Writer's Block: We fight to win! - Bushra Hassan

Rozan in Islamabad, needs helpers. It needs volunteers who will help them do whatever they aim to do for the IDPs. Rozan needs people like you and me, who have an hour or so free, to lend a hand in their work for the IDPs.

I’m sure Rozan is not the only organization that needs more support. The task at hand is enormous. From shelter, to rehabilitation, food and health issues. More than everything else, they need some one to just spend time with IDPs and care. The IDPs are like us, no different. Had Talibans actually reached Islamabad, as the media tried to portray, then we would be like them too. Forced to leave our jobs surviving on what little we have of savings, moving in with relatives we don’t necessarily get along with. It’s a test of human sacrifice, of patience, of resilience. But resilience we have plenty of.

“Forced to leave our jobs surviving on what little we have of savings, moving in with relatives we don’t necessarily get along with. It’s a test of human sacrifice, of patience, of resilience. But resilience we have plenty of.”




We’re a country that’s fought three wars, lost a significant part of it, undergone martial laws, civil rights violations, bans of various kinds, massive earthquakes and nation wide floods nearly every other year, and all this while living in an environment of poverty, corruption and political chaos. However, here we are standing firm and standing tall. Half the women survive legalized rape, domestic violence and lack of basic human rights, while the other half work in corporate offices, wear unisex clothes, speak their minds and outperform men in all walks of life.

Women strive for empowerment, the youth for liberty, and men for respect. Most importantly we strive therefore we understand, how we’re all the same, why our cause is the same.

The IDPs issues hit our very hearts because it latches onto our vulnerability of existence, and the IDPs remind us of our fight, of our courage and our daily misfortunes.

“The IDPs issues hit our very hearts because it latches onto our vulnerability of existence, and the IDPs remind us of our fight, of our courage and our daily misfortunes.”

Mostly they remind us of how blessed we are, better off, just plain lucky. As a result we can feel for them more, because we were spared this ordeal, and therefore, we wish to do more. We, the nation, are in this together. We’ve realized this through our survival over the decades. We’re all one, one nation, standing under one flag, reciting one kalma, and bowing our head to the same anthem.

“This is Pakistan, these are our people. From the shelter camps to the Oval Cricket ground, this is us, and we do not play to lose!”

This was never more obvious than last night, when the entire nation stayed awake till early morning to pray for and rejoice in the semi-final victory of the young men of our cricket team, who fought a heavier, mature, more accomplished adversary, not bowing out of fear or resolution to fate.



This is Pakistan, these are our people. From the shelter camps to the Oval Cricket ground, this is us, and we do not play to lose!

To Volunteer for IDPs: Call Zeest @ Rozan at 051-2890506-7 and 0345-8507181
Images courtesy: http://bariisiyobasto.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/images-of-the-idp-in-pakistans-swat-valley-region/
and http://cricket.yahoo.com/photos/Semi-finals-South-Africa-Vs-Pakistan_12453498364794#10