Malka-e-Sehra Reshma Wins Hearts

 

Magic Bhaila Show

 

From the Parrot to the Pigeon to the Eagle

Remembering the poems by Allama Mohammed Iqbal, poet / philosopher from Pakistan / India...

He is known as the reincarnation or continuation of Rumi. He frequently refers to “Shaheen” in his poetry. I believe it refers to Hawk, Eagle, Falcon, because to the layman like me, they seem to be all in the same family. Some of these are well known verses or couplets, some of which we were required to memorize, from our Urdu text books. I think he wrote more in Farsi than in Urdu. In Iran he is well known as Iqbal Lahori. As he resided in the historical city of Lahore, where is shrine is, right at the entrance of the Badshahi masjid.

Shaheen kabhi parwaz say thak kar naheen girta:
The eagle never falls down because of being tired.
Tu Shaheen hay, parwaz hay kaam tera:
You are a hawk, your work is to fly.

And this one, sung by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan:
Naheen tera nashayman qasr-e-sultani kay gunbad par
Tu Shaheen hay basayra kar pahaRRon ki chatano’n par
You nest (home) is not on the domes of the palaces of kings
You are a falcon, hang out in the high cliffs of mountans
The first line also refers to the crowd, most people: pigeons hang out in warmth of the crowd, at domes where they are given food, where they don’t have to hunt, and can be in the comfort zone.
Whereas, an eagle is kind of solitary, flies much higher than a pigeon. Does it’s own hunting. Chooses the road less travelled.

Iqbal, as a philosopher repeats this idea, about the nature of human beings. That it’s our nature to choose that high road. The heat which will produce gold. He often talks about this path of "khudi" or Self-Realization (of the higher Self). He was also using these ideas to inspire the Muslims of India, to kick the ass of the British, and to no longer live in slavery, which was called colonization.

Jhapat kar palatna, palat kar jhapatna:
Iqbal describes how an eagle hunts. It does not attack the prey from behind.
The eagle approaches the prey (bird) from the front, and at the first encounter, does a close call, a fly-by. A generous move, to allow the prey to get away, if it can.
Then the eagle turns, and returns to attack again.
Iqbal lived 500 years after Rumi, but often talked to him. Iqbal calls Rumi his spiritual master. In Rumi’s masnavi, there are many amazing stories, with multiple meanings. In his story about the Merchant and the Parrot. The parrot is in a cage. Some scholars see the metaphors as: The parrot is the ego. Or the human being locked in the cage of the body. The way to freedom, is to kill the ego.

Like in Buddhism they say, ego is the I, me and mine, which desires so many things. In psychology and in common language, there are many definitions of ego. In sufism, they say annihilate the ego, to be on a spiritual path. Some teachers say the ego is necessary to survive in the world, as a tool. Though any tool can be used as a weapon. Ego defined in that way, is that thing which makes a man unique, it’s what pushes him to compete, to hunt, to win, it’s what drives him. But that ego needs to be reigned in. If a man does not control his ego, his ego will control him. And that ego kills relationship. Perhaps the ego is also what makes a person selfish, confined, limited, on the ground. While generosity makes a person fly like a hawk, like Shaheen?

Lata Shines at the Shrine

Lata Shines at the Shrine

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published ~ 10-10-95 in Pakistan Link, Los Angeles)

Last Saturday, the Legendary Lata Mangeshkar performed at the beautiful Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Lata embarked on a U.S. tour after an absence of over a decade. The anxiously awaiting fans bought out all the tickets a month before the show. The performers included a variety of musicians and singers and the audience sat back and relaxed in their seats to enjoy the show.

Being a Desi event, it was a pleasant surprise that the show began on time. Mr. S.P. Balasubrahmanyam began the show with a few popular songs from Hindi films including "Yeh Bandhan Anjana". During his introduction of Lata, he asked the audience not to whistle and to give her the respect of a mother. This set the tone for a very quiet and mellow audience.

As Lata walked onto the stage barefoot, the crowd gave her a warm welcome with their applause. Balasubrahmanyam and Lata sang a few duets, beginning with "Sundariya". The next song was very upbeat and three background female singers came on stage to join the duet "Dulhay Kee Saliyo". These vocalists came on stage for various other songs throughout the show, to add more depth and color to the orchestral sound. Jyotsna Hardikar, Sumati Antrolekar and Kirti Pai were dressed in ornate orange sarees, and sang enticing harmonies to the chorus lines.

Lata took a break and Adinath Mangeshkar sang a few popular tunes. He humbly introduced himself as a young performer. The crowd gave him a lot of encouragement and respect as Lata is his aunt. He sang the hit "Ik Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga" from the movie "1942". It is a simple yet beautiful and catchy tune. Jyotna joined Adinath for a duet "Tumhi Main" from the movie "Criminal". The song was partly copied from a hit by the band "Enigma". But Jyotna sang the haunting melody which sweetly melted in the listeners' ears.

Many of the performers were closely related to Lata and I was surprised at the incredible artistic talent that exists in this family. Usha Mangeshkar who is Lata's sister sang a couple of oldies from the movies "420" and "Nikah", including "Aichak Dana". She is also a painter and award winning movie producer.

The most vibrant performer of the night was Sudhesh Bhosle. He joked with the audience and captured their attention by talking about the "Upar Walay" - the people sitting in the dark, at the very top. His success began with the song "Jumma Chumma" from the film "Hum". He has the ability to accurately copy great singers like Kishore Kumar, Rafi and S.D. Burman. Sudhesh began with Kishore's hit "Hum Na Karain Gay Pyar" and it felt like Kishore himself was in the room. He also sang one of my favorite tunes "Chaand Mayra Dil". The guitarist who was sitting during the whole show, stood up to play this hip song. Sudhesh got the audience involved and asked for their participation. They got energized and responded with their applause to "Tum Kya Jano Muhabbat Kya Hay", "Amma Dekh Munda Bigra Jaye" and "Gata Rahay Mera Dil".

Lata came back on stage and talked about the great composer S.D. Burman. The first song he composed was for Lata. Her last song with R.D. Burman was the hit "Kuch Na Kaho". When she sang this song, an older couple in love got up and started dancing with a strong embrace. Security was called to have them sit down again. In this set Lata sang a few historical songs like "Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya", "Aa Janay Jaan" and a 50 year old song "Lara Lappa".

After the intermission, Lata sang a beautiful classical duet with her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar. It started with only the tabla and drone and later the whole orchestra joined in. It was a 13 member orchestra with all the men dressed in the same white shirts and embroidered black vests. These were the unsung heroes who provided the vocalists with the necessary rhythm, strings and melodies. They were lead by the musical arranger and conductor Anil Mohile. There were six musicians on percussion including Raphael Satamkar on and electronic drumset called Octopad, Narayan Naidu on Dholak, Maqbool Khan on Bongos, Kishore Bham on Mallets, Vishal Mhatre on Congos and Ramakant Mhapsekar on Tabla. Amar Mohile played synthesizers and Ajay Madan played Guitar. Kishore Desai was on Mandolin, Prakash Patel on Violin and Vivek Paranjpe on Keyboards. An important part of the sound mix was Suraj Sathe who played Accordian. This variety of instruments gave the orchestra a very broad and rich sound.

Lata ended the program by singing about 20 one-liners from her hits. These included "Aye Ga Aanay Wala", "Raja Key Aye Gee Baraat" and "Aap Key Nazron Nay Samjha Pyar Kay Qabil Mujhay". Some people responded with applause and praise for their favorite songs. Lata asked them to "Remain peaceful and not to create too much comotion". The last song was "Yeh Zindagi Usee Key Hay Jo Kisi Ka Ho Gaya" which creschendos on a high note "Alvida". Lata apologized for her sore throat and thanked all of the musicians and promotors. It was indeed a very professional, rich and memorable show.

Pakistanis love great Indian singers like Lata. Such musicians and artists can bridge the gap between "us" and "them" and help create peace. Good artists are not confined by territorial or political boundary lines. It is unfortunate that there is division among the people who lived together and got along for hundreds of years. Our differences are few and our similarities are numerous. We have a common legacy and ancestry. Let's focus on the things we have in common and create peace with our neighbors

Independence Day

                         Independence Day

by Fazeel Chauhan

8-14-93

What does independence mean to me?
It is many things: Freedom, autonomy, maturity, connectedness and open mindedness.
Our goal should be to be the best that we can be - intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Trouble is, we as human beings are very tempted by our comfort zones. We arrive at a comfortable point in life and then stop to enjoy it. This resting point represents a stagnation in our growth process. The giant sequoias, evolve from a small seedling. Their growth doesn't stop and because of their adaptability, they are able to flourish for thousands of years. Those of us who do not continue to grow, change adapt, stop evolving and perish. the chains that bind us are all the things, beliefs and excuses that stop our growth. Our goal should be to break these chains and strive to be free in the truest sense.

One essential value is open-mindedness. We need to be accepting of other people's views and feelings. Why is it that I don't see any signs on the buses here, that forbid political arguments? People don't have violent fights over politics, honor and religion here, because they are somewhat open-minded. Egocentrism, tunnel vision and narrow mindedness are signs of ignorance and fear. When children start growind, they ask why about everything. Questioning should be allowed so that people can form their own opinions. "Other" opinions that "they" have should be tolerated by "us". As immigrants, we may be viewed as different and separate. But the fact is that we are all connected. We are the same- all "one".
Discrimination is a blindfold and it is psychological genocide. There is no doubt that it exists in the world, but as individuals, we should avoid it. Somebody's last name, economical status or social status, their gender or religion should not be viewed as inferior to our own. At CSULA, on the statue of Confucious it states: "Among truly educated people, there is no discrimination". We should educate ourselves in and out of school. But there are those who are educated but still ignorant. We should allow the education and learning experiences to change us and expand our views.

This is what independence means to me. One day soon, enough of us will join hands and embrace each other, to celebrate the independence of our souls

Affirmative Action and Proposition 209

 Affirmative Action and Proposition 209

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  10-28-96)

Is there a conspiracy against non-white immigrants? In California the same people who brought us proposition 187 a couple of years ago, are now bringing us proposition 209. It assumes that racism does not exist anymore and that Affirmative Action programs should be terminated. If the two dots are connected, I wonder what the projected ultimate goal is. If we as part of the "minority" don't vote against 209, then we are on our way to legalized racism.

Proposition 187 targeted "Illegal" aliens, denying their children education and medical care. As Dr. Hathout mentioned, "Even if a person doesn't have proper papers, I will still treat him like a human being and give him the medical care he needs." Proposition 187 attempted to legalize immoral treatment of undocumented aliens and it passed. Proposition 209 is the next step, which takes certain rights away from "legal" aliens. What's next? Separate passports based on which country a person immigrated from? Legalized racism based on your color? Currently, people with "European" features are not likely to be asked to prove whether they are legal or whether they are "American." Nobody even talks about the thousands of illegal Italians in New York. In fact, immigration from European countries is encouraged. Governor Wilson and his supporters are targeting the non-white people.

Some students have been on hunger strikes and demonstrating at the Federal Building on Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood. This is a tradition that Mahatma Gandhi popularized. But Jackie who is an activist says that appealing to an oppressor's morality only works when he has morality. So what can we do? Believe it or not, your vote is extremely powerful. Elected officials do care about your vote. Even if you are not a citizen and not eligible to vote, you have every right to call or write to them and state how you feel. Even President Clinton responds to letters within a month. Many government officials are on the Internet and can be contacted easily if you have a computer. You can contact your local library to obtain names, addresses and phone numbers of all your representatives.

Many people, especially "Americans" say that they don't want to get involved in politics. Even though politics is a dirty business, still, we cannot escape the effect it has on our personal lives. For example, proposition 209, will affect all of us because we are a subset of non-white immigrants. Although a lot of energy is required these days to earn a good living, we should not be blind to the big picture. In politics, there is a lot of misinformation. For example, proposition 209, which takes away rights from minorities and women, is labeled as the "Civil Rights" initiative. This kind of "double-speak" can confuse even a sensible person.

Affirmative Action programs which were designed to combat racism are now being called reverse discrimination. The truth is, Affirmative Action is a sensible remedy for addressing current discrimination against people of color and women. It is a means of giving equal opportunities to people of color and women for hiring, promotion, public contracting and public school enrollment. Currently, 86% of jobs are not advertised, and are filled through word of mouth. Affirmative Action is a door opener for people who would otherwise be shut out of good schools, government contracts, and public jobs. It is not a system for hiring unqualified people. No program requires anyone to accept substandard or unqualified applicants. It is not a quota system and it is not a remedy for past discrimination. Unfortunately, discrimination continues to be widespread today. Just ask a conscious non-white person. According to Californians for Justice, Caucasian men make up 96% of CEO's, 85% of tenured professors, 89% of US Senators and 100% of all U.S. Presidents. On the other hand, people of color and women get the lowest paying and least desirable jobs. They also have much higher poverty and unemployment rates. Radio station KPFK 90.7 FM is also a good source of un-biased news and information.

Don't be fooled by Proposition 209, which they are wrongly calling the "Civil Rights" initiative. It eliminates all public equal opportunity affirmative action programs. This "Civil Wrongs" initiative offers only racial division, gender exclusion and open discrimination. The dangerously vague language also legalizes discrimination against women and girls. Does it sound like Apartheid as in South Africa? The initiative falsely assumes that the effects of past and present discrimination don't exist. It takes us back at least thirty years. Fortunately, there are groups like "Angry White Men Against Prop 209" a beautiful bunch of guys from Oakland. Please, vote against Prop. 209 on November 5th and write your elected officials to discourage them from putting such a bill on the ballot in the future

The Honorable People

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  10-5-95)

Forty Eight years ago, millions of Muslims of the Indian Sub-continent gained their freedom. They did not want to live under the oppression of the British or the Hindus. They wanted independence and the freedom to practice their religion and culture without restrictions. Half a century later, we're still slaves. We are not independent and free. Our actions and current circumstances show that we are not living those values that the founders envisioned practicing. Corruption, injustice, oppression and civil war are the diseases destroying our country Pakistan.
The Westerners came hundreds of years ago and enslaved our ancestors. Their motive was greed of power and money. They ruled our people and stole the material goods and ancient treasures of our land. They made us conform to their thinking, laws and values and attempted to divert us away from our magnificent heritage. They used the tactics of divide and conquer to oppress and control us. The brave people who stood up to fight them were killed or bought. They were our enemies and they taught us to hate ourselves. They looked upon us as the "dirty natives." They made us learn their English language and steered us away from our own richer languages. So they brainwashed us into believing that our old traditions and native values were wrong and that it was good to be modern and westernized. We began to lose our integrity, got confused, and started becoming like them.
The British were able to come in and invade the land, hearts, souls and minds of our people because we had become weak. Specifically, we lost the values which had made us powerful, honorable people and the integrity which had kept us on the right path. When we became weak on the inside, both the devil and the British were able to conquer us.
Our forefathers dreamed that things would be different after independence. Our ancestors gave their lives to attain freedom for their future generations. They hoped that we would live happily ever after in our sacred and "Pak" land. The dream has turned into a nightmare today, especially for the people in Karachi. With so much unrest and lawlessness, nobody knows who could get killed next. So many people have guns that it has become like the wild west. Corruption is rampant in our motherland. A poor man who does not have money or connections, is powerless and vulnerable. Freedom of speech means that a person may be killed if he says what he really feels. The basic human rights that we enjoy in America have to be bought and sold in Pakistan. We are still weak because we still allow ourselves to be divided and conquered.
Part of the problems in Pakistan is the covert operations of outside forces like the CIA. We should learn planning skills from the British, Americans and Jews. Their planning is for the next five hundred years. The imperialist British said "We will not only conquer their lands and minds, we will rule their hearts and souls for generations to come." Today, many generations later, our hearts and souls are slaves to the west. A Caucasian man told me proudly "Don't fool yourself. Just because the British flag was replaced by the Pakistani flag in 1947 does not mean that you are free. Any imperialist government still rules the colonies even after granting them "independence.""
The language we are communicating in today is English. It's difficult to communicate feelings and emotions in this language. For example, there are so many different words for love in Urdu. But English is a necessity in today's world. That's fine, but what's really repulsive is when in Pakistan people proudly and abundantly use English words in their Urdu conversations. The more "westernized" a person looks, the more respect and admiration he gets. Today, a popular song is "Goree". Why is white considered more beautiful? Is it because we believe the Caucasians who told us that we are the "dirty natives" and the whites are godly?
Religion and spirituality are very personal things which are between a man and his God. Yet so many people are oppressed in the name of religion. In Pakistan, many people are not educated enough to properly interpret and analyze the teachings of a religion. The people are threatened not to question "religion". The biggest enemy in our culture is self-righteousness. There are so many egocentric people who think that only they are right and everybody else is wrong. They have no tolerance and are threatened by a difference of opinion.
Twenty years ago a boy was born in Karachi. At a very young age he started having dreams in which the great heros of the world appeared to him. Men like Tipu Sultan, Hazrat Imam Hussain, Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley and Allama Iqbal would talk to him in his dreams. They urged him to be a righteous man and lead his people out of their miserable state. For several years, he strengthened his spirit. Then he started teaching people the ancient ways to make them honorable again. He asked these people of integrity to join him and formed a movement called the "Honorable People".

About a million of these warrior souls are now working for human rights in Pakistan. Their values are rooted in their own rich and ancient eastern heritage. These men and women do not compromise their principles and choose death over slavery. These humanitarians are united and are willing to give up their lives to wrong the rights in Pakistan. They will jump off a cliff before taking a bribe. They are not hypocrites or jealous of others. They protect and empower women and children. They ensure that the poor and needy also get the same basic human rights as everybody else. They make peace among warring factions. They talk to the men who want their own little kingdoms and persuade them to join the Honorable People. As leaders of our society, they make long range plans and visualize where our society should be in five hundred years. They care about other people and are not selfish. They believe that their purpose in life is to serve other people. Will you become an honorable person to help your children? What stops you from joining the Honorable People?

Gambling

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  3-15-95)

Kamran has lived in this country for the past six years. He came here on a student visa to pursue higher education and has just completed a master's degree in Computer Science. Now he's faced with a dilemma. Should he go back to Pakistan or stay here. I have frequently met people who have had to make this important decision. Like the major choices in life, it's a big gamble. Weighing the pros and cons of either option can be very difficult. Here's what his situation is:
"Up until a few months ago, I wanted to stay here. I had planned to send resumes to various companies to look for a job. Someone out there would hire me, I thought, and sponsor me, so that I could live in this country legally. But now I'm not sure whether it's wise for me to stay here. To extend my visa and to buy myself some more time while I'm in the process of making a decision, I have enrolled into a MBA program at my university.
"I have talked to a few of my colleagues who are in the same boat as me. One of them is from Algeria and he was the top student of my university. He was doing an internship with one of the defense contractors. As a project leader, he designed some technically difficult systems, using the latest tools and proved himself a valuable asset to his company. He worked extra hard and obtained awards and recognition from the employer. Yet, even after all of that, the company did not sponsor him. He ended up going back to Algeria and opened up a school there to teach computers and became very successful.
"It seems like I will not be able to stay here. The economy is in bad shape and many computer professionals have been laid off from their jobs. How can I compete with someone who has working experience and citizenship as well? I'm scared and unsure of my future and I don't want to make the wrong decision. I have been in school all my life. Now it's time to get a job and I don't know if I will be successful. That's the main reason I haven't really tried to get a job and have been procrastinating.
"One option I have is to work on my own by assembling and selling computers. But I will be illegal and always concerned about it. Another choice is to marry my girlfriend. She's American and we've been dating for about two years. She says she's in love with me and wants to marry me. But I just don't know. My family would not approve and seems like inter-racial marriages are much more susceptible to failure. When I consider getting married to her, the line between genuine care and taking advantage becomes cloudy. It will break her heart when I go back to Pakistan.
"I know these guys who are in the Desi mafia in New York. They can get me a fake passport or green card. But I've rarely done anything that illegal and risky in my life. The FBI is after them and I'd probably end up getting caught and deported. I don't want to get into that kind of trouble. I think I'll just head back home to Pakistan.
"I love this country and there are so many opportunities and choices available here which are not in Pakistan. I have grown tremendously in the years I've lived here. Twenty years of living in Pakistan could not have taught me the things I have experienced in the last six years in America. But the dirt beneath my feet is not mine and these people in the streets are not mine. This language and culture is not mine and I feel isolated. Friends are hard to find here and people are spiritually starved. Then there is racism and lack of acceptance of "colored" people.
"I think I'll be able to readjust in Pakistan. I have a family that loves me and friends that genuinely care about me. If you have money over there, you can live like you were in America. There's a lot of things I don't like about my country. And I'll have to get involved in trying to correct them. I should work to help my own people. I'll open up a computer school there and improve the life-scope of my own folk. I'll get married to one of my own kind and hopefully not live unhappily ever after. Life is a series of choices, a bunch of gambles. Each choice you make opens up a new world to you and simultaneously shuts out another universe of options. I hope I'll make the right decision. Only time will tell"

Bandit Queen

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  8-7-95)

 
"Bandit Queen" is the name of a new Indian movie. It is a true story based on the life of a famous woman named Phoolan Devi. At one point in time, the film was banned in India because of its controversial content. The movie is not just about Phoolan Devi, however, because it deals with some of the deep social issues of India and Pakistan. This is a very remarkable and socially conscious movie, which makes the viewer look inside. For the Desi viewer, the reality of this movie is hard to accept.
The film opens with an image of a young eleven year old girl. She stares right into your eyes and tells you in a powerful and assertive voice "Yes, I am Phoolan Devi..." At the end of the sentence was a common curse word. This was very unexpected and really grabbed my attention. A young, cute, innocent little girl is not supposed to talk like that. It made me sit up in my seat and I wondered "What was that." From the beginning, the movie was very disturbing. But this ugly discomfort had a very strong and positive effect on my psyche.
Another nice touch in "Bandit Queen" was that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was the music composer. There was a haunting song which was sung by a child. Khan kept the music in its raw form and gave it a rough edge. Even the music was packaged in a very real way. This movie represents one of those very rare occasions when the film medium has been used to present the truth to people. Almost all Pakistani and Indian movies show us a romanticized view of life. Like tv, movies can become a drug that we use to escape from real life. We've all seen enough of these movies about fictitious characters who live in a nonexistent world, that we start expecting our real lives to be like that too. But when real life strikes us over the head, it is a very disappointing experience. Films and tv can be very powerful and motivating tools if we want to bring a positive change in the world. That is one reason why this is such an awesome movie.
In Bandit Queen, there were issues which were absolutely the truth but these were hard to swallow. The ugly realities of our society were very difficult to accept. I found myself sitting at the Nuart Theatre in Santa Monica. Almost everybody in the audience was American and there were hardly any Desi people. This made it worse. My first reaction was that I don't want Americans to see all these evil things about my culture. It will give them another excuse to discriminate and belittle us. But if our own society will not acknowledge these problems in our culture, then it might take outside observers to convince us that hey, this behavior is not right.
So what was so disturbing in this movie? It exposed the worst kind of child abuse. It slapped me to show me the severe oppression of women. It demonstrated how rich people can take poor people for granted and make their lives so cheap. It shouted of how human beings who don't have enough money or status are treated worse than animals. It screamed with the pain of women who have no choices and who have to live their whole lives like prisoners and slaves. It makes you sick about the class system which exists in both India and Pakistan.
The movie really shook me up. It woke me up and reminded me of the society that I come from. It showed me who I am. It made me realize the truths about myself and my people, which I didn't want to accept. It showed me the suffering of the masses of India and Pakistan. It reminded me of the raw, blunt and painful prejudice that my people have. Prejudice against how others look, against women, against the poor and against people who have a lower class. It is very powerful movie. If enough of us see it, then making positive changes in our society will become easier. You will realize that there are a lot of things you want to change. You will feel like taking some action to help somebody. And maybe you will follow through and do something to stop the oppression, injustice, prejudice, and other crimes against humanity. What do you feel?

Drugs And Alcohol Abuse

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  3-4-91)

Drug and alcohol abuse is a problem in this country and also in Pakistan. Drugs have stolen some of my friends and I've wondered why it is that people use and abuse them. The problem does not begin with the first sip or the first hit. The origins are deeply rooted in social and psychological causes.
The recent availability of more dangerous drugs such as heroin have made this a serious problem in Pakistan. Drugs and weapons some times go hand in hand. Maybe one reason for the increased influx of drugs in Pakistan is the war in Afghanistan. The Iran-Contra affair is a good source of information about this type of phenomena. Having said that, I'd now like to focus on the more immediate causes of drug abuse.
Plenty of research has been done on the social and psychological causes of drug abuse. I invite you to think about and research why people use drugs. The problem is not restricted to a certain socio-economic group. Any person is susceptible to it. In America, we frequently hear that among the users there are lawyers, doctors, businessmen and even politicians. So what purposes do drugs and alcohol serve? What is the pain and suffering which the users are trying to numb and alleviate? What realities are they trying to escape? We can find many reasons if we look at each case objectively. An example is what happened with my friend Azmat's brother. Here's the story in Azmat's own words:
"My father used to work in Dubai. After a few of his friends sent their sons to study in the U. S., he decided to send me here too. He wanted me to become a doctor. But my brother Habeeb also wanted to come along. He decided to attend a college for a year to get a diploma in Computers. I was sixteen and Habeeb was seventeen. When Habeeb was in Pakistan, he occasionally used alcohol, marijuana and even opium. I didn't pay attention to it at the time because he never did it in front of me. Like the rest of the family, I didn't want to see the problem and denied its existence.
"After arriving in Los Angeles, I started going to USC, and he went to another college. Our next door neighbors were South Asians as well. Habeeb made friends with them and they re-introduced him to alcohol and marijuana. He had decided using drugs in childhood, to avoid the pain caused to him by his family. Our father, for example, frequently beat us without a legitimate reason. Habeeb was emotionally scarred by this abuse and resented it very much. Parents should give enough love to a child to make her/him feel that s/he is genuinely loved. This gives a child the kind of self-esteem, which is worth more than all the gold in the world. When they grow up, they feel confident enough to face even the biggest crisis successfully. On the other hand, when children are abused, some of them like Habeeb, want to kill themselves. They feel neglected, unwanted, hurt, resentful and powerless. Some may choose suicide as a form of vengeance. While others kill themselves slowly, through a form of self-destruction such as drug or alcohol abuse.
"Habeeb progressed to the more dangerous drugs. He started doing LSD (also called acid) and PCP (a tranquilizer for elephants). But he was unaware of the dangers of these drugs. LSD makes a person see and hear things which are not real. PCP can stay stored in the body for months, causing flashbacks at unpredictable times. Imagine the strength of this drug, which was used as a tranquilizer for elephants. I'm sure these drugs were not available in Pakistan in those days. But they were responsible for making my brother crazy.
"He tried to jump out of the 3rd storey window, he threw himself in front of cars and also became very violent. I tied him up so he wouldn't hurt himself or others. I thought he'd soon snap out of this state. But I had to take him to the hospital after he got completely out of control and lost his mind. He did not recognize me. I was shocked at the whole situation. At age sixteen, this was my first major experience and it haunts me to this day. His doctors could not tell me when he would get better. I was overwhelmed, I didn't know what to do, and I had no family here to help me. I prayed a lot. A whole lot. But day after day, when I visited him in the mental hospital, his condition did not improve. At times he was like a zombie, at other times he was restricted to a padded cell and not allowed visitors. I had lost hope, but five months later, he started coming to his senses again. A few days after he was released, I sent him back to Pakistan. I moved out of the city as well because it kept reminding me of my painful feelings and memories.
"He did not suffer as much as I did, because he was not aware of his condition. But I cried and hurt because I had to see him like that every day. My own brother, lost, somewhere far away, and I didn't know how to get him back. The psychiatrists and psychologists did all they could and woke him up again. So what is he doing today? Habeeb went back to Pakistan eight years ago and for most of that time, he's been addicted to heroin."
Azmat is one of the most clear-headed and understanding people I know. Why is it that his life turned out ok, while his brother's didn't? I think each one of us has different levels of sensitivity. Maybe Habeeb has a more fragile nature and his wounds hurt more. For many of the years that he's been abusing drugs, the people around him ignored his problem. He kept drifting farther and farther away. If the father acknowledged Habeeb's problem, then he'd have to think about the causes, one of which would be his own abuse. So these issues can be very scary to look at.
Drugs and alcohol are forbidden in Islam. In Pakistan, one might feel a lot more social pressure to not use them. But in the U. S., a person can go down to Vons and grab a six pack. The ads tell us that any time is "Miller time". Drug use is more acceptable here and alcohol is well promoted. Like Habeeb, a person can be easily tempted to use one of these items as a crutch. It may be to stop boredom or to avoid an uncomfortable feeling. The person may be trying to forget a painful memory and use drugs as a means of escape. Some may feel powerless about their condition and use drugs to make themselves feel "good".
On the surface, these reasons seem foolish and it's easy for us to point the finger and reject a person who has a drug problem. "S/he is stupid, is not like me, is not one of us..." But this only hurts and further alienates the person instead of helping them. We need to look at the deeper causes of this problem. Why does a person feel powerless to begin with? Exactly what is it that they are trying to forget or escape? Have they suffered a loss recently? Are they under a lot of stress? Do they feel lonely and depressed? The roots of these problems have to be discovered for each individual and then solved.
The first step toward the solution is to identify the problem. Some times this step takes a long time. The user needs to properly define what the problem is and then take steps to correct it. The problem may seem overwhelming, making a person feel hopeless and helpless. When a person has a lot of burden or if something is really bothering them, it becomes hard to keep the mind clear and to know what's going on. In this situation, a close friend or relative can offer the much needed support before things really get out of hand. Counselors and support groups can also serve the purpose.
The longer we put off facing our problems, the more complex they become and the harder it is to solve them. Drug and alcohol abuse are classified as illnesses and should be controlled and stopped as soon as possible. If someone you know has a drug or alcohol problem, there is plenty of medical and psychological help available. Most areas have a local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Hotlines are also listed in the phone book for quick counseling and as sources of reference. Ideally the whole family works through the problems together with the help of a professional. We have to try to understand the person and then help them. For their recovery, drug users need lots of help, support and encouragement

Thanks, Rodney

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  5-12-93)

The whole country watched the brutal beating of Rodney King by four cops. Their guilt was documented on a video, yet the jury found the policemen not guilty. I asked Jameel about his thoughts and feelings about the case and the riots that followed.
"I don't blame the people for rioting", he said. "You have to look at the history of this country. You have to objectively see the tremendous problems with the social, economic and political systems of this country. A closer look shows that fairness isn't equally likely for minorities and the less privileged. Police beatings and unjust verdicts occur every day. We just don't see it... until it happens to us. Only then do we usually try to do something about it.
"To fix a problem, first we have to acknowledge that it exists. But usually, Americans choose to not see things that may upset the status quo. If the sleeping masses wake up and see what the U. S. is doing to their own people, as well as to other countries, then they would become very upset and will do something to change it. This is what people were attempting to do through rioting. The Rodney King verdict woke up some people with a big jolt. Some took to the streets and expressed themselves violently. The destruction is seen as sad and scary by most people, but in the bigger picture of things, it is not a big deal. About fifty people died and there were about a thousand fires. Compared to the 300,000 plus human beings killed in Iraq and the total destruction of cities and industries there, the L. A. riots are minuscule. Why didn't the American people riot then? They didn't identify the death of Iraqis as a problem.
Problems are usually allowed to get out of hand before they are noticed. Consider for example the millions of deaths in Africa due to hunger and disease, lack of human rights around the world, the population explosion which is suffocating the Earth, the cutting down of the South American Rainforest at a rate of one acre per second and ozone depletion, the conquering of the Native Americans and the deletion of their history, slavery of blacks and ongoing racism, teachers who don't get paid enough, daily gang shootings in L. A., assassinations and government overthrows of sovereign nations by the CIA, enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world sixty times over, the two-party political system in the U.S., both of which are two sides of the same coin, the ever growing multi-trillion dollar U. S. deficit and the violence and tension in the Middle East, Kashmir and the new Soviet republics. These are massive, sad, scary and upsetting problems about which most American have not done much. These are the things that people really need to protest and correct. If the people lead, the leaders will follow. But for most people, if it's N.I.M.B.Y. (Not In My Back Yard), they don't care and they remain asleep. People started "caring" when their back yards were on fire.
"Politically, the American people are very naive. They will have to open their eyes to the identify problems such as the Rodney King case, and become involved to correct them. Not budging from the status quo and the comfort zone create numbness. On the other hand, each change is a chance for progress and learning. The last riot in L. A. was twenty five years ago. That means the people have been asleep for many years because as I said, there are far more important issues to protest about than a police beating. Hopefully this protest has paved the way for people to get actively involved in trying to correct other problems.
There has been destruction but the positive aspects have far out-weighed the negatives. The violence may not have been an appropriate means, but at least the people did something to get the attention of the powers-that-be. Maybe they were also tired of peaceful demonstrations, which nobody seems to care about. In a numb society, outcries of injustice can be very healthy because they can wake people up. Thanks to Rodney's verdict, the people attempted to take things into their own hands. Their methods may have been wrong, but at least they tried. They attempted to change things, to correct wrongs and to make progress. The roots of the problems are in the overall economic, political and social systems. Those are the areas that always need to be actively evaluated and corrected. As a first step, we must have equality for all human beings"

Creating the Muslim Promise Keepers

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  11-26-96)

For three and a half years, I was a member and leader of a team of American men. One major goal was to help each other be the men we always wanted to be and to live honorably. As with any such boy scouts club or mens' support group, a set of rules was used, called the Code of Honor. Coming from a place of deep caring for each other, the men were truthful, intimately honest and held each other accountable to the basic principles of the Code of Honor. The code was a simple yet powerful tool that helped us become successful in all areas of our lives. Most importantly, the teachings helped us create mutually fulfilling relationships. These relationships gave us the great gifts of community and belongingness.
The teachings about forming strong communities and relationships were very valuable and I wished that our people would learn these tools too. I had trouble bringing Pakistani men to this knowledge. The two greatest prerequisites of becoming a part of a men's group are trust and commitment. Many Pakistani people around me, don't deeply trust each other and the commitment to each other is not very strong either. There is a lot of loyalty in the friendships but that alone is not enough for a strong relationship. I also had trouble bringing the knowledge to two major mosques of Los Angeles. Sadly, the Muslim leaders I talked to were not interested in forming any support groups. I gave the example of a highly successful Christian support group for men which is called "The Promise Keepers." Last year, at their annual gathering at the L.A. Coliseum, these men were 65,000 strong. Obviously, these men are benefitting greatly from being part of a team of men. A "team" of men is different from a support group because in a team, the men synergize together and strive for excellence. Whereas, a support group, often contains a large percentage of people who only want to talk and not take action.
Here's how to form a team of men: Two experienced men are needed as leaders, who will train the men's team for two months. They start with a camping trip together, get to know each other and develop a deep trust and bond with each other. The team leaders teach the men why it is important for them to be open, honest and truthful with each other. The team is "a safe place" where a man can talk about his deep feeling and not feel judged, or rejected by the other men. When the men trust each other enough to reveal their deep dark secrets to each other, then they bond together as blood brothers.
A team of ten men meets once a week for three hours. The men share honestly about what's going on in their lives. The collective wisdom of the team asks questions and helps a man get to the truth, and to the solutions. The purpose of the team is to help the other men become the men they've always wanted to be. So each man has to do some soul searching and write down briefly, what kind of man he wants to be. For example, a man may want to be able to show his wife and children that he loves them, he may want to overcome the problems in his relationship with his father, he may want to complete a college degree, he may want to overcome a bad habit, etc. The men's team asks each man to make commitments, or PROMISES. These are small steps toward reaching the bigger goals. For example, the man who wants to complete a college degree is asked, what steps he needs to take to reach that goal. One step may be to enroll in a college, so he makes a promise that by next week's meeting, he will have enrolled at L.A. City College. If at the next meeting, he has not kept his promise, then his team asks him a series of questions, to find out why he did not fulfill his commitment. Together they discover the man's barriers and help him dissolve them. The other men, who are helping a man, get a lot of benefit as well. They also learn that they are similar in many ways, with the "other man." This brings them closer together and makes the team stronger. And together, they make progress every week toward their goals. About five teams meet together once a month and share the collective wisdom with each other. The men hold each other accountable and help each other lead honorable lives.
The code of honor I learned did not pertain to a specific religion because it consists of universal principles. I urge Muslims to form "The Muslim Promise Keepers" and create a brief code of honor with which they feel comfortable. Using this Muslim men's movement, Muslims can get to a place where they trust each other, are united and will give their lives for each other. Through the process, we will realize that we are all the same, and we share the same major obstacles as human beings. Then we learn to care about Muslims, non-Muslims, Punjabi, Sindhi, Indian, Pakistani, Caucasian Americans, Blacks, men and women.
By the way, the women's groups are called "The Family of Women." A book highly recommended, but for women only is "What Really Works With Men" by A. Justin Sterling. An excellent book for men is "Iron John" by Robert Bly. It is a comprehensive collection of information regarding men from historical, cultural and academic perspectives.
A men's team does not "bash" women and instead strives to better the relationships with them. If you have any questions, study the Code of Honor below and it will likely give you the answer. So are you going to start such a program through your mosque or even independently? Or are you happy with the status quo and don't want to make a difference in your community?
(1) Commitment Before Ego
(2) Honor the Truth
(3) Respect Confidentiality
(4) Keep Your Word
(5) Be a 3-dimensional Man {Caring, Fun and Courageous}
(6) Be Prepared
(7) Defend Humanity
(8) Be Faithful
(9) Defend the Code of Honor
(10) Never Engage in Battles with Weaker Opponents
(11) Fight Only Honorable Battles
(12) Earn and Honor Rank
(13) Be Humble
(14) Embrace All Men
(15) Be an Example to Children

Brainwashing Machines

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Paksitan Link  ~  4-14-92)

On April 11, Muslim Media organized a panel discussion at the Al-Medinah restaurant. The two guests were Heather Allen, an executive of NBC tv and Dan Fischer, the editor of L. A. Times' World Report. Irfan Mirza was impressively articulate in serving the function of host.
The event will receive coverage in other parts of this paper, therefore, I'll take a slightly different approach. During the discussion, Heather disclosed some honest facts about the weaknesses of the media, whereas Dan stressed the credibility and excellence of his staff. I am grateful to both of them for taking the time and courage to appear before the Muslim community. Although they tried to paint a positive picture of the media, most reporting is not favorable towards Muslims. Usually, journalists get their news from government releases and hardly question the accuracy of the "facts". The media becomes a brainwashing machine of disinformation and keeps the masses ignorant.
When was the last time you saw a positive portrayal of a Muslim in the media? Usually they are shown as violent and crazy terrorists. Minorities and immigrants in general, and people of color in particular are presented in their worst case scenarios. Some people call it a conspiracy. Former CIA director William Casey owned 20% of the New York Times. The more we learn about what happens behind the scenes, through sources such as "JFK" and books like "The Insiders", the more scary and hopeless the situation seems. Big business and advertisers influence what the media talks about. Who pulls the strings behind the scenes? There are definitely powers that censor the information that you and I receive. The Soviet Union was presented as the enemy for so many years. Then it was Iraq, and by election time, maybe it will be Libya. The media has served as a brainwashing machine and has created a negative stereotype of Muslims. The media is a big authority and an individual is not. The Muslim lacks a magic cleaner to wash away the negative views in other peoples minds that stain his/her reputation.
Both Heather and Dan agreed that they could do a lot more to change the stereotype of Muslims. But they also relayed that they were small cogs in the big machine. The media is an extremely powerful tool to represent us. Other groups such as the jews learned this a long time ago and they are very influential in the world, through the media, especially the movie industry. How many jewish directors, actors and comedians can you think of? And how many movies about hitler have you seen? How many times have you seen a tv show involving nazis? These movies are shown throughout the world. But do you remember a positive movie which promotes better understanding of the billions of Muslims in the world? The jews are also powerful in government. As discussed by the panel, the more influence people have, the more coverage they get. Kirkpatrick, the former U. S. embassador to the U. N. was Jewish. Can we even imagine an American Muslim in such a powerful role? The oil producing Muslim nations did not learn the lesson from Jews to unite and command the world through their immense wealth.
Heather mentioned that the nightly news consists of only twenty two minutes. There isn't enough time to cover areas such as the Muslim world. Dan said that his paper's World Report does not make any money. And that's what the media is about - making profits. Whatever sells is what's put on tv, producing couch potatoes and vidiots. Most Americans use the tv to get their information. "If it's on tv, it must be true". They read less than one book a year. A small percentage read the mainstream newspapers and even a smaller group uses alternative media as sources of information. Even in that arena, you'll find bias, such as Santa Monica College's KCRW. It is "National Public Radio", but a closer listen will show the presence of a jewish director, who's influence can color the whole radio station. Can you imagine the type of programming we could broadcast if the director was Muslim? African Americans, East Asians and Hispanics also exercise their power through politics, business and the media. Muslims should learn to play that game. The least we can do is write letters to the editors and to our elected officials to let our voices be heard. Together, we can change the situation. In childhood, they taught us: "Knowledge is power". Today, whoever is powerful gets the most coverage in the media, making it a world where "Power is Knowledge". That's very scary for those who are not so powerful

Child Abuse

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  10-10-95)

 It has been said "If you must beat a child, use a thread". In America, even though it is illegal, each year around one million children suffer from child abuse. Sadly, in Pakistan, child abuse is not viewed in general as wrong or destructive to children. Therefore, the vast majority of children end up being abused. Growing up and as adults, millions of these children suffer from mental, social and behavioral problems. Parents and adults need to be aware of the tremendous damage abuse can do to a child's life.
Growing up, my friends and I were frequently abused by people in our families and by our teachers. "Abuse" is usually defined as non-accidental physical attack on (or injury to) children, by individuals caring for them. But abuse can also be verbal, sexual and emotional. It is very painful to see how the lives of some of my friends were destroyed by their parents or "loved ones". My friend Nadeem's parents were working in Dubai and had left him with his aunt in Pakistan. She often used her shoes to beat Nadeem senselessly, on his face and head, in front of the whole neighborhood. This made him feel worthless and humiliated. He's turned into a hermit who finds it very difficult to express his feelings positively and keeps failing in his business ventures. He neglects and abuses his own children, following in his parents' footsteps. Ahmed's father, a military man, was sure that physical punishment and fear tactics were the best means of disciplining his family. He tried to gain their "respect" by scaring them to death. He would line up the whole family in a row and then beat them up one by one, with a broom or hockey stick. Ahmed was so terrorized by his father that he would urinate in his pants. He has developed into a very depressed and scared adult. He is a rebel and hates any kind of authority. He cannot forgive his dead father nor forget his crimes.
These abused children were not mischievous or trouble makers by nature. It was usually the abusers who demanded far more than what the children were capable of providing. Azam's father hit him in the head with an iron rod. He is convinced that this caused brain damage, making him epileptic. He has developed into a very violent person now. Tranquilizers can't calm him down and he frequently beats up various members of his family, including his old father. Indeed, children are not born violent. They learn it from their parents.
Some children experience emotional rather than physical abuse. They may be neglected and ignored by the parents. Waseem was such a case. He had a very sensitive personality. His parents were emotionally unavailable and inattentive, which made him feel rejected and worthless. Thinking no one loved him or cared about him, he started abusing himself with drugs. Now he's a heroin junkie, who has no "self" left. Some adolescents feel very pressured by the family to excel in school. There are cases where kids commit suicide upon failing their exams. Sexual abuse is far more common than we think. Its existence is minimized and denied. My friend Farooq was sexually abused by his uncle. He's an emotionally disturbed adult now, who goes to therapy to heal the pain. He's unsure about his life, particularly about his sexuality. These were some of the cases of young boys whom I personally knew. For little girls I fear that the predicament is much worse.
Child abuse and domestic violence is found in all segments of society. Abused children are not happy, don't feel good about themselves and tend to not enjoy life. They have low self-esteem, poor self-control and negative feelings about the world. Some show high levels of rage, frustration and aggression. Emotionally neglected children who experience lack of love and care, tend to be withdrawn and depressed. They exhibit mental and behavioral problems as they become older. Children learn what they are taught, especially from their parents. Abusive parents teach their children to do the same and the vicious cycle continues from generation to generation.
On the other hand, children who are given love and attention, come to believe that they are loved and look at the world in a positive manner. They have high self-worth and a successful lifestyle. In the book "The Road Less Travelled", Dr. Scott Peck states the following: "If a parent can give a child the feeling that s/he is loved, the child develops high self esteem and self-worth. It is a feeling that no gold in the world can replace. The child grows up having this feeling deep within him/her, that cannot be taken away. Even if s/he's faced with a major crisis, s/he's able to overcome it, believing that s/he has the ability to do so. S/he feels very confident and knows that s/he deserves the best in life, including happiness, love and prosperity. Therefore, s/he does not hesitate to achieve high goals and success.
Most parents want to be good parents. Classes that teach parenting skills often help prevent parents who have abused their children from doing so again. The psychology section of the local bookstore or library is full of books that can help you become a better person and parent. An excellent book by Tara Singh is "How To Raise A Child Of God". Another highly recommended book is "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise Hay. If you have been a victim of abuse, it is very sad and I empathize with you. But there is lots of hope. You can turn your life around and stop the never-ending poisonous pedagogy that has been going on from generation to generation

Hopes and Dreams

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~ 1-22-92)

Younus came to the U. S. two years ago as a foreign student, to get a bachelors degree in civil engineering. He came here in search of hope, opportunity and a better life. But his plans were altered due to a strange twist of fate. He recently had a brush with death when he was shot two times.
His parents almost lost their only son. He had come to the U. S. for higher education upon his father's recommendation. After graduation, Younus had planned to work here for a while and then hopefully land a job in the middle east, that paid well. His father had sold some property to get enough money to send him over. He continued to financially support Younus as much as he could, but the expenses were too great. So Younus decided to start working here.
He applied for a working permit to get a part time job so he could partially support himself. For a while, he worked in the campus library but was paid close to minimum wage. Then, a few months ago, he found another job at a liquor store, working as a security guard. His job was to guard the liquor store at night. He expected it to be an easy job. The hours were great and he would also be able to do his schoolwork at his job. Besides, the pay check at the end of the week would be a little bigger.
A couple of weeks ago, the incident took place while he was at work. He had stepped outside the store for a few minutes. When he walked back in, he saw a man robbing the cashier at gun point. The robber was startled when he saw the security guard walk in and he panicked. He turned around and shot at Younus three times with his hand gun. He missed only once. Two of the bullets hit Younus and he fell to the ground, screaming in agony and pain. The robber snapped the few dollars from the cash register and ran out the door.
Younus lay on the ground in a pool of blood, his life flashed before his eyes. He screamed in pain, disoriented and shocked at what had just taken place. The cashier, tried to comfort him while they waited for the ambulance and police to arrive. The police was unable to find the gunman, he had escaped. The paramedics worked fast, trying to stop the bleeding at the two wounds. Younus was in bad shape as the ambulance rushed to the hospital. The first bullet had hit him in the ribs, two inches below his heart. The other one went through his right thigh.
The doctors told him later that if he had arrived at the operating table half an hour later, he would not have survived. But he was very lucky and they were able to save his life. He was in intensive care for a few days and eventually his condition stabilized. He's at home now, but still confined to his bed, as he recovers. He still can't believe that this happened to him. It was totally unexpected. Still in shock he wonders why this happened to him and how he could have avoided it. He had done nothing to hurt the gunman. He just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Younus is going back to Pakistan in a few days so that his family can take care of him. They are worried and scared. They want him to come back home and forget all about America. Younus is a fighter though, he says he'll come back to finish his studies, as soon as he's recovered. I don't know how he will rationalize what happened to him. How will he deal with the incident? And what about the gunman? What was his motivation? How does he live with himself, knowing that he almost killed another human being?

Some times I wonder, why bad things happen to good people. Younus was a good person. All he wanted was to be able to live a better life. He didn't want to hurt anybody. We all have our dreams and we all make our plans. But behind the veil, there are unknown forces that have their own plans for us, leaving us with too many unanswered questions

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in Los Angeles, 1996

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan '96

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link ~ September '96)

In August, I had the honor of seeing Khan in concert twice.The man is responsible for making Qawali music popular around the world. He has truly had a profound influence on my life. I traveled to Berkeley with my father and noticed the majority of the audience was Caucasian. Knowing that being a Muslim is considered a crime in America, I was very happy and proud to see that they had come to appreciate a Pakistani Muslim. I realized that it was an extremely rare occasion where the man being admired by Americans was mine, the music was mine and the heritage he represented was mine. That makes us feel proud. Outside that auditorium, there isn't a large place we can call our own. The overt and covert pressures of society can force a person to not be himself. But at Khan's shows we felt free to walk, dress, talk and act in our own true and natural way.

In Los Angeles, the tension in the air may have been due to the open racism here. But Pakistani youth danced in ecstacy, free and proud. Some demonstrated their power and rebellion by taking off their shirts. We usually hear nothing good about Muslims from the dominant society. Khan has broken through those barriers, forcing the listeners to take a second look at Muslims. His music is on the soundtracks of Last Temptation of Christ, Bandit Queen, Natural Born Killers and Dead Man Walking. He has albums with Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, and Michael Brooks.
Khan sings many Qawalis about Allah and Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). In addition, he sings about the lives of many Saints who can serve as real heroes. For example, one of the many Qawalis praising Hazrat Ali talks about his courage stating:
Ali was victorious in all battlefields
Khayber still trembles upon hearing his name
When I sit in my car and plug in one of Khan's tapes, it takes me to another world. There, I get wisdom, courage, and joy. And I am ready to face whatever comes my way.
Professor Tayyab says "It is not that WE are trying to be like THEM. The truth is, THEY are trying to be like US". They steal ideas from the East, re-package them and label them as "Western". Why is it "cool" for Sting and Robert Plant to wear our Kurta or Sherwani, but when we wear our own clothes, it's frowned upon as if it's unacceptable like a crime?

Ali Haider Show

by Fazeel Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link  ~  7-31-95)

Ali Haider, Bushra Ansari, Bunny and Milestones have been touring together for the last six weeks. Los Angeles was the last leg of this tour. Unfortunately, for the artists, the end of this tour was marked by an unpleasant experience. The problem had to do with the financial contracts. This was one reason why it took so long for the performance to begin. Originally, the show was to start at 7:30. Then, in last week's Pakistan Link, the new show time was changed to 8:30pm. But it was 10pm when the curtains finally opened and Bushra Ansari took the stage with Allah-Ditta band.
I think you'll agree that it's about time that we as a community start being on time. As artists and promoters, we need to begin the shows exactly at the announced time. This is the promise that you've made. On the other side, the audience needs to be in their seats at the scheduled time. Another factor which caused the delay of this show was that many people did not arrive at 8:30. In general the attendance was low and I suppose the organizers were waiting for more people to arrive before they started the show. If the artist, promoter or audience is late to a gathering, nobody wins. We all lose. And what we lose is our most valuable asset which is time. It's about time that we discard the idea of "Pakistan Standard Time."
Bushra Ansari sang beautifully. Her voice is very melodic and her personality is very confident. When some men were making too much noise, she told them directly that it's better if they let her talk. I like seeing that positive power in women. Due to the low attendance, $10 tickets were not sold. Only $15 and above were available and this made some people angry. To ease the tension, Bushra told a good joke about miser husbands. I guess us men don't spend enough money on the women and we're miserly with our compliments too. I wish someone had taught me how to compliment a woman. So I have a request to the elder males in our community. Could you teach us younger guys what you've learned in life so that we don't make the same mistakes again? Teach us the practical stuff, not the theoretical.
Bushra introduced the stage band. The Allah-Ditta band had a bass player, guitarist, drummer and a keyboardist. They were good musicians but lacked energy. Some day, I'd like to see the Desi versions of "Flea" and Pete Townsend, jumping all over the stage. These musicians exemplify the celebration of life through their energy.
The next band to take the stage was Milestones. Unfortunately, the band's name was incorrectly pronounced and advertised several times as Mile Stone. Sounds like a rock that's a mile long. The audience didn't seem very familiar with this band. For me, It was awesome to finally see them perform and to hear "Candy's" voice leading this band. Wow. Things really have changed. A Desi woman was wearing pants and singing "Blue Suede Shoes." Her voice was very impressive and well-trained. She's the Desi "Sade." I'll bet that Sade was a great influence on her hypnotic and smoothly flowing voice. Even her hairstyle was like Sade. The best moment for Milestones was when the bassist was singing a rap song and Candy was weaving a web of harmonies over it. From the first time I heard her, I said that this woman is very talented and she will go very far.
Bunny took the stage and raised the energy in the hall with a few upbeat dance tunes. I think the bad dudes sitting in the back harassed him too much. I felt bad for the guy. An artist cannot give you his best if he's under stress from the organizers or from a ruthless audience. Us artists are usually the sensitive type. And I could see that something was bothering Bunny. Maybe he didn't feel enough cohesion with the Allah-Ditta band. They probably performed together rarely because Bunny has his own band. Bunny's performance was very good. Especially when he grabbed a guitar and played along as he sang. Bunny is a talented musician with a voice that has strength and depth. I talked to him backstage. He came across as a very friendly, humble and caring man.
Ali Haider performed about ten songs. Out of all the musicians, he had the greatest energy. He danced around on stage and got the audience to sing along with him on a few songs. Then he came off stage in the middle of a song. I thought he was going to say a few words to the rowdy guys in the back. But he went and sang to a few women instead. The audience really loved it that he came down and mingled with the crowd. Ali seems to be getting increasingly popular. He's also trying to break into the Indian market. Unlike many other pop bands, I didn't notice any stolen riffs in his music. What we need is originality and not copies of western songs. And Ali Haider definitely is original and very creative.
The show ended at 1am. The sound quality was sloppy. This was not the musicians' fault but had to do with the proper blending of all the instruments. I discovered that the musicians did not have a chance to check their instruments beforehand. And this is why the sound was not mixed properly. All these musicians were very talented. It is unfortunate that their sound quality lacked perfection and that they did not have enough time to show us more of their musical abilities.
When I protested the Gulf war, very few people showed up at the demonstrations. But a Raiders football game or a Guns 'n' Roses concert can attract 80,000 people at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Is there more peace in the world after either event? How can we gather people together and empower them to make the world a better place? How about taking 1% of the time at our functions to address the real issues of Muslims? Maybe a five minute speech on Bosnia and a donation box would've made a difference at this concert. What do you feel?

Mind and Media

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link ~ 1-7-93)

Knowledge is power. At a recent gathering to celebrate Quaid-e-Azam's birthday, I learned how much he stressed the importance of attaining knowledge. In his will, he distributed all of his belongings among three schools. In today's fast paced information age, the media of film, tv and radio can be excellent sources to provide us with knowledge.

Many people have suggested that education can solve a lot of our problems. If people are well informed, they tend to become more objective. They may become more tolerant of other points of views and may some day use non-violent means instead of resolving conflicts through fighting and warfare.
The U. S. as a super-power, can influence the events taking place in the world. This country and its people have the potential to create a world focused on destruction or on peace. Therefore, it is very encouraging when the media does a good job of informing the people. Without information we are blind. Learning and growing is what life is all about. I would like to draw your attention to some of these refreshing, and some very courageous efforts on the part of the media.
I was glad to see a famous director, Oliver Stone, use the medium of film to inform the people about one of the most popular leaders of this country, John F. Kennedy. The movie "JFK" tells us that he wanted to end the Vietnam war and cut military spending. He wanted to dismantle the CIA, and he was against attacking Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also played a role in helping Blacks and other minorities get equal rights. JFK had some revolutionary ideas about changing the policies of this country in the world. But he was viewed as a threat by some, and was assassinated. The conspiracy theory points the finger at the CIA, the military and even the Vice-President, Linden Johnson. This high budget and widely distributed movie by one of the country's leading directors is being well received by the movie-going audiences. It has made people raise questions about what really goes on in the government. The film is an eye-opener and I highly recommend it.
There are other good movies also, which have a similar theme as "JFK". Since Pakistanis love to see movies, I'll mention some of them. An excellent movie about the Iran-Contra affair is "Cover Up". It has been showing in Santa Monica for the past few months but is also available on video. The Christic Institute is a law firm that has taken on, and won, historical issues such as the Karen Silkwood case. The movie "Silkwood" was based on this case. The Christic Institute has a case pending against the people involved with the Iran-Contra affair. They have researched and documented evidence that supports the claims of the movie "Cover Up". It tells how Reagan and Bush knew all along, about the CIA's involvement in weapons and drug smuggling. A movie with some positive and enlightening ideas is "Mindwalk". It deals with personal, political and global issues.  It is based on a book by Fritjof Capra. He is a leading scientist in Physics who connects it with mysticism. "Dances With Wolves" tells us that all people are the same and that the real enemy is within each of us.
PBS uses the medium of television positively, with their wide range of programs, to effect the lives of the viewers. One of my favorite shows is "Frontline". A few months ago, I saw two movies on Channel 28. Award winning, "The Official Story" from Argentina deals with the disappearances of thousands of people in their country. Another very disturbing film "State Of Siege" is from Uruguay. It is about the police departments of countries around the world. Many countries send their top police officers to be trained in the U. S. Torture techniques and fear tactics are some of the topics covered in the training classes. The police headquarters in Uruguay were partially run by an American "advisor", in 1971. This was how the U. S. was able to exert direct control over the people of that country.
A good source for news and information on the radio is listener sponsored KPFK, 90.7 FM. An enlightening talk show on KLOS, 95.5 FM with host Frank Sontag comes on Sunday night at midnight.
I commend all the people in the media who are trying to empower us with knowledge. I hope this trend continues and that we'll see less of the usual sex and violence and more of vital issues that effect our world and our lives.

Are You a Fish or a Frog

Are You A Frog Or A Fish?

by Fazeel Azeez Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link ~ 10-11-96)

Hey, where are you from? This question is asked of us because we are viewed as different; Frogs among Fish. Maybe the issue is not Frogs and Fish but Cowboys and Indians. Yea but what's this Fishy Froggy business anyway.......
Well, I'll quote my Amphibious friend from Ottawa, Canada "I believe it was Imam Abdullah Hakim who told me about fish and frogs. He used these two animal types to describe the two basic kinds of Muslims: "fish" and "frogs". Fish, being water-dwellers, rely on their special environment to carry out all of their activities of life; on the other hand, frogs, which are amphibious creatures, can thrive both in water and on land. "Fish" require ever-present, supportive and homogeneous environments to function successfully. But "frogs" can make it ANYWHERE. Do you seek to spread yourself beyond the scope of your comfort zone? Are you a frog? How far are you willing to venture? If you have thick, slimy, green skin then come along with me!".
Hybrids like us live in the U.S. but are linked to other countries, through an invisible umbilical cord. Those of us who've lived in the "old countries", swam and played among the local schools of fish. There we were fish and not viewed as frogs. The millions of beautiful and colorful fish were of all shapes and sizes. To a large extent, we understood our people and our surroundings, and enjoyed a certain amount of comfortable belongingness there.
Now we've come out to a new land, a different world. Some of us hybrids were born here yet don't feel we belong solely to this land. We long for a swim in the deep ocean and sometimes we venture out there with our friends, fish and frogs alike. As frogs, we are likely to float on top of the water, near the shore, with our vision reaching into the heavens. Through the clouds and the pollution, we try to ponder who we are, where we are and where we belong. And how many years more will we have to live here to be not considered "Foreigners". We may experience that today, fish in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans view us as strange green aliens. So it makes us speculate where can we fit in.
Young people like us often wonder "Who the hell am I? Am I American, Pakistani, or Muslim"? We wonder which group we belong with, Caucasian, African, or Hispanics. Sometimes application forms force us to be incorrectly classified as "Asian" by which they mean Pacific Asian only. Other times we're stereotyped as Arabs or Middle-eastern people. As we ponder these questions and form our self-identity, we beg, borrow and steal pieces of ourselves from various sources. An African American friend recently educated me about the idea of the "Looking Glass Self". It states that we look at ourselves through other peoples' eyes. Us Frogs don't often have the luxury of looking at ourselves through our own people's eyes. So we often see ourselves through American eyes. And sadly, the American eye usually captures us at our worst, and presents negative images about us through the media.
My friend ZZ from Washington D.C. says "I think an important issue that we, as the "first generation", face is culture. What are we? We are hybrids, that is a pertinent term. But where do we draw the line? As an American born citizen, I think I should consider myself an American. The only life I've known is being in America. But I also value my parents' roots, Pakistan. But their parents were Indian. It's really confusing, living in a "hybrid-culture". During the day, we work and hang out with Americans, talking to them, eating their food, experiencing their values. Yet, when we come home to our families, we are eating curries and rice, speaking Urdu and listening to Indian music. At least my parents usually do. I enjoy that too, but, jeez I gotta turn on MTV and watch Alternative Nation to get a grip. And adults wonder why so many of us are so messed up. We have no idea who or what we are. At least, I feel that way sometimes."
How can we ease this situation of duality? That will come from supporting each other. To help each other deal with our common predicament, we need to share our tools. We need to really talk and listen to each other. We need older people to be open to their children and also to mentors youngsters. We may not be able to solve all our problems, but sometimes it helps greatly just to express our feelings and to know that we're not alone in feeling like a fish out of water. Our people lack a survival manual, a history and power in this land. But gradually, our Pakistani community is getting more established here and our broader, amphibious views are benefitting other communities as well. We can also learn valuable adaptation techniques from other communities. Achieving a healthy balance within ourselves is not easy, but none the less, it's a great adventure

Community and Belongingness

Community and Belongingness

by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan

(Published in Pakistan Link ~  3-15-95)

We come to the United States in search of something better. In the process, we may gain a lot, but we are also uprooted. We lose many precious things, including our loved ones and our home. To combat the hardships of this new land, we need the support of our fellow Pakistanis. A strong community can provide us with the feeling of belongingness and make us feel like home.
The famous psychologist Abraham Maslow identified a human being's five most important needs as:
1) Physical
2) Safety
3) Love and Belongingness
4) Self-Esteem
5) Self-Actualization
To fulfill the love and belongingness need, we must have the support of our community. In our house, our family provides us with this warm and comforting feeling. This is how we define a place as "home". At home we feel like we really belong there. It's a place where we are loved, accepted, sheltered and nurtured. We have left our homeland - Pakistan, and have now moved into our new house - the United States. In this new house, our community can serve as our extended family to turn it into our home.
Personally, I've tried to blend into the American lifestyle, but often I am treated like an outsider. We may not be considered as equals, based on our differences in culture, language, religion and color. These are the harsh realities of life in the United States. Discrimination is psychological genocide. Such obstacles seem overwhelming if we attempt to combat them all alone. But we can face them better if we know that we have the support of a strong community behind us. This "community" is not a vague and abstract entity some where out there. We have to think of it simply as you, and me.
These comments are not intended to create reverse discrimination. What I am suggesting is that our Pakistani community can serve as our home base, offering us stability. We should be able to feel confident that we can always return to this safe haven. As individuals, we have to implant our roots deep into our community. From there, we can go out to succeed in the rest of the world. Otherwise, we are liable to drift away like a ship without an anchor. We have to start with ourselves.
There is an emphasis on individuality here, but there is also a lot of isolation. As lone individuals, we run the risk of losing our identity. We can become discouraged enough to lose our hopes and dreams. It can turn into a terrible situation, making our life here very difficult.
Under these circumstances, the support of our fellow Pakistanis becomes extremely important for our survival and well being. We need role models and friends. We should be able to interact intimately and bond with each other. Together we can form this united community.

Instead of pointing out each others' human weaknesses, we should focus on the other's positive qualities. We should embrace the common threads that unite us. We can overcome fearing each other and stop allowing our differences to create distances between us. It will be very helpful if we have an objective attitude and are more tolerant of other people. Our culture teaches us to be sensitive and caring. I appeal to you to use these abilities to get close to, and empathize with each other.
Life in the U.S. can become very challenging indeed. Therefore, the circle of a tight-knit community can serve as an essential refuge, where we can frequently come and feel at home. If each one of us does our part in helping one another, we can make this place our home away from home. A strong community can be a homeland and like a mother, comfort us in her loving arms. She can give us the feelings of belongingness and acceptance, and help erase our feelings of homelessness. Isolation makes us feel weak and rejected. Belongingness charges our batteries and makes us feel strong and empowered.
Let's have community gatherings more often, to preserve our roots and identity, as well as our sanity. More importantly, let's focus on the individual level. If each one of us offers their support to all the people they come in contact with on a daily basis, we can develop this powerful community. Let's offer our trust and friendship to each other. We can share a few laughs to ease each other's sorrows. Some times all we need is a few words of kindness. Let's embrace each other and unite in a strong circle of our community, where we can help and love one another, through the limited time we have left here together.