I WROTE
By Mohammad Nasim
The following is a collection of articles posted on CNN Community and other Internet discussion forum message boards or sent to newspapers for publication from time to time. In some cases, the pseudonym Naseem Mahnavi has been used.
Mohammad Nasim - Monday, 01/11/99, 10:55:04am (CNN #4061 of 4062)
RELIGION - 1
Religious feeling emanates from the appreciation and eventual adoration of the beauty and wisdom in nature. God is the short and convenient name for a gigantic artistic and technological universal mechanism that designed and built the universe and still provides the networked codes for its sustenance. Confusing God with gods or deities is the beginning of going wrong. For the Jews, religion stops at the wisdom of 3200 years ago, for Christians that of 2000 years ago, and for Muslims that of 1400 years ago. What about the scientific, spiritual and intellectual achievements of man during the last two and half millennia? All this could not have been achieved without the will of God if there is one. And nothing would have existed if there were none to start the process of existence in the first place. Why can't we accept Avicenna, Newton, Mendeleve, Einstein etc. as men who revealed the laws of God's Nature? Why Quarrel?
Mohammad Nasim - Monday, 01/11/99, 2:53:09pm (CNN #4072 of 4072)
RELIGION - 2
Do you really believe that God would go away if you refuse to accept His or Her existence? Let me explain it by a simple comparison with an apartment. The structure is God. You need him to climb the stairs to the third floor. Once inside, you can forget God. Now the layout of the apartment is your ethics. You should cook in the kitchen and sleep in the bedroom etc. However if you cook in the toilet (somehow) and eat in the bedroom no body can stop you. The furnishings are the culture, which is your own to revolutionize if you like. The structure (God) would be there whether you like it or not and the ethic (layout) would by there (barring a major renovation) whether you respect it or not. Most of the arguable elements of all religions relate to the cultural part, which may have psychological importance but certainly not any true spiritual significance. You are all talking about the Old Testament and the New Testament. How about referring to the Third Testament - the Qur’an for a change?
Mohammad Nasim - Tuesday, 01/12/99, 11:00:08am (CNN #4087 of 4087)
RELIGION - 3
Some one had challenged that no logical argument can be put forward in proof of God's existence.
Let me present two extracts from one of my unpublished essays, and have your honest opinion.
1. Generally, fishes are cannibalistic, and have no hesitation in eating their own offspring. On the other hand, amphibian sea lions which could be described as an intermediate evolutionary stage between fishes and mammals have been found to be not only non-cannibalistic but also to care for their young ones. A careful and compassionate examination of anthropological data indicates that every stage in evolution is constituted by a combination of changes in a) physical or anatomical features, b) breeding methods, c) feeding habits, and d) social and environmental attitudes. If any of these four types of changes would not be compatible with the other three then the species would fail to survive. Hence I conclude that the evolution of species has taken place not by random mutations but by gradual, systematic and meticulous genetic engineering. The performer of this great series of genetic engineering feats is called God.
2. The meticulous planning of the species is evident from the fact of human beings having two sets of teeth - one pilot set to gain information about the characteristics of available food to develop the parameters of a second suitable set of permanent teeth. This feature may have been put in place in anticipation of the likely migration from place to place in the early period of savagery and changes in eating habits with gradual civilization of the human species.
If it is getting boring for some, you can throw another challenge by emailing to mnasim@starmail.com
01/21/99
RELIGION - 4
Imagine the consternation of a robotic visitor from outer space on earth whose range of perceptions is limited to solid inorganic materials such as rocks and metals. Not being able to see the human beings, animals and trees and plants he would be wondering about the important role wrist watches, rings, buttons, buckles, shoe-nails, ear-rings and lockets play in the running of the mechanical systems on the earth. He is bound to be surprised at the observation that the arrival of keys and other trinkets brings automobiles to life, and the accumulation of a number of vehicles in the vicinity of a building and the movement of trinkets, specially nibs close to large machines causes great mechanical movements and production. Eventually, even if our visitor develops the means to detect the existence of fruit and vegetable, not being able to perceive those who consume them, he might wonder if there are holes in space into which things disappear. And, of course he would be convinced of the existence of dark invisible matter. If he persists in his investigations rather than making an escape from this baffling place, after some time he would come to believe that there exist on earth, life forms that he is unable to see, although in some ways he can feel their presence. Similarly, over the centuries mankind has come to believe in the existence of invisible forces that influence its existence.
25/2/2001
UFO TALK-BACK
Here are some explanations that will put the minds of your readers to rest about the UFO mysteries:
1. Life in the universe is powered by coded high frequency emissions from protected computing and transmitting engines in deep space. The vital source codes control the formation of genes and growth of cells. Gauging and calibration is required at every step. There are different codes for different species evolved over millions of years by monitoring radiation produced by electrical activity in living organisms.
2. The Earth was visited by the programmers many centuries ago who carved mountains in the shape of human figures and placed large stones in plains to outline animal and flower forms, so that other civilizations watching the Earth through their telescopes could know that people, animals and plants exist here.
3. Over the past hundred years, there has been growing interference in the life-form transmissions from the Earth, and the process of evolution of vital source codes has been hampered. Investigating probes have been visiting the Earth since the last sixty years to obtain first hand information by direct contact.
4.The programmers are worried that in spite of good scientific and technical development, there is severe inequality of resources, abundance of destructive weapons and conflict among people on the Earth. If evolution is stopped, mankind will degenerate and destroy itself.
5. There is also concern that genetic alterations being performed on earth may be in conflict with the vital source code transmissions and may produce unpredictable results.
6. The ships that visit the Earth have devices that alter their crystal structures to make them transparent or opaque. The mathematics of motion is based on tangent functions as opposed to sine functions used on the Earth.
7. The life forms that come in the space ships are trained lower life forms that can perform limited functions.
8. Improved technology that can continue human evolution by itself can not be revealed in the present circumstances due to fear that it may be used for selfish or destructive purposes.
Dated: 27th June, 2001.
BOASTING (Published in letters columns of Arab News)
Two ants were happily nibbling at a grain of sugar for dessert. One of them touched its head to the other's and said:
"You know something? I often feel convinced that there are intelligent living beings in this world that are millions of times bigger than us. They can cross our hills in a stride, and many of our disasters are caused by them. Also, maybe they produce sugar and drop it on the earth for us. The other day when I went into a new jungle to hunt fleas, I had a distinct feeling that I was walking on a live surface. What do you think?"
The second ant paused and replied:
"You seem to get intoxicated when licking sugar. Didn't I tell you about the law of gravitation? If a creature would grow to such a large size, it would collapse under its own weight. And if there were any other intelligent species on earth, they would have communicated with us. The largest creature on earth is a cockroach. But it isn't intelligent. So we attack it, kill it and bring it home for a week's food supplies. We are the masters of the world."
Moral: Don't be an ant. Small creatures have large egos.
Sunday, 10/14/01, 1:41:46pm (#48788 of 52285)
WTC FOLLOW-UP
Shouldn't America have buried its dead before retaliating? Some 5700 are claimed to have died in the September 11 tragedy. From the pictures on the TV it seems that most of WTC rubble has been cleared. Yet only 445 dead bodies have been found so far. Where have the bones of the rest been dumped? Didn't the victims deserve a decent burial? What kind of civilization is this? Or is it all just a hoax to quench someone's thirst for blood?
- Monday, 10/15/01, 12:04:39pm (#20717 of 20724)
INDIA VS KASHMIR
The people of Kashmir and the various organizations carrying out armed struggle in Kashmir can not be called terrorists as they are working to ensure the implementation of UNO Security Council resolutions. All their actions are perfectly legitimate and legal, with the blessing of the United Nations Security Council. Since India has persistently refused to implement the Security Council resolutions, it should be declared a "ROGUE STATE" and an international coalition should be formed to punish it.
Naseem Mahnavi - Sunday, 10/28/01, 6:06:02am (#27925 of 27925)
ISLAM AND TERRORISM
Islam is a religion of truth, purity, peace and forgiveness. The Qur’an says: Tell the nonbelievers, " We do not worship what you worship nor do you worship what we worship. Neither shall we worship what you worship, nor will you worship what we worship. So we go our way and you go your way."
Islam does not allow killing of any human beings except to repel aggression or to rescue those being oppressed. There are strict rules of war in Islam: Do not attack an unarmed person. Do not kill or take prisoner one who is not engaged in armed conflict. Do not burn crops. etc. etc.
In Islamic jurisprudence, punishment by imprisonment is not sanctioned as it violates basic human right of freedom of movement.
Pakistan is supporting the action against Osama Bin Laden and the Taleban because they have violated the basic injunctions of Islam and brought disrepute to it. At the same time it has to be ensured that the punishment meted out to them is not disproportionate to their crimes. Equally important is the concern for the safety of the innocent civilians that are not engaged in acts of war.
If you are thinking of the Jewish concept of retribution -- eye for eye, then you first have to produce over 5000 dead bodies claimed to have been killed in the WTC disaster. Only 450 bodies have been found so far in the rubble of the towers whereas many more than that number have already been killed in Afghanistan.
There is no moral or legal justification for continuing the military attacks on Afghanistan. If it becomes evident that a genocide is being attempted then I shall join the Afghans and ask every decent person of any nationality, faith or religion to do the same.
Naseem Mahnavi - Tuesday, 10/30/01, 2:29:12pm (#19505 of 19505)
MOTIVE OF THE SEPT 11 EVENTS
Even a fool should have known the consequences of such blatant destruction on American soil. The Americans would not spare the perpetrators of the crime, and in the prevailing world circumstances the first suspects would be Osama bin Laden and the Taleban. So, are Osama and the Taleban such idiots that they invited a horrible death for themselves by such a rash action? Or could the event have been masterminded by their enemies to frame them in the heinous crime? We all know that OBL and the Taleban have been actively supporting the freedom movements in Kashmir, Palestine and Chechnya.
The walkout of the US delegation from the Durban Conference must have been viewed by reactionary groups all over the world as an act of sabotage to their high hopes that the Durban Conference would after all heal some of the centuries old wounds of the oppressed nations. Their disappointment would have been morbid. Successive US administrations have been so busy propping up and pleasing their favorite nations that they have not bothered to pay attention to the feelings of billions of other civilized people who think differently.
It seems possible that the secret services of the nations opposed to the Taleban seized the opportunity to infiltrate the ranks of the reactionary groups and urged them to carryout the suicidal plane crashes. There are examples in history of Israel and Britain attacking US ships and making it look like the action of their enemies.
If there is a group of people who have already decided to commit suicide in a destructive manner, a show of force may only persuade them to do it sooner rather than later. The important thing is to encourage them to live and reveal the cause or source of their desperation; so that the future birth of terrorists may be stopped. Turning the whole world into a police state or committing savagery in reply is not a sensible thing to do.
Please listen to the voice of reason, it is there inside you.
Naseem Mahnavi - Tuesday, 10/30/01, 2:47:57pm (#72570 of 72570)
Who Wants Armageddon?
I was both amused and saddened by the Hagar cartoon in a recent newspaper. For the benefit of those who missed it, here is a transcript: Lucky Eddi: Will there ever be peace between the Vikings and the English? Hagar: It is possible...But they would have to stop fighting back when we raid their castle.
Doesn't the above cartoon graphically represent the attitude of the Israeli government towards the Palestinians? Are the Israelis trying to prove that they are the present day Vikings? Will they also disappear and be remembered only in joke books?
The fact is that the present actions of the Israeli government may become the precursor of the Armageddon -- much dreaded in the western world. So wake up my Western friends, and stop the Armageddon before it begins.
To understand the Western apathy towards the Palestinian cause, you only need to look up the word Philistine in any English dictionary. Here are excerpts of what I found in www.dictionary.com:
Phil·is·tine (fl-stn, f-lstn, -tn) n. A member of an Aegean people who settled ancient Philistia around the 12th century B.C.
A smug, ignorant, especially middle-class person who is regarded as being indifferent or antagonistic to artistic and cultural values. One who lacks knowledge in a specific area.
Word History: It has never been good to be a Philistine. In the Bible Samson, Saul, and David helped bring the Philistines into prominence because they were such prominent opponents. Though the Philistines have long since disappeared, their name has lived on in the Hebrew Scriptures.
philistine \Phi*lis"tine\, n. [L. Philistinus, Heb. Phlishth[=i], pl. Phlishth[=i]m.] 1. A native or an inhabitant of ancient Philistia, a coast region of southern Palestine.
Obviously, it is very difficult for the mis-educated western intellectual to surface above the age-old prejudices hammered into his mind by biased scholars and historians.
But let us look at the history of Israel itself. Although there is no dearth of righteous Jews in the world, and some of the great names in science, arts and literature of the last few centuries are Jewish, the Israelies are those Jews who had become misfits in the Western world. The state of Israel was intentionally created and supported so that the western nations could get rid of the Jewish misfits making life difficult for them. The misfits migrated, the good ones remained where they belonged. Now, in over fifty years they have proven that they are misfits in the Middle East too. There was a time not long ago when Israel was referred to in the Middle East as the Zionist Enemy. The term has not been used for the last few years, thanks to international efforts. But it seems that the Israelies would prefer to regain their cherished status of the hated enemy.
Do the Israelies really not know that this is the twentyfirst century and the Arab and Muslim nations have developed considerable economic and military power? Do they really think that they can start and win the Armageddon? If they do, they must be crazy. They will only bring a lot of misery to the rest of the mankind as they have done to all good Jews over the past many centuries. Many good jews have been hated and persecuted for the follies of a few.
Perhaps the time has come for conscientious Jews and Christians to rise above their age-old prejudices and take a stand to stop the Israeli follies.
Naseem Mahnavi - Wednesday, 10/31/01, 5:15:00am (#47742 of 47743)
WHY ISLAMIC BOMB?
Behind every misfortune there is a folly. It is also valid in the widespread development of nuclear weapons.
The first atomic bomb was assembled and tested by the Americans in a town called Trinity. The thoughtless managers of the project named the bomb itself Trinity. When the world saw the pictures of the smoke plume and read about the destructive ability of the bomb, those with religious sensitivity immediately recognized the "Trinity Bomb" as the symbol of Christianity's destructive power, with USA as its mentor and purveyor. The idea was reinforced when the successors of the Trinity atomic bomb were used on the civilian populations of non-Christian Japan.
Others that could be identified with belief systems followed the American atomic bombs in rapid succession. Here is a list:
USA - Trinity Bomb
Soviet Union - Communist Bomb
Britain - Church of England Bomb
France - Roman Catholic Bomb
China - Atheist Bomb
India - Hindu Bomb Israel - Jewish Bomb
South Africa - Apartheid Bomb
Pakistan - Islamic Bomb
The name Islamic bomb could be taken as another coincidence as it was developed in Pakistan whose capital happens to be Islamabad.
If the trend continues, we may in due course be seeing more nuclear bomb developments such as Buddhist Bomb, Shinto Bomb, Shia Bomb, Sunni Bomb, Not so sure Bomb, etc. etc.
The reason for the development of all these bombs is obvious. No belief system is prepared to accept the intimidation or domination of another belief system. And since it is not possible to abolish belief systems let us think of some way to remove their linkages with political and military considerations or abolish the bombs themselves from all over the world at the same time.
The day when that decision is taken could be declared a universal holiday.
Naseem Mahnavi - Wednesday, 10/31/01, 5:35:03am (#47743 of 47743)
RELIGION - 5
The main problem among religions is their inability to open their minds to anything new. The Jews believe in the Old Testament. The Christian Bible contains the old and the new Testaments, but the Jews won't read it. The Qur’an contains the old and the new Testaments and a lot more, but neither Jews nor Christians would read it. There are progressive Muslims who have written interpretations of the Qur’an in the light of modern discoveries, but the conservatives won't read it. No one is willing to give up his prejudices. Perhaps it would be a good idea to start a multi-religious message board on which people belonging to different religions should be asked to state the teachings of their religions regarding specific social, moral and political issues. Thus it would be possible to identify points of convergence and divergence.
14/12/2001
Terrorism in India
There seems to be a pattern in the reports of terrorist activity in India. Whenever there is a news item about USA or Europe recognizing or favoring Pakistan for its positive role in eradicating terrorism, either later the same day or the next there is a botched up terrorist phenomenon in India. The event is used by some Indian politicians to make anti-Pakistan statements and to whip up mass hysteria, although there are very few who talk sense on such occasions.
Jealousy of Pakistan seems to be the driving force in Indian politics. India refuses to fulfil its international obligation of holding a plebiscite in Kashmir simply because it is afraid that the result could look like a success for Pakistan.
The latest news of armed skirmish in the in Indian Parliament seems to be full of contradictions. All the volunteer forces fighting for the implementation of the UN resolutions on Kashmir have distanced themselves from the attack. The attackers are reported to have been under the influence of drugs and in a state of hallucination. Some Indian leaders have instantly identified the nationalities of the attackers, as if they had their passports with them at that time.
Fortunately, no politician was hurt this time. The Tamil and the Sikh separatists got one prime minister each in the past. The Nagas, the Mizos and a half dozen other ethnic groups are also looking for their share.
Rather than pointing fingers in the wrong directions, the Indian leaders should ask the question: WHAT DID WE DO TO DESERVE THIS?
14th March, 2002
WARNING ON AYODHYA
There is no truth in the story that Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram of the Hindu religion. If it was, it would have been known as Ramnagar, Rampur, Ramgarh or something like that.
Lord Ram is a mythical character of Indian folklore based on the legends originating in Turkey or Asia Minor regions adjoining it, from where the Aryans migrated into India in ancient times. In fact, Ramallah in Palestine is a more likely birthplace of Lord Ram than Ayodhya.
The Hindu fundamentalists of India are suffering from the same delusion of Aryan superiority as the Nazi Germans. The Swastika may not be on the Indian flag, but it is there in every Hindu temple.
If Hindu fundamentalism is not crushed now, it could result in a carnage of Muslims, Christians etc. and a holocaust before which the tragedies of Nazi Germany and Yugoslavia would look like child’s play. The atomic bomb is a much greater threat to mankind if in the hands of Hindu fundamentalists than Muslim extremists.
16th April, 2002.
A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT
This morning somebody asked me what was the legal or moral justification for your being president of Pakistan. I gave the following explanation:
Allah had decided some 14oo years ago that He would not send any more prophets to this world. But when he saw the deplorable condition of Muslims in Pakistan he decided that He could not forsake them. He had to answer their prayers for mercy and help. He thought hard what He could do for them. He could not send another prophet, as that chapter had been closed. So he decided to send a president to reform the Muslims of Pakistan. He is wise.
I have no doubt that you intend to establish true democracy in Pakistan, and deserve to be its President. However, there is a basic difference between a democratic head of state and a dictator. The electors have a right and a procedure for removing the democratic head of state if they are not satisfied with his performance, while a dictator can not be impeached no matter how much wrong he does.
Since your Question for Referendum is conditional upon the continuation of certain policies and achievement of certain goals, people should also have a way of holding you accountable if, for any reason, you fail to fulfil your promises. If you can show me that way, you have my vote.
I am sending copies of this letter to newspapers also, so that if you do not get this e-mail you may read it in one of them.
25/05/2002
The India-Pakistan Standoff
The Kashmir dispute has existed ever since August, 1947 when Pakistan became an independent nation and the British viceroy was redesignated the governor general of India. The people of Kashmir wanted to join Pakistan right then, but were stopped by the Indian military.
Even today, in spite of its claims of being the world's largest apparent democracy, Indian politicians are mere puppets in the hands of their military. The hesitant and conflicting statements they make are ample proof of that.
The private volunteer armies that are being branded as terrorist organizations by the Indian propaganda machinery have only come up in the last decade or two when the large scale human rights violations by the Indian military became well-known all over the world. The cases of widespread gang-rapes of Kashmiri women by Indian soldiers hit the headlines a few years ago, and international pressure forced the Indian government to start an inquiry which was never completed, and nobody got punished. Since then, the private volunteer armies have done a good job of keeping the ill-disciplined Indian army at bay and preventing it from repeating the saga of horrendous human rights violations. During this period, India has constantly prevented unbiased international journalists or media men from entering Kashmir and reporting the facts about it.
The December 13 drama in the Indian parliament building seem to have been staged by the Indian military, who quite promptly started executing the preconceived plan of attacking Pakistan.
No matter what Pakistan and its able leaders do to befriend Indian leaders and public, the Indian leaders will keep reading out the hostile statements dictated to them by their military.
The best thing the world can do in these circumstances is to let the war take place and help Pakistan morally and materially to defeat and humiliate the belligerent Indian military once and for all.
Sat, 25 May 2002
SOME TRUTHS ABOUT THE KASHMIR ISSUE
They say that truth is the first casualty of war. A full-fledged war in Kashmir between India and Pakistan has not yet started, but the truth has already started getting wounded. Terrorism is beginning to be defined as any violent action by an oppressed people to punish their oppressors. If you punch a bully, you are a terrorist. I have tried to rescue and give first aid to whatever truth I could find recently. I hope that your readers will appreciate it.
Indian Prime Minister Mr. A. B. Vajpayee said that India has been at war in Kashmir for the last half a century. If this is so then all the actions taken by the freedom fighters are part of the war effort and civilian casualties are unavoidable in a war. There have been civilian casualties on both sides, i.e. India and Kashmir, and India has no right to complain. The Indian stance is very similar to the American folly in Vietnam. They called it a proxy war with the Soviet Union, but the will of the Vietnamese people prevailed in the end and so will the Kashmiris. The Kashmiris are the same people whether they are in the part controlled by Pakistan or India and the artificial border means nothing to them. Their struggle is to free and unite Kashmir.
World press and media seem too willing to condone the aggressive and objectionable statements of Indian leaders. During his Feb/March election campaign, Mr. Vajpayee had stated that he had the resources to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan. The statement was followed by a spate of terrorist bombings in many cities of Pakistan resulting in the loss of many innocent civilian lives. The two could have been connected. After all, Osama Bin Laden was indicted on much feebler evidence.
The recent statement by India’s minister for water resources that India may abrogate the Indus water treaty and dry up Pakistani rivers that originate in Kashmir makes it all the more imperative for Pakistan to ensure that there is an amenable setup in Kashmir. Geographically, Pakistan and Kashmir are inseparable.
Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan said that the border tensions started as a result of terrorist attack on Indian parliament building on 13th December, 2001. His information is not correct. The event was staged by Indian intelligence agencies, as was proven by the initial reports of the New Delhi police:
1) The examination of the dead bodies of the killed attackers showed that they had been heavily drunk (possibly doped) when they attacked the Indian parliament building. Muslim fanatics do not drink before going on a holy war.
2) The attackers were found to be carrying multiple identity cards. Terrorist agents from other countries do not carry their national identity cards with them (with the exception of sardarjees, perhaps).
3) All the attackers were killed on the spot, and there were no other significant casualties. A professionally planned attack to kill the parliamentarians would have been a lot more effective, and would not have fizzled out so easily.
The above information was quickly suppressed by the Indian authorities, but it had reached the CNN and other internet message boards before that. The Americans can search the archives and come up with the truth.
Various American and European political figures have been asking Pakistan to do more to stop armed Pakistani volunteers from joining the Kashmiris. Why don't the Indians patrol their own borders more effectively? Why don't they advise the Indians to fall back to more manageable positions? Do they want Pakistan to take the same oppressive measures in its part of Kashmir as India has done in the part occupied by it? Do they want Pakistan to be turned into a police state? They are simply blinded by prejudices. Why did they not stop their Jewish volunteers from fighting in Palestine? Why can't they see that the Kashmiri freedom movement is very similar to the French, Belgian and other Resistance movements against Nazi Germany in the Second World War? Were all the Resistance fighters also terrorists? Moreover, the government of Pakistan does not have money to pay its debts or even pay decently its own employees, how can it be expected to finance a massive insurgency or an equally massive counterinsurgency?
The Indians are asking the Kashmiris to stop the insurgency and want Pakistan to help. Good, what are they offering in return? No self-respecting nation is going to yield to a threat of war. Indian political or military leaders can not be stupid enough to believe that they can force the Kashmiris or the Pakistanis to carry out their will at gun-point. And if they do think that way, they are the real terrorists.
There is an honorable solution to the Kashmiri problem that requires some sacrifices from all parties, and would remove the pains and fears of all concerned. But the bargaining can only begin after the Indian troops return to their barracks, an elected government is established in Pakistan, and a political leadership of the Kashmiris is recognized.
The leaders of India and Pakistan have so far been looking for short-cuts to the solution of their problems and perpetuating the miseries of their people including Kashmiris. They should start thinking in terms of a long-term mutually beneficial arrangement.
7th December, 2002.
Praying for Pakistan
This has reference to Wahid Butt's letter in the Dawn of 6th December, commenting on Hafizur Rahman's column of 20th November. In my opinion they are both guilty of ridiculing the power of prayer to Allah because of the folly of some leaders who think that they can strike a bargain with Allah; "I wash the floor of the holy Ka'ba and You do my job of nation building."
I have done some travelling in the world and can say with confidence that on average the people of Pakistan are the most pious and conscientious in the world. The reason why their prayers for deliverance from misery are not answered is also obvious. If imams of mosques quote concocted Hadith and defame him, the Prophet's soul can only curse such imams and their audience. Similarly, when devotees of saints commit acts contrary to Islam on their graves and involve them in 'shirk', they only arouse the wrath and condemnation of those souls. In countries like Saudi Arabia, prosperity came only after the shrines around graves of ‘sahaba’ were 'cleaned up' and activities that arouse the wrath of Allah were stopped. Even in Christian and other religious nations, peace and prosperity eludes those who worship graves.
We need laws to punish those who publicly quote concocted Hadith or organize grave worship.
June 16th, 2002.
The Cry of the Terrorist
By Naseem Mahnavi
To aim to kill or not to kill?
That is the vital question.
For many, an act of deliberate will;
For some, a mere compulsion.
In a jungle full of carnivores,
In a city inhabited by cannibals;
Are there any ethical mores?
Can there be any shielding walls?
The clever one just intimidates,
The imbecile takes up a noisy gun.
For one who can not take dictates,
Blowing up self is mighty fun.
Can one control a raging typhoon?
Or hold down an earthquake?
The fury of nature subsides soon;
But not the fires that people make.
The child cries like insane,
And kicks at anything that comes its way.
But mother knows that it is in pain,
And her tender caress makes it play.
So where is the mother of the terrorist?
Who could nurse him and give him solace.
Terrorists are there in every nation,
And they are the children of the human race.
Their pain arises from inherited sores,
Legends of conquests, tyrannies and wars;
Histories tainted with acrimonious lores,
And faiths that have been turned into farce.
So Mother! Wake up and turn around;
The time for sweet dreams is over now.
Your baby cries; you have to be found,
No matter where, no matter how.
Looking Forward to the Next Century
By Naseem Mahnavi
naseemmahnavi@yahoo.com
A little over three years ago, the world was looking forward to the new Century and Millennium with great hopes and aspirations. Unfortunately, it started on the wrong foot with the failure of the Millennium Summit and the tragic events of 9/11/2001. The worst thing that could happen to the world in the twenty-first century is a resurgence of Colonialism. If this tragedy does take place, it would mean that Osama Bin Laden and Mullah Omar who failed to drive the Islamic civilization back by 14 centuries have succeeded in driving the Western civilization back by at least two centuries. By the looks of it Britain and its three ex-colonies, namely USA, Canada and Australia where the indigenous populations were systematically and ruthlessly exterminated and replaced with people of the Anglo-Saxon race, are back in the old game of colonization.
Apparently scared by the lunacy of 9/11, the USA, Britain and its two lesser ex-colonies are moving their troops, in defiance of world opinion, to wage war against Iraq which was effectively a colony of Britain until 1958 and in military alliance, through Baghdad Pact and CENTO, with both USA and Britain for many years after its independence. No wonder, other allies of Britain and USA are appalled and apprehensive about their own futures. The saving grace is that majority of the people in all these belligerent nations are against this impending war. The fact that these governments are acting against the wishes of their people exposes the myth about their democratic boasts. How can war mongers represent the civilized and good-natured people of these countries? There must be something wrong with the way their leaders get to power.
The excuse being put forward for the wanton war is that the “evil” Iraqi regime has invisible stocks of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that it can use against its neighbors. Therefore it must be disarmed by force and its current leadership must be banished. Sadly enough, the leader of the angels is the only power that has actually used nuclear and chemical weapons in wars without hesitation or regret. The alliance of the “virtuous” is willing and ready to do it again. May God have mercy on them and on all good people.
The majority of Iraqi people who are not members of the Ba'th party would like to get rid of Mr. Saddam Hussein, but they are tolerating him because he has convinced them that he is the only one who can protect them from recurrence of colonial rule by the USA and Britain either directly or through Israel. Their conviction can be changed in two ways: either by showing that Mr. Saddam Hussein has failed to protect their freedom or by proving to them that there is no threat of their colonial occupation either directly or through Israel. If USA and Britain can change their policy of blind support for Israeli atrocities and occupation of Arab lands, the people of Iraq will automatically get rid of Saddam Hussein and the Ba'th party. If the USA and Britain are sincere in their exhortations, they should try the latter alternative first. That is what the civilized humanity demands from them.
As is customary, the warmongers have everyone so thoroughly confused that even the most intelligent analysts are missing the obvious points. There is hardly any form of ammunition or warhead with a shelf-life of more than twelve years. It is established that, thanks to the stringent sanctions and surveillance during the last twelve years, Iraq has not been able to produce any new weapons of mass destruction, i.e. biological, chemical or nuclear warheads during the last twelve years. Even if Iraq has some such weapons hidden somewhere since 1991, those would not be usable by now. In fact, they must have become so unstable that it would be dangerous even to handle them. So there is no sense in making a fuss about them, except to fool the world with bad intentions.
If the USA and Britain fail to pay heed to the demand of civilized humanity, I visualize the following scenario:
American, British, Canadian and Australian troops forming the Anglo Coalition attack and occupy Iraq, and start their cleansing activities with the help of a puppet regime. The non-puppet Iraqis start a freedom struggle. A bitter struggle similar to that between the Israelis and the Palestinians begins and continues in Iraq.
In spite of outcry by the whole world, the Anglo Coalition troops refuse to withdraw under fire. The conflict continues for decades killing tens of thousands of Anglo Coalition soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi freedom fighters and innocent civilians. Other nations, appalled by the brutality of the linguistically and racially motivated Anglo Coalition, start materially helping the Iraqis and the Afghans who, by now, desperately want to get rid of the “virtuous” coalition's benevolent occupation.
The Anglo Coalition starts attacking other nations found to be assisting the Iraqi and Afghan freedom fighters, committing most of their troops to colonial activity, leaving their own homelands unprotected. Other strong nations attack the Anglo main lands and conquer them. The 22nd century dawns on the world with new hopes and aspirations.
839 Words
© Feb. 2003, Mohammad Nasim,
Iraq War (20th March, 2003)
I fully endorse your editorial assertion that the US-Iraq war is avoidable. I would go a step further and call it an unnecessary war as I have good reasons to do so. Even if Iraq has some chemical and biological weapons hidden somewhere since 1991, they do not pose any threat to anyone. Chemical and Biological weapons are like medicines, and I know of none that has a shelf life as long as 12 years. Even conventional ammunition and explosives remain useable for a much shorter period and most countries that maintain large stocks of ammunition have to dump considerable quantities from time to time or use them up in live firing exercises. Are the Americans and the British just trying to dump thier surplus ammunition on Iraq and take home a handsome war booty as a bonus?
It is common knowledge that both the Us and the UK have large arsenals of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Who can stop their occupation forces from planting their own WMDs in Iraq and putting the blame on Saddam Hussein? Shouldn't there be international neutral observers to check that?
Looking a little further ahead in the future, when the Americans start handing down death sentences to Iraqi leaders and soldiers after fictitious trials, will the British be a party to that? Perhaps they would if they get a reasonable share of the booty.
The most disturbing possibility is that the Americans and the British occupation forces in Iraq might try to install a puppet regime consisting mainly of the Christian minority to supplement the illegal Jewish regime in Palestine. That would definitely divide the world on religious lines.
The indecent haste with which the Halaku Khans of the 21st century have acted in attacking Baghdad, could also be connected with the fact that the International Criminal Court will become effective from 1st July of this year. Its charter states that it will not consider cases of crimes committed before 30th June, 2003. Could it be that the villains behind the conflict want to complete their agenda of crimes before the cutoff date of 30th June, 2003? Will the Americans and the British wage war against the International Criminal court if it decides to take up cases of crime committed before 30th June, 2003?
Ruet Hilal 29-11-2003
This morning I watched the concluding part of the program on Ruet Hilal. Pity, I missed the rest of it. I wonder if in your deliberations the 5th verse of Surat Rahmaan was referred. It is translated as follows:
Pickthall: The sun and the moon are made punctual.
Yusuf Ali: The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed;
Shakir: The sun and the moon follow a reckoning.
Ahmed Ali: The sun and the moon revolve to a computation;
So it is obvious that the it should be possible to calculate the beginning and end of the lunar month. Since it is something pertaining to the Qur'an the ability to calculate the beginning of the lumar month should be a test of scholarship for anyone who claims to be an Islamic Scholar. Alternately, anyone who can produce the calculation should be accepted as a genuine Islamic scholar and should be followed.
The complete Hadith of Prophet Mummad (SAW) is " ... since we are unable to calculate, let us start and end fasting after sighting the moon or complete the count if the moon is not visible"
There are now two options:
1. Since the means of calculation are available, the calculations should be followed to determine the beginning and end of Ramadan.
2. The government should disband the Ruet Hilal committee and stop announcing the sighting of the moon. Everyone should be free to start fasting and celebrate Eid when he is satisfied that he has sighted the new moon or has completed the count. Similarly, there should be three days of optional Eid holidays which one can take anytime he likes.
Perversion
19/5/04
Dear Dr. Aniq Ahmad,
Last night I watched your discussion program on sexual perversion (ginsi berahravi) and was disappointed by the omission of some basic facts.
None of the participants pointed out that it takes two to commit a carnal sin which has existed since time immemorable but has never been approved by a civilized community.
For the benefit of your viewers I would like to state that the common causes of sexual perversion are as follows:
1. Lack of responsibility.
2. Lack of a hobby or opportunities of social engagement that would keep the person intellectually and physically occupied.
3. Lack of knowledge of religion or social norms.
4. Exposure to erotic stimulants and carnal invitation.
5. Psychological aberration or genetic disorder.
It is interesting that our Ulema quite conveniently ignore the first clause of the 3rd verse of Surah Al-Nissah which has been translated by Marmaduke Pikthal as follows:
"And if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans, marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four; and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice (to so many) one (only) or (the captives) that your right hands possess. Thus it is more likely that ye will not do injustice."
As for the Prophet's harem, it was a school where he personally trained the ladies so that they could educate other women in the ways of Islam. He admitted as many pupils as were needed. If God had really thought a man needs more than one wives, He would have created more than one Eves (Hawwas).
I hope you will read out this e-mail or its translation in your next program.
Yours sincerely,
Mohammad Nasim.
