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Syria’s elite used to believe the bureaucracy would continue even after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. After Makdissi’s defection, that has changed – The real reasons for the “dismissal” of a Syrian spokesman

by Robert Fisk, The Independent “I am not with the regime – I am a civil servant,” Jihad Makdissi told me proudly. The Syrian foreign ministry spokesman believed in the institutions of governance, convinced that – come what may in Syria – the framework of bureaucracy would continue even after […]

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Do All Religions Teach the Same Truth?

Huff Post: Richard Schiffman. The wrong kind of religion convinces its followers that they alone possess the key to Truth. The right kind, according to Vivekananda, helps to make one more compassionate, humbler in the face of the Great Mystery, and tolerant of inevitable human differences. The fact that so […]

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The bumpy road to Arab constitutions

By Rami G. Khouri The Daily Star STORY SUMMARY The assorted political crises in Egypt, Tunisia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria and other Arab states show very clearly why credible constitutions are such important documents. These two elements of orderly contestation and genuine citizenship are missing in most Arab countries, which is […]

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Govt wins FDI vote on retail in Lok Sabha

Source: Business Today Foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail on Wednesday got the approval of the Lok Sabha as the Opposition motion seeking immediate withdrawal of the decision was rejected convincingly as BSP and SP walked out. While 218 members voted in favour of the Opposition motion, 253 voted against […]

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Who will Gujarat’s Muslims vote for?

Source: Tehelka CAMPAIGNING IS on in full swing for the Gujarat assembly elections this month. Both the BJP and chief minister Narendra Modi are predicting a third term for him. Modi’s media managers are selling him as the man of ‘development in the state’, and big industrial houses are pitching […]

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مجھےکام بتاؤ میں کیا کروں میں کس کو کھاؤں: The Djin is out after Qadianis declared Non Muslims

Source Dawn urdu بر صغیر میں مختلف مذاہب اور فرقوں میں مکالمے اور بحث کی روایت بہت پرانی ہے۔ بلکہ یوں کہئے کہ بہت پرانی تھی۔  آج یہ تصور کرنا بھیمشکل لگتا ہے لیکن پاکستان میں ایک وقت وہ بھی تھا کہ جب ایک فرقے کے عالم دوسرے فرقے پر […]