Dear Aspirants!

Follow up the Colour

Guidelines for Best Reading Experience

COLOUR Psychology

RED COLOR INDICATES……MOST IMPORTANT

( For Indicating Difficult Vocabulary, Phrases and Idioms )

GREEN COLOUR SHOWS……JUST IMPORTANT

(Names, Abbreviations, rhetorical expression and Grammar)

PURPLE COLOUR IS USED FOR……. TITLES

( Headings, sub heading )

ICEP Dawn Analysis

DAWN EDITORIALS PLUS OPINIONS
DECONSTRUCTION

Dated: Wednesday 15 July, 2020

BY: ICEP Analysts M.Usman & Rabia Kalhoro.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Note:
We pick out Opinions from different Newspapers
related to:

#Competitive Exams
#Essay Writing
#Current Affairs
#Historical episodes
#Pakistan Affairs
# General Knowledge
# Global Issues
# Geopolitics
# International Relations
# Foreign Policy

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Aviation crisis | DAWN EDITORIAL
(Apart from dubious licenses several malfunctioning of aviation industry suspected)

Introduction

THE rot in Pakistan’s aviation industry is deep and extends far beyond the national flag
carrier. Now the FIA has registered a case at its Corporate Crime Circle, Karachi, against
the private airline Shaheen Air International and arrested its director. The action has been
taken following an inquiry initiated by the Civil Aviation Authority lodging a written
complaint alleging that the airline had caused a loss of over Rs1bn to the national
exchequer. According to an FIA official, the investigation found that SAI had defaulted on
paying CAA’s flight operation charges and levies from March 2018 till date. The airline’s
operations were suspended in October 2018; and even as 2,800 employees
clamoured(demanded) for their outstanding salaries, SAI’s owners fled abroad. The
charges against the airline management are serious, and the case must be taken to its
conclusion. While this is a different issue from that of the pilots ‘dubious’ licences —
revealed in a bombshell statement by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan last month
— it nevertheless is also a manifestation of the lack of fiscal and operational discipline
within the aviation industry as a whole.

i. At the time, eight SAI planes were already grounded for being in “poor condition”.
ii. In December 2015, a Boeing 737-400 operated by the airline suffered severe damage
upon landing in Lahore; 10 passengers were injured.
iii. A few months earlier, five of its aircraft had been grounded because of recurring
transactions safety concerns.

Transparency of CAA : dubious licenses and exam proxy raises questions

The minister’s revelation that 262 Pakistani pilots had suspect credentials — in
tandem(simultaneous) with the initial investigation report on the PK-8303 air crash — has
cast the role played by the industry regulator, the CAA, in an extremely poor light.
According to Mr Khan, 141 of the pilots concerned had been flying for PIA, 10 for Serene
Air, nine for Air Blue, and the rest for chartered plane services and flying clubs. On
Saturday, the CAA apprised the Supreme Court of the measures it is taking to prevent
unauthorised access to its licensing and examination system. The ‘dubiousness’ of the
licences evidently stems from the fact that certain pilots had had proxies sit the exam for
them. There are also allegations that corrupt elements within CAA have deliberately made
the examination process perverse (illogical) and convoluted, making recourse(hope) to
unfair means — for a price, of course — more tempting. While the pilots are certainly not
blameless, the onus (responsibility) was on the regulator to ensure the integrity of its testing
protocols.

Conclusion

A large number of pilots have been grounded for apparently having obtained their licences
through questionable means, as they should be, but it is also worth asking what action the
CAA is taking against its own personnel. Any investigation, to be credible and untainted
(not contaminated) by accusations of ulterior(secondary) motives, must unearth those
involved in corrupt practices at the CAA and sanction them accordingly. The
festering(persistently producing bad effects) problems in the aviation industry need a
root-and-branch( completely or thoroughly) overhaul.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Transit trade | DAWN EDITORIAL
Introduction

THE decision to restore the transit trade facility for The Afghanistan–Pakistan
Transit Trade
Afghan exports to India through the Wagah border
Agreement (also known
should go a long in reinforcing Islamabad’s political
as APTTA) is a
and economic ties with Kabul. Islamabad has already
bilateral trade
resumed bilateral
agreement signed in 2010
and the transit trade facility at all the border crossings by Pakistan and Afghanist
with landlocked Afghanistan, which largely depends an that calls for greater
facilitation in the
on Pakistan for its trade with most of the world. The
movement of goods
resumption of the transit trade facility via Wagah will
amongst the two countries.
help strife-ridden (divided by violent conflict)
Afghanistan immediately boost its exports to India and The 2010 agreement
support its economy. supersedes the 1965
Afghanistan Transit Trade
Historical perspective of APTTA Agreement, which granted
Afghanistan the right to
Pakista, which has played a critical role in the US-
import duty-free goods
Afghan Taliban peace accord, had restricted bilateral
through Pakistani
trade with Afghanistan while completely stopping
seaports, mostly notably
transportation of Afghan goods to India through
from Karachi
Wagah under the 2010 Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit
Trade Agreement in March. The decision was taken
as part of the lockdown enforced across the country to halt the spread of Covid-19.
However, the suspension of transit trade was viewed with suspicion in Kabul and had drawn
criticism from both the Afghan administration and traders who were forced to airlift their
cargo at a much higher cost or use the longer sea route to ship their goods to India. Many
saw it as a violation of the APTTA owing to the trust deficit between the two nations.

APTTA can transform trade triangle : Afghan-Pak -India relation at crossroads

The APTTA, which was brokered by the Obama administration to replace the outdated 1965
accord, is also considered ‘incomplete’ by many in Kabul because it does not extend the
transit facility to India to ship its goods to Afghanistan and beyond because of fractious
(quarrelsome) Pakistan-India ties. Indeed, a joint South Asia-Central Asia corridor offers
huge potential for increasing regional trade. At the time that the APTTA was concluded,
many were hopeful of an eventual reduction in tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi,
and expected both nations to extend transit facilities to each other. Sadly, it has not
happened. Instead, the two sides’ fragile economic relationship has deteriorated
further in recent years, owing largely to the brutality of Indian forces in India-held
Kashmir, thus pushing away the goal of a free-trade area in South Asia.

Critical Analysis

India, being the regional economic powerhouse, should realise that its growing disputes with
its neighbours are keeping it and the region from realising their true economic potential. The
sooner it starts mending fences (idm: to improve relationship that has been damaged by
an argument ) with smaller neighbours, the better it will be for the future of the people of
the region that houses the most number of the world’s poor.
(An argument can be made from this editorial regarding ‘Trade Agreement’ which can be used in exams when
suggestions on improving relations with Afghanistan is asked)
ICEP Dawn Analysis
Eid livestock markets |DAWN EDITORIAL

Introduction and importance

ALONG with being a key religious festival and cultural event, the Eidul Azha sacrifice is a
major engine of economic activity in Pakistan, with a multibillion-rupee economy of its
own. From livestock traders to butchers and the tanning industry (leather manufacturing)
have major stakes in the sale of sacrificial animals.

Apart from National Command and Operation Centre SOPs : people need to be alert

However, this year — like all other areas of life — routine religious and economic activities
related to Eidul Azha will have to adapt to the reality of the novel coronavirus. Primarily, the
authorities will need to prevent big gatherings in livestock markets where men and beasts in
large numbers converge. As experts have warned, this is a matter of great concern where the
spread of Covid-19 in the country is concerned. The prime minister himself has said that
if people are ‘careless’ during Eidul Azha the number of cases in the country could
spike, while some doctors’ associations have called for cattle markets not to be held.
Meanwhile, the National Command and Operation Centre on Monday decided to allow
smaller livestock markets — but greater in number apparently to prevent crowding —
on the outskirts of cities, with ‘strict’ SOPs in place.

While on paper this seems like a workable solution to balance religious and economic
requirements with precautions against the virus, the fact of the matter is that SOPs are
widely being flouted (violated) across the country where markets have been set up.

Suggestions

▪ With Eid just over two weeks away, the authorities must enforce the SOPs to ensure
that those rushing towards livestock mandis don’t become super spreaders of Covid-
19 upon their return to their neighbourhoods.
▪ Children must strictly be kept away from the markets, and instead of whole brigades
descending upon mandis to choose an animal, one person should be enough.
▪ Moreover, there is wisdom in the suggestion of offering collective sacrifice to
streamline matters, while organising qurbani in mohallas and on the streets should
strictly be off limits this year to prevent the spread of the virus and to maintain
hygiene.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

String of Pearls vs Necklace of Diamonds | Asia Times Opinion

Important for Current affairs and International relations

India has been creating a “Necklace of Diamonds” to counter the “String of Pearls” created
by China.

Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia are some of the countries where
China is establishing maritime bases as a “String of Pearls” to improve its influence and
military networks.

The “Necklace of Diamonds” comprises

▪ Changi Naval Base in Singapore,

▪ Chabahar Port in Iran,
▪ the Assumption Islands in Seychelles, and
▪ Duqm Port in Oman.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

In addition to this, India is creating strong ties with Vietnam and Mongolia to counter the
Chinese “String of Pearls” strategy.

China’s investments in its String of Pearls exceed the investments made by India for its
Necklace of Diamonds. Hence China’s allies are likely to be stronger than India’s.

China has invested US$60 billion in Africa under its String of Pearls strategy, whereas
India’s largest investment for its Necklace of Diamonds amounts to $8 billion, in Chabahar
Port.

The only noteworthy investment made by India that affects China significantly has
been at Sabang, Indonesia, which is close to the Malacca Strait. Around 80% of
China’s oil imports pass through that strait, thereby making India’s presence in the region a
point of concern for China.

Though both countries have strong allies, during the current pandemic crisis, no country
wants to get into a cold war with China, which supplies essential pharmaceutical products to
nations worldwide. Hence India’s Necklace of Diamonds strategy to counter China’s
influential networks may not work in the current situation.

India’s Necklace of Diamonds also may not be as strong and effective as China’s String
of Pearls in the India-China border issue.

Ever since the rapid spread of the virus that causes Covid-19, all nations’ economies have
been vulnerable. In India, because of the lockdown, there has been a downfall in economic
output and employment. Industries are struggling to come to terms with a new normal
against the backdrop of rising debts and crashing investments.

The tension at the border in the Galwan Valley has not been resolved. China is
negotiating from a position of both military and economic strength.

China’s meteoric rise (very fast ) to power by capturing various essential markets in several
countries across the world has made economies dependent on it. India’s allies may not be
able to free themselves of their interdependence with China. Hence they may not be able to
give effective support to India.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Therefore, India-China border relations are not just about guns but also about the rising
economic power of China, which has resulted in countries being dependent on it for essential
supplies.

The self-interest of India’s allies may overpower their desire to support New Delhi amid its
tensions with China. Hence, though the border issue is mainly about power involving
guns and diplomacy, in the larger picture of global politics, it inevitably turns into a
conversation about economics and cheap imports from China.

The Five Eyes look inward

The Five Eyes comprise

i. New Zealand,
ii. Australia,
iii. the US,
iv. Canada and
v. the UK.

It is an alliance for joint intelligence. The Five Eyes have their own woes that deter their
ability to assist India under the given circumstances.

The economic interdependence that countries have with China is making it difficult for them
to comment strongly on the India-China border situation. China has been consistently
berating the policies of Australia and using its command over the UK markets to force their
hands. In addition to this, any statement made by West states is at risk of being debunked
by their inability to curb socio-economic instability at home.

The Five Eyes will not be able to take any action against China in its border dispute
with India because speaking against China will have economic repercussions on them,
a risk they may not be willing to take considering the domestic situation created by the
pandemic in their respective countries.

Moreover, any comment made by international bodies on the border dispute will be seen as
an intrusion in China-India bilateral relations. Though US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo said, “We welcome India’s ban on certain mobile apps that can serve as
appendages of the CCP’s surveillance state,” depicting support for India amid the border
tensions, it cannot be assessed as to how far the US-India relationship and support
would go.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson too has said he regarded the India-China border
situation as “very serious and worrying,” but he has not suggested that Britain will be
supporting either country in their border dispute. He has in fact advised both countries to
solve the issue “between them,” thereby depicting the unwillingness of the UK to take a
stand.

Though Canada has a large ethnic Indian population and has seen various anti-China
protests because of the recent border standoff, there has been no official communication or
statement by Canadian officials on the issue.

Similarly, Australia has noted that border tensions have risen in the Indo-Pacific region.
According to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, “Tensions over territorial claims are rising
across the Indo-Pacific region, as we have seen recently on the disputed border between
India and China, and the South China Sea, and the East China Sea.” However, he has not
mentioned any support Australia will be offering to India or China.

There has been no official statement from New Zealand on the issue either. Though the
India-China border situation is grave, it does not affect the Five Eyes directly, hence they are
unwilling to step in between issues that are bilateral and do not involve them.

Salami slice strategy

China has been using the “salami slice” strategy for a
while now for its territorial conquests. This refers to Salami tactics, also
minor actions being strategically executed whereby known as the salami-
without provoking any reaction from others, one achieves slice
major ground realities over time. strategy or salami atta
This art of acquisition has been employed by the cks, is a divide and
Communist Party of China to draw neighbors of India into conquer process of
a river of debt, thus ensuring its steady dominance over threats and alliances
their territories. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and used to overcome
Pakistan have been major pawns in this power play of opposition. With it,
isolating India. an aggressor can
influence and
China has made major investments in these countries and eventually dominate a
given them countless loans in times of need. Their support landscape, typically
extended toward India could result in China’s retaliation political, piece by
created by the power of debt. Hence Beijing has ensured piece.
diplomatic power in the region by putting India’s
neighbors in debt to China, which has turned them into
its allies.

While the world is still vulnerable and recovering from the pandemic, China has not shied
away from flexing its military muscles to establish supremacy over neighboring countries,
which has been achieved through its strong hold over their economies through debt
diplomacy.

Via economic initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, China has created strong allies
among India’s neighbors. China has used economic strategies to build on diplomatic
relations with Pakistan, Nepal and other Asian countries, whereas India needs to rebuild
strong diplomatic relations with its own neighbors.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

Desirable strategy for India
The best way to settle this score is through artfully crafted diplomacy. China has been biding
its time and has been rising peacefully. According to the World Trade Statistical Review
of 2019, China is the leading player in trade across the international market followed by the
US and Germany. With a share of 17% of the global export market, it has made itself a
quintessential player in the sphere of trading.

India is already at a low phase of the development trajectory in terms of economic

growth. India cannot afford a war right now when its military structure is outdated.
Moreover, India’s defense budget is merely 1.5% of its $67 billion gross domestic product.
China’s economy is three times as big as India’s at around $230 billion and its defense
budget is 2% of that. Hence China’s defense budget is significantly greater than
India’s.

India is the also second-largest importer of arms. This makes the situation even more
sensitive for India as its defense equipment is the responsibility of another nation and not
indigenous.

While France and Russia have been helping India by providing arms, they have not
outrightly expressed their support in India’s favor. Military standoffs at the snowy peaks
of the Galwan Valley could quickly escalate to a devastating war if proper mitigation and
compromise on both sides are not reached.

India’s best hope is to use the strengths that it has to the best of its advantage, one of them
being the huge user base that India provides to the Chinese applications and businesses. The
latest development has resulted in 59 apps including high-grossing ones like TikTok,
WeChat and e-commerce portals such as Shein being banned on the grounds of being
malicious and a threat to national security.

This strategy also weakens China, which has gained its dominance in the global arena
because of its economic policies. A strategy that hits China economically is smarter than one
that is direct and escalates tension at the border, which India is currently ill-equipped to deal
with.

Critical Analysis
India’s Necklace of Diamonds may not be enough to combat China’s strategic String of
Pearls during the current border situation.

Even the Five Eyes have not expressed willingness to lend any support to either India or
China amid the border tensions. This is mainly because they would want to maintain
friendly economic relations with both India and China.

Hence though the issues happening in the world concern global politics, their impact over
global economics will be prioritized. In this conversation regarding global economics,
India’s choice of banning apps from China is a strategic and diplomatic one, which is a
better decision than escalating the situation at the border.

By Vidhi Bubna and Sanjna Mishra

ICEP Dawn Analysis

To speak or not to speak | DAWN OPINION
Rafia Zakaria

The writer is an attorney teaching constitutional law and political philosophy.

“SHOULD violence be suffered or vocalised?” wrote the now deceased Sadaf Zahra in
January of this year. This was just one tweet from a long Twitter thread about domestic
violence. As Sadaf wrote: “Ever since I gained consciousness and life acted as an eye opener
for me, I have been keenly observing that words ‘patience’, ‘tolerance’ and ‘adjustments’,
‘compromise’ are solely associated with women.” Sadaf alluded to the fact that she too was
now a victim of such violence; the thread was perhaps a cry for help, an act of desperation of
a woman who felt she had absolutely no other options.

Now Sadaf Zahra is dead. On June 29, her body was found hanging from a ceiling fan.
According to her sister Mahwish Zahra, the deceased’s husband, identified as Ali Salman
Alvi, called her and said that Sadaf had “done something to herself”. Mahwish Zahra rushed
to her sister’s house where she found all the doors inside the house closed. When she went
into the room where Alvi said Sadaf was, she found her sister’s bruised body hanging from
the ceiling fan. A ladder was found against the wall of the room. Mahwish Zahra asked
Sadaf’s husband to bring the body of her sister down from the fan.

In shock, Mahwish then proceeded to file a police report against the suspect. Her brother-in-
law, she told the police, was used to torturing her sister for the smallest reason. Her sister
lived in a world of terror never knowing what would make him lose his temper and begin
beating her. Sadaf Zahra’s family repeatedly urged him to stop beating his wife but he
allegedly continued to do so. When Sadaf Zahra’s body was finally taken down there were
reportedly bruises and possible torture marks on the side of her face. The accused said that
he had nothing to do with Sadaf Zahra’s death. She had become upset and killed herself.

The final forensic results in Sadaf Zahra’s case have not yet been released but one is
uncertain if she committed suicide. Men who abuse women and commit acts of domestic
violence often rely on this ruse to cover up their crimes. After torturing and murdering their
ICEP Dawn Analysis
victims, it is easy for them to allege that the women were unhappy and chose to end their
life. If the first tragedy is the death of the woman, the second one is that the police and
courts often believe this lie and file the case away.

No one is willing to open up their homes, no one is willing to mediate, no one is

willing to watch out and report that there are continuing signs of abuse.

This has not happened yet in the present case. The victim’s husband was arrested on the spot
based on police suspicions that he may have murdered his wife. He has since been held in
Adiala Jail, but it is unclear whether he will still be kept in prison following the end of the
remand period. Even if the police have good reason to believe that he killed her, it is unclear
whether they will be able to gather enough evidence to show that it was indeed a planned
and orchestrated murder, which is a crime that is difficult to prove anyway — more so when
the killer may be the person who is closest to the victim.

Sadaf Zahra’s case is different because unlike so many women who are killed by their
spouses owing to domestic abuse, she actually chose to speak out about what she suffered.
Her Twitter thread is an indictment of a society that diligently pushes issues involving
domestic violence under the rug. Even when people know what is occurring, they choose to
keep quiet under the pretext of non-interference in other matters. It is a joke as Pakistanis are
experts in interfering in other people’s lives all the time. They just choose not to do it when
it’s a matter of men beating up women.

In this case, the suspect worked as a producer on well-known news anchor Asma Shirazi’s
current affairs programme. On July 8, the day the news of Sadaf Zahra’s death came to light,
Shirazi put out a statement on Twitter: “I was shocked & numbed the moment I got to know
abt incident & FIR, not just myself but media group I’m working with strictly condemned &
terminated accused. Read Sadaf’s thread in morning whom I never met but am heartbroken.
#RIPSadaf Justice must prevail #JusticeForZahra [sic]”.

Abusers are notoriously adept at covering their tracks and ensuring their victims are isolated,
undermined and unable to leave or seek help. But there are always signs. The question is,
had no one noticed her Twitter thread before her death — no family member, colleague or
friend? Had no one seen any warning signs and sought to help? Her safety should have been
the primary concern of anyone who was aware of or suspected her to be a victim of domestic
violence.

Pakistan had plenty of laws against domestic violence, the act is routinely condemned all the
time and every day. Yet neither the government nor private citizens are interested in
delivering the sort of help that abused women need. No one is willing to open up their
homes, no one is willing to mediate, no one is willing to watch out and report that there are
continuing signs of abuse.

Without a social and cultural transformation, a liberation of Pakistani women from the curse
of judging other women and the censure of Pakistani men for refusing to condemn such acts,
nothing will change. Sadaf Zahra died a cruel and painful death, but is its cruelty enough to
soften the hard hearts that look away from the abused woman begging for help? If past cases
are any evidence, the answer tragically is absolutely not.

The writer is an attorney teaching constitutional law and political philosophy.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

New status of Hagia Sophia | DAWN OPINION
Zahid Hussain

The writer is an author and journalist.

THE reversion of the celebrated Hagia Sophia museum into a mosque is perhaps the most
telling sign of the rolling back of Turkey’s secular character and a reflection of the rise of
religious nationalism in the country. As a museum, this architectural wonder symbolised the
idea of a common cultural heritage that transcended faith. The change of its status has
removed that symbolism.

While the decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may have pleased his Islamist
followers and his populist base, millions of Turks, as the country’s Nobel laureate Orhan
Pamuk noted, “are crying against this but their voices are not heard”. The move has not only
shaken the world, it has also divided the nation.

Built some 1,500 years ago as an Orthodox Christian cathedral, the Hagia Sophia was
converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453. It
was turned into a museum on the orders of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of
secular Turkey in 1934. The majestic complex has been declared by Unicef as a World
Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

Some sections of conservative Muslims had long campaigned for reopening the complex for
prayers but they were in a minority. Turkey’s strong secular culture would not permit
restoration of the heritage as a place of worship. However, the rise of the Islamists led by
Erdogan is changing the country’s political landscape.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

 The rise of the Islamists led by Erdogan is changing the country’s political
landscape.

Although the secular character of the state is still protected by the Turkish constitution, the
resurgence of faith and the confluence of faith and politics has weakened the Kemalist order.
Erdogan’s latest action, coming after a court ruling, has raised questions about Turkey’s
image as a moderate Muslim country.

By changing its status, the universal nature of Hagia Sophia’s heritage is affected. The
complex reflects centuries of interaction between Europe and Asia, and to treat it as the
heritage of a particular faith will be seen as a negation of its overall historical value. Such an
approach can also fuel religious fanaticism and widen religious divides, besides causing a
shift in the perception of Turkey as an open society. Many may see it as shift towards
exclusion.

During the mediaeval ages, it was a common practice of conquerors everywhere to convert
places of worship of the vanquished to premises for the practice of their own religion. There
have been a number of examples where churches were turned into mosques and mosques
into churches. Hagia Sophia was also such an example. By turning it into a museum,
Mustafa Kemal had restored history. It also reinforced Istanbul’s position as the city where
different cultures and faiths could coexist.

Erdogan’s action of reversing this aspect of the Kemalist legacy has intensified the clash
between those who want Turkey to remain secular and the conservative support base of the
Turkish president. The issue has highlighted the battle for the soul of Turkey. “To convert it
back to a mosque is to say to the rest of the world unfortunately we are not secular
anymore,” Orhan Pamuk was quoted as saying.

Predictably, the decision has provoked intense international outrage. In a statement, Unesco,
the UN’s cultural agency, has warned Turkish authorities against “taking any decision that
might impact the universal value of the site”. Several Western countries have also protested.

But the Turkish president does not seem bothered over the outcry. He has defended his
action by stressing that the country had exercised its sovereign right in converting the
museum into a mosque. This argument does not sound very convincing.

Many Turks also question the timing of the move at a time when the country is badly
affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy is in a slump and tourism is non-existent.
Some see it as a political move in that it is meant to assert a strident nationalism as part of
the battle against the president’s secular rivals.

Erdogan’s move cannot be seen in isolation. It reflects the increasing instrumentalisation of

religion in order to solidify his populist support base. In fact, at a more general level, it
symbolises the rise of right-wing nationalism and religious chauvinism around the world
today.

In recent years, religiously inspired nationalist movements have gained prominence in

several countries around the world. The confluence of politics and religion has also
generated exclusiveness and majoritianism. The tendency to drive political legitimacy
through religion has serious implications for the democratic process and political
development in society.

Turkey under President Erdogan is such an example. He has used religious nationalism to
undermine democratic rights and freedom of expression and faith. According to media

ICEP Dawn Analysis

reports in the past decade, less famous former churches in other parts of Turkey have
resumed services as mosques.

Yet Turkey is not the only country that is witnessing the rise of a strident religious
nationalism and chauvinism. There are many democracies worldwide that are also
experiencing the emergence of such political movements holding a strong religious appeal,
including countries as diverse as India and some countries of Latin America and Western
Europe.

In fact, Hagia Sophia is not the only historical site that has seen a religious reversion.
Similar moves have been part of state policy elsewhere too. For instance, the Indian supreme
court last year endorsed the 1992 demolition of the 16th-century Babri Masjid by Hindu
fundamentalists aligned with the current ruling BJP, who believed it was built atop the
birthplace of Ram. The issue may have helped the party galvanise the religious vote bank,
but at the expense of India’s secular character.

Religious conflicts are being increasingly weaponised by virulent nationalist forces to assert
their political brand. It is a highly dangerous proposition as appeals to religion invariably
create an opening for a more strident nationalism. Conversions of such sites reflect an
aggressive nationalism that presents one of the most serious challenges for the civilised
world. What is happening in Turkey, India and some other parts of the world must be a
serious cause of international concern.

The writer is an author and journalist.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

A new frontier |DAWN OPINION
Zehra Kamal Alam

The writer is a clinical psychologist.

THE debate on the need for effective school policies to address child sexual abuse (CSA)
has restarted. What is an effective CSA policy for schools and what should the government-
regulated guidelines be?

Such policies must clarify definitions of child protection, CSA and exploitation, adult sexual
harassment, and professional misconduct to ensure appropriate reporting and response. This
clarity would help address age-related dynamics of sexual abuse that are distinct from adult
sexual harassment, as well as illuminate how shame, secrecy, grooming and power dynamics
play out differently in child abuse of a sexual nature from other forms of abuse.

Moreover, schools would have the freedom to define offences that are currently covered in
administrative law or the criminal justice system as well as those that aren’t but would still
be considered as professional misconduct. It would also ensure that CSA-related policy
doesn’t become watered down within more generic school behavioural policies.

Any effective school CSA policy should ideally cover staff codes of conduct and training;
prevention and awareness; reporting, investigation and response. All male and female school
employees must sign a staff sexual misconduct code covering appropriate and inappropriate
behaviours, followed by regular trainings to reinforce it. Abusers commonly use emails, text
messages and social media to groom children. The shift to online teaching in most schools
due to the pandemic makes inclusion of online communication guidelines all the more
relevant.

ICEP Dawn Analysis

 How can schools ensure the protection of children from abuse?

Preventive aspects include CSA information and confidence-building life skills for students.
Students must also be informed about how adults groom children by offering favours,
normalising inappropriate behaviour, or making them believe that it is consensual. Schools
need to ensure that support is available for vulnerable students, eg those experiencing
problems at home, self-esteem and academic difficulties, or with disabilities. Special
preventive measures are needed for students in after-school programmes and on school trips.
Younger children require much more active monitoring, including clear guidelines for those
who assist with their practical needs. Awareness programmes for parents could also
strengthen the school’s preventive efforts.

Procedures for reporting sexual misconduct of a school employee must be explained in an

age-appropriate manner to students and placed visibly in the school. They should mention
who within the school are nominated to receive in-person as well as anonymous reports. The
limits to confidentiality in cases that require further investigation should also be clearly
communicated. Parents and staff must also be informed of these reporting procedures.

Reported incidents must be shared in a timely manner with a school’s child protection
committee, which could include representation from the staff and parent body. Opportunistic
or grooming dynamics of abuse, gender and culturally ascribed norms that lead to victim
blaming or minimise the seriousness of abuse, ethical handling of cases, responding to false
accusations, etc, must be part of the training of employees tasked with reporting and
investigation.

The committee can further notify the victim’s parents and take required action. Counselling
support for the victim(s) and, in cases where abuse is more widespread, group sessions with
students are some other important decisions to be taken by such committees.

Currently, both public and private schools are not mandated through any approved
guidelines by a competent authority to develop CSA prevention and response policies.
Provincial and federal education departments can take the lead and set an example by first
implementing such guidelines for government schools. The roles of and coordination
between provincial social welfare, child protection, health and criminal justice departments
need to be defined in these guidelines.

The guidelines also need to spell out how schools would report to a central authority about
employees charged with sexual offence and misconduct so that a registry can be maintained.
In the US, rehiring of teachers who have previously offended remains a huge challenge due
to legal loopholes. Commonly termed as ‘passing the trash’, studies estimate that, on
average, a teacher who has offended may be passed to three different district schools before
actually being identified and stopped.

Involving private school associations, the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory

Authority and student bodies can ensure increased ownership and on-going learning.
Mechanisms must be put in place to ensure that following these policies and reporting sexual
abuse would actually be seen as a sign of a child-safe school rather than a source of bad
repute or a tool to vilify private schools for other vested interests.

The writer is a clinical psychologist.

ICEP Dawn Analysis