Ode to Life - A poem

Where do I begin?
For much have I heard and seen
I have seen them dream and
I have seen them believe in their dreams
I have heard them talk of new days 
and better ways
I have seen my campus flooded with
a thousand marching feet
I have seen hope in their eyes-
Belief and conviction-
and then have I seen their minds
being swayed by satanic fanaticism
I grew tired,
I grew tired of what I had to endure.

It was a long time ago
I remember well Mario
You had talked of stopping 
the machine
How do we stop the machine Mario
when we are the ones who're running it?
Listen mate, I have a plan-
Why don't we destroy the machine?
And if its the machine that matters
We will try and create one- anew
Yes! We believe, we can!
So, lets keep our flags of activism 
flying high
For it takes more than a regressive
system to crush our dreams.

And you Kashif, you know
how much do I remain indebted to you?
Hold my trembling hands brother
and then I want you to show me your
peeled out versions of life
and with that characteristic detachment
of yours, that you have made me grow
used to- I want you to say-
"The only inherent meaning of life
is that it has no meaning"
and then we might remember Bernard Shaw's
quote and try and give a meaning for ourselves-
Till then, Kashif, we will give away
to hallucinations and a thousand other crazy things-
and will I present an ode to my twenty years
of existence
To my twenty years of life-

Life I spent looking for a purpose
Life I smelt in the hair of my beloved
Life I smoked out with my cigarettes
Life I screamed in our slogans for change
Life I rode on a speeding bike over the highway,
feeling existential
Life I didnt give a fuck about

Oh Life!
Now that we've come together so far
and I don't know how far shall we go
why don't we then keep on going?
Let me find out if there are the same circles
or do I have newer ones awaiting me

Hey, Wait!
Or is it the end of the road?
Who knows!

So, lets come together for the last time
For the curtains might be dropped tonight

- By Riad Azam

Letter to the President of the Palestinian National Authority

Appeal for Unity of the Palestinian Resistance, from sisters and brothers in Aligarh Muslim University

To,

Mahmud Abbas,

President, Palestinian Authority (P.A.)



By the Grace of Almighty Allah, the people of Palestine and their Resistance have won twin victories in the past one month. While the besieged people of Gaza successfully countered the death-mail from Israel and forced them to a truce, the Palestinian cause gained further recognition at the United Nations. We congratulate Palestine on this twin victory.

Today, world opinion is also changing and people around the world are coming out to speak in favour of the Palestinian struggle. The realistic demands of the cause, that is, a viable State based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and the right of Palestinians to return being guaranteed, is being recognised the world over as the standard for a solution.

However, the thing that pains us most is the disunity and infighting within the Palestinian Resistance. Both Fatah and Hamas are legitimate representatives of Palestinian people and have repeatedly shown their commitment to the Palestinian Cause by their ceaseless struggle and sacrifice. Both are freedom fighters and have our support, respect and admiration. The present moment is the best to bridge the divide and come together for Palestine. Let the past be past, and the future with a Palestinian State our goal.

We cannot forget that Israeli missiles have not stopped destroying Palestinian homes, nor have the Zionist settlers stopped their theft of Palestinian land.


Therefore, in all humility we request the Palestinian factions to come together and strengthen the Resistance. We also request Mahmud Abbas, as President of the PA and leader of Fatah, to come forward and invite Hamas to form a National Unity Government so that the Struggle for a Palestinian State can be carried out with all the justice it deserves.

Report of the Programme on the issue of Palestine

The Aligarh Activists Society called for Unity and Reconciliation among the Palestinian parties Fatah and Hamas in a letter handed over to the Minister Counsel of Palestine in a function here in Kennedy Auditorium on Sunday.

The AAS had organised a Symposium on "Palestine: Occupation, War Crimes and Demand for Sovereignty". The Chief Guest was His Excellency Saleh Asad Saleh Muhammad, the Minister Counsel from Palestine Embassy.

The other speakers were Professor Mirza Asmer Beg, Department of Political Science and Dr. Arshi Khan, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science.

Prof. Beg spoke on the recent developments in Palestine. He stated that the present aim of Israel and its allies is to isolate Iran. Israel is aiming to divert the attention of the world towards other issues, while they make settlements on Palestine and try finishing it off completely.

Dr. Arshi Khan spoke on the historical background of the Palestinian crisis. He said, Israel was created illegally, with active support from Britain and its other allies. The issue of Palestine is not a Muslim-Jew issue,rather it is an issue of self-determination, the right of the Palestinian people to be governed by themselves.

The Chief Guest of the event, His Excellency, Saleh Asad Saleh Muhammad, Minister Counsel  Embassy of Palestine, stated that he was honoured to be at the Aligarh Muslim University. He said that the Indian Government has always been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. He opined that Palestine is an occupied territory  and the occupiers will have to leave it,sooner or later.

The AAS handed over a letter to His Excellency addressed to President of P.A. Mahmud Abbas in which they called for unity among the Palestinian resistance and urged Mahmud Abbas to invite Hamas for a National Unity Government so that the struggle for Palestine can be taken forward.