Iqra's Reflections

Post 9/11 world seems to be an entirely different world. Ever since, it is home to an even more complex web of conspiracies,  theories, fear and God knows what.  Growing up I have found Islam and terrorism at the heart of every discourse concerning global peace. Connection between the two has been beyond my understanding. It has taken me to Qur’an every time and made me to revise the verses over and over again. But this connection between the two hasn’t made sense to me. It doesn’t, until one starts digging into global politics. The greatest war nowadays that goes on within us as humans and around the globe at large is that of narratives. A session was arranged at the Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad, with Stephen Downs and Kathy Manley from the US who have done an extensive research namely ‘Inventing terrorists’ according to which 74 per cent of the terrorism cases prosecuted in the US courts were falsely implicated. Another 20 per cent were of minor natur...

The sky was different today. There was life, emotions and passion. It seemed to be celebrating the return of a beloved. "How similar we are oh sky" thought Fatima. For her happiness had no measure. Her husband was getting back. He would reach any hour of the night. Abu Hamde who had been a captive in the prison of Israel for six months. He worked as chef to make ends meet. Impatiently had he waited for this day. The day he will be going back to his lovely wife who had shared the news of him becoming father of a boy she had named hamza. He couldn't wait to see his son. To take him in his arms. To tell him the stories of brave Palestinian souls who had stood for the rights of the country, to tell him how much had he had wanted to see him, to tell him about the responsibility that lies on his fragile shoulders to get his country rid of the bloodshed and the massacre that was going on. Once upon a time his mother had told him the same. Her wrinkled eyes had seen many o...

Trying not to think of the imminent departure that was drawing near every moment, I was enjoying food on a fancy cruise ship, sailing in the seemingly endless and calm waters of San Francisco. While the other Emerging Leaders of Pakistan (ELP) Fellows were rocking the colourful dance floor, I thought to try the dessert. As soon as I ingested that first overflowing spoonful of dessert, I could clearly feel the fire. It was spicy cheese, not a dessert, that I had just taken  in. I chased it with water to feel better but that unpleasant feeling stayed for a while, as a reminder: "Taste, before you swallow a spoonful of it." There were many such instances throughout the ELP visit to the United States. Things turned out to be otherwise than what I had thought them to be. Until and unless we taste it, we don't know the reality. Right from the first moment I stepped on American soil, I saw good behaviour. I was immensely impressed and inspired. Politeness and gratitude wer...