Let’s be honest – we’ve all dealt with the gora complex at some point in our lives and have used countless totkas to get flawless, fair skin. Turns out, white girls have a similar complex and Shaniera Akram in a recent post opened up about her struggle as a white girl wanting tanned, brown skin.
“To all the girls with brown skin wishing they had white, I just want to let you know that there are a hell of a lot of white girls who grew up wishing they had dark skin too, I know I was one of them,” she wrote.
She continued, “We thought that if our skin was brown we looked healthier, prettier and more attractive to boys. We would go to any length to change the colour of white to brown because that what was instilled in our minds, that brown was more beautiful.”
Concluding her note, Akram said, “What I’m trying to say is don’t try and change who you are, be happy underneath your skin, your beauty is interpreted by you, you are beautiful no matter what your skin colour is!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8vcBc0gKVJ/
Meanwhile, when a media outlet remarked that Shaniera has white privilege and has never faced racism for her skin colour, Shaniera responded with a curt reply.
The 8th Lahore Literary Festival is going to be in full swing from Friday Feb 21st to Sunday Feb 23rd. This year’s schedule seems particularly promising with the inclusion of Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, Orhan Pamuk who has a massive fan following in Pakistan. They also include book launches, and notable personalities like Middle East expert and author, Vali Nasr, Nigerian writer Oyinkan Braithwaite, and Mughal historian Audrey Truschke.
The Current’s picks for the sessions are:
“I’m most excited to meet Orhan Pamuk and get a chance to get my collection of Pamuk books signed by him. He’s a beautiful writer, his books are complicated but rewarding, tales of human nature, love, murder and how our culture defines us. He will be the star attraction this year at the LLF and I will definitely be attending the opening ceremony on Friday morning.
I’m also looking forward to the launch of HalaGula children’s books. The session is on Saturday at 2:45PM-3:45PM and is the launch of new children’s books in Urdu. There isn’t anything fun and exciting in children’s reading available in Urdu, so this will be a welcome addition – Marium Chaudhry, Founder
The Herald, one of Pakistan’s oldest magazines has recently discontinued
A session with journalists Tehmina Ahmed and Talat Aslam will be coming together with ex-HRCP chairman Dr I A Rehman — none of whom ever shied away from raising their voices even against military dictatorships — discuss the latest rough patch media industry in Pakistan has hit under PTI rule. Moderated by Razeshta Sethna, former Senior Assitant Editor of the Herald, the panel is titled ‘Speaking Truth to Power’, the panel is likely to discuss the recently ceased Herald and Newsline. I’m also going to be attending ‘Hum Dekheingay’ . In this session, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, poet Zehra Nigah and historian Nomanul Haq will discuss with moderator Salman Akram Raja how Marxist poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s writings are transcending borders and languages to fire people’s movements, as recently seen in India – Abdullah Zafar, Political Editor
I am interested in ‘Bigotry Brigade: Where is India headed?’ which will be on 4PM-5PM on Saturday. This session will be quite interesting. All the panelists are excellent, especially historian, Audrey Truschke, who has written a book on Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, which negates the Indian narrative of an evil Muslim ruler. I am interested in India’s descent into extremism as it is quite disheartening to see a secular country like India with a population of more than a billion people turn to Hindutva – Mehmal Sarfraz, Co-Founder
’55 Lawrence Road: Memories of a Jewish Family that left Pakistan in 1973′ is an intriguing title for a session. I am expecting the session will revolve around how Jewish families lived in Pakistan well after partition and why and how they migrated out of the country. I am particularly interested to know how they lived and how active their synagogues were as most of them in Pakistan are no longer active. The session is at 1:30-2:30 on Saturday and has famous architect, Nayyar Ali Dada, Pakistani-born journalist, Hazel Kahan and Pakistani film director Shireen Pasha – Saman Shafiq, Entertainment Editor
I’ts not just that our founder, Marium is a part of this session but ‘Digital Trumps Print?’ will be a session where print and T.V. journalists will discuss the challenges of change that come with the digital media transformation of Pakistan. It will be interesting to see old school journalists like Arif Nizami and Samaa’s owner Zafar Siddiqi talk about what digital media means to them at a time of slit-throat competition. The session is on Sunday from 11:15am-12:15am – Fahad Malik, Data and Tech Sub-Editor
Mahira Khan will be attending the LLF on Sunday
It will be illuminating for me to be a part of the session ‘ Pakistan’s brave new cinema’ where two renowned women of Pakistan, actress Mahira Khan and journalist Fifi Haroon, will discuss the future of cinema and how it can create awareness on sensitive issues in the country. The session is on Sunday from 2:45PM-3:45PM – Urooj Ali, Lifestyle Sub-Editor
Amidst the current protests in India, a Muslim couple tied the knot at the site of anti-CAA protest in Chennai on Monday, February 17.
The couple had a unique wedding ceremony while holding anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) placards in hands that read: “No CAA, NPR, NRC.”
Sumayya and Shahin Shah decided to get married at the site of a protest in the capital of Tamil Nadu. Their marriage was solemnized by an Imam among the crowd of protesters. Sumayya wore a bright red saree with heavy zari work while the groom, Shahin Shah, wore a maroon jacket.
The couple received a warm welcome from the crowd and they received gifts and cash presents.
The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament of India on 11 December 2019 and has caused an uproar in India and sparked protests across the country.
Under the CAA 2019, religious minorities that have taken refuge in India till 2014 are eligible for citizenship. However, the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB 2019) makes it a point to exclude Muslims. The law requires Indian Muslims to prove their origins in India otherwise they stand to lose their citizenship.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur and the Kartarpur Corridor on Tuesday during his four-day visit to Pakistan. Minister of Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri accompanied the him on the Kartarpur visit.
Mr. Guterres took to twitter to appreciate Pakistan’s efforts for peace and inter-faith harmony.
I was honoured to visit Pakistan’s newly opened Kartarpur Corridor – a corridor of hope, connecting two key Sikh pilgrimage sites.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur
“This is the best symbol that we can give for a world in peace and for a world in which there is mutual respect and there is the acceptance of what is different. Recognising diversity is a blessing, is a richness…not a threat. When we see in so many parts of the world fighting in the name of religion, it is necessary to say that religions unite us for peace and the best symbol is this [Kartarpur] shrine,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
A Tunisian national, Sara Haba, has reached Makkah on a bicycle in 53 days.
Covering a distance of more than 3,000 kilometers, she started off from her home country Tunisia and cycled for over 53 days to Makkah.
Haba toured across the deserts in Egypt and Sudan and shared her journey on Instagram and YouTube using the hashtag #cyclingtomecca.
In one of her Instagram posts she wrote, “A lot of headwinds as I never experienced, a lot of sand and a lot of emptiness which made it unable for me to refill water and food. And when the loaded bicycle wasn’t killing my lower body, it was challenging my arm strength.”
Haba tributes to her bicycle named Merzouga as that was her biggest support system throughout the journey. Merzouga can be translated to “grace with blessing” in African Arabic.
In another of her posts, Haba wrote that cycling to Saudi Arabia was not as difficult as it seemed to be. “And as unbelievable as it may sound and despite all my apprehension about cycling here, Saudi Arabia has been so far the easiest country to cycle since I began this journey.”
As she kept her followers updated with her journey, Haba met several supporting cyclists on her journey. They also wrote supportive messages for her on Instagram.
“A special thanks to each person who has crossed my way, smiled to me, shown me the way, filled my bottles with water, offered me a fruit, shared their house with me, presented me to their family and friends, cycled with me even for 10km, cried with me and make me part of their lives. I didn’t expect anything of all what happened,” she added.
American singer and musician Jaafar Jackson is currently in Pakistan on his first visit and is blown away by the hospitality.
In an interview, Jackson shared that he is visiting Pakistan with China-Pakistan Investment Corporation and its founding board member, Zeeshan Shah.
He said that he visited two universities in Islamabad. Sharing his experience he said: “It was incredible interacting with the students. They were all so kind, talented and I love how passionate they are with what they are doing.”
The singer said that it “feels incredible” to be here in Pakistan.
“Everyone in the country has been so kind, welcoming and sweet. So, it means a lot to me and I look forward to coming back here, doing a show and interacting with more people. I have enjoyed every second of my trip,” he said.
Jaafar is the second youngest son of legendary singer Jermaine Jackson and is the King of Pop, Michael Jackson’s nephew. His last single Got Me Singing was a hit with 5.2 million views on YouTube.
He also shared that he has been working on an album which will release in the summer.
Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter and Prince Andrew’s daughter Princess Beatrice of York is currently in Pakistan for a skiing trip.
According to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s official Instagram account, she met with him early Saturday morning along with Jose Maria Aznar (Former Prime Minister of Spain), Matteo Renzi (Former Prime Minister of Italy), Zia Chishti and Frederico Rigoni. Special Assistant to the PM for Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari and Ali Jehangir Siddiqui were also present during the meeting.
A member of the British royal family, Princess Beatrice is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is ninth in the line of succession to the British throne, followed by her sister, Princess Eugenie. The princess is expected to get married to her fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on May 29 at Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace with a reception at Buckingham Palace afterwards.
Beatrice’s visit comes months after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate visited Pakistan. The couple on their whirlwind trip to the country explored Lahore, Islamabad and Chitral.
To gain more respect among his devotees and gather more followers, a fake pir (faith healer) in Sialkot attempted to trap himself inside a deep underground pit for 41 days in a ritual but was arrested three days after being inside the pit.
According to a report in Samaa News, Sagheer alias Mithay Shah decided to shut himself in a six-foot deep pit in Wanchal village and told his tearful and emotional devotees that he would stay there for 41 days. His devotees bid him farewell with drums and high emotions.
However, Sagheer turned out to be a complete fraud after the police unearthed his pit which had water, electricity, food and bed arrangements. The police foiled his plans and arrested him three days into his ritual.
Video footage shows the police removing the sand and wooden planks over the pit to arrest Sagheer. He had made arrangements for water, electricity, food and a bed.
The police have also registered a case against the pir and have put him behind bars. SHO Tariq Mehmood shared that the police received information that a man in the village had shut himself in a grave-like pit and there was a possibility that he could die of suffocation because the pit had been covered with mud.
He said several people had gathered around the pit when they reached. The law enforcers pulled the fake faith healer out of the pit.
The SHO further revealed that when they interrogated the fake pir, he said that he was doing this to “help raise respect and pride” for himself among his devotees so that more people follow him.
Meanwhile, Sagheer’s devotees defended his actions saying that the police pulled him out of the pit while he was praying.
Weddings in Pakistan are known to be extravagant affairs, often stretching over weeks. To limit the costs of the ceremony, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly adopted legislation almost two years ago.
The bill titled ‘KP Marriage Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious Displays and Wasteful Expenses)‘ was passed in February 2018 but 24 months later, the province is still trying to implement the law that puts a limit on wedding spending.
The law imposed a ban on the decoration of houses, streets, and marriage halls across the province. It directs that the sound of the loudspeaker should be limited to indoor with many other restrictions.
The law also tells the rules for the menu, limiting it to one dish only. Punjab already has a law which ensures one dish at marriage halls.
Under the law, anyone who breaks or fails to obey the law shall be accountable to pay a fine of not less than Rs200,000 and an imprisonment term not exceeding two months.
Similarly, depriving a bride of her wedding gifts could also be troublesome for the groom and his family. Violators could face a fine of Rs200,000 and a sentence of three months. The law also restricts the payment of dowry to the groom’s family.
As the world celebrates Valentine’s Day today on February 14, Pakistanis are calling for the day to be celebrated as ‘Haya Day’. A group of people started this to boycott Valentine’s Day because they think that it is against our norms and culture many people joined them in the cause.
