On air: Is Sharia law a price worth paying for peace?

No peace, no Sharia. For many people outside Pakistan the idea of implementing Sharia law to bring peace to a once thriving tourist region was a controversial olive branch. But to others living in the Swat region it’s a welcome relief. As I write this the Pakistani President Asif Zardari has announced he will only sign such a deal, once peace there is fully restored.

Read more here from our talking points post. We’re planning on looking at this issue on Wednesday’s programme.

On air: Does slavery affect how black people live today?

US academic Mark Anthony Neal was one of the guests on yesterday’s show about domestic violence. One of his comments has sparked a whole separate discussion which we’ll continue today.

Is abstinence realistic?

No says Bristol Palin (Sarah Palin’s pregnant teenager daughter).

Talking Points: 17 February

Sharia Law in Pakistan

“May God protect this peace deal,” said Haji Javed, a shop owner from the Swat Region of Pakistan. Pakistan’s decision to impose Sharia Law in the North-West of the country as part of a peace deal may have received criticism from outside the country, but many people who live there have welcomed the move.