Adil Najam

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Adil Najam is a Professor of International Relations and of Geography & Environment at Boston University and was the founding editor of the popular blog Pakistaniat: All Things Pakistan.

Besides his environmental research, Professor Najam works conflict resolution, international negotiation, on United Nations related policy issues, and on South Asia issues. He has been a famous Pakistani Talk Show host and jounalist who has emerged as a rising star in the international environmental movement according to someone called Omar Sacirbey [1] while Hugh Fitzgerald, the vice president of the Jihad Watch terms him to be an apologist [2]. He is regularly called on by NPR and other news outlets as an expert guest [1] sometimes also on topics outside his areas of expertise [2].

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[edit] Awards

Prof. Najam was one of over 450 Lead Authors of the Third and Fourth Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), works for which the IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. Prof. Adil Najam won the Fletcher School Paddock Teaching Award (2004), MIT's Goodwin Medal for Effective Teaching (1997), the International Political Science Association's Stien Rokan Award (1997), and the Pakistan Television Outstanding Achievement Medal (1990).[3][4]

[edit] Pakistaniat blog

Najam has waded back into journalism with his blog of "All Things Pakistan." Launched in June 2006, Pakistaniat now gets 10,000 visitors daily and is cited in both the Pakistani press and Western newspapers such as The Guardian in the United Kingdom. [1] When Pakistani security forces laid siege to hundreds of Islamic extremists in an Islamabad mosque in summer of 2007, some of the extremists posted comments on Pakistaniat from inside the mosque, while supporters of either and neither side argued with each other in the comment section. [1]

[edit] Academic positions

Adil Najam was an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Boston University (1997-2003), an Associate Professor of International Negotiation and Diplomacy at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (2003-2007), and returned to Boston University as a Professor of Global Public Policy, of International Relations and of Geography and Environment in 2007. In November 2007, Adil Najam was named director of Boston University's Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. [1][3][4]

[edit] Controversy

Najam's views have been criticized on several issues. One claim is that he is appearing on various American talk shows as an expert on Pakistan, while his main knowledge is in the technical field of ecology.[2] The article claims Najam is a self proclaimed expert. His liberal views towards pro-peace, anti-violence, advocating American culture such as openly dating of young men and women, depicted in his books as the Pakistani Sufi Muslim way, has been rejected by various Muslim groups throughout the world, and in Pakistan in particular[citation needed]. His stance against nuclear bombs worldwide[5] where he calls for banning atomic weapons in the United States as well as worldwide, has received criticism[citation needed].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Omar Sacirbey (2008-02-18). Adil Najam puts things on global perspective. The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  2. ^ a b c Hugh Fitzgerald (2006-07-15). What is NPR's excuse?. jihadwatch.org. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  3. ^ a b Faculty Profile for Prof. Adil Najam. Boston University. Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
  4. ^ a b Faculty Profile for Prof. Adil Najam. The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
  5. ^ Get rid of all nuclear arms (February 18, 2004)

[edit] External links