PENSIEVE: The power of Jugni —Farrukh Khan Pitafi Jugni is nothing short of a literary device used by the poet to refer to either his own person or a pure soul unmolested by the charms of mortal life. And it is relevant because purity and innocence are under mortal pressure in Pakistan Gradually and silently, the music scene of the country is being revolutionised. Ever since 2008 we are witnessing a surging interest in classical and folk music, thanks to the hard work of Rohail Hyatt and his Coke Studio. With every new season we receive the gift of fond … Continue reading Jugni

VIEW: Karachi’s targeted killings —Ali K Chishti Gang wars in Lyari are a major concern as these have only recently taken a new turn where Nabeel Gabol, the MNA from the area, is finding it difficult to maintain Lyari as his stronghold post-Rehman Dakait Targeted killings are an instrument where perpetrators choose to target unarmed enemy individuals in the hope of coercing surrender without having to defeat the enemy’s forces directly. During times of war, civilians often become victims of famine, disease and exposure or perish in the crossfire of opposing forces. These deaths, though tragic, do not qualify as … Continue reading Karachi’s targeted killings

COMMENT: The slanted truth —Dr Mohammad Taqi Believers in the thesis that Afghanistan provides Pakistan with strategic depth are so scared of this shared bond that they had vetoed Afghania — represented by the letter ‘A’ in the word Pakistan — as the new name for the province previously known as NWFP “Tell all the truth but tell it slant” — Emily Dickinson. Three men had their right hands severed for petty theft last month by the Taliban in the Ghaljo village of Orakzai Agency. After initial treatment at a hospital in Kohat, they contacted a prominent civil and human … Continue reading The slanted truth

BOOK REVIEW: Political commentary —by Dr Amjad Parvez Taliban Ya Jamhooriat: Pakistan Dorahey Par By Wajahat Masood Nigarshat Publishers; Pp 400; Rs 500 Pakistan is undoubtedly facing many challenges today. Apparently, 9/11 had no connection whatsoever with Pakistan. Its planners were based in Afghanistan. Nonetheless, it was used as a pretext to initiate the implication of Pakistan in the long run. Pakistan is an atomic power with the seventh largest army in the world. Unfortunately, its economy is in shambles. The state institutions are on the downward slide, devoid of any sympathy for the masses. In the diction of the … Continue reading Taliban Ya Jamhooriat

Rejection of refugees By Rafia Zakaria dawn.com The sad legacy of the refugees points to a much deeper problem within Pakistan’s notions of identity. –File Photo The history of Pakistan could well be written as the history of its refugees. The partition of British India saw the largest movement of people in the 20th century with nearly 14 million moving between the newly created nation states. According to the 1951 census, over seven million Muslims migrated to Pakistan with a similar number of Hindus migrating to India. As is well known, most of the refugees migrating to Pakistan settled in … Continue reading Rejection of refugees leaves open for manipulation by mullahs

Bollywood stars shine at ”Raavan” world premiere in London dawn.com The actors performed their own stunts in the film but Aishwarya Rai said the production was as taxing emotionally and creatively as it was physically. -Reuters Culture ‘3 Idiots’ sweeps protest-hit Bollywood awards in Sri Lanka ‘3 Idiots’ sweeps protest-hit Bollywood awards in Sri Lanka LONDON: Bollywood came to London on Wednesday as Indian cinema’s star couple, husband and wife Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, hit the red carpet for the world premiere of the Hindi film “Raavan.” Hundreds of screaming fans lined the red carpet at the British Film … Continue reading ”Raavan”

by Nadeem F. Paracha on 06 17th, 2010 Last Monday (June 12) in the National Assembly of Pakistan, a member of a breakaway Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI), Maulvi Asmatullah, suddenly rose from his seat and started to recite the azaan (Muslim call for prayer). It didn’t matter to him that the muezzin of the assembly mosque had already sounded the call, and the fact that Asmatullah was not facing the qibla (Kabah) while reciting the azaan. I am sure I would have burst out laughing had I been there, enough to burst the stitches I just got while playing football. … Continue reading Goodbye seventh sky

Turkey’s Erdogan emerging as leader in Muslim world, hosting Arab League on home soil Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas shake hands as they pose for cameras before a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, June 7, 2010. Abbas is in Turkey to attend a security meeting and an Arab forum. Turkey’s foreign minister on Monday called on Israel to accept an international probe into the raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that killed nine pro-Palestinian activists.(AP Photo/Murad Sezer, Pool) (Murad Sezer, AP / June 7, 2010) ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s prime minister on Thursday … Continue reading Erdogan emerging as leader in Muslim world

“Ground Zero Mosque” protest ends up, predictably, with racially-motivated hatred By Alex Pareene http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/07/ground_zero_mosque_hate AP/Swoan Parker People in New York protest the proposed construction of a mosque near the World Trade Center site on Sunday, June 6. There was a protest yesterday, attended by various wingnuts, racists, riled-up nativists, and terrified fools, of the supposed “Ground Zero mosque.” (It will not be at Ground Zero, and it will actually be a community center that will include a mosque. But still.) While national conservatives have picked up the ball, what local opposition there is to the proposed community center has been … Continue reading Why ‘THEY’ hate American and Americans!

Muslim Assaulted in Third Hate Crime of the Year Against Muslims in Santa Clara County, California Posted on 16 June 2010 by Danios – loonwatch.com Zahra Billoo, program director for the Santa Clara chapter of CAIR. To think that this happened not in hickville USA but in one of the most liberal and tolerant areas of the country… Notice also the link between Antisemitism and Islamophobia: Sunnyvale: Man attacked for being Muslim, public safety officers say By Lisa Fernandez 6/14/2010 // // 0){ document.getElementById(‘articleViewerGroup’).style.width = requestedWidth + “px”; document.getElementById(‘articleViewerGroup’).style.margin = “0px 0px 10px 10px”; } // ]]> // ]]>Sunnyvale public … Continue reading Jews Assaulted in California