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International Symposium Presents International Symposium DEMOCRACY AND THE EASTERN SCHOLARSHIP: ALLAMA IQBAL MAY 18, 2013, 6-11 P.M., North Holiday Inn, Garland, TX In Collaboration With Exclusive Media Partner, FunAsia Radio Muslim Community Center for Human Services, Pakistan Chronicle, Pakistan Journal, South Asia Chronicle Program Sponsors Dr. Ashfaq Siddiqui, Dr. Rehana Kausar, Dr. Arjumand Hashmi Mr. Irfan Ali, Mr. Tabassum Mumtaz, Mr. Azeem Yasin Organizing Committee & SADeW Board of Directors Dr. Qaisar Abbas, Syed Fayyaz Hassan, Raja Muzzafar, Siraj Butt, Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada Aftab Siddiqui, Tausif Kamal, Asif Effendi Program DEMOCRACY AND THE EASTERN SCHOLARSHIP: ALLAMA IQBAL Master of Ceremony: Dr. Arjumand Hashmi, (Mayor, City of Paris, TX) FOOD FOR THOUGHT: DEMOCRACY IN SOUTH ASIA Davinder Singh Daman, (Playright, actor and screenwriter from India): Theater and Political Consciousness in India Tausif Kamal, (Attorney): Elections in Pakistan: A Brief Analysis Syed Fayyaz Hassan, (Political Activist): Democracy in South Asia: An Overview DINNER PANEL DISCUSSION: ALLAMA IQBAL AND THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD Dr. Basheer Ahmed (Chair) Dr. Masood Raja (University of North Texas) Misinterpretations of Iqbal Today Ms. Talmeez Fatima Burney (Urdu Writer, Radio Anchor) Iqbal’s Concept of Time Dr. Qaisar Abbas (University of North Texas) Allama Iqbal in the 21STCentury Turmoil DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER Dr. Theresa Denial, Commissioner Dallas County (Introduction Aftab Siddiqui Democracy in Developing Countries and American Policies KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Ambassador, Dr. Mohammed Mahallati, Oberlin College, Ohio (Introduction by Asif Siddiqui) Allama Iqbal as he is Viewed in the Contemporary Iran Dr. Nyla Ali Khan, University of Oklahoma (Introduction by Raja Muzaffar) Iqbal’s Notion of Democracy in the Context of India and Pakistan SEMI CLASSICAL MUSIC AND GHAZALS Ghazal Maestro Ustad Salamat Ali will sing Allama Iqbal’s Kalam (Introduction by Siraj Butt) 2 ARTICLES ON DEMOCRACY IN SOUTH ASIA kidnapping, and coercion against media people are a norm, democracy is constantly under attack. Voter intimidation, especially women and STATUS OF DEMOCRACY IN SOUTH ASIA minorities is quite pervasive. Pakistan is moving to institutionalize the democratic process and Syed Fayyaz Hassan its voters are quite resolute in their struggle for democratic rights. (Political activist and member South Asia Democracy Watch Board of Directors). Afghanistan has been under foreign occupation by two superpowers for the last two decades. Home to two nuclear powers and proximity to Currently all institutions in the country are two other super powers makes South Asia as one dependent on NATO and American whims and of the most important regions in the world. The wishes. However elections had been held and a region that comprises eight countries, including constitution is written by an elected assembly. A Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, continuous state of war has resulted in conversion Pakistan and Sri Lanka, faces some common issues of a beautiful country into a large battleground. of poverty, development, equity and democracy. As American and NATO forces are planning to South Asian societies are at different stages of withdraw by 2014, the nation, democracy in democratic development, though they are all Afghanistan will remain a dream for some time. moving into a democratic environment. Common Bangladesh is still battling structural issues and challenges to democracy in most of these countries constitutional balance of power after 42 years of include women’s empowerment, inclusion of independence. Although the country has improved religious minorities and voting irregularities besides tremendously in building political institutions, Army violence and military interventions. intervention in politics is an ongoing challenge to India being the largest democracy in the world democracy. Development of two political parties is has built an enormous infrastructure supporting a positive development even though their human democratic institutions. Military, judiciary, rights record is not so bright. NGOs in Bangladesh bureaucracy and parliament are all cohesive units play an important role in poverty alleviation and and work under their jurisdictions prescribed literacy improvement. Social changes and capacity in the constitution. India however faces human building took place in the last decade has helped in rights challenges in various regions. Occupation political stability of the country. Electoral reforms, of Kashmir against the will of its people is the human rights abuses, military interventions and biggest setback to Indian democracy. The extremist women empowerment are the contemporary issues Hindu political parties pose a real threat to Bangladesh democracy is facing today Indian democracy. Voter intimidation, denial of Sri Lanka has been a functional democracy for 80 voting rights to women and low castes are other years now, with Universal Adult Franchise bestowed challenges. by the British in 1931. The country followed the Pakistan, a nuclear power with multiple ethnic classic Westminster bi-cameral parliament model groups, is a constitutional democracy run by and, does not separate the Executive from the a bi-cameral parliament. However, Judiciary, Legislature. Thirty years internal insurgency which Military and bureaucracy are constantly at war. ended in 2009 has an enormous impact on Sri A victim of its geopolitical location and a prolong Lanka’s society. The human rights abuses during ward in Afghanistan terrorism has become a the insurgency were at alarming level. UN Human huge challenge for Pakistan. An environment rights Sri Lanka with its best social indicators is fully of confrontational politics is promoted by the capable of building back cohesiveness in society as power groups has further wakened democratic well as democratic institutions environment. In the environment where killing, 3 WHAT HISTORIC ELECTIONS? Nepal’s democracy is in its embryonic stage which faces several challenges from various Pervez Hoodbhoy fronts. Converting a 240 years old monarch into a democracy and bringing Maoist rebels into democratic setup is a herculean task by itself. Nepal (Pakistan’s leading political analyst and member South Asia Democracy Watch Advisory Council). today is a multi-party parliamentary democracy with bicameral legislature and is adjusting to Thankfully they are over and done with, and democratic norms and building democratic only a few hundred – not a few thousand – lives institutions. Nepal is one of the few countries were lost. The PPP's rout was extremely well- in Asia to abolish the death penalty and is the deserved. It is headed for the dustbin of history first one in Asia that allowed same sex marriage. unless, by some miracle, it miraculously reinvents Maintaining an equitable balance between diverse itself as a non-dynastic mission-driven party. One ethnic compositions poses an ongoing challenge to feels somewhat sorrier for the ANP in spite of its democracy in Nepal. general ineptness and inability to deliver on honest Bhutan had been an absolute monarchy till 2007 governance. But it was targeted by TTP fanatics and, in the words of Asfandyar Wali Khan, the election and democratization was accomplished in 2011. The expulsion of minority communities and human campaign became a matter of "picking up the dead, carrying their funerals and taking the wounded to rights abuses of minorities continues as regular practices even in democratic regime in Bhutan. The hospitals". The long anticipated tsunami, it turned out, belonged to Nawaz Sharif. This victory of a country lacks traditional democratic institutions and its democracy is taking shape on a continuous center-right leader may not be much to celebrate but, at least for now, he is acting as a statesman basis. Proximity of India, Nepal and China also and saying many of the right things. Meanwhile a pose challenges in keeping balance in foreign and certain disappointed cricketer, who kowtows to the domestic policies. Expulsion of people of Nepalese Taliban and justifies their every atrocity, is venting origin from Bhutan has created an international his spleen from his hospital bed. refugee crisis. Breathless commentators have termed these Maldives is a presidential republic, with the elections "historic". But what exactly will they President as head of government and head of state. change? Contenders had competing claims of how Following the introduction of a new constitution they served local communities, and won or lost in 2008, direct elections for the President take largely on those grounds. Quite properly, those who place every five years, with a limit of two terms in had pocketed too much were booted out. Musical office for any individual. Maldives is yet to have chairs are always fun to watch as various players full democracy in its institutional setup. However, jockey for personal power. But there was no battle the independence of judiciary is enhanced by a of ideas. Many deeper issues were only barely constitutional amendment in 2008 and several touched, if at all. Here are three: reforms lately have set the country on the right path. Foreign Relations: Pakistan's steady descent into chaos and terrorism is fundamentally connected with the conduct of its foreign policy, at the core of which has been the export of jihad into Kashmir and Afghanistan. Apart from the international condemnation that this has earned for Pakistan, the blowback has been devastating. Fortunately, there now is some
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