Towards clearing the air
“THE haze is so bad this year!” It is easy to agree with this exclamation that has become ubiquitous in…
Browsing: Conservatively Speaking Freely
Finding hope amidst lament
EVERY National Day brings about lamentation, reflection and hope from commentators: our country should be better, the true vision of…
Khat (or turun) the racial polemics
IF I ran a school for bright Malaysian kids, its curriculum would contain classes on khat. This calligraphic art form…
South African encapsulation
THE slow rail journey from Victoria Falls to Pretoria was punctuated both by spectacular beauty provided by lingering sunsets against…
A Tanzanian immersion
VISITING a new country brings a degree of caution: regardless of how much research you do beforehand, nothing really prepares…
Voting for more voters
I WAS eighteen when I began my first year at university in London, and a few months later there was…
Speaking about a common theme
INVITATIONS to speak at various events have resumed in earnest after Ramadan. I am sometimes slightly puzzled by some of…
Unity in Raya forgiveness
TOWARDS the end of Ramadan, there were different views expressed about the permissibility of Muslims breaking fast in buildings in…