Stories for Sakina

Incitement

In the year 2032, the newly formed nation of **Palisrael** emerged as a fragile but determined experiment in reconciliation. Born from the ashes of a century-long conflict between two peoples who had both claimed the same land, Palisrael stood at the crossroads of possibility. It was a state dedicated to coexistence between the two primary ethnic groups who now lived side by side, working together to overcome years of violence and mistrust. Yet, this new chapter of history was not unfolding with

October 6, 2024

Art(ificial)

In a quiet, sunlit café nestled in the heart of an old city, two artists sat across from each other, their voices low and contemplative. The first, Clara, was a digital artist whose work had brought her acclaim over the past decade. Her short, tousled hair framed a face that bore the marks of countless hours spent in front of a screen, her fingers still twitching as if they were drawing on an invisible tablet. Opposite her sat Daniel, a younger artist who had recently burst onto the scene with h

August 27, 2024

Nice but not too nice

In the sleek, modern conference room of VirtuaComp, the walls lined with whiteboards filled with diagrams and notes, the development team gathered for their weekly brainstorming session. The topic of the day was the company’s latest endeavor: social interaction chatbots designed to combat loneliness and social isolation. "Alright team," began Mira, the lead developer, her voice steady but her eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation, "we've made incredible progress with our chatbots. Th

August 1, 2024

Black box

What they won't teach you at Harvard

In a spacious, glass-walled conference room at the prestigious Maxwell Business School, a group of professors and industry experts convened for their annual syllabus planning meeting. The late afternoon sun cast a golden hue across the table, reflecting the serious expressions of the gathered educators. At the head of the table sat Dr. Caroline Evans, the school’s Dean, known for her visionary yet pragmatic approach. “Thank you all for being here,” Dr. Evans began, her voice steady and auth

Haji 2003 in Black box

July 19, 2024

Spreading sustainability

In the verdant country of Viridia, nestled between emerald hills and azure seas, sustainability was more than a policy; it was a way of life. The citizens of Viridia prided themselves on their green innovations, chief among them being the near-total eradication of plastic bags. Instead, reusable cloth bags and biodegradable alternatives were ubiquitous, symbolizing the nation's commitment to preserving the environment. This transformation began a decade earlier when the government, inspired

June 28, 2024

Rocky

The sign maker

This was co-written with chatgpt4o In the bustling city of Uthmaniya, where the skyline is dominated by minarets and modern skyscrapers, Ahmed was the unchallenged king of signs. His business, "Visionary Signs," was the go-to for creating grandiose displays for conferences, exhibitions, and governmental offices. Ahmed’s workshop was a hive of activity, always buzzing with the latest projects commissioned by the government. Every new initiative, every plan, no matter how nebulous, requi

Haji 2003 in Rocky

May 27, 2024

Relationships and robots

In the shadowy conference room of the Athena Institute, a right-wing think tank in the heart of Washington, D.C., key policymakers and intellectuals gathered around a gleaming mahogany table. Dr. Helen Mercer, the chairwoman, wasted no time addressing the stark issue at hand. “The crisis is clear,” she announced. “Birth rates in the West are in freefall, primarily because many are choosing AI companions over human partners. Our data shows a troubling trend: these robots are not just partner

April 19, 2024

What do we do?

[I co-wrote this with chatgpt4] In a softly lit, high-ceilinged room, a group of civil servants gathered around a large oval table. The air was thick with tension, a palpable sense of unease hovering over them. At the head of the table, Marianne, the committee chair, cleared her throat. "The reality is unavoidable," she began, her voice steady yet tinged with concern. "With the rise of artificial intelligence, we're facing unprecedented job losses across multiple industries." He

January 15, 2024

Landmark

Twenty Years On Shiachat!

Looks like I've been here a while ... Twenty years ago today! I think I joined up after returning from Hajj, I should have done it beforehand I guess. It's been fun in the main, but gotten quieter over the years. Still, it has also served as a diary and a place to keep thoughts and ideas. I can understand why some people leave after a while - it's often the same issues that keep cropping up. It helps to have as bad a memory as mine - so things seem newer than they really are. And what

Haji 2003 in Landmark

December 16, 2023

Anna Pavlovna's tea party

This story is about a tea party, but actually it isn't about the party. It isn't about the party that Anna Pavlovna holds, the one that many people know about but about whose subsequent events they remain unfamiliar. In fact if I wanted to I could try really hard and remind myself of the time I attended, but as I said that's not really the purpose of this story. You see Sakina many people arrive at Anna Pavlovna's party with high hopes and expectations. They have a self-image of their

May 16, 2020

Cuddles

OK, this was actually written for Zehra, but Sakina does have a role. This is one of my DIY birthday cards. You can get bubble-jet printer paper that prints both sides. Even better one side is semi-glossy and the other one is matt.

July 20, 2019

Lost and found. Forever?

I had a thoughtful afternoon in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens some years ago and was inspired to write this. One day, many hundreds of years ago, there was a storm in the Mediterranean Sea. And it was no different to all the other storms that happened before or after, but this storm must have been a special storm because it sank a special ship. The ship itself was no different from the many other ships that have sailed before or after this event, but this one was speci

April 28, 2019

Your future

April 19, 2019

Punctuated sunrise [10,000th post]

It's taken me nearly 15 years to get to 10,000 posts, so I thought I'd post something special. I remember the cold. I think it was the first time in my life that keeping warm was a struggle. Shafts of cold air channelled in through a train not designed to keep it out. Arriving at Amritsar station, there was some relief. I remember the shouts of ‘garam chai’ (hot tea) rising above the cacophony of engines, whistles, and general yells. This trip was the first time that I was allowed to drink

November 3, 2018

Hottentots and Octonauts

[Octonauts is a television programme for children on the BBC] “Abbas are you still watching Hottentots?” asked Abbas’s Dad coming into the kitchen “But Baba, my breakfast isn’t finished yet!” said Abbas, pointing to the few scraps of omelette left on his plate. “It’ll soon be lunchtime, so I am taking away laptoppy and you can finish breakfast all by yourself,” said Baba, “and remember to bring the battery-start with you.” “Baba, why do you call Octonauts Hottentots?” asked A

November 29, 2017

The tale of Swampy, Rocky and Dusty

Once upon a time there were three little islands, separated by thousands of miles. One was called Swampy, because for most of its history it had been a swamp. The other was called Rocky because there was a big hill across most of it and Dusty was surrounded by sand. As you can probably tell, there was not really much on Swampy, Rocky or Dusty to excite people and not many animals went there either. But all three lay just on the edge of large continents and all the other lands and islands