On Tuesday, July 20, Ambassador Hussain Haroon and the Pakistani Peace Builders Initiative hosted the 1st Annual NY Sufi Festival, a free three-hour concert held in the city’s Union Square. According to the NY Times, the Pakistani Peace Builders, an organization formed after the failed Times Square bombing by Faisal Shahzad, “seeks to counteract negative images of Pakistan by presenting a longtime Pakistani Islamic tradition that preaches love, peace and tolerance.” Below, Sehar Tariq, who just completed her Master’s in Public Policy from Princeton University (and is about to return home to Pakistan) and blogs at Sehar Says, discusses her experience at the concert:

By Tahmena Bokhari

As a Canadian of Pakistani origin, social worker and community speaker on issues facing the Pakistani community, it seems that I cannot talk about Pakistan or Pakistani women without being asked about religion, Islam, or non-secularism.

By Tehmina Kazi

During the last fortnight, various newspapers have reported on a BBC London News investigation which showed that some Muslim pupils were being withdrawn from music lessons. Last week, a Daily Mail headline screamed: “Council FORCES schools to re-arrange exams and cancels lessons to avoid offending Muslims during Ramadan” – relating to guidance received by headteachers at Stoke-on-Trent Council in Staffordshire.

By Caroiline Jaine

Last year I stood in London’s Frontline Club amidst a lively audience having just watched a short film about British extremists who pervert Islam to justify their violent acts.