Sunday, May 17, 2015

Indian Violation of Indus Water treaty: Baghliar Dam

Indian violation of Indus Water Treaty by building Baghliar dam on River Chenab. Drastic decrease in downstream river flow towards Pakistan is evidently visible through pre-construction to post construction satellite images.



Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Time to reclaim Islamic State?

No, it’s not about Islamic state per se but the term ‘islamic state’. We often deliberately ignore or just circumvent significance a term carries, especially when it’s attached to an ideology or a creed. In recent past we have lost much, let us see how.

A term can represent a positive or a negative thing but in some borderline cases ie ideologies, attribution of meaning to a term plays a decisive role. Communism is such a term. Its proponents boost it as an unavoidable dialectical system which will unchain proletariats and create equal economic opportunities for all. Capitalists on the other side, call it a system which creates authoritative role for state to control people money and curb freedom. Both sides vied for attribution of such a meaning to ‘communism’ which they supported and we all know which side won. Western propaganda machine successfully convinced world that Communism is not a right alternative to status quo. Resultantly, very term of ‘communism’ has lost charm what it once expounded.

Same is true for us. After fall of USSR, guns have turned towards Islam. Today many western social strategists are calling for tackling islamic radicalism (which is, for them, not different from ‘Islam’) on the same lines, ‘Communistic Aggression’ was tackled. Don Philpott and Robert T Jordan in their book ‘Is America Safe?’ tried to draw similar analogies between two different ideologies. What were those lines and what was that strategy? Answer is self-evident if we’ll examine some of the terms we once fervently ‘revered’. ‘Jihad’, ‘Jihadi’, ‘Shariah’, ‘Caliph’ and likes are the terms which now popularly mean as ‘relentless act of non-muslims’ killing’, ‘religious fanatic and murderer’, ‘brutal code of life’ and ‘dictator or father of religious fanatics’ respectively. Go back in time, merely three decades, we will see US openly lauding Afghan ‘Jihad’ and ‘Jihadis’ because they served their purpose at that time. Now we can’t even mumble such words in our own countries because we fear international backlash against those misunderstood terminologies. We all know Zakir Naek’s ordeal after a misquoted definition of ‘terrorism’. It should be taught to world that negativity should not be posited towards our religious terms. Fault is on our side too, as most of us solemnly believe ‘Jew’ means a ‘Shrewd Exploiter’. We should all collectively denounce this smear campaign.

Now ‘Islamic State’ was never meant to be like the one al-Baghdadi controls. We all know it is not an Islamic state so we should not call it one. For past few months not only western media but our own media continuously refers to ISIS - or Daaesh - as simply IS (Islamic State). Just google ‘Islamic state’ and you’ll have myriad of horrendous, hurting and intimidating results.

For sake of argument one can readily point out that ISIS itself has used this term for their representation, so media will automatically borrow it. But this argument is utterly fallacious and repugnant to international practices.
·         When Yugoslavia disintegrated, one of its seceding states Serbia & Montenegro proclaimed herself as a continuation of Yugoslavia because they wanted to grab sympathies and nostalgia attached to term ‘Yugoslavia’ but World didn’t recognize this claim and declared Yugoslavia as an extinct state.
·         Taiwan to this date calls itself ‘China’ but World does not recognize this claim, therefore media never refers to Taiwan as China.
·         Ted Kaczynski, an American terrorist, proclaimed his organization as ‘Freedom club’ because he wanted to entice distressed American youth but media always named it as ‘Una-bomber’ because his organization (which turned out to be non-existent) was not a ‘Freedom Club’.
All is true for ISIS which wants ‘Islamic state’ to harvest muslims’ religious sentiments around globe but world does not recognize it as a valid or de-jure state so there is no justification for headlines like ‘Islamic State has taken two hostages’.

Effect of carelessly attributing ISIS as Islamic state is three pronged.
1.      It fuels half-baked minds of young muslims or converts to believe it as a real utopian Islamic state which muslims always longed for.
2.      It seconds ISIS’s stance of declaring themselves as an Islamic state.
3.      This practice is gradually turning this term into another misnomer, which is being linked to a diametrically opposite and wrong connotation.

If we can’t help ourselves calling it an Islamic state, can’t we at least use phrases like self-proclaimed or self-styled with it? If we fail to take down ISIS’s gimmick and West’s ‘terminological’ onslaught we will lose intrinsic ‘sacrosanctness’ of one more term. Do we want Islamic State to be a synonymous of ‘terrorist state’? Time to reclaim Islamic State is now otherwise it will be lost forever in smokescreen of misunderstanding and who knows ‘Islam’ could be next!

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Why I am not Charlie


Freedom of Speech is what allows me to have a free commentary, illustration, discourse, discussion, argument without a provocative tone or nature. If it does have a slightest trace of intimidation, disrespect or defamation, I can be held liable for my trespass and violation of someone else's 'aura' of self respect and good name. Things become more complex and subtler, when subject of speech is targeted towards a revered and 'passed-away' figure.

Now if someone commits such wrongdoing it justifiably requires a redress. After horrendous events of WWII world has aptly responded to threat of world peace through hands of racial abuses and hatred. Anti-semitic laws were promulgated, appartheid was disowned and many more similar issues were addressed head on. Later on punishing one for anti-Semitic statements became excessively repressive though fashionable. But diametrically opposite stance was taken against other violations of religious freedom where interests differed.

Targeting muslims' beliefs and religious figures with a smearing campaign may it be through any media is a blatant violation of any universally accepted doctrine of respect for a religious sect. Satire is healthy if it does not beg division withing a society.



Now coming specifically to the incident that happened in France, I out-rightly denounce violence and terrorism as a tool to silence wrong-doers. But Charlie Hebdo itself is not 'clean-handed' as there was a responsibility on part of magazine's administration not to publish such funny material which has underlying features of hate. Hate begets hate may it be under thousand guises of comedy.

When I say Charlie Hebdo is not 'clean-handed' I didn't target their outrageous comics against Islam only but also their dual standards.    
Here is an instance when Charlie Hebdo itself became an impediment to freedom of speech. Legal system of France, too did not take into account its 'landmark' secularism which is celebrated for its magnanimity. Reason behind that was 'often played' charges of 'antisemitism' against Sine who was a cartoonist in Charlie Hebdo. His satire targeted French President Sarkozy's son who was believed to be converted to Judaism. Everything would be fine if it would be minus Judaism. Actually Sine tried to link his conversion with financial reasons behind this conversion. What happened to him was similar to someone who is typically accused for 'neo-nazi' antisemitism.





Telegraph has covered this story.

Link: When Charlie Hebdo attacked freedom of speech

Dieudonne who is a famous though controversial comedian has been arrested for principally doing what I am doing here and he has been charged for 'apology for terrorism' while French PM has called his satire different to Charlie Hebdo's 'impertinent satire'.

Link: Poor Dieudonne

We already heard another controversy in past regarding 'quenelle' gesture associated with him and a famous footballer Nicoles Anelka and the response they received by authorities for their freedom of expression.



Epitome
Above mentioned citations clearly exhibit dual standards regarding freedom of speech paradigm which needs to be addressed at earliest and with earnest approach. Freedom of speech or expression is no mere business of personal freedom as it involves speech which is targeted to 'others' than speaker. This is exactly when rights of those 'others' come into play. Astoundingly many proponents of freedom of speech miss that important distinction which can't be more clear and visible.

So such freedom of speech is immutable which engenders holistic picture and if someone tries to temper with such standards he may be held responsible otherwise not. As Chalie Hebdo is ignorant of that distinction and continues to be, precisely this is why I am not Charlie.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Mud mountains in Pakistan

Pakistan has tremendous scenes from mighty mountains to lush fields but their are many untouched places in Pakistan which very few know. Pakistan has mud mountains which very few will know. They are in southern part of Baluchistan alongside Hingol river.



Satellite image of mud mountains in Baluchistan, Pakistan


Let's see how they look from ground


Mud mountains in Baluchistan, Pakistan

Saturday, January 3, 2015

CSS Philosophy Paper 1: Complete List of Topics



Here is complete list of topics for CSS Philosophy paper 1.
These topics are for almost 100% preparation but as choice is available in paper you can easily skip any one part out of last two parts mentioned in the following document.


List of Topics