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Pakistan-born astrophysicist Dr. Nergis Mavalvala named dean of MIT School of Science [#43]

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Pakistani-born astrophysicist Dr Nergis Mavalvala was among the team of eagled-eyed scientists who, for the first time, observed ripples in the fabric of spacetime called gravitational waves.

The detection – announced only on Thursday – confirms a major prediction of Albert Einstein’s 1915 general theory of relativity and opens an unprecedented new window onto the cosmos.

Professor Mavalvala worked with researchers at the US-based underground detectors Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Laboratory to build sophisticated sensors to detect gravitational ripples created from the collision of two black holes some 1.3 billion years ago and had been hurtling through space to reach Earth on September 14, 2015.

Dr Mavalvala, 47, was born to a Parsi family in Karachi where she did her primary schooling.

She attended the Convent of Jesus and Mary before going to the US as a teenager where she graduated with a BA in physics and astronomy from the Wellesley College in 1990.

During her graduation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) she started working on gravitational waves – which would lead her to one of the biggest discoveries of the century. But the tale was not so simple.

“I started graduate school working in cosmic microwave background, which is another area of astrophysics,” she told the Kavli Foundation in 2010 after receiving the coveted McArthur Fellowship.

“The group I was working in was moving to another university, and so I was kind of shopping around and bumped into Rai Weiss.”

Weiss and Robert Forward had in the early 1970s proposed designs based on which LIGO was formed.

Since meeting Weiss in 1991, Dr Mavalvala went deeper into research on gravitational waves. By the time she received her PhD in 1997, she was already working on building LIGO.

She focused on instrument development for LIGO during her post-doctoral work at California Institute of Technology (CalTech) before joining LIGO as a staff scientist in 2000. She also joined MIT’s physics department as an assistant professor in 2002, rising to become the department’s associate head in February 2015.

In essence, her work on gravitational waves has spanned for over 20 years leading up to the discovery.

“The big picture mission drives you. When you work in the lab, [it’s like] you bang your head against the wall for weeks at a time, working on a state-of-the-art circuit, for example,” Mavalvala told MIT’s site in 2014. “Yet this is what enables scientific discovery, when the smaller to bigger pieces of experiments succeed, when the whole thing does what it is supposed to, and then you hope nature gives you the event you’ve been waiting for.”
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http://tribune.com.pk/story/1046004...stan-born-scientist-played-part-in-discovery/
 
Apparently she is a Parsi Lesbian.

Proud of her nonetheless but I'd like to see the reaction of certain people now that they know more about her. Would she still be considered a hero or would she now be treated like Dr. Abdus Salam?
 
uberkoen said:
Apparently she is a Parsi Lesbian.

Proud of her nonetheless but I'd like to see the reaction of certain people now that they know more about her. Would she still be considered a hero or would she now be treated like Dr. Abdus Salam?
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few people who were excited on social media due to her Pakistani roots are already distancing themselves and have much more subdued reactions
 
Slog said:
few people who were excited on social media due to her Pakistani roots are already distancing themselves and have much more subdued reactions
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It's sad when we can't be proud of the achievements out own people make whether its someone like Malala or Dr. Abdus Salam or Dr. Nergis. We really ought to be ashamed of ourselves.
 
What is it with parsis and their love for physics..

Kudos to her. Fantastic achievement.
 
37 Indians Played A Role In Discovering Gravitational Waves

A billion years after the violent collision of two black holes in space, scientists have glimpsed gravitational waves, which travel at the speed of light and cannot be stopped or blocked by anything.

The landmark discovery for physics of ripples in space-time, which Albert Einstein predicted a century ago, is the result of a worldwide collaboration between scientists. 37 Indians were part of the global effort of nearly 1,000 experts.

The discovery of gravitational waves "may inaugurate a new era of astronomy in which gravitational waves are tools for studying the most mysterious and exotic objects in the universe," said The Washington Post.

The wobble that was generated after the black holes collided hurtled through space and was picked up by some of the world's most sophisticated machines in September last year. Think about it - these gravitational waves originated 1.3 billion years ago.

Nearly a decade ago, the method of how to detect gravitational waves was proposed by Sanjeev Dhurandhar and Satya Prakash who worked at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune.

37 other scientists from top research centres and labs in Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru provided crucial research for the worldwide experiment.

The machines that gave scientists their first-ever glimpse at gravitational waves are the most advanced detectors ever built for sensing tiny vibrations in the universe. The two US-based underground detectors are known as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, or LIGO for short.

India is aiming to get the world's third LIGO at an estimated cost of 1,000 crores. As part of the ongoing Indo-US cooperation in science and technology, America will provide India with nearly $140 million of equipment.
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http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/the-india-role-in-the-big-discovery-of-gravitational-waves-1276546


We win 37-1 :D
 
uberkoen said:
Apparently she is a Parsi Lesbian.

Proud of her nonetheless but I'd like to see the reaction of certain people now that they know more about her. Would she still be considered a hero or would she now be treated like Dr. Abdus Salam?
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Definitely more proud of her than imposters violating Pakistani laws...
 
Question for all the indignant psuedo patriots here...would they be proud of this woman even if she had disowned her native country and has no connection to it or downplays that connection????
 
uberkoen said:
Maybe we are maybe we're not.

Just say the name and stop playing games.
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"I am the Maseeh of the time and I am Moses on whom God conferred His speech. I am Muhammad and Ahmad, the selected one."
(Taryaq-ul-Qulub, P. 3/6; Roohany Khazaen, Vol. 15, P. 134)

"Muhammad is the messenger of Allah and those accompanying Him (His companions are very strict against the unbelievers). In this divine revelation, I am named Muhammad and the prophet of Allah."
(Aik Ghalti ka Izala, P. 3; Roohany Khazaen, Vol. 18, P. 207)

"Muhammad has again come down among us. His position is an improvement on his earlier visitation. If any man wishes to see Muhammad, more competent, then he should see Ghulam Ahmad, in Qadian."
(Al-Badr, 25 Oct. 1906)

"Twenty Six years ago, God called me Muhammad and Ahmad, in Buraheen-i-Ahmadiah."
(Roohany Khazaen, Vol. 22, P. 502)
 
HaiderAbbasRizvi said:
"I am the Maseeh of the time and I am Moses on whom God conferred His speech. I am Muhammad and Ahmad, the selected one."
(Taryaq-ul-Qulub, P. 3/6; Roohany Khazaen, Vol. 15, P. 134)

"Muhammad is the messenger of Allah and those accompanying Him (His companions are very strict against the unbelievers). In this divine revelation, I am named Muhammad and the prophet of Allah."
(Aik Ghalti ka Izala, P. 3; Roohany Khazaen, Vol. 18, P. 207)

"Muhammad has again come down among us. His position is an improvement on his earlier visitation. If any man wishes to see Muhammad, more competent, then he should see Ghulam Ahmad, in Qadian."
(Al-Badr, 25 Oct. 1906)

"Twenty Six years ago, God called me Muhammad and Ahmad, in Buraheen-i-Ahmadiah."
(Roohany Khazaen, Vol. 22, P. 502)
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So just because they go against the teachings of Islam we oppress them and don't recognize their achievements? Wonderful logic.
 
uberkoen said:
So just because they go against the teachings of Islam we oppress them and don't recognize their achievements? Wonderful logic.
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Those are the most sacred and beautiful philosophical, political, ideological and moral universalism to come out of the West, i.e. people exercising their democratic rights.

And kudos to Pakistani masses for internalizing these western ideals so seamlessly and unanimously agree to enact laws per their wishes.

Why do you hate freedom and democracy so much?
 
HaiderAbbasRizvi said:
Those are the most sacred and beautiful philosophical, political, ideological and moral universalism to come out of the West, i.e. people exercising their democratic rights.

And kudos to Pakistani masses for internalizing these western ideals so seamlessly and unanimously agree to enact laws per their wishes.

Why do you hate freedom and democracy so much?
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lol the 1984 amendment to the constitution came under Zia Ul Haq not under a democratic government. The changes were led by Wahabi backed groups such as Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami.

There's nothing wrong with democracy. What's wrong is the Wahabi influence and Islamic radicalization.
 
Great going. I am sure all Pakistanis would be proud of her achievement.

Now I am going to add something completely irrelevant to the thread, not that this has ever prevented me for posting. :yk

I see an eerie similarity in the set of Dr.Mavalvala's mouth, and especially the upper teeth, and that of Freddie Mercury, both Parsis.

That was my contribution for the day, thank you.
 
Congratulations to the SC people who were part of this.Some posts in this thread are very confusing.
 
Some people have got owned badly after the latest discovery about her sexual orientation and religion, they were ready to advertise her as the pride of the Ummah.

Just another incident where the despicable mentality of this nation has come to the fore, nothing more.
 
Slog said:
few people who were excited on social media due to her Pakistani roots are already distancing themselves and have much more subdued reactions
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What a sad lot they are.

Someone from the media ought to interview her.
 
If you look at the comments section of Dawn or Tribune, or some other Pakistani forums, vast majority of people are praising her even though they know her religion.

There was this other guy apparently involved, Muzammil Arain.
 
uberkoen said:
Apparently she is a Parsi Lesbian.

Proud of her nonetheless but I'd like to see the reaction of certain people now that they know more about her. Would she still be considered a hero or would she now be treated like Dr. Abdus Salam?
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What has her sexual orientation got to do with this? You would be better off having more gays who were actually adding something to the world than religious nincompoops adding zilch to the world with the aim of not letting anyone else be happy.
 
Mamoon said:
Some people have got owned badly after the latest discovery about her sexual orientation and religion, they were ready to advertise her as the pride of the Ummah.

Just another incident where the despicable mentality of this nation has come to the fore, nothing more.
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How the hell did you hit 60K posts?

That too with mostly long detailed posts and no soft runs. :))

Last I saw..it was 45K odd.
 
Mamoon said:
Some people have got owned badly after the latest discovery about her sexual orientation and religion, they were ready to advertise her as the pride of the Ummah.

Just another incident where the despicable mentality of this nation has come to the fore, nothing more.
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To be fair. It would be difficult for a practising Muslim to accept someone who is of a different sexual orientation no matter what. If you do , you are going against Allah and his book.
 
sensible-indian-fan said:
How the hell did you hit 60K posts?

That too with mostly long detailed posts and no soft runs. :))

Last I saw..it was 45K odd.
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I don't know lol, and my post frequency has dropped as well and continues to drop. A year ago, I averaged 55 posts per day. Now it is 48.
 
Mamoon said:
I don't know lol, and my post frequency has dropped as well and continues to drop. A year ago, I averaged 55 posts per day. Now it is 48.
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Haha...I average 24 per day.

And I have slowed down considerably too these days.

You are a machine.
 
Very proud moment for her. Discoveries like these don't happen every few years or something, congrats to her and her family.
 
Good on her, i hope she inspires more women from the region to take up science as career choice.
 
uberkoen said:
Apparently she is a Parsi Lesbian.

Proud of her nonetheless but I'd like to see the reaction of certain people now that they know more about her. Would she still be considered a hero or would she now be treated like Dr. Abdus Salam?
Click to expand...

I knew about Parsi part but where did you get lesbian bit from, any sources?
 
uberkoen said:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1239667/
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“I really thought of what I want people to know in Pakistan as I have garnered some attention there. Anybody should be able to succeed — whether you’re a woman, a religious minority or whether you’re gay. It just doesn’t matter,” she says.
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Dont think she means she is gay, she is just talking about non mainstream people in a society.
 
Lords said:
Dont think she means she is gay, she is just talking about non mainstream people in a society.
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Read the next paragraph.

“Anybody should be able to do those things. And I am proof of that because I am all of those things. With the right combination of opportunity, it was possible for me to do.”
 
^^ Alright, got it.
well that makes her a role model in more then one field.
 
Pakistan born Nergis Mavalvala to head MIT’s School of Science

Pakistan born, astrophysicist Dr. Nergis Mavalvala has once again made the country proud after she has been named the new dean of Massachusetts Institute of Technology-MIT’s School of Science, from September.

The Karachi born Dr. Mavalvala will succeed Michael Sipser, who will return to the faculty as the Donner Professor of Mathematics, after six years of service, informed MIT.

“We’re in this moment where enormous changes are afoot,” Mavalvala says while talking about her new role in the present scenario.

“We’re in the middle of a global pandemic and economic challenge, and we’re also in a moment, at least in U.S. history, where the imperative for racial and social justice is really strong. As someone in a leadership position, that means you have opportunities to make an important and hopefully lasting impact,” she added.

Professor Mavalvala was born to a Parsi family. She did her initial schooling from Convent of Jesus and Mary before leaving for the US where she graduated with a BA in physics and astronomy from Wellesley College in 1990. She then did her Ph.D. in physics in 1997 from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology-MIT.

Back in 2016, Dr. Mavalvala was among the team of scientists who verified Albert Einstein’s 1915 general theory of relativity. Mavalvala, the then Associate Department Head of Physics at MIT, along with her team detected ripples in gravitational waves, hypothesized by the legendry physicist Albert Einstein a hundred years ago.

The discovery was hailed as a scientific milestone that was made possible by the giant laser detectors in the United States, located in Louisiana and Washington State, completing the quest to confirm the existence of these waves.

The scientist has received several honors and awards in her career, including in 2015 she was awarded the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, as part of the LIGO team. In 2017, she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. She is also the first recipient of the Lahore Technology Award, given by the Information Technology University, a public university in Pakistan.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/4001...rgis-mavalvala-to-head-mits-school-of-science
 
Congrats to Dr. Nergis. May she inspire more girls from Pakistan and sub continent to achieve greater heights in Science and Technology.
 
Well done to her, and to whatever degree Pakistan endorses her, it will be Pakistan’s privilege.

Oh and all the jihadi mullahs can go - themselves.
 
Great achievement, congrats.

Parsis are such a minuscule community in South Asia but they punch well above their weight in academics, business, entertainment, cricket etc. Even our freedom struggle had many participants from that community. They are our desi Jews I guess.
 
Swashbuckler said:
Great achievement, congrats.

Parsis are such a minuscule community in South Asia but they punch well above their weight in academics, business, entertainment, cricket etc. Even our freedom struggle had many participants from that community. They are our desi Jews I guess.
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Don't Brahmins punch above their weight as well? So you could call Brahmins that as well.
 
Gharib Aadmi said:
Don't Brahmins punch above their weight as well? So you could call Brahmins that as well.
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To an extent yes, foremost are the Brahmins of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal especially in academic field. Brahmin population of India however will be comparable to total population of Germany or France, around 5% of India's total population I think.

Parsis have more well rounded achievements and punch way above their population, more like American/European/Russian Jews than Brahmins I would say. Just 70,000 Parsis in India, another 1000 in Pakistan. Dr Nergis is from that tiny community and I think there are several other successful Parsi academicians, businessmen, musicians in Pakistan. I don't even want to talk about prominent Parsis in India since the list is so long. Though I don't quote wiki in general, the list is quite accurate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Parsis

Inspirational people.
 
Swashbuckler said:
To an extent yes, foremost are the Brahmins of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal especially in academic field. Brahmin population of India however will be comparable to total population of Germany or France, around 5% of India's total population I think.

Parsis have more well rounded achievements and punch way above their population, more like American/European/Russian Jews than Brahmins I would say. Just 70,000 Parsis in India, another 1000 in Pakistan. Dr Nergis is from that tiny community and I think there are several other successful Parsi academicians, businessmen, musicians in Pakistan. I don't even want to talk about prominent Parsis in India since the list is so long. Though I don't quote wiki in general, the list is quite accurate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Parsis

Inspirational people.
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Yes they are. Did not know that the Avari Hotels in Pakistan were owned by Parsis.
 
What does her sexual orientation have to do with anything?
She has Pakistani roots and should be celebrated for her achievements.

I've no idea why this turned into "Pakistan should decriminalise gay relations". Absolutely no need for that. We are not a secular nation and it's about time we own upto it rather than delve into the pathetic "woke" culture that is gaining traction amongst some liberals.

We don't want a situation in Pakistani schools having primary school story books with 2 moms/dads as "parents" like they've started doing in some European nations.
 
Hadi Rizvi said:
What does her sexual orientation have to do with anything?
She has Pakistani roots and should be celebrated for her achievements.

I've no idea why this turned into "Pakistan should decriminalise gay relations". Absolutely no need for that. We are not a secular nation and it's about time we own upto it rather than delve into the pathetic "woke" culture that is gaining traction amongst some liberals.

We don't want a situation in Pakistani schools having primary school story books with 2 moms/dads as "parents" like they've started doing in some European nations.
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Agreed, one need not celebrate her flaws in order to celebrate her achievements. Some people just don't get it.
 
Nikhil_cric said:
To be fair. It would be difficult for a practising Muslim to accept someone who is of a different sexual orientation no matter what. If you do , you are going against Allah and his book.
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This is a pathetic statement. You're basically saying to be a good practising Muslim you have to be homophobic as opposed to showing tolerance of other people's beliefs. As a Muslim, this is not the Islam that I know. We can disagree on homosexuality without being homophobic, so may I ask who made you spokesperson of Islam and what qualifications you hold in Islamic studies?
 
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Mamoon said:
Some people have got owned badly after the latest discovery about her sexual orientation and religion, they were ready to advertise her as the pride of the Ummah.

Just another incident where the despicable mentality of this nation has come to the fore, nothing more.
Click to expand...

Don't think anyone was ready to proclaim her as pride of the Ummah, she is a Zoroastrian so maybe you are confusing those who were taking pride in her achievements as a Pakistani rather than a Muslim.
 
Certain factions of our society will now attack her over her faith or sexuality. She is Pakistani, that is all that matters to me. The rest is between her and Allah.
 
Mamoon said:
Some people have got owned badly after the latest discovery about her sexual orientation and religion, they were ready to advertise her as the pride of the Ummah.

Just another incident where the despicable mentality of this nation has come to the fore, nothing more.
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Lol the ummah part was never in question. Don’t make up zabardasti ka angle to support your general thesis.

Her name is clearly non Muslim. She’s been not as widely adopted because she is lesbian. If she was just parsi it would’ve been fine. Ahmedis are ostracised not parsis
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
Michelle Obama and Whitney Houston are of African ethnicity, that doesn't make them Africans.
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They weren’t born in Africa. Neither were there parents. Nor their grandparents.

Besides they are called African Americans
 
Slog said:
They weren’t born in Africa. Neither were there parents. Nor their grandparents.

Besides they are called African Americans
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There roots are in Africa which is why they are African Americans. If a person of Pak ethnicity is born in the UK or America then they are British or American Pakistanis. Why are people like you so afraid of being attached to Pakistan in any way?
 
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PakLFC said:
Ethnically they are Africans. That is why such people are called African Americans.
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But culturally they are Americans. That's why you will see them eating Big Macs and doing interviews with American celebrities.

Actually this is my point which I made in an earlier post about Nergis which has somehow vanished. She may have been Pakistani for her first 18 years but she evolved into an American following her move to America where she discovered her lesbian preferences.
 
PakLFC said:
There roots are in Africa which is why they are African Americans. If a person of Pak ethnicity is born in the UK or America then they are British or American Pakistanis. Why are people like you so afraid of being attached to Pakistan in any way?
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Lolwut :))

I’m pakisfani and always call myself that

I’m responding to the poster who doesn’t accept her as Pakistani eventhough she’s born in Pakistan and he’s not lol
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
But culturally they are Americans. That's why you will see them eating Big Macs and doing interviews with American celebrities.

Actually this is my point which I made in an earlier post about Nergis which has somehow vanished. She may have been Pakistani for her first 18 years but she evolved into an American following her move to America where she discovered her lesbian preferences.
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White people eat kebabs and biryani as well:maqsood Even those living in Pak who have never been abroad nourish themselves on western fast food.

Most on this website are British, Canadian or American Pakistanis proving they do consider background as being an important part of their identity. It is a different matter that coconuts for some reason feel the need to please white people.
 
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Cpt. Rishwat said:
But culturally they are Americans. That's why you will see them eating Big Macs and doing interviews with American celebrities.

Actually this is my point which I made in an earlier post about Nergis which has somehow vanished. She may have been Pakistani for her first 18 years but she evolved into an American following her move to America where she discovered her lesbian preferences.
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What is your basis for the second paragraph?

Secondly are you saying that being lesbian has anything to do with nationality?

Finally. Who are you to decide? Aren’t you a britishPaki?
 
Slog said:
Lolwut :))

I’m pakisfani and always call myself that

I’m responding to the poster who doesn’t accept her as Pakistani eventhough she’s born in Pakistan and he’s not lol
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She is both American and Pakistani. Born and raised in Pak then moved to America for better opportunities. It is like Pakistan is her Dad and America her Mum:inzi2
 
Slog said:
What is your basis for the second paragraph?

Secondly are you saying that being lesbian has anything to do with nationality?

Finally. Who are you to decide? Aren’t you a britishPaki?
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The basis is her own interviews. She said that she discovered her sexuality in America, and no, if you read carefully, that doesn't mean she couldn't have been a lesbian in Pakistan, but in her case, that happened after the move to the US.

What has me being a British Pakistani got to do with deciding on what she says? I really don't know what you are asking here.
 
PakLFC said:
White people eat kebabs and biryani as well:maqsood Even those living in Pak who have never been abroad nourish themselves on western fast food.

Most on this website are British, Canadian or American Pakistanis proving they do consider background as being an important part of their identity. It is a different matter that coconuts for some reason feel the need to please white people.
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Being raised in a country and being part of the culture of that country is natural. If you speak with a local dialect instead of a Pakistani accent, and wear jeans instead of shalwar kameez, that is not being a coconut, it is just being a product of your upbringing. Same as a freshy who speaks with a thick accent and still probably drinks doodpati at home is still reflecting his upbringing.
 
Hadi Rizvi said:
What does her sexual orientation have to do with anything?
She has Pakistani roots and should be celebrated for her achievements.

I've no idea why this turned into "Pakistan should decriminalise gay relations". Absolutely no need for that. We are not a secular nation and it's about time we own upto it rather than delve into the pathetic "woke" culture that is gaining traction amongst some liberals.

We don't want a situation in Pakistani schools having primary school story books with 2 moms/dads as "parents" like they've started doing in some European nations.
Click to expand...

Because had she been in Pakistan she would've been in jail and not allowed to excel at what she does. The fact that she's achieved what she has achieved is only because she is not in Pakistan. It's hypocritical of a country to celebrate achievements of a person who would not have been allowed to excel in the country because of its regressive laws.
 
Imagine if she had not moved to the United States and stayed in Pakistan to serve her home country. Either she would have been shamed for her sexual orientation, charged for "violating" the ideological boundaries of the country or held responsible for challenging the so called "Modest Eastern traditions".

Not so long ago, we forced a globally renowned brilliant economist to resign from the country's economic council because his faith would have been a curse for an Islamic Republic, In the case of Nergis Mavalvala, I am certain we would have protected the morality of our society by resisting every effort of appointing a "Lesbian" to head any government institution. We don't need any Atif Mians or Nergis Mavalvalas and their internationally acknowledged credentials, we are far better off with incompetent, corrupt, good for nothing individuals as long as they wear religion on their sleeve.

For all those who're going gaga over Nergis Mavalvala's recent achievement and branding it "Proud moment for Pakistan", calm down. All this was possible only because unlike the country of her origin, the country she moved to didn't measure her talent by her religion or sexuality.

The achievements of Nergis Mavalvala in United States aren't a symbol of Pakistan's success, rather they are a symbol of Pakistan's failure.
 
uberkoen said:
Because had she been in Pakistan she would've been in jail and not allowed to excel at what she does. The fact that she's achieved what she has achieved is only because she is not in Pakistan. It's hypocritical of a country to celebrate achievements of a person who would not have been allowed to excel in the country because of its regressive laws.
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Have mixed feelings about this.

I feel anyone with roots from Pakistan should be celebrated as something for us to be proud of. Kamala Harris is being appreciated in India.

But yes, our laws etc have issues on side which should not be overlooked either.
 
uberkoen said:
Because had she been in Pakistan she would've been in jail and not allowed to excel at what she does. The fact that she's achieved what she has achieved is only because she is not in Pakistan. It's hypocritical of a country to celebrate achievements of a person who would not have been allowed to excel in the country because of its regressive laws.
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uberkoen said:
Imagine if she had not moved to the United States and stayed in Pakistan to serve her home country. Either she would have been shamed for her sexual orientation, charged for "violating" the ideological boundaries of the country or held responsible for challenging the so called "Modest Eastern traditions".

Not so long ago, we forced a globally renowned brilliant economist to resign from the country's economic council because his faith would have been a curse for an Islamic Republic, In the case of Nergis Mavalvala, I am certain we would have protected the morality of our society by resisting every effort of appointing a "Lesbian" to head any government institution. We don't need any Atif Mians or Nergis Mavalvalas and their internationally acknowledged credentials, we are far better off with incompetent, corrupt, good for nothing individuals as long as they wear religion on their sleeve.

For all those who're going gaga over Nergis Mavalvala's recent achievement and branding it "Proud moment for Pakistan", calm down. All this was possible only because unlike the country of her origin, the country she moved to didn't measure her talent by her religion or sexuality.

The achievements of Nergis Mavalvala in United States aren't a symbol of Pakistan's success, rather they are a symbol of Pakistan's failure.
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You're really out of touch. There are a lot more homosexuals in Pakistani academia and showbusiness and even politics ( :Bilawal ) then you would know of, none of them are in jail they're just in the closet. In Pakistan everything is allowed as long you keep it private, if she worked in Pakistan she would have no issues living her life as a lesbian - nobody even talks about sexuality IRL, just keep it private, it's a don't ask, don't tell society.
 
Giannis said:
You're really out of touch. There are a lot more homosexuals in Pakistani academia and showbusiness and even politics ( :Bilawal ) then you would know of, none of them are in jail they're just in the closet. In Pakistan everything is allowed as long you keep it private, if she worked in Pakistan she would have no issues living her life as a lesbian - nobody even talks about sexuality IRL, just keep it private, it's a don't ask, don't tell society.
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Why should she or anyone else for that matter have to keep their sexuality a secret? Moreover, it's not just about sexuality it's also about religion. As I mentioned in my post, we asked Atif Mian to resign because he was Ahmedi how would we treat a Parsi in a similar position and that too a Parsi Lesbian (openly lesbian might I add).

I'm not out of touch. What I stated in my posts are facts. Had she remained in Pakistan she would not have been the person she became. Pakistan should learn from this and move into the modern world to allow people like her to excel within the country itself rather than focusing on people's religions and sexuality and how every little thing hurts our sentiments.
 
uberkoen said:
Because had she been in Pakistan she would've been in jail and not allowed to excel at what she does. The fact that she's achieved what she has achieved is only because she is not in Pakistan. It's hypocritical of a country to celebrate achievements of a person who would not have been allowed to excel in the country because of its regressive laws.
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She clearly has a brilliant mind and is smart.

What makes you think she wouldn't be closeted if she remained in Pakistan?
Isn't she aware of our laws?
Why would she come out if she knew she'd be unable to thrive in her field by coming out?

All this is hypothetical but surely she wouldn't have been stupid enough to come out publicly in a country like Pakistan and be reckless about her career.
 
uberkoen said:
Why should she or anyone else for that matter have to keep their sexuality a secret? Moreover, it's not just about sexuality it's also about religion. As I mentioned in my post, we asked Atif Mian to resign because he was Ahmedi how would we treat a Parsi in a similar position and that too a Parsi Lesbian (openly lesbian might I add).

I'm not out of touch. What I stated in my posts are facts. Had she remained in Pakistan she would not have been the person she became. Pakistan should learn from this and move into the modern world to allow people like her to excel within the country itself rather than focusing on people's religions and sexuality and how every little thing hurts our sentiments.
Click to expand...

Causes thousands of other people already do, there are even some famous homosexuals in Pakistani showbusiness and politics, it's not new and people have an idea of who they are but don't care about it as long you don't use it to define yourself. Sexuality is seen differently in conservative Muslim countries and eastern societies, she wouldn't be defining herself as a lesbian but as an academic and whatever goes on behind closed doors in her houses really bothers no one, also considering she's a non-Muslim, the general public would be even more understanding as they don't usually hold non-Muslims to the same standards and expectations.
 
Hadi Rizvi said:
She clearly has a brilliant mind and is smart.

What makes you think she wouldn't be closeted if she remained in Pakistan?
Isn't she aware of our laws?
Why would she come out if she knew she'd be unable to thrive in her field by coming out?

All this is hypothetical but surely she wouldn't have been stupid enough to come out publicly in a country like Pakistan and be reckless about her career.
Click to expand...

Read your post again and then read what I wrote and you will understand why I mentioned hypocrisy.

We can be proud of a Parsi Lesbian's achievements in the US. What would happen to her if she was openly a Parsi Lesbian in Pakistan?

What happened to Dr. Abdus Salam? What happened to Atif Mian? Were they supposed to keep their religion a secret as well?

We live in a country with regressive laws and backward mentality and we are hypocrites of the highest order. Instead of moving forward and calling for these laws to be changed and calling out what is wrong in this country you're saying people should keep their religion and their sexuality a secret. Slow clap for you my friend.
 
Giannis said:
Causes thousands of other people already do, there are even some famous homosexuals in Pakistani showbusiness and politics, it's not new and people have an idea of who they are but don't care about it as long you don't use it to define yourself. Sexuality is seen differently in conservative Muslim countries and eastern societies, she wouldn't be defining herself as a lesbian but as an academic and whatever goes on behind closed doors in her houses really bothers no one, also considering she's a non-Muslim, the general public would be even more understanding as they don't usually hold non-Muslims to the same standards and expectations.
Click to expand...

but she does define herself as a lesbian and proudly so. She can do that in the US and can't do it here.That is exactly what you're saying and you're being a hypocrite by saying "oh she should hide it" why should she hide it? This is part of her identity.

You're just saying exactly what I'm saying. In Pakistan had she declared herself to be openly Lesbian she would not have achieved anything. However, in the US she is able to. Pakistan is celebrating that instead of changing its regressive laws so that the next Dr.Nergis can thrive in the country and does not have to go to US.

The general public would be more understanding? Like they were when it came to Dr. Abdus Salam and Atif Mian? You're kidding yourself.

Come back to reality.
 
uberkoen said:
but she does define herself as a lesbian and proudly so. She can do that in the US and can't do it here.That is exactly what you're saying and you're being a hypocrite by saying "oh she should hide it" why should she hide it? This is part of her identity.

You're just saying exactly what I'm saying. In Pakistan had she declared herself to be openly Lesbian she would not have achieved anything. However, in the US she is able to. Pakistan is celebrating that instead of changing its regressive laws so that the next Dr.Nergis can thrive in the country and does not have to go to US.

The general public would be more understanding? Like they were when it came to Dr. Abdus Salam and Atif Mian? You're kidding yourself.

Come back to reality.
Click to expand...

You are pretending that it was the freedom to express her sexuality which was the reason she could do well in academics, and pakistan must allow all these lgbtq-whatever the freedom to publicly express their sexuality so that they can excel in various fields.

of course, these deviant people should not be treated as criminals, but their sexuality should not be glorified or normalized as it attacks the traditional institution of marriage and the male woman relationship upon which our society is based.
 
uberkoen said:
For all those who're going gaga over Nergis Mavalvala's recent achievement and branding it "Proud moment for Pakistan", calm down. All this was possible only because unlike the country of her origin, the country she moved to didn't measure her talent by her religion or sexuality.

The achievements of Nergis Mavalvala in United States aren't a symbol of Pakistan's success, rather they are a symbol of Pakistan's failure.
Click to expand...

This is demonstrable nonsense. She must have excelled academically to earn a move to America in the first place. You seem to forget she grew up in Pakistan and studied there to the age of 18. In fact you could even argue that her lack of realisation of her sexual preferences may well have aided her academic career since she was unlikely to get sidetracked by any interest in boys.

Now I am not one of those going gaga over her success since I have no connection to her, hence I am fairly indifferent. But if Pakistanis want to take pride in her achievements then it is up to them, don't see who you are to tell them who they can applaud and who they can't.
 
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