Pakistan's Westernized founding fathers and their successors loved to have a drink and sat on the periodic demands of a ban on alcohol until the 1970s when the prohibition—at least on paper—was imposed
Tag: China
How Linked Events That Fueled Upheavals In Kashmir Sparked My Fascination For Germany
The Inter-linked events lead to peaceful German unification as well but my fascination has been not linked to that alone but also to deep admiration for Germans for their rise literally from the ashes along with Japan post-Second World War
Fought Centuries Back, How Battle Of Karbala Was About Essence Of Muslim Faith
The Prophet’s grandson, Imam Hussain, opposed the undermining of basic Islamic values of egalitarianism, justice, and equity, triggering the Battle of Karbala that ended with his massacre along with 72 of his companions and family members in the month of Muharram
Karbala: Metaphor For Suffering, Sacrifice, Resistance To Tyranny
Karbala symbolises for Muslims the foundational Islamic values—egalitarianism, justice, and equity— the Prophet’s Muhammad favourite grandson, Imam Hussain, laid down his life there in the seventh century resisting Umayyad ruler Yazid violating these ideals
Democracy, Reform, Harmony: How Indonesia Bounced Back
Indonesia stands out among the world’s 20 biggest economies on the back of the stability it has maintained through harmony among its myriad ethnicities and linguistic groups decades after its crony-capitalist system collapsed in the face of the 1997 Asian financial crisis
Saudi-Iran Pact Marks Eclipsing Of Sectarianism in Middle East
The policies pursued in the aftermath of the 1979 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini-led Iranian revolution stoked sectarian hatred in the region but they have been discarded in line with the changed geo-political realities
As Islamophobia Becomes Norm, Stories That Need To Be Retold
The stories with compassion as the moral that people like me grew up on as children need to be told and retold for a peaceful future of co-existence that growing Islamophobia threatens
Curious Case Of Prohibition In Pakistan: High Or Dry
Prohibition in Pakistan has been relaxed over the years with provincial governments granting more permits to individuals and hotels to sell alcohol amid a debate on the benefits of the liquor ban
Chiang Kai-Shek: Nationalist Who Lost China To Mao
Generalissimo Chiang Kai‐shek's political testament dated March 1975 called on his supporters to fulfill his dream of recapturing mainland China from the Communists and restoring their national culture
Maldives Other Side: Great Power Rivalry, Authoritarianism
Mohamed Nasheed replaced Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 2008 after the Maldives' first multi-party elections ended the 30-year authoritarianism in the country