In the Name of Love and Revolution

Voice of America [VOA] features Junaid Hafeez

2010-07-22T04:11:00.000-07:00

Fulbright Exchange Program and its contribution to Pakistani education sector.
Tabinda Neem, Urdu VOA News, Washington.

The United States and Pakistan are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Fulbright academic exchange program and the growth of U.S. -- Pakistan educational cooperation.

An always increasing demand for US scholarships in Pakistan shows the immense respect for US educational programs in Pakistan and is not by any means an attempt to steal the minds of sixty million Pakistani youth.

For watching the whole documentary, follow these links:
Dateline Washington-Pakistan's Education Landscape and US Assistance 1
http://www.youtube.com/urduvoanews#p/u/0/JkFgZAl-o4I

Dateline Washington-Pakistan's Education Landscape and US Assistance 2
http://www.youtube.com/urduvoanews#p/u/1/N9lCql-C6R0

Dateline Washington-Pakistan's Education Landscape and US Assistance 3
http://www.youtube.com/urduvoanews#p/u/2/u1ApJo4KChU

History of Pakisan by Najam Sethi

2010-03-24T23:48:00.000-07:00

Click the link:

http://humayun.pk/tonight-with-najam-sethi-24th-march-2010.html

Hasan Nisar on Muslim History

2009-09-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

Junaid Hafeez plays Don Jackson at McCoy Auditorium, JSU, Jackson, MS

2009-09-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

Zooman and The Sign, a play by Charles Fuller, opens on September 23, 2009 in Rose Embly McCoy Auditorium at Jackson State University, Jackson, MS. Charles Fuller is an American playwright who received Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1982 for his A Soldier's Play.

Director:Dr. Mark G. Henderson

Founder, MADDRAMA

Interim Chair, Department of Speech and Theatre Studies

Assistant Director: Prince Duren

http://www.jsums.edu/speechandtheatre

Nusrat Fateh performing 'Face of Love' with Eddie Vedder

2009-09-22T16:07:00.001-07:00

Lyrics | Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with Eddie Vedder - Face of Love lyrics

Signifier

2008-12-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

It was an unusual dawn in my life
When I woke up after dreaming de Saussure
And found myself divided into pieces on bed.
Half a dozen letters make my name and now
I could see my body being cut into those six alphabets:
One arm with its forearm in flexed position,
Calves inverting towards each other with toes kissing,
An arm lying diagonally between thighs,
Face with a prominent nose marking ‘a’,
Left forearm standing vertical with hand
Holding my substance to make extraordinary ‘i’,
Tummy feeling comfortable being ‘D’;
I mocked at the prince of my last night dream
And the stinky arbitrariness in my mind was resolved.

December 2008

Missing

2008-12-10T08:36:00.001-08:00

I stepped down the divine stairs and moved to
The computer lab: I needed not to enter,
Pushed the door a little and intended to peep through.
Though not in need for that formality, but more like
A human I acted ‘to be ‘; Still as a vain Master,
I made the slit too fine for anyone to see my eyes.
Just a glimpse will do for me, I thought and prepared my
Mind to see someone. Sons of Adam, daughters of Eve,
All the mortals from West to East were accomplices
To a folk, whose obsession for me changed his fate forever;
Love is horrible. Fall of what I created –Colors, moods,
Ideals, being—was there. Beauty was nowhere visible.
Cornered to the north, he was laying on a hump of blood
And bone. Love can’t be quenched in this way! Mourning at
His only mistake, he sighed. His lake eyes were dry,
And his ego was lost. He was missing me. I closed
The way to the beam of Light, restored the door position,
Set the lab free and again I turned ‘Not to be’.

October 2008

Shoes Imprints

2008-12-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

A good question would always result in a good reply?
Seven in total, but visible to me is only one sky!
Shed enough tears, that's why the environment is so humid
"To err is humane", why are You comparing me with a cupid?

It rained in the whole town, why my hut remained dry?
Never mind, I would wet it myself when I would cry!
Seven colours were past, now I'm fond of chess
Black or white, no other option left to guess!

Is it evolution for which a human the way it now exists?
For sure, it's revolution which lies in the progress betwixt!
Throw away your sympathies, tear apart your attitude
Just be a robot machine with the button pressed mute!

In the race of jealousy, crippled ones excelling the capables
Always becoming the victim of the fate, it's not bearable!
Soft hands approaching me with a devilish heart
Similar to the sweets containing rock salt!

Intellectual approach overwhelming the spiritual emotions
Is this progress or I'm being pushed back through retrogressions?
Bloodshed all around, in spite of the fact," It is the only region available to us"
Controversy between crimes and sins, law and religion, always creating fuss!

We all are His made faces, then why to be proud of races?
Practise for the real world, we are here on trial basis!
Juvenile John said, "Time has no kith and kin!"
Reality lies within, skin is just skin!

"Dude, be careful of the van just behind you!" yelled the milk-man
"What!.. (scream)? "
I got slipped in the water
Imprints from the shoes died in sue...
Shoe surface was sheen...
I was blank...

July 26 2006

A Sufi's Song

2008-12-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

It has been long to have some wine
I didn't shine for a long time
People say, "Use rhymes in poetry"
For God sake, its poetry, not mimicry!

I lost my spectacles containing the vision of love
Aroud my eyes, some wrinkles like a flying dove
On my forehead, some furrowslike graves in a row
One tongue & thirthy two teeths,what a strong foe!

The features mentioned are characterisitc
Only in need of the right match-stick
Searching the remedy for replenishing the hole,
There is something wrong with my shattered soul!

It's new world with contemporary definitions
"There are no facts, only interpretations"
The slogan all aroud : 'Live for peace'
The fact within may be: "Live to piece"

While you lose, "friends" around "condole"
Make some pictures with a pin-hole
"Work, work, work" and "Burn the boats!"
All this is needed for the Triumph roads.

Fire burning inside, water flowing in eyes
Be brave John, It would bring good surprise!
Feudals at the peak, poor licking their feet
Rich throwing it out while "dogs" fighting for meat!

What's fate? Do you know it? What's its role
In our lives for achieving our ambitious goals?
Is it God? or something else that's so mysterious,
What the hell is it? I'm so curious.

He is there to answer all of these to me
To Learn from Him, it's the only key:
I should throw Him some queries
And He would signal through pixies!
Waiting...

April 20 2006

Shayan and The Eight Imaginary Brides

2008-12-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

A still frame from 'Shayan and The Eight Imaginary Brides', adopted from Alex Broun's 'Rupert and The Seven Russian Brides', directed by Junaid Hafeez, staged in Bahauddin Zakariya Unviersity, Multan, Pakistan.

November 12 2008

Trees In Dreams

2008-12-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

Last night, perhaps the mid-night
I dreamed a dream which I ain’t able to write
But still I try to cite:
I found you and me in the woods
Only you and me, no other goods!

We wished to live together here forever
We sighed: Would God do us this favour?
The sky got tear, a fairy appeared in white-wear
She came close to us and whispered in our ears:
“God has shown instant mercy on you,
Now you two can live here too!”
We two, couldn’t understand why she said “too!”
But we didn’t care
We were happy that God respected our prayer
It happens rare that lovers live together forever!

We used to welcome and good-bye the sun
With smiles, hands waving and some fun!
In between the trees, we used to run
But sometimes, besides us trees also used to run
We were afraid of the movements
But the only solution was consolation through embracements!

I used to comb your hair
You used to sleep in my arms
Seeing you asleep, I used to whisper in your ears:
“You look so cute, innocent and calm.”
But once it happened I saw through the trick
For listening to my love-words,
You pretended to asleep like a tired kid!
Yeah (sigh), it was so romantic and yet realistic
Every flower, every happiness, we together used to pick
Seeing nests, we thought to build a home of brick
But we were afraid of His kick
Since these trees were enough to stick!

Years passed by, but still we remained shy
We were always true, in love why to lie?
We were overwhelmed by the abundance of blisses!
So many blisses, even more than we made kisses!
We can’t count kisses, so how can the blisses?

We were often surprised we are the only ones here?
Often thinking logically where have we here?
Why was the rest of the world not there?
But there were no replies!
And we remained mysterious about the carved trees!
These trees made us forget all the queries and miseries
In favour of all this: no logics, no theories!

Then a day came when it rained
Sky sent us a saint
He bellowed in our ears:
“You are about to dry,You are about to die!”
You got horrified, I got terrified
Simultaneously, we turned mad and sad
What about our prayer of living together forever
God turned back from His words? No, never!
The final day for this life came
The love we made here can never range
Love remains same, only appearances change!
Now we have become the trees
Like all the other humans who wished to live together forever!
He turned back from His words? No, never!
Love remains the same, only appearances change!
We still are lovers, lovers together, together forever!
Now, we see another “we” in the same woods
They run, and besides them, we also run
They are also confused, but don’t abuse
One day, after facing the final day,
They will also become trees
And these trees will become more thick
More inviting as an ideal place to live together,
Ideal place to stick together forever….

August 3 2005

Simple Principle

2008-12-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

What happens when
Something happens with a person
That is apparently not acceptable,
But still inevitable!
When this happens
Seems to him,
He is crippled, not able to run,
In his fate, written only “ruin, ruin!”

He loses all the weapons
Courage, bravery, passion, confidence—
All disappear as if they don’t exist!
He loses his heart,
Seems to one he is dead,
Being moved in a cart,
To the graveyard.

Surroundings become hell
Good buddies suggest, “You will, you shall!”
Jealous ones laugh and say, “You can never get well!”
Failure becomes a bell,
It echoes down the whole earth,
Suggesting you,“You are of no worth!”

Failure
Fills the eyes with tears
Soul gets teared
And the body loses its wears!
How his ears
Bear the sever hears?
I swear,
No painting can depict and rate.
He becomes desperate,
Desperate of his success!
Success strikes him like circus!
Failure deprives him of his crown
And he becomes only a clown.
A different type of clown!!!
A serious clown
Who has got nothing funny on his face
But he has lost the race
Leaving behind his kith and kin,
Laughing at him.

He wonders and ponders
Asks himself the reasons
Why couldn’t he see the horizons?
Comes a voice,
Which satisfies him twice:
“This universe is a mart
No rewards without work hard!
That’s why, God, the Lord,
Has not supported you in cards!”
He begs His pard, (pardon)
And learns this ‘Simple Principle’.
It’s more to him than a word of Bible!
Now he believes in making
Every impossible possible!
Just removing ‘im’
Through working like a water-pin;
Putting the hurdles in a bin;
Practising like a wheel rim;
Indulging into struggle grim!

He has closed all those
Of his ears and eyes
Through which he used to observe
The world’s hue and cries
Which used to make his heart fry!
Which used to force him die!
Now he has yelled to this world:“Good-bye, Good-bye!”

Failure has taught him a lesson
Though a pain as well which will never lessen
Which was important to learn as a human.
He makes screams, but does not weep!
He sees dreams, but does not sleep!
He looks at the surfaces, but also peeps into the leaks!
He is completely out of his old costume,
And no more in category of the weak!

He has strengthened his beliefs
He has grown, so no mourn on grieves.
Grieves are like the autumn leaves
Which besides the green leaves
Are born on the life’s trees!
His colleagues call him a freak,
But he cries, “I’m free, I’m free!”

He has got back his guns
He knows, he is a son who has won
There is more to do than to eat loafs and buns!
He has learnt the ‘Simple Principle’
He left funs, and now only burns!
He has become a sun…
He has become a sun…
He has become a sun…

July 13 2005

You

2008-12-10T07:20:00.000-08:00

Hey you!
Yes, you!
I am talking to you...

You are my life
This is not a lie:
I love you!
You've got all the hues;
I should call you a rainbow!

You are a part of me
But sometimes, it seems to me:
You are me!
You are the sky, I am the sea
You see in me your reflection
We both exhibit perfection!

When I see you,
I feel fairies smiling at me
Angels sprinkling dewdrops
The sun, the moon and the stars,
The larks, the waters and flowers--
This whole Universe dedicated to me!

You are a blessing for me --
The greatest blessing!
I witness God
Since He bestows me with blessings!

I wish to kiss your eyes,
Kiss them thousands of times!
But only when they are closed
So that You may not see
How much I love you!

How can I tell,
Since I am ill,
I ain't able to spell,
My will.
I can't yell,
But still,
I say, I love you!

I have not manifested my feelings,
And it is not always necessary to show
What is happening inside.
Sometimes,the horse runs without a rider!

Expressions may be weak
Through them you may not seek
How much I love you.
That's why I have not
Made a knot out of a tie!

My heart says,
You are indispensable
For my existence,For my survival!
It is impossible to describe you--
Your charm and my love for you,
I have given enough bribe
To my mind,
But perhaps, it knows its limits.

How much I love you?
Perhaps, even I don't know.
But I thinkIt is enough for the two of us!
So, why don't
You leave "You",
I leave "I"
And become
Only "We" ?

July 5 2005

P.S. This piece was printed in YOUNG TIMES, a weekly international magazine of Khaleej Times, published from UAE, on 7th March, 2006.

Naked (Rap)

2008-12-10T07:14:00.001-08:00

Give me some clothes
I am naked in the society
I am so poor
Give me some clothes

I live alone
I can’t afford loans
Give me some clothes
Dress me in robes
I am naked in the society

I remember the days
When I was in raise
One me, everybody’s gaze
I was fed up with praise
The time I was with craze
When I was called Gray’s
I was opposite to laze
Will you believe I was a phrase
High above the milky-ways
How can I forget that phase?

I was ideal for chromatography
But now He changed my biography
I am no more in bibliography
Worst has become my lexicography
180 degree changes in my geography
I am naked, have a look at my pornography:

Dry are my veins
Shattered are my lanes
Empty are the brains
Rotted are the canes
Rusted are my cranes
Attempts- all in vain
I can’t enjoy rains
Day by day, more and more pains
And the worst thing is:
The Evil of mine is not going to drain.

The Muslims ruled Spain
I don’t know how they came
But now they are faint
Not more than lames
They lost their fame
And have got limited frame
The whole world gives them names
And cries: Shame! Shame
Will the history repeat again
I know you don’t expect the same
All it is a part of a chain.

Now it’s my decline
Who will say I was a lion!
I seem to one a person in wine
Who will believe I used to shine!

Ordinary was not for John
From Queen, I became a pawn
At me, you all frown!
I was thrown out of my own lawns
And forced to eat the prawns!
Though I am naked,
Don’t call me a whore
If you can’t adore,
You don’t deserve to lower
Oh World, don’t roar!
I can’t bear this anymore!!

I am naked in the society
Oh God Almighty!
Aren’t you seeing?
If you are seeing why aren’t you feeling?
You have always been so pleasing!
Why are You now freezing?
Please stop this teasing!
Everything has a creasing!!
Give me some clothes
Dress me in robes
I am so poor…
I am so poor…

March 31 2005

Ignorance

2008-12-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

In the skies, how many stars?
On the roads, how many cars?
In the exam, how many marks?
In the seas, how many sharks?
On the globe, how many parks?
I don't know...

So many peopleIn the dark and light,
Some bright, some out of sight,
How many are right?
I don't know...

In human body, how many nerves?
In my life, how many curves?
How to eat? How to serve?
I don't know...

How many killed in 9/11?
How much scored Michael Beaven?
How was killed the Chinese dragon?
What's hell? What's in heavens?
I don't know...

The problems' rectification
The peoples' classifcation
The day-night transitions
The minerals contribution
His Mercy Distribution
I don't know...

Art never ages
Love never cages
Nature never changes
Give me some pages
To make a kite
On which I may write:
I love you.

I am ignorant of
A trillion things:
Universe mechanisms, bodies metabolism-
I never think.

I am ignorantbecause,
Your love was such a test
To pass it,I have to forget the rest.
So,I am ignorant like a fool bee
But I love you, it's enough for me.

I am king
Of just one thing:
Give me some pages
To make a kite
On which I may write:I love you.

Why are you playing with my sensations?
When you know that you are my pulsations.
Please respect my emotions!
You and I are the same creation!
And we are sharing the same religion!
So,Please,Love me.
Do me this favour!
I don't wanna be clever!
I wanna be ignorant forever!
I wanna be ignorant forever!
I wanna be...
Forever.

March 14 2005