Fifteen minutes of glory
Samina Khawar Hayat, member of the Punjab Assembly, gained instant fame owing to an interesting statement on second marriage. You! takes a look at the issue...
By Lubna Jerar Naqvi

On March 2nd, 1961, Pakistan's second president General Ayub Khan introduced the Muslim Family law through an Ordinance. According to the Muslim Family Law Ordinance's Section 6 unmitigated polygamy was abolished and it became necessary to get the consent of the current wife if the husband wanted to marry the second time. According to this ordinance: "The Arbitration Councils set up under the law in the urban and rural areas were to deal with cases of (a) grant of sanction to a person to contract a second marriage during the subsistence of a marriage; (b) reconciliation of a dispute between a husband and a wife; (c) grant maintenance to the wife and children."

Referring to the issue of more than one wife, Mr. Khaled Ahmed writes in his article 'Muslim Family Law: The Latest Assault on Society', "In 4:3 the Quran says '...but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with them then only one, or that which your right hands possess, that will be more suitable to prevent you from doing injustice'. Then in 4:129, the Quran says, 'Ye are never able to do justice between wives even if it is your ardent desire'. Many scholars, including Syed Abul Ala Maududi who favoured the contents of the Muslim Family Law Ordinance, have inferred from these verses that the state should codify law against polygamy accordingly, but the conservative clergy is of the opinion that the above Quranic verses still do not constitute a clear order. In Tunisia and Turkey polygamy is banned under Muslim Family Law." This verse is from Surah Nisa, which is the chapter in the Quran which deals with the rights of women in Islam.

Under the current financial set up of our families, a single earning member usually cannot provide a moderate education for his children, let alone a moderate lifestyle, thereby the nuclear family usually consists of two earning partners, where the mother has also donned the role of the partial bread earner. And unless both of these members contribute their incomes, it is quite impossible to support one's family.

Therefore, socially, more than one marriage is hardly feasible for those who have limited means. Even if someone still wants to follow what they interpret and marry a second time, there is no way that he can manage both families and maintain a financial balance or an emotional balance between the two.

Salaried men, who indulge in second marriages along with the first, will be able to relate to it, as it is next to impossible to keep both wives happy. They know how difficult it is to handle the finances of children from both marriages. However, there are exceptions to all rules, therefore there are surely men out there who don't really care whether their children and the women they marry are provided for. Such men ask their wives to earn for themselves and their children, without contributing at all. These men go out and marry not twice, but many times more, citing religion as their excuse.

And then of course, there are those men who want to make a 'record' by either marrying a number of women, or having X number of children, these people should be evaluated for their insatiable need to prove themselves. I wish someone could tell them that if they make one woman and her children happy, that proves their manliness, rather than having a harem of wives and an army of children, and not being able to provide them with emotional or financial justice.

However, mentioning the above Pakistani family law and verses from the Quran was only to set the background of what transpired in the Punjab Assembly late in February. One honourable member of the Punjab Assembly wasted the assembly's time, taxpayers' money and created media frenzy for at least fifteen minutes by declaring that men should be allowed to remarry a second time if they so pleased, and their wives should give them their permission to do so.

The said member of the Punjab Assembly Samina Khawar Hayat was supported by the maulvis outside the parliament, while most of her female colleagues in the assembly and majority of women outside not only condemned this statement but also ridiculed her.

Her female colleagues of course clarified that they were not of the same opinion, and that she had mentioned this in the house out of her own will. They clarified that Samina Hayat was not passing a resolution as it seemed at the time nor was she supported by other members. She just got up and gave this statement and basked in the short-lived publicity that she received in and out of the house, and of course the media attention on her for a couple of days afterwards.

Nobody knows what the honourable member of the Punjab Assembly meant to gain from this. Samina Hayat's fifteen minutes of glory  didn't get her any obvious gain, but it made one realise how our leaders are whiling away time sitting in the illustrious assemblies. I for one wouldn't mind if they sat there and swatted flies, but I do mind when my hard earned money is deducted in various forms of taxes, direct and indirect, to support such institutions and personnel. I mean am I not paying an arm and a leg to support the VIPs, VVIPs, and VVVIPs anyway, that my heart is burned to a crisp when my 'leaders' are doing everything under the sun than leading my country to better pastures.

However, having said that, many of our male members in the assembly have the time and audacity to send phone, verbal and written marriage proposals to their female colleagues. Have our assemblies become marriage bureaus where people pick and choose from 'candidates' around them? Since our 'leaders' have so much time on their hands, this should mean that ALL the problems that the country called Pakistan is facing have been resolved. This should mean the streets of Pakistan are paved with gold. The last time I checked, the prices of most things have been increased, with the price of a unit of electricity swelling again. Last I checked, a father and husband committed suicide because his wife and 13 year old daughter were raped, and the latter abducted not to be found. A five year old British born baby has been abducted by robbers and although he has been found, there are many who are still missing.

If these assembly members stopped taking the saying 'love thy neighbour' so literally, and paid more attention for what they have been sent to do, 'work for thy constituency' maybe Pakistan would at least have some, if not all, issues faced by the common man resolved.

Once the financial crunch faced by many families, with two working partners is resolved, and people are living in considerable ease, maybe then, and only then should our members sitting in such hallowed halls give vent to their personal desires and have fun at the expense of the people of Pakistan. Until the people of Pakistan have total bliss, such frivolous statements should be kept within the bounds of drawing rooms or kitty parties. Let the common man juggle their lives and don't give the men of Pakistan more to worry about than they already have.

 
beauty
Bright and beautiful
It's wedding season again. This week You! talks to Shaiyanne Malik, a famous wedding designer who now runs her own bridal salon...
By Shaza Khalid

Atraditional Pakistani wedding is a vibrant and elaborate affair. A wedding day is most likely to be one of the most treasured days in a bride's life. Wedding day brings with it lots of hopes, aspirations and anticipations. It's wedding season again. Brides today are choosing bridal joras with intricate beadwork and embroidery. This year we are seeing more and more colours in bridal wear - along with traditional red one can see champagne, pink, platinum, blue and even green.

When it comes to bridal hair and makeup every bride is extra careful as on her big day she wants to look her best. Usually brides choose the 'shadi ka jora' from one designer and then go for their makeup from some salon. Sometimes makeup complements their bridal costumes and sometimes it ends in a total disaster. There has to be proximity between bridal dress and makeup.

Recently, Shaiyanne Malik, a designer renowned for her flamboyant wedding dresses, has come up with her own bridal salon. "Bridal clothes and bridal makeup go together. I decided to set up my own salon so that I can offer a complete package to my brides and also be with them till the end realising the complete look which I had worked on while designing their ensembles," says Shaiyanne. 

What sets her salon apart from other salons is the level of comfort and high quality services it provides to its clients. "Being a designer when a bride comes to us I take a personal interest in her complete look. We have a special service where a bride can come and have a complete makeup trial free of charge and only then decide that she wants Samanzar to do her makeup and styling on her most special day," elaborates Shaiyanne.

The beautifully done salon is a 'one-stop' destination for brides where there are separate rooms for facials, body treatments and massages coupled with spa manicure and pedicure. As for bridal makeup and styling Shaiyanne has hired professional makeup artists. "We believe in given personalised services to our clients. Tina is the main makeup artist who has been in the field for the last twenty years and besides her there is Leena. Both girls are very competent and versatile," tells Shaiyanne.

"All my girls are well-trained We have workshops all the time every time we buy any new product, training sessions are held to keep them updated with every thing latest in fact we have just finished with a very intense L'oreal training workshop," she adds.

Talking about latest trends in bridal makeup Shaiyanne observes, "Today's bridal makeup is more radiant and natural. No longer do the lips have to be lined heavily and matte foundation with loose powder applied. At our salon it is soft for nikkah and engagement ceremonies and dramatic for weddings. For occasions like valima we prefer understated glamour. It also depends on the bride's choice. What sort of look she wants.  Some brides also want light but fun makeup on their mayoon.

"Besides bridal makeup we also offer a wide range of party and eveningsmakeup at a much lower price range for girls who just want to look beautiful. We do not charge exuberant prices for our services ,we offer packages to suit every one's budgets. We welcome every one at our salon."

Shaiyanne who is a firm believer in personal grooming advises all women out there to take out time for themselves. "A regular visit to salon is a must. There is no harm in pampering yourself from time to time." She thinks that a woman's vanity bag should have

a lipstick, eye makeup kit and a sun block. And when it comes to her own makeup, Shaiyanne's favourite makeup tool is kajal. "If I don't have a trace of makeup on my face I can get away with my kajal." She regards Madonna and Juila Roberts as beauty icons of modern age.

 Shaiyanne, who also participated in Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) first ever fashion week recently held in Lahore, was very happy over the tremendous response she got from the audience. "It was an exhilarating experience."

Right now she is content with her salon. "I am not interested in opening other branches of my salon as I believe in given customised services to our valued clients. This salon is not my business, it's my baby," she smiles. 

Credits:

Designer: Shayainne Malik

Photography: Kashif Ali

Model:Khulsum  @ Glam Models

Makeup: Samanzar's Salon 021-35865127

Coordination: Thomas Fernandes

Styling: Faisal Fasih

chatter matter
A tribute to Mr. Ghanshyam!

Performing arts is a specialised form of fine arts in which the artists perform in front of a live audience. These performers often adapt their appearance with costumes, makeup and stage, etc.

In 1983 Mr. and Mrs. Ghanshyam were forced to leave Pakistan abandoning all the work they had done here for over 25 years. They are the pioneers of classical dance and yoga and had set up The Rhythmic Art Centre in Karachi.

Tehrik-e-Niswan's second 'Tlism Dance and Theatre Festival for Peace and Disarmament' is opening at the Arts Council on 19th and will go on till the 28th of March 2010. Sheema Kermani who has been a student of Ghanshyam since the age of 13 has continued to keep alive this form of art inspite of great obstacles and hurdles. She is presenting the 2nd Tlism Festival of Dance and Theatre as a tribute to her dance teacher - the great maestro Mr. Ghanshyam.

The festival will bring exciting plays as well as dance performances presented by the talented and well trained team of Tehrik's actors and dance students.

Appropriately the festival will open with the scintillating musical dance extravaganza 'The Song of Mohenjodaro'. Beautiful dances, colourful costumes, intriguing masks, wonderful music, brilliant lights and set bring Mohenjodaro and the famous dancing figurine alive on stage on 19th March. This will be followed by the brilliant play 'Insha Ka Intezaar', based on Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot'.  Godot is one of the most popular and significant contemporary plays repeatedly performed all over the world.

On the 23rd March Tehrik will play its humourous, joyful, thought provoking comedy 'Rang Badal Lo Bhai'.

A great fusion of modern, contemporary dance and music 'Peace Dreams' will be performed on the 25th of March - this is a performance that should not to be missed. It is being performed for the very first time and brings a multi media performance to new heights.

To celebrate World Theatre Day, Tehrik is presenting two anti war plays - 'Zikr-e-Nashunida' and 'Jang Ab Nahin Ho Gi'. Though both the plays are anti war they are very different in their form, approach and style.

The festival will end on a classical dance recital by Sheema Kermani and her students and this will be the grand finale to a wonderful week of performances.

 For further information you can log on to this website: www.tehrik-e-niswan.org.pk

rendezvous
Brighten it up!
Fashion is all about exuding your personal style and being comfortable in whatever you wear. You! takes a look at some new options...

The difference between style and fashion is quality.

Giorgio Armani

Fashion is a term that is used as a synonym for glamour, beauty and style. Fashion is a state of mind and most of all it is about being comfortable with yourself, translating self-esteem into a personal style.

The great thing about fashion is that it changes every year and every season. Every season verbalises its own rules and fashion trends. And of course, we all have to keep up with these changing trends. With the arrival of spring/summer the first thing that hits us is to get rid of our warm clothes and look for a new summery wardrobe.

Even though there is a boom in the fashion industry we still look for new designer's creations or to put it in other words we are always looking for different and better options. Recently, the launching ceremonies of Mahin-Erum collection at Labels and Sheep outlet were held in Karachi. You! takes a look...

Mahin-Erum collection:

Mahin Shaikh has been involved in the fashion industry for a few years now and has worked for eminent designers like Faiza Sami. Erum Alam has experience in a different field, which is manufacturing and exporting furniture. Although textile design is not her original field, but at the end of the day it's all about aesthetics.

Mahin and Erum launched their own label of lawn fabrics around two years back and after their success in lawn prints, they branched out to 'ready-to-wear'. Mahin and Erum launched their pret collection at Labels recently and their latest creation is all about versatility and affordability.

Their design philosophy is a fusion of east and west. They have tried to fuse all the global trends they see abroad with local ones. Mahin-Erum's creations are feisty, fun and fresh. Their prints have a hypnotic charm and they cater to all sizes and ages and their prices are quite economical.

Focused towards the busy woman of today who doesn't have time to go to a tailor, their daywear offers a stylish and elegant alternative. The flattering cuts and range of colours ensure that there is something for everyone. They concentrate on making a limited number of any particular design therefore decreasing the chances of running into someone wearing the same outfit. Today's woman needs separates that she can mix and match and take from day to evening, and that is exactly what this label provides. Smart long shirts, fun t-shirts and trendy trousers are just the beginning of this duo's foray into pret-a-porter.

SHEEP outlet:

Women are generally very beauty conscious and enjoy dressing up. The only issue is that we put all our focus and attention on weddings or some special occasion and not on our everyday life. We spend the maximum time on our daily routines and activities not looking groomed. A woman should invest more time and energy on herself everyday whether she is a mother, a working woman or a housewife. A woman has many roles to perform so why not do it looking and feeling good.

Recently another outlet SHEEP was launched, which offers ready-to-wear clothing designed to cater to the modern woman who values real quality over perceived value.

The brand launch was attended by many celebrities like Zeba Bakhtiar, Arjumand Rahim, Rabia Chaudry, Ayesha Omer as well as many designers like Maheen Khan, Nadiya Kassam and Zeba Hussain (Ensemble).

The spring 2010 collection was visually presented via a fashion show which was choreographed by Frieha Altaf of Catwalk. The models who sashayed the ramp were Nadia Hussain, Iraj, Maha, Amna Ilyas and a new face Zoe Viccaji, wearing 25 exclusive Sheep outfits.

The brand offers a retail experience of warmth and comfort that is specifically designed to brighten up your wardrobe at affordable prices. The brand promises to keep its customers engaged by adding new styles to their range every Saturday.

Let's hope that more designers and outlets launch their creative ready-to-wear designs making life easier for the woman of today, who tries her best to excel in every field.

-  M.J