Asma Hamid Awan
Daily Times
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Past articles by Asma:
Between Finding Acceptance and Bearing Violence: the Struggle named Meena Kumari
The legislative bill to curb domestic violence in Pakistan has interestingly, or tragically, turned into controversial legislation. The bill is being debated on “religious” grounds. It’s perhaps one of the most dangerous steps to further tarnish the image of Islam as a religion of peace and acceptance. After legitimising terrorism and religious intolerance, now domestic […] → Read More
Fundamentalising cities, memories and identities
Amitabh Bachchan is a legendary actor of Indian film industry also known as the Bollywood. He is an iconic figure in Indian cinema and society, having a followership of millions of Hindi cinema fans around the world. He is a style icon whose dresses, accessories and mannerism are admired nationwide and he remains a source … → Read More
In memory of ‘nemat-khana’ and ‘cheenka’
Almost each aspect of civic life has been affected by advancement of technology over the past decades of rapid industrial development and trade globalisation. This has led to an access to most modern gadgets in each and every part of the world including Subcontinent. Perhaps one of the most technologised part of a household has … → Read More
Religion for relief
“She is not well, I don’t think we can save her”, the young Pakistani research scientist, a pleasant person to talk to otherwise, said in a gloomy tone. He was working with a group of medical experts and scientists on a cancer research project in the United States (US). They were trying to find a … → Read More
The romance of the roots
At the Lahore airport, the administration has organised separate immigration counters for men, senior citizens, foreign passport holders, families and ladies. It means that if a gentleman intends to go through immigration process with the ladies of his family, he can join them in the queue for families. It was a sheer disappointment to see … → Read More
I can love my country without having to humiliate yours
For one of my research projects, I was in contact with a Pakistani student living in the US for his studies. On one occasion when I called him he answered that he couldn’t talk right then as his friend, Abhijeet, was asleep in his studio apartment. The next day, I asked him out of curiosity … → Read More
‘Our differences unite us’
One of the results of industrial revolution was the acceleration of the pace of colonisation. The North-South gap became a stark reality of evolution of political and economic world order. The world was divided into the privileged imperialistic and colonized blocks. Though the colonizers did focus on development of infrastructure in their colonies and introduced … → Read More
Monsoon season — a time to celebrate or to curse?
Asian monsoon is a term which was first coined in British India to refer to the rain season, influenced by strong winds coming from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. Setting aside the geographical and environmental aspects, there’s a cultural and literary legacy associated with this weather. After a harsh spell of heat wave … → Read More
Paan for peace — politicisation of a symbol of cultural sophistication
I serve paans after dinners which I purchase from a famous paan shop in Lahore as I haven’t been ‘saleeqamand’ enough to maintain a paan dan myself. On dholkis, mehndis, weddings, fairs, galas in Lahore, a paan stall is a must A public statement of former Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stirred a lot … → Read More
The fading decor of ‘Kanas’ (cornice)
It all started with a simple human need for shelter, providing protection from weather conditions or some possible security threat. It evolved from simplest mud houses or caves to modern architecture which caters to both the needs and desires of human life. Besides being the most rational beings of the animal kingdom, humans are also … → Read More
Cooking — a sub-solution to Indo-Pak conflict
The experts in the field of conflict resolution and peace building put a lot of emphasis on the academic and practical distinction between ‘negative peace’ and ‘positive peace’. The former is defined in terms of getting to a situation marked as absence of war. A ceasefire takes place between the belligerent parties and one cannot … → Read More
Memories of ‘Charpai’ and ‘Dalaan’ — symbols of the lost cultural traditions
Once I bought a small model of a charpai from a handicrafts shop, to be sent outside Pakistan as a symbol of Pakistani culture for a cultural exhibition. Interestingly, the children accompanying me, born and bred in urban Pakistan, couldn’t relate to the phenomenon of charpai. One of them could recognise it as something representative … → Read More
Sardar Charanjeet Singh — the martyr of peace
I have a new case study to teach in my Peace Building class because there recently has been an addition to the long list of martyrs of peace. Sardar Charanjeet Singh, a Sikh community leader in Peshawar, was shot dead by unidentified armed men in his grocery store. It is becoming a tough course to … → Read More
Of Rubab, potluck iftar and cultural integration
A few months ago, during a personal visit to the US, I had a candid chat with a bunch of Pakistani students residing there. We were invited by a Pakistani Pakhtun student over dinner. He had a nicely-maintained apartment (our boys can manage domestic affairs very well when away from protective and pampering environments). There … → Read More
Of cuckoos, motia and the Lahore that was
Driving on a busy road, hustling with morning traffic, everyone rushing towards a dream defined in some material terms, I heard an old friend from my childhood days, announce the approach of summer. The noise of development has subdued the soft melodious chirp of cuckoos. We, as children, learned that she comes to tell us … → Read More
When I failed Marx despite my love for Marxism
The news of attack on Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal was heard with mixed responses. Besides some sincere wishes for his recovery, he was also criticised for deciding not to be treated at Narowal and being moved to Lahore for treatment. Since he is a political representative from this area, he was taken to … → Read More
Time to embrace our shared history
As the news about National Assembly passing resolution changing name of Dr Abdus Salam Centre at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad came in, I couldn’t help but think that religious intolerance in the country will end up taking us away from our heroes. It was later found out that the news was misinterpreted and the resolution … → Read More