Gentle readers, may you have a splendid bakra Eid and a joyous 2007.
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December 2006
On December 30, 1906, a group of Muslim leaders gathered in Dhaka and proposed a political association for the Muslims of India, with three aims: to protect Muslim interests, to counter Congress influences, and to support the British administration. The first meeting of this proposed entity, named the All India Muslim League happened in Karachi [...]
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I don’t read Friedman, or any other NYT columnist, thanks [wholeheartedly] to TimeSelect. However, his column from 12/20 is so beyond the pale. The Arabist has the full column but short Friedman: Arabs are a tribe of lying, conniving, cheating, haters who are genetically unable to stop their lying, fighting, cheating and hating – esp. [...]
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I don’t usually read anything written by politicians during their run-up to declaring candidacy or elections. Hence, I have missed out on this or this or that, etc. etc. (you get the point and I am tired of searching on Amazon for Richard Nixon’s campaign books). And yet, a few days ago, I walked into [...]
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Time Magazine is hunched over its dad’s computer in the den, learning how to personalize the desktop, search for pornography and make small-time day-trading deals online. It likes the den, it likes choosing the sound the computer makes when a new email comes into the ‘mailbox’. Time has plenty of cheetos and gatorade for snacks. [...]
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First in a series of posts on the junior senator from Illinois. Gary Cooper: Perfect. It’s a matter of fact. Everything about you is perfect. Audrey Hepburn: I’m too thin and my ears stick out, my teeth are crooked and my neck’s much too long. Gary Cooper: Maybe so, but I love the way it [...]
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Jon Stewart has changed television around the world. Witness, the 4 Man Show at the AAJ channel in Pakistan. It stars 4 correspondents – three are named Khalid Butt – who are also the writers. You can view clips from a best of….show to get a taste: part 2, and part 3 – freakin’ brilliant, [...]
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In March, I am presenting on a panel at the annual meeting of the Association of Asian Studies. A few weeks ago, we co-panelists thought about ways in which we could enhance the process of writing and discussion on the papers before the conference happens. We are convinced that our idea for the panel could [...]
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I have been thinking about digital archives in the humanities – specifically for historians – for a while now. I believe that certain technologies, under the web 2.0 rubric*, provide new and exciting ways for historians to completely rethink their notions of archive, access, and, perhaps, public knowledge itself. Take, for instance, the Mughal India [...]
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From the writing-directing-acting-webdesignin’ duo, the Suhrwardy Brothers comes a Pakistani actioneer, Kaanch. I am unclear as to what Kaanch [crushed/broken glass] is about from the trailer – something about going back home and then running in a jungle? – but, there you go, the fledgling independent cinema of Pakistan. While Urdu cinema has been dying [...]
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“It takes a confident man to wear a military jacket complete with rows of brass buttons. It’s incredibly chic if it can be pulled off but it’s difficult.” –Domenico Dolce of Dolce & Gabbana It seems that military chic is in nowadays, but not that frightfully down-market camouflage type we’re used to seeing on TV. [...]
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