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
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
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?
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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.]
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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
Friday, February 03, 2006
Movie:: Rang De Basanti
Rang De Basanti (Colors of Spring)
For the first time in my life, I saw an Indian movie where I left the theatre talking about the theme more than the actors. It is not the case like that with Indian movies, where people usually leave talking about how great the actor was, how cool the cinematography was, or how amazing the music was. But with Rang De Basanti, I left more asking myself the questions the movie brought out.
The Plot
Rang De Basanti (RB) is seen through the eyes of Sue, a British documentary filmmaker who desires to make a documentary based on her grandfather’s diary, which he wrote when he served in India with the British regiment. Sue is touched by her grandfather’s words, as he describes how the freedom fighters, of which Bhagat Singh is one, refused to bow down to pressure to give themselves up. He saw in them a strong passion, a heartfelt conviction to stand for they believed in: freedom.
Sue’s bosses deny her the budget to carry out the film, and so she leave for India, where her Indian friend Sonia, helps her recruit five young guys to act in her movie. Though there is disappointment initially, Sue realizes she needed not have looked further than the circle of friends Sonia is in. Each of these guys, from Dil Jeet (DJ), Aslam, Sukhia, including Sonia, are all the partying kind of guys, hanging out at abandoned areas, singing, dancing and smoking the night away. These people are skeptical about acting in a movie about freedom fighters. They don’t know who they were, nor care to find out about them. But they still agree to act just to help Sue complete her documentary.
A certain tragedy in all their lives leads them to re-evaluate their beliefs and values, and forces them to see and appreciate the freedom fighters, because of whom they have independence and freedom today. Their lives are changed, and as we witness them go through the changes, we see them re-awakening to who they really are, and what their identity is really is.
My Views:
1. The acting from every single actor in this movie has been amazing. With an ensemble of four guys and two girls, each one of them held their own standing against one another. Usually, the star actor hogs all the limelight (think Shahrukh Khan) but here Aamir Khan becomes a part of the group, which is refreshing, because you are not focused on the star actor, but on the characters they are portraying. Sue, a British actress, speaks Hindi with such fluency, I am sure she will win over the viewers. Soha Ali Khan, of whom I had heard bad reviews, shone like a star here; in particular a crying of scene of hers was probably the most natural acting scene in the movie. The other guys held on their own, with each of them making their character distinct from each other. Aamir Khan once again proves his versatility, be it in Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Mangal Pandey or RB, he is the best actor out there. (Well, I may be biased since he is my favorite actor anyways and I admire his guts to do versatile roles!) There are no one dimensional characters here. Each one of the actors here have a background, and their issues, and we get to see where they are coming from. Like DJ (Khan), we think he is a party-boy, who is hanging around in university still after graduating, but when he opens up to Sue, we realize where he is coming from: he is simply to afraid to go out into the real world. We understand their motives and reasons for behaving the way they do.
2. The music, by the incredible A.R Rahman, who is now working on the musical version for Lord of the Rings, has created music for this movie that accompanies it perfectly. It doesn’t hinder the narrative (like it did in Mangal Pandey), but rather carries the movie forward. I was on a bathroom break during one of the songs, as my friend told me there would be no break in the movie, and as soon as I came back in a hurry to not miss the movie, there was an immediate break! I don’t know what to say.
3. I am just impressed with all the technical stuff Bollywood comes out with. I for once completely forgot I was watching an Indian film, and was convinced this was a Hollywood film, which just happened to have Indian actors. I also love the smooth and slick transition from the old to the new, past to the present.
4. There are several interwoven themes in this movie, all of which have been handled with maturity. Credit goes to the director for what could have been a satirical, or non-believable movie, for making it a realistic movie. Issues and themes revolve around racial tension, corruption, decadent youth, freedom among others. I was left with lots of questions as I left the theatre - How do I change a system that is corrupt already? - What can I do on a personal level to bring about a change? - Do I sit around and do nothing because I know I cannot change the system? - What or who would I sacrifice my life for? - What does it mean to be free? - What does freedom mean to me?
RB is the first hit of the year 2006, and has made 1.08 millions dirhams in the first five says in UAE alone. It’s a fun-filled film with a deeper message at heart. See it as soon as you can, and be prepared to be blown away and left with a deeper appreciation of what it means to be who you are as a person.
Mansur
For the first time in my life, I saw an Indian movie where I left the theatre talking about the theme more than the actors. It is not the case like that with Indian movies, where people usually leave talking about how great the actor was, how cool the cinematography was, or how amazing the music was. But with Rang De Basanti, I left more asking myself the questions the movie brought out.
The Plot
Rang De Basanti (RB) is seen through the eyes of Sue, a British documentary filmmaker who desires to make a documentary based on her grandfather’s diary, which he wrote when he served in India with the British regiment. Sue is touched by her grandfather’s words, as he describes how the freedom fighters, of which Bhagat Singh is one, refused to bow down to pressure to give themselves up. He saw in them a strong passion, a heartfelt conviction to stand for they believed in: freedom.
Sue’s bosses deny her the budget to carry out the film, and so she leave for India, where her Indian friend Sonia, helps her recruit five young guys to act in her movie. Though there is disappointment initially, Sue realizes she needed not have looked further than the circle of friends Sonia is in. Each of these guys, from Dil Jeet (DJ), Aslam, Sukhia, including Sonia, are all the partying kind of guys, hanging out at abandoned areas, singing, dancing and smoking the night away. These people are skeptical about acting in a movie about freedom fighters. They don’t know who they were, nor care to find out about them. But they still agree to act just to help Sue complete her documentary.
A certain tragedy in all their lives leads them to re-evaluate their beliefs and values, and forces them to see and appreciate the freedom fighters, because of whom they have independence and freedom today. Their lives are changed, and as we witness them go through the changes, we see them re-awakening to who they really are, and what their identity is really is.
My Views:
1. The acting from every single actor in this movie has been amazing. With an ensemble of four guys and two girls, each one of them held their own standing against one another. Usually, the star actor hogs all the limelight (think Shahrukh Khan) but here Aamir Khan becomes a part of the group, which is refreshing, because you are not focused on the star actor, but on the characters they are portraying. Sue, a British actress, speaks Hindi with such fluency, I am sure she will win over the viewers. Soha Ali Khan, of whom I had heard bad reviews, shone like a star here; in particular a crying of scene of hers was probably the most natural acting scene in the movie. The other guys held on their own, with each of them making their character distinct from each other. Aamir Khan once again proves his versatility, be it in Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Mangal Pandey or RB, he is the best actor out there. (Well, I may be biased since he is my favorite actor anyways and I admire his guts to do versatile roles!) There are no one dimensional characters here. Each one of the actors here have a background, and their issues, and we get to see where they are coming from. Like DJ (Khan), we think he is a party-boy, who is hanging around in university still after graduating, but when he opens up to Sue, we realize where he is coming from: he is simply to afraid to go out into the real world. We understand their motives and reasons for behaving the way they do.
2. The music, by the incredible A.R Rahman, who is now working on the musical version for Lord of the Rings, has created music for this movie that accompanies it perfectly. It doesn’t hinder the narrative (like it did in Mangal Pandey), but rather carries the movie forward. I was on a bathroom break during one of the songs, as my friend told me there would be no break in the movie, and as soon as I came back in a hurry to not miss the movie, there was an immediate break! I don’t know what to say.
3. I am just impressed with all the technical stuff Bollywood comes out with. I for once completely forgot I was watching an Indian film, and was convinced this was a Hollywood film, which just happened to have Indian actors. I also love the smooth and slick transition from the old to the new, past to the present.
4. There are several interwoven themes in this movie, all of which have been handled with maturity. Credit goes to the director for what could have been a satirical, or non-believable movie, for making it a realistic movie. Issues and themes revolve around racial tension, corruption, decadent youth, freedom among others. I was left with lots of questions as I left the theatre - How do I change a system that is corrupt already? - What can I do on a personal level to bring about a change? - Do I sit around and do nothing because I know I cannot change the system? - What or who would I sacrifice my life for? - What does it mean to be free? - What does freedom mean to me?
RB is the first hit of the year 2006, and has made 1.08 millions dirhams in the first five says in UAE alone. It’s a fun-filled film with a deeper message at heart. See it as soon as you can, and be prepared to be blown away and left with a deeper appreciation of what it means to be who you are as a person.
Mansur
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Movie:: The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Hey friends,
[Keep in mind, this movie is based on true events.]
One of the biggest hits of the year 2005 was a small, unknown movie called The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Scary movies excite me, and so I waited with bated breath for this movie to release. The Exorcist (1977) is one of my all time favorite horror movies, and I stayed away from drawing comparison between these two movies.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose stars Laura Linney as Erin Bruner and Tom Wilkinson as Father Moore, and Jennifer Carpenter as Emily herself. Father Moore is accused of negligence of Emily’s health resulting in her death while performing the exorcism. Erin is called in to be Father Moore’s lawyer to defend him from the “people” who are prosecuting him. Thus begins the case trial, through which we get to hear about Emily Rose’ story, her possession and the eventual exorcism leading to her death.
The major attraction of this movie is that it is based on a true story; hence the reality of it strikes a chord in your heart. The prosecution teams argues that Emily Rose was not possessed but in fact afflicted with epileptic-psychotic disorder which made her see hallucinations, use dual voice from her vocal chords, manipulate her body, dilate her pupils so they turn black and so on. They argue that there is no such thing as demonic possession, and that Rose’s condition can all be explained through scientific reasoning and facts. However, Erin on the other hand, defends Father Moore by bringing in the supernatural arguments, making a case for possession as believed in by millions, perhaps billions of people. She even brings in an anthropologist as a witness, who explains that there are some people who are born “hyper-sensitive,” which allows them to experience connections with the supernatural. (At this point of the movie, I could only think about my cousin who told me how he would see jinns from his bedroom window.)
Erin herself is an agnostic whose views are changed as she comes to deal with the supernatural powers that are working against her. This movie is more about the trial, while we see Emily Rose’s story in flashback.
All the actors have given restrained and credible performances, and newcomer Carpenter as Rose is particularly terrifying as she conveys her descent into being possessed. I immensely enjoyed watching this movie, because it attempted to show demonic possession and exorcism from both the supernatural point of view and the scientific world’ point of view. Can we justify a person who one may claim to be demonically possessed in scientific terms? Just like in The Exorcist, the doctors try to understand the child’s condition, and through repeated tests fail to cure her of her disease and ultimately resort to exorcism.
I do believe in jinns, because the Quran talks about it, but what do I make of those people who claim to be possessed by jinns? Can their personality change be justified in scientific terms, or are they really possessed by jinns? I don’t know the answer, but this movie is a great starting point to address this issue. One other small thing. In the movie, as Erin Bruner starts the trial, she experiences sleepless nights, specifically at 3am. 3am, as Father Moore explains, is the demons’ witching hour, which is an inversion of 3pm, which is the time when Jesus Christ was supposedly killed on the cross. I just got thinking: do the jinns, or demons, try to attack us if we meddle with their world?
A friend I know attempted to start writing a book about jinns, and has put that on hold temporarily as she claims she feels some strange force working against her, almost as if it were trying to stop her. As Erin Bruner says in the movie, “the trial is not about facts. Its about possibilities.” When something is a fact, there is no room for doubt. And in our world, isn’t it just possible that jinns possess us?
Mansur
[Keep in mind, this movie is based on true events.]
One of the biggest hits of the year 2005 was a small, unknown movie called The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Scary movies excite me, and so I waited with bated breath for this movie to release. The Exorcist (1977) is one of my all time favorite horror movies, and I stayed away from drawing comparison between these two movies.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose stars Laura Linney as Erin Bruner and Tom Wilkinson as Father Moore, and Jennifer Carpenter as Emily herself. Father Moore is accused of negligence of Emily’s health resulting in her death while performing the exorcism. Erin is called in to be Father Moore’s lawyer to defend him from the “people” who are prosecuting him. Thus begins the case trial, through which we get to hear about Emily Rose’ story, her possession and the eventual exorcism leading to her death.
The major attraction of this movie is that it is based on a true story; hence the reality of it strikes a chord in your heart. The prosecution teams argues that Emily Rose was not possessed but in fact afflicted with epileptic-psychotic disorder which made her see hallucinations, use dual voice from her vocal chords, manipulate her body, dilate her pupils so they turn black and so on. They argue that there is no such thing as demonic possession, and that Rose’s condition can all be explained through scientific reasoning and facts. However, Erin on the other hand, defends Father Moore by bringing in the supernatural arguments, making a case for possession as believed in by millions, perhaps billions of people. She even brings in an anthropologist as a witness, who explains that there are some people who are born “hyper-sensitive,” which allows them to experience connections with the supernatural. (At this point of the movie, I could only think about my cousin who told me how he would see jinns from his bedroom window.)
Erin herself is an agnostic whose views are changed as she comes to deal with the supernatural powers that are working against her. This movie is more about the trial, while we see Emily Rose’s story in flashback.
All the actors have given restrained and credible performances, and newcomer Carpenter as Rose is particularly terrifying as she conveys her descent into being possessed. I immensely enjoyed watching this movie, because it attempted to show demonic possession and exorcism from both the supernatural point of view and the scientific world’ point of view. Can we justify a person who one may claim to be demonically possessed in scientific terms? Just like in The Exorcist, the doctors try to understand the child’s condition, and through repeated tests fail to cure her of her disease and ultimately resort to exorcism.
I do believe in jinns, because the Quran talks about it, but what do I make of those people who claim to be possessed by jinns? Can their personality change be justified in scientific terms, or are they really possessed by jinns? I don’t know the answer, but this movie is a great starting point to address this issue. One other small thing. In the movie, as Erin Bruner starts the trial, she experiences sleepless nights, specifically at 3am. 3am, as Father Moore explains, is the demons’ witching hour, which is an inversion of 3pm, which is the time when Jesus Christ was supposedly killed on the cross. I just got thinking: do the jinns, or demons, try to attack us if we meddle with their world?
A friend I know attempted to start writing a book about jinns, and has put that on hold temporarily as she claims she feels some strange force working against her, almost as if it were trying to stop her. As Erin Bruner says in the movie, “the trial is not about facts. Its about possibilities.” When something is a fact, there is no room for doubt. And in our world, isn’t it just possible that jinns possess us?
Mansur
Book:: The DaVinci Code
Hi all,
Over lunch at Chilis, the discussion veered towards The Da Vinci Code penned by Dan Brown. I had heard so much about it, but never really bothered to actually read it since I was not familiar with the works of Dan Brown. However, when the more controversial stuff in the book was being discussed, I was quite intrigued, and went ahead and purchased the book.
In one word: pulsating-mystery-thriller that makes you sit on the edge of your seat. I
t is so intriguing that as I was nearing towards the end before I left for my recent trip to Pakistan, and I forgot my book back in Dubai, I was actually getting frustrated. I was so anxious to come back and finish reading it!
So what’s the big deal about The Da Vinci Code?
Well, it’s a mystery thriller that starts of with the death of a curator at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The death of the curator is no ordinary one, but a murder. However the curator leaves a mysterious message/ code on his body: some symbols and a series of number. Sophie Neveau, a cryptologist, and also the granddaughter of the curator, arrives on the scene to assess the situation. Robert Langdon, an American detective, who happens to be in town, also arrives on the scene.
Thus begins the first steps of an adventure that leads them all over Europe to different locations, encountering various people, good and bad. The French police suspect Robert to be the murderer, and so Robert and Sophie are on the run.
I will not spoil any plot details for you, because the joy will be taken out from reading the novel. However, the interesting part is how our two detectives discover further clues using the previous clues, and stumble upon hidden messages in the painting and works of Leonardo Da Vinci, especially in the world famous painting Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. They come to discover of a secret society, the Priory of Sion, of which Da Vinci and other prominent philosophers and scientists are a part. The more controversial stuff that had led the world to talk about this book deals with the issue that Jesus and Mary Magdalene, the prostitute who Jesus forgave of her sins, are married, and this idea is supported by The Last Supper painting where supposedly one of the thirteen men is a woman, who could be Mary Magdalene, sitting on the right side of Jesus. The two detectives also manage to find clues leading them to the Holy Grail, which is historically known as the cup that held the blood of Jesus Christ. Look at the above picture. Is that person on the right side of Jesus a man or a woman? At the start of the book, the author makes a note about the factual evidence of the existent of a secret society known as the Priory of Sion.
The tricky thing is that the author, in my opinion, mixes facts with fiction, and it becomes quite difficult to separate the two. Following the release of this book, there came ten or so more books refuting the claims that Jesus and Mary were married. Don’t take the book too seriously, read it with an open mind, and be prepared for one huge mystery treasure hunt, filled with clues and new discoveries. The chapters are ridiculously short, and that should make the reading a lot easier.
The only mistake I did was to read it over a long period, and I should have read it in one go. The cool thing is that I recently saw the trailer for the movie, and it looks dark and creepy, yet very exciting. I will be the first in line for this movie as it releases in May 2006!
Verdict: 5 out of 5 for sheer brilliance in plotting, mystery factor and the high level of adrenaline and excitement as we follow the two detectives on an amazing journey.
Mansur
Over lunch at Chilis, the discussion veered towards The Da Vinci Code penned by Dan Brown. I had heard so much about it, but never really bothered to actually read it since I was not familiar with the works of Dan Brown. However, when the more controversial stuff in the book was being discussed, I was quite intrigued, and went ahead and purchased the book.
In one word: pulsating-mystery-thriller that makes you sit on the edge of your seat. I
t is so intriguing that as I was nearing towards the end before I left for my recent trip to Pakistan, and I forgot my book back in Dubai, I was actually getting frustrated. I was so anxious to come back and finish reading it!
So what’s the big deal about The Da Vinci Code?
Well, it’s a mystery thriller that starts of with the death of a curator at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The death of the curator is no ordinary one, but a murder. However the curator leaves a mysterious message/ code on his body: some symbols and a series of number. Sophie Neveau, a cryptologist, and also the granddaughter of the curator, arrives on the scene to assess the situation. Robert Langdon, an American detective, who happens to be in town, also arrives on the scene.
Thus begins the first steps of an adventure that leads them all over Europe to different locations, encountering various people, good and bad. The French police suspect Robert to be the murderer, and so Robert and Sophie are on the run.
I will not spoil any plot details for you, because the joy will be taken out from reading the novel. However, the interesting part is how our two detectives discover further clues using the previous clues, and stumble upon hidden messages in the painting and works of Leonardo Da Vinci, especially in the world famous painting Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. They come to discover of a secret society, the Priory of Sion, of which Da Vinci and other prominent philosophers and scientists are a part. The more controversial stuff that had led the world to talk about this book deals with the issue that Jesus and Mary Magdalene, the prostitute who Jesus forgave of her sins, are married, and this idea is supported by The Last Supper painting where supposedly one of the thirteen men is a woman, who could be Mary Magdalene, sitting on the right side of Jesus. The two detectives also manage to find clues leading them to the Holy Grail, which is historically known as the cup that held the blood of Jesus Christ. Look at the above picture. Is that person on the right side of Jesus a man or a woman? At the start of the book, the author makes a note about the factual evidence of the existent of a secret society known as the Priory of Sion.
The tricky thing is that the author, in my opinion, mixes facts with fiction, and it becomes quite difficult to separate the two. Following the release of this book, there came ten or so more books refuting the claims that Jesus and Mary were married. Don’t take the book too seriously, read it with an open mind, and be prepared for one huge mystery treasure hunt, filled with clues and new discoveries. The chapters are ridiculously short, and that should make the reading a lot easier.
The only mistake I did was to read it over a long period, and I should have read it in one go. The cool thing is that I recently saw the trailer for the movie, and it looks dark and creepy, yet very exciting. I will be the first in line for this movie as it releases in May 2006!
Verdict: 5 out of 5 for sheer brilliance in plotting, mystery factor and the high level of adrenaline and excitement as we follow the two detectives on an amazing journey.
Mansur
Movie:: King Kong (2005)
Hello friends,
What do the words “King Kong” bring to mind? The 1933 black and white version where we see the mechanical King Kong atop the Empire State Building, clutching on to Ann Darrow, while fighting of the biplanes? Or does it remind you of the Universal Studios ride, where you experience King Kong shaking your tram as you get stuck in front of him? Whatever if reminds you of, I can promise you that the recent new release King Kong will give you a whole new perspective on who King Kong is!
Peter Jackson, the brilliant mind behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy, directs King Kong and I knew King Kong would also be a work of genius.
So, how was the movie?
I would say King Kong is one movie where the remake of the original is 100 times better. Many directors attempt to make remakes of old movies and fail miserably (remember Psycho and The Avengers?) King Kong actually takes the old movie, and infuses and embellishes it with more character, and given the special effects available today, enhances the characters and effects. Peter Jackson is a big fan of the movie, and so he made the new version out of his pure love and dedication for the movie, as opposed to those directors who have no genuine affection for subject matter.
Carl Denham (Jack Black, “Shallow Hal”) is a maverick filmmaker who is refused permission to make another movie after he fails to impresses his studio bosses. He seeks out a new actress for his new movie, which he plans to make without informing the bosses. Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts, “The Ring”), an actress, comes to her theatre one morning and realizes that the play has shut down rendering her unemployed. Out on the streets of New York, which by the way has been faithfully recreated into the 1920’s New York, Denham and Darrow have a chance encounter, and he convinces her to act in his new movie. The script-writer of the new movie, Jack Driscoll (Oscar winner Adrien Brody, “The Pianist”), is not convinced by the financing of the movie, and attempts to leave, but Denham maneuvers the situation that the three of them, alongside with the film crew and ship crew leave the dock. Denham proposes to shoot the new movie on an island, and mysteriously enough as they get lost, they come to what they call Skull Island, which is inhabited by human-sacrificing natives. Darrow is kidnapped by the natives and is offered to the beast on the island. Thus we get the first glimpse of the mighty beast himself, who snatches Darrow away and takes her away into the jungle. What follows is the attempt of the rest of the crew to rescue Darrow, as they battle various creatures and insects on the way, losing some members of the crew to the eventual rescue of Darrow. They bring King Kong back to New York and make money by using him on a Broadway show.
As in the old version, King Kong manages to escape and finds Darrow and climbs to the top of the Empire State Building, where we all know what happens.
So, how was the movie? In one word, brilliant!
It is more than an hour before we see King Kong make his entrance, and while the initial set up may seem slow to some, I think it was imperative to establish the human characters in order to understand their motives and reasons for their actions. A lot of people cannot fathom the concept of a woman falling in love with a huge ape. This movie establishes that concept so well, it becomes credible and believable to understand why she falls in love with King Kong. You see, Ann Darrow is a very sad person in reality. 1920’s New York is depressing, she is unemployed, she is hungry and she is asked by a friend to go to a nightclub and work as a stripper. She is hurt, and is extremely sad. When her meeting with Jack Driscoll does not go the way she expects to, she finds solace and company in King Kong with whom she establishes a rapport (like any person would with their pets!) Jack Driscoll is not able to express his love and affection to Ann Darrow, and that frustrates her, which is why she appreciates how King Kong plays with her, and keeps her in his hand, protecting her.
From an action movie, this turns into one of the biggest love story of the year. One particular scene of King Kong and Ann Darrow dancing on the frozen lake at Central Park is particularly romantic and heart-warming. By the time we come to the end, we have invested so much sympathy for King Kong that I guarantee you, not one heart will feel untouched by what happens. So how was King Kong himself? I tell you, the director has done a brilliant job of recreating a huge ape, which has a character of his own. Not for one second did I think that this was a digitally created ape, but was led to believe that King Kong was a real ape. The hand gestures, the body movements, and most importantly the facial expressions were awesome. One scene, where King Kong battles off three T-Rexes to save Ann Darrow, was amazing because after the battle, he looks away from Ann Farrow as she doesn’t say thanks to him. He also has a sense of humor.
This movie is already being considered for Best Direction and Best Special Effects at the Oscars. There are some moments in the middle of the movie where the effects look shabby, and some over-lapping is visible, but all the moments with King Kong helps you overcome the minor weak special effects. The effects were all done in New Zealand, and not in Hollywood, which may explain for the technicalities glitches in some special effects scenes. Verdict: 5 out of 5, for amazing effects, for credible story line, for one of the best created digital creature, for amazing set ups (King Kong and T-Rex battle, fighting off the planes atop the Empire State Building, the attack of the Spiders etc).
One of the best movies of the year! Bring out the DVD!
Mansur
What do the words “King Kong” bring to mind? The 1933 black and white version where we see the mechanical King Kong atop the Empire State Building, clutching on to Ann Darrow, while fighting of the biplanes? Or does it remind you of the Universal Studios ride, where you experience King Kong shaking your tram as you get stuck in front of him? Whatever if reminds you of, I can promise you that the recent new release King Kong will give you a whole new perspective on who King Kong is!
Peter Jackson, the brilliant mind behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy, directs King Kong and I knew King Kong would also be a work of genius.
So, how was the movie?
I would say King Kong is one movie where the remake of the original is 100 times better. Many directors attempt to make remakes of old movies and fail miserably (remember Psycho and The Avengers?) King Kong actually takes the old movie, and infuses and embellishes it with more character, and given the special effects available today, enhances the characters and effects. Peter Jackson is a big fan of the movie, and so he made the new version out of his pure love and dedication for the movie, as opposed to those directors who have no genuine affection for subject matter.
Carl Denham (Jack Black, “Shallow Hal”) is a maverick filmmaker who is refused permission to make another movie after he fails to impresses his studio bosses. He seeks out a new actress for his new movie, which he plans to make without informing the bosses. Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts, “The Ring”), an actress, comes to her theatre one morning and realizes that the play has shut down rendering her unemployed. Out on the streets of New York, which by the way has been faithfully recreated into the 1920’s New York, Denham and Darrow have a chance encounter, and he convinces her to act in his new movie. The script-writer of the new movie, Jack Driscoll (Oscar winner Adrien Brody, “The Pianist”), is not convinced by the financing of the movie, and attempts to leave, but Denham maneuvers the situation that the three of them, alongside with the film crew and ship crew leave the dock. Denham proposes to shoot the new movie on an island, and mysteriously enough as they get lost, they come to what they call Skull Island, which is inhabited by human-sacrificing natives. Darrow is kidnapped by the natives and is offered to the beast on the island. Thus we get the first glimpse of the mighty beast himself, who snatches Darrow away and takes her away into the jungle. What follows is the attempt of the rest of the crew to rescue Darrow, as they battle various creatures and insects on the way, losing some members of the crew to the eventual rescue of Darrow. They bring King Kong back to New York and make money by using him on a Broadway show.
As in the old version, King Kong manages to escape and finds Darrow and climbs to the top of the Empire State Building, where we all know what happens.
So, how was the movie? In one word, brilliant!
It is more than an hour before we see King Kong make his entrance, and while the initial set up may seem slow to some, I think it was imperative to establish the human characters in order to understand their motives and reasons for their actions. A lot of people cannot fathom the concept of a woman falling in love with a huge ape. This movie establishes that concept so well, it becomes credible and believable to understand why she falls in love with King Kong. You see, Ann Darrow is a very sad person in reality. 1920’s New York is depressing, she is unemployed, she is hungry and she is asked by a friend to go to a nightclub and work as a stripper. She is hurt, and is extremely sad. When her meeting with Jack Driscoll does not go the way she expects to, she finds solace and company in King Kong with whom she establishes a rapport (like any person would with their pets!) Jack Driscoll is not able to express his love and affection to Ann Darrow, and that frustrates her, which is why she appreciates how King Kong plays with her, and keeps her in his hand, protecting her.
From an action movie, this turns into one of the biggest love story of the year. One particular scene of King Kong and Ann Darrow dancing on the frozen lake at Central Park is particularly romantic and heart-warming. By the time we come to the end, we have invested so much sympathy for King Kong that I guarantee you, not one heart will feel untouched by what happens. So how was King Kong himself? I tell you, the director has done a brilliant job of recreating a huge ape, which has a character of his own. Not for one second did I think that this was a digitally created ape, but was led to believe that King Kong was a real ape. The hand gestures, the body movements, and most importantly the facial expressions were awesome. One scene, where King Kong battles off three T-Rexes to save Ann Darrow, was amazing because after the battle, he looks away from Ann Farrow as she doesn’t say thanks to him. He also has a sense of humor.
This movie is already being considered for Best Direction and Best Special Effects at the Oscars. There are some moments in the middle of the movie where the effects look shabby, and some over-lapping is visible, but all the moments with King Kong helps you overcome the minor weak special effects. The effects were all done in New Zealand, and not in Hollywood, which may explain for the technicalities glitches in some special effects scenes. Verdict: 5 out of 5, for amazing effects, for credible story line, for one of the best created digital creature, for amazing set ups (King Kong and T-Rex battle, fighting off the planes atop the Empire State Building, the attack of the Spiders etc).
One of the best movies of the year! Bring out the DVD!
Mansur
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
The Hajj: Epilogue
The Hajj: Epilogue
By the time I got up the next day, I could not fathom that I had just done my Hajj. Hajj- one of the five pillars of Islam. I have just done that. So many people all over the world make it a dream, a life mission, to do the Hajj, while I have had it relatively easy. All these years I have seen Hajj on television, and read about in the papers, but now have finally lived through what I call the most intense and rewarding journey of my life.
Why do I say it’s intense? By intense, I don’t mean that it is hard physically, or tiring, but spiritually intense. Some people don’t feel spiritual at all, and are caught up in doing the ritualistic aspect of it. Personally speaking, being on Hajj was quite spiritual for me, because I realized that I was given an opportunity for absolution on the Day of Arafat. I was given a chance to re-new myself, and have my sins cleansed and be re-born like a sinless baby. I cannot think of anything else in a life of a Muslim for whom this day would mean the most. For me, being in Arafat, surrounded by millions of people, was the best part of Hajj.
I was surrounded by millions of people in the city, yet I felt like I was the only there praying to God. I felt God’s personal attention to me there. In the later afternoon, an eerie and haunting atmosphere develops, as men and women raise their hands and pray to God, many with weeping. This is exactly what judgment day will be like.
Another aspect of Hajj, which I really gained from, was the stoning of the devil. I have stoned the pillars about 49 times. Every time I feel I am being tempted today, I take myself back to the time when I stoned the devil, and remind myself of how I casted the stone, like Abraham did, to resist the devil. It’s a very powerful ritual, which has a deep meaning to it. With each stone thrown, I said out loud Allah-u-Akbar, God is Great.
I have just so many wonderful memories, but the sweetest one I will always carry with me will be of me being surrounded by the larger Muslim community, from all the different nations, speaking different languages, looking different from one another, and who were still part of one community. My heart would go out for the elderly man who would be walking back to his tent from Mina. My heart would be touched when I would see young kids praying and crying in Arafat. My heart would rejoice as I would see people helping one another out, guiding them to their right tents and buses. Most of all, my heart would be at peace knowing that I am here fro God only, to seek forgiveness and left with huge sense of satisfaction that, thanks be to God, I was able to fulfill a huge mission in my life.
If I can say one thing to those who have not done Hajj, let me re-assure you, make it a top priority in your life. To those who are still in the Kingdom, take the next opportunity to go, for who knows may happen later. I cannot stress how wonderful Hajj has been for me, so much so, I felt like reliving the whole experience all over again.
Hajj, without a doubt, is a very challenging task of a lifetime. Maybe it was because I am young, I was able to tolerate all the walking I had to do, but once you are there, you realize that it’s not your physical strength that’s required, but your love and devotion for Allah, and that is exactly what helps you get through the experience of Hajj in the most rewarding manner.
Mansur
By the time I got up the next day, I could not fathom that I had just done my Hajj. Hajj- one of the five pillars of Islam. I have just done that. So many people all over the world make it a dream, a life mission, to do the Hajj, while I have had it relatively easy. All these years I have seen Hajj on television, and read about in the papers, but now have finally lived through what I call the most intense and rewarding journey of my life.
Why do I say it’s intense? By intense, I don’t mean that it is hard physically, or tiring, but spiritually intense. Some people don’t feel spiritual at all, and are caught up in doing the ritualistic aspect of it. Personally speaking, being on Hajj was quite spiritual for me, because I realized that I was given an opportunity for absolution on the Day of Arafat. I was given a chance to re-new myself, and have my sins cleansed and be re-born like a sinless baby. I cannot think of anything else in a life of a Muslim for whom this day would mean the most. For me, being in Arafat, surrounded by millions of people, was the best part of Hajj.
I was surrounded by millions of people in the city, yet I felt like I was the only there praying to God. I felt God’s personal attention to me there. In the later afternoon, an eerie and haunting atmosphere develops, as men and women raise their hands and pray to God, many with weeping. This is exactly what judgment day will be like.
Another aspect of Hajj, which I really gained from, was the stoning of the devil. I have stoned the pillars about 49 times. Every time I feel I am being tempted today, I take myself back to the time when I stoned the devil, and remind myself of how I casted the stone, like Abraham did, to resist the devil. It’s a very powerful ritual, which has a deep meaning to it. With each stone thrown, I said out loud Allah-u-Akbar, God is Great.
I have just so many wonderful memories, but the sweetest one I will always carry with me will be of me being surrounded by the larger Muslim community, from all the different nations, speaking different languages, looking different from one another, and who were still part of one community. My heart would go out for the elderly man who would be walking back to his tent from Mina. My heart would be touched when I would see young kids praying and crying in Arafat. My heart would rejoice as I would see people helping one another out, guiding them to their right tents and buses. Most of all, my heart would be at peace knowing that I am here fro God only, to seek forgiveness and left with huge sense of satisfaction that, thanks be to God, I was able to fulfill a huge mission in my life.
If I can say one thing to those who have not done Hajj, let me re-assure you, make it a top priority in your life. To those who are still in the Kingdom, take the next opportunity to go, for who knows may happen later. I cannot stress how wonderful Hajj has been for me, so much so, I felt like reliving the whole experience all over again.
Hajj, without a doubt, is a very challenging task of a lifetime. Maybe it was because I am young, I was able to tolerate all the walking I had to do, but once you are there, you realize that it’s not your physical strength that’s required, but your love and devotion for Allah, and that is exactly what helps you get through the experience of Hajj in the most rewarding manner.
Mansur
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