Pakistan history, distorted by the literalists by Dr.Shams Hamid tribune.com.pk Literalists have always invented Islam depriving it of universalism Recently released, the Brookings Institute report claims that the real cause of militancy in Pakistan is the public education system, and not religious schools (madrssas) because the majority of Pakistani students attend public school whereas only ten per cent attend madrassas. It states that Pakistani public schools disseminate militancy, hatred, jihad and distort history. Until 1970, despite bureaucratic and military dictatorships, the Pakistani educational curriculum and textbooks, for example, had included the history of the Maurya and Gupta dynasties of the sub-continent … Continue reading Pakistan, distorted by the mullahs and their worshippers?

by Hussain Dada tribune.com.pk . We shudder when they approach, cringe when they touch and breathe a sigh of relief when they walk away History – or Pakistan Studies – has taught us many things; most of which we know because it was stuffed down our throats. While retaining only the fourth of the founding father’s fourteen points is no profound achievement, it is a rejoinder that the mainstream education system still thrives on rote. And for that, it deservedly gets thrashed. Alas, not all the thrashing handed out in this land of the pure tends to be deserved. Corporal … Continue reading Where eunuchs aren’t allowed to party

Bollywood makes Osama bin Laden spoof dawn.com “Tere bin Laden” (Without you, Laden), is a story set in Pakistan about a young reporter who seeks to migrate to the United States in search of fame and fortune. MUMBAI: India’s Bollywood cinema, known for its exuberant song-and-dance sequences and romantic plots, is to explore new territory with a satire on Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. The movie, “Tere bin Laden” (Without you, Laden), is a story set in Pakistan about a young reporter who seeks to migrate to the United States in search of fame and fortune. The reporter, played by … Continue reading Ali Zafar and Al Qaeda!

SINOGRAPH Propaganda, stir-fried and roasted By Francesco Sisci BEIJING – Ideas and good writing may be fun, good music can be soothing, the cinema and theater are certainly entertaining, and sports and video games are heart-racing. All that is good and well, and all are the flesh and blood of the soft power that many countries try to build and whose management the United States has possibly mastered. Still, all these forms of influence on people’s minds and souls come to nothing if compared to the old, solid conduit to the deeper recesses of the spirit, touching directly the deeper … Continue reading Propaganda, stir-fried and roasted

By Peter J Brown The shakeup in the senior command of the United States military in late June from the surprise resignation of General Stanley McChrystal could not have been predicted. Another change in command, involving US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, will come as no surprise, though the exact date Gates plans to step down remains a mystery. In a television interview aired on Fox News Sunday in late June, anchor Chris Wallace tried unsuccessfully to get Gates to specify whether he would be leaving his post in late 2010 or would remain until 2011. Gates would not commit … Continue reading Gates open on departure

BP in the Gulf – the Persian Gulf By Stephen Kinzer To frustrated Americans who have begun boycotting BP: Welcome to the club. It’s great not to be the only member any more! Does boycotting BP really make sense? Perhaps not. After all, many BP filling stations are actually owned by local people, not the corporation itself. Besides, when you’re filling up at a Shell or ExxonMobil station, it’s hard to feel much sense of moral triumph. Nonetheless, I reserve my right to drive by BP stations. I started doing it long before this year’s oil spill in the Gulf … Continue reading BP – Enemy of Iran and America

The anatomy of an attack on Iran By David Moon In mid-June, Hugh Tomlinson in the Times of London wrote that the government of Saudi Arabia conferred on Israel the “green light” for use of its airspace for an attack on Iran. This revelation was said to be conventional wisdom inside the Saudi military. Tomlinson also quoted an unnamed United States military source stating to the effect that the US Department of State and the Defense Department had both said “grace” over this arrangement. The Saudis and Israelis immediately denied the report, while US officials made no specific comments on … Continue reading How Israel may attack Iran

Homely Homemaking Homebodies? Why the Quran Commands Muslim Women: “Stay in Your Homes” Posted by Sadaf Farooqi بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم In Surah Al-Ahzab, Allah addresses the wives of Prophet Muhammad [صَلى اللهُ عَليهِ وَ سَلم] with specific commands to guard their chastity: وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا “And abide quietly in your homes, and do not flaunt your charms as they used to flaunt them in the old days of pagan ignorance; and be constant in prayer, and render the … Continue reading Why does the Quran Commands Muslim Women: “Stay in Your Homes”?

‘Young Imam’ Is the Reality Show Creating All the Buzz in Malaysia Aspiring Mullahs Show Their Stuff; Swooning Fans and a Free Trip to Mecca By JAMES HOOKWAY Astro EntertainmentContestants, above, face elimination from ‘Young Imam.’ KUALA LUMPUR—The U.S. has “American Idol.” Britain has “The X Factor.” Malaysia, one of the world’s more progressive Muslim nations, has something rather different—a televised search for the country’s most eligible young religious leader. “Young Imam” might look familiar at first glance. Ten good-looking male contestants in sharp-looking suits are assigned to sing and complete a series of complex tasks. At the end of … Continue reading ‘X’ factor for Imams – Aspiring Mullahs Show Their Stuff!

Plato: ancient Greek philosopher’s ‘secret music code’ cracked by British scientists The works of Plato, the ancient classical Greek philosopher, appear to contain a hidden musical code, a British academic has claimed. By Andrew Hough telegraph.co.uk Plato is considered by some to be the greatest of all the Greek philosophers. Photo: GETTY IMAGES His study suggested Plato was a secret follower of Pythagoras (C). It also suggested he anticipated the scientific revolution of Galileo (L) and Sir Issac Newton (R) by about 2,000 years. Photo: SUPPLIED Researchers claimed they cracked “The Plato Code”, the long disputed secret messages hidden in … Continue reading Plato – ‘secret music code’