Rida Nov Dec 2011

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Air 03

Responsibility of YouthAmidst the Present

Troubled Times04

Golden Quotes 05

Ideological Parameters 06

Positive Attitude 07

Islamic Life in America 08

From the Crypt 09

Book Review 10

Interview with Umair Ali 11

Nonversation 12

Poets Place 13

Ode to the West Wind 14

Info Zone 15

I Have Lived With Shades 16

Inside this Issue

And if an evil whisper comesto you from Shaitan (Satan)then seek refuge with Allah.

Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower. Verily, those who areAl-Muttaqun (the pious ),when an evil thought comes tothem from Shaitan (Satan),they remember (Allah), and(indeed) they then see (aright).

(Al-Araf: 200, 201)

ALLAH said:

Narrated by Anas bin Malik:

Allah's Apostle said, "Whenanyone of you appeal to Allahfor something, he should askwith determination and shouldnot say, ;O Allah, if you wishgive me, for nobody can forceAllah to do something againstHis Will"

(Bukhari: 75:350)

PROPHET (S.A.W.W)said:

Chief Editor

Zamin Abbas

Editors

Iqra Chaudhary

Shabeeh-e-Zahra

Editorial Team

Aamna Tariq

Nawazish Ali

November-December 2011

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Editorial

Time was swaying by sluggishly. Following the same strict mundane, there seemed to bethe dearth of life and activity. The Sun, Moon and stars were revolving in their orbits

without any change. There was nothing unusual in the periodic change of the night and

day. Everything in nature was in complete harmony with each other when stealthily eve-

rything changed.

The torrential winds changed to gentle zephyr that blew away the leaves from the trees.

The Daisy was no longer the ballerina of the garden and the nightingale no longer sang

the sweet symphony that natured composed. The river was in calmness and solace. The

moorlands, meadows and the pastures were sprayed with gold and copper dust. The na-

ture visage was covered with earthly tones of maroon and orange which looked even

more exquisite when the chilly sunshine went to rest in the cloud cover near the crimson

horizon. The air was no longer the house of fragrance that came from the roses, jasmine,

hibiscus or fresh alfalfa but was the chimney from where rose the aroma of cocoa beans

and freshly burned coal.

Dear readers, the season of parting has arrived. The time when desolation swirls around

us, we walk companionless on abandoned pathways in the quest to find the eternal soulmate or at times to escape the bitter memoirs that haunt us everywhere we go. But this is

the time when great minds are lost in the wilderness of conflicting emotions- of sorrow,

anguish and at times lust to come out with the best produced literature. Though spring

marks reproduction but it is in fact now that masterpiece works ripen.

With air and sand as topic themes of the month, cascade of fine words has began to pelt

down from the mind and is impatiently waits to be penned down on paper. So with a hot

cup of coffee in hand and sitting on the rock chair with the latest edition of Rida-e

Sukhan in hand enjoy the first feel of autumn and followed by the much awaited winter.

Regards!

For entries, suggestions and any type of feedback, write to:

[email protected]

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Page 3

AirYou are around me. Wearing the invisibility cloak,you stealthily envelop me. You trance around meshrinks so close that you begin to travel on methrough the pores of my skin. My senses becomealive & each goose bump on my body feels you.With a gentle gait you move towards my nostrilsrejuvenating every pore of my body. Waiting im-patiently for such a pleasant visitor my nostrilswelcome you in my body & as you pour in & pourout in a periodic pattern, the stagnant & stale soulis recharged from the dearth of life. New spirit isbreathed into me. I am Alive once again.

I sense you through my senses. You are abstract.Substance less you are with different attitudes &feel. Your expression clear like the crystal watersof fresh streams. You remain calm & composed inthe humid weather. You exhibit your solitude &distress in utter silence as if you never existed.Your anguish & revenge is deadly. You blow inswirls & loops fast. Companion of the tsunamiwaves you balley with the waves to cause com-plete annihilation on the shores destroying thesand castles of my dreams that I created withmuch effort. You blow away all that nature creat-ed & challenge the artificiality that humans createto demonstrate your force.

My footsteps are blown away by you. I find themno where. They are changed into grains of sandthat are deposited in my eyes and make me cry.Mischievously you play hide & seek with me. Youplay with my hair. Tickle & hide in the trees &bushes. The rustling of the leaves & the sweet mel-ody of your voice is the omen of your presence.

In spring you carry the sparrows & geese on yourwings to aid them to the sky. You transport thefragrance of roses, jasmines & chrysanthemums togive the tidings of the season of blooming. You

steer the water Lilly through the pond sheltered inthe confederation of trees.

With the monsoon rains you turn chilly. With au-tumn you scatter the crispy dried leaves all overthe pathways to spread hundreds of exotic colors.On The onset of winter you turn brutally frosty.You and the smoke from the chimneys carry thesound of wolves on full moon night. You benumbmy senses, paralyzing my body & freezing mythoughts, turning me into the cold arctic desert. Iam barren.

In summers you burn me as you blow past me.

Even in the refuge of trees or any shelter you man-age to find me & heat up my eyes. I am blind formoments. You carry searing & scorching heat thattravels to my brain & turns everything grey.

Air youre so strange & vivid. You possess magi-cal powers. Sometimes when you blow you bringback to life the memories of the past. Youtransport them from the forgotten world into thepresent where you see them as if it was like yourown reflection in the mirror. Very clear, very near& very much true.

You wither away the sand dunes, rocks & old

building. You haunt travelers in the abandonedmortals & inns as you welcome them from thesharp & shrill sound of door hinges & broken win-dows.

We are alive because of you. Your one of the fivebasic elements required in the earth formation.You first blew when are world was created.Though your so old but you have not aged withtime but your as fresh & young as you were on thetime of your creation.

Shabeeh-e-Zahra Zaidi

(2008-Environmental)

ARTICLE

Our best built certainties are but sand-houses and subject to damage from any

wind of doubt that blows.

Mark Twain

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

Mother Teresa

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Responsibility of Youth Amidst the PresentTroubled Times

20th October 2009 was a usual sunny day in Islam-abad. Sky was blue and clear, air was filled withscents of approaching winter. Everywhere lifecould be seen in youthful colors and laughters.Cafeteria was rich with appetizing smells, butthen, in an instant everything was turned upsidedown. Two suicide bombers exploded themselvesat the entrance of the cafeteria. The pristine bluesky rocketed and turned red with its blood bath.Air got suffocating with smoke and incense ofburned bodies. Amputated limbs were seen every-

where with warm blood sprinkled everywhere onthe walls. The same place burgeoning with life amoment earlier had gone through a thorough cre-mation a moment later. Final body count was 7dead including 3 women.

For a Pakistani this isnt something new, we havebecome accustomed of hearing about suicide at-tacks, car explosions, and targeted killings and toan extent have become in sensitized with them butthe incident in Islamabad had newer, darker andstarker dimensions. The fatal venue chosen by theterrorists was the cafeteria of Sharia and Law de-partment of International Islamic University, Is-lamabad. This was for the first time in the historyof war on terrorism starting from 2001 that a pub-lic university was hit. No longer could youth ofPakistan remain a distant spectator as now theirvery own existence came under fire.

Pakistan in the recent past is passing through itsmost tumultuous period. The protracted war onterrorism has claimed thousands of lives withnumbers killed jumping exponentially every year.

The quagmire facing the youth of Pakistan be-comes further dangerous as political situation con-tinue to crumble and corruption continues to in-

crease. Currently Pakistan resides at 42nd positionamong the most notoriously corrupt.

The infuriation of the youth is further aggravatedas basic life amenities continue to disappear.Throughout summers power blackout is of suchintensity that on luckier days one is fortunateenough to have 10 hours of electricity. Despitebumper wheat crop 20 women in Karachi died ofstampede while awaiting their rationed wheat.Currently sugar is high jacked by MILL MAFIAand its ransom is too high for the man in street.

Pakistan is going through its worst period, wherethere is nothing but terrorism drenched in the airof mistrust and injustice. Political instability hasled to sky-high inflation, unemployment and bru-tality.

Here, in the current scenario, we all need to chan-nelize our energies of passion and patriotism inone common goal of national interest. Youth, es-pecially, have to take extra responsibility to bringa better change for the society, because they are at

the most influential stage of their epoch. Mere de-mographic nature of Pakistan makes its youth thefulcrum of all activity. By recent estimates Paki-stan is one of the youngest nations of the worldwith 27% of its population between 15 and 25.This means that in a nation of roughly 18 crorepeople nearly 5 crore people are at the door stepsof joining the mainstream. This youth bulge is Ve-suvius of energy and opportunity.

There is no easy solution of the problem that hasgrown over years from a mere whirlwind to amagnitude 5 hurricane. The process is going to beslow and painful as it requires complete educa-

tional overhauling. But the steps must be takennow otherwise it will be too late and too bloody.

First the religious seminaries that have growncompletely out of line must be brought in main-stream. The fundamentalist nature of their teach-ing must be replaced by scientific and technicalknowhow. The graduates of these institutionsmust not be abandoned and ostracized but contin-uously assimilated as useful members of the socie-ty. It is because from this very pool of religiouslyindoctrinated hard core, infuriated and embitteredyouth that terrorist replenishes their cadres. Vari-ous steps have been taken in this regard like set-

ting up of Pakistan Madrassah Education Board.Youth must wholeheartedly support these effortsto modernize religious institutions.

Second most important role is of engaging thesepeople both military as well as with dialogue.

All these military endeavors must be complement-ed by dialogue and rehabilitation of the effectedpeople in normal life. Youth of Pakistan can play akey role in these efforts. Youth instead of abhor-ring these people must invite them and persuadethem to have discussion. Yes, it may be agonizing

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to tolerate the intolerant but we must not give up.The illustrious example of American youth of 60sand 70s bringing peace to Vietnam is before us.

Poverty and economic inequality is the mother ofall social curses as they alienate people and drivethem in the valley of despair. The economic situa-tion of Pakistan isnt rosy for sure but the mostimportant trait of our economy is resilience. Dur-ing 2000-2007 economy grew by an average of5.6%-7% per annum. Several challenges like 9/11,13th December 2001 India-Pakistan standoff, oilprice hike from 30$ to 147$ per barrel, 8th October2005 earthquake and Supreme Court Fiasco werebravely faced by this economy. The present eco-nomic slump in Pakistan is mostly because ofGlobal Economic Crisis that has severely affectedall the world economies. Because of it nearly allthe G8 countries were forced to provide massiveeconomic packages to reinvigorate their ailing in-

dustries. The efforts that started earlier this yearare already proving useful and world economiesare slowly coming back on track. Karachi stockexchange is also showing signs of recovery andPakistan State Bank has also stated 13 billion 90crore rupees in foreign reserves. Hence, youth in-stead of becoming disillusioned by the turn ofevents must see it as the last phases of darkness.

There are various other positives for the youththat are clearly indicating a better future for thenation. Independent Media and the Reinstatementof the deposed judiciary are the most important ofthem. Media over the years has grown into be apotent accountability force. And the independent

judiciary is already asserting itself and giving richdividends. The notorious NRO that swept nearly1000 billion rupees of corruption under carpet has

become its major casualty. Now 8041 individualsthat previously eluded judicial hands will standtrial and this time in front of impartial independ-ent judiciary.

Taking all these positives, youth of Pakistan muststand united and resolute in the face of fear. Theymust not crumble under the oppressive weight ofevents.

Criticism is effortless but implementation is tough.As an individual I have chipped in my effort andam on the path of doing so. Youth Parliament isone of the promising organizations of educatingfuture policy makers, I am playing my preeminentpart there. Pen is always said to be mightier thanthe sword. I am an amateur writer who writes forvarious magazines and organizations to keepthem abreast of the youths voice.

The famous American president Franklin Delano

Roosevelt who steered his country out of greatworld depression and 2nd world war summed upby saying

There is a mysterious cycle in the history of hu-man events; to some generations much is givenand of some generations much is expected

Luckily from our generation much is expected.

Lets DELIVER!

Ubaid-ur-Rehman

&

Anam Asif

(2008-Chem)

Golden Quotes

People are a product of their circumstances. Manan Anwar Obsession is extremism of emotions which has no link with brain and heart. It runs in

blood. Dania Saif

The successor of jealousy is hatred and deception. Shabeeh-e-Zahra Presence of silence does not mean absence of feelings. Aiman Fatima

There is no match for luck. Nawazish Ali Change does not require time. It only needs strong will and determination.

Khushbakht

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Ideological ParametersWhile I was living in London, one day I went tomeet my Pakistani friend near to my residence .

On seeing me in Shalwar qameez, He said! Dontwear shameful dresses here in London at least. Noone respects this dressing here. I was much infuri-ated and said in reply, O Man! Its you who is tobe blamed who considers his own national dress-ing as shameful. Instead of being guilty He re-plied in a high tone ,I belong to that class of Paki-stan who have their breakfast after wearing a tie inroutine. I replied ,since that day when youstarted having breakfast in tie, you have becomethe victim of inferiority complex...the thing whichhas no cure anymore . After that conversation Heended up any type of relationship with me. Aquestion still remains in my mind ...this is theclass that once governed my Country ; I wondersometimes is it the same one who was addicted torule one day my Country? Does it have any at-tachment with the Islamic Democratic Republic ofPakistan whos based on ideology of Allama Iq-bal?

Apparently we succeeded in getting a separatecountry in 1947 and then in 1973 in establishing afull fledge Islamic Democratic structure but in re-

ality we have become the victim of inferiorityposed by English men which has taken our identi-ty. The most shameful thing is that after such along period we are still given lectures to grip forkin our left hand whereas our Prophet (SAW)taught us to eat with your right hand. Just lookaround. Everywhere youll find remnants. Eitherits civil services academy or military academy ;either Lahore gym club or a club in Islamabad;either its official ceremony or a high fi hotel...youwill find forks placed on table at your left side ev-er. Our army at particular is given a training howto grip knife in their right hand and fork in lefthand. Why should we care for what our Prophet(SAW) said? Our officials are trained to eat withtheir left hands and this is the best habit wevegotten from our English rulers many years backand we are still sticking to these habits.

We saw great rulers after 1947; the great ever burcrates. Even the Zia-ul- Haq like Islam implement-ing rulers passed but no one could shift our forkfrom left side to right side of the plate. We knowthat our national dress is Jinnah cap, shalwarqameez and sherwani but every great ruler (eithercivilian or from army) whenever seen in an im-portant event is wearing English suit with tie.Shalwar qameez, nowadays, are worn by just thepoor and common man or are used as sleepingsuit or are worn on Eid just.

Luckily sometimes sherwani can be seen in oathtaking ceremonies of high officials but Jinnah caphas become extinct nowadays completely.

You want to see Jinnah cap and sherwani? Make avisit to big hotels and army/civil servants servingthere or simply the peons in high official build-ings.

Now tell me how can you be victorious? Tell mehow can you get success if you left your ownteachings/Sunnah ? How can we be considered asan independent and honourable nation when ourParliaments are filled with persons having inferi-ority complex? In this way how can we developour internal and external relations freely? How

can we defend our ideological bounds this way?We are so much West obsessed that our younggenerations wear pant shirt in such a rude mannerthat is absolutely out of our Prophet (SAW)steachings. At one side our free electronic media isplaying a big role in attracting our new genera-tions towards western style but at the other handresponsible persons are sleeping tightly. Our na-tion is becoming the culprit of insensitivity withthe days passing.

Responsible corners are silent just because of fearof being tagged as extremist the moment theyspoke a single word in favour of Jinnah cap, sher-wani or shalwar qameez.

Iqra Chaudhary

(2008-ENV)

ARTICLE

The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we

should see through it.

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Positive AttitudePositive attitude towards negative happenings; i.e.undesirable miserable events and misfortunesbringing large-scale devastations in the life or anentire nation; i.e. thinking such events as benefi-cial inspite of the great mischiefs and harms theyhave brought to that individual or that nation andlooking down to ownself as the cause of thoseevents and learning from the mistakes that hap-pened to be the seeds germinating into thoseevents, has been and is a key character to successfor the great successful people and nations of theworld; and is also a part of Eeman of Muslims (tobelieve what Allah does and has done, is in his

favour and for his benefit).See Japan for instance; who withstood the Ameri-can nuclear attack on two of its major cities; Hiro-shima and Nagasaki as well as the recent nuclearblast of a plant of them, without producing hueand cry. It bore all the huge losses itself, didntappeal for help or rescue to anyone and soon pay-ing back for these damages; was again standing inthe queue of the leading developed countries ofthe world. It was only their positive attitude to-gether with their patience and gratitude; whichaided them re-gain their lost repute, status andvalue and rather with continuous and strenuous

effort and struggle, that nation happened to sur-pass the past value. Many other nations; such asKorea and China have also set such excellent ex-amples. And the nations; like Pakistan, Iraq andAfghanistan and other nations presently understress and depression can also get out of theirproblems and sorrows and solve their grieves andmiseries, adopting a similar attitude. What hap-pens is that when a nation thinks the negative mo-ments that come in their life and history as thefaults of their own individuals; instead of blamingAllah or other elements or their enemies and sortthose faults out and positively look down on them

first and then on all their individuals with the aimof rectifying their attitudes and behaviours andpunishing the criminals and those who they findinvolved in unlawful and illegal acts and responsi-ble for those national losses and setting high thestandards of law and punishments for criminalsand then increasing their positive efforts andstruggle towards success; they pave their path toachieving their goals, and such nations with theirbelief in Allah and their powers (their positive at-titude), soon succeed in their aims and ambitions,by Allahs grace. Another positive character of

such great nations; showing their positive attitude,is that during their entire struggle for success, theynever stop because of any grievances or stonesthey have to see/face in their way. They also nev-er feel tired. They remain consistent and steadilyproceed to achieving their destinations. Lovingthis attitude and struggle, such nations are blessedby Allah Almighty.

A similar example at individual level has been setby the founder of SOS Villages; a society estab-lished for housing and proper bringing up andgrooming of orphans and widows; who was him-self an orphan after his parents had expired in asea-side accident, and had afterwards beenbrought up in an orphan-house. He has intro-duced this new system of orphan-houses and wid-ow-homes because he himself experienced thehardships orphans face in orphan-houses and hadtaken all those hardships and grievances, positive-ly. Throughout his childhood, he used to face allthose bad experiences with the sense that one day,he will relieve himself and other orphans of theworld, and though, he could not relieve himselffrom such grievances in his childhood, imple-menting his thoughts and mind-policies, has to-day succeeded in his ambition. In the policy of this

new society of orphans and widows, he has intro-duced the solutions of all those problem he facedduring his childhood in orphan-house. He alsowitnessed the cruelties widows and orphans inother orphan-houses had to face in their life. Amajor achievement he has achieved in this systemis that he has re-established lost families of or-phans and widows; provided orphans with theirmothers and widows with children. This mother-child relation eliminates the sense of deprivationfrom orphans and widows. Widows bring the or-phans up like they bring up their children withmotherly love, and orphans develop extreme at-

tachment with those widows considering themtheir mothers. This family system and social tieseliminates sense of deprivation and the socialcrimes that arise in the society because of thissense of deprivation; such as theft, corruption andthe sense of aggression and revenge which culmi-nates into spreading problems; like extremism andterrorism in the society. These problems havelargely been overcome in countries where thesesocieties have been established. Even in Pakistan,the children who come out of these societies, act ascivilized and responsible members of the society,

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who work for the betterment of the society. Allthese benefits being obtained to the society are justthe fruits of the positive attitude of an individual,who proved his greatness through his attitude andbenefitted the entire world.

The conclusion is that facing all miseries of lifepositively, setting down to their own correction,learning from mistakes at the time of difficultiesand continuing struggle with consistency and pa-tience, and adopting behavior of gratitude is thekey to success of individuals and nations. And

this is the only way, we can help ourselves out ofall our misfortunes, we are facing, today. In otherwords, we should believe in our destinies as whatAllah has decided for us is good for us and shouldalso have will-power and determination to curb itinto our favour through our positive attitude and

positive efforts.Anas Khalid

(2010-Env)

Islamic Life in AmericaU.S houses almost 7 million Muslims comprising2.2 % of its population. The most interesting thingis that this number increased exponentially after9/11. , Muslims in U.S can broadly be classified inthree groups, The African American, those whohave converted and the Migrants. Among whichthe rising lot is of those who are converting to Is-lam, and surprisingly the majority of these are em-bracing Islam in prison by being inspired by theMuslim slaves there. Islam is the fastest emerging

religion in America, which depict two things, onethe autonomy and liberty of religious preaching inthe state and secondly the constitutional authori-zation for religious practicing. But we should notforget that some Muslims have tried to harass thesovereignty of this state due to which the overallattitude towards this community has changed inthat region. The reaction was palpable but it wassurely not justified as after 9/11, the whole of theMuslim community came under suspect and the

extremists revived their efforts against it. The reli-gious freedom sustained by John Adams, G.Washington, B. Franklin, T. Jefferson continued till21st century but was endangered by the state-ments and activism of Terry Jones, issue of Head-scarves, political conflicts and Talbanization. But1,209 mosques still exhibit that Islam is respiringin America. Islamic Society of North America,American Society of Muslims and Islamic Cir-cle of North America are among the prominentorganizations that are working diligently for thepermanence of Islam. American Muslims are notmarginalized from politics and are also part of itsmilitary forces and are among the financiallystrong Americans. So we can construe that Islam isa part of America but need a bit more emancipa-tion.

Anam Asif

(2008-Chem)

ARTICLE

A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is

that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.

Oscar Wilde

The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us, and we see nothing but

sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone.

George Eliot

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King ArthurCompiled by Shabeeh-e-Zahra

England has a glorious past. It is the land wheremonarchy breathes till date. The English countryside is occupied with gigantic castles that surviveto tell the tales of its illustrious rulers & at onetime the almost invincible British Empire.

Today these castles have been converted to hotelswhere visitors from all over the world came to seethe grandeur of this civilization where everythingis preserved & replicated as it was during thedays of its glory.

Since England is all about kings & princes, themyths famous in that region are the reflections ofthis truth. One of the fa-mous myth or in fact alegend of England isabout King Arthur & histwelve knights along

with Merlin the magi-cian.

King Arthur is a legend-ary British leader of thelate 5th and early 6thcenturies, who, accord-ing to medieval historiesand romances, led thedefense of Britain againstSaxon invaders in theearly 6th century. Thedetails of Arthur's storyare mainly composed of

folklore and literary in-vention, and his histori-cal existence is debated and disputed by modernhistorians.

Arthur was the first born son of King Uther Pen-dragon and heir to the throne. However thesewere very troubled times and Merlin, a wise ma-gician, advised that the baby Arthur should beraised in a secret place and that none shouldknow his true identity.

As Merlin feared, when King Uther died therewas great conflict over who should be the next

king. Merlin used his magic to set a sword in astone. Written on the sword, in letters of gold,were these words: "Whoso pulleth out this swordof this stone is the right wise born king of all Eng-land." Of course all the contenders for the throne

took their turn at trying to draw the sword, butnone could succeed. Arthur, quite by chance,withdrew the sword for another to use in a tour-nament. Following this he became King.

He gathered Knights around him and fought backagainst the Saxons who, since the Romans leftBritain, were slowly but surely taking the countryover. After many great battles and a huge victory

at Mount Badon the Sax-ons' advance was halted.

Arthur's base was at aplace called Camelot.Here he built a strongcastle. His knights metat a Round Table. Theycarried out acts of chiv-alry such as rescuingdamsels in distress andfought against strangebeasts. They alsosearched for a lost treas-ure, which they believedwould cure all ills - thiswas the 'Quest for theHoly Grail'.

Under the guidance ofMerlin, Arthur had ob-tained a magical sword from The Lady of theLake. This sword was called 'Excalibur" and withthis weapon he vanquished many foes.

Queen Guinevere, Arthur's beautiful wife broughtromance to the story while his equally beautifulhalf sister Morgan le Fay added a dark side.

Unfortunately, as peace settled over the countrythings turned sour within the court of Camelotand civil war broke out. In the final battle at Cam-lan both Arthur and Mordred, Arthur's traitorous

The section includes all the controversial, multidimensional and broadly talked and accepted theoriesregarding famous myths, objects, people and places from across the world.

FROM THE CRYPT

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nephew, were mortally wounded. Arthur was setupon a boat and floated down river to the isle ofAvalon. Here his wounds were treated by threemysterious maidens. His body was never foundand many say that he rests under a hill with all hisknights - ready to ride forth and save the country

again.Another interesting fact is regarding the roundtable. For centuries the site of the Roman amphi-theatre in Caerleon was known as 'King Arthur'sRound Table'.

Back in the 1587 Thomas Churchyard wrote ofCaerleon:

In Arthur's tyme, a table round,

Was whereat he sate:

As yet a plot of goodly ground,

Sets forth that rare estate...

It would surely have been an excellent place for aleader to address his followers.

Our theory is that somewhere in time the meaningshifted from 'a round meeting place' to a 'roundtable'.

BOOK REVIEWBurnt Shadows

Author: Kamila Shamsie

Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and an Orange

Prize finalist, Burnt Shadows is the fifth novel of Kamila

Shamsie. Two of her previous novels, Kartography and Broken

Verses, have won awards from Pakistan's Academey of Let-

ters.

Description: Nagasaki, August 9, 1945. Hiroko Tanaka istwenty-one and in love with the man she is to marry, Konrad

Weiss. As she steps onto her veranda, wrapped in a kimono

with three black cranes swooping across the back, her world is

suddenly and irrevocably altered. In the numbing aftermath of

the atomic bomb that obliterates everything she has known, all

that remains are the bird-shaped burns on her back, an indeli-

ble reminder of the world she has lost. In search of new beginnings, two years later, Hiroko travels

to Delhi.

Unfolding in four sections, the novel traces the shared histories of two families, from the final daysof the second world war in Japan, and India on the brink of partition in 1947, to Pakistan in the ear-

ly 1980s, New York in the aftermath of 11 September and Afghanistan in the wake of the ensuing

US bombing campaign.

It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what

he takes out of it.

Albert Einstein

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Ed: Asalam- o Alaikum!

UA: Waalaikumuslam

Ed: What are you up to these days?

UA: A lot of things actually... mainly my job andthen there are other activities.

Ed: Kindly tell about your siblings and parents?

Hows your childhood phase?UA: I have a sister, whos an engineer as well, anda brother who is studying MBBS. I am the eldestone. My parents are very loving and friendly peo-ple.

I have been a very naughty child, loved and pam-pered by all, and therefore, my childhood phase isfull of mischief, adventures and colourful memo-ries.

Ed: If you were asked to define Life at UET inone phrase, what would it be?

UA: Worth living again and again!!

Ed: What was your first scribble you jotted downand when?

UA: It was an Urdu short story and I wrote it whileI was in the second year of F.Sc. Actually, Iwatched a movie named HALO, it was about thestruggle of a little girl in search of her lost pet dog.That movie inspired me a lot and I took a piece ofpaper and a pen and wrote two short stories in thevery first go.

Ed: How come you should join LS?

UA: I won the UET Short Story competition in 2007that was organized by LS. I was in my 3rd yearthen. As a token of appreciation I was offered LSmembership as well (although the induction in LSis done only in first and second years). During theevent, the affection and warmth of the LS seniorsseriously inspired me and I didnt know when Ibecame a permanent, regular and active memberof the society.

Here I would like to name, Naeemullah Anmol (04-Mech) he is one of the most loving and lovablepersons I have ever met.

Ed: How do you convey your kernel of the timeyou had in LS?

UA: It was awesome. The best time I had in UET isprimarily because of LS and I sometimes regret not

joining LS in my early years at UET. Despite being

a day scholar I used to spend 4 to 5 hours in theevening and even late at night in UET Sports Cafe-teria (i hope you guys still enjoy those daily sit-tings in front of the sports cafe). I used to have reg-ular discussions with Shahzad Bhai and FaizanBhai both from 04 session. I had a splendid timewith Shahzad Bhai.

Ed: Do you think LS has helped a good deal or hasany kind of contribution heightening your literarytaste or in any else regard?

UA: To be honest, yes. I have passed out from UET

and its been more than a couple of years and i amstill remembered by my juniors. I think LS has keptUET alive in me and this is the best part. Being inLS gave me an opportunity to keep in touch withfamous literary figures poets and writers. Besidesthat, we used to have long discussions with fellowLS members. We used to discuss books, philoso-phies and ideas. And on the top of everything,there were some real benefits of being in LS. Thebond which relates seniors and juniors is a verydelicate yet a very strong one. Its about giving re-spect and being respected. I have always been asocial person, but its because of being in LS, that I

learnt how it is to be a part of the team and be con-ducive for your own self and for the whole team. Ilearnt how to organize events and manage peoplewho work with you and in this regard I wouldlove to mention Arslan Bhai 03-F, Adan Romanviand Usman Hanif both from 05. They have alwaysbeen a source of motivation for me.

Ed: The most memorable day of your life?

UA: mmm... I cannot name any day in particular.Every single day has some surprises for us. Each

WITH

Umair Ali

INTERVIEW

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day when i get up in the morning, I start my day asif its the first day of my life.

Ed: If you were asked to tell about your ultimatedesire in life, what would it be?

UA: Hazaron khwahishain aisee :P

Ed: If youd have not become an engineer thenwhat profession youd have chosen?

UA: I had always wanted to become an army of-ficer since i was a young kid. Ye engineer to maindhokay say hi ban gya.

Ed: The word literature ...what does it stand foryou? How literature justifies with emotions accord-ing to you?

UA: I have spent a good part of my time in readingbooks. Literature has a very important place in my

life. Sometimes it opens doors for you and some-times it leaves you stunned at the morbid truths.

I remember having read somewhere, No two jour-neys along the same path are same. I completelyagree with this statement. Its so very wonderful tosee that same circumstances induce different emo-tions in different people. Literature gives us achance to see a variety of emotions that human be-ings have and the study of these differences of hu-man behaviour helps you move along your path inlife peacefully. It even enables you to be a source ofcomfort for others.

Ed: Your favourite subject you love to write on?

UA: Human Psychology..! It has been my favouritesubject since always and most of the stories I havewritten are based on the psychology of humanmind and personality.

Ed: In which language do you think you write the

best?UA: I have written stories both in English and Ur-du. I feel its about the mood that you are in, whenyou are writing something. Sometimes, Englishseems so very natural language to express yourfeelings. Whereas, at some other instances, i feelvery Urdu language has all the words that I needto put my heart on a piece of paper.

Ed: Who are your favourite writers? Tell aboutYour inspiration in literatures?

UA: Theres a long long list of writers, i enjoy read-

ing. Keeping it short, its Mumtaz Mufti, AshfaqAhmad and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Ed: Which is the best trait/quality you have is theasset of you according to you?

UA: My opinion is going to be very biased... :P

Ed: What would be the words for your juniors?

UA: In order to be able to produce good literature,you need to read a lot. Read as much as you can.Make reading a part of you daily routine. It not on-ly polishes your point of view but also broadensyour horizon and makes you learn to disagreeagreeably.

NonversationIsnt it a coincidence I always chose the same routeto return home but never get lost? Never get thewrong bus, never ran out of money. Isnt it myfear that urges me to do whats right and logical? Inever made a mistake in my life; thus neverlearned anything other than the dogmas that arefused in my mind. I have been told that survival isfor the fittest but never been told that perfectionalways lead to cul-de-sac. Once you learn every-thing, you will lose the charm to learn unknowns.I never made a mistake, even mistakenly. Out ofhundreds contact in my phonebook, I am in con-tact with few; what about the others??? I nevertext them, even mistakenly. Never asked themabout the happenings in their life. I never made amistake in this regard! Never!

I never dialed a wrong number. I never raised aquestion even. I never asked the things that wereso simple to understand but I wont get them. Iknew that asking them will only prove that I am anave. I never disappoint my people. Wheneverthey bought me new gadgets, I never corruptedthem. I used them like I am all-in-all. For me, mis-take means end, death and mortality. And makingmistakes is the only thing I am so bad at. Isnt it acoincidence that I have fully explained everything,everything that I want to say; and you have un-derstood me fully. No mistake in this regard. Isthat all a mere coincidence???

Usman Anwar

(2008-Civil)

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Emptiness

There are shadows all around meThat stretch from where I step back

A vacuum of love to disdain is set free

No signs of life, all here is black

I live in the realm of bright darkness

I have nothing to fear but emptiness

Silent tears of gloom in moonlit night

With draining soul, I'm dying to depart

What is this? No matter I fight

It's a ghoul of my blood eating me apart

I'm happy in this mystery of loneliness


O' Flesh of this filthy world

O' Air of disgust, devilry and disdain

You remind me of a cattle in a fenced herd

Like a slothful nation under soulless reign

I hate this continuum of ruthlessness


Tafseer Haider

(2009-CE)

POETS PLACE

Air and Sand

In the steady stream of life

Sometimes air, sometimes sand

A bliss of glee in some part

A feeling of dismay like useless cart

Like a sea of crests & trough

Life is easy as well as tough

Evergreen meadows to thirsty deserts

Sometimes smooth then hip hazard

Positive & negative, a mix is done

Still both are necessary for being one

One demands a humble attitude

Other requires an optimistic latitude

May God help us in both of them

We keep it up ,as a growing stem

Syed Nawazish Ali

(2008-Elect)

"Hope" is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all

Emily Dickinson

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Air and Sand

War of wonder, angst of anger, and lyric of love

This myth of mystery, a future of fury is hand in glove

With menace of miniaturization and hunger of hegemony

This is a venom of vendetta, a market of monopsony

Let all this electrify my soma and soul

I love the whole fuss but hate its harmony

A diarchy of disaster and dynamism in a dystopian society

Shutting the world outside, welcoming a new era of variety

Lock me up, chain me up, let me save my life

I'm just pining away under pangs of pretended piety

This is an n-dimensional desert of sand

Where air rules all over the expanse of land

Tafseer Haider

(2009-CE)

O Wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being

Thou from whose unseen presence the leaves dead

Are driven like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing,

Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red,

Pestilence-stricken multitudes! O thou

Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed

The wingd seeds, where they lie cold and low,

Each like a corpse within its grave, until

Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow

Her clarion o'er the dreaming earth, and fill

(Driving sweet buds like flocks to feed in air)

With living hues and odours plain and hill;

Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere;

Destroyer and preserver; hear, O hear!

Ode to the West WindPercy Bysshe Shelley

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Poetic Curve

Transforming the poetic curve

Sometimes it is a bit of nerve

Cut a slice and then serve

A quintessential formulating verve

Words move across lines

Lines dance with words so fine

Within this poetic design

It's alive and about to climb

In a through a relevant picture refined

There's nothing tormenting, it is assigned

Never ahead, but slightly behind

The notion is indicated by a sign

We all ride the waves of motion

Trying to balance destructive commotion

There's a lot involved in this ocean

As you are seeking pure devotion

A quintessential formulating verve

Cut a slice then serve

Sometimes it's a bit of nerveTransforming the poetic curve

Saddam Tariq

(2010-PET)

Grapes are known as Queen of Fruits.

It takes up to 5000 liters of water to pro-

duce 1kg of rice.

U.S celebrates National Ice cream month in

July.

Venus is the only planet that rotates clock-

wise.

The temperature of Earth increases about36 degrees Fahrenheit for every km you go

down.

Experts from the USGS claim that roughly

1,000 tons of space debris rains down on

Earth every year.

The most common name in the world is

Mohammad.

Strawberry is the only fruit with its seeds

on the outside.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

43% of water related deaths are due to di-

arrhea.

Contributed by

Syed Nawazish Ali

Info Zone

DO YOU KNOW?

What lies behind us

And what lies before us

Are tiny matters compared

To what lies within us

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I

I have lived with shades so long,

And talked to them so oft,

Since forth from cot and croft

I went mankind among,

That sometimes they

In their dim style

Will pause awhile

To hear my say;

II

And take me by the hand,

And lead me through their rooms

In the To-be, where Dooms

Half-wove and shapeless stand:And show from there

The dwindled dust

And rot and rust

Of things that were.

III

"Now turn," spake they to me

One day: "Look whence we came,

And signify his name

Who gazes thence at thee." -

--"Nor name nor race

Know I, or can,"

I said, "Of man

So commonplace.

IV

"He moves me not at all;

I note no ray or jot

Of rareness in his lot,

Or star exceptional.

Into the dim

Dead throngs around

He'll sink, nor sound

Be left of him."

V

"Yet," said they, "his frail speech,

Hath accents pitched like thine -

Thy mould and his define

A likeness each to each -But go! Deep pain

Alas, would be

His name to thee,

And told in vain!"

"O memory, where is now my youth,

Who used to say that life was truth?"

"I saw him in a crumbled cot

Beneath a tottering tree;

That he as phantom lingers there

Is only known to me."

"O Memory, where is now my joy,

Who lived with me in sweet employ?"

I Have Lived With ShadesThomas Hardy

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The whole difference between construction and creation is this; that a thing con-

structed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before

it exists.

Charles Dickens

Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, mak-

ing mistakes, and having fun.

Mary Lou Cook

There is only one small letter between the words "can" and "can't"... and that one

letter will TOTALLY change your destiny.

Doug Firebaugh

"I saw him in gaunt gardens lone,

Where laughter used to be;

That he as phantom wanders there

Is known to none but me."

"O Memory, where is now my hope,

Who charged with deeds my skill and scope?"

"I saw her in a tomb of tomes,

Where dreams are wont to be;

That she as spectre haunteth there


"O Memory, where is now my faith,

One time a champion, now a wraith?"

"I saw her in a ravaged aisle,

Bowed down on bended knee;

That her poor ghost out flickers thereIs known to none but me."

"O Memory, where is now my love,

That rayed me as a god above?"

"I saw him by an ageing shape

Where beauty used to be;

That his fond phantom lingers there


Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging

young things to grow.

Thornton Wilder

Documents

Rida Nov Dec 2011