Using religion as a tool of power

Islamisation, Politics

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

ONE positive result of the Lal Masjid operation is that it has brought into the open the ambiguities and contradictions in our social values and political attitudes. Hopefully, the tragic events of last week will shock people into confronting the truth.

The crisis began in January when the radicals of the Lal Masjid took matters into their own hands by getting the female students of Jamia Hafsa to occupy a government-owned children’s library. The action was in retaliation to the demolition of the illegally built mosques on encroached land in the capital city.
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APC and a sense of déjà vu

Politics

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

PAKISTAN’S political leaders, it appears, can show a semblance of unity only in the face of adversity. Nothing else concentrates their minds better than the fear of a military leader or a political opponent entrenching himself indefinitely in office. They are then prepared to sink their differences — but only to an extent — and join hands to overthrow him.
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Little stress on women’s health

Health, Women

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

MORE appalling than the state of the reproductive health of women in Pakistan is the ignorance shown by our policymakers and leaders of opinion about the silent suffering of women.

Dr Shershah Syed, the president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Pakistan, who is one of the most outspoken critics of the government’s health policy, recalled the other day his encounter with political leaders before the 2002 elections. The PMA had arranged a meeting with party representatives to brief them about women’s health. Thus the doctors hoped to enlist the cooperation of the prospective parliamentarians in health matters after the election.
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Identifying needs of education

Education

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

AFTER politics and the economy, the subject that is being frequently discussed today in the media is education. One should welcome this positive development since public debates will enhance awareness about the needs and problems of this sector and thus generate pressure for reform.

The federal education minister, Lieutenant General (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, has been quite vocal on this score in a bid to establish the credibility of his policies. A few days ago he appeared in a PTV talk show. Earlier he gave a comprehensive interview to CRI’s newsletter.

As could have been expected, Mr Qazi had many good things to say about his achievements as the education minister. One would not dispute the merit of some of them though it is too early to say whether they will be sustained. One also wonders if these policy measures will not be misused.
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Professional hazards for journalists

Media

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

AT A time when communication technology has facilitated the flow of information and made it difficult for governments to suppress the dissemination of news, authorities in South Asia are moving against the tide.

They have stepped up their effort to curb access to knowledge and information in a desperate bid to keep the people in the dark. This is a paradox that is difficult to explain.
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