Received with love from Pakistan on Saturday - 15th March, 2014. I got too emotional when I received this at my home. Especially when I read the words written below. It was sent by my friend Qurat Ul Ain Ansari who read my article on 'Localizing Peace Initiatives through Social Media' in The News International in Aman Ki Asha and connected with me on Facebook. She instantly asked me if I would like a hard copy. I was overwhelmed because I had always wanted to have a hard copy of my article published in a Pakistani newspaper. My wish was fulfilled on Saturday by someone who barely knew me before she read my article and spontaneously asked for my address and sent it to me. This will be preserved as a treasure with a hope to meet Qurat Ul Ain Ansari very soon. Thanks a lot :)
This was indeed a very sweet gesture and this is how I feel people from across the border can connect with each other. To me Qurat was a complete stranger. Till the morning on which she had read my article and had approached me via Facebook, I did not even know who she was. Our conversation started just like any two people on a social networking website who are not aware of each other, but wish to connect. She asked me about the articles that I had written on India-Pakistan issues and I felt very happy to share the same with her. She told me about herself, how while living in the UK she met Indians and her perceptions about India changed. Now some of her best friends are Indians. I exchanged with her my views on Pakistan, how I had made friends from across the border and how my current engagement in research had led me to discover a side of Pakistan and Pakistanis which I had never known before. The conversation kept growing and we chatted about visiting each other's country. She had visited India last year and shared me a testimonial written by her in Aman ki Asha. I expressed to her my desire about visiting Pakistan and meeting her. After such discussion I told her about my article published in The News International and she immediately sent me a photo of the same from the hard copy version. Then to my surprise, she asked me if I would like to have a hard copy of the same sent at my place. I was delighted as I had always wanted to hold a Pakistani newspaper in my hand and what could be better if your friend from across the border sends it. I shared my address and within a week I had this at my home :)
The feeling of having received something from Pakistan is surreal ... it was an emotional moment for me ... I almost cried and held the envelope and newspaper copy close to myself. It was somewhat unbelievable but it was true. I wondered how could somebody who barely knew me be so kind? It is then that I realized that if human beings irrespective of their nationalities, ethnicity, caste, language and religious differences can connect with each other for the greater cause of peace and harmony. These friendships do not remain restricted to the social media, they can be extended in real life. I kept thinking about this wonderful gesture and kept smiling. I assume this is what peace building means in real ... such exchanges, such wonderful gestures can make peace a reality.
This was indeed a very sweet gesture and this is how I feel people from across the border can connect with each other. To me Qurat was a complete stranger. Till the morning on which she had read my article and had approached me via Facebook, I did not even know who she was. Our conversation started just like any two people on a social networking website who are not aware of each other, but wish to connect. She asked me about the articles that I had written on India-Pakistan issues and I felt very happy to share the same with her. She told me about herself, how while living in the UK she met Indians and her perceptions about India changed. Now some of her best friends are Indians. I exchanged with her my views on Pakistan, how I had made friends from across the border and how my current engagement in research had led me to discover a side of Pakistan and Pakistanis which I had never known before. The conversation kept growing and we chatted about visiting each other's country. She had visited India last year and shared me a testimonial written by her in Aman ki Asha. I expressed to her my desire about visiting Pakistan and meeting her. After such discussion I told her about my article published in The News International and she immediately sent me a photo of the same from the hard copy version. Then to my surprise, she asked me if I would like to have a hard copy of the same sent at my place. I was delighted as I had always wanted to hold a Pakistani newspaper in my hand and what could be better if your friend from across the border sends it. I shared my address and within a week I had this at my home :)
The feeling of having received something from Pakistan is surreal ... it was an emotional moment for me ... I almost cried and held the envelope and newspaper copy close to myself. It was somewhat unbelievable but it was true. I wondered how could somebody who barely knew me be so kind? It is then that I realized that if human beings irrespective of their nationalities, ethnicity, caste, language and religious differences can connect with each other for the greater cause of peace and harmony. These friendships do not remain restricted to the social media, they can be extended in real life. I kept thinking about this wonderful gesture and kept smiling. I assume this is what peace building means in real ... such exchanges, such wonderful gestures can make peace a reality.
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