Muzik Against Terrorism

"If your time to you Is worth savin' Then you betterYeh hum Nahi a multi star production featuring the
start swimmin' Or you'll sink like a stone For the timesvocal talents of Haroon, Ali Haider, Ali Zafar, Shufqat,
they are a-changin' "-Bob Dylan, 1963Strings, Shuja Haider and Hadiqa Kiani. The song is not
 only thought provoking but very focused in delivering its
 Last Saturday 20th September a small smsmessage. This is a step towards a musical movement.
shattered me; my mother had another severe heartShahzad Roy's Qismat apne haath mein is another
attack. Can not focus anymore on my paper as stillprotest song which was earlier banned. Adeel Salman
thinking what's happening to my ailing mother. She isanother rock star from Pakistan is sending the same
dying and everyday doctors prescribing news testsmessage in his song Nazuk Khawab. One of the
and medicines. I wish I could fly back and could doreasons of our success against India were the patriot
something for her.songs of Noor Jehan which rose the Morales of every
 soul in Pakistan.
Working seven years with the radio changed my life 
as got so much love whom I never saw or met. BeingMusic and history have a lot of things common. Both
a celebrity has its own pleasure getting so much fanare recorded, have a number of controversial periods
mail and prayers. My program coordinator or I shouldand have the power to enrage us or pacify us.
say my mentor Asghar Sahib having paan in his mouthAccording to Adeel of Anesthezia Band, history and
always call me an invisible celebrity, people only hearmusic are interpretive endeavors and therefore mean
my voice and I can feel happiness and smiles. I neverdifferent things to different people. We have seen
called myself a Radio Jockey but an Emotional Jockeyhow music, literature, poetry has played an important
as I have the power to make my listeners laugh, cryrole in history, perhaps the most fortuitous crossing of
and sing with me. This bond of love is so strong as if Imusical and historical paths occurred in the United
am a part of every family with whom I am connected.States during the turbulent counterculture era of the
I share their sadness and happiness.1960's. Once Beatles were asked that why they had
 not recorded any anti-war songs, John Lennon
I am looking for HOPE even though Mr Obama notresponded, "All our songs are anti-war." His statement
only talks about Hope but also Change. But so muchsuggested that through their messages of peace, love
has happened that I am lost and feeling alone. It's reallyand understanding, the Beatles are taking a stand
hard to think as what will happen next after Islamabadagainst war in more general terms, which is much
tragedy. It's a mental trauma watching the same placemore appealing to mainstream culture.
burning where you spent time. I was at Marriott, 
Islamabad for a week to attend some meetings. Still Protest music has deep roots in response to specific
memories flash back having informal conversationshistorical events or circumstances and generally
with the barber at the hair saloon, chef, front deskwritten for or about the common man. During great
officer and the security guards. They all had theirdepression, displaced musicians wandered from town
personal stories sharing their worries but always had ato town hitching rides on railcars. These revolutionary
hope that good time will come in their lives. Thesemusicians catalogued the suffering, the injustice, and
thoughts bring tears in my eyes because death wasthe maltreatment of the less fortunate members in
not their destiny. She wanted to be a doctor but willsociety and translated them into music. Mahatma
the dream of this kindergarten school girl be fulfilled asGandhi's words are so true even today that you must
her father is not coming home this evening. I shouldbe the change you wish to see in the world. We saw
stop putting birthdays to remember on my plannerchange gurus Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs Judy Collins,
because every day marks an event in history with soBeatels, Joan Baez, Allama Iqbal, Noor Jehan, Ahmad
many death anniversaries.Faraz, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Ijaz ul Hassan and many
 more during Vietnam war, Civil Rights movement and
My mother is 61 years old, still so beautiful after soIndo Pak movement.
many wrinkles, diseases all because of wrong 
diagnoses. I know these wrinkles are not because ofLife moves on so as music but lets fight the war
her age but we her children have given her so muchagainst terrorism through music. We need more people
pain and sorrow. But one great thing about motherslike Waseem Mahmood, Junoon, Adeel Salman and
are that they forget and forgive.Shahzad Roy. This is a small step towards a bigger
 revolution. There is a space between the life and
During my radio show I was reviewing a suspensedeath of my mother with only a ventilator in-between.
thriller movie. It was a must watch movie as so manyCan't see her dying but still have the hope that she will
things happening simultaneously. But the same thing isbe on her feet. Farrukh Khan Pitafi following Allama
happening in Pakistan since 2007 removal of judges,Iqbal's Shikva writes a letter to God and said "please
Red Mosque issue, Warfare in tribal areas, State ofgive me a chance to believe in you again". Asghar
emergency, Benazir Bhutto's assassination, ResignationSahib called me that I have to fill this weekend show
of Pervaiz Musharraf, Selection of Zardari asfor another radio jockey. Im trying to sustain my hope
President, US attacks on Pakistani soil, and uncountableand still believe that I can bring smile on my listeners
innocent deaths due to terrorism within Pakistan. Thisface. Every artist in Pakistan has an untapped potential
movie is a box office hit as so many views andto create ripples through his painting, music,
reviews from international actors. All these events aredocumentary, poetry and songs. Let's hold each other
historic as changing the way people think about therather pushing to a limit that we loose all our hope and
place they are living. The last song of my show wasfaith.