Pakistan's Westernized founding fathers and their successors loved to have a drink and sat on the periodic demands of a ban on alcohol until the 1970s when the prohibition—at least on paper—was imposed
Tag: South Asia
Joseph R McCarthy: ‘Ancestor’ Of Trump’s Paranoid Style Of Politics
Republican Senator Joseph R McCarthy died in 1957 but the terms McCarthyism and McCarthy's tactics entered the political lexicon to describe witch hunts involving public accusations of disloyalty or subversion without sufficient proof
Fought Centuries Back, How Battle Of Karbala Was About Essence Of Muslim Faith
The Prophet’s grandson, Imam Hussain, opposed the undermining of basic Islamic values of egalitarianism, justice, and equity, triggering the Battle of Karbala that ended with his massacre along with 72 of his companions and family members in the month of Muharram
Hookah: The Heart Of Middle East’s Café Culture
Once considered unsophisticated, hookah, whose origins are disputed with some claiming it originated in India, has become integral to the Middle East’s café culture, and gained popularity in the West, too
Karbala: Metaphor For Suffering, Sacrifice, Resistance To Tyranny
Karbala symbolises for Muslims the foundational Islamic values—egalitarianism, justice, and equity— the Prophet’s Muhammad favourite grandson, Imam Hussain, laid down his life there in the seventh century resisting Umayyad ruler Yazid violating these ideals
How Association With Corrosive Power Mutated Idea Of Sufism
The idea of 'Sufism', which in its present form has little to do with saints and their teachings, has long mutated with the association of those helming shrines purely by virtue of heredity with corrosive power, patronage, and vanity By Sameer Arshad Khatlani When Mardan Shah, better known as Pir Pagara, died in 2012 in … Continue reading How Association With Corrosive Power Mutated Idea Of Sufism
Why India Sulked Over Secular Constitution Of Nepal
Many Nepalese conceded the constitution may be imperfect but is federal, republican, and secular and can be amended to accommodate the concerns of disgruntled ethnic groups but there was more to India’s disapproval
Curious Case Of Prohibition In Pakistan: High Or Dry
Prohibition in Pakistan has been relaxed over the years with provincial governments granting more permits to individuals and hotels to sell alcohol amid a debate on the benefits of the liquor ban
Bollywood: Glue That Bound India, Pakistan In Worst Times
From Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor to Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, Indian film stars have ruled hearts in both India and Pakistan but only a handful enjoyed the level of adulation that Madhuri Dixit did across the divide
Murugan Statue: Hindu Emblem Of Muslim Malaysia’s Pluralism
Murugan’s statue and temple at Batu Caves are key emblems of multiculturalism and pluralism in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where Indians (eighth percent) are the third largest ethnic group