Barackface: Islam

Showing posts with label Islam. Show all posts

Thursday, October 03, 2019

Dubai: Videos (6)

Wednesday, October 02, 2019

Imran Khan: Education In Islam

Friday, September 20, 2019

How Will Democracy Come To The Arab Countries?

While we are on the topic of China is an excellent time also to talk about Arab countries. How will democracy come to Arab countries? Most of them are monarchies.

There is the Bhutan way where the monarch decides he has been king long enough. Now he should choose to become a constitutional monarch and let an elected parliament run the show. That is the least disruptive path for all parties concerned. The people get their rule. The monarchs keep their wealth and respect. Although it should be noted, some of these royal things have obscene amounts of wealth. Nobody really needs that much money.

They should pay a generous wealth tax.

But this option does not seem on the horizon. I don't know of any monarch who is considering it.

But the current arrangements are inherently unsustainable. They will not go on forever.

2010: Bridging the Gulf: Bahrain's big experiment with democracy Though more liberal than its neighbours, the country is feeling the impact of political Islam. ........ Saudi Arabia. The two countries are linked by a 16-mile toll road, the King Fahd Causeway, but Khadija would not be welcome on the Saudi side where women are not allowed to drive even private cars. In Manama City, she bowls around in a stylish white London taxi, wearing a black hijab and grasping the steering wheel with white gloves........... worried about being cheated. "They pay or I drive on," she says bluntly........ "One hundred per cent of the male drivers see her as a threat" ........ a modernising experiment which was begun by the royal family a decade ago. ....... Eight years ago, Bahrain underwent a startling transition from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy; this archipelago with a population of around a million people is still getting used to political campaigns and four-yearly parliamentary elections. It's an experiment that has some limitations: political parties are not allowed and most candidates belong to political "societies" which function like parties in all but name. Ministers are appointed by the King and after the 2006 elections just over half the cabinet were relatives of the royal family; the long-serving Prime Minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, is his uncle........ But while the royal family retains a great deal of power, political exiles have been allowed to return home, newspapers have more freedom than in most Middle Eastern states, and there has been a concerted attempt to give women more rights......... It's a standing joke that wealthy Saudis barrel across the King Fahd Causeway in gas-guzzling limousines, eager to enjoy the bars and casinos that are banned in their own country......... Bahrain has a history stretching back several thousand years. The glass-and-steel towers of Manama City are joined by another causeway to the old capital, Muharraq, where wood-shuttered pearl merchants' homes are being turned into museums. Bahrain Fort is a restored 15th-century complex at the northern tip of the archipelago, near Bahrain airport, but the site on which it stands has been occupied for almost 2,500 years. What looks like a set from Lawrence of Arabia was once the capital of the Dilmun, one of the most important ancient civilisations in the region........... Bahrain's pearl-fishing industry, which fell into disuse when oil was discovered in 1931. ........ The Khalifa family has ruled Bahrain since the 18th century and the present king, 60-year-old Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, has been in power since the death of his father in 1999. As in many Muslim countries, the ruling family follows a different branch of Islam from the majority of the population; the Khalifas are Sunni, while most Bahrainis are Shia. It's hard to believe that this wasn't a factor in the King's decision to start introducing political reforms, and the success of Islamist "societies" in parliamentary elections has exposed – and thus far contained – profound underlying tensions. Official briefings are at pains to characterise the royal family's modernisation programme as the result of "a genuine benevolent attitude towards citizens", but the government has benefited enormously from its support for the US during the Iraq and Afghan wars............ In 2002, the results of the first parliamentary elections in Bahrain were ominous for secular politicians: the elected lower house was immediately dominated by Islamist parties and not a single woman candidate was elected. The same thing happened in 2006, when the Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society took almost half of the 40 seats, although on that occasion one woman was successful.......... Dr Salah Ali, a former political exile who now chairs the Al-Menbar Islamic Society, a Sunni group which has seven seats in the lower house and is widely believed to have close links with the Muslim Brotherhood.......... there has been a ferocious campaign by Islamists in the lower house to ban alcohol in Bahrain ........ Mohammed Khalid, an outspoken MP from the Al-Menbar Society, who has made a name for himself as an opponent of anything he regards as un-Islamic. Mr Khalid embarrassed the government when he hailed terrorists fighting American forces in Iraq as "heroes"........... Diplomatic and business sources confirm that Bahrain is under pressure from political Islam, suggesting that the Shia parties in the lower house are worryingly close to Iran. That isn't much comfort to Bahrain's small Jewish population, although the government is fighting back; this is the only Arab nation in the world whose current ambassador to Washington, Houda Noono, is a Jewish woman........... One of the ironies of Bahrain's democratic experiment is that it depends on the unelected upper chamber, the consultative council (Shura), to defend the state from political Islam and a socially conservative electorate. ........ 45 per cent of public employees are female. Recent laws have given women paid leave to look after their children while the Shura is trying to establish workplace nurseries "with some resistance from colleagues" ........... This is the problem of the Middle East writ large. In the West, it goes without saying that democracy means respect for the rights of the individual, but across the region,

Islamist parties are attracting support on programmes that deny the most basic human rights.

......... the Al-Menbar Society vociferously opposed government plans to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which allows individuals to change their religion. "This means that Muslims could convert to another religion, something against Islamic law, since those who do so should be beheaded," declared a leading Al-Menbar MP, Dr Salah Abdulrahman........ Opposition to the protocol was eventually defeated, allowing Bahrain to ratify the treaty in 2006, but the episode demonstrates the difficulties facing the royal family's modernisation project. ........
Bahrain's experiment with democracy is being watched closely across the Middle East.
"It's having a positive effect on the region, including Saudi Arabia," Dr Haffadh told me. What is undeniably true is that
Saudi women, who are among the most cloistered in the world, now have only to cross a bridge to see Bahraini women dress as they wish, enjoy the same legal rights as men
– and even drive taxis.......... Iran... A woman's testimony in court carries only half the weight of a man's.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

The Major Religions

Monday, October 09, 2017

Women Wage Peace

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Trump Locking Horns With China And Arabia

On the campaign trail Donald Trump fearlessly locked horns with China and Arabia, the two parts of the world that stand in the way of a total spread of democracy, and in so doing Donald Trump has aligned himself with America's founding mission. Curious though that liberals claim he will end democracy in America itself!

Lies are sin. Slander is sin. The media and the political space could try better about not sinning. And elevate the political culture.

But free speech is sacrosanct.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Donald Dumb Says Obama Founded ISIS

As in, literally. Obama founded ISIS.

After killing Bin Laden, President Obama started abhorring the vacuum, apparently.

Obama was born in Kenya. And if he founded ISIS, he must have done so in Kenya. Because there is no record he was born in Syria.

After he founded ISIS, he figured this is as good a time as any, and he converted. He became Muslim, and has been ever since.

But I am not sure he is a socialist. That would be Bernie. Bernie owned up to it.

So if he was busy founding ISIS, when did he create Obamacare? When and where?

It is very possible Obamacare has been written in Arabic. That is why Mitch McConnell doesn't seem to be able to read it. Neither Rudy Giuliani, who is a proud Non Muslim.

As for Donald Dumb, he has no faith, because faith requires reading. A book.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

The Spiritual Ladder And Democracy

Humanity is a chain, only as strong as its weakest link. To you personally every single human being matters. Heaven On Earth is not possible unless every single human being is on board.

The big picture is, I am for a total spread of democracy, and I am for using every possible weapon of nonviolence to that end.

God is the one authority. And since the only place a human being can connect with God is in his/her personal space, the people collectively are the only legitimate source of earthly power.

That political proposition is urgent and global. If that means Arab countries need to switch to constitutional monarchies, then so be it. If that means the Chinese Communist Party needs to offer the people two candidates for president, governor and mayor, then so be it.

Every human being has a right to free speech. Free will is a gift from God to people. Every human being has a right to religious freedom. You can pray to God the way you choose to. Peaceful practice of religion is a political right.

Violence is not allowed. A legitimate state curbs possibilities of violence through threat of force.

This global political infrastructure with the right to free speech, and the right to peaceful religious practice firmly in place makes room for advanced spiritual undertakings. Advanced spiritual undertakings, as well as advanced economic and social processes.

Kumar: Wake Up To God

Thursday, March 24, 2016

भारतके मुसलमान: पाँचवा कास्ट

भारत में मुसलमानो को पाँचवा कास्ट बना के रखा गया है। बहुत गलत बात है। मुसलमानों का अपना एक अलग धर्म है। जातपात मानना ही है तो आप उसको अपने धर्म तक सीमित रखो। दुसरों पर लाद तो नहीं सकते।

दलित को चौथा कास्ट। मुसलमानो को पाँचवा कास्ट। दलितों और मुसलमानो के प्रति व्यक्ति आय में वही दिखता है।

दलित को चौथा कास्ट और मुसलमानो को पाँचवा कास्ट बना के रखे रहो तब तक भारत विश्व शक्ति बन ही नहीं सकता, संभव ही नहीं। कास्ट सिस्टम ख़त्म करो, गरीबी ख़त्म करो, तो विश्व शक्ति बन जाओगे। कास्ट सिस्टम भगवान का नहीं इंसान का बनाया है। इंसान ख़त्म भी कर सकता है।

मानव अधिकार तो भारत के संविधान में सुरक्षित है। कोई भी व्यक्ति या संगठन या फिर खुद सरकार ही मानव अधिकार का हनन करे तो भारतका कोई भी नागरिक पुलिस और कचहरी कहीं भी जा के नालिस कर सकता है। एक नागरिक काफी है। अगर कोई एक भी आदमी आगे नहीं आता तो ये तो संविधान की कमजोरी नहीं। अपनी रीढ़ की हड्डी जरा मजबुत करो। Legal Defense Fund खड़े करो। कानुनी लड़ाई लड़ो।

जन धन का सुरक्षा एक आधुनिक राज्य (state) का प्रथम दायित्व होता है। लोकतंत्र में gender violence, caste violence, religious violence के लिए कोई जगह नहीं। दंगे नहीं होने चाहिए। जिस तरह cyclone के लिए Early Warming System होती है, उसी तरह दंगो को बिलकुल नाकाम किया जा सकता है। ये एक law and order problem है। अगर कहीं दंगा होता है तो हुवा कि पुलिस अपना काम नहीं कर रही।

हैदराबाद के जो ओवैसी दो भाईजान हैं उन्हें मैं कइ महिनों से बड़े गौर से देख रहा हुँ। मजलिस का नाम सिर्फ वही एक शब्द नहीं हो सकता क्या? पुरा नाम तो एक ब्रांडिंग प्रॉब्लम है।

दुसरा बात है अकबर ओवैसी साहब को कहुंगा, आप इतने अच्छे बोल लेते हो। लेकिन एक जगह मैंने यूट्यूब पर सुना आप ने कहा, १५ मिनट पुलिस रस्ते से हट जाओ सिर्फ और तब देखो। तो वो तो वाक स्वतंत्रता नहीं हुई। लोकतंत्र में हिंसा भी allow नहीं है और हिंसा के लिए आह्वान करो मंच पर से, वो भी allow नहीं है। लोकतंत्र ही तो ताकत है आप की। लोकतंत्र को मानो। बल्कि मंच पर से बोलो, कानुन अपने हाथ में मत लो, सशक्त होना है तो संगठित हो जाओ।

मजलिस की लोकतान्त्रिक संभावना विश्व राजनीति तक है। लोकतंत्र का सन्देश दुनिया के सभी मुसलमानों तक पहुँचाना है। वो काम मजलिस कर सकती है। लेकिन उसके लिए लोकतंत्र को मानना होगा।

गुजरात, उससे पहले भागलपुर, और तो और खुद पार्टीशन के समय ---- बहुत हताहत हुवे। अपने कौम का दर्द महसुस होना एक अच्छे नेता का खुबी है। लेकिन उस दर्द को शक्ति में बदलने के राह पर चलो। और रास्ता है लोकतंत्र का। अहिंसा का।

संगठित हो जाओ। सशक्त हो जाओगे। शिक्षित हो जाओ। समृद्ध हो जाओगे। बस। अल्लाह का ये जो क्रिएशन है उसको appreciate करो। Appreciate करने का रास्ता है math and science.

मजलिस का और तो और खुद हैदराबाद में मेयर नहीं। खुद अपने राज्य में मुख्य मंत्री नहीं। कमसेकम हैदराबाद में मेयर अपनी पार्टी के बना के दिखाओ। भारत भर के मुसलमान पहले ये देखना चाहते हैं कि आपकी पार्टी govern कर सकती है कि नहीं। एक दो बड़े शहरों में सरकार चला के तो दिखाओ।

मुसलमान समुदाय से राजनीति शुरू की अच्छी बात है, लेकिन एक बड़ा शहर चलाने के लिए सभी समुदाय को अपील करना होता है। तो करो। कुछ आएंगे, कुछ नहीं। उनकी मर्जी।

लोकतंत्र, मानव अधिकार, गणतंत्र, संघीयता, समावेशीता
सुशासन, शिक्षा, स्वास्थ्य, संरचना, सुलभता
E for Education, E for Entrepreneurship, E for Energy

दुनिया के तीन में एक गरीब भारत में है। भारत ही तो है सारी दुनिया को गरीब बना के रखे हुवे है। मजलिस के पास विश्व राजनीति हिला देने की सम्भावना है।

Tuesday, March 08, 2016

Mecca To Jerusalem

Build a road from Mecca to Jerusalem, for we are one people!
— Paramendra Bhagat (@paramendra) March 8, 2016

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Kathmandu And Jerusalem

Kathmandu And Jerusalem

Jerusalem is where three major world religions meet: Judaism, Islam, Christianity. A lot of people don’t see it that way, but Kathmandu is its own kind of Jerusalem. Two major world religions meet in Kathmandu. Buddhism and Hinduism. Jerusalem is also easier to understand because people not getting along is as obvious as can be. In Kathmandu outwardly Hinduism and Buddhism co-exist like no two religions anywhere on the planet. But do they really? Buddhism is an egalitarian religion. All human beings are not only equal, there is no other way possible. Hinduism and its caste system are not one and the same, but by now who can tell the difference? They co-exist like meat and bone. The caste hierarchy is like a body organ to a Bramhin. Preaching egalitarian thoughts is quite literally blasphemy. What makes things more complicated is the agitating Madhesis did not become Buddhist just like Jews did not become Christian, although Buddha was born one of their own. The agitating Madhesis are caste people and the top leaders of the movement don’t get along because they are from different caste backgrounds. Otherwise the political agenda is the same, and there are not really any major personality clashes. So the Brahmins in Kathmandu say, if I don’t have to even explain this to you, since you are big on caste yourself, how hard is it for you to understand that I have decided upon a second class citizenship for you? How is that any different from the caste system both you and I agree with anyways? Not only two major world religions meet in Kathmandu, two other are right at the heels. Islam is not small in the Madhesh, and Christianity is the fastest growing religion in Nepal, giving the Brahmins nightmares, like Islam is the fastest growing religion in America, and for the same reason. The oppressed are walking out in both places.

Kathmandu is home to two major world religions who are at peace but can not really be because the two social structures are like metal and glass. And Kathmandu, or rather Nepal, is a confluence of five major world civilizations. That there is no civil war is a miracle. The religions might take some of the credit. Because it’s not literacy, it’s not the per capita income, it’s not roads, it’s not bridges.

Maybe there will be peace in Kathmandu, and the same peace template can then be taken over to Jerusalem. Via Kashmir.

For now the question circulating around in Kathmandu is, if the Madhesis don’t have problems with the caste system, why do they have problems with being second class citizens?

India and China have both avoided micro interferences in Nepal not because they fear Nepal -- it is a small country -- but because they fear Jerusalem. Every major power in modern history has thrown the kitchen sink at Jerusalem, and it has stayed intractable. Both India and China stay informed, but the level of micro management that Delhi gets accused of in Kathmandu, if there is truth to it, Delhi has the most efficient bureaucracy on the planet.

The Muslims Did Not Invade India

The Muslims Did Not Invade India

The Hindus, or some of them, broke the Hindu society through a forceful imposition of the caste system. They did such a thorough job for a few hundred years, that they were basically begging to be invaded. There was nothing to invade. You just had to walk in. The Hindu society was so broken up.

The caste system is still intact today. The Hindus could still get invaded by the Americans and the Chinese. Only the creation of a casteless Hinduism will give India the backbone to stand firm. The creation of a casteless Hinduism should be the top project of the RSS. Hire a hundred poets to come up with Bachchan like last names. And “convert.” Get people to adopt these new last names.

Otherwise FlipKart is already owned 80% by non Indian investors. That is the new East India Company knocking at the door. It is already inside the house. The Americans and the Chinese are just waiting to swoop in through the digital doors. You could keep your borders and your army and still get hollowed out. So dangerous is the Hindu caste system. Buddhism is egalitarian. Mass conversion to Buddhism might be another option.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Donald Trump, Islam And Coded Language

Donald Trump saying he hates Muslims is coded language. That is his way of saying he hates black people. I want the black people to find out.

Black Resurgence

I believe Barack Obama has done some concrete work on things like education, health, and more recently, criminal justice reform. The black community stands to benefit for the next generation. The positive impact will be felt. But there is something blacks will have to do on their own. Come together and weld a rich, healthy black identity through use of, exchange of spoken words.

Slavery and segregation were crimes. They are not heritage. They were somebody else's wrongs. Black folks have to go further back into the past all the way back to Africa for positive reinforcements of the black identity. There are languages, and cultures, and festivals and rituals.

Another possible movement is horizontal. Adopt Islam and become one with the Muslims on the Indian subcontinent. Islam is a religion of peace. Islam is a religion of much clarity. Islam has created a large global community. Anybody who says Indians are a minority doesn't know arithmetic.

Dalits in India and blacks in America have to cross that bridge onto another religion for fundamental liberation. For Dalits it might be Buddhism. Or Islam.

Sitting around the proverbial fire and exchanging word on experiences and just coming together to build community is a great thing. It leads to strength.

Swimmer Michael Phelps had to win a whole bunch of gold medals to achieve fame and heights where oxygen is less. And he resorted to smoking pot. It is a thin air thing. A whole bunch of young black men hit that thin air at the sea level itself. Why? Why is the emotional infrastructure so weak? The system has waged relentless attacks on the black family. But the pendulum is about to swing. The black person, the black identity, the black family, the black community can now peacefully assemble and gather strength and wealth and become whole. The continent of Africa itself is also slowly but surely gathering pace. India is the next China and Africa is the next India. The central continent is on its way to occupying a central place in the scheme of things down the decades.

The history of solar power in this country is Barack Obama talked about it a lot on the campaign trail in 2007, and today solar has achieved grid parity, it will meet 100% of the needs by 2030. There is solar power and there is black power. Similarly black folks should engage in conversation. There is power in simply talking. Black folks should talk to each other.

Tuesday, January 05, 2016

Global Politics Is Perhaps Star Wars

In the Star Wars movies, you see these various life forms. There are numerous groups. They look different, they weight different, they sound different, they organize different. These are fundamentally different groups. Maybe that is what global politics is. We perhaps live on a Star Wars planet.

Yesterday I felt like the bottom fell out. What is this? What's going on? Let me go read the Shia Sunni entries on the Wikipedia. They likely have been massively vandalized. All is fair in war, I guess. I guess not all terrorists are alike. Not that I am calling anyone a terrorist.

The drone attacks prove my theory. I have always felt Americans take the Star Wars movies way too seriously.

Saudi Arabia-Iran row spreads to other nations @CNN https://t.co/wcBEiTdGlC
— Paramendra Bhagat (@paramendra) January 5, 2016

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