Since elections are largely a game of perception, the upcoming US presidential elections is at feverish pitch with smear campaigns. For Barack Hussein Obama, it’s working both ways on the perception scale. Those who are for him are accused of terrorism, while those against, of racism. The McCain-Palin camp brands Obama a terrorist. A Muslim-sounding name can easily be associated with Radical Islamism a.k.a. terrorism. So, if Obama wins, the hugely-budgeted US-sponsored campaign towards global collective panic and power of nightmares called War on Terror would have obviously worn out its use.

What’s in a name? A lot. A Muslim-sounding name makes for a Muslim stereotype which, in turn, makes for the terrorist stereotype. This is so because, in this day and age, the pervading mindset is that not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims. So, someone with a Hussein in his name is “palling around with terrorists,” as Sarah Palin averred.
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I am worried about terrorism in India. Not just Islamic, which without any questions and doubts does get addressed and taken adequate action against, but also Hindu terrorism, which always escapes from the grip of authorities for lack of hard evidence. Honestly, if nothing is done about the situation in Orissa we shall probably have yet another terrorist group, but this time participated by Christians.

The ‘gorious’ work of the Bajrang Dal in Orissa is not a figment of anybody’s imagination. Innocent people are murdered in cold-blood, burnt alive, nuns raped…do we really need more facts to take a call against the religious group? PM Manmohan Singh wants to ban the group immediately but defiance within his party is problematic because they fear the BJP may reap dividends out of it. So, in the political plotting nobody really suffers but people like the Armyman who fought for our country in the Indo-Pak and Kargil War; his paralysed brother gets torched by fanatics chanting “Jai Hanuman” in Orissa.

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According to international nuclear inspectors, a Russian scientist helped the Iranians with technical know-how and also helped them conduct complex experiments on ways of detonating a nuclear weapon. The fact that this information was revealed excitedly on the New York Times has more political reasons� than any real danger from either the Russian scientist or the Iranian nuclear hounds.

The U.S. has been trying to create the image of an impending calamity due to Russian aggressive behaviors when the real reason why Russians are growing increasingly aggressive is because they have their own fears. The Iranians may or may not pose a threat to the world, but a bigger threat to the world lies in the form of American foreign policies and propaganda such as the one about the Russian scientist. What appalls me is that a venerable newspaper like the New York Times is also not immune to prejudice and, directly or indirectly participates in the dissemination of American propaganda.

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It is surprising to note that Muslims in the U.K have a greater freedom than anywhere else and they receive governmental grants and funds to build mosques in prime locations in British cities including London. A predominantly Christian society, the British have been quite tolerant in accepting immigrants and also allowing them to practice their personal beliefs. However, the fate of Christians in the Muslim world is one that has to be dealt with cautiously. Christians have been persecuted and marginalized in most Middle Eastern countries and recently, in India too.

However, the idea is to live peacefully and with religious tolerance. Though Atheism and non-religious societies are always welcome and of course safer too, it is difficult to change the way people think. If the British decided to avenge the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and promptly persecute the Muslims of Britain, it would be harking back to the Middle Ages. The Old Testament law of an eye for an eye and a hand for a hand would not work in a modern society and free societies must set up an example by not tolerating ‘other’ religions but in fact discouraging overt religious behaviors anywhere. In fact, avoiding religious topics and stopping the funds for religious institutions would do well and the money could be diverted to saner purposes like education and research.

The concept of religious tolerance must be thought over and when it is thought over, we would know that there really isn’t much to think, except allow others to live productive lives while we live our own live productively.

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Via: Guardian

‘Muslims are turning away from terrorism and the world is turning against them’. This line caught my attention in a very interesting blog I read today. It was heart warming to finally have a non-Muslim discuss the plight of an ordinary God-fearing Muslim who just wants to lead a peaceful life like the rest of us. The blog discussed the Pew Global reports that have found anti-Muslim feelings increasing significantly between 2006 and 2008 the world over. And perhaps this was exactly the time when the rigid domination of fundamentalists was being taken over by modernisers within the Islamic community across the globe.
Then again we must remember Muslims do not support the terrorist attacks but the irony is that these very attacks that they condemn further increase the hostility that non-Muslims already feel towards them.
My question is will Muslims be the next Jews? An act that the generations to come will repent all their lives!
Please read
http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/muslims-turning-away-from-terrorism-but-the-world-is-against-them/

It’s romance time for the Iraqis who are just enjoying themselves out in the open air for once. The power of love has once again strengthened the cupids of Baghdad. It’s indeed an unusual scene in Iraq that couples would be seen having a romantic time in public places. But this time of the season, the Iraqis have broken all the boundaries of constraints. It dumbfounded me completely when I learnt that the Iraqis too are more often than not caught for involving themselves in carnal knowledge in public places. With these scandalizing activities reporting from Baghdad, one may often mistake Baghdad to be New York or London. But the Iraqis have proven themselves that they are no longer behind the rest of the Western World when it comes to romance.

What strikes me even furthermore is that the Iraqis are enjoying this freedom during the holy month of ‘Ramadan.’ This justifies that no lovers can be grounded by anything, be it the insurgencies of Iraq or the conservative society of the Iraqis. It’s more than interesting, and exciting to see that the Iraqi lovers have successfully managed to come out from their dingy and claustrophobic cocoons. It’s absolutely pleasing to see them exercise their personal rights and to assert them authoritatively and in the most fashionable way with full of romance.

Behind the romantic nerves of the Iraqis, there’s still the fear and respect for the elder brothers and fathers in every Iraqi man. They still cannot propose to a woman of their choice fully on their own without the concerns of their elder brothers and fathers and make the latters take the decision. This perturbs me to know that individuality is not encouraged in the Iraqi society. This should be obliterated once and for all, and instead, personal freedom should be nurtured. The Iraqi lovers should be given all the freedom to exercise their personal rights.

via: TimesOnline

Zubeida Qureshi

In a moment of its kind, the mother of the main accused of the serial bombing in Delhi on Saturday declared that if her son is guilty “hang him”. Our country has been faced with many terrorists but for the first time ever, a mother, yes the 60 year old Zubeida Qureshi came out to face our rat like media sending out a message to her son Abdul Subhan Qureishi, “come back and stand trial”. With a trembling voice, she said that if her son is guilty he should be hanged before her eyes so that no one else commits such a heinous crime again.
Maybe it is the undercurrent of suspicion and dislike that Muslims in India have faced at the hands of other religious groups that Zubeida came up with such a brave stand. Those doubting every Muslim they see as a terrorist will perhaps realise that only a few are infected with the anti-humanist strain and not the whole clan. After all, people dying in the terrorist attacks are not all non-Muslims. Due to the actions of a handful, the others are being subjected to a life of renewed shame and embarrassments. Landlords do not like to lease the flat to a Muslim surname. Parents don’t want their children to get their Muslim friends home. Muslim kids are asked for reactions to the terrorist activities in the class. The traditional Muslim ‘burqa’ or ‘hijab’ or even the scarf and cap evoke a discomfort to others around.
Well, this is the treatment meted out to an average Muslim in India. Perhaps, Zubeida’s courageous words can make a change. I’m just hopeful.
Via hindustantimes

As far as Barack Obama is concerned, I feel history is being made. The dance of unity on the beats of the ‘Love Train’ by the Democrats when they nominated Obama as their presidential candidate yesterday will be remembered for generations to come. I can tell you the reasons why:
1.� Obama is the first black American to achieve an honour of this stature. And one cannot ignore his middle name ‘Hussein’ which has not pulled him back from his moments of glory despite ruthless attacks by opposition. Does that mean the ‘infamous’ American attitude is calling out for a positive change? Well, it seems to be so.
2.� One-time opponent, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was the one to announce his name as the Democrat Presidential Candidate. We are aware of the mudslinging indulged in by the supporters of Clinton who did not spare any block of mud to mar Obama’s name. I somehow felt that Clinton herself shared the prejudices but maybe I was wrong.
3.� There is hope that Obama will bring about a new world order. The energy crisis is a huge issue and Obama’s stance is believed to have gathered a tremendous support. But could the popularity also be due to his take on peace efforts, particularly with regard to Iraq.
4.� He is a man of a colourful (Kenyan-American genes with a Muslim middle name) cultural background with a will to re-build the future.
I would like to conclude with what Former U.S. presidential candidate Gary Hart said after reading Obama’s book ‘The Audacity Of Hope’, “I see a man of relative youth yet maturity, a wise observer of human condition, a figure who possesses perseverance…”
Via reuters

Syeda Semim Zahan’s blog entry grabbed my attention immediately. No she’s no celebrity or a writer by profession but an educated, burqaless Muslim woman living with fear. She shares one of her conversations with a stranger, which goes as follows:
“Madam are you a Musalmaan?”
“Yes. But how do you know?”
“Oh, you get letters at the address 2047.”

Imagine the effect this little informal talk had on Zahan, “So they have registered my identity in case there is a riot.” Such is the plight of a Muslim in India, be it a man or a woman. Every one of them is treated with a courtesy as is attributed to an insect. He/she is the centre of the attention and not for reasons that go in his/her interest.

Harmless educated Muslims are either confronted with a blunt “NO because you are a Muslim” by the landlords when looking for a place to live in or they receive comments like, “Hey, you got me there. You no way look like a Muslim.” Now, tell me is that supposed to be a comment or a compliment. I have never heard of anyone exclaiming, “Mmmm…you don’t look like a Hindu/Sikh/Christian!” Then why do we reserve special responses for the ones following Islam?

Via BlogBharti

It is a world of males,
In understanding ‘her’, ‘he’ always fails!
Politely, silently, ’she’ bears it all,
After all for help, whom can ’she’ call?
And ‘her’ life still goes on…
March 8- Women’s Day: a day to mark their empowerment and to acknowledge their rights all over the world. But how far has this day attained its meaning? Though some cudgels have been taken up by the Hindu women but there have been no or very few attempts for the upliftment of the Muslim women.
Islam means submission to the will of God, but does the Almighty’s will beseech injustice for half of the population? Women are oppressed not so much by the religion as by the society. No religious ethics constitute imposing restrictions on women. Social conservatism and societal limitations play dominant roles for the inferior position of women.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, 37,who has renounced her Islamic faith and considers herself an atheist, was speaking in Sydney as part of the Writers Festival.The author of Infidel, survived a civil war, female circumcision and escaped an arranged marriage in her homeland before fleeing to the Netherlands.

She says Muslims must examine their religion and “review the example of the prophet Muhammad.” she told a sell-out audience at the Sydney Theatre.”if we who were born into Islam do not get our act together and reform our faith, our future might be that we tend to clash even more. It will only get bloodier”.
“Reforming Islam, changing it from what it is now, will benefit women and as women benefit from it they will become educated, become owners of their own bodies and their own destinies.”
Women are not only mothers but also the teachers. It is they who can make or break the future of their sons. So she says, “As women we make men, we bear the boys. It’s really important how you bring them up. If we encourage the mentality that they are wild dogs and that we are raw meat, that’s how they will behave.”
Ali has had an around-the-clock guard since 2004 when death threats were made against her because of her outspoken views on Islam.
The plight of the Muslim women is still pitiable. Ali dared to be different, but one question knocks at the back of our mind: Is renouncement of religion necessary for reforms? Can’t the obligatory amendments be made without relinquishing one’s religion? One needs to ponder over these questions before daring to be different.
via smh