and wrong sense of attachment to our beliefs. Freedom to exercise basic religious rights is a key in spreading of Islam from the days of Mohammad peace be upon him. All I see people encashing the negativity's (in our thinking) of any sect or religions or even a group of people who share similar ideas about life, on the contrary we should have highlighted the positivity and let them people analyse it and then join us.

Am not a religious scholar or somebody having political likes or dislikes to comment on religion, tribes traditions, life complexities, life styles and beliefs of the people. As an ordinary man I would request all of us including myself to get out of a shell of complex and wrong perceptions and start treating each other as human beings first. Our hate, wrath and love is being channelised and mis-used by the people we call leaders, heads, scholars etc for their vested interests. This built in Biases in us force us to comitt blunders, take wrong steps and ignore the truth which results in an over all degradation of socio-economic system. It effects the over all of well being of citizens of a country cause certain areas and people are continuously neglected and their growth is halted as well. This dejection and neglection builds up a sense of deprivation and loss and feeling of uni-directional wrath for the people who are responsible for it. Years of harbouring grudges comes up with a volcanic explosion of grief and anger sentiments which forces people to struggle for their own seperate independent home land: A state with in a state is their solution to the problem. What I have seen so far after studying the life styles of heads of various different clans, groups, tribes, schools of thoughts, religious activists, social welfare organization etc is the fact that "If you are not part of the solution, you are certainly part of the problem"

Now many of you comment that what on earth does the above statement mean? The answer is that the people who are blindly followed by the people can make things worst and can also make a heaven out of our country which is being struck by a wave of terrorism, ethnic violence, religious intolerance, law and order troubles, justice and above all badly treated common people.

They all need to sit together and find a solution to this problem, we want to and should reflect a picture of a United and strong Nation to the world and especially to the countries who do not believe in very existence of our country. Now who will bell the cat, the leaders find it against their will and egos to be flexible. The West always wanted us to be weak and dependent on them on each and every aspect from running of government, technology, security and above financial survival and above all they want to weaken our armed forces strength with in the region.

Lets study the extract of an email from a friend to understand the long term negative intentions of the every country against Islam and Muslim world.

A famous and an honest Pakistani bureaucrat, QUDRATUALLAH SHAHAB, wrote the following in his autobiography, SHAHAB NAMA, in page 778. I have translated this from Urdu to English:

‘‘In 1969, when I was a member of the executive board of UNISCO, one of my friends from Poland was angry that Russia is influencing Poland against the will of polish people. The Poles were against the Soviet bloc and they didn’t like the Soviet influence in Poland. But the Polish government was a client of the Soviet Union. My polish friend was one of the senior and experienced foreign affairs officers of his country.

One day during a chat and discussion he said, ‘Although Russia and America are enemies but on some issues they become friends.’

I was surprised and asked, ‘For example?’

He said, ‘For example, PAKISTAN.’

‘I was stunned. I requested him to explain.’

On my request he explained, ‘It is a reality not hidden from whole world that the Pakistani military is one of the highly disciplined and professional military in the WORLD. And that REALITY is not acceptable to both countries, I meanRUSSIA and AMERCIA.

1. RUSSIANS are looking towards AFGHANISTAN

2. RUSSIANS are looking towards ARABIAN SEA

3. RUSSIANS favor India and want to support that country

But the PAKISTANI MILITARY is the main OBSTRUCTION in the path of all these three RUSSIAN objectives.

And

1. AMERICA‘S real and original faith is with ISRAEL

2. AMERICA wants friendship and alliance with INDIA

America is a friend of Pakistan only in name. And the AMERICANS know very well that ONLY THE PAKISTANI MILITARY AND PAKISTANI NATION can confront American designs. And that the PAKISTANI ARMY AND NATION HAVE THE PASSION TO FIGHT AS WELL if attacked. So the PAKISTANI MILITARY is the main OBSTRUCTION in the path of American objectives.

INDIA also does not like the PAKISTANI MILITARY.

In this way, the decimation and destruction of the Pakistani military is the main objective of RUSSIA, AMERICA and INDIA.

That’s why they all want to weaken the Pakistani military and the Pakistani nation, destroy it and to make it useless.

‘But how will they achieve this combined goal?’ I asked.

He laughed and than said, ‘They shall engage PAKISTANI ARMY in civil and government matters as much as they can for a long period by pushing them to take over governments.’

Then QUDRATUALLAH SHAHAB comments:

‘‘This conversation took place in 1969, when the Soviet Union had not invaded Afghanistan, nor was Bangladesh movement started. Out of 17 years of independence, 13 years have gone to MARTIAL LAW. And I am in fear may be those American, Russian and Indian objectives are about to complete…”

So what are we waiting for? Why do we always realise the severity of the things when most of the damage has already been done? There is no point cursing our leadership of their wrong doings cause we did not play our part to stop them doing it? most of the educated people enjoy a holiday and dont cast their vote on election day, who will bring the change then? If we would be looted by the same thugs in a slightly different stance over the issues and in a disguise of sincere leaders. All of us to play our part to stop this non-sense of division of on the basis of religions, tribes, language etc or our enemies will keep on winning in making us a fragile economy and a divided Nation. We need to be united, if its in our fate to go down under, we go down together with a common struggle to save Pakistan, shoulder to shoulder as Pakistanis and Muslims and not as Mahajar, Pathan, Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi, Christian or Hindu. Who would deliberately destroy the house he lives in? But we are doing it cause of the shades of biases and disbelief on our eyes. Lets start an effort from with in a family to stand united and then spread this effort across every house, every city and across Pakistan. We lost east Pakistan, we will not let any body to dare parting our fellow country men no matter who they are and where they live.

Lets make it a resolution for our rest of lives for the betterment of our generations to come.

"Are you with me Pakistan?"

The Effective Stress Management!

Some of the good things I learnt from the web on stress management, worth reading for all of us no matter which age group we are.

Are you stressed? Who isn't? At one time or another, we're bound to feel stress from work, family, finances, social situations, or illness. It might be acute, short-term stress which comes from being stuck in a traffic jam or your boss confronting you at work. Or it could be chronic, long-term stress, the kind that comes from being in an unhappy marriage or taking care of a sick family member for a long time.

At times, some stress is motivating, like when it helps you win a competition or meet a deadline. But we mostly think of stress as a negative or uncomfortable feeling that we associate with sweaty palms, a racing heart, and feeling out of control.

Do you want to live stress-free? You may be wondering if that is even humanly possible. To be realistic, you may not be able to live your life with absolutely no stress at all, but you can be free from stress. What I mean is, that you don’t have to allow stress to hinder you. Even though some stress is unavoidable in life, you can manage your life so that your experience with stress is limited, and so that the negative effects of stress are practically non-existent.

Causes of Stress and the Problems it can Cause

Change can be really stressful. Reactions to good or bad changes vary greatly from person to person. Typically, the more significant the change, the more stress it can cause a person. Marriage or divorce, promotion or termination could be cause for someone to feel stressed. Other common causes for stress are heavy workloads or increased demands on your time and energy, financial issues, and all aspects of parenting.

When you begin to feel worried, anxious, or afraid about something, your body tenses up and stress hormones to release throughout your body. These hormones are helpful in emergencies, but since your body is not meant to sustain that level of high-energy overtime, prolonged stress can be harmful to your health. Fatigue, back pain,insomnia, upset stomach, and weight gain are all symptoms of prolonged stress.

This can also lead to emotional and psychological problems like anxiety or depression. Your relationships can greatly suffer if you are undergoing chronic stress.

These are the reasons why it is important to learn how to reduce and manage stress in your life.

How to Reduce Stress in Your Life

Often times stress enters our lives when we feel like we are losing control. There are two ways that we can combat this type of stress. First, don't worry about things that you have no control over, like the weather and the choices other people make. You can have an influence on the latter, but ultimately, you cannot control others. The second thing that you can do is take control over what you do have power over: yourself. This means prepare for changes that you know will happen. When things take you by surprise, it is up to you to stay cool.

You can also avoid stress by managing your time wisely and treating procrastination like an enemy. No matter what you have to do, take care of it as soon as possible. This will not only keep your to do list from growing to a massive size, but this will also create free time that you didn't know you had. If you stop putting things off, you will be able to relax and enjoy yourself knowing that important things are done.

Another stress-relieving time management tip is to say "no" once in a while. You are probably not a robot, so you can't do everything for everyone all of the time. Be realistic about the number of tasks you take on, and don't try to be a superhuman. Personal time should be kept religiously so that you are refreshed and energized to take care of what is truly important in your life.

How to Cope with Stressful Times

Life is not always easy and regardless of how much time you spend preparing for change and avoiding stress, it will find you. Now what will you do? Here are a few quick tips that can help reduce feelings of stress when it comes:

- Exercise
- Meditate
- Talk about it
- Write about it

Getting to the root cause of the stress can help you cope with it better. Sometimes communicating with someone else or getting your emotions down on paper can greatly relieve tension. Exercise is a great way to combat the physical side effects of stress, and meditation can help you find inner peace and relaxation.

Knowing all of this, you can live your life with less stress.

Different things can trigger stress in different people. For instance, planning a big house party or having to give a speech might delight you but totally unnerve a friend.

How you respond to stressful situations depends on several things, including your:

• view of the stressful situation – How bad is this? Can you get through it?
• general outlook on life – Do you tend to be more positive or negative?
• general health and well-being – Are you well-rested or sleep-deprived? Do you have a healthy diet or live on junk food? Do you get enough exercise or is there never enough time to fit it in? Are you healthy overall or do you have chronic health problems?

Many people who never seem to get stressed have learned to cope successfully with stressful situations.

Stress Affects Your Health

Any stress that keeps occurring can lead to getting sick more often; problems concentrating, sleeping and eating; high blood pressure and heart disease; and anxiety and depression. In other words, left alone stress can be bad for both your physical and mental health.

That's why you want to get control of your stress before it controls you. The time and energy you spend managing your stress will pay off in the long run by promoting health and happiness. Here are five steps to help you get start:

Steps to Less Stress

Make a list. Think of the things that cause you the most stress. Write them down, along with the level of stress they cause (off the charts versus a great deal) and how they affect you (keep you awake at night, make you feel shaky inside, etc).

Take control. Decide which things on your list you can do something about. Remember that you might not be able to control everything on your list. For instance, your children leaving home or traffic jams are the trying parts of life. Even though you can't control these events, you can control how you react to them. Instead of getting worked up during morning rush hour traffic, use the time in your car to listen to a book on tape or a morning radio show. Even small changes can make a difference and help you feel more in control of your life. Pick one or two of these suggestions and try them.

• Assign some of your household chores to other family members.
• Sign up for community services to help you care for a sick parent.
• Start planning early for the holidays – create a budget and stick to it.

Unload and learn to say "no." If there are things at home or at work that you just can't or don't want to do, let them go - cross them off your list if you can. And don't commit to new things just because you feel you have to. Say "no" to heading up that new project if you already have too many duties at work. Let someone else run the church bazaar this year.

Learning to say "no" might take some practice. It might feel uncomfortable at first. But taking on too much and failing is more stressful than "passing" on a request in the first place.
Work on shedding the "perfection impulse." Don't expect perfection from yourself or others. For some things, doing an okay job is just fine.

Practice setting limits. The key to setting limits is to first set priorities. Decide what is most important for your family and you, and set time aside for those things, such as family meals, fun time, or retirement planning. For everything that falls outside your priority list, ask yourself, "What's the worst thing that would happen if I didn't do this?" If you can live with the answer, then drop it from your 'to do' list.

Learning to manage the stress in your life can help you live healthier and happier; enjoy your job, family, and friends more; and focus your energies on the things in life that really count.

The strong politics at the work place: The hidden reason of slow progress!

Politics is some thing that has a vast scope and meaning in Pakistan. It is not only done by the political parties, its being regularly exercised in all walks of life especially in the government sector organization and private companies.

Hiring and firing in government sector is politically motivated and in private sector it is influenced by law of necessity that is when you need good professionals your hire them use or mis use them for short term and then get rid of them. There are no free lunches in this world, the relation of an employer and an employee goes on smooth when an employer is getting 20 times in return what he is paying the employee.

We are politicians by nature and when it comes to work place, nothing harm any organization more than the politics between the employees. We do not believe in preparing number two or second in command in private sector because of the fear of the un-known that we might loose control or even or own job cause a junior might be a good and in-expensive option for the management if he is trained well. This unfortunate problem deprive good organizations of trained and professional middle management.

We cant stand bright, more qualified and honest people around us, so when ever such a gentleman or a lady joins an organization, a group of people who believe in negative tactics, gathers around and decide to throw the new talent out of the company with back biting, politics, and negative feed back to management. So resulting in exit of a true talented employee which should be treated as an asset to any organization.

If you visit un-organized government and private sector organization, you will see every body working in such a manner as if they are doing an extra ordinary favor to the nation by working for two hours daily and rest of the hours busy in politics, cursing society and in net working. We are an under developed country and need a collaborative effort to improve our economy by working hard round the clock and giving 100% effort with an extra 1%. The extra one percent is some thing that is not taught at schools and trainings at organization. The extra one % is your readiness to serve people with a smile, going all ends out to help them and realising that you enjoy serving people and not taking it as a burden.

Hiring and firing can be done on the grounds of the performance of the people. We often see that the people who are not good at work but still grow through their multi dimensional abilities of lip servicing for their seniors and making use of the politics to be in the favorite books of the seniors. Politics on the work place discourages the over all growth of any organization and and of the people working there, this can be eliminated when people are given proper contracts/appointment letters and their job description is designed and documented based on their contracts. Secondly it should be made clear that appraisal will be based on performance only. We see managements in Pakistan to hire a professional at 2000 us$ and ask feed back regarding performance from a so called trust worthy junior drawing us$100/month. To discourage such culture, a proper HR and ADMN department should be functional to guide the management.

We are becoming intolerant as every day passes by. We do not work hard to get success but at the same time can not tolerate some body else's growth which he or she got with the effort and hard work. We cant stand juniors who are more qualified and more talented than us, we can not stand people who believe in work only and dont engage themselves in other time wasting use less activities like long tea and lunch breaks etc, we can not work under female boss and or with female colleagues and also do not treat our female juniors very well. This is resulting in a lot of people quitting jobs, leaving Pakistan in desperation as their hard work is not rewarded and in the worst case scenario become part of the culture and looking for short cuts rather than the usual hard work.

This is the biggest draw back in our day to day working with in the organization whether in government sector and private sector. The CEOs must realize it first, then the trickle down effect should take place first and every body should realise that they have got to contribute positively to the success of the organization from where they are earning livelihood for their family. This lesson has to be learnt quickly before its too late and all the educated, well groomed and talented professionals out there in the field must realise that if they start correcting their approach on personal level, a significant number of people will start following them and good people will not be a minority in coming 5 to six years time. Its a big ask but it needs some point to start and I start it by correcting my actions first and then expecting it from the people around and the people who will read this article.

And we Talk about Equal opportunities and respect for Women!

Read the below the resignation of a female journalist and be part of her cause

Article taken from Pakistan Politics - http://pkpolitics.com
URL to article: http://pkpolitics.com/2009/06/24/sexual-harassment-of-female-journalist/

Sexual Harassment of Female Journalist
Posted By admin pkpolitics On June 24, 2009 (11:36 pm) In News

A female correspondent of Dunya News, Maheen Usmani has recently resigned on protest of Sexual Harassment by Managing Director Yousuf Baig Mirza. Attached is her resignation letter address to the HR department.

________________________

June 15, 2009

Dear Director Human Resources,

It was with great expectations and high hopes that I became part of Dunya’s launch team in November 2008, and I took great pride in being part of Dunya ‘family’ as it climbed the ladder of success and gave tough competition to leading channels. Seven months later, it is with great regret that I have decided to tender my resignation as the circumstances have forced me to leave this organization due to the continued harassment, coercion and highly unethical conduct of the top management of Dunya News.

Now it has become unbearable to work here as the situation has increasingly turned out to be insecure, rather punishing, for professional female journalists who want to work, as well as, protect their self-respect. I have waited with patience since May 11, 2009 that the Managing Director of Dunya News, Yousaf Beg Mirza, would stop abusing his official position and put an end to his ugly tactics of harassing a senior female journalist working here. I, however, was totally disappointed with this organization when I realized that Mr Mirza’s employer, CEO and the owner of this news channel, is not interested in protecting the female employees from the advances of the MD but is in connivance with him.

It was shocking to know that Mr Mirza is being shielded by the CEO of the organization, Mian Amer Mahmood, who was told about Mr Mirza’s indecent advances but he did not stop the MD from abusing his authority. Once it was brought to his notice, Mr Mahmood had given the assurances that no such harassment would take place but not only that this harassment continued, the CEO instead of empowering the Director News or respective Bureau Chiefs, gave the MD more powers to interact directly with the reporters who already felt harassed by him.

This all started on May 11th, 2009 at 10:01 p.m., when I received a call from one of the staff members of the Managing Director, Yousaf Beg Mirza, aka YBM, to confirm my cell number. This was followed by another call at 10:07 p.m., made by the MD. During that phone call, which continued for few minutes, his suggestive talk was loathed with innuendoes, and offers as he counted the expected benefits that a less-important, bureau-reporter can get in return for keeping a direct “contact” with the Managing Director on his “personal number.”

I was shocked to hear the “friendly” MD, who had been denying the contractual rights of male staff members all these months despite repeated reminders, going out of his way to oblige a female staff member. I have worked with country’s best media organizations during my career and never faced such an ugly situation.

Finding the whole monologue, which continued for few minutes, detestable, I immediately brought the matter to the notice of Director News because he was the one who had hired us assuring that our rights will be protected in this organization, which had developed an unsavory standing in the media industry and we also had our reservations about the reputation of the MD before joining it.

I had decided to resign then but the DN asked me to withhold it and let him talk to the MD first. The DN took up this issue with the MD who apologized with the DN over this incident and said he would seek apology from me as well in the presence of the DN.

The DN assured me that such an incident would not happen again and the MD would make an apology to me as well.

However, with the sudden departure of the DN, the situation took the worst turn and the MD found an opportunity to revenge, and hence re-launched his harassment campaign. This was going to happen despite CEO, Mian Amer Mahmood’s, assurances and promises to the outgoing DN that no member of his team would either be thrown out or be harassed by the MD.

Since the CEO was informed of MD’s harassing tactics, Mr Mahmood repeatedly reassured the former DN that no female employee would be harassed by YBM. “Humaray employees hamaray bachon ki tarah hain. Hum un ko protect kartain hain,” were the words which the former DN quoted me as the CEO had told him. Hearing these lofty words, I took a sigh of relief that my life and respect would be protected in this organization but what I forgot was that I was not their own daughter.

What they forgot was that despite their discriminatory tactics, before Allah all daughters are equal. Ayat 195 of Sura Aal-Imran says: “I never let go waste the labor of anyone that works among you, whether male or female, for in my sight all of you are alike.”

Instead of reining in the MD, the CEO gave him an open hand and the MD immediately embarked on a campaign to place obstacles in my path. He insisted on personally scrutinizing a special assignment report of mine in Islamabad instead of previewing it in Lahore. After previewing the report, and throwing his weight around in the Islamabad office, he ordered to withhold it on frivolous grounds.

I did not comply, because the changes were devoid of logic and reason. I had done extensive research for my project and the MD had been unaware of the historical context of Sri Lankan conflict which was not surprising since he is not a journalist, and reasons of his survival in Pakistani media, particularly during former military dictator Musharraf’s era, were other than professional. The bottom line is that the package has been dumped in Lahore, because of the MD’s intransigence and my refusal to “contact” him.

I have been associated for a long time with ‘Meri Dharti Meri Dunya,’ a weekly landmark program of Dunya, which has proved its popularity by garnering commercials, and a wide viewership. On the rating chart the program has been going from strength to strength and at times it registered a much higher rating than any other Current Affairs program of Dunya News and that too without any extra investment of the company.

Due to this huge success, the program got commercials and sponsorship of multinational companies which had also asked for increase in the frequency of the program and to be made it twice-weekly.

Unfortunately, my association with ‘Meri Dharti Meri Dunyai’ has proved to be its death knell, because the MD has set out to destroy this program to teach me a lesson. What he forgot, however, is that he was trying to mess with a credible senior journalist and not one of those female opportunists, who are masquerading as journalists and are being heavily promoted for the last few days on Dunya News.

On 18th May, 2009 I was symbolically put in charge of the program’s production in Islamabad just to streamline the links, their quality and better coordination with the head office. Consequently, we had tried to introduce some innovation in the production and script which got us excellent feedback. However, on 1st June, 2009 the MD forced all concerned working under him to issue another notification and remove me as Production Incharge. But no reason was given for the abrupt and irrational change.

In the next few days, Meri Dharti Meri Dunya’s repeat slot was repeatedly taken away and given to Current Affairs programs which have their own fixed slots as well. On June 1st, Meri Dharti Meri Dunya’s producers were suddenly told at 5:30 p.m., by the Transmission Incharge that the program would not be aired that day at its scheduled and publicized time slot of 7:05 p.m., and it was being replaced by a ‘documentary’. When the producer protested at the sudden axing of the program, he was told that the orders had come directly from the CEO. When the ‘documentary’ aired, we were shocked to see the program ‘One 2 One’ which has its own time slot. Again no reason was given for this unexpected change in schedule.

We were informed that this episode of Meri Dharti Meri Dunya would air next Monday. Two days later, on Wednesday, June 3rd, the Transmission Incharge informed Meri Dharti Meri Dunya’s producers at 6:30 p.m., that the program would be going on air in 30 minutes at 7:00 p.m., instead of the scheduled sports program. The producers protested at this arbitrary and unfair treatment being meted out to Meri Dharti Meri Dunya once again, but were told that the MD had issued the orders.

This was being done despite the fact that a day earlier an announcement was made that President Zardari, Richard Holbrooke and Shah Mahmood Qureshi would address a press conference which would go live at the same time.

Having no choice in the matter, the puzzled producers readied the program and it went on air at 7:05 p.m. Barely 15 minutes later, the program was trashed to live broadcast the scheduled press conference. Instead of spoiling their sports program or airing a 10 minutes bulletin as a filler as is the norm, Meri Dharti Meri Dunya was selected as the sacrificial goat once again.

On 5th June, the CEO, Mian Amer Mahmood, held a meeting with the Islamabad Bureau and when his attention was drawn to the unfair and discriminatory treatment being meted out to Dunya News’ most popular program he was unable to provide any justification for such unprofessional behavior. He did concede that Meri Dharti Meri Dunya had extremely good ratings, and said that the program’s timing was being changed ‘to improve its production value.’

Is the CEO not aware that such distortion of the program has a negative impact on the channel’s credibility, not to mention its marketing value? Despite the Islamabad meeting of June 5th chaired by the CEO, nothing improved for Meri Dharti Meri Dunya and it continued to suffer the wrath of the top management.

On June 10th, the most popular program of Dunya News was once again used as a filler when it was aired at 4:05 a.m. This time it was used to fill Ayla Malik’s program’s repeat slot as the management preferred to withhold her show due to the bomb blast in PC Peshawar earlier in the night of June 9. It was surprising as Meri Dharti Meri Dunya was not repeated during its scheduled time-slot on June 9.

Same day on June 10th, Meri Dharti Meri Dunya was chopped to 20/25 minutes duration and was once again aired, without any prior announcement, at 2:20 p.m.—again as a filler in place of Ms Malik’s show. Feeling disturbed over the situation, I separated myself from the program and told the producers last week that I will not be available for the next episode.

My colleagues are perplexed and keep asking me why a successful program is being systematically destroyed to the detriment of the channel. I owe them the truth and they must know why it is happening.

The reason is self evident—a personal vendetta of the MD against me for not “contacting” him, and which is being aided and abetted by the CEO. The very same CEO, who starts every meeting with a recitation from the Holy Quran and who keeps instructing us to speak the truth and not be corrupt, has given the MD his blessings and sanction to harass a female employee just because she won’t compromise on her principles.

I advise the CEO to refer to Ayat 124 of Sura Al-Nisa: “And those who do good deeds, whether men or women, provided that they are believers, will enter into paradise and they will not be deprived in the least of their rightful rewards.”

When I was hesitant to face an elderly employee at Dunya News who had spoken to me in a vulgar manner a few months ago, Director Current Affairs, Nasim Zehra, had advised me to be brave and “look him in the eye.” Because, Ms Zehra said, he was the one who had stepped out of line. She asked why female employees were so reluctant to speak out and adhered to a conspiracy of silence when in fact there should be a policy of zero tolerance against such creeps. She said that “our” silence encouraged such sleazy elements to continue their sexual harassment.

Her advice made sense to me then and now it gives me the motivation and courage to look the senior management in the eye and ask them: Does this policy of zero tolerance not apply to them?

Journalists fight for the rights of others, but how can we do that when our own rights are not protected and are trampled upon at will by sleazy characters? As a professional journalist, I am shocked at the unethical conduct of these people and their ability to stoop so low. How can they preach to viewers and their employees to speak the truth and behave according to the Quran and Sunnah when they themselves are mired in dubious practices and sleazy behavior in clear violation of the Quranic injunctions?

To them I can only quote the punch line of a promo being aired by Dunya News: “Khuda Sey Daro.” What you sow for others’ daughters, you will reap yourself one day.

During the last few days, I have been thinking a lot on this issue and have ultimately decided not to fall prey to this conspiracy of silence and should take a public stand to expose such shady individuals plaguing the media. This will also put Nasim Zehra’s words to test. I will wait for her to stand up in this cause with me and support a fellow female journalist in exposing such elements and help protect the collective respect of working women.

Under the influence of his desire and powerful position, the MD completely ignored the fact that such an insidious campaign would only destroy the image of the organization, and it would force those seasoned journalists to leave who value their noble professional ethics much more than anything else.

In an effort to improve the legislation to protect women at work places and create awareness about malpractices in Pakistan’s media industry, I am forwarding this resignation to few powerful women of Pakistan such as Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza, former Minister of Information Sherry Rehman, President’s Adviser/spokesperson Farahnaz Isphani, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, national, international media and rights organizations, Chairman PEMRA Mushtaque Malik, Minister for Information Qamruzzaman Kaira, Secretary Information Ashfaque Gondal, and other relevant civil and military institutions dealing with the media.

I am also reporting this to Lord Khalid Hameed, Member House of Lords, British Parliament, Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, Member House of Commons, British Parliament, Asma Jehangir, Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission for Human Rights, Renate Schroeder, Director International Federation of Journalists, Brussels, and I. A. Rehman, Chairman Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

I would like to express my appreciation for my colleagues, the Assignment Desk, the cameramen, and the NLEs who I have had the privilege of working with and knowing during my association with Dunya News. I will miss all of you and our camaraderie, but I would rather be jobless than to continue working for a channel headed by such morally corrupt media barons who treat women in such a cheap manner which is repugnant for any self respecting female. It’s time to root out such people, because they give the media a bad name due to their disgusting and lewd behavior.

Maheen Usmani
Correspondent
Dunya News
Islamabad