This is not a picture from Indian Occupied Kashmir. This is picture from Karachi, Pakistan.
source: dawn.com
August 22, 2011
Pakistan New Provinces – Proposal by Caylu.wordpress.com
This kid’s heart is in the right place. I don’t agree with everything he is suggesting but it is definitely interesting.
Source: http://caylu.worpdress.com
The voices for dividing Punjab province recently are getting louder and louder. But do we really need to do it, what will be the consequences for this and what will be the advantages. I dont see any sane discussion going on the bigger picture. My personal view is that many people are calling it for their own personal petty agenda and they are not voicing it in the interest of Pakistan.
But if we think with an unbiased view and above our petty self interest, and truly for the well being of Pakistan than we can come to this conclusion that,
1. Pakistan has definitely developed but not uniformly, many smaller cities got over looked (not only in Punjab but in all provinces).
2. Facilities were not provided equally to the people of all regions,
3. Lot of potential is getting wasted.
4. The politics of language, color, breed is still strongest in Pakistan and we have not been able to go above and beyond, punjabi, pakhtoon, sindhi, balochi nationalism.
Dividing Punjab on linguistic basis will add one more nationalism (“saraiki”) to the already afore mentioned list of nationalisms, which is destructive for our unity & development.
Also Pakistan has at least 32 languages. Punjabi is spoken by 44% of Pakistan (almost 90 million) and chitrali is spoken is in just one district (less 0.5 million). So this will not only further divide as a nation, but will give rise to more Big Brother, small brother politics & economic growth will be further hampered, as many of the linguistic based provinces will not be economically viable.<
But i think if all the provinces are divided in the best interest of Pakistan, then many benefits can be achieved.
1. More provinces means more cities will be developed and all the population load which is coming into either Karachi or Lahore can be reduced.
2. More provinces means more people will be empowered to choose their destiny.
3. Better distribution of resources of Pakistan.
4. It may give rise to Pakistani nationalism then the punjabi, sindhi, pashto, balochi nationalism, if the division is not based on languages.
5. It probably will allow the politician to seriously work for their people, once they dont have big brother “Punjab” to blame for everything.
These are the reason which compelled me and my friend (more work done by him) to come up with a new provincial division for Pakistan. This is a suggestion and all and every input which comes with the sole interest of betterment of Pakistan will be appreciated.
We divided Pakistan into 12 provinces and federal capital Islamabad. Mostly the existing districts are not divided except for in couple of places. apart from above mentioned reasons, railway links, road network, rivers and canals flow were also considered while recommending these new provinces. Although we are not experts on these fields so we put lot of common sense and and more importantly the interest of Pakistan while making these divisions.
Also the name of the new provinces are not based on cast, language or one identity in most of the cases. These names have some historic or geographic perspective. Present names of all the provinces except Sindh do not have much historic background.
Many critical issues of Pakistan like Kalabagh Dam are not resolved due to the Sindhi-punjabi politics. Once new proposed provinces are made, many of these issues will be resolved amicably as indus river would not be under “takht-e-Lahore” rule. Most of the proposed provinces are linguistically heterogeneous & geographically strongly bonded. Many smaller languages will also get chance to flourish because majority languages will not be in absolute (2/3rd) majority to over shadow minority languages as in the present provinces.
Below are the suggested new Provinces for Pakistan.
Prosperous PakistanNow a bit details about these Provinces:
Cholistan Province
Capital: Bahawalpur
Linguistic Composition: Saraiki, Punjabi, urdu
Districts: Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan
Current Estimated Population: 10 million
Logic: Geographically on the right side of the Satluj river. Linguistically heterogeneous. Currently under developed & under utilized. Much farther from the existing capital Lahore. New capital Bahawalpur will be in the middle of the province. It is already linked with N5 National Highway and main railway line and has a high court bench.
Ravi Province
Capital: Lahore
Linguistic Composition: Punjabi, urdu
Districts:
Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Nankana sb, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Faisalabad (partly)
Current Estimated Population: 36.4 Million
Logic: Right side of Chanab
Gandhara Province
Capital: Joharabad (District khusaab)
Linguistic Composition: Potohari, saraiki, punjabi, pashto,
Districts: Rawalpindi (partly), jehlum, attock, chakwal, gujrat, mandi bahuddin, Sargodha, Khusaab, Jhang, Mianwali, bhakkar, laiyya, DG Khan (partly)
Current Estimated Population: 24 Million
Logic: under developed western punjab area, would get great benefit from developing new cities, like Joharabad. Joharabad is in the center of Province. North of Joharabad is potohari, East is Punjab and South is Saraiki dominant districts. Therefore the new provincial capital will be the meeting point of all three rich culture and hence will be the torch bearer of development and homogeneity for this province. The new capital city Jauharabad will not face water shortages as river Jehlum passes by it.
Panjnad Province
Capital: Multan
Linguistic Composition: Saraiki, Punjabi, urdu, Balochi
Districts: Multan, Lodharan, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Vehari, Pakpattan, Faisalabad (partly), TT Singh, Muzaffargarh, DG Khan (Partly), Rajanpur
Estimated Population: 24M
Logic: Multan is already the hub of cultural and political center for southern Punjab. Panjnad Province will become focus of agriculture and dairy products. Multan is also in the middle of the proposed Panjnad province and is well connected with near by towns and cities and rest of Pakistan. Proposed Panjnad Province will have significant punjabi province in north eastern districts, urdu in the urban areas, Balochi in western districts & Saraik in central & western districts.
Bolan Province
Capital: Quetta,
Linguistic Composition: Pashto, Balochi, Brahvi
Districts: Quetta, Ziarat, Mastung, Qila Abdullah, Pashin, Lora Lai, Barkhan, Musakhel, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Shirani, Harnai, Sibi, Kolhu, Dera Bugti, Jaffarabad, Nasirabad, Jhal magsi, Kacchi (Bolan)
Estimated Population: 6 Million
Logic: The Bolan province will approximately be same as British Balochistan of Colonial era. veteran leaders from balochistan, like ex-Prime Minister from Balochistan, Mir Zafar Ullah Khan Jamali, Mehmood Khan Achakzai has also once expressed their approval in dividing balochistan in Quetta & Kalat division of 1970s. The heterogenous Bolan Province is amalgam of Pashtun, Balochi & Brahvi culture. Quetta has representation from all three cultures.
Makran Province
Capital: Khuzdar
Linguistic Composition: Balochi, Brahvi,
Districts: Khuzdar, Kalat, Noshki, Chaghi, Kharan, Washuk, Panjgor, Turbat, Gawadar, Awaran, Lasbela
Estimated Population: 3 M
Logic: Makran Province is one of the richest areas of Pakistan with minerals resources. It also has Gawadar Port, Gadani ship breaking yard. Saindak & Rekodek are also located in this province. Proposed Provincial Capital, Khuzdar, is already well connected with Quetta, Karachi, Larkana through RCD road & M8 Motorway. Within proposed Province all major cities like Lasbella, Turbet, Gawadar & Kalat are also connected with khuzdar.
Khyber Province
Capital: Peshawar
Linguistic Composition: Pashto, Saraiki
Districts: Peshawar, Noshera, Charsadda, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Laki marwat, Bannu, DI Khan, Tank
Estimated Population: 9.75 Million
Logic: Proposed Kalabagh Dam will benefit southern districts of proposed khyber Province, Tank & DI Khan at the cost of some land of Noshera District. Royalty from the Kalabagh & Munda Dam & also the natural gas resorvoir of Karak will make the province economically viable.
Abaseen Province
Capital: Mardan
Linguistic Composition: Pashto, Hindko, Kohistani, Chitrali
Districts: Mardan, Sawabi, Haripur, Abottabad, Manshera, Torghar, Batagram, Kohistan, Shangla, Sawat, Bonair, Dir bala, Dir payin, Malakand, Chitral
Estimated Population: 13 M
Logic: Comprosing of the northern areas, this province have the potential to truly exploit tourism industry. Tarbella & Bhasha Dam would provide substantial revenue stream for the development of the province and has high potential to generate hydro-electricity. Mardan is chosen as the capital, because, firstly it is in planar district and is accessible all year around from both Hazara & Malakand divisions.
Khorasan Province
Capital: Torkham
Linguistic Composition: Pashto,
Districts: Bajur, Mohmand, Torkham (Khyber Agency), Kurram, Orakzai, North waziristan, South waziristan
Estimated Population: 5 Million
Logic: Making FATA as a province will start the era of economic growth and amalgamation of the region with the rest of the country. It will also help to remove the sense of depravity in the people.
Sindh uttar Province
Capital: Sukkar
Linguistic Composition: Sindhi
Districts: Sukkar, Ghotki, Khairpur, Noshero feroz, shikarpur, Larkana, Kambar, Kashmor, Jacobabad, Dadu, Jamshoro (partly)
Estimated Population: 13.5 M
Logic: Other than Hyderabad, interior sindh is also one of the most deprived areas of the country, which even after having potential in many different fields is backward and under developed. Sukkar is already the economic & cultural center of the northern sindh and have full potential to become one of the key economic city of Pakistan. Also it is well connected with Karachi, Quetta & Northern Pakistan through road, air & railway.
Sindh Dakshin Province
Capital: Hyderabad
Linguistic Composition: Sindhi, urdu
Districts: Karachi, Jamshoro (partly), Hyderabad, Matiari, TM Khan, Tandu alayar, mirpur khas, umar kot, tharparkar, badin, thatta, nawabshah, sanghar
Estimated Population: 26 Million.
Logic: Third largest city in 1951 & the historic capital of sindh in pre-colonial era, has lost its glory by being overshadowed by Karachi. Also it is the convergence point of Sindhi & Urdu cultures, two main cultures of the proposed province. Also Karachi is over burdened by being the port & only industrial city in southern Pakistan. By shifting capital to hyderabad will allow Hyderabad to flourish & reduce population inflow in Karachi.
Karakoram Province
Capital: Gilgit
Linguistic Composition: Shina, Burushaski, Balti
Districts: gilgit, Diamir, Astor, skardu, hunza-nagar, ghanchi, girghiz,
Estimated Population:1.8 M
Logic: By making the current Gilgit-Baltistan as a Province will give them equal rights as the rest of the pakistan & start new era of economic & cultural development in the area.
Federal Capital,
Islamabad + Rawalpindi City.
Current Estimated Population: 2.5 Million
Logic: Rawalpindi city is already surrounded by Islamabad from 3 sides. So making it part of Islamabad is a natural choice.
Benefits:
1. The biggest benefit from these new provinces will be the development of new cities. Currently the population inflow is only in Karachi and some cities of central Punjab. Cities like Multan, Bahawalpur, Sukkar, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Sahiwal & others, while having potential to become a modern cities, remains under developed as the economic growth is polarized on Karachi & central Punjab. By developing new provinces many cities will get chance to flourish.
2. The proposed provinces do not have large population difference like currently between Punjab & Balochistan.
3. Smaller provinces will help people to reach provincial capital easily. Also it will ease the management of the province.
August 22, 2011
Why Imran Khan by Insaf.pk
First and foremost, one should keep in mind that his spotless
personality and track record leaves very little opportunity for his
opposition to taint his image. Hence, starting from 1996 (when he first
established his political party) Imran Khan has come face to face with
ugly criticism, mostly revolving around his personal life pertaining to
his playboy image. During the 1997 elections a major political party
actually spent a handsome amount to hire private detectives and used one
of their very effective resource to highlight the infamous Sita White
episode and to target Khan for being “morally” corrupt. While it is true
that for public figures their personal life ceases to remain personal, I
feel that in this case the Khan opposition went quite overboard. Khan
has to date made it a point not to bring anyone’s personal life under
discussion and strictly confines himself to criticism aimed at the
public dealings of these political figures; and instead of refuting
Khan’s allegations these parties go on to bring his personal life under
the spotlight. Similar tactics were tried by another major political
party in 2007 after Imran bashed them for being responsible for the 12th
May 2007 carnage. Both these attempts targeted Khan with immense force
and he suffered tremendous blows but he is a survivor and today, after
all these allegations he still stands at 68% popularity in Pakistan.
During the initial part of his political career, Imran was also labeled
as a sponsored stooge of the Jewish lobby. This was further aggravated
after his marriage to the British heiress Jemima Goldsmith. Today that
same “pro-Israel” member of the Jewish “lobby” is labeled as Taliban
Khan. However, if we analyze his stance from the day he began politics
to this day we will notice that there are hardly any contradictions and
his stances on foreign policy, free and fair judiciary, self-esteem,
sovereignty etc have all remained constant. As a result, the only
possible way for him to become a Taliban supporter and a Jewish lobby
member at the same time is if the Jews and Talibans somehow become
allies (seems highly unlikely).
In recent times, Imran Khan has been vociferously criticized for being
close to the “right-wing” Islamists as allegedly his stance is close to
their anti-American stance. This is the common talk these days amongst
the so called “liberals”. In my opinion, these left-wing self proclaimed
secularists are actually “liberal extremists”. The word secular caters
to someone who keeps politics and religion separate which this group
miserably fails to do. In their eyes, anyone who will talk about
religion, and/or practice it is a right-wing mullah. Whereas, just like
they choose to ignore certain “other” characteristics as “personal” life
they should ignore one’s religious beliefs and/or practices as this also
falls under the personal domain. What analysts should focus on is
someone’s public dealings and what his/her services are for the nation
rather than what their religious mindset is as leadership cannot be
restricted to any specific religion or none thereof. A prime and recent
example of this phenomenon is Tayyip Erdogan’s re-election as Prime
Minister for Turkey. The man has openly been a right wing conservative
and continues to be one in a secular country. Yet, his fellow countrymen
elected him for the third time despite the fact that he poses a serious
threat to Turkey’s secular outlook.
As far as the allegations are concerned regarding Khan being a Taliban
sympathizer; well, lets establish certain facts. Khan has never once
supported the notion of killing innocent people to achieve some goal.
Every terrorist attack and/or brutal actions by the police or terrorists
have always been condemned. However, to root out extremism, he has a
theory and that theory involves sitting with the militant groups and
actually trying to decipher why they are fighting. People tend to forget
that the same strategy is being pursued by the Americans for the Afghan
Talibans and not surprisingly they have managed to establish contact
with the most wanted mullah Omar. Does that mean that the Americans have
also changed sides and become pro-Taliban?? Similarly, Khan has been
extremely vocal regarding Drone attacks and the violation of our
national and territorial sovereignty. Once again, this voice of concern
is regarded as “Anti-American” sentiment. Why do we forget that there is
a difference between being anti-American and being pro-Pakistan. What
Khan says has nothing to do with U.S.A. in fact, he has always
criticized our own leadership which he believes is compromised and hence
has granted permission to the Americans to carry out these barbaric
acts. History is filled with examples of Anti-war lobbies. Countless
people opposed the actions of the U.S. Army in Vietnam, in Britain,
around 2 million people protested against the Iraq Invasion. Authors and
writers like Noam Chomsky etc have been extremely vocal about their
reservations on American policies and yet amongst intellectuals and
libertarians worldwide (including Pakistan) Chomsky and others have been
held in very high esteem. Today these very “intellectuals” label the
opposition of the war on terror ( which includes drone attacks) as
Taliban supporters. People should realize that there is a stark
difference between being a liberal and being pro-American. Criticizing
the American foreign policies does not mean that you hate America in
general. Visit any American college or University and you will realize
that many including the students and professors criticize their
country’s Foreign Policy but none are labeled as traitors or
conservatives.
A major objection which attempts to overshadow Imran Khan’s politics
these days is his alleged “romance” with Pakistan’s military and
intelligence agencies (commonly known as the establishment). For those
who know Imran Khan’s personality, know that he is not someone who will
sell himself. Due to his services for the country and his celebrity
value, Khan was first offered a ministerial post during the Zia regime
in 1988. Since then he has received various offers from the two major
parties including top positions. During the 1997 elections Khan was also
offered a decent number of seats as part of a seat adjustment plan by a
major party. Fast forward to the Musharraf era (2002), and we see that
the General openly announces that his candidate for the premiership is
none other than Imran Khan. There is one common link in all these
“available” opportunities; i.e. they were all rejected by Khan as he did
not want to make it to the top by compromising his principles and his
stand. Today, those who blame him of being close to the ISI and the COAS
should consider that when he actually required the backing of an
alternative force and/or an artificial push he denied it. Why would he
provide anyone with leverage today considering that his popularity is
rising exponentially. Also, recent attacks on the military bases and
events similar to those which took place on May 2 have weakened the
military establishment nationally as well as internationally. The main
task confronting our military today is to rebuild their image as an
institution which is in control of the multiple crises this country
faces rather than trying their hand once again in political maneuvering.
Besides, politicians who agree on deals with the establishment are
always trying to gain some benefit in return. This return could either
be wealth, fame or protection of their heinous crimes. In Khan’s case he
has abundance of wealth and fame and has never been accused of any
wrongdoing. He is someone who has actually sacrificed a lot including
his personal life just to be in politics and achieve his goal. To get
someone of that charachter and reputation to compromise would be termed
as a major achievement by the establishment.
Considering the arguments above, I think we can safely establish that
Khan is a true liberal at heart. If you analyze his Dharnas esp the one
in the port city of Karachi, you will realize that people from all walks
of life showed up. The best part was that Khan was sitting side by side
with leaders and clerics of different religious schools of thought. This
goes to show that religion is not a barrier when national interest is at
stake and I think this is what secularism preaches and the same message
is advocated by Islam. Khan always comes under the microscope and is
usually over-analyzed in terms of his alliances and inclinations,
however, his formula is very simple and basic; i.e. he will ally with
anyone and everyone if it is a matter of national interest. Who ever
speaks up against the prevalent injustices is a friend and whoever works
against national interest and follows dictated policy from abroad is by
all means a foe.
August 17, 2011
Amir Liaquat Exposed by Reformistan Blog 2 years back…
Reformistani wrote this 2 years before this fraud was fully exposed. We are proud of our accomplishment bringing this charlatan down.
Who says Pakistan lacks all-rounders? Enter Amir Liaquat, a man of many professions, degrees, jobs & personalities. He is a strange man. In public, he berates the impotence of Muslim men unable to muster the courage, virtue and machismo to confront the west. Privately, he likes to apply makeup and polish to his wife’s nails according to his own interview in Women’s digest!
“Islamic piety” has become a business for some. It is a profitable business for the opportunistic “Dr.” Amir Liaquat. Amir makes a good living with his position in the program “Alim” online. Personally, I don’t get the attraction. Amir is blessed with very few natural talents. He does know what gullible people want to hear in an overly dramatic almost laughable delivery. He is a sharp dresser coordinating hair color and beard in the exact hue as his smart Kurta. The hair coloring is too good to NOT be a western brand. Indeed some of the lady callers are so smitten by Amir that well… the religious show can become a bit uncomfortable. The awkward tension in the middle of host/caller flirtatious niceties makes the real aalims on the show visibly uncomfortable.
The thing that is most striking about Amir Liaquat is that you can tell his whole act of piety is as artificial as the coloring in his hair, his excessive makeup or his…. numerous degrees.
Let’s take a look at Amir’s degrees:
“Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies” degree (Serial No: P-2002227 Dated March 17, 1995),
“Master of Arts in Islamic Studies” degree (No: P-2002341 Dated March 15, 2002) and
“Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies” degree (No: P-2002528 Dated April 5, 2002).
The good Doctor got his doctorate three weeks after his masters and conveniently just before his appointment to a minister level position.
The good doctor said:
“These are all just lies. Before I never commented on this issue because, I believe, it’s in the nature of dogs to bark, and I don’t want to counter every bark made by a dog. This has all been done by a few people in some newspapers, and other people who don’t wish to see me in the religious spectrum of Pakistan. My PhD degree has nothing to do with my becoming eligible for elections since my medical degree was sufficient for that,”
Yes Amir. Dogs Bark. Apparently, dogs can also get degrees from an internet “university” based in CyberSpace for 70,000 Rupees!
Amazing fact – Amir was getting medical degrees at the same time as his Islamic degrees!
“True, I attached my honorary PhD degrees along with my other medical degree when I filed my nomination papers, but I ask, what’s wrong in that. Why should a storm stir up on this issue? Yes, it might be true that the Trinity College sells degrees or that other people buy degrees from it, but I wasn’t aware of or concerned with that. The point is that I got it for free and as an honorary degree.”
There you have it. A Phd., ladies and gentlemen, available for free.
Trinity College offers an All-in-One Package to its customers for UK Pounds 500 (US$960) in which all three degrees, Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate are offered together. This is what Dr Aamir purchased with the request to the college to put the 1995 date on his BA degree.
And now he claims that he has also been given the authority to issue ‘Fatwas”. May God help those who seek Fatwas from him and act on them as they would be following the words of an established “liar” and a “fraud” instead of an “Aalim” (a learned man).
Aalim indeed sir.
More recently Amir was at a majlis where many feel he was sarcastic and disrespectful of the prophet’s companions. Dr. L simply dismissed that as a “doctored” youtube video. Does the doctor of many disciplines not know that technology can determine if a video was doctored?
Pakistan has enough of these hypocritical losers. Let us hope that this charlatan, fraud and worst of all boring simpleton goes away.
August 8, 2011
Top 100 Muslim themed Movies
100 Al-massir (Destiny) (1997) Set in 12th century Arab-ruled Spanish province Andalusia, famed philosopher Averroes is appointed grand judge by the caliph and his liberal court judgments are not liked by everyone.
99 A New Day in Old Sana’a A photographer, Tariq, must choose between his love or an arranged marriage
98 A Time for Drunken Horses After their father dies, a family of five are forced to survive on their own in a Kurdish village on the border of Iran and Iraq.
97 Jenin Jenin (doc) Documentary about the Battle for Jenin refugee camp
96 Man Push Cart A night in the life of a former Pakistani rock star who now sells coffee from his push cart on the streets of Manhattan.
95 Noorie A simple and touching story about Noorie, a girl from the valleys with a simple dream: a house, family and life filled with love - and who is forced to defend this dream at the cost of her life…
94 Occupation 101 (doc) A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S. political involvement.
93 Persepolis A French animated film about a girl who comes of age in Iran during the Islamic revolution and how she sees it once she moves to Europe.
92 Prince Among Slaves The True Story of an African Prince who Survived Slavery in America.
91 Rana’s Wedding A Palestinian girl of 17 wants to get married to the man of her own choosing.
90 Sorry, Haters Against the anxieties and fears of post-9/11 America, an Arab cab driver picks up a troubled professional woman (Robin Wright Penn) with unexpected results.
89 The Band’s visit A comedy about a band comprised of members of the Egyptian police force head to Israel to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center, are lost and welcomed instead in an Israeli town.
88 The Kingdom A team of U.S. government agents is sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East.
87 The Road to Guantanamo A docu-drama about a trio of British Muslims who were held in Guantanamo Bay for two years until they were released without charge.
86 Three Kings In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, 4 soldiers set out to steal gold that was stolen from Kuwait, but they discover people who desperately need their help.
85 Al Otro Lado This drama features three stories about the bonds between children and absent parents. One of the parents is a migrant from North Africa.
84 Ali A biography of sports legend, Muhammad Ali, from his early days to his days in the ring.
83 Arranged A Jewish and Muslim woman become friends in a Brooklyn school
82 Brick Lane A young Bangladeshi woman, Nazneem, arrives in 1980s London, leaving behind her beloved sister and home, for an arranged marriage and a new life.
81 Cape of Good Hope A Drama revolving around 3 women’s lives and how they are intertwined.
80 Daughter of Keltoum A woman travels to a Berber settlement in Algeria—to find her biological mother and in the process finds a world untouched by contemporary society.
79 Dev A story about love and hate as Muslim militancy and the police in India collide.
78 Gallipoli Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I.
77 Girdap (Whirlpool) A naive apolitical young man, who is interrupted by a fundamental religious environment, turns bitter against society. The film follows his journey.
76 Inch’Allah Dimanche The story of an immigrant woman struggling against old world traditions.
75 Journey of Hope The story of a poor Turkish family who tries to emigrate illegally to Switzerland.
74 Kite Runner After spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble.
73 Maryam An Iranian-born teenager living in suburban New Jersey thinks of herself as simply an American until anti-Iranian sentiment erupts in her community after American hostages are held in Iran.
72 Partition A former Sikh soldier comes to the rescue of a traumatized Muslim girl, marries her but then has to rescue her from Pakistan.
71 Rambo III Rambo’s Vietnam commanding officer Colonel Trautman is held hostage in Afghanistan, and its up to Rambo to rescue him.
70 Silent waters A former Hindu, now Muslim widow in a village in Pakistan sees her 17 year old son being attracted to Islamist militants.
69 Takva A promotion brings a Muslim’s relationship with God into question.
68 The Dove’s Lost Necklace The second part of Nacer Khemir’s Desert Trilogy
67 The Hunting Party A journalist and cameraman go to Bosnia to find the number one war criminal
66 The Tiger and the Snow A love-struck Italian poet is stuck in Iraq at the onset of an American invasion.
65 Traitor An FBI agent heads an investigation into an international conspiracy, all clues seem to lead back to former U.S. Special Operations officer, Samir Horn.
64 Waltz with Bashir An Animated Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memoriesof the massacres in Sabra and Chatila camps.
63 Abouna The lives of two brothers, who live in N’djamena, are upended when they awake one Saturday morning to find that their father has left the family…
62 Bombay A Hindu man and a Muslim woman fall in love in a small village and move to Mumbai, where they have two children. However, growing religious tensions and erupting riots threaten to tear the family apart.
61 Charlie Wilson’s War A drama based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson’s covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
60 Dil Se The clash between love and ideology is portrayed in this love story between a Hindu radio executive and a beautiful Muslim revolutionary, set in Kashmir.
59 Dirty Pretty Things An illegal Nigerian immigrant discovers the unpalatable side of London life.
58 Islam, Empire of Faith History of the Islamic Empire
57 Kandahar An Afghan-born woman from Canada takes a perilous journey through Afghanistan to try to find her sister
56 Laal Salaam Although not specifically about Muslims the film is about the “other” tribes and cultures who do not fit into mainstream India and their treatment by the authorities.
55 Lawrence of Arabia An Epic film about T.E. Lawrence and how he along with the British government and Saud family fought against the Ottoman empire
54 Leila A young couple face family pressure for the husband to take a second wife when they cannot have children.
53 Monsieur Ibrahim In Paris, a Turkish shop owner befriends a Jewish boy in his mid-teens.
52 Moolaadé When a woman shelters a group of girls from suffering female circumcision, she starts a conflict that tears her village apart.
51 Mr and Mrs Iyer A bus journey set during riots in India where a Muslim journalist is rescued by a Hindu woman who pretends to be his wife
50 Rendition An American wife searches for her Egyption husband who is kidnapped and tortured under the CIAs secret rendition program
49 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves When Robin and his Moorish companion come to England and the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham, he decides to fight back as an outlaw.
48 Taxi To the Dark Side In 2002, a cab driver picked up a few passengers near his home in Afghanistan. He never returned.
47 The Visitor A college professor comes to the rescue of an Arab-Muslim who is detained by US. Immigration
46 The Yacoubian building Based on the award-winning novel of the same name and covers a cast of characters in a building and touches upon themes of corruption, fundamentalism, prostitution, homosexuality, and drugs in central Cairo.
45 Times and Winds A coming of age story in a mountain village in northwest Turkey as seen through the eyes of three children on the verge of adolescence.
44 Turtles can fly Near the Iraqi-Turkish border on the eve of an American invasion, refugee children like 13-year-old Kak (Ebrahim), gauge and await their fate.
43 Umut (Hope) Umut is the story of an illiterate poor man and his family who when he loses his only income goes on a quest for lost treasure
42 Valley of the Wolves A Turkish action-adventure film set in northern Iraq during the American occupation. This has been a mega-hit in Turkey and Europe.
41 When we were Kings (doc) An award winning documentary of the 1974 heavyweight championship bout in Zaire between champion George Foreman and underdog challenger Muhammad Ali.
40 Yol Five Turkish prisoners are given a week’s home leave, and we see its people and its authorities interweaved through their stories
39 Al-Ghazali the Alchemist of Happiness A film about the philosopher Al-Ghazali and his parallels with our own times.
38 Bab’ Aziz The story of a blind dervish named Bab’Aziz and his spirited granddaughter, Ishtar.
37 Color of Paradise A blind boy and his father struggle to co-exist in rural Iran
36 Decoding the Past - Secrets of the Koran (doc) A wonderful documentary about the Quran which has shaped the Muslim faith and continues to influence the world.
35 Firaaq Deals with the aftermath of Gujrat riots and effects on everyday people.
34 Inside Mecca (doc) A National Geographic special following 3 Pilgrims from different parts of the world on a journey of their lifetimes.
33 Kingdom of Heaven Balian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the Crusades of the 12th century, and there he finds himself as the defender of the city and its people against Saladin
32 Le Grand Voyage A young French-Moroccan man and his old father drive from the south of France to Mecca in a conflict-ridden humorous journey
31 Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet (doc) Tells the story of the Prophet of Islam not only historically but how it unfolds, into the homes, mosques and workplaces of American-Muslims
30 Pitch Black: The Chronicles of Riddick A group of marooned space travellers including an Imam struggle for survival
29 Rachida A look at terrorism in Algeria through the eyes of Rachida, a teacher in one of the school districts.
28 Ramchand Pakistani A young Hindu-Untouchable Pakistani boy and his father accidentally cross the border into India and languish in an Indian jail.
27 Salvation at 8:20 A dejected Iranian student comes under the influence of a self-righteous friend who wants to clean society of its ills in post-revolution Iran.
26 Slum Dog Millionaire A Mumbai teen is arrested under suspicion of cheating and then terrorism, in a game show while his life history shows how he was able to come up with the right answers.
25 The Battle of Algiers A film based on the bloodiest revolution in modern history, Alegria’s war of independence from the French.
24 The Clay Bird A film about religion and diversity in politically charged East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)
23 The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam Kamran is a 12 year old boy in the present day who discovers that his ancestor is the 11th Century Mathematician, Astronomer, Poet of Persia, Omar Khayyam.
22 Blood and Oil (doc) The film shows how oil has been at the core of American foreign policy for more than 60 years—rendering our contemporary energy and military policies virtually indistinguishable.
21 Ceasefire This comedy, whose Persian title is Atash Bas is a fast-paced comedy about a volatile marriage of a young couple and their attempt at reforming their childish and selfish ways.
20 Dor Two young wives one Hindu and one Muslim share a common pain.
19 El Naser Salah el Dine (Saladin) A story about the Kurdish Ruler Salahadin and his defeat of the Crusaders.
18 Indigènes (Days of Glory) During WWII, four North African men enlist in the French army to liberate that country from Nazi oppression, and to fight French discrimination.
17 Mughal-e-Azam Set in the 16th century AD, the movie brings to life the tale of the doomed love affair between the Mughal Crown Prince Saleem and the beautiful, ill-fated court dancer,
16 New Muslim Cool (doc) Puerto Rican American rapper Hamza Pérez ended his life as a drug dealer and started down a new path as a young Muslim. This film follows his journey.
15 The 13th Warrior The story of Ibn Fahdlan a refined Arab courtier, of the powerful Caliph of Baghdad, who encounters a band of Viking warriors on their journey to the barbaric North.
14 Fatih An animated feature about Ottoman Ruler Mehmet II, who conquered Constantinople (modern day Istanbul)
13 Bagong Buwan A film about the Muslim rebellion in Mindanao, Philippines and its effect on civilians.
12 Children of Heaven This Persian-language Academy-Award nominated film is about a poor brother and sister in Iran who have to share one pair of shoes, and the troubles her brother goes to get her a pair.
11 Dreams of Dust A Nigerian peasant comes looking for work in a dusty gold mine and seeks to redeem his past by giving all he works for to a widow and her daughter.
10 Lion of the Desert A film about Omar Mukhtar, who fought against the Italian conquering of Libya in WW II
9 My Name is Khan A film about a Muslim man whose name is Khan and his Hindu wife and how their life and relationship changes because of 9/11 {INDIAN FILM}
8 Amreeka The story about a Palestinian mother and her son as they journey for an exciting future to America
7 Babel Tragedy strikes a married couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, touching off an interlocking story involving four different families.
6 Baran An Iranian boy falls in love with an Afghan refugee girl who has to become the breadwinner for her family.
5 Paradise Now An Oscar-nominated film about two childhood friends who are recruited for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.
4 Khuda Kay Liye (In the name of God) Three interleaved stories based in the US, UK, and Pakistan and how they are impacted after 9/11. {PAKISTANI FILM}
3 Syriana A politically-charged epic about the state of the oil industry in the hands of those personally involved and affected by it. {AMERICAN FILM}
2 Malcolm X The life and times of controversial African-American civil rights leader who joined the Nation of Islam and then finally converted to Islam. {AMERICAN FILM}
1 The Message An epic film about the Story of the life of the Prophet of Islam, his message and challenges.
References and Bibliography
Busch, Annett and Annas, Max: Ousmane Sembene Interviews
Chadha, Kalyani and Kavoori, Anandam: Global Bollywood
Chaudhuri,Shohini: Contemporary world cinema : Europe, the Middle East, East Asia and South Asia
Dönmez-Colin, Gönül: Women, Islam and cinema
Dönmez-Colin, Gönül: Turkish cinema: identity, distance and belonging
Films produced by country source: www.screenaustralia.gov.au
Kabir, Alamgir: The Cinema in Pakistan
Karriker, Alexandra-Heidi: Film studies: women in contemporary world cinema
Qumsiyeh, Mazin B.: 100 Years of Anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim stereotyping
Sadoul, George: The Cinema in the Arab countries
Shafik, Viola: Arab cinema: history and cultural identity
Sheehan, Jack, Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People, 2001
Vick, Tom: Asian cinema : a field guide
Ward, Lucy. From Aladdin to Lost Ark, Muslims get angry at ‘bad guy’ Film images, Guardian, January 25, 20
August 8, 2011
China’s sphere of influence welcomed by those influenced
August 8, 2011
Indian Kashmir intelligence report intercepted
For the longest time, Amnesty International was banned in Indian occupied Kashmir. In 2010, Indian authorities have allowed Amnesty International to send a team to the Indian administered Kashmir for the first time since a deadly insurgency against Indian rule erupted here two decades ago. The two-person Amnesty team arrived Monday on a fact-finding mission. Their names: Bikramjeet Batra and Ramesh Gopalakrishnan!
Reformistani obtained an advance copy of Gopal & Birkitshit’s report:
(Please read in Indian accent to get full effect)
1) Upon furder objectification and tranjparent reserchification using the latest indijinush russian teknolgeez you know, we have done lots of dubba-dubba-ding-ding analysis using you know Microsoft C sharp .NET. Immejiately upon fiiiiinding the trubbles we sent to call-shenter
2) Upon analyshish. We have something that is to be most trubbeling you know. wouldn’t you know it, it is the kasmeeris that are violating the indian guvernment forces that are deeefainding the kasmeeris from EVIL baaashterd pakis! Those nice boys from our finest slums have taken up pojitions in the middle of kasmeeri residential areas to fight pakistanis on LOC.
3) SO it is to be that nobody claim uver good india is not biased, what we do is give exjamples:
4) On May 10th, Kasmeeri women and children ahhtaked the jecurity forces with loud noijes. They were to be saying we want freejom. one muscular 9 year old threw upon handsome soldier a vicious looking pebble with atleajt 2 sharp-sharp pointies. Pebble fell ten feet from heros and shatter, a fragment of pebble hit shoe of our jawan. Jawan fell to ground, the remainder jawans use great caution when phirring assualt-rifles. 3 dangerous toddlers, two 90 year old women eksxpired from pak artillery. One jawan shoe was injured. oh so very very bad. Conclujion = ISI responsible.
Shinsherely,
Gopal and Birkibirkishit
Addendum to GHQ
Sir, i must be makijng a complaaaint about my collegueate birkibirkishit. upon the dubba-dubba-ding-ding report and returning to highly guarded barracks in free/happy kajmir and layin upon my barrack bed, i feel a magnum flash-lite upon my posterior. Waking up see it is birkibirkishit doing kama-sutra upon me. when i tell him to desist, he fire voluntary dishcharje at my face. I know it is volunterry because he make smile upon making dishcharge. When I inquire about dishcharge, birkibrikishit tell me ISI made him do it.
i am to be demanding transhfer becoj if i wanted voluntray discharge i would do it myshelf.
Captain Gopal.
August 8, 2011
Indian Intelligence Intercepted
For the longest time, Amnesty International was banned in Indian occupied Kashmir. In 2010, Indian authorities have allowed Amnesty International to send a team to the Indian administered Kashmir for the first time since a deadly insurgency against Indian rule erupted here two decades ago. The two-person Amnesty team arrived Monday on a fact-finding mission. Their names: Bikramjeet Batra and Ramesh Gopalakrishnan!
Reformistani obtained an advance copy of Gopal & Birkitshit’s report:
(Please read in Indian accent to get full effect)
1) Upon furder objectification and tranjparent reserchification using the latest indijinush russian teknolgeez you know, we have done lots of dubba-dubba-ding-ding analysis using you know Microsoft C sharp .NET. Immejiately upon fiiiiinding the trubbles we sent to call-shenter
2) Upon analyshish. We have something that is to be most trubbeling you know. wouldn’t you know it, it is the kasmeeris that are violating the indian guvernment forces that are deeefainding the kasmeeris from EVIL baaashterd pakis! Those nice boys from our finest slums have taken up pojitions in the middle of kasmeeri residential areas to fight pakistanis on LOC.
3) SO it is to be that nobody claim uver good india is not biased, what we do is give exjamples:
4) On May 10th, Kasmeeri women and children ahhtaked the jecurity forces with loud noijes. They were to be saying we want freejom. one muscular 9 year old threw upon handsome soldier a vicious looking pebble with atleajt 2 sharp-sharp pointies. Pebble fell ten feet from heros and shatter, a fragment of pebble hit shoe of our jawan. Jawan fell to ground, the remainder jawans use great caution when phirring assualt-rifles. 3 dangerous toddlers, two 90 year old women eksxpired from pak artillery. One jawan shoe was injured. oh so very very bad. Conclujion = ISI responsible.
Shinsherely,
Gopal and Birkibirkishit
Addendum to GHQ
Sir, i must be makijng a complaaaint about my collegueate birkibirkishit. upon the dubba-dubba-ding-ding report and returning to highly guarded barracks in free/happy kajmir and layin upon my barrack bed, i feel a magnum flash-lite upon my posterior. Waking up see it is birkibirkishit doing kama-sutra upon me. when i tell him to desist, he fire voluntary dishcharje at my face. I know it is volunterry because he make smile upon making dishcharge. When I inquire about dishcharge, birkibrikishit tell me ISI made him do it.
i am to be demanding transhfer becoj if i wanted voluntray discharge i would do it myshelf.
Captain Gopal.
August 7, 2011
Want a Phd from India? 35,000 Rupees only. No education required!
Chandigarh: If you want a Bachelor’s degree in Science or the Arts, you don’t have to be a student. A PhD? No problem. As long as you have some cash, you can get the degree of your choice. Exams, attending classes – that’s old school.
The Artex Informatic Study Centre in Chandigarh doesn’t sound very inspiring. It’s a small set up, which offers Under Graduation and Post Graduation programs in the fields of Information Technology and Management Courses. Study centres are extensions of private universities offering courses and degrees. They represent one or more private universities in different parts of the country, but aren’t regulated directly by the government.
Study centres like this one can be found all over Punjab.
A reporter from NDTV says he’s interested in signing up for a degree in BA, but won’t really have the time to study.
“You can keep the book with you during the exam,” the representative replies. He also offers sharing the workload with other students, all of who will be allowed to keep their textbooks on hand for the exams. “One student searches answer for one question, the other searches for another answer. If you discuss among yourselves in advance, you don’t waste time.”
And if consulting a textbook or other students is too taxing, he says it’s also possible to have someone stand in for you at an exam. “You need to take care of your signature. It should be simple, not complicated, so that the dummy student can easily copy it.”
Our reporter hasn’t come across as the most committed of students. That’s not held against him. He’s told he’s too late to enroll for this academic year; next year, however, is no problem, says the representative.
We also went to an institute named Career World Study Centre in Ambala. An employee there says bachelor’s degrees can be procured from a university named EIILM, based in Sikkim, for Rs. 15,000. The study centre could manage to get someone else to sit for the exams or let you cheat. They could also use their contacts at the University to help get a good score. If you want to graduate in a year, that’s possible too – for Rs. 35,000.
Career World Study Centre serves as a satellite centre for the EIILM Univeristy. The classes here are held only on paper.
The employee also says a PhD in Sociology will take less than two years and cost Rs. 40,000. “We will prepare the thesis and the synopsis for an extra charge. Everything will be managed by us. …the university will charge separately for the guide. Or else he can arrange a guide himself.”
There is no need to attend classes here. Records are fudged to show attendance on paper.
At the VCIT Study Centre, a PhD is on offer for two lakhs. The degree, the representative here says, will be issued by EIILM University. Clearly, this is a popular University in the Great College Bazaar. It’s a University Grants Commission approved campus in Sikkim.
This easy-to-get degrees scam is helping people get better jobs and that too with ever having to attend a class. It’s insta-learning. And it’s hot on the market.
