Huffington Post Is South Asia becoming a beacon for democracy? On the heels of an inspiring voter turnout in Afghanistan, voters in India are mobilizing in one of the most impressive exercises in universal adult franchise. Just a few months earlier, Pakistan had its first peaceful democratic transition in power. Bangladesh, surprisingly, was an outlier when the...

An abridged version of this article ran in the Huffington Post. Also posted on OnIslam.net “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you. We are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable...

Question – What about the place of women? Where do they pray and learn? Are women held to the same standards as men? Women can pray or learn in public or private. She can attend worship services at the mosque. She can attend school or universities. She can pursue whatever profession she chooses. She has the right to choose in marriage and initiate divorce. She...

Today’s Zaman (Turkey). Feb 21, 2011 Abuse of Women is Sadly Endemic Parvez Ahmed Amidst all the euphoria about Egypt’s peaceful revolution, the news of CBS news reporter Lara Logan being sexually assaulted hits like a ton of bricks. The people of Egypt, especially its youth, have been such an inspiration that any hint of deviant behavior understandably...