View allAll Photos Tagged proactive
The 12C is a sports car with rear-wheel drive layout with a longitudinally-placed mid-engine. The 12C features a double wishbone and hydraulic suspension, the latter referred to as the ProActive Chassis Control. The car uses rack-and-pinion and electric power steering. The standard front brakes of the car feature a four-piston fixed calliper configuration, paired with a two-piece front rotor. The 12C uses a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine codenamed "M838T", which was produced by Ricardo PLC in West Sussex, England. It produces a power output of 453 kilowatts (616 PS) at 7,500 revolutions per minute (rpm) and a torque output of 601 newton-metres (443 lb⋅ft) at 3,000 rpm, sufficient to give the car a 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) acceleration time of 3.1 seconds and a maximum speed of 333 km/h (207 mph).
The 12C Spider is a convertible version of the MP4-12C with a retractable hardtop. Because the coupe was designed from the outset with a convertible version in mind, no additional strengthening was needed for the Spider and it weighs only 40 kg (88 lb) more than the coupe. McLaren has worked to keep the Spider's top speed 204 mph (328 km/h) close to the coupé's 207 mph (333 km/h) top speed and up to 196 mph (315 km/h) is possible roof down. Meanwhile, the dihedral doors of the coupé are retained
Anders Hallundbæk Mortensens oversigt
Nuværende Owner hos Uppercase (www.uppercase.dk)
Frontend Developer hos Aarstiderne A/S
Tidligere Frontend Developer hos ProActive A/S
eBusiness Manager hos Hestbæk Consult
Web Developer hos Kontrapunkt Online
Intern hos Kontrapunkt Online
Freelance mediadesigner hos Ventus (www.ventus.dk)
Web Developer hos Hello Group
Student Assistant, Web production hos Saxo Bank
Student web consultant hos Aalborg Universitet, Institute of Architecture & Design
Freelance webdesigner hos kjeldsen.it
Anders Hallundbæk Mortensen's report
Current Owner at Upper Case (www.uppercase.dk)
Frontend Developer at Aarstiderne A/S
Former Frontend Developer at ProActive A / S
eBusiness Manager at Hestbæk Consult
Web Developer at Counterpoint Online
Intern at Counterpoint Online
Freelance media designer at Ventus (www.ventus.dk)
Web Developer at Hello Group
Student Assistant, Web Production at Saxo Bank
Student web consultant at Aalborg University, Institute of Architecture & Design
Freelance web designer at kjeldsen.it
Mission Statement: Protecting Florida's natural resources and people through proactive and responsive law enforcement services.
Vision: To be recognized as the leading conservation law enforcement agency in the nation, set apart by strategic vision, clear missions, strong leadership and a professional officer corps.
Motto: Patrol, Protect, Preserve
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
Penn Power line workers replaced 21 wooden, double crossarms with a new, single fiberglass crossarm.
***UPDATE*** Ian and Julie are getting ready for baby, so doing some proactive planning before the big day. Thanks again guys!
Here is a deceptively sneaky score..a rare Dania nightstand from Merton Gershon, and his wily crew at American of Martisville. I dig the tall legs and sculpted support, along with all that cool space inside to...well.. just hide stuff.
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube. #Proactive #Vending #Machine
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
Officers tackling serious and organised crime in North Manchester have launched a dedicated multi-agency disruption hub in the district to crackdown on criminal activity in the area.
The hub was launched last month, in partnership with Manchester City Council, as part of ongoing Operation Haemus – formed in November 2019 following an increase in firearm discharges stemming from two main local criminal groups in CheethamHill.
As part of the Haemus hub, a team totalling 17 officers has been formed, consisting of experienced detectives, dedicated safeguarding officers, intelligence officers, and a team of proactive officers who are dedicated to the area in both plain and uniformed patrols.
The team will engage in a range of proactive activities to continue to reduce the prevalence of organised crime in the north of Manchester.
Today (Wednesday 16 December) a team of officers from the Op Haemus team were joined by GMPs Tactical Aid Unit & Tactical Dog Unit in performing an intelligence-led weapon sweep of the area of Mandley Park - on the Salford border.
Any discarded or hidden weapons, firearms or ammunition found in the area during the sweep will be recovered and examined potentially as evidence as part of the 12 ongoing investigations within Op Haemus.
In the first six weeks since the inception of the disruption hub, Op Haemus officers have made a total of 25 arrests, conducted 122 stop searches and have searched 15 houses.
During the same short period, the hub has already seized two viable firearms, large quantities of class A and class B drugs, and seized 13 vehicles.
In conjunction with Manchester City Council, the hub works closely with housing providers, social services, adult services and a number of other agencies in a multi-agency approach to tackle organised crime in North Manchester.
This includes working closely with partners in local authority to provide a range of safeguarding measures and care packages to protect and support vulnerable adults and children at risk of being targeted, coerced and victimised by criminal activity.
Superintendent Rebecca Boyce, of GMP’s North Manchester division, said: “The launch of the disruption hub as part of Operation Haemus is a very welcome introduction for the people of North Manchester, as it’s the latest in a series of proactive measures we’ve employed in recent months to tackle the blight of serious and organised crime in our community.
“It is important that we maximise the resources we have available to us, and we have ensured that we have a dedicated and skilful team working around the clock to disrupt the activity of criminal groups, while protecting the public that we serve.
“We have always been honest and open about the challenges that have presented themselves due to the complexities and developments during this operation, but we are confident that we are making a tangible difference on our streets which can be seen by the recent decrease in firearms activity.
“While disputes between local crime groups generally pose little wider risk to the general public, it is understandable that such incidents cause unease and distress in our communities and we hope that the innocent, honest, and decent people we serve feel reassured by this targeted and increased action we are taking in the district.
“As ever, we continue to urge members of the public to contact police with any information or concerns, knowing that it will be treated with the strictest confidence – we have high-visibility patrols that can be approached, or a dedicated phone number that can be contacted – and Crimestoppers is always available for those who wish to pass on information anonymously.”
Any information relating to Operation Haemus should be passed to police on 0161 8563548 or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
Paph. delenatii x P. Supersuk (William Mathews x sukhakulii)
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Closeup of staminode
www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/4735149010/in/photolist-...
Registered by David W. Eickhoff and named for my wife Cindy. HAPPY 34th!
**NOTE**
While I enjoy orchids, as an environmentally conscious orchid grower in Hawaiʻi, I am proactive when it comes to removing and properly destroying any and all seed pods from the plants so as not to encourage their spreading into our fragile native Hawaiian forests.
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube. #Proactive #Vending #Machine
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
Evelyn goes to Asia, Part 7:
At the end of her trip, Evelyn was very satisfied with removing Constance out of the equation and proactive thinking. After all, she is the most popular American - Asian model!
Officers tackling serious and organised crime in North Manchester have launched a dedicated multi-agency disruption hub in the district to crackdown on criminal activity in the area.
The hub was launched last month, in partnership with Manchester City Council, as part of ongoing Operation Haemus – formed in November 2019 following an increase in firearm discharges stemming from two main local criminal groups in CheethamHill.
As part of the Haemus hub, a team totalling 17 officers has been formed, consisting of experienced detectives, dedicated safeguarding officers, intelligence officers, and a team of proactive officers who are dedicated to the area in both plain and uniformed patrols.
The team will engage in a range of proactive activities to continue to reduce the prevalence of organised crime in the north of Manchester.
Today (Wednesday 16 December) a team of officers from the Op Haemus team were joined by GMPs Tactical Aid Unit & Tactical Dog Unit in performing an intelligence-led weapon sweep of the area of Mandley Park - on the Salford border.
Any discarded or hidden weapons, firearms or ammunition found in the area during the sweep will be recovered and examined potentially as evidence as part of the 12 ongoing investigations within Op Haemus.
In the first six weeks since the inception of the disruption hub, Op Haemus officers have made a total of 25 arrests, conducted 122 stop searches and have searched 15 houses.
During the same short period, the hub has already seized two viable firearms, large quantities of class A and class B drugs, and seized 13 vehicles.
In conjunction with Manchester City Council, the hub works closely with housing providers, social services, adult services and a number of other agencies in a multi-agency approach to tackle organised crime in North Manchester.
This includes working closely with partners in local authority to provide a range of safeguarding measures and care packages to protect and support vulnerable adults and children at risk of being targeted, coerced and victimised by criminal activity.
Superintendent Rebecca Boyce, of GMP’s North Manchester division, said: “The launch of the disruption hub as part of Operation Haemus is a very welcome introduction for the people of North Manchester, as it’s the latest in a series of proactive measures we’ve employed in recent months to tackle the blight of serious and organised crime in our community.
“It is important that we maximise the resources we have available to us, and we have ensured that we have a dedicated and skilful team working around the clock to disrupt the activity of criminal groups, while protecting the public that we serve.
“We have always been honest and open about the challenges that have presented themselves due to the complexities and developments during this operation, but we are confident that we are making a tangible difference on our streets which can be seen by the recent decrease in firearms activity.
“While disputes between local crime groups generally pose little wider risk to the general public, it is understandable that such incidents cause unease and distress in our communities and we hope that the innocent, honest, and decent people we serve feel reassured by this targeted and increased action we are taking in the district.
“As ever, we continue to urge members of the public to contact police with any information or concerns, knowing that it will be treated with the strictest confidence – we have high-visibility patrols that can be approached, or a dedicated phone number that can be contacted – and Crimestoppers is always available for those who wish to pass on information anonymously.”
Any information relating to Operation Haemus should be passed to police on 0161 8563548 or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk
It's been a while since I updated the thread, since I'm more proactive on Facebook and Instagram (@archiveandfuture)
So far my progress has largely been restricted to refining imperfections, the most notable additions being the RCS thruster arms, the egress column 'coffin' and the central cruciform of the descent stage.
The plan is to detail the descent stage as it appears under the thermal blankets, meaning that builders will have the option to display the interior workings or not.
Yesterday (Monday 8 November) officers from GMP's Bury Neighbourhood Policing Team, alongside Bury community safety partners and other agencies launched Operation Saturn - a multi-agency proactive response aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour and other crimes across the district.
The launch follows a recent increase in anti-social behaviour and crime involving young people across the district, including a series of knife point robberies in Bury town centre and a violent disorder at Radcliffe Metrolink station last month, both of which resulted in arrests.
The high-visibility operation will see neighbourhood and specialist officers working closely alongside partners and community stakeholders including youth services and TFGM staff to target specific hotspot areas of ASB & crime across the district.
The operation launched yesterday on the Central Neighbourhood and focused on Bury town centre, Bury East, Redvales and Moorside areas including the Bury transport interchange.
Chief Superintendent Chris Hill of GMP's Bury District said: "Operation Saturn is about getting back to basics and working with partners and communities in the right place and the right time to really make a difference.
"This is about high visibility and getting officers out onto the streets to listen to what our communities have to say and to help provide that protective and reassuring presence. It's also about sending a message to offenders that GMP is here and we will take action wherever it's needed to bring this type of offending right down.
"Yesterday's launch was a really positive step in our commitment to protecting our community and I very much look forward to seeing how this develops and improves over time."
Chief Inspector Jamie Collins of GMP's Bury district said: "The feedback from the Bury communities is that they don’t see enough neighbourhood officers policing there areas."
"Operation Saturn is about putting high visibility uniformed officers into the areas of concern and is just one of the positive steps forward in our pledge to prevent and reduce crime, harm and ASB.
"This operation goes back to the basics of policing and focuses on the importance of high-visibility patrols on our streets and ensuring we are engaging with members of the community, to both understand their concerns for the area and also offer advice and tips of how best to stay keep safe from harm.
"Our communities expect to see us on foot across the district and in their neighbourhoods and we are committed to making this a normality and making our Borough a safe and welcoming place to live."
Bury Council’s cabinet member for communities Councillor Richard Gold said: "We know there have been increasing concerns from residents about anti-social behaviour and it's important that residents feel safe and secure when they're out and about in their own homes. This initiative is great because will help to target those hot spot locations, and with lots of visible officers, will help in the overall fight against anti-social behaviour.
"Seeing more police out on the streets is definitely the way forward and very much helps with community reassurance and I look forward to seeing regular repeat operations of this kind in the area."
Leading a prisoner away.
Special constables were out in force on Friday 15 November 2013 to highlight the vital role they play in police operations.
Over 50 special constables from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) assisted throughout the day with various operations across the North Manchester area. They targeted the small groups of people who bring harm to our communities.
There was a large element of proactive work undertaken coupled with high visibility reassurance patrols, especially during the evening.
Special Chief Inspector Michael Walmsley, who coordinated the resources for the day said: "This is a way of highlighting the varied work that special constables undertake within our communities. The additional police resources provided by the special constabulary were utilised for intelligence lead operations and executing warrants.”
The special constabulary are trained volunteers who provide a valuable link between the public and the police, having the same powers, training, uniform and equipment as regular police officers.
Chief Superintendent for North Manchester, Nick Adderley, said: “The commitment and dedication that our specials have to policing is inspirational. Their volunteering provides additional police resources to keep our communities safe.
“Being a special enables individuals to gain hands on experience in dealing with challenging situations, something they may not encounter in any other career.”
There was also a recruitment event at The Arndale Centre running from 10am-6pm where people could find out more information about becoming a special constable in GMP.
Rob Kelly has been a special constable since January 2012. He described his experience: “As a retired Fire-fighter. I needed to keep busy, so what better way than to give something back to the community and serve as a special.
“I really enjoy the variety of jobs we go to, working with great people and good friends and working within a neighbourhood policing team gives you the confidence to go out and help the public."
For more information on becoming a special constable please visit www.gmp.police.uk or email special.constabulary@gmp.police.uk.
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website.
You should call 101, the new national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
...and the belief in hope always with you.
Thanks again, Christine, for the opportunity to host the beautiful Hope, the Forty Winks Doll Studio Custom, for a friend who needed a message of love and hope. This project is one of such love and hopefulness, and the message of being more aware of breast cancer, being proactive about it, and remembering friends and family who have dealt with or are dealing with it now, has been such an important reminder to all of us. I believe in Love, and I believe in Hope, and I am so very grateful to have such amazing friends! The girls and I will always cherish our Little Ditzies Gnome Hat, made by Andie, with the beautiful pink yarn and the button of Hope. I cannot wait for Mandy to finally receive her girl. I just know that she will feel the love and prayers that have gone into her special girl.
...sorry for taking so long to finish this description...I had leave the house after I posted this. In so many ways, I feel inadequate to fully express what the girl Hope means to me and the beauty of this caring community. XOX
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
The CIA’s Agency Network of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Officers and Allies (ANGLE) – one of the CIA’s many Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) – spearheaded a series of events last month to celebrate LGBT Pride Month. These events included a photography exhibit titled, “HEART: Sharing Our LGBT Families with Our Agency Family.” ANGLE created the exhibit to showcase CIA officers’ thoughts on family, diversity and inclusion. Below is a selection from the exhibit.
For more on diversity at the Agency, visit the Diversity section of CIA.gov and read the Director’s statement on diversity. You can also check out past featured stories that highlighted ANGLE and the Agency’s ERGs.
The United Nations in the Central African Republic proactively took the lead in protecting humanitarian workers during the crisis in Bangui from 27 September. More than 70 humanitarian workers were rescued from life-threatening situations by UN Security teams and were sheltered by the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) until their onward movement could be arranged. 96 workers were flown to safety today in addition to the 126 workers from 1 October. They were transferred to Bangui M'Poko Airport by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) with the support of Sangaris forces, the United States Embassy, and the coordination expertise of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Humanitarian workers at the Bangui M'Poko Airport.
UN Photo/Nektarios Markogiannis
02 October 2015
Bangui, Central African Republic
Photo # 648190
This photo is for a project going on over at tudiabetes.com and the TuDiabetes Flickr Group, for World Diabetes Day [Nov. 14].
The project is, to write a word in your hand describing how you feel about diabetes. [Yes, I have Diabetes]
A month and a half after Operation Peak first hit the streets of Luton to proactively target known offenders, ANPR Intercept officers have arrested more than 70 individuals for a range of offences including burglary, going equipped to burgle, money laundering, assault and numerous drug related offences.
The team has also recovered seven stolen vehicles with a combined value of over £120,000, seized 59 vehicles which were either not insured or the driver did not have a licence – this included a £60,000 Audi A7 – and taken hold of four vehicles that were used during crimes.
One of the busiest days for the team came on Tuesday December 11 when seven individuals were arrested for going equipped to and conspiracy to commit burglary. The previous Tuesday (December 4), four individuals were suspected of committing an aggravated burglary in Cutenhoe Road, Luton. The offenders fled the location in a silver hatchback car but this was stopped by the ANPR Intercept Team in Dallow Road. All four occupants were arrested on suspicion of burglary, assault and possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.
Speaking about the impact that the ANPR Intercept team has had on Operation Peak, Sergeant Chris Leah said: “The statistics really do emphasise the important role that the ANPR Intercept Team plays in operations such as Peak. It has been an extremely busy month and a half for everyone but by targeting criminals through their use of the roads we have been able to make some significant arrests.”
Local Policing Chief Inspector Rob McCaffray added: “These are fantastic results which have come about by proactively policing Luton. Everyone involved in Operation Peak deserves praise for the positive impact that they are having on the communities within Luton.
“We’ve said from the start that we want Bedfordshire to become a hostile environment in which to commit burglaries and I think that these results help to cement that message.”
Known offenders will continue to be the key target of Operation Peak and suspects can expect an increase in daily interaction with police officers over the coming months. Known offenders and suspects found to be in particular hotspot areas can also expect an increase in the use of stop-and-search as Bedfordshire Police sends out a clear message that burglary will not be tolerated.
Local Policing Teams will also be distributing prevention advice in areas identified a burglary hotspots as well as executing a number of search warrants.
If you have information relating to burglaries contact Bedfordshire Police, in confidence, on the non-emergency number 101, or text information to 07786 200011.
Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.
The foreign policy of a state can be defined as courses of actions that a state usually undertakes in its efforts to carry out national objectives beyond the limits of its own jurisdiction. Every state, regardless of size or sphere of influence, incorporates a foreign policy to advance national interest. In the context of Bangladesh, the dominance of national interest in the formulation of foreign policy is especially prevalent. Traditionally, the main objectives of the foreign policy of Bangladesh have been self-preservation, maintenance of territorial integrity, economic advancement and augmentation of national power. Past history in foreign policy has shown the need for a dynamic and proactive model of diplomacy. The foreign policy of Bangladesh needs to be reflective of the times and energy of the nation’s people in order to improve the quality of their livelihood.
The decision-making process should invariably take into account the changing realities, both in the domestic and international scenes. Bangladesh requires a foreign policy that can actively and promptly respond to the challenges of the 21st century including poverty, terrorism, food and energy security, education, population, health, human rights, social justice, environmental degradation and disaster management. Such expanded activities would serve to broaden the scope for bilateral and multilateral relations of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh occupies a strategic position as a land bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia and a trade corridor for landlocked countries like Nepal and Bhutan and the seven states of India’s northeast. It must therefore be strong enough to dominate its environment or risk becoming the victim of external threats, traditional or non-traditional.
Its security is also linked with the rivers flowing from the Himalayan belt on whose waters its survival depends. Although the geopolitical realities of Bangladesh portend various challenges, its strategic position and the economic rise of India can be utilized to providing transit rights to her South Asian neighbors, with the goal of becoming a regional economic hub.
Ever since achieving independence in 1971, the nature and substance of Bangladesh foreign policy has undergone comprehensive changes. The impact of globalization on Bangladesh, largely resulting from changes in information, communications and transport technologies as well as international laws and practices governing trade, commerce and investment, has had a profound impact on Bangladesh’s foreign relations and the conduct of its foreign policy.
Bangladesh's reform and opening up of the media, cable television, and rapid expansion of the cellular phone networks with a subscriber base of over 79 million and technological improvements constituted significant positive developments, as have developments in the pharmaceutical, textile and readymade garments (RMG) sectors.
Initiatives have been taken to combat corruption, undertake regulatory reforms and improve the business climate in the country. In the past two decades, with its involvement in the readymade garments industry and other export sectors, Bangladesh has become an attractive destination for trade and investment due to its excellent foreign investment opportunities.
Its substantial human resources, large amount of remittances from Bangladesh migrants working abroad, proactive civil society, the many achievements of its widespread human development program, its vast network of NGOs, and a rapidly expanding private sector, make Bangladesh a country with an extremely bright future. This has been the view of Goldman Sachs and many other financial institutions in the West.
However, Bangladesh’s economic and social potential will not be fully utilized unless a number of key foreign policy challenges are effectively addressed.
While some strong steps have been taken to counter terrorism, much needs to be done to stem the rise in religious intolerance and other forms of extremism. A major diplomatic initiative needs to be undertaken to improve cooperation with SAARC, ASEAN, OIC and the Gulf countries. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself has taken a deep interest in combating terrorism.
This was evident in February 2009, when the government enacted the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2009 and Anti-Terrorism Act 2009. However, the government has yet to adopt a comprehensive national counter-terrorism strategy, or join the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units. Therefore, it is very important for the government to seek international cooperation in combating terrorism and terrorist financing at home and in the region.
The maintenance of harmonious relationships between Bangladesh and its neighbors, particularly India, is an imperative component of Bangladesh’s foreign policy. Inequitable distribution of resources, mistrust and misunderstandings have long plagued cooperation on contentious but critical issues. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on Track II and III diplomacy as civil society and people to people contacts may play an important role in creating harmony in India-Bangladesh relationship, which has traditionally been a source of frustration for citizens of both nations.
Some important initiatives need to be taken to improve the business and investment climate in the Bangladesh. In particular, we need to reform the existing foreign exchange regulations, in line with some of our neighbors in the region, most notably India, which could help in doubling our exports within the next two years. It is also important to improve the infrastructure in the country, not simply the supply and availability of gas and power, which of course remains of critical importance, but also the efficiency of Chittagong port, our road and railway systems and solve the ever-expanding traffic problems. Perhaps most important of all, is the need for a highly efficient, private sector- minded bureaucracy.
If domestic responses are not sufficient to effectively mitigate these issues, they may be addressed through foreign policy initiatives. Greater multilateral undertakings to improve the transport infrastructure, particularly with South Asian nations, may provide the impetus to improve the state of road, rail and maritime transport in Bangladesh.
A third major challenge is in the area of finding jobs for Bangladeshis overseas and simultaneously building a healthy and productive relationship with the Bangladeshi Diaspora all over the world.
Sensibly managed, exploitation-free movement of our workers, including in some cases permanent migration, will remain important for Bangladesh in the years ahead, given the important contribution of remittances to the growth and development of Bangladesh.
Recent studies have shown that in the next five years Bangladesh’s remittances can increase to 30 billion US dollars. If this is to be achieved then much more importance has to be given to leveraging the Bangladeshi Diaspora.
Both in the areas of attracting investment, leveraging knowledge and mobilizing the Diaspora to influence positive changes in the countries where they have moved to and also in the case of their country of origin, they can and should be encouraged to be much more proactive.
In order to drastically reduce poverty throughout the country, and become a middle-income country by 2021, Bangladesh must address these three major challenges. It is these three priority areas that must also drive the foreign policy and foreign relations of Bangladesh in the 21st century in general and during the next decade in particular. The country’s foreign relations and foreign policy will have to be seriously revamped, and it is here that the pivotal role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the missions abroad must be given much greater importance than has been the case during the past four decades.
Despite the existence of major challenges, Bangladesh’s foreign policy portends great opportunities, both in the form of reaping greater benefits from current initiatives and also from undertaking innovative diplomacy in traditionally ignored regions of the world.
The RMG sector is the mainstay of the economy and accounts for more than 75% of Bangladesh’s exports. Thus concerted foreign policy and advocacy initiatives must be undertaken to get a bill through the US Congress to extend duty free access for all Least Developed Countries (LDCs) for their RMG exports. This is especially important since the United States allows duty and quota free access to all LDCs except those in Asia, whereas all other developed countries, as well as some developing countries, have extended duty free benefit to all LDCs without any exception.
Bangladesh’s diplomacy should be effectively geared towards improving Bangladesh’s image in international markets. Its focus should lie in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), particularly for the infrastructure and energy sectors. Since access to reliable power is of prime concern for most manufacturing firms in Bangladesh, a comprehensive effort must be undertaken to accelerate the process of energy cooperation in South Asia, obtaining support for nuclear energy plants and securing foreign assistance to develop efficient and renewable energy technologies.
Despite sharing a common history, culture and ethnic roots, South Asia has been a region plagued by conflicts and remains one of the least integrated regions in the world. Bangladesh, as a non-partisan, non-aligned nation can play a key role in mitigating long-standing conflicts, facilitate confidence building measures and sensitize the notion of common security and conflict avoidance in multinational platforms such as SAARC and BIMSTEC. Elongated peace and stability in the region is the panacea from SAARC becoming a forum of regional discussion rather than an architect of regional economic policy.
As one of the founding members, Bangladesh must once again play a pivotal role in influencing the regional powerhouse India to engender SAARC as a dynamic medium of the globalized economy. As such, Bangladesh’s foreign policy should continue to focus on strengthening SAARC as a platform for peace and prosperity in the region. Apart from SAARC, energy cooperation in the region and realizing the aims of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) requires a strong and sustained effort on the part of all the member states and also pressure and support from the private sector, civil society and the media throughout the region.
Remittances from economic migrants play a critical role in the Bangladeshi economy. In August 2011 Bangladesh received $1,078.15 million in remittance from migrant workers, which is an 11.85 % increase in remittance from the same period a year ago. MoFA and other relevant ministries should focus on boosting foreign remittances and attracting tangible and intangible investment from the Bangladeshi diaspora. The export of human resources to the Middle East and South East Asia creates a unique opportunity not only of manpower export but also of creating multi-pronged bilateral relations with the labor importing nations. If Bangladesh wants to increase its manpower exports, whether to countries in East Asia or the Middle East, it must think beyond the realm of manpower export and bilateral relations should cover trade and investment where possible, as well as training, orientation and assistance of migrants. Bangladesh currently has diplomatic missions in only around 46 countries. More importantly, Bangladesh does not have any diplomatic missions in South America and only around three missions in the vast and economically dynamic continent of Africa. Although recent initiatives have been undertaken by MoFA to open 19 diplomatic missions in these two continents, these developments must be properly administered, funded and effectively implemented. The rising economic powerhouses in South America, especially Mexico, Brazil and the resource rich countries of Venezuela and Colombia offer opportunities of bilateral cooperation in economic trade and development, which would remain unexplored in the face of an inadequate or non-existent foreign policy. Bangladesh is also lagging behind the regional powerhouses of India and China in establishing strong diplomatic relations in Africa. A young population and a vast array of resources have made Africa the new destination for foreign investment, and Bangladesh should expand its missions in Africa to endorse trade and economic relations. Special attention should also be given to the Nordic countries, and, Central Asia. The Nordic countries have been outstanding proponents of regional cooperation on technology, research and innovation. Nordic cooperation has led to Nokia, a Finnish company, to be one of the foremost mobile technology companies in the world. This shared vision makes Nordic countries an attractive option to establish bilateral relations in the context of technology and innovation. The Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has been established in Bangladesh to facilitate Nordic investment as well as to raise awareness of Nordic technology solutions in commerce and industry. Such initiatives should not be one way. Bangladesh must incorporate effective programs of technology sharing under its foreign services akin to the Indian Technical and Cooperation Program undertaken by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. Such programs should have a commercial focus with the view of mutually beneficial technological initiatives as well as utilizing the local mobile phone subscriber base of 79 million to attract FDI. Active diplomacy is also required to intensify our relations with key countries and groupings, including the US, UK, France, Germany, the European Union, Russia, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, India, the member states of ASEAN, in particular Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Myanmar, and Australia, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states and Turkey. Bangladesh’s economic, social and political development is heavily dependent on its ability to address challenges and exploit opportunities pertaining to foreign policy. In order for this to be achieved, the country’s foreign relations and foreign policy would have to be fundamentally restructured. For this, the role of MoFA and the overseas diplomatic missions is crucial. Substantial investment must be made in upgrading the selection and training of Foreign Service officers, with special attention given to language, region and subject specialization, information technology, global security and social skills. Greater funding must be allocated to MoFA which should take a rational approach to distributing resources to diplomatic missions abroad. The whole of the Foreign Service should be doubled in size with a cadre of at least 600 professional diplomats. Globalization has rendered all fields, including the field of diplomacy to be extremely competitive. If the above mentioned challenges and opportunities are not accounted for, Bangladesh risks falling behind other nations in the competition of exporting labor, attracting FDI and getting elected to key international bodies. Since the economic development of our nation is contingent upon the effectiveness of our foreign policy, immediate action needs to be taken to revamp our foreign policy and expand and buttress our diplomatic missions. Farooq Sobhan is President of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) and a former Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh.
The writer is a former secretary to the Government of Bangladesh
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Dhaka: Workers are sorting out potatoes at a cold storage at Sirajdikhan in Munshiganj on Thursday. Photo: Nabiulla Nabi See details
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Ban Ki-moon at a Special Convocation
DHAKA: President Md Zillur Rahman presenting a crest to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at a Special Convocation of the university on Tuesday. DU VC AAMS Arefin Siddique is also seen. PHOTO: NAYEM AHMED JULHAS See details
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FERRIES FACING SHOALS
MANIKGANJ: Shoals on Paturia-Daulatdia route in the Padma hampering navigability and for that reason two ferries cannot ply there together. The picture was taken from near Daulatdia ghat. PHOTO: MIZANUR RAHMAN KHAN See details
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BACK TO THE CAPITAL
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DEFYING RIVERINE DANGERS
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Airport Rail Station
DHAKA: People trying to avail a train to go to their village homes to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha there with their dear and near ones. The picture was taken at Airport Rail Station in the city on Friday. PHOTO: NAYEM AHMED JULHAS See details
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Agitated people on Wednesday set fire to a train
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Cattle markets in the city
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Officers tackling serious and organised crime in North Manchester have launched a dedicated multi-agency disruption hub in the district to crackdown on criminal activity in the area.
The hub was launched last month, in partnership with Manchester City Council, as part of ongoing Operation Haemus – formed in November 2019 following an increase in firearm discharges stemming from two main local criminal groups in CheethamHill.
As part of the Haemus hub, a team totalling 17 officers has been formed, consisting of experienced detectives, dedicated safeguarding officers, intelligence officers, and a team of proactive officers who are dedicated to the area in both plain and uniformed patrols.
The team will engage in a range of proactive activities to continue to reduce the prevalence of organised crime in the north of Manchester.
Today (Wednesday 16 December) a team of officers from the Op Haemus team were joined by GMPs Tactical Aid Unit & Tactical Dog Unit in performing an intelligence-led weapon sweep of the area of Mandley Park - on the Salford border.
Any discarded or hidden weapons, firearms or ammunition found in the area during the sweep will be recovered and examined potentially as evidence as part of the 12 ongoing investigations within Op Haemus.
In the first six weeks since the inception of the disruption hub, Op Haemus officers have made a total of 25 arrests, conducted 122 stop searches and have searched 15 houses.
During the same short period, the hub has already seized two viable firearms, large quantities of class A and class B drugs, and seized 13 vehicles.
In conjunction with Manchester City Council, the hub works closely with housing providers, social services, adult services and a number of other agencies in a multi-agency approach to tackle organised crime in North Manchester.
This includes working closely with partners in local authority to provide a range of safeguarding measures and care packages to protect and support vulnerable adults and children at risk of being targeted, coerced and victimised by criminal activity.
Superintendent Rebecca Boyce, of GMP’s North Manchester division, said: “The launch of the disruption hub as part of Operation Haemus is a very welcome introduction for the people of North Manchester, as it’s the latest in a series of proactive measures we’ve employed in recent months to tackle the blight of serious and organised crime in our community.
“It is important that we maximise the resources we have available to us, and we have ensured that we have a dedicated and skilful team working around the clock to disrupt the activity of criminal groups, while protecting the public that we serve.
“We have always been honest and open about the challenges that have presented themselves due to the complexities and developments during this operation, but we are confident that we are making a tangible difference on our streets which can be seen by the recent decrease in firearms activity.
“While disputes between local crime groups generally pose little wider risk to the general public, it is understandable that such incidents cause unease and distress in our communities and we hope that the innocent, honest, and decent people we serve feel reassured by this targeted and increased action we are taking in the district.
“As ever, we continue to urge members of the public to contact police with any information or concerns, knowing that it will be treated with the strictest confidence – we have high-visibility patrols that can be approached, or a dedicated phone number that can be contacted – and Crimestoppers is always available for those who wish to pass on information anonymously.”
Any information relating to Operation Haemus should be passed to police on 0161 8563548 or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk
Department store Brown Thomas have been very proactive with their window displays since the lock down, between messages of hope during the closure & now, as the shop gets ready to re open this coming week, some positive messages have appeared on the windows in the form of Irish proverbs.
Full kudos to them for their efforts & updates.
A Heartfelt Thank You
We are very pleased to announce that in line with the Irish Government Reopening Plan we will reopen our Dublin store on Wednesday 10th June ( 2020 ) and our Cork, Limerick and Galway stores on Thursday 11th June. ( 2020 )
On behalf of the Brown Thomas family we wish to express our utmost gratitude to our customers, partners and team members whose kindness, loyalty and support has made this day possible.
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
Welcome to another transcript of the very inspiring interview with Matt Humphries, Head of Design at Morgan Motor Company as he shares his journey on how he maximised his potential by becoming one of the most respected automotive design engineers in the industry.
Kevin: Welcome to Maximise Potential the podcast to educate and motivate through a range of original interviews designed to help you maximise your potential.
Welcome to the first Maximise Potential podcast of 2011. Morgan Motor Company is Britain’s sole surviving car manufacturer yet far from just surviving the car is currently experiencing one of its most successful ever commercial periods and is being increasingly seen as one of Britain’s global success stories. I recently recorded this four part interview series at the Morgan Factory in Malvern with key personnel from the company starting off with Morgan’s Head of Design Matthew Humphries. I interviewed Matt because of the way due to his innovative and proactive personality he became Head of Design for Morgan whilst also rapidly becoming one of the most respective automotive design engineers in the industry.
So Matt I have got to start with the main question which is how does someone go from an undergraduate who is doing a work experience project with Morgan to now being Head of Design for the company launching your own car the EvaGT within America just within a few short years? I mean that is a hell of a story to tell so go on please share it.
Matt: Well I mean it all started when I was on work placement. I like all my other peers at Coventry University were asked to send folios off to different companies and I thought well why not send it somewhere different so I sent it to Morgan. Luckily Charles Morgan picked my folio up, he loved the type of, the way I designed and the type of drawings I was doing. I came in a work placement. I designed the Aeromax and then actually went back to University. And then in September I popped back in to see a couple of the chaps who were at the factory, some of the guys and girls that I had met and made friends with and one of the guys said well come round the back of the factory and I have got to show you something. So I went into this little shed out the back of the factory and there was sat my little clay model which I had made and they had started to scale it up in to the full size car. So from that point on I used to come down here in the mornings to Morgan back up to University in the afternoon when my friends were just getting up and just having a cup of coffee and then we launched the first pre production concept car at Geneva 2005.
It was all, it was grasping the opportunity and saying okay yep we can build a car we can do this between us and it was a very small team that did it. So we did that and then I went back to University finished my degree off and ended up starting as the well Chief Designer when I left Uni in the September.
Kevin: I mean what is phenomenal about this story is the fact that you have literally created this department within Morgan. Morgan did not have this before did they?
Matt: No I mean the challenge was, for me was actually to set up a design capability within the company. I was on a KTP scheme with the government and the point of it was to establish design capability to be able to go from a sketch all the way through to a final model that you could take into the engineering department and finish off as a production car. So for me the challenge has been setting up and actually getting an old traditional company to understand that having aesthetics and design can vastly improve the time capability you can come up with something and the end product is 50 times better because the old fashioned way of doing things here was to literally knock something up in one of the sheds bring it out and the Directors standing around and go oh I don’t like this bit, I don’t like that bit. And now we are able to sketch something out in ten minutes, draw it up so it looks like it is semi realistic, give them five different options. From that you do get a more refined and actually an aesthetically pleasing product as well.
Kevin: How do people react to your approach here? I mean obviously you were shifting the boundaries a hell of a long way from what they had been used to for coming up for a hundred years.
Matt: Well I mean it was just a challenge walking through the workshop when I first started. Seeing some short guy with long blonde hair walking through the factory was, I used to get wolf whistled every time I walked through that place. But no I mean it was, I mean here it is one of those places you have to earn the respect of everyone around you to be able to get on. And it was a real challenge for me coming from that student at University all of a sudden I am thrown in here into a factory environment. It was a case of actually going around and making sure I listened to every single person that was involved in those products. To go into the guys in the workshop, go into the tin shop, say to the chaps okay hang on a minute how would you do this if you were doing it what is your suggestion. And as soon as you had that buy in from that, that sort of mutual respect has come because obviously I understand you know how hard their jobs are and the skills that they have that are involved in doing it.
Kevin: Well this is something that I was going to touch on because I have been fortunate enough to have a lovely in depth tour around the Morgan Plant and what I have noticed is and I said this to a couple of the members of your team everybody is a craftsman here. And that’s what I think; I mean it must be very interesting from your perspective that you are actually getting a real craftsman’s view on absolutely everything and all the elements that you are bringing to the table.
Matt: Yeah I mean that is the nice thing so now we have got this, what we see is a really beautiful mixture of craftsmanship, technology and aesthetic design all mixed in there. The nice thing is that in actual fact all Morgan’s are all based around this concept of functionality. And what we can do now is we can have these craftsmanship skills, these wooden you know forms that have been handcrafted by someone but give them an aesthetic twist. By doing that you end up with something that is beautifully functional but it is the functionality which makes it aesthetically pleasing. So within the Aeromax you expose the wooden frame and then you stretch the aluminium over the top. And it is those forms the aluminium naturally lies in is actually probably the best solution to it anyway. And that is how all Morgan design philosophy comes around.
Kevin: I think that is what we are touching on to now which is the influence that you are bringing on to Morgan which probably leads me nicely into my next question which was very much taking a brand perception from a very traditional historical GB brand to something that really is pushing out innovation, design boundaries or that is how it looks from an aesthetic perspective and it will be interesting to get your take on that because I know that you consider the two concepts aren’t actually that far removed although when you look at them cars that you are bringing to the table now look incredibly different in some regards to what they were before.
Matt: I think that is partly brand perception. I think the point of every single Morgan is that you can sit a classic car next to a EvaGT, you can open the doors and you will see a wooden frame in there. You will see true real materials. You will see leather, wood, aluminium. It is those DNA qualities that mean that you can sit both cars together and they are truly Morgan and they could only be Morgan. The classic car has had this bad perception of, well I would say it is bad, but of this you know pipe smoking old man for many years. But actually I think Morgan’s are, you know the classic ones are fantastically interesting and very individual and if you take them as a bespoke individual product and think of it more like a tailored suit, think about tailoring it never goes out of fashion. Okay you get someone like Oswald Botang come in and he will storm his way into a very traditional Saville Row, he will bring new designs and new elements of design to it but at the end of the day he is still tailoring, still making a crafted product there and I think it is all to do with brand perception. So we take a Morgan with all the glitz and all the chrome bits on it strip it right down, make it a pure simple sports car again, put it in some interesting colours and natural leathers and you have a very cool simple but British tailored product. And that is the Morgan DNA. The Morgan DNA is about real materials. It is about mixing craftsmanship, technology and aesthetically pleasing design all together to give this functional real sports car.
Kevin: And how far do you think you can keep pushing this grand perception and keep broadening it and keep if you like introducing new touches, new ideas and a new audience to the Morgan brand. How far could you go with this?
Matt: Well a good example of how far we are pushing it is this weekend we are going to, we are doing the Lord Mayor’s Parade and we have got quite a controversial artist he is going to hand paint a Morgan as he drives through London. It is pushing the boundaries; he is actually calling it ‘The Sacrifice of the Morgan’. This thing is opening up to a completely new marketplace and making Morgan something to look at and watch out for instead of just going ah that is Morgan they have always made those things. Now we are stamping the ground and going now we are doing some bold new things here come on everyone wake up and watch us.
Kevin: I think what is lovely to hear and I know for a fact that this is going to come over on the audio as well is the passion enthusiasm and the energy that you are speaking about this. I mean you are absolutely loving it. It is like speaking to you know someone who has come down on Christmas Day and opening up their presents. But I mean how much fun is this for you?
Matt: It is a great challenge, it is brilliant. I mean that is part of the point that is that if you can’t challenge things like that all the time and constantly change people’s opinions then I don’t think you are designing properly. So I think it is not just about, it is not for me just about sketching new cars out it is also about the whole brand behind it and it is about building something and changing people’s opinions all the time by one changing the design and secondly putting it in different places, exposing it to new people.
Kevin: I love that line that you have just used about changing people’s perceptions. Is that what drives you all the time?
Matt: My drive is that I am never content. I constantly have to change things. You know a vintage sports car that I have always dreamed after within six months I became oh this bit isn’t quite right; oh that bit isn’t quite right. Even when we did the Aeromax you know or the EvaGT I am constantly changing things I am never happy with what that final piece is. You get to the point in the design process you have to swipe the pen down and go that is it we are going with that one. But I know within six months I will be back and I will be changing my mind and I won’t be happy with this but I think that is good because I am constantly challenged to strive forward and keep on moving things in a new direction.
Kevin: Absolutely and speaking of driving things in a new direction whereabouts do you get your ideas from I mean because it is a big wide world out there but you are bringing some lovely creative flare into the Morgan’s you are designing where does that come from?
Matt: I think you just have to keep your eyes, as a designer you have to keep them as open as possible. I mean I look at everything from fashion, music; I go on countless blogs and different things on the internet, constantly hunting down new trends across the world. I have been to some crazy car trends that are happening out in San Francisco and California at the moment that okay that is a car trend but then also I will relate that back to fashion. I will look at advertising that is going on within the world. If you can just pick different things from different elements that actually just the bits that you like put those in a big pile, keep them in the back of your head, and then when you are coming down to designing a new product or thinking up a new marketing campaign something will pop out and you will go that’s what I am saying that is what I remembered it for that is where I it is going next.
Kevin: It is funny that is what I noticed from your office because on your office you have literally got just swatches of all sorts of stuff just pinned up on walls and it looks like a real scrapbook.
Matt: It is a bit like a cave yeah. I mean we just anything that is exciting or interesting pin it on the wall and keep it there. I mean I am not a hoarder and I cant stand things like that normally I like big clean white walls but I think everyone has to have somewhere where you just throw all the idea out and like I said when you are sketching if they up on the wall you go ah that’s why I remembered that for.
Kevin: Do you think that is one of the keys for anybody who is looking to constantly drive themselves forward which is thinking outside the box constantly looking for stuff from left field that could inspire them?
Matt: Definitely it doesn’t have to be designer I mean it could be anything. Why be the norm? Why constantly tread that route. It might sound slightly cheesy but you just have to just you know wind your own route through I suppose.
Kevin: And that brings me on nicely to a lovely phrase that you used in an interview which I found particularly interesting and it is how you say Morgan’s have to be automotive theatre.
Matt: I mean all Morgan’s have to have this concept of what we call automotive theatre because if you imagine seeing in the 1930s a coach built Lamborghini Falaschi body which is one of my favourite coach builders from the period car go down Hollywood Boulevard people would have literally been, their jaws would have been dropping and they would have been going oh wow what is that thing I want to know what it is. Now that sort of theatrical side of the design every Morgan has got it. You drive a classic Morgan down high street in any single city people go wow what is that thing, what is it, how do I get to know what it is. It is that theatrical element to it. It is not actually designed into it either I mean the actual theatre is something that comes around from aesthetics and functionality. But it is just that concept of exciting people and having it different on the road it is not just your normal Astra or something that people as just a fridge this is an piece of automotive theatre that is exciting and different.
Kevin: I am going to pull you just a bit down to earth now just um pull you away from the design ideas and I am going to bring you back from where you have come from which is undergraduate putting yourself out there. There is huge competition for graduate jobs right now. What would your advice be to graduates, regardless not just design graduates but people in any discipline to help them set themselves apart and find that job of their dreams just the way you have managed to do that?
Matt: I think it is actually about not closing your barriers down as much. People who went on my design course when I instantly said that I was going off to Morgan some of them put their noses up because they thought well that is a traditional company you are not going to be designing modern cars there. But why do that because five days down the line we are doing modern cars here. I have established a design community within the company so what I would say is don’t close your boundaries down. Think okay where could you go that may give me a different opportunity and in actual fact I think when people do that they find their own little niche and their little market that is more them. I will always be designing you know high end luxury products. If it is watches, cars, houses it will still be within that high end network and that is my niche now. You know I have found my little area. When I was at University I didn’t know that was me you know I was designing a Fiesta Van one day and the next day it would be this and you are constantly hunting for which area to go into so just keep completely open mind and if there may be an opportunity that arises that you question then go for it and grasp it.
Kevin: I think you have summed it up there which is just go for opportunities don’t wait for them to come to you.
Matt: No go and get those opportunities. If I hadn’t sent my folio to Morgan and hadn’t said to Charles look I will come here just let me sit down at a desk and come up with some ideas for you I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today.
Kevin: No nor equally then juggling an actual job with your studies.
Matt: Why not push it. You know you are only here once so give it a go.
Kevin: Yeah and that is a lovely attitude to take. So keeping on the personal questions I am going to put you on the spot a bit now and we love to ask people actually what drives them.
Matt: I think it is the thing that I said earlier on about never being content. I am never going to be content with anything I do and it is a good thing, and also just being positive about everything. You know some people go oh I am never going to be content and then get in a big dull about it. Turn it around be positive about the fact that I am never going to be content and go brilliant okay well it pushes me. It makes sure that every single morning when I get up if I am not happy with something I change it. That is the attitude to have about things.
Kevin: Who has been the greatest influence in your life so far?
Matt: Probably in a very corny fashion it is my father. He was someone that came up and built quite a large company, an architects practice from nothing and he, I always seemed growing up, I didn’t actually see my father much growing up but that was because he was constantly pushing the boundaries all the time in architecture and design. He is the one who has actually said to me push, push, push keep on going without even telling me to do it because I have seen him going for it. And he has given me the passion to still drive and I think in actual fact there is something in me that says I have to try and achieve more than my father did. I don’t know why and he says, he is not like this in any fashion he would never tell me to do that, but I feel for myself I have to achieve that.
Kevin: And I am just going to finish off for people out there who still think of Morgan as being this classic sports car company how would you summarise what Morgan is now and what they might be missing out on?
Matt: Well from my point of view I would say that Morgan is now a design lead company. It is something that is taking influences from all around the world but it is also you could say that in actual fact Morgan has stayed where it is but now we are exposing the true qualities of Morgan. In actual fact the whole world has come completely in a circle and now all the qualities that Morgan’s have always had are very of the moment and we are a modern forward thinking company these days that is challenging different boundaries, painting cars in the streets, pushing things forward every single day.
Kevin: Matt Humphries thank you very much for your time today.
Matt: Thanks very much.
Transcript: Matt Humphries – Morgan Motor Company, Head of Design (Max#21)
By Jenna AffleckPublished: January 13, 2011
Posted in: Articles & Resources
Medical personnel aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii have been proactive with preparing and applying preventative measures due to COVID-19, Kaneohe Bay Branch Health Clinic, MCBH, March 23, 2020. MCBH has implemented Health Protection Condition Bravo to maintain the readiness and health of base personnel and their families. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Samantha Sanchez)
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
The Tongue persuaded by the Ego
روی نفس مطمئنه در جسد
زخم ناخنهای فکرت میکشد
Like nails, evil thoughts scratch the face of the Naf e Mutmainna, your soul.
فکرت بد ناخن پر زهر دان
میخراشد در تعمق روی جان
Know that your wicked thoughts are as if dipped in poison.
Delving into them deeper only damages the face of the soul more.
Maulana Rum (ra)
After Karachi, Lahore felt good. It was cool. There were days of rain. Those were spectacular. Then I met people and everyone seemed sad. For the first time, that mood didn’t permeate into mine. Otherwise it was pure osmosis and within days, I would be feeling tired myself. I don’t know why that didn’t happen. Maybe because I had returned from a stellar trip and my tank of energy was at “full.”
I had videos to make but Ustad was nowhere to be found so I was just taking in the mildness of the weather. On a random day I found a lecture of Uzair’s on Tasawuff; spirituality in Islam. I have never known the technical definition of spirituality so I put it on as I stretched for my daily game of table tennis. Unsurprisingly, it turned out to be fantastic.
Many Muslims and certainly non-Muslims, especially in the West, think erroneously that spirituality in Islam lies outside the faith. Maulana Rum (ra) becomes a staple for any person from any background exploring a path of self-knowing.
Celebrities like Tilda Swinton, Chris Martin, Drake and Madonna, Beyonce recently named her daughter after him, are enamored by him. But when it comes to his writing, Western translators have always excluded Islam from his identity. So much so that two academics had to start an online campaign naming it “Rumi is Muslim.” I didn’t realize people didn’t even know that much about him.
6th June 2020: “Sharghzadeh, a Detroit-based graduate of The University of Michigan and co-founder of ‘Rumi Was Muslim’ told The New Arab that "many of Rumi's most famous works have been translated from Western scholars to remove any mention of Islam, and often embedded with orientalist tropes." Context and history surrounding the poet's work, which are both linked closely with his identity as a Muslim, are often absent entirely, and add to further misinterpretation.
‘Mowlana is universal, but he didn't emerge in a vacuum, he was Muslim, and his universality should be understood within the context of the Islamic tradition. It's a form of cultural theft and Islamophobic erasure to downplay his Islamic identity,’ explains Sharghzadeh.
The New Yorker, Jan 5th, 2017; “Fatemeh Keshavarz, a professor of Persian studies at the University of Maryland, said that Rumi probably had the Koran memorized, given how often he drew from it in his poetry. Rumi himself described the “Masnavi” as “the roots of the roots of the roots of religion”—meaning Islam—“and the explainer of the Koran.” And yet little trace of the religion exists in the translations that sell so well in the United States…For those in the West, Rumi and Islam were separated.”
I had been asking myself over the last decade how the birth of any certain sentence repeated by most in the West had come about. People who explored or wished to explore mindfulness loved saying; “I am spiritual but I am not religious.” I heard the line so often I wondered if people even knew what they were saying. Were they just repeating it rote to find belonging in some community they had come to believe as admirable?
“The Foundations of Tasawuff” was the title of Uzair’s lecture and this was his preface;
“There is no such thing as non-Islamic Tasawuff, spirituality. Spirituality in Islam only comes from the Quran. The religion itself is a source of benefit only for a human being as well as society as a whole, sent by God and through His Prophet (peace be upon him).
There are two kinds of Tasawuff, reactive and proactive. Reactive Tasawuff is when that benefit decreed by Allah is obstructed by something and someone. This makes the Sufi, be they a scholar, or a Faqih, irritated. Whatever becomes a veil in the connection between God and a person, they will always react to that. In contrast to that, proactive Tasawuff is that they will want you to engage with your Lord, your Creator.”
Uzair then started with the definition of deen – faith/religion with the verse;
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي
وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ
فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيم
This day I have perfected for you your religion and I have completed upon you My Favor and I have willed for you Islam, self-surrender, your religion.
As for him whoever is driven to what is forbidden by dire necessity and not the inclining to sin, then indeed, Allah (is) Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Surah Al-Maida’, Verse 3
“So we see that the completion of the faith, Islam, obedience and surrender, is announced in the Quran. The Book provides the theory for a Muslim. What is missing then is the application. Theory on its own, by itself, is incomplete. In fact, it is useless. Hence, along with the Quran is sent a Rasool, a Messenger, so one can ask him, ‘Why have you come? To do what?’”
Uzair answered the question with a hadith.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَعَثَنِي بِتَمَامِ مكارمِ الأَخْلاقِ وَكَمَالِ مَحَاسِنِ الأَفْعَالِ
"Indeed, Allah has sent me for the perfection of noble morals and the completion of good deeds.”
“The building of character that 124,000 Prophets contributed to, our Nabi (saw) says he has been sent, to render it complete, make it perfect.
You then start to notice that nowhere in the Quran does Allah say ‘Follow Me.’ Instead He makes it clear who it is that has to be surrendered to in order to surrender to Him and His Will.
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ
وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيم
Say (O Beloved), "If you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you
and He will forgive for you your sins. And Allah (is) Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Surah Aal e Imran, Verse 31
Huzoor (peace be upon him) is the application of the theory. The one who follows him, is obedient to him, automatically becomes obedient to Allah.
مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظً
He who obeys the Messenger, then surely he obeyed Allah, and whoever turns away - then We have not sent you over them as a guardian.
Surah An-Nisa, Verse 80
Thus obedience of Allah directly is not possible for any human being. It comes only through obedience of His Prophet (peace be upon him). Allah makes it conditional. ‘If you are obedient to him, you are obedient to Me.’ This, then, is the theory and application of the deen, the religion.
What is deen, religion? It has three aspects; Imaneeyat is the first. Imaneeyat is witnessing that which is outside the realm of our five senses. It has not been witnessed by us but there is someone who has been the witness to it. We, in turn, bear witness to that witness and this becomes imaneeyat. It forms belief.
For example, we have not seen God but our Rasool (peace be upon him) has seen Him. So we are indirect witnesses. We have not seen angels and Heaven and Hell. They are unobservable for us. The details of what they are, how they look, what is inside them, only comes from him. Our beliefs then become a function of our aql, reason, ability to reflect. Be it through trust or logic or whatever.”
I recalled a hadith from Mairaj, the Night of Ascension, when Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) asked Allah, “When they ask me what you are like, what will I say to them?”
Allah Azzo Jal told him, “Say, ‘The one who has seen me has seen the Truth.’”
Uzair: “The second aspect of deen is amaal salih, righteous deeds. They are a function of my body, the jism. How I interact with people, how do I interact with God. This comes under Fiqh, Islamic Jurisprudence.
The third aspect is ahwaal o kaifiyat, the states. The Quran gives weight to all three facets. Imanyeeat is the proof of one’s beliefs (aqeeda). It lies in the deeds and is reflected by them.”
It was exactly how Maulana (ra) describes Hazrat Ali (ratu) behaviour when he forgave the man who spat on him in battle;
شیرِ حقم ، نیستم شیر ھوا
فعل من بر دین من باشد گوا
“I am the Lion of Allah, I do not cave to the desires of the self.
And my deeds will bear witness to my faith.”
When we were studying Surah Yaseen in our Quran class, one of the verses that I have never forgotten in the tafseer was;
هُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُمْ فِي ظِلَالٍ عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ مُتَّكِئُون
They and their spouses lie in shades, reclining on couches.
Surah Yaseen, Verse 56
Qari Sahib was explaining the Surah over several weeks from the Tafseer e Jilani. It was one of those verses that I would have otherwise probably not paid much attention to. I am single, there are no spouses I imagine sitting with anywhere, here or there.
But then he said, “The azwaaj, always translated as ‘the spouse,’ Ghaus Pak (ra) says these are rewards of your good deeds.”
To this day every time I read the Surah, which is quite frequently since I heard that it is one of three that Allah will himself recite to us on the Day of Judgement, the verse makes me happy. Me and my deeds hanging on a couch! Regardless of what they end up being, the fact that his explanation of the line was so inclusive was magnificent.
Imaneeyat means imaan, the faith one possesses. The thing not known or even possible to determine by one’s own self. Which lay in the heart. Only Allah knew whether it was there or not. How it changed, deepened. I already knew that. I write about it constantly and vie for it day in and day out, wondering all the while; is it there, will it ever be there, will it stay or just make a cameo appearance?
Iman is entirely different from Islam. Which was simply the utterance of the Shahada, (La Ilaha Illallah, Muhammad Ar Rasool Allah). Every time I have read the following verse of the Quran it has made me ponder the difference between those two states for my own self.
Once some Bedouins who embraced Islam came to see Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him). They said to him,
قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا
“We have attained to faith.”
They were trying to imply that by doing so they had done a favour upon the Prophet (peace be upon him). Allah disliked their attitude and the verse was revealed.
قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ
Say unto them, “You have not attained to faith.
But rather you say, ‘We have embraced Islam and have thus (outwardly) surrendered.’
For true faith has not entered your hearts.”
Then after the reprimand and exposure of the state of their hearts to them, Allah once again opens the door of hope and possibility, which lies only in obedience to Rasool-hu, His Messenger (peace be upon him).
وَإِن تُطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَا يَلِتْكُم مِّنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيم
But if you pay heed to God and His Apostle (peace be upon him),
He will not let the least of your deeds go to waste. For Allah is Much Forgiving,
Surah Al-Hujuraat, Verse 14
Subhan Allah!
Uzair; “But it is the deed which creates the state of a heart. The heart relies on the deed for its haal, its kaifiyat. When the Quran talks about tawakkul (reliance on God), shukr (gratitude), sabr (patience), inkisar (humility), tawazu’ (submission), ehsan (favour), muhabbat (love), ikhlas (sincerity), these are all kaifiyaat. They are states and the Quran gives them equal weight to imaan and amal, faith and deed.
Often what the scholar and jurisprudist avoids is ehsaan. Only the Sufis, the Fuqura, address this topic. And it is not the ehsan of Urdu. It is from the root hasana, to beautify something.
On this note, the verse where Allah summarizes the entire moral philosophy of a human being, how to personify beauty in one’s existence using the word ‘ehsaan,’ is this;
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ
وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ
وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ
ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنكُمْ وَأَنتُم مُّعْرِضُونَ
And We accepted this solemn pledge from (you), the children of Israel, "You shall worship none but God `and you shall do good unto your parents and kinsfolk and the orphans and the poor. And you shall speak with all people in a kindly way and you shall be constant in prayer and you shall spend in charity. And yet, save for a few of you, you turned away, for you are obstinate folk!”
Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 83
I smiled. The verse was a favourite of mine. I had learnt many a new dimension of behaviour from it the first time I had read it with my teacher in Fes. Then he was making a different point than Uzair. He was teaching me about the order of significance in the Quran.
Begin excerpt “The Softest Heart”
“In the longer verses of the Quran,” he had said, “Where there are many commands being given, the order of what is being revealed is also the ranking of its importance before Allah.”
He then gave me the following example:
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ
وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ
وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ
ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنكُمْ وَأَنتُم مُّعْرِضُونَ
And We accepted this solemn pledge from (you), the children of Israel, "You shall worship none but God and you shall do good unto your parents and kinsfolk and the orphans and the poor. And you shall speak with all people in a kindly way and you shall be constant in prayer and you shall spend in charity. And yet, save for a few of you, you turned away, for you are obstinate folk!
When I had studied the verse, it was all about people, other human beings, the known and the strangers; parents, relatives, orphans, the poor. Then it was about manners again, speaking kindly to them. Seventh on the list was prayer. Eighth was zaka’t. Worship dutied was trumped by behavior, by regard, by adab. This is when I realized that my quest to please God would never be fulfilled by my meager worship, distracted at best.
It was through this ayat that I had realized something else extraordinary. That Allah Al-Wajid, The Pointing One, ranks sadqa (alms given voluntarily) way above zaka’t, that which is obligatory. For most people don’t give their time to the orphans and the poor. They give them money. When I first pointed this out to Qari Sahib, he was taken aback.
“But look Sir,” I said, pointing at the sequence of the verse written out on a board. “It has to be higher because zaka’t is last on the list.”
I had spent that whole day thinking about why it was so till it came to me. Sadqa was voluntary and an act of one’s volition was an act of love. It was chosen. Unlike zaka’t it was not compulsory. One had to be mindful to consider it. Or be fortunate and just imitate the behaviour of the Friends of God who practiced it continually.
End excerpt “The Softest Heart”
Uzair; …The verse summarizes the entire moral philosophy of a human being. Then for the ‘don’ts’ Allah says when you do these things, all eight of them, don’t become prideful and don’t be arrogant.
لِّكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا بِمَا آتَاكُمْ
وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُور
So that you may not grieve over what has escaped you,
and do not exult at what He has given you. And Allah does not like the vain and the arrogant.
Surah Al-Hadid, Verse 23
Then in another place where He uses the word ehsaan:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ
وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُون
Indeed, Allah orders justice and goodness, and giving to the relatives,
and forbids all that is shameful, that runs counter to reason and oppression.
He warns you so that you may take heed.
Surah An-Nahl, Verse 90
So ehsaan becomes an amr, an Order, a Command.
What is the layering of ehsan? How does one beautify one’s relationship with others, become a source of goodness for them? This is where Tasawuff comes in for it is about what is happening inside one’s heart. Hence the Sufi becomes the one who speaks to the state of your inner being, your batin. Just like the one who speaks to the overt state is the Alim, the scholar. The one who speaks to the aqaid, beliefs, is the Mutakallam.
So when the Faqih says ‘Pray five times.’ The Sufi then says, ‘Praying is not enough. Bring yourself into the state of feeling the Presence of God, the consciousness of a living God.’
The Faqih will say, “Face the Ka’ba.’ The Sufi will then say, “Make your heart face it as well, not just your countenance.’
The Faqih will say, ‘Without ablution there is no prayer.’ The Sufi will say, ‘There is also no prayer without your heart being attentive.’
The Alim will say, ‘Fast.’ The Sufi will say, ‘Deprive your nafs of its desires, its hate and discord. Starving your stomach will do nothing.’
The Alim will say, ‘Give zakat.’ The Sufi will say, ‘Give the alms of your heart.’ What is that? Forgive someone. Stop hating someone. Be kind to someone.
The area of expertise of each person in service to the faith is entirely different. Tasawuff is amal, deed. It is not an intellectual exercise. It is an attitude that is practical. My being, my essence, in every interaction should exude khair, haq, husn, goodness, truth, beauty. It is not theory. It is being muhasib, accountable and muraqib, watchful on your inner states. The root of imaan is tasawuff. Not one terminology of it is outside the Quran or the hadith.
Then he gave an example.
“What are the main departments of Tasawuff; rija (hope), khauf (fear), taqwa (God-consciousness through restraint and not transgressing boundaries), muhabbat (love), ikhlas (sincerity). Where are the Sufis getting all of it from? Take Muraqaba for instance, what is Muraqaba?
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّار
Those who remember Allah standing, and sitting and on their sides and they reflect on (the) creation (of) the heavens and the earth, "Our Lord, not You have created this (in) vain. Glory be to You, so save us (from the) punishment (of) the Fire.
Surah Aal e Imran, Verse 191
This is the beginning of a Muraqaba. That at no point is my essence outside the Presence of God.”
Muraqaba is the practice of meditation in Tasawuff. I know for a fact it is a daily practice prescribed for those disciples in the Naqshbandi silsila. And it’s not five minutes although perhaps whatever is possible is accepted. They do a silent meditation. I have sat in one them a couple of times in my life. The first effect of it for a newbie is the drowsiness that one becomes enveloped in fairly quickly. As the practice continues, the states change and become elevated but I don’t know what they are. I imagine it’s a visual experience of unveiling.
Uzair then gave the definition of Tasawuff by a number of Sufi giants.
“Let me take you through the definition of Tasawuff by those who are the reflection of its practice;
Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi was asked. “How is the path of Tasawuff traveled?” He replied, “Only the one who holds the Quran in the right hand and the Sunnat e Rasool (saw) in the left will travel this path. Without even one of these guiding lights the path will close upon you.”
Hazrat Abdullah Hirwai (ra); Not letting your nafs go against that which is the truth, that which is right, that is Tasawuff.
Hazrat Abul Hasan Noori (ra);
لیس التصوف رسوما ولا علوما ولکنه اخلاق۔
Tasawuff is not custom or tradition and it is not knowledge but it is morals and behaviour.
In Kashf ul Mahjoob, Daata Sahib (ra) gives a explanation of the verse;
" تصوف رسوم و علم نہیں ہے لیکن یہ ایک خاص خصلت ہے۔"
یعنی اگر تصوف رسمی چیز ہوتی تو مجاہدہ و ریاضت سے حاصل ہوجاتا اور اگر علم ہوتا تو محض تعلیم سے حاصل ہو جاتا، تو ثابت ہوا کہ تصوف ایک خصلتِ خاص کا نام ہے اور جب تک یہ خود اپنے اندر نہ پیدا کرے اس وقت تک وہ حاصل نہیں ہوتا۔
“If Tasawuff was a tradition, then it could have been attained through practice and struggle. If it were knowledge, then it could have been achieved through education. Hence it is proven that it is a special nature, a specific state. Until it comes from one’s own striving (as has been ordered and is required), till that time it cannot be reached.
I asked Qari Sahib what the first line meant. I thought in Islam everything could be attained through practice and struggle.
“Sometimes people isolate themselves or do things that Allah has not asked them to do. It is not part of the Islamic practice and methodology. That which is not prescribed will not yield results. In any case, there is no proof without another human being to see if anything sticks, takes effect. Abul Hasan Noori (ra) is saying that Tasawuff cannot come from that route of self-isolation. It has to come from obedience of God and being in the service of humanity.”
When I used to be in Fes for months at time, reading and learning new ideas, imbibing them with the truest of intentions, I thought everything had seeped into my nature and transformed me. I felt good all the time, light and happy. I was also by myself. I studied Arabic and delved into ahadith. I read New Yorkers and listened to music. I walked around in the undulating alleys of the Medina at all times of the day taking photos and eating delicious foods. There weren’t even any cars. It was like living in another century. I met no one except my teachers. I hardly spoke.
Then I would come to Lahore and within a day of being there I would realize that I hadn’t quite absorbed everything the way I had imagined. The only way to tell if there was change was in my reaction to others. When it didn’t appear the way I had read it and thought also absorbed it, the disappointment was crushing. If and when that reaction did change, it wasn’t even my doing. The desire for it was the only thing my own.
Something happened recently that helped me understand exactly what was making the difference in all my spiritual quests. The answer lay in exactly two words;
Ghaus Pak (ra).
His birthday is on the first of Ramadan. I was working on a video for it. Finding the right kalam was integral. I had asked Qari Sahib to suggest some options. Composing it would be Ustad’s department mostly. I was working on this piece, the narration and the verse of the Quran in the beginning. I had to translate Arabic and Farsi into both Urdu and English. That was work enough. I had decided to make the video different from all my other ones.
First, I was going to translate the tafseer of the verse from the Tasfeer e Jilani, not use the translation. I was also not picking a story from Ghaus Pak’s (ra) life. I had been reading passages from Al-Fath Ar-Rabbani in Karachi that had stirred, not stirred, literally shifted something inside me. I wanted to use those lines, share them with everyone.
Working on anything related to Ghaus Pak (ra) makes me nervous. I didn’t want to make any mistake. It wasn’t fear of consequence. My heart is in the right place, so to speak. It is that if I disappoint him, I feel like I will cry forever. I even did an istakhara for the kalam. I had randomly chosen it so I was worried it was not the right one. And I rarely do an istakhara (asking the Quran for the answer when making a decision).
Once you do it, you have to abide by the answer. In the past, I have chosen not to and suffered.
When Qari Sahib read the verse he looked at me seriously.
“What was your question?”
“I was asking if the kalam was the correct one for the video sir,” I said meekly. I knew what was coming. The verse had words in it like azabun shadeed, severe punishment.
He shook his head firmly from side to side. “The answer is ‘No.’ Find something else.”
That’s when I just passed the baton to him. Clearly my nafs was in a whole other state of its own madness. I focused on the first excerpt from his sermon instead, reading the darood shareef in the beginning with inordinate focus.
Al-Fath Ar-Rabbani: Hazrat Ghaus Pak (ra) says; “The sirr, which is more sublime than the soul, is the place of witnessing Allah’s Appearance, is the king.
The qalb, the seat of recognition of Allah in the heart, is its advisor.
The nafs, the self, the tongue and all the other parts (of the body), they stand in service before them.
The sirr draws from the Ocean of Godliness.
The qalb derives from the sirr.
The nafs e mutmainna, the contented self, takes its strength from the qalb.
The tongue gets its persuasion from the nafs, the ego, while the rest of the parts are subservient to the tongue.
If the tongue is respectful, the qalb becomes pious and when the tongue is misbehaving, the qalb becomes ruined.
Your tongue needs be harnessed by being conscious of Allah and repentant for meaningless speech and hypocrisy.
Thus, once it becomes steadfast on this state, the speech of the tongue will merge into the cleansing of the qalb.
When the qalb attains this level, it becomes lit
and nur, light, radiates from it towards the tongue and the rest of the body.
End of Translation!
I could easily write a short piece of each of the lines. The thought made me smile. Like Uzair does a tafseer of a word from the Quran for an hour. Except this would not be imparting knowledge; facts, history, structure, theology and everything else his lectures encompass. It would be a personal history piece. 10 of them! This is how the first one would start;
Laziness is the king.
Justification is its advisor.
The backdrop as to why the lines shifted a gear for me was that while in Karachi, a friend of mine sent me a text. In it she said something which was, at the time I thought, of extreme importance to me, very casually. Then she never mentioned it again. For a couple of hours I thought about it but I was busy, distracted. I was on a holiday.
When I returned to Lahore, as soon as we met, I started waiting for her to bring up the text she had written. Ask me how it made me feel or what I wanted her to do about it. She never did. All the while that I waited, Iblis stood next to her, (or was it me?), and paranoia and doubts entered my heart the entire time. I thought she was a whole range of evil; insensitive, selfish, indifferent, jealous, miserly. The list went on and on in my head.
But in those days I was also working on the piece, translating it for my video, and the part about the tongue was echoing in my head.
“The tongue gets its persuasion from the nafs, the ego.”
Then the line about the other parts of the body taking their cue from the tongue was taking up the remainder of my attention;
“The rest of the parts are subservient to the tongue.”
I didn’t even know what that meant then. I had to ask Qari Sahib about it. He told me a story;
‘Hazrat Luqman (as) was asked by his father to bring a piece of meat from the market.
“Bring a good piece of meat,” he directed him.
Hazrat Luqman (as) brought back tongue.
Then his father asked him to bring a bad piece of meat.
Hazrat Luqman (as) again brought tongue.
His father inquired, “What is the wisdom behind this?”
He answered, “If one’s speech is good, there is no part better than the tongue in the body. And if one’s speech is poor, there is no part worse than it.”’
“The rest of the parts are subservient to the tongue.”
For the first time in my life, I bit my tongue day after day. Iblis came at me from my left and my right and front and back, just as he himself promises to in the Quran;
ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ
وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِين
Then surely, I (Iblis) will come to them from their front and from behind them and from their right and from their left,
and You will find most of them are ungrateful."
Surah Al-Ahraf, Verse 17
But in all honesty it wasn’t even him. It was my nafs yelling, “Are you crazy? You have to ask her!” I made the words of Ghaus Pak (ra) my shield to ward them both off. I had decided, I would not bring up the subject no matter what. For two weeks, the ordeal continued. I never stopped seeing her. I didn’t alter my behaviour with her in the least. Then I saw my striving’s effect unveil before me.
Nature, khaslat, how does it change? An example landed in my lap as a windfall. To write this piece I had decided to make a trip to my village. On the way there we had to get a lot of directions. The roads was being repaired so an alternate route had to be found. I had given my driver Pathani’s husband’s number. His name is Nasir. He was directing us. My driver was new. Otherwise my staff is old as in they’ve been with my family for decades. The house runs like clockwork. I don’t interfere in anything so I had not needed to train anyone in a while.
The driver was young. He was also from the area around my village but didn’t know it in terms of driving directions. I could overhear both sides of the conversation between him and Nasir as they spoke every 15 minutes. I sensed the frustration in Nasir’s voice as my driver gave unclear answers as to where we were and how far from where we had to meet him but it was mild.
I waited to see in which one of those calls he would lose it. When his voice would be angry or at least irritated and if none of those, just become raised. It never happened. I knew why too. Nasir is gentle. He has a thousand other faults but his speech is soft and he speaks to others kindly.
# 6 of 8: “And you shall speak with all people in a kindly way.”
It gave me a new appreciation of someone for whom the word most often people use is “loser.” Mostly I saw how much better he was than me. Which Babu ji (ra) always says to remind oneself that everybody is. I just keep forgetting.
In complete contrast to him, on the way out of the city, in asking my driver about certain tasks I had assigned to him, receiving answers that were the opposite of what I was expecting, basically nothing done, I had not only raised my voice, I was irritated and angry. On top of that I thought my manner was justified.
Living in the States, working there for the first time in my life after undergrad, I had learnt a certain work ethic, a professionalism that seems absent in Pakistan for the most part. At least in my experience. I find myself in a constant mode of transmitting that standard to others who are in a perpetual mode of repelling it. It is a lost battle but like a fool, I still wage it. Then on top of that I’m self-righteous about my unwanted effort.
In the car that day, for the first time in my life, I physically felt the consequences of my tongue. On my other parts. I felt tired even though I had left my house feeling fresh as a daisy. I was in a rotten mood which was the opposite of where I needed to be to write. The drive was a gorgeous one and I usually used it to write because I was alone. I would sit with my feet stretched on the back seat so that each time I lifted my eyes from my laptop, I would see fields of gorgeous greens. It was a high upon a high.
Thanks to my manner of berating him for his lack of efficiency and inability to execute simple instructions, I felt this unpleasantness looming upon me. I tried to make myself feel better by justifying my behaviour. Not in my head but in another speech to him. I gave him some long spiel about how I was trying to train him and unless he received feedback he would not improve, blah blah blah. He too was like Nasir, gentle, so he just kept nodding his head and saying “Yes.”
After that lame attempt to expunge my feelings, I did what Hazrat Bibi Fatima (ratu) taught me. I closed my eyes and bowed my head, holding my hands together as if about to utter a plea and asked for forgiveness of my Lord. But the calm only entered my heart when I asked Nabi Pak (peace be upon him) to pray for me. “For only when you pray for me, does Allah accept my repentance and forgives me my sins.”
وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللَّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا
and if the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) asked Allah for forgiveness for them,
they will certainly find Allah as the Acceptor Of Repentance, the Most Merciful.
I wonder sometimes if the line, in my experience of using it umpteen times a day sometimes, works the magic because it is a promise of Allah’s in the Quran that when he prays for one, the forgiveness is granted, literally immediately. Or is it the tears that usually accompany the address to my Prophet (peace be upon him). The frequency with which I utter it always makes me feel ashamed. My inability to change makes me sad and I always wonder if he thinks what I thought; would I ever become different?
Qari Sahib had recently taught us a prayer in our Quran class which I had just started.
“Ask of Allah that which his Rasool (saw) asked of him. And ask of Allah to be saved, seek refuge, from that which he sought refuge from. The specifics don’t matter. Invoking his ask is enough.” The other thing he had mentioned that day was to use the word “Afia” as the best ask. It encompassed all goodness.
Within days of the practice of silence with my friend, my heart changed. I felt a softness for her which was outside the realm of possibility in this scenario. I knew that to be a certainty because it wasn’t the first time I wanted something simple from her which she would not be able to deliver. Usually I would just wait, then become dejected and disappointed and finally distant.
But this time I exercised patience exactly the way Ghaus Pak (ra) says it must be exercised;
معنی الصبر انک لا تشکو الی احد،
و لا تتعلق بسبب،
و لا تکرہ وجود البلیۃ،
ولا تحب زوالھا
“The meaning of sabr, patience, is that you do not complain before anyone about it, and you do not think the trial has come from what appears to be the source of the trial (because it comes from God), and do not think of the trial as burdensome, and do not wish it to go away.”
I even stopped wanting what I thought I wanted. That was remarkable. That was part of the reward of my effort. It was a desire of my nafs so my nafs was trying to persuade my tongue. After what Ghaus Pak (ra) had said I really appreciated that the most and felt grateful. I even appreciated my friend’s forgetfulness which was all it was. She was always deeply caught up in her own life.
کہ تصوف ایک خصلتِ خاص کا نام ہے
اور جب تک یہ خود اپنے اندر نہ پیدا کرے اس وقت تک وہ حاصل نہیں ہوتا۔
“Hence it is proven that Taswuff, spirituality, is a special nature, a specific state. Until it comes from one’s own striving (as has been ordered and is required), till that time it cannot be reached.”
Hazrat Ali (ratu) says that when you make a decision, see the destination first then chose the path. The motivation to control the tongue lies in seeing the consequences of its lashing. Which in my case are always guilt and regret. These days. In early times, there was no aftermath for me. I just forgot about it. Once the effect of the action is seen in the future, then the impulse can be controlled. Not an easy task for a human being whose nature has haste woven in it.
وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ عَجُولً
And Man is prone to be hasty.
Surah Al-Isra’, Verse 17
The problem becomes compounded when the power dynamic favours one. Then there is little impetus to exercise that control. Case in point; it was easier for me to exercise restraint with my friend where there was little imbalance of power. It was hard as hell with my driver. Another reminder why Hazrat Sahil Tustari (ra) says that power has to be relinquished, weakness chosen. From a position of weakness comes gentleness or humility, and the jewel that accompanies them, silence, comes naturally.
Hazrat Anas Bin Malik (ratu) served Nabi Kareem (peace be upon him) for 10 years. When I asked Qari Sahib what word he used to describe that experience for this piece, he said, “Read the whole tashreeh, explanation Hazrat Anas (ratu) gives. After I read the hadith my first instinct was to say I didn’t need any more but he insisted. Thank heavens for teachers!
حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسٌ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، قَالَ :
خَدَمْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ ، فَمَا قَالَ لِي أُفٍّ وَلَا لِمَ صَنَعْتَ وَلَا أَلَّا صَنَعْتَ .
“I was in the service of the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) for 10 years. Not once did he say to me “Ufff,” (the sound of irritation and frustration with someone), nor did he say, “Why did you do that?” nor “Why didn’t you do that?”
Basically the exact opposite of what I do! The tashreeh was even more potent.
Hazrat Anas Bin Malik (ra): “I was young and I was immature. I used to do things incorrectly and sometimes I would cause damage by breaking something etc. Never did the one who was mercy personified from head to foot use an accusing tone with me and say, “Why did you not do something or why did you do that?”
I should have felt deep shame but I felt extreme delight. Like my heart soared. The words changed my approach to reprimand forever. At least in my head. I could foresee my prayers of repentance and forgiveness multiplying a thousand fold on the horizon but I felt happy. The challenge was to teach without blame and accusation. They cause fear and need. I have written about that endlessly. I was very good at applying it with friends and family but not subordinates when they erred. The level of difficulty of the challenge was sky high. But the fruit was also nur radiating from my qalb.
I seek and occasionally gain wisdom but only through imitation. Confucius taught me that it is the easiest way to acquire it. The hadith made likelihood of change a pleasant possibility in my own behaviour, a tug between me and my ego instead of a struggle with someone else. The former was so much easier. If I won I won and if I lost, I only hurt myself. That itself would make the impetus for change accelerate to warp speed.
I spent 5 days in the village. Every day before Maghrib I went for a walk in the fields. Roaming around my mother’s ancestral home accompanied by Pathani, I realized how some daughters of feudals must have felt like princesses. I heard after she died that my mother was like one. Not in the way the term is used colloquially for the daughter of every rich person in the city every time she wears a pink dress.
The children take a heavy dose of their cues of the do’s and don’ts from the staff who work for their families for generations. That creates an intense bond of love and respect. In my 20’s when my brother and I were the only ones who lived alone, our friends would come to our house to do the crazy stuff. I was constantly hiding it from Pathani. They never understood why I needed to do that with someone who was on my payroll.
The woman who came to see me every time in the village, Ghulam Bibi, is in her late 60s although she looks older. She is deaf and has a beautiful singing voice. I have only known her a few years but she loves me so deeply, it surprised me. From a distance she croons whenever she sees me, her hand raised to the heavens as if thanking God I appeared, as if just for her; “Tenu takdi na rajaan…” “I can’t get enough of looking at you.” The intensity of her lyrics always makes me laugh and I have to immediately note them down.
My mother’s best friend growing up was a village kid, Talo. It was way before she had one in the city. “She is wise,” she would always say, the ultimate compliment amongst folk from a rural background. I guess that spoke volumes. Not rich or beautiful or powerful or even self-made, the ultimate compliment in an urban environment that I have found to arouse the most regard. It always evoked mine. It was how one gave leeway to the one who went from rags to riches and then lost their mind.
The word echoes in my readings of the Quran and in the malfuzaat of the Auliya, hikmat. In the tafseer of Surah Luqman, I had read; “Allah granted his Prophet Luqman (as) wisdom for a singular purpose: So that he could be the vessel that receives his Kindness (lutf) and Generosity (karam), His Bounty (faiz) and becomes of the Grateful, the Shakireen.”
The connection was direct. Wisdom was granted so that one could become grateful. The process between the two was an exquisite imbibing of Divine Kindness, Generosity and Bounty. And wisdom came only through interaction and the bettering of that interaction with human beings, the practice of Tasawuff. At least 90% of it, as said Maula e Kayinaat, Hazrat Ali (ratu).
In her last trip to Lahore knowing she would soon die, my mother asked Talo to come to see her and stay with her the whole while she was there. Two months. They spent the hours after Fajr together every day. I think she saw her more than I did. My mother was 53 then, three years older than I am now. I befriended death the day she died. It’s not unusual. Witnessing a death of someone significant early in life makes one unafraid of it. Of everything really. Less to lose remains. The transience of all things becomes undeniable.
Death! The word draws fascinating reactions from people mostly because of their wonderings related to what happens to them after. Some people talk about Heaven like it’s a club they want to gain admission to and they’re not hip enough. They just want to somehow sneak in past the velvet rope and melt into the crowd. Like crashing a party and never meeting the host. I have my own fantasy.
First, I meet all the Friends of God I am attached to. Then the Prophets I have come to know. I want to hear them, their sound, their voices, their words, intonation, style, tonality. I learnt that last word from a musician friend of mine. “I like the tonality of your voice,” she would say and I never knew what she meant. When I write it like this I see the familiarity for my dying wish with the Mairaj, the Night of Ascension and I smile at how unoriginal I am.
Everything can be converted to love. If I had to choose one sentence that is the essence of my learning, it would be that. I learnt recently in my Quran class from Dannoo that it is also possible in worship; a prayer could become a Namaz e Ishq, a prayer of love, if one read the Surah Ikhlas 10 times, instead of once. It was divine moment the first time I brought that into practice. I was already claiming love in my prayer of nafal for someone most special to God. Suddenly there was the opportunity to guarantee its reality.
Shab e Baraat was approaching and Qari Sahib w
as giving us instruction for our worship for the night which determines all the happenings of the next year. I discovered then that Allah likes length in qayam, the standing position in the namaz. Hence there are different kinds of nawafil, the voluntary prayers, that are entirely about creating that duration; the salat tasbeeh, then the prayer of Imam Ali (ratu) where he read the Surah Ikhlas a 100 times in each ruku’. There is even the prayer where one reads a certain darood a 1,000 times in each ruku’. That likely requires standing for hours.
Length in prayer is the sign for love for Allah. It made sense. Who ever got enough of time spent with the beloved. I claim a lot of love for God but my worship of long qayam is less frequent than it should be.
Laziness is the king.
Justification is its advisor.
I meant to ask Qari Sahib, when one’s utterance of the namaz becomes silent, is the seat of utterance still the tongue or does it change? Then I realized it doesn’t matter.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدً
O ye who attained to faith, Remain conscious of God and speak what is right.
Surah Al-Ahzab, Verse 70
I looked up the verse wanting Ghaus Pak’s (ra) meaning for sadeedan translated as “right.” But of course, he unveiled a lot more.
Tafseer e Jilani: “O ye who believe in Allah and His Rasool (peace be upon him)! Be fearful of Allah who is Al-Muntaqim, The Avenging One and do not bring any kind of pain or suffering upon His Prophet (peace be upon him), either physically or spiritually.”
That was the tafseer of taqwa, one of the most important words in the Quran. Almost always translated as either “piety” or “fear.” But what it means is being conscious/mindful of God. In the verse, Allah was saying that being conscious of Him was in fact being mindful of His Beloved (peace be upon him).
“And be careful about how you speak about his majesty and honour. Let your words be sadeeda; saheeh, accurate in the selection of your words, saalim, not lacking in regard, baeed, as far away as possible from causing him distress, blaming him or accusing him.”
Subhan Allah! The whole verse was about the Prophet (peace be upon him). I extrapolated from that for everyone else as well; Choose your words carefully, make sure they are respectful and avoid causing pain, avoid blame and accusation.
When I control my tongue, my tank of energy remains ‘full.’ I am like the sun. The state of another doesn’t affect me. They can take whatever they want from me without making me feel depleted. What wears me down is my own speech when unkind, disrespectful, harsh, judgmental. Tiring the other parts of my body including my brain.
“If the tongue is respectful, the qalb becomes conscious of God and when the tongue is misbehaving, the qalb becomes ruined.
Your tongue should be harnessed by God-consciousness and repentance from meaningless speech, negativity and hypocrisy.”
Maulana (ra) sheds light on the idea going into it deeper; the damage thoughts can create even when the tongue is silent.
روی نفس مطمئنه در جسد
زخم ناخنهای فکرت میکشد
Like nails, evil thoughts scratch the face of the Naf e Mutmainna.
فکرت بد ناخن پر زهر دان
میخراشد در تعمق روی جان
Know that your wicked thoughts are as if dipped in poison,
Delving into them deeper only damages the face of the soul more.
When I blame the ones who cause me to speak like that I’m mistaken. I cause it because I have a choice. I can be silent. Ultimately they don’t even notice me that much. They are at least steady in their haal (state) whatever it is. I could attempt to be steady on mine.
“Thus once it becomes steadfast on this, the just and true speech of the tongue will lead to the goodness of the qalb.
When the qalb attains this level, it becomes lit and nur radiates from it towards the tongue and the rest of the body.”
Ghaus Pak (ra) closes each and every one of his sermons with one prayer. It was a prayer I found on my first Umra on the ground but I did not know this about him then.
Begin excerpt “The Softest Heart”
By the time I reached the Ka’ba the rain had stopped and the sun was warm again. While I was circumambulating slowly, I saw a very small piece of paper on the ground. I picked it up and in someone’s handwriting was the following ayat:
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً
وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
But among them are they who say, "Our Lord! Give us in this world (that which is) good and in the Hereafter (that which is) good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire."
Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 201
I picked up the paper, kissed it, placed it lightly on my eyes, kissed it again and read it again and again as I kept walking. It is a verse I had heard many times, one that many people recite daily as a tasbeeh. Immediately my mind went to the story of Hazrat Bishr Haafi (ra).
Hazrat Bishr Haafi (ra) spent most of his life drinking alcohol and roaming the streets in a state of intoxication. One day he came upon a piece of paper which had the words Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim written on it, lying on the road. Although inebriated, he picked up the paper, kissed it, put some itar (perfume) on it and placed it on a high spot. That night he heard the voice of Allah Al-Afuww, The Supreme Pardoner, asking him if he was not tired of being so distant from Him. And just like that he became a wali (saint). His title was Haafi because he always walked barefoot. While he was alive, no animal defecated in the streets where he walked out of respect for him.
I still have that piece of paper in one of my books that I read from every day. It was quite the keepsake. One day while I was sitting with Qari Sahib going over some references for this book, I told him I had found it. His eyes widened.
“You didn’t tell me about this before,” he said.
“I forgot, Sir.”
“So do you read the prayer?” he asked.
“No,” I replied. “I keep it in a special book after I kissed it and put scent on it.”
“And what did you think?” he smiled. “You were going to get wilayat (that which forms qurb, closeness with God) overnight?”
I grinned back.
“You were given a pearl as a gift in the House of God and you put it in a book?” Qari Sahib said. “Wear it!”
And thus I started saying the prayer.
End excerpt “The Softest Heart”
The same prayer that Ghaus Pak (ra) ends each of his sermons with! Luck appears in all forms. Connections are made in all kinds of way. No one is alone. There are as many wings of hope as the seeker desires. The Friends of God are countless. It’s just that there are those who say or perhaps just think of the life here;
فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا
For there are people who (merely) pray, "Our Lord! Grant us in the world."
But then apparently they have no share in the Hereafter. I guess because they never consider it.
وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاق
They will have no share in the Afterlife.
Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 83
Ghaus Pak (ra) gives the tafseer of his favourite verse in a way where the focus is always singular; pleasing Allah!
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً
وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Amongst them are the ones who have union in his overt and inner being, (zahir and batin)
and who keep this world and the Afterlife together,
who say, “O our Lord, Grant us goodness which makes you pleased with us in this life
and grant us goodness in the Hereafter, which connects us with Your One-ness (Tauheed),
and by Your Favour and Mercy upon us,
save us from the possibilities that cause paranoia and doubt.
Tafseer e Jilani
Paranoia and doubt are always the translation of “fire” and “Hell” in the Quran by those in the know. Their utmost concern is how a life can be made peaceful here in the world. Not exist with the soul set aflame, awaiting some paradise long after death.
In my video for the Urs of Ghaus Pak (ra) a few months ago I had chosen the verse;
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
O ye who believed!
Be conscious of God and be with those who are truthful.
Surah At-Tauba, Verse 119
Uzair gave a lecture on it recently; “The verse is giving the essentials in a clear manner. The first two states are together; if you are of the right belief and possess imaan, make your deeds good, acquire taqwa by being conscious of God, practicing restraint. Then comes the third Command; be with the truthful.
So what the Quran is saying is that even if your beliefs are absolutely perfect and your deeds are absolutely perfect, you still need the truthful. Those who believe, we only need the Quran, or even those who say, we only need the hadith, Allah is countering that. You also need the truthful. You will always need the truthful. When you look for them, the blessings of God will come upon you. Not otherwise!”
In understanding a single organ of my body, the tongue, I gained a new perspective of what I have perceived as “negative and toxic,” words thrown around constantly to identify those who are really just sad. Undeniably they are all of those things as well but then so am I as I travel the arc from furiously hot to serenely warm.
Everything is a choice. These days I especially regret mine from my past when I left when I should have loved. For even the humiliation was enwrapped in love because love preceded it. Whether it was from my side or the other. It had already blunted the blow. There remains a memory connected to that feeling of joy which exists for me even today with everyone I felt it for. Perhaps for some nostalgia reigns!
But I guess things have to come in their own time. Then I was a slave to the desires of my ego which flew into a rage every five minutes. The desires have lessened. The ego is weak. I remain a slave to it but an unwillingly one. Moreover, in my regrets I have tasted the lazzat, the fruits, of the acceptance of repentance. That has been my impetus to change more.
Maulana Rum (ra): “You don’t refrain from wrongfulness because you haven’t tasted the fruits of the acceptance of repentance.”
Qari Sahib: “What are the fruits of repentance?”
I knew what they were for me; the peace and calm I felt when I did know my repentance was accepted which was only when my Rau’f and Rahim Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed for me.
Qari Sahib quoted the following verse;
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ
وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ
O you who attained to faith! Turn to Allah in repentance sincere!
Perhaps your Lord will erase from you your wrongful deeds
and admit you into Gardens flow from underneath it the rivers, on The Day.
Surah At-Tahrim, Verse 8
Perhaps!
My haal, my kaifiyat, the state of my inner being, my batin, the serenity of my mind, really only comes from one source; “the truthful.” The ones who never turn away, abandon or forget me. Ghaus Pak (ra) is their king. As Sultan ul Hind, Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Ajmeri (ra) writes in his honour;
در بزم نبی عالی شانی، ستار عیوب مریدانی
در ملک ولایت سلطانی اے منبع فضل و جود و سخا
Amongst the company of the Prophet (saw) you hold an exalted rank,
O one who hides, of his disciples, their flaws!
In the world of nearness to God, you are the king,
O source of favour, bounty and generosity!
In celebrating my connection to him, I don’t have much to offer. So to express my gratitude for the single greatest boon of my life simply in a few words, all of them borrowed, I have waited for the 1st of Ramadan with bated breath to smilingly say; “Happy Birthday Ya Ghaus e Muzzam!”
Ghaus Pak in Al-Fath Ar-Rabbani (ra): “O you who increased in years and aged but in your nature remain like a child, how long will you run after this wicked world because of your immaturity?
You have made it your destiny and the be-all and end-all of your existence. It is this same striving which will not let you have any peace in your life.
Do you not know that you become the servant of that which you have surrendered to?
If you have given your charge to the world then you are its servant.
And if the charge it given to the Afterlife, then you are its servant.
If you surrender yourself to Allah, then you are His Servant.
If you let your ego control you, then you are its servant.
And if you give yourself up to your desires, then you are their servant.
And if you have put yourself in the hands of any other creation, then you are its servant.
So be mindful of who you have given your charge to.
Most of you are those who desire the world and few are they who want the Afterlife.
Extremely rare are the ones who are only seekers of Allah, the One who created both the world and the Afterlife.
So be in the company of these people with the best of manners. Don’t disagree with them, don’t dispute them or you will bring harm upon yourself. And don’t disrespect them or you will become destroyed.
Being silent about that which you don’t know is knowledge and surrendering yourself to that which you don’t know is Islam.
Proactive Acne Treatment Vending Machine, 9/2014, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube.
Shootings in Salford have reduced by over 70% since the introduction of a dedicated anti-gang taskforce disrupting the activity of the city's organised criminals two years ago.
The Operation Naseby disruption hub was formed in April 2020 to get under the skin of local gangs after 25 firearms discharges had been recorded in the previous 12 months.
Now - after 279 arrests, 297 vehicle seizures, 118 house searches, and the recovery of nearly 50kilos of drugs - shootings are down 72% with seven recorded in the last year and 15 in the year before.
Originally intended to be a standalone six-week blitz on organised crime, the team has successfully tackled criminal groups for the last two years thanks to the work of over 30 officers tasked with proactively targeting and tackling suspects -with funding expected to continue to the foreseeable future.
The affront on the city's OCGs has been spearheaded by experienced detectives, complex safeguarding officers, neighbourhood patrols, and pursuit-trained officers, as well as partners from Salford City Council in a multi-agency response.
Thanks to our offensive on criminals, weapons taken off the streets include a loaded handgun, a shotgun, two loaded crossbows, a number of machetes and dozens of other knives and bladed articles.
D/Supt Chris Packer (front L) and DCI Rick Thompson have led the prolific Op Naseby disruption team.
Offenders have been sentenced to over 66 years' worth of custodial sentences, with many others being recalled to prison or receiving criminal behaviour orders requiring them to continue abiding by strict conditions following their release from custody.
Most recently, drug dealer Zach Trott (26), of Ellesmere Street, was jailed on Wednesday 6 April for two years and four months after our anti-gang cops caught him last summer just months after pursuing him in another chase where we detained him and found £3k's worth of cannabis.
A Bolton man was also put behind bars earlier this month after being stopped by covert Naseby officers patrolling just outside the Salford border when they spotted a suspicious vehicle in July 2020.
Myles Hindley (31), of New Street, Blackrod, was sentenced to two years in prison after he was found to be driving a £30,000 Range Rover that had been stolen from Bury less than six weeks earlier - despite him claiming that it was a hire car.
As the operation continues to drive a wedge between offenders and criminality, detectives at Swinton CID are keen to enhance their proactive approach by intervening at an earlier stage when young people are involved in less-organised crime in the form of Urban Street Gangs (USGs).
Along with the recent re-launch of the city's multi-agency Project Gulf, we aim to ensure our approach to diverting younger people away from lower-level gang crime at an early stage will prevent future generations of organised criminals operating in Salford - by protecting the exploited and pursuing the exploiters.
This work has already begun with School Engagement Officers interacting with young students in the city's schools and colleges, and we are determined to work closely with local partners in education to steer more children away from a life of gangs and violence.
Knife crime continues to be one of the main priorities in each of the 10 Greater Manchester boroughs, and we are pleased that reported offences are down in Salford in the last year.
Our commitment to maintaining the crackdown on weapons, criminals, drugs and their assets is hoped will continue to drive down violent crime on our streets even further as our work sustains without relent.
We've been able to conduct well over 100 house searches in the last year thanks to intelligence we have received from the public, and we continue to urge anyone with information or concerns to contact us online via LiveChat, if able, or by calling 101.
Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Detective Chief Inspector Rick Thompson, head of GMP Salford's proactive policing, said: "After two years of Operation Naseby, it's plain to see the prolific impact our tireless disruption team have had in all corners of our city since it was introduced two years ago.
"When the taskforce was formed, it was on a short-term basis with the simple aim of getting under the skin of organised criminals and doing all we could to be out there on the streets stopping and searching suspects, their homes, the vehicles they were in and seizing anything of criminal value.
"That's seen us intercept and disrupt the type of activity organised crime groups were engaging in that was seeing us suffer the high rates of shootings we were seeing two years ago; now we're taking vehicles, drugs, and weapons from these individuals and arresting those suspected of being involved.
"We've been able to hugely increase our understanding of these groups - with over 500 intelligence logs being submitted - but I must stress that a great deal of information we receive comes from the public and thanks to the people of Salford we've have information that's lead us to well over 100 house searches.
"Our enforcement action has produced staggering results but it's still seven shootings too many, and our commitment now is to focus our work with partners and local neighbourhood teams into proactively intervening at an earlier stage with young people who may be at a risk of later being involved in organised crime.
"This work is vital in stamping out future generations of serious criminality, but also in reducing the ongoing concerns around violent crime, drug use, and anti-social behaviour in their communities that affects the people we serve on a daily basis."
The graduation of four officers of the 19th Mounted Patrol Academy ceremony took place on Friday, April 29, 2016 at the Mounted Patrol facility located at 2089 Indian River Road.
During the ten-week Basic Riding Academy, officers learned equitation and sensory riding skills along with how to enforce and apprehend criminals while mounted on their horse. Each officer and horse is carefully matched according to his or her personalities and temperaments to form a good partner relationship.
The Virginia Beach Mounted Patrol Unit operates year round and performs many valuable functions for the department and the citizens of Virginia Beach. Throughout the tourist season, you will see the officers on horseback patrolling the oceanfront and resort areas on proactive, high visibility patrol. They assist with crowd management, finding lost children and providing enhanced public relations. Throughout the rest of the year, Mounted Patrol officers are active in patrolling many other areas of the city as possible such as town center, major shopping districts during the holiday season and neighborhoods where necessary due to crime concerns and citizen requests.
Photography - Craig McClure
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