APRIL 19-25 2015
Survival Most state-owned zoos in Pakistan have little interest in animal welfare
APRIL 19-25 2015
Feature
Cover Story
When the Cake Boss came calling
Most state-owned zoos in Pakistan have little interest in animal welfare
A Karachi-born chef, Kim Canteenwalla, makes it big in Las Vegas
Survival of the fittest
COVER PHOTO: ARIF SOOMRO
33 Feature
Come as you are The Women’s Mosque of America opens its doors for Friday prayers
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4
38 Regulars
6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people
42 Reviews: TV and movies 46 Human Resources: The perfect answer to a tricky interview question
Magazine Incharge: Dilaira Dubash, Senior Subeditor: Sanam Maher and Subeditor: Komal Anwar Creative Team: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Mohsin Alam, Talha Ahmed Khan, Hira Fareed, Maryam Rashid, Eesha Azam & Sanober Ahmed Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com
Ailing Wong and Blair Assaly
The Entrepreneurs’ Organisation hosts a Mughlai night at Hazoori Bagh in Lahore
Mr and Mrs Farooq
Amna and Asad Malik
Amna, Farah, Maham and Sadia
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Sadia and Umair
PHOTOS COURTESY WALNUT COMMUNICATIONS
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Samia and Imran
Mehreen, Maham and Mishal
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Marinda and Ambreen
Najeeb and Mariam
PHOTOS COURTESY WALNUT COMMUNICATIONS
PEOPLE & PARTIES
PEOPLE & PARTIES Sadia Abid’s fashion brand Mulaye launches at Pakistan fashion lounge in Lahore
Sadia Abid and Ayesha Sana PHOTOS COURTESY QYT EVENTS
Anam, Nilofar Zia and Zara
Aqsa
10 APRIL 19-25 2015
Amna and Farwa
Xille
Fatima, Kanwal and Fixi
Sonia and Zari
PEOPLE & PARTIES
K club launches in Karachi
PHOTOS COURTESY THOR — THE HOUSE OF RANA
Neelum, Hamad, Sadaf, Seemi and Javaria
Mr and Mrs Aslam with their daughter
Bryan O Neil
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Bobby
Farhaj
Faisal Naqvi
Shehreen Gul
Tabesh Oza
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Emane Haque and Khadija Hashimi
Huma and Amir Adnan
PHOTOS COURTESY FAROOQ USMAN, TUD PR
Dawood Global Foundation holds the 7th LADIESFUND Women’s Awards in Karachi
Nilofer Saeed and Mehreen Ilahi
Maryam and Maira Pagganwalla Sindhya and Komal
Tara Uzra Dawood and Mona Shah
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Yasmin, Sabeena and Ambreen Saleh
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Afifa, Naila, Faheem and Yasin Peracha
Faraz and Hareem
Naveen Qazi
Sidra with her daughter Farheen Mukhi
Miraal with her mother
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Nazneen, Anum and Rida with a friend
PHOTOS COURTESY WALNUT COMMUNICATIONS AND PR
Monsoon Children and Accessorize launch their 2015 spring/summer collection with the reopening of their store at Dolmen Mall Clifton, in Karachi
PEOPLE & PARTIES Ayesha Ibrahim
Anusheh Shahid
Kiran Khan
PHOTOS COURTESY TAKEII PR
Zobia, Neshmia, Salmonia and Saniya
Madiha Iftikhar and Huma Tahir
Cross Stitch launches its 2015 spring/ summer lawn collection in Karachi
Uzma, Mishal, Saima and Saima
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Zantiana and Tanzeela
PEOPLE & PARTIES The Lahore Polo club holds the 2015 Borjan Punjab Polo Cup final
Zahid Hussain
Fatima and Sherbano
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Zainab and Iqra
Nehzat Adnan
Mina and Nida
Mr and Mrs Usman Mansoor
Ayesha, Ammen, Naila, Saman and Tehreen
COVER STORY
An elephant in Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo is chained at night due to a shortage of supervision staff. PHOTO CREDIT: HUMA CHOUDHARY
Turtles in Marghazar Zoo are hard to spot in the polluted water. PHOTO CREDIT: HUMA CHOUDHARY
26 APRIL 19-25 2015
Ducks at the swan lake in Safari Park Zoo in Karachi swim in polluted water. PHOTO CREDIT: ARIF SOOMRO
Survival Most state-owned zoos in Pakistan have little interest in animal welfare BY NISMA CHAUHAN | DESIGN BY MARYAM RASHID
A lioness at the Karachi Zoo lays listless in her barren enclosure. PHOTO CREDIT: ARIF SOOMRO
Each year, with the arrival of summer, the scorching heat claims a few lives. To play it cool, most people drink lots of fluids and stay indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned space. Similarly, animals try to beat the heat by shedding, panting, seeking shelter or taking a dip. At most of the country’s state-owned zoos, however, animals are deprived of clean drinking water, let alone bathing water. In 2013 alone, over 23 deer at the Karachi zoo died after contracting a virus transmitted through the consumption of contaminated water and food, says Dr Hussain, who served at the zoo for over 25 years, but only 12 of the fatalities were reported.
The trend continues as zoo administrators in Pakistan evade responsibility in the absence of proper checks and balances and, most importantly, a binding Zoo Act. Zoos have existed throughout history because people like to look at animals. But take a trip to the Karachi zoo or the one in Islamabad and you can see unhealthy animals, some nervous or frightened and others simply lying listless on the concrete cage floors. Their water troughs are empty and their cages are unsanitary, smelly and often littered with spoiled food. The duck ponds have putrid, green water and floating plastic bottles. As a result, fewer people visit zoos today and the administration continues to neglect and ill-treat the animals.
27 APRIL 19-25 2015
One of South Asia’s largest zoos, the Lahore Zoo is relatively more concerned about animal welfare. PHOTO CREDIT: SHAFIQ MALIK
Death is ‘inevitable’ In Karachi, the Zoological Garden in Saddar, famously known as Gandhi Garden, and the Safari Park Zoo are both looked after by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). The authority is responsible for providing a supportive environment for animals, proper living conditions, clean food and water and sufficient veterinary staff to attend to a large number of animals. However, the governing body has been ineffective in providing the most basic care which has resulted in several fatalities over the years, and the deaths are attributed to either ‘old age or diseases’. “There is no apparent reason for death,” says Faheem Khan, the director at Gandhi Garden.“Death is a natural thing, hence, animals die when their time comes,” he adds. According to the zoo’s director, under his authority visitors will never come across an empty water trough or pond and a large block of ice is placed in cages for the big cats during summer. But a recent visit to the zoo revealed no block of ice and the lions, tigers and pumas lay in their small enclosures, staring blankly at visitors. Even the chimpanzees, known for their mischievous ways, sat in their cages motionless due to excessive heat. As a result, the zoo even lost Raju, a 23-yearold lion, in February this year. Dr Kazim Hussain, KMC’s additional director at Safari 28 Park Zoo and a senior vet at the two zoos in Karachi, claims APRIL 19-25 2015
that drinking water in the bowls and troughs is replaced twice a day, depending on the animal’s habitat. “Clean water is provided and animals are given a bath, depending on how frequently they need it,” he adds. But 27-year-old Shahid, a coach driver who gives visitors a 15-minute tour of Safari Park, confesses that this is hardly the case. Many cages have empty drinking bowls, he reveals. “Even if water is provided, it is sourced from the polluted swan lake,” he adds. Not only are animals deprived of clean drinking water but many are exposed to direct sunlight due to few trees and no shelter. If this isn’t cruel enough, many injured animals are left untreated and succumb to infection from open wounds, he shares. Conditions at Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo, which contains 59 animal species, of which 44 are bird species, are no different. Established by the Capital Development Authority, the zoo has fallen prey to poor management and an indifferent attitude towards animal cruelty. Despite a number of deaths, mostly owing to mysterious diseases, little has been done to bring about a change. But according to Dr Bilal, a senior vet at the zoo, drinking water for animals is obtained from the zoo’s own tube well, which is tested for bacteria. And water for cleaning purposes is sourced from the Simly Dam, he says. The zoo also follows a fixed
Even if water is provided, it is sourced from the polluted swan lake Coach driver and tour guide at Safari Park Zoo Shahid
schedule for replacing water in the drinking bowls; it is religiously replaced at 8:00am, 11:00am, 3:00pm, 5:00pm and 9:00pm, he explains. But,unfortunately, this is far from reality. While the zoos mentioned above don’t seem to be concerned with animal welfare, the Lahore zoo, one of the largest zoos in South Asia, is taking necessary measures to provide for the animals in captivity. Home to 125 species, including rhinoceros, hippopotami and grizzly bears, the zoo ensures that its animals are healthy and well looked after. During summers, when dengue cases are on the rise, animal enclosures are cleaned twice a day, says director of the zoo, Shafqat Ali. “As the temperature rises, the zoo’s management places straw mats and coolers in the cages, especially for tigers,” says Uzma Khan, director of biodiversity at World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan).
An empty pond at Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad puts lives of the ducks at stake. PHOTO CREDIT: HUMA CHOUDHARY
Conservation-conscious zoos should have most of the following things: A permanent site Supportive environment for animals Management for the greater good of the community Adequate finance Record keeping Priority of kind treatment of animals Meet legal requirements Trained and interested staff Clean and safe enclosures, pens, yards and spacious, naturalistic enclosures A small number of mated species Fresh, nutritious food and clean water Healthy animals Healthy staff Veterinarians according to the number of animals Good educational signage An education programme A conservation programme A breeding strategy for all animals A mission statement A master plan for development Conservation as its highest value SOURCE: ZOO OUTREACH ORGANISATION
A bear enjoying a dip at the Lahore Zoo. PHOTO CREDIT: SHAFIQ MALIK
The cost of captivity Zoo inspection While lack of drinking water and poor hygiene accounts for unresponsive animals, ill-treatment of animals in captivity, coupled with small and cramped enclosures, results in stress and display of abnormal behaviour, suggest studies. According to Uzma, however, it’s the quality of housing that matters most. “The enclosures are mostly barren. They lack an enriched environment that will help keep animals happy,” she adds. For instance, installing a single swing or placing a tree trunk in cages is not enough to help animals cope with captivity. “Authorities often disregard these as mere decorations,” says Uzma, adding that some caged animals also need partners. Zoos in Pakistan not only lack proper management, they also lack individuals with a profound knowledge of animal behaviour. For instance, if one asks a caretaker why elephants sway their head from side to side while running, the reply would be a blank stare. Since elephants in the Lahore and Islamabad zoos are chained at night due to no supervision, it results in a display of aggressive behaviour where the animal tries to flee, 30 explains Uzma. APRIL 19-25 2015
While many may suggest that shutting down zoos is the only remaining option, it is important to note that the cost of rehoming the animals would be staggering. To improve conditions, therefore, WWF-Pakistan is actively involved in the zoo management committee set up in Lahore in 1923 and also helped set up one in Islamabad last year. The committee, which is a decision-making body, focuses on the exchange of ideas and sharing of information which is crucial to help rehabilitate captive animals. While the committee in Lahore is proactive, the one in Islamabad is dormant. Since there is still no operational committee in Karachi, the deplorable conditions in zoos is inevitable. On July 30, 2013, WWFPakistan even organised a workshop to support the formulation of a National Zoo Association in Pakistan where it was proposed that national zoos should collaborate more for the improvement of animal care in captivity and enhance the roles zoos play in conservation education in the country. It was attended by officials from the Lahore Zoo, Lahore Zoo Safari, Karachi Zoo and the Lamar Wildlife Park in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, but had little impact.
Be conservation-conscious As a regular zoo visitor you can help by obeying the zoo’s rules. Keep the zoo clean; put trash in bins. Keep the zoo safe; don’t sneak in food, plastic bags, etcetera to give to animals or throw in enclosures. Keep animals safe: don’t tease or feed animals or run in front of cages or make loud noises. Watch them respectfully. Keep zoo property presentable — don’t deface signs or buildings or damage anything. Report faulty taps which are wasting water; turn off water in zoo toilets when you use them. Never offer zookeepers money to give you special privileges or animal products. Treat the zoo as if you had to live there. As a public zoo, it is yours too. SOURCE: ZOO OUTREACH ORGANISATION
Although WWF-Pakistan has managed to improve facilities at the zoos in Lahore and Islamabad, to an extent, the Animal Rights for Pakistan, established in 2010, has achieved little success so far. “Poor conditions at the Karachi Zoo are of great concern, but all we can do is protest against it,” says Ahmed Khan, founder of the non-governmental organisation. Despite being in collaboration with the Sindh government, the NGO is not allowed to interfere in the zoo’s management and has therefore recently become inactive. Qadeess Qureshi, an animal education specialist and conservationist at the Wildlife Experience Centre, affiliated with the Sindh Wildlife Department, further adds that, “Even we are not allowed to look into matters once we have lodged a complaint with the Sindh Wildlife Department.” Crocodiles and vultures are becoming extinct in Karachi, owing to unsanitary conditions, she adds. Since managing a zoo is a difficult task, perhaps, we too can play a role in maintaining superior animal welfare standards. To begin, one can visit zoos more often and even devote some time to volunteering there.T
Nisma Chauhan is a subeditor at The Express Tribune Magazine desk. She tweets @ChauhanNisma
The enclosures are mostly barren.They lack an enriched environment that will help keep animals happy Director of biodiversity at WWF-Pakistan Uzma Khan
A lion at Gandhi Garden in Karachi takes a nap in its enclosure. PHOTO CREDIT: ARIF SOOMRO
FEATURE
When the Cake Boss came calling
A Karachi-born chef, Kim Canteenwalla, joins forces with a culinary star in Las Vegas BY TEENAZ JAVAT | DESIGN BY HIRA FAREED PHOTOS COURTESY: KIM CANTEENWALLA’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Immigrants often compose a large portion of a country’s struggling population. But for Karachi-born and Montreal-raised chef Kim Canteenwalla, success literally came knocking on his door when Buddy Valastro, star of the hit culinary reality TV show The Cake Boss, touched down at the world-famous Las Vegas strip and stopped by his restaurant Honey Salt. The trip sparked a partnership between the two men, which saw Canteenwalla take the helm as executive chef of Italian restaurant Buddy V’s Ristorante at The Venetian. So, how did Canteenwalla reach the pinnacle of success in an industry as competitive as food and in a
market as challenging as Vegas? “It all begins in Montreal, where I landed as an immigrant with my parents, older brother and twin-sisters in the late 1960s,” explains Canteenwalla. “Growing up, I saw my mother cook for six people every day after work. It was food cooked with a purpose — it was healthy and meant to fill our stomachs. But my love for cooking was inspired by my father who was a weekend cook.” Canteenwalla recalls visiting Montreal’s storied Atwater indoor market as a child to find fresh ingredients needed to create the Saturday suppers and Sunday brunches his father would whip up.
33 APRIL 19-25 2015
Chef Kim Canteenwalla.
“My father knew the precise cut of meat he wanted and would challenge our local butcher to do just that. These early morning expeditions to the butcher, the baker and the greengrocer sowed the seeds of not just enjoying the meal but having fun creating it as well.” Canteenwalla’s family is of mixed heritage — his mother is British and his father is ZoroastrianPakistani. Thus, biryani, chicken and coconut curry chawal were weekend fare in the Canteenwalla home. The chef has paid homage to this culinary tradition by including a version of Nana’s Chicken Curry, a favourite of his son
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Cole, on the menu at his Las Vegas restaurant Honey Salt. He owns and operates the restaurant with his wife Elizabeth Blau, who is often referred to as Las Vegas’ restaurant maven. Upon completing high school, Canteenwalla knew he wanted to make a living by cooking. While enrolled in the culinary programme at the Saint Denis Institute in Montreal, his internships took him to the edge of the eastern Arctic where he learnt to appreciate and create menus from ingredients as rare as caribou meat and whale. Canteenwalla spent two summers in the Canadian Arctic only to realise that his future did not lie in preparing whale sushi and caribou stew. He then took off to travel to the cuisine capitals of the world, from Toronto to Phnom Penh, Bali, Singapore, Dubai and Bangkok in search for the perfect culinary combination that would blend with the melting pot of cultures and cuisines that is North America. Canteenwalla manages to create 4,000 covers (individual meals) every night, more so on weekends.
“It’s always busy in Vegas and when you are part owner and full-time manager of an outlet which carries the Cake Boss’s name, you have large shoes to fill,” he explains. Cooking up a menu inspired by the Valastro family, Canteenwalla is charged with preparing authentic Italian comfort foods such as a 14-layered lasagne made from scratch. The dishes have a simple premise: what would Buddy V’s large Italian family eat at a regular Sunday brunch? While cooking is a passion, culinary art might just be in his DNA. A Google search revealed that towards the mid-1800s, British rulers of pre-partition India ordered all Indian subjects to take on two names — a given name and a surname. Many opted to add the name of their town or their trade to their given name. A Parsi gentleman, who owned
‘‘
Attention to detail is Kim Canteenwalla’s hallmark. Here he tops the meal with orange rind before it is served to guests at the Honey Salt restaurant.
These early morning expeditions to the butcher, the baker and the greengrocer sowed the seeds of not just enjoying the meal but having fun creating it as well Chef Kim Canteenwalla and operated a cafeteria at Cotton Green, the old Bombay cotton exchange from where the British would load their ships with raw cotton bound for the spinning and weaving mills of Manchester, was given the name ‘Canteenwalla’ and the name has stuck ever since. This lineage comes as no surprise to Kim, as he recalls his late father being a fantastic cook, as well as his cousins and nephew, who is a chef in Toronto. By virtue of Canteenwalla’s Parsi roots, our chat inevitably veered towards the ultimate Parsi comfort food: Dhansak. The brown rice-based dish features a lentil curry comprising vegetables, and chicken or mutton. Surprisingly, Canteenwalla could not recall having had this meal as a child and upon knowing how deeply entrenched it is in Parsi culture and cuisine, he was eager to try it. Of course, being the foodie that he is, he will whip up the traditional dish his way and says he will test out a recipe to see how well it could do on his restaurant’s menu. Don’t be surprised if you spot this iconic Parsi dish offered at a Las Vegas restaurant in the near future.
Teenaz Javat writes headlines, news alerts, tickers and tweets for a living. She tweets @TeenazFromTo
Kim Canteenwalla does not only give directions but also plays a big role in creating his culinary delights. APRIL 19-25 2015
35
FEATURE
Nia Malika Dixon addresses the congregation.
Come as you are
The Women’s Mosque of America opens its doors for Friday prayers TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SAEED RAHMAN DESIGN BY SANOBER AHMED
38 APRIL 19-25 2015
“It is hard being a Muslim in America right now,” says Saroor Raziuddin. “I want to leave the mosque feeling happy about being a Muslim.” Raziuddin explains that she and her daughters grapple with enough challenges and discrimination in their lives as American Muslims and thus, look to their mosques as spaces where they are treated as equals. Raziuddin, a resident of Los Angeles, recalls the day one of her daughters asked if she could sit towards the front of their local mosque so she could better hear a speaker. “She was told she could only sit in the women’s section,” Raziuddin recalls, saying she was unable to explain to her daughter why women were treated differently than male congregants. She hastens to add that her mosque is far more progressive than other mosques but “at the end of the day, traditional ways are accepted and people do not push for change.” We are at the Pico-Union Project in Downtown LA and Raziuddin is here to attend the monthly Friday prayers for the second time. The space, which was previously a synagogue, is now open to communities of different faiths. Some volunteers and board members arrive two hours prior to the prayers to arrange seating. Church pews are placed outside the building to make room for daris, which are unrolled for attendees to sit on. On this day, there seem to be more journalists and camera crews than the organisers. But that quickly changes. At its full strength, close to 150
women are in attendance for prayers. “As a child, I always dreamed I would build a mosque. I thought it would be at the end of my life and I did not know that it would be a women’s mosque,” explains 29-yearold comedy writer and film-maker Hasna Maznavi, who is the founder and co-president of the Women’s Mosque of America. Maznavi’s family attended Jumma prayers at their local mosque while she was growing up in Long Beach, California, and private tutors were hired to teach children the Holy Quran in Arabic. The mosque welcomed men and women as equals, but that attitude shifted when the mosque was renovated. “The mosque was re-built in another culture’s style,” Maznavi explains. “The women were now in a separate section on the second floor. I was cut off from the main congregation and situated behind
Growing up in America, often your only connection to the Muslim community is on Friday, which is why Jumma is so important to us Film-maker Hasna Maznavi
Congregants in the Pico-Union space prior to the prayer.
a glass window.” The mosque was still a welcoming space, but its architecture began to define its culture of acceptance and Maznavi says she no longer felt as welcome as she had previously. “When I went to other mosques, I saw that cultural ideas were being practiced instead of the Islamic practice of inclusion,” she says. “Growing up in America, often your only connection to the Muslim community is on Friday, which is why Jumma is so important to us,” explains Maznavi. It was after the attacks on September 11, 2001, that Maznavi says she “took ownership of Islam and fell in love with it.” She adds, “At that time, I heard Quranic verses cherry-picked and taken out of context. I read the Holy Quran in English and it then became a way of life — a choice — instead of a marker of my identity.” While in college at Berkley, Maznavi fell in love with Masjid Al-Iman in Oakland, California. “The sign of any mosque’s health is the number of converts,” she feels. “This shows that no culture is dominating the space and that new Muslims feel welcome here.” Upon returning to LA after her studies and attending other mosques, Maznavi realised she wanted a mosque where she could hear women speak. The crystalising moment came when she attended a conference, 39 APRIL 19-25 2015
FEATURE
This is not feminism, this is part of a woman’s right to have an education. I may not be comfortable asking some questions of a male imam Congregant Sadaf Raza
Professor Rose Aslan listens to the azaan before delivering the khutba. Reconstituting Female Authority in Islam, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “I realised the tension wasn’t within me but was part of a greater problem. We had lost the vast legacy and scholarship of female leadership in our religion,” she says. After a year of taking courses at an online Muslim women’s college, Maznavi, with support from friends, took to social media to call a town hall meeting. The first meeting was held on August 23, 2014. “We really wanted to hear what the community needed,” she says. The first Jumma prayer was then held on January 30, 2015. While Maznavi had the full support of her family, another congregant, Nia Malika Dixon’s family was unsure if a women’s mosque is allowed in Islam. The Baltimore native, who now lives in LA, says her family is concerned that she might be putting herself “in a position that would not please Allah (SWT).” Dixon, who is also a board member of the Women’s Mosque, says that as a Muslim woman growing up in a Muslim community, she found that she had no access to her local mosque. “As a woman, you are not made to feel welcome and this is counterproductive to spiritual development,” she feels. Dixon, who had stopped attending the mosque due to such an unwelcoming attitude, says that the first Jumma prayers at the Women’s Mosque were “spiritually rejuvenating”. Dixon rejects the notion that the Women’s Mosque is part of a sort of reformation. “The politics in Islam are patriarchal and men get scared at the idea of a woman leading the prayer,” she says. She adds that some Muslims questioned 40 if a woman leading a prayer could be haram as there was no APRIL 19-25 2015
precedence for this, while others said that the precedence was that a man always led the prayer. “To those people, I say now there is precedence,” says Dixon. On this particular Friday, she is leading the prayer. Sana Muttalib, co-president of the Women’s Mosque, agrees with Dixon that the mosque is in no way part of a reformatory effort. She hopes that attendees would feel empowered and more confident by visiting the mosque. “There seemed to be no space where women could go and obtain Islamic knowledge from other women in a comfortable setting,” Muttalib explains. Even if there is one woman who comes to this space, and feels closer to her Creator, we have accomplished our goal.” Muttalib adds the first Jumma had been attended by a diverse group, including Buddhist, Jewish and Christian women. “One of the wonderful things about being in America is the amount of diversity in the country and one of the wonderful things about being a Muslim in America is that you can learn from and have meaningful relationships with people from all over the world,” she feels. Kristina Ortega, another congregant, had been interested in studying Islam since she was a child. The LA native teaches theology at a local high school. “I cover women in Islam in my course and want to dispel myths and misconceptions about Islam oppressing women,” she says. She felt the mosque is useful for non-Muslims like herself as they are able to gain knowledge about Muslims here. Dixon opened the prayers on Friday by laying out some of the mosque’s policies. These include a ‘come as you are’ dress code. “We will not be policing your scarf or your clothing,” Dixon tells the gathered women. She explains that the mosque is an “inclusive middle ground space that welcomes all Muslims, from every school of thought and at any level of religious practice.” Her opening words are followed by the azaan, a khutba by Professor Rose Aslan, an Assistant Professor of Theology at the California Lutheran University, a congregational two rakaat prayer and an optional four rakaats. After the prayers, there is a community discussion.
Many of the women who streamed out after the prayers spoke about Aslan’s message of religious pluralism. For scholar Keya Bhagirath, Aslan’s ideas reiterated a view she has been hearing in her classes. “I identify as a Christian and grew up in a Jewish neighbourhood, so learning about Muslim culture brings it all full circle,” Bhagirath explains. “I get to see the similarity and overlapping beliefs within the traditions.” She said she was also struck by how Aslan touched on the struggles faced by Christian and Jewish women leaders. “I have always connected more with women from other faiths and Aslan said not to feel guilty about this,” explains another woman, Hafza Iran. The Chicago native, who moved to LA two years ago, says that her family would probably not attend prayers here as she was brought up in a secular household and is the only member of her family who has found the need to connect to her spiritual side. Software engineer Sadaf Raza added that there seemed to be some incorrect perceptions about the mosque. “People think women are abandoning their local mosques and creating divisions here,” she says. “This is not feminism, this is part of a woman’s right to have an education. I may not be comfortable asking some questions of a male imam.” Raza, who moved to LA from Pakistan, added that Muslims should move beyond their first response to spaces like the mosque, which most of the times seems to be fear and anger. “Some of my friends are hesitant to attend prayers here and they don’t understand why a regular mosque does not fulfill all my needs,” says Karachi’ite Sana Hasnain, who drove from Pasadena to attend prayers at the mosque. She admits she shared her friends’ hesitation in the beginning but found the khutba at the first prayer she attended compelling enough to return. “There is a need for such spaces. In other mosques, women’s participation is limited,” she says. She is hopeful the women attending prayers this Friday would return with increased confidence to their local mosques. Even though Raziuddin and her parents, who live in northern New Jersey, have not had a conversation about the Women’s Mosque, she thinks they would welcome the idea behind it. “My father now understands why it is crucial that women not be treated as second-class citizens,” she explains, adding that she is excited to bring her daughters to the mosque for the next Friday prayers.
Women stream into the space before the Jumma prayers begin.
Saeed Rahman is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. He tweets @saeedrahman1
41 APRIL 19-25 2015
An agent of change The first season of Marvel’s Agent Carter is refreshing with a strong female lead
Unlike her depiction on the cheesy Captain America Adventure Program radio show, snippets of which intermittently appear in the series, tough and resourceful Carter is determined not to be frazzled by how she is depicted and treated, and uses her skills and smarts to outwit everyone around her, including both the bad guys and her SSR cohorts. The cast gives solid performances across the board. Atwell is perfect in the lead role, as is D’Arcy, who is fantastic as the amusing sidekick to Atwell’s smart Carter. Shea Whigham, Chad Michael Murray and Enver Gjokaj are all competent in the roles of the SSR chief and agents, respectively. Their characters, however, sometimes seem to be built around stereotypes, and the series doesn’t always dig as deep as it should into some of its underlying themes. Still, while its central mystery might not be exceptional, Agent Carter is an entertaining watch, propelled by terrific performances by its leads. It is great to have a strong female character at the helm of a Marvel series, and the drama neatly ties in with the other ongoing projects in this shared, comic book-based universe. Ultimately, Agent Carter delivers a focused and engaging eight-episode season and fans of its accompanying franchises will surely enjoy Carter’s adventures.
BY SAMEEN AMER
Marvel’s ever-expanding Cinematic Universe is very noticeably dominated by male characters. All their biggest franchises, such as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Hulk, have male leads with female characters (like Black Widow and Maria Hill) usually supporting them in secondary roles. This is one of the reasons why their latest television series Agent Carter is so refreshing. The drama follows the story of Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), a prominent character in the Avengers franchise, who we are familiar with as Steve Roger’s love interest, and whom we know will eventually help establish the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (better known as SHIELD). But in 1946, Carter is still getting over the apparent death of Rogers and struggling to make a place for herself in a male-dominated world. Treated like an unglorified secretary by her chauvinistic Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) colleagues, Carter finds herself undervalued and sidelined. But when inventor Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) is accused of selling dangerous weapons to criminals, he reaches out to Carter for help in clearing his name, leaving his butler Edwin Jarvis (James D’Arcy) to assist her.
Rating: Sameen Amer is a Lahore-based freelance writer and critic. She tweets @Sameen
Upcoming Marvel projects to look forward to this year Daredevil (April) The Netflix television series stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, a lawyer who uses his heightened senses from being blind as a young boy to fighting crime at night in the guise of superhero 42 Daredevil. APRIL 19-25 2015
Avengers: Age of Ultron (May) The Avengers reassemble to save the world, after an artificial intelligence (James Spader) decides to eradicate humans from planet Earth, leaving it up to the superhero team to stop him.
Ant-Man (July) In Ant-Man a petty thief named Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) acquires a substance that allows him to shrink in size but increase in strength. This brings another Marvel Comics superhero to the big screen.
Not
a masterpiece
Woman in Gold is an ordinary film with an important message BY ALLY ADNAN
Woman in Gold, it seems, is more interested in a higher form of justice than can be delivered by courts. The legal drama that takes up most of the film’s time, therefore, fails to engage. It is tepid, at its worst, and seems irrelevant when it is at its best. The audience is forced to expect more than the fair outcome of arbitration that is delivered towards the end of the film. Woman in Gold tells the true story of an octogenarian Jew, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), who fled Austria after the Anschluss (union with Germany) to make United States her home for the rest of her life. The story begins in 1998 when Maria reads some old letters that indicate that she is the rightful owner of several priceless works of art, including five paintings by Gustav Klimt. The most famous, and the subject of the title, is a painting of her Aunt Adele Bloch-Bauer, which hangs in Vienna’s venerable Belvedere gallery. In order to claim what she suspects is her property, she needs the services of a lawyer who is an expert in both art restitution and international law. Unfortunately, she has neither the capacity to trust nor the money needed to hire such a lawyer. She settles for the inexperienced and broke Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), who is the son of a friend. The two are not particularly eager to work with each other and take turns becoming ferociously driven and firmly resigned during the protracted legal battle that ensues. An unlikely bond eventually forms between the two as they battle dishonest Austrian bureaucrats, sue the Austrian government and litigate their way to the US Supreme Court. The film tells a powerful story full of nostalgia, villainy, art, legal complexity and moral indignation. Unfortunately, Woman in Gold is written and directed with such heavy-handedness that none of these ingredients are effective in what is, at best, an adequate movie. Nuance is missing in the movie whose stodgy earnestness turns its characters into garish archetypes and its story into a crowd-pleasing drama of good guys versus bad guys. The bad guys are modern Austrians who are dishonest, unhelpful and simmering with anti-Semitism. They represent pure evil, disinterested in acknowledging, and possibly proud of the sins of the past. Holocaust survivors and their American descendants are the good guys. They are righteous, morally upright and above suspicion. More importantly, viewers are reminded far too often that they are not greedy and disinterested in money. The film has no interest in examining the complex themes of guilt, atonement, justice, artistic provenance, ownership, cruelty and greed.
It would be easy to dismiss Woman in Gold as a mediocre film had it not been for some truly outstanding performances. Mirren is magnificent in her portrayal of a refined woman, who has learnt to deal with anger and outrage by internalising her pain and hiding her true feelings behind a veneer of dignified hauteur. She approaches her overwritten character with restraint, style and class, elevating banal material with superb acting skills and a clear understanding of the character she wants to play. It is fascinating to see her manage ambivalence, doubt, courage and distress as she develops a firm resolve to reclaim what she believes is rightfully hers. All other roles in Woman in Gold are woefully underwritten. The film allocates little screen time to some truly wonderful actors, who manage to impress, nonetheless. Jonathan Pryce is masterful in his portrayal of US Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist in a short yet powerful court scene. Charles Dance plays the head of a law firm with unassuming but effective confidence. Tatiana Maslany plays the role of young Maria in the film’s numerous flashbacks with assuredness, tenderness and subtlety. More remarkably, she manages to show the beginnings of the cool exterior, studied pride and hidden vulnerability that Mirren embodies as the older Maria. Allan Corduner as Maria’s self-respecting father shines in his portrayal of a proud man struggling to handle severe humiliation with dignity. His defiant refusal to give up his weekly practice of the cello, while the Nazis take over Vienna, is one of the film’s most powerful scenes. The only actor who does not fare well is Reynolds. It takes acting talent and not ill-fitting suits, eyeglasses and crouched shoulders to play the role of an inexperienced but driven lawyer. The hapless young actor does not seem to have the resources to play the role and tenders a particularly bland performance. Yet, for all its flaws, Woman in Gold tells an important story, one that needs to be told more often. The organised theft of thousands of works of art from entire nations was an unpardonable crime. Such looting and thievery was, however, not limited to the Nazis. The British Empire carried it out more ruthlessly, and more frequently, but mostly managed to escape international condemnation that seems reserved just for Nazis. Rating: Ally Adnan is a freelance writer living in Dallas. He writes about culture, history and art. He tweets @allyadnan
FILM
Save the best for last Paul Walker’s final film, Furious 7, is thus far the best of the series BY KOMAL ANWAR
The seventh instalment of Universal Picture’s Fast and Furious 7, officially titled Furious 7, stands apart from the other films in the series for its emotional resonance. The film was originally slated for release in the summer of 2014 but the project was delayed when actor Paul Walker died in a car crash on November 30, 2013. It is this untimely ending that ultimately gives the film heart. Written by Chris Morgan and directed by James Wan, Furious 7 is more than just an action-film franchise centred on illegal car racing. The focus here is largely on the emotional components of the narrative. For example, you’re left reeling when Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) almost dies in one scene. The plot is simple. Toretto’s team flits between Tokyo, London, Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles as it hunts down a computer chip, which stores a high-tech surveillance system called ‘The God’s Eye’. The peaceful life which Toretto and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) sought at the end of the last Furious film ends promptly when
British assassin Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) comes looking for them in order to seek revenge for the death of his brother. For those who adore loud cars and street races, this film has a lot to offer. Two hundred and thirty cars were destroyed in the making of Furious 7 but the most fascinating crash takes place halfway through the movie when the Lykan HyperSport flies through the windows of the three Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi. The Middle Eastern supercar, made by Beirut-based company W Motors, is the most expensive car to be featured in the movie. There are only seven models of this car in the world, with each one priced at around £2.3 million (a little over Rs350 million). We have some new faces in this instalment of the Furious franchise other than Statham. Kurt Russell stars as a secret agent named Frank Petty, and we also meet talented hacker Megan Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) and martial artists Kara (Ronda Rousey) and Louie Tran (Tony Jaa). The appearance of Indian actor
Paul Walker will live forever on screen in Eight Below (2006) Three members of a scientific expedition, Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker), his friend Cooper (Jason Biggs) and an American geologist (Bruce Greenwood), must leave their beloved dogs behind after a devastating accident and increasingly perilous weather conditions. Alone, the dogs struggle to survive the harsh Antarctic winter.
Into the Blue (2005) Divers Sam (Jessica Alba) and Jared (Paul Walker) aim to find treasure. But when friends Bryce (Scott Caan) and Amanda (Ashley Scott) visit, they discover an airplane full of cocaine alongside a famous shipwreck, which in turn leads to a group of dealers in hot pursuit of the divers.
Joy Ride (2001) College student Lewis Thomas (Paul Walker) decides to drive across the country to see his friend Venna (Leelee Sobieski). Unfortunately, Lewis gets saddled with his older brother Fuller (Steve Zahn) whose pranks during the road trip get the brothers and Venna into trouble when a truck driver gets offended.
Ali Fazal — who made his Bollywood debut in 3 Idiots — adds humour through his peculiar Arabic accent. While his role as Zafar is short-lived, it should not be missed by Bollywood fans. The cinematography pushes the action genre to the next level in this film with their brilliant displays of car crashes and fights. The stunts shown in Furious 7 are pretty unbelievable, but they guarantee the film blockbuster status. A scene in which a Honda Civic zips underneath a semi-truck and another one which shows the mid-air stunt in which real cars drop out of the plane are almost breath-taking. The film is perfectly paced for 140 minutes and retains its charm with a straight-forward script and unforgettable dialogue. The film’s success lies in the thrill of high-octane car chases, over the top stunts and beautifully-choreographed action sequences. Many fans were eager to find out how Walker’s death would play out onscreen — the answer to that question will leave you surprised. Of the entire cast, it is Walker who leaves the audience awestruck and he is ultimately the film’s greatest draw. Thus, it is no surprise that Furious 7’s marketing campaign centred on Walker. His scenes were completed after his death using CGI trickery and his two younger brothers, Caleb and Cody. The closing scene’s emotional song ‘See You Again’ by Wiz Khalifa and Chris Jamison is sure to leave you teary-eyed, as will the ending, which features scenes from the most touching moments in previous Furious films. T Rating: Komal Anwar is a subeditor on The Express Tribune magazine desk. She tweets @Komal1201
HUMAN RESOURCES Interviewees should keep in mind that while this trick question is directed towards the future, the position they are hoping to get is a current one. Hence, answers should focus on how the interviewee can help the company prosper and what they can bring to the table in order to contribute to the organisation’s bottom-line. Employers are keen to identify what motivates job candidates and what it will take to keep them going.
Tips for the perfect answer The trick question employers use to test job candidates — and how you can ace it BY MOEZ ALLIDINA
DESIGN BY EESHA AZAM
“Where do you see yourself in five years?” is a standard question at job interviews but one that can make or break potential candidates. Trick questions like this one are the norm in interview practices and even the most seasoned interviewees can be left flummoxed by what the best answer is. Here is how you can avoid clichés and make sure you get the answer right.
What are employers looking for? According to Business Insider, interviewees should strike a balance between arrogance and enthusiasm and emphasise their willingness to work on personal and professional development to further enhance their career progression. Threatening another person’s career or expressing desire to take over their role isn’t the best strategy. Many use this question to gauge how an interviewee responds. Does he or she say they want to be the company’s CEO or president? There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious, but such predictable answers are red flags as they imply that you do not have a realistic sense of how soon you can rise through the ranks. Employers are seeking insight into your career plan, how well you understand the responsibilities of the position you are applying for and how well you can define success. Many interviewers have one point on their agenda: assurance. Trick questions are designed to provide your interviewer with a sense of your work ethic, personality, whether the job is a good fit for you and how active you are 46 in your job hunt. APRIL 19-25 2015
Your answer should be well thought out and realistic, focusing on a long-term career strategy instead of a short-term strategy that focuses on payment and higher positions. Take time to prepare a response that does not sound like a memorised script. It should describe your long-term career plan through a story that tells the interviewer why you are the ideal candidate for the job. Do your research. Search the company website and the professional profiles of current employees to find out how long members of staff have taken to progress. This will help you formulate an answer that closely matches the company’s vision of career progression. Focus on skills you’d like to acquire or ones you’d like to be using and qualifications or responsibilities you’d like to have. Don’t sound rigid. For example, do not say, “I need to be promoted within three years and I’ll be really disappointed if I’m not working with high-profile clients in five years’ time.” Instead, try, “I’d like to have more responsibility in the next three to five years, and ideally I’d be working on some of this company’s high-profile accounts.” Employers are not interested in your personal plans (“I see myself being married with at least two children”). This will make you appear unprofessional.
The magic words According to experts at Simply Hired, an employment website for job listings, one of the perfect answers to this question would be, “I want to be making a marked difference to your company, helping to secure and add to its current reputation as a leader within the field and contributing to the company’s overall growth and success.”
Moez Allidina is an OD Trainer at Maktab Learning Solutions and works as a lecturer in Management.