Jawahara Saidullah

Frozen Dec 31, 1969

It was a small story, covered only in the local press, largely ignored by the aggressive festivities of the holiday season: 'Man Found Frozen in Snow Bank' ...

In the Company of Women Dec 31, 1969

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

The Invisible Aliens Dec 31, 1969

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

First, Honor Thyself Dec 31, 1969

Her virginity and her body is not hers alone. They are symbols of her family’s honor, whether it is her birth family or that of her husband

A Thousand Cuts Dec 31, 1969

Female genital mutilation is actually on the rise, as those who practice it, bring it with them as they make their Diasporic journeys to other lands

Give Us this Day our Tandoori Chicken Dec 31, 1969

Apart from the usual news, there were accounts of the latest breed of terrorists. They need no bombs, they are small and undetectable and they are constantly on the move

Conduits Dec 31, 1969

This is the reality, for most of us who live outside our countries. We’re always looking for that door… the conduit that connects our new home to the real home we long for

Ch-ch-changes Dec 31, 1969

Change, is after all, the only true constant in life. The way we look changes, from our waistlines to our skin to our thinning hair

In Praise (and Defence) of Blasphemy Dec 31, 1969

Blasphemy to me is the domain of a different mind, of a brave person (or a foolish one) but someone who definitely swims against the tide

Diasporic Indian Dec 31, 1969

I realized that the strange unease within me, the missing piece was the overlapping, messy Jawahara of the Diaspora.

Standing Alone in Mecca by Asra Q. Nomani Dec 31, 1969

The journey to Mecca and standing alone at the birthplace of Islam is a running metaphor in Nomani’s book. She is always alone, or so it seems, on the other side of most Islamic issues.

The Weight of Water Dec 31, 1969

“Women are like water,” her father used to say, “they are gentle and patient and they take the shape of whatever situation into which they are poured.”

The Woman on the Tracks Dec 31, 1969

Three wheels pass over her waist before the train stops.

Monsters Unlocked Dec 31, 1969

Only human beings can kill like this: the ultimate predator, cunning, hunting in groups, with weapons and without remorse. And we all have this machete killer lurking within us. It only awaits some fuel to burst forth and destroy others and us along with

The Gun Dec 31, 1969

A life which, after his retirement kept him on edge, surprised in a world that had changed so drastically since he had entered the service so many years ago. His wife was the biggest surprise.

The Allahabad I Knew Dec 31, 1969

A customer was looking for Jacques Derrida’s works. He and the owner lamented Derrida’s death before launching into a passionate discussion on deconstruction. I smiled to myself. This was the Allahabad I remember, where words and books and wri

The Drive Dec 31, 1969

She unclipped his seatbelt and hers, moving closer to him, forcing him into an embrace. He resisted for one long moment before collapsing into her arms. Together they cried, each holding the other, in the darkness of their car, not knowing where they were

The Beast and I Dec 31, 1969

When I talk someone else, it is his cynical, mocking voice I hear in my ears. When I look into another person’s eyes, I peer instead into the center of his soul, glimpsing uncharted, thrilling vistas and promises that excite and repel me.