The Romance of Raja Rasalu
Story telling has been a primordial urge, never quite expressed in its fullest measure, but always lingering and floating like life. There was a…
‘I belong to Ranjha’ – the syncreticism of Lahore’s Shah Hussain
Lahore, the ancient city of Loh, the age-old halt for invaders, is also the home to eclectic Sufis. Men and women who shed conventions…
Muslimness – shifting boundaries
Muslimness is an elusive state of being. There are watertight strictures of the theological identity defined by men, interpreted as the Sharia, on the…
My Travels to Delhi
Finally, I wrote a piece on Delhi …… Delhi’s present day chaos cannot belittle its grand past, which created a civilisation and shaped the…
Book review: Challenging martial histories
This book review was published in The Friday Times (June 19-25 2009 issue) This was a hot May afternoon when I found myself at…
Sufi hearts in Delhi
This was published in The Friday Times in the May 22-29, 2009 issue Getting a visa to India is a nightmare for ordinary mortals.…
Ah, the deal
Much has been made of this NYT article on the class inequalities in NWFP that are fuelling the Taliban movement. However, I would like…
Sadia Dehlvi’s book – Sufism: the Heart of Islam
Finally Sadia Dehlvi’s book, Sufism: The Heart of Islam (HarperCollins), is published and was launched last week in Delhi. India’s eminent writer Khushwant Singh…
Abject surrender
My piece published in The Friday Times How can I remain unaffected and quiet after seeing that my country might be disfigured and my…
Brewing storms
Raza Rumi laments the tragedies of our times, and says that the state cannot be absolved of its responsibility to protect citizens against terrorism…
Civil society speaks
Zinda dilaan-e-Lahore say no to Talibanisation, reports Raza Rumi Never before have we citizens been traumatised with an uncertain future and the knocks of…
the new e-conflict zone for Indian, Pak netizens?
Times of India has quotes my post on Varun Gandhi today. Well, I know media-wallas have to find stories and sell. It was good…
Brutalities have swung public opinion in Pakistan
I have been quoted in this brave piece of reporting: Girl’s flogging exposes Pakistani rift Salman Masood (writing for The National) ISLAMABAD // The…
Varun Gandhi is a scary bigot
A post at Pak Tea House and the subsequent sharp comments have attracted some ire among the readers as to what is Varun Gandhi…
Postcard from Agra
Published in The Friday Times As Indian TV channels broadcast stories on Pakistan’s domestic infighting, and rumours of a new coup d’ etat, my…
Contemporary Pakistani literature in the age of terror
I am posting the synopsis of my paper entitled Silhouetted Silences – contemporary Pakistani literature in the age of terror, that I presented at…
In Agra – attending the SAARC writers’ moot
Finally managed to reach Agra to attend the SAARC Literature festival organised by the inimitable Ajeet Caur. It is a lovely event with people…
29th SAARC Festival of Literature to debate terrorism
The SAARC Festival of Literature is slated to begin from 12th March in the city of Taj Mahal, Agra and will come to close…
Reclaiming melody
Izzat Majeed was raised in a household where good music was an object of reverence. His late father, Mian Abdul Majeed was an avid…
Nightingale of Peshawar falls silent
My piece published in The Friday Times The bombing of Rehman Baba’s shrine is more proof that we are slipping, inch by inch, into…