Today September 6, 2015 when I am typing these words, I can hear the Pakistan’s air force jets roar in the skies of Islamabad, I can hear the television shows celebrating 50th anniversary of the defense day. The sounds of national songs, talks that television presenters are having with brave soldiers of Pakistan and parents of martyrs makes one feel emotional and confident at the same time as a Pakistani. These talks praise the bravery and valor of Pakistani soldiers who faced an enemy many times bigger in strength on September 6, 1965 through September 17, 1965. No doubt the soldiers fighting on the fronts in way of harm and death were brave and courageous; it takes lot of courage to leave the comfort of one’s home and company of loved ones to fight for defense and honor of his country and countrymen. Same must be the feeling on the other side of the border for their soldiers and for their martyrs and undoubtedly many amongst them would have fought and laid down their lives with bravery for cause of their country. But on this day when two nations are busy celebrating and praising their forces and its men and women, I also remember January 7, 2014 when humanity met its undisputed, unarmed, untrained young martyr the one and only Aitzaz Hassan (1997 – January 7, 2014) (Sitara E Jurrat).
The Aitzaz Hassan, the young brave soul who laid his life on January 7, 2014 at the age of 15 years while saving as many as nearly 2000 other lives and families. The act of this young brave martyr was selfless to the point that when the moment came to decide whether to run and save his own life or confront the certain death and save many other innocent young school children, he chose and willingly decided to embrace his own death by saving many others. Soldiers are trained and they fight their battles with guns and weapons in a battlefield under a command of a commander and follow the orders, they have brothers in arms to talk to and share the pain of atrocities of a war, but for young Aitzaz Hassan fate had chosen a battlefield where he was supposed to get his education and work hard for his better future. A battlefield where all of his companions were armed with pens and school bags, and would never have imagined a real war. The young martyr acted as a one man army, him being the commander, him being the soldier and with no one else to share his burden and talk to, this young brave soul took the decision to confront a suicide bomber armed with suicide vest with his bare hands and without the safety of a protection gear. As soon as Aitzaz realized and identified a certain threat and death approaching his school and school mates, he took the decision no matter what, today this cowardice is not going to reach my school, my schoolmates, he must have thought and imagined at that moment his schoolmates and teachers being blown to pieces, walls of his school painted with innocent blood, the smell of gun powder and munition in the air, and the ultimate decision proven by his actions would have been “Not on my watch, not at the cost of my life, no innocent dies at the hands of a coward today”. Imagine how many civilians of his age would have had acted in such manner or how many at his age get to decide fate of their own life and death? He not only confronted the cowardly suicide bomber but also made sure that he does not reach the sacred walls of his school. The one young man army, commander in chief of his will, a born brave soldier laid his life when the suicide bomber out of his frustration of not reaching his aim, detonated the vest.
Aitzaz Hassan’s sacrifice carries many colors, from strong will to a conscious full of care for humanity. His action is full of a struggle at one end and unmatched courage at the other hand, many soldiers can show these attributes but what distinguishes Aitzaz is he laid his life for humanity, he showed a character that is very tall and strong for an age of 15 years. Soldiers die fighting for their countries and in their fight they may decide to kill another human an enemy, I don’t blame them for that, they have to they don’t have any other choice, but how many get to save humanity at the same time and without having the blood of his enemy at his hands? That is what Aitzaz Hassan did. The savior of humanity and destroyer of a cowardly thought.
I salute you Aitzaz Hassan for, when many like me would have run for our lives, you stood your ground, when a person like me would have gone hysteric, you held your composure and took a brave decision, when my brain would have gone numb and my only thought would have been why did fate brought me this destruction, you showed the fate it would have been none other better than you, you embraced the consequences with open arms, you thought of saving humanity and forgot your own self for that.
I cannot thank you enough for your selfless act, but I can say this with surety today if we sleep sound and feel confident, it is because we know it’s not our soldiers only to defend us but our schools have Aitzaz Hassan to look after our children and if fate wants he is there to lay his life for our children. May ALLAH bless your soul and may you be designated at higher place and rank in Firdous, no other earthly reward can match your act of selfless brave sacrifice and determination for saving humanity. Ameen.
@Indus Falcon @syedali73 @WAJsal @fakhre mirpur @Akheilos
The Aitzaz Hassan, the young brave soul who laid his life on January 7, 2014 at the age of 15 years while saving as many as nearly 2000 other lives and families. The act of this young brave martyr was selfless to the point that when the moment came to decide whether to run and save his own life or confront the certain death and save many other innocent young school children, he chose and willingly decided to embrace his own death by saving many others. Soldiers are trained and they fight their battles with guns and weapons in a battlefield under a command of a commander and follow the orders, they have brothers in arms to talk to and share the pain of atrocities of a war, but for young Aitzaz Hassan fate had chosen a battlefield where he was supposed to get his education and work hard for his better future. A battlefield where all of his companions were armed with pens and school bags, and would never have imagined a real war. The young martyr acted as a one man army, him being the commander, him being the soldier and with no one else to share his burden and talk to, this young brave soul took the decision to confront a suicide bomber armed with suicide vest with his bare hands and without the safety of a protection gear. As soon as Aitzaz realized and identified a certain threat and death approaching his school and school mates, he took the decision no matter what, today this cowardice is not going to reach my school, my schoolmates, he must have thought and imagined at that moment his schoolmates and teachers being blown to pieces, walls of his school painted with innocent blood, the smell of gun powder and munition in the air, and the ultimate decision proven by his actions would have been “Not on my watch, not at the cost of my life, no innocent dies at the hands of a coward today”. Imagine how many civilians of his age would have had acted in such manner or how many at his age get to decide fate of their own life and death? He not only confronted the cowardly suicide bomber but also made sure that he does not reach the sacred walls of his school. The one young man army, commander in chief of his will, a born brave soldier laid his life when the suicide bomber out of his frustration of not reaching his aim, detonated the vest.
Aitzaz Hassan’s sacrifice carries many colors, from strong will to a conscious full of care for humanity. His action is full of a struggle at one end and unmatched courage at the other hand, many soldiers can show these attributes but what distinguishes Aitzaz is he laid his life for humanity, he showed a character that is very tall and strong for an age of 15 years. Soldiers die fighting for their countries and in their fight they may decide to kill another human an enemy, I don’t blame them for that, they have to they don’t have any other choice, but how many get to save humanity at the same time and without having the blood of his enemy at his hands? That is what Aitzaz Hassan did. The savior of humanity and destroyer of a cowardly thought.
I salute you Aitzaz Hassan for, when many like me would have run for our lives, you stood your ground, when a person like me would have gone hysteric, you held your composure and took a brave decision, when my brain would have gone numb and my only thought would have been why did fate brought me this destruction, you showed the fate it would have been none other better than you, you embraced the consequences with open arms, you thought of saving humanity and forgot your own self for that.
I cannot thank you enough for your selfless act, but I can say this with surety today if we sleep sound and feel confident, it is because we know it’s not our soldiers only to defend us but our schools have Aitzaz Hassan to look after our children and if fate wants he is there to lay his life for our children. May ALLAH bless your soul and may you be designated at higher place and rank in Firdous, no other earthly reward can match your act of selfless brave sacrifice and determination for saving humanity. Ameen.
@Indus Falcon @syedali73 @WAJsal @fakhre mirpur @Akheilos