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Published by Seth Oldmixon on September 23, 2019

Peace in Kashmir Requires a Return to Pluralism

Prior to partition, Kashmir was a princely state, ruled by the Maharaja Hari Singh. While a majority of the population was Muslim, Singh was Hindu. Because Kashmir had a majority Muslim population, the leadership of the newly created state of Pakistan believed it should rightly accede to them. But Maharaja Singh was a hold out,…

Published by Liberty South Asia on August 31, 2019

Kashmir: Religion and the State Before Partition

“The State has not known of any religious movements worth mentioning. With an eminently Hindu Government conservative in its views and keenly imbued with respect for the tenents and the traditions handed down to it with a spirit of infinite toleration towards the numerous religions of which the different classes of its subjects are the…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on August 9, 2018

Assam: Illegal Immigration and Communal Conspiracy Theories

A controversial “citizen’s registry” compiled in the northeast Indian state of Assam has created a stir in South Asia over concerns that Muslims are being targeted for deportation. Critics compare the move to the ethnic cleansing in Myanmar that has left 800,000 Rohingya Muslims living in refugee camps. Indian officials reject this claim, arguing that…

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 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 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 Seth Oldmixon on March 10, 2016

Bangladesh: Escaping the Shadow of Pakistan

Continue reading at ForeignPolicy.com Photo credit: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images

Published by Seth Oldmixon on February 5, 2016

India’s Blasphemy Laws

The terrifying effects of Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy laws are well documented. Mere allegations have resulted in mob violence that has destroyed Hindu temples, Christian churches, and taken the lives of the accused. Even fundamentalist Muslims have found themselves entangled in the dangerous and subjective web blasphemy allegations. With this situation playing out so close to…

Published by Seth Oldmixon on September 14, 2015

An Indian Cleric Issued a Fatwa Against Oscar-award winning music composer AR Rahman. His Response Was Perfect.

Composer A.R. Rahman is no stranger to attention. The winner of numerous awards including two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, four National Film Awards has an impressive career for his work on productions that have captivated global audiences. Recently, though, he found himself the recipient of a different kind…