I'm feeeeelin' it... You??
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Ultimate Challenge - FITNA
In the name of religion we have already seen enough violence around the world. I am not sure when will the mankind ever understand that religions are to help us get better and not to kill, maime, etc.. This film, Fitna, has already generated enough controversery around the world, thanks to Mr. Geert Wilders, the Dutch parlimentarian who made this movie to talk about the radical divergence of Islam..
It makes you wonder how long would it take for some of our muslim brothers and sisters that "violence" is NOT a legitimate solution for their woes? Not sure what to make of it, but it makes me shudder to think of what the children of tomorrow's world will have to face -- more violence? Enough is Enough! Stop Killing each other in the name of religion! Peace!
What is appaling is that some humans continue to believe that something written in a book (that too it is wrongly interpreted often) like Quran,Bible, etc can be worth killing fellow humans. I wish there was an English version of this video made available so that we, the English speaking population, can understand the contents better.
It makes you wonder how long would it take for some of our muslim brothers and sisters that "violence" is NOT a legitimate solution for their woes? Not sure what to make of it, but it makes me shudder to think of what the children of tomorrow's world will have to face -- more violence? Enough is Enough! Stop Killing each other in the name of religion! Peace!
What is appaling is that some humans continue to believe that something written in a book (that too it is wrongly interpreted often) like Quran,Bible, etc can be worth killing fellow humans. I wish there was an English version of this video made available so that we, the English speaking population, can understand the contents better.
Labels: FITNA, Geert Wilders, Islam, Violence
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
THE CHOSEN ONE..
Wow..This is simply stunning and one for the history books! After listening to this speech, I am left wondering why are the Democrats even fighting over this nomination for President. He clearly has all the right qualifications, the intelligence and above all, the VISION that is expected of a leader! Come on, America! Here is your chance to return to your glory days! Vote your hearts out for Barack Obama! This is not coming from someone who is a democrat or republican. Heck, I am not even an American, at least yet. But I clearly see what the world needs in the next president of the President of United States of America. Let the "Change" begin with your vote for this man!
Labels: 2008 US presidential elections, Barack Obama, Obama, President, Racism, US Elections
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Can the World handle Another Tianenmen?
To piggy back on my earlier post about the continuing protests in Tibet, I thought it would be appropriate to share this article published in the Sunday Times, and available at Timesonline, the UK daily available online.
Some of the striking observations, especially the changing stance of the Chinese authorities in handling the crisis presents a stark reminder of the Tianenmen Square protests. This time it is a bit different for the Communist party leaders that it is not happening square in the middle of Beijing, rather taking place far away from its center of control - in the mountains of Tibet. This can be a even more easy for the Government to continue its aggressive measures to quell the riots as it takes place farther away from the prying eyes of the media, who are now reliant on the information seeping through from the tourists who are cuaght in the middle and those exhiled groups in India and around the world.
With the Chinese government opting to trade the batons for bullets, it definitely warrants a hasty response from the G8 and the UN. Before a few more maroon robes come crashing down amidst the rain of bullets, it is the responsibility of the Civilised world to pressure China into doing a negotiated settlement rather than to aggressively crush the rebellion. After all, playing this "whack a mole" business might cost China dearly someday.
Pathetic of all is the response from the Indian government. There has been no support for letting the exiled group conduct a peaceful march in front of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi. The protesters were manhandled and jailed for voicing their discontent, in a democratic way. Shame on you, India! All claims of being the largest democracy in the world is a mere farce unless we can't allow such peaceful protests. I am not sure what is driving India's decision to curb these protests but it seems to be driven by the economics rather than a policy/principle. The Ministry of External Affiars (MEA) has offered but nothing but a worthless call for talks between the parties, which has fallen on deaf-ears of the Chinese powers-be.
The article on Rediff stands to testify how pathetic India's stand is in this situation. An exceprt from the article notes the following: "Tibetan refugees are our guests in India. All those in India, whether Indian citizens or foreigners, are subject to the law of the land regarding the crossing of our borders, marches or demonstrations," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said. "Like our guests, Tibetan refugees, while they are in India, are expected to refrain from political activities and those activities that affect our relations with other friendly countries," he said. Hey Mr. Sarna, it is one thing to invite someone as a guest but it is another thing to ask them to just lead their life without even raising their voice for their freedom. If this is how we will treat our guests, let me tell you that we are not playing the nice host. They are humans too... fighting peacefully for the very freedom of their land that belongs to them...You believed in their cause and offered to provide them refuge! But why shut them out completely when they express their solidairty for their fighting bretheren.
Stop posing, India! I laud the American response, though it is an unofficial one. The Speaker of the House, Ms. Nancy Pelosi has expressed her concern and pressing the Chinese to come clean with the whereabouts of those arrested. She was cited in this Times of India article " The protestors got a major boost on Friday when Pelosi strongly condemned the Chinese action in Lhasa. "The violent response by Chinese police forces to peaceful protesters in Tibet is disgraceful. The Chinese government should immediately provide information on the welfare and whereabouts of the detained Buddhist monks and facilitate access by international human rights monitors and journalists to Tibetan areas," Pelosi said in a statement in Washington on Friday. The Democratic Party leader arrives in Dharamsala on Friday. Pelosi is expected to meet the Dalai Lama, Tibetan refugees and human rights activists."
The one question that comes begging to mind is "What is behind this decision made by India?" It is probably because India doesn't want to let the budding relationship with China to die off so quickly? Is it the potential loss of economic ties between the two nations that is now growing steadily? The contentious claim by China over the state of Arunachal Pradesh that India now owns after the Sino-Indian war has been surfacing once in a bluemoon over the past 40 years to stoke the simmering tensions, prompting both nations to discuss and arrive at a lasting solution. Maybe it is the fear that supporting the protests by Tibetans in its soil will lead to disastrous outcomes over Arunachal?
Whatever be the case, it is time for action before a few more bullets pierce those maroon robes!
Some of the striking observations, especially the changing stance of the Chinese authorities in handling the crisis presents a stark reminder of the Tianenmen Square protests. This time it is a bit different for the Communist party leaders that it is not happening square in the middle of Beijing, rather taking place far away from its center of control - in the mountains of Tibet. This can be a even more easy for the Government to continue its aggressive measures to quell the riots as it takes place farther away from the prying eyes of the media, who are now reliant on the information seeping through from the tourists who are cuaght in the middle and those exhiled groups in India and around the world.
With the Chinese government opting to trade the batons for bullets, it definitely warrants a hasty response from the G8 and the UN. Before a few more maroon robes come crashing down amidst the rain of bullets, it is the responsibility of the Civilised world to pressure China into doing a negotiated settlement rather than to aggressively crush the rebellion. After all, playing this "whack a mole" business might cost China dearly someday.
Pathetic of all is the response from the Indian government. There has been no support for letting the exiled group conduct a peaceful march in front of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi. The protesters were manhandled and jailed for voicing their discontent, in a democratic way. Shame on you, India! All claims of being the largest democracy in the world is a mere farce unless we can't allow such peaceful protests. I am not sure what is driving India's decision to curb these protests but it seems to be driven by the economics rather than a policy/principle. The Ministry of External Affiars (MEA) has offered but nothing but a worthless call for talks between the parties, which has fallen on deaf-ears of the Chinese powers-be.
The article on Rediff stands to testify how pathetic India's stand is in this situation. An exceprt from the article notes the following: "Tibetan refugees are our guests in India. All those in India, whether Indian citizens or foreigners, are subject to the law of the land regarding the crossing of our borders, marches or demonstrations," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said. "Like our guests, Tibetan refugees, while they are in India, are expected to refrain from political activities and those activities that affect our relations with other friendly countries," he said. Hey Mr. Sarna, it is one thing to invite someone as a guest but it is another thing to ask them to just lead their life without even raising their voice for their freedom. If this is how we will treat our guests, let me tell you that we are not playing the nice host. They are humans too... fighting peacefully for the very freedom of their land that belongs to them...You believed in their cause and offered to provide them refuge! But why shut them out completely when they express their solidairty for their fighting bretheren.
Stop posing, India! I laud the American response, though it is an unofficial one. The Speaker of the House, Ms. Nancy Pelosi has expressed her concern and pressing the Chinese to come clean with the whereabouts of those arrested. She was cited in this Times of India article " The protestors got a major boost on Friday when Pelosi strongly condemned the Chinese action in Lhasa. "The violent response by Chinese police forces to peaceful protesters in Tibet is disgraceful. The Chinese government should immediately provide information on the welfare and whereabouts of the detained Buddhist monks and facilitate access by international human rights monitors and journalists to Tibetan areas," Pelosi said in a statement in Washington on Friday. The Democratic Party leader arrives in Dharamsala on Friday. Pelosi is expected to meet the Dalai Lama, Tibetan refugees and human rights activists."
The one question that comes begging to mind is "What is behind this decision made by India?" It is probably because India doesn't want to let the budding relationship with China to die off so quickly? Is it the potential loss of economic ties between the two nations that is now growing steadily? The contentious claim by China over the state of Arunachal Pradesh that India now owns after the Sino-Indian war has been surfacing once in a bluemoon over the past 40 years to stoke the simmering tensions, prompting both nations to discuss and arrive at a lasting solution. Maybe it is the fear that supporting the protests by Tibetans in its soil will lead to disastrous outcomes over Arunachal?
Whatever be the case, it is time for action before a few more bullets pierce those maroon robes!
Labels: China, Communist Party, Dalai Lama, Free Tibet, Gere, India, Olympics, Pelosi, Protests
Friday, March 14, 2008
Free Tibet..The Darfur Equivalent in China's Backyard?
(Image courtesy: New York Times)Watching the demonstrations and the pictures of the protest screaming on the front pages of the Newspapers and managzines across the world, one can't go without really asking what's holding the world from countering China's attempt to muffle the protests in Lhasa and the rest of TAR. Click here to see the images of teh protest Washington Post
It does not matter how much China, or for that matter any country in the world, is counted upon as a "Super Power" in the economic terms, it has definitely at the bottom of the pile when it comes to Human Rights. Tthe first and foremost failing of this nation state is by not coming clean with its policies on Darfur and Tibet. At best, the China's PR machine can only come out blaming the Dalai Lama for the protests by the native Tibetans and those in Exile (in India, Nepal, et al) and the world around stood watching as the batons came down on those protesting monks and the bullets tore through those maroon robes bringing out the blood that never new what freedom tastes like.
Before China can go on the books as a nation that is capable of hosting such a dream event like the Olympics, they better address these human rights issues. Wen Jiabao may have to take a stand before China's carefully built image as a growing superpower gets muddied any further. Without any conciliatory measures, in my little knowledge of politics and international affair, I foresee no end to this crisis. Free Tibet is not just a local movement anymore as the world has gotten to pay attention with notables such as Richard Gere have brought the limelight on the issue of Chinese agreesion. Compared to the protests of the past (uprising in the 1980s), this one seems to have a larger implication on the image of China. It will be a delicate dance for the State Council leadership to address the issue without suffering a nightmarish backlash from the countries around the world, especially with many nations probably considering a pull out from the upcoming Olympics if the authorities resort to violence to subdue the protests. With key figures such as Steven Spielberg protesting China's policies on the Darfur Crisis by pulling out of China Olympics, Chinese authorities better get it right this time before a lot more damage is done. LET THIS NOT BECOME ANOTHER DARFUR!
China can no longer claim that it is an internal issue and objects to the advise of external actors such as the UN. This is not just an internal administrative issue anymore when the protests spilled into the streets of Kathmandu and New Delhi. Before it gets any worse, can the G8 and the rest of the UN Security Council biggies put some pressure on China, recommending a negotiated solution. This seems to the golden opportunity for teh Tibets to neotiate for a lasting solution. When the Olympics is come and gone, there won't be any such opportunity to attract the World's attention to this issue, at least for a while. As the article on Time suggested, this may be the Tibetan equivalent of the Palestinian Intifada against Israel, an issue that has dragged over decades as the world stood by watching the hapless efforts by various parties bit the dust.
For all that matters, it may be a golden opportunity for the G8 and the UN to rid itself of its disgraceful, inefficient past! Putting pressure on the Communist regime to sit and negotiate rather than to fire away bullets at those Monks and nuns in maroon robes may help the UN to rid of its "spineless body" image that it has acquired over the years with dismal performance in addressing teh Darfur crisis.
Of all the people, I wonder what do the CEOs of these companies have to say about the Chinese policies: Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric and McDonald's - the key sponsors of the the sponsors of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Inspite of all the rhetoric about the Ethics taught by many of these CEOs at many a graduation ceremonies at the world's leading institutes such as Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Wharton School of Business, why do these "posers" stand by and continue to let the maintain their silence? Maybe it is the fear of their companies stock's devalued if they pull out of the Olympics? Or would their businesses operations and potential profits suffer if the Chinese adminsitrators order a shutdown Coca Cola and likes for sending a message by pulling out of the Olympics ?
It is time for the world to decide on how they want to write the books of history on this issue. Let this not be another Darfur! And Let this not be another Burma where the monks had to swallow bullets when they raised their voice against an authoritarian regime? Maybe it is the very opportunity for the US (and President Bush) to start repairing its sullied image after the Iraqi (mis)adventure. Is anyone listening? Maybe Mr. Obama!!!
Oh! Maybe as a consumer, I'd like to send a message to Coca Cola for its bad business ethics. Forthe world to know, I'm boycotting Coca Cola and will continue to shun their products from now on! Anyone wants to join hands???
It does not matter how much China, or for that matter any country in the world, is counted upon as a "Super Power" in the economic terms, it has definitely at the bottom of the pile when it comes to Human Rights. Tthe first and foremost failing of this nation state is by not coming clean with its policies on Darfur and Tibet. At best, the China's PR machine can only come out blaming the Dalai Lama for the protests by the native Tibetans and those in Exile (in India, Nepal, et al) and the world around stood watching as the batons came down on those protesting monks and the bullets tore through those maroon robes bringing out the blood that never new what freedom tastes like.
Before China can go on the books as a nation that is capable of hosting such a dream event like the Olympics, they better address these human rights issues. Wen Jiabao may have to take a stand before China's carefully built image as a growing superpower gets muddied any further. Without any conciliatory measures, in my little knowledge of politics and international affair, I foresee no end to this crisis. Free Tibet is not just a local movement anymore as the world has gotten to pay attention with notables such as Richard Gere have brought the limelight on the issue of Chinese agreesion. Compared to the protests of the past (uprising in the 1980s), this one seems to have a larger implication on the image of China. It will be a delicate dance for the State Council leadership to address the issue without suffering a nightmarish backlash from the countries around the world, especially with many nations probably considering a pull out from the upcoming Olympics if the authorities resort to violence to subdue the protests. With key figures such as Steven Spielberg protesting China's policies on the Darfur Crisis by pulling out of China Olympics, Chinese authorities better get it right this time before a lot more damage is done. LET THIS NOT BECOME ANOTHER DARFUR!
China can no longer claim that it is an internal issue and objects to the advise of external actors such as the UN. This is not just an internal administrative issue anymore when the protests spilled into the streets of Kathmandu and New Delhi. Before it gets any worse, can the G8 and the rest of the UN Security Council biggies put some pressure on China, recommending a negotiated solution. This seems to the golden opportunity for teh Tibets to neotiate for a lasting solution. When the Olympics is come and gone, there won't be any such opportunity to attract the World's attention to this issue, at least for a while. As the article on Time suggested, this may be the Tibetan equivalent of the Palestinian Intifada against Israel, an issue that has dragged over decades as the world stood by watching the hapless efforts by various parties bit the dust.
For all that matters, it may be a golden opportunity for the G8 and the UN to rid itself of its disgraceful, inefficient past! Putting pressure on the Communist regime to sit and negotiate rather than to fire away bullets at those Monks and nuns in maroon robes may help the UN to rid of its "spineless body" image that it has acquired over the years with dismal performance in addressing teh Darfur crisis.
Of all the people, I wonder what do the CEOs of these companies have to say about the Chinese policies: Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric and McDonald's - the key sponsors of the the sponsors of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Inspite of all the rhetoric about the Ethics taught by many of these CEOs at many a graduation ceremonies at the world's leading institutes such as Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Wharton School of Business, why do these "posers" stand by and continue to let the maintain their silence? Maybe it is the fear of their companies stock's devalued if they pull out of the Olympics? Or would their businesses operations and potential profits suffer if the Chinese adminsitrators order a shutdown Coca Cola and likes for sending a message by pulling out of the Olympics ?
It is time for the world to decide on how they want to write the books of history on this issue. Let this not be another Darfur! And Let this not be another Burma where the monks had to swallow bullets when they raised their voice against an authoritarian regime? Maybe it is the very opportunity for the US (and President Bush) to start repairing its sullied image after the Iraqi (mis)adventure. Is anyone listening? Maybe Mr. Obama!!!
Oh! Maybe as a consumer, I'd like to send a message to Coca Cola for its bad business ethics. Forthe world to know, I'm boycotting Coca Cola and will continue to shun their products from now on! Anyone wants to join hands???
Labels: China, Dalai Lama, Darfur, Democracy, Free Tibet, Human Rights, India, IOC, Lhasa, Olympics, Protests, Spielberg, Tibet
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The latest on my playlist..
There I go again.. dropping another one of my faves by "F.a.b.o.l.o.u.s" feat. Thara..The tune is still lingering around even after I shut the player..Neat stuff, huh?
