Zahra speaks

Have you ever been to a village wedding? I hadn't but the experience of attending a village wedding, after all, was extraordinary. Every every region has distinct matrimonial customs and I was attending a wedding in Kasur that can be named as the heart of Punjab. Therefore, there were some interesting traditions that I would like to share with my readers. The caterers who are usually called 'Nayi' have a lot to do more than cooking at the wedding. There was an interesting  rasam  called 'Warri Dikhai'. Warri is a set of commodities prepared by the groom's side of the family for the bride. Interestingly, I was aware of this custom but the unusual thing was that they literally showcased every item to the attendees of the wedding. Some people gathered around a trunk which was replenished with the Warri items. Ladies from the groom's family showcased every item one by one and as a matter of fact, every item was showcased by a different lady. Another funny addit...

When I wrote my first book, I never imagined that it would reach so many people, and I would be able to get it printed within a year of getting it self-published. It is a huge achievement, and I owe everything to the Almighty. He grabbed my hand while I was stumbling in life. When everything apparently seemed dark, He showed me the light of faith which never fades. Whatever other people perceived about me was proven wrong by His mercy and I cannot put my gratitude in words. Many people thought that my disability was a curse upon my parents and family, some even said that to our faces but when He paves the way, nothing can stop you. My disability became my force. I wanted to do something to prove them wrong, they could not just 'tch tch' and move away. They passed awkward stares and looked let me in a belittling way but God proved them wrong. I am not nothing, I am not useless, I have a voice and the power of the pen that has the potential to move hearts and that's my victor...

Podcast has been in my pipeline for a very long time. I am very opinionated, I love to talk and that is the perfect combination to embark on this journey. Audio entertainment has lately lost its value and former glory to YouTube and audio-visual entertainment. 10 to 12 years ago, I remember listening to FM at night and I had a favorite RJ as well, I think his name was Hadi but with time, audio entertainment became regressive. However, I always wanted to be an RJ and talk about things that I like but things don't always go the way you want. Recently, I noticed that globally audio entertainment started gaining popularity again through podcasts. Some of my favorite influencers, who I actually consider to be compelling personalities, started conducting podcasts. It is very difficult to create video content and I feel it should be left to the ones who truly hold the talent and skill. Moreover, I am a writer (with a very opinionated mind) and I don't think I should be bound to come o...

  Arzoo Raja, a 14-year-old, Christian girl was abducted from Karachi. She forcefully converted her religion to Islam by a 44-year-old man who later married her without consent. This is one of the many occurrences where the minority group has been forced to convert to Islam. It is wrong on so many levels but mainly, this heinous crime is against the values of Islam and the law of Pakistan. The girl in question is only 13 years old and forged documentation was presented in the court to prove that she was 18 years old which made the court uphold the forced marriage. The latest update is that the girl is forced to live with the kidnapper and the parents are seeking justice for their daughter. I have seen a lot of posts related to this case and I truly believe that social media has the power to bring real change. One of the posts that garnered my attention was this: I am not an expert on explaining Islam but I have read the Quran with translation a few times and I yearn to learn more a...

Who am I? We often ask this question from ourselves but this search for self is way beyond our imagination. For me, this question came in at a very early age, 16. I was pumped and ready for a future that I had pictured in my head. Giving my O level exams then go for A levels and later, try to go abroad to study or get married to someone I liked but while I was planning it all, God had His plans ready.  My ordinary teenage took a dramatic turn. My life changed in one night. Despite a prior history of some nerve pain, the probability of becoming paralyzed was simply out of question, for me and my family. Up till that day when I woke up and could not bear my weight anymore, my ailment was 'normal' because we all have nervous and muscular pain at times. All we need is a good pain killer and some good sleep to be ready to face the world again. Not in my case. No. Like my whole life, it was also not 'normal' but something exceptional.  Giant Cell Tumor (GCT). Most of the peop...

Stop living in the future because it is snatching you away from your present. Some people make the biggest mistake of their life by always trying to gape at the future, trying to make it perfect, and in that effort, they miss to look around at the perfection that a moment poses as you live it. It doesn't imply that you should not think about the future at all, I am just trying to emphasis the fact that the future is not promised, and while chasing something that is not certain, why should we lose what we have in hand? Life is very small, it is just this moment that we are living in. What if the world ends tomorrow and all you did today was plan what you would do tomorrow? It would be disappointing, isn't it?  Sometimes all you have to do is give your hundred percent and let the Maker of the world do the rest. I have seen many people who plan ahead of time and I think it's good too because it makes sense. You never know what may go wrong so it's always good to have a pla...

Every picture narrates a story and this picture is one of the most special pictures of my life. It is clicked in front of the Governor's house, Lahore. I went to meet the Governor and convey some of my suggestions regarding rehabilitation and accessible education for the PWD's. This meeting did not happen magically nor I had a connection with any politician. One of my good uncles read my blogs and shared it with the human rights advisor for the Governor. She organized the meeting and was very supportive throughout the procedure. It was one of those events when I felt empowered. In the room that had the Governor of Punjab, his team, and the Human Rights advisor, I felt that I found my voice. Although I was very nervous about the meeting, after all, it was an important personality that I was going to meet and who might have an influence in bringing the change that I am working towards. When I entered that room and I started talking, I felt that much more confident than ever. Even...

PC: MALTA TODAY Rape, this word triggers everybody, but nobody is ready to address this issue in this country. 3881 rape cases were reported in 2019, this figure includes the child sexual abuse as well. The recent case of a woman being gang-raped in front of her children is horrifying but this inhumane act is not something new. The nation has much lately witnessed another act of brutality when a 5-year-old girl’s torched dead body was recovered. The cases would go on and on but the government and officials would still not act. Pakistan has become a banana republic. Women, children, animals, and even transgenders are not safe anymore. This year, two mind-blowing cases were reported, a cat was sexually assaulted by a few teenagers and some policemen molested five-six transgender, they were forced to strip. I watched the video of the latter incident and it cringed me to death. This week, a trans-activist Gul Panra was shot dead by anonymous people. This issue is much neglected and not tak...

Imam Hussain AS is the ray that leads me to Allah. Karbala is University that illustrates something to everyone if you have the eye to see and the heart to feel. PC: Hajij.com I have been looking for words to write about Ashura and Imam Hussain AS but I couldn't gather the right words that could describe my feelings about Karbala and the family of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. The event of Karbala marks a very important point in the history of Islam. If we look at it from a broader perspective, the uprising of Imam Husain AS was not only a religious obligation but a humanitarian act. It was significant because the event of Karbala distinguishes right from wrong, justice from injustice, and the word of God from the greed of power. Karbala dates back over 1400 years but the impact is still as strong as ever. The voice of the oppressed has echoed over the centuries and the oppressor has been silenced by the predomination of truth. Many people don't understand the concept of ...

As we are heading to an end of the quarantine period, I feel bittersweet. The time in quarantine has proven to be very eye-opening for me. It turns out that it's actually about prioritizing and not the time. People take out time for those whom they want to. Previously whenever I would ask one of my friends to play an online Ludo game with me or whenever I would ask my family members to sit together and watch something on the tea time, the answer would always be the same, there is no time. Everybody was so much stuck with studies, work, or other things that nobody had time for each other. The human relationship and intimacy were slowly dying a natural death. It's probably not right to find this period beneficial in any way but I am noticing a minor but significant change in the human relationships around. I can notice the change, it is very much familiar to my childhood when the internet and technology were minimal or absent. The human relationships were present and much purer. ...

Another Eid in lockdown. I really hope that we manage to shoo Corona away as soon as possible. This Eid is very important and it is considered to be the Bari (big) Eid. The significance of this Eid is associated with the essence of sacrifices and unity. We sacrifice millions of animals every year and according to the Islamic rules, the meat is distributed. Islamic rules are very clear and fair. The charity has a high regard in Islam, the distribution of meat among the poor and needy is another example of how fair the system of Islam is. By sharing our happiness with others, a sense of brotherhood and equality is established. Islam does not proclaim the act of charity to be done among the Muslims only, Allah has ordered us to help the poor and needy despite their color, religion, race, and religion. It is very important to keep in mind that our Lord is the Lord of the Universe. His bounties are not confined, they are all-conceiving and endless.  Have you seen the footage from Hajj? ...

Note: I don't really watch Bollywood movies but when I do, I like sharing views and perceptions with my readers. If you don't like watching movies, please pass this one! 😀 This movie has been in my pipeline for a very long time. It was released in 2019 and it has a rating of 6 out of 10 on IMDB. It is a dark comedy and psychological thriller. I liked the movie. Mainly because of the gripping storyline. It's not a conventional Bollywood movie with tons of songs and it focuses on story progression rather than glamour. Therefore, I was happy to watch the entire film which is almost 2 hours long. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat. You keep juggling between the thought of the protagonist being 'mental' or not. There are some bits in the movie that confuses the audience and like every good thriller, the climax shocks the viewers. The vibe of the movie is very light. Even the murder sequences do not creep you out. Overall, the storytelling is good. The acting p...