junyDada

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

2009-03-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Text of Iranian President's Letter to President Bush

2008-09-25T02:44:00.000-07:00

May 10, 2006

Mr George Bush, President of the United States of America
For sometime now I have been thinking, how one can justify the undeniable contradictions that exist in the international arena -- which are being constantly debated, specially in political forums and amongst university students. Many questions remain unanswered. These have prompted me to discuss some of the contradictions and questions, in the hopes that it might bring about an opportunity to redress them.
Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the great Messenger of God, Feel obliged to respect human rights, Present liberalism as a civilization model,
Announce one's opposition to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and WMDs, Make "War and Terror" his slogan, And finally, Work towards the establishment of a unified international community – a community which Christ and the virtuous of the Earth will one day govern, But at the same time, Have countries attacked; The lives, reputations and possessions of people destroyed and on the slight chance of the presence of a few criminals in a village city, or convoy for example the entire village, city or convey set ablaze.
Or because of the possibility of the existence of WMDs in one country, it is occupied, around one hundred thousand people killed, its water sources, agriculture and industry destroyed, close to 180,000 foreign troops put on the ground, sanctity of private homes of citizens broken, and the country pushed back perhaps fifty years. At what price? Hundreds of billions of dollars spent from the treasury of one country and certain other countries and tens of thousands of young men and women – as occupation troops – put in harms way, taken away from family and love ones, their hands stained with the blood of others, subjected to so much psychological pressure that everyday some commit suicide ant those returning home suffer depression, become sickly and grapple with all sorts of aliments; while some are killed and their bodies handed of their families.
On the pretext of the existence of WMDs, this great tragedy came to engulf both the peoples of the occupied and the occupying country. Later it was revealed that no WMDs existed to begin with. Of course Saddam was a murderous dictator. But the war was not waged to topple him, the announced goal of the war was to find and destroy weapons of mass destruction. He was toppled along the way towards another goal, nevertheless the people of the region are happy about it. I point out that throughout the many years of the … war on Iran Saddam was supported by the West.
Mr President,
You might know that I am a teacher. My students ask me how can these actions be reconciled with the values outlined at the beginning of this letter and duty to the tradition of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the Messenger of peace and forgiveness? There are prisoners in Guantanamo Bay that have not been tried, have no legal representation, their families cannot see them and are obviously kept in a strange land outside their own country. There is no international monitoring of their conditions and fate. No one knows whether they are prisoners, POWs, accused or criminals.
European investigators have confirmed the existence of secret prisons in Europe too. I could not correlate the abduction of a person, and him or her being kept in secret prisons, with the provisions of any judicial system. For that matter, I fail to understand how such actions correspond to the values outlined in the beginning of this letter, i.e. the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH), human rights and liberal values. Young people, university students and ordinary people have many questions about the phenomenon of Israel. I am sure you are familiar with some of them.
Throughout history many countries have been occupied, but I think the establishment of a new country with a new people, is a new phenomenon that is exclusive to our times. Students are saying that sixty years ago such a country did no exist. The show old documents and globes and say try as we have, we have not been able to find a country named Israel.
I tell them to study the history of WWI and II. One of my students told me that during WWII, which more than tens of millions of people perished in, news about the war, was quickly disseminated by the warring parties. Each touted their victories and the most recent battlefront defeat of the other party. After the war, they claimed that six million Jews had been killed. Six million people that were surely related to at least two million families. Again let us assume that these events are true. Does that logically translate into the establishment of the state of Israel in the Middle East or support for such a state? How can this phenomenon be rationalised or explained?
Mr President, I am sure you know how – and at what cost – Israel was established:
- Many thousands were killed in the process.
- Millions of indigenous people were made refugees.
- Hundred of thousands of hectares of farmland, olive plantations, towns and villages were destroyed.
This tragedy is not exclusive to the time of establishment; unfortunately it has been ongoing for sixty years now. A regime has been established which does not show mercy even to kids, destroys houses while the occupants are still in them, announces beforehand its list and plans to assassinate Palestinian figures and keeps thousands of Palestinians in prison. Such a phenomenon is unique – or at the very least extremely rare – in recent memory.
Another big question asked by people is why is this regime being supported? Is support for this regime in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH) or Moses (PBUH) or liberal values? Or are we to understand that allowing the original inhabitants of these lands - inside and outside Palestine - whether they are Christian, Muslim or Jew, to determine their fate, runs contrary to principles of democracy, human rights and the teachings of prophets? If not, why
is there so much opposition to a referendum?
The newly elected Palestinian administration recently took office. All independent observers have confirmed that this government represents the electorate. Unbelievingly, they have put the elected government under pressure and have advised it to recognise the Israeli regime, abandon the struggle and follow the programs of the previous government. If the current Palestinian government had run on the above platform, would the Palestinian people have voted for it? Again, can such position taken in opposition to the Palestinian government be reconciled with the values outlined earlier? The people are also saying "why are all UNSC resolutions in condemnation of Israel vetoed?"
Mr President, As you are well aware, I live amongst the people and am in constant contact with them -- many people from around the Middle East manage to contact me as well. They dot not have faith in these dubious policies either. There is evidence that the people of the region are becoming increasingly angry with such policies. It is not my intention to pose to many questions, but I need to refer to other points as well. Why is it that any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East regions is translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime? Is not scientific R&D one of the basic rights of nations?
You are familiar with history. Aside from the Middle Ages, in what other point in history has scientific and technical progress been a crime? Can the possibility of scientific achievementsbeing utilised for military purposes be reason enough to oppose science and technology altogether? If such a supposition is true, then all scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, engineering, etc. must be opposed. Lies were told in the Iraqi matter. What was the result? I have no doubt that telling lies is reprehensible in any culture, and you do not like to be lied to.
Mr President, Don't Latin Americans have the right to ask, why their elected governments are being opposed and coup leaders supported? Or, why must they constantly be threatened and live in fear? The people of Africa are hardworking, creative and talented. They can play an important and valuable role in providing for the needs of humanity and contribute to its material and spiritual progress. Poverty and hardship in large parts of Africa are preventing this from happening. Don't they have the right to ask why their enormous wealth – including minerals – is being looted, despite the fact that they need it more than others? Again, do such actions correspond to the teachings of Christ and the tenets of human rights?
The brave and faithful people of Iran too have many questions and grievances, including: the coup d'etat of 1953 and the subsequent toppling of the legal government of the day, opposition to the Islamic revolution, transformation of an Embassy into a headquarters supporting, the activities of those opposing the Islamic Republic (many thousands of pages of documents corroborates this claim), support for Saddam in the war waged against Iran, the shooting down of the Iranian passenger plane, freezing the assets of the Iranian nation, increasing threats, anger and displeasure vis-à-vis the scientific and nuclear progress of the Iranian nation (just when all Iranians are jubilant and collaborating their country's progress), and many other grievances that I will not refer to in this letter.
Mr President, September Eleven was a horrendous incident. The killing of innocents is deplorable and appalling in any part of the world. Our government immediately declared its disgust with the perpetrators and offered its condolences to the bereaved and expressed its sympathies. All governments have a duty to protect the lives, property and good standing of their citizens. Reportedly your government employs extensive security, protection and intelligence systems – and even hunts its opponents abroad. September eleven was not a simple operation. Could it be planned and executed without coordination with intelligence and security services – or their extensive infiltration?
Of course this is just an educated guess. Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities? And, why aren't those responsible and the guilty parties identified and put on trial? All governments have a duty to provide security and peace of mind for their citizens. For some years now, the people of your country and neighbours of world trouble spots do not have peace of mind.
After 9.11, instead of healing and tending to the emotional wounds of the survivors and the American people – who had been immensely traumatised by the attacks – some Western media only intensified the climates of fear and insecurity – some constantly talked about the possibility of new terror attacks and kept the people in fear. Is that service to the American people? Is it possible to calculate the damages incurred from fear and panic?
American citizen lived in constant fear of fresh attacks that could come at any moment and in any place. They felt insecure in the streets, in their place of work and at home. Who would be happy with this situation? Why was the media, instead of conveying a feeling of security and providing peace of mind, giving rise to a feeling of insecurity? Some believe that the hype paved the way – and was the justification – for an attack on Afghanistan. Again I need to refer to the role of media.
In media charters, correct dissemination of information and honest reporting of a story are established tenets. I express my deep regret about the disregard shown by certain Western media for these principles. The main pretext for an attack on Iraq was the existence of WMDs. This was repeated incessantly – for the public to, finally, believe – and the ground set for an attack on Iraq. Will the truth not be lost in a contrive and deceptive climate?
Again, if the truth is allowed to be lost, how can that be reconciled with the earlier mentioned values? Is the truth known to the Almighty lost as well?
Mr President, In countries around the world, citizens provide for the expenses of governments so that their governments in turn are able to serve them. The question here is "what has the hundreds of billions of dollars, spent every year to pay for the Iraqi campaign, produced for the citizens?" As your Excellency is aware, in some states of your country, people are living in poverty. Many thousands are homeless and unemployment is a huge problem. Of course these problems exist – to a larger or lesser extent – in other countries as well. With these conditions in mind, can the gargantuan expenses of the campaign – paid from the public treasury – be explained and be consistent with the aforementioned principles?
What has been said, are some of the grievances of the people around the world, in our region and in your country. But my main contention – which I am hoping you will agree to some of it – is: Those in power have specific time in office, and do not rule indefinitely, but their names will be recorded in history and will be constantly judged in the immediate and distant futures.
The people will scrutinize our presidencies. Did we manage to bring peace, security and prosperity for the people or insecurity and unemployment? Did we intend to establish justice, or just supported especial interest groups, and by forcing many people to live in poverty and hardship, made a few people rich and powerful – thus trading the approval of the people and the Almighty with theirs'? Did we defend the rights of the underprivileged or ignore them?
Did we defend the rights of all people around the world or imposed wars on them, interfered illegally in their affairs, established hellish prisons and incarcerated some of them?
Did we bring the world peace and security or raised the specter of intimidation and threats? Did we tell the truth to our nation and others around the world or presented an inverted version of it? Were we on the side of people or the occupiers and oppressors? Did our administration set out to promote rational behaviour, logic, ethics, peace, fulfilling obligations, justice, service to the people, prosperity, progress and respect for human dignity or the force of guns,intimidation, insecurity, disregard for the people, delaying the progress and excellence of other nations, and trample on people's rights? And finally, they will judge us on whether we remained true to our oath of office – to serve the people, which is our main task, and the traditions of the prophets – or not?
Mr President, How much longer can the world tolerate this situation? Where will this trend lead the world to? How long must the people of the world pay for the incorrect decisions of some rulers? How much longer will the specter of insecurity – raised from the stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction – hunt the people of the world? How much longer will the blood of the innocent men, women and children be spilled on the streets, and people's houses destroyed over their heads? Are you pleased with the current condition of the world? Do you think present policies can continue?
If billions of dollars spent on security, military campaigns and troop movement were instead spent on investment and assistance for poor countries, promotion of health, combating different diseases, education and improvement of mental and physical fitness, assistance to the victims of natural disasters, creation of employment opportunities and production, development projects and poverty alleviation, establishment of peace, mediation between disputing states and distinguishing the flames of racial, ethnic and other conflicts were would he world be today? Would not your government, and people be justifiably proud? ould not your administration's political and economic standing have been stronger? nd I am most sorry to say, would there have been an ever increasing global hatred of the American governments?
Mr President, it is not my intention to distress anyone. If prophet Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Joseph or Jesus Christ (PBUH) were with us today, how would they have judged such behaviour? Will we be given a role to play in the promised world, where justice will become universal and Jesus Christ (PBUH) will be present? Will they even accept us? My basic question is this: Is there no better way to interact with the rest of the world? Today there are hundreds of millions of Christians, hundreds of millions of Moslems and millions of people who follow the teachings of Moses (PBUH). All divine religions share and respect on word and that is "monotheism" or belief in a single God and no other in the world.
The holy Koran stresses this common word and calls on an followers of divine religions and says: [3.64] Say: O followers of the Book! Come to an equitable proposition between us and you that we shall not serve any but Allah and (that) we shall not associate aught. With Him and (that) some of us shall not take others for lords besides Allah, but if they turn back, then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims. (The Family of Imran).
Mr President, According to divine verses, we have all been called upon to worship one God and follow the teachings of divine prophets. "To worship a God which is above all powers in the world and can do all He pleases." "The Lord which knows that which is hidden and visible, the past and the future, knows what goes on in the Hearts of His servants and records their deeds." "The Lord who is the possessor of the heavens and the earth and all universe is His court" "planning for the universe is done by His hands, and gives His servants the glad tidings of mercy and forgiveness of sins". "He is the companion of the oppressed and the enemy of oppressors".
"He is the Compassionate, the Merciful". "He is the recourse of the faithful and guides them towards the light from darkness". "He is witness to the actions of His servants", "He calls on servants to be faithful and do good deeds, and asks them to stay on the path of righteousness and remain steadfast". "Calls on servants to heed His prophets and He is a witness to their deeds." "A bad ending belongs only to those who have chosen the life of this world and disobey Him and oppress His servants". And "A good and eternal paradise belong to those servants who fear His majesty and do not follow their lascivious selves."
We believe a return to the teachings of the divine prophets is the only road leading to salvations. I have been told that Your Excellency follows the teachings of Jesus (PBUH), and believes in the divine promise of the rule of the righteous on Earth. We also believe that Jesus Christ (PBUH) was one of the great prophets of the Almighty. He has been repeatedly praised in the Koran. Jesus (PBUH) has been quoted in Koran as well; [19,36] And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serves Him; this is the right path, Marium. Service to and obedience of the Almighty is the credo of all divine messengers.
The God of all people in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, the Pacific and the rest of the world is one. He is the Almighty who wants to guide and give dignity to all His servants. He has given greatness to Humans. We again read in the Holy Book: "The Almighty God sent His prophets with miracles and clear signs to guide the people and show them divine signs and purity them from sins and pollutions. And He sent the Book and the balance so that the people display justice and avoid the rebellious." All of the above verses can be seen, one way or the other, in the Good Book as well.
Divine prophets have promised: The day will come when all humans will congregate before the court of the Almighty, so that their deeds are examined. The good will be directed towards Haven and evildoers will meet divine retribution. I trust both of us believe in such a day, but it will not be easy to calculate the actions of rulers, because we must be answerable to our nations and all others whose lives have been directly or indirectly effected by our actions. All prophets, speak of peace and tranquillity for man – based on monotheism, justice and respect for human dignity.
Do you not think that if all of us come to believe in and abide by these principles, that is, monotheism, worship of God, justice, respect for the dignity of man, belief in the Last Day, we can overcome the present problems of the world – that are the result of disobedience to the Almighty and the teachings of prophets – and improve our performance? Do you not think that belief in these principles promotes and guarantees peace, friendship and justice? Do you not think that the aforementioned written or unwritten principles are universally respected? Will you not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets?
Mr President, History tells us that repressive and cruel governments do not survive. God has entrusted The fate of man to them. The Almighty has not left the universe and humanity to their own devices. Many things have happened contrary to the wishes and plans of governments. These tell us that there is a higher power at work and all events are determined by Him. Can one deny the signs of change in the world today? Is this situation of the world today comparable to that of ten years ago? Changes happen fast and come at a furious pace.
The people of the world are not happy with the status quo and pay little heed to the promises and comments made by a number of influential world leaders. Many people around the world feel insecure and oppose the spreading of insecurity and war and do not approve of and accept dubious policies. The people are protesting the increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots and the rich and poor countries. The people are disgusted with increasing corruption. The people of many countries are angry about the attacks on their cultural foundations and the disintegration of families.
They are equally dismayed with the fading of care and compassion. The people of the world have no faith in international organisations, because their rights are not advocated by these organisations. Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity. Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the liberal democratic systems. We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point –- that is the Almighty God. Undoubtedly through faith in God and the teachings of the prophets, the people will conquer their problems. My question for you is: "Do you not want to join them?"

Mr President, Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards faith in the Almighty and justice and the will of God will prevail over all things.

Vasalam Ala Man Ataba'al hoda

Mahmood Ahmadi-Najad,
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

US airstrike kills 11 Pakistani soldiers

2008-06-17T01:57:00.000-07:00

The "attack" was not a mistake, it was intentional. Pakistan, (the slaves & beggars that we are) didn't even ask the US to apologise. We merely "condemned" the act and called for an investigation! How lowly can our army get? The generals and politicians have sold the country and we are mere spectators. What interest does Musharaf have for Pakistan? Can he even say anything to the USA given that his own son is an american national?

Its sweet how we let the USA use our airspace, our land and still it comes on our side, bombs who ever it wants, even the Pakistani soldiers. lols. Our "karayay" ki fauj is getting beaten up by the "malik". It doesn't even let us make "peace" deals with the so called militants. They don't even have the &*^*& to say sorry after they have killed our women and children in Bajaur. These 4 star generals who are supposedly trained to be brave can only act brave on their own innocent people, killing them mercilessly using banned phosporous bombs, fighter jets etc and selling and defaming their heroes (Dr Qadeer Khan) while they are the biggest cowards when it comes to facing the real enemy.

When will we take a stand? When will we make sacrifices to uplift our own country? When will we stop killing our own men and stop making killers/murderers as governors and ministers of our country? When will this slavery end? We have been mental slaves of the "gora" since they left, we still are. It is high time that we brought our honor back and stood on our own feet.

Kitnay jootian chatee hain nay amreeka kee, phir bhi yahi sila mila.... hamay hi aa ker maar gaya!

"Lagwaye pathar aur bura bhi kaha kiyay
tum nay huqooq dosti ka sab ada kiyay"

Haseeb Anjum
haseebanjum@lums.edu.pk

----------------------------------
"The believers, men and women, are friends (auliya) of one another, they enjoin Al-Maroof, and forbid Al-Munkar. They perform As-Salat and give the Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on them. Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise" ~ Surah At-taubah: 71

Beggars we are!!

2008-04-19T04:58:00.001-07:00

Well, turns out, this brand new "democratic" government is going to revolutionize everything that went wrong in the last regime. How? One might ask. Simple. Beg for more!!! Military regime got military qarzay (borrowing), non-military operators will get non-military qarzay, (10 billion vs. 7.5 billion now) but one thing is in common, and that is this qarzay. Javed Chaudhary yesterday said in his Express News program that "in the documented history starting from 10,000 years or so, no human nation has brought about any revolution with money earned from begging". It's a simple matter of principle. People who get our votes are not made up of elements required for taking a strong decision of "no more begging". Iran, I read in the papers is the only Muslim country who made that decision a while back, and now as a result, they make everything on their own. They, no more rely on any other country for instance, US, UK, Russia, UN, etc etc. We, on the other hand, like to have everything made for us, by someone else. We like brands, we like big names and BigMacs. But unfortunately we are doing that at the cost of being beggars, mentally, intellectually, ideally, literally, I'm afraid in all due respects. But who cares, we can get to wear armani jeans and get to eat Quarter pounders for a few more years. Good luck to the change of faces, for I don't have respect for arrogant and selfish short-sighted "beggars", neither does the world, neither does history, but more importantly neither does Allah!!

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Blind Men

2008-04-14T02:45:00.001-07:00

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Purpose of our Education

2008-04-10T04:16:00.001-07:00

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Same old, same old!!

2008-04-07T02:39:00.001-07:00

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Aitezaz - poem

2008-03-03T00:43:00.001-08:00

Flickr Photo Download: Aitezaz - poem

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Israel upholds Katsav plea deal

2008-02-26T00:44:00.001-08:00

Israel upholds Katsav plea deal

Mr Katsav escapes rape charges and pleads guilty to harassment

Israel's Supreme Court has upheld a controversial plea bargain that allows ex-President Moshe Katsav to escape rape charges and possible jail.
Under the terms of the deal which Mr Katsav made with the Attorney General, he will not be charged with rape.
Instead, he pleads guilty to two charges of sexual harassment and will receive a suspended sentence.
Allegations of rape and sexual harassment were made by four women who had worked for the former president.
Women's rights have led the protests against the attorney general's decision to drop rape charges against Mr Katsav.
A panel of five judges voted by three to two to reject petitions from six individuals and organisations to overturn the plea bargain made in June last year.
Originally, the police charged Moshe Katsav with rape, sexual harassment and abuse of power.
Part of the controversial deal was for Moshe Katsav to step down as president of Israel, a largely ceremonial role.
He will also have to pay damages to his accusers.
Rape convictions in Israel carry a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Israel upholds Katsav plea deal

p.s. I wonder if he had been a poor man, or god forbid, a poor pakistani or a muslim for that matter instead of a powerful Israeli, would the court have ruled out the same verdict? Sometimes I really wonder, these nations that our are gods when it comes to social values, like equality, justice, welfare states: Are they really upto their task, or is it the case "Everything that shines, isn't gold"

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Soomro’s gift to himself: Live happily forever

2008-02-24T04:15:00.001-08:00

By Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro has awarded Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro, and his family, a life-long gift of a tax-free, hassle-free, well protected high flying retired life with diplomatic passports and much more, costing the state millions of rupees.

And as an unavoidable consequence of his controversial action, one more PML-Q leader and former Senate chairman, Waseem Sajjad and his family, will also keep thanking him for ever because Soomro has approved a long list of new privileges for retired chairpersons of the Senate.

Currently only one, Waseem Sajjad, is surviving and Soomro thinks he may soon join the list.

But it is obvious the move would directly benefit his own self at a huge cost to the taxpayers.

The shameless summary was initiated by the Senate secretariat on Dec 26, 2007 for the approval of the prime minister at a time when both offices of the Senate chairman and the prime minister office are held by Soomro himself.

A Prime Minister Secretariat order issued on February 12, 2008 under the signature of Additional Secretary Nasir Mehmud Khosa extends 10 privileges/facilities to not only former chairpersons of the Senate but their wives and dependent children.

In case expiry of former chairperson these privileges would even be offered to his widow and dependent children.

Free lifetime medical, both within Pakistan and abroad; lifetime provision of private secretary, security guard, driver and cook, free of charge access to state/government guest houses, etc, diplomatic passports, free telephone and a lot more.

It is believed that the implementation of the fresh order from Soomro would add an estimated annual burden of tens of millions of rupees to the kitty.

Issued by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat (public) wing and addressed to the Senate Secretariat secretary, the operative part of the order, whose copy is available with The News reads as: “Reference Senate Secretariat’s u.o. No.F.9(13)/2007-Estt., dated 26 December 2007 on the subject.

1. The prime minister has been pleased to approve the facilities/privileges for the former Chairperson of the Senate (elected), as per following:

(i) Exemption from taking out licenses for possessing up to three prohibited bore and six non-prohibited bore weapons.

(ii) Access to state/govt guest houses, rest houses and circuit houses in the country free of charge for self, spouse and dependent children (accompanied & unaccompanied).

(iii) Pick-up and drop facilities at all Airports in the country for self, spouse and dependent children (accompanied & unaccompanied) with protocol coverage by the provincial govts/Northern Areas/AJK in their respective areas and by the Cabinet Division/Senate Secretariat at Islamabad/Rawalpindi. Protocol coverage/Staff Car to be provided also during travel by road outside Headquarters, if required.

(iv) Detailment of a staff car by the respective governments for self, spouse and dependent children during their visit outside Headquarters throughout Pakistan (accompanied & unaccompanied) and by Cabinet Division/Senate Secretariat if chairman and his family visit the federal capital, if they reside outside Islamabad.

(v) Services of Private Secretary, security guard, driver and a cook for life time.

(vi) Free medical aid for life time in Pakistan and abroad subject to approval by the Medical Board for self, spouse and dependent children.

(vii) Diplomatic passport to self, spouse and dependent children.

(viii) Special security arrangements for chairman and his family either on his request or by the federal government on its own accord taking into account the circumstances past and present.

(ix) Free installation of telephone at residence and payment of charges for its use up to Rs 5,000 per month or such higher amount as the federal government may determine from time to time.

(x) Issuance of ASF passes for self, spouse and dependent children with endorsement of Apron at all Airports in the country and two Apron passes for staff.

2. The above privileges/facilities mutates mutandis shall apply to the widow/dependent children of the former chairperson.”

Soomro’s gift to himself: Live happily forever

p.s. May Allah save us from these jackals

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Editors Picked 'Em: Best Collections of Downloads

2008-02-20T09:36:00.001-08:00

By PC World Downloads Team
We've gathered up our best downloads and put them in handy, browsable collections.
These are among the most popular collections of downloads we've produced in recent months.
When you open a link, you'll see a list of the downloads we've picked. Simply click on the name of the download that interests you, read our mini-review, and if you're still interested, download away!
System Tune-up Tools -- Use these tools to clean out the junk and add new pep to your PC.
The 15 Best Downloads of the Year -- Our downloads gurus have selected the 15 best utilities, productivity tools and other apps of 2007 from PC World's vast Downloads Library.
Dress Up Your PC -- Tired of the way Windows looks? No problem -- you can dress it up just about any way you want, and these downloads will help you do it.
14 Fantastic Freebies -- Get to your favorite folders in a snap. Stream TV stations from around the globe. Add new power to Internet Explorer. All this and more, and all of it for free.
Have a Happy Valentine's Day -- Win over your Valentine with these fun programs. Craft a card, consult the stars and decorate your sweetheart's screen.
Downloadable Fun & Games -- Have a ball with these games and puzzles, many of them free, while you are whiling away the hours this holiday season.
Speed Up Your PC -- You can have a zippier, more responsive PC -- you really can. You just need the right tools. These can help.
Ad Blockers That Really Work -- If you're tired of annoying pop-ups, flash ads and the rest, you'll find these downloads useful. Check the reviews thoroughly, however, as some are more effective at different tasks.
Hard Disk Utilities -- These tools will help you clean up, organize and generally improve your hard disk.
Timesaver Software -- These downloads can simplify your life. They will automate common tasks and can also replace several Windows programs that don't quite do the job.
Must Have Downloads -- Here is the complete list from our October 2007 article, "The 20 (Mostly Free) Downloads You Can't Do Without."
Recovering From Disaster -- You've totally screwed up. Lost files, accidentally deleted stuff. What to do? Doctor, doctor: Here are the cures.
Backup Tools to The Rescue -- These downloadable programs, most of which you can try out before buying, can truly save you when some kind of disaster hits your desktop or notebook.
Free Games & Great Timewasters -- New additions to our library; some are demos, others are full-featured freeware we think you'll enjoy.
New Vista Downloads -- These files can help you optimize your PC and notebook Vista operating system.
Content by:

Editors Picked 'Em: Best Collections of Downloads - MSN Tech & Gadgets - Products

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Specialization is for insects!!!

2008-02-20T09:17:00.001-08:00

In Age of High-Tech, Are Americans Losing Touch with DIY Skills?
Read a call to action for bringing back our handymen.
By Glenn Harlan Reynolds
Science-fiction author Robert A. Heinlein once wrote: "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
That's a tall order. Although I can only do some of those things, I approve of the principle. Nowadays, though, we're specializing more. A popular Internet essay is titled: "I Can't Do One-Quarter of the Things My Father Can." Are hands-on skills — building things, fixing things, operating machines and so on — really in decline?
I think so. SAT scores provide a record of academic performance, but there's no equivalent archive for tracking handiness. There is, however, a lot of anecdotal evidence that what used to be taken for granted as ordinary mechanical skills now amounts to something unusual. When I recently wrote on my Web site about the importance of giving kids hands-on toys, a reader e-mailed: "Boy, can I second [your point about] the lack of basic skills in adults. I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity here in Los Angeles. The volunteers who come out frequently can't do something as basic as using a tape measure.... Many of my Saturdays are effectively clinics on how to pound a nail."
Even the simplest of automotive tasks, changing a tire, seems to be beyond the ken of many people. According to AAA, nearly 4 million motorists requested roadside assistance last year — for flat tires.
And just look at the Popular Mechanics Boy Mechanic books to see the kinds of skills that boys and teenagers were once routinely expected to possess. These books (which PM published in the early 20th century and recently reissued) assumed that young readers would be prepared to construct a fully rigged ice boat, a toy steam engine, or — I'm not kidding — a homebuilt "Bearcat" roadster powered by a motorcycle engine.
It's hard to imagine too many teenagers tackling projects of that magnitude these days. To be fair, young people today are likely to have skills that earlier generations never dreamed of — building Web sites, say, or editing digital movies. But manipulating pixels and working with physical materials aren't quite the same thing.
Does this matter? And if people are becoming less mechanically handy, is that so bad? I think so — and not just because specialization is for insects.
We don't all have to be MacGyver, but from time to time all of us will face problems that can't be addressed with a laptop and a cellphone. In a genuine emergency, having some basic manual skills could be the difference between surviving comfortably and being totally helpless.
I think that a modicum of ability in dealing with the physical world is good even for those of us whose jobs are mostly cerebral. Engineer Vannevar Bush, one of the great minds of the 20th century, made his mark on everything from the Manhattan Project to the development of computers. But when he wasn't commanding vast enterprises, Bush spent a lot of time in his basement workshop building things. He said that trying to make a finished project match his blueprints taught him humility and problem solving.
Shop classes and the Boy Scouts used to teach a lot of real-world skills, but both have faded under the onslaught of budget cuts and shifting political winds. (Shop isn't just for boys: My wife took shop in high school, and is glad she did.) The traditional father-son route for teaching these skills has also weakened, as many fathers lack the requisite skills themselves, and others, because of divorce, don't have as much opportunity.
I don't think the decline in hands-on skills is irreversible. In fact, it might be starting to turn around. The boom in home renovation has led many people to brush up their DIY chops. Home Depot and other retailers are finding success offering workshops in basic techniques.
We're also seeing changes in our popular culture. One example is the best-selling status of The Dangerous Book for Boys, by the brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden. It hearkens back to the Boy Scout manuals and other boys' books of the early 20th century, with instructions on how to build go-karts, bows and arrows, rafts and more. The book's success tells me people are interested in regaining lost ground. (It works, too: I gave my 8-year-old nephew a copy, and it got him away from the Xbox and into the outdoors.)
Conn Iggulden tells me he hopes the book inspires fathers to get out in the yard with their sons to build catapults and the like. "Most boys will value something they do with their dad, and they'll have an experience they'll value for the rest of their lives," he says. "If you show them how to beat the next level on the Xbox, it won't last the rest of their lives."
We can start with our own families, but there's no reason to stop there. Most people can do more than they think they can, and it's often fear of failure as much as lack of skill that keeps people from tackling hands-on tasks. So the next time you see somebody by the side of the road, waiting for AAA, pull over and show them how to use a tire iron. Who knows? It just might catch on.

In Age of High-Tech, Are Americans Losing Touch with DIY Skills? - MSN Lifestyle: Men

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UK Police feared 'airport stand-off'; Israeli general escapes

2008-02-19T03:14:00.001-08:00

Police feared 'airport stand-off'

By Dominic Casciani
BBC News

Major General Doron Almog refused to leave the plane at Heathrow

An Israeli general wanted for alleged war crimes escaped arrest in the UK because British police feared an armed confrontation at Heathrow airport.
Documents seen by BBC News reveal how Major General Doron Almog managed to fly back to Israel when police failed to board his plane in September 2005.
He stayed on board for two hours after a tip-off that he was facing detention.
Police were concerned about a potential clash with Israeli air marshals or armed personal security on the plane.
Maj Gen Almog had flown to the UK for social and charitable visits to Jewish communities in Solihull, in the West Midlands, and Manchester.
Lawyers acting for Palestinian campaigners lobbied the Metropolitan Police to act over allegations he had ordered the destruction in 2002 of more than 50 Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip.
Campaigners say the homes were destroyed by the Israeli army as retribution for a Palestinian militant attack, in contravention of the laws of war protecting civilian property. Israel says destruction of Palestinian houses is among the necessary measures it takes to protect its citizens.
The Met initially refused to get involved, citing massive pressures on counter-terrorism teams in the wake of the London bombings.
But the legal representatives successfully applied to a judge for an arrest warrant for a private prosecution.
Decisions log
A decisions log prepared for the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which has investigated the incident, shows officers decided to detain the general at Heathrow's immigration control.

Destroyed: Palestinians accused Maj Gen Almog of an attack on homes

They then planned to take him to a police station to consider executing the warrant.
However, news of the warrant leaked to the Israeli Embassy.
Officials tipped off the general and he and his wife refused to leave the El Al flight for the two hours it sat at the London airport's terminal.
The documents now show Det Supt John MacBrayne, a senior counter-terrorism officer who was responsible for the operation, could not get confirmation that his team had the right to board the plane.
El Al, Israel's national airline, had refused permission.
In his log, he wrote: "Another consideration [was] that El Al flights carried armed air marshals, which raised issues around public safety.
"There was also no intelligence as to whether Mr Almog would have been travelling with personal security as befitted his status, armed or otherwise."
The officer concluded there were real risks to the police and public and also had concerns about the "international impact of a potentially armed police operation at an airport".
Apology to Israel
When Maj Gen Almog arrived back in Israel, the planned arrest caused a minor diplomatic storm, with Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom describing the incident as an "outrage".
In turn, the then UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw apologised to his counterpart for any embarrassment caused.
Hickman and Rose, lawyers for the Palestinians, demanded an inquiry.
A spokesman for the Independent Police Complaints Commission said its review had not identified the source who leaked details of the planned arrest.
It also concluded police had not broken rules by failing to board the aircraft to execute the warrant.
John O' Connor, a former head of Scotland Yard's flying squad, told BBC One's Breakfast programme: "All they needed to do was to stop the plane from taking off and negotiate through the Foreign Office."
He said he felt the arrest had been "written off", putting "British justice is in the dock."

BBC NEWS | UK | Police feared 'airport stand-off'

More connected stories:-
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has apologised to his Israeli counterpart over the attempted arrest of a general accused of war crimes.

An Israeli human rights group says the overwhelming majority of Israeli troops suspected of criminal offences against Palestinians are never indicted.

Comment:
What makes the entire world impotent when it comes to any issue regarding Israel?

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2008-02-19T02:55:00.001-08:00

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An extraordinary encounter with Musharraf

2008-02-18T12:10:00.001-08:00

As Pakistan votes tomorrow in its postponed elections, Jemima Khan is granted a rare interview with Pervez Musharraf, the country's beleaguered leader
Sunday, 17 February 2008

'Since you were so kind as to greet us in London at Downing Street last month, the President would like to return the favour," announces Major-General Rashid Qureshi, President Pervez Musharraf's PR man over the phone. Only in Pakistan could the government's head of spin be a retired major-general. He is referring to my last encounter with the President on 28 January – when, along with a 2,000-strong, placard-waving, slogan-jeering mob, I protested on the main road outside 10 Downing Street while Musharraf discussed democracy with Gordon Brown over lunch inside. On the way in he waved at us. Clearly he's a man who is not afraid of confrontation. Much to the justifiable fury of every journalist in Islamabad, he has now granted me an exclusive half-hour interview despite or perhaps because of the fact that I have recently described him as one of the most repressive dictators Pakistan has ever known.

On the way to the Camp Office in Rawalpindi, I cross the bridge and pass the petrol station, which mark the spots of two recent attempts on the life of the now deeply unpopular President. I have a horrible fear that, bamboozled under the spotlight of his renowned charm, I may start to simper. My ex-husband, one of the President's most vocal critics, has already told me he thinks this is all a terrible idea. "It will be misinterpreted in Pakistan. Besides, you'll be too soft on him," he said.
The Camp Office turns out to be an old colonial building which used to be the HQ of the northern command under the British. With its delicately carved, wooden, double-height ceilings, sweeping central staircase, marble floors and ornate carpets, it's not hard to see why the President chose this as his private office in Rawalpindi. His residence is just up the driveway.
A dozen straight-backed men in uniform – red waistcoats over starched cream kurtas – are ready to greet me outside. The President, I'm informed, is not quite ready so I am led to the staff office for a "tea break" with a group of army officers who make up his presidential office team. Musharraf's personal assistant, a dashing, grey-haired, light-eyed naval commander, and a jovial head of security, also a young army officer, joke that the delay is just an excuse for them to do a little preparatory brainwashing.
A bright yellow cake, some intimidating-looking chicken vol-au-vents and chai (milky tea) are wheeled in. Major Qureshi, Musharraf's Alastair Campbell, tucks in happily and regales me for an hour with stories about Soviet-era Pakistani military triumphs and the magnanimity and general excellence of his boss. "Any country in the world would like to have this person as their leader," he tells us proudly.
After an hour I am shown into a huge sitting room, divided in the middle by a latticed wood screen to segregate ladies from men at more formal functions. Musharraf enters. The last time I saw him in the flesh he was in his full army regalia. Somehow his civilian clothes have diminished him. I find his brown business suit and dainty penny loafers which have replaced the sturdy army boots almost unsettling. He seems to have lost both height and swagger. And his body language seems just a touch defensive. The immaculate hair also troubles me. Boot-polish black, artfully grey at the temples, it shows signs of some work.
I start the interview on an unfortunate note. "Given that the last time you saw me, I was protesting outside No 10, I'm grateful that you've granted me this opportunity. It's quite a coup." Bad word. There's a moment's silence while it hangs in the air.
The President, it turns out, is very disappointed in me. For a moment I think I have been called to his office for a sound ticking-off. "I was disappointed. Very disappointed," he says. "I was disappointed because you ought to be knowing our environment ... what Pakistanis are like ... what is our society. Well, it's acceptable if a person has never visited Pakistan and doesn't know Pakistan to have ideal views [presumably, he means idealistic views]. But I thought you ought to be knowing what Pakistan is ... This is not an ideal society."
He goes on. Mindful that I have only limited time and that there's a man in uniform sitting at the back of the room already checking his watch before I've even asked my first question, I politely interrupt. I remind him that when I first met him he too was an idealist. There is strange symmetry to this visit. I last met Musharraf three days before the last elections in 2002. And now here I am, five and a half years on, three days before elections on Monday. Back then, especially when Musharraf first came to power, I was a somewhat naive supporter. Selfishly, I was relieved when he succeeded came to power by military coup on 12 October 1999. Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister he deposed, had tried to have me jailed on trumped-up, politically motivated charges of smuggling – a non-bailable offence in Pakistan.
I suspect it was to intimidate my ex-husband, who at that time was a noisy critic. I had scarpered to London before I could be arrested and was able to return with my two children to Pakistan six months later only after Musharraf seized power and the charges against me were duly dropped. More importantly, though, Musharraf took over with the express aim of cleaning up Pakistani politics. He despised the corrupt politicians as much as anyone. He immediately set up his own national accountability bureau and declared that his mission was to hold the corrupt accountable.
I'm also disappointed, I tell him. The corrupt got off scot-free. And now it looks as though he will shortly be doing business with the very same politicians he wanted to get rid of.
Disarmingly he agrees – something he does a lot of. And I sense it's genuine rather than appeasement. He argues that he had no other choice but to deal with the existing leaders of the main parties. This is a little disingenuous. The national reconciliation ordinance which he passed in October 2007 effectively guaranteed lifelong immunity from prosecution to corrupt politicians such as Benazir Bhutto, her husband Zardari and others, and enabled her to return to Pakistan to contest elections. He asks if he is being recorded. I say yes. He hesitates, then answers tellingly, "Yes, I agree with you [that charges should not have been dropped]. But then Benazir has good contacts abroad in your country, who thought she was the future of the country."
I press him further. Surely even in spite of pressure from outside, given his feelings about the effects of corruption on Pakistani politics, those charges should never have been dropped. There should have been a proper judicial process.
I put this to him. "No," he replies, "because they would have all joined and then I would have been out." At this point he looks a bit wild eyed. He quickly adds that, of course, being in power has never been his ultimate goal. How much easier it would be, he adds wistfully and a touch unconvincingly, if he'd just resigned to play golf.
A uniformed bearer offers fruit juice and warm roasted almonds. I down my juice in one gulp, then worry it may have looked unseemly. In the past four years I'd forgotten that Pakistani women are expected to overplay their femininity. I'm lounging like a bloke and downing pomegranate juice like lager.
Often he fails to see the irony in his own words, which can be unintentionally comic. Several times I have to suppress a smile. When confronted with the suggestion, for example, that he will have to work with a coalition government consisting of some the most infamous crooks in Pakistan, he responds with great sincerity, "I'm not running a martial law here. What can I do?" He adds, "My role as a president is simply the checks and balances – the seatbelts ... a sort of father figure to the Prime Minister but I won't have to see him for weeks."
The image he paints of himself as a benign, legitimised dictator is at odds with the recent Human Rights Watch report that accuses his regime of hundreds of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, harassment, intimidation and extrajudicial killings
Later when I point out that his old opponent Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), has vowed that if elected he will reinstate the judges who were unconstitutionally deposed by Musharraf, he retorts incredulously, "It is not a dictatorship here! How can you reinstate judges if you become prime minister? How?" This rhetorical question comes from a man who on 3 November dismissed 60 per cent of the superior court judges, including three chief justices, in anticipation of their ruling against his re-election as President while still head of the army. Many remain under house arrest.
He seems to be someone who feels painfully let down and misunderstood. This is particularly the case when he talks about my ex-husband, Imran. "You know, I liked him. But he is the most unrealistic person. I wanted to support him." He mentions him a few times in the interview. And the strange thing is, I detect hurt. President Musharraf, dictator, despot, guardian of the West against al-Qa'ida – and all I can see are the wounded eyes of a betrayed lover when he talks about my ex. Under his regime, in the past year, Imran has been held under house arrest, jailed, then released and has had his movements restricted. Hell hath no fury like a general scorned.
I change the subject. Last time I visited him here in Rawalpindi he gave me a spookily accurate prediction of the imminent election results, which suggested information more than insight. Who will win this election? His answer is definitive. The PML-Q (the party otherwise known as the King's Party, assembled by President Musharraf himself six years ago to legitimise his "managed" democracy) allied with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement will "certainly have the majority. Whether they'll be able to form a government is a question mark." This contradicts all the recent opinion polls, which have shown that the popularity of his favoured party is right down, at just 12 per cent. I point out this out to him.
He dismisses the polls. They are biased, conducted by local organisations that are against him. "They have been abusing me right from the beginning and you will never get good results from them."
He seems increasingly paranoid. "The media have let me down ... The NGOs are against me. I don't know why. I think I have been the strongest proponent of human rights ..." In fact, the only people who are not against him, according to him, are the Western leaders who he says are "absolutely supportive" and "express total solidarity".
I don't doubt Musharraf's bravery or even his initial good intentions. Nor is anyone underestimating the scale of the problems that Pakistan faces today.
If anything, the impression is one of amateurishness and of a naivety that would be endearing if it had not been so profoundly damaging to his country. And in recent months he has become belligerent with local journalists. In London last month a respected Pakistani editor was castigated for asking about Rashid Rauf, the escaped terror suspect, and the fact that many believe he was deliberately freed by the police. Such impertinent journalists "should be roughed up", he was alleged to have told the assembled crowds in response.
When I ask about the deposed chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry, who is still under house arrest, he denounces him as "the scum of the earth – a third-rate man – a corrupt man". And the lawyers' movement? The lawyers have vowed to continue protesting on the streets and boycotting the courts until the deposed judges are reinstated and the constitution is restored to its pre-3 November status. "With hindsight," he replies solemnly, "it was my personal error that I allowed them to go and express their views in the street... We should have controlled them in the beginning before it got out of control." To those more used to seeing beards and white robes at protests, the images of suited, bookish-looking lawyers fighting off police batons were a memorable spectacle.
Musharraf mentions democracy a great deal. He seems sincere. He is genuinely likeable. But it seems he just can't help himself. You can take the general out of the army but not the army out of the general. It reminds me of the Aesop fable about the scorpion and the frog. The frog gives the scorpion, who cannot swim, a lift across the river. Halfway across, the scorpion stings him. "Why did you do that?" asks the frog. "Now we'll both die." "I'm a scorpion; it's my nature."
As I leave he presents me with a clock inscribed "from the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan". It seems an inauspicious gift from a man whose time may be up. He shakes my hand. "It will be the saddest day for Pakistan if Benazir's crooked widower is in power by Monday," I say. As the President walks away, he looks back. "At least we part on agreement."

An extraordinary encounter with Musharraf - Asia, World - Independent.co.uk

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Why General Pervaz Musharaf is threatening Hamid Mir and other Journalists???

2008-02-18T11:48:00.001-08:00

Dear Journalist Colleagues,

Thanks for coming to this press conference on the invitation of Pakistan Federal Union Journalists.

As you know that Musharraf regime have banned many TV anchors including me without any written charge against us. The main objective of banning us was to pressurize Pakistani media to accept a new code of conduct for print and electronic journalism. This new code was drafted just to manipulate elections.Musharraf regime started pressurizing us to accept new media laws in 2006.I was served with a notice from the government in October 2006 when I hosted a talk show on the role of intelligence agencies in politics. I responded that notice through my lawyer and took a stand that I never violated any law. Government never issued any notice to me after my response.

In January 2007 some top government officials offered me to join state controlled PTV.They said that private TV channels have no future and a big action will soon be taken against all of them. I refused. My office was attacked in March 2007 in Islamabad and I was also beaten by the police.Pervez Musharraf apologized to me after that incident but later on some more incidents took place. His words were different from the actions of his government. Journalists were kidnapped, arrested and tortured many times in different cities. Many of us received threats. I wrote in Daily Jang on May 2^nd 2007 that government have decided to ban live TV programes.The government was again angry in August 2007 when I wrote about its plans against media and judiciary in “The News”. I sent my family outside Pakistan after some threats in June 2007.In September and October 2007, President House directly tried to silence me. They offered many bribes.

Emergency was imposed on November 3^rd 2007.All the TV channels were banned. We were not available on cable but I was doing my talk show for the satellite viewers. When I started participating in the protest rallies organized by PFUJ and RIUJ, I was informed by a minister of the previous regime that I could be killed in a small road accident.Musharraf regime manipulated to shut down our transmission centre from Dubai on November 16^th.Geo TV remained banned for more than two months. Its transmission was resumed in the third week of January 2008 when Musharraf got assurance that I and Shahid Masood will not appear on Geo TV. He dictated his wish when the economic survival of the Geo TV was in danger. It was a clear blackmailing.

Today the Pakistani media is working under pressure.Musharraf regime have plans to rigg the elections. I demand that Musharraf should come out with some justification of banning us with evidence otherwise we have no doubts that “we are banned just to protect his rigging plans”. Rigging few anchors will not help Musharraf.

I am sure that Pakistani media will not allow Musharraf to rig the elections openly.Media will fight against the terror and tyranny on February 18^th.

Hamid Mir
17-02-2008

Weekly Liberal Online

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Call for help: Javed Chaudhary

2008-02-12T03:14:00.001-08:00

Call for help: Javed Chaudhary

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The French Government's hypocrisy, Islam and Holocaust revisionism

2008-02-12T00:47:00.001-08:00

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:44:29
A Second Open Letter to France's Ambassador to the US by Paul Grubach

Faurisson was severely injured in a nearly fatal attack on Sept. 16, 1989.

This is a Second Open Letter to France's Ambassador to the United States by Paul Grubach February 8, 2008

Ambassador Pierre Vimont Embassy of France in the United States 4101 Reservoir Road, NW Washington, D. C. 20007

Dear Ambassador Vimont

As you are undoubtedly aware by now, Holocaust revisionist scholar Dr. Robert Faurisson will probably stand trial for comments he made at the Iran Holocaust Conference of December 2006. Allegedly, he violated France's Gayssot Act, a statute passed in 1990 that prohibits any public doubt about the alleged Jewish Holocaust.

There is a new development to this ongoing story that I would like to bring to your attention.

On January 24, Dr. Faurisson was taken into police custody for questioning and a search of his house was carried out. In my last open letter to you of January 15, I brought attention to the hypocritical double standard of the French government.

In September 2006, high school teacher Robert Redeker made a scathing attack upon the Prophet Mohammed and the Islamic religion in the center-right daily Le Figaro. Because of threats to his life, he was forced to go into hiding.

The French government immediately came to his defense, offering him police protection and a public statement on his behalf. In reference to Redeker's case, former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin called the threats to his life "unacceptable," and added: "We are in a democracy. Everyone has the right to express his views freely, while respecting others, of course." (See The New York Times, 30 September 2006, p. A 3)

That this is an outrageous lie is demonstrated by the ongoing plight of Dr. Faurisson. In 1991, French "democracy" demanded that Dr. Faurisson be removed from his university chair. In July 2006, French "democracy" again violated his inalienable right to freedom of speech and research. He was convicted of "Holocaust denial" by a Paris court over remarks he made on Iranian television, and was given a three-month suspended prison term and he has to pay 18 000 euros.

Clearly, as the cases of Redeker and Faurisson show, one has the right to attack and violate the sacred beliefs of Muslims, but one has no right whatsoever to question and repudiate the Holocaust doctrine, one of the most sacred beliefs of Jewish-Zionism. The sacred belief and taboo of the Jewish people is enshrined in law in France. If you contest the Holocaust, you are prosecuted and persecuted.

However, the sacred beliefs of Muslims are not enshrined in law. If you attack Muslim beliefs, this is depicted as an expression of "freedom of speech." Once again, this is evidence of a hypocritical double standard. I have come across another case which further bolsters my point.

Do you recognize the name of the French Jewish writer, Marek Halter? He co-founded the so-called "anti-racist" group, SOS-Racisme. There is an interview of him in the February 11, 2005 issue of the English edition of The International Jerusalem Post, (pp. 9-11).

Halter claims that France's rapidly growing Islamic population is too frequently incompatible with democracy. Let me give you two of his direct quotes. Halter stated: "All of a sudden we realize that they [Muslims] are not a small minority anymore and that the way most of them practice their religion is not compatible with French democratic principles." He also stated: "Muslims threaten to weaken a French democracy that no longer knows how to impose its rules without seeming oppressive."

In April 2007 the European Union made inciting racism and xenophobia crimes throughout its 27 member states in a landmark decision. Even before April 2007, when Halter made these statements, inciting racism and xenophobia in France were outlawed.

That is to say, Halter made these statements when these "racism and xenophobia" laws were on the books. A French prosecutor could cogently argue that Halter's statements incite hatred and xenophobia against Muslims, and thus, the man should be prosecuted. After all, he is stating that Muslims as a group threaten to weaken and even destroy French "democracy."

This will cause people to hate Muslims. Your so-called French "democracy" allows him to make anti-Muslim statements. Yet, Robert Faurisson is put on trial by this same French "democracy" for making statements that contest and debunk Holocaust orthodoxy.

Do you see my point, Ambassador Vimont? France grants "freedom of speech" to Jewish people like Marek Halter who criticize and attack Muslims. Yet, "democratic" France denies freedom of speech to non-Jews like Faurisson who question and debunk the orthodox view of the Holocaust.

If France was truly a democracy as former Prime Minister de Villepin claims, it would defend Dr. Faurisson's right to freedom of research on the Holocaust. That is to say, there would be no "limits in advance" or "prewritten conclusions" about his Holocaust research.

After all, France grants freedom of research for atheists and others who deny the existence of God or attack the Islamic and Christian religions.

If the French government does prosecute and imprison Dr. Faurisson for his Holocaust revisionist views, this will only demonstrate to the world the truth of his arguments. The French government cannot disprove his Holocaust revisionism with reason and science, but must resort to oppressive laws and prison sentences in its attempt to silence truth.

Sincerely, Paul Grubach

A copy of this letter has been sent to Press TV

Press TV - The French Government's hypocrisy, Islam and Holocaust revisionism (2)

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Story of a Mother

2008-02-08T06:19:00.001-08:00

قتباس بشکریہ:خاور بلال اور ماہنامہ خواتین میگزین لاہور۔ جنوری08

میرے خاوند فوج میں رہے ہیں۔ اس وجہ سے دونوں بیٹوں نے بھی فوجی ملازمت اختیار کی۔ بڑے بیٹے نے اپنی جوانی اور صلاحیتوں کو فوج میں استعمال کیا اور اب ریٹائر ہوکر اپنا کاروبار سنبھال رکھا ہے۔ چند ماہ پہلے کی بات ہے کہ ہمیں ایک دعوت نامہ ملا کہ کاکول اکیڈمی میں پاسنگ آؤٹ پریڈ ہے، اس میں شرکت کریں۔ میرے چھوٹے بیٹے کو کمیشن مل رہا تھا، اس لیے میں نے بھی جانے کی خواہش ظاہر کی۔ ہم تمام گھر کے افراد اپنے بڑے بیٹے کے ہمراہ خوشی خوشی کاکول روانہ ہوگۓ۔ ایک کھلے میدان میں پاسنگ آؤٹ پریڈ ہوئ۔ نوجوان جب پریڈ کرتے تو ان کے قدموں کی چاپ سے دھرتی کانپ کانپ اٹھتی۔ انکے جوش و خروش اور جذبے کو دیکھ کر میرے منہ سے بے ساختہ دعائیں نکلتیں۔ پریڈ ختم ہوئ۔ میرا پیارا بیٹا فوجی افسر بن گیا۔ اس کے کندھے پر اسٹار لگادیا گیا۔ مجھے انتہائی خوشی ہوئ کہ اب میرا بیٹا ملک و ملت کے دشمنوں کے لیے ننگی تلوار ثابت ہوگا۔

رات کو ڈنر تھا، ہم سب شریک ہوۓ۔ ڈنر خاصا پر تکلف تھا۔ ہم سب اپنے پیارے بیٹے کو دیکھ کر نہال ہوۓ جاتے تھے۔ ڈنر میں نوجوان لڑکیاں بھی مدعو تھیں جو بڑی بے تکلفی سے لڑکوں سے پیش آرہی تھیں۔ کاکول کے ایک انسٹرکٹر میرے بڑے بیٹے کے دوست ہیں۔ ہمارے ہاں بھی ان کا آنا جانا ہے۔ میں نے ان سے پوچھا؛ یہ لڑکیاں کون ہیں۔ انہوں نے بتایا کہ یہ ان افسران کی گرل فرینڈز ہیں۔ مجھے یہ سن کر سخت تعجب ہوا۔ میں اپنے بیٹے کو معصوم سمجھتی تھی، مجھے گمان بھی نہیں ہوسکتا تھا کہ ایسے معصوم لڑکے جو ماں باپ سے بھی بات کرتے ہوۓ نگاہیں نیچی رکھتے ہیں، ایسی بے باک اور ماڈرن لڑکیوں سے یوں گھل مل سکتے ہیں۔ میں نے بیٹے سے پوچھا؛ بیٹا یہ تمہارے دوست کسیے ہیں؟ اس نے حیرت سے پوچھا؛ کیوں امی، بہت اچھے ہیں۔ یہ تو ہماری گرل فرینڈز ہیں۔ میں نے اس کے انسٹرکٹر کی طرف دیکھا۔ وہ میری حیرت کو سمجھ گیا۔ اس نے بتایا، میڈم ہم انہیں یہاں اچھے فوجی بنانے پر پوری توجہ دیتے ہیں اور یہ اسی محنت کا نتیجہ ہے کہ ہماری فوج کا شمار اعلٰی فوجوں میں ہوتا ہے۔ ہم نے چند اصول بنا رکھے ہیں، اگر کوئ ان اصولوں کی خلاف ورزی کرتا ہے تو ہم اسے نکال دیتے ہیں۔ مثلاً اگر کوئ دوران تربیت جھوٹ بولے، چوری کرے یا افسروں کی حکم عدولی کرے تو اسے فوراً نکال دیا جاتا ہے۔ اگر ان اصولوں پر کاربند رہے تو اچھا افسر بن کر نکلتا ہے۔ رہا ذاتی کردار کا مسئلہ تو ہم انہیں لڑکیوں سے میل ملاپ رکھنے اور ان کی تفریح کے معاملات میں بالکل دخل نہیں دیتے۔ ہم ان کے ذاتی معاملات اور آزادی میں خواہ مخواہ مخل ہونا پسند نہیں کرتے۔

دعوت ختم ہوئ۔ ہم ہنستے ہنساتے گھر لوٹ آۓ اور پھر دنیا ک دھندوں میں یہ دعوت آہستہ آہستہ میرے ذہن سے محو ہوگئ۔ میں جانتی تھی اور گھر کے ماحول کے مطابق اس کی تربیت بھی یہ تھی کہ وہ شہادت کی طلب رکھتا تھا۔ کبھی کبھار میرے ذہن میں وہ دعوت کا واقعہ یاد آجاتا تو میں سوچتی کاکول اکیڈمی جیسے اصول تو ہندوؤں نے بھی اپنا رکھے ہیں تو پھر ان میں اور ہمارے بیٹے میں کیا فرق رہا۔ پھر خیال آتا میرا بیٹا مسلمان ہے، اسلام کا سپاہی ہے۔ نہ جانے پھر یہ خیال کیوں آتا کہ اسلام کا سپاہی شراب نہیں پیتا۔ غیر محرم عورتوں سے بے تکلف میل جول نہیں رکھتا۔ نماز پڑھتا ہے اس کے مذہبی اصول ہیں، وہ شہادت کو ابدی زندگی سمجھتا ہے۔

وقت گزرتا رہا۔ ملک میں دہشت گردی کے نام پر جنگ چھیڑ دی گئ۔ وہ فوجی جنہیں کفر سے لڑنا تھا، جو اپنا خون اپنے ملک و قوم اور مذہب کے لیے بہانا چاہتے تھے، انہیں اپنی قوم سے لڑا دیا گیا۔ ہماے مجاہد بیٹوں کو مجاہدوں کے مقابلے پر لاکھڑا کردیا گیا۔ ہمیں علم ہی نہ ہوسکا کہ کب ہمارے مجاہد بیٹے کو وزیرستان کے علاقے میں فوجی آپریشن کے لیے بھیجا گیا اور میں آج تک اس بات پر پریشان ہوں کہ میرے بیٹے نے وہاں جانے سے انکار کیوں نہ کیا۔ وہ نوکری پر لعنت بھیج کر واپس کیوں نہ آگیا۔

ہمارے پاؤں سے اس وقت زمین کھسک گئ، جب آرمی والے اس کی میت لے کر ہمارے دروازے پر آۓ، ہمیں کہا گیا کہ آپ کا بیٹا وزیرستان میں دہشت گردوں کے خلاف آرمی ایکشن کے دوران شہید ہوگیا ہے۔ میں سن کر تڑپ گئ۔ میری دنیا اندھیر ہوگئ۔ بیٹے کی میت سامنے پڑی تھی اور میں رو بھی نہیں سکتی تھی۔ میں تو اس امید پر تھی کہ میرا بیٹا اپنے وطن، اپنے دین کی خاطر کافروں سے لڑتا ہوا شہید ہوگا۔ یہ تو اپنوں سے لڑتا ہوا مارا گیا۔ میں اسے شہید کیسے کہہ دوں۔ اس وقت مجھے کاکول اکیڈمی کی دعوت کا خیال آگیا تو غصے سے اٹھ کھڑی ہوئ اور بیٹے کی میت کے ساتھ آۓ ہوۓ کرنل کا گریبان پکڑ لیا اور مجھے یاد نہیں کہ اس وقت میرے منہ سے کیسے کیسے الفاظ ادا ہوۓ۔ ہوش آیا تو ہسپتال میں تھی اور بڑا بیٹا سرہانے بیٹا تھا۔ میرے بیٹے کی میت دفنا دی گئی تھی اور پھر اس وقت سے میں کرب میں مبتلا ہوں۔ میں نے تو اسے مجاہد بننے کی تربیت دی تھی اور شہادت کا جذبہ ہی اسے فوج میں لے گیا تھا۔ مجھے کیا علم تھا کہ یہ ظالم لوگ میرے بیٹے کی دنیا اور آخرت تباہ کردیں گے۔ کیا وہ مجاہد بنا؟ کیا وہ شہید ہے؟ بزرگان دین مجھے فتویٰ دیں۔

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Jee aaya noo!!

2008-02-07T02:41:00.001-08:00

"Jalale baadshahi ho ya ke jamhoori tamashaa
Judaa ho deen seyaasat se to rah jaati hai changezi" - Iqbal

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Seven Signs of a Falling Nation

2008-02-04T06:18:00.001-08:00

No government, kingdom or society lasts forever. Here are seven factors that contributed to ancient Rome’s demise—warning signs that exist today within the nations of the American and British peoples.

By Bruce A. Ritter

In an interview with the Financial Times, U.S. Comptroller General David Walker stated that the United States government “is on a ‘burning platform’ of unsustainable policies and practices with fiscal deficits, chronic healthcare underfunding, immigration, and overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken soon…”

The article added, “Mr. Walker warned that there were ‘striking similarities’ between America’s current situation and the factors that brought down Rome, including ‘declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by central government.’”

History reveals that all governments, empires and kingdoms of men, no matter how grand, no matter how powerful, ultimately fall. It happened to ancient Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. Even Rome was not exempt; though it dominated much of Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East and parts of the Near East, and lasted for 500 years, the Roman Empire ultimately fell.

There is an old and popular saying: “Rome was not built in a day.” Likewise, the Roman Empire did not fall in one night; its decline was gradual. Not long after it rose to world dominance, several factors were already at work contributing to the empire’s ultimate demise.

Similarly, these factors are at work among the societies of the American and British peoples—and serve as warning signs of a civilization destined to fall.

For further reading: Seven Signs of a Falling Nation

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Verging on Delusions: Inside the mind of a Dictator (and the 'yes-sayers')

2008-02-03T04:11:00.001-08:00

Delusion: a firm, fixed belief held with great conviction despite evidence to the contrary. Delusion is a symptom of psychosis- mental disorders in which a person loses contact with reality.

In the last eight years of misrule this country has been subjected to, two pictures stand out for me. In August 1999 soon after the Nawaz Sharif government was overthrown, Brig. Rashid Qureishi, the spokesman for the military government came on television and declared 'We don't want sham democracy, we want real democracy. We want a government that is of the people, by the people, for the people'. I found it surreal for a man in military uniform using Abraham Lincoln's (without even acknowledging him) hallowed words and having no qualms about it.

The second picture is of an interview a few weeks ago. Mushahid Hussain, secretary general of PML (Q) was asked whether General Musharraf would give up his uniform. "Yes, he would", he said, adding "General Musharraf looks dashing in uniform and Mr. Musharraf would look dashing in a designer suit".

Although eight years apart the two statements give us an insight of how the minds of dictators and those around him, work. It is important to understand this if we are to break out of this impasse and save the sinking ship of this country.

Today, millions of Pakistanis live in abject poverty teasing out a living for mere existence. Millions are unemployed or underemployed. Millions remain without health care and education. Millions are subjected to the indignity of being treated in government hospitals. They have no security. They have no laws to protect them. Where there are laws it is only to protect the rich and powerful.

In many parts of the country, people are selling their kidneys to pay off their debts. Millions suffer the daily humiliation of hanging from buses to get to work. Millions live and breathe the air whilst surrounded by filth, garbage and overflowing gutters.

What goes through the mind of dictators and the people who hold the real power in Pakistan, as they see the abysmal state of affairs? Quite clearly they see the situation very differently from the way the man in street sees it. From their perspective, the existence of the country is being severely threatened (which everyone sees too) but they feel they are the only ones who know how to save it. They see the politicians as tried and failed, corrupt, greedy people who only have lust for wealth and power. They have examples of Nawaz Sharif and Benazir's experiments in front of them and that feeds their way of thinking.

What are we to make of our rulers who tell us that only they know what is good for the country? That the rest of us- academicians, economists, scholars, lawyers, judges, doctors, engineers, teachers, students, retired senior military officers and other members of the civil society are ignorant mortals who know nothing about the dangers facing this country or how to tackle them? That democracy is not good for us? That they know how much the people love them? And that they will know when the time is right for them to step down?

Or is it that they are suffering from delusions?

A dictator's thinking is severely restricted and he suffers from selective listening. He has a very narrow vision. He cannot live with dissent. Dictators tend to be liberal as long as you agree with them. Any serious opposition and they crush it, never mind the democratic intent. They do not trust anyone beyond a small close group of people who feed them only with the information they want to hear. Their whole perspective is based on this narrow line of information. Hence our (ret) General's reply in the BBC interview recently, when asked if he would resign, 'I will go when I realize the people don't want me'. When asked how would be know that, he replied 'I have my sources of information'. These sources of information are his close aides who feed him the information he wants to hear. He has no idea how unpopular he is and that the vast majority do not want him. But it is important to understand he actually means it when he says the things he does. He is not making them up.

This type of thinking is verging on a 'delusion'. Many dictators also suffer from paranoia- a feeling (beyond the normal opposition one encounters) that others are against them and out to get them and must be eliminated. Hitler showed many traits of paranoia, as did Stalin and Saddam Hussein. It makes them more and more isolated and insular and as they near their demise they become more and more bizarre- both in their thinking and behavior. We have countless examples in history of such dictators and their strange behaviors- Idi Amin of Uganda, Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Duvalier of Haiti, Marcos of Philippines.

One can see it in the General's (ret) responses in interviews recently. Hosing down of Benazir's assassination site was 'inefficiency', Benazir was 'unpopular with the Army', 'I am very popular with the people', the West is 'obsessed with democracy' and the ex-servicemen opposing me are those 'I threw out of the military'. The latest we hear is the statement against the London based senior journalist where he had no misgivings in letting him 'have a couple to fix him' because the journalist dared to ask uncomfortable questions. These are statements of a man whose rational thinking is fast eroding.

A dictator's military background and particularly if he has had commando training makes it difficult for him to think otherwise. It makes him rigid in his approach with a 'never surrender' attitude. To him every encounter is a battle and the enemy must be vanquished. The frequent use of terms such as 'tactical', 'strategic' and 'campaign' while discussing issues that have nothing to do with the military are indicative of this. You can take a man out of the army, you can never take the army out of the man!

Even his physical appearance is important to consider. Observe his walk, with chest out, tummy tucked in, dyed hair, purposeful stride. He tries to look much younger than his 64 years. This also contributes to his self-image and ego. Imagine if he stopped dyeing his hair- a white haired General (ret), which he actually is, would look very different and his whole image and persona- both for himself and others would undergo a drastic change. Mushahid's Hussain statement is a rare glimpse of how the 'yes men' praise the master, making him even more self-centred and in the process, more reckless.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to change this line of flawed thinking as dictators do not think there is anything wrong with their way of thinking. Hence most dictators are forcibly removed- either violently or forced out. This is what history teaches us. Let there be no doubt about it.

The important question is: How much further damage would be inflicted on this hapless country before 'the dashing man' in 'designer suit' departs?

The author is a Professor of Psychiatry at Aga Khan University. He can be contacted on muradmk@gmail.com.

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'Get America Out of the Way and We Will be Okay'

2008-02-02T11:58:00.001-08:00

Former ISI [Pakistan Army's Inter-Services Intelligence] Chief [Lt. General] Hamid Gul tells HARINDER BAWEJA the troika of army chiefs, politicians and the U.S. has Pakistan on the
verge of civil war.

http://www.tehelka.com

Tehelka: Is Benazir Bhutto's assassination a death knell for Pakistan?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: Accidents and wars don't destroy a country. It is the political process that can damage it. Fortunately, the emerging leadership of the Pakistan People's Party [PPP] has shown solidarity with the federation [of Pakistan].

Tehelka: But the assassination of a former Prime Minister [Benazir Bhutto] indicates the growing threat to Pakistan from the [Muslim] jehadis.

GENERAL HAMID GUL: It is not the [Muslim] jehadis who have killed her. She was rather protective of the [Muslim] jehadis in the past. Benazir was never soft on the Kashmir issue, let me tell you that. I served as the ISI Director-General under her. The 'Taliban' [Afghan students] emerged during her second tenure in office and captured Kabul when she was still the Prime Minister. Her Interior Minister used to patronise them openly. It was not the [Muslim] jehadis but that is what the Americans [Bush-Cheney Junta and the U.S. CIA] would have us believe. They have designs for Pakistan and I strongly believe that the Americans have got her eliminated because this is the way they deal with countries like Pakistan. They either use them or subdue them. In the case of Pakistan, it is both.

The Americans worked out a model during the days of [assassinated General Muhammad] Zia ul Haq. Junejo was brought in to give the label of democracy and to gradually ease Zia-ul-Haq out of office after he had been used but it didn't work out. Zia got wind of it and removed Junejo from office. The Americans got very upset and destroyed Zia-ul-Haq. I make no bones about saying this. I will quote from [U.S. President Dick] Nixon's book, In the Arena (page 109), in which he says when Zia-ul-Haq's plane went down, "instantly it came to my mind that why we Americans destroy our friends after we have used them".

America is a very important player in our domestic politics. They can't be naive to understand that Benazir cannot work with a man like Musharraf and if they were trying to cobble together a dream team comprising Benazir and Musharraf, then either they were very stupid or had other designs. Could the charismatic Benazir work with Musharraf when he could not tolerate even a mild and placid man like former PM Zafar Ullah Khan Jamali?

Tehelka: But she [Benazir Bhutto] apparently came back after a nod from the Americans?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: She came back because she had a sense of history and she wanted this blemish of corruption to be removed from her name. She was pushed into this situation. Benazir had said two things before she landed here - one was about AQ [Abdul Qadeer] Khan (the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb) and the other about 'Al-Qaeda' - that she would permit the Americans to strike 'Al-Qaeda' targets.

These are two things the Americans very badly want. One is a pre-emptive doctrine which has not yet been consummated. Even Musharraf has been resisting a direct ingress, howsoever 'pro-America' he might be. So, how could Benazir do this? How could she hand over AQ Khan to them? But she came and in the 70 days she spent, not once did she mention either AQ Khan or the 'Taliban'. She had drifted from the agenda and no wonder Musharraf said before and after her death that the lady had broken her promises. I have direct knowledge that my name was included in the list of people she felt she was threatened by but immediately after she landed here, she sent me a message and then another just three days before her assassination. She asked a source to tell General Sahib [Hamid Gul] to understand who got my name included. She said she would come to my house soon after the campaigning ended. She also told me through the source that haven't I noticed that she is not talking of AQ Khan. Everyone knows that the
Americans will never accept a populist leader, particularly in a Muslim country.

Tehelka: Isn't it one of Pakistan's essential problems - being willing to be led by the Americans?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: This is one of the fundamental contradictions in Pakistan's governance and political system. Unfortunately, you in India don't realise this. America wants to be the master not a friend.

Tehelka: Pakistan is often referred to as the most dangerous place on Earth. Does this bother you and the Pakistanis a great deal?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: The Americans call it a dangerous place because they have designs for Pakistan. The Israeli lobby will never rest in peace until they have snatched our nuclear weapons. In the 'war against terror', Pakistan is the target.

Tehelka: But the [Muslim] jehadi stranglehold is evident from the increasing number of 'suicide' attacks.

GENERAL HAMID GUL: That is pure and simple revenge. It is in Pashtun blood. It has nothing to do with Islam. These are revenge attacks. The girls who were burnt in Lal Masjid [Red Mosque] were from Swat [Pakistan]. I know that Lal Masjid inmates were ready to surrender.

Tehelka: The [Pakistan] Army and the ISI have not allowed democracy to take root, right?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: Partly the politicians have been responsible for this but it is true that the [Pakistan] Army has not allowed the politicians either. The Army is the strongest organ in the executive branch. Even now, when the judiciary rebelled, see how the Army fell upon it and strangulated it. And when the media started to side with the judiciary, they tried to kill the media too. This is the story of Pakistan.

Tehelka: Being a former [ISI] chief, you are absolving the ISI.

GENERAL HAMID GUL: It is the Army Chief who has had ambitions not the ISI. I have served the institution for 36 years and the ISI never wanted to have anything to do with politics. But the Army chiefs always wanted to enjoy power. He doles out ambassadorial posts after retirement and allocates housing plots, agricultural land.

Tehelka: You are willing to concede the Army's hold over the Pakistan polity. What about the ISI?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: The ISI is a branch related to security. The first line of defence has to be handled by the intelligence agency so it continues to grow in power. The ISI has played an important role and it has in its charter - through a prime ministerial decree signed by [assassinated Prime Minister] Zulfiqar [Ali] Bhutto - a political cell, so the politicians are at fault and the Army Chief and his coterie of generals are at fault.

Tehelka: The Indian Army has never had political ambitions.

GENERAL HAMID GUL: I will not reveal the names now but some Indian generals were seriously thinking of emulating the Pakistani model, especially after Operation Blue Star. I agree, the political leadership of India was far more mature and committed to the idea of democracy than the leadership of Pakistan, after Quaid-e-Azam [Mohammad Ali Jinnah] and [assassinated Prime Minister] Liaquat Ali Khan.

Tehelka: Please reveal the names [of all Indian Army generals who wanted to overthrow the Indian Government and rule India directly through the Indian Army].

GENERAL HAMID GUL: I will not. That's my choice.

Tehelka: The common Pakistani feels let down by its politicians who are willing to go into exile instead of fighting it out. So, the Establishment does dominate?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: This is true because they have been the products of the [Pakistan] Army. The political leadership here is brought up and nurtured by the Army, including Mr. Bhutto. He used to call [dead General Muhammad] Ayub Khan, daddy. They were brought up under the shadow of the military generals and they did not have the guts to stand up to them.

Tehelka: So unless America understands the need for real [civilian] democracy in Pakistan, you don't think that it will happen?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: Understand? They [Bush-Cheney regime] do understand but it does not serve their interest. They know it but they have helped destroy the very institutions on which a democracy is built. When you destroy the judiciary, when you limit the jurisdiction of the
legislation and gag the media then where are the pillars on which the edifice of democracy is going to be built?

Tehelka: How does the future of Pakistan improve?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: By saying no to America. And I believe that is not difficult. America is not being able to handle even a country like Afghanistan. What are they going to do? Attack us? Do they have the troops to attack? At the most they can bomb a few places. Let them, we
will come back to life.

Tehelka: How important is it for Musharraf to step down?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: It is essential for the success of Pakistan because we are otherwise drifting towards a chaotic civil war kind of situation, like the Iranian Revolution. One man is being supported by America against the will of an entire nation.

Tehelka: If he is so unpopular, why is the Pakistani street not more proactive?

GENERAL HAMID GUL: Because the two largest political parties [PPP and PML-N] decided, even after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, not to take on Musharraf. That's my point. Get the America factor out of the way and we will be okay. No one is wiser than the victim and I think we are getting wiser.

Source: Tehelka Magazine - Vol. 5, Issue 4 - Saturday, 2 February 2008 - New Delhi, India.

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What is your mission?

2008-01-31T03:22:00.001-08:00

By Dr. Haider Mehdi

Unusual as it was, Dubai in the UAE remained under dark clouds, chilled, and rainy for several days last week. Equally unusual, at about the same time, was the fact that Pakistan’s Attorney-General, Justice (retd) Malik Qayyum, a symbol of the neo-colonial mindset of the incumbent political establishment in Islamabad, was spotted shopping all alone, unattended by the subservient bureaucracy of the consulate’s office, in a Hypermarket at the Dubai Festival City. Indeed, it was an indication that the Attorney-General, wanting to be unnoticed, was on a secret mission in the Emirates.

Then came the news that Asif Zardari was also in town to see his children. What a coincidence! This was followed by other news that the Attorney-General had met the PPP Chairperson and offered him the premiership of an interim administration on the pre-condition of accepting certain government demands that included postponing the elections for another year. In the meantime, the General (retd) has been telling his audiences in Western Europe that there is “no way” elections could be delayed.

No less surprising, another media story surfaced: Shahbaz Sharif, President PML (N), had flown to Islamabad to inquire about the health of an old friend, a retired army officer who happens to be a close confidant of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. By absolute coincidence, it was claimed, the younger Sharif and the retired Brigadier flew to London for a medical checkup at about the same time.

In the meantime, the General (retd) continues to claim, abroad as well as at home, that by imposing emergency and dismissing the Supreme Court judges on November 3, 2007, he has upheld the constitution of Pakistan. How one justifies such an absurd and contradictory claim is only known to the General (retd). Ironically, in a similar analogous assertion, the General’s (retd) personal friend and staunch supporter, George W. Bush, considers himself “a president of peace” – notwithstanding a “holocaust” in which over a million and a half people have perished so far in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon. This human carnage has been explicitly orchestrated by his 8-year neo-conservative ultra-Right-Christian-supported regime in Washington D.C. This is despite the fact that the Center for Public Integrity in the US says that the top US officials, including President Bush, lied 935 to the American public and the world in a two-year period leading to the Iraq war – in spite of this, the American president maintains that he and his administration were merely the unwitting victims of “bad intelligence”. Amazing incidents of deliberately intended falsehood, aren’t they? What can you say about these shameful charades of the ultra-Right-Wing politicians?

An internet website is currently circulating two pictures of the former two-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. In the first photograph taken nearly 2 decades ago, Nawaz Sharif is seen on the mazar (grave) of General Zia-ul-Haq saying, “Hum ap ka mission poora karain gay (We will accomplish your mission).” In the second picture, the former Prime Minister is at Benazir’s mazar (grave) and repeating exactly the same statement verbatim, “Hum ap ka mission poora karain gay.” What is this twice- (in two different eras) promised mission exactly?

No human relationships, honorable, dependable, mutual, respectable and lasting can be built on falsehood – let alone solid, healthy and confident relationships between political leaderships and the national masses at large. The war in Iraq is based on falsehoods. So is the so-called incidental meetings between the Attorney-General and Asif Zardari. Contrary to the impression given in the media, the meeting between Shahbaz Sharif and the brigadier was pre-planned for specific political purposes. Similarly, the General’s (retd) assertions, in totality, are based on absolute falsehood and are intended to manipulate the public and the global audience. Just as Nawaz Sharif’s two declarations of “Hum ap ka mission poora karain gay” are purely rhetorical for public consumption.

Falsehood, at an individual level is precipitated by three fundamental psychological factors: (a) The people who habitually lie have no respect for the intelligence of others. They assume that others cannot figure out the truth. Also, they believe that if a lie is told consistently and continually, it will eventually be taken as “the truth” (this is the basis of the media-driven democracy doctrine in the US in the present technological civilization). Politicians (mostly the ultra-Right-Wing media-dependent majority) make another addition to this psychological equation: they believe that people have short memories, and there is no moral dilemma involved in lying to the public.

The second factor at the base of individual falsehood is that the feelings of others, in mutual interaction and human discourse, are not considered as important. What is assumed important is one’s personal agenda and its fulfillment. Politicians’ interpretation of this component is that the masses are too ignorant and lack basic intelligence to understand the dynamics of Realpolitik – It is not the public’s role to decide what and what not to be said in a given situational context. Nor does the public have the right to make judgments on national issues. It is simply a prerogative that belongs to politicians, who are obviously knowledgeable and in power.

The third element that operates within the psyche of individual falsehood is personal arrogance and intrinsic disrespect for seeking mutually and an in-depth strength of relationship with others: “If you do not like what I say and do, then tough luck. It is your problem, not mine.” Politicians extend this personal arrogance to another psychological level: “We are above and apart from the public. We make history. We know what you don’t. The common people neither have the right nor the knowledge nor the vision to question our judgments.”

The question is: If the politicians and the present ruling leadership in Pakistan (for that matter globally, especially in the US) are so aptly visionary, then why are we at the edge of an abyss today? One explanation of the prevailing chaos is the politics of falsehood that has become the “modus-operandi” of our political existence and the intended perpetuation of the said system.

At a time of a seemingly national political renaissance (thanks to the civil society, lawyers and the courageous judges of the apex courts), Asif Zardari did not have to lie to the nation about a pre-planned meeting with a top government functionary; all he had to do was to tell the nation that he wanted to find out about the government’s offer and make a counter-proposal to benefit the national movement for the restoration of democracy. Shahbaz Sharif did not have to invent a story which no one considers credible; he simply had to say that he wanted to listen to what was being proposed to him. Nawaz Sharif should have remembered that people, after all, do not have such short memories, neither are the masses so remote from understanding what is going on in their country. Nawaz Sharif should have qualified his statements with a reasonable and sensible explanation.

As for the incumbent political establishment, we all know that its leadership suffers from an incurable paralysis of political incorrectness, lack of vision, poor management skills, and above all, from a futility of falsehood that cannot be healed – nor can it be restored to any meaningful dimension that is the call of our time. Judging from the severity of its misjudgments and flawed political decision-making this administration is beyond the possibility of redemption or salvation.

Surely, we as a nation have the right to know where the leadership of both the PPP and the PML (N) firmly stand on the questions of a national political renaissance movement – unequivocally.

What is your mission?

Let it be known that the masses are not ignorant, neither are they willing to accept falsehood as the ideological “modus-operandi” of our political existence.

Perhaps the nation should listen to Imran Khan more attentively, more carefully – more diligently – that is where a clear line is being drawn between political falsehood and the political truth of our times!

Seek the truth – and the truth shall set you free…!

The Nation, January 30, 2008

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Kaiser Bengali explains the Economic performance of Shaukat Aziz and Musharaff's claims

2008-01-29T03:18:00.001-08:00

Kaiser Bengali is currently working for Collective for Social Science Research, a research company based in Karachi, economist Bengali has also served as the managing director Social Policy Development Centre between 2001-2004. Here he talks with TNS about a range of issues and gives his own economic blueprint which is closely tied up with politics. Excerpts of the interview follow:

The News on Sunday (TNS): How do see the relationship between military regimes and economic progress?
Kaiser Bengali (KB): There is a myth about development and economic performance of military regimes. In Pakistan, Ayub Khan, Ziaul Haq and Musharraf have all received unprecedented support from IMF and World Bank. In the case of Musharraf, it was the rescheduling and, of course, money that was coming as rental from the United States for using our space.

There were four factors which contributed to the high growth during the Zia period, none of which can be located in Zia’s economic policy. The oil price shock hit the world in 1973 but it was 1975-77 when the first emigrants from Pakistan began to leave for Saudi Arabia and it was 1978 when the remittance inflow began and it peaked in 1982onwards. So the price of the oil price shock was borne by the Bhutto regime but the benefits were accrued by the Zia regime. This rate of remittance inflow gave the govt sufficient fiscal space.

Second, there were very large investments made during the Bhutto period that had long gestation periods. The Pakistan Steel Mills construction started in 1974, and it started commercial production in1982. Similarly there were Heavy Mechanical Complex, Indus Highway, Heavy Electrical Complex, Port Qasim and Ittehad Chemicals (chemical lindustry’s foundation was laid in 1970s and chemicals are a major input in a large number of consumer industries). So this investment in the 1970s began to fruit in the 1980s leading to large chunk of output increases.

Third, because of Afghan war Pakistan received enormous amount of foreign funding, almost unlimited.

And fourth, Zia resorted very heavily on borrowing and deficit financing. When he took over the debt-GDP ratio of the country was 24%and in 1988 when Zia left the scene, it was 48%. So if you get manna form heaven your performance will be good. However, the poor performance of Zia regime became apparent in the 1990s and till later.

TNS: What happened in the 1990s?
KB: In the 1990s the civilian governments had no fiscal space because all the resources they had were mobilized for repaying the dept which Zia had left them. You will recall in 1984, Mahboob ul Haq, Zia’s finance minister floated whitener bonds with a ten year maturity period. They matured in 1994. If you look at the budget of 1994, debt service rate went very high - almost 40% in nominal terms. Zia government had collected money and spent it [on defense], so in 1994Benazir government had to repay that money.

So, if you say 1990 were not an era of good economic performance, it was there were no resources. I once asked somebody very senior in Nawaz Sharif government as to why the ninth five year plan was not being prepared. His reply was that whenever the economic team met, all they discussed was when was the next installment due and where would the money come from. He said there was no point in discussing any thing else.

TNS: In this backdrop how do you look at the economic performance of Musharraf in the last eight years?
KB: GDP growth rate is an average of growth in its component sectors. So in the years that GDP growth rate was around 8%, in 2003 for instance, banking sector growth rate was 29% and the automobile sector growth rate was 45%. Now if you have some sectors where growth rate is so high, your average will go up, even if the variance is very high.

The banking sector growth rate was high because the government, or the State Bank rather, allowed consumer financing from 2002 onwards. The monetary was you could get a loan for a house, car, fridge, camera, if for nothing else, a vacation or a personal loan. Banks made enormous profits out of consumer credit and profits are a component of GDP. A lot of this credit was going in for buying cars so automobile production went up by 40-45%.

So basically it was a one legged growth and that one leg is consumer financing. You remove consumer financing, everything else collapses. You are only managing an economy for your numbers to look good, for headlines.

TNS: What is the other leg of the economy?
KB: Largely there are two legs of an economy, agriculture and manufacturing. The services sector is the body. If you look at the national accounts, more than 50% of growth of GDP is coming from services sector. Agriculture is stagnant, and so is manufacturing barring one or two sectors, like automobiles. Today we have an economy with weak legs and a bloated body. It is not sustainable.

TNS: What is wrong with consumer financing?
KB: What it did was that it increased money supply in the economy. In the first two years, inflation remained low because there was excess manufacturing capacity in the country. So factories which were operating at two shifts began to operate at three shifts and the supply increased. But once that capacity was reached demand continued to increase because people kept going to restaurants and kept paying out of credit cards. Once supply was constant and demand continued to increase inflation was the result. Sp today we have runaway inflation, nearly double digit and food inflation which is certainly more than12%.

Another things that has happened is that a lot of demand has been created for imported products. W are importing billion dollars worth of mobile phones. We are importing cars, because we only assemble cars here. And with cars come petroleum imports as well.

So we have created two problems: inflation that is out of control and a trade imbalance. Our imports have risen sharply while the exports are stagnant. And this is what the coming government is going to inherit. Just as Zia gave a debt mountain to the incoming government, the Musharraf regime is going to give the next government a massive foreign exchange crisis.

TNS: What about the outgoing government’s privatization policy?
KB: Our services deficit which has always been very small is rising sharply because of our privatization and foreign investment policy. All the large entities have been privatized to foreign companies. And the investment (FDI) has been in terms of telecommunications, mobile phones and food. All of these companies earn their profits in rupees but remit their profit in dollars. So there is dollar outflow in terms of profit remittance against which there is no dollar inflow. We have created a liability without creating a countervailing asset.

In 1999 total profit remittance outflow, which in monetary language is called reverse remittance, was 97 million dollars a year. Today it is close to a billion dollars and rising.

TNS: About PTCL, is there a justification for a profit-making enterprise?

KB: There was no real policy or principle involved. This is a neo-liberal government which believes it is not the business of the government to be in business. What they have done is that that have sold PTCL to a company which is a state enterprise. So de facto their policy was that is not the business of the Pakistani state to be in business in Pakistan but it can be the business of a foreign state to be in business in Pakistan.

TNS: There is a massive power and energy crisis n the country. Where did we go wrong?
KB: The last investment that was made in the power sector was in the Ghazi Barotha project, which was an achievement of the political governments of the 1990s. In 1988, the Benazir govt. saw a power crisis coming and they went ahead with establishing thermal power plants which takes about three years to build. If those power plants had not been setup, we would have seen the same situation in 1990sthat we have today. There would have been power outages for eight to ten hours.

Since 1999, the Musharraf regime has not invested n a single megawatt of power. In 2001, we had surplus power, today we are living with power shortage. When Benazir’s govt. contracted to buy power at 6cents per hour, there was excessive criticism. Today, for one project they are contracting at 11.5 cents per hour. Today, the world knows that we have a power crisis, it will increase its power knowing that Pakistan has no choice but to buy.

So it is mismanagement of the highest order of the economy. All the investment that they talk about is either portfolio investment, which is the stock market, equity markets or soft investments like telecommunications. These are all investments which do not require these companies to build any brick and mortar and steel structures. So if they have to leave at 24 hours notice, they don’t lose much. What do banks lose, furniture?

TNS: But they have paid huge licensing fees.
KB: That is peanuts compared to the kind of profits they have made. They have recovered several times their licensing fees.

TNS: So are big dams like Kalabagh the only solution to the energy crisis?
KB: Dams don’t produce water, they only store water and you don’t have water. Even now you cannot store water in Tarbela and Mangla to their full capacity.

TNS: You are a strong advocate of low GDP growth rates. Comment.
KB: For about ten years we need to run an economy where the finance minister and the prime minister have the courage not to get good headlines. We need to invest in infrastructure which has deteriorated to a point that we don’t have productive capacity.

When you are investing in infrastructure, and by that I also mean cities which are totally chaotic where no foreigners wants to come, and physical and human infrastructure, the results are going to come after a while. So you are not going to get any output and the GDP is going to be low. Ten years later when you have infrastructure in place then you can target double digit growth rates. That growth will be based on real sectors - on agriculture and manufacturing outputs, not an hot air balloon sectors like mobile phones. By doing so, you will have a massive boost in employment, income generation and poverty reduction.

As for inflation it will be controlled by switching expenditures from current heads to development heads - by abolishing concurrent list ministries and reducing defense expenditure.

TNS: In an idea economic model, what sort of a role do you see for the private and public sector.
KB: Private sector is good in producing those commodities, which are low technology and require small capital investments. We have seen that our private sector is unable to put together large outlays. We have no one in this country of the caliber of Tata or Ambani in India. These are areas where the state will invest.

TNS: But then the state tends to over staff?
KB: There is no problem with that. This is where your economic and social values come in. Is the purpose of the state merely to fill the pockets of profit makers? Or is the state supposed to work for the welfare of the maximum number of people?

It’s a value judgement. When Shaukat Aziz went out for all out privatization, he made a value judgement. The welfare of the people of Pakistan didn’t matter, what mattered was the corporate profits and he made that decision accordingly. As a state we need to determine what are our values. Are we prepared to have a few people who can enjoy summer holidays in Switzerland and the rest of the people virtually starving? If that is acceptable, then fine. We should follow that policy.

TNS: And now to the most immediate issues. How do you look at the current food crisis?
KB: There was a mala fide intention to begin with. The Shaukat Aziz ministry (Finance) predetermined the growth rate they want to achieve. So when you increase the wheat output you increase the agricultural sector growth rate. When you do that GDP growth rate will go up.

There was something else that was suspect here. The estimate for the wheat crop is made after the rains, but this time they mad an announcement of a bumper crop before the winter rains and, based on that announcement, allowed certain part to export wheat to India, apparently half a million tones. After that transaction was complete, the rains came and news began to come in that we are going to have a normal crop. A normal crop means that you import two million tones of wheat which is a routine

Because they had earlier announced a bumper crop, they took time to admit that they were wrong. So the LC for import of wheat was also delayed. One wheat had been exported and we had a normal crop, the wheat market knew there was to be a shortage. Now stockists every wherein the world will behave like that that when they know there is a shortage and prices can go up, they withhold their stocks. They are not evil people. This is normal behavior and this is what a market economy will do if there is a shortage.

They made another mistake. Instead of placing an order for 2 million tonnes of wheat, they placed an order of 1.5 million tonnes of wheat first. Then they realised this mistake and placed another order for half a million tonnes of wheat. After their first order, the signal had already gone out in the market that shortage will remain. So they continued to withhold stocks. If they knew that wheat was arriving and prices will fall, they would have released stocks and that would have taken care of the shortage.

TNS: Prices of other commodities have doubled alongside?
KB: There are two components of economic management: fiscal policy and monetary policy. The State Bank is following a restrictive monetary policy while the finance ministry is following a liberal fiscal policy, one is contradicting the other and neither of them effective. The government is borrowing heavily from the State Bank for its expenditure. That means the money supply increases. On one hand, the State Bank is trying to restrict money supply by increasing interest rates, and on the other the government is raising the money supply. When money supply increases prices will rise.

There is another reason for increasing food prices. Our agricultural yield per acre is constant on declining for most crops because we are not investing in our land, in supporting agriculture. The government’s adhocism is causing problems. When the government suddenly imported tomatoes and prices crash. As a result the farmer will not grow tomato next year, shifting the crisis to the next year.

For eight years Shaukat Aziz has mismanaged the economy like no other finance minister. Because Shaukat Aziz knew he does not has to go back and ask people for votes, he couldn’t care less about what he did to the economy. All he had to show for was the stock market performance which is only hot air.

Courtesy Teeth Meastro

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Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

2008-01-23T07:27:00.001-08:00

A talk by an ex-CIA agent. How the situation he describes for Iraq maps completely on Pakistan and our dictator, Musharraf. He is clearly identifying, banks, corporations as the faces behind the globalization forces responsible for the situation in the world today.

Embedded Video

Torrent for his interesting book

Other information on him

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GOD FATHER

2008-01-23T01:20:00.001-08:00

Now is the time to think about our future, not just "my" or my family's future because frankly speaking, Pakistan has no raison d'etre (The purpose that justifies a thing's existence). If there ever was a reason in the first place, that was Islam, and unless we are willing to make a marked difference there, I'm afraid, history, nature and time have shown again and again, that things without any purpose haven't had too long a time. They are destroyed and forgotten, not nurtured and grown or given numerous chances. Apart from a few prayers here and there, we are involved in every form of disgusting practices that Allah has forbidden in Quran or are ethically and morally incorrect. It's a matter of few years perhaps before we are going to be physically slaves to a more principled or powerful nation, although mentally, we are already slaves to the american dream of capitalism. We want to be rich over night, and want to lead luxurious lives!! We should either leave Pakistan now, now that we can, now that there's still time, or else, make immediate reform. Why don't we start from the man in the mirror!!!

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Welcome To The Technocratic Dark Age Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love My Enslavement

2008-01-22T03:50:00.001-08:00

By Michael Vail
As posted at Intel Strike

“The Technocratic Age is slowly designing an every day more controlled society. The society will be dominated by an elite of persons free from traditional values (!) who will have no doubt in fulfilling their objectives by means of purged techniques with which they will influence the behavior of people and will control and watch the society in all details”. “… it will become possible to exert a practically permanent watch on each citizen of the world”.

- Zbigniew Brzezinski, co-founder of Trilateral Commission

There are many today that have become accustomed to living in servitude. The systems of control are layers upon layers, so much so that the average Joe would rather succumb to it than to fight it. I have taken a hard look at these control mechanisms; we are living in a matrix of constant manipulation. We need to deeply examine it and ourselves if we are ever going to free ourselves from it. Let us go now into the rabbit hole.

Systems of Control:

The two dimensional political paradigm:

The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can “throw the rascals out” at any election without leading to any profound or extreme shifts in policy. – Carroll Quigley, Tragedy and Hope p. 1247

We are given false choices with misrepresentative government officials. Take your pick, Democrat or Republican. There are some naïve people in this world who think we decide who will be president of the United States. The harsh reality is that the Bilderberg Group[1] and the Council on Foreign Relations makes their picks and we vote on ‘Diebold’ machines from the list they have already arranged. The whole election process is choreographed like WWF wrestling.

The political spectrum is so narrow that the debate is always left verses right. The Pournelle chart[2] originally showed that people are not so limited in their political stances and that for people like myself libertarians we have commonality with both Democrats and Republicans but only in certain areas. The Republicrats are in place only to make sure that America does not return to a constitutional republic. They will continue to trot out these slick snake oil salesmen but we aren’t buying it anymore.

Group Think/Adult Peer Pressure:
In this world of compact cities and gated communities we have exchanges of thoughts and ideas with friends and family. It is only natural to want to get along with everyone and have them respect you. That is why many people cannot tell others their beliefs if it is outside the norm. In your heart you may know for a fact that 9/11 is an inside job but you can’t admit to your friends and family because you believe that they will look down on you. So you just talk about ball games and mundane issues around the water cooler. You are engaging in self-censorship which will only lead to self hatred and depression

This is called group think. I like to call it adult peer pressure because that is exactly what it is. ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ is another form of group think. You are constantly putting yourself in debt up to your eyeballs because you feel you need to buy something that your neighbor bought so that you can be apart of the ‘in’ crowd. You criticize others who do not think with the crowd and will even be willing to do horrible things to others when you are with your peer group. That is exactly how the brown shirts terrorized Nazi Germany and the Nashi[3] bullies Russia today

Television and the Hypnotic State:
The television has caused irreparable damage to our society. Today you can drive around your neighborhood and see the hypnotic blue glow of the ubiquitous television set. Families no longer talk to each other but go to their separate rooms to watch television. Children used to get exercise by going outside to play football or baseball and now many children[4] are obese[5] and out of shape. To put it bluntly, the television is an emotional stimulation box. You can find people staring at the tele with their mouths open and tears rolling out of their eyes.

The television creates the state of mind which leads to ‘mind fog’[6]. That is how people can watch television for hours and not even notice. What is far more sinister is that the television is literally programming your mind. When you watch television your brain shifts from the left-hemisphere the analytical side to the right hemisphere which leads to accepting ideas in wholes without thinking. If children are raised on television[7] from an early age they don’t begin speaking and reading properly[8] as their brains become right-hemisphere dominant.

What’s worse is that too much television can lead to a spike of endorphins[9], a natural sedative similar to heroin and opium. So you can be literally addicted[10] to the TV. If you watch more than 4 hours of television a day try to stop watching it for a week and you will suffer withdrawals and mood changes. There is a part of the conscious mind called the ‘critical factor’ which prevents your subconscious mind from being affected by outside stimuli. As soon as you turn on your television set the critical factor[11] is bypassed and your subconscious mind is under a barrage of suggestions. You might want to drive to Wendy’s for a juicy burger or buy a used car. Your brain is being programmed by advertisers and they have mastered the art of CFB ‘critical factor bypass’.

Now think about every time you have watched CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. These mockingbird media anchors are shaping your opinions and altering your thoughts. Turn off the television and do not let the television babysit your children. There will be a generation of children who cannot speak or read properly be cause of this infernal box. These will be the leaders of our society in the future. Now do you realize the matrix of manipulation that we live in?

Blind Patriotism:

“You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.” – Malcolm X

There is a segment of our population who are cheerleaders for the neoconservatives. They believe might makes right and the ends justify the means.
They squat in front of their television sets and watch the fireworks from far, far away. Sitting there drinking beer and enjoying the carnage from their soft Lay-Z boy chair. Sadly they almost get sexually excited watching a country get smart bombed. Standing up saluting President Bush as he puts on a uniform like some tin-pot dictator under a banner that says ‘mission accomplished’. These people make my physically ill. They are lost in the wilderness of the matrix and are nothing more than slaves watching their lords go to the crusades.

Final Thoughts:
These so-called elites are waging a war on the population. We are punch-drunk from a nonstop PSYOP campaign and also being physically and chemically brainwashed. We stare at the television, drink the fluoridated water, eat the genetically modified foods and ask for seconds. Let’s find our way out of this technocratic hell and detox our friends and families. Even if you have to give them some tough love it is worth it. I at least want to look my ancestors in the eye and said that I tried to change the world around me.

If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever. – George Orwell, 1984

Notes:

1. WorldNetDaily. Will secret clubs pick next prez? 2007 cited; Available from: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58425.

2. Answers. Pournelle Chart. 2007 cited; Available from: http://www.answers.com/topic/pournelle-chart-1.

3. New York Times. Youth Groups Created by Kremlin Serve Putin’s Cause. 2007 cited; Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/world/europe/08moscow.html?_r=1&oref=slogin.

4. Daily Mail. Child TV addicts ‘are greedy and unhappy’. 2007 cited; Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=468603&in_page_id=1770.

5. Media Family. Media Use And Obesity Among Children. 2007 cited; Available from: http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_tvandobchild.shtml.

6. AC. Your Brain Waves Change When You Watch TV -Low Alpha Waves Can Lead to “Mind Fog”. 2007 cited; Available from: http://www.associatedcontent.com/pop_print.shtml?content_type=article&content_type_id=247802.

7. Marita Huxholl. Television and Child Development by Marita Huxholl. cited; Available from: http://www.willungawaldorfschool.com.au/pages/Resources/Television%20&%20Child%20Development.pdf.

8. Japan Today. Too much TV spoils kids’ speaking skills. 2001 cited; Available from: http://www.japantoday.com/jp/kuchikomi/140.

9. BBC. TV ‘can numb pain for children’. 2006 cited; Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4795287.stm.

10. Naira Yaqoob. TV Invasion An Addiction to Resist! 2006 cited; Available from: http://www.boloji.com/perspective/176.htm.

11. Infinity Institute. Hypnosis. What it is not. What it is. How it works. How it is used. cited; Available from: http://www.infinityinst.com/articles/hyp_whatis.html

Welcome To The Technocratic Dark Age Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love My Enslavement at Go Think Blog

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New World Order and Education

2008-01-19T01:56:00.001-08:00

Published December 3rd, 2007 in Control the Past, Control the Future, Social Engineering & Psycho-Social Change Agents, New World Order.
This article is about negative changes in education that cannot be explained by any competent, professional justification. Although reasons are being given to rationalize them, a quick summary of these changes, shown in a larger political context, is alarming. The fact that all of them started after the collapse of the Soviet Union and all point in one direction indicates deliberate sabotage.

By Lech Biegalski
As posted at Candawatch.org

The Ideological Competition Is Over
Second World War did not end in 1945. It continued until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The term “Cold War” referred not only to the arms race but also to the ideological competition between communism and capitalism in which political propaganda played a major role. In response to the Warsaw Pact, the West created NATO. In response to the Workers’ Rights, the West promoted Human Rights. In response to communist social programs, the West established its own social support networks.

Those who grew up on this continent may not understand my conclusions. While living in Poland from 1950s till mid 1980s, I regularly listened to Polish language broadcasts of Radio Free Europe and Voice of America. These propaganda tubes, funded under the umbrella of the U.S. Congress, consistently painted a picture of America as a paradise in which freedom, democracy, human rights, job security, high standard of living and excellent social programs allowed people to live with dignity. ‘Happy American Families’ was the most appealing theme.

On the other side of the Iron Curtain, the “representatives of the working class” ran communism and the working families were supposed to have it better there. By investing in people, by creating higher standard of living and decent social conditions in the West, western elites stirred an ideological conflict in the Soviet Block and inspired revolts in Eastern Europe that contributed to the collapse of communism.

In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, the West won the war, and the ideological competition was over. “Restructuring” was implemented promptly and our 46 year old magic carpet began to roll back. And so did job security, high standard of living, decent social programs, full time jobs, paid holidays, benefits, democracy and the focus on human rights and human dignity in general. It seems that all the goodies we enjoyed in the 1970s and 1980s were not given to us out of a genuine support for decent life of working families. It seems that they were not “won” in a struggle between the workers and the capitalists. Rather, they were temporarily used by the elites as weapons in the ideological war between the West and the East. The war is now over and so is “capitalism with human face.”

Culture
“Body and soul make up man and all that is human and bears any kind of relation to man; all this possesses form and content, an internal and an external side. Fullness of life requires both, for the failure of one leads to dislocation of the whole. To the internal, spiritual side of life belong the concepts of Good (morality) and Truth; to the bodily, health and prosperity; in addition there exists the category of Beauty common to body and soul. There is no manifestation of life which does not bear some relation to one of these categories, often to two or more. Here every fact and every opinion belongs.” — Prof. Feliks Koneczny, Plurality of Civilisations, 1935.
At the beginning of the 20 century, a new science was born in Europe. It was allowed to grow for three decades before being classified and contained in secret institutions. It was called “Historiosophy” or Philosophy of History. One of the leading representatives of Historiosophy was Prof. Feliks Koneczny of the University of Vilno.

Koneczny believed that civilizations were formed by people sharing common priorities and common cultural values. He argued that historical changes have always been enabled by dynamically changing values and priorities. His work concentrated on these values and on five domains of human activities in which all these values originated and existed. Following is a short summary of his core theory.

All human activities can be contained in five existential domains. Koneczny called them the Domain of Truth, Goodness, Beauty, Health, and Prosperity. In this summary, we will use more modern terms:

Intellectual Domain - includes purely intellectual activities. In this domain people try to recognize the Truth and distinguish between True and False. Activities that fall into this domain include education, research, sciences, and all other sources of information based on facts, logic, and rational, realistic approach.
Moral and Legal Domain - includes moral values and legal regulations. In this domain people distinguish between Good and Bad, and also between Right and Wrong. Fields in this category include religion, traditional customs and moral values, as well as the whole cluster of legal sciences and activities.
Emotional and Spiritual Domain - includes emotions and spiritual experiences. In this domain people distinguish between their likes and dislikes based on their feelings, and experience happiness, sadness, anger, fear, love, hate, jealousy, pride, shame, and spiritual fulfilment. Art, Music, supernatural beliefs, good taste, fashion, religion, fanaticism, sad times, happy times, and many other emotionally loaded activities can be found in this domain.
Biological Domain - includes all activities that promote and protect healthy living. Examples include food production, healthy diet, active life style, hygiene, and clean environment, as well as all medical and pharmaceutical services.
Economical Domain - represents all activities that provide material security and well-being.

Using concrete examples, taken from historical sources, Koneczny showed that many of the basic cultural values contained in each of these five domains are common between different civilizations. For example, most civilizations recognize killing, stealing, lying, and cheating as Bad and Wrong. However, many other values may be interpreted differently. What is deemed true in one culture, may be deemed false in another. For example, the story of Creation in different religious traditions differ from each other and differ from the theory of evolution. Another example is the old Indian tradition of (male) public masturbation, as an expression of religious ecstasy, which could hardly be recognized as “Beautiful” by any Western cultural or religious standards.

According to Koneczny, differences within specific domains have a minor impact on the culture as a whole. What is more important is the hierarchy of the domains themselves. To understand it better, write down the five existential domains in order of your priorities, from the most important in your life, to the least important. Note that the first, the top domain is especially important, as it is the one for which you will sacrifice all other values, whenever you make your choices. Even though different people will come up with different priorities, and consequently will make different choices in their lives, culture on a scale of a nation can be defined as a prevailing system of existential domains, usually supported by local religions or ideologies, and accompanied by the Triple Law governing the organization of clans: Family Law, Property Law, and Inheritance Law. Using this classification, Koneczny concluded that there were only between 20 and 30 different civilizations in all human history. Seven of them still exist today.

How important is culture? Nations that have been wiped off the map know that preserving cultural values, when all other means of resistance fail, is the only way to stay strong and united. People in Quebec have preserved their national identity for hundreds of years. Poland has regained independence after 10 generations of foreign occupation. Culture is a backbone of a nation. This is why the burning of libraries and pauperization of culture always accompany occupation and assimilation efforts. Resistance and patriotism are proportional to the degree of national and cultural identity.

I have a strong feeling that we are experiencing the same phenomena today. It is better camouflaged but I can see many examples of a deliberate destruction of traditional Western culture that is being sacrificed on the altar of the New World Order. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, we witness an unprecedented attack on nationalism, family, religion, education, human rights, labour movement, and every institution promoting patriotism, critical thinking and social solidarity. This also explains why “the system” supports “multiculturalism”, and other modern “trends” opposite to traditional customs and values. Big push to derail the young generation into the virtual culture and virtual world of computer and video games completes the picture.

The Role of the State
Political systems become “official” and “binding” through an organization called state. States, with their legislative, executive and judiciary branches, provide the elites with means of control that keep in check the rest of the society. Manipulation of public opinion through “embedded” media and powerful lobbies, through which the elite ensures the support of the “representatives of the people”, complete the picture. This role of a state is universal and applies equally to kingdoms, to most of the so called western democracies, to communist or other totalitarian dictatorships and to states run by religious fundamentalists. The name is not important; what counts is the mechanism, the way it works.

In an ideal world, the state would promote and protect the cultural values historically developed and traditionally accepted in a given society. Such a state would act as an “a posteriori” stamp guarding and reflecting the popular values, traditions, and aspirations of the majority. In most cases, however, the situation is opposite. The state becomes an “a priori” tool used to implement policies that serve the best interest of an outside force (a foreign power or an occupant), or the best interest of an inside minority (the elite). These policies are forced upon the majority without any regard to their historical and cultural background and often, without any regard to the official democratic obligations of the state itself.

The New World Order
According to many progressive thinkers, the New World Order is an attempt, by international elites, to monopolize our political and economical reality on a global scale. It is also said to include demographic modifications, especially the depopulation policy aimed at reducing the overgrown world’s population. Successful implementation of the New World Order would mark the end of democracy, the end of national self-determination, the end of human rights, and the end of many publicly run services (including health care and education.)

An open announcement of these changes would most certainly cause massive and violent protests worldwide. This is why they are being introduced gradually, secretly, and with a great degree of disinformation. The use of powerful lobbies and financial incentives to corrupt politicians, the use of a network of strategically located enablers, and the use of corporate media to cover up the truth and to spread propaganda, prove that preparations for the entire operation took a lot of time and planning. The lack of substantial opposition within the system also proves the presence of an organized web of willing collaborators who infiltrated the system and are doing the “dirty work” for the elites. It is often hard to believe that the elites managed to extend their power over so many control posts across the combined economical, political, and social spectrum of our life. Perhaps this is where the scepticism and the term “conspiracy theory” originate from. Unfortunately, the fact that all changes point in one direction, excludes the possibility of a coincidence. Opportunism and conformism are wide spread in a society that continues to liberate itself from any restrictions, moral values included.

As part of the New World Order agenda, all sources of independent cultural values have been placed under attack. This includes the institutions of family and church, the organizations of human rights, labour, and international law, as well as many traditional means of promoting moral values (for example in literature, art, and media.) We are witnessing unprecedented attempts to “deregulate” traditional family model, to weaken parental authority, and to reduce the quality time families spend together. We see under-funding, overloading, and confusing of public education and public health care in an attempt to destroy their effectiveness and prepare grounds for privatization. We see the closing of affordable, out-of-town, recreational opportunities for working families in an attempt to contain lower class masses in city ghettos. We witness efforts to reduce various survival and ‘handy-man’ skills, resulting in increased public dependency on state and corporate services. We see the cost of living growing to unreasonable levels. Consequently, we see decreasing standard of living and increasing poverty, a trend that makes it impossible for most working families to achieve financial independence, a trend that traps people in mortgages and credit loans for a lifetime, a trend that enslaves people. We see increasing support for multiculturalism and deregulation of most cultural, moral, and national standards. Considering that all these “restructuring” changes started to take effect immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, this, too, can hardly be seen as a coincidence.

In a rich country people should be rich. System that increases the wealth of the elites at the expense of the masses is a colonial system focused on exploitation. Since the end of the Cold War, people became another commodity.

Family
Family has always been the basic unit of society, one in which values and culture were created and preserved independently of political and economical influence. If you destroy traditional model of family and dissolve culture in communities, creative cultural abilities of the population will collapse and the society will become dependent on political and corporate overseers.

Much has been done in the last 16 years to achieve this goal, relaxed family laws and “liberating” media campaigns included. Perhaps the most serious damage to the traditional model of family came with the new employment policies. Fewer full time jobs, reduction of benefits and paid holidays, and lower employment security resulted in overloads and stress. Parents work longer and often irregular hours, quality family time is shrinking. Children are brought up by TV cartoons and video games, in a completely unrealistic virtual world controlled by corporations. Schools are taking over the parental role and introducing various virtues / values / character traits programs, which further reduces instructional time needed to teach academic subjects and meet curriculum expectations.

In the atmosphere of constant uncertainty, opportunism and conformism replace integrity and traditional values. Model of family, that used to preserve these values, is quickly disappearing.

Education

“There is a campaign under way to essentially destroy the public education system along with every aspect of human life and attitudes and thought that involve social solidarity. It’s being done in all sorts of ways. One is simply by underfunding. So, if you can make the public schools really rotten, people will look for an alternative. Any service that’s going to be privatized, the first thing you do is make it malfunction so people can say, “We want to get rid of it. It’s not running. Let’s give it to Lockheed.” — Noam Chomsky, The Progressive Magazine, September 1999, p.37 –

Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Canadian Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) televised a speech delivered to the Toronto business leaders by a president of one of the major Canadian banks. Addressing the necessity of restructuring, he also mentioned education. He said, “Our education has outgrown the capacity of our economy in terms of employment.” The meaning of this statement was clear: we had too many educated people, our economy did not need them, we should not over-invest in education. In other words: our education was too good.

The following government of Mike Harris understood this message and took steps to “fix” the school system by cutting funds and by implementing changes that permanently decreased its effectiveness. Coincidence? I don’t think so. For the elites, the education system is nothing more than a factory producing workforce. In the age of computerization and outsourcing, well educated workforce is no longer required, and neither is the middle class. Education for a better quality of life is not supported. People who know more and understand better are harder to manipulate and more difficult to satisfy. They may even know how to challenge the system.

Here is what transpired in public elementary schools in Ontario, after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991:

The School Council system was empowered during the Bob Ray and Dave Cooke’s reign. Officially intended to give parents more extensive decision-making powers, the role of parents in School Councils was quickly derailed and limited to various fund raising initiatives. These hidden “user fees” allowed the Ministry to cut funds to schools under the umbrella of the “Social Contract” and the consequent policies.
A high school dropout in Mike Harris’s government became a minister of education. By his own admission, John Snobelen tried to create conflict in education. This conflict was then used to justify changes that people would otherwise oppose. In order to “fix” the alleged problems in education, the government cut more funds and implemented a number of changes that had a negative impact on the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process in the classroom. The new curriculum, new evaluation and reporting, business-like management and organization, commercialization, and bureaucratization, the cutting of programs and Special Education services, additional responsibilities and requirements downloaded on teachers, and many other “inventions” overloaded, dehumanized, and pauperized the whole system. These changes continue to be supported and new changes are being implemented under the consequent Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty. It seems that the policy does not depend on which political party is in power.
The Industrial Arts program has been eliminated. As a result, students do not learn how to use simple tools and machines anymore. This decreases independent life skills and increases future dependence of the society on corporate services and on the state.
The Family Studies program has been eliminated. Students do not learn basic home-related skills, with the same results as above.
Science and Technology program has been stripped of Scientific Method and Science Fairs, the most important components of the old curriculum that provided students with understanding how science works. The remaining material lacks theory and mostly consists of descriptions of often unrelated facts and examples. Some of the explanations are wrong.Human Geography textbooks present one-sided point of view focusing on the globalization agenda.
Special Education classes are being closed and Special Education services limited. Only 12 years ago, we had many different Special Education services in Ontario. There were self-contained classes for Slow Learners, for Trainable Retarded (later renamed to Developmentally Delayed), services for students with Learning Disabilities, classes for students with Behavioural problems, self-contained classes for Gifted Learners, 1-on-1 assistance and in-class support, scheduled replacement programs on withdrawal basis. Students with special needs received programs and assistance at their level of abilities 100 percent of the time. Regular students had their programs and instruction 100 percent of the time. Gradually, Special Education services were “reorganized” and students with special needs were moved to regular classes without any extra assistance.In many cases, regular classroom teachers receive directions from Special Education teachers on how to modify the program, the teaching strategies, and the assessment techniques but the regular replacement programs and support by the Special Education staff are no longer there. Teachers have to divide their time between the regular students and the students with special needs. Since this often means two (or more) different programs and two (or more) different assessment/evaluation procedures, all students receive only half (or less) of the teacher’s time and attention. Teachers’ ability to prepare good learning materials for students is also reduced due to increased workload and reduced preparation time.
Introduction of the “core” model forces teachers to teach all subjects by grade level rather than teaching by subject (specialization). In most European countries, teaching by subject begins in grade 4. In Japan, specialization starts in grade 2. It is understandable that primary children (K-3) benefit from the stability and emotional comfort of being taught by one teacher. The same explanation applied to Intermediate classes (7-8) is preposterous and proves incompetence or deliberate sabotage of the system. Until now, I have not heard one convincing reason why students in grade 7 or 8 could not benefit from programs run by teachers specializing in their subject areas, by teachers who understand better the subjects they teach and show special interest in them. Drawing on strenths of individual teachers would also be a good preparation for the transition to high school environment, in which teaching by subject and working with different teachers are a norm.It is clear, beyond any doubt, that teachers specializing in one or two subjects have more time to prepare better programs, better materials for students, and better assessment tools, especially if they teach the same subject for a few consecutive years. It surely is more efficient than having to prepare six different lessons in many subject areas every day. Teaching by subject also allows teachers to improve their knowledge and skills better by attending targetted workshops and taking courses in selected subject areas, and therefore, developing a better understanding of the subjects taught. Due to insufficient time, such effective professional development is not possible in all subject areas at once.Every single year during my last four years of teaching, I was assigned a different grade level and different subjects. Even though my specialty is Mathematics, Geography, Science and Technology, and Computers, this year I am teaching English, History, Geography, Drama, and Dance. As it is obvious that this situation cannot benefit students, I wonder what is the priority here. Why would the Boards and the schools avoid using teachers’ strengths? What sense does it make? I know more similar cases and it really looks like a pattern when you see it right across the city.
Increased workload and responsibilities assigned to the teachers under the new differentiated model of instruction create a crisis practically impossible to overcome. As a result of the core-oriented model and the elimination of regular Special Education programs, regular classroom teachers have to prepare six different lessons per day, each further multiplied by the number of modifications necessary to meet the needs of special education students. This also means multiple evaluation and assessment procedures.In each class, students are expected to work in groups reflecting their levels of achievement and individual programs need to be adjusted to these levels. As one principal put it in his letter to parents, “Staff work diligently to organize our classes to provide the best program for each child. It is important to note that within each classroom there are students working at a variety of grade levels in each subject area based on each student’s individual strengths, needs, and interests.”The hypocrisy of this otherwise attractive model originates in the fact that teachers are not given any time to prepare all these wonderful programs on daily basis and this alone renders the model useless. Since the expectation is unrealistic, the whole model will not work, providing further ammunition for those who want to privatize the system.The differentiated model of instruction also reduces the instructional time per student. The teacher’s time to teach a lesson, explain the tasks, and help students do their work is now divided between two, and often three different groups of students. The differentiated model is sometimes being used to justify a refusal to purchase full class sets of textbooks. Also, the formalized and lengthy diagnostic reading assessment (the DRA) further reduces the instructional time. Too much testing creates a situation in which there is not enough time for teaching and learning.
The elimination of Special Education behavioural classes dramatically reduced the remaining instructional time. In the past, students with severe behavioural problems were placed in self-contained classes at the ratio of up to 10 students to one teacher, one assistant, and often one social worker. Many of these students were on medication to help them stay on task and control their temper.Nowadays, students clearly displaying behavioural characteristics are placed in regular classrooms of 20 to 30, with one teacher. Following the regular placement, many parents conclude that their children do not need medication anymore. Consequently, in some schools and in some classrooms, teachers spend 80 percent of their time on hopeless crowd control and the remaining 20 percent on attempting to teach (which is not always possible.) Nobody seems to care about the 80 percent of the students who want to learn. Nobody cares about the level of stress in this unhealthy working environment.Boards of Education and most principals are afraid to confront the parents and to execute parental responsibility for children’s behaviour and attitude. Due to a lack of support by the system, teachers are paralized, as any intervention may result in false accusations and disciplinary action against them. Nobody is prepared to enforce the school rules effectively. During my teaching career, I have personally experienced many variations of this situation, first hand.
Computer Labs and computer programs are being eliminated. Just a few years ago, schools were running fund raising campaigns in the communities to purchase computers for computer labs. Computer teachers and Computer Lab programs were widely advertised, as most future jobs would require computer skills. Then, computer teachers were dropped and teacher librarians were used to supervise the lab activities on a part time basis. Currently, computer lab programs and schedules are being eliminated all together. Classroom teachers, many of whom are not computer experts, will randomly take their classes to the computer lab, when needed. Progress is being achieved, progress in the New World Order, but not in education.
School libraries and library programs are being reduced and, in some cases, eliminated. The number of full time teacher librarians is decreasing. The number and quality of books in school libraries are decreasing. At my school, I cannot find any class sets of books for novel study. Some teachers privately buy class sets of books at different reading levels for their students, but they should not be expected to do so. This is not right.
Unprecedented and unheard of before, there is an insufficient number of textbooks in schools. Last year, I taught Grade 8 Science and Technology at a school that had 10 textbooks for four classes, divided between two different teachers. One hundred and eight students went to high school “undereducated” because our school’s priority was to pay for new computers and because new textbooks were to be published soon. New textbooks were never published and the computer lab program is being chopped across the board, as we speak. In my present school, there is a shortage of Geography and History textbooks, students use Atlases that still show Soviet Union (16 years later), and teachers don’t have enough teaching manuals or blackline masters. When I was a student in a small and poor country of communist Poland 50 years ago, a situation like that was unthinkable. This is now and here, 21st century, Canada, New World Order.

Good old textbooks are being replaced with new and not-so-good textbooks. While older textbooks included relevant information, logically organized and competently presented, the newer textbooks are often confusing, include disconnected pieces of information, ineffective methodology, and a lot of colourful pictures. They look good, especially to people who don’t know any better, but their quality and educational usefulness are unacceptable. It is often difficult to argue this case, as teachers and administrators are not required to specialize in specific subjects, and most of the younger educators don’t remember the old textbooks. Nevertheless, the difference between the old and the new textbooks is noticeable and alarming.

Probably the best example of a sabotaged program is Mathematics. The old textbooks were well organized and the material was presented in a simple, easy to understand way. New concepts and skills were logically derived from concepts and skills learned earlier, each section included the explanation of the concept, related definitions and formulas, algorithms and exercises to practice skills, and problem solving assignments to apply new knowledge in real life situations.

The new Mathematics textbooks present material using the “reversed pyramid” technique, where complex problems are first introduced and then students are expected to discover the underlying concepts and skills. Definitions and formulas are usually missing, and so are exercises to practice basic skills. New, unknown to parents and unnecessarily complicated algorithms are being taught. Information is not logically and sequentially organized, irrelevant or less important information is presented while more important elements are missing. Many examples are discussed but concepts and skills are not introduced clearly. Material presented in such a way leads to incidental learning and to learning by memorization of isolated skills instead of learning by understanding. Material learned in such a way is quickly forgotten. Only a small percentage of exceptionally talented students can actually benefit from the modern, up-side-down textbooks, providing that extra help in learning the concepts and practicing the skills is given.

I can understand why publishers, who compete with the old textbooks, develop “different” approaches and “different” methodologies. However, different does not mean better. It would be better, if publishers focused their efforts on a sound understanding of the subject of mathematics instead. It would also be better, if ministry officials, who order and select the textbooks for our schools, were more competent.

Actually, I don’t believe that they are incompetent. Welcome to the New World Order in education.

Lech Biegalski is a former “Solidarity” activist, currently living in Ontario, Canada. For nearly 30 years, he has taught grade 7 and 8 classes in two different political systems (communist and capitalist), and in three different school systems (private, Catholic, and public). He has coached teams that placed 5th and 2nd in the provincial finals of the Ontario Mathematics Olympics and initiated the annual Intermediate Math Olympiad sponsored by the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. He publishes the Canada Watch website and can be reached at canadawatch@cogeco.ca

New World Order and Education at Go Think Blog

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Dhoondnay sey tau khudaa bhi mill jaata hai

2008-01-18T09:27:00.001-08:00

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Causes of Today's problems

2008-01-16T06:09:00.001-08:00

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Wah Shaukat Wah - Real trickle down

2008-01-11T01:59:00.001-08:00

Gmail - Wah Shaukat Wah.gif

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Tata Motors unveils cheapest car

2008-01-10T02:17:00.001-08:00

BBC NEWS | Business | Tata Motors unveils cheapest car

The vehicle, called the Tata Nano, will sell for 100,000 rupees or $2,500 (£1,277) and enable those in developing countries to move to four wheels.

The four-door five-seater car, which goes on sale later this year, has a 33bhp, 624cc, engine at the rear.

At the unveiling ceremony Mr Tata said: "I observed families riding on two-wheelers - the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby.

"It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family.

"Tata Motors' engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realise this goal.

I just wonder where is Pakistan headed, with the severe shortage of flour, electricity, gas, huge unemployment and inflation problems?

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The Destabilization of Pakistan

2008-01-06T13:44:00.001-08:00

The Destabilization of Pakistan

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Pharmaceutical Killings

2008-01-05T03:34:00.001-08:00

Express

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Imrans message on BB's assassination

2007-12-29T04:09:00.001-08:00

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Future of PPP !!

2007-12-28T14:19:00.001-08:00

PopupWindow

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Menace of Brain Drain

2007-12-28T01:18:00.001-08:00

Brain drain is a hard nut to crack for the developing countries because it generates intellectual dearth by depriving the country of its brilliant people. These geniuses use their energies and talents to serve the interests of the country where they immigrate to satisfy their personal ambitions and life long aspirations. The loaded industrialized countries have more job opportunities than the cash-strapped unindustrialized ones that entice their pitiable dwellers to leave their motherland with a ray of hope for a bright future. The well-fixed states accommodate these intellectuals to suck the talent of the budding nations that are already facing numerous complex predicaments. The urbanized countries in the past plundered the wealth of the frail nations under the guise of monstrous colonialism and now they have framed WTO to pillage their resources in an elegant way. But more important than economic exploitation and political marginalization is the continuous denuding of these unfortunate countries from the asset of their gifted inhabitants through tinselly and rolled-gold Machiavellian techniques. This one way flow of prowess has nurtured the fat countries by making the intellectual field of the emergent nations bleak and barren. It is crystal clear that only shining lights and salts of the earth can unfetter their native lands from the quagmire of twiddly national issues to make jogging strides.

Unending ambitions and unemployment compel the people to leave their motherland to settle where they can get jobs and well-blubbered salaries. Volatile law and order situation also results in exodus of the well-read people. Authoritarian regimes that cramp freedom of expression and suppress internal liberties to firmly grab the bridles of power are also a leading cause of brainpower sap. Favoritism, nepotism and sleaze shatter the confidence of the people in the institutions. These malpractices generate frustration in the proficient community members by trampling meritocracy. A country where merit is thrown to the sharks to nurture dishonesty cannot make any headway in the welter of the contemporary melting pot. These unfair practices push the endowed natives to try their fate somewhere else where they see a glimmer of anticipation for due esteem and outstanding career.

Thousands of doctors, engineers, charted accountants, teachers and other dexterous members of the developing countries work like a beaver to appear in the professional entry examinations of America, Canada, Australia, New Zeeland and the European countries. These well-lined countries select the luminous candidates and push the rest of them to their native countries as the sugarcane juice machine throws the trash away after squeezing the juice. The people on whom opportunities smile spare no effort to permanently settle in the well-heeled states. Some of them are left with no other option but to arrange a genuine or counterfeit paper marriage to get nationality. Scores of them use unfair means to acquire fake documents to escape from the clutches of law enforcement agencies. Thus the scrawny countries from where these connoisseurs get education are left high and dry that continuously adds to the melancholies of their citizens resulting from the vicious cycle of brain drain. The nation-states where they immigrate wring their every grain of energy to pay them dazzling dollars, pounds and euros. Thus the shine and warmth of the glittering coins ensnare the overambitious individuals of the fleeced countries permanently. They never slither out of the cocoon of this illusory trap that did not permit them to think about the miseries and agonies of their countrymen scrapping the bottom of the barrel. The illustrious poet Allama Iqbal fittingly attributed:

Nazar ko kheera karti hai chamak tehzib hazir ki

Ye sannai magar jhoote nigoon ki reza kari hai.

(The flamboyance of the contemporary civilization appeals the eyes, this artisanship is but the decoration of counterfeit pearls.)

In all the developed countries the social status of the specialists is very high. They are called men of brain and the governments give them due respect and bulky salaries so that these geniuses can devotedly serve the interests of their country by putting their foot down. But in most of the developing countries the social status of the bureaucrats, politicians and brass hats is tremendously up-scale. Several professionals sacrifice their line of work by joining authority related jobs or migrating to affluent countries triggering an unbridled ferocious phase of intelligence consumption. It is the power based social structures that compel the people to change their vocation. Some of the newly recruited officials start calculating the money they can churn out through dishonest means even before joining the post. Due to this grim scenario the development in these countries is still in the doldrums.

Pays of the civil servants who serve their vested interests more than the public are not different from the other government officials of the same rank. But every regime takes it for granted that they would compensate through jobbery and embezzlement because they have huge public funds at their disposal. Graft of the government officials in Pakistan is as common as water in the Amazon. The perks and privileges enjoyed by the civil and military bureaucracy cannot be even dreamt of by any other profession in the country. As most of the bureaucrats marry in well-to-do families therefore they need enormous amount of money to maintain their social status and their pay is just the tip of the iceberg of their massive expenditures. Therefore, they are left with no other option but to grease their palms.

Lack of self-reliance is the key factor for the perpetual miserable condition of the developing countries. They have shoddily botched to harness the talent of their masses that is mandatory to develop political and economic sovereignty. Therefore, they have been economically browbeaten and politically sidelined in the constellation of the nations by the giant nations. The colossal nations practice democracy within their borders but outside their boundaries they preach egalitarianism but carry out rigorous feudalism to calculatedly keep the Third World countries in a state of torpor so that they cannot challenge their writ and thwart hegemonic designs in the global affairs. They have deliberately fashioned a global economic system based on interest and exploitation that does not permit the growing countries to become self-sufficient. Majority of the hard up states are ruled by despotic rulers pampered by the alligators of the potent states. Only the brilliant persons engrossed in patriotism can change the destiny of a sloth-rumpled and sleep-crumpled nation by guiding them to become independent by smashing up the begging bowl. The inhabitants of the budding nations should hammer into their minds these radiant words:

When beggars extend their bowl they don’t feel shy,

But the pleasures of independence they never enjoy;

They degrade themselves for a square meal,

Physically they live but morally they die;

True spirits of life are in self-reliance,

Because remedies in ourselves often do lie.

There is gross institutional decay in the developing countries. This miserable state of affairs is most suitable for cultivation of deceitfulness, duplicity and double standards in the scam-spattered society. Dynamism of institutions is obligatory to build the trust of the public in the state functionaries. But in the dictatorial states their despotic rulers ruin the institutions to toughen their steely grip on the bristles of authority. These totalitarian potentates are not accountable to anyone. They squash the nations for their luxurious activities. The teeming millions of these unfortunate countries hope against hope for a final reprieve. Thus autocratic regimes cancel out the chances of success for the competent people that compel them to settle in a country where their talent and flair would be appreciated. The countries where personalities and pressure groups are more powerful than the institutions cannot compete with the nations where the circumstances are entirely round the clock.

The emigrating of highbrow persons perpetually generates intellectual deficit in the emerging states that thrust them further backward. Only the geniuses can liberate the nations from the intricate dilemmas. Therefore, in order to bulwark the menace of brain drain there is screeching need to bring forward the men of brain rather than empowering men of brawn that can only worsen the already grim picture. If the dwellers of weedy states want to make any headway in the present whirlpool then they should provide due respect, perks and privileges to the genuine intellectuals so that they gird up their loins to devotedly serve their indigent nations. In this way the peril of continuous talent loss can be averted because it is rightly said that brains like hearts go where they are appreciated. It is mandatory for the progressing nations to overhaul all institutions of their states. While appointing heads of various institutions meritocracy should be the supreme criterion instead of approach and corruption because an honest chief can inject vibrancy in the organization by curtailing the peril of rampant sleaze. A bolt upright official at the helm of affairs can plug loopholes in the institution through candid pragmatic steps. A country dangerously suffers where unbridled bribery is socially acceptable because it wears down the moral fabric of the nation. William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English poet and playwright, precisely said in his Sonnet 94 (1609):

“For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds:
Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.”

WRITTEN BY

Dr Tanvir Hussain Bhatti

Columnist, Poet and Author of the Book “What Plagues Pakistan?”

HOUSE NO.53, GHAZALI FLATS, GOR-IV, N-BLOCK, MODEL TOWN EXTENSION, LAHORE. (Pakistan)

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She is sure dead, but are we alive?

2007-12-27T11:49:00.001-08:00

It's the question that is haunting me. Can we really call ourselves alive if "we can't do anything". Do we have the right to call ourselves alive? Do we know what this word "life" means? Amidst all this chaos and confusing news of Benazir's death, numerous other news were in circulation. Whether there's going to be another emergency declared is a waiting game now. Would elections make any sense now, even though US has given stern statement that elections should go ahead as planned. There's a set of burning questions, but as I watched different news channels (as i really didn't know what else to do) constantly showing the same footage everywhere, there was an unmistakably distinct pattern i saw even though i was passively watching everything. Four different people said something live on tv, within a time window of 10-15 minutes. These four people are geographically and mentally well apart apparently. US president George Bush, UK Prime minister, Brown, Afghanistan's Karzai, and finally Pakistan's Musharraf. They all said exactly the same words about the incidence. Now this could have been a coincidence for sure, but I dont' know. Each one of them used two keywords "cowardly act" and their favorite term "terrorists". There was an unmistakable correlation between the short statements issued by the "gentlemen".

There's another incidence that happened. I had an argument with my dad. I wouldn't like to quote the naivety of my dad's philosophy, but in short his philosophy stinks of helplessness. It promotes an absolute submission to the global tyrants of this world. I say if we are just waiting for the bullets to come into our own homes one by one and rid us of our lives, we are absolutely dead already!!! If helplessness is all we as humans can achieve in the absence of a gun in our hand, then everything Iqbal has said in his poetry, everything Allah has said in the Quran is false. It is absolutely false, if it is only God that can change things now!!

Rise of Pakistan

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Good-by

2007-12-24T04:09:00.000-08:00

Good-by, proud world, I'm going home,
Thou'rt not my friend, and I'm not thine;
Long through thy weary crowds I roam;
A river-ark on the ocean brine,
Long I've been tossed like the driven foam,
But now, proud world, I'm going home.

Good-by to Flattery's fawning face,
To Grandeur, with his wise grimace,
To upstart Wealth's averted eye,
To supple Office low and high,
To crowded halls, to court, and street,
To frozen hearts, and hasting feet,
To those who go, and those who come,
Good-by, proud world, I'm going home.

I'm going to my own hearth-stone
Bosomed in yon green hills, alone,
A secret nook in a pleasant land,
Whose groves the frolic fairies planned;
Where arches green the livelong day
Echo the blackbird's roundelay,
And vulgar feet have never trod
A spot that is sacred to thought and God.

Oh, when I am safe in my sylvan home,
I tread on the pride of Greece and Rome;
And when I am stretched beneath the pines
Where the evening star so holy shines,
I laugh at the lore and the pride of man,
At the sophist schools, and the learned clan;
For what are they all in their high conceit,
When man in the bush with God may meet.

from: Emerson, Ralph Waldo.

Blind Justice

2007-12-20T12:19:00.001-08:00

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No comments !!

2007-12-13T09:03:00.001-08:00

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Sad but true, alas

2007-12-11T10:58:00.001-08:00

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State of Helplessness!!

2007-12-09T05:40:00.001-08:00

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When will Retd. Musharraf vacate the Army house?

2007-12-06T03:50:00.001-08:00

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To Boycott or not!!

2007-12-05T07:11:00.001-08:00

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Habib Jalib - Poetry of Defiance

2007-12-03T00:44:00.001-08:00

Habib Jalib - Poetry of Defiance

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Bleak outlook for Muslim youth

2007-12-02T02:03:00.001-08:00

Bleak outlook for Muslim youth By Abu Jamal

There is much talk about 90 million Muslim youth of Pakistan under 25 years being riddled with many problems; who carry a bleak outlook, no vision to shape the future, lack of income, insecurity and constant agitation of the sexual instinct; who often resort to crime, idleness, delinquency and who lack in moral values, which shape a healthy society; who find a secular system run by twisted mentalities, disregarding the agenda of Allah (swt) and instead promoting the agenda of Western norms and values.

A freelance journalist working for an NGO in Pakistan stated in March 2001 "The potential of our youth needs to be channeled in the right direction. Education alone can do this. Gender discrimination ought to be discouraged, as the boys of today would be husbands and fathers of tomorrow. More recreational, entertainment and employment opportunities need to be created for them to reduce their frustrations and feeling of uselessness... The hooliganism that took place during the recent(World Music) festival in Lahore is ample proof of the fact that our youth need more such opportunities to get used to the idea."

Dangerous concepts from one representing a dangerous organisation indeed! whose only solution would be for our youth to taste more of this filthy KUFR, in which freedom of choice allows our youth to shamelessly dance on a platform under the banner of pop culture, alcohol and drugs; where gender discrimination is promoted in an environment that nurtures lewdnesses and agitates the sexual urges where even men target men under the spotlight of liberty.

The issue that more education needs to be parted is a cover to promote the agenda of the kuffar, so that they maintain a physiological grip over the minds. One does not need eyes to observe that the majority of the participants were youth groomed at the best educational institutes in Pakistan and abroad. So, what type of education is the author presenting? The education that promotes free mixing with a hint of deliberate match making! where the social atmosphere that is available clearly demonstrates flirtatious gestures and the attainment of material prestige as the only outlook in life.

Due to the onslaught of secularism, young people in the Western world became the advocates of the sexual revolution. Aided by the government, the birth control pill was introduced and later the legalization of abortion. Family values deteriorated, marriage became outdated. Childbirth decreased and the divorce rate accelerated. "Egg freezing" became a service enabling women to pursue careers without having to sacrifice their natural craving for children. Today every Western university promotes the gay and lesbian culture through a society who proudly call others to join them. We need to ask ourselves "Is this the direction we would like our youth to take?"

It is true that every system in society has a magical effect upon the people, to influence their thinking and behaviour. Today in Pakistan, we need not judge our youth in a superficial light deeming them to be the cause and effect of all the evils in society. When things go terribly wrong and the society becomes plagued with illegitimate children, alcohol abuse, homosexuality and selfishness like the society in the Western world, ask any parents " Did you teach your child all these things?" They will most certainly answer "no". So the question arises "Then who did?"

The promiscuousness and misadventure, which run loose in our youth, are merely the result, the outcome of a deliberate attempt by the Western policy makers through our rulers to enshroud this Ummah with their way of life. So that the youth, (our future) become lame empty vessels drained from the energy to carry Islam, burdened with the joys of indulgence. As mentioned by Allah (swt) "O you who believe! Take not into your intimacy those who are outside your ranks! They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin. Rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is far greater. We have made plain for you the signs, if you have wisdom" (TMQ 3:118).

It is no wonder that every Internet cafe is packed with chat line dating and access to explicit materials. And that every educational institution becomes a playground for romance. All this so that we never realise our own purpose in this life, being to implement Islam and guide the rest of mankind to the Deen of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) stated "Judge between then by what Allah has revealed and follow not their vain desires but beware of them lest they seduce you from some part of that which Allah has revealed to you" (TMQ 5:49). Therefore, our rulers should beware and fear Allah (swt) the next time they give permission to such like events at Al Hamra. What was it that seduced them away from ruling by what Allah (swt) has revealed. Don't they realise that one-day they will have to answer to him.

In one hadith Muhammad (saw) said that this Deen of Islam is carried on the shoulders of the youth, and we saw the glory of that era where the early Muslims embraced Islam in it's entirety because the Islamic State was able to lift the intellectual level of those new Muslims. This developed in them the Islamic Aqueeda, which became an ideological basis upon which all concepts were founded. As a result, Islam took them from ignorance to the firm rational belief, from the declined behavior to the refined actions, which were pleasing to Allah and his Messenger (saw) and broadened their horizons not only for their day and age but also up to the Day of Judgment. Islam made them believe in the hereafter and led them to imagine it with conviction and concern, firmly establishing the concept of reward and punishment emanating from actions. So they conceived it as being the real life and this led them to acquire a true meaning of life and a real value to live it knowing the path to another happier and eternal life was looming over the horizons.

They held life with open arms and did not neglect it. They took its means and enjoyed the pleasures and the wealth that Allah (swt), the one who set up this life and who determined its criteria and true perceptions. Before Islam their criterion of life was based on benefit, this benefit was the only motive and the main aim of their actions. Then the criteria of their actions changed and came to be based on what is halal and what is haram. These criteria became the driving force behind their actions, and its guidelines were according to what Allah (swt) has commanded and prohibited. The aim of directing their actions was to obtain the pleasure of Allah (swt). Islam gave the people a true meaning of happiness, because true happiness means total and permanent peace of mind and this can never be achieved merely through satisfying the material pleasures and desires. It can only be achieved through obtaining the pleasure of the Lord of the Universe.

Today or tomorrow, whether the kuffar like it or not, our youth will rise from under the rubble of secularism and will represent the Khilafah (Islamic State) and they will look beyond the horizons of the artificial borders drawn up for them. That system too will have a magical effect upon the minds of our youth and they will focus all their energies to liberate mankind from the folds of economic slavery and maximized oppression. They will unify with the millions of voices across the Muslim world, at the forefront of the call to unify under the Khilafah System, the shadow of Islam which is soon to engulf the whole of mankind. The call is ever bounding and the echoes being received by our youth, it's only a matter of time before we establish that Khilafah that Muhammad (saw) foretold and at the same time our noble youth can fulfill the words of the blessed Messenger (saw) who also said " This Deen is carried on the shoulders of the youth".

IQRA Islamic Magazine, The News International

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Protecting the child

2007-12-02T01:53:00.001-08:00

Protecting the child By Muhammad Ali Alkhuli

Islam looks at the woman as a wife and a mother. In contrast, some non-Islamic societies look at the woman mainly as a female at the expense of her role as a wife and her role as a mother. As a result, Islam shapes instructions to suit the woman's role as a wife and the woman's role as a mother, because the family needs a wife dedicated to her husband and a mother dedicated to her children.We said that Islam blocks the way to illegitimate children by blocking the ways leading to illegal sexual intercourse. This is one way to protect the child.The second way to protect the child is to protect the family. When marriage takes place, a new family is established. When children are born, the family grows in number. Islam protects the family from divorce, which damages all the members of the family.Islam does not allow the husband to intermingle freely with other women so as to protect his relation with his wife. Islam does not allow the wife to intermingle freely with other men so as to protect her relation with her husband.In Islam, the husband is wholly tied to his wife and the wife is wholly tied to her husband. This is the only way to protect marriage from divorce, to protect the family from destruction, and to protect children from fatherlessness, motherlessness, or both.In contrast, in societies that allow the two sexes to intermingle freely, there are two main problems. First, in such societies there are many cases of illegal intercourse and illegitimate children.Secondly, marriage does not live long and divorce is the end of most marriages. Of course, divorce is not only the end of marriage, but also the beginning of problems for the ex-husband, the ex-wife, and their children.I must admit that although the Western countries are scientifically and technologically progressive and are sensitive to statistics related to industry and economy, they do not show the same sensitivity to statistics related to social life. When a Western economist considers the figures and numbers of a certain economy, he concludes something about that economy. In contrast, when a Western sociologist or psychologist considers the statistics of divorce in his country, he concludes nothing.In some Western countries, 60 per cent of marriages end up with divorce. What does this mean? It simply means that the social structure there destroys marriage and that the Western way of life nowadays leads to the destruction of marriage and the destruction of the family.This result is not difficult to expect. In the West, the two sexes mingle freely; alcohol is drunk as frequently as water; women are almost naked everywhere. The result of this mixture is clear.In some non-Islamic countries, the formula now is this: males + females + alcohol + feminine nakedness = illegitimate children + destruction of marriage + homeless children.In contrast, the Islamic formula is exactly the opposite: males separated from females + no alcohol + feminine decency = legitimate children + protection of marriage + protected children.I think it is time for Western specialists in psychology and sociology to look into the statistics about their social diseases and to compare these statistics with others in Islamic countries in order to have a practical clue about the difference between Islam and non-Islam.Islam protects the child by protecting the family and by protecting marriage. Islam guarantees a true father and a true mother for every child and thus secures the psychological health of the child.

IQRA Islamic Magazine, The News International

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Student Action Committee Protest at Liberty: 30-11-07

2007-12-01T06:39:00.001-08:00

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Rise of Pakistan: Capital Talk @foothpath - 24 Nov -7

2007-11-28T12:11:00.001-08:00

Rise of Pakistan: Capital Talk @foothpath - 24 Nov -7

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Sea of time keeps flowing !!

2007-11-26T05:28:00.001-08:00

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Pakistan and Madness!!!

2007-11-25T06:04:00.001-08:00

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Sialkot Airport vs. Islamabad Airport

2007-11-25T05:58:00.001-08:00

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Bullet Proof cars are now duty free for all the rich!!!

2007-11-23T05:59:00.001-08:00

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JURIST - Forum: Restore the Rule of Law in Pakistan: An Open Letter

2007-11-22T00:04:00.001-08:00

JURIST - Forum: Restore the Rule of Law in Pakistan: An Open Letter

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Ek General Sala - Pervez Musharraf Song

2007-11-21T23:57:00.001-08:00

Ek General saala poori fauj ko hijra banaa deta hai !!

Embedded Video

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We have got to stop being apologetic about us being Muslims !!!

2007-11-20T03:14:00.000-08:00

Today, Muslims are the most downcast and lowest of the low nations in the world. We make more than 1 billion of the population, that's about 1/5th of the entire human population. Jews make about 15-20 million!! There's just no comparison between 15 and 1000. But still, we are beaten down in whatever metrics of comparison you can think of. There has only been one compensation for us for the past couple of centuries: Our pride in being Muslims. But it was always going to be a matter of just time, before that would also wither away. I'm afraid these are the days now, when we can't even take pride in calling ourselves muslims. We are most certainly apologetic when it comes to any aspect of Islam today. We want to pick and choose, just to show to the world, that we are "peaceful" "peace-loving", "loving" pack of brotherhood. We are apologetic!!!

What is the solution? Watch these two documentaries if you can take out about 50 minutes out of your life, then we can perhaps discuss what could be done!! Why are these two important? Because we have to understand the bigger picture before venturing into the solution. Who are the players involved? what is going on?

Islam & America: Through the Eyes of Imran Khan - Pakistan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9fW9jPnjgE

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oARBdBtGenM

Hoping to hear soon from you:

Wake up and Get out !!

2007-11-16T06:40:00.000-08:00

I think we're waiting for that day when our own sisters would be treated like this, or perhaps even then we won't do anything, cuz you know we always got so many better things to do!!

what is the difference between the way the "enlightened moderates" and "talibans" treat women!!! "no difference" an enlightened should conclude now. but atleast talibans aren't baighairat like us to just sit home and watch, and atleast also they don't let the whole society get plagued with vulgarity and skin showing tough competition, all in the name of freedom of mother fuckin' expression!!

Money, the only God left !!

2007-11-12T04:56:00.000-08:00

Who have been the greatest men in the history of the world? What has been their objectives of life? What were their value systems? What was the importance of money in their lives? What has happened now? Why is it that nobody wants to be a great person like before? Why is it that all the parents want their kids to not be great men? Since when did the definition of a great person change? How is it that the general perception today is that money equals success? Why is it that we're striving through all means to be this great successful person according to this warped new definition which has no historical or religious connection? Why is it that when God has promised our sustenance in Quran, we don't believe His words and instead put all our efforts in only getting more and more sustenance? Why is it that what He's actually asked us to do in this life, we aren't doing that? What is the relationship of His orders with the lives of the greatest men in history?

Do we believe in any God other than Money?

Emergency it is!!!

2007-11-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

Emergency it sure is, but only declared and dictated by one mad man. Do we believe him really? This one emergency demands and deserves another emergency in return. We should declare emergency within our thoughts, whatever we're doing in our "oh so important" lives, we should just kindly stop for a while, and declare an emergency on our thought process and think hard as to what we're actually doing. What's this life for, in the first place? What are the most important things?

If we're not bold enough to think on our own, as is the case with most of the people, then kindly, for a change, talk to people who do seem to have a view of their own. Give them a chance. More than anything else, it's time to be honest with our own selves. What is it that we're running after in life? Why are those things important? Are those things so important as to the fact that they've convinced us to become cowards for the time being; for who is a coward if not the person who remains motionless and silent in testing times.

Think!!!
Getting angry at the situation is the first step. How can we still be so apathetic? What are we waiting for? A messiah? Well then:

Khuda nay aaj tak uss kaum ki haalat nahin badli
Na ho jiss ko khayyal aap apni haalat kay badalnay ka

If you think we alone can't make any difference:

Afraad kay haathon mey hai aqwaam ki taqdeer
Har fard hai millat key muqaddar ka sitarah

If you thought this is an emergency only now and we were free before:

Mulla ko jo hai hind mey sajday ki ijazzat
Nadaan samjhta hai kay Azaad ha Islam

This is the time we think really hard, as to who we are, and what we believe in. If we believe in any God or thing other than money, this is the time to prove it then!!!

Shameless democracy

2007-11-11T09:00:00.001-08:00

Musharraf's imposition of emergency neither is nor ever was about the crisis situation caused by the so called terrorists in Pakistan. It was always about getting rid of the judiciary and that he did, because Supreme Court was about to give a verdict against the eligibility of General as a President. So far in this emergency that was declared due to terrorists, all the lawyers and judges, and political workers of opposition parties have been man handled and arrested and warrants issued. The entire media except for state owned PTV has been blocked. Chief Justice Iftikhar has been kicked out again, and some new judges have been sworned in, obviously those who'll say YES SIR to the General. All this drama just to appoint a General's own judicial system, so that now everything he says becomes legal through court. What a shameless plan.

Shame on those nations and individuals who are proponents of freedom and democracy in this world of today and still carry on to support and fund such a shameless man.

junyDada

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Emergency it is!!!

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"Jalale baadshahi ho ya ke jamhoori tamashaa
Judaa ho deen seyaasat se to rah jaati hai changezi" - Iqbal