Anmol Irfan

Muslim women in the Indian state of Karnataka have found themselves thrust into a nationwide debate over the banning of hijabs in schools. But as Modi's BJP tightens its grip on social norms, Indian Muslims fear further ostracization and hostility.
Days after Karnataka imposed the hijab ban on schoolgirls, Dr Parvez Mandviwala, a Muslim dentist in Mumbai shared how his wife was denied a seat on a local train – all because she wore a hijab.
Legally, Dr Rukhsar – who was denied the seat – is fa...

Despite being largely forgotten by global travel guides, Pakistan has some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth. Such surroundings have brought forth a host of wellness retreats, which have birthed new and sustainable forms of tourism.
Art student, wellness enthusiast and blogger Shiza Saqib has recently taken to performance art to bring together her love for yoga and art.
By taping ink bottles to her ankles and fingers, Shiza – who blogs under the handle AllThatShiz – performed a series...

Between click baits, insensitive headlines and white saviour narratives, the mainstream media needs to check itself - and fast
"By turning it into a women’s rights issue, the media makes Muslim men and Islamic countries the villain they so desperately need to lessen their white guilt – amplifying Islamophobic narratives in the West, and conveniently taking the blame away from occupying countries and their militaries."
Following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021, news agencies, medi...

At the end of March, Jamaican activists lined the streets of Kingston to protest the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Dominated mainly by the slogans Seh Yuh Sorry!, and Apologize Now, the protests revolved around demanding reparations for slavery and an apology from the British Royal family.
A media blitz surrounded and followed the visit — news about the British Royal family is easy click-bait, and not just in the UK. Media headlines were quick to capitalize on images of the Duke...

On 15 July, the European Union’s top court reaffirmed a 2017 ruling that allowed employers to ban the hijab in the workplace. The ruling came after cases were brought to the court when two Muslim women in Germany – a special needs childcare worker and a sales assistant in a chemist – were told to remove their hijabs at work. Both the women did not previously wear the hijab and decided to do so when they returned from parental leave. After warnings, the women faced suspensions and being told t...

In a working class neighborhood in Punjab, miscarriages and developmental issues started appearing at alarming rates. Now, a political movement is working to get the government to take action to protect citizens from contamination.
When Dr. Alia Haider was holding one of her recently started health camps in Shareef Pura, a working-class neighborhood in Lahore, one of her patients was a young girl. When she first approached Dr. Haider for a check-up, the latter assumed that the young girl was ...

From TikTok being lauded as a path to financial security for working-class creators to working women becoming digital creators to gain financial independence, Pakistan’s growing creator economy is linked to social change—making its growth unique.
In a country where digital access is far and few in between—as of 2021 internet access in Pakistan stood at 27.5%—creators from working class backgrounds or outside urban areas have found success, which is a significant achievement. Stories like thos...

The New Arab Meets: Pride of Pakistan, Zenith Irfan. Fondly nicknamed 'Pakistan's motorcycle girl', Zenith Irfan has become the first women Pakistan to ride the length of the country, and has inspired millions of Pakistani women in the process.
In 2015, Zenith Irfan rode her motorcycle through the plains of Punjab, Pakistan to the breathtaking valleys of Kashmir, and on seeing snow for the first time as the stunning mountains came into view - she began to cry.
Over 6 years after that moment o...

A global problem like climate change requires local stakeholders to make a difference.
Climate activists are working on translating transnational advocacy campaigns into the local context in South Asia. Currently, unconscious universalization in global discourse estranges South Asians from issues that intimately affect them.
Climate change is undeniably a global crisis — it affects all of us, but not in the same way. Research shows that the poorest countries will suffer the most consequences ...

I was a bookworm growing up, and so it was easy for me to get lost in the stories I was reading. For a very long time, I was particularly attracted to the ease with which Young Adult literature pulled me in.
As much as I would want to be absorbed into these stories and as well written as they were, they still made me feel like an outsider. My reality was and is very different from that of the blonde white teenage girl who was, more often than not, the main character in the story. And it was m...

Controversial laws claiming to fight fake news are cracking down on press freedom instead.
On Feb. 20, 2022, Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi signed two ordinances that made changes to the contentious Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. PECA was established under the pretext of protecting against fake news and online crimes including cyber harassment. But a prioritization of complaints by political figures and the increasing criminalization of defamation have led people to fear thi...

A number of influencers have begun promoting sustainable brands after realising the detrimental impact material waste and irresponsible consumption has had on the environment. But whilst this is encouraging, a lot still needs to be done.
For 20-year-old Pakistani university student Zara*, her stumble upon a chance story by photographer and influencer Muzi Sufi jolted her into reconsidering the way she mindlessly pressed the follow button for any influencers whose feed attracted her.
As a fash...

With slow fashion, like with most environmentally focused buzzwords, there are often questions surrounding what ‘sustainability’ really means. In a global context, cultural norms and language barriers often mean that the climate crisis and the role that the fashion industry plays in it are even less understood.
That's why Pakistani designer and creator Anuje Farhung, founder of fashion brand House of Farhung, wanted to focus on finding sustainable options that stayed true to South Asian tradi...