Just Think!

The Unpublished Letters of Muhammad Asad
Book Launch

https://irfront.org/post/book-launch-of-the-unpublished-l
etters-of-muhammad-asad-14575

It has been more than ten years since I wrote about Muhammad Asad (nee Leopold Weiss), the highly respected Islamic thinker who had carved his name deeply into the history of countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. He is credited with the English translation of the Quran and penned many critical thoughts on the day-to-day practice of Islam. Sadly, his twilight years, which he wanted to spend in Morocco and later Spain, were not ceremonious, as people were unhappy with his stance of questioning the status quo. 

My dear friend of 50 years, FM, announced in a common WhatsApp group that he would be launching a book on the unpublished letters of Muhammad Asad and the official launch was to be done by none other than Malaysia's famous centenarian whose as astute mind belies his age by half a century, Tun Dr Mahathir, the two-time and longest serving Prime Minister of Malaysia, and extended the invitation to me. I accepted. 

Now, some would be asking, "What a good Hindu boy by birth will do in a place where the discussion would be everything Islam?" Precisely, the answer is in the question. 

Imagine us as an army of ants perched on a dry leaf which had dropped onto a fast-moving drain, straddling from side to side, oblivious to what lies ahead. The smartest ants amongst the army would try to take heed of the situation and, with their nimble neural tissues, mastermind something to save their comrades. We, humans, are in the same predicament. Left on Earth with no instructions and no GPS to follow, we are all on our own to make sense of things around us. 

If it is the all-encompassing, universal divine consciousness that binds us all, and we are all struggling to understand, more heads are better than one. Any knowledge is good to know. 

The session started with the moderators welcoming the special guests, Tun Dr Mahathir, Dr Farouk Musa (FM) and Dr Azhar Ibrahim. Datuk Seri Meer Habib played host to the event in his premises, Harta, specifically curated to promote local art and intellectual discourses. 

Asad was a man of letters. He did a lot of thinking, and his letters have found their way to many national archives. Through the initiative of the Islamic Renaissance Front, many of these private correspondences were sourced and published. Asad's line of thinking is made aware to everyone.

Sitting through the discussion and Q&A sessions, as an outsider, I learnt a few things. DA, who accompanied me, coming from the heart of the Hindi belt of India, had his own understanding of Muslims revised. 

FM, in confession mode, gave an overview of the difference between an Islamist and a rationalist. Islamism came about as the Ottoman Empire was losing its influence and territory, becoming the sick man of Europe. The nostalgia to recreate the glory of the good old days prompted them to build Islamist movements with unbridled teachings of the Quran as their guide. The rationalists, however, are cognisant that things found in the Quran and hadith need to be thought out rationally to keep with the demands of the present era. Asad was a proponent of this. The religion is more than just following instructions and joining in the rituals. We see this in present-day Malaysia, where less emphasis is placed on personal development.

An interesting question by a listener was the issue of sustenance of life as a religious thinker. He later confessed that, as a teenager, he had told his father that he wanted to be a thinker. Without batting an eyelid, his father gave him a smack across his face and told him, "Don't think, just study your sciences and go to university!" That was the end of the discussion. The panel suggests that Azad probably lived on small royalties from book sales, his stint with the Saudi royalty and other honorariums.

The guest of honour took centre stage when he answered a question on riba (exploitative gains from trades). Tun reiterated that rather than worrying about the nitty-gritty details of conforming to religious practices, one should look at the elephant in the room. Amazingly, this 100-year-old man can string his thoughts so succinctly and enunciate them in crystal clear language, commanding the listening ear of every attendee.

Unlike converts who have the luxury of getting proper training in Islam, Tun Mahathir complained that Malays do not get the appropriate guidance on the religion. Hence, during his tenure as Prime Minister, when the pressure to Islamise mounted upon him, he decided to go back to the Holy Book to understand the stance on many issues. Since he was not well versed in Arabic, he read its English translation. What he found shocked him. He realised that Muslims did not even do the basic things taught in the Quran, like killing a fellow human being.

He chided the act of killing fellow Muslims. It is illogical that some Muslims coerce or get manipulated into attacking their fellow Muslim brothers. The basic teaching of Islam is to acquire knowledge. This, they had failed miserably, and had allowed themselves to be dominated by their enemies. The technologies that they had acquired and improved have been learnt by others and have been further improved upon, while the Muslims stay dependent on the rest of the world. This reminded me of India's case. Many of ancient India's early discoveries and scientific knowledge had been forgotten, only to be found and researched by the colonisers. The colonisers, in turn, used the same expertise to subdue the Indians.

The audience was also informed that Asad did indeed spend a short sojourn, maybe about a month, here in Malaysia, doing his research. In one of his letters, he mentioned that Malaysia was one of the countries where he felt most welcome.

It was an evening well spent.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How different can a sports movie be?

F1  The Movie (2025)

Director: Joseph Kosinski

https://www.flickeringmyth.com/wp-content/uploads/
2025/06/f1-poster.jpg

The early years around the turn of the century saw Malaysia being presented as one of the newest nations to host the opulent Formula 1 races. During those self-promoting years, gullible Malaysians were also led to believe that the then-iconic F1 logo, with the slanted 'F', speed marks, and the '1' in the negative space, was created by a Malaysian. In fact, it was designed by Carter Wong Design Studio, founded by Phil Carter and Phil Wong in the UK in 1994. Neither had any connections to Malaysia. 

In its heyday, being the lone track in the lush tropics with high humidity and soaring temperatures, the Sepang International F1 circuit had its spills and thrills to boast. On one instance, it rained cats and dogs on one half of the circuit whilst the other half was scorching hot. The engineers had a tough time deciding on the type of tyres to use, between hard and wet tyres. In one of F1's rare histories,  a race at Sepang was cancelled midway due to tropical storms. Many F1 drivers described Malaysia's circuit as the toughest one yet.  

The Sepang International F1 Circuit now stands as a lonely structure, a pale comparison to its razzmatazz days where movie stars, billionaires, royalties and social climbers used it as their playground. Now, it plays host to 'go-kart’ enthusiasts and the occasional tourist. To the average Malaysian, the fever is long gone.

The problem with these types of sports movies is that, invariably, we can predict how the story will end. He would win the girl and also the race, unless there are plans for a sequel.

A down-and-out race driver, Sonny Hayes, who had a promising start early in his career, just fizzled out after a nasty crash. After spiralling down the rabbit hole of addiction and marital woes for over 30 years, he is given a call chit at the APXGP F1 team. This team is at risk of being sold out, unless they win a single race. Somehow, Hayes' former team partner, who is now the owner of APXGP, has confidence in Hayes.

After the yo-yo of uncertainty, of foes becoming friends, risk of disqualification, against all odds, the hero finally comes up tops after 30 years in an eye-wetting finale. Nevertheless, the cinematography is impressive, with much of its footage coming from real F1 races and international circuits worldwide, involving real F1 drivers. Brad Pitt looks convincing as an aged F1 driver.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Verify You Are Human!

'Verify You Are Human'

How often have we, as fully realised human beings, found ourselves in the ironic situation of proving our human status to a computer programme? We have ticked boxes to identify zebra crossings, traffic lights, and buses, only to be told we were wrong, as if we did not know what a bus was. It is as if our fingers were too stubby to press the right keys or too daft to understand. And now, we are deciphering distorted words, as only a human could read wavy or cursive writing.

https://borderlessjournal.com/2025/08/14/verify-you-are-human/

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Please remove the veil of ignorance!

Burqa City (Short Film; 2019)
Director: Fabrice Bracq

https://snewz.in/aamir-kirans-laapataa-
ladies-accused-of-copying-arabic-
film-burqa-city/425739/

After France banned the wearing of the burqa and niqab in public in 2010, a satirical 19-minute short film was produced. It is set in an unnamed town in the Middle East where all women are required to wear the full burqa and are not expected to speak. Every woman wears a black burqa.

Every lady is seen walking behind her husband, seen but not heard, simply shadowing quietly, even whispering when asked a question. The city is quite strict, not allowing ladies to wander alone. The moral police will arrest them when they are unaccompanied.

Against this background, a newly married loving couple goes shopping. After returning with their groceries, they head back to their car. Here, the owner of a Mercedes accuses the husband of denting his vehicle. A minor quarrel breaks out. In the confusion, the wives get into the wrong vehicles. 

Souleyman, the husband, to his horror, discovers that he has returned with the accuser's wife. Then, the comedy continues as he goes back to the grocery, reports to the police, and more misadventures follow. In fact, Souleyman's wife misinterpreted his instructions and entered the wrong car, while the other lady deliberately wanted to escape an abusive marriage. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H1EdybDSHc

This clip came to my attention when someone on social media said that replacing the burqa in 'Burqa City' with a ghoongat results in Lapaadaa Ladies (2023). Even before all these, in 1999, there was a feature film on Dordashan TV titled 'Ghoongat Ke Pat Khol', which tells a comedic tale of mixed-up brides. The storyline is eerily similar to 'Lapaadaa Ladies', featuring brides with crimson-hued veils (ghoongat), trains, and all. The film was directed by debutante director Anant Mahadevan. The original film can be viewed on YouTube. It does not require much intelligence to see that the entire storyline of 'Lappadaa Ladies' was lifted from the TV feature film 'Ghoongat Ke Pal Khol'. 

https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/articles/laapataa-ladies-is-copied-
from-a-spanish-film-62215

The controversy surrounding these three films centred on the oppression of women. On one side, netizens loudly claim that 'Burqa City' is riddled with Islamophobia and opposes women's empowerment because women choose to dress as they do. On the other side, Hindus argue that, despite the progress made by Indian women, especially Hindu women, leftists and Bollywood attempt to depict rural Indian women in a dull and negative light.

The intriguing fact about the wearing of veils by Indians can be dated back to the period when Muslim forces infiltrated India. After conquering a city, the Muslim conquerors would ride on horseback, seizing their due loot, such as money and kafir women. Muslim women were kept out of reach. Non-Muslim women were considered war spoils. The Hindu women soon realised that by covering their heads, the horsemen would simply pass them by, mistaking them for one of their own. Consequently, every Hindu lady began covering her head to avoid the violent advances of the marauding invaders. In regions where their threat was less severe, like the south of the Vindhya Hills, there was no need to adopt a veil. There were no prancing horsemen, and South Indian women did not need to wear purdah or dupatta.

Kabir
https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/
Poets/K/Kabir/index.html

'Ghoongat Ke Pat Khol' is a verse from India's highly esteemed 15th-century mystic poet, Kabir. He was a contemporary of Guru Nanak and is honoured by Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs alike. Born into a Muslim weaving family in Varanasi, he grew up learning about Hinduism from a Guru. His verses are even mentioned in the Grand Sahib. When he referenced this verse, he was signalling the need to lift one's veil of ignorance. Man must free himself from the five impediments (lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego) that create the illusory veil obstructing his potential to appreciate the enchanting divine music of Life. 

“Do away with your veil ( illusion )

And you shall meet your beloved ( Divine lord )

The lord resides in every living Creature,

Why speak ill words against anyone?

Flaunt not this wealth and your Youth,

Deceptive is your Drum music that carries five notes.

Shake off not your hope,

Light a lamp within and illuminate

this Palace like vacant space.

In the Colourful Palace within,

You can meet your priceless beloved only

By perfecting the Skill of meditation.

Kabir says by this practice,

You attain supreme bliss

That keeps the inner music Chiming day and night.

(Kabir )

(Autar Mota 09.04.2014 )

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Iron Man of India

Sardar (1993)

Director: Ketan Mehta

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240879/

Sardar Vallabhai Patel is said to be the best Prime Minister India never had. Dubbed the Iron Man of India, a title given to him by Mountbatten, some believe he might have led India along a different path if he had been chosen as the first Prime Minister instead of Nehru.

It was 1946. World War II had just ended, leaving England to tend its wounds. It faced a huge bill to pay and had lost its dominance on the world stage. The sun had finally set on the British Empire. The Anglo-Saxon cousins across the Atlantic, the Americans, had come out on top, as shown by the Conference in Yalta. Managing the colonies had become an expensive undertaking. England had to cut its losses and relinquish control over the colonies. 

With that background, India had just formed its interim government. The Congress Party had recently won the elections. They were preparing to select the first Prime Minister of independent India. 

Maulana Azad, at that time, was the President of the Congress Party. He had been its leader since 1940. No elections were held since 1940 after the Party announced the 'Quit India' movement, and as a result, most, if not all, of its senior leaders were behind bars. Gandhi, as the senior member who commands profound respect from his members, expressed his displeasure with a leader seeking reelection. Azad withdrew his nomination for reelection as the President. 

Fifteen regional and state Congress committees were tasked with nominating their candidates. Twelve of these nominated Patel. Nehru got none, and the remaining three committees chose not to nominate anyone. 

Surprisingly, Gandhi vetoed their decision. He requested that Patel withdraw his candidacy and suggested the Cambridge-educated, modern-looking Nehru to become the Party President and Patel to be his Deputy. Being a 'respectful lieutenant' and showing his respect for Gandhi, Patel obliged. 

Gandhi believed the modern, forward-thinking Nehru would be a better choice than the traditional-thinking Patel. However, insiders suggest that it was probably Gandhi's fear that Nehru might cause trouble if he was not selected. The Congress might split, and the British could use that as an excuse to delay self-rule. 

Being the compassionate man Gandhi was towards the Muslim plight, he thought Patel, as the Prime Minister of India, would be harsh against Muslims. 

 

Nehru became the Prime Minister with Patel as his Deputy and Home Minister during the tumultuous times of newly independent India. With Pakistan being the albatross around India's neck and Patel and Nehru disagreeing on everything about the handling of Kashmir, it is a surprise how the Indian machinery remained intact. 

King Hari Singh initially aimed to remain independent, like Nepal and Bhutan. When Pakistani agents infiltrated Kashmir, Hari Singh abdicated to Jammu. He consented to accession to India. Nehru, contrary to Patel's suggestion, called in the United Nations and advocated for a plebiscite. Patel had wanted the Indian Army to march in. The result of this approach led to repeated unrest, two subsequent wars, and the latest confrontation. 

Junagadh, a princely state with a Hindu majority and no shared border with Pakistan, had a Muslim ruler determined to join Pakistan. His subjects revolted against him, and he abdicated in favour of Pakistan. With India's support, Junagadh was integrated into the State of Gujarat. 

Another state, quite distant from Pakistan, that wished to join the dominion was the landlocked state of Hyderabad. It was surrounded by regions under India's control. The Nizam, once the wealthiest man in the world, also ruled over a Hindu majority. Using his immense wealth, he managed to procure arms from Europe through British arms dealers, pre-Partition. The Nizam had deployed a paramilitary group, the Razakars, led by Qasim Razvi, to terrorise Hindu peasants into submission. Meanwhile, the Communists were also attempting to benefit from the situation. Patel, citing Nehru's departure as an excuse, used the nation's machinery to launch police action to forcibly annexe Hyderabad into the union.

Nehru and Patel's differences were challenged by a series of resignation letters, but they were softened by Gandhi's persuasion. Gandhi's assassination compelled these two leaders to collaborate until Patel's death.

 

In recognition of his contributions to India's political integration, the Statue of Unity, the tallest statue in the world, was erected in Gujarat.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The filth of the city?

The Asphalt Jungle (1955)

Director: John Huston

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
Category:The_Asphalt_Jungle_(film)

This is one of those movies where viewers do not get attached to any of the actors but rather enjoy the storyline, dialogue, and the nitty-gritty of how a crime is organised. This is way, way back before we had 'The Italian Job' and the like. 

Every character is vital in the film, yet none should overshadow the others. The main plot revolves around a heist, masterminded by Doc, a recently released model prisoner who devised a major diamond theft while working as a librarian during his incarceration. 

He approaches a small-time bookie, Cobby, with his plan. Doc needs money to pay the right men for the job. A seemingly wealthy lawyer, Emmerich, then arrives, promising to finance the operation and handle the loot. In reality, Emmerich is broke and plans to cheat the robbers out of the jewels to keep them for himself. 

The real reason people tuned in to watch this movie is Marilyn Monroe. She appears as Emmerich's ditsy mistress and may be the cause of Emmerich's poverty, as she is costly to keep. Monroe leaves a lasting impression on viewers and establishes herself as a true legendary performer here. Her sultry, naive 'damsel in distress' persona stands out in scenes where she has to lie for her master. 

A locksmith is hired, and a local thug named Dix is brought in. Dix is a disillusioned man who wears a perpetual frown. He is fed up with city living and yearns to return to the peaceful country life that he left behind for a better life in the city. Now, he sees the city as an indelible dirt that permanently stains the skin. In his bitterness, he fails to appreciate the love that his girlfriend, Doll, shows him.

The robbery proceeds as planned without a hitch, but the TNT used to break the safe detonates nearby alarms, alerting the police. The thieves escape with the merchandise, but not before a confrontation with a guard. One of the robbers is shot, but all three manage to flee in the pre-arranged getaway car. From that moment, it becomes a downward spiral as each one falls apart due to internal squabbles and police apprehension.

It is a very intense film. One can almost feel the heat and the filth that the city exudes. To the characters in the movie, breaking the law is normalised. The police are not friends, but people you need to be wary of. They have seen enough corrupt policemen. The film also features many memorable and classic lines.

Experience has taught me never to trust a policeman. Just when you think one's all right, he turns legit.

One way or another, we all work for our vice.

Home is where the money is.

Worth the while. 8/10. It went on to win many accolades and was selected for preservation in the US National Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Control your senses!

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (German; 1985)
Author: Patrick Süskind

https://www.amazon.com/Perfume-Story-
Murderer-Patrick-Suskind/dp/0375725849

Thank you to MC for introducing this excellent book. It is an engaging read that baffles me how one can write a whole book just based on all descriptions about our olfactory sense and fragrances. It is one book that I think he managed to use all the words in the English language to describe smells.

The olfactory sense is said to be one of humans' most primitive sensations. It is said that even unicellular organisms had this in their most rudimentary form. Unlike other sensory organs, smell is not carried by nerves, but has a direct connection to the brain. 

Perhaps because of its ancient origin in the evolutionary ladder and its close proximity to the brain, it has a profound effect on the human brain. It is not surprising that fragrances can arouse the reptilian part of our suppressed brain, to unleash the beast within. 

Entering many Hindu homes, one would encounter a painting or a metal tooling sculpture of a golden chariot. The chariot would be manned by five horses. The reins would be held firmly by the charioteer against the five prancing horses. It could be a representation of a scene from the Bhagavad Gita.

It could very well be a reference to Plato's Chariot Allegory, where the charioteer (man) needs to balance the power between the two horses (a noble and an unruly one) to lead the charioteer (body) to the path of the Truth. Freud, in his writings, could have referenced it to the eternal struggle between the id (instincts), the ego (reason) and the superego (guiding force).

In the Gita version, the five horses denote our five senses. The rein, with the wisdom (Buddhi) of the charioteer (mind), controls the senses (horses), so that the chariot (body) is not led astray. 

The book, set in pre-Bastille France, follows the tragic life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. Left to grow up in an orphanage after his mother was guillotined for killing Grenouille's three other siblings, he is unloved. Grenouille somehow escaped his mother's murder attempt, as he likes to think that he is invincible. This thought is reinforced when he recovers from the pox.

After the orphanage, he is sent to work as a tanner. Grenouille has an inborn ability to distinguish a vast range of scents. Paradoxically, he does not have his own individual smell. A diligent and hardy worker, he yearns to be a perfumer.

After capturing the scent of a virginal pubescent girl, he becomes somewhat fixated on the smell. Wanting to keep all the scent to himself, he strangles her and kills her. 

The author further narrates about his self-exile, the discovery, his experimentation with perfumes, his fixation with the extraction of pubescent girls and his obsessive interest in one particular lass, Laure, the fairest of them all. 

A nice book which brings vivid descriptions of various smells and piques into the business of perfumery as it was carried out before.

'The Perfume' is often stated as Kurt Cobain's favourite book. It is even believed to have significantly influenced his song "Scentless Apprentice" from Nirvana's album In Utero. The cautionary lesson from Cobain's life experience is that one should not be tempted away from one's duties by the allure of sensory pleasure. The final outcome is usually undesirable. The only silver lining may be that Cobain departed in a state of bliss.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.