Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: The central question that Stephen Cohen grapples with in his book, The Idea of Pakistan, is what is Pakistan?Is it a 'rogue state', 'a delinquent nation', 'Taliban East' a 'failing state' or just 'misunderstood but an effective US ally' (p.2)?To probe beyond these descriptions of Pakistan, Cohen has two purposes in mind.First, he wants to demonstrate why Indian Muslims felt the need for a separate homeland to pursue their 'civilizational destiny'.Second, he wants to narrate how the state of Pakistan has evolved into a military-dominated entity that has nuclear capabilities, hostile relations with its neighbours and is characterized by weak economic institutions and socio-political strife.It is clear from this narrative, that Cohen wants to understand
DOI: 10.4000/samaj.214
Author: Mariam Mufti
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W1480716624