Shibli, English, and the Step-Mother

The relationship between English (in what this term comes to mean as a language, as a discipline of studies, and as a synecdoche of Western culture) and our culture as Muslim Pakistanis has developed over a period of time since the British colonization. The history of this cultural interaction may be divided into three broad phases: the initial, the middle, and the present. The strategy adopted in this paper is based upon the argument that this relationship may be traced through some of the most representative figures of our culture, such as, Shibli, Iqbal, Faiz etc. In each phase of this interaction. The present essay on Shibli deals with the first phase of our cultural interaction with English. It adopts what may be termed as an analogical approach to the issue as it intends to engage with what I think to be rather unwarranted psychoanalytic forays of some of our critics into the psycho-dynamics of such culturally representative figures like Shibli in their relationship with English. The paper exploits the analogy first used by Sheikh Muhammad Ikram, and later employed by Nasir Abbas Nayyar that Shibli’s attitude towards English was the same as his attitude towards his step-mother at home. English, in other words, was a step-mother for Shibli, and for the generations represented through his figure in this early phase of our cultural interaction with the language. Shibli’s terms of engagement with his step-mother, and analogically with English, is the subject of this essay.

Rung Institute; Celebrating Pakistani Music Through Architecture

The culture of any given country is determined by their Art and Crafts. These stem from the people living in this country that form a society. This Society reacts to the times and their reactions are reflected in their Art. Music is one such form of art that expresses the emotional state. It is used to express love, sadness, happiness or even anger. If we look at the subcontinent, Sufism has had a major influence in the form of Music we perform. It gives a new direction to our composition in terms of the rich culture Sufism embodies. Sufi Poetry talks about the core beliefs of the Sufi about life and death and our relationship with our creator. This poetry is interpreted through the ages by Sufi saints in the form of Qawwali and Dance in some cultures. However, in Pakistan Qawwali has been the point of interest that has taken the hearts of our nation. This Thesis makes an effort at proposing “Rung Institute” that will be the Central point of preserving our heritage Music and making it available for future generations to come, along with providing safe spaces for the practice and learning of these forms of music. Rung Institution will also pay respect to all other forms of Music like modern, contemporary, Pop, Jazz etc. This will create a platform for our users to Celebrate Music and Transcend social boundaries to come together and collaborate.