علاجِ گردشِ لیل و نہار

via Gul Bukhari at Pakistan Politics:

Absar Alam, Bureau Chief of Geo News was summoned by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and asked to apologize for a news ticker broadcasting a meeting between Justice Nawaz Abbasi, a judge of the Supreme Court, and the Secretary Interior.

What ensued was surely, not just a First Ever, but hopefully also the Last Ever event of it’s kind to happen in Pakistan. The first shocking revelation was that Justice Nawaz Abbasi was on the three judge bench of the Supreme Court endeavoring to hear/try the proceedings of this Suo Moto Notice (involving his own complaint). Mr. Alam had to address Justice Abbasi directly to remind the honorable gentleman that he was not qualified to hear the case since he was a party in the case.

Embarrassingly, it doesn’t end here: Mr. Alam refused to apologize to the judge and asked for time to hire a lawyer to represent him. The journalist further proceeded to tell the supreme court judge that he, and the media in general, were doing the most important duty as citizens by protecting, safeguarding and upholding the constitution, by ensuring no one desecrates article 19 of the constitution (which essentially safeguards freedom of speech)!

In a fit of fury, Justice Abbasi wrote out an order banning any programs, mention, clips or coverage of the judiciary by the print and electronic media in toto. At which stage even the counsel from the state advised him to review and rescind his order, as it was very likely to be violated. The Justice in question had, using a ticker announcement, in effect issued a broad based gagging order on all forms of information and news coverage with regard to the judiciary issue. On the 12th of May.

It’s absolutely hilarious. It’s also scary. I don’t want to lionize the Nov. 2 judiciary overly, but their suo moto notices were a little more relevant to actual justice, rather than entirely in the service of the ego of the judges. The only place I disagree with the author, Gul Bukhari, is the assessment that it’s sad that the judges backed down in the face of a protest from Absar Alam. I think it’s great. I think cooler heads eventually prevailed and realized that this was going to become absolutely farcical. I don’t have any particular insight on whether or not there should be a contempt of court law in Pakistan - being not the least bit qualified to have an opinion - but the fact that we don’t worked entirely in the favour of what’s right in this case.

Meanwhile, May 12 came and went, and the judiciary was not restored. Hopelessness may be kufr, but what happens if it is so frequently affirmed?

I wrote a sort of review of Yoni Ki Baat, the South Asian rendition of the Vagina Monologues for Global Comment. This is my shameless promotion, let me show you it.

CHAY MAGAZINE
Call for submissions
(Visit http://chaymagazine.org for details)

Deadline: May 15, 2008

Having observed in Pakistani society, a disturbing tendency towards fear and shame around issues of sex and sexuality - that is to say, around a normal human interaction - the founders of Chay Magazine feel that sex and sexuality should enter the public discourse. The taboo and silence around sex and sexuality are oppressive on all of us, irrespective of gender, and lead, at the very least, to unhappiness in our daily lives and, more often, to violence, shame, depression, ill health and general social malaise. We at Chay Magazine endeavor to bring to the Pakistani reading public a place to converse about those things we are most shy of. Our hope is that, through this, we can become braver and stronger, more powerful, self-assured, and just and fair members of society.

Our focus is on Pakistani society and our themes emerge from this context. However, Pakistan is only our starting point. Chay Magazine aims to enter the fray of international feminist discourse and, as such, we invite writers of all nationalities, geographies, stripes to contribute. We are not so much interested in where you come from as in what you have to say.

For the first few issues, we have outlined some broad themes, which are listed below. While we are looking in particular for work around those themes, we are always looking ahead to later issues so, if you have some work kicking around that you’d like to submit, feel free.

Let’s Talk about Sex
o Talking about sex and sexuality – why do it, the taboos around it, the problems with it, the silences
o Sex/Gender, gender roles and gender identity
o Talking about sex and romance
o Standards of “moral” conduct relating to sex

The Politics of Sex
o Sex-positivity
o Sex and feminism in Pakistan
o The politics of shame
o Religion and sex(uality)
o Visions for a new Pakistani Feminism

Marriage
o Sex: enjoyment, coercion, guilt, force
o Sex and marriage
o Domestic violence and rape
o Virginity

Promiscuity
o Saying no and saying yes
o “Sluts” and “whores”
o Sex-work
o Religion and Sex
o Virginity
o Re-appropriating language

We are looking for

- Feature Articles 500-1000 words. These can be analysis, commentary, historical explorations or any other non-fiction on the theme of the issue.
- Poetry and Fiction. There is no real restriction on the subject of the poem or story. If it gives a nod in the direction of the theme, we’re happy. Please send no more than 3 poems or fiction pieces in the vicinity of 1000 words.
- Artwork. Again, there is no particular restriction on artwork. If there is particular work you are interested in submitting, please email in with a query.
- Translations. We accept original translations of thematically relevant works in any genre, from any language.

Send queries and submissions to: chaymagazine AT gmail DOT com . Please attach .rtf or .doc files (we cannot accept .docx files), .jpg or .pdf for images. Please send in a small bio along with your submission as well.

We are an utterly non-profit, non-commercial, money-less concern; therefore we cannot offer any compensation to our writers. In time, we hope to become rich, famous and commercial, at which point we hope to offer you pots of money.

Sincerely,
Kyla Pasha and Sarah Suhail
Co-executive editors, Chay Magazine

I was sitting with my prof this afternoon, hesitantly reading Arabic hadith at him and working out what they meant, when a small poinpoint of evil hit me behind the eye. I lost focus on what I was reading or saying, as I usually do in migraine land. Luckily, we had been through the larger part of our work so we both kind of teetered and fell off the precipice of attentive with a sweet little thunk. And that was good. Continue reading →

Because I just enjoy everything way too much and I’m too damn smart, man!

Continue reading →

I just had a look at Stuff White People Like and I’m not impressed. Maybe Dave ruined it for me with his review, which I read before I read the site itself. But I didn’t find it particularly clever. Aside from “being an expert on YOUR culture” and “making you feel bad about not going out”, I didn’t really find any of them particularly funny, or spot on. As a friend of mine said, it’s much more about upper middle class white social democrats than just generically white people. But even still. It’s just sort of dumb.

XKCD is a beautiful thing.

My mom was delighted by this and commanded me to have redheaded babies at my earliest convenience. (She’s a redhead, you see.)

Is Read Hair Dead?

As activists lobby to include the mighty white polar bear on the endangered species list, a critter of a different colour is nervously contemplating its own uncertain future.

The red-headed homo sapiens, predicted by some to be extinct within 100 years, is fighting back with an exclusive dating site, established to keep the rare and fiery breed alive and kicking forever.

There are a jillion redheads on mom’s side of the family. Mom, possibly my granmma, definitely her mom and then a couple on my grandfather’s side, which is Irish. German and Irish redheads.

So does that mean some recessive gene could come to the fore in my kids?

I Don’t Burn -by Kevin Young

Dear Darkness—consider this
my last attempt

to reach you. My previous
few missives

having boomeranged back
unread, postmarks blurred

by the gloved hands
that tried carrying

them to your door.
Or, torn

by the machines.
I wish

…Read the rest here

May I present to you a lovely lovely song that Joel just pointed me to?
Jenny Owen Youngs – Fuck Was I

I tried to embed it, but it broke my blog.

I’m a little late coming in on this, but is anyone else bothered by the possible appropriation of Shi’i symbolism (or ignorance of it) in this black flag week thing? Has anyone cottoned on to that? Am I being too sensitive, now that I’m in Amreeka with the sensitive folk?

Mark 14, King James Version. Source:

42: Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
43: And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
44: And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.
45: And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.
46: And they laid their hands on him, and took him.
47: And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
48: And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?
49: I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.
50: And they all forsook him, and fled.
51: And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:
52: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
53: And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.
54: And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.
55: And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
56: For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.
57: And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,
58: We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
59: But neither so did their witness agree together.
60: And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
61: But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62: And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
63: Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
64: Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
65: And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
66: And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:
67: And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.
68: But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.
69: And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.
70: And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.
71: But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.
72: And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

New poem up. Check it out, eh?

You invented India
over my head, called me wet
and pink, and overly looked upon -
You are so benevolent, old love.

More…