Article Abstract:
Violent conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims has spread with a vengeance to Karachi and the rest of Pakistan's Sindh province from the Punjab province. The govt has been slow to act, and the edicts it enacted in mid-February are unlikely to be effective unless it involves the military, an unlikely and highly political move. Drug money and weapons from the Middle East and Afghanistan draw much of the blame for the sectarian strife, as do the policies of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's predecessor, General Zia.
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Article Abstract:
Islamic fundamentalists are raising the fears of govts throughout Asia and in Europe and the US, but especially in Pakistan. Recent events include apparent links between groups in different countries, conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslim groups, the arrest of a terrorist now on trial in NYC, and Christians tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for religious violations. In Pakistan, upset with the govt is fueling fundamentalist anger and the rise of a potent Taliban movement.
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Article Abstract:
Fundamentalist Islamic schools called madrassas have proliferated in Pakistan, to the frustration of the present govt. The schools flourished under the dictatorship of Gen Zia-ul Haq, and some 2500 of them around the country teach the state curriculum as well as religious doctrine and, sometimes, weapons use. They are often superior to state-run schools, with smaller classes and more services for the disabled. They typically have strong support from the local community.
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