Habits of the Heart

While it is never a good idea to review a book before fully reading it, I will make an exception – only this time. I am reading “The Good Fight: Hard lessons from Searchlight to Washington,” by Senator Harry Reid, the Senate Minority Leader.  It is a book written plainly, told passionately and shows a […]

Let’s face it : there are very few good liberal arts schools in India. By few I mean, a handful – perhaps less than a dozen world-class institutions which produce scholars who make a dent globally and students who are “well-rounded”, and aware of the various disciplines that help one critique, analyze life in all […]

On Valentines day, I thought I should write about love. Though I don’t like the extravagant, “in your face” kind of expression of this sublime emotion, I think there is a place for all things.  And there is also a manner in which one can, subtly display this. I  reserve this display for some people, and […]

The New Year has a strange effect on people, it seems. Most of us tend to feel happy ( while some of us sulk) at the thought of a New Year. Well, I am happy, by most measures; even if  life is a bit harsh, and not “perfect”.  Looking back at 2011, I do feel […]

In a discussion on the role of leadership in the US, hosted by Washington Post yesterday; Nick Kristoff, NY Times columnist and Dr  Ahmed Zewail, Nobel Laureate in physics discuss leadership and how they got to be leaders themselves . Here are some key points :  Nick Kristoff :  _ How did the inner fire awaken […]

Akbar Ponani | Nov 26, 2011, 07.05PM IST JEDDAH (SAUDI ARABIA): Saudi Arabia is seriously thinking of imposing some kind of curbs on the huge amount flowing out through expatriate employees in the country. It may suggest a limit in foreign workers’ remittance out of the country in which they constitute nearly one third of population. Concern over expats’ […]

Are we witnessing a shift in global migration patterns ? “What the whole world wants is a good job. That is one of the single biggest discoveries Gallup has ever made” – Jim Clifton, Gallup Chairman and CEO Here is a  completely subjective observation: I think global migration patterns are shifting. In a BIG WAY. […]

Nose-diving straight into the intricacies of  Christian and Muslim religious traditions, theologies, Prof. Shafa Elmirzana,  of the Alwaleed bin Talal center for Muslim-Christian understanding at Georgetown university explained the historical origins of Christian-Muslim dialogue from the time of Meister Eckhart and Ibn Al-Arabi. She was speaking at an event organized by the Rumi Forum in […]