The Sanniah Experience (TSE)

An Original Short Story by Sanniah Hassan. © The Sanniah Experience! (TSE)  The neem tree stood in all its majesty engulfed in mystery, like nothing Aalia had seen before. She remembered tales her Dadi used to tell her as a child — of the jinns and chudails that lived in such trees by day and preyed on vivacious young children by night, but it wasn’t a sight she had ever seen before. This neem tree brought back those memories, as if a strong wind swished across her face, making her lose her balance. She had always believed that the stories her Dadi narrated were just that — stories. Man-made tales to entertain children as mere trifles to pass the time but, recent experiences, much like the neem tree before her, begged to differ. She couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that all she believed to be true, and all she believed to be figments of her imagination were in fact an alternate reality in a parallel dimension. What struck her as the most shocking of ordeals was that she was s...

Original Poem by Sanniah Hassan Content warning: mentions of death, climate disaster, and displacement. Note:  This poem reflects on the devastating floods that have swept through Pakistan, capturing the grief, loss, and helplessness experienced by survivors and witnesses. It is a call to remember those affected and to reckon with the realities of climate change. One moment all was clear, The next I couldn’t breathe.   As the noise blared through the TV One dead, dozens wounded –   Its noise ringing in my ears.   The water came at once, they said, No end in sight.   Uprooting trees, drowning cattle, Displacing families – Leaving not a soul about.   The police cars blared their sirens Visiting neighbourhoods sounding alarm Cautioning people to stay inside Lest they lose their lives.   The damage had been done – Life in shambles across villages Hope drowned with the current   My people bled. Their te...

Original Poem by Sanniah Hassan © The Sanniah Experience! (TSE)  Content Warning: war, violence, and themes of ongoing genocide. Note:  This piece is a personal lament for Gaza—an expression of grief, solidarity, and the aching hope for freedom. It reflects the anguish of witnessing ongoing suffering from afar while holding fast to a vision of peace and dignity for the people of Palestine. I see their tears. I hear their cries. I witness their suffering – and through it all die a little inside. My peace is gone, I feel helpless each day. I lose my hope a little bit, Every day, never once at all.   I pray for their freedom.  I wish for a time, when Gaza’s skies  are clear as noon.   I chant in my dreams the slogan of freedom I shout from my lungs  –  “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”   Though the future seems distant, I keep Gaza in my prayers,  as I strive for its people in my breath. ...

©The Sanniah Experience! (TSE) Exploring marriages from interracial to interfaith in the rom-com diaspora of the modern-day British-Pakistani identity. Jemima Khan’s massively promoted 2022 British rom-com directed by Shekhar Kapur, What’s Love Got to Do it? stars Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi, Emma Thompson, Sajal Aly, and many others with a surprise cameo of Pakistan’s beloved musical genius, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Dealing with issues of arranged marriage in the modern age coining the term ‘Love Contractually’, the movie has a promising start and a hopeful future preaching to the youth to stop pretending in unhappy or ‘insisted marriages’ as the male lead portrayed by Shazad Latif says to his parents. On the surface, the film deals with protagonist Kazim Khan’s journey from deciding to look for a bride to actually marrying a young Pakistani Muslim girl with whom he shares a sense of compatibility. ©The Sanniah Experience! (TSE) What’s Love Got to Do it? starts with British-...

  #TSEDramaReview! Spoiler alert!   So let's talk about Ishqiya, a Pakistani drama that aired its concluding (double-episode) episode on the 10th of August, 2020. Although we had doubts about it in the beginning, the last episode was really well presented. From going full-circle in addressing all that needed to be highlighted, the ending was truly satisfying. Firstly. Hamza & Hamna though both deserving of the dangerous repercussions accepted their follies and mistakes yet, there was one thing that set them apart. Having gone through the sequence of events Hamna finally learnt that she will have to be patient in working towards redemption while Hamza stayed stuck in the 'fight for love' dilemma. There is a scene in this episode that really resonated with us and that was when Hamza's friend tells him to show restraint and questions his irrational attitude when he says, why do always have to bring in a fight? Why do you always have to talk about a fight? Secondly. We ...

Perfectly put by J K Rowling! The British author, most renowned for the enchanting Harry Potter series, believes that the world needs to change. In a tweet on her official Twitter account, Rowling wrote, "All I know is that the world has to change. Power structures have to change. White people have to change. #BlackLivesMatter." ... and all we can add to this is that, #AllLivesMatter. Be kind to one another because one good deed goes a long way. . . . Share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments down below, or connect with us via: EMAIL: thesanniahexperience@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @thesanniahexperience_blog FACEBOOK: @thesanniahexperience YOUTUBE: @SanniahExperience . . . #TSE #TheSanniahExperience #Pakistan #BlackLivesMatter #AllLivesMatter #StandForPeace #BeKind #BeCompassionate #HealthAndSafety #HumanRights #JKRowling #AmericaBleeds #TSEFacebook #TSEBlogspot #TSEInstagram #TSEYouTube #TSETelegram #TSEWhatsApp

So, 2020 is really turning out to be the worst year ever. Considering the global community is tackling a pandemic, while individual countries are facing multiple issues associated with the pandemic and otherwise. As the black community tries to regain its collective and individual power from the #WhiteMan, across United States, we are reminded of the beauty behind Islam which advocates that no man is superior to another on the basis of colour, and that killing all of humanity. Simultaneously, Pakistan is going through its own series of troubles... from the elite putting their dirty laundry on display for the world, to financial troubles, we cannot help but think that two wrongs can never make a right! If a married man cheats on his wife, with another woman, he is equally responsible for the affair and must be dealt with accordingly. In our opinion, the following arguments need to be considered, before passing any judgement or picking any side: 1. The man/woman who cheats is wrong and m...