#pride in his Pakistani

[nfllivescores]

Amir Khan Appointed Honorary Captain of the Pakistan Army

Honorary Captain In a move that has resonated across the sporting world, British-Pakistani boxing champion Amir Khan has been appointed as an honorary captain of the Pakistan Army. This prestigious title not only highlights Khan’s remarkable achievements in the boxing ring but also underscores his dedication to his heritage and his philanthropic endeavors. The appointment signifies a new chapter…

[dspd]

You know what we don't see a lot of in TMA'verse? The exploration of Jon's brownness. It's widely accepted that Jon is some flavor of brown in fanon but we never see him with a bindi or read that he always smells faintly of sandalwood from morning prayer to his parents and grandmother. I'd love to see fanart of a young Jon next to his tiny dadi (paternal grandmother), both wearing traditional white clothes as they pray during Narayan Bali Yagya (Hindu funeral rites for unusual deaths) for his father. Or a background picture on his desk of him and dadi, in a beautiful saffron orange and deep red sari, posing and serious at his high school graduation ceremony, his olive green dhoti peeking from behind his unzipped gown and NEHS stole, cap held carefully in his hands.

What if Martin finds out that he's more successful in getting his workaholic boss to take a meal break if he brings in Kerala food, particularly Idiyappam with Curry.

What is, once Jon has been sufficiently traumatized so like s3, he searches for comfort in childhood memories and Jon pulls out some stuff he remembers his mom and dad wearing around home when he was small, including a rather small mango mala necklace his mother wore and a couple gold bangles that match his father's heirloom ring passed down for 4 generations.

Like, he doesn't have to be Hindu (approx. 1.6% of UK identifies as Indian) but the point is we should fully embrace him being brown.

[crit20art]

[ID: a digital drawing of Jonathan Sims and Martin Blackwood from The Magnus Archives wearing a dress and a skirt, respectively, and holding hands while walking. Martin is depicted as a tall, fat Polish-Vietnamese man with light brown, freckled skin, short, dark hair, and stubble. He wears a crop top with a binder peeking beneath the hem, and a high-waisted, ankle-length skirt with a split up the side. He also wears glasses, and glances aside with a blushing, bashful expression. Jon looks up at him with a bright-eyed, lovestruck expression. He is depicted as a short, thin British-Pakistani man with dark brown skin and many scars, including a large burn on one side of his head. His long black-and-grey hair lays in a braid over one shoulder, and he wears a partially sheer strapless dress with a hi-low hem. He walks with a cane, which is sky blue and has pride stickers on it: an ace flag, a bi flag, a progress flag, and a heart with trans colors. End ID.]

@milkteamoon wisely pointed out that we see a lot of Jons in skirts but not many Martins… so naturally i had to dress him up!!! 😩

I think he would be hesitant at first and worried he’d look silly but then he’d see himself and get all flustered cause what’s this?? Martin K(inda low self esteem) Blackwood is really feelin himself??

and ofc Jon would be smitten :)

[i-cant-sing]

Would you ever do a yandere oc based on an urdu male lead? Maybe even with a foreigner reader learning his culture as an overseas worker?

-Thank you for reading!

OFCCCCC!!! Okay so I'm thinking of 2 Pakistani men, and these guys are bffs. OC #1 is a handsome dude that was born with a silver spoon, lives in a big ass haveli (or mansion. Just Google it) with his family- his parents and 3 brothers and he's the youngest and most loved of them all. This OC (I can't decide what job he has, so I'll leave it to u guys to vote on) is either going to be a business man who inherits his father's company, OR he can be a lawyer (very successful). OC #1 appears to be a cocky and overconfident, PLAYER who has the best luck but he's actually really hardworking and smart and was on the Dean's valedictorian list, he just doesn't take life too seriously. Hes very charming and charismatic and everyone wants to either be with him or BE HIM. His carefree attitude is often mistaken as him not being serious in any aspect of his life- be it love or career. But that's totally not true. He's worked hard for everything in life, and he may date a lot of people but he always makes sure that his dates know from day 1 that he's not serious about them. That it's just a fling.

OC #2 is a guy who's dark and brooding, completely opposite of sunshine OC #1. It's a mystery how the two ended up as best friends (OC#1 met OC#2 in kindergarten and demanded to be friends with him. #2 said no at first, but quickly came to realise that #1 was a true friend when he'd always share his lunch with him because #2 was dirt poor). This oc was basically very poor and had to work very hard from a very young age if he ever hoped to support his single mother(who he loves very much). His IQ? ITS 192. He's very intelligent, but still sort of keeps to himself, low key comes off as rude because of how quiet he is, seems and sometimes is least interested in other people (but that doesn't mean he doesn't notice them. He remembers everything). Growing up, his only friend has been OC #1, who he likes to pretend is a nuisance but he actually cares about him, especially because OC #1's family even treated him as their own. The two of them always did everything together, even applied to the same schools and would always have a friendly competition among themselves (no one else could even imagine to compete wuth them because theyd 1000% lose). OC #2 is very prideful and he never accepted charities, not even from his bff, was the valedictorian of his college (he was the top student in every institute he ever went to, and always got the first position in every exam he took). Not only is he academically very smart, but he's also very good in sports. So he's an all rounder. His job (again u guys have to decide) could be either business man (he started his own tech company.) Or he could be a lawyer (to fight injustice with his bff) OR he could be a SPY!

So basically, the story would go like Y/n coming into their life and yknow the basics- she's not fawning over them, is smart and independent, feminine and just like best girl everr. Anyways, the of them fall for her simultaneously, but you are the one thing that neither of them will ever compromise on, AND DONT BRING UP "SHARING YOU" they will actually murder whoever brings up the idea because monogamy is a big thing among these men (unless ur a Muslim guy, u can technically marry 4 women, but most don't opt to because they're very possessive and also the INFLATION???) Both of them are very possessive and are keeping tabs on you at all times.

Names for OC #1: Zulfiqar, Halim, Ibrahim, Ali Asghar, Haroon

Names for OC #2: Hashim, Mahir, Mehmet

Okay so help me choose their careers and names! And feel free to send asks for them. I'll answer them.

[witchthewriter]

Probably a weird question, but which HP characters do you imagine as LGBTQIA or/and POC? (Because let’s make Joke Rollling/She Who Must Not Be Named… ANGRY!! 😏)

I would LOVE TO! J.K.Rowling is Rita Skeeter to me. Also you should look up 'The Worst Witch,' because it's basically Harry Potter.

𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑴𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑬

Most definitely black, or what if she came from an Indian family who wanted her to marry and the Wizarding World was her escape? She studies hard because this new world is a second chance for freedom!

I also wish Hermione was bisexual/pansexual. She and Ginny, or even she and Cho would make such a gorgeous couple!

𝑳𝑼𝑵𝑨

I think it would have been cool if she was an albino (I am so sorry if that's not the right way to say it. I don't want to offend anyone). Her long white hair, pale skin, translucent lashes and brows. With beautiful purple eyes (this is actually how I imagined the Targaryens to look, not just having white hair).

She is definitely demisexual; only feeling attraction after developing a friendship first. I can also see Luna as trans!

𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑹𝒀

I've seen some fancasts and fanart of Harry with his ethnicity being Indian, or Pakistani. Which I'm completely okay with. Maybe even James is half black, and that makes Harry a quarter, so it's still noticeable - and another thing that the Dursley's are horrible to him about.

I think Harry is Bi/Pan - I have this headcanon that he had a crush on Oliver Wood, and Katie Bell when he was in first year.

𝑹𝑶𝑵

I honestly just see Ron as a normal hetero male. Honestly, there's nothing queer about him at all. But he is very supportive of his friends and family as well as the LGBTQIA+ community. He would always be at Pride with whoever asked him, and have anyone's back who needed it.

And the Weasley's are known for their red hair, so I think I would keep their heritage/ethnicity the same!

𝑫𝑼𝑴𝑩𝑬𝑳𝑫𝑶𝑹𝑬

YES, THIS MAN IS A GAY MAN. But I feel as though he's very monogamous; he will love one person, even if they do not love him back, for the rest of his life. Like with Grindelwald, Dumbledore couldn't stop the feelings he had - even though the man was turning into a pretty evil one.

𝑺𝑵𝑨𝑷𝑬

His sexuality always confused him. Because he was in love with Lily, truly in love with her. But sometimes he found James attractive, and he hated himself for it.

Shows himself as straight, but I think he's bisexual or at least bi-curious.

I think for his ethnicity, it can be the same. Pasty white skin, black hair, hooked nose. Maybe his family distantly came from a Mediterranean island?

𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑶

Oh, I think keeping Draco white ... and maybe all the Death Eaters white would be saying a lot. They're basically Nazi's. So that wouldn't change.

Draco is most definitely bisexual. He was so in love with Harry, feigning it as hate. Knowing everything about him, staring at him from across the room. When he was younger, it was easier to see it as hate. But then when he turned 16, he felt a pang of desire for the Potter boy and the self-loathing began.

𝑮𝑬𝑶𝑹𝑮𝑬

Falls in love very easily, but usually with a woman. Not to say he's completely hetero, I think he would be bi-curious, but I think he wants a wife with a big family.

𝑭𝑹𝑬𝑫

I actually think Fred would be polyamorous. The kind where the girlfriend is allowed another boyfriend, not like Sisterwives. No, no. Fred would be totally cool with having a wife who has a boyfriend, and they all live together. Fred's a little fruity as well. I think he's one of those people that 'don't like to put a label on things.'

𝑺𝑰𝑹𝑰𝑼𝑺

Pansexual. Pansexual. Pansexual. Doesn't care if you're trans, he loves a person for who they are, what they believe in, rather than what their bits are. One of the reasons why he ran away from home. He hates tradition.

I think the Black family could be from Sicily, I know that's not necessarily POC, I think with their darker features, they would easily reign from there. And Sicilians are known for always distinguishing themselves from any other Mediterranean culture.

𝑹𝑬𝑴𝑼𝑺

He always thought of himself as straight. But that was until he met Sirius and he developed such a big crush on him. I think Remus would be Biromantic towards women but Bisexual towards men.

𝑪𝑯𝑶

WHY THE HELL DID ROWLING CALL AN ASIAN PERSON, "CHO CHANG," PUT THEM IN THE "SMARTEST HOUSE". It's racism. That's how I see it. She does this with many characters, and it's ridiculous.

Anyway, I have no problem with Asian representation. But what if Cho was Native American? (I know Rowling made that whole other school but it was really problematic so to me, it doesn't exist).

Or have Cho as Chinese (maybe give her a proper Chinese name), and we can have another main character...like Hermione, or Katie Bell as Native American. I just think it would be interesting to see an exchange student from another country as well.

𝑮𝑰𝑵𝑵𝒀

Lesbian. Poly lesbian. All those boys she went out with in Hogwarts were actually just beards. And she was having a secret relationship with another girl in her year. However, the polyamory doesn't come out until she's in her 20s.

𝑩𝑰𝑳𝑳

Polysexual; sexual or romantic attraction to people with varying genders. Polysexual orientations include bisexuality, pansexuality, omnisexuality, and queer, among many others. Basically, he can be attracted to anyone. But Fleur was the one who captured his heart fully and wholely.

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑳𝑰𝑬

Asexual; I know he isn't in the movies (WHY?!) but he spends all his time with Dragons, and I think that will always be his main love and passion.

[nakibistan]

Allah Loves Equality - A Voice for LGBTQIA+ Muslims & Minorities

🌈☪️Allah Loves Equality is a revolutionary campaign that was started by a Pakistani Gay Muslim Activist Wajahat Abbas Kazmi The campaign amplified the voices of marginalised womxn including Queer womxn,Pakistani LGBTQ community as well as LGBTQIA+ muslims.Hashtag #AllahLovesEquality has been trending since 2016.The campaign gain both supports & criticisms. Through his campaign,wajahat wanted to spread the message of TRUE Islam,wanted to end hate & bigotry within muslim societies.The message of ''Allah Loves Equality'' was spred across the continents.A documentary film by the same name was directed by Wajahat Abbas Kazmi to documents the lives of queer muslims in Islamic State of Pakistan🇵🇰 It was a very courageous thing that he has done.Like A jihad for Love,Poshida:Pakistan's Hidden LGBT, Allah Loves Equality film abled to show Pakistan's underground queer & sexual minority.

Wajahat Abbas Kazmi campaigning in Pride March of Italy 🇮🇹🇵🇰🏳️‍🌈

Turkish Gay muslim model is holding #AllahLovesEquality

#AllahLoveEquality in Europe's first Muslim LGBTQ+ Pride 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈☪️

A Queer Palestianian holding #AllahLovesEquality in Jerusalem Pride.

Filipino Muslim Filmmaker Rhadem Musawah marching with #AllahLovesEquality 🇵🇭🏳️‍🌈

[indigosabyss]

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[skiddo-xy]

Watching Heeramandi is realy making me appreciate Urdu because the actors speak in such a beautiful Urdu and the characters have beautiful Urdu names. Sometimes with Urdu amidst all the roman Urdu usage online and how Lahore(my family's city)'s pollution and poverty doesn't capture it's historically-held beauty. And my Pakistani culture is one of my biggest prides it's jsut that I don't associate other aspects of our culture which I love such as our food and clothing with Urdu for some reason unlike our history etc (idk exactly what is making that part of my brain tick.) And as I was watching this my dad (2nd gen Pakistani) mentioned that his sisters are jealous of how his Urdu has gotten noticeably better than theirs (it used to be worse) (and yes they are all adults lol). Too bad the subtitles aren't available in Urdu because that could accelerate my Urdu learning and I never felt the need to learn the Hindi writing system as a Muslim-origin Pakistani. I finished episode 1 a few minutes ago and I can definitely see myself rewatching this series 💚💚💚

[neptunescore]

ೃ˙ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝑩𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅࿐

Navigation! | Introduction! | Chat with me!

˚˖⋆.𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆?

↳ Zainab has lost herself. She is a mother of two — and proud. She is a widow (and isn’t that weird). She is a victim. She is was abused. But what is she away from that? Zainab has lost herself. Yet everyday she finds a new piece of the woman she was before, a new piece of the head strong and passionate woman she aims to be once more.

. ݁₊⊹ 𝕆𝕙, 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕣, 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕓𝕖 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕕 ⊹₊ ݁.

˚˖⋆.𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖?

↳ Abbas had forced Zainab to stop writing as soon as they got married. Now, Zainab is a free woman — and the pen in her hand is set upon a new page once more.

↳ Amaani’s interest in Formula 1 may have been forced upon her by Abbas, but Zainab remains a firm supporter of her only daughter’s dreams. The mother now takes full responsibility of her daughter’s financial matters, as well as negotiating with different teams.

↳ Zainab’s marriage was hell. Her husband came home drunk, shouted at her, slammed her around like a piece of paper, then demanded sex from her. When Amaani was born Zainab hoped for him to finally come to his senses — oh how foolish she was — her breath leaves her body for the first time after her marriage when Amaani is at the tender age of 5, a blossoming bruise on her left cheek. At least the pair match now.

˚˖⋆.𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒎 𝑰?

↳ Zainab’s faith is strong (something her children have inherited), her hijab is a a show of pride, and her abayas are as fashionable as they are striking. She is a woman of grace and intellect, with her books being sold all around the world — making her one of the most popular Pakistani authors.

↳ Zainab comes from a strong family, her own Ammi: a retired neurosurgeon, and her Abbu: an active psychologist professor at Harvard. The woman has 4 brothers and 3 sisters, leading to some very interesting family gatherings.

↳ Zainab’s brothers share a humongous mansion with their parents (joint family) — she is immediately invited back to the Mansoor household in The Aftermath, all 7 of her siblings welcoming her with open arms; they had always suspected something was wrong with Abbas — witnessing Zainab’s slowl withdrawal into herself as the marriage progressed.

[mlmxreader]

An Officer & A Gentleman | Alejandro Vargas x trans!m!reader

anonymous asked: Here we go then(thank you though:))

I wanted to request for alejandro vargas x pakistani!ftm reader who is a pilot and they have this annual award ceremony thing and alejandro has never seen reader in a suit so when he sees reader this prompt is brought up "You're just... fuck me, you look so good right now" and later as reader is talking to some of his fellow air force pilots this prompt is brought up “Can I have this dance?”

Sorry if this is too specific or non-specific and if you don't feel comfortable doing it then its cool :)

-🦝

summary: the Pakistan Air Force holds various ceremonies and celebrations throughout the year, and usually, you don't see the point in going - but with Alejandro at your hide, maybe there was a reason to go.

tws: swearing

Usually, you never went to the award ceremonies or any of the other celebrations that were common for the Pakistan Air Force to host, as you never really saw much point in it; sure, the caterers that they always brought in always made the most magnificent food, and free drinks and dancing were appreciated as well - especially when they brought in the fancy coffee machines and had a choice selection of different iced coffees to choose from - but other than that, you didn't see much point. You only agreed this year because Ansharah had begged you to go, pleading with you and promising you that, if you did, her wife Salome would make her famous Nigerian party rice from a family recipe for you and Alejandro; if only for the fact that Salome would give you food, you agreed to go.

Alejandro was eager to go anyway, wanting to share pride in what you had done in your career and, admittedly, wanting to steal the food and the drinks and take advantage of the fact that it was all free; he had had traditional Pakistani food before, but nothing could come close to it being authentically made. It was why he always pestered you to cook when you were home together, and although you were happy to share with him some of your family's recipes and dishes, you did encourage him to bring some plastic tubs and sandwich bags so that you could have leftovers tomorrow. The only thing was that you were working, and wouldn't have time to pick Alejandro up before you had to go to the stupid ceremony thing; Ansharah and Salome said they would grab him on their way, and you were more than thankful towards them for that.

You only just had enough time to change into your uniform suit; dark blue, it suited you well, and with all your decorations on it, it looked even better. It fitted you perfectly, as was to be expected, but it was warm and it was comfortable; you did worry a while ago, that when you came out as trans, they would force you to wear the wrong one - but they didn't. They changed the uniforms immediately so that you had the correct one, without even needing to hear anything further. Now you had this one, and the dark blue blazer felt like a hug as you shrugged it on and did up the buttons before putting your cap on. You had to admit: you looked fucking good.

It was just about to begin when you met Ansharah, Salome and Alejandro outside, apologising breathlessly until you noticed the way that Alejandro looked at you.

"What?"

"Nothing, amor," he shook his head, hardly able to keep the grin from his face. "You're just... fuck me, you look so good right now... how come I've never seen you dressed like this before, huh?"

You shrugged, taking your cap off so that you could wipe the sweat from your forehead. "I don't wear it unless it's for formal bullshit like this."

Ansharah glared at you playfully. "Mūrakh, don't say that!"

"Well, it's true," you chuckled, shrugging. "Salome... piyār, did you bring the party rice?"

Salome nodded, smiling fondly at you as she tried not to laugh. "Yes, I did, obi ụtọ. It's in the car waiting for you both."

"You are a lifesaver," you told her seriously. "I love you."

"You're the little brother I never thought I'd have," she joked softly, playfully smacking the back of your head. "Go on, get inside."

Laughing, you took Alejandro's arm, and escorted him inside; there were a few greetings exchanged with higher officers, all very keen to meet the man who had captured their pilot's heart, all very impressed when Alejandro told them that he was a Colonel. One of the highest ranking officers, Ahmed, even said so himself that he was proud of you for managing to get with someone like Alejandro; he liked him, said he was a good man and if he ever needed a place for the Los Vaqueros to stay, there was always a bed for them with the Pakistan Air Force. You made your way around, stopping nearly constantly to fill up the sandwich bags and plastic tubs with food from the tables and from the waiters who were wandering around.

"Amor, we'll run out of space, soon," Alejandro pointed out.

"So we can stuff our pockets as well," you shrugged. "It's free food, Ale."

He laughed, shaking his head as a certain fondness came to his eyes; but then he noticed an old song by Chuck Berry playing, and he noticed that there was a space for dancing, Alejandro knew that before you left and before you made a move to go anywhere at all, he had to have just one dance with you. Just one dance, even if only because he could and because there was finally an excuse for it; Alejandro had to have just one dance with you, just one slow and steady dance, nothing fancy and nothing too energetic, just one slow dance. Just one dance where he could hold you close and he could feel your body against his own, where he could actually admire the suit that you were wearing. Just one dance.

There were some more officers to talk to, some more pilots and their spouses and partners to catch up with, and when one of the pilots from your squadron brought over his son, you picked one of him up, and grinned.

"You've gotten so big!" You chuckled. "When I last saw you, you were only diddy."

The child laughed, shaking his head. "I'm six now!"

"Six?!" You acted surprised. "Alejandro, can you believe he's six?"

"No, amor," Alejandro chuckled as he played along. "Six?"

"Six!" The child nodded. "akala, I'm nearly as old as you!"

You laughed as you nodded. "Nearly, kid, nearly... how are you doing at school?"

"I like Science!" He told you excitedly.

"Yeah?" You asked. "I liked science when I was in school, too."

"And me," Alejandro nodded. "I was good at it, too, mijo."

"So I can be like both of you!" The child beamed.

You shrugged. "Maybe - maybe if you're nice to your akala Alejandro, he'll help with your homework..." you pretended to whisper, "he's really good with the maths side of things."

"Your Tío (y/n) is no good with maths," Alejandro warned. "Absolutely terrible."

"I'm not that bad!" You told him with a yelp.

"You asked me what three times one was," he pointed out. "Mijo, don't let him near your homework."

"Go play with the others," you said, setting the child down gently. "I need to tell your akala Alejandro off."

"Is it because he called you stupid?"

"Yes," you laughed, ruffling his hair before sending him on his way. You turned to Alejandro with a playful glare. "I'm not that bad!"

"Sí, amor, you really are," he laughed when you playfully smacked his shoulder. "I love you, but you're no good with maths."

"I hate you," you chuckled, quickly kissing him. "Just for that, I'm gonna abandon you so I can go talk to Ansharah."

"You're evil," he told you, grinning.

But he wasn't going to let you be alone so easily, and when you started laughing and joking around with Ansharah and a few of the other pilots, Alejandro took his moment; he waited for a slow and gentle song to play before he came up behind you, tapping your shoulder as he smiled, handing his bag to Salome with a thankful nod.

"Amor, can I have this dance?"

Putting your hand in his, you nodded. "As long as you behave."

"No promises."

You grinned. Maybe it was worth attending these events after all; maybe you didn't want to show up just for free food that was promised for you. Maybe you would show up to the next one, so long as you could bring Alejandro along with you. As long as you had Alejandro at your side, maybe there was a point of going to these things.

if you liked this fic, REBLOG IT - you SHOULD reblog it; if you don't wanna reblog, then you'll get blocked; reblogging is the BARE MINIMUM.

[zaidshair]

ABOUT

[ KUKKUTARMA ]  [ INSPO]

BASICS: Name: Zaid Shair (Zah-eed Shayh-yeer) Age: 41years old. he's a cancer that's all I know so far Gender & Pronouns: Cis man - He/Him Place of birth: Sheffield, England PERSONAGE: Previous occupation: executive chef and owner of two fine-dining restaurants: - in London, Mango (successful) - in New York, Chutney (derisive) Powers: plasma blasts. Zaid passively absorbs cosmic energy, like a living storage cell. Energy must be released by force. Crystal bracelet: green malachite First impressions: Zaid can be intense, but soft-spoken and calm. He knows how to be friendly and personable. He can let his emotions get the best of him. He does have a Mr Hyde to his Dr Jekyll, but that only comes out in certain circumstances

PLOT IDEAS:

cooking baba: an obvious outcome for Zaid on the island. His passion for cooking is greatly diminished, but needs must for survival on a strange island, and everyone knows food boosts morale. Something to do with cuisine, be it connections pre-island, hunting/gathering, planning/rationing, food-sickness, cooking, etc!

fwb: Zaid is hurting, they're hurting too. good thing they're both attractive, because then pain becomes beautiful and sexy, right? power play: figuring out powers! working together or against each other! lots of room for experimentation here adventure time: I love adventure plots and there's ample grounds to explore and get in trouble together!

APPEARANCE: Height: 5'8" Eyes : brown Hair: black, worn short. Trimmed beard and moustache Build: compact Tattoos: tattoos on his arms, tbd

BACKGROUND: Nationality: Pakistani-British Family: Three grandparents, two parents, multiple younger siblings (tbd), loads of uncles, aunties, cousins, etc. A big family that he never quite got close to, except for that one unmarried quirky-dirky Jotie-Auntie.

BULLET POINTS:

- Zaid, eldest child in his family, first brought shame to the Shairs when he decided to eschew a degree in commerce, and went to cooking school instead - Coming out to his family was somehow less shameful than his career choice, because he still liked girls, mashallah! Zaid didn't mind the various arranged dates, but his ambition overshadowed finding a match. -He moved to Paris, then London in his early 20s to apprentice in restaurants, growing in rank and gaining respect as a dedicated, hard working line cook. He took an executive chef job at a boutique hotel in London in his late 20s - His first point of pride was opening his fine-dining restaurant Mango in 2015 in touristy Soho. Lauded in reviews for his insightful, delightful take on Pakistani cuisine, Mango became one of the trendiest eateries in London. - He refrained from the allure of 'celebrity chef' despite network and social media offers, aiming instead for that Michelin star status. He just wanted one, he was modest. - Gaining that one star should've been the biggest highlight of his life, but it was eclipsed when he met the real and only love of his life (so Zaid claims), Tej Virani. - In Zaid's mind, their romance was a firestarter, burning quick, bright, and hot. Zaid did everything to keep Tej living a comfortable life, and was proud of how he oh-so magnificently balanced work duties around Tej's whimsical needs. - After gaining his Michelin star, everything in Zaid's life seemed to bottleneck: the unexpected arrival of Tej's niece Inika, his PR agent's push for Zaid to move towards celebrity status (write that book! guest judge on Masterchef and Chopped! live-feed the cooking seminars at schools!), his own personal temptation to open a new restaurant in New York. - Zaid was convinced he could do it all. He packed up Tej and their little ward Inika and emigrated to New York. Surely he could pull this all together, with his usual efficiency and drive. - Surely, he could not. COVID happened. His relationship suffered, celebrity hopes were locked down; and with that, his new restaurant plans suffered. Chtuney eventually opened with a whimper rather than a bang, and the restaurant limped along for a year under poor leadership and red tape, as Zaid spiralled further into disarray in his personal life. Tej slipped out of his grasp and maybe it was for the better. Maybe not. - When he finally cracked from stress, he cracked hard. In a fit of spite, he stole Inika from Tej, headed to Montauk, and promised they'd never return. He and Inika would start a new life, back in London - no! In Sheffield! - and Tej would never see them again. - Tej's plaintive convincing made Zaid relinquish his mad plans, but by then it was too late. Zaid was so focused on Tej and their argument, he wasn't paying attention to the child. They lost Inika to the night waters of Montauk Beach. The child was gone, drowned, dead and Zaid was inconsolable and blamed Tej for all of it. - The funeral was for an empty casket, which was in many ways deeply symbolic for Zaid over the next few months of solitude and grief. - His New York restaurant in shambles, his relationship had long sailed. Zaid settled into trying to recoup his losses in New York. After which he intended to return to London with his tail between his legs. But instead, Zaid ended up on an entirely different island.

[badedramay]

@roobylavender replied to your post:

thank you for answering! this is super insightful and i really appreciate the point you make about intention and how despite include some repercussions of feudal traditions, addressing that niche of pakistani society as a whole was not actually the central aim of the drama (so in that aspect it’s distinct of dramas like sang-e-marmar, sang-e-mah, malaal-e-yaar, badshah begum, etc.). i definitely think that’s a valid defense to shielding it from some criticism bc like you said the more pertinent intent is to address misplaced judgments, rectification of old mistakes, the harms of parents projecting onto their children, the plights of stubbornness and inflexibility, etc. that definitely holds when, like you said, you approach ruhi’s arc as a whole, bc it’s about much more than a mere reaction to societal practice  and i like the point you bring up in the tags about faarah too! i’m less endeared to wali this go around bc some of his alpha male behavior towards her in the beginning of their relationship seriously turns me off lol but it’s true a lot of faarah’s relationship to the haveli is premised on her dynamic with agha jaan first, and that’s definitely where the show wins a lot of viewers over (including me! they were so sweet and i loved them) in any other show that tried a similar approach of “wait and see that this guy you got married to isn’t Actually so bad even though he’s trying to dictate everything you do” i think i would probably still remain super turned off bc there’s not often a character like agha jaan present to balance out that transition into accepting that maybe your judgments of your spouse and their family are not entirely solid. so aH he was here lol! such a crucial character to tie everything together truly 

(making this reply a new post rather than continuing in comments cuz I need my space with me especially when talking about Wali akjsdhakwjeahw)

Yes! exactly! I was thinking of dramas like Sang-e-Marmar and Mere Humnasheen as examples when I was making that point. In those dramas, the background of the characters is the plot. because when you remove the background the entire story falls flat on its place. the characters and their actions in those dramas they are not justified but also plausible because of the characters’ backgrounds. the same doesn’t fully apply to the characters of DeD. Aga Jaan’s family could’ve been from any non-specific feudal background and the story would still take place. the reasoning might have to be altered to fit that but on the whole, the plot progression could’ve happened in the same way as it originally did.

As for Wali...oh boyyyy yahan pe aata hai conflict. because Wali remains my most criticized AND most beloved Pakdrama hero. my history on PakDrama fandom world is witness to how much I have dragged this man for his actions (even as recently as just a few days ago!) however, regardless of how much some of his actions continue to irk me..on the whole Wali’s character journey is so fascinating and intriguing for me that I can never see him as a “red flag bad guy”. there are layers to him!! I do sometimes wonder how Wali would be perceived in today’s landscape. like i am SURE he’d be criticized a lot more than he was back in 2015. some of his actions wrt Faraa are so ruthless that I can vividly imagine some people on stantwt making it their mission to start “Cancel Wali Suhaib Khan!!!” parades.

But like I said, the beauty of DeD is how a character comes across when you take the context of their situation when they were performing a certain action. Wali’s abusive kidnapping of Faraa and the initial manhandling he did with her within the first few days of her return to the haveli..these are things added in the drama for well drama’s sake. Wali of the novel was always the picture of perfect gentleman. Wali of the drama was prideful. for six years he had witnessed his own pride be spat on by Faraa’s cold demeanor. Wali forgave the insult to his pride, where he fully lost his senses was when he witnessed his Aga Jaan, his most beloved grandfather, be reduced to a man just breathing not living because of all the hurt Faraa’s attitude had caused him for years...that was unforgivable for Wali. in a very pathetic attempt to be his defense..Wali was pushed to show his most brutal self to Faraa and confirm her worst fears about him that she had nursed for years all because there was no other way Faraa would just LISTEN to him. Wali had never tried to impose the power their nikaah gave him over Faraa except just this once. and he did that not for his own self but for his grandfather’s.

Wali is not a perfect character; good heroes seldom are (hence why drama!Wali is more beloved to me than novel!Wali) The show had already established Wali as someone who had the habit of exercising his dominance where he could. We saw it in how he would scold Zarminay when she tried to be nosy in his affairs or him reprimanding her for planning picnics. but at the end of the day that strictness was not what defined him. we saw how Zarminay confided in her brother and leaned on to him in the time of intense grief. because he was raised by Aga Jaan, he didn’t learn to put walls around his heart and was taught to have more love and respect in all the relationships he shared with anyone. THAT BEING SAID..Wali was ALSO a young man with all the hotheadedness youth brings with itself. it was his initial youthful blunder of putting himself across as a lazy, entitled brat to Faraa which made it easier for her to cement her bad opinion of him. it were his own insecurities that made him unable to empathize with Faraa when she found peace in Moiz’s company. yeah sure Wali’s guess about Moiz being a leech ended up being true but we cannot deny that Faraa’s proximity with Moiz wounded Wali’s pride as a man to the point where he started to question that maybe him assuming duties far beyond the capability of his age had rendered him into an undesirable man. Wali was also well..petty.

Despite all that..I cannot see Wali as someone who, after his rage died down, was incapable of asking for forgiveness for his actions. YEAH I KNOW THE SHOW DIDN’T GIVE ME THAT SCENE AND I WILL FOREVER HOLD A GRUDGE AGAINST IT FOR DENYING ME THE SCENE OF WALI ON HIS KNEES BEGGING FOR FARAA’S FORGIVENESS FOR TREATING HER SO HORRIBLY but i also know that how Wali’s character was shaped up..there did come a point when he did apologize for it all. HECK! I can imagine Aga Jaan severely reprimanding Wali if he so got a whiff of HOW ACTUALLY Wali managed to bring Faraa back to haveli and refusing to talk to Wali until he SEES Wali on his knees holding his ears and awaiting Faraa’s forgiveness. which she’d give him of course. not only because she loved him but because she is at that point in her life where she wants all the past mistakes kept aside to start afresh.

Wali works because Aga Jaan works. if Aga Jaan who started as the villain of the story can have a character arc that makes him THE BEATING HEART AND SOUL of the entire story, Wali also cannot stray too far away from the circle of redemption purely because of his connection to Aga Jaan. it’s because of Aga Jaan Wali is mercifully not given the “he’s good because we say he’s good so whatever you saw and how you interpret him is wrong” treatment that so many of the current Pakistani dramas subject their protagonists to (coughmeerabcough). because we SEE Wali’s connection with Aga Jaan and we SEE how Aga Jaan’s sheer love won over Faraa and gave her the peace and acceptance that she was craving for for years..we can SEE why Faraa, by this connection, falls for Wali. not just because he’s her husband and she has no choice but to love him. i see it in a more poetic manner...’the beloved’s beloved becomes my beloved’.

[echonvoid]

Happy pride y’all!! Have some skybound fanart for my au.

Essentially, most of the season is the same with only like 2 or 3 major changes.

1) Jay only saw the eyepatch and a small munchkin that turns out to be CJ (baby wu)

2) when they have that awkward sexist interview (w/ just cole, nya, and Jay) Cole actively came out as gay (he figures out the demi stuff later) to stop them from pestering nya about the love triangle, Jay fucking sneezes to interrupt and then asked her what taking on the preeminent single handedly and winning was like. They then answer all the sexist questions and shit (there’s some great fanfics about this that definitely inspired this; I’ll try to remember to link them somewhere) the reason they did this was because nya and Ronin had a talk with them (and dareth) after the whole commercial/make-up segment fiasco.

3) Jay’s parents (Ed and Edna; who fun fact are t4t and were both post op, so they couldn’t have biological kids) and culture growing up is heavily Persian/Pakistani inspired(bc the movie voice actor is from Pakistan im pretty sure). So he grew up hearing legends and tales about the djinn, and viewed them like fairytales or demigods. He had heard the tale of the vile Nadakhan the pirate king, but thought it was stupid to believe the stories were real. So he was more starstruck when he first saw nadakhan. And after being insecure about his financial status (mostly cuz he couldn’t afford to take his friends out to eat like that) it was easy for nadakhan to manipulate him into making the first wish that sent them down the same road as the og stories

4) Nadakhan kidnaps Jay instead of nya to be his bride, mostly cuz that’s who was grabbed, but also cuz Jay has stubbornly remained unbroken and he wanted to break him by being the reason he’s all powerful (or some shit like that)Either a cultural misunderstanding or bc he’s an asshole, nadakhan begins using feminine terms for Jay (she/her, and shit; his bigender awakening). The photo on the left has the wedding attire Jay wore.

5) god there was more of these than I thought. Anywhoodle, time doesn’t reverse, bc Jay is able to be hit with the venom and be fine (well ok he was feverish and sick for a couple days, but the Serpentine blood in his veins meant he was immune to most poisons). He wishes nadakhan to be mortal, and in the process is cursed by nadakhan to never die *and* to watch his loved ones die over and over again.

Hmmm…. I swear there was more I wanted to say, but for the life of me I can’t remember

Oh well 🤷

[lgbtqiamuslimpedia]

Faisal Alam

DOB : 1977 maybe

Occupation: LGBTQ+ rights activist,Community leader,Writer

Gender : Male

Sexuality : Gay

Religion : Islam

Ethnicity : South Asian

Nationality : Pakistani 🇵🇰

Faisal Alam is a Pakistani-American Gay Muslim man.He is a faith-based activist,writer,advocate for South Asian & Muslim LGBTQ+ folks, & public speaker.He founded the Al-Faitha, a pioneer org. for queer muslims.His organization helped to advance Queer Muslim movement internationally.He is the co-founder of Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity , a National Muslim LGBTQ+ organization in North America.

He is a member of the National Religious Leadership Roundtable (NRLR), an interfaith network of US LGBT leaders,member of the National Advisory Board for the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion & Ministry.He also a member of Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV).

Early Life

Faisal Alam was born in the Islamic State of Pakistan & was raised in a muslim household.At the age of 10 his family arrived in the USA in 1987 and resided in the rural middle-class town of Ellington,Connecticut. He completed his studies in America.

Activism & Advocacy

In 1997, Faisal Alam started an email listserv for LGBTQ+ Muslims that led to the founding of Al-Fatiha Foundation in 1998 in Boston.Since then the org. had grown significantly, with its sister-organizations & chapters in the Canada,USA,UK,Spain,Turkey & South Africa.Under his leadership,Al-Fatiha and the LGBITQ Muslim communities have received wide media recognition.He was served as a President of Al-Fatiha, from 1998-2004.Faisal Alam represented Al-Fatiha at both National Religious Leadership Roundtable & the Center for Lesbian & Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry.During his leadership, Al-Fatiha organized 4 major conferences,retreats for LGBTQI+ Muslims & their Allies from around the world.In 2005, Al-Fatiha launched national fundraising campaign, where Faisal traveled around the country to meet with local LGBTIQ Muslims & their Allies.In July 2005,Al-Fatiha hosted the the first LBTQ Muslim women’s retreat in Philadelphia and in September 2005, hosted the 5th International Retreat for LGBTQIA+ Muslims.Additionally the org. made significant links with sexual & gender minorities within the Islamic world,helping to support the struggle for the recognition of human rights in countries including Egypt, Turkey,Palestine,Pakistan,Malaysia,Saudi Arabia,Bangladesh,etc.After getting threats & pressure from muslim conservatives, radicalists Al-Fatiha members closed the organization.

In addition to his LGBT faith-based activism, Faisal is also involved in numerous local organizations.He is a member of AQUA (Asian Queers United in Action) of Washington,Khush-DC,National Minority AIDS Council of Washington,etc.He is also an active member in OUTFront, the LGBT program of Amnesty International,Human Rights Watch,National Gay & Lesbian Task Force.He did work in HIV/AIDS prevention and education in the Asian & Pacific Islander communities.

In 2011, Alam and other LGBTQ Muslim activists were invited by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to form a Queer Muslim Working Group to evaluate the needs of the LGBTQ Muslim community.Alam was instrumental in bringing together a diverse group of seasoned leaders to undertake this project. In 2013, the Queer Muslim Working Group launched a new organization – the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity.Faisal has also spoken at many LGBTQ interfaith panel discussions and has presented at numerous interfaith services, around the country.He has also spoken at many major events including Youth Pride Day in Washington,DC (2000),Millennium March on Washington (2000) & Creating Change(National LGBT Activist Conference, 2001).

Honorary

Faisal has received numerous recognitions & awards for his activism on behalf of LGBTQQI+ Muslims.The Advocate Magazine selected him as an "Innovator" Genre Magazine has recognized him as a "Founding Father" and the Utne Reader chose him as one of 30 "Young Visionaries Under 30" In 2005 the Equality Forum recognized Faisal as one of “40 Heroes” who have "made a defining difference in LGBT civil rights over the last forty years."In 2008 Faisal received an award from Pride Toronto for his "outstanding contribution in the area of spirituality that positively impacts LGBT communities.

[austenwithaalta]

I’m 19 . I love art. Art in any form . It might be music, dance , painting, movies , theatre,series etc. I like travelling, exploring new places , new cuisines, traditions ,fashion etc. But i have established some lines. They are not very rigid boundaries but some unspoken yet strong ones. I go back and keep listening to the same songs which i love and have sorted them into specific playlists according to their genre. I love watching my favourite shows again and again. There is a show called the bold type which i totally love and adore. It’s a show where they show three friends working in a leading American women’s magazine based in New York. They have some amazing episodes. They have put a spotlight on some really delicate and untouched topics . They have written some brilliant characters. The men in that show are the epitome of how females want men to be in real life . Watching it gives me immense comfort. There’s another show called Hum Tum . It’s a Pakistani drama . Usually Pakistani dramas are very patriarchal but this one has broken many stereotypes. They have portrayed a divorced woman wanting to pursue a PHD and complete her studies , men cooking and doing household chores without hurting their fragile ego , an old man in his 60s enjoying his retirement by being a social media star, a father gradually realising how important his three daughters are. I have watched it many times too. Similarly,there are some movies which intrigues me so much . One of them has to be Eat. Pray . Love where Julia Roberts sets out to find her “word” as she says. My favourite, the holiday, Wake up Sid, Zindagi Na Milegi dobara, Pride and Prejudice, Dear Zindagi, Little Women etc etc. Coming to books, I’ve read some beautiful books which have left important imprints behind them. One of them has to be a book that i had recently read, Pachinko by Min jin Lee . It was so beautiful that i could keep going back to it . I had read a book by Preeti Shenoy named Wake up, Life is Calling. That book is so refreshing, we can keep going back to it again and again. I had read tonnes of Enid Blyton books , the whole of Nancy Drew and other mystery series as well. So when i say comfort zones, i mean a safe space where i escape every time I feel like things are a bit at odds i switch to my comfort shows because they have set the world for me the same as i want . Even with people , it’s not like i don’t like interacting with new people. I do but i feel like the ones i have are enough and i can’t and don’t want to lose them ever. I feel safe like I’m in a cocoon when i talk to my favourite human beings , when i watch my comfort shows or go through some brilliantly written works . I feel at my utmost home when i jot down my thoughts into words. It’s a safe haven. I love dancing. Oh , the joy! It is when i dance I’m the happiest. So we should always keep in close proximity with our safe and comfort zones. It’s not a bad thing. There’s a thin line between being selfish and loving yourself.

[tinyreviewtyrant]

OF HOW I FOUND MYSELF IN KASHAF MURTAZA

Things that are most personal to you, are more often than not those things which have moved you in your worst of days, been there for you when no one else was, as the only thing that kept you going. Cinema, for me, is one such thing. However, before I could fully appreciate and comprehend the art cinema, I had stumbled upon this series that changed my life forever, for the better, of course. My first ever series, Zindagi Gulzar Hai was this Pakistani series based on the novel by the same name. At an age, where you're struggling to find your voice, too baffled to develop a personality or a value system you would abide by, I found myself in Kashaf Murtaza.

There hasn't been another character I've related to as much. Kashaf Murtaza was flawed, headstrong, confident, feisty, self-made, class conscious, fastidious, egoistic, fragile, sensitive, indifferent; all of which I'd never seen in a female protagonist before.

An intensely tangled character with nuanced layers, the arc her character attains by the end of the series, is what transformed me as a person forever, wherein I began to accept my flawed self.

From a lower middle class family, Kashaf Murtaza is the "chudail awwal" who outperforms the richest brats of her university, people who have twice as many opportunities than she can ever have. She's proud of the Kashaf she is, but suffers from the complexes of being a Murtaza, being the daughter of a father who abandoned her mother for giving birth to three daughters, compelling her mother to raise them on her own almost without a father.

In university, she initially tries to fit in only to realise that her clothes or accessories can never match upto them, "isse achha hain ki main apni energy usme lagao, jisse main unka muqabla kar sakti hoon, jaise ki padhai." Even though this was her epiphany, for me this was something my mom always told me, every time I tried to fit in somewhere I didn't belong, that my work should speak for itself.

She's at loggerheads with a rich brat Zaroon, who in her opinion, is privileged, entitled and elitist enough to be living in his own utopian world. Little did she know that all that glitters isn’t gold and neither did I, until then.

It is her achievements that lend her all the self-worth she possesses, she takes a lot of pride in her achievements, for it's always through the worst of days that she had to pass, to live to taste the fruits of her perseverance. She, however, isn't immune to her insecurities.

She has insecurities about her nose being crooked, hair not being great, of having an average looking face. Something I also garnered in my school days. She has an inferiority complex which she masks inadvertently with her superiority complex; she fears people would judge her for her habits, her values, her neighborhood, her family; hence, is always with her guards on. I was always the "nerdy studious helpful girl" (Ref: all my slam book pages) in school, who was anything but “cool" and that was something I always secretly aspired to be.

From a lower middle class family, Kashaf Murtaza is the "chudail awwal" who outperforms the richest brats of her university, people who have twice as many opportunities than she can ever have. She's proud of the Kashaf she is, but suffers from the complexes of being a Murtaza, being the daughter of a father who abandoned her mother for giving birth to three daughters, compelling her mother to raise them on her own almost without a father.

Her mother being the only parent and for the women she is, who raised them to the best of her abilities, is the person she's closest to. So am I. Kashaf is me who can't help but confide in her but never wants to add to the problems already on her plate.

"Tum laakh samjho mujhe sangemarmar, main tumhare saamne rait ki deewar nahi ban sakti, mujhe toot jane se khauf aata hain."

Having had to tackle the worst of problems by herself, Kashaf never felt the need to open up to anyone, lest they mistake her strong outer shell to be fragile, tag her misery as her frailty.

She's secretive about her feelings, her problems, her insecurities, which only manifest themselves in unprecedented ways, only to allow plenty of room to be misconstrued. I'm Kashaf once again, for I still can't put my feelings on a plate and hand it over to anyone, not even my mother. This sometimes makes me good, but not good enough.

Kashaf eventually learns it the hard way that nobody's life is indeed perfect, but it is we who should count our blessings and see life for the bitter-sweet flower bed it is.

Zindagi waaqei mein gulzar hain. Jaise Zaroon usko kehta hain....Zindagi abhi bhi baki hain. Bas farq yahi hai ki ab meri diary mein Allah ke liye shikwe kam hain. Maine unn cheezon pe raazi hona seekh liya hain jo wo mujhe deta hai. Aur unn cheezo ki talaash chhodd di hain jo laahasil hain."