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.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Intelligent Design
The earth is blessed with an atmosphere to accommodate life and nurture the natural habitation of intelligent life. Why do scientists still go to extremes and strive to uphold the failed and utterly stupid Darwin's theory of evolution?
The best proof for pro-God in this controversy is the recent phenomenon that was observed on the surface of the moon. It was reported by NASA a blast, equal in energy to about 70 kg of TNT, occurred near the edge of the moon, an area named as Mare Imbrium (the sea of rains) on November 7, 2005, when a 12-centimetre-wide meteoroid slammed into the ground travelling at 27 km/s.
Needless to say that 'We' on Earth, are protected against zillion objects in the space with our atmosphere and magnetosphere. Media reports from NASA points to a massive blast in moon that is avoided in case of earth on a regular basis based on the existence of the terrestrial atmosphere.
The moon was peppered, too, but unlike the earth, it has no atmosphere to intercept meteoroids and turn them into harmless streaks of light. On the moon, meteoroids hit the ground - and explode.
Cooke estimates that the impact gouged a crater in the moon's surface "about 3 metres wide and 0.4 metres deep." As moon craters go, that's small. "Even the Hubble space telescope couldn''t see it," notes Cooke. The moon is 384,400 km away. At that distance, the smallest things Hubble can distinguish are about 60 metres wide.
And for those who deny Quran as the word of God, should read the following verses. Which man in the seventh century had the scientific data to even imagine this??
O mankind! worship your Lord, Who hath created you and those before you, so that ye may ward off (evil). Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know (better). - Al-Baqarah 2:21-22
Allah it is Who appointed for you the earth for a dwelling-place and the sky for a canopy, and fashioned you and perfected your shapes, and hath provided you with good things. Such is Allah, your Lord. Then blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! - Al-Mu'min 40:64.19
Once the most potent weapon in the hands of evolutionists/atheists to deny the existance of God, has now become an intrument out to annihilate all those who doubted it's existance.
There is no other fact but that...the existance of the very Earth we inherit amd universe we live in is a glimpse of MOST INTELLIGENT DESIGN man has ever seen or can comprehend.
The best proof for pro-God in this controversy is the recent phenomenon that was observed on the surface of the moon. It was reported by NASA a blast, equal in energy to about 70 kg of TNT, occurred near the edge of the moon, an area named as Mare Imbrium (the sea of rains) on November 7, 2005, when a 12-centimetre-wide meteoroid slammed into the ground travelling at 27 km/s.
Needless to say that 'We' on Earth, are protected against zillion objects in the space with our atmosphere and magnetosphere. Media reports from NASA points to a massive blast in moon that is avoided in case of earth on a regular basis based on the existence of the terrestrial atmosphere.
The moon was peppered, too, but unlike the earth, it has no atmosphere to intercept meteoroids and turn them into harmless streaks of light. On the moon, meteoroids hit the ground - and explode.
Cooke estimates that the impact gouged a crater in the moon's surface "about 3 metres wide and 0.4 metres deep." As moon craters go, that's small. "Even the Hubble space telescope couldn''t see it," notes Cooke. The moon is 384,400 km away. At that distance, the smallest things Hubble can distinguish are about 60 metres wide.
And for those who deny Quran as the word of God, should read the following verses. Which man in the seventh century had the scientific data to even imagine this??
O mankind! worship your Lord, Who hath created you and those before you, so that ye may ward off (evil). Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know (better). - Al-Baqarah 2:21-22
Allah it is Who appointed for you the earth for a dwelling-place and the sky for a canopy, and fashioned you and perfected your shapes, and hath provided you with good things. Such is Allah, your Lord. Then blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! - Al-Mu'min 40:64.19
Once the most potent weapon in the hands of evolutionists/atheists to deny the existance of God, has now become an intrument out to annihilate all those who doubted it's existance.
There is no other fact but that...the existance of the very Earth we inherit amd universe we live in is a glimpse of MOST INTELLIGENT DESIGN man has ever seen or can comprehend.
An open letter to Osama Bin Laden
An Open Letter To Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri (Whoever and Wherever You Are)
Excerpted originally from An Open Letter!
Aslam-o-Alaikum!
Do you know what degree of shame, abomination, misery and wretchedness is being heaped on the innocent and peace-following Muslims all over the world because of this so-called and self styled Jihad of yours?
Do you know how many innocent, unsullied people are being daily butchered as result of this professed Jihad of yours? How many children are being orphaned and women being widowed precisely for the same reason.
And do you know, killing one faultless human being is like killing the entire humanity. You must definitely be knowing that you will surely be held accountable for this all bloodshed. Will you, then, be able to face your God? I challenge, no!
Then, why have you become an agent of some hidden hand. Why are you taking the responsibility of the murder of entire humanity to yourself on his behest. Why are you dragging the Muslims down? Why are you demeaning Islam by presenting it as a terrorist religion? Acting like this, which religion are you rendering a great service to? Are you raising the standard of Islam high or you (if you reflect on it) are causing the heads of the followers of the path of the righteous bow down with shame in-front of the entire humanity.
Today most of the Muslims believe that you are not a true Muslim but planted by the enemies to destroy the image of Islam.
For God’s sake, take recourse to sense, and announce a CEASEFIRE at once so the inhabitants of world may be introduced to that divine aspect of the Muslims at whose hands no soul suffer, whose words and actions bear no tinge of dichotomy, whose speech, when uttered, conveys to others the message of love and protection, whose thoughts, when thought, are devoted to the well being of others. Herein lies the true success, and herein lies the victory of the true religion of Allah.
Copies being sent to Muslim Brothers and Sisters for information and with a request to pray for an earliest end of the war.
S.A.Rehman (Peace Activist)
PAKISTAN
Excerpted originally from An Open Letter!
Aslam-o-Alaikum!
Do you know what degree of shame, abomination, misery and wretchedness is being heaped on the innocent and peace-following Muslims all over the world because of this so-called and self styled Jihad of yours?
Do you know how many innocent, unsullied people are being daily butchered as result of this professed Jihad of yours? How many children are being orphaned and women being widowed precisely for the same reason.
And do you know, killing one faultless human being is like killing the entire humanity. You must definitely be knowing that you will surely be held accountable for this all bloodshed. Will you, then, be able to face your God? I challenge, no!
Then, why have you become an agent of some hidden hand. Why are you taking the responsibility of the murder of entire humanity to yourself on his behest. Why are you dragging the Muslims down? Why are you demeaning Islam by presenting it as a terrorist religion? Acting like this, which religion are you rendering a great service to? Are you raising the standard of Islam high or you (if you reflect on it) are causing the heads of the followers of the path of the righteous bow down with shame in-front of the entire humanity.
Today most of the Muslims believe that you are not a true Muslim but planted by the enemies to destroy the image of Islam.
For God’s sake, take recourse to sense, and announce a CEASEFIRE at once so the inhabitants of world may be introduced to that divine aspect of the Muslims at whose hands no soul suffer, whose words and actions bear no tinge of dichotomy, whose speech, when uttered, conveys to others the message of love and protection, whose thoughts, when thought, are devoted to the well being of others. Herein lies the true success, and herein lies the victory of the true religion of Allah.
Copies being sent to Muslim Brothers and Sisters for information and with a request to pray for an earliest end of the war.
S.A.Rehman (Peace Activist)
PAKISTAN
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Of bribery and 12/13
Parliamentarians were supposed to meet in the afternoon of December 13 to honour those who died saving them five years ago. Instead, they woke up to the stupid acts of Eleven amongst them, caught on camera, accepting bribes for agreeing to do something they were in any case elected to do — raise issues in Parliament. It is ironic that the exposé took place on December 13. I mean..they must be wondering, who elects these bozos who don't even know the basics of taking bribes.
Anyways..when was the last government that tried to measure up itself on the integrity scale? All hopes of change with manmohan at the helm have dashed too. He was considered as 'someone who was in the politics but not of the politics'. But can a lone man change the system these days?
According to recent figures quoted in HT sometime ago, 99 per cent of the people perceive the police to be corrupt, 98 per cent think similarly about political parties and 97 per cent feel likewise about the judiciary. All three need a massive image makeover. This is an unfortunate commentary about the two main arms of governance that give security and justice to the average man and woman.
Moreover, the pattern in India today is to let a local thug evolve into a national don or let a problem fester and when ultimately forced to take notice, then grant some concessions — allocate funds or carve out a new district, a new state, or more reservations but skirt the main issue. These dons fight elections and give themselves a legal acceptance for existance. This only encourages regional and sectional truculence of various hues. Populist promises and actions ‘ghettoise’ us into Marathis, Brahmins, Rajputs, Jats, Kurmis, Yadavs, OBCs, Dalits, Hindus, Muslims, Bengalis, Assamese, Tamilians, Punjabis or whatever.
But isn't a 'hindustani' lost in all this?
Anyways..when was the last government that tried to measure up itself on the integrity scale? All hopes of change with manmohan at the helm have dashed too. He was considered as 'someone who was in the politics but not of the politics'. But can a lone man change the system these days?
According to recent figures quoted in HT sometime ago, 99 per cent of the people perceive the police to be corrupt, 98 per cent think similarly about political parties and 97 per cent feel likewise about the judiciary. All three need a massive image makeover. This is an unfortunate commentary about the two main arms of governance that give security and justice to the average man and woman.
Moreover, the pattern in India today is to let a local thug evolve into a national don or let a problem fester and when ultimately forced to take notice, then grant some concessions — allocate funds or carve out a new district, a new state, or more reservations but skirt the main issue. These dons fight elections and give themselves a legal acceptance for existance. This only encourages regional and sectional truculence of various hues. Populist promises and actions ‘ghettoise’ us into Marathis, Brahmins, Rajputs, Jats, Kurmis, Yadavs, OBCs, Dalits, Hindus, Muslims, Bengalis, Assamese, Tamilians, Punjabis or whatever.
But isn't a 'hindustani' lost in all this?
Sunday, December 11, 2005
When you hafta rule a plural society democratically..
Even a hard-boiled Indian like me, used to cyclical bouts of Hindu-Muslim rioting, was shocked at the entrenched hatred between the two communities in Northern Ireland. The last population survey put the number of Protestants at 54 per cent and Catholics at 42 per cent. The Catholics tend to be visibly poorer and disaffected. But some Protestants feel under siege as the Catholic birth rate is higher and it’s only a matter of time before they outnumber the Protestants. Sounds so familiar to us Indians. Remember... soon 15% Muslim population of India will outnumber 75% Hindus??
Just before visiting Northern Ireland I had attended a brilliant lecture in Oxford—‘Partition: comparative lessons from Ireland, India and Palestine’. The fundamental argument was that Northern Ireland was the laboratory where the British empire-builders perfected their policy of divide and rule. All three countries were hastily partitioned and left with imperfect arrangements that would cast long shadows and sow the seeds for the most intractable problems of the modern age. I saw several other parallels between India and Northern Ireland. The deliberate instigation of violence to polarise communities before elections is an old Indian political trick. The Orangemen’s insistence on taking their parades through Catholic strongholds is eerily similar to chest-thumping Hindu religious processionists triggering a riot while passing through Muslim neighbourhoods and from the provocatively through vacinity of mosques and Lo and Behold!! A muslim always throws a stone on the procession and all hell breaks loose with Muslims businesses and houses targeted almost like clockwork and pre-marked precision.
And after what has happened in Ahmedabad, is it a bizarre flight of fancy to imagine what would emerge if poster painters and other such artists were given a free rein in that city? Standing in the Shankhill-Falls area, I saw Ahmedabad in my mind’s eye. Saffron-hued paintings in middle-class neighbourhoods depicted trishul-bearing youth threatening Muslims with death and eternal punishment. In the Muslim heart of the old city, the graffito depicted rape, murder and pillage at the hands of the state.
- Courtesy Saba's Blog-
Just before visiting Northern Ireland I had attended a brilliant lecture in Oxford—‘Partition: comparative lessons from Ireland, India and Palestine’. The fundamental argument was that Northern Ireland was the laboratory where the British empire-builders perfected their policy of divide and rule. All three countries were hastily partitioned and left with imperfect arrangements that would cast long shadows and sow the seeds for the most intractable problems of the modern age. I saw several other parallels between India and Northern Ireland. The deliberate instigation of violence to polarise communities before elections is an old Indian political trick. The Orangemen’s insistence on taking their parades through Catholic strongholds is eerily similar to chest-thumping Hindu religious processionists triggering a riot while passing through Muslim neighbourhoods and from the provocatively through vacinity of mosques and Lo and Behold!! A muslim always throws a stone on the procession and all hell breaks loose with Muslims businesses and houses targeted almost like clockwork and pre-marked precision.
And after what has happened in Ahmedabad, is it a bizarre flight of fancy to imagine what would emerge if poster painters and other such artists were given a free rein in that city? Standing in the Shankhill-Falls area, I saw Ahmedabad in my mind’s eye. Saffron-hued paintings in middle-class neighbourhoods depicted trishul-bearing youth threatening Muslims with death and eternal punishment. In the Muslim heart of the old city, the graffito depicted rape, murder and pillage at the hands of the state.
- Courtesy Saba's Blog-
Thursday, September 22, 2005
The right place of women ( beyond rhetoric)
It's not a news item anymore(that I link below) and we all know it. Just another example of World's hypocrisy when it claims to treating the fairer sex equally and a (self proclaimed) civilized world, that harps about it continously.
So when I read this news item, I felt pain as to why can't women at the dawn of this century, still be treated with dignity at any place of work, howsoever noble it be, be it nursing the patients in a hospital or defending their country at the borders?
A woman soldier's war in Iraq
Many of us in this world have become utter captives or if I can say, have left our carnal desires so untamed, that no matter what we do, we are in constant need of satisfying our sexual urges, else what explains the news item that reports... "from soldiers to policemen to social workers to fire fighters and even UN personnel, collectively have one thing in common....their need to have prostitutes and exotic dancers tag along, whichever mission they undertake and whatever godforsaken circumstances?
Erotic dancers and strippers are arriving to entertain crowds of police, firefighters and military personnel in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina.
"Sick"...is the word to describe this culture which is becoming more mainstream than we presume. Those few in the western world, who are against it, are seemingly fighting a lost battle. It's a rot that would not hide for long and had potential to bring the civilizations down. History is witness. So are the Bibles, the Torah and the Quran.
So when I read this news item, I felt pain as to why can't women at the dawn of this century, still be treated with dignity at any place of work, howsoever noble it be, be it nursing the patients in a hospital or defending their country at the borders?
A woman soldier's war in Iraq
Many of us in this world have become utter captives or if I can say, have left our carnal desires so untamed, that no matter what we do, we are in constant need of satisfying our sexual urges, else what explains the news item that reports... "from soldiers to policemen to social workers to fire fighters and even UN personnel, collectively have one thing in common....their need to have prostitutes and exotic dancers tag along, whichever mission they undertake and whatever godforsaken circumstances?
Erotic dancers and strippers are arriving to entertain crowds of police, firefighters and military personnel in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina.
"Sick"...is the word to describe this culture which is becoming more mainstream than we presume. Those few in the western world, who are against it, are seemingly fighting a lost battle. It's a rot that would not hide for long and had potential to bring the civilizations down. History is witness. So are the Bibles, the Torah and the Quran.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
From one pocket to another - Wah Taj!
The Taj Mahal was today declared Sunni Wakf property on the ground that it is the grave of a woman whose emperor husband was a Sunni.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the monument’s custodian since 1920 has at least said that it would challenge the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Wakf Board’s verdict in the high court.
I remember the old story about owner trying to slaughter the hen that laid golden eggs but only once a day!
The ASI earns Rs 15 crore a year in Taj revenues; and I wonder if it even spends Rs 1.05 crore. on it's maintenance and upkeep. It's a Jizya that Shahjhan left for Govt. of India to be repaid for a hundred years though he never took it anyways.
The Taj will now be “like a house owned by two warring brothers, no one keen on its proper maintenance”, said the assistant director of ASI, Agra, S.K. Sharma. “The order is not against the ASI, it is against the Taj Mahal.”
I agree.
Sunni Wakf Board. Corrupted to the core. Revelling and eating out on the money left by those who crossed the borders during partition or those who leave a sare of their property to be devoted to social charitable causes of uplifting poor amongst the Muslims. Their pockets are so fill..I wonder where they intend to keep the money they would recieve out of owning the Taj. Taj would be very fortunate if would survive another 50 years if it gets into Wakf hands from ASI. At least, ASI did undertake some maintenance work on it occasionally.
No limit to WAKF greediness I must say!! One look at the delipidated conditions of most of the mosques that are already under Wakf jurisdiction in India, and one could imagine the fate of the Taj in near future.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Manufacturing Terror - 5000th episode
It seems that the longest running soap on Ayodhya, has finally entered into it's last season. With the latest climactic episode getting over,some of the questions about it's weak storyline remain unanswered.
1. An eyewitness told the Zee news media that the attacker performed puja before they entered the complex. Why?
2. The attackers on the disputed site were earlier termed as ‘karsevaks’, whereas now the new official terminology is changed to ‘terrorist’. Why?
3. Earlier, the state and central government failed to stop the demolition of the structure, whereas, this time they saved the makeshift temporary structure very pro-actively. How?
4. It has been noticed that the attack was similar to the attack on Parliament, Akshardham Temple and other places, where all attackers were killed and no clues found. Why do intelligence fail on all occasions of similar attacks instead embarking upon a wild goose chase and implicating innocents in it's aftermath?
I find a methodological weakness in all the episodes, whoever scripted them.
The attack on Indian Parliament!! Why would someone want to do that? A heavily guarded place that is and would not bring any benefit to kashmir or lashkar's cause (if they have a cause to start with, whatsoever). The only ones to benefit would be Hindu right wing and they almost did but for America's priorities in aligning with Musharraf during the year long, India's threatening standoff at the borders with Pakistan, initialted by BJP government then. The fanatics amongst hindus, albeit not being able to launch an attack on Pakistan, did manage to quench their blood thirst by sucking up the blood of 2000 odd Muslims of their own country by in the garb of retaliation, in Gujrat.
And then...It had all seemed so convincing when the terror attack happened in our own Ansal Plaza at Delhi in Nov 2002. So, when the two "terrorists" arrived on at Delhi's most upmarket shopping centre, our super policewallahs were already waiting for them. As soon as the men parked their car in the underground basement and got out they were challenged by a poliwallah and they (the terrorists) allegedly opened fire. In the ensuing 15-minute "encounter" both militants were shot dead. An eyewitness who happened to be a doctor by profession, Dr. H Krishna, later gave a dramatic testimony. He claimed that both men were unarmed when police shot them. He also said that "the men stumbled out of their car and appeared either drugged or suffering from lack of sleep. They were empty-handed and walking with difficulty.
The police opened fire a minute later, killing the "terrorists" instantly".
When Dr Krishna tried to explain this to reporters, officers escorted him away. He later gave his account to India's Asian Age newspaper, and then wisely disappeared off to Australia when police questioned his personal credibility. He must have been on Lashkar's payroll.
Usually, many arrests follow when a suicide attack or even any attack happens in such mysterious circumstances. Remember, that Delhi college lecturer, Geelani, who spent two years in prison after being wrongly convicted of helping plan an attack on the Indian parliament, had also said he was framed by the police. After being freed, he was again attacked in Feb 2005. Our police says, he had gobbled up ISI money and they are getting even. Wow!!The impunity with which ISI carries it's 'getting even' activities on our soil, is amazing. The laxity with which our police is under no hurry to investigate the attack on Mr. Geelani by ISI goons is even more astonishing.
But no such wild goose chase followed the Ansal shootout. Delhi Police probably heaved a sigh of relief by just having gotten away after doing a blunder and got caught like a novice thief. So it was better to forget the usual melodrama enactment post suicide attacks. Thanks to a sympathetic government at the centre.
Anyways...Seems like Ayodhya soap is in it's final moments. India is calm. Share markets are calm except a few lumpen elements trying to whip up passions but failing miserably. Good for India but bad for all those who sucked and cherished on innocent blood of both sides.
And not to forget, Ishrat Jahan Raza, who was shot dead in the company of three Lashkar terrorists in July 2004. Her friends and family members still insist that she was not involved with terrorism. The damning evidence of her involvement with Lashkar appeared in the form of a claim by a Pakistani daily affiliated to Lashkar-e-Tayiba , that she was indeed one of them. The other evidence, was her e-mail ID: ishhateseverybody@hotmail.com. Additional CP, Ahmedabad, Mr. D G Vanzara had wondered, "if she was not a criminal, why did she not keep her ID 'ishloveseverybody'?" The case was closed.
I mean, I always wonder, Why the hell these Muslim self proclaimed 'militant' outfits fall over each other to hurriedly claim all their misadventures and failures? They are yet to, at least in India, claim a target worth taking and have almost always claimed innocent civilian lives. At least, they should learn lessons from their presumed enemies. The mission of Ishrat, if it was to purge Modi from the scene, had failed. Indian Human Rights agencies were condemning Modi and the whole police establishment wa under scrutiny to prove the involvement of Ishrat in the alleged Modi's assasination. Modi himself was under great political pressure within his constituency at the time. Second, the newspapers and television channels had been filing stories about Ishrat Jahan's college-mates, her teachers, and her neighbours telling the world what a good girl she was. She was, they all insisted, the last woman who could be suspected of 'fundamentalist' tendencies. One might argue that if you were a terrorist, would you actually go around announcing to the world that you intended to shoot Narendra Modi? Or would you keep quiet until the time came to act? Persumably the latter. But that was the order before lashker gallantly owned up to to it's failure.
Even if the mission of Ishrat failed, it could have been easier to kill Modi when he was removed from office or Police get's it's power curtailed if it was proven as a fake encounter. It doesn't take a genius to strategise this much.
Instead, the geniuses that inhabit Lashkar-e-taiba, chose to claim responsibility for a failed and callously implemented terror act? Why? A weak script, as always. But who cares...!! Lashker proved to the world, once again, every seemingly innocent looking Muslim boy or girl, should be treated as guilty of aiding and abetting 'Islamic terror' and never proven innocent throughtout his lifespan.
To maintain sanity, I end up linking you to a nice article on the same issue of Ayodhya's latest episode.
Why Ayodhya isn’t an issue any more - By Zafar
1. An eyewitness told the Zee news media that the attacker performed puja before they entered the complex. Why?
2. The attackers on the disputed site were earlier termed as ‘karsevaks’, whereas now the new official terminology is changed to ‘terrorist’. Why?
3. Earlier, the state and central government failed to stop the demolition of the structure, whereas, this time they saved the makeshift temporary structure very pro-actively. How?
4. It has been noticed that the attack was similar to the attack on Parliament, Akshardham Temple and other places, where all attackers were killed and no clues found. Why do intelligence fail on all occasions of similar attacks instead embarking upon a wild goose chase and implicating innocents in it's aftermath?
I find a methodological weakness in all the episodes, whoever scripted them.
The attack on Indian Parliament!! Why would someone want to do that? A heavily guarded place that is and would not bring any benefit to kashmir or lashkar's cause (if they have a cause to start with, whatsoever). The only ones to benefit would be Hindu right wing and they almost did but for America's priorities in aligning with Musharraf during the year long, India's threatening standoff at the borders with Pakistan, initialted by BJP government then. The fanatics amongst hindus, albeit not being able to launch an attack on Pakistan, did manage to quench their blood thirst by sucking up the blood of 2000 odd Muslims of their own country by in the garb of retaliation, in Gujrat.
And then...It had all seemed so convincing when the terror attack happened in our own Ansal Plaza at Delhi in Nov 2002. So, when the two "terrorists" arrived on at Delhi's most upmarket shopping centre, our super policewallahs were already waiting for them. As soon as the men parked their car in the underground basement and got out they were challenged by a poliwallah and they (the terrorists) allegedly opened fire. In the ensuing 15-minute "encounter" both militants were shot dead. An eyewitness who happened to be a doctor by profession, Dr. H Krishna, later gave a dramatic testimony. He claimed that both men were unarmed when police shot them. He also said that "the men stumbled out of their car and appeared either drugged or suffering from lack of sleep. They were empty-handed and walking with difficulty.
The police opened fire a minute later, killing the "terrorists" instantly".
When Dr Krishna tried to explain this to reporters, officers escorted him away. He later gave his account to India's Asian Age newspaper, and then wisely disappeared off to Australia when police questioned his personal credibility. He must have been on Lashkar's payroll.
Usually, many arrests follow when a suicide attack or even any attack happens in such mysterious circumstances. Remember, that Delhi college lecturer, Geelani, who spent two years in prison after being wrongly convicted of helping plan an attack on the Indian parliament, had also said he was framed by the police. After being freed, he was again attacked in Feb 2005. Our police says, he had gobbled up ISI money and they are getting even. Wow!!The impunity with which ISI carries it's 'getting even' activities on our soil, is amazing. The laxity with which our police is under no hurry to investigate the attack on Mr. Geelani by ISI goons is even more astonishing.
But no such wild goose chase followed the Ansal shootout. Delhi Police probably heaved a sigh of relief by just having gotten away after doing a blunder and got caught like a novice thief. So it was better to forget the usual melodrama enactment post suicide attacks. Thanks to a sympathetic government at the centre.
Anyways...Seems like Ayodhya soap is in it's final moments. India is calm. Share markets are calm except a few lumpen elements trying to whip up passions but failing miserably. Good for India but bad for all those who sucked and cherished on innocent blood of both sides.
And not to forget, Ishrat Jahan Raza, who was shot dead in the company of three Lashkar terrorists in July 2004. Her friends and family members still insist that she was not involved with terrorism. The damning evidence of her involvement with Lashkar appeared in the form of a claim by a Pakistani daily affiliated to Lashkar-e-Tayiba , that she was indeed one of them. The other evidence, was her e-mail ID: ishhateseverybody@hotmail.com. Additional CP, Ahmedabad, Mr. D G Vanzara had wondered, "if she was not a criminal, why did she not keep her ID 'ishloveseverybody'?" The case was closed.
I mean, I always wonder, Why the hell these Muslim self proclaimed 'militant' outfits fall over each other to hurriedly claim all their misadventures and failures? They are yet to, at least in India, claim a target worth taking and have almost always claimed innocent civilian lives. At least, they should learn lessons from their presumed enemies. The mission of Ishrat, if it was to purge Modi from the scene, had failed. Indian Human Rights agencies were condemning Modi and the whole police establishment wa under scrutiny to prove the involvement of Ishrat in the alleged Modi's assasination. Modi himself was under great political pressure within his constituency at the time. Second, the newspapers and television channels had been filing stories about Ishrat Jahan's college-mates, her teachers, and her neighbours telling the world what a good girl she was. She was, they all insisted, the last woman who could be suspected of 'fundamentalist' tendencies. One might argue that if you were a terrorist, would you actually go around announcing to the world that you intended to shoot Narendra Modi? Or would you keep quiet until the time came to act? Persumably the latter. But that was the order before lashker gallantly owned up to to it's failure.
Even if the mission of Ishrat failed, it could have been easier to kill Modi when he was removed from office or Police get's it's power curtailed if it was proven as a fake encounter. It doesn't take a genius to strategise this much.
Instead, the geniuses that inhabit Lashkar-e-taiba, chose to claim responsibility for a failed and callously implemented terror act? Why? A weak script, as always. But who cares...!! Lashker proved to the world, once again, every seemingly innocent looking Muslim boy or girl, should be treated as guilty of aiding and abetting 'Islamic terror' and never proven innocent throughtout his lifespan.
To maintain sanity, I end up linking you to a nice article on the same issue of Ayodhya's latest episode.
Why Ayodhya isn’t an issue any more - By Zafar
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Crazy Diktats -When someone gets raped!
Making a mockery of Islam
Upholding the Mockery
The real Islamic stand on the issue!
If you thought that you have heard the worst from our self-assigned and unrepresentative clergy, then read the latest tragedy that happened to a Muslim women when she was raped by her own father in law and various rulings by Muslim clergy that followed. It would seem to an outsider that Muslim world is living in the laws comissioned and promulgated in some jungles of Mozambique. Even they might be better!
With fatwas like those depicted in the first two links...there is no need of any biased media to malign the image of already sullied and barbaric Shariah and Islamic laws. The fatwas started by a cleric ordering the women to marry her father in law (the rapist) and divorce her husband. Thankfully, that fatwa was done away with only to be followed with the one that requires her husband to divorce her and leave her on the streets with her five kids to fend for themselves. The latest one is supported by two Islamic bodies of India, AIMPLB and Dar Ul Uloom.
Regarding the edicts issued or supported by AIMPLB, the All India Muslim personal law board, I have known earlier misadventures by this body of India. Totally unrepresentative. God only knows, who gives them the right to decide and why are they glorified as official voice of a 150 million East Indian Muslims?
Their latest standing is that Imrana (the rape victim) is no more 'pure' for continuing conjugal rights with her husband and thus the marriage stands nullified.
What are the issues here? Let's see..
Quran states that: "And marry not women whom your fathers married, except what has already passed;(in the days of pre-islamic igonorance) indeed it was shameful and most hateful, and an evil way...// (forbidden to you are)- the wives of your sons who (spring) from your own loins, and two sisters in wedlock at the same time, except for what has already passed (in pre-islamic days); verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (An-Nisa)"
Indian Dar ul uloom jurists argue here that because father in law has raped the wife of his son, hence according to Quran, she is now prohibited for the son. But Hey guys!!...since when a rape case came to be judged by this verse of the Quran?? This verse was about prohibited and legal spouses for marriage, never the rape. Or is there any other verse that I do not know of. I am certain that it's the only one that relates to marriage.
Thankfully, the rapist of a Father in law is now behind bars and under sharia..(if implemented) he should be given capital punishment in public so that anyone else desist doing so in the future.
Now, let's presume that the Daughter in law gets pregnant post rape. The child would then effectively be the brother of her husband. Does Islam allow abortion in such cases? Some argue that even if the conception is the result of extra-marital union or forced rape, abortion is not allowed, because the (innocent) baby to be, has the right to life, that can not be denied. The biological parents - both or either one - or else the society/state is responsible to take care of such "un-wanted" or illegal births.
So, what's the Islamic ruling on the issue of children borne out of wedlock/adultery etc?? No child carries the sin of his mother...or biological father, so I think, it would be haraam to abort/kill that child. Here lies the problem. Should the child be sent to the care of an orphanage? Can Imrana and her present husband rear the child as their own? That sounds pretty impossible! Tough questions here! But Islamonline says: the child borne out of rape or forced incest can be aborted without putting any of the blame on the mother.
I agree!! The mother of such a child, if seen through the full term, might not be ever able to go give due love, care and affection towards such a child borne out of violent conception.
All knowledgeable jurists opine that young Muslim men should hasten to marry women who have been raped or tormented off their dignity. Imrana has been tormented. who can better reduce or alleviate her sufferings than her husband? She should be allowed to be with her husband so as to reduce her suffering and console her, to compensate her for the loss of the most precious thing she possessed, her dignity.
Muslim public opinion in India too (if the reports are to be believed), is questioning the right of the religious seminary to adjudicate on a purely criminal offence. Deoband should have kept quiet on this issue as India is not an Islamic country. In fact, they have no right to issue a fatwa on a criminal offence and neither does a the AIMPLB. What is the logic behind giving a decision in which one party (Imrana) is penalised when none of the two self proclaimed Muslim mouthpieces have the power to punish the culprit?
The best part of it all, no one seems to be listening to another equally (if not more) (un)representative body and that is of the 'All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board' (AIMWPLB). Thankfully, they now plan to mobilise public opinion by enlisting the support of the ulemas for getting the decision reversed saying it had not been issued in the light of the Koran. ‘‘The decision has not been taken in the light of Koran; it has been doctored by some fundamentalists who were bent on implementing their agenda,’’ said Shaista Amber, president of the Board.
Why are we not seeing press releases or media interviews from the representatives of AIMWPLB as much as the AIMPLB is in the news? Who gave more legitimacy to the latter than the former?
Most important of all..it's not so much about Imrana or the issue at hand. Time and again unwanted controversies have been created and flagged. This time too it appears designed to get the Shariat laws changed. The dumb and illiterate Muslim representatives, unknowingly but reprehensibly have fallen prey to these designs almost everytime the need arose for them to show an iota of wisdom and vision.
If muslim personal laws are done away with, in India, then so be it. We have proved ourselves incapable of doing justice to their sanctity time and again. We better let go off something which we cannot maintain with due deligence. It's going to be better for the cause of Islam.
Let the law of the land give it's judgement.
Upholding the Mockery
The real Islamic stand on the issue!
If you thought that you have heard the worst from our self-assigned and unrepresentative clergy, then read the latest tragedy that happened to a Muslim women when she was raped by her own father in law and various rulings by Muslim clergy that followed. It would seem to an outsider that Muslim world is living in the laws comissioned and promulgated in some jungles of Mozambique. Even they might be better!
With fatwas like those depicted in the first two links...there is no need of any biased media to malign the image of already sullied and barbaric Shariah and Islamic laws. The fatwas started by a cleric ordering the women to marry her father in law (the rapist) and divorce her husband. Thankfully, that fatwa was done away with only to be followed with the one that requires her husband to divorce her and leave her on the streets with her five kids to fend for themselves. The latest one is supported by two Islamic bodies of India, AIMPLB and Dar Ul Uloom.
Regarding the edicts issued or supported by AIMPLB, the All India Muslim personal law board, I have known earlier misadventures by this body of India. Totally unrepresentative. God only knows, who gives them the right to decide and why are they glorified as official voice of a 150 million East Indian Muslims?
Their latest standing is that Imrana (the rape victim) is no more 'pure' for continuing conjugal rights with her husband and thus the marriage stands nullified.
What are the issues here? Let's see..
Quran states that: "And marry not women whom your fathers married, except what has already passed;(in the days of pre-islamic igonorance) indeed it was shameful and most hateful, and an evil way...// (forbidden to you are)- the wives of your sons who (spring) from your own loins, and two sisters in wedlock at the same time, except for what has already passed (in pre-islamic days); verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (An-Nisa)"
Indian Dar ul uloom jurists argue here that because father in law has raped the wife of his son, hence according to Quran, she is now prohibited for the son. But Hey guys!!...since when a rape case came to be judged by this verse of the Quran?? This verse was about prohibited and legal spouses for marriage, never the rape. Or is there any other verse that I do not know of. I am certain that it's the only one that relates to marriage.
Thankfully, the rapist of a Father in law is now behind bars and under sharia..(if implemented) he should be given capital punishment in public so that anyone else desist doing so in the future.
Now, let's presume that the Daughter in law gets pregnant post rape. The child would then effectively be the brother of her husband. Does Islam allow abortion in such cases? Some argue that even if the conception is the result of extra-marital union or forced rape, abortion is not allowed, because the (innocent) baby to be, has the right to life, that can not be denied. The biological parents - both or either one - or else the society/state is responsible to take care of such "un-wanted" or illegal births.
So, what's the Islamic ruling on the issue of children borne out of wedlock/adultery etc?? No child carries the sin of his mother...or biological father, so I think, it would be haraam to abort/kill that child. Here lies the problem. Should the child be sent to the care of an orphanage? Can Imrana and her present husband rear the child as their own? That sounds pretty impossible! Tough questions here! But Islamonline says: the child borne out of rape or forced incest can be aborted without putting any of the blame on the mother.
I agree!! The mother of such a child, if seen through the full term, might not be ever able to go give due love, care and affection towards such a child borne out of violent conception.
All knowledgeable jurists opine that young Muslim men should hasten to marry women who have been raped or tormented off their dignity. Imrana has been tormented. who can better reduce or alleviate her sufferings than her husband? She should be allowed to be with her husband so as to reduce her suffering and console her, to compensate her for the loss of the most precious thing she possessed, her dignity.
Muslim public opinion in India too (if the reports are to be believed), is questioning the right of the religious seminary to adjudicate on a purely criminal offence. Deoband should have kept quiet on this issue as India is not an Islamic country. In fact, they have no right to issue a fatwa on a criminal offence and neither does a the AIMPLB. What is the logic behind giving a decision in which one party (Imrana) is penalised when none of the two self proclaimed Muslim mouthpieces have the power to punish the culprit?
The best part of it all, no one seems to be listening to another equally (if not more) (un)representative body and that is of the 'All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board' (AIMWPLB). Thankfully, they now plan to mobilise public opinion by enlisting the support of the ulemas for getting the decision reversed saying it had not been issued in the light of the Koran. ‘‘The decision has not been taken in the light of Koran; it has been doctored by some fundamentalists who were bent on implementing their agenda,’’ said Shaista Amber, president of the Board.
Why are we not seeing press releases or media interviews from the representatives of AIMWPLB as much as the AIMPLB is in the news? Who gave more legitimacy to the latter than the former?
Most important of all..it's not so much about Imrana or the issue at hand. Time and again unwanted controversies have been created and flagged. This time too it appears designed to get the Shariat laws changed. The dumb and illiterate Muslim representatives, unknowingly but reprehensibly have fallen prey to these designs almost everytime the need arose for them to show an iota of wisdom and vision.
If muslim personal laws are done away with, in India, then so be it. We have proved ourselves incapable of doing justice to their sanctity time and again. We better let go off something which we cannot maintain with due deligence. It's going to be better for the cause of Islam.
Let the law of the land give it's judgement.
Monday, June 27, 2005
No Indian Muslim in Al Qaeda!
In London, while declaring India's democracy to be a model for Islamic countries, External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh revealed (what's known to many since long,) that the biggest measure of its success was that no Indian was a member of terrorist group Al Qaeda.
No Indian in Al Qaeda: Natwar Singh
"Yet, not a single Indian out of our 150 million Muslims has joined the Al Qaeda. This is a fact that is not often recognised," Singh said during his keynote address to a two-day conference on "India - the next decade".
"The existing world needs to take into cognisance the aspirations and hopes of the Islamic world," he said.
"India is a good example of how this can be done through democratic and consensual means, thereby strengthening the forces of coherence and integration within societies."
Singh's speech signalled the renewal of an outward-looking foreign policy for India - one that embraced what he called the "new realities" such as economic globalisation, Islamic aspirations, global poverty, challenge of terrorism and nuclear non-proliferation.
"It seems to me, from what respectable forecasting institutions have projected, that India - together with China - is more the flavour of the century than the decade," he said.
"In the next decade we could see India position itself for greater accomplishments as the century progresses. There are no precedents for managing a democracy of 1.2 billion people," said Singh as British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who shared the stage with him, nodded vigorously.
Some wise and true words there, but there could be more to Jack Straw noddings than meets the eye. If our BPO processes continue to sell secure information for a dime a dozen, we mighty loose it all in IT lead.
Well...that's a different topic though, just came to mind when the IANA reporter observed 'vigorous noddings' of Jack Straw.
Elsewhere, I read that according to a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report 65 per cent of the companies involved in BPO processes do not have comprehensive information security measures. Thankfully, Wipro and Godrej have tripled their information technology budgets in the last one year to implement a comprehensive security.
It's time for a CEO or CTO of a BPO to take a comprehensive check. With the chorus against outsourcing to India getting louder by the day in the West, that's one thing BPOs can ill afford to ignore.
My Random thoughts there...doesn't have to do with the original subject of the thread, I know. But can't help it...an IT guy would remain an IT guy first!! I guess!! :)
No Indian in Al Qaeda: Natwar Singh
"Yet, not a single Indian out of our 150 million Muslims has joined the Al Qaeda. This is a fact that is not often recognised," Singh said during his keynote address to a two-day conference on "India - the next decade".
"The existing world needs to take into cognisance the aspirations and hopes of the Islamic world," he said.
"India is a good example of how this can be done through democratic and consensual means, thereby strengthening the forces of coherence and integration within societies."
Singh's speech signalled the renewal of an outward-looking foreign policy for India - one that embraced what he called the "new realities" such as economic globalisation, Islamic aspirations, global poverty, challenge of terrorism and nuclear non-proliferation.
"It seems to me, from what respectable forecasting institutions have projected, that India - together with China - is more the flavour of the century than the decade," he said.
"In the next decade we could see India position itself for greater accomplishments as the century progresses. There are no precedents for managing a democracy of 1.2 billion people," said Singh as British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who shared the stage with him, nodded vigorously.
Some wise and true words there, but there could be more to Jack Straw noddings than meets the eye. If our BPO processes continue to sell secure information for a dime a dozen, we mighty loose it all in IT lead.
Well...that's a different topic though, just came to mind when the IANA reporter observed 'vigorous noddings' of Jack Straw.
Elsewhere, I read that according to a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report 65 per cent of the companies involved in BPO processes do not have comprehensive information security measures. Thankfully, Wipro and Godrej have tripled their information technology budgets in the last one year to implement a comprehensive security.
It's time for a CEO or CTO of a BPO to take a comprehensive check. With the chorus against outsourcing to India getting louder by the day in the West, that's one thing BPOs can ill afford to ignore.
My Random thoughts there...doesn't have to do with the original subject of the thread, I know. But can't help it...an IT guy would remain an IT guy first!! I guess!! :)
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Of Tamerlanes and Auragzebs
How many times does one come across perceptions that it's only Muslims who are and were always being cruel, wicked and capable of barbarism while it's only non-Muslims while all great men of history have been non-Muslims. That's not quite what true history is about. For an example, The hero of the movie, 'Kingdom of heavens' Saladin was a man ahead of his time and a benevolent man in an era when true nobility was rare. Yes, there were other conflicts, men such as Tamerlane butchered almost the entire population of Delhi, while Mohammed Khilji burnt down the great ancient Buddhist University in Nalanda and everyone inside it. Tamerlane butchered his own religious community. Chroniclers write that: "Timur surpassed all others in the matter of ‘…the murder of peaceful non-combatant Muslims and in a much smaller degree, non-combatant non-Muslims who were beheaded or put to death on his orders in the most original ways.’ And he fancied himself the saviour of Islam. Many believe that he killed only 'kaafirs'.
The true fact of history is that the past cannot just be judged by looking at a few men who are convenient from one’s point of view, but by viewing the total picture. True, some muslim rulers had been dreadful in their way of warfare and when met with resistance to their rule and authority, but to say that all Muslims are cruel and and hence all the Islamic nations should pre-empted and Muslims oppressed is just ridiculous. Each era has its own victors and the vanquished, just as each era has its own oppressors and the oppressed. Look how Americans deal with those who resist their occupation and how Israelis deal with those who defy. Why shouldn't Aurangzeb deal the way he dealt with Shivaji who defied his sovereignity? If we change the name of shivaji in history to someone named "Shuja", I would expect Aurangzeb do deal with him the same way.
Most important of all, I seldom find any Muslim blaming all the non-Muslims for being barbaric.
Unlike many non-Muslims, we don’t go and stigmatise entire communities as barbarians for the sins of a few. Nowhere would the writer find us calling ‘Christian terrorist’, ‘Jew terrorist’, or ‘Hindu terrorist’ for the barbaric acts of a few from their communities, but everywhere we can find prejudiced people like the writer blaming the entire religion for terrorism (just because some people from that religion are supposed terrorists).
The fact of the matter is that all Muslims were/are not like Tamerlane or Mehmood Khilji the way all non-Muslims are/were not barbarians. If you view the total picture of history without any prejudice, you could find the contribution of Islam larger then any other civilisation. When the whole medieval Europe was fluctuating in the realm of the Dark Age, Muslims enlightened them and sowed the seeds of the Renaissance. Our contribution to the betterment of humanity has been written in golden letters in the annals of human history.
True, each era had its own oppressors and the oppressed, and it’s also true that, each era witnessed the oppressed rising against the oppressors and fighting the battle of freedom. The entire perception of the writer looks like he is another victim of the biased western media, and his clotted mind is shrouded with the doctrines of anti-Islamic propaganda. If Muslims defending their religion looks like vitriol to the writer, I would like to know why the writer consumes the vitriol like honey, and returns again and again to bite and howl at the Muslims, given any opportunity.
The true fact of history is that the past cannot just be judged by looking at a few men who are convenient from one’s point of view, but by viewing the total picture. True, some muslim rulers had been dreadful in their way of warfare and when met with resistance to their rule and authority, but to say that all Muslims are cruel and and hence all the Islamic nations should pre-empted and Muslims oppressed is just ridiculous. Each era has its own victors and the vanquished, just as each era has its own oppressors and the oppressed. Look how Americans deal with those who resist their occupation and how Israelis deal with those who defy. Why shouldn't Aurangzeb deal the way he dealt with Shivaji who defied his sovereignity? If we change the name of shivaji in history to someone named "Shuja", I would expect Aurangzeb do deal with him the same way.
Most important of all, I seldom find any Muslim blaming all the non-Muslims for being barbaric.
Unlike many non-Muslims, we don’t go and stigmatise entire communities as barbarians for the sins of a few. Nowhere would the writer find us calling ‘Christian terrorist’, ‘Jew terrorist’, or ‘Hindu terrorist’ for the barbaric acts of a few from their communities, but everywhere we can find prejudiced people like the writer blaming the entire religion for terrorism (just because some people from that religion are supposed terrorists).
The fact of the matter is that all Muslims were/are not like Tamerlane or Mehmood Khilji the way all non-Muslims are/were not barbarians. If you view the total picture of history without any prejudice, you could find the contribution of Islam larger then any other civilisation. When the whole medieval Europe was fluctuating in the realm of the Dark Age, Muslims enlightened them and sowed the seeds of the Renaissance. Our contribution to the betterment of humanity has been written in golden letters in the annals of human history.
True, each era had its own oppressors and the oppressed, and it’s also true that, each era witnessed the oppressed rising against the oppressors and fighting the battle of freedom. The entire perception of the writer looks like he is another victim of the biased western media, and his clotted mind is shrouded with the doctrines of anti-Islamic propaganda. If Muslims defending their religion looks like vitriol to the writer, I would like to know why the writer consumes the vitriol like honey, and returns again and again to bite and howl at the Muslims, given any opportunity.
What has Arabs World given us?
An interesting new times passed by the covers of Arab press, titled:Writer urges Riyadh to review Arab ties. The writer seems to have urged his country's policy makers to give a second thought to its relations with other Arab countries, saying that he prefers boosting of ties with the United States, instead of Arab nations. In this article he wrote under the title ‘What did we benefit from Arab nationalism’ and published on Sunday by the Arabic daily Al Jazira, Mohammed Al Sheikh said: “We Saudis need to re-arrange our priorities, to read very well and with utmost objectivity our modern history and to derive lessons from it in our efforts to strengthen our new culture which should not be based on postulates without being subjected first to deliberations, scrutiny and constructive criticism as we used to do in the past.” He said that “our ideology must be based on nationalism and patriotism, must be an ideology which always takes into serious consideration the nation’s interest by placing national interest at the helm of other areas of priority.”
Perhaps, a more important and pertinent question would have been ‘What did the Arab/Muslim world benefit from Saudi Arabia?’ Or for that matter, what contribution has Saudi Arabia made to the betterment and development of human beings anywhere in the world. Yes! No doubt, millions of Saudi Riyals flow back into Indian coffers by the labour expat community who send foreign remittances back home but that's not what really matters on the world scene?
Indeed, the Arab world needs to rearrange its priorities, starting with the formation of a credible and visionary leadership capable of developing long-term strategies not based on nationalism and patriotism, but internationalism and globalism.
I don’t know what America has given to Saudi Arabia, perhaps the Saudi Writer can enlighten us, but I know that being the custodians of the holiest Muslim sites and an economic powerhouse, Saudi Arabia has a responsibility to lead the Muslim world, and by investing in the Arab world can help them develop economically.
Fund hospitals, technology schools and institutions, rush towards providing aid to wherever required irrespective of religious affiliations and see your goodwill soar amongst the nations.
Till then, no matter which way you look for friendship, it would be a friendship of convenience where there will be no respect for Arabs but they would be only considered, American stooges!
Perhaps, a more important and pertinent question would have been ‘What did the Arab/Muslim world benefit from Saudi Arabia?’ Or for that matter, what contribution has Saudi Arabia made to the betterment and development of human beings anywhere in the world. Yes! No doubt, millions of Saudi Riyals flow back into Indian coffers by the labour expat community who send foreign remittances back home but that's not what really matters on the world scene?
Indeed, the Arab world needs to rearrange its priorities, starting with the formation of a credible and visionary leadership capable of developing long-term strategies not based on nationalism and patriotism, but internationalism and globalism.
I don’t know what America has given to Saudi Arabia, perhaps the Saudi Writer can enlighten us, but I know that being the custodians of the holiest Muslim sites and an economic powerhouse, Saudi Arabia has a responsibility to lead the Muslim world, and by investing in the Arab world can help them develop economically.
Fund hospitals, technology schools and institutions, rush towards providing aid to wherever required irrespective of religious affiliations and see your goodwill soar amongst the nations.
Till then, no matter which way you look for friendship, it would be a friendship of convenience where there will be no respect for Arabs but they would be only considered, American stooges!
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Three interesting new items!
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=47584
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=47507
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=13874541
I'll Blog on these..Later but you're welcome to comment! :)
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=47507
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=13874541
I'll Blog on these..Later but you're welcome to comment! :)
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
The vices of Patriotism and Communalism
Sometimes I read/hear some people advocating mass cleansing operations on this earth to get done away with a particular breed/denomination of people in a society. Something of the types Hiter/Stalin advocated. Something of the types Narendra Modi and his compatriots are very proud of and willing to go about it again if they get another excuse to do so.
Some posted this in his weblog and I relate it here: "We all probably know that it's not the Satan who does bad..nor is it the God or Allah or Rama who does good. Man has been created and given powers and thus be held responsible for the good and bad he does, and it does not matter whether he does whatever he does under the banner of Allah or Ram or Jesus. Because, under whatever name he may commit good or bad deeds, they are going to remain his deeds. When did we hear the last time a judge ruled, acquiting a murderer for the murderer proved that he got the commands for his misdoings from some supernatural powers?
But yes, these deeds do affect other people's psyche. It is like a disease.
Personally, I feel that emotions like patriotism and communalism are the root causes of all problems of this world. Why is our country better than the other. Why should our citizens be more worthwhile and important than the other? Why is our land , Bharat Mata , whose honour we have to uphold? Doesn't it all become so meaningless when we see some of these 'putras' of bharatmata begging to be adopted by 'US Mata' or 'UK Mata'?
But for those, who are deep in hatred for any other community member, be it Muslims or Hindus, and advocate mass genocide or cleansing of them, say whatever you are saying just because it helps your ego or because it gives you a reason to live life. Sometimes, even hatred for someone becomes a reason for survival albeit perverted.
Most communal people are egoists, believe me, because they are not fighting for Hindus or Muslims or Christians, but they are fighting for their own religion..yes..Many Hindutvavaadis are worried about Hinduism because it is THEIR religion, and not because it is Hinduism. Similarly, Osama is fighting for his version of religion and not ISLAM. It is because these people are born into this religion that they have become obsessed with it.. this is a clear cut example of a person feeding his or own ego..it is like fighting for your toy, or your car, or your suit..
Please think twice before talking about a living being's life or death. When you say that the people killed in the Haj stampede were killed by the wrath of Satan, well, it does not matter. But what matters for sure is that those were human beings.
We are all someone's son, daughter, husbands or fathers. If either one of us dies, than think about the reciprocal effects on your life. Now think about catastrophes like homicides, which, under the name of Allah, the extremist terrorist groups are committing. Suddenly, death's definition from emotional loss is converted into loss of numbers..a mere number..15 people killed..39 killed..59 killed..
well, same is for the ones killed daily by Israelis in Palestines or US forces in Iraq.
Media portrays that there are more Muslim terrorists in the world than there are Christian or Hindu or Jewish terrorists but scrutiny of statistics and incidents might reveal otherwise. But let's even agree that there are indeed more Muslim fundamentalists, then killing all Muslims or considering their death as the wrath of Satan or the revenge of Ram is a disgusting thought..those people going to Haj are just like people going to Amarnath..no one is going there to pray for Osama bin Laden..and if some people are, they are just as misguided in life, like hindutvavaadis or American/Israeli Right wingers.
India already has a lot of problems to deal with. The answers are not simple. Not everything can be solved by 0 (shoot) 1 (live), lest Americans and Israelis wouldn't be dying the way they are in their quests for forced occupations. I do not have the solution to problems like fundamentalism or proxy wars..or even riots..but yes, I do believe that human lives are not numbers. Coz if they are, then probably your wife or son or sister are also numbers..think about it, will you please?"
Some posted this in his weblog and I relate it here: "We all probably know that it's not the Satan who does bad..nor is it the God or Allah or Rama who does good. Man has been created and given powers and thus be held responsible for the good and bad he does, and it does not matter whether he does whatever he does under the banner of Allah or Ram or Jesus. Because, under whatever name he may commit good or bad deeds, they are going to remain his deeds. When did we hear the last time a judge ruled, acquiting a murderer for the murderer proved that he got the commands for his misdoings from some supernatural powers?
But yes, these deeds do affect other people's psyche. It is like a disease.
Personally, I feel that emotions like patriotism and communalism are the root causes of all problems of this world. Why is our country better than the other. Why should our citizens be more worthwhile and important than the other? Why is our land , Bharat Mata , whose honour we have to uphold? Doesn't it all become so meaningless when we see some of these 'putras' of bharatmata begging to be adopted by 'US Mata' or 'UK Mata'?
But for those, who are deep in hatred for any other community member, be it Muslims or Hindus, and advocate mass genocide or cleansing of them, say whatever you are saying just because it helps your ego or because it gives you a reason to live life. Sometimes, even hatred for someone becomes a reason for survival albeit perverted.
Most communal people are egoists, believe me, because they are not fighting for Hindus or Muslims or Christians, but they are fighting for their own religion..yes..Many Hindutvavaadis are worried about Hinduism because it is THEIR religion, and not because it is Hinduism. Similarly, Osama is fighting for his version of religion and not ISLAM. It is because these people are born into this religion that they have become obsessed with it.. this is a clear cut example of a person feeding his or own ego..it is like fighting for your toy, or your car, or your suit..
Please think twice before talking about a living being's life or death. When you say that the people killed in the Haj stampede were killed by the wrath of Satan, well, it does not matter. But what matters for sure is that those were human beings.
We are all someone's son, daughter, husbands or fathers. If either one of us dies, than think about the reciprocal effects on your life. Now think about catastrophes like homicides, which, under the name of Allah, the extremist terrorist groups are committing. Suddenly, death's definition from emotional loss is converted into loss of numbers..a mere number..15 people killed..39 killed..59 killed..
well, same is for the ones killed daily by Israelis in Palestines or US forces in Iraq.
Media portrays that there are more Muslim terrorists in the world than there are Christian or Hindu or Jewish terrorists but scrutiny of statistics and incidents might reveal otherwise. But let's even agree that there are indeed more Muslim fundamentalists, then killing all Muslims or considering their death as the wrath of Satan or the revenge of Ram is a disgusting thought..those people going to Haj are just like people going to Amarnath..no one is going there to pray for Osama bin Laden..and if some people are, they are just as misguided in life, like hindutvavaadis or American/Israeli Right wingers.
India already has a lot of problems to deal with. The answers are not simple. Not everything can be solved by 0 (shoot) 1 (live), lest Americans and Israelis wouldn't be dying the way they are in their quests for forced occupations. I do not have the solution to problems like fundamentalism or proxy wars..or even riots..but yes, I do believe that human lives are not numbers. Coz if they are, then probably your wife or son or sister are also numbers..think about it, will you please?"
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Sunil Dutt - The epitome of an Indian
So much has been written about him already but I have to write something, for he was someone, I always had that strange admiration for. I hardly ever met him or saw in person. All my information about him is gathered through years of media reporting, but still, whatever I read or heard, made me believe that he was an example of a human being, we in India should all aspire to become.
A misfit in politics? No!! Unlike many would like to call him that way, but he was there probably so that he can make a difference. Vir Shanghvi in one of his recent columns in Mid Day, sums up his life as a 'triumph', and I wholeheartedly agree.
Back in 1962-63 when he and his wife had set up the Ajanta Arts troupe and took parties of dancers and singers to the borders of India, to NEFA and to Ladakh to entertain our jawans, it would always be the high point of the values that he cherished. This feat often prevented the pseudo-patriots from branding him as a pseudo-secular. They would love to do that for his innumerable services done toward those who suffered during the riots and other onslaughts in the hands of our ingrown terrorists amongst the majority community.
Then again, during the Rajiv Gandhi government, Dutt strived towards communal harmony and peace, walking around Punjab at a time when tensions between Sikhs and Hindus were at an all time high.
His anti-climax, (as was bound to happen, for doing all this service to the nation) would have definitely come during the Narasimha Rao congress government. Then, he had come to believe that the party had lost its secular moorings and went public with these thoughts. He resigned from the Congress because of its shameful failure to prevent babri demolition and keep the peace during the ghastly Bombay riots of 1993, only to culminate by the infamous Bomb Blasts engineered by D-company 3 months later .
Though he was persuaded to withdraw that resignation, further trauma was in store when his son Sanjay was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA). The police had charged Sanjay with possession of an unlicensed rifle (he had arms licenses, but not for this particular weapon).
Dutt had then said, in Sanjay’s defence, that he had procured the weapon because of the many threats the family had received in the aftermath of Sunil Dutt’s stand on the riots where he, along with other bigwigs like, Ratan tata, called for the arrest of Shiv Sena chief, Thackery.
Sena chief was then persumably convinced, and so were/still are many Hindus of Bombay and abroad, that in the critical months of December, 1992 and January 1993, Muslim mobs armed to the teeth with hi-tech weapons provided by Pakistan (who else?) would have butchered Hindus in the city had he not ordered his Sainiks to "pre-empt" and "retaliate" and thus eventually "teach the Muslims a lesson", they would have killed all Hindus.
Bal tackery had written highly inflammatory articles in his mouthpiece and created this illusion amongst his Shiv Sainiks which culminated in the slaughter of the minority community while the police simply stood by.
So, Sunil Dutt always believed that while the police could have tried Sanjay under the Arms Act (which would have attracted a possible jail sentence of six months), the decision to charge him under a terrorism law was taken by Narasimha Rao and Sharad Pawar (then Chief Minister of Maharashtra) to punish his father for his stand during the Bombay riots.
Imagine, the apathy and humiliation of a father, when he was forced by law enforcers/law makers, to go and seek mercy from the same criminal for the life of his son, whom he detested and expected the lawmakers to punish. It would have been a filmy story, played out in real life when Dutt went seeking thackery's mercy for the release of his son. Thackery happily obliged. Sunil Dutt has been shown his place and learnt his lessons.
Unusually for a man who had little bitterness about most things, he did not forgive either man(Narasimha,Sharad and Chavan) for the trauma his son suffered, (the case is still under trial a decade later) though of course, both men claimed that they had no ulterior motives but that's hard to believe since
Narasimha Rao was a student of old RSS school and regularly attended shakhas when young and considering vajpayee to be his mentor. Narasimha Rao and Chavan (the then home Minister) have since died. Sharad Pawar was recently seen sharing the same stage with Thackery for the launch of a book written by this don. They are all brothers in arms and Sunil Dutt realised it late.
Even recently, when the Shiv Sena 'threw' out Nirupam (they always play this game to have their people in all the boats) and AICC welcomed him into the party, inspite of Dutt’s objections, the veteran star and activist refused to be downcast.Yes!! he said, it was a disgrace that somebody like Nirupam should be in the Congress. But in politics, you took the rough with smooth.
In the final analysis, India had what he regarded as its first fully-functioning secular government for 15 years - and that was a result worth fighting for.
A misfit in politics? No!! Unlike many would like to call him that way, but he was there probably so that he can make a difference. Vir Shanghvi in one of his recent columns in Mid Day, sums up his life as a 'triumph', and I wholeheartedly agree.
Back in 1962-63 when he and his wife had set up the Ajanta Arts troupe and took parties of dancers and singers to the borders of India, to NEFA and to Ladakh to entertain our jawans, it would always be the high point of the values that he cherished. This feat often prevented the pseudo-patriots from branding him as a pseudo-secular. They would love to do that for his innumerable services done toward those who suffered during the riots and other onslaughts in the hands of our ingrown terrorists amongst the majority community.
Then again, during the Rajiv Gandhi government, Dutt strived towards communal harmony and peace, walking around Punjab at a time when tensions between Sikhs and Hindus were at an all time high.
His anti-climax, (as was bound to happen, for doing all this service to the nation) would have definitely come during the Narasimha Rao congress government. Then, he had come to believe that the party had lost its secular moorings and went public with these thoughts. He resigned from the Congress because of its shameful failure to prevent babri demolition and keep the peace during the ghastly Bombay riots of 1993, only to culminate by the infamous Bomb Blasts engineered by D-company 3 months later .
Though he was persuaded to withdraw that resignation, further trauma was in store when his son Sanjay was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA). The police had charged Sanjay with possession of an unlicensed rifle (he had arms licenses, but not for this particular weapon).
Dutt had then said, in Sanjay’s defence, that he had procured the weapon because of the many threats the family had received in the aftermath of Sunil Dutt’s stand on the riots where he, along with other bigwigs like, Ratan tata, called for the arrest of Shiv Sena chief, Thackery.
Sena chief was then persumably convinced, and so were/still are many Hindus of Bombay and abroad, that in the critical months of December, 1992 and January 1993, Muslim mobs armed to the teeth with hi-tech weapons provided by Pakistan (who else?) would have butchered Hindus in the city had he not ordered his Sainiks to "pre-empt" and "retaliate" and thus eventually "teach the Muslims a lesson", they would have killed all Hindus.
Bal tackery had written highly inflammatory articles in his mouthpiece and created this illusion amongst his Shiv Sainiks which culminated in the slaughter of the minority community while the police simply stood by.
So, Sunil Dutt always believed that while the police could have tried Sanjay under the Arms Act (which would have attracted a possible jail sentence of six months), the decision to charge him under a terrorism law was taken by Narasimha Rao and Sharad Pawar (then Chief Minister of Maharashtra) to punish his father for his stand during the Bombay riots.
Imagine, the apathy and humiliation of a father, when he was forced by law enforcers/law makers, to go and seek mercy from the same criminal for the life of his son, whom he detested and expected the lawmakers to punish. It would have been a filmy story, played out in real life when Dutt went seeking thackery's mercy for the release of his son. Thackery happily obliged. Sunil Dutt has been shown his place and learnt his lessons.
Unusually for a man who had little bitterness about most things, he did not forgive either man(Narasimha,Sharad and Chavan) for the trauma his son suffered, (the case is still under trial a decade later) though of course, both men claimed that they had no ulterior motives but that's hard to believe since
Narasimha Rao was a student of old RSS school and regularly attended shakhas when young and considering vajpayee to be his mentor. Narasimha Rao and Chavan (the then home Minister) have since died. Sharad Pawar was recently seen sharing the same stage with Thackery for the launch of a book written by this don. They are all brothers in arms and Sunil Dutt realised it late.
Even recently, when the Shiv Sena 'threw' out Nirupam (they always play this game to have their people in all the boats) and AICC welcomed him into the party, inspite of Dutt’s objections, the veteran star and activist refused to be downcast.Yes!! he said, it was a disgrace that somebody like Nirupam should be in the Congress. But in politics, you took the rough with smooth.
In the final analysis, India had what he regarded as its first fully-functioning secular government for 15 years - and that was a result worth fighting for.
