Al-Kashaf

From Tradition to Trend: Reimagining Han and Phulkari Embroidery in Contemporary Fashion

Tuba Shahid — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Embroidery is a skill passed down from generation to generation in every culture. Due to the influence of Western clothing, younger generations have lost interest in traditional embroidery in their quest for modernity. This paper aims to undertake a comparative analysis of Han embroidery and Phulkari embroidery to protect the heritage of both traditions. In this paper, we will study how the fusion of embroidery patterns of diverse cultures impacts women's apparel. This research will give a historical introduction, the significance and meaning of both cultures, and how they are presented in the twenty-first century compared to the past. This paper discusses the embroidery patterns, techniques, and stitch styles of both Han and Phulkari embroidery. Based on background discussion, this study will explain how several factors play significant roles in influencing women’s clothing with different patterns of contemporary design. An intriguing aspect of research that focuses on the connection between these two distinct worlds is the cultural exchange regarding embroidery patterns. In addition, the study leaves room for the Middle Eastern youth of the future to take pride in their traditional attire and attempt to revive it in a more modern and fashionable

Social Determinants and Indigenous Perspectives in Mental Health Legislations: A Comparative Study of England and Pakistan

Arooba Younas, Dr. Abeeda Qureshi — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A diversity in the socioeconomic, cultural, and healthcare landscapes exists between Pakistan and England. Within Pakistan, mental health is speckled with stigma alongside poor mental health infrastructure. On the contrary, despite having a better, advanced, and developed healthcare system in place with relatively less stigma afforded to mental health, England’s mental health legislations are not inclusive due to the exclusion of different cultural and indigenous understandings of mental health in the Mental Health Draft Bill (2022) for example. This is a further portrayal of the underrepresentation of alternative understandings of mental health. Despite these disparities, the rationale for adopting a comparative approach is to develop a nuanced understanding of mental health along the lines of the biomedical model and social determinants of mental health by studying the mental health legislative documents of the former colonizer and colonized states. This can further allow one state – Pakistan – to learn from the strengths of the other – England – and in the process help add to the existing broader understanding of mental health.

ابراہیمی مذاہب میں موسیقی کا تصور: مشترکہ اقدار اور فرق

Mubashir Hassan, Faiza Ashraf — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the concept of music within the Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—through a comparative and historical lens. Rooted in monotheistic traditions, music in all three faiths is closely tied to divine praise, spiritual elevation, and communal identity. The study highlights shared values, such as the acknowledgment of music as a means of devotion and emotional refinement, alongside differences that emerge from theological, legal, and historical contexts. Judaism integrates music into liturgy but restricts instrumental use on the Sabbath and after the destruction of the Second Temple; Christianity embraces diverse forms from psalmody and Gregorian chant to polyphony and instrumental hymns, while simultaneously grappling with concerns over sensuality; Islam presents the most contested terrain, where prohibitions on instruments coexist with Sufi practices of samāʿ and devotional nasheeds. The article argues that while music serves as a bridge of spiritual transcendence, differences stem from varying strategies to discipline the senses and avoid idolatry or negligence. In the contemporary era, music emerges as a potential medium for interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding, underscoring its enduring significance in shaping religious identity and modernity.