IPS – Page 6 – Newswire Pakistan

October 21, 2021October 22, 2021

Largest long-term study on faith conversions in Sindh finds no evidence of ‘forced conversion’

Islamabad, October 21, 2021 (PPI-OT):There is no evidence suggesting that non-Muslims, including underage girls, have been forcibly converted to Islam in Sindh, shows a ground-breaking study by Institute of Policy Studies’ (IPS) researcher Sufi Ghulam Hussain based on his ten years of episodical fieldwork, interviews with a cross-section of Sindhi society and statistical analysis of data acquired from seminaries and courts across the province. The study – which was also consulted and by the parliamentary committee formed on the controversial ‘anti-forced conversion bill’ rejected last week – is based on exclusive IPS datasets.

The extensive and exhaustive fieldwork consisted of 200 in-depth interviews with a cross-section of Muslim and non-Muslim population, content analysis of over 400 audio recordings, along with review of 19 NGO reports. The quantitative sample comprised 6,055 cases of converts documented and collected during 2008 to 2020. Some 32 families, 24 couples (of whom females were mostly neo-converts), 16 males, 24 leaders of the Hindu community, 22 religious clerics, 21 civil society activists, eight lawyers, two police officers and two magistrates were interviewed by the lead researcher Ghulam Hussain.

The key hypothesis was to investigate whether non-Muslim girls below the age of 18 are forcibly converted to Islam. Analysis of data shows that of the total recorded cases of conversion involving freewill marriages in this study, only a fraction was minor. “Given the prevalence of marriages below 18 years in rural Sindh, this is not unexpected”, said Ghulam Hussain.

None of the cases verified by this research proved to be forcible conversion whereby ‘force’ means coercion, blackmail, deception or the threat to kill a person or his/her parents. Contradictory to the commonly propagated perception, it was found that coercion is often used by parents and the community of the converting individual to revert such a person. This is in the form of political pressure, influencing the local administration and state institutions, social media campaigning, NGO activism, invoking caste or community honour, appealing to patriarchal ego, mobilizing separatist elements, and even torture.

The study shows that religious conversions occur at Sindh’s main seminaries and religious sites that take care of legal requirements and relevant documentation, including through courts. During the course of research, credentials of converts registered with prominent religious seminaries/centers were obtained. These sites include Amrot Sharif (Shikarpur), Barchoondi Sharif (Ghotki), Gulzar-i-Khaleel (Umerkot), Bait-us-Salam (Badin), Madina Masjid (Mirpurkhas), and Jamia Binnoria (Karachi).

The related official documents that were collected and analyzed included affidavits of freewill, petitions (seeking protection from parents), court verdicts/orders, FIRs filed by parents/police record, CNICs of the neo-converts, nikahnama or marriage certificates (issued by NADRA), primary school leaving certificate/certificate of matriculation showing age, medical certificate determining age, certificates of conversion, registers of conversion, and pamphlets of conversion ceremonies.

The study found that several socio-economic, religious, and cultural push-and-pull factors come into play in the process of conversion from one religion to another. In most cases, normative ritual to convert and socio-economic incentive (push factors), desire to marry and inspiration from Islam and its religious mentors (pull factors) are the key factors that constitute the conversion process. Push factors are largely driven by the context, the structural condition and the religious or the cultural milieu, whereas pull factors are mainly driven by the agency of the individuals and groups.

Among the total sample, the 4,490 individuals who converted as families were either sufficiently Islamized already over decades or they were pulled by better social and economic support system among Muslims. Presence of 229 individual male converts in the sample negates the popular perception of only women being converted to Islam. The 970 individuals who are couples included several widows who could not remarry while being Hindu and individuals who wished to marry their cousins against the dictates of Hindu society.

Several marriages take place between the persons of two distinct castes, which again is disallowed in Hindu ethos, and conversion offers an option for them. This is a major push factor as out of the total cases of conversion (723) involving marriage, 617 belong to Scheduled Caste Hindus. During the course of research, this data has already been presented at various national as well as international forums including the Parliament, Council of Islamic Ideology, Islamabad Bar Council, and Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University, USA.

For more information, contact:
Outreach and Publications,
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
1, Street 8, F-6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8438391-3 (Ext: 122)
Fax: +92-51-8438390
Website: www.ips.org.pk

October 15, 2021

Departure of Dr. AQ Khan an irreparable loss for Pakistan and the Muslim world: Prof Khurshid Ahmad

Islamabad, October 15, 2021 (PPI-OT):Expressing great grief and sorrow over the demise of renowned nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan in Islamabad, former Senator and founder of Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Professor Khurshid Ahmad extended his deepest sympathies to the bereaved family while terming the departure of the national hero an irrevocable loss not only for Pakistan and its people, but in fact for the whole Muslim world.

In a heartfelt condolence message issued on October 10, 2021, Ahmad said that his association with Dr Khan dated back to their student days, and he was fortunate to have several opportunities ever since to exchange views with the late scientist over matters of national significance. He said that the deceased was a passionate patriot whose critical role and contributions in making Pakistan invincible will always be mentioned with shining words. He prayed that may Allah Almighty rest the departed soul in eternal peace while granting the bereaved family patience and strength to bear the loss with fortitude.

September 4, 2021

Afghanistan: Post-US Withdrawal – Present and Future Challenges

Islamabad, September 04, 2021 (PPI-OT):In the wake of complete US withdrawal, brain drain from Afghanistan is posing a serious threat to a return to normalcy as skilled and educated people, facing an uncertain future, are leaving their country in desperation. This warrants some immediate action by the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to ensure predictability in governance so that the prevailing chaos engulfing the lives of millions of common Afghans can come to an end.

This sentiment resonated at a roundtable titled ‘Afghanistan: Post-US Withdrawal – Present and Future Challenges’ which was organized by Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad (IPS) on September 2, 2021. The roundtable was attended by academics, intellectuals, journalists, students, members of Pak-Afghan Youth Forum (PAYF), and Afghan delegates comprising politicians, former Afghan government officials and journalists.

The Afghan delegates included Maulvi Ataa-ur-Rehman Saleem, deputy chairman of National Peace Council, Ahmadullah Alizai, former governor of Kabul, Husani Mubarak Azizi, minister of transport, and Jamaluddin Badr, former governor of Nuristan province.

Khalid Rahman, IPS chairman, Ambassador (r) Syed Abrar Hussain, IPS vice chairman, Brigadier Said Nazir, strategic affairs expert, Juma Khan Sufi, author and Afghan affairs expert, Mahmood Jaan Babar, journalist, Dr Tughral Yamin, dean Center of International Peace and Stability, NUST, Dr Mohammad Iqbal Khalil, chairman Institute of Regional Studies, Peshawar, Dr Haroon Khatibi, director, Centre for Strategic and Regional Studies (CSRS), and Salman Javed, DG PAYF participated in the roundtable deliberations.

The speakers were of the view that the Taliban are a reality and acceptance of this can help in chalking out a pragmatic future line of action guaranteeing prosperity of Afghanistan. To achieve this, all Afghan factions representing different political and ethnic shades need to sit together and engage with each other for the formation of an inclusive government.

It was also felt at the session that the vacuum of a government structure in the existing scenario has given birth to political instability and uncertainty, resulting in fears and apprehensions among Afghans who want peace and stability so that business activities can resume and skilled people can find job opportunities.

Stressing the need for looking at the current situation in Afghanistan through the prism of humanitarian crisis, the delegation urged Pakistan and other regional countries to come forward to help Afghans who are in dire need of food and economic assistance. They also requested neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan, to open their borders to accommodate stranded Afghan refugees in their hour of need.

Strong cultural, religious, ethnic, academic and historic ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan were also discussed at the roundtable. The discussants maintained that 90% of Afghan religious clerics received their education in Pakistani madrasas and many senior government officials completed their higher education during their stay in Pakistan as refugees.

The speakers lamented the prevailing uncertainty which is also taking its toll on Afghan students who are unsure about their academic future post US withdrawal. They urged academia in Pakistan to step up efforts to facilitate Afghan students’ access better education. This will also improve bilateral people-to-people contacts between both the nations.

Concluding the session, Khalid Rahman opined that the Taliban should be given some time to form a government and demonstrate their governance and normalize the situation in Afghanistan. He cautioned against enemies of both Afghanistan and Pakistan who continue portraying a sorry picture of the state of affairs in Afghanistan and sabotage Pak-Afghan bilateral relations for their vested interests by spreading hate and misinformation.

September 4, 2021

Professor Khurshid laments the death of Syed Ali Geelani, terms it an irreparable loss

Islamabad, September 04, 2021 (PPI-OT):Expressing deep grief and sorrow on the demise of renowned Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, former senator and patron-in-chief of Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Professor Khurshid Ahmad said in his condolence message issued on September 2, 2021 that while death is a reality that everyone is bound to face, the demise of some people leaves behind a message of life, and Syed Ali Geelani was certainly one of those people.

The professor highlighted that he knew Syed Ali Geelani for over 40 years and many times in this period had a chance to meet and exchange views with him. Consistency and objectivity were the most important aspects of his life. He dedicated his life for the freedom of Kashmir in the name of Islam. He faced atrocities and imprisonments, and was detained in his house even in his last days.

The former senator said that the way Geelani exhibited struggle, persistence and sacrifice all through his life and the bravery with which he faced Indian atrocities and oppression, it will be safe to say that he was one of the greatest leaders Kashmir has produced. Though he was not able to see his dream of independence realized, but neither his commitment ever waivered in the pursuit of this cause, nor he ever made any comprises on his principal stance. The professor prayed that may Allah rests his soul in highest ranks of Jannah, gives his family enough strength to bear the loss, and may turn the dream of Kashmir’s independence that he saw into a reality soon.

June 22, 2021June 23, 2021

IPS, UMT sign MoU to bolster joint research

Islamabad, June 22, 2021 (PPI-OT): A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad and University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore on June 15, 2021 to foster joint efforts in the areas of research, dialogue and publications on policy related affairs; especially IPS’ hallmark Understanding Africa program.

The signing ceremony, which was held via video link, was attended by Ambassador (r) Tajammul Altaf, senior IPS associate, Naufil Shahrukh, GM Operations, IPS, Dr Mohammad Shoaib Pervaiz, HoD department of political science and IR, UMT Lahore, Dr Abeeda Qureshi, assistant professor, department of political science and IR, UMT Lahore, Shafaq Sarfraz, manager outreach IPS, and Kulsoom Belal, research officer at IPS.

Speaking on the occasion, Shahrukh said that having strong linkages with strategic institutions and policy circles, IPS can serve as a conduit facilitating researchers from UMT to carry out research in a bid to promote policy-oriented research through Pakistani lens on topics which have meaningful contribution in the policy arena.

Commenting on the collaboration, Dr Pervaiz stated that joining hands to bolster genuine research will be in the best interests of both institutions, as the activity will have great value for six HEC recognized programs offered by the University in the domains of political science, international relations, security and strategic studies, and especially PhD IR program, which is not offered by any other private sector university across the country.

Altaf rued that Africa has remained in oblivion in the policy circles of Pakistan despite the fact that the country enjoys substantial goodwill in the African continent owing to its role in peacekeeping missions there and the diplomatic support Pakistan provided to African countries to liberate them from colonial shackles. He stressed on the importance of addressing this deficiency through academic research by identifying new avenues to focus in bilateral relations with each African country and suggesting new ways to capitalize on already existing amity between the two regions in the process.