Published by Liberty South Asia on April 16, 2019

Bangladesh Information Minister: “We believe in secularism”

Dhaka — Bangladesh Information Minister Hasan Mahmud emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting religious freedom on Tuesday. Speaking to an international delegation of journalists, think tanks, and diplomats, the Information Minister reiterated Bangladesh’s “zero tolerance” policy towards terrorism and religious extremism. “We have zero tolerance for terrorism because we believe that terrorism is one of…

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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…

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Published by Seth Oldmixon on March 16, 2017

Pakistan PM’s Misguided Anti-Extremism Strategy

In effort to stem the spread of religious extremism, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, last week called on religious scholars to emphasize the “true” teachings of Islam, which he defined as peace and harmony. While Prime Minister Sharif’s message and intentions are laudable, his strategy suffers from a critical vulnerability. Religious scholars already believe they…

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