Black and Muslim – Oh the shame of it!

The slur crusade instigated against Obama has continued to increase and intensify, with various and ludicrously instigated claims surfacing of the Christian patriot, being an in the cupboard Muslim who according to Republican Congressman Jack Kingston, is so embarrassed of being American that he even declined to take the American oath of allegiance. One rumour circulating stated that when sworn into office, Obama had in fact held a copy of the Quran rather than the Bible. Fact: Obama did not hold the Quran when sworn in. It was a Bible. The Quran was actually held by Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison when he was sworn in and the two separate cases may have become intentionally or unintentionally intertwined to become a vital element in an impending political storm.

What started off as a disgruntled mudslinging rumbling is now a monstrous global chain email, complete with a ‘Muslim’ garb wearing, (rather than tribal attire) photo of the Presidential candidate.

One disproved example of an internet email campaign refers to the Illinois Senator as “Barack Hussein Obama, born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a Black Muslim from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white Atheist from Wichita, Kansas.”

The variation of one targeted email refers to Obama as a "crypto-Muslim Manchurian candidate" and goes on to say how Obama’s Mother divorced and then remarried Lolo Soetoro, an extremist from Indonesia. The email goes onto state that Obama was educated at a Madrasah and was “once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school.”

Obama it also claims was also enrolled in a Jakarta branch of a radical Wahabi school and only joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. “The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the President of the
United States, one of their own!

“Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy” the email concludes. You then have the choice to import your email contacts onto a web form and with the flick of your mouse forward the false propaganda to hundreds, thousands, millions. In his book The Audacity of Hope Obama writes: “During the five years that we would live with my stepfather in Indonesia, I was sent first to a neighbourhood Catholic school and then to a predominantly Muslim school; in both cases, my mother was less concerned with me learning the catechism or puzzling out the meaning of the muezzin’s call to evening prayer than she was with whether I was properly learning my multiplication tables.”

Echoing Naomi Klein’s comments in the Huffington Post; Obama is correct to correct the record, though the ‘slurs’ and the vehement protests from his campaign group leave open the racist argument behind the entire "Muslim smear"; that being a Muslim is to all intents and purposes a cause of indignity, ignominy and dishonour. Obama himself has argued that his background and knowledge of Muslims would add to his political creed. As the leader of the free world his experiences would provide an extended insight and equip him to better deal with Muslims the world over.

Senator Obama’s surname rhymes with Osama. His Father’s middle name may have been Hussein, but he is an upstanding member of church Christianity - he always has been.

Obama has never claimed to be a Muslim, not in his speeches, nor his two books.

Posted by: Emdad Rahman

http://www.openmindsblogspot.com/HOME/tabid/36/EntryID/97/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Robots are Stupid machines, Dumb machines

AS ROBOTS become more powerful and pervasive, humans have a lot of questions to grapple with. Will human rights be extended to them? Could robots one day take over the human race? Will robots be our soldiers of the future? When will robots be able to do all the housework? Professor Noel Sharkey, a leading robotics and artificial intelligence expert from the University of Sheffield, UK, answers some of those questions as ET’s Ritwik Dondecatches up with him.

What is the present situation in terms of use of robots? Are they used for industrial purposes more?
- Yes. The world-wide stock is huge. It is especially big for service robots. Now there are two types of service robots: one is the professional robots of which almost 40,000 are in use across the world majorly by industries. And then there are personal robots of which 3.5 million are in use. But if you talk of spending, of the nearly $5.6 billion spent on the technology and deployment, professional service robots had an 80% share.

So is the pattern of use changing?
-Yes. Lot more consumer robots are coming out now most of them being cleaning and surgical robots. The most interesting of them is the surgical robots which is growing very rapidly especially for use in bypass surgery and removal of prostate cancer. So, what they do is make four tiny holes and operate by inserting robots through the holes. This allows for people to recover weeks in advance than normal surgery. It also means that surgeons no longer have to be in the same place. You can operate on a patient in the UK while the doctor is in India or the US. The other kind which is gaining in popularity is military robots. Military robots are the biggest growth area in robotics. The US plans to spend $4 billion up to 2010 on unmanned systems increasing the spends to $24 billion by 2015.

Can robots be made to think then as they show in sci-fi movies?
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) has produced incredible achievements. Today it is all pervasive. It’s in your car, it is in your fridge. There is two kinds of AI — one like a software for PCs in robots and other mythological AI, which is what you get in sci-fi movie or a novel. Academics argue that there is no reason why we can’t we make a conscious machine — a sentium machine. But then I am also a psychologist, so all I want is one glimmer of evidence supporting this dream. At the moment these are just arguments. And such arguments are dangerous because they can mislead policy makers and these policy makers would in turn implement policies thinking that these machines are actually intelligent, when in reality they are just dumb machines without ability to think of themselves.

Will they ever come close to being human?
-Yes they will. But in terms of touch and feel only. There is talk about the use of silicon to make them more human-like. But now scientists are also experimenting with mixing animals with the robots. What drives my curiosity is how can you use the available technology to manipulate the instruction set within an animal. The Americans have managed to put a chip (called coupled oscillators) inside the spinal column of centipede to remotely control its feet movement. Also there are experiments being carried out to install smaller chips in the pupae of a moth so that they can manipulate the movement of the moth when it grows into an adult. Experiments are also on for creating remote controlled cockroaches and rats in the same fashion.

Is that the future of robotics then?
- Yes so to say. No doubt that robots would reach a critical mass and become as pervasive as computers. But the robots we are talking about would be more like gadgets rather than robots in human forms or humanoids. Sensors are getting sophisticated and nano-technology is helping to miniaturise them. But that does not mean that there won’t be humanoids. Honda’s Asimov has shown that they can happen. We will have lot of robot servants. But if you ask me, entertainment robots would be huge. There is also huge potential for them in the toy market.

According to Prof Kevin Warwick, a cybernetics expert at University of Reading, by 2050 robots would overtake human race, what’s your take on it?
-Well, contempt really!! It is like climbing a tree to reach the moon. As I said robots are stupid machines. But having said that robots could be used to do more menial jobs like cleaning gutters and toilets that are degrading to humans. And then you could also use them for assisting the handicapped like using robotic arms and legs for the amputees that can be easily done.

Taken from http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/ET/navigator.asp?Daily=ETH&login=default

It’s one India, SC ends son of the soil debate

Apex Court Says Every Indian Has The Right To Settle Anywhere In The Country
PTI NEW DELHI
IN AN apparent rebuff to Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on the issue of North Indians, the Supreme Court on Friday asserted that every Indian has the right to settle anywhere in the country. “India is not an association or confederation of states, it is a union of states and there is only one nationality that is Indian. Hence every Indian has right to go anywhere in India, to settle anywhere, and work and do business of his choice in any part of India peacefully,” a bench of justices HK Sema and Markandey Katju remarked.

The apex court deplored the growing tendency of some sections in indulging in violence on issues that they differed on. “These days unfortunately, some people seems to be perpetually on the fuse, and are willing to protest, often violently, about anything under the sun on the ground that a book or painting or film has hurt the sentiments of their community,” justice Katju, writing the judgement, observed. The apex court said such tendencies leading to Balkanisation of the country should be curbed with an iron hand.

“We are one nation and must respect each other and should have tolerance,” the bench said. Quoting Tamil poet Subramaniam Bharti, the apex court said, “This Bharat Mata has.... crores of faces! But her body is one. She speaks 18 languages! But her thought is one.”

The apex court made the stinging observations while upholding the Gujarat government’s decision to ban sale of meat for nine days during a Jain festival. The apex court during hearing of a petition against Raj Thackeray on his controversial remarks regarding North Indians had said it would not allow the Balkanisation of the country and would also not accept the ‘son of the soil’ theory.

According to the petition in the present case, the said ban on sale of meat was ordered by the Ahmedabad municipal corporation for nine days between August 19 to 26, 1998 in connection with the “Paryushan” festival observed by the Digambar sect of the Jain community. However, the Gujarat High Court struck down the ban as unconstitutional after the Mirzapur Moti Kuresh Jamat, an umbrella organisation of slaughter houses, challenged the ban. The high court quashed the ban on the ground that it violated Article 19(1)(g) which guaranteed every citizen fundamental right to practice any trade. A division bench of the high court which passed the order held the view that eating vegetarian or non vegetarian food was a private affair and hence the court should not make any pronouncement about it.
Taken from http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/ET/navigator.asp?Daily=ETH&login=default

Certificates: AICTE warning

NEW DELHI: The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has threatened punitive action, including withdrawal of recognition of erring institutions and universities, if they refuse to return the original certificates and fees of students who want to move to another institution. The warning has been issued following complaints that technical institutions and universities, including deemed universities, are making admissions well before the start of the academic year, collecting full fees and retaining certificates in a bid to prevent students from moving elsewhere.

Complaints
There are also complaints that the time-limit for joining courses is being advanced, thereby restricting the choice available to students. Vacancies arising as a result of students opting out should be filled from the waiting list.

Taken from http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/15/stories/2008031561101500.htm

Message from the Ameer of the Jamiatul Ulama, South Africa

Six Rights of a Muslim upon a Muslim:

In an environment where people are continuously abusing the rights of one another, and it is found that Muslims are not even fulfilling the basic rights of their fellow Muslim brothers, I wish to reproduce a short piece, from a previous Amir’s Message, on the six rights of a Muslim upon another Muslim.


In a world filled with selfishness and the unending pursuit of wealth and all commodities to fulfill our desires, it becomes important to remind ourselves of the rights every Muslim has upon another. Whether we know that particular Muslim or not, the fact that s/he is a Muslim, they automatically have certain rights upon us.Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "No one of you shall become a true believer until he desires for his brother what he desires for himself." (Bukhari)

Surely the best way for us to please our brother/sister is to place him/her high in our estimation and do for him/her what we would like for ourselves.

The Prophet gave us comprehensive direction on how to sustain brotherhood. He (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: "There are six rights of a Muslim upon a Muslim". These are:
1) "When you meet him, greet him?" With a warm smile, a friendly face and As-Salaam Alaykum we should try to greet every Muslim. We must avoid picking and choosing whom we confer this basic right upon. All Muslims regardless of their social status and position in society should be afforded this "gateway" into our personal space. The Salaam is the best of icebreakers as it immediately brings down the barriers that we unconsciously erect around ourselves to shield us from "alien invasion".

2) "When he invites you, respond to him;?" When a Muslim brother invites you to a function, you are obliged to go. Accepting an invitation is about sharing in the joys of a brother as well as joining with other Muslims in a social gathering.

3) "When he seeks counsel, give him good advice;?" When a brother comes to you with a problem, seeking advice, give him true advice. Be sincere in your advice. Give such advice that would keep his best interest at heart.

4) "When he sneezes and praises Allah, say to him: `May Allah have mercy on you (Yarhamuk-Allah)'?" . When a Muslim sneezes or even when he trips and he remembers to praise Allah, we must respond to him with a prayer for Allah to have mercy on him.

5) "When he is sick, visit him?”. When you go and visit a sick brother, remember to pray for him and do not inconvenience him by staying too long.

6) "When he dies, follow his funeral?" Attending the last rites of a brother is of utmost importance. Speaking well of him and seeking forgiveness for him will ease his condition in the grave. In turn, when you die, others will also feel for you and make du’a sincerely for your forgiveness.

If we can fulfill these basic rights of Muslims, it is hoped that much of the envy, malice and hatred in the society will vanish – insha Allah.

Very Tolerant?

Recently, a Bishop from Oxford, England spoke in support of a proposal of the Muslim community in an area of the town to call the adhaan over a loudspeaker. Bishop John Pritchard finds himself in the situation where his life has now been threatened – not by Muslims who are often perceived and portrayed as intolerant, fundamentalist and extremist. Those that have threatened his life are from his very own community – Christians, and the type of threats that have made include threats of beheading.

The process of proposing the adhaan to be called over the loudspeaker, at relatively low volume in an area where over 7000 Muslims reside, was not made arbitrarily. The Muslims have made a suggestion or proposal which is being followed up by an extensive process of public consultation, where the community at large will be asked for their view via a questionnaire to be circulated to every home. Muslim leaders of the area point out that an application has not even been submitted as yet, since the procedure to obtain feedback from the community is still in process.

The threats on the life of the bishop is being made by Christians whereas the bishop has not even made derogatory remarks about Christianity or the Prophet Isa (Jesus) ‘alayhis salam, nor has he come close to engaging in anything close to blasphemy or a sacrilegious act.

One wonders where the screaming headlines that accompanied the response of the Muslim community to the cartoon issue or the blasphemy of Salman Rushdie was.

Only Muslims can be intolerant and fundamentalist, isn’t it?

Taken from http://www.jamiat.co.za/newsletter/online_newsletter_0310.htm

Film maker hounded out of Jaipur over documentary

JAIPUR: A documentary film maker trying to expose the politics of fake encounters in Gujarat through his movie was hounded out of the city on Thursday on the pretext of threat to peace and public order, much to the disappointment of civil rights groups that wanted to apprise the people of the dangers of State violence perpetrated against citizens.

Ironically, the Pink City Press Club – which had earlier agreed to organise a show of Shubhradeep Chakravorty’s film in its auditorium – backed out and cancelled his booking. When Mr. Chakravorty, frustrated after prolonged arguments with the Press Club functionaries, left for Muslim Musafirkhana here, the police chased him and did not allow him to show the movie there as well.

The police detained Mr. Chakravorty briefly and took him to an undisclosed location, where senior officers watched some portions of the film. He was then asked to apply formally for screening the movie or pack up and leave the city immediately.

The documentary, “Encountered on saffron agenda?”, is based on the investigation of four encounters in Gujarat, which Mr. Chakravorty said not only violated the victims’ fundamental right to life and liberty but were used exclusively to “demonise minorities and strengthen the politics of hatred”.

The freelance film maker, who earlier worked with Doordarshan, said he had tried to find out the truth behind the police stories and politics of encounters through interviews of the victims’ families, independent investigators, lawyers and eyewitnesses.

When Mr. Chakravorty tried to reason with the Press Club functionaries, general secretary Pankaj Soni flatly told him that a “controversial” film could not be screened on the premises and there was no issue of freedom of expression involved in it. Mr. Soni said there was a likelihood of rightist groups attacking the Press Club if the movie was shown there.

“A sensitive matter"
Members of civil rights groups, invited to watch the film, offered to take Mr. Chakravorty to Muslim Musafirkhana. However, the police followed the convoy and told the film maker that the movie could not be screened without permission of the district administration as it involved a “sensitive matter”.

A disgusted Mr. Chakravorty told reporters that it was unfortunate that an institution of the fourth estate, which should have protected his freedom of speech, had forced him to seek shelter in a “minority ghetto” where the police hounded him to ensure that he did not speak up.
Members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Minority Morcha gathered at the Musafirkhana and raised slogans against Mr. Chakravorty while accusing him of disturbing communal harmony in the city.

The police then detained the film maker and took him to an undisclosed location, from where he left for his home in Delhi late in the evening.

The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha later demanded registration of a case of sedition against Mr. Chakravorty, saying he had tried to “eulogise terrorists who were out to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi”. BJYM State president Ashok Lahoti expressed gratitude to the Press Club for not allowing the film’s screening.

Mr. Chakravorty said he had shown the movie to private audiences earlier in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, for which no certificate from the Film Censor Board was needed. “The police and Press Club in Jaipur hounding me out on bogus grounds is despicable,” he added.

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties, taking exception to the harassment of the film maker, said the BJP and its sister organisations deliberately created a law and order problem to justify the ban on the film’s screening. It said the film was shown at Vinoba Gyan Mandir here on February 22 without any trouble.

The documentary has covered the encounters of Sameer Khan Pathan (October 2002), Sadiq Jamal (January 2003), Ishrat Jahan and Javed Sheikh (June 2004) and Sohrabuddin Sheikh (November 2005) in Gujarat. Mr. Chakravorty said it was also in support of the next of kin of the victims who were living under the allegation of being family members of “terrorists” and facing difficulties in their day-to-day lives.

Taken from http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/14/stories/2008031457220100.htm

‘Expert’ advice on checking burglaries from the horse’s mouth

HYDERABAD: Who else can tell you better than a burglar on how to keep your valuables safe? If the burglar is seasoned Manthri Shankar with more than 100 house breaks to his credit, the security precautions will be all the more useful.

Most of the locks and concrete ventilators are not strong enough to prevent thieves. “In fact, locks on the main door lure the offenders because it confirms that the inmates are away,” said Shankar on Thursday. He was explaining security measures that can check burglaries. Better option

Shankar felt that instead of regular ones, people should use locks that can be fixed inside the doors. These locks make it difficult for the offenders to know if the doors are locked or not. Even automatic locks are affixed only at the centre of the door. Hence, locks connected to security alarms are a better option if people can afford them. Shankar opined that most of the locks and even ventilators made of concrete mix are just decorative pieces. He said the cement ventilators can be broken with one blow. Fixing grills made of steel for ventilators or mesh is a better choice.

He advised people to keep the lights, television or music player on whenever the inmates go out giving an impression that someone is inside the house. “Instead of keeping your cash and jewellery only in almirahs, keep at other places like kitchen,” he suggested. P. Appala Naidu, 25, is was charged with several burglaries. In the name of ‘Vaastu’, windows are being constructed close to doors. “This makes easier for us to insert hands through windows and unbolt the doors but people don’t understand,” Naidu remarked.

Worried of higher power bills because of the use of fans and air coolers all through the night in summer, people tend to keep the doors and windows open. The public forget that they lose lakhs of rupees worth property failing to spend a few hundreds more, he felt. He advised to keep lights on the premises of houses on during the nights because the offenders always want to make use of darkness. Shankar and Naidu were arrested on Thursday.

Taken from http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/14/stories/2008031459470400.htm