<p>The poem and essay competition at the prestigious Punjab University shows the footholds of hard-line Islamists on college campuses and growing efforts to raise their influence even in the relatively cosmopolitan atmosphere of Pakistan’s culture capital, Lahore.<br /><br />The contest’s organisers have kept their identities hidden. But many students and teachers suspect it is being held by a powerful Islamist student group that has increasingly enforced its conservative religious views on the rest of the campus—sometimes violently.<br /><br />The Islami Jamiat Talaba, which is connected to Pakistan’s largest Islamist party, has denied involvement, saying it doesn’t participate in secret activities. But its leaders have publicly acknowledged that many members support bin Laden and have a profound hatred for the US.<br /><br />The group’s rising ambitions have intensified fears about the radicalisation of Pakistan’s educated middle classes, who make up a large part of the public university’s population. <br /><br />“Whoever is America’s friend is a traitor!” roared the head of the student group, Zubair Safdar, in an interview.<br /><br />His views were echoed by 19-year-old student Bismah Khan as she read one of the posters promoting Laden contest. One of three topics for the essay section was: “Osama, a thorn <br />piercing the hearts of infidels.”<br /><br />The group holding the contest identifies itself only as “Sheik Lovers” and provided an email address for contestants to submit their entries.</p>
<p>The poem and essay competition at the prestigious Punjab University shows the footholds of hard-line Islamists on college campuses and growing efforts to raise their influence even in the relatively cosmopolitan atmosphere of Pakistan’s culture capital, Lahore.<br /><br />The contest’s organisers have kept their identities hidden. But many students and teachers suspect it is being held by a powerful Islamist student group that has increasingly enforced its conservative religious views on the rest of the campus—sometimes violently.<br /><br />The Islami Jamiat Talaba, which is connected to Pakistan’s largest Islamist party, has denied involvement, saying it doesn’t participate in secret activities. But its leaders have publicly acknowledged that many members support bin Laden and have a profound hatred for the US.<br /><br />The group’s rising ambitions have intensified fears about the radicalisation of Pakistan’s educated middle classes, who make up a large part of the public university’s population. <br /><br />“Whoever is America’s friend is a traitor!” roared the head of the student group, Zubair Safdar, in an interview.<br /><br />His views were echoed by 19-year-old student Bismah Khan as she read one of the posters promoting Laden contest. One of three topics for the essay section was: “Osama, a thorn <br />piercing the hearts of infidels.”<br /><br />The group holding the contest identifies itself only as “Sheik Lovers” and provided an email address for contestants to submit their entries.</p>