Naseer & Shahab - Za Pukhtoon Yam
I am not very fond of “ethnic nationalism” but this is first of all very catchy, secondly it has a point which is dear to my heart as it breaks the stereotypes against Pakhtun (esp given war in Afghanistan and tribal areas of Pakistan), and finally it has beautiful lyrics!
The enemy brands it as a language of hell,
To heaven I will go with Pashto. (Ameer Hamza Shinwari)
Photojournalism: Spirituality in death
On 14th January I covered 968th death anniversary of Sufi Saint Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery also known as Data Gunj Baksh in Lahore, Pakistan. Here are some pictures from the day. You can check the complete set on my Flickr here.
I also shot some clips there which I am using in a music video for an extremely talented musician from Islamabad. Will be sharing that with public by end of this week!
Racial, Verbal abuse on Central Line London Train 23.01.12
A Pakistani tells you how to deal with Racial abuse, you sing! This one comes with translated subtitles.
TedTalks: Moral psychology and the its matrix.
(via zushan)
From video: Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we’re left, right or center. In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most.
My add: This is what I am going to refer anyone who asks me again, what I really believe in or why I am (kind of) a Centrist?
After her father began raping her, Mariam felt scared, ashamed and vulnerable.
The Pakistani teenager, who was around 13 or 14 when the attacks began, couldn’t have known her case would lift the veil on an explosive issue long-shrouded in stigma and bereft of justice in her country – incest.
In 2009, the year the attacks began, a trio of human rights organisations took up her case: international group Equality Now, as well as Pakistani women’s rights organisations War Against Rape, Lahore and Nasreen Welfare Trust Legal Aid Services (NWT). Mariam* served as the inspiration for their report “A Struggle for Justice: Incest Victims in Pakistan,” issued on Jan. 24.
Incest isn’t even listed in the Pakistan Penal Code. It’s rarely discussed and even more rarely reported, according to the report. There are no statistics on incest and, often, little or no punishment for those who perpetrate it. Families typically cover it up and discourage victims from reporting it out of fear that the family honour will be tarnished. (Originally blogged via msandrogynous, complete article at Trust.org)
All of you celebrating the year of the Dragon, wish you a wonderful and successful year!
BBC: Swiss ‘contract children’ speak out
A dark chapter of Swiss history is getting increased attention, with the release of a feature film about “Verdingkinder” or “contract children” and an exhibition about them which is touring the country. (complete article / video report)
Photo credits: Verdingkinder, Historisches Museum, ab 4. Dezember Foto: Paul Senn
Pakistan must end its policy of killings and kidnappings of Baloch people and recognise the importance of the region.
by Akbar Ahmed (Ambassador Akbar Ahmed is currently the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington).
——
My comments to Prof Akbar for whom I have tremendous amount of respect and admiration (as posted under the article):
Prof Akbar, I have tremendous amount of respect for you - I still remember as a kid watching Jinnah in cinema and feeling proud and grounded in the realities we would not have otherwise seen in our “history books”. Also you humanised Jinnah in a beautiful way for which I shall always remain thankful.
However here I have a disagreement with you, or rather a complaint. No one in their right mind would ever dare disagree that Pakistan as a State and Pakistanis as a Nation have failed Balochistan. But don’t you think in name of neutrality this article should have mentioned countless hardworking non-Baloch who have been murdered in cold blood in Balochistan while serving the ordinary Baloch to raise the level of services to them which you raised concern for?
I wish Malik Siraj would have mentioned how my family living in Balochistan for a good hundred year was forced out after repeated threats in 60s. Or how lately young kids playing cricket have been killed, or that Balochistan University Vice-Chancellor, or that private school’s Principle, or that female University professor, or those labourers whose bodies were found with their hands tied behind their back were all murdered just because of being non-Baloch even though they were directly contributing to the Balochi people.
There are fortunately always two sides of a coin.
What is it like to be asexual?
Twenty-one-year-old Jenni Goodchild does not experience sexual attraction, but in an increasingly sexualised society what is it like to be asexual?
“For me it basically just means that I don’t look at people and think ‘hmm yeah I’d have sex with you,’ that just doesn’t happen,” says Jenni.
A student in Oxford, Jenni is one of the estimated 1% of people in the UK who identify themselves as asexual. Asexuality is described as an orientation, unlike celibacy which is a choice. (complete article)
Shit Muslims Say
Sheikh Zubair is a Muslim, ISRAEL! and of course are Shia’ts even Human!?!
I need to apologies for an earlier posting titled, “Pakistan: Waiting to receive pieces of his daughter’s dead body”. At that time I reblogged it only after checking the source (a respected Daily Newspaper in Pakistan) but as things have turned out now, it was an act of a conman. This pathetic man was trying to get his daughter back after she had married someone (against her father’s will) she was already engaged to (with agreement of her father). This domestic issue provided this man with a perfect opportunity to get public sympathy when just in few hours 900,000 Rupees ($10,000 / £6,500) were deposited in his account by good Samaritans, and also a chance to get his daughter back.
I am sorry for causing any confusion with this and thank you to Rashid for dropping me a message regarding the update.
You can find more about this miserable person here: Conman ‘waiting for daughter’s pieces’ busted.
- January 13
- , 2012
One thing which absolutely boil my blood is sight of the parents who have a young nanny with them every where. This nanny often just 10-12 year old would be from the lowest economic strata of the society, and will lead a confused life sitting a table away from the couple who has hired her. In this particular case I can clearly see the kid reaching to his nanny more than his mother.
More on this later but for now, why would you have unprotected sex and give birth to a child when u can’t even take care of him/her? (mobile)
Going back after covering a protest on out skirts of Islamabad. Saw masses at their finest, and lost as always. If you want to feel the real cross section of Pakistani society you ought to be in one. More later. (mobile)
- January 2
- , 2012
Misunderstood’ Mughal princes discussed
Lives of two Mughal princes, whose character sketches have been distorted by historians, their relations, religious views and a bitter struggle over political control of the culturally and economically rich empire, were explored at a programme attended by a small gathering of people on Wednesday evening.
Dara Shikoh, heir apparent of Emperor Shah Jahan, and his younger brother, Aurangzeb, were the central figures of the interesting discourse, New perspectives on the Mughals: the case of Dara Shikoh , held at T2F. (complete news)
my add: I wish they had at least posted a video of the proceeding online. If you are interested in the politics of Pakistan and South Asia, particularly with the Religious dynamics and history - you will enjoy reading this piece and perhaps will find pointers on what to read next.
Though a heir apparent of Emperor Shah Jahan, he was sidelined by his younger brother Emperor Aurangzaib by a mixture of superior military strategy and using Religion as his tool. Dara (taken from Persian Darius) with his unorthodox mystical religious views and artistic sensibilities proved no match for his younger brother, finding himself in clutches of death as an Apostate and a Mutineer. Our history went on to ignore vital details (something we continue till today) painting younger brother in golden colours while literally forgetting the older Dara.
History later shows how Aurangzaib who took the reigns in name of religion unlike his predecessors retorted to course of actions never seen before; causing the rift with Sikhs (wars with Sikhs, some even link this to the eventual blood bath of refugees on both side in 1947) and Hindus. This sometime is seen as a public outlook to appease those who supported him against his brother, because on other hand he kept on increasing number of Hindus in Administrative roles and kept on helping Hindus and Sikhs build religious temples or expand them.
Women of Pakistan 1947 || Photographer: Margaret Bourke-White (via bollyspired)
My add: I am so glad I finally found these pictures, been looking for them for ages! I knew they appeared in an old LIFE magazine but couldn’t just find them again.
A very important part of history for Pakistanis who cannot even remember how much there is “indigenous feminism” in Pakistani culture and history.
