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Time to be honest about Afghanistan By Rory Stewart, Financial Times, September 21, 2012   More than 50 US and British soldiers have been killed by their Afghan partners this year. The attacks have been described as Taliban infiltration of the police, which could be addressed by better vetting. But the very words “Taliban”, “police”, and “vetting” are misleading. Insofar as it is

U.S.-Muslim Relations: The Second Coming? By Mohsin Mohi-ud din, Huffington Post, September 21, 2012 In the aftermath of the tragic attack of the US Embassy in Libya that claimed several US diplomats' lives, American flags burn across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, in over 12 countries. Many non-Muslim Americans are asking themselves: "why are they so enraged about an amateur

Prophet Mohammad's Letter to the Monks of Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai HISTORICAL CONTEXT: In 628 AD, a delegation from St. Catherine’s Monastery visited Prophet Muhammed and requested for protection. The Prophet responded by granting them a charter of rights - copied below. St. Catherine’s Monastery is located at the foot of Mt. Sinai and is the world’s oldest monastery. It

Interview: Pankaj Mishra's Eye-Opening Asian Perspective on Modern History by Nadia Rasul, Asia Society, September 5th, 2012  Versatile Indian critic and journalist Pankaj Mishra expands his portfolio significantly with his latest book,From the Ruins of Empire: The Revolt Against the West and the Remaking of Asia, a wide-ranging and frequently pugnacious history of the intellectual

Pakistan’s Taliban Nightmare Pakistan, key to Afghan security, seeks political agreement that protects its interestsZahid Hussain YaleGlobal, 23 August 2012 ISLAMABAD: Contrary to the general perception, Pakistan is not pushing for the return of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Instead, the prospect of the Taliban taking over the war-torn country after the pullout of foreign forces is the biggest

The Iran-India-Afghanistan riddle By Vijay Prashad Asia Times, August 12, 2012 At the sidelines of the 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Tehran, Iran, the governments of Afghanistan, India and Iran will hold a small conclave. Commercial issues are at the top of the agenda. Not far down the list, however, are significant political matters. These are of great interest as the Israelis and

Blog: Sindhi Studies Group:Society, Culture and Territory in India and Pakistan The aim of this scholarly blog is to develop a platform bringing together social scientists interested in Sindh, a region located in southern Pakistan, and its diaspora, mainly in India. The goal of our study group is to share and disseminate a wide range of information on the evolution of Sindhi society while