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| Price: |
$24.95 |
| Member Price: |
$22.45 |
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| Author: |
Shaikh,F |
| Publisher: |
Columbia U Pr., 6/09 |
| Format: |
HC,
288pp |
| Region: |
South Asia |
| Country: |
Pakistan |
Once a model of Muslim enlightenment, Pakistan is now facing a lethalIslamist threat. Many believe this is due to Pakistan's partnership with the UnitedStates, while others see this transformation as the consequence of an authoritarianrule that has marginalized liberal opinion while creating inroads for the religiousright.Farzana Shaikh argues that though external influences anddomestic politics have unquestionably shaped Pakistan, an uncertainty about themeaning of Pakistan and the significance of "being Pakistani" liesat the heart of the state's social and political decline. Making Sense ofPakistan shows how these concerns have contributed to the spread of Islamin the public sphere. They have also widened the gap between personal piety andpublic morality, compromising the country's economic foundations and socialstability. This uncertainty has also affected Pakistan's foreign policy, whichcompensates for the country's poor sense of national identity. Even more ominous,national insecurities have given rise to a dangerous symbiosis between Pakistan'sarmed forces and Muslim extremists, rival contenders in the struggle to redefine themeaning of Pakistan. Drawing on extensive research into the origins and evolution ofPakistan, Shaikh follows the forces of culture and ideology that pressuredIndo-Muslims in the years leading up to Partition and that continue to resonatethroughout the country.
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