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Unveiled

For the first time in 150 years, the French President was able to address Parliament. Nicolas Sarkozy, French President used the occasion to speak about the veil.

"We must not fight the wrong battle. In the republic, the Muslim faith must be respected as much as other religions."

"[The burkah] will not be welcome on French soil."

"We cannot accept, in our country, women imprisoned behind a mesh, cut off from society, deprived of all identity. That is not the French republic's idea of women's dignity."

What's in a piece of cloth? This continues to be an issue because of the on-going Western-centric vilification of Muslims and Islam. This is nothing short of a mammoth culture clash which leads to so many global conflicts. The veil, therefore, is neither here, nor there.

Waziristan: Pashtoon Country

With the US-backed Pakistan war on militancy now shifting attention to Waziristan, it seems ever more appropriate to mention this song here in this blog. I first heard this when Nazia Iqbal played this song to an enthusiastic Waziri crowd in Abu Dhabi in February this year. With a little digging around, I've come across an earlier popular Musharraf Bangash version of the song, Waziristan da Pukhtano Watan De. Dedicated to the ordinary folk.

Waziristan da Pukhtano Watan De
Waziristan is Pashtoon Country


Warra zwaanan ye de ghairat nishaani
Da nangyalo, da shah zulmo watan de
Qurban qurban me sar au maal sha warna
Waziristan da Pukhtano watan de

Da khpela khawre gadha girde manum
Kho da dukhman de para daal yaadegi
Pa Pukhtunkhwa ke na pa tola duniya
Da doyee kamal da doyee jalaal yaadeygi
Che sar tattee nakra zda pa umar
Da seekhaghal aw azmaro watan de
Qurban qurban me sar au maal sha warna
Waziristan da Pukhtano watan de

Da tor tor ghroona e gawa da ghairat
Da mohabbat pa ke chenee joregi
Monga bachi da daaghi kharri khawre
Zamonga dalta afsaani joregi
Da stergo tor de zre takor de zema
Da masomano gulalo watan de
Qurban qurban me sar au maal sha warna
Waziristan da Pukhtano watan de

Mong da Pukhto da shuja'at nishani
Monga majboor yu da Islam da laasa
Zamong pa zmaka ke owrruna bal de
Da khog Islam da inteqaam da laasa
Husn walarg wata pa khuley de warka
Da shno paslo, da sangaro watan de
Qurban qurban me sar au maal sha warna
Waziristan da Pukhtano watan de

Masoom aur mazey ehteram kawauma
Da lwarr tareekh ta salaam kawauma
Zamung watan de amanat zamunga
Za ye pa hara barkha paam kawuma
Pa ma shireen de pa ma gran alamma
Ka de azgho, ka de nizgho watan de
Qurban qurban me sar au maal sha warna
Waziristan da Pukhtano watan de

Warra zwaanan ye de ghairat nishaani
Da nangyalo, da shah zulmo watan de
Qurban qurban me sar au maal sha warna
Waziristan da Pukhtano watan de

تور خان

The Rift in the Gulf

Persian Rift: The Gulf in between

There's a stirring in the neighbourhood between leaders and people - just across the waters from where I live, here in the UAE, is Iran. Iran is one place that has continually fascinated me and one that I would like to visit some day, InshAllah. Persian influence on the Muslim world is deep and the cultural/linguisitic links are historic. To illustrate this, my father's ancestry is an admixture of Arab and Persian - the Awan people passed through Khorosan and today my understanding of Farsi, for example, is stronger than my Arabic. Greater Iran (ایران بزرگ) sometimes referred to as the Land of Iran (ایران ‌زمین) stretched across the Iranian plateau, encompassing the modern country, Afghanistan and up to the Indus in Western Pakistan. Of course, my mother tongue, Pashto is categorised as an Iranian language in the Indo-European classification of languages.

What is happening in Iran?

Like the reports coming out of Iran, I rely heavily on the Internet for my information. But in an age of disinformation I'm not quite sure what to make of what I see and read. I am left with a sense regret and of confusion over recent events. I pray for the well being of Iran and it's people. The Farsi proverb that I'm sharing here kind of sums up my hope that normalcy returns to the Land of the Aryans.

هر شب بلندى را پايانى است

Every long night has its end.

خدا حافظ - تور خان

Of Spice And Scent

When I was younger, I found that the slightly over-sweet scent of agarbattī incense sticks rather cloy. But times change, and as I've grown older, one of the things I've picked up - particularly since living in the Arab world, is a habit of lighting charcoals and burning bakhoor. A good quality bakhoor is less sweet, and has a more rustic, earthy element to it. I burn it at the door and in the majlis - the scent will linger and gives me a sense of being somewhere familiar. You can even smoke your wardrobe - this is very common amongst the Arabs of the Khaleej.

Omani Frankincense is a popular scent and has a 'creamy' feel to it - kind of makes one sleepy and induces a dream-like feeling ... (I'm sure there's more to it than a simple perfume ... not that I would ever advocate anything dodgy) ... but my personal favourite is Oudh.

Caution: Nanny State Strikes Back

To PC or Not PC

Ah, every now and then, I stumble across a news item which reminds me why schools in the UK are becoming increasingly irrational places to work in. Whilst, quite rightly, teachers are concerned about violence (directed towards them and their pupils), the focus on welfare is directed towards some more far out examples of Health and Safety. Take, for example, the following list of rules:

• Wearing goggles to put up posters
• Five-page briefing on the dangers of glue sticks
• Ban on running in the playground
• Wet grass stopping PE lessons
• Ban on playing with conkers
• One person at a time in staff kitchen
• Ban on sweets because of choking risk
• Buoyancy aids for capable year 11 swimmers on a school trip to France

Can you imagine what it's like to be nannied to the point of complete loss of freedom to think?

Kuch Dil Ne Kaha

I'm not a real Bollywood boffin and with exception, I have tended to avoid the newer, more western-orientated batch of popular films. I'm a family person, so the movies must generally fit that "viewing for all" criteria. There was a time, (think circa 1980) when my father would hire a video player from a place on Morley Street, Bradford, and a bunch of films that had been copied onto VHS. I distinctly remember seeing Gunga Jumna that way and maybe even Amar, Akbar, Anthony.

My father and my Mama* are compediums of knowledge when it comes to back and white Bombay Cinema - mixed in with recollections of their tales of growing up in Karachi - and can easily tell you all-you-need-to-know about the films of the time. Between them, they have a classic collection of films - mostly VHS (and some VCD/DVD), but one that would be a fine digital library if anyone took the time to convert. Anyway, the better impression of Bollywood that I have is of that classic era, so here's a clip. Lata Mangeshkar sings for Sharmila Tagore in the film Anupama (Unparalled), 1966. This song, Kuch Dil Ne Kaha (The Heart Said Something) is a personal favourite.

*Mama = Maternal Uncle