The opinions expressed in this section are solely those of the author.
Even a cursory analysis of the three Nawaz Sharif sackings as PM reveals one constant sordid fact, his incurring penchant to listen to a bunch of “unelectable advisors” who constantly feed his already inflated ego about his supposed omni-potency. The 1993 sacking did him wonders, turning an Establishment “puppet on the throne” into a politician of some standing in his own right. In the second sacking in 1999 the Army swiftly countered Nawaz’s civilian coup, the Punjab CM brother Shahbaz …
Consensus on matters ensuring security and welfare of the common man is rarely achieved by our Parliament. Such unanimity is only displayed when their own self-interest is at stake, like approving increments in their salary, added perks and privileges, etc. In October last year all the parliamentary parties banded together to delete as many as 19 declarations from the nomination papers to be submitted by candidates for the upcoming general elections, effectively eliminating key information about their education, close relatives, …
James Brien Comey Jr served as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for four years till fired by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017. Trump initially claimed this was because of Comey’s mishandling of the investigation into the private email of Hillary Clinton. The overriding perception prevailing is that the real reason was Special Counsel (and former FBI Chief) Robert Muller’s investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives. Comey’s book “A Higher Loyalty: …
In 1980, the National Women’s History Project was founded in California for the interest of broadcasting woman’s historical achievements. They lobbied and successfully pushed Congress to designate a special month for women. Today, March is officially known as Women’s History Month, where women and men pay special attention to discuss and commemorate the world’s greatest feminine leaders. As a Muslim woman, I can testify that Islam has fully laid out the basic rights of women centuries ago. The Holy Quran …
Hiding behind the religion card has always been the strategy of many politicians in Pakistan who are guilty of their hideous sins of corruption and misconduct. This time it was Safdar Sahab. Capt (r) Safdar Sahab, My apologies I can’t greet you with Salam, the constitution doesn’t allow me to do so. Hope you are relaxing in one of your mansions, contended after playing the religion card to veil your own wrongdoings of corruption and dishonesty. But let me tell …
On 7 September 1974, the long unfulfilled dream of Pakistan’s religious conservatives finally became a reality with the passing of the second constitutional amendment which declared Ahmadis non-Musim. For the man who spearheaded this movement, Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, it was a singular moment of glory and as he left parliament on the day of its enactment he was met by jubilant crowds who hailed him as a hero. A theological dispute sold to the people as a struggle …
We, as Muslims, love to answer sincere questions about Islam for those who are in search of answers. I have found a list of 20 questions asked by an atheist who left Islam. We can find the answers to most of these questions when we read the Quran directly in its context, but unfortunately, certain confusions are raised when specific Islamic schools of thought fail to provide satisfactory answers—while at the same time presenting themselves as the exclusive …
With the days of Jalsa almost upon us the hearts of those who have been touched by this gathering of the faithful plead to once again hearken a lifetime’s worth of spirituality bestowed upon them in the form of speeches and Nazms and most of all by the rays of wisdom which emanate from the words of Huzoor atba. It is true that the Jalsa has touched the hearts of people on a level and in numbers unheard of in …
And so as another year passes the days that have been long awaited by the member of the Jamaat finally arrive. For it is once again time for the faithful to gather at the hand of the khalifa to participate in a 3 day event which will inevitably alter the course of their spiritual lives. The event which draws people in the thousands to the open green fields of Alton, Hampshire holds great significance not only for Ahmadi Muslims around …
Somewhere in Islamabad from what I understand, a girl is preparing for her wedding. Maybe she is booking a hairdresser or shopping for new clothes and jewelry. Maybe she is visiting friends and family and receiving their blessings and well wishes. Maybe she is fantasizing about her new life as a new bride and the impending move to the United States. Maybe she wonders what kind of man this cousin of hers is that her relatives and relations have chosen …
Crazies. Everybody’s got them—from religions to nationalities to political parties. Every social unit in humanity has its share of fanatics. Unfortunately, we Muslims have them in droves, and in recent years their fanatical, narrow-minded view of what defines a religion has moved to the driver’s seat and become the mainstream in Islam. Indeed, it seems that it’s becoming a rare site to see a religious person who is not a crazy lunatic. For many, matters of religion have gotten so …
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) was founded by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1889 in village Qadian, District Gurdaspur, Punjab. He claimed to be the “Reformer” of the age and fulfilled all the revelations of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) regarding the second advent of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi (the Guided One). Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad had written over 80 books and one of his greatest scholarly works was The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam. After his claims, he was …