Speech from Mohammed Nafees Zakaria Minister High Commission for Pakistan about Kristiane’s book

Bismillah Ir-Rehman Nir-Rahim

Worthy Author of the Book Kristiane, Mr Lasharie, Distinguished Ladies & Gentlemen,

As-Salaam O’ Alaikum

I am immensely pleased to join you all at the launch of the Book ‘From MTV To Makkah’ written by the distinguished Author Kristiane Backer present here. I am grateful to Mr Lasharie and the organizers of the launch for their invitation and affording me an opportunity to express my views on the occasion.

I will recite a Verse from the Holy Quran and its translation in English, which relates to the context of this evening’s function:

Indeed, [O Muhammad SAW], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the rightly guided

As you all may be aware that Kristiane is 21^st Century’s converted Muslim. As revealed in the Verse I recited, Allah’s guidance comes in different manifestations to those whom He wills and it came to Kristiane. I think she is one lucky person among millions who receive divine inspiration and guidance. We can’t claim to be as lucky since most of us were born Muslims by virtue of our coming into existence in a Muslim family. But it does not mean that Allah’s guidance doesn’t come to the Believers. The manifestation of guidance for the Muslims is reflected in their deeds if those are in accordance with way of life and obligations prescribed in Quran and Sunnah.

Distinguished Audience!

Muslims’ conduct is a guarantee to the continued inspiration for those who are not born Muslims and may not be aware of the teachings of Islam.

I am sure that most of you may have the knowledge that Kristiane is a German, living in London and she converted to Islam at the pinnacle of her career in the show business. She was a renowned presenter with MTV. Amidst the glamorous life, Allah’s guidance that came to her was a Blessing which only fortunate people are bestowed upon. Not many can be proud to be that lucky enlightened ones and divinely inspired people.

So congratulations Kristiane for being a Blessed Person.

It is a matter of great pride for me to mention here that her conversion to Islam has relevance to my country Pakistan. Pakistan is a Blessed country itself, by virtue of the fact that it came into existence in the name of Islam and gained independence on 14 August 1947, which coincided with 27^th of Ramadan_ the most sacred of all the nights and termed as a night better than a thousand nights.

How we cashed-in on the blessing that was bestowed on the Pakistani nation is a separate topic and I would not dwell on it on this occasion.

We are here to discuss a Blessed lady’s creative thinking.

Kristiane’s Book is about the culmination of a journey in her life from a world that was shining with artificial and temporary glitter, as we believe, to the frontiers that open into a world which was mapped on a definitive divine path where the inspired ones would hold the rope_ The Quran, which describes the code of life, and pass unscathed to the way that leads to the ultimate of all the prizes one could ever wish for.

So, for all of us, hold the rope of the Almighty Allah tight and you will surely be guided.

Pakistan is currently facing a huge challenge of misperception being created through international media, making the international community see the country through the prism of extremism and security threat. Pakistan is world’s 5^th largest country, 2^nd largest Islamic State, a nuclear power, a cradle of ancient civilizations of Moenjodero, Harrappa and Gandhara, possessing cultural diversity which only a few countries in the world matching it and most strategically located in the Asian Sub-Continent. It would not be in the world’s interest to judge this country so myopically and characterise it as such.

Surely, Pakistan is not how it has been portrayed. Pakistan’s true reflections are how it has been presented in the descriptions such as Kristiane’s book ‘From MTV to Makkah’. I would not like to be seen as passing a sweeping statement that all in the Western Media follow an agenda aimed at maligning Pakistan. Like Kristiane, there are many others such as George Bernard Shaw claimed that Pakistan’s Northern areas to be some of nature’s best kept secrets, Peter Oborne, has written numerous articles to highlight the variety of colours that Pakistan possesses, Declan Walsh reminded people of unexplored treasures of natural beauty for the tourists, Caroline Jane wrote a number of blogs on the World Bank’s site about Pakistan’s cultural diversity in the country’s mega-Metropolis Karachi, etc.

I have read the book From MTV to Makkah, as much as I could, to make some genuine comments today. It’s a book worth reading, not because it presents Pakistan’s picture that may have come naturally to the Author as per her experience of the country and its people but because it has a message for those who are born Muslims and others who remain deprived of the opportunity or the inspiration and take their life for granted. The book admirably presents Islam’s true meaning towards many aspects of life and humanity and allays misperception created due to the lack of knowledge and understanding of Islam as a religion and as a code of life.

One thing I liked about the book is that it does not use the stereo type language with rhetoric against Pakistan and Muslims, which is oft- repeated by some in media and political circles who remain focused on creating a negative perception of both, driven by ulterior motives. The book just begins with how Kristiane has seen Pakistan, its people and understood Islam without preconceived notions and prejudice, which is appreciated.

Thank you Kristiane! for being fair. The book also points to the cultural aspects of Pakistani society, mainly influenced by the Islamic way of life and teachings of Islam. The book goes as deep as touching upon the aspects most of our people remain oblivious of and that is Sufism, Qawwali, and life in the areas blessed with the natural beauty located far from the madding crowd. Cleverly, the Author has left some threads untwined providing an elbow-room for more write-ups on the cultural aspects of Pakistan, which are confused as being an Islamic way of life. Women going to Mosques, is among the aspects that need clarification.

Distinguished Guests!

As the writer comes handy with her experience of the cultural values of both East and West, she has excellently compared the differences of the two societies while weighing and balancing the strengths and weaknesses of both.

While winding up, I wish her success in her new phase of enlightened life and pray that her pen gets more strength to create more such compilations, which may have messages of peace, harmony and respect for others, which are the basic teachings of Islam, Ameen.

Pakistan Paindabad

by Mohammed Nafees Zakaria Minister (Political) High Commission for Pakistan