Ghadeer - The Utopia on earth
By Sajid F Badar
The “313 Foundation” is a nonprofit organization aimed to undertake humanitarian projects that are not just related to feeding the homeless and provide medical attention to the needy but to empower the population by eliminating the poverty of ignorance caused by the distortion of knowledge and information, and replace it with clear message of the true religion of Islam. Our objective is to distinguish between the mainstream followers of the religion of Islam that the world has come to know - and the true Islam down to the granular level. Our effort is to engage the media, journalist, columnists, story tellers, teachers, professors, philosophers, academics, scientists, professionals and people from all walks of life, from any social, religious and economical background – to hear the message and relate what is relevant to them and reach out to us with more questions. In the end we assure that with a clear mind and honest judgment human being can find peace among each other by engaging in mutually respectful discourse that is rooted in knowledge and reason. We believe that human being can eliminate the endless disappointment and hopelessness the world has brought at every doorstep.
One of the projects that “313 Foundation” has initiated is the event of “Ghadeer – The Day of Hope” which was launched last year in New York. We believe that in the history of mankind human being has always designated certain days in their calendar to celebrate or commemorate a historical event that either enlightens the intellect or changes the direction the society was heading. In every instance the purpose is to remember the past and define the future. There is no day that is celebrated without any wisdom. The days that we commemorate or celebrate are recognized or given importance through the declaration of a holiday. A holiday is a day when all the normal activities are seized and the essence of that day is observed. Take the example of Martin Luther King Day; it’s a day when Martin Luther king was born. The essence of that day is to remember the human rights activist of the Civil rights movement who was assassinated while struggling to end racism, demand the civic and economic rights of the oppressed population of the society. Every year a day is designated in the Martin Luther King when all the mundane activities are halted and a realization start to set that force the intellect to inquire: Who is Martin Luther King? Why was he assassinated? What was his struggle? The chain of contemplation over these questions transcends the intellect to the reality of the remembrance of the person, his struggle and the event that transformed the personality into a symbol of freedom that is described in the infamous words “I have a dream”. Thus, a lesson of equality, tolerance and freedom is reinstated in the minds of the population.
The world as we witness today is the world that is seeping into darkness of atrocities where neither the basic rights of a human being are offered nor the value of life is given any importance. The indiscriminant killings in Yemen and Rohingia are two current examples of genocide that is happening on the face of the earth. The psychology of the general population is deeply affected by the hateful uprisings of the ultra-right societies, where every day is spent in fear and uncertainty. The population of the underdeveloped countries of this era is surrounded by poverty, exploitation, discrimination and genocide, and there is no apparent sign of relief, and the plight of the population of the developed countries is such that they are surrounded by discrimination, depression, narcotic addictions, domestic violence and the urge to engage in killing sprees. In this circumstance we at 313 Foundation is lighting the candle of hope in the rapid-spreading darkness of hopelessness. We want to demonstrate to the world that there is light beyond the dark cloud of oppression, the relief and salvations of human struggles is in the reach, but only if as human beings we unite against the oppression. We need to realize that no society can exist without a leader and the effect of leadership over the society is immediate, and based on that premise we must ask ourselves a question “is there such leadership that can remove the chains of atrocities and strengthen the society with the lofty principles of absolute Justice?” The answer to these questions has always been around but it got faded into the murkiness created by the propaganda machines of the dictatorial systems. With the aim of enlightening the people with the consciousness of their plight we want to shout to the world that the relief is around the corner, and all we need to do is open our eyes and inquire about a momentous event in history known as “Ghadeer”.
The event of Ghadeer defines the standards of a leader, identifies the attributes of such institute and its bearer, surfaces the merits of a leader, symbolizes the perfection of mankind, and raises the hand of a man that embodies all the qualities of a perfect leader – His name was “ALI”, our aim is for the world to know who is “ALI” and what is “Ghadeer”.
The “Day of Hope” is the day that is away from the mundane order of life, where we stop and realize that the hope of peace, the hope of freedom and the hope of justice do exist in the world. We want to gather on 16-Sept in Washington D.C. to light the candle of hope in the hearts of others so that the darkness in the hearts of human being that is devoid of hopes shines with the light of optimism for future under the leadership of a true leader who will emerge and give relief to the ailing humanity. We intend to celebrate - the announcement of a perfect leader and the declaration of the standards of leadership – through remembrance of the message of “Ghadeer”.
In addition to our annual program of Day of hope at 313 Foundation we are planning to launch an online portal to bring our community members closer through social, commercial and humanitarian interactions. The Shia portal is a mobile application that is designed with the essential purpose to provide the users with the tools and utilities to create their own profile with their key areas of expertise and skills and their requirements or offerings. The portal will align the needs of individuals of those who are offering services or products - free, concessional or otherwise – with the individuals who are in need of services and products for free or concessional terms or otherwise. The services can include medical, financial real estate, educational services and etc.
The “313 Foundation” is founded by a Shahid Hussain Baltistani who not only possess a wide range educational background with years of experience in corporate America as an IT consultant, but also he is a poet, reciter, composer and a writer. Over all Shahid Hussain is a visionary who has deep attachment and sense of responsibility to the school of Ahlul Bayt (as). The team that works with him is composed of a much selected individuals who has dedicate their time and resources to this organization as service to God and Man. It won’t be out of scope to say that this organization is operated by the funds collected from the hard earned salaries of Shahid Hussain and his team members.
