Monday, January 30, 2006

crazy? smart? smart? crazy? - what's going on?

Ok, really - so is he the crazy one with a death wish or can he really emerge as the visionary leader of the muslim world?

I place my bet on the former! The picture is from "The World Without Zionism" Conference held in October 2005, where he said that Israel should be "wiped off the map" and that it should be moved to Europe or Alaska!!!!

Yeah, right!!!

BUT - onto the NUCLEAR issue....

Side A: Fair enough - after all, Iran has signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which gives countries the right to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful use.

Side B: Also, a valid point - after all, the 'mullahs' dont have a very good track record!!

So who's right?

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Social Sin???

This one is for all those who have sold their 'souls to a corporation'...(you know who you are, right, AN????)

Allow me to share a simple paragraph from a letter on world hunger called 'Sharing Daily Bread' written by some canadian bishops back in the 70's.

"No amount of generosity extended to the underdeveloped nations will significantly alleviate world hunger until the market system itself is changed. The present market is designed primarily to make profits, not to feed people. The supply & distribution of food is determined mainly by effective demand, not by human need. Effective demand is usually defined in terms of abilty to pay. Food supplies are often controlled in such a way as to drive up prices in the market. A contradictiin is built into the system producing and distributing food. Human society does not plan to grow adequate food supplies for its population and then distriubte them to people according to their objective requirements. Instead, the institution which regulates the production and delivery of food is defined by a principle, the profit priniciple, which has no direct relation to peole's needs".

The fact that this is the way the system works today illustrates collective/social sin. The 'sin' part i might delve into another time. Suffice is to say that we need a lot more than food aid to help the world - we need to buy back some of those 'sold souls'!!!!!

Monday, January 02, 2006

41 years later...

I found this here:

Science died in 1965: The article “Death of Science” by Ms Zubeida Mustafa needs elaboration. Actually science died in Pakistan on September 5, 1965. It so happened that the government of Ayub Khan set up various commissions on education, science etc.

The science commision consisted of eminent scientists Professor Abdus Salam, Dr Salimuzzaman Siddiqui and Dr I.H. Usmani.It submitted its report to President Ayub on Sept. 5, 1965 at a meeting held in Swat. It recommended setting up of laboratories and training of science teachers from the primary to university level and recommended increased funding.

The next day, war broke out between India and Pakistan and all the funding recommended was diverted to the war effort. The biggest victim of the 1965 war was science in Pakistan.

By DR S.M. ISMAIL, Karachi

=> What a cool opinion!!!