In September 2011, Inclusive Security staff interviewed investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker Naziha Ali. She spoke about an event she and the other members of Citizens for Democracy Pakistan put together to promote peace and moderate extremism.
In a time when media often portray Pakistan through the lens of terrorism, a delegation of 12 Pakistani women peacebuilders brought forth a new narrative to the US. They showed the world what women are doing to promote peace and address the root causes of extremism in Pakistan. While the media rarely recognizes them […]
This article was originally published by The Daily Beast. Her phone rang at 9 p.m. “Can you come tonight? He’s home.” The voice was anxious. “My son left those extremists he took up with, but maybe just for the night.” Mossarat Qadeem, a peace activist in Pakistan, considered the dangerous four-hour drive through checkpoints and […]
This article was originally published by Foreign Policy. It was 2009 in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Mossarat Qadeem was sitting on the floor of a house with about a dozen young Pakistani men — some of whom had nearly become suicide bombers. Qadeem’s goal: to undo the destructive brainwashing of the al-Qaeda and Taliban teachers who […]
This video originally appeared on PBS NewsHour. Across Pakistan, life is often interrupted by terrorist attacks and sectarian violence. Last year alone, there were more than 600 bomb blasts. The Pakistani government says it’s trying to fight extremism through military means and economic development. The United States is assisting with military aid and drone strikes […]
When interviewed in 2011, Farhat Asif, a Pakistani researcher and journalist, spoke about the importance of home and family in teaching children the skills to cope with extremism and violence. In her eyes, the home is the “Intensive Care Unit” for society, so if the family is struggling, the society will struggle as well. She […]
Bushra Hyder, a peacebuilder and educator, believes that women in Pakistan need to unite and call for peace in her country—just as women in Northern Ireland and Sudan have done—in order to save future generations from more violence. In an interview in 2011, she described her concern about the mental health of youth growing up […]
During the weeks I spent preparing to bring a delegation of 12 women from Pakistan to the US to talk about one of Washington’s hottest issues—extremism—I couldn’t help but be filled with a slight sense of dread. Let’s be frank; relations between the US and Pakistan are far from ideal. A Gallup survey done last year […]
This article was originally published by Global Post. It was a unique Christmas party. Eight madrassah students in Peshawar, Pakistan took giant homemade cards, cake and flowers over to the US Consulate last year. The students and diplomats sat and talked for four hours, facilitated by teachers who provide English language and computer skills to […]
This article was originally published by Huffington Post. Sameena Imtiaz, a soft-spoken, educated Pakistani social worker, operates in the midst of U.S. drone strikes and Taliban suicide bombings. She regularly travels to remote parts of her country in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, infamously known for the safe […]
