Random thoughts
by Dr. A. Q. Khan

In my school days we used to read classical Urdu stories by writers like Deputy Nazir Ahmad and Maulvi Muhammad Ismail Meruthi. One interesting story was about mice and a cat. This particular cat was terrorising the mice, every now and then catching and eating one of them. The mice called a meeting to find a solution. One of them suggested that they put a bell around the neck of the cat so that its whereabouts would be known and they could run to safety. An old mouse then quietly enquired as to who would volunteer to do the job. Pin-drop silence ensued and there were no volunteers. There then followed the sound of the cat approaching and they all ran to safety. The present political situation and the actions of those in power remind me of this old story and I wonder if someone will have the courage to bell the cat.
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Random thoughts
By Dr A Q Khan

“To err is human; to forgive divine.” A blunder of devastating consequences was the murder of Genghis Khan’s messengers and Chinese Muslim traders by the Governor of Utrar, brother-in-law of Alauddin Khwarizm Shah. It ultimately resulted in the complete destruction of all the Islamic countries of Central Asia, the murder of more than a million Muslims and the razing of many famous cities to rubble.

In more recent times we see the sons of Shah Jahan fighting for succession to the throne. Dara Shikoh made the mistake of dismounting from his elephant and riding a horse. Not seeing him upon the elephant, his army thought he had been killed, lost hope and gave up the fight. Dara Shikoh was arrested, blinded and brutally murdered by Aurangzeb.
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