Articles
Four Tragedies Daryabadi Witnessed
Daryabadi’s forte at expressing in a few charming words complex and subtle ideas is second to none in the Urdu literature. He deals with four tragic incidents he witnessed in his Sidk-e-Jadeed (1972). The first tragedy occurred in 1924. The Khilafat Movement was progressing in unitedly against for the freedom of India at a rapid […]
Storm in the Coffee Cup
The recent victory for the Baratiya Janata Party in the assembly constituencies of Maharashtra and Hariyana, following the landslide it had in the Indian Parliamentary election, has boosted not only the morale of various Sangh Parivar elements, but their hubris as well. Recently, there was what appeared to be cultural vigilantism by Youva Moracha, a […]
Ziauddin Sardar: The Careless Critic
I have just emerged safe from reading Ziauddin Sardar’s article on Muslim men. Those who are surprised at what I actually mean should understand that articles, thoughts and reflections of authors can inflict harm on you by perverting realities and misrepresenting truths while remaining earnest, sincere and disinterested and papering over the seemingly credible, but […]
Malala and Crisis of Feminist Politics
Malala yousafzai, a Pakistani activist working for women’s rights and education, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October, 2014, which she shared with Kailash Satyarthi, a children’s rights activist from India, making her the youngest ever laureate in history. The media celebrated the achievement as a victory of her battle against the suppression of […]
The Shadows of Muslim Men
A confession. In case you did not know I am a man. A generic, universal entity about which the seventeenth century French aristocrat Madame de Sevigne knew a thing or two. ‘The more I see of men’, she declared, ‘the more I admire dogs’. Knowing myself as well as I do, I appreciate her preference. […]
Edward Said: Legacy Revived
Edward Said touched on many discourses relevant today, because his career is rooted deep into the most pressing political concerns of today. To say metaphorically, Edward Said is not yet dead, as there is a continuum of his intellectual career through his contemporaries, students and fans. We array here the reflections of some outspoken critiques […]
Sociality and the burqa question
France may have lost the football World Cup but it has won its case in the European Court of Human Rights to ensure that no one covers his or her face in public. This verdict stems from a challenge to France’s 2010 edict banning the public from wearing religious symbols, including crucifixes, yarmulkes and burqas. […]
Five reasons why Hawking is right to boycott Israel
As announced by the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) and subsequently covered by The Guardian, Reuters and others, world-renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist Professor Stephen Hawking has decided to heed the Palestinian call for boycott, and pull out of an Israeli conference hosted by President Shimon Peres in June. After initial confusion, this was confirmed – Hawking is staying away on political […]
The Art of Giving in to Nature
It is an enviable saga of a single man’s continuous hard work and dedication to bring about great changes in the lives of the villagers. He created a 32-acre forest in a barren rocky wasteland. It has bettered the climate of the place, improved the standard of living, and served and saved the lives […]
Algeria and the Politics of the Spectator
While I write this note, FIFA 2014 witnessed a fantastic jolt with Germany in the first semi-final dealing a humiliating drubbing to the host Brazil by 7-1. Before the first semi-final the equations had been evenly-poised: Argentina and Brazil, the two fossilized teams from Latin America along with Germany and Netherlands, two European giants. […]
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