Manzar Zaidi is an independent CT and CVE academic who has worked as consultant to several entities assisting Pakistan in capacity building in related fields, has worked in the CT and CVE public sector, has taught in the fields at UK, and has been researching the phenomena of VE for more than a decade . He is the author of three published books, and his continuing research interests are CVE and Deradicalisation, causal links of VE , and capacity building criminal justice systems to combat insecurity.
The phenomenon of radicalization has played a major part in the ongoing militancy in Pakistan’s r... more The phenomenon of radicalization has played a major part in the ongoing militancy in Pakistan’s restive tribal regions along the Pak-Afghan border. This paper traces a possible link between radicalization and poverty in the country by surveying 1,147 respondents, consisting of a sample universe of the poor compared with more affluent control groups. All the provinces of Pakistan were included in the sample universe, with the findings centered on an analytical discourse of poverty in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, and a possible link to escalating militancy there. The analysis engages with relevant literature to argue for the development of sub-nationally researched, fresh perspectives on linkages between poverty and radicalization in Pakistan. (Complete paper is published in PIPS Research Journal Conflict and Peace Studies, Volume 3, Number 3, Jul-Sep 2010.) To buy and/or subscribe you can Email at pips@san-pips.compublications@san-pips.com or Contact by telephon...
... of the Islamic Message Syed Manzar Abbas Zaidi (University of Central Lancashire, UK) Abstrac... more ... of the Islamic Message Syed Manzar Abbas Zaidi (University of Central Lancashire, UK) Abstract ... 23 This message was printed under the title The New powder Keg in the Middle east inNida'ul Islam,a journal edited by activists in Australia. Ibid., 41. 24 The Quran 4:84. ...
BROOKINGS PROJECT ON LOCAL ORDERS - The present disorder in the international system is significa... more BROOKINGS PROJECT ON LOCAL ORDERS - The present disorder in the international system is significantly augmented by the breakdown of domestic order across a number of key states. Around the globe, the politics of identity, ideology and religion are producing highly polarized societies and deepening conflicts among non-state actors and between non-state actors and the state. In the Middle East, the Arab Spring disrupted long calcified political systems in ways that are still producing unpredictable effects on the regional order. The collapse of political order in Libya has wide-ranging consequences for governance across the Sahel, intensifying Mali and Nigeria’s fragility and highlighting the many deficiencies of their states. Meanwhile, Russia’s annexation of Crimea was facilitated by a breakdown of political order in Ukraine, and Russia’s aggressive external posture also partially reflects and compensates for its internal weaknesses. But even emerging powers such as India and Brazil face profound and persistent governance problems, including in public safety and the rule of law. Among the topics explored in the Seminar are the construction of institutions and counter-institutions in the Middle East and South Asia; the role of external interveners and local militias in conflict settings; and forms of governance in slums and prisons, such as by criminal groups. The Seminar is a collaborative research space that serves as a launching pad for cutting edge debate and research around questions of local and transnational order, of which this paper is a part.
Any account of the rise of militancy in Pakistan would not be complete without accounting for the... more Any account of the rise of militancy in Pakistan would not be complete without accounting for the Lal Masjid militancy and its effects on terrorism in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s criminal justice system related to terrorism prosecution is in urgent need of reform. ... more Pakistan’s criminal justice system related to terrorism prosecution is in urgent need of reform. Conviction rates in the country’s anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) continue to be extremely low. This report highlights the numerous problems contributing to the system’s failure, including absent defense councils and witnesses, limited use of forensic evidence, poor investigative capacity, and lack of coordination between the police and prosecution. Compounding these problems is the high number of cases going through the ATCs, notably due to the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act’s broad definition of terrorism. Any reforms or new laws aimed at reducing terrorism must account for these long-standing implementation issues.
Pakistan’s criminal justice system related to terrorism prosecution is in urgent need of reform. ... more Pakistan’s criminal justice system related to terrorism prosecution is in urgent need of reform. Conviction rates in the country’s anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) continue to be extremely low. This report highlights the numerous problems contributing to the system’s failure, including absent defense councils and witnesses, limited use of forensic evidence, poor investigative capacity, and lack of coordination between the police and prosecution. Compounding these problems is the high number of cases going through the ATCs, notably due to the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act’s broad definition of terrorism. Any reforms or new laws aimed at reducing terrorism must account for these long-standing implementation issues.
This article looks at the evolution of the social studies curricula in Pakistan, which are of cri... more This article looks at the evolution of the social studies curricula in Pakistan, which are of critical importance in shaping the outlook of many young Pakistanis, who are affected by this polarised discourse. The author argues that this trend of polarisation springing from dynamics of education also effectively contributes to a widening social divide, which the extremist project exploits by manipulating a social and opinion leadership vacuum. The author argues that education in Pakistan is linked with dissemination of specific ideologies, and historiography has been used in a specific context as a dividing force. This is all the more relevant in social studies curricula, which have tended to shape the worldviews of generations. The author argues that social studies curricula in Pakistan need to undergo an urgent transformative process of making them more objective so that they can stimulate intellect as well as counter radicalisation tendencies.
The phenomenon of radicalization has played a major part in the ongoing militancy in Pakistan’s r... more The phenomenon of radicalization has played a major part in the ongoing militancy in Pakistan’s restive tribal regions along the Pak-Afghan border. This paper traces a possible link between radicalization and poverty in the country by surveying 1,147 respondents, consisting of a sample universe of the poor compared with more affluent control groups. All the provinces of Pakistan were included in the sample universe, with the findings centered on an analytical discourse of poverty in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, and a possible link to escalating militancy there. The analysis engages with relevant literature to argue for the development of sub-nationally researched, fresh perspectives on linkages between poverty and radicalization in Pakistan. (Complete paper is published in PIPS Research Journal Conflict and Peace Studies, Volume 3, Number 3, Jul-Sep 2010.) To buy and/or subscribe you can Email at pips@san-pips.compublications@san-pips.com or Contact by telephon...
... of the Islamic Message Syed Manzar Abbas Zaidi (University of Central Lancashire, UK) Abstrac... more ... of the Islamic Message Syed Manzar Abbas Zaidi (University of Central Lancashire, UK) Abstract ... 23 This message was printed under the title The New powder Keg in the Middle east inNida'ul Islam,a journal edited by activists in Australia. Ibid., 41. 24 The Quran 4:84. ...
BROOKINGS PROJECT ON LOCAL ORDERS - The present disorder in the international system is significa... more BROOKINGS PROJECT ON LOCAL ORDERS - The present disorder in the international system is significantly augmented by the breakdown of domestic order across a number of key states. Around the globe, the politics of identity, ideology and religion are producing highly polarized societies and deepening conflicts among non-state actors and between non-state actors and the state. In the Middle East, the Arab Spring disrupted long calcified political systems in ways that are still producing unpredictable effects on the regional order. The collapse of political order in Libya has wide-ranging consequences for governance across the Sahel, intensifying Mali and Nigeria’s fragility and highlighting the many deficiencies of their states. Meanwhile, Russia’s annexation of Crimea was facilitated by a breakdown of political order in Ukraine, and Russia’s aggressive external posture also partially reflects and compensates for its internal weaknesses. But even emerging powers such as India and Brazil face profound and persistent governance problems, including in public safety and the rule of law. Among the topics explored in the Seminar are the construction of institutions and counter-institutions in the Middle East and South Asia; the role of external interveners and local militias in conflict settings; and forms of governance in slums and prisons, such as by criminal groups. The Seminar is a collaborative research space that serves as a launching pad for cutting edge debate and research around questions of local and transnational order, of which this paper is a part.
Any account of the rise of militancy in Pakistan would not be complete without accounting for the... more Any account of the rise of militancy in Pakistan would not be complete without accounting for the Lal Masjid militancy and its effects on terrorism in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s criminal justice system related to terrorism prosecution is in urgent need of reform. ... more Pakistan’s criminal justice system related to terrorism prosecution is in urgent need of reform. Conviction rates in the country’s anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) continue to be extremely low. This report highlights the numerous problems contributing to the system’s failure, including absent defense councils and witnesses, limited use of forensic evidence, poor investigative capacity, and lack of coordination between the police and prosecution. Compounding these problems is the high number of cases going through the ATCs, notably due to the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act’s broad definition of terrorism. Any reforms or new laws aimed at reducing terrorism must account for these long-standing implementation issues.
Pakistan’s criminal justice system related to terrorism prosecution is in urgent need of reform. ... more Pakistan’s criminal justice system related to terrorism prosecution is in urgent need of reform. Conviction rates in the country’s anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) continue to be extremely low. This report highlights the numerous problems contributing to the system’s failure, including absent defense councils and witnesses, limited use of forensic evidence, poor investigative capacity, and lack of coordination between the police and prosecution. Compounding these problems is the high number of cases going through the ATCs, notably due to the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act’s broad definition of terrorism. Any reforms or new laws aimed at reducing terrorism must account for these long-standing implementation issues.
This article looks at the evolution of the social studies curricula in Pakistan, which are of cri... more This article looks at the evolution of the social studies curricula in Pakistan, which are of critical importance in shaping the outlook of many young Pakistanis, who are affected by this polarised discourse. The author argues that this trend of polarisation springing from dynamics of education also effectively contributes to a widening social divide, which the extremist project exploits by manipulating a social and opinion leadership vacuum. The author argues that education in Pakistan is linked with dissemination of specific ideologies, and historiography has been used in a specific context as a dividing force. This is all the more relevant in social studies curricula, which have tended to shape the worldviews of generations. The author argues that social studies curricula in Pakistan need to undergo an urgent transformative process of making them more objective so that they can stimulate intellect as well as counter radicalisation tendencies.
This book appears at a critical time in human history as our social concerns are further mitigate... more This book appears at a critical time in human history as our social concerns are further mitigated by an eminent threat to World wide safety and survival. The present crisis of war, destabilization, economic downturns, human rights violations and state interventions are leading to unprecedented number of refugees in many regions of our embattled planet. The Ebola epidemic in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea has transformed a health crisis into a peace and security challenge. It shows what we already know, that peace and care are intrinsically related. The well-being and care of people in affected communities and the means to provide care within communities is central to conflict-resolution. The leadership that women offer in this context constitutes an important element of peace-building and so is women s ability to participate in governance. This Chapter from the book engages with these issues .
As Indonesia is in the grip of a Omicron wave, maintaining quarantine for all international trave... more As Indonesia is in the grip of a Omicron wave, maintaining quarantine for all international travelers, regardless of whether they are infected or not, could be doing more harm than good for the country's future investments and economic recovery.
Navigating Indonesia-China relations requires understanding historical nuances, current dynamics,... more Navigating Indonesia-China relations requires understanding historical nuances, current dynamics, and future possibilities. As Indonesia transitions politically under President-elect Prabowo Subianto, the interplay of history, domestic politics, and economic priorities shapes this bilateral relationship. Prabowo’s post-election actions suggest a potential recalibration of foreign policy toward China, emphasizing pragmatic engagement. This paper explores the evolution of Indonesia-China relations, highlighting the impact of domestic socio-political factors and regional geopolitical considerations on future interactions.
Ostensibly, even though the Indonesian criminal-reform bill is radical and goes against many of t... more Ostensibly, even though the Indonesian criminal-reform bill is radical and goes against many of the values of freedom of speech and liberty venerated by many Indonesians, it is still not enough for the extremists, who want more and harsher punishments for immorality/deviant behavior.
The prolonged Israel-Palestine conflict has increasingly become a rallying cry for extremist grou... more The prolonged Israel-Palestine conflict has increasingly become a rallying cry for extremist groups worldwide, including in Indonesia, where a revolving door effect as a result of the 2018 Counterterrorism Law has contributed to recidivism and radicalization.
Indonesia's struggle with extremism is influenced by its diverse cultural landscape and strategic... more Indonesia's struggle with extremism is influenced by its diverse cultural landscape and strategic geopolitical position. The new criminal code reform bill, aiming to modernize outdated laws, has ignited widespread controversy and extremist backlash. The bill's stringent measures, including the criminalization of various acts, reflect ongoing tensions between maintaining traditional values and protecting civil liberties. This paper analyzes the potential impact of these legal reforms on Indonesia's societal fabric and its approach to national security.
Taha Subhi Falaha, popularly known as Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami, was the official spokesma... more Taha Subhi Falaha, popularly known as Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami, was the official spokesman and the second most senior leader of Islamic State (IS) renowned for his oratory and authority over jihadists worldwide and for inspiring them to fight for the IS cause
the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan unfold dramatically, the implications of this might be felt m... more the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan unfold dramatically, the implications of this might be felt much farther than just South Asia. Certainly Indonesia, with its greatest concentration of Muslims compared to any other country in the word, might face a spillover from this phenomenon, as it did during the ascension of IS.
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Papers by Syed Manzar A Zaidi
The Seminar is a collaborative research space that serves as a launching pad for cutting edge debate and research around questions of local and transnational order, of which this paper is a part.
The Seminar is a collaborative research space that serves as a launching pad for cutting edge debate and research around questions of local and transnational order, of which this paper is a part.