Naeem Rashid: A Hero who Dared the Christchurch Terrorist

The choice of living lies with men: some choose to live a life of disgrace and rot for the rest of their lives either in prisons or living a life of being repelled and discarded by the community. This is the life the terrorist who killed dozens of peaceful worshipers right inside the mosques in Christchurch a few days ago.

But there are few people who live for others and so not care about their own self, their safety or even their lives. These are the people who are called heroes and live an eternal life in the hearts of people whether they knew him personally r otherwise. And Naeem Rashid was one such person who dared the Christchurch terrorist right in front of him while the terrorist was spraying bullets without mercy. Perhaps he knew that he was daring the terrorist and was most certainly to succumb to it, but in trying times, heroes rise above self and all they care is saving others.

On Friday, 15th March, Naeem Rashid was at the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch with his 21-year-old son, Talha Naeem, for Friday prayers. The day was just a normal day when Muslims around the world gather together to offer the obligatory Friday noon prayer in an congregation. But he and others never knew that many would not be going back home, but to Jannah right from the home of Allah. It as then the brute terrorist rushed in and started spraying bullets on everything that was human. Naeem's son Talha, a civil engineering graduate, embraced shahadat (martyrdom) right in front of the eyes of his father. Naeem reacted promptly and instead of running towards his son, ran towards the terrorist to stop him in his evil endeavour hoping to stop him and save love of the others. He can be seen in a screen shot of the video which the terrorist was making from his helmet mounted camera right in front of him:

But was seriously injured. After the assailant had gone out to hit other worshipers in a nearby mosque, Naeem was rushed to hospitals but lost his life to his wounds that were inflicted from a very close range.

A peace loving docile, humble and friendly Naeem Rashid hailed from Abbottabad, Pakistan and moved to New Zealand and was working as a teacher. It was his death of a hero that has taken him from Pakistan to New Zealand.

Naeem had been married and had three sons. On this fateful day, the other two sons were not accompanying their father and brother Talha. The mortal wounds left on the family, his widow and two sons would perhaps take a very long time to heal. But perhaps they would always cherish the memories of Naeem who died the life of a hero protecting others with least effort to save them.

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If I only had time

In my teens I listened to very moving song "If I only had time" by John Rowels. But in the warmth of my youth, I did not really cared about the meaning of its lyrics and sang along without knowing what it really meant. But lately these lyrics have started to make a scene for me as decades after first listening to this song and having lost my parents, a brother and many friends since. All of them would have never known that they had ran out of time and would have still been planning to see the rising sun the next day - but time runs out without giving one any time to say even a goodbye or even wave someone nearby.

Lately another death made me realize how we are always running out of time, specially sine recently returning from Lahore, the city of my birth, where I had gone to see an ailing relative. This was my reason to go to Lahore when I embarked upon my journey, happily chatting with my wife - not knowing why actually I was going to Lahore.

We reached late at night and on way to our lodging destination, I passed by a friend's house and my wife said that we must call on him tomorrow for he has been a good man, lively, smiling and a true friend. And I said: "Yes, tomorrow we will go to him." Never knowing there was no tomorrow for my friend.

Early next morning I received a message that my friend has passed away. I was simply stunned to read the message - but he did not have time more than what was granted to him. I went to his funeral and was thinking that I had come for some other purpose but God has actually called me to Lahore to attend my friend's funeral.

Life is all about time - time that we do not have. We make plans for tomorrows but never really knowing whether it would be there or not. Instead of living today or whatever time we have, we plan on times that is never ours. People amass millions and billions but leave without spending - not even taking a dime with them in packed in the casket and lowered down in the grave to disappear from the world forever.

You may like to listen to the song by John Rowells now - wont you?

From now on I live as if it is my last time - for I do not know whether I would have time to write my next post or not or see my sons away in foreign lands or friends scattered around, or even my wife sitting in the lounge watching TV as life vanishes in matters of seconds. 

Do live out your time fully - and live your today smiling and loving those around so that they preserve your last smiling and caring face in the memories forever.

Photo: Pixabay
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Remembering Whitney Houston through her great music

One of the most celebrated singers Whitney Houston died at 48 on Saturday, 10 February 2012. She was found dead in her hotel room on Beverly Hilton. The cause of death is yet not known, though her addiction to drugs could be one of the causes. She sang many a famous and hit songs, bu perhaps her best was "and I will always love you."

'I will always love you'

Her career, which spanned more than 30 years, was filled with accolades. Houston took home six Grammys, 22 American Music Awards and two Emmy Awards, as per TMZ.

She was "the only artist to chart seven consecutive #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits." as claimed by her official website. She also released seven consecutive albums that went multi-platinum.

Huffington Post has got together some of her memorable hit songs like "I Will Always Love You," "Saving All My Love For You," "How Will I Know," "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" in the form of a slide show for the love of Whitney's fans. 

You may also watch this video-slide show at: Huffington Post

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Last Salute to a Soldier

Today I received a phone call that a soldier son of an old veteran has fallen prey to the War on Terror and his burial will take place at noon. I reached the graveyard and found a large number of friends, relatives and others in civvies and uniform to pay homage to the fallen son of the soil. And there I found the fallen soldier lying in the casket with great dignity and pride – for he had joined those of his comrades who had fallen earlier fighting the militants and saving their motherland from terrorism and extremism.

The soldier was in his 20s and had hardly seen life in its fullest bloom before a bullet took him to another world. He now lie buried here. A smartly turned guard fired a volley of bullets in the air and then presented arms while the buglers blew the final good bye. A soldier stood on the horizon watching the setting sun which soon dipped and marked the end of another day – another soldier.

He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,

But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part

Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honour while he's here to hear the praise,

Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say,

Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.

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