Thank you to the Pakistan Cultural Garden for their support of this site.
In 2016 a group of like-minded Pakistanis came together and realized that Pakistan Cultural Garden would be a unique opportunity to represent their country, and the mostly fun-loving and hard-working people of Pakistan.
Watch the video from the groundbreaking ceremony for the Pakistan Cultural Garden in Cleveland of the Pakistan national anthem performed on flute by Rayyah, daughter of Raheil and Sobia Rashid.
The Pakistani community participated in the 78th annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. The Pakistani community participated in the Parade of Flags which had 1500 people from over 53 countries.
Pakistani community in Parade of Flags at 2024 One World Day
After the Parade, they hosted visitors in their Garden.
The 2024 Cleveland Asian Festival was a rousing success. Almost 50,000 people attended the annual 2 day festival that included performances, food, cultural displays, health screenings, games, kids and family activities and more.
Asia Plaza roof shot of crowd at Cleveland Asian Festival
There were traditional and modern performances on two stages. There was something for everyone. Younger people really liked the Asian Pop Dance Competition. Plenty of martial arts on the second stage. And so on.
At the 77th annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens the Pakistani community celebrated the 76th anniversary of Pakistan Independence (August 14, 1047) from Great Britain. The ceremony took place in the Pakistani Cultural Garden, one of 35 or so heritage gardens in Cleveland Ohio.
This was the ceremonial raising of the flag of Pakistan in the garden for the first time by the Hon. Tariq Karim, Consul General of Pakistan from Chicago and Malka Khan, President of the Pakistani Cultural Garden.
The Pakistani community participated in the 77th annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. Over 50,000 people visited the gardens on One World Day 2023. The Pakistani community participated in the Parade of Flags which had 1500 people from over 53 countries.
Pakistani community in Parade of Flags at One World Day
You may have seen the construction on the site of the Pakistani Cultural Garden on MLK Blvd.
According to Pakistani Garden leader Qaisra Haider they are planning an official sign ceremony in early August (August 12?)
The construction you see is for Phase 2 of the garden which will be very exciting. Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th largest in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab, where it is the largest city.
In the middle of an urban park is the Minar E Pakistan (Tower of Pakistan) which is considered the national emblem of Pakistan.
A replica of Minar E Pakistan is in the works for Phase 2 of the Pakistani Cultural Garden. Stay tuned.
Welcome to our new Pakistani Ambassador Qaisra Haider
Ambassadors to ClevelandPeople.Com are individuals who are outstanding representatives of their culture and heritage. They have demonstrated great dedication to the advancement of their own community and to the greater good of honoring and celebrating other ethnic groups and communities to make our city and region more vibrant.
We are honored to have Qaisra Haider join us as an Ambassador to the Pakistani. Qaisra has been a very active volunteer with numerous organizations. She is on the board and a key leader in the Pakistani Cultural Garden. She served as a board member for the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation for 5 years.
Qaisra is also on the Women's Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art and is part of the Flower Fund that is responsible for flowers on the pedestal at the entrance of the museum. As part of the Women's Council Advocacy Group, she goes down to Columbus to ask for funding for the museum. Qaisra is on the board of Cleveland chapter of Ohara Ikebana and the Westshore Arrangers Garden Club. She has been a volunteer for at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and Hope Lodge of Cleveland. She is part of Salaam Cleveland and brings meals to Ronald McDonald House and helps settle refugees that come to Cleveland.
Welcome aboard Qaisra!
2022
Cardiac and other disease in South Asian population
Dr. Aravinda Nanjundappa is a cardiology specialist at Cleveland Clinic's main campus. He said that despite the seemingly healthier diet, the Indian population actually suffers from heart disease earlier in life than Caucasians. In addition, life expectancy is lower for this group. Dr. Nanjundappa gives his recommendations to get and stay healthy. Watch below.
We also spoke with Dr. Deepakraj Gajanana who is also an interventional cardiologist. He said that when he sees the disease burden of someone he wishes the patient could go back in time 5-10 years and make lifestyle changes so they would not be on his table. He said that people from India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, etc. generally have smaller size of arteries which leads to problems. Watch below.
Pakistan Cultural Garden at One World Day
The Cleveland Pakistani community demonstrated their proud heritage at One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. Over 40,000 people visited the gardens on One World Day 2022.
The Pakistani community participated in the Parade of Flags and then hosted visitors in their Garden.
The annual Cleveland Asian Festival was back live after being virtual during Covid and over 30,000 people came to AsiaTown to enjoy it.
The Cleveland Asian Festival (CAF) is a grassroots festival that highlights Cleveland's AsiaTown, Diversity, and Asian Culture in Northeast Ohio. It was organized in 2010 by volunteer community leaders to celebrate Cleveland's diversity and Asian Pacific American Heritage month (May).
The mission of CAF has remained the same over the years:
Strengthening the identity of AsiaTown and supporting its economic growth
Educating and promoting Asian culture and traditions
Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Cleveland's Diversity
Cleveland's Pakistani community was well-represented at the 75th One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens on August 29, 2021. They marched in the Parade of Flags and hosted music, dance and other activities in the Pakistani Cultural Garden.
Pakistani Cultural Garden in Parade of Flags at One World Day 2021
Fun with Maps - Afghanistan and other "-Stan" Countries
We have always planned on doing a Fun with Maps episode on one or more of the "Stan" countries. Just not yet. Unfortunately, the news has made me change the schedule and focus on the map of a very troubled place - Afghanistan.
This episode looks at the group of seven countries known as the "Stan" countries (including Pakistan) in the heart of Central and South Asia. Then we drill down more into the map of Afghanistan, its capital Kabul and more.
Pakistani Garden at One World Day in Cleveland Cultural Gardens
The 74th annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens featured performances and activities in all of the Gardens including the Pakistan Garden.
Pakistani Garden at One World Day in Cleveland Cultural Gardens
Here is a sample of a Pakistani folk song played on One World Day. Dr. Mansoor Ahmed said it is performed at weddings and other events. The beat was kept by Madiha Qureshi playing the dhol. The dhol is a double-sided barrel drum.
Cleveland American Middle East Organization 49th anniversary
The Cleveland American Middle East Organization (CAMEO) is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian political action organization established in 1970. They celebrated their 49th anniversary at a dinner event at St. Elias Cultural Center.
CAMEO honored Dr. Nizar Zein, Mr. Husein Rabah and Mediterranean Market at the event.
For some time the Pakistan Cultural Garden has been wanting to get involved in serving the community. Last week president Malka Khan took the initiative and contacted a few places and chose St Herman Homeless shelter.
They took dinner for 140 people to St Herman Homeless shelter on January 18th.
Pakistan Cultural Garden group feeding the homeless
Qaisra Haider said "It was a great learning experience for us to learn about St Herman of Alaska the Patron Saint of this Shelter. How it was started. The many transitions it went through. Once again you go somewhere to help people and in reality it is you that has come out being educated.
2018
Pakistani Cultural Garden at One World Day
The Cleveland Pakistani community was out in full force at the 73rd annual One World Day on the site of the upcoming Pakistan Cultural Garden. There was music, dancing, entertainment, food and fun as members of the Pakistani community shared their culture with thousands of visitors to One World Day.
One of the highlights of the 73rd annual One World Day was the annual Parade of Flags. The Parade units gathered in the Polish Garden and marched down East Blvd and turned down the hill by the Italian Garden to MLK Blvd. They then proceeded to the Syrian Garden where co-MC Sheila Murphy Crawford and Chris Tanaka announced the groups.
Dr. Mansoor Ahmed honored by Cleveland American Middle East Organization
Mansoor Ahmed, MD, FAASM is director of Cleveland Speech Center and Research. Born in Pakistan, Dr. Mansoor was repeatedly refused a US Visa and finally went to Canada for more education and then made it to the US after 14 years of trying. Dr. Mansoor was honored with the Cleveland American Middle East Organization (CAMEO) community service award. He was introduced by Murat Gurer from the Turkish community and presented with a proclamation from Cleveland City Council by Jasmim Santana.
Though the Pakistani Cultural Garden is still in the planning and fund-raising phase, the Cleveland Pakistani community was out in full force at the 72nd annual One World Day.
Members of the community marched in the annual Parade of Flags.
Later at the site of the Pakistani Garden there was food, music, games for kids, information and lots of fun.
Cleveland American Middle East Organization 47th anniversary
The Cleveland American Middle East Organization (CAMEO) is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian political action organization established in 1970. They celebrated their 47th anniversary and induction of new officers at a dinner event at St. Elias Cultural Center.
Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and CAMEO Board
CAMEO President Pierre Bejjani surprised board member and Pakistani community member Dr. Mansour Ahmed with a birthday cake and the crowd sang Happy Birthday. Dr. Mansour then made remarks.
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks.
The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars and a limited conflict - in 1947-48, 1965, and 1999 respectively - over the disputed Kashmir territory.
A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in mid-1998. India-Pakistan relations improved in the mid-2000s but have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks and have been further strained by attacks in India by militants suspected of being backed by Pakistan.
Nawaz SHARIF took office as prime minister in 2013, marking the first time in Pakistani history that a democratically elected government completed a full term and transitioned to a successive democratically elected government. Following a series of bomb and suicide attacks by the Tehrik-e Pakistan Taliban (TTP) begun in 2007, the Pakistan Government and TTP representatives agreed to a cease-fire in early 2014. However, by mid-year 2014 the talks collapsed and the TTP resumed attack plotting against Pakistani targets.
Read more about the Pakistani and other Ambassadors. If you are interested in being considered to be an official ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador to the Cleveland Pakistani community, please contact us.
Ambassadors to ClevelandPeople.Com are individuals who are outstanding representatives of their culture and heritage. They have demonstrated great dedication to the advancement of their own community and to the greater good of honoring and celebrating other ethnic groups and communities to make our city and region more vibrant.
