Author Archive: Infoeditor
Kanthapura: Probing non- violent questions
Raja Rao’s novel Kanthapura (1938) is the first major Indian novel in English. It is a fictional but realistic account of how a great majority of people in India lived their lives under the British rule and how they responded to the ideas and ideals of Indian nationalism. Kanthapura depicts the story of an Indian […]
Latife Hanim: When Secrecies Unveil
Mustafa Kemal Pasha, known as the father of Turkey (Ataturk), (1881-1938) is advertised by the west-aping Muslim intellectuals the world over as their role-model. The demolition of Caliphate and Shareeat, The change of language for azan (from Arabic to Turkish), replacement of Tarboosh (The Turkish felt cap) with the standard European hat, measures for women’s […]
Despotism or Pluralism: Questions on Islam
In India, there are two theories on the expansion of Islam. Theory number one: It spread as part of the expansion of empire. This is a sugarcoated argument explaining the hackneyed sword theory on the expansion of the religion. Theory number two: Islam spread through Sufis and merchants who travelled far and wide effusing mercy, […]
Street Musicians’ Day: Delight Unrestrained
Street is where culture remains unrestrained. Much before social networking media and file-sharing systems developed, street had beckoned our artistes to gather and perform, when multi-billion studios and production houses closed their doors on people who have skills but hardly any wherewithal to approach production managers. Now we have Google id; log in to YouTube; […]
A Dirge to English Muslim Magazines
In the formative years of my life, magazines kept me posted on the developments in the world. They were the only resources to go beyond the obvious to the deeper significations of events. When I read, it seemed to me that magazines observed from the sidelines and presented various shades of opinions. And that was […]
Muslim Print Journalism in India: A Course Correction
Newspapers and magazines everywhere have played a major role in informing the readers and influencing public opinion since the press began in India in the nineteenth century. Like in all other aspects of modernization, Muslims lagged behind almost every group in journalism. This article reviews English language Muslim press in India since independence and suggests […]
Etiquette of a Muslim Filmmaker
I am a filmmaker by profession. The taboo which existed among Muslims against watching and making Muslims seems to have been broken many decades. Even the ultra-conservative Muslim groups in my locality have started to make films. So my question is not about the permissibility of watching or making films. It is about the ethics and etiquette […]
Tracing the Pragaash: Hard-lines of Melophobia
February, this year Pragaash (means First Light) – the first all-girl-musical-band of Kashmir after a brief musical journey in the beginning decided to quit in the wake of a fatwa issued against them. The band members had live performances spiced with music and energy to make the people around them happy, but what they got […]
Life of Muhammad: A Critical Engagement
The life of Prophets are never their alone. Their life links us with the Eternity, the Source of all lives. Whatever they do even in the inner chamber of their home is monitored and justified or corrected by the Revelation. Their life is added to the text of Revelation in order to interpret the latter. […]
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