Irshad Ahmad Mughal

The ancient art of storytelling through animal fables once served as humanity’s moral compass, with philosophers and saints using tales of “talking beasts” to counsel rulers against tyranny. Yet in our modern era, where abstract academic theories dominate education, we’ve…

As I scroll through my phone, absorbing the relentless updates about the Iran-Israel conflict, I’m confronted by images that blur the line between reality and simulation. Towering buildings reduced to rubble, missiles streaking across skies like something out of a…

Aesop’s fable The Wolf and the Lamb tells a simple but timeless story: A lamb drinks water from a river when a wolf arrives, accusing it of muddying the stream. The lamb points out that the water flows from the wolf’s side,…

One positive action of Donald Trump’s administration was facilitating a ceasefire between Pakistan and India, preventing both countries from escalating into destruction—similar to what is now happening between Iran and Israel. If we set aside debates over who initiated contact…

Emotions form the very essence of our humanity—the invisible force that gives meaning to existence. They bestow upon us life’s most precious gifts: the warmth of love, the serenity of peace, and the exhilaration of intimacy. The velvety touch of…

In Urdu, there is a verse—I do not know its source, but it lingers in my mind: “One running dog said to his fellow dog: ‘Run, before you die a human’s life.’” This speaks not to the nature of dogs—though…

“We are still reeling from the unresolved conflict between India and Pakistan, lingering under a fragile ceasefire, when yet another war has erupted in my neighborhood—this time in Iran. The horrors unfold before us: drones and missiles streaking across the…

If you watch a boxing competition outside the arena, you feel the strength of the punches exchanged and sense the fear. One boxer defeats the other through powerful blows, and the audience applauds the winner—though the loser deserves more sympathy…

When historian Paul Kennedy published The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers in 1987, his sweeping analysis of imperial decline—spanning 1500 to 1980—arrived at a moment of American triumphalism. The U.S. stood ascendant as its Cold War rival, the…

Muslims around the world are celebrating ‘Eid ul-Adha’, the second most important festival in the Islamic calendar. Since Islamic festivals follow the lunar year, their dates shift approximately ten days earlier each year. The Muslim community observes two major festivals…