Literature matters
Why we need more, not less, literature in schools Something that stands out in most interactions one has with people these days is how little they have been exposed to good literature.…
Criticism of paradise and its rewards
Some enduring misconceptions Some of the more spiritual souls among us are often critical of paradise and its rewards. The general criticism targets the very concepts of reward and punishment. Good deeds…
Piety on somebody else’s expense
On Hajj subsidy and the like Imagine somebody asking the government (or anybody else for that matter) for money so that he could do charity. You would laugh, wouldn’t you? And yet,…
Why study philosophy?
Some practical reasons Unbeknownst to many mortals of today, Aristotle had proved once for all – many centuries ago – that the study of philosophy was necessary; and to date, nobody has…
Two religions
A broad survey Followers of the revealed religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, to name the great three – broadly fall into two categories according to their beliefs, regardless of their professed…
‘Sexism’ in religion?
A concise rebuttal Many Muslims and non-Muslims are critical of alleged discrimination or sexism in Islam. Ask one of them for instances of it, and he is likely to cite the following…
Remembering RD Burman
Journey from great to immortal ‘Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy,’ F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote. It appears that God works the same way, only His tragedies…
The triple-divorce issue
Setting the record straight The Indian Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the so-called triple-talaq bill, making pronouncement of triple-talaq a criminal offence, cognizable and non-bailable with imprisonment and a fine. The bill…
Year 2018: Unresolved questions
Recap of the year in the land of mysteries If the US is the land of opportunity and Japan is the land of the rising sun, Pakistan is the land of mysteries,…
Alcohol for non-Muslims
On article 37(h) of the constitution The international media as well as the local liberals never tire of accusing Pakistanis of being intolerant of religious minorities and their ways of life. Last…
On -isms and -ists
No humanist or feminist was harmed while writing this Up until a few years ago, one used to be in the happy position of being able to go a couple of weeks…
Hijab or purdah
There’s more controversy than there needs to be Some things in life never change. Almost every week there’s a heated debate on the social media about hijab or purdah. Most men have…
The inshallah age has only just begun
Is there a more useful word in any language? Muslims are known to say it all the time, of course; but there are good reasons to believe that the inshallah epoch has…
The mosque pulpit doesn’t belong to clerics
The state needs to reclaim it What do Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafii, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal have in common? It’s well known that all of them were men…
No more ‘fusion’ or ‘tributes’, please
Recycling of music in the name of reinvention needs to stop The widespread public disapproval that manifested itself against the Coke Studio version of Ko ko korina was long awaited, although not…
Fairy tales and political commentary
On oversimplified political ‘theories’ It may be too early to give a verdict one way or the other, but the protesters may have gone a bit too far for their own good…
Islam needs to be saved from Muslims
Zia-ul-Haq’s legacy is alive and kicking Being a husband was hardly a piece of cake at the best of times. But it may have just got a whole lot more perilous, thanks…