Hey everyone,
I was at the Mall of the Emirates again today. My friends and I went had dinner at Chilis there, and checked out the Magic Planet, where the Robo Coaster was. I so wanted to get on it, but I get a bit weirded out when you see all these people standing right next to the attraction waiting to see your reaction as you ride the ride. It can become embarrassing. Why can’t people just watch and move on, instead of waiting to see who gets on and observe them throughout the whole ride? I left the ride for next time. There were a lot of people, and as I walked around the mall, I came to realize that in this particular mall, you find people from a better class. You don’t find people here from the lower class. This mall is too fancy and expensive for them. You go to Deira City Center, and you will find people from all walks of life. Which got me thinking: Is everything in Dubai catered for the rich or those who can afford it?
Every city has it share of rich and poor citizens, but tonight the contrast in Dubai became too obvious and stark for me. A taxi ride from the Mall of the Emirates to my home in Sharjah would cost me well over 100 dirhams. My friends wanted to watch a movie I had seen already and I had excused myself tonight. So, what do I do? Rely on the public transport. Ok, so Dubai’s public transport is nowhere near as efficient as they claim to be. I walked to the nearest bus stop, which was like 20 minutes away from the mall. Common sense says there should be a bus stop at the mall. There was no schedule posted anywhere, and I was resorted to asking people which number bus goes where. A group of Filipinos arrive, and I see asking the Indians and Pakistanis sitting on the road the same thing (yes, there were no benches at the bus stop!)
I took my chances with the first bus that arrived after 15 minutes, and thankfully it is the express bus, with no stop, directly towards the main bus depot in dubai. Once I got there, the line for Sharjah bus extended out of the bus station area. About 200 men were standing there. I joined the line, and soon noticed how everyone were staring at me. And I realized something else. Every single person in the line, bar a few Filipinos, were Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans or Bangladeshis. You did not see any Westerners here. Very few Arabs too. These people were labor force. I saw guys sitting at the make-shift cafeteria, eating indianized shaswerma, watching some Indian song on tv. I saw men holding the cheapest Nokia phones.
The contrast became glaringly obvious, and I did not even think I was in the same city.
Guys here wore regular pants and shirts. People at the Mall were in designer clothes. Men here wait for an hour to get on the bus to take them to Sharjah. Guys at the Mall drive in their Mercedes, or even ride one of the nice taxis. The entertainment for some of the men at the bus depot was having the 1.5 dirhams shawerma and watching tv with bad reception and low volume. At the Mall people can pay 190 dirhams and ski down the slopes. The people here were holding their briefcases and paperwork, guarding them with cautious. People at the Mall were holding bags from Gucci and Armani.
I am not criticizing anyone or any group here. I am just amazed how in the same city there could be such a huge contrast. Ski Dubai. Dubai Land. Hydropolis. Burj Dubai. With all the developments Dubai has announced for the future, who will be the people who will really get to enjoy them? Those who actually build them, or the tourists or those who can afford it? I think the answer is glaringly obvious.
Mansur
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Friday, February 10, 2006
Paper Refuses Jesus Cartoons....
Hey friends,
Another news article that is doing the rounds by the The Guardian of the UK reporting that the same Danish newspaper refused to print controversial cartoons of Jesus. But when it came to prophet Muhammad (pbuh), they had no problems in splashing it all over. Isn't this the height of hypocrisy? The more I read about the uprising of the Muslims the world over, the more it seems evident of a widening gap between the Muslim world and the Western world. As of now, 11 Muslims have been killed over the controvery. Embassies have been attacked, flags have been burnt, and the Danes think Copenhagen is the next "logical target." Will there ever be a successful dialogue between the two worlds? Everyone heard the new audiotape by Bin Laden, who talked about another "attack" on Western soil. Will that attack create a wider gap between the Muslims and the Westerners? I shudder to think about that.
Mansur
Another news article that is doing the rounds by the The Guardian of the UK reporting that the same Danish newspaper refused to print controversial cartoons of Jesus. But when it came to prophet Muhammad (pbuh), they had no problems in splashing it all over. Isn't this the height of hypocrisy? The more I read about the uprising of the Muslims the world over, the more it seems evident of a widening gap between the Muslim world and the Western world. As of now, 11 Muslims have been killed over the controvery. Embassies have been attacked, flags have been burnt, and the Danes think Copenhagen is the next "logical target." Will there ever be a successful dialogue between the two worlds? Everyone heard the new audiotape by Bin Laden, who talked about another "attack" on Western soil. Will that attack create a wider gap between the Muslims and the Westerners? I shudder to think about that.
Mansur
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Mall of the Emirates
Hi friends,
Last week, my friend had a day off from work, and so we decided to make use of our afternoon off. We went to check out the new Mall of the Emirates (MoE) in Dubai, and guess what? I fell in love with it. This is the first mall where I really enjoyed being in. Of course, the shops are the same everywhere, but somehow, MoE was designed a lot differently. If you remember, I talked about the Ibn Batutta mall earlier, which I was impressed with, but realized the novelty wore off after going there several times. City Center will eternally be crowded, but it is very touristy. Wafi and Bur Juman are for shoppers for more exclusive designer stuff. Mercato is good too, but the novelty has worn off, and is good for those living in close proximity to it.
MoE is very different, because, presently it is the biggest mall in Dubai, soon to be over shadowed by the Dubai Mall, which claims to be the world’s biggest mall! However, MoE has the added attraction of Dubai’s first ever skiing slope. From part of the mall, you can see into the lower half of the skiing slope, where you can also see the Snow Park, which is always full of children, and adults too, playing around in the snow. Who would have ever thought that you would see men and women in local traditional garb playing around in the snow?
The reason why I loved MoE is because of the interior design. It is very European styled, with concealed and dim lighting. The reception area for Ski Dubai is reminiscent of a Swiss chalet, complete with timber frames and beams. The only thing missing was a huge fireplace. There are sections of mall, which incorporates stonework, again reminiscent of Europe.
We also checked out the Magic Planet, the kids’ gaming area. There was something there called Robo Coaster, which was a six dimensional roller coaster. We were so ready to try it out, but my friend had a skirt, and so we decided to postpone it for some other time.
My absolutely favorite place was a small place called Marble Slab Creamery. I first had their ice cream in Houston, and was absolutely delighted to see them here too. What you do is order any flavor ice cream, and your ice cream scoop will be spread out like a dough on a marble, which is being cooled by cool water from below. Once your ice cream is spread like dough, you can have anything on top, like pizza toppings. Now, your toppings include gummi bears, chocolate chips, mars, kit kat, marshmallows, peanut butter, and chocolate syrup, among dozens of other stuff. I had the gummi bears and chocolate chips. Once put, the ice cream is folded over, and mashed up, and put in a cup. It was absolutely delicious.
On a short note, the coffee shops were not that amazing. In particular Columbus Café, where the service was pathetically poor. We ordered milk, and got the bill. I said I don’t want anything to drink, and she was writing latte for me. My friend ordered milk from three different waitresses, and eventually had to get some for herself. We also tried another organic café, Le Pain Quordinaire (something like that). It looked impressive, but once we tried it out, it was so-so. Bar the poor cafes here, MoE is a welcome addition to Dubai’s increasing number of malls.
Mansur
Last week, my friend had a day off from work, and so we decided to make use of our afternoon off. We went to check out the new Mall of the Emirates (MoE) in Dubai, and guess what? I fell in love with it. This is the first mall where I really enjoyed being in. Of course, the shops are the same everywhere, but somehow, MoE was designed a lot differently. If you remember, I talked about the Ibn Batutta mall earlier, which I was impressed with, but realized the novelty wore off after going there several times. City Center will eternally be crowded, but it is very touristy. Wafi and Bur Juman are for shoppers for more exclusive designer stuff. Mercato is good too, but the novelty has worn off, and is good for those living in close proximity to it.
MoE is very different, because, presently it is the biggest mall in Dubai, soon to be over shadowed by the Dubai Mall, which claims to be the world’s biggest mall! However, MoE has the added attraction of Dubai’s first ever skiing slope. From part of the mall, you can see into the lower half of the skiing slope, where you can also see the Snow Park, which is always full of children, and adults too, playing around in the snow. Who would have ever thought that you would see men and women in local traditional garb playing around in the snow?
The reason why I loved MoE is because of the interior design. It is very European styled, with concealed and dim lighting. The reception area for Ski Dubai is reminiscent of a Swiss chalet, complete with timber frames and beams. The only thing missing was a huge fireplace. There are sections of mall, which incorporates stonework, again reminiscent of Europe.
We also checked out the Magic Planet, the kids’ gaming area. There was something there called Robo Coaster, which was a six dimensional roller coaster. We were so ready to try it out, but my friend had a skirt, and so we decided to postpone it for some other time.
My absolutely favorite place was a small place called Marble Slab Creamery. I first had their ice cream in Houston, and was absolutely delighted to see them here too. What you do is order any flavor ice cream, and your ice cream scoop will be spread out like a dough on a marble, which is being cooled by cool water from below. Once your ice cream is spread like dough, you can have anything on top, like pizza toppings. Now, your toppings include gummi bears, chocolate chips, mars, kit kat, marshmallows, peanut butter, and chocolate syrup, among dozens of other stuff. I had the gummi bears and chocolate chips. Once put, the ice cream is folded over, and mashed up, and put in a cup. It was absolutely delicious.
On a short note, the coffee shops were not that amazing. In particular Columbus Café, where the service was pathetically poor. We ordered milk, and got the bill. I said I don’t want anything to drink, and she was writing latte for me. My friend ordered milk from three different waitresses, and eventually had to get some for herself. We also tried another organic café, Le Pain Quordinaire (something like that). It looked impressive, but once we tried it out, it was so-so. Bar the poor cafes here, MoE is a welcome addition to Dubai’s increasing number of malls.
Mansur
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Can You Raed Tihs?
Hlelo fiernds,
I was able to read it...i am passing it on to you
Olny srmat poelpe can raed it. Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
Munsar :-)
I was able to read it...i am passing it on to you
Olny srmat poelpe can raed it. Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
Munsar :-)
Changes
Hey everyone,
In a bid to revamp my blog, I have changed my template, and I have added new stuff on the left side bar. There is a tag board, which I have seen on other people's blog. Let's see how popular this proves to be. I am not so sure if I will stick with template for now. I am trying to get rid of the Coffee Time heading, because I for one don't drink coffee. Oh well, let me look around for some more blog templates out there.
Mansur
In a bid to revamp my blog, I have changed my template, and I have added new stuff on the left side bar. There is a tag board, which I have seen on other people's blog. Let's see how popular this proves to be. I am not so sure if I will stick with template for now. I am trying to get rid of the Coffee Time heading, because I for one don't drink coffee. Oh well, let me look around for some more blog templates out there.
Mansur
Movie:: The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia encompasses a series of seven books penned by C.S Lewis. I had read the first of these series The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe collectively with my class in grade 7. It was no doubt a book filled with awe-inspiring scenes and situations that led us far away into an imaginary world; a world that I thought could not be replicated onto celluloid. BBC came out with a mini-series on the same books, and while they were a commendable series, they just did not click right. Till the movie version came out recently.
Andrew Adamson, who directed Shrek 2, directs the Chronicles of Narnia and while some may have questioned his foray into live action movie from an animated movie, I had a delightful time watching the movie. Those who hold these books to be sacred may not be quite yet satisfied with the treatment the book got on the big screen, but generally speaking, I think everyone will have a wonderful time.
The setting is WW2, where the four Pevensies children are relocated to the English countryside from London to escape the Blitz. Living with the “professor” at a rather large mansion proves boring for Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, the youngest. During a game of hide and seek, Lucy stumbles upon a cloak covered wardrobe in the spare room. In an attempt to hide in the cupboard, she realizes that there is no back wall, and instead walks right into the snow filled world of Narnia.
She meets Mr. Tumnus, the fawn (human-goat), who explains to Lucy that the White Witch has control over Narnia, who has cast a spell of snow and ice for the last 100 years. Mr. Tumnus explains further that the arrival of four children, two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, will help Aslan, the talking lion, and his army defeat the Witch and restore peace in Narnia. Lucy goes back, and convinces other about Narnia, and how they all come to Narnia, meet Aslan and defeat the White Witch forms the crux of the story.
As we all know, C.S Lewis was a great friend of J.R.R Tolkien, who had written The Lord of the Rings, and it was Tolkien who convinced Lewis to write The Chronicles of Narnia. Some may see this movie as a family-friendly version of the Lord of the Rings. Narnia has all the ingredients that a fantasy epic would: grand scale epic settings, fawns, centaurs, mentaurs, flying horses, unicorn and an icy villain in the White Witch.
Lewis was also a devout Christian, and for those people who want to find it, will find Christian subtext in the movie. Aslan is Christ, who is killed and resurrected. The children are referred to as Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve. However, the Christian subtext is not hammered into you head. It is subtle enough for some of us to merely glance over, while glaringly obvious to those who want it to be there.
The acting is consistently performed by all the child actors. Their acting actually gets better as the movie moves along, evidence of the decision to shoot the movie sequentially. Peter, the eldest boy, and Susan, the second eldest were somewhat weaker. Edmund, the third child, is the rebellious one, and his character had shades of gray making his character more interesting. Finally, a lot depended on Lucy, because it is through her we enter Narnia. Lucy did a fine job, neither being irritating nor overly sentimental. Tilda Swinton, of The Beach fame, portrays the White Witch with much aplomb and glee. She is delightful, and scary, as the Witch, using her powers to lure in Edmund with Turkish delight, and to turn others into icy stone.
Finally, I have to say that CG effects had me fooled this time. Aslan, the lion, voiced by Liam Neeson had so much grace, dignity and power. Half way through the movie, I had forgotten I was watching a CG-ed lion. The makers had me convinced that Aslan is a real lion. Save for a few shoddy CG work, over all, the movie has done a very commendable job of successfully integrating the effects into the movie, so they become a part of the movie and not stand out on its own. (The effects were done by the team in New Zealand, who also worked for The Lord of the Rings)
I enjoyed the movie immensely, primarily because I had read the book and so had fond memories of it. I am not sure however, if I will be the first in line to watch the sequels. Some may compare Narnia to The Lord of the Rings, but I think Narnia is solid enough to hold its own standing.
Mansur
Andrew Adamson, who directed Shrek 2, directs the Chronicles of Narnia and while some may have questioned his foray into live action movie from an animated movie, I had a delightful time watching the movie. Those who hold these books to be sacred may not be quite yet satisfied with the treatment the book got on the big screen, but generally speaking, I think everyone will have a wonderful time.
The setting is WW2, where the four Pevensies children are relocated to the English countryside from London to escape the Blitz. Living with the “professor” at a rather large mansion proves boring for Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, the youngest. During a game of hide and seek, Lucy stumbles upon a cloak covered wardrobe in the spare room. In an attempt to hide in the cupboard, she realizes that there is no back wall, and instead walks right into the snow filled world of Narnia.
She meets Mr. Tumnus, the fawn (human-goat), who explains to Lucy that the White Witch has control over Narnia, who has cast a spell of snow and ice for the last 100 years. Mr. Tumnus explains further that the arrival of four children, two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, will help Aslan, the talking lion, and his army defeat the Witch and restore peace in Narnia. Lucy goes back, and convinces other about Narnia, and how they all come to Narnia, meet Aslan and defeat the White Witch forms the crux of the story.
As we all know, C.S Lewis was a great friend of J.R.R Tolkien, who had written The Lord of the Rings, and it was Tolkien who convinced Lewis to write The Chronicles of Narnia. Some may see this movie as a family-friendly version of the Lord of the Rings. Narnia has all the ingredients that a fantasy epic would: grand scale epic settings, fawns, centaurs, mentaurs, flying horses, unicorn and an icy villain in the White Witch.
Lewis was also a devout Christian, and for those people who want to find it, will find Christian subtext in the movie. Aslan is Christ, who is killed and resurrected. The children are referred to as Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve. However, the Christian subtext is not hammered into you head. It is subtle enough for some of us to merely glance over, while glaringly obvious to those who want it to be there.
The acting is consistently performed by all the child actors. Their acting actually gets better as the movie moves along, evidence of the decision to shoot the movie sequentially. Peter, the eldest boy, and Susan, the second eldest were somewhat weaker. Edmund, the third child, is the rebellious one, and his character had shades of gray making his character more interesting. Finally, a lot depended on Lucy, because it is through her we enter Narnia. Lucy did a fine job, neither being irritating nor overly sentimental. Tilda Swinton, of The Beach fame, portrays the White Witch with much aplomb and glee. She is delightful, and scary, as the Witch, using her powers to lure in Edmund with Turkish delight, and to turn others into icy stone.
Finally, I have to say that CG effects had me fooled this time. Aslan, the lion, voiced by Liam Neeson had so much grace, dignity and power. Half way through the movie, I had forgotten I was watching a CG-ed lion. The makers had me convinced that Aslan is a real lion. Save for a few shoddy CG work, over all, the movie has done a very commendable job of successfully integrating the effects into the movie, so they become a part of the movie and not stand out on its own. (The effects were done by the team in New Zealand, who also worked for The Lord of the Rings)
I enjoyed the movie immensely, primarily because I had read the book and so had fond memories of it. I am not sure however, if I will be the first in line to watch the sequels. Some may compare Narnia to The Lord of the Rings, but I think Narnia is solid enough to hold its own standing.
Mansur
Movie:: Crash
After watching the movie Crash, I was provoked to think about the issue of racism. The movie made a statement that we all are racist to some degree. Some people may claim to be non-racist and all, but I think there is a little bit in each one of us that doesn’t understand a foreign culture or nationality and so disprove of it.
Crash is set over a period of 24 hours, and we follow about a dozen storylines. A rich white couple has their car stolen by two black guys. An Iranian family has their store mobbed, and goes to shoot the Hispanic guy who changed the lock on the door. A Portuguese- Peruvian woman has a run in with a Chinese, and is also having an affair with a black detective. A black man steals the car of another black man. A racist white cop fondles a black woman up her dress in front of her husband. Another white cop is in the making of being a racist prick.
Different people of different backgrounds are pitted against one another, to the point of them crashing into another, thereby changing their outlook on life. The movie has a stellar star cast including Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillipe and many others. This movie has also been nominated at the Oscars, and was also a winner at the Golden Globe awards.
Like I said in the beginning, this movie raises so many issues about racism. I could certainly relate to it, and have been in positions where I look at others with suspicion. A walk down East London with my mom and aunt, we were targeted by some white guys, who managed to thrown rotten tomatoes on my aunt. On a trip to New York, our car got stalled in Bronx, and we were scared thinking that the black guys will rob us. Sitting in a taxi here in Dubai, I am asked almost always if I am an Indian, and I get offended. There have been so many more moments, and this movie has made me reassess my thinking, and how I view others.
If anything, I am thankful for my recent trip for the Hajj, because that was one time when racism and differences were dropped and we celebrated the similarities and likeness with one another. If only the rest of the world were like that too.
Mansur
Crash is set over a period of 24 hours, and we follow about a dozen storylines. A rich white couple has their car stolen by two black guys. An Iranian family has their store mobbed, and goes to shoot the Hispanic guy who changed the lock on the door. A Portuguese- Peruvian woman has a run in with a Chinese, and is also having an affair with a black detective. A black man steals the car of another black man. A racist white cop fondles a black woman up her dress in front of her husband. Another white cop is in the making of being a racist prick.
Different people of different backgrounds are pitted against one another, to the point of them crashing into another, thereby changing their outlook on life. The movie has a stellar star cast including Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Matt Dillon, Ryan Phillipe and many others. This movie has also been nominated at the Oscars, and was also a winner at the Golden Globe awards.
Like I said in the beginning, this movie raises so many issues about racism. I could certainly relate to it, and have been in positions where I look at others with suspicion. A walk down East London with my mom and aunt, we were targeted by some white guys, who managed to thrown rotten tomatoes on my aunt. On a trip to New York, our car got stalled in Bronx, and we were scared thinking that the black guys will rob us. Sitting in a taxi here in Dubai, I am asked almost always if I am an Indian, and I get offended. There have been so many more moments, and this movie has made me reassess my thinking, and how I view others.
If anything, I am thankful for my recent trip for the Hajj, because that was one time when racism and differences were dropped and we celebrated the similarities and likeness with one another. If only the rest of the world were like that too.
Mansur
Monday, February 06, 2006
The Reality of the Situation
Hey friends,
There has been so much noise about the way the Muslims are reacting towards the cartoon controversy. Much has been made of the violent Muslims in the media. I wish these Muslims would not resort to such tactics. Even the ones who are holding peaceful demonstartions are carrying placards and banners with phrases like "massacre those who insult Islam" and "Slay those who insult Islam." Why must we apply our own code of punishment on someone who is not even a Muslim, let alone living in a different country than ours?
However, let me mention here the double standards the Danish media has. Arab News reporter Tarek Mishkhas has written an article 'Something Is Rotten in the State of Denmark,' in which he exposes the hypocrisy that exists in the Danish media. The reality of the situation is that there is a LAW in Denmark which does not allow for such kind of freedom of expression so why the double standards when it comes to Islam?
------
The Danish constitution says:
"The law prohibits publicly disseminated statements, which threaten, insult, or degrade persons based on their religion."
And this law was used by the Danish government to condemn "anti-Semitic" activities and investigate them, as mentioned in the human rights report made by the US Department of State regarding Denmark in 2004:
"From January through June, there were five incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism, primarily graffiti, and one incident of an anti-Semitic mailing, which the government condemned and investigated."
Why a different stand when it comes to Islam? Of course there is nothing new in this. In April last year the queen of Denmark was quoted by the Telegraph newspaper as saying that we (Denmark) "should show our opposition to Islam".
She said: "We are being challenged by Islam these years - globally as well as locally. It is a challenge we have to take seriously. We have let this issue float about for too long because we are tolerant and lazy.
"We have to show our opposition to Islam and we have to, at times, run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on us because there are some things for which we should display no tolerance."
These countries that boast about freedom of speech and freedom of press are the same countries that make it illegal and punishable by prison for anyone to question the holocaust or brandish Nazi symbols in public.
In France a university professor was sacked because he made a research questioning the magnitude of the Holocaust. In Germany one risks going to jail if one denies the Holocaust or brandishes Nazi symbols in public.
In fact the Italian interior minister confirmed on Thursday that legal action is being taken against 11 football fans for brandishing Nazi symbols during a Serie A game. The 11 face prison sentences of between three months and one year.
There are many examples to show that freedom of press in Europe stops when it comes to some historical facts that two can differ upon, but when it is about insulting Islam then it is freedom of speech.
No freedom is absolute; a person's freedom ends when it encroaches into another person's freedom.
Muslim governments should ask the United Nations to pass a law against insulting any religion. We should use all our resources and powers - economical and political - to make this happen.
If we stay silent now then we will never be able to raise our heads.
-----
Such hypocrisy exists in their own backyards and they are the ones accusing us of double standards. There has to be a fine line drawn between free speech, satire and insult as these lins have been blurry for now.
Mansur
There has been so much noise about the way the Muslims are reacting towards the cartoon controversy. Much has been made of the violent Muslims in the media. I wish these Muslims would not resort to such tactics. Even the ones who are holding peaceful demonstartions are carrying placards and banners with phrases like "massacre those who insult Islam" and "Slay those who insult Islam." Why must we apply our own code of punishment on someone who is not even a Muslim, let alone living in a different country than ours?
However, let me mention here the double standards the Danish media has. Arab News reporter Tarek Mishkhas has written an article 'Something Is Rotten in the State of Denmark,' in which he exposes the hypocrisy that exists in the Danish media. The reality of the situation is that there is a LAW in Denmark which does not allow for such kind of freedom of expression so why the double standards when it comes to Islam?
------
The Danish constitution says:
"The law prohibits publicly disseminated statements, which threaten, insult, or degrade persons based on their religion."
And this law was used by the Danish government to condemn "anti-Semitic" activities and investigate them, as mentioned in the human rights report made by the US Department of State regarding Denmark in 2004:
"From January through June, there were five incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism, primarily graffiti, and one incident of an anti-Semitic mailing, which the government condemned and investigated."
Why a different stand when it comes to Islam? Of course there is nothing new in this. In April last year the queen of Denmark was quoted by the Telegraph newspaper as saying that we (Denmark) "should show our opposition to Islam".
She said: "We are being challenged by Islam these years - globally as well as locally. It is a challenge we have to take seriously. We have let this issue float about for too long because we are tolerant and lazy.
"We have to show our opposition to Islam and we have to, at times, run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on us because there are some things for which we should display no tolerance."
These countries that boast about freedom of speech and freedom of press are the same countries that make it illegal and punishable by prison for anyone to question the holocaust or brandish Nazi symbols in public.
In France a university professor was sacked because he made a research questioning the magnitude of the Holocaust. In Germany one risks going to jail if one denies the Holocaust or brandishes Nazi symbols in public.
In fact the Italian interior minister confirmed on Thursday that legal action is being taken against 11 football fans for brandishing Nazi symbols during a Serie A game. The 11 face prison sentences of between three months and one year.
There are many examples to show that freedom of press in Europe stops when it comes to some historical facts that two can differ upon, but when it is about insulting Islam then it is freedom of speech.
No freedom is absolute; a person's freedom ends when it encroaches into another person's freedom.
Muslim governments should ask the United Nations to pass a law against insulting any religion. We should use all our resources and powers - economical and political - to make this happen.
If we stay silent now then we will never be able to raise our heads.
-----
Such hypocrisy exists in their own backyards and they are the ones accusing us of double standards. There has to be a fine line drawn between free speech, satire and insult as these lins have been blurry for now.
Mansur
Sunday, February 05, 2006
"Real" Dreams
Hey all,
Sometimes I don’t understand how much truth there is in a dream. What am I talking about? Well, I had a very “real” dream last night, and though I got up in the middle of it sometimes, I would force myself to go back to sleep to see how my dream would continue. Sometimes they are like in proper movie form, where I actually experience all the emotions.
Dreams of these kinds are far and few for me, but when they do occur, they scare me because some of them have turned out to be true. I can remember in one dream when one friend of mine repeatedly knocked on my dorm room door, and she asked me if I was praying for her. She asked me not once, not twice but thrice! I was concerned for her, and when I emailed her in reality, she confessed she was going through some problem and appreciated my prayer. In another dream, I saw my grandfather stand at the main door of our house, looking directly at me, eye to eye, waving his hand, all the while there is immense bright white light out there behind him. I was at peace knowing he was going to a better place because he was smiling at me the whole time. The funny thing was that he did not wear his eyeglasses as his eyesight is next to complete blindness. Few weeks later, my grandfather passed away.
Probably the freakiest dream I had was when Princess Diana passed away. The world over was mourning her death, and I had a dream that a woman in white, someone famous will die. Weeks later, Mother Theresa passed away.
About a month ago, I had a dream where a cousin of mine introduced me to his son, and even called out his, which begins with an S (I forgot what the name was, but it was something like Suleiman or Saif). When I woke up, I called my mom to ask if my cousin has any son, and she was like no. So was my dream a foreshadow of future events to happen as it was in the case of my grandfather. Or was this dream just pure fabrication. How much of dreams are rooted in fact? Can God use dreams to convey his messages? Can he use an individual’s dreams to convey His message to others?
The one I had last night was too real for me that I am got genuinely scared.
It all started off when I was visiting my cousin and his eldest sister, with whom I get along really well. My cousin was driving his car, and showing me around the city of London. We entered a lane, which he realized was wrong turn, and made an attempt to make a u-turn on this one-way road. He was being careful that no one spots him, and just as he leaves this road, a policeman spots him. My cousin decides on the spot to make a get away. While he slips away discreetly, the police are after him. We all panic in the car, my other cousin near tears as she thinks he will be jailed or something. My cousin becomes more desperate to get away, and manages to swerve his car in and out of the heavy traffic. We think we have made a get away when we crash into something. The next thing I see is my cousin in the backseat lying unconscious on the roof of the car, while my cousin and I are still buckled up in our seats, upside down. I look at him and realize he is dead.
Without even knowing how, we all are transported back to Pakistan, I find myself being comforted by my cousin from the backseat. Soon, her mother comes up and comfort me. I am in a state of shock. I realize that my cousin is dead, and I cannot comprehend that. Soon, every one of my aunts and uncles come up to me comfort me. I cling to my favorite uncle’s arm the whole time like a little kid. I even remember being in my bedroom, trying to decide if I should wear jeans or shalwar kameez. As I walk down to the lounge, I see people gathered around each other, all crying and mourning. Clinging to my uncle, we make our way out to the funeral. I see my favorite cousin out there, and he and I embrace for a long moment. I find great solace in him. He is like my big brother. While still in a state of shock, I walk through the entire funeral procession like a zombie. I meet people whom I have not met in a long time. But what really concerned me was the death of my cousin.
When I got up, I realize this was the first time I had a dream of someone dying, and not any someone, but my cousin. It’s a big deal. I am scared, although I don’t know if I should be. Was this dream a message from God? Or was it Satan’s whisperings to confuse me? Or was it merely my sub-consciousness rising to the surface and giving me this movie-like dream?
I don’t know the answer, but I do know, as my friend told me to do so, that I will be praying to God about this dream, and may possibly give money to charity.
Mansur
Sometimes I don’t understand how much truth there is in a dream. What am I talking about? Well, I had a very “real” dream last night, and though I got up in the middle of it sometimes, I would force myself to go back to sleep to see how my dream would continue. Sometimes they are like in proper movie form, where I actually experience all the emotions.
Dreams of these kinds are far and few for me, but when they do occur, they scare me because some of them have turned out to be true. I can remember in one dream when one friend of mine repeatedly knocked on my dorm room door, and she asked me if I was praying for her. She asked me not once, not twice but thrice! I was concerned for her, and when I emailed her in reality, she confessed she was going through some problem and appreciated my prayer. In another dream, I saw my grandfather stand at the main door of our house, looking directly at me, eye to eye, waving his hand, all the while there is immense bright white light out there behind him. I was at peace knowing he was going to a better place because he was smiling at me the whole time. The funny thing was that he did not wear his eyeglasses as his eyesight is next to complete blindness. Few weeks later, my grandfather passed away.
Probably the freakiest dream I had was when Princess Diana passed away. The world over was mourning her death, and I had a dream that a woman in white, someone famous will die. Weeks later, Mother Theresa passed away.
About a month ago, I had a dream where a cousin of mine introduced me to his son, and even called out his, which begins with an S (I forgot what the name was, but it was something like Suleiman or Saif). When I woke up, I called my mom to ask if my cousin has any son, and she was like no. So was my dream a foreshadow of future events to happen as it was in the case of my grandfather. Or was this dream just pure fabrication. How much of dreams are rooted in fact? Can God use dreams to convey his messages? Can he use an individual’s dreams to convey His message to others?
The one I had last night was too real for me that I am got genuinely scared.
It all started off when I was visiting my cousin and his eldest sister, with whom I get along really well. My cousin was driving his car, and showing me around the city of London. We entered a lane, which he realized was wrong turn, and made an attempt to make a u-turn on this one-way road. He was being careful that no one spots him, and just as he leaves this road, a policeman spots him. My cousin decides on the spot to make a get away. While he slips away discreetly, the police are after him. We all panic in the car, my other cousin near tears as she thinks he will be jailed or something. My cousin becomes more desperate to get away, and manages to swerve his car in and out of the heavy traffic. We think we have made a get away when we crash into something. The next thing I see is my cousin in the backseat lying unconscious on the roof of the car, while my cousin and I are still buckled up in our seats, upside down. I look at him and realize he is dead.
Without even knowing how, we all are transported back to Pakistan, I find myself being comforted by my cousin from the backseat. Soon, her mother comes up and comfort me. I am in a state of shock. I realize that my cousin is dead, and I cannot comprehend that. Soon, every one of my aunts and uncles come up to me comfort me. I cling to my favorite uncle’s arm the whole time like a little kid. I even remember being in my bedroom, trying to decide if I should wear jeans or shalwar kameez. As I walk down to the lounge, I see people gathered around each other, all crying and mourning. Clinging to my uncle, we make our way out to the funeral. I see my favorite cousin out there, and he and I embrace for a long moment. I find great solace in him. He is like my big brother. While still in a state of shock, I walk through the entire funeral procession like a zombie. I meet people whom I have not met in a long time. But what really concerned me was the death of my cousin.
When I got up, I realize this was the first time I had a dream of someone dying, and not any someone, but my cousin. It’s a big deal. I am scared, although I don’t know if I should be. Was this dream a message from God? Or was it Satan’s whisperings to confuse me? Or was it merely my sub-consciousness rising to the surface and giving me this movie-like dream?
I don’t know the answer, but I do know, as my friend told me to do so, that I will be praying to God about this dream, and may possibly give money to charity.
Mansur
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Cartoon Controversy!
[Note: The cartoon controversy that has enraged the world has upset me. I finally managed to see the pictures recently, and I was really upset, angry and hurt. I have poured out my soul in this article, so bear with the length of it.]
------
I was infuriated when I finally saw the cartoons on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through an email, which otherwise I could not see since most of them are blocked. I was really hurt. The one picture of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wearing a turban made of bombs really hit me hard in my heart. Now that I think about it, these cartoons have messed with each Muslim’s heart on a very personal level. A friend of mine who is not a staunch Muslim felt hurt by them too. He told me that these cartoons struck a chord in his heart, and he felt hurt. I felt even more upset, as I have just returned from Hajj, retracing Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) steps there, getting to admire and appreciate Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and here I am face to face with these horrible cartoons.
I have been challenged at the most.
I don’t even know where to begin to sort this mess out. Why did they publish it again? What were they trying to prove? Were they making an attempt to see how far their concept of freedom of speech would go? If they printed it once, and apologized for it, what was the need to have all the major European papers publish it all over again? Is there some sort of hidden propaganda taking place? Lots more questions roam in my head, and I cannot make a sense of it.
These cartoons were originally published five months ago in Denmark, by the same newspaper, as an experiment to see how far “freedom of speech and expression” can go. They pushed the limit and boundary on the level of freedom they have by producing these drawings. No one spoke out five months ago. I think they felt the need to re-publish these drawings, to garner the attention they seeked the first time round. As we can all see, they have the world’s attention.
The Danish newspaper has since apologized for causing hurt, and have said sorry to the Muslim world. However, they have not apologized for publishing the cartoons. They maintain that it is their given right for “freedom of speech and expression.” I am fine with that. It is their country, their rules and I am not going to impose the Sharia laws on them. But what is not ok is deliberately re-publishing these images. Norway followed Denmark. Spain, France and Italy followed. These countries claim they are supporting Denmark for the values they stand for: Freedom of Expression. I personally think these papers did a very tasteless thing by re-publishing these images, either to add more fuel on the fire, or to insult the Muslims, or to increase the newspaper sales.
The Danish prime minister had called for a meeting with the Muslim world’s envoys, and tried convincing them that the government cannot control what the media says. A very poor attempt to reduce tensions I must say. The newspaper is not apologizing for what they have done. The Muslim world is boycotting Danish products, which is resulting a loss of 200 million dirhams for Danish businesses daily in the UAE. European flags are being burnt in countries from Palestine to Iraq to Indonesia. A Danish embassy was stormed at. Envoys are being recalled from Danish embassies. Libya closed its Embassy in Denmark. The scale of the controversy has impacted a lot more than what I am sure the newspaper would have imagined so. Some people have talked about the Muslim’s reactions as being wrong. The Danish Muslims, who are the second largest religious group there, should have handled the matter legally in the court under the pre-text of defamation of Islam. Muslims worldwide should have taken peaceful methods to deal with the issue (petition etc). The Muslim world leaders should have intervened and talked to Danish prime minister about the issue. There really was no need for flag burning, effigy burning, embassy storming. By doing all this, we are again portraying to the world that we a bunch of people ready to kill the “infidels,” and in the end, the interests of the Western world has been served as the world watches the violent Muslims demonstrating, thereby solidifying the image of Muslims being violent terrorists and non-peaceful people.
However, in defense of the Muslim’s reaction, I have to say that these cartoons are certainly inflammatory, offensive, hurtful and downright tasteless. I question the motives of the cartoonists. Were they seeking to insult Islam? Were they testing the tolerance of the Muslim world? Or were they really seeking to see how far their freedom of speech would take them? Does freedom of speech mean you insult something sacred to another group? You have to realize that religion has certainly been on a fast decline in Europe, and the Europeans are god-less people. They are secular, atheists, and agnostics. Church attendance is pitifully low. Gay marriages are allowed. Euthanasia is allowed. With morals on the decline, these people have a secular outlook on life, where the freedom to express themselves is more important than actually following a life of religious law. If the same cartoons were made of Jesus, they would not have bothered to protest. Because of this, they do not understand fully what Islam means to the Muslim. They don’t understand what being a Muslim is about. They are living with a totally mis-understood, confused, wrong understanding of Islam, which is depicted in the drawings. It’s pitiful really.
There will be people in this world who will advocate freedom of speech. Does that mean one can say absolutely one wants to? What if I go to Denmark and start publishing articles that the Holocaust is a lie? Freedom of speech doesn’t mean that you insult. It doesn’t mean you deliberately incite hatred. It doesn’t mean you hurt the sensibilities of a group of people. I remember Christians in America were upset when Madonna came out with her Like A Prayer video, with a black Jesus; they were also upset when The Last Temptation of Christ came out, which depicted Jesus falling in love with Mary Magdalene. They all protested, wrote letters, talked to the companies, influenced the big bosses, and created lobbies. We should learn a lesson from them too. We shouldn’t have to resort to flag burning, or boycotting all the time. When the Iranian president said that the Holocaust is a myth, the Europeans were very upset, so much so, they voiced their concerns. But they did not burn the Iranian flags. They dealt with the issue through diplomatic means. Imagine the impact if the Muslim world had peaceful demonstrations in large numbers, petitions, websites created to counter argue the cartoons, and so on.
I am comforted with the fact that God is in control of this world, and that the situation is not out of hands. He is in control. He knows exactly what is happening here. The predictions that the world will become amoral and without-religion is true. I know that at the end of the day, the people involved with the cartoons will be held accountable for their actions. Each one of us will be judged, and the rewards and punishments will be handed out accordingly. So, even if I cannot do anything as an individual, I can pray over the situation, be patience, persevere in my faith, and know that those who insult my faith, and the prophet Muhammad (pbuh), will be punished accordingly.
To quote Yusuf Islam, “I have no cannons that roar, but I have faith in God and love,” and that is all I need to help me get through this madness that has been unveiled in the name of freedom of speech.
Mansur
------
I was infuriated when I finally saw the cartoons on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through an email, which otherwise I could not see since most of them are blocked. I was really hurt. The one picture of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wearing a turban made of bombs really hit me hard in my heart. Now that I think about it, these cartoons have messed with each Muslim’s heart on a very personal level. A friend of mine who is not a staunch Muslim felt hurt by them too. He told me that these cartoons struck a chord in his heart, and he felt hurt. I felt even more upset, as I have just returned from Hajj, retracing Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) steps there, getting to admire and appreciate Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and here I am face to face with these horrible cartoons.
I have been challenged at the most.
I don’t even know where to begin to sort this mess out. Why did they publish it again? What were they trying to prove? Were they making an attempt to see how far their concept of freedom of speech would go? If they printed it once, and apologized for it, what was the need to have all the major European papers publish it all over again? Is there some sort of hidden propaganda taking place? Lots more questions roam in my head, and I cannot make a sense of it.
These cartoons were originally published five months ago in Denmark, by the same newspaper, as an experiment to see how far “freedom of speech and expression” can go. They pushed the limit and boundary on the level of freedom they have by producing these drawings. No one spoke out five months ago. I think they felt the need to re-publish these drawings, to garner the attention they seeked the first time round. As we can all see, they have the world’s attention.
The Danish newspaper has since apologized for causing hurt, and have said sorry to the Muslim world. However, they have not apologized for publishing the cartoons. They maintain that it is their given right for “freedom of speech and expression.” I am fine with that. It is their country, their rules and I am not going to impose the Sharia laws on them. But what is not ok is deliberately re-publishing these images. Norway followed Denmark. Spain, France and Italy followed. These countries claim they are supporting Denmark for the values they stand for: Freedom of Expression. I personally think these papers did a very tasteless thing by re-publishing these images, either to add more fuel on the fire, or to insult the Muslims, or to increase the newspaper sales.
The Danish prime minister had called for a meeting with the Muslim world’s envoys, and tried convincing them that the government cannot control what the media says. A very poor attempt to reduce tensions I must say. The newspaper is not apologizing for what they have done. The Muslim world is boycotting Danish products, which is resulting a loss of 200 million dirhams for Danish businesses daily in the UAE. European flags are being burnt in countries from Palestine to Iraq to Indonesia. A Danish embassy was stormed at. Envoys are being recalled from Danish embassies. Libya closed its Embassy in Denmark. The scale of the controversy has impacted a lot more than what I am sure the newspaper would have imagined so. Some people have talked about the Muslim’s reactions as being wrong. The Danish Muslims, who are the second largest religious group there, should have handled the matter legally in the court under the pre-text of defamation of Islam. Muslims worldwide should have taken peaceful methods to deal with the issue (petition etc). The Muslim world leaders should have intervened and talked to Danish prime minister about the issue. There really was no need for flag burning, effigy burning, embassy storming. By doing all this, we are again portraying to the world that we a bunch of people ready to kill the “infidels,” and in the end, the interests of the Western world has been served as the world watches the violent Muslims demonstrating, thereby solidifying the image of Muslims being violent terrorists and non-peaceful people.
However, in defense of the Muslim’s reaction, I have to say that these cartoons are certainly inflammatory, offensive, hurtful and downright tasteless. I question the motives of the cartoonists. Were they seeking to insult Islam? Were they testing the tolerance of the Muslim world? Or were they really seeking to see how far their freedom of speech would take them? Does freedom of speech mean you insult something sacred to another group? You have to realize that religion has certainly been on a fast decline in Europe, and the Europeans are god-less people. They are secular, atheists, and agnostics. Church attendance is pitifully low. Gay marriages are allowed. Euthanasia is allowed. With morals on the decline, these people have a secular outlook on life, where the freedom to express themselves is more important than actually following a life of religious law. If the same cartoons were made of Jesus, they would not have bothered to protest. Because of this, they do not understand fully what Islam means to the Muslim. They don’t understand what being a Muslim is about. They are living with a totally mis-understood, confused, wrong understanding of Islam, which is depicted in the drawings. It’s pitiful really.
There will be people in this world who will advocate freedom of speech. Does that mean one can say absolutely one wants to? What if I go to Denmark and start publishing articles that the Holocaust is a lie? Freedom of speech doesn’t mean that you insult. It doesn’t mean you deliberately incite hatred. It doesn’t mean you hurt the sensibilities of a group of people. I remember Christians in America were upset when Madonna came out with her Like A Prayer video, with a black Jesus; they were also upset when The Last Temptation of Christ came out, which depicted Jesus falling in love with Mary Magdalene. They all protested, wrote letters, talked to the companies, influenced the big bosses, and created lobbies. We should learn a lesson from them too. We shouldn’t have to resort to flag burning, or boycotting all the time. When the Iranian president said that the Holocaust is a myth, the Europeans were very upset, so much so, they voiced their concerns. But they did not burn the Iranian flags. They dealt with the issue through diplomatic means. Imagine the impact if the Muslim world had peaceful demonstrations in large numbers, petitions, websites created to counter argue the cartoons, and so on.
I am comforted with the fact that God is in control of this world, and that the situation is not out of hands. He is in control. He knows exactly what is happening here. The predictions that the world will become amoral and without-religion is true. I know that at the end of the day, the people involved with the cartoons will be held accountable for their actions. Each one of us will be judged, and the rewards and punishments will be handed out accordingly. So, even if I cannot do anything as an individual, I can pray over the situation, be patience, persevere in my faith, and know that those who insult my faith, and the prophet Muhammad (pbuh), will be punished accordingly.
To quote Yusuf Islam, “I have no cannons that roar, but I have faith in God and love,” and that is all I need to help me get through this madness that has been unveiled in the name of freedom of speech.
Mansur
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