What do you identify as?

American Pakistani Muslim woman.

What is your ethnicity and/or ancestry?

Paternal side’s Gujjar. His ancestors hailed from Bamiyan in Afghanistan and also were part of the Kushan Empire. Later on, after their defeat, they migrated to Northern Punjab (among other places like Chitral, Swat, Gilgit, Kashmir while many of them continued living in Afghanistan) and settled over there. Gujjars were/are nomadic people. We like goats and mountains and war. They ended up marrying Sikhs and Afghans over the decades. In simple terms, that makes me (mostly) Punjabi from his side.

My mother is Mughal of the Timurid dynasty (a Persian group) which makes her Turco-Mongol but her people settled in contemporary Pakistan a long time ago. Since her forefathers believed in branching out for the diversity and strength of their generation(s), they married many Persian, Indian and Mongol women. They maintained the Mughal Empire and were horny people who loved poetry, painting and getting ridiculously drunk back in the day. Later on, they moved to Punjab from Afghanistan and Iran and settled up in the north of Pakistan. Result: Multi-ethnic Persian, Mughal from her side.

This story was somewhat necessary.

What do you do?

I study and work. Currently pursuing a degree in media studies and political science. Independent research involves religion, feminism, military strategy, post colonial studies and foreign policy. I used to teach English and social studies for high school students and art for kindergarten. Right now I write for Dawn whenever I get the chance.

Why did you move back to Pakistan?

For a set of reasons. My parents firmly believed that their children needed first-hand experience with their culture and society in Pakistan. They also wanted us to see how religion is practiced in this country. While it has been a very powerful transition, it also proved to be a roller coaster ride in terms of cultural shock and adjustment.

Will you go back to the States?

Yes.

Which country do you like better?

I can’t and won’t pick one. It’s unreasonable to expect me to do so.

Frequently asked: Do you hate white people?

No.

What do you look like? How tall are you?

A toad. 5 feet, 7 inches.

How do you reconcile feminism with your religion and your racial identity since you mentioned having issues with its roots?

Here’s my take on the racial perspective of feminism and racism. Here’s my stance on reconciling religion with feminism.

Is there any work by you we can check?

I’m not sure what work would mean here but you can find my articles in Dawn’s archives. Same applies for Tribune’s list. The link for my TED talk is available on YouTube; Inculcating art into subcontinental pedagogues. My Wordpress blog is here. I’ve contributed to Gawaahi.com against sexual abuse and harassment.

[This page is updated on sporadic basis]