Questions

Bujhte charago se koi yeh pooche
Shab bhar jalne ka sabab kya hai
Maloom to pade ki yeh jalne wale
Hasrate jalate ya khud hi jal jaate



Woh poochte hain meri khamoshi ki wajah
Main kya bolu, na zabaan meri hai, na alfaaz mere hain

Seasons of mist

My heart holds oceans of grief so deep
My tears are my words left unsaid
The seasons of mist pass so slow
The flowers on the graves are so laid
Deep flow the marks of wounds unseen
Broken are the wings of flight
Some memories cherished the heart holds
Some dreams it holds so tight
Words are but feelings expressed
Though not understood as they are said
They make, they break us all
They leave sometimes debts unpaid

Mental health

Mental wellbeing is as important as physical wellbeing still mental illness attract less attention than physical diseases. In the current age, more and more individuals belonging to all ages are suffering from anxiety and depression. Unfortunately enough attention is not given to a person suffering from these ailments and at moments when a person needs support, he is more often than not, neglected by his family and friends. Depression might be a result of mental and/or physical trauma or it might be a side effect of certain medications. In either case, it is harmful to the individual. Prolonged depression causes serious problems like memory loss and even diseases like Alzheimer along with being more prone to infections. Mental illhealth is also linked to lower immunity and disturbed metabolism in individuals. A person suffering from anxiety and depression needs counseling and family support before resorting to medications. Depression is becoming a silent killer with it being linked to other physical ailments, alcohol and/or drug abuse, suicidal tendencies and other mental ailments like Alzheimer, schizophrenia, etc. The issues related to mental wellbeing need to be addressed with as much importance as physical well being and a kind, supportive environment is a much needed necessity in the present era.

Safe schools and hospitals

Yesterday was universal children's day, a day when everyone should have pledged to ensure that every child in the world gets full rights and freedoms to grow and develop into a productive human being and to lead his life to his full potential. Unfortunately there are so many children who.are suffering from abuse, neglect, violation of their rights. Children in war torn areas are specially vulnerable as they are often homeless, without a family or caretaker. Another way these children are hit is when the schools and hospitals are attacked. Attacks on schools not only kill innocents but also destroy hopes of children finding a safe haven and a place to heal besides hampering their education. So many children are hurt it killed when their school is attacked. Attacks on hospitals are again another attack on the most vulnerable. In the recent days and months and years, innumerable children have list their lives when they school it hospital has been bombed. An attack on these places is one of the worst attack on humanity. Countries should come together and pledge to keep schools and hospitals safe. A school is a place of learning and healing for children in war torn areas, it should not be made a battleground. There is a need to make schools and hospitals safe so that the children and the suck and wounded can heal without having a fear fir their life. The world needs to come together and protect these and make them safe for generations to come.

Press censorship

Press plays an important role in creating awareness about politics amongst the masses by educating as well as criticizing about government policies. Press is not a silent spectator or a mere commentator rather it is responsible for analyzing as well as critical discourse about policies. The extent of freedom in a country can be judged by the amount of freedom the press enjoys there, specially a dissident press. The freedom of press in India is derived from the freedom of speech and expression and is subject to the same restrictions as the freedom of speech and expression and not more. Press censorship amounts to a violation of the right of information as well as a violation of freedom of speech. Freedom of press is essential in a democracy to ensure a check on the government functioning. Curtailing this freedom on grounds other than the ones mentioned in the Constitution is a complete violation of constitutional freedoms. Ensuring the freedom to analyze and criticize the government actions ensures the freedom of public. It is a safeguard from government excesses and is a safeguard from tyrannical actions.

Night of broken glass

On Wednesday, I was reading the memoirs of a holocaust survivor, how he was discriminated in school, how on the night of 9th of November, 1938,  his family was attacked, how nobody came to their rescue, his imprisonment and later release. Holocaust is and will always remain a reminder for mankind as to how low people can stoop. When false sense of racial superiority, when discrimination and hatred engulf people they stoop lower than the lowest. Those who do not take lesson from history are bound to repeat it. Events of racism have occurred in various parts of the world, throughout history to the modern times. The night of broken glass was the night that paved way to one of the greatest tragedies of modern world. And it is a night that should be remembered so that it is not repeated, so that the lesson is taken that there are no us and them. The false notions of racial superiority are the beginning of majority of crimes in the society. It is time that we take lesson from the past and put this hatred to an end.
Every story related to the holocaust hurts me. Every mention of it is a painful reminder of the sufferings of people and how so many people felt no remorse. The way the world chose to ignore it is a painful reminder of how selfish we can be.  The same is a wake up call as the world is ignoring the plight of millions of innocents in another part of the world today. What happened in the past can happen again, hope we wake up before it's too late.

Dancing lights

I love gazing stars, have always loved it. During my childhood when there was less light pollution, star gazing was a sheer pleasure. However, with time, it became really difficult to see anything in the sky because of all the lights that surround us. During my recent air trip, during the takeoff I was looking out of the window, st the land below which was glowing with millions of small lights. It was a pleasure to look at so many tinkling dancing lights below. Once we gained height and were over water and the lit up land went out of the view it was pretty much dark outside until I saw a gleam of light outside. As I moved closer to the window to find out if it was another plane or a bright star, I just got the most wonderful surprise. The sky was lit up with millions of lights, twinkling dancing lights. The heavens were smiling down. The sky I saw was the sky I had not seen in years. When we were kids we used to try counting the stars, a task which took forever. I didn't try to count them this time, I knew there were millions so I just pressed my cheek on the window, used my hands to block the cabin lights and enjoyed the view. Yes, the flight cane to an end, as the dancing lights of the land cane into view, I again looked at the sky, the stars were disappearing but I had the sense of relief that they are only hidden not gone, always shining down, smiling at the one who would gaze at them whenever and wherever there is darkness all around.

A flower too beautiful

Today is pregnancy and infant loss awareness day. I was thinking about all the beautiful babies that were lost due to miscarriage, still births, as infants or in early childhood. Birth defects, infections or accidents, the scar on the hearts of the parents cannot be healed.
Some flowers are too beautiful for this earth
Their fragrance spreads far and wide
But they are too delicate for the strong winds
Too small to protect themselves
They are a rainbow that delights
The hearts of the near and dear ones
But like a rainbow they fade away
Too soon, too soon
God takes His pretty flowers back
He takes back His  delicate angels
He puts them back in the heaven
Where they cannot suffer
But they leave grieving hearts
They leave behind memories
Always loved, never forgotten
Some flowers too beautiful for this world.

A stranger in a lonely land

In the wake of the morning, a stranger walks
Amongst the bare streets of an abandoned town
The streets, once bustling with life, now empty
Just broken pebbles and glass shards
The town seems to have seen much violence
There is a splatter of blood on some broken walls
Where once used to be lofty castles
Now spreads a tale of ruin and doom
Where are the children of this strange land?
Drowned in the seas or killed by humanity?
Where are the youth, where the elderly?
Where the hopes on these dust covered streets?
The stranger looks up at the high skies
No sign of life seems there too
Where are the birds and the beasts?
Why have they left this strange cold land?
The stranger shook his head in despair
Is this what the world has come to?
Bombed schools, hospitals and houses
No wonder the land mocks at him too
The lust for power and wealth has taken away
The jewels that this land used to hold
And the world says that it is a crisis
With so many strangers in strange lands

Writing about children

I recently read an article about a mother who used to write about her children, their lives, their experiences from her point of view, till her father's phone call reminded her that they are individuals whose private moments cannot be shared with the public. After the realization that she is sharing their most intimate secrets with the world, facts that may haunt them in the future, she chose to stop writing about her children. It is true for most parents. Often we parade our children, their accomplishments in front of the world at large. We share photographs that might embarrass them as they grew up. we share what they say, what they do, without thinking what they might think. Often we treat our children as our trophies. But they are not our trophies or possessions. They are separate individuals. Their lives, their likes, their achievements are their own. Sure we will and we must feel proud when they succeed and encourage and comfort them when they don't. But their privacy matters and we shouldn't infringe that. When our daughter was born, we simply decided that we will not share her photographs on social media. The reason? She cannot give consent as to which photographs she would like to share and which she wouldn't. Definitely there are various other reasons why a child's photograph should not be shared, including protecting them from kidnappers and pedophiles. But for us, the most important reason was her privacy and the fact that she cannot give her consent. Maybe when she is grown up, she may decide to share her baby pictures, but until then they are kept safe in private.

Whose honor is it?

Every few days the newspapers carry articles on yet another episode of honor killing. Honor killings are termed so as they are a result of the killer's false notion of dishonor due to the victim's life decisions. Generally the killer is a family member or member of the community to which the victim belonged. The murder is a result of the victim marrying or eloping with a person of different caste or religion, working or making life choices that are contrary to the established traditional norms. The killer feels that the victim's actions had brought dishonor to the family or community. The Supreme Court has time and again observed that there is nothing honorable about honor killings, rather they are brutal, barbaric premeditated murders committed by individuals with bigoted minds.
Honor killings are brutal murders committed because of bigoted notions of honor and pride based upon controlling the lives of the members of family or community. They are an attempt to preserve the fallen pillars of patriarchy. Inability to accept a person's life choices, their right to choose their lifestyle or life partner is the reason behind honor killings, making parents or siblings to turn into beasts. They are a result of a false notion that ego is greater than an innocent life.
The victim has not smeared anybody's honor, victims murder is what dishonors the society. The murder is not honorable, it shows the primitive thinking of the killer. Honor killings need to be punished strictly as they are prevalent in almost all sections of society and are often ordered by groups like khap panchayats. Also these are violative of a person's right to choice. Honor killings need to be spoken against of, discussed, debated and ended. The primitive notions of honor based on controlling the lives of family and community members need to be defeated. It's time that individuals get a right to live their life on their own terms instead of the terms dictated by the community.

House hunters

Relocating means house hunt, as simple as that. When we landed in the United States, our first place of residence was in Florida and boy, we were lucky there. We got the most comfortable apartment with the best landlord possible. After leaving Florida, life wasn't as simple. Searching a good apartment became a task impossible. And yes, the whole effort continues to give us valuable lessons about the real estate market.
Our California apartment taught us that we should never take an apartment based upon the model house. This one was a big disaster. Another important lesson learnt was not to sign a lease for more than six months and month to month lease agreements are the best. And living in California also taught us the importance of having a washer and dryer in unit, something which is a rarity in California because of its drought.
Our Texas apartment was nice but again it gave us some minor headaches. We learnt how bad exhaust system and good smoke detector can turn any nice day into a nightmare. Sometimes even a slight smoke in the kitchen can cost you heavy. Thankfully we learnt it from our neighbors' experience without having to undergo the pain ourself. And because of this we realized the importance of renter's insurance, because the sprinklers can destroy that which the fire left.
And our current stop, New York. Searching apartment in the New York-new jersey region is definitely not easy. About New York, I wish to tell the owners to just known down the walls and advertise the place as studio apartments and not as a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment. With those tiny rooms, those apartments are nowhere suited to be called 1 or 2 bedroom home. In New Jersey, it is equally difficult to find a good home, simply because everybody is moving there. The old cities don't appeal, the new ones get too many offers that one has to be really quick or he loses the place.
So till we find a suitable apartment, we continue with our tiring but much important house hunt. Happy house hunting.

Affirmative action

The Supreme Court of the United States recently ruled in the favor of the affirmative action taken by the colleges. The court ruled that affirmative action that takes race amongst other factors as a criteria for granting admission is needed to preserve diversity on campus. They were of the opinion that when all students applying for admission don't come from similar educational background, such an action ensures diversity and an equal representation on campus. However, they were hopeful that maybe in 25 years when everybody gets an equal access to education, there might not be a need for such an action. The case challenged the admission of five black students who scored less than the plaintiff, who got admitted because of their race. However, the girl didn't challenge the admission of 42 other girls who got admitted though they had scored less than her. Affirmative action takes race as one of the factors for admission to colleges. Though the admission process takes into consideration number of factors including academic records, volunteer work, extracurricular activities and so on, they race in itself is a very small factor when taken into account.

Impressions of an artist

I was watching the movie Being Jane, a fictitious take on the life of Jane Austen and her romance. It was the portrayal of an author that had impressed me that prompted me to read about her life. I could see that the events and people from her life were very much a part of her novels. Her love and its loss, the death of her father, the condition of young dependent women during that period, her cousin,  somehow they are all part of her books. Her books are a reflection of the society of her time. The propriety and morality of the period is reflected. Jane Austen is not alone, almost every author's life is reflected in his work. Yes, by reading, one can get a glimpse of the times and places where the author lived and got impressed by. Every artist is made by his impression of the world around him. His experiences act as a chiseling knife that mold his mind. His characters, this lives are all dependent upon his own experiences and how he wants to keep or change them. Traveling, meeting people, the highs and lows in their situation, just enrich their mind and give depth to their characters. Things that have impressed their mind are reflected in their work. By reading their work, one also reads about the feelings of the author, his life, his time and experiences. One isn't thus wrong in saying that the works of fiction are also autobiographical in nature, just the perspective that the writer has preferred to share.

Musings

As I sit and think about
The people who are dead and gone
I think of their possessions scattered
I think of their sons gone away
I ask them in my mind
Where are the castles that you built
Where are your talks and your plans
Where are your triumphs and failures
Your good deeds remain behind you
In somebody's memories today
But if you left behind only evil
Nobody remembers you today
Your sons have gone to live away
Your spouses may have remarried
The world doesn't stop for anyone
And everyone is replaceable
And then I think of the futility
How much this world is a waste
It charms us with its glamour
But one day it will fade away
If I leave behind a good deed
It may benefit me in hereafter
Other than that whatever I do
Will be blotted out forever
If I save my soul with some goodness
I may think of some salvation
But this world is just a trial
To get out of it as safe as I can

End FGM

A young 17 year old has lost her life due to excessive bleeding during an illegal female circumcision in Egypt. While Egypt has made female circumcision illegal way back in 2007, such practices continue illegally even today. Female circumcision is a cultural practice in Africa and some parts of Asia to ensure fidelity of a woman. In some parts it is mandatory before marriage. This cultural practice has forced itself into religion in African countries and is now treated as a religious practice. Female genital mutilation is not a religious practice and has no benefit to any person. It is a tribal practice to keep women under male dominance. Along with the breast pressing practices of Africa, it comes as a false way of dominating a woman and restricting her choices. Female genital mutilation prevents a woman from leading her life to her full potential, adding pain, suffering and increased chances of infections. Though a number of women and activists are coming forward against such barbaric practice, the instant case clearly shows that the law against it is ineffective and it requires greater efforts in preventing it. Even though the particular hospital has been closed, it makes apparent the fact that there might be many other hospitals during illegal procedures. There is a need for greater scrutiny of hospitals and healthcare professionals, of educating young women about their rights and of easy access to law enforcement agencies for preventing such activities. Female genital mutilation is an evil that needs to be curbed by a combined domestic as well as international effort.

A baby

As I watch my baby sleeping
I saw the pictures of another baby
Cradled in the arms of a rescuer
Sleeping an eternal sleep
Nobody knows who he was
Or who his parents were
Floating on water by a drowned boat
He was an angel gone
Fled to find a safe haven
Only to find rest in death
He calls us to end the wars
To keep other children safe
As tears roll down my cheeks
I wonder how to make this world safe
A safer passage for refugees
A place of dignity when they land
The end of wars so every child has peace
Schools and playgrounds and medical aid
A place where there is no more hunger
No more thirst, no more despair
A place where there is no more pain
But only peace and progress
My Lord please bring about peace
For every baby born or to come

Why this barbarism Egypt?

Just because a Christian man has a relationship with a Muslim woman, is no reason for his old mother to be stripped and paraded naked and houses of seven Christian families be looted and burned. A mob of armed 300 men did this shameful act just because two people chose each other. Every person has a freedom to choose his partner and society and religion has no part in it. Moreover, under any circumstance an armed mob has definitely no role in it. It is shameful that a 70 year old woman was targeted. It is disgusting that houses were burnt and looted. It is a very shameful incident and it is high time to sit back and reflect upon it. This barbaric act clearly shows that the woman had made a better choice, the peaceful community that did not retaliate is better than the hooligans who have no shame and regard for others. Under Islam, it is the duty of Muslims to protect the Christians and have got no right to hurt or abuse them. This act of vandalism is against all human rights as well as all religious tenets.

Islam and racism

Racism is a fact that is present around the world. While both the international and the domestic laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race or color, nonetheless, instances of such discrimination are a day to day happening. Islam from its very beginning attacked racism and racist tendencies. Quran came out and said that mankind was made into different races and tribes so that people may know each other, meaning thereby, to associate and marry with each other. We have the example of Bilal, the black man whom the Holy Prophet (pbuh) made his moazzin, the prayer caller, instead of the Arabs. Further, we see that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said that a white man has no superiority over a black man nor a black man any superiority over a white man, except in his piety and also that whoever practices racial discrimination or it is exercised for him has taken off the collar of belief from his neck. It means that a person who has racist tendencies is not a believer and will not be treated like one on the day of judgment. Thus, Islam from its very first attacked racial discrimination and advocated the equality amongst all men.

Misplaced priorities

Recently I was reading an article about urban poverty and was more than confused about the concept. To say that a person holding a job, earning a salary that entitles him to be in the tax paying category, is poor just because he spends all his money on luxury items and hence is unable to afford necessities is too far fetched. There is a difference between what are necessities and what are luxury items. A person is poor if he cannot afford the basic necessities, he is not poor if he cannot afford the luxury items and definitely not poor if he is unable to get necessities because he has spent all his money on luxuries. The real urban poor are the slum dwellers, the individuals who are earning than Rs33 a day, who do menial jobs to get their ends meet. The twenty-something who have jobs and are trying to copy the high end lifestyle are not poor. Not eating proper food in order to buy branded clothes and phones or cars is not poverty, it is stupidity. It is being blind to the world. There used to be an old saying of not spending more than what you earn and there is merit in it. Now on social media, one gets to see posts saying what is so middle class. Reusing and recycling things is not so middle class, it is being socially aware and environmentally concerned. And if it is middle class, then everyone should have middle class values. Wasting food at a buffet is insensitive, it is not a matter of pride. There are people who are really poor, who need help. But the bunch of young people who are engulfed in things so vain are not urban poor. They are, if anything, a poor judge of things and lack the basic skills of resource management.

Marriage in Islam

Marriage is something that has many jokes written on it, it is something that people don't understand completely or correctly. It is a very important relationship, in fact, it is the backbone of the society. Commonly, it is perceived that a person marries for love, sex or companionship, which reflect the physical aspect of marriage. But Islam also talks about the spiritual aspect of marriage, raising it to a form of worship. In Islam, marriage is not a right but an obligation. Quran says that spouses are like an apparel to each other, meaning that they have a duty to protect, beautify, defend, cover each other from the whole world. They are not to criticize each other to the whole world but defend and keep each others' honor. They are bound to help each other stay on the guided path and improve each other's piety. Islam says don't marry someone for their looks or wealth but for their piety. It emphasizes on the importance of marital relationship and to stay together. Islam says that true love leads a person towards the remembrance of Allah. This is the kind of love that Islam emphasizes on. People who are married to each other, Allah brings their hearts together, and shaitan tries to separate them by showing them outside temptations. Islam teaches that the person outside is nothing special when compared with the person one has married. It says come together in mutual love and respect and it judges a person's character by the way they treat their spouse. Marriage in Islam is a guidance, a source of spouses leading each other towards the way of righteousness.

Women in temples

Following the court orders, the Shani Singnapur temple has lifted the centuries old ban and allowed women to enter the inner sanctum of the temple. The government has pledged to make a law prescribing six months jails to anyone stopping women from entering the temple and offering prayers. A trustee of the temple said that women will neither be encouraged nor discouraged to enter the temple. Earlier the temple had imposed a ban on the entry of men as well to circumvent the court ruling that men and women should have equal rights to enter and worship. Following the lifting of the ban, two women were seen entering the temple and more were expected to follow.
The lifting up of the ban on women is a positive step towards gender equality. It is a victory for various activists who fought against this age old discrimination on the basis of sex.

A girl's life

I recently read two articles, one by Ms Shobha De, criticizing Ms Hema Malini for calling Pratyusha Bannerjee a loser and her suicide senseless and the other about various Bollywood actresses and star kids speaking out about body shaming. I feel that the two articles speak about the same issue, the anxieties, the depressions, the uncertainties in a teenager or a young girl. Ms De talked about how being a mother, Ms Malini should have understood the challenges in a girl's life, how she was coping with her life, relations, career, success and failures and calling her a loser would be an injustice. I agree with her because nobody knows what challenges that young girl was facing that lead her to take such a serious step. But one thing is true, every single suicide is unfortunate, it is heartbreaking and specially difficult for the family and friends and should be a wake up call for the society to realize its mistakes. The other actresses talked about how they were criticized about their body size. Body shaming is very much a reality of today's world and the unfortunate thing is that not many people address this issue. Everybody remembers certain plus size Bollywood actresses whose entire purpose in the film was to highlight the lead actresses' beauty by contrast. Certain plus size cast members were kept just for comic relief. Unfortunately, they created problems for many young people who were plus size. While some girls face bullying because they were plus size, others because they were deemed to be too skinny. In fact, everyone who is not of a certain size faces criticism. These things are all true, faced by millions of girls around the world. And all of this is a real challenge for a young girl. Many of them are being able to cope, many succumb to the pressure and call it quits. These unfortunate issues need a greater attention. A young girl needs great attention and love from her parents, friends and colleagues. She needs guidance and she needs support. Body shaming or bullying someone for being too skinny or too fat is just unacceptable. Similarly pressures in studies, work or relationships also take a toll on a young person's life. A young person, whether male or female, is very vulnerable. He needs support of those who are close to him. For such individuals, it is important that people who are in the limelight to come forward and speak about various issues involving body image, career and relationships. Without a proper guidance it might become impossible for him to cope with the stress involved. And yes, a person is not a loser if he decides to call it quits, the society is a loser for driving him to that step.

On your second

What do I wish for you today?
When everyday I wish the best for you
I wish for a smile that never leaves your face
I wish for a dream that stays with you
I wish you a heart that is full of joy
And a tinkle always in your voice
I wish for a sprint in your step
And everyday that you rejoice
I wish you the strength to follow your dream
And to know what is right and good
I wish you the best in all you do
And I wish you bonds of love for good

Two years

I still remember this day, two days back when I was in a store looking for twin stroller. There was still a week for my elective procedure and I had just started buying things for my twins. Little did I knew that I would go into labor within 12 hours and that my boy would die eight days later. In these two years of joy and sorrow, every time I have laughed for my daughter, I have cried for my son. I have wished him to be alive, to play with his sister. I have wished for him to be here or else to have never been. Every time I visit baby stores, the trip hurts me. It hurts me for the child I lost.

A case for secularism

The Bangladesh High Court rejected a 28 year old case challenging the amendment of the Constitution making Islam the State religion without a hearing. This case came at a time when the attacks on religious minorities have more frequent. With the impact of fundamentalists increasing, the dismissal of the case without a proper hearing cannot be a surprise.
Secularism is important because it protects the religious minorities. Secularism broadly means the separation of church and state. It connotes that there shall be no State religion and the State shall neither favor one nor loath the other religion or its followers. Secularism gives the right of religious freedom which protects the religious as well as the atheists and agnostics alike. Without it, blasphemy laws come into play and atheists and religious minorities are in danger of their life and property.
The modern societies which are cosmopolitan in nature require secularism as a base. When individuals from all religious faiths come together for work, it is essential that those who are in minority are protected from extremist elements. In a free society, every man should have a right to follow and practice the religion of his choice or to not follow any religion at all if he so desires.

Springtime

The earth blossoms
the colors play around
the melody of birds
the dance of butterflies
There is a story in every bloom
and every twig tells a tale
the story of perseverance
of getting stronger with each trial
Through the harsh and dark
from gloom to fresh light
is a story of reawakening
of coming out and being free
And every tale has a memory
of loss and moving on
with the past paving the way
for the promise of the future
The change is around the corner
as we take the step
and creating fresh memories
we leave a print behind.
 

Women's right to worship

The Supreme Court has recently questioned the devaswom board that manages the sabriwala temple why can't women enter and worship in the temple. The rules of the board stipulate that women between the ages of 10-50 years cannot enter the temple and touch the idols. The petitioners contended that this rule is violative of article 14 (equality) and articles 25/26 (freedom of religion). The defendants claimed customs of over five centuries to support the ban. The Apex Court observed that the board has no constitutional right to ban entry of women. The said provision is violative of the constitutional provision of not discriminating on the basis of age, sex or caste. The court further observed that there is difference between a temple open for public and a mutt. Women cannot be barred from entering a temple and worshiping.

Of birds and memories

Lying in bed on a lazy Sunday morning, I was startled by a familiar yet forgotten sound. Sparrows were chirping outside and the sound was so gaily that it prompted me to leave my warm bed and go out in the balcony even though it was just -1 degree centigrade. I stood outside in the cold watching the birds fly around the now leafless trees and memories from my childhood came flooding. I thought of my childhood home in Lucknow where the many old trees had provided a safe haven for the many species of birds and small animals. I thought about my weekends spent just watching the birds and squirrels play. The sound of people talking, the fragrance of flowers mingled with the aroma coming from the kitchen. It was a truly blissful time. But above all, it was the many species of birds and their fascinating nests that could attract anyone. The population of birds has since come down, mainly because of the cutting down of trees for construction everywhere in the country. The birds that were once common are now s rarity. Moving to Pune, those familiar sights almost disappeared. And now today, across the world, in another country, I came across those familiar sights. It seems like some friend from my childhood has come back to stay with me.

Mothers

Once while climbing the mount, prophet Moses slipped, God spoke to him to be very careful from that day on as his mother had died and now he was exposed to the perils of hell. As long as a person's mother is alive, her prayers for her child keep him safe from various perils. Not only does a mother pray for her child till her last breath, she provides him with constant guidance and support. Mothers hold a very high and special position in a person's life and the same has been highlighted in Islam as well. Prophet Mohammad said that the position of a mother is three times higher than that of a father and is the one person who should be loved and respected more than anyone else. The wise say that whenever a person is facing problems in his life, he should talk to his mother and his problems will disappear.
Ask a person who has lost his mother how he feels. Ask a motherless child, how lonely and sad he is. A mother is not a support only in childhood, she is a blessing all lifelong. I remember my grandfather speaking about his mother once. He said that though he was only five years old when his mother died and he hardly knew her, yet even at the age of more than eighty, his heart shivers when he hears the word 'mother'. Such is the impact of a mother.
And today, we read the news that a member of isis publicly killed his own mother because she told him to leave the terrorist organization. He killed his mother on the command of his evil bosses. He claims to represent Islam but in reality he is following the regime of satan. Anyone can imagine how much a person has deviated from the right path, how much misguided to have harmed his own parent who was the biggest blessing from God. And how blind he is to have closed the doors of God's mercy.