She is a consistent campaigner for the rights of women in Islam. She wants to challenge and disprove many of the old notions about Islam, unfounded assumptions and baseless beliefs, particularly in respect of women’s rights in Islam. And she is forthright in expressing her views.
She disputes many of the arguments of Farhat Hashmi, popular among urban women whom she has put behind the hijab. She is ready to have a debate with Hashmi, but would not invite her by herself. Someone else has to arrange for such a debate, if that is finally possible. And it should be really interesting.
Dr Riffat Hasan, a feminist theologian, is professor of religious studies and humanities at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, USA. She has written several papers on women’s rights in Islam. She has also been invited to international congresses on women, as those sponsored by the US at Beijing and Cairo when she became the spokesperson for women’s rights.
She was here recently and addressed a meeting under the auspices of the Oxford University Press. She was here last year as well and addressed a largely-attended meeting, particularly by prominent women, on women and Islam.
The night before, at a dinner hosted by Ameena Saiyid and her husband, Aamir Saiyid, she sought to disprove many of the assumptions of Farhat Hashmi. The listeners included the US Consul-General, John Bauman, and his wife; the British Deputy High Commissioner, David Pearey, and Ghinwa Bhutto. Also present was Samina Peerzada, the well-known film producer who has now directed the film Shararat with Mehr Hasan, daughter of Dr Hasan.
Some of Dr Riffat’s assumptions were challenged by defenders of women’s rights, such as Rashida Patel, a lawyer. But she could not satisfy Ms Patel. To be more convincing and effective, she has to reduce the great length of her speeches and give shorter answers. And she should not focus on Farhat Hashmi as much as she does, and reduce her references to her by name or rebut more of her arguments.
Fudda and peak prices
Moin Fudda, the new MD of the Karachi Stock Exchange, had much to celebrate. The first was his new appointment after leaving Commercial Union, that has been taken over by New Jubilee Insurance. The second was the manner share prices at the KSE have peaked, marking a rise of 112 per cent in 2002, and setting a world record to the amazement of other stock exchanges.
Most of the guests at his dinner were delighted to be there as their share prices, too, had peaked, such as Tariq Kirmani of PSO and Zafar A. Khan of Engro Chemicals or Jawaid Anwar of British Oxygen.
Dr Ishrat Husain of the State Bank of Pakistan was there to join in the celebrations and so was Tariq Ikram, chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau.
Tariq Kirmani was happy that the famous Wharton School of Business in the US had asked his permission to make a study of the success of PSO before it was privatized.
Yasin Lakhani, former chairman of the KSE, was delighted to see the exchange flourish and make world headlines. Zakir Mahmud of Habib Bank was delighted as more money passing through the exchange could ultimately mean more money in the bank. Humayun Bashir of IBM was also there and happy that more transactions would mean more use of computers and the Internet.
Hasan Ali Khan of Lu Biscuits was there, but his company is not a listed one. So he can keep 50pc of the profits for himself, while sharing the other 50pc with the French sponsors of Continental Biscuits.
Zahid Zaheer of the Overseas Investors Chamber was delighted that so many foreign companies were doing so well in the stock exchange, that means larger profits for them.
Asad Jehangir, AIG Police Sindh and Dr Altamash, the dental surgeon, were among the non-business guests.
Russian ambassador
The Russian ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Edward Shevechenko, knows the region very well, speaks fluent English and can argue his case patiently and tactfully. He is far different from the ambassadors of the superpower that the Soviet Union was in the past, who could lose their patience quickly, at times.
Dr Shevechenko was here recently and met a number of political leaders at a lunch given by Nafees Siddiqui, the lawyer who is an aspirant for the PPP seat in the Senate. Makhdoom Amin Fahim, the PPP leader, was there discussing the political situation with the ambassador.
Arif Jatoi, now Sindh minister for Food and Agriculture, engaged him in a mini-debate on Kashmir, and the need for Russia to support Kashmir and Pakistan.
Meeraj Mohammad Khan, the former fiery leftist, was there but he did not talk of the days of the Soviet Union, or the policies of the new Russian Federation.
Maj-Gen Ahsan Ahmad, the former Sindh health minister, was an attentive listener to the ambassador, adding a word or two here and there. Irfan Marwat, now the Sindh education minister, was there discussing regional politics with some leaders.
A day earlier, Anwer Saleh Mohammad, the Honorary Consul of Chile, and his wife, Shireen, gave a lunch for the ambassador. Also present was the ambassador’s wife who is a painter and the acting Consul-General, Surgey Suckaren and his wife, Marina. Both the ladies speak fluent English and are alive to what is happening around them in the country.
The ambassador spoke of the operatic group that is coming to perform in Pakistan from Russia, and larger cultural cooperation between the two countries. He plans far more cultural exchanges.
Artist with a vision
He is an artist with a broad vision and grand concepts, who uses large canvases. And his work ranges from high-rising mountains under blue skies to nudes. For all that, he is an artist with a light touch and soft strokes.
Raja Changez Sultan, now Director General of Pakistan National Council of Arts, got his Masters in Fine Arts and Masters in Science degrees from the famous Columbia University in New York. A prolific painter who has two to three exhibitions in a year, he has lately been a frequent exhibitor in Karachi, in the Chawkandi Gallery in particular. faces plenty at their exhibition.
Following the exhibition he had by the middle of last year at the Clifton Art Gallery, he had another show at the Chawkandi with 23 of his works. He does not care to title them. Instead, he simply numbers them. Nor does he specify the medium. Instead, he lists the prices from Rs20,000 to Rs90,000. And yet, he sold so well before the opening of the show that 15 of them were down on the opening day and he replaced them with new paintings so that there was plenty to buy.
It is good to see he is able to find time to paint, despite his preoccupation with the demanding PNCA. And with the kind of demand his paintings have, with two to three shows a year, he need not waste time in peripheral activities, to which other artists give more importance to complete the setting.
She is a consistent campaigner for the rights of women in Islam. She wants to challenge and disprove many of the old notions about Islam, unfounded assumptions and baseless beliefs, particularly in respect of women’s rights in Islam. And she is forthright in expressing her views.
