South Asia Citizens Web

The battle for a secular Bangladesh is both political and cultural. Bangladeshis continually evaluate what they will or will not accept in the name of Islam. In universities, as many women seem to wear jeans as hijabs. Young people openly celebrate Valentine’s Day. But there has been a significant shift over the past few decades.

I was alarmed by some posters used for your campaign, namely the posters showing a woman wearing the American flag as a headscarf (veil). It was meant as a symbol for the minority of Islamic faith and their rights to equal citizenship. While the idea behind it is to be praised and applauded. Your choice of the symbol was misguided, to say the least.

Voters of Uttar Pradesh will be electing their next state government in February 2017. UP is the largest state in the country. The political choices of its citizens determine not only the shape of state politics, but national politics as well. This time much more is at stake than usual. The voters of UP will not only elect their state government but will play a role in determining the fate of democracy in India. This puts a special responsibility on them to cast their votes with extreme care and wisdom.

Television News report in Urdu regarding Baldia Fire in Karachi and the compensation by a German company. Karamat Ali speaking to TV journalist from Dunya TV in Pakistan

Savarkar could not have formulated his messianic nationalism without the help of such deeply Christian ideas of sacrifice, martyrdom, resurrection and redemption that his hero Mazzini introduced into the political discourse of the 19th century. Indeed, Mazzini’s fantasies of re-establishing Akhand Italy and Rome Raj hover over every page of Essentials of Hindutva