If we consider the hajj and umrah gatherings in Makkah and Madinah as a microcosm of global Muslim communities, it can be safely said that English is the common language that has become their language of choice and unites them as one people. English stands out as the most important lingua franca for communication between Muslims from diverse lingui

Creating public awareness about the political structure of chandabaji—which is the political manifestation of char dakhal—is important so that, at election times, people can punish politicians who are on the receiving end of chanda (extorted money). As Humayun Kabir and SM Sultan depicted the lawlessness of char dakhal, we need writers and arti

Politicians use moments of crisis to seize opportunities to augment their public image and accumulate political dividends. They seek to make a show of philanthropic gestures in order to realise their political objectives. They visit those affected by natural calamities like floods, storms, cyclones and other extreme climate events as well as disast

On July 15, 2024, Sokal took to the streets with her friends. When their procession came to Dhaka University's VC Chattor (square), Chhatra League hooligans and hired miscreants swooped down on it and started attacking protesters with iron rods, machetes, hockey sticks, and other weapons. One thug hit Sokal very hard and wedged a dent on her he

Jahanara Shahnawaz was born into the illustrious Mian (or Arain) family of Lahore. Another woman of comparable stature in the region is Shaista Ikramullah (1915–2000) who was also born into a preeminent political dynasty – the Suhrawardy family of Bengal. These two women navigated their way through the political landscape and carved out a niche

The spectre of repeated Israeli violence in Gaza and the West Bank seems to have attained a semblance of normality in the face of world leaders' indifference to the suffering of Palestinians. Like "the humble, half-starved" Oliver Twist in Dickens's novel, Palestinians are "despised by all, and pitied by none" of the global

In 2006, Jimmy Carter famously sparked an outcry when his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid was published. He raised moral questions about Israel's (mis)treatment of Palestinians. He was the first Western leader to define the Israeli regime as apartheid. In the book, he said, "Utilising their political and military dominance, [Israeli lea

The notion that Islam gives women half of what men inherit is imprecise. The religion gives sons a bigger share of inheritance, as they have to bear greater financial burdens; and it gives women more inheritance when they need more support. It is important to remember that Islamic inheritance law is based on equity, not equality. Saturday , May 3,

In fact, like Muslim men, Muslim women need to get closer to God through increasing their devotional practices in Ramadan. However, if they have to spend long hours in the kitchen to fulfil the illogical culinary demands of family members, how can they engage in prayerful activities and devote more time to reading the Qur'an and performing othe

Those who are exploiting the British grooming gang debate to caricature British Pakistani men and their religion have little regard for the interests of the victims of child sexual exploitation. They use the victims as tools to spread lies and fear about a specific community, as the Anglo-Indians in A Passage to India treated "Adela as a mere c