Corner Office Shaikh

Driven by curiosity’s sake.

  • Two Ducks and a Tortoise: Stupid Humble Pie, You Don’t Taste so Sweet After All

    Growing up I remember reading verses from the Quran that referred to “turning to your Lord in humility” and “those who humble themselves in prayer.”  I heard lectures, sermons and got lots of parental advice on being humble.  Aesops fable about the Two ducks and the Tortoise or the Horse and the Ass helped drive… Read more

  • #IlmFestSocal 2011- Al Maghrib Taking Things to the Next Level

    To my Christian friends a very Happy greeting for a wonderful Christmas celebration.  I hope you enjoy the time outside of the commercialization of the religious day and that it is good for you and your loved ones! My day was spent partially with Al Maghrib Institute for Ilm Fest here in Southern California.  I… Read more

  • Tales of a Muslim High School Student- In Full HD

    The current ruckus over All American Muslim loosing advertising after a right wing radical group called Florida Family Association went on a “ain’t-your-normal-Moslem-without-the-terrorist” scree go me thinking about Muslims and television.  The TLC drama thus far has caused Lowe’s and Kayak to pull their advertising and probably become marketing 101 case studies on what not… Read more

  • “Hey Ganesh, I’m a human samosa”- Disney and Stereotypes

    Used Karma – Jessie Disney has never been known for being “culturally sensitive”- look at some of the portrayals of various ethnicities in Disney cartoons and movies, you get the sense that instead of challenging stereotypes, Disney celebrates racism. As a kid I remember watching Aladdin and Jungle Book. (I admit, guilty pleasure, Disney is… Read more

  • Why is it that Lowes HATES Jews- …eeer, I mean Muslims?

    In a letter to Lowe’s the advocacy group Florida Family Association wrote: The show profiles only [Jews] that appear to be ordinary folks while excluding many [Jewish] believers whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to the liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish. One of the most troubling scenes occurred at… Read more

  • Passing Down the Legacy- You’ve waited so long, excited? (I know I am!)

    Two months ago I shared a trailer for a documentary and told you it will be coming out in December.  Well its bloody December and where is that documentary?  Ah, life, its been keeping me busy, but mostly he folks behind the amazing documentary Mar Kitazawa and Alex Margolin have been pouring over the whole… Read more

  • Chronicles of an Esquire- Just Cram

    God. Its been a very very very long time. My apologies, I just had this realization that I was not comfortable with my law school studying. It got to a point where I loved the fact that I was in law school but I wasn’t sure what exactly I was learning and that my finals… Read more

  • Belly Dancing, Night Clubs and Hijabs- TLC’s All-American Muslim

    So tonight was the big night, the rolling out of TLC’s much anticipated reality TV show on Muslims living in Amreeka.  Yaaaay! But you know what so far from all the feedback on facebook things dont look to good for the show. Before I share the comments I found, here are some thoughts I had.… Read more

  • For Our Veterans

    Yesterday was veterans Day, and what was great about it was that I was reading the chapter about one of my favorite veterans from WWII- President Jack Kennedy.  (I am reading Chris Matthews biography “Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero”. ) There is no better way to honor our veterans and our active military folks than to think hard and long about the… Read more

  • Alu Andhay, Pakistan National Identity and a New Generation

    My last visit to Pakistan was in 2008.  I wrote to a large degree about my experience in Karachi- Pakistan’s largest city, its economic life line to the globalizing world and the center of its financial future.  Karachi is a city of some 14 million people, large swathes of it are not only left without… Read more