An epidemic of immense proportions is taking place in Africa that takes the lives of millions of people every year.  HIV/AIDS, which is the leading cause of death today in the continent, kills more people than any natural disaster, war, famine, illness or disease.  Yet whereas fighting droughts and bringing military conflicts to an end are fairly difficult, the spread of AIDS could be radically reduced through some relatively inexpensive measures.

The facts are overwhelming.  Inhabited by just over 14.7% of the world’s population, Africa is estimated to have more than 60% of the AIDS-infected population.  In countries like Tanzania, where I visited three years ago, almost 9% of the entire adult population is living with AIDS.  While in Swaziland, a small country located just to the east of South Africa, an incredible 61% of all deaths are caused by HIV/AIDS, and have lowered life expectancy from 61 years in 2000 to only 32 years today.

These deaths don’t only cause incredible suffering, they are eliminating an entire generation of teachers, farmers, scientists and most importantly, parents.  This is leaving millions of children without families to fend for themselves, pushing more young people into poverty.

The best way to reduce the spread of AIDS is three fold: education, education and education.  We may find a full cure for the AIDS virus one day, but until then, we have to take preventative measures, and this means teaching young people what AIDS is, how it spreads and what actions they can take to avoid catching the disease, and this means education.

Uganda is the leading success story when it comes to AIDS prevention and education.  In the early 1990s, almost 15% of citizens were HIV positive.  That number is now about 5%.  The country accomplished this through a massive awareness and education programme started by President Yoweri Museveni and the Ministry of Health.

Lack of resources is an obvious challenge for many developing countries, although a great deal of aid is distributed throughout developing countries with high HIV/AIDS rates.  Every dollar counts, and it is amazing what just a little bit of money can accomplish.

I am currently applying for the Do Something Award, a highly popular, American-based charitable award that provides the Grand Prize Winner $100,000 to spend on their own initiative.  I passed the first phase of the application and I’m currently preparing my application for the second and final stage.  My project calls for teams of young people from Africa to teach AIDS prevention and education to children throughout the continent.

Students always respond more to young people their own age, and that’s the key to this project and its success.  I believe that this kind of education will engage and influence young people in Africa like never before, and lead to a sustainable decline in the AIDS epidemic throughout the continent.  For the last three years, I have spoken to dozens of organizations throughout Canada, raising funds for this program.  I firmly believe we will be able to start the project in Africa very soon – before it’s too late.

Author:Bilal Rajan

There is a famous saying that states “to be free, one must be chained”. However, how tightly someone should be chained is something worth debating. If voting was mandatory, those chains would leave no wiggle room whatsoever. Thanks to many distractions, people are indecisive, unaware and probably could not care less about the government. They need to wait until they are ready, before they can put the elections in jeopardy by voting for a party that does not have what it takes to lead a country efficiently.

No one will profit from mandatory voting; as a political party may lose potential votes because the voter was unaware of its policies. The voter themselves will be dissatisfied, since they did not grasp the importance of voting, and just assumed that it was a waste of their time; not knowing how much of a difference they made to that country. Lastly, the people who decided to vote willingly, will be disappointed that the ideal party lost; due to the random votes, and therefore,  the political system is damaged.

In addition, people rebel more when they are forced to do something, and parents of any teenager can confirm this. The citizens of Australia are another example, as it is known that they are required to vote. However, many of them make their votes invalid, refusing to make a decision without comprehending the policies of the various political parties, during that small amount of time that they have to stand in a voting booth.

The government needs to realize that by not voting, citizens are still sending a message that they may want, and/or need to be informed; if they are going to make the right decision that could affect the rest of the population. The 50% of citizens who decide that they would rather skip out on the elections could definitely make a difference. The government needs to educate them about the benefits of voting; instead of making a law that forces them to do something that they have yet to understand. This is why a compromise is the best solution, and if the government would like voting rates to go up, they need to do something about it; to satisfy the citizens. However, if one thinks about it, voting is the least of the government’s concerns. They need to worry about more pressing matters, as voting is not something that taxpayers’ money should be wasted on.

If those citizens refuse to take part in something, it is their choice. Forcing them to do something is a violation of their rights. People are taught to believe that a democracy is a type of government run by the will of the people; and if that majority decides not to vote, they are best left that way. If not, the government would seem like it was betraying its own principles. After all, voting should not be a duty; it should remain as a right. Many people fought for the right to vote and it would be a shame if their efforts were wasted by others that start fighting for the right to not vote.

Any questions, comments or concerns? Email me at ahyakamal@hotmail.com

Author:Ahya Kamal

I was in Islamabad when I got into a heated debate on the United States’ decadence and moral corruption with a gentleman who was nearing 60. He asked me what it feels like to live in North America, how people treat us, what are the living conditions like, is the government fair to us and so on. This gentleman, by the way, had lived in the United Kingdom in 1980s. He was convinced that the West and North America is no place for us to raise our kids; it’s full of evil and the governments there are liars.

I haven’t lived in North America for long – a few years in New York City and a few years in Mississauga. And I have nothing but good to say about the part of the world I live in. The US offered me the best education of the world; my professors were extremely encouraging. In fact they prodded my brain, challenged my views to think rationally but at no time did I feel that they are even slightly pushing me to give up my values or my culture. The debates with diverse groups in class make you more tolerant and open to listening to others’, an attribute we – the South Asians and Muslims -   absolutely need to learn. Just by living and interacting with Americans can at times make us humane.

My sisters and I, and many other girls could walk out of the class at ten at night, sometimes even later than that, without a tinge of fear that someone would pass a rude remark on us or that we are not safe here. I could wear hijab if I wanted to or shalwar kameez, and no one would look at me as if they were X-raying me. I have countless opportunities to grow provided I work hard. Yes there are isolated incidents of hatred or racism but then again we have come from the part of the world where Punjabis don’t like Sindhis and South Indians are not too familiar with North Indians or Beharis have something against Mardrasis, sunnis are up against shias, and wahabis have their differences with deobandis and so on. In fact after 62 years of living in Pakistan, some of us are still mahajir (migrants). Yes, occasionally, people might not sit next to me in New York City transit because I was wearing shalwar kammeez, but what’s the big deal! America and Canada gave me the freedom and the liberty to be who I am and no one can cherish these liberties better than  I can and hundreds of thousands of South Asians and Muslims like me.

I told all this and more to this gentleman but he wasn’t happy with my response at all. He tried to show me a different picture of the US, a picture where George Bush forced the troops on Iraq by lying about Saddam Hussain and the weapons of mass destruction to not only Americans but to the entire world. He tried to tell me how America has no respect of sovereignty of other countries and how she is killing people in Afghanistan and the northern areas of Pakistan using her pilotless planes. He tried to tell me how immoral and decadent the western societies are where our girls go off to marry the blacks and the whites; how our children and teenagers’ character is damaged by morally corrupt societies. Somehow he failed to see and appreciate everything I and many others like me love about North American and the Western societies. He also forgot to mention that Americans didn’t like Bush’s policies so they elected a Democrat as a President of the US. And that the UK’s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will probably face an inquiry commission on Iraq.

Somehow this elderly gentleman’s views – which of course are the views of a very select group – have seeped into the minds of South Asians and Muslim young men and women living in North America. They have been born and bred in the most beautiful part of the world, they hold the US passport, yet they are getting terrorist training. They are going to Pakistan, Yemen and Syria to get military training and are legitimately coming back to the US – the scenario that has the US government concerned as it rightfully should. Ms. Anne Patterson, the American ambassador to Pakistan, believes this is a “nightmare scenario” about which a government cannot do a whole lot. She added “It’s not very many. But it’s hard to get a precise number,” Patterson said.

However, as a community we can and we should step up to help our governments.

Yes people especially youth are distraught with the US government’s lack of initiative on Palestine and its lies about Iraq, but can you – can anyone – think of a country where you can live so blissfully and criticize the governmental policies at the same time. Mind you, criticizing the policies is very different from criticizing the state that has given you everything.

Can you be critical of the government in Saudi Arabia, in Pakistan, in India? Human rights’ violation in Saudi Arabia is well documented, however very few people criticize the Saudi government. In fact many people associate criticizing Saudi practices with condemning Islam.

As a community, as parents and as teachers we need to be mindful and watchful of who our kids and our youth are interacting with, what their background is, what their views and ideology is and what are they preaching to our kids. Many of the imams in the community are not very knowledgeable even about the Quran and other revealed books of God; they know very little of sciences and literature and culture of other societies. We have to carefully see what our kids are being taught at Islamic schools. No one is saying anything against the religious studies, however being radicalized is dangerous, very dangerous for all of us. Remember Osama bin Laden was only one man and he has ruined the name of Islam and Muslims throughout the world. Our adults have grown up in the societies where tolerance, patience, respect for women and ideas is not very much appreciated. For them to live and raise kids in an open society where almost everything is up for debate and criticism is hard.

In addition to that we live in a virtual world where the information is out there for us to access, comprehending and grasping it is another story though. We live in a world where we can conquer hearts and minds of people through google, twitter, youtube, facebook and several other social networking sites. Violent acts, bombing buildings, shooting at people disgusts human nature at a very basic level. If you want to get your message across, use technology and your brain. We should be envious of Jews’ success in North America. They have made inroads into the society not by using guns but by using their minds and education. Jews can tell stories of how they were discriminated and racially targeted, yet they have succeeded by their hard work, and not by using guns. And so can we.

Thinking about harming such a country is mind boggling to the majority of people. Here in Canada, the Canadian government added the name of Al Shabaab in the list of terrorist organizations whose activities are banned in Canada. Al-Shabaab means the youth. According to official press release “The Government received reports from the Somali community that Al Shabaab has attempted to radicalize and recruit young Canadians. The listing of Al Shabaab will help the Government of Canada to better support the Somali community of Canada.”

If gentlemen like the one I got into an argument with is in any shape and form the mentor of our kids in North America, we should be beware of them. We have to teach our kids the blessings of the Western societies. And about that moral corruption part, it’s up to you to adopt it or leave it. We have this freedom too.

Author:Asma Amanat

Just three years ago, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed February 20th as the World Day of Social Justice, which will be observed for the second time in 2010.  Although not a controversial subject, the term “social justice” means different things to different people.  Generally speaking, the concept refers to policies that ensure equality and fairness to all people, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, age, economic class, nationality or religion.

It also includes every individual’s right to speak out, vote, participate in the political process, and join an organization of their choosing.  Social justice also entails economic rights for all people, including the right to a good-paying job, health care, education, housing and an overall decent standard of living.

Sounds almost impossible, doesn’t it?  But for many people in Canada and other countries around the world, many of these rights have generally been achieved.  It certainly didn’t come about overnight, and there’s a lot more work to do right here in Canada with regards to issues like equal rights, homelessness, and poverty, but just think of the huge progress we’ve made over the 100 years, or even 25.

On this World Day of Social Justice, states around the world are invited to devote this day to the promotion of concrete national activities in accordance with the objectives and goals of the World Summit for Social Development.  As recognized by this Summit, these goals aim to build solidarity, harmony and equality both within and among countries throughout the world.

To achieve “a society for all,” governments make a commitment to the promotion of social justice at national, regional and international levels.  They also pledged to promote the equitable distribution of income and greater access to resources through equality and opportunity for all.  This is especially important.  Since World War II, the world has become a more unequal place, not only within countries, but between the wealthy “North” and the Global South.  Certain policies have made these problems even worse, and only recently have governments acknowledged this problem and have begun to work together to find solutions.

Governments have also recognized that economic growth should promote equity and social justice, and that a “society for all” must be based on respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The observance of the day should contribute to the further consolidation of the efforts of the international community in poverty eradication, promotion of full employment, decent work, gender equity and access to social well-being and justice for all.

What is most interesting about this struggle for social justice is how similar it is throughout the world.  Whether you live in Scandinavia, the Middle East, or South America, all people want to be treated fairly.  Everyone wants to live in a decent society, where children can go to school, where people can access health care, and where citizens can vote freely and participate in the role of government.

This may sound like a dream.  But as we see from history, by working together, dreams can come true.

Author: Bilaal Rajan,UNICEF’s youngest fundraiser and advocate.

Valentine’s Day takes place this week in the western world on February 14th, and it is important to understand the real meaning of the holiday and how it can influence people to make the world a better place for all of us.

A number of early martyrs in the second and third centuries A.D. were named Valentine and later honoured by the Catholic Church for the struggles they led against the oppression and injustices of the Roman Empire.  In fact, Saint Valentine refers to the names of several of those martyrs, especially Valentine of Rome, who died in 269 AD, and Valentine of Terni, who died in AD 197.

February 14th is known more today for the celebration of romantic relationships, but should really be a day to recognize family and friends and how much their love means to us.  For myself, I thank my parents and grandparents and my friends for being there for me, especially during challenging times.

But Valentine’s Day should also be a time when we reach out and show our love to others.  An ancient Chinese proverb from Chapter Eight of the book, Making Change, says it all: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.  If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.  If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.  But if you want happiness for a lifetime, then help somebody.”

And who says this has to be for a family member or friend?  Why can’t we share our love even with those who are complete strangers, especially those who are in need?  There is no rule which says that Valentine’s Day has to be celebrated with those we already know.

This could mean holding an event, raising funds for a charity, or volunteering with a local organization, for example, that takes care of animals, cleans up the environment, or helps the homeless.  And even more importantly, who says we have to love or care for others on only one day of the year?  Why can’t we extend this for others every single day?

The roots of Valentine’s Day may lie in Europe, but really all people throughout the world want to live in a society where we love and care for each other, and especially help those who are suffering in times of need.  It doesn’t matter where you come from, who you are, or what faith you practice.  There is an abundance of need right now in the world today, and those who have the tools to help others must do so.

As legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”  That is what the Valentines did almost 2,000 years ago on behalf of their fellow citizens.  Isn’t that what Valentine’s Day should be about?

Author: Bilal Rajan

As performers of power, Shoaib Mansoor gets us to the scripts we perform for the sake of god – Khuda Keh Liye.

Does God Matter? Could God explain the strike? Perhaps. Given that we are controlled by the Gods of social things, e.g. the God of York* & the God of CUPE*, power will always conflict with power and gods will always be at odds. Perhaps that is what led to the command of a strike. Perhaps this is what has led to so much more strife beyond York.

This conflict of the gods creates the contextual battleground for Pakistani director, Shoaib Mansoor’s film “Khuda Keh Liye” ( For the Sake of God ) .It visualizes the power that sets flames to the social world, its beings and things. Released in 2007, the film takes us to a zone of intense social conflict, a battle on a bridge. The scene is set between Pakistan and the United Kingdom along with the United States of America. But importantly, not only does the East meet the West, but the East meets the East and the West meets the West. Social order is captured at its most chaotic and when the gods ( the state, religion etc ) declare a call to arms, it is the social world, its beings and things who bleed endlessly.

Before visiting Mansoor’s visualization of the site of power, take a moment to examine your own performance in the social world, as a social being in the midst of social things. What clothes do you wear? What language do you speak? How do you do the things that you do? Where, when and why? It should become obvious that all that we do is only possible because of the power invested in those over us. We perform for power and Shoaib Mansoor reveals how the performances of two Pakistani brothers in Pakistan and one Pakistani girl in London cause them to pay for their empowering performances against overpowering power. We become socially able only once we perform power and if we attempt to negotiate in social intercourse, we see reprisals for the sake of god, Khuda Keh Liye.

Set in a time zone ticking towards 9-11, the film presents Sarmad and Mansoor as two brothers who are having the time of their lives in  Pakistan’s music industry : the melody of their lives is performed to an allured audience who temporarily  gift them the power to perform. However, opposed to this power is a group of Islamic Fundamentalists who penetrate Sarmad’s mind and warn him of his short span of time on earth as well as the need to conduct himself with a strict social sense. They lead him to oppose the music he has attained fame for and a time comes when Sarmad departs from the family home. In the meanwhile, across another time zone,  Mary/Mariam, a UK  born girl to a Muslim father and a white, Christian mother faces the wrath of her father. She is in love with a white, Christian boy, Dave, and her father gives in to community pressure. He believes that he is saving his daughter in the nick of time and he cunningly takes her to Pakistan and marries her off to Sarmad. A successful band disbands, a brother breaks off from the home and a forced marriage in a barren space on the Afghan border – the social world of these social beings takes a complete twist and just after Mansoor arrives in Chicago to pursue his studies in Music, time comes to a haunting holt – 9 /11 strikes. The times that follow make this movie worth every second.

The power of this visual project lies in its exposition of the gods that come to dictate our social world. Each group in this film believe themselves to be following a righteous path and it is this belief that pits them against one another. In the end, the body bleeds the soul out and we are left in a world that swims in the blood of those who act for the sake of god. There is much to be said about this state but I leave it to you to dive into this pool. Mansoor does not attack the concept of god or gods. Instead, he asks us all to meet with our gods to realize our demons. As performers of power, this is the one film that gets us to finally meet the script we perform for the sake of god – Khuda Keh Liye.

* is a reference to the last strike @ York U

Author: Ali Abbas

The recent earthquake tragedy in Haiti continues to devastate the lives of millions of people.  Possibly 300,000 individuals have died, with hundreds of thousands of more injured, and there is major damage to housing, schools, hospitals, national landmarks and even the Presidential Palace.

Individuals and public and private organizations around the world have joined in the relief efforts.  Personal and business donations, assistance from governments, and rock concerts are just a few of the activities taking place.  The Haitian government is also doing all it can to provide emergency shelter and medical care to those in need.

As a UNICEF Child Representative and Ambassador, I recently launched a fundraising challenge to all youth and schools throughout Canada to raise funds for the Haitian relief efforts.  Called the “Help for Haiti Challenge,” I’m asking each student to raise a minimum of $100.  And to have a little fun, I will shave my head in honour of the school or student that raises the greatest amount of funds.  That’s right.  I’m going to shave my head.  I’ve participated in over 25 media interviews over the last few days discussing my fundraising challenge, and I think it’s really going to propel young people in Canada to take action.

There are a thousand different ways to raise funds.  Why not get together with your fellow students and organize a book and magazine sale, or hold a DJ dance party and charge people for tickets?  You could also hold local car washes on weekends in your community.  So start talking with friends and brainstorm for those unique ideas that are sure to make your school the leading fundraiser!

Besides this earthquake, the people of Haiti have already suffered through decades of political oppression and poverty.  It has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the world, and things like education and health care are luxuries to hundreds of thousands of people in the country – and this was before the earthquake.

Most experts agree that the tragedy of the Haitian earthquake isn’t going to go away anytime soon, and that the reconstruction efforts are likely to take years to complete.  This is why it is so important to keep up the momentum that has been started by millions of people and hundreds of charitable organizations around the world to bring relief to the Haitian people.

You can also go to unicef.ca and make a donation to the Haitian relief efforts right now.  It is important to note what as little as $25 or $50 can do.  This could bring much needed drinking water, food and health care supplies to a group of children.  Despite claims that there are backlogs of aid failing to get to people due to the country’s poor infrastructure, most of these have cleared up and according to the most recent reports, aid is running smoothly into all areas of the country.

When it comes to emergency situations like Haiti, time is of the essence.  So please don’t wait another minute and start making a difference right now.

Author:Bilaal Rajan

Some pray to Jesus. Some pray to Allah. Some to Ram. Some don’t pray at all. I’d probably fall into the last category. I don’t pray to anyone. Then again, perhaps ‘pray’ is the wrong word. Belief, or faith, might be more apt. I don’t believe in God – though not from a lack of trying; perhaps from a lack of conviction.

We have often heard stories of atheists who had an encounter that changed their lives forever – an encounter that turned them from strict non-believers to even stricter believers. I’ve never had such an encounter.

Nathdwara Temple

But I did visit a temple.

Nathdwara, a remote pilgrimage site for Hindus, located about two hours from the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan. It holds the shrine of Shrinathji, an image of Krishna. People come from all over the country to pay homage to the shrine. It’s quite a tourist spot.

Tagging along grudgingly with friends who were anxious to visit this temple, tolerating two hours on a hilly road, I reached this destination. At least, that was what the driver told us. Once we got off the car, it was a ten-minute trek through a maze of small streets, bypassing the dozens of keen shopkeepers on the lookout for keener customers, and of course, avoiding the swish of the masters of the roads – the cows.

By the time we reached the entrance, I was even less sure of entering. But seeing the eager look on my friends’ faces, I trudged along.

There were two options – pay a special charge in order to by-pass the crowd and get ahead, or wait in line. Initially, we decided to brave it like everyone else, but the moment we saw the line waiting to go inside, our minds were changed. Trying to suppress the guilty conscious as we passed the waiting crowd, we followed our guide through a route confusing enough to lose each other and never meet again. We went ahead and entered a room filled with comparatively few people.

The guide saw our questioning gazes and told us to wait. So we waited. Then waited some more. It was quiet – very quiet. Suddenly, the doors opened.

And then we heard it.

Ever heard the sound of a dozen elephants charging full speed at a single target? Now imagine that same sound, only instead of elephants, there were people – hundreds of them. Even though we had passes that allowed us to walk beside them through a partitioned route, the sound and sight were, to say the least, frightening. But I calmed myself, thanking whoever it was that introduced the idea of special passes.

Of course, I forgot. This was India.

The partitioning rope was no match for the crowd. People crossed into our section before we even realized what was happening. And then, before I knew it, I was moving. Not by my own will. The crowd surged forward, pushing, squeezing, pulling, stamping, pushing again – I’m sure you understand the pattern. I was pushed in front of the shrine, and before I even had the chance to fold my hands, I was pushed away from the shrine – right up to the exit. And that was it.

That was my visit to the temple.

Enraged and bruised as I was, I decided never to go to a temple again. I found myself mocking this notion of faith, where a person is not even allowed the sanctity of a moment of prayer. It made no sense.

That incident happened a while ago, but I can’t seem to forget it. It still makes no sense. I still don’t understand this notion of faith. But I can’t help but wonder: wonder at this lot of people who travel across the country, weather rough terrains, bear annoying shopkeepers, easily side-step the cows, wait in line for hours, push and get pushed – all this for a single glance.

All this for faith.

Author:Ruchitta Mittal

Buried beneath the soil of ruin, watered by the drops of  tears , the faded flower of India’s past breathes. This flower, the God of Ahimsa (non-violence), Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, comforts mourners who bleed tears about the violence above the soil, the soil of ruin. This flower once blessed India with the fragrance of freedom. But when the bullets of Nathuram Godse declared that God’s own country had no room for the God-like, the air was polluted with a maddening stench of power. India was massacred by the partition. India did Gandhi mourn : how many Indias must I mourn?

The Ganges of blood that swamped the Punjab in 1947 continues to flow fresh with wounds to the grave of Gandhi in 2015. Today, mourners visit Gandhi and awaken his life with the drops of their tears. And, today, in a battered and bruised body, the mind of technology screams out its heart to Gandhi. The visitor’s body, human in Gandhi’s mind, is comforted by Gandhi’s heart. The visitor’s tears alarm Gandhi. Gandhi knows this mourner but knows not all for which it mourns. What follows  are the words between Gandhi and technology in 2015. What follows is a God in mourning. Gandhi  mourning to a mourner : how many Indias must I mourn?

Seeing humanity in all things, Gandhi sees no thing as nothing. Carefully placing aside the tears, he journeys into technology’s eyes, “I blame you not: I blame not creation for acting out the thoughts of the creator.” But this God is not all-knowing and the tears re-emerge to engulf Gandhi. He resuscitates himself to words once again, “ I preached caution  at your advancement and warned against establishing desire alone above human need. Few took guidance. Many, guided by desire alone, abused you. I desired you for my basic needs and was satisfied with you as a Charkha (spinning wheel), satisfied to work with you and weave a common fabric of existence, the fabric of humanity. Shed tears no more.” But tears erupt again. Gandhi appeals for calm, “Upon your shoulders, I know, was the promise of wealth and to fulfil this promise Hindus and Muslims were slaughtered and carried upon trains to the east and west. Partition was a sin, its  practitioners sinners. You are neither sin nor a sinner, neither violence nor violent. Why do you bathe me in blood?” Screaming in silence, technology silences the silence and speaks, “ Gandhi, forgive me, but with my arms , at midnight tonight, India will be slaughtered again.” God mourns. Gandhi mourns to a mourner: how many Indias must I mourn?

Wounded in 1948 by bullets, Gandhi is wounded in 2015 by words. God is bleeding. Gandhi does not defend against the words. The attack continues, “The people of India are Harijans (children of God) no more and any child who announces to be your child, Bapu (respected father), is an orphan. Caste, the caste of age, has returned to cast its destruction on India.”  Gandhi is growing in pain. Growth is painful. The words fire, “At midnight tonight, India will be cut into two, again. One with many Gods. One with no God. One whose past is present. One whose future is present. Old India. New India.” The pain has yet to possess Gandhi. Gandhi asks of what has possessed the people. Technology performs as ordered, “ The youth of the nation are to cut the hands that fed them. The elderly of the nation are to feed themselves now. The philosophy of the village will remain with the elders and that of industry will be for the youth[1]. Swaraj (self rule) and Swadeshi (self reliance) are the calls of the youth.” Believing the people to be bewitched, Gandhi begs to break the spell, “ Tell me more of what is in the minds of the youth. Perhaps I can speak to their hearts?” God mourns. Gandhi mourns to a mourner : how many Indias must I mourn?

Like an arrow that struggles with the archer, technology reasons with its purpose. An idea queries its implementation. It prints out a transcript of a chat between two youth leaders who have orchestrated the cutting of India. Both leaders control the operations of the leading Indian, Bangalore-based, information technology company Infosys. Gandhi’s eyes cannot see beyond the blindness of love. He cannot read of harm to his love. He instructs technology to read. The transcript reads :

Neo Nehru : 50 % of indiaz population is unda 25! fck!

Gandhiphobe : bang-galore! ah, yea,  gandhi and no sex;)

Neo Nehru :  ah u knw r folks wud do it with a hole in the wall lol

Gandhiphobe : buh, hey, the mre of us, the less of em!

Neo Nehru : chk this out, kamdar’s reprt is  by 2015,  550 millon teenz will be banging it up in india!

Gandhiphobe : 2 yrs will blink by; 2015 purfect tyme to flush dis shit n live!

Neo Nehru : n u know wut? 66 thusand ppl r unda us here; avg age, 27! r backyard!

Gandhiphobe : r manifesto; mummy, daddy : fck off to ur villages with ur allahs n bagwans; m making my heaven here….gandhi, fking retrograde

Neo Nehru : m txting da crew 4 drinks 2nite; nehru was da man, make him r mantra; devlop technological capacity n v will do just that

Gandhiphobe : JAI HO

Neo Nehru : New India. Old India. N no1 will be hurt..muhahahhhahah…

Gandhiphobe : gandhi; LEAVE INDIA TO TECHNOLOGY!

Gandhi understands not a word. He accepts the word. Midnight dealt the final blow. August 15 2015. And Neo-Nehru, Prime Minister of New India, spoke, “ Mr. Manmohan Singh desired to find jobs for the ordinary people. But, New India says, at the expense of the more than ordinary. When the people are divided, keep them so : Old India for the less than ordinary, New India for the more than ordinary. Leave them to God. Leave us to us. Leave New India to Technology.” A bubble of ecstasy enshrined New from Old.

And, now, Gandhi appears wounded in the court of Ram, “Forgive me, God, but I forgave technology. I leave the judgement of its creators, your creation, on you. I, though, am judged : hell is earth. Reincarnate me never. Leave me to me.”

God mourns. How many Gandhis must I mourn? How many Indias must I mourn?

Author: Ali Abbas

Fast-Food Nation

To some, the word nationalism may trigger a sense of revolution, of leaders and politics, but to me, being American is like being a food lover.

We are taught to be American just like we are taught about what tastes good: through subconscious brainwashing. In classes and other processions, we rise to face the cloth that hangs above us all whether or not we feel anything in the ceremony. Over time, it becomes familiar, a custom of habit. Like microwavable frozen dinners. In high school, you have the choice to stand or sit through the pledge depending on which teacher you have, but most stand because its more efficient that way—the less you resist, the faster you’re able to get on with the rest of your day. I learned my allegiance to America before I even knew what it meant or how to spell the word: a-l-l-e-g-i-a-n-c-e. I explored the taste of gummy bears, fruit roll ups, chocolate chip granola bars, pudding, cinnabons, cookies, chips, breaded chicken nuggets and fish sticks, lots of ketchup, pb and j, pan pizzas, and kids meals from Mcdonalds before I knew what “healthy” was. In America, you learn the culture before you find yourself. When you have been repeating this gesture year after year since Kindergarten—it becomes embedded in your person. In fact, it becomes disrespectful to sit down during a pledge after a certain age, especially if you’re an adult fully taking advantage of American opportunities.  It’s the same if you’ve never tried junk food.

Even after a person has figured out who he is and what he wants to do with his life, the taste of America lingers. Every expert says that the taste of junk food is fleeting and momentary, but our brains are pretty good at remembering. The morsels of food may have long been digested, but the taste buds on our tongue do not forget, and the scents remain. So we keep eating and promoting patriotism, wherever we are.

Because we still feel American. We still go to the Independence Day celebrations with the same gusto. I still wake up my siblings early in the morning and convince them to wear red-white-and-blue gear with me (might as well get some wear out of them) and ask my Dad to take us to the parade like old times. Afterwards we bbq in our backyards and pack our picnic blankets for the evening fireworks. And even after all these years, I haven’t forgotten the words to the childhood Yankee Doodle song and the so-called date that Columbus discovered America, even though I now know who really did and when. Much to my husband’s dislike, I love Paula Dean’s cooking and accent and old, western movies because that’s all I ever read about or was taught in class, and its what I know best. I followed American politics like my favorite soap opera on television, and we took elections seriously. I could go on with examples, but its pretty easy to follow: we do what feels good more often than what is right or healthy. And supporting your country feels yummy, most of the time.

On the other hand, I have found that we Americans have a love-hate relationship with our country. We hate our government, but love the land. We hate what they have done to clear the land, but we love building humungous houses and skyscrapers on it regardless. We complain about traffic jams, but don’t stop driving cars. We hate the destroyers of cultures and imposers of imperialism, but we love our history. We groan when we are taught to memorize the 50 states, but later we brag about all the places we have been. We hate on one President, but idolize another. We are proud of being American, but not proud of what America represents.

We eat chocolate cake, and then we run to the treadmill. Or go on a diet. We contradict ourselves, but we are human.

In the same way, that my relatives have come to love Canada and speak with a native accent and watch hockey every other night, my parents still love their homeland, the colors green and white, the food they grew up with, and the land, war-torn or not, was beautiful to them.

In the end, there’s nothing wrong with some Kentucky fried chicken or flag waving, as long as you don’t get carried away.

Author: Iqra Azhar