Yet another random collection of thoughts by me. Why random, I don’t know. Why not something specific ,on some topic, some issue, something a bit focused. What should I say. Interestingly, I believe that my writings depict me well . A personality that is little bit of this and some bits of that ; not dedicated and not ambitious at all. Its not just me, I think all of my nation is passing through a stae of mind that is uncertain and scattered.

I always appreciate those who initiate tasks. Any task actually. From little brave steps to bold strides, no matter what the situation is   ; the word “do” always sells.

Taking an initiative is not everyone’s cup of tea as different factors are there that halt people from taking initiatives. So many times we want to do something new , something extra or something productive but could not find ourselves kick off. There can be various reasons for that , some of the causes could be the ones put below.

People can be afraid of criticism as well as of rejection. A strong sense of fear that their ideas and action might result in criticism or in worst case simply would get rejected , stop them to start anything new , take an initiative or take a lead. They prefer working in their comfort zones on same routine stuff they have always been doing.

Another phenomenon that sucks away energies of an “initiator to – be”  is nothing but the same old “Fear of failure”. One wants to be a triumphant entrepreneur, fiery leader of the nation or an eloquent performer but fear of failure stops that person from acting.

Fear of limelight is yet another type of anxiety when a humble arse person does not want to be get noticed. Such people are so much anxious of getting attention that they try to be indifferent and silent most of the times. Their thoughts keep circling around “What will they think ? What will people say” kind of queries. They tend to avoid giving their concrete opinions and try to follow others.They keep doing what they are doing and whatever they are told and rarely start something on their own.

Fear of consequences of success is a type of barrier that can occur at times too. Initiating a task and successfully achieving it leads to possible change in present circumstances of the person. That person might get promotion or expectation of people could get higher as well as workloads can be increased. Therefore, such a person will keep doing the routine tasks and will avoid anything extra coming in the way.

What we need to do is, to identify what is stopping us from execute ; that we have been wanting to do for some time and what state is our state of mind that is not letting us to take initiatives improve our lives and surroundings.

 

 

That was a so called Eid night at the end of September. I was working in the yard whole night as I was supposed to count equipment (assets) ,take their pictures or put some other evidence that we have those assets with us. An Indian guy Saji Joseph was helping me with task. It was hot over there, yeah even at night we were sweating like anything while working in yard.

Our conversation went like this .!

 

Me : Your English is perfect !

Saji Joseph: Haha

Me: Why are you laughing, mate?

SJ : Well, it is my English is supposed to be good I guess, as I have masters degree in English literature

Me : Oh damn ! what the hell are you doing here then ?

SJ : Exactly !

Me: What were you doing before coming into this lucrative “dirty” oil work ?

SJ: I was lecturer in a junior college in Jamaica , West Indies and before that I was working in a bookstore in Amsterdam, Holland.

Me: See, I knew that when I met you that you don’t belong to this place. haha

SJ : Yes man , but somehow I have accepted it as my fate and probably I’ll keep working in this labour intensive ,illiterate environment as the money is good.

Me: aahh !  Money ! The harsh reality of life.

 

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Somehow , I got rid of my co-workers as we were waiting for someone at airport , I took taxi and went to Villagio.  It is an interesting mall in Doha built on style of Venice. They even have boats over there just like they have in Venice.(Hell yeah , I have been to the real Venice as well). Lighting system is amazing , the roof (sky) turns light blue with clouds at day becomes dark with stars glowing at night time. Walking through Villagio actually , makes one calms and serene ,away from hustle and bustle , stress and mess ups of city and the work life itself.

 

I did some shopping for my family. I live for that day actually , the shopping day. I bear everything , the stress, immense ,work load ,harsh criticism and all that stupid stuff for the day of shopping for my family. The day before I go home. Anyway, I was in H& M  , a UK based brand . Got some stuff and while I was paying met that  cheerful young sales assistant  probably from India , as he was smiling and greeting customers. That took me back to around 2 years time ,when I was working in Manchester ,Primark on till banks. That was a busy but fun job for me. So many young people around  ,so much laughter ,jokes and gossips going on.

Well , I said to that guy , seems like a nice working environment, yeah?

Sales Guy : Yes, Indeed. Its not that hard ,people are good and I have this opportunity of interacting with lots of people.

Me: How long have you been in Qatar.

SG:  1.5 months and I like this place , so far.

Me: That’s good , mate . You should enjoy it , you are working in this clean and nice environment , that must be satisfying for you.

SG: yeah. But still ,” no place like home”

Me: True  

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Another UK brand , "Boots" was full of young female staff  , there was just one guy .The lucky bastard . While paying for my stuff , I could not resist myself and uttered ,

Me: Hey bro , what a good place to work isn’t it?

The Not so smiley sales guy : Is it?

Me: Heck yeah ! So many women , Hahaha

TNSSG : Oh you are talking in that sense. Well yes you can say so , but I am not happy here.

Me: A bit astound by his frank remark about his job , I inquired , why so?

TNSSG: Because I have done diploma as a Flight steward and that is what I want to be.

Me: Oh I see.

TNSSG :  I have been applying at places but nothing happened. Now I want someone to help me with getting a job in Qatar Airways. Don’t know who can help me.

Me: Anyway bro, all the best with your job search. But don’t forget to enjoy your current job meanwhile.

 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

Thattil : Do you know , how much that Qatar Gas inspector earns? He gets 900 Dollars per day. That is  a fat salary.

Me: Yes it is.  I guess If you keep working in oil industry then you can sort our your life easily. But you will miss your  “life” at the same time.

by Anjum Niaz

After China's reluctance to bail us out, what next? The Saudis were shy to say they will give us oil on deferred payment; they have since gone silent. The Americans did promise us some millions but are today scurrying like scared rabbits stopping their own economy from collapse. The UAE royal family will cough up cash for old time's sake but only if we hand over our family silver to them on a platter. We have no cash to keep the IMF wolf away from the door. Pakistan has begged from all, but none has come forth with money, only hollow promises.

Knock, knock. Enter the big bad wolf. With our economy in the emergency ward, the IMF will shove its painful economic drip down our throats to revive us. Do we deserve it? Yes, because our leaders, military and civilian, present and past, have been too busy living like emperors, building their own palaces in Pakistan and abroad, junketing abroad with toadies unlimited, lining their own pockets, hoarding dollars in their own foreign banks and looking the other way while their honchos have done the same. The rape by our leaders continues. The fear of God doesn't work on our leaders; the fear of IMF does.

If the world's second richest man Warren Buffet is willing to invest in his country's future by buying American stocks why can't Pakistan's suggested second richest man President Asif Ali Zardari and the fourth richest man Mian Nawaz Sharif invest in energy projects that can save Pakistan from going bankrupt? Just think about it. This is no idle talk but a practical solution to our biggest problem today: lack of energy.

"Put your mouth where your money is," writes Warren Buffet in a column recently. "Today my money and my mouth both say equities." A simple rule dictates his buying: "Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. And most certainly, fear is now widespread, gripping even seasoned investors. But fears regarding the long-term prosperity of the nation's many sound companies make no sense. These businesses will indeed suffer earnings hiccups, as they always have. But most major companies will be setting new profit records 5, 10 and 20 years from now."

Pakistan cannot come close to America and its wealth. Cynics may point out that my citing Warren Buffet is therefore way off the mark. They may point out that Zardari and Sharif are no Warren Buffet. Granted. Darn, it's time we talked shop. Sharp-suited- smiler has done the international rounds but returned home empty handed. Zardari's last resort was China. He hoped that the Chinese would deposit $1.5 billion to $3 billion in the State Bank of Pakistan before his plane touched down in Karachi. That did not happen.

Why?

The much-celebrated democracy dividend engineered by the US and UK envoys and seconded by the Saudis and the UAE earlier this year saw the emasculation of Pervez Musharraf. The dictator was forced to issue the NRO which washed away the years of corruption our politicians were accused of and indicted for in courts here and abroad. The death of Benazir Bhutto left in its wake a power vacuum that Zardari and company were not prepared for. The PPP co-chairman overnight became the accidental candidate and in turn got crushed under the welter of his own power. Consequently he bungled not once but many times. He allowed Farooq Naek and Latif Khosa to block the return of the chief justice. He allowed his ego to guide him in his choice of a subservient prime minister. He okayed Rehman Malik's underhand move to take control of the ISI. He let loose the dogs of war in Punjab all the while schmoozing with the Sharifs; trooping with the Americans (Ambassador Anne Patterson in Islamabad and Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad in New York); cajoling the Saudis for free oil; humouring General Kayani and pampering Altaf Hussain of the MQM giving him what he wants.

The president is sagging under the tonnage of national and international pressure. Before going to China he told the reporters here that he was visiting Beijing after "24 years." Correction. He went in December 1993 (15 years ago) as the spouse of prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The couple was given a warm welcome and Benazir was simply outstanding. She won the hearts of the Chinese leaders. Witnessing her meeting at the Great Hall and her press conferences sent waves of pride among us, the media party that accompanied her. We were genuinely proud of our leader.

Today, her widower, the president, is trying too hard to emulate her. It's backfiring. Why did he make the ridiculous announcement to visit China every three months to educate himself and learn business secrets that enabled China to amass two trillion dollars in foreign exchange reserves? It's nothing but sanctimonious chatter. If he's sincere then he should look for answers in his own backyard, a country of 170 million working hard stiff. For too long our civilian governments have kept us drugged by feeding mind-numbing words like "democracy" and "awam ki khidmat" while engaging in widespread state plunder. The money they pocket is conveniently transferred to their Swiss banks with no questions asked by the greedy Swiss. Pakistanis wake up only after the deed is done and the government sacked. Everybody – the press, successive government, TV anchors and human rights champions suddenly scramble into the act of catching the thieves.

But it's too late and of course the IMF is called to clean up the mess.

Let's end this thieves and robbers statecraft. Our present leaders should cut out the long lectures and instead put their mouth where their money is. They need to set an example for the rest to follow. Begin by being honest, sincere and transparent. Let Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, minister of water and power, suffer the loadshedding as all others in Islamabad do. No exceptions please. Let his street in F-8 be in darkness and his home without electricity when our homes and streets are unlit. Let the president and prime minister show the awam that they too are burning the midnight oil looking for solutions to get back electricity in our homes and industries. Zardari deserves praise for getting a promise from the Chinese to build two more nuclear power plants, but in the meanwhile, he must pump up the public's confidence by investing his overseas wealth in the local banks. He and his cronies must jumpstart our economy by ruthlessly husbanding expenses.

Does JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman deserve to enjoy perks and privileges meant for a federal minister? No Prime Minister! Why have you singled this man who changes his political affiliations like the weathercock? Why shower state largesse on him? Yusuf Raza Gilani, if he loves the maulana so much, should pay him a stipend from his own personal bank accounts, which like the other leaders, is hefty. Do you know how much our parliamentarians cost us annually? Each one of them at least us of Rs32 lakhs. In five years these 534 MPs would have deprived the national exchequer of Rs85,440,000, 000 (more than 800 crores). This is only their direct costs. Add to this a couple of more millions that our lawmakers, not all of them but most, make in shady deals and graft. We, the people, must demand that these fellows who come on television or make tall promises in print should put their money where their mouth is. They should invest in projects that generate electricity. And pronto!

The Zardari government has allowed the Dubai-based Abraaj Capital to control KESC. Farrukh Abbas has been appointed the CEO of Abraaj Capital Pakistan. Reliable sources inform me that he's drawing a monthly salary estimated at US$ 46,000 plus perks. In rupees this comes to Rs40 lakhs a month. Abbas, it may be said is related to Mrs Timmy Hakim Ali Zardari through marriage. Is this a case of sheer nepotism or merit? The jury will only come out when this government is a thing of the past. But you can't stop tongues from wagging. Everyone, sans the jiyalas is aware how the PPP is mismanaging governance.

Well, now you know why our foreign friends have shafted us. But hope springs eternal. The 'Friends of Pakistan' may yet rescue us from the IMF.

I like that part of the song ‘November Rain’ when it says that “Everybody needs sometime on their own”.  Yes , indeed. According to a recent research , every normal human being needs to be alone at least for 2 hours a day.2 hours of their own, they don’t want anyone’s interference and they just want to be alone.

Personal space is not all about being alone. Its about being free of interference in your personal acts ,beliefs and in daily living. At times one has to determine their own space and tell others in some discreet language that they are not supposed to cross that limit. Many times we fail to communicate that at some point and suffer later. It is better to clear out things at start rather than feeling disgusted and isolated later. You don’t have to care about what they think because It is your life and you have every right to spend it the way you want.

This is not silence of a dumb fuck

This is not silence of some ignorant fool

This is not just another quiet dimwit

This is not a cowardly non-communicator

This is not an illiterate moron having nothing to talk about

 

This is just a deliberate silence

Let the time come and something will be heard very soon !

(Written during a small break at work because of server failure)

 

There are two forces of thought running into our minds. One asks us to confront while the other one urges to stay calm. One says , “do or die” where the other one puts up “ponder well and never rush” . The first one pushes us to “say what we want and do what we want without thinking about the consequences”.  The second one forces us to behave a little sound and ask us to think twice before doing anything bold. The earlier one doesn’t care about dignity and respect  that much, all it want is confrontation with oppressors and offenders  and total freedom. While the later thought pattern,   gives value to dignity and integrity more than anything else.

We pass through such phases some time in our lives , when we feel like keeping things real , set records straight and yell at every person who tries to manipulate us. We want to snatch back our freedom and personal space that we have been missing for some time. At that stage we want to do whatever we want.  Protest , do some unrest , disobey ,denounce ,fight and be a rebel.

Then this damn second part of our brain , the reluctant one , the calmer one ,the foresighted one plays its part and urges us to keep our cool. It just balances things up. Heck why?

 

You question the rules you have to obey,

but nobody else seems bothered.

At times like these, you wonder if you're going crazy.

Actually, your complaints are perfectly justified,

but other people have learned to grin and bear the oppression,

because dwelling on it has made them miserable.

 If you decide to challenge the powers that be,

 you will have to do it on your own. Your chances of success are good,

but the going will get tough   "             ( ANONYMOUS )

I went to Najma today , right after my work. Najma is a busy central district of Doha , full of people , energy and life. There are cafes, restaurants,souvenir shops and other outlets dealing in wide variety of goods. At least one feels like back in life , for a change. I met fellows of my company there , had Ifat with them , took pictures and returned home. I was so tired but I prefered to go there as I wanted a little bit of change in my freakin' routine.

 

Now I am back in my home relaxing ,having tea and watching TV.  There is a workload , I need to finish , there are documents I need do and there are tasks I have to peform in order to cope with ongoing Assets audit tomorrow . What the heck man ? What the heck ?  I am not someone's slave. This company pays me for my work and the time I have at home is supposed to be mine only.Why should I waste this time on my office work ? Heck why?

 

I know ,I can only behave like a rebel in my writings. In real I'll be doing work just after half an hours, because if I won't do it then I might get in trouble. Grrrrr.....

I feel like a modern slave at times who has do deal with this stupid forced labour.

It has been the toughest Ramadan for me so far. Tight schedule , less working hours and loads of workload. Anyway , so far I have been performing my tasks in a timely fashion. The last bit is here before the Eid holidays. I have been assigned the task of Physical count of Assets coming under Joint venture. We have to find items with specified serial numbers in the Joint Venture list and provide evidence by taking photographs of equipment. Equipment tranfered to off-shore will be shown on Delivery Tickets. It is a huge task ,especially when we look at bad weather, limited Ramadan timings as well as busy subordinates as  they have to meet their day to day tasks too.

I can untilise three guys. Ok not too bad. I have started working on this assignment today and in my opinion, , it is going to take some time. I will accomplish this task ont ime, I have no doubt on that , but I have to work really hard in coming week together with my team. On Friday, I'll be either celebrating the accomplished task or will be worried about how to ask for 1-2 days extension. (Nah, I don't want that).

 

I am doing what is necessary and what is possible.Hopefully, it is going to be alright. INSHALLAH !  

 

 

Ok , just an update !  My quick responses and communication during Inventory Audit , was praised by Operations Manager of our company. He said some good stuff about me in front of senior management. Phew !  Thank God, I am feeling better, more energetic and even more positive now.

 

"Hardwork never goes invain"  

Foreign Policy: What do you see as the biggest misperception about Islam?

Bernard Lewis: Well, there are two. Sometimes one, sometimes the other, predominates. It depends when and where. I would call them the negative one and the positive one. The negative one sees Muslims as a collection of bloodthirsty barbarians offering people the choice of the Koran or the sword, and generally bringing tyranny and oppression wherever they go. And the other one is the exact opposite, what you might call the sanitized version, which presents Islam as a religion of love and peace, rather like the Quakers but without their aggressiveness. The truth is in its usual place, somewhere between the extremes.

FP: Do you believe in the "clash of civilizations" theory of Samuel P. Huntington, that the Islamic world and the West are destined to butt heads?

BL: Well, I don't go into destiny; I'm a historian and I deal with the past. But I certainly think there is something in the "clash of civilizations." What brought Islam and Christendom into conflict was not so much their differences as their resemblances. There are many religions in the world, but almost all of them are regional, local, ethnic, or whatever you choose to call it. Christianity and Islam are the only religions that claim universal truth. Christians and Muslims are the only people who claim they are the fortunate recipients of God's final message to humanity, which it is their duty not to keep selfishly to themselves—like the Jews or the Hindus or the Buddhists—but to bring to the rest of mankind, removing whatever obstacles there may be in the way.

So, we have two religions with a similar self-perception, a similar historical background, living side by side, and conflict becomes inevitable.

FP: You write in your chapter about radical Islam that most Muslims are not fundamentalists, and that most fundamentalists are not terrorists. That's not self-evident to everyone, so can you just explain it a little further?

BL: Naturally we hear about the acts of terror. Nobody ever wrote a headline saying "a million people went peacefully about their business yesterday and did nothing." Terrorism is very much the news of the moment and it is also the threat of the moment. It is a real menace, and I don't wish to understate that or diminish it in any way. But if one assumes that that's all there is to Islam, that's a grave mistake, because terrorism only comes from one brand of Islam, and even that one brand of Islam is not entirely committed to terrorism. But for a terrorist movement, you do need mass support.

FP: I noticed that you use the term "Islamofascism" in the conclusion of your book. That term has been hotly debated. What do you think? Is it harmful or useful?

BL: Well, I don't use it; I discuss it. I think one has to confront that this is a term that is used. I don't like it because it's insulting to Muslims. They see it as insulting to link the name of their religion with the most detestable of all the European movements. It's useful in the sense that it does distinguish real Islam from "Islamofascism," but I still feel that the connection is insulting, and I prefer to use the term "radical Islam."

FP: A lot of analysts, and this is especially something you hear from political leaders in the Muslim world, say that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism—that these are completely separate issues. Is that a view that you subscribe to? Some people say that terrorism is largely caused by occupation or a response to U.S. policy, not Islam.

BL: Well, I can't subscribe to it since the terrorists themselves claim to be acting in the name of Islam. There was one Muslim leader who said, not long ago, that it is wrong to speak about Muslim terrorism, because if a man commits an act of terrorism, he's not a Muslim. That's very nice, but that could also be interpreted as meaning that if a Muslim commits it, it doesn't count as terrorism.

When a large part of the Muslim world was under foreign rule, then you might say that terrorism was a result of imperialism, of imperial rule and occupation. But at the present time, almost the whole of the Muslim world has achieved its independence. They can no longer blame others for what goes wrong. They have to confront the realities of their own lives at home. A few places remain disputed, like Chechnya and Israel and some others, but these are relatively minor if you're talking about the Islamic world as a whole.

FP: Iraq, which used to be ruled by a Sunni ruler, is now being governed by Shiites. What does that mean in the context of Islamic history?

BL: I think it means a great deal. But what is important in Iraq is not that it's being ruled by the Shiites, but that it's being ruled by a democracy, by a free, elected government that faces a free opposition. It proves what is often disputed, that the development of democratic institutions in a Muslim Arab country is possible. A lot of people say, "No, it's impossible. It can't work. They can't do it." Well, it's difficult, but it's not impossible, and I think Iraq proves that. What is happening in Iraq I find profoundly encouraging. Of course, it is the ripple effect from Iraq that is causing alarm among all the tyrants that rule these countries [in the region]. If it works in Iraq, it could work elsewhere, and this is very disturbing [for tyrants].

FP: As someone who has spent so much time studying the Ottoman Empire, the history of Islam, and the region, is the future of Islam something that has a deep meaning to you personally? Where do you see the Muslim world headed in the next decade?

BL: I'm not a religious person. But I find things that are good and encouraging. Islam over the last 14 centuries has brought dignity and meaning to millions of drab and impoverished lives. It has created a great civilization that has gone through several different phases in several different countries. It is now going through a major crisis, and it could go either way. It could descend into a fanatical tyranny, which would be devastating for Muslims and a threat to the rest of the world. Or they may succeed in developing their own brand of democracy. When we talk about the possibility of democracy in the Islamic world, it doesn't have to be our kind. Our kind results from our own history and institutions. It's not a universal model. They can, and I think will, develop their own brand of democracy, by which I mean limited, civilized, responsible government. And there are signs of that.

Bernard Lewis is professor emeritus at Princeton University and the author of dozens of books, most recently Islam: The Religion and the People (Upper Saddle River: Wharton School Publishing, 2008), coauthored with Buntzie Ellis Churchill