Demartyred

If ever there was a word like that.... there seems to be a happy ending to the beheading ... there is not going to be one. Atleast not for the moment. Also depends on how soon he is wisked out of the country! Thats not where the story ends though, for the thousands of others like him. For them the fight for survival just comes out into the open.

I just couldn't stop the temptation to upload this ...

“You can never have a revolution in order to establish a democracy. You must have a democracy in order to have a revolution.”

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Martyred!!!

I know I said that I wouldn't dissect this topic but being me I just can't refrain from doing that. As I anticipated this issue took some time to develop into a major news story ... given the sensitiveness of the issue its a hot potato for all the governments involved and a hotter human interest story for the news syndicates.

This article spoke of how his family was the one responsible for reporting him to the police. Family honour is a much bandied and misused excuse in this part of the world. Having seen it everyday of my life I can't really blame the family for what they did ... they would always look at it with the prism of prejudice that they have grown up with.

I don't think this is a religious issue as much as it is a cultural issue. I bet most families in the east would disown their offspring for breaking ties with what they think is acceptable morality, spirituality or proprietyness, in a single word "tradition". Try pushing the boundaries of 'acceptable' actions and see how fast your friends dwindle and loved ones run away. Don't get me wrong I don't have any issues ... actually I do like and understand social responsibility, but then like all things too much of a good thing is not really good ;). I have always believed that "traditions were made for men and not men for traditions". It was the same two thousand years ago too, and Jesus called them "white-washed tombstones".

Honour killings are a part of everyday life in the some parts of the greater Indian subcontinent, probably already dwelled a lot upon it here. Being a part of everyday life doesn't make them alright... 'cause the ones that do happen don't really have honour at the core of the reason but some vested reasons of the perpetrators. There is not even a standard (as if there is a reasons for these killings themselves) for these killings, it could be as small as looking at one's sister to eloping with a person from a different caste/religion. But this is the first case wherein the free land's court is going to hang a person for a moral conviction. I know there are a lot of other Muslim countries that practice the shariat, but I haven't heard of any other country prosecuting someone for conversion.

Now that the western and other governments have started putting pressure on the Karzai government about freeing the person, it has got all the more complicated with no easy solutions in sight. Especially for the Afghan government its a choice between a rock and a hard place. But then it is also a chance for them to make a strong statement about their resolve to move in a different direction than one taken by the Taliban government.

I'll be back with more ramblings on this ...

Well I have also started a new blog to just write some person musings and something that would be updated more often than this (Hopefully!!!) also CrackerJack after a short stint here has decided to start his/her own blog pretty soon!! I am looking to change the format of this website but its still on the back burner at the current moment.

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Matthew 5:11-12

What would you die for?

Just came across this news article on a death penalty case involving a afgan man who converted to Christianity 14 years back. The picture shows the bible that was seized from him.

apparently he could have avoided all this by just telling them that he is converting back to Islam, if only for namesake that would have saved him his skin. It is precisely this kind of moral courage in the face of insurmountable danger that baffles me. Call it faith or belief or any other thing ... it takes a lot of conviction to stand firm behind your decision. Some people may compare this to the kamakzie/suicide bombers and other "freedom fighters" who wouldn't mind killing for their belief. But there is a world of difference between them. Its easier to kill than to die for your belief ... people who kill are afraid that they could be wrong, while those that die have no such fear.

Being that I don't know, if I have his kind of moral courage yet ... I'll refrain from dissecting this issue and let you learn or be encouraged by this One Man ... Martyr to some, heretic to others.

"Give What You Can't Keep to Gain What You Can't Lose"

New World Order

I can vividly remember the Coco-Cola company coming into India, with the opening up of India's economy in 1992, as the first MNC riding piggy back on the shoulders of India's market leaders at that time the Gold Spot company, . Within a very short period of time Coco-Cola had flexed its muscle and staged a successful hostile take over of the company. The Thumbs Up pictured on the left and Limca are the only remnants of the old soda range. The flagship Gold Spot was replaced by fanta. The hostile takeover scared the other India companies to such an extent that all talks broke down between them and the MNCs for a whole year. So why this lesson in history? Two recent events ...

The first was me getting a case (24 count) of "Thumbs Up" from the India store. I remember how we used (still do) call Coco-Cola and Pepsi as a wimp's drink compared to Thumbs Up! So it brought back memories of how the fledging new open economy was attacked by the well loaded MNCs.

The second event ... flash forward 14 years and a technology boom later. The world has turned more capitalistic than ever (even red china), thanks mainly to the pressure of the US of A and the third world countries are finding the pros of having a capitalistic society. And then its protectionism all over again, this time from the flag bearer of the Capitalistic free society, good 'ole Uncle Sam. I am talking about the Dubai Ports Deal, which provided a common ground for both democrats and republicans. And it seems that prejudicial politics has overcome the basic tenets of free trade and a level playing field. Am I calling them racist .... no... its just shows that they are not ready for the new world order. How can a bunch of horse riders "barbarians" living in a kingdom gain a foot hold in their own backyard. I don't think there would have been so much furor if this had been a European "civilized" company.

This is not an isolated event ... across the ocean, France is trying to prevent Lakshmi Mittal (An India) take over Europe's largest steel manufacturer. And here racism is pretty apparent. They just can't seem to comprehend how a country that they controlled not more than half a century ago, would now have to the guts to come into their house and rule their ... steel. Its unthinkable for the Europeans who weren't below putting up "Dogs and Indians not allowed" signboard in India to now loose to an "Brown" owned company.

Welcome to the reality of capitalism ... its a dog eat dog world, the pandora's box has been opened and no amount of tears over job loss and out-sourcing is going to close it. The best thing to do is to get on your feet and eat before you are eaten.

It is hypocritical for feminists and intellectuals to enjoy the pleasures and conveniences of capitalism while sneering at it.... Everyone born into capitalism has incurred a debt to it.
Camille Paglia

Pro Choice Pro Life!

I am going to be an Uncle! And yes that is the ultra sound picture of my niece/nephew. So why is this leading to a pro-choice pro-life debate?? Seeing the picture and hearing about it from my sister has made me reevaluate my stand; that and the recent spurt of bills being tabled in different states (in the US).

I am one of those crazy fellows who lean towards pro choice while at the same time being strongly rooted in their faith. As much as this being one of the biggest issues in the good ole' US of A, it is almost inconsequential in the east (read India) where female infanticide is a way of life.

I guess I have already covered what I think about this topic and the cultural differences affecting it. What sparked this revisit of the abortion issue was when my sister said how the doctor her the measurements of the baby et all. That put a doubt in my mind whether abortion is really killing a human being?

This doubt is not strong enough to convince me that a person who is a victim of rape or incest shouldn't be given the choice to abort. And when the mom's life is in danger don't even ask me! As a side note I was almost aborted because I wouldn't come out :-). But it is strong enough to make me feel that its not a trifle thing to do ... when somebody kills a pregnant woman they are held liable for both the lives ... does that mean that in one instance the baby is human and another time it is just some cells?

This picture has definitely turned me from being strongly pro-choice to shaky pro-choice (excluding rape and incest)!

Some of my past posts on this topic ;)
3/13/2005
3/19/2005
6/30/2005

"Seventy-seven percent of anti-abortion leaders are men. 100% of them will never be pregnant"
Planned Parenthood advertisement

"The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion, because if a mother can kill her own child what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between."
Mother Teresa

...great America....poor india

Ok before you guys go beating up on me for that statement, just wanted to let you guys know that, it is not my statement. This is one my mom oft quoted statements, whenever I don't agree with her point of you. Its actually even higher than "you are more educated than me"(Which is false since she has two degrees to my one).

I am not going into the merits of the statements itself, I'll leave it to the "nationalists" of both countries. The reason I brought this up is to talk about psychology! Ok I don't have a psychology nor am I a psychologist but am sure a master at the defensive offensive strategy. That's again a new phrase ... I am talking about the way people usually lower themselves so the other would feel guilty.

It's pretty useful if you want to say whatever you want and then hide behind the supposed direness of your situation. This strategy was pretty effective in college when a trio of us used to make fun of everybody and then would self-deprecate ourselves so others wouldn't get a handle to make fun of us.

It's usage that really bugs me though is when it's an emotional blackmail and yours truly has given as much as he has got. My sisters have most often been my victims, the closer you are to me the more you would be emotionally blackmailed ;) while my mom and uncles have been pretty effective giving it to me.

So why am I writing this ?? Well just confessing my sins in the open so I won't repeat them again... hopefully ... and who is to be credited for making a saint out of a sinner? Somebody who is trying the greatest defensive offense on me.

If you can't beat em', join em'..
If you can't join em', bribe em',
If you can't bribe em', blackmail em'..