Travel is an amazing thing. You meet people and hear things you may not experience in your comfort zone. Last week, I was in England attending a medical workshop. I met an older Pakistani physician who resided and practiced medicine in a relatively small town in the Lake District area for the last 40 years. (He was kind enough to take me after the conference for a 2-day tour of a stunningly beautiful lake-district area).
We discussed the mindset of Pakistani and immigrant diasporas in the UK and the USA. We talked about immigrants' dilemma of staying in a new country and their constant inner desire to move back to their home country. He said something which I have never heard. He said:
"I came to the UK 40 years ago. I am not a very practicing Muslim. I married a Scottish woman. I never pushed my kids to adopt any particular religion. But I never returned to Pakistan and made the UK my home because that's what I learned from the prophet Muhammad's life. Although Muhammad won Mecca, he had all the good reasons and means to return to Mecca. He stayed in Medina - his new home. He treated Medina as his home and created a model state known as riyasate Medina. This is a huge lesson for all immigrants that make your new country your home and deliver all your best to your new home".
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