Raana Akbar, M.D., Editor EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Officers 4121 Fairview Ave., Downers Grove, IL 60515; Tele: 708/968-8585 or Fax #: 708/968-8677 President Mushtaq A. Khan, M.D. VOLUME I NUMBER 2 Office: 1815) 7-26-6611 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1991 Home: (708) 323-3564 President-Elect PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Parvez I. Shah, M.D. Office: (301) 490-0500 Dear Members: Assalam Alaikum! one. The APPNA "12th International Home: (301) 384-9203 Secretary Health Conference" will take place M. Khalid Riaz, M.D. This summer again has seen the on December 17, 18, 19, 1991 in Office: 1708) 931-4200 Home: 1708) 382-4667 celebration of Pakistan Independence Day Rawalpindi/Islamabad, arrangements Treasurer in various cities of North America. The are progressing well. In the previous M. M. Hague, M.D. Office: (708) 323-5800 enthusiasm for this occasion has been Newsletter registration form and a call Home: (708) 986-8212 contagious. The festivities have included for abstracts were mailed to the Immediate Past-President Arif M. Muslim, M.D. parades, rallies and various functions in membership. If you have not responded Office: (914) 562-0740 Home: (914) 565-3266 which many dignitaries took part. yet, please take a moment to make Alumni Association Concerted community efforts of several arrangements as soon as possible. Presidents years bore fruits in Chicago where a portion Azizur R. Arain, M.D. (Dow) of popular Devon Street was renamed The APPNA Central Office is equipped Office: (708) 971-3323 Bushra QuresM; M.D. Mohammad Ali Jinnah Way. with a fax machine, APPNA membership (Fatima )innah) Congratulations! Office: (416) 461-9471 is not fully utilizing this amazing Shahid I. Mufti, M.D. technology. The Central Office is only (Khyber) Office: (618) 382-4671 A delegation of APPNA met with a open eight hours a day, sometimes M. Mushtaq Sharif, M.D. delegation of Pakistani dignitaries, headed the telephone lines are busy or hooked (King Edward) Office: 1708) 682-0780 by Mr. Ghulam Haider Wyne, Chief Minister up to the answering machine. But, the Amanuallah Khan Pathan, M.D. of Punjab, on Friday, August 23, 1991 in (Liaquat) fax can be used 24 hours a day! So Office: (6181 397-8343 Chicago. This was a great opportunity to next time instead of calling the Central Shaukat H. Khan, M.D. (Nishtar) introduce APPNA its aims and objectives Office by phone, just fax your message Office: (215) 826-4420 and some of its current activities especially to: 708/968-8677. Councilors at Large Shaista A. Syed, M.D. APPNA SEHAT. A presentation for Post- Region 1 Office: 1416) 665-1641 Graduate Medical Education in Pakistan Many APPNA Chapters are holding Syed Noor Zaman, M.D. was made. The need for development of a meetings, new chapters are in the Region 2 Office: (315) 424-0790 mechanism to facilitate APPNA donations formative stage. If you need any Manzoor Hussain, M.D. to Pakistan was also stressed. information the Central Office will be Region 3 Office: (708) 891-2181 happy to provide it. Keep everyone S. Latafat Husain Hamzavi, M.D. Region 4 I am happy to report that newly appointed informed. Please send the reports of Office: (313) 985-4411 committees are busy working hard. A list your chapter/region activities to the Abdul Rauf, M.D. Region 5 of the various committee chairpersons Central Office. Office: (202) 483-4728 was included in the July/August Newsletter. Parvaiz A. Malik, M.D. Region 6 These committees are looking for new Hope to see you soon. With best Office: (609) 585-0044 wishes. M. Aslam Malik, M.D. ideas. Your enthusiastic support and input Region 7 will improve their performance. The next Mushtaq A. Khan, M. D. Office: 0117) 921-1444 Durdana Gilani, M.D. Executive Council meeting is scheduled Region 8 to meet in Toronto, Canada, from October Office: (818) 796.43173 The APPNA Newsletter is published BOARD OF TRUSTEES 4 to 6, 1991.As usual the meeting is open bi-monthly, six issues per volume, one M. Zafar Mahmud, M.D. to all. The Local Chapter is working very M. lshaq Chishti, M.D. per year. lhsan Ul Haq, M.D. volume S. Amjad Hussain, M.D. hard to make the meeting a memorable lamal Khan, M.D. EDITOR'S NOTE Some of us wore a Chador or even a Burqa, some of us what was accepted in our society at that time. In Karachi totally dispensed with the Dupatta. Some of us wore perhaps mixed dancing was more acceptable than it topis, grew beards, had their shalwars or pajamas a was in Lahore. In either casetolerance was still exhibited, careful one inch above the ankle, some of us sauntered the people who were dancing were not booed off the out in skintight jeans with the shirt buttons open to the floor. Lack of participation caused the dancing to gradually waist (some of us still do!!). Some of us dated, some of stop. us did not even talk to the opposite sex. In our diversity, Let us accept that there will be some families in our we all lived together, learned together, tolerating each milieu who will give permission to their children to dance other's idiosyncrasies. It was not as if Islam was in and there will be some families who will not let their danger! - as we used to say it then, in the vernacular. children dance. We are a democratic institution. The I do remember a particular time - it was perhaps in pervasive attitude should win. More importantly nobody 1973-1974 - a contingent of students from Dow Medical should let it become personal. This is a healthy dialogue, College had visited K.E.M.C. A dinner was given, the it should continue. Let there be no bitterness. Dancing entertainment programme ensued. Suddenly - and in should not discourage the members to keep away from Lahore it seemed shockingly some of the Dow students the meetings nor should the meetings become so straight started dancing. We looked on bemused. Perhaps there laced that our younger generation will refuse to attend. were only three or four couples but that was more than A long time ago the Sufi-ai-ikram of the Indo-Pakistan enough! And then lo and behold some of the K.E. girls subcontinent were faced with a comparable dilemma, in were approached - "Miss would you please do us the a similarly antagonistic environment. Like them we have honor!" - and we sat glued to our chairs (the dancing to seek a happy medium. The ulema still deride Qawali, became sporadic and then petered out). Sanity prevailed. however this was the familiar form with which some of Islam was never exposed to danger. our forefathers found adherence to Islam easier. I think both groups of children that we were then, did LEITERS TO THE EDITOR Statements appearing here are those of the writers and do not represent the official position of APPNA or its committees. Comments on any topic are invited from all members. The editors reserve the right to publish replies and may solicit responses. Letters must be signed and should be submitted in duplicate, double spaced with the name and address of the author (s) on the letter. Please send to Raana Akbar, M.D., Editor - APPNA Newsletter, 4701 Towne Center, Suite 303- 304, Saginaw, Ml 48604. SUMMER MEETING - DISCO DANCING activities at all our meetings. If it is correct that the vast & CAPPNA majority of parents do not allow their children to participate in coed dancing and other such activities, then it should be clearly established that it would also not be sanctioned To the Editor: by APPNA. The organization is nothing more than a For the last two years, APPNA has been organizing representation of the collective voices of its members. very active youth programs at our annual summer Nobody can legislate morality -- this is true! However, meetings. Unfortunately, some of the "happenings" at we do have a definite duty and responsibility to help the these youth gatherings have led to a lot of criticism and youth make their decisions. We cannot and should not unhappiness amongst a significant number of our officially sanction it nor can we unofficially allow it by membership. While it is unquestioned that we need an looking the other way. I am sure you are all familiar with attractive and inspiring program for the youth at our the saying of our Blessed Prophet, "if you see a wrong annual meetings, we must also be aware of and respect being committed, you should stop it with your hand. If our Islamic faith and cultural heritage. you don't have the power to do so, then stop it with your It is confirmed that at the Washington, DC meeting last tongue. The weakest acceptable man would be to year and again in Chicago this summer, the Youth denounce it in your heart and say it is wrong." Banquet was followed by a coed dance. Some members An argument has been put forth that it is hypocritical for of the youth reported that there were "outside teenagers the adults to prohibit mixed dancing for the youth while and young adults who infiltrated the APPNA meeting" the adults themselves enjoy a musical program in which and this was done at the request of some "interested" they will participate in an on-stage dance. I am not sure APPNA youth who invited these outsiders failing to get that the two situations are analogous. At the main a strong support for this type of activity from within the banquet nobody dances with a member of the opposite APPNA youths.