Where in the world would you find Karen Armstrong in a room with 2,000 opinionated Muslims... all enjoying a lively discussion about tolerance, compassion, and religion? At the Karachi Literature Festival. Yes, Karachi. As in Karachi, Pakistan... the city where this week's headlines include "Tribal elder's house blown up," "Schoolteachers block road in protest," and "Relatives thrash doctors after 10 year-old girl dies." Is there any space for intellectual discussion in this city?
The answer is a resounding "Yes!" Over 5,000 readers, writers, and book-lovers thronged to the Carlton Hotel on the coast of the Arabian Sea to mingle with Pakistan's leading authors. Noted religious historian and interfaith spokesperson Karen Armstrong lent her voice to the general message of the festival -- that intolerance thrives amidst ignorance. "We really know so little about one another. Diversity within oneself and among others should be appreciated, and we should be open to change," she said. And what better way to learn than through a book? Works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, in both English and Urdu, were displayed on tables at the outdoor pavilion, while concurrent sessions with authors and journalists took place in the conference rooms throughout the hotel.
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