OK!! So it all started with those two planes crashing into WTC 1 & 2 but WTC 7 mysteriously came down, crashing on it's own. Various attempts by American public to seek justification of WTC7 implosion, have met with utter contempt and indignation by the administration but that's another story. Once there was even a commission setup under Henry Kissinger to investigate the causes but equally mysteriously that was also disbanded a few months later as families of 9-11 victims expressed their distrust in integrity of this man (HK). Nothing of this commission has ever been heard again.
Soon, there was this talk about Bin Laden hiding in Tora Bora and Bush said that "we're gonna smoke him out.." pure texas style. Osama became the most hated but most powerful character in history of mankind. Superpower went behind this guy and his sleeper cells with all it's military might. Ex imperial power (Tony Blair) wagged along.
Then somewhere down the line talk about putting Baghdad population to "Shock and Awe" strategy came to fore and Saddam was said to possess WMD.
Shock and Awe happened and Saddam did not use any of his WMDs, neither were they found. He was later found (gassed) inside a cat hole, tried for killing 150 shias (mind you....not for using chemical weapons against Iran, Kurds or invading Kuwait) and now executed. He was sent as a sacrifice to God, symbolically, on the dawn of the Eid day.
The very act of hanging Saddam on Eid Day where Muslims slaughter a sheep to feed poor and hungry and seek blessings from Almighty is nothing but 'psychological warfare' on Muslims hearts and minds, played by US/UK combine along with their military.
In a nutshell, Muslims slaughter a sheep on this day in order to simulate Abraham(pbuh) acting upon his dream of God Almighty asking him to sacrifice his most beloved possession in the way of God. He kept seeing the same dream despite giving away his wealth/sheeps and camels until he decided that nothing is left with him that's more dearer than his only son, Ismael. So off he went to sacrifice him and God instead, miraculously replaced ismael with a sheep, whom he slaughtered while his eyes were closed for he could not see the blood pouring out of his own son. That's the story for you guys, just in case you wanted to know...
And No!!! Executing Saddam on the day of Eid is not about disregard to Muslim sensitivities but provocation in it's worst form. Something, which would make every moderate (majority) Muslim believe in what Osama and Saddam maintained all this while, that this war, is about, war between Christianity/Zionism trying to subjugate/steal everything that's dear to Islam Muslims. Roll back, whatever little progress they have done and keep them forever entrenched in medieval ages..and quite frankly, with inner sectarian hatred to exploit, it's not an uphill task at all.
I wont say that Saddam was a saint but even after being, hanged Saddam had won this war as Bush family's two generations couldn't bring him down or his regime by democratic and fair means. Bush will continue to play dirty game all over the world and keep killing thousands of innocent civilians in the name of this phony 'War on terror (nee) Muslims'.
Saddam showed dignity in the face of death. I wonder, how many of us are capable of doing it. In his final days he was reported to have said: "I am in prison but the knights outside will liberate the country. I call on all Iraqis, Arabs and Kurds, to forgive, reconcile and shake
hands."
Saddam was a case of an Arab puppet gone "out of hand", others are still in US kitty though.
That's the only reason America invaded, captured, tried and executed him. He was no more a 'criminal' than those who equipped him to commit those crimes, rather, they are no less a criminal. He wouldn't do as he was told, so he had to go. Welcome to the modern world. I wonder who would be found guilty of 9/11 if they were tried in the same way? This was no trial, it was 12 months of finger pointing in the vain and arrogant hope it would justify an absolute mess.
The civilized imperative for fair and humane treatment of alleged POW's brooks no exceptions. Direct U.S. involvement in felling Saddam’s statue following the military/prisoners/innocents rape of Iraq, the public viewing of Saddam being examined medically after capture, pictures of him in innerwear when under U. S. custody, and the circumstances of his execution, will remain as a collective blot on the modern world for posterity. They say they have filmed his final moments on camera and would take it to people's bedrooms, some time later. That would be nauseating. Spare us with those grisly images please as yet...they were only the prerogative of those who wanted to see them on Internet.
Where is the 'civilized' world leading to?
Nearly 3000 UK and US troops dead. At a conservative estimate over 100,000 Iraqis dead. All for what purpose?
Well, Bush and Blair have got what they wanted - Saddam is silenced forever and Tariq Aziz (remember, that Christian confidante in Saddam's cabinet), lays well entrenched in Washington's corridors. Out of sight and out of mind.
But the stink of the illegal invasion of Iraq and the 100,000s innocents killed won't be erased with Saddam.
Saddam has but Bush and Blair must pay the price of THEIR crimes too. Their crimes are crimes against humanity...unlike Saddam, who is hanged for charges of committing crimes against his own people.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Friday, December 29, 2006
Saddams murder and beyond
If the American-controlled government of Iraq executes former dictator Saddam Hussein, it will add to the growing evidence that American behavior in Iraq has been illegal and even criminal in nature.
But it will also send a chilling message to any government that seeks to control its own destiny that if they cross the United States, they could become victims of an international rule violated by America.
At issue is whether or not as a leader of a country, Saddam had the right to execute individuals engaged in sedition against his regime, which at one time was backed by the United States. Saddam never denied executing the insurgents who tried to topple his government, claiming he had that right. He may well be guilty of criminal behavior, but the failure to prosecute those crimes legally and under international rules of law will only expose American hypocrisies.
They all did it. Victors since times we now term as 'medieval', have vanquished the losers.
But under this phony, unjust and illegal criminal court system in our 'civilized times, in occupied Baghdad, finding Saddam guilty of committing war crimes would also justify prosecuting President George W. Bush, disgraced former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney for war crimes too.
They stand guilty, based on the same principles bastardized by the US-controlled kangaroo court of the current Iraqi regime, of the crimes of American soldiers who have engaged in the murder of innocent Iraqis during this illegal war.
American soldiers are being prosecuted in some rare instances where the weight of the evidence (unfortunately coming from all sources but US government) is so overwhelming that the American occupatiers cannot deny those charges. But rather than prosecuting the soldiers, Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney should face court-martial.
One must not forget that the illegal invasion of Iraq began when Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney ordered the murder of members of Saddam’s family on March 19, 2003. His two sons, grandson and other relatives were killed in an unprovoked air strike by American fighter jets ordered by the guilty American trio.
A judge who might have ruled against the death penalty was capriciously and illegal removed from the court by the American-controlled government.
The reason they want to rush to execute Saddam is so that Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney can protect themselves, hoping that the death of an unpopular dictator the US helped arm and train might disappear after they leave office.
This scenario of prosecuting Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney for war crimes in Iraq is not that far-fetched and goes far beyond political rhetoric.
There is also an underlying message in the dictate of the American-controlled court ruling that the Arab and Islamic worlds should carefully examine. It is a simple and dangerous message.
If the United States can murder the leader of another nation, regardless of how unpopular he might have been, the reality is that the United States can, at any time, invade any of the other Arab and Muslim countries, too.
And, they can murder the individuals they accuse of crimes without ever prosecuting those fabricated or exaggerated accusations in a court of law.
If Bush can murder Saddam, then he has the power to assassinate the leader of any nation, a practice that was abandoned years ago and only revived under this administration taking it's cue from it's own bartardized zionist regime in the Middle East..
Remember, in the past, American goverments have engaged and conspired in the murder of democratically elected leaders including in Iran where they backed the Shah of Iran and organized a coup to replace a democratically elected leader who was critical of American foreign policy.
The American-anointed Shah went on to become one of the most ruthless murderers of our time, killing, imprisoning and torturing thousands of Iranian civilians, all while the United States looked the other way.
The CIA was engaged in a plan to murder Chile’s democratically elected president, Salvador Allende. Despite the evidence, the CIA has argued that it decommissioned the murder plot before Allende killed himself.
The list of war crimes by the United States exceeds the hyped up charges against Saddam.
Forget about the international violations of laws being committed by American soldiers who have been ordered to ignore the Fourth Geneva Convention, a practice that might come to haunt American soldiers who might be captured by an enemy in some future war.
The very torture justified against the thousands of prisoners being held in American prisons will be used against our own soldiers. The precedent has been set by Bush, and that precedent also bolsters a war crimes prosecution against the Bush administration.
Saddam’s life should be spared and he should only be put on trial before the International Criminal Court at The Hague. That court is the only international judicial body that has jurisdiction over heads of state. The Hague is where war crimes were properly prosecuted against Slobodan Milosevic and others.
But Bush knows that if the case of Saddam were to go to The Hague, he might be acquitted of the trumped up political charges, and instead, war crimes charges could easily be brought against Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney.
That fear is what is driving an otherwise constitutional American democracy to flee the umbrella of the international rule of law, which will never go away and will one day return to haunt this country.
In the end, in executing Saddam, President Bush will be murdering international justice and making an unprecedented mockery of the international rule of law.
-Ray H
But it will also send a chilling message to any government that seeks to control its own destiny that if they cross the United States, they could become victims of an international rule violated by America.
At issue is whether or not as a leader of a country, Saddam had the right to execute individuals engaged in sedition against his regime, which at one time was backed by the United States. Saddam never denied executing the insurgents who tried to topple his government, claiming he had that right. He may well be guilty of criminal behavior, but the failure to prosecute those crimes legally and under international rules of law will only expose American hypocrisies.
They all did it. Victors since times we now term as 'medieval', have vanquished the losers.
But under this phony, unjust and illegal criminal court system in our 'civilized times, in occupied Baghdad, finding Saddam guilty of committing war crimes would also justify prosecuting President George W. Bush, disgraced former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney for war crimes too.
They stand guilty, based on the same principles bastardized by the US-controlled kangaroo court of the current Iraqi regime, of the crimes of American soldiers who have engaged in the murder of innocent Iraqis during this illegal war.
American soldiers are being prosecuted in some rare instances where the weight of the evidence (unfortunately coming from all sources but US government) is so overwhelming that the American occupatiers cannot deny those charges. But rather than prosecuting the soldiers, Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney should face court-martial.
One must not forget that the illegal invasion of Iraq began when Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney ordered the murder of members of Saddam’s family on March 19, 2003. His two sons, grandson and other relatives were killed in an unprovoked air strike by American fighter jets ordered by the guilty American trio.
A judge who might have ruled against the death penalty was capriciously and illegal removed from the court by the American-controlled government.
The reason they want to rush to execute Saddam is so that Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney can protect themselves, hoping that the death of an unpopular dictator the US helped arm and train might disappear after they leave office.
This scenario of prosecuting Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney for war crimes in Iraq is not that far-fetched and goes far beyond political rhetoric.
There is also an underlying message in the dictate of the American-controlled court ruling that the Arab and Islamic worlds should carefully examine. It is a simple and dangerous message.
If the United States can murder the leader of another nation, regardless of how unpopular he might have been, the reality is that the United States can, at any time, invade any of the other Arab and Muslim countries, too.
And, they can murder the individuals they accuse of crimes without ever prosecuting those fabricated or exaggerated accusations in a court of law.
If Bush can murder Saddam, then he has the power to assassinate the leader of any nation, a practice that was abandoned years ago and only revived under this administration taking it's cue from it's own bartardized zionist regime in the Middle East..
Remember, in the past, American goverments have engaged and conspired in the murder of democratically elected leaders including in Iran where they backed the Shah of Iran and organized a coup to replace a democratically elected leader who was critical of American foreign policy.
The American-anointed Shah went on to become one of the most ruthless murderers of our time, killing, imprisoning and torturing thousands of Iranian civilians, all while the United States looked the other way.
The CIA was engaged in a plan to murder Chile’s democratically elected president, Salvador Allende. Despite the evidence, the CIA has argued that it decommissioned the murder plot before Allende killed himself.
The list of war crimes by the United States exceeds the hyped up charges against Saddam.
Forget about the international violations of laws being committed by American soldiers who have been ordered to ignore the Fourth Geneva Convention, a practice that might come to haunt American soldiers who might be captured by an enemy in some future war.
The very torture justified against the thousands of prisoners being held in American prisons will be used against our own soldiers. The precedent has been set by Bush, and that precedent also bolsters a war crimes prosecution against the Bush administration.
Saddam’s life should be spared and he should only be put on trial before the International Criminal Court at The Hague. That court is the only international judicial body that has jurisdiction over heads of state. The Hague is where war crimes were properly prosecuted against Slobodan Milosevic and others.
But Bush knows that if the case of Saddam were to go to The Hague, he might be acquitted of the trumped up political charges, and instead, war crimes charges could easily be brought against Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney.
That fear is what is driving an otherwise constitutional American democracy to flee the umbrella of the international rule of law, which will never go away and will one day return to haunt this country.
In the end, in executing Saddam, President Bush will be murdering international justice and making an unprecedented mockery of the international rule of law.
-Ray H
Monday, September 18, 2006
Islam is Peaceful..*phew*
Islam is a peaceful religion..HA HA HA!!!
Yes...many of us would laugh when the dichotomous relationship betwenn Islam and Peace is mentioned.
When would the common sense pervail. Muslims are more violent. Let us analyse some recent conflicts as history can be debated for years for its truthness. Hezbollah and Israel. Violence count 1100 (Muslims) and 120 (Jews). Who is more violent?. Iraq and So called coalition of willing - 100,000 (muslims) - 2700 Americans + 500 (others). Who is more violent?. Afghanistan and So called coalition of willing - 10,000 (msulims) and around 500 (americans and others) Who is more violent. The list can go on and on and on. Their is only one difference between all these violenct encounters .. Muslims do not have CNN, BBC and FOX and UN Security council to justify all these although when aljazeera tries to do just that even they get their office and journalist bombed. It is high time that we stop blaming religion for the violence. It is all about money and nothing else. People use religion, democracy, freedom to further their economic interest.
The west has finally out done itself in hypocrisy. While passing the laws to prevent hatred and extremism (UK). It has started to heap hatred toward Islam in form of passing laws to ban Headdresses (Hijab), monitoring religious gathering, abducting people from the streets and rendition them secretly and holding them incommunicado. Repeatedly publishing cartoon showing Prophet Mohammad as a terrorist.
Now, it is utterly hypocritical of Pope Benedict to criticize Islam and it Prophet while it is his followers (the Christian west) who have waged most wars and caused most of the bloodshed in the modern history (WWI, WWII ? resulted in the use of Atomic Weapons by the US, Korean War, Vietnam War and now unjustified invasion of Iraq). The Christians have to look at themselves before slandering Islam or other great religions either by publishing offensive cartoons or quoting their bigot brothers of the past. Catholicism's murderous and compromised history (crusades sanctioned by the Pope Urban) left it with no moral leg to stand on to criticize other religions. It was the Christian west who colonized and enslaved most of the world by force and pillaged various continents of their natural resources during most of the modern history.
But THEN...
I love my Muslim brothers and non-Muslim friends. I want only the best for them. It pains me to see Islam connected to thin-skinned emotional reactions to comments by the likes of Popeye popes and insulting cartoons.
Why can't Muslim leadership be true wise leaders? I fail to accept them as being so incapable and impotent? Don't they want to help our Muslim brothers and sisters to walk a path of restrain? Don't they see the value of mature broadshouldered acceptance of outsiders occasional inappropriate comments? A shrug is a more advanced reaction than a fist or a fury. It's the Sunnah. It's the Quran!
The current path is embarrassing. The rabble rousing and the inability of Muslim leadership to contain the resulting violence and vitriolic makes me cringe in sympathy for the ordinary Muslim. They are the ones who must live, and cope daily, with the reputation this creates.
This is on top the linkage of modern Islam to terrorism, murder, intolerance. What a burden!
We have a voice. Why hinder? Why not help? Help in making this World a Better place!
Yes...many of us would laugh when the dichotomous relationship betwenn Islam and Peace is mentioned.
When would the common sense pervail. Muslims are more violent. Let us analyse some recent conflicts as history can be debated for years for its truthness. Hezbollah and Israel. Violence count 1100 (Muslims) and 120 (Jews). Who is more violent?. Iraq and So called coalition of willing - 100,000 (muslims) - 2700 Americans + 500 (others). Who is more violent?. Afghanistan and So called coalition of willing - 10,000 (msulims) and around 500 (americans and others) Who is more violent. The list can go on and on and on. Their is only one difference between all these violenct encounters .. Muslims do not have CNN, BBC and FOX and UN Security council to justify all these although when aljazeera tries to do just that even they get their office and journalist bombed. It is high time that we stop blaming religion for the violence. It is all about money and nothing else. People use religion, democracy, freedom to further their economic interest.
The west has finally out done itself in hypocrisy. While passing the laws to prevent hatred and extremism (UK). It has started to heap hatred toward Islam in form of passing laws to ban Headdresses (Hijab), monitoring religious gathering, abducting people from the streets and rendition them secretly and holding them incommunicado. Repeatedly publishing cartoon showing Prophet Mohammad as a terrorist.
Now, it is utterly hypocritical of Pope Benedict to criticize Islam and it Prophet while it is his followers (the Christian west) who have waged most wars and caused most of the bloodshed in the modern history (WWI, WWII ? resulted in the use of Atomic Weapons by the US, Korean War, Vietnam War and now unjustified invasion of Iraq). The Christians have to look at themselves before slandering Islam or other great religions either by publishing offensive cartoons or quoting their bigot brothers of the past. Catholicism's murderous and compromised history (crusades sanctioned by the Pope Urban) left it with no moral leg to stand on to criticize other religions. It was the Christian west who colonized and enslaved most of the world by force and pillaged various continents of their natural resources during most of the modern history.
But THEN...
I love my Muslim brothers and non-Muslim friends. I want only the best for them. It pains me to see Islam connected to thin-skinned emotional reactions to comments by the likes of Popeye popes and insulting cartoons.
Why can't Muslim leadership be true wise leaders? I fail to accept them as being so incapable and impotent? Don't they want to help our Muslim brothers and sisters to walk a path of restrain? Don't they see the value of mature broadshouldered acceptance of outsiders occasional inappropriate comments? A shrug is a more advanced reaction than a fist or a fury. It's the Sunnah. It's the Quran!
The current path is embarrassing. The rabble rousing and the inability of Muslim leadership to contain the resulting violence and vitriolic makes me cringe in sympathy for the ordinary Muslim. They are the ones who must live, and cope daily, with the reputation this creates.
This is on top the linkage of modern Islam to terrorism, murder, intolerance. What a burden!
We have a voice. Why hinder? Why not help? Help in making this World a Better place!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah et.al
All it took was a couple of soldiers for Israel to go on the offensive against the Hezbollah. How many innocent Indians will it take for our politicians to meet the enemy eye-to-eye? What will it take for the Indian politician to realize that the enemy is not interested in peace? - So wrote one, Rahul Sharma from Austin, Texas, in Gulf News Online newspaper, Letters to Editor section.
Many amongst us Indians feel quite awed and mesmerised by Israel's heroic deeds in the Middle East. Part of the appreciation for Israeli actions lies in the maxim - "Enemies enemy is my friend...", where the whole Muslim world is considered an enemy of Hindutva version of Hinduism but part of the problem also lies amongst the nouveo rich NRI genre of peepat's who sit far beyond in the lands where conflicts/misadventures like the ones undertaken by Israel, if carbon - copied by India, would have little or no direct effects in their personal / immediate family lives.
Coming back to Israel. Co-religionists of the Einstein, the land of educated scientists and sufferers of untold misery in the hands of Europeans during WWII. They are now facing a dire threat to their homeland by Iranians/Arabs who wants to push them into the sea. They indeed deserves our sympathy and more.
The Arabs/Muslims..in general, are good for nothing fellas...dispensable on human resources level and mistakenly blessed by God on natural resources level. These guys can aptly be annihilated and their lands re-habitated by poeple from around the world. If not annihilated, at least made slavishly subserviance for 'shudra' kinda works.
Afterall...honestly...the whole Middle East except Israel..has not a thing to offer to humanity except ill-gotten Oil and Gas. I still remember someone aptly summarising the US built up to Iraq War. He wrote: " Let's cut the crap..kick the ass and get the Gas..!!!"
Had Bush said that in all honesty..I would have lesser problems with him on moral grounds.
On to Israel Again! Having fought since it's creation with hostile muslim nations around, it's a persona of strength against all odds. ( Not many knows that US opened direct Air bridge and transfered arms that were not yet put into mainstream production lines during Israel's war with Egypt in 1973). Anyways..Jo jeeta wohi sikander.
Now, just a bit of Israel's unquestioned history..bear with me!!
Throughout history many countries have been occupied, but establishment of a new country with a utterly new set of people, is a new phenomenon that is exclusive to our times. Sixty years ago the country itself did not exist that could be called as Israel. Six million Jews that were surely related to at least two million families are fabled to have been incinerated across Europe. Numbers deny logic but let's believe them. Hmmm..Ok Let me explain...not the Iranian Ahmedinejad's way...but more rational way.
Historically...the Talmud (Old Testament) cites examples of many billions of Jews being killed (including children being burned). Needless to say, there have never been that many Jews on the face of the earth. The same falsification and embellishment is true with regard to the "holocaust" of World War II. Many Jews died, but not the six million that is claimed. Perhaps a million died, none from gas chambers. Red Cross documentation which Jewish controllers refuse to release, is suspected of suggesting that some 100,000 were lost.
As historian David Irving (poor guy is suffering jail term for being condemned as an Anti Semite) and many others have rightly observed, there never were gas chambers at the concentration camps. And, it would have been impossible for the Germans to have gassed and then burned an average of 12,000 Jews every day. Reports by concentration camp survivors that tell of the guards going into "gas chambers" as soon as one batch of Jews had been killed, clearing out the bodies, and then filling the room again are patently false – the guards (none of whom was reported to have worn a mask) would have instantly died, since cyanide does not dissipate or disappear in a few minutes, it takes hours and hours. Remember..Bhopal!!??
Also, there would have been bones and ashes to show, with cyanide residue. None of this has EVER BEEN found. This also brings to fore the fabled "Hindu holocaust" theory of P N Oak's and agressively pursued by RSS. But more on that later.
Even the Auschwitz Memorial which once stated that six million Jews had died now states that perhaps a million died. The plaque has been altered from 6 to 1 million. That being said, even a million dead people is a lot. The degree of suffering they experienced, and the treatment they received from hateful, evil Nazis was a fact. Yet, that does not excuse all of the evils and wrongs committed by the victors, who fire-bombed civilian populations in Germany and Japan, and dropped atomic bombs on cities in Japan, before ending the war. The intentional massacring of millions of civilians by the Allied victors was certainly a war crime, and perhaps of larger impact than what happened to the Jews.
Again let us assume that these events are true. Does that logically translate into the establishment of the state of Israel in the Middle East or support for such a state? How can this phenomenon be rationalized or explained?
-Many thousands are killed in the process.
-Millions of indigenous people are made refugees.
-Hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland, olive plantations, towns and villages are destroyed.
This tragedy is not exclusive to the time of establishment; unfortunately it has been ongoing for sixty years now.
A regime has been established which does not show mercy even to kids, destroys houses while the occupants are still in them, announces beforehand its list and plans to assassinate Palestinian political figures, and keeps thousands of Palestinians in prison. Such a phenomenon is unique – or at the very least extremely rare – in recent memory.
But who wants to be sanctimonous in this day or age? Especially if it's Muslim on the recieving end? They always start it first!! Yeah! Modi..you get your clues from them..Genius B278273!!
Israeli government asserts that it is facing not an enemy with rights, but “terrorists”, “criminals” and “gangs”. And those, of course, have no rights.
In a war, there are “prisoners of war”. That applies to Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who was taken prisoner in a military action, as well as to the Palestinian fighters who are held by us. But Israeli government defines Shalit as “kidnapped” and the Palestinian prisoners as criminals.
It seems that the Jewish brain is inventing new patents. After the Unilateral Disengagement and the Unilateral Peace, we have now a Unilateral War. A war in which one side (the stronger) enjoys all the rights of a belligerent party, while the other (weaker) side has no rights at all.
A war must have an aim. What is the aim of this war? Like George Bush’s invasion of Iraq, Ehud Olmert’s invasion of Gaza has an aim that changes from day to day.
It started as an operation to save Cpl. Shalit. How does one free a soldier who has been taken prisoner by underground organizations, whose whereabouts are unknown? How does one free him by force without endangering his life?
The army has a solution: Apply massive force. If only we kill and destroy more and more, the Palestinian people will demand that the underground fighters release the captured soldier. Unconditionally.
This might be called the “Harris Principle”. In World War II, the British Air-Marshal Arthur Harris (“Bomber Harris”) promised to bring Germany to its knees by turning its cities into rubble. But Germany surrendered only after the last German house was taken by foot soldiers.
The Palestinian population, too, is not collapsing, in spite of its dreadful situation. It demands, almost unanimously, that the captors not release the soldiers if there is no release of “Palestinian prisoners of war”. Same is the demand of Hezbollah who want their Guantanamo type political prisoners held in Israeli prisons for no charges whatsoever.
So, instead of the release of the prisoner, a new war aim was born: To put an end to the launching of the Qassams...now it has transformed into end to hizbollah...and end to hamas and god knows what?
Like every single event in the 120 years of the Zionist-Palestinian conflict, this one, too, is burned into the consciousness of the two peoples in very different ways. For most Israelis, this is another chapter in the long war against “Palestinian terrorism”. Again their brave soldiers are obliged to face the vile Palestinian murderers, who aim to throw them into the sea.
For the other side, this is a heroic stand of their finest sons against an evil and vicious enemy. One of the strongest armies in the world, equipped with the most up-to-date weaponry, is deployed against a handful of untrained fighters with primitive arms. Fighter planes, helicopter gun ships, heavy tanks, artillery, missile boats, armored bulldozers and night-vision sights — all against Kalashnikovs and RPGs (light anti-tank weapons).
The struggle between the Palestinian militias is giving way to a new unity against the common enemy. Already on the eve of the operation, Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas agreed with Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah to accept the “prisoners’ paper”, which de facto recognizes Israel within the Green Line border. Now, in the heat of battle, Fatah members clamor to join the Hamas fighters in the struggle against the invader, and the remnants of Abbas’ influence are fading.
If the Israeli government carries out its public threats to kill the Palestinian prime minister and his ministers, Hamas will only emerge strengthened. The place of the martyrs will be filled by new leaders from among the fighters, and the Palestinians will close ranks behind them.
The most dispensable people on earth too...have this uncanny ability to defy logic and fight back against those who come to occupy their lands and resources.
Why can't muslim communities be like Red Indians and Aborigines, confined to showcases of history in their own lands that they dwell in ?
Yes on the Day 5 of the conflict : Israel has 24 civilian deaths and lebanon 150.
Year 4 of War into terror, US has lost around 2500 of it's soldiers and Muslim lives lost, official count:~ 40000
How very dispensable to this World.
O Muslims!!!....You are yourself to be blamed. What a shame whem you claim to be the sole possessors of the uncorrupted message from Almighty!! What a shame, that our despotic, impotent rulers with all their military might and swearing servitude to USA cannot even accomplish what tiny footsoldiers of Hezbollah and Hamas have done despite being branded as terrorists for fighting against occupying army of great strength and having absolute and unquestioned backing of a superpower.
Hezbollah will loose...short of a miracle. Israel will inflict heavy human toll as a lesson. But at it is sending an unmistakable message to the United States on behalf of its regional allies, Syria and Iran - " squeeze us, and we will retaliate to the best of our abilities."
And Mr. Rahul Sharma....Be very cautious of when you ask of India to bahave the way Israel does...at least, live in India to bear it's ramifications.
Many amongst us Indians feel quite awed and mesmerised by Israel's heroic deeds in the Middle East. Part of the appreciation for Israeli actions lies in the maxim - "Enemies enemy is my friend...", where the whole Muslim world is considered an enemy of Hindutva version of Hinduism but part of the problem also lies amongst the nouveo rich NRI genre of peepat's who sit far beyond in the lands where conflicts/misadventures like the ones undertaken by Israel, if carbon - copied by India, would have little or no direct effects in their personal / immediate family lives.
Coming back to Israel. Co-religionists of the Einstein, the land of educated scientists and sufferers of untold misery in the hands of Europeans during WWII. They are now facing a dire threat to their homeland by Iranians/Arabs who wants to push them into the sea. They indeed deserves our sympathy and more.
The Arabs/Muslims..in general, are good for nothing fellas...dispensable on human resources level and mistakenly blessed by God on natural resources level. These guys can aptly be annihilated and their lands re-habitated by poeple from around the world. If not annihilated, at least made slavishly subserviance for 'shudra' kinda works.
Afterall...honestly...the whole Middle East except Israel..has not a thing to offer to humanity except ill-gotten Oil and Gas. I still remember someone aptly summarising the US built up to Iraq War. He wrote: " Let's cut the crap..kick the ass and get the Gas..!!!"
Had Bush said that in all honesty..I would have lesser problems with him on moral grounds.
On to Israel Again! Having fought since it's creation with hostile muslim nations around, it's a persona of strength against all odds. ( Not many knows that US opened direct Air bridge and transfered arms that were not yet put into mainstream production lines during Israel's war with Egypt in 1973). Anyways..Jo jeeta wohi sikander.
Now, just a bit of Israel's unquestioned history..bear with me!!
Throughout history many countries have been occupied, but establishment of a new country with a utterly new set of people, is a new phenomenon that is exclusive to our times. Sixty years ago the country itself did not exist that could be called as Israel. Six million Jews that were surely related to at least two million families are fabled to have been incinerated across Europe. Numbers deny logic but let's believe them. Hmmm..Ok Let me explain...not the Iranian Ahmedinejad's way...but more rational way.
Historically...the Talmud (Old Testament) cites examples of many billions of Jews being killed (including children being burned). Needless to say, there have never been that many Jews on the face of the earth. The same falsification and embellishment is true with regard to the "holocaust" of World War II. Many Jews died, but not the six million that is claimed. Perhaps a million died, none from gas chambers. Red Cross documentation which Jewish controllers refuse to release, is suspected of suggesting that some 100,000 were lost.
As historian David Irving (poor guy is suffering jail term for being condemned as an Anti Semite) and many others have rightly observed, there never were gas chambers at the concentration camps. And, it would have been impossible for the Germans to have gassed and then burned an average of 12,000 Jews every day. Reports by concentration camp survivors that tell of the guards going into "gas chambers" as soon as one batch of Jews had been killed, clearing out the bodies, and then filling the room again are patently false – the guards (none of whom was reported to have worn a mask) would have instantly died, since cyanide does not dissipate or disappear in a few minutes, it takes hours and hours. Remember..Bhopal!!??
Also, there would have been bones and ashes to show, with cyanide residue. None of this has EVER BEEN found. This also brings to fore the fabled "Hindu holocaust" theory of P N Oak's and agressively pursued by RSS. But more on that later.
Even the Auschwitz Memorial which once stated that six million Jews had died now states that perhaps a million died. The plaque has been altered from 6 to 1 million. That being said, even a million dead people is a lot. The degree of suffering they experienced, and the treatment they received from hateful, evil Nazis was a fact. Yet, that does not excuse all of the evils and wrongs committed by the victors, who fire-bombed civilian populations in Germany and Japan, and dropped atomic bombs on cities in Japan, before ending the war. The intentional massacring of millions of civilians by the Allied victors was certainly a war crime, and perhaps of larger impact than what happened to the Jews.
Again let us assume that these events are true. Does that logically translate into the establishment of the state of Israel in the Middle East or support for such a state? How can this phenomenon be rationalized or explained?
-Many thousands are killed in the process.
-Millions of indigenous people are made refugees.
-Hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland, olive plantations, towns and villages are destroyed.
This tragedy is not exclusive to the time of establishment; unfortunately it has been ongoing for sixty years now.
A regime has been established which does not show mercy even to kids, destroys houses while the occupants are still in them, announces beforehand its list and plans to assassinate Palestinian political figures, and keeps thousands of Palestinians in prison. Such a phenomenon is unique – or at the very least extremely rare – in recent memory.
But who wants to be sanctimonous in this day or age? Especially if it's Muslim on the recieving end? They always start it first!! Yeah! Modi..you get your clues from them..Genius B278273!!
Israeli government asserts that it is facing not an enemy with rights, but “terrorists”, “criminals” and “gangs”. And those, of course, have no rights.
In a war, there are “prisoners of war”. That applies to Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who was taken prisoner in a military action, as well as to the Palestinian fighters who are held by us. But Israeli government defines Shalit as “kidnapped” and the Palestinian prisoners as criminals.
It seems that the Jewish brain is inventing new patents. After the Unilateral Disengagement and the Unilateral Peace, we have now a Unilateral War. A war in which one side (the stronger) enjoys all the rights of a belligerent party, while the other (weaker) side has no rights at all.
A war must have an aim. What is the aim of this war? Like George Bush’s invasion of Iraq, Ehud Olmert’s invasion of Gaza has an aim that changes from day to day.
It started as an operation to save Cpl. Shalit. How does one free a soldier who has been taken prisoner by underground organizations, whose whereabouts are unknown? How does one free him by force without endangering his life?
The army has a solution: Apply massive force. If only we kill and destroy more and more, the Palestinian people will demand that the underground fighters release the captured soldier. Unconditionally.
This might be called the “Harris Principle”. In World War II, the British Air-Marshal Arthur Harris (“Bomber Harris”) promised to bring Germany to its knees by turning its cities into rubble. But Germany surrendered only after the last German house was taken by foot soldiers.
The Palestinian population, too, is not collapsing, in spite of its dreadful situation. It demands, almost unanimously, that the captors not release the soldiers if there is no release of “Palestinian prisoners of war”. Same is the demand of Hezbollah who want their Guantanamo type political prisoners held in Israeli prisons for no charges whatsoever.
So, instead of the release of the prisoner, a new war aim was born: To put an end to the launching of the Qassams...now it has transformed into end to hizbollah...and end to hamas and god knows what?
Like every single event in the 120 years of the Zionist-Palestinian conflict, this one, too, is burned into the consciousness of the two peoples in very different ways. For most Israelis, this is another chapter in the long war against “Palestinian terrorism”. Again their brave soldiers are obliged to face the vile Palestinian murderers, who aim to throw them into the sea.
For the other side, this is a heroic stand of their finest sons against an evil and vicious enemy. One of the strongest armies in the world, equipped with the most up-to-date weaponry, is deployed against a handful of untrained fighters with primitive arms. Fighter planes, helicopter gun ships, heavy tanks, artillery, missile boats, armored bulldozers and night-vision sights — all against Kalashnikovs and RPGs (light anti-tank weapons).
The struggle between the Palestinian militias is giving way to a new unity against the common enemy. Already on the eve of the operation, Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas agreed with Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah to accept the “prisoners’ paper”, which de facto recognizes Israel within the Green Line border. Now, in the heat of battle, Fatah members clamor to join the Hamas fighters in the struggle against the invader, and the remnants of Abbas’ influence are fading.
If the Israeli government carries out its public threats to kill the Palestinian prime minister and his ministers, Hamas will only emerge strengthened. The place of the martyrs will be filled by new leaders from among the fighters, and the Palestinians will close ranks behind them.
The most dispensable people on earth too...have this uncanny ability to defy logic and fight back against those who come to occupy their lands and resources.
Why can't muslim communities be like Red Indians and Aborigines, confined to showcases of history in their own lands that they dwell in ?
Yes on the Day 5 of the conflict : Israel has 24 civilian deaths and lebanon 150.
Year 4 of War into terror, US has lost around 2500 of it's soldiers and Muslim lives lost, official count:~ 40000
How very dispensable to this World.
O Muslims!!!....You are yourself to be blamed. What a shame whem you claim to be the sole possessors of the uncorrupted message from Almighty!! What a shame, that our despotic, impotent rulers with all their military might and swearing servitude to USA cannot even accomplish what tiny footsoldiers of Hezbollah and Hamas have done despite being branded as terrorists for fighting against occupying army of great strength and having absolute and unquestioned backing of a superpower.
Hezbollah will loose...short of a miracle. Israel will inflict heavy human toll as a lesson. But at it is sending an unmistakable message to the United States on behalf of its regional allies, Syria and Iran - " squeeze us, and we will retaliate to the best of our abilities."
And Mr. Rahul Sharma....Be very cautious of when you ask of India to bahave the way Israel does...at least, live in India to bear it's ramifications.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
'Spin of the Year' award goes to...
Who else..yes..once again it's the White Hopuse and it's Media stooges:
Associated Press Reports:
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Sectarian violence has forced about 100,000 families across
Iraq to flee their homes, a top Iraqi official said.
Source:
Violence uproots 100,000 Families in Iraq
No blame on US occupation though. It's all between tribal and sectarian Muslims cutting each other up. I mean, think about it, if no one would have resisted this occupation and outright theft of their country's resources, these 100K odd people would still be living..happily under US merciful governance.
Amazing..rather genius spins I must say.
But do these matter at the ground level? If they did...Bunnies sitting at the White House would have been a happier lot.
Associated Press Reports:
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Sectarian violence has forced about 100,000 families across
Iraq to flee their homes, a top Iraqi official said.
Source:
Violence uproots 100,000 Families in Iraq
No blame on US occupation though. It's all between tribal and sectarian Muslims cutting each other up. I mean, think about it, if no one would have resisted this occupation and outright theft of their country's resources, these 100K odd people would still be living..happily under US merciful governance.
Amazing..rather genius spins I must say.
But do these matter at the ground level? If they did...Bunnies sitting at the White House would have been a happier lot.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Why shouldn't we believe Iranians?
I am NOT an Iranian and neither a muslim belonging to the Shia sect(just in case you accuse me of writing this for secarian loyalties) but I would like to catch your attention to the following:
1. The Iranian Government has told the world time and again that they do not need war. Even with Israel. Yes!! They have said Israel has no right to exist but so has many others in the last decade who have an iota of knowledge about the way and circumstances in which it came into existance and continues to occupy illegal lands. Here is Israel practically annihilating and indulging in holocaust of palestinians, forcing them our of their homes and lands with US blocking almost 5 UN mandated resolutions every year, that deals with condemnation of Israeli policies.
And to think of it, people can't even question 'Israel's right to exist.
Suspecting 'holocaust' lands esteemed authors like David Irving to a jail term. Wow!!
Bush is especially frustrated at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has abandoned negotiations with Europeans and defied international pressure. Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, complained during a Houston appearance on Wednesday that it is hard to find a diplomatic resolution because Ahmadinejad "is not a rational human being''. Ha ! Ha!
Come to think of. If there was an award category of the most "irrational man of the decade", white house occupant in Wash. DC would win hands down.
Iranians on the other hand have had enough of their share of 'unwanted' and 'uninitiated' war. Remember the eight years of Saddam's war against Iran, when USA, USSR, Europe and even it's own so called 'Muslim' neighbours had got mobilised to bring the nation down to their knee and overthrow their popular government?
However, Saddam and his allies (Arab and non-Arab) lost the war.
2. People of the region (including Arab citizens) are well aware that their reserves of fossil fuel are not going to last long. Therefore, they should all be looking for energy source substitutes. Iran still maintains that they do not look for military arsenal back-up using the nuclear technology. Even Saudia or Kuwait, given the option of chances to develop and diversify their energy resources, will naturally chose nuclear energy.
3. Why does west think that Iran is on the track of militarisation? Iranian leaders, being Muslims, have announced many times that they do not seek nuclear or WMD. Why doesn't west believe them? Is it because the ingrained culture of politicians in the the west, that they 'say' something and but 'practise' something diagonally opposite?
Iranians have even announced that making nuclear weapons is against the teachings of Islam. Think about it...!! No christian/hindu nuclear power has ever said that.
4. However, the stakes are high for the Iranian government. Show me one case in history, when a regime, which is under threat of overthrow, does not defend itself and does not take measures to defend itself and the country from foreign aggression? What shall they do? Sit like Saddam and wait the foreign aggressors to intervene into the country and overthrow him? We would not do this, then why do we expect Iranians to do the same? Shall they sit down and wait for the foreign aggressors to come into their homes and rape their ...?
Would Iran be justified if 'as an act of pre-emption', it bombs the nuclear/military bases of Americans, for Bush is not making any attempt to hide his intentions of keeping his own military options open in order to embark upon yet another one of his disgusting and criminal, 'policy of pre-emption' on behalf of buddy Israel.
1. The Iranian Government has told the world time and again that they do not need war. Even with Israel. Yes!! They have said Israel has no right to exist but so has many others in the last decade who have an iota of knowledge about the way and circumstances in which it came into existance and continues to occupy illegal lands. Here is Israel practically annihilating and indulging in holocaust of palestinians, forcing them our of their homes and lands with US blocking almost 5 UN mandated resolutions every year, that deals with condemnation of Israeli policies.
And to think of it, people can't even question 'Israel's right to exist.
Suspecting 'holocaust' lands esteemed authors like David Irving to a jail term. Wow!!
Bush is especially frustrated at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has abandoned negotiations with Europeans and defied international pressure. Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, complained during a Houston appearance on Wednesday that it is hard to find a diplomatic resolution because Ahmadinejad "is not a rational human being''. Ha ! Ha!
Come to think of. If there was an award category of the most "irrational man of the decade", white house occupant in Wash. DC would win hands down.
Iranians on the other hand have had enough of their share of 'unwanted' and 'uninitiated' war. Remember the eight years of Saddam's war against Iran, when USA, USSR, Europe and even it's own so called 'Muslim' neighbours had got mobilised to bring the nation down to their knee and overthrow their popular government?
However, Saddam and his allies (Arab and non-Arab) lost the war.
2. People of the region (including Arab citizens) are well aware that their reserves of fossil fuel are not going to last long. Therefore, they should all be looking for energy source substitutes. Iran still maintains that they do not look for military arsenal back-up using the nuclear technology. Even Saudia or Kuwait, given the option of chances to develop and diversify their energy resources, will naturally chose nuclear energy.
3. Why does west think that Iran is on the track of militarisation? Iranian leaders, being Muslims, have announced many times that they do not seek nuclear or WMD. Why doesn't west believe them? Is it because the ingrained culture of politicians in the the west, that they 'say' something and but 'practise' something diagonally opposite?
Iranians have even announced that making nuclear weapons is against the teachings of Islam. Think about it...!! No christian/hindu nuclear power has ever said that.
4. However, the stakes are high for the Iranian government. Show me one case in history, when a regime, which is under threat of overthrow, does not defend itself and does not take measures to defend itself and the country from foreign aggression? What shall they do? Sit like Saddam and wait the foreign aggressors to intervene into the country and overthrow him? We would not do this, then why do we expect Iranians to do the same? Shall they sit down and wait for the foreign aggressors to come into their homes and rape their ...?
Would Iran be justified if 'as an act of pre-emption', it bombs the nuclear/military bases of Americans, for Bush is not making any attempt to hide his intentions of keeping his own military options open in order to embark upon yet another one of his disgusting and criminal, 'policy of pre-emption' on behalf of buddy Israel.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Rumsfeld - Attila the Hun
NOBODY does dismissive better than Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. When confronted with an uncomfortable truth, he has a way of brushing it off with a brusque one liner.
"Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war,'' was one of his classics.
A war gone awry has a way of encouraging a depressing view of its leadership. Rumsfeld cannot so easily dismiss the rising chorus of condemnation from retired generals who have called for his resignation. As Army Maj. Gen. John Riggs told National Public Radio last week, Rumsfeld has fostered an "atmosphere of arrogance" at the Pentagon.
The nation has paid a heavy price for Rumsfeld's arrogance, including strategic miscalculations that have contributed to the quagmire in Iraq, even if the defense secretary won't acknowledge the word. "I don't do quagmires," he once said.
The commanders in the battlefield don't have a choice. They do what they are ordered to do -- at least until they are retired. Now liberated from the chain of command, some of them are providing damning testimony to their lack of confidence in Rumsfeld's leadership.
On Friday, President Bush expressed "full support and deepest appreciation" for his embattled defense secretary. It seems that the stubbornness and obliviousness in this administration goes all the way to the top.
------------------------------------------------
In passing:
**Attila the Hun (406–453)** was the final and most powerful king of the Huns. He reigned over what was then Europe's largest empire, from 434 until his death. His empire stretched from Central Europe to the Black Sea and from the Danube River to the Baltic. During his rule he was among the direst enemies of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires: he invaded the Balkans twice and encircled Constantinople in the second invasion. He marched through Gaul (later France) as far as Orleans before being turned back at Chalons; and he drove the western emperor Valentinian III from his capital at Ravenna in 452.
Though his empire died with him and he left no remarkable legacy, he has become a legendary figure in the history of Europe. In much of Western Europe, he is remembered as the epitome of cruelty and rapacity. Few (like GW Bush jr.)...do praise him too. Afterall, In India, Mahatma's Gandhi's killer is praised by many and so is Hitler.
-------------------------------------------------
"Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war,'' was one of his classics.
A war gone awry has a way of encouraging a depressing view of its leadership. Rumsfeld cannot so easily dismiss the rising chorus of condemnation from retired generals who have called for his resignation. As Army Maj. Gen. John Riggs told National Public Radio last week, Rumsfeld has fostered an "atmosphere of arrogance" at the Pentagon.
The nation has paid a heavy price for Rumsfeld's arrogance, including strategic miscalculations that have contributed to the quagmire in Iraq, even if the defense secretary won't acknowledge the word. "I don't do quagmires," he once said.
The commanders in the battlefield don't have a choice. They do what they are ordered to do -- at least until they are retired. Now liberated from the chain of command, some of them are providing damning testimony to their lack of confidence in Rumsfeld's leadership.
On Friday, President Bush expressed "full support and deepest appreciation" for his embattled defense secretary. It seems that the stubbornness and obliviousness in this administration goes all the way to the top.
------------------------------------------------
In passing:
**Attila the Hun (406–453)** was the final and most powerful king of the Huns. He reigned over what was then Europe's largest empire, from 434 until his death. His empire stretched from Central Europe to the Black Sea and from the Danube River to the Baltic. During his rule he was among the direst enemies of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires: he invaded the Balkans twice and encircled Constantinople in the second invasion. He marched through Gaul (later France) as far as Orleans before being turned back at Chalons; and he drove the western emperor Valentinian III from his capital at Ravenna in 452.
Though his empire died with him and he left no remarkable legacy, he has become a legendary figure in the history of Europe. In much of Western Europe, he is remembered as the epitome of cruelty and rapacity. Few (like GW Bush jr.)...do praise him too. Afterall, In India, Mahatma's Gandhi's killer is praised by many and so is Hitler.
-------------------------------------------------
Friday, April 14, 2006
When death is more favoured
"Revenge may be sweet. But for a man with a death wish and delusions of an awaiting paradise, decades in a dismal prison cell, not a quick execution, is the way to achieve it."
Excerpted from: Moussaoui seeks death.
Flashback..2003, When during the trial, in addition to keeping much of the evidence against Moussaoui secret, the Bush government had illegally defied a judge's order to disallow Moussaoui to talk with a captured Al-Qaeda member being held in a secret location bound to testify against him and also disallowed Moussaoui's plea to get the whole proceedings televised.
US Govt's refusal to abide by the said judge's order would have instantly meant that the entire case be dismissed. But true to it's strong arm tactics, the government had also made it quite clear they will put Moussaoui to a military tribunal, where it will be a much simpler matter to deny Moussaoui's defence access to the Al-Qaeda member requested, with no inconveniences like the Constitution to get in the way. And so..the trial moved on.
I think it is safe to assume that any american will agree that all arrested on charges of terrorism are guilty until proven innocent. That is the nature of living in an area saturated with news coverage that declares what they did in such a matter of fact manner as the news organizations do.
This brings me to the point where, If Moussaoui is found guilty (irrespective of his testimonies), any answers the trial might provide as to why he and other al Qaeda members hate America so much will appear only in cold print because despite his request, televised proceedings of the trial are not been granted. Moreover, if the death penalty were imposed on Moussaoui - for four of the six charges against him allow it - the world will neither have seen nor heard the basis for the sentence of death, but merely read about it secondhand.
And if Moussaoui is innocent, even an acquittal likely will not clear his name. The effect of damning and widespread reports that he wanted to learn to fly, but not to take off or land, probably can, at this point, only be superseded by televised evidence to the contrary.
The world also needs to hear our side of this story. The government's opening and closing statements in the Moussaoui trial can tell that story - and televising opening and closing arguments for both prosecution and defense poses no risk to witnesses at all.
Unlike broadcasting an Osama bin Laden video, a televised trial setting ensures that both sides are aired. In the end, it is closed proceedings and secrecy that inspire distrust. Let the people, and the world, judge who is right and who is wrong, who is guilty and who innocent.
Coming back to 2006...We hear that "For some time, Moussaoui's actions have suggested that, for him, life in prison is more horrible than death. At one point, he offered to testify for prosecutors in exchange for better prison conditions. His testimony might as well have been a request to die."
And we still believe happily that his "acceptance of involvement in 9-11" is absolute truth.
April 02 - 2006: "During my last night in captivity, my captors forced me to participate in a propaganda video. They told me I would be released if I cooperated. I was living in a threatening environment, under their control and wanted to go home alive. So I agreed," she said in a statement read by her editor in Boston."
Tha was the recently taken hostage and then freed journalist Jill Carroll for you.
The Iraqi insurgents are so dumb that they never thought of the fact, when she's released..she wouldn't reveal this to the whole world media.
But we believe her!! Who threatened her to change / retract her Anti-US statements?? No one's asking!!
Dumb iraqi terrorists!!
But dumber still..is the whole 9-11 trail and commission. Why? Look at the list of these suicidal 9-11 plane hijackers as furnished by the US government:
Satam al Suqami,
Wail and Waleed al Shehri (two brothers) [Both currently Alive],
Abdul Aziz al Omari [Found Alive],
Fayez Banihammad (from the UAE), Ahmed al Ghamdi, Hamza al Ghamdi,
Mohand al Shehri [Alive],
Saeed al Ghamdi [Alive],
Ahmad al Haznawi,
Ahmed al Nami [Alive], Majed Moqed, and
Salem al Hazmi [Alive.
Source:PrisonPlanet
How can the whole 9-11 related proceedings be taken seriously when they refer to 9/11 'hijackers' who are still alive?
An lastly:
Here is the finest movie about 911 tragedy, made till date. Backed by facts and evidence, it's no 'conspiracy theory', but pure and unadulterated *Truth*
Excerpted from: Moussaoui seeks death.
Flashback..2003, When during the trial, in addition to keeping much of the evidence against Moussaoui secret, the Bush government had illegally defied a judge's order to disallow Moussaoui to talk with a captured Al-Qaeda member being held in a secret location bound to testify against him and also disallowed Moussaoui's plea to get the whole proceedings televised.
US Govt's refusal to abide by the said judge's order would have instantly meant that the entire case be dismissed. But true to it's strong arm tactics, the government had also made it quite clear they will put Moussaoui to a military tribunal, where it will be a much simpler matter to deny Moussaoui's defence access to the Al-Qaeda member requested, with no inconveniences like the Constitution to get in the way. And so..the trial moved on.
I think it is safe to assume that any american will agree that all arrested on charges of terrorism are guilty until proven innocent. That is the nature of living in an area saturated with news coverage that declares what they did in such a matter of fact manner as the news organizations do.
This brings me to the point where, If Moussaoui is found guilty (irrespective of his testimonies), any answers the trial might provide as to why he and other al Qaeda members hate America so much will appear only in cold print because despite his request, televised proceedings of the trial are not been granted. Moreover, if the death penalty were imposed on Moussaoui - for four of the six charges against him allow it - the world will neither have seen nor heard the basis for the sentence of death, but merely read about it secondhand.
And if Moussaoui is innocent, even an acquittal likely will not clear his name. The effect of damning and widespread reports that he wanted to learn to fly, but not to take off or land, probably can, at this point, only be superseded by televised evidence to the contrary.
The world also needs to hear our side of this story. The government's opening and closing statements in the Moussaoui trial can tell that story - and televising opening and closing arguments for both prosecution and defense poses no risk to witnesses at all.
Unlike broadcasting an Osama bin Laden video, a televised trial setting ensures that both sides are aired. In the end, it is closed proceedings and secrecy that inspire distrust. Let the people, and the world, judge who is right and who is wrong, who is guilty and who innocent.
Coming back to 2006...We hear that "For some time, Moussaoui's actions have suggested that, for him, life in prison is more horrible than death. At one point, he offered to testify for prosecutors in exchange for better prison conditions. His testimony might as well have been a request to die."
And we still believe happily that his "acceptance of involvement in 9-11" is absolute truth.
April 02 - 2006: "During my last night in captivity, my captors forced me to participate in a propaganda video. They told me I would be released if I cooperated. I was living in a threatening environment, under their control and wanted to go home alive. So I agreed," she said in a statement read by her editor in Boston."
Tha was the recently taken hostage and then freed journalist Jill Carroll for you.
The Iraqi insurgents are so dumb that they never thought of the fact, when she's released..she wouldn't reveal this to the whole world media.
But we believe her!! Who threatened her to change / retract her Anti-US statements?? No one's asking!!
Dumb iraqi terrorists!!
But dumber still..is the whole 9-11 trail and commission. Why? Look at the list of these suicidal 9-11 plane hijackers as furnished by the US government:
Satam al Suqami,
Wail and Waleed al Shehri (two brothers) [Both currently Alive],
Abdul Aziz al Omari [Found Alive],
Fayez Banihammad (from the UAE), Ahmed al Ghamdi, Hamza al Ghamdi,
Mohand al Shehri [Alive],
Saeed al Ghamdi [Alive],
Ahmad al Haznawi,
Ahmed al Nami [Alive], Majed Moqed, and
Salem al Hazmi [Alive.
Source:PrisonPlanet
How can the whole 9-11 related proceedings be taken seriously when they refer to 9/11 'hijackers' who are still alive?
An lastly:
Here is the finest movie about 911 tragedy, made till date. Backed by facts and evidence, it's no 'conspiracy theory', but pure and unadulterated *Truth*
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Islam's no compulsion in religion clause - is it a joke?
YESTERDAY it was the cartoons. Today we are busy with this chap in Afghanistan who decided to revert from Islam and become a Christian. I am always amazed at how busy we become with the peripherals even as we lose massive amounts of Muslim real estate in Palestine, Afghanistan and lastly Iraq.
To those who are pulling up their sleeves in anger, all in the name of Islam and the Quran, here is what the Quran, the book of Islam, has to say on the freedom of faith: "There is no compulsion in religion, truth stands out clear from error". (2-256)
Elsewhere addressing the Prophet, Allah says: "If it had been thy Lord’s will, all who are on earth would have believed. Wilt thou then compel humankind to become believers!" (10-99)
"If they turn away, We have not sent thee as a guard over them, Thy duty is only to convey [the Message]". (42-48)
There is a difference between a Murtad who after entering and then leaving the Islamic faith, joins the adversary to instigate or conduct war against the Muslim community having taken along secrets and spying on the community and a person who simply changes his religion but remains at peace with the Muslim community. The Murtad is what can be defined as a traitor who in many countries of the world, including Muslim countries, is punished in many cases by death regardless of religious faith.
Apostates was also a term given to those who, during the life of the prophet, bacame Muslims with an intention of re-verting back to their pagan/christian/jewish religion soon afterwards, creatin an illusion of 'been there done that and found nothing useful/divine' , in the minds of other's in the community or new muslims.
Such a mischief had to be stemmed and seriously dealt with. "Death to apostates" was a warning to "Study...Think...Rationalise...and finally Declare" that you have become a Muslims and accepted Islam as a pristine religion of God (Allah).
Having done that and taken your won sweet time to 'be convinced', then you are not allowed to get back on your vows. A very important and useful command to deal with mischief mongers there.
Now are the times when we are shamelessly willing to strike at one another on the flimsiest of pretexts, as happened in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.
All the might and wealth of so called Islamic bloc of OPEC and OIC countries, is unable to help Hamas out of it's serious debt, when American's and Israeli's are against the palestinian's democratic right to choose whom they consider as best suited and most dedicated towards achieving freedom from occupiers.
Anyways..Muslim's puppet and impotent leadership aside, while we, as a community must respond, intellectually, to those who ridicule Islam in word, we Muslims must also remember that Islam is a religion, which has confidence in itself. Islam does not need to coerce people into Islam or retain its adherents through threats or the use of force. Islam’s view is, if you convert to Islam, it’s your gain, if you revert from Islam, it’s your loss. Islam has been around for 14 centuries, and without coercion, is the fastest growing religion today. Such is the self-confidence of Islam.
Rather than seek to punish those who revert from Islam, we must ask ourselves, what is it that could make adherents of Islam want to desert the faith? Are we as Muslims, by our behaviour, giving Islam a bad name? The answer to the second question is a definite Yes making Muslims and non-Muslims, especially those whose knowledge of Islam is scant, turn away from the faith. Let us not forget that most people judge religions on the basis of the behaviour of its followers. We cannot expect everyone to be a real intellectual — capable of seeing the big picture and distinguishing the message (Islam) from the medium (the Muslims) — who seeks the truth about the religion without any prejudice and bias.
-Abdullah Al Rahim-
To those who are pulling up their sleeves in anger, all in the name of Islam and the Quran, here is what the Quran, the book of Islam, has to say on the freedom of faith: "There is no compulsion in religion, truth stands out clear from error". (2-256)
Elsewhere addressing the Prophet, Allah says: "If it had been thy Lord’s will, all who are on earth would have believed. Wilt thou then compel humankind to become believers!" (10-99)
"If they turn away, We have not sent thee as a guard over them, Thy duty is only to convey [the Message]". (42-48)
There is a difference between a Murtad who after entering and then leaving the Islamic faith, joins the adversary to instigate or conduct war against the Muslim community having taken along secrets and spying on the community and a person who simply changes his religion but remains at peace with the Muslim community. The Murtad is what can be defined as a traitor who in many countries of the world, including Muslim countries, is punished in many cases by death regardless of religious faith.
Apostates was also a term given to those who, during the life of the prophet, bacame Muslims with an intention of re-verting back to their pagan/christian/jewish religion soon afterwards, creatin an illusion of 'been there done that and found nothing useful/divine' , in the minds of other's in the community or new muslims.
Such a mischief had to be stemmed and seriously dealt with. "Death to apostates" was a warning to "Study...Think...Rationalise...and finally Declare" that you have become a Muslims and accepted Islam as a pristine religion of God (Allah).
Having done that and taken your won sweet time to 'be convinced', then you are not allowed to get back on your vows. A very important and useful command to deal with mischief mongers there.
Now are the times when we are shamelessly willing to strike at one another on the flimsiest of pretexts, as happened in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.
All the might and wealth of so called Islamic bloc of OPEC and OIC countries, is unable to help Hamas out of it's serious debt, when American's and Israeli's are against the palestinian's democratic right to choose whom they consider as best suited and most dedicated towards achieving freedom from occupiers.
Anyways..Muslim's puppet and impotent leadership aside, while we, as a community must respond, intellectually, to those who ridicule Islam in word, we Muslims must also remember that Islam is a religion, which has confidence in itself. Islam does not need to coerce people into Islam or retain its adherents through threats or the use of force. Islam’s view is, if you convert to Islam, it’s your gain, if you revert from Islam, it’s your loss. Islam has been around for 14 centuries, and without coercion, is the fastest growing religion today. Such is the self-confidence of Islam.
Rather than seek to punish those who revert from Islam, we must ask ourselves, what is it that could make adherents of Islam want to desert the faith? Are we as Muslims, by our behaviour, giving Islam a bad name? The answer to the second question is a definite Yes making Muslims and non-Muslims, especially those whose knowledge of Islam is scant, turn away from the faith. Let us not forget that most people judge religions on the basis of the behaviour of its followers. We cannot expect everyone to be a real intellectual — capable of seeing the big picture and distinguishing the message (Islam) from the medium (the Muslims) — who seeks the truth about the religion without any prejudice and bias.
-Abdullah Al Rahim-
Saturday, April 01, 2006
When faith is put to ultimate tests...
"And certainly, We shall test you with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give good news to the patient, Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly! To Allâh we belong and to Him we shall surely return. They are those on whom are the blessings and mercy from their Lord, and it is they who are guidedones."
Now that's God talking to us in Quran. Every human pays a price for ardently believing in what he percieves or is convinced to be the truth. Be it in religious or social terms. It's always been a test of faith to side with the Truth and usually much more easier to side with those who are not on that path.
One such heartrending story I read recently on a Middle eastern newspaper. Such stories never make headlines elsewhere and not even in the Middle East since most of the press is regulated and doesn't usually do western bashing for the rulers affinity towards their western friends but this is a paper which has many Indians amongst it's op-ed writers and journalists and this report is also by one such journalist bringing honor to her profession.
In this report is a story of a father who is being punished for following the noble diktats of charity of his religion which are sufficient for his implication. Funding of Osama during his Anti Soviet stance, Israeli occupation of lands, Support of saddams unjust and uncalled for war against Iran, wouldn't fall into this category of funding terror by US.
Read "Twin Tragedy":
May god save us from such tests in this life, for most of us are weak to see us through without getting insane.
But then...I have heard that God also gives one strength to pass through such calamities when they befall upon them...afterall, I wouldn't have betted a penny if someone asked me that American casualties in Iraq would go beyond a hundred. It was a country and a population with virtually no defenses, no air power and no missiles and an absolute, dictionary defiinition of "sitting duck", ready to take a direct shot.
But men courage to see them through travails and stand steadfast in face of oppression should never be underestimated. That's one lesson Iraq war has taught me.
Anyways...Present american administrations hegemony behind the curtain of it's "War on Terror" is bringing untold miseries on innocents which, if reported in "Truth", aptly qualifies the present Bush regime to be tried as "War criminals".
But who cares!!!
Now that's God talking to us in Quran. Every human pays a price for ardently believing in what he percieves or is convinced to be the truth. Be it in religious or social terms. It's always been a test of faith to side with the Truth and usually much more easier to side with those who are not on that path.
One such heartrending story I read recently on a Middle eastern newspaper. Such stories never make headlines elsewhere and not even in the Middle East since most of the press is regulated and doesn't usually do western bashing for the rulers affinity towards their western friends but this is a paper which has many Indians amongst it's op-ed writers and journalists and this report is also by one such journalist bringing honor to her profession.
In this report is a story of a father who is being punished for following the noble diktats of charity of his religion which are sufficient for his implication. Funding of Osama during his Anti Soviet stance, Israeli occupation of lands, Support of saddams unjust and uncalled for war against Iran, wouldn't fall into this category of funding terror by US.
Read "Twin Tragedy":
May god save us from such tests in this life, for most of us are weak to see us through without getting insane.
But then...I have heard that God also gives one strength to pass through such calamities when they befall upon them...afterall, I wouldn't have betted a penny if someone asked me that American casualties in Iraq would go beyond a hundred. It was a country and a population with virtually no defenses, no air power and no missiles and an absolute, dictionary defiinition of "sitting duck", ready to take a direct shot.
But men courage to see them through travails and stand steadfast in face of oppression should never be underestimated. That's one lesson Iraq war has taught me.
Anyways...Present american administrations hegemony behind the curtain of it's "War on Terror" is bringing untold miseries on innocents which, if reported in "Truth", aptly qualifies the present Bush regime to be tried as "War criminals".
But who cares!!!
Monday, February 20, 2006
Close up on gutter view!
So, as it happened, a few hours before his trial, renowned British historian David Irving retracted today, his denial of the Holocaust.
For those who don't know him, Irving was arrested in Australia under a warrant issued in 1989 for denying the Holocaust in remarks 17 years ago. Some people say tha he risks a 1-10 year prison sentence for denying the Holocaust under Austrian law. Yes!! This was his sole crime..believe me!!
Just to recap a bit, the commonly used figure for the number of Jewish victims is six million. However, this figure is questioned by some historians and intellectuals, chiefly French author Roger Garaudy.
Irving's book, Hitler's War, sparked widespread world controversy when published in 1977 for saying that the Nazi German ruler did not know about the mass killings of Jews until 1943 and that he never ordered the Holocaust. In 2000, the British historian lost a high-profile libel case in London against US historian Deborah Lipstadt, who had called him a "Holocaust denier, anti-Semitic and racist."
Irving's retraction, is however seen as a desperate attempt to avoid a jail sentence.
In another case of 2003, a French court jailed Jean Plantin, editor of a magazine called Akribeia, for publishing works that called into question the scope of the Holocaust. Flemming Rose, the culture editor of Danish mass-circulation Jyllands Posten, which published cartoons mocking Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), was sent on an indefinite leave one day after he told CNN he would consider publishing Holocaust cartoons.
So what does this all mean? Where is the much talked about freedom of speech.
The world has come be "stinking in gutters of hypocrisy" in the last decade.
Or maybe, we now have a quite "close up" view of it.
For those who don't know him, Irving was arrested in Australia under a warrant issued in 1989 for denying the Holocaust in remarks 17 years ago. Some people say tha he risks a 1-10 year prison sentence for denying the Holocaust under Austrian law. Yes!! This was his sole crime..believe me!!
Just to recap a bit, the commonly used figure for the number of Jewish victims is six million. However, this figure is questioned by some historians and intellectuals, chiefly French author Roger Garaudy.
Irving's book, Hitler's War, sparked widespread world controversy when published in 1977 for saying that the Nazi German ruler did not know about the mass killings of Jews until 1943 and that he never ordered the Holocaust. In 2000, the British historian lost a high-profile libel case in London against US historian Deborah Lipstadt, who had called him a "Holocaust denier, anti-Semitic and racist."
Irving's retraction, is however seen as a desperate attempt to avoid a jail sentence.
In another case of 2003, a French court jailed Jean Plantin, editor of a magazine called Akribeia, for publishing works that called into question the scope of the Holocaust. Flemming Rose, the culture editor of Danish mass-circulation Jyllands Posten, which published cartoons mocking Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), was sent on an indefinite leave one day after he told CNN he would consider publishing Holocaust cartoons.
So what does this all mean? Where is the much talked about freedom of speech.
The world has come be "stinking in gutters of hypocrisy" in the last decade.
Or maybe, we now have a quite "close up" view of it.
Monday, February 13, 2006
1400 year old's relevance...
"(O Muslims!) You shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in your personal selves; and
you shall certainly Hear much that will grieve you, from those who received the Book before you and from those who worship many gods. But if you persevere patiently, and guard against evil,-then that will be a determining factor in all affairs." Quran 3:186
you shall certainly Hear much that will grieve you, from those who received the Book before you and from those who worship many gods. But if you persevere patiently, and guard against evil,-then that will be a determining factor in all affairs." Quran 3:186
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Comments on the danish caricatures controversy
We may all find ourselves in situations that require a very quick response, particularly when something that we value or cherish is violated. This could cause anger or a flight of temper. But the Prophet always handled such situations with exemplary ease, ensuring that his approach benefited all people present, and all Muslims. He did not abandon his gentle approach, even in the most infuriating of situations. Today, we cannot imagine that anyone would deliberately urinate inside a mosque. If we were to face such a situation, what would our immediate reaction be? Perhaps we will be more angry than the Prophet’s companions were when a Bedouin did that in front of them. But what was the Prophet’s reaction?
Anas ibn Malik reports: “God’s messenger was sitting in the mosque with some of his companions when a Bedouin urinated inside the mosque. The Prophet’s companions said: ‘What is going on?’ ‘What are you doing?’ The Prophet said to them: ‘Do not interrupt him.’ He subsequently called the man and said to him: ‘These mosques are not the place where one can throw any dirt, urine or stools. They are meant for reciting the Qur’an, glorifying God and prayer.’ He then called for a bucket of water and he poured it over the urine.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Nassaie, Malik and Ahmad).
This is a situation which is certain to infuriate any onlooker. It certainly made the Prophet’s companions angry and we can imagine that some of them were about to rush to the man to stop him or confront him. It's not specifically mentioned that the man did it unknowingly or on purpose.
Same cases confront Muslims year after year. Have we learnt any lessons? Publication of Satanic Verses in UK, News of desecration of Quran at Gitmo, A Hindu religious procession passing right under the mosque on or during Friday prayers in India and the recent danish caricature of Prophet, are just a few of such provocations.
So, how should we respond.
Here a a few of the chosen comments from across the news sites that I gathered and liked...Read on, especially the link to the 'Article' at the end.
-----------------------------------------------------------
* Freedom of speech is everybody's right, But there should be limits.
Everyone has their own intensity about their own faith and it should be respected. You cannot make a fun about any religion.We should respect each other.[Mr Muralee.N.V]
-----------------------------------------------------------
* We are big time hypocrities. I am wondering what this says about us Muslims globally. We are willing to stand up to small Denmark, but think nothing of throwing our money at nations who have not just published some stupid cartoons, but are actually occupying, bombing and destroying Muslim lands? Does anyone see the hypocrisy here? [Anonymous]
-------------------------------------------------------------
* Regarding the rucus made about a cartoon issue in Denmark, at the risk of being misunderstood, I think it is ‘much ado about nothing’. Why?
Well, great men and prophets cannot be belittled by puny men. In fact, most prophets in history have been vilified but their stature remains intact because of their actions and their wisdom.
Next do we really want to make celebrities out of these insensitive people? But that is exactly what we do. Who had heard of this cartoonist outside Denmark before the protests? In a well organised society there is always a legal mechanism to fall back on. The aggrieved party can do that and fight a battle in court against the cartoonist. I am sure there must be laws against insulting people’s religion in Denmark, and it is this path that is the most effective. [From Gabrielle Dube]
------------------------------------------------------------
* The protests in the Middle East have proven that the cartoonist was right. It's falling straight into that trap of being depicted as a violent people and proving the point that, yes, we are. [Tarek Fatah]
------------------------------------------------------------
* If we want to ban Danish products because of some cartoons in a Danish newspaper isn't that the same as saying all Arabs had a part in 9/11? [Thomas Maarup]
------------------------------------------------------------
* But before blaming others on insulting the Holy Prophet (PBUH), I would like to call upon the whole Muslim population of the world. I would like to ask them, what have we reflected out of the teachings of the Holy Prophet. A true Muslim is said to be the reflection of the character of the Holy Prophet. Are we not lacking that character which can show the world the true picture of the teachings of Islam.
The time has come for all the Muslims of the world to gather their heads and find out the root of the problem which is giving our enemies a chance, to speak against Islam and the Prophet of Islam. Let us show the world that we are the followers of the best religion ever preached. [From Mr Syed Abu Turab]
---------------------------------------------------------------
I WAS pleasantly surprised to learn about the mass boycott measures taken against Danish products by the public in the Middle East. The Muslim community is finally learning to leverage its market potential to influence outcomes rather than resorting to violence and death threats. However, we need to fine-tune our reaction a tad bit more to affect the guilty party. Boycotting Danish dairy products to punish a Danish newspaper is like boycotting the use of Microsoft Windows to punish Coca Cola. Secondly, as a staunch believer in free speech, I believe that using our economic and social clout is the way to hinder future attacks against our beliefs as opposed to creating laws barring hate speech or resorting to violence and death threats. I do not question the right of the particular newspaper to print any material, however offensive it may be to me, and on the same token, I reserve the right to campaign against the newspaper and punish it by hitting where it hurts most - in the pocketbook. No amount of insult and mockery of Islam would lower its status one iota. So the reaction should be based not on anger and emotion but on calculated strategy and farsightedness. [— Raza Rizvi, Houston]
---------------------------------------------------------------
WITH great disappointment and sorrow do I, as a Danish citizen, read the comments from Arab people in the newspapers. There is a huge degree of naive misunderstanding here — I have often travelled to Arab countries and respect the Arab people and Islam. However, I have to react when people claim the drawings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to be a Danish thing. It is one stupid editor and one draftsman, and not the 5 million other Danes living in Denmark. We do not judge all Muslims in the world by the doings of Osama Bin Laden. In Denmark, we do not burn the Quran and break down holy Islamic buildings. We know that these fundamentalists are a minority and therefore we do not judge the caring and loving Muslims living in accordance with Islam. So please do not judge the five million Danish people based on the actions of just two people. [— Martin Merstrand]
--------------------------------------------------------------
I AM a Danish Muslim woman who reverted to Islam in 1990. You all speak about the Danish as one people. We have more than 5000 Muslims of Danish birth who did revert to Islam. We all hate what has been done to our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). But to say all Danes are the same or ignorant, is a big mistake.
Allah didn't make Islam, Arabic or African or Asian. Islam is for all nationalities. There are Muslims in all countries. Everybody in the world should respect all other religions. [— Aisha, Odense, Denmark]
And Finally....THE Best of all...
Intellectual Terrorism
Anas ibn Malik reports: “God’s messenger was sitting in the mosque with some of his companions when a Bedouin urinated inside the mosque. The Prophet’s companions said: ‘What is going on?’ ‘What are you doing?’ The Prophet said to them: ‘Do not interrupt him.’ He subsequently called the man and said to him: ‘These mosques are not the place where one can throw any dirt, urine or stools. They are meant for reciting the Qur’an, glorifying God and prayer.’ He then called for a bucket of water and he poured it over the urine.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Nassaie, Malik and Ahmad).
This is a situation which is certain to infuriate any onlooker. It certainly made the Prophet’s companions angry and we can imagine that some of them were about to rush to the man to stop him or confront him. It's not specifically mentioned that the man did it unknowingly or on purpose.
Same cases confront Muslims year after year. Have we learnt any lessons? Publication of Satanic Verses in UK, News of desecration of Quran at Gitmo, A Hindu religious procession passing right under the mosque on or during Friday prayers in India and the recent danish caricature of Prophet, are just a few of such provocations.
So, how should we respond.
Here a a few of the chosen comments from across the news sites that I gathered and liked...Read on, especially the link to the 'Article' at the end.
-----------------------------------------------------------
* Freedom of speech is everybody's right, But there should be limits.
Everyone has their own intensity about their own faith and it should be respected. You cannot make a fun about any religion.We should respect each other.[Mr Muralee.N.V]
-----------------------------------------------------------
* We are big time hypocrities. I am wondering what this says about us Muslims globally. We are willing to stand up to small Denmark, but think nothing of throwing our money at nations who have not just published some stupid cartoons, but are actually occupying, bombing and destroying Muslim lands? Does anyone see the hypocrisy here? [Anonymous]
-------------------------------------------------------------
* Regarding the rucus made about a cartoon issue in Denmark, at the risk of being misunderstood, I think it is ‘much ado about nothing’. Why?
Well, great men and prophets cannot be belittled by puny men. In fact, most prophets in history have been vilified but their stature remains intact because of their actions and their wisdom.
Next do we really want to make celebrities out of these insensitive people? But that is exactly what we do. Who had heard of this cartoonist outside Denmark before the protests? In a well organised society there is always a legal mechanism to fall back on. The aggrieved party can do that and fight a battle in court against the cartoonist. I am sure there must be laws against insulting people’s religion in Denmark, and it is this path that is the most effective. [From Gabrielle Dube]
------------------------------------------------------------
* The protests in the Middle East have proven that the cartoonist was right. It's falling straight into that trap of being depicted as a violent people and proving the point that, yes, we are. [Tarek Fatah]
------------------------------------------------------------
* If we want to ban Danish products because of some cartoons in a Danish newspaper isn't that the same as saying all Arabs had a part in 9/11? [Thomas Maarup]
------------------------------------------------------------
* But before blaming others on insulting the Holy Prophet (PBUH), I would like to call upon the whole Muslim population of the world. I would like to ask them, what have we reflected out of the teachings of the Holy Prophet. A true Muslim is said to be the reflection of the character of the Holy Prophet. Are we not lacking that character which can show the world the true picture of the teachings of Islam.
The time has come for all the Muslims of the world to gather their heads and find out the root of the problem which is giving our enemies a chance, to speak against Islam and the Prophet of Islam. Let us show the world that we are the followers of the best religion ever preached. [From Mr Syed Abu Turab]
---------------------------------------------------------------
I WAS pleasantly surprised to learn about the mass boycott measures taken against Danish products by the public in the Middle East. The Muslim community is finally learning to leverage its market potential to influence outcomes rather than resorting to violence and death threats. However, we need to fine-tune our reaction a tad bit more to affect the guilty party. Boycotting Danish dairy products to punish a Danish newspaper is like boycotting the use of Microsoft Windows to punish Coca Cola. Secondly, as a staunch believer in free speech, I believe that using our economic and social clout is the way to hinder future attacks against our beliefs as opposed to creating laws barring hate speech or resorting to violence and death threats. I do not question the right of the particular newspaper to print any material, however offensive it may be to me, and on the same token, I reserve the right to campaign against the newspaper and punish it by hitting where it hurts most - in the pocketbook. No amount of insult and mockery of Islam would lower its status one iota. So the reaction should be based not on anger and emotion but on calculated strategy and farsightedness. [— Raza Rizvi, Houston]
---------------------------------------------------------------
WITH great disappointment and sorrow do I, as a Danish citizen, read the comments from Arab people in the newspapers. There is a huge degree of naive misunderstanding here — I have often travelled to Arab countries and respect the Arab people and Islam. However, I have to react when people claim the drawings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to be a Danish thing. It is one stupid editor and one draftsman, and not the 5 million other Danes living in Denmark. We do not judge all Muslims in the world by the doings of Osama Bin Laden. In Denmark, we do not burn the Quran and break down holy Islamic buildings. We know that these fundamentalists are a minority and therefore we do not judge the caring and loving Muslims living in accordance with Islam. So please do not judge the five million Danish people based on the actions of just two people. [— Martin Merstrand]
--------------------------------------------------------------
I AM a Danish Muslim woman who reverted to Islam in 1990. You all speak about the Danish as one people. We have more than 5000 Muslims of Danish birth who did revert to Islam. We all hate what has been done to our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). But to say all Danes are the same or ignorant, is a big mistake.
Allah didn't make Islam, Arabic or African or Asian. Islam is for all nationalities. There are Muslims in all countries. Everybody in the world should respect all other religions. [— Aisha, Odense, Denmark]
And Finally....THE Best of all...
Intellectual Terrorism
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Islam and freedom of speech - Is it a dichotomy?
I read this in a readers' opinion column somewhere:
The very essence of "free speech" is the foundation of Western Civilization. To restrict speech, including speech in any form on subjects such as religion, then becomes a fascist movement toward dictatorship. What separates Europe, the United States, and in essence the "free world" from the rest...is "free speech." If radical, religio-fascist elements win this battle, then in the future, such elements are given license and encouragement to attack all levels of Western philosophy and government including freedom of movement, free commerce, and especially the rights of women and minorities. Ergo, to "bend" to the will of Islam, is to then become de facto Muslim. Lastly, it appears that these intolerant oppressive elements...do not have a sense of humor. It is now time for these intolerant religious elements to join the 21st Century, and not plow the rest of Europe back to the 7th Century. Diana, Miami, Florida, USA.
THE furore in the Muslim world over the painful caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, carried by some sections of the Danish press, is not surprising. Islam doesn’t allow any images and portrayal of the Prophet and his Companions, let alone these sickening caricatures of the best human being that ever lived. No wonder the faithful everywhere find this shameful act most disturbing and painful.
And the whole non-Muslim world knows it...at least since the time the Iranian Ayatollah issued a fatwa against that (since forgotten) pennyworth of a man called 'Salman Rushdie' and made him hugely (in)famous.
So why do westerners (mainly christian westerners) do this time and again?
And not only towards those of Islamic faith, they have tried to embark upon this 'freedom to malign and mock' towards almost every minority community's professed religion. When some French designers took their creative freedom too far printing the images of Hindu religious symbols and signs on footwear and lingerie, Indian Hindus too had to act swiftly forcing French firms and authorities to withdraw the products and offer an unconditional apology. In Britain, the Sikh community stopped the staging of a play that mocked its clergy.
Creative freedom is fine and all artistes are entitled to their poetic licence. But as with all freedoms, this liberty too comes with a degree of responsibility. When creative licence begins to degenerate into licentiousness, it becomes unacceptable. Creativity cannot be at the expense of religious and communal sensitivities. This episode, coming after the Theo Van Gogh incident in the Netherlands last year, suggests that there is a method in this madness. Which is very disturbing. This dangerous misrepresentation and deliberate denigration of Islam and its followers could only widen the rift between the West and Islamic world. We should act before it’s too late.
Someone once said this about freedom's in society: "Your freedom to move your hand around freely in air stops at the point where my nose starts".
Freedom of expression is an internal Danish/European/American/Christian/ whatever issue but these issues have a totally different dimension. “This is about media operating from Denmark having offended millions of Muslims.” Islamic tradition bars any depiction of the prophet, even respectful ones, out of concern that such images could lead to idolatry. To understand the cause of so much anger amongst Muslims is no rocket science. Someone..somewhere really believes in upholding something as very 'sacred'.
Well..the Danish government has broad public backing for it's stance (no-apology to Muslims world) on the cartoons. An opinion poll showed that 79 percent of Danes think Fogh Rasmussen (Danish PM) should not issue an apology and 62 percent say the newspaper should not apologize.
Personally, I don't think Muslims insist on an apology from Fogh even though it's heartening to read that at least 20% of Danes think that he should. Sensible and rational people are still a reality even though a minority.
But the newspaper editor in chief should. That's the least he should be allowed to get away with.
The very essence of "free speech" is the foundation of Western Civilization. To restrict speech, including speech in any form on subjects such as religion, then becomes a fascist movement toward dictatorship. What separates Europe, the United States, and in essence the "free world" from the rest...is "free speech." If radical, religio-fascist elements win this battle, then in the future, such elements are given license and encouragement to attack all levels of Western philosophy and government including freedom of movement, free commerce, and especially the rights of women and minorities. Ergo, to "bend" to the will of Islam, is to then become de facto Muslim. Lastly, it appears that these intolerant oppressive elements...do not have a sense of humor. It is now time for these intolerant religious elements to join the 21st Century, and not plow the rest of Europe back to the 7th Century. Diana, Miami, Florida, USA.
THE furore in the Muslim world over the painful caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, carried by some sections of the Danish press, is not surprising. Islam doesn’t allow any images and portrayal of the Prophet and his Companions, let alone these sickening caricatures of the best human being that ever lived. No wonder the faithful everywhere find this shameful act most disturbing and painful.
And the whole non-Muslim world knows it...at least since the time the Iranian Ayatollah issued a fatwa against that (since forgotten) pennyworth of a man called 'Salman Rushdie' and made him hugely (in)famous.
So why do westerners (mainly christian westerners) do this time and again?
And not only towards those of Islamic faith, they have tried to embark upon this 'freedom to malign and mock' towards almost every minority community's professed religion. When some French designers took their creative freedom too far printing the images of Hindu religious symbols and signs on footwear and lingerie, Indian Hindus too had to act swiftly forcing French firms and authorities to withdraw the products and offer an unconditional apology. In Britain, the Sikh community stopped the staging of a play that mocked its clergy.
Creative freedom is fine and all artistes are entitled to their poetic licence. But as with all freedoms, this liberty too comes with a degree of responsibility. When creative licence begins to degenerate into licentiousness, it becomes unacceptable. Creativity cannot be at the expense of religious and communal sensitivities. This episode, coming after the Theo Van Gogh incident in the Netherlands last year, suggests that there is a method in this madness. Which is very disturbing. This dangerous misrepresentation and deliberate denigration of Islam and its followers could only widen the rift between the West and Islamic world. We should act before it’s too late.
Someone once said this about freedom's in society: "Your freedom to move your hand around freely in air stops at the point where my nose starts".
Freedom of expression is an internal Danish/European/American/Christian/ whatever issue but these issues have a totally different dimension. “This is about media operating from Denmark having offended millions of Muslims.” Islamic tradition bars any depiction of the prophet, even respectful ones, out of concern that such images could lead to idolatry. To understand the cause of so much anger amongst Muslims is no rocket science. Someone..somewhere really believes in upholding something as very 'sacred'.
Well..the Danish government has broad public backing for it's stance (no-apology to Muslims world) on the cartoons. An opinion poll showed that 79 percent of Danes think Fogh Rasmussen (Danish PM) should not issue an apology and 62 percent say the newspaper should not apologize.
Personally, I don't think Muslims insist on an apology from Fogh even though it's heartening to read that at least 20% of Danes think that he should. Sensible and rational people are still a reality even though a minority.
But the newspaper editor in chief should. That's the least he should be allowed to get away with.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Osama has literary interests too!
It boggles the mind that Osama Bin Laden has had the time and resources to catch up on his reading. In his taped conversation, Bin Laden said, “It is useful for you to read the book ‘The Rogue State’”), sales of this book took off like a rocket. Out of print here on Amazon suggests this fact, (*unless State Dept. ordered Amazon to take it off the Amazon e-shelves!! I hope not*)
Blum had a point way back in 2000 when he wrote that "around the world, the U.S. government is using the tragedy of September 11 not only to justify a war against Afghanistan, but to lay the basis for wars in many other countries as well. Already, the warlords in Washington have hinted that more strategic locations in terms of U.S. interests may be next in line for U.S. or NATO military intervention–for example, Iraq."
..That prophecy had since long materialised.
Blum further writes: "A terrorist is someone who has a bomb but doesn’t have an airforce." If Hamas had missiles, they wouldn't send suicide bombers inside Tel Aviv. A helicopter gunship is all that's required. If Saddam had ICBM's he would have targeted one towards Washington DC as an act of preemption when he was utterly convinced of the overt military threat posed by Bush Jr. Incidently, Bush Jr. also displayed an utter contempt for UN, the like of which was not seen since Hitler's demise.
It's time for Iran to act on the Bush/Sharon much propagated theory of pre-emption.
So why most of us, irrespective of our countries of origin, still HATE to hate US???
The main thing that sets apart the U.S. from it's ill-defined other nations included in 'Axis of Evil', is that it is richer, better equipped, and more systematic–and thus capable of inflicting terror on a far broader scale than its enemies. That’s why civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. once called the U.S. government "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world."
It's own population is a ignorant lot. Talk to any Saudi within Saudia borders, he would sing praises for his King. Seldom out of fear but often out of reverance. Why? They have been given every luxury and have been shielded from the happenings of the outside world.
Same in US. Most local Cable TVs are full of news and gossips and extra marital affairs. Reality TV/Sitcoms etc. Who's hooked up with whom and a few 'one for the camera' pics of Bush senior holding a little baby down in earthquake effected regions of Pakistan or Angelina Brad spending time amongst the godforsaken of Africa. This brings about an angelic feeling of American values. The very cruel face is the misery afflicted by US foreign policy (most often a direct result) is seldom shown at home.
No doubt, the technology I use to voice this opinion and tablets I take to keep myself away from headaches I get due to excessive usage of this technology, are all originating from this rogue state and that's a 'Mother of all dichotomies'.
Blum had a point way back in 2000 when he wrote that "around the world, the U.S. government is using the tragedy of September 11 not only to justify a war against Afghanistan, but to lay the basis for wars in many other countries as well. Already, the warlords in Washington have hinted that more strategic locations in terms of U.S. interests may be next in line for U.S. or NATO military intervention–for example, Iraq."
..That prophecy had since long materialised.
Blum further writes: "A terrorist is someone who has a bomb but doesn’t have an airforce." If Hamas had missiles, they wouldn't send suicide bombers inside Tel Aviv. A helicopter gunship is all that's required. If Saddam had ICBM's he would have targeted one towards Washington DC as an act of preemption when he was utterly convinced of the overt military threat posed by Bush Jr. Incidently, Bush Jr. also displayed an utter contempt for UN, the like of which was not seen since Hitler's demise.
It's time for Iran to act on the Bush/Sharon much propagated theory of pre-emption.
So why most of us, irrespective of our countries of origin, still HATE to hate US???
The main thing that sets apart the U.S. from it's ill-defined other nations included in 'Axis of Evil', is that it is richer, better equipped, and more systematic–and thus capable of inflicting terror on a far broader scale than its enemies. That’s why civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. once called the U.S. government "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world."
It's own population is a ignorant lot. Talk to any Saudi within Saudia borders, he would sing praises for his King. Seldom out of fear but often out of reverance. Why? They have been given every luxury and have been shielded from the happenings of the outside world.
Same in US. Most local Cable TVs are full of news and gossips and extra marital affairs. Reality TV/Sitcoms etc. Who's hooked up with whom and a few 'one for the camera' pics of Bush senior holding a little baby down in earthquake effected regions of Pakistan or Angelina Brad spending time amongst the godforsaken of Africa. This brings about an angelic feeling of American values. The very cruel face is the misery afflicted by US foreign policy (most often a direct result) is seldom shown at home.
No doubt, the technology I use to voice this opinion and tablets I take to keep myself away from headaches I get due to excessive usage of this technology, are all originating from this rogue state and that's a 'Mother of all dichotomies'.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Hunting for a mouse using Stealth and Predators!
How stupid can someone be? If it's a world power, it sets a dangerous precedence. Israel has always done this under occupied territories. Killing the resistance fighters and terming their resistance as terrorism. Now USA does the same. The recent are it's airstrikes within puppy pakistan in order to kill Zawahiri. Zawahiri - The terrorist. Why is he a terrorist? He kills innocents for no reason!! No...he self confessed that in his orchestrated bombings of Jordan recently, he got his intelligence flawed and he never intended to kill innocents but a few high ranking US officers scheduled there for a meeting.
So, where lies the difference!!
By all means US strikes (within pakistan or outside it's borders) is unjust, and illegal (depending on which argument you take). The U.S. is relying on an overwhelming use of force that depends heavily on electronic gadgetry to deliver a lethal force. That lethal force is disproportionate to the aim of killing one suspected terrorist in the village. Hence you have 18 civilian casualties, instead of just one terrorist. And it is now claimed the terrorist was not even there. Just like Bush's preemptive war against the wrong country, wrong people for all the wrong reasons, this air strike by a drone is also unjust and immoral. As such, it will only bring adverse and inauspicious results to the U.S.
Can you imagine if the U.S. perpetuates this policy of hitting villages, communities, and cities using massive bombs just because it suspects a terrorist hide there? It will have killed mostly civilians in untold numbers, as all U.S. air raids do since Vietnam. It makes this kind of warfare heinous because it is an arrogant and mindless use of brute power. It is an accursed method of warfare, and bodes very ill for the U.S.
As late as 5,000 years ago, there were established by the Vedic culture the laws of engagement. There was no need for armies to annihilate themselves in the field of battle if the commanders instead agree to fight each others mano-a-mano. Whoever wins the hand-to-hand combat brings home the spoil of war, and that sometimes included the whole armies of the defeated king or commander. With the passing of time, and the degradation of adherence to cultural laws, we have come to a point now where you don't really know who your enemies are. "Suspicion" therefore preempts facts. U.S. bombs "suspects" fueled by suspicion and paranoia. Hence, we are killing the wrong persons, who include women, children and the old, and their working animals and demolish and destroy their homes and habitat. That's another "NO, NO, NO" in the warfare rules of righteous times. Any combatant who did that is cursed for all times by these acts. His slide to hell and perdition is already writ in the scroll of destiny and preordained. The curse of old is just as effective in the now, especially in this very worrisome Age.
The Pentagon of Rumsfeld should send its elite commando units and navy seals and black berets to surgically take out these suspects. Then there's honor in the act when you eschew killing civilians. Whether you therefore are successful in taking out the "suspect" or not, you go home happy in the thought that no unnecessary collateral damage were done to non-combatants and civilians. You have pride in the integrity of your calling.
But that is not the case in this present stupid war. No wonder soldiers go home emotionally drained, disoriented, savaged and mentally sick. And many of them will never fully recover. It's a very damaging scar they will carry throughout the rest of their lives.
That's part of the curse inherent in waging an unjust and immoral war on a self-created enemy that never really existed.
So, where lies the difference!!
By all means US strikes (within pakistan or outside it's borders) is unjust, and illegal (depending on which argument you take). The U.S. is relying on an overwhelming use of force that depends heavily on electronic gadgetry to deliver a lethal force. That lethal force is disproportionate to the aim of killing one suspected terrorist in the village. Hence you have 18 civilian casualties, instead of just one terrorist. And it is now claimed the terrorist was not even there. Just like Bush's preemptive war against the wrong country, wrong people for all the wrong reasons, this air strike by a drone is also unjust and immoral. As such, it will only bring adverse and inauspicious results to the U.S.
Can you imagine if the U.S. perpetuates this policy of hitting villages, communities, and cities using massive bombs just because it suspects a terrorist hide there? It will have killed mostly civilians in untold numbers, as all U.S. air raids do since Vietnam. It makes this kind of warfare heinous because it is an arrogant and mindless use of brute power. It is an accursed method of warfare, and bodes very ill for the U.S.
As late as 5,000 years ago, there were established by the Vedic culture the laws of engagement. There was no need for armies to annihilate themselves in the field of battle if the commanders instead agree to fight each others mano-a-mano. Whoever wins the hand-to-hand combat brings home the spoil of war, and that sometimes included the whole armies of the defeated king or commander. With the passing of time, and the degradation of adherence to cultural laws, we have come to a point now where you don't really know who your enemies are. "Suspicion" therefore preempts facts. U.S. bombs "suspects" fueled by suspicion and paranoia. Hence, we are killing the wrong persons, who include women, children and the old, and their working animals and demolish and destroy their homes and habitat. That's another "NO, NO, NO" in the warfare rules of righteous times. Any combatant who did that is cursed for all times by these acts. His slide to hell and perdition is already writ in the scroll of destiny and preordained. The curse of old is just as effective in the now, especially in this very worrisome Age.
The Pentagon of Rumsfeld should send its elite commando units and navy seals and black berets to surgically take out these suspects. Then there's honor in the act when you eschew killing civilians. Whether you therefore are successful in taking out the "suspect" or not, you go home happy in the thought that no unnecessary collateral damage were done to non-combatants and civilians. You have pride in the integrity of your calling.
But that is not the case in this present stupid war. No wonder soldiers go home emotionally drained, disoriented, savaged and mentally sick. And many of them will never fully recover. It's a very damaging scar they will carry throughout the rest of their lives.
That's part of the curse inherent in waging an unjust and immoral war on a self-created enemy that never really existed.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Jill Caroll and the desperate Iraqis
In September 2004, at the height of Abu Ghraib, the disgusting conditions of many Iraqi women prisoners being treated as modern day 'geisha's by American occupiers in Iraq, was highlighted in many articles. One such that still haunts me was published in the Guardian Unlimited in it's Special Report section: After Abu Ghraib!.
These women still languish in Occupier's Jails where they are neither allowed to live nor die but lead a de-sensitized existance.
How else do the desperate iraqis get their women out of the hell the American forces of created? I can't see any way to do that except this which is though blatantly un-islamic and carries with it the stigma of being marked as 'criminally coward' but then...
What else can they do??? They are dealing with an enemy that's equally low on morals!
One that would hardly care for a Journalist reporting for an organisation (CSM) and filing reports that were highly sympathetic to the cause of the American defined 'terrorists' in Iraq fighting against occupiers.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Ultra rich 'temples'
In a recent news item here, it's disclosed that "Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is to offer a diamond ornament worth about Rs 9 crores at the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh, temple officials said."
Such offerings are a common place in most temples. They have been through the ages. The list of bollywood movies that portray theives/bandits making plans to steal diamonds and jewellery out of secured temple vaults is endless too.
The news item further states that "The Tirumala temple is famous for big offerings. A Swiss devotee, Ms Elizabeth, had pledged her entire property, worth Rs 5 crores, to the TTD in memory of her husband in June last year. She requested the TTD to perform Tiruppavai and Abhishekam one day in the month of December every year. During a recent visit, Tamil superstar Rajnikant had promised digital screens worth Rs 1 crore to the TTD to display information."
Little wonder then some invaders who happened to belong to the muslim faith by name, employed the tactic of plundering these temples. If so much wealth is stacked in any mosque, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets vandalised year after year. Wealth is a magnet for vandals, be it the Oil wealth of Kuwait or Iraq or Diamonds stacked up inside the temples.
I am sure, many Hindus would wonder as to what good does this wealth do in temples when millions of Hindus in India are dying of cold and hunger, year after year.
Such offerings are a common place in most temples. They have been through the ages. The list of bollywood movies that portray theives/bandits making plans to steal diamonds and jewellery out of secured temple vaults is endless too.
The news item further states that "The Tirumala temple is famous for big offerings. A Swiss devotee, Ms Elizabeth, had pledged her entire property, worth Rs 5 crores, to the TTD in memory of her husband in June last year. She requested the TTD to perform Tiruppavai and Abhishekam one day in the month of December every year. During a recent visit, Tamil superstar Rajnikant had promised digital screens worth Rs 1 crore to the TTD to display information."
Little wonder then some invaders who happened to belong to the muslim faith by name, employed the tactic of plundering these temples. If so much wealth is stacked in any mosque, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets vandalised year after year. Wealth is a magnet for vandals, be it the Oil wealth of Kuwait or Iraq or Diamonds stacked up inside the temples.
I am sure, many Hindus would wonder as to what good does this wealth do in temples when millions of Hindus in India are dying of cold and hunger, year after year.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Of Swamis and Kings
A Swami's reputation and a King's proposal are currently on the table.
The swami is a millionaire togic guru by the name of 'Ramdev' who has almost revolutionised the concept of Yoga and Ayurved but as is true with most swamis, be they Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari (Indira's personal spiritual guru), or Swami/Bhagwan Sri Sathya Saibaba or Swami/Osho/Bhagwan Rajneesh...even this one of the high flyers is on his way to hit the ground with a loud 'thud'. Though the matter is still to be decided and prima-facie, I don't see much reason for the accuser(Brinda Karat- a self confessed communist and an athiest activist, to have reasons to take money (as the swami defends himself) from foreign multinational drug makers in order to make up this controversy. The reasons are two:
1. Communists are ideologically non-supportive of organised capitalists.
2. Of the recent scandal that involved disclosure of the prevalent practise of 'cash for questions' amongst our 'esteemed' elected parliament members, someone was caught from almost every political party except CPI members. That doesn't mean that there exists no bad apples amongst them but it just gives me lesser reasons to doubt Brinda's credibility of the charges.
Next is the impending visit of King Abdullah of the 'infamous' Saudi Arabia. A controversy over his offer to give funds to renovate and re-paint Jama Masjid in Old Delhi is being raised. In a new report I read: "The media report had said the Saudi ruler, who will be the chief guest at Republic Day, 2006, had made the offer of renovating and repairing the historic mosque to Jama Masjid Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari. The intelligence agencies, however, were reported to have reservations about flow of funds from the Arab country. Asked whether there were any laws in India allowing flow of funds, Sarna said that is what was being examined with various agencies."
Amazing....These agencies would do themselves a small favour if they dig out their files to get to know the source of funds that helped in construction of (now in a dilapidated state) Indira Gandhi International Airport and Indraprastha (since renamed to Indira Gandhi) Indoor stadium of Delhi?
What a skewed logic there? Talk about flow of funds from Arab countries...Huh!! 1.6m Indians in Saudia with over 3.5m in the whole of Gulf, these guys contributes over 50% of India's Foreign exchange reserves of $102b in yr 2002-2003. It's the firang and confused desis of Us and UK who remit funds back in their country, it's more of the Gulf based Indians who don't have/get citizenship in the gulf countries, who do the hard work and pay it back to Indian reserves.
Talk about laws of allowing flow of funds....!! Sometimes mediamen ask really ignorant questions and equally ignorant officials happily oblige.
The swami is a millionaire togic guru by the name of 'Ramdev' who has almost revolutionised the concept of Yoga and Ayurved but as is true with most swamis, be they Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari (Indira's personal spiritual guru), or Swami/Bhagwan Sri Sathya Saibaba or Swami/Osho/Bhagwan Rajneesh...even this one of the high flyers is on his way to hit the ground with a loud 'thud'. Though the matter is still to be decided and prima-facie, I don't see much reason for the accuser(Brinda Karat- a self confessed communist and an athiest activist, to have reasons to take money (as the swami defends himself) from foreign multinational drug makers in order to make up this controversy. The reasons are two:
1. Communists are ideologically non-supportive of organised capitalists.
2. Of the recent scandal that involved disclosure of the prevalent practise of 'cash for questions' amongst our 'esteemed' elected parliament members, someone was caught from almost every political party except CPI members. That doesn't mean that there exists no bad apples amongst them but it just gives me lesser reasons to doubt Brinda's credibility of the charges.
Next is the impending visit of King Abdullah of the 'infamous' Saudi Arabia. A controversy over his offer to give funds to renovate and re-paint Jama Masjid in Old Delhi is being raised. In a new report I read: "The media report had said the Saudi ruler, who will be the chief guest at Republic Day, 2006, had made the offer of renovating and repairing the historic mosque to Jama Masjid Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari. The intelligence agencies, however, were reported to have reservations about flow of funds from the Arab country. Asked whether there were any laws in India allowing flow of funds, Sarna said that is what was being examined with various agencies."
Amazing....These agencies would do themselves a small favour if they dig out their files to get to know the source of funds that helped in construction of (now in a dilapidated state) Indira Gandhi International Airport and Indraprastha (since renamed to Indira Gandhi) Indoor stadium of Delhi?
What a skewed logic there? Talk about flow of funds from Arab countries...Huh!! 1.6m Indians in Saudia with over 3.5m in the whole of Gulf, these guys contributes over 50% of India's Foreign exchange reserves of $102b in yr 2002-2003. It's the firang and confused desis of Us and UK who remit funds back in their country, it's more of the Gulf based Indians who don't have/get citizenship in the gulf countries, who do the hard work and pay it back to Indian reserves.
Talk about laws of allowing flow of funds....!! Sometimes mediamen ask really ignorant questions and equally ignorant officials happily oblige.
