South Asians made up of hundreds of identities, we must protect all of them: Fatima Bhutto

Acclaimed Pakistani author Fatima Bhutto, who believes the way to combat fundamentalists is to celebrate the co-existence of more than one culture, says South Asians are made up of hundreds of identities and we must fight to protect all of them.

The 36-year-old granddaughter of the late Pakistan prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who delivered the closing address at the recent Sydney Writers' Festival, speaks to PTI about her latest book "The Runaways", what drives young people to become radicals, how the violence in Pakistan during her growing up years taught her to be brave and the west's accountability in the "explosive radicalism" of today.

Excerpts from the interview:
Q: What is driving young people today to become radicals and join groups like ISIS?
Q: ISIS has claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka massacre? Is its focus moving to South Asia?
Q: What was it like growing up in Syria and Pakistan? How have the two countries changed, especially for the youth?
Q: What was the motivation behind penning "The Runaways"? Was it developments in Iraq and Syria or events closer home in Pakistan and India? Do your characters in "The Runaways" depict real life stories or did it involve a lot of research?
Q: What are the factors, according to you, that are contributing to radicalism?
Q: Will stripping citizens, convicted of terrorism, of their citizenship make things worse?
Q: In trying to fit into the adopted country, do South Asian parents put undue pressure on their children to realise their unfulfilled ambitions and aspirations and unknowingly make their children feel unwanted and unfit?
Q: How can migrant communities be better assimilated with mainstream society?