This excellent article by Tariq Ali on Bhutto and Pakistan is well worth reading in full. Robert Fisk called it “one of the most remarkable (but typically unrecognised) scoops of the year” in his recent piece in the Independent which can be found here. Tariq Ali writes:
Arranged marriages can be a messy business. Designed principally as a means of accumulating wealth, circumventing undesirable flirtations or transcending clandestine love affairs, they often don’t work. Where both parties are known to loathe each other, only a rash parent, desensitised by the thought of short-term gain, will continue with the process knowing full well that it will end in misery and possibly violence. That this is equally true in political life became clear in the recent attempt by Washington to tie Benazir Bhutto to Pervez Musharraf.
Somebody once remarked that the unconditional devotion of PP workers to Benazir is due to a guilt-complex stemming from their failure to come out in support of Zulfiqar Bhutto when he was hanged by Gen. Zia ul-Haq. The non-stop and extremely unbalanced coverage by the Pakistani media of Benazir’s assassination and funeral makes one wonder if there is some hidden complex at play here too. It is good to honour the dead by remembering their positive traits but honour is one thing and hypocrisy quite another. Truth obliges us to remain sympathetic and objective always and especially where national leaders are concerned for their legacy determines the shape of things to come. To put Benazir’s legacy in perspective here are a few articles which set the record straight. Tariq Ali’s piece is particularly worth reading.
Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in Pakistan. I have never been a fan of Ms Bhutto but am saddened by the manner of her death. This is sad day for all Pakistanis hoping for a more stable and democratic set-up in the country. Koonj has summed up my feelings in her post here.
This naat by Mawlana Jami is one of my favourites. There are different versions of it available in audio format by this is the only one I know of on video. Unfortunately this is an incomplete version but is still excellent nevertheless. Ustad Nusrat and party are on top form as usual. Do listen.
Here is Faiz reading his famous poem Aaj Bazaar Mein( Stride through the bazaar today despite shackled feet) followed by a beautiful rendition by a singer. Faiz’s reading contains English subtitles which are useful for non-Urdu speakers. I don’t know who the singer is yet (probably Nayyara Noor) but its very moving indeed.
So long as we do not die to ourselves,
and so long as we identify with someone or something,
we shall never be free.
The spiritual way is not for those wrapped up in exterior life.
Its Eid-ul-Adha here today commemorating the great Abrahamic sacrifice. Its message can be summed up in the words of one contemporary sufi : “God refuses to be anything but our number one priority”. Eid mubarak to you all.
Just for the benefit of those that missed it here is Jeremy Paxman giving Pakistani minister Tariq Azeem a treatment of his stiff upper lip. Quite funny how the minister offers childish replies and expects to be taken seriously.
I talked briefly about Causality and Necessity a while ago. That was in respect of the impact of Platonic and Neo-Platonic teachings on Islamic philosophy and mysticism. The following article by Phillip Sherrard looks at the same theory of emanation from a comparative approach which is very instructive for us as Muslims. It also tackles the problem of evil and though rather difficult in style is well worth reading in full. Part 1 is here and part 2 here.
I have taken this article from a new website of the traditonalist journal called Studies in Comparative Religion which contains a full archive of the journal dating back to 1963. Lots of interesting material.
