Saturday, July 31, 2010

Sabalogga Cataract..


There are some geographical places that lost their significance..
Others are often renewable..
Third are new born on geopolitical stage..
The Sabalogga is one..! or an unknown one..!!
------
The Egyptian Empire 1500th BC..
Areas of administration are darker than areas of control..
Why they did not expand beyond the Sabalogga cataract..??
Why they did not stepped into Ethiopian frontiers..?
Why they were not interested in Kordfan or Darfur..?
\Welcome to the Sudanese Geopolitics..

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Retardates for Public Office..



What I like about the US political system, that anyone has the right to say anything.. once elected, s/he will be incubated by the system, and surgical alterations will bring her/him to the realities of government.. Such an idiot, if keep under-watch would be someone else if elected.. Obama is not the same couple of years ago.. The system does not allow for retardates to have a seat.. Bush Jr was the last to hold a Public office in history..!
The beauty of the system is how to expose the depth of each and any candidate.. allawing the people t realize before they choose.. Election process was carefully defined and controlled to mitigate any worngdoings.. People choice is not a wrongdoing, but may be an ill-doing.. There is a big defference here.. I wish to know what lessons the underdeveloped countries get from such a funny video..!!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Leaks of Logic..!!


Well, it is a repeated question on who will benefit from leaking any confidential documents? There are two parameters that need careful address:

Firstly; it is well known for any “Public Servant” knows that there are a level of “legitimate” deviation, and provocation of civic regulations in order to deliver the needful jobs..!! Don’t rise your eyebrows, because it will only tell you have no idea how governments work or how public interests are maintained..!! Bylaws and regulations were always set, not as penal system, but as framework of how activities are done to meet community culture, benefits and survival. As a humane product, they are always upgradeable and updateable to respond to timely and culturally changes on the way of living. Thus, it is inevitable to infrequently break such regulations within controlled and agreeable limits under the supervision of governing bodies and “Senators’ watch”. Such deviations are often not critical to the system of government or public administration, nor legitimizing any criminal activities, unlawfulness or misconduct.

Secondly; The talk on “Privacy” becomes the trend of the 21st century.. It consumes and keep some people busy; while the true beneficiary of its hypocrisies are very few, not more than 7% of world population..Kindly refer to Bell Syndrome..!! Lawyers, Journalists, Politicians, Corporate Businessmen, Senior Executives, Relaxed Citizens and Retirees.. are who care about revealing the secrets of governments and institutions.. With no offense; same as many housewives would care about gossips on celebrities and new trends of beautification.. Even the Cyber Privacy, which worries some people, it is not such influential on our lives considering how many have that critical secrets; personal, financial or operational.. The same happened when few of Facebook members (8% of world population) had erased their private e-mail addresses, contact numbers, academic references, employers and even citizenship, following that recent row on Privacy..!!

Civilian Deaths, Bribed Officials, Cross-Conspired Intelligences, Frustrated Soldiers, Confused Planners, etc., so what..? War was never a cheap endeavor in history.. and will never be in the future as well.. War and Conflicts are part of our humane legacies that hardly to be replaced.. It is not Utopia, but living-exercises..

Such leaks would benefit no one, because political strategies will not change (maybe delayed or re-named).. Such leaks is not in the interest of anyone, and the chatting-about people will move into new chat topic after a while..!!

Afghan War Diary, 2004-2010
Wikileaks 25th July 2010
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Afghan_War_Diary,_2004-2010
WikiLeaks has released a document set called the Afghan War Diary, an extraordinary compendium of over 91,000 reports covering the war in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010. The reports, while written by soldiers and intelligence officers, and mainly describing lethal military actions involving the United States military, also include intelligence information, reports of meetings with political figures, and related details. The document collection is available on a dedicated webpage (http://wardiary.wikileaks.org/)

Attorney General Holder Says U.S. Probing Leaks of Afghanistan Documents
Bloomberg Jul 28, 2010 By Mahmoud Kassem
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-28/attorney-general-holder-says-u-s-probing-leaks-of-afghanistan-documents.html
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department was investigating the source of the leaking of secret U.S. military reports on Afghanistan to the WikiLeaks website. “The Justice Department is working with the Department of Defense with regard to an investigation concerning who the source of those leaks might be,” said Holder, who spoke at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo today. “Whether there will be any criminal charges brought depends on how the investigation goes.”

Transcript: Wikileaks Afghanistan docs 'alarming'
CNET News July 26, 2010 by Privacy Inc Declan McCullagh
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20011696-281.html
The White House on Monday condemned Wikileaks' decision to release more than 75,000 secret military reports from Afghanistan, calling the move "alarming" and saying there is an investigation into how the documents were obtained. Wikileaks gave the documents in advance to The New York Times, Germany's Der Spiegel, and the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper, which independently confirmed their authenticity. The Guardian called the disclosure a "devastating portrait of the failing war in Afghanistan," saying it reveals how the United States-led coalition has killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents, Taliban attacks have risen, and NATO commanders worry that neighboring Pakistan and Iran are aiding the insurgency.

Pentagon: Leaked Afghan reports are not top-secret
CNN By the CNN Wire Staff July 28, 2010
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/07/27/afghanistan.wikileaks.secrets/index.html#fbid=B4fKym6Wk_e
U.S. officials from the president down tried Tuesday to downplay the leak of tens of thousands of documents about the war in Afghanistan, a disclosure experts are calling the biggest leak since the Pentagon Papers about Vietnam.Pentagon officials have not found anything top-secret among the documents, a Defense Department spokesman said. "From what we have seen so far, the documents are at the 'secret' level," Col. David Lapan said. That's not a very high level of classification.

WikiLeaks files will complicate war
By Patrick M. Cronin, Special to CNN July 27, 2010
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/07/26/cronin.wikileaks.war/index.html#fbid=B4fKym6Wk_e
The mother lode of ground-level raw intelligence from the Afghan war disseminated by WikiLeaks may ultimately bring about some good. In the short term, however, it will almost surely further undermine the U.S.-led search for stability. Sifting through some of the 92,000 records is likely to strike an informed reader that there is nothing here that fundamentally alters his judgment about the war so much as it provides a level of granularity often missing from daily news reports. Indeed, almost every issue has been previously reported in major news outlets, albeit with perhaps less authority than is permitted by these electronic records. News reports have been quick to pounce on the apparent double game played by the shadowy S Wing of Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, which controls clandestine operatives outside of Pakistan.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

A League of Islamic Knowledge..


"Please feel absolutely free and most welcome to advise me on how to educate ignorant religious preachers who dupe our young ones in the UK.."
Manwar Ali; CEO, JIMAS, Ipswich, Suffolk

The question is simple, and been repeated in all media channels and systems. Both Muslims and non-Muslims are feeling the heavy burden of those ill-educated Muslim preachers; who had unintentionally delivered all extremism and unlawful practices of Islam. People know how these preachers are "Disconnected" from an epistemic point of view; but their memorization of Quran, Hadeeth and referrals had granted them shields against any critics or denunciations. Some of them are smart enough to "Chain" verses and quotes in an irrevocable and stunning series, that would shut the intelligent oppositions. Then, they would enjoy the hysterical "Cheers" from illiterate commons in villages and suburban.. Some of them had managed to invade the metropolises, creating state of chaos among politicians, technocrats and clerks who could not find the time or the habit to know better about their religion and what is Halal or Haram, and certainly would not stand debating the twisted logics..!!

New political regimes in some Islamically-populated countries; during 1950-1990 had tried to eliminate or mitigate the powers of those religious preachers, but the outcomes were bloody and terrifying for anyone to reattempt. In Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Turkey, Sudan, Pakistan and Morocco violent political unrests had disturbed the way of life and still do. In the countries around the Persian or Arabian Gulf, most political systems had surrendered to the religious lobbies and groups, with slim chances for change in the near future..!! Powers of religious preachers are resultant of combined illiteracy and frustration.

Common are mostly illiterate, who almost know nothing but what their parents and community Sheikh would tell. They practice lots of false or half-true concepts, react with strong belief in religious myths, and hardly receive any broadminded public speakers. Therefore; they are truly isolated, despite how much they are (in average, more than 70% of the population). Also, Commons are mostly frustrated as lots of economic, social, educational and health concerns are deteriorating; while no one to advise, to help or to rectify. They are ignored, while their literate children often migrate to the urban centers when opportunity comes, abandoning their families behind.. Therefore, majority of Muslims are either turn radicals or depressed..!

We can learn lots from the human civilization and how urbanism been consolidated, based on upgrading the concepts, approaches and applications of living.. Considering how religion is part of the way of living, it is essential to bring a regulatory concept that is extracted from the up-to-date theories, rather than those made centuries ago in Fez, Qirawan, Cairo, Damascus or Basra.. We need to rebirth Islamic studies in more contemporary theme, with no fear or illusions..

It is a complex problem generated from the curse of ancient wealth, when most Muslim countries were colonized in 1600th-1900th for their resources. Later; they had been lift independent with deep scares of cultural confusions, economic immaturity and social destruction. No one to be blamed, as these are all history. The new Muslim politicians should lit the knowledge torches and lead the path for the future, with national confidence and public sincerity.. Regretfully, this never been in practice in any, but partially in Malaysia..!

Such an extraordinary problem requires an extraordinary solution.. I think the following triple-cores plan will help.

Firstly; All NGOs should form and join a League of Islamic Knowledge, where they would agree to form and support an open curriculum for Islamic Studies; aims to produce new breed of Muslim Preachers. Enrollment is limited to degree holders, Programs includes fair portion of Quran and Hadeeth memorization, and Certification Board should include some scholars.

Secondly, the same league should organize programs to Employ those graduates in mosques and community centers, against a fair and attractive wages; which are generated through allocations, investments or fundraising.

Thirdly, alike all professional bodies, those graduates should obtain Annual PDUs for 10 years, which are provided by certified training centers.

I can read a future of such applications, as no difference from any other civic development had been witnessed in the Europe, North America or Far East..
We need to turn Islam from a religion to a way of life..
This is how we can bring a lasting change to the Muslim world..
Do we have the political will, as individuals and NGOs to make a difference..?

UK Summar Horror..!


The more Islamophobia campaigns are on, the more Common-Muslims escape into such controversial and the so-called religious practices.. rituals
Alhamdulillah, awareness campaigns in poor Muslim communities are doing much better during the last couple of decades.. Thanks to the efforts of NGOs, Literates and Officials..
Yet; it is amazing that such practice are carried out among some Muslim Brits in the UK itself.. The whole thing would shade light on the analysis, theories and implementations of Mass Communications and Public Programs..

British girls undergo horror of genital mutilation despite tough lawsFemale circumcision will be inflicted on up to 2,000 British schoolgirls during the summer holidays – leaving brutal physical and emotional scars. Yet there have been no prosecutions against the practice
Tracy McVeigh and Tara Sutton The Observer, Sunday 25 July 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jul/25/female-circumcision-children-british-law

FGM (Female genital cutting) or FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) was widely practiced throughout history.. It was preferred by Arabs at the times of The Messenger PBUH; who did not denounce, yet advised for a mild practice.. Thus, it had the religious momentum among Muslims and became an Islamic Taboo worldwide..!!

Till date, some non-Muslim communities still practicing, but the governing laws are tough to hide it.. Among Common Muslims it stills a practice of honor, despite hurt and campaigns..
More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_cutting
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/
http://www.members.tripod.com/~Wolvesdreams/FGM.html
http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/
http://www.jannah.org/genderequity/equityappendix.html
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Islamonline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503543886




Friday, July 23, 2010

Sofia is Changing..



What many people do not know; Urban Planning is a purely democratic process.. It is the concern of all the people; who are living in that City.. It is their feeling, concepts and futuristic visions.. It is their right to determine the way to live.. It is not what the anti-democratic bureaucratic City Managers advocate; that they solely know better how the people should live..
The more democratic Urban Planning is, the more livable our cities are, the more humane we are..

From Frog to Prince

A bold plan aims to take Sofia from a car-choked city starved of major meeting points to a pedestrian-friendly social hub.
by Boryana Dzhambazova
Transitions Online
22 July 2010
 
“There should much more openness and public debate about the urban development of the city. This way people would feel involved in solving the city’s problems,”
Full Article: http://tol.org/client/article/21649-from-frog-to-prince.html

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Farhad Besharati..


Certainly he is very good, and mastering his instrument..
Yet; the essence and the spirit is lost..!!
Maybe because both West & East are greatly apart; culturally and practically..
Anyway, Enjoy a different taste for a my favorite song..

Farhad Besharati is a Persian Kanun player who fuses traditional Persian music with contemporary flair. A Kanun is Persian instrument that looks very much like an autoharp, often used in Appalachian folk music, but sounds more like a cross between a mandolin and the Greek balalaika, with 78 strings and 30 notes. FarhaD has had an interesting musical journey. Originally from Tehran, where he was first exposed to the Kanun, he was forced to flee Iran after the Islamic revolution forbade him to pursue his music. Reflections and Blue Love and Bird and Rain and latest one is Zenith. Farhad's debut recording on Planet Beat International, and Clatex Records And MZM records are all-instrumental, showcasing his virtuosity on the rare and difficult Kanun. The albums features some original compositions, and each song has an ethereal, ephemeral air to them, which is at once relaxing and engaging. The songs are accompanied tastefully by very famous life musicions . The albums are very exotic sounding, and will appeal greatly to fans of both World Music and New Age.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

David, Goliath and Philistines..

I had not read any account made by Arabs, Palestinians or Muslims on this famous story, which was told in different manner in the Holy Quran.. Despite the great shade it does on the Israeli Palestinian conflict, the whole world only listens to the Jewish interpretations; which has lots of appeal to the Christian culture..
So; it almost means that Goliath is a Philistine-giant, who was defeated by David.. He represented the evil-doing that has to be slaughtered and eliminated..!!
How this is far from today's cultural realities and political mind-set..?
I think it is a call for The Truth, rather than supporting any particular claim..!!

No wonder, no one listens to the Arabic story, not only because it is not there, but because Arabs are too emotional to speak scientific or logic..!!


The account of the battle between David and Goliath is given in 1 Samuel, chapter 17. Saul and the Israelites are facing the Philistines at the Valley of Elah. Twice a day for forty days, Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, comes out between the lines and challenges the Israelites to send out a champion of their own to decide the outcome in single combat. However, Saul and all the other Israelites are afraid of him. By chance, David is present, having brought food for his elder brothers. Told that Saul has promised to reward any man who defeats Goliath, David accepts the challenge. Saul reluctantly agrees and offers his armor, which David declines, taking only his sling and five stones chosen in a brook.

David and Goliath confront each other, Goliath with his armor and shield, David with his staff and sling. “The Philistine cursed David by his gods,” but David replies: “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down, and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that God saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is God’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
David strikes Goliath in the head with a stone from his sling, the Philistine falls on his face to the ground, David takes Goliath’s sword and cuts off his head. The Philistines flee and are pursued by the Israelites “as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron.” David puts the armor of Goliath in his own tent and takes the head to Jerusalem, and Saul sends Abner to bring David to him. The king asks whose son he is, and David answers, ‘I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.’ ”
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath

Money Creation..

Against every $1 is deposited in transactions..
$9 are created in the then air..!!
This is US Banks are ultra-giant; and can not fall..
The US Fedral Reserve is a Private Bank..!
Simple elaborations for non-accountants..
Worth veiwing..


Saturday, July 17, 2010

Chura Liya Hai Tumne..

This is one of my faviorate Indian songs.. It is very sentimental, soft and relaxed..!!
Truly Indian, truly humane.. naive and pretty..
I do not know the lyrics, yet I enjoy it a lot..
It is part of the old world of mine.. The irreplacable One..!
Enjoy..




-Female-

You have already stolen my heart
Do not steal glances
Having changed my life
Do not change a bit, sweetheart
Oh, you took my heart, oh my heart
Oh, taking my heart don't humor me

You have already stolen my heart
Do not steal glances
Having changed my life
Do not change a bit, sweetheart
Becoming spring I will come sometime in your world
May this day not pass in just this wish
You are mine, you are mine
Today go making this promise
You have stolen

You have already stolen my heart
Do not steal glances
Having changed my life
Do not change a bit, sweetheart

-Male-
Oh, I will decorate your body's branch
I will give my heart's blood to your lovely red lips
I will decorate your body's branch
I will give my heart's blood to your lovely red lips
What faithfulness is, to this world
One day I will show them madly
You have stolen

You have already stolen my heart
Do not steal glances
Having changed my life
Do not change a bit, sweetheart

Oh, you took my heart, oh my heart
Oh, taking my heart don't humor me
You have already stolen my heart
Don`t steal glances

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Dubai Syndrome..


Dubai is a wonderful example on how communities would unexpectedly shape up, and how it would draw its own decomposition. In an unorthodox way; Dubai was not a case of urban regeneration, but city regeneration; which supposedly maintains all aspects of sustainability and growth. Cities usually take many decades to grow, transform and then-reshape; but Dubai had it all within couple of decades.

The professional journey from John Harris’s Master Plans of 1959 and 1971, to Doxiadis’s of 1988, till the “Many Cities within a City” of 2004; is full of various urban profiles. For a long time ahead; “Dubai Syndrome” will be there for inspiring, imitating, cursing and/or humiliating as well. Its parameters of time, place and people were amazing in a socio-economic sense, also its own brand of overwhelming, exhaustion and devastation on political-cultural one.

Reporters, researchers and scholars were inevitably confused with the cultural set-up; which unprecedented, unmatched and unique. Therefore; Dubai 1990-2010 would be a good reference for many visionaries, managers or strategists, to visualize the learned lessons on developing an urban center within the challenges of 21st century.

Slums..


Un-Habitat define housing in Sudan as 90-100% as Slums..!!

Pls, do not jump to conclusions, you need to understand the term first..!
 
Slums in the traditional sense are housing areas that were once respectable – even desirable – but which deteriorated after the original dwellers moved on to new and better parts of the city. The condition of the old homes declined as they were progressively subdivided and rented out to lower income people. Today, slum...s have come to include the vast informal settlements that are quickly becoming the most visible manifestation of urban poverty in developing world cities. Such settlements are known by many different names and are characterized by a variety of tenure arrangements. In all cases, however, the buildings found there vary from the simplest shack to permanent and sometimes surprisingly well-maintained structures, but what most slums share in common is a lack of clean water, electricity, sanitation and other basic services.
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slum

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Ban on French Niqab..


I called it French, as it has nothing to do with the true realities of Islam..!!
If Muslim leaders are confused or ill-plotting, they need to recover and adher to the righteous..
This controversial tie-up between Islam and Niqab, had injured Islam and Muslim more than the Crusades..
It is the enemy within, which got Muslims apart.. and partitioned them from the world around..
Should Muslim politicians control the flood of anti-science impractical unauthentic “Fatwas”, or it is beyond their unspoken agendas to rule..?!!
more: http://adilsud.blogspot.com/2010/07/niqab.html

BBC 13 July 2010 Last updated at 16:04 GMT
France's lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly approved a bill that would ban wearing the Islamic full veil in public. There were 335 votes for the bill and only one against in the 557-seat National Assembly. It must now be ratified by the Senate in September to become law. The ban has strong public support but critics point out that only a tiny minority of French Muslims wear the full veil. Many of the opposition Socialists, who originally wanted the ban limited only to public buildings, abstained from voting after coming under pressure from feminist supporters of the bill. President Nicolas Sarkozy has backed the ban as part of a wider debate on French identity but critics say the government is pandering to far-right voters.
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10611398

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Srebrenica 110795..


My German Bosnian Friend Amela; is doing a great job, commemorating the Mascara of Srebrenica on 11th July 1995.. I do appreciate her effort to that awful tragedy..

As correctly as David Cameron, PM of UK had lately described it; "the European Guilt that should be taken off by prosecuting the plotters.."
It seems the legacy ofour Mankind is unable to survive without deep bleeding wounds in our common consciousness and memories.. It repeats every-a-while, in everywhere..!

Most important is to avoid any similar seeds for such catastrophe.. Political Road maps are proven failure in addressing the emotional and psychological traumas, when it comes to mass killing or ethnic cleansing.. Humanity would need long time to forgive, or correctly to forget.. Yet, it is proven that will for peaceful life is more stronger than armed politics and narrow cultural interests.. This what modern Bosnian, Croats and Serbs had succeeded to deliver as their new civilized abbreviations.. However, and gratefully that Balkan issues are finally fading out after more than 300 years..!!

May Allah swt include the deceased in his mercy, and empower their family with patience..

on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srebrenica_massacre
on Gendercide Watch: http://www.gendercide.org/case_srebrenica.html
on BBC Timeline: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/675945.stm?Open&lid=BBC_Sebrenica&lpos=main
The Report: http://www.srebrenica-report.com/

Yemen's Akhdam..


Slavery was always an economic practice rather than a social one.. Derivatives to keep it alive are not products of taboos or stigmas, but reflections of rural, nomadic or traditional economies in some underdeveloped countries.. In Yemen, slavery is an ancient practice, beyond the known history.. It happens that Yemen was a critical stop on the route from Africa to the world; in prehistoric times; which had enabled the early Yemeni settlers to take into forced-work the new comers; then the whole phenomenon was started..

Slavery became and stills as an active part of Yemeni system and society.. Simply, the country will dysfunction without its Slaves..!!
Paradoxically, as slavery is an authentic part of the Yemeni mind-set, it is not stamped with extreme injustice, brutality of physical humiliations as well known in the history in other slavery hot spots.. However; Yemen is one of few who still practice slavery.. Akhdam, or the servant class who are mostly descendents of slaves, are complaining about poverty and unequal opportunities of services.. Yemeni Slaves and Akhdam are (only) human beings without free political will or rights.. They live, grow, work, marry and breed alike anyone else.. This is why it is a remarkable legacy in Yemen..!!!

It is the greatest hurdle; both government and civic society are working on, yet no such impressive results are scored.. Slavery migrated from the urban centers, where the focus of media and monitors are, to the rural areas which the military troops are reluctant to enter.. Thus; the practice stills alive, and would take so many years (or decades) to vanish.. Yemeni elite are torn between discourage the practice, and maintaining their traditional way of living.. The recent unrest in the southern provinces are reflections of the ethnic divide and associated power struggles, which is a direct resultant of Yemeni social structure..

Despite all big talk, Yemeni slaves do not understand the dilemma.. They used to the system, and just eager to keep things calm and ongoing..!!

INSAN Int'l Organization of Spain had a marvelous effort on the issue.. Grateful to Wissam Tarif for the effort.. http://www.insanintl.com/page-133-.html


Friday, July 9, 2010

Niqab..


Help Is Sought..
"Face-Vail" had been known among desert communities in India, china, Niger and Arabia; either for men or women..
"Niqab" has all Indian hallmarks, yet I have no solid data.. It had been used by Turkish belly dancers as well as Yemeni Jewish women..!! Its worldwide fame came by Muslim Arabs; who controversially attached it to their religious practice..
The fact tells that Face-cover, or Niqab in Arabic, is paradoxically used by Ninja, Anti riot police, Thieves, Terrorists, and other groups who either avoid to be identified, or protect their nose and mouth from dust.. From my flokloric research, I know it is related to some ancient preceptions on the woman's mouth in particular.. Yet, I do not know why..?
Does any one had any CULTURAL or HISTORICAL information on "Niqab"..??

 


Playing Small..


Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all me...ant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela
 

Sub-Sub-Subprime..!!


The ill-fate for anti-poverty proposals had accumulated the sense that it is undefeatable.. A phenomenon that people has to live with, and likely to die with too.. Certainly, the wealth structure worldwide is greedy and has no mercy for the poor-born ones.. It takes either a surprising opportunity or a beyond-belief determination for a poor one to change her/his own fate.. Help, despite all glamorous talk on CSR, Microlending and Social Development, stills miles away from all slums, tent-camps and filthy-dwellings in all worldly Megapolis communities..

Gremeen Bank and his brilliant founder Professor Yunus, are great examples of how to deliver a difference.. The success story is amazing and has lots of lessons to be  learned in order to beef up  similar or general practices.. Yet, my fear that the temptation to compete with Wall-Street and The City will never add real value, but academic and PR one.. Nothing will drive the interest of the poor, who unlikely to read the business news or follow the social events..!!
More: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/08/the-poor-always-pay.html

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Certified Integrity Officers..!


I do realize the amount of confrontation among Ruling a multiethnic energetic nation, the Historical strong bureaucracy and the passionate Freedom of speech.. This leaves no room for any “lawful” deviation as required to make things happen and get them done..!!
I recall the same I had summarized to a Senior Dubai Official when we met in KL in 2007; asking e about my Malaysian experience.. In addition to how polite people and culture they are..
It is a great dilemma everywhere; how to control corruption which comes as a natural parricide with development and wealth..?
In the industrialized nations; it is about value civil servants and offer them with decent living standards.. In the developing one, it is more about traditional morals and patriotic-awake, in parallel to a strong prosecution system.. but in the underdeveloped ones, no one has a solution..!
Malaysia; alike some other 15 Nations Group; are swinging between resources and requirements in high urban stresses.. Upgrading legal system, Governing Financial Structures, and Control Sustainable Implementations is not an easy or swift task.. The photo above; on that controversial bridge; can tell what is meant or feared.. However, I'm afraid that these CIOs will add oil to the fire rather than extinguishing it..!!
Thanks to Mohd Fudzail for the info..

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will begin training “spies... See more” in the public sector and government-linked companies (GLCs) by month-end, through its pilot Certified Integrity Officer Programme (CIOP).

The six-month course, which has received Cabinet approval, will train and certify some 20 senior executives in various public sector institutions and GLCs, said MACC deputy commissioner Datuk Samarajoo Manikam today.
“They (the Certified Integrity Officers) will gather evidence... of the crime... and refer it to MACC and the police,” Samarajoo told reporters.
When pointed out that the CIOs seemed to operate as the agency’s spies, Samarajoo said, “Don’t use the word ‘spies’...people will be scared.”
The programme, costing the MACC some RM80,000, includes training modules from the Securities Commission (SC), Bank Negara, Integrity Institute of Malaysia (IIM), the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG) and the Malaysian Companies Commission (SSM).
Samarajoo, also the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy (MACA) director in charge of the certification programme, said: “They (CIOs) cannot condone any immoral activities.”
“Having a CIO is effective in increasing integrity levels,” MACC chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed told reporters today after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with public trustees Amanah Raya Berhad.
Abu Kassim also said that all government department heads will set up corruption management committees that are to meet at least once in three months to discuss graft and integrity issues.
The image of MACC has been dented severely since Selangor political aide Teoh Beng Hock died last July 16 after overnight questioning at the commission’s Selangor headquarters.
The commission also has been criticised for its lacklustre efforts at combating graft when it only arrested 76 civil servants out of 144 people for graft in the first quarter this year, or 52.7 per cent, and only 500 people last year.

Sex workers demand "Rights, not Rescue"..!


No Comment...!!

"I enjoyed the feeling of power I had over men; I had a pimp who looked after me so I was never forced to do anything I didn't choose to," she told IRIN/PlusNews. "I was still doing my A-levels, so the money helped pay my way."

A few years later, one of her clients introduced her to an NGO that tried to provide sex workers with alternative employment, but Kyomya felt that the men who ran the organization did not fully understand the needs of sex workers. Now 27, she and two other former sex workers - Daisy Nakato and Zam Namagembe - are running the Women's Organization Network for Human Rights Advocacy (WONETHA).
More: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=89771

Justice of the Slums..


Judy Wanjiku, 26, lost a tooth during an attempted rape in Nairobi's Mathare slum as she walked to a toilet near her home one evening. "It was around 8pm and I needed to use to the toilet. As I walked towards one, I saw a group of men, one of whom I recognized so I knew they would not do anything to me," Wanjiku said. "I called out the name of the man I knew and was surprised when he was the one who held me while the others tried to undress me. They beat me up because I was screaming and one of them knocked out my tooth. My screaming saved me because people came to my rescue as one of the men was removing his trousers." Wanjiku's rescuers helped her to seek medical help.
"Days after I returned from hospital, the gang came after me, wanting to beat me up. I had to promise them that I would not report them or say anything because I reckoned that even if I reported to the police, the police would not be there to protect me all the time," Wanjiku told IRIN on 7 July.
Ordeals such as Wanjiku's, faced daily by many women in informal settlements, are the focus of an Amnesty International report, Insecurity and Indignity: Women's Experiences in the Slums of Nairobi...

More: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=89774

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

That Magnificent Girl; Gill Hicks..


I remember the first interview she had on a BBC documentary on the first anniversary of 7/7 boobing.. I was amazed by her unique strength, her open mindness, her bright eyes and vision for the future.. I remember the incredible meeting with her rescuers.. How passionate it was.. how sincere.. how telling we are just humble weak creations in this vast universe, yet some of us are too narrow minded to feel it..!!
I'm grateful for Sarah Joseph of EMEL; who on behalf of all righteous Muslims, had managed to interview her, and explore the beautiful depth of a pretty and amazing young English woman..
“I think for me, what I found the most extraordinary was waking up in the hospital and looking at my arm bracelet. On it, very clearly it read: ‘One Unknown.’ And that said a lot to me. No one knew I was Gill. I think that the sense of being loved as a stranger by other strangers has protected me.”
More: http://www.emel.com/article?id=74&a_id=2068

Friday, July 2, 2010

The Islamization of Turkey..


According to Ms. Baran, a primary foreign policy focus of Erdogan's government has been Israel. The AKP is aiming to remove Netanyahu's government as Erdogan has made ending the blockade and legitimizing Hamas personal issues. Such objectives derive from Turkey's new sense of self-confidence on the international stage — through its standing in the UN Security Council, European bureaucratic wishes to avoid what they see as a potential "clash of civilizations," and President Obama's stress on improving ties with Turkey — such that the AKP believes that the West is too weak to confront it. Thus, Turkey has increasingly allied with countries such as Brazil and Iran in an attempt to create a new non-aligned movement while enjoying the benefits of being seen as part of the West.
Read More: http://www.meforum.org/2682/islamization-of-turkey

P.S.; run the audio; it is remarkable

Abuse..!


Ok, let’s put it crystal clear.. Women are commodities in our humane culture..!!
History, folklore, cultures, etc.; prove this fact..
Not necessarily to be the righteous thing.. but it is a fact..
Pls., do not claim sophisticated civic attributes, while your inner perceptions deal with woman as temporarily replaceable gears..!!
We need sort of comprehensive cultural revolution.. yet, I doubt its success..
Something is deeply planted that make men unconsciously acts such a way..
Born baby girls were buried alive..
Child girls were sold in times of poverty or drought..
Young girls were abused by kinships in times of anarchy..
Young women were widely kidnapped in times of piracy..
Women were commonly raped in times of violence..
Females were traded-off in times of peace..
Even porn culture had used women to exclusively please men..!!
Abuse has lot of forms, not necessarily the physical one..
Child Marriage, Child Education-slip, Child Health carelessness, Child Labor and Child prostitution are some few areas where the child girls are the principle gear or victims.. Yet, in many countries, crimes against girls or women are kept hidden and unreported..
Maybe it is OK, as the chart above shows..!!
http://www.womenagainstabuse.org/
http://helpguide.org/mental/domestic_violence_abuse_types_signs_causes_effects.htm
http://www.cyberparent.com/abuse/femalemental.htm
http://www.findcounseling.com/journal/child-abuse/

CSRs, CSFs and KPIs..


Apparently upon bitter dispute on business planning or processing; a typical clash between Western and Oriental approaches.. an ex-colleague had questioned the Maltese claim of being in developed league..

In the amazing Dubai, (regardless our origins or passports) we used to claim being the leaders, while everyone else is just an apprentice..! Very true, considering the guts and bulls the guys had in creating, hunting and mastering opportunities, despite the shallowness or falseness that were later found, particularily in addessing realistic CSRs, CSFs and KPIs.. 
Yet, the busted boom should question the governance of doing business, and the epistemic core of innovation..! Simply should question who were performing..!!
Regretfully, he erased both his question and my reply.. "Despite the Semitic language; a Roman Catholic EU member state, $ 23,000 per capita, NATO shield, 38 in HDI (Very High HD rank).. Then they have a full right to claim a developed status..!! It seems we are the only to worry about IQ and personal smartness..!!"
Did I said anything inappropriate or wrong..??
Should I watch the "Apprentice" of Donald Trump..??

Sudanee Quran Reciting..


One of our Sudanese distinct characteristics, is our unique school of Quran Reciting.. Very much reflection of our own way of life: simply, easy and relaxed; yet adheres to all linguistic and vocal standards.. It does not require years of training, it does not have rigid manuals, nor follows priestly protocols..
It is the story of mixing Sufism with Clericalism.. The story of Arabic Islam evolves in Black Africa.. The ultimate mix among all paradoxes; which constitute life..
The Simplicity beyond reach, the Complex beyond teach and the Love beyond any match..!
It is my Sudan, a mystery on the records of time..!!
Enjoy..!




Thursday, July 1, 2010

Bashir reiterates sovereignty..!


The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir today brought the dispute with Egypt over a border area to the spotlight by stressing that his government will never forsake sovereignty over it.
"Halayeb is Sudanese and will stay Sudanese" Bashir told crowds at the coastal town of Port Sudan marking the 21st anniversary of his military coup. The remark by the Sudanese president is a rare one as he avoided public mention of the disagreement with Egypt over the area but generally referred to it as a possible integration zone between the two countries. Sudan state media however, omitted any mention to this portion of Bashir’s speech. The Halayeb triangle that overlooks the Red Sea has been a source of tension between the two countries as early as 1958, shortly after Sudan gained independence from British-Egyptian rule. The border issue was laid to rest until the 1990’s when relations between the two countries worsened over accusations that Sudan is harboring Islamic militant groups seeking to overthrow the Egyptian regime. A failed attempt on the life of the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was blamed on Khartoum after which Cairo moved to assert full control over the area. Egypt rejects international arbitration to resolve the issue. Sudan has avoided registering voters inside Halayeb for the elections which took place last April despite earlier assertions that the region was included as a constituency. Relations between the neighboring countries appeared to have soured this month after the newly appointed foreign minister Ali Karti criticized Egypt saying its understanding of Sudan issues is minimal. Cairo asked Khartoum for clarifications regarding the statements attributed to Karti and secretly dispatched a delegation to defuse tension. Egypt and Sudan are jointly fighting a major battle with other Nile basin countries that want reallocation of water shares stipulated by colonial agreements in 1929.
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article35542