Pakistan Insurgencies

CNN - Afghanistan Crossroads - US Officials: Multiple insurgencies overwhelming Pakistan

According to the article Pakistan is "nation under siege." When was that not the case. Since it's inception as a Muslim country Pakistan has been under siege from one outside actor or another. India, Afghanistan, Iran, US, Russia etc. etc.

In 1971 half of the country was lost.

Fast forward to present day quagmire. The nuclear weapons are at the top of the open issues. Word on the street is that it's in the interest of US to somehow control the cache of nuclear tipped missiles and neutralize them. The hawks at the Pentagon are having sleepless nights and they have not spared a moment to see that this Muslim country's defenses are weakened for good. The resistance within Pakistan continues, for now under the banner of national pride. National pride? Its matter of national survival. But, in the process lives are being lost and greater enemies are being created that will perpetuate the cycle of violence for years to come.

In Afghanistan, after the election of Mr. Obama, US could have taken the high road to reconciliation while many factors play themselves out in the background. On the contrary, and against his better judgement while breaking his campaign promises, the Obama government decided to escalate and up the ante. He inherited the current crop of generals and they decided, at the military's recommendations, to continue the status quo: take no prisoners; make not peace with anybody; eliminate rather than integrate. In the process what is happening is that the insurgency is being pushed out of Afghanistan into Pakistan. Problem solved? Yes, of the nuclear arms since that will allow US to "create" the atmosphere to pressure Pakistan to give up its nukes. Pakistan without nukes is a sitting duck for any taker.

Internal problems and strife abound in Pakistan. Anything and everything goes to the highest bidder.

What Pakistan needs is open access to the most sophisticated arms and first rate training. The current crop of US operatives in Pakistan with their covert support for the Pakistani army, under the watchful eyes of Indian interests, is never going to do the job. The people of Pakistan, just like many times in the past, have bought the idea of Pakistan being an ally of US and want some action from US instead of empty promises.

The second rate under secretaries of defense and that of the state department, the trainees, should be replaced with somebody who has some clout to push the process through congress for substantial and real aid at the right place. They need to select people from outside, Pakistanis who have lived in US, Europe, Asia, or the Gulf countries to spearhead the distribution of the money allocated for aid to Pakistan. To head the progress and see through the completion of projects. Anybody from the inside is too corrupt to make a difference.

There is some hope for Pakistan and by proxy for Afghanistan but time is running out fast. As the article points out, the insurgency that was quelled is raising its ugly head back up and this time it will be twice as difficult to control it.

Top 10 Myths of Iz-ra-eeli-Paletinian Peace Process

1. Iz-ra-eel Wants Peace
2. Iz-ra-eel Left Gaza
3. Arabs living in Iz-ra-eel have equal rights
4. Nut-n-yahoo is sincere about negotiating a peace deal with Arabs
5. Iz-ra-eel only targets militants
6. Iz-ra-eel respects human rights for all its citizens
7. There are no Iz-ra-eeli extremists
8. American politicians are not influenced in favor of Iz-ra-eel
9. There is no organ harvesting scandal backed by the highest levels of government of Iz-ra-eel
10. American Media is fair and balanced and reports everything accurately when it comes to Iz-ra-eeli/Arab politics

Obama Legacy

Now that the debate on health care is over and it has become the law its time to move on to other more pressing issues in the world politics. For an American president its never too early to talk about legacy. Anybody can build a library and a highway can be named after them, real work for legacy takes courage, vision, and determination. Obama has shown to have those qualities.

The odds against President Obama are still stacked mile high in the form of Cheney, Bush, AIPAC, Foxxx News and that ugly little GOP poodle that won't stop barking, Sarah Palin. Yet despite the odds, President Obama has done wonderfully. His stature as a leader around the world is recognized and improving. Just the other day Russian President showered him with unprecedented praise coming from a Russian leader for any sitting American president. He is well liked almost all around the world except in certain circles where he can not win no matter what he does short of bombing the entire world for the benefit of one group. As such he will have much easier time now with the next agenda item on the world stage, whatever that happens to be. In the process the stature of America the world over has improved. It's time for Obama to look forward and do great things, not only for America but for the whole world. Here is a list of top five agenda setting items:

1. End the war on terror - officially or otherwise
War on terror is the legacy of Bush and what a legacy that is. The legacy of hate and crimes against humanity. End the war on terror but that does not mean we can not promote democracy and freedom for the oppressed people around the world. There is no shortage of oppressed people around the world but the iron fist has never helped sustain a real democracy, and the alternative can only be pushed when there is enough of a peace and harmony to realize the dividends of democracy and freedom. That also does not mean we have to compromise on our security. What we need is to reign in the rogue elements within the government and stop the False Red Flag Attacks on America, which many think is an inside job.

2. Have direct talks with Iran - no preconditions
Under tremendous pressure from the wrong side of the isle, Iran was never offered a place at the negotiating table. The threats, from the remnants of the old regime still marauding as if Bush never left the office, never ceased. There was no offer made. The preconditions were all in place. The grievances of either side were never addressed. The outcome of the diplomacy with the second and third level diplomats (no influence and no authority to offer anything substantial) were a sham for the news media hounds to report the failure. Negotiations were means to an end. That end was to have the negotiations fail for the world to see that Iranians are not cooperating.

Its time for real negotiations with Iran. These talks have to be at the highest level, started and run by somebody that matters and by somebody who does not have minimal allegiance to special interest groups. No operative of AIPAC from the state department will do; that essentially takes the whole state department out of the running so it has to be an outsider to start and lead the negotiations with Iran.

Why negotiate? Although the threat to the world from Iran is overblown by leaps and bounds and only Foxxx News sees the trigger finger set to go off (which means anybody with iota of intelligence can relax, really), the ideological threat does exist and its substantial. A negotiated end to Iranian uranium enrichment crises can lead to other issues being settled without having to allocate resources and manpower.


3. Completely muzzle the old regime - including Liz Cheney
Stonewall Foxxx News and Associated Press. These two outfits have done more damage to American peoples' psyche then any other two outfits combined. The impact is tremendous but the truth finally comes out. They are strictly the mouthpieces for the far far right fringe elements and that include pretty much the entire GOP leadership of today. Far and wide there are no moderates in GOP anymore, none that get any press time. Its as if they have all converted to Islam or something - they never have a chance with the press.

More importantly, Liz Cheney, Daddy Cheney and the entire hate mongering right wing machine has to be shut down. Shut it down for the sake of American people. Enough with the hatred, enough with the wars, enough with the killing. People want peace and harmony. People want to live without hatred. People are tired of hatred. People want a new day and a new beginning.

4. Muzzle the Israeli war machine and stop aid to Israel until they come to negotiating table - with no preconditions.
The whole world knows we are supporting Apartheid regime but most can not say anything for fear of reprisals, or don't get their voices heard. Any descent is met with maximum penalty. The rule of law, the right and wrong, the human rights, everything goes out the window when taking sides with Iz-ra-eel.

5. Declare and recognize independent Palestinian state - without further delay
Single most important thing that President Obama can do for the world peace. A fully recognized independent Palestinian state would bring in the most vehement supporters of J1h@d and all the other undesirable things on the world stage. Its the single most important thing any president can do to create a lasting legacy, one that will be remembered forever in the history of the world. It will be that one milestone event that all other events will be judged against. Iraq war will be a distant memory, Afghanistan war will cease to exist. The time for a unilateral recognition of independent State of Palestine has come. Mr. President, act on this opportunity, act on it now, consequences be damned. There will be no consequences.

This is the legacy setting agenda that will make Mr. Obama one of the most popular American President in the history of the world.

Democracy by any Other Name

Many Americans are totally confounded how Iz-ra-eel is supported as a champion for democracy. There is nothing democratic about it.

In a democracy we do not have one road for Iz-ra-eelis and one road for Palestinians. That is not democracy that is apartheid.

In a democracy we have freedom of religion. We don't say you have to be at least 50 years of age before you can enter a certain place of worship. We don't call that democracy we call it religious persecution.

In a democracy we do not kick people from their homes and then tell them they can never return. In the 1948 military operation thousands of civilians from present day Iz-ra-eel, afraid for their lives, fled to present day West Bank, never to be allowed to return to the homes where their families had lived peacefully for hundreds of years. We don’t call that democracy that is called ethnic cleansing.

In a democracy we don't erect checkpoints where Iz-ra-eelis are not stopped and Palestinians have to stop and get frisked. Thousands of Palestinians have to stop at 30 or 40 checkpoints on their way to work and again on their way home. The gates of many of the checkpoints are closed at night. Mothers have given birth and some have bled to death from complications of giving birth while their husbands begged to be let through so they can make it to the hospital. Basically your neighborhoods gate is closed at night and it is not opened even for medical emergencies. We don't call that democracy that is apartheid, that is inhumane.

In a democracy we don't bulldoze the home of parents of a criminal. We punish the person who has committed the crime. We do not make homeless the innocent occupants of a home where one individual may have committed a crime. That is not democracy it is an atrocity and mockery of justice.

In a democracy we respect peoples' right to free speech. We do not run them over with a bulldozer. Rachel Corries’ crime was that she spoke out against Iz-ra-eel’s policy. This young lady from the state of Washington was run over by a Israeli bulldozer while she was protesting the bulldozing of a Palestinian’s home. No one has been held accountable for her murder. That is not democracy, it is barbaric.

In a democracy we have a free press. There are no curbs on the movements of the journalists and they can and should ask probing questions. Iz-ra-eel prevents any journalists to enter Gaza, the Arabs in Iz-ra-eel, just like the Muslims in America are not at all represented in the mainstream media. That is not democracy, that is discrimination, plain and simple.

Will the Pope be Gone Soon?

Resign or Forced Out?

Pope Benedict is under fire for hiding the truth, covering up for the clergy that have done extremely egregious things that come under serious crimes in any jurisdiction. The calls for his resignation have started to surface.

The pope will be gone before the end of this year is out. Just a prediction!
Pope should go ahead and resign the papacy and retire. He will have plenty of time to ask for forgiveness but more importantly, the church will suffer less of acrimony at the hands of its enemies, and there are plenty of them out there, starting with the media. Given the opportunity they can cause lot more damage on top of the damage already caused by the media.

It will be good for the practicing Catholics and many others that may have left the church after these revelations. It will help people reconcile with the church. It will quite the detractors. Pope Urban should have been hanged for his crimes against humanity for instigating the crusades. In many ways this is worse.

Will the Pope Benedict still be around as head of the Catholic church at the end of this year?

It is all about you know who?

I am going to spend all my Bar-Mitzvah money on........

When the fiasco first appeared on the news scene it looked benign and typical Hollywood "he said, she said" tabloid fodder. It went back back and forth several times but Jon and Kate Gosselin of Jon and Kate plus eight fame stayed in the news for weeks on with no end. Eventually it was easy to figure out why. As soon as the news came out of Jon meeting with his Rabbi, it all fell in place. Jon is, after all Jewish and it only makes sense for him to be in the news.

Creating a buzz is an old marketing tool that has been used for years. Some companies have taken it to the limit and they are really good at creating buzz. Although the buzz about Jon and Kate existed long before the messy breakup, the technique is used all around. Way back when, starting with Bob Dylan, and later Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, and of late, Starbucks, Facebook, Sarah Silverman, and the latest "sensations" the Jonas Brothers. Many other faces that are household names hold the same distinction. Having affiliation with certain religious group pays off big. Just ask Laura Shlessinger, the uber obnoxious radio, and later TV psychologist that spewed venom at her listeners majority of the time. Free and gratuitous press creating a buzz, fame, popularity and money streams.
Bob Dylan's original work sucked. It may have had some folksy appeal but musically speaking it was less than mediocre. Fame and notoriety followed never the less. Creating a buzz such as for Starbucks where so much of it is free helps in the long run but all of that is reserved for select few.

In the entertainment industry the kids in the movies only talk about getting their bar-mitzvah money back. They talk about spending it, saving it, or whatever else you can do with the money. It is always Bar-mitzvah money.

So what does it matter. It creates the role models for others to follow. Have you ever seen a role model for Christian kid, perhaps? Of course the only role models for the Muslim kids are growing up as suicide bomber or some such thing. Remember Babel with Brad Pitt.
Unfortunately this happens at the exclusion of all others. Roles are created. Remember Adam Sandler? It started with "stupid" roles and he has matured into something some people can actually tolerate now. So who is taking his place now that he has moved on from the "stupid" roles to more tolerable roles except for Zohan? Somebody else has to fill up that space, right? Jon Heder of course will be the next Adam Sandler.

It is a matter of giving people the opportunity. Only the select few get the opportunity. Is it always matter of being at the right place at the right time? Not really. Does it take hard work? Of course it does but given the opportunity, many WILL do the hard work required to be the next star. Is the exclusivity by design? It sure looks that way based on the extensive review of what goes in the news, how it's portrayed, and what stays out. It also depends on.... you guess it, the buzz and the after buzz which is all reserved for people that belong to the same certain religion.

British Soldiers Using Models of Mosques as Target Practice

This is how the hatred starts. The blame is always one sided.

After Ahmad Rushdie wrote the book Satanic Verses the entire Muslim world was in uproar. Probably rightfully so. Under the guise of freedom of speech Rushdie was lauded in the press, and protected from meeting a well deserved early demise. Mush later the British government bestowed Knighthood on Rushdie making him Sir Ahmad Rushdie.

Today the news comes out that British Military is using cutout models of Mosques for target practice. The green domes, single of double, are the distinctive features of models being used. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

While selling these wars at home as efforts to spread democracy around the world, admissions such as "We hunt for Jesus" are not unheard of. Other examples include:
1. Using copies of Qur'an as target practice
2. Throwing copies of Qur'an on the floor that were used by villagers to swear they do not have any knowledge of Taliban
3. US Army have used verses from bibles inscribed on guns used in Afghanistan as symbol of Christ's army against the mainly Muslim Afghans.
4. People being shot at inside the mosques at point blank
5. Army Chaplains in Afghanistan exhorting US soldiers "to be witnesses" for Jesus. 'The special forces guys -- they hunt men basically. We do the same things as Christians, we hunt people for Jesus. Get the hound of heaven after them, so we get them into the kingdom. That's what we do, that's our business."
6. Bibles are translated in Pashto, Dari and other local languages apparently for distribution to the villagers and the local population
7. Pages of Qur'an were flushed down the toilet at Guantanamo Bay prison run by the US military.

None of these actions are ever in line with the official version that is touted and shoved down our throats: Spreading the freedom and democracy, protecting women's rights, and freedom of speech and expression. At the end of the day it all boils down to supremacy and imperialism. Absolutely nothing else matters.

Crimes Against Humanity

Slowly the stories are trickling out. Murder, mayhem, torture, and any other atrocity one can imagine. All perpetrated against people around the world by those who still think they are purveyors of peace and democracy. Worst of all, the perpetrators continue to be defended by the US army, the civilian command, the press, and most American public.

Of course those who perpetrated these atrocities are directly responsible and should be held accountable and brought to justice without further delay. But don't hold your breath for that. There is no outcry, there is no outpouring of support for the aggrieved, there is no media frenzy, there is no call for special congressional hearings. The politicians are still celebrating the Healthcare bill approval by the congress.

Headline: How Americans are Propagandized About Afghanistan.

The story recounts the horrors of US military personnel killing people in cold blood, then covering their tracks with extensive procedures of extracting bullets from the victims' heads (no less). Then, after killing them, tying the women up to make them look like they were bound and gagged by the men for honor killing. What does it take to do all this? How much time does it take to extract bullets from skull? Who is actually doing the extraction? Is it a doctor/medic that is helping? Where are the platoon leaders, the people at the base, and others involved in the carnage?

All of these heinous acts take planning, time, and approvals from senior officers. How many people does it take to cover up these crimes?

The article cites major news media groups colluding with the army and corroborating the story as authentic at the time all of these atrocities took place. New York Times is part of that collusion!CNN is one of the most trusted names in the news business. They supposedly verified the facts, had their people on the ground and reporting the story, and the quotes from the officers in charge are all real. Is this really happening in America today? This is not a movie, this is real life.

After the truth is revealed neither of the original news sources have, to date, admitted complicity, responsibility, or even acknowledgement of false reporting. Do any of these organizations ever make a mistake?

Headline: WikiLeaks Video shows 12 dead in US Army Apache Assault on unarmed Reuters Cameramen.

"The WikiLeaks video of helicopter gunners shooting civilians and savoring their kills as if playing a video game, although horrific, is understandable." Understandable for who? Understandable from whose point of view?

Now the headlines are: WikiLeaks vidoe shows 12 dead in Iraq army assault
Another one says: WikiLeaks Misrepresents Apache Assault on Medhi [sic] Army Militia
The army senior officers defended these actions at the time. The problem is that even today they continue to defend these criminal and rogue elements. How wide spread is this problem? What about thousands upon thousands of murders in Iraq where people were finding headless bodies all around the city of Baghdad? Who really committed those atrocities? At least at the time they were blamed on militias? But is that really true. Who were those dead people?

The Nation (thenamtion.com), both in print and on their website most recently reported that their reporters in Pakistan saw operatives from US special operation forces involved in suicide bombings via cars and trucks. Since that reporting and some exposure of that news on news boards, the rate of suicide bombings have gone down to almost zero. Is that a coincidence?
Curiously enough, New York Times did not bother to print anything about either the murders in Afghanistan, (which they originally reported as honor killings and Al-Qaida fighters being neutralized) or the Video of innocent Iraqis being gunned down in broad daylight as if somebody is playing video game. CNN reported the story but did not bring all the horrific details to the fore citing concern for family members of the dead Iraqis. Really? Is the video not available in its entirety in million and one places, either directly or via a youtube embed?

These atrocities clearly amount to crimes against humanity. Will these criminals be exposed and brought to justice?

The Idiot in the Middle

If one studies religion of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam they may be surprised to find that without a doubt there are more similarities than there are differences. Starting from the Prophets, the Books, the basic tenets of right and wrong, are all identical in all three religions. Religious teachings, methods of prayer, even some of the timings for prayers is the same with only minor differences. Fasting is proscribed in all three religions in one form or another. Religious giving is practiced by all three religions. Despite the similarities, the differences are what bring the sides to war and atrocities against each other. In this war what role the media is playing? Is the media fair to all three religions? Is media reporting impartial or skewed against one religion or another. Why the atrocities of one religion hidden compared to other? Is that by design?

Media has been trashing Islam for years now. Everyday there are stories portraying Muslims as villains, anti-peace, and anti-America. Lately though Christianity has joined the ranks of religions that are out of media favor. Pope said the other day that unfair media reports target Catholic Church. This has been going on for a while. Lately Church of Scientology has joined the ranks of religious organizations that have been targeted by the mainstream media. It seems like there is a smear campaign underway against both Islam and Christianity. The campaign against Christians is a relatively new phenomenon. It was long time coming though since the malignment of Islam is reaching a point where its now part of the society at large. War against Christianity is the next frontier along with rewriting history for the benefit of the few. One religion that has been responsible for most atrocities through out the world and throughout history has been absent from the news and media scrutiny altogether. This is neither accidental, nor it should come as a surprise to those who have studied media in any length.

Jews have sold themselves as the God's chosen people and they can't do nothing wrong, or so it seems. They have reinforced this idea at every opportunity. Not only that but they have created opportunities to reinforce the idea that they are superior creation compared to the rest of the human race. As such anything and everything they do, including committing heinous atrocities against those who go against them, is considered perfectly alright and it is what is called for. The list of atrocities committed by the jews is rather long. The entire list can not be covered in one article so here's the short version:

Iraq war was the brain child of Richard Perl (AKA Prince of Darkness), a former Likud Party (of Israel) member now a fellow at AEI, the uber conservative think tanks with people like Lynn Cheney as its current members. Two other people instrumental in pushing that war were Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith. All three happen to be jewish. In addition, Richard Perl wrote a white paper in 1988 redrawing the maps of middle east and rest of Asia and Africa. The paper is available on many website.

Atrocities committed by Jews and Israelis, which is one and the same, are so many but each and every one of them is sold to the American public and to the world as mitigating the threat against security of Israel. When it comes to Israel and the jews the world just totally forgets about that because media never questions anything as they question events attributed to Muslims and Christians.

Now the world is gearing up for mass murder against the Iranians. Of course the underlying premise of what is attributed to Iranian leaders is absolutely false but people have already been sold that lie and nobody questions that part anymore. Main stream media has been directly responsible for selling that lie and it continues to reinforce that lie with even bigger lies. It is a lie and people ought to find that out for themselves. Unfortunately, most people are too lazy, to preoccupied with their facebook buddies, and too bogged down with the current news that they don't care what the truth is anymore.

Whoever controls or owns the media controls everything else because that is where the opinions are formed and wars are sold. If you look up Associated Press you will see that it controls 5000+ newspapers and 1700+ TV stations directly. These are news outlets that get their stories primarily from Associated press. In addition there are many other outlets including Yahoo news portal, and now Google News Portal and many other outlets that source articles written for Associated press. These sources are scattered all around the world. If a story break in Pakistan its reported by somebody local in Pakistan, gets fed to the news editors sitting in US, edited for the slant of bias that must go in while protecting the sacred cows of Associated Press and then goes out to general public. Even though Associated Press is touted as a not for profit cooperative Tom Curley, CEO decides what news gets out and what stays in. Tom Curley happens to be jewish.

New York Times is owned by third generation of Sulzberger family. A prominent jewish family in New York area. The paper has nationwide distribution and it is considered to be a premier news source for millions of people around the country. It also owns several TV stations in the east coast and have affiliate relationships with, at last check, at least 8 news papers around the globe. From January 1st 2010 to March 15th 2010 there has never been a single day without at least one major story appearing in New York Times that is vehemently against Islam, Muslims, and Muslim world in general. Add to that special features that appear in the Magazine section and the opinion pieces from the likes of Thomas Friedman and Michael Isikoff. Both of them happen to be jewish. In addition the misceleneosu news articles about Iraq and Iran that are invariably biased and opinionated and none of that is ever good.

NewsCorp is owned by Rupert Murdoch who proudly says his mother was Jewish and he has undying allegiance to jews and Israel. NewsCorp, among other news outlets controls Fox News and Wall Street Journal. Roger Ailers runs the gamut at Fox News. Besides independent confirmation, just based on the news that comes out of Fox its a sure bet that he is jewish with an agenda.

Disney is now privately owned by a conglomeration of interests including Pixar, which in turn is owned by Gaffen Brothers, Spielberg and several other investors that are all jewish.
We are just scratching the surface. One does not have to dive too deep to find out that all media in its entirety is controlled by the jewish interests. From the News papers, to TV stations, to Public Access Channels in most major cities, to National Public Radio (NPR) is all owned and/or operated by jewish interests in one or the other way. Add to that entities like the Scaife and Koch foundations (both jewish owned) with billions of dollars to spend on propaganda at will, and you will know why jews, the perpetrators of most all wars are never in the news and never blamed for anything. Anything outside of that realm of jewish ownership is insignificant and does not matter at all.

Most recently two outfits have seen major changes in how they present the news, what they write about, and how the words are used in the headlines. Reuters have been transformed about three months ago and about a month ago Christian Science Monitor, the mouthpiece of the Church of Scientology has seen a sea change in the coverage. Christian Science Monitor is one of the premier newspaper that was, until recently it seems, was not affiliated with any other news organization such as Associated Press. That is changing now and the end result is yet to be seen.
Among the three main religions, the Muslim are bearing the majority of the blame for all sorts of world problems but the idiots (and I say that with love and affection) in the middle are the Christians. They always side with the jews but never realize that they are being back stabbed on daily basis and sold out right from under their noses.

Healthy Lifestyle

Eating healthy and as a result being healthy, feeling good about yourself, and looking good is no accident. Sometimes its hard work depending on your starting point. No one single habit or routine will get you where you need to be. Just prayers, no matter who you pray to, will not do it either. The suggestions below are just the start. Once you feel and look good many other good things follow. You could become more active, start exercise routine, go out more often, or any number of other things that will complement suggestions listed below.

Start today, start now!

1. Reduce the Portion Size
One of the most important things you can do towards healthy eating. Reduce the portion size to approximately half or at minimum by a quarter. When at the table take small portions and resist the urge for the third helping.

2. Curb the Urge to Eat
If you have had a good breakfast, and you have your lunch waiting but you feel hungry in the middle of the morning curb the urge to eat snacks or whatever you can find in your desk drawer. Get busy with something: Internet, exercise, new project in the office, or just pick up the phone and talk to somebody. Drink some water. Soon enough your mind will be off the food bandwagon and you will enjoy your lunch lot more.

3. No Sodas, just Water Please
Completely stop drinking sodas. The biggest appetite killer, the worst filler without being nutritious, and most calorie laden item on your table could be the soda or any carbonated water. If you must take anything other than water with your meal, make it unsweetened Ice Tea. Hot water towards the end of your meal will increase your metabolism and make you feel better breaking down the fat and grease in the process.

4. Fast Once a Month
Fasting is great to curb your urge to eat. Muslims fast every day for one whole month, but you don't have to. You don't have to convert either. Fasting once a month will do wonders for your health. Eat a balanced meal in the morning, then resolve not to eat until after dark. Do what you always do during the day. Then have a healthy balanced meal at the end of the day and it will help you shed extra poundage faster and easier.

5. Eat A Healthy Meal
Eat a full healthy meal instead of filling yourself up with things you don't like, or want to eat just because you are hungry. If you eat a lot of junk food that works as a filler you will still be "hungry" for a meal at the designated time while you are full with junk food. That is very detrimental to your well being, how you feel the rest of the day or in the morning, and also for your diet plan.

Start today, don't delay!

How not to do Justice - American style

1. Torture
2. Renditions/secret prisons
3. Outsource Torture
4. Secret Evidence
5. Secret Witnesses
6. Defame defense lawyers
7. Incident Isolation
8. tainted evidence
9. juries from tainted cities
10. create technical difficulties and throw out the case, sweep it under the rug

What Would Obama Do

If he ran his presidency as if this is his one and only term in the office

There are people who question if Obama can win second term in the office. At this time he is being kept afloat, barely. The stock market ups and downs are just enough to make it look good for few days, and then it all falls apart until the next cycle. This is well orchestrated. The man behind this facade is the White House Chief of Staff.

Given the disillusionment created at the hands of same set of people, with collusion from the media what if Obama was to break himself free from his current handlers, fire his Chief of Staff and replace him with someone who really deserves the job, and ran his presidency as if this is his last term in the office. What would he do? If he was to keep the promises he made to American people without the interference from his handlers, those who voted for him first time can help him guarantee a win again. As things stand, the ones that voted for him are losing confidence in his ability to deliver on his promises. Not becuase he cannot but because his agenda has been hijacked. (Read analysis if his first term) Those who did not vote for him will never vote for him even if Obama gave them hoards of cash and promised them a place in paradise.
What can he do to affect a 180 degree about face?

He would tell Israel to take a hike
American image has been badly damaged in the eyes of the world, including our most trusted friends for the humiliating defeat of Obama policy when it comes to Middle East peace. The illegal settlements in occupied territories continue, evictions and murder at the hands of IDF continue unabated, the Israeli media war and smear machine continue to pull new tactics to undermine American foreign policy. If Obama ran his presidency as if he only going to be in the office for one term he would stop all aid to Israel until they comply with the legitimate demands of those who want peace in the middle east. He would reign in all the under secretaries running amok at the State Department making their own policy as they go along when it comes to Israeli and middle east politics. These policies are one of undermining Obama's policy of engagement with the leaders in the middle east.

Genuine Effort towards resolving Iranian Nuclear issue
Obama promised diplomacy and an extension of friendship towards Iran. That never happened. The current regime at the state department will not allow that to happen. From the very start of the Obama administration the approach to Iran was that of hostility, outright belligerence, and threats. The policy of disengagement that was put in place by bush/cheney cabal never, for one day, changed. The hand of friendship that Obama wanted to offer to Iranian was cut off as soon as Obama took office. The threat of Military action was never taken off the table, the embargo, and sanctions continue, and the bellicosity that preceded the current administration coming directly from the state department never ceased for one day.
Obama would silence all his detractors at the state department by making a historic trip to Tehran, talking to the Iranians directly, and offering them what no administration has ever done: a genuine engagement for real negotiations.

Stop the Bailout Scam
Billions and Trillions of dollars have been wasted to artificially prop up economy and that has not helped create single job. Only the larger corporations and their CEOs have benefited from the bailout since there is general perception that the pay czar is an inside man. What it may have done is a backward slide of job loss which is really not a gain but a false hope of an improved economy. That bubble can only last for a short time because there is nothing to sustain those jobs for the long run. The only people that have benefited from the bailout are the ones that never needed the bailout. The people that are pushing the bailout and benefiting from it are the same set of people. It's the trademark collusion of the filthy rich that include the bankers, the media, insurance companies, and the military industrial complex.

Geitner has proven himself to be part of the inside crowd and a failure, as suspected from the day one. Geitner must go. At this point Obama dog is probably a better candidate to run the fiscal house than Geitner.

Bring the Culprits to Justice
Those who have committed heinous crimes against humanity should be brought to justice. That includes some people at the highest levels in the previous government. This has to be done if America is to gain credibility in the world. Without taking this serious step towards correcting the wrongs at the hands of those in power we will lose what is left of any credibility in the eyes of the world. Without credibility the only way to keep our supremacy will be to create more wars, more chaos, more bloodshed. There are no two ways about it.

Universal Truth: If the criminals are not brought to justice they live to do the same or even worse crimes again.

Is there still time for an about face? Very little if any. It will take courage, it will take audacity, the same audacity that brought Obama to the office in the first place.

Will the New York Times ever stop the Politics of Hate Mongering?

Hatred by any other name is still hatred








New York Times need no introduction. It is one of the most widely read newspapers not only in the US but all across the world. What does New York Times as a company count as part of its holdings.

Here's a partial list:
Newspapers
The Boston Globe
The Courier (Houma, LA)
The Daily Comet (Thibodaux, LA)
The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
The Gadsden Times (AL)
The Gainesville Sun (FL)
International Herald Tribune
Following are the International Herald Tribune Alliances with newspapers around the world
Haaretz (Israel)
Kathimerini (Greece and Cyprus)
JoongAng Daily (Korea)
The Asahi Shimbun (Japan)
The Moscow Times (Russia)
El Pais (Spain)
Daily News (Egypt)
Al Watan Daily (Kuwait)
The Ledger (Lakeland, FL)
The New York Times
The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, CA)
Petaluma Argus-Courier (CA)
Sarasota Herald-Tribune (FL)
Spartanburg Herald-Journal (SC)
Star-Banner (Ocala, FL)
TimesDaily (Florence, AL)
Times-News (Hendersonville, NC)
The Tuscaloosa News (AL)
The Star News (Wilmington, NC)
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Radio
WQCR - FM (New York City)
Other
Boston Red Sox (partial)
NESN (partial)
About Group (About.com)

With a vast empire covering most major areas along with a well established distribution network for its flagship newspaper, the New York Times, there is very little that The New York Times Company cannot influence. Multiply that with the syndication of its publications over the Internet and other electronic media and add the international alliances via the International Herald Tribune and you have making of a media empire. What New York Times says becomes reality.

As the media giant, coming out of city of hate, New York Times has been spewing hatred towards Muslims and Islam for decades now. Never a day has gone by when the New York Times does not carry an article, most of the time several articles in one day, bringing out an aspect of Islam with a negative spin on what could easily be explained otherwise by a scholar of Islam or even a lay person that is even slightly versed in the teachings of Islam. The spin is always negative, the portrayal is always skewed, the outcome is always one sided. Always.

Some examples are more egregious than others and have far reaching consequences. Here are three articles that have appeared within the last three months.

On January 27, 2010 New York Times published what it called "The Jihadist Next Door" written by Andrea Elliott. It was a lengthy article and went into great detail about all aspects of the topic at hand. Not that much of it was accurate, it read very nicely and majority of it sounded very plausible. You have to know a lot about Islam and Muslims in order to look at it critically and refute some of the assertions it made. Unfortunately, most of the readers would have absolutely no clue. At one count there were 263 comments on the article. The article portrayed the life of Omar Hammami, born and raised in America. He went to school in Alabama and attended church while growing up in small town. The article suggests among other things:

• This kind of transition from normal school boy to a Jihadi is rampant among the Muslim youths
• The family structure within the Muslim Household is broken down
• This can happen time and again
• We must take action to prevent this from happening
• We are being over taken by the people with Jihadi agenda
• No one of Muslim faith can be trusted

This article is coming at the heels of another article from the same author about an Imam. One can imagine the mudslinging that went on in that article. That article garnered the author a Pulitzer prize. That is also part of the claim to fame for this article.

In a society that is a great melting pot something has failed this kid that went from small town USA to being aligned with the Shabab's army in Somalia. Not only that but he also in the process convinced few of his friends to go along with him. That something that has failed this young man is the very phenomenon of melting pot. What exactly is it that drove him to seek out these outside influences that were strong enough to change him from his moderate, even church going upbringing so radically? It's not what one finds on the Internet; it's not what is being preached at the mosques; and it's not what is being taught at schools. What is breaking down is the societal norms of inclusion. The constant bombardment of us versus them. From the time you wake up in the morning to the time you go to bed there is the constant barrage of negativity about one's religion, beliefs, and origins. It is the equivalent of school yard bullying. There is no escape from this which is driving many young Muslims towards seeking out ways to help the downtrodden, a basic tenet within Islam. It's absolutely no different from a jewish kid going to iz-ra-eel to learn more about the history and it's people and then coming back home and supporting iz-ra-eel in any which way he or she can using media, school programs, fund raising, debates, speeches, articles and the positive feedback that goes with that. All of these avenues and outlets are closed for a person like Omar Hammami. None of these normal channels are available to thousands of people like Omar Hammami. When your belief is strong and you want to do something with the strength and desire to help can manifest itself in many different ways.

On March 3rd, New York Times Published an article called "Divorced Before Puberty" written by Nicholas D. Kristof. The article talks about a 10 year old girl getting married to somebody that is about 20 years older than her. The article made it sound like this is something sanctioned by Islamic religion. It also made it sound like it happens everyday and everywhere in the Muslim world. Reality is far from it. The author not only tells the story of this little unfortunate girl but in the process malign Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, both Muslim countries.

There is no doubt about isolated cases of this inhumane treatment of girls and women but Muslims countries are not the only ones where monsters are perpetrating these crimes. Remember the Austrian guy raping his own daughter and having 5 kids with her, the Jaycee Dugard case in California is fresh on our minds, and the celebrity case of the singer of the Mammas and the Pappas having sex with his daughter. Add to these atrocities the child abuse cases in the Catholic church and the church actively hiding and muffling those cases by moving the priests around. All of that is swept under the rug and New York Times does not have much to say about any of that. On some of these cases there have been no reporting by New York Times at all since it did not happen specifically in New York. A rather convenient technicality.

Yemen is the way it is not ONLY because its women are deprived. It could be a contributing factor but not a top of the list contributing factor. It is the one sided policy of discrimination at the international political level of US and other western countries that perpetuate the situation in Yemen. Yemen is being used as the checkmate for Saudi Arabia. It is a well known fact that the militias of the Houti tribe were well armed and had sophisticated weaponry. They even had their own uniforms. That is a pretty good indicator that they are well funded and well armed. Those weapons did not come from Iran. Those weapons were channelled from South Korea to the ports of Sanaa, delivered to Houti tribesmen to fight against the Saudi government troops. The on-again-off-again assault of the Houti tribes over the Yemeni government forces and the Saudi villages is the direct reflection of the failed diplomatic efforts of Hillary Clinton. The rebels have declared truce for now. When the state department would like to do some arm twisting involving Saudi Arabia those Houti Tribesmen will rise again on queue from the operatives of state departments.

For Pakistan the dynamics are even more complex. Under the benign and very pro-American dictatorship of Mr. Musharraf, Pakistan offered its full support to US against the Taliban. This was done at huge risk to Musharraf's own life and well being. As a result of that he was a target of several assassination attempts. The dividend of all this effort and alliance went to India instead in the form of subsidies, equipment, and guarantees for its nuclear program. Not even a thank you for Pakistan. On the contrary there was additional belt tightening of funds and technology transfer to Pakistan. The most important reason: Pakistan is a Muslim country. Nobody from the current regime at State Department will ever support providing what Pakistan really needs to make the right progress in curbing the advances of outside forces like the Taliban.

For both Yemen and Pakistan, poverty is the one and most prevalent reason why women don't go to schools and don't advance to colleges. Schooling of kids is not free in most of Pakistan. When the head of the household has to make a choice between providing food for his family and sending kids to school, the food, a basic necessity, usually wins out, hands down. One must wonder if Kristof took this very real and hard fact into account while writing his well worded malignment of Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. When is Kristof going to write espousing the benefits of policy of engagement instead of policy of confrontation with both Yemen and Pakistan?

On March 6th New York Times published an article with the heading: "Arabia: Inshallah, Obama" written by Maureen Dowd. Dowd's writing is academic, to say the least. She is what most would call an accidental Journalist. She would be better off writing for a blog instead of writing for New York Times where the readers expect lot more than the rants of an accidental journalist. (she probably does write for a blog with same hatred for Arabs, Muslims and Islam) The article rehearses a conversation between her and Prince Faisal, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia. The premise of the article, starting from the title, is poking fun at the Arabs in general and an undertone of tongue-in-cheek attitude towards what amounts to policy discussion and serious subject matters such as dealing with settlement activity by the iz-ra-eeli-s, the question of restarting the stalled negotiations for the peace process in the Middle East, and the Iranian crises.

Underlying aspects of the conversation:
First she uses the full name of Barak Obama with the middle name spelled out. Not a coincidence since it's not commonly used. It is only used when the purpose is to spread the controversy. Here is some of what she says:
"The address of the first American president with Muslim roots"
That is a thorn in many voters' side but New Work Times has to publicise that from time to time to keep things in check.

Here she goes for the jugular:
"It’s probably a sign of progress that Prince Saud calls it "a border dispute." Unless it’s just his understated way. He also refers to "the 9/11 incident" and alludes to the Holocaust obliquely as "World War II."" "Despite repeated attacks by Arab states and Arab and Iranian-backed militant groups, and a call for Israel’s destruction by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Prince Saud suggested that Israel might be overreacting about security because of "World War II" and that this prevented a peace deal."

Here is the breakdown:

"Despite repeated attacks (justification for what Iz-ra-eel does) Border dispute (read as if he is undermining the severity of the issue), 9/11 being an incident (something that has totally consumed the American psyche when worse atrocities have been committed in the name of 9/11, but the media wants to keep that in the forefront, and despite the fact that many credible American politicians have called it something other than what the American government has led the public to believe), and referring to Holocaust as World War II (anything but that. It's the ultimate weapon in a news person's arsenal alluding to anti-semitism).

Thomas Friedman is the original three headed snake that talks with one head and bites with the other two. Maureen Dowd is clearly following in his footsteps. It would be wise for the Saudi government, and all the Arab and Muslim governments to declare journalists attached in any way to New York Times, Associated Press, and NewsCorp as persona non-grata and not allow any conversations with them especially by those who are in position of power. These so called journalists go there, eat their food, talk to them as if they are friends, put them at ease, get the unofficial take on the current issues and present them to the American public as if it is the official version. American people, not knowing Albania from Zimbabwe believe anything and everything that these journalists put out as news and spit it out on queue at the comments on the news and other forums to malign Muslims and Islam. Two for the price of one. Unfortunately the chances of Prince Faisal reading what is attributed to him in dialogues such as this one from Maureen Dowd in the New York Times are remote at best. What is even more remote is the possibility of any corrections of what is attributed to him. What is almost guaranteed from the likes of Friedman and Dowd is that they will twist and twist again what was said in a private conversation to promote their own nefarious agendas.

These are only three examples of the most recent articles that have helped expose the overall agenda of New York Times of hatred towards Muslims all around the world. More and more articles are showing up on daily basis that are suggesting that hate towards American citizens of Muslim origin or those who may have converted to Islam is OK and in fact maybe called for. There is not one Muslim country that is exempt from the wrath of news hacks at the New York Times. Those who best the agenda of hate among the New York Times and Associated Press writers are sure to get a berth at the highly coveted (kissing each other's ass) Pulitzer Prize.

Oh So "Precious"

This is definitly a chick flick.

However, its a gritty movie that deserves to be seen by the strong and silent type just as well as all the rest. Word of caution: don't go there if you are looking for something cheery and lighthearted.

Oprah produced it so that means it will have something like, "oh you should...." and "we need to...." kind of pontification which was for sure there but not as bad as it usually is in Spike Lee movies. Most all of that is subtle and under the covers. (no pun intended)

There is no pun and there is no humor but if you laughed while watching Pulp Fiction you might laugh at some situations in this movie too. The "funny" is more situational and unintentional than otherwise.

The story of precious may resonate with thousands. Worse still, and unfortunately, some people maybe reliving some part of their lives while watching this movie. The flashbacks and flash forwards are all too real and add that special character to the movie that will make it worth your while.

The story of a young girl that has seen it all and done it all in short span of time what most others do in a lifetime.

The movie initially came off as stuffy and the ending was just blah ending for something that has so much going on throughout the entire movie but more you think about it more it grows on you and you start to see the point of bringing these issue in the fore. Tormented women that have nowhere to go. How many people in our midst are in this situation but we don't know about it. OK, that was crazy question! Bonus: You get to see Mariah Carey sans all the Makeup. Some girls have to do a lot, don't they. Some bonus.

Thank you Oprah.

On a scale of 1-5 and 5 being the best, this movie gets 4-1/2. Make it your first choice except if you are on a first date.

No Spin A Pleasant Surprise

American media left in the dust

Few Days ago an article in Christian Science Monitor mentioned about news media that was relatively unbiased. It's a rather novel concept in these troubled times. What was not surprising at all was the fact that not one of the outlet was US based. Free speech produces all sorts of monsters and one of them happens to be the one where whoever owns the media can spew any amount of lies and get away with it.

One of the surprises in the list was Hindu Times.

The Hindu Times is far cry, at least from the preliminary reading, from the bias and hatred that Associated Press or New York Times spews out. Here is the report in question:

Headline: Saudi Arabia 'worried' about Pakistan situation

What was remarkable about the article? Unlike the Associated Press article which would have reminded the reader about Three wars that India and Pakistan have fought in the past, the gory details of the Mumbai Attacks (how many killed and how the synagogue was attacked and how old is that survivor boy from the synagogue etc.) it stuck to the facts regarding the topic at hand which was the Saudi foreign Minister's meeting with the visiting prime minister of India. In addition there were ample details about the trip and related happenings and other articles if you really wanted to dig deeper.

The New York Times would not have fared any better than Associated Press since they are both cut from the same cloth, one that has the bias as hubris written all over it. It is refreshing to see a news outlet that sticks to new reporting instead of news making. Opinions are good but those should remain in the editorial pages instead of on the front pages disguised as news.

Toyota Has A Problem

What does Toyota and Iran have in common?

Stanley McCrystal has apologized to the people of Afghanistan for killing civilians by mistake. Media is all over it and he is a hero. All is good because the media says so. So where is the voice of the bereaved? Are they OK with it? Is Apology enough? Where are the scholarships, and the memorials, and memoirs for the dead? Maybe they were all just losers and had nothing to say or contribute to society. Maybe they deserved this fate!

So America kills and all they have to do is apologize. When it comes to Toyota, nobody is buying their apology. The tearful testimony from a driver, the repetition of bad news throughout the mainstream media playing in the hands of the special interest groups.

Iran making Nuclear weapons? According to media they already have their finger on the trigger ready to launch these weapons of mass destruction. In reality and according to the best estimates they are about 15 years away from nuclear weapon capability. The nuclear plant that Russia promised is still under construction. Constant delays and reneging of the signed contracts is the order of the day. Russia playing both sides to extract maximum political capital.
So what is the point? What does Toyota and Iran have in common? Apparently a lot. Both Toyota and Iran need better PR machines. Of course the media is not going to say the right thing unless they are paid lots of money. Buying journalists is age old practice and the media sacred cows always get the best treatment. How much is Ford and GM paying their lobbyists to spread the bad news?

The mealy mouth apology of Toyota chief and his cowering in front of the congress only shows a complete lack of understanding of American system and American way of doing things. Now they are going to spend a billion dollar fixing the damage caused by this apology. The lawsuits, the lost sales, and the image problem will cost Toyota hundreds of millions of dollars. Every little problem will be attributed to bad breaks and whatever other ills that they can find, all lumped in this giant issue of unintended acceleration because of stuck accelerator.

There was a better solution to this problem and may have saved Toyota few millions in the long run. They could have spent million dollar on securing a good lobbyist, a savvy PR firm, a team of well connected lawyers, and few well placed journalists and problem would have been mitigated. Not to mention, a few heads at high places should have rolled, blamed this problem where it belongs which is at the point these parts were tested and that happens to be at the factories here in the US. Aren't these cars assembled and tested here in the US. Sure the parts come from Japan but the final testing and approval rests on the engineers in the US factories.

Maybe this will be a lesson for the next generation of Toyoda family, the fourth generation. What would the grandfather have done if faced with the same situation? A question we may never find the answer to.

We Want Money, And Lots Of It

Since WWII companies, big and small have made restitution to Holocaust funds worldwide. Recently, IBM made undisclosed restitution for its alleged part in providing computers and related know how to Germans during WWII. It turned out some of the equipment was purchased before the war.

Nevertheless, IBM capitulated under pressure for perceived defamation promised by jewish groups and in the process not only promised huge sums to several jewish organizations but, against their better economic judgment, decided to move major part of its development to Haifa, iz-ra-eel to appease the jewish lawyers that were ready to drag IBM through courts for whatever they can get out of IBM, even if it took years. This amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars for jewish groups and for the jewish state. This is in addition to the billions already extracted, by hook or crook, in the name of holocaust. These funds go to the benefit of hundreds of organizations that support many causes including usurping of Palestinian land, getting people to visit Iz-ra-eel, providing scholarship funds to jewish students, and contributing to iz-ra-eeli political interests all across the united States. The visits mentioned earlier are part of the Birth Right movement but they are not limited to jewish youth. They bring in American politicians, including big names like Governor of Texas Rick Perry, the media people across the spectrum, and anybody that could benefit and increase the influence of the jewish state.

Fast forward to atrocities and extra judicial killings in Iraq. The survivors of some of the dead received $200-2000 only. No scholarships, no trips, no industry moving to Iraq, no lawsuits. Nothing. A measly $200 for Iraqi blood. There were videos aplenty to show soldiers handing out money to women in Burqas, toting a kid along in the dust to get her $200. Some may have gotten $2000 but those were few and far between.

Today General McCrystal is apologizing to Afghans for killing, by government count, 27 civilians. What is the current exchange rate and how much or how far $200 will go in the war ravaged country? This is not the first time the civilians have died at the hands of errant special operations forces. If past is any indicator forget the exchange rate. You will not need it. You ain't getting anything other than a televised apology so Associated Press can display that with pride, write up a biased article and everybody will be happy.

Confessions Of A CCN News Hack

How the CCN comments work - Moderation, Culling, outright discrimination

We asked around and after much struggle and lot of phone calls Pavilion found somebody who was willing to talk about this very sensitive issue. How the comments are moderated at CCN.

"I worked for CCN, one based in GA and I was one of the many people that were part of the comments moderation. Here is how the comments are moderated at CCN:

When you first sign on you have to confirm your email and login credentials. Once you have done that your name goes in a database that is compared against a database of names. The names in this master database are compared for Muslim sounding names. Any names that match the criteria are set aside in another database. The user is not restricted from commenting after you sign on but the names do not show up as the user name but only as Guest. This prevents you from searching for your comment as fast as if you were to have your name appear on a page of comments.

These guest comments are treated in a special way. Once the comments by these "Guests" are posted they are matched up and culled on regular basis for comments that are overly sensitive to Israel, zionism, any special interests, names of companies (For example New York Times, Associate Press). These companies are sacred and nothing can last too long with the comments that speak negatively about these entities or companies.

Other comments that make "too much" sense such as points made with eloquence about Islam, Muslims, and things that can not be refuted easily are regularly removed from the list of comments. Initially this takes place using a fairly sophisticated software with lot of rules and algorithm to separate the "good" from the "bad."

Majority of the work is done by computers however the logic in a comment, although discernible by a computer program, is usually given a second look by a human person, like myself. We have strict instructions to adhere to the rules and policies given to us as part of the initial training. Here is a partial list of things we have to watch for. These are top of the agenda:

1. Negative comments regarding CCN
2. Overly negative comments referring to Israeli policies and comparing them with Apartheid, Nazism, Zionism
3. Personal Information - whether that is of the person posting the comment or about another person - is removed immediately
4. Mention of another website with a link (especially a deep link)
5. Negatively mentioning other companies such as other news organizations
6. Any information that could be deemed classified - loosely following State Department guidelines
7. Comments that are overly long and convoluted in nature

As part of these rules, policies and guidelines there is a special section for anything related to Islam and Muslims.

This section mentions in quite a lot of detail what can and can not be included. Generically speaking any comments inciting violence against Muslims are considered offensive and should be removed. However, comments regarding the prophet, Allah, the Muslim clergy, the Imams are all fair game. There is also a mention of free speech when it comes to comments on Islam and Muslims.

I was fired from CCN because some people thought that I was being "too fair" with some of the comments. The word among the people working in my group was that it (people getting fired for this specific reason) could happen to anybody and other people have either been moved or let go if the group leader or the reviewer thought a person was not following the specific policy. The termination was immediate and without recourse.

Here are some work around but nothing is fool proof because you can fool the computer once but that is about it. New words and variation of words are added on regular basis just like virus definitions or words in a Spam filter:
1. Use creative word variation
2. Be on the look out for your comments. Make copies of your comments. If you see them removed, post them again. They will be there for at least a little while until the next round of comment culling
3. Use fictitious name. Use an alternate name in your email too.

Good Luck"

Pavilion Editor Note (Update): Soon after a comment was posted on CCN website with a link to this site the commenting privilage of that account was taken away. Here are the screen shots:

First the login

No comments anymore.

These are the comments posted earlier and the top comment being the link to this article.

Headline: Pakistai Forces Capture Top Taliban

When Will Pakistan Get Any Respect

Kudos all around for Pakistan. Even from America and most of all from American media. Although the media coverage is still muffled and mealy mouthed. These things are absolutely unheard of. Is this the change Obama promised the world? Is this start of something new?

Pakistan can do no right. For years everybody has maligned Pakistan for not killing their own people, for having to work with archaic equipment, for having to deal with sanctions, tariffs, custom duties and countless other ways that have hamstrung them from making any progress against the forces of evil. Not only that but it has damaged the industry, education and everything in between. Yes there is corruption, yes there are actors in Pakistan working on both sides, but name one country that does not have that problem. Name just one country please.

For years Pakistan has been blamed for Afghanistan's internal problems while ineptitude and corruption in and outside of Afghan government has gone unnoticed. The same corruption that has been going on for years including Karzai telling the opium growers to continue producing opium has just now surfaced because it is in the interest of NATO and the US to bring that out after the botched elections.

The best way forward with Pakistan is to give them what they need in training, sophisticated warfare equipment, tanks, drones, and aeroplanes. State department should remove the hoops the Pakistanis have to jump to get even a lousy night vision goggles. Pakistan has the talent and the know how to take advantage of these "facilities" and reign in the actors that are colluding with anybody that America thinks is working against their interest. Perhaps they have shown too much talent in the past that soon after the new technology is sold to Pakistan they have come up with their own by reverse engineering.

More importantly, they need to tell Karzai to straighten his own house and stop the corruption in his government. Some but not enough of that is happening. One way to deal with the people of Afghanistan: kill all the Pashtuns, Pakhtoons, and Uzbek. Another way: give these majorities their rights and allow them to participate in the government. People of Afghanistan are tired of war and they are tired of interference from outside. People of Afghanistan are tired of proxy wars and wars for saving face. People of Afghanistan want to be left alone.

People of Pakistan are tired of having their sovereignty taken away. People of Pakistan are tired of politicians that are sold out to foreign governments for pittance, and they are tired of not being able to practice freedom in their own country. People are tired of living in fear. People of Pakistan want to be left alone and find their own way out.

The recent advances in democracy in Pakistan, although not perfect, are a clear indication of that. Will America oblige?

Hariri Assasination

The Truth Will Prevail

This year Feb 14th is the 5th anniversary of the assisination of Rafiq Hariri. He was the beloved son of Lebanon, one of the best things that happened to Lebanon. He was charismatic, he had all the right connections across the Muslim world, he was even involved in politics of countries like Pakistan. He was instrumental in the education of thousands of Lebanese through the works of Hariri Foundation. He was a real valentine for many. What he lacked was the sufficient backing of the then state department. That is how he got killed.

If you know anything about the Middle East politics, you know that its easy to assisinate people and even easier to lay the blame on whomever you want to lay the blame on. Rafiq Hariri's assasination and subsequent blame game is no exception to that tried and true rule.

For years all everybody has heard is "people" pointing fingers at Syria. Poeple that have absolutely nothing to do with Lebanese politics. People that don't even know where Lebanon is on the map. But that is only in the US. It's the easiest part of the blame game. Who is going to question that? Is the media going to question the validity of that blame? Absolutely not. The entire mainstream media, without a single exception, is married to one and its favorite cause: backing Iz-ra-eel even at the expense of the destruction of our democratic ideals. Are the people going to challenge the varacity of this claim. There is no chance of that. How is anybody going to questions it? Why is anybody going to question that? Are they going to question that via the blogs and comments on the blogs? For all practical purposes comments on the blog are meaningless chatter, especially after the fact. Comments are moderated by the same people that edit the original news. Is anything that they don't want reported can get past those moderators? Absolutely not. Has anybody tried undoing the damage caused by false reporting? Good luck with that. That leaves the foreign press. However, so little of that tricles down to American audience that the impact of it is negligent, better yet its non-existent. What if three or so people know the truth or are convinced that its anything other than what the mainstream media is selling. Does anything change?

The people that have visited Lebanon and have been following this story from day one has a different opinion though. The opinion no one ever hears. They all point finger at Iz-ra-eel. There is very little doubt in the minds of majority of Lebanese because by way of technique, the aftermath, the method of detonation, the lack of any proof left afterwards, and the magnitude of the explostion and the destruction caused by it, all points to this being the work of M0ssad. Poeple in the know, that have seen both relate this to the bombng that killed the South Lebanes Army general that was going to testify against Ariel Sharon in the case of war crimes against Sharon in Belgium.

Lebanon, with its internal strife going on, does not have the know how to do any investigation. Syria had just pulled most of its operatives from Lebanon and there was no high enough ranking officer that could be available on the scene when the bombing took place. The evidence gathered was stale and may be tainted to start with. No other country in the middle east has its own forensics experts to do a real and thorough analysis of the evidence. Therein lies the biggest advantage for Iz-ra-eel. Therein lies the freedom of having a free hand that Iz-ra-eel has over anybody that it deems an enemy. In addition, all the Arab countries are loath to admit that they don't have neither the experties, or the political clout, nor the power to question what International court of public opinion, formualted at the hands of kept media, holds.

Until any one or more of these factors change the targeted killings will continnue unabated and blame will continue to be placed on whomever Iz-ra-eel chooses to put the blame on.

"Hijab for women in Islam"

Why Do Women Wear Hijab In Islam?

Editor's note: This is second of several articles about many aspects of Hijab in Islam from women's perspective.

Western world for all its advances in knowledge aquisition has conveniently forgot many things including respect for other religions. French are trying to take the lead in showing the world they are the worst of the biggots and proud of it.

As part of this war on Islam the western media is foremost in spreading not only hatred but all kinds of misconceptions about Islam. As part of that process Hijab has been made symbol of tyranny and opression by Muslim men over Muslim women. This is farthest from the truth in 99% of the cases. Unfortunately, nobody questions the western media when it comes to maligning Islam and Muslims. Not only that but based on some of the comments left on blogs indicate that some people revel in spewing hatred and biggotry. News outlets like CNN has made their business to single out Muslim issues to allow comments so people can spew thier hatred.

During all of this one thing that is overlooked is the fact that most Muslim women have their own ability to read, understand, and implement teachings of Islam. These teachinngs, as the following write-up shows, include wearing Hijab and covering oneself, and being modest.

Consider the following:
The prescription of Hijab is even mentioned in other religions, for example, Christianity. As you read below you will find the details of the mentioning of Hijab in the Holy Bible.


The common misconception among westerners is that "Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?


Answer:
The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijab’, let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam.


1. In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust
The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity:


a. Babylonian Civilization: The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death.


b. Greek Civilization: Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.


c. Roman Civilization: When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans.


d. Egyptian Civilization: The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.


e. Pre-Islamic Arabia: Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive.


2. Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects them to maintain their status.
Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. Islam expects women to maintain their status.


Hijab for men


People usually only discuss ‘hijab’ in the context of women. However, in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (God) first mentions ‘hijab’ for men before ‘hijab’ for the women.


The Qur’an mentions in Surah Noor: "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah (God) is well acquainted with all that they do." [Al-Qur’an: Chapter 24, Verse 30].


The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.


Hijab for women


The next verse of Surah Noor, says: "And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons..." [Al-Qur’an: Chapter 24, Verse 31]3.


Six criteria for Hijab


According to Qur’an and Sunnah (i.e.Teaching of our beloved Prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him) there are basically six criteria for observing hijab:


1. Extent: The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijab’. All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.


2. The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.


3. The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through them.


4. The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.


5. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.


6. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the unbelievers’ religions.


It is a misconception that Hijab is prescribed only in Islam. But if we read the Holy Bible carefully, we will find the mention of Hijab in the following verses


1. Corinthians Chapter 11 Verses 5-6 It says "5- But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6- For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered".


2. Deuteronomy Chapter 22 Verse 5


It says "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God".


3. Timothy Chapter 2 Verse 9


It says "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array".


From the above verses of the The Holy Bible we come to know that Christianity is more stricter than Islam regarding Hijab. Because it says that if the women does not cover her head shave off her head. Nowhere in the Qur'an it is mentioned that if the women does not cover her head shave off her head. Also, if you see the picture of Mother Mary you will always see her in Hijab.


4. Hijab includes conduct and behaviour among other things


Complete ‘hijab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the moral conduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijab’ of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijab’ of the eyes, ‘hijab’ of the heart, ‘hijab’ of thought and ‘hijab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves, etc.


5. Hijab prevents molestation


The reason why Hijab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur’an in the following verses of Surah Al-Ahzab: "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Al-Qur’an: Chapter 33, Verse 59]

The Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from being molested.

6. Example of twin sisters


Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk down the street. One of them is attired in the Islamic hijab i.e. the complete body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to the wrists. The other sister is wearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts. Just around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or the mini. Such dresses are an indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing and molestation. The Qur’an rightly says that hijab prevents women from being molested.


7. Capital punishment for the rapists


Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some even say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion! I have asked a simple question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death. But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double standards?


8. Western society falsely claims to have uplifted womenWestern talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketeers, hidden behind the colourful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’.


9. USA has one of the highest rates of rape


United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape in any country in the world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later another report said that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed in USA. The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijab is followed in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same, or will it decrease?


10. Implementation of Islamic Shariah will reduce the rate of rapes


Naturally as soon as Islamic Shariah is implemented positive results will be inevitable. If Islamic Shariah is implemented in any part of the world, whether it is America or Europe, society will breathe easier. Hijab does not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity.


Apart from all these reasoning there are numerous Scientific Benefits of wearing Hijab:


Protecting the head is one of the method to prevent heat lost. Results of medical tests show that 40-60% of body heat is lost through the head, so persons wearing head coverings during cold months are protected about fifty-percent more than those who do not.


In Chinese medical texts, in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic on Internal Medicine, it was stated that wind can cause sudden changes within the body and will upset the body’s equilibrium thus, creating bad health.

It was written that common cold are related to wind elements entering the body and causing the typical symptoms of sneezing and a running nose.

In the traditional Islamic medical texts of Al-Jawziyya, numerous references to the "four elements" of fire, water, air and earth and how these affect the body in adverse ways. In particular, we are advised to stay away from drafts and protect our heads in wind, breezes, drafts and cold weather.

Also, for health reasons, protecting the head is even more important in warm weather. V.G. Rocine, a prominent brain research specialist, has found that brain Phosphorus melts at 108 degrees; a temperature that can be easily reached if one stays under the hot sun for any length of time without a head covering. When this happens, irreversible brain damage, memory loss and loss of some brain functions can result. Although this example is extreme, Brain damage can still be measured in small degrees from frequent exposure to and overheating of the head.

Bernard Jensen, a naturopath and chiropractor states that this is because the brain runs on the mineral phosphorus, which is very affected by heat.

And while discussing about health, if we look at the home economic perspectives, Hijab head-covering are required for those working in the food sectors. This is to ensure that cleanliness is maintained to avoid food poisoning.

"Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord"Gospel of Mark: Chapter 12 Verse 29