Project Pakistan

Speaking Up Pakistan - Episode 3

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:04:00 +0000

Project Pakistan has started guest blogging: Speak Up Pakistan, providing a chance for Pakistanis to speak up and shout out what they want to tell the world.

The Third (3rd) in this series is a mind-boggling contribution by Miss Kanza Batool Haider. This student of NED University of Engineering and Technology, has made it sure to shatter your conventional beliefs and established principles, compelling you to rethink the way you perceive your world.

THE KNOWLEDGE CONTROVERSY

The earth has turned into a battlefield. With Raptors and Predators ruling the warring skies, with the dropping of nerve-shattering bombs in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan, with the core shaking screams of thousands of people of Ghaza Strip, with the breath-taking and mind-thundering scandals of Abu Ghraib prison, the world seems to be doomed. But what do we have except for cursing the officials who entitled Salman Rhushdi with ‘Sir’ or burning our own streets in protests? Despite these, the conditions are so pathetic that many Muslim countries buy even bullets of simple rifles from the west.

This is not a matter of core grievance. Something that almost blew the wind out me was when I heard a school bus driver telling a 5th grader that his school education was worthless in the Hereafter and added further that “your MBA won’t go with you to the grave”. Who are these people who partition knowledge as deeni and dunyawi, even though knowing that the miseries of Muslims today in this world are due to their lack of knowledge of all kinds? Don’t they know that these were the Muslims who literally made the world know what science and mathematics were? Shall we now consider a new revolution taking place in Pakistan? A revolution of illetracy in the name of religion.

I often argue on calling literates of religious laws ‘Aalim-e-Deen’, for deen is very vast and no one can possess knowledge of the entire deen. They are in fact ‘Aalime shariah’ which is only a portion of deen. Let me prove this from Quran:

The words “man” and “woman” have been mentioned 23 times each in Quran. Human body has 46 chromosomes and what is surprising is that exactly 23 of these are inherited from ones mother and 23 from ones father. No one except for a gynecologist can offer details on this subject. God famously described in 55:19-20, the “barrier” between the seas. Scientists have very recently discovered a barrier of ‘surface tension’ in water. Atlantic water has low salt and mineral density than Mediterranean Sea. Thus when the water of Atlantic splash into the Mediterranean, the surface tension caused by the different salt concentrations pulls water back, thus maintaining the unique characteristics of each. Who can describe this ayat of Quran except for an oceanographer?

In 57:25, Allah says, “and we also sent down iron…” today astrologists have found out that iron is one of the metals that did not exist on earth but was “sent down” to it externally through the supernova explosion of the sun. Further researches on the above “Surah al-Hadid” revealed that its numerological value (amjad) is 26, which represents the atomic number of iron. Thus Quran provides a portion within itself for chemists to research on it.

God stated Alfred Wegener’s theory of the moving continents in 27:88 and Einstein theory of expanding universe in 54:47. Yes it is all there in Quran! Biologists are invited to discover the stages of embryo’s formation in mother’s womb in 23:14 while geologists are told of the seven skies and the seven earthly cores in 65:12 and are informed of Dead Sea being the deepest portion of earth in 30:1-4. Astrologists are told of the black holes in 86:1-3. Even the theory of relativity of time is mentioned in 32:5. Further researches show that every word in Quran alone has a unique amjad number and a unique frequency.

Can anyone be a master of all this when God himself says “And there is no dry and wet thing that has not been mentioned in Quran” this is true for the ones we call ‘Alime-e-Deen’ as well. Except for the one on whom this Holy Book was revealed, Prophet Muhammad (SAWW), no one possesses capacity to know the entire Quran. Now do you know why the Prophet called himself “The City of Knowledge” and why he said that if this Great Book was revealed on a mountain it would have “shattered into bits”. Thus, if some arrogates who think of themselves knowing the entire of Quran actually knew it, they would have been bits by this time.

The root cause of the conflict between Iblees and man was this knowledge. Iblees was a master of worship and he knew all regulations of prayers but that was the only thing he knew. God ordered all the angles to prostrate before Adam just because he was able to recite names of certain plants, something they couldn’t. We all know that Iblees condemned this, so his centuries of worship was nullified instantaneously. Thus when Allah did not consider decades of worship in front of the knowledge of Botany (not shariah) Adam had, how do some elements of our society consider them to be the true heirs of paradise, stopping others from acquiring knowledge? And as far as MBA going to grave is concerned, one can imagine how much Muhammad Yunus may have earned for his hereafter by giving 6.6 million impoverished Bengalis new lives. It’s hard to imagine how will the inventors of air conditioner, vaccine and the artificial Jarvik heart not go to heavens, even when I know they were not Muslims. I would only say that a good Muslim through his good education can earn both the worlds.

Bahrain - The Lost Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 12:59:00 +0000

Bahrain: Where people fighting for democratic rights broke the barriers of fear, only to find themselves alone and crushed. This is their story.

This is the Arab revolution that was abandoned by the Arabs, forsaken by the West and forgotten by the world.

These 50 minutes will take you through the journey of their hope and the carnage that followed. It is still continued as the world merely plays the role of a spectator.

Silence Is A War Crime!

(No Copyright Infringement Intended. Original Documentary is the property of its original owners)

Speaking Up Pakistan - Episode 2

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:48:00 +0000

Project Pakistan has started guest blogging: Speak Up Pakistan, providing a chance for Pakistanis to speak up and shout out what they want to tell the world.

The Second (2nd) in this series is a thought-provoking contribution by Miss Namirah Shekih.

The Day of Realization!

Imagine you’re driving your car, going to your friends place. On your way, you see a funeral. You see a few sad faces, and the scene of a body being carried away on shoulders strikes your heart. You decide to join the funeral and park your car by the road-side. As the body is being buried in its grave, you step forward to put some dirt on it. You’re astonished to see your own self inside. All the people raise their hands for your prayer, and you see your loved ones, your family and your friends. And then you see all of them going away and leaving you all alone. You said to yourself that I was just so young, I had never actually believed that death would come, not atleast this early. You look back on your life and you’re struck by the realization. Your heart almost explodes with the fast thumping……….. You had been waiting for your exams to finish, and to get a job, then after you had leisure time, you would devote all your efforts for Allah. But now you didn’t have the luxury of going back. You realized that the Real Life, has just started.

A building is created twice, First on paper in the form of a blue-print, and then it is actually constructed. The better the blue print is sketched, probably the better the building would stand. The blue print alone has no significance, and unfortunately we are entangled in the blue-print only i.e. This Life.

We are blinded by the never-ending thirst for accomplishment, a thirst that only the dirt of a grave can suffice. How all our time is consumed in our self-fulfilling prophecies.We keep doing more and more, we keep stretching the limits, but it’s never enough. The burning desire for money, fame and success never leaves us. How the pursuit for happiness never ends. How the vacuum inside us keeps on increasing.

Even if, and its a big if, the destination is right, but the path is wrong, it leads us more and more away from our destination, and into oblivion, or maybe even worse.

What lies before us is nothing in comparison to what lies ahead of us.

“Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children……………But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers, evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allâh and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers, good-doers), whereas the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment."

(Surah Al-Hadid: Ayah 20)

When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me. When I see kings lying beside those who deposed them. When I see enemies placed side by side and friends nowhere to be seen. I reflect upon competitions, rivalries and all the hustle with sorrow and despair. Those who passed away yesterday and those who passed hundreds of years ago remind me of The Day when we all shall stand together. When we find that all our victories and celebrations were empty and hollow, success that has less value in relation to the sacrifices made for it. On that day,

(The hypocrites) will call the believers: “Were we not with you?” The believers will reply: “Yes! But you led yourselves into temptations, you looked forward for our destruction; you doubted (in Faith); and you were deceived by false desires, till the Command of Allâh came to pass. And the chief deceiver (Satan) deceived you in respect of Allâh.”

(Surah Al-Hadid: Ayat 14)

We might ‘say’ that we believe in the Life Hereafter, but how much do we believe in it? How much have we worked for it?

Let's Spread Democracy - USA Style!

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:28:00 +0000

If you don't come to Democracy, Democracy will come to you . . .

Let's start with "humanitarian" bombing and "peace" drone strikes. Shall we begin?

Speak Up Pakistan - Episode 1

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:12:00 +0000

Project Pakistan has started guest blogging: Speak Up Pakistan, providing a chance for Pakistanis to speak up and shout out what they want to tell the world.

The first in this series is a contribution by Miss Natasah Carim. A 17-year old girl, with lots of guts to touch this sensitive topic.

Pakistani expats -The real deal

Isn’t it unfair how when we go to Singapore, Australians and British are proudly known as expats but us Pakistani’s are known as “Pakis”. How come when locals mistreat us in subway they are let off, but if we fire back even once we get into trouble?

What about when women from our country are told not to cover themselves the Islamic way in France? Will covering ones forehead really increase the amount of terrorist acts in a country? To be honest, being someone who has lived abroad for most of her life, I know and understand what it feels like to be mistreated because of my nationality or even sometimes because of my language. Alienation is so common. I mean I could go on and on about in how many ways we are treated as inferiors! Think about the times when you go to Dubai and you are the only person in the queue for an eye test, since everyone else on your flight holds a foreign passport (foreign for us at least).

Come on people, open your eyes and look around, how much longer will we be mistreated and ostracized because of where we come from. I still remember clearly when I was in high school in Dubai, I was called “bloody paki” and I was told to “go back to my bombed country”. I was publicly humiliated and called “a terrorist”. Come on people, WHAT WOULD I BE DOING STUDYING AS HARD AS I CAN IN ONE OF THE BEST INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS OF DUBAI IF I WAS! If people don’t know what Pakistan is really like, what do they get by stereotyping us with those people who really deserve to be pointed at? Pakistan’s reputation has gone down due to the amount of insecurity. Terrorists think it’s fine to go around blowing up public places in the name of Islam, but do they ever look back and think about the amount of innocent people they kill. The worst bit, how can they even think that Islam allows such a thing – it’s against humanity to kill anyone! Do you have any idea how many Pakistani’s are in detention illegally abroad, 1200! That might seem like a small number to many, but imagine being one of them, away from your family and other loved ones?

The notorious racist English Defence League rallies against building new mosques.

Sadly, if our own don’t know how to appreciate their own religion and culture (EVEN IN AN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY) then of course we lose any hope of getting back up! However we do have so many people who made our country proud.. Remember the youngest Microsoft professional, Arfa Karim? She was Pakistani! Pakistan has also won an Oscar! Are we any inferior than American Oscar winners?

I know I’m way too outspoken for a 17 year old Pakistani girl, but even though I live abroad I am Pakistani and Proud!

September 6, is a day of national pride, But where do we stand as a nation today ?

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:36:00 +0000

Today, September 6, is a day of national pride. This is the day when we pay homage to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in defending their homeland from the enemy. Years later, once again, we are engaged in a war and our soldiers are sacrificing their lives to protect our homeland from terrorists.

But where do we stand as a nation today? Divided, fragmented. When the army can integrate people from different regions into a well-knit family, why have our politicians failed to do the same at the national level? No matter how strong our defence is, we can never defeat the enemy if we are divided. We tried to change ballot results into bullets and lost half the country. No lessons were learnt.

We must learn to stand on our own feet. Allama Iqbal remarked:momin hai tou bay-tegh bhi larta hai sipahi. We saw glimpses of this optimism in Quaid-e Azam who imbued the whole nation with hope and never gave up till he wrested this land from the enemy.

We are passing through difficult times. Any act of terrorism is attributed to Muslims. Let us once again demonstrate the same solidarity shown by our people 1965 to prove that when it comes to preserving our independence, we can stand like a rock no matter what the cost. We should all shun our internal differences and at least be united on basic national issues, for it is feared that the present confrontation, if allowed to linger, will have dire consequences. Can we revive the spirit of the great day of September 6, 1965 when the entire nation was one entity?

Lt Col (r) Mukhtar Ahmed Butt

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2011.

source: saadbinshahid.blogspot.com

Want to Start a Company in the World's Sixth-Most Populous Country? Time to Move to Pakistan.

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:53:00 +0000

I recently returned from a reporting trip to Pakistan, one of the most fascinating countries I’ve ever visited. My first story, “Into the Fray,” ran in the July 20 issue of Forbes. It’s a profile of Monis Rahman, an entrepreneur who was born in Lahore and educated in the U.S., where he started a tech company during the height of the dot-com bubble. After running out of money in 11 months— and unable to raise more— Monis realized that if he started another venture, he would need to be hyper-vigilant about managing expenses. To do so, he took a drastic step, selling everything he owned and moving back to Lahore. Read below to find out how he did it, and whether his bet paid off.
During my trip, I had the privilege of meeting with members of the Lahore chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs, a networking group for entrepreneurs from the region. We spoke at great length about the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs in Pakistan, the world’s sixth-most populous country. High on their list of grievances was the absence of a strong rule of law: Entrepreneurs have limited legal recourse if a competitor steals their IP, or an investor violates a contract. Pakistani entrepreneurs also struggle to attract talent, both because they can’t offer new hires equity and the prospect of big IPO, a la U.S. startups, and people working outside of Pakistan often refuse to relocate there, due to safety concerns. VCs, angels and incubators are nonexistent, and banks rarely give commercial loans. But for entrepreneurs like Monis and many other people I interviewed, the promise of doing business in Pakistan outweighs the frustration. The country has over 187 million people, a nascent online economy, and—for startups—limited competition from big multinationals.
I could spend days writing about what it felt like to travel alone in Pakistan as a blond, female American, a month after U.S. forces killed Osama Bin Laden. The very fact that I got there was something of a miracle, courtesy of the consulate staffer in D.C. who agreed to give me a journalist visa. I’ll write about my trip in subsequent blog posts. For now, enjoy Monis’s story and, as always, feel free to comment below.

Pakistani Entrepreneur - Monis Rehman

In the game of can-you-top-this entrepreneurial hardship–who slept the least, whose office was tiniest, who choked down the most Ramen noodles–Monis Rahman holds some formidable trump cards.
Four years ago Rahman, a serial entrepreneur, launched Rozee.pk, now Pakistan’s largest jobs website, with 500,000 unique visitors a month. While Rahman was raising money in 2007, terrorists bombed the homecoming procession of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The Pakistani government subsequently suspended its constitution and declared a state of emergency. (A gunman assassinated Bhutto the following month.) When one of Rahman’s potential investors called to express his firm’s misgivings, Rahman e-mailed him a “Top Ten Reasons to Invest” list. Reason number nine was: “‘We’re headquartered in Lahore, where there haven’t been any blasts,’” he recalls. “Then I pressed ‘send.’ The next day in Lahore, the high court was bombed.”
Welcome to the Wild East of Web prospecting. Over tea on a 102-degree morning in Lahore, Rahman explains why now is the time to invest in Pakistan, the world’s sixth-most-populous country, with 187 million people and plenty of inexpensive labor. Obstacles abound, starting with the fact that only 17% of Pakistanis have Internet access. The country also suffers from low literacy rates, massive corruption, frequent blackouts and a weak judicial system.
“You tend to hear the worst 5% of the Pakistan story 95% of the time,” says Rahman, 41. “There’s a perception arbitrage, and it’s providing a window of opportunity for entrepreneurs.”
Rahman was born in Lahore but spent his childhood in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, where his father worked as an urban-planning advisor for the United Nations. He studied engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and then helped develop the Itanium microprocessor chip at Intel. That experience led to his first venture, a chip-design consulting firm that he abandoned after a year, seduced by the dot-com boom. In 1999 Rahman and a partner started a company that installed cameras in day care centers, allowing parents to watch the video streams online in real time. Edaycare.com attracted $2.5 million from investors, including Ron Conway, an early backer of Google and PayPal. A year later the men ran out of money, forcing them to sell the company for stock that was ultimately worthless.
After living on consulting gigs for four years, Rahman–inspired by the success of Friendster.com–decided to start a social networking site for Muslims in the United States and United Kingdom. He named it Naseeb.com, or “destiny” in Urdu, Arabic and most other languages in the Muslim world. “I decided not to go head-on as a matchmaking site,” says Rahman. “‘Dating’ has a negative stigma from a Muslim viewpoint.” There was a dating hook, though: Users could fill out a personality test with questions about whether they drank alcohol and how often they prayed–topics Muslims often discuss before they marry, says Rahman. Intrigued, LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman invested $25,000, as did Mark Pincus and Joe Kraus. (The latter two founded Zynga and Excite, respectively.)
To conserve cash Rahman moved back to Pakistan and into his parents’ house, where he converted a guest room into an office. (He registered his parent company, Naseeb Networks, in the U.S. to make it easier to raise money and subleased a small office in San Jose, Calif.) This time he spent only $60,000 in total startup costs, in part by doing some of the initial programming himself. To prime the market, he used equity in the company to buy the electronic greeting card site eidmubarak.com, which Muslims used to send cards for Eid, a Muslim holiday. Three thousand people from the site’s 1-million-strong mailing list signed up immediately. Annual memberships cost $40, and by 2005 Naseeb.com was generating $300,000 in revenue.
Rahman soon needed more programmers and support staff, and buying ads in local newspapers was expensive. So he decided to build a “quick and dirty” job site to post his own job openings. Other local companies noticed, and Rahman agreed to post their ads for free to help boost Naseeb’s traffic. He offered the largest companies the ability to search for résumés, as well as software to power their own company job boards and the right to post their logos on the front page of his new site. He named it Rozee–which, roughly translated, means “Blessed Livelihood.”
By 2007 Rozee.pk was generating more traffic than Rahman’s thinly veiled matchmaking site. He used Naseeb’s proceeds–and $2 million from Draper Fisher Jurvetson and ePlanet Ventures–to hire salespeople to go after large corporate clients, most of which still advertised job openings in newspapers. Today 5,000 companies actively post openings on Rozee.pk, paying between $29 for a single ad and up to $20,000 for a suite of services. (For now Rahman isn’t focusing on Naseeb.)
Bartering is a big part of Rahman’s low-cost strategy. Three hundred rickshaw drivers in Lahore use Rozeebranded vinyl wheel covers and glow-in-the-dark stickers that Naseeb provides for free. Rahman convinced Sign Source, an advertising agency, to promote Rozee on 300 baggage trolleys in the Karachi airport in exchange for helping the company build a website that tracks the availability of outdoor media, like billboards. “We have to measure advertising dollars very carefully because it’s easy to spend and not recuperate,” says Rahman.
Huge short-term challenges remain. Turnover on Rahman’s 45-person sales staff drains capital: For every three salespeople he hires and trains, only one stays on for more than a few months. Then there’s the matter of collecting payment. Only 10% of customers–contributing 5% of sales–pay online using credit cards, while 60% pay with checks and 20% pay with cash, mailing payments to one of the company’s four outposts. A Rozee.pk rickshaw also travels around Lahore and picks up checks and cash.
Tougher still will be avoiding the fate of Monster.com and other U.S. job sites that are gradually taking a backseat to LinkedIn, where employers conduct targeted searches through their own professional networks. “I think it’s a difficult business,” says Salim Ghauri, chief executive of software company Netsol Technologies, a Rozee.pk client. “If companies don’t get good service, they will find another way, because they can’t stop hiring. The biggest challenge is quality control, which is not that easy.”
Rather than go head-to-head with the big social networks, Rahman aims to join forces with them. When employers post a job on Rozee.pk, they can simultaneously broadcast it on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. “We’re prepared so that when the technology evolves here, as it has in the United States, we’ll be in a position where we already have a social graph on our site,” says Rahman.
Easier said than done, perhaps. Monster recently rolled out an application that lives on Facebook, giving users a place to interact with professional contacts, without sharing photos and other personal details. In July LinkedIn prevented users of the application from inviting their contacts directly from LinkedIn.
Rahman says that Naseeb Networks pulled in $1 million in sales last year and turned “cash-flow positive” in March. He wants to mount a broader assault on the Middle East this year. “If I want to get bigger from a market-size perspective, I need to move beyond Pakistan,” he declares.
That means more turbulence ahead–and, chances are, more ways to win that can-you-top-this game.

Source: This article was published in Forbes magazine on 08/09/11 written by Helen Coster. The link to original post: http://www.forbes.com/sites/helencoster/2011/08/09/want-to-start-a-company-in-the-worlds-sixth-most-populous-country-time-to-move-to-pakistan/

Norwegian police arrest man with weapons and explosives cach

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:02:00 +0000

Norwegian police have arrested a man after recovering weapons and explosives at his home, but media reports of the incident said there was no immediate link with mass-killer Anders Behring Breivik.

The suspect, known to police as a right-wing extremist, was arrested on Saturday after they discovered the weapons cache at his home near Oslo on Tuesday following an apparent threat from the man, who has not been named.

"The police have no information linking him to Breivik but, after the terrorist attacks, they did not want to take any risks and made the resources available to find this person as quickly as possible," the daily VG said.

His lawyer, Vidar Lind Iversen, said the suspect was being investigated for "possession of unauthorised weapons, possession of explosives, and making threats".

Mr Iversen told VG his client "recognises the possession of two hunting rifles".

Police said they were unable to confirm Norwegian media reports that a police uniform had been recovered in the search of the suspect's home.

Mr Iversen said his client "had contacts with extreme rightwing circles in the 1990s but no longer has today".

Behring Breivik disguised himself as a police officer when he carried out the July 22 attacks in Norway which killed 77 people.

via The Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/norway/8727960/Norwegian-police-arrest-man-with-weapons-and-explosives-cache.html#.Tlpc6CY1xuo.twitter

Heart-Breaking Poem for Karachi

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:09:00 +0000

میں عید کیسے مناؤں؟

میں عید کیسے مناؤں؟

کیا تم عید مناؤ گے؟

میرا شہر لہو سے لال ہے

تم عید کے رنگ کہاں سے لاؤ گے؟

رش سا لگا ہے کفن کی دکان پر

تم کپڑے کہاں سے سلواؤ گے؟

ہر گلی میں لاشیں بکھری ہیں

پھر رونق کیسے آے گی؟

یہاں تو سب کی قومیت الگ ہے
کیا صرف عید کے مسلمان بن جو گے؟

Picking dead bodies of our loved ones, seems like one thing Karachietes are getting used to

Disclaimer: I got this poem as a Text message and I don't own of it. Words and the writings of this poem are the original works of its author/authors

Wailing Karachi - Those Who Lost Everything

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:09:00 +0000

شہر توپھر آباد ہو جاۓ گا ، اجڑے گھر کو پھر سے کون آباد

کرے گا؟

Pictures worth a Billion words

Pakistan or Pornistan - The Reason behind the Moral Collapse

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:55:00 +0000

Parenting, or the lack of it, is the first reason why kids go into a moral downfall. Don't believe? Read further.

For understanding, what this blog-post is really about and what compelled me to write it? Watch this video

After watching this, one of the two conclusions can be made: Either Pakistan is obsessed with porn or FOX is obsessed with propaganda. Nevertheless, we should address this issue, that why did this new made it to their show.

Pakistan and Porn

Watching the video, may have come as a big shock for some people, for others, just another bunch of statistics. But the fact that a group of zero intellect show-offs, laughing through their teeth, jeering and sneering at something that they can't even prove right.
But I don't want to be like 90% of our population who like to point the finger at "Yahuudi" (Jews) and "Amreeka" (USA) for every single of our mistakes.We very well know the fact that how obsessed the younger generation is with anything "sexy", "hot" or "slutty". We need to know that why does it start? What are the factors that train someone to think like that.

Reasons: With the media culture booming, it seems everything that can be called as "parental control" is getting lost. In the early '90s when dishes and cable televisions were unheard of and there was no such thing as the Internet, this porn was something that no kid or teenager knew about. Things changed, with dishes and cable TVs reaching our homes and as with everything, they brought their positives and negatives with them. The portrayal of women in media as nothing but slutty, voracious, immensely desperate women, but yes, women hot enough to knock out the sensibilities of hormonal chips, leaves quite a deep impact on the minds of young ones. THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS.

Parents with their "they are kids, what do they know?" type thinking, participate in the moral pollution of their own off-spring. The reality is, kids absorb a lot of what they see on their screens. Although the movies released in India come with proper parental ratings, when they come across the border, no one cares if a movie is appropriate to watch with young ones or not.

With the main theme of songs included in Indian Movies nowadays are of such nature that have reduced the status of women to mere “Shielas” and “Munnis”. And that’s what makes an ideal media object that sells-quite fast. The cost? Stripping off the regard and respect for femininity and dehumanization of women to ‘sexy dolls’ in a lascivious framework. But of course, we are accustomed to ignore this deeper reality by default.

Meet Munni, She's "badnaam" because of her Darling

Sexual degradation and objectification of women is not a trend limited to this part of world alone. Even the societies with notions of reducing gender disparity have such music icons that cash this image of women to make easy money. Most noticeable example for this case can be Akon with songs like ‘Smack that’ and ‘Sexy bitch’. Also a remarkable example here is the popular rap artist Nelly’s “Tip Drill”, whose lyrics portray a woman who is willing to sleep with every random man for the sake of money. And yes, let’s not forget Eminem’s contribution here.

Now many will casually wave it off by saying that its just a song, what people fail to realize is that it’s an image rather than just a song that this industry sells. The image of a greedy, gorgeous and glamorous woman who will readily trade off herself for a few bucks. An image that is to be adored and worshiped like a buyable commodity that can be disposed off at the end of the day. The videos of such songs mostly show prostitutes or strippers with men throwing money on them. Very often abusive and offensive acts are directed towards women in these videos. This all sends a message that women are nothing but sex objects and its ok for men to treat them like so.

With new generation exposed to such portrayal of women, they want to " move further " than just mere dances in exposing clothes etc. And with the availability of Internet, abundance of pirated CDs and DVDs and smartphones, it has been never so easy to access provocative, disgraceful and explicit material.

Solutions: Banning porn websites and raiding the CDs Shops that sell porn alone is not the solution. In contrast, Banning should be combined with awareness regarding the negative effects of media on the young , and parents should be taught that what is and what is not appropriate for children to watch. It is the duty of the Government to monitor the stuff that is being spread through internet and it is the duty of parents to monitor what their child is accessing.

Strip clubs and brothels are banned in Pakistan by law, but what about porn? If the physical factor isn't there, is it right to watch this 'recreation'?
I guess it is a question that should be answered on both the Governmental level and at house-hold level. It is high time that we start doing something about this Moral Collapse we are heading for.

MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL.
PEACE.

Mughees & Muneeb - The Forgotten Souls

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:46:00 +0000

" Justice delayed is Justice denied "

1 year it has been, but it seems like it is only yesterday when two sons of Pakistan, Hafiz Mughees and Muneeb Butt were subjected to brutality that finds itself hard to be encapsulated in the limitations of words. The scenes of barbarity that were depicted in the video, showed our demonized self. Their only fault was that they were falsely framed for a robbery and thus they were lynched by a group of so-called "citizens" of Sialkot, in the presence of Police.

What Happened?

Let me define it graphically, for the sleeping ones (if any) or for the weak at heart who weren't able to watch the original video that was recorded by cell-phones. Mughees and Muneeb were repeatedly hit with batons, sticks and stones until they were dead. Muneeb being the younger one and weak embraced death in a single blow to the head, but Hafiz Mughis, being the elder and stronger one kept surviving and the animals kept beating him. At the end of his ordeal, he was actually begging for a swift death, calling and crying: "SHOOT ME INSTEAD, JUST SHOOT ME" . But the animals didn't stop and they even had the nerve to check his pulse again and again to make sure whether he is dead or not.

When the video came on air, it was riot in Pakistan. Every honorable citizen of Pakistan shuddered by watching the brutality in the video. Media was on fire, politicians gave speeches, social media was flooded with the statements of condemnation. The culprits were apprehended within 2 weeks (10 Police officers and 18 civilians) and it seemed that the family was going to get the justice they deserve.

The Hypocrisy
But we forgot a fact that its Pakistan we live in. A country where the judicial system is rotting at the very foundations. A country where politicians are ready to sell their souls and faith for the sake of their vote banks. A simple case of lynching got politicized and a simple fact came to public that Evil DOES exists in human beings. The biggest example was the speech given by MNA Firdous Aashiq Awaan who called the culprits as "Injured souls" in a rally that was held exactly at the place where the 2 innocent brothers were lynched.
Here is the video of her speech:

The Family

The ordeal for the family of victims is simply undefinable. The despicable act of inhumanity that the family suffered is greater than wounds inflicted by a hail of bullets. Seeing your loved ones dying a slow and painful death, murdered in cold blood, is something that cannot be defined. Even emotions are sometimes not enough to define the agony.

Here is the emotional and detailed interview of the family of the victims:

The End Word

We are a nation that is quick to blame others for our own faults. We are quick to point fingers at "Jewish Lobby", "Indian Agents" and "Amreeka (United States of America)" but like many other cases, this case is a reflection of our own brutal self. It wasn't the Americans or Indians who were beating those brothers without any mercy, but it was our own kind. Our own "Muslims" who were treating those teenagers like vermin.

Its been 1 year since the incident happened, but, it is still pending. 14 of the 28 culprits are roaming out of jails on bails and the family gets threats every day to pull out their case from the courts. Where are we headed? Was this the "Independent Judiciary" we all struggled for? A judiciary that solves only the cases of rich and the poor go to the dogs? I hope not.
We have been silent for a year now, but our silence doesn't mean that we have forgotten our dearest brothers. They are still in our heart and they will remain in our prayers forever. We still remember their blood and so still remember the pain of their parents. More pain demands more patience, that's what we are doing and we will continue to endure more and more until our destination ''Justice' is reached.
The case is under the rugs now. No one seems to care. We have 'moved on' with our lives and left the souls of our poor brothers to wander in the search of Justice. Lets make a pledge today, to stop 'street justice' at all costs. If you are out there, and you see something like this happening, STOP IT. Don't let 'street justice' prevail. Your voice may stop it from happening. It maybe, just maybe another Muneeb or Mughees out there. Be afraid of the time when you, your brother, your father or your son is beaten to death on a false blame. Be afraid of that time, BE AFRAID.

MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL.
MAY ALLAH GRANT JUSTICE.
PEACE.

The Independence

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:20:00 +0000

14th August - a day when every Pakistani goes green. Children decorate their streets, functions are held in schools, colleges and Universities, And Big Shots give speeches about Patriotism and Selfless service to motherland. The day passes and we get back to our businesses. Businesses of corruption, greed, bigotry, hate, injustice, sectarianism, extremism, violence and God knows what else.
14th August has been transformed merely into a 'symbol' of Independence, just like Independence itself is a now just a symbol and A symbol is meaningless without its people. Without enough people it is nothing and doesn't mean anything. Just like a place of worship, a mosque or a church or a temple is, if there is no one to pray there, its nothing more than a building.
Its a paradox we are living in, the paradox of living in an Independent country and calling ourselves independent when we are not in control of our fates whatsoever. We call ourselves sovereign nation when every single day our sovereignty is blown to bits, sometimes with a suicide bomber exploding and other times with the houses perishing by the Hellfire missile fired by the American Drone.

There is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. But why? How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they should be held accountable, but then again, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

Louder than words, watch this:

I wont write long and boring. Because sometimes words aren't enough, because sometimes words aren't helpful enough, because sometimes you have got to keep the words short and your faith high, sometimes you just have to walk on witt less on your tongue and so much in your belief.
And You have to walk on, and we will have to walk on, with this firm faith in ourselves that one day, maybe, even after our deaths, we will see Pakistan as emerging into the world's greatest nations. As Jinnah said in the Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11th August, 1947:

"My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and co-operation, I can look forward to Pakistan becoming one of the greatest Nations of the world."

PEACE.
MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL.
PAKISTAN FOREVER.

A Christian's View on Pakistani "War on Terror"

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:49:00 +0000

Christianity is the the largest minority religion of Pakistan. With over 2,800,000 Christians living in Pakistan, they make up for the 1.6% of total Pakistani population.

In the wake of 9/11 attacks and President Bush declaring a "crusade" on Afghanistan and the global network of terrorism, especially going after Islamic outfits, a concept arose that this is not a war between countries but a Clash of Civilizations.In this regard, Bishop of Lahore, Dr.Alexander John Malik gave an unbiased review of the current situation in Pakistan. Here is what Dr. Malik has to say:

"Ever since the 'War on Terror' started, there is a debate going on in Pakistan: Who's War we are actually fighting? This is a really important question and everyone, regardless of him being a political or religious leader, sees this issue in his own frame of thinking. Imran Khan, especially has said it many times that this 'War on Terror' is not ours at all. Maybe he is right in his own opinion, but to find the answer to this question we'll have to analyze this problem with more depth and find out that if this war is not ours, then why are we fighting it? And if it is ours, then why aren't we fighting it without consistency?
Lets wind the clocks back, when USSR attacked Afghanistan and occupied it. The whole world was outraged. Pakistan was concerned because a brotherly Muslim country was attacked and the west was worried that Communist USSR is spreading its base. It means that both Pakistan's and west's interests were different but the end-goal was the same: push Soviet Union out of Afghanistan. A Question arises here: Was the Afghan Jihad our war or it was again west's war? Whatever be the answer to this Soviet Union was left Afghanistan and later collapses due to the combined struggle of Pakistan and the western world.
For the purpose of defeating Soviet Union, Pakistan and the West adopted such military tactics that are still causing problems. Western world, which is shouting protests over "Islamic Jihad" and "Militant Islam", is the very force that promoted Afghan Jihad. It was the West that brought Osama Bin Ladin and his "Mujahideen" to the Af-Pak border area, supplied them arms and ammunition, provided military training and financial funding. At that time many Western powers felt proud on the fact that they created the "Taliban". When the USSR left Afghanistan, The Taliban realized that they are a very huge power, if they can defeat the Soveit Union then they can surely defeat any super-power.
However, for setting-up their government, The Taliban had to confront the powerful Afghan Warlords. On the other hand, Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Iran and most of the West was interested in knowing that who emerges victorious and rules Afghanistan. The Taliban, who emerged victorious and held about 90% of Afghan Territory were prevented from forming up a government and were not recognized on an International level, because of some certain objectives by the West. This frustration fanned the anti-west sentiments and religious extremism. Soon after that, 9/11 occurred and all the responsibility was shed over to the Taliban and their guests, the Al-Qaeda, and Bush's "War on Terror" was launched.
Who's war is this? to find the answer to this, we need to keep in mind everything that is explained above. In this war, Pakistan decided to be ally to United States and its coalition forces, and thus, back-stabbing the very Afghan regime it once supported and nourished. How right this decision was? Only time will tell. But this decision broke the alliance of 3 old partners: United States, Pakistan and Taliban. The United States and The Taliban ended up facing off each other with Pakistan stuck between the two. Pakistan tried its best to support both but both the belligerents got sour over Pakistan. Taliban, for the fact that Pakistan supported the US attack on Afghanistan, and USA for the fact that Pakistan is still not sincere in defeating Taliban and provide sanctuaries and safe havens.

Pakistan is being damaged and attacked by both the Taliban and USA. Taliban blow up our mosques and soldiers, while the USA launches drone attacks. Both the factions regularly challenge our sovereignty and the writ of state. Both are killing our innocent civilians. Pakistan is being crushed from both sides.
Pakistan depicts a scene of a battlefield due to continuous Suicide bombings and bomb blasts. Who's behind this wave of terror, only investigation agencies can tell you this, but it is being said that foreign intelligence agencies are behind terrorism in Pakistan. And I can't deny that fact, because intelligence agencies do such stuff. But the thing that saddens me is the fact that our own people are being used in these bombings. Now to say that 'this is not our war' will be denying the reality. When a suicide bomber attacks and kills innocent Pakistanis in GHQ Islamabad, PNS Mehran, FIA, CID, CIA and Police Headquaters, in order to destabilize Pakistan then how can we say that this is not our war?
We could have avoided this war by taking right decisions at the right time, but now er are in a state of war, this war has been shifted on our shoulders and now the whole nation has to be decide on how we have to deal with and end this war"

DISCLAIMER: The above is the opinion of Dr. Alexander John Malik, The Archbishop of Lahore, and in no way whatsoever represent my own personal views. Not a single word has been changed. The article is as close to the one Dr. Malik originally wrote in Urdu.

Translation by Syed Anas Baqi.

PEACE

MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL.

Explanation of Hadith - Don't be unarmed against Western Propaganda

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:42:00 +0000

During the hate preaching sessions conducted by fake ex-Muslims like Kamal Saleem etc, the following Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is usually quoted, and explained in a negative light, or not explained at all, to depict and portray Islam as a religion of violence and hate:

"There will appear young people with foolish thoughts and ideas. They will give good talks, but they will go out of Islam as an arrow goes out of its game, their faith will not exceed their throats. So, wherever you find them, kill them, for there will be a reward for their killers on the Day of

Resurrection." (Bukhari: 6-61:577)

And many of my Muslim brothers and sisters, seem at a loss to answer because they don't have any knowledge about it as well and there are many questions that rise in the mind of a common Muslim as well.
Who, exactly, was the Prophet (P.B.U.H) referring to in this tradition? How should Islamic workers/activists understand this hadith in relation to the da'wah?

The explanation to this Hadith, as done by Imam Nawawi, is as follows:

People being referred to in the Hadith are seemingly pious Muslims who rebel against the rightful ruler of the Muslims by taking up arms against him. The most prominent historical example was the Khawarij, an early Muslim sect that declared major companions and their rightful supporters to have left Islam, and used this as a justification to take up armed struggle against them. The Hadith is a true prophecy with respect to the Khawarij, and, as explained by Imam Nawawi, applies to other similar groups of Muslims who oppose the mainstream Muslims and take up arms against them. The instruction in the Hadith to kill such people is an instruction to Muslim rulers to gather an army to forcibly quell such rebellions.

This is how classical scholars have understood the above hadith. This hadith does not in any way justify individual Muslims' causing civil discord by taking the law into their own hands and go about spilling blood, nor does it justify the terrible acts of violence and terror that are committed in the name of Islam by the ignorant.

MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL.

Muslim Woman Fired For Wearing Hijab

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:17:00 +0000

(Source: http://saadbinshahid.blogspot.com)

Hani Khan of San Mateo, California, alleged that store managers had told her to remove her hijab as part of the clothing chain’s “Look Policy,” the Council of American-Islamic Relation (CAIR) said in a statement.
Khan was fired from her job at an Abercrombie & Fitch store in California in February 2010, after working there for four months, when she refused to comply with the managers’ request, according to CAIR.

Khan said:

“When I was asked to remove my scarf after being hired with it on, I was demoralized and felt unwanted, Growing up in this country where the Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of religion, I have felt let down.”

After being fired, Khan complained to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which ruled in September 2010 that she had been the victim of discrimination.
She filed the lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch after failing to reach a mediation agreement with them, CAIR said.

“Abercrombie & Fitch cannot hide behind a ‘Look Policy’ to justify violating Ms. Khan’s civil rights,” Araceli Martinez-Olguin, a lawyer representing Khan, said in the statement.
Abercrombie & Fitch, a youth-oriented clothing retailer notorious for ads featuring scantily clad young models, has repeatedly faced legal trouble because of its “Look Policy”, which it considers important for to its market image.

In September 2009, US authorities sued the company for discriminating against a Muslim woman in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who alleged that a store had refused to hire her because of her head scarf.
In a similar case in 2008, a Muslim woman said a manager at an Abercrombie & Fitch store in Milpitas, California, had written “not Abercrombie look” on her interview form and refused to hire her after she applied for a job.
Last year, US authorities sued the company for discrimination over the incident.

Abhi Kuch Waqt aur Baqi Hai...

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:34:00 +0000

Thanks to Hamza Balouch and his blog: http://guldaan.wordpress.com for the poem, but I couldn't stop myself from sharing it here as well.

MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL.

Norway, Media and Islamophobia

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:10:00 +0000

6 minutes after the bomb went off in Oslo, David Lea, Western Europe Analyst, at Control Risks tells Reuters: "There certainly aren't any domestic Norwegian terrorist groups although there have been some al Qaeda-linked arrests from time to time. They are in Afghanistan and were involved in Libya"

And I was like, What? How on earth he can point the finger at Islamists just after 6 minutes of the bombing? Even when Norwegien Authorities were silent on this issue.

The New York Times originally reported:

"A terror group, Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami, or the Helpers of the Global Jihad, issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, according to Will McCants, a terrorism analyst at C.N.A., a research institute that studies terrorism."

In later editions, the story was revised to read:

"Initial reports focused on the possibility of Islamic militants, in particular Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami, or Helpers of the Global Jihad, cited by some analysts as claiming responsibility for the attacks. American officials said the group was previously unknown and might not even exist."

For hours after McCants posted the update that the claim of responsibility was retracted, BBC, the New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post were still promoting information originally sourced from Will McCants.

Check out this video of CNN and see how repeatedly they try to link it to "Al-Qaeda" and "Islamist Terrorism". Just try to listen to these words: "Islamism" , "Al-Qaeda" , "Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H)" and see how frequently they are repeated throughout the video.

Since 9/11, the "Terrorism Expertise" has become somewhat of a cottage industry. The attack was immediately linked to Islam and given the word "TERRORISM"

Norway attacks suspect Anders Behring Breivik is a right-wing Christian fundamentalist.

Another attack was launched in Utoya when an unknown man, dressed in Police Uniform opened fire at a Labour Party Youth Camp.

With the attacks coming on the same day, media and "terrorism experts" started chanting more loudly of an Islamic involvement. But still the Norwegian authorities were showing some sense and were silent before pointing the finger at anyone.

When the Unknown murderer was arrested, it was informed by the Norwegian Media that the attacker was a 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik, of Norwegian origin.

And as soon as the media realized that he was NOT a Muslim, the word "TERRORISM" was immediately dropped and replaced by "FAR-RIGHT ACTIVISM".

The suspect of Utoya, Anders Behring Breivik, is a far-right Christian Fundamentalist having inspirations from the notorious EDL (English Defence League) and SIOE (Stop Islamification of Europe). Breivik posted messages on a Norwegian website expressing his admiration for the English Defence League.

“I have on some occasions discussed with SIOE [Stop Islamification Of Europe] and EDL and recommended them to use conscious strategies."

IRRESPONSIBILITY OR DELIBERATION?

The Question that arises from the above mentioned experience is who's responsible for this irresponsibility of dumping everything on Muslims even before anything was clear?

Was it really an irresponsible press or it was a deliberation?

An attempt to demonize Muslims everywhere and continue with the on-going persecution of Muslims and Islam all over?

Should we even believe the media and these so-called "terrorism experts" anymore? or should we simply turn-off our televisions?

STOP THE MEDIA FROM SPITTING HATE.
RAISE YOUR VOICE TO BREAK THE STEREOTYPES.
EVERY TERRORIST IS NOT A MUSLIM.

MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL.

Nazis and Zionists - What's the difference?

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 10:36:00 +0000

One atrocity committed with you doesn't give you the right to do the same with everyone else. Somebody tell this to the Zionists. If Holocaust was committed by the Nazis across Europe, then why are Israelis punishing innocent Arabs who had nothing to do with Hitler and his Nazi chums?

Jews want a country? They should be given one state within the boundaries of Germany. Why is the land of Palestine being painted with innocent blood?

ISRAEL IS AN APARTHEID STATE.

Again, I wouldn't emphasize on words. Rather, I'll let you see the pictures and decide for yourselves that what's the difference between Nazis and Zionists.

GERMANY 1940 PALESTINE 2009

courtesy: whatreallyhappened.com

MAY ALLAH GRANT PALESTINE WITH FREEDOM.
MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL.

The Burning Valley - Kashmir

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 08:56:00 +0000

Do you know where Kashmir is? Do you know there are oppressed and exploited people, just like in Palestine and Chechnya. Why is the International community silent on the issue of Kashmir where millions of atrocities have taken place under the Indian Occupation.

I wouldn't write much here, because sometimes, words aren't good enough to describe the horrors and terrors that someone else is experiencing.

Images speak Louder than words. Watch the images below and decide for yourself who's the culprit and who's the innocent.

Since the partition of India and creation of Pakistan, this landlocked state of Kashmir is under constant occupation by India.

THE CHILDREN OF KASHMIR
Do they look like Terrorists to you? Why were they deprived of the right to Live?

WOMEN RIGHTS
The biggest Democracy of world, India, that's how you treat women?

Is "dupatta" a weapon of terror?

What if she was your daughter or sister?

IMAGES OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION

So many cowards behind a single journalist. Where is freedom of speech now?

Is this elderly man, a serious threat for Indian Occupational Forces?

A Kashmiri youth shot at a point -blank range during a protest.

Kashmiris carry the dead body of a 9-year old, martyred by Indian Occupational Forces.

REMEMBER

MAY ALLAH GRANT FREEDOM TO KASHMIR.
MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL.

Remember Srebrenica - Worst Genocide of Muslims

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:31:00 +0000

"Complete the physical separation of Srebrenica from Žepa as soon as possible, preventing even communication between individuals in the two enclaves. By planned and well-thought out combat operations, create an unbearable situation of total insecurity with no hope of further survival or life for the inhabitants of Srebrenica."

This is called as the "Directive 7" , a call for open genocide in the enclave of Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Issued by Radovan Karadžic, I feel ashamed of my humanity when I see that he's not one of those wearing an orange cover-all and rotting in Guantanamo Bay. I feel ashamed to call myself a human when I notice that all the participants of the Srebrenican Genocide were punished only for 17 years or 35 years behind bars while Dr. Aafia Siddique was sentenced to 86 years of imprisonment on a single account of "attempted" attack on 2 US Soldiers. I feel ashamed to relate myself to this world when I came to know that UN "Peace" keeping forces did nothing to stop the Genocide and it was this "Safe Area" which became the worst scene of barbarianism since WWII.

For those of you who don't know about Srebrenica Genocide, here is a brief explanation.

"The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, refers to the July 1995 killing of more than 8,000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) men and boys, in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by units of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) under the command of General Ratko Mladic during the Bosnian War, in the largest mass murder committed in Europe since World War II. A paramilitary unit from Serbia known as the Scorpions, officially part of the Serbian Interior Ministry until 1991, participated in the massacre"
(Wikipedia)
For more detailed accounts. Please refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srebrenica_massacre

The Genocide and its accounts were so terrifying in detail that every living human soul will tremble at the coldness with which they were done.

According to Zumra Šehomerovic, a survivor from the massacre:

"The Serbs began at a certain point to take girls and young women out of the group of refugees. They were raped. The rapes often took place under the eyes of others and sometimes even under the eyes of the children of the mother. A Dutch soldier stood by and he simply looked around with a walkman on his head. He did not react at all to what was happening. It did not happen just before my eyes, for I saw that personally, but also before the eyes of us all. The Dutch soldiers walked around everywhere. It is impossible that they did not see it.
There was a woman with a small baby a few months old. A Serb told the mother that the child must stop crying. When the child did not stop crying he snatched the child away and cut its throat. Then he laughed. There was a Dutch soldier there who was watching. He did not react at all.
I saw yet more frightful things. For example, there was a girl, she must have been about nine years old. At a certain moment some Serbs recommended to her brother that he rape the girl. He did not do it and I also think that he could not have done it for he was still just a child. Then they murdered that young boy. I have personally seen all that. I really want to emphasize that all this happened in the immediate vicinity of the base. In the same way I also saw other people who were murdered. Some of them had their throat cut. Others were beheaded".

Ramiza Gurdic, another survivor of the Genocide, recalls an account with tears:

"I saw how a young boy of about ten was killed by Serbs in Dutch uniform. This happened in front of my own eyes. The mother sat on the ground and her young son sat beside her. The young boy was placed on his mother’s lap. The young boy was killed. His head was cut off. The body remained on the lap of the mother. The Serbian soldier placed the head of the young boy on his knife and showed it to everyone... I saw how a pregnant woman was slaughtered. There were Serbs who stabbed her in the stomach, cut her open and took two small children out of her stomach and then beat them to death on the ground. I saw this with my own eyes."

Summarizing the catastrophe in 1997, David Rohde -- who as a journalist with the Christian Science Monitor won a Pulitzer Prize for uncovering the first mass graves around Srebrenica -- offered a blistering critique of the moral lapse on the part of the "safe area's" alleged guardians: "The international community partially disarmed thousands of men, promised them they would be safeguarded and then delivered them to their sworn enemies. Srebrenica was not simply a case of the international community standing by as a far-off atrocity was committed. The actions of the international community encouraged, aided, and emboldened the executioners. ... The fall of Srebrenica did not have to happen. There is no need for thousands of skeletons to be strewn across eastern Bosnia. There is no need for thousands of Muslim children to be raised on stories of their fathers, grandfathers, uncles and brothers slaughtered by Serbs." (Rohde,Endgame, pp. 351, 353.)

Mass Graves found in Srebrenica, Bosnia & Herzegovina.

After coming across, reading and researching on this worst act of barbarianism, I'm forced to ask several questions.

• Why did the Dutch regiment of UN "Peace-Keepers" failed to protect the innocent civilians of Srebrenica?
• Why did NATO stopped its bombing campaign because of a few soldiers held hostage by Serbian Forces?
• Were the lives of a few soldiers more important than thousands of unarmed civilians?
• Where were the "Super-powers" of the world when innocent Muslim civilians were being killed systematically?
• Were was the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference) and Arab League?
• Why was Ratko Mladic, the main culprit of this genocide was able to stay in hiding for about 15 years?
• Why is there double standards of justice by the International Community?
• Isn't Srebrenica Massacre a worst example of Islamophobia?
• Is it crime to be a Muslim?
• Are we the next generation, like Jews were, to be prosecuted solely on the basis of our religion?
• How many more "Directive 7s" will be issued?

Who will answer these questions? Is there anyone in this world who dares? All we see is mourning on the "wrong decisions" taken but what about the thousands that died in the process?

The aftermath of such de-humanizing acts is nothing but increase of already-present hatred against the west that spreads around like a fire. The Western media may still try to portray the muslims divided into many sects and nationalities but whenever the blood of muslims is spilled with such coldness, Muslims from every part of the world feel it. That's because we still think of ourselves as one nation, united under "No god but Allah".

Lets not forget ever what happened in Srebrenica and Bonia & Herzegovina and let us all take a pledge today that we will not let such atrocities happen again.

NEVER FORGET & NEVER AGAIN.
MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL.

Ratko Mladic, the responsible for Bosnian Genocide. May he rot in Hell. (Amen)

The Perfect Imperfection

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 20:24:00 +0000

THE PERFECT IMPERFECTION

And again we were shocked, horrified and absolutely shaken by yet another footage of an unarmed youth gunned down by the "Brave Personnel" of the legendary "Law Enforcement Forces" of Pakistan. We were shaken, and outraged at they way Sarfaraz was killed in cold blood. No one cared to listen to the pleads of Sarfaraz Shah, even after he was shot, and he died after begging for his life.

The debate here is not that if he was a robber or not?

The debate is: Was it the right thing to do?

Is Pakistan heading towards street justice?

Has Judicial System failed in Pakistan?Is this thing new to Pakistan? Haven't you seen events like this on your streets before?
Of course you have. Sialkot incident, Kharotabad killings are some of the example that gained notoriety and fame because they were caught on tape. Many hundreds of events like this have gone unrecorded and unspoken.Hundreds have died in similar fashion in Baluchistan and no one cares to answer.

There are millions of questions and hardly any answers.

No one knows where are we headed, no one knows at what point we parted ways with our humanity, no one knows why we demonized ourselves, no one knows why degraded ourselves to the level of animals or even worse.

We're told to close our eyes and ears and live under the haze that we're living in a perfect society. We're told that we think perfect, our perception is perfect, our leaders are perfect, our institutions are perfect, our system is perfect, our "democracy" is perfect. We are shown images of a utopia in the name of National Interests.

Anyone who begs to differ is labelled CIA, R&AW, Mossad and a "Threat" to National Integrity.

In fact, we're living in a PERFECTLY IMPERFECT society. We are quick to point the fingers at the "external forces" causing the present chaos in the country but we fail to look ourselves and analyse our moral degradation.
And still we're failing to understand and address the horrible flaws in ourselves.

Look around you and realise the fact that it wasn't Israeli Soldiers who killed innocent Hafiz Mughees and Muneeb in Sialkot, it wasn't the Indian Army who killed Saleem Shehzad, it wasn't the American CIA killing Sarfaraz Khan, it wasn't the KGB who killed Wali Khan Baber, it wasn't Mossad agents who shot a family of 5 in Kharotabad.

It was us. It was the people from among ourselves. It is us who's tearing ourselves apart. It is us who's ready to kill in the name of religion, peace or national security.

THE SOLUTION:
The Answer to this dilemma is not as easy . But THE FIRST STEP that can help us to rise above the level of mere animals is to overhaul the judicial system. It is the lack of trust in our judiciary (especially low level judiciary) that causes people to take matter into their own hands. If the JUDICIAL system is Fair AND Swift, people will have their trust and may refrain from taking matters into their own hands. Judiciary should be allowed to trial ANYONE they want.
NO ONE SHOULD BE ABOVE THE LAW. BE IT MILITARY, BUREAUCRACY, CLERGY or THE PUBLIC.
Maybe then we can find some hope and think that there is indeed some light at the end of the dark tunnel we're all marching in.
May Allah Bless us all and Our Country.
Amen.

LOST ALONG THE DARK PATH:

Hafiz Mughees and Muneeb. Lost their lives to a bunch of human-looking-animals in Sialkot

Wali Khan Baber: Lost his life to unknown terrorists for capturing footage during Karachi Target Killings - Still Awaiting Justice

Syed Saleem Shehzad: Investigative Journalist. Killed by unknown people after kidnapping & torture - Still Awaiting Justice.

A Chechen Family of Five Including a pregnant lady: Gunned down only on the suspicion of being suicide bombers. No weapons or Explosives recovered - Still Awaiting Justice.

Sarfaraz Shan: Lost his life after getting shot by 6 armed uniformed personnel of Sindh Rangers on the suspicion of being a cell-phone snatcher.

AND THE HUNDREDS CASES OF OTHER INNOCENT PEOPLE. THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES WITHOUT KNOWING WHY THEY WERE BEING KILLED. MAY ALLAH BLESS THEIR SOULS.

Pakistan's Holy

noreply@blogger.com (syedanasbaqi) — Sun, 29 May 2011 21:29:00 +0000

PAKISTAN'S HOLY

"One with a gun can control a 100 without one". These are the words of Vladimir Ilyich Ulanov, famously known as Vladimir Lenin, the father of Communist Revolution in Russia and Founder of USSR. When we look around our world and find out that this is in fact the way world is running, we wonder if this is the way it is going to be till our end, or is there a way out?

In every society there are certain groups and people who will do almost anything to attain power. And the interesting part? They belong to the most "innocent", "humble", "God-Fearing" and "honest" part of the society.

Pakistan is no different. In fact, its worse. The sad part of Pakistan's history is the fact that power has always been consolidated to a particular level of elites who represent only 1% of the entire population. Politics and power runs in bloodlines and is awarded in inheritance. We maybe saying the same old stuff said by many but it is a fact that we all have to focus and understand: As long as the power will remain in the hands of a few, who are not able to understand the problems at a grass-root level, how will this Land of The Pure prosper?

When we say "a few powerful people". We don't only mean Politicians here, but this refers to everyone, from rogue army generals to corrupt bureaucrats.

They are the Pakistan's Holy, better than the "underbelly" of the society (by underbelly, we refer to us: the common people). They have money, they have power, they have stooges around themselves, they have weapons, and they aren't afraid to use them.

Let us have a look on who is included in this list of Pakistan's Holy.

THE MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT

The Military, The Pak Fauj, makes the top of our list. I'm running into the risk of being labelled as CIA, Mossad or R&AW and even TTP and maybe a large mass of sentimental liberals and 'patriots' may get offended. I may get under bombardment of some really passionate, heated and unconditional supporters of Pakistan Military like Zaid Hamid, but a factor that can't be denied is the role of the Military Establishment in this power play of Pakistan.

I'm not blaming the Institution of The Military on the whole, like you can't blame whole of Pakistani nation for the crises today. There are good and bad everywhere. Same is the case here. Disturbing is the fact that the bad are always on the fore-front.

I'm NOT denying the sacrifices of the Jawans and officers of Pak Military. They have sacrificed themselves for the sake of this soil and have wrote great histories of Heroism and Valor in golden words. But its the main leadership that is the bad seed. The British quote of WW-I "Lions led by Donkeys" seem as an appropriate fit for our military as well.

1971 proved the fact quite well. We don't need to go into details. But it was fed by the High Military Command into the minds of the common soldiers that this demand for provincial autonomy and the right to set-up the government after the 1970 Parliamentary Elections, was really based on an Indian conspiracy against the State of Pakistan. It was fed that its a few intellectual that are causing this ideological mayhem and they need to be eliminated, and we all know what happened as a consequence of this brainwashing. It is remembered by the world as the 1971 Bangladesh Atrocities including the infamous Dhaka University Massacre.

The purpose here is not to revive old wounds, but to enhance the fact, that no institution is pure. The Generals involved in these atrocities were never trialled nor anyone else was charged for the actions that caused the surrender of almost 93,000 soldiers of Pakistan Military. The Justice Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission Reports were classified and were not made public for a very long time, as it showed military in a bad light.

Even after the dark past, similar things are being done by the military all over Pakistan, especially Baluchistan, which clearly shows that we have failed to learn from our past mistakes. They Missing Persons case is shrouded in secrecy. Some reports indicate the number to be around 700 while the lowest number is around 242. One fact is rock solid: The highest number of Missing People belong from Baluchistan. They were said to be taken under custody by the Intelligence Agencies (Foreign and Local) in the wake of War on Terror. Although the present government announced "Baluchistan Relief Project", which includes financial assistance to affected families and the representation of baloch youth in Government and Military posts, ALOT is yet to be done.

THE BUREAUCRACY

The Bureaucracy wins the 2nd place in the race for being Pakistan's Holy.

Pakistan's Bureaucracy is legendary. Bureaucracy in Pakistan is such an elite force holding high level positions. They run the Ministers of Cabinet and rule the country in an extreme silent mode.

It has supported dictators and democrats alike. As long as the bureaucrats remain in their offices and keep filling their pockets & bank accounts with heaps of cash.

Bureaucracy finds its roots in the British Imperial Rule when a group of Western minded Indians, grown up and bred in the Great Britain, were given the offices to run the country after receiving orders from

the Viceroy. They were Indians on the appearance, but English in the souls, with no respect or dignity for Indian culture, religion or tradition whatsoever. It hasn't changed much yet. Western Imperialism is the same as it was during the British Rule. Master's have changed of course, from Britain, they now report to USA.

They are called as "Public Servants" but their behavior and moral attitude is anything but that. They still act like tyrannic rulers of the Sub-Continent, with the public as their servants. The are the "de facto" ruler of the state, a state within the state, answerable to no one and above all laws and regulations. A complain against any bureaucrat, if lodged by a common man with the Minister, Prime Minister and even the President, is also attended by another bureaucrat and thus no action is taken against the culprit bureaucrat because of the relations between them. They boldly misuse public resource like government vehicles, free medication facility, telephone, officem staff both in office as well as at home and no on dares to finger up on their such actions.

The Bureaucracy is like a termite, eating away Pakistan from inside. It is high time to realize that something must be done against this enemy of the state.

THE POLITICAL PARTIES

Of course, how can we forget "by the people, for the people" group. They should have made it all the way to the top, but the fact that they come under heavy scrutiny and criticizing, both by the public and print/electronic media, they make it to the third position.

Politics all over the world is dirty. But in Pakistan, its filthy, bloody and absolutely a nightmare. The most saddening and depressing fact is that these political parties run their politics on ethnic, sectarian or regional basis. Not a single political party that attained power in Pakistan is truly a party that did run on a national agenda.

If we look around ourselves right now, we will find a party that speaks for Pashtuns, a party that speaks for Muhajirs, a party that speaks for Baluchis, some parties that speak for Punjabis, some that speak for Sindhis and hardly any Political Party that speaks for "PAKISTANIS".

We hear slogans ranging from "Roti, Kapra aur Makaan (Food, Clothing and Shelter for all)" to "Empowerment for All", yet we fail to find them acting on their words when power is attained by them. Its the same old politics: Money, Power, Greed, and defaming each other.

Karachi's notorious target killings and riots have made it hard for a common man to survive and thrive in the city. People are killed, tortured & looted, properties are burned, riots take place. The Aftermath is the observation of a "Black Day" where businesses and markets are forced to shut down their operations and a complete strike is observed in the city. Blame game starts and threats are lodged against each other. Then a mediator, usually respected Mr. Rehman Malik, is sent to Karachi by the Federal Government, as he seems to be the only one to draw a truce between the warring parties.

Press Conferences are held. Mr. Interior Minister promise to deal with miscreants with an "Iron Fist" and his famous lines "All responsible for the atrocities in the city will be brought justice swiftly" are repeated over and again every time.

Temporary peace is restored and everyone forgets that there were people who killed, burned and looted and they need to be brought to justice. They roam around in the city, disguised with faces and attire just like us, but with souls worse than blood thirsty animals.

Mr. Malik, please put your money where your mouth is and prove your words are not just empty words and at least mean something.

WORTH MENTIONING

Media, Journalists, NGOs and Clergy are the some that are worth mentioning but are not "fit" enough to be discussed in deep detail.

They all are a part of Pakistan's Holy. They do whatever they want, criticize whoever they want, portray whatever they want and preach whatever they want. They have power and funding from sources to achieve their goals and objectives.

We The People

And now "WE" make our appearance. We, The People, The Powerless, The Oppressed, The Dismissed, The Pushed-Back, The Exploited, The Unemployed, The Poor, The Homeless, The Hungry, The Underbelly, The Human-Cockroaches, The "Pure" People of The Pure Land.

But of course, We should be the first one to be blamed. We are maimed and led by the same people we hate the most. We have divided ourselves into every category a human mind can think of. From Extremists to Liberals, From Rights to Lefts, from Conservatives to Moderns, from Fundamentalists to Enlightened, from Sunni to Shia, from Deobandi to Barelvi and from Pashtuns to Baluchis to Punjabis to Sindhis and Muhajirs. We are Everything, EVERYTHING, but a Pakistani and a Muslim.

How can we expect ourselves to be treated rightly when we can't even identify ourselves as a single Nation? We have created these Prisons around ourselves. Prisons on the grounds of race, color, class, ethnicity and creed and we continue to rot at them. We are to be blamed, indeed.

Truly, we are captives of our identities, living in the prisons of our own creation.