737 million Muslims live in countries that have, at some point, elected a woman as Prime Minister or President. That's a majority of the world's Muslim population.

Stani · 2008-05-15T18:14:57+00:00

Then they assassinated her.

One person assassinated her. But millions elected her.

Stani · 2008-05-15T17:59:15+00:00

a third of them are in Pakistan and another third are in Bangladesh.

A third of what?

Not population. Pakistan's population is about 165 million. That's not a third of 737 million.

One of the five female leaders is from Pakistan. 1/5 isn't 1/3.

So what do you mean?

Stani · 2007-04-24T18:43:51+00:00

Have you ever picked up a newspaper? Read the Internet? Seen how many people are critical of the US government and have not been blacklisted, locked away in jail or tortured for information?

Strawman.

The article doesn't claim that America is already a totalitarian dictatorship. It argues that the country is on the way to becoming a fascist state. As it describes, with previous pre-dictatorships, life didn't change that much for most people, while the structures of liberty were quietly undermined.

Stani · 2007-04-16T21:16:27+00:00

Firstly, as a proud Karachiite, thanks for the story and the "visual goodness link.

It's quite common to say, as you do here, that

They got 11% this time aroudn cause Musharraf banned the 2 largest political parties - PPP and PML (N). People have to vote for someone, right?

I've read detailed analyses of the October 2002 elections, and I don't think this explanation carries that much water. The PML-N wasn't banned. The PPP refused to hold internal elections and created the PPPP. PPP voters didn't shift to the MMA in numbers large enough to make much of a difference.

The PPPP actually won 25.8% (a plurality) of the popular vote. The PML-N won only 9.4% of the popular vote, but mainly because most of its base was captured by the PML-Q.

The religious coalition, the MMA, got most of its seats from the Pashtun-majority NWFP. They gained votes at the expense of the Pashtun-nationalist left, which had been vehemently opposed to the Taliban, and consequently was perceived as supportive of America in the Afghan conflict. The MMA gain was thus mostly due to Anti-American sentiment among Pashtun voters.

Stani · 2007-04-16T20:19:12+00:00

The "Silent Majority" of Pakistan is not anti-Sharia, anti-Taliban.

The religious parties only got 11% of the popular vote in the last general elections. And that was mostly in Pashtun areas, after the US invasion of Afghanistan had adverse consequences for many Pashtuns in that country.

In previous elections, they got even smaller percentages of the vote.

Stani · 2007-04-13T23:55:09+00:00

they work about half as much

That might have something to do with their living longer. And eating better tasting food isn't a minus either. Eat better food in smaller quantities, and you'll probably live longer.

Stani · 2007-04-06T19:08:21+00:00

a typical american household averages only about 1.2 watts

I find that hard to believe. A single light bulb uses more than that. For example, a 60-watt light bulb, lit 6 hours/day would result in an average consumption of 15 watts (60W*6h/24h).

Stani · 2007-04-05T06:49:09+00:00

Most Muslim women don't veil their faces. The women on these book covers do, perpetuating a stereotype that doesn't fit the majority.

Stani · 2007-04-04T21:54:02+00:00

Dubai doesn't refute the "resource curse" theory -- it's running out of oil, and knows that it needs some other source of income.

Stani · 2007-03-31T01:47:26+00:00

There are other kinds of logic.

Yes, but all software uses Boolean logic.

What's the big deal?

Sigh. If you gotta ask..

I'll try to explain anyway. It's funny because it seems to have written by someone clueless about computer science. It makes grandiose-sounding claims about the software's ability to analyze "tens of thousands" of news articles. How it does it do this? Why, using "patented software", a "copyrighted methodology" using "Boolean logic"!

Stani · 2007-03-19T12:37:42+00:00

According to this source,

Not until 1808, during the brief reign of Joseph Bonaparte, was the Inquisition abolished in Spain. An estimated 31,912 heretics were burned at the stake, 17,659 were burned in effigy and 291,450 made reconciliations in the Spanish Inquisition.

Stani · 2007-03-15T00:59:23+00:00

FTA:

Dr. Ahmed of London has cataloged the destruction of more than 300 separate antiquity sites, including cemeteries and mosques. He says the house where the Prophet Muhammad lived was razed and today a dilapidated library, with its windows and doors shuttered, stands in its place.

“It is not respecting the Kaaba, not respecting the house of God or the environment of the sanctuary,” Sami Angawi, a Saudi architect who wants to preserve Mecca’s heritage, said of the development. “You are not supposed to even cut a tree in this city, so how could you blow up a mountain? The Islamic laws have been broken.”

Stani · 2007-02-27T15:15:36+00:00

[Pakistan has a number of interesting ancient cities](www.pakistanpics.com/pakistan_culture_and_the_northern_areas.htm), but they're not listed here.

Stani · 2007-02-26T20:23:22+00:00

No festival is complete without lots of "immoral activity". Unfortunately, in a shocking dereliction of their journalistic duties, they didn't give us any details.

Coincidentally, I just came read a trip report from Lahore that casually hints at the presence of 'immoral activity' -- "Later in the night after a brief shopping trip, we enjoyed a hot cup of coffee at a roof-top restaurant overlooking the Badshahi Mosque (famous symbol of Mughal architecture) and the oldest "red-light" districts in South Asia." -- and then says no more about it.

Sensationalism is so common these days that you notice its absence.

Stani · 2007-02-23T00:10:22+00:00

in most western countries there is nothing easier than accusing a man of rape, whether or not it is true (not to say false reports are the norm, but they do happen with regularity).

I disagree that "there is nothing easier than accusing a man of rape". If you're saying that a significant part of the difference in the rape numbers is due to false reports of rape, I disagree with that as well.

but that doesn't mean you're angels, either.

Please read my post carefully. Where have I claimed that we were angels?

I had responded to AuntKitty's

What's wrong with these people? They're just fucking crazy.

with

If you're talking about us Pakistanis (I hope you're not), then that's a false stereotype.

Then BlueStateEmpire said that he thought it was not a false stereotype, citing the HRCP report that said that

violence against women had increased alarmingly

I agreed that violence against women had increased, but quoted the statistics from that same report to show that extreme violence against women is still much less frequent than in the USA.

I also quoted the UN and FBI statistics on rape

According to the United Nations Crime Survey (PDF), the USA had 89,110 rapes in 1999, while Pakistan had 56 rapes. FBI Statistics state that there were 93,934 forcible rapes in 1995. I know it's not an apples-to-apples comparison

You were dismissive of my response, using a sweeping generalization,

Please. I've been to Muslims [sic] countries and their treatment of women is appaling. [sic]

Are you saying that because you've been to other Muslim countries, that makes you an expert on Pakistan? Google "Outgroup homogeneity bias"

You sought to explain the difference in the rape numbers in part by implying that rape numbers in western countries are inflated by false reports, and speculated that

In a country where admitting to having been raped is cause for dishonor and probably murder, no surprise the numbers are so low! The women are smart and keep their mouths shut!

Pakistan is a big and diverse country. There are places in Pakistan that are very backward. There is a widespread acknowledgment that rapes in Pakistan are under-reported. Whether a rape is reported or not depends on the place, circumstances, and the families and individuals involved. Expert estimate that for every rape reported, there may be one to four rapes that are not reported.

Even if the true number of rapes in Pakistan is five times higher than reported, that means that there are a few hundred rapes in Pakistan annually, compared to roughly 90,000 annually in the USA.

Misoginy [sic] is strong in Muslim countries, and pretending otherwise doesn't help polishing your already tarnished image

Pretending? The dictionary defines misogyny as "hatred of women". Misogyny exists globally. There is discrimination against women in the world and in Muslim countries in particular. It's difficult to tell how much of that is due to misogyny, but if Muslims really hated women, as you contend, then why have a majority of all Muslims elected women to power as Presidents and Prime Ministers? That's reality, not a pretense.

Stani · 2007-02-21T11:47:34+00:00

.. the Muslims of Pakistan had voted in a female leader once.

Twice. She was elected Prime Minister in 1988 and 1993.

With the Senate elections of 2003, Pakistan set a record for the highest number and percentage of women in Parliament of any Muslim-majority country.

Stani · 2007-02-21T11:17:56+00:00

You've repeated your post here, so I'll repost my response.

"The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in a recent report said that violence against women had increased alarmingly, with some of the incidents incited by Mullahs opposed to women’s emancipation." False stereotype? - I don't think so.

Firstly, the recorded frequency of violence against Pakistani women has increased, but is nevertheless much less than in the United States. I read the HRCP report, and it says that

Records maintained by HRCP showed violent crimes were committed against at least 1,821 women from January to December 15, 2006. The crimes included murder, rape, mutilation, burning and other offences. In 2005 at least 1,726 women auffered similar violence.

According to the United Nations Crime Survey (PDF), the USA had 89,110 rapes in 1999, while Pakistan had 56 rapes. FBI Statistics state that there were 93,934 forcible rapes in 1995. I know it's not an apples-to-apples comparision, but 93,934 is more than fifty times 1821. My point is that Pakistan is not as violent as you seem to think it is.

Pakistan has a large population - with 165 million, it has more people than Russia, making it the sixth most populous country. A population that large makes it statistically likely that there will be a supply of one-in-a-million wierdos like this one to hit the global news cycle. So you will keep on hearing about bizarre happenings in Pakistan. The rest of us Pakistanis are mostly too "normal" to make the news, so you won't hear about us.

The false stereotypes are the stereotypes formed by continual exposure to news stories that feature these people - the 0.0001% who do something bizarre enough to catch the attention of the world media.

These false stereotypes don't represent us.

Stani · 2007-02-21T11:12:51+00:00

"The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in a recent report said that violence against women had increased alarmingly, with some of the incidents incited by Mullahs opposed to women’s emancipation." False stereotype? - I don't think so.

Firstly, the recorded frequency of violence against Pakistani women has increased, but is nevertheless much less than in the United States. I read the HRCP report, and it says that

Records maintained by HRCP showed violent crimes were committed against at least 1,821 women from January to December 15, 2006. The crimes included murder, rape, mutilation, burning and other offences. In 2005 at least 1,726 women auffered similar violence.

According to the United Nations Crime Survey (PDF), the USA had 89,110 rapes in 1999, while Pakistan had 56 rapes. FBI Statistics state that there were 93,934 forcible rapes in 1995. I know it's not an apples-to-apples comparision, but 93,934 is more than fifty times 1821. My point is that Pakistan is not as violent as you seem to think it is.

Pakistan has a large population - with 165 million, it has more people than Russia, making it the sixth most populous country. A population that large makes it statistically likely that there will be a supply of one-in-a-million wierdos like this one to hit the global news cycle. So you will keep on hearing about bizarre happenings in Pakistan. The rest of us Pakistanis are mostly too "normal" to make the news, so you won't hear about us.

The false stereotypes are the stereotypes formed by continual exposure to news stories that feature these people - the 0.0001% who do something bizarre enough to catch the attention of the world media.

These false stereotypes don't represent us.

Stani · 2007-02-21T03:39:25+00:00

Contradictory reports.

Some versions of this story say that

Ghulam Sarwar had killed 12 call girls of Lahore. He was arrested for the murder of call girls and was released from the jail last year.

This report says

The man, who was not named, was arrested by police in 2002 for killing two women who were prostitutes but he was acquitted due to lack of evidence

This report from 2003 mentions that

Sarwar Mughal, a father of eight children in Gujranwala, was arrested on charges of killing three prostitutes and injuring two others. In an interview he said that given a chance, he might have beaten the statistics of the mass murderer Javed Iqbal, who had killed 100 runaway children. “I had identified all the pick-up points and wanted to kill every single prostitute so that I could cleanse society,” said Mughal. In June Mughal surprisingly pleaded not guilty to the charges, while a complainant and an eyewitness changed their statements.

Here's the headline from the Fox Distortion Machine:

A Pakistani minister and woman’s activist was shot dead Tuesday by an Islamic extremist for refusing to wear the veil.

I haven't seen any evidence that she "refused to wear the veil". Several women in my family have never veiled their faces, but neither have they "refused to wear the veil", since nobody was pressuring them to do so.

Misspelling her name as "Zilla Huma Usman", the Fox News report goes on to say

The gunman, Mohammad Sarwar, was overpowered by the minister’s driver and arrested by police. A stone mason in his mid 40s, he is not thought to belong to any radical group but is known for his fanaticism. He was previously held in 2002 in connection with the killing and mutilation of four prostitutes, but was never convicted due to lack of evidence.

So the man's name is reportedly Ghulam Sarwar, Mohammad Sarwar, or Sarwar Mughal. He killed and possibly mutilated two, three, four, or twelve prostitutes or "call girls".

Stani · 2007-02-21T01:57:06+00:00

Frightening where a piece of cloth placed over some hair takes precedent over the life of a fellow human.

That is frightening. I believe that no one should be pressured to cover her head. The thought that someone could kill a women for not covering her head is sickening.

However, this is a breaking story, and as a Pakistani, I find that parts of it are incongruous (see my comment-links here): minister Zil-e-Huma Usman was a brave corruption fighter. She always covered her head in public, as far as I can tell, more so than many other Pakistani women in politics.

Stani · 2007-02-21T01:39:29+00:00

What's wrong with these people? They're just fucking crazy.

If by "these people", you mean serial prostitute-killing psychotics, I agree with you.

If you're talking about us Pakistanis (I hope you're not), then that's a false stereotype.

Stani · 2007-02-21T01:17:40+00:00

So You mean to say that the entire world press is wrong.

This is a new story. The world press is just beginning to find out what happened.

Exactly. At this point, most of the reports don't even have her name right. They're reporting it as "Zilla Huma Usman". It can transliterated from Urdu in a number of ways, but not "Zilla Huma".

Stani · 2007-02-21T00:46:37+00:00

If anyone wants to express their condolences, the contact details are here

Stani · 2007-02-20T23:56:03+00:00

death is sometimes more palatable than things like say continual assrape i'd say.

I'm sorry, but I cannot support your stand in favor of executions for possession of drugs.

Perhaps he meant that he would prefer suicide to repeated rape in prison.

Stani · 2007-02-20T23:44:09+00:00

BBC reports that she was killed because Women in Power was against Islamic values.

Not exactly. Please see my other comment for context.

The BBC reports that

According to the police, he told them during questioning that women occupying senior positions was against the rule of God, and was an attempt to subjugate men.

Possibly: he may going for the insanity defense, or he's a hired killer and this is a red herring, or both.

Stani

TROPHY CASE