Irfana's World

Not all those who wander are lost - J.R.R. Tolkein

Bangalore Start-up Promises Unbiased News, Cheaply

“I got these lights for just 40 rupees each (76 U.S. cents) when Wipro closed one of its branches in Bangalore,” said H.R. Ranganath, chairman and managing director of Public TV, pointing at the ceiling.

“These cubicles, which my reporters and editors use, were bought from a shut-down office of Kingfisher,’’ he added, while doors were purchased from a Siemens branch that closed. Salvaging equipment from failed companies was the only way that Mr. Ranganath was able to create an independent TV network, free from corporate or political influence.

This is awesome! We need more of these unbiased news station. 

Is Ashton Kutcher’s New ‘Brown Face’ Popchips Ad Racist?

A snack food advertisement featuring Ashton Kutcher as an Indian man drew criticism across the web Wednesday. In the ad for Popchips that some are calling racist, the “Two and a Half Men” star is seen playing a Bollywood producer named Raj  while wearing brown face and talking with an accent.

Muslim Women in India Seek Gender Equality in Marriage

For more than a decade, Muslim women’s organizations in India have been fighting for changes in the body of Islamic law that governs marriage, divorce and the property rights of women. But as the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board held its annual convention in Mumbai last week, the battle lines had never been so starkly drawn. Although the Indian Constitution guarantees equal rights to all citizens irrespective of their religion, Muslims are governed by the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937. Attempts to apply a common civil code have often been viewed as interference in the practices of India’s largest religious minority.

Asra Nomani in the Daily Beast: Spy on White People || Haroon Moghul

muslimwomeninhistory:

So, Asra Nomani writes an(other) embarrasing example of self-hatred for The Daily Beast, applauding law enforcement’s apparent targeting of Muslims throughout the Greater New York City area.  Her essay is riddled with simple errors, clear misperceptions of how law and constitutionalism function, an inability to process profiling, and some faulty logic, perhaps the finest instance of which is here:

Indeed, just as we need to track the Colombian community for drug trafficking and the Ku Klux Klan for white extremists, I believe we should monitor the Muslim community because we sure don’t police ourselves enough.

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Bringing Hebrew to Kashmir

From Goa to Himachal Pradesh, Israeli backpackers are not an uncommon sight in India, but they’re also making their way to this Muslim-majority valley in the Himalayas

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Before Games, Religious Questions In Texas, Islamic Schools Face Tough Road to Participation

With 500 students, increasing academic prestige and an established soccer team, Iman Academy SW, an Islamic school in Houston, was seeking membership in 2010 to the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, a group that organizes competition among more than 200 schools in the state.

In addition to an application form, Iman Academy SW was given a questionnaire. Among the questions:

¶ “Historically, there is nothing in the Koran that fully embraces Christianity or Judaism in the way a Christian and/or a Jew understands his religion. Why, then, are you interested in joining an association whose basic beliefs your religion condemns?”

¶ “It is our understanding that the Koran tells you not to mix with (and even eliminate) the infidels. Christians and Jews fall into that category. Why do you wish to join an organization whose membership is in disagreement with your religious beliefs?”

¶ “How does your school address certain Christian concepts? (i.e. celebrating Christmas)”

The private-schools association, known by the acronym Tapps, was established in the 1970s to coordinate sports among Christian schools. The organization drew national attention this week when it refused to reschedule a state semifinal boys basketball game for an Orthodox Jewish day school, which could not play at the scheduled time because its players observe the Sabbath.

Angry Brides

A new game from the people of Shaadi.com that is raising awareness against the dowry system in India. I like the idea of raising awareness, but I don’t like the picture of the angry woman who throws things at her husband, as if that is going to solve problems, it just perpetuates certain stereotypes about Indian women/brides/wives….

Mind Your Manners: Eat With Your Hands

JULIE SAHNI vividly remembers the first time she had to eat with utensils. Ms. Sahni, a New York-based cookbook author and cooking teacher, grew up in India eating the traditional way, with her right hand. Then, in college, she won a dance competition that would take her to Europe. How, she wondered, would she eat?

I love eating with my hands, I don’t like eating rice like biryani with a fork, you gotta dig in with your hands!