Education is the transmission of civilization.~ William James
Durant (1885–1981) and Ariel Durant, born Chaya Kaufman (1898 -
1981) After the murder of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan dominated the
news for a week or so but that has now faded. We were regaled
with speculation about the danger to the world posed by an
unstable, nuclear-armed, undemocratic state where fundamentalist
Muslims find it easy to integrate into society. It was in
Pakistan that the Taliban (which took over the government of
Afghanistan and provided shelter to Al Qaeda) were originally
able to organize and build a foundation. A recent analysis on
television suggests that the Taliban are direct descendants of
protestors who instigated the mutiny against British imperial
rule and Christian missionary zeal in 19th century India. But
Pakistan is also seen as a major bulwark in the "War on Terror"
and has been the recipient of $5bn in US aid since the attack on
the twin towers. Now the excitement has died down, Pakistan has
dropped out of media con