http://fuzislippers.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html
So I was going through blogs today, and I came across one which was quite interesting. I agreed with what this person had the say about the current American president at first, and really like how they had their facts right. Call me biased, but maybe it's because most of the Americans I've met all my life, are perhaps kind of egocentric and never really have their facts right, but tend to go on about how great they are and how great the US is. (Ofcourse, no citizens criticize their own countries...with the exception of the Pakistanis ofcourse, who only seem to remember their love for Pakistna on 14th of August). I've yet to see an American criticize America, even the ones who are originally Pakistanis, they somehow find justifications for everything the their country does.
But that's all okay. Biasness is understandable. Specially when your country is a super power and has tonnes of nuclear weapons. But one thing I canNOT understand is how you can criticize something that you just "heard" of. And sometimes, all I've seen these people do is just be told by some people what something is, and without any proper research, believe i so firmly that they won't even take any criticism against it. Getting back to this American blogger however, in one of her posts 'What's this about the flag of Islam flying over the White House?' She talks about how there's apparantly someone who announces that the Islamic flag will be one day over the White House and muslims are willing to evne use violence as a means. She/He goes on to criticize some of the facts/censuses and says that it is a lie what the census say that Muslims are anti-suicide bombings, infact, many Muslims living in the USA actually support such bombings if it is for the sake of their religion.
And all i could say to that was "=|". I mean..seriously? If she says that those facts in the censuses aren't true according to some other censuses, then how can a person know the authencity of the facts that she is stating? The sad thing is, the guy declared it and there is undeniably a movie of it. But what i'm afraid these Americans are too ignorant to see is that the RELIGION does not support bombings.
Ofcourse, I have noone but ourselves to blame. We are causing this, declaring this, though it is true that the American media tends to highlight thse bad things so much more boldly than the Muslims who practice Islam right. I've lived in the west for half of my life before moving back to Pakistan, and I've never seen a news report on how Islam talks about peace or how Muslims do good deed and are anti-war. So, you can't really blame these people, or even us, for thinking that it isnt something that exists in this world- the right kind of Muslims that is. They are undoubtedly here. But ofcourse, if the media has been showing us as the bad guys for the past decade, can't really change it's views suddenly.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
10 Things I Hate About Birthdays
1. They build up. The day you came into this disease-ridden world, naked and squealing, is a special and magical day. Amazing things are going to happen to you on the day that fate and your parents randomly decided to set your misery in motion. So you had better start counting down to the day four-and-three-quarter months before and telling all your friends about it.
2. The midnight celebrations. It's the witching hour when demons are let loose and this is when your birthday actually begins.
3. The cake. So you're another year closer to eventual organ failure. Let's celebrate by clogging our arteries some more and piling on the pounds. And while we're at it, let's rub each others' faces with cream and chocolate. So what if you spent nearly five grand on a facial yesterday?
4. The phone calls. Oops sorry, it's three in the morning, were you sleeping? Just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday. Hope you have a great day tomorrow/today. What's that? You're an insomniac and have trouble falling asleep and you didn't want to look like a deranged raccoon on your birthday so you took sedatives but now they wont work because I woke u up with my once-a-year phone call? Oh well at least I reminded all my friends that it's your birthday and they'll be calling next.
5. The Facebook wishes. I don't know you, I've only ever met you once at your third cousin's third divorce GT but I really do sincerely hope that you have a great day and an awesome year ahead because i actually care. Winky Smiley Face.
6. The surprises. I have a weak heart which gets weaker as I grow older but I really appreciate the fact that all of you broke into my house while I wasn't around and howled like banshees when I walked in after a 13-hour work/uni/college day. Oh look at that, you guys all dressed up because you KNEW there was going to be a party and I haven't even showered. Ha Ha Ha.
7. The gifts. I just love the anti-ageing cream that you so considerately picked out for me. And no, it's completely okay that all 20 of you showed up to my expensively catered birthday bash without any gifts at all. Who needs material gifts when I have precious friends like you? And it is the thought that matters after all.
8. The number. You're a quarter-of-a-century old. Fun! Do you know how people look like when they're a hundred. Fuunn! What's the average age of women in our country? FUUNNN!!!
9. The angst. Another year gone by without you achieving any of the milestones that you had set for yourself. Being rich, young and famous is for losers who have nothing better to do but achieve amazing stuff. You are now on the wrong side of 20 and more prone to all sorts of diseases and ending up alone with cats for company. Bring out the champagne.
10. The end. The day that you had hoped will change your life has come and gone without any of the magical special things that were supposed to happen to a magical special person like yourself. So what? There's always next year - if you don't succumb to heart disease from excessive cake consumption, that is.
2. The midnight celebrations. It's the witching hour when demons are let loose and this is when your birthday actually begins.
3. The cake. So you're another year closer to eventual organ failure. Let's celebrate by clogging our arteries some more and piling on the pounds. And while we're at it, let's rub each others' faces with cream and chocolate. So what if you spent nearly five grand on a facial yesterday?
4. The phone calls. Oops sorry, it's three in the morning, were you sleeping? Just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday. Hope you have a great day tomorrow/today. What's that? You're an insomniac and have trouble falling asleep and you didn't want to look like a deranged raccoon on your birthday so you took sedatives but now they wont work because I woke u up with my once-a-year phone call? Oh well at least I reminded all my friends that it's your birthday and they'll be calling next.
5. The Facebook wishes. I don't know you, I've only ever met you once at your third cousin's third divorce GT but I really do sincerely hope that you have a great day and an awesome year ahead because i actually care. Winky Smiley Face.
6. The surprises. I have a weak heart which gets weaker as I grow older but I really appreciate the fact that all of you broke into my house while I wasn't around and howled like banshees when I walked in after a 13-hour work/uni/college day. Oh look at that, you guys all dressed up because you KNEW there was going to be a party and I haven't even showered. Ha Ha Ha.
7. The gifts. I just love the anti-ageing cream that you so considerately picked out for me. And no, it's completely okay that all 20 of you showed up to my expensively catered birthday bash without any gifts at all. Who needs material gifts when I have precious friends like you? And it is the thought that matters after all.
8. The number. You're a quarter-of-a-century old. Fun! Do you know how people look like when they're a hundred. Fuunn! What's the average age of women in our country? FUUNNN!!!
9. The angst. Another year gone by without you achieving any of the milestones that you had set for yourself. Being rich, young and famous is for losers who have nothing better to do but achieve amazing stuff. You are now on the wrong side of 20 and more prone to all sorts of diseases and ending up alone with cats for company. Bring out the champagne.
10. The end. The day that you had hoped will change your life has come and gone without any of the magical special things that were supposed to happen to a magical special person like yourself. So what? There's always next year - if you don't succumb to heart disease from excessive cake consumption, that is.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Secret Powers of Time- Philip Zimbardo
Who forces time is pushed back by time; who yields to time finds time on his side. --The Talmud
Time just passes by, regardless of how we feel about it... right? Not according to Philip Zimbardo. He's been studying how people think of time for decades and has some amazing findings. For instance, did you know your cultural background could determine how fast you walk? Or that children's use of technology makes class pass by more slowly? "Many of life's puzzles can be solved by simply understanding our own time perspective and that of others," he states.
Zimbardo's writing appeared in Greater Good Magazine, published by the Greater Good Science Center of the University of California, Berkeley. Zimbardo's contributions include the interpretation of scientific research into the roots of compassion, altruism, and peaceful human relationships. His most recent article with Greater Good magazine is entitled: "The Banality of Heroism", which examines how ordinary people can become everyday heroes. In February 2010, Zimbardo was a guest presenter at the Science of a Meaningful Life seminar: Goodness, Evil, and Everyday Heroism, along with Greater Good Science Center Executive Director Dacher Keltner.
Be The Change:
Here's a few things you can do if you're interested in what Philip has to say.
1. Notice your perspective of time as you find yourself in different situations today.
2. Practice awareness of your own time perspective - think through what drives major actions in your life and consider possible changes.
3. Next time you're in a conversation, focus more on asking questions than speaking - understand the perspective of the other person deeply.
4. Learn more about the deep research of Dr. Zimbardo, who is famous showing how 'good' people can change easily.
Time just passes by, regardless of how we feel about it... right? Not according to Philip Zimbardo. He's been studying how people think of time for decades and has some amazing findings. For instance, did you know your cultural background could determine how fast you walk? Or that children's use of technology makes class pass by more slowly? "Many of life's puzzles can be solved by simply understanding our own time perspective and that of others," he states.
Zimbardo's writing appeared in Greater Good Magazine, published by the Greater Good Science Center of the University of California, Berkeley. Zimbardo's contributions include the interpretation of scientific research into the roots of compassion, altruism, and peaceful human relationships. His most recent article with Greater Good magazine is entitled: "The Banality of Heroism", which examines how ordinary people can become everyday heroes. In February 2010, Zimbardo was a guest presenter at the Science of a Meaningful Life seminar: Goodness, Evil, and Everyday Heroism, along with Greater Good Science Center Executive Director Dacher Keltner.
Be The Change:
Here's a few things you can do if you're interested in what Philip has to say.
1. Notice your perspective of time as you find yourself in different situations today.
2. Practice awareness of your own time perspective - think through what drives major actions in your life and consider possible changes.
3. Next time you're in a conversation, focus more on asking questions than speaking - understand the perspective of the other person deeply.
4. Learn more about the deep research of Dr. Zimbardo, who is famous showing how 'good' people can change easily.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Be Careful Of What You Post
I read an article the day before yesterday, which alarmed me. It talked about how an employee decided to say some stuff about her boss, who later found out and actually SUED her. Though some things I was aware of, something surprised me. So, I decided to share it's gist here at my blog for my viewers.
These days, folks should definitely watch what they say on massively popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, because you never know who’s reading what you’re writing. The article goes on to talk about how CNN asked experts how they felt about the issue and offer some tips on how to conduct yourself on the Internet so that you don’t go through a similar situation. Check out the tips below!
These days, folks should definitely watch what they say on massively popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, because you never know who’s reading what you’re writing. The article goes on to talk about how CNN asked experts how they felt about the issue and offer some tips on how to conduct yourself on the Internet so that you don’t go through a similar situation. Check out the tips below!
1. Think before you postImagine if the comment you posted or tweeted will appear in the local newspaper the next day, says Tyson B. Snow, an employment attorney at Manning Curtis Bradshaw & Bednar LLC in Utah. While that rule of thumb may sound extreme, Snow says it is a safe way to manage your content.On a social media site, the audience is unlimited, and the content is permanent. An employee may post one photo and quickly remove it, but someone could still archive the page or make a copy, he says.2. Be picky about who you friendOnly allow people you trust into your social network, says Shanti Atkins, president of ELT Inc., an ethics and compliance training company. Instead of casually accepting all the co-workers or managers who ask to friend you, be selective about who you allow to view your posts.Atkins says employees may forget who they let into their network and that could lead to problems later on.3. Do it on your own time and computerTry to limit your Facebook and Twitter activity to your personal computer, several experts say. If you engage in problematic activity on the company property and time, this can provide the managers more leverage, say several workplace experts.Many employers and workplaces already ban the sites at the workplace to prevent social media spats from becoming an issue.4. Watch what you post at homeMany workers are unaware that mentioning their company in a negative light on the internet — even if it’s done on personal time at home — could lead to disciplinary measures, says John Lusher, a social media consultant. He says many organizations have departments that monitor social media comments and photographs that pertain to the company.5. Keep the dialogue positiveSocial media can be a great way to foster conversations about an employee’s recent promotion or a company event, says Josh Whitford, president of Echelon Media, a company that specializes in social media. But, he says, certain topics such as trade secrets should never be disclosed online.6. Figure out privacy settingsSocial media privacy settings may be tricky, but take the time to consider all the different settings, says Shanti Atkins, at ELT Inc. She suggests implementing filters and grouping co-workers and bosses so that certain information does not reach everyone.7. Learn your employee rightsEmployees need to make the effort to understand corporate policy regarding the use social media at work and at home, says Tyson Snow, an employment attorney. However, most companies don’t have such policies in place. Only 10 percent of companies had specific polices to deal with social networking sites, according to The Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics.
So to make a long story short, just watch what you say about people on the Internet. If you don’t have anything nice to say, just keep it to yourself or call up your BFF (like the old days)!!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Julie and Julia- Movie Review
Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is turning thirty and questioning what she’s done with her life. She decides to take on a project and titles it ‘The Julie/Julia Project’. She created a blog on the internet way back in 2002 and decides to cook her way through Julia Childs’ (Meryl Streep) cook book. At the same time we get the story of how Julia Childs who plays a bored housewife to a government employee, Paul Child (Stanley Tucci) becomes a master of the French Cuisine and eventually publishes one of the biggest cook books on French Cuisine.
So the question I ask myself, is what do I expect to like going in? I already know that I have an unhealthy obsession with Amy Adams and I already know that Meryl Streep is one of the greatest actresses still working today, but at the same time as a person that has trouble boiling an egg I know I will almost want to kill myself staring at some of the meals that are going to be in full focus on the screen. I have to say that even though Meryl Streep defeats Ms. Adams in the acting department of the film I definitely enjoyed Amy Adams section of the film more than Meryl. While Meryl does her best to bring to life the character of Julia Childs, which I’ve actually never heard of before, who is no more than a great cartoon character for cooking, Amy Adams’ character reminded me a lot of myself. I forgot to pay attention to the fact that she has friends or a husband or a job and focused completely on her writing/blogging. I found myself intrigued every time she sat at her laptop writing her posts to her readers feeling all those things she felt, feeling like she’s sending her thoughts out there in the massive space that is the internet and unsure of whether it would find anyone. I could relate it to this blog, searching for someone to comment. Someone to hear my voice, like Amy's character.
However, my biggest problem with this movie is that even though I enjoyed Julie Powell’s character more than Julia Childs, Julie Powell didn’t feel like she had a proper story arc. She decided to spend a year doing this project and it gave her highs and lows but it didn’t seem like the project helped her life. I definitely heard that line of dialogue where she says how Julia pulled her out of the rut and you can see that she had some progression in her career but did a year of cooking, eating and blogging do it? Possibly, but I’d like to think that even without the project all the things that happened for her in the end would’ve happened anyway. Julia Childs on the other hand has the better arc for sure, as it tells the story of her going from boring wife to being a great cook who brings French Cuisine to America. Her half of the film felt like a regular biopic where we see her overcome all the hurdles a character would in that scenario.
So in the end while wondering as what to call this movie, I would like to dub it being better than expected but not anything that I’m willing to rave about. In a month I will probably forget about the movie completely and not even think twice about watching it again when it hits cable and I’m flicking through channels on a Saturday morning between football matches. However, this is a nice date movie since it does cater to the female audience and is light hearted enough about its topic that it can draw in the men like how Iron Chef can.
So the question I ask myself, is what do I expect to like going in? I already know that I have an unhealthy obsession with Amy Adams and I already know that Meryl Streep is one of the greatest actresses still working today, but at the same time as a person that has trouble boiling an egg I know I will almost want to kill myself staring at some of the meals that are going to be in full focus on the screen. I have to say that even though Meryl Streep defeats Ms. Adams in the acting department of the film I definitely enjoyed Amy Adams section of the film more than Meryl. While Meryl does her best to bring to life the character of Julia Childs, which I’ve actually never heard of before, who is no more than a great cartoon character for cooking, Amy Adams’ character reminded me a lot of myself. I forgot to pay attention to the fact that she has friends or a husband or a job and focused completely on her writing/blogging. I found myself intrigued every time she sat at her laptop writing her posts to her readers feeling all those things she felt, feeling like she’s sending her thoughts out there in the massive space that is the internet and unsure of whether it would find anyone. I could relate it to this blog, searching for someone to comment. Someone to hear my voice, like Amy's character.
However, my biggest problem with this movie is that even though I enjoyed Julie Powell’s character more than Julia Childs, Julie Powell didn’t feel like she had a proper story arc. She decided to spend a year doing this project and it gave her highs and lows but it didn’t seem like the project helped her life. I definitely heard that line of dialogue where she says how Julia pulled her out of the rut and you can see that she had some progression in her career but did a year of cooking, eating and blogging do it? Possibly, but I’d like to think that even without the project all the things that happened for her in the end would’ve happened anyway. Julia Childs on the other hand has the better arc for sure, as it tells the story of her going from boring wife to being a great cook who brings French Cuisine to America. Her half of the film felt like a regular biopic where we see her overcome all the hurdles a character would in that scenario.
So in the end while wondering as what to call this movie, I would like to dub it being better than expected but not anything that I’m willing to rave about. In a month I will probably forget about the movie completely and not even think twice about watching it again when it hits cable and I’m flicking through channels on a Saturday morning between football matches. However, this is a nice date movie since it does cater to the female audience and is light hearted enough about its topic that it can draw in the men like how Iron Chef can.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Just around the corner...
For all you still-crazy-die hard Harry Potter fans-- eeeep! Though the hype that Harry Potter once created has slowed down to a great extent now that all the books have come to an end, there are still some of us who are just as excited by the movies. Even though the books most indefinately were better than the movies..most of us, including me, still can't be seperated from the fabulous world of witchcraft and wizardry which was created when we were tweens. So, it's all for one and one for all for all those who have been waiting to see the first part of the final movie. Just a few weeks left..though it will take a while for the better print to hit Pakistan (sigh), let's see if this movie is worth the watch...(yes, most of the HP movies in the past haven't quite done the right justice to the books...I have a feeling about this one, since it's divided into two parts!)
And as for the amazing stars, one only has to do some reading on them to find out that the young stars are actually not as affected by their fame. Just the beginning of fall, Emma Watson (playing Hermione Granger in the movies) started her new university. Completely normal. "I am a star. but I love being a normal girl. I won't let acting get in the way of my studying plans" she says in one of her interviews. Disney could take notes on how to raise child stars couldn't they?
And as for the amazing stars, one only has to do some reading on them to find out that the young stars are actually not as affected by their fame. Just the beginning of fall, Emma Watson (playing Hermione Granger in the movies) started her new university. Completely normal. "I am a star. but I love being a normal girl. I won't let acting get in the way of my studying plans" she says in one of her interviews. Disney could take notes on how to raise child stars couldn't they?
Monday, November 1, 2010
A Letter To The Culture Around Me...
My answer to all those who think being in a hijab is being locked up. I am sad to see, that even most Muslims here in Pakistan think that. Girls start the hijab, and leave it, because of this culture around us. This is my answer to all of them.
Growing up, you read me the ugly duckling
And for years I believed that that was me
For so long you taught me nothing more
Than a bad copy of that standard
I couldn't run as fast or lift as much
I didn't make the same money
And I cried too often
I grew up in a man's world;
Where I didn't belong
And when I couldn't be him,
I wanted only to please him.
So I put on your make-up and wore your short skirts,
And I gave my life, my body, my diginity
For the cause of being "pretty"
But I knew that no matter what I did,
I was worthy only to a certain degree
As long as I could please my "master"
And so I spent my life on the cover of Cosmo.
And gave my body for you to sell.
I was a slave,
But you told me I was free.
I was your object,
But you swore it was my success.
You taught me that my purpose in life
Was to be on display.
To attract,
To be beautiful for men.
You made me believe that my body
Was created to market your cars.
And,
You still raised me to think that I was the ugly duckling.
But you lied.
My religion tells me- I'm a swan
I'm different- I'm meant to be that way.
And my body, my soul, were created for
Something more.
I am honoured.
But it is not by my relationship to men.
My value as a woman is not measured
By the size of my waist
Or the number of men who like me.
My worth as a human is measured
On a higher scale-
A scale of righteousness and piety.
And my purpose in life-
Despite what the fashion magazines say-
Is something more sublime
Than just looking good for men.
And so I cover myself,
I hide and protect my body,
And tell the world
That I'm not here
To please men with my body;
I'm here to please God.
So those who wish to "liberate" me
I have only one thing to say:
"Thanks, but no thanks"
I'm not here to be on display.
And my body certainly is not for consumption.
I will not be reduced to an object;
Or a pair of legs to sell shoes.
I'm a soul,
A mind,
A servant of Allah.
And thus, my worth is defined
By the beauty of my *soul*,
My heart and my moral character.
So;
I don't worship your beauty standards.
And I don't submit to your fashion sense.
My submission is to something much higher.
And with my veil,
I put my faith on display;
Rather than my beauty.
And my value as a human
Is defined by my relationship to my God,
Not by my looks.
So I cover the irrelevant.
And when you look at me,
You don't just see a body;
You view what I am;
A servant of my God.
So you see,
As a Muslim woman,
I've been liberated from a silent kind of bondage;
And thus,
I don't need to answer
To the slaves of God on earth,
I answer only
To their King.
Growing up, you read me the ugly duckling
And for years I believed that that was me
For so long you taught me nothing more
Than a bad copy of that standard
I couldn't run as fast or lift as much
I didn't make the same money
And I cried too often
I grew up in a man's world;
Where I didn't belong
And when I couldn't be him,
I wanted only to please him.
So I put on your make-up and wore your short skirts,
And I gave my life, my body, my diginity
For the cause of being "pretty"
But I knew that no matter what I did,
I was worthy only to a certain degree
As long as I could please my "master"
And so I spent my life on the cover of Cosmo.
And gave my body for you to sell.
I was a slave,
But you told me I was free.
I was your object,
But you swore it was my success.
You taught me that my purpose in life
Was to be on display.
To attract,
To be beautiful for men.
You made me believe that my body
Was created to market your cars.
And,
You still raised me to think that I was the ugly duckling.
But you lied.
My religion tells me- I'm a swan
I'm different- I'm meant to be that way.
And my body, my soul, were created for
Something more.
I am honoured.
But it is not by my relationship to men.
My value as a woman is not measured
By the size of my waist
Or the number of men who like me.
My worth as a human is measured
On a higher scale-
A scale of righteousness and piety.
And my purpose in life-
Despite what the fashion magazines say-
Is something more sublime
Than just looking good for men.
And so I cover myself,
I hide and protect my body,
And tell the world
That I'm not here
To please men with my body;
I'm here to please God.
So those who wish to "liberate" me
I have only one thing to say:
"Thanks, but no thanks"
I'm not here to be on display.
And my body certainly is not for consumption.
I will not be reduced to an object;
Or a pair of legs to sell shoes.
I'm a soul,
A mind,
A servant of Allah.
And thus, my worth is defined
By the beauty of my *soul*,
My heart and my moral character.
So;
I don't worship your beauty standards.
And I don't submit to your fashion sense.
My submission is to something much higher.
And with my veil,
I put my faith on display;
Rather than my beauty.
And my value as a human
Is defined by my relationship to my God,
Not by my looks.
So I cover the irrelevant.
And when you look at me,
You don't just see a body;
You view what I am;
A servant of my God.
So you see,
As a Muslim woman,
I've been liberated from a silent kind of bondage;
And thus,
I don't need to answer
To the slaves of God on earth,
I answer only
To their King.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Hallow-eeep!
So it's halloween today. And even though we live in Pakistan, i know about 5 halloween parties that are taking place today in my town. Even though we are Muslims, and we don't go out trick-or-treating, we still are having these costumes parties..all in good fun ofcourse! It's just a fun party, it's not like we're adapting Christian beliefs.
But what my friends fail to grasp is that celebrating it, you are actually saying that it's okay. That an event such as this is rather exotic (and ofcourse, anything exotic is totally cool. WE don't have any cool celebrations of our own do we? Eid is just boring. Rather than coming up with funner ways to celebrate it, let's just adapt someone else's culture and religion! Yeay!)
Tonight, while I KNOW some of my friends are dancing dressed up like witches and gargoyles and vampires in the ISLAMIC Republic of Pakistan, I choose to stay at home and draw light upon the history of this "cool" celebration that we don't even know about.
They also believed that on October 31st, the lord of the dead gathered all the souls of the people who had died that year. The souls upon death would dwell in the body of an animal, then on this day the lord would announce what form they were to take for the next year.
While it may be tempting to join in, we must be careful to preserve our own traditions and not allow ourselves to be corrupted by this seemingly "innocent" fun. When tempted, remember the pagan origins of these traditions, and ask Allah to give you strength. Save the celebration, the fun and games, for our 'Eid festivals. We can still have fun, it's not like it's forbidden in Islam and most importantly, we should learn that we only acknowledge holidays that have a religious significance to us as Muslims. Holidays are not just excuses to binge and be reckless. In Islam, our holidays retain their religious importance, while allowing proper time for rejoicing, fun and games.
"When it is said unto them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed, come to the Messenger,' they say, 'Enough for us are the ways we found our fathers following.' What! Even though their fathers were void of knowledge and guidance?" (Qur'an 5:104)
"Has not the time arrived for the believers, that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed to them? That they should not become like those to whom was given the Book aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors." (Qur'an 57:16)
But what my friends fail to grasp is that celebrating it, you are actually saying that it's okay. That an event such as this is rather exotic (and ofcourse, anything exotic is totally cool. WE don't have any cool celebrations of our own do we? Eid is just boring. Rather than coming up with funner ways to celebrate it, let's just adapt someone else's culture and religion! Yeay!)
Tonight, while I KNOW some of my friends are dancing dressed up like witches and gargoyles and vampires in the ISLAMIC Republic of Pakistan, I choose to stay at home and draw light upon the history of this "cool" celebration that we don't even know about.
Pagan(...Yes, PAGAN) Origins of Halloween
Halloween originated as the Eve of Samhain, a celebration marking the beginning of winter and the first day of the New Year among ancient pagans of the British Isles. On this occasion, it was believed that supernatural forces gathered together, that the barriers between the supernatural and human worlds were broken. They believed that spirits from other worlds (such as the souls of the dead) were able to visit earth during this time and roam about. At this time, they celebrated a joint festival for the sun god and the lord of the dead. The sun was thanked for the harvest and given moral support for the upcoming "battle" with winter. In ancient times, the pagans made sacrifices of animals and crops in order to please the gods.They also believed that on October 31st, the lord of the dead gathered all the souls of the people who had died that year. The souls upon death would dwell in the body of an animal, then on this day the lord would announce what form they were to take for the next year.
Christian Influence
When Christianity came to the British Isles, the church tried to take attention away from these pagan rituals by placing a Christian holiday on the same day. The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, acknowledges the saints of the Christian faith in much the same way that Samhain had paid tribute to the pagan gods. The customs of Samhain survived anyway, and eventually became intertwined with the Christian holiday. These traditions were brought to the United States by immigrants from Ireland and Scotland.Islamic Teachings
Virtually all Halloween traditions are based either in ancient pagan culture, or in Christianity. From an Islamic point of view, they all are forms of idolatry (shirk). As Muslims, our celebrations should be ones that honor and uphold our faith and beliefs. How can we worship only Allah, the Creator, if we participate in activities that are based in pagan rituals, divination, and the spirit world? Many people participate in these celebrations without even understanding the history and the pagan connections, just because their friends are doing it, their parents did it ("it's a tradition!"), and because "it's fun!"While it may be tempting to join in, we must be careful to preserve our own traditions and not allow ourselves to be corrupted by this seemingly "innocent" fun. When tempted, remember the pagan origins of these traditions, and ask Allah to give you strength. Save the celebration, the fun and games, for our 'Eid festivals. We can still have fun, it's not like it's forbidden in Islam and most importantly, we should learn that we only acknowledge holidays that have a religious significance to us as Muslims. Holidays are not just excuses to binge and be reckless. In Islam, our holidays retain their religious importance, while allowing proper time for rejoicing, fun and games.
Guidance From the Quran
On this point, the Quran says:"When it is said unto them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed, come to the Messenger,' they say, 'Enough for us are the ways we found our fathers following.' What! Even though their fathers were void of knowledge and guidance?" (Qur'an 5:104)
"Has not the time arrived for the believers, that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed to them? That they should not become like those to whom was given the Book aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors." (Qur'an 57:16)
Friday, October 29, 2010
For the sake of God, please fix this road !!
No, this is not a random title. This title has actually been copied from a sign that I saw outside a road close to where I live in North Nazimabad, Karachi. Leaving the house with my family one day, I braced myself for the long and painful bumpy roads as soon as I leave my street and enter the main road. The bumps and the reminents of the construction wof the street which has been going on since...how long was it? I honestly can't even remember the date. But I assure you it has most probably been more than a year. Anyway, so as we headed out that day, what we didn't brace ourselves was for the amount of laughter that would come after seeing a huge black sign pinned on the side saying "Khuda ka khauf karo. Road sahi kardo!"
I guess it wasn't really a laughing matter. I guess some part of me was impressed by these people, whoever they were, for atleast TRYING to make those so called construction workers or whoever it is taking care of the constructions in Karachi feel a bit of shame. I used to look for moments to go out, maybe even for a walk, down to the other block, where it is a more commercial area. Ever since the road incident, I barely ever feel like doing it. My mom and dad think twice before going out to run small errands because it's just not worth all the up-down-up-down bumpy ride in which one has to not only make sure that they don't end up hurting the bumpers of their cars, but also face the other cars coming from all over the other places, from your front and both sides.
But that's not the sad part. The sad part is, that it's been almost a month and a half since we saw that sign get posted, and still, the road is exactly the same as ever. No officials, no concerned authorities have apid any heed to it. If there were ever a 'Procrastinator of the year' award, by far, Pakistani officials would get it.
I guess it wasn't really a laughing matter. I guess some part of me was impressed by these people, whoever they were, for atleast TRYING to make those so called construction workers or whoever it is taking care of the constructions in Karachi feel a bit of shame. I used to look for moments to go out, maybe even for a walk, down to the other block, where it is a more commercial area. Ever since the road incident, I barely ever feel like doing it. My mom and dad think twice before going out to run small errands because it's just not worth all the up-down-up-down bumpy ride in which one has to not only make sure that they don't end up hurting the bumpers of their cars, but also face the other cars coming from all over the other places, from your front and both sides.
But that's not the sad part. The sad part is, that it's been almost a month and a half since we saw that sign get posted, and still, the road is exactly the same as ever. No officials, no concerned authorities have apid any heed to it. If there were ever a 'Procrastinator of the year' award, by far, Pakistani officials would get it.
Monday, October 25, 2010
A Thousand Splendid Suns- Book Review
A Thousand Splendid Suns, written by Khaled Hosseini is a novel about two women growing up in war-torn Afghanistan. Mariam and Laila come from two different worlds, but as their lives and a series of events progress, they find themselves together, remembering what it is like to feel love and have hope. Chronicling the lives of the two women over a thirty year span, the novel is able to give readers an insight on life of women growing up in a male-dominated society. Afghanistan’s tumultuous history serves as the backdrop of Hosseini’s novel. The plot of the story runs parallel to the country’s timeline within the last three decades. As conditions in Afghanistan go from bad to worse, so do the lives of the novel’s two protagonists. Although the novel is a work of fiction, Hosseini’s use of historical references make his story more realistic and allows the reader to have a better understanding of what life is truly like for characters Mariam and Laila.
Mariam was born out of wedlock, and the first part of the novel follows her as she grows into a woman. The second part of the novel shifts to the story of Laila, a 9-year-old girl who lives near Mariam. Although both girls' stories are interesting, it was not clear during my first reading how they connected or where the novel was going. In Part III, Mariam and Laila's stories converge. This is where the novel really takes off and becomes hard to put down. For those readers who read The Kite Runner and are afraid during the first part of the novel that A Thousand Splendid Suns will never pick up the momentum of Hosseini's debut work, fear not. It will all come together, and you will appreciate the time Hosseini spent developing the characters in the first hundred pages or so.
Overall, I highly recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns. Hosseini has written another page turner that moves quickly despite how difficult it is to internalize the sad and violent content that runs throughout the book. This is not light reading, but it is very good reading. Not only does Hosseini do an excellent job of creating an extremely interesting plot that engages readers from beginning to end, his use of imagery and descriptive language adds to the realism of the characters and their thoughts and feelings. Incorporating elements of friendship, love and war makes Hosseini’s novel relatable to many around the globe and a “must-read” (according to NY Times) for bookworms alike.
Mariam was born out of wedlock, and the first part of the novel follows her as she grows into a woman. The second part of the novel shifts to the story of Laila, a 9-year-old girl who lives near Mariam. Although both girls' stories are interesting, it was not clear during my first reading how they connected or where the novel was going. In Part III, Mariam and Laila's stories converge. This is where the novel really takes off and becomes hard to put down. For those readers who read The Kite Runner and are afraid during the first part of the novel that A Thousand Splendid Suns will never pick up the momentum of Hosseini's debut work, fear not. It will all come together, and you will appreciate the time Hosseini spent developing the characters in the first hundred pages or so.
Overall, I highly recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns. Hosseini has written another page turner that moves quickly despite how difficult it is to internalize the sad and violent content that runs throughout the book. This is not light reading, but it is very good reading. Not only does Hosseini do an excellent job of creating an extremely interesting plot that engages readers from beginning to end, his use of imagery and descriptive language adds to the realism of the characters and their thoughts and feelings. Incorporating elements of friendship, love and war makes Hosseini’s novel relatable to many around the globe and a “must-read” (according to NY Times) for bookworms alike.
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Crucial Time
The nation is going through turbulent times. Pakistan is living on the edge these days. Let it be India's immoral motives against Pakistan ,the international pressure over different issues, Flood victims rehabilitation process, downsizing economy or the recent bombings in karachi and other major cities of the country, Pakistan is suffering...badly.
Recent analysis show that these are one of the most difficult times that Pakistan has ever faced in its history. But the point in case here is that Pakistan has been through such times before. The war of 65 and 71, conditions after the nuclear launch or 9/11 or even the external pressures, the nation did survive and it prospered.
US President's recent business trip to India was being regarded as not a major threat to Pakistan's relations with USA and Obama rightfully played it well but in the end speaking to Log sabha(Indian Parliament) he did speak out few contradicting statements which did discourage few hopes in Pakistan like India's positive role in Afghanistan which indeed is not as positive as it was being told by President Obama.
Rehabilitation for victims of flood affected areas is another major challenge ahead of this country and the government.
The war on terror is another major issue which has to be addressed in a more structured manner as was done in swat and areas along.
India's motives have been quite evident of the fact that what can we be made go through in coming days, fundings to militant groups in Pakistan, stoppage of water flow to Pakistan, blaming Pakistan on almost everything even if a child in India gets his lollipop stolen Pakistan must be blamed!
The issues related to sports specially cricket are getting out of control every day. Hearings over Salman butt and Amir's cases and Zulqurnain's acts surely need an attention forcing the governing bodies to restructure the whole board.
International pressure over different issues has also been a worry for this country. The sanctions imposed by IMF may sound scary but their implementation makes things worst as being explained by Joseph E Stiglitz.
Hence a lot is to be handled and it has to be handled right. Pakistan holds the experience of making through such extreme situations and it rightly will once the will is there ...will to change...
Monday, October 18, 2010
Fear God Or Love God?
I recently was going through a 2-week old DAWN when my eyes caught this small article titled "Love God or Fear God?" It seemed interesting so I pursued my eyes on reading the rest of it. What I read hit me with a brand new light. The article talks about our concept of Allah and how we tend to fear Him more than we love Him. The truth is, ever since we are little, we are told by our parents "Don't do this, God will be mad at you and will put you in hell". Atleast, ever since I was little, I had this very vague idea of God sitting on a throne and punishing the wrong-doers. I was always afraid of Him and scared to be punished, thus I was constantly disturbed and afraid whenever I failed to do what was told to me that I must do in order to please God.
Today, we tend to hold so strongly to our fear of Him, that we fail to actually love Him. Our whole lives encircle around hell and heaven but not around Allah. We do what we do in fear of Him, but we are oblivious to the fact that if we were truly to love Allah, we would need not to worry about the rest. We look at our daily prayers as an obligatory duty we must perform in order to reach heaven, when we should actually be seeking nearness to Allah through these prayers, not heaven. Ofcourse, if one is close to Allah, he will most surely attain Paradise. Personally, I feel that this phenomenon of heaven an hell was basically set up by Allah as a mere path, the eventual thing that people of a higher spiritual level should seek is actually the love of Allah.
Alot of things we do today, alot of the practices we condemn, are basically because we think that Allah will punish us. We never say "If you want Allah to love you, do this" instead, we say ot ourselves "Do this if you want to be saved from Allah's wrath". Isn't the greater purpose of life to find Allah's love? Obviously, when we love someone, we would never do anything that does not please them, so eventally, the wrath part will go away if we truly look for the the Love of Allah. Allah states that His love is the intensity of the love of 70 mothers. Also, in many parts of the Quran, his love for us is sometimes emphasized more than his wrath. Thus, our main goal in life should be to love Him, not to be scared of the wrath we'd get on the Day of Judgement. Ofcourse, that should be kept in mind; however, the higher purpose should always be to love Him, and if we truly give ourselves to love Him, paradise and hell would mean nothing.
Today, we tend to hold so strongly to our fear of Him, that we fail to actually love Him. Our whole lives encircle around hell and heaven but not around Allah. We do what we do in fear of Him, but we are oblivious to the fact that if we were truly to love Allah, we would need not to worry about the rest. We look at our daily prayers as an obligatory duty we must perform in order to reach heaven, when we should actually be seeking nearness to Allah through these prayers, not heaven. Ofcourse, if one is close to Allah, he will most surely attain Paradise. Personally, I feel that this phenomenon of heaven an hell was basically set up by Allah as a mere path, the eventual thing that people of a higher spiritual level should seek is actually the love of Allah.
Alot of things we do today, alot of the practices we condemn, are basically because we think that Allah will punish us. We never say "If you want Allah to love you, do this" instead, we say ot ourselves "Do this if you want to be saved from Allah's wrath". Isn't the greater purpose of life to find Allah's love? Obviously, when we love someone, we would never do anything that does not please them, so eventally, the wrath part will go away if we truly look for the the Love of Allah. Allah states that His love is the intensity of the love of 70 mothers. Also, in many parts of the Quran, his love for us is sometimes emphasized more than his wrath. Thus, our main goal in life should be to love Him, not to be scared of the wrath we'd get on the Day of Judgement. Ofcourse, that should be kept in mind; however, the higher purpose should always be to love Him, and if we truly give ourselves to love Him, paradise and hell would mean nothing.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Is Customer Service Dead?
A few days back I overheard my sister-in-law, lecturing my brother for what seemed like the hundreth time on why he hadn't called the LG company to come and fix their television that she had just brought 2 months ago for her dowry and had already broke down. "I DID call them. They said they sent someone but the person who came at the door said he didn't own an LG" said my brother. "HOW is that possible?!" "I don't know" "Fine. I'll just call them myself!"
After a while, I saw my sister-in-law completely flustered and rather angry, doing unnecessary cleaning around the kitchen, something she tends to do when she is frustrated. On inquiring what had gone wrong, she told me that the Customer Service representative whom she had talked to was extremely rude and utterly disrespectful. Not only was he not letting her properly explain her problem, he yelled at her and was being downright mean. When she asked him to atleast have some manners in talking to a woman, he raised his voice even further and went on to accuse her and ended up hanging up on HER, rather than the other way around.
I was completely shocked and still am. I know that this is Pakistan, a place where we tend to not give any ethical emphasis on customer satisfaction once the product is already sold, but to be so rude is just not right! LG is a well-reputed company and I was very dissapointed to find out that it does not take it's customers seriously. No matter if the customer buys something worth Rs.100 or Rs.100,000; he is still a customer and thus his satisfaction should be the priority of any company, specially one as huge as LG.
In countries all around the world, customers are treated with complete respect, even if they are completely wrong or extremely hard to deal with, the point of a Customer Service representative is to calm that person down and assure him that he will be provided with the service he needs eanwhile even thanking him for his patience and apologizing for their fault, whether it may or may not be there. Pakistanis tend to copy alot of things from the West, their clothing, their way of living...then why can't we try to copy what actually should be copied? Things like cooperation and care seem non-existance sometimes in our society which is just sad.
I probably will make sure I don't buy an LG television, or maybe even any LG appliance in the future because now I know how they treat their customers. Smart companies know that if it's customer service is well-managed, it will eventually attract more customers. So, in the end: Advice to all those companies who think they're all that- we are the customers, we have the power to make you or break you. Treat us right, or you won't go anywhere.
After a while, I saw my sister-in-law completely flustered and rather angry, doing unnecessary cleaning around the kitchen, something she tends to do when she is frustrated. On inquiring what had gone wrong, she told me that the Customer Service representative whom she had talked to was extremely rude and utterly disrespectful. Not only was he not letting her properly explain her problem, he yelled at her and was being downright mean. When she asked him to atleast have some manners in talking to a woman, he raised his voice even further and went on to accuse her and ended up hanging up on HER, rather than the other way around.
I was completely shocked and still am. I know that this is Pakistan, a place where we tend to not give any ethical emphasis on customer satisfaction once the product is already sold, but to be so rude is just not right! LG is a well-reputed company and I was very dissapointed to find out that it does not take it's customers seriously. No matter if the customer buys something worth Rs.100 or Rs.100,000; he is still a customer and thus his satisfaction should be the priority of any company, specially one as huge as LG.
In countries all around the world, customers are treated with complete respect, even if they are completely wrong or extremely hard to deal with, the point of a Customer Service representative is to calm that person down and assure him that he will be provided with the service he needs eanwhile even thanking him for his patience and apologizing for their fault, whether it may or may not be there. Pakistanis tend to copy alot of things from the West, their clothing, their way of living...then why can't we try to copy what actually should be copied? Things like cooperation and care seem non-existance sometimes in our society which is just sad.
I probably will make sure I don't buy an LG television, or maybe even any LG appliance in the future because now I know how they treat their customers. Smart companies know that if it's customer service is well-managed, it will eventually attract more customers. So, in the end: Advice to all those companies who think they're all that- we are the customers, we have the power to make you or break you. Treat us right, or you won't go anywhere.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The 'ISLAMIC' Republic of Pakistan
Though most of us are either too ignorant, or too "liberal" to accept this, I don't like the looks of where Pakistans youth is heading towards, specially the higher class teenagers. What do I have against them? Nothing really, except they don't seem very Pakistani to me. One cannot deny that we are adapting the culture of the West. There is nothing typically wrong with that on one hand, but on the other, it is absurd to me that this is happening. I am not a conservative, I don't want people to go around constantly wearing shalwar-kamiz or what not, but my point is beyond that.
Seriously..dance parties? Drugs and slcohol? Pre-marital relationships? C'mon..these are all normal...why do you have to be so locked up. We have to compete with the rest of the world! Okaaay. I'm sorry, but I don't know how competing with the world has anything to do with wearing mini-skirts nad getting knocked up and having extreme dance parties in universities. I'm sorry, but this is the 'ISLAMIC' Republic of Pakistan, and where in the world are those things Islamic?!
I'm not an extremist, once again, but oh my gosh, we are losing all sense of our noble culture. And the sad part is, we don't think that htere's anything wrong with that. I classify the youth today in the following types: Wannabe burgers and Wannabe westerners. So, there are the teenagers who want to be like the high class "posh" teenagers, and there are the "posch' teenagers who want to be like the teenagers of the west. We all are impressed if a person has amazing English skills, but don't take it as a high regard if a person has Urdu skills. And yes, I am a person who believes that it is not necessary to have the most amazing English speaking skills to be able to be successful. And the country I IDOLIZE for proving this right is Iran.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Iran is also a developing country at the moment. But if you look at it, you will be amazed at how well they've developed. And they DON'T use English. They have their own products. They do not rely on the west. Specially on the culture of the west, as they are proud of their own. And I have yet to see a country who isn't funded from outside to develop the madressahs in it's state. (Ofcourse, you would know all about Saudi Arabia being funded by America if you read up on your historical facts). I am blunt, I am not carefree about my principles. I am a Muslim. And I only support what makes sense to me. And Iran has progressed waaaaayyyyy more than Pakistan without adapting their culture.
Are we really so insecure with our own identity that we easily are willing to give up our principles for what the world says is "right" as opposed to what truly IS right? It's perhaps not only our government which is so blatantly said to be "corrupted", the truth is, we are too.
Seriously..dance parties? Drugs and slcohol? Pre-marital relationships? C'mon..these are all normal...why do you have to be so locked up. We have to compete with the rest of the world! Okaaay. I'm sorry, but I don't know how competing with the world has anything to do with wearing mini-skirts nad getting knocked up and having extreme dance parties in universities. I'm sorry, but this is the 'ISLAMIC' Republic of Pakistan, and where in the world are those things Islamic?!
I'm not an extremist, once again, but oh my gosh, we are losing all sense of our noble culture. And the sad part is, we don't think that htere's anything wrong with that. I classify the youth today in the following types: Wannabe burgers and Wannabe westerners. So, there are the teenagers who want to be like the high class "posh" teenagers, and there are the "posch' teenagers who want to be like the teenagers of the west. We all are impressed if a person has amazing English skills, but don't take it as a high regard if a person has Urdu skills. And yes, I am a person who believes that it is not necessary to have the most amazing English speaking skills to be able to be successful. And the country I IDOLIZE for proving this right is Iran.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Iran is also a developing country at the moment. But if you look at it, you will be amazed at how well they've developed. And they DON'T use English. They have their own products. They do not rely on the west. Specially on the culture of the west, as they are proud of their own. And I have yet to see a country who isn't funded from outside to develop the madressahs in it's state. (Ofcourse, you would know all about Saudi Arabia being funded by America if you read up on your historical facts). I am blunt, I am not carefree about my principles. I am a Muslim. And I only support what makes sense to me. And Iran has progressed waaaaayyyyy more than Pakistan without adapting their culture.
Are we really so insecure with our own identity that we easily are willing to give up our principles for what the world says is "right" as opposed to what truly IS right? It's perhaps not only our government which is so blatantly said to be "corrupted", the truth is, we are too.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
2010- The Year I Completely Abandon The CD
To be fair I can't remember the last time I actually USED a CD other than to rip it onto my hard drive and I can't remember the last CD I bought for myself, but up until now they've still kind of stayed around.
When I began to rip my CDs onto my hard drive I started putting them away, so most of my CDs have already been packed and placed out of the way. Yet a bunch still remained, mostly CDs of artists I don't listen to anymore or ones that I have 5 CDs that have been replaced happily by a Greatest Hits compilation, however up until today they were simply just taking up shelf space.
This past weekend I packed up the balance of those CDs, leaving behind a small stack that needs to be ripped onto the hard drive and leaving out a few of those "collector" case CD's for display.
I mean...really. I recall the time when we used to use cassettess and these huge video tapes. They're a long lost treasure now. And I'm starting to feel that soon enough the CD will too be on our list of "Whatever happened to those old huge things?". With the modern technologies coming in..bigger data is stored in smaller versions..which is a little haven of it's own.
It's much easier now to abandon CD's since most places you can get music digitally you can now get it without that pesky DRM. It's funny I alway's worried that my CD's wouldn't last forever, that something would happen to them and they'd become unplayable. Turns out something did happen to them, they became irrelevant.
When I began to rip my CDs onto my hard drive I started putting them away, so most of my CDs have already been packed and placed out of the way. Yet a bunch still remained, mostly CDs of artists I don't listen to anymore or ones that I have 5 CDs that have been replaced happily by a Greatest Hits compilation, however up until today they were simply just taking up shelf space.
This past weekend I packed up the balance of those CDs, leaving behind a small stack that needs to be ripped onto the hard drive and leaving out a few of those "collector" case CD's for display.
I mean...really. I recall the time when we used to use cassettess and these huge video tapes. They're a long lost treasure now. And I'm starting to feel that soon enough the CD will too be on our list of "Whatever happened to those old huge things?". With the modern technologies coming in..bigger data is stored in smaller versions..which is a little haven of it's own.
It's much easier now to abandon CD's since most places you can get music digitally you can now get it without that pesky DRM. It's funny I alway's worried that my CD's wouldn't last forever, that something would happen to them and they'd become unplayable. Turns out something did happen to them, they became irrelevant.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Old vs The Young
Old people have always been considered centers of wisdom; whether or not we respect them for it, most people recognize that old folks have a lot of life experience on the rest of us.
But I was listening to Guy Clark's "Texas, 1947" just now and I realized that in the last 100 years or so it's much more common to view younger people as centers of knowledge. The song was written about the first time he ever saw a Streamline train out in west Texas:
I wonder what that does to our sense of wonderment about the world around us...
But I was listening to Guy Clark's "Texas, 1947" just now and I realized that in the last 100 years or so it's much more common to view younger people as centers of knowledge. The song was written about the first time he ever saw a Streamline train out in west Texas:
Trains are big and black and smokin', louder'n July four,Not anymore, kids. Anyone under 20 has seen hundreds of things that their grandparents haven't seen--or even dreamed of. Today's youth certainly face a whole different world. And noone can deny that. With the coming of technolgy and this ongoing race, no doubt that todays youth is more crazy about knowing everything about anything than our grandparents did at our age. With the passing of time, this vew age actually requires us to know more than ever. And I bet we know more of the facts of WWI and WWII than our mothers and fathers-- just because we need to be able to KNOW. Whether it be to show off or to compete, todays generation is undeniable more aware of their surroundings.
but everybody's actin' like this might be somethin' more
than just pickin' up the mail, or the soldiers from the war.
This is somethin' that even old man Wileman never seen before.
I wonder what that does to our sense of wonderment about the world around us...
Monday, September 13, 2010
Burn The Quran Day- Just a Thought...
The Holy Quran wasn't revealed as a written book to our Holy Prophet(PBUH) and the written scripture is just a means of fascilitation for us but indeed held in the highest of reverence is indeed disgraced by blasphemous acts of mass burnings.
What does a comman Muslim like me or you have to say about it?
Let them burn a few copies some said.. Islam is the religion of peace and tolerance others qouted.
True that and frankly not that we are in much of a position to do anything physically about it. We should have been tough but unfortunatly defending our religion classifys us as terrorists these days. The Muslim scribes from Baghdad I recall lost their lives protecting the very same Qurans at the hands of the mongol attacks..! They did still burn them! What the allied forces do during thier activities of war in Muslim states is also not a matter of debate here nor is what a few priests can do in utter foolishness.
If they one day, God forbid, burn all physical copies from NYC would the Holy Quran ceize to exist there? I dont need stats to dictate the thousands of hufaz who if ever the need arises could reproduce copies as fast as they would burn them!
The Holy Quran exists is in our hearts or atleast, it should be.
I have a question..
Is the Holy Quran so sacred a relic that it should just be locked up in cupboards or ceremoniously put on the top-most shelves victim to dust and neglect. And is our love just left for the sake of defending our faith?
How many of us recite the very Quran if not daily even weekly? I'm ashamed to admit that I don't..I hope to one day though!
An American friend of mine said that we will organize buy the Quran day instead of burn the Quran day.
I liked the idea, frankly they were doing something positive then thinking of just blowing up that church!
So what are we going to do?
Defending our faith is mandatory and protesting the proper way is our right and duty!
But there is more that needs to be done.
We need to inculcate within us the habits of reciting the Quran and even more importantly to comprehend the Divine message via whichever medium(English/Urdu) feasable.
We need to understand that what is so Divine about the text that it is called the Holy Quran and that it nigates our respect and love.
What does a comman Muslim like me or you have to say about it?
Let them burn a few copies some said.. Islam is the religion of peace and tolerance others qouted.
True that and frankly not that we are in much of a position to do anything physically about it. We should have been tough but unfortunatly defending our religion classifys us as terrorists these days. The Muslim scribes from Baghdad I recall lost their lives protecting the very same Qurans at the hands of the mongol attacks..! They did still burn them! What the allied forces do during thier activities of war in Muslim states is also not a matter of debate here nor is what a few priests can do in utter foolishness.
If they one day, God forbid, burn all physical copies from NYC would the Holy Quran ceize to exist there? I dont need stats to dictate the thousands of hufaz who if ever the need arises could reproduce copies as fast as they would burn them!
The Holy Quran exists is in our hearts or atleast, it should be.
I have a question..
Is the Holy Quran so sacred a relic that it should just be locked up in cupboards or ceremoniously put on the top-most shelves victim to dust and neglect. And is our love just left for the sake of defending our faith?
How many of us recite the very Quran if not daily even weekly? I'm ashamed to admit that I don't..I hope to one day though!
An American friend of mine said that we will organize buy the Quran day instead of burn the Quran day.
I liked the idea, frankly they were doing something positive then thinking of just blowing up that church!
So what are we going to do?
Defending our faith is mandatory and protesting the proper way is our right and duty!
But there is more that needs to be done.
We need to inculcate within us the habits of reciting the Quran and even more importantly to comprehend the Divine message via whichever medium(English/Urdu) feasable.
We need to understand that what is so Divine about the text that it is called the Holy Quran and that it nigates our respect and love.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Extremism- the biggest threat in Pakistan
Pakistan has been one of those third world countries which has suffered alot from a so called thought known as "Extremism". It has also been a major victim of terrorist acts which are being carried out but different extremist groups in the country. Pakistan has been under a so called state of war since the 80's(President Zia-Ul-Haq's reign) and has not been able to come out of it uptil now.
Now here the question stands what are the reasons due to which Pakistan has not been able to clear the dirt(Terrorist groups) from the country.
There could be many reasons for this:
1. Some could say that the policies of States are not helping the cause.
2. Some could the stand taken by the government is not proper or worth being appreciated.
But I won't be playing the "old blaming games" anymore, no matter how we fight them either using our land forces,gunship helicopters or also the very famous drone planes.
We have seen it quite clearly that it is not helping the cause that well.
The only solution in my perception remains that we have to change the mindsets. If we try to analyze things we will find out that the Pakistani society comprises of two groups and both possess very extreme thoughts.One of them are know as liberal and the other are known as extremists or fundamentalists.
There are quite few who can be called moderate in our society. Due to such two different school of thoughts our society is unbalanced and one takes quite a long time to get him/her self in this westo-eastern society.
Now coming upto the major issue"Extremism".What is extremism?It is a perception or a thought which a person possesses in which he remains quite extreme with his approach,ideas and philosophy.
Why extremism is the biggest threat to Pakistan? The reason stands quite clear,now adays extremism is regarded as that school of thought which is inclined towards religion more then a normal person in the society and these extreme mindsets also lead to certain disasters because they are not able to interpret the religion in a positive manner due to which they become unable to take the world and the religion along,this whole situation unbalances their thought, therefore they try to express it and as they do not possess sich positive approach therefore they take wrong cuts to express themselves which leads to certain mega disasters which one cannot even think of and that is what is going to happen in Pakistan if the mindsets of these people are not changed because the pressure has exceeded the limits and the pressure cooker(extreme approach) will soon burst which will turn the whole country into a place equal to that of hell.
Therefore we have to move on with a positive approach and have to change the mindsets of the people who possess extreme approaches instead of sitting at home and hoping for a miracle.
Now here the question stands what are the reasons due to which Pakistan has not been able to clear the dirt(Terrorist groups) from the country.
There could be many reasons for this:
1. Some could say that the policies of States are not helping the cause.
2. Some could the stand taken by the government is not proper or worth being appreciated.
But I won't be playing the "old blaming games" anymore, no matter how we fight them either using our land forces,gunship helicopters or also the very famous drone planes.
We have seen it quite clearly that it is not helping the cause that well.
The only solution in my perception remains that we have to change the mindsets. If we try to analyze things we will find out that the Pakistani society comprises of two groups and both possess very extreme thoughts.One of them are know as liberal and the other are known as extremists or fundamentalists.
There are quite few who can be called moderate in our society. Due to such two different school of thoughts our society is unbalanced and one takes quite a long time to get him/her self in this westo-eastern society.
Now coming upto the major issue"Extremism".What is extremism?It is a perception or a thought which a person possesses in which he remains quite extreme with his approach,ideas and philosophy.
Why extremism is the biggest threat to Pakistan? The reason stands quite clear,now adays extremism is regarded as that school of thought which is inclined towards religion more then a normal person in the society and these extreme mindsets also lead to certain disasters because they are not able to interpret the religion in a positive manner due to which they become unable to take the world and the religion along,this whole situation unbalances their thought, therefore they try to express it and as they do not possess sich positive approach therefore they take wrong cuts to express themselves which leads to certain mega disasters which one cannot even think of and that is what is going to happen in Pakistan if the mindsets of these people are not changed because the pressure has exceeded the limits and the pressure cooker(extreme approach) will soon burst which will turn the whole country into a place equal to that of hell.
Therefore we have to move on with a positive approach and have to change the mindsets of the people who possess extreme approaches instead of sitting at home and hoping for a miracle.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
If you want to be a Princess, you first need to get educated...
I can’t say I’ve thoroughly combed through the media commentary on Prince William’s announcement that he will marry Kate Middleton, but I did read a little of it this morning after this statement in a New York Times article caught my attention:
“Should Miss Middleton become Queen Catherine, she will be the first queen in British history to have a college degree, or indeed, to have any college education at all.”
Some commentators have lamented the fact that future Princess Kate has done little with that college education except procure a husband, but I think that overlooks a more important point.
For the past few weeks, my undergraduate classes have been reading about gender and sharing their thoughts on gender roles, marriage and family, media influences and girls’ education. In a comparison of contemporary and 19th century arguments about single sex education, one student commented that at least nowadays women’s main reason for attending college isn’t to find a husband. Agreed, but when I asked them whether as college women they feel pressure to find a boyfriend, or at the very least to procure male attention, stories started to pour out about friendly teasing at family gatherings and being left out of social events as friends paired off. The story that floored me, though was one young woman’s account of deciding in seventh grade to save her money for higher education, a commitment she stuck to when she recently faced the choice of getting married and starting a family or staying in college and continuing on to the graduate degree.
Two traditions are at issue here. One is education versus marriage, the notion that education (and the career, as e.g. abbess, teacher, social worker, college president, that education can lead to) exists as a respectable alternative to family life, giving women a path to success that runs parallel to the marriage track. Second is education as a means to marriage. A third, far more lovely and quintessentially modern, possibility, is that education is neither the autobahn to marriage nor the functional frontage road running next to it but, rather, a road to adulthood on which women can maintain an autonomy that serves them, and their relationships, well. Education not only provides careers and husbands; it provides the ability to make sense of it all and to keep afloat no matter what follows (divorce, job loss, dissatisfaction, media hullabaloo, whatever life brings).
A few years ago, in a New Yorker review of biographies of Diana Spencer, John Lanchester commented on her “outlandish lack of education” and how poorly it served her in later life. “In retrospect, it’s clear,” he notes, “Diana would have been better off with a mug of cocoa and an art history book than with jetting around Europe with Dodi Al Fayed.”
Yesterday in class, my students discussed media images of women and the out-of-school education those provide. We talked about how much more the media is a part of our lives than ever before and why girls and women hold themselves to the standards of beauty sold to them by television, magazines, the internet, music, film and ads at every turn. And we talked about how to raise girls possessed of self-respect, dignity, insight and resistance to manipulation. At times, the prospects looked hopeless. The education that teachers and parents can offer girls and boys seems a frail opponent to the forces of popular culture. Parents and teachers everywhere can now say this to all those little girls begging for tiaras: If you want to be a princess, first you have to get a higher education.
“Should Miss Middleton become Queen Catherine, she will be the first queen in British history to have a college degree, or indeed, to have any college education at all.”
Some commentators have lamented the fact that future Princess Kate has done little with that college education except procure a husband, but I think that overlooks a more important point.
For the past few weeks, my undergraduate classes have been reading about gender and sharing their thoughts on gender roles, marriage and family, media influences and girls’ education. In a comparison of contemporary and 19th century arguments about single sex education, one student commented that at least nowadays women’s main reason for attending college isn’t to find a husband. Agreed, but when I asked them whether as college women they feel pressure to find a boyfriend, or at the very least to procure male attention, stories started to pour out about friendly teasing at family gatherings and being left out of social events as friends paired off. The story that floored me, though was one young woman’s account of deciding in seventh grade to save her money for higher education, a commitment she stuck to when she recently faced the choice of getting married and starting a family or staying in college and continuing on to the graduate degree.
Two traditions are at issue here. One is education versus marriage, the notion that education (and the career, as e.g. abbess, teacher, social worker, college president, that education can lead to) exists as a respectable alternative to family life, giving women a path to success that runs parallel to the marriage track. Second is education as a means to marriage. A third, far more lovely and quintessentially modern, possibility, is that education is neither the autobahn to marriage nor the functional frontage road running next to it but, rather, a road to adulthood on which women can maintain an autonomy that serves them, and their relationships, well. Education not only provides careers and husbands; it provides the ability to make sense of it all and to keep afloat no matter what follows (divorce, job loss, dissatisfaction, media hullabaloo, whatever life brings).
A few years ago, in a New Yorker review of biographies of Diana Spencer, John Lanchester commented on her “outlandish lack of education” and how poorly it served her in later life. “In retrospect, it’s clear,” he notes, “Diana would have been better off with a mug of cocoa and an art history book than with jetting around Europe with Dodi Al Fayed.”
Yesterday in class, my students discussed media images of women and the out-of-school education those provide. We talked about how much more the media is a part of our lives than ever before and why girls and women hold themselves to the standards of beauty sold to them by television, magazines, the internet, music, film and ads at every turn. And we talked about how to raise girls possessed of self-respect, dignity, insight and resistance to manipulation. At times, the prospects looked hopeless. The education that teachers and parents can offer girls and boys seems a frail opponent to the forces of popular culture. Parents and teachers everywhere can now say this to all those little girls begging for tiaras: If you want to be a princess, first you have to get a higher education.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Eid Galore!
Eid is in the air and as the Ramadan days come to a close, the rush in markets are already increasing. One can easily take a walk in a corridor of any school and university and see girls comparing notes on what to wear, which fashion desginer is selling the hottest new Eid fashions and whining about the housework and cleaning their mothers have already started to do in preparation for the big day. Atleast, this is see-able in THIS part of the world.
Where the other, greater half of the world is drowning in flood, getting displaced from their own homes or dying out of hunger and disease, we're pretty thick to close our eyes to the world beyond our safe, air conditioned homes and "celebrate" Eid (like we would every year ofcourse, we're not dying out of plague and huger, right?). Afterall, our part of the world remains pretty much undisturbed, then why should we not celebrate as lavishly as we always do? Amir Adnan has just intrduced his new line of clothes for this season after all, why hold back? The "gaon walas" are already cluttering our cities, bringing about more disease and increasing the number of annoying street beggars who do nothing but ruin the "image" of the place where we live in as is. What difference does it make if we bring happiness in our own lives to those unnecessary others?
The difference, sadly, is ironically great. It's sad to see how so many of us remain so ignorant towards everything that is going on around our country. Just because we have donated a few bucks, we feel that there is nothing more we can do to help those aroud us who have nowhere else to go. In the recent article in the Images section of the Sunday Dawn, I came across many aricles talking about the latest fashions for Eid, about the "cheap" (only between Rs.3000-Rs.25000) clothes available at the different boutiques and all the new things one can do to lavishly decorate out houses for this Eid. How can people remain so ignorant, completely forgetting the fact that a peice of "cheap" clothing of even Rs.3000 for one day can give a month of supplies to the people of the world we so succesfully ignore? Forgive me for being so very critical, but I fail to understand how we can talk about what we're going to be wearing for Eid when there are so many people around us who have been wearing the same clothes for two months?
I do not mean to suggest that we should go under severe depression, ignore the gift of Eid that Allah has given us and lie around in the sadness on our beds on Eid day. But perhaps, specially THIS Eid, when our country and so many of it's people are facing so much cruelty and turmoil, we should celebrate Eid day a bit more humbly than we would any other Eid. It isn't important to buy a new peshwaaz, or whatever the heck is "in fashion" these days from that super chic boutique at Zamzama. Rather, go simple by taking out that suit you've only worn once, or go for a relatively cheaper cotton suit, while donating the rest of your budget to the relief fund. Go to the camps during maybe the second or even the first day of Eid and play with the kids, give them Eidi, spend time with the adults, lt them know that you care. How much longer are we going to ignore the population that makes up nearly 99% of Pakistan? It's important to remember those who need our help, that is what the spirit of Ramadhan teaches us and we should not forget about it, not even during Eid. Celebrate simple. Because I'm sure, we are not as ignorant as we sometimes tend to be.
Where the other, greater half of the world is drowning in flood, getting displaced from their own homes or dying out of hunger and disease, we're pretty thick to close our eyes to the world beyond our safe, air conditioned homes and "celebrate" Eid (like we would every year ofcourse, we're not dying out of plague and huger, right?). Afterall, our part of the world remains pretty much undisturbed, then why should we not celebrate as lavishly as we always do? Amir Adnan has just intrduced his new line of clothes for this season after all, why hold back? The "gaon walas" are already cluttering our cities, bringing about more disease and increasing the number of annoying street beggars who do nothing but ruin the "image" of the place where we live in as is. What difference does it make if we bring happiness in our own lives to those unnecessary others?
The difference, sadly, is ironically great. It's sad to see how so many of us remain so ignorant towards everything that is going on around our country. Just because we have donated a few bucks, we feel that there is nothing more we can do to help those aroud us who have nowhere else to go. In the recent article in the Images section of the Sunday Dawn, I came across many aricles talking about the latest fashions for Eid, about the "cheap" (only between Rs.3000-Rs.25000) clothes available at the different boutiques and all the new things one can do to lavishly decorate out houses for this Eid. How can people remain so ignorant, completely forgetting the fact that a peice of "cheap" clothing of even Rs.3000 for one day can give a month of supplies to the people of the world we so succesfully ignore? Forgive me for being so very critical, but I fail to understand how we can talk about what we're going to be wearing for Eid when there are so many people around us who have been wearing the same clothes for two months?
I do not mean to suggest that we should go under severe depression, ignore the gift of Eid that Allah has given us and lie around in the sadness on our beds on Eid day. But perhaps, specially THIS Eid, when our country and so many of it's people are facing so much cruelty and turmoil, we should celebrate Eid day a bit more humbly than we would any other Eid. It isn't important to buy a new peshwaaz, or whatever the heck is "in fashion" these days from that super chic boutique at Zamzama. Rather, go simple by taking out that suit you've only worn once, or go for a relatively cheaper cotton suit, while donating the rest of your budget to the relief fund. Go to the camps during maybe the second or even the first day of Eid and play with the kids, give them Eidi, spend time with the adults, lt them know that you care. How much longer are we going to ignore the population that makes up nearly 99% of Pakistan? It's important to remember those who need our help, that is what the spirit of Ramadhan teaches us and we should not forget about it, not even during Eid. Celebrate simple. Because I'm sure, we are not as ignorant as we sometimes tend to be.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wrong is Music, and now is even wronger.
I remember when I was younger, and music used to be so...clean. At that point in my life, I knew music was wrong and declared haraam in my religion, but I was too young to make decisions for myself and my family still heard it. As I grew older, I became more and more involved into music...it was like an ecape from everything. And the lyrics just touched me. The way it was presented, sung, everything.
I wasn't really a religious kid, and it was okay with me. Specially since I grew up in the west, I was surrounded by people who never really considered it wrong.
And I can't really blame myself. Music then actually had some class. Not that it made it any less haraam, it's just...atleast it made sense. Today, in the era of rap and punk and God knows what, it barely is music. It's trance. It's dance. It's just, horrific. I amn't denying there are some good artists still present some good music, with PROPER lyrics, not just about sex and cars and money and fame. But VALUES. But really, there are VERY little of them. It's all about "shawty looks so sexy on the dance floor that I wanna smack her" and all I'm thinking is..what the HECK?
I mean, seriously...and people enjoy it? Do I have ot smack them in the head and yell at them what is wrong with you?! Honestly, I would if I could. And we've all become slaves to it. Like we can't sit in a car ride or sit through a party without having some loud, lyricless, full of I still have no idea WHAT music. It's sad. And what's sadder is that we don't even think or reflect on what is wrong.
I wasn't really a religious kid, and it was okay with me. Specially since I grew up in the west, I was surrounded by people who never really considered it wrong.
And I can't really blame myself. Music then actually had some class. Not that it made it any less haraam, it's just...atleast it made sense. Today, in the era of rap and punk and God knows what, it barely is music. It's trance. It's dance. It's just, horrific. I amn't denying there are some good artists still present some good music, with PROPER lyrics, not just about sex and cars and money and fame. But VALUES. But really, there are VERY little of them. It's all about "shawty looks so sexy on the dance floor that I wanna smack her" and all I'm thinking is..what the HECK?
I mean, seriously...and people enjoy it? Do I have ot smack them in the head and yell at them what is wrong with you?! Honestly, I would if I could. And we've all become slaves to it. Like we can't sit in a car ride or sit through a party without having some loud, lyricless, full of I still have no idea WHAT music. It's sad. And what's sadder is that we don't even think or reflect on what is wrong.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Comparison of Two CV's
Chief Executive of IndiaTitle: Prime Minister
Name: Dr Manmohan Singh
EDUCATION /Qualification:
1950: Stood first in BA (Hons), Economics, Panjab University, Chandigarh ,
1952; Stood first in MA (Economics), Panjab University , Chandigarh,
1954; Wright's Prize for distinguished performance at St John's College,Cambridge,
1955 and 1957; Wrenbury scholar, University of Cambridge ,
1957; DPhil (Oxford), DLitt (Honoris Causa); PhD thesis on India's export competitiveness
Working Experience [Teaching] Professor (Senior lecturer, Economics, 1957-59;
Reader, Economics, 1959-63;
Professor, Economics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 1963-65;
Professor, International Trade, Delhi School of Economics,Universit y of Delhi , 1969-71;
Honorary professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University,New Delhi, 1976 and Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi,1996 and Civil Servant
Working Experience [INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS]: 1966: Economic Affairs Officer
1966-69: Chief, financing for trade section, UNCTAD
1972-74: Deputy for India in IMF Committee of Twenty on International Monetary Reform
1977-79: Indian delegation to Aid-India Consortium Meetings
1980-82: Indo-Soviet joint planning group meeting
1982: Indo-Soviet monitoring group meeting
1993: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Cyprus 1993: Human Rights World Conference, Vienna
Working Experience [Government Positions]:
1971-72: Economic advisor, ministry of foreign trade
1972-76: Chief economic advisor, ministry of finance
1976-80: - Director, Reserve Bank of India; Director, Industrial Development Bank of India;
- Alternate governor for India , Board of governors , Asian Development Bank;
- Alternate governor for India, Board of governors, IBRD
- November 1976 - April 1980: Secretary, ministry of finance (Department of economic affairs);
- Member, finance, Atomic Energy Commission ; Member,finance, Space Commission
April 1980 - September 15, 1982: Member-secretary, Planning Commission
1980-83: Chairman, India Committee of the Indo-Japan joint study committee
September 16, 1982 - January 14 , 1985: Governor, Reserve Bank of India.
1982-85: Alternate Governor for India, Board of governors, International Monetary Fund
1983-84: Member, economic advisory council to the Prime Minister
1985: President, Indian Economic Association
January 15 , 1985 - July 31, 1987: Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
August 1, 1987 - November 10, 1990: Secretary-general and commissioner, south commission, Geneva
December 10 , 1990 - March 14, 1991: Advisor to the Prime Minister on economic affairs
March 15, 1991 - June 20, 1991: Chairman, UGC
June 21, 1991 - May 15, 1996: Union finance minister
October 1991: Elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam on Congress ticket
June 1995: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
1996 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee for the ministry of finance
August 1, 1996 - December 4 , 1997: Chairman, Parliamentary standing committee on commerce
March 21, 1998 onwards: Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha
June 5, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on finance
August 13, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on rules
Aug 1998-2001: Member, committee of privileges 2000 onwards: Member,
executive committee, Indian parliamentary group
June 2001: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
Aug 2001 onwards: Member, general purposes committee
2004: Prime Minister of India
BOOKS: India's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth -Clarendon Press, Oxford University , 1964;
also published a large number of articles in various economic journals .
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Adam Smith Prize , University of Cambridge, 1956
Padma Vibhushan , 1987
Euro money Award, Finance Minister of the Year, 1993;
Asia money Award, Finance Minister of the Year for Asia , 1993 and 1994
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CV 2
Chief Executive of Pakistan Title: President of Pakistan
Name: Asif Ali Zardari
Name: Dr Manmohan Singh
EDUCATION /Qualification:
1950: Stood first in BA (Hons), Economics, Panjab University, Chandigarh ,
1952; Stood first in MA (Economics), Panjab University , Chandigarh,
1954; Wright's Prize for distinguished performance at St John's College,Cambridge,
1955 and 1957; Wrenbury scholar, University of Cambridge ,
1957; DPhil (Oxford), DLitt (Honoris Causa); PhD thesis on India's export competitiveness
Working Experience [Teaching] Professor (Senior lecturer, Economics, 1957-59;
Reader, Economics, 1959-63;
Professor, Economics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 1963-65;
Professor, International Trade, Delhi School of Economics,Universit y of Delhi , 1969-71;
Honorary professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University,New Delhi, 1976 and Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi,1996 and Civil Servant
Working Experience [INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS]: 1966: Economic Affairs Officer
1966-69: Chief, financing for trade section, UNCTAD
1972-74: Deputy for India in IMF Committee of Twenty on International Monetary Reform
1977-79: Indian delegation to Aid-India Consortium Meetings
1980-82: Indo-Soviet joint planning group meeting
1982: Indo-Soviet monitoring group meeting
1993: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Cyprus 1993: Human Rights World Conference, Vienna
Working Experience [Government Positions]:
1971-72: Economic advisor, ministry of foreign trade
1972-76: Chief economic advisor, ministry of finance
1976-80: - Director, Reserve Bank of India; Director, Industrial Development Bank of India;
- Alternate governor for India , Board of governors , Asian Development Bank;
- Alternate governor for India, Board of governors, IBRD
- November 1976 - April 1980: Secretary, ministry of finance (Department of economic affairs);
- Member, finance, Atomic Energy Commission ; Member,finance, Space Commission
April 1980 - September 15, 1982: Member-secretary, Planning Commission
1980-83: Chairman, India Committee of the Indo-Japan joint study committee
September 16, 1982 - January 14 , 1985: Governor, Reserve Bank of India.
1982-85: Alternate Governor for India, Board of governors, International Monetary Fund
1983-84: Member, economic advisory council to the Prime Minister
1985: President, Indian Economic Association
January 15 , 1985 - July 31, 1987: Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
August 1, 1987 - November 10, 1990: Secretary-general and commissioner, south commission, Geneva
December 10 , 1990 - March 14, 1991: Advisor to the Prime Minister on economic affairs
March 15, 1991 - June 20, 1991: Chairman, UGC
June 21, 1991 - May 15, 1996: Union finance minister
October 1991: Elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam on Congress ticket
June 1995: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
1996 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee for the ministry of finance
August 1, 1996 - December 4 , 1997: Chairman, Parliamentary standing committee on commerce
March 21, 1998 onwards: Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha
June 5, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on finance
August 13, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on rules
Aug 1998-2001: Member, committee of privileges 2000 onwards: Member,
executive committee, Indian parliamentary group
June 2001: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
Aug 2001 onwards: Member, general purposes committee
2004: Prime Minister of India
BOOKS: India's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth -Clarendon Press, Oxford University , 1964;
also published a large number of articles in various economic journals .
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Adam Smith Prize , University of Cambridge, 1956
Padma Vibhushan , 1987
Euro money Award, Finance Minister of the Year, 1993;
Asia money Award, Finance Minister of the Year for Asia , 1993 and 1994
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CV 2
Chief Executive of Pakistan Title: President of Pakistan
Name: Asif Ali Zardari
EDUCATION /Qualification: High School from Cadet College Petaro
Details of higher formal education not known; Claims graduation from London but not available to be verified. As per some account. His official biography says he attended a commercial college called Pedinton School . But a search of tertiary educational institutions in London showed no such school.
Working Experience:
Early days: Working at the family owned Bambino Cinema at Karachi . Some accuse Mr Zardari of small-time ticket frauds to steal money from the family business.
Up till 1987 (marriage to the future Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto): No record.
1988 to date: While no official record of any business exists, Mr Zardari is widely believed to be one of the (if not the) richest man in Pakistan . An unofficial list of family owned businesses, property and accounts exists but the completeness of the same cannot be verified. Mr Zardari has however been involved in various national and international cases relating to his businesses. The most significant European cases are a Swiss money-laundering inquiry and a British civil cases.
Working Experience [Politics]:
1988-1990: Husband of the Prime Minister
1993–1996: Minister of Environment during his wife's second term as the Prime Minister
Un till 1999: Senator
30 December 2007: Appointed himself as the co-chairman of the PPP, along with his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
September 9, 2008: Zardari was elected president of Pakistan . Sworn in by Abdul Hameed Dogar, whose position as the Chiefe Justice of Pakistan remains a contested issue by an overwhelming majority of the Pakistani legal fraternity.
Working Experience [Other]:
Other experience of Mr Zardari includes his widely believed but not proven involvement in
- Several murders - most famously of his brother in law, possibly his wife
- Wrapping a bomb to the leg of a famous UK businessman to ask for money
- Embezzlement & looting of Billions of Pakistan's wealth
BOOKS:
None on record
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Marrying the then future and now ex (RIP) Prime Minister of Pakistan
Only serving politician to have spent 10 years in Jail
Told the US VP Candidate that she is "gorgeous" and said : "Now I know why the whole of America is crazy about you". When the photographers asked the two to keep shaking hands, he replied : " If he insists, I might hug you". This was one day after the President delivered an emotional speech at the UN in new York waving a photograph of his deceased wife only months after the murder of his wife.
I need not to say anything more.
Details of higher formal education not known; Claims graduation from London but not available to be verified. As per some account. His official biography says he attended a commercial college called Pedinton School . But a search of tertiary educational institutions in London showed no such school.
Working Experience:
Early days: Working at the family owned Bambino Cinema at Karachi . Some accuse Mr Zardari of small-time ticket frauds to steal money from the family business.
Up till 1987 (marriage to the future Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto): No record.
1988 to date: While no official record of any business exists, Mr Zardari is widely believed to be one of the (if not the) richest man in Pakistan . An unofficial list of family owned businesses, property and accounts exists but the completeness of the same cannot be verified. Mr Zardari has however been involved in various national and international cases relating to his businesses. The most significant European cases are a Swiss money-laundering inquiry and a British civil cases.
Working Experience [Politics]:
1988-1990: Husband of the Prime Minister
1993–1996: Minister of Environment during his wife's second term as the Prime Minister
Un till 1999: Senator
30 December 2007: Appointed himself as the co-chairman of the PPP, along with his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
September 9, 2008: Zardari was elected president of Pakistan . Sworn in by Abdul Hameed Dogar, whose position as the Chiefe Justice of Pakistan remains a contested issue by an overwhelming majority of the Pakistani legal fraternity.
Working Experience [Other]:
Other experience of Mr Zardari includes his widely believed but not proven involvement in
- Several murders - most famously of his brother in law, possibly his wife
- Wrapping a bomb to the leg of a famous UK businessman to ask for money
- Embezzlement & looting of Billions of Pakistan's wealth
BOOKS:
None on record
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Marrying the then future and now ex (RIP) Prime Minister of Pakistan
Only serving politician to have spent 10 years in Jail
Told the US VP Candidate that she is "gorgeous" and said : "Now I know why the whole of America is crazy about you". When the photographers asked the two to keep shaking hands, he replied : " If he insists, I might hug you". This was one day after the President delivered an emotional speech at the UN in new York waving a photograph of his deceased wife only months after the murder of his wife.
I need not to say anything more.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Yearbook Quotes
Don't you just love how you can completely relate to some quotes? Sometimes, infact, quotes give us an inspiration to do things or to viw things from a completely diffrerent angle. So, I have decided to compile my list of most inspirational yearbook quotations. Enjoy!
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~Confucius
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. ~Les Brown
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same. ~Flavia Weedn, Forever
Just about a month from now I'm set adrift, with a diploma for a sail and lots of nerve for oars. ~Richard Halliburton
There is a good reason they call these ceremonies "commencement exercises." Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning. ~Orrin Hatch
Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable. ~Wendy Wasserstein
To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955
Put your future in good hands - your own. ~Author Unknown
If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. ~Milton Berle
Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. ~From the television show The Wonder Years
When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you've got plenty to watch. ~Author unknown, from a television commercial
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to look around once in a while you could miss it. ~From the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off
God gave us memories that we might have roses in December. ~J.M. Barrie, Courage, 1922
How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
~Dr. Seuss
We do not remember days; we remember moments. ~Cesare Pavese, The Burning Brand
Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. ~John Lennon
The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do. ~Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, 1996
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book
What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell
Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember. ~Seneca
Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. ~Mark Twain
There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship. ~Author Unknown
It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to graduate and our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school days. ~Isabel Waxman
A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. ~Author Unknown
Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. ~David Frost
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today. ~James Dean
Time goes, you say? Ah no!
Alas, Time stays, we go.
~Henry Austin Dobson
Friends are kisses blown to us by angels. ~Author Unknown
Friends are relatives you make for yourself. ~Eustache Deschamps
The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley
Don't let anyone steal your dream. It's your dream, not theirs. ~Dan Zadra
If at first you don't succeed, do it like your mother told you. ~Author Unknown
As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools. ~Author Unknown
The language of friendship is not words but meanings. ~Henry David Thoreau
It takes a long time to grow an old friend. ~John Leonard
It doesn't make much difference what you study, as long as you don't like it. ~Finley Peter Dunne
We have been friends together
In sunshine and in shade.
~Caroline Sheridan Norton
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. ~Nelson Henderson
May the sun shine, all day long,
everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
and may all the wishes you wish come true!
~Irish Blessing
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~Confucius
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. ~Les Brown
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same. ~Flavia Weedn, Forever
Just about a month from now I'm set adrift, with a diploma for a sail and lots of nerve for oars. ~Richard Halliburton
There is a good reason they call these ceremonies "commencement exercises." Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning. ~Orrin Hatch
Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable. ~Wendy Wasserstein
To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955
Put your future in good hands - your own. ~Author Unknown
If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. ~Milton Berle
Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. ~From the television show The Wonder Years
When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you've got plenty to watch. ~Author unknown, from a television commercial
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to look around once in a while you could miss it. ~From the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off
God gave us memories that we might have roses in December. ~J.M. Barrie, Courage, 1922
How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
~Dr. Seuss
We do not remember days; we remember moments. ~Cesare Pavese, The Burning Brand
Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. ~John Lennon
The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do. ~Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, 1996
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. ~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book
What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell
Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember. ~Seneca
Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. ~Mark Twain
There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship. ~Author Unknown
It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to graduate and our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school days. ~Isabel Waxman
A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. ~Author Unknown
Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. ~David Frost
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today. ~James Dean
Time goes, you say? Ah no!
Alas, Time stays, we go.
~Henry Austin Dobson
Friends are kisses blown to us by angels. ~Author Unknown
Friends are relatives you make for yourself. ~Eustache Deschamps
The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley
Don't let anyone steal your dream. It's your dream, not theirs. ~Dan Zadra
If at first you don't succeed, do it like your mother told you. ~Author Unknown
As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools. ~Author Unknown
The language of friendship is not words but meanings. ~Henry David Thoreau
It takes a long time to grow an old friend. ~John Leonard
It doesn't make much difference what you study, as long as you don't like it. ~Finley Peter Dunne
We have been friends together
In sunshine and in shade.
~Caroline Sheridan Norton
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. ~Nelson Henderson
May the sun shine, all day long,
everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
and may all the wishes you wish come true!
~Irish Blessing
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The Heartless Long View...
The recent earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy destroyed not only quite a few lives but also an extensive amount of medieval architecture that had survived a 18th-century quake. Certainly the loss of medieval material history is unfortunate, but certainly not as bad as the loss of life. The thing is, taking a really "long view"of time and the Earth means not really lamenting it at all. In a lithic view of time, these churches, towers, walls are houses of cards--erected for a moment and built so tenuously that they fall down after a mere shudder.
Perhaps this view is completely off; perhaps it's a we-all-return-from-whence-we-came sort of view whose big selling point is that it's comforting and totally unprovable. I don't know. I do know that in general, removed terms, I actually mourn the loss of those historical artifacts sometimes greater than the human life only in general, removed terms. I mean..call me evil.. But we're all destined to die, aren't we? I hate it when people have to die like that...but when we harm the earth and history as well...it makes me feel worse.
When it's faceless Italians who are represented by just an unfathomable number (not many of us can really envision 200+ corpses or 1000 people who've been injured; or maybe we can.. Pakistan surely has had it's share of murder and blook for the past few years), it's easier to mourn for the loss of history. I think in some ways--especially for classicists and medievalists--the loss of history hurts more because our minds soar. What did we lose when the Great Library in Alexandria burned? What did we lose in the Ashburnham fire of 1731. But sometimes the loss is greater when a person dies. What did we lose when Hemingway put a gun in his mouth? What did we lose when Tolkien, Borges, or Barthes died? Was there more they had to say? For that matter, what do we lose every time some kid in Africa dies because he can't get enough to eat or drink? Do we lose a voice like Achebe? What do we lose every time someone dominates and silences (in one way or another) the voice of his wife because she's a woman? Do we lose a Gilman?
At any rate, this event makes me think about what people will say in 100 years. I imagine it will be something along the lines of what we say now. We complain about Early Moderns tearing up medieval MSS to make end pages for their books or reinforce spines. We complain about what the medieval inhabitants did to the Roman baths in Bath. We complain about what contemporary acid rain has done to Cleopatra's Needle and what the shipwreck did to the Elgin Marbles. I bet one day, they'll complain about the crude and damaging methods used to rescue the victims in L'Aquila. What they will forget--and what we forget now--are the pressing concerns, the (sometimes fierce) urgency of Now that dictates our actions.
I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes the Earth throws off our intricate structures and screws up our history. And sometimes we do.
Perhaps this view is completely off; perhaps it's a we-all-return-from-whence-we-came sort of view whose big selling point is that it's comforting and totally unprovable. I don't know. I do know that in general, removed terms, I actually mourn the loss of those historical artifacts sometimes greater than the human life only in general, removed terms. I mean..call me evil.. But we're all destined to die, aren't we? I hate it when people have to die like that...but when we harm the earth and history as well...it makes me feel worse.
When it's faceless Italians who are represented by just an unfathomable number (not many of us can really envision 200+ corpses or 1000 people who've been injured; or maybe we can.. Pakistan surely has had it's share of murder and blook for the past few years), it's easier to mourn for the loss of history. I think in some ways--especially for classicists and medievalists--the loss of history hurts more because our minds soar. What did we lose when the Great Library in Alexandria burned? What did we lose in the Ashburnham fire of 1731. But sometimes the loss is greater when a person dies. What did we lose when Hemingway put a gun in his mouth? What did we lose when Tolkien, Borges, or Barthes died? Was there more they had to say? For that matter, what do we lose every time some kid in Africa dies because he can't get enough to eat or drink? Do we lose a voice like Achebe? What do we lose every time someone dominates and silences (in one way or another) the voice of his wife because she's a woman? Do we lose a Gilman?
At any rate, this event makes me think about what people will say in 100 years. I imagine it will be something along the lines of what we say now. We complain about Early Moderns tearing up medieval MSS to make end pages for their books or reinforce spines. We complain about what the medieval inhabitants did to the Roman baths in Bath. We complain about what contemporary acid rain has done to Cleopatra's Needle and what the shipwreck did to the Elgin Marbles. I bet one day, they'll complain about the crude and damaging methods used to rescue the victims in L'Aquila. What they will forget--and what we forget now--are the pressing concerns, the (sometimes fierce) urgency of Now that dictates our actions.
I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes the Earth throws off our intricate structures and screws up our history. And sometimes we do.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Religion vs Science, again and again
Sometimes we get so caught up in the Science vs. Religion debate that we miss important facts, such as: Medieval-era scientists were Christians. Concordia College, a college of the ELCA, located in Moorhead, Minn, recently hosted a symposium titled “Awakening to Wonder: Re-enchantment in a Post-secular Age.” The event brought together respected academicians from across the country to discuss topics ranging from science and technology to mystery, magic and faith.
The opening plenary address was given by Adam Frank, professor at the University of Rochester. Although Frank seemed to be too much of an apologist for atheism, he sparked a good wave of discussion that continued throughout the symposium.
He offered another perspective to the debate between science and religion which usually holds that science is bad, religion is good and no shade of gray exists. Frank emphasized that it does not have to be that way and that both can be used to complement each other’s respective paths. Many people are surprised by the idea that science and religion could actually complement each other, as if the two were designed to be foes.
It’s interesting how a simple fact, such as that Galileo Galilei was a devout Christian, can quickly be forgotten as people continue to frame scientists as innate enemies of religion. In reality these early scientists planned to use science as a way to further their knowledge in religion.
Frank argued that everyone has different encounters with sacredness and that each awe-filled encounter will contribute to how people individually and collectively understand the sacred. He uses “sacred” because he believes “religion” does not adequately represent every faith-based community and that religion puts humanity into a box; it puts restrictions on human thought.
Science, in the lens of Islam, should be used for purposes that can further understanding between God and man — the gray area — but not to dangerously play the role of God. After all, God gave humans a complex brain in order to inquire and understand, not to take charge.
The opening plenary address was given by Adam Frank, professor at the University of Rochester. Although Frank seemed to be too much of an apologist for atheism, he sparked a good wave of discussion that continued throughout the symposium.
He offered another perspective to the debate between science and religion which usually holds that science is bad, religion is good and no shade of gray exists. Frank emphasized that it does not have to be that way and that both can be used to complement each other’s respective paths. Many people are surprised by the idea that science and religion could actually complement each other, as if the two were designed to be foes.
It’s interesting how a simple fact, such as that Galileo Galilei was a devout Christian, can quickly be forgotten as people continue to frame scientists as innate enemies of religion. In reality these early scientists planned to use science as a way to further their knowledge in religion.
Frank argued that everyone has different encounters with sacredness and that each awe-filled encounter will contribute to how people individually and collectively understand the sacred. He uses “sacred” because he believes “religion” does not adequately represent every faith-based community and that religion puts humanity into a box; it puts restrictions on human thought.
Science, in the lens of Islam, should be used for purposes that can further understanding between God and man — the gray area — but not to dangerously play the role of God. After all, God gave humans a complex brain in order to inquire and understand, not to take charge.
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