Consumption as a Lifestyle

While reading the article, Today’s Consumption in Egypt by Mona Abaza, I could not help but notice again and again the parallels between the changes that have already happened in Egypt more than a decade ago and the rapid social changes happening in Pakistan today. Thanks, in part, to the neo-liberal economic reforms and opening [...]

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Making of "Good" and "Bad" Muslims

Speaking of multiple players and their competition for dominating the public discourse in Pakistan (see my previous post), the below example points to yet another player and its contribution to the current political conditions.
From “Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror” (2005) by Mahmood Mamdani. Mahmood Mamdani quotes the [...]

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Umrao Jan Ada’s Pakistan

If you know Urdu and are in touch with Pakistani culture and media, you must know how popular the serialized TV plays are in Pakistan. You might have heard about a recent serialized television play called Umrao Jan Ada, which was aired on Geo TV in 2003. The serial was based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa’s [...]

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Mystical Murmuring

Mera dard, naghma-e be-sada,meri zaat, zarra-e be-nishaan.
Mere dard ko jo zuban mile,mujhe apna naam-o nishaan mile.
Meri zaat ka jo nishan mile,mujhe raaz-e nazm-e-jahan mile.
Jo mujhe ye raz-e nihan mile,meri khamoshi ko bayan mile.
Mujhe ka’ynaat ki sarwari,mujhe daulat-e do-jahan mile.
- Faiz
Some may find this reading (“mystical murmuring”) of Faiz rather surprising. I can only suggest [...]

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Dua Kumayl: The Supplication of the Distressed Hearts

Crying is the universal language of pain. Supplication enriches its vocabulary and experience.
The below excerpt is from the supplication popularly known as Dua Kumayl. This supplication was taught by Imam Ali to his companion, Kumayl Ibn Ziyad Nakha’i.
The sublime and timeless character of this dua becomes evident from the very first reading. Further recitation of [...]

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