The Decade of International Engagement in Afghanistan

As a result of the Bonn and Tokyo Conferences when extensive international engagement began in Afghanistan in early 2002,hopes rose high that now peace and stability would be restored in this war ravaged country.Given the scale of the commitment and excitement demonstrated by the international community to combat terrorism and help Afghanistan in its overall reconstruction process,it appeared that extensive political and economic activities would soon revive that would help in ending the decades-long miseries of the poor Afghan nation.In the immediate aftermath a significant performance was also recorded in some spheres,such as: On diplomatic front,it helped finish Afghanistan' s acute isolation among the world nations that it was faced with during the Taliban rule.     

Perceptions of the Orient by the Occident. Twisted visions, false dreams and embracing the other

In this paper I will look at Occidental perceptions of the Orient, through a selective sample of writings by western scholars on the Orient, with special reference to the Malay and Islamic worlds. References to Edward Said's views on Orientalism will also be made. I argue that there is a relationship between Orientalism and politics, even in our contemporary world, although not necessarily in the manner envisaged and presented by Edward Said. Though the relationship between the Orient and the Occident has sometimes been conflictual, there have nevertheless been fruitful and significant encounters and exchanges between them in history. Finally a plea is made that though the scenario in East–West relations might at present appear pessimistic, a normative element in favour of inter-cultural and inter-civilisational dialogue, should be injected in both academia and practical politics, to bring about change and hope for humanity.

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Fundamental Redesign of Financial Law: The Indian Approach

India is at the cusp of important financial sector regulatory reform. The reform aims at deeper changes in financial sector laws and regulatory architecture. While many incremental reforms were undertaken in the last two decades, the pace of change has slowed down owing to the constraints posed by the underlying legal framework. The key problems in the financial sector include: lack of financial inclusion, a glacial pace of innovation, the growth of an unregulated shadow financial system, numerous ponzi schemes, high inflation, and barriers to capital flows. In the last decade, there have been many efforts in rethinking financial sector regulation to address these problems. A group of expert committees created a consensus around a strategy for change, which has led to a draft law proposed by the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission set up by the Ministry of Finance of the Government of India.     

The Case of <Emphasis Type="Italic">variae lectiones</Emphasis> in Classical Islamic Jurisprudence: Grammar and the Interpretation of Law

The qirā?āt or variae lectiones represent the vast corpus of Qur?ānic readings that were preserved through the historical processes associated with the textual codification and transmission of the Qur?ān. Despite the fact that differences among concomitant readings tend to be nominal, others betray semantic nuances that are brought into play within legal discourses. Both types of readings remain important sources for the history of the text of the Qur’ān and early Arabic grammatical thought. While some recent scholars have questioned the historical function and nature of the corpus of qirā?āt, others have argued that specific types of variant readings were the resultant products of attempts to circumvent legal inconsistencies which were found in text of the Qur?ān or were generated through legal debates. Following a preliminary review of the historical framework of the genesis of qirā?āt through reference to early grammatical literature, an attempt will be made to shed some light on the role that semantic variation among concomitant readings played in the synthesis and interpretation of law. The aim will be to draw attention to the subtle theoretical frameworks employed by jurists for their contextualization and analysis. This will also include a review of attitudes towards the forms of qirā?āt that classical scholarship designated as being anomalous or shādhdha.