One God

Great Sons Of An Impoverished Country

2012-01-29T11:37:00.000-06:00

The name of Bangladesh in the world stage conjures up the picture of outstretched hands of rickety kids holding begging bowls, flood ravaged habitats, or, haunting eyes of old distressed women who have lost it all to the rages of nature. Millions struggle there every day just to keep their heads above water.

One man rose all above this, made a bold declaration to the world—we can overcome poverty—and showed the world how it can be done. His model was adopted by the United Nations, and implemented in far and remote countries. He was showered with honor everywhere he went.

He earned the coveted Nobel Prize for his country; yet, the political hacks in his country were hell bent to draw his name in the mud, and they began a relentless propaganda war against him with all state machinery at their disposal—the name is Muhammad Yunus.

Now, another name has risen in the world arena to make Bangladesh proud, and this time it is a young boy who has brought that honor to his country. The name is Shakib Al Hasan—meet the numero one test Cricket all rounder of the world. This he has achieved after being the top all rounder in the world of one-day Cricket for many years now.
Bangladeshi Cricketers are known as tigers. People might have mistakenly given them that name looking only at Shakib—the lone ranger among a bunch of pure amatures!

Bangladesh Cricket team is a joke in the world arena, a perpetual whipping object for all and sundry. To understand the magnitude of Shakib’s achievement, I would offer one comment of a reader, who said, “It is important to note that Shakib does not get a chance to play against a team like Bangladesh and he bowls to defend small scores.” The reader went on to compare Shakib with The South African great, Jacques Kallis, whom Shakib just dethroned to earn his new crown: “I think as a bowler, Shakib is better than Kallis, but batsman Kallis is probably better than Shakib. Also Shakib comes to bat when Bangladesh is 50 for 4 or so, but Kallis bats with much less pressure.”

I think this reader has said it all. Batting under pressure always affects performance, and a lion’s share of Shakib’s innings are played under pressure, since Bangladesh’s top order only fulfill the role of passive passengers, spending most time in pavilion than on the crease. Shakib often plays the role of one maverick, and it falls on him to pull up his team with a shoestring, against all adversaries.

His performance with the ball has to be measured with the consideration that when one really produces a great spell, it is usually the bowler from the other end who gets wickets. Successful bowlers always work in tandem. In Bangladesh team however, in the absence of Mashrafi Murtaza, there is no one else who can throw the ball to trouble batsmen as much as Shakib does. Therefore, Shakib’s quality as a bowler perhaps would have been better recognized if he would have bowled in pair with another bowler of his caliber.

The best of Shakib is his temperament. When he was shabbily treated by the BCB selectors, and was stripped of Captaincy, for no failure of his, it was easy for him to go downhill. Exactly that is what happened to another very talented Bangladeshi, former vice-captain Tamim Iqbal. But Shakib rose from the ashes like a sphinx to conquer the world.
Please wish him your very best; he is just a young man of 24.

First Published on Technorati .

My Kind Of Santa

2011-12-22T15:45:00.001-06:00

What kind of gift is better than the gift of life? That is what this Santa gave, when he found a man in a burning truck.

A former fire fighter, Brad Luddeke was in full costume, on the way to deliver toys to some needy children near Dallas, when he came upon a burning truck. He was all decked up in his Santa outfit, but that did not stop him from pulling out the driver from the burning truck just before it exploded, risking his own life in the process. And Brad did not stop at that. He then took over the duty of directing people away from the burning truck.

Only yesterday I wrote House Republicans Demonstrate Once More They are Only To Serve The 1%. While writing that article I was seething with rage—what kind of people would raise tax on 160 million people in order to save a few silvers for a few thousand super rich? It was House Speaker John Boehner and the minority leader Eric Cantor who did this disservice to this nation. The US is my adopted home, but I take pride in its institutions, and the rich culture of its tradition of giving out to the needy and downtrodden without question or consideration on the giver’s own need. I believe this tradition is continuation of the spirit of Jesus, and I feel happy that this is a Christian country.

Time and again, I have found stories, where a white person had given a kidney to a poor unfamiliar black person. Stories of people rising above and beyond their means to help strangers have humbled me to ponder on my own self, and become a better person with the effort. And every time that happens, I get one step closer to my creator, drenching my soul in humility.

Then I see a Boehner, and a Cantor, and a few self-serving politicians, and all my emotions rise up to engulf me with anger, over pouring me, all humbleness going out the window.

Then one Luddeke brings me back to my own inner peace, and my faith in humanity is restored. I feel in my heart of heart, so long there is one Brad Luddeke left in this country, the country has a future.

Merry Christmas!

First published on Technorati .

Shall We Boycott Lowe’s?

2011-12-12T13:44:00.001-06:00

America may be the land of the brave and free, but off late the braves had been cowered into submission in the name of terror, and the word free sounds more and more as joke—ask the veteran OWS protestor in Oakland who was taken to ICU after being hit by a police projectile. Therefore, when a US Senator called on the CEO of Lowe's to apologize to American Muslims for ‘bigoted, shameful’ actions, I say wow, where does this guy come from?

The maverick is State Sen. Ted W. Lieu, a Democrat from Torrance, California. He was commenting in the aftermath of the North Carolina based Lowes’ action to stop advertising on TLC's “All-American Muslim” after a conservative group, Florida Family Association (FMA) complained that the program was “propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values.”

Muslims as peoples are the punching bag of the USA, ask Representative Peter King (R-NY), chairman of the House and Senate Homeland Security committees, who told Sean Hannity in an interview, “no American Muslim leaders are cooperating in the war on terror,” and that "80-85 percent of mosques in this country are controlled by Islamic fundamentalists .... This is an enemy living amongst us.”

I was not surprised when the Florida group sent three emails to its members, asking them to petition Lowe’s to pull its advertising. The TLC show chronicles what it's like to be a Muslim in America, and it often portrays the discrimination the Muslims face in this country. FMA’s website was updated to reflect that the “supporters' emails to advertisers make a difference.” Accordingly, FMA just proved the point highlighted in the TV show.

Sen. Ted Lieu wrote, “I am writing regarding Lowe’s action of pulling its advertising from Discovery Channel/TLC’s show “All-American Muslim” because of complaints from the Florida Family Association that “All-American Muslim is propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda’s clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values.” Lowe’s action is bigoted, shameful, and un-American. I call on Lowe’s to rescind its action and apologize to Americans who are Muslim. If Lowe’s continues its religious bigotry, I will encourage boycotts of Lowe’s and look into legislative remedies.”

Lieu went on to scribe, “Lowe’s action is profoundly ignorant. Islam is a peaceful religion practiced by over 1.5 billion people, including Americans across our great nation and Lowe’s own employees. As President Bush declared, and President Obama reaffirmed, America is not at war with Islam.”

Lieu further clarified, “America is, however, at war with people who pose a clear and present danger, whether they are white separatists like Timothy McVeigh (who happened to be Catholic); mass shooters such as Seung-Hui Cho at Virginia Tech ; or members of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Army (a Marxist-Leninist group that has targeted US interests with suicide bombings). Lowe’s bigoted action conflates peaceful religions with dangerous people who use peaceful religions (or political ideology) to advance their agenda."

Where does Lieu get this courage to defend a minority community in such force? I say, the strength comes from our constitution, and our culture of tolerance at the grassroots level. The America we are proud of is because of our people, and despite our leaders. American people’s keen sense of justice, desire for religious freedom, and willingness to help the weak is deeply ingrained in their blood. That is exactly the reason, I wrote: Please Do Not Destroy This Country.

First published on Technorati.

When The Dictators Fall

2011-11-20T18:43:00.000-06:00

The year is 2011, well past the first decade of the 21st century. We have supposedly come a long way from the days of kings and princes, and transformed into the modern world of presidents and prime ministers, where people are to choose their leaders by an instrument called election. Yet, he was a prince, designated to be the successor of his father, who had deposed a king only to assume the role himself, although called himself the President of his country.

The young prince had his education in the London School of Economics, earning a PhD, and had earned the reputation of a modern day reformer by engaging himself in benevolent acts. But when the time came that would test his mettle, he turned a faithful obliging supporter of his dictator father taking part in crushing his own people.

He was a brave leader, who announced on national television that he would fight for his country till the last drop of blood drains his body. He was full in vim and vigor, resolute in his promise, yet, when his captors zeroed on him he meekly surrendered without firing a single bullet. Like an obedient servant he complied with the order of his captors, and let them take over several Kalashnikov rifles and a hand grenade—he was the prince charming Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most brazen son of Cornell Gaddafi.

“At the beginning he was very scared. He thought we would kill him,” said Ahmed Ammar, one of the 15 Libyan fighters who captured Saif al-Islam.

Afraid? This rubble rousing patriotic Lion-of-Libya afraid of a few young ragtag army of ordinary Libyans? Did he not say in his own words that he would fight to the last? Did he not promise to squash the freedom fighters like bugs?

Saif al-Islam was caught in the dark of night, fleeing his country in a Toyota Land Cruiser, with a few accomplishes, following in another vehicle. This is how the end came of a mighty man!

Saif al-Islam proved once again that people like him are just plain cowards, whose strength is derived from the support of their henchmen. Once they are isolated, they are paper tigers!

His father, Muammar was found taking shelter in a drainage pipe, when captured. Another Arab hero Saddam Hossain was pulled out of a rat hole—these are supposedly legendary Arab leaders, whose end was more cowardly than legend-like.

It is said, the larger they are, the harder they fall. Most dictators finally meet violent end, at the end though they fall like chickens than lions.

If there are any true heroes in the Arab lands, they are on Arab streets, braving the assault of professional armed goons. They are the people who are demonstrating for their rights, for their freedom, walking on streets in their broken bodies. They carry the one's who are fallen by army bullets, to safety, and keep walking, braving all brutality. These Arab heroes are inspiration to the whole world. More and more people worldwide are following in their foot steps, in far off lands.

All people can be subjugated for sometime, some people can be subjugated for all time, but all people can not be subjugated for all times!

First published on Technorati

A Little Girl Spends Two Days With Her Dead Mother

2011-11-04T16:50:00.000-05:00

Life often presents its own strange tales and some of them move us more than others. Imagine a 3-year-old girl living in a house alone for two days, with none except her dead mother. When hungry she ate cheese, some lasagna that was left over from her mother’s last meal, and milk. Beside her dead mother’s body what gave her company was her favorite toy, a teddy bear named "Possum."

It happened in New Zealand, where the toddler lived with her mother Lauren Silbery, who was only 28 at the time of death. Authorities found the little Shylah Silbery only when the girl's uncle, Pete Silbery, alerted them through a friend who lived nearby. Pete had not spoken with Lauren in two days and he was worried. He called a friend who lived near their Wellington home. The friend came to visit the house, but the house was locked. Only the little girl was visible from outside, but there was no sign of her mother. When Pete got that news he called police.

Police came in and talked Shylah into unlocking the main door. They asked her to drag a coffee table to the door and stand on it so that she could reach the lock and unlock it, saving them from breaking the door. "Mummy does not wake up," that's all she could tell them. Shylah was treated in a hospital for several days and she recovered well from the dehydration and diaper rash that she had suffered.

Shylah has no idea of what she has lost. When her mother’s coffin was being lowered into the grave, she pointed at it and said, “Mummy's in there.” Many years later, she would remember this day, and will feel sad about it. Perhaps she would cry over her loss then, for now she is okay though. They will tell her stories about her mother—that she has gone to bring her toys, or, milk, and will be home soon, and she will believe them.

Until that day, when she is big enough to realize that her mother had gone to heaven, she would not cry for her.

First published on Technorati.

Mirza Beg And The Two Women

2011-10-13T13:44:00.004-05:00

On an idyllic summer evening Firoze was taking a gingerly stroll in the small garden in front of his apartment building. The sun was about to set, but the air was still warm and humid. Watching butterflies hovering over the rich bed of yellow-red marigolds, he was lost in his own thoughts when a female voice interrupted him.

Firoze looked back and saw two women walking towards him, one clad in burqa, covering head to toe; only her eyes were visible. The other attired in a simple green cotton sari.
From their dress they appeared to be from a working class family.
As they came closer, the burqa lady asked, “Can you please tell us where the hujur lives?”
“Hujur?” Firoze was surprised, he shot back, “Hujur who?”
The burqa lady tried to explain, “We are coming from the other side of the town, we heard that hujur lives here, somewhere close to this apartment building.”

People from Indian subcontinent often address religious leaders and scholars as huzur.
Firoze was still amazed, “Yes, but hujur who?” “What is his name?”
“The hujur of the mosque in that next block, the Imam.”
It dawned on Firoze that the two ladies were asking him about the man who leads prayer in that corner mosque.

The Big Apple is the melting pot of diverse cultures. This city still keeps its promise with destiny to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked. People who have no acquaintance in America still lands up here thinking that they have a better chance to find someone from his own community, who can help them.

A significant part of Queens has become a mini Bangladesh. Most stores here are operated by people of Bangladeshi origin. Even the local mosques are controlled by Bangladeshi expatriates. Sometime back, the local mosque had hired a man for conducting daily religious services, his name is Mirza Beg.

Mirza Beg came to this country with OP 1 visa. He could not find a job since he did not have any marketable assets. When he first came to the city he did not know anyone. He took shelter in a mosque. The Imam of the mosque was from Pakistan. He felt sorry for the poor man, and took him under his wing.

The Imam groomed Mirza as his assistant. He taught him how to read Arabic, especially as it pertains to Quran. He spent time with him teaching important verses of the holy book. He taught him how to conduct various religious functions, and he let Mirza lead prayers with small congregations.

When the new mosque opened up in this part of Queens, Mirza came to know about it. He approached the local mosque committee. The committee needed someone to perform the obligatory jamat (congregation) prayers as ordained in Islam. Mirza offered to accept the job with a nominal pay, and a place to stay, at one corner of the building. The committee gave him the job, considering that hiring him would save them some money.

Mirza Beg is street smart, adept at village politics. Within a few months he managed to get a large raise by befriending a few members of the mosque committee, and playing them against other members to do his bidding.

Firoze thought the ladies must be asking about him.
He said, “Oh! Perhaps you are asking about Mirza Beg. He is however, neither huzur nor Imam, and he has a name—Mirza Beg. Are you looking for him?”
“Yes, yes,” the burqa-lady spoke with a relieved tone, “yes, we are looking for him.” “Can you tell us where he lives?”
Curiosity took the better of Firoze, and after a few moments of hesitation he asked, “May I know why you want to see him?”
The burqa lady went silent. She was thinking if she should tell a stranger why she wanted to see Mirza Beg.
Surprisingly, she spoke soon, in a slow voice, “I am having a problem pregnancy, I want to see the huzur for his doa (blessing).

Mirza did not finish high school in Bangladesh. Neither did he have any traditional education from a madrassa. His knowledge on religious discourse was limited. What Beg lacked in knowledge, he overcame with his demeanor. His beard is longer than the depth of his religious scholarship.
Some of his beards are turning white, he applies henna on them. This in turn increases his religious stature in the mind of some people. A man who follows the prophet’s sunna must be a pious man, they think. He dresses impeccably for his position—pajama that does not cover his heels, and long shirts, following the tradition of the Imams. His head is always covered in Kashmiri cap. It was not long before he started having a following.

The sweet talking Beg is now a popular man. The working class Bangladeshi men and women of the neighborhood treat him with the respect of a religious scholar. Beg is in high demand in the Bangladeshi community for performing various religious functions.

The new immigrants are mostly poor, and poor people need God more than the well-to-do. Without medical insurances, they mostly depend on pani-para (water over which Quranic verses have been recited), and tabiz (encapsulated written Quranic verses) for curing their diseases. These also come handy, they believe, to help them draw God’s mercy when bad time afflicts them.

Mirza is invited when a child is born, to bless the new child; and he is called when someone dies, to make his journey to the other world smooth. He is called, when one in the family is about to begin a new job, or, something auspicious of that nature. Mirza is a busy man.

People offer Mirza money for these services, and his fortune has changed. He now has rented an apartment, which he shares with two of his assistants, and bought a car. Although he lives only a few blocks away from the mosque he always drives his car from his home to the mosque. The social activities that let him earn extra money, take a toll on his working time too. Now-a-days he often comes late to the mosque for prayers. In a few occasions he even failed to come to the mosque at all to lead the prayers. One of the members from the mosque committee had to perform that job on those times. While Mirza is paid for his jobs, the committee members render the same service freely. Mirza’s friends in the mosque committee see to it that his job is not threatened.

Queens inhabits both working class and upwardly mobile middle-class Bangladeshi expatriates. The old apartment style buildings suit lifestyle of both families and bachelors. Young bachelors mostly share an apartment, two or three sharing a room sometime. This often leads shortage of water in the whole building complex. They also create other social problems. The families try to avoid those buildings where the bachelors stay. Only families live in Firoze’s apartment block. Mirza’s apartment is couple blocks away.

Firoze is an engineer with a bright academic career. His sense of religion is balanced, and as a performing Muslim he often finds himself at odds with other people of the community. Firoze does not have any overbearing respect for Mirza, since he finds him lacking in principle. Mirza’s insincerity in performing his job, his side earnings from community religious services—for which Firoze thinks he shall not charge people money, and his inadequacy in religious knowledge, did not earn much respect with Firoze. In fact he detests the man for his charlatan behavior. There are many stories in circulation claiming that Mirza has taken a lot of money from innocent people promising them to redress their troubles by invoking God’s mercy on them.

What seemed like an eternity, he dwelled in his mind how to respond to these two ladies! He looked at the sari-clad woman; she is probably in early twenties, accompanying the burqa lady, whatever her age may be. Beads of sweat on her face told Firoze they must have walked from a distance. The other woman’s face was hidden, only her eyes were visible. Nothing much to read there at this moment.
At the end the good Samaritan in him won. Firoze did not want a simple trusting person to suffer.
In a clear but concerned voice he said, “If you have any health problem you shall see a doctor. Mirza Beg cannot help you.”

The young girl giggled, making it obvious that she shared Firoze’s view. The burqa lady frowned under her veil. Her eyes expressed scorn. Her displeasure was conspicuous.

A mixed emotion took over Firoze, anger, disappointment, and pity. He did not know these two ladies, and he had no chance to influence them. Moreover, who is he to pass judgment on others?
With a sad voice he said, “Follow me. Let me show you where Mirza Beg lives.”

The two women followed him silently.

The Day My Mother Went To Live With The Stars

2011-09-25T13:48:00.003-05:00

The sky had opened up and it poured like there is no tomorrow. It was easy on the grave diggers since the ground had swelled, grew soft, and the shovels went in easy! It was typical of my mother to leave the world in a way that was least troublesome for others, who were in her life. In life her need was bare minimum, and so it was in her death.

She was of a time that allowed people to be content easily, albeit, even for that time she was astonishing in simplicity. From a modest beginning, I reached a position in life where I am able to fulfill most of my reasonable demands without much sweat, and my mother knew it very well. Nonetheless, she never asked me for anything—anything at all, because she did not need anything. She lived the life of a hermit, within the bound of society.

My earliest memory of her—it was a noon, on a very hot summer day, when my mother was about to eat her lunch. She used to eat after everyone else in the family did. In those days, we had no refrigerators, and cooked food would get spoiled easily. Therefore, every day, there would be three cooking sessions, so that food would be consumed fresh, and there would be no left over.

Outside our home there was a ground, where I would spend the whole summer vacation playing cricket with my friends. On that day, I had just come in the house to fetch some water for my thirsty friends. As I was collecting water from a tube well I saw a beggar come in and ask, “Is anyone at home? I am hungry; would you give me some food?” It was customary in our small town for the beggars to come in through the main door, which remained open throught out the whole day, and wait inside. It was a disheveled woman with all white hair, very sharp eyes and no teeth, who had just entered in.

My mother was about to begin eating, she saw the woman, and said, “Take a seat mother, let me bring something for you.” That day she shared her food with that old woman. This would happen many more times, and therefore, would leave a very strong impression on my mind that is as vibrant today. I can close my eyes, and watch that old woman sitting on the verandah and eating from a piece of banana leaf.

The most vivid memory I have of my mother was when she beat the hell out of me. I was about 12, therefore, old enough to remember it very well. On top of that it added sort of further embarrassment for a while, because the next day, our school maulavi narrated that story in our Arabic class. He said he was passing through the area, when he saw my mother beating me with a stick in front of our house. My mother was tiny, nevertheless very strong built. And even at that age she could make mincemeat of me.

As he narrated the story, my embarrassment slowly evaporated and a kind of pride took its place. He said that the whole class should be proud of my mother. He said, the son from a house that had a mother like mine, did not need any disciplining in school. He said that he had a new respect for my family, and after that day he never beat me.

Another memory I have of her, was of an evening in the middle of one winter. It was the night of shab-e-barat. She trusted, she was required to spent that night in prayer since on that night God writes fate for the next coming year. She had collected water from the tube well which was at one corner of our house, for taking a bath. That night was very cold, and the blowing wind made it worse. When I was huddled in a room in warm cloth, my mother took her bath open in the cold, with cold water, to make her ready for the prayer.

In my life, I do not face east or west in asking mercy of God, notwithstanding, I have a strong conviction, that I have had such a blessed life—it must only be because of my mother, her account with God is so rich that my lifetime of sins had not depleted it.

Inside Job

2011-09-08T19:33:00.004-05:00

In under 2 hours this movie will turn you from a novice in high finance to a knowledgeable geek on how finance is managed at the state level. You will understand my contention that Bill Clinton was not a progressive, he was merely a corporate crony who promoted the cause of his super rich masters at the cost of ordinary Americans. You will also realize that since Ronald Reagan, the US has followed the same trickle down economic models, dismantled all regulations that hinder unbridled activities of the banksters, manipulated free market for the advantages of a few—and the same policies are being continued by Barack Obama today. The face in the White House changes, the policies remain the same, for the true power remains behind the throne, and is invisible.

Inside job - Subtítulos en español from dai dai spain on Vimeo.

Why Do These People Become Parents?

2011-09-01T19:36:00.000-05:00

Johnathan James died of dehydration in his own Texas home. He was only 10.

No, Texas has not been afflicted with severe drought, nor the boy was trapped home alone in a locked room in a remote location. He was denied water for five days by his own parents.

Michael Ray James and Tina Alberson were upset that their young son could not stop wetting his bed. The punishment they meted to the child was banning water for him. Jonathan's twin brother, Joseph James, told The Dallas Morning News that his parents forced Jonathan in a room without air conditioning and asked him to stand by the window. Last month, summer temperatures in Dallas hit 100 or more every day but one. Johnathan collapsed on the 5th night, hit his head on the floor, and died.

Five days in that sweltering heat without any water? How can any parent be so cruel to his/her own child? How can they sleep themselves in cool rooms, when their own flesh is going through such agony? Do Michael and Tina have any remorse now? Or, do they think Johnathan deserved this, for he was a big boy and he could not control his bladder? My question is—why do these people become parents?

Johnathan is only one among many children that die every year because of parental rage. There is no dearth of stories where young children are so severely tortured that they succumb to their wounds.

I ask the authorities, can we extend the harshest mandatory punishment in child abuse cases, so that there would be not one more child who would meet Jonathan's fate? Only then could we say, Jonathan's life did not go in vain!

First published on Technorati.

Anna Hazare Rekindles Gandhi’s Fire To Purify India

2011-08-20T11:42:00.002-05:00

A man, who once contemplated suicide and even scribbled a two-page note on why he wanted to end his life, is the new Gandhi of India. Indian government, led by foreign educated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had jailed the aging Hazare when he threatened with fast-until-death protesting India’s corruption.

Kuldip Nayar, one of India’s most respected political analyst commented on the action of Indian government, “It is bungling, mishandling. They do not know at all how wide and how deep the resentment is.” And of course the mercurial Nayar was right. The jailing of Hazare sparked nationwide protests, and forced Singh's government on defensive. Singh criticized Hazare as out of touch, and dismissed his fast as "totally misconceived" and claimed that Hazare’s action was undermining the parliamentary democracy. At the end it was found Singh himself was out of touch and had no idea what Indians want today.

Students, lawyers, teachers, business executives, IT workers and civil servants, people from all walks of life took to the streets in New Delhi, and other major cities, and also remote villages stretching from north to south and east to west—the breadth of India. Outside the jail that once held Hazare, a 21 year-old Sweta Dua said , “We are India's youth. We are with Anna. I've already seen corruption at this age. In my college people got admitted despite being unable to clear the required cut-off scores, simply by paying money.”

Sujeet, a young software engineer from the IT city of Gurgaon said, “We don't have faith in our government. We are living in a democracy but only in letter, not in spirit.” The editor of the weekly Outlook magazine, Vinod Mehta said, “The movement has meant politicians realize that they cannot fudge these issues or ignore public opinion any longer. It has succeeded in concentrating the minds of politicians across the political spectrum on one issue for the first time”

The crowds on the streets are mix of young and old, rich and poor, educated and uneducated. Some youths had rucksacks on their backs, painted face, olders were decked in outfits as worn by the Hazare himself, complete with white cap and kurta.

Who is this Anna Hazare?

Born Kisan Baburao Hazare, June 15, 1937, however, popularly known as Anna Hazare, he is an Indian social activist who is especially recognized for movement against corruption, and his contribution to the development and structuring of a model village in Parner Taluka of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra. For this action, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan—the third-highest civilian award—by the government of India in 1992.

A diminutive man in his seventies, dressed in white cotton, he once served in the Indian army that had temporarily relaxed the requirement for height and weight, because of dire need of new recruits at the time of Indo-China war. Once out of the army, he was frustrated with life and did not want to live anymore, since he did not see any purpose of his life. The storyline is: One day at the New Delhi Railway Station, in that dejected frame of mind, Anna came upon a book on Swami Vivekananda. He read the book and found the answer to his quest—the motive of his life is service to his fellow humans.

Today, Anna Hazare, in his pure white adornment, is the face of India's fight against corruption. He has given voice to the millions of voiceless Indians and taken the people’s fight to the corridors of power, and shaken the bastion of government at the highest level. Common populace, and well-known personalities alike are joining enmasse supporting Hazare, crowds swelling to the thousands.

Anna Hazare is a few of the remnant Indian politicians who had modeled their lives on Mahatma Gandhi, and embraced his weapon of “fasting” to unite people against falsehood. The word “mahatma” connotes great soul, and there has not been a greater soul to walk on the surface of earth than Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the bapu (father)—anyone who disputes this is ignorant of bapu.

Many Indians such as Manmohon Singh believes, Gandhi’s time came and went—in today’s environment he would not be successful! Anna Hazare demonstrates that Gandhi is as relevant today as he had been in his time.

Republished from Technorati.

S&P—The New Villain Of Obama Administration

2011-08-14T12:39:00.000-05:00

Senate is upset with Standard & Poor (S&P) and they want to investigate them for downgrading US’s rating one notch from the coveted AAA grade. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson lashed out, “As the financial markets stumble, investors continue to regard Treasury debt as a safe haven in times of economic uncertainty. This irresponsible move by S&P may, however, have spillover effects that tax the American people by increasing interest rates on home loans, credit cards, and car loans, and by increasing the cost of finance for some state and local governments. I am deeply disappointed in S&P’s decision to enter into the game of political punditry.”

Not to be undermined by this, the Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner shot out, “They've shown a stunning lack of knowledge about basic U.S. fiscal budget math. And I think they drew exactly the wrong conclusion from this budget agreement.”

Those are strong words.

S&P is the new villain in the financial world for downgrading the credit rating of USA. It is the same rating agency that had consistently given the failed Lehman Brothers and other financial institutions top rating when they did not deserve that. Was S&P bad then, or, are they bad now?

What is a triple-A rating by the way and what does it mean?
In the rating business there are two major houses, S&P and Moody’s, who are market mover and both have been caught napping during the past major financial turmoil. This time however, S&P appears to be wising up and inclined to mend their reputation. On April 18, 2011,S&P had warned that a debt ceiling increase without meaningful budget reforms would still merit a downgrade. The long term US fiscal imbalance is nothing new and it had been in the making for at least two decades now. S&P had correctly pointed out that if the politicians do not wake up now and refrain from silly game playing, a future default becomes a significant.

Moody’s is still playing the catch up game. On July 13, they placed the US credit rating on watch for possible downgrade and also declared that if US government did not take significant deficit reduction measures with a debt ceiling increase they would assign a negative outlook. On June 8, 2011, a third rating agency Fitch threatened to place the US on negative watch if the ceiling was not raised by August 2nd.

The triple-A rating signifies that the government is stable and bonds it issues are considered safe, thereby, the nation can borrow funds at the lowest possible cost. By downgrading the US from AAA to AA+, S&P is not saying that the US govt. is likely to default, it is saying that likelihood of a default or a loss of principal/interest has increased. There are 18 different grades and a transition from the highest rating to the second highest rating does not signify a massive risk change. The downgrade for the US implies that the credit risk of the US has gone from minimum to very low.

If S&P had kept the US rating unchanged and the country would default that would totally discredit the agency, and now they know, that with Europe declaring to come up with their own rating agencies it would be a disaster for them if they fail to do their watchdog duty one more time. The CIA World Fact book mentioned that in 2010, the debt to GDP ratio for the US was 59% in comparison with 34% in Canada and 22% in Australia. Obviously, it does not seem we are in the same league as either of them.

First published on Technorati

The Cat Is Out Of The Bag—Tighten Your Belt

2011-08-07T13:21:00.001-05:00

As I read in the news, Standard & Poor's has cut the U.S. long-term credit rating from top-tier AAA to AA-plus on Friday; I recalled a conversation with a friend of mine who is a Professor of Finance in a prestigious school. We were discussing America’s future and I expressed my opinion that the dollars dog days are about to begin, as countries will move away parking their money in US Treasury. My friend shot back, “Where else are they going to put their money?”

This morning, just one day after the downgrade of the U.S. long-term credit rating, China's official Xinhua news agency said in a commentary, "The U.S. government has to come to terms with the painful fact that the good old days when it could just borrow its way out of messes of its own making are finally gone."

The last week had seen wiping off $2.5 trillion from the global markets, which happened after the investors' concern grew of an impending recession in the United States, and over the growing euro zone crisis. Finance ministers and central bankers of the Group of Seven major industrialized nations are to confer via telephone to discuss the impact of this earth shattering news on the financial market since this singular act has heaped gas over the global fire, aided by the mess of euro zone debt issue.

The Xinhua commentary proclaimed, “China, the largest creditor of the world's sole superpower, has every right now to demand the United States address its structural debt problems and ensure the safety of China's dollar assets.” They stressed that the United States need to cut military and social welfare expenditure world economic recovery.

Hello, wake up sheeple, your Master is speaking!

President Obama appealed to lawmakers this morning to “set aside partisan politics and work to put the United States' fiscal house in order and refocus on stimulating its stagnant economy.” Thank goodness my President, you now understand that our economy is in shamble notwithstanding your endless euphoria over market recovery and the bright days ahead.

If you realize our economy is stagnant, my President, why did you sign the debt deal into law, last week, which is only going to worsen it? You say, you had to compromise, why? Just the other day, Bill Clinton, a two-term President suggested that you invoke 14th amendment and tell the Tea Party terrorists who took the nation’s economy hostage—take a hike, No Deal, there will be no discussion on debt limit?

What were you smoking my President to believe that spending cut will create jobs? Econ 101 says that to create job you need to spend money. The only solution to our problem is to roll back the Reagan Tax, and you did not even give a hint of understanding this when you said this morning, “Congress to back measures to give tax relief to the middle class, extend jobless benefits and pass long-delayed international trade pacts.”

Pass the long-delayed international trade pacts? The trade pacts are the reason why we are here today. Stop drinking cool aide, read Tomm Hartmann’s Rebooting American Dream, understand the basics of economic growth. I Of course, I know the reason why you say what you say—you take your lead from Tim Geithner, the prodigy groomed by the infamous trio, Robert Ruben-Larry Summer-Alan Greenspan. Just watch how the Maestro talks about the fallacy of the philosophy he preached , Alan Greenspan, the supreme economist of the capitalist world speaks like a broken man and admits that his belief in lifelong philosophy that unbridled capitalism is the bane of the market is wrong, his faith in market controlling itself was wrong .

In an interesting twist , the Republican Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann called for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's resignation, and the House Speaker John Boehner said Democrats “who run Washington remain unwilling to make the tough choices required to put America on solid ground.” This is called the ultimate spin, first create the crisis and then blame it on others, and it can only happen in America, since people have turned sheeple—busy in watching “I Love Lucy,” and totally oblivious of finding out what is happening around them.

Bachmann said, “President Obama has destroyed the credit rating of the United States through his failed economic policies and his inability to control government spending by raising the debt ceiling.” How many people can see through this sham logic? Timothy Geithner is practicing what Bachmann preaches. He is implementing conservative policies, just as his gurus the trio Robert Ruben-Larry Summer-Alan Greenspan practiced. The last Democratic President was John Kennedy, after that all Presidents followed the dictate of Corporate America, Jimmy Carter included.

The political quibbling will only get worse from here, blame game has only started, the cat is out of the bag though, the future of this country has been written, and I do not see the word prosperity written anywhere except on the faces of a few handful billionaires.

Forgive me my dear Americans for being the harbinger of the tough time, feel free to shoot the messenger though, if that brings solace to you.

First published on Technorati

Where Did All The Money Go?

2011-07-30T17:16:00.003-05:00

You wonder where did all the money go? How did this richest nation became so poor, overnight?

You point to wars, economic cycles, and whatever one of your impressive peers has sold to you.

Do you really want to know how all this happened?

The answer is in two words: Tax Cut

Life Is For Living

2011-07-24T10:52:00.000-05:00

Jean- Pierre Dutilleux waits anxiously on one side of the stream while the tribal men walk on a log that serves as a bridge from the other side. That bridge is between two civilizations—one the most advanced, the other, where time is frozen at the dawn of our evolution. The primitive people approach slowly, clutching their primitive weapons firmly, arrows drawn, and make-shift axes raised. They take a few steps forward and then sharply backward, and then forward again with extreme caution—their curiosity taking better of them. As they approach nigh, their movements are tentative. They have been taught by their ancestors that white men are ghosts. The first man touches Dutilleux’s hand, and he is startled, steps back quickly. He has an incredible expression on his face. It takes him a few moments to gather himself. Then another one approaches. He too is shocked to touch a ghost, and feel so real. It is several hesitant touches before the first firm hand shake takes place between a man from the twenty-first century and a man from the lost horizon.

In a series of uncut footage, the Belgian photographer Jean- Pierre Dutilleux captures the fascinating moments when the last known ancient tribe, living in New Guinea, north of Australia, meet white men for the very first time. The tribe Toulambi lives in one of the last frontiers of primordial civilization, they have not seen a matchbox, and are shocked to see how fire can be started just by striking a stick smartly on the side of a tiny box. They are afraid to touch a knife when they see how sharp it is in contrast to their own cutting tools. One man takes a mirror in his hand and is baffled seeing his own image in it, and he immediately covers it with a leaf. Then he takes a quick glimpse, uncovering it briefly, and covers it back fast.

In five episodes, Dutilleux uploads uncut video of his recordings on YouTube. He captures how the stone-age people react as they taste rice for the first time. Initially, they do not like the taste of raw boiled rice, however, when salt is added to it, they love it. With childlike simplicity they touch, see and experience modern toys and appliances. They see how voice recorders work, how pictures and voices can be captured and replayed on a video recorder. For the tribal people it is like travelling through wormhole and arriving at a different galaxy to meet a far advanced civilization.

Shall the Toulambis be happy that we found them?

As a first generation American it often makes me pensive to think that we are still carrying Christopher Columbus’s curse. We call ourselves the most civilized, and act as savages. We go around the world blasting homes of hapless people, killing their children and women indiscriminately, and in the process spend money that we do not have—the money that could have been better spent in our inner cities, on our schools, roads, and crumbling bridges.

I am not so sure if it is good fortune for theToulambis that we have discovered them. Granted, they do not have modern medicines, knives, or even match boxes for that matter. The question is, have those amenities made us any better? Have our philosophies, religions, and their end-less treatises made us any wiser? Are we any happier than them?

Watching the video, it appeared to me those stone-age people show more compassion to one another than we show to the less fortunate members of our own society. More and more, our selfish nature is taking over our finer elements; it is just me, me, and me.

We want to destroy all social programs that help the least amongst us—is this what our savior, Jesus taught us?

I had pondered long and hard, contemplating, and searching meaning for life, nonetheless, watching lives of the primitive Toulambi tribe, it dawned on me, life is just for living, and it has no other significance—the richest life nevertheless is, the life spent in the service of others, as taught by the Christ, and the Buddha five hundred years before him!

First published on Technorati

Most US Politicians Are Dishonest?

2011-07-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

WOW!

97% of you responded with yes to this question, only one person in fact thought otherwise. So what is this person experiencing that rest of us are not?

I, like the overwhelming majority, opine that most US politicians are dishonest, but not all.

We are fortunate to have politicians such as Bernie Sanders, Dennis Kucinich, Alan Grayson, Russ Feingold—who are exceptions to the rule. Nevertheless, they are—exceptions to the rules!

I am sure there are many more that I am not aware of, who are in politics in this country, and are honest. The truth is they are few and far between.

Why are we at this stage?

Are we in our time any different than the past?

We romanticize the bygone days and exaggerate our pleasant memories. This is only human nature. Politicians do not live in islands, they are from us. They reflect and represent our own selves. We elect our politicians. They mirror us.

A Gift Of Life, In Vain?

2011-07-08T20:56:00.001-05:00

Heaven and hell, if they are God's way of dispensing justice—where would Mumpy Sarkar be now? When one throws crumbs in the rich man's world, the world heaps accolades—when one gives her life in love how are we to react?

Questions such as above and endless others, flashes through my mind as I write this saga with tearful eyes. This story is from Jhorpara village, West Bengal, India where a poor family finds them utterly helpless in the face of nature's adversity. A young son is diagnosed with failing kidneys, and the treatment is beyond the means of the family. And if it were not enough, the family's travail is multiplied when the father is diagnosed to lose eyesight, if not operated upon quickly.

12-year-old Mumpy listens as her parents discuss how the dual strike is going to impact their lives, and how a kidney transplant could make her brother whole again, and how an eye surgery could restore her father's vision. Alas! Only if they had money!

The story makes Mumpy sad, but she comes out with a plan—she would kill herself and donate her own organs to her family. She drinks poison, a common pesticide the farmer's use, and despite her family's desperate effort to save her life she succumbs.

Following Hindu tradition, Mumpy's body is cremated. The next day her father finds a note, that Mumpy had left, and only then he comes to know of her plan, only too late!

Or, is it really too late?

Is Mumpy's sacrifice really in vain?

If her story stops even one person for a moment to reflect on her ultimate gift to her family, if it gives even one person, a moment of glimpse of divine glory—God's unfathomable design, and if even for a tiny moment it opens a window in one's heart through which celestial light can shine—on just one person's life—is that not enough to say Mumpy's life was not in vain?

First published on Technorati

Escaping Sparring Mullahs!

2011-06-22T18:08:00.004-05:00

The sun is about to set. This is the time every Friday evening the small tea stall of Fakira, near the entrance of the Shamsher Nagar Hut (market place) livens up with livid discussion, loud hindi music, and smoke of biri (deshi cigarettes). This Friday is no exception.

For the large number of unemployed youth this is a favorite gathering place, where they mingle with each other and exchange ideas. Most days’ discussion essentially peters down to the curves of the village girls and real or imaginary exploits of the village Casanovas. Today however, it is different. There are couple alems (religious scholars) visiting from another village who have chosen the tea stall for their fact finding venue for the next week’s urush (Muslim religious convention). Hence the discussion this afternoon is essentially metaphysical.

The huzurs’ (preferred address for the Muslim priests) presence has drawn larger crowd to Fakira’s stall, and even the elders are gathering around. There is less sell of biri today, but Fakira is not unhappy, since he is doing a brisk business of tea, biscuits, and other condiments.

The discussion is profound. Even the young studs are trying to throw a few Arabic words in the mix with their vernacular, to boast of, or, gain respect of the others, and especially the huzurs. The alems are having a field day. They are imbued in the matters, literally, of life and death, and what makes the difference between one’s journey to hell or heaven in the afterlife. After all they are the people of knowledge when the affairs of heaven are concerned, and even college educated people defer to them on matters such as that.

At this time the huzurs are delving in subject profound, such as how much water must be used for ablution so that Allah would not consider it a wastage, or, why whoever wears long pajama touching their ankles, is committing kabira gona (carnal sin); and other vital matters likewise!

Soon the discussion turns to salah (prayer), as the ablution naturally progresses to prayer, and the discussion focuses on the importance of reciting the suras (Quranic verses) correctly.

It should not be difficult to comprehend that the native tongues of Indian Subcontinent are not really suitable for pronouncing Arabic words, the way the Arabs do. Regardless; there is no dearth of people who would insist that theirs’ are the most perfect intonation, some even superior to the wayward Arabs themselves.

In the course of the discussion one alem comments that he finds it annoying that most people these days do not know how to recite sura Fatiha which is the obligatory verse for any ordained prayer. They recite the word wallodowalin as wallojoallin, and sure this is a great offence in the eyes of Allah, distorting His Own word.

Although the two alems were in excellent harmony up to that time in condemning every Hindu, Christian, Jewish, or Buddhist people for their kufri (blasphemy), at that particular time, the laldari alem (red-bearded scholar) found himself a little uncomfortable. He addressed the sadadari alem (white-bearded scholar) and said, “astagferullah bhai saheb, what are you saying, the word indeed must be pronounced as wallodowalin. I have heard this myself from a huzur who just returned from hajj last week?”

Both alems nevertheless, had unshakable belief on how the word must be pronounced, and it did not take long for the discussion to get impassioned.

Soon two groups formed; one supporting the laldari alem, the other supporting the sadadari alem. The elders mostly took the side of the sadadari alem; since they deemed, by applying henna (color) to his dari (beard) the laldari alem was showing imperfection in his religious practice.

As the voice of the alems rose, so did the temper of the young men, and even old men followed with enthusiasm. They embarked on breaking things in Fakira’s stall. The poor man fell at the feet of the alems to save his small stall, nonetheless, by that time it was even beyond them to stop the skirmish.

The two opposing groups took stand by the entrance to the market led by their individual alems, and began quizzing everyone leaving the market how they pronounced the revered word in sura Fatiha. If the answer was wallodowalin the laldari group said, “masallah” (praise be to God), and let the person pass unharmed, however, the sadadari group got hold of him and beat him up.

If the answer was wallojoallin the sadadari group said, “mobruq” (congratulation) and let the person pass unharmed; notwithstanding, the laldari group got hold of him and beat him up anyway.

A small rickety man was standing outside the market, watching the on going saga with fear in his eyes, and was debating with himself whether he should bolt from the area to escape the beating. He was nonetheless, not so sure, if he could run away faster than the young boys in the two conflicting groups.

The man was astounded when he saw a smartly dressed person coming out unbeaten—both the sadadari and the laldari group had let him go unharmed.

As the person came close to him, the small man asked, “Brother, how did you escape beating? What was your answer?”

The man smiled and said, “I told both groups that I do not pray.”

Gandhi In Heaven Cries Aloud

2011-06-18T07:24:00.004-05:00

While my adopted country is going down the tube, my country of birth is resurging as a mighty economic power house. In a few decades India is slated to overcome China and the USA, relegating the great current superpower to a distinct third position. Yet, it does not give me any pleasure to call myself of Indian origin. Why?

India is already suffering the ills that I keep on writing against in the USA. The country is showing the same rank greed, selfishness, lack of sensitivity, and total disdain for its people with disadvantages. Read this excerpt from the celebrated author John Pilgers’ column.

In India, a similar re-branding is under way for next month's Commonwealth Games. In the country that has most of the world's malnourished children, the capital Delhi has been re-branded a "world class city" at a cost of $2.5 billion. A school for 180 slum children has been bulldozed so that a vast estate of luxury apartments can be built for visiting athletes. "They told us we were a security threat so we had to go," said the headteacher. "All my children were crying." It is one of many demolitions; over 100,000 families have been evicted to make way for 'security zones' around the Games and facilities that will mostly benefit India's small but powerful managerial and technocratic class who, besotted with all things corporate, prefer not to be reminded that 77 per cent of their compatriots are dirt poor.

Who cares for 180 crying children? Who cares for a poor headteacher? Who cares for 100,000 families? India is becoming a world class economy, therefore, it must have a world class city!

The great Indian writer Rabindranath Tagore wrote, “The darkest shadow is right under the lamp.” The most expensive home in the world is now in Mumbai, called Antilla, where the fourth richest man in the world, Mukesh Ambani recently moved in with his wife and three children. The news clip says, “From the top floors of the 173m(eter) high property are spectacular views of Mumbai and of the Arabian Sea.”

If you look from the other side of the top floor of Ambani’s house however, you would see those rickety half-naked slam children who were given world audience by the award winning 2008 blockbuster movie Slumdog Millionaire.

If there is a heaven, Gandhi is there, and he cries out loud to God, this is not the India for which I gave my life! And he would ask God, “If this would have to be the future of India, why did You send me there?"

First published on Technorati.

Progressives’ Double Standard On Anthony Weiner

2011-06-10T20:21:00.000-05:00

Why? Why this Double Standard?

Progressives never let go the opportunity to heap on Conservative politicians when they falter on cupid related issues. Nonetheless, when it comes to the Democratic leaders they appear to have different standard.

Shame on the progressives!

Democratic left’s poster boy in the US House, Anthony Weiner is under water for lying to his wife, and also in public, about his queer sexual activities on line.

Regardless, the progressive media personnel such as Bill Press is all over the issue finding ways to defend him. On Tuesday Bill said in his radio program, “Weiner did not commit any crime,” and he compared his action with another Democratic poster boy Bill Clinton, saying, “Bill Clinton on the other hand lied under oath.” Many of his listeners called in defending Bill’s point of view.

Nice try Bill, admitting that Bill Clinton committed perjury—the funny thing is, the admission is several years late and is of no consequence now. How did you forget so quickly Bill, it was only the other day that you were defending Clinton, who should have been convicted for lying under oath?

Bill Press even went to the extent of saying that if lying is a disqualifier in politics then Washington would become a ghost town.

Okay, I get it. Now it is time to defend one of our own. Therefore, we redefine morality and look for justification to save the skin of one of our own! Accordingly, we begin the spin game—that we always blame on the Republicans, calling it their monopoly?

Shame on the progressives!!

I understand the Bible is more than 2000 years old, and in our time we do not stone the adulterers, in fact the word adultery is on borrowed time in dictionary. Does this mean that there are no scruples? No moral compass? Lying in public has to be an acceptable norm?

Shame on the progressives!!!

Article first published as Progressives’ Double Standard On Anthony Weiner on Technorati.

False Prophet Preys On Vulnerable

2011-06-04T14:08:00.000-05:00

Jesus lived the life of God on this very earth, setting examples that would never be surpassed by another human being. What has happened to his disciples—who call in his name?

Retired civil engineer turned preacher, Harold Camping had twice falsely predicted Biblical rapture to bring end of the world—his latest failed prediction passed on May 21. Some would call Camping a nut case, Doris Schmitt nonetheless thought him a prophet. Like many others who believed him, Schmitt donated all her savings to Camping’s broadcasting network Family Radio.

Schmitt ‘s niece Heuwetter, who is executor of her aunt’s will came to know about that legal document recently, and it did not make her very happy. She and her sister received $25,000 from their aunt's estate, the rest, around $300,000, went to Camping’s Family Radio

Schmitt’s life is a stereo-type tale of frustrated Americans who had lost it all to alcohol and drugs. She had struggled with alcoholism lifelong, and lost her two children to drug addictions. She died on May 2, 2010, alone, in her small home in Queens, New York. In her last days she found peace in Family Radio broadcasts. Her death prior to May 21st saved her the agony of the final heart break, from trusting a swindler.

I am not sure what kind of relationship Heuwetter and her sister had with their aunt, and if they are any more desirable to get a greater portion of her aunt’s estate, what I am sure of however, there are many organizations such as Red Cross, Doctor without Frontiers, or even Churches, who are more desirable than the Family Radio why pry on faith of vulnerable people.

If Harold Camping has any decency left in him he would return Schimitt’s money to her immediate family. I doubt that it would ever happen. The strange thing about our society is that Camping had more followers in his life time than the living God Jesus had. How queer we are that we pay reverence to the false prophets, and crucify the one truly.

Article first published as Lifesavings Goes To Family Radio, Crumbs To Heirs on Technorati.

Imagine There’s No Heaven, It’s Easy IF You Try

2011-05-28T08:37:00.001-05:00

Why does it take a blind man to see what others with vision fail to see?

Well, Stephen Hawking is not really blind, and what he said cannot really be seen—but you get the hint!

Hawking said in an interview published on Monday in The Guardian: There is nothing out there; heaven is a fairy tale.

Who is Hawking?

At the age of 46, Hawking became world’s most famous scientists, with the publication of his book A Brief History of Time in 1988. This was 23 years after he was diagnosed with ALS disease that affects motor neuron, and was given to live only a few years.

The degenerative disease paralyzed him and took his voice, however, it could not prevent him from becoming the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, a position once held by Sir Isaac Newton.

Hawking said, “I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first.” What keeps Hawking going? How did he achieve so much that people with healthy bodies cannot emulate? The burning ‘fire in the belly’ that keeps Hawking going is found in his answer: “We should seek the greatest value of our action.”

Hawking elaborated, “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” He explained life emanating out of quantum fluctuations that occurred in the early universe.

This indeed is a phenomenal assertion from a person who has no voice and has to speak with the help of a computer, regardless, he speaks in the voice of the early sages such as Lau Tzu who maintained, “Tao is the way to Tao.” In a further esoteric expression Lau Tzu articulated:

He who knows, speaks not;
He who speaks, knows not.
He closes the mouth,
He shuts the doors of the senses.
He subdues activities,
He is freed from bonds.
He diffuses light,
He gathers men into unity.
This is called wonderful unity.

What an irony, the life-long seeker of truth, Stephen Hawking does not have a voice where as third grade preachers spewing out second hand knowledge have megawatt sound waves!

First Published on Technorati.

My Father And I

2011-05-18T19:07:00.000-05:00

Several decades after his death, my father is more alive today than he ever was in life. He had a mind unshakable as a mighty oak, and a personality as remote as desert sand. I feared him, but never loved him truly, not until he died.

It was his tough and aloof exterior in part—the rest was my own inability to understand him—which kept me from appreciating the great attributes that God had imbibed in him, the qualities that we call strength of character.

He was a stranger, lived alone even amidst crowd, and was forced to spend most of his adult life away from his own family, to earn livelihood. He visited my mother and other siblings, only for short durations. My mother played the role of both parents in our lives. This did not help my relationship with my father either.

In life I only focused on his shortcomings, amplified the disappointments of my own thwarted expectations, and piled them up to construct a wall so high, what could never be torn down.

Even when he fell sick toward the end of his life, his vulnerabilities evident for the first time, did not set the realization in me that that was the time when he needed all the help I could muster. It nevertheless appears, looking from where I am today, I failed to provide my very best for him.

Now that he is gone, although for many years to date, not a day seems to pass when I do not think of him. And I can see him clearer through my misty eyes, than I ever saw him in life. I can see his over pouring love for me behind his unemotional façade; and no trace is left of the detachment that there was in life.

Something tells me, my father had always been my guiding angel, and will forever be there for me, in the eternity where time stands still and all beings exist in their true spirits. And I know that he too is aware of that.

Or, is that all projection of my own longing, guilt, and susceptibility?

But, who am I? Do I really exist? Where am I, when not in here?

If there is no heaven and no hell, where do people go when they die?

What are people, by the way, except not for the rotating electrons around protons and neutrons that create the illusion of three dimensional objects? Is it not all emptiness—Maya, created out of interplay of quarks—energy masquerading as particle?

What are we but our thoughts, and play out of our thoughts, that we call our actions?

Alone In The Breach--A Nation's Story Told Through One Life

2011-05-02T10:33:00.000-05:00

Seldom, autobiography of an individual, who is not a truly public persona with a large following, transcends its narrow horizon of interest, and enters the world arena. Alone In The Breach by Muhammad Shamsul Haque Chishty is one such book that does.

Granted, Chishty is not really an obscure face in Bangladesh. He rose through the ranks of Bangladesh Civil Service, and was widely known for his dedication and utter honesty at high official level. For a country that had acquired the dubious distinction as the most corrupt nation for five years in a row, it is only natural that its civil service department would have a fair share of corruption. Yet, having spent a lifetime in the service of people, Chishty is among a handful of officers whose name is not in the mud.

The original book is written in Bangla. It was translated by his son Muhammad Rezaul Kaiser Chishty, and published in Bangladesh. The book has world-wide distribution—its US distributor is Muktadhara, in Jackson Heights, NYC.

Chishty wrote about his life, the people in his life, the time of his life, and the writ became a valuable document of life in Bangladesh for a period spanning several generations—it captured the living history of a nation in the move.

Bangladesh is crisscrossed by innumerable rivers, and those rivers are mighty. With incessant monsoon rains they swell up and flood their banks with vengeance, snatch lands and everything on it. Millions of people lose their lifetime possessions and become destitute overnight. The people nevertheless, are even more determined than the mighty rivers, more resolute, from the brink of death they snatch the joy of life—that is the story of Bangladeshi villagers who live on the river banks. Losing everything, they literally pull themselves up with their shoestrings, just as Chishty himself did, and rose to the highest possible level at government cadre services.

Chishty's book is as unassuming as his life is, a shiny exception to the class that he belongs to as a member of a prized group of civil servants who see themselves as part of a privileged master class.

His story begins with the tale of his early childhood life in his native village, when he had the comfort of a middle class life. However, before long, he was propelled to a struggle for survival once his father died, and his ancestral home was swallowed by mighty river Padma. From that moment the book transcends individual life, and emulates lives of millions of other Bangladeshis, striving for mere existence. From that point the book is no longer the story of a lone ranger; it is the story of people with similar background and aspirations.

Chishty entwines his personal life with the history of a nation so well that it becomes breathtakingly interesting. When I first picked up the book, I only wanted to glimpse through it for a later reading, but the book had such a spell on me that before I realized, I was hooked to it.

Starting from a nondescript village, Chishty's journey takes the readers to the urban life of Dhaka, then traverses through the ancient civilization of Mohenjo-Daro in Pakistan, and finally to the then-world capital, London. He delineates an unforgettable mosaic with rich tapestry and expands it like classical Indian music, reaching its tempo in the world of diplomacy, and high international politics.

Alone In The Breach is a book that every person of Bangladeshi origin must read, to know his/her own history. This is a book that would tell generations to come, the stories of their fathers, and their father's fathers, their lives, their dreams, their struggles, and their success, that defines the country called Bangladesh.

First Published on Technorati.

US Media Is Destroying Family Values?

2011-04-30T09:44:00.000-05:00

Responding to the poll, overwhelming number of respondents—64% of my readers said, US media is destroying family values. However, an important group of 17% did not agree with that assertion, while another 17% had no opinion.

I am curious to know the view point of 17% of the poll takers who think that US media is not destroying family values, since I side with the majority opinion. Perhaps those readers know something that I do not. I have great respect for my readers and I think whoever spent time to take the poll really wanted to make a statement, and I am curious to learn from them.

Let me express my reasonings for agreeing with the majority.

We are all aware what kind of influence Hollywood has in the world—just consider the copy cats Bolywood, Dolywood, Tolywood, Kolywood... and finally Sandalwood.

Hollywood has relentlessly pushed the frontier of pornography to the extent that hardcore movies are becoming mainstream. This is quite a transformation from the Brady Bunch ages!

If anyone has taken a note, it must have been apparent that the latest Hollywood agenda is to push the issue of same sex relationship relentlessly. There are hardly any shows these days where a gay couple is not portrayed, where as this choice is only embraced by a tiny portion of the society, they are depicted disproportionately. Mind you, it is not my intent to make a statement against the gay relationship here, for I do not have any opinion against them, I only raise the issue here to make a point.

Then take the cases of violence. I am not sure how many shows would be left out these days, if we screen violence and sex. If someone thinks these unrelenting observation of violence does not desensitise our minds and make us more susceptible to accept these abnormal behaviours as normal, then there is a serious problem.

So my readers, please tell me, please educate me—what am I missing?

Congratulation GOP; You are the Master of Crafts

2011-04-10T11:47:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama and his self-proclaimed liberal amateurish friends would want you to believe that Federal shut down has been avoided by their skilful negotiating technique and they have won a victory over the GOP. However, I say, if you believe in that propaganda you are hopelessly naive.

GOP has shown once again that they are the master of the craft called negotiation. First, they set the goal post so far that they know the Democrats would never agree to meet as for example, cuts in EPA and planned parenthood, the two signature programs of the Democrats were presented as the “must have” goal for the Tea party members. They gave impression that until those two were met, they were not going to agree to any deal, and under that threat they started the negotiation. They gained ground inch by inch, prolonged the misery of their opponents to the very end, and only accepted the deal when they had to.

What did GOP gain from this deal? Roughly $38.5 billion in spending cuts from various social programs, which the Democrats had to fight for so long to achieve for their constituents. What's the impact of this cut? Unhappiness and resentment in the core Democratic base.

The GOP also demonstrated that only having control of 1/3rd of the Government they dictated the terms of the agreements and delivered significant victory for their constituents. And the liberals would have us believe that John Boehner is just a crying sissy, who does not understand politics?

What did the Democrats gain? The last minute budget deal averted an embarrassing federal shut down and would pay for government operations through the end of September. Why were the Democrats playing chickens to this threat of government shut down? Are they so weak in memory that they could not recall how Newt Gingrich's career was destroyed when he brought down the federal shut down against Bill Clinton?

The Republicans do not believe that the $38.5 billion in spending cuts is really going to have any significant effect on our deficit. Only on the first day of attack the US spent $100 million in Libya. The crisis in economy has been caused by tax cuts to the rich and unprecedented increase in war spending. And the solution would come from rolling back the Reagan tax cuts and reducing defense expenditures. Alas, those issues were never even on the discussion table! That was the extent of success of the Republican politicians!

If spending cuts are not going to solve our economic crisis, why then the GOP keep on repeating the mantra of spending cuts?

The answer is—they are smart, they know spending cuts hurt the democratic base, their followers become disenchanted, lose interest in election, stay home, and that helps the Republican candidates win in the poll.

Are ordinary people really impressed by this Obama voodoo magic of saving federal shut down? Let's look at the comment of one of the taxpayer:

“Everyone's screaming for accountability for teachers. Well, more imperatively, we should DEMAND accountability from our legislators. Their hours spent with lobbyists (and the resulting money/voting that stems from this shady activity), their voting records, incomes, every cent of their benefits and pensions, and every corporation and special interest group which contributes to their campaigns - and how much is contributed, again comparing it to their voting - should be published in a VERY public place for all to see. You talk about being accountable for the results of your work? Washington and state politicians should be the first ones to answer for their actions. Make their jobs as transparent as glass, then sit back and watch them squirm like the worms they are.”

Yet another ordinary American taxpayer writes, “They can play with our benefits, but why is it I have not heard a word about Congress cutting theirs? It may be the tip of the iceberg, but it would be a start if they would pay for their own health care, like we do, and set up a retirement plan for themselves that better resembles our choices — instead of simply taking all they can from us at no expense to themselves. A pay cut wouldn't hurt things either.”

Repulicrats and Demopablicans are all in it for themselves. It is time for a revolution at the ballot box. Educate yourselves people, and vote your pocket book in 2012!

First published on Technorati

Why Do Ordinary Americans Vote For Republicans?

2011-03-30T15:12:00.003-05:00

First they give tax cut to the rich, which reduces revenue and creates deficit. Then, they commence wars to worsen the economy and further line up their rich friends’ pockets. When in power they expand the government beyond any sensible proportion, and once out of power starts complaining about the size of it. And their solution to every problem is cut down expenses.

What expenses?

The largest expense the US has is in its defense sector. One cruise missile costs a million dollar. Only on the first day of action in Libya 100 Tomahawks were fired. And this happened while in our inner cities, social programs are being cut. Teachers, police men, and fire service officers are being forced to accept pay cuts. On top of it, they now want to mess with the Social Security.

Charles Babington of Associated Press wrote:

"If there's any place where tea partiers in Congress might hesitate to call for cuts in Social Security and Medicare to shrink the federal debt, Florida's retirement havens should top the list.

Even here, however, Republican lawmakers are racing toward a spending showdown with Democrats exhibiting little nervousness about deep cuts, including those that eventually would hit benefit programs long left alone by politicians."

I am by no means proffering the idea that all Democrats are looking after the small people’s interest. Blue dog Democrats such as Barack Obama and the likes of him are no better than the Republicans. They only pretend to serve the middle class Americans while they safeguard the interest of the rich.

Babington further illustrated :

"In southeast Florida last week, first-term GOP Rep. Allen West, a tea party favorite, called for changes that some might consider radical: abolish the Internal Revenue Service and federal income tax; retain tax cuts for billionaires so they won't shut down their charities; stop extending unemployment benefits that "reward bad behavior" by discouraging people from seeking new jobs.

As for entitlements, West told a friendly town hall gathering in Coral Springs, if Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid "are left on autopilot, if we don't institute some type of reform, they'll subsume our entire GDP" by 2040 or 2050. GDP, or gross domestic product, measures the value of all goods and services produced in the United States."

These are plain lies, Social Security is solvent and it can make payments for the next two decades even if no changes are made today. The reason social security is facing problem is because both Republican and Democrat administrations have raided this cash cow whenever they needed money. Even then the solution to the problem is simple, raise the current limit of $106,800 to a million, or, even abolish the ceiling all together.

During last week's congressional break, Rep. Trey Gowdy , another Republican freshman with tea party backing, suggested cuts in social programs in Greenville, S.C. Babington cited a Greenville News account that reported Gowdy describing a recent school classroom incident where most children thought that it's the government's job to provide health care, Social Security and education. ‘'We've got to do something about the sense of entitlement,” Gowdy said.

Obama's debt commission recently recommended to raise the full retirement age, from 67 to 69, over the next 65 years. In Washington, 32 Senate Democrats joined 32 Republicans in urging Obama to negotiate a spending plan that includes cuts in Social Security and changes in Medicare.
It is only in America, where poor people don’t vote their own interest; if they did they would vote these 32 Democrats out of office along with the 32 Republicans.

First published on Technorati .

Bangladeshi Rickshaw Puller Shames The Privileged

2011-03-05T20:49:00.002-06:00

Here is a story from a 3rd world country that would shame many Americans, just as it did me.

Bangladesh is a country, where upper class people scorn the uneducated lower class, who earn livelihood through menial jobs. Just as in the French language, Bangla has three levels of addresses, one is reserved for the elders and respected, the other for the same status level, and the third for the younger and the people who have no 'respect.' Rickshaw pullers are in this third group, and often it is found that a 20ish well-dressed kid addressing a 6oish rickshaw-puller, in the tone that is reserved for the young and lowly, while the 60ish person is forced to address the kid with honor and respect. Now from Bangladesh comes a story of a rickshaw-puller, who by his share deed has reached the pinnacle of dignity that few can boast of.

At age 30, Joynal Abedin, watched in desperation as his father suffered and died in Taan Hashadia, a small village in Paranganj union under sadar upazila of Mymensingh. The first hand observation of his dying father's pain gave birth to Joynal's inspiration and resolve that he would not be like other bystanders who have lived in the same village, however, were unable to do anything to help others.

Joynal did not have money or education, regardless, when a person truly desires to do something great, nothing can stop him. With sheer determination, but not much more, Joynal and his wife left the village and moved to the capital city Dhaka. Finding no other meaningful work, Joynal became a rickshaw-puller. For days and night, under rain and sun, in cold and heat, he pulled rickshaws for 14 years while his wife Lal Banu worked at a clinic.

It was not easy living with their small earnings in the capital city where things were expensive, yet, come what may, the family managed to save a few pennies even in their darkest days, and deposited them in two separate bank accounts. In 2001, the couple withdrew their whole savings of nearly $4000 and returned to village. With that money, they purchased 23 decimals of land and constructed a house to live with their two young children. With rest of the savings Joynal and Lal Banu opened a four-bed hospital on his land, and named it after their daughter "Momtaz.” They also established a free coaching center for underprivileged children.

People began coming to Momtaz Hospital from far and beyond, since there was no other free facility in the nearby villages. On an average day, the hospital treats around 25 patients and dispenses various medicines to them. With time, recognition followed, and Joynal was awarded a title Sada-Moner-Manush (Man of a golden heart) in 2008.

Despite honor poring in from different quarters Joynal finds it extremely difficult to run the hospital now. A local paramedic treats patients in the hospital, and a degreed doctor pays occasional visits in exchange of $7 for a day's consultation.

In 2006, Joynal received $430 from the local administration and the social welfare directorate. In 2005, a Bangladeshi woman living in the USA gave him $1000, and he received small helps from various quarters, one among them is from an eminent personality of the country, Abdullah Abu Sayeed. “I shared my dream with my wife and she helped me beyond anyone's expectation in the venture,” said Joynal, “For the last five years I have not received much help from anyone. With the price of medicines spiraling several folds during the time, running the hospital is now at stake. The hospital needs at least $5 a day to function.”

In Joynal's charitable school around 50 children receive free education. He pays two teachers—Md Aiyub and Khalilur Rahman, $100 a month, this is nonetheless becoming hard for Joynal as he is coming of age. For a ricksha puller, 55 is a ripe old age, toil of hard work takes its toll on the person, and Joynal cannot work anymore. His will is strong though, as he says, “I want to cling to my goal till I breathe the last and seek nothing more for me and my family.”

The sad part of Joynal's life is that many took advantage of his simplicity and tried to swindle him with the pretext of helping him. “Many people pledged me of many things while some even invited me for help and I came out of there labeled as a greedy fraud,” he said. Once the people who pledged him help wanted to turn him over to police as a criminal.

The people of his and the neighboring villages nevertheless, adore Joynal. Fazar Ali and Ayub Ali of neighboring Foliamari village said to the national newspaper, The Daily Star, “Momtaz Hospital may appear as nothing to the urban society, but the people here are greatly benefited form it as they have to go several miles for medicine from other places.”

Joynal, you made me feel so small—enamored with my own idiosyncrasies, leading a selfish life in a far away country! But you are the one for whom the birds croon, the seasons bring color, and the gods envy humans; and it is an honor to know that we share this earth at the same span of time.

Article first published as Rickshaw Puller Sets An Example In Bangladesh on Technorati.

The Bridge on the River Kwai—Actually Jiaozhou Bay

2011-02-20T10:39:00.007-06:00

Have you noticed how the landmark technological marvels are shifting one by one to the rising Super Power China? After longest rail lines and fastest rails it is now time for the longest bridge. This phenomenon is perhaps synonymous with a nations progress and development!

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana, which had the title until December 27 of the last year, for its longest span, has now been dwarfed by three miles, by the new bridge that has a massive 26.4 miles span–five miles more than the distance between Dover and Calais. Expressing in another way, the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge is 174 times longer than the famous London’s Tower Bridge over the river Thames.

The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge, connects the main urban area of Qingdao city, which is in East China’s Shandong province, with Huangdao district, that lies in the Jiaozhou Bay sea areas. The bridge shortened the distance from Qingdao to Huangdao by 30 kilometer, and saved 20 minutes of travel time by car.

To finish the construction in record time, two separate groups of workers began building from two opposite ends, and the bridge was completed in four years, relatively short time for a project of this magnitude, and the cost was nearly $9 billion.

This massive bridge however is going to hold its record only for a few years, and it will be dwarfed by, probably you guessed it, another Chinese bridge. Last December Chinese officials announced that workers had begun constructing a bridge to link southern Guangdong province with Hong Kong and Macau and the work is expected to be completed by 2016. This new bridge would be 30 miles long.

A six-lane expressway on the bridge would further boost tourism, trade and professional services between main land China and Hong Kong. The bridge is designed to sustain earthquakes up to a magnitude of 8.0 in the Richter scale, and impact from a 300,000 tonne vessel.

This gargantuan bridge nonetheless will be dwarfed by another bridge which has the word 'grand' embedded in its name—Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge, spanning an astonishing 102 miles, and this too would be in China.

Perhaps you noticed too, how the Republican governors are opposing Obama's fast rail projects, as waste of money? Obama's “new fast rails” of course would be slow moving locomotives when compared with Chinese rails!

America is broke, the only way our nation can survive is de-funding all social programs! If it were not for the welfare queens, America would still be prosperous—would she?

Wake up sheeple!

Article first published as The Bridge on the River Kwai—Actually Jiaozhou Bay on Technorati.

A Street Vendor Brings Freedom To Two Nations

2011-02-13T08:38:00.007-06:00

The fire that Mohamed Bouazizi set over his own body had burnt thrones of two dictators whose autocratic rules spanned 23 and 30 years respectively, and accorded freedom to people of two nations—first Tunisia and then Egypt.

It all began at Sidi Bouzid, a nondescript small town in Tunisia, in humiliation for a man who had suffered life long indignation at the hand of corrupt public officials, the goons of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled the country with iron hands for 23-years.

At the age of 10 Mohamed Bouazizi became the provider for his family, selling fresh produce in the local market. His father had died when he was three years old, and he did not have the opportunity to finish school, for there were five younger siblings that he had to take care of. He applied for various jobs, but in a country where unemployment ran in double digits, he could find none. Finally, he improvised to earn a livelihood on his own.

Every day, his journey would begin at the local supermarket where he would fill his wooden cart with fruits and vegetables and then walk two kilometers to the local souk, and nearly everyday, he would be bullied by local police officers. They would often confiscate his scales and his produce, or levy fine for setting up a stall without a permit. Six months prior to his suicide, police had sent him a fine for $280 to his house—the amount was equivalent to two months of his earnings.

"Since he was a child, they were mistreating him. He was used to it," Hajlaoui Jaafer, a close friend of Bouazizi, said. "I saw him humiliated." On December 17, 2010, however, it crossed the limit that Mohamed could endure. That morning, a policewoman sized his vegetable laden cart and proceeded to seize his weighing scales. Bouazizi refused to hand it over; he was slapped by the policewoman, and she pinned him to ground with the help of her colleagues. They wrestled away his weighing scale.

Bouazizi sought justice by going to the local municipality building and asking to meet an official to express his grievances, however, no one would meet him. With frustration thrusting him against the wall, Mohamed poured paint fuel over his body, outside the local municipal office, and set himself ablaze.

Mohamed Bouazizi was not the first Tunisian to set himself on fire in an act of public protest, there was Abdesslem Trimech before him in the town of Monastir on March 3, but things happen when the time is right. Mohamed was a very popular man who would give free fruit and vegetables to poor families, and in his death they returned his kindness by protesting vehemently.

On the evening of Mohamed's self immolation, Ali Bouazizi, a cousin of Mohamed Bouazizi, posted a video of a peaceful protest led by his mother outside the municipality building. The video was aired on Al Jazeera's Mubasher channel.

The uprising that begin in Sidi Bouzid soon spread to other towns. From Sidi Bouzid to Kasserine, then Thala, Menzel and Bouzaiene. The protests spread like wild fire in dry forests, and Tunisians of all age, status and profession joined the revolution.

By the time Mohamed died of his burns on January 4, the uprising had engulfed the whole of Tunisia. Fedya Hamdi, the female police officer who tormented Bouazizi had fled the town. Tunisian protesters communicated with each other on Facebook, used Twitter, and followed the news via satellite channels Al Jazeera, France 24, Al Arabiya and others.

President Ben Ali declared a state of emergency in the country, dissolved the government on January 14, 2011, and promised elections within six months, but it was too little too late. Ben Ali resigned the presidency at about 4pm, and fled with his family members in four helicopters bound for Malta. Ben Ali sought exile in France but was refused, and finally went to Saudi Arabia, the epicenter of despot Muslim rulers.

Honor eluded Mohamed Bouazizi in life, death brought him the same in profuse. His body lies in a simple grave in Sidi Bouzid, surrounded by olive trees, cactuses and blossoming almond trees, and when Arab history of this century is written, his grave would become the new pilgrimage, the most sought after relic of the indomitable Arab spirit and freedom, and will inspire all despairing people, everywhere, for generations to come.

Article first published as When A Street Vendor Brings Freedom To Two Nations on Technorati.

Way To Happiness Rediscovered Through Science

2011-01-29T10:34:00.003-06:00

Eons ago, the Zen masters said that to be happy you must live in the moment 'NOW.' This indeed is the gist of Zen philosophy, the rest is mere commentary. And so did pronounce the Indian rishis thousands of years back in Vedas and Puranas, now a fresh voice has just been added to those age-old masters' discourses—the voice of an young American psychologist, Matthew Killingsworth, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Harvard.

Killingsworth, and Daniel T. Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard, used a special "track your happiness" iPhone app to gather research on 2250 participants. The results of the study confirms, we spend at least half our time thinking about something other than what we are doing at that moment, and this makes us unhappy.

Dr. Gilbert raised the question, “Which would make you happier: winning the lottery, or losing the ability to walk? It may seem like a no-brainier, but the answer may surprise you.” Gilbert said that research demonstrates, one year later, the paraplegics are just about as happy as lottery winners. How does this happen? The answer is that happiness is all in our minds, as the spiritualists have said it all along.

According to Matthew, multitasking raises our stress level, in other words, if we are playing golf and thinking about last night's party at our friend's place where we had a gala time, despite our indulgence in the happy memories, our game is going to suffer since our stress level is bound to increase.

Any wonder why our lives are so stressful?

Matthew published his research findings in the journal Science where he says: How often people's minds wander is definitely a big predictor of who's happy and who's not happy, because the more often they take themselves out of the present moment, the less happy they are. He went on to maintain that even if we time share with pleasant daydreams, it makes us unhappy.

The guinea pigs for this study were iPhone wielding volunteers, whose average age was 34. The researchers used the specially developed iPhone app for their experiment that called the volunteers several times a day and asked them a few standard questions such as: how they were feeling just before they were contacted, what they were doing, and if they were thinking about something else other than what they were doing. More than 5,000 people are now using the iPhone Web app.

The study found that even when people perform seemingly unpleasant tasks such as running errands or doing a monotonous routine, their unhappiness level increases as they shift their focus from the tasks at hand. People often indulge in daydreams in unpleasant or neutral topics, and as expected those thoughts are likely to increase the level of unhappiness, however, what surprised the researcher was the fact that even pleasurable thoughts made participants no happier than when they were focused on the activity they were performing, whatever the activity may be.

Although this seems to be a paradox, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, who teaches at Stanford University explained, “When the mind wanders to a happy memory, it tends to eventually turn back to things that aren't quite as positive." Killingsworth explained it in terms of a concept, what he called "default mode, a non-pleasant thought stuck in the brain. For instance, while remembering about a romantic Paris honeymoon, one may come back to the thought of the overpriced hotel that is deeply etched in the memory and became a "default mode." His advice is, contemplate the past to learn from it, but then move on, so that in the future you are prepared to avoid the default mode.

Killingsworth thinks that this default mode probably gave us an advantage by making us watchful to dangers in our hunting and gathering stages of evolution. McGonigal said, "We maximized our survival chances even if we didn't maximize our happiness, evolution doesn't give a damn about happiness." In our time, however, we give paramount importance to happiness, and McGonigal said that we can increase our happiness by keeping our mental focus, or mindfulness, by practicing certain skills regularly.

Wondering what they are? Go see a Zen teacher, or an Indian Yogi, for they are exactly similar techniques that McGonigal prescribes: Live in the moment. Here are five techniques from McGonigal summarized by Deborah Kotz, in her article, Want to Be Happier? Keep Your Focus:

1. Begin the day with a focused task: Be in tune with whatever you are doing.
2. Exercise with alertness: Immerse yourself in it, feel it, sense it, live it.
3. Engulf yourself in a good book or movie: Live the scenes, engross yourself.
4. Reduce multitasking: This breeds tension and unhappiness.
5. Meditate: Practice five to 10 minutes of daily meditation.

You say, you heard them before? I agree. Nonetheless, when we re-discover the ancient truth with new scientific research, it gives wings to the old thoughts, and make them more believable, and more effective, for it is our faith that gives real strength to any construct to be useful in our lives.

Article first published as Way To Happiness Rediscovered Through Science on Technorati.

Show Skin Make Money

2011-01-23T07:58:00.003-06:00

After three seasons, the premiere of the MTV reality show “Jersey Shore” drew 8.45 million viewers, making it MTV's most-watched series ever telecast. But now with "Skins" MTV has upstaged even "Jersey Shore."

Following the tradition of copying hit British hot shows to produce its native American version, “Skins” is a creation of steamy drama about teens that depends on liberal exhibition of skins for its blistering popularity. MTV began airing its 10-episode season last Monday with heavy promotion targeting its young audience, and the show was instant hit.

Just days after the airing of the first show, one parents' group called U.S. Senate and House Judiciary Committees and the Department of Justice, to "immediately open an investigation regarding child pornography and exploitation on MTV's 'Skins.'" Tim Winter, the President of Parents Television Council said on Friday's TODAY show, “You have a major conglomerate, Viacom and MTV, that is directly marketing to children graphic sex, profanity, drug use.”

Legal analyst and victims’ rights advocate Wendy Murphy commented on how Viacom’s defense is going to be: Their defense is likely to be 'oh, come on, this is just a television show.' However, she thinks that ''that’s not really a defense, because that's not the issue," Murphy further explained, “The only issue is, are there kids involved who are under the age of 18? That's it! That's enough! That's child pornography.”

Unlike other made-for-TV teens' shows, the actors from “Skins” are real teenagers in the age range of 15 to 19, and that should be a serious concern for everyone. Regardless, MTV responded on TODAY, “'Skins’ is a show that addresses real-world issues confronting teens in a frank way. We are confident that the episodes of 'Skins’ will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers.”

Commentator Frazier Moore wrote in Uproar over 'Skins' is a blessing for the show, “But this is only the beginning for 'Skins.' With its new wave of publicity, it has nowhere to go but up.” Sadly, Morre is right, despite the relentless provocations on the stupid box TV, movies, and other media, it appears American audience is still sex-starved, and sex still sells big time. Viacom is simply getting some free marketing with all the controversy around the 'Skins.' Morre could not be truer in writing, “As a publicity spectacle, this couldn't be going better if MTV had masterminded it.”

When it comes to making money, nothing is sacrosanct anymore, there are no taboos, no limit to decency, morality or values; whatever sells must be good for business. If this is not the sign of a decadent media then what is?

On a MSNBC survey, 74.3% said, “Yes. It is too racy,” 22.7% said, “No, what's the big deal?,” and 3% said, “I don't know.” Obviously, American people have not yet lost their commonsense, but who cares? In the new age, if you wonder “for whom the bell tolls” the answer is, It tolls for thee—the plutocrats, for whom money is God, all else secondary.

Article first published as Sex sales, Sell Sex on Technorati.

Is Obama A One Term President?

2011-01-16T14:07:00.019-06:00

Thank you for letting me know your opinion on this poll: Obama Is One Term President?

45% of you have responded to the question with yes, only 10% said no, and 30% were not sure. Though it was a small poll, to my belief it reflects the current sentiment among the progressives, fairly well.

In deed, I have written many articles with similar thoughts on Technorati, on the disenchantment of the American progressives and Obama's deliberate betrayal to them. Now here is my prediction, and take it for whatever it is worth—Obama will win a 2nd term in 2012.

When I set up the poll I was convinced that Obama would be a one-term President. That was before the 2010 election. It did not take long in the new congress, for John Boehner et al to demonstrate that we accord more credits to the Republicans than what is due them. No sooner they came in power they resorted to childish manoeuvres which was so symbolic to them, yet in reality was nothing more than cheap ploys to cater to their base, and their actions resulted in wastage of public money, which they so vehemently oppose in principle.

Let no one forget—the duty of the congress is to make Law, the 112th congress in their infinite wisdom began their act reading from the constitution. Their reading nonetheless soon proved that they have no respect for the constitution, as they only read it selectively and omitted the parts they were against. I am not against the lawmakers reading of the constitution, rather, I think it is something that each of them must do, nevertheless, I believe that they shall to do that in their private time.

If that caricature of GOP house members was not enough to piss off the sane Americans, their next priority of repealing the Health Care Law shall be. In their great desire to carry water for the corporate bosses, they declared their hatred against ordinary American people by avowing all-out-war against the Health Care Reform that they jealously call Obama-Care. Little they understand that if people are against Obama-Care it is because of what the reform did not do rather than what it did. The popular complaint is that the law did not go far enough to serve the interest of the ordinary Americans, and curtail power of the health insurance companies.

The bone-head elephants are going to waste public money in vacuous exhibitions of futile showmanship against Obama to the extent that they are going to wear out even their own base. The Tea Party ditto-heads peaked too early to make any impact on the 2012 Presidential election, and their shine is going to wither when people see and assess the success of this congress against the previous one that had passed over 400 resolutions, majority of them for the interest of the common populace.

The recent Tucson incident showed some very interesting aspects of the politics of hate. When Jared Lee Loughner shoot and injured the democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and killed 9-yr old Christina Green and five others, the Tea Party queen Sarah Palin pulled her CROSSHAIRS/ BULLSEYE message from her website. Regardless, instead of toning down rhetoric she came guns blazing with “blood libel” comment that is so wrong and anti-Semitic, especially considering that the congresswoman Gifford, who is still fighting with death, is Jewish.

The other interesting thing that happened in the aftermath of Tucson shooting was, the city pulled down the fire-breathing Rush Limbaugh's Straight-Shooter billboard, despite the hate monger's continuous vicious attack on the liberals, in his pitiful attempt to shift the blame on them and draw sympathy for the shooter.

I say, the Americans will tire off the politics of hate, and the craving for middle of the road policies will increasingly become stronger. Two years is a long time, and much water will flow through the Mississippi by that time, yet, I predict Obama will be coronated a 2nd time, since he is the best Republican the plutocrats can find, just look at the line up of the Presidential hopefuls on the GOP side, their cartoon characters, and lack of mainstream appeal.

Article first published as Is Obama a One Term President? on Technorati.

When A Diamond Finds A Diamond

2011-01-09T05:42:00.005-06:00

Mark Epple, an unemployed Architect, finds a 12-Carat diamond ring and returns it to its rightful owner.

Mark had a great time skiing with his family on Colorado mountains. He was waiting in the drop off lane of Eagle county airport on his way back to his Minneapolis home when he noticed a small ring shining in the bright sunlight. The yellow stone was so big that Mark thought it must be a child's costume jewelry.

At his home, Mark inspected the ring closely and realized that the stone was a genuine 12 Carat diamond. This diamond ring was actually given to Janice by her husband Roger Ward on the occasion of their 30th anniversary. She had taken it off her fingers in the car on her way to airport and placed it on her lap. It just fell off her when she got out of the car.

There was a heavy snowstorm the following morning, and the strenuous search by the county's curbside staff and American Airline employees went in vain. They searched ramps, the parking lot and baggage area, and dug through snow to no avail.

Jancice spent a sleepless night thinking of her diamond ring, she just wished that someone would find it and use it, deliberating only on the positive aspects. It was a great surprise to her when the airport authority called her back with the news of the ring.

On a ABC TV interview, the interviewer asked Mark, “Anybody else might of have kept it, why did you give it back?”

Mark replied, “It's not mine.”

Mark wanted nothing in return for his good deed, but he got something anyway.

The question is, where do these Mark Epples' come from and what do they teach us? In our time, when crime rate is so high, specially in the big cities, when we are taught to treat all strangers as potential threat to us, how the real diamonds like Mark Epple survive? How do they overcome great temptations, specially at the moment they are down?

In that there is a lesson for the rest of us that indeed all those stories of angels, and God's trials may perhaps be not entirely our imagination.

Article first published as When A Diamond Finds a Diamond on Technorati.

Mobile Phone Brings Silent Revolution In Poor Countries

2010-12-31T19:02:00.011-06:00

If corrupt politicians, lack of government programs, inadequacy of vocational trainings have been the bane of the financially disadvantaged people in the third word countries, they are now finding help in a relatively modern innovation—mobile phone, which is literally giving them the opportunity to pull themselves up by their shoe strings.

Mobile phone is a way of life in the western world and in majority cases it is merely a means of convenience in communication, however, in the third world it has become the life blood of decent size businesses, and a Bangladeshi village woman, Monowara Talukder, a native of Gaibandha district in the northern part of the country, one of the poorest area of Bangladesh, is a testimony to that.

In only six years, Talukder has built an international herbal tea business, Tulsi Tea, with a turnover of $625,000 in revenue. In a country where the per capita income is only $599 (2008 statistics) Talukder's endeavor can be termed as a business empire.

She employs 1,500 female workers, and supplies her products to major western health food chains, and far eastern countries. She does not have an office or showroom, her mobile phone is her office, show room, phone, fax—in a nutshell the hubbub of her international activity.

When the mobile phone first arrived in the rural Bangladesh in 1997, Talukder was among the first women to sign up for one. The cost was high in Bangladeshi standard and for a 48-year old mother of four, who had never ventured in such a project, the risk was very high, albeit, she never regretted her decision.

All women, nevertheless, are not as lucky as Talukder. According to the telecoms industry body GSMA, a woman living in South Asia has only 37 per cent chance of getting a mobile phone compared to a man, giving rise to telecoms gender gap. Talukder, who made difference to many lives, proudly stated that because of her growing business, 1,200 of her employees own mobile phones, a great feat for a poor country such as Bangladesh.

National Geographic Emerging Explorer Ken Banks posted some stories about how mobile phones are being used throughout the world to improve billions of lives at the grass roots level. There are over 500 million subscribers in Africa alone, and increasing number of people around the world are owning mobile phones with each day passing.

The advantages are multifaceted: Farmers can access market information and increase their income by 40 percent in some cases; day laborers can advertise their services and increase their chances of getting work; unemployed can receive job alerts, and even money can be transferred over the phone where there are no banks. Villagers in Kenya can get timely wildlife warnings, helping them to take precaution from the romping elephants.

In Bhutan, a remote trekking area has received mobile phone system which allows the Principal of Lingshi community primary school, Pema Dema, to audio Biblical service project was launched by E-verses, a private telecommunication company, on Dec. 6 at the Karachi Press Club. Christians, who are minority in Pakistan have been elated with the first-ever audio service of the Bible available through the mobile phones.

Taliban militants routinely attack telecommunication towers in Afghanistan alleging that the NATO forces track them through their phone signals and then attack their hide outs. However, many Afghans, including lawmakers speak out against such actions. Legislator Shurkiya Barekzai commented that by attacking the towers the Taliban seeks to destroy Afghan economy since the mobile networks are very important for ordinary Afghans as mobile phones have become principal means of communication given the rugged nature of Afghan territory and their poor mail service system.

A recent United Nations report said the the fast spreading information technology can improve the livelihoods of the poorest people in developing countries and it cautioned that governments must design responsive policies to ensure that the benefits reach maximum number of people in the most effective way. UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi told a news conference that mobile phone subscriptions will reach five billion this year, nearly one per person on the planet.

Mobile phone has become so important in the lives of people of Ghana that thousands protested poor mobile phone services in Ghana by marching on streets. The local Consumer Protection Agency colluded with other consumer right groups and called on all mobile phone users in the country to switch off their mobile phones for six hours demanding quality services from mobile phone service providers.

The protesters submitted a petition to the deputy communications minister, Dr Nartey Siaw Sapore, who assured that the Ghanaian government would look into the matter and take necessary actions to improve the service.

Article first published as Mobile Phone Brings Silent Revolution In Poor Countries on Technorati.

Florida Shooter—Story of A Man Failed By Our System

2010-12-24T11:54:00.001-06:00

Clay Duke, an ex-con with bipolar disorder, who was described as a person with an interest in anarchy, held hostage five board members of Bay City Schools district in Florida at gun point. The saga ended when a guard shoot Duke at his leg, and he ended his life shooting himself.

It appeared to me that the media gave much more credence to Ginger Littleton part of the story than the anguish and desperateness that pushed Duke over the cliff. Don't get me wrong, Ginger Littleton is my hero, as she demonstrated the courage and utter selfishness in her attempt to protect innocent people, which is so rear in our time. She was totally oblivious of for her own safety when she hit Duke with her purse, in an attempt to dislodge the gun from his hand.

Echoing Littleton's children's feeling, I also wonder, what was she thinking? How could Littleton put her own life in danger like she had? As it followed, the burly Duke easily pinned her on the floor and threatened to shoot her at the point blank range. Yet, he did not shoot and let her go—why did he not?

The school district had hired Duke's wife Rebecca Crowder-Duke in September 2009 to teach students with special needs. She was nonetheless fired in February for not passing her probation. Duke was upset that his wife had been fired and according to Panama City Police Chief John Van Etten, had been planning the shooting for some time.

Duke's opportunity for his vendetta came when he walked into a board meeting and sat with the audience, listening to proceedings. In the middle of discussion, Duke walked to the front of the room, spray painted a red "V" with a circle around it on the white wall, and charged the audience asking everyone but the board members to leave.

Bill Husfelt, the Bay City Schools Superintendent tried to sway Duke to drop his gun, Duke refused and shoot a few rounds around the board members. No one was hit. When a security guard arrived, they exchanged shots and Duke was hit on his leg (or side). Then he turned the gun on himself and took his own life.

A video showed Duke firing several shots but hitting no one. Was he a bad shooter? Crowder-Duke said that her husband was an excellent marksman—then why did Duke miss the five board members who were sitting just a few feet away?

Crowder-Duke described her husband a "gentle giant," adding, "the economy and the world just got the better of him." She also thought, "He didn't want anyone to get hurt but himself."

Duke's life is a sad tale of how our society fails to help the most vulnerable. Born in Ocala, Fla., Duke graduated from high school in Tampa. In the late 1990s, Duke's trouble with the law began and he was convicted for shooting at the tires of his his ex-wife's car.

Duke had taken a plea agreement and a judge awarded him five years in prison followed by 10 years probation. He took psychiatric help, used his medications regularly, and completed his probation. Duke's attorney, Bollinger, said, "He was competent but he was one of those people (who) had a mood disorder where they could be depressed one day and all excited another day. I just remember the doctor saying he had a personality disorder.”

About a year after his release in January 2004, he sued the Social Security Administration for disability benefits and health insurance. David Evans, the attorney who represented Duke said, "He couldn't work. He just mentally couldn't make the connection for eight hours a day." Evans maintained that Duke had been diagnosed by several doctors as bipolar, but didn't have enough money to buy the needed medication, "He was clearly in need of help."

The judge in the case nevertheless did not feel that duke's claim was justified. Evans said. "All he was asking for was $500 or $600 a month and medical insurance." After several failed attempts Duke withdrew his suit in 2006.

On a Face book page Duke left a message on Dec. 7, “My testament: Some people (the government sponsored media) will say I was evil, a monster (V) ... no ... I was just born poor in a country where the Wealthy manipulate, use, abuse, and economically enslave 95 percent of the population. Rich Republicans, Rich Democrats ... same-same ... rich ... they take turns fleecing us ... our few dollars ... pyramiding the wealth for themselves."

The ink on President Obama's signature is yet to dry on the bill which our Democratic lawmakers helped to pass, joining hands with the Republicans, to give away $600 billion to wealthiest of Americans, at a time when unemployment level is hovering at the depression level figures. Nothing stopped our millionaire law makers from awarding that gift. Regardless, our country cannot accord $500 a month to help keep people like Clay Duke senile and functioning as a normal healthy human being.

I picture a vivid scenario, on my way to airport when I was leaving India, the car had stopped at a red light, and a visibly mentally deranged man approached and stretched his hand for alms, my friend who was accompanying me to the airport said, “You are going to the richest country where they take care of their disadvantaged people, you would not experience this anymore.” How wrong my friend was!

In deed it is a sordid testimony to our nation and us, we who are the fortunate members of this society.

Article first published as Florida Shooter—Story of A Man Failed By Our System on Technorati.

A Miracle At Ebay

2010-12-18T18:00:00.006-06:00

Here is a sweet story for you: A man lists his Rolex for $9.95 on e-bay, and sells it for a whopping $66,100, and that too right before the holidays. This shall inspire many to dig through their junks and see if there is something that can make them at least enough money to ride through the holiday shopping.

A retired neurosurgeon, who just went by his first name Bob for this story, had purchased a Rolex Submariner dive watch at the Navy Exchange on Kwajalein Atoll in 1958, for his scuba diving. By the mid-1960s, he started to wear it rarely as his diving slowed down, but in the 1980s, he resurrected his scuba diving hobby and started using it regularly.

The watch served well through different periods of his life, but now in his nineties, Bob has overgrown its need since he is no more in scuba driving, and decided to sell it. When the watch was listed on e-bay, the savvy e-bayers realized this watch was no ordinary watch. It was a vintage Rolex Submariner dive watch; one of its kind once adorned the wrist of Sean Connery in one early Bond films.

When the bidding rose to $30,000, Bob could not believe his eyes, and only then he asked his son to do a research on the watch’s significance and value, and then he found out the checkered history of this time keeping machine.

Although the watch was sold for a staggering price, the watch-enthusiast site Hodinkee.com thinks the true price of the watch could be much higher. When Hodinkee asked Bob if he had any regret selling this watch at this price after learning that it is a piece of history and worth much more, he replied, "None at all."

This was the first interesting angle of the story for me, Bob did not regret selling it cheap, why didn’t he? Is it because he is in his nineties? Does it mean that anyone reaching the age of ninety suddenly loses attachment to money? Why do we all run after money in the first place?

Then, think of it what was the chance that the e-bayers would be discovering the worth of the watch in time to bid it so high? Contrary to people’s belief, e-bay does not always fetch the best price, many times items are not sold, because no body desiring it noticed in time.

I also deliberated on the thought, what is the real price of a thing, of any thing? Why does an item suddenly becomes precious when it is linked to history, or celebrity? Who buys these? For what? How trivial is the worth of money to these people?

In my host of thoughts, I also considered the phenomenon that Deepak Chopra calls living in total connectedness with God when miracles happen as natural occurring events. Is this a miracle that just transpired, because Bob’s desire to sell the watch at a good price was connected to the source that people call God, and no one really understands what It Is?

By the way if in this picture a man resembles Christopher Reeve to you, you have good eyes, for he is Christopher Reeve, the Superman, who happens to be a friend of Bob.

Article first published as A Miracle At Ebay on Technorati.

Researchers At Stanford Discover New Solar Cells That Can Change The World

2010-12-11T08:53:00.010-06:00

For Pete’s sake, please call on your state representatives and ask them to press for allocating some serious money in the development of PETE (photon enhanced thermionic emission) processing of solar cells, a technique developed by Stanford engineers. It has the the potential to make the cost of large-scale solar cell power generation competitive with traditional methods of power generation.

The current photovoltaic technology only takes advantage of light from the sun, however, as temperature rises, the solar cells lose efficiency and the heat is wasted. The new process takes advantage of both light and heat from solar radiation and converts them to electricity, thereby tripling the efficiency of the existing solar cell technology.

In the PETE process the semiconducting material is coated with a thin layer of the metal cesium, which changes the characteristic of the cell, enabling it to use the previously wasted heat to generate electricity. In fact, the cells work better at higher temperatures. Most current generation silicon solar cells are inert by 100 C, while the new cells reach peak efficiency at well over 200 C.

Nick Melosh, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering, who led the research group at Stanford said, “It is actually something fundamentally different about how you can harvest energy.” He dubbed it as “a conceptual breakthrough, a new energy conversion process, not just a new material or a slightly different tweak.” The materials needed to build the new solar energy converters are cheap and easily available, meaning that the power that comes from the device will be in the range of production cost of existing commercial plants.

According to Melosh’s calculation, the PETE process can reach efficiency up to 60 percent, which is three times as high as the efficiency of the existing systems. Regardless, with the experimental cells, the researchers never reached that efficiency, and they attributed that to the use of gallium nitride as their base semiconductor. The team believes that if they use gallium arsenide, which is employed in household electronics, they would reach the desired efficiency.

There is a caveat however. There exists a time gap between a newly discovered technique in the laboratory and its commercialization. That gap can be bridged quickly only by the government sponsorship. The sooner that effort is made, the quicker the product will be in the market.

The effect of this new discovery is going to be really far-reaching, and there probably will be a lot of resistance from the existing oil lobby and the energy industries. Nevertheless, when its impact is fully reached, it may change the world as we know it.

Imagine this scenario: this country finally getting over its oil addiction, no Arab Sheikhs holding us hostages with OPEC, only the sun above us for all our energy, no Islamic terrorists, and no TSA. Imagine living like we did before that fateful day of 2001. It’s easy if you try—and John Lennon would smile in heaven.

Article first published as Researchers At Stanford Discover New Solar Cells That Can Change The World on Technorati.

A Miracle At Sea

2010-11-26T13:05:00.013-06:00

As an individual trained in science, and making living through the application of it, I am ostensibly not supposed to believe in miracles, yet, everyday I experience them, and at times I enjoy sharing them with my readers.

Three boys—Samuel Perez , Filo Filo, and Edward Nasau all under fifteen, were last seen in their small boat near the atoll of Atafu on October 5, and then vanished without any trace. New Zealand authorities employed two airplanes to search a 10,000-square mile expanse of the South Pacific ocean and then called it off to great disappointment of many people.

The boys' families took them for dead and performed their last rites. However, after 50 days of being adrift on the ocean, the boys were discovered on Wednesday by a fishing boat, north-east of Fiji. The boys had traveled an incredible distance of 800 miles in a little speed boat!

They survived drinking rainwater, catching and eating raw fishes and a seagull, that they had managed to catch one time. They were emaciated and had little sunburns, nonetheless, physically in good health otherwise.

My grooming and lifelong discipline in scientific activity says that this is a simple case of lost and found—the whole incident nothing more than sheer matter of coincidence, lady luck shining on those three lucky boys; and a few years earlier I would have been happy with that rationalization.

For some reasons however, I now see a miracle in it, like I see miracle, in my heart beating faithfully with its perfect rhythm for all these years, and in this life that I live and share with six billions other people, several billions animals, and innumerable plants. And it does not even need a God to believe in interplay of life forces in creation of miracles.

Wayne Dyer says, we are not human beings who have spiritual experiences, we are spiritual beings having human experiences. We are just blocks of entrapped energies that has given us this particular shape and consciousness that we call "ourselves." These "selves" come from one source, that many call God, others nature, and they go back to the source after the journies are complete on this earth.

Remember, the world does not exist if you are not there to experience it.

I see a purpose of God keeping those boys alive and bringing them back among us for our own lessons, and for our wisdom. And you may take the word “God” out of this equation if that suits you, after all who knows God, except as a mere expression of transmitting some concepts!

First published on Technorati

The Rain-Giver

2010-11-20T09:26:00.007-06:00

There was nothing special about the village where this story took place, except that the people who lived there were having a particularly bad time, at the moment. They had in past experienced flood, tornado, and other epidemics. Those nevertheless, passed, leaving just mere blips in their memories.

Being far away from the nearest major city, the villagers had simple lifestyle, and they did not need much to be content so long they had their daily breads and some free time to share with each other. Off late, a severe drought had daunted their spirit, and they were collectively in a somber mood.

The monsoon came and went, yet, there was no rain. The land became dry. The fields where cattle would graze turned barren and flaky. Even their domestic animals were suffering from malnutrition and looked rickety.

One day the elder of the village asked all the villagers to gather at an open expanse and requested them to join him in a prayer. He said that he was a frail old man and did not have much strength left in him, regardless, if all the villagers joined him and prayed to God together, clouds would come and shower rain on their village.

So they all gathered and prayed together. They prayed hard and long, young and old, all joining hands in hands prayed to God for rain.

They prayed again the next day, and the following. Then one day the elder told the villagers, “Last night I had a dream. God told me that He would send us a rain giver, who would bring rain to our village. Make sure you take good care of him.”

The old villagers had faith in their elder. They had lived together through the thick and thin of life; their trust strengthened with the experiences of shared memories of many years. The younger people had no such conviction. They were smiling quietly, mocking the elder, and talking between themselves, “Rain giver? Whoever has heard of such nonsense?”

A young man who was visiting his parents from his city residence told his friends, “This is unbelievable. Whoever could think that people in the 21st century still believe in prayers? No wonder this village is so backward!”

Anyway, there is nothing permanent in nature, and even the worst of the moments come to pass. One night while people were in their sleep, rain came in.

Old and young, male and female, healthy and the sick, they all woke up hearing the nearly-forgotten pattering sound of rain drops beating on their tin-topped roofs. In an indomitable expression of happiness people came out of their homes and gathered on streets, and began dancing in the rain.

It rained for three days and three nights without stop, and it rained hard. Yet, no one complained.

When the rain stopped, the land was wet and muddy, but rejuvenated; life had taken a new lease.

The trees had traces of green again, birds returned and sat on their branches; blades of green green shoots of grass appeared through the brown thatches of land everywhere. Only in three days and three nights the village had been transformed— a miracle had happened.

The farmers took out their plows and commenced tilting their lands. Even their emaciated animals visibly regained their strength overnight. Soon they finished tilting and sowing their fields, and in record time the crops grew. Life had turned for the better once again, the villagers had their smiles back.

One day, while playing in an uninhabited remote area, on the fringe of the village, a few children discovered a small hut that seemed to have been built where there were only wild plants before.

The children grew curious, and they ventured in. They found an old man with long flowing white beard sitting on a mat inside the hut; all by himself. The man saw the boys and girls and invited them inside. The children went in, and the old man began talking to them.

That year there was so much crop that the villagers ran out of storage space. They invited people from other villages to come in and share their harvest, for they were nice and good people. The villagers had never been so happy, and they were keen to share their happiness with others.

Gradually, the word of the strange old man and his hut reached the ears of the grown ups of the village. They came to know that many young children were regularly visiting the old man and spending time with him. The seniors were curious. They asked the children why they were spending time with an old man, and what they did with him.

The youngsters told the men and women that the old man told them stories, and they loved to hear stories from him. The seniors asked the young boys to find out where the old man came from, what he ate, and what he did in a typical day.

The kids watched the man for hours, and hours, in day time and night time, nonetheless, they never saw the old man eating anything. The old man was never found to step outside his hut, and he was never seen sleeping. They reported their findings to their seniors.

The villagers grew suspicious of the old man. Some of them banded together and went to him, and questioned him. They demanded to know where he came from, what did he do for a living, and what was his purpose for being there?

Each question the old man answered with stories. The stories did hardly make any sense to the villagers, although the children found them fascinating. The only thing the grown ups of the village learned, the old man claimed to be the bearer of rain. He said he was the answer to their prayers. God had sent him to this village since there was a severe drought. The villagers grew angry with the old man for they thought the stranger was ridiculing them.

With time the villagers’ suspicion only grew stronger. The young man from the city suggested that the old man must have been attracted by the recent prosperity of the village, and he might have evil intentions. Perhaps he was an informer who was secretly collecting information about the good fortune of the village to pass to some bandits.

Finally, the villagers decided to drive him out of the village.

The day the old man went away, the elder of the village had a dream, God was telling him that he had sent his rain giver to the village. The rain giver did not impose on the villagers, he took nothing from them, and he spoke the truth when confronted by the villagers. Yet, the villagers took offense of the old man for no reason, and they drove him away from the village. God was not happy with them.

The next morning the elder gathered all the villagers, and narrated his dream to them. He asked the villagers to go out and find the old man, ask him for his forgiveness, and bring him back to the village.

Volunteers gathered, and went out in many directions. They searched and searched, and searched.

Morning turned into evening, and evening into night. The villagers came back to their homes tired and discouraged. The old man was not to be found anywhere. They were utterly dejected.

Days passed, the villagers noticed that the rain had stopped falling on their fields. The land was turning dry again. Trees were shedding leaves, and meadows turning brown. So they all gathered, and prayed, and prayed, but no rain fell, not that day, not the next day, nor the day after.

The older people started saying, “It is our jealousy and our suspicion that has brought the hardship back on us.”

The elder of the village was sad and angry. He said, you have turned God’s gift away. Now you must wait for your deeds to pass.

The villagers were overcome with remorse. They watched their fields turning desolate, once again, their fields cracking, once again, their cattle becoming rickety, once again, and they watched on helplessly!

The Story of The Stone Cutter

2010-11-13T08:51:00.008-06:00

It was a hot summer day and the sun was shining mercilessly on the mountain. A poor stone cutter was exhausted working in the heat, and took shelter under a tree to cool off. Soon the exhaustion overcame him and he fell asleep.

In his sleep he dreamed of talking to God, he said, “God why did you make me a man, my life is so hard and miserable! Please have mercy on me and make me the most powerful of all.”

God answered, “O my poor son, I feel your pain, tell me what you want to be.”

“I want to be the sun, the most powerful, so that no one dares to trouble me.”

“Your life had been hard, I understand my son. I will fulfill your wish, you will be the sun from now on,” God granted his wish.

The stone cutter was very happy; he became the sun and ruled the world. He would shine hard and burn whatever he took offence with. The plants would wilt, forest would catch fire, and all animals would run for life with mere expression of his rage. He was happy in deed!

Then one day he got angry with some villagers, and he started striking them hard, making their life miserable. The land became dry and hard, developed cracks long and deep. The poor villagers sought compassion from God, “O merciful, please save us from this fire of hell. Give us rain.”

God took pity on the poor villagers and send clouds over. The clouds showered rain and cooled down the land.

The sun was irate and turned the heat up and up, the clouds nonetheless grew darker and darker, and the sun became dejected again.

The stone-cutter-sun was sad and angry at himself, he pleaded to God, “I made a mistake my Lord, I realize now that the sun is not the most powerful, the cloud is, please change me to cloud.”

The God granted his wish and made him cloud. So the stone-cutter-sun was now cloud and he was happy again. He could fly fast, go anywhere he willed, and deluge any place he took offence with. He was happy indeed!

Then he saw a mountain one day, rising high in the sky, so close to the throne of God—he become jealous. He started pouring over the mountain hard and relentless. Tried as much as he could over days and nights, he could cause no dent on the mountain, and he was unhappy again.

He cried out loud once again, “Oh God, I realize my mistake, cloud is not the most powerful, please make me a mountain.

“So be a mountain,” God said, and the stone-cutter-sun-cloud became a mountain.

Now he seemed happy at last. He was standing tall dwarfing everyone, and so close to the throne of God, he was happy in deed!

One day however, someone started chipping at his feet, cutting him off in small pieces, angry he became and fumed with each strike, regardless, he could do nothing to that tiny creature, whoever was tearing him into pieces. He could not even raise a finger, for he had none.

The stone cutter-sun-cloud-mountain cried out in despair, “Oh my Master, please help me, I realize now mountain is not the most powerful, I do not want to be mountain anymore.”

“The ever patient God responded, “O my son, I feel your pain. What do you want to be?

The stone-cutter-sun-cloud-mountain cried out in anguish, “whatever that tiny creature is who is chipping away at my mighty body, I want to be that.”

“But that is only a stone cutter like you once were,” God said.

“I understand my mistake my Lord, you gave me what was best for me, but I did not have eyes to see that. Please forgive my ignorance and turn me back into the stone cutter.

And so God did.

After that the stone cutter never complained again, he became a wise man and thanked God for what He had given him.

(With inspiration from a Chinese cartoon)

When A Dog Teaches Us Virtue

2010-11-06T10:37:00.005-05:00

Troy Whalen, a baseball coach for Grayslake Central High School credits his three-legged dog for saving his life . Whalen was talking on telephone in an upstairs room of his house in Grayslake, when it caught fire on Monday about 10:30 AM. The dog entered the room, barked, and acted in a strange way that was not normal of him.

Whalen ran downstairs and found that his house was on fire. The fire started from an outdoor garbage can closed to the home that caught fire when someone dumped hot coal in it from an outdoor fireplace. The side of the home caught fire and it quickly spread to a kitchen and great room area in the home.

When his effort to extinguish the fire with a blanket failed, Whalen called 911. Both Whalen and the dog escaped unharmed.

I call this a sweet story, and there are millions of stories such as this known to us all. Many instances have been recorded when animals sacrificed their own lives trying to save their master’s. I often wonder, the animals that we call dumb, where do they get this quality that is so unique that many human beings lack?

Why do ‘dumb animals’ beat humans repeatedly in providing service to whom they are loyal? The other day a story broke where a dolphin came between a shark and a woman swimming in an ocean, who was being attacked by the shark. The dolphin kept circling the woman in a way that she was able to swim ashore safely.

And yet, we treat animals so cruelly, and make fun of the animal lovers who fight to redress cruelty to them. What gives us power over every other creation, and consider ourselves master of the universe, when we repeatedly demonstrate that often we come short of even the rudimentary qualities that animals exhibit time and again without fail?

Life’s greatest virtue is observed in expression of compassion to nature, with all our religions, ethics, and discourse on humanity, are we ever going to learn to be compassionate?

First Published on Technorati

Rove Pokes A hole In Sarah’s Balloon

2010-10-28T15:34:00.002-05:00

You may love him or hate him, regardless, Carl Rove is a man with high intellect when political gamesmanship is concerned. You may or may not like his tactics, but he gets the job done. It was not for nothing that he was called Bush’s brain, and he was largely responsible for making George W Bush a very successful President.

In an interview with London’s Daily Telegraph, Rove said that Sarah Palin lacks the “gravitas” to be president. Specifically he mentioned Palin’s upcoming reality TV show which is not really a prep stage for running for White House.

“There are high standards that the American people have” for the presidency, Rove interjected, “They require a certain level of gravitas. … They want to look at the candidate and say, ‘That candidate is doing things that [give] me confidence that they are up to the most demanding job in the world.’”

If Rove thinks Palin is not a presidential material why is there such hype in media over her? The answer is really very simple, if Palin is made the President, it would be dreams come true for the people who control corporate media; for then they would be the real drivers hiding under dark shadows.

Never before a candidate with such little credentials as Sarah Palin has conquered the national stage with such fanfare! Now it would be interesting to see what happens to Sarah’s balloon, when a hole is poked in it by no less a personality than the master Conservative strategist, Carl Rove.

Reprinted from Technorati.

A Budding Actress and Sex Scandal

2010-10-23T05:07:00.004-05:00

Cyberspace is buzzing with headlines such as Sadia Jahan Prova sex tape leaked and other racy titles of the kind. Here is a story of a young budding Bangladeshi actress whose irate ex-boyfriend, Rajib, published recordings of their love-making on the net.

What two consenting adults do in their bedroom should not be a concern to the world, but in this instance, their story is up on the internet for everyone to watch, and therefore, comment. Most public remarks are vicious attacks on the young girl, on her character, and some in languages not fit to be printed. We live in a strange world where guilt and shame related to sex is all for the women, while for men it adds to their tally of conquest!

It is unfortunate that Prova allowed their personal moments to be on camera; however, a young girl in her early twenties, who is madly in love, does not always behave in her own best interest. It is evident that Rajib had cajoled her into recording their intimate moments, and Prova succumbed to that pressure in an unfortunate lapse of common sense on her part. It is clearly a lesson for all young girls to be especially careful about their relationships, and not to drop their guards under any circumstances.

What is remarkable about this incident is the way Bangladeshi media personalities and intellectuals have come forward in defending Sadia. They are sympathetic to her, treating her as a victim, and demanding exemplary punishment of the perpetrator, her ex-boyfriend Rajib, for publishing the tape. It is a commendable reaction from a so-called backward society!

I am particularly proud of the way Bangladesh and its institutions have handled this case. There is a clear demonstration to the western world that the imagery an average western person has about a Muslim, as a crude jehadi ready to stone anyone committing adultery, is so wrong. Bangladesh is overwhelmingly a Muslim country, but its people behave in a civilized manner, just as people do in the developed world.

I pray to God with all sincerity, may the good Lord bless Prova and her family with infinite Grace that is only the preserve of the Almighty. I pray that this incident educates all unsuspecting young women. And, to all of them who condemn Prova I say, let him come forward and cast the first stone, who has not sinned.

First published on Technorati

Tighten Your Belts Folks, IMF Predicts Grim Future

2010-10-13T19:43:00.002-05:00

In a recently published world economic outlook titled, Will It Hurt? Macroeconomic Effects of Fiscal Consolidation, the IMF has painted a bleak picture of near depression scenario from the south to the north of Europe including Britain, and in America as well. The world body also predicts that we are in a slump for the long haul.

Following the scandalous affairs of bankrupt Iceland, and riots in Greece, Spain is the new sick man of Europe mired by political upheaval and widespread public protests normally witnessed in the third world countries.

To reign in the harsh financial downturn, the IMF in the past had routinely dispensed the medicine of severe belt tightening in Asia and South America, forcing misery on the hapless poor people of those countries. Nonetheless, when the citadels of European civilization are catching pneumonia, the IMF admits that the measure of austerity is going do more damage than good.

Ah, what a revelation!

It should not take a Nobel Prize-winning economist to grasp that you do not recover from severe recession by further choking social programs and cutting jobs. In fact, Econ 101 says that if people have no money to buy, the consumption would keep on shrinking and production would follow suit in an interlinking chain of events.

IMF says that tightening of 1% of GDP in a country results in a 0.5% loss of growth in two years. Traditionally, countries have come out of economic recession by devaluing their currencies and increasing exports.

Austerity measures have worked effectively for some countries in the past. For an example, Britain has applied that successfully twice, once when it left the Gold Standard in 1931, and then again in 1992. This time the problem is there is no one to pick up the slack. How did we come here?

It is all in distribution of wealth, my friends. Unrestrained human greed gave rise to laissez-faire capitalism, which dismantled all regulations and created giant monopolies. Capitalism lives and dies with free competition; therefore, when giant monopolies are created in the name of “scale of economics,” the very spirit that thrives on capitalism is destroyed. Couple that with tax benefits for the high earning populace and shifting the tax burden to the middle class. Capital shifts from the bottom to the top, creating a few super-rich on one hand, and large number of struggling deprived masses on the other.
The mantra of the capitalists, cutting taxes for the rich and slicing social programs for the poor, is not going to work, as half the globe is now in financial trouble and taking the same measures in lockstep. When the interest rate is nearly zero, and everyone begins slashing expenditures, the downward slump doubles with time.

The leader of the free world, the USA, was supposed to lead by example in such a time. Unfortunately, in Barak Obama, the American people elected a President who neither had the courage nor the will to do a la FDR, as he is busy protecting the very group that brought this ruin on us.

It is apparent that people understand this and there is widespread dissatisfaction at the general level; notwithstanding, what is the solution? People may vote Obama out in 2012, and bring back the GOP and the Tea Party leaders, however, that would be like jumping from frying pan to the fire, because it is the policies of the renegade conservatives that have brought us here.

Thirty years of Reaganomics, embraced and implemented with vigor by subsequent Democratic and Republican administrations since Ronald Reagan have created this situation. The recovery will not be attained on the backs of the poor, as they are already broken.

Hold on to your shoestrings folks, this is going to be a long and hard ride.

Previously published on Technorati

2010-10-09T10:27:00.000-05:00

Dear readers:

The poll on Future of America has closed. 51% of you said you expect major setback going forward. 36% of you foresee minor setback. 6% of you think that we are doomed, and equal number of you think of continuous prosperity.

I am with the majority this time, and will explain my position next week. Thank you all for letting me know what you think.

A Mohit

The Heart’s Code Says We Are All Interconnected

2010-09-28T18:58:00.004-05:00

You may have heard it from your grandmother, Shamans, Lamas, or Indian Gurus. You might have even heard it coming from Gary E. R. Schwartz and Linda G.S. Russeka. And of course, you, the left-brained intellectual, rightfully knew all along, this was mere housewife’s tale, an irrational belief on the part of the unsophisticated rustic individuals.

Rightfully?

The problem is Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Russeka are not really laypeople. At the time of publishing of the book, The Heart’s Code, the former was a Professor of Psychology, Neurology, Psychiatry, and Medicine, at the University of Arizona, and the latter was a research Psychologist at the Harvard University. In a foreword to Dr. Paul Pearsall’s revolutionary book published in 1998, they wrote, “Sometimes a book is written that forever changes not only the way we think about life, but the way we feel about life as well. This is The Heart’s Code.”

And indeed, The Heart’s Code is such a book and more. Else, whoever in his right mind can claim in the world of science that our hearts are the real sources of our personalities and enduring memories? The heart dwarfs the brain in the matters of energy and memory. Truly, the heart has such lasting memories that it continues to retain minute details even when it is transplanted to another body.

Dr. Pearsall quoted a story that was told to him in a meeting of an international group of psychologists and psychiatrists in Houston, Texas, in the late 1990s. A psychiatrist told the group that she had an 8-year-old patient who received the heart of a murdered 10-year-old girl. The patient was having vivid dreams of a man who had murdered her donor. Her dreams became more intense with time and the girl’s mother decided to see the police with the advice of the psychiatrist. With detailed descriptions from the little girl about the time, the weapon, the place and the clothes the murderer wore, police apprehended the culprit.

Dr. Pearsall’s book is the result of painstaking efforts of leading researchers in the field of heart-brain connections in human thought processes and memories, having been conducted in the most prestigious institutions in the US and other countries. The overwhelming verdict from their research is that the heart thinks, feels, remembers, and there is a subtle yet very powerful energy that connects everything and every person.

He quotes scientists after scientists and their works in his book that convincingly points to an overflowing energy in the universe that Pearsall calls “L” energy. It is that “L” energy that interconnects all beings and is indestructible; it survives death.

First published on Technorati.

Is There a Limit to Human Achievement?

2010-09-20T20:20:00.001-05:00

In 1994, Philippe Croizon, at the age of 26, had a vocation as a metal worker. While trying to remove a television antenna from a house roof, he was struck by an arc that hit him from a nearby electric line that carried 20,000 Volts.

To save his life, doctors amputated both his arms and legs. Recovering in the hospital, he watched a television documentary that showed a swimmer crossing the English Channel, and he dreamed of doing it himself one day.

Croizon was fitted with flipper-shaped prosthetic legs by his doctors, and he taught himself to swim using the stumps of his arms and his prosthetic legs . He trained for over two years before he tried for a 12-hour endurance test.

Then on September 18, 2010, 16 years after that fateful day, he began swimming the English Channel from Folkestone in southern England around 8 AM. He reached the French coast just before 9:30 PM local time. His average speed at 3 km/hr was marginally less than the normal swimmers’ 4-5 km/hr.

Philippe Croizon demonstrated once again that there is no limit to human achievement. If there is any limit, it is what we set ourselves in our own minds. Many athletes have demonstrated this time and again, and people in other fields, too, have achieved similar implausible feats.

And it is in this context, Jesus said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and the mountain will move.” (John 14:14)

First published in Technorati

Mother’s Love Brings Dead Baby Back to life

2010-09-05T11:48:00.005-05:00

Is there more to life than what meets the eyes? Is there a special bond between a mother and her child that can defy death? This story is about an Australian mother, whose longing for the life of her new born baby—who was pronounced dead at birth—revived him.

When the attending nurse handed the baby’s limp body to Kate, she would not let him go. For two hours she kept him on her chest, cuddling him, stroking him and talking to him. She told him that her twin sister Emily was doing well. Then suddenly, she felt a movement—the baby was grasping for air.

The doctors told her that those movements were merely autonomic reactions and she should not get her hopes high. Yet, in a short while the baby who was named Jamie, opened his eyes, and a little later began suckling at her mother’s breast. The doctor’s called it a medical miracle.

Today, Jamie is a normal healthy infant; the question is was it really his mothers indomitable desire for him to live that brought him back to life? Or, is it as the doctors said, a medical miracle, meaning; it is a phenomenon for which we have no explanation?

The greatest mystery of life is life itself, which is the true miracle. If you think in macro scale, so many variables, such as strong nuclear force, gravity, temperature of the earth surface and hosts of others, have to be so precisely at whatever magnitude they are, to make this world hospitable for life, that it is simply mind boggling.

And then again, every day in our lives, the odds that we fight against from the unseen microbes to the seen and known elements that act against us, make us wonder how we remain alive for years and years. For me it also makes me wonder how precious every life is!

The sad part is, while every other animal live and die with the fancy of the nature, we have the ability to alter nature, and oftentimes we do that, just for the short term benefit, causing enormous destruction to not only us but other living beings as well.

First published on Technorati

An Appeal To The Proponents Of Ground Zero Mosque

2010-08-15T19:16:00.004-05:00

On August 3, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg standing on Governor’s Island departed from his usual style which is more suited to his technocrat image, and delivered the most heartfelt speech of his life. He was defending the right of the people who wants to build the Muslim community center near ground zero. He began citing from history, “We've come here to Governors Island to stand where the earliest settlers first set foot in New Amsterdam, and where the seeds of religious tolerance were first planted. We come here to see the inspiring symbol of liberty that more than 250 years later would greet millions of immigrants in this harbor. And we come here to state as strongly as ever; this is the freest city in the world. That's what makes New York special and different and strong.”

It was a long speech, and a visibly emotional mayor got choked up at one point. The mayor was accompanied by Council Speaker Christine Quinn and 10 religious leaders, among them three Jewish leaders— Rabbi Bob Kaplan from the Jewish Community Council, Rabbi Irwin Kula from the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and Cara Berkowitz from the UJA Federation.

It is remarkable that despite the general perception among Muslims that Jews are their arch enemies, they find, when chips are down; it is the leaders from the Jewish communities who stand by their side. And I say, there is a lesson to be learned in that.

It appears to me that at this time the most insensitive people, when it comes to religion, come from my fellow Muslims. Take for instance this very matter of ground zero mosque, when 70% American people are against it, why pursue this? The memory of loss of their loved ones is still fresh in many people’s minds. At least, why not defer the project till people are more receptive to it?

(First Published on Technorati)

Burqa And France

2010-07-16T12:26:00.002-05:00

The lower house of French parliament has approved a law banning wearing Islamic veils, called burqas. The lawmakers consider that this practice is against the French ideals of women’s equal rights and the country's secular tradition.

Finally a western Government has shown courage against oppressive Muslim practices of forcing their women to wear “burqa” and “niqab”in the name of Islam. I commend President Sarkozy for this initial success, for he was the one who first declared in June 2009 that the burqa is “not welcome” in France.

Muslims are increasingly demonstrating their ignorance of their own religion by adhering to practices that is discriminatory against women and not even ordained by their holy book, Quran. Take for instance the statement of Egyptian Islamic scholar Abdelmotie Bayoumi, who said, “The niqab has no strong legitimacy based on Quran or in examples from the Prophet's life that makes it a religious imposition on women.” Then why women are forced to wear those veils?

The mainstream French Muslim organization agrees that such dress code is not suitable in France, yet, they worry that the ban will stigmatize all Muslims. However, perhaps it wouldn't if they did their part to educate their community to treat women as equals, and stop treating them as chattels.

During the National Assembly debate, the Greens lawmaker Francois de Rugy commented that conservatives “are throwing oil on the fire — you are reviving tensions just to win votes.” I say, how long will the civilized world condone medieval practices in the name of religion?

Berengere Poletti, a member of Sarkozy’s party, said that the face-covering veils “are a prison for women, they are the sign of their submission to their husbands, brothers or fathers.” Absolutely: this is the truth and the only truth. In France, the niqab and burqa are viewed as an opening to extremism and an attack on secularism which are the central values of French culture. As a Muslim, I say "Amen," and I share the French view wholly.

The Quran says when you are in a foreign country, obey their laws, respect their customs, and be a good citizen if you make that country your home. The tragedy is that many Muslims seldom read their holy book to understand its meaning, and defer their cultural guidance to the uneducated mullahs.

The Quran says: We made the Quran easy to learn. Does any of you wish to learn? (54:17) Yet, mullahs claim, it is difficult to understand Quran, and therefore they come up with fatwas (religious edicts) for uncharted territories, and force uninformed followers to live by their decrees.

The new law will be in the Senate in September, where it is expected to pass. However, this will be scrutinized by France’s constitutional watchdog before it becomes Law-of-the-land, and they may still find it unconstitutional.

I hope they do not.

Reprinted from Technorati

http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/france-introduces-law-to-ban-islamic/

You Dare Play Judge?

2010-06-30T15:05:00.001-05:00

You call me Lord, you worship me.
Others too give me names as they please
And worship they do in ways of their own.
Those are the games children play.
It is not for you to judge others.

You kill your brothers in my name,
Know that I am because you are
And the brother that you killed.
Only, for he was not one like you?
It is not for you to judge others.

If I desired your brother would be like you
But I want to test him with what I gave him.
For you know not, what I do.
Forgive your brother seventy times seven.
It is not for you to judge others.

These are my words for you to remember
In the books you call holy, go read them,
But understand them, if you can, and be humble,
For I do not like the boastful.
It is not for you to judge others.

Who Am I?

2010-06-21T12:51:00.001-05:00

Who are you? Whence you come from? Where do you live?
Are the questions they ask of me.
So many ways I answered them
But their quest end not, like children,
They ask me again, and again, and again!

I live on this earth.
Its air flows through my body,
They call it my life, prana.
Its food sustains me and nourishes me,
I am in this world, but I am not of this world.

They came and thumped their
Vedas, Bible, Quran, Guru Granth Sahib
And their endless treatises.
Pity them, only I could, for they tell me
Who I am, like one blind telling another!

Oh ignorant, how dare you define me?
I am the nameless, faceless, and creedless.
Through me, the universe exists.
You have seen me in your mind,
Felt me in your hearts, yet you ask me who am I?

(Dedicated to my just-married niece, Nausheen)

Does Honesty Pay?

2010-05-16T12:18:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago you had participated in a survey on “honesty” and had chosen one from the four possible answers. 25% of you picked the response: Honesty has no consequence on success or failure in the material world.

Splendid!

I commend you for your vision and insight, and append that I could not agree with you more. Today, I would endeavor to support your opinion with facts from the world of science.

There is no cause and effect principle that control the worldly affairs in an orderly manner, I submit. Even Karma, the alluring hypothesis of crime and punishment and rewards for service, is only make belief. The “rule of jungle” is the true law of the universe, and it is called Uncertainty Principle.

In 1927, Werner Heisenberg, a German physicist said that the more we know about a particle’s position, the less we know about its speed and the direction it is traveling (and vice versa). This notion gave birth to the revolutionary theory known as Uncertainty Principle, and the concept shattered the world of physics.

Albert Einstein furiously protested the proposition. Guess what? Einstein was wrong.

We now know that in the microscopic world, sub-atomic particles behave as if they have their own minds—they do not follow any rules. In other words the tiny particles are free to chose their actions, and they do, and their behavior cannot be prediced by laws. In the world of the extraordinarily large bodies on the other hand, it appears that the laws of physics hold good, and when they do not, we say they are in aberrations.

Similarly, our own world seems to follow the same laws of physics, and we are happy that they do, for our brains are rationalizing. The truth, nonetheless, is that all natural laws are our creations, figments of our imagination.

We observe nature, formulate laws, and go on predicting the unknown based on our derived laws; and often, we find ourselves right.

Indeed, Einstein had made all his predictions based on mathematical calculations, and he was accurate in most of his mind-boggling derivations. But brilliant as he was, some of his predictions were wrong as well—why so? How could such a luminous mind make such rudimentary mistakes?

In the world of the small particles things happen in microseconds, therefore, we can study their life cycles more accurately. In the world of the stars and heavenly bodies, nevertheless, we do not have the time to study their complete life cycles; therefore we must rely on assumptions, hypothesis, and mathematics. Math is merely a tool invented by us and has its own limitations. Lest, we would have known that the Uncertainty Principle is the only truth in the universe.

That is the reason why honesty has no consequence on success or failure in life. The cause-and-effect principle, so believable in our small world, is merely an illusion in the larger perspective. Therefore, honesty may or may not pay.

Can we just be honest for honesty's sake, regardless? There is an inherent beauty in honesty, and next time we shall contemplate on that.

Can We Be Humane With Animals?

2010-04-06T09:45:00.006-05:00

Last week in Orlando, I asked my daughter if she would like to see the Orca shows. Her “no” was a bit more forceful than I expected. The discussion that I had with her on Dawn Brancheau’s tragic death immediately crossed my mind.

The autopsy report on Dawn’s death is now out. It appears from the report that Tilly, the Orca was not playful towards Brancheau, and it was rather an enraged animal taking it out on its captor.

The report graphically described how Brancheau's left arm and part of her scalp were ripped off; she had suffered injuries to her spinal cord and her ribs were broken. She also had multiple injuries all over her body.

We can understand Brancheau's pain; can we be rational with Tilly’s emotions? Orcas may not have human emotions but similar incidents happen with other animals too. Animals in circuses, zoos, and other shows sometime act aggressively and kill their trainers. Can we blame animals for showing their natural instincts, which is to attack and kill?

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk had commented Tilly’s action as “vented fury of an angry and frustrated” animal that had been deprived of its natural habitat “for the sake of human profit and a few giggles.”

How outrageous is Newkirk’s comment sympathizing with an animal in view of a human death? Is it okay to treat animals anyway we like just because we can?

I remember a childhood incident of riding a cart that was being pulled by two bullocks. One of them had laceration on its neck. The wooden bar that rested on its neck would touch its wounds when the bullock would run faster with prodding from the driver.

I asked the driver, if the animal was feeling pain, and if we should rather go slowly.

I vividly remember the laugh that my question had evoked, the bullock and its wound, and after all these years the memory still makes me sad.

Story of an Average American

2010-04-01T11:27:00.001-05:00

This is the story of a man who describes himself as, “I am just an average American in an average American city.”

Tom Hodges is real. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife, one daughter and two sons. He worries for the future of his children. He also worries for other human beings.

He calls himself an average American. I however see the true American spirit in him. I say, do not judge America on its foreign policy, rather look through the eyes of Mr. Hodges and experience the true American spirit in its entire splendor.

Here is his story in first person:

I am just an average American in an average American city trying to raise my kids and teach them what I think is good. I ask all to give love without expecting anything in return, since love is the greatest equalizer.

To me giving is better than receiving. When someone who has never received anything in life gets something unexpected, an unbound joy engulfs him, and that transforms him into a far superior person. The person then feels the urge to spread that happiness to others.

When the towers fell to the ground on 9/11, I asked what had pissed this guy (meaning the hijackers) off to provoke him to take revenge on us? What hurt had he suffered that would put so much hatred in him to kill innocent people, and take his own life?

If Bush (read the US) had not pissed him off, perhaps we would not be in the situation we are in today. He (the hijackers) used the name of God to get the support of his people. Is his God the same God as mine?

If his religion dictated him to behave as he did and which effected us all, did God forgive his sins?

If I were a billionaire, I would spend my money to spread the words that people should take care of each other, because our children are watching us and learning from us. If we teach them wrong, if they grow up aiming for success at any cost that would not be right.

Knowledge is power, but if the power goes in the wrong hands, I am scared of our future as human race.

Do You See God?

2010-03-14T14:15:00.000-05:00

One was a burly sharp-eyed college kid and other an eccentric old sage. With finely honed intellect, the boy was in the sure footsteps to stride high with the cream of the crop. The old man was revered by a small circle of devotee, regardless, was destined to live an obscured life.

When they met, the youthful asked, “People say that you can see God, is that true?”

“Of course, my boy, I see Him like I see you,” the sage replied.

The boy was startled, either this man was an imposter, or he was someone very special, which one was he?

Curiosity got the better of the young boy, and he began seeing the old man frequently.

He watched him with probing eyes, questioned him with sharp wit, and tested him with intricate schemes.

The more the youth watched the old, the more fascinated he became. Eventually, history took a curious turn, and a lethal combination of charisma and piety took the world by storm.

The young boy was Narendra, known to the world as Vivekananda. The old man was Gadadhar, known to the world as Sree Ramakrishna.

Once a promising disciple asked Sree Ramakrishna, “Master, I am always searching God intensely, but I can never find him. Why is it so?”

The Master took the young boy to a pond and asked him to take a dip. As the boy took a dip, the Master held him down under the water. The boy gasped for air; the Master nevertheless, continued to hold him down. Finally, when the Master let him go the boy jumped out of water, started breathing heavily, and leaped with joy!

The Master asked the disciple, “When you were under water how did you feel?”

The boy said, “I felt very strongly for air.”

The Master said, “When your desire for God becomes as strong as your desire was for air when you were under water, you will find God.”

No Equal Rights in Islam

2010-02-20T11:55:00.001-06:00

Religion exploits both men and women, albeit, women more than men. Hindus used to burn their widows; Taoists would bury their female born, and Bible ordained no priesthood for the women among other inequalities.

Muslims claim that the Koran has given equal rights to women, which is pure whey. There are no equal rights for women in Islam.

First, let us see how the Koran clearly states a man's witness is worthy of two women's:

Two men shall serve as witnesses; if not two men, then a man and two women whose testimony is acceptable to all. (2.282)

Koranic scholars defend this with statements such as, women are emotional and they are more likely to be biased. What else can be more amusing than this medieval logic?

The Koran is unequivocal when it comes to inheritance:

GOD decrees a will for the benefit of your children; the male gets twice the share of the female. (4.11)

When it comes to spousal relationship the Koran gives husbands authority to beat their wives which is delineated in the following verse:

The men are made responsible for the women, and God has endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners. The righteous women will cheerfully accept this arrangement, since it is God's commandment, and honor their husbands during their absence. If you experience rebellion from the women, you shall first talk to them, then desert them in bed, then you may beat them. If they obey you, you are not permitted to transgress against them. God is Most High, Supreme. (4.34)

Some equal rights!

A Creature Linking Plants And Animals

2010-02-17T19:44:00.003-06:00

Plants are plants and animals are animals, the twine shall never merge, right?

Not so fast!

How about a creature which is part animal and part plant? For many years, scientists have been studying a green slug, which lives between the two worlds.

The slugs feast on algae. However, instead of digesting the whole algae the slugs retain and store the chloroplasts in their own bodies. This enables them to directly convert sun light into energy, as most plants do, through the process known as photosynthesis, and survive without any food for very long time.

The slug is known by its biological name, Elysia chlorotica. Sidney Pierce, a biologist at the University of South Florida in Tampa has been studying them for nearly twenty years. He presented his study on Jan 7, at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, creating a new interest in this unique animal.

During the early part of Christianity, there was no war between science and religion. Saint Augustine believed, the religious texts are allegorical and they must be interpreted anew with the latest scientific discoveries.

In the 17th century, René Descartes made his famous assertion, “cogito ergo sum,” which translates, “I think, therefore I am.” Since that time, the world was firmly divided between living and non living.

In the 20th century science has been moving away from the Newtonian world and steadily hammering the Cartesian Partition and punching hole in it. In 1925, Heisenberg shattered the Cartesian partition with his Uncertainty Principle in quantum mechanics. Yet, in the 21st century we are witnessing a return to fundamentalism in many religious groups with new war ensuing between Evolution theory and Creationism.

Maybe, some could argue, that Elysia chlorotica can help society understand Theory of Evolution and begin a new cooperation between religion and science.

Oh Justice!

2010-02-08T19:09:00.010-06:00

On February 3, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani national was found guilty in Manhattan Federal Court of attempting to Murder US nationals in Afghanistan, and six other additional charges. Deeply religious, Siddiqui is a delicate 100-pound Muslim woman, who attended MIT and Brandeis University.

On March 30, 2003, Siddiqui left her family home in Gulshan-e-lqbal with her three children, and took a taxi to catch a flight for Rawalpindi. She never reached the airport. Pakistani intelligence agents abducted her and handed her over to US authorities. On that day began her long ordeal of secret imprisonment, interrogations, and years of torture.

Aafia was Prisoner 650 at Bagram prison, where she was called the “Gray Lady of Bagram” for her shrill screams. She was tortured and repeatedly raped over many years. Her lawyer said, “She was a pawn in America’s 'war on terror,’ used, abused, now convicted, and facing life in prison when sentenced, a victim of gross injustice.”

“I do not know whether Siddiqui is innocent or guilty. However, I do know that permitting jailers, spies, kidnappers and assassins to operate outside of the rule of law contaminates us with our own bile. Siddiqui is one victim. There are thousands more we do not see. These abuses, justified by the war on terror, have created a system of internal and external state terrorism that is far more dangerous to our security and democracy than the threat posed by Islamic radicals.”

Thus scribbled Chris Hedges in an article called, The Terror-Industrial Complex . In 2002, Chris had received the Amnesty International Global Award for Human Rights Journalism. Chris is as much American as apple pie is, yet his sympathy for an alien woman is evident in his article.

Stephen Lendman, a Research Associate of the Center for Research on Globalization wrote in an article, Aafia Siddiqui: Victimized by American Injustice, “Siddiqui is innocent of all charges, yet the DOJ claimed she was involved in biochemical warfare. In fact, she devised a computer program, enlisted adult volunteers to watch various objects move randomly across the screen, then reproduce what they recalled. The idea was to learn how well they retained information after viewing it on a computer. It had nothing to do with terrorism, biochemical warfare, or blowing up New York targets, charges never appearing in her indictment.”

Her sentencing is scheduled for May 6. She faces a maximum sentence of 120 years in prison for the attempted murder and armed assault charges. Two of her children, Maryam and Suleman, disappeared and are suspected to have been killed. Her son Mohammed was released with the condition that he will not speak about his tribulation.

Please read further:

Yvonne Ridley

Paul Craig Roberts

Letter From Montreal

2010-02-03T20:37:00.004-06:00

I have been coming to Montreal every year for the past 19 years!! I have seen the Canadian paper industry rise and decline to a pathetic low this year ... very disappointing!! Our company serves many markets and paper is one. I was very disappointed!!

Nevertheless, Montreal has its charms! Surely it is different from Toronto ... very European in flavor, more French than France and bordering on arrogance!! You can get by knowing English, but, let there be no doubt that French is the preferred language. If you want to do business, it can only be in French. If you speak only English, you are not part of the "elite" and therefore, I'd be reluctant to conduct business with you! This is the general attitude.

Surprisingly, there are a lot of Arabs here! Taxi drivers and other services are performed by Arabs. No Blacks! Pardon my ignorance (or racial slant), maybe, it is too cold for them! It is very cold here. Have a look at the photos. There are 4 of us with our elbows on an ice table that does not melt. It is really "cool" in more ways than one ... check it out.

I am staying at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel right smack downtown Montreal. The name says it all. I needn't elaborate and state that it is a fancy upscale hotel. Things are expensive here ... everything!! I don't know know how people afford stuff.

Montreal has an incredible underground set-up. Lots of walkways, stores, restaurants, etc connected underground. Really neat. During rush hour, people are literally "running" to their respective destinations!

If you ever have a chance, visit Montreal in the middle of deep winter ... it's an experience. And if you like fine wine and lobster bisque, all the more better!! Fine (exotic) dining and upscale culture are Montreal's highlights!

Afzal Ali
February 3, 2010

The Last Bread

2010-01-20T11:18:00.001-06:00

The miracle is that we are alive now. And that is about it, there is no other miracle in life. Death takes the living beings to its natural state.

Religion and philosophy are merely borrowed ideas, decaying concepts that live like parasites clinging to the living souls. Parroting those borrowed words does not bring salvation. If you want liberation you must be able to think on your own, shattering the glass house that you live in, and let go of your conditioning.

Science is only transitory knowledge, today's fact is waiting to be proven wrong tomorrow. The world is maya (illusion). Truth is wholesome which cannot be grasped by intellect. Intellect is a tool that is totally inadequate to discern the Truth on its own.

If that is the case, if intellect is totally inadequate to discern the Truth, what are we left with? After all, intellect is the only tool that gives us god's power. We have built huge structures, altered the Nature and subjugated wild beasts to do our bidding by using our intellect. We are laid thin and bare without intellect. What are we to do?

Enjoy what you are doing. Treat this moment as your last, and do what you would if you knew death is waiting in the wing, only to descend upon you without notice. Leave the last bread for your neighbor. This indeed is your greatest achievement.

Why do you care, if anyone remembers you when you are gone? Ask yourself, if anyone cares for you now; care enough to offer you his last bread, even though he is dying of hunger. In that there is a great lesson to be learned.

And when you are ready to give away your last bread to save a stranger, you have found God. Indeed God lives in you.

Freedom Exacts Its Price

2010-01-12T10:20:00.000-06:00

Are we free to choose?

Conventional wisdom harangues from the rooftop— we live in a free society. Notwithstanding, our freedom stops at the boundary of our neighbor’s freedom, such is the very definition of freedom.

The truth is everything is relative. When we say the USA, or for that matter, the western world has a free society, that freedom is only in relation to other under developed countries.

The word freedom, used in the absolute context, is an oxymoron. Absolute freedom is absolute bondage, because our freedom ends where our neighbor’s freedom begins.

Let’s talk of faith.

Are we free to choose our faith?

The question gives rise to other questions. Are we at a juncture of life where we have done the required soul searching and made a conscious decision to make a choice? Will the society let us choose what we want to choose? Will we be happy with our new choices? Do we need to make our own choices?

The answer is predominantly in the negative for most of these questions. We are social animals. We cannot live alone. Well, most of us anyway. When we live among our kin, we are bound by their edict. The eastern culture reflects this more radically.

Long before people in the west built their shining cities, Santan Dharma laid down the principles of rules of living, which were profound and pragmatic. The overbearing doctrine sacrificed individual freedom for the greater good of the society. The result was one of the first great civilizations in human history. It is another matter that degeneration in society set in later and gave bad name to many practices of the Hindus. However, such is the common tale with all great religions. With time, religion depreciates.

It was the same with Taoism of China, which preceded the Vedas. The indoctrination of Taoism is so refreshing, that it is still considered modern and is applicable in our time. These are the eternal bodies of Truth. However, are we free to choose?

What is faith by the way? What does faith have to do with religious belief? Don’t we often say faith and imply religion?

When the mystic Gurdjief was asked a similar question, he replied: “You wish to know? To really know you must suffer. Can you suffer?”

To make a free choice we must suffer.

Every sensible human being must publicly denounce Al-Qaida

2009-12-31T08:47:00.001-06:00

Al-Qaida has claimed credit for the failed attempt to blow up an American airliner by a wayward green named Umar Farouk Abdulmutalleb. What a bunch of cowards who hides in the underpants of a confused youth! Shame on them!

God’s greatest gift is life; do not waste it when you can create none.

You may be the master of seven scriptures, yet, if you have not learnt this simple truth your life has been in vain. Any holy book that insinuates shedding blood of the innocents is unholy and must be shunned like trash.

Any one who promulgates sacrifice of human life at the altar of any god, that god is a false god, beware of those phony prophets.

Here is a Hadith from Abu Huraira collected by Muslim:

On the day of judgment God will say, “Hey the son of man, I was sick and you did not come to see me.” He will ask, “My Lord, how could you be sick when you are the nourisher of the world?” God will say, “Didn’t you know that ward of mine who was sick? If you would have gone to see him you would have found me near him.

“Hey the son of man, I asked food from you and you did not give me food.” He will ask, “How could I give you food when you are the nourisher of the world?” God will say, “Didn’t you know that ward of mine who was hungry? If you would have given him food
surely that would have reached me.

“Hey the son of man, I asked water from you and you did not give me water to drink,” He will ask. “How could I give you water when you are the nourisher of the world?” God will say, “Didn’t you know that ward of mine who was thirsty? If you would have given
him water surely that would have reached me.”

This is the true God, the one and only, and you are but a part of that God, as the rest of the creation is. Whoever preaches otherwise is a mere pretender, serving a false god.

On the eve of a new decade I personally dare you to sign this page and denounce Al-Qaida for what they are.

Are Muslim extremists the most violent religious fanatics in our time?

2009-12-30T09:44:00.003-06:00

Statistics say: Yes.

The case in point is, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23 year old Nigerian, who attempted Christmas Day bombing of an American airliner.

Born of a father who retired this year as chairman of First Bank of Nigeria and still sits on the boards of several prominent Nigerian firms, Umar was raised at the family home in Kaduna, a city in Nigeria’s Muslim-dominated north. At a boarding school, he was easygoing and studious, and would occasionally preach Islam to his class mates. Later, he attended an elite British boarding school in Togo, where many of his classmates were British expatriates and students from around West Africa.

Despite his affluent upbringing Umar was a lonely man, who sought friends online, through Facebook and in Islamic chat rooms, writing under the name Farouk1986. He would often turn to internet for counseling and companionship. He wrote about love and marriage, his college ambitions and anxiety over standardized tests, as well as his inner struggles as a devout Muslim. Writing in an online forum he affirmed, “My name is Umar but you can call me Farouk… I have no one to speak to…no one to consult, no one to support me and I feel depressed and lonely. I do not know what to do. And then I think this loneliness leads me to other problems.”

He had visited the United States and other countries, including Egypt and Yemen, and was aware of Western customs. He had a privileged upbringing as a wealthy Nigerian banker’s son. He had ambition to study engineering at Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, or the California Institute of Technology. Writing of his disappointment in scoring a 1200 on the SAT he scribbled, “I tried the SAT, It was a disaster!!!” In 2008, he graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the University College London.

His ambition was to be steadfast in religion; notwithstanding, the strict doctrine of Islam about interaction with other gender did not help him. He wrote of the conflict between his desires and his religious duty of “lowering the gaze” in the presence of women, “The Prophet advised young men to fast if they can’t get married but it has not been helping me much and I seriously don’t want to wait for years before I get married,” he acknowledged.

In December 2005, he wrote of his parents visiting him in London and mentioned that he was debating whether he could eat meat with them. “I am of the view meat not slaughtered by Muslims is haram for consumption unless necessary,” he wrote, “My parents are of the view as foreigners we are allowed to eat any meat. It occurred to me I should not be eating with my parents as they use meat I consider haram. But I fear this might cause division and other complicated family problems.”

He was in Yemen between August and December of this year to study Arabic at a language institute. One of his uncles said, “Farouk was a devoted Muslim who took his religion seriously and was committed to his studies…He was such a brilliant boy and nobody in the family had the slightest thought he could do something as insane as this.” People from the rich Unguwar Sarki neighborhood in Kaduna said that he was easygoing and passionate about Islam. One of his cousins commented, “He was a very religious, polite and studious fellow, but it was unthinkable that he would do anything close to attempting to bomb a plane.”

So, what went wrong?

The seed of fundamental Islam is sprouting vigorously. Although it is alleged that Islam is a religion of peace, the history attests otherwise. Out of the first four Caliphs only one died natural death, others were all assassinated. The direct descendants of Prophet Mohammed, the apples of his eyes, were mercilessly put to death. The war of revenge and avenge continues unabated.

And the war on terror declared on Islam by the self-proclaimed civilized Western world is only adding fuel to that fire. History says, the Muslims are the most backward as religious peoples in our time. The history also says whenever there is a clash between civilizations, the less sophisticated culture always wins, for they have little to live for.

One God: Christian Missionary Deconverted

2009-12-25T17:37:00.006-06:00

I decided to hold off my written post for this week in favor of this youtube video. You can replace the word ‘Christian’ before missionary, with the name of any other religious follower; the fact remains the same.

Please enjoy the profound bliss which is beyond any written word.

One God: Christian Missionary Deconverted

So, that is what you said

2009-12-14T17:30:00.002-06:00

I can sacrifice myself for religion:

Twelve percent of my readers responded in this category, and I am shocked.

You are in the USA, the year is 2010ish and twelve percent of you can die for religion? What good is that religion that sends you to death?

Religion is for wo/man, wo/man is not for religion. If we all die for religions who will worship God?

Please, please, please write me, call me names, send charmed words to my ancestors, but please explain what is the rational for your stance!

The Quran says there is no compulsion in religion (2:256). It also says: Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who believes in GOD, and believes in the Last Day, and leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve (2.62).

When such is the case, why do you want to die for your religion?

Organized religions that seek dominance over other faiths are inherently evil and create dissention in people, not harmony. Jews say Moses is the last prophet, Christians say Jesus, and Muslims claim Mohammed. What about the 23 million Sikhs, 7 million Baha’is and other smaller groups that are among us? Is religion purely a number game, the more the followers, the superior it is?

At the present time there are 2.1 billion Christians, and 1.5 billion Muslims inhabiting the planet earth. Third largest group of people in the world numbering more than the Hindus who form the fourth largest group, are peoples who are banded as Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist. Since Buddhists are atheists as well they too may be added to this group. Together, this group shall have nearly as many members as the Muslims and when the closet Agnistics/Aethists are taken into account, their actual numbers may surpass that of the Muslims. Shall we still play the number game?

If superiority is measured in the contribution to human progress, Judaism is unquestionably the greatest of all religions, for 14 million people ranking 12th as a group has given the world illumination far beyond its proportion to the world population.

God created wo/man, wo/man created religion. At one hand religion brought peace, on the other hand it waged war, war against other religions in broad-spectrum, nonetheless, at times against a dissenting group or individual of the same faith.

Religion is for human beings, and not the other way around.

It is the center piece of my life:

Thirty percent of the respondents are in this category. Pretty much middle of the line, shall I say?

If it is the center piece of your life you are a traditional God-fearing person who wants to live and let live others. Perhaps it is time for you to seek and find the true religion? In the 21st century, you are lucky to call home this country that we call the USA. There is no other place on earth that offers you greater opportunity to practice your faith in peace, and at the same time opens up the opportunity to explore at length outside your own faith. Please avail of this opportunity.

Whatever your faith is, if you want to be true to it, you must dive deeper and contemplate at the inner core of your belief and discover the universal message that your denomination has brought to this world.

If you want to understand your own religion, study other religions, embrace people of other faith as your own kin, seek the common travail. God created division just to test people, He could create one Nation if He so desired, albeit, His Mission is to Test and Reward His true followers.

Like it takes a mason, a carpenter, a plumber, and many other folks to build a house, it takes all denominations to build the House of God. Do not confine yourself in a small shell, shatter it, spread your wings in the sun-drenched breeze and wonder in the unexplored openness. God has created this universe for the humans to study and discover, and only through that study can we reach God. There is no other way.

I need it to live in the society:

Thirty percent of the respondents are in this category, tying up the position with the previous group.

Absolutely. We all need to make peace at the cost of our own personal desires for the greater interest of the society. Anyone who finds home in this group is potentially living ahead of her/his time. You have made the decision to sacrifice your own convictions for the greater good of humanity. Interestingly however, this attitude demands greater honesty and morality. If you do not have this intrinsic quality then you have not yet evolved, and you are not ahead of your time. If you are not ahead of your time you are in danger of leading a self-centered life, sinking, rather than perching to a higher plateau.

The glad tiding is, wherever you are, you are at the crossroads of fulfillment, ready for the transformation to embark on a glorious journey, if you can let go your ego and reach beyond yourself.

I do not care:

Twenty seven percent of the respondents are in this category, forming the second largest group from my survey.

If you are here, to you I say, been there, done that.

The question is, you may not care, notwithstanding, can you live outside the influence of religion? And if your fellow voyager does care, how do you interact with that person, in peace, in love, and in harmony?

You are probably responding with the assumption that we are confining ourselves to organized religions, and your answer denotes that you do not care for any organized religion. You nevertheless, akin to the Buddhists, can yet be marching to a religious band, sublime, and profound.

The Hindus coined the term dharma for religion in their religious scriptures known as Sanatan Dharma. The word dharma has dual connotation, in one sense it defines the attributes of something, or the very being. When you take that aspect of religion it does not matter whether you care for it or not, because in that paraphernalia the religion is all encompassing, and the goal and the journey is the same, as in the case of ancient Chinese belief in Tao.

Were the pre historic Taoists and the Hindus so far ahead of their times? Were they ahead of our times? Can we take a leaf out of their garden?

Why suffer?

2009-12-05T15:03:00.000-06:00

Have you ever realized that your power comes from others? Alone, you are nothing.

Alone, you are miserable, and the more powerful you are in this world, the more miserable you are by yourself, without others around you. Your money, education, and sophistication are naught if there is no another human being to relate to.

Imagine; you are in a remote island. There are no other human beings. Only wild animals and vegetation. Would you survive? How long would you survive? What good your wealth come to?

Contrary to your position in the society, the lower in the stratum you now are, the greater would be your chance of survival in the wild. Hence, the word of the Christ: the least among you will be the greatest in the heaven.

The more you depend on others for gratifying your basic needs, the lesser will be your chance of survival in isolation. Yet, your thunderous cry pierces the night sky—Me..Me.. Me, I am the all powerful one. I deserve this, I deserve that. For me the bell tolls!

God smiles, you pitiful idiot, this is the reason you suffer. You are only an infinitesimal part of me. I Envelop the Universe.

You can only be happy when you realize that your happiness is entangled with happiness of rest of the universe. You cannot be happy when others around you are not, and your unhappiness touches others too.

Jason, you made me feel so small

2009-11-24T16:35:00.004-06:00

Jason O’Neill is just a kid like any other 8th grader. What separates him from others is the fact that he started his own business at the age of 9. What was more astounding though, he was giving money to charity since he started his business, Pencil Bugs, four years ago.

This year he wanted to do something different. He raised funds nationally to buy teddy bears to give them away in Christmas, to needy children. A group of kids from Michigan sent him a check for $119. The smallest check was for couple of dollars from another kid.

When we the grown ups are so busy filling our own pockets at any rate, when we are breaking homes of millions of kids, Jason and his friends are buying happiness for a few.

Jason you made me feel so small!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34130756/ns/us_news-giving/?GT1=43001

Book Critique

2009-11-16T15:18:00.001-06:00

Islam-o-sharia by Hasan Mahmud, published in Bangladesh.
Language: Bangla
3rd Edition, 2008

Hasan’s book begins with the time when life of the prophet of Islam was ending. It was an all-destructive Thursday, in Hasan’s words, a grand deception was taking place at the dying moment of a man’s life—a man whose mere words could once change the face of Arabia, but now too frail to command even his closest allies.

In a poignant language he evokes memory of those moments and the readers would relive highly charged emotions, as if the incidents were happening right in front of their eyes. This is the beauty of Hasan’s writing. His book is part history, part analysis, and part beseeching the forgotten glory. Nonetheless, it is an intense book.

Amidst the black letters of the book the readers will see dark red blood, in pages after pages, the blood of the very best of the Muslim saints who are the pride of the Muslim ummah. Even after 1400 years, your own blood will boil, and your eyes will become moist.

Hasan writes with intense passion and he begs the readers to revive the beauty, peace and the grand scheme of a religion, called Islam, underneath the violent raiment in which it has been cloaked.

Two underlying themes, justice and compassion override all other emotions, in pages after pages. Hasan quotes materials, all from respected written sources to rediscover the beauty of Islam.

He cites Islamic scholars, at times self proclaimed, albeit, with considerable followings that preach violence by the name of the religion, and goes on to demonstrate how vain their callings are, with support from Quran and Hadith. Without saying in as many words, he hints time and again, how the short sighted religious preachers utilized hadiths that are against the very teachings of the Quran.

Hasan devotes considerable ink in his book to refute the wrong conception of Quran-sanctioned oppression of the women. Hasan insists, provides logic, and establishes with cross references that many hadiths were indeed inserted by the debauched Muslim rulers and their henchmen. In the hands of the uneducated and sometimes educated, nonetheless, unscrupulous religious scholars those hadiths received stamps of authority.

Those additions and insertions created the phenomenon of radical Islam, an extreme and violent transformation of the original religion that spread only peace and harmony. Whereas the very name Islam literally connotes peace and submission, at the hands of the egotistical rulers it became an implement of tyranny. With this book Hasan wages a war against the evil of the radical Islam.

The book fosters understanding of the true spirit of Islam. Even the perpetrators of radical Islam would see the eternal truth in it, and Hasan fervently hopes that would mellow them to enter the mainstream civilized life of the modern era, and become effective members of the global society.

Links to Hasan’s book and other works:

http://www.tritiomatra.com/woaz.html
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B0305803702E7AE7

Two Americas

2009-11-13T12:06:00.001-06:00

There were polls on the Fort Hood incident and there were results.

Fox news:
94% said it was a terrorist act perpetrated by Islamic Fundamentalists.

6% were undecided.

Progressive talk radio:

54% said it was a singular case of individual action not motivated by religion.

26% were undecided.

20% said it was a terrorist act perpetrated by Islamic Fundamentalists.

(Based on the 1st day of poll)

Are you listening, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan?

2009-11-06T11:21:00.004-06:00

Quran said: this book is for the believers.

Aha! Belief! That heavenly word on which the heavens and the hells rest!

And thus came a large sheeple of people, calling themselves Muslims.

Once man believed in sun god, cow god and rain gods. Belief?

Then came the prophets, Rama, Krishna and a host of them. They came at a time when the Semitic people were roaming in jungles in bare skin (but the latter would dare to call the formers heretics).

Then the Semitics clothed themselves, and they created their own religions, story of Abraham, and then came their prophets.

The God of Abraham was ruthless, violent, and loved vengeance. Was that all? Then why did he spare the life of the child that Abraham was ready to sacrifice?

Then came Jesus, and he said, “I have not come to do away with the Laws, but to make them come true. Not the least of the Laws shall be done away with, not until there is Heaven and Earth.

Jesus also spoke in the name of God and he lived life of a god, far beyond any ordinary mortal’s realm. Jesus said, if some one slaps one of your cheek, let him slap the other one too. Jesus said, pardon your enemy 70 times 7. Jesus said, leave all your worldly possessions and come to me. He lived the life of a god.

Then came Muhammad, who accepted all Semitic religious traditions before him. Muhammad accepted Jesus as a prophet, and the miracle of his birth and host of other traditions. When did Muhammad bring a new religion? All he did was remove the cobwebs and establish the Kingdom of God in the true tradition of Abraham.

Muhammad had his feet firmly on the ground. He lived the life that any ordinary mortal could live. He was the king of Arabia, yet he lived the life of a pauper. There were days when his body was weak with pain from hunger. He too forgave his worst enemies.

At the gate of Mecca, he faced his life-long tormentors; with one word he could decimate the city into oblivion. Notwithstanding, he choose to forgive. Forgive even the worst of the worst.

Muhammad followed the tradition set by Jesus and all other prophets before him, inclusive of Rama, Krishna and the rest of them.

It is one religion man, the religion of GOD the almighty. Do not kill in the name of religion.

You call yourself a Muslim, you whose hands are smeared in blood? Who does not have the temerity to condemn all these violence in the name of Islam?

You rascal!

Can a non religious person lead an honest and ethical life?

2009-11-01T18:14:00.002-06:00

The poll has closed and I am flabbergasted with your response.

Thirty people participated in the poll; I thank you all for taking time to convey your opinion. Sixty six percent of the respondent answered “yes” to the question. This indicates that I am dealing with a matured audience that has come of age and is ready to live without crutches. In my book One God in You and Me, I had hypothesized that a great number of people in our time is not ready to relinquish the crutch. Albeit, not my audience, you have indicated a level of illumination which is above normal.

Twenty six percent answered, “may be,” which is again very impressive since you are prepared to grant the breadth to other thought processes and deliberate the question with honesty. If you have come that far, you have left the base and are close to the transition to a higher plateau.

One person answered “don’t know,” theoretically there is not a great difference between you and the people who answered, “may be,” except that you are probably veering more on the side of caution. You too are ready for the leap.

I will reserve most of my comments for the person who answered “no.” I am sure you will agree that a religious person can live unethical life; in deed a mere look at the outside world is sufficient to exhibit that people who vouch in the name of religion do not always live ethical lives. The very basis of mechanics of war on terror, and the associated mayhem attests to this. Truly, there shall not be any confusion to the reality that a religious life is no guarantor to an ethical life.

Now the question is, if a person is not religious, can he live an ethical life? If not, why not? What prevents him from pursuing an ethical life? If fear of God and religion cannot ensure an ethical life why the absence of it would automatically propel one to the other spectrum? What kind of person leads non religious life, anyway?

Human society has imposed religious beliefs on its members from time immemorial. The cruder the society the greater was the force of authority. Collective thoughts have attempted to suppress contrary individual thoughts time and again. Without freedom of thought, the society rots and is ultimately subjugated by invaders. Quran says, there is no compulsion in religion, so do books of all other faiths. Consequently, freedom of thought is the fundamental human right; freedom to question, freedom to seek better ways, freedom to strive for perfection. That freedom of enquiry thrusts human generation to the next higher level of progression. Can religion be an impediment to that progress?

I dare say; it can. This is what I have tried to delineate in my book One God in You and Me, using various religious teachings, pre-religious customs, and science. That is why I would submit, there are ethical people who can continue to seek meaning of life outside the rigor of organized religions.

Hasan Mahmud: Director, Sharia Law, Muslim Canadian Congress

2009-10-20T12:27:00.002-05:00

Islam-o-sharia by Hasan Mahmud is arguably the most important book on Islam in our time. The book examines and reinforces the core values of Islam with supporting texts from Quran and hadiths and comments from various Islamic scholars. In Hasan’s own words, “The book is a result of painstaking efforts that came from digesting hundreds of Islamic books spanning nearly two decades.”

Islam-o-sharia is by far the best book on Islamic sharia laws ever written in Bangla and the book deserves to be translated in every language in every part of the world wherever there are Muslims.

Having said that, suggesting the book only to the Muslims would be a great disservice, for the book is equally good for any non-Muslim who desires to understand true, and I emphasize the word true, Islam.

Before writing about the book though, I want to write about Hasan Mahmud the man.

I met Hasan in Abu Dhabi in the late 70s, when both of us were starting our careers in Abu Dhabi. I had respect for his sharp wit and intellect but never knew that he graduated in the top four in his school final exam conducted by the erstwhile East Pakistan Education Board.

The fact was disclosed to me by a common friend only a few months back. When I asked Hasan during a recent telephone conversation with him, how is it that he never mentioned this to me! Hasan brushed it off with his characteristic laugh and said, every year people are graduating with such distinctions so what is the great deal in that!

With a brilliant academic background, Hasan could excel in any field of his choosing, yet he chose to be a molla, fotemolla to be exact. Albeit, he is a molla as no molla has ever been, truly a molla of the mollas.

To be honest, I could never fathom Hasan’s transformation into a religious scholar from his ultra progressive views on life. With a little contemplation however, I could easily relate to this phenomenon.

In his youth, Hasan gave freely; he gave his time, his service, and money, not only to his friends but also to strangers who were at the low strata of the society. He gave without ever expecting anything in return. His love for people, especially for the downtrodden was without parallel.

When the news broke out that Hasan was leaving Abu Dhabi, and he did not have enough money to start a new life in a new country, many people who had earlier received help from him came forward and voluntarily returned money. Hasan refused to accept money from them, but they forced his hands, saying they were returning only what was his.

The other day, I called on Hasan after decades, and was discussing Islam with him, when he started freely quoting from Quran with full references. He was supporting his arguments with hadiths, again with exact references. It was an incredible feat as there are over 39,000 authentic (regarded to be authentic by Muslim ummah) hadiths. However, he completely floored me when he quoted from Genesis (Old Testament), again with proper reference.

There are many people in the world who can recite Quran from page one to the last from memory, nonetheless, I had not met anyone who could quote from hadiths with volume numbers and their placing in the volumes, extempore. It takes superhuman intellect and memory, but on top, a lifetime of dedication.

When I expressed my surprise about how he remembers all these verses, he simply stated, I have no option. I knew instantly what he meant; his life has always been for service to people, especially to those who are oppressed and hapless. It is from that intense love for humanity that Hasan’s superhuman ability emanates.

Next week: Hasan’s book- Islam-o-sharia

Who is right?

2009-10-06T18:35:00.003-05:00

My friend Afzal Ali is a globetrotter. Dynamic and extremely forceful, the world is his oyster. He never comments on something that he does not know. However, there are not too many things on which he is not on the know.

He claims he does not know much about religion, yet the following post would clearly demonstrate his profound thought process and his perception of human spirit. Exposure to myriad cultures only broadens one's horizon, clearly that illumination is evident in Afzal's writing. He raises a pointed question, whose claim is right in religion?

In a poignant observation he answers his own question in not so obvious manner; it is the journey that is so important, rest is mere game play.

Now read it all in Afzal's own words:

Observation during the month of Ramadan ...

Typically, I fast (if I am not traveling), even though I do not perform many of the other Islamic rituals.

I was in Shanghai during the latter part of August. It was a mind boggling, eye-opening experience to see so many new, ultra-modern sky scrapers scraping the sky!! Multi-lane roads, all the European luxury brand cars, people hustling down the roads in a frantic pace, restaurants filled with patrons, businesses busy trying to get the next global project, etc, etc. Nowhere did I see any trace of Islam, Muslims, South Indians, for that matter, a single dark skinned person!

Shanghai with a population of 20 plus million, probably, does not even know the meaning of Ramadan. In fact, a very small % of the 1.4 billion Chinese population might have any clue about Ramadan. I spotted not one physical evidence or structure of any religious significance.

On to Thailand ... 90% Buddhists. Many images of Buddha and many temples everywhere. Life seems to be moving fast as well. 100 million people here don't really know what Ramadan is all about.

Then, on to Dhaka. It is Ramadan. It is immediately obvious. Restaurants have shades pulled. Many people are fasting and many others are not, but no blatant feasting in your face. Even the saree store wala's did not offer me a coke or a cup of tea. They did not even ask if I was fasting or not. It seemed that the entire city had to put up a facade ... fasting or not, they felt compelled to indicate that they were.
Two thoughts come to mind ...

First, the need by everyone to show everyone that everyone was fasting was disturbing!
Secondly, visiting Dhaka after Shanghai and Bangkok was a striking contrast. How is it that the non-believers (I have to be careful here) seem to be faring far better than the believers? While all of Dhaka seemed to be leading a pious, restrained, life of abstinence, billions of people, at the same time, are moving at their merry space doing their merry stuff. Who is on the right track?

Religion is for the other world

2009-09-25T07:53:00.002-05:00

I received two very interesting comments on my Quran blog, both merits further discussion. First, I am picking up the comments of my friend Muneem.

I know Muneem for over thirty years. One of the most unassuming people, profound in cultural and spiritual wealth, yet, proclaiming simplicity, he goes about every day life with unabashed innocence.

He raises a question, who says our lives will be prosperous in this world if we follow the path of religion? Then he proceeds to make a statement that the religion prepares one only for after life.

The core teaching of Jesus is captive in the two sentences above. Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” (Matt.19:21) Thus he laid down the principle of success in the two worlds.

He then went on to elaborate the concept why success in the material world does not prepare one for success in the afterlife, “It will be very hard for the rich people to enter the Kingdom of heaven. I repeat: it is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. (Matt. 19:23-24).

In another instance Jesus was more direct when he proclaimed, “You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt. 6:24)

He then equivocally sealed the argument with the statement, “pay the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay God what belongs to God.” (Matt. 22.21)

Truly, religion is for the other world; it does not prepare one for success in this world.

Rifqa Barry, a tormented soul

2009-09-15T14:18:00.000-05:00

A religious war is ensuing through a bitter legal battle in a Florida family court where the plaintiff is being represented by none other than the Terri Schiavo fame conservative Christian lawyer John Stemberger. Rifqa’s parent, Mohamed and Aysha Barry left Sri Lanka for New York with their two kids, Rifqa and an older brother. They were concerned over Rifqa's well-being, who had injured her right eye playing with a toy airplane. Sri Lankan doctors wanted to remove the injured eye; Mohamed was desperate to seek better medical treatment for Rifqa to save it. The year was 2000.

Then, in 2004, Rifqa’s family moved again to Columbus area; this time Mohamed sought a better public education for the kids. Rifqa excelled in school maintaining a 3.5 grade-point average at New Albany High School in her new home town. Rifqa began exploring Christianity soon after she arrived in Ohio. In 2005, Rifqa converted to Christianity at the Korean United Methodist Church in Columbus. She eventually fled home. Talking about Mohamed’s children, Gary Abbott, (a close friend of Mohamed in the U.S. and a Christian) said, "He values them more than his own life."

In an article called The Christian Runaway Newsweek stated:

Once Barry’s case became public, numerous Christian conservatives fanned the flames. "This conflict between Islam and Christianity is going to grow greater," said Blake Lorenz, according to the St. Petersburg Times. "This conflict between good and evil is going to grow greater." Stemberger, Barry’s lawyer, filed a 33-page memorandum in her case that's filled with innuendo and provocative allegations against the Noor Center, the mosque that the Barry’s occasionally attend (on a conference call with reporters, Stemberger insisted that the accusations have been "documented extensively"). Among them: that the center is connected to an FBI terror probe (which the FBI denies) and that it’s CEO has connections to the Muslim Brotherhood (which, along with every other allegation, the Noor Center denies). The mosque is actually regarded as mainstream and regularly hosts interfaith events. "Unfortunately, hate groups appear to be using this family matter as an opportunity to attack the Muslim community and Islamic organizations in order to further their religious and political goals," the center said in a statement.

For a full account of the story please visit:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/215100/page/2

Humility

2009-09-12T20:48:00.000-05:00

Oh Lord, bless me humility, the true sign of greatness!

When is a pigeon faster than Internet?
When you are in South Africa.

Only his chattels limit human creation and its effectiveness. How can a pigeon fly faster than internet traffic? Obviously, it is linked to the bandwidth issue of the net (the link follows for whoever wants to know more). Notwithstanding, here lies a great lesson. Despite our assumed power, alone, we are often helpless and hapless. Our power only derives from collective human evolution; nevertheless, we fail to see it so often.

We take credit for things, which are truly due to others. In the macrocosms who can truly judge worth of any singular contribution? The most precious things in life, sunlight, air (changing fast!) and water (not really!) are free. Many world changing scientific discoveries came to us free of cost. So, what drives our pride?

Jesus said: “The greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child. And whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me.”

Matthew: 18:2-5

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32772500/nownloads/world_news-weird_news/?GT1=43001

Baul Samrat

2009-09-12T20:04:00.000-05:00

See the richness of life in a Bangladeshi singer

http://www.prothom-alo.net/V1/index.news.details.php?nid=MjYwMzg=

What if he is not a bum?

2009-09-11T20:23:00.000-05:00

What if he is not a bum?

Friday afternoon, returning home from office, I pulled in a gas station. The place was selling gas at 10 cents less than the next door station and was packed. I had to wait a while to get my turn.

While waiting, I watched a young person swiping a credit card through the processor on the other isle. He tried couple of times, started shaking his head, and walked away.

As I finished pumping gas and started placing the cap back on the tank, I saw the person approaching me. A young white male with heavy pink-blue tattoos on both hands, wearing a jean and a white shirt walked up to me.

He stood by my side and said, “Sir I am not a bum or something. I do not have any cash on me and need to get gas. My card is not working. That red Chevy over there is mine. I am from Indianapolis and trying to get back home. Can you help me?”

I pulled out my wallet instantly, but then hesitated for a few moments. I have been duped many times and heard many fake stories. Not again, thought for a moment.

Then I don’t know why, I thought of my daughter. She would probably be of the same age as him.

I pulled out a few singles from my wallet and handed them over to the young man.

He took the money and said, “It is a start. Thank you very much Sir. Have a great day.”

I boarded my car, and asked myself, have I been duped again? Was I wrong to give him money?

What if he was telling the truth? I sure could afford to buy him enough gas that would take him up to Indianapolis? However, I did not.

I do not know what the right action is and what is wrong, in a situation such as that.
Perhaps you do?

Ramadan is a good time to study Quran.

2009-09-07T20:23:00.000-05:00

Ramadan is a good time to study Quran.

Fend off the gatekeepers.

The next year will mark 1400 years from the time the first verse of Quran was revealed. It is the latest God-book on earth, or so its followers proclaim. The book has been preserved for fourteen hundred years without any alterations, and that is a source of pride to Muslims. Why is it then, following one book, one-fifth of the world population has divided themselves in multitudes of factions, and oftentimes display great animosity between themselves?

It can be argued that in our time Muslims are the most backward as peoples among the followers of the great-organized religions. They have the least contributions in the arena of modern technology and innovations. This is despite the fact that western civilization had borrowed heavily from the early Islamic civilization. Why does Quran fail to illumine the life of its followers? I will submit that the most prominent reason is that the holy book is well revered, well recited, hardly read and seldom practiced. The gatekeepers play a prominent role in that eventuality. The first principle laid down by the gatekeepers is if you want to get benefit, you have to read Quran in Arabic, the language in which it was delivered. Moreover, tradition emphasizes on mere recitation of the book and not comprehension.

The intention of the early preachers (read sahabis, khalifas and early imams through whom the traditions were established) was noble. They wanted to ensure that the book’s integrity is maintained over the eons. Sure, they did succeed in their goal. However, the problem occurred elsewhere. Billions of its followers recite and memorize the book without comprehending it.

Understanding esoteric text takes more than mere grasp of its word meaning, it requires illumination of minds and that illumination comes with wisdom. Wisdom comes with knowledge.

My daughter often asks me if my life goal is to become a physician why I have to read stupid history and rest of the associated useless texts. My answer is always the same to her: The stupid texts prepare you to be a human being and to be a good physician, first; you have to be a good human being. Without education, a human being is just another animal.

Modern education system has evolved over the centuries and has been transformed by the best of the minds. Our fathers knew that mere committing to memory of any text does not do any good to the crammers. Therefore, they developed a curriculum that enriches minds and broadens perception of the students. The world remembers those who widens human horizons and cast them off that do otherwise. Michael Angelo was persecuted by the Pope of his time, and died a pauper after a life long service to Church; we revere Michael—anyone remembers the Pope’s name?

Source of education is not limited to books; world is the best University, but that natural schooling takes protracted time. Books shorten the disciples’ preparatory life. The problem is in understanding the book and then follow its instructions. Without understanding, it is like the necklace on a beast’s neck.

I come across Muslims every day who will quote the words of lal-dari maulavi (priest) or sada dadi maulavi who are virtually uneducated, yet, accept their interpretation of Quran as God’s words. It is the lal-dari maulavis and the sada-dari maulavis who are keeping the vast number of Muslims in their state of ignorance.

My appeal to the Muslims, break off the self-imposed shackles. Read Quran in a language that you understand. Discover the hidden treasure. Practice it. Leave translation to the scholars who have devoted their lives making the truth freely available in vernaculars.

Contrary to what the gatekeepers proclaim, parroting Quran in Arabic is devoid of any benefit, if not, the state of the Muslims will not be as it is today.

Fend off the gatekeepers. Study the book, only then will it enrich your lives. If you must quote from Quran be prepared to refer to the verses and ayah, and do it in your vernacular. When God said, we made the Quran easy to understand (54:17, 54:22; 54:32, 54:40); whoever says otherwise is a transgressor. In addition, remember, your parroting of the verses in an archaic language does not inspire awe in me. Of course, who am I?

Indeed. Indeed.

I am just a divine sparkle, Creation of the Creator, the one and only one true God, Who created the universe; I am just as you are.