VIEW: Apathy or death of generosity? —Mohammad Jamil Standing crops worth billions of rupees have been destroyed, and many warehouses where cotton and wheat were stored have been inundated and destroyed in the floods. The result will be acute food shortages as well as raw material shortages It is indeed a colossal catastrophe that has befallen the nation. The people’s grief is real, and — in the words of William Wordsworth — “a sorrow that lies too deep for tears”. Yet the world community is lukewarm to our people’s painful predicament. In this age of science and technology, the weather … Continue reading Apathy or death of generosity?

COMMENT: Will there be a tomorrow? —Mujahid Eshai The issues of the small landowners, shopkeepers and tradesmen must be resolved at the earliest. Restoring them will create confidence in the majority. That is the need of the hour. But one does not see any midnight oil being burnt in Islamabad or any of the provincial capitals The secretary general of the UN has come and gone. He has promised to tell the world that the flood catastrophe in Pakistan is phenomenal and the world needs to help the people in every way. The prime minister and the head of the … Continue reading Will there be a tomorrow?

A Muslim-American Veteran Laments about So-Called Ground Zero Mosque Bigotry loonwatch.com Zia Ulahaq Osman Adnan is a Muslim-American veteran. He is for the mosque near Ground Zero. Is he an Islamic supremacist?  Here’ a great piece by Salon.com: A loyal Muslim American laments the mosque mess I am a lifelong resident of Middletown, N.J., the town that lost more victims per capita on 9/11 than anyplace in the state, and the second hardest hit city after New York. Almost 50 of our neighbors died that day, in a town of 60,000. Most of those who died worked at Cantor Fitzgerald. … Continue reading Osman Adnan, Muslim-American veteran and the NY Mosque

VIEW: We did not do it —Gulmina Bilal Ahmad We are a nation of hypocrites and masters at absolving ourselves of responsibilities. Everything is the result of conspiracies hatched against us. The Air Blue crash over the Margalla Hills was, according to some, hatched by Blackwater We are a people blessed with time but a country for which time is running short. Clarity is a rare commodity; clarity in terms of our actions, our thinking, judicious dispensation of aid and even our worldviews. I had written earlier on how we are ideological schizophrenics. We want to be part of the … Continue reading Jews caused the Flood?

Flood victim finds safety on ancient mound The shadow of a Pakistan Navy Sea King helicopter is seen flying over buildings surrounded by flood waters near Bachel in Sindh Province, southern Pakistan, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010. – AP Pakistan Nato to provide planes and ships for Pakistan aid An open letter to the Pakistani youth AMRI: Pakistani flood victim Achar has taken refuge on what villagers say was the seat of ancient kings. Floods that began three weeks ago with torrential monsoon rain over the upper Indus river basin have forced more than 4 million people from their homes. Most … Continue reading Flood victim finds safety on 5000 year old ruin

Pakistan extremist find friends on Facebook, Twitter Groups with Facebook pages include Sipah Sahaba, Khatm-e-Nabuwwat, Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Hizb-ut-Tahrir. – (File Photo) KARACHI: Hardline groups in Pakistan are plugging into Western online favourites Facebook and Twitter in a bid to win friends and influence people. Tweeting their view of a civilisation clash between the West and Islam, and posting comments that advocate violence against non-Muslims, groups that are officially banned in Pakistan have found a welter of freedom online. There they have been allowed to operate without censorship from Pakistani authorities, who have instead restricted access to hundreds of Internet pages … Continue reading Facebook Mullahs!

Politics & media in Pakistan: another new dictionary by Nadeem F. Paracha Asif Ali Zardari: Wealthy salesman for Bata Shoes. Recently got a shoe thrown at him by a dissatisfied customer. Army: Pakistan’s largest political party. Has ruled the most without ever contesting an election. Has a wonderful tradition of coming in swinging a danda, then running out waving a white flag. Enjoys great support among the chattering classes across the country’s drawing-rooms. America: A very fattening beef burger which dietitians hate but can’t avoid. Altaf Hussain: A loud Punjabi film actor playing the role of a Mohajir politician. Also … Continue reading Politics & media in Pakistan

An ode to Arab love songs Love is a universal theme in music, but there are good reasons for the Arab world’s preoccupation with romance Khaled Diab guardian.co.uk, Friday 20 August 2010 13.30 BST Article history Love them or loathe them, love songs seem to be written into the DNA of just about every culture. One of the most private and personal of emotions is also, paradoxically, the most public. Despite the universality of love songs and certain common themes, each culture has its own peculiar way of going about it – and this can say a lot about the … Continue reading Arab love

Barack Obama, ‘Muslim’ president Like many Muslim Americans, I had high hopes – now dashed: our brother drinks beer, eats pork and won’t fast at Ramadan … Wajahat Ali guardian.co.uk, Friday 20 August 2010 16.23 BST Article history Exhibit A: Barack Obama dressed as a Somali elder during his 2006 visit to Kenya. The photograph was circulated during the presidential election campaign in 2008, regarded by Democrats as a smear. Photograph: APOne wonders why only 20% of Americans believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim, considering the overwhelming evidence conclusively proving his slavish allegiance to Islam and utter disregard for … Continue reading Are 20% Americans Baptist Taliban?

Environment needs Muslim support The Qur’an teaches respect for the environment. But Moroccan activist Mohamed Attaoui has found the authorities less keen Brendan Borrell guardian.co.uk, Thursday 19 August 2010 16.00 BST Article history Mohamed Attaoui in Morocco. Photograph: Daniel GrushkinIn early March, just days after the Kingdom of Morocco announced plans for a landmark environmental charter called “the first commitment of its kind in Africa and the Arab world“, Mohamed Attaoui was sentenced to two years in prison in the Atlas mountains. His crime? Speaking out against illegal logging of shrinking cedar forests and corruption among the ranks of the … Continue reading Muslims need to protect Mother Nature