Eid was a quiet affair in the Capital. Chand Raat saw a lot of cars on the roads. However, the usual excitement and exuberance was missing. Police was visible everywhere. The Ramazan's blessed conclusion was welcomed by all and sundry but the Eid didn't have the familiar verve and flair.
The funniest episode was the announcement of Eid by the Chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. The Maulana kept on going with his prologue for ten minutes keeping everyone on tenter hooks and with bated breath. Some things obviously never change.
Eid day commenced with participation in a memorial service organised by SHARP and some other organisations for the Margalla and quake victims. I could feel a lump in my throat as did everyone else present there. It was an emotional gathering with everyone penning down the messages on the bill board put up for the purpose along with signing it.
The programme was organised in the memory of earthquake victims at the rubbles of Margalla Tower to pay homage and offer Dua. Prayers were said and flowers were placed at the rubble lying around the collapsed tower, where some people are still reportedly missing. A goodly gathering of people participated and placed flowers as a token of respect to all those who lost their lives in the natural disaster.
Aao milkar bantain un ka dukh
Jin ka lut gia sara sukh
Art of Living Foundation had organised an Eid Milan gathering with the Kashmiris at their camp in Balakot. Thirty people from Isloo comprising volunteers, tourists and members undertook the journey in a couple of coasters. People that had gone there said that it was very depressing to see the devastation. The Kashmiris welcomed the visitors and shared their meal with them. The Art of Living (AoL) had invited other civil society organisations, international NGOs and the military for the event.
The AoL is also arranging Dianetics course regularly. Dianetics and its simple techniques help a person overcome insecurities, negative thoughts, depression and irrational behaviour. Dianetics is what the soul is doing to the body through the mind. Dianetics spiritual healing technology can help alleviate such ailments as unwanted sensations and emotions, irrational fears and psychosomatic illnesses (illness caused or aggravated by mental stress).

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A number of private sector organisations, NGOs and CDA distributed toys and gifts among the children. Grief and pain was visible on the faces of the quake victims. Eid was not celebrated with the traditional and religious fervour and no relatives visited each other. However, relief activities continued unabated during Eid with tents and blankets airlifted to the affected areas.
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Alliance Francaise held a theatrical concert titled, 'The Mysterious Voyage' at the Islamabad Club auditorium to mark the centenary death anniversary of Jules Verne (1828-1905), French writer and pioneer of science fiction, whose best known works are Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870) and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873).
Jean Claude Meurisse with Joel Robine and Charlie Venturini have created and directed the concert which is part of the International Tour "Bon Baisers de Jules Verne' (With Love from Jules Verne).
Three French artists decided to embark upon an adventure around the world, Ia Jules Verne.
Their travel around the world through the Alliance Francaise network has enabled students to enjoy various activities and to benefit from theatre workshops and creative writing competition.
The experience encountered by the group during their travel on the theme Voyage and Love has been maintained on a website.
The musical performance, 'The Mysterious Voyage' is a veritable adventure in music from ballads to jazz, to boogie, to rock and classical airs, all passing through traditional a capella music.
Jules Verne's writing is certainly an adventure in geography, but it also reveals the personalities and mysterious inner lives of his characters. The songs are preceded by texts that introduce them. The adults and children alike were interested in the performance.
Jean-Claude Meurisse, composer, performed on the piano and, through song, brought to life voyage through love and time.
Charly Venturini, actor and director was responsible for lighting effects and the reading of some passages.
An organisation 'Scream' headed by Umair Khan communicated via e-mail that "Spare a scream for the 100,000 dead and 3 million homeless, muted out of world media.
"Unmourned by the news media, unmarked by the world, Friday November 4 was the 4-week anniversary of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Pakistan, India and Kashmir. An estimated 100,000 have been killed and over 3 million made homeless, at least another 100,000 are in high peril as winter rolls down from nearby K-2. If they perish, they would surely have been suffocated by the silent air waves."
"For the 3 million homeless the bell tolls noiselessly. Beyond Pakistan's national news media, their coverage is a silent movie playing out on inside pages (if at all).
Another few weeks of radio, print and TV silence and the region will become as quiet and stone cold as the news media. The news folks, whose attention to the tragedy has declined as swiftly as the deaths have mounted may finally get to report a "frozen" death toll with the winter wiping out the survivors."
"Intense and swift and whole hearted as the response has been among the compassionate and the aware, it has been far too noiseless. For Pakistanis, for Kashmiris, for South Asians, for Asians, or humans and for humanity everywhere, this is not the time for whispered tears, silent if ardent prayers, mumbled grumblings, and soundless e-mails."
"This is the time to scream..."
"Not in despair, or panic, or anger. But in recognition and in resonance. Not just a metaphorical scream but a real one: close your eyes, clasp your hands in front of you, focus on the unheard scream of a victim, then exhale a loud Aaaaaaaaaaah till you have no breath left. Smile at the absurdity or cry in relief."
It is recommended to do this at home, at work, in public places, at non silent vigils you hold, during commemorative moments of non-silence that you declare, and at rallies you help organise (preferably in front of news media offices).
And when others (colleagues, friends, family, schoolmates, neighbours, bystanders, celebrities, talk radio hosts, politicians, and journalists) see and hear this, and ask for a reason then tell them about the screams of the homeless and how to stop them.