The Gaza Tragedy - Time to Speak Up!!

Mr. Ehud Barak’s address to the parliament affirmed Israel’s intention for the Invasion of Gaza strip as the continued air strikes drew a horrible blood-bath leaving the International Community in tears and zipped mouths. . In wake of hitting critical Hamas targets, Israel has flattened schools and government buildings, refugee camps, University Buildings killing women and children remorselessly to salvage and protect their territory from Hamas rockets. Almost the entire Arab & Muslim world seems as silent as the grave and have turned away their eyes from the terrorizing onslaught and massacre of the innocent Palestinians.
The tally of the death nearing 400 and almost 1500 injured requiring immediate medical attention in hospitals that are almost incapable of functioning and those facilities are now bleeding every resource available owing to the Israeli sanctions. Israel have taken up a strategy what the world refers to as ‘Terrorism’ – instilling fear for an ideological goal and deliberately targeting, and disregarding the safety, of non combatants. This is as much an act of terror as a suicide bomber rips apart a market place.
It is the sole responsibility of our Arab and Muslim leaders to join hands and voice as one a common stand against such carnage. These concerns can no better be addressed to the world powers, who blindly support not only the Israeli occupation but also approve of the onslaught by stating that: "Israel has the right to defend itself", by our current Muslim leaders, especially the Arab League as they hold with them the Key to driving their economies. Not as a threat rather a stern warning.
It is also vital for the Muslim world to realized that if Israel could hamper the UN resolutions and care less about the International Criminal Laws and deem the Invasion of Gaza as its right, it could very well breach their borders to further secure itself from potential threats; since Israel has vividly indicated that "... it is in continuous threat from its neighbors"
This is the time for the Muslim Leaders to set side their differences and stand united against a common cause, for their fellow brothers and sisters, for humanity and for themselves. Help yourself, Help your brothers and sister, Help Gaza - if is after all a part of us.

Taking Science on Faith

Science – the most reliable form of knowledge about the world because it is based on testable hypothesis. Faith, on the other hand, is a belief in the trustworthiness of an idea. Many regard science as the only authentic source of dependable, immutable, absolute, universal, mathematical laws of an unspecified origin that governs the universe. However, others rest their faith on a set of beliefs derived from religious precepts. There has always been a constant debate between those who believe in having faith is sufficient and those who need scientific evidence that could proof the assumption that nature is ordered in a rational and intelligible way. In science, a healthy skepticism is a professional necessity, whereas in religion, having belief without evidence is regarded as a virtue.
Below is a small excerpt from one of the reading material I was brushing through. Though the source and authenticity of this passage is dubious, it justifies the clean-connection between science and faith:

An Atheist Professor of Philosophy was speaking to his Class on the Problem Science has With GOD, the ALMIGHTY. He asked one of his New Christian Students to stand and…
Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So, you Believe in GOD ?
Student : Absolutely, sir.
Professor : Is GOD Good ?
Student : Sure.
Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn't. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent )

Professor : You can't answer, can you ? Let's start again, Young Fella. Is GOD Good?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Is Satan good ?
Student : No.
Professor : Where does Satan come from ?
Student : From . . . GOD . . .
Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this World?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?
Student : Yes.
Professor : So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer)

Professor : Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the World, don't they?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So, who Created them ?

(Student had no answer)

Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you. Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD?
Student : No, sir.
Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD?
Student : No , sir.
Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD , Tasted your GOD , Smelt your GOD ? Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM?
Student : Yes.
Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith.
Professor : Yes, Faith. And that is the Problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?
Professor : Yes.
Student : And is there such a thing as Cold?
Professor : Yes.
Student : No, sir. There isn't..

(The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this turn of events )

Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat, a Little Heat or No Heat. But we don't have anything called Cold. We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as Cold. Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat. We cannot Measure Cold. Heat is Energy. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.

(There was Pin-Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )

Student : What about Darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as Darkness?
Professor : Yes. What is Night if there isn't Darkness?
Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the Absence of Something You can have Low Light, Normal Light, Bright Light, Flashing Light . . . But if you have No Light constantly, you have nothing and its called Darkness, isn't it? In reality, Darkness isn't. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you?
Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?
Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is flawed.
Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how?
Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality. You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD. You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can't even explain a Thought. It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing. Death is Not the Opposite of Life: just the Absence of it Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your Students that they evolved from a Monkey?
Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument was going )

Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and Cannot even prove that this Process is an On-Going Endeavor, Are you not teaching your Opinion, sir? Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher?

(The Class was in Uproar)

Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever seen the Professor's Brain?

(The Class broke out into Laughter)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's Brain, Felt it, touched or Smelt it? . .. . No one appears to have done so. So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that You have No Brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir?

(The Room was Silent. The Professor stared at the Student, his face unfathomable)

Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith, son.
Student : That is it sir . .. . Exactly ! The Link between Man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that Keeps Things Alive and Moving.

NB:
That student was Albert Einstein.

Though the story is a little dramatized, it does assert the notion that science has its own faith-based belief system that suffices merely to strength the Link between Man & God!!!

Mumbai Attacks - A different Perspective

In the latest developments of the mystique Mumbai Attacks, Pakistan has, after intense pressure from the US and continuous pinching from India, arrested the accused masterminds and reassured every critic eye its complete ‘Focus & Commitment’ towards fighting global terror.
It is intriguing how the Indian government has put forth ‘baseless’ claims and delicately entangled Pakistan through the universal blame-game-strategy to pacify an enraged and anguish population which had immediately become skeptical of its present government policies and demanded quick results. Baseless - because the claims have been derived on the authority of the statements of one of the captured gunmen who is ostensibly a Muslim, whose own name is a mystery (is it Mohamed Ajmal Amir or Ajmal Amir Kasav?), who is accountable for spreading terror and killing innocent people, who earlier posed as a Mujahidin from Deccan and later a Jihadi from Faridkot, who had been a thief for the good part of his life and who feels no regret nor remorse for such a merciless act. How credible could he or his information be? How rationale would it be to indulge in political confrontations? I would grade his information as worthless and insignificant.
Would be it interesting to view the entire scenario as a complete fabricated plot devised by the Indian government as an elusive attempt to destabilize LeT operations in Kashmir, amid the election season, by pressurizing Pakistan to have their chief arrested since the Indian Security forces have failed to gain control and avert the menacing situation. Or is it a blatant message from Raj Thackery to the North Indians to exit Mumbai.
The Indian authorities should refrain from making any accusation towards Pakistan's involvement as the balance of speculation could shift either way.

JIHAD - understand it!

The on going War-Against-Terror by the US and its Allies in Afghanistan and Iraq and the troubled tribal areas of Pakistan by it well-fashioned army against the Al-Qaeda network has instinctively cultivated and further nurtured a great misconception and blemished one of the fundamentals of Islam – JIHAD. The Al-Qaeda fighters, termed as ‘Jihadis’ – the one who fights for the cause of Jihad, have deteriorated the very meaning of Jihad and convinced feeble minds in the west, and across the globe, in affirming the fallacy and delusion portrayed about Jihad and Islam.
JIHAD – commonly translated as the ‘Holy War’, however, recently it has become synonymous with a vision of marching band of religious fanatics with savage beards and fierce some eyes, brandishing swords and attacking infidels wherever encountered and pressing them under the sword of the sake of Islam. This awry and deceitful vision is the courtesy of those benefactors of ours who are engaged in an extremely unholy war to attain the mere joys of the worldly lure. Their fight and struggle is not for God but for their contentment and pleasure. They have manufactured regulations to deceive the innocent minds to take up guns and wrap explosive belts and justify their approach and confuse the understanding of Islam.
True Meaning of Jihad
Islam is neither a religion nor Muslims a nation since it nullifies the true essence of Jihad (which is known as ‘The best of all Prayers’). Islam is a revolutionary ideology and program which seeks to perfect the social order of the whole world and rebuild its conformity with its own tents and ideals. Muslim is a revolutionary party that is organized by Islam to carry into effect the revolutionary program. And, Jihad is a revolutionary struggle by Muslims to achieve this objective. The most nearest and correct meaning, in layman terms, would be “to exert one’s utmost endeavor to promoting a cause.” Islam established an ideology for the welfare of not just a common man, a community, a Nation but for the entire Mankind. Towards this end, to press all forces either speech, pen. Spending good, physical effort or, lastly, by the power of sword and a composite term for the use of all of these forces is JIHAD.
Conditions of Validity
Jihad is not merely a struggle, it is a struggle ‘in the way of God’, which is the essential condition that governs the validity of this struggle. Many have without a thought, sorted to the literal translation of the condition and have misled their mindset. However in Islam the expression undermines all such work done for the collective well-being of mankind and in which functionary has no vested interested other than to attain the pleasure of God. A person devoted to bring about a revolution in the system of life and establish a new system in conformity with the ideology of Islam, his / hers struggle should be free of any self-fish motives.
Current Scenario
The current scenario and misconception poses a great threat to the Muslims and if not rectified it shall eventually lead to a bigger hatred towards the Muslims. It has become the utmost responsibility and a paramount duty of all the Muslims to educate and spread the reality of Jihad not only to the far west but also, and most significantly among those feeble minded young enthusiastic Muslims - ready to lay their lives - trapped deep within a labyrinth of an unholy war manifested by those seeking only their equanimity. I hope my message reaches out to those far and wide and to those lost.

Pakistan engulfed in Terror War

The US led war-on-terror spilled over from Afghanistan into Pakistan as heavily armed US commandos ambushed a village near the Pak-Afghan border in elusive attempt to regain supremacy in the lost war and since then the drone attacks on Pakistan soil have become much consistent and even more dominating. The Bush administration appears prepared to lash out at its most cordial ally to war-on-terror, Pakistan, who it blames for the humiliating failure to crush Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. This current scenario is synonymous with the situation during the Vietnam War when after failure to contain the North Vietnam Army, US urged invasion of Cambodia.
Though the path leading to the end of the terror-war is no different than the Vietnam-War, the dear consequences of more US attacks on Pakistan soil can be far more catastrophic than being imaginable to any extent. Firstly, such attempts are counter-productive, on the contrary defy the very basis of cooperation between Pakistan and US and might further fuel the fire of hatred and violence Pakistani government is eagerly trying to diminish.
Secondly, these attacks would eventually result in widening the Anti-US war and merging it with Afghanistan’s resistance to western occupation. Also, Pakistan army might chip in for retaliation in view to preserve their national sovereignty and protect national pride.
Lastly, it might reignite the old irredentist movement to reunite Pashtun parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan into an independent state – Pakhtunistan, which will pose an even greater and more powerful threat to the US coalition forces.
The entire civilized human history, till date, has witnessed the catastrophes incurred by the use of force to gain dominance and reign supreme over the weak. There ought to be better thought out ways to tackle the insurgents residing in Pakistan and the war-on-terror and its eventuality be reevaluated before the world witnesses another setback to the great world power.

Karadzic and Saddam: The difference

And so, after thirteen long years of hunting, Radovan Karadzic has been captured and transferred to The Hague where he will stand trial on the charges of genocide. Karadzic went into hiding by drawing upon a false identity of Dr. Dragan Dabic, with a big hairy beard. A scenario much similar to the tale of the Middle East villain, Saddam Hussein, yet the disparity is drastic.

The invasion of Iraq by the US troops led to the capture of Saddam. He was then handed over to a local court in Iraq to be tried for his part of crimes where there were dim chances of a fair trail to be held. Although his crimes were against humanity, were far less heinous than those by Karadzic, at no point were the American prepared to have him tried in an International Court. Probably since the verdict of the capital punishment by a local court would sound much reasonable and far less debatable. Capital punishments around the world have been abolished by democracies and Karadzic would probably be jailed not executed if found guilty.

It would be interesting to see if Karadzic would end up the same fate that of Pinochet and Milosevic or Saddam Hussein.

Omar's Ordeal

The latest developments to Omar Ahmed Khadr’s case have left the globe spinning in a sympathetic and emotional distress, either in compassion or in anguish. The video tapes narrate his unfortunate tale of disgust, cry and aggravation. His six years as an inmate at the United States prison of Guantanamo Bay and their uniquely derived method of interrogation has seen him transformed into anything but a villain in this story.

His tragic story does force me to reserve a soft corner for him, not only because he’s a Muslim and also a Pakistani, but when I am unable to differentiate his accused crime of killing Sergeant Speer with the killings of innocent civilians by the US air strikes in Nuristan province of Afghanistan or in Swat (Pakistan) under the banner of War-against-Terror. How can one label them as ‘accidents’ and accuse a 15 year old boy of throwing a grenade at an armed officer fully equipped with all his battle gears and guns ready to engage the enemy. How is Omar any indifferent from David Hicks (Aussie Taleban) or John Walker Lindh (American Taleban), who have now even completed their sentences even though being caught red-handed, with guns, fighting against the coalition forces with the Taleban.

As his story surfaces further and unveils the many hidden secrets to the war-on-terror, it also serves as an appeal to the International Community and everyone around the globe that when they hear his case, do think of him as a human, think of him as your 22 year old kid or sibling who has spent the last 6 lonesome years in a gruesome prison when you were enjoying the comforts of life. It also serves as an indefinite example that events like these are an avalanche in the making that are destroying the youth of today and transforming them into the Talebans of tomorrow.

Patriotism or Self-Prestige

The recent clash of personalities between the infamous National hero of Pakistan Dr. A.Q. Khan and the much despised and moderate-muslim President Musharraf is seeing Pakistan besieged in a new territory of egregious controversies in the international, primarily the western, media. On July 4^th, 2008, as the US marked its 233^rd Independence day, Dr AQ Khan unveiled the involvement of Pakistan Army in the ‘illicit’, according to the US, nuclear weapon technology transfer to Libya and Iran in an interview blaming President Musharraf of having complete knowledge on the transfer deals, which only saw him and Pakistan reap the sown seeds. His statement further diminished the flickering image of Pakistan globally and damaged not only his own reputation but also added concerns over Pakistan’s Army / Government and their ‘Official’ and ‘Confidential’ exercises, putting them under global scrutiny.

It seems that Dr. AQ Khan has sorted to avenge the humiliation he suffered on the hands of then Pakistani government who, although reasoned and pardoned him for the nuclear arms trade, had solely blamed him for this collective prohibited act of arms trade in the global economy.

I, on a personal note, regard highly of Dr. Khan and look unto him not just as a National Hero but an icon-personality of Pakistan merely for his tremendous contributions to the nuclear program of Pakistan, and also for his courage and determination with which he withstood against the odds facing his, and Pakistan’s, future and dispelled all opposing accusations and motives to sail the green flag even higher into the blue sky and embedding Pakistan as the only ‘Muslim-Nuclear-Power’ in the world. On the contrary, and comparatively, President Musharraf popularity has been on the receiving end owing mainly to his controversial decision on the US-Afghan war and the Red-Mosque (Lal Masjid) issues. However, with these recent claims; Dr AQ Khan has placed his personal vendetta with President Musharraf over National Pride, Prestige and Interest. People over the world have laid down their lives, sacrificed themselves borne pain and cruelty, either known or unknown, only to safe guard their national interest and sovereignty. Dr AQ Khan, though a novel personality even among his foes, has let himself down and imitated a great example of self-prejudice and poor illustration of patriotism. Though President Musharraf’s involvement might be justified, it occurs and at the same time hurts a common man (Pakistani) on how could a personal grudge surpass Pakistan’s interest and damage its image among the many scouting to have their share in its destruction. Surprising!!!

Would you like to have a Broccoli or a Brownie?

Recently I visited Al-Noor Hospital to seek some medical attention for my elder brother’s wife when I happen to read through a poster on the wall comparing a Cup of hot steamy, green, cauliflower-ish Broccoli to a square piece of soft, creamy, chocolate dripping Brownie for their nutritive contents and advantages. As evident as it could be, 1 cup chopped Broccoli had minimum amount of calories and fat per serving when compared to a square piece of Chocolate brownie, with chocolate sauce dripping from its side. I have managed to gather some nutritive data from http://www.nutritiondata.com/ and duplicate the bar-graph depicting the calorie vs. fat.

The very end of the poster read in big red fonts “... HEALTH MATTERS MOST, YOU DECIDE?” Well looking at that poster it really did not leave much of a choice for anyone to decide over a Brownie or a Broccoli. After going through the poster i was set aback onto why anyone would chose Broccoli over Brownie. Yet, I feel that I should bring about justice to this dilemma and present analysis on Health and Taste for you to decide.

Health Wise:

One could find enormous data on the internet and even contemplate themselves the nutritive advantages and disadvantages of Broccoli over Brownie. Since out of my experience, it is relatively easy to comprehend graphical data rather than tabulated valves, I have opted to use graphical notation to help you better understand and make sound judgment. From one of the sources over the internet (http://www.nutritiondata.com/) detailing the nutrient content is as follows:

Brownie:

A brownie of the Nutritional Target Map is located on the lower left hand-side indicating less nutrients and less filling, that is one would need to eat more brownies to have their stomachs filled and even more to fulfill their daily nutrient intake.

A brownie on the Caloric Ratio Pyramid is located on the Top right side indicating High content of Fat, Carbohydrates and Less content of Proteins, that is small serving shall fulfill more than your requirements of carbs and Fats.

Broccoli:

Contrastingly, a broccoli on the Nutritional Target Map is located on the Top Left Corner indicating More Nutrients and More Filling that is small servings can make up a complete diet and fill your stomachs too.

On the Caloric Ratio Pyramid it is located on the lower right corner indicating More Carbohydrates and Less Fats and Proteins, you can have as much broccoli as you want without being worried of getting fat.

Well this analysis is self-conclusive that a Broccoli out weights the Brownie is all aspects of complete nutrition, diet and fullness!

Taste Wise

This definitely is the least talked about yet highly imperative criteria that governs the dietary habits of anyone. The Taste effect has not been analyzed in any circumstances yet! I have made an effort to take it out to survey the ‘Taste Effect’ and developed a few statistics based on that.

The survey is conducted on different groups of people based on ethnicity and ages (the number of people from each ethnicity and age group were kept constant as a control) were quizzed a simple Question “Broccoli or Brownie?” and the results charted below:

Ethnicity Test
Out of the lot that was surveyed (Pakistanis, Europeans and Indians) by far almost everyone opted for having a brownie instead of a Broccoli. And surprisingly, the percentage of Indians that wanted a brownie over Broccoli was more than any other ethnicity.

Age Test

The results were then sorted with respect to age and even though the likeness for Brownie was less as the age was higher the percentage ratio was still high for Brownie rather than a Broccoli.

Final Verdict:

It definitely is ones free will; or rather right, to chose a Broccoli over a Brownie, however as statistics reveal most people would prefer to have better tasting food than a more healthier one. Thus, a brownie submerged in dripping chocolate sauce would be more preferred than a soft boiled steamy vegetable like Broccoli.

Oh! Thank you for sorting out the Problem

Today as I read the newspaper I was stunned to notice that there is actually a report released by the emirate of Abu Dhabi that confirmed that the sky-rocketing house rents have been associated to the ever-rising inflation. (Rising rents main cause of inflation)

The humor in this news does get to me that ‘Experts’ have finally deduced that it is actually INFLATION, the root cause to the single most perilous challenge facing the emirate, besides car-parking issues. The other thing that made me pondering was that it seemed incomplete to me as I was done reading it; I was searching for references at the end of it to look in other pages / sections where the rest of the news would be covered. Well I was certainly jolted with hysteria that the experts are actually blaming the increasing house rents for the rising Inflation and secondly, they have not even pointed towards any remedial exercises, let alone proposing a technical and more practical solution.

I, as an abiding citizen, am completely obliged to the extended efforts put together by the ‘Experts’ who have diligently worked towards this report, however, I do believe that there work has not finished, it has just begun. They should come up with practical and proven strategies to fight and overcome these challenges

No(n)-Sense Long March

Almost 1,000 lawyers have set-off hand-in-hand in retaliation against the affrighted President Musharraf in order to have their 49 sacked Judges reinstated through all legal routes, enjoined in a 'Long-March' across the country. The architect of this 'Long-March' has been the most inspiring lawyer who has stood head and shoulders against the regime to have his stance embossed; is Aitezaz Ahsan.

I have recently learned that the Long-March idea has been conceived from the great struggle by a Chinese revolutionist, military and political leader; Mao Zedong who led the Communist Party of China (CPC) to victory against the Kuomintang (KMF) during the Chinese Civil War. Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai (successor to Mao Zedong) also set out on a 'Long-March' from south to the north for safety of its party and eventually to achieve their liberation against the tyrant Kuomintang, and only one fifth survived the hardships of battle, weather and terrain, thus the name 'Long-March'. as reflected best in an article by Dr. Maoeed Pirzada "Making sense of the long march of lawyers" "...Pakistani lawyers are advancing from the south, in air-conditioned sport utility vehicles, enjoying the hospitality of Pakistan's largest provincial government- Punjab- in full glare of 24/7 electronic media against a besieged President Musharraf and the PPP-led federal government in the north that is hiding itself behind red, blue and yellow shipping containers and barricades."

It becomes so evident that Long-March is more or less a side-activity initiated by the prevailing government (PPP) in order to blind the poor, hungry and frustrated people of its nation from the challenges the country is presently going through. It is a mere cowardly act portrayed to hindsight a common man of the issues he should actually be worried about: rising inflation, insecurity among people, sky rocketing food prices, not to mention the shortage and the list is endless.

The Power of Faith and Oil

The article ‘The Muslim World and the invaluable use of Oil’ by Debbie Menon (23^rd May, 2008) has very comprehensively enlightened a common man of the ‘Invaluable’ yet much undermined strength the Arab world possesses and how its collective force can drive its non-well-wishers on their back foot. However, the answer to the question she posed forward; ‘When will the Arab Leaders wake up to the power of big Oil...?’ still lingers in the mind of every man who has thoroughly thought through the scenario.

As I thought of a rational explanation for such an inquisitive thought, the article ‘Reverence for the Holy Quran’ by Sumayyah Meehan (23^rd May, 2008) presented an answer that if acted upon is the remedy for the entire Muslim nation. She spoke of the great stature the Holy Quran hold for a Muslim and great reverence Muslims’ reserve for the Invaluable words from the Almighty. Yet knowingly, they have opted to just have the sacred book wrapped in an expensive silk cloth and placed on the highest level in their homes. The adherence to its laws, submission towards its commandments and observance to its regulations of life has all been forgotten, let alone being followed.

The present condition that haunts, not only the Arab nations, but the entire Muslim world is their detachment from their Faith. The power of Big-Oil can only become an aggressive adversary to its foes if Muslims adopt and absorb the teachings of the Quran in their daily lives. As Willaim Thackarey once said, “Its not the dying for faith thats so hard, its the living up to that’s difficult.

The Muscle Brain

“...Nine, ... Ten, ...Ellllevn” , with short bursts of energy and composed commitment, I had completed my final set, working out my shoulders with sweat drizzling down my forehead and dripping down my nose. I could feel the pain and cramps in my muscles, which not-so-obviously felt good and assured that I was in some serious body-building routine.

As I stood up from my chair and glazed across the room I noticed people from all over the globe, in all sizes and shapes, some with their T-shirt sleeves folded up; either showing off their bulging biceps or making ease for pumping iron, some with no sleeve at all, and other fixing their T-shirts and trousers, tucking them back in and setting them straight, tightening their back support belts, screaming in agony, shouting out numbers; “SEVEN...EIGHT”, working out to their best; completely drenched in sweat and filled with rushing adrenaline. No matter what they work out, how they work out a common psyche that everyone attains while in that brightly lit room with mechanical machines loaded with iron and steel weights placed sequentially in-line, next to one another; is looking BIG and GOOD! Whether they are big or small, hulk or bulk, white or brown, they all have an image in the back of their heads portraying themselves with board shoulders, bulk chest, curvy biceps, stout arms with protruding veins and a six-pack abs. Occasionally, each one of them would fold up their sleeves over till their shoulders, flex their arms and tighten their lips and twist them and nod their heads in acknowledgement and self-appreciation. Some of them look unto their gym-mates and inquisitively question themselves: “what in the world is he doing here?” or sometimes in comparison: “I can definitely lift more weights than him?” or in disgust: “He must be on steroids!” This psyche lingers around the Gym atmosphere and contagious as it is, I found myself dipped into the same pool of thoughts. I guess that is what Muscle does to your brains!

By the end of day, as everyone exist the facility tired and quenching on energy drinks and cold water, they all seem refreshed and stress free and convince themselves that they have indeed worked out the difference.