Afrah Jamal

Published by Global Affairs / Nov 2017 A few years ago a gathering of Pakistani intellectuals tried to sound the alarm over India’s creeping radicalization and obvious leanings towards militant mindsets. Barkha Dutt – a prominent Indian journalist who was present as a guest speaker pooh-poohed the fears – proudly pointing to a vibrant civil society able to stave off the coming storm. Her Pakistani hosts were unconvinced. Having witnessed first-hand the rise and fall of extremism – they recognized the symptoms and could testify to its pervasive hold on an otherwise liberal society and the challenges of clearing leftover toxic waste. Pakistan’s concern was not tinged with condescension - it was well meaning. Despite its many imperfections – it had already begun mapping a way out and wondered if the region could survive the fallout of harboring an extremist outlook in the neighborhood. Hindutva – Hindu nationalism, an ideology that apparently seeks to remake Indian society and ins...

Published in Daily Times / 29 May 2010 By Afrah Jamal Try clicking on a news item about Pakistani students protesting the Facebook ban in Google. Try googling Muhammad for that matter. Just try it . You cannot, can you ? Not if your internet service provider (ISP) is anything like mine. Not since the crackdown on Facebook. And all because of the event planned for May 20, 2010 in the far recesses of cyberspace — an event that prompted Facebook users to start a campaign requesting other users to initiate a boycott. But a simple appeal to shun the social networking site that was hosting a page encouraging caricatures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was apparently not enough. Making the ‘choice’ to quit did not quite satisfy. No, the users had to make a bigger statement. No one knows how the religious parties got wind of this or at what point did the Lahore High Court (LHC) decide to enforce compliance to the boycott. But they did. Give them (the religious parties) enough rope and t...