Latest news with #Islamization
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Residual Product of Incomplete Conversion': J Sai Deepak on Babasaheb Ambedkar's Islamic Analysis
Lawyer and author J. Sai Deepak opens up about Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's lesser-known views on Islam, Islamization, and the transformation of cultural identity in India. Citing Ambedkar's book Pakistan and the Partition of India, Sai Deepak discusses how incomplete conversions and cultural hangovers are often misrepresented as syncretism. From the rise of hijab culture to the changing visible symbols among Indian Muslims, he draws a powerful connection to Ambedkar's predictions and critiques. This eye-opening conversation is a must-watch for those seeking a deeper understanding of identity, religion, and history in India. Read More
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Myth, military and militancy: Why Pakistan is incorrigible
Ceasefire, but no real peace Though on May 10, India and Pakistan reached a consensus for a 'full and immediate ceasefire' after four days of intense military engagements, the hostilities are not going to end in the near future. Pakistan cannot and should not be trusted. Pakistan sought non-conventional ways to challenge India's dominance—especially in Kashmir after losing wars to India in 1947, 1965, and 1971. Supporting insurgency and militant groups became a 'low-cost, high-impact' strategy to internationalise the Kashmir issue. Pakistan's involvement in supporting and enabling terrorism—particularly in the context of its regional policies—can be traced to a mix of historical, strategic, and ideological reasons. The ideological dilemma This foundation of Pakistan itself creates inherent contradictions. The very creation of Pakistan was driven by a religious identity. While the so-called 'Two Nation Theory' provided the ideological justification, the actual process was shaped by political negotiations, regional dynamics, and the realities of colonial rule. The result was a new nation-state, unique for being founded primarily on the basis of religion rather than ethnicity or language. The rise of Islam in the early 1950s was largely due to the efforts of political activists and religious scholars who had migrated to Pakistan. The notion of present Pakistan as an ideological state is often linked to the era of General Mohammed Zia -ul- Haq. However, its origins are much older and both Liaquat Ali Khan and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, for political reasons, created the groundwork for the subsequent institutionalization of Islamization under the General Zia regime. Distorted history, strategic blindness Since the 1980s, the early history of Pakistan has been largely omitted from the educational curriculum, with the national historical narrative predominantly centred on the arrival of Muhammad bin Qasim in Sindh in 711 CE. This focus led to the exclusion of significant historical elements such as the Indus Valley civilization and later sites like Taxila, Hakra-Gagger, and Kot Diji from the curriculum. The intertwining of Pakistan's history with that of Muslim rule in India has further strengthened the narrative. This historical context is believed to have played a role in the formulation of geo-political strategy of Pakistan. The military's iron grip Pakistan has been under direct military rule for nearly half of its existence and even during civilian rule, the military retained de facto power over defence, foreign policy, and internal security. The chief of the Pakistani Army possesses an unmatched level of power and influence, rendering the position one of the most formidable in the world. Having exerted influence over Pakistan both overtly and covertly, army often manipulates events from the shadows. It removes elected administrations, creates pressure groups, and instigates divisions within political parties. Through organizations like Fauji Foundation, Army Welfare Trust, and Defence Housing Authorities, the military controls vast economic assets in agriculture, real estate, and industry and this economic entrenchment provides both incentive and ability to shape politics. It provides financial support to opposition parties to destabilize elected governments, thereby preserving its grip on political authority. No surprise, the politicians seek to align themselves with the armed forces to share power. For this the term 'hybrid regime' has been introduced to describe the ongoing military influence over civilian governments. Terror as statecraft During General Zia's rule the military began to view its role as not only protecting Pakistan's territorial integrity but also upholding the state-endorsed ideology. Numerous mosque schools that proliferated during this period were characterized by a strong sectarian focus and a commitment to a transnational jihadist perspective. These advancements were significantly facilitated by the United States' requirement for Pakistan's assistance in the fight against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Most significantly, Zia's enduring influence fostered an environment conducive to the social acceptance of terrorism as a state policy. Subsequent leaders, whether civilian or military, followed the same policies. Political dynasties, such as the Bhuttos and Sharifs, dominate politics, often prioritizing personal power over national development. No end in sight So, over the years Pakistan has been harbouring and supporting terrorist groups, particularly those targeting India, Iran and Afghanistan. Pakistan's internal reliance on Islamist narratives and its long-standing military policy toward 'bleeding India by a thousand cuts' means it cannot easily abandon support for terrorism against India. In close coordination with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistani army groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and the Haqqani Network have been operating from Pakistani soil. Recently Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif himself admitted on Sky News to Pakistan's history of 'supporting, training, and funding terrorist organizations.' The Army remains the true centre of power. The primary and essential prerequisite of peace in the region demands a thorough reform of the Army framework in Pakistan with a transition towards a governance system that is more civilian-oriented. Unfortunately, it's not happening in the near future. Peace on the Western Front will remain elusive. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
L'Orient-Le Jour
05-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Attack on nightclub in Damascus, woman killed according to NGO
Unknown individuals opened fire with automatic weapons early Monday morning in a nightclub in the center of Damascus, killing a woman, marking the second such attack in a week, according to a witness and an NGO. The assailants' motivations were not immediately known, and the authorities did not respond to requests from AFP. After Ahmad al-Sharaa came to power in December, having led the coalition of radical Islamist rebels that overthrew Bashar al-Assad, experts and intellectuals have expressed concerns about the Islamization of Syrian society. The international community has urged the new authorities to respect freedoms. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), "unidentified armed men attacked the al-Karouane nightclub in the Hijaz district with automatic weapons, killing a dancer and injuring several people." "I heard gunshots at dawn and only dared to enter the club once the shooting had stopped," a witness told AFP under the condition of anonymity. "I saw a woman's body, bloodstains on the ground, a scene of chaos." The nightclub was closed Monday morning by order of the security forces, according to a guard of a nearby building. A resident of the street where the nightclub is located said a car carrying security forces had been parked at the corner of the street for several days, monitoring the area. The attack occurred just hours after a video was circulated on social media, filmed by a surveillance camera, showing an armed group attacking another nightclub in central Damascus a few days ago. In the video, authenticated by AFP, armed men can be seen approaching the nightclub and then beating panicked patrons, both men and women, with rifle butts as they flee. A woman is shown stumbling twice under the blows. The Interior Ministry announced, according to the Syrian al-Ekhbariya channel on Sunday, the arrest of the attackers. The video "shows a group of military personnel attacking civilians in a Damascus neighborhood. The perpetrators have been identified, arrested, and brought to justice," the ministry stated.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Asim Munir: Pakistan's 'Mullah General' spells trouble for India
Pakistani army chief General Asim Munir brings back the flavour of the Gen Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq who seized power in a military coup in 1977, ousting then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and imposing martial law. General Zia implemented a program of Islamization, introducing religious laws and policies into Pakistani society as well as Islamising the Pakistani military primarily to bolster his regime's legitimacy and control. Though General Munir is nowhere near General Zia yet in this respect, his tendencies put him in the same league. For his religious inclinations which color his strategic view, some call him a " mullah general ". #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India much better equipped to target cross-border terror since Balakot India conducts maiden flight-trials of stratospheric airship platform Pakistan shuts ports for Indian ships after New Delhi bans imports from Islamabad General Munir's thinking about India became clear in a recent speech he made just before the Pahalgam terror attack . What General Asim Munir's provocative speech tells by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Pakistan 's army chief General Asim Munir's recent dog-whistle - wherein he termed Kashmir as Pakistan's "jugular vein" - is being seen as among the possible triggers for Lashkar-e-Taiba's terror attack in Pahalgam coinciding with the visit of US vice president JD Vance, sources have told TOI. Many intelligence officers think there were indicators that Munir's provocative address, in which he also focused on the differential treatment of Muslims and Hindus, may have emboldened The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT, which has claimed responsibility for the attack but later retracted, to plan a "spectacular strike". About two weeks ago, standing before a packed hall at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, General Munir said, 'Our stance is very clear,' he said. 'It was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, and we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle.' Live Events You Might Also Like: Inside Operation Tupac: Pakistan's secret project to burn Kashmir 'You have to tell Pakistan's story to your children so that they don't forget that our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life,' he further said. 'Our religions are different, our customs are different, our traditions are different, our thoughts are different, our ambitions are different. That was the foundation of the two-nation theory that was laid there. We are two nations, we are not one nation.' Munir's invocation of the two-nation theory — the ideological backbone of Pakistan's founding under Muhammad Ali Jinnah — marks a deliberate return to an era of sharply polarised narratives. "No matter where you live, remember—your roots lie in a high civilisation, noble ideology, and proud identity,' the General told the audience. The speech clearly showed General Munir's deep belief in Islamist ideology which pervades his worldview. His rhetoric was not just about territorial claims; it was a declaration of intent, positioning Pakistan's military as the guardian of an Islamic state that sees itself as superior to its Hindu neighbor. This framing aligns with Pakistan's longstanding narrative of being the "fortress of Islam," a narrative that Munir has embraced and amplified. His statements have been interpreted as a call to arms, emphasizing that any threat to Kashmir is tantamount to an existential threat to Pakistan. You Might Also Like: Pahalgam terror attack shows Pakistan's calculated diplomacy-terror operation Asim Munir, a General as well as a Hafiz-e-Quran Raised in a family with deep Islamic roots, he memorized the Quran during his posting in Saudi Arabia. This religious foundation, combined with his Islamist ideology, has led to his nickname, the "Mullah General". Critics argue that his religious conservatism influences his approach to governance and military strategy, potentially sidelining secular perspectives in favor of Jihdaist idoelogy. During a 2023 address to a grand jirga in Peshawar, Munir declared that the Pakistan Army's motto is "imaan, taqwa aur jihad fi Sabeelillah" (faith, piety, and jihad in the path of Allah), positioning the military as an institution dedicated to religious warfare. Raised in a family with deep Islamic roots, Munir studied initially at the Markazi Madrasah Dar-ul-Tajweed, an Islamic seminary in Rawalpindi. He then graduated from the Officers Training School at Mangla. Commissioned in 1986, Munir's early career saw him in various command and staff positions, including postings in Saudi Arabia and the Siachen Glacier. While posted as a military attaché in Saudi Arabia, Munir had memorised the Holy Quran, which earned him the title of Hafiz-e-Quran. He went on to become Director-General of Military Intelligence in 2016 and subsequently as Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in 2018. However, his tenure at the ISI was short-lived. In 2019, Munir was removed from his position, allegedly due to his confrontation with then-Prime Minister Imran Khan over corruption involving Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later confirmed that Munir had presented evidence of corruption, leading to Khan's decision to dismiss him. Despite this setback, Munir's fortunes changed with the retirement of General Qamar Javed Bajwa in 2022. His appointment as Army Chief was seen as a strategic move by the political establishment to ensure continuity within the military. In November 2024, the Pakistani parliament extended the tenure of military chiefs to five years, effectively securing Munir's position until 2027. You Might Also Like: Pahalgam terror attack: How Pakistan is preparing for the worst as India weighs response General Munir spells trouble for India In General Munir, India faces another fanatic general committed to waging a "war by thousand cuts" against India. His religious ideology significantly influences his strategic approach, particularly concerning India. His framing of Kashmir as a religious duty rather than a territorial dispute transforms military objectives into religious imperatives. This perspective not only justifies aggressive postures but also seeks to legitimize them through religious sanction. By invoking the concept of jihad, Munir aligns Pakistan's military objectives with religious mandates, thereby seeking to rally both domestic and international support from the Muslim world. This Islamization of military doctrine has implications beyond rhetoric. It suggests a strategic orientation where religious considerations guide military decisions, potentially leading to policies that prioritize ideological goals over pragmatic considerations. Such an approach will escalate tensions with India. As Pakistan's military doctrine becomes increasingly intertwined with religious ideology, India will have to remain vigilant, recognizing that actions perceived as religious imperatives may lead to unpredictable and escalatory behaviors. Understanding the ideological motivations behind Pakistan's military strategies is crucial for India in formulating effective diplomatic and security responses.
The Independent
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Turkish Cypriots protest over what they say is Turkey's introduction of Islam into education system
Several thousand Turkish Cypriots took to the streets of the northern half of ethnically divided Cyprus' capital Nicosia on Friday to protest what they say is Turkey's attempt to erode their secular roots and to strengthen the hold of political Islam over their society. Rain showers cleared long enough for marchers to walk along a main thoroughfare hoisting trade union banners and holding placards reading 'It won't pass' and 'Cyprus will stay secular' before gathering for a concert. The protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations that leftist trade unions mounted to express their opposition to what they see as Ankara's bid to mold staunchly secular Turkish Cypriots into a more politically pliable community through the introduction of Islam into the education system. The protest came a day before Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to breakaway northern Cyprus where he will inaugurate a complex of government buildings. Erdogan reportedly said that he would publicly rebuke protesters during his visit. The protests began last month when the right-wing Turkish Cypriot authorities lifted a ban on wearing headscarves in high schools. Teachers' trade unions, political parties and other leftist groups condemned the move as an encroachment into the strictly secular education system aimed at the eventual 'Islamization' of Turkish Cypriot society. Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following an Athens-backed coup aiming at union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence in the island's northern third where it maintains more than 35,000 troops. Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, but only the Greek Cypriot south where the island's internationally recognized government is seated enjoys full benefits. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres announced on Friday that the appointment of María Angela Holguín Cuéllar as his personal envoy on Cyprus, tasked with exploring ways to resume peace talks stalled since 2017. Elma Eylem, president of the Turkish Cypriot Secondary Education Teachers' Union KTOEÖS and one of the protests' key organizers, said that the change in statute allowing the wearing of headscarves in school is evidence of a bid at 'social engineering' to force Turkish Cypriot society into submission according to the edicts of Turkey's ruling AKP party. 'This step has been taken in the divided part of our island which has been turned into a sub-administration of Turkey, where every institution has been taken over, where our population has been reduced to a minority and our political will has been taken away, this change in the statute is a part of social engineering,' Eylem told The Associated Press in a written response to questions. Teachers at one high school reportedly turned away a female student who showed up wearing a headscarf after the ban was lifted. Eylem defended the action, saying that teachers won't allow 'political Islam to be imposed on our girls through their bodies.' 'This issue is not a matter of freedom, headscarf or regulation. This issue is a step taken by the AKP in its efforts to deepen the political Islam domination over the Turkish Cypriot Community,' she said. Eylem also dismissed an earlier counterprotest by those in favor of allowing headscarf-wearing in high schools, saying that such demonstrations organized by Turkey in northern Cyprus 'do not reflect the will of the Turkish Cypriot community.' The nnion president said that a legal challenge to the lifting of the headscarf ban has been initiated at the Turkish Cypriot Constitutional Court, adding that their fight will be 'a long-term struggle.'
