Declaration of Jehad

Ever since the world turned its attention on Islamic terrorism, all that the Muslim world has offered is myriad interpretations of Jihad. Nobody has cried unequivocally that Jihad is outdated, voilent and barbaric, much less declaring it totally inhuman and against basic tenets that govern humanity. With every passing day the world gets few more quotations and few more interpretations of a supposedly ``hallowed``

tradition. When a principle has been moulded to such a form that its original intention itself is suject to debate, then it`s time to relgate such a principle to obscurity. Jihad is the bloody sword of Islam (whatever its origin) and unless

it is realised that it has outlived its utility(if any) like many other medieval traditons, it will keep confronting the rest of the world. And the mullahs will continue to hold sway over the masses with the fear that Islam is in danger or that the world is out to get them.

Pullu

re zahra

``I expected a better understanding from a person of your caliber. ``

My understanding is limited by my principles-I am a libertarian. Even if the China case is made in semi-humor, I find China`s (and earlier India`s) policies to control family size and gender to be patently immoral and in contravention of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. From there to state-supported and state-mandated abortion is but a small step. Your call for women who cannot do such and such not to `bear a male child` is rather chilling. Something similar, if not same, was called for by an ancient Egyptian ruler a few thousand years ago.

A child, male or female, is a gift of God. I have seen and known too many frustrated couples who would have given anything they had for the blessing of a child. Look them in the eye and tell them that they should avoid having a boy.

Better still, sometimes read a poem or two that Ghalib composed when his `male child` Arif died in utter infancy.

re RanaRansher #132

The picture in the link below complements your poetry.

http://members.aol.com/mcmelectronics/freep/pepsi.jpg

Sigalph:

We are not on the same page regarding the issue under discussion. Sorry, I do not intend to discuss this matter any further with you.

Polite Wishes.

Shah 126,

STATISTCS OF HOMOUR

That is interesting statistics from you, 100 honour killings in pakistan, Saima killing is an exageration.

How many trees are cut down in pakistan, how many holes are dug in the ground in pakistan. No, there is no statistics, it is irrelevant, it is legal to cut trees and dig holes. No statistics are kept, so is the case with honour killing. Only the exceptional gets reported.

You go and cut a tree infront of mushy house, it becomes a news, honour kill in the office of asma jahangir, it becomes exagerated news.

Pathetic attempt to produce statistics. In india bride buring is reported and statccs collected, because it is a crime. can you say that with honour killing in pakistan, it is a routine job for a honourable pakistani. Are you a man of honour, that is the only relevant question.

Reply Stuka, Sadna

Helloji, helloji, how are you both? I had a week off and barely made it without losing my mind because, of course, this meant that I didn’t log on to chowk, so could not keep up with latest barbs and gossip. (No I DON’T have a life, ok).

To my AMAZEMENT, when I returned I found people being unpleasant to each other, invective taking the place of intellectual discourse, and a general viciousness permeating the air.

“Can this be chowk?” I asked myself, lifting a restorative glass of nimbu pani to my parched lips in a trembling hand.

Haha! Ok, enough of the joke. Of course it’s good to be back – I have to behave in the real world….

More seriously, I get the feeling that many of us Indian interactors are failing to put ourselves in our “cousins” shoes. If there were demonstrations across India, a major upheaval in the making and no clear outcome in sight which sat well with how we have been brought up to see ourselves, I think we’d be pretty touchy too.

So – on a totally unrelated aside – have either of you seen a sit com called “Pizza”? It’s Australian, and tries to do for immigrant Australia what “Absolutely Fabulous” did for hawhaw England. (Familiar with that show?) Anyway, I can’t recommend it highly enough – please watch it so you can know and love us more.

My favourite is a supporting actor who is an Indian owner of a (what else) convenience store (shades of the Simpsons, but actually done cleverly). Best scene so far: he breaks up a fight between two people in his shop and then, AT GUNPOINT, makes them shake hands and hug! (Imagine your Chachi telling you off when you were five or six and you will get the tone. “Shake hands. Shake haaaaaaaaaands! Ok, now hug him. HUG HIM!”)

Watch it if you can. Be well,

Zafar:

Jay #125

If u r serious about wanting to know wot i have written about the horrendous `honour` killings, please go to the following URLs on chowk:

http://www.chowk.com/bin/showa.cgi?zeejah_may2499

http://www.chowk.com/bin/showa.cgi?zeejah_jun0999

http://www.chowk.com/bin/showa.cgi?zeejah_aug2199

http://www.chowk.com/bin/showa.cgi?zeejah_nov2498

u will find other articles at:

http://www.zeejah.8m.com/wi.htm

hey mehdavi!

pillars of islam, add this to yr list:

1) slamming

2) jihad

3) fatwa

4) edict

poke poke, of all slamming and islam goes well together.

re zahra 137

Actually I think we are on different worlds, not just different pages, about this.

Zafar Al-Talib #139

Good to see you back! :)

You are right many Indians fail to put ourselves in Pakistanis` shoes. As an Israeli was quoted as saying, whatever happens, you can be sure its ALWAYS our fault. (HE maynot be far from the truth, but you get what I mean.. ).

Its hard to think of hugs and cousins when such observances are consistently mistaken as precursors to capitulation :(.

I`ll watch out for Pizza, thanks, the public broadcasting channels here might have picked it up...

JIHADIC BOUNTY,

The following is from india today. It talks of jihadic bounty. Is there such a concept.

Q: But militants have changed their strategy and are resorting increasingly to suicide attacks.

A: That doesn`t really worry us. Pakistan is brain-washing young minds and putting them on a high to act fidayeen (suicide attackers).

The jehadigroups are also getting the message that every third mercenary being pushed into Kashmir is not going back. If we are able to keep our kill rate high, the jehadi josh will soon start evaporating. This is a war of nerves. Already, the jehadis are feeling the heat and want to go back to collect their bounties.

Q

RanaRansher #131, ``kambakhtoN, apne Jihad meiN khud hi jal ja, tu aisaa diwaana ban jaa``

Wah wah. Irshad.

Man you guys are cultured.

Zahra # 137

``We are not on the same page regarding the issue under discussion. Sorry, I do not intend to discuss this matter any further with you.``

Does it mean that you discuss only when the other

person agrees to your flow of thought? That is

some arrogance ma`am.

Best regards.

sigalph235 #136 ``I have seen and known too many frustrated couples who would have given anything they had for the blessing of a child.``

Being south asian, these frustrated couples would of course not dream of adopting an orphan and thereby solving their problem (and the orphan`s problem as well).

sigalph #136 ``Better still, sometimes read a poem or two that Ghalib composed when his `male child` Arif died in utter infancy.``

I assume if it had been a female child, the muse would not have hit Ghalib. Being south asian, females are either sex objects or else close relatives who are there to serve the Master of the House.

PS: These references to south asians are to bring chowk posters together in mutual loathing of themselves, rather than have them stay apart insulting one another`s country. hamidm should be pleased, wherever he is nowadays...

Banjaara:

I understand what you pointed out. It was hard for me to react that abruptly, but he deserved it. It`s not at all arrogance - bilkul naheen! He is irritating/teasing me jaan boojh kur. I have explained my point twice and he is not taking it seriously. What`s there to discuss? You are more than welcome to give him company on the current issue. I do not find the effort worth my time.

Best Wishes( Reciprocating! )