Word: secularize
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...course of defending himself to the Inspector General's office, one of the generals asserted his belief that the Christian Embassy had become a "quasi-federal entity." This seems to support assertions by Weinstein that there is real confusion in high ranks of the military regarding armed service's secular status...
...banquet halls. Just one thing is missing: celebratory gunfire. Hamas has banned partying with firearms. But there has been no cultural crackdown since Hamas took over. Gaza has long been more religious and conservative than the rest of Palestinian society--alcohol disappeared from public view here long ago. But secular women who walk the streets of Gaza City without head scarves or veils say they were more likely to be harassed by criminals in the old Gaza than by religious conservatives today. Rumors that Hamas is ordering barbers not to shave beards are just that. I got mine shaved...
After Watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I asked several children in the audience if they felt that the movie portrayed a "secular, bureaucratized, all-too-human sorcery, in which psychology and technology have superseded the sacred." They all answered no. They said it was a lot of fun. Do you really think that 8-year-olds go to see Harry Potter with deep analysis in mind? They were more critical of the "yucky kiss" than of any religious undertones supposedly hidden in the script. Let children be children for as long as possible...
...promoting jihadist militants, to use either as a club against regional enemies like India or as an excuse for retaining power. And Musharraf is no exception. In 2002, he manipulated parliamentary elections to hand Islamists control of two Pakistani provinces that border Afghanistan. By undermining Pakistan's large, relatively secular parties, he has left mosques and madrasahs as the most potent vehicles for political expression. Musharraf talks a good game about liberalizing Pakistani society, but his choice of allies suggests he's not serious. And little has been done...
...free elections, since an alliance with Bhutto would give him real support in Parliament. Such an arrangement still wouldn't be democratic, and Bhutto's previous stint as Prime Minister hardly inspires confidence in her management skills. But it would make Musharraf's government more accountable and strengthen the secular parties that are Pakistan's best long-term bulwark against Islamist rule. What's more, an alliance with the more progressive Bhutto might bring the domestic reforms Pakistan needs, like improving its disastrous educational system and strengthening the rights of women...