iFaqeer

An Intellectual Map of Shāh Walīullah [d. 1176/1763] and Major Figures of Contemporary Islam

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:36:00 PDT

Here's a very important analytical work. (Click on the map to go to the blog post about it.)

Saving Lives, India and Global Leadership

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:33:20 PDT

Of late, particularly, I have been a strong critic of the Indian government, in particular, and the little-minded, juvenile moves they've been up to. But this. THIS is the kind of global leadership India, as one the largest countries in the world, should be providing. Kudos and congratulations to all Indians. India Overrules Bayer, Allowing Generic Drug www.nytimes.com In granting the

On the Passing of Encyclopedia Britannica

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:45:23 PDT

Yes, the Encyclopedia Britannica will be missed by us old farts. And being from a family of bibliophiles and trivia nerds, the memories of any tree-based encyclopedia are warm and fuzzy. So let's savor them today. But let's not despair. For the next generation has an alternative; the Wikipedia, where they receive—and participate in presenting—a more complete picture of the world than we grew

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:17:11 PST

There's been much discussion about justice for various people, corruption, and treason in Pakistan. What we need is justice that is delivered in a politically-conscious way and helps heal the nation, not angry vengeance that only opens old wounds andcreates new wounds.The phrases restorative justice and justice that heals come to mind- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Zardari and what he deserves

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:11:07 PST

A friend started the day by mentioning "AAZ finally getting what he deserves". I asked him if he was saying that a fellow human being, an elected President of Pakistan, "deserved" heart disease? On the other hand, is it that when AAZ gets in hot water, does he deserve to be able to just leave the country? Personally, I don't give an eff what Mr AAZ deserves, but what Pakistan deserves. And

Indian Muslims, Mujahirs, and the Bigger Picture

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:57:53 PST

A friend just expressed frustration with Indian Muslims pontificating on the politics of the MQM. My reaction is that Indian Muslims can be rather...how do I put it politely...solicitous with us. If we both (Muhajirs in particular, but Pakistanis in general on the one hand and Indian Muslims on the other) were less so with each other, we *could* learn much from each other's experiences. [See,

On the PTI / Imran Khan's Jalsa

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:27:05 PDT

I have never been an Imran Khan supporter (let's leave the reasons aside right now), but following the comments, feelings, reactions, more than ever, my prayer is that the passion and, even more so, the sincerity and of the tens of thousands of young and old Pakistanis has its dreams and hopes fulfilled.

"don't afraid"—Words to Live By

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:50:35 PDT

One of cutest pop culture memes out of Pakistan is the phrase often seen on transport trucks and buses that says "don't jaluss" [don't be jealous]. It has started turning up on some of the T Shirts now we see a similar idea from our sister nation; Words to live by in this season of discontent.

Gaddafi: a Pakistani perspective

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:48:11 PDT

Love the statement at the end of the article providing a Pakistani perspective on Colonel Gaddafi by Khurram Ali Shafique, on The Republic of Rumi website: "we have had our share of military rulers and civilian dictators, and some of them may have aspired to stay in power for forty years, or to set up dynastic rule. However, hats off to the people of Pakistan, such a thing has never actually

Revivification of the Pakistani Left

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:28:24 PDT

Readers of this blog might remember me talking about the Pakistani Left starting to come out of its comatose state over the last few years and "getting the band back together". There's an article in New Internationalist article that's been making the rounds: http://www.newint.org/features/2011/09/01/whats-left/ Here's a link to a previous post on this blog talking about the issue:http://

There is no such thing as a "Muslim Ummah"

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:06:00 PDT

That was one of the first responses I got in reply to my call to "take back Islam for the Ummah". [See my intro to "Occupy Islam" in my last post.] Ummah, as a lot of readers will know, is an Arabic word for community. whether you like it or not Muslims are a community. a community that is in the process of being completely taken over by a fanatic fringe. And it is because those of us in the

Occupy Islam

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 13:04:20 PDT

Just started the Facebook page and twitter account for "Occupy Islam": Let's take back Islam for the Ummah; for the Ijmaa of the People Here are my first thoughts: We need to have the ijma of the people #OccupyIslam, and let ulema and da'ees do their own jobs: http://j.mp/rmUWbj

Steve Jobs: Obiter Dicta

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:49:08 PDT

Steve Jobs was a genius and a great man and I know a lot of people are hurting. I am starting to see a few dissenting voices. The charitable way to put it would be that one does not get to be that great a maker of omelettes without also being a prolific breaker of eggs. So once there's been a respectful period of time since his death let's also talk from the progressive point of view? Both the

Counting down to Revolution in Pakistan

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:23:33 PDT

Beena Sarwar just pointed (via Facebook and Twitter) to a very timely article on the Frontline website: You Aren’t Hearing About Pakistan’s Biggest Problems – Afghanistan / Pakistan - FRONTLINE Every day headlines raise questions about Pakistan’s stability, but some of the real threats to the country are largely absent from Western media. From electricity shortages to a looming fiscal deficit,

"Give Peace a Chance" is now Official Pakistani Policy

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:36:41 PDT

And not just the Government of Pakistan; but all political parties. Oh, and also "Trade not aid": Source: Press Information Department, Government of Pakistan. Download the MS-Word Version here. Reactions?

Challenge to those cussing the Media Blackout

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:31:45 PDT

Challenge: every time someone that starts a status/sentence/tweet with "What you won't see on the mainstream media..." Please end it with "... so here's what you should be watching/reading/listening to".Don't just cuss the darkness; light a candle.

Another IMF Director; Another West African

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 06:00:12 PDT

So first, y'all saw the symbolism of the IMF chasing a poor West African down to brutalize her made all too real through the actions of the institution's director; now here's the next director literalizing another aspect of the organization: that of embracing a member of the West African ruling class: [AFP Picture with the caption: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director

Loving "Islamic Science" while you diss Traditional Muslims

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 21:08:15 PDT

My thought for this week is that I am very unsettled by those who wax eloquent about historic "Islamic" achievements and then condemn anyone or anything that actually still shows any sign of following or having any allegiance to the historic cultures and traditions that produced them.

Tarek Fatah on "Hijab" vs Dupatta

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:21:54 PDT

"I have no problem [with] Pakistani women wearing a dopatta; my issue is with those who wear the Muslim Brotherhood sanctioned Arab Hijab that is a political flag, not […] attire based on our culture and heritage." —Tarek Fatah on Facebook

9/11/2011

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 18:21:22 PDT

9/11 can and only should be a time for reflection. My thoughts were carried by Newsline Magazine and New American Media. Let's hope the next 10 years are more positive.

National Guard Airlifts Supplies to Vermont Towns Isolated by Irene's Flooding

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:15:00 PDT

I saw the above headline and couldn't help but remember Brian Williams's comment on The Daily Show after Katrina wondering how fast and how effective the response would have been if that kind of thing happened in New England in a mostly white town. "Where was the 101st Airborne?" he seemed to ask. Check out this video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPpWs_l73WU&feature=

Dangerous Every Other Sunday

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:26:52 PDT

I wish the global media--even the "not corporate media" like The Guardian, Al Jazeera English, Democracy Now!, etc.--would have some sort of consistent engagement with "The most dangerous country in the world" rather than this bungee-when-someone-yanks-our-chain attitude. I checked yesterday and the latter two had NOthing about the political crisis in Pakistan. And as for The Guardian, check

HP Revives TouchPad after people actually buy it—Duh!!

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:25:48 PDT

"The resurrection of the TouchPad follows a spike in demand after H-P, desperate to clear out unsold inventory that had piled up at retailers, slashed the price of the low-end model from $399 to $99." That's what I have been friggin' saying for months now! The market is DESPERATE for a tablet that isn't just about making some spoilt IT brat his first billion. Silicon Valley and American

Proletarian / "Awami" reaction to the Anna Hazare Movement

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:49:11 PDT

A few things I have been following re: the Anna Hazare movement: A Great Opportunity, A Serious Danger http://www.facebook.com/notes/kamayani-bali-mahabal/a-great-opportunity-a-serious-danger/10150767457395179 Amongst the signatories here is Biju Matthew, who I know personally and greatly respect. SaveConstitution dot IN http://saveconstitution.in/ This was posted on Facebook by no less

Voting Rights for Overseas Pakistanis

iFaqeer@gmail.com (iFaqeer/Sabahat Ashraf) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:59:52 PDT

The PTI, in particular, has been making a lot of noise about voter registration and the integrity of voter rolls in Pakistan. And, of course, a lot of their enthusiastic support is amongst youth--not a few of them overseas. (See their web page in this regard here.) So, to get the discussion going and help set the expectation of enthusiastic overseas supporters, here's what I know so far about