On Christmas evening, after the kids were sleeping (or at least faking it), I turned on my computer to find this email from Rasheed Ahmad, one of the members of the group who visited Pakistan with the International Visitor Leadership Program last May. These four paragraphs were a welcomed confirmation of all of the beliefs that have brought us to this trip:
Dear Friend Good Wishes and Sweet Memories.
It makes me happy to see and observe an event of pleasure and peace which is celebrated by friend of mine and other fellow human beings. I am talking about this HAPPYCHRISTMIS day which is being celebrated throughout the world with full enthusiasm.
We all the human beings are the decedents of the same father(Adam) and all are the followers of the divine religions’ which give a lesson of love, peace and sympathy but unfortunately we have forgotten these lessons and discriminating fellow human beings on the basis of race, religion, color and creed.
My friends, tough we have some difficult time here in Pakistan and specially in our own region Mohmand Agency where in the last month, the NATO helicopters hit the Pakistani check post and martyred 24 army personals. This event has badly affected the area as well as threatened the growing peace in the area. That place is just fifteen (15) miles away from my home therefore the sense of insecurity is always there.
But my friends though we are in trouble for the last one decade when the brutal incident took place on 9/11 where more than three thousands innocent people were killed but on my visit to the United States (7th May to 28th 2011) made me glorious to know that the American people don’t hate the fellow human beings rather they work for peace, harmony and development in the world. During that time we all the members of our group had decided that we will never forget this good treatment of our hosts (US people) and will have a permanent relationship with them to promote peace and harmony for the whole humanity.
In continuation of this intention, I always write to all of my new friends with courage to have good relationship with them and to be a sincere friend of them.
Once again I convey special greetings on this happy occasion of
HAPPYCHRISTMIS DAY.
The following is an excerpt from another one of Rasheed's letters:
January 19th, 2012
Whenever i receive such kind of loving letter from my american friends all of my friends, family members, and colleagues in my NGO collectively read these letters and admire your love for humanity and peace. When all of these friends who had a negative perception towards the americans read your letter in which you had written that those responsible for wars and genocide against humanity like bush should be tried in the court. all of them had a sudden change and their perception towards the american turned very positive. all of them believe that we should have a good relationships instead of hatred and killing the the common americans who have nothing to do with wars.
I hope that this friendship network will be growing with every passing day but we both should have to involve and participate more and more friends, relatives and fellow citizens to have the chance to study and observe each other because we all hate wars, and the menaces of terrorism and love peace and stability.Rasheed Ahmad Mohmand
Executive Director Tribal Reforms and Development Organization(TRDO
While we will unfortunately not see Rasheed on our trip (we will be in the south in Karachi and he is on the northern border in Peshawar), we have already started planning a year-long, collaborative project called Home Drone that will continue upon our return to the United States.
No comments:
Post a Comment