OU PakSoc Stall at the Oxford International Festival (OIF)

Oxford University Pakistan Society will be setting up an item sales stall on the Oxford International Festival organized by OUSU. Details of the festival can be found at http://festival.oxfordisc.com/

We will be selling traditional items such as ladies khusas (a traditional footwear item), embroidered bags and mobile covers, jewelry, wall hangings, shawls and other delicate handicrafts. All items have been imported from Pakistan and thus are genuinely traditional.

Mehndi tattoos will also be available at the stall so its worth giving our stall a visit.

Roots of Extremism

Dr. Yunus Samad (Bradford University) and Mrs. Ayesha Ijaz Khan (distinguished political analyst, lawyer and freelance journalist) will be speaking on the real causes behind the rise of extremism among Pakistanis.

Dr. Samad's talk will be based on the topic 'Theorising Transnational Militancy: The Case of Pakistan' while Mrs. Ayesha Ijaz Khan will be speaking on 'Citizen Empowerment: An Antidote to Pakistan's Rising Extremism.'

Dr. Yunus Samad is Senior lecturer in Sociology and director of the Ethnicity and Social Policy Research Centre (ESPR) at Bradford University. His research interests include Race, ethnicity and multiculturalism in Britain and identity politics. Among many others, he is also the author of the book 'A Nation in Turmoil: Nationalism and Ethnicity in Pakistan 1937-58' and forthcoming titles include 'Fatal Attraction: Pakistan and the War on Terror, Hurst & Co, London.' Further information about Dr. Samad can be found at: http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/ssh/staff/departmental/samad_y/index.php and http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/ssh/research/espr/index.php

 Miss Ayesha Ijaz Khan began her career as a lawyer, working for both Pakistani and American law firms in the fields of banking and finance law. In 2002, she wrote a fictional piece on Saudi women that won an Economist-sponsored competition. Through her writing and broadcasting efforts, she speaks vocally against racial profiling of Muslims in the post 9/11 western world, and equally argues for greater women’s rights in the Muslim world. Her particular area of interest is Pakistan. A list of Ayesha's publications can be found here: http://www.ayeshaijazkhan.com/articles.htm

We are endeavouring to attract more distinguished speakers for this event. Keep watching this space for more details!

Gallup: Muslim integration in Europe

Mr. Salman Sheikh from the Brookings Institution will be speaking on 'Muslim integration in Europe and the Co-exist Index 2009 - a global study of interfaith relations.'

Mr. Shaikh, apart from his other numerous preoccupations, is a consultant for Gallup, disseminating the famous book "Who Speaks For Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think", which is a dispassionate and objective study summarising years of collected data. The data are answers to questions put to Muslims from every walk of life and location and the book therefore reflects facts, as opposed to conjecture or supposition, which public opinion and prevailing views in the the media are often based upon. (http://www.brookings.edu/experts/shaikhs.aspx)

 

Pakistan at the Crossroads

Prof. Athar Hussain (Director Asia Research Centre, LSE) and Mr. Irfan Husain (leading columnist for DAWN) will be talking about the current political situation in Pakistan and how it translates to world peace. Mr. Irfan Hussain will be speaking on 'Why Pakistan is where it is?' and the exact topic of Prof. Athar's talk will be confirmed soon

Professor Athar Hussain is Director of the Asia Research Centre at the London School of Economics. His research interests include Pakistan, foreign relation social security and regional integration. More information about Prof. Athar can be found at: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/researchAndExpertise/Experts/a.hussain@lse.ac.uk

Mr. Irfan Hussain is a regular columnist for Pakistan's leading English news daily, DAWN. Over the years, he has established himself as one of the most respected and insightful political analysts in Pakistan. His articles can be read on the DAWN website (www.dawn.com) and a list of his previously published articles can be found at: http://www.dawn.com/weekly/mazdak/arc-mazdak.htm

Keep watching this space for more details. Hope to see you all there!

Mushaira 2009

 

The Oxford Pakistan Society is organizing a cultural evening of ghazal and poetry which will be held at Harris Lecture Room on Saturday, 7th February. The event will be graced with the presence of renowned Urdu/Punjabi poets like Akbar Hyderabadi, Khalid Yousaf, Ayub Sanghia, Yashab Tamana, Faizan Arif and Dr Safih Hasan among others. The PakSoc Annual Mushaira has been held with great success for the past few years and it promises to be even more special this year.Details of the event are given below and can also be found on
facebook. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=71821628008&ref=ts


Date: Saturday, February 7, 2009
Time: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Harris Lecture Theatre, Oriel College
Street: Oriel Street (just off High Street)
City/Town: Oxford, United Kingdom

Half Year Dinner

Marking the end of half of the academic year we will be having a 3 course formal dinner at one of the finest Indian restaurants in Oxford. Details of this event will be finalized soon so please keep checking for updates.