Middle Eastern nostalgia for the 1970s Why do so many people in the Middle East keep harking back to the 1970s? Nicholas Blincoe guardian.co.uk, Just what is it that makes the 1970s so different, so appealing? Last weekend, a 14-piece band celebrated the 70s with pop-disco hits from the Middle East at a restaurant on the Edgware Road in London. Fronted by the Kurdish Iraqi-born artist, Hiwa K, the band comprised members from across the Middle East and played in front of video projections of the original artistes such the Bendaly Family (Lebanon), Ahmed Zahir (Afghanistan) and Googoosh (Iran). Seventies … Continue reading Was Thee Middle East more free in the 1970s?

Tehran: twinned with Jerusalem? If the Green movement triumphs and Iran becomes a secular democratic state, what will it mean for Israel? Mahmood Delkhasteh guardian.co.uk, On Jerusalem Day in Iran, supporters of the Green movement could be heard chanting: “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon; my life is for Iran”. In other demonstrations, many of which had been organised by the state but hijacked by the Greens, they replaced the usual “Death to America and Israel” with “Death to Russia and China”. And then last month, the reputed fiancé of Neda, the woman whose death has come to symbolise the movement, was … Continue reading If the Green movement triumphs and Iran becomes a secular democratic state then what?,

India’s international unease Unlike China, India is finding it difficult to adapt to its status as an emerging ‘Great Power’ looked upon favourably by the west Dominique Moisi guardian.co.uk, Some countries are naturally at ease with the concept and the reality of strategic power. Such was clearly the case of France under Louis XIV, the Sun King in the 17th century, and such is the case today of China, whose leadership is comfortable with the balance-of-power games of classical Europe. India is clearly in a different category. In economic terms, its confidence has been boosted by the way the western … Continue reading India – A Great Power or a Caste Ridden Conglomerate?

BOOK REVIEW: Untold stories —by Mehr Tarar We Are Not in Pakistan By Shauna Singh Baldwin Goose Lane Editions; Pp 266 Unsaid words. Incomplete phrases. Broken sentences. Half-hearted declarations. Strangled wishes. Forgotten promises. Unshed tears. Empty eyes. Vacant souls. Unlived dreams. Fragmented minds. Glacial hearts. Semi-lived yesterdays. Blank todays. Shadowy tomorrows. Unrequited loves. Comatose marriages. Abridged relationships. Censored sentiments. Shrill, fake laughter. Whispered lies. Cold embraces. Jagged touches. Barely-functional human beings. This is the world of Shauna Singh Baldwin’s We Are Not in Pakistan, and like any other good work of literature, notwithstanding the bleakness of the lives of its … Continue reading We Are Not in Pakistan

VIEW: Pakistan, naturally beautiful —Andleeb Abbas While the Indians have perfected the art of marketing and exaggerating their strengths, Pakistan has excelled in its pursuit of highlighting and splashing its weaknesses. A reverse strategy can not only do damage control to the battered international perception of the country but also help lift the bruised spirits of the people of this nation Imagine a scene like this one: massive street riots leading to 21 deaths at the centre of the capital city, opposition bashing the assembly and physically abusing and manhandling ministers, government changes through military coups as a recurring option, … Continue reading Pakistan, naturally beautiful

A people’s photographer By Saira Dar dawn.com Images such as that of Ram Janni (l), a drain cleaner and Dillah Masih (r) a street sweeper, seem to be a continuation of Hutcheson’s concern for the poor minority communities which he had shown in earlier exhibitions. -Photo by Malcolm Hutcheson Malcolm Hutcheson is one of those photographers whose empathy with ‘ordinary’ people is indeed extraordinary. A Scottish man who has chosen to live in Pakistan for almost 10 years now, and who visits the poorest localities to photograph—“what we do not want to see”—Hutcheson is indeed somewhat of a missionary, who … Continue reading Malcolm Hutcheson – A people’s photographer!

Smokers’ Corner: It fell from the heavens By Nadeem F. Paracha dawn.com “With the emergence and success of new, more modern sounding, albeit equally conservative and traditionalist preachers in various urban drawing rooms from 1995 onwards, the new trend was picked up by various TV channels that erupted in the early 2000s.” Recently religious programming on TV channels has come under scrutiny for various reasons. One of the biggest concerns is how some of these programmes have gone on to advocate violence against so-called minority sects and religions, and the way they use obscure traditions and biased interpretations of the … Continue reading TV Mullahs fell from the heavens!

dawn.com While less accurate, additional data about eye movement and the frequence of blinking make it possible to pinpoint a face or a book cover within a field of vision. Media Gallery When history comes to life When history comes to life MEGEVE:  Picture this: As your eyes alight for the first time on a skyscraper in a foreign cityscape, a disembodied voice whispers in your ear the phone number of a posh bar on the top floor. Or this: You have been spotted on the street by an old friend whose name suddenly eludes you. But even before there … Continue reading Computer-enhanced vision adds a ‘sixth sense’

Bin Laden, a secret fan of footie and Monty / THETIMES.CO.UK In between plotting terror attacks and gloating about them on videos, Osama Bin Laden, the world’s most wanted fugitive, is an extremely useful presence on the volleyball court, it has emerged. “He is so tall that he does not need to jump up to do a smash,” said Nasser al-Bahri, one of the Al-Qaeda leader’s former bodyguards. His memoir, published in Paris last week, reveals another side of the West’s favourite bogeyman: besides his uses at the net, Bin Laden also likes playing football, preferably at centre forward. Even … Continue reading Bin Laden, a fan of footie and Monty

Taliban’s supreme leader signals willingness to talk peace THETIMES.CO.UK The supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar, has indicated that he and his followers may be willing to hold peace talks with western politicians. In an interview with The Sunday Times, two of the movement’s senior Islamic scholars have relayed a message from the Quetta shura, the Taliban’s ruling council, that Mullah Omar no longer aims to rule Afghanistan. They said he was prepared to engage in “sincere and honest” talks. A senior US military source said the remarks reflected a growing belief that a “breakthrough” was possible. “There … Continue reading Taliban’s supreme leader signals willingness to talk peace