These are interesting questions, which have come to salience in current international discussion since 9/11. Much has been said on this, examining commonsense and worldwide experience as well as the sources of Islam (which are, at least on this point, contradictory, depending on whether one prioritises the Meccan or Medinan portions of the Koran). However, the most sensible contribution to the contemporary debate is probably Paul E. Marek's February 2006 article, "Why The Peaceful Majority Is Irrelevant".
Marek, who apparently lives in Saskatoon, is a second-generation Canadian; his grandparents fled Czechoslovakia just before the Nazi takeover.
I have tried without success to get hold of him in order to secure his permission to print his text here; if someone can enable me to do so, I will be pleased. Here is the text of his article:
"I used to know a man whose family were German aristocracy prior to World War Two. They owned a number of large industries and estates. I asked him how many German people were true Nazis, and the answer he gave has stuck with me and guided my attitude toward fanaticism ever since.
“Very few people were true Nazis” he said, “but, many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.”
We are told again and again by “experts” and “talking heads” that Islam is the religion of peace, and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unquantified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.
The fact is, that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars world wide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. The hard quantifiable fact is that the “peaceful majority” is the “silent majority” and it is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China’s huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people. The average Japanese individual prior to World War 2 was not a war mongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet. And, who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were “peace loving”?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points. Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by the fanatics. Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don’t speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awake one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun. Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Bosnians, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others, have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.
As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts; the fanatics who threaten our way of life."
So, according to Marek, is not for non-Muslims to state, assert or proclaim whether or not Islam is a peace-loving religion.
It is for the peaceful majority to organise and empower themselves so that they out-think, out-argue and out-manouver the fanatics from the mosques, the internet, and the streets.
Otherwise the peaceful majority will continue to demonstrate their irrelevance.
Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Friday, May 09, 2008
The return of stagflation
A short while ago, I alerted readers to the fact that there will be official intervention in markets in order to raise the value of the dollar. This has now been announced (see my posts titled: "The Euro, the Dollar, Bubbles and the simple fact of the oversupply of money" as well as "Further developments on the Euro").
It is now fairly clear to me that we will have a return of stagflation (combined economic stagnation and inflation) - if we are lucky only till mid-2009, if we are unlucky then till longer.
In broad terms, notwithstanding the complexity of the factors that contributed to the stagflation of the 70s, it could be argued that the Keynesianism contributed to it - and its failure to explain it or to have instruments with which to solve it led (at least partly) to the rise of monterism and to supply-side theories.
However, as the imminent bout of stagflation is actually caused by monetarist policies worldwide, it will be interesting to see what new theory emerges to account for our world economy which is massively financially over- leveraged and monetarily over-supplied .
More important, it will be interesting to see what new tools are going to be developed to deal with the situation. Sphere: Related Content
It is now fairly clear to me that we will have a return of stagflation (combined economic stagnation and inflation) - if we are lucky only till mid-2009, if we are unlucky then till longer.
In broad terms, notwithstanding the complexity of the factors that contributed to the stagflation of the 70s, it could be argued that the Keynesianism contributed to it - and its failure to explain it or to have instruments with which to solve it led (at least partly) to the rise of monterism and to supply-side theories.
However, as the imminent bout of stagflation is actually caused by monetarist policies worldwide, it will be interesting to see what new theory emerges to account for our world economy which is massively financially over- leveraged and monetarily over-supplied .
More important, it will be interesting to see what new tools are going to be developed to deal with the situation. Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Further developments on the Euro
Readers who are interested in the future of the Euro may care to read, in addition to my remarks on the subject posted here a few days ago, the following story: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,551043,00.html
The FT assures us that the current crisis has passed (or is passing). It may possibly have passed for certain kinds of companies, but the crisis is yet to fully hit real people, who will suffer from the effects of the crisis at least till mid-2009, possibly for very much longer. The effects on the real economy will, in turn, also have effects on all companies. So the crisis even for such companies may not be wholly over yet.
Meanwhile, real people continue to be subject to official attempts to dupe them with faked figures regarding what governments regard as "inflation". German officials, for example, may like people to believe that the inflation rate has been "2% or less since the creation of the Euro". Real people, however, know that this is a lie on the basis of their own monthly accounts and their real life experience, which is not limited to the few items that are included in the baskets used to calculate inflation.
As long as the real economy continues to suffer, real people will give voice to their issues and challenges - and will increasingly call (whether with right logic or wrong) for the dismantlement of the Euro (and, depending on how long and deep the crisis is, possibly even for the dismantlement of the EU itself). Sphere: Related Content
The FT assures us that the current crisis has passed (or is passing). It may possibly have passed for certain kinds of companies, but the crisis is yet to fully hit real people, who will suffer from the effects of the crisis at least till mid-2009, possibly for very much longer. The effects on the real economy will, in turn, also have effects on all companies. So the crisis even for such companies may not be wholly over yet.
Meanwhile, real people continue to be subject to official attempts to dupe them with faked figures regarding what governments regard as "inflation". German officials, for example, may like people to believe that the inflation rate has been "2% or less since the creation of the Euro". Real people, however, know that this is a lie on the basis of their own monthly accounts and their real life experience, which is not limited to the few items that are included in the baskets used to calculate inflation.
As long as the real economy continues to suffer, real people will give voice to their issues and challenges - and will increasingly call (whether with right logic or wrong) for the dismantlement of the Euro (and, depending on how long and deep the crisis is, possibly even for the dismantlement of the EU itself). Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Why the next two months are crucial for the future of India
With inflation at around 7%, the future of the Congress-led coalition is uncertain. The coalition's leftists have due to apparently entirely unpatriotic reasons opposed the civilian nuclear deal with the US. However that deal is crucial for India's energy needs and for India's continued growth. From the US perspective, the deal may be to do with balance of power between China and India. From India's point of view, it is simply to do with survival and progress for the mass of our people.
Fortunately, the BJP seems now to be coming around to supporting the deal, so the UPA can presumably get the deal through with BJP support, even if the leftists continue opposing it.
We will see whether the BJP and/ or the leftists put the country's interests before party interests. If they put the country's interests first, they will back the deal. If they put party interests first, they will scupper the deal - and with it bring the country to a general election in which both the BJP and the leftists will hope ate least to increase their seats in parliament (and perhaps hope to come to power, even in some combination, probably). But it is at least equally possible that the country will be so fed up with BJP/ Leftist behaviour in such an event that Congress may well come to power on its own. Sphere: Related Content
Fortunately, the BJP seems now to be coming around to supporting the deal, so the UPA can presumably get the deal through with BJP support, even if the leftists continue opposing it.
We will see whether the BJP and/ or the leftists put the country's interests before party interests. If they put the country's interests first, they will back the deal. If they put party interests first, they will scupper the deal - and with it bring the country to a general election in which both the BJP and the leftists will hope ate least to increase their seats in parliament (and perhaps hope to come to power, even in some combination, probably). But it is at least equally possible that the country will be so fed up with BJP/ Leftist behaviour in such an event that Congress may well come to power on its own. Sphere: Related Content
Monday, April 28, 2008
Spiritual Enterprise, by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch
mpepAt this time of the global credit crisis, for all who long to understand the relationship between that crisis on the one hand, and on the other hand, moral and spiritual matters, comes this relatively short, easy-to-understand yet profound book by one of the world's leaders:
SPIRITUAL ENTERPRISE (just published by Enterprise Books, New York and London) is by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch who is Chairman and CEO of The Roosevelt Group and Founder of the Spiritual Enterprise Institute. After a soaring career in econometrics and financial services, Dr. Malloch held Ambassadorial-level positions at the UN as well as in the US government, and now serves on numerous corporate, mutual fund, and not-for-profit boards.
Dr Malloch is generous (possibly over-generous at points) but also clear-sighted and direct in his evaluations: "The increasingly central place occupied by China in the world economy has made the questions raised in this book especially relevant. There is a tendency among those whom Schopenhauer would describe as "unscrupulous optimists" to see China's move towards a capitalist economy as announcing the country's emergence as a normal member of the republic of nations. Such people overlook the fact that "capitalism" cannot be secured merely by allowing private property and private investment. There must also be rule of law and the kind of guarantees offered to the individual that will permit free experiment, the transfer of knowledge and the critical response to government. Those conditions do not exist in China, and corporations that are nevertheless entering the Chinese market are faced with crucial moral problems that, without the guidance of faith, may be hard or impossible to overcome. We have witnessed this in the case of two quintessentially modern companies, allegedly devoted to the pursuit of free opinion and open information: Google and Yahoo. The first has found itself acquiescing in censorship; the second has even become complicit in surrendering dissidents to punishment by the Chinese state. These cases show us the confusions encountered by companies operating on purely secular principles (however admirable those principles may be) when entering a sphere of genuine moral trial. The great tension that lies at the heart of the liberal order - the tension between free opinion and moral restraint - suddenly comes to the surface and, without the spiritual guidance that I have been advocating in this book, (that tension) has a lamentable tendency to be resolved in favour of the tyrant".
These are remarkably blunt words from a former diplomat at the UN.
Dr Malloch's whole argument is possibly best summed up by the following adaptation by me of his concluding paragraph: "I do not deny that people, and companies, can be virtuous (even) if they lack faith. But...virtue endures and spreads because it is sustained by and through faith. The spiritual capital built up by previous generations (can be squandered, or it can be) borrowed and invested by others who do not have the faith to renew it, though at some point it surely must be renewed. This renewal of spiritual capital in the business sphere and its specific enterprises is what the faith-guided company achieves. In the new conditions created by the global economy, the informaiton revolution and the growth of smart technologies, it is more than ever necessary for all companies to be guided by (a) rich spiritual inheritance, as spiritual enterprises. For only in so doing will they realize (the) incomparable source of the certainties that they will need in order to succed in (the) highly competitive and interconnected international commerce that we have (created)".
For its unfashionableness, for its honesty and integrity, and for the elegance of its thought and expression, I thoroughly recommend this book. It is essential reading for everyone concerned about the issues of our age. Sphere: Related Content
SPIRITUAL ENTERPRISE (just published by Enterprise Books, New York and London) is by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch who is Chairman and CEO of The Roosevelt Group and Founder of the Spiritual Enterprise Institute. After a soaring career in econometrics and financial services, Dr. Malloch held Ambassadorial-level positions at the UN as well as in the US government, and now serves on numerous corporate, mutual fund, and not-for-profit boards.
Dr Malloch is generous (possibly over-generous at points) but also clear-sighted and direct in his evaluations: "The increasingly central place occupied by China in the world economy has made the questions raised in this book especially relevant. There is a tendency among those whom Schopenhauer would describe as "unscrupulous optimists" to see China's move towards a capitalist economy as announcing the country's emergence as a normal member of the republic of nations. Such people overlook the fact that "capitalism" cannot be secured merely by allowing private property and private investment. There must also be rule of law and the kind of guarantees offered to the individual that will permit free experiment, the transfer of knowledge and the critical response to government. Those conditions do not exist in China, and corporations that are nevertheless entering the Chinese market are faced with crucial moral problems that, without the guidance of faith, may be hard or impossible to overcome. We have witnessed this in the case of two quintessentially modern companies, allegedly devoted to the pursuit of free opinion and open information: Google and Yahoo. The first has found itself acquiescing in censorship; the second has even become complicit in surrendering dissidents to punishment by the Chinese state. These cases show us the confusions encountered by companies operating on purely secular principles (however admirable those principles may be) when entering a sphere of genuine moral trial. The great tension that lies at the heart of the liberal order - the tension between free opinion and moral restraint - suddenly comes to the surface and, without the spiritual guidance that I have been advocating in this book, (that tension) has a lamentable tendency to be resolved in favour of the tyrant".
These are remarkably blunt words from a former diplomat at the UN.
Dr Malloch's whole argument is possibly best summed up by the following adaptation by me of his concluding paragraph: "I do not deny that people, and companies, can be virtuous (even) if they lack faith. But...virtue endures and spreads because it is sustained by and through faith. The spiritual capital built up by previous generations (can be squandered, or it can be) borrowed and invested by others who do not have the faith to renew it, though at some point it surely must be renewed. This renewal of spiritual capital in the business sphere and its specific enterprises is what the faith-guided company achieves. In the new conditions created by the global economy, the informaiton revolution and the growth of smart technologies, it is more than ever necessary for all companies to be guided by (a) rich spiritual inheritance, as spiritual enterprises. For only in so doing will they realize (the) incomparable source of the certainties that they will need in order to succed in (the) highly competitive and interconnected international commerce that we have (created)".
For its unfashionableness, for its honesty and integrity, and for the elegance of its thought and expression, I thoroughly recommend this book. It is essential reading for everyone concerned about the issues of our age. Sphere: Related Content
The Euro, the Dollar, Bubbles and the simple fact of the oversupply of money
The Euro is an inherently unstable currency which has been stress-tested only once or twice. My judgment is that the Euro will inevitably and very suddenly come under pressure soon, due to the diverging fortunes of the fairly solid northern part of the Continent and the rather more frothy east and south (as well as Ireland).
On the other hand, the dollar must be at or near the bottom (watch for the US authorities to intervene as soon as equity and/ or bond prices start being affected by the slide of the dollar - which can't be very far away).
BTW the pressure on the Euro will also lead to pressure on all emerging market economies, even those that have somehow weathered the crisis so far. So it is probably time to underweight those currencies as well.
How can emerging market economies come under pressure, you may wonder, when their natural resource commodities are riding so high?
My view is that we now have a bubble in oil, gas, and most natural resource commodities - and this bubble won't last long either.
The problem is: where will the next bubble be created? Around the globe, we have printed excess money since at least immediately after 9/11 (not to mention the fashion for increasing astronomies of leverage!), and all this money must be placed SOMEwhere: wherever the money goes, we have and will have a bubble, because the money is now travelling purely to speculative destinations without regard to fundamentals.
Indeed the excess supply of money has itself become the most fundamental factor creating bubbles and destablisation worldwide.
The proposals from the FSF and the Basel Committee are merely tinkering around the edges of the real problems facing the global economy today: because these institutions refuse to face the simple fact of the oversupply of money. Sphere: Related Content
On the other hand, the dollar must be at or near the bottom (watch for the US authorities to intervene as soon as equity and/ or bond prices start being affected by the slide of the dollar - which can't be very far away).
BTW the pressure on the Euro will also lead to pressure on all emerging market economies, even those that have somehow weathered the crisis so far. So it is probably time to underweight those currencies as well.
How can emerging market economies come under pressure, you may wonder, when their natural resource commodities are riding so high?
My view is that we now have a bubble in oil, gas, and most natural resource commodities - and this bubble won't last long either.
The problem is: where will the next bubble be created? Around the globe, we have printed excess money since at least immediately after 9/11 (not to mention the fashion for increasing astronomies of leverage!), and all this money must be placed SOMEwhere: wherever the money goes, we have and will have a bubble, because the money is now travelling purely to speculative destinations without regard to fundamentals.
Indeed the excess supply of money has itself become the most fundamental factor creating bubbles and destablisation worldwide.
The proposals from the FSF and the Basel Committee are merely tinkering around the edges of the real problems facing the global economy today: because these institutions refuse to face the simple fact of the oversupply of money. Sphere: Related Content
Friday, March 28, 2008
It is an interesting experience being proved right when you'd rather not have been
A friend sends me a message today, referring to a book review that I wrote about 3 years ago (the material in the SINGLE quote marks below was from the book being reviewed, the rest is my comments):
"Just took a look at your review again - esp. the points below:
1. If the U.S.–the engine that drives the global economy at present–stalls, will a global crash occur before India and China have any possibility of taking over hegemony from the U.S.?
2. 'The consequences of the relocation process (of manufacturing and services to countries such as China and Inda) remain unfathomable, momentous.'
So far as I can see, however, the consequences are entirely clear, and they provide our globalizing world with two choices. We can continue down the current path, which will lead to probably irresolvable global crises. Or we can create a sensible financial system based on sound money, and bring in a genuinely level global playing field with minimum common rules for health, safety, pay, environmental care, transparency and corporate governance. That is the only way to build a world society that is more just, sustainable and humane.
Lots here, three years later - esp. on US stalling, irresolvable global crises and the need for sensible, sound money."
I hadn't really thought about my having said all that three years ago (and earlier, in other material).
Feels gratifying to have been proved right; though I would rather have been wrong, for the sake of all those whose pensions and indeed lives have disappeared or are disappearing before their eyes. Sphere: Related Content
"Just took a look at your review again - esp. the points below:
1. If the U.S.–the engine that drives the global economy at present–stalls, will a global crash occur before India and China have any possibility of taking over hegemony from the U.S.?
2. 'The consequences of the relocation process (of manufacturing and services to countries such as China and Inda) remain unfathomable, momentous.'
So far as I can see, however, the consequences are entirely clear, and they provide our globalizing world with two choices. We can continue down the current path, which will lead to probably irresolvable global crises. Or we can create a sensible financial system based on sound money, and bring in a genuinely level global playing field with minimum common rules for health, safety, pay, environmental care, transparency and corporate governance. That is the only way to build a world society that is more just, sustainable and humane.
Lots here, three years later - esp. on US stalling, irresolvable global crises and the need for sensible, sound money."
I hadn't really thought about my having said all that three years ago (and earlier, in other material).
Feels gratifying to have been proved right; though I would rather have been wrong, for the sake of all those whose pensions and indeed lives have disappeared or are disappearing before their eyes. Sphere: Related Content
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Future of Freedom in Canada: The Islamist
A debate seems to be raging in Canada over Muslim attempts to use anti-discrimination legislation against critics of Islam.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7273870.stm
Though the legislation was put in place no doubt with the best intentions, the way the case is handled will decide whether free speech, as well as social and political freedoms, continue in Canada.
All I can say is that words are inherently discriminatory, thought is inherently discriminatory - and that can't and shouldn't be targeted by any anti-discrimination legislation.
The original article by Mark Steyn did not advocate discrimination against Muslims, rather it was a call for the West to put its own house in order. In fact, if I was a proper Muslim (rather than one only in a spiritual sense), I would be quite pleased to be told that "the future belongs to Islam" and that, for example, Europe is "too enfeebled to resist its remorseless transformation into Eurabia".
If someone puts forward a logical argument, even if Steyn's is a rather long, colourful and rambling argument, it can hardly be considered discrimination.
If it is argued that what is discriminatory is not the original article but the Editor's restriction of a right to reply (which would be a fair point), the claim does not stand up to scrutiny, as the Editor claims to have published 27 letters against the point of view taken in the article (I haven't checked that, though I did read the original article in the popular Canadian magazine, Macleans).
So this seems to be a case of a standard tactic used by Islamists - use any excuse to browbeat anyone who makes any case, however logical and reasoned, against any aspect of Islam or any Muslim practice, however abhorrent. Just as well that the vast majority of Muslims are not Islamists.
Mark Steyn's original article used demographics to suggest that the West would succumb to Islamist domination because of the youthfulness of the Muslim world combined with the intensity of their will to impose Islam on the world. He summarised the global advantage of Islamists with the equations:
The West: Age + Welfare = Disaster for you
The Muslim World: Youth + Will = Disaster for whoever gets in your way.
Steyn's view of the importance of demography is, as far as I can see, only very partially correct. His view of the weakness of the West versus the youth and strength of Islam is also only partially correct. As a student in the 1960s, I remember similar arguments for the inevitable triumph of Marxism.
However, those Muslims who are taking the case to government Commissions and similar bodies are simply demonstrating Steyn's point about "disaster for whoever gets in your way".
Western civilisation will certainly not survive without free speech. And that is what Islamists are targeting, whether in newspapers, radio, TV, internet, or even companies, schools and universities. Sphere: Related Content
Though the legislation was put in place no doubt with the best intentions, the way the case is handled will decide whether free speech, as well as social and political freedoms, continue in Canada.
All I can say is that words are inherently discriminatory, thought is inherently discriminatory - and that can't and shouldn't be targeted by any anti-discrimination legislation.
The original article by Mark Steyn did not advocate discrimination against Muslims, rather it was a call for the West to put its own house in order. In fact, if I was a proper Muslim (rather than one only in a spiritual sense), I would be quite pleased to be told that "the future belongs to Islam" and that, for example, Europe is "too enfeebled to resist its remorseless transformation into Eurabia".
If someone puts forward a logical argument, even if Steyn's is a rather long, colourful and rambling argument, it can hardly be considered discrimination.
If it is argued that what is discriminatory is not the original article but the Editor's restriction of a right to reply (which would be a fair point), the claim does not stand up to scrutiny, as the Editor claims to have published 27 letters against the point of view taken in the article (I haven't checked that, though I did read the original article in the popular Canadian magazine, Macleans).
So this seems to be a case of a standard tactic used by Islamists - use any excuse to browbeat anyone who makes any case, however logical and reasoned, against any aspect of Islam or any Muslim practice, however abhorrent. Just as well that the vast majority of Muslims are not Islamists.
Mark Steyn's original article used demographics to suggest that the West would succumb to Islamist domination because of the youthfulness of the Muslim world combined with the intensity of their will to impose Islam on the world. He summarised the global advantage of Islamists with the equations:
The West: Age + Welfare = Disaster for you
The Muslim World: Youth + Will = Disaster for whoever gets in your way.
Steyn's view of the importance of demography is, as far as I can see, only very partially correct. His view of the weakness of the West versus the youth and strength of Islam is also only partially correct. As a student in the 1960s, I remember similar arguments for the inevitable triumph of Marxism.
However, those Muslims who are taking the case to government Commissions and similar bodies are simply demonstrating Steyn's point about "disaster for whoever gets in your way".
Western civilisation will certainly not survive without free speech. And that is what Islamists are targeting, whether in newspapers, radio, TV, internet, or even companies, schools and universities. Sphere: Related Content
Sunday, March 23, 2008
American Serb suspended from the European Swimming Championships for wearing pro-Serb T-shirt
A swimmer who was born to originally Serb parents in California, and trains in Florida, was suspended on Friday for the remainder of the European swimming championships because he wore a T-shirt proclaiming “Kosovo is Serbia” at an official ceremony.
The swimmer wasn't just any swimmer, and the ceremony wasn't just any ceremony. Twenty-three year old Milorad Cavic is the European 50-meter butterfly record holder, and he wore the T-shirt as he collected his gold medal on Wednesday.
The result of the expulsion from the championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, was that Cavic missed Saturday's 100-meter butterfly, in which he was one of the favorites. He is reported to have said: "I'm really sorry I missed that race. I trained very hard for it".
Apparently, the Dutch organizers were so anti-Serb that they "accidentally" raised the defunct Serbia-Montenegro flag during the podium ceremony rather than the Serb flag.
The interesting thing is that Cavic, a U.S. citizen, is flying in the face of the policy of his country which is single-handedly responsible for the creation of Kosovo - though he is reported to have claimed on Serbian State TV on Saturday, that he "had no political intentions....I had to help my people knowing it could be a big risk for my swimming career. I'm proud of what I did."
Well, he may be proud but is it he who is right for having worn the T-shirt, or is it the authorities who organise the European swimming championships who are right for having expelled him?
My view is that both are right. Everyone has the right to do what s/he thinks is right. Cavic was both brave and right to do what he did. And the authorities are right to do what they did.
However, the authorities really need to re-think their attitude to what athletes wear, whether at the prize-giving ceremonies or while they are competing. It is time the authorities realised that the audience will, even if they consider Cavic wrong, only respect people such as Cavic more because of these silly rules. People are grown up enough to make up their own minds about whether Kosovo is Serbian, or Serbia is Kosovan, or neither.
The only messages or images that should be forbidden on competitors clothing are incitements to violence and (because children often watch these competitions) pornography.
Tags: Life, Politics, Religion, sports, travel; Europe, Media, News. Sphere: Related Content
The swimmer wasn't just any swimmer, and the ceremony wasn't just any ceremony. Twenty-three year old Milorad Cavic is the European 50-meter butterfly record holder, and he wore the T-shirt as he collected his gold medal on Wednesday.
The result of the expulsion from the championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, was that Cavic missed Saturday's 100-meter butterfly, in which he was one of the favorites. He is reported to have said: "I'm really sorry I missed that race. I trained very hard for it".
Apparently, the Dutch organizers were so anti-Serb that they "accidentally" raised the defunct Serbia-Montenegro flag during the podium ceremony rather than the Serb flag.
The interesting thing is that Cavic, a U.S. citizen, is flying in the face of the policy of his country which is single-handedly responsible for the creation of Kosovo - though he is reported to have claimed on Serbian State TV on Saturday, that he "had no political intentions....I had to help my people knowing it could be a big risk for my swimming career. I'm proud of what I did."
Well, he may be proud but is it he who is right for having worn the T-shirt, or is it the authorities who organise the European swimming championships who are right for having expelled him?
My view is that both are right. Everyone has the right to do what s/he thinks is right. Cavic was both brave and right to do what he did. And the authorities are right to do what they did.
However, the authorities really need to re-think their attitude to what athletes wear, whether at the prize-giving ceremonies or while they are competing. It is time the authorities realised that the audience will, even if they consider Cavic wrong, only respect people such as Cavic more because of these silly rules. People are grown up enough to make up their own minds about whether Kosovo is Serbian, or Serbia is Kosovan, or neither.
The only messages or images that should be forbidden on competitors clothing are incitements to violence and (because children often watch these competitions) pornography.
Tags: Life, Politics, Religion, sports, travel; Europe, Media, News. Sphere: Related Content
Gujarat government agents now violating UN regulations?
Concluding her fact-finding visit to India, Asma Jahangir, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief of the United Nations Human Rights Council, made a formal statement on 20 March 2008 in Delhi. After the usual politenesses, she said among other things:"I am disturbed that at various meetings with members of the civil society
during my visit in Gujarat, plain-clothed Government agents took names
of all my NGO interlocutors and also made their presence felt afterwards.
On several occasions, I had to insist that police officers leave the room
during my NGO meetings. The terms of reference of fact-finding missions
by Special Rapporteurs (see UN Doc.E/CN.4/1998/45, Appendix V) are very
clear in this regard. These terms of reference guarantee confidential and
unsupervised contact with witnesses and other private persons as well as
assurance by the Government that no persons, official or private individuals
who have been in contact with the Special Rapporteur in relation to the
mandate will for this reason suffer threats, harassment or punishment or be
subjected to judicial proceedings."
If plain clothes or, alternatively, uniformed government agents were present during the UN Special Rapporteur's investigations, this is both astonishing and alarming.
India is not only a signatory to all the UN treaties, conventions and so on, but is also an aspiring member of the Security Council. We need not only to act at all times in conformity with all UN rules and regulations, but we need also to be SEEN to be conformity with all international norms.
In contrast, we have now been held to account and publicly found wanting.
First, I must point out that the UN Special Rapporteur failed in her duty to ensure that her investigations were actually carried out in line with her terms of reference. She should have insisted on finding out and making a list of the names of the police officers and/ or plain clothes officers who were present, as well as their identification numbers, and then insisted that they be brought to book before proceeding. If this was not possible, she should have issued a press statement before the completion of her visit, stating that the government was not co-operating with her work in spite of assurances to the contrary.
Second, we need to examine ourselves. WHICH plain clothes government agents were doing these things? Were they really government agents? Or members of other, non-government, groups - intent on damaging India's international image for their own interests?
Which POLICE OFFICERS were present during the UN officer's meetings?
On whose orders were these people there?
Such officers, as well as those who ordered the uniformed or plain clothes officers to be present, ought immediately to be brought to book.
The Gujarat government needs to undertake a formal investigation to discover and publicise the facts as well as the punishments that are meted out. If it will not do so, then of course it must be clear to everyone that it is the Gujarat government itself which is involved. If that is the case, then the Central government needs to launch an investigation to find out who is or are the guilty parties so that they are brought to book, including members of the Gujarat government.
India's own Constitution, quite apart from its international reputation, is too important and too precious to be spit upon in this fashion - by anyone, let alone spit upon by the Gujarat government.
ENDS Sphere: Related Content
during my visit in Gujarat, plain-clothed Government agents took names
of all my NGO interlocutors and also made their presence felt afterwards.
On several occasions, I had to insist that police officers leave the room
during my NGO meetings. The terms of reference of fact-finding missions
by Special Rapporteurs (see UN Doc.E/CN.4/1998/45, Appendix V) are very
clear in this regard. These terms of reference guarantee confidential and
unsupervised contact with witnesses and other private persons as well as
assurance by the Government that no persons, official or private individuals
who have been in contact with the Special Rapporteur in relation to the
mandate will for this reason suffer threats, harassment or punishment or be
subjected to judicial proceedings."
If plain clothes or, alternatively, uniformed government agents were present during the UN Special Rapporteur's investigations, this is both astonishing and alarming.
India is not only a signatory to all the UN treaties, conventions and so on, but is also an aspiring member of the Security Council. We need not only to act at all times in conformity with all UN rules and regulations, but we need also to be SEEN to be conformity with all international norms.
In contrast, we have now been held to account and publicly found wanting.
First, I must point out that the UN Special Rapporteur failed in her duty to ensure that her investigations were actually carried out in line with her terms of reference. She should have insisted on finding out and making a list of the names of the police officers and/ or plain clothes officers who were present, as well as their identification numbers, and then insisted that they be brought to book before proceeding. If this was not possible, she should have issued a press statement before the completion of her visit, stating that the government was not co-operating with her work in spite of assurances to the contrary.
Second, we need to examine ourselves. WHICH plain clothes government agents were doing these things? Were they really government agents? Or members of other, non-government, groups - intent on damaging India's international image for their own interests?
Which POLICE OFFICERS were present during the UN officer's meetings?
On whose orders were these people there?
Such officers, as well as those who ordered the uniformed or plain clothes officers to be present, ought immediately to be brought to book.
The Gujarat government needs to undertake a formal investigation to discover and publicise the facts as well as the punishments that are meted out. If it will not do so, then of course it must be clear to everyone that it is the Gujarat government itself which is involved. If that is the case, then the Central government needs to launch an investigation to find out who is or are the guilty parties so that they are brought to book, including members of the Gujarat government.
India's own Constitution, quite apart from its international reputation, is too important and too precious to be spit upon in this fashion - by anyone, let alone spit upon by the Gujarat government.
ENDS Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Marriage and Caste among Contemporary Indians
I see a spread of arranged-marriage related advertisements in a magazine which serves the Indian diaspora.
There are 89 advertisements.
52 of them put the relevant "caste" as "Brahmin".
27 as "Hindu" (and another as "Hindu (Gujarati)")
7 as "Aggarwal" or "Gupta" or "Bania"
One is down as"Khatri"
Yet another is down simply as "Gujarati", which I take to mean that they are not bothered about the caste provided the other party speaks the language.
Naturally, this listing is only one among many thousands that need to be examined for any proper research on the subject.
But it is striking.... Sphere: Related Content
There are 89 advertisements.
52 of them put the relevant "caste" as "Brahmin".
27 as "Hindu" (and another as "Hindu (Gujarati)")
7 as "Aggarwal" or "Gupta" or "Bania"
One is down as"Khatri"
Yet another is down simply as "Gujarati", which I take to mean that they are not bothered about the caste provided the other party speaks the language.
Naturally, this listing is only one among many thousands that need to be examined for any proper research on the subject.
But it is striking.... Sphere: Related Content
Friday, March 21, 2008
Religious freedom in Turkey
According to this week's Der Spiegel (one of Germany's top newspapers), "In 1920, 20 percent of the Turkish population was Christian. That figure has declined to only 0.1 percent today, and the state and local authorities make life difficult for this small contingent". I am not sure that there are many Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs or representatives of other religions in Turkey.
My understanding is that there is a parallel story in Pakistan, Bangaldesh, Malaysia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran - and, in fact, most countries that are now either Arab or "secular muslim" or "Muslim".
Just as China cannot claim to be a country that is civilised enough for the world to trade with as long as it practices the sorts of human rights abuses that we see in Tibet and other parts of China, so also Turkey and other "Muslim" countries need to show evidence of their willingness to accept international norms if they want to be accepted as civilised countries rather than pariah countries. Sphere: Related Content
My understanding is that there is a parallel story in Pakistan, Bangaldesh, Malaysia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran - and, in fact, most countries that are now either Arab or "secular muslim" or "Muslim".
Just as China cannot claim to be a country that is civilised enough for the world to trade with as long as it practices the sorts of human rights abuses that we see in Tibet and other parts of China, so also Turkey and other "Muslim" countries need to show evidence of their willingness to accept international norms if they want to be accepted as civilised countries rather than pariah countries. Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
How Indian bureaucracy slows down investments by NRIs
A friend of mine has just decided to make an investment in India, which will result in his becoming a Director of this (at present, rather tiny) company.
In order to actually achieve this, however, apparently he has to take the following steps:
1) A colour photocopy of his passport needs to be made.
2) This should be taken to the Indian Embassy for affixing the signature and seal of the concerned officials (even in a small country such as Switzerland, this can take up a whole day or even more if one includes waiting time at the Embassy)
3) The photocopy then needs to be notarized by a local solicitor.
4) This document should then be couriered to the Expat Office in Bangalore where it would be used to apply for his Director Identification Number (DIN).
5) On applying, an application form would be generated and this would be couriered back to him.
6) On receiving this application form by courier you would need to sign at pre-designated places on the form and courier the form back to us at the Bangalore Office.
7) This form would then be submitted to the Registrar of Companies and his DIN would be allotted (on payment of the necessary fees).
In most countries, it would be either step 2 or step 3 (asking for step 3 after step 2 is tantamount to saying that the Indian government does not trust its own Embassies!). Here a simple change, asking for items 2 OR 3, instead of both 2 AND 3, would make life easier for investors.
Sequencing items 5-7 AFTER items 1-4 simply slows down the process. If the form (item 6) were issued at the start of the process, then the whole caboodle would be shortened. That would be a very useful second change in the procedure.
So two simple changes would make life simpler and easier for NRI investors and not change anything in terms of the information required by the government. Sphere: Related Content
In order to actually achieve this, however, apparently he has to take the following steps:
1) A colour photocopy of his passport needs to be made.
2) This should be taken to the Indian Embassy for affixing the signature and seal of the concerned officials (even in a small country such as Switzerland, this can take up a whole day or even more if one includes waiting time at the Embassy)
3) The photocopy then needs to be notarized by a local solicitor.
4) This document should then be couriered to the Expat Office in Bangalore where it would be used to apply for his Director Identification Number (DIN).
5) On applying, an application form would be generated and this would be couriered back to him.
6) On receiving this application form by courier you would need to sign at pre-designated places on the form and courier the form back to us at the Bangalore Office.
7) This form would then be submitted to the Registrar of Companies and his DIN would be allotted (on payment of the necessary fees).
In most countries, it would be either step 2 or step 3 (asking for step 3 after step 2 is tantamount to saying that the Indian government does not trust its own Embassies!). Here a simple change, asking for items 2 OR 3, instead of both 2 AND 3, would make life easier for investors.
Sequencing items 5-7 AFTER items 1-4 simply slows down the process. If the form (item 6) were issued at the start of the process, then the whole caboodle would be shortened. That would be a very useful second change in the procedure.
So two simple changes would make life simpler and easier for NRI investors and not change anything in terms of the information required by the government. Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Press Release in Response to the report "Caste System" by the Hindu Council of the UK
To provide a befitting response to HCUK’s misleading report on Caste Discrimination
titled: ‘Caste System’ by Dr. Raj Pandit Sharma, a meeting was held at Ambedkar
Centre, Southall, United Kingdom on Sunday 2nd March 2007.
It was attended by members of Valmiki Community, Ravidasi Community, Indian Christians and Indian Buddhists.
To oppose the forthcoming Single Equality Bill in British Parliament and the likely
inclusion of caste based discrimination within it, has triggered this unprecedented alarm
among the Hindu fundamentalists.
To nip the efforts of progressive British Members of Parliament in the bud they have waged shameless onslaught on them and leveled baseless allegations of conversion of marginalized victims of Hindu caste discrimination onto Christianity and other religions.
Their report has been so very prejudiced and full of absurdities that they have
forgotten that the issues they have raised were effectively countered and dispelled by
none other than the Architect of Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar during his
lifetime. It is the meek effort of HCUK to sell its ideas to the western world hoping that
they would be digested without verification and scrutiny.
Thanks to the Government of Maharashtra’s (India) initiative in publishing the writings and speeches of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar which are available on Ambedkar.org website wherein every point raised in HCUK’s report has already been countered effectively and successfully. In their report, they have even gone ahead and produced a document in the name of Valimiki Sabha
Southall which supposedly has endorsed HCUK’s view. By doing so, HCUK has exposed
itself and its policy of ‘divide and rule’.
We would neither like to name nor shame the Hindu Council for producing this document
as it has given us an opportunity to present the facts straight across to the British media to
settle the age-old scores against the heinous practices of the caste ridden Hindu religion
which has kept 250 million Indians away from enjoying basic human rights. The report
has ascribed the ill-effects of caste discrimination existing in India unfortunately to
British Raj and the various invasions and foreign rules in India - forgetting that the basic
scriptures of Hindu religion like Rigveda, Gita & Manusmriti pre-date all foreign rules.
It was really not essential for them to have come out with a 30 page document as it could
be reduced to not more than 3 pages; since it only projects their apprehensions on the
proposed Single Equality Bill in the British parliament which could have far reaching
impact of having its place in European Parliament and further in the United Nations as
well. This not only concerns Hindu Council UK but also the Hindu bureaucracy in the
Indian Government which has been consistently denying the caste discrimination existing
in India to the enquiries made by United Nations. Caste has always been projected as the
‘internal’ and ‘cultural’ aspects of Hindu society; thus evading international scrutiny and
examination.
Caste discrimination has neither been compared with apartheid by British MP’s nor by
any other international communities but it has been unequivocally expressed by the
present Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh on December 27, 2006. The HCUK
report has mentioned this fact without mentioning the Prime Minister’s name.
HCUK shouldn’t really have gone for mudslinging against various organizations such as Dalit
Solidarity Network UK and Caste Watch UK as these organizations have beyond doubt
been instrumental in providing voice to 250 million people discriminated on the basis of
caste in the Indian sub continent and in the UK.
The HCUK having lived in this civilized country could have frankly accepted the responsibility of Hindu religion for the inhuman creation of caste system and been apologetic about its role in this practice. The meeting at Ambedkar Centre, Southall has constituted a committee which would carry out research and will come out with a full report in due course of time. This full report would inform the world once and for all unambiguously the nefarious designs of spreading
disinformation and hiding facts that Hindu Council UK has employed.
UK government should in fact take an initiative and have implementation of the General
recommendation XXIX of The United Nations CERD’s (Committee on the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination) in order to prohibit and eliminate Caste discrimination
effectively. This should be in furtherance of its commitment to elimination of slavery 200
years ago.
We take this opportunity to inform British Parliamentarians that let the good sense
prevail in supporting our cause to include caste discrimination in the forthcoming Single
Equality Bill.
Contact: Mr. C. Chahal Sphere: Related Content
titled: ‘Caste System’ by Dr. Raj Pandit Sharma, a meeting was held at Ambedkar
Centre, Southall, United Kingdom on Sunday 2nd March 2007.
It was attended by members of Valmiki Community, Ravidasi Community, Indian Christians and Indian Buddhists.
To oppose the forthcoming Single Equality Bill in British Parliament and the likely
inclusion of caste based discrimination within it, has triggered this unprecedented alarm
among the Hindu fundamentalists.
To nip the efforts of progressive British Members of Parliament in the bud they have waged shameless onslaught on them and leveled baseless allegations of conversion of marginalized victims of Hindu caste discrimination onto Christianity and other religions.
Their report has been so very prejudiced and full of absurdities that they have
forgotten that the issues they have raised were effectively countered and dispelled by
none other than the Architect of Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar during his
lifetime. It is the meek effort of HCUK to sell its ideas to the western world hoping that
they would be digested without verification and scrutiny.
Thanks to the Government of Maharashtra’s (India) initiative in publishing the writings and speeches of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar which are available on Ambedkar.org website wherein every point raised in HCUK’s report has already been countered effectively and successfully. In their report, they have even gone ahead and produced a document in the name of Valimiki Sabha
Southall which supposedly has endorsed HCUK’s view. By doing so, HCUK has exposed
itself and its policy of ‘divide and rule’.
We would neither like to name nor shame the Hindu Council for producing this document
as it has given us an opportunity to present the facts straight across to the British media to
settle the age-old scores against the heinous practices of the caste ridden Hindu religion
which has kept 250 million Indians away from enjoying basic human rights. The report
has ascribed the ill-effects of caste discrimination existing in India unfortunately to
British Raj and the various invasions and foreign rules in India - forgetting that the basic
scriptures of Hindu religion like Rigveda, Gita & Manusmriti pre-date all foreign rules.
It was really not essential for them to have come out with a 30 page document as it could
be reduced to not more than 3 pages; since it only projects their apprehensions on the
proposed Single Equality Bill in the British parliament which could have far reaching
impact of having its place in European Parliament and further in the United Nations as
well. This not only concerns Hindu Council UK but also the Hindu bureaucracy in the
Indian Government which has been consistently denying the caste discrimination existing
in India to the enquiries made by United Nations. Caste has always been projected as the
‘internal’ and ‘cultural’ aspects of Hindu society; thus evading international scrutiny and
examination.
Caste discrimination has neither been compared with apartheid by British MP’s nor by
any other international communities but it has been unequivocally expressed by the
present Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh on December 27, 2006. The HCUK
report has mentioned this fact without mentioning the Prime Minister’s name.
HCUK shouldn’t really have gone for mudslinging against various organizations such as Dalit
Solidarity Network UK and Caste Watch UK as these organizations have beyond doubt
been instrumental in providing voice to 250 million people discriminated on the basis of
caste in the Indian sub continent and in the UK.
The HCUK having lived in this civilized country could have frankly accepted the responsibility of Hindu religion for the inhuman creation of caste system and been apologetic about its role in this practice. The meeting at Ambedkar Centre, Southall has constituted a committee which would carry out research and will come out with a full report in due course of time. This full report would inform the world once and for all unambiguously the nefarious designs of spreading
disinformation and hiding facts that Hindu Council UK has employed.
UK government should in fact take an initiative and have implementation of the General
recommendation XXIX of The United Nations CERD’s (Committee on the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination) in order to prohibit and eliminate Caste discrimination
effectively. This should be in furtherance of its commitment to elimination of slavery 200
years ago.
We take this opportunity to inform British Parliamentarians that let the good sense
prevail in supporting our cause to include caste discrimination in the forthcoming Single
Equality Bill.
Contact: Mr. C. Chahal Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, March 08, 2008
multitasking or singletasking: which is Indian?
A young friend writes personally to me as follows:
"From the time that they lined up to fill their plates to the time that they finished their dessert of yogurt made from the milk of the buffalo that lives in the shed out back, these young Indians remained conspicuously silent. Coming from a culture where talking is an important part of any meal, the silence struck me immediately. I wanted to practice speaking Hindi with our young hosts at this shelter home, but I decided to wait until finding out the reason for the solemn meal. For the next few minutes, I awkwardly finished my own meal using my fingers. Later, Charu, one of our guides, explained that the students are forbidden to speak during their meals. She elaborated that it is an important principle in India to do one thing at a time. The rationale is that a person will do a better job of nourishing the body when completely focused on that task. There will always be time to talk after the meal. I admire this Indian aversion to multitasking, and am interested to see how it manifests in other areas of the society. In the sprawling metropolis of Delhi where I spent the first part of the week, I didnt see anyone phoning while driving or reading the newspaper while walking down the street. Multitasking is the norm in American society and in my daily life. While I am here in India, I am going to try doing one thing at a time and see how it goes."
My response:
" I don't know what group you are wtih, but they are fooling you if they want you to believe that there is anything Indian about singletasking! The whole of India lives on multi-tasking from the President of the country to the poorest and least-educated person, and from the richest to the poorest! If you haven't yet seen multi-tasking in India, then you need to open your eyes and look more "innocently" around you.
"Singletasking is good in itself and if you want to see a society that has internalised it, teaches it, practices it and lives on it, you need to visit Continental Europe (not UK)
These Indians are trying to teach something that is good to fellow-Indians (and perhaps foreigners) but are doing so on the basis of a lie - singeltasking is not Indian at all.
The idea of concentration is well accepted in India, but only in relation to one field: meditation – when it is a case of meditating on nothing or nothingness – such as the sound of a meaningless though supposedly powerful word (mantra) or the tip of your nose or the feelings involved in breathing or something like that
However, if you can learn singletasking, whether in India or elsewhere, that will not be a bad thing at all!" Sphere: Related Content
"From the time that they lined up to fill their plates to the time that they finished their dessert of yogurt made from the milk of the buffalo that lives in the shed out back, these young Indians remained conspicuously silent. Coming from a culture where talking is an important part of any meal, the silence struck me immediately. I wanted to practice speaking Hindi with our young hosts at this shelter home, but I decided to wait until finding out the reason for the solemn meal. For the next few minutes, I awkwardly finished my own meal using my fingers. Later, Charu, one of our guides, explained that the students are forbidden to speak during their meals. She elaborated that it is an important principle in India to do one thing at a time. The rationale is that a person will do a better job of nourishing the body when completely focused on that task. There will always be time to talk after the meal. I admire this Indian aversion to multitasking, and am interested to see how it manifests in other areas of the society. In the sprawling metropolis of Delhi where I spent the first part of the week, I didnt see anyone phoning while driving or reading the newspaper while walking down the street. Multitasking is the norm in American society and in my daily life. While I am here in India, I am going to try doing one thing at a time and see how it goes."
My response:
" I don't know what group you are wtih, but they are fooling you if they want you to believe that there is anything Indian about singletasking! The whole of India lives on multi-tasking from the President of the country to the poorest and least-educated person, and from the richest to the poorest! If you haven't yet seen multi-tasking in India, then you need to open your eyes and look more "innocently" around you.
"Singletasking is good in itself and if you want to see a society that has internalised it, teaches it, practices it and lives on it, you need to visit Continental Europe (not UK)
These Indians are trying to teach something that is good to fellow-Indians (and perhaps foreigners) but are doing so on the basis of a lie - singeltasking is not Indian at all.
The idea of concentration is well accepted in India, but only in relation to one field: meditation – when it is a case of meditating on nothing or nothingness – such as the sound of a meaningless though supposedly powerful word (mantra) or the tip of your nose or the feelings involved in breathing or something like that
However, if you can learn singletasking, whether in India or elsewhere, that will not be a bad thing at all!" Sphere: Related Content
Monday, February 25, 2008
Comment on my post "The psychology of the new Hindutva terrorists"
As you know, I generally do not publish comments from people who do not now me or at least enter into some minimum relationship with me by giving me some minimum information on themselves (though they do not have to reveal that information to the public on my Blogsite).
However, an anonymous person who calls herself/ himself "universalhindu" has sent me a comment on my post "The psychology of the new Hindutva terrorists". I feel that her/ his comment merit publication under the right to reply (usually, anonymous comments are simply hate-mail).
She or he says: "When somebody from the film world distorts history blatantly just for the sake of box office affecting Hindu sentiments Hindus naturally will feel hurt and point out the injustice and protest. Anybody who sees 'Jodha Akbar' will definitely feel the armtwisting of history to suit purse linings of the film team. "
This is a very similar argument to those used by Muslims who wanted to ban THE SATANIC VERSES, and those of Christians who wanted to ban some of the filmy/ novels of Dan Brown. No doubt there are some Buddhists who are indulging or have indulged in similar behaviour somewhere - and Marxists - and so on.
The question is what to do when someone is distorting, you believe, the truth about something or someone you hold dear.
The first matter to explore is whether the "distortion" is meant as entertainment or as a serious attack.
If it is intended as entertainment, then one naturally will not like things that are dear to one being used for that purpose. However, in the modern world, it is not possible to prevent entertainment even if it is offensive to you. One person's joke is another person's insult. We should all learn to grow up and not have infantile prickliness about things that are not intended seriously.
A film or a novel is not a work of history. It is an imaginative exploration of some theme for the purpose of whiling away the time. If one happens to get some instruction from it, that is a bonus. But one does not go to these sorts of things for instruction. One goes for escape, for emotional release, for fun.
Naturally, the novelist or film-maker wants to make money. But at least he/she is trying to make money by doing something productive, and not simply by cheating or by getting bribes. If he/she/they produce a moderately satisfactory product they will make a moderate amount of money; if they provide an outstanding product, they will make an outstanding amount of money; if they provide a poor product, they will end up losing a lot of money. In all such matters, the market decides. Either you believe in the virtues of a free market or you don't. If you don't, then you believe in controlled markets and the limitations and foolishnesses of controlled markets have been demonstrated for decades if not centuries.
In India, it has historically been proven that "devotional" type films produce many times more money than "anti-religious films". So I doubt if the people involved in "Jodhaa Akbar" were actually trying to attack any religion, let alone any of the religions of us hindus. These filmi guys were simply trying to produce a piece of entertainment - but they did it in a way that happens to hurt our sentiments.
However, today the situation is that one gets "distortions" even in works that present themselves as serious works of history!
For these, as for works of entertainment, the best strategy is rational debate in the open market of ideas. Ultimately, people believe what they want to - and whatever they believe shapes not only their individual lives but also their family lives and their community and national lives. Ultimately, history judges the fruit of whatever one believes. The difference between secular, atheist, marxist, buddhist, etc beliefs is clear for all to see in the communities and nations such beliefs have produced and are producing.
THE SATANIC VERSES was not the first "attack" on Islam. In fact, there are any number of much more blasphemous literary works (well, at least poems!) available in Urdu and Persian to my knowledge (I don't know Arabic, but I can't imagine that they don't exist in that language too). Many of these go back some centuries. Similarly, attacks on Christ go back right to his own time, two thousand years ago. But the followers of Christ continue to grow and grow (not only within the horrible thing called "Christianity"). And the followers of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) are today the 2nd largest conglomeration of religious people in the world.
Dear "universalhindu", please focus your efforts on positive rational debate that commends whatever you believe to thinking people and not on such negative things as violence - that will bring only disrepute to whatever kind of belief you hold.
In most parts of the world, mobilisation of the "faithful" for violence is merely a pretext or a mechanism to mobilise them for the sake of grabbing political power. But once political power has been grabbed in this way, it is usually only to the benefit of the few who have grabbed power in terms of money under the table to them.
We see this under Bush in the USA, we have seen this in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other so-called "Islamic countries" for nearly a century now. We have even seen it in our own country, when the BJP was in power. Not that the other political parties were or are any better!
My point is only that religious mobilisation can land a corrupt group of people in power but that does not help the nation or even the community that allowed itself to be mobilised for the purpose. Sphere: Related Content
However, an anonymous person who calls herself/ himself "universalhindu" has sent me a comment on my post "The psychology of the new Hindutva terrorists". I feel that her/ his comment merit publication under the right to reply (usually, anonymous comments are simply hate-mail).
She or he says: "When somebody from the film world distorts history blatantly just for the sake of box office affecting Hindu sentiments Hindus naturally will feel hurt and point out the injustice and protest. Anybody who sees 'Jodha Akbar' will definitely feel the armtwisting of history to suit purse linings of the film team. "
This is a very similar argument to those used by Muslims who wanted to ban THE SATANIC VERSES, and those of Christians who wanted to ban some of the filmy/ novels of Dan Brown. No doubt there are some Buddhists who are indulging or have indulged in similar behaviour somewhere - and Marxists - and so on.
The question is what to do when someone is distorting, you believe, the truth about something or someone you hold dear.
The first matter to explore is whether the "distortion" is meant as entertainment or as a serious attack.
If it is intended as entertainment, then one naturally will not like things that are dear to one being used for that purpose. However, in the modern world, it is not possible to prevent entertainment even if it is offensive to you. One person's joke is another person's insult. We should all learn to grow up and not have infantile prickliness about things that are not intended seriously.
A film or a novel is not a work of history. It is an imaginative exploration of some theme for the purpose of whiling away the time. If one happens to get some instruction from it, that is a bonus. But one does not go to these sorts of things for instruction. One goes for escape, for emotional release, for fun.
Naturally, the novelist or film-maker wants to make money. But at least he/she is trying to make money by doing something productive, and not simply by cheating or by getting bribes. If he/she/they produce a moderately satisfactory product they will make a moderate amount of money; if they provide an outstanding product, they will make an outstanding amount of money; if they provide a poor product, they will end up losing a lot of money. In all such matters, the market decides. Either you believe in the virtues of a free market or you don't. If you don't, then you believe in controlled markets and the limitations and foolishnesses of controlled markets have been demonstrated for decades if not centuries.
In India, it has historically been proven that "devotional" type films produce many times more money than "anti-religious films". So I doubt if the people involved in "Jodhaa Akbar" were actually trying to attack any religion, let alone any of the religions of us hindus. These filmi guys were simply trying to produce a piece of entertainment - but they did it in a way that happens to hurt our sentiments.
However, today the situation is that one gets "distortions" even in works that present themselves as serious works of history!
For these, as for works of entertainment, the best strategy is rational debate in the open market of ideas. Ultimately, people believe what they want to - and whatever they believe shapes not only their individual lives but also their family lives and their community and national lives. Ultimately, history judges the fruit of whatever one believes. The difference between secular, atheist, marxist, buddhist, etc beliefs is clear for all to see in the communities and nations such beliefs have produced and are producing.
THE SATANIC VERSES was not the first "attack" on Islam. In fact, there are any number of much more blasphemous literary works (well, at least poems!) available in Urdu and Persian to my knowledge (I don't know Arabic, but I can't imagine that they don't exist in that language too). Many of these go back some centuries. Similarly, attacks on Christ go back right to his own time, two thousand years ago. But the followers of Christ continue to grow and grow (not only within the horrible thing called "Christianity"). And the followers of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) are today the 2nd largest conglomeration of religious people in the world.
Dear "universalhindu", please focus your efforts on positive rational debate that commends whatever you believe to thinking people and not on such negative things as violence - that will bring only disrepute to whatever kind of belief you hold.
In most parts of the world, mobilisation of the "faithful" for violence is merely a pretext or a mechanism to mobilise them for the sake of grabbing political power. But once political power has been grabbed in this way, it is usually only to the benefit of the few who have grabbed power in terms of money under the table to them.
We see this under Bush in the USA, we have seen this in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other so-called "Islamic countries" for nearly a century now. We have even seen it in our own country, when the BJP was in power. Not that the other political parties were or are any better!
My point is only that religious mobilisation can land a corrupt group of people in power but that does not help the nation or even the community that allowed itself to be mobilised for the purpose. Sphere: Related Content
The psychology of the new Hindutva terrorists
I have just received a mail, from someone claiming to be a Hindu, with the following text: Namaskar
This is an awareness drive to awake people to boycott movie 'Jodhaa Akbar'.The movie Jodhaa Akbar is a vile, vicious, and covert attempt by a mischievous producer/director from Bollywood (Mumbai) to make quick bucks by denigrating and vilifying the Hindu (Rajput) people. ...
Visit - http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/3815.html to -
Know true story of Cruel Akbar and Jodhaabai
Know the people behind this conspiracy (The movie crew)
View glimpses of protests
Send this mail to your friends for creating awareness and protecting self-respect.
Shameful Hindus who throng to watch Jodhaa-Akbar, a film which glorifies Hindu hater Cruel Akbar, are worthy of getting killed by Terrorists!
So, according to "Hindu Jagruti", it is now not only "Christian missionaries" and "muslim mobsters" who are to be targeted, it is also "shameful Hindus".
The definition of "shameful Hindus" is interesting: everyone who sees this film!
Today, all "non-shameful Hindus" are told to avoid watching this film (and a few others), and the paintings of M. F. Husain (and of a few others). Tomorrow we will be told what to wear and what we can think.
The aim of Hindu Jagruti and other groups like it is simple: totalitarian control.
Exactly what was sought by the German Nazis, the Italian Fascists, the Russian Marxists, the Chinese Maoists and the contemporary political right-wing in Europe and (particularly) the UK and USA. Like them all, Hindu Jagruti will also fail in its quest for totalitarian control.
However, the attitude of Hindu Jagruti is exactly equivalent to that of Muslims who wanted to target Salman Rushdie for writing THE SATANIC VERSES.
The psychology of the new Hindutva terrorist seems to me no different from the psychology of the Muslim suicide-bomber: both are so totally consumed by hatred that they are unable to see the distinction between art and history, philosophy and sociology, politics and life.
As the vast majority of Hindus around the world are "shameful Hindus" on one count or another, we had better all watch out. Sphere: Related Content
This is an awareness drive to awake people to boycott movie 'Jodhaa Akbar'.The movie Jodhaa Akbar is a vile, vicious, and covert attempt by a mischievous producer/director from Bollywood (Mumbai) to make quick bucks by denigrating and vilifying the Hindu (Rajput) people. ...
Visit - http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/3815.html to -
Know true story of Cruel Akbar and Jodhaabai
Know the people behind this conspiracy (The movie crew)
View glimpses of protests
Send this mail to your friends for creating awareness and protecting self-respect.
Shameful Hindus who throng to watch Jodhaa-Akbar, a film which glorifies Hindu hater Cruel Akbar, are worthy of getting killed by Terrorists!
So, according to "Hindu Jagruti", it is now not only "Christian missionaries" and "muslim mobsters" who are to be targeted, it is also "shameful Hindus".
The definition of "shameful Hindus" is interesting: everyone who sees this film!
Today, all "non-shameful Hindus" are told to avoid watching this film (and a few others), and the paintings of M. F. Husain (and of a few others). Tomorrow we will be told what to wear and what we can think.
The aim of Hindu Jagruti and other groups like it is simple: totalitarian control.
Exactly what was sought by the German Nazis, the Italian Fascists, the Russian Marxists, the Chinese Maoists and the contemporary political right-wing in Europe and (particularly) the UK and USA. Like them all, Hindu Jagruti will also fail in its quest for totalitarian control.
However, the attitude of Hindu Jagruti is exactly equivalent to that of Muslims who wanted to target Salman Rushdie for writing THE SATANIC VERSES.
The psychology of the new Hindutva terrorist seems to me no different from the psychology of the Muslim suicide-bomber: both are so totally consumed by hatred that they are unable to see the distinction between art and history, philosophy and sociology, politics and life.
As the vast majority of Hindus around the world are "shameful Hindus" on one count or another, we had better all watch out. Sphere: Related Content
"mahâjan"
In response to my query regarding this word, Professor Dr. Rahul Peter Das of the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, in Germany, has sent me a personal e-mail which he has kindly allowed me to quote:
"The most common meaning (in Hindi and Bengali, and I suppose in other South Asian languages too) is 'moneylender, banker' (apart from 'great person'). However, in Sanskrit 'mahâjana' is actually found in the sense of 'mass of the populace'. It is, of course, common practice for modern South Asian languages to borrow from Sanskrit, and thus there is theoretically no bar to using 'mahâjan' in the meaning which the Sanskrit expression can have. Whether that is in accord with the nature of the word in the modern languages is another matter. I would very much doubt whether a modern speaker confronted with "mahâjan" would even know the meaning "mass of the populace", unless he be quite learned." Sphere: Related Content
"The most common meaning (in Hindi and Bengali, and I suppose in other South Asian languages too) is 'moneylender, banker' (apart from 'great person'). However, in Sanskrit 'mahâjana' is actually found in the sense of 'mass of the populace'. It is, of course, common practice for modern South Asian languages to borrow from Sanskrit, and thus there is theoretically no bar to using 'mahâjan' in the meaning which the Sanskrit expression can have. Whether that is in accord with the nature of the word in the modern languages is another matter. I would very much doubt whether a modern speaker confronted with "mahâjan" would even know the meaning "mass of the populace", unless he be quite learned." Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Can Western civilisation be saved? Why imitate those who are messed up?
My friend Kuru Chandy from Lucknow has sent me the following, which he says has been doing the rounds since last year. But it is so good/funny/tragic that I have decided to include it here:
"Stop this madness: The Westernisation of Child Rearing"
School 1960 vs. School 2008
SCENARIO: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1960 Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up mates.
2008 Police are called, SWAT team arrives and arrests Johnny and Mark. Mobiles with video of fight confiscated as evidence. They are charged with assault, AVOs are taken out and both are suspended even though Johnny started it. Diversionary conferences and parent meetings conducted. Video shown on 6 internet sites.
SCENARIO: Jeffrey won't sit still in class, disrupts other students.
1960 Jeffrey is sent to the principal's office and given a good paddling. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2008 Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. Counselled to death. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra funding because Jeffrey has a disability. Drops out of school.
SCENARIO: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1960 Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2008 Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. Psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mum has an affair with the psychologist. Psychologist gets a promotion.
SCENARIO: Mark, a student, chews gum in class
1960 Mark shares gum with the school principal.
2008 Police are called and Mark is expelled from School for drug possession. His car is searched for drugs and weapons.
SCENARIO: Johnny falls during recess and scrapes his knee. His teacher, Mary, finds him crying, and gives him a hug to comfort him.
1960 Johnny soon feels better and goes back to playing.
2008 Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy. Becomes gay.
SCENARIO: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers, puts them in a model plane paint bottle and blows up an anthill.
1960 Ants die.
2008 Security and ASIO are called and Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. Teams investigate parents, siblings are removed from the home, computers are confiscated, and Johnny's dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
SCENARIO: Raju I.M. Indian fails high school English.
1960 Raju gets special coaching in Remedial English, passes and goes to college.
2008 Raju's cause is taken up by local human rights group. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that making English a requirement for graduation is racist. Civil Liberties Association files class action lawsuit against state school system and his English teacher. English is banned from core curriculum. Raju is allowed to pass anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English. Sphere: Related Content
"Stop this madness: The Westernisation of Child Rearing"
School 1960 vs. School 2008
SCENARIO: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1960 Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up mates.
2008 Police are called, SWAT team arrives and arrests Johnny and Mark. Mobiles with video of fight confiscated as evidence. They are charged with assault, AVOs are taken out and both are suspended even though Johnny started it. Diversionary conferences and parent meetings conducted. Video shown on 6 internet sites.
SCENARIO: Jeffrey won't sit still in class, disrupts other students.
1960 Jeffrey is sent to the principal's office and given a good paddling. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2008 Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. Counselled to death. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra funding because Jeffrey has a disability. Drops out of school.
SCENARIO: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1960 Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2008 Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. Psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mum has an affair with the psychologist. Psychologist gets a promotion.
SCENARIO: Mark, a student, chews gum in class
1960 Mark shares gum with the school principal.
2008 Police are called and Mark is expelled from School for drug possession. His car is searched for drugs and weapons.
SCENARIO: Johnny falls during recess and scrapes his knee. His teacher, Mary, finds him crying, and gives him a hug to comfort him.
1960 Johnny soon feels better and goes back to playing.
2008 Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy. Becomes gay.
SCENARIO: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers, puts them in a model plane paint bottle and blows up an anthill.
1960 Ants die.
2008 Security and ASIO are called and Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. Teams investigate parents, siblings are removed from the home, computers are confiscated, and Johnny's dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
SCENARIO: Raju I.M. Indian fails high school English.
1960 Raju gets special coaching in Remedial English, passes and goes to college.
2008 Raju's cause is taken up by local human rights group. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that making English a requirement for graduation is racist. Civil Liberties Association files class action lawsuit against state school system and his English teacher. English is banned from core curriculum. Raju is allowed to pass anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English. Sphere: Related Content
Monday, February 18, 2008
What is the right basis for recognising Kosovo?
I gather that the EU's leaders are about to commit a historical and legal (and historic) absurdity, not by recognising Kosovo, but by the basis on which they are proposing to do so.
This basis appears to be to exempt the case from the rule saying international borders can only be changed with the agreement of all parties - because of the province's history of "conflict, ethnic cleansing and humanitarian catastrophe".
If the maximum claimed figure of 12,000 Kosovan casualties can be called "ethnic cleansing" then, on that basis, the world should recognise Scotland and Wales (and probably Yorkshire and several other regions) if these regions choose to bid for independence, as these regions were also subject to such "ethnic cleansing" by the English in the past. In what is France today, the world should recognise the independence of, for example La Rochelle and Lyons where the Huguenots were wiped out or expelled. In India today, the world should immediately recognise Kashmir, Mizoram and Nagaland. In China, the same applies to Tibet, Sinkiang and other regions. And so on.
In fact, accepting such a basis for recognising Kosovo is tantamount to sanctioning, as a prelude to independence, the start of ethnic cleansing in other areas where we have not yet seen this . Sphere: Related Content
This basis appears to be to exempt the case from the rule saying international borders can only be changed with the agreement of all parties - because of the province's history of "conflict, ethnic cleansing and humanitarian catastrophe".
If the maximum claimed figure of 12,000 Kosovan casualties can be called "ethnic cleansing" then, on that basis, the world should recognise Scotland and Wales (and probably Yorkshire and several other regions) if these regions choose to bid for independence, as these regions were also subject to such "ethnic cleansing" by the English in the past. In what is France today, the world should recognise the independence of, for example La Rochelle and Lyons where the Huguenots were wiped out or expelled. In India today, the world should immediately recognise Kashmir, Mizoram and Nagaland. In China, the same applies to Tibet, Sinkiang and other regions. And so on.
In fact, accepting such a basis for recognising Kosovo is tantamount to sanctioning, as a prelude to independence, the start of ethnic cleansing in other areas where we have not yet seen this . Sphere: Related Content
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