ISLAMABAD: The Heinrich Boll Stiftung (HBS) organised a welcome dinner in honour of new country director Marion Regina Mueller and a book launch of ‘Pakistan from Radicalism to Terrorism: A Historical Journey’ by Saima Jasam.

Saima Jasam is a senior development practitioner with over 25 years of experience in the sector. She is an expert on gender and development, democratisation and governance, human rights and peace and conflict research and policy.

She has been associated with HBS for over two decades. The HBS is a political foundation affiliated with the Green Party of Germany which has concentrated its work in Pakistan in the thematic areas of climate change, governance and energy, democratisation: women, youth and media and dialogue on gender, peace and security.

While Jasam has written numerous research papers, her first book was ‘Honour, Shame and Resistance’ published in 2001.

Imtiaz Gul, speaking at the event, said: “The subject Saima has chosen is all too familiar to all of us. Since 2007, we have lost more than 12,000 people most of them civilians. Pakistan’s descent into radicalism and terrorism was written in the genesis of Pakistan and the policies followed by the establishment.”

He complimented Jasam on a good addition to the existing literature on radicalism. Dr Farzana Bari, a professor at Quaid-i-Azam University, said: “People who want to understand the journey that Pakistan took to reach this point in history will find this book invaluable. Saima has raised some interesting answers to the very pertinent questions that arise.”

She went on to say that, “The narration remains secular and democratic while tracing the roots and links between radicalism and the ideological strains that existed historically. I feel the externalities are missing from the discourse but the book is beautifully written and insightful.”

Samar Minallah, an anthropologist, congratulated Saima on a well researched and articulate discourse from the perspective of a social scientist. She added: “I was extremely honoured that Saima chose to interview me and include the information in her book. There is a need for all minorities to stand united against human rights violations and speak up against them.”

Samia Jasam spoke of the events and people who influenced her book.

She said: “There are numerous aspects and factors which could be analysed in tracing the onset of radicalism and terrorism in Pakistan but my endeavour in this book is to connect the Taliban mindset which is present at the political and the ideological realms in Pakistan and the Taliban as a physical entity which in Pakistan has manifested itself in the form of militant groups such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.”

She added, “Although these two constructs need separate analysis but due to the nature of the thesis built, where the issue of Taliban is dealt with holistically, the two cannot be studied in isolation but rather in conjunction, to be available to arrive to an evocative conclusion.”

The author presents in her book the thesis that the role of the media could be critical in either halting or escalating the chaos that Pakistan is engulfed in. The media has the capacity to play a responsible role by promoting peace and thoughtful discourse.

She says that she had used Sufi teachings to see a possible path to a tolerant Pakistan. Another critical component she believes is the need to rework the curriculum so that it is both secular and democratic with logical fallacies and dichotomies.

The evening ended with a brief speech by Marion Regina Mueller who has spent many years working in the South Asian region and is committed to the process of encouraging political participation empowerment in Pakistan.

German ambassador Dr Cyril Nunn welcomed Marion saying that, Pakistan was a country where space for discourse had become limited and work of HBS and similar organisations was crucial in ensuring that discourse continued.

Published in Dawn December 3rd , 2014