By Ajit SinghIndia and Pakistan emerged as two separate sovereign nations in 1947. Different factions of the freedom struggle movement contributed in their own unique way. Ultimately they freed themselves and the people from the clutches of British colonizers that arrived in India during the early 17th century, masquerading as traders with an intent to puncture the…
By Shifah BelaiAfter Kabul fell to the Taliban militants in August, thousands of Afghans were forced to flee the country. Many were taken to the West by countries like Britain or the United States. Others had to look to neighboring countries for a place to start a new life. One such group of people were a women’s…
By Madina WardakThis past month, Afghans across the world watched with horror as our country fell into the hands of the Taliban. The United States troops withdrew, our flag was replaced, our president fled, and our female news anchors said their goodbyes. Supporters claim the Taliban have changed, yet Hazaras continue to be the target of ethnic…
By Maliya NazAs a Pakistani, and as a Muslim, it is my responsibility to speak of the injustices that exist within my community and to raise awareness about the underprivileged people in my country. The wealthy and powerful have the economic and political upper hand that lead them to assume that their wealth and power gave them…
By Elizabeth AzizThis past week, reports out of Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan have surfaced that a group of women were attacked at gunpoint after a wedding. The women, who happen to be transgender, were allegedly hired to perform at the ceremony, after which the abuse took place. According to local police, the assailants have been identified and are…
By Maliya NazAmmi catches me weeping again tonight. She sits by me and asks me why I am crying. I tell her our people are dying. “A Kashmiri baby was forced to sit on the blood-soaked body of his grandfather. Indian armed forces dragged Bashir Ahmed from his car and shot him dead in front of his…
By Humeira KazmiThe moment I came across this image – a Black man’s face in a children’s book for learning the basic Urdu alphabet to enunciate the letter ﺡ (H sound in English) – I knew I had to say something. It says H for Habshi. Technically, if the book were for learning ABC’s, this would be…
By Humeira KazmiKhalil-ur-Rehman Qamar (KRQ), one of Pakistan’s renowned screenwriters and Misogynist Supreme, begs no introduction. But I’ll go ahead and give him one anyway. With a handful of projects to his name, KRQ recently grabbed the spotlight after a shockingly sexist interview where he proudly mansplained traits of a “good” woman, how equality of the sexes…
By Humeira Kazmi“Knowledge is not wisdom, but it is a prerequisite for wisdom – and that’s one thing the digital revolution hasn’t changed,” wrote William Poundstone, author of “Head in the Cloud: The Power of Knowledge in the Age of Google.” In other words, Google searches will give you answers to your questions, but not the wisdom…
By Mariam TanvirBusy days, busy weeks, busy months. It all just blends together in one big, busy blur of working, playdates, laundry, cleaning, and more. And the one thing that I find myself slipping in is FOOD. Now, trust me when I say that I pass absolutely zero judgement on any mother who finds herself popping chicken…
By manalmoazzam“At a very early age, I was drawn to colors and the idea of filling any surface, whether it be a canvas, a wall, a piece of paper, with my ideas and whatever I’d like. That is probably the most attractive aspect of drawing or every writing. Nothing feels better than seeing a blank canvas which foreshadows…
By Mariam TanvirAsia Noreen, a Pakistani Christian woman, wife, and mother, became the face of injustice in 2009. She and her husband, along with their five children, lived a nondescript life in a small, rural village outside of Lahore, a populated city in Pakistan. However, all this changed back in June of 2009, when Asia got into…
By Ammarah RehmanPakistan is one of three countries in the world which hasn’t yet been able to end the transmission of Poliomyelitis (Polio). Polio is a endemic viral infection that leaves its victims paralyzed, and as of 2015, 38 cases of Polio were reported in Pakistan alone. Whilst reported cases of Polio are declining, Pakistan is still…
By hanamalikSabika Sheikh. Ann Perkins. Angelique Ramirez. Shana Fisher. Kim Vaughan. Chris Stone. Cynthia Tisdale. Christian Garcia. Jared Black. Kyle McLeod. All shot and killed on school grounds in Santa Fe, TX by another white male student. One name in particular stands out: Sabika Sheikh. Why? Sabika was a Pakistani student visiting the high school for…
By Ainee FatimaIf you’re a comic book enthusiast, you might be familiar with Sooraya Qadir — known as Dust from X-Men: The first Muslim X-Men character who happens to wear a traditional black burqa and niqab while fighting crime. Her special powers include the ability to transform into and control sand. But recently, Pakistan has emerged with…
