Social, cultural and religious events are extremely important to protect and promote the identity of the people, community and the country. The environment and system in Canada provides best opportunities to all to express themselves in the manner they desire. This helps in better understanding of the communities and infusion of the spirit to live and work together with respect and tolerance. The result is richness of the society. This is the secret of Canada’s good image.

Qazi Bashiruddin, a renowned religious and social personality of the community, based in Hamilton, is vigorously active in promoting his message and work. He is busy in serving the people despite his very old age and feebleness. He needs to be encouraged and supported.

Karachi has had its taste of classical music recently. The beginning of February was marred with music performances in the city. The 2nd All Pakistan Music Conference just ended with giant classic figures from across the country performing for three days at a stretch. Then concerts by both pop and classical singers have been more frequent than ever with the start of this year. Abida Parveen also performed last week in the city for a Jashan-e-Baharan event and then there was a mega concert of Pakistani pop singers as a part of the Expo 2005 organized by the Export Promotion Bureau. Seems that now security threats are less cared about than ever and the local audience is open to come out and experience the joy of listening to live singers. Or rather to just see the musicians performing. Though, not as a part of any of the discussed events, Ustad Shahid Parvez, a prominent and international name in sitar playing, visited and performed at the French cultural center, Alliance Francaise last night. The audience was thoroughly engaged in the performance, which went on for about two hours without any break. The performer had a unique way of keeping the listeners enchanted via his sitar tunes.

Pakistan’s Sufi queen Abida Parveen said she will perform a concert in Bombay to boost peace efforts between India and Pakistan.

“Music knows no boundaries,” said Parveen, known for her musical renderings of Urdu poets such as Aamir Khusro, Kabeer and Bulesha.

“I’m happy I will be performing in this city for the first time and pass on the message of peace to my Indian brothers and sisters.”

“If a person stands on the border of India and sings, then no way his voice can be stopped from travelling into Pakistan.”

When the late legendary qawwali master Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan first sang in the United States, his concerts weren’t so different from those he performed in his native Pakistan.

With ecstatic and hypnotic improvised songs based in the ancient poetry of Sufism, the mystic tradition of Islam, Khan electrified audiences for up to five hours. He died in 1997 at the age of 49.

“We had to start cutting performances shorter for people who don’t understand the languages of the music (Farsi, Urdu and Punjabi),” said Rachid Din, who was Khan’s manager and now works with the next generation in Qawwali: Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali.