How the Chishti Sufi order indigenised Islam in South Asia by reinterpreting Hindu traditions

Qawwali is a prime example.

Haroon Khalid

· Feb 19, 2019 · 08:00 am

Why there’s nothing wrong if Valentine’s Day becomes part of Pakistan’s culture

The very institutions that today argue for returning to a ‘pure’ culture are a product of cultural borrowing and sharing.

Haroon Khalid

· Feb 14, 2019 · 08:00 am

This Pakistani shrine received offerings of phallic symbols for ages. But now they are deemed vulgar

As a more mainstream interpretation of religion has taken root, idiosyncratic traditions have slowly been elbowed out.

Haroon Khalid

· Feb 03, 2019 · 12:30 pm

As Pakistan decides against reviving Basant festival, Lahore loses another cultural marker

The spring festival of kite flying was banned 10 years ago not for being ‘un-Islamic’ but dangerous.

Haroon Khalid

· Jan 27, 2019 · 12:30 pm

Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh: How did the attire of the Sikh gurus change so dramatically?

If the first guru’s attire was meant to obfuscate his religious identity, the tenth guru’s clothing was meant to make him stand out.

Haroon Khalid

· Jan 18, 2019 · 12:30 pm

This ruined Pakistani shrine linked with Guru Nanak tells of Sikhism’s lost architectural traditions

Gurdwara Rori Sahib outside Lahore is dilapidated, the floor where once Guru Granth Sahib was recited dug up, probably in the hope of finding treasure.

Haroon Khalid

· Jan 11, 2019 · 06:30 pm

A forgotten shrine in a village near Lahore stands witness to the havoc wreaked by Ahmed Shah Abdali

When Lahore city’s protective walls kept the 18th century Afghan king out, the frustrated ruler and his soldiers attacked villages in the vicinity instead.

Haroon Khalid

· Jan 04, 2019 · 12:30 pm

The legend of Pakistan’s saint of fertility shows how Islam adopted South Asia’s cultic traditions

Aban Shah’s folk tale also serves as a critique of the hegemony of the Syed caste over spiritual matters.

Haroon Khalid

· Dec 21, 2018 · 12:30 pm

How old is Lahore? The clues lie in a blend of historical fact and expedient legend

The Ghazni Empire put the city on the political map. It became the Mughal capital for a while, and was the British Raj’s educational and economic centre.

Haroon Khalid

· Dec 15, 2018 · 10:30 am

Kartarpur Corridor must not lead to exclusion of Guru Nanak’s Muslim devotees from shrine

Nanak’s legacy of drawing followers from across the religious divide must not be sacrificed at the altar of security in Pakistan.

Haroon Khalid

· Dec 07, 2018 · 12:30 pm

Kartarpur: Along world’s most dangerous border, these gurdwaras could be made part of peace corridor

Five Sikh shrines in Pakistani Punjab with historical links to Guru Nanak and the other gurus now lie forgotten.

Haroon Khalid

· Nov 30, 2018 · 06:30 pm

In the story of Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardan lies the essential message of Sikhism

The guru’s religion was as flexible as his lifelong companion’s identity: a Muslim who was also a Sikh.

Haroon Khalid

· Nov 23, 2018 · 12:30 pm