Author: Mohammed Abbasi

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Women doctors say what ails Pakistan

Mohammed Abbasi

By Beena Sarwar  BOSTON – On one of her many visits to Pakistan recently, Sarah Peck, director of the US-Pakistan Women’s Council, spent some time talking to young women medical students in Pakistan. She was struck by their passion and commitment – and by the hurdles they face.  Women outnumber male students in medical colleges across Pakistan, forming up to 85% of the student body in private universities and 65% in the public sector.  But only about half of them end up working as doctors. There are no nationwide figures for this estimate, but the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s … Continue reading Women doctors say what ails Pakistan

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Israel stokes holy row over mosque and makes Southern Baptists happier!

Mohammed Abbasi

By Ramzy Baroud  Something sinister is brewing around and below Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem – it has all the hallmarks of a familiar Israeli campaign to strip the mosque of its Muslim-Arab identity. This time around, however, the stakes are much higher.  The status of al-Aqsa is unparalleled within the context of Muslim heritage in Palestine. It is also the third holiest Muslim shrine anywhere. Equally as important, it is a symbol of faith, resistance and defiance. Its story of struggle and perseverance goes hand in hand with the modern Palestinian struggle for rights, freedom and identity.  In a … Continue reading Israel stokes holy row over mosque and makes Southern Baptists happier!

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Dialogue of mutual benefit for Pakistan & Afghanistan at last?

Mohammed Abbasi

The Pakistan-Afghanistan entente cordiale Despite the difficulty of facing regular casualties and unease among some military generals, Pakistan is pressing for peace talks with militants, a stance backed by several political parties. Renewed negotiations with the Taliban are coming at a juncture when many developments are going on in the South Asian region. The exit of US troops, the signing of a crucial security agreement, the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), between Kabul and the US and peace talks with the Afghan Taliban are just some of the major issues that will influence Pakistan and its political situation in the months … Continue reading Dialogue of mutual benefit for Pakistan & Afghanistan at last?

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Turkey walking a tightrope over Crimea

Mohammed Abbasi

By Dorian Jones  The Russian-Ukrainian crisis over Crimea is forcing Turkey into a delicate balancing act: Ankara feels a need to be seen as a protector of the peninsula’s Tatar minority, yet it does not want to vex Russia’s paramount leader Vladimir Putin in a way that complicates Turkish-Russian economic arrangements.  There are abundant reasons why Turkey is taking a close interest in Crimean developments. Crimea operated as a vassal khanate of Ottoman Empire from the 1470s until 1783. In addition, Turks are bound by a strong cultural connection to Crimean Tatars, an ethnic minority group that comprises roughly 15% … Continue reading Turkey walking a tightrope over Crimea

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Saudi Arabia bans the Muslim Brotherhood – who next?

Mohammed Abbasi

Saudi Arabia’s decision to brand the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation should surprise none, the conservative kingdom’s paranoia about is not just movements that stand for freedom, human rights and democracy, but also Muslim groups or movements that believe in democracy. The Brotherhood has its own agenda yes, and its charter may have aims that sound anachronistic, but the party founded by Hassan al-Banna has been relying on the electoral process to achieve power. The Saudis welcomed the army coup that ousted the Brotherhood’s elected government headed by Morsi. Saudi Arabia is not the only one: recent days have seen … Continue reading Saudi Arabia bans the Muslim Brotherhood – who next?

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Pakistan and the need for a positive foreign policy.

Mohammed Abbasi

Foreign policy dilemmas By Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi   The writer is an independent political and defence analyst. He is also the author of several books, monographs and articles on Pakistan and South Asian Affairs The mindset of a large number of politically active people and policymakers in Pakistan continues to be dominated by the Cold War politics of ideological divide and enduring friendships or enmities. The major discourse emphasises the global conflict between the Muslim and non-Muslim states of the Western world. A follow-up of this formulation is Islamic Pakistan versus non-Islamic states and groups. A widely shared view is … Continue reading Pakistan and the need for a positive foreign policy.

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Oppressive rulers fuel misconceptions of Islam

Mohammed Abbasi

By Hossein Askari  Non-Muslims, possibly even a number of Muslims as well, see Islam as a religion that has bred oppressive rule, intolerance, underdevelopment, corruption, and inequity with opulence alongside poverty. While this broad depiction would appear to apply to most Muslim countries, it has little to do with Islamic teachings of the Koran (the indisputable guide for all Muslims) and the generally accepted interpretations of Koranic teachings offered by the Prophet Mohammad.  The dismal state of most Muslim countries is, in our opinion, the result of oppressive and unjust rule that has preempted effective institutions and governance.  There is … Continue reading Oppressive rulers fuel misconceptions of Islam

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Ahrar-ul-Hind – Attock Taliban!

Mohammed Abbasi

  Talks with the purveyors of terror     by S Iftikhar Murshed The people of Pakistan have grown accustomed to soul-shattering tragedy, which has been their constant companion for more than a decade. The National Internal Security Policy 2013-2018 announced by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on February 26 admits that 48,994 people have been killed in terrorist violence since 2001. The death toll keeps mounting and it seems that only haunting funeral dirges and requiems for the souls of the dead are appropriate for this land that has bled so profusely and for so long.  On Monday the … Continue reading Ahrar-ul-Hind – Attock Taliban!

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Less money, less faith in US ‘pivot’

Mohammed Abbasi

By Khanh Vu Duc and Duvien Tran  The United States’ military of the 21st century will be leaner, not by strategic choice but rather fiscal necessity. The new US defense budget aims to reduce army personnel to levels not seen since before World War II. While a heavily indebted US must learn to do more with less, its strategic partners around the globe, including in Asia, must likewise downgrade their expectations and boost their burden-sharing.  According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a research institute focused on global security issues, 4.4% of US gross domestic produce was spent on … Continue reading Less money, less faith in US ‘pivot’

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‘Cloud’ may save education in India

Mohammed Abbasi

By Swati Lodh Kundu  Nearly four years after implementation in India of the Right to Education Act (RTE) in April 2010, the situation remains as grim as ever. Although India currently spends less than 4% of gross domestic product on education, there has been a steady increase of allocation of funds towards free and compulsory education to the 6-14 age group, especially since RTE came into existence. Yet, a rising proportion of students in rural areas choose private schools over government ones. The dependence on private tuition is also growing, with as much as 26% of students continuing with paid … Continue reading ‘Cloud’ may save education in India