In memoriam – Asim Butt (1978-2010)
But it was Asim’s venture into public art and his subsequent adoption of the Stuckist creed that turned him into a major figure at…
Mystical Form of Islam Suits Sufis in Pakistan
A NYT piece where I was quoted. By SABRINA TAVERNISE – LAHORE, Pakistan For those who think Pakistan is all hard-liners, all the time,…
Lovers have nothing to do with existence
The lover’s food is the love of the bread; no bread need be at hand: no one who is sincere in his love is…
Two years and counting…
My piece published in The News The obvious fallout of the media-government war has been a virtual blackout of what the civilian governments have…
Writing fiction
I loved Guardian’s feature on Ten rules for writing fiction. Elmore Leonard: Using adverbs is a mortal sin 1 Never open a book with…
I become like a pen
Ghazal 2530 from the Diwan-e Shams, in a version by Coleman Barks, in translation by Annemarie Schimmel, and in translation by A.J. Arberry: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~…
This thirst in our souls
No sound of clapping comes from only one hand. The thirsty man is moaning, “O delicious water!” The water is calling, “Where is the…
His form has passed away and he has become a mirror (Rumi)
Sunlight has recently offered two versions/translations of Rumi’s Mathnawi story of the dervish Bayazid Bestami ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BESTAMI That magnificent dervish, Bayazid Bestami, came to…
The closed minds that deny a civilisation’s glories – where I was quoted
I was most pleased to read this piece by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown entitled The closed minds that deny a civilisation’s glories. I would like to…
When you dance
Sunlight’s interpretation of Rumi’s Quatrain 784: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you dance the whole universe dances. What a wonder, I’ve looked and now I cannot look…
Ask us about the lion of God
This caravan is not bringing our baggage — it has none of the fire of our Friend. Though the trees have all turned green,…
How instability is garnered
My latest analysis published by The News We continue to bemoan the failure of democratic norms to take root in our governance culture. True,…
Why a Pakistani Ambassador is not acceptable to Saudi Arabia
Now this is truly funny – Saudis have rejected the credentials of our Ambassador designate on not-so-flimsy grounds Read here -The post at Cafe…
Sources of nourishment
The heart eats a particular food from every companion; the heart receives a particular nourishment from every single piece of knowledge. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Del ze…