Religion and Politics on April 27, 20211958-59, Islamia College Peshawar, the topic for Urdu debate was, “Juda ho Din Siasat se to reh jati hai Changezi”. (The separation of religion from politics results in tyranny). No prequalification was necessary. Religion was not the forbidden domain open only to the Madrassa worthy. The British had recently left Pakistan. Pakistan was still more […]
Time and Tide on April 10, 2021‘Today’ is relevant only in the context of yesterday and tomorrow. For the wise the yesterday illuminates the path for tomorrow. The majority lives for today. History has no space for them. The same is true of the leaders. Those who cannot rise above the present get lost in the unknown past. Our political behavior […]
Time and Tide on April 9, 2021‘Today’ is relevant only in the context of yesterday and tomorrow. For the wise the yesterday illuminates the path for tomorrow. The majority lives for today. History has no space for them. The same is true of the leaders. Those who cannot rise above the present get lost in the unknown past. Our political behavior […]
The anatomy of corruption on January 1, 2021“The concept of the imperceptible is a decisive factor distinguishing man from animal”, said Syed Qutab. Translated in Muslim spiritual parlance, it is God consciousness orTaqwa.Itprovides a strong defence against thebaser human instincts of slipping back into animalism or Jahiliya, characterized by unbridledgreed forzar, zan and zameen, (wealth, women and land). A religion must have […]
The Anatomy of Corruption on December 30, 2020“The concept of the imperceptible is a decisive factor distinguishing man from animal”, said Syed Qutab. Translated in Muslim spiritual parlance, it is God consciousness or Taqwa. It provides a strong defence against the baser human instincts of slipping back into animalism or Jahiliya, characterized by unbridled greed for zar, zan and zameen, (wealth, women […]
The Brave Hearts on July 10, 2020I heard the dogs howling. I looked outside. Sprawled on the coach in the verandah was abig healthy cat. Jason a Pomeranian and Laila a Spaniel stood six feet from the cat barking. Suddenly, Sheela the 12 weeks German Shepherdpup appeared on the scene. The cat saw her and quietly left. Even the cats know […]
The Invisible Justice on July 1, 2020Justice is the jugular vein of a society. It must exist with all its sinews and made visible with all its transparency. If justice delayed is justice denied, justice invisible is justice wasted, faded away into oblivion. Nebulous concepts like ‘justice at your doorsteps’, clutter the rhetoric. Across-the-board justice remains a dream unfulfilled. Unfortunately, the […]
The Incredible India? on June 15, 2020It was on an Indian national day that the boys and girls of Indian origin of a high school in the US had staged a show. The theme, ‘The Incredible India’ was true reflection of the Indian media, pretentious, boastful, frivolous and tedious. The amusement was writ large on the faces of the audience. The […]
The Judicial Salvo on December 29, 2019The short order of the ‘special court trying Musharraf had left many questions unanswered. The detailed order that followed had no ambiguity as to the intent and purpose of the court and the mindset of the chief judge. Legal shortcomings apart, the language of the said decision has attracted scathing criticism at home and abroad. […]
Status Quo Vs Change on November 28, 2019Inertia is a ‘property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless that state is changed by an external force’. Status quo has its inherent inertia. It requires effort, persistence, perseverance and patience to bring about a change in the status quo. The […]