Muhammad Umer Nothing could be nobler than the pursuit of peace in South Asia, which remains plagued with the chronic conflict over Kashmir between India and Pakistan born out of the partition of the subcontinent. No sooner had the curse of colonialism been lifted with the departure of the British than the curse of hatred and war descended on the region. The consequences have been horrendous. More than two-thirds of the 1.5 billion people that inhabit South Asia live in squalor; UNESCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report, 2010, says over half the total 759 million illiterate adults in the … Continue reading Aman ki Asha: the challenges ahead

John Kerry U.S. Senator from Massachusetts {crossposted from the VoteVets blog, VetsVoice} “Admiral Mullen and Secretary Gates are both political appointees. They’re going to be biased. They’re going to say what the administration wants them to say.” — U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, Jr. Stunning. That was my reaction when I listened to a freshman Republican Congressman rebut the principled position of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and the Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, that the policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” needed to end and that gay members of the Armed Services should be … Continue reading Let the Fairies Fight! Republicans Attack Military Leadership to Defend Ban On Gays

Roadside Bomb Kills U.S. Soldiers, Dozens Of Students At Girls’ School… Analyst: ‘Now Can We Start Treating This Like a Real War?’ (AP/Huffington Post) — SHAHI KOTO, Pakistan — A roadside bomb killed three U.S. soldiers and partly destroyed a girls’ school in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday in an attack that drew attention to a little-publicized American military training mission in the al-Qaida and Taliban heartland. They were the first known U.S. military fatalities in Pakistan’s lawless tribal regions near the Afghan border and a major victory for militants who have been hit hard by a surge of U.S. missile … Continue reading AMERICA’S ONCE-SECRET WAR IN PAKISTAN BUSTS OPEN

Executive Summary Religious Perceptions in America: With an In-Depth Analysis of U.S. Attitudes Toward Muslims and Islam is a study of Americans’ opinions regarding a number of world religions with a special focus on Islam and Muslims. The results are based on the Gallup World Religion Survey, which explores Americans’ opinions of four major religions — Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism — and their followers. This analysis examines Americans’ self-reported level of prejudice toward members of those faiths. Of the faiths Gallup asked Americans about, Islam elicits the most negative views. A slight majority of Americans (53%) say their opinion … Continue reading Religious Perceptions in America With an In-Depth Analysis of U.S. Attitudes Toward Muslims and Islam

Albert Camus There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy. All the rest — whether or not the world has three dimensions, whether the mind has nine or twelve categories — comes afterwards. These are games; one must first answer. And if it is true, as Nietzsche claims, that a philosopher, to deserve our respect, must preach by example, you can appreciate the importance of that reply, for it will precede the definitive act. These are facts the heart … Continue reading Absurdity and suicide

By Cyril Almeida A reality will not change in any significant way until the Kashmir issue and water disputes are resolved, said Gen Kayani. RAWALPINDI: While the Pakistan Army is alert to and fighting the threat posed by militancy, it remains an “India-centric” institution and that reality will not change in any significant way until the Kashmir issue and water disputes are resolved, according to army chief Gen Kayani. In a presentation to Pakistani media, Gen Kayani reiterated his widely reported comments on the Pakistan Army’s view of the situation in Afghanistan and the way forward there. But the army … Continue reading Kayani spells out threat posed by Indian doctrine

When World War II came “Britain was totally mobilised. The govt saw the benefits of propaganda. Documentaries would help win the war. The govt wanted to energise the people in order to continue the war effort”. – File photo National Senate body calls for saving film industry Senate body calls for saving film industry KARACHI: Film, specifically documentaries, can be a very powerful medium for propaganda and when viewing a documentary, one must be aware of who has paid for its production and what they seek to achieve with it. This is what acclaimed film-maker Professor Alan Segal told the … Continue reading The power of propaganda

The US military remains ‘under severe strain’ due to ongoing Iraq operations and its 30,000-strong surge in Afghanistan, said the respected annual ‘Military Balance’ report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). -AFP Photo International Iran willing to ship uranium abroad, says Ahmadinejad Iran willing to ship uranium abroad, says Ahmadinejad LONDON: Asian states led by China and India are surging ahead with military spending as they recover strongly from the global slowdown, while Europe and the US feel the pinch, a study said Wednesday. The US military remains “under severe strain” due to ongoing Iraq operations and its … Continue reading China, India raising military spendings: IISS