An Expeditionist’s Perspective on Pakistan – An Interview with RiverIndia’s Roland Stevenson

CHUP interviewed Roland Stevenson, owner of RiverIndia, a company that leads kayaking expeditions in India and throughout South Asia. In November 2008, Roland led a team on an expedition in Pakistan, to tackle the Indus River. Below, he tells us about their experience:
Q: You currently lead expeditions for River India, what motivated you to do [...]

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Just in Case You Were Worried…

[Image from TIME, a yoga class in Tehran]
The Daily Times reported today that Islamic scholars in India, including those at the Darul Uloom Deoband, “say they do not object to Muslims practicing yoga, contrary to a recent decision by Malaysian clerics to ban yoga for Muslims.” Maulana Abdul Khaliq Madrasi, deputy vice-chancellor of the Darul [...]

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Obama Addresses the Muslim World

President Barack Obama sat down with Al-Arabiya television today in his “first formal interview as the American president,” [see clip above for full interview]. The Associated Press called the segment “part of a concerted effort to repair relations with the Muslim world that were damaged under the previous administration.” The news [...]

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Another School Bombed in Swat

CNN is reporting today that “suspected Taliban militants” blew up a government-run boys school in Swat Valley. Although no one was wounded, the blast marked the 183rd school destroyed by Swat militants in the last six months, [although Dawn earlier this month put the number at over 100 schools in the last 14 months]. According [...]

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Attending Chicago the Musical…in Karachi – CHUP’s Correspondent

Below, Jackie, an American working for a social enterprise in Karachi and CHUP’s correspondent, reviews Karachi’s production of Chicago, the renowned  musical about the city of Chicago in the 1920s, [to see Jackie's other posts, click here]:
I was very excited to see many of the city’s prominent billboards advertising for the musical production of Chicago, [...]

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Day 3 of the Obama Admin: Two Suspected U.S. Missile Strikes Hit North Waziristan

Two U.S. missile strikes hit Pakistan’s North Waziristan today, media outlets reported, the first to occur during Barack Obama’s administration. CNN’s Reza Sayah noted, “This is perhaps a loud message by the new Barack Obama administration. Many people were very cautious what type of military strategy this administration would use in [...]

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Visiting Pakistan’s Adiala Jail: A Spotlight on Women Aid Trust

[Above, women prisoners embroidering handbags in Adiala Jail]
About six and a half years ago, I interned with Women Aid Trust, a small not-for-profit organization in Islamabad that provides legal aid and rehabilitative services for women and juveniles in Pakistani prisons, [see their official website]. In 2002, many of the female prisoners I met in Rawalpindi’s [...]

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Fostering American-Islamic Relations – An Interview with Rebecca Cataldi

In the international community, anti-U.S. sentiment has been exacerbated by events like the Iraq War, the war in Afghanistan, the Guantanamo Bay scandal, and the drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Likewise, stereotypes and misconceptions of the Islamic World have been common place in the United States since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Rebecca Cataldi, [...]

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Goodbye Bush, Hello President Obama!

Yesterday, the United States ushered in a new political era with the swearing in of the nation’s 44th president – Barack Obama. In his inauguration speech yesterday, Obama became the first president to address the Islamic World, asserting, “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.” [...]

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The South Asian Stand – Rakesh Mani

In the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, the relationship between India and Pakistan has certainly suffered. Below, Rakesh Mani, a New York-based banker and freelance writer, discusses the current state of our countries’ relations, and what needs to occur for the good of both nations. [The piece originally appeared in Dawn newspaper on January 19]:
We [...]

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