Graffiti Christ II: The Resurrection Hilarious! simply fun to read especially the statements of the bearded lady . But, then females are reknowned for their non stop chatter, aren`t they?? heheh!!! But, the guys sure did know how to shut her up.

I personally know some ladies who discontinued threading for the very reason given in the story: and the ones who didn`t pointed out that if they do decide to wax or thread etc. it should only be to please their husbands.. as then only the act is justified :) It is not justified if a lady wants to look good for herself then.... :( :)

furthermore, it is indeed true that some muftis are linked to political organisations and brain wash innocent , or rather dumb individuals who forget to use their brain. The people, who however were/ are using their brains are the two guys who decide to blow the coke factory up.

But, ofcourse one can not generalise and claim that all religious scholors or mufti`s encourage such ruthless slaughter of Muslims themselves. The ones who do, as i said before are linked to other organisations, who may not have religious motives at all.

The Lost One Excellent writing! The images kept coming in my mind as if i was watching a movie.

But, it does make me wonder, is it so easy to be disloyal to your spouse? it seems being unfaithful invokes no moral arguments in Priya at all. Is she really too innocent or too wicked to want to ``compartmentalise `` things like this.
I wonder if she would be able to stand it if her own spouse, Nikhil wanted to compartmentalise things to such a great extent ????

just a thought!!!

Cast Away Fear Well written and thought out! However, i see a huge dirth of full stops. Instead, there has been a gracious use of commas where the full stops should have been. :) Some emphasis should have ben given to common grammatical sense. Instead of the frequent commas , short sentences should have been used.

Never the less, very well written !

Lesbians vs. Gays vs. Hinduism vs. Modernity? This passage by Dr. Zafar Khan (within the 5 stars) demonstrates the position Islam takes with regards to Homosexuality. However, emphasis should be given to the Quranic Verses .

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*****Homosexuality is not allowed in Islam. There are various verses in Quran where Allah clearly says about Homosexuality.

We also (sent) Lut: he said to his people: ``Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you?”For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.`` - Holy Quran 7:80-81

The Quran forbids any sexual relationship other than in a marriage between a man and a woman. Many homosexual men and women claim that they are born with their sexual preferences and that they have no choice. Although this point is very much in dispute in the medical world, it has no support in the Quran. Even then, irrespective of the nature of homosexuality, this matter would not affect the laws spelled out clearly in the Quran .

We know that this life is a test. Every one of us has his/her own test. For example someone may be born blind, but that person is expected to live his/her life according to God’s law. Others are born poor, short, tall, weak, missing fingers, having big nose...etc but all of them are expected to follow God’s law. Some men or women may never marry in their life, or spend part of their life without a spouse. As per the Quran they still have to live a chaste life and avoid any sexual contacts outside a marriage. They have to suppress their sexual feelings to follow God’s law. It is a major test and not an easy one for many. Only those who submit to God will do everything they can to follow His law. They know that their salvation and eternal happiness rests in doing so.

Since God condemns homosexuality, then we have to believe that a man or a woman with homosexual feelings is expected to behave like any other human being and follows God’s laws if he/she truly believes in them. He/she shall resist his/her feelings, maintains abstinence, use all available resources of help including medical, social and behavioral therapies to overcome their behavior and feelings. They should pray to God to help them getting over it and submit to God’s law that sees homosexuality as gross sin. Only those who steadfastly persevere in obeying God’s law will they pass their test and confirm their submission to God.

For a person who asks, ``why me?`` We know God is the Most Merciful and Just (16:90) and He will give each one of us a fair test and a fair chance. He assigns the tests to suite each one of us and we believe that He will never burden any soul beyond its means (23:2).

And We have explained to man in this Qur`an every kind of similitude: yet the grater part of men refuse (to receive it) except with ingratitude! - Holy Quran 17:89

We have explained in detail in this Qur`an for the benefit of mankind every kind of similitude: but man is in most things contentious. - Holy Quran 18:54

We have put forth for men in this Qur`an every kind of Parable in order that they may receive admonition. - Holy Quran 39:27

The spouses that God have made from among ourselves are those that aid in producing children. Since the spouses in homosexual relationship would not produce children they are not the spouses God made from among ourselves.

And Allah has made for you mates (and companions) of your own nature. And made for you out of them sons and daughters and grandchildren and provided for you sustenance of the best: will they then believe in vain things and be ungrateful for Allah’s favors? - Holy Quran 16:72

With regard to dealing with homosexuals, the basic rule governing this would be 60:8 & 9.
Allah forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just. Allah only forbids you with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith and drive you out of your homes and support (others) in driving you out from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances) that do wrong. - Holy Quran 60:8-9
*****

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Every human I personally believe has the tendency to be attracted to the same sex once in their lifetime, but then the question is if the person goes beyond and considers it as a possibility as well. The real test is to curb such desires and concentrate on the path prescribed by Islam.

With regards to the effect this has on the family. Males and females are essentially different and the way a male spouse handles a situation is different to the way a woman may perceive a given situation and handles a situation, and there in lies the thin balance. The balance May Not be achieved in case of two female spouses or two male spouses. The male spouse may not actually be Mummy incase of gay relationships and the female spouse may not really be like a Daddy in a lesbian situation.

{{Infact a child may suffer more if, belonging to such a lesbianish setup, ever heard of cat fights.... :) }}

(No intention of hurting Gay or Lesbian Chowkies)

However, Homosexuals deserve as much respect as any other human as we are all created EQUAL in the eyes of Allah in Islam and no one should mistreat them in any way.


[[ By the way, if one has watched the movie, they would realize that the intimacy felt by one girlfriend was not shared by the other. Infact the other, had no such lesbianish inclinations. So I really do not understand what the fuss is all about by Hindu radicals, when the movie is not highlighting such a relationship at all. It focuses, I believe more on obsession and psycho behavior. ]]

Questions About Thursday’s Attack With regards to POst* 29 by TMK::
hmm... do u hold a personal grudge towards me?i hope not.:) anyways, to further clearify , i never wrote that the army put up the whole show themselves with regards to the attack on the corp-commander. I , infact meant that the culprits may in fact be some other body than Al-Qaida militants in Waziristan and that PERHAPS the attackers were shown to be so on the media in order to gain support for the army operations going on in Waziristan. Never the less. i may be naive and i certainly do not possess a magic mirror to exhibit the truths of the world to me. :) For, it may as well be that the remaining agitated members of AL-Qaida did indeed hatch a plan to blow the corp commander up as a threat . So accept my apologies TMK .. for indeed everything does seem like a conspiracy where the ordinary citizen does not even trust their own government.

Questions About Thursday’s Attack Seems like a hoax- a drama- a- ploy -of our very own government to further pacify Bush daddy. It is just another fabricated story to gain support to attack tribes men in Wana . has the government momentarily forgotten that these tribes men are Pakistani`s who have support from several religious parties all over the country. This may lead to further terrorist attacks or an all out civil war. How far will Musharraf go to appease others at the cost of the lives of innocent civilians. I am sure there could have been another way for where there is a will, there is a way.
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Pakistan seizes `al-Qaeda gang`
Security forces in Pakistan have arrested suspected al-Qaeda members in the southern city of Karachi, days after an attack on a general there.
They seized an ``eight-member gang of foreign al-Qaeda operatives`` suspected of that attack and others, Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said.

A ninth detainee is said to be a nephew of top al-Qaeda suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, arrested last year.

Mr Hayat said the man, Masrab Arochi, had a $1m bounty on his head.


The arrest of the gang is a phenomenal breakthrough for us
Faisal Saleh Hayat
Pakistani Interior Minister
The suspects were detained over the weekend in separate raids across Karachi, the minister told a hastily arranged news conference.

Mr Hayat said the arrests marked a ``big dent`` in al-Qaeda, the militant Islamic network headed by Osama Bin Laden.

Gunmen who ambushed the motorcade of Lt Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat in Karachi on Thursday killed 11 people but Karachi`s targeted military commander escaped unhurt.

`Confessions`

The weekend`s arrests came as Pakistani troops continued a major offensive against al-Qaeda suspects and their allies in the South Waziristan region, on the border with Afghanistan.


The interior minister said the eight people arrested in Karachi besides Masrab Arochi had been trained in South Waziristan and had ``a direct link to al-Qaeda``.
They had confessed ``to a key role in the attack`` on the military commander, he said.

He described the eight as ``Central Asians``, reportedly adding that they included both Uzbeks and ``Chechens``, a reference to the mainly Muslim province in the Russian North Caucasus.

``The arrest of the gang is a phenomenal breakthrough for us,`` the Pakistani interior minister said.

Security forces seized Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi in March 2003.

The US had a bounty of $23m on his head at the time, believing him to be one of the planners behind the 11 September 2001 attacks on America.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/3803321.stm

Published: 2004/06/13 18:06:59 GMT

© BBC MMIV

Questions About Thursday’s Attack This refers to coment no:4 by Tmk. the people mentioned were not mentioned on an individual choice. These are the namess educated, un educated people, elite or others, may name when jumping to conclusions. hence forth, as the little opinion that i shared placed emphasis on the role of security agencies , that is what one should really consider. Anyhow, i give all due respect to ur response. I personally as a law student name no culprits unless proper evidence is given to prove that.

Questions About Thursday’s Attack Who has done it? Tribesmen in Wana or Raw or America or Israel? This is the second question. The first and most important question is, ``What were the security and Intelligence forces of Pakistan doing?What have the Police and the Rangers been doing? Has, the ISI, suddely become weak? Certainly, the all powerful army of Pakistan lies threatened if even just a little. The security forces of Pakistan are in a terribly pathetic state, if the very service that they are supposed to provide- protection of citizens and the stae, lies unfulfilled.

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Battle with militants comes full circle
By Zaffar Abbas
BBC, Islamabad

The latest military operation against suspected al-Qaeda militants and renegade tribesmen in South Waziristan is also the fiercest in recent months.
And it is the first clear proof that after several rounds of clashes and peace talks, the situation in the troubled tribal region has come full circle.

With more than 60 people, including 15 troops, already dead in three days of clashes, all hopes of a peaceful resolution of the conflict seem to have been dashed.

And with the security forces using jets, helicopter gunships and heavy artillery to pound the militants` hideouts, and the suspected Islamic extremists responding with rockets and mortars, the mountainous region outside the town of Wana is likely to look like a ``war zone`` for many weeks, if not months.

Support for Taleban

South Waziristan is fast proving to be Achilles` heel for the Pakistani security establishment.

Faced with growing pressure from the United States, Islamabad has tried every possible way to address the issue.

It managed to tame most parts of the semi-autonomous tribal region by using the so-called carrot-and-stick policy, but still failed to persuade the rugged tribesmen of South Waziristan to give up their support for the Taleban and other Islamic militants like Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs living in the area.

Earlier this year the Pakistani security forces blundered by launching a military operation against the Waziri tribesmen for whom taking part in guerrilla warfare is a way of life.

Those who mostly defied the military were Ahmedzai Wazir tribesmen, led by 27-year-old Nek Mohammed.

Peace talks

The first military offensive resulted in heavy casualties on the two sides, with the security forces losing more men than in any other operation at home.


For the Pakistani establishment South Waziristan is certainly proving to be more difficult to handle than was initially anticipated.

It soon compelled the authorities to agree to the mediation offered by some tribal leaders.
As a result the military`s corps commander for the north-western region, Lt Gen Safdar Hussain, met Nek Mohammed and others at a tribal jirga or assembly.

A peace deal was struck, raising hopes for a negotiated settlement.

Nek Mohammed was once again declared a ``patriot``, only to be termed a ``petty criminal`` a few weeks later.

Differences on the interpretation of the peace agreement surfaced within no time.

The government said all the foreign nationals living in the area were required to register with the authorities.

The foreign militants refused to do so, and were backed by the rebel tribesmen. Soon the peace agreement was history.

All out war

The latest offensive was preceded by a bloody rocket attack on a number of military check posts in the area, in which nine paramilitary troops were killed.

The military decided to declare an all-out war against the Islamic militants.

But although a number of militants` hideouts in the mountains were destroyed during the latest offensive, so far the operation has failed to produce the desired results.

For the Pakistani establishment South Waziristan is certainly proving to be more difficult to handle than was initially anticipated.

In fact, it is becoming more dangerous. Observers say that if it is true that the recent armed attack on a military commander in Karachi was in retaliation for the events in Waziristan, the situation is becoming even more alarming.

It shows that local militant groups sympathetic to Waziri tribesmen are prepared to take their war to mainland Pakistan, in particular cities like Karachi.

But with American troops constantly watching from across the border in Afghanistan, it will not be easy for Pakistani security forces to give up their anti-militant drive so easily.

Yet, they know there are no easy ways to solve the problem.

The Pakistani authorities are hoping is that with the latest offensive, most of the local and foreign militants will soon be eliminated - and without their troops suffering too heavily.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/3800055.stm

Published: 2004/06/11 21:26:29 GMT

© BBC MMIV

Not Far, Now A poem should not be judged on the extent of sensualness it puts forward.I like it because it does not scream out desires..rather it whispers the feelings the poet feels with the aid of very subtle symbolism. I do think that it lacks a certain refineness but it isn`t a bad attempt at all. in fact any thing written with earnest is not bad at all.