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Dedicated to American Ideals, a progressive and politically stable Pakistan, and strong US­Pakistan relations. www.induspk.org

April Contents:

1. INDUS & SAIS host Dr. Ayesha Jalal

2. Dr. Farzana Shaikh, Academia/Scholars Panel 3. State Department meeting with INDUS 4. Communities Integration Initiative 5. #CombatExtremism #PromoteTolerance 6. Our Focus 7. Media Review

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INDUS & SAIS host a conversation with Dr. INDUS & SAIS host a conversation with Dr. Ayesha Jalal, "Pakistan's Search for Identity: An Inexplicable Trajectory"

Washington, D.C. ­­ On April 22, 2016, INDUS: Mobilizing People's Power collaborated with the Johns Hopkins SAIS South Asia Studies Department to host respected historian, Dr. Ayesha Jalal, for a discussion with SAIS Dean Vali Nasr about ethno­religious identity in Pakistan. The discussion touched on the influential role individual and community identities play in shaping Pakistani society, the country’s national character, and international perceptions.

"Almost 70 years after Pakistan came into being," Dr. Jalal, a professor at Tufts University, told the audience, "we're still discussing issues of identity because the identity crises of Pakistan exist at and emanate from the state level, not from the people.”

In this way and others, “India is still defining the way Pakistan thinks about its past, present, and future.”

The event, "Pakistan's Search for Identity," was well­attended by officers from the U.S. Department of State, the Voice of America Urdu, other news media outlets, prominent members of the Pakistani­American community, academics and scholars, and students.

Dr. Jalal said, from a historical perspective, the insistence that Pakistan was created for “religion only” was false and served to “blur the lines between worldly and religious matters.” The problems in Pakistan are not religious in nature, but they can appear that way because "religion is utilized by fringe groups for their own strategic goals.” Through the launch of Zarb­e­Azb, Dr. Jalal believed the military was trying to change Pakistan’s internal dynamics with a counterinsurgency­without­ counterterrorism strategy.

She also addressed the recent hope that, after years of dealing with extremism, a Sufi counter­narrative would emerge. Instead, Dr. Jalal believed that Pakistan should look toward its youth. She was hopeful that the growing engagement and activism of Pakistani youth would positively affect the country’s trajectory. "I have great faith in our youngsters," she said.

When asked about the role and responsibility of Pakistan’s intellectuals to national development, Dr. Jalal responded that, instead, the question should be, “What has Pakistan done to its intellectuals? Independent­minded Islamic scholars like Fazlur Rehman and Daud Rahbar have been weeded out and silenced. People have to define religion for themselves since Islam is not something which you blindly worship but rather something you practice.” She said that Pakistanis need to be more aware of and engaged in their religion but to approach it rationally and in the context of their secular selves.

The discussion continued on social media and Twitter, with some attendees using the hashtag #identityofPak. The event concluded with a lively Q&A session, with audience members directly engaging with both Dr. Jalal and Dean Nasr about identity in Pakistan and in South Asia generally.

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INDUS: Mobilizing People's Power firmly believes in the importance and value of discourse and discussion on topics affecting Pakistan’s history and future. We look forward to supporting other events later this year.

INDUS Newsletter ­ April

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Dr. Farzana Shaikh Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London and a Fellow of the Asian Studies Center at St Antony's College, Oxford

INDUS: Mobilizing People's Power is honored to have Dr. Farzana Shaikh as a distinguished member of our Academia & Scholars panel. Dr. Shaikh has published widely on Pakistan and the intellectual history of South Asian Islam, and held lectureships in the UK, the US and Europe. Her books include Community and Consensus in Islam: Muslim Representation in Colonial India, 1860­1947 (1989, 2012) and Making Sense of Pakistan (2009), which was selected by Outlook India in 2014 as one of ‘100 Best Books of All Time’ and by The Guardian in 2010 as one of four ‘essential books’ on Pakistan for Prime Minister Cameron’s government. Her new work explores the politics of Sufism in Pakistan. She is a frequent media commentator on Pakistan and has testified before the UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. Born and largely educated in Pakistan, she has a Ph.D. from Columbia University, New York and is a former Research Fellow of Clare Hall Cambridge.

Officers with the U.S. Department of State hosted INDUS at Foggy Bottom on April 6 for a meeting and introduction. Both sides were encouraged, and INDUS looks forward to further dialogue and collaboration and assisting the State Department office of Pakistan Affairs in its ambitious mission. office of Pakistan Affairs in its ambitious mission.

Community Integration & Civic Promotion

Promoting the concept of citizenship, and highlighting pathways to achieve the “American Dream.”

When successful, community integration and civic promotion begin with the individual and then advance collectively, usually through socialization with informal groups and professional and cultural associations and with the support of Federal, State, and municipal programs. However, due to regional, organizational, and programmatic differences, the catalytic potential of civil society organizations often goes underutilized. Such organizations have the capability, as well as a responsibility, to enhance the process of community integration and identify supplemental methods and frameworks to advance government and nongovernmental efforts to integrate new communities within American society.

INDUS — Mobilizing People's Power convened several local associations in January 2016, highlighting this need. We are pleased to announce the Community Integration & Civic Promotion program. It is our effort to facilitate and deepen community integration, promote the concept of U.S. citizenship, and highlight pathways to realize the “American Dream.”

Viral Peace, an initiative by www.muflehun.org, also endeavors to promote peace and understanding within and between communities, combat extremism, and promote tolerance. We hope our young readers and parents will consider taking advantage of this opportunity. 2016 Fund Raising Campaign

#CombatExtremism #PromoteTolerance

www.GoFundMe.com (www.gofundme.com/INDUSpk2016)

INDUS believes that, by bringing together Pakistanis from around the world to exchange ideas and create awareness, we can lift the trajectory of Pakistan to become a prosperous and powerful nation. In this vein, INDUS is focused on mobilizing the youth of Pakistan, who account for as much as 70% of Pakistani society, to develop a system of inclusive and participatory politics and transform the public and institutional psyche to promote tolerance and respect for the rights of individuals.

We strongly believe that sustainable political and social change originates from research organizations, think tanks, and college campuses. We hope to strengthen and sponsor their efforts. Your tax deductible GOFUNDME contribution provides direct and material assistance to our efforts to raise awareness by supporting initiatives like event in April with Dr. Ayesha Jalal. With your essential support, INDUS will be able to help true democratic values and institutions take root in the country and create sustainable and effective policy change.

www.GoFundMe.com (www.gofundme.com/INDUSpk2016)

OUR FOCUS

Youth Leadership Development Creating campus­based, strictly nonpolitical Student Government Associations that offer Executive, Legislative & Judiciary functions experience within the campus environment. Elected student representatives, as Members of Parliament, Senators and judges manage all aspects of student affairs, in conjunction with campus administration.

Pakistan Civil Liberties Union Civil liberties are personal guarantees and freedoms that the government cannot abridge, either by law or by judicial interpretation. However in today’s Pakistan, rising violence, intolerance, weak rule of law, endemic corruption, lack of social and economic justice, and religious freedom, social exclusion of the vulnerable and the marginalized are a common phenomenon that the people of Pakistan face on a daily basis. Pakistan Civil Liberties Union – PCLU is a watchdog organization intended to combat all the above issues at every cross section of our society.

Community Integration & Civic Promotion When successful, the processes of community integration and civic promotion begin with the individual and, alongside support from Federal, State, and municipal programs, advance collectively, often through socialization with informal groups and professional and cultural associations. However, due to regional, organizational, and programmatic differences, the catalytic potential of civil society organizations is underutilized. Partnerships with local, regional, and national civil society organizations will advance community integration, promote the concept of citizenship, and highlight pathways to achieve the “American Dream.”

Policy Research – As It Happens Campus­based political and social sciences research. Graduate Student and Faculty focusing on policy issues for possible social, cultural, and political reform, followed by advocacy action and awareness creation by the same researchers for the purposes of legislative reform as appropriate.

Cultivating Early Awareness Aimed at increasing youngsters’ awareness of rights and responsibilities of citizenship, and building a national bond at a very impressionable age, leading to real benefits to the nation in evolving future leadership.

MEDIA REVIEW

Pakistan prepares to shut down Gülen schools Malik Ayub Sumbal The Pakistani government is preparing actions against 21 Gülen schools that operate in the country. Schools and colleges affiliated with the U.S.­based imam Fethullah Gülen, who is wanted by Turkey for attempting “to overthrow the government,” are facing closure for promoting a culture of social segregation. [DailySabah]

Will no longer seek Pakistan’s help in peace talks: Afghan president Tahir Khan Before a joint session of the Afghan Parliament, President Ashraf Ghani said his country would no longer seek Pakistan’s aid in facilitating peace talks with the Afghan Taliban. Ghani also labelled the Islamic State, Haqqani network and certain segments of the Taliban as enemies of Afghanistan. Last month, the Taliban refused to sit face­to­face with the Afghan government under the quadrilateral process. [ExpressTribune]

NY in Pakistani colours Suljuk Mustansar Tarar Organized by Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, the exhibition of Pakistani artwork includes pieces from both well­known and “second­ generation” artists. The article includes photos. [TheFridayTimes]

‘In Urdu there are 18 words for love, but only one in English’ Shweta Upadhyay In an interview with Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, the author of “The Mirror of Beauty,” a translation of his 2006 Urdu novel “Kai Chand the Sar­e­Asman,” Faruqi talks about how Urdu literary critics followed the lines set by the British and have created a false picture of the lives and times of its poets and writers. [FountainInk]

No stranger to Karachi Atika Rehman Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib­Fakim, the first female president of Mauritius, speaks Urdu, has visited Karachi four times since 2003, says her favorite Pakistani food is nihari, and is a big proponent of inter­faith and community dialogue. Asked how she felt about Karachi’s transformation over the past decade, she said the city was moving in the right direction. “There is definitely a better perception of security.” [Dawn]

Panama Papers and Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif M Ilyas Khan The leak of 11 million documents held by the Panama­based law firm Mossack Fonseca identified links between offshore companies and accounts and the Pakistan prime minister's family. The author explains what it means for the country and its political environment. “In these circumstances, as Pakistan stumbles from one phase of confusion into another, democracy, rule of law and real accountability have become cliches with a negative connotation.” [BBC]

Editorial: Greed of land developers “Powerful land developers forcibly evict poor villagers from the lands they have been living and working on for generations…the police forces detain those amongst the displaced who dare to protest, and threaten to implicate them in heinous crimes if they don’t acquiesce…The rich and powerful have a way of surviving these scandals and the arms of justice have hardly ever been able to move against them…Mr Riaz and his ilk must be made to understand that giving a bribe is as wrong as accepting one.” [Dawn]

‘Across the board accountability’ essential for prosperous Pakistan: Gen Raheel General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Army Staff, said “Pakistan’s Armed Forces will fully support every meaningful effort” to achieve solidarity, integrity, and prosperity for Pakistan. The statement was made in the wake of the release of the so­called Panama Papers, which implicated family members of PM Nawaz Sharif in tax­avoidance schemes. [Dawn]

Pakistan removed objectionable material from textbooks: Ambassador Jilani Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Jalil Abbas Jilani, responding to a report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom about objectionable material in Pakistani textbooks said that Pakistan has steadily reformed its education system and removed a number of offensive references in text books. The report claimed that the textbooks portrayed non­Muslim citizens of Pakistan as sympathetic towards the country’s perceived enemies. [Dawn]

A History of Muslims in America An online learning course with a curriculum designed to supplement current content and standards in social studies and world history. The eight individual lesson plans each focus on different parts of the accompanying digital presentation, A History of Muslims in America. [ING]

Pakistan veteran recalls shopping trips to nuclear grey markets Kallol Bhattacherjee Retired diplomat Jamsheed Marker talks about “meeting characters, genuine and shady, in tiny cafes tucked away in obscure villages deep in the beautiful Swiss and German countryside” as the country developed its nuclear program. Mr. Marker served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany between 1980 and 1982. [TheHindu]

The French connection: Explaining Sunni militancy around the world William McCants and Christopher Meserole, Brookings The authors identify French political culture as a possible causal factor in terrorist attacks in Europe. “It turns out that the best predictor of foreign fighter radicalization was not a country’s wealth. Nor was it how well­educated its citizens were, how healthy they were, or even how much Internet access they enjoyed. Instead, the top predictor was whether a country was Francophone [.]” [Brookings]

Op­ed: The Dirty Old Men of Pakistan Mohammed Hanif After Punjab province passed the Protection of Women Against Violence Act, a coalition of more than 30 religious and political parties declared the law un­Islamic, saying it was an attempt to secularize Pakistan that presented a clear threat to family institutions. “Their logic goes like this: If you beat up a person on the street, it’s a criminal assault. If you bash someone in your bedroom, you’re protected by the sanctity of your home.” [NYT]

As always, thank you for reading, and thank you for your efforts. If you have questions or comments, or desire to

participate in any way, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

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