Thursday, December 27, 2012

Sudan:1989 - 2012


Sudan between 1989 and 2012
This excludes Partitioning the South, for easy modeling..!


Sudan was the 1st to be ruled by Muslim Brotherhood since 1989.. A MB pilot model for all Arabs and Muslims countries.. MB are the same everywhere, therefore people should get heads-up on Sudan..!!

Marwa Abdulwahed: I dont think its only the people who are pushing MB forward for ruling i believe its international; hence they make sure that we are going backwards

I admit that MB are smarter than other political fictions, as simplified the process in a very pragmatic manner.. Most common people would value earnings more than freedom, especially when religion comes as a factor in their perceptions.. This is how MB score and rule..

Yes, int'l elements are there; tactically not strategically.. as happened earlier with rotten regimes across 3rd world.. No one would believe that Christian West would support a Muslim Orient.. It is just pure politics.. and mutual interests..

Anyways, we have to get ready for few decades with MB rule..!
Therefore, everyone should follow Sudanese chronicles..!!

Marwa Abdulwahed: agreed full apart from MB decades ruling forecast! they will be burned by their own fire sooner than that!

MB are already ruling Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt.. The Strongest Party in Algeria, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Somalia, Pakistan, Mali, Yemen and Kuwait.. Supported by the 2nd richest country per capita: Qatar.. Utilizes conservative regimes and communities in GCC, Central Asia and African Sahara.. Controls annual charities of US$ 700 bln.. and recruits more than 10 mln devotees across the Muslim Communities, including North America..

Therefore, I assume scraping them from positions of power or political arenas is likely difficult, if not impossible, considering demographic, development and cultural landscapes..

Project Management on Political Egypt..

e-Government Chart by PMI

My friend and colleague Khaled Mostafa Etman had posted on Facebook; interpreting the Egyptian (and Arabic) uprisings into project management theme.. I had expressed my vision:

People are Owner, Gov is a Client Rep, Assembly is the PM and political parties are the Contractors.. In this process Gov has a combined role as CR & Consultant; which creates the chaos..

If Maturity achieved; PM will transfer and super...vise the Consultancy role from Gov to independent agencies, i.e., Public Auditor, Public Accountant, Public Manager, Public Prosecutor, Attorney General, Public Surveyor, Public Engineer, Central Bank, Public Land Bank, Surgeon General, Public Scientist, Public etc.

In this process; Contractors will compete to propose best bids (political Agendas), which Consultants will examine with 1st right of refusal based on competences, capacities and integrity.. Media as whistleblowers; will seek to know Consultants' assessments to spread the word to the Owner..

The Owner would choose who is competent enough to be the PM..

The optimum success for any Political Party is to synchronize being both PM and CR.. Maturity will enable defusing possible Dictatorship by true Estate Set-up, whereas all powers and authorities are balanced and integrated in favor of the Owner..

Therefore, it is all about the Maturity Processing or PMO.. and the integrity of strong Independent Agencies..

However; it starts and revive with reliable SOW, RRM and Contract.. Yet, most contracts are ridiculously corrupt, RRM is great enigma, and SOW is adolescently defective..!!

BTW; Contracts are about Conditions Precedent, while RRM is synonymous to quality..

Critically JD, Risks and Liabilities are much related to mature understanding of the Development/Project (Country or Nation).. If there is no Governance provided by a Senate House or Civic Syndicates (The Intelligentsia); which are entrusted by the Owner to set Criteria, Compliances, and Approvals on ranking of both Consultants and Contractors..

Most Contractors claim themselves eligible and capable, while they are not.. Inevitably; they expose the Development to Major Risks in both convenience and delivery, while there is no proper mechanism to hold them Accountable and Liable for poor performance..

Transferring the Risks by Insurance Policies is never sufficient, if the project is under constraints; while most Contractors are not familiar with PR2 Methodology..!!

Finally, the true dilemma develops within the Senate House itself, which is not truly trained or capable to perform; making their inputs to the entire process; immature, chaotic and improper..



Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Controversial Democracy

The Supreme Council of Egypt MB 2012 (The New de-facto Rulers)
Voters are 50%, Attendees are 30% and 60% said Yes..
Factually, 10% of the population transforms Egypt into an Islamist Dictatorship..
I'm not a supporter or a fan of Alyia Elmahdi; yet I can see how frustration would drive the people out of their senses..
Despite controversy and misspell, sometime words are too short to express.. As someone said: People only pay attention when a woman is naked..!!

Elmahdi and her Ukrainian colleagues protesting in front of Egyptian Embassy in Stockholm, Dec 2012


Not that Latin, WASP or Nord societies had Visionaries we hadn’t; but the true intellectuals; to interpret Visions into Implementations..
It seems there was a great sense within the term Colonization..!!
Our trends, actions and responses prove how societies eventually clash, not due to “Civilization Estate” but by “Urban Civility”..
We may share the same vocabularies, which we did not invent.. Therefore, we do not share the same meaning, content or sense..
We had already walked along in the wrong directions and became unable to control or divert..!!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Sudanization of Egypt..!

MB Supporters in Cairo, Nov 2012

It is well understood and justified that the Egyptian State is arrogant to import or imitate successful mock-ups carried elsewhere across the Middle East.. The legacies of History, Powers and Demographics had created invisible constraints on their bureaucratic mindset to deal with neighboring countries on equal measures.. Egyptian Intelligentsia was expected be more intelligent in addressing the public concerns in a pragmatic manner, not psychiatric or emotional.. However, their failed leadership of the elites, civic, governmental and military, demands careful investigations on cultural integrity and epistemic competences..

Yes, being in downstream of the Nile, valleys of Red Sea Mountains, on shores of Sinai, Sahara and Mediterranean; had geographically developed Egypt to be a center for migration not exodus.. This is the counter logic of development: Migrants do not carry structural knowledge, but implementations; therefore, national epistemia at landing territories are empirical rather than philosophical. Therefore, it is notable how technology develops faster in Americas than in Europe or Asia, the traditional birthplaces for philosophies and religions..

Egypt, as exodus source to Europe, had always looked for European experiences to transfer and imitate, despite convenience or match.. Colonial, monarchical and nationalist Egypt had used French laws, Italian urbanism, British healthcare, and Ottoman bureaucracy to build The State.. Sovereign structure, Foreign relations, Feudal system, and Religious establishments were kept unchanged since the early Pharaoh States.. Accordingly, social patterns and profiles were always stable; dividing the country between two separated layers: Rulers and Commons..

Post World War II, Egyptian intelligentsia had lived socialist and urban dreams; which were mostly disconnected to facts and realities of the public.. Attempts to reshape the nation were political and superficial rather than sociopolitical or economical.. The political competitions had generated hidden anarchy that had gradually dismantled the social fabrics rather than replace, refurbish or maintain.. Modern trends of mass media, urbanism, and enterprising had encouraged demoralization, favoritism and corruption beyond gov capacity to confront..

During the last 50 years, the political alliances (US$500 bln+ of investments), the one million Arab students in Egypt (annually 50,000), and the 10 million temporary-Egyptian-workers (and their families), had developed the Egyptian influence among listeners of neighboring Arabs.. This was in only one direction, not bilateral.. Therefore, Egyptian syndicates were underdeveloped (compared with North Africans), Egyptian media were not progressive (compared with Levant ones) and Egyptian enterprises were not sophisticated (compared with Arabian ones).. Politics were not either mature compared with Yemen and Jordan (Revolutionalists and Statesmen)..

This is how the Modern Egyptian Dilemma can be identified: Despite how cordially Egyptian are part and mirror of Arab World, they passionately and deliberately disconnect themselves from Arabs, then been unable to progressively confront their own (yet regional) sociopolitical developments..

Simply; an unjustified Egyptian Arrogance..!

Some Egyptian intellectuals had confirmed the epistemic cords with Arabian Region, debating issues of democracy, equality and gender.. These were apart from Egyptian ignitions; which were focused on sovereignty and reforms.. Nasser’s emphasis on Arab-Unity had added a dimension of Borderless Egypt; which the Nationalists in general had actively rejected.. Ironically, most the States of Cairo were actually regional except Nasser’s..!

Sudanese Settlers (3-5 mln as per 1998) in Egypt are the biggest among other Arabs, with history goes back in time to the Pharaohs. They did not create ghettos despite their critical military role, lobbies despite their presences within the Palaces, or syndicates despite their working force.. Mysteriously; Sudanese Settlers did not add to Egyptian cultural or social structures, therefore, Egypt had always downgraded their contribution or potentials in the vibrant Egyptian life (in contrary to Levant's and Ottomans).. However, Egyptian supremacy on the Sudanese was fairly justified with more than 30 schools, a university, a Nile-control agency and historical fiscal support.. Till 1956, Sudan was legally part of the Egyptian Khedive Monarch..

The Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood were influenced by their Egyptian counterparts and advocates.. Sudan was always a refuge for many Egyptian activists who had confronted the State.. Meanwhile, the 1980th MB Sudanese students in Egyptian institutes had intensive preparatory programs on structures, guidelines and governance of the fiction.. The growth and successful seizure of power in Sudan had boosted both practices and codes of the fiction, with unique opportunities, facilities and implementations..

Along 1900th-2000th Sudan, MB were able to develop intact frameworks and procedures on economic restructuring, political control, social dynamics and institutional management.. Sudan was a major Capacity Building Laboratory in all fields, domains and concerns; including international relations.. Despite the absence of formal data, MB candidates from many countries are pursuing training in Sudan, including covert operations.. Once Sudanese MB manage to hold the powers, they turn all institutions to work as per their agendas and plans; which included redefining the country, the people and the nation..!

Within 20 years, Sudanese MB had restructured counties, enforced demographic disassembly, given away one third of the country, redefined citizenship, restructured economic derivatives, developed a dominating retail sector, penetrated military and police forces, recreated security services, redefined our dress code, aggressively debated the national identity, restructured wealth distribution, encouraged bureaucratic corruption and listed Sudan at the lowest grades in all global inventories..

In Sudan, people got exhaustedly confused on who’s who..!!

It is too sympathetic how the Egyptian Politicians (who are anti-MB) did not literally hear or read about the developments next door..? Not only the Sudanese Experience, but also Gazan, Libyan, Tunisian, etc..

It is an Egyptian Syndrome; to continuously restart from Zero..!

Meanwhile; Egyptian MB are gearing up to surrender Sinai to Gazans, privatizing all public enterprises, creating new dynasties, forcing non-Muslim to flee, concessioning all Egyptian Assets including Suez Canal..!

Simply, the same path: Sudanization of Egypt..!!

Ironically, it is the 1st time for Egypt to extract a Sudanese experience.. regardless..!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A Holocaust Denier..!


Holocaust phenomenon was never a distinct Jewish issue, but a Universal one.. It scrutinizes both History and Realities of Mankind, who could not peacefully accept rivals or opponents.. Yet, we thank the Jews for magnifying their misfortune incidents; which highlighted how intolerant and blood-thirsty the human beings are..!!

Fred Lundgren
CEO of KCAA,
30 Oct 2012
A response to someone on FB, who wrote to him to complain about Kathleen Wells's being a holocaust denier.

I can’t resolve this situation by interfering with our First Amendment Right of free speech. Throughout history, inhabitants of our planet have endured repeated periods of inhumanity, torture and horrible strife which causes me to question, as do many of my Jewish friends, was God asleep during ALL of these periods?

From ancient tribal wars to the religious crusades and twentieth century world wars, each side attempts to write their own version of history.

During the crusades, we had Traditionalists” and “Pluralists”. In Ireland and Scotland , people were turned against each other by the hundreds of thousands by Rulers which eventually created my mother’s Scotch-Irish ancestry while on my father’s side of the family, (the Swedes) sided with anyone who would benefit them and they went to war and created carnage against everyone from the Norwegians to the French.

Then of course, we can’t ignore our treatment of the African Americans who were bought and sold as property and worked like the machines that eventually replaced them. This human rights atrocity divided our country so intensely that we chose to settle the rights of 3.6 million slaves by killing 650,000 people in war.

Today, we spend trillions killing hundreds of thousands by preemptive wars over oil while we allow babies in underdeveloped African countries to die of starvation by the millions as we get fatter and less self sufficient by each successive generation. We do this while we blame the poor for their poverty.

During the “discovery” of America and the “settlement” of the new world, western Europeans killed native Americans by untold numbers and stole a nation filled with nations while destroying their food supply and their culture by introducing whiskey and syphilis to their populations.

If we judge history objectively, there have been numerous holocausts.

The western Europeans may have had a more efficient killing machine than the Nazis. Western Europeans thought it was ok to kill the Indians because they were not followers of their monotheistic God so by extension and rationalization, they must be less human.

Two studies have been conducted that attempt to number the natives killed by the United States . The first of these was sponsored by the United States government, and while official does not stand up to scrutiny and is therefore discounted (generally); this estimate shows between 1 million to 4 million killed. The second study was not sponsored by the US Government but was done from independent researchers. This study estimated populations and population reductions using later census data. Two figures are given, both low and high, at: between 10 million and 114 million Indians killed as a direct result of US actions that can only be judged as crimes against humanity..


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Al-Yarmouk


There are lots of talk (as usual) on Al-Yarmouk Bombardment; by enthusiastic persons; yet exaggerate both geopolitical and military assumptions.. Yet, military strikes are always much simpler than what commentators and analysts would detail..!!

Israel doesn't need Sudan for training or warning Iran.. Military data and simulations are available on the internet.. There are no secrets, especially in our Sudan.. Al-Yarmouk was a remote facility for Iran, China and others, where they mitigate risks of any political plots or surgical strikes.. Also, customers are nearby across MENA, Sahel and HOA..

The event was few days after the Egyptian sponsored Qatari Amir visit to Gaza.. It was known how Qatari armed supplies to Gaza were smuggled across Sudanese territories and facilitated by Egyptians agents.. Sudan-Egypt borders and Sudanese Red Sear Province had observed cleansing operations, whereas many were covert and only few were reported.. The MB League had decided to cut the losses and shorten the route by direct supply from Sudan with Qatari finance..

Simply: Israel vs. MB+Qatar+Hamas = Yarmouk Bombardment..
Sudan role in the hot equation is a candidate to grow..!!


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The Paradox of Sudan


I Understand the inevitable decline of traditional social ethics against growing urbanism.. This is hard to control or to resist.. It is a worldly phenomenon everywhere.. In Sudan we –as usual- enjoy both extremes, Urbanism and Rusticity, living and evolving together.. Therefore, we respond to "Nafeer" "Saiha" " Nadba" on a manner would amaze who observes.. Yet; we ONLY exercise the awful urban negatives back home.. We don't accompany them abroad; where we normally shield ourselves by recalling distinctions of traditions and moralities.. Abroad, we hold tight our national belonging, patriotic identity, and folkloric dress, along exercising relevant modernity.. Worldwide, all expats and ghettos would do the same.. Yet, in occasions of duty, chivalry or distress; Only the Sudanese would forget all attributes of urbanism, and act without hesitation as rural or nomad.. This would include; unpaid extra hours, shyness to demand benefits and faithfulness without borders..!!

It is the Paradox of Sudan..!

As a dear Sudanese Friend said:
"Worldwide, it is just so comfortable and safe to know that there are some Sudanese around..."


It can work as a national upraising slogan, to restore spirit, fitness and energy for the future..!!


From: GAFFAR GAILANI; gailani90@yahoo.com

يومها تمنيت لو كنت سوداني

حكي احد الكويتين فقال كنت واسرتي قادمين بالسيارة من الكويت في طريقنا لاداء العمرة فبنشر كفر السيارة فوقفت الي جانب الطريق السريع لتغييره ولكن للأسف وجدت الكفر الاسبير فارغا من الهواء فاسقط في يدي. كان الحر شديد وانا اقف خارج السيارة والعرق يتصبب مني وانا استوقف السيارات ولكنها كانت تعبرني. استمر هذا الوضع لمدة ثلاث ساعات مما اشعرني بالحنق واليأس. ثم رايت احدهم يلوح لي و...يصيح من الجانب الاخر المعاكس فقطعت الطريق رغم خطورته وذهبت لمقابلته عند السياج الفاصل بين المسارين. وجدته احد الاخوة السودانيين واعتذر لانه لايستطيع الوصول الي لان السياج يمنعه. وبعد ان اخبرته ان الناس لايقفون خلع عمامته من رأسه وقال لي اخلع عقالك من رأسك وحاول لف هذه العمامة في رأسك بطريقة فسيقف لك السودانيون وظل يعلمني كيف البسها فاخذت عمامته والقيتها علي ظهر سيارتي وواصلت الوقوف والتلويح لساعتين اخريين ولكن لااحد يكترث لي ومن يأسي قلت لماذا لا اجرب طريقة السوداني رغم عدم اقتناعي بها فلففت العمامه في رأسي وبعد عشر دقاىق وقف بجانبي احد السودانيين ثم اخر ثم اخر حتي وصلوا الي خمسة وبعضهم ترافقهم اسرهم كان كل منهم يحضر اسبيره ويطابقه مع سيارتي فلايتطابق ورغم هذا يظل واقفا ولايذهب وفي الانتظار تبادلوا العصائر والمياه مع اولادي ومع بعضهم البعض كانهم متعارفين منذ سنوات وحتي زوجتي اخذتها واحده من السودانيات الي سيارتهم. وعندما وصلت السيارة السادسه تطابق الكفر مع سيارتي وبعدها رافقتني السيارات اكثر من خمسين كلم حتي وجدنا احد البناشر فاصلحنا الكفرات وبعدها ودعوا بعضهم وذهبو قال الكويتي يومها أوشكت ان ابكي وتمنيت لو كنت سودانيا..


That day I wished I was a Sudanese

A Kuwaiti narrated: "While was driving with my family; from Kuwait on our way to perform Umrah; suddenly; I had a flat tire.. I parked on the side of the highway to change it, but unfortunately I found my spare one was flat as well. Helplessly, in a very hot weather; I stood sweating and waving the passing cars for help.. Yet, no one responded for long time, doubling my grievance and despair. Then; I saw someone waving to me and shouting asking the matter from the opposite other side.. I corss the danger road, and met him on the midisland. Across the fence, I had explained to him my agony.. He was a Sudanese man with his family, driving to the opposite direction.. He apologized as he could not cross to offer help because of the fence.. I told him how people ignored me.. Then he removed his Sudanese Turban from his head, gave it to me and asked me to try wrapping this turban in my head.. Then some other Sudanese driver will certainly stop by to help.. Once he lift; I put aside his Turban and continued to wave for help, but nobody cared o respond.. Then I wondered; why not I try the Sudanese trick.. With no conviction I warped the Turban on my head.. Within few minutes, a Sudanese family stopped by, then another and then another till they became five vehicles.. While they try to match their spare tires to mine, their families comfort mine, offering juices, fruits and water.. I was amazed how they acted with me and my family as if we were friends for long.. Thankfully, the sixth car had a matching spare, which was fixed.. Then we all drove for 50 km till the next service station.. All the six Sudanese families in their cars had followed me.. Once everything was fixed, they shacked my hand and drove away with big smiles.. That day I was about to cry, wishing if I was a Sudanese.."

Sunday, October 21, 2012

21st October 2012


21st October 2012:
A myth of few that hinders true existence of our people..
A cocktail of strength and weakness of Arabs, Africans and Nilo’s..
A failed and false patronage for both unity and culture..
A controversial Nation on controversial Land, driven by controversial History..
A peaceful revolution; whereas No Peace in any true Revolution..!
An elevated spiral of Hypocrisies, Paradoxes and Favoritism..
A nurturer for our Don Quixote’s, Joe McCarthy’s and Amitabh Bachchan’s
October 2012, should be the last anaesthetizer of the Sudanese Public..!

Com’n Guys: Wake up it is 2012..!!

Certainly I disagree with the majority on celebrating October.. For more than 30 years, my stand stills the same.. It was not the event to build a nation, but to mark an intellectual dream..!

None of the reasons for the protest were mature enough to kick off true change.. Even so, the change was only on the surface, replacing a peaceful Junta with a bloody Assembly.. Across the 4,000 miles borders; the surrounding bloods and bullets had ignited the imagination of many Students, Leftists and Artists.. As correctly said: “Revolutions are Contagious.. but not necessarily Legitimate..”

An overwhelmingly overrated and overvalued event..!

Hysterically, we had rejected the Military, while comfortably paid blood-moneys for the Politicians.. Are we scene..?? If not mistaken: Abood executed no body, Naimiri executed less than 10, while post-Naimiri had poured blood in every household.. Yet, we still hysterically reject the Junta, despite we have no more.. Are we scene..??

Looking back after those decades, we still with no Identity, No Freedom, No Progress.. Adding to them; No secured Land, Losing respect worldwide and Occupying the bottom of any listing.. Sudanese Territories are declining from all borders; some had already gone, while others are on the way..!!

No facts are honored, no brains or substances, but the colorful flags of Al-Sayed, Al-Sadah, and outdated fictions.. Sudanese Academia lost its virginity, Bureaucracy lost its integrity and military lost its masculinity.. Subscribers to Cyber Media are nothing compared with unnumbered users of Super Bango..!!

October was a myth, and we pay for such a mistaken belief..!
Therefore, we are unable to change..!!

Friday, October 19, 2012

A Hidden Polytheism..


This is a widely circulated photo of Turkish visiting Q’aba at Makkah.. Their males surround their females, not to be lost, pushed or harassed by others.. Some fanatic appreciated their “Manly” behavior as a model to copy..

I guess it is totally wrong..!!

At Allah’s House, we fear nothing, we consider nothing, we remember nothing; but Him swt..
At His House swt, we own nothing, relate to nothing, and attach to nothing..
Muslim already deviated in most physical attributes..
Now they do in their spiritual ones..

At Q’aba of Makkah, there is only one recognized relation:
Allah swt & His Believers..
Where a Believer loses her/his sense of self..!!
This most sacred relation can’t be shared with any other..

Otherwise it is a hidden Polytheism..!!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Ulama and Umara'



My FB friend; Rabbi Ben Abrahamson; had posted a nice question and an answer; which I had found interesting to share. There were many comments, which I chose some to interpret the theme..!

Q. Do you think democracy is the best system to choose the leader in country?

A. I don't know if this applies to every country, but in the Torah it is shown that the country must be run though agreement by two people: a King and a Prophet. The former represents the wants and desires of the people, and the latter represents the rights and obligations to God. In modern terms a king would be replaced by a democratically elected parliament. The prophet would be represented by the best and most worthy scholars of the nation. Together this upper and lower house, when they agree, this would be in my opinion the best system to run a country.

Adil Abdalla: This is a great question and greater answer.. yet; what are the governances and guarantees that the later; The Prophet Representatives; are truly capable to speak, advice or act on behalf of the Devine will..?

Ben Haryo: Rabbi Ben, while your system does has its merits, I respectfully disagree with the idea that a handful of scholars are equal to the entire Parliament. That would be like telling the people that "you are worthless compared to these scholars". BUT if the Parliament gets to elect the scholars, and the scholars has the right to criticize the Parliament, then yes, you have a workable system there, with checks and balances.

Adil Abdalla: Both parties, regardless how many; should have governance and guidelines for subscribtion and contribution, otherwise they worth nothing, and would lead to chaos..

Mohammed Emad Shahid: Ben Haryo, I don't think Rabbi Ben Abrahamson is saying that the handful of scholars are equal to the entire Parliament, but rather they are there to also make sure that mankind's obligations to God are also met alongside the other needs of human civilization. It is a co-operative system of "church & state" to speak of, where neither tries to out-rule the other but both take each other into account to create a system of order in society. And I'm not saying that is what I agree or disagree with but just thought I'd put my two cents in of how I understood what Rabbi Ben was trying to say with this posting

Adil Abdalla: Who will nimonate, elect and delegate powers to these scholars? This is the Governance I'm talking about..!

Nadeem Akhtar: People can nominate, elect and delegate powers to Scholars and members of parliament. But this should start from micro level of a neighborhood. This way you can somehow make possible the representation of people. See this:
Neighborhood elect their reps (Scholars, MOPs)
Neighborhood Scholars, MOPs elects from among themselves reps in city council
City Councils Elects from among themselves Provincial Councils,
Provincial Councils from among themselves elects country level Scholars and Member of Parliaments (MOPs).

Adil Abdalla: Assuming that people would know issues of knowledge; the naive majority of people already elect corrupt politicians everywhere.. What's the new in order to elect the righteous scholars..?

Ben Haryo: @Mohammed Emad Shahid: Dear sir, I understand your point of view. I do not disagree with the presence of scholars, yea, even religious scholars, within the Government. We need to hear their opinions, and they especially must be given the rights to speak freely against any government policy which are contrary to human rights and religious laws. They are, to coin a phrase "Our First Defense Against Tyranny Of The Government"..   But their voices should never be equalled to the voices of the Prophets, not even to the voices of the People. We should respect them as scholars, as learned persons, wise persons. Their counsels should be respected, but are not to be followed blindly.
And they must not come from one religious faction only, they must come from many factions, based upon the prevailing reality in the country. For example, in a country like mine, whereas our citizens are Sunni, Shia, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, Christians and Catholics, then we should have representative scholars from each factions, not just from Sunni (despite Sunni majority).

Adil Abdalla: Today; the people worldwide know how to elect politicians, yet; the global chaos tells how incompetent we're when it comes to elections and delegations.. Therefore, the governance to name who will speak on “The Rights and Obligations to God” is greatly hard.. Considering the irreversible consequences for any bad choice or voting.. This is the true merit within, not systems or instruments.. Maybe to start with; to admit incapability to determine..!!

Ben Abrahamson: Most countries have a "Supreme Court" which is a body of scholars who are not elected and can strike down the legislation of a duly elected parliament based on their interpretation of a constitution, or their concept of "Internation Human Rights" and/or "Global Norms".
The difference between a Supreme Court and what I am thinking of as an Upper legislative House, would be their ability to initiate legislation, and greater in numbers to allow broader representation of the national goals of the country. IMHO of course I would like to see the document that provides the guidelines for the country to have basis in scripture.

Ben Haryo: @Adil Abdalla: Dear Sir, I agree with you. That is why, it is good to have representatives of religious scholars in the Parliament, BUT it is not good for us to have them speak "On Behalf Of God" or "On Behalf Of The Prophets", or even "On Behalf Of The People" (that's the job of the entire Parliament). The duty of religious scholars are to advise and warn the Government (and the Parliament!) in the matters of religion. This includes criticizing any proposed Bill Drafts which are contrary to Human Rights and religious laws. But, in the course of doing so, let them speak on behalf of their chosen profession: as religious scholars, whom are educated in matters of religion beyond the knowledge of the common people.

Ben Abrahamson: Instead of Judicial Activism where judges effectively create legislation in a round about way (without checks and balances) based on their concept of "Global norms" lets have an officially recoginized and regulated (with checks and balances) Upper House of legislature.

Adil Abdalla: @ Ben Abrahamson, most of the Judiciaries worldwide confront formation and integrity questions, due to the fact of appointment instruments. Therefore, the Governance question is nagging and irritating everywhere in our path to the legally stable future.. I guess it is not a matter of checks and balances, but to maintain the sacred merit of religion, as Devine guidelines towards our mission on earth..   @ Haryo These are not representing of Prophets or God, but representing of “The Rights and Obligations to God”, as how marvelously our dear Rabbi had put it.. Their mission is to assure that our theme in life matches what AlMighty swt had drawn to us.. They have nothing to do with politics, economics, war or peace, but with the merit within.. This was the unspoken governing system in early Islamic State; which most scholars could not comprehend or discuss..!!  

For more: https://www.facebook.com/ben613/posts/487423171288048?notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/ben613/posts/487423171288048?notif_t=feed_comment_reply  

Ulama and Umara', was the comment from Agung Wahyu Widodo; which is extracted into Bahasa from Arabic, means: Scientists and Inhabitents; or who know and who live.. I just liked it..

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The General's Son


Miko Peled, the General's Son. Seattle. Oct. 1, 2012


Despite the historical, archeological and religious claims, there are people at both sides of the conflict; who are continuously live in fear, uncertainty and anger.. It is a humane dilemma rather than a political one.. Politicians at both sides; ignite the hatred, enjoy the edge of fires, and build their own legacies by lucrative sponsorships and charities..

So; what is the way out, to restore productive contributions to world growth from almost 10 million of hard working, smart skillful and strong Palestinians and Jews..? (within; Israel, Gaza, West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon)

Politicians are rotten beyond correction, Financiers are greedy beyond wisdom, and Fanatics are blood-thirsty beyond satisfaction.. So, who would lead..?

People are stretched among claims, confused by advocacies (including yours and mine), and yet; generous consumers of arms-race, media-shows and modern slavery.. So, who we may relay on..?

He has great vision, eloquent historical information and comprehensive outlook..
YES; the solution would start or brought up by a truly democratic state of Israel..
What’s about the undemocratic Arabs..?
(Democracy among Arab is naïve, fragile and nouveau)
Would they part of the solution as well..?

How Mike articulates a comprehensive solution..?

LGBT Fight..!

Post image for Transgender Women’s Constitutional Challenge To Sharia Law Fails In Malaysia

Transgender Women’s Constitutional Challenge To Sharia Law Fails In Malaysia
by Guest Author on October 16, 2012
in International,News


The LGBT is the greatest myth of 21st Century.. People discuss the rights; while deliberately ignoring the counter-scientific advocacies.. It is a plotted tsunami that will eventually take over.. Destructuring rationales, morals and ethics.. Igniting the End of Times..!!

Humanity is proved to be too ignorant and blind for counter-comabt..!!

LGBT claime: "Attributes of their nature that they did not choose and cannot change.."; which is challenged by advanced scientific discoveries; proving such attributes are man-made by means of education, up-bringing and media..

Among most species, there is no evidence on authentic behavioral or biological disorder among sexes.. On the other hand, the experiments and proofs which were developed in late 1980th and 1990th; became weaker by scientific standards, with lots of doubts on their governance, integrity and research environment..

Beware of the LGBT Colors..

Beware of the Violet..

With no religious prejudice; in any creativity, there are always faulty products.. LGBT is the one among human beings.. They simply do not fit to the scope been set for the Mankind by its Creator swt.. Contrarily, they disturb the scope, deform the mission, and ignite evil moralities; based on desires and physiques.. People were created for much Nobel cause, and higher agenda rather than such temporary sensations.. Noah’s son was described as faulty creation; who deserves no forgiveness, and been left to voluntarily drawn..

In Islam, despite the harmful misconceptions and wide deviations, there is undoubted program for communal recovery from LGBT illness:
(1) Adequate mass media controls,
(2) Authentic Spouseship and Parenthood
(3) Proper child up-bringing,
(4) Fitness and Boot-Camps for adolescents,
(5) Early 20th marriages, and
(6) Punishment and isolation of the ill-fated ones..
These are interpretations of how LGBT is considered a social disease not a bio or genetic disorder.. It is an Urbanism Disease..

Decline of correct religious awareness had made any religious objection or combat against LGBT as back-warding in time and inadequate for the current global civilization, while as correctly said, they are a brick in the overall humane decay..!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Incompetent People


Incompetent People Too Ignorant to Know It

By: Natalie Wolchover, Life's Little Mysteries Staff Writer

Date: 27 February 2012 Time: 10:07 AM ET

A growing body of psychology research shows that incompetence deprives people of the ability to recognize their own incompetence. To put it bluntly, dumb people are too dumb to know it. Similarly, unfunny people don't have a good enough sense of humor to tell.

This disconnect may be responsible for many of society's problems.

With more than a decade's worth of research, David Dunning, a psychologist at Cornell University, has demonstrated that humans find it "intrinsically difficult to get a sense of what we don't know." Whether an individual lacks competence in logical reasoning, emotional intelligence, humor or even chess abilities, the person still tends to rate his or her skills in the area in question as being above average.

Dunning and his colleague, Justin Kruger, formerly of Cornell and now at New York University, "have done a number of studies where we will give people a test of some area of knowledge like logical reasoning, knowledge about STDs and how to avoid them, emotional intelligence, etcetera. Then we determine their scores, and basically just ask them how well they think they've done," Dunning said. "We ask, 'what percentile will your performance fall in?'"

The results are uniform across all the knowledge domains: People who actually did well on the test tend to feel more confident about their performance than people who didn't do well, but only slightly. Almost everyone thinks they did better than average. "For people at the bottom who are really doing badly — those in the bottom 10th or 15th percentile — they think their work falls in the 60th or 55th percentile, so, above average," Dunning told Life's Little Mysteries. The same pattern emerges in tests of people's ability to rate the funniness of jokes, the correctness of grammar, or even their own performance in a game of chess. "People at the bottom still think they're outperforming other people," he said.
  It's not merely optimism, but rather that their total lack of expertise renders them unable to recognize their deficiency. Even when Dunning and his colleagues offer study participants a $100 reward if they can rate themselves accurately, they cannot. "They're really trying to be honest and impartial," he said.   If only we knew ourselves better. Dunning believes people's inability to assess their own knowledge is the cause of many of society's ills, including climate change denialism. "Many people don't have training in science, and so they may very well misunderstand the science. But because they don't have the knowledge to evaluate it, they don't realize how off their evaluations might be," he said.
Moreover, even if a person has come to a very logical conclusion about whether climate change is real or not based on their evaluation of the science, "they're really not in a position to evaluate the science."

Along the same lines, people who aren't talented in a given area tend not to be able to recognize the talents or good ideas of others, from co-workers to politicians. This may impede the democratic process, which relies on citizens having the capacity to identify and support the best candidate or policy.\

The ultimate takeaway of the research is the reminder that you really may not be as great as you think you are. And you might not be right about the things you believe you're right about. And if you try to joke about all this, you might not come off as funny as you think.

http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/2187-incompetent-people-ignorant.html

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Words...


يُسمعني.. حـينَ يراقصُني
كلماتٍ ليست كالكلمات
يروي أشيـاءَ تدوخـني
تُنسيني المرقصَ والخطوات
كلماتٍ تقلـبُ تاريخي
تجعلني امرأةً في لحظـات
يبني لي قصـراً من وهـمٍ
لا أسكنُ فيهِ سوى لحظات
وأعودُ.. أعودُ لطـاولـتي
لا شيءَ معي إلا .. كلمات
 
نزار قباني
 
When we dance, he whispers words
Not alike any other words
He makes me dizzy with his tales
I forget both dance and steps in a moment
His words flip my world
Make me a woman within a moment
Assembling a palace of illusion
Where I only live for a moment
Then; I return back to my seat
With nothing left at this moment
But his words..
 
Nazzar Qabbani



Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Global Executive


Expat 2.0: The Global Executive


Anjali Bansal, Marco Boni, Ben J. Holzemer and Phil D. Johnston

January 2012

As businesses the world over expand their operations into foreign markets, they have to be able to identify executives who can move seamlessly between markets and cultures, compensating for deficits in local talent and spreading best practice and corporate values into the farthest reaches of the organization.

The longstanding caricature of the expat — typically a Western executive imposing the wishes of the head office on far-flung markets while enjoying a privileged lifestyle and preferential tax status — is fast becoming outdated. Mindful of the negative connotations, a number of leading global organizations have even deleted the term “expat” from their lexicon.

In this article we offer a conceptual framework for thinking about the evolving role and expanding mandate of what we prefer to call “global executives” and explore the competencies, aptitudes and experiences commonly found in the most successful of this new breed of leaders.

What has changed for the expat
Two trends have affected how companies deploy people in overseas markets today and how they think about the talent they send abroad. The first significant shift is that when a company expands into new markets, its center of gravity changes: it starts to source leaders from a broader geographic pool, and places its best people into the right positions regardless of their nationality. In the best cases, talent becomes mobile. “Employing a wide spectrum of people from different countries can bring different experiences and fresh thinking into the organization,” says Damien Marmion, CEO of Max Bupa Health Insurance, based in New Delhi. Ray Gammell, chief people and performance officer of Etihad Airways, the United Arab Emirates’ national airline, agrees. “The experiences of these global executives and their contribution to our rich culture are a huge competitive advantage to us — a real differentiator.”

The second clear shift is a growing preference for developing and deploying local talent with the skills and market knowledge to manage and grow businesses in local markets. Since this is not always possible in the short term, non-nationals (expats) often have the twin roles of stewarding the business effectively while hiring and developing high potentials from within the market who can take over leadership positions. One of the true tests of a global executive, then, is whether they prioritize building a legacy for the business above their own personal career goals.

What makes an outstanding global executive?
Today’s expat could, theoretically, come from anywhere and go anywhere — a very different situation from a decade ago. The criss-cross of talent within the organization becomes more complex, so there is a premium on being able to assess who has the right skill-sets and personal characteristics to handle international assignments. “To be considered for an international assignment, you must either bring something to the table like a deep set of skills and expertise, or be someone identified with high potential, for which this will be an accelerating development opportunity,” says Assaf AlQuraishi, vice president of human resources — North Africa & Middle East, Unilever. “You must have a solid track record of performance in your established role, because once you become an expatriate the expectations of you are so much higher.

Terry Kramer, former group human resources director and chief of staff at Vodafone, looks for people who have demonstrated an ability to adapt and be flexible in the course of their careers. “Perhaps they have made a successful transition between two very different divisions, have moved successfully between staff and line jobs, have led high- and low-performance teams, or maybe have moved extensively within their own country. All of these examples provide some evidence that a person is able to adapt to a new cultural context outside their home market.”

Global executives may be a highly eclectic group with incredibly diverse roles and responsibilities, but they generally have a strong desire to be part of something that’s successful. “They want to apply their skills with the best and the brightest, and have the platform to grow personally,” says Marmion.


Motivation is clearly important, but what sets successful global executives apart is cultural dexterity, which comprises several qualities, including humility, sensitivity, intellectual curiosity and agility.

Humility. The natural desire to exert influence in a new role needs to be tempered by a willingness to learn. “Management pride is dangerous,” says Jean-Luc Butel, EVP of Medtronic, a medical technology company. Said another experienced expat: “I watch to see whether people are smart enough to say they don’t know something. It’s a sign of intelligence, not a sign of stupidity. Having a little of the “imposter syndrome” [not believing you have all the answers] is uncomfortable, but healthy. It forces you to be open to new learning and to consider the opinions of others on your team. In a situation of power, it’s easy to be seduced into thinking that you know everything or that you are supposed to.”

For Anthony Christie, chief marketing officer of Level 3 Communications, listening is crucial. “One of the main reasons international executives do not work out is that they try to impose their own cultural or world view, trying to make everything operate the way it does in their own market, which is often company headquarters.” Kramer agrees: “You need natural relationship-builders who don’t make snap judgments.”

One international group president recounted interviews with two candidates for a senior finance position in China. One spoke fluent Mandarin and asserted his plans for the new role. The other came with five books on China in his briefcase. “He said, ‘I know little about the country, but I’ve started to read a lot and inform myself. You are not going to get someone more dedicated and excited than I am to go to China.’” The less experienced (but highly capable) candidate disclosed what he didn’t know and was awarded the management role instead of an overly confident, more senior candidate. “He took a while to get going, but over time became a real star.”

Sensitivity to cultural nuance is a critical quality for any executive operating on the international stage. It cannot easily be taught, although for Vsevolod Rozanov, CEO of MTS India, the key is “cultural immersion.” Effective global executives immerse themselves in the local culture to sharpen their understanding and insight, says Rozanov. “In India, for example, taking a genuine interest in Bollywood, cricket and Indian food would increase a foreign executive’s chances of gaining acceptance within the company and the wider business community.”

Intellectual curiosity is useful at two levels. It deepens the understanding of what drives the local business and what motivates its employees; it also helps develop an appreciation of the broader cultural context. Global executives with a willingness and propensity to learn become increasingly valuable to their organizations over time. “I look for people who are driven by intellectual curiosity,” says Christie. “Much of an expat’s success and enjoyment comes from having a genuine interest in how people and cultures operate. You want the executive who will be energized by the differences, not frustrated by them or seeking to change them.”

Agility is a quality that every global executive must possess. It has multiple dimensions: intellectual, cultural, social and emotional. The most effective executives can adapt their style and approach to what they see in front of them. Culturally agile people will use their guile and influence to locate the resources they need without trying to learn or do everything by themselves. They are prepared to work with what’s available and are interested in finding the best solution, regardless of whose idea it might be.

The formation of a global executive with these characteristics often begins well before their arrival in the workplace. Upbringing, education and other early experiences all play a role. Cultural fluency can result from being raised abroad; or it can be acquired from parents who encourage their children to be tolerant, flexible and to have “eyes wide open to the world,” says Rozanov, who credits his openness to other nationalities, languages and cultures to being raised in Russia during an era of social equality.

Whereas in the past people often became expats in the twilight of their careers, today’s global executives represent a completely different demographic — younger, mobile, ambitious and risk-oriented. They also tend to be internationally educated. Those who have not yet been exposed to overseas environments have often benefited from attending educational institutions that deliberately foster a global outlook, something that Asian business schools are increasingly good at.

Long-term commitment required
One of the biggest changes to the expatriate experience is the length of commitment companies expect from their international assignees. “In my view, a one-time expat is of little value to the company,” says Nalin Miglani, global human resources director for Tata Global Beverages. “These are the most expensive ones, and they often fail. I insist that people who work internationally do five years minimum. In the traditional three-year model, the first year is to learn, the second year is productive, and in the third year they’re already thinking about what they’ll be doing back home. To extend the productive period, we look for a five-year commitment. I also consider whether people are there just because they want to say ‘I’ve done it, now I can progress further in the corporation,’ or whether they have a genuine interest in developing a more comprehensive international career.”

As global executives leverage their prior experience in a succession of roles, they become increasingly useful to their organizations. This gradual accumulation of diverse experiences is what brings the greatest value to the business, says Gammell. “You work in different parts of the world, you build your portfolio of skills and learn from each location while seeing what is common about the corporate strategy, culture and language.”

The success of an international assignment is measured not just by time commitment but by the legacy the executive leaves. AlQuraishi says of his own experience: “Identifying my successor is entirely appropriate, and I see it as one of my objectives. I would say to any executive that if you haven’t built a strong succession plan, the business hasn’t fully benefited from you as an expat.”

Positioning the global leader for success
International assignments need to be managed with rigor and discipline, to ensure that both the company’s and the individual’s needs are being met, and to prevent people from staying in roles long after they have ceased being useful. Butel recommends that whoever is sending the person out to become a representative of the business should work with the destination country to draw up a job specification, “so that the task is fully understood by all parties, and to make repatriation easier at a later stage.” Kramer believes that defining the goal of an international assignment is essential in selecting the right person. “The company needs to know what it is trying to get out of the assignment, and the individual needs to know what success looks like.”

Employers have to make wise choices about which executives to send around the world. Mistakes are costly, so investing time and effort in the careful assessment of candidates will greatly improve the chances of success. One senior executive, for example, makes a point of interviewing candidates in the new country where they would be assigned: “It is expensive, but not nearly as expensive as a bad decision.”

To be successful in an international assignment, you have to relish diversity and embrace change — “be comfortable being uncomfortable,” as one executive explained. Since international assignments involve a lot of first-time learning, the technique of unnerving candidates can be a useful way to test how well they will cope when thrown into unusual situations, according to Butel. “I make a point of taking candidates out of their comfort zone during the interview. I want to see how they react to the unexpected.”

An executive’s willingness and ability to make a long-term commitment to working overseas often depends on his or her family situation. A good employer will assess carefully what the family is prepared to put up with and how well they are likely to adjust to the new environment. A significant percentage of expatriate assignments fail, and one significant contributor to those failures is spousal or family issues. Moving someone to a new country is a major upheaval, so the employer has to take care over the decision, then provide practical support to ensure a smooth transition. However, leaving arrangements entirely to the employer can be a mistake, cautions Marmion. “I want the person to be a driver not a passenger, to take responsibility and plan meticulously — not just for an international move, but for their whole career.”

A well-developed onboarding program plays a vital role in helping executives settle in and become productive. Some companies are good at this, but many are not, especially those that do not send many executives overseas. The difference between success and failure can be as simple as appointing a mentor to help navigate the early acclimation period.

THE EXPAT EXPERIENCE AS CAREER DEVELOPMENT
It used to be the case in the Western-dominated world of multinationals, when overseas competition was limited and stakes weren’t so high, that developing high potentials was one of the main reasons for expat assignments. Executives taking up overseas postings usually did so because it was an opportunity for personal growth and preparation for greater things. Today, however, underperformance in these roles has more serious consequences, so companies can’t take the developmental risks they might once have done. That said, the development of international assignees is fundamental to any organization’s talent base; finding a balance between offering high potentials the opportunity for personal and career growth and securing the best outcome for the organization is particularly important when it comes to overseas assignments. “The company needs to be clear about whether they need an expat’s skills and experiences to ‘export’ to a new environment, or whether the assignment is for that expat to learn from other successful markets and be groomed for future opportunities,” says Terry Kramer. “These are both valid but different objectives, but the leadership team must be really clear about this.”

Conclusion
In today’s more nuanced and complex world of international business, the concept of the expat has expanded and taken on multiple forms. The demand is growing for globally minded, culturally sophisticated executives who can produce results on the world stage, regardless of nationality. Finding and developing these executives should be a major priority for any multinational.

There is more work to be done in developing sophisticated assessment methodologies that can assess cross-cultural fluency and help identify the executives most likely to perform well in diverse markets. Judging by many of our conversations with senior executives responsible for making such appointments, intuition still plays a big part in decision-making. Spencer Stuart is currently conducting further research to pinpoint the characteristics that make global executives successful and to develop the assessment tools that will help companies make the best possible decisions.

This article is included in Point of View 2012.
http://www.spencerstuart.com/research/articles/1564/