Culture, Health & Society
“I fell in love with Zimbabwe”
Mohammed Rizwan
From the Diaspora
Z??b???? i? ?? ??e??l?n? ?n? I u?e? t? ?h??? ?? ?????ng? ?i?? ?? loc?? Z??b???e?? ????nd? ?ha? ??w?y? t?l? ???? ?ha? ???? ha? n? i?e? h?? f???na?? ???? ??? ?ha? Go? l??e? ???? ?ha? ?u??
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A view from Karachi, Pakistan n 2002, I came to Zimbabwe for business and from that very first day, I fell in love with the country. The peace and calmness of this beautiful country struck me mainly because I come from Karachi, Pakistan and unfortunately, the environment there and political situation is volatile. I must admit that during my first days in Zimbabwe, I felt lonely because I was missing my family as I had never been away from them in my life. But I soon realised the people around me had become my family, not only because of their affection and good deeds towards me, but also because of the way they related to each other. I used to see them sharing their lunch or other refreshments, showing great love between each other and because of that attitude; I never missed my homeland and religious atmosphere because Islam also teaches us to be kind to our fellow man. Sometimes I used to call my colleagues and discuss Zimbabwe and its history and when they saw my interest in their history, they were very excited to share with me the whole story and scenario behind the freedom campaign of Zimbabwe. They were so friendly and welcoming such that I used to go to their houses and dine with them. What amazed me was that despite being poor, they were delighted to share, something I found very touching. With regards to Zimbabweans, I would like to believe they are some of the best people in the world that I know.
The one amazing thing about them is that almost every one of them can read and write. Even housemaids have a 100 % literacy level; something I never thought was possible in an African country. Now I believe God gave Zimbabwe a lot of beauty and Zimbabweans should realise this. I love the lovely weather of Harare and the general greenery everywhere. I saw it even when I visited Vumba in Mutare and when I was making my way to the Victoria Falls. Zimbabwe is my dreamland and I used to share my feelings with my local Zimbabwean friends. l always told them that they had no idea how fortunate they are; that God loves them very much. I also love the religious harmony in Zimbabwe as I had the chance to personally experience it. The Pakistani community that lives in Zimbabwe used to respect Zimbabweans’ holidays like Christmas and Easter a nd I received the same respect when we celebrated our Eid festival after Ramadan and Zimbabweans knew very well about Ramadan and they know this is Muslims’ fasting month so they made sure they never ate in front of me during that time. For me, it was such a refreshing experience that up to this day, I am proud I chose to spend nearly a decade of my professional life in Zimbabwe and the friendliness and sense of community that Zimbabweans have is truly a gift from the Almighty God. Yes, the political and economic situation was not so good at times but Zimbabweans remained a peace loving lot who respect their rulers and I pray to God to be with this lovely and gentle nation forever. TP February 2013
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