E Mullah الیکٹرونک مُلا

Darkness Prevails

2009-03-13T22:41:00.006-06:00

Darkness prevails! The biggest democratic party has started cracking down on judiciary and media. Though Billawal Bhutto or his rep claims that it has not happened on his father/Mr Pres/Zardari's directive yet I am unable to watch GEO News on my cable TV for last 12 hrs. What a shame!

ANP also lost sanity by imposing 144 in NWFP. Tsk! tsk! Champions of democracy have fallen back on their drawn swords hurting themselves.

Yesterday, I wrote about expected fallout from PPP after March 16, 2009; however it has happened much earlier than expected with Sherry Rehman's resignation from information minister post.

PPP Hijacked

2009-03-13T03:53:00.001-06:00

Pakistan People's Party has been hijacked by people who do not even know its struggle, history, and the cause it stood for.

Fall out within PPP is an evidence of the chaos the country and its torch bearer of democracy are in right now. PPP is going to face a bigger challenge from with in after the long march on March 16th, 2009.

God may save this country.

Eitzaz for PM

2008-02-20T17:52:00.003-07:00

Earlier, I lost all hope for Pakistani elections after Benazir's death and did not want to write anything. Even the election results amazed me but I thought Musharraf still has an edge to manipulate as no one has a clear majority.

However, this article in LA Times talks about possibility of Aitzaz as a consensus primer. Yes! he deserves it. Though Zardari is deceased Bhutto's heir but I think it is time to show some democracy in the party as well otherwise Musharraf may get an edge in manipulating and pitching parties against each other. Even within PPP some may not agree on Zardari. On the other other PML(N) may not agree on Zardari as well.

There is a possibility that PML(N) may garner more support from some of PML(Q) reps and forgive them. In that case PML(N) may be able to have an edge. Let's see what happens. All sort of things are possible.

If Musharraf dissolves national assembly he will become unpopular with the rest of the world as well. Even army may not endorse his actions anymore as everyone would have realized the damage he has caused. This vote is the verdict. It is not that the elections are fare but the truth is that popular sentiment did not let them rig the elections. You can rig the elections where you are losing by few votes however massive victories by once opposition parties have indicated that there was no popular support for King's men.

What cure you have for average Pakistanis' pessimism?

2008-02-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a month since Benazir's sudden and unexpected death. Pakistan's future looks gloomier to me. My brother, who has been a die hard PPP supporter since his child hood is visiting Pakistan recently during his vacations, says this country is not the same anymore.

Recently, the US policy makers have told the media that Pakistan does not need to be pressed to have independent judiciary. I would say thank you! after our leaders are assassinated we don't need justice system to be strengthened in Pakistan.

Alas! my pessimism suggests that in Pakistan we don't need liberals, we don't need democracy, we don't need justice, we just need to let it sink in a s*** hole.

Why someone would really care and make sustainable policies for rest of the world while they are making naive ones to get out of "sub prime" mess at home.

(May not be blogging for a while as I have more things going on in my own life as my job and research is taking more time than expected. Or may be it is just out of the pessimism that we bloggrs cannot make a difference in average Pakistanis' life as their fate is to suffer)

A day of mourning

2007-12-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Our hearts are crying and bleeding with the news of Benazir Bhutto's sudden death. I have lost words and to this moment cannot believe the news.

A martyr's daughter gave her life to become martyr. She lost everything and finally gave her life to prove that Mullah's Army has a clear nexus.

My Return and departure from Blogging

2007-12-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

I had been blogging off and on by fits and starts. Sometimes, I am in a job where I can't do it but whenever I am back to school I get my freedom. Even I have witnessed a few things very closely in past but I am not supposed to comment and never will.

I am going to hibernation again for a while as my research requires more time and is almost close to wrap up. I know I have lost my readers by doing this but I promise----I will be back soon but with a better blog and better material.

I am leaving you with my prediction that there is a lull before the storm in Pakistan. We are going to see major political crisis. The lawyer movement has got a booster shot because of 'rape of judicial courts by the master'. I will be back to blogging soon if circumstances permit to contribute my 2 cents for the virtual movement for justice and freedom in Pakistan.

It just takes a little time, Sometime!

2007-11-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

It just takes a little time, sometime!...... and then suddenly you see a sweeping revolution. More and more people in lockups will soon have a snow ball effect....... and then their frustrated relatives will pour into streets.... protests may go violent..... Pakistanis are f***g unpredictable (one day, they let Imran Khan beaten up and go to jail; and next day same university students bring 2000 protesters in street in his favor .... heralding IJT to role their sleeping bags and get the hell out of there--seeing bad mood Jammat has started distancing from it's student leaders... so as not to loose their ground zero in Punjab University----f***g crazy). Keeping my fingers crossed to see when it happens. This is going to happen very soon if the emergency in Pakistan stays in place. And, if crowds role on to streets...... I believe Army will return to barracks for longtime. If that happens, then before everything gets back to normal, I bet the country will be destabilized for sometime..

You bet .... for long time

Et tu Brutus

2007-11-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

image courtesy http://www.jang.com.pk

As I said earlier, Imran Khan has been a born-again type and tried to get close to religious parties in order to tap on their vote bank and street power; however, he ran out of his luck .... (See BBC report)

The former cricketer was detained after going to Punjab University in Lahore. He was initially held for an hour by students from the Jamaat-e-Islami party after a confrontation on campus.
On Tuesday, Mr Khan said there should be no negotiations with General Musharraf.
In interviews for foreign media on Wednesday, General Musharraf insisted he was not a dictator and that he was the man to lead the country back to democracy.

"Jin Pay Tukiya Thaw, Wohee Puttay Howa Dayenay Lugay" (My Urdu editor is disabeled so please forgive me for writing in english alphabets, cannot translate it either. Actually, Et tu Brutus is a very right expression for this)

I liked him like any other youngster and thought he could bring a change as a moderate; however, when he got close to Mullahs... I said no way.

I participated in some development seminars due to my job in Pakistan last year, where he was also invited. Many times, I thought I should tell him he is making a mistake by entering into religious alliances--otherwise he could do well (based on my personal assessment)--but I could not do so, because my job required me to stay away from politics and political personalities. It is sad to hear the tall tale of his recent arrest. He really made a mistake by getting close to MMA and especially Qazi. I think, Jammat knows he is a potential threat to their domination on campuses and that could be the major reason JTI turned him in.

IN A NUT SHELL: THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT AND MULLAHS HAVE A CLEAR NEXUS. JAMMAT HAS PROVED THIS

And Harvard Madel of Freedom goes to....

2007-11-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

PAKISTAN-
Originally uploaded by ijazphoto

Says the harvard press statement....

"As lawyers who value freedom and the rule of law, we at Harvard Law School want Chief Justice Chaudhry and all of the courageous lawyers in Pakistan to know that we stand with them in solidarity," said Kagan. "We are proud to be their colleagues in the cause of justice, and we will do all we can to press for the prompt restoration of constitutionalism and legality in Pakistan."

Freedom and justice will prevail in the end.

Jemima Khan leads protest against martial law imposed in Pakistan

2007-11-13T14:31:00.001-07:00

jemima khan leads protest against martial law in Pakistan, originally uploaded by uponfreud.

Is she coming back to Imran or for her kids sake she is showing solidarity to Pakistanis

Pakistan's new demographic dividend is the key to its future

2007-11-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

The post on a new blog "emergency times" speaks for itself how Pakistan's new demographic dividend will change its future. I wish, I have time to write more on this dividend and how it will change our future but at the moment, I can only tell you that it overthrew Nicolae Ceauşescu regime in Romania in 1989. Read about these new student protests here in Washington post and excerpt from the new blog The Emergency Times about the shameful act of the Government of Pakistan arresting youth and children.

Yesterday, 12th November, the regime crossed a new threshold by shamelessly attacking, arresting and detaining schoolchildren in Islamabad. A group of students, most of them between 14 and 18 years of age, was silently walking towards Blue Area as a sign of protest when it was accosted by Islamabad Police.
. . . . . . the students obliged, showing that they did not want to confront the Police who were clearly just following orders from above. As they were walking back, the students were surrounded by more than 500 policemen –their ranks now
reinforced with Punjab Police and the commandos of the Anti-Terrorist Force –and were asked to disperse immediately. When some of the students pointed out that they were merely walking back to their starting point, as previously ordered, the Police turned violent. They started manhandling the children and pushing them into their trucks. 48 boys were physically assaulted and detained, amongst them a 12-year old boy. Even after they had turned themselves in with docility, many of them were beaten with sticks and severely bruised. They were detained in the Margalla Police Station for hours, and were prevented from meeting visitors or making calls. They were eventually released after they had given written assurances not to attend protests in the future."

I can imagine, to whom these kids belong in Islamabad; and some would have definitely rebelled against their parents to join protests. YooHoooooooooooo to Pakistan's new generation.

Ali Cheema: Leading Pakistani Academic Economist's Arrest during protests

2007-11-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

One of the leading Economists Ali Cheema a Cambridge graduate and critic of Musharraf's devolution policies has been arrested in the first wave of protests. Please pray for his health and run a movement: Free Ali Cheema on blogs.
His profile here

About his arrest, click on BBC news link, scroll down, and read the Anonymous account of protests.

Asma's moving article in Washington Post

2007-11-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

Only problem I have with some human right activists in Pakistan is that they would smoke in a room full of people in a public place and not care about my human right to fresh and carcenogene free air other than that a really good article by Asma Jehangir in Washington Post. Musharraf is really afraid of her.

Since Saturday, police officers have barged into my house twice after receiving (false) warnings that I had escaped. On seeing me, they sheepishly admitted they were misled.
I have tried to make them understand the difference between people such as myself and terrorists. "If I did run away, how far would I go?" I asked them. "In any event, I am not likely to blow myself up around the corner." One police officer said that he agreed but that his job was at greater risk if I got away than if a terrorist escaped the law. Terrorists, he pointed out, outnumber rights activists in our country.

By the way, those who were doubting about BB's contact with Musharraf
should know she will care more for democracy in Pakistan than anything else.

The march, due to start on Tuesday, is part of her campaign against President Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule.
Commonwealth foreign ministers meeting in London gave Pakistan until 22 November to lift its emergency rule or face suspension from the body.
Other steps they want Mr Musharraf to take include:
1. stepping down as army chief
2. releasing all detained political party activists
3. lifting all media restrictions

Imran Khan behind student movement in Pak Universities claims an article in WP

2007-11-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Article in Washington post claims that Imran Khan is the new driving force behind anti Musharraf student protests in universities. Imran Khan is often influenced by the religious factions of the country and sounds more like a born again type. On the other hand secular organizations are joining Ms. Bhutto to organize protests.

But in computer labs and cafeterias on this campus and others across the country over the weekend, students were busy making placards reading "Democracy Now" and "Students Against Martial Law" as they prepared to demonstrate against emergency rule. Some said they would join former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's so-called long march, scheduled to begin Tuesday in Lahore and progress to Islamabad, the capital, 250 miles to the west, in defiance of President Pervez Musharraf's ban on protests.
One of the driving forces behind some of the student protests has been Imran Khan, a shaggy-haired cricket star turned opposition leader and an icon of cool among young people.

Time's up for the dictator

2007-11-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Economist has to say "Time's up, Mr. Musharraf"

No longer the potential solution, the general has become a big part of Pakistan's problem

The LUMS students had a big protest on their campus; will be remembered in history. The professors are active too. See one in the picture explaining the movement to students. I have already said about this--here.

Is Musharraf-Bhutto conflict real?

2007-11-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

South Asia Is Musharraf-Bhutto conflict all it seems?: "'Mock conflict' But is the falling-out quite what it seems? More cynical observers think Friday's dramas in
Islamabad and elsewhere are an exercise in mutual face-saving, a clandestine
understanding that is meant to benefit both."

First, By the way, all politicians in Pakistan do...
Second, There was intense pressure from outside world, which off course we did not like ... that they suggest her to compromise with Musharraf.
Three, whatever she bargained... she bargained for all political victims of Musharraf's Baton-cracy. Four, She knew all the way that Musharraf will never deliver. By engaging in dialogue it was the best way to show the Musharraf's Western well wishers that the brass headed guy cannot deliver and will never fulfil his promise. She wanted to convince the world that Musharraf will never deliver as he will eventually crackdown on moderates and rather cut a deal with Mullahs. This is what exactly happened.

By the way, don't ask me how do I know this; but I can assure you that this is the real reason and she knew it all along.

Pakistan's Old and New political conscience

2007-11-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

Students in elite schools and Lawyers are becoming Pakistan's new political conscience. History is repeating itself. Ayub went down after a massive student movement outbroke in Rawalpindi and swept his rule. Mr. Zulifqar Ali Bhutto (a.ka. Z. A. Bhutto and Jeeya Bhutto) managed to capitalise on this movement. The movement started by students of Rawalpindi Polytechnic Institute, located on a major national highway (Peshawar Road), is still remembered in books and stories from our elders. Everyone was so shocked, army and politicians alike, that college remained closed for long time and later it was handed over to army so that the future movements are nipped in the bid. Now, it has become Army Engineering College and I believe upgraded to a University controlled by the Pakistan army.

Recently, the lawyers have stood up against the assault on judiciary by the long boots. I witnessed the movement six months ago during my one year stay in Pakistan.

At the same time another movement was started by the students and professors of "The Lahore University of Management Sciences" (LUMS), especially in the law school. The creation of a law school at one of Pakistan's elite schools has brought a new feather in their cap--movement against the dictators tyrannical rule. They were holding protests when the General sacked Pakistan's top judge few months ago. As I write, they are back in this business again as Musharraf has imposed emergency in the name of so called fight against extremism. The professors in the law school are hired from top American Universities and a few foresee themselves as new Harvard or MIT gang (remember the student movement against Vietnam war in US) to start a student oriented socio-political movement against Pakistan's rotten politico-military culture. A well renowned and highly respected professor Dr. Ali Cheema (LUMS), critic of generals so called devolution has already been arrested on the first day of protests (I got this info from my family inPakistan). As I am writing this post, I expect more from LUMS students and Professors who wore black ribbons everyday, while top judge Justice Iftekhar Chaudhry was removed from his post earlier by the brass head and his yes man Shaukat Aziz. Read below a statment from a LUMS professor Rasul Bukhsh Rais ---what it means by the lawyer movement:

Lawyers: Pakistan political conscience - Yahoo! News: "They feel if Musharraf has his own way and is able to restructure the system according to his whims, that is the end of Pakistan as a progressive and moderate country and the state will never be able to rehabilitate itself,' said Rais, a professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences."

Next few days will show us-- what LUMS and Lawyer's movement have for us in store.

As the US and most of Western countries have put all their eggs in General's basket (only the Dutch have pulled the plug on aid to Pakistan), I should pay some respect to the General as well.
Our General Musharraf is a brave man and is among a breed of few who dug their own grave. I believe he is writing an obituary of his political career.

In Iqbal Haider's words "He is drowning, and he is trying to take Pakistan with him." Iqbal Haider is the Secretary General of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. That's a nice one, I really like that. Listening to Iqbal Haider on other occassions was really informative and fun. Read more here Musharraf's War on Moderates

Mushy: Handsome in Uniform by Maureen Dowd

2007-11-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

Maureen Dowd is hilarious here (read a small snippet)

Condi was very worried about Mushy suspending the Constitution, but Vice says Constitutions are for sissies. He doesn’t see anything wrong with Mushy’s press blackout. He thinks we can learn a few lessons from him. Vice says if we had someone decisive like Mushy in Iraq instead of those floppy Iranian puppets we put in power, we’d be a lot better off.
All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will ignore your oppression and excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will not stand with you.
The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to mistrust them. Stop your journey of progress and justice, and America will not only walk at your side, we’ll give you billions of dollars and lots of big-ticket stuff, like F-16s — no strings attached. And we’ll take you at your word that you have no intention of using them against India.
In the long run, there is justice without freedom, and there can be human rights once the human rights activists have been thrown in the pokey.
Three years ago, I believed that the most important question history would ask us was: Did our generation advance the cause of freedom?
But now I am older and wiser. I know that the most important question history will ask us is: What’s a little martial law between friends?

You may also wanna read inside story of Pak Army's role in supporting extremism by Hanif here. Our Bibi's article is a little flat but in nutshell she says this:

It is dangerous to stand up to a military dictatorship, but more dangerous not to. The moment has come for the Western democracies to show us in their actions, and not just in their rhetoric, which side they are on.

Top judge attacks Musharraf rule

2007-11-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

BBC NEWS South Asia Top judge attacks Musharraf rule: "He said the constitution had been 'ripped to shreds' by Gen Musharraf and added it was now 'time for sacrifices'. "

Also read this by Chairperson of Human Rights

Thanks for Hassan's blog

Pakistan's Second Coup and Musharraf's Frank (Pakistan's Donnie Darko III)

2007-11-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

In the movie 'Donnie Darko' a character 'Frank' tells 'Donnie' to commit certain acts of violence. In Pakistan's case, our 'Darko' is Musharraf and his 'Frank' is Mullahs. Read here on BBC some reactions by different leaders; the weakest one is by Maulana FazalUR Rehman head of MMA who rather tells us "he ran out of options." This guy has not even protested--unlike others. So Army and Mullahs have clear nexus.

Read the story by Rashid Ahmad Pakistan's Second Coup at Washington Post

Pakistan's Donnie Darko did it again (II)

2007-11-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

The Army and Mullahs have a clear nexus in Pakistan. I would reiterate Ms. Bhutto's quote that I have already posted here:

I believe the problem is dictatorship, I don't believe the solution is dictatorship."
The extremists need a dictatorship, and dictatorship needs extremists."

I believe Ms. Bhutto is very right in her analysis. As soon as the emergency is imposed, surprisingly, the militants in the troubled Waziristan agency has set free 213 Pakistani soldiers on Sunday Nov4, 2007 who were kept hostage for almost two months by the militants of Baitullah Mehsud (since August 2007). It is possible that they are assured that a free and moderate government of Ms. Bhutto will not come into power as imposing the emergency in the country was the only way out for Musharraf to get out of his commitments with leading moderate political parties.

It should also be remembered that Musharraf himself warned Ms. Bhutto not to return to Pakistan. If Musharraf claims to be the only hope against rising extremism in Pakistan then he should have done every possible thing in his power to ensure Ms. Bhutto's safe return to Pakistan. The place (Karsaz) where attack on Ms. Bhutto's convey took place is very close to Pakistan army's Naval installations and is supposedly a high security area. The security should have been ultra high in that area so that no one takes advantage of the procession and harm government installations as well; however, a security lax and turning of street lights clearly indicate that some government or agency elements were involved in that carnage. If Ms. Bhutto had become a victim in Karachi carnage the emergency would have been imposed right away; however, God saved our Ms. little Brave Heart. Therefore, Musharraf found other excuses to impose emergency.

On the other hand one cannot ignore the role of Punjab's Chaudhries who are hoping to get the next premiership. An emergency in Pakistan will prolong their hold on to power as well. Their nexus with Mullahs is very strong and the following events clearly reveal that:
1. The crisis of Lal Masjid clearly indicates that the ruling party was involved in it up to their neck and their involvement in the North Western Frontier Province cannot be ruled out.
2. By inviting Shaikh of Kaaba to Pakistan for instance they have revealed their close ties to pro-extreme Islamic elements in Pakistan. The extreme Islamic elements have high reverence for the top Saudi cleric, while for the real moderates don't put that much faith in top clerics. It was a show of assurance to Islamists in Pakistan that Chaudhries and PML(Q) are the well wishers of Islam and Muslims in Pakistan.
3. It is very likely that freeing Pakistani soldiers by Mehsud in Wazirastan right after the imposition of emergency would have some involvement of the PML(Q) or the Chaudhries of Punjab.

......Only time will tell.

Pakistan's Donnie Darko did it again (I)

2007-11-03T14:34:00.000-06:00

In Pakistan, an emergency has been imposed. Had the democracy thrived we would have not seen this. Just wondering who is Musharraf's 'Frank'; A clue is in the Brave Heart Ms. Bhutto's words, which I would like to qoute here

I believe the problem is dictatorship, I don't believe the solution is
dictatorship.
"The extremists need a dictatorship, and dictatorship needs
extremists."

Flirting with Mullahs

2007-03-29T10:49:00.000-06:00

The Jamia Hafsa seminary which has been the centre of much recent controversy in Pakistan, is attached to Islamabad's famous Lal Masjid (red mosque) located near the city centre.
Throughout most of its existence, the mosque has long been favoured by the city elite, including prime ministers, army chiefs and presidents.
Pakistan's longest-ruling dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq, was said to be very close to the former head of the Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdullah, who was famous for his speeches on jihad (holy war).

Musharraf's flirt with Mullahs has gone too far. When he took power he was all powerful and could have shaped the future of this country. Alas! he decided to go for a weak democracy. It is something direct from his own cookbook, which had all the ingredients of a failure but no success. Now he is begging for votes on streets while Mullahs are in ambush to take over this country.

If the government have had taken a stern action against the children library situation in Islamabad the 'Talibanization' drive by Mullahs in Islamabad would have not happened. One of my friends who is a working woman and had been living alone in Islamabad mentioned several times to me that she feels uncomfortable going around late in the evening because she feels that Mullahs are every where. Then she always laughed it off herself and said may be she is getting paranoid, but after this hostage incident in Islamabad, I don't think she is paranoid.
When you hangout with the wrong crowd then you have to face the music (well, in this case chants and baton toting girls but no music) .

In the Line of fire

2006-10-02T07:27:00.000-06:00

The blogs are still in the line of fire in Pakistan. ... I am not sure when the General will consider ceasefire against blogspot.

I can post but can't read blogspot, Sigh!

I am considering move to word press; after I am settled a bit in Pakistan.

Freedom which way now?

2006-06-03T01:45:00.000-06:00

Trying to find different options to keep blogging. GoPak keeps trumpeting freedom of speech, which I don't witness here anymore. You can blog on http://www.blogger.com but you cannot see your own post because all domains ending with blogspot.com are blocked by the government of Pakistan. Seems like Google is not doing enough to win back GoPak. I am not sure why they don't care and pushing it with government. They must be losing lot of money from blog ads that many of us were subscribed to.

Freedom of speech is mere fiction in Paksitan. All so called "Live" programs are not really live when government is under pressure disclosed an insider on one of Pakistan's private TV channels as thier current affair programs are being censored at times.

Life in Pakistan is full of pseudo developments that give you a false picture that country is developing. Development and Economic Growth is incomplete without it's specific culture that you don't really see in Pakistan. Country lacks organizational and institutional discipline and you cannot realize real growth if you lag on this front badly.

Gone with the East Wind

2006-05-07T07:25:00.000-06:00

I will be gone with the East Wind tonight. Sitting at the ariport and contemplating about the hectic job I have waiting ahead. I am moving back to MaLand. As soon as I touch ground zero, I will be in a new job in Pakistan with a Multinational.

Nip Tuck and Mullahs

2006-04-18T09:27:00.000-06:00

Pakistan is a country that has many shocking surprises in store for the larger world that considers it a terrorist heaven. While the Mullahs are busy planning derailment of moderates and fighting jihad in North, the younger generation elsewhere is going through a ‘huge’ (pun intended) Nip Tuck sexual revolution -- bigger Bs (must be Ds), wasp waists and hot buns --- the Western catch-up effect.

According to British tabloid Independent’s Online Edition: [via]

"A growing number of well-educated, British-born Asian women in their 20s are combining annual visits to relatives in Pakistan with cut-price, nip-and-tuck operations. Hundreds of Pakistani Britons are booking cheap plastic surgery in their ancestral homeland, three times the number just four years ago. Nose jobs, tummy tucks, liposuction and breast enlargements are the favored treatments for many who feel 'pressure to have Western features' but who want to pay only a fraction of what they would be charged in Britain." The women are mostly middle-class professionals who take 10 days out of their time abroad to travel from the small villages where their extended families live to Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi where almost all the country's 70 registered plastic surgeons are based.”

I have not been in Pakistan for a long time but I can say that if the Briton Desi-es are coming down there to get cheap nip-tuck then the younger generation in the land of pure must be having a sexual revolution too.

How much Mullah’s are threatened by this revolution is still need to be seen (Emullah is not threatened by the way). Nevertheless, in past, big-chick from Poppywood, Mussarat Shaheen did threaten MMA’s leader by contesting national assembly elections (I just coined this new name ‘Poppywood’ for NWFP’s film industry --- can be considered ‘papi’ in urdu you know -- what I mean? Calling her chick would be an insult to Nip Tuck chicks though).

The next few things I want to hear from Pakistan are:

ABCD chicks are traveling to Pakistan to get Morning After Pill (lads are already getting cheap Viagra from homeland).
A Pakistani version of Nip Tuck on PTV2
A fatwa against Nip Tuck
. . .
….. Have more for the list ……?

Let it Snow! Let it Snow .... its time to go

2006-04-17T12:59:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning and looked outside my window, there was almost an inch of snow. All melted by noon --- haaa!

Now it has started to snow again ... and quite a good deal of it... The most amazing thing is... it melts as soon as it hits the ground. Nothing there... pretty warm outside...you can even walk around in a t-shirt in snow fall.

Montana....! Amazing...!

But I will be leaving soon... in May for the Pakiland....got three offers ... fourth in pipeline...
1. Economist running aid operations
2. Think tank project director
3. Assist Prof Research at a University
4. Finance consultant with GOP (in bids, can move to # 2 or 3 if finalized)

Kind of having hard time to decide but did rank em according to my choice. I guess it's time to go cause Mom is heart patient and I want to spend time close to her.

Yo Biased!

2006-04-17T10:32:00.000-06:00

Interesting research! I'm O.K., You're Biased:

"Researchers asked subjects to evaluate a student's intelligence by examining information about him one piece at a time. The information was quite damning, and subjects were told they could stop examining it as soon as they'd reached a firm conclusion. Results showed that when subjects liked the student they were evaluating, they turned over one card after another, searching for the one piece of information that might allow them to say something nice about him. But when they disliked the student, they turned over a few cards, shrugged and called it a day. "

I wish they told us more about other control variables e.g., The gender of students and the gender of subjects (interviewers). How the students were dressed, subject and students color, race, education level, ethnicity, etc.

On This Day

2006-04-17T10:17:00.000-06:00

"Jennifer Garner turns 34 years old today. "

She looks more pretty now in this picture---aging gracefully !! and Ford introduced a new Mustang (1964 actually).

Other things happened on this day (see NY times):

1492 Christopher Columbus signed a contract with a representative of Spain's King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, giving Columbus a commission to seek a westward ocean passage to Asia.
1524 Giovanni da Verrazano reached present-day New York harbor.
1790 American statesman Benjamin Franklin died in Philadelphia at age 84.
1861 The Virginia State Convention voted to secede from the Union.
1941 Yugoslavia surrendered to Germany in World War II.
1951 Baseball hall-of-famer Mickey Mantle made his major league debut with the New York Yankees.
1964 The Ford Motor Co. unveiled its new Mustang model.
1969 A jury in Los Angeles convicted Sirhan Sirhan of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
1969 Czechoslovak Communist Party chairman Alexander Dubcek was deposed.
1970 The astronauts of Apollo 13 splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, four days after a ruptured oxygen tank crippled their spacecraft.
1975 Phnom Penh fell to Communist insurgents, ending Cambodia's five-year civil war.
1991 The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 3,000 for the first time.
1993 A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted two former police officers of violating the civil rights of beaten motorist Rodney King; two other officers were acquitted.
1996 Lyle and Erik Menendez were spared the death penalty by a Los Angeles jury, which recommended they serve life in prison without parole for killing their wealthy parents.
1998 Photographer Linda McCartney, wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney, died at age 56.
2001 Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit his 500th career home run, becoming the 17th major leaguer to reach the mark.
2004 Israel assassinated Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi with a missile strike on his car.

Life is one long road

2006-04-03T15:37:00.000-06:00

(Emele! Thanks for inspiration*)

Life is one long road, and
I am standing on the red light
Looking through the windshield
Night is pouring around me
Dampness in air, inside driving cabin
Is drenching my soul

Falling rain drops
Are splitting into tiny splashes
Before they are swept
By droopy wiper blades
All bent to erase our memories, and
I am standing on the red light

In the downtown of my soul
Looking at dull brick houses
Smoked grey closed doors
And broken windows …
Staring at the long road, standing on red light
I am searching for answers

Changing colors on distant traffic lights
Are sending incandescent reflections
On gleaming asphalt road
Brimming with dancing rain drops
Creating broken rainbows, and
I am standing on the red light

Looking through the windshield
I am waiting for signal to change
Thinking, if all next will be green
On this life like long road
I will cruise through
All the way -- to you

*Saturday night we were cruising along Brodaway in Missoula, Montana and my friend Emele pointed out to traffic light reflections in rain, intriguing my creativity, asked me to write a poem on the effect. We drove around and sat at Starbucks for a cup of coffee and I started writing on a Napkin (wrote few verses) --built framework in mind--finally finished writing next day early morning.

Jill Carroll

2006-04-03T15:33:00.000-06:00

Jill Carroll is finally home. Did not hear from other bloggers to have a blog day but good to know that she is fine and back home in US.

Cheers!

French Quarter III-Paris Burning again

2006-03-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

The article published in Washington post aruges that:

"While the demonstrations have been orderly and peaceful, groups of 200 to 300 youths who police say do not appear to be participating in the organized marches have appeared suddenly during concluding rallies, taunting police and creating havoc.
Police have speculated that the gangs may be from the poor suburban areas that erupted in riots last fall. In those disturbances, youths across France -- many of them immigrants or French-born children of immigrants -- burned thousands of cars and hundreds of public buildings and private businesses to protest government indifference to the joblessness and lack of social services in their communities. Little of that violence spilled over into Paris or other urban centers."

It is possible that these are just the overzealeous jobless gangs however I will not rule out the possibility that some OBL's AQ cells are changing their strategy and trying to engage Europe in economic stability through violent protests. The immigrants probably know that how much effective these strategies are in derailing economic activity in their home countries.

I must say that French society and government must act with caution as they are already trying to recover from last years scars caused by riots. As a student of Economics I must say that the government should treat young and adult workers alike. Most of the Europe's job market problems are owed to strong labor unions. The inside workers always make it difficult for outside workers to enter into job market as they see it as a threat. I wish I had time to explain the economic theory of inside and outside workers and the interaction of European labor unions but I am sure you can find a lot on internet.
Related: French Qurater I; French Quarter II.

Islam a religion of peace and Muslims are follower of ......?

2006-03-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

As I opened my email inbox today the Washington post headline in subject Negative Perception Of Islam Increasing caught my eyes. The views expressed in article are based on a survey conducted by Washington Post-ABC. To be succinct, Americans have unfavorable views of Islam, and a majority believes that Muslims are disproportionately prone to violence. I am not surprised at all. Many would blame it to media but the truth is "As you sow so shall you reap."

After 9/11 I felt an empty space in my heart for long--- it hurt me to think how everything changed-- so suddenly. The space even grew bigger when I saw Muslim opportunistic considering it a chance to teach non-Muslims about Islam. All the time they will make my ears sore and head spin by propounding an insane argument . . . see more and more people want to know about Islam and they are reading about it! . . . . .

Oh God! Their argument just made me sick. So sick! I wished I break my head rather than punching them in their nose. They were not realizing the fact that earlier--before 9/11-- people wanted to know about Islam as a religion of peace---Afterwards----they want to know about Islam to find out:

What has gone wrong with Muslims?
Why they are so violent?
Why they are intolerant?
Why they are so insolent?

How in the world you can teach someone peace by slapping in his/her face? And then tell them I love you dear---there is no compulsion in religion!

Muslims really need some soul searching here--period.

Bush pats Musharraf for blocking my Blog

2006-03-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: this is not an actual picture. It is just a pinup/work of art for self expression and free speech.

"The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday directed the government to block internet sites displaying sacrilegious cartoons and called explanation from authorities concerned as to why these sites had not been blocked earlier." In order to comply with supreme court orders the GOPak has blocked all websites ending with www.--.blogspot.com. This action has resulted in blocking all weblogs and Mr. Bush, visiting Pakistan, has given a pat on Mr. Musharraf's back for blocking my Pakistani readers. Pakistani readers cannot read the blogs anymore but they are able to post web logs because the primary blogger address is not blocked. Thanks to those who started an internet-blog based cartoon war on Muslim sensibilities, believing that they can teach respect and freedom of speech to Muslim countires. Now we cannot teach them anything except how to close their doors.

Update: Joining hands to Condemn Censorship of Blogs in Pakistan (more here...)

Two articles

2006-03-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Two articles that I consider must read for students of South Asian politics and economy.

Inner Soul Love

2006-02-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

Rumi:

"One day You will take my heart completely and make it more fiery than a dragon. Your eyelashes will write on my heart the poem that could never come from the pen of a poet. "

Pakistani Weapons for Afghan Heroes

2006-02-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Recently, Kabul has objected to Pakistan's use of Afghan national heroic names for its military weapons. You really need a deep understanding of history to enjoy some humor here as well. Afghan Information Minister Makhdom Raheen has categorically requested Pakistan to use the names only for peaceful things like memorials, monuments, conference rooms and historical places.

If Afghans think that the names of Afghan warriors should be used for the purpose of peace alone then they really need to ask Hindu Historians and Raj dynasties who still lick their wounds at the hands of Mighty Afghan Warriors: Ghauri, Ghaznavi, Nadar Shah, and Abdali to name a few. These mighty warriors changed the socio-economic, political power structure of subcontinent-today's Pakistan and India. Today's Pakistani generals owe much of their power to Afghan invaders --had they not invaded India probably there was no Pakistan today (Pakistani historians mainly owe it to Muhammad Bin Qasim). Not only to pay tribute to their great ancestor-generals they name their weapons after Ghauri (now a Pakistani Missile), Abdali (now a Pakistani battle tank), and Ghaznvi (famous for seventeen attacks-never defeated) but to remind the Indian rivals of the destruction and havoc they created in subcontinent. It is possible that this recent objection is rooted in India's military corridors which---is more close to Karzi on South Asia advisory front---on one hand feels nervousness and on the other would like to see some embarrassment for Pakistani generals. Below is a brief snippet of history from Story of Pakistan so that you can gain an insight to my sense of humor (On a side note: I discovered that my father in law headed the very first story of Pakistan project at the time of inception).

GHAZNAVI One of the most controversial personalities in the history of South Asia, Mahmud Ghaznavi is known as one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever seen. He was one of the very few leaders who were never defeated in a battlefield. Born in 979, Mahmud became the Sultan of Ghazni in 998. He inherited the small state of Ghazni from his father Subuktigin, and turned it into an empire that lasted for about a century. He was a brave man and use to take part in all the battles his forces fought. Though he was interested in extending his empire toward Central Asia, the maneuverings of the Hindu rulers of Punjab forced him to invade South Asia. He came to South Asia seventeen times and went back to Ghazni every time with a great victory. He fought against the strong forces of Jaipal, Annadpal, Tarnochalpal, Kramta and the joint forces of Hindu Rajas and Maharajas but all of them were forced to flee away from the battlefield due to Mahmud's war strategy as a general. After the conquest of Multan and Lahore, Mahmud made Punjab a part of his empire in 1021.
Unlike other great conquerors like Alexander and Chengez Khan, Mahmud did not leave the areas conquered to the mercy of his soldiers. After becoming the first Muslim ruler to conquer Northern Punjab, he consolidated his rule in the area and established his provincial headquarters at Lahore. He established law and order in the areas that he ruled, giving special attention to the people he ruled. The department of police and post were efficient. His judicial system was very good as everybody was equal before the law and justice was the order of the day.
Mahmud was also a great patron of learning. His court was full of scholars including giants like Firdosi the poet, Behqi the historian and Al-Biruni the versatile scholar. It is said that he used to spend four hundred thousand golden Dinars on scholars. He invited the scholars from all over the world and was thus known as an abductor of scholars. Under Mahmud, Ghazni became one of the most important and beautiful cities of the Islamic world. It was the city of mosques, madrasas and libraries. He also established a Museum in Ghazni. During his rule, Lahore also became a great center of learning and culture. Lahore was called 'Small Ghazni'. Saad Salman, a poet of those times, has written about the academic and cultural life of Lahore.
Mahmud was also a deeply religious man. He himself wrote a book on Fiqh. He had respect for other religions. A large number of Hindus lived in Ghazni, and they enjoyed religious freedom. One of his commanders named Tilak was a Hindu. A number of soldiers in his army were also Hindus. Mahmud attacked the Hindu Temples in India because of political and not religious reasons.
GHAURI Muizz-ud-din Muhammad bin Sam, commonly known as Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Ghauri is one of the key persons who played a significant role in the establishment of Muslim rule in North India. An ambitious person, Muhammad Ghauri wanted to extend his rule towards South Asia. He took the small state of Ghazni from his brother Ghiyas-ud-din Muhammad bin Sam and turned it into an empire by conquering vast territories. First he captured the area ruled by the Ghaznavids and later on extended his rule to North India and Bengal. He was an able general and a brave soldier. He never let a temporary defeat stand in his way.
After his defeat in the first battle of Tarain in 1191 at the hands of Prithvi Raj Chauhan, ruler of Delhi and Ajmer, he spent a complete year
preparing for war. He came back in 1192 and defeated Raj Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain. He was the first Muslim ruler to conquer Delhi and establish a Muslim rule in India.
Muhammad Ghuri was a loyal brother. He refrained from declaring his independence in South Asia, knowing that it would result in civil war between the two brothers. Till the death of Ghiyas-ud-din Muhammad bin Sam in 1202, Ghauri never considered himself anything but a general in his brother's army. After every victory he would send the best of the looted items to his elder brother in Firuz Koh. Ghiyas-ud-din reciprocated by never interfering in the affairs of his younger brother. Thus they were each able to concentrate on their own responsibilities. As a result, Muhammad Ghauri managed to push permanent Muslim rule much further east than Mahmud Ghaznavi did.
Muhammad Ghuri had no heirs and thus he treated his slaves as his sons. It is said that he trained thousands of Turkish slaves in the art of warfare and administration.
Most of his slaves were given excellent education. During his reign many hardworking and intelligent slaves rose to positions of excellence. Once a courtier regretted that Sultan has no male heirs. Ghauri immediately replied, "Other monarchs may have one son, or two sons; I have thousands of sons. Namely my Turkish slaves who will be the heirs of my dominions, and who, after me, will take care to preserve my name in the Khutbah throughout these territories". Ghauri's prediction proved true when he was succeeded by a dynasty of Turkish Slaves.
Though Ghauri's main aim was the expansion of his empire, he also
took an interest in the patronization of education and learning. Illustrious Muslim philosopher Fakh-ud-din Razi and the well know poet Nizami Aruzi were few of the big names of his era.
In 1206, Ghauri had to travel to Lahore to crush a revolt. On his way back to Ghazni, his caravan halted at Damik near Jehlum. He was killed while offering his evening prayers. Many think that the murderer was an Ismaili. However, some historians believe that the murderer belonged to the warrior Ghakkar tribe that resided in the area. He was buried where he fell and his tomb has recently been renovated. Muhammad Ghauri is remembered as an empire builder and is justly called the founder of the Muslim Empire in Indo-Pakistan.

On the other hand their respect for knowledge and people who accepted their rule cannot be completely brushed aside. They were able to mortar holes in India's caste system but could not erase it completely. The caste system in Pakistan (now a Muslim majority state-supposed to have equal opportunities) has its deep cultural roots in Indian system of civic segregation.

And I don't know since when both Afghans and Pakistanis have become peaceful brothers (only time will tell its tall tales) as Pakistan has accused Kabul for supplying weapons to Ferari camp in Baluchistan. I can bet as soon as American venture is over in Afghanistan, Afghans would be the first one pushing shopping cart around for these Cino-Pakistani ventured toys with the names of their ancestors painted on foreheads (just a guess--may be not!).

Rumi

2006-02-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

"With will, fire becomes sweet water; and without will, even water becomes fire."

This was found on Rumi related website as words of wisdom from Rumi. Trying to figure out the meaning. If I am correct then I think he is trying to say that:

"Artisanship and hardwork can turn dust into gold; lack of artisanship and hardwork can turn gold into dirt or worthless object."

The Message

2006-02-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

I stopped by Christians
They said --peace on you
I stopped by Jews
They said Shalom
I stopped by Muslims
They Said Salam

I stopped by strangers
They were speaking a language
That I could not understand
But they smiled and waived
My mind processed the image
And sent it to heart

I listened to my heart
It said --so many languages
But the message is one

Take the message, and
Spread in thy world

{Last night I was reading Rumi with a friend and today I scribbled this}

Another victim

2006-02-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Once there was Prophet of Islam who would not mind paying respect to a Jew and here we have his followers who would deceive them and torture to death (apparently done by some Muslim youth, it has to be confirmed by investigations however as I recall Daniel Pearl, I can tell the sentiments in Majority of Muslim world about Jews are same). I was in Pakistan visiting my family when Pearl incident happened and I thought I would write an article against killing in a newspaper (Blogging started much later) but never found enough time. However, I have promised to myself that I would because I never found it consistent with Quran. No where in Quran I found endorsement for these acts.

Six Flag-ed Questions for Muslims

2006-02-16T22:45:00.001-07:00

Recently, I am overwhelmed by Muslim spammers who are urging other Muslims through repeated emails to protest and boycott Danish products in response to publishing of cartoons. I have few questions for them and I urge you to send these questions in email to as many Muslims as possible---that you know of---so that they become more introspective. Ask them to find the answer to the following:

I. Recently, in Middle East Muslims destroyed Danish food and threw away food in streets. I ask following questions:

Question 1. Did prophet of Islam recommended this behavior?
Question 2. Do Muslims know how much Allah despise when we spoil the Rizaq (food) ?
Question 3. Does Islam recommend Muslims to spoil food when Allah (SBWH) asks in Quran: Who has made it Haram for you that I have made Halal?

II. Doctors in Pakistan are not going to prescribe life saving Danish medicines even in case there is no alternative because they consider it Haram to prescribe these medicines in love of prophet.

Question 4. Isn't it that Allah has recommended us to consider Haram as Halal when it comes to saving lives (I don't even consider Danish medicines Haram)?
Question 5. Is it ok to punish those who are not involved in offending Muslims sensibilities (Although, prophet choose not to punish and that is my guiding light).

III. Muslims have destroyed property of fellow Muslims in Pakistan as well as in other countries.

Question 6. Didn't prophet say that you cannot be among the best Muslims if other Muslims are not safe from your hand, arm, and mouth?

(If Islam=Peace then I must say that everyone must be safe from the hands, arms, and mouth of Muslims) .

Please all Muslims respond to my questions and Inshallah we can have more positive discussions among Muslim communities around the globe.

On a side note: Our love for prophet or the respect that Allah has given him cannot diminish in anyway even if we choose not to do anything. In fact, our love for prophet (PBUH) demands us to do only one thing and that is to do exactly the way he did. He opted for peace, forgiveness, and mercy. Allah knows this and so does He (PBUH).

Sheik Abdul-Aziz Arafa, a Muslim scholar who teaches in Mecca at the Grand Mosque and at the Sawlatia School, a religious institute that is 125 years old says: "What most people don't understand," he said, "is the strong bond, the powerful link that connects Muslims and their prophet, God's prayers and peace upon him. He is sitting with us right now. When we talk about him, he is present, listening, and when we send him greetings, he sends them right back."Sheikh Arafa's lecture was hosted by Samir Barqa and he said the following about the cartoon event.

"Muhammad lay bleeding and injured after being stoned by young men in the mountain city of Taif. But he never exacted revenge on them and turned it down when the angels offered it.

We have only to go back to his examples to see that he never returned an insult with an insult. He remained balanced and steady. He would not have been happy about the turn of events."

"Please pay attention to these words about Prophet Mohammad (PBUH):

"He never returned an insult with an insult."

Alhamdollilah! I am Muslims and I am proud that my religion teaches me only peace, forgiveness, and justice the way Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was committed to it. I am not ashamed of Islam but of radical Muslims who do not understand the message of peace in our religion and still claim that "Islam is a religion of peace."

May Allah help every Muslim to understand the message of Salama (peace).

Watch what you say

2006-02-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

Nicholas! you still call this guy thoughtful who would endorse the sentence of Dr. Shaikh by saying why the fuss over one man? Shaikh had a question in mind which he put forward and Islam does not reject questions by the inquisitive mind. Mr. Ghazi should have known that. Only thing Dr. Shaikh deserved was the answer. He needed the right answer. Alas! Rather than giving him the right answer he has been sentenced.

Watch what you say: Dr. Younus Shaikh, a teacher at a medical college, sits in a brick prison here, after being sentenced to death for blasphemy last year. I couldn't interview him because the warden caught me trying to slip into the prison as a visitor (I didn't look like a family member). But the issues are clear.

During a lecture, Dr. Shaikh digressed and allegedly speculated that Muhammad's parents may not have been Muslims

"Abdul Rashid Ghazi, a thoughtful, well-educated imam in Islamabad, asked me why the fuss over Dr. Shaikh, one man, when America has killed thousands in Afghanistan. I replied that blasphemy raises a larger concern for Islam itself: like Christianity in the Middle Ages, the Islamic world today suffers from a stultifying closed-mindedness and intellectual rigidity that impoverishes Muslim countries and in some cases endangers their neighbors."

At least one of the family members who raised him and was alive and received the message of Islam from Prophet has been considered idol worshiper his uncle Abdulmatlib. Only thing that is told to many Muslims in the textbooks is that his grandfather used to take care of 'Kaba.' At that time 'Kaba' was filled with idols. As a kid growing up and analyzing things around me, I asked similar questions.....So if every one worshiped idols in those days and they digressed from the true path what religion people were worshipping in Mecca, off course it was not Islam otherwise Allah did not need to reveal Quran. What faith Prophet's (PBUH) forefathers had. My mother told me only one thing that his family was pious and did not indulge in evil. That was the only answer she could get from the books she read. That answer was acceptable to me at that tender age. Now only thing Dr. Shaikh deserved was a right answer to his question. Is there any Muslim scholar who would like to answer that is posed by Dr. Shaikh. When they don't want to answer---or put it this way---they don't have an answer they say its Blasphemy....Ridiculous!

Where is so called enlightened moderation of Musharraf. The president has a right to pardon.
Muslim fanaticism makes me nervous whenever I think about going to my country "Pakistan: The land of so called Pure" and teach moderation and tolerance.

The Aftermath I

2006-02-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

While Sepoy has written the obituary of cartoon mania Fu2rman is starting a new alliance for peace but this isn't gonna die soon. Independent has published a chronology of events and I am adding Saudi Arabia's top sheikh to war of words.

*Friday 10, 2006 Saudi cleric would not settle for less than the trial of the cartoonist.

Speaking to hundreds of faithful at his Friday sermon, Sheik Abdul Rahman al-Seedes, the imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, called on the international community to enact laws that condemn insults against the prophet and holy sites. "Where is the world with all its agencies and organizations? Is there only freedom of expression when it involves insults to Muslims? With one voice...We will reject the apology and demand a trial," Al Riyadh, a Saudi daily newspaper, quoted al-Seedes as saying.

As Saudi cleric rejects peaceful retreat I expect a fresh round of violence and frenzy across the globe. Sigh!

Mohammad Who?

2006-02-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

A Shorter version of my response to cartoon controversy is published at Chowk and there is a good debate going on there. If you want to participate in the debate go here.
Mohammad Who?: Ideas & Identities of India Pakistan.

Blasphemy III

2006-02-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

At the height of Mohammad's (PBUH) depiction in Danish cartoon controversy (started by Jyllands-Posten), I am receiving a mixed reaction around the globe. Some of us don't care while others are concerned. Muslim scholars, Mullahs, and heads of States in Muslim countries are coming forward and offering solace and comfort to bereaved Muslim soul. Even people like Musharraf and Karzi are appealing the outraged Muslims to stay calm but their words are still entertaining the Muslim sensibilities by suggesting that the depiction of Prophet Mohammad is despicable and we condemn the publishing of cartoons. Even King Abdullah said today in his meeting with President Bush that violence is unacceptable and protests should be peaceful (emphasis is mine). Many in the Western countries on the other hand have joined to declare a war against Muslim protesters. A new generation of home bred cartoonists is publishing their own cartoons about Muslim extremists and the Prophet of Islam on the web, on Blogsphere in particular, in solidarity to Danes right of free speech. Not only appalling is all this but making me wonder where the world is heading to.

Apart from the issue that depiction of prophet of Islam is prohibited in paintings and pictures, or how west would respond considering it a war of liberty, and whether these acts of iconic blasphemy have occurred in Muslim tradition as well or not, no one is telling us:

How Prophet of Islam Muhammad (PBUH) would have reacted if he would have been alive today and confronted this issue?
Do Muslims have a right to demand an apology from a non-muslim who is living under a different government or set of moral values?

In order to answer these two questions let's assume for the sake of argument that Prophet is alive today and some acts of, so called, blasphemy are committed so that we can learn something from him. This assumption should not be unreasonable as Muslims believe in tradition of the Prophet and should do the same as their Prophet would do. Therefore, I imagine the following acts as blasphemous from Muslim sensibility's point of view; happening to prophet of Islam in front of the eyes of Muslims who have chosen to take streets in protest:

A Bedouin arrives and start beating the prophet; everyone rushes to stop him...
Another Bedouin arrives and desecrates the prophet's place of worship in response to nature call. Everyone rushes to beat him up...
People of 'Tiaf' valley stoned him in response to his invitation to Islam and he bleeds so profusely from head to toe that his shoes are filled with his blood. Even heaven and earth could not take it anymore and angel Gabriel descends from haven to offer punishment to blasphemous beings ...
A woman is so sick of prophet that she starts throwing her daily household waste on him....
People mock at him; call him a magician; and a liar....
People make fun of him in every possible way.....
Least but not last they make caricatures of Prophet in newspapers...

All the blasphemy scenarios except the last --which has just occurred-- happened in his life time and the only thing he offered in response was mercy.

He forgave the Bedouin who would beat him.
He let the Bedouin finish his nature call and after that ordered his companion to wash and clean the Masjid. Only thing he said to Bedouin was this is not a place to relief ones self from natures call.
He not only refused the punishment offered by angel Gabriel to people of Tiaf but remarked as well that they donÂt know what they are doing?
One day the woman did not throw anything on him so he knocked at her door to inquire if she is doing alright. He found out that she is ill and he did the best by taking care of her and cleaning her house.
In all the other events he did not let emotions run over rather stayed calm and remained merciful.

Looking at the tradition of Prophet, I am sure if the cartoon event had occurred when he was alive he would have smiled at his followers and dismissed their protests and said they don't know what they are doing. Why no one is talking about that? If Prophet had allowed Muslims to respond in all of the above circumstances with force it meant that he would allow them to worship his-self. He was an embodiment of mercy. The truth is that Allah would tell him that he is angry with mankind and people who oppose him but the Prophet in his prayers always beg Allah for his mercy for the entire mankind.

In my less than humble opinion all the responses that are coming out so far are catering to Muslim sensibilities and are either not helping or making the situation even worse. You earn respect through your actions not protests or burning embassies or demanding death for the cartoonist. The Muslim countries must take a tough stance on this and educate protestors about the tradition of prophet and tell the protestors to go home. The burning of embassies, churches, harming ambassadors and citizens of Western countries should be considered a punishable act in Islam. Muslim countries must take a tougher stance that they would not tolerate these acts. If a Muslim ambassador is harmed in another land Islamic Shariah declares a war onto the offending nation. In times of Prophet his companion Osman traveled to Mecca as his ambassador to negotiate peace. News broke out that he has been killed. Prophet took oath along with his companions to avenge the killing of his ambassador..... Having said that....from a similar perspective the ambassadors and embassies of other countries should be treated in a same way as Islamic law treats its own embassies and ambassadors. I want to ask Muslims how they would feel if foreign countries avenge the demolition of their embassies the same way the Prophet of Islam wanted to avenge the death of his ambassador.
Many Westerns have a misconception as well that this issue has helped to bring out all the terrorists hidden in their cells. I feel that everyone out there to protest was not a terrorist but just misguided because even the moderates have been commenting that we should go out there and at least protest in a peaceful manner to make our voice heard. It is very unfortunate that emotions are driving Muslim sensibilities. In very same way, my western readers are angry and believe they have to rattle some cages and furnish a tough response to Muslim protests because it is a war on Western liberty. I disagree with all because I don't see any need for protest. Best of all I see the dialogue as the finest way to tackle this issue. Those who want to continue the war of offense in the name of freedom of speech should also know that first you have to teach these people about freedom and democracy before you can teach them freedom of speech. War will lead us nowhere but to destruction of entire humanity.

Tariq Ramdan is a Swedish-Muslim (a controversial figure though). However, his response is somewhat sensible than any other Muslim scholar or head of state (if he really believes in what he says). This was the kind of response that I had been looking for (Source: Watandost). In his interview with Nathan Gardels from Switzerland Tariq Ramadan argues that

"Muslims must understand that laughing at religion is a part of the broader culture in which they live in Europe, going back to Voltaire. Cynicism, irony and indeed blasphemy are part of the culture."

Islam does not allow Muslims to behave in a rude and irresponsible manner. Therefore, in my opinion whoever is trying to comment on the issue his/her talk should proceed from what is mentioned by Tariq Ramadan. In Tariq Ramdan's words:

"When you live in such an environment as a Muslim, it is really important to be able to take a critical distance and not react so emotionally. You need to hold to your Islamic principles, but be wise enough not to overreact to provocation."

As we have seen now that boycotting Danish products (although I have disagreement on this issue as well and I still love Danish cookies) would have been a more powerful and peaceful response than taking streets and burning embassies. Again I will seek help from Tariq Ramdan. He says:

"For Muslim majority countries to react emotionally to these cartoons (with boycotts) is to nurture the extremists on the other side, making it a test of wills. On one side, the extremists argue that, "See, we told you, the West is against Islam," and on the other side they say, "See, Muslims can't be integrated into Europe, and they are destroying our values by not accepting what we stand for." This way of opening a debate on emotional grounds is, in fact, a way of closing the door on rational discourse."

As far as the explanation of Muslim behavior worldwide is concerned, Ramdan says:

First, it is against Islamic principles to represent in imagery not only Mohammed, but all the prophets of Islam. This is a clear prohibition.
Second, in the Muslim world, we are not used to laughing at religion, our own or anybody else's. This is far from our understanding. For that reason, these cartoons are seen, by average Muslims and not just radicals, as a transgression against something sacred, a provocation against Islam.

Yes! These two points do explain the phenomena but I do not endorse Mr. Tariq Ramdan in this regard. It should be kept in mind that these principles may apply to Muslims and Muslim countries only and not to Muslims and Non -Muslims in Britain, France, and USA etc. If a Muslim would have committed that kind of mockery the outrage could have been justified. Yet in Prophets teaching forgiveness is better. We know from the tradition of prophet that he knew about hypocrites but he did not punish them. (Update: In my most recent study I have figured out that Allah says in Quran that such mockery will happen however no where he advises Muslims to act in a manner that they are doing at the moment across the globe).

For overly concerned Muslims, I must ask which Muhammad we are talking about. Mohammad who? The one who was prophet of Islam or the one that appeared in Danish cartoons. To me they are two separate entities. So as to speak of Mohammad in caricatures, to me it is depiction of today's misguided Muslims. The Islamic world is abundant with self-proclaimed Mohammads. For majority of Muslims having first name Mohammad is equivalent to Islamic baptism. In order to show their love, or probably out of reverence for prophet, Muslims name their sons Mohammad XYZ apart from the fact that many of them even don't know about the teachings of their own religion. This act of naming their children Mohammad can be considered equivalent to worshiping Mohammad (PBUH) or bringing shame to the prophet of Islam which is evident from what Muslims are doing in their outlaw world.

So I dare to ask Mohammad who? You or me! Or the prophet of Islam?

While many consider the cartoon distasteful and not dare to look at it out of reverence for prophet of Islam, I dared to look at the cartoon. The cartoon with a bomb shaped turban resembles more to a 'Sikh' more than it does to a Muslim. Even the turban is 'Khalsa' genre. So little, the cartoonist knew about Islam or Mohammad. That even makes it more distasteful and unappetizing for any comment---yet I am commenting because of all the controversy out there.

Mona Omar Attia, Egypt's ambassador to Denmark, said after a meeting with Rasmussen that she was satisfied with the position of the Danish government but noted the prime minister had said he could not interfere with the press.

"This means the whole story will continue and that we are back to square one again. The government of Denmark has to do something to APPEASE the Muslim world,"

I don't consider it reasonable to ask for apologies from those who do not even know about Islam or the prophet of Islam. By demanding an apology Muslims are not only making fun out of their selves but rejecting the tradition of the Prophet of Islam. I wish Attia had said otherwise because asking for an apology is itself a mockery of not only the tradition of Prophet but an effort by Muslims themselves lampooning the principles of Islam. Islamic law does not hold anyone else liable for someone else’s actions. Is it consistent with the principles of justice in Islam?

What should we do-- Muslims ask? -----Well! What We need is a coordinated effort to teach peace to everyone and tradition of Prophet to enraged Muslims in particular.
Many people would consider me blasphemous if I tell them Prophet would smile and dismiss all the protest against the cartoonist. As I am finishing my post I do have support from what is just published in today's Washington post. Sheik Abdul-Aziz Arafa, a Muslim scholar who teaches in Mecca at the Grand Mosque and at the Sawlatia School, a religious institute that is 125 years old says:

"What most people don't understand," he said, "is the strong bond, the powerful link that connects Muslims and their prophet, God's prayers and peace upon him. He is sitting with us right now. When we talk about him, he is present, listening, and when we send him greetings, he sends them right back."

Samir Barqah who hosted Shiekh's lecture is amazingly quoting the same story from prophet of Islam that I have quoted above.

At the end of the lesson, Barqah mentioned the torching of the Danish Embassy in Syria. "Just this week I was telling my young students to take advantage of the situation and educate the West about the prophet, God's prayers and blessings upon him. But now, instead of getting an apology, it is us who are apologizing for the actions of some emotional, inflamed young people."

Barqah shook his head in dismay and recounted an anecdote. Muhammad lay bleeding and injured after being stoned by young men in the mountain city of Taif. But he never exacted revenge on them and turned it down when the angels offered it. "We have only to go back to his examples to see that he never returned an insult with an insult. He remained balanced and steady. He would not have been happy about the turn of events," Barqah said wistfully.

I am sure more and more Muslims will speak up against the reaction that is shown by the ignorant masses in the Muslim world and teach the tradition of Prophet to their fellow beings. As Barqah says that Muslims should apologize to Danes for burning their embassies, I suggest you go and check this website by Muslim youth http://www.sorrynorwaydenmark.com/ to show support to Danes and Norwegians.

So JMJ this is finally my response. For a while I was thinking that this issue does not affect me in anyway so why do I care? In fact, whatever, is going on in the Muslim world is an attack on my freedom and liberty as well; the liberty that I enjoyed in this country. The liberty and freedom that I did not have back home in Pakistan. In Pakistan I was afraid to go for a prayer that I might get killed in an attack on the mosque by another Muslim sect. In a Muslim state I was more distant from my religion and Allah.

Is that Islam all about that people are forced to stay away from their belief? While Allah himself says there is no compulsion in religion!

Blasphemy II

2006-02-06T10:59:00.000-07:00

I have tried to write several times over the weekend, something on the issue of Danish trouble or Iconic Blasphemy in Islam, but every time I am confronted with the question of marginal utility of one more writing on this topic, and also the choice of writing on this flagrant issue or my dissertation. The choice is not easy, each time I have realized that my utility curve is rather skewed at the southeast (SE) end of the map. I have 24 hr time constraint everyday that I need to spend efficiently on better things in life. Seems like Blogging is not something that I should be focusing on at the moment.

As Rob points out that if others are more vibrantly debating the issue so why should I care at the moment while the issue is not affecting my life and I have got to finish my dissertation before I become an authority on a subject or anything like that (I would recommend the same to those who are protesting this issue without understanding the underlined causes). I have found Hensher and Younge's take on the whole issue rather more intellectually stimulating than the whole debate itself. In their article: Does the right to freedom of speech justify printing the Danish cartoons? Published in guardian UK they argue:

"When one person's liberty collides with another's values, there is no clear occupant of the moral high ground "

Therefore, for me the whole question of Blasphemy boils down to choosing the right combination of liberty and values. To that end the idea of liberty, values and utility is purely subjective and varies from person to person. For a person having greater preference for Values (measured on vertical axis in this case) the indifference curve is skewed on the Southeast SE end of the map. A person with more values will have to accept lot of liberty for even a minor sacrifice in value.

On the other hand a person who prefers liberty more than values the indifference curve is flatter on the Values end (SE). That means sacrificing little liberty will require liberals to accept a major set of conservative values. In third case, for an extremist from any perspective (not Muslims alone) Liberty would be a useless thing and IC is vertical. Concentrating on case I and II what would be the right combination then. Only a constraint like the time constraint in my problem above dictates the choice of right combination. ... Now, I am lost here what kind of constraint Liberals and Conservatives face to accept each others point of view....I am totally lost... Readers! Any word on that.....to complete the analysis. At this moment I consider either Liberty or Value neither inferior nor Giffen (The indifference curve theoretical framework is borrowed from Microeconomics). For my take on the issue check back for Blasphemy III soon.

Blasphemy I

2006-02-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

I am just a silent observer to all the talk that is going on about the Danish cartoons. Well! at the moment I have got better things to do in life. For past several days I had been getting lot of search hit stats for "Mohammad Cartoon" but I did not write anything in response as I said I have better things to do at the moment. So for curious readers here is a list 1, 2, 3, 4.

(The title is Blasphemy I so check back in a week for II).

Islamabad vs Washington.

2006-01-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

If Washington thinks that only a General like Musharraf can deliver the peace then they are wrong and must get their policy documents re-examined by South Asian historians. Co-operating with military regimes have only brought more trouble to US in terms of public popularity in Pakistan. Among democratic leaders Ms. Benazir Bhutto dealt with the situation in Sindh, during her reign, with an "Iron Hand". She is expected to deal with the extremism with same determination. The only problem she has is that she cannot deal with her husband easily who has an apatite for plundering Pakistan's resources (that makes her a typical subjugated Pakistani woman). I use to drive by the backyard of Prime Minister house while commuting to my university in Pakistan. I saw all the earth moving equipment moved from the Islamabad interchange project to level the hills behind prime minister house for a polo ground. Her hubby treated the PM house as his private property. He thought he is going to live their forever. Why he could not go to Polo facilities in Rawalpindi or fly to Gilgit to play polo in much serene and picturesque land?

These days BB is in Washington, hoping to change Washington's views. She has called everyone (PPP Supporters, I mean) for an urgent meeting (including one of my dear friends). I assume The Watan Dost guy will be there as well and deliver some good inside news and hopes as he was there last time when she called a meeting in Boston.

VIA WATANDOST: Inside News About Pakistan: "One crucial reason General Musharraf gets so little pressure from the Bush administration about restoring democracy is the almost universal assumption in Washington that only a dictator can deliver Pakistani military cooperation."

I believe that there is big political activity going on as far as Pakistan is concerned as Mr. Nawaz Sharif has also decided to step out of closet and is talking about the rape of his government at the hands of Musharraf. Probably Washington has given a signal to both deposed and exiled ex-PMs of Pakistan about shifting gears. (I have not found much coverage in Pakistani newspapers, you know Pakistani press is free always says Musharraf.... but.....).

Applying Business Cycle Theory to Politics

2006-01-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

The land of pure and powerful

2006-01-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

The issue of Baluchistan is getting heat in the academia, news media and blogs as well: 1, 2. The issue has taken new heat recently especially after the resignation of Baloch Prime minister (I wish things would have been different in my country). We have never seen a single prime minister in our times to finish his term. Corruption, nepotism, rent seeking politics has become a norm in my country so is the army dominance.

The first army rule caused the cessation of East Pakistan, the second caused the making and rebellion of MQM plus advent of Taliban to the throne of Afghanistan. We are speculating at the moment what we will get by the end of third military rule.

The problem of Balochistan has some truth to deprivation and marginalization but to some parts the Sardars of Balochistan are also involved in that. The politics of "Rent Seeking" is to blame for that.

The Makranis stood firm against the Mughals,But bowed nominally to the British Raj. It is only since 1971 that some effort has been made to develop the region .There is no road along the coast, but daily flights connect the four main coastal towns of Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar And Jiwani with Karachi, and there are flights to Quetta three times a week, Gwadar and Jiwani. Both picturesque towns Flanked by cliffs and beaches, belonged to Oman for about 200 years. The Khan of kallat gave them as a present to The sultan in the 18th century, and in 1958 they were sold back to Pakistan.

1. After independence Khan of Kallat was paid for the state of Kallat.
2. Gawadar and adjacent areas were bought from the State of Oman
3. The money was paid for tax payers pockets. The entire Nation paid for it.

As soon as the lands were purchased the Baloch nationalism started making intense waves. As soon as development started in 70s the fight became intense. This fight has been preventing the use of Balochistan's resources in an optimal manner.

A claim to control the resources by Baluchistan's few landlords is also injustice. So are the extra judicial killings. The life of an ordinaryArmy man who is serving the army so that he can make living for his family is as precious as the life of a tribesman living in that area. Launching grenadess and mortars on those who are trying to protect installations just because they have orders to stand there all night is also injustice. Can we talk about what happens to those army personnel who are captured by the tribesmen. In Sardar's words 'they will not go back alive'

I support my troops but I don't support their involvement in politics. I support the people of my nation and willing to sacrifice but I am not willing to yield to extremism of any kind.

This table has been made out of the data given in recent Economic Survey of Pakistan. The pastprovincial spending trend are same as well. The first column shows the amount of money provinces recieve in their share out of total Federal Tax Revenue collection. The bottom half of table shows percapita figures for each province (in Pakistani Rs.). The population is also mesured in millions. The table here shows that per capita expenditure is highest in Balochistan while Sardars are instigating young Balochis in the name of "Marginalization". It shows that all the other provinces have been sacrificing as well for their brothers in other provinces.

One should keep in mind anywhere in the world where people take up arms against their own people rules are broken by both sides. So the best thing is to sit down and negotiate. Human life is more sacred than piece of land.

What North and South learned in their fight in America should be learnt by Pakistan as well. If we bury our hatchets we will be a prosperous nation. The way for dialogue should always be open. The young people of our nation want to do the dialogue and I urge all to bring them forward. Don't listen to those politicians who are surviving at the cost of our blood, listen to your mind and work for peace.

The War in Pakistan

2006-01-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

I think the Earthquake 2005 took lot of heat off the militants and the Pakistan Army ended up moving its resources to East in Kashmir. This gave time to militants to reorganize themselves in Western Mountains on border with Afghanistan. I wish things can change for my country and we see less extremist influence.

The War in Pakistan: " President Bush famously declared that other countries must choose between supporting the United States and supporting terrorism, and that those that harbored al Qaeda would be treated as the enemy. In the years since, he has refrained from applying that tough principle in practice -- which is lucky for Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Ever since the war on terrorism began, this meretricious military ruler has tried to be counted as a U.S. ally while avoiding an all-out campaign against the Islamic extremists in his country, who almost surely include Osama bin Laden and his top deputies."

US Troops in India

2006-01-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

May be Musharraf will end up explaining some drones flying out of Himalaya as well.

U.S. Troops on Front Line Of Expanding India Ties: "In the latest of a series of such exercises, 120 U.S. combat troops have come here to train with their Indian counterparts in areas such as counterinsurgency and peacekeeping. Besides taking classroom instruction, they are firing Indian weapons, bonding with Indian soldiers over games of soccer and volleyball, and even developing a taste for vegetarian cuisine, albeit with spices toned down for sensitive American palates."

Bloggers call for Jill Carroll

2006-01-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

I urge muslim bloggers to call for release of Jill Carroll and send a message across the globe through their web sites. I hope she is alive and meet her family. The Muslims of world should join this call as our prophet Mohammad urged not to harm the vulnerable especially women, childern, old, and all those who want to live in peace.

Jill Carroll: Former Islamic militant calls for her release (Christian Science Monitor): "Late Sunday evening (Monday morning in Iraq), Jill Carroll's father, Jim, made another plea for his daughter's release. In a brief interview on CNN, which was later broadcast on Al Jazeera, the Arab satellite television station, Mr. Carroll said, in part, 'When you release her alive, she will tell your story with the same conviction. Alive my daughter will not be silenced."

Indian history in shambles

2006-01-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Very interesting article.

India history spat hits US csmonitor.com: " In the halls of Sacramento, a special commission is rewriting Indian history: debating whether Aryan invaders conquered the subcontinent, whether Brahman priests had more rights than untouchables, and even whether ancient Indians ate beef."

Many people are not familiar with this fact that many Hindus start eating beef and meat when they arrive in US or other countries. However, back home it is considered an unforgiveable sin for them and in past Hindu extremits have killed Muslims in riots over slaughtering cows.

Latest on War on Terror in Pakistan

2006-01-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

I would recommend reading the following articles. The articles #2 and 3 has a lot that one needs to know about the real situation in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

I believe the unilateral truce that Osama is offering is just because mercenaries want to reorganize themselves and hold a firm ground in tribal areas of Pakistan.

"You can draw the Afghan-Pakistan border on a map by looking at the pattern of signal intercepts," says one U.S. official. "The bad guys chatter away in Pakistan, feeling they are safe. That area lights up like a Christmas tree. Then they go silent when they cross into Afghanistan, where they fear getting hit."

Jihadist Mercenaries

2006-01-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

These Jihadis are mercenaries. Prophet Mohammed never allowed to harm a woman, a child, an old man, priests as well as seekers of knowledge, even plants and vegetation. These so called Jihadis are merely mercenaries and pirates who have no respect for human life.

U.S.-Based Muslim Group Urges Reporter's Release: "Two members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights group, sought the release of Carroll, a 28-year-old freelancer for the Christian Science Monitor abducted Jan. 7 in Baghdad."

Peace in Iraq--Hopefully

2006-01-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

I hope this will help achieve peace in this region. If we can have stability in Iraq then whole region will be able to see more progress and growth. The only thing left will be Iran where the new president is putting the efforts of previous moderate presidents in reverse gear.

Iraq Election Results Show Sunni Gains: "The results released by the national election commission represented no significant surprises, other than confirming the strength of the showing by the minority Sunni Arabs in a vote that will seat Iraq's first full-term parliament since the toppling of Saddam Hussein. Iraq's political, sectarian and ethnic factions have been waiting for formal release of the results as their cue to launch full-scale deal-making over the make-up of Iraq's next government."

Eid-Ul-Azha Mubarik

2006-01-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

Eid Mubarik to Friends and Family

What's the Muslim Satan Like?

2006-01-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Very interesting and informative article by Mr. Engber.

What's the Muslim Satan Like? - Has he got a tail? By Daniel Engber: "What does he look like? Muslims don't have a clear iconography for Iblis, and there's no Shaitanic counterpart to the red-skinned, pitchfork-wielding demon of Christianity. During the hajj, Shaitan is represented by a featureless stone pillar or wall. Pilgrims 'stone Satan' by throwing rocks at the wall."

Update: By some divine intervention the link to this article was posted at the time when hundreds of people last their lives while stoning Satan this year in Saudi Arabia at the end of Haj. Hummm! They were their to kill Satan by stoning him to death (in the spiritual sense). I am not sure if Quran literally ask people to do this ritual as part of Haj. In fact there is a lot of talk going on about iconic blasphemy in the Muslim world in the wake of cartoons published by a Danish newspaper. The excuse Muslims have at the moment is that they don't use any icons in worship. So isn't stoning these pillars is iconic in the Muslim philosophy of purging sins and salvation?

It is not about deserving

2006-01-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

Many remember Sharon as a brutal demagogic opportunist and consider that he desrved his most recent suffering. I would say that Sharon lived his life through and now there is age factor as well. It is not about what he desrved. For Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad...I want to say only onething. Prophet Mohammad went to see his Jewish Neighbour during his illness and also took care of him and asked if he could help. In our prophet's tradition I will say to Sharon: Get Well Soon!

Iranian Leader, Evangelist Call Prime Minister's Illness Deserved: "The television evangelist Pat Robertson and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may not agree on much, but both suggested yesterday that the severe illness of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was deserved. Both men's comments were immediately condemned by religious leaders."

On a side note--I will add for those Muslims who are feeling kind of happiness on Sharon's illness. There is a famous sufi Saint in Pakistan who said
دشمن مرے تے خوشی نہ کریئے
سجناں وی مر جاناھو
Translation: Don't be joyful If your enemy is suffering, May be one day you will have the same fate.

Dangerous TOT

2006-01-05T14:03:00.001-07:00

The Continental Airlines agents think that 4 year old tot is going to blow himself up while TSA does not.

Terror-Tot: "HOUSTON -"They said, 'We need ID for your son.' I said, 'You're joking,' " said Houston resident Sijollie Allen, a 39-year-old payroll accountant. "The man said, 'No I'm very serious. It clearly stipulates I need ID for him.'
TSA regional spokeswoman Carrie Harmon said the agency tells airlines not to deny boarding to children under 12 or select them for extra security checks even if their names match ones on the list. "We do not require ID for children because there are no children on the list," Harmon said. "If it's a child, ticket agents have the authority to immediately de-select them."
"Is this a joke?" Allen recalled telling Continental Airlines agents Dec. 21 at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport. "You can tell he's not a terrorist."

I was subject to a similar joke as well. Infact we had two incidents.

My father passed away in 2004 and I had to see off my mother from NY who was visiting me at that time. We bought oneway "First Class" tickets from Kansas to fly to NY from where she had to catch a flight abroad. We paid almost $600 for each ticket (a total of $1200) through United Airline. However flights were delayed in Chicago due to heavy snowfall and the airline started rerouting passengers on alternate flights. Twelve hrs had passed and everyone had been rerouted except us. By that time my mothers flight had already left from NY (what happened there was a different story) and she was very upset. So she made me asked the airline agent one more time about our chances to get to NY and he said you are not on priority. Frustrating was the answer-so I asked how priority is determined? He said from the price you pay and the flyer miles. I said what the hell-I am traveling first class and paid $600 approx for each ticket ---isn't that enough in price. He said our first class cabins are full at the moment. At that very moment my mother was crying so I told the agent look at the lady --her husband has passed away and she needs to go home from NY. Can't you even give us a seat in economyclass. I don't care about money, I can pay more. As I recall it know he said I may give her a seat but you may not get a seat as the flight is full. I said I don't care... my mom needs to travel I am just seeing her off form NY. So please give here a seat. The agent told me to wait---then called me after 10 minutes and reluctantly said we are giving seat to both of you in the economy class. You are lucky that you are going to board. As we were about to board the agent on the boarding gate checked the tickets --wondered for a moment--and asked why are you traveling in economy?--- you have first class tickets--- and then she decided to change the boarding pass to first class. See how they lied and told us that the first class is full. It was a perfect case of discrimination. Later I discovered that our tickets were marked "SSS" which means special security screening. They were putting this on everyone's ticket who was traveling one way becuase the threat level was raised to orange exactly that day (I remember watching news at airport) and my travel agent could not get me a return ticket, my mother was offcourse not coming back. And I was .... Are you kidding does this old woman who cannot even stand for more than five minutes and has a curved posture while walking due to back pain is a security threat? ----Even TSA tells them to use common sense but airlines do have bunch of stupid people on staff. The NY was different story PIA was not willing to reroute my mother so the travel agent has to board her on Air India flight to UK and from there she got onto PIA.
My youngest son was less than year old traveling with my wife to Pakistan in May 2003. His First and middle name resembeled to a Middle Eastern Politician (Unfortunately! because of surnames my son ended up with that name that we did not realize). At the airport, the lady at the entrance to the departure lounge looked at the ticket and suddenly became Alert and asked out loud who is "Ham ___," Who is he, Where is he. She should have looked at the ticket it clearly said "Infant" (that my wife was carrying). My wife pointed out to her that this is the one sleeping on my shoulder (like an angel). When the TSA personal saw the infant she became calm and said---Oh!. By the way! that Middle Eastern Politician had already died by that time. Stupid Jerks....!!! I am not going to change my son's name TSA should better take classes of general knowledge and international relations. The story did not end there as they were about to baoard they almost stripped my kids to dipers for security search and the kids were crying so badly but no one bothered. The ages of the kids at that times were Elder: 1 year 9 month and Younger: 6 months. I saw an East European family in real screening trouble. Although they were non-Muslims but they had one suit case full of joggers and shoes. The agents checked each and every pair of shoe throughly before letting them go. By the time they cleared they had only fifteen minutes left to board. I recall that those days the threat level was high as well. When ever the threat level is high in US the brown skin people and Europeans are in real mess at airports.

I am dead sure about discrimination against Muslims when the alert level is high in US because of two reasons.

When I traveled back from NY to KS after seeing my mother off to Pakistan again a purchased a oneway ticket because I traveled on "Airtran" (they sell oneway). By that time the alert level was reduced and so they did not mark my ticket SSS.
I traveled couple of times after that with my family and luckily things were normal in US so the security screening was nothing more than routine.
One of my friend who was American citizen and had a Danish wife faced lot of problem as people would stare at him whenever he called his sons name which happened to be Osama... He named his son long time ago even when no one knew Osama at all. Finally, a year ago in order to avoid stereo types he migrated to his wife's country.

Google Cube

2006-01-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

The latest in News is that Google sponsored Under $100 laptop per child program at MIT and now the rumor is that the next big thing they are hoping is to provide $200 pc to everyone. People are asking questions if it will be economically feasible. I would say yes. It will be difinately a China thing.

Google's next trick ...: "Speculation is mounting that Google will this week unveil a no-frills personal computer costing as little as $200 " In a briefing note, Bear Stearns analyst Robert Peck said the US online giant would launch Google Cubes - simple network-based boxes that could link and control home entertainment, computer and automation systems.

MIT Media Lab: $100 Laptop

2006-01-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

This is truly an amazing invention. I would say that bigger companies like Dell, IBM, and Apple should have thought about this. And above all Bill and Melinda Gate's (Microsoft) charity and "investing in childern" (as they call it) by promoting easy learning drive is not enough until they come up with something really affordable in terms of computing products that are affordable by students in developing countries and poor neighborhoods. Otherwise all the charity will be considered an EyeWash.

MIT Media Lab: $100 Laptop: "The MIT Media Lab has launched a new research initiative to develop a $100 laptop-a technology that could revolutionize how we educate the world's children. To achieve this goal, a new, non-profit association, One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has been created. The initiative was first announced by Nicholas Negroponte, Lab chairman and
co-founder, at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland in January 2005."

Experienced in Flirt, deceit, playing with feelings and ...

2006-01-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Seems like she was not experienced in all the bad things but people said many things to her that she did not deserve....but on what basis? I was reading and it seemed like an image that I have seen before. Looking at past year in retrospect; I got all these names from different friends except that I am a guy and some of the names are reserved for guys only..... But.. Same question I have... On what basis?

Junooni v-5 : Broken Trust.: "Give me a moment right now to clear something; some LABELS that people have given me.
Flirt: First things first; the people who gave me this label happen to be the same people who I could've flirted with. Secondly, you people call me a FLIRT on WHAT basis?"

A heart wrenching story

2006-01-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Read this story. It is going to hurt you so bad.... You cannot imagine the suffering of a mother. She believes they are still alive.... I doubt, given Syrian atrocities.

Mothers Press Issues of War That Lebanese Want to Forget: "BEIRUT -- On this morning, as on every morning since Oct. 17, 1985, Audette Salem cleaned the rooms of her son and daughter. She left his razor, toothbrush and comb as they were on the day her children were abducted from the streets of Beirut during Lebanon's civil war. She fiddled with her daughter's makeup and straightened her bed. She dusted the three guitars, the papers still on their desks and the pack that holds a 20-year-old cigarette, the artifacts of two lives interrupted.
'Everything is there as they left it,' she said. 'I haven't changed a thing, nothing at all. It's all still there.'"

India on way to progress

2006-01-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

I hope they will change their slums too. It is a striking contrast, I must say.

In India, Engineering Success: "The classroom of the future will feature electronic white boards. The teachers of the future will write equations on these boards with electronic pens. And the students of the future won't have to choose between concentrating on the teacher and scribbling the equations into notebooks. They will devote all their energy to listening, then download the equations straight into the laptops they've plugged into their desks.
Okay, that isn't quite right. The classroom I'm describing is not some figment of the future. It's the reality I visited a month ago at the Vellore Institute of Technology."

How you can predict a bad day

2005-12-31T23:39:00.000-07:00

You wake up face down on the pavement.
You put your bra on backwards and it fits better.
You call Suicide Prevention and they put you on hold.
You see a '60 Minutes' news team waiting in your office.
Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles.
You want to put the clothes on you wore home from the party but find there aren't any.
Your twin brother forgot your birthday.
You turn on the news and they're showing emergency routes from the city.
Your car horn accidentally goes off and remains stuck as you follow a group of Hells Angels along a deserted highway.
You wake to discover your waterbed has sprung a leak and then realize you don't have a waterbed.
Your boss tells you not to bother to take off your coat.
The bird singing outside your window is a vulture.
You call your answering service and you're told to mind your own business.
Your blind date turns out to be your ex-wife.
Your tax refund check bounces.
You put both contact lenses in the same eye.
Your pet rock snaps at you.
Your wife says "Good Morning, Bill" and your name is George.

Happy New Year سالِ نو مبارک

2005-12-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

And at New Year night I am blogging and reading what other blogers are doing. Happy New Year. Also trying to re-learn some persian because Mullah's are from Iran

The Legend of Omar Khayyam (2005)

2005-12-31T20:46:00.000-07:00

Recently released in 2005 but it is not shown everywhere. Jsut waiting for the DVD version. More info about Omar Khayyam the poet of love is here. And the earlier original translation was lost with RMS Titanic.

Plot Summary for The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam (2005): "Kamran is a 12 year old boy in the present day who discovers that his ancestor is the 11th Century Mathematician, Astronomer, Poet of Persia, Omar Khayyam. The story has been passed down in his family from one generation to another, and now it is his responsibility to keep the story alive for future generations. The film takes us from the modern day to the epic past where the relationship between Omar Khayyam, Hassan Sabbah (the original creator of the sect of Assassins) and their mutual love for a beautiful woman separate them from their eternal bond of friendship."

And here is a message from the Keepers team.

The film will be available for purchase on DVD on March 21, 2006 through our website http://www.keepermovie.com/ . Meanwhile we are only releasing the film in cities, where theatrical demand makes it feasible for us to do so.
Best regards,
The Keeper Team

Dressing in Iran لباس از ایران

2005-12-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

I don't think that lot of people have seen the modern Iran. So far we have had weird pictures of Iron Clad Iran and its subjugated women with no hair visible at all.

THE IRANIAN: Dressing in Tehran, Schahram: "Maylee nah Melli (Dressing in Tehran)

And atleast they dont look depressed in this picture.

This however depicts beautiful sadness

Heinous crime

2005-12-30T22:07:00.000-07:00

Killing people who are seeking knowledge is much more heinous than killing ordinary people. If Muslim terrorists are committing this then they may not find peace in hereafter. The message of Quran is very clear that during Wars leave alone; plants, old, young and women, those who seek refuge and those who are praying and those who are in seek of knowledge. In war fight only, to defend yourself, against those who raise weapons to kill you. And there was no war going on in that scientific conference. For the Sake of Allah stop killing innocent people.

Gunmen Open Fire at Conference in India, Killing Scientist: "Police set up roadblocks Thursday in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, seeking to apprehend gunmen who opened fire at an elite science institute and killed a retired professor.
The attack occurred late Wednesday as participants left an auditorium during an annual conference at the Indian Institute of Science, one of the country's leading research centers. A retired professor from New Delhi's Indian Institute of Technology, M.C. Puri, was killed and four other scientists were injured, police said."

New Cyber Abode

2005-12-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

These days I can be found here and here. Over the holidays I had build template for my Urdu blog. Urdu is my first language. As Urdu is new on web therefore it was a very hectic and tricky task. I am not done yet but it is ready to roll. My friends who have Firefox cannot read it because I ended up incorporating a bug and Firefox users said yesterday that they cannot read it anymore. I was unable to locate the bug. A cyber friend has volunteered to help with the bug. If you know Urdu then feel free to visit http://zubaan.blogspot.com. You need IE for best viewing. If you see strange fonts then follow these easy steps.
1. On IE menu click VIEW
2. Click on Encoding
3. Click on More
4. Select UICODE (UTF-8)

If it does not help much you may need to install some urdu fonts from here.

Get Well Soon!

2005-12-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

I wish Ariel Sharon get well soon. In my native land of pure (Pakistan) I can be condemned by the Right for saying this. However, the so called righteous and Jew hatters do not remember that our Prophet Muhammad use to pay visit to his Jewish neighbor regularly and especially when he was ill. It is a prophetic tradition which is gone now among Muslims. They rather use extreme rhetoric against Jews e.g. Mr. Ahmadinejad. However, our government has taken some positive measures in building relation with Israel. I hope Steven Spielberg's skepticism about peace proves unfounded and the New Year brings us some Happy News as Sharon has vowed to bring peace to the embattled region.

WORLD IN BRIEF: "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will undergo a medical procedure in coming weeks to repair a small hole in his heart, his doctors said Monday during a news
conference called to explain why he suffered a stroke last week.

Lost Something! Think like a thief

2005-12-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

Student Finds a Stolen Thesis by Thinking Like a
Thief: "When Linda Cerniglia went back to school, it took her almost seven years to get through all the prerequisites, the labs, the research. And it took a thief just moments to grab her purse, with the only copy of her master's thesis stored on a tiny jump drive inside."

You may find this interesting too......Stupid Bootlegger.

Food for thought Dec 21, 05

2005-12-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

I am starting a new Food for Thought series posts. These posts will contain articles that I consider thoughtful and provoking. They can make a good reading list for thoughtful nights. I dont want to enforce my reading list on others but the idea is to build a reference list for myself so that when I write something I can get back to my references quickly. However, you can also benefit from my digging around the web. This time I am posting some articles that I found interesting in recent "Foriegn Affairs Journal".

Grading the War on Terrorism: By - Richard A. Falkenrath "There is much to learn from the Bush administration's record. The administration itself, of course, rarely admits doubt or mistakes. The White House briefing room is not a Catholic church: there is precious little to gain from confession. The pressures of American politics and governance dissuade serving officials from speaking candidly, and so the burden of sustaining serious public debate falls to journalists, pundits, and outside experts."

A Natural History of Peace:Robert M. Sapolsky "Humans like to think that they are unique, but the study of other primates has called into question the exceptionalism of our species. So what does primatology have to say about war and peace? Contrary to what was believed just a few decades ago, humans are not "killer apes" destined for violent conflict, but can make their own history."

The Turkish Military's March Toward Europe: By Ersel Aydinli, Nihat Ali Özcan, and Dogan Akyaz "Without the Turkish military's support, Ankara cannot comply with the reforms necessary for Turkey to join the EU. So far, the top brass have cooperated, even when reforms have curbed their power, because they have looked at EU membership as both the culmination of the country's modernization and a way to battle nagging domestic problems. But how much
further will they go?"

Understanding Madrasahs? By Alexander Evans "Since 9/11, Muslim schools have been denounced as breeding grounds for terrorism. But instead of seeing madrasahs as a threat,
Western policymakers should recognize that they present an opportunity for engagement and reform."

Women, Islam, and the New Iraq: By Isobel Coleman "Although questions of implementation remain, the new Iraqi constitution makes Islam the law of the land. This need not mean trouble for Iraq's women, however. Sharia is open to a wide range of interpretations, some quite egalitarian. If Washington still hopes for a liberal order in Iraq, it should start working with progressive Muslim scholars to advance women's rights through religious channels."

If you are interested in MSNBC's food for thought go here.

Freedom on Trial

2005-12-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

How come a country does not allow freedom of speech to 'Orhan Pamuk' and Vie for European Union. Once part of Ottoman Empire and a world power is now struggling to become member of European Union however is not willing to compromise on issues that need to be addressed before it joins European Union.

Turkey on Trial, Part 1 - New York Times: "The trial of Orhan Pamuk, the best-selling Turkish
novelist, had barely gotten under way in Istanbul the other day when the judge postponed the proceedings until Feb. 7. We can only hope that this delay signals that Turkish leaders are looking for a way to drop the charges against Mr. Pamuk, who is being prosecuted for 'insulting Turkish identity.' In a newspaper interview last February, Mr. Pamuk referred to the Armenian genocide in 1915 during the Ottoman Empire and to the clashes between Turks and minority
Kurds in Turkey since the 1980's. 'One million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds were killed in these lands and nobody but me dares talk about it,' Mr. Pamuk was quoted as saying. This was considered a crime punishable by up to three years in prison by some Turks, including some prosecutors."

Gift Wrapped Guilt

2005-12-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

I am watching the US media taking a U turn tonight in their analysis of Iraq after Presidents Speech. It sounds like "Gift Wrapped Guilt" (title stolen here) and has started sounding like true confessions. As there is a talk about safe exit strategy there is a concern about Shiite dominance in Iraq and infiltration of radicals into Iraqi law enforcement agencies and possibility of Iranian influence. Earlier every where it was Shiite Hooray Hooray; now the Sunnis are talk of town. At first everyone wanted to thump Iraqi Shiites on the back, now it is time for Sunnis. And finally in all this exhilaration eavesdropping is taking a backstage.
Related: Good News! Susanne Osthoff is freed. Cheers!

The Situation Room

2005-12-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

I am listening to the Situation Room on CNN after president Bush's Speech. This guy senator Peter King (R) New York being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room keep repeating word "Islamic Terrorism" ... ...Gosh he does not know the difference between Islam and Muslims. If Christians commit terrorism do we say Christian Terrorism..... ? Why do people elect ignorant people? (Read Pres Speech in full text here if you have missed it).

Wolf Blitzer also interviewed two people whose sons have died in Iraq. One form right and one from left. The guy "Al Zappala" said after the speech I feel that my Son died for all the wrong reasons. The woman "Georgette Frank" did not care about her son's death and thought it was justified. She further said all the countries like UK, and France joined us. Excuse me! Why did people changed the name of French Fries. They were after French toast and French Kiss as well. To those who wanted to change the name for French Kiss....Ahh!! why do you hate the French Kiss....? Want some Viagra!!!

Stupid Bootlegger

2005-12-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

I faced the problem of stealing final exam by some students for the first time in my academic career. Some good students informed me about the incident without disclosing the name of the culprit. It was very frustrating as I had to write a new exam at the eleventh hour. One of the students who was familiar without the issue sent me this video link Stolen Laptop about a thief who stole an exam but made many mistakes that identified him (thanks for sending me this its funny).

Now! I believe I have identified the student who was involved in bootlegging my exam because of a stupid mistake he made. After the exam one student wrote an email asking me that as I did not make an announcement about changing the questions, is it going to count against him because he was not there today (Strange equestion he asked though. Probably he was afraid and did not show up in the exam and was trying to tell me that he did not take the exam voluntarily. He is assuming that I have not changed the exam as I did not announce in the incident in class. Further it appears to me that he wants to know if I was going to take any specific action against him yet he has not shown up in exam). I am thinking at the moment what to do with him. Students who reported the theft earlier do not want to verify the name and want to stay anonymous. I think by not showing up in the final is enough for him because he won't pass the course.

Honesty is the best policy!

2005-12-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

No! Mr. Baker it is not awkward. Mr. Baker is saying in his article that President Bush is doing and awkward dance while admitting faulty intelligence and bowing to pressure by John McCain. He gives us the impression that Bush is eating dust from a second place finisher in 2000 presidential race.

Once again the awkward, freighted Bush-McCain relationship with all its history of rivalry and resentment took center stage in American politics yesterday, as the second-place finisher in the 2000 Republican presidential primaries forced the first-place finisher to swallow something he once opposed.

No! It is not! It is honesty and "HONESTY is the BEST POLICY" to win hearts and minds of people. He would have been a great leader only if he knew the virtue of these qualities from the beginning. Admitting one's mistakes and embracing criticism is not awkward. These are the qualities which make great leaders. Look at the news about turn out of Sunni Muslims in Iraq vote today (I hope it is not another media tactic to paint a rosy picture or paid for story). With big turn out of Sunnis it seems like they have welcomed Bush's admittance of mistake. As a Muslim I can tell you that Muslims value honesty and truth and standby it. I wish them goodluck and hope we are witnessing a whole new chapter in the history of Iraq. Only honesty and dialogue will help the US earn more friends in Iraq. Iraqis deserve freedom and respect. I hope this election will start a new era in Iraq's history. This is a time that US should capitalize on by anouncing a concrete time table of withdrawl. This will help generate more confidence in the new parliment and especially Sunni leadership among Iraqis and the Arab world.

I would say Dionne Jr. has the quotes of the day.

1. The real patriots are not those who fall into line behind everything Bush says.
2. Democracy is about improving government through the uninhibited exchange of ideas.

And here is one from Bush to acknowledge McCain:

Senator McCain has been a leader to make sure that the United States of America upholds the values of America as we fight and win this war on terror.

I have lot of respect for this man! Republicans may win next presidential election if they choose him as a presidential candidate.

Urdu Blogging

2005-12-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

Urdu Blogging has been on the web for a while. I have started too on this blog: زُبانِ شِیرٰیں. It is specifically setup for urdu Blogging. Yesterday! I noticed that Urdu newspaper جنگ has also moved towards UTF. Now you don't have to read it in 'jpg or pdf file. Good thing about UTF is that it is searchable on internet like English. If you cannot see the Urdu ارںو text please download the fonts from here and get help in installation. You may need to select UTF in your IE settings. I am not sure if these UTF fonts will work well in Netscape, Firefox, and Mozilla etc. You may like to try this web Urdu type pad.

Perody تضمین فوج اور تقدیر

2005-12-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

پیروڈی (تضمین) کو طنز و مزاح کے حوالے سے اردو کی اصناف نظم میں ایک اہم مقام حاصل ہے۔ یہاں پر تقدیر اور وردی پیشِ خدمت ہیں۔ علامہ اقبال مرحوم کی روح سے انتہائی معذرت کے ساتھ۔ سچ تو یہ ہے کہ آج کے پاکستان کے حوالے سے اقبال مرحوم نے تومسلمانوں کے لئے کبھی ایسی اسلامی ریاست کا سوچا بھی نہ ہو گا۔

کلامِ اقبال

افراد کے ہاتوں میں ہے اقوام کی تقدیر

ہر فرد ہے ملت کے مقدر کا ستارہ

تقدیر

افواج کے ہاتوں میں ہے پاکستان کی تقدیر

ہر جنرل ہے ملت کے مقدر کا ستارہ

کلامِ اقبال

اسی روز و شب میں اُلجھ کر نہ رہ جا

کہ تیرے لئے زماں و مکاں اور بھی ہیں

وردی

اسی وردی میں لِپَٹ کر نہ رہ جا

کہ تیرے لئے پوشاکیں اور بھی ہیں

If you cannot see the Urdu ارںو text please download the fonts from here and get help in installation. You may need to select UTF in your IE settings. Unfortunately these fonts may not work in Firefox, Mozilla etc.

Chai Latte دودھ پتی

2005-12-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

!چائے چاہیے

کونسی جناب؟

!۔۔۔وہی تو ہے
افتخار صاحب کا چائے کے بارے میں مضمون اچھا ہے۔ سوچا ہم بھی کچھ لکھ ڈالیں۔ ڈاکٹر نے چاء اور سگریٹ دونوں کو ہی مضر صحت بتایا ہے۔ وجہ چالیس کے پیٹے سے پہلے ہی شریاں ؤ وریدِ جاں میں کولیسٹرول کی ضخیم مقدار بتائی ہے۔اور پان امریکہ میں ملتے نہیں سو ہمارا نشہ بری طرح ٹوٹ رہا ہے۔دراصل ہم نے بھی بیگم کے ہاتھوں خوب پراٹھے کھائے ہیں اور ورزش عام پاکستانیوں کی طرح بالکل نہیں کی۔ آپ کہیں گے چاء میں کیا برائی ہے! برائی یہ ٹھری کے مابدولت دودھ پتی کے شوقین ہیں اور وہ بھی خالص وٹامن سے بھرپور دودھ کے ساتھ آپ کہیں گے ہم تو اس کے لئے ترستے ہیں! جی! امریکہ میں ملتا ہے۔ پھلے ڈاکٹر نے بولا (2%) فیصد چربی والادودھ استعمال کرو اور اب کہا ہے کہ (1%) فیصد والا۔ چائے کا مزا کیا خاک آئے گا۔ سگریٹ ہم پہلے ہی چھوڑ چکے ہیں، اِس کی تفصیل پھر کبھی سناؤں گا کیونکہ قابل ضبطی ہے اور پاکستان کے سخت مُلاؤں کو ہمیں کوڑے مارنے کا جواز مل جائے گا۔ اشارتہً تذکرہ کر دوں کہ ایک فرانسیسی بوسہ سگریٹ کے ہزار کشوں سے زیادہ صحت افزا ہوتا ہے بشرطیکہ جانِ جاناں (محبوبِ دِل افروز) ایڈز یا ایچ آئی وی جیسے موذی مرض میں مبتلا نہ ہو۔ لہذا حقہ پانی بند ہونے کے بعد ہم چائنا کی جاسمین چائے لے آئے ہیں جو بہت ہی لطف آگیں ہے۔ طبیعت کو ایسا سروُر ؤ طراوت بخشتی ہے کہ ہم نے آئندہ کے لئے کالی کلموہی چائے کو خیرباد کہہ دیا ہے۔ نہ جانے یہ کس نے کہا تھا کالی کرماں والی۔

Vision and Power

2005-12-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

I found this qoutation on the back flap of Dr. Allama Mohammad Iqbal's book "Muslim Political Thought: A Reconstruction"

"Vision without power does bring moral elevation but cannot give a lasting culture. Power without vision tends to become destructive and inhuman. Both must combine for the spiritual expansion of humanity."

Hindi to Urdu Translator

2005-12-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

Amazing! In my search for better Urdu fonts and Urdu based word pads I have found this amazing invention by Pakistani computer scientists.

CRULP: "Center for Research in Urdu Language Processing (CRULP) at National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES), Lahore, Pakistan is pleased to announce the beta version of Hindi to Urdu Transliterator (Download). For queries and feedback e-mail at: talha.javed@nu.edu.pk."

امرتا پریتم کی یاد میں

2005-12-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

Homage to Amrita Pritam

انڈیا کی معروف پنجابی شاعرہ امرتا پریتم جی کا انتقال اکتوبر2005،31 کو ہوا۔ میرے تاؤجی ان کے بہت پرستار رہے ہیں۔ اس بات کا اندازہ کئی سال پہلےمجہے اُن کی فائل میں جمع امرتا جی کی تصاویر اور تحاریر دیکھ کر ہوا۔ تبھی میں نے امرتا جی کی کتاب تلا ش کی اور پڑھ ڈالی۔ کتاب کا نام اب یاد نہیں مگر اتنا ضرور ہوا کے میں نے اُن کی ایک تحریر سے متاثر ہو کر ایک نظم
لکھی جو یہاں پیش خدمت ہے۔

قبروں کی راکھی--- یاسین جنجوعہ

(1992)
مرکزی خیال: ایک گیت کا جنم۔ امرتا پریتم

جب میں بہت چھوٹا تھا!۔
تب صحن میں لگے ننھے پودے
تناور درخت نہیں بنے تھے
تبھی ایک ننھی چڑیا
جو دانہ چگنے آتی تھی
ظالم کوے کے ھاتوں مر گئ
میں نے اُس پر پھول سجائے
اور صحن میں لگے ننھے پودوں کے پاس
مٹی میں رکھ دیا
پھر اُس کی ننھی قبر پر
دیر تک بیٹھا رھا
اور بہت رویا
برسوں بعد۔۔۔!۔
جب میرے گھر کے آنگن میں
ننھے پودے تناور درخت بن گئے
میں اُس لڑکی کو نھیں پا سکا تھا
جسے میں نے کبھی اپنا سوچا تھا
وہ لمبی سی گاڑی میں بیٹھ کر
سونے میں ڈھلے تیرتھوں کی یاترا کو چلی گئ
۔۔۔۔ہماری محبت مر چکی تھی
اور اک یاد کے سوا کچھ نہ تھا
میں نے اُس کی یادوں پر پھول چڑھائے
اپنے دل میں محبت کے مرنے کا درد محسوس کیا
اور چیخ کر رویا۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔!۔
اب یہاں کچھ نہیں
درختوں کے نیچے
صرف ایک قبر نئی ہے
اور میں قبروں کی راکھی پہ بیٹھا ہوں۔
۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔
اس نظم کے بارے میں کچھ واضح کر دوں کہ اس میں استعارے کا استمعال کیا گیا ہے۔ انسان کی بچپن اور جوا نی کی محبتوں کا موازنہ کیا گیا ہے۔ بچپن میں انسان چھوٹے جانداروں سے محبت کرتا ہے اور ان کے کھو جانے پربہت دکھ ہوتا ہے۔ جوان ہونے پر محبتوں کے زاویے بدل جاتے ہیں۔ نظم میں دوسری قبر غیر مرئی ہے۔ درحقیقت محبوب کھونے والا درخت کے نیچے بیٹھا اپنی محبت کی یادوں کی قبر پہ پھول ڈال رہا ہے۔ ایک بات کی وضاحت کر دوں امرتا جی کی تحریرامیدِ وصال سے لبریز ہے جب کہ میری نظم وصال کی نفی سے متعلق ہے۔

Guardian Unlimited Special reports Amrita Pritam: "The death of Amrita Pritam, in New Delhi at the age of 86, is being mourned on both sides of the India-Pakistan border, for it was she who chronicled so movingly and passionately the pain of partition in 1947. Regarded as the leading 20th-century poet of the Punjabi language, she wrote verses that are sung and recited in cities and villages by many who are illiterate - such is the hypnotic appeal of her poetry. She was, in
many ways, the voice of the Punjabi people, for her poems gave utterance to their anguish. She enshrined the concept of punjabiat, the deep consciousness of being a Punjabi - a child of the land of the five rivers - irrespective of religious or caste affiliation."

If you cannot see the Urdu ارںو text please download the fonts

From Black September to McCarthy and Spielberg's Munich

2005-12-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

Today I was planning a post on Steven Spielberg's new upcoming movie Munich after reading current issue of Time magazine. However when I logged in I found the news about senator McCarthy's death at the age of 89. Interestingly, I have found a common theme about Black September-Munich-9/11 and Senator McCarthy's remarks about 9/11.
In his myth breaking movie Steven Spielberg takes us to new heights of action and reality---but remember it is not another terror movie-like good guys vs bad guys. Withstanding his reputation he gives us new insight into the lives and motives of the assassins and the tragic implications of their actions (I am desperate to watch the movie which is being released on Dec 23. I hope it is going to steal luster from George Clooney's Syriana which is generating a shockwave of political messages). David Brooks rather searches for political motives in Spielberg's movie in his latest article What 'Munich' Left Out. Well we know that movie makers have to combine some fiction to keep their viewrs engrossed.

He says Steven Spielberg's new movie "Munich" is innovative, sophisticated and intelligent. But when it is political, Spielberg has to distort reality to fit his preconceptions.

The Time magazine provide us some interesting details of the 1972 Massacre of Israeli Athletes in Munich by a squad of Palestinian terrorists named "Black September." ---OK!---the historical accounts are surprising me as I read more about it. Black September kidnapped 11 Israeli Athletes on Sept. 5, 1972 (see all the bold text). The Newsweek in its article on the movie writes:

A team of five (5) men is assembled, led by a young Israeli intelligence agent named Avner (Eric Bana). They're given a list of 11 Palestinians living in Europe, each said to be involved in planning the Munich killings.

Very interesting to find out how these numbers are related together and to our contemporary history (some fiction may be there owing to movie making however some of the numbers are historical reality). Now, in our contemporary history what I see is that 29 years later same month different place, different date (Sept 11, 2001) becomes a "Black September" Day in the history of USA--Do you believe in coincidence?---I don't and this is surprisingly what I finally found in the Time article as well (I read the last paragraph of the article later after my conclusion on no coincidence).
Looking back at Sept 11, 2001 in Wikipedia article I have found the following. It says that 19 hijackers took control of 4 planes. However, 27 members of al-Qaeda attempted to enter the United States to take part in the September 11 attacks. In the end, only nineteen participated. Other would-be hijackers are often referred to as the 20th hijackers. If that is true then there is a possibility that they would have planned 5 planes to re-enact the history of Munich in a different way. Well! Spielberg also conveys similar message in a subtle way.

"Spielberg is at his best in visualizing a world he believes to be more menacing than it has ever been. That is more than a matter of noirish shadows. It is the hint of suspicious movement in the back of the frame, a pan that goes on a few frames longer than necessary, suggesting the possibility of a menace that may be present. Near the movie's end, a casual pan along the Manhattan skyline reveals the World Trade Center buildings. Had to show them, the director says. They existed at a historical moment in the mid-'70s. But there is more than historical veracity at work in that shot. The Twin Towers are the symbols of our new age of high (and endless) anxiety. Maybe there is, as Spielberg insists, no resonance between the fate of the Towers' victims and the fate of a few athletes in long-ago, faraway Munich. But inevitably the destiny of those Towers tinctures our thoughts, however much we wish to deny them." (I hope his next movie will be on Sept 11. If not then he should seriously think about this because he is believed to have marvel this theme so I encourage him to do so. In addition to that he has a tradition of doing two Movies back to back but on the other hand it is true that he would rarelly make a movie with same theme).

So, 9/11 is more than just OBL. OBL is just a new player in this same old game. But OBL seems to be very clever to put all these historical numbers in context while planning 9/11. Very surprising!
Related: 1968 Presidential Upstart McCarthy the man who changed America forever died today at the age of 89 said after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001:

"the United States was partly to blame for ignoring the plight of Palestinians. "You let a thing like that fester for 45 years, you have to expect something like this to happen," he said in an interview at the time. "No one at the White House has shown any concern for the Palestinians."

McCarthy did not blame OBL rather alluded to the presence of Palestinian Black Spetember behind 9/11, 2001 attack. I believe that Black September members would have taken part in the attack planning as Time article suggests that some of the Black Spetember members who participated in "Munich Massacare" are still alive.

The most beautiful and astonishing thing about McCarthy I would say is his remarkable denial of Vietnam war and finally a rebuttal of "You are with us or with them doctrine" in a less subtle way.

1968 Presidential Upstart McCarthy Dies: "WASHINGTON - Former Minnesota Sen. Eugene J. McCarthy, whose insurgent campaign toppled a sitting president in 1968 and forced the Democratic Party to take seriously his message against the Vietnam War, died Saturday. He was 89. " In an interview a month before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, McCarthy compared the Bush administration with the characters in the William Golding novel "Lord of the Flies," in which a group of boys stranded on an island turn to savagery."The bullies are running it," McCarthy said. "Bush is bullying everything."

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy says:

I admired Gene enormously for his courage in challenging a war America never should have fought,"

Ok! At the end back to square one of Spielberg movie. Alas! It is a never ending story.

More significantly, Spielberg wonders if the Israelis and the Palestinians will ever find peace.

Somewhat related: Yes! Unfortunately it seems like is never ending story as Va. Muslims and Quakers Pray Together for Safety of Hostages. Spielberg believes that in our World with inherited history peace seems really difficult but he has a prayer for peace and so do I.

سنگِ میل

2005-12-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

ارںو بلاگنگ کی ابتدا

آج سے میں اردو میں برقی تحریر کا کھاتہ (بلاگنگ) شروع کر رہا ہوں۔ یہ رہی میری ا یک نظم

پہلی ملاقات

ھم راستہ بھولے تھے

یا وہ اک مقام سَرے رہگزر تھا

جہاں ہم کبھی ملے تھے

میں نے تمھیں دیکھا تھا

اور پوچھا تھا

ھم مین سے کون راستہ بھولاھے

٥٠٠٢
یاسین جنجوعہ

جملہ حقوق برائےعکس و نقل محفوظ ہیں

اس نظم کی برقی تحریر و ترتیب جانِ اردو میں کی گئ ہےمیں جلد ھی اردو کے لئے الگ صفحہ شروع کروں گا، مگر کچھ تحاریر یہاں بھی چھاپی جائیں گی۔

Leader vs Dictator

2005-12-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

MSNBC writes:

'Bush' poem spells trouble for Pakistani leader 'The Leader'appeared in school textbook, was downloaded from Internet.

Earlier, I did not see much trouble except social embarrassment for Musharaf as I was expecting this kind of stupidity from his officials. There is much more happening in that country especially when retired "Boot Brass" is sitting in chairs which should be filled by scholars and intellectuals only. However, the real trouble is spelled out in a brilliantlyntly crafted poem by our dear blogger Sepoy.

"Dictators Suck Hard" Vs "Leader"

update: the unknow author is actually a guy named Bob running the RHL blog.

Vicky's Rambling

2005-12-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Just checked Vicky's blog and his rambling on "Tomorrow: To know if there will be a tomorrow is to know if the next step you take is the right one." Oh you are pulling me back to poetry and mysticism that matrialism took away from me when I joined the professional life. For me, Even if tomorrow is not the right or better step than yeserday it just makes me realize that tomorrow has opened up like a new window. You look outside and it's a different world. Oh I love that new world every day. If it is not new, I try to paint something new on life's canvas. Also reminds me Wazir Agha's beautiful prose "Kell" (translated as tomorrow). I started writting in his footstep although I never tried to publish much. However, I sent one of my "Inshiya" to him for "Awraq." He wrote back that it is a beautiful "Inshiya" and he is saving for a future edition. I left for USA and don't even know when it was published. Now! since in US, I have not been writing for a while----I guess---need to repaint the canvas.

Milestones I

2005-12-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

Omar memorized and repeated his first spelling today. He had learned ABC a while ago in pre-school and at home as well. So Last night I picked up his book and told him what does the dog say: spelled as "Woof," only once.

Today, early in the morning, while brushing his teeth I asked him about last night; what does dog say? And he spelled back "W O O F."

I will be spending more time with him. Teaching at UMT is fun but teaching your own kids is much bigger fun and joyful thing that one cannot imagine. It gives you a feeling of accomplishments in life. It is like reaching out to them when they reach out to you (I have picked his "thumbs up dad" picture taken a while ago for this post).

CIA Mistake or Macedonian Blunder

2005-12-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

I would call this a "Macedonian Blunder". The Macedonians are not on the War on Terrorism Map so they just wanted their piece of pie (only to get embarrassment later; Same way India did some stupid things when Pakistan joined War on Terror).
By the way, I loved to take long drives especially after having arguments with my wife. It gives you time to relax and look back and evaluate. By the time the long drive is over you are relaxed a lot and wife is waiting. One night I drove from Kansas to St. Louis, MO and I was planning to go further to Chicago (I had already driven 7 hrs). Then I thought it is better to inform my wife about my whereabouts. So I called her and she said "Honey why you did not tell me that you are going to "Chicago" on your long drive--you should have taken me along. Oh Boy! I took a u-turn for home and never went alone to Chicago. Thanks God! I was not in Macedonia.
You may ask why people go for long drives when they have arguments with their wife? Well there is a joke that you may read below after this news snippet that prompted this post.

Wrongful Imprisonment: Anatomy of a CIA Mistake: "Unbeknown to Masri, the Macedonians had contacted the CIA station in Skopje. The station chief was on holiday. But the deputy chief, a junior officer, was excited about the catch and about being able to contribute to the counterterrorism fight, current and former intelligence officials familiar with the case said." "The Skopje station really wanted a scalp because everyone wanted a part of the game," a CIA officer said. Because the European Division chief at headquarters was also on vacation, the deputy dealt directly with the CTC and the head of its al Qaeda unit.
In the first weeks of 2004, an argument arose over whether the CIA should take Masri from local authorities and remove him from the country for interrogation, a classic rendition operation. The director of the al Qaeda (CIA's) unit supported that approach. She insisted he was probably a terrorist, and should be imprisoned and interrogated immediately.
Others were doubtful. They wanted to wait to see whether the passport was proved fraudulent. Beyond that, there was no evidence Masri was not who he claimed to be -- a German citizen of Arab descent traveling after a disagreement with his wife. The unit's director won the argument. She ordered Masri captured and flown to a CIA prison in Afghanistan."

The Joke

There was a guy and his wife came to know through reliable source that her husband is having the fun of a lifetime at a bachelor's party with friends somewhere in a club. She got ready and armed to teeth with a ladel to beat him up when he comes home.
The husband came home late--when tried to sneak in saw the lights on and wife ready with a ladle in her hand. So he hid in a closet.

An hour or so the wife put the ladle down and talking to herself if he comes home know I will just give him really Hard time. Another hour passes she says--Oh God where is he, If he comes home know I will just ask only once why did he go their and do all ....dash...dash... ?

Another hour passes and she is Oh God! If he comes home I wont say a word. Then by morning she starts praying Oh lord! Where is he, I hope he is alright. If he comes home now I wont say a word. The husband listened to her prayer sneaked out, climbed out of the window and knocked the door. And ...! They lived happily ever after.

Well Masari's story is no joke!
See how they contemplated to cover it up in a lousy way without any apology.

Back at the CTC, Masri's passport was given to the Office of Technical Services to analyze. By March, OTS had concluded the passport was genuine. The CIA had imprisoned the wrong man.
At the CIA, the question was: Now what? Some officials wanted to go directly to the German government; others did not. Someone suggested a reverse rendition: Return Masri to Macedonia and release him. "There wouldn't be a trace. No airplane tickets. Nothing. No one would believe him," one former official said. "There would be a bump in the press, but then it would be over."

Well! in the end to some extent it is owed to stupid extremist Muslims as well as their wrongful actions are making life miserable for innocnet people like Masari. On the otherhand CIA and other authorities need to be more insightful and less anxious while stereo typing everyone.

Just a name should have not raised such a big alarm and caused so much trouble. I have a personal experience too. My youngest son was year old traveling with my wife to Pakistan in May 2003. His First and middle name is ..... and last J.... At the airport, the lady at the entrance to the deparure lounge looked at the ticket and suddenly became Alert and started asking loudly who is "A____ ____," Who is he, Where is he. She should have looked at the ticket it clearly said "Infant" (that my wife was carrying). My wife pointed out to her that this is the one sleeping on my shoulder (like an angel). When the TSA personal saw the infant she became calm. By the way! the Arab politician with similar name had already died by that time... What a stupid .... !!! I am not going to change his name, the airline personnel should better take classes in general knowledge and international relations.

Negative Externalities

2005-12-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

New perils of new technologies.

Nanotechnology Regulation Needed, Critics Say: "And a California team working with
laboratory-grown cells showed that carbon nanotubes specifically activate 'cell suicide genes.'
'Cell growth was retarded, and there was a doubling of cell deaths,' said study leader Fanqing Frank Chen of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Chen said factory exposures should be 'a big concern,' and added that many nanospheres are very stable and not likely to break down in the environment."

Pakistan Earthquake damage report

2005-12-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

First consolidated report has arrived from Asian Development Bank.

Please help survivors

2005-11-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

As Earthquake survivors are dying I am going back to the Letter from Earthquake Relief FrontI and Letter from relief front II by Ejaz Asi and I just want to admit that many of us failed to help, we tried but we have not done much. Grief is taking over me.

First Earthquake Survivor Dies of Winter

2005-11-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

"The winter weather has claimed its first lives, killing three earthquake survivors including two children, the United Nations said." The relief efforts have reached to a standstill.

The Humanity first is airlifting 1000 prebuilt houses for earthquake survivors. They are asking for $10 in donation only.

Imran Khan has opened a relief fund as well and is doing some fund raising at the moment in USA. Please donate to help survivors. $10 dollars is not much it is less than what it costs for a Holiday Gift this is the time for giving.

When Wombs Become Bombs

2005-11-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

A good article giving insight into women suicide bombers By Mia Bloom, the author of "Dying to Kill." However, I encourage Muslim women to take up the role of Mukhtar Mai instead of becoming suicide Bombers. Mukhtar Mai should be a role model for all Muslim women who have suffered abuse. She is among honored Asia's Heroes by Time Magazine's International Edition. On a related side note: There are people out there trying to capitalize on her name by reserving URL and linking it to search engine; waiting for someone to pay them to buy the URL so sad to see these sociopaths.

Terror's stealth weapon: women - Los Angeles Times: "Arab feminists argue that women
want to show that they are as dedicated to the cause as their brothers, sons and fathers.

What is so compelling about why women become suicide bombers is that so many claimed to have been raped or sexually abused by enemy forces, according to interviews with those who knew them. Once dishonored, they are no longer marriageable. Joining a terrorist group is one of the few remaining options for women who, according to the strict honor code followed in some Islamic societies, must otherwise be executed by their own families."

Pre-marital sex in South Asian countries

2005-11-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Oh! The South Indian film industry is outraged on Khushboo's comment.
Well! The truth is that show biz (film industry) is not clean itself at all. They don't give any roles to new actresses until they get a piece of cake. It is no secret in Pakistan and India. I had a brief stint in Showbiz in Pakistan but gave it up just because there was too much backstage corruption and lewdness. Khushboo is just telling the truth what subcontinent women are passing through. Although this thing is not very common in Pakistan but metropolitan cities like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, etc. are an exception (By the way the internet café scandal was not very far on timeline). Again I must say that it is not very wide spread even in metropolitan cities. Folks who are involved in pre-marital sex in Pakistan are very small in number but the truth is it does happen in Pakistani society. Any doubts! read Asmat Chughtai, and Saadat Hassan Munto (On a side note: just found Manot's translation in Hindi and English. Don't forget 'Raja Gidh' by Bano Qudsia). In showbiz it is very common. Personally, I have heard stories from friends both male and females. The women desperately complaining that the guy has dumped her and is not faithful. The guy opining she is not very faithful because she might have had relationship with others or she can have with others as well because she has had with him (lousy excuse though). I know those guys were out on hunt and the man objective was to have fun. Unfortunately, I was not of much help and advice to those girls after the water has risen above their heads. The guys would promise marriage against norms (love marriage instead of arranged) and the girl would fall in trap; willing to do everything the guy wants. Once the girl is in spider’s net he would have a feast and move on to next victim.

I know a guy who was always bringing stories about his new encounters; he married a woman who was elder than him and less than average attractive. When I questioned his decision, he said that he had so much fun that he would not trust a beautiful woman anymore and would marry a less attractive woman so that she remains obliged. Moran! What a shame? He was exploiting girls himself and now he was blaming beauty. For his spouse he considered chastity and piousness a great virtue. He wanted a woman who does not look to other men or other men don’t pay attention to her. Subcontinent society is full of double standards.

When AIDS threat was new to subcontinent my office driver came to me and asked reluctantly that if I would answer his personal question. He required confidentiality. I am just discussing it after 10 years without mentioning his name. Sahib! I live here in Islamabad and my wife lives up in mountains. I am thinking I should get her tested for AIDS (Moran! Being illiterate he considered that AIDS is a test for infidelity). I was stunned by his question. Know it was my turn to pull the carpet beneath his feet. I said have you been faithful to her as you are living far away from your wife don’t you have any encounters. If you do you might have transferred HIV/AIDS to her. He was shocked speechless and went out with his head down in shame.

Now I am living here in USA for almost seven years and I have noticed a new trend among my Indian colleagues. Many Indian students (gals and guys) are living together without any nuptial agreement. They consider it important for being hip and advanced. Especially "In Rome, do as Romans do." This is not very common among Pakistanis though but some Pakistani guys do have secret girlfriends that they do not introduce to their community because of fear of reprisal from their peers. So Khusboo is just telling the truth about new trends in Indian society.

Indian actress in hot water over pre-marital sex - South and Central Asia - MSNBC.com:
NEW DELHI - A popular south Indian actress has been pelted with sandals, tomatoes and rotten eggs and hauled before court for telling Indian men not to expect their brides to be virgins
anymore.Khushboo, a 35-year-old star of Tamil language movies, told a magazine in September there was nothing wrong with premarital sex -- as long as it was protected sex.
The row has also engulfed 19-year-old tennis player Sania Mirza, already under a separate Islamic fatwa for wearing skirts on court, after she stormed out of a news conference on Sunday when pressed on her reported support for what Khushboo said.
"Initially, Khushboo's comments went unnoticed.
But a week later, Tamil-language Sun TV, based in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, ran a story of film industry outrage."

Update: MSNBC also has news about a prostitue Nasra Ismail 27 of South Asian origin killed in London. So why there is an outrage about Khusboo's comments? Face the truth and ask how much you have contributed to your society's moral degradation. Some of you (us) may find culprit in your (our) ownself.
On side note: Peer pressure has forced Sania Mirza to backtrack her comments about pre-marital sex presumably in favor of Khushboo (I am becoming her fan too ;). Now she says that "Pre-marital sex is a sin in Islam." I don't know why Mullahs are so worried becasue she did not said that in the context of Islam or Muslims. Many Muslims would doubt about her religious standing and would not consider her a true representative of Islam especially when they find her doing pooja in front of Kali Devi (Her name sounds Muslim though like India President Azad). She is already under fire for her sports and baring her necessities.

(By the way I am not supporting anyone's statment I am just stating the facts the way they are. I do believe that pre-marital sex is prohibited in Islam).

Saddam still has US friends!

2005-11-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

A new twist in Saddam trial. I am surprised that Saddam still has US friends. Although war in Iraq was unjustified as it was based on forged WMD evidence but I don't have sympathies with a tyyrant.

Clark Arrives to Assist Saddam Defense - Yahoo! News: "Clark has been advising nearly a
dozen international lawyers on Saddam's defense team. He has contended that Saddam's rights have been violated in the legal process following his capture. But a U.S. government official close to the court said the defense team had not filed the proper paperwork to have a non-Iraqi lawyer in the courtroom."

On the other hand I do respect Saddam's Lawyer's point of view and he should get protection so that he can do his job peacefully.

Al-Dulaimi says the details of his more than 10 visits with Saddam in Camp Cropper are too
humiliating to discuss, for both himself and his client. Al-Dulaimi says he had always been opposed to Saddam when the dictator was in power, but he so resented watching a foreign power invade his country that he decided to defend Saddam in court. Al-Dulaimi intends to prove that the tribunal is illegal because it was set up under occupation.

On the side note: Iraq's Ex-PM says that Human Rights abuses in Iraq are as bad as Hussains era.
Well! by looking ta news reports I would say they seem to be worse than that.