ANALYSIS: Winning the Battle of Algiers —Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur If brutal crackdowns and search operations of suspected areas had any success in deterring people from struggling for their national, political, social and economic rights, Algeria would still have been a French colony Jeehamd Shahija Marri was a notorious cattle rustler in the Pat Feeder area in the 1950s and 60s; he used to narrate his exploits about the risks they had to take and the distances they had to walk. He would recount that after reaching a relatively safe place after a continuous quick walk of 10 to 12 … Continue reading Winning the Battle of Algiers

VIEW: After the UN commission report —Haider Nizamani Ordinary Pakistanis, especially those who cannot read English, should be given the opportunity to access the report in its entirety, instead of leaving them at the mercy of spin-doctors and prejudiced television anchors trashing the report Some forces in Pakistan have already gone into overdrive to discredit the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry into the facts and circumstances of the assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The 65-page report’s focus is on the circumstances surrounding Ms Bhutto’s assassination and the subsequent criminal investigation, or lack of it thereof, but it offers … Continue reading Pakistanis should be given the UN report directly to decide for themselves

Violence on campus By Huma Yusuf dawwn.com The Punjab University should revive a healthy culture of student politics on campus. Although the govt lifted a long-standing ban in March 08, no student union elections have been conducted. History has already shown that democracy is the best antidote to the IJT’s shenanigan, the group, which was known to terrorise progressive students in the 70s, was trounced in student elections, most notably in 78, 83 and 89. By now Pakistanis are accustomed to ‘non-state actors’ — nebulous creatures that are blamed for the nation’s ills and help the government defer the burden … Continue reading Violent Mullahs on campus

‘I am eccentric and a maverick’ By Anjum Niaz dawn.com The man who wants to be remembered as an “ordinary human being; an Indian and a friend of Pakistan” leaves us with his final thought: “While partition can’t be undone but its consequence can be undone”! – Photo by Reuters. The last time I saw Jaswant Singh was in a small study at his New Delhi home. He sat behind a pile of books listening to Vivaldi. His eyes were of a discoverer thrashing through a jungle of overgrown foliage covered in fog. Before him lay his typed manuscript covered … Continue reading Partition can’t be undone but its consequence can be undone

Smokers’ Corner: Lost bearings? By Nadeem F. Paracha dawn.com “Is this sheer hypocrisy, self-centred delusion, or a simple case of Islamism now losing its bearings on a social level just like its political version did in the political arena?” A few weeks ago a young lady wrote a moving blog for dawn.com called ‘Confessions of a hijabi,’ she predictably rambled on about how painful it has been for her to hold on to her hijab in the face of taunts by the people around her. The event that inspired her to write this piece is rather telling. She says she … Continue reading How did Pakistan come to this?

The recurring nightmare By Ardeshir Cowasjee dawn.com According to Khushwant the story of the House of Bhutto, written by Fatima in “impeccably beautiful prose would have been a joy to read if it had not been a gruesome tale of intrigue, treachery, treason, violence and cold-blooded murder. The irrepressible, inimitable, 90-plus, Khushwant Singh, who has few peers in the subcontinental journalist community, is much taken with young Fatima Bhutto — mind you, he always has had and is renowned for his roving eye. He also has much to say about Fatima’s book Songs of Blood and Sword which he has … Continue reading The recurring nightmare

Film explores al Qaeda’s history and culture dawn.com Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney.–AFP Photo Front Page Al-Qaeda on the run: CIA Director Al-Qaeda on the run: CIA Director NEW YORK: A new film by Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney takes viewers from Cairo to London on a search for the cultural and historical roots of al Qaeda and some of its motives behind its attack on the United States. “My Trip to Al-Qaeda,” which debuts at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday, follows U.S. journalist Lawrence Wright’s worldwide exploration of the historical context of what formed and radicalized al Qaeda and its … Continue reading Explore al Qaeda’s history and culture

Convert to Christianity or Leave American Family Association Cross Jason Linkins has this post in the Huffington Post on the American Family Association’s call for American Muslims to leave or be expatriated to other countries. (hat tip: Abdullah) American Family Association to Muslim Americans: Convert to Christianity or Leave by Jason Linkins It seems like only a week ago that the American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer (who is the AFA’s Director of Issues Analysis, perhaps because he has so many personal issues that need to be analyzed by professional psychopharmacologists), was saying that the Christian thing to do would be … Continue reading American Family Association – A Nazi Front?

Stop Islamization of America has their ad campaign derailed Spencer and Geller’s proposed banner Crossposted with permission from Omer Subhani’s blog Robert Spencer and Pam Geller are part of an organization called Stop Islamization of America (SIOA). SIOA just announced a bus ad campaign on Tuesday, April 13 in Miami-Dade County, FL designed to thwart the supposedly “misleading” bus ad campaign created by the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and CAIR to promote the shared commonalities of Islam with Christianity and Judaism. SIOA’s bus ad campaign had the following remarks on the 10 or so buses running their ads: … Continue reading Oh Dear! Stop Islamization of America has their ad campaign derailed

Dutch Muslims Taking Geert Wilders’ Abuse? By Ruben L. Oppenheimer Sheila Kamerman and Dirk Vlasblom have an interesting article about how Dutch Muslims are dealing with the ascendancy and rhetoric of Geert Wilders. Some are choosing to ignore him while others see what he is calling for as impossible and unactionable.  While they are concerned, some Dutch Muslims also think that the best thing might be for Wilders’ PVV to actually win elections and lead the country because the PVV would then be forced to confront and offer more than just anti-Muslim rhetoric. What are your thoughts? (make sure to … Continue reading Why are Dutch Muslims Taking Geert Wilders’ Abuse?