To my amazement, Malaysia with
60.4% population practicing Islam, 19.2% Buddhism and 9.1% Christianity, has
managed to mark tremendous progress and development in all sectors from tourism
to information technology. What appealed me at my first sight was the beauty of
life diversity by living in multi-cultural country at such peace which I had
never imagined was this easy. It is only my life experience which made me think
so as have seen examples of countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and lately
India where minorities have suffered for only one good reason – they are
minorities and shall be treated as such.
60.4% population practicing Islam, 19.2% Buddhism and 9.1% Christianity, has
managed to mark tremendous progress and development in all sectors from tourism
to information technology. What appealed me at my first sight was the beauty of
life diversity by living in multi-cultural country at such peace which I had
never imagined was this easy. It is only my life experience which made me think
so as have seen examples of countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and lately
India where minorities have suffered for only one good reason – they are
minorities and shall be treated as such.
I come from one of the ethnic
groups of Afghanistan where in 1880’s some 60% of my people were massacred on
the basis of having different facial feature (small eyes, flat nose and pale-yellow color), sect (Shitte, proportionally low in figure than
Sunni sects in Islam) and that we were threat to other major ethnic groups
(Pahtuns and Tajeks) due to hardship, dedication, liberalism (men and women
having equal rights) and evidence of evolution as united and strong nation on
the map of Afghanistan. Post our 60% genocide, we fled to the neighboring
countries of Pakistan and Iran where further misery awaited us. Pakistan provided
all grounds of success and development in education, employment, socio-cultural
growth (where some 5,00,000 people still live) but all changed into a nightmare
we had never imagined only post Iran’s Islamic revolution 1979 when Grand Ayatollah
Rohollah Khomeini took over Reza Shah Pahlavi’s regime and our people became
the clear target of sectarian war with the pretext that we had ties with
Khomeini’s regime as we shared the same roots.
groups of Afghanistan where in 1880’s some 60% of my people were massacred on
the basis of having different facial feature (small eyes, flat nose and pale-yellow color), sect (Shitte, proportionally low in figure than
Sunni sects in Islam) and that we were threat to other major ethnic groups
(Pahtuns and Tajeks) due to hardship, dedication, liberalism (men and women
having equal rights) and evidence of evolution as united and strong nation on
the map of Afghanistan. Post our 60% genocide, we fled to the neighboring
countries of Pakistan and Iran where further misery awaited us. Pakistan provided
all grounds of success and development in education, employment, socio-cultural
growth (where some 5,00,000 people still live) but all changed into a nightmare
we had never imagined only post Iran’s Islamic revolution 1979 when Grand Ayatollah
Rohollah Khomeini took over Reza Shah Pahlavi’s regime and our people became
the clear target of sectarian war with the pretext that we had ties with
Khomeini’s regime as we shared the same roots.
The situation worsened post 9/11
when America invaded Afghanistan and Taliban fled to bordering Quetta,
Baluchistan province of Pakistan and began to target our community with the
support of Pakistan Tehker Taliban with the slogan to clean Pakistan. Our
Olympians, doctors, engineers, policemen were gun-shot at duty,
business-markets were burnt down, shoe-makers and fruit-sellers were targeted while
making their daily earning, educational students were bombarded and their
school/ college buses were exploded, pilgrims were taken off the bus, lined and
killed in open-fire; moreover, the worst of all was when a 1000 KG
planted bomb in water tanker took the lives of 64 innocent children, women and
men injuring 180 on February 16, 2013, which is believed to be the worst target
in the history of Pakistan with use of such heavy-sized explosive. Not a different story was going on in Iran
where fleeing from Afghanistan, not only we were being tortured en route to entering
Iran but also life had turned utter tragedy for those who had already made it
to Iran. Hazaras were restrained to own houses, buy cars, find reputable jobs
in government let alone running for elections after living there for around one
century. My two visits to India gave me clear evidences where minorities have
been inflicted socially, politically and economically so deep within I was
sarcastic that life is peaceful for both majority and minorities in Malaysia;
therefore, had brainwashed to face the normal odds (probable discrimination)
and commit not to ever surrender. In a nutshell, I was ambiguous of
living-conditions in Malaysia.
when America invaded Afghanistan and Taliban fled to bordering Quetta,
Baluchistan province of Pakistan and began to target our community with the
support of Pakistan Tehker Taliban with the slogan to clean Pakistan. Our
Olympians, doctors, engineers, policemen were gun-shot at duty,
business-markets were burnt down, shoe-makers and fruit-sellers were targeted while
making their daily earning, educational students were bombarded and their
school/ college buses were exploded, pilgrims were taken off the bus, lined and
killed in open-fire; moreover, the worst of all was when a 1000 KG
planted bomb in water tanker took the lives of 64 innocent children, women and
men injuring 180 on February 16, 2013, which is believed to be the worst target
in the history of Pakistan with use of such heavy-sized explosive. Not a different story was going on in Iran
where fleeing from Afghanistan, not only we were being tortured en route to entering
Iran but also life had turned utter tragedy for those who had already made it
to Iran. Hazaras were restrained to own houses, buy cars, find reputable jobs
in government let alone running for elections after living there for around one
century. My two visits to India gave me clear evidences where minorities have
been inflicted socially, politically and economically so deep within I was
sarcastic that life is peaceful for both majority and minorities in Malaysia;
therefore, had brainwashed to face the normal odds (probable discrimination)
and commit not to ever surrender. In a nutshell, I was ambiguous of
living-conditions in Malaysia.
However, this entire one month
life has been different from what I had pictured. “Life for all or rather
Malaysia for all”, seems to be the life-code of the Malaysians and those immigrants.
Walking down the SS 15 streets, passing by restaurants selling Chinese, Korean,
Indian, Malay, KFC, McDonald, one finds people from many parts of the world
running their businesses very peacefully which I suppose make handsome profit
too otherwise, there would not be these many of them. So have I found the same
harmony, integrity at my own university INTI Laureate International University
and Colleges, Subang Jaya campus, where I have come across students from South Africa,
Japan, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mangolia, Sri Lanka, Arabic
countries and of course Afghanistan too.
life has been different from what I had pictured. “Life for all or rather
Malaysia for all”, seems to be the life-code of the Malaysians and those immigrants.
Walking down the SS 15 streets, passing by restaurants selling Chinese, Korean,
Indian, Malay, KFC, McDonald, one finds people from many parts of the world
running their businesses very peacefully which I suppose make handsome profit
too otherwise, there would not be these many of them. So have I found the same
harmony, integrity at my own university INTI Laureate International University
and Colleges, Subang Jaya campus, where I have come across students from South Africa,
Japan, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mangolia, Sri Lanka, Arabic
countries and of course Afghanistan too.
 |
| …and education, my asset to better life! |
During my one month stay in
Malaysia, I have not seen people taunting others, teasing girls, staring at how
one is dressed, walks, talks or behaves – it is a free country for free man,
kinda what I feel, not to exaggerate. Althoug early days have problems which I did
too; like time problem as was used to Afghanistan time so had sleep disorder,
felt like had lost my taste as had not adjusted with Malaysian cuisines and
would fool around searching what is found where; got victimized by mosquitoes
and changing weather but luckily have managed to walk through all those early
days’ struggles and troubles. Like it or not, Malaysia can give one peace of
mind for people coming from war-torn countries or those being rehabilitated with
support of international aid agencies or are partially-dependent on international
aids although I have not been to many part of Malaysia to see if my statement is
valid. However, my personal experience so far speaks the truth. I have been
earnestly welcomed and accepted by my teachers, classmates though some are
teenagers to whom the world has not shown its cruel faces. I have enjoyed my first
days of study at INTI, lived easily and comfortably in my neighborhood, wandered
around freely around the city.
Malaysia, I have not seen people taunting others, teasing girls, staring at how
one is dressed, walks, talks or behaves – it is a free country for free man,
kinda what I feel, not to exaggerate. Althoug early days have problems which I did
too; like time problem as was used to Afghanistan time so had sleep disorder,
felt like had lost my taste as had not adjusted with Malaysian cuisines and
would fool around searching what is found where; got victimized by mosquitoes
and changing weather but luckily have managed to walk through all those early
days’ struggles and troubles. Like it or not, Malaysia can give one peace of
mind for people coming from war-torn countries or those being rehabilitated with
support of international aid agencies or are partially-dependent on international
aids although I have not been to many part of Malaysia to see if my statement is
valid. However, my personal experience so far speaks the truth. I have been
earnestly welcomed and accepted by my teachers, classmates though some are
teenagers to whom the world has not shown its cruel faces. I have enjoyed my first
days of study at INTI, lived easily and comfortably in my neighborhood, wandered
around freely around the city.
This is the beginning of my
probably two-years journey with pleasing start which no one knows how ends. But
one thing I am sure of is that life has challenges as we all need to struggle
to survive to catch the time-speed or else we remain clapping at others success
– at least not what I am destined to!
probably two-years journey with pleasing start which no one knows how ends. But
one thing I am sure of is that life has challenges as we all need to struggle
to survive to catch the time-speed or else we remain clapping at others success
– at least not what I am destined to!
Jawad Jahid
