5 Things I Learned From Prof. Dr. Haroon Rashid

1. Pray to Allah to increase your faith
2. Pray for good health
3. Pray that you should become a source of help for people
4. Don't gather happiness......spread it
5. Admit your mistakes and say sorry

The Case Of The Real Awam

As the scraggly man threw his shoe at Zardari, I smiled. But, Zardari was not deterred. Luckily, his glasses didn't fall off his face. He maintained his composure and grinned his usual toothy smile, and looked back at this man with his looming eyes....what else could Zardari do? It wasn't really him----it was a poster of Zardari.

The Feb. 25th verdict of the Pakistan Supreme Court declaring the Punjabi brothers, with artifically implanted hair (Nawaz Sharif & Shabaz Sharif), ineligible for elections resulted in roadside theatrics---not new to the Pakistani political scene, however. And of course, let's not forget the contribution by our relentlessly annoying media. The ones who make a whole lot out of nothing at all. The ones who stop us dead in our tracks every hour with their flashing red banners of "Breaking News!". In fact, much of the theatrics that occur as a result of the mediocre events in Pakistan are for the most part initiated by this insanely neurotic media. And so it should come as no surprise, that after the Supreme Court ruling, the dramatic society (read media) donned its costumes and started with the first act.

Their theme and news coverage was aimed at showing the nation how the people had come out on the streets rejecting the Court's verdict. That the awam was distraught and angered by this decision. "Awaam Ka Ihtejaaj!" yelled one reporter. Channel after channel showed live footage of men tearing down posters of PPP's leadership and damaging public property. Hurling their shoes at pictures of Zardari, Gillani, and Benazir and screaming anti-PPP slogans--this awam was revolting. Every news channel showed this awam waving their dandas in the air and setting on fire any and all of public property--a demonstration of their fury (view http://lahore.metblogs.com/). How could the Supreme Court even think of laying a malicious eye on their Sher-e-Punjab? This awam wanted answers! And was not the least bit happy with the outcome of the trial. But, while this manically loaded media showed us live coverage of the awam pulverizing public property and creating havoc through the streets of Lahore, I had to ask myself 'Is this the real awam?!' And the answer is a very sensible and irrefutable NO!

A nation, whose average citizen can barely afford the public transportation fare, and on most days walks 4-5 miles to work--toiling away at a job that hardly pays the monthly expenses, cannot be bothered nor have the time to take part in a protest that serves no substantial purpose to them. Anyone who understands Pakistan knows that the individual of the real awam is consumed by the worries and concerns afflicting his family. He has a family to take care of. In most cases him, his wife, and their 7 kids. With expenses sky-high these days, the average Pakistani is lucky, at best, to find manual labor which only pays daily wage, and yet at the end of the day is still not enough to pay for food, clothing, or medicine. In these kind of dire circumstances do you really think he has the time to run on a rampage across Lahore denouncing a verdict regarding an individual, who feasts on biryani everyday while sitting in his luxurious Raiwind estate flanked by vibrant green lawns and the world's exotic birds??

Does the media really want us to believe that all those men and women, who were protesting outside the Governor House yesterday, were representative of the real awam?? They weren't! And don't get sucked into the lie that they were! I'll tell you who they were: supporters of the party--paid to get out there and run amok. Men and women bribed to come out and take part in these theatrics. This dramatic club enthralls and serves only the purpose of the maniacs behind them, and no one else. And while the brains, behind these nobodies, inject them with colossal momentary temptations, so that they will scream, plunder, and create chaos.....the real awam suffers. Suffers and toils.

Get a Life!

I've had enough of Facebook! And more than that, I've had enough of the people who use it!! Despite the fact that so many have written about their anti-Facebook sentiments....I want to vent my disgust for it as well. And perhaps I wouldn't have cared to write about this if it wasn't for a friend who carelessly commented one day that I was living under a rock. (We weren't close to begin with, so in all honesty I could care less what she thought).

I've embraced everything out there that is 'new' and 'recent'. But, my choice to avoid the Facebook mayhem (yes, it is a mayhem...I'll explain later) is not a result of being backward or rebelling against social trends, but quite simply I don't feel there is an imperative need for me to acquaint with 300 virtual no-bodies and call them "friends" and then sit back and 'poke' one another. As for the mayhem--yes, I believe it is a needless and willful damage of.....privacy. But what I want to know is, why? Why do you want total strangers staring at you and knowing about every detail of your life? Let me translate that into real life: would you be ok if someone came up to you out of nowhere and asked to be your friend and then proceeded to ask you who you were friends with, what you did on Saturday nights, where you work, etc etc. Would it be ok if this person followed you everywhere you went? Common sense demands that you would avoid such a person. Then why put yourself up for this on the internet? And that is essentially what's happening. You've given a horde of people front-row seats to the blow by blow of your life. And the height of this absurdity is that when they get to see or read something that you, in hindsight, wished they hadn't, you begin to freak out. To me, this equates to tearing down the doors and windows of your house so everyone gets a first-hand look......after all, isn't that what you're doing when you 'update your status'?? Especially those who feel compelled to do it literally EVERY MINUTE OF THEIR BREATHING LIFE!!

But back to the users of this online obsession that's turning into madness. My repulsion began when I saw what Facebook was doing to that friend of mine. She developed an urgency equal in magnitude to that of going to the bathroom to pee and not finding an empty stall. She was about to pop! Her impending need to see her Facebook page and that of others needed to be fulfilled instantly it seemed, otherwise, she was pretty much close to passing out. And this is no exaggeration when I say she quite nearly resembled an addict who needed their next shot to maintain their high. So, she had in effect become the Facebook junkie. Once she was logged in and saw who had written on her wall and got to write some of her own comments as well, and saw who was hanging out with who at last night's party, and who did what, only then did relief spread over her face. But, what I found irritating was how out of her nearly 110 friends, she only knew 8....the rest were just people. And how she felt she HAD to know what was going on with everyone else at that very moment or else........!! Why not just pick up the phone and call? (They all live in the same town!) And as for some of the friends she 'kind-of knew but not really well', she took the liberty of commenting on their pictures and looks without discretion. How rude! I mean first of all, you hardly know the person, then you go beyond limits to say whatever you want......but I guess, it does all come around eventually because, quite logically, there are people out there staring at your picture and doing the same! And then of course, there are the pictures and profiles of people you don't even know in person and just met online. Why do you care to know what they're up to when there's every possibility that whatever they're saying and doing could very easily be fake?? And that is my other problem with Facebook: although there may be many accurate profiles, there is also a huge possibility that a lot of those profiles are made-up and you can be anyone you want to be. Which brings me to one of my best friend's comment: Facebook is the sanctuary for the losers and loners out there who had no one to talk to and no place to go. Buddy! I'm beginning to believe you!

Isn't it a lot more fun and interesting to GO OUT and run into potential friends, instead of sitting in front of a phosphorescent screen editing and updating a page all day? Now many will argue, that most members' list of friends is of people they already know.....but I know for a fact that there is a vast majority whose list consists of people they met entirely online and have no clue whatsoever of what these people are like in real life. And to have these people gawk at you, read and comment on what you're doing is creepy, to say the least. Secondly, why is there such a pressure to join? This cult-like attitude is not very appealing. Just because "everyone is on it and so should you" isn't a very convincing reason for me to join in. I'm told "it's a great way to stay in touch".....well, I'm already in touch with the people I need to be in touch with, and we do that just fine through phone and meeting IN PERSON! And that's the other thing: why do I need to re-connect with people from the past? Don't you get it? They're 'people from the past'.....if I wanted to be in touch with them, they'd be people of the present! The fact that they're in the past means I want to keep them there! Not interested in getting back in touch.

My hatred was intensified recently when I read Farhad Manjoo's column in Slate on how joining Facebook is the equivalent of having antiperspirant. Body odor can be a menace, and not having deodorant can put you in a compromising situation; but, not having someone to 'poke' every 10 minutes isn't exactly going to be embarrassing....no matter how urgent the need. Telling me that Facebook is right up there with toothpaste, deodorant and cell phones shows me just how deluded you've all become and you need to get out and breathe in some fresh air! He goes on to say that as more people join Facebook, the more useful it becomes for everyone. Useful? There's email if I need to get in touch with someone on the other side of the world. There are phones too. And if we need to network to find other people for whatever reasons we all come together and do it efficiently. But, this insanity that Facebook is nurturing that you all need to know what the other one is doing AT ALL TIMES is crazy, and that this is the best aid for social interaction---well, not for me! For me, there is nothing useful about Facebook. It's an absolute waste of time on the most useless of social trends. If 'useful' is to be used in the context of Facebook, then I'm sorry to say it can't be done. You're not doing anything useful at all. And don't feed me the crap about how it helps you to be connected with people and find others who you would have never thought of finding.....this can ALL be done if you log off and step outside for just one day. There's no convenience to it either. It's just as 'convenient' to find people and all that mumbo jumbo if you put some effort into it and leave the premise of your couch. Facebook is quite simply fostering the idea of convenience because you 'connect' to people while you sit in your favorite PJs on your comfy chair in the confines of your room. And that is what all these loners have morphed into: hermits!

So while Mark Zuckerberg celebrated his 150 millionth Facebook member on Jan. 8 and marks it as a milestone, I can only say one thing: I'm glad I know the way out of my room and out to the driveway where I get into my car and drive over to the best place in town known for its desserts, and hang out with my friends under the sun enjoying the spring weather, while you facebook junkies sit crammed in that chair fervently typing and clicking on 'View profile'.

And then there were.........14!!!!!!!

Advanced, upgrade, new and improved, hi-tech, state of the art, better than before, etc. are all words used to describe literally every facet of man's life in this 21st century. There is no aspect of our daily routine that does not involve a utility of superior and better standards. As a human race we have progressed and revolutionized nearly every element and component of life on earth. No doubt, in the process we have ruined and destroyed plenty. Global warming, increased CO2 emissions, destruction of animal habitats, extinction of animal species, environmental pollution, deforestation are all dilemmas that did not just slam us in the face overnight. We've progressed in these areas as well. I can safely say no one was anticipating in the 19th century, when the industrial revolution began, that one day the very land we live on and the grass we walk on would give way to landfills.

But for now, I want to focus on the consequences of the "positive" outcomes of man's endeavor to make life better, faster, simpler, easier, convenient, and perhaps more enjoyable. No matter where you look, we have, quiet unpretentiously, outdone ourselves! We've improved nearly EVERYTHING!! This endeavor is clearly evident in any industry you look at: engineering, communication, transportation, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, health, recreation, media, arts, internet, and science---we have created innovations in these fields like never before. And I think the amount of invention and research done in the field of medicine and health-care is remarkable. But as we all know, everything has 2 sides. While we may be benefiting from the facility of better treatments, better medical equipment, better understanding of the human body and illnesses and how to cope with them, we've also in the process started to exploit these innovations. My reference is towards Nadya Suleman and her octuplets. The advent of infertility treatments has become the magical wand that makes a dream come true for innumerable women around the world. But did Dr. Patrick Steptoe and Dr. Robert Edwards (both credited for the world's first test-tube baby in 1978) ever imagine that their hard work, which in the coming years would serve as a substantial guideline for in vitro fertilization, might be exploited and misused? Definitely their contributions and accomplishments, which generated this medical breakthrough, gave renewed hope to millions of women who had problems conceiving, and this is a positive consequence. However, over the past few years we've seen this medical breakthrough not only benefit women suffering from infertility problems, but this procedure has begun to be misused and abused. Furthermore, it has evolved into a profound issue of ethics which questions the very essence of this medical procedure and the rules (or the lack of ??) governing it.

Nadya Suleman claims that as a single child she lived a dysfunctional childhood, and as a result longed to have siblings and a big family. Her grand total of 14 children, according to her, fulfills her desire of that big family she dreamed of as a little girl. Well, she got what she wished for: big family. But she's also faced with plenty that she didn't wish for and seems not to have thought through at all! As the world ''wows'' and celebrates the birth of these 8 babies---bioethicists and normal people like you and me are wondering ''What was she thinking?!!". The answer to that will be revealed on Monday (Feb. 9) when NBC's Ann Curry interviews her. But in the meantime, I'd like to know for myself and ask Suleman a few questions.

She's single, unemployed, and lives with her mom. So far she's not ticking any boxes on my checklist. She insists that once she goes back to college this fall and gets her Master's in counseling she'll be able to provide for all 14 children. Well, sweetheart, what makes you think you're walking out that door?? Don't tell me you plan on forking your kids over to some day-care center while you attend classes! To me this is child abuse at its height. Babies don't just need to be fed, changed, and bathed. They need emotional upbringing as well. Suleman justifies this by proudly announcing that she holds each baby for 45 minutes! Now, I'm a doctor, and this in no way or form makes even the slightest sense. It is absolutely impossible that these children will get adequate parental attention (the father who donated his sperm, is so overwhelmed and has said he'll think of being in these kids' lives when he feels it's "right").

And on top of that she's single. And she feels that's why the world is attacking her. Well, she is partly right......ask a single mom with ONE child and she'll tell you it's a full-time job and is tough to do alone, and here is this 33 year old woman thinking she can handle all 14 by herself?!?! But mostly, the world is also attacking her because she's unemployed. She's hoping her church will help her----does the church know that!?!? Plus, she's hoping her family will pitch in (is this the same family she attributes her 'dysfunctional childhood' to??)---well, her mom has already declared her a ''crazy''---so much for that idea. She's not taking welfare and is adamant on keeping it that way....but I'm sure with the mountain-high pile of book deals and TV shows she's being offered that might be the answer to the financial aspect of this issue.

And although they're not telling us, but I'm sure extreme measures are underway to save these babies' lives. And that brings me to my next question: does she have any idea of the future health implications these babies will face? There's an entire raft of potential health problems and disabilities these children will be inflicted with. And then what will she do? How many days of absence from work will she take to be with her children when one of them is sick? She strongly says that she's doing something that many parents aren't: being with her children---well, just being with them isn't gonna pay for their pediatric follow-ups, diapers, bibs, high chairs, baby formula. And how sure are you that you'll be with them as much as you say you will be? I'm doing the math: 14 kids, 24 hours.......never mind!

No doubt there are more questions to be asked than this, but I'm just wondering about the most pertinent of issues Suleman will be faced with in the coming days. But one last question I have is this, what prompted her to do this? I'm not buying her story that she wanted a "big family"---anyone in her sane mind would have realized that dream and stopped at 6---apparently 6 for her wasn't big enough. So is she a spin-off of Angelina Jolie (have you noticed the uncanny similarity in appearance between the two?) or is she trying to be the next Camille Geraldi (a heroic woman who adopted 15 children with Down Syndrome)?? First of all, Suleman I have to break it to you---you can't be Jolie---why? Because #1. the woman has a JOB!!!!!!!!! Secondly, you can't be Geraldi either...because she was married--so there were 2 of them taking care of the kids (the way it should be!). Plus this woman had baby-raising down to a science! ('60 Minutes' did a story on her in 1991). So that leaves me with one answer and one answer alone: you're doing this for the sensationalism. And that's fine by me, because as a taxpayer I don't want my money paying for your unreasonable decisions and the circus you've got going on---I'm all the more glad that you'll be extracting it from those book deals and TV shows. But I will say this, I won't be amazed if 10-15 years from now we hear one or more of your children say they lived a dysfunctional and difficult childhood---that's when we'll know things went full circle!