Brick Lane is About Immigrants Making Difficult Choices I am commenting on the review only. Not on the movie or the book. It is a nicely written review and serves the purposes of bringing to the knowledge of others the happenings on this culture front.
A review can be heavy or light on assessing the quality or discussing the ideas of a work. It depends on the reviewers’ purpose of writing the review. This one of course chose the later course.

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem Tahir, your exposition disappoints me (# 29). May God help you remember that Quran teaches humbleness and not arrogance. There is a fine line between righteousness and self-righteousness. May God help you read Quran again with a human heart, with respect for what God created, and with respect for yourself. May your stiffened heart be able to see the body of the suffering humanity, and the cruel face of bigotry, suppression and chauvinism. To remove such evil is the struggle every one must strive for with patience (sabar) and prudence to which Quran refers time and again. And the Prophet’s is the exemplary conduct.
Also, may God help you understand that if you might not have fallen trap to Internet addiction, playing with words, like old people playing crossword bent over the daily newspapers, a useless occupation, a hopelessly lost cause. (No disrespect is meant to old people or to crosswords - just trying to make a point)
Also, I have a question for you, same I asked Zeemax on his video posting. If you have seen the clip of the movie earlier posted by him (I don't know if you have, as you seem to be ranting against movie reviewers too - cultivate your senses, man) anyway, the question is if you have seen that part where sheikh stops beheading of the journalist, tell me this. What you would do if you were in that situation, in the shoes of the Sheikh. What decision you will take, if you have to make a choice between saving life of that journalist in the movie or letting him die in the hands of rebels. What would you do? Just want to understand how different people think on these issues and scope of their thoughts.

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem Re: # 20 Nikhat: thanks for your bold and kind words, and the verses that capture the spirit and pathos of our connected humanity in most beautiful expression. You made good points and I repeat:
"She did not break any rules of Islam as far as what the facts gathered uptil now. She should be considered innocent until proven otherwise rule of tumb for justice....."

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem Re: # 19 akcheema, thanks for clarifying for crazyghan.

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem Re: # 18 Crazyghan, That is exactly the point I was trying to make, through my poem. Pl see akcheema's post #19.
Just to reiterate two lines from the poem:
Groomed in Kabul’s hostile streets,
Where men are killed for lesser things
Pl read my poem again where I tried to capture exactly all that what you said.

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem Re: # 17 Zeemax: I like when someone tries to argue on rational basis as you have done in post #17.
So you say what type of character she was when she was financed for training to represent her country and she runs away? That is exactly the point. What does that show? That shows the hell through which she was going. Of course, if she will participate and come back she still will be supported by government and all that, but for the threats and insults which she suffered by all those who cannot see a woman as a human being with aspirations and equal to them expressing her aspirations on any public platform. That is why – not because of character. Recently two Afghani women journalists are killed. What does this say to women who want to participate in public life. Do you think that was an easy decision by her? Did you not (hell, my blood pressure rising) see the video of her mother with flowing tears, do you not see how closely knit and loving her family was. How she must have made this decision. How someone cannot see all this unless his heart is stiffened like wood. How someone in face of such tragedies can think nothing else but throwing the filth like you are throwing. You call yourself Muslims? Shame on you, for desecrating name of a human being and uttering such dirty words. Shame on you doubly. Shame on you for each word you desecrated, nay for each letter. If you are a Muslim, go read Quran and learn decency from it. You who posted ‘Wolves of Valley” movie, learn something from that too. Learn from what Layla’s father told her and others.
Back to your logic. It just proves the point. She had to make that decision in spite of all government’s support. No one should presuppose that it reflects on her character because we don’t know. No decent person accuses other based on mere speculations and assumption. It is called slander. Quran has injunctions against slandering any human being. Go find those verses if you call yourself Muslim. That will be better use of your time. What is obvious from the story and available facts is that she ran away because she could face no more what she had to go through in the streets of Kabul. She ran to save her life. Remember two Afghani women journalists killed recently. They must also have been thought to be prostitutes too. This is no Islam. This is shameless bigotry and chauvinism.

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem I write when I am inspired. I am inspired when seeing, hearing, knowing something stirs something in me. I don't delve into whether it is a lost cause or no cause or good cause. I write not with an ulterior motive in mind. If what is produced through me is of some benefit, whether it is to cultivate thought, or sense or culture, I consider I have been of some service. If someone praises that service I accept it with humbleness, if someone is aggravated by it, it is their problem.
Thanks for your thoughts anyway.
PS: btw, I DO NOT think bringing awareness about these issues (suppression and intolerance in any form existing in any society) is a lost cause. I would be grateful if you can expound on that when you are back from your excursion with your cavalry.

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem I write when I am inspired. I am inspired when seeing, hearing, knowing something stirs something in me. I don't delve into whether it is a lost cause or no cause or good cause. I write not with an ulterior motive in mind. If what is produced through me is of some benefit, whether it is to cultivate thought, or sense or culture, I consider I have been of some service. If someone praises that service I accept it with humbleness, if someone is irritated by it, I take it is a problem for the one who is aggravated, not mine.
Thanks for your thoughts anyway.
PS: btw, I do NOT think bringing awareness about these issues (suppression and intolerance in any form existing in any society) is a lost cause. I would be grateful if you can expound on that when you are back from your excursion with your cavalry.

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem i am not angry. just sad. sorry if it was misunderstood. i still don't know you all and the background stuff. I just saw the video posted by zeemax and i commend him for that. but the close mindedness which shows up otherwise, intentionally or not, makes me sad, thinking how this is playing havoc with our traditions or its perceptions thereof. how damaging it is for our progress. People who can contribute something, why they do not contribute postively and in more effective way, and keep picking up on trifles in negative way.

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem correction for my last interact # 9.
Shukriya Barakzai is one of the six MPs who were getting threatening letters (at the time of the news)

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem You guys are really a great source of learning. Your responses are helping me shape my ideas about my Muslim brothers. Keep writing; and showing yours ... you know what, so that all can see for what you are.

I do hope to save cattle from oncoming trains. It is a noble task to save even one life.
But Quran also tells me that cattle they are and cattle they will remain. No matter what you tell them they do not hear. Their hearts are sealed and their ears have lead in them. So like cattle they keep wandering. So I anguish not for their sake. Duty of a slave is just to do their duty.

I only pray for you. I pray that filth from your brains is washed. But I do not try to tell you what you should do or not – because I take not the position of a judge. There is only one Judge. And that Judge is best Wakeel too. So I leave the disposing of every matter in the hands of the High One. To you your way and to me mine. (lakukm denokum wa liyadeen - 109.6)

Ask yourself one thing if you want to understand a little. Are women in Afghanistan are like the women of Madina when the Prophet was at the helm of affairs. (And even until little after – till the spirit of Islam was corrupted by the Empire of Moawiyas and Abbasis)
Why the heck you cannot see?

Why the heck do you want to enslave women and stifle their striving souls by labels and slanders? So what if she does not run in Hamburg or wherever. So what? The point is why she could not flourish in Afghanistan? Why so many such souls are even not heard of and suffer and extinguished under male tyranny. Granted it happens elsewhere too to different degrees but the deadly combination of religion and male chauvinism is unparallel where hold of fanatics is tight. Have you not heard of the only Afghani woman parliamentarian Shukriya Barakzai who also have to flee the country because she was too outspoken for the liking of male dominated assembly.(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6755799.stm)
(I should have written a poem on that too – I don’t know why it would trouble anyone if something is said in poetry –a damn good point to ponder... hmmmmm)

Now Tahir sb, come up with another dirty trick for Shukriya’s name. I am sad to see something like this coming from you Tahir, You who seem to be immersed in Quranic scripture, will spend energy to split a word to metamorphose it into such filth – it is shocking. Read the verses where Quran says a good word is like a good tree and bad word is like sick one.

The core of every religion including Islam is big- heartedness towards every creature on the earth. One who does not understand this does not understand religion or corrupts it

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem Re: # 4 akcheema,
Thanks. I appreciate Chowk editors' good sense of timing. They held on to it to publish just before Olympics. That's smart.
To me it is always important to learn from others. From their postive thoughts, and not relish in thier foibles. We have heroic figures all around us, but we do not see their soul for what it is. Wordsworth even sees a flower and is overwhelmed; how we do not see a human being in its full grace and are not moved.
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears." Wordsworth

Mahboba Andyar: A Poem So what is your point Mr. Zeemax? Does being anti-taliban mean that he was not being a typical male-chauvinist?
In my poem I have implied clearly she might be seeking asylum. What does this show however? Does this show she might be a prostitute? If she was in another more civilized society where talents of all sorts are encouraged regardless of gender, would she still do the same?
Would she leave her family forever? Did you see the video? Did you not hear the cries of her family? Does your heart beats not with the suffering of humanity?
What you are implying by being curious sir? What you and I have to do with her personal life anyway? Do you not realize you are slandering her just like her neighbour did? In a fair world, you and like of you could be taken to court for libel. But this is not a fair world and therefore heart of Keats had bled and so does mine.
Do you not want to see her sufferings and aspirations and want only to see if she was a prostitute or not? Have you thought why she would aspire for Olympics despite all the insults thrown at her? Why? Do you not think? Do you not realize what you are saying? Like a typical chauvinist male / religionolgist fanatic, seeing a woman no more than a sex object.
If you are trying to give credibility to her accusers on the basis that they were anti-taliban; first what this says about taliban and their likes; second what does this says about you.
I am appalled, doubly.

Translation of a (Love) Letter by Allama Iqbal to Miss Atiya Faizi Re: # 65 & 72, masadi and tahir,
I appreciate you taking trouble to read through and providing an honest feedback and I thank you both for it.
Masadi, I would have liked if you had pointed out in what respect you thought it was distractive. For example, with TC's I felt that the divisions in shorter lines were distractive. I would like if you be more specific.
Also, I do not understand why you say "there is no mention of omnipresence ....." Your thought has not come across very clearly. BTW, Wasia has been translated variously by others as: All pervading, all embracing, ample-giving, manificient, encompassing, embracer, immense and infinite. The word is simple and is known to even any Urdu speaking person. No need for me to explain further, and also the fact that how problems are accentuated for concentrating on literal and not on the essence.
tahir, like different modes of 'tilawat' there are different modes of rendering. Mine comes this way, without undue effort for either rhyming or being poetic. That is how naturally it comes to me in English when I read the original in Arabic. Though Quran is not poetry per se, but it does rhyme a lot, one of its attribute to make it easy to read and remember. In fact I myself was totally surprised to find that such rendering is so easily finding an expression in this humble servant’s heart.
Having said that, I do value your comments (from both), and will take them under advisement to watch for any possible shortfalls. Regards.

Translation of a (Love) Letter by Allama Iqbal to Miss Atiya Faizi Re: # 52 thanks Asif,
could 'niaz nama' may be 'humble letter' or 'note with respect and humility'
it is not an easy task ... it is an art too ... so you see the point ...
the meaning and sense is most imporatant as no language can capture other language's nuances ...
I think other two questions are how much the original is internalized - by that sometime linguistic resources well up. The second being what is purpose of a particular translation. What is aimed at. I think all these questions are valid and require further exploration and debate. May be an article is required in its own right.

Translation of a (Love) Letter by Allama Iqbal to Miss Atiya Faizi I would like to add one thing about Quran translations. It is strange, in my experience that no matter which translation I read, the meaning and energy of Quran is transmitted regardless. (I must qualify here that some translations which insert too much of personal point of view either by the choice of the words or by comments are distracting and I will ignore those insertion and try to keep my focus on the message. I do look up the original and investigate sometime - but generally I do not find it a particular problem and am able to see the spirit of the original). As said earlier, and at the risk of repeating, it is a personal relation through which you find the nurturing of soul in holy scriptures. It is in book form but it is more than book.(Iga Progoff) All trifling matters begin to fall in place when you can see the whole and are not entangled with the separated details.
However, technical matters of excellence in translation are a different issue and have valid debatable points. In the final analysis, we can never expect any translation to do justice to the original, in particular if something is as grand as Quran or as complex as Mulamadhyamakakarika (verses from the centre of Nagarjuna)
With all due respect, Asad's or anyone else translation is still a translation and is like an opening through which we can see only so much of the sun.
Though this discussion does not relate directly to the article but as a discussion about translations I am copying here 3 versions of renditions of 2:115-117. First one from Asad, second Thomas Cleary (masadi referred - he (TC)has simple and direct way but with its own problems in translating) and last one my own.
Asad:
"And God's is the east and the west: and wherever you turn, there is God's countenance. Behold, God is infinite, all-knowing.
And yet some people assert, "God has taken unto Himself a son!" Limitless is He in His glory! Nay, but His is all that is in the heavens and on earth; all things devoutly obey His will.
The Originator is He of the heavens and the earth: and when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, "Be" -and it is."

Tomas Cleary: (notice how format becomes distracting in an attempt to being poetic)
"To God belong the East and the West
and wherever you turn,
there is the Face of God.
For God is omnipresent , all knowing.

Yet they say God has begotten a son,
Glory to God!
No, to God belongs all
in the heavens and the earth;
everything is obedient to God.

God is the originator
of heavens and the earth;
and whenever God decrees anything,
God says to it, “Be!”
and it is"

Mine: (I used Allah as it is familiar to common person all over the world, though I am still debating a little ...)

"East belong to Allah and the west
Wherever you turn His countenance is met
He is all Knowing, His expanse is endless

Some say Allah a son begot
All Glory to Him! He needs not
All is His in earth and heavens
And all worship Him in adulation
He is the cause of all creation
Of the earth and all the heavens
When any matter He decrees to bid
He says to it “BE” and IT IS