First came the big horn-honking parade, with many floats, along Devon Avenue.
On Sunday afternoon, the street was aflutter with the national flag of Pakistan, dark green with a white bar, representing the country’s Muslim majority, as well as its respect for minorities. A crescent indicates progress. A five-pointed star represents light and knowledge.
Then came the Mela, a gala festival for more than 10,000 people in nearby Warren Park.
Some 40 vendors were selling everything from South Asian clothing to food, notably trays of grilled chicken; biryani, a meat-and-rice dish; and chappal kebabs, described as minced meat with chili and an egg, all deep-fried. There was also homemade ice cream.
“It’s like the 4th of July,” said Azam Mirza, the chairman of the committee that put together the hefty 88-page program for this year’s 16th Pakistan Independence Day Parade, an annual and growing event in the local Pakistani community.
“The story of why Pakistan came into existence–that’s what we want to tell the American people. It is especially important now that Pakistan is on the front lines, helping to deal with terrorism,” Mirza said, noting that the day had a more serious side.
What most Americans know about Pakistan, suggested Mirza, is “not misinformation. It’s no information.”
For many, Sunday’s events offered a quick course in the history of a homeland created for 80 million people of the Muslim faith after the separation of the Indian subcontinent from British colonial rule on August 14, 1947.
“Today is a day to pay tribute to the heroes of our independence struggle, to remember those who laid down their lives and suffered for the cause of freedom,” said Hammeedullah Khan, parade chairman. “Let us join hands to build a great community. Let us unite to solve our many problems. Let us pledge that we will uphold the value of religious tolerance–and not succumb to any prejudice, whether sectarian, regional or ethnic.”
These are not easy times, others noted.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, the local Pakistani community has been unsettled by what seem to be random arrests and deportations. On the other hand, this year’s parade and festival provided a chance to talk of individual success stories in business, the professions–and sports.
“We’re the only nursing home in North America with a specific program for South Asians,” said Shiva Singh Khalsa, community liaison for Lake Shore Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, 7200 N. Sheridan Rd.
Nearby, Taqiuddin Khan, the owner of Simple Hajj Islamic Information and Services, talked about organizing pilgrimages to Mecca.
In a field covered with picnickers, card-players and families, one of the livelier food tents was that mounted by the Bolingbrook Cricket Club, one of 10 teams in a Chicago cricket league that is of far more interest to local Pakistanis than anything happening in baseball.
“Oh, very good,” said Sohail Rahmani, when asked how his team was doing this season.
They’ve been winning most of their matches on the splendid cricket field recently set up in Bolingbrook, with the help of Talat Rashid, the city’s planning commissioner. And this summer, Rahmani noted, they’ll be playing in a tournament in Toronto.
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