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extremism in pakistan: Pakistan Under Siege Madiha Afzal, 2018-01-02 Over the last fifteen years, Pakistan has come to be defined exclusively in terms of its struggle with terror. But are ordinary Pakistanis extremists? And what explains how Pakistanis think? Much of the current work on extremism in Pakistan tends to study extremist trends in the country from a detached position—a top-down security perspective, that renders a one-dimensional picture of what is at its heart a complex, richly textured country of 200 million people. In this book, using rigorous analysis of survey data, in-depth interviews in schools and universities in Pakistan, historical narrative reporting, and her own intuitive understanding of the country, Madiha Afzal gives the full picture of Pakistan’s relationship with extremism. The author lays out Pakistanis’ own views on terrorist groups, on jihad, on religious minorities and non-Muslims, on America, and on their place in the world. The views are not radical at first glance, but are riddled with conspiracy theories. Afzal explains how the two pillars that define the Pakistani state—Islam and a paranoia about India—have led to a regressive form of Islamization in Pakistan’s narratives, laws, and curricula. These, in turn, have shaped its citizens’ attitudes. Afzal traces this outlook to Pakistan’s unique and tortured birth. She examines the rhetoric and the strategic actions of three actors in Pakistani politics—the military, the civilian governments, and the Islamist parties—and their relationships with militant groups. She shows how regressive Pakistani laws instituted in the 1980s worsened citizen attitudes and led to vigilante and mob violence. The author also explains that the educational regime has become a vital element in shaping citizens’ thinking. How many years one attends school, whether the school is public, private, or a madrassa, and what curricula is followed all affect Pakistanis’ attitudes about terrorism and the rest of the world. In the end, Afzal suggests how this beleaguered nation—one with seemingly insurmountable problems in governance and education—can change course. |
extremism in pakistan: Pakistan's Drift Into Extremism Hassan Abbas, 2004-09 This book examines the rise of religious extremism in Pakistan and analyzes its connections to the Pakistan Army's policies and fluctuating U.S.-Pakistan relations. It includes profiles of leading Pakistani Jihadi groups with details of their origins, development, and capabilities based on interviews with Pakistani intelligence officials and militant leaders. The book contains new historical materials on Operation Gibraltar (the 1965 War with India), the conspiracy behind General Zia-ul-Haq's plane crash in 1988, a botched military coup by fundamentalists in 1993-4, and on how General Musharraf handled the volatile situation after the 9/11 attacks. In addition to a detailed profile of General Musharraf, the book evaluates India-Pakistan relations vis--vis the Kashmir conflict as well as Dr. A. Q. Khan's nuclear proliferation crisis, and also offers predictions for Pakistan's domestic and regional prospects. |
extremism in pakistan: The Making of Terrorism in Pakistan Eamon Murphy, 2012-12-12 This book explains the origins and nature of terrorism in Pakistan and examines the social, political and economic factors that have contributed to the rise of political violence there. Since 9/11, the state of Pakistan has come to be regarded as the epicentre of terrorist activity committed in the name of Islam. The central argument of this volume suggests that terrorism in Pakistan has, in essence, been manufactured to suit the interests of mundane political and class interests and effectively debunks the myth of 'Islamic terrorism'. A logical consequence of this argument is that the most effective way of combating terrorism in Pakistan lies in addressing the underlying political, social and economic problems facing the country. After exploring the root causes of terrorism in Pakistan, the author goes on to relate the historical narrative of the development of the Pakistani state to the theories and questions raised by Critical Terrorism Studies (CTS) scholars. The book will therefore make an important contribution to CTS scholarship as well as presenting an analysis of the many complex factors that have shaped the rise of Pakistani terrorism. This book will be of great interest to students of Critical Terrorism Studies, Asian history and politics, Security Studies and IR in general. |
extremism in pakistan: Pakistan Rohan Gunaratna, Khuram Iqbal, 2012-01-01 As made abundantly clear in the classified documents recently made public by WikiLeaks, Pakistan is the keystone in the international fight against terrorism today. After the US-led coalition targeted terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, these groups, including al Qaeda and the Taliban, relocated to the Federally Administered Tribal Area of Pakistan. From its base in this remote, inhospitable region of Pakistan, al Qaeda and its associated cells have planned, prepared, and executed numerous terrorist attacks around the world, in addition to supporting and waging insurgencies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and elsewhere. This book is the first detailed analysis of the myriad insurgent groups working in Pakistan. Written by well-known expert on global terrorism Rohan Gunaratna and Khuram Iqbal, a leading scholar in Pakistan, the book examines and reviews the nature, structure, and agendas of the groups, their links to activists in other countries, such as India and Iran, and the difficulties of defeating terrorism in this part of the world. Drawing on extensive field research and interviews with government officials and former terrorists, the authors argue that Pakistan faces grave and continuing pressures from within, and that without steadfast international goodwill and support, the threats of extremism, terrorism, and insurgency will continue to grow. This timely and necessary book argues that if the international community is to win the battle against ideological extremism and operational terrorism around the world, then Pakistan should be in the vanguard of the fight. |
extremism in pakistan: Pakistan's Counterterrorism Challenge Moeed Yusuf, 2014-02-18 Pakistan, which since 9/11 has come to be seen as one of the world’s most dangerous places and has been referred to as “the epicenter of international terrorism,” faces an acute counterterrorism (CT) challenge. The book focuses on violence being perpetrated against the Pakistani state by Islamist groups and how Pakistan can address these challenges, concentrating not only on military aspects but on the often-ignored political, legal, law enforcement, financial, and technological facets of the challenge. Edited by Moeed Yusuf of the US Institute of Peace, and featuring the contributions and insights of Pakistani policy practitioners and scholars as well as international specialists with deep expertise in the region, the volume explores the current debate surrounding Pakistan’s ability—and incentives—to crack down on Islamist terrorism and provides an in-depth examination of the multiple facets of this existential threat confronting the Pakistani state and people. The book pays special attention to the non-traditional functions of force that are central to Pakistan’s ability to subdue militancy but which have not received the deserved attention from the Pakistani state nor from western experts. In particular, this path-breaking volume, the first to explore these various facets holistically, focuses on the weakness of political institutions, the role of policing, criminal justice systems, choking financing for militancy, and regulating the use of media and technology by militants. Military force alone, also examined in this volume, will not solve Pakistan’s Islamist challenge. With original insights and attention to detail, the authors provide a roadmap for Western and Pakistani policymakers alike to address the weaknesses in Pakistan’s CT strategy. |
extremism in pakistan: Islam and Sectarian Violence in Pakistan Eamon Murphy, 2018-10-23 This book analyses the growth of sectarian-based terrorist violence in Pakistan, one of the Muslim majority states most affected by sectarian violence, ever since it was established in 1947. Sectarian violence among Muslims has emerged as a major global security problem in recent years. The author argues that the upsurge in sectarian violence in Pakistan, particularly since the late 1970s, has had less to do with theological differences between the various sects of Islam, but is a consequence of the specific political, social, economic, demographic and cultural changes that have taken place in Pakistan since it was established as an independent state. A major theme of the book is the increasing violence, extent and expressions of sectarian conflict which have emerged as new forms of sectarian terrorism. The volume provides an in-depth empirical case study which addresses some major theoretical questions raised by Critical Terrorism Studies researchers in respect of the links between religion and sectarian terrorism in Pakistan and more widely. This book will be of much interest to students of critical terrorism studies, Asian politics and history, religious studies and International Relations in general. |
extremism in pakistan: Faith-Based Violence and Deobandi Militancy in Pakistan Jawad Syed, Edwina Pio, Tahir Kamran, Abbas Zaidi, 2016-11-09 This book documents and highlights the Deobandi dimension of extremism and its implications for faith-based violence and terrorism. This dimension of radical Islam remains largely ignored or misunderstood in mainstream media and academic scholarship. The book addresses this gap. It also covers the Deobandi diaspora in the West and other countries and the role of its radical elements in transnational incidents of violence and terrorism. The specific identification of the radical Deobandi and Salafi identity of militants is useful to isolate them from the majority of peaceful Sunni and Shia Muslims. Such identification provides direction to governmental resources so they focus on those outfits, mosques, madrassas, charities, media and social medial channels that are associated with these ideologies. This book comes along at a time when there is a dire need for alternative and contextual discourses on terrorism. |
extremism in pakistan: Radicalization in Pakistan Muhammad Shoaib Pervez, 2020-11-29 This book offers a critical analysis of radicalization in Pakistan by deconstructing the global and the official state narratives designed to restrain Pakistani radicalization. Chapters are centered around three distinct themes: educational norms, religious practices and geo-political aspects of radicalization to examine the prevalent state and global practices which propagate Pakistani radicalization discourse. The book argues that there is both a global agenda, which presents Pakistan as the epicenter and sponsor of terrorism, and a domestic, or official, agenda that portrays Pakistan as the state which sacrificed and suffered the most in the recent War on Terror, which allow the country to gain sympathy as a victim. Delineating both conflicting agendas through a critical analysis of global and state practices in order to understand the myths and narratives of radicalization in Pakistan constructed by powerful elites, the book enables readers to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon. A multidisciplinary critical approach to comprehending radicalization in Pakistan with innovative prescriptions for counter-radicalization policy, this book will be of interest to researchers working in the fields of International Relations, Security Studies, Asian Politics, as well as Religious Studies and Education, in particular in the context of South Asia. |
extremism in pakistan: Frontline Pakistan Zahid Hussain, 2008 After The Assassination Of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan Stands On The Edge Of An Abyss Into Which It May Plunge The World. As This Nuclear Power Nation, The Front Line Of The West&Rsquo;S Struggle Against Al Qaeda, Enters The Worst Political Crisis In Its History, Zahid Hussain&Rsquo;S Acclaimed And Updated Book Unravels The Key Questions: Who Really Controls The Country? Will Pakistan Be Talibanized? Has Al Qaeda Infiltrated The State? After 9/11, Pakistan&Rsquo;S Controversial President, Pervez Musharraf Stunned The World By Announcing His Support For America&Rsquo;S &Lsquo;War On Terror&Rsquo;. But In Pakistan, As Zahid Hussain Reveals, Nothing Is As It Seems. The Author Documents For The First Time In Detail The Incestuous Relationship Between Pakistan&Rsquo;S Jihadis And Its All-Powerful Military Intelligence Agency&Mdash;The Isi. He Penetrates The Jihadi Networks, Revealing Their Sources Of Funding, And Their Links With The Taliban And Al Qaeda, And Based On Exclusive Interviews With Key Players, He Shows Us The Fall-Out From Musharraf&Rsquo;S Momentous Decision To Support America. From The Dangerous Mountain Passes Of Waziristan To The Mess Tables Of Rawalpindi And The Sectarian Madrassas Of The Punjab, Hussain Portrays A Country Which Was Already Seething With Unrest Before Political Violence Claimed Its Highest Profile Victim In December 2007. As The Author Shows, Whoever Was Behind The Assassination Of Benazir Bhutto, Its Main Effect Has Been To Accelerate The Country&Rsquo;S Fragmentation, Creating A Level Of Uncertainty And Chaos From Which Only Extremists And Terrorists Can Benefit. Whatever Lies In Wait For Pakistan&Mdash;Talibanization, Civil War Or Worse&Mdash;It Will Have Grave Implications For The Entire World. |
extremism in pakistan: Vying for Allah's Vote Haroon K. Ullah, 2013-12-17 What is driving political extremism in Pakistan? In early 2011, the prominent Pakistani politician Salmaan Taseer was assassinated by a member of his own security team for insulting Islam by expressing views in support of the rights of women and religious minorities. Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister, was killed by gunfire and explosive devices as she left a campaign event in December 2007; strong evidence links members of extremist organizations to her slaying. These murders underscore the fact that religion, politics, and policy are inextricably linked in Pakistan. In this book, Haroon K. Ullah analyzes the origins, ideologies, bases of support, and electoral successes of the largest and most influential Islamic parties in Pakistan. Based on his extensive field work in Pakistan, he develops a new typology for understanding and comparing the discourses put forth by these parties in order to assess what drives them and what separates the moderate from the extreme. A better understanding of the range of parties is critical for knowing how the US and other Western nations can engage states where Islamic political parties hold both political and moral authority. Pakistan’s current democratic transition will hinge on how well Islamic parties contribute to civilian rule, shun violence, and mobilize support for political reform. Ullah’s political-party typology may also shed light on the politics of other majority-Muslim democracies, such as Egypt and Tunisia, where Islamist political parties have recently won elections. |
extremism in pakistan: The Taliban Revival Hassan Abbas, 2014-06-24 The true story of the Taliban’s remarkable resurgence in Pakistan and war-torn Afghanistan more than a decade after the U.S. military’s post-9/11 incursion In autumn 2001, U.S. and NATO troops were deployed to Afghanistan to unseat the Taliban rulers, repressive Islamic fundamentalists who had lent active support to Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda jihadists. The NATO forces defeated and dismantled the Taliban government, scattering its remnants across the country. But despite a more than decade-long attempt to eradicate them, the Taliban endured—regrouping and reestablishing themselves as a significant insurgent movement. Gradually they have regained control of large portions of Afghanistan even as U.S. troops are preparing to depart from the region. In his authoritative and highly readable account, author Hassan Abbas examines how the Taliban not only survived but adapted to their situation in order to regain power and political advantage. Abbas traces the roots of religious extremism in the area and analyzes the Taliban’s support base within Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas. In addition, he explores the roles that Western policies and military decision making— not to mention corruption and incompetence in Kabul—have played in enabling the Taliban’s resurgence. |
extremism in pakistan: Pakistan's Civil Society Hedieh Mirahmadi, Mehreen Farooq, Waleed Ziad, 2012-08-01 Beginning by exploring the rise of extremist groups in Pakistan and the avenues through which they increase their influence in society, this edition also discusses government-led initiatives to counter extremism and efforts to build public awareness and counter violent extremism. |
extremism in pakistan: The Cambridge History of Terrorism Richard English, 2021-05-20 An accessible, authoritative history of terrorism, offering systematic analyses of key themes, problems and case studies from terrorism's long past. |
extremism in pakistan: Terrorism and the US Drone Attacks in Pakistan Imdad Ullah, 2022-09 This book analyses the US drone attacks against terrorists in Pakistan to assess whether the 'pre-emptive' use of combat drones to kill terrorists is ever legally justified. Exploring the doctrinal discourse of pre-emption vis-à-vis the US drone attacks against terrorists in Pakistan, the book shows that the debate surrounding this discourse encapsulates crucial tensions between the permission and limits of the right of self-defence. Drawing from the long history of God-given and man-made laws of war, this book employs positivism as a legal frame to explore and explain the doctrine of pre-emption and analyses the doctrine of the state's rights to self-defence as it stretches into pre-emptive or preventive use of force. The book investigates why the US chose the recourse to pre-emption through the use of combat drones in the 'war on terror' and whether there is a potential future for the pre-emption of terrorism through combat drones. The author argues that the policy to 'kill first' is easy to adopt; however, any disregard for the web of legal requirements surrounding the policy has the potential to undercut the legal claims of an armed act. The book enables the framing and analysis of such controversies in legal terms as opposed to a choice between law and policy. An examination of the legal dilemma concerning drone warfare, this book will be of interest to academics in the fields of international relations, Asian politics, South Asian studies, and security studies, in particular, global security law, new wars, and emerging technologies of warfare. |
extremism in pakistan: The Wrong Enemy Carlotta Gall, 2014-04-08 A journalist with deep knowledge of the region provides “an enthralling and largely firsthand account of the war in Afghanistan” (Financial Times). Few reporters know as much about Afghanistan as Carlotta Gall. She was there in the 1990s after the Russians were driven out. She witnessed the early flourishing of radical Islam, imported from abroad, which caused so much local suffering. She was there right after 9/11, when US special forces helped the Northern Alliance drive the Taliban out of the north and then the south, fighting pitched battles and causing their enemies to flee underground and into Pakistan. Gall knows just how much this war has cost the Afghan people—and just how much damage can be traced to Pakistan and its duplicitous government and intelligence forces. Combining searing personal accounts of battles and betrayals with moving portraits of the ordinary Afghans who were caught up in the conflict for more than a decade, The Wrong Enemy is a sweeping account of a war brought by American leaders against an enemy they barely understood and could not truly engage. |
extremism in pakistan: Sleepwalking to Surrender Khaled Ahmed, 2016-08-18 Pakistan is still on the brink of becoming a failed state as a consequence of its decades-old practice of using proxy warriors in the region. Because of the weakening of the writ of the state, neither governance nor the economy can function normally; in fact, some say the two strong entities in today’s Pakistan are the Taliban and the army. Non-state actors, and the extremist terror outfits they control, pursue extortion, kidnapping and murder to fund their activities, and receive ideological, financial and logistical support from the deep state. The army continues to use them in its India-centric agenda. Civilian institutions are intimidated and individuals who speak out against the terror outfits become targets of their retribution. Violence, not law, increasingly commands human conduct, and the state’s willingness to enter into ‘peace talks’ with the Taliban is viewed as a form of surrender to extremism. Khaled Ahmed is Pakistan’s most respected columnist, and his formidable expertise on the ideologies of extremism is internationally acknowledged. In Sleepwalking to Surrender, he analyses the terrible toll terrorism has taken on Pakistan and appraises the portents for the future. |
extremism in pakistan: Children and Violence Bina D'Costa, 2016-10-04 Explores the conceptualisation of childhood in South Asia and comments on the shift from welfare to the protection of children's rights in the region. |
extremism in pakistan: Public Affairs Education and Training in the 21st Century Kulaç, Onur, Babaoğlu, Cenay, Akman, Elvettin, 2021-09-17 Since the beginning of the 20th century, public administration (PA) departments have been established, primarily in the USA and later in other Western countries, and education in the field of public administration has been provided in these departments. As the field of public administration has been changing due to globalization, government reforms, and increasing governance practices within intergovernmental networks, research and teaching in public administration has also had to adapt. Public Affairs Education and Training in the 21st Century highlights the best practices of various countries in public administration and policy education and training to contribute to the development of the public administration and policy education/training field. This book focuses on comparative studies and innovative teaching techniques and how they affect public administration education methods and curriculum. Highlighting topics that include distance learning, public affairs education, ethics, and public policy, this book is essential for teachers, public affairs specialists, trainers, researchers, students, practitioners, policymakers, academicians, public administrators, public officials, and public policy scholars. |
extremism in pakistan: Extremism and Counter-Extremism Narratives in Pakistan Sadia Nasir, 2023-05-19 The book provides an extensive analysis of extremism, extremist narratives and counter-narratives and their role in consolidating exclusive religious, cultural and social identities in Pakistan. Focusing on the construction and institutionalization of extremist tendencies, the book studies the process of the adoption of the narrow interpretation of religion and society, which subsequently was equated with national identity. It looks at the efforts of counter-extremism narratives, which tend to focus on violent extremism while overlooking non-violent manifestations. The author highlights that the main issue with counter-narratives is the difficulty in presenting extremism and its narratives as a threat since they have been normalized with the state being part of facilitating and building them. A valuable and much-required contribution to the existing literature on extremism and narrative building in Pakistan, this book would help students, academics and policymakers in identifying the limitations of counter-narratives in Pakistan, while providing them with a detailed overview of extremism and extremist narratives. It will also be of interest to researchers studying Security Studies and Asian Politics, especially in the context of South Asia. |
extremism in pakistan: Pakistan and the Narratives of Extremism Amil Khan, 2022 |
extremism in pakistan: How Terrorist Groups End Seth G. Jones, Martin C. Libicki, 2008 How terrorist groups end -- Policing and Japan's Aum Shinrikyo -- Politics and the FMLN in El Salvador -- Military force and Al Qa'ida in Iraq -- The limits of America's Al Qa'ida strategy -- Ending the 'war' on terrorism. |
extremism in pakistan: Women, Gender, and Terrorism Laura Sjoberg, Caron E. Gentry, 2011-12-01 In the last decade the world has witnessed a rise in women's participation in terrorism. Women, Gender, and Terrorism explores women's relationship with terrorism, with a keen eye on the political, gender, racial, and cultural dynamics of the contemporary world. Throughout most of the twentieth century, it was rare to hear about women terrorists. In the new millennium, however, women have increasingly taken active roles in carrying out suicide bombings, hijacking airplanes, and taking hostages in such places as Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, and Chechnya. These women terrorists have been the subject of a substantial amount of media and scholarly attention, but the analysis of women, gender, and terrorism has been sparse and riddled with stereotypical thinking about women's capabilities and motivations. In the first section of this volume, contributors offer an overview of women's participation in and relationships with contemporary terrorism, and a historical chapter traces their involvement in the politics and conflicts of Islamic societies. The next section includes empirical and theoretical analysis of terrorist movements in Chechnya, Kashmir, Palestine, and Sri Lanka. The third section turns to women's involvement in al Qaeda and includes critical interrogations of the gendered media and the scholarly presentations of those women. The conclusion offers ways to further explore the subject of gender and terrorism based on the contributions made to the volume. Contributors to Women, Gender, and Terrorism expand our understanding of terrorism, one of the most troubling and complicated facets of the modern world. |
extremism in pakistan: Religion, Extremism and Violence in South Asia Imran Ahmed, Zahid Shahab Ahmed, Howard Brasted, Shahram Akbarzadeh, 2022-02-04 This book sheds light on religiously motivated extremism and violence in South Asia, a phenomenon which ostensibly poses critical and unique challenges to the peace, security and governance not only of the region, but also of the world at large. The book is distinctive in-so-far as it reexamines conventional wisdom held about religious extremism in South Asia and departs from the literature which centres its analyses on Islamic militancy based on the questions and assumptions of the West’s ‘war on terror’. This volume also offers a comprehensive analysis of new extremist movements and how their emergence and success places existing theoretical frameworks in the study of religious extremism into question. It further examines topical issues including the study of social media and its impact on the evolution and operation of violent extremism. The book also analyses grassroots and innovative non-state initiatives aimed to counter extremist ideologies. Through case studies focusing on Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, this collection examines extremist materials, methods of political mobilisation and recruitment processes and maps the interconnected nature of sociological change with the ideological transformations of extremist movements. |
extremism in pakistan: Understanding and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) among University Students Syed Hassan Zulfiqar, 2021-07-26 Campus violence and rising trends of extremism in Pakistani society is an alarming problem. The violent behavior of youth on campus is viewed as a product of socio-political, economic and cultural structure of the state. The purpose of this research is to analyze the root cause of violence and extremism on campus in the view of academia and it also studies the causal impact of imposition of legal punishments in deterring future crime in the case of Pakistani society. Descriptive design has been used and semi structured interviews were conducted from the political science, sociology and criminology academic experts working in leading universities in Pakistan to identify the major factors behind increase in extremism among university students. Secondary data was collected from books, journals and articles. Through analyzing deterrence as a theory of punishment and social control theory and applying Nested model for conflict analysis, it was concluded that incidents of campus violence is not only a social disorder faced on campus but a threat to national interest of the state. Based on the data collected the peace building approach has been analyzed and it has been recommended that the government, criminal justice system and civil society need to adopt a sensitive policy towards the problems of campus violence and extremism and if cured can represent the soft image of Pakistan on global forums. |
extremism in pakistan: Making Sense of Pakistan Farzana Shaikh, 2018-10-15 Pakistan's transformation from supposed model of Muslim enlightenment to a state now threatened by an Islamist takeover has been remarkable. Many account for the change by pointing to Pakistan's controversial partnership with the United States since 9/11; others see it as a consequence of Pakistan's long history of authoritarian rule, which has marginalized liberal opinion and allowed the rise of a religious right. Farzana Shaikh argues the country's decline is rooted primarily in uncertainty about the meaning of Pakistan and the significance of 'being Pakistani'. This has pre-empted a consensus on the role of Islam in the public sphere and encouraged the spread of political Islam. It has also widened the gap between personal piety and public morality, corrupting the country's economic foundations and tearing apart its social fabric. More ominously still, it has given rise to a new and dangerous symbiosis between the country's powerful armed forces and Muslim extremists. Shaikh demonstrates how the ideology that constrained Indo-Muslim politics in the years leading to Partition in 1947 has left its mark, skillfully deploying insights from history to better understand Pakistan's troubled present. |
extremism in pakistan: The Shias of Pakistan Andreas Rieck, 2015 As sectarian violence spirals alarmingly in Pakistan the need for a rigorous history of its Shia population is met by Rieck's definitive account. |
extremism in pakistan: STABILIZING PAKISTAN THROUGH POLICE REFORM. , 2022 |
extremism in pakistan: Revenge, Politics and Blasphemy in Pakistan Adeel Hussain, 2022-06-16 This fascinating book uncovers the hidden stories behind Pakistan’s fixation with blasphemy–tales of revenge, political scheming and sovereign betrayal. Hussain’s account opens in nineteenth-century colonial Punjab and traces blasphemy killings to the present, linking their emergence to polemic encounters between Hindu and Muslim revivalist sects, namely the Arya Samaj and the Ahmadiyya. It offers, for the first time, the arresting backstories to the assassinations of Pandit Lekh Ram, a leading Hindu nationalist; Swami Shraddhanand, an early progenitor of Hindu nationalism and the principal advocate for converting Muslims; and Rajpal, the Hindu publisher of a sensationalist book on the Prophet Muhammad. Revenge, Politics and Blasphemy in Pakistan then maps the curious afterlives of these killings, illuminating the most critical moments in Pakistan’s history: 1953, when outraged protestors smashed stores owned by religious minorities, triggering the country’s first state of emergency; 1974, when Islamist parties pressured Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to put blasphemy on the constitutional agenda; 1984, when Zia-ul-Haq transformed Pakistan according to his Islamist vision, which included more severe punishments for blasphemy; and the twenty-first century, when digital media has dramatically increased the visibility of blasphemy killings, prompting political parties to demonstrate their commitment to the cause. |
extremism in pakistan: Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban Syed Saleem Shahzad, 2011-08-15 President Obama may have delivered on his campaign promise to kill Osama bin Laden, but as an Al-Qaeda strategist, bin Laden has been dead for years. This book introduces and examines the new generation of Al-Qaeda leaders who have been behind the most recent attacks. Investigative journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad dedicated his life to revealing the strategies and inner workings of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. He had access to top-level commanders in both movements, as well as within the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence service. Shahzad’s work was praised by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for bringing to light the troubles extremism poses to Pakistan's stability. Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban explains the wider aims of both organizations and provides an essential analysis of major terrorist incidents, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks. In May 2011, Shahzad was abducted and killed in Pakistan, days after writing an article suggesting that insiders in the Pakistani navy had colluded with Al-Qaeda in an attack on a naval air station. This book is a testament to his fearless reporting and analytical rigor. It will provide readers worldwide with invaluable insights into the new phase of the ongoing struggle against terrorism which threatens to tear apart the fragile fabric of so many countries. |
extremism in pakistan: The Islamic State in Khorasan Antonio Giustozzi, 2018-08-01 So-called Islamic State began to appear in what it calls Khorasan (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, Iran and India) in 2014. Reports of its presence were at first dismissed as propaganda, but during 2015 it became clear that IS had a serious presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan at least. This book, by one of the leading experts on Islamist insurgency in the region, explores the nature of IS in Khorasan, its aim and strategies, and its evolution in an environment already populated by many jihadist organisations. Based on first-hand research and numerous interviews with members of IS in Khorasan, as well as with other participants and observers, the book addresses highly contentious issues such as funding, IS's relationship with the region's authorities, and its interactions with other insurgent groups. Giustozzi argues that the central leadership of IS invested significant financial resources in establishing its own branch in Khorasan, and as such it is more than a local movement which adopted the IS brand for its own aims. Though the central leadership has been struggling in implementing its project, it is now turning towards a more realistic approach. This is the first book on a new frontier in Islamic State's international jihad. |
extremism in pakistan: Radical Maajid Nawaz, 2016-03-01 Maajid Nawaz spent his teenage years listening to American hip-hop and learning about the radical Islamist movement spreading throughout Europe and Asia in the 1980s and 90s. At 16, he was already a ranking member in Hizb ut-Tahrir, a London-based Islamist group. He quickly rose through the ranks to become a top recruiter, a charismatic spokesman for the cause of uniting Islam’s political power across the world. Nawaz was setting up satellite groups in Pakistan, Denmark, and Egypt when he was rounded up in the aftermath of 9/11 along with many other radical Muslims. He was sent to an Egyptian prison where he was, fortuitously, jailed along with the assassins of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The 20 years in prison had changed the assassins’ views on Islam and violence; Maajid went into prison preaching to them about the Islamist cause, but the lessons ended up going the other way. He came out of prison four years later completely changed, convinced that his entire belief system had been wrong, and determined to do something about it. He met with activists and heads of state, built a network, and started a foundation, Quilliam, funded by the British government, to combat the rising Islamist tide in Europe and elsewhere, using his intimate knowledge of recruitment tactics in order to reverse extremism and persuade Muslims that the ‘narrative’ used to recruit them (that the West is evil and the cause of all of Muslim suffering), is false. Radical, first published in the UK, is a fascinating and important look into one man's journey out of extremism and into something else entirely. This U.S. edition contains a Preface for US readers and a new, updated epilogue. |
extremism in pakistan: U.S.-Pakistan Engagement Touqir Hussain, 2005 |
extremism in pakistan: Putting Pakistan Right Moazzam Husain, 2016-03-04 Compelling perspectives, deep insightsPutting Pakistan Right is set out simply and concisely * What ails Pakistan* What is taking it so long to fix its ailments* What matters and what doesn't* Is the future better than the past?This is not an academic piece, neither a journalistic perspective on events. Instead the book contains perspectives gained from living and working in Pakistan and from talking to a cross section of Pakistani society. These perspectives open windows on some key themes which are addressed in this book: Pakistan's struggle against religious extremism, energy shortages, its position as a transit corridor and issues it faces in urban and economic development. These themes are often intertwined. Each of these themes is further fleshed out and illustrated by short pieces that offer vistas into the fundamental issues that need to be overcome. Pakistan is a troubled country. On that there would be widespread consensus.This easy to read and simple to understand template hopes to leave the reader with a deeper appreciation on the issues facing contemporary Pakistan and what needs to be done to put them right. |
extremism in pakistan: Cityscapes of Violence in Karachi Nichola Khan, 2017-07-15 Karachi is a city framed in the popular imagination by violence, be it criminality and gangsterism or political factionalism. That perception also dominates literary, cinematic and scholarly representations and discussions of this great metropolis. By commenting in different ways on the trials and tribulations of Karachi and Pakistan, the contributors to this innovative book on the city build on past writings to say something new or different -- to make their reader re-think how they understand the processes at work in this vast urban space. They scrutinise Karachi's diverse neighborhoods to show how violence is manifested locally and citywide into protest drinking, social and religious movements, class and cosmopolitanism, gang wars, and how it affects the fractured lives of militants and journalists, among others. Oral history and memoir feature strongly in the volume as do insights gleaned from anthropology and political science |
extremism in pakistan: Radicalization in Pakistan Muḥammad ʻĀmir Rānā, Safdar Sial, 2012 |
extremism in pakistan: Jihad and Dawah Samina Yasmin, 2017 For those studying Islamist movements, terrorism and the link between religion, Muslim philanthropy and politics in Pakistan, Yasmeen's scrupulously researched volume will be essential reading |
extremism in pakistan: Paradise Beneath Her Feet Isobel Coleman, 2013-02-26 Now with a new Preface and Afterword by the author “Outstanding . . . [Isobel Coleman] takes us into remote villages and urban bureaucracies to find the brave men and women working to create change in the Middle East.”—Los Angeles Times In this timely and important book, Isobel Coleman shows how Muslim women and men across the Middle East are working within Islam to fight for women’s rights in a growing movement of Islamic feminism. Journeying through Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Coleman introduces the reader to influential Islamic feminist thinkers and successful grassroots activists working to create economic, political, and educational opportunities for women. Their advocacy for women’s rights based on more progressive interpretations of Islam are critical to bridging the conflict between those championing reform and those seeking to oppress women in the name of religious tradition. Socially, culturally, economically, and politically, the future of the region depends on finding ways to accommodate human rights, and in particular women’s rights, with Islamic law. These reformers—and thousands of others—are the people leading the way forward. Featuring new material that addresses how the Arab uprisings and other recent events have affected the social and political landscape of the region, Paradise Beneath Her Feet offers a message of hope: Change is coming to the Middle East—and more often than not, it is being led by women. Praise for Paradise Beneath Her Feet “Clearly written, deeply moving, and wonderfully enlightening.”—Reza Aslan, author of No god but God “[An] engrossing portrait of real Muslim women that reveals how Islamic feminists . . . are working with and within the culture, rather than against it . . . to forge ‘a legitimate Islamic alternative to the current repressive system.’ Coleman doesn’t diminish the enormity of the struggle, but she argues convincingly that it might yet rewrite Islam’s future.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A nuanced view of Islam’s role in public life that is cautiously hopeful.”—The Economist “Eye-opening . . . Deeply religious, profoundly determined and modern in every way, these are twenty-first-century women bent on change. Hear them roar and see a future being born before our eyes.”—Booklist |
extremism in pakistan: Forced Migration on the Basis of Extremism Saleem Azam, 2021-08-29 Introduction of Author and Book. Saleem Azam is a visiting lecturer at Quaid e Azam University-Pakistan. ( Pakistan: Born 1 November 1968. Mphil International Relations). He did research on the 'Forced Migration on the basis of Extremism'. It highlights the causes and effects of forced migration on the basis of extremism. In this book he explained the different causes and effects of the 'Forced Migration on the basis of Extremism'. All causes are linked with Human Rights of the person and state security. Mostly, scholars linked the forced migration to the religious extremism however this is correct to the some extent but there are many factors of forced migration. According to the UNHCR report of 2016 and many other organizations reports depicts that the 'Forced Migration on the basis of Extremism' is due to the persecution and civil war. The recent Fall of Afghanistan on 15 August 2021 represents the practical example of the forced migration on the basis of extremism. Many Afghanis fled towards the neighbouring border countries, some people lost their lives by managing themselves on the aeroplanes wings and in the vacant chambers of tyres. In this book the author explained; why are Christian Minority and the different Minorities of Pakistan migrating? There are many factors due to which people are migrating to the safe and liberal coutries.The main reasons of migration are poverty, social injustice, unemployment, lack of opportunities, persecution, civil wars, terrorism, extremism, undemocratic rule, illiteracy, political instability, divided society, and lack of economic growth. All these factors compel the people to migrate to the other countries. According to the UNHCR report of 2015-16 approximately, 24 people were forced to flee each minute in 2015. Reports from various NGO's revealed that 65.5 million people were displaced in 2015. According to the UNHCR report of 2020, 82.4 million people displaced forcibly. After the Afghan crisis the number of refugees and asylum seekers will increase more. Migration and displacement cases are increasing day by day. This problem could be resolved by providing the security, social justice, equality, dignity and equal opportunities to all the citizens hence they will not migrate to the other countries. |
extremism in pakistan: Encountering Extremism Alice Martini, Kieran Ford, Richard Jackson, 1920-08-03 Countering extremism is starting to receive more attention as a subject of research in academia and policy circles alike, demonstrating its rising popularity within the market. Nevertheless, the market currently lacks literature on the topic of extremism (as opposed to terrorism), and critical approaches in particular. The concept of this book thus grows from the need to look at the under-researched approaches to the topic from a critical perspective.This book brings together a set of scholars from a diverse range of countries, experts in many fields of social sciences to present valuable multidisciplinary analysis of both theoretical and practical aspects related to countering extremism. It will thus be of interest for scholars and students of the following disciplines, among others: Anthropology, Comparative Politics, Criminology, Education Studies, Gender Studies, International Relations, Post-colonial Studies, Peace Studies, Sociology, Subaltern Studies, Terrorism Studies. |
extremism in pakistan: Rise of Extremism in South Asia Sadia Nasir, 2004 |
Violent Extremism in America: Pathways to Deradicalization
Sep 8, 2021 · Top law enforcement officials have described violent extremism—especially violent White extremism—as the greatest domestic threat facing the United States. The Biden …
Violent Extremism in America - RAND
Jun 25, 2017 · Violent extremism is an evolving, ongoing threat in the United States. Interviews with former extremists—and their families and friends—offer insights into how individuals …
Violent Extremism | RAND
Apr 9, 2024 · The authors examine Russia's use of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE) narratives in the context of its war against Ukraine from 2022 to early …
Violent Extremism in America - RAND Corporation
Apr 1, 2021 · The January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol emphasized the need for more research to inform violent extremism prevention and deradicalization strategies. Interviews with former …
What Former Extremists and Their Families Say About …
Jun 25, 2021 · Violent extremism is an evolving, ongoing threat in the United States. Interviews with former extremists—and their families and friends—offer insights into how individuals …
Reducing the Risk of Extremist Activity in the U.S. Military
Sep 16, 2021 · The majority of military personnel are not extremists. But to address their potential exposure to and involvement in extremist activities, commanders who are tasked with …
Reducing the Risk of Extremist Activity in the U.S. Military
extremism spanning different political and ideological spectra.4 The threat of extremism is not new, but the proliferation of social media has made it easier for radical ideas to spread quickly …
Countering Violent Extremism in the U.S. Military - RAND …
A plan to counter violent extremism using a terrorism prevention framework might offer the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) a way to address current forms of extremism in the ranks. The …
Violent Extremism in America: Can It Be Stopped? | RAND
Jul 7, 2021 · Co-authors of the RAND report, Violent Extremism in America, discuss the findings from their interviews with former members of radical organizations. They identify pathways to …
HOW EXTREMISM OPERATES ONLINE - RAND Corporation
research on virtual extremism spans many disciplines and fields, with scholars of various backgrounds often employ-ing different terminology and methods to describe similar …
Violent Extremism in America: Pathways to Deradicalization
Sep 8, 2021 · Top law enforcement officials have described violent extremism—especially violent White extremism—as the greatest domestic threat facing the United States. The Biden …
Violent Extremism in America - RAND
Jun 25, 2017 · Violent extremism is an evolving, ongoing threat in the United States. Interviews with former extremists—and their families and friends—offer insights into how individuals …
Violent Extremism | RAND
Apr 9, 2024 · The authors examine Russia's use of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE) narratives in the context of its war against Ukraine from 2022 to early …
Violent Extremism in America - RAND Corporation
Apr 1, 2021 · The January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol emphasized the need for more research to inform violent extremism prevention and deradicalization strategies. Interviews with former …
What Former Extremists and Their Families Say About …
Jun 25, 2021 · Violent extremism is an evolving, ongoing threat in the United States. Interviews with former extremists—and their families and friends—offer insights into how individuals …
Reducing the Risk of Extremist Activity in the U.S. Military
Sep 16, 2021 · The majority of military personnel are not extremists. But to address their potential exposure to and involvement in extremist activities, commanders who are tasked with …
Reducing the Risk of Extremist Activity in the U.S. Military
extremism spanning different political and ideological spectra.4 The threat of extremism is not new, but the proliferation of social media has made it easier for radical ideas to spread quickly …
Countering Violent Extremism in the U.S. Military - RAND …
A plan to counter violent extremism using a terrorism prevention framework might offer the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) a way to address current forms of extremism in the ranks. The …
Violent Extremism in America: Can It Be Stopped? | RAND
Jul 7, 2021 · Co-authors of the RAND report, Violent Extremism in America, discuss the findings from their interviews with former members of radical organizations. They identify pathways to …
HOW EXTREMISM OPERATES ONLINE - RAND Corporation
research on virtual extremism spans many disciplines and fields, with scholars of various backgrounds often employ-ing different terminology and methods to describe similar …