The writer is a director at the South Asia Free Media Association, Lahore khaled.ahmed@tribune.com.pk It is often said that Muslims in the 21st century have rejected modernity. What they are in fact rejecting is the process of suiting themselves to changing circumstances. There are two kinds of thinking: one that seeks to change in order to relate to times and one that seeks to change the world to suit its tenets. There are two ways principles can be formulated. One is to establish them on the basis of facts; the other, on the basis of doctrine. The latter necessitates coercion. … Continue reading Why Muslims reject modernity

The writer is author of Military Inc and a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University, US ayesha.siddiqa@tribune.com.pk The Awami Jamhoori Party’s march to save “Jinnah’s Pakistan” is commendable. It denoted mobilisation of civil society against violence and intolerance. The procession ended at Data Darbar, which is considered a symbol of the country’s liberal Islamic ethos or culture of religious multi-polarity. But are we quite clear about whether this is the kind of liberal Islamic tradition that Jinnah and other founding leaders of Pakistan opted for? There was quite a bit of confusion regarding the type of religious ideology that the … Continue reading Saving Jinnah’s Pakistan

Operational aspects of ongoing US military relief effort * General Nagata deems it an honour to be assisting military forces in Pakistan to get to people in need and to render whatever assistance possible By Ali K Chishti The US Department of Defence organised a briefing on Friday by Brigadier General Michael Nagata, deputy commander of the Office of the Defence Representative, Pakistan, on the US relief response to the recent floods in Pakistan. Following is the transcript of the conversation: Q: General, can you talk about the transition from the army pilots that have been flying missions from Afghanistan … Continue reading US General Nagata assisting in flood relief

Taliban Leaders Should Be Prosecuted for War Crimes Posted by: Rafia Zakaria, Sanam Gul was a widow, 35 years old and pregnant.  According to news reports she was kept in captivity for three days before being shot to death in a public trial by the Afghan Taliban.  The execution took place in the Qadis District of the rural Baghdis province in Western Afghanistan. The “court” that ordered the punishment, found Sanam Gul, also known as Bibi Sanubar, guilty of having an illicit affair, proof of which was her pregnancy.  She was sentenced to 200 lashes and then executed.  The punishment was carried out … Continue reading Mullahs Should Be Prosecuted for War Crimes

Jonathan Franzen picks up the torch for US literary tradition In June a prominent critic proclaimed American literary fiction dead. But last week Time dared to differ, putting one of its biggest names, Jonathan Franzen, on its cover, as he returns to the fray with a new book – and ecstatic reviews William Skidelsky The Observer, Sunday 15 August 2010 Article history Jonathan Franzen, who is returning to the literary scene with his new novel, Freedom. Photograph: Felix ClayLast week an event took place that hasn’t occurred since 2000: a living author appeared on the cover of Time magazine. The … Continue reading Jonathan Franzen

Engagement with Iran By Huma Yusuf dawn.com While Iran flexes its regional muscles, Islamabad should coin a coherent policy for engagement with Tehran. — Photo by Reuters The floodwaters in some parts are beginning to subside. As the Indus returns to the confines of its banks, pressing issues such as extremism, the energy crisis and regional stability will start to creep back into the headlines. Moving on from this crisis, Islamabad will have to balance rehabilitation with the ripple effect the floods will have on matters as diverse as the economy, security and foreign policy. Without foresight and determination at … Continue reading Pakistan and engagement with Iran

Visions of divinity By Qazi Ijaz Ahmad There are several foreign motifs in Gandhara Art. These include caryatids, Atlantes, Persipolitan and Corinthian pillars, fire altars and many other elements from Greece, Persia and Rome. – Photo by the writer Pakistan is home to two great ancient civilisations, namely the Indus Valley and the Gandhara civilisations. The unique and magnificent culture of this part of the world owes a lot to them. Gandhara is an ancient school of art which emerged from the small kingdom of Gandhara located in a region that we now know as the Peshawar Valley. The region … Continue reading Gandhara – Visions of divinity

Saving Pakistan from itself By Kunwar Idris ‘The saddest of all thoughts however is that the donors are being cagey or wary not because they do not realise the gravity and scale of the problem. It is Pakistan’s reputation for corruption and mismanagement that holds them back.’ — Photo by AP The response of the political leaders, the government and civil society as a whole to the country’s worst-ever natural disaster has been both delayed and mean. It is a kind of save-Pakistan-from-itself situation. Even the army that comes to the people’s rescue when the civil administration falters or fails … Continue reading Saving Pakistan from Pakistanis

Mad in the middle By Nadeem F. Paracha dawn.com After the end of the Afghan war, both the puritanical and populist versions of the faith have regenerated themselves as a lot more reactionary, emitting deluded and anti-intellectual, fascist battle cries. These have not only found support among the most desperate sections of society, but, unfortunately, also among the now intellectually bankrupt urban middle-class of Pakistan. — Photo by AFP The political and social aspects of Islam in Pakistan can be seen as existing in and emerging from three distinct clusters of thought. These clusters represent the three variations of political … Continue reading A Neo-Aligarh generation developing?