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Published by Seth Oldmixon on May 4, 2018

How Secularism Protects Religion and Culture

In a recent interview with the Economist, Pakistani politician Imran Khan expressed his support for women, like his wife, who choose to wear a veil that fully covers their face. “The amount of clothes a person wants to wear – how much they want to wear or how little they want to wear – is a…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on March 28, 2018

Jamaat-e-Islami: “Conservative Islamic political party” or violent extremist group?

In a recent op-ed, Toby Cadman, an international lobbyist for Jamaat-e-Islami, suggests that it is a “mischaracterization” to suggest that Jamaat-e-Islami is “an extremist group that is involved in acts of terror,” instead downplaying the group as “a conservative Islamic political party in opposition.” This is an important question, not for only for those who…

Published by Liberty South Asia on March 6, 2018

Jamaat-e-Islami Social Media Activists Mock Attack on Bangladeshi Professor

The attempted assassination of Bangladeshi professor Zafar Iqbal brought thousands of protests across the country as Bangladeshis nationwide cried out for justice and an end to the violent extremism that has plagued Bangladesh for years. In one positive sign, the government’s response to the attack has earned praise even from critics. I usually am very…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on February 8, 2018

Echoes of Pakistani Extremism Ring Out In Indian Politics

In her indispensable book, Purifying the Land of the Pure, Farahnaz Ispahani details the tragic history of Pakistan’s descent “into internal violence as the search for Islamic purity set Muslims against non-Muslims, Sunnis against Shiites and Ahmadis, and various Sunni sects against one another.” Today, echoes of this tragedy can be heard ringing out in…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on February 5, 2018

Bangladesh RAB Unleashes New Weapon Against Militancy: Love

Long criticized by human rights organizations for using excessive and extra-legal use of force in its efforts to combat violent extremism, Bangladesh’s premier paramilitary force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), is trying a new tactic in its fight against militancy: Targeting potential militants’ heartstrings. Last week, RAB released a new TV advertisement that highlights the…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on January 10, 2018

Hefazat-e-Islam flexes its muscle at annual Muslim gathering in Bangladesh

Key parts of Dhaka were brought to a standstill on Wednesday as demonstrators blocked roads in protest of the arrival of a Muslim cleric from India, Maulana Muhammad Saad Kandhalvi. The preacher was traveling to Dhaka to attend the Bishwa Ijtema, a massive annual Muslim prayer meeting in Bangladesh organized by the Tablighi Jamaat, a…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on December 20, 2017

Pakistani Newspaper Alters Report on Religious Minorities

On December 13, The Express Tribune, a Pakistani newspaper affiliated with The New York Times, reported on a Supreme Court case pertaining to the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan. According to the original report, “the top court has expressed its anger over the Punjab government’s failure to ensure the the presence of Hindu idols…

Published by Liberty South Asia on December 18, 2017

Pakistan Cabinet Official Makes Inflammatory Statement About Religious Minorities

Pakistan’s Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, told reporters on Friday that “Jews and Hindus” are secretly funding an opposition political party for the purposes of “halting the way of Pakistan’s prosperity.” The most recent data available from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics lists Pakistan’s Hindus as just under 2 percent of…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on November 20, 2017

India: By Threatening Muslim Voters, BJP Leader Threatens Election Legitimacy

The outgoing Chairperson of the nagar palika (local municipality) in Nawabganj, Uttar Pradaesh declared that Muslim constituents would “face difficulties” if they don’t vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a right-wing political party closely aligned with Hindu nationalist groups. During a political rally, BJP leader Ranjeet Kumar Srivastava told the audience that “this is the…

Published by Liberty South Asia on November 17, 2017

Pakistan Doubles Down on Persecution of Ahmadiyya

Ahmadis, an Islamic sect whose members follow the teachings of the 19th century religious leader Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, have suffered incredible persecution in Pakistan. Despite their constituting a tiny minority of the country’s population, Pakistan took the extraordinary step of amending its constitution in 1974 to explicitly declare Ahmadis – and Ahmadis alone – as…