Bridging the Divide - “Ham’Asar Urdu” from Denmark

We remember the Danish Cartoons controversy and the reaction it evoked across the Muslim world. I was pleasantly surprised to find out about this amazing treasure of a website that also happens to be perhaps the first on-line Urdu journal of its kind.

 

The journal is called Ham-Asr (contemporary) Urdu edited by Huma Nasar & Nasar Malik. In its introduction the website states: 

“URDUHAMASR.DK , is an internet magazine of studies in URDU & DANISH literature, is aimed at URDU-readers who are not familiar with Danish language but would like to read its literature.  URDUHAMASR.DK  provides them large varieties of Danish literature  translated into URDU. “

 ”URDUHAMASR.DK  is also intended for those who, prefer to retain their link with their heritage language URDU. Urdu is a beautiful language of the Indo-Pakistan Sub-continent, and its literature is rich and vast, comparable to those of the few better known modern languages of the World . On the other hand the study of the Danish literature  translated into Urdu can in itself be a rewarding act, regardless of the reader’s orientation. Like Urdu, Danish is not only a language, it is a culture.”

Read more here

The website has several Danish short stories and poems translated into Urdu. In particular, the  Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875) famous for children’s stories finds a special place here.

This is a remarkable effort and deserves to be commended. This also proves that not all of [Pakistani] Muslim diaspora is an inward looking, gun-friendly community out to ‘destroy’ the West as Fox news would make us all believe.

Literature, with universal relevance and appeal, has an important role in bridging divides in the fractured world we live in.

Published in: on February 13, 2007 at 5:38 pm

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2 Comments Leave a comment.

  1. On February 15, 2007 at 9:56 pm Tamasha - » Folktales for Children Said:

    [...] surfing I found Rumi’s blog where he mentioned HamAsar, a Denmark based Urdu literary journal. They have a very [...]

  2. On May 18, 2008 at 12:05 am M. Owais Jafrey Said:

    Dear editors of HamAsr, Salam-o-du’a

    It a pleasure to learn about your work promoting Urdu in your newly adopted country. I would love to learn more about you and your contributions. You must have a galaxy of Urdu poets, prose writers and intellectuals who must be working to nourish your journal. In case they are established writers I would love to know about them and hope that you will respond. I look forward to your acknowledgment of my email.

    Sincerely,
    M.Owais Jafrey
    Seattle, WA
    USA

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