Namal University, Another Landmark by ‘Taliban’ Khan

I don’t always agree with Imran Khan on politics but I have no doubt that his stances and his point of view are sincere and not colored with self-interest.

Half Alive Again: An Evening At Zawia Dahmaani

A piece from Tripoli, where there are tombs of soldiers from the subcontinent. Just as every country has a “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier� every country should have the “Tomb of the Unknown Worker�.

Reima's Taj Mahal

Reima Ismic was a slim, dark-haired woman in her forties, with thin wrists and bony hands, she always wore a light colored scarf around her head, she was a Bosniak, a Bosnian Muslim

Who are the Power Elite

The Power Elite does not refer to people conspiring together in a coordinated way rather it is about the dominant positions in the dominant institutional orders (military, political and economic).

Did Pakistan Modify Harpoon Missile?

The timing of this article is rather curious; the story was leaked by anonymous sources on the same day that Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani left for a three-day visit to Libya.

An Open Letter to Mian Nawaz Sharif

Khawaja revealed that Osama gave Nawaz just a minuscule of the Rs 500 million cash that he wanted, but more importantly, for the Pakistani, what he received in kind proved to a virtual windfall.

My Fair, Goon? “By Jove: He Nearly Did it….�

Here lies Rehman – Day Job: local Godfather; often mistaken for the Fairy Godfather. Primary residence: the Hood – Lyari. Forwarding address (had he lived): the Senate?

The Sacred and the Profane

Ms. L had been a challenge for me to treat for 3 years. She was from Lahore, my native city and the first time I had seen her, she had appeared extremely ill, fitting the layman description of ‘madness’.

Obama's Ramadan Message to The Muslims

The Muslims around the world must have been elated and inspired by this address, a sermon from the president of a nation that not in the distant past was talking of re-launching the crusades.

Shrinking Shadows

One charmer turned politician is panicking for want of accomplices to his confusion. He is increasingly terrified of wilderness he has wrought himself into.

The Arrival

He felt that the poison in his blood had begun to mix at a slower rate, gradually even slower a few moments later. The world around him seemed to begin to fade into grayness.

Can Status-quo Save Pakistan?

Shortage of electric supply has drawn protests in Lahore and Karachi. Protesters burnt down a train in Punjab. Some parts of the Karachi are without electricity and water for last 4 days.

Shumaila Rana’s Theft Episode

If there was no Televsion footage and TV stations like GEO, or security cameras, no power on earth could have proven her guilty.

Hope

It was almost 30 days after the death. The house was silent. There was no sound. On one of the side tables, there were few broken crayons, a pair of earrings and a leather journal.

Himanshu Rai: The Light of India

Before Danny Boyle, before Shyam Benegal, even before Merchant-Ivory and Bimal Roy, there was one Indian who was peddling Indian fare to the cinema audiences of Europe.

Local Government System – Incompetence vs Competence

I fail to understand why people blame the system for their incompetence? MQM has proved that with any system they could work and contribute because of their commitment, competence and honesty.

Nabil and Fatima

Approximately 9,000 Afghan refugees continue to live in Delhi today. After years of lobbying by various NGOs, Indian government is now allowing some of these families to become naturalized citizens.

Tale of Two Rebels

It was from Firdous market till the bridge. “Stop it�. I cried.. But at that moment I felt that there was a demon inside her.� It’s fun and stop whining�. She snubbed me with a grin on her face.

Science and Enlightenment: East and West

‘Why the West craves Materialism and the East sticks to Religion’, the essay is an unabashed (and ill informed) defense of religious orthodoxy with some awkward, and factually inaccurate, jabs at Science and Reason.

A Trillion Dollar Halal Business

The myriad other products and services — cosmetics, real estate, hotels, fashion, insurance — that comply with Islamic law and the teachings of the Koran, and the sector is worth well over $1 trillion a year.

Obama’s Courtship of the Muslim World

President Obama inherited a Muslim world in which America became the most heinous bogey. Quite understandably then his one of the most urgent tasks was to repair the relationship between the U.S. and the Muslim world.

Obama’s Promise

The speech of US President Barack Obama at the Cairo University has raised the hopes of the Muslim world for peaceful relations with the Western world.

Aid versus Trade, Investments and Remittances

Microfinancing, along with social entrepreneurship, is becoming an essential component of non-government efforts in Pakistan and other developing nations to empower ordinary people.

Expecting to Hate Delhi but Loving it Instead

Delhi 6, as a mainstream film needs to be appreciated for the broader context that it provides for communal tension. It also needs to be appreciated for why people were so virulent in its dismissal.

What's Wrong With Imran Khan?

I am tired of people like you making excuses for these barbarians. Why can’t someone like you just say what has to be said. These people are savages and don’t represent the Islam we grew up practicing.

If God is the Same then Why is God Different?

The answer to this question came after many years of searching.

Portraying Dera

The town (Dera Ismail Khan) with a political team having most of its members holding important slots in the government benches is still deprived of basic facilities.

White Bride

They called it the ‘White Bride of the Mediterranean’ and it is still one of the most charming and peaceful places Marino knows.

Pakistan - The Audacity of Collective Hope, The Struggle for an Ideal

People of Pakistan, there are challenges before us. The colossal size of these threats is vast. But we do have the capacity to turn the tide in our favour.

Fatima Jinnah: A Beacon Of Hope

When I think about what does being a Pakistani woman mean to me, I think of Fatima Jinnah’s aspirations. But do those aspirations come into the minds of ordinary Pakistani women?

Reflections on Aasiya Hassan's Murder and Domestic Violence

On Feb. 12th, Aasiya Hassan was discovered beheaded in the television station office where she and her husband, Muzzammil Hassan, strove to show Muslims in a positive light.

Blow Daddy

You seem to like wars, son.
Yes. I like to watch them on TV.
But real wars are fought outside the TV, son.
Really? How is that possible? What sort of a war is that?

We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land

Although Jimmy Carter couldn’t fully accomplish his peace project in the holy land during his tenure as president, it was not for want of his serious efforts.

Black is Beautiful and Michelle Obama

If black would now become beautiful and fashionable. It is unlikely to create any change in the deeply ingrained fair colour obsession of India's higher castes.

What Happened To Tania?

Tania! My daughter… Our dream daughter, Sara’s and mine. It’s been six months now since she had gone. Where and why, I don’t know?

Compromised Freedoms

untamed confessions
Driving out…
knotted wounds…
And healing…
Compromised freedoms

In Search Of Manwel Dimech

The Medieval Knights and stories of the siege make nice tourism, but what about the original inhabitants of this island nation, which has the oldest free standing structure known to mankind?

Gaza: A New Awakening in the American-Arab Youth

During the election campaign many discussions centered on why Muslims have no voice in the campaign. Some analysts concluded it was because Muslims are not part of the ‘American story’.

Terrorism Unveiled

Once again, the Israelis bomb the starving and imprisoned population of Gaza. The world watches the plight of 1.5 million Gazans live on TV and online.

Sharp-Eyed View of a Mohajir

These immigrants (in Bengal and Sindh) were to play a great role both in the development of these provinces and also in generating political instability.

Leprosy : The Shadow Lingers

Medically, leprosy is detected early and thanks to a multi drug regime, cured early too. And yet piles of archaic legislation keep those infected on the margins of society.

The Muslim Protagonist and the Past Three Years

What better a movie to begin with than Rang De Basanti? RDB will stand out for long as ‘The Generation X Movie’ in the annals of Bollywood.

Effects of Climate Change and Bio-Energy

In Asia, temperatures are expected to rise 2-8 degrees Celsius in next 8-10 years affecting climatic variations like decreased rainfall, crop failures and more floods.

Through Bloodshed and Tears

It was the year 1984. The Anti-Sikh massacre was taking place in India after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31 by her two Sikh guards.

Common Sense Left Behind

The principal called her and told -“We have prepared the school-leaving certificate of your child. Please sign it and then we are free from any obligation to each other.�

The Modern Morlocks Emerge – Muslim Americans

Obama, that biracial, African American son of a Kenyan with an Arab name, is apparently now a “Socialist with Islamic background� according to anti-Muslim McCain supporters

History and Origins of MQM Part II

Emigration of Hindus post partition left a vacuum which was filled by the educated Muslim immigrants from India. In 1981 census only 6% of Karachites identified themselves as Sindhi.

Love at Shara Zawia

Muneer and Emily had gone to Tangiers to register their marriage, as many foreigners who marry in Libya do.
Emily does not like to talk about these things.

Zalim Online

An eye witness to the horror and carnage by the religious fanatics in Pakistan

The Only Good Muslim is the Anti-Muslim

For some, Barack Obama's stature as a man of the left has fallen precipitously, like late autumn leaves shed by branches bowing to the will of winter.

Pakistani-Americans or American-Pakistanis?

How long will it before Pakistani-Americans will let their voices be heard as a group?

A Guantanomized Age

The questions aimed at us fall into two broad categories: "Why aren't more moderate Muslims condemning terrorism?" and "What is it about Islam that produces terrorists?

A Transfer

His younger son Hasen is studying in Hyderabad, doing first year of engineering while he lives in Tripoli alone. The elder son is doing a job in Lucknow.

The Cry of Karachi

“this is a city that can cry, look even the walls have become tears, I don’t know any other sea that is so distant.� I told you, sometimes I can’t let go.

Muslim Psyche After September 11, 2001

When we reflect upon the reactions of Muslims from different parts of the world we see certain tendencies emerging in the last few years.

Honor Killings in Babakot

Those beautiful faces, our daughters
Gone forever, heads sunk in grief
As words betray us, to describe
Heinous crimes and we call ourselves
The followers of prophet and Islam

There is no ‘honour’ in killing

Whether the women were buried alive or whether they were already dead when buried is not the point. They were murdered.

Faith and Religion

Though I have a Muslim name I am a non practicing Indian Muslim who does not believe in any organised religion.

Time for Medals

The PPP has done it once again -- so true to its philosophy of challenging the powerful and the mighty and coming out victorious despite all the unfavorable odds stacked against it.

My Dear President Musharraf

Mr. President, you are a man of honour and character. We do not appreciate such men.

The Aftermath of Musharraf’s Departure

After Musharraf’s departure, there might be some respite in the escalating insurgency and intensifying turmoil in Pakistan’s Northern scenic valley of Swat and Tribal regions.

Musharraf and Me

Musharraf will learn for the first time that Truth is the most elusive thing in the world and innocence the hardest to prove when the onus is on the innocent to prove his innocence

Global Warming: Green with Controversy

Its effects will happen 30 years down the road, and then you say, "Okay, do something about it."

The Tribal and I

We, too, like the British lump up all tribal setups into a single category and generalise. Basing our understanding of 'their' culture on our 'feeling' towards them and a sense of superiority.

Here We Go Again

But it’s really a wet firecracker without Army’s intervention, because sehba auntie or shareefudding peerzada can’t jump the gates of PTV and take over.

And then there was The Impeachment Issue…

A smug looking Mian saa’ab and the ever dramatic Dark Prince, announced at a joint press conference, their plans to pursue the Impeachment of President Pervaiz Musharraf.

Brick Lane is About Immigrants Making Difficult Choices

Brick Lane exposes the core of a complex immigrant dilemma. Asians who move to the western world often live with this dilemma and just choose to ignore it.

Dhokha and Being a Muslim in India

Mukesh Bhatt’s Muzammil Ibrahim starred ‘Dhokha’ or ‘Betrayal’ is the Bollywood’s latest offering that raises several questions about Muslims and their identity in India.

London’s Knife-Crime Epidemic:

Such is the horror in Britain at this new phenomenon, that the Police have declared tackling knife-crime to be their new number one target surpassing even that of terrorism.

Muslim Ghettoisation

The perception among Muslims is that they are unwelcome in Britain is undermining efforts to help them integrate into wider society.

Yet Another Immigrant Story

I arrived in the US about eight months ago, to get married in Houston and move to Maryland, where I live now. My last visit had been less than a year ago, during which I met my husband.

Muslims in America

I am all for Muslim identity but frankly what I don’t get is the overbearing role dogma plays in every action of the Muslim community in America.

The Brain Food

Eat your carrots; you’ll see better in the dark. Don’t go swimming until an hour after you eat. It turns out that some of these have stood the test of time.

The Cruel Expulsions

Reaction to “Twenty Three Students Expelled From Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad�

The Chips are Down

Mr. Zardari once again asked the president either to resign voluntarily or be prepared for his unceremonious and rather dishonorable ouster by the parliament via an impeachment.

Timeless

Ever so gently, he took her old fingers in his hand and uncurled them lightly. His face was now trembling, as if he were fighting a great storm inside of him

Delayed Justice

Centre’s decision to award a compensation package totaling Rs 330 crores to the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots can at best be described as a pre-election effort at applying a healing touch.

Fatima Bhutto Fighting for Justice

The man Fatima Bhutto holds responsible for her father’s death is not only out of prison after 11 years without conviction, but is suddenly the most powerful man in the country.

30 Days in Afghanistan - Dinner Conversations

I'm in Kabul, Afghanistan. Actually, I'm in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - and across and beside me, people are beginning to get drunk. Muslims are getting drunk.

Myanmar Disaster

“Dedicated to the people of Burma in their hour of need………but stands there, the government and its obstacles “!!!

Chillchinga, the US Soldier

The only desire now
To go home
To converse few words
In Spanish as he pays the price
For migration and adventure

Little Pakistan: Brooklyn’s Coney Island Avenue

This article does not discuss racism or race relations. Instead, it hopes to capture how a community has gone through such adversity and is coming back to life, after almost losing it.

Spinning the Public Beating and the Mob Justice

You really need to be a bad administrator or power usurper that people are so full of hatred for you that they can’t help but beat you.

Surviving Musharraf's Exit?

Throughout the election campaign and since the elections, no political party or politician has come up with any original thought or plan for the problems that confront Pakistan

Of Sin and Crime

I was fervidly persuaded that day by my neighbour molvi sahib to attend this Jum’a congregation in a madrassah near the city centre.

The Deoband Declaration on Terrorism: Why Now?

On February 25, 2008 an “All India Terrorism Conference� was attended by over 10,000 Islamic clerics, scholars, muftis and teachers.

Ralph Nader Joins 2008 Presidential Race

Attacking both Clinton and Obama in an interview, Nader said, "Obama is an overly cautious captive of his handlers and Clinton is a panderer and a flatterer.�

American Muslims and Presidential Elections 2008

Disagreeing with American foreign policies doesn't really mean that you are against 'us'. That stupid train has thankfully left the station and hopefully won’t return in Nov. 2008.

Leaders, Heroes and Mountains

He (Sir Admund Hillary) was not a sahib who came, conquered and left having had his adventure in the hills. He established and sustained a lasting bond with the Sherpa people of the Himalayas.

Pakistan's Moment of Democracy?

Even as many conceded that ‘Musharraf is not going anywhere’, a response of Pakistanis around the world who seemed beset with an intangible urge to 'do something'.

Aqsa Pervez: The Casualty of Patriarchy

Why are other Aqsas being slapped, punched, kicked, abused, followed, spied on, coerced, threatened, blackmailed, kicked out and married away? Why?

Feminism Under Veil

By observing the rule of ‘Hijab’, Muslim women make a statement about their identity and their equality as human beings.

Death of Aqsa Pervez: A reflection on Canadian Muslim-Pakistanis

As parents, we need to understand and acknowledge that our children deserve even more understanding and support because they are caught between two distinct worlds.

To Boycott or not to Boycott !

Whether its Imran Khan or Nawaz Sharif or Benazir or someone else ... whoever promises to reinstate judiciary should be voted for to stop Pro Musharraf getting 2/3rd majority.

Election Boycott

Only 5 out 33 parties in APDM want to participate in elections. Parties in favour boycott met at Imran Khan’s residence on Monday

6th December 1992

A turning point in Hindu Muslim relations in the post independence Indian history. It was a moment when all truths about religious coexistence suddenly proved false.

Nandigram Turmoil, Boiling the Nation

Left Front used a private army to recapture Nandigram in November 2007. 600 people were killed. The Muslim friendly, Kisan Friendly and Labourers friendly mask of Left is torn.

My Teenage Years in Lahore

As I sit here on my desk at work, sipping my persimmon white tea in a delicate persian tea cup, I close my eyes and let my mind wander to my teenage years in Lahore, Pakistan.

From Immy to Irony

Lag gai na emergency! Whack! Shut up, Dimoo. So, Jimran, are you still at an undisclosed location at the Punjabi University?

Kolkata on Fire

On 21st November the protest was more violent than any imagined in recent times in Kolkata and almost all our lives have been violently affected by it.

The Battle for Pakistan

Imran Khan was arrested in Pakistan on 11/14/2007, this article appeared in the Pakistani newspaper The News on 11/9/2007.

The Pakistan Tragedy: Imran Khan Arrested

Imran Khan, beaten and locked up by the Jamiat Students on the Punjab University Campus on 14 November. He was yelling at the cameras, ‘its not about me, it’s your future’.

Artifice of Scholarship : CSPI on FrontPage

Where will Mr. Warner hide when faced with the ignobility of logic deserting his beloved Christianity? What will he do when the devil of duality is discovered in his own sacred texts?

Its Time To Follow The 'Pied Piper'

Yesterday I learnt that our own Pakistani police have taken away ‘Imran Khan’, our hero the pride of nation, to put him behind bars.

Tribute to a Giant

Inzimam-ul-Haq, a glorius 17 year career, at the heart of Pakistan’s middle order. He has the most half-centuries, centuries and the second highest test runs by a Pakistani.

Imran Khan at LUMS

Amidst speculation of the imposition of emergency in the country by the state, Imran was here to speak about the role of the youth in the country’s political future.

Do You Have a Substitute?

Emergency in Pakistan was the need of time as we had no other options. Do we have any substitute for General Musharraf? Is there any other person who can run the country?

On disowning Bhagat Singh and Other Vagaries

“Zia Ul Haq ordered to destroy all Hindi and Gurmukhi books of the library. The books were thrown in a nala (sewage channel) that ran by the library.�

Neoliberalism and Madrassas: An Unholy Connection

How these schools (madrassas) are perhaps an indirect consequence of structural adjustment policies that are dictated by the IMF and the World Bank.

Indian Exceptionalism: Colonial Stereotypes and Postcolonial Realities

Indian exceptionalism manifests itself as nationalist, chauvinist, and fundamentalist sentiment, often mingling unhealthily with other kinds of closed-minded imperatives.

Communists and the Making of Pakistan

History of the last years of Punjab under the Raj

Imperialism and the Writing of History

Occupied Iraq and Colonial India

Magic of metaphors : Op-Ed Journey of Thomas Friedman

What is common between Detroit, Toyota, Jack Kevorkian, Mileage Standards and Assisted Suicide? Who would see such disparate elements as connected? Thomas Friedman!

National Reconciliation goes truly National

The National Association of Street and Petty Crimes, Karachi Chapter has announced that in the spirit of the newly presented proposal by Pervaiz Musharraf, all its members who have stolen mobiles, snatched cars and killed people over cash between the peri

The First Indian-American Governor in America

Odds are that shortly after October 20th Louisiana, US will have the nation’s first-ever governor-elect of Indian descent.

Farewell to Shimla

Life was normal in early 1947 till June when sporadic incidents of ethnic violence began. In July of 1947, the Muslims started leaving Shimla for Pakistan.

The Melting Pot

We weren’t surprised when we went to the reception and the guests sitting next to us asked us if the groom was Muslim or not.

Pakistani Twist to “Aliens in America� TV Series

Are the Pakistani and Muslim community here in America ready for raunchy American teenage humor?

Musharraf the Out-smarter

A lot is being said and written these days for and against Musharraf who first introduced the concept of ‘Pakistan First’ (keeping Pakistan before self and all).

Limits of Multiculturalism

The question of reasonable accommodation with cultural minorities has erupted with increasing frequency and friction in almost all countries with multicultural minorities

The Muslim Brotherhood – A Force Not to be Underestimated

If nothing else, the fact that the various despotic regimes in the Arab world hate the Muslim Brotherhood itself is a plus point in their favour.

A Dog's Death

He was tired, hungry, wounded and weak. He looked at a circle of red eyes and white teeth above, and struggled a smile. They could not reach him any more.

Fatima Jinnah Park – Metaphor for Pakistan's Problems and their Solution

Capital Development Authority (CDA) has carved out a large corner (6000 sq yards) of the Fatima Jinnah Park for McDonald's at a ridiculously low rental

Living Through a Revolution

An account of my personal experiences in Iran as it went through a transition from a monarchy to an Islamic Republic

With friends like these

From the killing fields of Iraq and Afghanistan to the streets of Islamabad and Hyderabad, Islam suffers daily at the hands of its followers.

Of Taufel, Howard And An Apology

Same day that Simon Taufel expressed disappointment with his decision, another Australian, PM John Howard, ruled out an apology to the Indian doctor Mohammad Haneef

Rise of Hindu Right Wing Ideology

Today, when a Hindu shouts an obscenity at Pakistan the Indian Muslim has to shout two to show their patriotism towards India.

Book Dropper

Nicholas Nassim Taleb says there are two ways to look at your bookshelf. The books you have read and consider yourself well read or...

Where the Teesta Flows!

What can you say when you see Buddhist monks robed in maroon and saffron perform a ritualistic dance to the music of cymbals, drums and gongs?

Imran Khan's Politics

Here is a man who stands for the truth, who is honest and his Integrity is unquestionable. Is this not the most basic of elements that I should look for in a Leader?

US Immigration Reform unfair to the legal high-skilled

A Merit-based system which has been proposed by the US Senate has been widely criticized for allegedly favoring skilled individuals. A review actually reveals it being skewed the other way!

The Indian American

A mixed up amalgam of diluted Indian traditions and strong western ideas, the Indian American appears to be a rootless, yet confident, brown entity aspiring to be something it is naturally not.

Reflections on the Virginia Tech School Tragedy

In this land of eminent scientists, avant-garde artists and Oscar award winning actors and directors, we also see the worst serial killers and mass murderers. For some their dreams come true and for others they turn into violent nightmares.

The Invisible Men

In fact GORA is soooooo cool that it really doesn’t bother him if we have achieved a seam-less integration or we are trying to preserve our identity. GORA lives on a social, mental and philosophical so elevated and hence so detached from ours that

Understanding the Death Fatwa on Taslima Nasreen

It has become a time honoured tactic to incite the faithful into attacking and murdering those dare to criticise Islam and has served the spread of Islam well by terrorizing people into submission and silencing opposition.

Thank You Bob, Thanks Inzi!

He’s a colossal in his own right and we need to send him away in a grand fashion on our own terms and especially in a capacity Pakistani ground. We must learn how to bid farewell to our sporting heroes.

Is New Brunswick Ready for Emigration?

Current employment climate is not very conducive to attract international students and persuade graduates to stay back.

Raiwind IX

During a talk show hosted by former Pakistani cricket captain, Rameez Raja, Inzimam-ul-Haq suggested that along with the usual cricket training, cricketers should also be given “deeni taleem” (religious education).

Karachi: The Descent Into Alienation

Surprisingly as many would think, the people of Karachi have not shown themselves to be suffering from mass paranoia, even after this newest series of suicide bombings in the past few years.

Pakistan Quarters

The name probably symbolized the fact that it gave shelter to the families of most of the government servants, keeping the administration of the newly formed nation running, Karachi being the capital then.

The Dreaded Phone Call

My father had been sick the last few months. He had undergone a knee implant a couple of years ago since his knee joints were completely worn out by rheumatoid arthritis, and one of the implants was now infected.

Can We Defy Time or Be Contacted from Outer Space?

As social human evolution is progressing at a faster rate, so are our capabilities to decode information. We are getting rather more accurate in our understanding of the universe and unraveling more complicated universal phenomenon while retaining our na

India: Is Growth Coming at Expense of Development

For the last two years the IMF and the World Bank have been warning India about the dangers of inflation.

Exchange Siachen Madness for Mountain Peace

Glaciers can also be made secure by the use of common sense. It is for opinion-makers in India and Pakistan to tell their respective governments to stop ruining the future of our water supplies and our weather system.

Pataudi’s Plight : The game of religious stereo typing

If Pataudi were to grow a beard and appear for photographs wearing a skull cap at the doorstep of a mosque, would he have become a better Muslim?

Welfare for the Four-Legged

One is hopeful that in the not so distant future somebody will start a small shelter for the miserably wretched strays in Pakistan.

Dismantling India’s Colonial Past

In matters of foreign policy, India is beginning to abandon the Raj approach to our neighbors

Get over the Victim Syndrome

The real issues that affect our daily lives are never addressed by opposition or the government, instead we are enamored with non-issues like huddod ordinance, attire of mushy, Kashmir, women’s face on hoardings, music in public buses and other crap

Last Gasp of the Imperial Misadventure

The American public is rightly concerned about the chaos in Iraq and they believe that it is not for American army to fight a civil war; let Iraqis sort out their problems themselves.

A Lovers’ Quarrel with Airport Profiling

You wake up early one morning and as you are lying on your back desperately trying to re-enter that cute little dream you were thrown out of, you realize that today you have to head to Boston’s Logan airport to catch a flight to DC...

The Canadian Dream: Never Fulfilled

As the digital divide keeps people away from information, the immigrant divide keeps foreign qualified professionals from their profession of choice.

Imran Khan the Politician

Today, he looks lost and bewildered, like the proverbial ’babe in the woods’. The sportsman extraordinaire looks helpless in politics – a fish gasping for breath in the middle of a desert.

An Untouchable Apology

The untouchables of Hinduism are a wretched lot. While it is not at the level of genocide, it is an institutionalised social discrimination over a very long period of time.

A pragmatic rant about Immigration in America

A pragmatic rant about Immigration in America

Animism and Mythology

A complete uneducated human mind, just like that of a small child, tends to believe that external world events are dependents on one’s own feelings and emotions. Through out early history to even the present modern times, humans have always tried to

Indian Muslims

The Sachhar Committee report, to be released in end-November, states that the condition of the majority of Indian Muslims is worse than that of even the Dalits. It recommends, among other measures, an allocation of 15% of all government funds for schemes

Meeting the Pakistani-Swiss

By a Burger King, I saw a group of Eastern European men playing chess with giant wooden pieces. Next to them, was a clique of South Asian men in their forties and fifties smoking cigarrettes and talking animatedly in Punjabi.

Building Barriers in Britain

It is the extremist views of those who cover their faces that cannot be tolerated in a free liberal society. They put on the pretence of challenging our Western society but try and engage in a conversation that questions their core beliefs and they soon t

Muslims ‘Unveiled’

Muslims should be willing to adapt to the host culture as much as possible

The Veil Issue, Once Again

Veils were worn by women in Europe during the Victorian era and earlier decades. Society did not institute a banning of veils, rather over a period of time society changed and the veil vanished. Similar is the case of the hijab and the burkha. Education,

One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer, but Ten Million Make a Swarm!

Sub-continental minorities are still looked on with suspicion and there is no true secular treatment, such as the lack of a uniform civil code.

The Gardens

I was mostly quiet as we made small talk. Salima was giving me time to reminisce and absorb that day’s memories for when I would need them most. In America.

The Other Side of the World

Wow English land I have heard so much about it, the land of free, where what ever you say will always be heard and you are never alone, place where YOU are important.

Terrorism is Nobody's Monopoly

There are or have been terrorist groups among Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, and even Buddhists. And secularists amongst these (anarchists) have been the biggest killers.

Comprehending Time

We usually have an intuitive perception of time but when we are asked to explain what it is, we find ourselves at a loss to describe it consistently.

‘Smarty’ is the word…

** Gear-up for the style business!!

Sehra

Sehra ki bheegi ret meN, maine likha aawaargi.... I was puzzled. The words made no sense to me. Sehra always meant to me a flowery veil that an Indian bridegroom wears therefore the song made no sense. When a friend told that it also means desert

Minorities in the Western Societies

Certain basic steps that must be taken by the immigrants as well as the host countries to affect peaceful and harmonious integration.

COLOR CONTINUUM

Meditations to industrial revolution, the man has gone through many phases of knowing thy inner-self

Duality of our Lives: US Vs. Pakistan

Enticing visions of a studio apartment, Ikea shelves, weaved baskets, plastic trendy colored organizers and routine breaks to Starbucks Café for a shot of espresso creates a perfect harmony in my daughter’s life.

Biradris No More?

Arains,Jutts,Rajputs.The caste system in Punjab might just be coming to an end.

Morally Disadvantaged?

Are emigrants really 'morally disadvantaged'? Are they actually the turncoats and hedonists they are made out to be? Do they have to play games to placate people back home? It depends who you ask.

Quit India: Hindutva Goons!

Bombay, the city that never sleeps, can be said to be a new barometer of the mood of the broad masses of the Indian people.

Holier than thou?

16% UK Muslims Stand by London Bombers

The headline could well have been, “64 per cent UK Muslims against London bombers”.

In the Company of Women

For I knew that across the North American landscape, in large cities and small towns, there were others.

American Ambivalence on National Language

The American nation consists of immigrants from diverse countries. For fear of imposing any specific language and the associated culture on the diversity of the American population, the question of a national language is left in limbo

Jolly Bhai

We were a group of six international students in our first summer in U.S.A, hoping to collect the colossal sum we needed for next semester’s tuition, and best way to accomplish the task, we were told, was to drive cabs in the city of Chicago.

Deforestation and Drought

Massive deforestation started in the 1990s. Between 1990 and 2000 Pakistan lost an average of 41,100 hectares of forest per year with an average annual deforestation rate of 1.63 per cent. Between 2000 and 2005, the rate increased to 2.02 per cent per ann

Optimism in a Pessimistic World

I am wary of anything that seems too perfect because there have to be as many imperfections concealed within it to reach the equilibrium of black and white that is a property of everything within this world

The Invisible Aliens

These illegals live sometimes invisible lives. They work in sweat-shops, labor under the hot sun picking fruit and lettuce, mow our lawns, clean our houses and look after our children

The Fertility Debate

The role of women in determining their fertility is also a factor of politics and power established by the clerical class rather than what Islam actually specifies. Many Muslim countries assert that women do not have a right to deny pregnancy

Modi’s Men and their Mean Machines

Every illegal religious shrine ought to be demolished. Yet, I wish to know how a 200-year-old dargah of a Sufi saint qualifies as being ‘illegal’, is bulldozed and leads to mob violence. Gujarat is becoming an experimental lab for the Hindu Ra

Caste, Reservations and Indian Muslims

The despicable custom of discrimination on the basis of a person’s birth is prevalent among the Muslims of India. But demanding a separate identity as a ‘dalit Muslim’, and other benefits based on caste is no panacea for such iniquity

Taj a Mirage

I saw a group of young artisans. They looked timid and frightened, their head bent down trying to concentrate on their work, but at the same time wanting to communicate with the onlookers

Celebrity Courts and Kangaroo Justice

I protest against this abuse of a cause by people like Aamir Khan, for it is gimmicky and counter-productive. News channels are behaving like nautch girls and social butterflies as the nawabs of vigilance. Page 3 justice is the latest fad

Is Iran Headed for War?

If history is a good judge then I can say with some surety that Pakistan will allow Americans to attack Iran from Pakistan border. In fact, it might well become a proxy state for the Americans like it did during the Afghan war against Russia

Kibbutz Criminals

Can we ever imagine a Jewish Mob? Can we see any identity for them beyond the rabbi, the kibbutz, the Holocaust? Can we even think about a vengeful Jew? So, has the Jewish persecution machinery been working overtime?

Australia’s Muslim youth -- A Battle for their Hearts and Minds

Young Muslims are misunderstood by their parents and many live two lives - one inside their community and another outside

Muslims in Infidelistan: A Ready Reckoner

When you show up at the airport with your six inch beard, your plastic portable lota, and a prayer rug rolled up in your armpit, you invite quite a bit of unwanted attention. Your four wives, walking behind you, don’t help make your arrival any less

Existential Angst: Am I an imposter?

Successful women had high levels of self-doubt and were unable to enjoy their successes. Rather, they attributed their achievements to chance, luck or some random event

Muslim Sensibilities and Freedom of Speech

In such an atmosphere, clash between democratic freedoms and religious fervor, between criticism and tender Muslim sensibilities is a reality

Distorted Image of the Untrue Self

Break free from the chains
The chains I let others bind me with
Tying me up tighter, and closing in still
Leaving me no option than to submit

Now Showing on a DVD Near You

If Bollywood were to take a leaf out of a Hollywood director’s simultaneous release idea, it is hard to see how it will adversely affect its fortunes at the box office. India is already no stranger to the piracy market

AMU at the Crossroads

On January 5, the Allahabad High Court took away the minority tag from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). The court upheld its judgment in October last year terming as “unconstitutional” the grant of minority status to AMU

The Virgin Birth

Generally for the Muslims, the Immaculate Conception is considered sacrosanct, and to question it would be at the least irreverent if not downright blasphemous

Is This Why the Jews Are Disliked by Other Religions?

The stability of Jewish families, their success in business and in different professions, their skepticism as far as religion and dogma is concerned, all these must make them a disliked community

Looking for a New Islamic Fiqh

Today Islam needs a new Fiqh to implement its Shariat. Not many Muslims appreciate the difference between these two very important and distinct terms

An introspective comparison of various Muslim societies

Songs of Dissonance

Out of all the tragedies this earthquake has brought, the loss of an educated and inspiring Junaid Jamshed is very dehumanizing.

Children of Guest Workers

There exists a strong resentment amongst the immigrant youth against the German system; I see a highly polarised society

Nostalgia, Inc.

Jaipur: where thakurs can get you bumped off for a variety of reasons.

Earthquake and New Tears for a Paradise Lost

Any immigrant’s distance dilemma is rejuvenated by sudden reminders and the weight of memories of a home that no longer exists. And sometimes like being in an earthquake, one is jolted into thinking back and to shed new tears for one’s peopl

South Asians in the USA

It is obvious that South Asians will leave a mark on the America. But what would be their contribution to the patchwork of American cultural landscape?

Immigrants: Na Idhar ke, Na uddhar ke

I moved to Canada four years ago - at the time, we - my spouse and I - were determined to 'make a life' in Toronto or live there permanently. However circumstances and family obligations impelled us to move back to Pakistan eventually.

Terrorism and the Muslim World

Certain extremist outfits in Muslim countries, and the most violent of them so to speak, were erstwhile partners of the West for their own vested interests.

ISNA Thugs

ISNA management has been unable to relate to their American-born Muslim constituency which is the future of Islam in America.

The Dance of the Damned

'We Dalits are like animals. The moment we are born we are on our own. There is no support system. We are constantly made aware that we are apart.'

The Dispatches on War (Part V)

Muslims and Crusades -- In the last five hundred years, the destiny of the Muslim world and the European continent seems to have undertaken diverse paths ...

Muslims and the Road to Perdition

In today’s globalized flat world, Muslims must harmonize themselves with other communities and reap the benefits of a changed world. Like the true deputies of God on earth, let’s make it a better place.

The Case for American Muslim Identity

In some cases, having a birthday party at the local community center is seen as 'haraam' simply because the concept of birthday party at the time of Prophet was unknown

Cause and Detect

Please do remember that I am ignoring the conspiracy theorists, who are a real funny bunch, blaming it on the intelligence services, the police, the Zionists, the military industrial complex, capitalism, little green men from Uranus

Changing Muslim Hearts

'It sucks to be Muslim.' Those were the words uttered by my 15-year-old son as we sat glued to the TV, watching coverage of the unspeakable crime that had been committed against humanity a few days before on 9/11.

The Buddha is Smiling

An orphan’s curse would drag to hell

Being Imrana

Imran’s tragedy has shaken up the redoubtable polymath Salman Rushdie, the ultimate symbol of a person suffering under a draconian fatwa, into writing a scathing attack on the Deoband fatwa and the culture of honour-and-shame prevailing in India and

Muslim Leadership: An Oxymoron?

A good Muslim leader can be simply defined as someone who has the ability to embrace the changing world of Islam

In Conversation with a Dog

The following conversation, with a dog and the writer, is not just imagination but fifty per cent real talk; twenty-five per cent fiction and the remaining twenty-five per cent based on circumstantial evidence.

Ayodhya Back On Top

Why did it come now?
What was the aim of the attackers?
Who benefits most if the peace process is hindered or rolled back?
How soon will calm prevail?

Iranian Puzzle

What the current election signifies and what it means for the future

The Alternative Muslim Identity

We are not planning on going back home someday. We are home!

Cold Flesh

Eesher Singh looked at Kalwant Kaur but unable to bear the heat of her piercing eyes, looked the other way.

Mukhtaran Mai vs. the Rest of Pakistan

There are examples in history where armies were dispatched to protect the honour of a single woman. There is however no example of a single woman dispatching herself to fight against an army of institutions that collectively represent an entire countr

Immigrant

Immigrating (or returning) is an intensely personal decision that is based on a myriad of factors, most of them unique to each individual. Most of us, though, wonder, from time to time, how things might have been had we taken another fork in the road of l

Godhra Tak: A note from the Filmmaker

This film has actually inspired Lalu Prasad Yadav, Railway Minister, Government of India, to institute an inquiry on the Godhar incident.

Old Neighbors And Old Memories

What was really an eye opener was the bonhomie between the Pakistani and the Indian diplomats, who had come to the reception. I drifted towards them and it turned out they were talking about the similarity of Laxshmi Mansions with a few buildings in New D

On the Banks of the Wishing Lake

A lake protected by birds. Where wishes come true.

Charity

He searched his pockets, a driving license, an American Express and a Habib Debit Card. “Do you have some money?” “No,” replied Nina who was wearing diamond studded set she had specially ordered for the wedding.

Which Road will the Pope Take?

Major inter-faith issues lie ahead of Pope Benedict XVI, he succeeded Pope John Paul II, a man who supported religious relativism and worked to enforce better relations with Jews and Muslims.

Connecting

Symmetry and extensions connect
when you know
who you arewhen you know what you say
when you know what you want

Nowhere

Sorrow screams inside the caves of silence. Time boils in the vat of anticipation.

Linguistic Elitism

From immigrants learning English to assimilate into the culture of the majority, to the millions of English speakers worldwide, who learn the language to compete in the world markets, the feeling toward the language is paradoxically both of resentment and

Seventy Days in Karachi

I never really realized how quickly time would run out like sand in an hourglass...

Rolling Stones

She had the loudest cry I ever heard. And she was perfect. My husband and I were ecstatic, and we wanted to hug and kiss the whole world. Unfortunately, there was not even a single person we could call on to share the joy of this miracle. It was only our

An Iranian Exile in Sambhalpur

The VHP issue had taken a more serious turn, filling Sister Miriam Morris, the Christian nun who headed St Joseph, with panic.What had happened was really macabre. One of the children attending the medical camp was given a tonic, which was past its expiry

You are Not Ready for Desilicious

In a city long past “firsts”, it is New York’s first social space for queer desis to party amongst their own. In doing so, they have defied the accumulated traditions and prejudices of their native and adopted lands.

Goodbye Hollywood, Hello Haalivud?

Can Pakistan become an animation hot spot?

The Reluctant Cash Cow

Announcing dual citizenship initiatives Prime Minister Manmohan Singh highlighted the importance of involving people of Indian origin in many meaningful ways in the reconstruction of our Motherland.

If Godhra did not happen…

Has the possibility of the kar sevaks being a suicide squad not occurred to anyone? Could they not have been terrorists out to create trouble?

Black Sheep of Layari

The following story is about the drug dealers and negative elements of Lyari, original theme of which is provided by a native Baloch dweller of Lyari. This is an outcome, based on the narrations of eyewitnesses.

Karma Camry

Even a car can be trapped by the web of culture that we weave....

Moving to an Alien Land

Moving even temporarily to another country can be extremely angst ridden. Even the things you disliked suddenly seem comfortable because of their familiarity.

Sharded Past

When guests go
And I return to me
I’ll cure the hangover

Dance of the Seasons / American Amavasya

Diya dances light
From jack-o-lantern
On our American
Amavasya

Caste and the City

Caste discrimination operates via exclusivism. We won’t live with you, we won’t eat with you, and we won’t socialize with you. So it should not be surprising that such marginalisation extends to the job market.

Democracy!

Another victorious candidate from the state of Bihar was unavailable for comment on his win, even though he’d just won the right to sit in India’s Parliament. Why? Well, the prison rules didn’t allow for media visits.

Musings of an Immigrant on Culture and Identity

At home, the Indian side dominates, while outside the home, in college, at the workplace or in social situations, the American side dominates. This seemingly dual identity arises precisely because the community actively resists, and indeed comes up with i

Mute Goat Dilemma

Perhaps there will come a day when I will step out of my door without bracing myself against another wolf-whistle or cheap comment or body-piercing gaze following me at every step towards my destination.

One More Day Before Debu’s Death

Debu suddenly became very philosophical and scratching his crotch asked Ali, 'Hey Ali, my left eye ball is dancing since this morning. You know all this shit. Isn’t this a good omen. Doesn’t it mean I will succeed in my dhanda today? Or i

The Doll’s House

How can Hindus dare to point fingers at Muslim regressiveness when they have not been able to improve the lot of their own people?How can they talk disparagingly about Muslim ghettos when India is divided along regional, culinary, caste, status lines?

The Navel of Asia

Nowhere on earth’s surface is there a comparable cluster of mountains. In a chaos of contours at the heart, or perhaps the navel of Asia, six major mountain systems lie locked together.

The Dream of a Crime-Free Society

He seemed agonized. I asked him what was wrong. He had called his folks in Karachi and learnt about a robbery next door to where they live.

A Matter of Destiny

Unlike other dating sites, though, Naseeb is first and foremost a Web site for Muslims, and it shows.

Twilight of a Passionate Love Affair

O Canada!...Our home and native land!...True patriot love in all thy sons command……

Canada’s First Muslim Woman Member of Parliament: Why did the Media Miss the Story?

The media’s search for ’authentic’ Muslims

Dev - The Anatomy of A Communal Carnage

... if Gujarat is not to be repeated, it must never be forgotten!

Dear Sisters, Meet Maria Sharapova

This is the story of a father who took a chance that his ten-year-old daughter from Siberia can be great. Thanks to the opportunities offered by the free world Maria Sharapova is what no practicing, veiled, Muslim woman can ever be.

September 12

you toss my brothers in the water– sink or float? now tell me– what separates the sheep from the goats?

Elucidation from the Loony Side

I am a victim of madness, brought upon by very powerful media. Madness, as you may have realized, is a nature. It has been termed as a disease of the brain but eventually it acquires the attributes of disposition.

Naila

She looked the same as she did before at her funeral. That was my first Namaz e janaza. I looked at the crowd: 30 people maybe. Most of them didn’t know her well either. 800 at the wedding and 30 at the funeral.

A Song for the Lord of the Hills

But this time, the priest insisted on full disclosure of the names of the beneficiaries of the archanai! 'Abdul and Salma,' my friend said and then added their parents’ names as well, fearful that the priest might take umbrage.

One Roof, Two Worlds

New immigrants, they say, carry a lot of old baggage. Well, not in the literal sense but metaphorically.

The Kumbh Mela of the South

The next morning, I am woken up by the muezzin’s call to prayer from a nearby mosque. Shortly thereafter, the Someshwar Temple starts some recorded chant on its loudspeakers.

Shahla Haeri: Changing Perceptions

Although thousands of educated and working women have played significant roles in Muslim societies, most literature on Muslim women has concentrated on the veiled, poor, peasant or oppressed women.

Letter to an American Muslim

Now you are as American as the Poles who came to work like slaves in the steel mills of Pittsburgh, the Irish who escaped persecution in their homeland to inhabit ghettoes in Boston and Philadelphia … Now it is your turn to do what it takes to arriv

Should Pakistan, too, Dump the Commonwealth?

Leaving the Commonwealth arena all to India by walking out from it would be a big blunder. Why give India a walk-over?

Broken Stones

I had forgotten that my mother was a Hindu. They had changed her name from Savita Damle to Salma Khan. To me it did not matter…Yet, I wondered whether that stone was for me or them.

Outsourcing Torture

I too was born in a Muslim country. Should I carefully try to recall who I came in contact with during my 35-year stay in Canada and be careful not to transit through an American airport?

Rescinding the ’Concordat’

Like Napoleon, Bhutto has a dubious legacy. While he will be remembered for his heroism, his global vision and his genuine ambition to transform Pakistan into a world power under his leadership, he will be condemned for making the deal with the devil and

Iranian Nuclear Program nettles the US

If the US failed despite exhausting all the diplomatic options to halt Iranian programme, would the Americans resort to exhibit its military supremacy against a much weaker country? Or will it encourage a mutiny in Iran? Or will the US attack Iranian nucl

Being a Girl...

In our society gender seems to be a sky high barricade on the road to ambition.

Do Foes of Gay Marriages Simply Fear Joy?

As these couples embraced their future together, we couldn’t help but feel sad for Canada’s gay and lesbian couples who are being pilloried for seeking the same happiness.

Barriers: A Review

It is about five individuals (four from the Abbas family and Roger) who are trying to deal either directly or indirectly with the fallout of 9-11

Muslim League’s Politics (1937-1947)

League’s transformation from a Nationalist party to a Separatist Party. Author's note: I want this to be first in a series of articles by Pakistanis and Indians to unemotionally reconsider the events of that very important decade in our history whic

Bombs and Beards

It traverses my face like a helmet strap, as if trying to keep my lower jaw from falling. What started as an urge to make something different out of myself has now maintained a debilitating and deceptive permanency, making others believe what I am not

Saud’s Arabia?

Who is this guy Saud? Is he the owner of Arabia? Or is he the lease holder? How long is the lease period? 99 years, or 99 generations? Who is the lessor? Almighty Allah? Or a Turkish Sultan, or King George VI, or ReMax Arabia?

Just Another BLOW-UP?

The moment I saw that shiny steel box, I knew it spelled trouble. I had no idea of what it contained, but my gut feeling was that it would not be a fair report.

Can Muslims Become Part of Mainstream Nationalism?

Whenever any disturbances involving Muslims take place anywhere, the Hindu community is automatically blamed - though sometimes justifiably.

Border

Did he release the string on purpose
To send a friendly message across?

Pakistani Detainee Enjoyed Deep US Roots

To American investigators, the father and son represent a dangerous new type of Qaeda sympathizer affluent Pakistanis with long histories of shuttling in and out of the United States

Transfer of Power from the British Raj & The South Asian Politicians

While the common man went about his routine daily chores, the future of South Asia lay in the hands of the politicians of the Congress and the Muslim league.

Admissions Open

Universities have turned admissions process into a money making scheme - admit this.

My Perspective on Islam

Humanists cannot endorse terrorist targeting of innocents no matter how just the cause

Growing up Muslim

In a few months, the father was sure that his girls will become sexual beings, westernized and depraved

Sheedah Badma’ash

Abdul Rasheed Butt and I were class fellows at high school in the senior years. Our School was an Islamia School but was more popularly called the “Khudd School” – a hole of a school

Mutant Muslims

Another case of art imitating life?

Survival of the Fittest

If Pakistan is next then what are the options?

The Great Game for Central Asian Oil

The Imperialist Ring from Yugoslavia to Afghanistan

Protest March on the 30th of March (no pun intended!)

We call ourselves citizens of the world.

Ich bin ein Mussulman

the conquest of the Middle East is only a smart aleck way of referring to what is true

Travels through America - Deep Thoughts

Finally, it was one sight that took my heart and left a lasting impression on me of the beauty and simple innocence of a human being...

Revolution of Regression

Establishing an Islamic Caliphate in New York

Ramblings On the Fence

Searching for your realities in a melting pot.

What Would Baynard Rustin Say?

In our casual GAP knockoffs and Old Navy clothes, we convey the idea that we are rebelling against suburban middle class proprieties

All The Bridges Are Burning

The United States’ foreign policy has historically oscillated between recklessness of unilateralism and the cautious nature of multilateralism.

Death

she died long before her life ended

Wanderings in the Twilight Zone

Serialized Novel

In Celebration of Ramadan (Part 1): Ala Hazrat’s Poem About The Onset of Ramadan

O’Saqi, I will forever be yours, bring me some wine, Ramadan has come!

The King’s Gambit: Chapter 5 (The Diplomat)

Carl Davis had just lost one group of swing votes in his home state. He was going to make sure he did not lose the other group also.

This Fall

Is this how it felt to live in Rome? At the start of the decline, I am sure things were very good.

What Went Wrong With Devdas

all poetry should make sense in terms of the living experience

Search for Identity -1, Saeed Anjum’s Short Stories

The day you kill me.
in my pocket you will find
a ticket to Loveland.

We, The Muslim Americans

We envisioned a happy co-existence

Night of Burning Terror

It was a clear, cold night early in February 1948...

The Brahmin Warrior

He found Hey Ram disturbing, but not in a good way.

The Forgotten Children of God

Beneath the four main castes is a fifth group, the Scheduled Caste

Here Are the Muslim Feminist Voices, Mr. Rushdie!

Muslim women HAVE been speaking out against the obscurantist Islam he decries

Loves loved {some not so loved}

My future has been flirting with his past

The Sage

forget Plato’s cavemen

Family Laws in Bangladesh

family law codes are inconsistent with the Constituion on three counts

Oi, Kinniyaan Memaan Keetiyan Ne.

It’s a clean slate,
The Paki’s had his fun,

Sadia Afroze Ali

Without going into didactic or dialectical discourse, let me say I apologize. .

Eqbal Ahmad: Post - Pokhran Days

The mountain had turned white. I wondered how much pain had been felt by nature ...

San Diego Warming’

... fifty plus people of all sizes and ages convened for a slumber party

Searching for my identity

Searching for your identity as a second generation Pakistani in Britain.

WW III? An Analysis of Yugoslavia

The media has been lying to the world about the crisis in Kosova

Growing up an American Muslim

You’re related to Saddam aren’t ya?

Dancing in the ruins

...they say the aura of a person is imprinted on a place where they have lived.

WESTERN IMPERIALISM: It’s Causes, and It’s Impact on the World

Will there ever be an end?

The Bride Burning

Mankind will not stand by and witness our burning:  Mankind will not immolate truth.

Climate Controlled

The stench of poverty, was real,unfiltered, emanating from the open sewers, over which, now, a dark, naked child smiles, squats.