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Ten years ago, on Oct. 21, 2007, the cover of Newsweek declared: “The most dangerous nation in the world isn’t Iraq, it’s Pakistan.”

Today, Pakistan is in a worse situation. A group of Islamists, from the Sufi Islamic orders, took the country’s capital hostage.

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Many believe this was done with the not-so-covert backing of the Pakistan army, triggering the elected civilian government’s surrender.

The recent protests started peacefully when a mainstream Islamic sect descended on the outskirts of Islamabad on Nov. 7, putting up a modern era siege. Their demand: Defend the honour of the Prophet Muhammad and prevent blasphemy caused by proposed legislation that would not require parliamentarians to swear that Prophet Muhammad was the final prophet.

They blamed Law Minister Zahid Hamid for the change and demanded he resign. The courts intervened, but to no avail.

Eight thousand police were deployed, but were attacked by the protesters, many of whom were surprisingly well armed with guns and tear gas.