What is Mehraab? As the first issue of monthly Mehraab reaches your hands, we are proud to say that it culminates an ambition that we have been cherishing for quite some time. Which is to publish a news magazine for the expatriate Indo-Pakistani community of North America that would focus in a global context on South Asian art, culture, film, history, Urdu language and literature, music and contemporary social issues. Though Mehraab will be based in North Carolina, it is not a local or regional magazine, but will endeavor to cover literary and cultural arts events wherever we can find them. Because we are located in NC, we will naturally cover any such events that happen locally, but will do our best to build means to cover such events and happenings nationwide. Mehraab is an independent non-partisan magazine. It will try to stay free of clichés, explore alternative art forms, and not shy away from provocative or controversial topics. However, it will not focus on politics, religion, national and ethnic issues because these are amply covered elsewhere. High quality standard and excellence will be Mehraab's policy and we will strive to maintain the principles and ethics of journalism. Its opinion pages will try to acquire vigor and prestige besides an eclectic quality. The magazine will seek to attract the most outstanding contributors and columnists and also introduce new writers. These writers with variety of skills and specialties will offer the readers a tremendous diversity of themes and subjects to choose from. Mehraab has also recruited talented women writers and journalists to make their mark as editors and writers of feature pages and reports. Mehraab is at a transitional threshold and will evolve with time into taking a distinct shape of its own. This continuing changing process will revamp and diversify its contents and redesign its layout. Mehraab will expand into other areas of interest such as business, health, immigration, and information technology. Some readers want to see a more variegated mix of topics and subjects, especially stronger entertainment sections. We have agreed that Mehraab's repertoire should be suitably extended to acknowledge the tastes of these readers. Naturally, the preferences of the readers of this new century will increasingly exert an impact on the thinking and actions of the editors and publishers of the present-day. Yes, we would be open to new ideas and respond to valid and necessary demands for change. In our opinion we need a magazine like Mehraab because it is an excellent way for the Indians and Pakistanis to stay in touch with one another and build a bond. We need something that is short and more personable. Other magazines and newsletters are too much like an "organization" publication. This will be more personable, more close to home for everyday people, more enlightening, more of something that people can pick up and enjoy. We need something that we can all relate to better. This magazine will give people with untapped talents an opportunity to come out and hopefully blossom and grow further with it. It is another way for us to keep our roots alive and hopefully maintain people's interest in Urdu before it's dead and gone. We need a small-scale avenue that's educational and will motivate people to either become actively involved or just support it. Most of all, we don't have a news magazine like this in this country and there's definitely a need for it. |
