#GORA QABRISTAN

[molkolsdal]

GORA QABRISTAN which means “White Graveyard” is one of the oldest Christian cemeteries that exists on the Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi. The date shown on a tombstone inside the graveyard mentions it to be as of 1843. 

SM Rafiq Photography

[mariammagsi]

Christmas in Pakistan

Image: Annual traditions of decorating and lighting up the Christmas tree at our family's residence in Karachi, Pakistan. © Mariam Magsi

As an immigrant from Pakistan who has called Canada home for 18 years, whenever the winter holidays come around, I am often asked the following question: Do you celebrate Christmas in Pakistan?

While some folks approach these topics through a lens of othering, others are genuinely curious to know more about my motherland and the kinds of holidays and festivities we celebrate. Despite a rising influx of influencers and white tourists flocking to various provinces of Pakistan, and with a breadth of material available online, for the most part, a lot of folks have no knowledge about the existence of non-Muslim communities in Pakistan, such as Hindu, Christian and Zoroastrian Pakistanis and how their respective religious vernacular has evolved in the region, impacted and shaped by several socio-political and cultural factors.

I must also preface this blog piece by stating, that while there are some communities, clans and families practicing pluralism and religious/cultural diversity in Pakistan, religious minorities continue to face oppression and marginalization by intolerant and hegemonic right-wing forces. I received a firsthand glimpse into this rising intolerance, when several members of my Pakistani community reached out at the end of last year to say that “Muslims should not say Merry Christmas to Christians as it is haram” (unlawful or forbidden). Because I was raised in a pluralistic household, I reject the creation of insular, exclusionary, rigid and polar worlds.

Image: One of Asia's largest bulletproof crosses, towering over Karachi's only operational Christian cemetery known as Gora Qabristan or "White man's graveyard." © Mariam Magsi

I had the unique privilege of being raised by a Punjabi mother is Punjabi and a Baloch father. They originate from entirely different provincial and cultural backgrounds, and fought very hard to transcend ethnic segregation, race and class to be together, despite several barriers. They struggled with lack of support and financial challenges, and several of their family members were vocally against their Baloch Punjabi union. Still, they persisted, and persevered. Within our home, our caregivers consisted of people from every religious background imaginable, including Hindu and Christian. As the years went by and our family grew, people from the Philippines, Bangladesh and Afghanistan also joined our home. Elders from my paternal Baloch Magsi clan also became important life guides and lived in our house with us. I was offered a healthy, robust exposure to multiple generations and their unique ways of worshiping, eating, dressing and living within the same household.

Image: My mother, siblings and I traveling through Jhal Magsi, Balochistan, the Philippines and Karachi, Pakistan with our diverse caregivers and family members. © Magsi Family Archives

My siblings and I were enrolled in a Catholic convent school nestled within a British education system. Celebrating Christmas in school was as natural as celebrating Eid. My parents shared close ties with the local and foreign Christian nuns who ran the establishment and had also forged friendships with priests in the clergy. To further illustrate this closeness, one of my sisters was even christened in the chapel at the school. There was a seamless integration of Islam with Christianity, and there was nothing abnormal about it. One could be rooted in their faith of birth, and fluid with faith-based practices. This helped us develop a flexible understanding of faith-based practices and how they are not static, but constantly evolving through contact with environmental influences and encounters.

Image: Filling out festive greeting cards to be snail mailed to my loved ones. © Mariam Magsi

The days leading up to Christmas were filled with so much excitement. A fresh stack of greeting cards was placed in front of us on the night of Christmas eve, and by the next morning the cards were filled with warm wishes in our writing, ready to be given out with gift packages to all of our loved ones. I remember visiting the local bakery to order fresh, creamy, soft-sponge cakes, crispy chicken patties and marzipans. Then we’d go to the bazaar with our mother to pick out colourful fruit baskets, festive ornaments and a Christmas tree. One year we even found fake snow that came in a can and erupted like silly string. We wore new and sparkly clothes, just like we did on Eid holidays, and made our way to St. Anthony’s church for Christmas mass with our Christian caregivers. We’d sing along with all the hymns, walk up to the priests to get communion, and then zip back around using holy water to cross ourselves. There was nothing odd or other worldly about it. I remember looking around at the congregation and noticing that there were so many people in skirts and dresses in one setting in Pakistan. The sounds of heels clicking away on the glossy floors would echo against the stained glass windows. Women would reach into their glittering, sequined purses and pull out hand-held fans to cool their sweaty brows, while using wrinkled tissue paper to blot their melting, crimson lipstick. After Christmas mass, my siblings, caregivers and I would pile up into our pick-up truck and head straight to school to wish the nuns, and distribute gifts to the clergy.

Image: A letter from our Christian Pakistani family friends, Ms Theresa and Uncle Gaspar dated November 25th, 1994. This was the first letter they mailed over to our family after their migration to Canada. © Magsi Family Archives

Late Christmas nights were usually spent with family friends Uncle Gaspar and Ms. Theresa in their apartment. The elders gathered around bottles of secretly imported brandy, rum and wine, while us kids dashed to the dessert table ornamented with some of the world’s finest homemade toffee, fudge and cakes made by Ms.Theresa, who was not only my educator, but also very close with my mother. Today, like most other Christian people in our networks, many families have migrated to Canada, UK and USA for higher income opportunities, safety and religious freedom. Many of these migrations began in the 90s and year after year, our festive celebrations and get-togethers grew smaller with more and more Christian Pakistanis leaving the country on a permanent basis.

One of my closest paternal aunts is American with Nicaraguan roots. When she arrived in Pakistan from the USA to join our family, she brought with her many American holiday traditions that became the norm in our homes over Christmas time. Every December, Chachi (paternal aunt) Carmen opened her doors to all of the family’s children for tree decoration traditions, stuffed turkey with mashed potatoes and merrymaking.

Chinese and Pinoy foods were also a regular feature on our festive dinner tables. Our primary caregiver, Ate (older sister) Flordeliza Sauza introduced us to many foods from her motherland, such as, Pancit, Chicken Adobo and Siopao, which we greatly enjoyed especially over festive, winter holidays. Though Ate Liza, as we lovingly know her, identifies as Catholic, she seamlessly adopted many Muslim faith-based practices as well. She not only prayed with us on Fridays, but she also participated in Zikr (meditative chanting of the 99 names of Allah in Arabic). On Sundays, we went to church with her.

Image: Lighting candles at an Orthodox monastery in Milton, Ontario in memory of our deceased loved ones. © Mariam Magsi

After my marriage to a person from the Balkans, my own awareness and knowledge about Christmas has expanded. After all, we were primarily exposed to Catholicism in Pakistan. Though my husband converted to Islam and now identifies as Muslim, he was born in an Orthodox Christian family, and we have chosen to carry on many of the beautiful Christmas and Easter traditions he was raised with. January 7th is Orthodox Christmas. We usually start the day by making a trip to the monastery and light candles for our deceased loved ones in honour of their memory. Traditionally, on Orthodox Christmas eve, people place “badnjak” (oak tree branches) into a fire, but because this isn’t possible in urban households, a community center or monastery is usually designated for the ritual. Of the many food traditions I have observed and adopted from my beloved’s mother, one of my favourites is hiding coins, cloves and other items in bread to signify luck, wealth and health. The bread is baked fresh, and the entire family comes around the dinner table to break into it. Everyone receives a portion of the bread, usually with a symbolic item hidden inside that will signify the trajectory of the year pertaining to health and good fortune.

Image: My beloved, Gordan Sumanski and I, celebrating Catholic and Orthodox Christmas in our home in Toronto. © Mariam Magsi

Holidays Mubarak! Merry Christmas!

Image: Allah engraved in Arabic on wood, an Orthodox crucifix rosary from Egypt and a Turkish evil eye installed on the entrance wall of our home in Toronto. © Mariam Magsi

[pukhtunistan]

‎کہ دی سل چتہ محل وی پہ دنیا کے

Ka de sal chata mahal we pa dunia ke,

Even if you have a 100 story palace in the

world,

.‎قبرستان تہ د مکان پہ نظر گورہ

Qabristan ta da makan pa nazar gora.

Look at the graveyard like your home.

📸: Omer Khan

[pashto-literature]

کہ دی سل چتہ محل وی پہ دنیا کے

قبرستان تہ د مکان پہ نظر گورہ

Ka de sal chata mahal v pa dunia k,

Qabristan ta da makan pa nazar gora.

Even if you have a 100 story palace in the world,

Look at the graveyard like your home.

[nasiknews]

Christian cemetery - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

Christian cemetery – Newspaper – DAWN.COM

THE Christian cemetery in Karachi, popularly known as Gora Qabristan, was formally sanctified in 1845 in Abyssinia Lines. However, it existed prior to that, as a tombstone set in the wall near the main gate of the cemetery bears an inscription from 1843. Among the buried were the British and the Polish. Until World War II, the cemetery was in a barren area as there were no buildings between…

[mathswarriors]

#KARACHI #POLICE #MEDIA #CELL DATED: *07-July-2019* *From 0001 hrs to 2359 hrs* *SUMMARY* *CRIME AGAINST PERSON* *KILLED/INJURED* KILLED : Nil INJURED : 02 *Total Accused Arrested=40* *UNDER ARMS ACT* Accused arrested = 22 Pistols recovered = 21 *UNDER NARCOTICS ACT* Accused arrested = 10 Chars recovered = 4155gm Ice recovered = 400gm Wine Bottle recov = 13 bottle *Encounter= 01* *INJUERED* *1.MOMINABAD-PS* A lady Yasmeen w/o Khalid age 45 yrs, *2.QUAIDABAD-PS* Muhammad Idrees s/o Muhammad Shireen age 60yrs, *OTHER INCIDENTS* *1.SADDAR-PS* During Road Traffic Accident at Kala Pul near Gora Qabristan 1 Person expired and 6 injured namely, 1 Shakeelan w/o saeed age 35yrs (Expired) *INJURED* 1 Khan wali s/o sakhi Mast Shah age 60 year Injured 2 Ibrar hussain s/o Noor Muhammad age 46 year injured 3 Allah buksh s/o bhagio age 30 year injured 4 Muhammad Khan s/o Mohammad chuttal age 22yrs injured 5 rashid s/o Mohammad ashiq age 19yrs injured 6 sameena w/o Noor Hassan age 40yrs injured *POLICE PERFORMANCE* *1.DEFENCE-PS* During patrolling police arrested 02 Narcotics/suppliers namely, 1. Safder Khan s/o Meer Afsar Khan 2. Saeed Ahmed Jan s/o Noor-ud-Din and Chars 1260gm, and Ice 400gm recovered from them. *2.SIR SYED TOWN-PS* Police arrested four accused namely, 1. Waseemn s/o Huzoor Bux 2. Babar Ali s/o Sajjad Hussain 3. Naeem s/o Huzoor Bux 4. Akram s/o Jumma Khan and 4 TT pistol, Snatched M/Phones, one M/Cycle 125 Honda and 4 Auto Rickshaw recovered from them. *3.KARLI-PS* during patrolling police arrested three street criminals namely, 1. Majid@ Waleed S/o Muhammad Sharif 2. Uzair Ahmed S/o Allah Bux 3. Atif S/o Muhammad Iqbal and recovered three illegal pistols 30 bore with six rounds alive from their possession. *in additional* Snap Checking Actions against Fake / Fancy number plates. Total Vehicles Checked 15. Fancy / Number Plates removed 05. Green Number Plates removed 00. Police Number Plates Removed 00. Traffic Challan 05 *4.KH: AJMAIR NAGRI-PS* Police arrested two Motorcycle lifter namely, 1. Zeeshan s/o Shafique 2. Waqas s/o Iqbal and recovered M/Cycle No. KJW-1144 https://www.instagram.com/p/BzoL1j9BK9K/?igshid=1jw0mdisi8f15

[newspress-fan]

Church attack: Six of nine deceased laid to rest in Quetta

[ad_1] QUETTA: Final rites were carried out Monday for six of the nine people who lost their lives in the attack on Bethel Memorial Methodist Church a day earlier. The bodies were taken to Gora Qabristan in Quetta Cantonment for burial earlier in the day. The body of one of the remaining three deceased was sent to Lahore, while the final rites of the other two will be carried out Tuesday after…

[pakistantalkshow]

Church attack: Six of nine deceased laid to rest in Quetta | Pakistan

[ad_1] QUETTA: Final rites were carried out Monday for six of the nine people who lost their lives in the attack on Bethel Memorial Methodist Church a day earlier. The bodies were taken to Gora Qabristan in Quetta Cantonment for burial earlier in the day. The body of one of the remaining three deceased was sent to Lahore, while the final rites of the other two will be carried out Tuesday after…

[themeanblog-blog1]

Church attack: Six of nine deceased laid to rest in Quetta

Church attack: Six of nine deceased laid to rest in Quetta People attend burial services of Quetta blast victims. Photo: PPI

QUETTA: Final rites were carried out Monday for six of the nine people who lost their lives in attack on Bethel Memorial Methodist Church a day earlier.

The bodies were taken to Gora Qabristan in Quetta Cantonment for burial earlier in the day.

The body of one of the…

[brandsmagazinepakistan-blog]

Brands Magazine

http://monthlybrands.com.pk/sindh-govt-renames-karachis-civil-hospital-dr-ruth-pfau/

Sindh govt renames Karachi’s Civil Hospital after Dr Ruth Pfau

According to reports, the Government of Sindh has issued a notification renaming Civil Hospital to Dr Ruth K.M. Pfau “in recognition of [her] services in medical field rendered”.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the Chief Secretary to issue a notification.

Chief Minister Sindh issues directives to name Civil Hospital as “Dr Ruth K M Pfau Civil Hospital” in Karachi. Notification Issued Today. pic.twitter.com/u0aPgKez1r

— Broadcaster (@zulfqaralishah) August 19, 2017

The hospital will be renamed with an immediate effect.

Dr Pfau dedicated her lifetime fighting leprosy in the country. She was laid to rest at Karachi’s Gora Qabristan with full state honours on Saturday (19-08-17).

[dailysunnewspk-blog]

In Pictures: Last rites of Dr Ruth Pfau | Pakistan

In Pictures: Last rites of Dr Ruth Pfau | Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistan’s ‘Mother Teresa’ Dr Ruth Pfau, who dedicated a lifetime to fighting leprosy in the country, was laid to rest at Karachi’s Gora Qabristan with full state honours on Saturday. Her state funeral and burial rites, as captured on camera:  MALC staff members take a last look at Dr Ruth. Photo: Khawar Khan/Daily Sun News News MALC patients on funeral morning. Photo: Khawar Khan/Daily…

[pamirtimesblog]

London born writer and social worker Maureen Lines laid to rest in Peshawar

London born writer and social worker Maureen Lines laid to rest in Peshawar

Chitral: British writer, traveler and social worker Maureen Lines was laid to rest today in the Gora Qabristan, Peshawar. Born in North London, in 1937, Maureen spent her life traveling, writing and working in different parts of the world. She was the author of ‘Beyond The Northwest Frontier, The Kalasha People of South Western Pakistan, and Journey to Jalalabad. According to a profile found…

[thenewsdispatch-blog]

A veteran literature instructor Mrs Henderson passes away in Karachi

A veteran literature instructor Mrs Henderson passes away in Karachi

KARACHI: Mrs Yolande Henderson, a veteran English literature instructor at St. Patrick’s High School, passed away in Karachi on Saturday morning. She was 81 years old.

She moved to Karachi from Bombay, and started teaching in 1954. Yolande spent 34 years at St. Patrick’s, where she taught the likes of Rashid Minhas and Dr Iftikhar Salahuddin.

Mrs Henderson became headmistress of the St Patrick’s…

[dancinemaniac]

Gora Kabristan (literally, cemetery for the white) Lahore, pakistan

[newspress-fan]

Father Todd at his 94th birthday in Karachi – Courtesy fathertoddtribute.com

KARACHI: Father John Baptist Todd of St Patrick’s High School handed away on the age of 96 in town Monday.

His funeral service will likely be held on Wednesday at 3pm on the St Patrick’s Cathedral after which he will likely be laid to relaxation on the Gora Qabristan.

Born in 1921 in Karachi he was named George. He studied on the College of Bombay (pre-partition) and later joined the Order of Friars Minor and took the identify John Baptist. 

After he was ordained a priest, one of his first assignments was to show on the  St. Patrick’s High School and later served as Vice-Principal until his retirement in 2005. Whereas educating he additionally studied privately and bought a Bachelor of Arts after which a Masters diploma from the College of Karachi. 

He had additionally served at faculties in Hyderabad, Sukkur and Quetta. It was in Quetta the place Father Todd survived an assassination try, after which he was delivered to Karachi and was appointed because the assistant parish priest of St Anthony’s Church.

Source link

The post Father Todd of St Patrick?s High School passes away in Karachi appeared first on News Press.

[pakistantalkshow]

Father Todd of St Patrick’s High School passes away in Karachi | Pakistan

[ad_1] Father Todd at his 94th birthday in Karachi – Courtesy fathertoddtribute.com KARACHI: Father John Baptist Todd of St Patrick’s High School passed away at the age of 96 in the city Monday. His funeral service will be held on Wednesday at 3pm at the St Patrick’s Cathedral after which he will be laid to rest at the Gora Qabristan. Born in 1921 in Karachi he was named George. He studied at the…