Saudi ban on Moroccan women is a stereotype too far In banning Moroccan women from a pilgrimage in case they are prostitutes, Saudi Arabia is failing in its Islamic duties Nesrine Malik guardian.co.uk, Sunday 29 August 2010 13.00 BST Article history We all like to stereotype. Whether it’s about different regions in a country or other countries, we all indulge in a bit of reductionism and comic typecasting. The British laugh at the French, Europeans poke fun at Americans and it is all reciprocated in (mostly) harmless badinage. In the Arab world, we have our memes too: the Sudanese are … Continue reading Moroccan women banned in Saudi Arabia

Pakistan is not the target; deal fixers are Cricket needs to use its TV-generated fortune to strike at the root of the match-fixing problem Peter Preston guardian.co.uk, Sunday 29 August 2010 17.30 BST Article history There’s one heart-warming sight you can see any normal day in the villages of Pakistan: a rutted strip of earth, a few sticks driven into it, a bat, a ball, and young boys playing cricket. This isn’t just any game: this is the game. It is also a field of dreams. If you want to grow up to join Europe or Latin America’s rich and … Continue reading News Of The Worlds Mazhar Mahmood Entraps Cricket

Many think Iran was the biggest beneficiary of the 2003 Iraq war – but they forget it is Iraq that has democracy Hayder al-Khoei guardian.co.uk, Sunday 29 August 2010 17.00 BST Article history The Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, casts his ballot in March’s parliamentary election. Photograph: KPA/Zuma/Rex FeaturesMany people argue the biggest winner of the 2003 Iraq war is neighbouring Iran. The American-led forces removed one of Iran’s bitterest enemies, Saddam Hussein, and paved the way for successive Shia-dominated governments in Baghdad. The Iranians have not shied away from interfering in domestic Iraqi affairs and the power vacuum created … Continue reading Did Iran really do so well out of the Iraq war?

By Ardeshir Cowasjee dawn.com Health issues have the potential of developing into major hazards: mosquitoes, lack of bed-nets and thus malaria; exacerbation of previous malnutrition in young children; prolific diarrhoea/dysentery deteriorating into a cholera epidemic; skin infections mushrooming through contact. —Reuters Photo THE National Disaster Management Authority and its provincial/local subsidiaries have justifiably come under fire for the woefully inadequate responses to the floods and the ensuing tragedy. Formed by an ordinance in the aftermath of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, no serious input and resources were made available to the Authority — it was and is a toothless tiger. As … Continue reading How can one help?

Dawn Editorial Political parties of every hue apparently want direct access to flood relief funds so that they can build up their political capital. They want to be seen as the people personally handing over money because that could win votes at the next election. —Reuters Photo IT seems that Pakistan will remain hostage to petty politics, even at a time of grave national crisis. Initially it was said that a ‘trust deficit’ was the root cause behind the international community’s slow response to the ongoing flood relief operations in this country. That was possibly a fair assessment given the … Continue reading Cashing in on floods?

By Huma Yusuf dawn.com Karzai appeared in Islamabad in March to announce that Pakistan would handle future negotiations with the Taliban. He added, “Pakistan is a twin brother of Afghanistan. We are more than twins — we are conjoined twins.” —AFP/File Photo PAKISTAN ‘irritates’ Afghan President Hamid Karzai, says an official of his government quoted in The Washington Post. Fair enough. In the midst of a decade-old war with no favourable outcome and mounting civilian casualties, an incorrigible neighbour with ‘safe havens’ for militants is bound to feel like a major irritant. But that does not justify Kabul’s call for … Continue reading Afghanistan’s ire

Smokers’ Corner: Bloodied be thy name Nadeem F. Paracha dawn.com We, with our split morals and warped ideologies, are our own greatest enemy, writes Nadeem F. Paracha. — Illustration by Abro It was horrifying: the beating to death and then the upside down hanging of the two young brothers in Sialkot. Accused of theft, the teenagers were brutally beaten with sticks and kicks by at least four men — an event that was watched in silence by a couple of cops and dozens of onlookers. Good to see that some of those involved are under arrest, but what about all … Continue reading Pakistanis – The Worst Enemy of Pakistan?

Afghan Youth robbed! by Taimur Sikander The sight of the brooding Shapoor Zadran running in to bowl was enough to captivate me and kept me hooked for the good 15-20 remaining minutes of yesterday’s Dr. M.A. Shah Night Trophy Twenty20 game. Zadran, an opening bowler for Afghanistan’s international team, I thought had been inducted into one of the local club teams as an overseas player which made for an interesting concept. But upon close observation I noticed that the jerseys of the team in beige actually read ‘Afghan Youth.’ It was Korangi Al- Fatah and Dr. M.A. Shah Trophy’s first … Continue reading Afghan Cricket

By Irfan Husain As we have seen over the last 63 years since the inception of the state, religion has been used to divide and alienate one section of society from another. So whatever the chief justice might feel, a genuine debate on secularism is long overdue. – File Photo. Recently, a reader — clearly more concerned with Pakistan’s welfare than mine — suggested that I set up a political party with the avowed goal of establishing a secular dispensation in the country. I explained to him why this idea was quite unworkable: apart from my lack of political qualifications … Continue reading The secular ideal

By Jawad Muzaffar and Suhail Yusuf / Dawn.com A crowd of at least 500 people gathered at the Arts Council to protest against the killings of the two brothers. – Photos by Ahmed Shajee Aijazi Pakistan People not allowed to create own justice system: Malik KARACHI: The killings of Hafiz Mughees and Muneeb, the two brothers from Sialkot, have ignited severe demonstrations around the country against the mindset that led to the incident and the incompetence of the authorities in catching the culprits. Following protests around the country, volunteers from the Voice of the Civil Society (VOTCS) and The Arts … Continue reading Karachi unites to condemn the Sialkot tragedy