Clipmarks | arifsali's 'pakistan' clips

Behind the scenes at a Karachi fashion show

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:42:35 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Behind the scenes at a Karachi fashion show

Models and designers at Fashion Pakistan Week in Karachi have one message for the country's militants: "It's defiance, sheer defiance," says Rizwan Beyg, a leading designer who once dressed Diana, the late Princess of Wales.

Photos

Tags: fashion, pakistan

Pakistan fashion week defies Taliban

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:56:43 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Pakistan's fashion week began on Wednesday in defiance of the Taliban's preference for strict adherence to modest Islamic veils.

As Pakistan's army battled religious extremists in South Waziristan, Karachi's top designers sent models down catwalks with bare shoulders and exposed navels in an unusual display of skin in a country where most women cover up.

Tags: fashion, pakistan

Clinton in Pakistan encounters widespread distrust of U.S.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:04:34 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: The last sentence speaks volume.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

The discontent is not just from radicals, even college students and respected journalists question Washington's intentions in Pakistan. Some liken U.S. drone missile strikes to terrorism.

Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan - Every time Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tried to win over Pakistanis during her three-day charm offensive last week, they fired back a polite but firm message:

We don't really trust your country.

Some of the most biting criticisms came from well-mannered university students and respected, seasoned journalists, a reflection of the breadth of dissatisfaction Pakistanis have with U.S. policy toward their country.

"You had one 9/11, and we are having daily 9/11s in Pakistan," Asma Shirazi, a journalist with Geo TV, told Clinton during the Islamabad town hall meeting.

Tags: pakistan, terrorism, united states

Waziristan musician prays for Taliban defeat

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:08:50 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.dawn.com

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Mohammad Akbar says he prays every day for the Pakistani army to crush the Taliban so he can make sweet music once more without fearing for his life.

‘I recite from the Holy Koran every morning and pray for the success of the military operation and when they are defeated I will buy another rubab’: musician Mohammad Akbar, pictured here sitting in queue to register with authorities in Dera Ismail Khan after fleeing his native South Waziristan. —Photo by AFP

‘They smashed it into pieces and warned me of serious consequences if I ever played it again,’ said Akbar as he recalled the day two years ago that the Islamists forced him to give a recital of his rubab — a traditional lute-like instrument that is popular in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The 39-year-old was speaking in the dusty town of Dera Ismail Khan where he fled with his wife and seven children to escape a major offensive by the army against the Tehrik-i-Taliban in neighbouring South Waziristan.

Tags: taliban, pakistan, music

Nearly 1 in 4 people worldwide is Muslim, report says

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:48:44 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

(CNN) -- Nearly one in four people worldwide is Muslim -- and they are not necessarily where you might think, according to an extensive new study that aims to map the global Muslim population.

India, a majority-Hindu country, has more Muslims than any country except for Indonesia and Pakistan, and more than twice as many as Egypt.

China has more Muslims than Syria.

Germany has more Muslims than Lebanon.

And Russia has more Muslims than Jordan and Libya put together.

Nearly two out of three of the world's Muslims are in Asia, stretching from Turkey to Indonesia.

The Middle East and north Africa, which together are home to about one in five of the world's Muslims, trail a very distant second.

There are about 1.57 billion Muslims in the world, according to the report, "Mapping the Global Muslim Population," by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. That represents about 23 percent of the total global population of 6.8 billion.

Tags: muslims, world

Another sign, whatever US is doing in Pakistan, it's not working!

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:28:54 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.dawn.com

Poll: Pakistanis oppose assisting US terror fight

ISLAMABAD: An overwhelming number of Pakistanis believe their leaders should not cooperate with the US fight against terrorism, according to a poll released Thursday, amid a spate of American missile strikes aimed at Islamist militants that have also killed civilians.

Eighty per cent of people surveyed said ‘no’ when asked if Pakistan should assist the US in the ‘war on terror,’ according to the poll by the International Republican Institute, a US-based nonprofit organization. That response surged 19 per centage points from 61 per cent when Pakistanis were asked the same question in March.

Washington says defeating insurgents in Pakistan is vital for stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan, where violence is on the rise eight years after the US-led invasion toppled the Taliban. The US believes much of the Afghan insurgency is directed by militants who have sought safe haven in Pakistan’s lawless border regions.

Tags: pakistan, united states, war

AQ Khan nails Pakistan's nuke lies

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:33:21 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

An angry, humiliated, and wounded A.Q.Khan has finally made public and official what has long been suspected: his nuclear proliferation activities that included exchanging and passing blue-prints and equipment to China, Iran, North Korea, and Libya was done at the behest of the Pakistani government and military, and he was forced to take the rap for it.

''The bastards first used us and are now playing dirty games with us,'' Khan writes about the Pakistani leadership in a December 2003 letter to his wife Henny that has finally been made public by an interlocutor. ''Darling, if the government plays any mischief with me take a tough stand,'' he tells his wife, adding, ''They might try to get rid of me to cover up all the things they got done by me.''

Tags: nuclear, pakistan

American Rose fights for Pakistani husband

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:37:54 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: This is an unbelievable story. Read the whole thing at the source, there's a lot of information.

Clip Source: www.dawn.com

ISLAMABAD: Rose, a 32-year-old American woman in Islamabad, is seeking justice for her Pakistani husband, Hasan, who claims that he was detained and tortured by officials of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) before being deported in 2006.

The couple, who have asked that their last names be withheld for security reasons, is currently appealing to the US embassy in Islamabad to review their case so that the family can be repatriated to the US, where Hasan was a legal resident since 2003. They have not filed a lawsuit against Hasan’s detention in the US civilian courts as they cannot afford legal counsel. However, a motion on Hasan’s behalf has been filed in the International Criminal Court by a Florida-based human rights’ campaigner.

Tags: pakistan, united states, war on terror

Sister of mercy (A Christian Nurse) for Pakistani Muslims

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:16:06 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.dawn.com

PESHAWAR: Conquering fear of bombs and kidnapping, Rubecca Pervez Bhatti races through Pakistan’s city of Peshawar on a motorbike, heading for another shift at a Christian mission hospital.

She is a 55-year-old Protestant mother of four. Yet she never goes anywhere without wearing the loose, baggy outfit of shalwar kamiz and covering her hair in the conservative Muslim tradition, AFP reported.

‘I am really worried about the situation in Pakistan and everyday I pray to God to bring mercy on our country,’ she said.

Tags: christian, pakistan, women

Christians Killed and Homes Burnt in Pakistan

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 17:47:56 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: A holes.

Chief Minister's actions are very suspicious. I recall seeing the President getting serious about this event.

Clip Source: pakistaniat.com

Over fifty houses belonging to Christians and two churches have been burnt and ransacked by a mob of villagers near Toba Tek Singh and at least six people have been killed. The mob meted out the collective punishment on the ‘accusation’ that three Christians were allegedly seen desecrating pages of the Holy Quran.

The perpetrators committed this vile act in broad daylight as hapless homeowners ran for their lives. Ironically, instead of arresting the culprits, the police – under pressure from the mob - registered a blasphemy case against the three Christians!

However, the irony doesn’t end here. While Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif condemned this incident, he had himself presided over an important meeting of the ulema just four weeks before with a very different message. The meeting put out a joint proclamation stating that “.. whosoever is even slightly guilty of blasphemy against the Prophet – directly or indirectly – is an infidel, an apostate, and liable to be put to death”.

Tags: christians, muslims, pakistan

Brilliant Pictures of everyday life in Pakistan

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:54:53 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.vqronline.org

Pakistan is one of the most photographed but least seen countries in the world. Thousands of photographers have passed through here with eyes that are intense but narrow. As a consequence, it is also one of the least understood countries in the world.

Even its citizens have a troubled and contradictory relationship with Pakistan. They lament the state of the country but never stop believing in a better tomorrow. They are frequently overcome by despair, and yet continue to find ways to speak of possibilities. It is a relationship that is heartbreaking and yet ever faithful.

Tags: pakistan

Health workshop for sex workers in Karachi Pakistan

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:21:39 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Of all places, it is unusual that this event took place and it was a success.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Zeba Raman is a 28-year-old Pakistani sex worker. Born into the profession in Karachi's red light district of Napier Road, she plies her trade all over the city.

She is celebrating the launch of an initiative to promote health awareness among sex workers.

But prostitution remains illegal and anathema to many in Muslim-majority Pakistan. It is an ever-present fact of life, but never really acknowledged.

Pakistan's first workshop on health awareness among sex workers has contributed to a new spirit of openness in the profession.

Dr Ghulam Murtaza, the head of the GRHF and the man behind the workshop, said the organisation was working to create awareness of safe sex among female sex workers.

"It was very difficult to gather sex workers under one roof. Many were simply afraid of being arrested,"

"We offered several incentives and assurances and paid them 1,000 rupees ($20) per day for their attendance," he said.

Tags: health, pakistan, sex

The Longest Solar Eclipse of the Century

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:39:32 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Malu Mountain in Liuzhou, China

Taipei, taiwan

New Delhi, India

Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Sarawati River, in Allahabad, India

northwest of Islamabad

Indian city of Varanasi

Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Taipei, Taiwan

Wuhan, Hubei province, China

Taipei, Taiwan

Indian city of Chennai

Yonsei University in Seoul

Changsha, Hunan province, China

city of Leshan, Sichuan province, China

Varanasi, India

Shanghai

Ganges river

handout image provided by National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

eastern Indian city of Siliguri

Wuhan, Hubei province, China

Indian city of Agra

Taipei, Taiwan

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Golden Temple - the Sikhs holiest shrine - in Amritsar

New Delhi

Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan

Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Hyderabad, Pakistan

Tags: earth, solar eclipse

How a Pakistani doctor’s devotion to the care of women is saving lives

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:57:22 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Op-Ed By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

She is an illiterate woman from the tribal areas of Pakistan who almost died in childbirth a year after marrying at the age of 12.

He is a famous Pakistani ob-gyn who was educated in Ireland. After spending eight years there, he returned with plans to set up a fertility clinic for rich patients and zip around in a Mercedes-Benz. But he was so shattered by the sight of women dying unnecessarily in childbirth that he decided to devote his career instead to helping impoverished women like her.

So they met in one of the hospitals established by the doctor, Shershah Syed, and he has been helping the young woman, Ashrafi Akbar. She is scheduled to undergo a final repair of her fistula in that hospital today.

The underlying reason is that maternal health has never been a priority globally, either to poor countries or to foreign aid donors like the United States. The only exceptions are Britain and Norway, and I hope the Obama administration will back them up.

Tags: pakistan, poverty, women

Addressing the issue of women's rights

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:25:11 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice. And that is why the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams.

Clip Source: www.whitehouse.gov

the sixth issue that I want to address is women's rights.

I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality.

And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well educated are far more likely to be prosperous.

Now, let me be clear: Issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, we've seen Muslim-majority countries elect a woman to lead. Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world.

I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.

Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity -- men and women -- to reach their full potential.

Tags: cairo, muslims, obama, united states, women