Never a dull moment. And, increasing requests for quotes, opinions and reactions. Sometimes I wonder if it makes a difference? I am putting some of these quotes in a purely self-indulgent moment.

Most recently, this story in Washington Post by Karin Brulliard quoted me. Entitled ”In Pakistan, coup looms but does not strike” here is my feel-good view:

“There is an enlarged democratic space,” said Raza Rumi, a newspaper columnist who counts himself among the optimists. “So this is an interesting moment. The government may or may not survive . . . but the assertion of the civilians is inspiring.”

DNA on Pak government getting ready to face the top court. Here:

Raza Rumi, a leading Pakistani columnist, said the elected executive and unelected institutions had “entered into a logjam”.

He said, “The parliament will debate a loosely worded resolution on constitutional governance while the Supreme Court will hear two important cases that can potentially endanger the future of the civilian government.”

Rumi noted that the military had reportedly decided to back the apex court.

“Clearly, the civilians have gained some ground as the military, despite its power, has refrained from launching a coup,” he said.

Columnist Raza Rumi suggested that state institutions needed to find a way to work together. ”The best option for all players is to work out a formula on power-sharing where the elected and the unelected arms of the state can coexist within their respective constitutional jurisdictions,” he said. (more…)

Hi Raza Rumi, I wonder if you remember me. Some years back I sent my essay on Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulyia to your site, and you very dearly published it. I had found you on the net, actually I was attracted by your name due to my deep passion and admiration for Mawlana Rumi. But at that time – not a very bright moment of my life, I must say – I didn’t realise who i was sending my message to, neither where. Actually, I discovered only very recently that you really exist, and live and work in Pakistan. Your name appeared in my possible connections in Linkedin, which I joined not long ago thanks to the insistence of a friend. I clicked on your name instinctivly, and later I forgot to go and check your profile and so on. But coincidences are not there for no reason, so few weeks back, while I was travelling with my daughter Sofia in Maharashtra, I read an interesting article on Pakistan on the Hindu, and…there, your name again! Could it be the same Raza Rumi of my essay long time ago? I started to put together the pieces, went back to linkedin, and yes, here you are! Zabardast!

Through a Twitter discussion with Rohit Chopra (an Indian academic based in the US), Eunice deSouza re-emerged in my cluttered mind. DeSouza taught a college friend of mine Reshad at St Xavier’s College, Bombay. I recall the various discussions we had and he also presented me copies of her poems (such were those idyllic days at college when you had the time to indulge in long discussions). In my opinion, she is a major poet of our times; however, she has not gained the global recognition that her work deserves.

Eunice’s poetry is piercing, chilling and leaves you without a strange, uneasy feeling. It is not a disturbing feeling per se but something that stirs yo from inside and refuses to go away. The poem below is a classic example of the powerful impact a few lines can have:

 Advice to Women

 Keep cats
 if you want to learn to cope with
 the otherness of lovers.
 Otherness is not always neglect --
 Cats return to their litter trays
 when they need to.
 Don't cuss out of the window
 at their enemies.
 That stare of perpetual surprise
 in those great green eyes
 will teach you
 to die alone.

The poem and the comment has been stolen from Rohit's hibernating blog:

"This is a really off-beat poem - comparing a cat's haughtily indifferent
attitude towards life, the universe and everything (it's always there - and
it's all mine - let it be) to what a woman's reaction must be when jilted by
a lover."

Read more here: http://wonderingminstrels.blogspot.com/2001/01/advice-to-women-eunice-desouza.html

Washington Post quoted my tweet
“Today’s rally shows that the old political configuration is changing. You have to factor in the young, urbanized Pakistan clamoring for good governance”

Click here to see source

Students at the Old Delhi School, originally uploaded by Jahane Rumi.

This photograph captured in March 2011 happens to be the most viewed picture on my flickr collection. Am trying to figure out why?

By  Shreeya Sinha

Source: http://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/photo-day-sufis-and-soothsayers-pakistan

By Raza Rumi:

Last week, I was invited to speak at a seminar on ‘Exploring the Gender Friendliness in Democratic Institutions’ orgnaised by The South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAP-PK). Met some interesting people and here is a quote from a national newspaper:

Raza Rumi said that women’s representation was still low in parliament and that the women’s quota should be implemented. He said that with the exception of the Balochistan High Court, no woman had been made a judge in the superior judiciary. He said that the male-dominated culture of political systems in Pakistan should be discouraged in order to firmly establish women politicians in decision-making positions. He said that almost every political party of Pakistan lacked democracy within the party. He said that the LG system used to facilitate women at a lower level and that its removal reduced women’s representation. He also said that the media was biased towards women.

Full report here
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C09%5C25%5Cstory_25-9-2011_pg13_8

From the New York Times:

“Today’s judgment is a positive development whereby norms of justice have prevailed. Pakistan cannot be allowed to become a vigilante society and the state — its judges and prosecutors — need to uphold the law,” said Raza Rumi, a political analyst and columnist in the eastern city of Lahore.

“However, the saga is far from over due to the various appeals that will be filed and the political mobilization that may be undertaken by right wing parties who support Qadri”, Mr. Rumi said. “Local media’s muted coverage of the sentence is reflective of the fear factor and the polarization within the society which includes media personnel.”

The killing of Mr. Taseer highlighted the deep and dangerous polarization that exists in Pakistani society.

Read the full story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/world/asia/guard-sentenced-to-death-in-slaying-of-pakistani-governor.html?_r=1&src=tp

In Pakistan’s largest city and commercial capital, Karachi, the surge in violence that began in July and has killed many hundreds of people, continues. The Daily Times reports that five people were killed yesterday in what it described as targeted killings. Much of the violence involves gangs from rival political and ethnic groups.  For more, we reached Raza Rumi by cell phone. He’s editor of Pak Tea House, and based in Lahore. Danny Wood started by asking Raza to explain the issues, including the ethnic divisions, behind the violence.Click here to listen talk of Raza Rumi

For the British, anxious to distinguish themselves from the natives, nothing was more galling than Indians in European attire. The elite women, especially, in their transparent chiffon saris and plunging necklines, were regarded with a mix of suspicion and envy. One of the most daring dressers of her time was Ruttie, Jinnah’s young wife. Regarded by most as one of the best-dressed women in Bombay, she was a regular at the exclusive Emile Windgrove tailor’s shop, where the Europeans went to buy their clothes. As one of the richest lawyers in Bombay and a rising political star, the Jinnahs were invited to all the parties thrown by governors and viceroys. Ruttie invariably caused a sensation at these formal dos in her tight dresses of brocade “cut to the waist back and front, no sleeves, and over it, a chiffon sari”. As Lady Alice Reading wrote about her: “She is extremely pretty, fascinating, terribly made up. All the men raved about her, the women sniffed.”Click here to read complete article.

When the shrine of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar in Pakpattan was attacked last year, the real significance of the incident was not fully understood. Baba Farid is a leading figure of the Chishti Sufi order that has played a major role in developing Sufi establishments ( khanqahs) as inclusive and multifaith spaces of spirituality and meditation in medieval India.

Tanvir Anjum’s book is an elaborate treatise on how the Chishti Sufis could create and sustain those spaces, sometimes in the face of opposition and suppression from the state.

It is rare to find Pakistani scholars or writers exploring Sufism, which is central to belief systems and worship practices in Pakistan and is perhaps a socially-embedded bulwark against exclusivist ideologies that have flourished of late due to state patronage. Anjum’s work, therefore, is a welcome addition to the meagre body of Pakistani writings on Sufism. The book is based on her doctoral dissertation and, therefore, its tone and structure are academic. (more…)

While the US military continues its campaign in Afghanistan, in neighboring Pakistan, there is continuing opposition to the CIA’s drone strikes. Activists, lawyers and two Pakistani citizens will begin the process of seeking an arrest warrant for former CIA official John Rizzo, who they accuse of overseeing some of the deadly drone strikes. According to the Guardian, the lawyers say the US is violating the laws of war and they want Rizzo and possibly others involved in the drone strikes charged with murder.  For more on this and the implications of the visit this weekend of Pakistan’s spy chief to Washington, we spoke to Raza Rumi in Lahore, editor of the Pak Tea House website.Click here to listen audio and read complete article

By Raza Rumi

The recent escalation of violence and senseless butchery in Karachi serves to remind us once again just how the state is withering away in Pakistan. State-building has always been a neglected project in Pakistan’s largest city. Ineffective and weak institutions were commandeered by large, organised mafias often with public support on the basis of ethnic identity. This spurred other groups to organise themselves in a similar manner and now Karachi is a playground of ethnic battles and fascist tactics with violence seen as a legitimate instrument to achieve and exercise political power. Click here to read complete article.

My interview which has appeared on Wikileaks Central.

Pak-Usa

The Dawn Media Group in partnership with WikiLeaks has been releasing the “Pakistan Papers.” Thus far, some of the revelations include the following: US was concerned that Pakistan would oppose its policies at the United Nations; US was worried Pakistan would purchase oil from Iran, allowing them to get a foothold in Pakistan; Pakistan’s government was upset with US funding for the Pakistan military, which led to increased civil-military tensions; Pakistan’s military asked for continued drone coverage; the US has had troops deployed on Pakistan soil; Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been financing jihadist groups in Pakistan and the US did not provide Benazir Bhutto with proper security. (more…)

Pakistan-USA

I was interviewed on the recently released Wikileaks Cables on Pakistan. Here is part one. Will upload part two soon. Part two appeared on the central Wikileaks’ website.

By Kevin Gosztola: The Dawn Media Group in partnership with WikiLeaks has been releasing the “Pakistan Papers,” cables from the trove of more than 250,000 US State Embassy cables that WikiLeaks obtained which specifically deal with Pakistan. Thus far, some of the revelations include the following: Pakistan’s military asked for continued drone coverage, the US has had troops deployed on Pakistan soil, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been financing jihadist groups in Pakistan and the US did not provide Benazir Bhutto with proper security. Read the rest of article.