Swat Valley

Just like most of the other things around us, where we get very excited for sometime and than slowly the passion dies. I think the same is happening here with our ambitions regarding help for IDPs. As the whole operation begins, there was a huge uproar everywhere, people giving away money, clothes and other things, television channels popping up services to help people. Slowly over the time it all has stopped, and I can conclude within few months we will completely recover from this and focus on something else.

Now, how about all those people, who have been displaced, ’cause many of us the Elite of Pakistan wanted those areas to be cleared off and moderated by our Government. Will they be able to recover with us too, like in months. I do not agree if you are nodding your head vertically here. I think, the main thing begins now, we need to change their mind sets, their washed brains, and inculcate some new thoughts in them. We need to tell them the strength of being One, being a Pakistani. Their are many people still shouting about this concern so we better listen to them and must not let our passion to help Swat get back on its feet die so early. Just give it more of your time, capital and care.

Is Education means Knowledge?

What i have understood is, Education means to deliver organized knowledge in a systematic way for a specific purpose. No matter if it is religious education or academic education or it is combating education or sports education.

I m going to talk about the academic education in Pakistan.

I have read and heard many people talking about double standard education system in Pakistan, the English medium and Urdu medium. And also about education in Pakistan and abroad.

But i never get the accurate answer of the questions, What education system we need and why and how?

First of all, no matter the education is in English or Urdu language, in a simple Government school or expensive high standard school, if the school cannot make the student a good human then such education is useless. In schools we are taught a number of stories, poems, biographies but I hardly find a teacher telling the students why they are being asked to read that stuff. May be the teachers them self don’t know also. We read, in fact just read, the stories of our heroes, our independence and our past glorious history. But why ?? May be even the people who wrote these also don’t know. Because no any activity or question are put at the end of chapters which can help the student or their teachers to know the reason of the story or article.

As told in the start, Education is delivered with a purpose. So what is the purpose of our education system these days? Do the writers of our academic books claim that, the books are organized in a way that by reading those our nation can get great leaders or devoted scientist or obedient citizens. Then very sorry to say, they live in fool’s paradise.

The teachers are equally responsible. They must understand, the teachers are mostly the first ideal person for their students. So rather that just pushing the students to study only for good marks they must teach them at least two thing, how good citizen behave and what are our responsibility as a nation. Because no matter how many stories or article a student learn, if he/she is not a good citizen, who don’t know how to behave with elders and younger and how to act on public spots ( mean while going to get a ticked should make a que and other such thing), then the education is incomplete.

And the parents also have responsibilities. A good behaving person can become a good student and good national. One thing the parents must teach their children to be loyal to their country and nation and live for the national cause.

So our Education system must be organized with a purpose that we are a nation who has to lead the world and we must learn the knowledge, skills and behaviors of great nation. Our books must be written with this purpose and our teacher must be trained to deliver this and our general life behavior, of which parents has most role, must be helpful and productive. Because if want to live for long then we must look through our education system and go for the changes which are need.

I know everyone will agree with me that a nation cannot be called a complete nation until it has a single aim and reason to live. A nation without a mission is dead. And a mission cannot be archived without devoted and helping persons. And those person are always ready to sacrifice for a big cause.

So here we should think , how much we sacrifice our personal life and things for our nation or help those who go for a big cause?? or at least we must appreciate them. But very sorrowfully we are so attached to our personal achievements and comforts that we don’t think for a national cause. All this is in front of us. But we have closed our eyes of heart and stopped our brains from thinking about bigger cause… the national cause. Just earn and work hard for our self and sleep calmly in the night. No need to waste time in discussing national issues or read about national problems or tell our friend/ family to behave like a nation and live for a bigger cause.

We should start thinking about this before it is too late.

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Commons in British Parliament - Glorious Revolution

Supreme Court barred Sharif brothers from contesting the election and even current seat for Shahbaz Sharif. This is the major headline for today. Later in the day, President Zardari issued an order which says Governor Punjab can take over the provincial cabinet and the existing provincial assembly members are no longer liable to keep their offices. Interesting advancements, I live at such a happening place. Now the question is — what next?

I was thinking about writing some feature post for last four, five day to fill up this portion for my blog. Though couldn’t find time to start something. today I was pushed by myself to atleast protest this in writing. Let’s get a little background first over this whole thing. NawaZ Sharif was charged for plan hijacking in 1999, which resulted in a military coup by well known Musharaf. This case also followed the exile of Sharif family.  Similarly, Shabaz Sharif was charged for some extra judicial killings, somewhere back in time. Anyways, things kept moving and Musharaf seized the office of supreme authority besides being an army man. As social historians  say everything moves in a circle from bottom to top and vise versa. General Musharraf wanted to get rid of his own appointed chief justice Iftikhar Choudhry, but the big guy refused to resign and then Musharaf made a wrong choice and dismissed the judge. This really aggravated situation for an already falling political system or I say General’s system.

A mass scale movement begins to restore the judiciary and reinstate Justice Iftikha Chaudhry. It felt like every Pakistani was part of it and may be that was the time to save democracy and the system. It was a collective political movement, the left wing and the right wing both were part of it. Nawaz Sharif head of Muslim League and Benazir for PPP seem to have very cordial relation during this whole thin going on. Somehow it was successful when the judges were restored by Supreme Court’s decision in July 2007 and some fresh air came in. May be not so quick and again in November,  General Musharaf declared emergency and the time for election and his self made democratic transition.

The purpose behind narrating this whole story is that witnessing all these good things and so much of political will, and cooperation between all parties with one focus reminded me of an analogy. In 1688 Briton, when Whigs and Tories joined hands against James II for his extensive interference in parliament and love for Catholics. The triggering instant was somewhat similar, when the arch bishop sent a letter to king about some inappropriate clause in the newly made bill. The king considering him a threat to his absolute rule imprisoned the bishops. This add fuel to the fire and it spread so vast and quickly. The collective effort of Whigs and Tories forced James II to escape and the crown went back to parliament which they gave to their selected king and queen (William III and Marry). So, this way Briton end his long rule of absolute monarchy and parliament restores its honor and sovereignty. This all was done in a very peaceful manner and now doubt is still remembered as glorious revolution.

Verifying my nostalgic analogies I focused on comparing the chords and points to follow the political leads here. I have enjoyed the conversation of our parties, PPP and Muslim league N about political harmony and will to help Pakistan advance. I was confused when Mohtarma Benazir got killed on December 27, because this was not the part of story, I had read. May be this was the point that turned away the whole course to somewhere else. Later on in elections all the parties got somewhat mixed mandates. People wanted to give all of them a chance, perhaps the last this time. The beginning was good.  Zardari had good words for Nawas Sharif and Sharifs seemed to appreciate Zardari’s steps.

I thought may be just like Briton now we are on the right track for democracy. A certain element of hope started making its shape in my heart, but this honey moon period soon was about to over and today we had the final drop scene when court declared Sharif brothers illegitimate to run for election. Though it’s a legal decision by the Supreme Court but even politically the most challenged person can do the math behind this. Mr. Sharif have gone through a lot of think and thin and perhaps he understands politics a bit, but on the other hand Zardari looks like more enthusiastic about his new gadgets at President Office rather than actually working out some workable strategy. May be besides few good things in Musharaf’s era one was the condition for Bachelors to run for election close call for Zardari saab.  Now what will happen, If he did this to stop the lawyers or weaken them for long march, than Oh poor you Sir, your math sucks this is going to strengthen it even more than before. What I see is a loop in which we will continue to run, unless we the PEOPLE break it out and get the control back from these good for nothing people we put on our head. This is not going to happen over night. My point here is that we should wait, and atleast for once let this 5 year democratic system run. This will give a new sign, a new norm, and a political value. They believe democracy is best revenge than let it be this way. Let the next elections come and we can equal the share. The problem is we people are so desperate, we want results over night. This isn’t going to happen. It took Briton with all their power and wisdom, 200 years starting from the Glorious Revolution even more to be what they are today.

I would look forward to your comments, suggestions and healthy criticism.

PS: The Image Curtsy

Successive Israeli governments have broken promises to the United States to halt settlement expansion, defined by Washington as an obstacle to peace. Ongoing expansion is likely to create friction not only with the Palestinians, but with President Barack Obama, whose Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, has long pushed for a settlement freeze. Obama has said he’d get involved quickly in Mideast peace efforts.

The composition of Israel’s next government is not clear yet following inconclusive elections last week. However, right-wing parties are given a better chance to form a ruling coalition, with hardline leader Benjamin Netanyahu at the helm.

Netanyahu supports settlement expansion and has derided peace talks with the Palestinians as a waste of time, saying he would focus instead of trying to improve the Palestinian economy. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has dismissed Netanyahu’s approach as a non-starter, and his aides said recently that peace talks can only resume after a settlement freeze.

At the center of the latest expansion plans is Efrat, a settlement of about 1,600 families south of Jerusalem.

The mayor of Efrat, Oded Revivi, said the Israeli military designated 425 acres (172 hectares) near Efrat as so-called state land two weeks ago at the end of a lengthy appeals process. He said nine appeals were filed by Palestinian landowners, adding that eight were rejected and one was upheld.

Revivi said Efrat plans to build 2,500 homes on that land, but that several steps of government approval would still be needed before construction could begin — a process that could take years. Eventually, Efrat is to grow to a city of 30,000 people, he said.

The settlement is situated in one of the three major settlement blocs that Israel expects to hold on to in any final peace deal. Palestinian reaction to the latest development was not immediately available.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel’s peace partner, warned that continued settlement expansion would cripple peace talks.

“We oppose settlement activity in principle and if the settlement activity doesn’t stop, any meetings (with the Israelis) will be worthless,” Abbas said.

Nearly 290,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements today, or 95,000 more than in May 2001 when Mitchell first called for a settlement freeze. At the time, he led a fact-finding mission to Israel and the Palestinian territories to find a way to end months of violence and resume peace talks.

Mitchell called on the Palestinians to halt attacks on Israelis and demanded that Israel halt construction in settlements.

In other developments Monday, Palestinian rockets exploded in southern Israel and Israeli jets bombed the Egypt-Gaza border as talks dragged on over a long-term truce that would bring quiet to the coastal territory.

Israel has been battling Gaza’s Hamas rulers, while simultaneously pursuing a peace agreement with Abbas’ rival government in the West Bank.

In Monday’s violence, two rockets fired from Gaza landed in Israel, the Israeli military said, a near-daily occurrence even after the devastating three-week Israeli offensive that was meant to bring a halt to the fire. No one was injured, the military said.

Several hours later, Israeli jets bombed an area of smuggling tunnels in the frontier town of Rafah, according residents and Hamas security officials. Israel’s military said the strike targeted a tunnel used to smuggle weapons in from Egypt and was retaliation for the rocket fire.

Israel ended its military offensive in Gaza on Jan. 18, and the territory’s Islamic Hamas rulers declared a cease-fire the same day. But sporadic violence has continued as Egypt tries to mediate a long-term truce.

Hamas is demanding that Israel open Gaza’s blockaded border crossings, but Israel says it will fully open the crossings only after Hamas releases Sgt. Gilad Schalit, an Israeli tank crewman captured in June 2006. Israel is allowing in only humanitarian aid, and on Monday was to allow some 200 aid trucks and fuel for Gaza’s power plant to enter the territory, the military said.

Hamas wants Israel to release hundreds of prisoners in return for Schalit, including high-ranking militants and the masterminds of deadly suicide bombings.

Israel’s top leadership is scheduled to meet this week to formulate a response to Hamas’ demands.

By KARIN LAUB, AP

My Openion:

CAIRO, 14 January 2009 ¬ Israel’s invasion of Gaza sets up the United States and any other nation supporting Israel as terror targets, predicts Gerald Celente. The Trends Research Institute Director also warns that should Israel continue the invasion, or take the war beyond Gaza, the world risks both a 1973-style oil shock and global conflict.

“Regardless of whose side you take, what you believe in, who did what to whom and when this is just the latest chapter of ‘Crusades 2000′,” said Celente, who coined the term in 1993 and has written about it extensively. Yet, unlike preceding Crusades confined to the Holy Land, the trend seer says the current violence will spread globally. (See “Crusades 2000,” Trends Journal, Fall 1993; Trends 2000 Warner Books 1997; “Crusades 2000,” Trends Journal, Spring 2006.)
Armed and Dangerous

World news sources report a Middle East up-in-arms and seething at the lopsided Israeli massacre that has left over 1,000 Palestinians dead, thousands wounded, and Gaza in ruins. In comparison, three Israeli civilians and less than a dozen Jewish soldiers have been killed; scant damage has been inflicted on Israel.
The incessant US media and government message focuses on Israel’s “right to defend itself” while minimizing or ignoring the long sequence of Israeli provocations leading up to its invasion while also failing to cite the real tally from the preceding mutual hostilities. In the months prior to Israel’s December 27th attack, homemade Hamas projectiles fired into Israel killed no one. (Over the past several years prior to the invasion, 13 Israelis were killed by rocket fire. Between 2005 and 2007 alone, the Israeli Defense Force killed 1,290 Palestinians in Gaza, including 222 children.)
Also largely absent from United States war coverage are the contributing factors Palestinians claim precipitated their primitive Qassam rocket launches into Israel. Chief among them, Israel’s 18-month starvation blockade of 1.5 million impoverished Palestinians squeezed into densely populated Gaza (described by the Vatican as “a big concentration camp”) and Israel’s pre- invasion assassination of six Palestinian officials.
According to the Geneva Conventions, the United Nations, the Red Cross, Human Rights Watch and other government and NGOs, Israel’s response has been both disproportionate and illegal. Among the condemnations, Israel’s military has been accused of firing white phosphorus artillery packed shells on civilians. The UN special envoy for human rights accused the Israeli army of ” committing a shocking series of atrocities by using modern weaponry against a defenseless population – attacking a population that has been enduring a severe blockade for many months.”
For its part, since the onset of hostilities, the United States had prevented approval of a UN Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire. And when the United Nations Security Council voted for a “durable and fully respected” cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, “leading to the full withdrawal” of Israel’s forces from the Palestinian territory, the US abstained from voting. (The New York Times reported that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert “placed a phone call to President Bush” and that “Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice had been forced to abstain” from the UN resolution.)
“Major trends are brewing that if not quickly corrected or stanched, will lead to disaster,” Celente forecasts, citing fears among Israel’s neighbors that they could be the next victims.
“Throughout 2008, reports had been circulating that Israel was planning a military strike against Iran’s major nuclear complex at Natanz, and The New York Times all but confirmed it on January 11th,” Celente said. “While President Bush has made scores of disastrous foreign policy decisions during his reign, he should be congratulated for turning down Israel’s request for specialized bunker-busting bombs needed to take out the nuclear facility.”
An attack on Iran by either Israel or the US will spark the onset of World War III, predicts Celente.
“If oil producers sympathetic to the Palestinian cause cut the flow of oil, or if they cut supply in fear of being the next Israeli target, the world will go from a terrible recession immediately into the ‘Greatest Depression’,” Celente said.
(OPEC used the oil weapon in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, embargoing the US and other countries who sided with Israel.)
Beyond escalating economic dangers, Washington has placed itself in terror’s bulls-eye Celente said, pointing to last weeks US Senate and House passage offering “unwavering commitment” for Israel. “Today, we reaffirm that Israel, like any nation, has a right to self-defense when under attack,” said House speaker Nancy Pelosi. “The rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza, which were increasing in frequency and range, constituted an unacceptable security threat to which Israel had a responsibility to respond.”
Should Washington continue its “unwavering commitment” to Israel while taking direct measures to destroy Palestinians, Americans should also be aware that those left standing will seek revenge, Celente said. “News reports of US supplied ships bringing munitions to Israel to be used against Palestinians, and Israel’s claims that the UN school they shelled killing some 50 civilians was the fault of a US-supplied weapon malfunction will not be forgotten by those seeking revenge,” said Celente.
Trendpost: Stay abreast of ongoing Middle East developments.
Assess them by weighing the facts and gleaning the truth lurking behind the propaganda smokescreen. Should an oil embargo ensue, product scarcities will cause frenzy buying of food and fuel.
Gold prices will spike, the dollar will crash and global panic will most likely break out.
Reporting from CAIRO: John Anthony West, Executive Editor, the Trends Journal.
Publisher’s Note: To make accurate trend forecasts, we do our utmost to seek facts that are generally accepted as truth. The more reliable the data, the more accurate the forecasts. The purpose of a trend forecast is to provide guidance on what to expect and how to plan for what may transpire. We do not pass judgment on what is right or wrong, good or bad, what we want or hope for it’s just “what is.”

© MMIX The Trends Research Institute ®

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