Barbies and Body Positivism

Introduction In late January, 2016, Mattel created the one of the largest changes in the doll world to date: they rolled out an entire line of diverse dolls, with differing skin tones, weights, and heights. Since 1959, one singular Barbie has dominated the shelves. That Barbie was blonde, white, and skinny. She had body proportions […]

Feminism: The Ultimate ‘F-Word’

The word “feminism” seems simple enough on paper. In any dictionary, the denotation of the word means “a movement for granting women political, social, and economic equality with men”, a detached term void of emotion. Yet, the connotation of this seemingly mundane name could not have been more different. For me, “feminism” has always implied […]

#RIPBisma

The hashtag, #RIPBisma had erupted on all social media platforms about two weeks ago. Angry Pakistanis blamed PPP Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto, for the death of a 10-month old baby girl named Bisma. The story is simple: Bhutto had came to Karachi Civil Hospital to be inaugurated and to personally welcome the new trauma center being […]

Censorship in Pakistan

In 2010, Reporters Without Borders placed Pakistan at 151st place out of 178 countries on its Press Freedom Index. Freedom House, an American-based organization that supports political sovereignty and individual rights, gave the country a similar placing in its Freedom of the Press Survey, at 134th out of 196 nations. Of course, we need to […]

Pakistan and India: A Step in the Right Direction

On Christmas Day, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was celebrating his birthday and preparing for his granddaughter’s wedding in his Lahore home. He unexpectedly received a phone call from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wanted to wish him a happy birthday. On the 26th, the Indian PM made an impromptu visit to Sharif’s house […]

Heroin not Heroine: Pakistan—The Most Addicted Country in the World

Drugs are quite a taboo subject especially for those in Pakistan, a country who is predominantly Muslim and has a strict culture. Nonetheless, taboo or not, this problem must be regarded. Many may be alarmed when they hear that Pakistan was and currently, still is, the heroin capital of the world. “But what does Pakistan’s […]

Shame On You: Life in a Hypocritical Society

People always say this issue doesn’t deserve importance, or women have bigger problems to worry about. But, for women everywhere who are criticized for simple thing such as the way they dress, what they do, how they act, or even what career they want to pursue, this issue needs to be discussed. Slut-Shaming Two very […]

The Culture of Terrorism

This isn’t an easy world to live in. With every additional headline emblazoned in the media, we feel an added weight upon our shoulders as a global community. New accounts of hate crimes, terrorist attacks, abuse and corruption have become the daily norm. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. Most notably, we see […]

The Hidden Gem: Azad Jammu and Kashmir

The hidden gem of Pakistan is the self-governing Azad Jammu and Kashmir. This long-running conflicted area of Pakistan represents one of the most beautiful spots in the world, located north of Punjab and south of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. From destinations like Chitta Katha Lake, to Neelum Valley, to Mirpur, to Ratti Gali Lake, Azad Kashmir is […]

On Islam

Unfortunately, Pakistan is often associated with “Islamic” extremist groups. I’m sure you are all familiar with names such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban. You have probably seen and heard about the despicable and inhuman actions ISIS is doing to try and gain land in Iraq and Syria and the terror group’s bizarre and simply […]