Does Islam, in fact, Encourage Paedophilia? Puberty does not mean that a girl is fit to get married.

Marriage is much more than pro-creation. It is complete BS if any religion sanctions such a marriage at such an immature age. And the foolish followers of the faith keep following it.

on a side note
``that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old.''

How did the people come to know that the marriage has consumated?

There is a Saudi cultural tradition where the `Stained Bed Sheet' is hung on the door to let the public know. This custom is followed to this date among the traditional Saudis.

NHK

A Letter To President Musharraf Bulleya # 28

``.......the lal masjid type problems are social and economic in nature........they are not going to be solved through guns......``

I keep hearing this logic of poverty behind religious militancy. How many high profile religious terrorists are poor. Not only that they were not poor, most of them were actually well to do. (eg. USA, UK) Why the poor of Sind or Baluchistan do not become Religious terrorists? Or for that matter, poor of Argentina, Brazil, India or African countries.

Was Ghazi poor?

Unfortunately, in our case some state factors have also come into play - use of religion in our creation, religion being a part of our constitution, religion in our external / internal policies.....and to top it all, most of the policies handled by the dumb faugies or intelligence agencies.

As for the kids or immature youngsters, they can be easily duped, brainwashed and used. This is what the Mullas do - incite youngsters & gain POWER.

When I was a child in Montgomery (now Sahiwal - Why?), on Fridays, I specially went to a mosque where a fiery Mulla delivered forcefull speeches. He was called `Kuhary Shah` or `Axe Shah` - because his Khutbas got you volatile.

Once, a few missionary ladies were distributing some literature - I had been so brainwashed by this crazy nut that I tore the books that they were distributing in front of them - and then as a scared child, just ran away.

This is the state of mind & exploitation of the youngesters of the Lal Masjid.

The Syllabus of the Madressas may look harmless but it is not the Syllabus that matters. It is the fact of keeping those hapless souls prisoner in the compounds & continuously brainwashing them that turns them into dangerous ROBOTs.

regards

NHK

Preventing More Lal Masjids GT # 6

`` i.e. the implementation of the shariat``

Can some one throw light on what is `Shariat`. Everyone keeps repeating this mantra - the educated, the illetrate, the-Mulla, the non-Mulla etc etc.

`Shariat` is nothing more than History. Can History be devine?

NHK

What Next After Karachi’s Carnage?
I was so much with the revised version of MQM.

I fail to understand what made Altaf Hussain do it. The gainers are the Mulla crowd -- so unfortunate.

NHK

Militant Liberalism Tehmed 32 # 200

Dear Tehmed Bhai

I think there is some miscumminacation because of my hurried post.

Let me say it in detail. MQM should not have carried out its rally on the day CJP was visiting Karachi. It could always do it on the next day. Doing it on the same day (and with bad intentions) was its big almost inexcusable mistake.

Agreed, I am hard on the Punjabis. There are good & bad Punjabis. Being a Punjabi myself, give me the privilege to excessively criticise this majority. It is the Majority group which should always be more self-critical & like all bigger goups, should compromise more for the other smaller groups.

regards

NHK

Militant Liberalism Tehmed32 # 182

(berating the CJP who called the general on habeas corpus with respect to the missing persons and who called the general on elections in 2008!!)

I think, Sir, you did not read my post. I never berated the CJP. In any case, the issue is no more of the CJP`s personal conduct or his shortcomings. It is about how Musharraf treated him - house arrest, forcing resignation etc etc.

Obviuosly, it is Musharraf`s stupidity. I am totally with the lawyers on the issue.

As for the Punjabis, let us leave for some other time. They are spineless & have always sided with the Army - and are tempramently closer to the Taliban than any other ethnic group. The Chaudhries are the ideal example of greedy prinpleless oppurtunists.

I think you have not understood me in the last 4 years - I am shamelessly & openly against the Army & Mullas.

regards

NHK

Militant Liberalism Dear Ahmed

You have some good ideas about Ethnicities, Nationalism etc. But the synthesization of your ideas is not logical.

There is nothing wrong with `Urdu speaking People`. In fact, such generalizations with any group of people are wrong. There are good & bad people in every kind of group.

Please also note that the `Urdu speaking people` , actually meaning the people who migrated from UP to Pakistan, had their own distinct culture - more sophisticated than the existing cultures in other parrts of Pakistan. They were more educated and polite. No wonder they had a distinct impact on Pakistan`s earlier years since they were the only qualified people for the jobs.

The other classy culture was of Sind. Pashtoons had their centuries old tribal customs.The Baluchis had the Sardari Nizam.

Sadly, it was the Punjabis who abdicated their own culture & language and went for the mixed-up confused so called `Ideology of Pakistan`. In fact, they willingly let the cultural vacume get filled by the psuedo Islamic radical thoughts. You do not find many Jihadists from Sind or Baluchistan. NWFP which had the ancient tribal customs was fused into with Wahabi school of thought through the Pakistani Army`s (in fact intelligence) effort - so we get that nasty product `Taliban`. All that talk of Soviet war etc is humbug. The world never forced Pakistan to Islamize the Pashtoons or itself.

Please do not blame the `Urdu speaking people` - MQM is a long story for some other time. But of late, it had all the good policies.

Its yesterday`s rally on the arrival of Chief Justice was a big & a stupid blunder. The Rally was thinly attended. But there is little doubt that it was responsible for the killings. My vote for the MQM has suffered a serious setback because of this action.

MQM is a political animal not to be confused with the mainstream `urdu speaking people`.

regards
NHK

Militant Liberalism Dear Hayat

(The reality is RACE. The lesson is always the same, namely, that race is everything. Without race there can be nothing ...........)

Race is just one of our identities. A person has a number of identities over which he has no control - ethnicity, colour, religion, nationality, father, son, etc etc.

It is the politicians, fundamentalist, mullas etc etc who play up the different identities, to suite their intended cause, and create a precedence of one identity over the other - and thus create a social conflict.

You may have noticed in some states, religion is not an issue at all. Some states live by it (Saudi Arabia, Ireland etc). In some states, nationality is played up to a dangerous level (USA). Somewhere ethnicity supersedes verything (sinhala/tamil - sri Lanka) etc.

In Pakistan, due to the vague cause of its creation, we continue to get embroiled in finding out our identity - the country which never had a history or our birth in a Muslim family - over which we had no control. The only part of us that actually has a much longer existance is our ethnicity/race. But the state has intentionally suppressed this element .....

So we keep seeing the sprouting of slogans `Pakistan first` Vs `Islam first` - unfortunately.

as for the Talibans, you need not go to tribal areas or Afghanistan to find them. this sickness is widespread among normal educated people - Pakistan Muslim league is fully Taliban without beards. Ever watched Shujahat hussain or Sher afghan speak - disgraceful lot.

So Mr. Hayat, when rape is inevitable, relax & enjoy. I do not find a silver lining - this Lawyers uprising could bring in some rule of law & sense.

But plz do not think of killing peple - it is not a good thing!

NHK

Betrayal of Great expectations? Mian Sahib

I have seen it happen with Ayub, Yahya - Zia was lucky to have been picked up from air.
So this is the end of all-knowing over-confident & confused Musharraf.

His only saving grace was his fight against the `Radical Islam`. Even there he has chickened out against the petty Mullas of a small madressa.

He better arrange for a UAE or Saudi or London shelter - where all our leaders find their eventual resting place.

NHK

150 Years: Recounting Untold History
Greetings

In hindsight, it appears that 1857 only worsened the life for the people. East India Company was replaced by the `Crown`. The British stopped trusting Indians, moved outside the cities in secluded cantonements & began to treat the Indians as inferior.

Whereas, East Indian Company, as a business entity, was far more accommodative with its major focus on its business interestrs. Its employees wore kurta-pajamas, learnt local languages, integrated into local society and even went to mujras; and generally admired the richness of local culture & heritage. Meanwhile, the Company itself was modernizing the local systems and unlike the Mughal Kings, whose main pre-occupation was hunting, fighting, marrying, building forts & palaces, the Company was contributing to the local life in a more meaningful way for a common man.

So the Company`s rule would have been better.

Even when the Crown came, only in its 90 years of rule in areas that are in now in Pakistan, it did a far greater work for a common man than the centuries of Mughal/others rule. To list a few - railways, post offices, hospitals, canals, colleges etc.

As for 1857, it erupted for a variety of petty reasons - cow & pig fat in Enfield Rifles, prophecy that British rule would only last for about 100 years, rumours that the British will convert locals to Christianity, prostitutes taunting some Bangali sepoys etc.

The Mulla`s only contribution could be to get in front of a crowd - and call for Jihad. Something it is always ready to do even against other Muslims.

In hindsight, it appears that if the British had stayed for a longer period - we would have had better facilities and probably would have been better educated and more civilized.

nhk

With or Without Musharraf – A Mohajir’s Perspective
Salim

I think the on-going battle is between Islamization (Talibanization) & the Secularization. It cuts across the ethnic divisions of Mohajir, Sindhi, Pashtun, Baluchi, Punjabi.

As has been demonstrated by the Lawyers uprising. This uprising is not only for the restoration of the rightful role of the Judiciary but also for the rule of Law - which translates into army going back into its cantonements.

Having said that, MQM has already saved Karachi from the fangs of Mullas (Ji, JUI, etc etc). The old Mohajir Quami Movement is, hopefully, now a history. The newer version of MQM has all the right policies & the right vision.

At times, I wonder, why MQM, PPP & ANP are always at daggers drawn. They have the same progressive secular outlook.

As for the PML of any colour or hue, it is nothing more than Talibans without the beard.

NHK

God is a Metaphor
Daktar

As usual, you built up the logic systematically to reach the final cresendo. What you say makes a hell of a lot of sense.

Scripture & religion have proven to be quite a bit of nuisance when used by nit wits.

I wonder how those two brothers of Jama Hafsa would respond to your line of thinking?

Fatwa - behead - Murtid - suicide attack?

Poor Minister Nilofar who did a Paragliding jump has been fatwaad because an elderly person patted her!

I think the Hell is not yet to come - it is already here.

regards

NHK

Pakistans Permanent Revolution
Musharraf has been the usual fauji - limited knowledge & an overdose of patriotism. Not necessarily a good combination. He learned the ropes while on the job - wasting 3 years by screwing up at Agra & then agreeing to the same. Kargil was another unmitigated blunder.

So what was good in him - he had a sense of humour, liked whisky & tamasha. Again not enough qualifications to be ruler!

During all his rule - he was scared of the Islamists. He only showed his courage against the secularists - be it PPP or Baluchi / Sindhi nationalists.

He is scared of those stupid seminry girl students who occupied the library but brave enough to dismiss the Chief Justice.

He is totally unfit to remain any more in the seat of power - he will only waste more years of this wretched unfortunate nation. He could go to hell for all that I care.

nhk

Inzi Post-Bob: An Interview
Paracha

Funny. Agree there are too many beards.

And not decent trimmed beards but wild growth with no end - like the Taliban.

This intentional display of religosity is quite a turn off.

NHK

A Nation Reborn Salim # 7

(The question to ask is what replaces Mushy in the future? Another two rounds of twiddle dee and twiddle dum will not do. )

No need to worry. Let the system (electoral process) throw up anyone - even a tree.

I liked Mush - he drank - cracked jokes - even enjoyed dirty jokes. He was human.

But he can not be all - the State can not live on one person`s whims - The system has to work.

NHk

Dismantling India’s Colonial Past Dear Dutta

(It is good that we are adapting to the changing geo political realities in the world and are beginning to abandon the Raj approach to our neighbors)

I keep visiting both Nepal & Bhutan frequently. Your statement is not 100% right.

Although the tone of the Indian Leadership and the bureacracy has become milders and more accommodating in the recent years towards these small neighbours - but that is about all.

These countries have to tread a very careful path when working on their relationship with other countries of the world. A slight transgression immediatly gets a rap on the knucles from India. These are both land-locked and are quite dependent on India for their survival.

Having said that, I think both these these countries made a wise choice to link their destiny with India. A democratic India is still a far better and a safer option than the other neighbour - China.

So the bottom line still is that India is very much the Raja over these two countries - if not the Raj.

Sri Lanka can and does exercise more freedom because it is not contiguous to India and is in the open Seas.

NHK