“Are you an Ismaili?”
In the past, I have written some critical and therefore
not-so-pleasing articles, but the one I am writing today I think will really
hit some nerves, especially the first paragraph.
I currently reside in Karachi and there are several Jamat
Khanas (Ismaili prayer halls) in this city and I love to go to different ones
but I mainly commute between a few of them. Regardless of where I go, being a
single guy I am looked upon with eyes of suspicion. I usually prepare myself
after parking the car that before entering the compound, I will be asked ‘where
are you from? Are you an Ismaili?’ or even with just a “Ya Ali Madad” to see if
I belong to the community. The pain of this exercise is so enormously hurting
that I cannot explain this in words. The more it happens, the more it grows in
me a bitterness towards this country I live in which is actually my home
country. It also makes me ponder, is this what the world has come to? I see it
as someone asking me of my identity; and being scrapped off one’s identity is
one of the worst pains one goes through.
One of the fundamental needs of a human being on this planet
is to have a sense of belonging to a community, to a family, to a practice, to
a faith.
As of lately, I have been deeply disappointed at work. I
have been hurt to see the unfairness that I knew exists and have seen in the
past but to experience it again, regardless of the effort was hurting. I am
short of words to explain the anger I feel but I see this as a learning curve.
It is my belief that I will travel quite a distance on this road and of course,
I won’t meet everyone I like so I should learn to work with a number of
individuals. I can’t say anymore here so …
I feel there is this rebellious side of me, which is
definitely dangerous for myself considering the way the world, operates! One
other side of the argument is one has to leave a mark at the end of the day,
right? I feel my philosophy is quite simple – say what you feel, be authentic
and stay to the true north. I cannot understand why that is hard for others?
The best person you can be at any point in time is yourself yet many of us
spend our lives trying to be someone else. Why?!
I have so much to say but I want to conclude this much needed
article with a quote by His Highness the Aga Khan III:
“In life, one has to be able to laugh; and even if we are looking at
some difficult times ahead, we should look at those times with hope, unity and
faith’
Champ!
