Sindhi
Sindh Guardian
Volume 5 Issue 2 September 2017
The Sindhi-American Political Action Committee CCCommitteeCommitteeCommitteeCCCCCCoCommittee Hudson Institute Review: - To Be a Woman - Trump Administration and the in Sindh Middle East - Can Pakistan Become the Next Asian Tiger? - Mangrove Forests of - Reminiscences on the Rise of an Sindh Economic Power - Press Conference: Enforced Disappearances in Sindh
- Extremism in Sindh
- History of Sindh - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Are India-Pakistan Peace Talks Worth a Damn?
- Education: The Last Line of Defense Against Extremism
- Save-Our-Sindh Inaugural Conference Review and Highlights
SINDHI-AMERICAN POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2
Contents
4 - 5: Trump Administration and the Middle East - How will the new administration handle the current state of foreign policy?
6: Reminiscences on the Rise of an Economic Power - Will India become the economic superpower it should be? 7 - 8: Can Pakistan Become
the Next Asian Tiger? - Thoughts on Pakistan’s Institutional Future
9 - 10: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Are IndiaPakistan Peace Talks Worth a Damn? - Discussion on the likelihood of cooperation between the two powers
11: Save-Our-Sindh Inaugural Conference Review and Highlights - Discussion of potential methods and solutions to human rights crisis
12 - 13: Press Conference: Enforced Disappearances in Sindh: Punhal Sario - Discussion on Enforced Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings, especially in regards to activist Punhal Sario
14 - 16: Education is the Solution - How education is beating fundamentalism
17 - 20: To Be a Woman in Sindh - Reflection on the difficulties of being a woman in Pakistan
21 - 23: History of Sindh - A brief overview 24 – 26: Extremism in Sindh -
What kind of threats are we
27 - 28: Mangrove Forests of Sindh - Informational overview on an ecological powerhouse
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Contributors
Caleb Anderson, Lubbock Christian University - Editor in Chief / Layout and Design / Graphics / Writer
Trey Miller, Temple University - Editor / Writer
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The Trump Administration and the Middle East: What Should America do Next? Trey Miller
On September 25th, representatives from SAPAC attended an event hosted by the Hudson Institute titled “The Trump Administration and the Middle East: What Should America Do Next?”. During this event, Michael Doran (Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute), Peter Rough (Fellow Institute), and Michael O’Hanlon (Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution) discussed Mr. Doran and Mr. Rough discussed a recent article composed by Doran and Rough. In this article, the authors propose that the United States needs to establish itself as a military power in the region by setting up a base in the MERV (Middle Euphrates River Valley), stop rolling over Russia and Iran and prevent them from gaining influence and territory in the region. They believe if this is done the trump administration “...would achieve significantly more than Barack Obama at a much smaller sacrifice of blood and treasure than was incurred under George W. Bush.". This he would accomplish by defining American interests sharply and pursuing them aggressively, not to say ruthlessly. The result would be a global restoration of American credibility and, as Trump never ceased to remind voters, renewed global respect.” Mr. O’Hanlon argued that it is not a “zero-sum game”. With this, he means that the United States should not force States in the Middle East to pick sides between Iran or U.S. but instead find ways to work with countries even if they are playing both sides so that we do not lose certain states, such as Iraq, completely. Moran and Rough disagreed with this point by countering that the cooperation with States playing both sides could enable Iran to gain too much power, that taking Iranian influence out of regions will enable states to change the way they make decisions, and that the best thing for the United States interests is to completely drive the Russians and the Iranians out of areas such as Raqqa so that they cannot attempt to control the area when ISIS falls. During the discussion, panelists avoided talking about Pakistan, most likely because of the perceived partnership between Pakistan as well as the
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likely due to Pakistan’s perceived partnership, as well as current hostility between Iran and Pakistan. The first question is, why isn’t this United States focusing on the fact that Pakistan, who is a major ally of the U.S is a hub for Sunni terrorism, which is a major issue because if the State falls to these organizations Pakistan's over 120 nuclear warheads could fall into the hands of people who openly proclaim “Death to America”. It can be argued that the fact that Iran has no footing in Pakistan could actually be bad for the Pakistani people in the long run for one reason. This reason is if Iranians had influence in Pakistan the United States would eventually buckle down and attempt to remove all Iranians and the Pakistanis who have any ties to them. This could allow a more democratic party backed by the United States to rise to power in order to ensure no Iranian influence in the future. Unfortunately, since this is not the case anymore the Pakistani must be prepared for a continuation of the current state of affairs until ISIS is defeated and Assad is out of power, or Sunni extremism becomes so loud in the country’s borders that the west can no longer avoid it.
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Armed vehicles belonging to Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units near Tal Afar, August 31 , 2017 (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)
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India at 70: Reminiscences on the Rise of an Economic Power Caleb Anderson On August 15, 2017, India celebrated 70 years of independence from British colonial rule. With the passing of the Lahore Resolution in 1940, many were skeptical of the nation's ability to function as a democracy in the near future, especially considering the high level of diversity that existed within the country as well as the abject poverty many citizens found themselves living in. Despite the challenges faced by the fledgling country, today India has risen to become the world's largest democracy and is predicted to become the third largest economy in the world by 2030. The Hudson Institute's South and Central Asia program held an event recently to commemorate the 70 years of independence and growth India has enjoyed, with Dr. Yaga Venugopal Reddy, former governor of the Reserve Bank of India (2003-2008) and author of "Advice & Dissent: My Life in Public Service" holding a discussion moderated by Dr. Alyssa Ayres, senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. During this discussion, Dr. Reddy spoke concerning the past, present, and future economic model as used by the country. He also placed emphasis on the gradual shift towards a free market economy since the liberalization reforms of 1991, which he believes served as a boon to the economy. In correlation with the move towards a free economy, GDP growth has seen a seven percent increase from 1994 to 2016. Furthermore, India's labour force currently stands at around 510 million, middle class is around 267 million, and market capitalization is around 1.94 trillion. Despite the massive strides we've seen India making in the past century, the country still faces many challenges, especially in terms of broken/non-existent infrastructure, abject levels of poverty, and excessive bureaucratic strong-arming. One solution that was posed involves jumpstarting a sort of golden age of academia, essentially using education to propel the economy forward. Certainly with more opportunities for education, this leaves much room for economic growth and increased stability among the socioeconomic status of the populace.
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Can Pakistan Become the Next Asian Tiger?
Trey Miller
On September 26th representatives from SAPAC attended an informative
session by between Nadeem Ul Haque (Former Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of Pakistan) with Dr. Marvin Weinbaum (Scholar, Middle East Institute) as a discussant of the presentation. The presentation was to discuss Mr. Nadeem’s book “Looking back! How Pakistan became and Asian Tiger in 2050” According to Mr. Nadeem he wrote the book to raise discussion between young Pakistani individuals in the hope that discussion would lead to action. In the book, the author transports himself in the year 2050 in order to take a futuristic vision of Pakistan. The first step in the book s the UN commission reviews Pakistan in 2020. The commission finds that Pakistan has many problems such as fundamentalism Islam and poverty. Pakistan has a growth rate that is very high with 110 million kids under that age of 20. This could become a boom for the economy or a threat. The positive that we see in 2020, is young people finding ways to receive education overseas. There is currently a rise in the middle class and poverty is going down. This leaves a market for foreign investments. The current major fail is the government is making bad policy decisions which affect volatile growth, long-run growth falling, and productivity decline. The success begins when a “groundswell” of thinking in Pakistan.” which starts a bottom-up solution to the problem. Next, the people start to look at the economic system as a whole starting with where they are to where they would like to be. The Pakistani has to understand where the economy is going and move with it. Next, networks emerge and they analyze the economy and seeing the patterns which are the government controls 70% of the economy. Next, we have to realize that the government is predatory. Finally, they see they need a stronger private sector. The solution to this is better policy and to truly look at the donations that are coming from around the world, they must limit the money that goes into bureaucrats’ pockets. The money that is lost in those pockets can instead be pumped into roads, education, etc. Pakistan then creates a new constitution that actually holds water, leading to an increase in local politics, due process within the government is implemented, civil service must be increased, and the common man is able to land. The result of this, according to Mr. Nadeem
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as well as increased granting of land ownership by individuals. The result of this, according to Mr. Nadeem, is a more secular Pakistan. He proposes the Mullas ideas will be pushed out because the secular way will prove to work better. The discussant Dr. Weinbaum weighs in on these theories by saying this book cannot truly be criticized because it was proposed to be “guideposts”. However, Dr. Weinbaum states that Pakistan must also change its mindset toward India. Also, the book misses the fact that Pakistan is not alone and that foreign states have influence on the country. Also, social/ cultural nature needs to change within Pakistani society with pluralism and tolerance becoming more prevalent. Lastly, Dr. Weinbaum makes it a point to state that even though the idea of peaceful change is ideal, real changes come in violent ways and that the author “...may be going against history here in terms of expectations.” If it came to picking sides between Mr. Haque or Dr. Weinbaum, I would definitely side with Dr. Weinbaum. I say this because, Mr. Haque’s comes across as overly optimistic by overlooking major issues in Pakistan such as, the roots Fundamentalists have taken in the country, the fact that no group as established in a country as the Mullas would simply relinquish their power, and finally that the country will never be able to truly succeed until the blatant human rights violations and oppression of certain groups cease. As much as the world would love to see a peaceful transition from a corrupt, failing government to a democratic, inclusive, and successful state I am not betting that Pakistan, home to over 20 terrorist organizations, is the place where such a revelation will happen. But we remain hopeful.
Pakistani Independence Day Celebration in Lahore, August 13, 2017 (ARIF ALI/AFP/Getty Images)
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Are India-Pakistan Peace Talks Worth a Damn?
Caleb Anderson On October 17th, members of SAPAC attended a discussion held by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace entitled, "Are India-Pakistan Peace Talks Worth a Damn?". Speakers included: Alyssa Ayres (senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations), C. Raja Mohan (director of Carnegie India and foreign policy analyst), George Perkovich (vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace), and Ashley Tellis (Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace). For many years India and Pakistan have remained bitter enemies, demonstrating nothing but hostility in interactions between each other. This hostility threatens much work that has been accomplished in the name of peace and prosperity throughout South Asia and leaves around one-fifth of the human population unable to develop socioeconomically. As tensions rise between the two powers, many fear an ever-growing threat of increased international conflict and compounded socioeconomic crises. During the discussion, Tellis and the others took a close look at the likelihood of eventually achieving peace between the two countries. Tellis posed that because the division between Pakistan and India is unable to be easily reconciled, any work toward peace and a healthier relationship between the nations must begin with accepting the current state of affairs. He also went on to discuss the ability of organizations within the international community to stimulate healthy growth in the process. The possibility of U.S. intervention was discussed, especially in regards to forcing Pakistan to relinquish their reliance upon terroristic organizations. By forcing them to part ways with these groups and their influence, it would "‌force both Islamabad and Rawalpindi to negotiate with India on the basis of their true strength and thus move toward results that are fundamentally consonant with the real bargaining power of the two disputants.". According to Tellis, it is vital that any talks are facilitated from an anti-terrorism angle, and the idea that the United States should facilitate an India-Pakistan dialogue on economic and political issues alone is "‌both simplistic and
Sindh
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on economic and political issues alone is "‌both simplistic and counterproductive.". This is because it fails to take into account the fact that the absence of peace is not a result of the inability of both nations to hold stimulating discussion, but rather a consequence of Pakistan's desire for "‌a better outcome than what its negotiating power permits it to enjoy‌". Furthermore, it is likely that the U.S. would be seen as "tilting the scales" in its favor, which would only serve to aggravate Pakistan into demanding better benefits and make a productive and successful negotiation between the powers impossible. To Pakistan, United States' intercession would also give the impression that it was helping India accomplish outcomes that would otherwise lay beyond their reach. This also has to do with the fact that Pakistan is by nature a paranoid country: it constantly perceives others as being a threat to national security and wishes to impose highly unreasonable restrictions or terms on other parties. If the United States does choose to intervene, it will have lost on three counts: first, being drawn in by Pakistan to advocate on behalf of a weaker state that blinds itself to realities that could lead to a better outcome with India; second, the United States risks sparking India's ire and losing them as a strategic partner in other, more important dealings in the South Asia sphere; third, by the time the talks are said and done, the United States will only have aggravated tensions between the countries and made it more difficult to achieve peace. According to Tellis, the best solution the United States can take is to avoid involvement altogether, and simply leave it to both countries to sort out their challenges for themselves. The only beneficial thing the States can do is really to keep pressuring Pakistan to rid itself of fundamentalist organizations. This is critical to securing future regional stability, especially in both the U.S. and Pakistan. After everything is said and done, however, it's easy to say that India-Pakistan peace talks will be fruitless.
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Save-Our-Sindh Inaugural Conference Review and Highlights Caleb Anderson & Trey Miller
On September 30th, representatives from SAPAC attended the first-ever SaveOur-Sindh Inaugural Conference in Washington, D.C. This event was the first of its kind, and was held by the Sindhi Foundation. Organizations of Sindhi diaspora from all over the world came to discuss the current state of affairs in Sindh, and hopefully come to an agreement as to potential methods and solutions for affecting the most positive change in the province. By the second day, the coalition was able to come to a consensus regarding short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. Furthermore, subcommittees were created and specific tasks delegated to different members. SOS plans to meet again within the next 6 months.
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Press Conference: Enforced Disappearances in Sindh – Punhal Sario Caleb Anderson & Trey Miller The Sindhi Foundation held a press conference on Wednesday, the 18th of August to
discuss the current state of affairs in Sindh Province of Pakistan, especially in regard to enforced disappearances of scores of human rights activists including the well-known leader of the Voice for Missing Persons of Sindh, Punhal Sario. Enforced disappearances continue to be a significant problem is the province with over 300 people being disappeared per year. The Sindhi foundation and several other organizations who participated in the conference are dedicated to ensuring that these enforced disappearances cease and all people are able to return home. Two US Congressmen Mr. Brad Sherman and Mr. Adam Schiff, both members of Congressional Caucus on Sindh sent their statements in which they addressed their concerns about the human rights abuses occurring in Sindh Province. “Human rights abuses of this type cannot go unanswered. It is our obligation to speak out and demand accountability. These disappearances and other violations of human rights should be a major topic of conversation in all bilateral discussions between our government and the government in Islamabad.” said Rep. Sherman. Rep. Schiff said, “I fully support your efforts to call attention to these abuses and to demand that they end. I urge Prime Minister Abbasi to provide information on the whereabouts of Mr. Punhal Sario and other disappeared activists, and ensure their immediate release.”. The executive director of TASSC (Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition) Léonce Byimana also spoke and condemned the abduction, torture, and killing of many writers, students, and political activists in Pakistan. Mr. Byimana took the opportunity to call upon the United States government as well as other international rights groups to denounce the egregious human rights abuses taking place in Pakistan and take a stand together against repressive regimes worldwide. Mr. Hajan Kalhoro of the World Sindhi Congress, another advocacy group campaigning for the release of the Missing Persons in Sindh, said that “Pakistani security agencies are responsible for these abductions, torture, and killings in Sindh as well as
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agencies are responsible for these abductions, torture, and killings in Sindh as well as Balochistan.” He further clarified that “The security agencies’ modus-operandi is to abduct, torture, and hold activists incommunicado for as long as they see fit. Later, activists are either killed and dumped on the roadside or released after they have been physically and psychologically traumatized.”. Mr. Kalhoro implored the government of Pakistan to end human rights abuses against activists, and urging the United States government to stand up and “…become the voice of the marginalized Sindhi people whose voice for their democratic, historical, and human rights are being ruthlessly silenced.”. Mr. Hasan Mujtaba, a writer, and poet presented an exquisite poem in Urdu expressing the pain and suffering that enforced disappearances cause. Mr. Marvin Kumetut, from the Underrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), made remarks about enforced disappearances in Pakistan. In his speech, Mr. Kumetut said, “Tragically, gross human rights violations, such as torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings are the order of the day. While local human rights defenders’ struggle to address these systematic abuses, Islamabad uses intimidation tactics to silence anyone who dares to bring these crimes to light. Enforced disappearances, in particular, are a tool used to terrorize the civilian population and instill fear.”. Mr. Habib Bhutto of Jeay Sindh Qoumi Mahaz (USA) said “More than 200 political workers of Jeay Sindh movement have kidnapped by Pakistani intelligence agencies I.S.I and M.I. Missing persons belong to Jeay Sindh Qomi Mahaz and other several other nationalist parties.”. Mr. Nabi Bakhsh Baloch, the leader of Baloch National Movement, stated that mass killings, torture, and disappearances committed by Pakistani state security forces could not weaken the resolve of Sindh and Balochistan to become free nations. Mr. Mumtaz Khan, representative of the Kashmiri struggle for rights and freedoms said, “Enforced disappearances of political activists by Pakistani security forces are largely linked to the people’s opposition to CPEC and Chinese hegemony in the region.”. Mr. Sufi Laghari, Sindh rights activist and founder of Sindhi Foundation speaking on human rights violations in Sindh stated that the state of Pakistan responsible for the enforced disappearances of our youth should one day disappear from the globe as a country. Mr. Edwin Ngang, with the Republic of Ambazonia, helped remind us that enforced disappearances are not just limited to one area but instead this is a global issue which we must
pursue with great vigilance in order to ensure it no longer occurs.
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Education is the Solution
Trey Miller
In a world where extremist groups are constantly attempting to recruit new soldiers, education has never been more important. According to U.N Secretary-General Plan of action to prevent Violent Extremism 2015, “Education, skills development and employment facilitation are essential to prevent the spread of Extremism.� Thinkers from all over the world agree with this theory and terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, ISIS, and the Taliban have caught on. In many cases, when one of these groups come into a city or town the first thing they do is destroy places of education and worship. When these groups do this they are able to control not only who learns, but what they learn as well. By gaining control of what is being taught they can control how people think. In the province of Sindh located in Southern Pakistan, many children and young adults are not given an option to go to school and get a proper education. The lack of education stems from many problems within the system that includes teachers getting paid regardless of if they show up to their job or not, lack of proper buildings for schools, and overpriced privatized schools, which are too expensive for the average Sindhi child to afford. On top of all this, in the past four decades, Pakistan has experienced more terror attacks on education than any other country, which terrifies people and hinders them from going to school. In Sindh, poor governance and inadequate social services are contributing to the spread of extremism. Terrorist groups are seizing the opportunity to fill the political vacuum by providing services such as education and natural disaster relief. Even though Sindh has historically been able to keep extremism out of its communities there has recently been an increase in terrorist activity in the province. The growth of influence of groups such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has brought problems like enforced disappearances of political opponents and activists, forced conversions and marriages of Hindu women, and terrorist attacks on Sufi Shrines. In 2015 there were two deadly terrorist attacks in Sindh and on February 17th, 2017 a suicide bomber who pledged alliance to IS attacked a Sufi Shrine killing more than 80 people and injuring no less than 250. Many
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a Sufi Shrine killing more than 80 people and injuring no less than 250. Many Sindhi’s believe that the government knows about these groups but it is doing little if anything to stop them. People often ask, "Why would anyone ever join a terrorist organization?" Although there are many reasons people find to join extremist groups, reasoning can generally be broken down into two categories. The first category is “Pull factors”. When children grow up seeing these groups helping their family, learning what they teach, and seeing the financial and social benefit the members of the group have, they begin to idolize these men and are extremely susceptible to being recruited and adopting these extremist ideologies. The second category is called “push factors”; the push category is composed of factors that make it seem like there is no other choice to join extremist groups. These factors include marginalization, violation of human rights, poverty and discrimination. All of these push factors stem from or are a result of a lack of education and are currently happening in Sindh. International Organizations such as UNESCO have begun to identify these factors and are working on solutions to combat the “Pull Factors” that people are encountering. UNESCO believes that education could create the conditions that build the defenses, within learners, against violent extremism and strengthen their commitment to non-violence and peace. These defenses include the knowledge of their own true history, the study of different cultures and religions, which helps bridge the gap between groups. Also, education brings a sense of purpose and hope that can keep students out of extremist groups. As of March 2017, 63% of state-run schools in Pakistan do not have electricity and 46% do not have toilets. Pakistan’s constitution states “Every child has the right to free and compulsory education” yet there are an estimated 25.02 million children between the age of 6 and 15 who are currently not in school. Out of the over 25 million students currently not in school, 70% of them have never been to school. In Sindh specifically, that number is 80%. 57% of the poorest children in Pakistan are not in school while only 10% of the richest children aren’t in school. In recent years the United States has cut their aid to Pakistan from over $3.5 billion to just over $1 billion. At first glance, any American taxpayer would be pleased to see that their hard-earned tax-dollars are no longer supporting terrorism. However, this drastic cut has the potential to cost the American taxpayer more over time because a cut in resources could lead to an increase in
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taxpayer more over time because a cut in resources could lead to an increase in extremism. The United States now knows the solution for solving the extremist problem in Pakistan is not pumping money into the Army, which it has been doing since 9/11. History has shown that the army cannot be trusted and any money that they receive has not only the possibility but the likelihood of ending up in the hands of terrorist organizations or in the pockets of the country’s leaders. Instead, when the United States pledges money it should go toward building adequate education facilities and funding campaigns to get more children into schools. Education is the vaccination of the disease that is extremism. Education provides children the opportunity to climb out of the socioeconomic situation that they are born into. This will take away the material motivation for young people to join groups such as Al Qaeda or ISIS. Not only will education suppress the material motivation but it will also suppress the mental motivation. Since educated children are more confident and have more feelings of self-worth they will not feed into the lies and propaganda that recruiters inundate them with. Education is the solution and should be treated as such. When schools do not provide students with relevant learning – including the tools and opportunities to determine their future and learn about sensitive issues related to local and global conflicts and tensions – students are most likely to seek answers from less reliable sources of information, which may be manipulated by violent extremist recruiters. This is the incentive we need to promote educational growth and resistance to fundamentalist thinking/tradition.
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To be a Woman in Sindh Caleb Anderson
Every day in Pakistan, countless individuals are subject to egregious human rights violations at the hands of the government, the military, and extremist groups. One demographic that experiences some of the most difficult challenges are women. Women across Pakistan and Sindhi women especially face many challenges stemming from deeply ingrained cultural biases held against them for generations. It is because of this that women are often subjected to discrimination, subjugation, violence, and even death. A strong facet of Pakistani culture is the idea that women are to be safeguarded as if they were property, which is what makes blood and marital ties so important. That being said, women are frequently manipulated by patriarchal figures like husbands, fathers, and brothers under the guise of "defending the honor of the family�. Accordingly, women's behaviors are usually very restricted to the extent that they are pressured against finding work, talking to strangers (especially men), or even so much as leaving the home. Women are constantly punished for committing even the slightest transgressions. On occasion, this can even mean death. This kind of punishment, colloquially known as "honor killing", is typically carried out by an immediate member of the victim's family, and is done to preserve their honor, which the offending woman may have tainted with her behavior. For example, in June of 2016 18-year-old Zeenat Rafiq was burned to death by her mother for "bringing shame to the family" by marrying a man of her choosing. In May, a 19-year-old school teacher in Punjab was tortured and burned to death for refusing an arranged marriage. In the same month, a 16-year-old girl named Amber was found dead inside a car that had been set on fire after a Jirga, or assembly of elders, ordered her death for assisting a friend in marrying a man of her own choosing. Honour killings may be deemed the appropriate action to take in response to a plethora of offenses, with many being as minor as a woman standing too close to a man in public. Unfortunately, many honor killings are
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carried out with ulterior motives at play, such as a father killing his daughter to avoid having to split his inheritance with her, since women are legally allowed to own property in Pakistan. In 2013 alone, there were 869 reported cases of honor killings, and 389 reported cases of domestic violence against women. In a study done by Rutgers World Population Foundation, 93% of women respondents reported experiencing marital rape. Unfortunately, Pakistan's penal code does not officially recognize domestic violence or marital rape as criminal acts, so perpetrators go widely unpunished for these offenses. Although murder is a criminal offense, Pakistani law dictates that the family of a murder victim may choose to pardon the perpetrator. This only makes it that much easier for people to carry out honor killings, because they know that the permission from the family is really all they need to get away with it. Fortunately, this is subject to change within the coming years, albeit slowly. An anti-honor killing bill seeking to eliminate the option of murder committed in the name of honor to be forgiven was passed by the parliament in October. Sadly, because of the violent culture against women, many law enforcement officials don't even consider reporting cases of domestic abuse or marital rape, especially since the charges would likely be dismissed in a court of law anyway. The Hudood Ordinance makes prosecuting perpetrators of violence against women very difficult, as it places the jurisdiction of such cases under Islamic or tribal courts and frequently results in the victim being charged with crimes like adultery. Another challenge facing women is a serious lack of educational opportunity, which effectively locks them into a life of (usually) agricultural labor. According to a UN Human Development report taken in 2013, only around 19% of women in the country achieve higher education, as opposed to around 43% of men. Furthermore, only 23% of women in Pakistan have jobs not within the agricultural sector, as opposed to 82% of men. If men are awarded the opportunity to pursue higher education, and even encouraged to do so, it only makes sense that educated women would contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country. By preventing women from pursuing higher education, the country is effectively hindering its own progress. One of the most pressing issues involves the abduction and forced conversion of young girls in Sindh. Because of the wide variety of religious minorities living in the region, they are constantly targeted by radical Islamists for forced conversions to Islam. Sindhi Hindu girls are especially at risk of falling prey to these
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to Islam. Sindhi Hindu girls are especially at risk of falling prey to these conversions. Each year it is estimated that over 1,000 girls are abducted from their families and sent to be married off to Muslim men. And because there are no laws regarding marriage in Pakistan, marriage is typically left under the jurisdiction of religious groups/councils, which are usually of Islamic background and end up siding against the girls, if the cases are even entertained and not outright dismissed. Child marriage is a pressing issue in Pakistan, not just Sindh, with an estimated 21% of girls marrying before the age of 18. In 2016, WHOM submitted a proposal to parliament aiming to raise the minimum age to 18 for females and punish those who arrange these marriages. Unfortunately, the proposal was abandoned following intense pressure from the Council of Islamic Ideology, who criticized the proposal as anti-Islamic and blasphemous. Despite Pakistan's long history of enacting discriminatory policies and legislation, there are steps being taken to ensure the long-term benefit of women. In 2015 for instance, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed his government would take necessary legislative and administrative steps to protect and empower women. It will certainly take more than empty words to accomplish this empowerment, seeing as the governing bodies have for so long rejected the idea of any progressive gender legislation. This is due to the broken legal framework of the government, which provides no mechanism of preventative or retributive action for a woman to take against her abusers. Furthermore, it's worth noting that the burden of prosecution is almost entirely the responsibility of the victim, and most cases end up being dropped due to the victim being too tired or stressed to continue. Although the current state of affairs in Sindh is tragic for many women and girls, justice is not unattainable in the foreseeable future. Many legislators are not necessarily opposed to progressive gender legislation, for example, but instead, they are afraid of repercussions for voting the "wrong way". This is arguably one of the most prominent factors preventing women from being granted better protection, rights and freedom in the country; the fact that extremist organizations have insidiously permeated all branches of government institutions and exhibit a strong-arm effect on governing bodies, 19
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government institutions and exhibit a strong-arm effect on governing bodies, to ensure that their agendas are the standard and that that standard is not threatened. Until action is taken against these extremist organizations and their funding cut off, they will persist in pushing their agendas and belief systems upon citizens by way of the politicians and political system. Fortunately, it is only a matter of time and work before we see the dissolution and restructuring of the greater institutional powers that currently exist only to discriminate against and abuse their own people.
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History of Sindh Trey Miller
Sindh and the Sindhi people pre-date recorded history. The name Sindh derives from Sindhu, which means water referring to the Sehoon River. In the last 7th century B.C Sindhi’s began to call their home Sindh. When Arab scholars and travelers first arrived they also called the region Sind. Over the years, tribes, Mughals, and descendants of Muslim conquerors from Turkey, Persia, among other places, have come together to make up the diaspora of Sindh. Although these groups are from different cultures and religions they were able to set aside their differences and formulate their own language, as well as establishing a cultural identity of peaceful people. The idea of love and peace is so integral to the culture of Sindh that love in the highest form is celebrated in ancient Sindhi folklore. Sindh historian J.P. Vaswani says “Modern scholars studying the concept of Ishq – love – in Sufi poetry, are amazed by the depth, complexity, profundity – indeed, the spirituality of love that is expressed by these poets.” Not only were these poets putting love on a pedestal, but they were also very progressive in the way that they thought about women. Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, arguably the most famous of Sindhi poets, composed the seven legends of Sindh. In these tales, the protagonists were women, which was progressive for its time, especially considering the subjugative cultural environment and norms of the time. Historically, the Sindh region has seen the rule of many different groups. The first known group was the Aryans, who controlled Sindh until about 575 B.C. History tells us that Punjab and Sindh were the most prosperous provinces in the entire region. When Alexander the Great invaded in 326 B.C., the Greeks considered Sindh and the surrounding areas the “most flourishing land they had ever seen”. Post-Alexander, the region exchanged hands multiple times and even the Romans mention Sindh as being a wealthy area throughout which they traded heavily with people from the province. In the 5th century A.D the Hun invaded the region. It is no secret that the Hun brought pain and suffering to every land they touched, and Sindh was not exempt from this trend. The raids set the region's economy back many years. Following the Hun era
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The raids set the region's economy back many years. Following the Hun era was the “Rajput” era. During this time, the land was under Buddhist and Hindu rule. There is only one recorded instance of Sindhi people engaging in warfare; when the Persians and Arabs began to have conflicts which caught Sindhis in the crossfire. During all other parts of history, Sindhis were a peaceful and loving people group who believed in unconditional love towards all people. When the Arabs conquered Sindh the region was well-maintained and very prosperous, with both Arabic and Sindhi being the primary languages spoken by inhabitants. This was a sort of golden age, as people were well-read, courteous and religious. Furthermore, the city toted a large number of scholars and the general standard of morals and intelligence were high. This way of life remained until around the 18th century when the Mullas, or religious Islamic leaders, grew in power and influence. “The Mullas issued an edict through the government giving preference of Muslims above Hindus, denying Sindhi Hindus their due respect. Eventually, Sindhi’s were systematically stripped of certain rights. In many places throughout the region, Sindhi Hindus even had to hold their footwear in their hands and wear humiliating clothing. Furthermore, many Sindhi Hindus were forcibly converted to Islam, often on flimsy grounds.” In 1947, Pakistan and India became two countries. When the two countries divided, the province of Sindh became part of Pakistan. This led to a mass migration of Hindus to India and an influx of Muslims into Pakistan. The Sindhi Hindus who remained were immediately considered second-class citizens and their land and possessions were stripped from them and handed to Muslims who migrated to the country. Sindhi Muslims also faced oppression by the Pakistani government. They were prohibited from purchasing the possessions of Sindhi Hindus that were taken or left behind. Both Sindhi Hindus and Sindhi Muslims lost a part of their cultural identity in the aftermath of the partition due to the fact that their mother tongue was stripped of them and a new language, Urdu, forced upon them. As for the current state of affairs in Sindh province, many Sindhis still face oppressive conditions and atrocious human rights violations. Sindhis are still treated like second-class citizens who face enforced disappearances by Pakistani agencies if they speak out against the Pakistani establishment, forced conversions and marriages of young Sindhi Hindu women, and extrajudicial killings. Even though the Sindhi people have continually suffered and been
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killings. Even though the Sindhi people have continually suffered and been subjugated by outside groups, they have never resorted to a violent revolution or acts of terror against the state of Pakistan. Sindhi people remain faithful to the values held by their ancestors, including goodwill towards others, peace, and unification in spite of difference. Sindhi Hindus who migrated to India, thanks to the lack of oppression and potential for opportunity, quickly gained a footing in their new land. They were able to open shops, earn money and gain enough influence to become contributors to the economy and obtained rights as all other citizens of India. Sindhis who have been able to overcome oppression have gone on to accomplish many amazing things, including significant contributions to the fields of science, medicine, and even politics. It is high time that all Sindhi’s are liberated from their current conditions and experience a life free from oppression and subjugation, and full of peace and opportunity.
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Extremism in Sindh
Caleb Anderson
Of all the challenges faced by Sindhi people, the challenge posed by the increasing threat of terrorism by religious extremists or fundamentalist groups has to be among the most frightening. These Islamic fundamentalist groups share the same origin as groups like Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, having been a product of the jihad against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980's. While many have remained in Afghanistan to continue their ongoing fight with the current government and the United States, many have dispersed throughout the region, with others operating in Kashmir, attacking Indian targets as well as other ethnic groups for a myriad of reasons including opposing religious and political views. While Sindhi and Pakistani people, in general, have voiced opposition to the rise in power these groups have seen in recent years, the government has failed miserably in its "attempts" to quell their influence and control over political processes and institutions. Furthermore, there have been allegations that the Pakistani establishment has been funding and training militant groups to silence political targets in places like Kashmir, Afghanistan, and Sindh. The problem with this, besides the fact that these groups are used to torture and kill people, is that the funding used for this support is likely a result of misappropriated money given to Pakistan as international aid from programs like USAID. Whereas the money was originally intended to be used to revitalize parts of the country's long-term economic and educational sustainability, much of it is now untraceable as it has been diverted and lost through over-billing in regards to institutional projects like rebuilding and furnishing schools with amenities like additional classrooms and functioning bathrooms. Either way, this is of great concern to many Sindhi-Americans who are very reluctant to see their hard-earned tax dollars contribute to the active destruction of family and friends back home. Several fundamentalist groups have proven very active in the Sindh region as of recent, including Lashkar nature more separatist and have historically targeted religious minority groups
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-e-Taiba (LeT), Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP), and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). LeJ and SSP are by nature more separatist and have historically targeted religious minority groups such as Hindus, Shi'a Muslims, and Christians, whereas LeJ's motivations are more aligned with an anti-Hindu/anti-Indian bent. These groups adhere to an extremely conservative branch of Islam known as Deobandi, which is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam. Originally developed as a reaction to British colonialism which was seen by certain Indian scholars as corrupting the teachings of Islam, Deobandi is now regarded by adherents as a scholastic tradition within orthodox Sunni Islam and boasts a following of around 20 percent of all Sunni Muslims living in Pakistan. Within the madrassas, the Deobandi curriculum combines the study of Islamic scriptures like the Qur'an and Hadith with rational subjects like logic, philosophy, and science. But with students really having no access to any alternative options for higher education, these madrassas serve as fundamentalist ecosystems by which students are indoctrinated and essentially brainwashed into holding radical beliefs. Estimations vary as to the official number of madrassas in Pakistan, but the number is generally thought to be somewhere between 12,000 and 40,000. Of those, around 65% are owned and run by Sunni Muslims belonging to the Deobandi sect. Their radical belief systems are in stark contrast with the common values and desires of the Sindhi people, especially considering the regional prominence of Sufism, a belief system which emphasizes peace, goodwill, and respect towards all, regardless of religious affiliation. Although some aspects of Deobandi were originally associated with aspects of Sufism, many Sufis now regard Deobandi as anti-Sufi by nature and reject their teachings entirely. These groups receive funding primarily in 2 different ways: by generous donations from wealthy sheiks residing in Gulf Arab States, and through charity branches that act as fronts for them to recruit new members and accrue more funds from generous donors. Many of these groups use these funds in part to train militants, but also to gain influence within communities by providing aide. For example, Lashkar-e-Taiba's charity wing was the only group providing relief to Sindhis when the region was hit with intense flooding in 2010 and 2011. Because the Pakistani establishment and international relief organizations have virtually no presence in these areas when help is needed,
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this allows fundamentalist groups to gain favor with these people and expand their sphere of influence, eventually resulting in the recruitment of youths into their organizations. However, the aid they provide is not unconditional, rather, they require that students enroll in their Islamic seminaries, where they are indoctrinated or radicalized into fighting for the jihad in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Most sectarian violence occurs in Karachi, the second-largest city in Sindh. In 2015 alone, more than 1,500 people were killed in Karachi in terrorist attacks. The government needs to hold these groups responsible for the heinous crimes they commit, but this will not happen unless there is intervention and individuals continue speaking out against them. It will take much work and effort from organizations like the UN, United States government, and other international human rights groups to finally curtail the progress being made by these fundamentalist groups. Once these groups are finally driven out, people will enjoy many more freedoms than they currently do, and hopefully have access to other educational organizations that will serve as a door to a better life, one not dictated by the radical beliefs of one group.
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Mangrove Forests of Sindh Caleb Anderson Mangrove forests are essential to maintaining healthy marine ecosystems and serve many functions within those ecosystems. For example, mangroves serve as the habitat and breeding ground of a myriad of diverse marine and terrestrial flora and fauna, including many different species of fish, crabs, shrimp, mollusks, Bengal tigers, fishing cats, manatees, monkeys and monitor lizards, just to name a few. Additionally, mangroves are prime locations for hundreds of species of birds which use the trees for resting and feeding sites. Many of the animals living within these mangrove habitats are threatened or endangered, and the cutting down of forests for the sake of mining resources certainly doesn’t help the situation as so many of these animals are dependent upon the mangroves for habitat or nutritional needs. The mangrove forests also serve as a protective barrier to coastal regions against damage from erosive natural phenomena like wind, flooding, and even cyclones. Mangrove forests span around 1,482,632 acres throughout the coastal region formed by the Indus river and are divided by area among three organizations: The Sindh Forest Department, Port Qasim Authority, and the Sindh Board of Revenue. Although these organizations are supposed to protect the mangroves, this cannot always be the case. In recent years these very important ecosystems have been subjected to destruction through the exploitation of coastal resources. This comes as a result of the steadily increasing coastal population, industrialization, and coastal urbanization. This problem is only intensified by an overall lack of awareness and education regarding sustainable use by both the public and policymakers. The mangroves of the Indus river delta are highly dependent on freshwater discharge from the Indus for their survival. While freshwater discharge and nutrient-rich sediment have always been more than plentiful, the region has seen a gradual reduction in discharge from the Indus, in part due to a severe lack of rain in the region in recent years. This has caused severe environmental stress for the mangroves and has resulted in a relatively rapid loss of biodiversity through disruption of the ecological balance. 27
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through disruption of the ecological balance. Of the eight mangrove species' recorded along the coast of Pakistan, four of them have disappeared completely, three are quickly approaching extinction, and only one, Avicennia marina is surviving in the region. As mangrove numbers dwindle, the region grows more and more at risk of suffering damage from cyclones that can occur frequently and devastate coastal communities. The gradual loss of the mangrove forests will bring numerous environmental consequences, including a reduction in populations of and socioeconomic economically important fish and other marine life, a general decline in health of coastal communities reliant upon fish-based products, increased coastal erosion, a great loss of biodiversity, etc‌ The list goes on. Entire communities are voicing great concern over the potentially devastating effects of losing these mangrove forests, but who will hear their call? It is vital that coordinated efforts are made by agencies to ensure the rehabilitation of the mangroves, especially through conservation projects that will protect current areas of trees as well as help rejuvenate deforested areas and expand their coverage to include the entire deltaic region.
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