By Jawed Naqvi dawn.com Apart from the thousands killed by Hindu mobs in Gujarat in 2002 and in Bombay in 1993, individual acts of terrorism suspected to be carried out by rightwing Hindu groups are beginning to leave a long trail. — Photo by Reuters Was Adolf Hitler history’s best known fascist or was he also a terrorist in the sense that terrorism has come to be defined today — the highest form of evil? In other words, is fascism a form of terrorism? The answer to this question will define the strategy India chooses to confront rightwing Hindu groups … Continue reading Hitler was a fascist, but was he also a terrorist?

Dawn Editorial At its core, the Balochistan problem remains an issue of an enormous trust deficit. –Photo by Reuters The comments made by former COAS Waheed Kakar at a seminar organised by the ‘Friends of the Baloch and Balochistan’ on Saturday ought to stir some soul-searching in the Pakistan Army high command. From expressing concern over the plight of the ‘missing persons’ to the warm remarks about the character and leadership of the slain Akbar Bugti, Gen Kakar struck a sensible tone on the problems in Balochistan and, implicitly, criticised the army for its approach towards the restive province since … Continue reading Rethink needed

By Ardeshir Cowasjee dawn.com Husain Haqqani, our ambassador in Washington, ends his book: “Pakistan was created in a hurry and without giving detailed thought to various aspects of nation and state building … Both Pakistan’s elite and their US benefactors would have to participate in transforming Pakistan into a functional, rather than ideological state.” – Photo by AP. A common reaction to the almost universal conclusion that one of Pakistan’s main exports is terrorism — bolstered by the latest would-be hero of Times Square who fortunately failed — is that the larger majority of the Pakistani nation and its would-be leadership … Continue reading Our combined failure – how to get out of this rut?

By Javed Hussain dawn.com Nine years on into the occupation of Afghanistan, Americans have finally understood that it will be far more difficult to withdraw than it was to go in. — Photo by AFP On March 8, 1965, when the US Marines landed on the beaches of Da Nang in South Vietnam, history was poised to repeat itself as the Americans were poised to repeat the mistakes made by the French in 1946 when they returned to colonise Indo-China. The marines had come with the belief that the ‘racially inferior gooks’ would not stand up to America’s military forces … Continue reading American arrogance – it will not win wars

by Alnas Zia It is a matter of great national pride when your country tops headlines in the international news media. But Pakistanis only seem to make the news for actions that leave their compatriots blowing down their heads in utter shame and disappointment. Ajmal Kasab and Faisal Shahzad, for instance, have truly disgraced the country, and it remains a sad reality that we don’t get to hear stories of Pakistanis who show courage and determination in times of distress. Thankfully, a recent article published by the BBC is a rare exception that deserves to be shared with the world, … Continue reading Her jihad is the true jihad!

Sheikh Salman al-Oadah At the present time, the word “extremism” is probably the most incessantly repeated word on the tongues of journalists, writers, and politicians. It is likely that the events of September 11 are what put it in the forefront of popular terminology, for such terminology gives expression to inner feelings and makes up for a lot of talk and lengthy explanations. Extremism is a derived word, and it seems that those who use it mean by it a person who stands far off to one side of the center. This maze of terminology is a major cause of … Continue reading Extremism and Reverse Extremism

Sheikh Salman al-Oadah People sometimes fancy themselves as being all-important, looking disdainfully from side to side, holding their noses high in the air. But if they would only regard these great and awe-inspiring creations around them, it would give them a sense of humility and they would become humble before their Lord. Things to Consider: 1. At the time of conception, between five and six hundred million sperm cells pass through the vaginal tract, each of them capable of fertilizing the egg and becoming a human being. But Allah in His wisdom selects one from all of those millions to … Continue reading Our Small Place in Allah’s Creation

loonwatch.com We haven’t done many pieces on Islamophobia in Australia but it is very prevalent there as was manifest by the race riots that took place a few years ago. The video below dissects one example of provocation by the media against Muslims to reinforce the caricature of an angry young Muslim. This piece was taken from a Dutch website. We took the google translation and made it a little more understandable. A Terrorist in Three Steps Are you a cameraman trying to capture an image of an angry Muslim to deliver the news that night, then this the formula … Continue reading Terrorist in Three Steps!

Gary McKinnon: a test case for principles Now Tories and Lib Dems who condemned the absurd pursuit of Gary McKinnon can save him Geoffrey Robertson guardian.co.uk The first acid test for Britain’s new government is not the economy, but whether it is capable of an act of simple humanity. Can Theresa May deliver on the repeated promise of Tory and Lib Dem leaders to end the torment inflicted by the state on Gary McKinnon, the hacker with Asperger’s syndrome, whom the Home Office wants to send to lengthy imprisonment and likely suicide in a US jail? His courtroom cruelty is … Continue reading FREE Gary McKinnon!!!

Miliband v Miliband: off the leash Freed from the restraints of office, David and Ed have both made a strong start in a leadership contest that will energise Labour Tom Happold guardian.co.uk Opposition suits Ed Miliband. Despite being one of the men who led Labour to its worst defeat in 28 years, he was positively chipper launching his leadership campaign yesterday. He seemed relieved to be out of office and able to speak his mind, free from collective responsibility and the need to defer to Gordon Brown. Miliband gave an impressive speech to the Fabian Society’s Next Left conference, speaking … Continue reading David and Ed Miliband – Both are nice guys so how does one choose?