NEWS ANALYSIS: Obama Faces New Doubts on Pursuing Afghan War

Ahead of a deadline to draw down troops, President Obama is facing more vocal arguments that the benefits of the current course are outweighed by the price.

http://nyti.ms/a3aZAk

Pakistan’s Elite Pay Few Taxes, Widening Gap

The lack of a workable tax system feeds an inequality in Pakistani society, and is helping an insurgency spread.

http://nyti.ms/dsyTDV

Believer’s Bazaar

A scholar of Indian history explores the diverse religious world of the subcontinent through the lives of nine remarkable individuals.

http://nyti.ms/axenOs

OP-ED COLUMNIST: The Roots of White Anxiety

To understand the country’s polarization, take a look at the admissions process at elite private colleges.

http://nyti.ms/dsATR7

After the British army conquered the Sindh region of what is now modern-day Pakistan in the 1840s, Gen. Charles Napier enforced a ban on the practice of Sati — the burning of widows alive on the funeral pyres of their husbands. A delegation of Hindu leaders approached Napier to complain that their ancient traditions were being violated. The general is said to have replied: “You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: When men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. . . . You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”

Europe’s burqa rage

OP-ED COLUMNIST: Lost Decade Looming?

America definitely isn’t Greece, but it is looking more and more like Japan. Inadequate recovery, not deficits, is the big problem.

http://nyti.ms/blfvxM

PAYBACK TIME: Crisis Imperils Liberal Benefits Long Expected by Europeans

The deficit crisis that threatens the euro — along with an aging population and low growth — has undermined the sustainability of Europe’s standard of social welfare.

http://nyti.ms/csJVJN

I woke up early on Sept. 12, 2001, to get ready for work. I put on my best suit, my only custom-made shirt, my most expensive Nordstrom tie. I shined my shoes. I was tense and nervous and did not know what to expect from my co-workers. I had, by chance, been off duty the day before, the day of the horrific attacks on the United States, and of course by late evening on Sept. 11, the names of the suspected hijackers began to come out. All were Arabic or Muslim names like mine.

Opinions Compassion, prejudice and American Muslims

Compassion, prejudice and American Muslims

OP-ED COLUMNIST: Pakistan and Times Sq.

Investing in schools abroad could be a significant way to fight terrorism in the homeland.

http://nyti.ms/au4T6k

Bernard Lewis is one of the world’s foremost Western scholars on Islam. In this eloquent talk he shares some of his knowledge, and explains how the different world views held by Christians and Muslims can lead to misunderstanding…

Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East