Dr. Musahid Ahmed: A scientist from Assam bagging honors in US

By Anjuman Ara Begum, TwoCircles.net,

Dr. Musahid Ahmed is a scientist hailing from Assam and is presently working as a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California, USA. Recently he has been elected as a fellow to the American Physical Society for his outstanding contribution to Physics.

Dr. Ahmed is in USA since 1995 and his research encompasses fundamental studies which are relevant to energy and environmental processes. With his research Dr. Ahmed achieved accolades in USA. “I never dreamt to be a scientist, but since my childhood I was curious in nature. I would ask hundreds of questions to my parents about why things break and how things are fixed,” recollects Dr. Musahid Ahmed who believes that he is an experimental scientist and for last five years he has been enjoying the privilege of doing what interests him.

Dr. Musahid Ahmed

Born in Assam’s Digboi city that is famous for oil refinery, Dr. Amed spent his childhood in the towns like Duliajan, Nahorkatiya and Moran of Assam. He did his schooling in Scindia school in Gwalior. Later he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Delhi University in the year 1985 and the same year he joined for Ph.D. programme in Cambridge University in UK and obtained Ph.D. in 1989. He completed his post doctoral degree from University of Leicester and Manchester in UK and Max Planck Institute in Gottingen, Germany.

Dr. Ahmed is a hardworking scientist who works about 100 hours a week. He believes that nothing comes easily. “A scientist needs perseverance and the ability to accept both failure and success. The job of a scientist is not like that of a doctor or engineer,” said Dr. Ahmed.

Dr. Ahmed is also member of American Chemical Society, American Physical Society and American Association of Advancement of Science and in 2010 he has been elected as fellow to the American Physical Society. His citation which appeared in his fellowship certificate reads: “for his creation of a world class synchrotron chemical dynamics facility serving the community and his unique marriage of lasers with synchrotron science, used to study small molecules spectroscopy and energetic, biological imaging, combustion, nanoparticle reactivity and chemical dynamics.” His fellowship citation will be published in the March 2011 issue of APC News.

Dr. Ahmed believes that Northeast India has already a traditional knowledge system and more systematic research is required. Assam has lots of potentials in natural resources. He suggested: “Research should be critical and analytical and must process information aiming at fundamental research. Research and education system need to be professional and lots of hard work and dedication is must for success in scientific research.” He wished that Guwahati IIT can play a role in the upliftment of research quality in Assam and northeastern states.

Extraordinary stories of ordinary women

TCN Special Series: Part 1 on Nazma Phumdreimeiyum

By Anjuman Ara Begum, TwoCircles.net,

Nazma Phumdreimeiyum is the founder of Organisation for Development (OFD), a group working on the issues of violence against women and women empowerment in Santhal Namung Leikai, Thoubal district of Manipur. She has been working on women’s rights since 2001 and this passion became her profession in 2003. Nazma, a courageous and outspoken lady, shares the challenges she faces everyday for her work.

What are you interests?
I am interested to work on the issues of violence against women, child rights. The economic development of women and proper education for children are my main focus. I started dealing with the cases of domestic violence directly since 2003.

What kinds of cases you deal with?
Different kinds of issues come in from time to time. Mostly, cases of survivors of sexual assault, dowry, and domestic violence come in.

You are working for a long time on this issue. What are the challenges you are facing both personally and professionally?
For me working on the issues of women is challenging both personally and professionally. The mindset of Muslim community in Thoubal district is very conservative and religious fanatics imposed dictum on women often and controls women’s social behavior. When I started working people looked at me differently as someone who has challenged the society and branded my work as something against the society and order. My perspective didn’t match with the so called elites and leaders of the society. They also presumed that I am earning money through elicit means. I was branded as someone who doesn’t respect her husband or obey his ‘commands’ which is considered as duty for the women in my society. The local religious community, the Maulavis thought that I will become more popular than them and they saw my work and prosperity in the professional field as a challenge. They started imposing dictum on me. They said that when I take up cases since I am a woman I should talk to man in the courtyard or meet police in the police station or lawyers in their chambers. They said that my work will destroy the society and its norms.

How did you face these challenges?
Maulavis mobilized villagers and had meeting to boycott me and throw away me from the village or at least impose restriction on my mobility. In 2007, I formed a Self Help Group (SHG) to help women to stand at their feet. The SHG started making detergent powders, pickles, soap etc. and we were doing well. Maulavis instigated the villagers against me arguing that my work in anti Islamic and I take interests. I was asked to resign from the SHG and also asked the husbands of other SHG members to force their wives to resign from the group. I was afraid as if there is no member would mean automatic closure of the group. Then we decided to have meeting every Friday and discussed among ourselves. We struggled for three months. I had to complain to police too. Police helped me. Police informed the miscreants that they will send police commandos if I am bothered further. I was afraid of repercussions. I decided to know if Islam permits women to work or not. If Islam permits then I will work, otherwise I will stop working altogether. I did this as my mobility was criticized and restricted. It became problematic for me to do small things like buying something for the shop or fetching water. I complained to police as it was unbearable to me. I also consulted some good NGOs that extended solidarity with me. These are All Manipur Students Union, United Manipur Muslim Women Development Organisation etc. The Maulavis made false allegations against me and collected signature from the villagers. I protested and asked them to remove the false words. They also called a meeting in the mosque and caused spilt in the community over my issue. All Manipur Jamiat e Ulema, a religious body in Manipur was informed about these developments and called me and the Maulavis for a hearing. I attended and the Maulavis too attended the hearing. I informed the Ulema that the SHG is for women’s financial independence and not for earning interests. I produced all the documents in my support. The Ulema personnels rebuked the Maulavis and asked them not to disturb me in future for my work. The hearing continued for four hours. I was allowed to continue my work. The conflict was clear and a declaration was done that women can work. Right now I have no problem but the Maulavis fear that I may become a big leader in future.

Do you work only for your community or for others too?
Right now my work is not confined only to my community but I work for all.

What type of work are you concentrating now?
I constructed a shelter home for female survivors of violence. I took donations from various sources and also accepted rice as donation. I have a three room shelter home with basic amenities.

How do you manage the shelter home?
It’s again very challenging as I don’t have continuous source of funding. Earlier I got support from Centre for Social Development but it stopped now. I managed with my own savings. People also give food and other help. Sometime I do counseling for victims and if the victim is rich I get some money. I use such earning to recharge my cell phone. I am also getting help from Integrated Rural Social Development Organisation (IRDSO), a NGO. My children are growing up and I need to think seriously now. My SHG group too now started silk warm rearing. Hope this will help with some money. Also few men are supporting our SHG.

What about your family? Do they cooperate with you in your work?
My husband Ayub Khan is a cultivator and a small trader of fish. I have two sons and three daughters. My parents help me a lot. My brothers are doctors and lawyers. They support me both morally and financially. In 2007, my husband use to beat me a lot because of my work. My family too confronted with my husband. He didn’t allow me to travel to other states to attend workshop. Once he took money from the organizers for my participation in a conference in Mizoram. I challenged my husband. Now he has changed a lot and supports me. My children are young and studying in schools.

(Nazma Phumdreimeiyum is reachable at Organisation for Development, Santhal Namang Leikai, Thoubal district, Manipur, India. Phone: +91-9856326838)

http://twocircles.net/2010nov27/extraordinary_stories_ordinary_women.html

Global economic power shifting towards China: George Soros

By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,

Toronto : Noted financier and philanthropist George Soros said here Monday that Beijing was tightening its grip on the world economy and global economic power was shifting away from the US to China.

Accepting the Globalist of the Year award from the Canadian International Council here, Soros drew a parallel between the decline of Britain after World War II and that of the US today and said: "There is a really remarkable, rapid shift of power and influence from the United States to China."

However, he was unsparing of Chinese economic policies, including its devalued currency, to manipulates trade in its favour.

These policies, he said, are hindering the global economic recovery.

Impressing upon Beijing to change these policies, he said: "China has risen very rapidly by looking out for its own interests. They have now got to accept responsibility for world order and the interests of other people as well."

The financier was equally critical of the Obama administration's role in the global recovery, adding that the US president's decision to pump an additional $600 billion into the financial system will have "harmful side-effects" for the recovery process.

"History shows that it gives rise to asset bubbles and it disrupts the foreign-exchange markets," said the Hungarian-born financier and author of the book "The Alchemy of Finance".

Perhaps hinting at the currency and trade wars at the just finished G20 summit, he said: "The world order as we know it is turning into disorder. The G20 looked like the new central area of cooperation, and it actually did perform at the initial conference, but ever since then opinions have been pulling it apart and in Seoul I think that process was taken a step further."

(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)

For Muslim women Eid means more work

By Anjuman Ara Begum, TwoCircles.net

‘Usually I work the whole day and there is always no time for me to go out of the kitchen on the day of Eid’, said Mumtaz Begum when asked about how she celebrates Eid. She is 38 years old and mother of three children and is living in Sonapur, Guwahati, Assam. Her husband remains out the house whole day to meet family and friends and she has to look after the guests on the day of Eid. What adds misery to Mumtaz is that even her house maid will not there to help her as the maid takes leave to celebrate Eid with her family. Among the guests who visit the family, Mumtaz said, are mostly her husband’s friends, family members and neighbours. Apart from these she also entertains a lot of first time guests looking for a good meal that Mumtaz loves to provide to the marginalized community of her village.

Sahana Parvin, an MBA working in a corporate house in Guwahati too has hardly any time for herself. She says, ‘I came back from office at 6 PM on the day before Eid. I am tired and still spent most of the time in the evening and at night making sweets and other delicacies for the next day Eid celebration. I hardly get time to take proper rest and will get no time to meet friends on the day of Eid as I will be busy in the kitchen.

A Muslim family on Tuesday in Guwahati, Assam enjoys a laugh while preparing a dish for Eid.

Most of the celebrations in Muslim culture don’t represent women’s participation. The pictures of Eid celebration reported in media mainly are the joyful moment of men wishing each other in the Idgah field or young boys hugging each other or men offering prayers but unfortunately women don’t figure in such representations. The mosques and other religious places are decorated for the Eid celebration but without any women contributations.

Arzuman Ara, from Shillong who donated mattress worth Rupees 3000 for a Idgah field for people to offer Eid prayer comfortably regrets that no woman will be praying over this mattresses though she feels blessed that people will use the mattresses for prayers. She says, ‘we are forced to accept the patriarchal system that look down upon women’s participation in celebration and confine them in the domain of household chores. Although we want a change but it will take time to see more women participating in celebration outside the domain of the household or the kitchen. Awareness among women, cooperation from men and a change in the social outlook is essential to provide little space to women to celebrate the festive mood’, she added. Idgahs in this region have no space for women folk to come and offer prayers.

Women are also entitled to share a joyful moment on the day of Eid. Many women feels that men should be little considerate of their female counter parts and cooperate to share the household chores such that the joy of Eid becomes more joyful for all, not only of men.

http://twocircles.net/2010nov17/muslim_women_eid_means_more_work.html

Rise in trafficking of children in northeast

By IANS,

New Delhi: Trafficking of children, including minor girls, saw a rise in India's northeastern region over the period of 2008-09, Minister of state for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath informed the Rajya Sabha Monday.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), six such cases were reported in the region until September this year.

"As per the NCRB data, the number of cases registered under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, in the northeastern region increased from 32 in 2008 to 43 in 2009," Tirath said.

As per the data, Assam saw the biggest rise, from 27 cases in 2008 to 37 cases in 2009.

"Funds have been released for establishing 18 anti-human trafficking units (ATHUs) in the northeastern states," she said.

"The ministry is implementing the 'Ujjawala' scheme under which financial assistance is provided for prevention of trafficking and rescue and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation," Tirath said.

Under the Ujjawala scheme 21 projects have been sanctioned in the northeastern states, she added.

http://twocircles.net/2010nov15/rise_trafficking_children_northeast.html

Chinese overtake Indians as largest student group in US

By Arun Kumar, IANS,

Washington: The Chinese with an over 18 percent student population have overtaken Indians as the largest group of foreigners pursuing higher education in the United States, according to a new report published Monday.

The number of international students at colleges and universities in the US increased by three per cent to a record 690,923 during the 2009-10 academic year, according to the annual "Open Doors" report by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

This year's growth was primarily driven by a 30 percent increase in Chinese student enrolment in the US, taking their total to 128,000 students, or more than 18 percent of the total international student population, making China the leading country to send its students here.

Students from India increased by two per cent, a lower rate than in previous years, to a total of nearly 105,000. Indian students represent 15 per cent of all international students in US higher education, making them the second largest international group after China, the report said.

"The United States continues to host more international students than any other country in the world," said Allan Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education.

Together, the top three sending countries - China, India and South Korea - comprise nearly half (44 per cent) of the total international enrolments in US higher education.

Canada, Taiwan and Japan each represent close to four per cent of the total international student population, with these top six places of origin comprising 56 per cent.

Among the other leading places of origin, the most notable decline was seen in students from Japan, with a 15 percent decline following a 14 percent drop the previous year. Japan is at number 6 this year.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

http://twocircles.net/2010nov15/chinese_overtake_indians_largest_student_group_us.html

Bangladesh minister in India to boost trade with northeast

By IANS,

Agartala : Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni arrived in Tripura Wednesday to boost cross-border trade and business with India's eight northeastern states.

Tripura Finance Minister Badal Choudhury and Industry and Commerce Minister Jitendra Choudhury received Moni at the Akhaurah India-Bangladesh checkpost, just two km from the Agartala capital city.

Moni, who was accompanied by her husband Tawfique Nawaz, a 30-member business delegation and senior officials, held a meeting with Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and other Indian officials.

She will address a business summit, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

"During Moni's two-day visit, strategies to further improve trade between Bangladesh and northeast India and development of trade-related infrastructure along the border would be discussed," a senior Tripura official told reporters.

The two countries last March signed a crucial agreement to allow Indian goods to be trans-shipped to Tripura and other northeastern states through Bangladesh.

Under the landmark agreement signed during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi early this year, India will construct a bridge over Feni river in southern Tripura to get access to the Chittagong port for carrying goods and heavy machinery to the landlocked northeastern region.

On Thursday, Dipu Moni will lay the foundation of a memorial, the India-Bangladesh Maitri Uddan, being built in southern Tripura's Chottakhola as a tribute to Indian soldiers and Bangladeshi freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.

20th Annual International Sunni Ijtema concludes in Mumbai

By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,

Mumbai: Quran is a catalogue for all time revealed 1400 years ago by the Creator of this world and it can never be kept aside, Allama Qamruzzaman Khan Azmi, General Secretary, World Islamic Mission said addressing the last day of 20th Annual International Sunni Ijtema here on Sunday.

Addressing tens of thousands of people at the ijtema conducted by Sunni Dawate Islami at Azad Maidan, Allama Azmi said: "Just check out the principles of witness in Islam, there are punishment for the witness who lies, but today there is nothing like it and therefore injustices are prevailing in our society."

Like these, he said, many things revealed 1400 years ago but are applicable even today because human nature can't be changed and these laws are revealed by the one who created this world. He said, “It’s like a catalogue for this world revealed by its creator.”

Maulana Shakir Noorie, Amir Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat, referring to West, explained that Wealth, Material gain and supremacy does not mean Allah is happy with them and rewarding but this is a cause of major concern. They are responsible for Injustices, violence and lack of peace prevailing in this world.

He called everyone not to suppress the feeble and not to be arrogant if you are powerful.

Allama Nasim Ashrafi, from Africa, praised Islam as the best way of Life and asked every human “to understand and implement each and every part of Islam in their life for peaceful co-existence.” He also called Muslims to raise their morals and respect everyone.

Mufti Nizamuddin sahib, Azmatullah sahib, Banglore, Khwaja Muzaffar Husain, Allama Qamruzzaman Khan Azmi, of London, UK and Maulana Shakir Noorie, Amir of Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat, a major sect in Sunni Islam were the major speakers in this ijtema.

Some important topics of speeches included:

Womanhood, an Islamic Perspective and Solutions to their Problems
The Rights & Responsibilities of Marriage
Family Life in Islam
Purpose of Shariah, the Sacred Law
Islamic System of Law and Justice
Islam’s Contributions to Human Civilization
Natural Calamities – Causes and Solutions
Rights and Responsibilities of Relatives and Neighbors
Loving the beloved (Peace be upon him), and Purification of heart
Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him), The Best of Creation
Islam and Modernity
Misuse and Abuse of Modern Media and its Harmful Consequences on Youth
The True Spirit Of Islam
The Hajj-Its Spiritual And Social Significance and its Practical Demonstration

India, China are two major re-foresters: Jairam Ramesh

By IANS,

New Delhi: Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh Monday said China's green house gas emissions are four times that of India, but both countries are united in being the two "major re-foresters" in the world.

"China's emissions are about four times that of India's and in no way can India be equated to China in emissions but both these countries are adding to forest cover and are two major re-foresters," Ramesh said.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of "China and India: 60 years and beyond" organised by the foreign affairs department of the Congress party.

He also said both the countries have relatively low per capita income. The common factor is that neither of the countries would like an international barrier in their growth.

"India and China are looking at clean energy collaboration... We are also discussing collaboration in the field of glaciology (study of glaciers)," he added.

Senior leaders from the Congress and the Communist Party of China also spoke at the day-long seminar

http://twocircles.net/2010nov01/india_china_are_two_major_reforesters_jairam_ramesh.html

24,000 Chinese Haj pilgrims to visit Mecca in 2010

By IANS,

Beijing: Over 24,000 Chinese Muslims will visit Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the Haj pilgrimage this year, Xinhua reported Monday.

A total of 11,200 Chinese Muslims have already left for the holy city, the State Administration for Religious Affairs said.

Thirteen thousand more are expected to leave on 41 chartered flights from Beijing, Lanzhou, Urumqi, Yinchuan and Kunming cities, Yang Shuli of the China Islamic Institute said.

Islamic leaders, doctors and officials are accompanying each group of pilgrims. China has about 23 million Muslims.

The first plane took off from Zhongchuan Airport in Lanzhou, the capital of China's northwestern Gansu province Oct 18. The last plane is scheduled to leave Nov 4.

http://twocircles.net/2010nov01/24000_chinese_haj_pilgrims_visit_mecca_2010.html

Dubai's non-oil trade reaches $102 bn

By IANS/WAM,

Dubai : Dubai's non-oil trade has reached 377 billion dirhams (about $102 billion) in the first eight months of this year, up 18 percent, compared to the figure in the same period last year.

Ahmed Butti Ahmed, Dubai Customs Director General, said the strategic location as well as flexible and competitive set of legislations contributed to the rise in the trade.

He said Dubai's direct exports scored the highest growth rate in the past five years, exceeding up to 44 billion dirhams by August 2010 with a growth rate of 39 percent.

"This reflects on the trust put in the Emirati goods in external markets and proves its competitiveness and high quality," Butti said.

The statistics issued by Dubai Customs also revealed a boost in the imports during the first eight months of 2010 with a total value of 239 billion dirhams, up 14 percent, compared to the figures in the corresponding period last year.

The figure shows that India has topped Dubai imports list with 45 billion dirhams. China came second with 29 billion dirhams followed by the US which contributed to the eight percent of Dubai's total imports with a value of 18.7 billion dirhams.

http://twocircles.net/2010nov02/dubais_nonoil_trade_reaches_102_bn.html

20 million Britons don't speak to family members after quarrel

By IANS,

London: Nearly 20 million Britons are not speaking to members of their family after bitter arguments, a survey has showed.

Experts said mothers are the relatives we are most likely to fall out with. Two out of five adults admitted they are currently feuding with a family member, Daily Express reported Monday citing a study.

The arguments are most likely to be over lending money, favouritism and disliking a relative's partner.

While most rows are resolved within a year, one in five has gone more than three years without talking to a loved one - and one in 10 has refused to speak for more than 20 years.

The study also revealed that a third of Britons would call their families "dysfunctional".

Eight out of 10 people surveyed said it was women who were responsible for starting any trouble.

A third had gone for periods of time not talking to their mothers. Fathers were in second place when it comes to the relatives we are most likely to fall out with, followed by sisters.

Many feuds never get resolved, with one fifth of people admitting that a family member had gone to the grave without making peace.

The figures emerged in a survey of 3,000 adults by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment to celebrate the launch of Family Guy Season 9.

A spokesman for Fox said: "Although mums were the family members we were most likely to fall out with, the study showed that women were much more likely to recognise if their family behaved dysfunctionally and if there were problems in the family."

http://twocircles.net/2010nov01/20_million_britons_dont_speak_family_members_after_quarrel.html

500 medical colleges needed in five years: Regulator

By IANS,

New Delhi: Projecting a need for 500 medical college in the next five years, the Medical Council of India (MCI) Saturday recommended that such institutions should each have at least 10 acres of land for a college and hospital and not more than 250 students.

"The council has given the central government certain recommendations and it is up to the government to notify them. The board of governors has done its exercise," MCI Chairperson Shiv Kumar Sarin told reporters.

As per the new regulations suggested, a medical college should have at least 10 acres of land to build a college and hospital. Earlier, the medical colleges were asked to have at least 25 acres of land.

In small towns and cities, the hospital should be built within 5 km radius of the college, the Council recommended.

"In colleges where there are 50 students, there should be 300 beds, for 100 students 300 beds, 150 students 700 beds, 200 students 900 beds, and for 250 students 1,100 beds," the recommendations said.

According to the new recommendation, a medical college can have 250 students. Earlier, the number of students admitted was 200.

It also puts emphasis on increasing the retirement age of the professors in medical colleges. Currently, the retirement age is 65 years. The new regulations recommend a five-year extension for the professors.

"If these regulations are followed, 8,000-10,000 medical graduates would increase annually in the country. As of now, there are 35,000 medical graduates in the country," Sarin said.

He said the last date of receiving the applications pertaining to establishment of medical colleges and hospitals is Sep 30. He also informed that they received 90 applications till September last year and this time they are expecting more applications.

Sarin added that the country needs 500 more medical colleges in the next five years and the government should also pitch in, instead of depending on the private sector.

The MCI chairperson said that India has a shortfall of 7.5 lakh doctors.

"We have 35,000 medical seats, 314 medical colleges and 23,000 doctor graduates in our country and compared to our population the availability of hospital and doctors number is very less, this issue should be addressed immediately," Sarin said.

Referring to World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations, Sarin said for every 1,000 people there should be one doctor. Our country will take take another 15 years to achieve this standard, he said.

Devi Prasad Shetty, member board of governors, MCI, said: "Medical colleges are less in north and eastern regions of India as compared to south and west. About 136 colleges are there in south alone followed by west with 58 while north India has only 71 colleges and east is the lowest with 36."

"The government stopped constructing medical colleges 15 years ago about 54 percent of the medical colleges are in private hands," he said.

As per MCI statistics every year 4.5 lakh women die during child birth due to lack of trained medical staff. In our country each gynaecologists deliver 72 babies a day, our country produces 28 million babies a year.

"India should add 10,000 medical seats each year between 2012-16 to get at least 50,000 medical undergraduates over five years. This can be achieved only be adding 100 new medical colleges every year for five years," an MCI official said.

http://twocircles.net/?q=2010sep18/500_medical_colleges_needed_five_years_regulator.html

Robert Fisk: Even I question the 'truth' about 9/11

Each time I lecture abroad on the Middle East, there is always someone in the audience – just one – whom I call the "raver". Apologies here to all the men and women who come to my talks with bright and pertinent questions – often quite humbling ones for me as a journalist – and which show that they understand the Middle East tragedy a lot better than the journalists who report it. But the "raver" is real. He has turned up in corporeal form in Stockholm and in Oxford, in Sao Paulo and in Yerevan, in Cairo, in Los Angeles and, in female form, in Barcelona. No matter the country, there will always be a "raver".

His – or her – question goes like this. Why, if you believe you're a free journalist, don't you report what you really know about 9/11? Why don't you tell the truth – that the Bush administration (or the CIA or Mossad, you name it) blew up the twin towers? Why don't you reveal the secrets behind 9/11? The assumption in each case is that Fisk knows – that Fisk has an absolute concrete, copper-bottomed fact-filled desk containing final proof of what "all the world knows" (that usually is the phrase) – who destroyed the twin towers. Sometimes the "raver" is clearly distressed. One man in Cork screamed his question at me, and then – the moment I suggested that his version of the plot was a bit odd – left the hall, shouting abuse and kicking over chairs.

Usually, I have tried to tell the "truth"; that while there are unanswered questions about 9/11, I am the Middle East correspondent of The Independent, not the conspiracy correspondent; that I have quite enough real plots on my hands in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Iran, the Gulf, etc, to worry about imaginary ones in Manhattan. My final argument – a clincher, in my view – is that the Bush administration has screwed up everything – militarily, politically diplomatically – it has tried to do in the Middle East; so how on earth could it successfully bring off the international crimes against humanity in the United States on 11 September 2001?

Well, I still hold to that view. Any military which can claim – as the Americans did two days ago – that al-Qa'ida is on the run is not capable of carrying out anything on the scale of 9/11. "We disrupted al-Qa'ida, causing them to run," Colonel David Sutherland said of the preposterously code-named "Operation Lightning Hammer" in Iraq's Diyala province. "Their fear of facing our forces proves the terrorists know there is no safe haven for them." And more of the same, all of it untrue.

Within hours, al-Qa'ida attacked Baquba in battalion strength and slaughtered all the local sheikhs who had thrown in their hand with the Americans. It reminds me of Vietnam, the war which George Bush watched from the skies over Texas – which may account for why he this week mixed up the end of the Vietnam war with the genocide in a different country called Cambodia, whose population was eventually rescued by the same Vietnamese whom Mr Bush's more courageous colleagues had been fighting all along.

But – here we go. I am increasingly troubled at the inconsistencies in the official narrative of 9/11. It's not just the obvious non sequiturs: where are the aircraft parts (engines, etc) from the attack on the Pentagon? Why have the officials involved in the United 93 flight (which crashed in Pennsylvania) been muzzled? Why did flight 93's debris spread over miles when it was supposed to have crashed in one piece in a field? Again, I'm not talking about the crazed "research" of David Icke's Alice in Wonderland and the World Trade Center Disaster – which should send any sane man back to reading the telephone directory.

I am talking about scientific issues. If it is true, for example, that kerosene burns at 820C under optimum conditions, how come the steel beams of the twin towers – whose melting point is supposed to be about 1,480C – would snap through at the same time? (They collapsed in 8.1 and 10 seconds.) What about the third tower – the so-called World Trade Centre Building 7 (or the Salmon Brothers Building) – which collapsed in 6.6 seconds in its own footprint at 5.20pm on 11 September? Why did it so neatly fall to the ground when no aircraft had hit it? The American National Institute of Standards and Technology was instructed to analyse the cause of the destruction of all three buildings. They have not yet reported on WTC 7. Two prominent American professors of mechanical engineering – very definitely not in the "raver" bracket – are now legally challenging the terms of reference of this final report on the grounds that it could be "fraudulent or deceptive".

Journalistically, there were many odd things about 9/11. Initial reports of reporters that they heard "explosions" in the towers – which could well have been the beams cracking – are easy to dismiss. Less so the report that the body of a female air crew member was found in a Manhattan street with her hands bound. OK, so let's claim that was just hearsay reporting at the time, just as the CIA's list of Arab suicide-hijackers, which included three men who were – and still are – very much alive and living in the Middle East, was an initial intelligence error.

But what about the weird letter allegedly written by Mohamed Atta, the Egyptian hijacker-murderer with the spooky face, whose "Islamic" advice to his gruesome comrades – released by the CIA – mystified every Muslim friend I know in the Middle East? Atta mentioned his family – which no Muslim, however ill-taught, would be likely to include in such a prayer. He reminds his comrades-in-murder to say the first Muslim prayer of the day and then goes on to quote from it. But no Muslim would need such a reminder – let alone expect the text of the "Fajr" prayer to be included in Atta's letter.

Let me repeat. I am not a conspiracy theorist. Spare me the ravers. Spare me the plots. But like everyone else, I would like to know the full story of 9/11, not least because it was the trigger for the whole lunatic, meretricious "war on terror" which has led us to disaster in Iraq and Afghanistan and in much of the Middle East. Bush's happily departed adviser Karl Rove once said that "we're an empire now – we create our own reality". True? At least tell us. It would stop people kicking over chairs.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-even-i-question-the-truth-about-911-462904.html

10,000 Hindutva militants being recruited in Madhya Pradesh - India

By TCN Special Correspondent,

New Delhi: Ahead of Ayodhya verdict, while every concerned citizen is praying for peace and communal harmony in the country after the verdict, Rajesh Bidkar is on another mission. His mission is to unite Hindu youth for making India a Hindu Nation. And for this, he has launched a campaign—Hindu Yodhya Bharti Abhiyan (Campaign to recruit Hindu Soldiers).

Listen to the interview:

The outfit in the leadership of its Convener, Rajesh Bidkar and guidance of one Damodar Singh Ji Yadav has given a public call to recruit 10, 000 Hindu youth from Madhya Pradesh (MP) for the mission to establish a Hindu Rasthra. And this they are not doing underground but under the broad daylight. They have issued a poster and pasted it around the state of Madhya Pradesh.

A poster of Hindutva militants recruitment drive

To confirm the same, a Delhi based Independent Journalist, Vijay Pratap posing a potential solider, called Rajesh Bidkar on 16th of September. Rajesh Bidkar, in his conversation with Vijay Pratap acknowledged that his organization is a radical Hindu outfit and working towards the establishment of Hindu state. “It is a youth organistion with radical ideology and we are working with objective to make India a Hindu nation…,” he said while explaining the objectives of the organization. Regarding activities of the outfit he says, “we are building a radical ideological organization of 10, 000 people and we will issue orders time to time which Muslims have to abide…”. Bidkar also maintains that, his organization is not like other Hindu organization. On the issue of Ayodhya Verdict, he says “it is a matter national pride and radical Hindu organization has to play an important role”. Here is the voice tape, you can listen it yourselves and decide what they are doing?

Now, the most important question is that, will the government—both state as well as central act before it gets too late? Are the governments listening?

http://twocircles.net/?q=2010sep18/tcn_exclusive_10000_hindutva_militants_being_recruited_madhya_pradesh.html

Muslims celebrate Eid in Assam, northeast

By IANS

Guwahati: Muslims in Assam and other northeastern states Saturday celebrated Eid amid heavy rains in most part of the region.

In Assam, people thronged mosques and other community halls to offer the Eid prayers as incessant rains lashed the state since the morning.

"No matter the weather conditions, Eid today was very special and the rains have failed to dampen the spirits," said Iftikhar Alam, a college student.

People of other faiths joined Muslims in the Eid festivities and exchanged sweets with them.

"Let Eid help in fostering universal brotherhood and amity among all communities," Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said in his greetings on the festival.

Eid was also celebrated with traditional fervour by Muslims in Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

Orthodox Jews burn hundreds of bibles in Israel, world media silent

by Associated Press
Source: Haaretz



Sept 11 2010

Orthodox Jews have set fire to hundreds of copies of the New Testament in the latest act of violence against Christian missionaries in the Holy Land.

Or Yehuda Deputy Mayor Uzi Aharon said missionaries recently entered a neighborhood in the predominantly religious town of 34,000 in central Israel, distributing hundreds of New Testaments and missionary material.

After receiving complaints, Aharon said, he got into a loudspeaker car last Thursday and drove through the neighborhood, urging people to turn over the material to Jewish religious students who went door to door to collect it.

“The books were dumped into a pile and set afire in a lot near a synagogue,” he said.

The newspaper Maariv reported Tuesday that hundreds of yeshiva students took part in the book-burning. But Aharon told The Associated Press that only a few students were present, and that he was not there when the books were torched.

“Not all of the New Testaments that were collected were burned, but hundreds were,” he said.

He said he regretted the burning of the books, but called it a commandment to burn materials that urge Jews to convert.

“I certainly don’t denounce the burning of the booklets, he said. I denounce those who distributed the booklets.”

Jews worship from the Old Testament, including the Five Books of Moses and the writings of the ancient prophets. Christians revere the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, which contains the ministry of Jesus.

Calev Myers, an attorney who represents Messianic Jews, or Jews who accept Jesus as their savior, demanded in an interview with Army Radio that all those involved be put on trial. He estimated there were 10,000 Messianic Jews, who are also known as Jews for Jesus, in Israel.

Police had no immediate comment.

Israeli authorities and Orthodox Jews frown on missionary activity aimed at Jews, though in most cases it is not illegal. Still, the concept of a Jew burning books is abhorrent to many in Israel because of the association with Nazis torching piles of Jewish books during the Holocaust of World War II.

Earlier this year, the teenage son of a prominent Christian missionary was seriously wounded when a package bomb delivered to the family’s West Bank home went off in his hands.

Last year, arsonists burst into a Jerusalem church used by Messianic Jews and set the building on fire, raising suspicions that Jewish extremists were behind the attack. No one claimed responsibility, but the same church was burned down 25 years ago by ultra-Orthodox Jewish extremists.