Dr Haider Shah

Whenever I ponder over the pronouncements and actions of the leaders of important organs of the state I regularly get amazed at the extent of hypocrisy that characterises our morality. In the last few weeks one could witness naked display of hypocrisy by various players that occupy the centre stage of our public policy. Let […]

In discussions with friends on social media and in private meetings, I have noticed over a number of years that all faith-related arguments can be reduced to a very short list of frequently raised arguments (FRAs). Some of these arguments tend to be innocuous and can be ignored but some are more toxic and dangerous […]

Certain words or phrases iconise the course of history that a society is passing through. The well-known French philosopher Michael Foucault proposes that an examination of how discourse is used by a group and how changes take place can enlighten us about many hard to observe power relations. Just take the example of the acronym […]

The Pathankot attack, like any terrorist incident, was a deplorable act of savagery committed by a band of glory seeking fanatics. Unlike many other tragic incidents it, however, has brought the promise of peace to the region. Clothed in Dicksonian duality, it unfurls before the people of South Asia both the summer of hope and […]

Those who have invested heavily in the business of hatred and extremism will not be very happy with the announcement of comprehensive dialogue by Indian Foreign Minister SushmaSwaraj in Islamabad. It seems that doves have something to celebrate after all. If Narendra Modi in a solicitous chat with Nawaz Sharif on the eve of the […]

In the last few years,I have written twice about the Arab Spring. When it was in full bloom many analysts were calling it the unfurling of a democratic era in the Muslim world. Even then I wassceptical as, on a cautionary note, I had stated in 2011 that many masked robbers could be seen accompanying […]

The title of this column may lead a few to believe that I am going to draw happiness and contentment by suggesting that India is equally bad. Let me declare that this is not the case as it is rather about sharing concerns over the way things are shaping up in India, a part of […]

Cultural and religious rituals have played an important role in human evolution as treating some symbols as sacred has helped primitive societies attain stability and cohesiveness in order to survive against multiple forces of destruction. Congregations at sacred places can be found in the history of all ancient societies. The ritual of Hajj in pre-Islamic, […]

The term mafia originally referred to a secret group of well-organised and resourceful criminals in Sicily who call their society Cosa Nostra in the local language. As the word became more common in use, it was applied to all criminal gangs that work on the principle of ‘protection racketeering’. Mafia gangs in the US, Russia […]

The British army has taken part in almost all major war zones, including Iraq and Afghanistan. The personnel in the armed forces are loved so much by ordinary people that through the poppy appeal of the British Legion charity, they donated about £ 40 million to help the charity look after ex-servicemen. Despite this culturally […]