On moon-sighting and national standardization: Standardization of all types, from language to education curricula (or moon sighting in Pakistan), is an existential concomitant of the modern bureaucratic state. Standardized national languages have more to do with, in Gellner’s words, the ‘high culture’ of
شیعہ نسل کشی، دہشتگردی اور دیوبندی مدارس – از خرم زکی: گزشتہ کئی سالوں سے جاری شیعہ نسل کشی کو جہاں فوجی اسٹیبلشمنٹ، انٹیلیجنس ایجنسیز، سیاسی حکومتوں سعودی بادشاہت کی کھلی اور خفیہ معاونت و ہمدردی حاصل رہی وہیں پاکستان میں قائم مکتب دیوبندی مدارس کے مدارس بھی بہتی گنگا
Moderate Syrian Rebel Application Form – The New Yorker: WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) — After announcing, on Thursday 26 June 2014, that it would seek $500 million to help “train and equip appropriately vetted elements of the moderate Syrian armed opposition,” the White House today posted the following
Media discourse on Deobandi terrorism: 23-29 June 2014: The Economist Under the spotlight Jun – 28th 2014 The book’s title reflects the surreal ways in which the fissures of Islam’s heartland are reproduced in Britain. Ms Bowen explains that Shia Muslims congregate in three districts of north
Deobandi identity is more precious than Pashtun identity: This facebook status of a secular or nationalist Pashtun shows that for some Pashtuns, Deobandi takfiri ideology is more important than their Pashtun ethnicity. Can you detect the subtle ShiaPhobia (abuse Iran and Shias by association) and
Obama’s Disastrous Iraq Policy: An Autopsy – by Peter Beinart: Mourners in Najaf carry the coffins of Iraqi Special Forces soldiers killed in clashes with Wahabi militants in Ramadi, in January 2014. (Ahmad Mousa/Reuters) Yes, the Iraq War was a disaster of historic proportions. Yes, seeing its architects
ANP’s discourse on Pashtun genocide – by Abdul Nishapuri: Jang’s reporter Khalid Khan reports that ANP leader Ghulam Ahmed Bilour (the blasphemy murder reward fame) alleges “Pashtun genocide is ON” in North Waziristan, criticizes callous attitutde of Punjab and Sindh governments etc. While we don’t deny that in