Liberals and Liberalism Archive
Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to transform from the Zia generation to the Jinnah generation – by Gulmina Bilal Ahmad: The Zia generation can best be described as the confused generation. They have seen public flogging, but were told that it is best to forgive. They have experienced newspapers being censored but were told that it is best to
Blasphemy in a human world — by Sikander Amani: Whether you like it or not, the notion of blasphemy, or of ‘defamation of religion’, creates a hierarchy of beliefs which is simply incompatible with the plurality of the world, and the very right to hold a belief The
Do we need secularism? — by Dr Khalil Ahmad: For Libertarians, religious freedom is an inseparable part of this natural personal freedom that the Constitution of 1973 so purposefully protects. Protecting religious freedom as a fundamental right is not only morally, spiritually, and intellectually of greater merit but
Glory, piety and politics – by Nadeem Paracha: With Pakistan’s two main political parties looking exhausted by being made to play a continuous game of cat and mouse with the establishment, the new generation of young Pakistanis began to look elsewhere. Many young Pakistanis, who in their
A Pakistan you never knew! Being gay in the Islamic Republic – by Shaheryar Ali and Nuwas Manto: First published at Sherryx’s Weblog “Invisibility” and “Silence” are the hallmark of fascist societies. A national stereotype is built and than implemented through ideological and coercive apparatuses of the state. Gender is an important battle ground in these “nation-building”
A secular state is a moral state — by Ishtiaq Ahmed: The modern secular-democratic state must ensure that all individuals as well as majorities and minorities enjoy freedom of religion and conscience and the political right to choose their government In the last few weeks the Daily Times has carried
The rightward march of Pakistan under the leadership of PML-N – by Nadeem Paracha: The active emergence of a revamped PML-N supplemented by an alarmist new electronic media can be detected as a more vocal arrival of the New Right in Pakistan. The rightward march By Nadeem F. Paracha Saturday, 27 Feb, 2010
A brief history of extremism in Pakistan – by Hassan Amin: Ever since the inception of Pakistan, Extremist Mullahs have always been vying to hijack the State. When I refer to the term ‘Extremist Mullahs’, I draw a line to separate, ‘Islamist Fanatics with a Political Agenda’ from the simple
Secularism vs Islamism – by Iqbal Akhund: In a recent TV debate on this subject, the applause meter would have given the win to Islamism. The debaters, three on each side, faced a small mixed audience — quite a few girls, many wearing hijabs, also young
Back towards tolerance in Pakistani society – by Charles Ferndale and Kamila Hayat: Here are two articles highlighting the importance of re-discovering and re-inculcating the seeds of tolerance in Pakistani society and the region in general. The path to freedom Monday, February 22, 2010 Charles Ferndale Kamila Hyat, in a typically lucid,
Secularism does not mean atheism or la-deeniat: Here are two excellent articles on this topic. The first one has been written by Anand Krishan in Indonesian context, and the second one by Munno Bhai in Pakistani context. Promoting faith-based secularism Anand Krishna Jakarta – 01/18/2010 When
Mesmerization of Pakistani politics – by Agha Haider Raza: Politics in Pakistan mesmerize me. Not only does one enjoy the daily dose of rhetoric that is spewed from the mouths of our beloved politicians, but the one track mind of those in and out of government baffles the mind.
Making sense of the distorted history of Muslims in India – by Nadeem Paracha: “Why do many Pakistanis spend more time celebrating Islamic history of regions outside India (especially Arabian), the ummah, and seem to show more concern in what is happening to their brethren in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Kashmir.” Writes Nadeem
Situation of Minorities in Pakistan – by Junaid Qaiser: After the tragic events of 9/11, Pakistani establishment finally had to set aside its traditional ideological hangovers, and instead raised a different slogan, “Pakistan First”. It was a matter of coercion or choice one can’t say with a degree
Anti-women Islamofascist mullahs win again!: Senate defers bill on women’s rights at workplace Wednesday, January 20, 2010 By Muhammad Anis ISLAMABAD: The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2009, which was moved in the Senate on Tuesday, was deferred as senators from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and the
Is MQM a secular and liberal party? Reality vs fantasy – by Mosharraf Zaidi: Related articles: MQM Right Wing Alliance MQM: reality vs fantasy When bodies start piling up in Karachi, the gut reaction of the Pakistani mainstream outside Karachi is to blame the MQM. This is a twenty-five year old problem. The
The scholar, the sufi, and the fanatic – by Nadeem Paracha: Roughly speaking, the political and social aspects of Islam in Pakistan can be seen as existing in and emerging from three distinct sets and clusters of thought. These clusters represent the three variations of political and social Islam that
Leftist (taraqqi pasand) parties unite on one platform – Utho meri dunia ke gharibon ko jaga do: Leftist parties unite on one platform * Progressive parties criticise US policies on Pakistan, condemn right-wing elements By Hussain Kashif LAHORE: As many as 14 progressive political parties and groups got together on Friday to present their stances and
Logic of Taliban supporters: Time to deconstruct some myths and arguments: Friends of Taliban in Pakistani media and politics, as well as their agents on the internet (i.e. Hizbut Tahrir mafia), offer various forms of skewed logic in order to either hide, disown, distort or justify various acts of terrorism
Beards: a trim history: Beards: a trim history By Nadeem F. Paracha Sunday, 04 Oct, 2009 (Dawn) It seems after all these years of searching for some kind of identity, many young Pakistanis
The need for a critical examination of Islamic history and an alternative discourse: The backwards forward Posted by Nadeem F. Paracha There is an urgent need in the Muslim world to think anew about a lot of issues, not to appease the West, but to co There is an informative debate show
Attempting to distinguish between extremist groups is pointless. The cancer as a whole needs to be excised.: The north-south nexus Thursday, September 24, 2009Kamila Hyat The writer is a freelance columnist and former newspaper editor The operation against the Taliban militants continues in the north. The government has happily lapped up the praise this has brought
In defence of reason: Nadeem F. Paracha Last week I was interviewed for a documentary on ‘Conspiracy Theorists,’ produced by DawnNews. The format of the program required two people talking about a chosen topic – a thesis/anti-thesis arrangement. The other person on the
Liberals, Hardliners and Imran Khan: Illiberal liberals The Pakistan report card Saturday, March 21, 2009 Fasi Zaka Imran Khan’s recent address at the Rawalpindi District Bar Association demonstrates how far he has come as an orator. Had he chosen to participate in these elections,
Threat to secular Balochistan? How real is the issue of Talibanisation in Quetta?: Threat to secular Balochistan? By Malik Siraj AkbarMonday, 09 Mar, 2009 NOTHING embarrasses and irks Pakistani spymasters more than the issue of Talibanisation in Quetta. Over the years, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly protested against the alleged protection
Imran Khan and the ‘liberals’: Addressing a lawyers’ gathering at the Rawalpindi Bar on Saturday, the leader of Tehreek-e Insaf, Mr Imran Khan, once again belaboured a certain section of society as “liberals”. They fly in the face of national emotion
Pakistan’s left tilts towards right: Partners in crime? Deconstructing Tariq Ali and Atitzaz Ahsan: Related articles: Aitzaz Ahsan, PPP and Long March: A critical perspective – by Abbas Ather You too Aitzaz Ahsan, the leader of the legal community? PPP suspends Ch Aitzaz as member CEC Are Pakistan’s secular ideologues abetting the right
Seema Mustafa: What the people of Pakistan think about the Taliban: What the people of Pakistan think about the Taliban Monday, March 02, 2009 Seema Mustafa The tide is turning for the people of Pakistan. And the fear and apprehension is palpable as soon as one crosses the Wagah border
Liberal Fascism versus Religious Fascism: An interesting conversation: The common belief in Pakistan is that Islamic radicalism is a problem only in FATA, and that madrassas are the only institutions serving as jihad factories. This is a serious misconception. Extremism is breeding at a ferocious rate in
Rubina Saigol: Some myths vs facts about fundamentalism in Pakistan: Myths vs facts about fundamentalism Part I Saturday, February 21, 2009 by Rubina Saigol Religious fundamentalist movements of all shades and hues have gripped large parts of the world and have posed a threat to the prevalent political, economic
An interesting conversation between a Jinnah hater and a Jinnah lover: digitalmaster: I am not a historian so cannot comment on the personality of Jinnah. For all I know he was from a religion respected family. He firmly believed in a separate state for MUSLIMS … does that translate as
Stop dirty propaganda against the Pride of Pakistan Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy…: Introduction of Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy (born 11 July 1950) is Professor of High Energy Physics and the head of the Physics Department at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. He graduated and also received PhD from MIT and
In defence of a secular state: Thursday, December 18, 2008Dr Rubina Saigol The mere mention of the word ‘secular’ immediately creates anxiety in the minds of many and defensive reactions are induced from the self-proclaimed defenders of Pakistan’s ideology and foundational theories. The knee-jerk reaction
An interesting dialogue between an educated Jihadi Pakistani and an educated ordinary Pakistani…: Ghost of TK: Says:December 6th, 2008 at 10:40 pmcomment-top Islamic Crazies! The goose that lays a strategic golden egg unwittingly for its imperial masters every few decades! When will our youngsters realize that they need to educate themselves and
Being secular and a Muslim – By Aneela Babar: By Aneela Babar IF Pakistan had an annual Eid address to the nation, much like the Queen’s Christmas address, the president would not have been amiss in quoting her in referring to the past year as Pakistan’s annus horribilis.
- 1
- 2