Albert Schweitzer Entering on the question as to what is the real essential nature of civilisation, I come to the pronouncement that this is ultimately ethical. I know that in thus stating the problem as a moral one I shall surprise and even disgust the spirit of our times, which is accustomed to move amidst aesthetic, historical, and material considerations. I have come to the conviction that the essence of civilisation depends on the mental disposition of the individuals and nations who exist in the world. All other things are merely accompanying circumstances of civilisation, which have nothing to do … Continue reading Of civility and men

Salman Tarik Kureshi One is again hearing whispered preliminaries of the cowardly chorus of this being “not our war, after all”, despite the undeniable fact that Pakistani citizens and members of our armed forces are being blown up, shot and killed in a variety of dramatic ways For nearly a year now, there has been strong and, indeed, enthusiastic public approval of the military’s anti-Taliban operations. Well, one thought, here is yet another example of the basic good sense of the common Pakistani. In spite of whatever claptrap our drawing-room chatterers, pulpit warriors, media jihadists and deluded politicos may dish … Continue reading Countering terror and cowardly apologists for mullahs

In this file photo taken on Dec. 18, 2009, Monsignor Paul Tighe from the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communications illustrates during an interview how Web surfers can now send online Christmas greetings to Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. –Photo by AP World VATICAN CITY: For God’s sake, blog! Pope Benedict told priests on Saturday, saying they must learn to use new forms of communication to spread the gospel message. In his message for the Roman Catholic Church’s World Day of Communications, the pope, who is 82 and known not to love computers or the internet, acknowledged priests must … Continue reading For God’s sake, blog!, pope tells priests

Burnt dreams By Ayesha Siddiqa The acquisition of land is about expressing personal power. The new owners of land who are educated people and products of an urban life fall prey to feudalism regularly. –Source: farmlandgrab Many years ago, during the mid-1980s, I remember a conversation with the great Urdu writer Ashfaq Ahmed. He was then the director-general of the Urdu Science Board in Lahore and had begun his journey towards religion and Sufism. I was keen to know what young people could do when public intellectual icons had sold their souls to dictatorial regimes. Perhaps I sought to understand … Continue reading How Pakistans Land Grabbers need to be taken on after the Mullahs

What the Taliban want By Irfan Husain Although they use Islamic rhetoric and rationalisations, their true goal is to seize and wield absolute power. –Photo by AP Often, I am asked by readers or friends abroad what the Taliban want. Why, they ask, are they slaughtering hundreds of innocent people wherever they can? What is their purpose? What is their agenda? The short answer is power. Other excuses for their murderous excesses are a fig-leaf: demands for the Sharia and the expulsion of foreign forces from the region are no more than window-dressing. These terrorists realise that they cannot achieve … Continue reading What the Mullahs really want is simple POWER! And the people of Pakistan will NEVER GIVE IT THEM!

A total of 526 Pakistanis who have done their medical graduation from 19 different countries appeared in the examination. Only 52 got through with 9.88 percentage.—File photo. Pakistan LAHORE: Hardly 10 per cent of the Pakistani students who have done their MBBS and BDS from 19 foreign countries have got through the exam conducted by the National Examination Board to test their ability before awarding them licence to practice in the country. The NEB was constituted by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to make the graduates from other countries prove their mettle, but now it has been handed over … Continue reading Majority of foreign graduates flunk UHS exams

There are concerns that the bomb detectors have failed to stop bomb attacks in Iraq which have killed hundreds of people. –Photo by AP LONDON: British police arrested a businessman who sold bomb detecting equipment to Iraq on suspicion of fraud Friday, as ministers banned the export of the devices amid concerns they do not work, reports AFP. The director of British-based company ATSC, Jim McCormick, 53, was arrested on suspicion of fraud by misrepresentation and bailed pending further investigation, police said. At the same time, the British government announced it will ban the export of the ADE651, an ATSC … Continue reading Briton arrested for fraud over bomb detectors

By Barnaby Phillips Photo by Getty Images Was he Greek, Macedonian, or was he in fact Albanian? That’s the latest theory on his identity that is bound to upset a lot of people in the Balkans. Who exactly was Alexander the Great? Greek? Macedonian? Or was he in fact Albanian? That’s the latest theory on Alexander’s identity, put forward  by an ethnic Albanian historian, Nijazi Muhamedi, that is bound to upset a lot of people here in the Balkans. I’m not sure how detailed his research was, but  Mr Muhamedi will be well aware that he is wading into a … Continue reading Who was Alexander the Great? Answer an Albanian!

By Ayman Mohyeldin It may has not made the headlines in most press around the world, but Israel has recently decided to expel an American journalist working in the Palestinian territories. It probably has not made the headlines in most press around the world, but Israel has recently decided to expel an American journalist working for the respected Ma’an News Agency, based out of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For the first time in a week, journalist Jared Malsin was allowed to use his mobile phone on Wednesday morning to inform Ma’an that he was being placed onto an El Al … Continue reading The case of Jared Malsin – expelled by Israel