Saturday, February 26, 2011

Park 51 Community Centre New York Event on Feb 26 - Celebrating Early Prophetic History


February 26
Celebrating Early Prophetic History and its Inspiration in the Modern Day
At Park51, 5:00-7:00PM

Lectures, Q & A session; Food will be served

In the spirit of intrafaith peace and understanding, Park51 is honored to host a night of lectures, dinner, and discussion relating to the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be Upon Him. This discussion will focus on how the early life of the Prophet reflects upon people today, and how his teachings apply to contemporary society, for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Speakers

Shamsi Ali, Imam of Islamic Culture Center of New York
Professor Hassan Abbas, Quaid-i-Azam Chair, Columbia University
Opening Comments and MC provided by Lawyer and Stand-up Comedian Azhar Usman

For all details, click here

An Islamic Domino Theory

Regime Change In The Arab World: An Islamic Domino Theory
By Dr. Paul Cole, Eurasiareview, Feb 24, 2011

During the Cold War, western security policy was shaped, in some cases decisively, by the Domino Theory, which stated that if one country fell under communist control, all of that country’s neighbors were threatened with the same fate. Recent events in the Arab world suggest that there is an Islamic variation of the Domino Theory. If one country overturns an autocracy, then all of autocratic neighbors of that country may follow suit.

The internal story unfolding in each Arab country undergoing regime change, though extremely important, should not divert attention from a question of equal, if not greater importance. What are the implications of regime change in the Arab world for the future of the international system?

Is Conflict Permanent?

After the 1980 U.S. presidential election, outgoing Carter national security officials briefed President-elect Reagan. One of the out-going Carter people said to the in-coming Reagan people, “The U.S.-Soviet conflict is a permanent feature of the international political landscape.” President-elect Reagan responded, “Says who?”

Two schools of thought among Washington’s foreign policy glitterati dominated reactions to Reagan’s comment. The entrenched establishment, whose entire professional life was informed by the political structures of the Cold War, immediately concluded that “Ronnie Ray-guns,” as he was known by his many detractors, was a neophyte whose lack of foreign policy experience was at least naïve, if not a threat to world peace.

For complete article, click here
Related:
Liberalism is alive in the Arab world, for now - Jakarta Post
Revolutions Mark Setback for Terror Group - Spiegel Online

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

What is happening in Kurram Agency?

COMMENT: Kurram: sacrificed at the global jihad altar
Dr Mohammad Taqi, Daily Times, February 2011

While the Pakistani media went hoarse over Raymond Davis, it conveniently ignored several other foreign thugs of the tallest order, operating with impunity inside Pakistan

As the world at large focused on events in the Arab world and Pakistanis remained preoccupied with CIA contractor Raymond Davis, a jirga composed ostensibly of tribal elders from Kurram Agency announced on February 3, 2011 a ‘peace’ accord between Shias and Sunnis in Parachinar, the headquarters of the Kurram Agency.

However, a closer look at the players involved in brokering the deal shows that what appears, prima facie, as a welcome solution to years of deadly impasse, is nothing but the Pakistani establishment’s attempt to roll out its own version of the end game in Afghanistan. Never mind the jihadist history of reneging on deals, but without actually addressing the grievances of the Sunnis displaced from Parachinar or the Shias dislodged from Sadda, Jalamai and Chardewal — let alone restitution for the thousands killed and maimed on both sides — the deal is bound to end in failure. A senior Pashtun leader, Abdul Lateef Afridi, speaking to this writer, stated: “While the opening of roads is a welcome sign, unless the establishment changes its policy towards Afghanistan, the Kurram deal spells more trouble for the region...an agreement under the auspices of the Pakistani Pashtun elders may be the only route forward but, unfortunately, none of them were consulted.”

The Kurram Agency’s geo-strategic importance, with its proximity to the Paktia, Paktika and Khost provinces of Afghanistan on one hand and North Waziristan (NW) and Orakzai Agencies on the other, is well established. A neutral Kurram is imperative for the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) to stymie the influx of jihadists from this region into Afghanistan. Conversely, any sustained Taliban intervention into Afghanistan from the Pakistani side requires open access through upper Kurram. The contiguity of lower and central Kurram to NW and Orakzai can allow jihadists easy transit into Afghanistan. The northeast reaches of upper Kurram, adjoining the Tirah valley and the Tora Bora complex in the Spin Ghar mountain make for a retreat and retraction route for the jihadists — a conduit used to the fullest benefit by al Qaeda in 2001.

For complete article, click here

Various Perspectives on the subject:
A Haqqani-brokered peace in Kurram agency? - Foreign Policy
Peace in Kurram Agency - Express Tribune
Poetic sessions welcoming peace in Kurram conclude - The News

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Bahrain in the eye of the storm ?


Dim View of US Posture Towards Bahraini Shiites Is Described
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN, New York Times, February 21, 2011

MANAMA, Bahrain — The United States military undermined efforts to improve relations with Bahrain’s Shiite majority and understated abuses by the Sunni royal family, according to one present and one former American government adviser and a Bahraini human rights advocate.

As Bahrain’s leaders struggle to hold back a rising popular revolt against their absolute rule, Washington’s posture toward the Shiite majority, which is spearheading the opposition, could prove crucial to future relations with this strategically valuable Persian Gulf nation. The United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based here, helping ensure the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz and the gulf, and safeguarding American interests in this volatile region.

Over the years, the military, according to the advisers and the human rights advocate, believed that King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and his court were reform-minded leaders who could advance democracy and preserve stability. That narrative contrasts sharply with the experience of the Shiites, as documented by human rights groups and some of the military’s own advisers.

“The problem has been that we have been doing everything we can to cuddle up to the Khalifas and have been consciously ignoring at best the situation of Bahraini Shiites,” said Gwenyth Todd, a former political adviser to the Navy in Bahrain from 2004 to 2007 who was also an adviser on Middle Eastern and North African affairs at the Pentagon and the White House. “We could find ourselves in a very bad situation if the regime has to make major concessions to the Shia, unless we change our tone.”

For complete article, click here

Related:
US urges restraint, reform in Bahrain - The Sydney Morning Herald
Bahrain’s credit rating hit after protests - Financial Times
For Bahraini Shi'ites, a long trudge to equality - Reuters
Massive protest planned for Bahrain - ABC Online
Picture Source

Monday, February 21, 2011

COIN in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Is it working?


L to R: Hassan Abbas, Jamie Metzl, and Michael Fenzel at
Asia Society on Feb. 16, 2011.
Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Where Are We Now?
Asia Society: Reported by Matthew Whitt


NEW YORK, February 16, 2011 – Two experts, two different perspectives on the counterinsurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But both Hassan Abbas, Quaid-i-Azam Professor at Columbia University and Bernard Schwartz Fellow at Asia Society and Michael Fenzel, Colonel, US Army and Asia 21 Fellow at Asia Society agree on the following: The counterinsurgency plan in Afghanistan is very complicated.

The US, NATO, and Afghan security forces need to build a better strategy, focusing primarily on investing in key issue-areas in order to strengthen institutions and build relationships that are vital to long term success. One of the main problems with the counterinsurgency today, Fenzel argued, is that the strategy on the ground does not address security maintenance issues in areas that have seen successful military operations.

“The insurgents in Afghanistan… they are like water, and we are like rocks. Wherever soldiers, troops, go… insurgents essentially move around us like water, and then when we’re gone, they continue to carry out their operations.”

The way forward is for security forces to have a greater presence in these often remote regions, for longer periods of time. Providing the necessary manpower to achieve this will be the biggest contribution the Afghan people can make to the counterinsurgency effort.

Shifting his focus to the longer term, Fenzel stressed five important strategies: preventing collateral damage; focusing development in key areas like agriculture, irrigation, roads, and education; having a persistent presence in remote areas; developing a literate and well educated population; and actively demonstrating a respect for Islam.

Abbas shifted the conversation away from the role of the military to the question of legitimate and sustainable security. He stressed that success in Afghanistan and Pakistan will depend on strengthening security forces in local areas, specifically the police forces. This was an important lesson learned from Iraq.

Jamie Metzl, Executive Vice President, Asia Society and moderator of the discussion, argued that state failure seems to be the core problem for both Afghanistan and Pakistan. He asked, “How can we build a more lasting, more sustainable, more civilian controlled state in Pakistan?”

"Rather than saying state failure," Abbas replied, "I say state building." Abbas reminded his listeners Pakistan is only 60 years old, after all, and still trying to find its own identity.

To watch video of the complete program, click here

Saturday, February 19, 2011

“The future of Pakistan”

How Pakistan is seen by the Washington think tanks
Arnold Zeitlin, The News, February 19, 2011

WASHINGTON: After four and a half hours of listening recently in Washington DC to South Asia specialists on three different panels divining Pakistan’s future and the US role, Moeed Yusuf, of the US Institute of Peace (USIP), a Pakistani native and a convener of the marathon session, concluded with a sigh of relief: “At least no one suggested Pakistan and the US go their separate ways.”

His remark actually conjured up what is essentially that mythical elephant in the room. For such a pessimistic and as yet unspoken option lurked beneath the much of the gloomy analysis of some of the most knowledgeable commentators of the region. If Pakistan and the US were a married couple instead of being strategic players (if not partners), counselors would recommend at least a long, trial separation, if not total divorce.

The occasion was a full morning entitled “The future of Pakistan” at the DC headquarters of the think tank USIP, co-sponsored by another eminent think tank, the Brookings Institute and its South Asia specialist, Stephen P Cohen. It might have been more realistic to adopt the title used by the Heritage Foundation, another DC think tank, which offered a discussion on Pakistan and the US under the title, “Deadly embrace”.

About 300 listeners jammed the conference hall, with an overflow accommodated in another hall linked by closed-circuit TV. Most of the audience was Washington DC suits. With only a sprinkling of Pakistanis and other Asians, suggesting the large and vital Pakistani community in the region may have known something of the outcome that the Americans attending did not.

For complete article, click here
Related:
Pakistan's Future: Bellagio Papers - Brookings Institute

Friday, February 18, 2011

India-Pakistan Resumption of Dialogue


Talk, and just talk
Zafar Hilaly, The News, February 18, 2011

Blessed is the man who expects nothing for he shall never be disappointed. That’s the feeling virtually all have about the forthcoming India-Pakistan talks. At best we will get a bit of friendliness when what is needed is friendship. Hardly anyone, therefore, whether in government or the public at large, expects anything to come out of these talks. They are likely to be thoroughly inconclusive and demoralising, much like the previous rounds and diplomatic interactions. They will consist of all the contradictions and inconsistencies that have become an integral part of the so called India-Pakistan ‘dialogue’ – truly the dialogue of the deaf.

“Meetings are only really necessary”, said an ex ambassador, “when you don’t want to do anything”. And as it happens there is nothing of substance that either wants from the other and which either is remotely in a position to concede or, frankly, in the mood to do so. India perhaps needs the talks a mite more than Pakistan. It helps her perennial quest for enhanced stature at a time when it is seeking a permanent membership of the Security Council and after the recent uprising in Kashmir sullied her image. It also helps India manifest a keenness for a peaceful solution even as it visits further brutalities on the hapless Kashmiris. Of course, it fools no one and least of all the Kashmiris but then India is a slave to habit. On the other hand, our image is beyond repair and our preferences and dislikes set in stone, so whether or not talks are held is really of no import.

For complete article, click here
Related:
India, Pakistan talks at Thimpu — A way forward - The News

A Look at Muslim-American Immigrants


Strengthening Our Diversity

A Look at Muslim-American Immigrants
By Eleni Towns, Philippe Nassif, Centre for American Progress, February 17, 2011
 
America is home to a large and diverse immigrant population. The immigration debate usually focuses on Latino communities but the reality is more complex. Muslim-American communities, for instance, encounter their own sets of challenges that are both similar to and unique from other immigrant groups in the United States.


Muslim-American immigrants have taken a proactive approach to dealing with these problems. They are working with other immigrant groups and communities to create a dialogue around solutions and these efforts will ultimately make our country stronger and more diverse.

Muslim-American immigrants face common challenges with other immigrants

Muslim Americans are one of our most diverse and vital immigrant communities. They have come here from more than 100 nations and range from high-skilled professional and technical workers to service and factory workers in lower-paying jobs. By some estimates, 65 percent of Muslim Americans are immigrants, while one-fifth of those born here are second-generation Americans.

For complete article, click here

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Pakistan Police Needs Help: Express Tribune Blog


Help! Our police needs help

Asad Badruddin, Express Tribune Pakistan Blog,
February 14, 2011

There he stands; his black uniform stretched across a protruding belly, he has a certain fondness for chai and ‘pieces of paper with pictures of the Quaid’. This is the image that comes to mind when one thinks of a Pakistani policeman.

In the pre-Musharraf era, crime was a major problem. Mustering the political will to clean up the police force was hard because the political elite found it useful to make alliances with certain police departments.

Two important things have changed since then. Firstly, another threat has emerged, the militant threat, which attacks not only the common man but also the political elite. The army cannot fight this threat alone especially in cities where this job falls to the police.

Secondly, the upper echelons of the judiciary are at their most independent since Pakistan’s history. This means that reformists have tremendous leverage because they already have a foundation to build on. Honest police officials know that if any political pressure is applied to them they can let the word slip to the media and have the higher judiciary protect them. And the fact is, if you want to improve the police force’s competency you have to get rid of all the worms, including those that use political influence.

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has recently published a report authored by Hassan Abbas on police reforms in Pakistan. Sadly, police reform does not get much attention in our country, partly because the media usually focuses on real time events as opposed to analysis of structural problems. Some of these problems are:

•The image problem

Regular fitness checks (like those in the army) can help. I don’t want the police to become an army unit but I do want to see visual evidence of physical prowess.

•Lack of coordination

Currently, there are 19 departments working under the federal government. Besides having a very complicated chain of command, there is almost zero coordination between them. In the past, intelligence agencies have tried to make the police release militants they have captured. The Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) which is hired through a separate process and has more flexibility in postings and transfers, breeds resentment because of its elitism.

•Overworked and underpaid

An ordinary police officer works 16-18 hours a day which is bordering on inhumane. Last year, police in Quetta protested for a pay rise. Why does the police force of the largest, most insurgency-driven province in Pakistan feel its needs aren’t taken care of?

•Technological disadvantages

Pakistan has five forensic labs in the whole country but more than 20 nuclear labs (does this represent misplaced priorities?). The USIP report quotes journalist Saleem Safi as saying,

“While there are around 170,000 police officials in Punjab, there are only 82,000 weapons and 5,000 bulletproof vests for the officers.”

For complete article, click here
To read summary of the original USIP report on Reforming Pakistan Police, click here; and for the complete report (pdf), click here

Monday, February 14, 2011

What Pakistani Journalists are Thinking...

Op-Chart: Inside the Muslim (Journalist’s) Mind
By LAWRENCE PINTAK and SYED JAVED NAZIR
New York Times, Feb 12, 2011

The Pakistani public, long skeptical of American goals in Afghanistan and the Muslim world, is now outraged over Washington’s insistence that the authorities release a former United States Special Forces soldier charged with killing two Pakistani men last month. In this instance, as always, Pakistan’s tumultuous news media is the prism through which United States policy is reflected to the people, who have found themselves at the center of America’s struggle against terrorism.

So far, the picture has not been pretty: the George W. Bush administration demonized the Muslim news media; Muslim journalists returned the favor. But research shows that the Obama administration has the opportunity to take a more sophisticated approach to those who drive public opinion throughout the Islamic world.

Pakistan is a case in point: last year, we conducted a nationwide survey of 395 Pakistani journalists, supported by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. As the charts below show, our survey provided insight into where their beliefs and priorities intersect with American interests.

Not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of Pakistani journalists oppose United States military operations in their country and in Afghanistan. Still, as a group, they are not overtly anti-American — three-quarters have a favorable view of the American people and a majority believe President Obama when he says he wants to withdraw troops from the region.

It may surprise most Americans to know that Afghanistan falls fairly low among issues Pakistani journalists believe are important. Rather, the priorities are education and domestic terrorism, followed by the economy and domestic political change. This overlaps nicely with the American “stones into schools” strategy that development is the antidote to militancy. Indeed, as the United States broadens its effort to win the hearts and minds of Muslims, it would do well to look into the heads of the journalists who shape opinions in those societies.

For complete article, click here

Pakistani writers in an age of extremism

Image from Karachi Literary Festival

Pakistani writers in an age of extremism
By Nosheen Abbas, BBC, 13 February, 2011
Karachi: When journalists and political activists prominently feature in a literary festival, you know that freedom of speech is a major issue.

"We're like the villain of a horror film," said Pakistani writer Mohsin Hamid about the international view of Pakistan.

This statement set the stage for an alternative narrative in Pakistan during the recent Karachi literary festival. The event was attended by some of the best-known writers, activists and artists in the country.

But what was clear throughout all the crowded, passionate sessions was that these voices are at risk of being drowned out by extremism.

Play banned

On a hot and tropical day, the halls of a coastal Karachi hotel were filled with young and old, some wading slowly through the crowds on crutches. The most popular sessions were those that discussed the identity of the country and the ever-present question of Pakistan's future.

Madiha Gauhar of the Ajoka theatre organisation talked about her play Burqavanza, which was banned by the government in 2007. She said the play was about "love in the time of jihad".

Love can be a dangerous thing. According to the director of Pakistan's Human Rights Commission, there were 556 "honour killings" in 2010 - and the number is rising.

Ms Gauhar said "love is prevented by so many forces… and it happens every day over here, no matter what class you belong to".

For complete article, click here
Related:
Karachi Literature Festival: Too many divides to bridge - Pak Tea House
Karachi Literary Festival Website: http://www.karachilitfest.com/

Saturday, February 12, 2011

The Accidental Theologist



Lezley Hazleton
http://accidentaltheologist.com/

Counterterrorism in Pakistan: Role of Media

Pakistan TV dramatizes fight against terrorism
By Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, February 11, 2011

IN ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN In newspapers and on television here, a recurring villain is the United States, with its drones and its war in Afghanistan - all portrayed as instigators of Pakistan's increasingly bloody battle with terrorism.

But in the latest drama series airing on state television, a different story line unfolds. Here, the scoundrels are bearded mountain men with distorted ideas about Islam, and the heroes are the security forces and civilians dying at the hands of the extremists.

The glossy, 11-part program is the latest rally-the-public effort by the army, long Pakistan's most powerful institution and now a favored target of homegrown militants. Although the series is meant for a domestic audience and does not mention the United States, its theme of Pakistani sacrifice is one that military officers have been impressing upon U.S. officials, who are pushing for more Pakistani counterterrorism operations.

There is little dispute that Pakistan has been hit hard by Islamist militants, who hide in rugged peaks near the Afghanistan border. Nearly 2,700 soldiers have been killed fighting the Pakistani Taliban, the army says, and thousands of civilians have died in militant attacks nationwide.

For complete article, click here
Relevent:
No Guns, No Bombs: Film Follows Pakistani Slackers - ABC
Promotion of tolerance values urged to fight extremism - Daily Times
Literature Festival ends with homage to Faiz - Dawn

Song of Freedom: Sout Al Horeya صوت الحريه

Friday, February 11, 2011

Victory for the People of Egypt: Hosni Mubarak Steps Down

Hosni Mubarak resigns as president
Egyptian president stands down and hands over power to the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces.
Aljazeera, February 10, 2011

Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has resigned from his post, handing over power to the armed forces.

Omar Suleiman, the vice-president, announced in a televised address that the president was "waiving" his office, and had handed over authority to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

Suleiman's short statement was received with a roar of approval and by celebratory chanting and flag-waving from a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square, as well by pro-democracy campaigners who attended protests across the country on Friday.

The crowd in Tahrir chanted "We have brought down the regime", while many were seen crying, cheering and embracing one another.

Mohamed ElBaradei, an opposition leader, hailed the moment as being the "greatest day of my life", in comments to the Associated Press news agency.

"The country has been liberated after decades of repression,'' he said.

"Tonight, after all of these weeks of frustration, of violence, of intimidation ... today the people of Egypt undoubtedly [feel they] have been heard, not only by the president, but by people all around the world," our correspondent at Tahrir Square reported, following the announcement.

"The sense of euphoria is simply indescribable," our correspondent at Mubarak's Heliopolis presidential palace, where at least ten thousand pro-democracy activists had gathered, said.

For complete article, click here

Related:
Post-Mubarak: What Will Egypt Look Like the Day After the Regime Ends? - Democracy Now
EU salutes pro-democracy protests in Egypt - Washington Post
Hosni Mubarak resigns: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hails 'a new Middle East' - The Telegraph
Robert Fisk: Hypocrisy is exposed by the wind of change - The Independent

Thursday, February 10, 2011

THE REVOLUTION

Obama: History is unfolding in Egypt
By JOSH GERSTEIN & JENNIFER EPSTEIN
Politico, February 10, 2011
Amid reports that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will resign when he speaks on state television later Thursday, President Barack Obama addressed the developing situation, saying, “We are witnessing history unfold.”

Speaking in Michigan Thursday afternoon, Obama revealed no new details about the apparent transition of power, saying only that the White House is “following events in Egypt very closely” and vowing that “America will continue to do everything we can to support an orderly and genuine transition to democracy in Egypt.”

Military officials in Egypt have told several media outlets that they have taken power and that Mubarak will indeed announce he is stepping down. The military has been meeting throughout the day Thursday without the president in the room — a sign that he is on the way out.

For complete article, click here
Related:
Egypt Protesters on Verge of Victory? Watch for the Demands - Huffington Post
Egypt Update: Questions Of Safety, Succession - NPR
The Revolutionary Fashion Police: What Not to Wear When Egypt's Government Goes Down - Haroon Moghul, Huffington Post

Monday, February 07, 2011

Shahnamah - A Prince's Manuscript Unbound

A Prince's Manuscript Unbound: Muhammad Juki's Shahnamah
Asia Society, New York, February 9 - May 1, 2011


Asia Society Museum presents one of the finest surviving Persian manuscripts—an exquisite and richly illuminated 15th-century volume commissioned by the Timurid prince Muhammad Juki (1402-1444). This rarely exhibited manuscript, now in the collection of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, features more than 30 miniatures that illustrate scenes from the Persian national epic, the Shahnamah (Book of Kings).

This is the first time that the intricately colored and gilded illustrations in the manuscript—recently unbound and conserved—have all been exhibited together in the United States.

Although it is not known when the epic was first illustrated, countless copies of this poem have been made through the ages. Written by the Persian poet Firdausi (ca. 935-1026), the nearly 60,000-couplet poem is based on a history of the kings of Persia, depicting legendary accounts of the beginnings of civilization until the Arab Muslim conquest that ended Persian rule in the 7th century.

The exhibition is organized by Adriana Proser, Asia Society Museum's John H. Foster Curator for Traditional Asian Art, in consultation with independent scholar Barbara Brend.

The exhibition is accompanied by Brend's book Muhammad Juki's Shahnamah of Firdausi, published by the Royal Asiatic Society/Philip Wilson Publishers (2010), the first complete study of the manuscript.

Watching Cairo from Kabul and Karachi - Asia Society

<br /><br /><a href="/blog/reasia/watching-cairo-kabul-and-karachi" class="active">download full-res image</a>
Watching Cairo from Kabul and Karachi

Hassan Abbas, Asia Society, Feb 7, 2011

The spectacular developments in Egypt are being projected and interpreted in Asia in a variety of ways. By and large, authoritarian and dictatorial regimes are downplaying the message emanating from the courageous people struggling at Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square, whereas democratic states are generally supportive of the anti-Mubarak movement.

Intriguingly, Afghan media have been sparing in their coverage of the remarkable series of protests in Egypt. Reasons range from a lack of public interest to concerns for stability. Apparently, it also suits the Karzai government that Afghans should remain unaware of this news. However, it is likely that the news about Egypt and Tunisia (even though it will reach a larger audience a bit belatedly) will ultimately influence Afghan politics in a positive way.

The situation is somewhat different in Pakistan, where the media are more vibrant and assertive. Although Pakistan had its own version of a "liberation movement" in 2007-08 leading to a comparatively independent judiciary and return of democratic order, ordinary people are still feeling frustrated and are anxious for change. Many Pakistanis, as evident from comments on Facebook and Twitter as well as local media, are yearning for a similar display of people's power in Pakistan as economic crisis, unemployment, and state incompetence (apparent through poor governance) are hugely distressing.

For complete blogpost, click here

Sunday, February 06, 2011

'Islamist' Menace in Europe - Myth and Reality

The not so great Islamist menace
By Dan Gardner, Ottawa Citizen, January 5, 2011

If someone mentioned terrorism in Europe, you would probably have an idea about the size of the threat and who's responsible.

It's big, you would think. And growing. As for who's responsible, that's obvious. It's Muslims. Or, if you're a little more careful with your language, it's radical Muslims, or "Islamists."

After all, they were at it again just last month. On Dec. 11, a naturalized Swede -- originally from Iraq -- injured two people when he blew himself up on the way to a shopping district. On Dec. 29, police in Denmark said they thwarted a plan by five Muslims to storm the office of a newspaper and kill as many people as possible.

So the danger is big and growing and Islamists are the source. Right?

Wrong, actually.

The European Union's Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2010 says that in 2009 there were "294 failed, foiled, or successfully executed attacks" in six European countries. This was down almost a third from 2008 and down by almost half from 2007.

So in most of Europe, there was no terrorism. And where there was terrorism, the trend line pointed down.

As for who's responsible, forget Islamists. The overwhelming majority of the attacks-- 237 of 294 -- were carried out by separatist groups, such as the Basque ETA. A further 40 terrorist schemes were pinned on leftist and/ or anarchist terrorists. Rightists were responsible for four attacks. Single-issue groups were behind two attacks, while responsibility for a further 10 was not clear.

Islamists? They were behind a grand total of one attack. Yes, one. Out of 294 attacks. In a population of half a billion people. To put that in perspective, the same number of attacks was committed by the Comite d'Action Viticole, a French group that wants to stop the importation of foreign wine.

For complete article, click here

Friday, February 04, 2011

Why Sufi Shrines?



Source: Pakistan Today, Islamabad 

Three Major Debating Issues in Pakistan Today - Involving Veena Malik, Sherry Rahman and Raymond Davis


1.  Veena Malik and Social Tyranny
Nadia Naviwala, The Express Tribune, February 2, 2011

The discussion on the Veena Malik controversy has centered on her “Frontline” interview with Kamran Shahid. However, I was more disturbed by Abdur Rauf’s “50 Minutes” on Geo TV, which came on two hours earlier. In a town hall-style format, dozens of people in the room, goaded by their host, parroted the same opinion: Veena Malik had shamed Pakistan as a country and culture.

I understand that many Pakistanis feel this way. But was there not one audience member who had an inkling of doubt, who worried about the implications of condemning a woman based on what she wore or did in another country, or just outright disagreed? There was one, but she was silenced. If there were more, we would never know. The atmosphere was decided, and it intimidated anyone in the room with a minority view to stay silent or convert to the dominant opinion. The show seemed more like a hoax trial before a witch burning, rather than a real discussion meant to inform a national audience.

You don’t need to have seen the programme to understand what I am talking about. What happened on “50 Minutes” is a microcosm for what is happening in Pakistan more broadly: Tyranny of the minority — in this case, an intellectual minority — by the majority.

For complete article, click here
Related:
VIEW: Why is Veena Malik important? —Zaair Hussain - Daily Times
Civil versus political society - Raza Rumi, The Express Tribune

2. Sherry says she will abide by party’s decision
Daily Times, Feb 5, 2011

Sherry RehmanISLAMABAD: PPP MNA Sherry Rehman, while commenting on the prime minister’s statement that she has agreed to withdraw her bill proposing amendments in the blasphemy law, said she was not consulted on the matter but she would abide by her party’s decision. Sherry said that as the committee announced by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to amend laws had been disbanded and the PM had decided there would be no discussion on procedural amendments, she would accept her party’s decision. “There was never any question of withdrawing the bill as the speaker had never admitted it on the agenda. Had it appeared on the agenda perhaps some of our colleagues would have understood that it was not suggesting any repeal of the law, but protecting our great Prophet’s (PBUH) name against injustices done via procedures introduced by Ziaul Haq,” she maintained. “The changes I had submitted were: innocent people be given a chance to prove their innocence like in all laws, cases be tried at the higher courts, that penalties be given according to the holy Quran and that no one who makes false charges in the name of the Prophet (PBUH) who swore always to defend the innocent and the vulnerable go unpunished,” the MNA added. staff report

Related:

3. The (Very) Strange Case of Raymond Davis
Adil Najam, Pakistaniat.com, January 30, 2011

Strangely, the more we get to know about the case of Raymond Davis, the less we seem to know. Even more strangely, the fact that the entire incident happened in broad daylight and in front of dozens of witnesses seems is itself confusing the facts rather than adding clarity. Moreover, it seems that no one seems to want to get much clarity either; although different parties may want different parts of the story to ‘disappear.’ The incident was rather eerie and disturbing to begin with; and it continues to become more so.

Here is what one does know. Raymond Davis, a staff member of the US Consulate in Lahore shot two Pakistani men dead on Thursday in a crowded part of Lahore (Mozang Chowk), according to him in self-defense. A US Consulate vehicle that rushed in to ‘rescue’ Mr. David then ran over a third person, who also died. A murder case was then registered against Raymond Davis, who was handed into police custody. A case has also been registered against the driver of the US Consulate vehicle that ran over a third person, but the driver has not yet been apprehended. After a fair deal of scrambling by both US and Pakistani officials on what to do or say, the positions of both have now started becoming clear and they have taken the stance that is usually taken in such cases: the US is asking that Raymond Davis, as a diplomatic functionary, should be handed back to them; Pakistan seems to be responding that the matter is sub judice and should take its course.

For complete article, click here
Related:

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

How to Reform Pakistan Police ? - A New USIP Special Report


Reforming Pakistan‘s Police and Law Enforcement Infrastructure: Is It Too Flawed to Fix?
USIP, Special Report by Hassan Abbas, February 1, 2011

Summary

•An efficient, well-functioning police service is critical to counterinsurgency as well as counterterrorism efforts in Pakistan, now and in the future. At the same time, the police force must also address rising crime rates and a deteriorating law-and-order situation, among many other tasks.

•The capacity of the Pakistan Police Service to deliver on all these fronts is severely diminished by political manipulation, the lack of forensic services, inadequate training and equipment, corruption, and weaknesses in the judicial sphere. Disconnect and lack of coordination between numerous kinds of policing and intelligence organizations are major hurdles on the path leading to collective strategizing.

•Upgrading the existing police system as the central law enforcement institution in the country cannot occur in isolation, however. Instead, it must be part of an overarching restructuring of the total law enforcement infrastructure, including a reform of the criminal justice system and the stripping of politically motivated amendments from the Police Act of 2002. Both traditional and innovative reforms would be expected to bear fruit in this arena. With a high degree of public consensus on the need for far-reaching law enforcement reforms in Pakistan, there is political space to make tough, reform-oriented choices. Pro-reform circles within police are also gaining strength.

About the Report

An effective police force is critical to countering insurgency. In Pakistan, an understaffed and underequipped police force is increasingly called on to manage rising insecurity and militant violence. This report evaluates the obstacles to upgrading the existing police system and recommends traditional and innovative reform options, including major restructuring of the total civilian law enforcement infrastructure, without which the police force cannot be effectively improved. Because Pakistan’s police capacity has direct implications for the country’s ability to tackle terrorism, the United States and its allies would realize counterterrorism dividends by helping law enforcement efforts through modern training and technical assistance.

Professor Hassan Abbas holds the Quaid-i-Azam Chair at the South Asia Institute of Columbia University and is a senior adviser at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center. His previous papers on the subject of police reforms in Pakistan were published by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding and the Brookings Institution (both in Washington, D.C.) in 2009. He is also a Bernard Schwartz Fellow at the Asia Society, New York, where he is director of the Pakistan Study Group, which is developing “Pakistan 2020: A Vision for a Better Future and a Roadmap for Getting There.”

For complete report (pdf), click here