Recognization

How safe is a can of Coke?

2012-06-29T03:15:00.000-07:00

How safe is a can of Coke?

The world is addicted to Coca-Cola. Each day, 1.6 billion cans and bottles of the sickly brown liquid are gulped down, making it the globe’s most recognized brand.

But ever since it was first concocted as a brain tonic in 1886 (designed to treat ‘sick headaches, neuralgia, hysteria and melancholy’), the makers of Coca-Cola have been secretive about what goes into their drink.

American pharmacist and Coke founder As a Chandler was so concerned that the recipe could fall into the wrong hands he reportedly never wrote it down.

That secrecy lives on today. Coca-Cola insists only two people alive know the formula, that they never travel on the same plane in case it crashes and that the list of ingredients is locked in a bank vault.

But while the recipe for Coke is surrounded by the kind of mystique that marketing men dream of, the company found its formula under less welcome scrutiny this week.

For it has emerged that Coca-Cola in the U.S. has reduced levels of one of its ingredients following fears that it could cause cancer.

The chemical — 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) — helps to give the drink its color, but is listed by Californian health officials as a potential carcinogen.

While European regulators do not believe it poses any health risks, the company has also pledged to reduce its levels in Coke sold in Britain and the rest of the world, although it hasn’t given a timescale.

Pepsi, meanwhile, has reduced the chemical in its American formula, but refused to change it anywhere else — meaning if the Californian health officials are right, the Pepsi sold in Britain and most of the rest of the world is potentially more carcinogenic than the stuff swigged in America.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi this week insisted that all of their beverages are completely safe, with Coca-Cola claiming it made the change in the U.S. only in response to a ‘scientifically unfounded’ food law in California.

In a statement yesterday, Coca-Cola Great Britain said: ‘Coca-Cola has an uncompromising commitment to product safety and quality. All of the ingredients in our products are safe.’

But the changes to the recipes have raised the inevitable question: just how safe are the ingredients that go into every can of cola? And what does that brown stuff really do to our insides?

And just because you drink sugar-free, diet cola, don’t think you’re off the hook. For there is a growing body of research which suggests that low-calorie and sugar-free drinks are bad for us, too.

Studies have shown that people who have at least one low-calorie fizzy drink a day are at greater risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

And some experts also believe that sugar-free drinks confuse the brain, leaving it unable to distinguish between sweeteners, such as aspartame and saccharine, and regular sugar.

In that case, a person may be tricked into overeating, as the brain can no longer calculate the body’s calorific intake.

So while diet colas may make you feel virtuous, they could be doing you more harm than good.

COLOURING LINKED TO CANCER

Cola’s color comes in part from 4-methylimidazole (4-MI), a chemical that forms in the production of caramel food coloring.

Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other manufacturers insist it is safe at the low doses found in drinks.

But in California they disagree. After studies showed that long-term exposure to the chemical causes lung cancer in rats, health officials ruled that products with more than 29mcg must carry a health warning.

And when research by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, a campaign group, found cans contained nearly 140mcg, all cola companies across the U.S. were forced to cut levels.

Food campaigners say daily consumption of 4-MI at 30mcg would cause cancer (pictured) in one in 100,000 people over their lifetimes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that someone would need to drink more than 1,000 cans of cola every day to reach the levels that caused cancer in lab rats.

And the British Food Standards Agency agrees. It says the chemical is ‘not a food safety concern’.

CAFFEINE

A can of cola contains 40mg of caffeine — half the caffeine in a mug of tea and a third of the amount in a mug of filter coffee (pictured).

Caffeine is a stimulant that works on the central nervous system. It can trigger a dramatic, short-lived increase in blood pressure and increases the heart rate.

But there is little evidence that it causes long-term high blood pressure, or that it is bad for healthy hearts. Many regular coffee or cola drinkers simply develop a tolerance to the stimulant.

In the UK, pregnant women are advised to have less than 200mg a day. Those with high blood pressure are also warned to steer away from coffee, tea and cola drinks.

Caffeine can also stop the body from absorbing iron from food — so people with a big cola habit may be at greater risk of iron deficiency.

SUGAR

Doctors are in no doubt — the biggest danger from cola doesn’t come from the hidden additives, flavourings or colourings, but from sugar.

Too much sugar leads to obesity, the major cause of cancer in the western world.

It also increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, causes heart disease and increases the risk of stroke.

The over-consumption of sugar (pictured) has been linked to depression, poor memory formation and learning disorders in animal experiments. And it rots teeth.

Each regular can of cola contains eight teaspoons of sugar. When you drink that much sugar so quickly, the body experiences an intense sugar rush.

The cane and beet sugar used in Coca-Cola is used up quickly by the body, which soon experiences a rapid drop in energy, leading to cravings for more sugar.

PHOSPHORIC ACID

Phosphoric acid is a clear, odourless chemical that gives cola its tangy flavour and helps cut through the sickly sweetness of all that sugar.

It is also an effective rust remover — the reason that a glass of Coke can restore the lustre to coins and old metal.

But it can also disrupt our bodies.

Research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health in Maryland found that drinking two or more colas a day doubled the risk of kidney stones (pictured) and the phosphoric acid in it was blamed.

Another U.S. study found that women who regularly drink cola — three or

or more times a day had a four per cent lower bone mineral density in their hips than women who didn’t drink cola.

Again, phosphoric acid is thought to be the cause. No one is entirely sure why it leads to weaker bones, although some researchers argue it prevents calcium from food being used to renew bones.

GENDER-BENDING CHEMICAL

The ‘gender bending’ chemical BPA, or bisphenol A, has been linked to heart disease, cancer and birth defects.

It is found in baby bottles, plastic forks, CD cases and in the lining of aluminium fizzy drinks cans, including those of Coca-Cola.

Because it mimics the female sex hormone oestrogen, and thus disrupts the natural balance of the body, some believe it could be dangerous — particularly to foetuses (pictured).

Some animal studies have indicated it is safe. Others have linked BPA to breast cancer, liver damage, obesity, diabetes and fertility problems.

Despite the uncertainty, it has been banned in baby bottles across the European Union and in Canada in case it leaches from plastic into formula milk or juice drinks.

The Food Standards Agency in the UK says it is safe in food packaging and poses no risk in fizzy drinks.

CITRIC ACID

Citric acid gives lemons (pictured), oranges and grapefruit their kick and cola its bite, helping to make the drink nearly as corrosive as battery acid when it comes to teeth.

Prolonged exposure to cola and other fizzy drinks strips tooth enamel causing pain, ugly smiles and — in extreme cases — turning teeth to stumps.

A study in the journal General Dentistry found that cola is ten times as corrosive as fruit juices in the first three minutes of drinking.

The researchers took slices of freshly extracted teeth and immersed them in 20 soft drinks. Teeth dunked for 48 hours in cola and lemonade lost more than five per cent of their weight.

A study in the British Dental Journal found that just one can of fizzy drink a day increased the risk of tooth erosion. While four cans increased the erosion risk by 252 per cent.

A handful of companies control the food industry

2012-05-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

A handful of companies control the food industry

Hundreds of brands that we find on supermarket shelves give the impression that our money goes to as many different companies. But that's not the case: a large majority of these brands are owned by a handful of companies. The following chart provides an overview of where our money actually goes.

Why this convergence is harmful?
This is a legitimate question: how the fact that these marks are controlled by so few companies is it a bad thing? Is it not just the functional outcome of our economic system?
In fact, we believe that this convergence is bad for various reasons at various levels which are all more or less interrelated. Here are five:
1 - These companies are so big that they have a dangerous political power
This reason is that, somehow, encompasses all the others. Profits from these companies are gargantuan: alone, Nestlé has generated more than $ 37 billion profit in 2010. But that money is rapidly converted into political power. Indeed, in our political system, pressure groups are constantly making efforts to pass or block legislation. In general, most lobbyists are well funded and organized, the more they can afford to have a great influence on the decisions taken at the end. The food industry conducts lobbying activities at all levels: international, national and local. In addition, large amounts are invested by these companies in the referendum campaigns of several political candidates from all parties. It would be naive to believe that these companies invest all that money (in 2010, Kraft has spent half a million dollars in contributions to U.S. political candidates; Nestlé, alone, donated nearly $ 300,000 to Schwarzenegger's campaign California) without expecting anything in return: they wish to have their say on legislation that will or will not be adopted. When asked for and against which projects they will pressure the only criterion that seems to apply in their choice is that of profit. This makes sense and seems reasonable, since these are companies which, after all, have the task of making a profit. However, political pressure for profit is often in conflict with the interests of the population, for which politicians should be able to work without countervailing pressures. It is bad for all the interest of companies comes before that of the population, especially when it comes to important areas such as public health.
The record of the labeling of products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is a good example to date, it is impossible to know if GMOs have a dangerous effect on health or not. Despite this, a majority of products on supermarket shelves already contain GMOs. The U.S. state of Oregon attempted in 2002 to introduce legislation to require companies to disclose which of their products contain GMOs. We do not mean to ban GMOs, or even reduce their use, but only to inform consumers of their presence in the products purchased, and giving them a choice to buy or not. A huge lobby representing the food giants was then formed; with each company contributing to dozens of blows thousands of dollars (PepsiCo has invested $ 127,000, Procter & Gamble, $ 80,000). Finally, the bill is not passed.
Elected officials, who would normally protect the population, are fast becoming powerless, especially if their election depends on funds advanced by these same companies. This becomes an indirect form and legal corruption, and it is easy to believe that if it were possible, these multinationals would use more direct means. Unilever has admitted to the New York Times for giving bribes, kickbacks, or "ease of payments" against members of governments in some developing countries. Unilever said they did not encourage such practices, but tolerate it when a "local custom". In other words: if politicians are corruptible in place and are already receiving bribes, kickbacks, as well enjoy it!
2 - Health Impacts
this makes sense: our health is largely by the food we comsommons; it is from them that eventually constituting our bodies. To the extent that a vast majority of foods we buy are provided by a very small number of companies, each of them has a huge part to play on our health, which is partly in their hands. Contrary to what they can say well through various advertisements, our health is not part of their genuine concern, quite the contrary.
In 2005, almost all the multinational food companies have come together to put pressure on the French government, which was preparing to pass a law banning vending sodas and snacks like "junk food" in schools, and to alter the kind of publicity surrounding the food unhealthy. Much of the project had to be abandoned due to pressure from the food industry.
Worse, despite studies of the World Health Organization and UNICEF show that the use of a substitute for breast milk to feed babies contributes to the deaths of 1.5 million children annually in developing countries underdeveloped. Nestlé, the largest manufacturer of breast milk substitutes in the world, openly promotes the choice of using substitutes even if the mother is able to breastfeed. They even fund medical clinics in underdeveloped countries who agree to promote their substitutes breast milk. These practices are directly responsible for the death or poor health of millions of children; an international boycott of Nestle has also been ongoing since the 80's because of this controversy.
3 - Impacts on the Economy
economically, the limited number of companies in the food market puts us in an oligopoly. Two major consequences follow from this:
First, a market controlled by a small number of companies provides "entry barriers", that is to say that any new company that tries to enter this market will life difficult if not impossible. For example, if a new producer is lucky enough that her local supermarket has agreed to sell its product, it is often on almost inaccessible shelves that its product will be placed, which encourages very few people buy it because of Indeed, in conspicuous places are reserved for multinationals, who pay dearly for the privilege. A small producer simply does not have the budget to compete with them. Moreover, people are used to mark the big companies, and have the reflex to immediately buy these brands (who also receive support massive advertising), which makes the competition much more difficult with them. And if a producer was able to finally break into the market with a product that interests people, it is highly likely to be quickly acquired by a multinational and its brand will become another of the hundreds that 'they already have. All this prevents healthy competition in the market.
Second, an oligopoly often leads to a cartel, i.e. a small group of companies fixed prices at a higher amount than the market, to increase their profits at the expense of consumers. This practice is generally illegal and falls under the collusion, but that does not prevent companies from entering prostitution. In April 2011, Procter & Gamble had to pay 211 million euro fine after being convicted of a cartel to fix prices in Europe with Unilever and Henkel. Henkel, the smallest company of the three (and one that took advantage of the least), was not penalized, for it is she who has denounced the cartel authorities.
4 - Environmental Impacts
Companies that control the food industry have, in general, not an environmental issue rosy. In 2001, Kraft decided to invest heavily in the business of lobbying the Bush administration to campaign against the Kyoto Protocol. In China, PepsiCo and Nestle have been convicted for pollution of waterways. Unilever, meanwhile, 7.4 tons of illegally dumped waste contaminated with mercury at the entrance to the forest Pambar Shola in India, right next to a city with high population density. Unilever was forced to close this plant mercury for this reason. It's also no surprise that Procter & Gamble has lobbied to weaken environmental laws European projects in the area of chemicals. Because of pressure from P & G, the final legislation passed in 2003 by the European Parliament protects only very few citizens and the environment of toxic substances in household products. This "militant" anti-environmentalist whose proofs are these companies have one goal: to ensure that production is the cheapest possible in the short term. Damage in the longer term to the overall population of our planet, including that of animals, has no weight, but he look good.
But the most significant impact that these companies have on the environment may be connected to the massive use of palm oil in their food. Indeed, the devastating impacts (large-scale deforestation, relocation of local communities leading to violent situations, extinction of animal species, emission of greenhouse gases) industry of palm oil have been revealed in recent years, but palm oil is still used extensively in a variety of processed products, mainly because of its cheapness and the fact that it represents an alternative (equally unhealthy) to trans fats.
5 - Human Impacts
The reputation of several multinationals about the working conditions they impose abroad is well established. Over the years, companies operating in various fields have been in the spotlight, the center of several scandals. The fact that the food industry also behaves in this way will therefore probably not surprising. Despite this, the severity of the actions of some of these companies may surprise many.
In 2005, Nestlé has been pursued by the ILRF (International Labor Right Fund) for child trafficking. These children are brought into Ivory Coast from surrounding countries to work on cocoa plantations used by the company. Despite several warnings at the point of Nestlé to inform them of these practices, Nestlé has never really reacted on the issue before continuing. Another lawsuit was launched in the U.S., where Nestlé is accused of complicity in slavery, abduction and torture of children in several countries in West Africa. Not to mention the murder of a union leader in Colombia. He had publicly denounced a sneaky strategy that allowed Nestlé to change the labeling of imported milk powder to it seems to be a local product. The powder, often past due, was imported from neighboring countries at a discount. The complaint led to a police investigation which confirmed the facts and reflects Nestlé to court to have undermined public health. Several other murders have mysteriously struck workers who filed complaints against Nestle. But this kind of practice is not the monopoly of Nestlé: the case of Coca-Cola is not any better.
How to react?
Hard not to feel helpless in the face of multinationals have budgets too immense, a great political influence and who can consistently afford the best lawyers to fight any further. But the exorbitant revenues of these companies, which maintain these practices, does not grow on trees ... they come from our pockets! It is we who give them when every week we buy hundreds of products that we offer at the supermarket. Food is a huge market: each of us must eat to stay alive, and at rehearsal! Our visits to the supermarket are regular and represent the sum, much of our budgets. It would be wrong to believe that the impact that each of us has on this industry is minimal. Do the exercise, and calculate how much money you spend on groceries per year. Better yet, try out at your next visit, what percentage of the products you buy are sold by a few multinationals: you can calculate approximately how much money you give them. The result may be surprisingly high. So even if we cut one of his contributions, the impact will be several thousand dollars!
Two obstacles arise, however:
- It is difficult to avoid products sold by the handful of companies. They are everywhere, and sometimes it may seem that no alternative is offered: if you do not buy the product from Nestle, then you buy one Kraft or PepsiCo. But there are alternatives, just search for them. They sometimes require extra effort, especially the effort to do a little research on the origin of the products we choose to buy (and the company that manufactures them). This effort is seen at the individual level, however, rewarded by the consciousness of being a good choice, and collectively with money invested elsewhere in this oligopolistic system.
- The brands owned by these companies are part of our lives long, they are everywhere. We're used to, sometimes attached. Advertising encourages us to constantly buy them. Very often, it is very difficult to imagine the ban all of our lives, suddenly and completely change our habits in a jiffy, it just is not realistic.
But these obstacles should not stop us! First, it may be convenient to print our great graphic and drag it to the store to make the diagnosis of our habits, but also to look at the products available that do not belong to these companies: one becomes aware possible alternatives. Then you can try the products available to us as an alternative, perhaps more than we will appeal, and our habits will be more easily changed. It can also be profitable to try to change our habits one by one: over time, our impact will grow more and more and we will not also destabilized. This approach is at least more realistic than a sudden boycott and inflexible, even if it is ideally desirable.

Incredible Chutneys and Raitas

2012-05-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

Incredible Chutneys and Raitas

Raita

Ingredients

-250g yogurt
- 1/4 cup fresh milk
-1 cucmber, peeled fine chopped
-1 tomato, fine diced
-1/4 bell pepper,cut in thin stripes
-1/4 ts ground black pepper
-salt to taste
-1/4 ts Zeera
- few fresh mint leaves roughly chopped.
- 1 hot green chilli fine chopped.

Nothing easier than preparing this excellent Raita. Pour milk into yogurt and stir with spoon to make thick creamy paste. Now add all other ingredients and yummy Raita is ready. Serve with grilled meats or why not to try simply with oven hot Nan.

Cucumber Raita

Ingredients

· 1 clove garlic

· ½ teaspoon salt

· 250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) natural yoghurt

· 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) light sour cream

· 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

· 2 teaspoons finely shredded mint leaves

· 1 seedless cucumber, finely sliced

Crush the garlic with the salt using the flat of a knife on a wooden board, until a smooth paste forms. In a bowl mix together the yoghurt, sour cream, ginger, garlic and mint leaves. Finally stir in the cucumber. Serve chilled, as an accompaniment to a hot curry.

Banana Raita

Ingredients

· 2 tablespoons lemon juice

· 2 teaspoons sugar

· ½ teaspoon salt

· a good pinch of chilli powder

· 1 teaspoon ghee or oil

· 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

· 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

· 375 ml (12 fl oz/1½ cups) natural yoghurt

· 2 cups sliced bananas (about 3 large ripe bananas)

Stir together the lemon juice, sugar, salt and chilli powder. Heat the ghee or oil and fry the cumin and black mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds pop, pour over the yoghurt and mix. Fold in the bananas and the lemon juice mixture. If liked, 3 tablespoons freshly grated coconut or desiccated coconut may be added to the Raita. Serve with rice and curries.

Mint or Coriander Chutney

Ingredients

· A great dip for Samosas

· 1 cup firmly packed mint or coriander leaves

· 6 spring onions, chopped

· 2 fresh green chillies, sliced

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 2 teaspoons sugar

· 1 teaspoon Garam Masala (see page 168)

· 4 tablespoons lemon juice

· 2 tablespoons water

Blend all ingredients to a pure. Serve as is, or mix with a little natural yoghurt if a lighter dip is preferred.

· Coconut and Herb Chutney

· 1 cup desiccated or freshly grated coconut

· 4 spring onions or 1 medium onion, chopped

· ½ cup lime or lemon juice

· ½ cup mint or coriander leaves

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1 teaspoon ghee or oil

· 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

· 2 teaspoons cumin seeds

If using desiccated coconut put into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons water or sufficient to moisten all the coconut. Put the onions, lime or lemon juice and fresh herbs into the blender and liquidize. Add salt and coconut and blend again to make a thick puree. Heat ghee or oil in a small pan and fry the mustard and cumin seeds, stirring, until mustard seeds pop. Pour over the coconut mixture and mix with a spoon. Serve in a small dish as an accompaniment

Aaloo Bukharay Ki Chutney

Ingredients

-1/4 kg Dried plums (aaloo bukharay)
-2 cups Water
-1/2 cup Sugar or to taste
-Salt To taste
-peppers (ground) To taste
-Red chili powder To taste
-1/2 cup Vinegar
-Red food color (optional) One pinch

1. Add water, salt, red chili powder, and peppers to dried plums and boil till they get soft.
2. Add sugar to them and cook on medium heat, until it melts and the mixture becomes a bit thick (for about 2 minutes).
3. Add food color, vinegar and boil for another minute. It is now ready to be served with Nan.

Imli Ki Meethi Chutney

Sweet tamarind chutney

Ingredients

- 150 gm soft tamarind (pitted)
- 300 ml water
-300 gm fine sugar
-1\2 tsp. red chili powder
-2 tsp cumin (zeera)
-1\4 tsp. salt

1. Place tamarind and water in a food processor or blender and

blend to a puree.

2. Put all of the ingredients in a heavy based saucepanand cook

over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high and

stirring constantly, cook for 12-15 minutes or until chutney is thick.

3. Store in an airtight container, in refrigerator. This chutney stay

fresh for two weeks in the refrigerator.

Note: This sweet chutney can be used in various dishes as a topping

e.g. Dahi Bare, fruit chat.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

-tomatoes 1/2 kg
-white zeera 1-1/2 tsp
-garlic 1 tsp
-karhi pata 2-3
-oil 2-3 tsp
-sugar 1 tsp
-coconut 1 tsp
-whole red chillies 6-8
-black pepper 1/2 tsp
-lemon juice 4 tsp
-methi 1/4 tsp
-rai 1/4 tsp
-salt 1/2 tsp

Boil water and put the kari patta,rai and tomatoes in boilingwater for 5-10 minutes,so that the skin comes out easily.Now blend the tomatoes with all the above ingredients except oil and methi.After blending put in the pan and boil again.Heat oil and add in methi,karhi patta,rai and give bhigar on top of the tomato chutney.

The causes of global warming & Green-house Effect

2012-05-04T00:44:00.001-07:00

The causes of global warming & Green-house Effect

Air contains 0.03 percent of carbon dioxide. However the atmosphere content of carbon dioxide is increasing day by day due to indiscriminate use of fossil fuels. This releases carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. The solar energy which reaches the earth a part of it is radiated, however carbon dioxide acts as a sheet and prevents, escape radiated heat energy which now remains in the atmosphere and it gets heated. This way temperature of the earth is increasing slowly day by day. This is to referred to as ‘Global Warming’. There are some causes for increasing global warming which are given below-

5 important causes of global warming:

1. The temperature of the earth increase due to increases use of, composition of fossil fuel which releases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

2. The amount of carbon dioxide is increasing due to the use of wood as fuel.

3. Methane’s produced in paddy field and Murphy land by rotting and decomposition of plants by bacteria and from cow dung rotten organic derbies etc. increases temperature of the earth.

4. CFC is used in cold storage, refrigerator, motor vehicles etc. This in turn mixes in the air. It increases the temperature at high rate.

5. The amount of nitrous oxides increases due to deforestation and use of nitrogenous fertilizer. As a result of temperature of the air has been increasing.

Means of combing be global warming:

At a global conference in 1992, 153 nations discussed on climate changes and concluded to work towards reducing the emission of green house gases mainly carbon dioxide. The measures to be taken are as follows:-

1. Consumption of fossil fuels to be reduced the production of carbon dioxide will decreases with the reduction of use of fossil fuels.

2. The non-conventional sources of energy such as solar energy, wing prowess etc. should be used in place of fossil fuels.

3. Natural gas can be used in place of coal because its carbon content is half than that of coal and contains no sulphur .

4. Fuel efficient vehicle should be designed.

5. The production and uses of chloro-fluro carbon should be lowered as far as possible.

6. A forestation is another step to decrease the concentration of carbon dioxide. Because plants use carbon dioxide for manufacture of food in the process of photosynthesis and release oxygen.

7. People should be made aware about bad effects of global warming.

Green-house effect

Carbon dioxide gas present in atmosphere performs an important function in the atmosphere and produces the green-house effect, leading to the heating up of earth and its atmosphere. Let us discuss it in detail. There is a protective layer of ozone gas, high up in the atmosphere and then a blanket of carbon dioxide gas in the lower atmosphere. Now, when sun-light consisting of ultra-violet rays, visible light and infra-red rays, falls on the top of the atmosphere, then first of all the harmful ultra-violet radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer. The visible light and infra-red rays then pass through the carbon dioxide layer and fall on the surface of earth.

The infra-red rays which come down from the sun are of short wavelength and pass through the carbon dioxide layer easily. Since the infra-red radiation has heating effect, so it heats the earth and the various objects on the earth. Now, since the earth and its objects become hot, so they also start emitting heat rays or infra-red rays. But since the earth's surface and the objects on it are less hot so the infra-red rays emitted by them are of long wavelength. In other words, the infra-red rays which fall on the earth from sun are of short wavelength but the infra-red rays reflected from the earth and its objects are of long wavelength.

Now, this long wavelength infra-red radiation reflected from the earth and its objects cannot escape out from the carbon dioxide layer in the atmosphere. Since the carbon dioxide molecules have the ability to absorb the long wavelength infra-red radiation reflected from the earth, so a blanket of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere traps all the infra-red rays or heat rays in the atmosphere. And these trapped infra-red rays or heat rays heat the earth's atmosphere. The heating up of earth's atmosphere due to the trapping of infra-red rays (reflected from the earth's surface) by the carbon dioxide layer in the atmosphere is called green-house effect.

The green-house effect in the atmosphere occurs due to the presence of a blanket of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. This blanket of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere allows the sunlight to come in freely but does not allow the infra-red radiation reflected by the earth's surface to go out. It is just because the sun-light can come in freely but the infra-red rays cannot go out freely that the temperature of earth's atmosphere is raised. It should be noted that the rise in temperature produced by green-house effect in earth's atmosphere depends on the amount (proportion) of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere.

In other words, the proportion of carbon dioxide in atmosphere affects the temperature of atmosphere. So, if the proportion of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere increases, then the temperature of earth's atmosphere will also rise further. The name 'green-house effect' comes from the fact that this effect is used in horticulture for the upbringing of green plants in small houses made of glass walls and glass roof. The glass walls and roof of a green-house allow the sun-light (including short wavelength infra-red rays) to come in freely but it does not allow the long wavelength infra-red radiations reflected by the soil, plants and other contents of green-house to go out. These trapped infra-red rays show their heating effect due to which the temperature is raised inside the green-house.

Thus, even without an external supply of heat, the temperature inside a green-house is found to be higher than it is outside. Thus, green-house acts as a heat trap. Due to the presence of carbon dioxide, our atmosphere acts like the glass roof of an ordinary horticultural green-house.

Nuclear Accidents and Holocaust of Ozone Depletion

2012-05-04T00:33:00.000-07:00

Nuclear Accidents and Holocaust of Ozone Depletion

Nuclear accidents can occur at any stage of the nuclear fuel cycle. The modern fusion bombs (nuclear bombs) are of explosive force of 500 kilotons and 10 megatons. Nuclear bombardment will cause combustion of wood, plastics, petroleum, forests etc.

Large quantity of black soot will be carried to the stratosphere. Black soot will absorb solar radiations and won't allow the radiations to reach the earth.

Therefore, cooling will result. The infrared radiations, which are re-radiated from the atmosphere to the earth, will have very less water vapours and carbon dioxide to absorb them. If they leave the lower atmosphere the greenhouse effect will be disturbed and cooling will occur. Due to this cooling effect, water evaporation will also reduce.

Therefore, infrared radiations absorbing water vapours will reduce in the atmosphere. This will also cause cooling. In the stratosphere there won't be significant moisture to rainout the thick soot. So due to nuclear explosions, a phenomenon opposite to global warming will occur.

This is called nuclear winter. It may result in lower global temperature. It will drastically affect crop production. Crop productivity will reduce substantially causing famines and human suffering.

The Chernobyl nuclear 1986 has resulted in wide spread contamination by radioactive substances. The devastation caused by nuclear bombs is not only immediate but may be long lasting. Towards, the end of World War II, bombing of Dresden, Germany caused huge firestorms. This caused particle laden updrafts in the atmosphere.

In nuclear holocaust in Japan 1945, two nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities in Japan. One fission bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. This holocaust (large scale destruction of human lives by fire) killed about 1, 00,000 people and destroyed the city.

This forceful explosion emitted neutrons and gamma radiations. It had a force of 12 kilotons of trinitrotoluene (TNT). The radioactive Strontium (⁹⁰Sr) liberated in the explosion resembles calcium and had the property of replacing calcium of the bones.

As a result large scale bone deformities occurred in the inhabitants of these cities. Even after more than 50 years the impacts of nuclear fallout are still visible.

Ozone depletion?

2012-05-04T00:23:00.000-07:00

Ozone depletion?

Without our atmosphere, there would be no life on Earth. A relatively thin envelope, the atmosphere consists of layers of gases that support life and provide protection from harmful radiation. Ozone layer is a layer of the chemical ozone present in the atmosphere protecting the Earth from ultraviolet radiation. But atmospheric ozone layer depletion is a serious problem currently facing the world. The ozone layer protects humans, animals, and plants from harmful ultraviolet rays. Money and time are being spent on ozone repair, but the problem still exists.

The ozone layer is a region of the stratosphere containing ozone, or O3 gas. The ozone layer is essential to both plant and animal life on earth because it protects the surface from dangerous ultraviolet light. However, industrial and domestic chemicals that are currently in use have been found to destroy ozone, and the problem has intensified to an ozone layer “hole” above Antarctica. Ozone levels there are 40 per cent below normal, and there may be another ozone hole forming above the Arctic region.

Recently, a number of chemicals have been found to aid in the rapid destruction of ozone. Most of these chemicals are compounds called chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. It is difficult to ban them out rightly because they have many industrial uses. CFCs are widely used because they are non-toxic, bib-flammable, and inexpensive. Recent environmental laws on both the state and national levels have banned the use of some CFCs, but the question of their disposal still remains. Chlorofluorocarbons however do not destroy ozone directly.

There are a number of different CFCs. The compounds most responsible for ozone layer destruction are CFC-11(trichlorofluoromethane), C=CL3; CFC-12(dichlorodifluoromethane), CF2CL2; and CFC=113(1, 1, 2 trichlorotrifluoroethane), CF2CICFCL2. All of these compounds are excellent refrigerants. Some other non-CFC compounds that destroy the ozone layer include carbon tetrachloride (tetrachlorometqane), ccl4; methyl chloroform (1, 1, 1 trichloroethane), CH3CCL3; AND METHYL CHLORIDE (CHLOROMETHANE), CH3CL3

The result of ozone layer depletion is an increase in ultraviolet rays at the surface. Humans, animals, marine life, and plants are all vulnerable to UV radiation damage. Current studies indicate that ultraviolet rays could be disastrous to the marine eco-system. High UV concentration causes phytoplankton, microscopic organisms at the base of the food chain, to decrease their reproductive activity.

Numerous studies have proven that ultraviolet radiation, in both the UV-A and UV-B forms, causes skin cancer. Ultraviolet radiation has effects on plants as well, though different species react in different manners. The ozone layer is an intricate problem since the atmosphere is constantly shifting and diffusing. When the planes release the gasses, they would react with the harmful chlorine compounds and reduce their destructive power. However, the environmental effects could be shocking and it would be a complex and costly project.

Another radical approach to CFC elimination is the use of lasers. Thomas six, a Princeton university physics professor says that lasers tuned to the right frequency can break CFCs apart without affection other atmospheric gasses. The disadvantage is the cost, which would be roughly 10 billion dollars a year in electricity. One alternative being studied by major U.S. research laboratories are aerogels. Aerogels are sol-gel substances that have the insulation shape and are stronger than Styrofoam. While aerogels share many properties with plastics, they cannot be shaped as easily. Therefore, until better manufacturing technology can be implemented, aerogels will remain experimental.

There is no obvious solution to the ozone layer problem. It has been estimated that if CFC production ceased today’s, people living 70 years from now would still have to de4al with their effects. Also, conflicts between industrialists and environmentalists in government have prevented sufficient CFC blocking legislation from being fully effective. If the ozone layer can be repaired, it will take a massive effort by the people and government to make if successful.

Child Sex Workers in India

2012-04-10T05:26:00.000-07:00

Child Sex Workers in India

The sexual exploitation of children by means of prostitution is an old and worldwide problem. In many countries, prostitution is part of their history and culture, existing for hundreds of years. However, child prostitution is a direct violation of a child’s Human Rights.Millions of children are forced into prostitution because of many different reasons, one being poverty and the need to survive. However, it is important to note that poverty alone does not cause millions to suffer throughout their life. Gender discrimination also plays a large role in causing such a problem, while poverty blatantly underscores the racial and sexual discrimination going on in prostitution around the world. Discrimination, along with a general lack of education and job opportunities, forces innocent children to give up their most valuable assets: their childhood, their health and their future.

Renowned Indian News paper wrote in one of its Publication that:

“There are about 2.8 million prostitutes in India out of which 36 per cent are children, the Rajya Sabha was informed.

The common factors for entry into prostitution have been economic distress, growing consumerism, illiteracy, lack of vocational skills, migration, ill-treatment by parents and desertion by spouse, according to a study on girls and women in prostitution”.

In India, children’s vulnerabilities and exposure to violations of their protection rights remain spread and multiple in nature. The manifestations of these violations are various, ranging from child labour, child trafficking, to commercial sexual exploitation and many other forms of violence and abuse. Although poverty is often cited as the cause underlying child labour, other factors such as discrimination, social exclusion, as well as the lack of quality education or existing parents’ attitudes and perceptions about child labour and the role and value of education need also to be considered. In states like Bihar, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, 60 per cent or more girls dropped out before completing their five years primary education.

Underage prostitution

Many prostitutes are said to be underage, entering the sex trade as young as 12. Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal states together account for 26% of the total number of prostitutes in the country. Child prostitution is a major problem in India involving around 1.2 million children with at-least 100 million people were involved in human trafficking in India.

Research

Much new knowledge on sex work in India came from the first major survey, in April 2011. This was performed by the Center for Advocacy on Stigma and Marginalisation (CASAM), which is part of SANGRAM, a major NGO that deals with sex workers.

According to a Human Rights Watch report, Indian anti-trafficking laws are designed to combat commercialized vice. The primary law dealing with the status of sex workers is the 1956 law referred to as The Immoral Traffic (Suppression) Act (SITA). According to this law, prostitutes can practice their trade privately but cannot legally solicit or 'seduce' customers in public. Clients can be punished for sexual activity in proximity to a public place. Organized prostitution (brothels, prostitution rings, pimping, etc.) is illegal. As long as it is done individually and voluntarily, a woman (male prostitution is not recognized in the Indian constitution) can use her body's attributes in exchange for material benefit. In particular, the law forbids a sex worker to carry on her profession within 200 yards of a public place. Unlike as is the case with other professions, sex workers are not protected under normal labour laws, but they possess the right to rescue and rehabilitation if they desire and possess all the rights of other citizens.

In practice SITA is not commonly used. The Indian Penal Code (IPC) which predates the SITA is often used to charge sex workers with vague crimes such as "public indecency" or being a "public nuisance" without explicitly defining what these consist of. Recently the old law has been amended as The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act or PITA. Attempts to amend this to criminalize clients have been opposed by the Health Ministry, and has encountered considerable opposition. In an interesting and positive development in the improvement of the lives of female sex workers in Calcutta, a state-owned insurance company has provided life insurance to 250 individuals.

India's 944 580 000 inhabitants live in an area of 3 287 590 km², with an expectation that the population will reach 1 billion in May. Almost a quarter of this total are under 18 years of age. 25% of the population live in urban areas and this is estimated to be growing annually at just over 1%. Over population and lack of education in nutrition and health contribute to the deaths of around 11 000 children each day. In 1951, 164 million Indians were living in poverty compared to 312 million in 1993-94.

There are estimated to be over 900 000 sex workers in India. 30% are believed to be children. Recent reports estimate that the number of children involved in prostitution is increasing at 8 to10% per annum.

About 15% of the prostitutes in Mumbai (Bombay), Delhi, Madras, Calcutta, Hyderabad and Bangalore are children. It is estimated that 30%of the prostitutes in these six cities are under 20 years of age. Nearly half of them became commercial sex workers when they were minors. Conservative estimates state that around 300 000 children in India are suffering commercial sexual abuse, which includes working in pornography.

In one study of 456 sex workers in Mumbai who had been 'rescued' by police in February 1996, a fifth were under 18 years and two-thirds were under 20. The main obstacle in the cracking down on child prostitution for the police is the issue of rehabilitation and where to place and reintegrate all the children that they rescue.

ROOTS: The problem of child prostitution in India is more complicated than in other Third World countries where it is directly related to sex tourism. In India, sexual exploitation of children has its roots in traditional practices, beliefs and gender discrimination. According to some research, child prostitution is socially acceptable in some sections of Indian society through the practice of Devdasi. Young girls are given to the 'gods' and they become a religious prostitute. There are believed to be around 3 300 devdasis in Belguam area alone. Devdasi is banned by the Prohibition of Dedication Act of 1982. Parents or guardians dedicating their girls are liable to five years in jail and a Rs5 000 (approximately £71) fine.

AGE: According to a madam in Kamatipura, the average age of girls supplied to the brothels in the last two years has decreased from 14 and 16 years to 10 and 14 years. A girl between 10 and 12 years fetches the highest price.

AIDS: The fear of HIV/AIDS has increased the demand for virgins and children. Clients mistakenly believe that children have fewer chances of contracting the disease. Similarly there is the myth that a man can rid himself of sexually transmitted diseases if he sleeps with a virgin. Recent Indian Government statistics put the number of people infected with HIV at 3.5million, indicating approximately three out of every 100 Indians are now infected with the virus which leads to AIDS. Almost 9 out of 10 of those people are below 45 years old.

TRAFFICKING: About 7,000 sex workers cross over from Nepal into India every year. 66% of the girls are from families where the annual income is about Rs5 000. They may be sold by their parents, deceived with promises of marriage or a lucrative job or kidnapped and sold to brothel owners. Between 40 - 50% are believed to be under 18, the age of consent in India, some are as young as 9 or 10 years old.

RURAL ISSUE: Child sex workers are not confined to big cities. A survey in Bihar revealed that roadside brothels for truck drivers in the Aurangabad and Sasaram districts offered sex workers aged between 6 and 18 years.

CASE EXAMPLES:

Meena was married off at 12. Soon after she was taken to Delhi by her husband, where she found out that he was a pimp. In the last three years, she has serviced up to six clients a night. The major part of her earnings goes to pay rent on the little room, the rest goes to her husband.
Rita was sold at 9 years old. She washed and cooked for a madam in Delhi for a few months until a client wanted a virgin. Two years later, she barely talks to anyone and spends most of her spare time painting flowers.
Maya, 10, was taken to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh by her aunt who was paid Rs 3 000. When she refused to have sex with a client, she was locked in a room for two days, scared with snakes and beaten unconscious. When she came around she was raped by the client. Four years on, Maya lives in the red-light area of Mumbai. Her two year old spends the night in a crèche run by a social service organization. When he was only a few months old, she used to drug him and put him under her working cot. JUBILEE ACTION RESPONSE Jubilee Action is supporting two houses on the outskirts of Mumbai which are providing permanent homes for orphaned and abandoned children of prostitutes working in its red light district. The staff has rescued some of the 50 girls, others have been brought by their parents in order to protect their children from the streets' influence. Having received little education on the streets, the girls are integrated into the local school system and extra tuition is available at the home if required.

Case Study:

Asha was left to fend for herself on the streets of Bombay after her mother, a prostitute in the red light district, died. Her father wanted to sell her to a brothel owner but Jubilee House staff rescued her. Asha is now studying hard, has passed her typing exam and is happy and safe from the dangers of the streets. 111 million children of the 250 million child labour force are Indian…

Every 2nd child has no access to primary education in India…
Every 3rd girl child does not live to see her teen years in India…
There are no estimates of the number of children who are subjected to child-trafficking, debt-bondage, forced labour, pornography, prostitution and drugs, in India…

Trafficking of persons is the second largest illegal trade after arms sale. In 1997 according to U.N calculations, the procurers, smugglers, and corrupt public officials involved in the international trade in human beings, extracted $ 7 billion in profits from their cargo. There are no accurate statistics of how many people are involved, but it is estimated that in the last 30 years, trafficking in women and children in Asia for sexual exploitation alone has victimized over 30 million people. Everyday about 200 girls and women in India enter prostitution and 80% of them against their will. At the current rate of growth by 2025 one out of every five Indian girl children will be a child prostitute.

Every hour, four women and girls in India enter prostitution, three of them against their will.

13-year-old Mira of Nepal was offered a job as a domestic worker in Mumbai, India. Instead she arrived at a brothel on Mumbai's Falkland Road, where tens of thousands of young women are displayed in row after row of zoo-like animal cages. Her father had been duped into giving her to a trafficker. When she refused to have sex, she was dragged into a torture chamber in a dark alley used for 'breaking-in' new girls. She was locked in a narrow, windowless room without food or water. On the fourth day, one of the madam's goondas (thug) wrestled her to the floor and banged her head against the concrete until she passed out. When she awoke, she was naked; a "rattan" cane smeared with pureed red chilli peppers shoved into her vagina. Later she was raped by the goonda. Afterwards, she complied with their demands. The madam told Mira that she had been sold to the brothel for 50,000 rupees (about US$ 1,700), that she had to work until she paid off her debt. Mira was sold to a client who became her pimp.'

Over the years, India has seen a growing mandate to legalize prostitution, to avoid exploitation of sex workers and their children by middlemen and in the wake of a growing HIV/AIDS menace.

Trafficking of children also continues to be a serious problem in India. The nature and scope of trafficking range from industrial and domestic labour, to forced early marriages and commercial sexual exploitation. Existing studies show that over 40 per cent of women sex workers enter into prostitution before the age of 18 years. Moreover, for children who have been trafficked and rescued, opportunities for rehabilitation remains scarce and reintegration process arduous.

While systematic data and information on child protection issues are still not always available, evidence suggests that children in need of special protection belong to communities suffering disadvantage and social exclusion such as scheduled casts and tribes, and the poor. The lack of available services, as well as the gaps persisting in law enforcement and in rehabilitation schemes also constitute a major cause of concern.

Dajjal - The Dark Messiah

2012-04-09T03:44:00.001-07:00

Dajjal - The Dark Messiah

‘…But I will tell you something which no Prophet has told his people. Verily he (Dajjal) is one-eyed and Allah is not one-eyed.’

(Bukhari)

The change in the weather had been sudden and dramatic, tossing the small fishing vessel around like a piece of flotsam; until it was no more than that. Its crew, a group of Sahaabah radiyallahu anhum (the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammed, peace & blessings be upon him), were washed up onto the shore of a foreign beach.

When they regained consciousness, they found that they all had survived the wreck. They decided to explore the island to see whether they could find someone to help them, maybe supply them with a boat.

It wasn’t long before they met a woman washing her hair in a rock pool. She directed them to a cave, managing to convey to them that there was someone there who wanted to speak with them. Intrigued, they entered the cave.

Within, they found a short man with only one eye, chained to the cavern wall. Right away, he began to ask them questions, whether certain events had taken place or not. They answered truthfully because of their nature. They could feel the evil of this man like a physical presence. When they had confirmed all that he had asked, the man said, ‘Alas, my time is near.’

The companions managed to get off the island and returned home safely. Upon arriving, they told their story to the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him). It was then that they first heard of Dajjal, the Dark Messiah.

There are three aspects of Dajjal:

1. The individual

2. A world wide social and cultural phenomenon

3. An unseen force.

The latter two aspects of Dajjal have been explained and outlined brilliantly by Ahmed Thomas in his book ‘Dajjal - The King Without Clothes.’ Through intense research, he has managed to write a brilliant account of scary facts that bring home the full weight of reality. He explains the social and cultural phenomenon as a system that is being prepared by the minions and followers of Dajjal, through which he will operate and spread his evil. The Unseen Force is defined as the supernatural beings, such as Djinns and UFO’s, who abduct and posses humans to further his cause. Contemporary books such as ‘Omen’ and ‘Body Snatchers’, paint a frightening image of possibilities.

In this article, I intend to unveil the first aspect; the individual. The Book of Revelations by John (New Testament) contains prophecies regarding the Anti-Christ. However, over the times, many alterations have occurred in the original text and the commentaries have deviated from the actual meanings. That and the lack of consistency have left it in doubt of reliability and accuracy. Hence, there only remains the Hadith of the Noble Prophet Mohammed (peace & blessings be upon him) as the only accurate source of information.

In a Hadith narrated by Imran ibn Hussain radiyallahu anhum, the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) said, ‘Since the birth of Adam till the advent of Qiyaamah (Judgement Day) there is no fitnah (tribulation) much greater than that of Dajjal.’

(Muslim)

In anyone’s book, Dajjal is the embodiment of evil. A wise man once said, ‘Know your enemies and keep them close to you. By knowing them, you know your weakness, thus neutralising their potency.’ There are many Hadith which describe Dajjal’s appearance, his height and his powers.

Ubadah ibn Saamit radiyallahu anhu narrates that the Last Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) said, ‘I have explained Dajjal to you, but I fear that you might not have understood. Maseeh-ud-Dajjal will be short and his legs will be crooked. The hair on his head will be extremely twisted. He will have one eye, while his other eye will be flat. It will be neither deep, nor protruding.’

Ibn Umar radiyallahu anhuma narrates from the Last Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) regarding Dajjal, ‘…red complexioned, fat, curly haired man, blind in the right eye which looks like a bulging grape.’

(Bukhari)

According to the many Ahaadith describing Dajjal, the most distinguishing feature of his face besides the bulging eye will be the Arabic letters Kaaf (k), Faa (f), Raa (r), on his forehead. These letters spell Kufr (disbelief). All believers, regardless of their literacy will decipher these letters.

It has also been ascertained from the Hadith that he will emerge from between Syria and Iraq, and his emergence will become known when he is in Isfahaan, at a place called Judea. He will be of Jewish origin and the Jews of Isfahaan will be his main followers and they will refer to him as the Messiah. As he goes on through the world, Jews and a great number of non-Jewish women will flock to him upon witnessing his false miracles.

Imran ibn Hussain radiyallahu anhu narrated from the Prophet Mohammed (peace & blessings be upon him), ‘Those who hear about Dajjal should stay away from him. By Allah! A person will approach him thinking himself to be a believer. But on seeing his amazing feat he will become his follower.’

(Abu Dawood)

‘The Beast was taken and with him the false prophet who wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them.’

(Revelation:19)

The miracles and feats spoken of by the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him) and John, the writer of the Book of Revelations, are further clarified by the Hadith narrated by Hadhrat Huzaifah radiyallahu anhu:

‘Dajjal will be blind in the right eye. He will have thick hair on his body and he will also have Paradise and Hell with him. Though his Paradise will appear as Jannah, in reality it will be Hell, and likewise, though his Hell will appear like Jahannnam, in reality it will be Paradise.’

(Muslim)

Those who obey the Dark Messiah will enter his Paradise (and thus enter Hell), and those who denounce him will enter his Hell (and so shall in reality be entering Paradise). He will travel by means of a gigantic mule, at impossible speeds. He will cause droughts and famine upon those who reject him. But the remembrance of the true Lord will satiate them.

Ubadah ibn Saamit radiyallahu anhu narrates from the Noble Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him), ‘If you still have any doubts regarding him (Dajjal), then remember, your Sustainer is not one-eyed.’

Ibn Umar radiyallahu anhuma narrates from the Noble Prophet (peace & blessings be upon him), ‘Allah is not one-eyed, while Maseeh-ud-Dajjal is blind in the right eye.’

(Bukhari)

He will remain on the Earth for a period of forty days, of which the first day will be as long as a year, the second day as long as a month, the third as a week and the rest will be normal in length. He will try to gain entry to the two holy cities Makkah and Madinah, but the angels who guard them will bar him from them. From there, he will flee to Syria, where he will meet resistance from the forces of Imam Mahdi, the leader of the Muslims. Then shall the battle between Good and Evil begin in earnest.

Imran ibn Hussain radiyallahu anhu narrates from the Noble Prophet Mohammed (peace & blessings be upon him), ‘There will always be a group of people upon the path of Allah, overpowering their enemies until the Order Of Allah comes and Isa alaihis salaam(Jesus - peace be upon him) descends.’

Finally, when the spirit of the Muslims begins to ebb, Isa (Jesus - peace be upon him) will be commanded by Allah to descend from the heavens. He will not descend as a prophet, but as a follower of the Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him) and Islam.

‘Anti Christ in Christian Theology, the opponent of Christ. The appearance of the Anti Christ is believed to signal the Second Coming, at which Christ would conquer his opponent. The concept may stem from the idea of conflict between light and darkness, which is present in Persian, Babylon and Jewish literature and which influences early Christian Theology.’

(Hutchinsons Encyclopaedia)

As before, through the medium of the Hadith, the event of Isa (Jesus - peace be upon him)’s return and all that follows has been accurately recorded. He will descend on Mount Afeeq, on the white Eastern Minaret of Damascus. He will descend from the heavens with his hands resting on the shoulders of two angels. His cheeks will be flat and his hair straight. When he lowers his head it will seem as if water is flowing from his hair, when he raises his head, it will appear as though his hair is beaded with silvery pearls.

He will descend during the time of Fajr and the leader of the Muslims will address him thus, ‘O`Roohullah, lead the salat.’

Isa (Jesus - peeace be upon him) will decline with the words, ‘The virtue of this Ummah is that they lead each other.’

After the prayer, Isa (Jesus - peeace be upon him) will prepare himself to do battle and shall take up a spear. An army shall return from a campaign launched before the arrival of Isa (Jesus - peeace be upon him). They shall bring glad tidings of victory over India, granted to them by the Lord Almighty. Isa (Jesus - peeace be upon him) shall set out in pursuit of Dajjal. All those who embraced the evil of Dajjal shall perish even as the breath of Isa (Jesus - peeace be upon him) touches them. The breath of Isa (Jesus - peeace be upon him) shall proceed him as far as the eye can see. Dajjal will be captured at Lydda. The Dark Messiah shall begin to melt, as lead melts in fire. The spear of Isa (Jesus - peace be upon him) shall plunge into Dajjal’s chest, ending his dreaded reign. The followers of Dajjal will be rooted out, for even the trees and rocks will speak out against them. Then all battles shall cease and the world will know an age of peace. Then truly the sheep will lie in the shadow of the wolf without fear. The rule of Jesus will be just and all shall flock to him to enter the folds of the one true religion, Islam.

Return of Jesus and Muslim’s View of World End

2012-04-09T03:22:00.000-07:00

Return of Jesus and Muslim’s View of World End

Introduction

All praises is due to Allah. We praise Him, ask him, and seek his forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from evils of ourselves and mischiefs of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, cannot be misguided. Peace and blessings be upon the Final Messenger Muhammed, on his family and his noble companions , Ameen

Belief in Doomsday is one of the fundamentals and pillars of faith. It is the day when everyone is to get recompense and punishment for one's work and has to go to heaven or hell according to one's deeds. This is the reason each and every Prophet warned his people of the Day of Judgement.

As for the knowledge of the time of Qiyamah (End of the World) , it has not been given to any angel or Prophet. Nobody besides Allah knows when the final hour is.
The Quran states, O Prophet the infidels ask you about the time of Qiyamah. So tell them that it's knowledge is with Allah only. (Surah Luqman)

However certain events are going to take place prior to the coming of the final hour. These events are known as the Signs of Qiyamah. All the Prophets informed their people of the signs of the final hour. Our Prophet Muhammed being the last and the seal of Prophets, knowing that Doomsday is to come upon this very ummah, explained clearly and in considerable detail the signs of the final hour to the extent that sometimes he would lecture his companions all day on this subject.
Abu Zaid (R.A.) says, 'The Holy Prophet sat down on the pulpit after Fajar Prayer and began a deliver a long sermon until the time for Zohr prayer came. After saying the Zohr prayer he again sat on the pulpit and began the sermon, which continued till Asr prayer. After the Asr prayer he resumed the sermon so much so that the sun set. he related whatever happened in the past and also related in detail whatever is to happen in the future. Those amongst us who had good memories retained many things.' (Muslim)

The signs of the final hour can be divided into two groups.
1) Minor signs
Minor signs are events of normal nature prophesised by our Prophet Muhammed to take place before Qiyamah like the consumption of alcohol, lifting of knowledge and prevalence of ignorance and immorality and signs of this nature. The majority of the minor signs have appeared while some are occurring and some will appear with major signs.

2) Major signs

Major signs ae events of extraordinary nature prophesied by our Prophet to take place before Qiyamah like all the events mentioned in the following hadith narrated by Hudhaifa ibn Usayd that the Prophet said, 'The last hour will not arrive till you have seen ten signs. He then mentioned the Smoke, Dajjal, Beast, Rising of the Sun from the place of its setting, the Descent of Isa, Ya'juj Ma'juj, Three Landslides, one in the East , one in the West and one in the Arabian Peninsula after that a Fire would spread from Yemen and drive the people to their place of gathering.' (Muslim)

This book written by the Ulama of the Institute is a concise summary of only the major events leading up to the Day of Judgement. Each of the following signs: Mahdi, Dajjal, Descension of Isa, Ya'juj Ma'juj, Landslides, Smoke, Rising of the Sun from the east, Beast and the Fire are explained in detail. The supporting evidences are written at the end of every section and have been taken from various authentic Hadith collections.
All Praises belong to Allah, Lord of all the world.

THE MAHDI

The Coming of Imaam Mahdi is one of the signs of Qiyamah as is the belief of the Ahlus-Sunnah and he has yet to appear.

Abdullah-bin-Masood has reported that the Prophet said, "The world will not pass away before the Arabs are ruled by a man (referring to Mahdi) of my family whose name will be the same as mine." (Abu Daud)

However, many people in the past falsely claimed to be Imaam Mahdi. One of these false claimants was Mohd-bin-Tomart, a tyrant who spread corruption and even buried some of his companions because they didn't believe that he was the Mahdi described by the Ahadith of Prophet . Some believe it was Mohd-bin-al Askari who disappeared at the age of 5 and went into hiding and has been hiding for 10 centuries. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (The Cursed) was also one of those who claimed to be the Mahdi as well as many other people. Besides those mentioned there were many others who claimed the office of Mahdi, the most recent being somebody from Manchester who claimed the position for himself.

It should be noted that none of the above or anybody else who claimed to be the Mahdi in the past fulfilled the conditions laid down by the Prophet .

A list of some of the signs which will precede Imaam Mahdi and some that describe him have been gathered in this book so that we Muslims are not misled to believe in somebody claiming to be the Mahdi who in reality is a blatant liar.

Signs That Will Precede Him

1) A General Sign
There are many signs that will precede him; a general and very important sign is that he will come at a time when there is great confusion, intense disputes and violent death. When people are afflicted by disturbances and fear. Calamities will fall upon the people, so much so that a man shall not find shelter to shelter him from oppression. There will be many battles and fitnaas before his appearance. Every time a fitnaa has come to an end, another will start, spread and intensify. The people will be troubled to such extent that they will long for death. It is then that Imaam Mahdi will be sent.
Abu Saeed al-Khudri has reported that the Messenger of Allah said:
''He will be sent at a time of intense disputes and differences among people and earthquakes.'' (Ahmad)

2) Note. The Double Eclipse In Ramadan statement quoted from Darequtni is NOT verified, indeed its authenticity is questionable. It is NOT to be considered as authentic Hadith.

3) The Battle in Mina
Before Imaam Mahdi emerges an inter-tribal fight will take place. In the same year Haji's will be looted and a battle will erupt in Mina in which many people will be killed.
Amr-bin-Shuaib reported from his grandfather that the Messenger of Allah said, ''In Dhul-Qada (Islamic month) the tribes will fight, Hajis will be looted and there will be a battle in Mina in which many people will be slain and blood will flow until it runs over the Jamara-tul-aqba. Their companions (referring to Imaam Mahdi) will flee to a point between the Corner and the Maqaam and will be forced to accept people's allegiance.'' (Al-Fitan Nuaim-b-Hammad)
4) The Euphrates Will Disclose Mountain of Gold
The final hour will not come until the river Euphrates (which flows through Syria and Iraq and finally opens in the Gulf) will disclose a mountain of gold over which people will fight and die. It should be noted that this is a sign, which will precede Imaam Mahdi only according to some Ulama. Abu Huraira (R.A.) reported that the Messenger of Allah said, ''The hour shall not occur until the Euphrates will disclose a mountain of gold over which people will fight . Ninety- nine out of which hundred shall be killed and every one of them will say' Perchance I shall be the one to succeed. ''(Muslim)
In another narration we have been told that whoever is present at the time when the Euphrates discloses a mountain of gold should not take the gold.

5) Emergence of the Suffyani
The Suffyani (a descendant of Abu Sufyan) will emerge before Imam Mahdi from the depths of Damascus. According to some weak narration his name will be Urwa bin Muhammed and his Kuniya 'Abu-Utba'. The Ahadith regarding the Suffyani specify that he is a tyrant who will spread corruption and mischief on the earth before Imam Mahdi. He will be such a tyrant that he will kill the children and rip open the bellies of women. When he hears about the Mahdi, he will send an army to seize and kill him. However the Earth will swallow this army before it even reaches Imam Mahdi.
Abu Huraira (R.A.) has narrated that the Prophet said, ''A man will emerge from the depth of Damascus. He will be called Suffyani. Most of those who follow him will be from the tribe of Kalb. He will kill by ripping the stomachs of women and even kill the children. A man from my family will appear in Haram, the news of his advent will reach the Suffyani and he will send forth one of his armies. He (referring to Imam Mahdi) will defeat them. They will then travel with whoever remains until they come to a desert and they will be swallowed . None will be saved except the one who had informed the others about them. '' (Mustadarak)
6) The Emergence of Haris-Al-Harrath and Mansur
Hazrat Ali reported that the Prophet said, ''There will be a man from Transoxania who will be called Harith-Harrath and a man called Mansur will be at his vanguard. He will give abode to the family of Mohammad (referring to Imam Mahdi) just as the Quraish gave abode to the Prophet (Mishkat)

7) An army will perish in Baidah
Once he has appeared an army that has come to fight him will perish in Baidah (a flat piece of land next to Madinah facing the direction of Makkah).
Umme-Salama (R.A.) reported that the Prophet ''There shall be differences and intense dispute at the time of the death of a Khalifh. Then a man from the inhabitants of Madinah (referring to Imam Mahdi) will come out of the flee to Makkah (so that he does not get caught in the dispute and is not made the Khalifh). Some Makkans will come to him and take him out though he will be unwilling. They will then make him accept their Bayat between the Black Stone and the place of Ibrahim . An army will then be sent to fight him from Syria , however it will perish in Baidah, between Makkah and Madinah. When the people see and hear about this event ,the awliya (God fearing people) of Syria and Iraq will make Bayat with him.'' (Abu Daud)
8) A star with a luminous tail will rise from the east before his emergence. (Al-Iza'ah).

9) A voice in Ramadhan will awaken sleeps and alarm those that are awake (Ibid)

10) The emergence of al-A'hraj al-Kindi, Abqa and Ashab before Imam Mahdi (Ibid)

11) The earth will swallow a village near Damascus (Ibid)

12) An army with black banners will come from the East (Ibid)

There are many other signs which will precede Imam Mahdi. For more information read the relevant Books
The Signs of Imaam Mahdi

1) He will be from the progeny of the Prophet  and descendent of Fatimah (R.A). Umme Salama (R.A) reported: I heard the Prophet of Allah () saying, "The Mahdi will appear from my progeny, from the descendants of Fatimah." (Abu Daud)
2) His name will be Muhammad or Ahmad and his father's name will be Abdullah. Ibne Masood (R.A) reported that the Prophet  said, "If there remains in the world but a day, the mighty Allah will greatly prolong that day till he will send there in a man from me or from the members of my house. His name will be similar to my name and his father's name to my father's name." (Abu Daud)
3) He will resemble the Prophet  in character. Hadrat Ali (R.A) once looked at his son and remarked, "This son of mine is Saiyid who was named by the Prophet  and soon from his loins will come forth a man by the name of your Prophet  and who will resemble him in conduct but not in appearance." (Abu Daud)
4) He will have a shiny forehead and a high bridge nose. Abu Saeed reported that the Prophet  said, "The Mahdi will appear from me, shining of forehead, long of nose."       (Abu Daud).
5) Once Hadrat Ali (R.A) was asked regarding his description. He replied, "He is a well built youth of average height and a handsome face, his hair reaches his shoulders and the light of his face is contrasted by the darkness of his hair and beard." (Al-Isha'ah)
6) He will be slow of speech (a slight stutter) and when he is delayed, he will strike his left thigh with his right hand." (Al-Isha'ah)
7) He will appear from the east. Thawban (R.A) reported that the Prophet  said, "Three men will be killed at the place where your treasure is. Each of them will be the son of a Khalifah but none of them will get hold of the treasure. Then the black banners will come out of the east, and they will slaughter you in a way that has never been seen before. If you see him give him your allegiance, even if you have to crawl over ice, because he is the Khalifah of Allah, the Mahdi." (Ibne Majah)

Only some of the signs that will precede Imaam Mahdi and of the Mahdi himself have been gathered in this book. The true Mahdi, the one referred to in the Ahadith of Prophet as one of the signs of Qiyamah, is the one in whom the pre-mentioned signs are found.
His Emergence and the People's Bayat

After the death of a Khalifh there shall be intense dispute and difference of opinion in whom should become the next Khalifh. Fearing he may get caught up in the dispute and made the Khalifh, Imaam Mahdi will flee from Madinah to Makkah. However, to his surprise on reaching Makkah, some Makkans will bring him out of his house against his will and take him to Masjid Haraam and 313 as has been mentioned in the hadith reported by Imam Hakim in Al-Mustadrak will force him to accept their Bayat between the Rukn (corner of the Ka'aba containing the black stone) and the place of Ibrahim. The news of his allegiance will quickly spread and thus an army from Syria will be sent to fight him. However no harm will come to Imaam Mahdi nor his followers who will be supported by Allah. The earth will swallow up this army before it can get near to the Imaam in a place called Baidah (a flat piece of land between Makkah and Madinah). After seeing and hearing about this extraordinary event and sign, the Awliya (pious saints) of Syria and Iraq will come to Imaam Mahdi and swear allegiance to him between the black stone and the Maqam (the place of Ibrahim which is near the Ka'aba). (The above content can be found in the Hadith of Umme Salama/Abu Daud)
The First Battle

His first battle will be against the tribe of Kalb. A short period after the eminent saints of Syria and Iraq have sworn allegiance; a man from the Quraish will rise whose maternal uncle's belong to the Kalb tribe and he will send an army to fight Imaam Mahdi. However this army will be overcome and defeated. This will be his first victory.
The Great War

(The author of al-Isha'ah has mentioned that this battle will take place in Imam Mahdi's time).
Imam Mahdi will have to fight many battles, the most important and difficult being the battle against the Christians in which a large number of Muslims will be martyred.

' Yusayr bin Jabir said, "A red sandstorm erupted in the city of Kufah. Afterwards, a man came shouting and repeating the same words, 'O Abdullah bin Mas'ud! The hour has come.' He (Yusayr) then said that he sat up after he was leaning (on his side) and said, ''The hour will not arrive until no inheritance will be divided and no war possessions will bring about satisfaction. ''He pointed with his hands towards Ash-Sham saying, ''An enemy will gather its forces against the followers of Islam.''I said, ''Do you mean Ar-Rum? He said ''Yes.''Then, during this war, fierce fighting will occur. Muslim will ask for a volunteer expedition that will vie to die or return victorious. They will fight until the night separates them. Both sides will return to their camps not yet victorious and the expedition will perish.

Muslims will then (in the third day) ask for volunteer expedition that will vie to die or return victorious. They will fight until the night separates them. Both sides will return to their camp not yet victorious and the expedition will perish. In the fourth day, the rest of the Muslim forces will turn against them (the disbelieves) and Allah will defeat them (the disbelieves). They will suffer casualties never heard of before or he said, ''Never seen before, even birds flying near them will not pass without falling down dead.

Afterwards, sons of the same fathers (from the Muslim side), who were near a hundred, will count the survivors and will find out only one of them survived. Therefore, what war possession will bring satisfaction and what inheritance will be divided? While they are doing this they will hear of an even bigger calamity; That is, a man will scream amongst them that the Dajjal has appeared among their families which they left behind. They will discard what they have in their hands and proceed. They will send ten horsemen as an expedition force.

The Messenger of Allah said, ''I know their names and their fathers name and the colours of their horses. They will be the best horsemen on the face of Earth, ''or (he said) ''(They) Will be amongst the best horsemen on the face of Earth.'' (Muslim)
The cause of this great battle will be the Christians. The Christians and Muslims as allies will conquer a third enemy. However, the Christians will act treacherously as they will claim the victory on the strength of their religion, thus the Muslims will be driven to arms and will fight them.

Dhu Makhbar said, ''I heard the Apostle of Allah () say, ''You will make a secure peace with the Byzantines, then you will fight an enemy behind you, and you will be victorious, take the boot, and be safe you will the return and alight in a meadow with mounds and one of the Christians will raise the cross and say, 'The cross has conquered'. One of the Muslims will become angry and smash it, and the Byzantines will act treacherously and prepare for battle.''
Conquest of Constantinople

The great war between the Christians and Muslims will result in the Muslims conquering Constantinople (which is modern day Istanbul) without army by the sheer force of Takbeer (Allahu Akbar).
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet said, ''Have you heard of a town of which a part is in the sea?''
''Yes'' said they. He said: 'The last hour shall not occur till 70,000 of the children of Isaac shall attack it. When they come to it, they (Muslims) will not fight with arms, nor throw arrows. They will only say: There is no god but Allah, Allah is the greatest, and then on of its sides will fall down. They will recite for the second time : there is no god but Allah, Allah is the greatest, and then another of its side will fall down. After that they will say it for the third time: there is no god but Allah and Allah is the greatest, and then it will be opened for them and they will enter and acquire booty. While they will be dividing the booty, a proclaimer will come to them and proclaim: 'Verily Dajjal has come out. 'Then they will leave everything and return. ' (Muslim)

It should be noted that the conquests will take place a very short period. Abdullah-b-Busr has reported that the Messenger of Allah has said: 'Between the Great War and the conquest of the city (Constantinople) there will be six years, and the Dajjal shall appear in the seventh year,' (abided)
Blessings at the time of Imam Mahdi

Once again the Quran and Sunnah will govern the people, this time by the rightly guided Khalifh, Imam Mahdi. Islam will gain an upper hand and will be firmly established in the land. The oppression, tyranny, and darkness that prevailed all over the globe will be replaced with justice, peace and equity. The smile, which was long forgotten, will be restored on the Muslim faces and the inhabitants of the Heaven and Earth will be pleased with him. Everybody will be happy to the extent that even birds an wild animals will rejoice in his rule. Heaven will end rain profusely, livestock will be in abundance, land will become fertile, the earth will become green and sprout with abundant fruit ad vegetation.
(The above content has been taken from various hadith, which can be found in Abu-Daud and from the hadith narrated by Abu-Saeed al-Khudri in Musnad Ahmad.)

Due to the booty gained from the various conquest everyone will have so much wealth that an eyebrow will not even be raised at somebody else's wealth. Callers will proclaim in the street, ''Is anybody in need of anything?'' Nobody will respond except one person. In the latter part of Abu-Saeed al-Khudri's hadith it is mentioned ''A caller will call 'Who is in need of wealth?' Only one person will stand (and response to the call and say I am in need of wealth) he will be told to go to the treasurer and tell him that the Mahdi orders you to give some wealth. 'Gather and take it', he will be told. (He will begin to put it in his lap, when he realized that nobody else has come and he was the only one) he will regret it and say 'I was the greediest from among the Ummah of Muhammed . The narrator says, he will return it but it will not be accepted and it will be said to him that we do not accept what we have given. (Ahmad)

Abu-Saeed al-Khudri has also reported that the Prophet said regarding Mahdi; that a man will come to him and say, 'Give me, give me'. Then he will spread his cloth and put in it as much as he can carry.
His Reign as a Khalifh

There are different narration's regarding his reign as a Khalifh. Some traditions indicate that is reign will be seven years like the hadith of Umme Salama in Abu-Daud, ''He will remain seven years, then die, and Muslims will pray over him. '' (Abu-Daud)
Other traditions indicate that his reign will last seven, eight or nine years like the Hadith of Abu Saeed in Mustadrak.

Due to different traditions the period of Imaam Mahdi's reign is disputed. Many Scholars have taken seven years to be the period of his reign due to the fact that the Ahadith which indicate seven years are the most authentic. Other Scholars like Shah Rafiud-din, after careful analysis have concluded that the first seven years if his reign will pass without worry, he will spend the eight preparing to fight the Dajjal and spend the ninth with Prophet Isa (Jesus) He will thereafter die, Prophet Jesus will read his funeral prayer and bury him.
Dajjal

The emergence of the Dajjal is the most important sign as his trial and fitna will be the biggest ever seen on the Face of the earth and even those firm in faith will be shaken.

The Messenger of Allah said, "Between the creation of Prophet Adam and the coming of the last hour, their will arise no matter more serious than the Dajjal." (Imran-b-Hussain/ Muslim)

Due to the severity of this turmoil, every Prophet from the first to the last warned and informed his people about, the Dajjal and his turmoil. (Anas / Bukhari, Muslim)
The Dajjal will appear once the Muslim army, have conquered Constantinople and reached Syria. Emerging from the east, moving from city to city he will perform unusual feat and cause fitna wherever he goes. Before we move onto his trials many important questions need to be answered. 'Is he alive?' 'Which signs will precede him?' 'How will we recognise him?' and so forth.
The story of Hadrat Tamim Dari and the Dajjal

The story of Tamim Dari which follows, answers the first and most important question, is the Dajjal alive? and whether Hadrat Tamim Dari and his companions have seen him when they were thrown by the waves on to some remote Island.

Fatimah-bint-Qais reported, "I heard the proclaimer of the Messenger of Allah  proclaiming (for) 'Congregational Prayer'. I went to the mosque and prayed with the Prophet . When he finished his prayer, he sat upon the pulpit smiling and said, 'Let every man remain in his seat.' He then asked, 'Do you know why I have called you together?' They replied, 'Allah and his Messenger know best.' The Prophet  said, 'By Allah, I have not called you together for hope or for fear, I have called you together because Tamim ad- Dari who was a Christian, came and embraced Islam.
    He narrated a story to me, which agreed with the account I had given to you about the Dajjal. He informed me that he had embarked upon a sea-boat with thirty men of Lakhm and Jozam. Then the sea waves played with them for a month and threw them on to an island when the sun was about to set. They sat in a small side boat and landed on the Island. A beast with very coarse hair met them. They could not tell its front from its back due to its excessive hair. They asked, 'Woe to thee! Who art thou?" It replied, 'I am a spy. Go to this man in the monastery, as he is eager to receive the information you bring.
    ' Tamim Dari said, 'When it named a man for us, we fled away from it lest it might be the devil. Then we hurriedly went on until we entered the monastery and found a big-bodied man whom we had never seen before. He was firmly tied up, his hands tied to his neck, the place between his knees, and joints tied up with iron chains.' We asked, 'Woe to thee! What are thou?' He replied, 'You have the power to get my information. Inform me about yourselves.
' They replied, 'We are people from Arabia, we embarked upon a sea boat, but the sea waves played with us for a month and threw us onto this island. A beast of coarse hairs met us and said, 'I am a spy. Go to the man in the monastery.' So we approached you hurriedly. He asked, 'Tell me about the trees of Baisan. Do they bear fruit?.' 'Yes' We replied. He said, 'Behold! Soon they will not yield fruit.' He asked, 'Inform me of the lake of Tiberias. Is there water in it?' We replied, 'It is full of water.' He informed us, 'Soon its water will disappear.' He then asked, 'Inform me of the fountain of Zugara. Is there water in it and do its inhabitants irrigate with the water of the fountain?' 'Yes, it is full of water and its inhabitants irrigate from its water. He asked, 'Inform me of the Prophet of the illiterates. What does he do?' We said, 'He has just come out of Makkah and gone to Yathrib.' He asked, 'Have the Arabs fought with him?' 'Yes' We replied. He asked, 'How did he treat them' We informed him that he had got the upper hand of those of the Arabs who opposed him and they obeyed him. He said, 'Behold! It is better for them if they obey him. As for myself I am certainly the Anti-Christ and it is near that an order will be passed for me to come out. I shall then come out and travel the world. I shall leave no village at which I shall not land within 40 nights except Makkah and Taibah, which will be forbidden to me. Whenever I wish to enter one of the two, an angel with a sword in his hand will encounter me and prevent me therefrom. There will be angels on every side to guard it. The apostle of Allah struck his pulpit with his staff and said, 'This is Taibah meaning Madinah. Behold! Did I not tell you?' 'Yes' they replied. 'Behold, he is in the Syrian sea or sea of Yemen; no, rather he is from the eastern direction. He then pointed out with his hand towards the East.'   (Muslim)
Signs that will precede him

The coming of Imaam Mahdi
In light of many Ahadith the Ulama of the Ahlus-Sunnah are of the opinion that Imaam Mahdi will come before the Dajjal and the Dajjal will appear in the later parts of Imaam Mahdi's reign.

The Great Famine
There will be a famine for three years before his appearance. In the first year of the famine the heaven will withhold one third of its rain and the earth one third of its crops. In the second year of the famine heaven will withhold two thirds of its rain and the earth will withhold two thirds of its crops. In the third year there will not be a single drop of rain and not a single thing will grow and thus all the animals with hoofs and biting teeth will die and the Tasbeeh will suffice the believers hunger. (Asma-b-Yauzeed-Mishkat)

Dajjal's parents
His father will be tall and thin and his nose will be pointed like a beak while his mother will be fat with two long hands. They will both remain thirty years without a child. After thirty years a one eyed son with biting teeth and of little benefit will be born to them whose heart will remain awake while his eyes will sleep. (Abu-Bakara-Tirmidhi)

General signs that will precede Dajjal
From the hadith of Umme Shareek which can be found in Muslim we could conclude the Arabs will be less in numbers. At the same time we can conclude from the hadith of Jabir-b-Abdullah which can be found in An-Nihaya that religious learning will be at a low and very few people will be aquainted with religious principles and doctrines and thus ignorance will prevail.
Signs in the Dajjal

Dajjal's Physical description
The Dajjal is a young¹ fat ² man, wheatish³ in complexion with a broad chest ⁴ and biting teeth. Resembling Abdul Uzzah bin Qatad from the tribe of Khuza'a his head is covered⁷ with curly hair⁸ with the letters "Ka' "Fa" "Ra''⁹ written between his eyes which every believer will be able to clearly see and read literate or illiterate, he has a shining forehead¹⁰ and defect in both eyes. His left eye has a swelling pupil¹¹while he is blind¹² from the right. He has a brisk walk¹³and no children¹⁴

Footnote:
1)   Nawwas-b-Samaan / Muslim                      8) Nawwas-b-Samaan / Muslim
2)   Ibne-Umar / Bukhari /1 Muslim                  9) Hudaifah / Muslim
3)   Abdullab-b-Mugaffal / Kanzul-Ummal       10) Abu Huraira / Musnad Ahmad
4)   Abu Huraira / Musnad Ahmad                   11) Hudaifah / Muslim
5)   Abu Bakara / Tirmidhi                               12) Ibne Umar / Bukhari / Muslim
6)   Nawwas-b-Samaan / Muslim                     13) Ubiadah / Abu Daud
7)   Hudaifah / Muslim                                      14) Abu Saeed al-Khudri / Muslim

Dajjal's Emergence

Conquering Constantinople with Takbir, the Muslims will begin to take the booty. While they are distributing the war posses- sions a proclaimer will proclaim that the Dajjal has appeared and causing fitna in your homes. On hearing this cry the Muslims will leave the booty and head towards Syria¹. It will come to their knowledge that this was a false rumour. However after reaching Syria the Dajjal will truly emerge. He will come out from a road between Syria and Iraq²and his emergence will become known in Isfahan³ at a place called Yahoodah. Riding a white ass⁴, the two ears of which will be forty hands apart, 70,000 Jew's of Isfahan will follow him with hoods on their heads. Also accompanied by Devils⁶ and Jewish magicians⁷ he will first claim Prophethood⁸ and then God hood. Travelling as fast as those clouds which are driven by the winds he will travel to east and west entering every country, carrying out murders, pillage, devastation and performing unusual feats wherever he goes⁹.

Footnote:
1) Abu Huraira / Muslim
2) Nawwas-b-Samaan / Muslim
3) Anas / Al-Fathur-Rabbani
4) Abu Huraira / Baihaqi
5) Anas / Muslim
6) Jabir-b-Abdullah / An-Nihayah
7) Ibne Abbas / Kanzul-Umaal
8) Abu Umamah / lbn Majah

Dajjal's Turmoil

Dajjal's Deception
Two angels resembling two Prophets, one on either side will accompany him. This will be to test mankind. Hence Dajjal will ask, "Am I not your lord? Do I not give life and death?" One of the angels will reply, "You are a liar." However nobody will be able to hear this reply besides the other angel. The second angel addressing the first angel will say, "You are speaking the truth." Everybody will hear what this second angel said and will think that an angel is testifying that the Dajjal is Allah though in reality this second angel was addressing the first and agreeing with his reply that you are speaking the truth that the Dajjal is certainly a liar. (Narrated by Safeena-Musnad Ahrnad)

He will come to a Bedouin whose parents have passed away and will say to him, "Will you believe that I am your Lord if I bring your parents back to life." He will reply, "Yes." The devils that are accompanying him will take the form of his parents and after resembling his parents will say to him, "Oh child believe in him and follow him, he is your Lord.' The Bedouin will be deceived and forced into believing him. (Abu Umamah/Ibne Majah)

He will come to another Bedouin and say, "Will you believe in me as your Lord if I bring your camel back to life?" "Yes", he will reply. He will make a figure for him like his camel, which will have a beautiful odour and a big hump. (Asma-b-Yazeed /Mishkat)

He will have water and fire with him. As for that which the people will see as water, in reality will be fire, which will burn and as for that which people will see as fire, in reality will be cold, sweet water. The Prophet's advice is: "Whoever meets the Dajjal and sees the water and the fire, he should fall in the fire and not the water, as the fire in reality is water and the water in reality is fire.'' (Hudaifah/Mishkat)
Believers in Allah will face hardship while The believers in Dajjal will temporarily rejoice

He will come to people and tell them he is Allah and they will believe him. The sky on his order will pour rain and the earth will grow crops for these people. Their animals will graze on his land and return to them in the evening with large udders and their flanks full. He will then proceed to some other people and call them but they will refuse to believe him. Without forcing them he will leave and carry on with his mission. However, when these true believers wake up in the morning they will find that they are penniless and all their properties have been destroyed. (Nawwas-b-Samaan/Muslim)

The Earth will disclose treasure at his command
Passing by a place in ruins, he will order it to take out its hidden treasure. The earth will immediately take out its hidden treasure. The earth will immediately take out its treasure and the treasure will literally follow him wherever he goes like bees following the queen bee. (Nawwas-b-Samaan/Muslim)
Dajjal faces Opposition
On hearing about the Dajjal a true believer will head towards him. However, on the way he will be stopped by Dajjal's soldiers and asked where he is intending to go. Replying that he is going to meet the person who claims that he is Allah, the soldiers doubting him will ask, ''Do you not believe in our Lord (Dajjal)?'' He will reply there is nothing hidden about our Lord Allah so how can I take Dajjal as my Lord. Angry at his reply they will decide to kill him. But all of a sudden one of them will say, ''Hasn't our Lord (Dajjal) prohibited us from killing anyone without his permission?" Thus they will take him to the Dajjal. On seeing the Dajjal he will shout, "O people this is the Dajjal the Prophet mentioned and warned the believers of". Dajjal will order to kill him. He will be placed on his belly and severely beaten. He will be asked, "Do you still not believe in him?" "No! You are the lying Dajjal" he will reply. The true believer will then be sewn into two pieces, the Dajjal will walk in between the two pieces and address him, "Stand up." The true believer will become alive and stand up in one piece. Yet again he will be asked, "Do you now believe in me?" He will reply, "It has only added to my insight concerning you that you are really the Dajjal." The believer will then proclaim, "O people he will not be able to do anything to any man after me." The Dajjal angry at his refusal will grab hold of him and place a knife between his neck and throat to slaughter him but he will be unsuccessful as Allah will place copper in that area and the knife will find no way to penetrate. The Dajjal will grab hold of his hands and legs and throw him into the fire. However, the fire will turn into a pleasant garden for him. This person will be the greatest martyr in the eyes of Allah and achieve the highest position due to his first death, which was caused by severance of the body in two pieces.(Abu Saeed al-Khudri /Muslim)

Dajjal's Trickery
Doctors and surgeons are not able to restore the eyesight of those born blind or cure the leper. Dajjal will be able to cure those born blind, restore their eyesight and cure the leper. (Abdullah-b-Mugaffal-Kanzul-Unimal)

Dajjal's Greed
He will have a mountain of bread with him but he will only give bread to those that believe and follow him. (Jabir-b-Abdullah-An-Nihaya)

Dajjal Lures the Women
The Dajjal will make a stop at a place called Markanat, near Taif. On hearing about his arrival the womenfolk will rush towards him, the men will be forced to tie their mothers, daughters, and sisters fearing they will believe in him and get caught up in fitna. (Ibne Umar-Musnad Ahmad)
Safe Haven of Makkah and Madinah

The Dajjal will remain on earth for 40 days, the first of which will be a year long, second a month , the third a week, and the remaining 37 days like our normal days, moving from city to another causing fitna¹. Finally he will proceed towards Makkah and Madina²but he will be unable to enter these holy cities, Masjid Tur and Masjid al-Aqsa³. Every time he tries to enter these holy places, angels guarding these holy cities with swords in their hand will encounter him and chase him away, leaving Dajjal stationed behind Uhud⁴. Meanwhile, earthquakes will hit Madinah thrice and all the hypocrites will be forced to leave⁵.
Footnote:
1) Nawwas-b-Samaan / Muslim
2) Fatimah-b-Qais / Muslim
3) Junaid-b-umaiya / Al-Fathur-Rabbani
4)Abu-Huraira / Bukhari
5)Amr-b-Sufyan / Ad-Darrul-Manthur
Death

Losing hope of entering these holy places, Dajjal will turn towards Syria. Imaam Mahdi will already have arranged a Muslim army and will be on the verge of leading the Muslims in morning prayer when Prophet Jesus will descend and Kill the Dajjal. (Usamah / Ibne Majah)
Protection from Dajjal

Reciting of Surah - Kahf
The recitation of Surah Kahf is a safe guard from the Dajjal's turmoil. The Prophet (s) said, "Whoever memorises the first ten verses of Surah Kahf will be safe from the Dajjal's Fitna." (Abu-Darda / Muslim)

The Prophet said, 'Whoever meets the Dajjal amongst you then he should recite the opening verse of Surah Kahf onto him." (Nawwas-b-Samaan / Muslim)

Seeking refuge in Allah
Whoever seeks Allah's refuge and protection from Dajjal's fitna especially in Salah, Inshallah will be protected.
The Prophet would pray in Salah, "Oh Allah protect me from the punishment of the grave and protect me from Dajjal's fitna." (Aisha / Bukhari / Muslim)

Staying miles apart
When the Dajjal appears one should stay as far away from him as possible. The Prophet said, "Those who hear about the Dajjal should stay far from him. By Allah! A person will approach him thinking him to be a believer, but on seeing his amazing feats he will become his follower." (Imran-b-Hussain / Abu Daud)

Safe Haven of Makkah and Madinah
One should try to migrate to Makkah or Madinah, as he will not be able to enter these two holy cities. Thus one will be protected from his fitna. (Fatimah-b-Qais / Muslim)

Knowledge of Allah's Attributes
One should seek Islamic knowledge especially knowledge of Allah's attributes. By possessing knowledge of Allah's attributes one will not be misled by the Dajjal. This knowledge teaches that Allah is perfect, can't be seen, and not in need of anything while the Dajjal is imperfect, can be seen by both believers and non-believers and in need of food and water.
Return Of Prophet Jesus

Brief History of Prophet Jesus
Due to the fact that the Jews had become deaf and blind to the words of God and deviated from the teachings of Moses and the right path, Allah honoured Jesus with Prophethood and sent him as a messenger to the children of Israel. Bearing all hardships Prophet Jesus spent all day and night conveying the message of Allah. Unfortunately, in spite of his tremendous effort the children of Israel did not respond and accept the message. Seeing that the poor and weak were becoming inclined towards him and fearing they would lose their leadership the Jews secretly tried to kill him. However Allah saved Prophet Jesus from their wicked scheme and gave him greater dignity by raising him alive to the heavens.

Allah says in the Quran, "They did not kill him and nor did they crucify him but the resemblance of him (Jesus ) was put over another man and those who differ there in, are in doubt. They have no certain knowledge. They are following nothing but conjecture for surely they did not kill him but Allah raised him up to him." (Surah Nisa)

Allah says in the Quran "When Allah says, Jesus; I will take thee to me and I will purify thee of the unbelievers" (Surah A'li-Imran)

These verses clearly prove that the Jews did not kill Prophet Jesus and that he was raised alive to the heavens. It is due to verses like those mentioned above and many authentic Ahadith we Muslims believe that Prophet Jesus is alive in heaven at this moment in time. We further believe due to the following verses and authentic Ahadith that Prophet Jesus will return before Qiyamah and his return is a major sign of Qiyamah.
Allah says in the Quran, "And he (son of Mary) shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the hour." (Surah Zukhruf)
Ibne Abbas has said that the meaning of this verse is that Prophet Jesus's descent before Qiyamah is a sign of Qiyamah. (Ibne Abbas/ Musnad)

Allah says, "There is not a single section of the people of the book that will certainly believe in Jesus before his death and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them." (Surah Nisa) This verse clearly indicates that before the demise of Prophet Jesus everyone from the people of the book will believe in him. The Jews will disappear as Jews after his demise but at the present the Jews are very much there. The conclusion is clear that the Prophet Jesus has not died; if so all the Jews would have become believers, which they have not. He will return before Qiyamah and it is then that all the people of the book will believe in him.

Jabir (R.A) reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "A party of my followers will not cease to fight for victory until the Day of Resurrection. He said, then Jesus, son of Mary, will come down. Their Imaam will say, "Come and lead our prayer" He will reply, "Some of you are rulers over others on account of divine honour upon these people." (Muslim)

Abu Huraira (R.A) reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "By the one whose hands my life is in, surely the son of Maryam() will descend amongst you as a just ruler. He will destroy the cross, kill the swine and abolish the tax." (Bukhari)

Hadrat Hudaifah-b-Osaid reported: The Holy Prophet suddenly came to us while we were talking. He asked, "What are you talking about?" They replied "We were talking about the last hour." Prophet (s) said, "It will never come until you see ten signs before it," He then mentioned the Smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the Rising of the Sun in its place of setting, the Descent of Jesus son of Mary and Yajuj and Ma'juj. (Muslim)
Prophet Jesus's Tasks

Prophet Jesus will have three main tasks, when he descends on the Earth for the second time:
1) The first and most important will be that he will destroy the Dajjal.
2) Protect the Muslims from the barbarous tribes of Yajuj and Majuj by taking them to Mount Tur and then Praying for their (Yajuj and Majuj's) destruction.
3) Reign as a Khalifh according to the Quran and Sunnah and elevate Islam.
Prophet Jesus's descent and
the killing of Dajjal

The Dajjal having failed to enter the holy city of Madinah will proceed to Syria gathering his forces on the way.
Imaam Mahdi will have arranged the Muslim army and will be on the verge of leading the Muslims in the morning prayer (Abu Umamah / Ibne-Majah) when Prophet Jesus will descend to the white Minaret (Nawwas-b-Samaan/Muslim) in the east of Damascus, wearing two garments died with saffron, placing his hands on the wings of two angels.
All those that are present will recognise him, as he will look exactly like the description of the Prophet . Resembling the Sahabi Urwa bin Masood (Abu- Huraira/ Muslim) the colour of his skin will be reddish white (Ibne Abbas/ Bukhari), he will be well built and his hair will be soft and reach his ears. When he lowers his head, beads of perspiration will fall from it and when he raises his head, beads like pearls will scatter from it. (Nawwas-b-Samaan/Muslim).
Every Kaafir who smells his sweet breath will die and his breath will reach as far as he can see. On seeing prophet Jesus. Imaam Mahdi will take a couple of steps backwards so Prophet Jesus can lead the prayer however Prophet Jesus will place his hands on the Imaam's shoulder and will say, ''Go forward and lead the prayer as the Iqamah was made for you'' thus Imaam Mahdi will lead the prayer. (Abu Umamah/ Ibne-Majah).

After the prayer Prophet Jesus will say, ''Open the gate''. The gate will be opened and the Dajjal will be waiting behind it accompanied by an army of 70,000 Jews, each armed with a sword and shield. The Dajjal on seeing Prophet Jesus among the Muslims will begin to dissolve like salt in water and will begin to flee. Prophet Jesus will say to him, ''You will remain alive until I strike you with my spear, ''He will catch up with him at the Eastern gate of Ludd (Ludd is a mountain in Syria. Some say that it is a village in Jerusalem, and some say that it is a village in Palestine) and then Prophet Jesus will kill him with a small spear.
The Muslims will thereafter defeat and wipe out Dajjal's army. The Jews will not be able to hide behind anything on that day. Every time they try to hide behind a stone, a wall, a tree (except a boxthorn tree), or animal. Allah will make these things speak and they will say, ''O servant of Allah there is a Jew hiding behind me. come kill him.''
The Wisdom in the Descension of Prophet Jesus

The Ulama of the Ahlus - Sunnah have given many different reasons in the returning of Prophet Jesus to this world or the second time. A few are listed below:
1) The Jews believe that they had killed Prophet Jesus, Allah will send him before the end of time to prove that they had not killed him and that he is alive. It is he who will kill the Jews and their leader Dajjal. (Fathul - Bari)
2) Some Ulama have said that Prophet Jesus found many virtues of the followers of Prophet Muhammad in the bible and thus he prayed to Allah to make him amongst the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad . Allah answered his prayer and he will return for the second time as one of the followers of Prophet Muhammad . (Ibne-Khathir)
3) It is the Law of Allah that anything that is created from the Earth has to be buried in the Earth and not the Heavens. Thus he will return to the Earth for the second time, kill the Dajjal, live for a period of time and then he will die a natural death and will be buried with the Prophet . (Ashratus-Sa'ah).
Prophet Jesus (as) and the Ya'juj Ma'juj (Gog Magog)

A short period after Prophet Jesus has killed the Dajjal, the two mighty tribes of Yajuj and Ma'juj will appear, causing murder, pillage and devastation wherever they go. The emergence of Ya'juj and Ma'juj is also another major sign of Qiyamah. Through the invocation of Prophet Jesus they will be destroyed. (Nawwas-b-Samaan-Muslim).

More detail regarding them follows in the next sign.
Prophet Jesus as a Ruler

The Prophet said, "By him whose hands my life is in, surely the son of Maryam will come down amongst you as a just ruler. He will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the tax. Wealth will be in such abundance that none will care about it and a single prostration in a Prayer will be better than the world and all that is in it." (Abu Huraira/Bukhari, Muslim)
The above hadith clearly indicates that when Prophet Jesus returns to the world for the second time he will not reign as a Prophet no, will he bring a new Shariah or Deen, as Islam is the last religion, the Quran is the last book to be revealed and our Prophet Muhammad is the last Prophet. There is no Prophet to come after him and the Quran has made this fact very clear.

Allah says in the Qur'an, "Muhammad () is not the father of any of you but is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the Prophets (Surah-Al-Ahzaab)

When Prophet Jesus returns for the second time he will reign as a Khalifh and not a Prophet, follow the Qur'an and Sunnah and rule according to it. He will break the cross the Christians worship (indicating that he will bring Christianity to an end), elevate and spread Islam throughout the world.
He will also kill the pig which the Christians consider Halaal to eat (and use) and abolish the Jizya (tax). In Prophet Jesus reign they will not pay this tax because he will not accept anything but Islam for the non believers and they will all believe in him. The Qur'an says, "There is not a single section of the people of the book (Jews and Christians) but will believe in him and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them." (Surah-An-Nisa)

Secondly there will be an abundance in wealth, so much so that it will flow like water and there will not remain anybody who could be given this money, thus this tax will be abolished.
Blessings at the time of Prophet Jesus

All types of spiritual and worldly blessings will descend on Earth in his time. Wealth will flow like water, everyone will be independent and have surplus wealth and property to the extent that nobody will be in the need of Zakat and Sadaqa thus receiving of Zakat and Sadaqa will be discarded.
All hearts will be free from misery, envy, malice, and jealousy. Each harmful animal will be made harmless. Camels will graze with the lions and the cheetahs with cattle. A little girl will chase a lion and make it run away from her like children chasing a puppy and this lion will not harm her.
Venom will be taken out from all venomous animals, a little boy will put his hand in a snake's mouth, but it will not harm him. The Jackal will live with the sheep and protect them as if it were a sheep dog. Peace, harmony and tranquillity will prevail in the world.
People will be in complete agreement, wars will cease, the earth will be filled with peace like a silver basin and it will sprout with vegetation like at the time of Prophet Adam. The fertility of the land will increase to the extent that if a seed is planted in a rock, it will sprout. 700 mudd of wheat will sprout without ploughing the land. The earth will produce so much fruit that a large group of people will sit to eat a bunch of grapes or a pomegranate and they will be satisfied and use it's peel as an umbrella. There will also be blessing in milk. The milk of a single she camel will be sufficient to satisfy the hunger of a large group of people. A cow will produce what is sufficient for a tribe of people, and a sheep will produce milk, which is sufficient for a family of people. Horses will be cheap as they will be never ridden in war and bulls will be expensive, as they will be needed to plough the land.
Life will be very pleasant and enjoyable after his descension and the Muslims will live in comfort in his reign as a Khalifh. (Nawwas-b-Sarnaan-Muslim/Abu Umamah-Ibne Majah)

Marriage
Many Ahadith specify that after his descension he will get married and have children and remain on the earth for a period of 19 years after his marriage. (Al-Fitan Nuaim bin Hammad).

Death
Prophet Jesus after his return to the Earth for a second time will live for a period of time (some scholars have mentioned 40 years in the light of a hadith which can be found in Abu Daud) and thereafter will die a natural death. The Muslims will perform his Janaza (funeral prayers) and according to the hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Amr in Mishkat he will be buried next to the Holy Prophet .

See also: The Prophet I'sa (Jesus) Comparative Analysis from an Islamic, Christian & Qadiani (Ahmadiyya) perspective by Shaykh Rashid Ali Seth

Was Mirza Ghulam the Promised Messiah as he claimed?

Nourished by the British, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad the impostor from Qadiyan (Northern India) made many ridiculous claims in his lifetime. Besides claiming to be a Prophet and revivalist he also claimed to be the Mahdi and the Promised Messiah though he was nothing but a liar. Thus it was thought necessary to include a short summary which will act as a comparison between Mirza Ghulam and the real Messiah so that no Muslim is misled into believing him.
Mirza Ghulam and the True Messiah

We learn from the Hadith of Nawwas bin Sam'an (R.A), which can be found in Muslim and from the Hadith of Abu Umamah Al-Bahilee (R.A) which can be found in Ibne Maja the following regarding the Promised Messiah: -

1) The Promised Messiah's name is Jesus and his mother's name was Maryam.
2) The Mahdi and the Dajjal will already have appeared before his descension.
3) He will descend from the heavens to the white minaret in the east of Damascus wearing two garments slightly dyed with Saffron and his hands will be placed on the wings of two angels.
4) Every Kaafir who smells his breath will die and his breath will reach as far as he can see.
5) He will kill the Dajjal at the Eastern gate of Ludd.
6) The barbarous tribes of Yajuj and Ma'juj will appear in his time and the promised Messiah will take the believers to Mount Tur for their protection.
7) He will elevate Islam by breaking the cross, bringing an end to Christianity.
8) The Jews and Christians will believe in him before his death.
9) He will kill the pig that the Christians consider halal to eat and the non- muslims will not have to pay tax.
10) Wars will cease in his time, as everybody will be in complete agreement with one another.
11) There will be so much wealth that the receiving of Sadaqa will be discarded as everybody will have enough wealth of his own.
12) In his time all harmful animals will be made harmless and the venom will be taken out of all venomous animals. A child will put his hand in a snake's mouth and it will not harm him, a little girl will be able to chase a lion away and it will not harm her.
13) The earth will sprout with vegetation and will produce fruit in such abundance that a large group of people will gather to eat a bunch of grapes or a pomegranate and it will suffice them.
14) From the hadith of Abu Harith in Muslim we learn that the Promised Messiah will perform Hajj and Umrah from a place called Rawha.
15) From the Hadith of Abdullah bin Amr we learn that he will he buried next to the Holy Prophet .

Mirza Ghulam fulfilled NONE of the above conditions. His name was Ghulam Ahmad and not Jesus; he was the son of Chiragh and not Maryam. The Mahdi and the Dajjal did not appear before him and thus there was no question about him killing the Dajjal. He did not descend from the heavens and nor did any Kaafir die from his breath. The tribes of Ya'juj and Ma'juj did not appear in his time nor did the Jews and Christians believe in him before his death. He did not elevate Islam but insulted it by claiming to be the Mahdi, the Messiah, and a Prophet. He did not kill the pig but enjoyed eating it. Wars did not cease in his time as the Muslims were fighting with the British in India. The receiving of Sadaqa was not discarded nor was the venom taken out of venomous animals in his time. He never performed Hajj or Umrah and he died in a toilet. I am sure by now you have easily come to the conclusion that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was not the Promised Messiah but an impostor and a liar, who's aim and purpose in life was to keep the British content.

Ya'juj Ma'juj (Gog and Magog)

The emergence of the mighty tribes of Ya'juj and Ma'juj is also a major sign of Qiyamah.
Allah says in the Qur'an, "When Ya'juj and Ma'juj are let loose (from their Barrier) and they swiftly swarm from every mound" (Surah Al-Anbiya)

Allah says in the Qur'an, " (Zulqarnain) said, 'This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes, He shall level it down (the barrier) to the ground. And the promise of my Lord is ever true." (Surah Al-Kahf)

Zainab-b-Zahash says: "Once the Prophet awoke from such a sleep that his face was red and these words were on his tongue, "There is none worthy of worship but Allah. Destruction is upon the Arabs on account of that evil which has come close to them. Today a hole as big as this has opened in the wall of Yajuj and Ma'juj. (The Prophet indicated the size of the hole with his finger and thumb)" (Bukhari/Muslim)

In the lengthy Hadith of Nawwas-b-Saman it has been mentioned, "And Allah will send Yajuj and Ma'juj and they will come from every lofty place." (Muslim)
Ya'juj Ma'juj and Zulqarnain

Many thousands of years ago the barbarous tribes of Yajuj and Ma'juj were imprisoned behind an iron wall built by Zulqarnayn. Referred to in the Qur'an in Surah Al-Kahf. Zulqarnayn was a Muslim Arab (fathul bari) who lived at the time of the Prophet Ibraheem and not Alexander the Great as it is commonly known. From amongst one of the four that ruled the entire world (the other three being Prophet Sulayman, Nimrod & Buktnasr) he was a pious and just king, provide with all forms of strength through which he was able to carry his conquests and missions.

Once he carried a mission in three directions, the far west, far east, and then in a northerly direction. Travelling first in the westerly direction, he conquered the lands he passed through establishing the laws of Allah therein until he reached the setting of the sun. There he met people that didn't believe in Allah. Given a choice of punishing them for their kufr or being lenient by inviting them first to Islam; he chose the latter and addressed them, ''Those evil-doers who do injustice to themselves by rejecting Allah will be punished by death in this world and the hereafter, the fire of hell is their abode. As for those who accept the invitation and believe in Allah they will be treated leniently and in the hereafter Jannah is their place of rest.''

After the journey towards the west he made preparation for the journey towards the east. Conquering the lands he passed through, establishing the laws of Allah therein. He continued travelling in the easterly direction until he reached the rising of the sun. In this area of the east he saw a nation receiving the sunshine without any obstruction and they were dealt with like the previous people in the west.

After the journey to the east he started his northern Journey, he kept on travelling until he reached the midst of two mountains, it was here he came across a tribe who complained to him about the tribes of Ya'juj and Ma'juj. Ya'juj and Ma'juj inhabited the land behind the mountains, plundered them, committed bloodshed, and then ran away. Observing Zulqarnain's power they asked to set a barrier in return for a wage for their protection from the disaster and bloodshed, which they often bore at the hands of Ya'juj Ma'juj. Refusing to accept any wealth he built an iron wall with their help which Ya'juj Ma'juj could not cross or pierce. (Qurtubi/ Ibne-Kathir)
The wall of Zulqarnain

Many different opinions have been expressed as to the location of the iron wall of Zulqarnain. Having read many books, the best on the subject I came across was Sheikh Hifzur-Rahman's "Stories of the Qur'an" and thus have chosen to share a brief summary of what he has written.

He writes "The Yajuj Ma'juj caused destruction and blood- shed in a vast area, and because of their oppression many barriers and walls were erected in different times and places by different kings. Four being the most famous:
1) The Great Wall of China which was built by the Chinese King Fagfor 3460 years after Prophet Adam was put on the Earth.
2) The wall in central Asia near Bukhara and Tirmidh in a place called Derbent.
3) The wall in Dagistan Russia also known as Derbent near the Caspian sea.
4) The wall which is in the westerly direction to the third in the region of the Caucasus.
Because these walls were built for one purpose and are all situated in the North, it has always been very difficult to determine exactly the wall built by Zulqarnain."

He further writes, "The biggest out of the four is the great wall of China and nobody is of the opinion that this is the wall built by Zulqarnain as it is in the easterly direction while the Qur'an indicates the wall of Zulqarnain is in the Northerly direction."

Thus leaving walls 2, 3, and 4.

He writes, "Historians like Masoodi, Istakhari and Hamawi are of the opinion that the wall of Zulqamain is wall number 3 or 4. Those that have said it is wall number two have confused the issue due to the location of Derbent which is near Bukhara and also in Degistan.''
He finally writes, ''Out of two, the historians are of the opinion that it is wall 3 or 4, the master of hadith Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri in his book Aqeeda-tul-Islam holds the opinion that the wall of Zulqarnain is wall number 4, the one in the region of Caucasus.' (Stories of the Qu'ran)

After this short summary I find myself inclined to Allama Aloosi's opinion I conclude with his words, ''We do not know the location of this wall and it is very probable that great seas and mountains stand between us and the wall, and between Ya'juj Ma'juj and the rest of the world.''
Trying to break free

Abu Huraira (R.A.) narrated that every day Ya'juj Ma'juj try to break free through the wall of Zulqarnain until they reach the end of it to the extent that they could actually see the light on the other side. They then return home saying, ''We will break through tomorrow. '' However, Allah causes the wall to revert to its original thickness and the next day they start all over again. This process continues each day as long as Allah wills for them to remain imprisoned. When Allah wishes for them to be released, then at the end of that day they will say, ''If Allah wills, we will break through tomorrow.'' The next day they will find the wall as they left it the previous day and after breaking through the rest they will escape. (Ahmed, Tirmidhi, Ibne Majah)

Note: Some ulama have written that this hadith is weak and has been taken from the Jews as it contradicts with the verse from the Qur'an, ''They are not able to cross it or pierce it.'' ( Surah Al-Kahf)

However, if found that it is a Marfoo hadith, it still does not contradict the Qur'an as the Qur'an is referring to the time Zulqarnain built the wall and secondly the word ''naqb'' means a complete hole through which they are able to break free.
The great master of Hadith Ibne Hajr al-Askalani giving reference of Ibne Hibban and Abd- b-Humaid has mentioned this Hadith and not raised any doubt or indicated that this hadith is not Marfoo but positively mentioned that Ibne Arabi has said three miracles are evident from this Hadith and then mentioned the three miracles:

1) It never occurs to these tribes that they must continue work throughout the night. After all, they are in such large numbers that they can easily delegate the work amongst themselves and work in shifts. However, Allah does not allow this thought to occur to them.
2) It does not occur to them that they can merely cross the mountain or scale the wall, which they can do through the aid of equipment they possess in large numbers. According to a narration by Wahb-b-Munabbah it is known that these tribes are agriculturists and artisans possessing various types of equipment.
3) The thought of saying, "Insha-allah (if Allah wills)" never enters their minds and it will only occur to them when Allah wills that they be released.(Fathul-Bari)
Myths

Many myths surround Ya'juj and Ma'juj. One being that the common people believe that Ya'juj and Ma'juj are not human beings but some kind of third being. How interesting it may be to believe that they are a third being, the reality is that they are human beings just like yourself and I, constitute nine-tenths of mankind and are from the progeny of Prophet Nuh.

The Holy Prophet said, "Ya'juj and Ma'juj are the children of Prophet Adam and not one will die until thousand are born to him.'' (Abdullah-b-Amr/Fathul-Bari).

The Messenger of Allah said, "Allah divided mankind into ten parts. Nine tenths constitute Ya'juj and Ma'juj while the remaining one tenth constitutes the rest of mankind." (Abdullah-b-Amr/Fathul-Bari).

Hadrat Abu Saeed Khudri narrates that the Messenger of Allah said, "On the Day of Judgement, Allah will tell Adamto pick out the Jahanamis from his progeny. Adam will ask, "O Allah, who are they?" Allah will say,"999 out of 1000 are Jahanamis while the one is a Jannati." On hearing this the Sahaba over taken by fear asked, "Who will the ONE Jannati be?" The Prophet replied, "Do not grieve the 999 will be Yajuj Ma'juj while you will be the one Jannati." (Bukhari/Muslim)

A second myth is that people believe that Ya'juj and Ma'juj were created from Adam without Eve (Hawa) on the basis of Ka'ab's narration, "They are from the children of Adam. That is Adam had a wet dream, the semen intermingled with the earth and they were created from that Earth." (Fathul-Bari)

It should be noted that this narration is very weak and objectionable as it is proven from many Ahadith that the Prophets of Allah do not have wet dreams because the wet dream is from the devil and the Prophets of Allah are protected from the devil.

Secondly there is a hadith which can be found in Fathul-Bari that clearly states that they are from the progeny of Prophet Nuh. The Prophet Nuh was definitely from the children of Adam and Eve.
Physical Appearance of Ya'juj and Ma'juj

There are many different narration's regarding their appearance. These different narration's suggest that Yajuj and Ma'juj are of three types.
1) Some are as tall as the tree Arz - that is 120 ft.
2) Some are four arm lengths tall and four arm lengths wide.
3) Some spread one ear to sleep on and cover themselves with the other. Some also state that they are two spans tall and the tallest amongst them are three spans. (Fathul-Bari)
It should be noted that all the narration's above are weak and should not be taken. The authentic Ahadith like the Hadith of Nawwas-b- Saman in Muslim suggests that they are very strong and powerful people whom nobody has the power to fight. It has also been narrated that they have wide faces, small eyes, grey hair and their faces are like shields covered with skin. (Musnad Ahmad)
Emergence of Ya'juj Ma'juj before Qiyamah

A short period after killing the Dajjal, Prophet Jesus will be informed of the release of Ya'juj and Ma'juj. Obeying Allah's command He will take the Muslims to Mount Tur for their protection as nobody will be able to kill the Ya'juj Ma'juj. Ya'juj and Ma'juj will come forth from every lofty place causing destruction and bloodshed wherever they go. Their first batch will come to lake Tiberias and drink all of its water. Their last batch will come to it and say, "There was once water in this lake."
Marching on, carrying out pillage and murder to their left and right they will come to mount of Khamr (a mountain in Jerusalem)
and say, "We have killed the inhbitant of the Earth, let us now kill the inhabitants of heaven." Thus they will shoot their arrows towards the sky. Allah will return the arrows covered with blood and these fools will think they have killed those in the heaven. Mean while Prophet Jesus and his companions will remain confined until the head of an ox becomes more valuable than 100 gold coins. Prophet Jesus and his companions will pray for their destruction. Allah, answering their prayer will send insects upon the necks of Ya'juj Ma'juj and in the morning they will be found dead like one dead man. In the narration of Abu Saeed al- Khudri which can be found in Tadkhira of Imam Qurtubi, it has been mentioned; the believers not being able to hear their noise that morning will say "Will anybody sacrifice his life and see what the situation is." Volunteering, a believer will come down the mountain thinking that he will never return . However to his suprise he will find that they are all dead and he will shout, "Good news! Your enemy has died,"
Prophet Jesus and his companions will come down but will find that the earth is full with their stinking corpses. Yet again Prophet Jesus and his companions will turn to Allah and pray. Allah will send birds with necks like the necks of Bactarian camels which will carry the corpses and throw them where Allah wishes. Thereafter, Allah will send rain and the earth will be cleaned. (Nawwas-b-Samaan/Muslim)
Landslides

There will be three landslides before Qiyamah like never seen before. One in the East, one in the West and one in Arabia. The Earth will swallow everything above it and as a result, many people will die. However, everybody will be raised according to his intentions. This will take place when evil prevails.

Hudhaifa-b-Usaid al-Ghifari reported: Allah's Messenger came to us all of a sudden as we were (busy in discussion) He said: "What are you discussing?" They (the companions) said: "We are talking about the last hour." Thereupon he said: "It will not come until you see ten signs before it, He made a mention of the Smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the Rising of the Sun from the West, the Descent of Jesus, Son of Mary, the emergence of Ya'juj and Ma'juj, and Landsliding will occur in three places, One in the East, one in the West and one in Arabia at the end of which a fire would burn forth from Yemen, which would drive people to the place of their assembly." (Muslim)

Umme Salmah reported that I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, "After me there will be a landslide in the East, a landslide in the West and a landslide in the Peninsula of Arabia." I asked, "Oh Messenger of Allah will the Earth give way, though there are some pious people above it." The Prophet replied, "When its inhabitants exceed doing bad and evil." (Tabrani Fil-Awsat)

The Smoke

Allah says, ''So thou wait for the day when the heaven shall bring a smoke manifest surrounding the people this is a painful Chastisement.'' ( Surah-Dhukan)

Wasila-Bb-l-Asqa reported, ''I heard the Prophet saying, ''The final hour will not come until you see ten signs. '' (one of the ten mentioned was the smoke) (Muslim)

It is clearly evident from the above verse and Ahadith that the smoke is a major sign of Qiyamah. It will rise and cover the whole world. The smoke will affect both the believers and non-belivers alike remaining for a period of 40 days and night. The believers will be affected a little as if suffering from cold while the smoke will enter the brains of the non-belivers and make them unconscious¹.

Footnote:1) Hudaifa-b-al-Yaman/Tabari.

Ibne Masood's Opinion

Ibne Masood's (RA) opinion regarding the verse in which the smoke has been mentioned is that he strongly claims that this is not the smoke which is described as one of the signs of Qiyamah. On the other hand the Holy Prophet being disgusted with the vexation and rebellion of the Quraish had invoked a famine of 7 years for them like that which was set upon the Egyptians in the days of Prophet Yusuf and as such the famine befell them to the starvation of the Makkans, who were so much constrained that they were forced to eat off corpses, hides and skins of animals.

In short, the people of Makkah began to starve. As a rule in intense hunger and ceaseless drought, a kind of smoke is seen in the space between the heaven and the Earth, and also the dust, which rises into the sky from the Earth especially on long rainless days, looks like a smoke to the naked eyes. That thing is here described as a smoke. (Bukhari)

Ibne Masood reported, "Five things have passed, the smoke, the defeat of the Romans, the splitting of the moon, the defeat of the infidels in the Battle of Badr and the punishment." (Bukhari)

Firstly it should be noted that Ibne Kathir writes that from amongst the Sahaba Ibne Masood is the only one that holds this view. The majority of Ulama in the light of the above and many other Ahadith are of the opinion that the smoke referred to in the verse is the same which is to precede Qiyamah. This has also been related as being the opinion of Ibne Abbas and Hadrat Ali. (Ibne Kathir)

Ali (RA) said, "The verse of Dukhan has not taken place" (Ibne Abe Hatim)
Ibne Abbas, Ibne Umar, Hasan, and others said, ''The smoke referred to in the verses is the smoke before Qiyamah which will enter in the ears of the Kuffar and the hypocrites and will affect the Muslims like a cold. The whole world will be like a house on fire. It has not happened. It is to happen.'' (Lawami-ul-Anwaar)

Abdullah-b-Abu-Mulaika narrated that I went one morning to Ibne Abbas. He said, ''I didn't sleep all night. ''I asked, ''Why?'' He replied, ''They informed me that a star with a tail appeared. I feared that the smoke may follow and thus I didn't sleep till it was morning.'' (Tabari / Ibne Kathir)

It is clear from the above narration, which is authentic, as Ibne Kathir has mentioned that Ibne Abbas was of the opinion that the smoke is from among the awaited signs. (Ibne Kathir)

Secondly Ibne Kathir writes that Ibne Masood doesn't relate what he has said back to the Prophet while the opinion that the smoke is from among the awaited signs is related back to the Prophet and so the principal of the Hadith is quite clear, ''That which is related back to the Prophet is given priority over that which is not.'' (An-Nihaya)

Rising of the Sun from the West

The rising of the sun from the west is also a major sign of Qiyamah proven by the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Allah says in the Qur'an, "The day when some signs of your Lord will come, no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his faith." (Surah Al-An'aam)

The verse is referring to the rising of the sun from the west, as is the opinion of the majority of the commentators. (Tabari/Ibne Kathir)

Imam Tabari, after mentioning the different opinions of the commentators writes, "The most correct opinion in regards to the meaning of this verse is that what is apparent from the reports narrated from the Prophet that he said, "(lmaan will be of no benefit) when the sun rises from the west." (Tabari)

Abu Huraira reported that the Holy Prophet said, "Hasten to do good deeds before six (things happen) :Rising of the sun from the west." (Mishkat)

Where the Sun goes

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Zar that the Messenger of Allah one day said, "Do you know where the Sun goes?" They replied, "Allah and his apostle know best." He (The Holy Prophet ) observed, "Verily it (the sun) glides till it reaches its resting place under the throne. Then it falls prostrate and remains there until it is told, 'Rise up and go to the place whence you came' and it goes back."
Then it continues emerging out from its rising place and then glides till it reaches its place of rest under the throne where it falls prostrate and remains in that state until it is told, 'Rise up and return to the place whence you came.' And it returns and emerges out of it's rising place and then it glides (in such a normal way) that the people do not discern anything (unusual in it) till it reaches its resting place under the throne. Then it would be said to it, 'Rise up and emerge from the place of your setting,' and it will rise from the place of its setting." The Messenger of Allah said "Do you know when it will happen? It will happen at the time when faith will not benefit anyone who has not previously believed or has derived no good from the faith." (Muslim)

Worshippers during the night will remain till the sun rises from the West
Abdullah-b-Abu-Owfa reported that I heard the Messenger of Allah say, "Verily a night will come upon the people which is equivalent of three of your nights. When it comes those that engage themselves in worship during the night will recognise it. One of them will stand in prayer, read his Hizb (The normal amount he has made the habit of reading) and then go to sleep. Thereafter he will wake up (for the second time) read his Hizb in prayer and go to sleep. While this is the situation the people will begin to shout, scream and call one another. They will say, "What's this?" With fear they will run to the mosque. To their surprise they will see that the sun has risen from the west. When it reaches the middle of the sky it will return and set in the west." He said , "That is when Imaan will not benefit anyone (who brings faith after seeing the sign)." (An-Nihaya)

Everyone will bring faith in seeing the sign
Narrated by Abu Huraira (R.A), "Allah's Messenger said, 'The hour will not come until the sun rises from the west; and when the people see it, then whoever will be living on the surface of the Earth will have faith, and that is (the time) when no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before." (Bukhari)

The real basis of faith is that man believes in the unseen realities on the authority of the Messenger of Allah . But when Allah manifests such startling and visible signs which herald the approach of the last hour and by which the veil of the unseen is rent asunder, then the belief becomes meaningless. The rising of the sun from the west will be of great disturbance to nature and will shake the mind of every man and awaken him to see for himself the great power of Allah. At this time the belief of the unseen will lose its importance.
Door of Repentance Closed

Once the sun has risen from the west the door of repentance will be closed and will remain closed until the Day of Judgement. If any infidel embraces Islam or any Muslim repents and seeks forgiveness for his sins any time after the rising of the sun from the west till the Day of Judgement, it will not be accepted.

The Messenger of Allah said, "Verily Allah extends his hand at night so that the sinners of the day may repent and verily extends his hand during the day so that the sinners of the night may repent. (He will keep on doing this) as long as the sun does not rise from the west." (Abu-Musa al-Ashari/ Muslim)

The Prophet said, "Allah has built a door of repentance in the west the breadth of which is seventy years and it will not close as long as the sun does not rise from the west." (Safwan-b-Assal / Tirmidhi)

The above Ahadith have clearly specified that the extreme limit of the acceptance of repentance is till the sun rises from the west. Once it has risen it will not be accepted.

Ibne Hajar has mentioned many Ahadith which prove that the door of repentance will remain closed till the Day of Judgement and thereafter writes, ''These narration's give strength to one another, agreeing completely in that when the sun rises from the west the door of repentance will be closed and will not be opened thereafter. And this is not specific with that day but will prolong till the Day of Judgement.'' (Fathul- Bari)

The Beast

The Beast is also a major sign of Qiyamah. Allah says in the Qur'an, "And when the word is fulfilled concerning them. We shall bring forth a Beast of the Earth to speak unto them because mankind had no faith in our revelation." (Surah An-Naml)

Abdullah-b-Umar said, "I memorised a Hadith from the Messenger of Allah which I have not forgotten. I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, 'The first of the signs that will come is the rising of the sun from the place of its setting and the emergence of the Beast upon the people. Whichever of these two occurs before the other then the other is right behind it." (Muslim)

Commentating on the above verse Ibne Kathir has said that the beast will appear very near the end of time. When disintegration, corruption, kufr and evil prevail, commands of Allah are ignored, the Deen changed and made a mockery of, it is then Allah will take out the Beast from the earth. (Ibne Kathir)

Imam Hakim in the light of the above Hadith has said that the rising of the sun from the west will take place before the emergence of the Beast. The Beast will appear on the same day the sun has risen from the west or very soon thereafter. Ibne Hajar after quoting Imam Hakim mentions, "The wisdom in the Beast appearing after the sun has risen from the west is that the door of repentance will close at the time the sun rises from the west. Thus the Beast will emerge to distinguish the believers from the non-believers completing the aim of closing the door of repentance." (Fathul-Bari)

Task
The task of the Beast will be to distinguish the believers from the non-believers, with Prophet Moosa's staff it will draw a line on the forehead of every believer whereby his face will become bright and luminous and with the ring of Sulaman it will seal the nose of every non-believer where by his whole face will become black. Thus there will be complete distinction between the Muslim and non-Muslirn, so that if many parties sit at a dinner table, the Muslim and non-Muslirn will be distinguished. (Abu Huraira-Musnad Ahmad/Tirmidhi)

The Beast will also talk to people. It will say, "Mankind had no faith in our revelations." (Ibne Kathir)

Place of emergence
Many opinions have been expressed as regards to the place the Beast will come out from. A few are listed:
1) It will come out from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam in Makkah. This opinion is based on the hadith reported by Tabrani on the authority of Hudhaifa-b-Usaid.
2) It will come out three times, from some desert and then go back into hiding, then from some village and finally from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam.
There are many other opinions most of them report that it will come out from the Haram of Makkah. (See Tadkirah and Al-Isha'ah)

Nature of the Beast
Many different opinions have been expressed as to the nature of the Beast and the type of animal it is. A few are shared and explained.
1) Some Ulama are of the opinion that the Beast to come before the end of time is the very animal which has been mentioned in the Hadith of Fatimah-b-Qais. Known as the Jassasa (spy) seen by Tamim Dari and his companions from the tribes of Lakhm and Juzaam on the same Island as the Dajjal. This is related of being the opinion of the Sahabi Abdullah-b-Amr-b-al-Aas. (Nawawee's commentary on Muslim)

Fatimah-bin-Qais reported, "I heard the proclaimer of the Messenger of Allah proclaiming (for) 'Congregational Prayer'. I came out of the mosque and prayed with the Prophet . When he finished his prayer, he sat upon the pulpit smiling and said, 'Let every man remain in his seat.' Then he said, 'Do you know why I have called you together?' They replied, 'Allah and his Messenger know best.' He said, 'By Allah, I have not called you together for hope or for fear, but I have called you together because Tamim Dari a Christian came and embraced Islam. He narrated a story to me which agreed with the account I have given to you about the Dajjal (Anti-Christ). He informed me that he had embarked upon a sea-boat with thirty men of Lakhm and Jozam. Then the sea waves played with them for a month and threw them onto an island when the sun was about to set. They sat in a small side boat and entered the Island. A beast with very coarse hair met them. They could not tell its front from its back due to its excessive hair. They asked, 'Woe to thee! Who art thou?" It replied, 'I am a spy. Go to the man in the monastery, as he is eager to have your information.' He said, 'When it named a man for us, we fled away from it lest it might be the devil.' We hurriedly went on till we entered the monastery and found a big-bodied man whom we did never see before. He was firmly tied up, his hands tied to his neck, the place between his knees, and joints tied up with iron chains." (Muslim)

Camel
2) Some scholars are of the opinion that it is the young of the she camel of the Prophet Salih. Imam Al-Qurtubi holds the same opinion, he writes in his commentary of the Qur'an, "The first opinion (regarding the Beast) is that it is the young of the she-camel of the Prophet Salih . This is the most correct view and opinion. Allah knows best."

Opinion Explained

The people of Thamud were Arabs who lived a couple of hundred years after the Prophet Noah in a place called Hijr which today is known as Madaain Salih in the North of Arabia near Tabuk. Blessed in provisions and livelihoods their land was fertile with green gardens and running springs and they skilfully carved spacious houses out of mountains. They were ungrateful to Allah as they worshiped the stone idols they carved with their very own hands. Thus Allah honoured Salih from amongst them with Prophethood and sent him as a Messenger to the people of Thamud to bring them out of darkness into light. Salih conveyed the message of Allah day and night and called them to the worship of Allah with wisdom and kind-heartedness but the people of Thamud decided to remain blind. Finally, they like the communities before them asked to see a miracle. They said, ' O Salih take out a ten month pregnant she-camel from a mountain which then gives birth to a young that has the same body and stature as the mother.' Having seen the miracle they refused to believe. The she-carnel was a sign of Allah, very large and unusual in form and the people were warned that they would be destroyed if they treated it with evil. All the other animals were afraid of Prophet Salih's camel and would run away whenever she and its young came to drink water. Thus bounds were arranged. However, after a very short period they broke the agreement and decided to kill the camel of Allah. A group hid waiting for the camel on its return from the well with its child. Shooting an arrow they injured it and finally killed it paving the way for the destruction of the entire community. On seeing its mother in trouble the child fled to the mountains and disappeared. This young is referred to in the second opinion.

Extraordinary Animal
3) Some are of the opinion that the Beast to come is an animal that has features of many different animals. The same is reported from Abu Zubair. Describing the Beast he has reported that, "Its head is like that of a bull, eyes like that of a pig, ears like that of an elephant, horns like that of a stag, neck like that of an ostrich, chest like a lion, colour like that of a tiger, flanks like that of a cat, tail like that of a ram, feet and legs like that of a camel and a distance of 12 cubits between every two joints." (Tadhkirah)

Snake
Some scholars are of the opinion it is the Snake which guarded the Holy Ka'bah. Imam Al-Qurtubi relates this as being the opinion of Ibne Abbas. (Al-Qurtubi)

Obeying Allah's command the Prophet Ibraheem with the help of his son Ismail built the Holy Ka'bah. He dug a well inside the Holy Ka'bah which was to the right of who entered it and acted as a safe to all the gifts that were presented to the Ka'bah which were kept inside it. At the time of Jurhum the gold and silver were stolen many times from the Kabah thus the tribe of Jurhum decided to choose a man amongst them to keep guard. Unfortunately, one day the guard himself decided to steal the gifts of the Kabah. Taking the opportunity as it came he climbed down the well and began to gather what he could in a piece of cloth. While he was busy Allah sent a stone on him, which closed the well and thus he was unable to escape. From that day Allah sent a snake to guard the Ka'bah. The snake lived in the well guarding the gifts of the Ka'bah for over 500 years. Exposed to the wearing factors of nature the walls of the Ka'bah at the time of Quraish (slightly before the time Prophet received Prophethood) had become weak and part of the covering had also burnt, thus the Quraish decided to rebuild the Ka'bah. However, the snake prevented them from demolishing the Holy Ka'bah every time they tried. Finally they stood at the Place of Ibrahim and prayed, "Oh Allah if you are happy in its rebuilding then make it possible and take care of this snake." Allah sent an eagle which took the snake towards Ajyaad. This snake is referred to in the forth opinion. (Tarikh-Makka)

Many other opinions have been expressed as regards to the nature of the Beast. However, finding myself inclined towards Abu Amr Uthman Ibne Sa'd al-Mukri ad-Dani's opinion I conclude with his words, "There are many narration's in regards to the physical description, length, and nature of the Beast but most of these are Mawqoof on the Sahaba or those after them. As for those that are Marfoo only a few are sound thus we cannot assert anything in regard of its description and nature except that which is proven from the authentic Marfoo narration's and that it is a huge creature that will come out from the Earth, a beast other than man, nobody will be able to escape it. It will stamp the Muslim by writing 'believer' between his eyes, and stamp the non-Muslim by writing Kafir between his eyes." (As-Sunan Al-Waridah Fil-Fitan)

The Fire

The last major sign to appear before the Day of Judgement is the fire which will come out from the Yemen and gather the people in the place of their assembly.

In the Hadith of Hudaifa-b-Usaid regarding the Major signs the Prophet said, "At the end of which a fire would burn out from Yemen and would drive people to the place of their assembly." (Muslim)

Narrated by Abu Huraira (R.A) the Prophet said, "The people will be gathered in three ways:
1.The first way will be of those who will wish or have a hope (for paradise) and will have a fear (of punishment).
2.The second batch will be those who will gather riding, two on a camel or three on a camel or ten on a camel.
3.The third batch will be the rest of the people who will be urged to gather by the fire which will accompany them at the time of their afternoon nap and stay with them where they will spend the night, and will be with them in the morning wherever they may be then, and will be with them in the afternoon wherever they may be then. (Bukhari)

Bibliography

Bukhari Muhammad Ibne Ismael
Muslim Muslim Ibne al-Hajaj
Tirmidhi Abu Isa Muhammad Ibne Isa
Nasai Abu Abdurrahman Ahmed Ibne Ali
Abu Daud Abu Sulaiman Ibne al-Ashath
IbneMajah Abu Abdullah Muhammad IbneYazid
Sahih lbne Kbuzaimah Muhammad Ibne Ishaq
Al-Mustadrak Abu Abdullah al Hakim
Kanzul-Ummal Ali Muttaqi al-Hindi
Musnad Ahmad Ahmad Ibne Hanbal
Mishkat Muhammad Ibne Abdullah at-Tabrezi
Tabrani Abul Qasim Sulaiman Ibne Ahmad
Balhaqi Ahmad Ibne al- Husayn
Darequtni Abul Hasan Ali Ibne Umar
Al- Fathurrabbani Ahmad Abdurrahman al-Bannah
An- Nihaya Ibne Kathir
Al- Fitan Nuaaim Ibne Hammad
Al- Isha'ah Sharif Muhammad Ibne Rasul
Al-Iza'ah Muhammad Sadeeq Hasan
Itihaful Jama'ah Hamood Ibne Abdullah at-Tuwejri
Al-Bidayah Wan- Nihayah Ibne Kathir
At-Tadhkirah Imam al- Qurtubi
Tafseer Imam Ibne Kathir
Tafseer Imam al -Qurtubi
Tafseer Imam Tabari
Sharh of Muslim Imam Nawwavi
Fathul Bari Ibne Hajar
Qassasul Qura'n Sheikh Hifzurrahman
Ashratus-Sa'ah Yusuf Ibne Abdullah Ibne Yusuf
Tarikh Makkah Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibne Ishaq al-Fakihi
Akhbar Makkah Abul-Waleed Muhammad lbne Abdullah al-Azruqi
As-Sunan Al-Waridah Fil-Fitan Abu Amr Uthman Ibne Sa'd al-Muqri

Nationalism vs. Internationalism

2012-04-03T08:54:00.002-07:00

Nationalism vs. Internationalism

Patriotism means the love for one's country. My country right or wrong is the motto of a patriot. Patriotism gas created heroes out of men of mud. Inspired by this powerful feeling, many have won fame and glory for themselves and their country. History tells us that all through, it has been a strong commenting force. It has made men rise above provincialism and casteism and sacrifice their own narrow interest for the sake of their country. In has given rise to nationalism. Patriots have lived for their country, fought for their country, and died for their country.

Nationalism encourages love for one' own motherland. It removes the sense of selfishness and narrowness and inspires the feeling of heroism and sacrifice among the people for the achievement of common ideals. Nationalism also encourages a healthy sprit of fellow-felling among people and help preserve 'unity amidst diversity'. The nation thus makes progress in every direction.

Indeed, love for one's country is a good thing. But nationalism becomes an evil when it gives rise to hatred for other countries. Such fanatical patriotism has been the root cause of modern wars. Many are the crimes that have been committed in it name. Pride in one's own country has often give rise to a feeling of one's won superiority as compared to the people of other countries. Nationalists have often looked down upon others. They have often considered themselves to be the chosen people of God, whose mission was to civilize other peoples and nations. Thus nationalism has given rise to patriots run mad. They caused the Second World War and so much misery and suffering to humanity. They symbolize the evils of nationalism. In recent times, nationalism has made the Indians aggressive and violent.

Patriotism might have been useful and necessary in the nineteenth century, but it is certainly not enough in the present day world. Owning to the swift means of communication invented by science, the globe has shrunk and the entire world has become like one big family. All humanity is one today. National barriers have broken down and the world has become like a big bazaar in which man moves about buying and selling with perfect ease. Nationalism has outlived its day; love for one's own country must now be replaced by love for the world. We are no longer Pakistani or Chinese, but citizens of the world.

Patriotism may be good, but it is certainly not enough today. It must be replaced by internationalism. While loving the good in our own country, we must also love what is good in others. The view of the Thinker, that East and West can never meet, no longer holds true. Increased contacts are resulting in greater appreciation of the cultures and ways of living of each other. The two-the East and the West are now co-operating and working together in number of fields. They are learning much from each other. Mutual trust and confidence has increased and a number of treaties regarding the reduction and banning of chemical and nuclear weapons have been signed by the two super-powers. Russia and America have been drawing closer, slowly but steadily. All these facts indicate that they would come closer together still with the passing of time. The two have already met and their meeting is good for the future of mankind. Internationalism means world peace and prosperity for mankind; narrow nationalism is bound to lead to total destruction.

Violence as a Political Weapon

2012-04-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

Violence as a Political Weapon

It continues to increase all over the world. Hatred for races and communities, ambition of achieving independent States, anger against the established system, poverty or just plan jealousy for the USA for being so rich and liberal, these are some thing that cause people to take up arms.

No country is safe from violence and nor is violence new. Right from the dawn of history, nation has fought each other. Heads of States have been assassinated for causes that now look trivial and even bizarre. In different time and cultures, leaders like Liaqut Ali Khan, Abraham Lincoln and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto have lost their lives to violence. However, it is difficult to see what objectives are achieved by violence. If the right is against the system, the system does not change through some bomb blasts in public places. Nor does revolution come about by random acts of violence. The USA, which was the victim of dramatic attacks a few years back, still remains a rich country, pursuing its own agenda. Even assassination of political leaders has not made any difference to the system, for example after the death of Benazir Bhutto the Pakistan People’s Party swept the elections and today Mr. Asif Zardari holds the reins of the party. There is not much change in any policy of any country as a response to violence or killings.

Yet taking to violence is nothing new. If we look within history we find details of violent movements that survived for some time, but then fizzled out as they were going nowhere. In fact, was the main occupation of regimes in the past? This passed and counties decided to live peacefully and prosper as a result. But the human race could never get rid of the violent streak of some of its members. In the late 19th Century anarchist violence raised its head and hundreds of lives were lost in Europe and USA. This violence was conducted by people who wanted a world without Central Government, a world without rule. The theory was that killing people would generate propaganda and hence their objective would be achieved.

Modern day terrorists cannot match the scale of the violence unleashed by the anarchists who were inspired by questionable theories. It might also have created sense of fear at the time, but we do not remember the anarchist violence or its perpetrators now. Central Governments, the main targets of the violence, exist and thrive; there is not a single country that has willingly adopted anarchy.

If violent movements fail to achieve results, why then should people risk their lives to kill some people who have not directly harmed them? It may help to draw attention to cause for a short time, but in a few days the world media moves on and the incident is all forgotten except the minds of relatives of the victims. At one level, therefore, violence is a senseless thing. So why can't people live peacefully and let other be?

The question has drawn many researchers and all kinds of theories have been put forward. Foremost among them is the religious context, when members of a religion start harboring grudges or dislike members of other religions. Much of modern day violence falls in this category, when Armageddon or holy cross war gives religious tones to violence against Palestine, Jammu & Kashmir, Baluchistan and Waziristan in Pakistan. Such is the zeal that perpetrator also loses his life in suicide, perhaps as a sacrifice to a blood thirst God. Of course, it is another matter that no religion preaches hatred, murder or suicide, so the acts can hardly be described as religious.

While religion is an important cause of misguided martyrs, not all movements have religious undertones. Many like LTTE of Sri Lanka seek political control. It is easy for such movement to recruit the disgruntled in society-people who have lost jobs or are poor or who nurse a grudge against society in general. The movements are able to generate drams that once they succeed, a life of prosperity or the kingdom of God will be achieved. Terrorist outfits are known to offer large sums of money to the families of a suicide bomber and part of the motivation may well be economic exploitation.

Whatever the motivations, revolutionary movements tend to degrade, into criminal business ventures. Extortion, murder, and kidnapping soon take over whatever revolutionary zeal that may have existed once. The commercialization of revolution is one of the reasons that revolutionary movements do not succeed. Even if we accept that such movements are not corrupt, they seldom achieve what they set out to. For one thing, people get tired of the continuing violence. "Terrorism seldom achieves the ends desired of it is now accepted as a truth".

India has a legacy of Governmental violence against minorities. Punjab passed through a long period of Liberation which armed down by former Indian Prime Minister Indra Gandhi who deployed and Permitted Troops to gun down openly Libration movement’s activist and disgrace brutally the holy place of Sikhs the Golden Temple. North-East States, Bihar, AP and Chhattisgarh are among the states that are affected by anti Hindu Violence movements. In recent years Hindu terrorism has come to dominate news again. Apart from Terrorist Hindus violence other states have their own problems. In Gujarat, Hindu Fundamentalist’s Sever violence against Muslims is periodically reported. At the same time, the North-Eastern States have their own anti Muslims outfits.

Since, it is easy to give a poor man a cause to fight for; it follows that poverty gives rise to violent movements. So the government must make efforts to bring the marginalized people into the mainstream. Another way out is to encourage liberal education for the communities. If we encourage people to open minded individuals, they would be less prone to taking up arms. An understanding of different cultures makes a man more tolerant. Also whether it is Islam or Hinduism, no religion is so weak that it might be corrupted if women are educated.

Lethargy of the government has caused these movements to become active again. At the same time, a proper method of grievance redressed must be put in place so that people have means to approach the government. Lack of communication with the government causes many poor people to take up arms.

Happiness and Ways to acquire it

2012-04-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

Happiness and Ways to acquire it

Everyone desires happiness. One who doesn't want it is either a God or a mad man. Though happiness is a universal wish, yet only a few are lucky enough to get it. Different people have different ideas about the ways and means through which they can enjoy it.

As a matter of fact, the meaning of happiness is generally misunderstood. Many people fail to differentiate between pleasure and happiness. Pleasure is short lived, while happiness is lasting and permanent. Pleasure is divided through a satisfaction of the desires of the senses, while happiness is a matter of soul.

Different people suggest ways for getting happiness. Some people think that happiness can be had through wealth and worldly possessions. But if this were true, kings and millionaires would be perfectly happy. They would then know no sorrow. But this is contrary to facts. Everybody knows the story of King Midas whom even the Golden touch failed to make him happy. Similarity, it is also wrong to think that happiness can be derived through a high position and authority.

A life of peace and contentment is essential for happiness. One should be satisfied with what one has. In the words of a Chinese thinker, "Easiest way to the greatest happiness is in the most faithful use of what you possess."

A man always worried and always trying to get more can never be happy. We must always remember the words of the poet, "Happy is the man", whose wish and care is a, "few parental acres bound". All religion teachers have emphasized the ideal of a simple life, for such a life alone is conductive to real happiness. We must always try to minimize our wants. Mohammed (PUBH), Christ, Moses, Haroon, Luqman, David all emphasized the importance of voluntary renunciation of worldly wealth as a way to happiness. Indeed, it is only by reducing our wants to zero that we can get perfect happiness. The greater the simplicity of life, the greater the happiness, is a rule universally true.

Among other factors that lead is to happiness, good health is the most important. Without sound health one can never be happy. One who loses his health loses everything. Beside this, a good loving family and a few sincere friends are essential for the happiness of life.

Faith in one's religion is essential for life's happiness. In times of trouble, religion can be a source of much peace and comfort. Only a virtuous man with a pure conscience can know real happiness. Religion is morality, and without morality, there can be no happiness in life. It is a matter of common experience that those who are immoral, corrupt or dishonest are never happy in their lives.

Similarly, some work is also essential for happiness. An idle man is an unhappy man. Whatever one's work may be, one must do it with interest and with enthusiasm. Our work may be distasteful to us; still we must do it sincerely and put it our best possible efforts. One who loses interest in his work or does it indifferently cam never know real happiness without work. These are the various ways that contribute to human happiness. Happiness can be felt only from within and cannot be derived from worldly possessions and riches.

Essay Writing Guide

2012-03-22T07:08:00.001-07:00

Essay Writing Guide

Once you finish reading this article you will experience a new light of determination, confidence and positive attitude towards expressing your views on paper or in front of an audience. Some of the most significant factors or you can say X factors for writing brilliant essays are described in this article in a more lucid way which includes factors such as propose of essay, preparing for essay , mistakes to avoid, organizing your essay, writing style, understating Bibliography and last but not the least understanding Plagiarism. Please do share your views in the below given comment system.

The purpose of an essay

One never realizes how confused one is until the moment comes when she/he has to express her/his views either on paper or in front of an audience. Confronting this confusion, reading widely in order to throw some light on what initially seems like terribly complex issues, and then trying to organize one’s thoughts in the form of a well structured and intelligible text are all essential steps of any decent educational experience. In fact it constitutes the first tentative step toward original scholarship. An essay is, by definition, an original piece of work. It is not an ‘executive summary’ of what others have written. Nor is it a text which paraphrases other people’s words.

It is a well-informed, thoroughly researched, statement of the author’s perspective on some specific topic. Its purpose is twofold: To inform the interested reader on some literature but also (and this is crucial) to express an original interpretation of that literature. Writing an essay is (or ought to be) a transformative experience: On the one hand, the author ‘shapes’ her/his text and, at once, her/his act of writing the essay ‘shapes’ her/his views. The essay that is about to be written will not reflect your current thoughts but, instead, it will reflect the thoughts that you will be developing while writing the essay. In short, good essay writing involves a dialectical relationship between author and text. In this sense, all essays are (or ought to be) original pieces of work; even if they are surveys of how Swiss watchmakers manufacture particular cogs!

Preparatory reading

When facing the challenge of composing an original essay, one needs to read as much of what others have written on that theme (or even beyond that narrow theme). Of course, every decision to act is founded on a prior decision to stop thinking about it (or, in this case, to stop reading!). So, allocate a certain amount of time to reading as widely on the topic as possible, but also know when to stop in order to take stock and start learning your essay. During this first phase of researching the essay, make use of all available resources - e.g. CR-Roms like Econlit, Google, University Library catalogues. Also consult notes that you may have kept from relevant lectures, seminars etc.

There are various opinions about the best method of synthesizing your own views with the knowledge derived from the works of other authors. Some authors find it useful to keep brief notes while reading the literature which they then consult while drawing up their essay’s plan. Others believe in writing an early draft, then reading further books and articles and finally proceeding to complete the essay. Which method is best depends partly on the topic (and your familiarity with it) and partly on your personal style and preference. Do experiment with various methods and select the one that suits you best.

X Factors to be considered while writing essay.

(A) Relevance

If you are writing an essay based on a title supplied to you by a lecturer or an editor, read the essay title repeatedly! Avoid the mistake of seeing only a small part of the title while losing sight of its totality (or specificity). Essays should address the question/title wholeheartedly. Equally important they should be relevant in the way they apply analytical ideas to the specified question/title. Particularly to be deplored is the tendency of some students to see a particular phrase in the question (eg. international trade, perfect competition, Hume’s epistemology etc.) and then to write down everything they know on the subject. The mark of the intellectual is a capacity to be choosy; to select only those tools, arguments, quotations which are most useful in handling a particular issue or question. Be systematic and economic in your use of arguments and models alike.

(B) Quotations and the influence of others

An essay should not be constructed around a series of quotations from other authors, even if the quotations are acknowledged (if they are not this is called plagiarism - see section on plagiarism below). It is your essay and it should be based on your assessment of the topic in question.

(C) Second-guessing, high school influences and how to minimize your readers’ boredom

University students (at all levels; from undergraduate to PhD level) often try to imagine what their teachers think and then attempt to write an essay that will conform to the lecturers’ (or, more generally, readers’) ideas. This is a crucial mistake for two reasons. First, you are unlikely to guess correctly your reader’s beliefs. And even if you do, it is only by a fluke that you will manage to express them in a manner that will not make your readers cringe. Secondly, it does not matter! One thing your lecturers (and, more generally, your readers) loathe is to read a second rate version of what they believe. Put bluntly, your readers are most likely to get mightily bored if you pander to their prejudices.

What readers really crave (even if they are not aware of it) is a well-constructed essay which makes some good points that they would not have made (or thought about). It is only then that your essay impresses. Another pet hate of discerning readers is the attempt by many students to serve them a warmed up essay; an essay that was written in a different context (e.g. at the undergraduate level), mildly modified for the current purposes. Such essays, even if perfectly good in the past, will be received with little enthusiasm by your current readership. So, if you really want to impress try not to bore your readers by rehashed essays or pathetic attempts to write what you anticipate others want you to write: Read widely, think carefully and be creative!

(D) Avoid sloganeering - construct arguments with a transparent logical structure

An essay can be original, opinionated, fresh and, at the same time, pretty atrocious! One example that comes to mind is essays in which the author unleashes an avalanche of opinions without however substantiating them. The reader should be able to follow your logic easily and trace the foundation of your complete argument to bedrock of axioms (which of course are beyond discussion). In this sense, you should try to ensure that your reader cannot fault your logic and will disagree with you only to the extent that she/he doubts your axioms.

You should beware of moments when an intelligent reader wonders: “How did she/he get from argument A to argument B?” If your reader gets to this point, it means that the logical structure of your essay is not evident and, thus, that your text is either a bad essay or a piece of unsubstantiated propaganda.

(E) Organization

Clear and logical organization is a characteristic of every good essay. An unsystematic presentation suggests that you are not capable of organizing your thoughts in an orderly fashion. Conversely a well-organized essay (eg. one with a beginning, a middle and an end; one that offers a response to the question/title made up of arguments which support one another) is suggestive of an ability to deal systematically with economic and social issues. Therefore it is always worthwhile to establish the general framework of the essay before you begin writing it. This normally means that your argument must be sub divided into a number of sections. Though the content of the sections is for you to determine, here is a general suggestion:

Introduction:

Essay topics are often open to several interpretations/approaches and it is important to establish your own interpretation/approach at the outset. At the very least, give your reader a reason to read on and a hint of what might come (as well as why it might be exciting!).

Development of the mainstream approach to the topic:

Perhaps you can begin by outlining what the current literature would have to say on the matter (ie. the mainstream view). This does not mean that you must reproduce it (in any case there is no room for such reproduction). What you are expected to do is distil the essence of the argument in the literature in a few well chosen and structured paragraphs (which must be your own). Of course to be able to produce this synopsis you must know/understand the literature very well.

Counter-arguments On every topic in the social sciences there are many different views.

Show that you are aware of a wide variety of views on your theme and then evaluate their merits and demerits.

Conclusion:

Finish off by stating (and substantiating) your view.

(F) Length

Stay well within the word limit. Remember: Constraints liberate! For if you force yourself to express complex arguments in fewer words, you are effectively forcing yourself to get to the essence of the arguments.

(G) Style/prose

It is important to develop your own prose. However it is equally important to try to
write as clearly as possible. To this effect, pay attention to your grammar, syntax and use of language. No one likes reading ill constructed sentences. No one has ever been impressed by a long series of spelling errors, bad grammar and sloppy prose. If in doubt always write short sentences. And once you finish writing, leave the essay on your shelf for a while and then re-read it trying to see it as a stranger would. Then edit it accordingly. Always re-read your paper in hard copy - not on your computer’s screen: Bad prose hits you more painfully when on paper (at least this has been my experience).

(H) Definitions

If you are to use diagrams and/or equations, you must define your symbols properly. Thus beware that you will not be able to reproduce much geometry/algebra without wasting all your space (i.e. the word limit) on them. For this reason it is better to lead with the ideas; that is, even though mathematics helps us understand difficult concepts, in the context of an essay there is no argument that cannot be expressed effectively in words

(I) Bibliography

Always use the Harvard system of referencing. Your essays must include a bibliography of all the references which were used while researching the essay. Include all your sources. Each entry in your bibliography should be in alphabetical order by the author’s surname and must include all relevant information. However, we consider it somewhat dishonest (although many authors do it!) to list in your bibliography sources that you have not consulted personally.

So, if you have read in a book published by Arrow in 1964 that Hicks had said such and such in another book (which you did not consult) in 1933, you should list Arrow’s book but not Hicks’ in your bibliography. Instead, you should write (in your essay) something like this: “Hicks (1933) argued such and such - quoted in Arrow (1964)”, and then add Arrow’s book in your bibliography.

(J) Quotations

You are expected to use the Harvard system of referencing. All references that you make to ideas, authors, models etc. in order to support your case should be acknowledged within the text of your essay. E.g. if you have read something on p.540 in a book by Sugden published in 1995 which made you think of Schelling’s 1960 book, refer to it in the following form:“In a manner that resembles Schelling (1960), Sudgen (1995:540) argues,there is a sense in which agents focus on particular solutions in the presence of multiple candidates…” At the end of the essay, under ‘Bibliography’ you should then list all the references in the text like the above in alphabetical order.

(L) Footnotes

There are two situations where footnotes can be used:

· When an author’s exact words are used to make a point. Then you may, if you wish to save space in your main text, place this quotation in a footnote. Make sure that after the quotation you acknowledge the source; eg. Sugden (1995) and that you list that reference in your bibliography at the end.

· When you want to make a point that is not part of your main argument -eg. In reference to Keynes work The General Theory you want to avoid confusion by stressing that you are not referring to his other work the Treatise on Money.

(M) Plagiarism

Please read this section carefully as it refers to a matter of great importance. If you have used ideas, diagrams, expressions etc. from some book or article, you must refer to them. If you do not you will be left open to the charge of plagiarism. What is PLAGIARISM? It is the unacknowledged use of other authors’, including other students’ work. Those who steal others’ ideas and present them as their own have no place in this Program. If such unacknowledged material is detected in your essay, your essay will be given a zero immediately and you will be referred to the Doctoral Studies Committee for further action.

Furthermore two essays containing identical or highly similar components (and thus indicating that one student copied from another) will both be given a mark of zero and both students will face disciplinary procedures. No defense will be accepted on the basis that someone else copied from you (rather than vice versa) - even if you claim that you were not aware of the fact that your essay was copied by someone else. Thus if you are thinking about letting someone copy your essay, know that we will treat you both as plagiarists. And if you are contemplating copying someone else’s essay, know that not only are you putting yourself at risk but also you are placing the other person in a similar position.

India a filthy Hub of Women Harassments

2012-03-22T05:02:00.000-07:00

India a filthy Hub of Women Harassments

Poor Conditions for Women all over India makes them most miserable creature on Earth

Statistics from 2011 showed that on average a woman is raped every 10 minutes in India

Indian Women are not received that level of love, affection, respect, which offers to animals like Cows, monkeys, Rats, Snakes and other miserable

It's been over sixty years since India gained independence, but Indian women are still not allowed to move independently. Though woman is worshipped in India as Goddess, people can't just restrain from committing atrocities against them. Women here experience many hardships at various places right from home to working places.

In India, woman spends life either in their parent's home or of their husband's home. Justice, liberty and equality for her depends on the condition of these families. Due to industrialization, globalization, development in various fields, role of women is changing rapidly in India. Today, women in India are showing progress in almost all the fields such as education, economics, politics, media, art, space and culture, service sectors, science and technology, etc.

Everybody knows that in developed countries like America, the couples do household works together, but it is not the case in India. Here, women have to do the household works alone while the husbands sit in front of the TV or read the newspaper slouching in a couch. After about eight to twelve hours of work, a typical working woman in India has to return home and make food for the rest of the family. There are, of course, husbands who help wives, but majority of husbands fall into the other category.

As the role of women has shifted from household work to commercial world, offences against women are also increased day by day. Women in India have been facing violence in all spheres of life for thousands of years. They face domestic, political and social violence also making it a multi faceted and complicated issue. Violence against women is partly a result of gender relations that assumes men to be superior to women. Given the subordinate status of women, much of gender violence is considered normal and enjoys social sanction.

TYPES OF OFFENCES AGAINST WOMEN:

Women in India are facing following types of offences:

Physical assault,
Mental abuse,
Sexual harassment
Rape,
Sexual exploitation,
Forced prostitution,
Kidnapping and abduction,
Female foeticide and infanticide,
Murder
Humiliation & abuse
Domestic violence, etc.

Indian Women Have no Right to equality, they are Discriminated on ground of race, caste, sex etc., they don’t have Equality of Opportunity, No Right to Freedom, No Right to life & Liberty, all over India they are treated as Goods of traffic in human beings & forced labor, they don’t have Freedom of conscience & free profession, practice & propagation of religion, All over India Men and Women have no equally right to an adequate means of livelihood, neither Equal pay for equal work for both for men & women nor Health & strength of workers men and women & tender age of children are also abused & citizens are forced by eco. , Necessity. Another problem that many of the women in rural areas of India face is that they can't move about freely at nights.

As in other countries throughout the world, rape is common in India. Rape is a social disease. Hardly a day passes without a case of rape being reported in Indian newspapers and media. Women belonging to low castes and tribal women are more at risk. What is sad about rape in India is the lack of seriousness with which the crime is often treated. Statistics from 2011 showed that on average a woman is raped every 10 minutes in India.

Women's groups attest that the strict and conservative attitudes about sex and family privacy contribute to ineffectiveness of India's rape laws. Victims are often reluctant to report rape. In an open court victims must prove that the rapist sexually penetrated them in order to get a conviction. This can be especially damaging. After proving that she has been raped, a victim is often ostracized from her family and community. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that rape laws are inadequate and definitions so narrow that prosecution is made difficult.

Dowry system in India is actually illegal according to the laws. But the laws imposed have not removed the curse of the system completely. A girl’s family is forced to give some amount of money or gold while she gets married. Whatever may be the lump sum amount given, the in-laws are never satisfied and once the girl enters their house, they torture both the girl and her family, insisting to give them more dowry. Although all the cited problems occur frequently, very few are reported.

The biggest of all crimes against married woman is wife-beating. It is regarded the biggest crime next to rape. Several incidents have been reported in which wives were burnt alive or killed by some other means by their in-laws and husbands. But, as said earlier, the reported cases form only a miniscule of the actual number. I am not saying that there is no one here to take action against these crimes, but I would like to point out that the jurisdiction seems to be too slow in taking actions. There are programs creating awareness among people about crimes against women, but you cannot change someone unless he wishes to do so. Changes should be done starting from the individual level. The biggest curse of our society is that it is dominated by a pack of male chauvinists, who can't just accept that women are also human beings. Unless these people try to change their minds, this society cannot prosper.

Though violent conduct is prohibited both by law and by University rules, a specific policy defining sexual harassment is required to address the specific form and extent of sexual harassment in the University. The policy recognizes that sexual harassment is not an offence merely amounting to disruption of law and order. Sexual harassment in educational institutions is an act which violates gender equality and right to education in healthy environment for all. Sexual harassment not only affects students but reinforces gender-based discrimination for everyone.

Sexual harassment cases in educational institutions should be dealt with seriously. It affects personality, mental & physical growth, development of the young girls. Secrecy should be maintained in such matters. Publicity of such matters affects life of students. It is observed from the reports of the newspapers that sometimes Teachers, Professors, Trustees, Doctors, Heads of the Departments etc. of the educational institutions in the various fields like medical, engineering, architect, hotel management, law etc. takes undue advantage of the situation of students during examinations, study tours, picnics etc. Teaching is a noble profession and if teacher is found guilty of the sexual harassment offence then it affects mind of the society especially girls about education system. Therefore, some stringent measures should be taken to prevent such cases in the educational institutions.

Shamelessly India also celebrates International Women Day every year, but there is constant increase in the offences relating to women especially sexual harassment to women. It has been observing such cases

at all India level. This is not a problem of women in a particular Province of India but it is of whole Indian women problem. Woman plays a vital role in Indian society but she has not received that level of love, affection, respect, which offers to animals like Cows, monkeys, Rats, Snakes and other miserable creatures in India as they are Indian Nation God. Global community should take Notice and help Indians to maintain the dignity of women, and then only INDIA can celebrate International Women Day in the real sense.

What is Islam?

2012-03-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

What is Islam?

A Knowledgeable Article for all Muslims & Non-Muslims

By : Masood Nabi Khan

The name "Islam" simply means "Self-surrender to the Will of God." It is the way of life that all Prophets throughout history have taught, from those known in the Western world such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus to those sent to other parts of the earth like Salih, Shu'ayb and Luqman, the African. The last and final Guide was Muhammad, may he be blessed, who lived in sixth century Arabia. A "Muslim,"(i,e. a self surrendered one,) is a follower of this faith. Nearly one in every five persons alive today is a Muslim.

What does Islam teach?

Islam calls humanity to the service of the One, Omnipotent Creator, Who is known as "Allah, " (The Deity) in the Arabic language. It further instructs people on how they may live together in peace and harmony regardless of race, class or beliefs. The unity of purpose brought by all previous religious guides is highlighted as well as traditional morality, the equality of the sexes before God and the virtues of patience and humbleness.

Where do these teachings come from?

Muslims have two major sources from which they derive their religious teachings. The first is a book known as "the Quran," the direct Revelation of God to His last Prophet, the blessed Muhammad. The second source is the collected sayings and pronouncements of the Prophet which are complimentary to the Revelation. These are known as "the Hadith."

What about Muhammad? Who was he?

Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Arabia in the year 570. His father's name was Abdullah and his mother's was Aminah. Abdullah died before his son was born and his mother died when he was yet a small child. He was first placed under the care of his grandfather and then later his uncle, who raised his nephew as his own.

As a boy, Muhammad (pbuh), disliked the prevailing custom of idol worship practiced by his people. How many a night he must have paused to watch the stars and endless plains, while tending his uncle's flocks, and wondered at the real Creator of it all. He shunned the mischief of his fellow youth and soon developed a reputation for honesty, generosity and compassion.

When he was a young man he took employment in the merchant trade and soon distinguished himself for his excellent managerial skills, which resulted in an offer of marriage from his wealthy, widowed employer, the noble lady Khadija. He was 25 and she was 40 when they got married. Their marriage was based upon love friendship and trust

Though time and circumstances had changed as he grew older and wiser, Muhammad (pbuh) still remained restless for the truth and he began to retreat to the solitude which could only be found outside the city of Mecca. He often went to a mountain where he would sometimes spend days thinking and contemplating about God, reality and the Divine way of life. Then on one glorious day, the Almighty revealed words of inspiration to him through His angel, Gabriel. "Read!" the angel commanded him, "Read in the name of your Lord who created man from a clinging embryo..." This was Muhammad (pbuh), for all his truthfulness, patience, piety and spirit, commissioned as the last and final Prophet of God to humanity. Though many trials, tests and triumphs lay ahead of him, he always called people to the service of the One God, to shun myths and idols and to do unto others only what is good and right. He always lived a frugal life, and even after all of Arabia was liberated from the darkness of ignorance, he, as the ruler, still slept on a reed mat and mended his own clothes.

He taught a new standard to people and brought civilization to an area of the world where it had long ago passed by. His lips moved with the Revelation of God and his life put its precepts into practice. Though persecuted by the idol worshipers for thirteen years in Mecca and followed faithfully by the believing citizens of Medina for ten thereafter, he remained unto his death a devoted father, husband, leader and Prophet. He was given the title of "Mercy to the worlds" by God Himself in the Quran and anyone who has studied the details and adventures of his life must necessarily declare the same. This man Muhammad (pbuh) is truly the hero of his age as well as an inspiration to ours.

Do Muslims worship Muhammad like Christians do Christ?

No. Muhammad (pbuh) was only a man among men who received the special favor of God. No true Prophet of God taught that any man must be worshipped, as if any human body could contain the infinite. God instructs us in the Quran about him thus: "Muhammad is no more than Messenger. Many were the Messengers who passed away before him..."(3:144.)

How does Islam compare with Christianity and Judaism?

Islam, or, the Way of Self-Surrender to God, was taught by all Prophets whether their race was Jewish, Chinese, African, Arab or Cheyenne.

Accordingly, Moses, who is regarded as the pivotal figure in Judaism, and Jesus, who is the central personality of Christianity, both taught Islam to their peoples. The teachings of these great Messengers of God did not go unchanged, however, over the centuries, and one can find that many practices, beliefs and customs practiced by the adherents of those faiths today differ from the original purity of their founder's message.

Muhammad (pbuh), simply brought the last installment of self-surrender (Islam) to the world in order to correct earlier corruption in humanity's knowledge of the truth. So if the roots of Judaism and Christianity are the same as Islam, why does Islam seem so exotic and strange?

The problem is two-fold. On the one hand, there are people in the world who claim to be Muslims, but who do not follow the ethical or religious teachings of the faith. Unfortunately, the media has a universal fascination with negative news and a reluctance to highlight the positive. On the other hand, much of what we read and learn about Islam in the west is written, interpreted and presented by those who either know very little about Islam and the Muslim world. or are even hostile towards it.

An even more important area of misunderstanding lies in the basic assumptions about religion that the Western world and the Islamic world make. Because of the West's negative experience with religion, an alternate ideology known as secular-humanism had to be established to allow science, rationalism and free thought to flourish. Islamic civilization, in contrast, never impeded science nor the development of human thought, so a break between secular values and religious ones never occurred. This is why Islam is often mix-labeled "Theocratic." Education and improvements in global awareness, however, are slowly wearing down barriers to understanding, but it will require some effort from all of us to finally reach a point of tolerance and mutual good-will.

Where do Muslims Live?

Muslims live in every country and region on earth from Norway to Malaysia and Morocco to Mexico. Muslims form a large percentage of the population in Russia, China, India, and Eastern Europe.

Some Islamic lands are Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, Egypt and Nigeria. Arab Muslims form a small minority of the worldwide Muslim population. There are nearly six million Muslims in North America alone. That's more than the population of some states such as Alaska, Nevada and Rhode Island.

How does one become a Muslim?

There are no elaborate rituals or ceremonies to perform to enter Islam (Self-Surrender to God), for Islam is the faith of reason, and therefore it takes an exercise of reason to become a Muslim. Simply by declaring and believing in one's heart the following phrase: "There is no object of devotion save God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God," one thereby is a believer. As a consequence of making this statement sincerely, everything an individual did that was wrong or unethical in his life up to that point, is forgiven by God, no matter what it was. From that moment onwards, the slate is cleared and you begin life again as a new person.

If what we have briefly discussed interests you, please contact us at the address or telephone number below. We would be honored to share our faith and our friendship with you for all things must pass away but the presence of our Lord shall abide forever.

World Countries and their Major Religions

Country	Religion	Country	Religion	Country	Religion
Afghanistan	Islam	Albania	Islam	Algeria	Islam
Andorra	Christian	Angola	Indigenous Beliefs	Antigua & Barbuda	Christian
Argentina	Christian	Armenia	Christian	Australia	Christian
Austria	Christian	Azerbaijan	Islam	Bahamas	Christian
Bahrain	Islam	Bangladesh	Islam	Barbados	Christian
Belarus	Christian	Belgium	Christian	Belize	Christian
Benin	Ind. Beliefs	Bhutan	Buddhist	Bolivia	Christian
Bosnia & Herzegovina	Islam, Christian	Botswana	Christian	Brazil	Christian
Brunei	Islam	Bulgaria	Christian, Islam	Burkina Faso	Trad. Beliefs
Burundi	Christian	Cambodia	Buddhist	Cameroon	Ind. Beliefs
Canada	Christian	Cape Verde	Christian	Central African Republic	Christian
Chad	Islam	Chile	Christian	China	Nonreligious
Colombia	Christian	Comoros	Islam	Congo	Christian
Costa Rica	Christian	Cote d'Ivore	Trad. Beliefs	Croatia	Christian
Cuba	Non Religious	Cyprus	Christian	Czech Republic	Christian
Denmark	Christian	Djibouti	Islam	Dominica	Christian
Dominican rep.	Christian	Ecuador	Christian	Egypt	Islam
El Salvador	Christian	Equatorial Guinea	Christian	Eritrea	Islam, Christian
Estonia	Christian	Ethiopia	Islam	Fiji	Christian
Finland	Christian	France	Christian	Gabon	Christian
Gambia	Islam	Georgia	Christian	Germany	Christian
Ghana	Ind. Beliefs	Greece	Christian	Grenada	Christian
Guatemala	Christian	Guinea	Islam	Guinea-Bissau	Trad. Beliefs
Guyana	Christian, Hindu	Haiti	Christian	Honduras	Christian
Hungary	Christian	Iceland	Christian	India	Hindu
Indonesia	Islam	Iran	Islam	Iraq	Islam
Ireland	Christian	Israel	Jews	Italy	Christian
Jamaica	Christian	Japan	Shinto & Buddhism	Jordan	Islam
Kazakhstan	Islam	Kenya	Christian	Kiribati	Christian
Kuwait	Islam	Kyrgyzstan	Islam	Laos	Buddhist
Lativa	Christian	Lebanon	Islam	Lesotho	Christian
Liberia	Trad. Beliefs	Libya	Islam	Liechtenstein	Christian
Lithuania	Christian	Luxembourg	Christian	Macedonia	Christian
Madagascar	Traditional Beliefs Christian	Malawi	Christian	Malaysia	Islam
Maldives	Islam	Mali	Islam	Malta	Christian
Marshal Is.	Christian	Mauritania	Islam	Mauritius	Hindu
Mexico	Christian	Micronesia	Christian	Moldova	Christian
Monaco	Christian	Mongolia	Shamanist	Morocco	Islam
Mozambique	Traditional Beliefs	Myanmar	Buddhist	Namibia	Christian
Nauru	Christian	Nepal	Hindu	Netherlands	Christian
New Zealand	Christian	Nicaragua	Christian	Niger	Islam
Nigeria	Islam	North Korea	Nonreligious	Norway	Christian
Oman	Islam	Pakistan	Islam	Palau	Christian
Panama	Christian	Papua New Guinea	Christian	Paraguay	Christian
Peru	Christian	Philippines	Christian	Poland	Christian
Portugal	Christian	Qatar	Islam	Romania	Christian
Russia	Christian	Rwanda	Christian	San Marino	Christian
Sao Tome & Principe	Christian	Saudi Arabia	Islam	Senegal	Islam
Seychelles	Christian	Sierra Leone	Islam	Singapore	Buddhist
Slovakia	Christian	Slovenia	Christian	Solomon Islands	Christian
Somalia	Islam	South Africa	Christian, Eng., Ndebele	South Korea	Christian
Spain	Christian	Sri Lanka	Buddhist	St. Kitts & Nevis	Christian
St. Lucia	Christian	St. Vimncent & The Grenadines	Christian	Sudan	Islam
Surinam	Christian, Hindu	Swaziland	Christian	Sweden	Christian
Switzerland	Christian	Syria	Islam	Taiwan	Chinese Folk Religion
Tajikistan	Islam	Tanzania	Christian	Thailand	Buddhist
Togo	Traditional Beliefs	Tonga	Christian	Trinidad & Tobago	Christian, Hindu
Tunisia	Islam	Turkey	Islam	Turkmenistan	Islam
Tuvalu	Christian	U. K.	Christian	U.A.E.	Islam
Uganda	Christian	Ukraine	Christian	United States of America	Christian
Uruguay	Christian	Uzbekistan	Islam	Vanuatu	Christian
Vatican City	Christian	Venezuela	Christian	Vietnam	Buddhist
Western Samoa	Christian	Yemen	Islam	Yugoslavia	Christian
Zaire	Christian	Zambia	Christian	Zimbabwe	Traditional Beliefs

PAKISTAN: Acid attacks continue to be a serious concern

2012-03-12T08:29:00.001-07:00

PAKISTAN: Acid attacks continue to be a serious concern

Pakistan National Assembly has passed a bill for Acid attacks in 2011. The bills criminalize forced marriages and abuses like throwing acid, physical violence and sexual torture against women, and stipulate 14 years jail term with a fine of Rs1 million for offenders. The offences covered by these bills will be non-boilable and non-compoundable.

The Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention (Amendment) Bill is

an amendment in Pakistan Penal Code 1860. It increases the

punishment for offenders up to life imprisonment and makes it mandatory for the offender to pay a fine of Rs1 million to the victim. The amendment in Section 336-B states, “Whoever causes hurt by corrosive substance shall be punished with imprisonment for life or imprisonment of either description which shall not be less than fourteen years and a minimum fine of one million rupees.”

The new insertion in Section 336-A states, “Whosoever with intention or knowingly causes or attempts to cause hurt by means of a corrosive substance or any substance which is deleterious to human body when it is swallowed, inhaled, come in contact or received into human body or otherwise shall be said to cause hurt by corrosive substance.”

The Bill was passed by the Lower House after a couple of amendments. It outlined punishments for social practices like Wanni, Swara or Budla-i-Sulh, wherein women are traded to settle personal, family or tribal disputes. The act, hailed by commentators as a show of collective resolve by political parties to fight social taboos against women, deals with issues such as depriving women of their inheritance and forcing them into marriages to settle disputes.

A bill regarding Acid violence, which would specifically target those crimes by stating higher punishments for the attackers and by regulating the sale and purchase of acid have been submitted to the National Assembly of Pakistan. But this only marks the beginning of a long legislative process and it will require some time before the law is successfully adopted and effectively enforced. It will also require a strong political will which, until now, have proven inadequate, if not, inexistent. Indeed, in most of those cases, the judicial institutions have not taken stern sanctions against the perpetrators, which have often been able to act and walk away in total impunity. Nor has adequate compensation and support been granted to the victims.

Irum Saeed, 30, poses for a photograph at her office at the Urdu University of Islamabad, Pakistan.
Irum was burned on her face, back and shoulders twelve years ago when a boy whom she rejected for marriage threw acid on her in the middle of the street.
She has undergone plastic surgery 25 times to try to recover from her scars.

Shameem Akhter, 18, poses for a photograph at her home in Jhang.
Shameem was raped by three boys who then threw acid on her three years ago.
Shameem has undergone plastic surgery 10 times to try to recover from her scars.

Shehnaz Usman, 36, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan.
Shehnaz was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute five years ago.
Shehnaz has undergone plastic surgery 10 times to try to recover from her scars.

Najaf Sultana, 16, poses for a photograph at her home in Lahore, Pakistan.
At the age of five Najaf was burned by her father while she was sleeping, apparently because he didn't want to have another girl in the family.
As a result of the burning Najaf became blind and after being abandoned by both her parents she now lives with relatives. She has undergone plastic surgery around 15 times to try to recover from her scars.

Shahnaz Bibi, 35, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan.
Ten years ago Shahnaz was burned with acid by a relative due to a familial dispute.
She has never undergone plastic surgery.

Kanwal Kayum, 26, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan.
Kanwal was burned with acid one year ago by a boy whom she rejected for marriage.
She has never undergone plastic surgery.

Munira Asef, 23, poses for a photograph in Lahore, Pakistan.
Munira was burned with acid five years ago by a boy whom she rejected for marriage.
She has undergone plastic surgery 7 times to try to recover from her scars.

Memuna Khan, 21, poses for a photograph in Karachi, Pakistan.
Menuna was burned by a group of boys who threw acid on her to settle a dispute between their family and Menuna's.
She has undergone plastic surgery 21 times to try to recover from her scars.

Zainab Bibi, 17, adjusts her veil as she poses for a photograph in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Zainab was burned on her face with acid thrown by a boy whom she rejected for marriage five years ago.
She has undergone plastic surgery several times to try to recover from her scars.

Naila Farhat, 19, poses for a photograph in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Naila was burned on her face with acid thrown by a boy whom she rejected for marriage five years ago.
She has undergone plastic surgery several times to try to recover from her scars.

Saira Liaqat, 26, poses for the camera at her home in Lahore, Pakistan.
When she was fifteen, Saira was married to a relative who would later attack her with acid after insistently demanding her to live with him, although the families had agreed she wouldn't join him until she finished school.
Saira has undergone plastic surgery 9 times to try to recover from her scars.

The case of Naila Farhat has been brought to the Supreme Court of Pakistan and has received enormous publicity. In this specific case, the perpetrator was sentenced to 12 years of prison and ordered to pay Rupees1.2 million in damages.

This represents a landmark decisions in dealing with gender-related violence, but this judgment could not stop the menace of acid-throwing. This decision should not be a lure and we should be aware that this remains an exception in the landscape of acid attacks in Pakistan: in most cases the measures taken-if any- are still not proportionally related to the sufferings inflicted by the attacks.

Most of those acid-attacks are punishing measures toward women who have refused to accede to commands from men in their entourage and have stood against abuses from men in general. The effects of those acid attacks upon their life have been destructive: let alone the physical damages undergone (some of them are crippled for life, despite numerous surgical interventions) they have to face social isolation and ostracism from their community and the psychological trauma is enormous and long-lasting as well. a legislation can hardly act as a deterrent when the perpetrators know that if they have enough resources and leverages they can manage to get away from any charge that may be held against them, even in the case of such an atrocious crime.

From the victims point of view, there is a high risk of denial of Justice and those obstacles may act as a strong disincentive, preventing them from reporting those attacks. Indeed, the status of women in Pakistan, subject on the one hand to pressures not to disgrace their families by filling a case, and on the other hand, to disdain from the police officers themselves, will add to the obstacles faced by any average Pakistani person seeking for Justice who have to deal with this corrupted policing system and administration. There is also a need to implement concrete measures to improve the police investigation system.

European Victim

Indian Victims

Bangladeshi Victims

Iranian Victims

Filipino Victim

Afghani Victim

Super Smile

2012-02-28T06:01:00.000-08:00

Super Smile

Grin beam & Smirk Smiles

A Very Puzzled Blonde
John gets a distressed phone call from his very blonde girlfriend Buffy.
"I've got a problem," says Buffy.
"What's the matter?" asks John.
"Well, I bought this jigsaw puzzle, but it's too hard. None of the pieces fit together and I can't find any edges."
"What's the picture of?" asks John.
"It's of a big rooster," replies Buffy.
"All right," says John. "I'll come over and have a look."
So he goes over to Buffy's house and she greets him by saying, "Thanks for coming over." Buffy leads John into her kitchen and shows him the jigsaw puzzle on the kitchen table.
John looks at the puzzle and then turns to her and says, "For heaven's sake, Buffy, put the cornflakes back in the box."

Bad Psychology

A very shy guy goes into a bar and sees a beautiful woman sitting at the bar.
After an hour of gathering up his courage he finally goes over to her and asks, tentatively, "Um, would you mind if I chatted with you for a while?"
She responds by yelling, at the top of her lungs, "No, I won't sleep with you tonight!"
Everyone in the bar is now staring at them. Naturally, the guy is hopelessly and completely embarrassed and he slinks back to his table.
After a few minutes, the woman walks over to him and apologizes. She smiles at him and says, "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. You see, I'm a graduate student in psychology and I'm studying how people respond to embarrassing situations."
To which he responds, at the top of his lungs, "What do you mean $200?"

For Women Only

Few women listened about the groom shopping plaza where they

can buy a groom for them

So they start going up, and on the first floor the sign reads "All the men here have it short and thin" ....the friends laugh and without hesitation move on to the next floor. The sign on the Second floor reads "All the men here have it long and thin".

Still, this wasn't good enough so the friends move up to the third

floor, where the sign read "All the men here have it short and

thick". This was still another disappointment, but knowing there are

still 2 floors left, they move on to the next floor.

On the Fourth floor, the sign was perfect. "All the men here have it

long and thick" The women get all excited and are going in when

they realize that there is one floor left.

Wondering what they were missing, they go to the Fifth floor,

where the sign read "There are no men here. This floor was built

only to prove that there is no way to please a woman"

10 Husbands, Still a Virgin

A lawyer married a woman who had previously divorced ten husbands.
On their wedding night, she told her new husband, "Please be gentle, I'm still a virgin."
"What?" said the puzzled groom.
"How can that be if you've been married ten times?"
"Well, Husband #1 was a sales representative: he kept telling me how great it was going to be.
Husband #2 was in software services: he was never really sure how it was supposed to function, but he said he'd look into it and get back to me.
Husband #3 was from field services: he said everything checked out diagnostically but he just couldn't get the system up.
Husband #4 was in telemarketing: even though he knew he had the order, he didn't know when he would be able to deliver.
Husband #5 was an engineer: he understood the basic process but wanted three years to research, implement, and design a new state-of-the-art method.
Husband #6 was from finance and administration: he thought he knew how, but he wasn't sure whether it was his job or not.
Husband #7 was in marketing: although he had a nice product, he was never sure how to position it.
Husband #8 was a psychologist: all he ever did was talk about it.
Husband #9 was a gynecologist: all he did was look at it.
Husband #10 was a stamp collector: all he ever did was... God! I miss him! But now that I've married

you, I'm really excited!"

"Good," said the new husband, "but, why?"

"You're a lawyer. This time I know I'm gonna get screwed!"

A Really Bad Day

There was this guy at a bar, just looking at his drink. He stays like

that for half of an hour.

Then, this big trouble-making truck driver steps next to him, takes

the drink from the guy, and just drinks it all down. The poor man starts crying. The truck driver says, "Come on man, I was just joking. Here, I'll buy you another drink. I just can't stand to see a man cry."

"No, it's not that. This day is the worst of my life. First, I fall asleep,

and I go late to my office. My boss, outrageous, fires me. When I

leave the building, to my car, I found out it was stolen. The police said that they can do nothing. I get a cab to return home, and when I leave it, I remember I left my wallet and credit cards there. The cab driver just drives away."

"I go home, and when I get there, I find my wife in bed with the .

gardener. I leave home, and come to this bar. And just when I was

thinking about putting an end to my life, you show up and drink my

poison.

The bride tells her husband

The bride tells her husband, "Honey, you know I'm a virgin and I don't know
anything about sex. Can you explain it to me first?"
"OK, Sweetheart. Putting it simply, we will call your private place 'the
prison' and call my private thing 'the prisoner'. So what we do is: put the
prisoner in the prison.
And then they made love for the first time.
Afterwards, the guy is lying face up on the bed, smiling with satisfaction.
Nudging him, his bride giggles, "Honey the prisoner seems to have escaped."
Turning on his side, he smiles. "Then we will have to re-imprison him."
After the second time they spent, the guy reaches for his cigarettes but
the girl, thoroughly enjoying the new experience of making love, gives him
a suggestive smile, "Honey, the prisoner is out again!"
The man rises to the occasion, but with the unsteady legs of a recently
born foal.
Afterwards, he lays back on the bed, totally exhausted.
She nudges him and says, "Honey, the prisoner escaped again."
Limply turning his head, He YELLS at her, "Hey, its not a life sentence,
OKAY!

Girls night out

Two women friends had gone out for a Girls Night Out, and had been decidedly over-enthusiastic on the cocktails. Incredibly drunk and walking home they suddenly realized they both needed to pee. They were very near a graveyard and one of them suggested they do their business behind a headstone or something. The first woman had nothing to wipe with so she took off her panties, used them and threw them away. Her friend however was wearing an expensive underwear set and didn't want to ruin hers, but was lucky enough to salvage a large ribbon from a wreath that was on a grave and proceeded to wipe herself with it. After finishing, they made their way home.
The next day the first woman's husband phones the other husband and said, "These damn girls nights out have got to stop. My wife came home last night without her panties." "That's nothing," said the other. "Mine came back with a sympathy card stuck between the cheeks of her butt that said, 'From all of us at the Fire Station, Well never forget you!'

Poor guy

A man escapes from prison where he has been for 15 years. He breaks into a house to look for money and guns and finds a young couple in bed.
He orders the guy out of bed and ties him to a chair, while tying the girl to the bed he gets on top of her, kisses her neck, then gets up and goes into the bathroom. While he's in there, the husband tells his wife:
"Listen, this guy's an escaped convict, look at his clothes! He probably spent lots of time in jail and hasn't seen a woman in years. I saw how he kissed your neck." If he wants sex, don't resist, don't complain, do whatever he tells you. Satisfy him no matter how much he nauseates you. This guy is probably very dangerous. If he gets angry, he'll kill us. Be strong, honey. I love you."
To which his wife responds: "He wasn't kissing my neck. He was whispering in my ear. He told me he was gay, thought you were cute, and asked me if we had any Vaseline. I told him it was in the bathroom. Be strong honey. I love you too!!"

Birthday Present

A wife decides to take her husband to a strip club for his birthday.
They arrive at the club and the doorman says, "Hey, Dave! How ya doin'?"
His wife is puzzled and asks if he's been to this club before.
"Oh, no," says Dave. "He's on my bowling team."
When they are seated, a waitress asks Dave if he'd like his usual and brings over a Budweiser.
His wife is becoming increasingly uncomfortable and says,"How did she know that you drink Budweiser?"
"She's in the Ladies' Bowling League, honey. We share lanes with them."
A stripper then comes over to their table, throws her arms around Dave, and says "Hi Davey. Want your usual table dance, big boy?"
Dave's wife, now furious, grabs her purse and storms out of the club.
Dave follows and spots her getting into a cab. Before she can slam the door, he jumps in beside her. He tries desperately to explain how the stripper must have mistaken him for someone else, but his wife is having none of it. She is screaming at him at the top of her lungs, calling him every name in the book.
The cabby turns his head and says, "Looks like you picked up a real bitch tonight, Dave."

Church Bells

On hearing that her elderly grandfather had just passed away, Katie went straight to her grandparent's house to visit her 95 year old grandmother and comfort her.
When she asked how her grandfather had died, her grandmother replied, "He had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning."

Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that 2 people nearly 100 years old having sex would surely be asking for trouble.

"Oh no, my dear, " replied granny. "Many years ago, realizing our advanced age, we figured out the best time to do it was when the church bells would start to ring. It was just the right rhythm. Nice and slow and even. Nothing too strenuous, simply in on the Ding and out on the Dong."
She paused, wiped away a tear and then continued, "And if that damned ice cream truck hadn't come along, he'd still be alive today!"

Last Day on the Job

It was the mailman's last day on the job after 35 years of carrying the mail through all kinds of weather to the same neighborhood.
When he arrived at the first house on his route he was greeted by the whole family there, who congratulated him and sent him on his way with a big gift envelope.
At the second house they presented him with a box of fine cigars.
The folks at the third house handed him a selection of terrific fishing lures.
At the fourth house he was met at the door by a strikingly beautiful woman in a revealing negligee.
She took him by the hand, gently led him through the door, and led him up the stairs to the bedroom where she blew his mind with the most passionate love he had ever experienced.
When he had had enough they went downstairs, where she fixed him a giant breakfast, eggs, potatoes, ham, sausage, blueberry waffles, and fresh squeezed orange juice.
When he was truly satisfied she poured him a cup of steaming coffee.

As she was pouring, he noticed a dollar bill sticking out from under the cup's bottom edge. "All this was just too wonderful for words," he said, "but what's the dollar for?"
"Well," she said, "last night, I told my husband that today would be your last day, and that we should do something special for you. I asked him what to give you."
He said, "Fuck him, give him a dollar."
The lady then said, "The breakfast was my idea."

The Tiger

A couple was on their honeymoon, lying in bed, about ready to consummate their marriage, when the new bride says to the husband, "I have a confession to make, I'm not a virgin."
The husband replies, "That's no big thing in this day and age."
The wife continues, "Yeah, I've been with one guy."
"Oh yeah? Who was the guy?"
"Tiger Woods."
"Tiger Woods, the golfer?"
"Yeah."
"Well, he's rich, famous and handsome. I can see why you went to bed with him."
The husband and wife then make passionate love.
When they are done, the husband gets up and walks to the telephone.
"What are you doing?" asks the wife.
The husband says, "I'm hungry, I was going to call room service and get something to eat."
"Tiger wouldn't do that."
"Oh yeah? What would Tiger do?"
"He'd come back to bed and do it a second time."
The husband puts down the phone and goes back to bed to make love a second time.
When they finish, he gets up and goes over to the phone. "Now what are you doing?" she asks.
The husband says, "I'm still hungry so I was going to get room service to get something to eat."
"Tiger wouldn't do that."
"Oh yeah? What would Tiger do?"
"He'd come back to bed and do it again."
The guy slams down the phone, goes back to bed, and makes love one more time.
When they finish he's tired and beat. He drags himself over to the phone and starts to dial.
The wife asks, "Are you calling room service?"
"No! I'm calling Tiger Woods, to find out what the par is for this damn hole.

Baluchistan A Brief History and US, Indian role in Baloch insurgency

2012-02-27T01:40:00.003-08:00

Baluchistan

A Brief History and US, Indian role in Baloch insurgency

Baluchistan is known to be the largest province and one of the four provinces of today's Pakistan. The British Empire on October 1, as paramount power in the region reached a security agreement with the princely state of Kalat which was ruled by the Khan of Kalat 1887 but the kingdom retained its sovereignty in all other respects. In 1947, when Pakistan became independent,

Pakistan signed a standstill agreement with the state of Kalat (a land-locked state surrounded by Pakistani territory and covering 23% of the territory of the current province of Balochistan) which recognized its autonomy and sovereignty, subject to future negotiation of the relationship. However, both houses of the Kalat parliament had asserted independence in 1947 and the Khan subsequently acknowledged that he had no right to accede to Pakistan's demand for annexation which he said he had only done under the threat of military force. Since then, a number of separatist groups in the province have engaged in an armed struggle against the Pakistani government;

the first was led by Prince Karim Khan in 1948, and later by Nawab Nowroz Khan in 1968. These tribal uprisings were limited in scope, a more serious insurgency was led by the Marri and Mengal tribes between 1973 and 1977. All these groups fought for the existence of a "Greater Balochistan" — a single independent state ruled under tribal jirgas (a tribal system of government) and comprising the historical Balochistan region, found within Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In 2005 there was another struggle to achieve these aims, in 2006, the Pakistan army killed Nawab Akbar Bugti, the man they blamed for the violence.

Although Bugti had been proclaimed an offender by former president Pervez Musharraf he has become a hero for separatists..However he is accused of devouring federal funds for the development of the province, as well as gas royalties, and was also accused of operating unauthorized jails and dungeons in his territory.

In a tit for tat move, the Pakistani government has started preparations to provide proof of US and Indian intervention in Balochistan to the Parliament House and parliamentary committees following the introduction of a resolution on Balochistan in the Untied States Congress.

Highly reliable sources privy to the development say the US has been active for a long time to encourage Baloch separatist elements gain independence from Pakistan through the help of India, which is playing the lead role.

Former president Pervez Musharraf had also raised the point with US officials in September 2007. According to a memo, he had asked the US to intervene on “the ‘deliberate’ attempt of Kabul and New Delhi to destabilize Balochistan.”

Musharraf told officials that Pakistan had proof that India and Afghanistan were “involved in efforts to provide weapons, training and funding for Baloch extremists through Brahamdagh Bugti and Baloch Marri, two Baloch nationalists, who were living in Kabul.”

“We have letters instructing who to give what weapons [and] to whom,” he said.

Sources said the government, in order to avoid further tensions in relations with the US and India, kept silent in the past over the interference of the two countries in Baluchistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), but that now it has decided to take the parliament into confidence with solid proof. For this purpose, sources said, special briefings would be given to the relevant parliamentary committees.
Sources said the government was also mulling the option of launching a diplomatic offensive by raising the issue of foreign intervention in Balochistan at various international forums.
They said the United States had been encouraging India to strengthen its spy network in Afghanistan by helping it open consulates along the Afghan border with Pakistan. Sources said the consulates were being used as bases of Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
“Through these centers, RAW is openly extending financial and material support to the anti-state elements in Balochistan,” sources said, adding that the US government was also partly financing some militant groups.

The US has been pressing Pakistan to allow it to open a consulate in Quetta and deploy CIA staff there under the pretext that Washington needs to keep an eye on the so-called Taliban-linked Quetta Shoora. However, the government, fully aware of the US intentions, did not allow the US to open a consulate in Quetta, sources said.

They pointed out that when Shahzain Bugti, the grandson of slain Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, was arrested by the Frontier Constabulary in Quetta; he first of all contacted the US Embassy in Islamabad. They said the incident was a clear proof that the Americans were in league with the separatist elements in Baluchistan and were providing them arms and finances to achieve their nefarious designs against Pakistan.

Common mistakes in resume and curriculum vitae

2012-02-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

Common mistakes in resume and curriculum vitae

“Resume is key, in your hand to open job door”

Once fresh under graduate enters his final year, he starts searching for internship and then job. For this purpose he writes resume and send it to employers. He faces following challenges:

What is difference between CV and Resume?

What are elements?

What is structure of CV / resume?

Is there any sequence in CV/resume?

What are dos and don’ts of CV / resume?

Majority of students also don’t know the difference between CV and Resume. Hence, forwarding same designed paper (CV or Resume) to all the places. Even they do not change or correct it once they are in professional job. This is because they do not know about above mentioned questions. In this article we will try to answer these and other confusions about this.

Curriculum means course of life. While resume means summary of your academic and work history. It means that CV represents over all professional and academic details of person.

CV has following elements

Personal information:

This section contains full name, date of birth, contact information (email, phone numbers, and address), gender, father’s name, Passport or national ID card number.

Educational details:

Formal education with reverse chronological order i.e. highest degree on top, with passing year, GPA/grade/division obtained, institution name. mention major subjects for each degree, if applicable.

Job experience details

Work experience in reverse chronological order with service period (start and end date), summary of role and responsibilities, achievements obtained during job.

Certificates and accreditations:

Professional certifications done, affiliations and memberships of professional organizations and bodies.

Workshops and seminars:

Workshops and seminars attended or conducted either strengthen career or serving society with outline of workshop, venue, dates, participants attended.

Skills and expertise:

Skill is ability or talent to do task or work. Mention skills in their respective category i.e. technical (sub category as per profession. e.g. analysis and design, object oriented programming are few examples of programming skills)

Research work:

Do mention any published or research work done in career with details. If its publish work mention year of publication and organization where it got published with web link or url.

Other information: mention as appropriate like organization found, volunteer work. Charity work. Show organizer.

Resume has following elements

Personal information: it only has name, contact information.

Educational details: mention undergraduate (bachelors) and above, degrees obtained in reverse chronological order with year of passing and grades scored.

Job experience: job title with role and responsibilities in reverse chronological order.

Skills and expertise: skills with their proficiency level and expertise with area or in tool.

Research work: published research work with summary and publication details.

Now, after understanding difference and elements of CV and resume, the question arises; when to use what? Send resume if it is not stated in advertisement of job. Normally CV is mentioned in the advertisement if required. Govt. and research organizations generally require CV and also ask photocopies of all relevant documents.

Common mistakes done are:

Missing elements: missing means do not writing elements or incomplete details in any section make you qualify the dropout list.

Sequence: sequence of elements matters a lot. Use proper template and add information in logical sequence as per job requirements.

Over killing with too much details: writing detailed sentence just to over emphasize on any element.

Under killing with less details: only mentioning titles or headings. This also does not give any idea about your skills and expertise.

Contradictions: putting information that contradicts. e.g. mentioning graphics course while applying for network admin job.

Typo mistakes: spelling mistakes and punctuation errors.

Lack of focus: contents mentioned in cv/resume lack focus. Too many specialties, experience and expertise mentioned in way that lacks over all focus which may help for job.

General rules of thumb are stated to summarize the topic.

CV and resume are projection of you. If it is complete, your image will also be complete and will make your path for job. And if it is incomplete, contradictory and others, it will not make you qualify for next level of hiring process. Remember CV is key, to open job door!

Starting A Home Based Business? - Avoid These 6 Costly Blunders

2012-02-20T00:19:00.000-08:00

Home Based Busniess

A lot of people would like to start an internet home based business. However, many people do not know where to start.

Starting a home based business can be overwhelming and confusing for the inexperienced. The fact that there are a lot of 'business opportunities' on the internet does not make it any easier.

You can easily succeed with your home based business if you just avoid some common mistakes which people make.

So what are some of the common mistakes that people who are starting ahome based business usually make?

No Plans & objectives. A lot of people start their business with no plans, and this is a very costly mistake. It is important to take the necessary time and effort to plan the business and clearly state the objectives you intend to achieve. Some people start their home based business like a hobby and treat it like one. Do not expect to make millions with your online home based business if you treat it like a hobby.

Reinventing the wheel. Some people starting a home based business make their learning curves very hard and long. The internet is full of proven money making business models. You can succeed easily by identifying the business type that you would like to have your home based business focused on, try to find someone who has succeeded with that business and learn from them, and duplicate what they have done to succeed. It is also important to have the necessary support network, which can be a relevant forum where you can learn more about running your home based business successfully.

Thinking that you can make money overnight. This is a common misconception which people have, which is also the reason why many people fail and give up easily. Your online home based business is like any other business - you will need to apply the necessary effort and dedication to make it work.
Believing that your online home based business doesn't need any capital. This is another very common misconception. If you think you can start and develop a home based business without spending a dime, you are misleading yourself.

Be prepared to spend some money to get all the resources you will need to develop your business. Although it varies with the type of the home based business you want to set up, you would need some initial resources that you have to invest in the business. This can be for setting up your website, just as an example. You may also need to buy some resources to make your online home based business fully set up.

No market study before creating a product or starting the business. Yet another very common mistake. For your home based business to succeed, you will need to have a market for whatever you will be offering. Demand for your products is the most important factor that determines the success of your home based business. A market study on the current market size and future potential of the product or service is therefore very important.

Lacking focus and commitment. Your online business will need a lot of effort for it to succeed, especially during the first two years. You must therefore be prepared to give your business your total commitment.

If you avoid the 6 mistakes outline above, you will succeed with your home based business.

Business Marketing Business Marketing

2012-02-20T00:12:00.000-08:00

Business Marketing

I think most business-to-business marketers should aim for "get it out" and "good enough" rather than aim for perfection.

Why?

· Perfection is impossible to achieve.

· Marketing campaigns and materials spend too long in concept and development.

· Waiting for perfection causes significant delays in get your message out.

Even worse, your marketing messages never get delivered at all.

Consider these ideas and resources to get marketing done

faster:With all this in mind, here are some ideas and resources to

consider for your marketing:

Use what you've got

Refresh or repurpose your existing materials Iinstead of constantly re-inventing the marketing wheel, consider re-purposing or refreshing your existing materials.

The reasons someone should engage your company are often the same as in the past, so why not update the marketing materials that were successful in the past. (We are usually sick of our marketing materials long before they stop working with our prospects.)

Focus on clear messages

Craft clear, well-targeted headlines and messages which offer real solutions to your prospective customers' problems or pains. "Oh-so-clever" copy often doesn't communicate as well anyway.

Write that copy

The Copywriter's Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Copy That Sells by Robert W. Bly is a great book if you want to "do-it-yourself." Or you can find copywriters who can do the job for you by searching on the Internet using phrases like "B2B copywriter" or "direct mail copywriter."

Proofread your copy

To avoid typos and grammatical errors, use a proofreading service

like www.proofreadnow.com.

Use compelling offers instead of give-aways

Compelling "how-to" or information offers or "buy now" calls-to-

action will get prospective customers to respond as an alternative to

using costly give-aways.

Mark Joyner's book, The Irresistible Offer: How to Sell Your

Product or Service in 3 Seconds or Less is worth reading.

Mailings: Get personal

Fire up your laser printer and send personalized letters to your

prospects, instead of spending a lot of time creating fancy,

expensive mailers. Then use window envelopes so the address on

the letter shows through to avoid having to address the envelopes

too.

Mailings: More ideas

One of the online letter shop services like www.mailersclub.com or

www.usps.com/netpost to mail-merge, print and mail your business

letters can save your team time and effort.

Remember, longer copy that is easy to skim (i.e. using subheads,

bullets, call-outs, boldface, etc.) works with both those prospects

who prefer to read all the details and those who prefer to get right to the bottom line. You can also use postcards as a less costly alternative. Companies like www.amazingmail.com, www.modernpostcard.com or www.touchpointmail.com can help you get your postcards designed, printed and mailed cost-effectively.

Use email instead of print

E-mails to your opt-in list of prospects are another option to

developing more costly mailers. For a comprehensive listing of

email service providers, see BtoB's 2010 Email Marketer Insight

Guide (PDF).

Leverage your website

Instead of creating printed brochures, consider printing pages from your Web site instead. If you're worried about your company's image, place them in a glossy file folder, imprinted with your logo.

Events: Keep it simple

Instead of developing seminars, workshops, or executive briefings on your own, consider partnering-up with another company to or organization to co-produce an event, or simply take your prospects as your guest to Microsoft events on the subject.

Photos: Stock photo sites got better

Instead of paying for custom photography, consider low-cost stock photo websites like www.istockphoto.com orwww.photos.com.

Part-timers can help too

In addition to hiring full-time people, consider part-timers to help get the marketing job done.

As my oldest daughter just started kindergarten, I've met a number of moms (and a few Mr. Moms) who are ready to go back to work after taking a few years off to raise their children, but now only want to work part-time.

If you need specialized expertise on a project-by-project basis, consider hiring independent contractors like copywriters, designers or event coordinators.

And if you're willing to trade experience for enthusiasm, consider hiring one or more interns from your local college or university.

Blonde Smile

2012-02-18T01:48:00.000-08:00

Blonde Smile

Once upon a time, a blonde became so sick of hearing blonde jokes that she had her hair cut and dyed brown.

A few days later, as she was driving around the countryside, she stopped her car to let a flock of sheep pass. Admiring the cute woolly creatures, she said to the shepherd, "If I can guess how many sheep you have, can I take one?
The shepherd, always the gentleman replied, "Of course."
The blonde thought for a moment and for no discernible reason said, "352."
This being the correct number, the shepherd was, understandable, totally amazed and exclaimed, "You're right! O.K., I'll keep to my end of the deal. Take your pick of my flock."
The blonde carefully considered the entire flock and finally picked one that was by far cuter and more playful than any of the others.
When she was done, the shepherd turned to her and said, "O.K., now I have a proposition for you. If I can guess your true hair color, can I have my dog back?"

Q: What did the Blonde say when she opened the box of Cheerios?
A: Oh look, doughnut seeds.
Q: Why do Blondes always smile during lightning storms?
A: They think their picture is being taken.
Q: Why can't Blondes dial 911?
A: They can't find the eleven on the phone!
Q: A Blonde and a brunette were walking outside when the brunette said, "Oh, look at “the dead bird.”
A: The Blonde looked skyward and said "Where, where?"
Q: Did you hear about the two Blondes that were found frozen to death in their car at a drive-in movie theater?
A: They went to see "Closed for the winter".

Three blonds were walking down the street and they found a genie's bottle. They rubbed it, the genie popped out and he told them they could each have one wish. The first blond says, "I want my IQ raised 20 points." POOF! She turns into a brunette.

The second blond thinks to herself, that's really drastic. "Ok," she decides, 'I want my IQ raised 10 points." POOF! She turns into a redhead.
The third blond is standing there thinking that she REALLY likes her blond hair, and doesn't like what happened to the other two girls. So she says "I want my IQ lowered 20 points." POOF! She turns into a man.

How do you measure a blonde's IQ?
With a tire gauge!

Why did the blonde climb the glass wall?
To see what was on the other side.

Why did the blonde dye her hair red?
Instant intelligence!

Why do blondes write TGIF on their shoes?
So they remember 'Toe Goes in First'

How do you make a blonde laugh on Sunday?
You tell her a joke on Thursday!

What do you call a blonde with half a brain?
Gifted!!!

How do you make a blonde's eyes light up?
Shine a flashlight in her ear!

What do you call 10 blondes standing ear to ear?
A wind tunnel.

What do you do when a blonde throws a hand grenade at you?
Pull the pin and throw it back.

What is the difference between a smart blonde and Bigfoot?
Bigfoot has been spotted!

What do you get when you offer a blonde a penny for her thoughts?
Change.

How did the blonde try to kill the bird?
By throwing it off of a cliff.

How did the blonde try to kill the fish?
By drowning it.

How do you amuse a blonde for hours?
Write 'Please turn over' on both sides of a piece of paper.

What do you see when you look into a blonde's eyes?
The back of her head.

Homosexuality and Pakistan

2012-02-15T04:36:00.000-08:00

Homosexuality and Pakistan

It was my youth times of 2005, when I was on all Pakistan tour. It was an excursion tour arranged among friends; I found that Pakistan is teeming with homosexuals. In the long Train journey from Lahore to Rawalpindi, a missionary of Tablighi Jamat, an Islamic movement that advocates extreme austerity, advised me to join their Jamat. I politely nodded at his persuasions but was forced to vigorously shake my head when his hand started caressing my thighs. The massage was relaxing but the vibes were clearly sexual.

While returning back to Karachi on the Allama Iqbal Express train, a Bahawalpur trader suddenly confessed in the midst of our Musharraf conversations that he liked sleeping with boys! The ultimate was when an old Pathan near Noman Shopping Complex, with kohl-lined eyes, escorted me to a seedy shop at Rainbow Market and offered the pirated DVD of Brokeback Mountain at bargain rates and informed me “Yaara is ka Sachchca Pyaar Dekho”. (I bought it!)

Months later while strolling with Jigri Friends in the early evening heat of Karachi's Clifton Beach, a charming Qulfi seller got fixated on me. He promised to show me the "Real Beauties" of Karachi. I would have been game if not for his tendency to hold my arms a little longer than usual. Even that would have been fine, but the pressing and rubbing was just too disconcerting.

Such experiences in Allah's own country appear unreal. After all, the website of the International Lesbian and Gay Association quotes the Pakistan embassy in Hague making it clear that "the homosexual is not accepted as a decent individual, and homosexual acts constitute an offense punishable with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years."

Indeed it is difficult to conceive Pakistan as a place where individuals could be free to celebrate sex, and different sexual orientations. But that is what everyone seems to do. In his 2004 essay, appropriately titled The East is Blue, Mr. Salman Rushdie claimed that more than 60 percent of Internet users in Pakistan visit porn sites. Unfortunately I do not have figures of Pakistanis who access gay porn sites.

As a native we know that across all classes and social groups in Pakistan, men have sex with men. In villages throughout the country, young boys are often forcibly 'taken' by older men, starting a cycle of abuse and revenge that social activists and observers say is the common pattern of homosexual sex in Pakistan.

In fact, in the conservative regions of North Western Frontier Province it is socially acceptable for Pashtun men to take up young boys for sexual pleasure. But don't rush to fancy the country as some liberal San Francisco outpost where life is all about celebrating individual choices. Many homosexual relationships here are not a result of two gay people wanting to make love but consequences of aggression and abuse by the strong on the weak. It is less love and more rape.

In her acclaimed book The Dancing Girls of Lahore, British author Louise Brown, who established an intimate friendship with a Pakistani prostitute and her family, made the following observation:

Homosexuality is derided in public, but it is accepted, provided it remains a secret. The men involved in homosexual acts don’t perceive themselves to be homosexual, and the men’s families won’t perceive them to be homosexual either...Having sex with other men or boys is not associated with stigma providing a man takes a dominant role in sexual encounters. It may even reinforce a man’s masculinity and status because he is sexually dominating others. It is the receptive partner who is despised and ridiculed.

Obviously chivalry codes exist among gays, too. But even then if a homosexual lifestyle is a risky option for men, it is unthinkable for women. In June 2007, the Lahore High Court sentenced two ladies in love to three years imprisonment.

Yet there are reasons to hope. Following the capture of Islamabad's bra-and-underpants clad Chinese masseuses by the dreaded burka-clad students of the all-girls conservative Islamic school Jamia Hafsa in June this year, that time head of overall Lal Masjid including Jamia Hafsa Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who leads the men's school, drafted a new ruling. He declared, "If you want massage treatment, men should go to men, and women should go to women." Gay Pakistanis had gleefully catch the hint.

Under section 377 of the PPC, whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which [shall not be less than two years nor more than] 10 years, and shall also be liable to a fine.

Various Pakistanis have used homosexuality to obtain visas of US and other European countries showing themselves as gay, and claiming that there life was in danger because of severe punishments.

Child Labour in Pakistan

2012-02-14T05:26:00.000-08:00

Child Labour in Pakistan

Tears tracing lines of dirt on his face, six-year-old Nabeel Mukhtar cries while crouching on a pavement to scrub motorbikes, his job for nine hours a day, six days a week.

He is one of millions of children driven into labour by poverty in a country where the government is seen as too corrupt and ineffective to care for its citizens, even the young and helpless.

“I want to study and become a doctor but we don’t have any money,” said Mukhtar, who helps his family make ends meet.

Rising food and fuel prices and a struggling economy have forced many families to send their children to search for work instead of to the classroom.

God has given human beings the boon of wisdom and discretion to think upon the signs of the universe and to draw conclusions. That is the reason why they disclose the hidden facts of it and its structure and have made remarkable progress in many walks of life. Children are the flowers of heaven. They are the most beautiful and purest creation of God. They are innocent both inwardly and outwardly. No doubt, they are the beauty of this world. Early in the morning when the children put on different kinds of clothes and begin to go to schools for the sake of knowledge, we feel a specific kind of joy through their innocence.

But there are also other children, those who cannot go to schools due to financial problems, they only watch others go to schools and can merely wish to seek knowledge. It is due to many hindrances and difficulties; desperate conditions that they face in life. Having been forced to kill their aspirations, dreams and other wishes, they are pressed to earn a living for themselves and for their families. It is also a fact that there are many children who play a key role in sustaining the economically life of their family without which, their families would not be able to make ends meet. These are also part of our society who has forgotten the pleasures of their childhood. When a child in addition to getting education, earns his livelihood, this act of earning a livelihood is called as child Labour. The concept of child Labour got much attention during the 1990s when European countries announced a ban on the goods of the less-developed countries because of child Labour.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines child Labour as:
1- when a child is working during early age
2- he overworks or gives over time to Labour

3- he works due to the psychologically, socially, and materialistic pressure
4- he becomes ready to Labour on a very low pay

Another definition states:

“Child Labour” is generally speaking work for children that harms them or exploits them in some way (physically, mentally, morally or blocking access to education),
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund(UNICEF) defines “child” as anyone below the age of 18, and “child Labour” as some type of work performed by children below age 18. (UNICEF)

Child Labour is an important and a serious global issue through which all and sundry countries of the world are directly or indirectly affected, but, it is very common in Latin America, Africa and Asia. According to some, in several Asian countries’ 1/10 manpower consists of child Labour. In India the number of children between the ages of 10-14 has crossed above 44 million, in Pakistan this number is from 8 to 10 million, in Bangladesh 8-12 million, in Brazil 7 million, whereas their number is 12 million in Nigeria.

In Pakistan children aged 5-14 are above 40 million. During the last year, the Federal Bureau of Statistics released the results of its survey funded by ILO’s IPEC (International Program on the Elimination of Child Labour). The findings were that 3.8 million children age group of 5-14 years are working in Pakistan out of total 40 million children in this age group; fifty percent of these economically active children are in age group of 5 to 9 years. Even out of these 3.8 million economically active children, 2.7 million were claimed to be working in the agriculture sector. Two million and four hundred thousand (73%) of them were said to be boys.

During the year 2001 and 2002 the government of Pakistan carried out a series of consultation of tripartite partners and stakeholders (Labour Department, trade unions, employers and NGOs) in all the provinces. The objective was to identify the occupations and the categories of work, which may be considered as hazardous under the provisions of ILO Convention 182. As a result of these deliberations, a national consensus list of occupations and categories of work was identified, which is given below:

1. Nature of occupation-category of work
2. Work inside underground mines over ground quarries, including blasting and assisting in blasting
3. Work with power driven cutting machinery like saws, shears, and guillotines, (Thrashers, fodder cutting machines, also marbles)
4. Work with live electrical wires over 50V.
5. All operation related to leather tanning process e.g. soaking, dehairing, liming chrome tanning, deliming, pickling defleshing, and ink application.
6. Mixing or application or pesticides insecticide/fumigation.
7. Sandblasting and other work involving exposure to free silica.
8. Work with exposure to ALL toxic, explosive and carcinogenic chemicals e.g. asbestos, benzene, ammonia, chlorine, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, caustic soda, phosphorus, benzidene dyes, isocyanides, carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulphide, epoxy, resins, formaldehyde, metal fumes, heavy metals like nickel, mercury chromium, lead, arsenic, beryllium, fiber glass, and
9. Work with exposure to cement dust (cement industry)
10. Work with exposure to coal dust
11. Manufacture and sale of fireworks explosives
12. Work at the sites where Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) are filled in cylinders.
13. Work on glass and metal furnaces
14. Work in the clothe printing, dyeing and finishing sections
15. Work inside sewer pipelines, pits, storage tanks
16. Stone crushing
17. Lifting and carrying of heavy weight specially in transport industry (15b kg and above)
18. Work between 10 pm to 8 am (Hotel Industry)
19. Carpet weaving
20. Working 2 meter above the floor
21. All scavenging including hospital waste
22. Tobacco process ( including Niswar) and Manufacturing
23. Deep fishing (commercial fishing/ sea food and fish processing
24. Sheep grazing and wool industry
25. Ship breaking
26. Surgical instrument manufacturing specially in vendors workshop
27. Bangles glass, furnaces

Now we can easily imagine in the light of above mentioned facts and figures how the nation’s future namely children are deprived of pleasures of life, ignorance has reduced their abilities of thinking right or differentiating between right and wrong, as well as their life-chances, to their non-access to education. It is true that child Labour is not an isolated phenomenon.

Frequent political crises in Pakistan means the nation’s leaders are unlikely to end child labour, or a host of other problems from a Taliban insurgency to power cuts, any time soon.

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to send my son to school but we have so many expenses… We struggle to put food on our table”, said Mukhtar’s mother, Shazia, who also has a four-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter.

Her husband, Mohammed, a street barber, earns only Rs7,500 a month, not enough to support the family.

“He’s learning to work and he also earns around Rs300-400. So what’s wrong in that. We are poor,” Mohammed said of the boy.

Pakistan needs to take immediate measures to stabilise growing budget pressures and to raise interest rates to contain rising inflation, the International Monetary Fund warned on Monday.

Economic pressures are forcing young Pakistanis, like teenager Noor Shah and his three brothers, to leave home in search of work.

They now live in a tiny room above a grimy tea shop where they toil all day in Karachi.

“I have so many dishes to wash. When I get tired the men serving tea become very angry with me. They swear and shout,” said Shah, who is from Balochistan.

Others, like 11-year-old labourer Kashif, are subjected to harsher treatment.

“If he makes a mistake I’ll hit him,” said his 19-year-old supervisor, Tanveer Shehzad, who said he had endured the same hardship as a child labourer.

It is an outcome of a multitude of socio-economic factors and has its roots in poverty, lack of opportunities, high rate of population growth, unemployment, uneven distribution of wealth and resources, outdated social customs and norms and plethora of other factors. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) the daily income of 65.5% people of Pakistan is below 2 U.S. dollars a day. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Report, 47 million people in Pakistan are leading lines below the line of poverty, whereas the Social Policy Development Centre (SDPC) Karachi has stated in one of its reports that the ratio of poverty in Pakistan was 33% during 1999 that increased in 2001 and reached 38%. The ratio of poverty in the current year is around 30%.

Consider the point that if 30% of our country’s total population is leading life below the poverty-line wherein the people are deprived of basic necessities of life like clothing, shelter, food, education and medication, the children of these people will be forced to become Labourers or workers in order to survive. Another reason of child Labour in Pakistan is that our people don’t have the security of social life. There is no aid plan or allowance for children in our country. Class-based education system is another reason for increasing child Labour; villages lack standardized education systems and as a result, child Labour is on increase in rural areas. The government has not put its laws into practice to stop child Labour in our country. Employers after exploiting child Labour, extract a large surplus, whereas child Labour, despite increasing poverty, unemployment and other problems, are pressed to do anything and everything for their livelihood and the survival of their families. Child Labour is a complex problem which demands a range of solutions. There is no better way to prevent child Labour than to make education compulsory. The West understood this a long time ago. Laws were enacted very early to secure continued education for working children; and now they have gone a step forward, and required completion of at least the preliminary education of the child before he or she starts work.

Government needs to do more

Up to 10 million children are estimated to be working in Pakistan, says Mannan Rana, child and adolescent protection specialist at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The latest government figures, showing three million child labourers, date back to 1996, underscoring how scant attention has been paid to documenting the problem, which is likely to get worse given the makeup of the fast-growing population.

The plight of child labourers in Pakistan came under international scrutiny when it was discovered that children were hand-stitching soccer balls in the town of Sialkot.

Foreign sports equipment companies are wary of any hint of association with child exploitation. One stopped orders in 2006 from a Pakistan-based supplier of hand-stitched soccer balls, saying the factory had failed to correct labour compliance violations.

But the outcry hasn’t helped much.

“The problem is that the whole industry has moved into private homes, which has made it a bit difficult to monitor if child labour is being used,” said Hussain Naqi, the national co-ordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

“This is not just an issue in Sialkot, child labour is occurring all across Pakistan in very dangerous sectors like glass bangle manufacturing, cleaning of oil tankers, poultry farms, motor workshops, brick kilns and small hotels.”

On Monday, the collapse of a three-storey factory in the city of Lahore after a gas explosion highlighted dangers faced by child labourers.

“I was inside the building when the blast happened. Two other boys were with me and they started running,” said eight-year-old Asad, a labourer in the veterinary product facility.

“I don’t know where they went or if they are alive.”

His sobbing mother said crushing poverty had left her no choice but to send her son to work in such conditions.

Pakistan spends less than 2% of its gross domestic product on education, which translates into a lack of skills amongst the younger population, pushing them onto the street in search of work.

By comparison, just over 17% of 2011-12 state spending went to defence, though some experts put the figure at 26%.

“The problem is there and we are not in a state of denial,” said Shahnaz Wazir Ali, social sector special assistant to the prime minister, adding that about 45% of Pakistan’s population of almost 180 million is below the age of 22.

But Pakistan’s leaders are often too consumed by infighting, or tension with the military, to address child welfare.

In recent months, Pakistan has been gripped by rumours of a possible military coup and the ongoing tussle between the Supreme Court and the government is preoccupying the leadership.

With little government protection, children keep falling into the same vicious circle of exploitation.

“It is all very damaging for a child’s psychology,” said Salma Jafar, executive director at Social Innovations, a human rights advocacy group.

“Once you are abused, you grow up with that abuse.”

Twelve-year-old Mohammed Naeem, the eldest of three orphans, ran away from his first boss. He could not take the verbal and physical abuse.

But his new work, scraping rust all day for 25 rupees at a mechanics shop to feed his sisters, is still gruelling.

“I don’t see any other life for myself. What can I do. I’m helpless. The government is doing nothing for us,” said the boy, wearing soiled clothing and open, oversized sandals.

There is strict need to stop child Labour in this country. Awareness must be raised and the attention of parents ought to be diverted to the education of their children. Child Labour Laws should be put into practice strictly. In addition, the educational system of the country-must be reshaped and restructured according to national development goals. The orphans and other deserving children must be helped financially on a prolonged basis. It is also essential to eliminate child Labour from the country, that the political, economical and social system of the country are need to be reshaped and such steps taken that make child Labour in this country a crime. They should bring on the well-being of a lay man, good governance and end to exploitative thinking. If we succeed to act upon these principles, our country can easily get rid of this problem i.e. child Labour. The agreement that has recently been approved by Pakistan, Norway and ILO to eradicate child Labour must be given importance and we hope that our rulers must put this agreement into practice using all means at their disposal.

Baloch Women a Brief Introduction

2012-02-14T01:31:00.000-08:00

Baloch Women a Brief Introduction

Women become the first and the safest targets of many fanatical religious movements. Be it a revolution on the name of religion or a movement to “purify” a society from “evils”, the leaders of such so-called reformist initiatives first of all enforce all their “wonderful ideas” on women. They begin with dictating women how to dress, how to behave and how to spend their individual lives. Ironically, all these decisions are made (for women) by the men.

It is no hidden fact that Balochistan is a region blessed munificently by nature with a plentitude of natural resources proving British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli’s calling of India (United India which once Pakistan was part of) the ‘brightest jewel in Her Majesty’s Crown’.

Status of Woman in Baloch Tribes

The Baloch woman is called Balochni in Balochi language.

As a Mother

In Balochi, mother is called “Mazh” as a word of English and Persian “Mother” whereas; “Umtay” is also the tradition as the Arabic word “Umm”. The son respects his mother a lot. In domestic affairs, the value of mother is as a king. Every kind of work is done by the advice of mother. If mother and wife quarrel, son stands by his mother. Even if mother is at fault.

As a Sister

Sister is called Gohar. The elder sister is like mother where as they have love and respect for younger sisters. They send the meal of Eid at Eid.

As a Wife

Baloch say his wife “Banokh, Looghi, Halqh and Khad. Baloch behave to their wife well. According to Abdul Aziz Khan, “In Qaisrani tribe the relation of wife is of friendship. They share wife in domestic affairs and provide her domestic needs at home. The wife help her husband in every domestic work even in grazing cattle there are many examples of woman stress in the world, but there is no such example in the Baloch society.

As a Daughter

In Baloch tribes, sister is called “Junkh” or Neyanrin”. At the birth of daughter the father becomes humble. In ancient days, in the times of wards they gave attention to the food of sons. Although in present age this difference has lessened.

As a Common Woman

As a whole Baloch is bashful nation. They respect woman. If any Baloch is going on the way and he sees any woman coming from opposite side, they put down their eyes. Baloch tribes consider it respectable to guard the respect of others. If they have any refugee, they consider it their duty to guard him. This thing is considered the “Balochi standard”.

Respect of Woman of Enemy

Good manners with woman, of Baloch tribe, are superior thinking. It includes in the rules of wars not to kill woman and children. In these situation woman can come out of security when their men and relatives are in battlefield. Baloch are very sensitive about the honor of woman. They consider it their duty, just like this as eagle remains flying on the nest.

The Right of Inheritance

Allah Almighty has created all the creatures in pair. The man, who is superior to other creatures, is created in pairs, so that they remain existence and make their rules. One of these long is of inheritance. Before Islam woman did not get the right of inheritance. Many of Baloch tribes did not give the right of inheritance to woman.

In the matter of inheritance Baloch followed Mangools and instead of following the divine law they followed Changezi. In this law they did not admit the inheritance of women because they got these properties in reward of army services. If they gave inheritance woman, these would be bustle in army system.

Before Pakistan establishment Qaisrani tribe followed tribe women were not given immovable property. After Pakistan establishment woman is given the share of property according to the Muhammadi laws.
Behavior with Widow

In Qaisrani tribe before settlement of Pakistan woman was not given the share of property. But after the settlement of Pakistan widow is being give the share of inheritance according to Muhammadi laws. Widow is free in Baloch tribes, if the son of widow is young, she can live with him. If her son is smaller, she has the option to marry after prohibited period or live with his son. There is not a single example that they stop her to marry after her husband is death.

Divorce

In dictionary the meaning of divorce is “Open” or “Leave”. According to Divine laws divorce is to free woman from wedlock. In Qaisrani tribe the tradition of divorce is very less. In Baloch tribe it is disapproved act. Usually in Qaisrani tribe divorce is given due to barrenness or doubtful character.

Divorce Obtained by a Woman

Its worldly meaning is to put off give up to give divorce in return of property. According to divine laws, if there is any contradiction between wife and husband, and the man does not give divorce, woman has right to get rid of by giving some money. In Qaisrani tribe woman has the right to obtain divorce. If a woman demands divorce due to oppression of her husband by appealing to the respectable and older member of tribes, these men settle down the affair between them.