‘Pakistan is dominated by two groups; a feudal civilian political elite and the Pakistani army. Like the majority of Pakistanis, most members of each practice a pious but tolerant and non-aggressive form of Sufi Islam that borrows heavily from Hindu culture, if not Hindu theology. This form of Islam, the predominant one throughout South Asia, revolves around the veneration of Muslim holy men known as pirs, some of whose ancestors are venerated as saints.’
Why do people join terrorist groups?: Interesting discussion at Bloggingheads
Addition: At the end of that above discussion, there is the rather ridiculous claim that the way to win the hearts and minds of young pre-terrorists is to have elected Obama…that in the Manichean struggle for their spirits, we must appease every potential radical through our electoral process, and the appearance of that process to others.
Related On This Site: A tense relationship: Fareed Zakaria At Newsweek: ‘Terrorism’s Supermarket’…Christopher Hitchens At Vanity Fair: ‘From Abbotabad To Worse’…Repost-’Dexter Filkins In The NY Times: The Long Road To Chaos In Pakistan’
