[Assam] Nat Geo: Pakistan's surging fundamentalism vs education

Thu Sep 6 15:18:39 CDT 2007

Thanks Wahid:
Is Berelvism similar to Sufism?
What about Sunnis. Are they a minotity elite class in Pakistan like that in Iraq?
What do you think are the relative percentages of Islam in India?
Overall, what do you think is the role of Pakistan in the Arab/Middleeast/Oslamic equation? Is it somewhat the role model intelectutal center with the Atom Bomb etc? Where does Iran (Sia HQ?) stand? 
I know I need to study a lot and hope your links will give lot of information.
Rajen 

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: W.Saleh 
  To: umesh.sh05 at post.harvard.edu 
  Cc: 'Rajen & Ajanta Barua' 
  Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 2:33 PM
  Subject: RE: [Assam] Nat Geo: Pakistan's surging fundamentalism vs education

  Dear Umesh,

  Thanks for the link. It is an interesting article. I have my doubts about the percentage o Sufi's. 

  Rajen, if your interested in the Sufi's of Pakistan you can check the following links:

  http://web.archive.org/web/20030728213311/http://www.ncsu.edu/tsac/Rozehnal.doc 

  http://www.geocities.com/pak_history/sufi.html

  http://www.sachalsarmast.org/index.htm

  In the Pakistan army if I am not mistaken it is mainly Sunnis. Pls check the following:

  http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/intro/islam-barelvi.htm 

  The non-Pakhtun population of Pakistan is predominantly Barelvi. The stronghold of Barelvism remains Punjab, the largest province of Pakistan. By one estimate, in Pakistan, the Shias are 18%, ismailis 2%, Ahmediyas 2%, Barelvis 50%, Deobandis 20%, Ahle Hadith 4%, and other minorities 4%. The Ahle-e-Hadith is a small group of Sunni Muslims in India who do not consider themselves bound by any particular school of law and rely directly on the Prophet's Sunnah. By another estimate some 15 per cent of Pakistan's Sunni Muslims would consider themselves Deobandi, and some 60 per cent, are in the Barelvi tradition based mostly in the province of Punjab. But some 64 per cent of the total seminaries are run by Deobandis, 25 per cent by the Barelvis, six percent by the Ahle Hadith and three percent by various Shiite organisations.

  According to CIA fact books of Pakistan Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3%

  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pk.html#People 

  Greetings,

  Wahid

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  Van: assam-bounces at assamnet.org [mailto:assam-bounces at assamnet.org] Namens umesh sharma
  Verzonden: donderdag 6 september 2007 18:48
  Aan: Rajen & Ajanta Barua; umesh.sh05 at post.harvard.edu; assam at assamnet.org
  Onderwerp: Re: [Assam] Nat Geo: Pakistan's surging fundamentalism vs education

  Rajen-da,

  About 80% follow - as per the first page of the article .

  Umesh

  Rajen & Ajanta Barua <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote:

  >It is surprising that most Pakistanis follow Sufism 

  Umesh:

  Is this a fact? What percentage are Sufis? Can you furnish some resource for this? I am just wondering. If it is it is good since Pakistan is our neighbour.

  Rajenda

    ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: umesh sharma 

    To: assam at assamnet.org 

    Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 11:11 PM

    Subject: [Assam] Nat Geo: Pakistan's surging fundamentalism vs education

    http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0709/pakistan/pakistan.html
    see this cover story I read for a job application this weekend

    I had just applied for a 15 day position in Pakistan's Baluchistan province though I had reservations about whether I would make it alive - having a penchant to send emails to AssamNet about the living conditions of that area and exposing myself as an open target to Jehadis/Talibanis in the area. I have a feeling my application suffered some setback becos I wrote as if I was local guy from that area and not an outsider going for a cursory visit from US. Sindh also on the trip is just across the border from Gujarat and Rajasthan. A local guy perhaps is more likely to have local links which could sometimes turn out to be dangeorus to others in the visiting party from US etc

    It is surprising that most Pakistanis follow Sufism and that Jinnah wanted a secular nation where muslims could grow in peace - it is true that despite having ruled India for centuries muslims are still less educated than an average Indian - but what about muslims in Pakistan -- is it because of tradition ( I won't call it religion - even Catholic South America bans abortion and divorce). Whatever Jinnah might have said ( I don't believe it though it comes from Nat Geo - he never  seemed committed to it - otherwise why Hindus would have had to migrate at the time of British withdrawl).

    any comments?

    Umesh

    Umesh Sharma

    Washington D.C. 

    1-202-215-4328 [Cell]

    Ed.M. - International Education Policy
    Harvard Graduate School of Education,
    Harvard University,
    Class of 2005

    http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)

    http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)

    www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are used )

    http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ 

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  assam at assamnet.org
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  Umesh Sharma

  Washington D.C. 

  1-202-215-4328 [Cell]

  Ed.M. - International Education Policy
  Harvard Graduate School of Education,
  Harvard University,
  Class of 2005

  http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)

  http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)

  www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are used )

  http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/

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