09
March 2017
Past Event
Purifying the Land of the Pure: A History of Pakistan's Religious Minorities

Purifying the Land of the Pure: A History of Pakistan's Religious Minorities

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
March 09, 2017
Pakistani Christians hold candles as they march during the Easter Celebration ceremony on April 20, 2014 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Caption
Pakistani Christians hold candles as they march during the Easter Celebration ceremony on April 20, 2014 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
09
March 2017
Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

Speakers:
Nina Shea
Nina Shea

Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Religious Freedom

Although Pakistan was created as a homeland for South Asia's Muslims, religious freedom was one of its founding principles. In 1947, Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared “You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”

Seventy years later, Pakistan is better known for religious extremism and the persecution of Muslim and non-Muslim religious minorities. Pakistan’s blasphemy law is a state-sanctioned tool of religious oppression used to target members of minority faith communities whether Ahmadiya, Christian, Hindu, or Shiite, as well as Sunnis who criticize the law. Its many victims include Asia Bibi, a Christian woman imprisoned since 2008, and two prominent government officials who were murdered in 2011 for defending her: Shahbaz Bhatti, the former Minority Affairs Minister, and Salman Taseer, the former governor of Punjab.

On March 9, Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedomed hosted a discussion on the blasphemy law and the state of religious oppression in Pakistan with Farahnaz Ispahani, a former Pakistani politician and the author of Purifying the Land of the Pure In her new book, Ispahani traces the transformation of Jinnah's Pakistan into an Islamic state, and writes that Pakistan’s Islamization has sparked a regional trend that will not be easy to reverse. Nina Shea, director of Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, moderated the discussion.

Related Events
22
July 2025
Past Event
How Trump’s Tariffs Will Affect US-Taiwan Relations
Featured Speakers:
Chang-Tai Hsieh
John Deng
Brad Setser
Riley Walters
Moderator:
Jason Hsu
Getty Images
22
July 2025
Past Event
How Trump’s Tariffs Will Affect US-Taiwan Relations

Join Hudson for a panel discussion with American and Taiwanese experts and former policymakers on how Taiwan can navigate economic headwinds, realign its trade strategy, and strengthen its resilience in the face of the rising Chinese threat.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Chang-Tai Hsieh
John Deng
Brad Setser
Riley Walters
Moderator:
Jason Hsu
23
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Designating the Polisario Front: A Conversation with Rep. Joe Wilson
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Congressman Joe Wilson
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) speaks during a news conference hosted by members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus at the Capitol on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
23
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Designating the Polisario Front: A Conversation with Rep. Joe Wilson

Michael Doran, director of Hudson’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, will host Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) for a discussion on the strategic benefits of designating the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) speaks during a news conference hosted by members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus at the Capitol on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Congressman Joe Wilson
23
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Postponed | The State of Republican Foreign Policy with Congressman Jake Ellzey
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Jake Ellzey
Peter Rough
Getty Images
23
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Postponed | The State of Republican Foreign Policy with Congressman Jake Ellzey

Join Peter Rough, senior fellow and director of Hudson’s Center on Europe and Eurasia, for a conversation with Congressman Jake Ellzey (R-TX) on the state of Republican foreign policy and how America can continue to lead with strength on the global stage.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Jake Ellzey
Peter Rough
24
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Achieving Adaptable Scale: Fielding Military Capabilities as a Service
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Rob Wittman
General Mike Minihan
Colin Carroll
Mike Shortsleeve
Muk Pandian
Mike Connor
Moderator:
Bryan Clark
DVIDS
24
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Achieving Adaptable Scale: Fielding Military Capabilities as a Service

Join Hudson Senior Fellow Bryan Clark for a discussion with Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA), General Mike Minihan (US Air Force, Ret.), and experts from the defense industry for a series of discussions examining the potential challenges and opportunities the Pentagon may face when adopting a services model to meet urgent capability needs.

DVIDS
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Rob Wittman
General Mike Minihan
Colin Carroll
Mike Shortsleeve
Muk Pandian
Mike Connor
Moderator:
Bryan Clark