Jakob Steiner
Plight of Islam in the Modern World – Egypt of the Muslim Brothers compared to post 9/11 Pakistan
While Pakistan in the first decade of the 21st century may be very different to Egypt in the high time of the Muslim Brothers (1930s – 1950s), there are some striking resemblances concerning modernity and religion and how the conflict between these two terms has influenced society or in reverse was shaped by it. In this paper some of these similarities are portrayed. While Hassan al-Banna stood for a defense of the (Muslim) East against the West based on reasoning coming from the Quran, Sunna and Sufism and trying to find a non-violent consensus, his movement is remembered as radically conservative and an intellectual base for today’s leaders of terroristic activity. Similarly an underlying intellectual development in Pakistan is disregarded over the rising violent outbreaks in the name of religion.
heer e ranjha or terror, taliban and totay – where is Pakistan’s cinema?
I just returned from the cinema watching Boz Salkyn, a Kyrgyz movie – a simple story about bride-kidnapping, love and the Kyrgyz people. It has some Heer e Ranja aspects. It’s emotional, completely a-political without the aim to critizice society, the state or question religion. Central Asian states, although in similar troubles as Pakistan when [...]
Quest for the European Perspective – III
The earlier quests here and here.
Thomas Ruttig has translated an Interview with Bernt Glatzer who was an ethnologist with focus on Afghanistan. The interview is on the role ethnologists may be able to play in COIN.
SufiLore #2 – The Regional Perspective
I was reading today’s DieZeit articles on Afghanistan, in particular the current discussions in Germany going on over the air strike on petrol trucks in Kunduz and wondering how here in Central Europe the war in Afghanistan is primarily a war over our morale. As McChrystal has suggested we are leading a completely people-centred COIN [...]
Exit Strategy III – An Austrian Solution for Afghanistan
Peter Tomsen (former chargé d’affaires of the US to the Northern Alliance) has proclaimed a possible exit strategy from Afghanistan based on an Austrian State Treaty Model from 1955. in: Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, Vol. 25, Winter 2001
The same guy had a shot at the predictioner’s game concerning the Taliban way back in 2000, [...]
hakoomat ki baghaer …
from “Rûz al-Yûsuf”, Egypt, 4th March 1996, addressing of course the situation then in Egypt. Times there have changed, for Pakistan I guess it does still well apply. Thanks to my Professor for the material.
Forgotten Promise – Pankaj Mishra on Kashmir
Pankaj Mishra writes about the neglect of the Kashmir issue on the wide political scale, especially in light of increased focus on the AfPak area from the West that always seems to mention the Kashmir issue as a basis to the problem but never addresses it directly (similarly to the Nuclear Arms threat that Seymour [...]
reason vs. polemics – how Pakistani intellectuals face the looming US approach on their country
Qalandar Bux Memon has recently published an article commenting on Hillary Clinton’s visit and her statements in Pakistan. Read it here at the Samosa, but it was also published in DAWN and referred to by Yasir here. I recieved emails from Pakistani Leftist Political Activists who praised the article and I guess it was cheered [...]
Track II / India Pakistan dialogue
Summary of the recent meeting of Indian and Pakistani delegates (8-9th October, Bangkok) concerning the Track II dialogue. Topics included Water, Siachen, Trade, Afghanistan and Terrorism.
Is it really India?
Pervez Hoodbhoy once again in DAWN.
Rebuttals where quick from the reasonable and the unreasonable side.
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