Asia

(By Djeyhoun Ostowar) War-torn Afghanistan does not possess a civil registry. It therefore lacks reliable statistics. Given widespread corruption, the absence of an identification system and the high security risk of voting, is mass-election fraud a necessary and acceptable price for peace? On April 5, the Afghan people will vote in the country’s presidential elections, […]

Afghanistan

After Karzai: Afghanistan votes for a New President amid Security Threats

Juan Cole

Afghanistan poised for uncertain election as US forces exit (via AFP) Afghanistan heads to the polls Saturday to choose a new president after Hamid Karzai’s 13-year reign and a US-led military campaign which have radically changed the country but failed to defeat the Taliban. The first round of the election comes as the… —— […]

Afghanistan

US National Security hijacked, flown into Bermuda Triangle of Mysteries

Juan Cole

(By Tom Engelhardt) Isn’t there something strangely reassuring when your eyeballs are gripped by a “mystery” on the news that has no greater meaning and yet sweeps all else away? This, of course, is the essence of the ongoing tale of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Except to the relatives of those on […]

Afghanistan

Ft. Hood & the True Cost of Iraq & Afghanistan Wars: Nearly 1 mn traumatized: PTSD by the Numbers

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) The Ft. Hood shooter who left 3 victims dead yesterday had been being assessed for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He had served for 4 months at the tail end of the Iraq War in 2011 and suffered from anxiety and depression. A staggering 1 million veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars have […]

Afghanistan

No US troops Killed in Combat last Month for first time since 2003

Juan Cole

NewsyWorld: “No U.S. Troops Died In Afghanistan In March” For the first time since 2007, no US troops were killed in Afghanistan in March, and for the first time since early 2003 no US troops were killed in combat anywhere in the world for a whole month. In late February, Michael Munk had reported, “… […]

Afghanistan

After Karzai: Do Afghanistan’s Presidential Elections Matter?

contributors

(By Julie Poucher Harbin for IslamiCommentary) March 19 Ashraf Ghani campaign rally in the Awden desert in northern Kunduz province, Afghanistan.Photo: Twitter feed of Habib Khan Totakhil (@HabibKhanT) Afghanistan Goes to the Polls First, the election timeline. While Karzai is due to step down – he’s limited by the constitution from seeking another term — […]

Culture

Pakistani Sufi Anthem: Jhule Lal Dam Mast Qalandar by Nusrat Fateh Ali

Juan Cole

Qawwali is the South Asian Muslim equivalent of African-American Gospel music. This particular song celebrates the thirteenth-century Sindhi mystic, Sayyid `Uthman Marwandi, known as Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (1177 – 1274 AD), a Sufi master of the Suhrawardi order. His epithet means “Red Royal Falcon, the wandering mystic.” He was one of four great masters at […]

India

India’s Massive Youth Vote tilting to Right Wing Hindu Nationalist

contributors

(By James Tapper) 100 million new voters are about to transform India (via GlobalPost) NEW DELHI, India — With only a few weeks until India elects its next prime minister, the country’s “demographic dividend” — the young people who provide its best hope of becoming a major economic power — is about to become its […]

Asia

Climate Change and the Rise of Genghis Khan

Juan Cole

Mild weather may have propelled rise of Genghis Khan (via AFP) A pleasantly warm and wet spell in central Mongolia eight centuries ago may have propelled the rise of Genghis Khan, according to a US study Monday. The research was based on an analysis of tree rings spanning 11 centuries, showing that the conqueror… […]