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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dayuhan who wrote (62227)	12/18/2002 1:58:02 AM
From: Sultan	Respond to of 281500

Pakistan is not as radical as people make it out to be and on the other hand it has as love/hate relationship with U.S.. Mainly because of past behaviour.. Whether it was at the end of Soviets in Afghanistan or not coming to their aid in 1971.. Any case, here are some columnists who write about the general mess there in terms of Politics or breakdown of all kinds and I am sure you will see some past columns in his archive that will be interesting.. dawn.com dawn.com dawn.com

To: Dayuhan who wrote (62227)	12/18/2002 2:34:57 PM
From: Sultan	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

<OT> On Pluralism, Intolerance, and the Quran By Ali S. Asani [1] “Infuse your heart with mercy, love and kindness for your subjects…either they are your brothers in religion or your equals in creation.” excerpt from a letter by the Muslim Caliph Ali b. Abi Talib (d. 661)to Malik al-Ashtar on the latter’s appointment as governor of Egypt As a Muslim involved in teaching and scholarship on the Islamic tradition, I have received many invitations over the past several weeks to speak about the role that religion and religious ideas may or may not have played in the horrific events of September 11, 2001. Non-Muslim audiences have wanted to know how Islam, a religion whose very name signifies peace to many Muslims, could be used to promote violence and hatred for America and the “West”? Why, many in these audiences, wonder are some Muslims and some governments in Muslim nations anti-American, antagonistic to America and the “West,” willing to condone or even applaud the loss of innocent American lives? For their part, Muslims I have spoken to have similar concerns. Why, many of them wonder, are some Americans and Europeans and some American and “Western” policies anti-Islamic, antagonistic to Muslim interests, and heedless to the loss of innocent Muslim lives? In an atmosphere rampant with stereotypes about the “other,” I have been engaged in providing audiences with historical and religious perspectives on the complex factors that have created such deep and profound misunderstandings among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. While I have participated in many public forums, this has also been a time of reflection for me personally as, indeed, for many Muslims who are bewildered by the bizarre and repugnant behavior of individuals who committed these acts allegedly in the name of God. akdn.org

To: Dayuhan who wrote (62227)	12/19/2002 4:51:45 PM
From: tekboy	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

It’s a damnably difficult question, and I haven’t got any answers. I had hoped that Ganguly, who knows a hell of a lot more than I do about it, would have some answers, or could at least shed some useful light on the details of the question. Unfortunately, he didn’t. Your criticism is apt, and well stated (although it should be noted that this was a book review, not an essay proposing a new Pakistan policy). But--as you say, the problem is "damnably difficult," and might not admit of a particularly good answer. Since Ganguly is one of the country's top regionalists, the fact that he can't come up with something all that compelling can be taken as a sign not just of his own incompetence, but of the insolubility of the problems involved... tb@copout.com