PHOTO: screengrab
Edhi will be remembered for many things; his selflessness, his humility, and above all his charitable work across Pakistan. Let us remember all the ways Edhi made us more human; never to forget what he really wanted from us. Let us keep Edhi alive.
Never forget orphans
Every orphaned and abandoned child has a home with Edhi. Distressed by the number of infant corpses he came across in the early days of his work, Edhi founded the baby cradles adoption service.
Today, every centre of the foundation bears a large cradle bearing the inscription: “Do not kill innocent babies, leave them in our cradle”.
Respect the dead
Edhi Foundation has one of largest networks for the burial of dead bodies or unclaimed coffins. Graveyards have been established in various cities across Pakistan — such as Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. There is one even in New York, USA.
The Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth which is the largest in Karachi, receives an average of 10 bodies a day. Had it not been for Edhi, these bodies would remain on the streets.
Think beyond borders
We all know Geeta’s story. The Edhi foundation looked after Geeta, the hearing and speech-impaired girl from India who had been stranded in Pakistan for the 13 years. After learning that Geeta was an Indian citizen, the Edhi foundation left no stone unturned to locate Geeta’s family in India.
Further, Edhi's organisation was instrumental in caring for the injured and the dead from the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in 1986, in Karachi.
He reportedly stood with a team of 64 ambulances during the massacre and his team dodged bullets to pick up fatalities. It is said that Edhi himself carried the remains of Indian airhostess Neerja Bhanot, who was believed to be contributory in the rescue of remaining lives.
Think beyond religion
Edhi was was a messiah to all religious and ethnic communities in Pakistan. His motto: “My religion is humanitarianism, which is the basis of every religion in the world.”
Here's another quote that encapsulates his feelings towards people who constantly questioned his motives: “So, many years later there were many who still complained and questioned, ‘Why must you pick up Christians and Hindus in your ambulance?’ And I was saying, ‘Because the ambulance is more Muslim than you’.”
Think beyond accolades
Fame, awards, recognition didn’t matter to Edhi. Asked whether or not he deserves the Nobel prize nomination, he told The Express Tribune: “I don’t care about it. The Nobel prize doesn’t mean anything to me. I want these people, I want humanity.”
Respect animals
His compassion was not limited to the human race. Edhi’s heart went out to animals as well. The Edhi foundation set up a shelter for animals who were crippled or tortured by their owners. The animals are treated and looked after by veterinary doctors and volunteer staff posted at the Super Highway, Karachi. Another such facility has also opened in Korangi, Karachi.
Never quit
Yes, the man never quit. Edhi, created a charitable empire out of nothing. Talking to The Express Tribune about whether he ever thought of quitting throughout his journey, he said, "I never thought about it. It was my destiny, my cause, my intention, so I kept going.”
Stay humble
Edhi is the epitome of humility. The great man had no room for ego. Content with just two sets of clothes, he slept in a windowless room attached to his office. Sparsely equipped: it has just one bed, a sink and a hotplate.
“He never established a home for his own children,” says his wife Bilquis, who manages the foundation’s homes for women and children.
'Give, but give until it hurts'
Edhi began giving when he was only a child. Belonging to a Memon family, the habit of helping the poor was instilled in him by his mother. When he was a child, she would hand out two paisas to him every day, making sure that he spent one paisa on deserving people. That same child never stopped giving; he devoted more than 60 years of his life giving all he had to humanity.
Lastly, let the ambulance pass
The next time you see an ambulance, let it pass and let it remind you of everything Abdul Sattar Edhi stood for.
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