Pervez Hoodbhoy | Pakistan's Move Away From Fundamentalism: Is It For Real?

About

Pervez Hoodbhoy (https://pervezhoodbhoyofficial.com/) is a distinguished Pakistani physicist, public intellectual, and longtime advocate for science, rationalism, and secular thought. In this talk, he examines recent signs of social and political change in Pakistan and asks whether they represent a genuine retreat from religious fundamentalism or a more limited and uncertain shift. Event moderated by Munis D. Faruqui (https://sseas.berkeley.edu/people/munis-d-faruqui/), Director, Institute for South Asia Studies; Director, Global, International & Area Studies (GIAS); Sarah Kailath Chair of India Studies; Professor, South & Southeast Asian Studies, UC Berkeley. ————–DATE: Tue, October 27, 2026 TIME: 5-6:30 pm PST VENUE: 10 Stephens Hall LIVESTREAM: ISASatUCBerkeley (https://www.facebook.com/ISASatUCBerkeley) —————- SPEAKER BIOPervez Amirali Hoodbhoy (https://pervezhoodbhoyofficial.com/), born in Karachi (1950), resides in Islamabad where he taught physics for 47 years (1973-2021) at Quaid-e-Azam University. From 2013-2020 he was Distinguished Professor of Physics and Mathematics at Forman Christian College-University, Lahore. Earlier, for short periods he was visiting professor at MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Maryland, and a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Washington. In 2022 he founded The Black Hole, a community space in Islamabad dedicated to the pursuit of science, art, culture. Dr. Hoodbhoy's best known book (1990) is titled Islam and Science – Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality, translated into 8 languages. His current book, Pakistan: Origins, Identity and Future (Routledge, 2023) has been widely reviewed. He is also a well-known commentator on Pakistani TV channels on political and social issues. As an activist against nuclear weapons in South Asia, he has written and spoken extensively for their abolition. His documentary films include, "Pakistan and India under the Nuclear Shadow" and "Crossing the Lines – Kashmir, Pakistan, India" ��————— Event is FREE and OPEN to the public. Like us on FACEBOOK (https://www.facebook.com/ISASatUCBerkeley)PARKING INFORMATION (http://southasia.berkeley.edu/parking-around-campus)Please note that parking in not always easily available in Berkeley. Take public transportation if possible or arrive early to secure your spot.DIRECTIONS (https://southasia.berkeley.edu/contactsdirections) We are located at 10 Stephens Hall on UC Berkeley's campus. Please click this Google Maps Link (https://www.google.com/maps/dir//Institute+for+South+Asia+Studies,+Berkeley,+CA/@37.8712099,-122.3278764,12z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x80857c25babcc33d:0xe2ff7d5c1483db5a!2m2!1d-122.2576645!2d37.8710952!3e0) and enter your point of departure.