Friday, June 23, 2006

Powerful Pakistani Islamic clerics form a club...

...TO TARGET MEDIA THAT ARE SECURALIZING SOCIETY!

Get that!? They are protesting because they feel people will become secular and ostensibly start respecting other religions, view-points, etc!

I thought their target would first be Western and Indian media, but apparently not. That's only the second in their priority list. Their first priority is to target those media which hold debates on 'controversial' topics! So basically they do not want free thinking in their society.

Read the news item here.

And oh, did i tell you that the only Hindu temple in Lahore has been demolished? This is another alternative source.
One of the champions of pseudo-secularism in the English media, Asian Age, tries very hard to cover up this act. In that cover-up article, i found this quote by the Pakistani high commission very interesting:
"The temple referred to in the section of the press is not the Krishna mandir but an abandoned property.....".

If there was really no temple demolished, you think Indians are foolish to do this:
"....He (spokesman of the Indian foreign ministry) said the matter had been taken up at a 'sufficiently senior level' with the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi."

Predictably the BJP has tried to make this an issue. I just don't understand what their locus standi is. What has BJP got to do with something that happenned in Pakistan, however deplorable?

This (American) Islamic site while condemning the indicident also has a nice story to share :
"The second Caliph Umar set an example of respecting the sanctity of places of worship when he conquered Jerusalem. At the time of the evening prayer the Bishop of the Church of holy sepulcher offered him a nice place to pray in the church but he refused, saying that he fears that generations after him may try to take over and convert the church to a Mosque. So he prayed out side the church."

Can't these clerics learn from their own ancestors? Why can't they learn to co-exist peacefully?
And speaking of co-existing peacefully, here's a nice Pakistani site i came across. Focuses on the positive news. Also some humour - was reading the post on Pinglish. Some nice ones on leave applications :)...
Letter to boss, requesting leave:
“As my Mother-in-law has expired and I am responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave.”
An employee applied for leave as follows:
“Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife, please sanction me one-week leave."

3 comments:

Sandeep Bhasin said...

1. i have not seen a news channel since june 3rd, 2006.

2. i have not read a newspaper since last one week.

Refering to Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point", i am convinced that the media uses its 'powers' to influence our thinking. but sadly, only a select few realise this. The rest play to the tune set by the Media.

Sharan Sharma said...

Right about media, Bhasin-sab. But the internet has changed(changing) all that, i guess.

I have neither read the newspaper nor seen TV since...let's see...10 months!
But of course, i get the news off the net.

Sandeep Bhasin said...

Time flies... and you will be back (hopefully) in another 4-5 months...

By the way, a Pakistani has won this season of "The great Indian comedy show". This can happen only in India even as Pakistan is busy demolishing mandirs...