murtaza haider Archive
Putting genies back in the bottle – Murtaza Haider: It is the pot calling the kettle black. For decades India has accused Pakistan-based fundamentalists of exporting religious extremism to India. The fountainhead of Islamic fundamentalism in South Asia, however, is not Akora Khattak, but Deoband in India. India
Have Bangladeshis overtaken Pakistanis in Britain? – Murtaza Haider: At home and in diaspora, Bangladeshis are leaving Pakistanis behind in human development and prosperity. Recent research from Britain revealed that children born to Bangladeshi parents achieve higher grades than those born to Pakistani parents. Furthermore, the average household
A game-changer for the Pakistani public – Murtaza Haider: The Metro bus projects in Lahore and Rawalpindi have been criticised by politicians and the news media. Some question their high capital costs, others question if we needed such transit in the first place, and still others would like
33% stronger: A Pakistan without terrorism – Murtaza Haider: If incompetence and corruption of the ruling elite were not enough to derail the economy, Pakistan’s sustained bout with terrorism did the rest. Recent research shows that in the absence of terrorist violence, Pakistan’s economy would have grown much
Fanaticism: From Peshawar to Paris – Murtaza Haider: If their agenda is to put a wedge between Muslims and the rest, the Jihadists are doing a pretty fine job. The attack in Paris that killed 12 journalists and police at the office of the newspaper Charlie Hebdo
Say hello to iJihad – Murtaza Haider: Not to be outdone by the rest in the Internet age, the Jihadists have readily embraced modern communication technologies. From their recruitment videos on YouTube to timely tweets of their vicious attacks on civilians, the Jihadists are
How deep-rooted are jihadists in Canada? – Murtaza Haider: We have dreaded this, but knew it may happen one day. An armed assailant attacked the Canadian Parliament and other sites in Ottawa, Canada’s capital. Killing one soldier; and injuring at least three others. The attacker, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, 32,
Lynched in Pakistan – Murtaza Haider: The lynching of a Christian couple in Kot Radha Kishan near Lahore has shocked Pakistanis and the rest of the world. The despicable act is shocking indeed, yet hardly surprising in Pakistan where, like several other Muslim countries, mob
The ‘halal’ curriculum – Murtaza Haider: There is no limit to folly when ideology takes over. Radicalised middle-aged men will again determine the curriculum of primary schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). These men are not informed by training in early childhood education or children
Why is happiness a crime in Iran? – Murtaza Haider: ‘It might seem crazy what I’m about to say;’ dancing with joy is a crime in Iran. Seven Iranian students have recently received a suspended sentence of up to 12 months and 91 lashes each. Their crime: they recorded
We’re dying from apathy, not terrorism – Murtaza Haider: Thousands have been targeted, but only a few have lived to tell the tale. Sitting in the semi-lit lounge at the Washington Plaza Hotel, Raza Rumi narrated the details of the fateful Friday in March when his driver
The IS behemoth, yet another Western project gone wrong – Murtaza Haider: It is a typical summer flick, but it holds a great lesson for the global power politics. Hercules, released earlier in the summer, shows how the son of Zeus fights against tyrants only to realise later that he
We’re not moving towards civil war, we’re in it – Murtaza Haider: Being a Shia is not a crime, but in Pakistan it now carries a death sentence. The 24 Shias from Kohat and Orakzai agency, who were summarily executed by the militants near the Pak-Iran border, have now been
Sectarianism in Iraq — is Pakistan watching? – Murtaza Haider: Iraq has descended into a full-blown civil war. The Jihadists have captured three towns and are marching on to Baghdad. They claim to have killed 1,700 prisoners in violation of Islamic and other laws governing warfare. They have also
Rs400,000, or hand over your son to the madrassa – Murtaza Haider: It is one of the weirdest school enrolment drives ever: Surrender a son to the madrassa (religious seminary), or pay 400,000 rupees (US$4,000) instead. The militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas are openly coercing families to hand over their sons,
There is a mini Boko Haram thriving in every Muslim society – Murtaza Haider: We know them as al Qaeda, Boko Haram, and the Taliban. Their branding may differ, but their misogynist ideologies do not. These so-called Islamists have promoted discrimination against women for centuries. Now, they abduct young women and threaten to
The continued abuse of the Pashtun woman – Murtaza Haider: They all suffer in silence, but compared to the rest of Pakistan, women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) suffer domestic violence in greater proportions. While terror-stricken Pakistan is focused on North Waziristan for a breakthrough with the violence sponsoring Taliban,
Fasaad Fi sabilillah? – Murtaza Haider: It could have been just another ordinary patient arriving at an eye clinic for treatment. Abdul Rauf, a 20-something resident of Badami Bagh Lahore, took his father to Dr. Ali Haider’s clinic. A delay at the clinic ticked
European Parliament identifies Wahabi and Salafi roots of global terrorism: Source: Dawn Author: Murtaza Haider It is not merely the faith or oil that flows out of Saudi Arabia. The oil-rich Arab state and its neighbours are busy financing Wahabi and Salafi militants across the globe. [In Pakistan and
Shias under attack across the globe – by Murtaza Haider: From Cairo to Peshawar, Shias are under attack by Sunni militants. The sectarian warfare targeting Shias has left thousands dead. The rest of the world watches silently as Muslims self-destruct in sectarian wars. Earlier on Sunday, a lynch mob
Turning Shia homes into graves – by Murtaza Haider: This is new even for Pakistan. The sectarian attack in a predominantly Shia neighbourhood in Karachi, which left 48 dead and several more injured, deliberately targeted the homes of Shias. In the past, mostly Shias and others were attacked
From Quetta to Lahore, you’re condemned to suffer, and suffer heavily, for being a Shia – by Dr. Murtaza Haider: He was only 12-years old, full of life and promise. But that was on Sunday. Monday morning Murtaza Haider and his father, Dr Syed Ali Haider, were shot dead in a targeted attack by militants in an elite neighbourhood
Don’t question my loyalty, Mr. Chief Justice -by Murtaza Haider: Dual citizens can help restore the Chief Justice to his office, but they are not permitted to question the makeup of Pakistan’s election commission. While hearing a petition by Dr. Tahirul Qadri, who is a dual citizen of Canada
#ShiaGenocide: After yet another massacre in Quetta, this is time for Shias to leave Pakistan – by Dr Murtaza Haider: Related posts: Resistance to #ShiaGenocide in Pakistan is a human right, in fact a moral duty! Two-nation theory 2.0: It is Sunni vs Shia this time around – by Kunwar Khuldune Shahid (Pakistan Today) Sunni and Shia are two different
The year belonged to the Taliban -by Murtaza Haider: If it were a boxing bout, the year 2012 would belong to the Taliban and the militants. In the ongoing civil war in Pakistan that left almost 6,000 dead this year, 1,100 more civilians and members of the security
Shahid Javed Burki continues to provide intellectual cover to General Zia’s sectarian policies – by Murtaza Haider: Source: Adapted with minor edits from Dawn If it were not for The Economist and The New York Times, Shahid Javed Burki may never have noticed the on going massacre of Shias and other religious minorities in Pakistan. [First and foremost this
Pakistan imploding under anti-Shia violence – by Murtaza Haider: After decades of waging the propaganda war against India for its highhanded treatment of Kashmiris, Pakistan is now the subject of a similar campaign by India who has highlighted the plight of Shias being murdered by sectarian terrorists in
Sectarian target killing of Shia Muslims thrive under legal system in Pakistan – by Murtaza Haider: The bloodbath of Shia Muslims at the hands of fundamentalist Sunnis continues along the streets and roads in Pakistan. The Shia victims of sectarian violence have little hope for justice since three out of every four terrorism cases end
Investing in Balochistan’s human capital -by Murtaza Haider: The armed struggle in Balochistan is between the haves and have-nots of Pakistan. On one hand are the Baloch tribesmen who belong to the most impoverished parts of Pakistan and on the other hand are the Pakistan’s armed forces
The killing fields and fault lines of Pakistan – by Murtaza Haider: The killing fields of Pakistan The bloodbath in Karachi continues. The death toll in the last week alone has reached over 100. A glance at the online tally of dead bodies in Karachi leaves not much room for hope in Pakistan’s
The identity crisis of the urban middle classes – by Murtaza Haider: From the banks of river Nile to the sand dunes of Kashgar Prefecture, Muslims were perceived as one people by the poet philosopher Muhammad Iqbal. All other manifestations of a person’s identity were deemed irrelevant. The unity in faith
The misguided priorities of Pakistani academics – by Murtaza Haider: A recent public opinion poll revealed that the top-most research priority areas identified by Pakistanis included Chemistry, Urdu literature, Islamic studies, Arabic, Botany and Zoology. Those who responded to the survey asked of Pakistani academics to devote their energies
Memogate, plagiarism and ghost writers – by Murtaza Haider: While we may never know who indeed authored the ever so memorable memo, which has cost former ambassador Husain Haqqani his day job, we do know that President Asif Zardari has been a prolific writer who has contributed several op-ed
Not all deaths are mourned the same – by Murtaza Haider: Pakistanis of all political and religious persuasions are equally enraged by the tragic death of their soldiers caused by an indiscriminate air attack by the Nato forces. Pakistani soldiers, stationed at a border post in Mohmand region, were attacked
Madrassa graduates and labour market mismatches -by Murtaza Haider: The proliferation of madrassa education in Pakistan has contributed to labour market mismatches. According to the Pakistan government’s own statistics in 2008 alone twice as many students were enrolled in the 12,500 madrassas than in the 124-odd universities. Given
Shia killings in Pakistan: An incurable disease? – by Murtaza Haider: Related articles: Intellectual dishonesty in misrepresenting Shia massacres in Pakistan Pakistani Shias and other rights activists protest the misrepresentation of Shia massacres by Human Rights Cartel Given the brutal violence against the Shias in Pakistan over the past three