Easter Sunday mixed dangerously two events that took place in Pakistan, few time with the recent dramatic terrorist attacks in Brussels. A suicide bombers blew himself up in Lahore in the public gardens of Gulshan Iqbal, killing 63 people and wounding more than a hundred. On the same day about two thousand people poured into the main street of Islamabad, for a sit-in protest in front of parliament. The origin of it was the death sentence, executed in late February, of Mumtaz Qadri, a bodyguard of the former Punjab Governor Taseer Salmaam, “guilty” of wanting to undo the crime… read more →
This article has been published on the last number of the magazine Leggendaria (www.leggendaria.it) The question is simple, the answer is not at all. Why the Kurdish fighters are so successful? Obvious the first observations that come to mind: because they are fighting for independence of their homeland, they are community leaders, they did not hesitate to take up arms to fight. They have become in no time an icon of contemporary, brave in battle as in social media. The world loves them, no harm. At the same time the iconography of this present time shows many other images of armed women:… read more →
Under the drone sky reactions to the terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels, and Bamako have been different. The first is always the distancing, the differentiation between good and bad Muslims, even though commentators, journalists and even private citizens are as confused as we are too, and many of them feel responsible for the West to reject religion and Islamic culture and see terrorism as inevitable results. Numerous those worried that their ability to have a visa for Europe is greatly reduced. Nobody, but nobody, thought to have stereotypes and prejudices against the West. Under the drone sky for three days… read more →
Is it possible to sell a country as a commercial product? Obviously it is. The process applies to consumer goods, people, famous brands, why not for a country? But what happens if that country is called Pakistan? They have spoken recently in Islamabad at a conference organized by Brand Pakistan (http://brandpakistan.pk ). Pakistan is a country of incomparable natural beauty: lakes, mountains, a rich fauna. And of course fascinating archaeological sites (such as the city of Multan, just as an example, and Lahore that winds), and mix different cultures, colorful festivals, hockey matches and bullfights … .So some respects it… read more →
The world tries to hide the persecution of Christians, Pope Francis said yesterday commenting on the massacre that took place in two churches in Lahore, which caused 15 deaths and numerous injuries. In fact, while it is true that the close of Islamic fundamentalism is claiming victims even in the Christian world (even if the majority of the dead is still Muslim, remember), Pakistan comes on the pages of our newspapers only this last event, precisely because on the Christian community (nearly one million only in Lahore). It makes us feel more than usual because, our generations never had seen… read more →
To M, who will not sleep this night Islamabad, the Spa of a large hotel, the best known of the city. We go there in many, Pakistanis and expatriates (already own those “ex-patria”, which change the country every time they change jobs or destination and never know how they feel). It has a very nice outdoor pool and although it is still cold here, you swim in heated water; and then there are gym, sauna and turkish bath, everything as expected. In these non-places there is no control over the mode of behavior: I mean been secular, Christian or Muslim,… read more →
