Archive for July, 2007
On a wave of mutilation
One sees symbols of ‘progress’ and they at once remind us of the ‘progressive’ and constructive legacies of the leaders who build them.
Germany’s Autobahn reflects Hitler’s ambitions, the Tiananmen Square speaks of Mao’s larger than life persona, and the great dams of the United States stand testament to Roosevelt’s gigantic social and economic undertakings during [...]
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Shadows
Sitting in front of my office PC, going through reports about the Lal Masjid operation, I wasn’t really noticing the commotion happening behind me, mainly perpetuated by my office’s “Armchair Jihadi group.” That’s what we call them, tauntingly. Led by a well-read, articulate and clever 50-year-old, it mainly consists of a small group of young [...]
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The dogs are dead
Conspiracy theories thrive in cultures that have lost the ability to understand the science and art of politics. Recently, one important aspect of politics, which in turn has led many to switch off their logic buttons, is its insistence on vigorous doublespeak. That is why there are political analysts and scholars whose job it is [...]
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Parrot talk and all that
Misconceptions, misrepresentation, misuse. These are the three words that jump to mind every time I gather the stamina to click through the many local music channels on television. Many believe them to be good for the “Pakistani pop industry.” They say these channels are the leading reasons behind the quantum growth of pop artistes and [...]
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Of tact, pomp & uniform
A few months ago, there was a video clip on YouTube being circulated through email. It showed a young maulana from a famous Karachi mosque (and school of thought), taking on Presisdent Musharraf’s ‘liberal policies’, as the president sat there smiling in smug resignation, presiding over a dialogue with students and the ulema. Most probably, [...]
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