Textbooks – Source confusion and extremism – by Junaid Qaiser: Pakistan’s poor education system and its bias curriculum that often incites intolerance and violence has increasingly become a matter of international concern. The government-mandated curriculum is a major concern for Western observers who say it encourages intolerance, anti democracy,

A murderous mindset – by Huma Yusuf: Source: Dawn Sunday, 30 May, 2010 As soon as I heard that gunmen had attacked two Ahmadi houses of worship in Lahore, I posted a despairing comment on my Facebook page, condemning the violence and wondering out loud why

Religious minorities in an intolerant nation: Consequences of promoting Islamofascism: An intolerant nation Dawn Editorial Monday, 19 Apr, 2010 The site of the suicide attack outside an emergency ward at a local hospital in Quetta. A suicide bomber attacked a hospital emergency room where Shiite Muslims were mourning a

Diversity and tolerance in Pakistani society: Room for optimism – by Mohsin Hamid and Munno Bhai: Room for optimism By Mohsin Hamid EVER since returning to live in Pakistan a few months ago, I’ve been struck by the pervasive negativity of views here about our country. Whether in conversation, on television, or in the newspaper,

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

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,

Saudi Shias call for secession: AWWAMIYA: The street graffiti is so brazenly political in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province that it hardly seems like Saudi Arabia at all, Reuters reports. ‘Down with the government’, ‘Death to the traitors’ read the messages on the walls of

International tolerance day – by Humza Ikram: Posted by: Jarri MirzaGuest blog: Humza Ikram Today world is celebrating International tolerance day but sadly Pakistani society is getting more and more intolerant. Our right wing

The question of tolerance —Rasul Bakhsh Rais: Intolerance stems from arrogance, from a belief that a person’s religion and ideology are true while all else is false. But above all intolerance grows from an individual taking responsibility for scrutinising and guarding the beliefs and practices of

Pakistani Christians fear more extremist attacks: Thursday, 08 Oct, 2009 (Dawn) A man stands guard at the door to a church in Gojra.— Photo by AFP GOJRA: Almas Hameed lost seven relatives when an angry mob burnt down his home in a rampage against Pakistan’s

Religion, Politics and Minorities in Pakistan: Religion and politics Rubina SaigolMonday, September 21, 2009 The writer is an independent researcher specialising in social developmentIn the past few months, there has been a noticeable increase in religiously-motivated violence against minority communities, especially in Punjab. The most

The Gojra tragedy, religious extremism, and General Zial-ul-Haq’s legacy in Pakistan: Zahida Hina writes on the Gojra tragey in Pakistan, in which 8 Christians were burnt alive by the pro-Taliban Deobandi-Wahhabi alliance, namely Sipah-e-Sahaba and Lashkar-e-Jhangavi. She also discusses the role of General Zia-ul-Haq in sowing the seeds of

Hamid Akhtar: ‘Soft Islamic revoluion’ is a better approach to confront Talibanisation.:

Zahida Hina: From Sufi-ism to Taliban-ism:

Washington Post: CJ should teach restraint to politicians: By Anwar Iqbal Friday, 20 Mar, 2009 (Dawn) Mr Chaudhry is seen by many middle-class Pakistanis as representing the rule of law: Washington Post.—Reuters WASHINGTON: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry could set an example for the political leaders by

A song dedicated to Islamic Brotherhood Week: By peitha ….. what we are missing in all this chatter is a modern version of someone like Tom Lehrer, producing songs like National Brotherhood Week about these conflicts – though I’m not really sure one wants to go

What can we learn from The Madina Charter? A Multifaith and Mutlicultural Constitution for Peace and Conflict Resolution: Peace and Conflict Resolution Concepts in the Madina Charter by Yetkin Yildirim It is much easier to make contact with people from vastly different cultures and beliefs in the context of today’s world. Unfortunately, increased globalization has also broadened

How can I shoot my brother in India? Remembering Shaikh Ayaz: Shaikh Ayaz (1923-1997) was one of the major Sindhi poets of Pakistan. He was one of very few brave writers who wrote against the tyrannical rulers of Pakistan and the wars they waged against their own