Age of Intolerance By Muneeb Qadir

‘Age of Intolerance’ attempts to deconstruct and analyse the factors driving a massive increase in the global rise of the far-right across borders in the 21st century.

The book is divided into 6 parts:

-Part One focuses on Pakistan's tryst with populism, focusing on the rise of Imran Khan and increasing polarisation in Pakistani political landscape ever since Khan's ouster from power in 2022. From violent protests to internet outages and increased censorship in the age of mass disinformation, Pakistani politics has never been so divisive and the first part of the book delves into the factors which are driving this precarious political climate in the country today. 

-Part Two of the book traces the rise of Hindutva in India as Modi Sarkaar completes its 10 years in power: 10 years of governance which have been marred by religious and communal tensions, the abrogation of Article 370 in the troubled regions of Jammu & Kashmir and the complete silencing of dissent in Asia’s ‘largest democracy’. 

-Part Three of this book follows the trajectory of twice elected US President Donald Trump focusing particularly on how Trump changed the dynamics of US politics and how the populist American political leader clawed his way in to the White House yet again as a result of the historic 2024 Presidential election. 

-Part Four provides a glimpse into the rise of Rightwing Populism in the UK, including an analysis of the 2016 Brexit referendum, 14 years of Conservative Party rule and rising communal tensions in light of the July 2024 riots which broke out in Southport against the British Muslim community at the hands of far-right anti-immigration groups in Britain 

-Part Five takes the reader through a detailed analysis of one of the worst Humanitarian catastrophes of our time: The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza post 7th October 2023. This part of the book thoroughly examines the 'justifications' that the Global North and international rightwing media have been churning out in defence of Israel's constant attacks on civilian targets in Gaza, the ban on pro-Palestinian marches in Universities in the USA and the peddling of false narratives while thousands of civilians are caught devastatingly in the line of fire. 

-Part Six: The last part of the book explores the far-right's growing influence in global politics generally and in European politics specifically, highlighting the outcome of the 2024 European Parliamentary elections and how previously cornered politicians are now gaining traction such as Marine Le Pen in France, Geert Wilders in the Netherlands or Viktor Orban in Hungary.

‘Age of Intolerance’ aims to highlight the uncomfortable truth that on the eve of 2025, we might be drifting further away from democratic principles of inclusivity, human rights and protection of fundamental freedoms. This is done by shedding light on the commonalities between this shift towards rightwing populism and cult of personality politics at national, regional and global levels. Is this the result of narrative wars or global cost-of-living crisis or mass unemployment or identity politics? How does the use of social media and AI figure into this equation in exacerbating the spread of mass disinformation? These are the pressing questions of the world we find ourselves in: A world where intolerance reigns supreme. 

About the Author:

Title: Age of Intolerance: Global Populism and Decline of Democracy in the 21st Century
Author: Muneeb Qadir
Subject: Political Science
ISBN: 9693536614
Language: English
Number of Pages: 252
Year of Publication: 2025