Defend liberal democracy in its birth places on December 29, 2018‘Where are you from?’ is the most difficult question I get asked far too often. Sometimes this question comes from a place of genuine curiosity, the profound desire to learn about a person’s history and to consequently foster a better understanding. At other times and more recently, this inquiry is based on a negative and […]
What maketh democracy? on July 22, 2018Human rights and civil liberties are an integral part of democracy. Without these crucial freedoms, democracy just becomes a fictitious event that is staged after a repetitive five-year interval,it becomes a means to an end rather than an end in itself. In recent years, unfortunately, it has become a norm to measure the healthiness of […]
A whitewashed history and Empire 2.0 on July 15, 2018Britain’s departure from the European Union has regrettably re-ignited a sense of love, admiration and longing for its long-lost empire amongst its public and right-wing politicians. There has been, for instance, talk of “Empire 2.0” and the need to influence the Commonwealth nations to instil Western, liberal values in the former colonies. While the intention […]
Trump is bulldosing American values one by one on July 10, 2018The United States of America recently celebrated its 242nd Independence Day on July 4, from British colonial rule. During these 242 years, the American way of life has been something of a phenomenon, which other nations have tried to replicate. Their military, economic, and social values were ideals to be taught and practised. Their democracy […]
Pakistanis will keep dying unless our government finds a way to focus on health on June 30, 2018We are burdened with diseases. To say that the health and wellbeing of Pakistanis is abysmal, and in need of dire improvement, would be a profound understatement. In fact, Pakistan is suffering from a serious health crisis due to government inaction, lack of nutritional awareness, and the affordability of unhealthy food items. Even more distressing […]
The misuse and abuse of freedom of speech on June 23, 2018Freedom of speech is under threat and censorship is on the rise. This has been a repetitive narrative for centuries. But today’s threat is not only being instigated by dictators and monarchs, as was the case in the past. Instead, it is being stoked up by the very people who are supposed to protect this […]
Human rights can never be universal on June 14, 2018For seventy-years, there has been a constant need for one version of human rights to be imposed on all of humanity, on seven billion people and 193 nation-states. From theory to practice, from ideology to action, from rhetoric to reality — the Universal Declaration of Human Rights created a set of 30 rights, which are […]
Depression must be conquered on June 4, 2018Depression is a mental disorder which is more common illness than we think. Debilitating, fatigued, feeble, lethargic and powerless — this illness affects the whole body, not just the mind. It can affect the young and the old, the poor and the rich, men and women, the famous and the unknown; it doesn’t discriminate. Furthermore, […]