Islam & Pakistan! Technology & Me!
My thoughts
Veinna Convention and Ayatollah Khomeini in 1964
211 months ago
I have been studying and paying close attention to the life of Ayatollah Khomeini, the man who led Iran’s modern Islamic revolution and installed a new system of government in place.
During my study, I stumbled across this saying of his dated 27th October 1964 regarding the Vienna Convention and the immunity US diplomats and US embassy officials would enjoy.
This is what Ayatollah Khomeini had to say regarding the Vienna convention:
“I cannot express the sorrow I feel in may heart…Iran no longer has any festival to celebrate; they have turned our festival into mourning…They have sold us, they have sold our independence; but still they light up the city and dance…The dignity of the Iranian Army has been trampled underfoot! A law has been put before the Majlis according to which we are to accede to the Vienna Convention, and a provision has been added to it that all American military advisers, together with their families, technical, and administrative officials, and servants – in short, anyone in any way connected to them – are to enjoy legal immunity with respect to any crime they may commit in Iran.
If some American’s servant, some American cook, assassinates your marja in the middle of the bazaar, or run over him, the Iranian police do not have the right to apprehend him! Iranian courts do not have the right to judge him! The dossier must be sent to America, so that our master there can decide what is to be done… They have reduced the Iranian people to a level lower than that of the American dog. If someone runs over a dog belonging to an American, he will be persecuted. But if an American cook runs over the Shah, the head of the state, no one will have the right to interfere with him. Why? Because they wanted a loan and American demanded this in return”.
This saying was also highlighted by Mubasher Lucman on his show on Dunya News where he connected this speech to the Raymond Davis situation faced by Pakistan today.
Khamoshi Ka Boycott – Rebranding or Cashing in?
6
Telenor launched its youth package, DJuice, a few years back with a catchy tag-line “Its fun to be young!”. On Saturday, I happened to have had the opportunity of attending the launch ceremony of the DJuice “Khamoshi Ka Boycott” campaign, aimed at refreshing the brand image. The event had an awe-inspiring set up and entrance decoration held at the Pearl Continental hotel in Karachi.
As a keen observer of how Telecom companies handle their brand images, I must say I am impressed with this re-launch. Telenor aims at working on and educating the masses through its campaign on small issues that usually are every day hurdles in the progress of our society in general. Unlike the name and what one would immediately think of, Telenor here is proposing individual improvement and self-discipline rather than an Inqilaab or revolution. (more…)
Salman Taseer Assassination
01 year ago
Governor of the Punjab Salmaan Taseer. Image by Flickr user Salman Taseer. CC BY-NC-SA
I had the opportunity to write on the Salman Taseer Assassination for the Global Voices Online, an international community of citizen journalists. Although this is not the first time I’ve written for them, the topic chosen was both sensitive and important.
I have tried to drill some sense into the issue which has seen an uproar from both sides, the Religious Extremists and “Liberal Extremists” and I have tried to keep things even as much as possible.
Some people were of the opinion that the Governor over-reacted to the Aasia Bibi case, a woman who is currently under trial on blasphemy charges, and went a touch too aggressive with the words and the tone he chose to express his anguish. But regardless of that, his comments focused more on the blasphemy “law” that is manipulated by some, usually powerful, people to victimize others.
And the crisis deepens in my motherland
11 year ago
With every sunset passes a day that deepens the many problems that engulf my country, each new sun-rise brings with it its own challenges and hardships. This is a country where the elite continue to enjoy the bounties of life, earned through means that are not even taxable, yet, the ordinary man is all set to be crippled under a new wave of tax impositions and price hikes with the introduction of the Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST).
Our government and forces seem to be in a never ending battle with insurgents and Islamic fascists who continue to target innocent civilians at mosques, markets and work places with suicide missions and gun-fire.
Everything aside, they say, at least we have democracy! What use is such democracy where men, women and children die of hunger and helplessness, are tore to pieces in bomb attacks and what not. For now, even this so called ‘democracy’ is all set to be ran over by none other than our ‘democrats’ as a fragile coalition in parliament fights for its survival. Maulana Diesel (read JUI-F) has already quit the government and its three ministers are out, one having been fired. This is a country where not even the annual pilgrimage of Hajj was left un-plundered.
The PPP and the MQM are at loggerheads over Karachi matters. If the MQM quits the coalition at this critical juncture, the government in the center is all set to come down hard to an absolute collapse. There has been no governance any way for the past 2 years. It appears as if mid-term elections will finally become a possibility, but I am afraid of its fall-out and all that could potentially happen given how badly we’re effected by terror.
Electricity and power, economy, finance, railways, infrastructure, floods, corruption, US Pressure, IMF promises to be met. What do I write about? There is so much to say. There is so much to write about. The crisis deepens. With every passing day. May Allah help us all.
Bombs don’t scare us anymore!
01 year ago
This is a fact, and this is what I observed last year and again this year in Moharram. Instead of a reduction in the mass public gatherings we have in Moharram to mark the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS), I can tell for sure that more and more people have taken to the streets and Imam Bargah’s this year.
Bombs don’t scare us anymore. Bomb’s are for cowards. Cowards like the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan. A nexus of evil funded and support by Israel, India and its allies.
We know and understand your conspiracies and if you think you can stop us, well, it has been over 1430 years we have faced oppression and moves to suppress us.
Labbaik Ya Hussain!!
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