Religion

It’s true that appearances can be deceiving. Let’s consider rickshaws, a three-wheeled motorized taxi commonly used in Pakistan. A rickshaw may look like a creaking box on wheels, but this vehicle does more than just give a ride to fatigued pedestrians.

There is no denying that hostile militant activity, sectarian violence, and political instability have left Pakistan swathed in discontent over the past few years. However, by looking at Pakistan through a despondent narrow light, people restrict themselves from appreciating the region’s innate beauty. Pakistan’s grandeur can be found in its spectacular northern mountain ranges, rich heritage, vibrant culture, delectable food, and a booming art market that has grown to become a foundation of national pride.

Notes* on the evolution of the depiction of the infamous Biblical allegory of Adam and Eve.

The text:

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Nearly a half a century ago in Vietnam, a photograph taken on a Saigon street shocked people around the world. At the center of the photo was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk sitting uptight in a lotus position; his entire body was engulfed by flames. This image reportedly prompted then President John F. Kennedy to reconsider his Vietnam policy.

On 23 November, Uganda’s infamous anti-gay “Kill the Gays” legislation was passed by a committee vote. It will now move to Parliament, where it will be debated on the floor. Speaker of the House Rebecca Kadaga expects to pass the Bill by the holidays as a “Christmas gift” to Uganda.

"Sinner Man" is a traditional, American spiritual. At least one blogger claims the song has roots in the Appalachians, by way of Scotland, though I can find no evidence to back that up. The earliest recording we have is from 1956. In the subsequent fifty-plus years, the song has been covered, deconstructed, reconfigured, and re-interpreted by musicians around the world.

Eleven years after the September 11^th attacks, I woke up to an eerily similar day. Clear skies, nice weather, and, more or less, a noticeable amount of silence. I remember that day, first I heard the planes and then I watched the towers fall. I remember thinking how small the world had gotten, how actions elicit violent response and how this day should remind us that the world, not just Americans, must work more closely for less war and stronger relationships with, at the very least, mutual respect and understanding. Destiny sent us in an opposite direction. It sent the world toward conflict and war. 

[read part 1 here]

[Samer Daboul, Out Loud. 2012. Film]

[Raeda Saadeh, Vacuum. 2007. Video-Installation]

by Natasha Yarotskaya

Russia by mind comprehended cannot be


Nor by wide arshins measured:


Its uniqueness be that—