Through the looking glass
After a decade of epistolary exchanges, I finally met Shahzia Sikander, Pakistan’s most celebrated global icon of the arts, ironically unsung at home. Not…
Promoting pluralist folk heritage is vital for Pakistan future
Dr Fouzia Saeed, a scholar and civil society activist, was recently appointed as the head of Lok Virsa the premier government institution to…
Manto women
Manto stands more or less alone in the position he takes on women, contends Raza Rumi, in an exploration of Manto relationship with his…
Pakistan future fraught with perilous possibilities
Nearly two months after the Peshawar attack, it is unclear if Pakistan direction has changed. The unprecedented grief and anger over the tragedy has…
The 18th Amendment: An Overview
“The 18th Amendment: An Overview” chapter by Raza Rumi was published in Jinnah institute report titled Devolution: Provincial Autonomy and the 18th Amendment Rumi…
Raza Rumi: They Tried to Silence Me Once and For All
I spoke with Clarion about fighting for freedom of speech when the price for failure is death. Raza Ahmad Rumi is a Pakistani policy…
The verse of freedom
In a powerful exploration of resistance poetry in indigenous languages, I discovered marginalized poets challenging mainstream Pakistani identity in moving verse. Much has been…
Militancy in Sindh: End of our plural culture?
The recent carnage in Shikarpur has come as a shock for many Pakistanis. Rural Sindh, invisible from the view of Punjab and Karachi obsessed…
The vicious cycle of hate and violence
The recent issue to have riled up a good number of Pakistanis including jihadi networks is the alleged blasphemy against Islam committed by the…
Raza Rumi Talk in USIP After Peshawar- Domestic Security in Pakistan
My talk at USIP after the APS attack in Peshawar, Pakistan. The U.S. Institute of Peace held a panel discussion assessing Pakistan’s domestic security…
The Art of U.S.-Pakistan Relations
A Pakistani theater group uses satire to question the national anti-American narrative. U.S.-Pakistan relationship remains an enigmatic story of converging and competing interests, and…
Raza Rumi’s speech on one month of Peshawar School attack – Dupont Circle – Washington
Today marked the first month of the ghastly incident when the Army Public School was attacked by the terrorists in Peshawar. Raza Rumi says…
Islam and its more dangerous variants: interview with Raza Rumi, a survivor of religious extremism
By Daniele Grassi Following the recent events in Paris, Europe has had to face its own fear and vulnerability. Europe’s own identity has been…
Back in the Driver Seat
Pakistan military is back in the driving seat. This time, not through a conventional coup detat, but through an amended constitution that enables military…
Islam Needs Reformation from Within
“Would you permit me to teach my children that God is greater, more just, and more merciful than all the (religious) scholars on earth…
No exit
The US must not forget the importance of a democratic, pluralist Pakistan The recent visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to…
A definitive history of Pakistan
Pakistan’s best-known historian, Ayesha Jalal, is back with a new book: The Struggle For Pakistan: A Muslim Homeland and Global Politics. This book essentially…
Blasphemy Divide: Insults to Religion Remain a Capital Crime in Muslim Lands
Excerpt of My statements: The issue of blasphemy is about the political insecurity of the Muslims, and about the Muslim public reaction to the…
Reboot the narrative
My views incorporated in The Jinnah Institute’s new brief on the urgent policy interventions for 2015: Reboot the narrative. Pakistan needs a new narrative…
Countering the terror menace
Ten days after the ghastly attack on the military-run school, Pakistan’s prime minister (PM) finally appeared on national television and announced a set of…