A 1.5-generation Pakistani-American journalist checks in with her Twitter troll dad and writer/activist uncle to talk about current events, politics, social issues, South Asian culture, history, and American pop culture.
It’s family. It’s politics. It’s family politics.
Selection 2024: Pakistan Marches to The Polls…and Beyond
The Ashrafs finally convene to discuss the recent elections in Pakistan, and try to untangle what's happening—and has been happening in the last few years, and how things work. What's each player doing? Imran Khan, the PTI, the military Establishment, … You might even come away better equipped to understand Israeli politics. But no guarantees! It is, as we say, family; it's politics; and sometimes it's just family politics.
We also mention Razi Dada: https://www.youtube.com/@RaziNaama
… and Khala ka beta Salman: https://www.249kasalman.pk/salman/
15 Nov 2023
Episode 11: The South Asian Backstory, Part 1; Partition or Independence? Decolonization and Resistance
"The South Asian mindset is only now starting to come out being colonized," says @iFaqeer halfway through this episode. And The Ashrafs launch into a discussion of the basics of the South Asian Origin Story. Was it a Partition or Independence? What exactly led to Pakistan coming into existence? We also cover what @AfricaIsACountry recently quoted Yasmin Khan describing as the rupturing of community evolution, and distortion of historical trajectories.
One small correction we should offer is that Aurangzeb's mother was not Hindu. His grandmother and great grandmother most probably were.You will also hear mention of, or find background material at:
* Macaulay's Children (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Babington_Macaulay).
* The Comprador Class (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/comprador_bourgeoisie). There is a very interesting paper on the comprador class in the Pakistani context here (https://www.eajournals.org/wp-content/uploads/An-Analysis-of-the-Role-of-Comprador-Class-A-Neo-Colonial-Study-of-a-Case-of-Exploding-Mangoes-by-Hanif.pdf).
* Justice Makarand Katju's reference to Partition as a "British Swindle" (https://www.facebook.com/justicekatju/posts/fifth-address-to-the-indian-nationthere-is-no-construction-without-destructionin/2744883018885560/ ).
* The Sepoy Mutiny, if you will. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857)
* William Dalrymple (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Dalrymple_(historian)) and his work.
* Babus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babu_(title)#Civil_servants).
* The Bollywood Movie Lagaan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagaan).
* The Khilafat Movement (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khilafat_Movement ).
11 Nov 2023
Episode 10: Afghan Refugees in Pakistan—and what is a Refugee anyway?
The current Pakistani government has rather suddenly decided to kick out a million unregistered Afghan Refugees. Discussing that situation brings The Ashrafs back to talking about South Asia, South Asian history, and inevitably words and their meanings.
Things you will hear mentioned include:
* A Sapan event about the refugee crisis (https://www.youtube.com/live/-1ghGWXSl7A?si=kyuHgMFNnZ0UtxZl), or crises, across South Asia
* An Open Letter from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) to the UNHCR (https://x.com/iFaqeer/status/1719299371416883686?s=20)
* A Twitter thread on the longer history of Af-Pak relations (https://x.com/iFaqeer/status/1721892608186933566?s=20) (pun intended)
* Ahmed Rashid's book on The Taliban (https://www.amazon.com/Taliban-Militant-Islam-Fundamentalism-Central/dp/0300089023). [Please help us figure out what the correction pronunciation of his name is.]
* A telex home (kinda like a Cipher 😉) from the US Ambassador (https://x.com/iFaqeer/status/1718566383590809654?s=20) in Karachi (yes, Karachi) about Af-Pak relations—from 1951
6 Nov 2023
Episode 9: Coping with War, Learning History, Challenging The Establishment
As the war—or what you call it (and we do discuss that)—gets to the one-month mark, The Ashrafs discuss tuning out as a coping mechanism; more history (because Ashrafs—and see references below); and how all this is playing out in American politics and beyond. How and when will The Western Establishment get off its dime on Palestine-Israel.
Amongst the things we discuss include:
* Nadeem Farooq Paracha's article titled "Manufacturing a Holy War (https://www.dawn.com/news/1784331/smokers-corner-manufacturing-a-holy-war)". He's written more about the topic, too. You can read it all here on the website of Dawn (https://www.dawn.com/authors/774/nadeem-f-paracha), the Pakistani newspaper.
* The NMDC statement (https://www.muslimdems.org/2023_ceasefire_ultimatum) and the iFaqeer thread about political ramifications (https://twitter.com/ifaqeer/status/1717022065801486382). Reuters had an article (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/no-ceasefire-gaza-no-votes-muslim-americans-tell-biden-2023-10-31/), and the Wall Street Journal covered the Biden Administration response (https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/biden-administration-tries-to-soften-blowback-from-muslim-leaders-in-u-s-a90b6c73). Deconstructed had a very informative podcast on the issue (https://theintercept.com/2023/11/03/deconstructed-israel-aipac-squad-primary/), and Bob Scheer had an interview of Juan Cole on the topic (https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/scheer-intelligence/palestines-obituary).
* And iFaqeer always recommends watching the Israeli television serious Fauda (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauda).
21 Oct 2023
Episode 8: Why are Pakistanis Emotional About Palestine? What's with the Hang Gliders?
Where the Ashrafs introvert about why Pakistanis are emotional sbout Palestine? Why has Palestine been—and why is it still—such an emotive issue all over the globe? What's with the Hang Gliders? What's with all the propaganda? And please excuse Abbu's being ill. Any family "tootke" you can suggest?
13 Oct 2023
Episode 7: Palestine-Israel, Hamas, South Asians, and American Politics
With the events starting October 7, 2023, the Ashrafs finally wade into the Israel-Palestine issue, discussing the shape of the “Aqsa Flood” attacks; the possibility of genocide in “the world’s largest (open air) prison”; the history of Hamas; the South Asian angle; the social media noise; American political reaction; and on and on in this jumbo episode. And, of course, we vent.
15 Nov 2022
Episode 6: “I Don’t Feel Like Talking About American Politics” (An Hour on the 2022 Midterms)
The Ashrafs discuss the failed Republican “red wave” and the more successful other red wave of the 2022 midterm elections. Syjil talks about the dirtbag left, the paradox of intolerance, and what leftists need to do in order to gain more support. Bonus treat: the art of using portmanteaus of Urdu curse words and Imran Khan’s name to diss his supporters. (Recorded on the night of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections)
10 Nov 2022
Episode 5: Who Shot IK?
We’re back! Someone tried to assassinate former Pakistani PM Imran Khan after he was ousted from power (by the army? the CIA? who knows!), and journalist Arshad Sharif was killed in Kenya. We discuss the reasons, theories, and implications. Program mentioned by Sabahat: https://youtu.be/m9SkTRMiDuU
1 Mar 2022
Episode 4: The EJI Lynching Report Pt. 1: The Deconstruction of Reconstruction
Reading from the Equal Justice Initiative’s Lynching Report, Syjil talks to her dad and uncle about the end of slavery and the Reconstruction era in the United States. Link to the report: https://lynchinginamerica.eji.org/report/
28 Dec 2021
Episode 3: Desmond Tutu Dies and We Remember Benazir Bhutto
In the wake of Rev. Desmond Tutu’s passing, Farasat and Sabahat recollect their memories of growing up in West Africa during the anti-apartheid movement. Plus, it’s the 14th anniversary of the assassination of former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto, during which Syjil and Farasat got stuck amidst the aftermath in Karachi. Sabahat’s NPR discussion about Benazir’s assassination: https://www.kqed.org/forum/712280900/reaction-to-bhutto-assassination Syjil’s high school article: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=585209638206&set=a.526809273006&type=3
4 Oct 2021
Episode 2: Abbu Calls Umer Sharif the Tyler Perry of Pakistan—and Pandora’s New Box
The Ashrafs discuss the passing of Pakistani comedy legend Umer Shareef and his impact on South Asian culture, while Syjil discovers the origin of the term ‘burger’. Plus, the ICIJ exposes the Pandora Papers and capitalism keeps winning.
26 Sept 2021
Episode 1: The Taliban Go to Funland
The Ashrafs discuss the Taliban having too much fun, American news propaganda and why so many Pakistanis seem happy about the Kabul takeover.
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