I found this posted on a blog last week and thought it was very fitting for Pakistan. We post this for your consideration:

In a country where thinkers are assassinated, and writers are considered infidels and books are burnt, in societies that refuse the other, and force silence on mouths and thoughts forbidden, and to question is a sin, I must beg your pardon, would you permit me?

Would you permit me to bring up my children as I want, and not to dictate on me your whims and orders?
Would you permit me to teach my children that the religion is first to God, and not for religious leaders or scholars or people?
Would you permit me to teach my little one that religion is about good manners, good behaviour, good conduct, honesty and truthfulness, before I teach her with which foot to enter the bathroom or with which hand she should eat?
Would you permit me to teach my daughter that God is about love, and she can dialogue with Him and ask Him anything she wants, far away from the teachings of anyone?

Would you permit me not to mention the torture of the grave to my children, who do not know about death yet?
Would you permit me to teach my daughter the tenets of the religion and its culture and manners, before I force on her the ‘Hijab’ (the veil)?
Would you permit me to tell my young son that hurting people and degrading them because of their nationality, colour or religion, is considered a big sin by God?
Would you permit me to tell my daughter to revising her homework and paying attention to her learning is considered by God as more useful and important than learning by heart Ayahs from the Quran without knowing their meaning?

Would you permit me to teach my son that following the footsteps of the Honourable Prophet begins with his honesty, loyalty and truthfulness, before his beard or how short his thobe (long shirt/dress) is?
Would you permit me to tell my daughter that her Christian friend is not an infidel, and ask her not to cry fearing her friend will go to Hell?
Would you permit me to argue, that God did not authorize anyone on earth after the Prophet to speak in his name nor did he vest any powers in anyone to issue ‘deeds of forgiveness’ to people?
Would you permit me to say, that God has forbidden killing the human spirit and who kills wrongly a human being is as if he killed all human kind, and no Moslem has the right to frighten another Moslem?

Would you permit me to teach my children that God is greater, more just, and more merciful than all the (religious) scholars on earth combined?
And that His standards are different from the standards of those trading the religion, and that His accountability is kinder and more merciful?

Would you permit me?

Nizar Qabbani
Born: 21 March 1923, Damascus, Syria
Died:     30 April 1998, London, England
Occupation:     diplomat, poet, writer, publisher
Nationality:     Syrian

The following words are written on the tomb of an Angelican Bishop (AD 1100) in the crypts of Westminster Abbey:

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits,
I dreamed of changing the world.
As I grew older and wiser I discovered the world would not change -
So I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country,
But it too seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years,
In one last desperate attempt,
I settled for changing only my family,
Those closest to me,
But alas, they would have none of it.

And now I realize as I lie on my deathbed,
If I had only changed myself first,
Then by example I might have changed my family,
From their inspiration and encouragement
I would then have been able to better my country,
And who knows, I might have even changed the world.

Faisal Qureshi is an anchor on a TV show on Samaa - his show, Ankahi, discusses topics of social awareness and civic responsibility. ‘Loose Ends Pakistan’ was a show he anchored on another channel, similar to Ankahi, but with larger groups of people at a time.

This evening, he had Samina Peerzada (respected filmmaker in Pakistan) on the show, discussing whether an individual can make a difference in the world. So much of what was said on the show mirrors what we want to say with Take Back Pakistan, I had to post about it. First, hats off to Samina Peerzada. I don’t think I admire or respect any of our media personalities as much as I do her. She said some beautiful things on the show tonight (and earlier, with Jasmine Mansoor on The Pulse), and left Faisal Qureshi speechless (quite rare) by the end - he was frank enough to sit back and simply applaud her fervor.

Perhaps the most important thing she said was that Pakistan was home. We are Pakistani, and every blade of grass, every tree, every road, every building was HOME. Our property extends beyond our front door, and outside the main gates. Until we all start believing this, until we take this to heart, and start cleaning house, this country goes nowhere.

The fact is that our government is a failure, our leaders are a joke. Leave them to lining their own pockets and collecting their family jewels. Change for the better will only come when we change, and it’s our turn to bat.

I encourage everyone who reads this post to head over to ankahi.tv (where they also put up Ankahi episodes for online viewing, so look for this show), to www.looseendspakistan.com and to http://groups.google.com/group/looseendspakistan. Sign up NOW. Join the discussion, join the silent revolution of a silent majority, and take back your country.