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Christian Right Destroys America From Within?

Mohammed Abbasi

The Christian Right’s “Religious Freedom” Wants to Elevate Beliefs Above Human Rights – and It’s Working By Valerie Tarico, AlterNet  Secular Americans and many liberal people of faith have been horrified by the Right’s most recent ploy: “religious freedom” claims that would give conservative business owners license to discriminate. Until Arizona made the national spotlight, the need for lunch counter sit-ins had seemed like a thing of the past. But in reality, advocates for religious privilege have been circling toward this point for some time. As a legal and political tactic, Tea Party politicians and conservative church leaders have high hopes for their “religious freedom” push. What … Continue reading Christian Right Destroys America From Within?

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Stop stereotyping Pakistani Pakhtuns

Mohammed Abbasi

Allamas, professors and Pakhtuns   Farooq Sulehria   It is significant and praise-worthy that Allama Ghamidi took notice of the criticism levelled against his portrayal of Pakhtun culture during a recent TV talk show. However, instead of acknowledging the points raised in the criticism against him, he used a familiar excuse – he was misunderstood by his critics. “I was referring to tribal culture, in general, and did not pinpoint Pakhtun culture”, he said. Since TV show recordings are available online, curious readers can watch the show in question and judge for themselves. To distance himself from the extreme position … Continue reading Stop stereotyping Pakistani Pakhtuns

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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!