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Every now and then we hear people use the sentence “it’s a cruel world we live in” and every now and then we see people complaining, wailing and crying over petty issues. The deplorable contrast of living standards has led to such a divide among people from different factions of the society that it affects us on multiple levels. Sadly, we forget the teachings of our glorious religion when we come across our troubles. All we do is whine that things are not the way we want them to be when our religion teaches to look at the less fortunate.

We forget that while we grumble on about not getting the latest outfits or not having the latest mobile phones, there are people who bear hunger for days –and they don’t even complain! We forget that while we cry about breaking up with a girlfriend/boyfriend, there are millions of orphans who spend their nights on the footpath –we forsake them when we see ourselves in a so called bad tide. Wouldn’t it be much more humane if we stop protesting against nature for being cruel to us and look at people who have no families at all? For instance, this woman who was sold at the age of 5 to a 40 year old man by her own father! Who was beaten all her life, abused physically sexually and mentally for crimes she didn’t commit, and who still believes she is not alone that she has Allah by her side!

I came across a person over the Internet a few years ago and just by knowing that a person like him exists, my perception of life had changed -just like that. Nicolas James Vujicic is a Serbian national who suffers from tetra-amelia disorder which means that he has no limbs. No arms or legs at all, but that’s not what his story is about; the thing that moved me was that Nic Vujicic is a motivational speaker! So there you go, instead of brooding over his disability, he decided to dedicate his life to motivate others towards life! What could be worse than not having legs to walk on or arms to hold anything, but his ever smiling face tells me that he has more life in him than most of us –he is much, much more stronger than most of us!

“We are not rich by what we possess, but what we can do without” –Immanuel Kant.

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It is a big question, is it education that separates the West from Islam? Basically, it’s belief that distinguishes Islam from the west. After the belief comes education, but that education also is based on religion. The religious education that is preached by Islam among Muslims and the kind of education that is being taught in the western world plays a secondary role in separating the West from Islam.

Some people think that Muslims are less educated than other people in the West. In fact, Muslims were the ones who through the teachings of Islam made so many developments in this world. Muslims were the ones who through their knowledge and teachings of Quran managed to rule the world one day. They were the ones who introduced discoveries and inventions in the field of Physics, chemistry, mathematics, Geometry and many other fields.

The westerns mostly believe in Christianity, and they worship Jesus Christ. There is a concept of sin and virtue, hell and heaven as same as Islam. Though there are some people in the west who still are religious, but many are shifting to a more secular life.

Just like we Muslims have a Holy Book named the Holy Quran, the Christians also have a holy book named Bible. However, it’s their and our belief that separates us from each other. Our religion preaches different values than all other religions in this world. Consider the example of the Sub-Continent. Why did the Muslims demand a separate homeland? Why could they not live with the Non-Muslims under the same roof? It was not because of education but because of the difference of beliefs. Islam preached different values,  which other religions did not. How could they live together? Both demanded a separate homeland on the basis of the ideology that Muslims and Non-Muslims are two different nations who have different beliefs, different tastes and different values.

Islam and the western education play a secondary role in separating both nations. The values taught through education, and the message that is preached is entirely different. The western education does not focus on religious terms much; however, the Islamic education is purely based on religion. Through this education, the Muslims are taught how to behave, what to do and what not to do. Their moral and ethical values separate them from other people in this world. A Muslim son would learn respect to his parents. Many western sons wouldn’t want their parents to interfere in their lives while a Muslim son will mostly welcome his parents throughout his life. Do you see more differences between Islam and the west?

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In all walks of life, education is decreed to be an element of civilization. From third world countries to the developed big guns, the religious minded populations to the atheists and from the communists to the socialists; each faction walking on this planet believes it to be so. And it’s only natural that the institutes in charge of the spread and continuation of education will be similarly revered. At every corner of this world, in all the times past and now, educational institutes symbolize ethics, knowledge, broader frames of reference and of course civility –it is the same for Pakistan too.

Yet, there lies in them an aspect as dark as the darkness can be.

Not that ragging is always as obscene, immoral and low as we are hearing –but it certainly has gone to extents that crossed the line. I know, most of the readers might consider this as exaggeration; but having witnessed real life stories that usually aren’t spoken of publicly, I beg to differ. It is one thing to pull a prank on a fresher during his initial days –older students often find the need to boast of their seniority, but it is a totally different thing if people start taking the prank thing a bit too seriously. Taking the fun part out and converting it into purely personal assault has become a hidden norm in some of our top notch universities.

Just so you know what I am talking about here; only recently I read articles and talked to a few acquaintances that unfortunately had to go through all the atrocities themselves. It might be “just a joke gone too far” for some people, but from an unbiased eye, it was purely sexual harassment. Let me recall what went on with Mr. Umer Muhammad who was bold enough to write about his experiences. The poor soul left home for the first time to live in the hostels of a top notch university of Pakistan, but what he didn’t know was that he had landed himself into his worst nightmare. His days started with frequent insulting events that were labeled as ragging but things got worse for him as the days went on. He was literally abused by his seniors who forced him into meeting them alone in their hostel rooms where he was left alone and helpless. Making a person take off his clothes, be touched or be asked to touch others in the private parts when the poor kid was in the lurch was simply too far from a joke. The most heinous part was that all the apparent raggers didn’t show any signs of accepting what they were trying to do to satisfy their homosexual needs under the cloak of mocking.

Some of us might want to say that the person was exaggerating the story, or that this could not have happened under the roof of an educational institute in Pakistan. But look around; don’t we see these hideous criminals in one form or another in our society? People who tend to hide behind the masks of a male dominant society? Yes, this happens around our universities too, and it is a pity that the authorities always turn a blind eye to these events, simply to avoid negative sentiments being raised about their university.

Most of us, even those who go through all this tend to avoid mentioning it because it would hurt their male ego to either accept that this has happened to them. Others cover it up under the curtain of loyalty to the society they live in –how would you expect a male from a male dominant society to accept that we are living among such people because it will hurt their pride too! Though it is a rare case, but that doesn’t change the fact that even one incident of this nature if faced by a weak minded kid can damage his life psychologically. Allowing that to happen is sheer atrocity, and we would be a part of it if we cannot do our part in unmasking the foul. Being a writer I am doing my part by bringing it to the public eyes and the authorities in question –the rest is up to them.

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الولايات المتحدة الامريكية احدي الدول الكبري في العالم و من اكثر الدول سياحة ، فهي مليئة بالمناظر الطبيعية الخلابة و بها الكثير ايضا من المتاحف مثل متحف الروك اند رول وهو متحف يقع على ضفاف بحيرة إيري في وسط مدينة كليفلاند ، بولاية أوهايو ، مخصص لحفظ وتسجيل المحفوظات وتاريخ بعض الفنانين والمنتجين المشاهير والمعروفين، وغيرهم من

الناس من الذين أثروا في طريق صناعة الموسيقى و الفن بشكل عام ، وخاصة في مجال موسيقى الروك .
تم إنشاء هذا المتحف العريق في 20 أبريل عام 1983، لم يكن هناك مكان لانشاء المتحف ، نظرت لجنة للبحث في العديد من المدن ، بما في ذلك مدينة ممفيس ، في موقع أحد استوديوهات وتسجيل وثائق ستاكس ، ومنزل سينسيناتي وهو منزل الوثائق الملكية ، في مدينة نيويورك ، وكليفلاند ، ضغطت كليفلاند بشدة لتكون هي الموقع المختار، وقدم بعض زعماءالمجتمع المدني في كليفلاند مبلغ 65 مليون دولار من الأموال العامة لتمويل البناء ، و جمعوا حملة لتوقيع عريضة من قبل 600،000 وكانت من المشجعين لصالح كليفلاند ضد مدينة ممفيس ، وصوت مجلس قاعة الشهرة لبناء المتحف في كليفلاند ، وربما كانت كليفلاند قد اختيرت لتكون موقع المنظمة لان المدينة تقدم أفضل صفقة مالية ، أو لأن مصطلح روك آند رول ظهر للمرة الأولى في كليفلاند بواسطة الإذاعي آلن فريد في بداية الخمسينات من القرن الماضي ، ولهذا السبب حظيت بشرف احتضان قاعة روك آند رول للمشاهير ، بعد منافسات شرسة ، انشئ الهرم الزجاجي الضخم احتفاء بالمركز الأمريكي لموسيقا ال روك آند رول ، وعلى شرف هؤلاء الذين كان لهم دور مؤثر في الموسيقا الحديثة ، وتخصص متحف روك آند رول المشاهير في استكشاف ماضي وحاضر ومستقبل الموسيقا ويفاخر المتحف بمقتنياته من الحرف الفنية الموسيقية التي يتجاوز عددها الآلاف وتم الحصول عليها من الفنانين وهواة جمع الأدوات الموسيقية من مختلف أنحاء العالم ، وتم أفتتاح المتحف في 2 سبتمبر 1995، ويجري قطع الشريط من قبل الفرقة التي شملت يوكو أونو، وريتشارد ليتل، وغيرها.

ويتكون هذا المتحف من سبعة طوابق ، فمن الأول للخامس يعرض فيه القطع والأعمال والوثائق التاريخية المؤقتة أو التي تم اقتراض بعضها لفترة قصيرة من الزمن ، مثل جولة المشوه ، وعرض لتذكارات من 12 عاما في جولة في الوجود ، وغيرها من الأعمال والموسيقية الأخرى ، اما الطابق الثالث هو المكان الذي يقع في قاعة الفعلي للشهرة ، ويتضمن جدار مع كل من التوقيعات وتسجيلات الزيارة ، أما السابع هو معرض مؤقت حيث تقام فيه المعارض التي تحتوي على مجموعة معينة لفنان ما. ويعتبر أصغر قسم لأنه في أعلى الهرم.
ويعتبر هذا المتحف جزء من إعادة تطوير منطقة ميناءالمدينة الشمالي .

و ياتي متحف الطيران والفضاء الوطني من اهم المتحاف ايضا وهو متحف يقع بولاية واشنطن تابع لمؤسسة سميثسونيان ، وهو المتحف الأكثر شعبية ، فيه أكبر عدد من الطائرات والمركبات الفضائية في العالم وهو أيضا مركز حيوي للبحث في تاريخ وعلوم وتقنيات الطيران والطيران الفضائي، بالإضافة إلى علوم الكواكب والجيولوجياوالجيوفيزياء، معظم المراكب المعروضة هي مراكب أصلية.
سعت مؤسسة سميثسونيان أن تجعله مثيرا للإعجاب معماريا ، ولكن دون أن يطغى على مبنى الكابيتول،  صمم المهندس غيو أوباتا من مكتب هيلموث وأوباتا وكاساباوم في سانت لويس المتحف ، وهو عبارة عن أربع مكعبات بسيطة مكسوة بالرخام ، تحتوي على العروض الصغيرة والمسرحية، وهي ممتصلة فيما بينها بثلاثة أروقة كبيرة من الفولاذ والزجاج التي تحتوي على المعروضات الأكبر حجما، كالصواريخ والطائرات ومركبات الفضاء .

و ياتي متحف بالتيمور للفن ايضا من هم المتاحف بامريكا و يقع في مدينة بالتيمور في ولاية ميريلاند ، وتأسس عام 1914 ، بنى على الطراز الروماني ، ويضم أكبر مجموعة من اللوحات التي تنتمي إلى القرن التاسع عشر ، كذلك لوحات كثيرة في الفن المعاصر والحديث ، ويوجد به حوالي 90 ألف لوحة فنية ، ويقع المتحف متاخما لجامعة جونز هوبكنز.
يضم المتحف ايضا أعمالا لفنانين منهم ماتيس وبيكاسو وسيزان ومانيه وديغا وغوغان وفان غوخ ورينوار.

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The daughter of a man killed on his way home from a mosque says she believes his death was racially-motivated.

Mohammed Saleem, 75, was stabbed after leaving the Green Lane Mosque in Small Heath, Birmingham, on 29 April.

His daughter, Shazia Khan, said police were not listening to her family and her brother was threatened, apparently by the English Defence League, prior to their father's death.

The daughter of a man killed on his way home from a mosque says she believes his death was racially-motivated.
Mohammed Saleem, 75, was stabbed after leaving the Green Lane Mosque in Small Heath, Birmingham, on 29 April.
His daughter, Shazia Khan, said police were not listening to her family and her brother was threatened, apparently by the English Defence League, prior to their father's death.

BBC News report with video

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Four people have been arrested amid protests in Portsmouth, including two outside Southsea’s Jami Mosque.

Officers from Hampshire Constabulary stood guard outside the mosque, in Victoria Road North, this evening after small pockets of people expressed an intention to protest.

Four people have been arrested amid protests in Portsmouth, including two outside Southsea’s Jami Mosque.
Officers from Hampshire Constabulary stood guard outside the mosque, in Victoria Road North, this evening after small pockets of people expressed an intention to protest.

 Portsmouth News report

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The number of reported Islamophobic attacks since the Woolwich murder has continued to rise dramatically amid warnings from Muslim community leaders that the backlash which has seen attempted firebombings of mosques is being fuelled by far right groups.

Independent article 

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There is nothing, perhaps, more important in Islamic teachings after one’s obedience to Allah and His Messenger than one’s obedience and proper treatment to one’s mother. The Quran and Sunna mention and stress repeatedly the importance of one’s duty and obedience to his/her mother.

The Mother in the Quran:

In chapter 17 of the Quran, in verse 23, Allah mentions that He has decreed that we treat our parents well, and stresses on this treatment when they reach old age. He forbids us from saying even ‘uff,’ in a sign of being tired from listening to one’s parents, and He commands us to speak to them in gentle and kind words.

In chapter 31, in verse 14, Allah repeats the importance of obeying one’s parents, and emphasizes the importance of the mother. He describes the period of childbearing as increasing weakness upon weakness. And He goes on to remind us of the two-year period of weaning, and commands us to be grateful to Him and to our parents.

And in chapter 46, in verse 15, Allah repeats the importance of obedience to parents again, and stresses once more on the hardships the mother endures in the upbringing of her children. He mentions the early days of childbearing and upbringing, reminding us of the hardship our mothers go through in raising us.

The Mother in the Sunna:

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) stressed on numerous occasions the importance of the mother. In one hadith, he stresses that the mother is the most deserving person of one’s fine treatment. A companion asked him who is the most deserving of a fine treatment, and he replied “Your mother.” The companion asked, “Then who.” And the Prophet replied again, “Your mother.” The companion repeated the question, and the Prophet replied again with the same answer.

In one hadith, the Prophet Muhammad commanded a man who requested to join the Muslim army to return to his parents and put his best effort in serving them. The Prophet first asked him, “Are your parents living?” When he replied by “Yes”, the Prophet said, “You should put in your best efforts (in their) service.”

In another hadith, the Prophet mentions that one’s treatment of his/her parents may be the reason for one’s entry or prevention of entry into Heaven. He said, “Let him be humbled in to dust. Let him be humbled into dust.” The companions asked who he was referring to. The Prophet Muhammad replied, “He who sees either his parents during their old age or he sees both, but he does not enter Paradise.”

The above verses and hadith are but a fraction of the words written in the Quran and Sunna of the major importance of one’s treatment towards his/ parents, and especially towards his/her mother. With the spread of senior-citizen compounds and with the distractions of daily life, it is important that we remind ourselves of these verses and hadiths as to avoid upsetting our parents and to improve their well-being and happiness, both for Allah’s sake and for theirs.

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