ANALYSIS: Youth and militancy —Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi Friday sermons in a large number of mosques preach how the West is out to undermine the Muslims and the Islamic world. It is easy to get radical ideological inspiration in Pakistan because Islamic orthodoxy and militancy have seeped deep into Pakistan’s state system and society The failed bombing attempt in New York City has once again focused attention on Pakistan as an inspirational centre for Islamic radicalism and the vulnerability of young people of Pakistani origin to Islamic radicalism and militancy. There is no evidence available so far to suggest that the … Continue reading Time to deal with the hateful mullahs?

Book review: Murky murders —by Naeem Tahir Who Killed Karkare? The Real Face of Terrorism in India By S M Mushrif Pharos Media; Pp 319; $ 25 Who Killed Karkare? The Real Face of Terrorism in India, by S M Mushrif, the former IG police, Maharashtra, was first published in 2009. Since then a ‘Revised edition’ in 2009 and three more editions have already been published and the fourth edition is now being sent to the bookshops. The book has attracted unprecedented attention. The author has shared his long investigative observations with his readers. His findings are a source of … Continue reading Who Killed Karkare? The Real Face of Terrorism in India

dawn.com Accidents of history and geography have made Pakistan’s tribal belt a hotbed of Pakistani, Afghan and foreign militants. – (File Photo) World Pakistani Taliban behind failed New York attack: US Pakistani Taliban behind failed New York attack: US PESHAWAR: When Faisal Shahzad was arrested over the New York car bomb attempt, he joined a growing list of Western terror suspects inspired, trained or sponsored by extremists in Pakistan. The son of an affluent air force commander, Shahzad was brought up in Pakistan but educated in the United States, where he got a job, settled his young family into suburbia … Continue reading Pakistan – A nursery of modern jihad?

dawn.com Afghan women, victims of war, look on during a “victims’ jirga” (a meeting) in Kabul. Afghanistan, Sunday, May 9, 2010. – AP KABUL: Mothers of slain teenage sons, men wounded by mine blasts and tearful widows were among Afghans who spoke out Sunday at a conference billed as the first major gathering of victims of decades of war in their country. The so-called ”victims’ jirga” at a Kabul hotel brought together dozens of Afghans from across the country to build pressure on the government ahead of a national peace assembly called by President Hamid Karzai for later this month. … Continue reading Victims of violence speak out in Afghanistan

Smokers’ Corner: Honourable lies By Nadeem F. Paracha dawn.com “In the wake of Pakistan’s more aggressive involvement in the US-run ‘war on terror’, the narrative began being tampered with by talk show ‘guests’ — mainly from the Jamat-i-Islami, certain retired generals who still seem nostalgically stuck in the 1980s’ Afghan Jihad and the likes of Imran Khan.” After basking in the sudden spat of freedom provided during the early 2000s, private news channels emerged treading as close to ‘objectivity’ as possible — until they discovered the commercial wonders of what is called a political talk show. But it wasn’t until … Continue reading Honourable lies will destroy Pakistan 😦

Paths of terrorism lead but to Pakistan By Ardeshir Cowasjee dawn.com “Can some bright psychologist work out why Faisal Shahzad, a college graduate, son of a Pakistani air force officer, married with two children, was prompted to do what he did on May Day?” – Photo by AP. The adoption of terrorism tactics can no longer be merely attributed to ignorance, poverty, deprivation or hardship. Many of our neo-terrorists are schooled and brainwashed beings, with a grudge, or several grudges, imbued with bravado, intent on disrupting what is left of civilised life, with nary a care as to how many … Continue reading Pakistans Mullahs are the problem when they do not condemn terrorism

Does anyone care to revamp education system? By Ismail Khan dawn.com A Pakistani girl at her school in Mingora, the main town of Pakistan troubled Swat Valley. A province that has little resources of its own spends Rs30 billion on education, Rs24 billion of which is spent on salaries of teachers and other allied staff. – AP (File Photo) Editorial Reading campaign Reading campaign “WHERE is Malta?’ a panelist at an interview board asked a candidate – a postgraduate in Geography – who had applied for a job to teach the same subject. “Malta?” a somewhat puzzled candidate retorted, with … Continue reading Does the Pakistan government care to revamp education system?

Cyber attack ‘could fell US within 15 minutes’ The US must prepare itself for a full-scale cyber attack which could cause death and destruction across the country in less than 15 minutes, the former anti-terrorism Tsar to Bill Clinton and George W Bush has warned. Alex Spillius in Washington telegraph.co.uk Former White House counterterrorism advisor Richard A Clarke Photo: EPA Richard Clarke claims that America’s lack of preparation for the annexing of its computer system by terrorists could lead to an “electronic Pearl Harbor”. In his warning, Mr Clarke paints a doomsday scenario in which the problems start with the … Continue reading US can be destroyed with 15 mins of an Indian or Chinese Cyber Attack!

Dining on aroma by Amber Rahim Shamsi dawn.com My friend Aisha has a new theory: instead of suppressing the craving for a slice of chocolate cake, smell it. Fool the brain into thinking that chocolate cake will soon be consumed and the craving goes away; the brain isn’t all that smart, she says. She got the idea from a sitcom, where lean, muscular thirty-somethings lounge on a bench outside a bakery, inhaling the aroma of oven-fresh goodies while sipping on their low-fat soy milk lattes. The theory, coming from a serial dieter and derived from a sitcom, may not be … Continue reading Smell of food – whats your favourite?

‘Death metal’ trainee teacher told to quit gory band or resign A trainee teacher who fronts a gory death metal band whose live act features blood-smeared women has been threatened with dismissal by German authorities. Thomas Gurrath Photo: CEN Unless he abandons his controversial music career with the band Debauchery, Thomas “The Bloodbeast” Gurrath will have to give up his teaching traineeship, according to a report in Bild, the German daily. The 29-year-old Stuttgart-based teacher and his band have released albums with names like “Kill, Maim, Burn” and “Torture Pit”. The band’s live shows and promotional materials feature nude women … Continue reading Mr Thomas “The Bloodbeast” Gurrath – trainee teacher needs your support!