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My Book with Routledge: Pakistan, Regional Security and Conflict Resolution

1st Edition Pakistan, Regional Security and Conflict Resolution: The Pashtun ‘Tribal’ Areas By Farooq Yousaf (Copyright Year 2021) This book shows how colonial legacies and the postcolonial state of Pakistan negatively influenced the socio-political and cultural dynamics and the security situation in Pakistan’s Pashtun ‘tribal’ areas, formerly known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). ItContinue reading “My Book with Routledge: Pakistan, Regional Security and Conflict Resolution”

[Report]Making Visible the Afghan Men Who Are Working for Women’s Rights and a Gender-Just Society

Full Report can be downloaded here from the WILPF Website By Dr Farooq Yousaf Summary: Analyses of women’s rights and gender equality in Afghanistan have historically depicted a clear binary: patriarchal and conservative men resisting aspirational women. Neglected in these analyses are the many men who have spoken up for women’s rights and have workedContinue reading “[Report]Making Visible the Afghan Men Who Are Working for Women’s Rights and a Gender-Just Society”

Bringing Afghan Women to the Table: How to Negotiate with the Taliban

Number 2 | 2022 | ISSN: 1862-359X Original Source: GIGA Focus Norway’s and Switzerland’s recent hosting of the de facto Taliban regime representatives in early 2022 has overshadowed the risks to women and their rights in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Unless international and European policymakers make significant policyContinue reading “Bringing Afghan Women to the Table: How to Negotiate with the Taliban”

[Blog] Making Visible the Afghan Men Who Are Working for Women’s Rights and a Gender-Just Society

Despite a general tendency among Afghan men to view their female compatriots as overly entitled, many men are beginning to stand up and take action to support women’s rights and a more just model of society – for all. Dr Farooq Yousaf and Hareer Hashim 11 April 2022 Analyses on women’s rights and gender equalityContinue reading “[Blog] Making Visible the Afghan Men Who Are Working for Women’s Rights and a Gender-Just Society”

Lessons from Afghanistan’s Post-9/11 Peace-building Project

Dr Farooq Yousaf Peace is an integral concept in the discourses and practices of International Relations (IR). There are varying definitions and “perceptions” of peace, especially when it comes to the material and conceptual divide between the Global North and the Global South. It is important to acknowledge the contributions of discursive constructions of peace,Continue reading “Lessons from Afghanistan’s Post-9/11 Peace-building Project”

[Journal Commentary] Afghanistan’s future under the Taliban regime: engagement or isolation?

Farooq Yousaf & Moheb Jabarkhail Pages 117-134 | Received 13 Sep 2021, Accepted 13 Sep 2021, Published online: 03 Oct 2021 Full Citation: Yousaf, F., & Jabarkhail, M. (2022). Afghanistan’s future under the Taliban regime: engagement or isolation?. Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 17(1), 117-134. Abstract: On August 31, 2021, the US completedContinue reading “[Journal Commentary] Afghanistan’s future under the Taliban regime: engagement or isolation?

SwissPeace Policy Brief – US withdrawal and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan: Future Policy Directions

Dr Farooq Yousaf and Moheb Jabarkhail Abstract: This policy brief informs on the situation on the ground in Afghanistan and what the future holds for the war-torn country under a Taliban regime. The brief discusses recent developments in the country, Taliban’s PR campaign and the (grim) situation for gender and media rights under the TalibanContinue reading “SwissPeace Policy Brief – US withdrawal and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan: Future Policy Directions”

The Taliban of 2021 are the Taliban of 1996, but with a PR twist

Farooq Yousaf | 1 September 2021 When Kabul finally fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, several scholarly and media commentaries, both within and outside the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, started focusing on the Taliban’s positive moves and intent. This intent, for starters, is embodied by a smart and slick PR campaign that focuses on the positivesContinue reading “The Taliban of 2021 are the Taliban of 1996, but with a PR twist”

Inside the Taliban’s religious school (My Interview with ABC Radio)

My interview with Australia’s ABC Radio Where did today’s Taliban leaders and fighters learn their harsh brand of Islam? You may have heard about the madrassas, or religious schools, that have operated throughout Pakistan’s tribal areas for decades. But since 2001, this new generation of Taliban have also been nurtured by technology — and theContinue reading “Inside the Taliban’s religious school (My Interview with ABC Radio)”

My six major personal and professional lessons from 2020

Dr Farooq Yousaf 2020 was a strange and difficult year for many. The year began and ended with a global pandemic that brought a 180-degree change in how we looked at things; both personally and professionally. Things that mattered the most (jobs and money) went in the background, whereas things that had a secondary priorityContinue reading “My six major personal and professional lessons from 2020”

Book Review: Pakistan, Regional Security and Conflict Resolution – The Pashtun “Tribal” Areas

Reviewed by Dr Claude Rakisits The tribal areas of Pakistan have played a critical role in the security of the country since Partition, particularly since the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001. Dr Farooq Yousaf’s book illustrates while militant activity has diminished in recent times, the law-and-order situation in the tribal areas remains precarious.Continue reading “Book Review: Pakistan, Regional Security and Conflict Resolution – The Pashtun “Tribal” Areas”