A good article, by a favorite writer of mine, about history and perceptions of Islam in Pakistan, by Pakistanis.
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The article starts out so very promising on the varieties of interpretation that we call shari’ah. Then it so quickly devolves into conflating constitutional law with religious law, without really explaining how such conflations take place. The article also talks about the religious Shi’ah and the secular Kurds and Sunnis. What about the secular Shi’ah and the religious Kurds and Sunnis? There are huge varieties of interpretation even within the traditions. Finally, page 2 is mostly about cultural practices that the author makes sound like shari’ah. This is a blog, I can say things and pre-suppose knowledge, and get into…
2 thoughts on “Understanding Pakistani Islam”
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Well written article with some beautiful examples of religious cross-fertilisation. Because of the recent train bombings in Mumbai, I suspect that the acrimony between Pakistan and India might heighten. This article is a reminder that the Pakistanis and Indians have more in common that can unite them than the differences that divide them.
it’s funny, i got this article a couple of days ago, and i thought it was even more relevant after the bombings, for the reasons you say.