Making Sense of Pakistan

Pakistan's transformation from supposed model of Muslim enlightenment to a state now threatened by an Islamist takeover has been remarkable. Many account for the change by pointing to Pakistan's controversial partnership with the United States since 9/11; others see it as a consequence of Pakistan's long history of authoritarian rule, which has marginalized liberal opinion and allowed the rise of a religious right. Farzana Shaikh argues the country's decline is rooted primarily in uncertainty about the meaning of Pakistan and the significance of 'being Pakistani'. This has pre-empted a consensus on the role of Islam in the public sphere and encouraged the spread of political Islam. It has also widened the gap between personal piety and public morality, corrupting the country's economic foundations and tearing apart its social fabric. More ominously still, it has given rise to a new and dangerous symbiosis between the country's powerful armed forces and Muslim extremists. Shaikh demonstrates how the ideology that constrained Indo-Muslim politics in the years leading to Partition in 1947 has left its mark, skillfully deploying insights from history to better understand Pakistan's troubled present.

Autorentext

Farzana Shaikh is an Associate Fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London and the author of Community and Consensus in Islam: Muslim Representation in Colonial India, 1860-1947. A well known commentator on Pakistan, she has lectured and written widely on the country in the course of an academic career that has included positions in the UK, the US and Europe.

Inhalt

1. Why Pakistan? History and Ideology Community Nation Power 2. Who is a Pakistani? Culture and Identity Migrants and Natives Sectarian myths The mirage of citizenship 3. The Burden of Islam: The Sacralization of Politics Holy battles In the name of Islam The lure of Shariatization 4. The Dilemmas of Development: The Uncertainties of Change Free and Unequal The Culture of Corruption The Puritan Backlash 5. Between Crescent and Sword: Professionalizing Jihad Forging an Islamic army Jihadis and juntas The wages of sin 6. Demons from Abroad: Enemies and Allies Standing up to India America's sullen mistress Taking charge of Afghanistan