Magical Times at Dolmen Mall

Press Release   

 

Pakistan’s first international standard mall, Dolmen mall, is renowned for always staying a step ahead of its competitors.  As summer 2016 approached its end, Dolmen hosted the city’s biggest Back to School Festival. Held from 29^th to 31^st July 2016 across all three Dolmen Malls, the festival aimed at school going kids and families; giving them a chance to celebrate and be excited about the beginning of another scholastic year.

The Marketing Head at Dolmen, Anum Nadeem said, “We’re holding this event for the first time and are expecting families to shop, eat and have fun. We’ve brought together some great shopping options for our customers.”

At Dolmen Mall Clifton, the Back to School edition of the Dolmen Bazaar saw leading retailers like Hub, Leisure Club, Kidz Dunya & Sindbad as well as budding entrepreneurial ventures like Magic Hands and Paperworks showcase their Back to school range. From school bags, notebooks and stationery to a delightful display of balloon art, the little ones thoroughly enjoyed themselves in this maze of amazement. Parents, on the other hand, rejoiced the rare opportunity for their kids to have fun in a safe and family-friendly environment.

Adding some magic to the cauldron of excitement, Dolmen Mall conjured up the launch of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in collaboration with Liberty Books on the third day of Back to School Festival. The launch of the 8^th Harry Potter book was held on Harry Potter’s birthday, 31^st July.  The response was staggering; the event saw a union of three generations of Potterheads. From five year old HP fanatics flaunting painted scars on their foreheads, to tweens donned in wizard’s robes - even grownups didn’t shy away from swishing their wands and crying out ‘Wingardium Leviosa”.  Fans lined up at 9:30 AM to receive their copy of the awaited book on this unique occasion where Harry Potter fandom was so majestically celebrated in Pakistan. Thematic décor, wands, hats, trivia games, giveaway for the best dressed fans and countless photo opportunities with a truly magical ambience and music, the event was a memorable one.

Dolmen Mall capitalized on the organic pull of Harry Potter fandom and took Back to School Festival to a whole new level. The event exceeded expectation on all fronts, and provided visitors with three days of festivity in a completely family-friendly environment. Dolmen aims to continue surprising its visitors with more such events in the future.

Bloggers and Key Opinion Leaders were hosted by Dolmen Mall and given out special Harry Potter themed giveaways. They shared the impact the book has had on their lives and also relived their back to school memories. They were provided refreshments in the form of crispy and grilled chicken from Golden Chick and delicious cupcakes and coffee from Lals. Everyone left the vicinity of the mall happy and content, with their copy of their favourite book with them.

The Divine Magic

25^th December 1954

Karachi

Julius Fonseca went by the name of The Amazing Fonseca. His name was well known to all those who loved magic acts and went to see them performed live in the garden of Metropole Hotel. He was much sought after, but boss Cyrus forbade him to perform anywhere but Metropole.

On that night of 25^th December, he had just finished his act and was planning to get some alone time at Lido’s Bar on Queen’s Road and celebrate a lonely Christmas with an Old Fitzgerald.

He walked out of Metropole to be greeted by the crisp and cold night air of Karachi. Well to do couples walked by on the sidewalk holding hands. Corduroy Sport Coats, acetate and rayon crepe lined Box Jackets, Tafettas and pleated skirts populated this side of Metropole while kurtas and dhotis made up the opposite footpath. 

He walked on for some time towards the nearest bus stop of the route where his bus would take him to Lido’s only to see a gaggle of men, flash lights in hand, checking passing cars until they stopped a teal Frazer sedan with a seemingly well to do family sitting in it.

“Kamal Ahmed! “, barked one of the men in the mob.He was dark complexioned with a goatee. "Brothers, does he look like Kamal Ahmed?", he asked around the group. One scrawny teen in a white kurta peered into the car and recognized the driver. The driver of the car was indeed Kamal Ahmed along with his family.
Excitement rippled through the crowd as if they had sensed blood.  “Kamal Ahmed, get out now or we will burn you and your family in this car!”. The man with the goatee said in a loud cold voice.

Kamal Ahmed, a middle aged french-bearded doctor who worked at the Civil Hospital, stepped out of the car with a terrified look on his face and shivering from head to toe. His wife immediately locked the car from inside turned back to calm down her two children who had started to cry.

“Kaafir! Stop promoting your blasphemies to our sick folk, we warned you last time about the consequences but you haven’t stopped. You keep talking about your fake prophet to our family folk who visit you. We cant take this anymore!, cried the goatee'd fellow. Another piped up, " It’s time to cleanse vermin like you from Karachi like our brothers have done in Lahore." With each word being shouted at his way, Kamal shrank in size, it looked.

“But..I am not that person...I didn't… “, stuttered a positively terrified Kamal only to be punched in the face by the man in kurta pajama who seemed to have crossed boundaries of reason. Perhaps seeing his victim so terrified and not even trying to put up a fight provoked him.
"Check his car", he ordered  the scrawny teenager. The teenager tried to open the car but it was locked. " Open up",he said to the doctor's wife inside. She didn't open. He looked at the man in kurta pajama. The kurta pajama man punched the doctor again who promptly fell on the ground. His wife inside shrieked and immediately opened the door, but thought better to not come out of the safety of the car.
The teenager opened the car and looked around inside it. Opened the glove box and fumbled inside it trying to find anything- anything to justify the violence which he was promised before the group had set out on the hunt.
His hands found a pamphlet. 
He stepped out and showed the pamphlet to the kurta pajama man. The teen couldn't read.
Another fellow shined his torch on the pamphlet and the kurta pajama man read what was written in it.
It was pamphlet which had some quotes from a man named Ghulam Ahmed Qadiani.
Kamal Ahmed, it turned out, was an Ahmadi.
Others didn't need any signal or cue and promptly descended upon the poor doctor, kicking and punching him.

Julius Fonseca stood there looking at scene unfold infront of him. He thought of calling the police for help, but the police would never get in time and the other people would not risk their faith in defending an Ahmadi, so he decided to take the matters in his own hands.

He took off his coat and tie, stuffed them in his bag and placed it under a wooden pole. Without his coat and tie he looked like an office clerk.
He walked towards the site of violence.

“ Assalam u Alekum brothers”, he called out to the group, whose one member now had the doctor in a chokehold.

“For Allah’s sake, stop beating this poor man, what has he done to you?” he asked them in his most concerned voice.

“He is a Kaafir Qadiyani! That’s what he has done to us”, said the man in kurta pajama.

Fonseca walked towards the doctor who who was still in a chokehold. His head was bleeding and his tailored suit was torn and stained.
He looked at the doctor. And he stood there and just looked at the doctor.
" Release him for a moment", he quitely asked the man who had the doctor in a chokehold. The man looked at the kurta pajama guy who nodded. The chokehold was released.
" Are you a Qadiyani?", Fonseca asked the doctor.
The doctor nodded. Speech had left him it seemed.

“He is a Qadiyani, and he must renounce his faith, otherwise he must be killed as the Shariah demands”, Fonseca looked around and spoke to the men.The crowd chanted Yes in unision.They seemed more interested in the killing than conversion.

“Yes, if he renounces his blasphemies then he will be spared”, said the man with the goatee and the mob only murmured its agreement. Most of the men just wanted a killing. The thrill. Killing a kaafir was a thrill, but it seemed that the goatee'd fellow commanded a measure of respect.

“Very well” said Fonseca. He looked straight and hard into the eyes of Kamal. “Brothers, I sense something”, Fonseca called out to the mob still looking at Kamal.

The group now looked at Fonseca excitedly.

“Help me Allah”, said Fonseca.

He grabbed the doctor’s head in his hands and shouted, “Kaafir! From this day henceforth you will renounce your faith in your filthy ideology and lead the life of a good Muslim. Do you wish to do so?”

Fonseca did the smallest of nods which the doctor, who was now looking at Fonseca with dazed eyes, copied.

The mob shivered with excitement.

“Do you renounce your faith infidel?” Fonseca shouted at the doctor. “Say, I renounce my faith”.

The doctor, still dazed, said in a robotic manner, “I renounce my faith”.

The mob erupted into shouts of Allah u Akbar.

The doctor looked around with dazed eyes.

The man in kurta pajama came up to Fonseca and asked in a reverent tone,” Mashallah brother, you seem to have Allah’s blessing in your hands, what is your name?"

“Syed Umer Ahmed”, lied Fonseca without any hesitation.

“Mashallah, that explains the whole thing, of course. Allah performs his wonders through the hands of Syeds. Subhanallah”, somebody in the crowd said. The rest chirped in agreement.
" It seems that our task is done", said the goatee'd fellow. " But if you ever convert back to your vile ideology, we will kill you without warning", he said to the doctor in a menacing voice.
The doctor nodded. Still in a daze.

The mob then started to disperse and when the last person (the man in kurta pajama) had left, Fonseca looked at the doctor and snapped his fingers. The doctor jerked and seemed to have come out of the daze.

“Who…what…who are you...what happened...he blurted out. “ Who were those men?” he asked Fonseca.

“Bhai, those were just some Ahraris who had come out to attack you. But Allah finally intervened and put his fear in their hearts so they walked away”.

“Uh?”

“Yes, see, they have gone now. So dont worry. Allah always looks after those who believe in the promised Messiah”, said Fonseca in his most pious voice.

“Let me help you to the car”.

The wife who was seeing the two men walk towards the car, threw open the door and helped the doctor in, thanking Fonseca profusely. The doctor also thanked Fonseca while wincing from the pain of bruises.

“What is your name brother?” asked the tearful wife.

Fonseca replied, "My name is Ghulam Ahmed”, lying easily, again.
" Are you...umm...Are you Ahmadi sir?", the doctor asked, somewhat hesitantly.
" Yes I am with the grace of Allah", the magician replied with a smile.

“Mashallah, such a blessed name, it’s the Jamaat members like you who strengthen my faith everyday”, said the Doctor.

After many thanks and requests to drop him home (which Fonseca declined), the family finally drove away leaving Fonseca alone on the street.

“The Amazing Fonseca”, he said, with a smile playing along his face as he went on his way to Lido’s Bar for a good night’s Christmas drink.

Dear ET, Try keeping it confidential !

Media in Pakistan has played a great role in bringing out issues that otherwise would have remained hidden to the public eye. Many a poor and disadvantaged have found donors to help them out just because of reports published and broadcasted by our media. 

 

That being said, an important consideration that is often overlooked is, confidentiality.

Should I put this person’s name in my report who is suffering from illness which might cause him embarrassment in his public life? Should I identify this person in my article which might make him vulnerable to slurs? These are the questions which any responsible journalist must ask before publishing reports on issues relating to gender, sexuality, health and abuse. In Pakistan specifically, it is essential for a journalist to guard a victim/patient/gender’s identity due to the fact that we as a society still live in the seventh century when it comes to recognizing LGBT rights, stigmatizing rape victims and gossiping about a person’s illness. Can a person with a sexual disease ever come out without being judged and comments passed on him/her because of imagined sexual indulgences? Can a rape victim come out in the open without being told that the DNA evidence in her/his case is unacceptable according to Council of Islamic Ideology? In a country where 60% of the people surveyed, would not like to be friends with a transgender, a journalist must make his/her top priority not to reveal names when doing reports on these kind of stories. The 5-year old girl raped in Lahore should never have been named in the first place, but ratings and sensationalism continue to have a vice like grip on our media. 

 

Recently I came across a story published on ET regarding a girl in Abbottabad diagnosed with “ambiguous genitalia”- a birth defect which effects sexual growth in a person. Although it is not a disease but due to the birth defect it is hard to ascertain the sex of a person based on outside appearance of genitalia.  The girl’s father is poor and cannot afford to pay for the surgery (costing RS.200, 000) and five medical tests (costing Rs. 35,000) that would be required to fully transform her into a girl. 

 

It would be a good thing if, due to the report, that girl’s father gets the donations so that the she can receive proper medical attention. That’s the good part. But, what about the behavior of the society after her identity has been revealed? Who can guarantee that she wouldn’t be a victim to slurs because of her medical condition? Wouldn’t this report make her vulnerable to ridicule by her class mates? Neighbors? Did the reporter who filed the story think about the impact of this story?

Industrialist and social activist Majyd Aziz remarked:

 

“Pragmatic way would have been to identify the kid with an initial, request well known person to spearhead collections. People tend to remember negative aspects. Moreover, child would be ridiculed by class-fellows. Family may be mocked too”.

 

Writer and poet Sarah B Gillani called this “absolutely wrong”. 

 

Hence I call upon the concerned editorial staff at ET to remove the child’s name from the story and kindly enable the practice of protecting the confidentiality of such cases in the future. While let us all hope that in the future that no Pakistani is judged based on gender, sexual orientation and religious beliefs.

The SUPARCO Lag

In 1961 when our only Nobel laureate Dr. Abdus Salam and Commodore WJM Turowicz were busy laying down the foundations of SUPARCO, little they might have thought that 52 years later, the nation’s space agency would either, still be renting foreign built satellites or else hitchhiking on foreign rockets to launch indigenously built satellites into space. 

The beginnings of SUPARCO reflected the dreams and goals of its founders and the scientists involved. Frequent  rocket tests, collaborations with NASA regarding training of Pakistani scientists and engineers, and with keen government interest in the field,  one might have  had guessed that within a decade or two we would be sending our own satellites into space using indigenously built  rockets. But then Dr. Salam was shunned by the Pak government, collaborations with NASA stopped, government lost interest  and ever since that time SUPARCO seems to exist just because it has to, without any entrepreneurial zeal, devoid of innovation and lacking a clear cut direction. 

Currently, SUPARCO is undertaking programs relating to communication satellites, remote sensing, geo graphic information systems and space studies. It provides services in land surveying, crop monitoring, vehicle tracking systems etc. Its customer base is diverse; ranging from the Kutchi Abadi Authorities toPakistan Railways.  Also in its Space Program 2040-approved by Ex-Pm Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani- it plans on producing and launching its own satellites by the year 2040.

But is that it? Will our satellite system be only focused on crop monitoring, land surveys and tracking?  Where’s the vision in it?  The services that SUPARCO provides are a staple in any standard space agency-there is nothing special in that. Also, achieving indigenous satellite production and launch capabilities and that too by 2040 speaks volumes about the ‘vision’ that is set by SUPARCO. When right now, our neighboring countries are sending probes to mars and beyond, achieving the ability to develop and launching satellites by 2040 is just not enough! 

We have to realize that a well functioning space program is crucial to the development of a nation. From enriched baby food to solar panels used in homes, there have been many commercial spinoffs from the technologies that were originally intended to be used in space. Space Technology development does not only benefit one particular branch of science but is equally beneficial to an economy as well.  According to former NASA scientist, Scott Hubbard, for every 1 dollar invested in NASA projects $7-8 worth of goods are produced in the industry!

SUPARCO now has to take on a more active role and its vision 2040 should really be vision 2020. It has to work on increasing coordination with schools colleges and universities so that a crop of future engineers and scientists are motivated, and their skills honed. The government has to pay more attention to SUPARCO regarding its developmental projects. As Antoine St. Exupery once said, 

“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea”. 

Thus, the government along with SUPARCO should undertake initiatives to educate public about space sciences in a way that they understand in order to build popular support

Dear readers, Space programs not only satisfy human desire to explore the universe but also create thousands of jobs; jobs that are certainly not limited to engineering only but spill over to diverse fields, ranging from textiles to psychiatrics. 

The shambles in which European and USA economies are in right now means that the stage for the next space race would be set in Asia, aided and abetted by western companies who have the expertise but lack funding support from their respective governments. Indeed China and India are making significant progress in space exploration; the former is planning to send manned missions to the moon while the latter is sending a space probe to Mars by November. 

 The development of an ambitious space program would not only benefit Pakistan in the military field, but will also create an air of innovation and ideas that will cross-pollinate many separate scientific and business disciplines.  

Nevertheless, we face the daunting task of tackling our domestic terrorism and political issues in parallel to the development of a proper space program and that requires not only a visionary leadership but also entrepreneurs who are ready to propel us into the future.

This is not the time to lag behind. The next space race is ‘on’ in Asia and we have to be a part of it, otherwise we would be left very far behind, even farther than we are right now.