Smearing the academic on August 30, 2011Two articles on Humeira Iqtidar’s work, Secularising Islamists, seem to make an attack on Iqtidar’s integrity rather than tackle the substance of her work, which is quite detailed and wide in focus. But first, secularism as a political idea is different from secularisation as a social process, which is what Iqtidar talks about. Ayesha Siddiqa […]
The Jinnah discourse on August 23, 2011The ‘Jinnah’ argument is the heart and soul for the case of a “secular Pakistan”. It is the very reason why Pakistanis still cling to a vision for a secular state that guarantees a liberal framework of rights and liberties. The liberal discussion is very simply the ‘Jinnah discourse’. But sadly it has not evolved […]
The intellectual foundations of religious fundamentalism on August 16, 2011What is ‘fundamentalism’ and why is it so widespread? ‘Fundamentalism’ is different from violent extremism and there is no necessary connection between the two, hence it is critical to treat fundamentalism on its own merits without confusing it with violence. Religious fundamentalism has been described in various terms and jargon; however, the most compelling description […]
Norway massacre: going beyond madness on August 9, 2011The best way to deny accountability is to run towards insanity. Even the sane welcome this prospect as long as the burdens of responsibility are lifted from their shoulders. Madness negates any shred of moral responsibility, which opens up a disturbing world. Breivik’s massacre was not an act of madness. It was a cruel and […]
Constitutional theocracy and Pakistan on July 26, 2011Legal scholar Ran Hirschl, a professor of political science and law, has published a new intriguing book, Constitutional Theocracy (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2010). The claims of the book, regardless of the complex legal analysis, is a simple one — to contain the global religious fervour engulfing many parts of the world, which is increasingly […]
Power, accountability and rights on July 12, 2011Guardianship is a model that many Muslim societies have experienced in recent decades. Guardianship has been the line of argument pursued by those who wish to legitimise and consolidate either army rule (Turkey, Egypt or Pakistan) or clerical rule (as in Iran). The guiding premise behind guardianship is about protection and safeguarding the interests of […]
The supreme praetorian state of Pakistan on June 28, 2011Pakistan is not a republic, nor is it a theocracy; rather it is a praetorian state. A praetorian state is one where political power is concentrated in the hands of a select elite within the military. Hasan Askari Rizvi, a prominent analyst, writes: “Pakistan can be described as a praetorian state where the military has […]
Reviving Pakistani liberalism II on March 30, 2011To revive liberalism in Pakistan implies that an ideology of liberalism was once alive in Pakistan. Let’s not get nostalgic about the “good old days” (partly because the majority demographic of this country, the youth will not have any memory of these times) when, as our esteemed liberal writers reminiscence, no one wore beards and […]
Reviving Pakistani liberalism I on March 23, 2011Liberalism in Pakistan is an island, removed from public life, absent in popular media discourse and absolutely overwhelmed by the rhetoric of the religious right. It is time for liberals in Pakistan to assess why it is that the religious right are so much more effective in spreading their message, increasing their influence and appealing […]
Freedom is a condition for goodness on March 16, 2011The title of this article is a quote from Allama Iqbal’s Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. Freedom is necessary for religion to flourish, and we need it to ask critical questions and speak out against injustice. Without freedom there is no Islam. What does Pakistan stand for? What are our values? Where lies our […]