iFaqeer

2011-12-09T17:17:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-07T13:10:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-23T12:51:00.001-08:00

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

2011-10-30T12:27:00.001-07:00

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

2011-10-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

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"

2011-10-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-26T12:31:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

"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

2011-09-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

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!!

2011-08-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

"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

2011-08-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-24T08:59:00.001-07:00

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

Can I get an "Allelujah" for the Heartsong Church of Cordova, Tenn. (via @npr @goatmilk)

2011-08-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am not a fan of treacly interfaith pablum, but this red sign pictured in the story made my heart dance. Read the full story on NPR here. I guess that's my take on interfaith stuff; I know it's useful and nice, but the triumphalist, happy-happy-joy-joy gatherings leave me cold. It's this kind of actual practical relationships that are the real way to live one's faith. [As the Cory Booker

Asma Jahangir is still my hero

2011-08-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

On Identity, Immigration, and being a "Muhajir"

2011-08-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

I lived in Nigeria (14), Pakistan (10 yrs), and now the US (17 years as of this week). It has been an interesting journey. In fact, a lot of my life has been a journey of sorting out identity. I used the opportunity to spend the middle third of my life in Pakistan itself to ground myself in that culture—but even today, it's an evolving, changing thing. Today, I am the parent and uncle of