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.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
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.
