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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (46280)	5/24/2004 2:47:01 AM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 50167

Students reject extremism in all manifestations By Naveed Ahmad ISLAMABAD: Intellectuals and students from public and private sector universities along with select number of ‘madaris’ from all over the country on Sunday agreed that extremism was neither legitimised by religion nor served any purpose of humanity. In the daylong proceedings of first Student Convention 2004 being held under the auspices of the Higher Education Commission, the participants explained their point of view in their respective way within the available time. Themes of the three thematic discussions ranged from investment in education, and extremism a barrier to development, to enlightened moderation key to globalisation. The Student Convention is attended by 118 delegates from 55 public and private sector universities and religious schools. The last session was also attended by senators and some of the ministers along with university professors. Javed Jabbar asked the youth to join hands to steer the country in challenging times. He recalled that Pakistan was a unique country mainly due to moderate enlightenment. He reminded the audience that even the very word Pakistan was carved out just 70 years ago by a young man while the other religious state Israel has been there in one way or the other since centuries. Javed Jabbar urged the audience to change their thinking process from deductive reasoning to inductive one. He also referred to the fact the Muslims started their quest for knowledge by translating the old Greek works while the Christians could get the first English translation of the Holy Qur’aan in the 17th century and lived with distorted faces of Islam and Qur’aan painted by the French and German clergy. "That is why this is the time to promote understanding of each other and tolerate disagreement as isolated and extremist thoughts have been hampering our development for decades," Javed Jabbar said. The former information minister also criticised curbs imposed by the government on the freedom of expression and access to information thus leaving people to their limited worldviews. Vice Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Women University Dr. Najma Najam said, "instead oppressing the opposite view point, we should agree to live with it and ponder." She said enlightened moderation is a state of mind, which believes in rationality and is free of prejudices. While summing up the session she said ‘Enlightened moderation is key to Globalisation,’ she said the nation couldn’t close its eyes to developments taking place around the globe. Globalisation is a continuing phenomenon and reality, and it has to be treated and dealt with as such. She believed that Pakistani people would never like to be left behind by not embracing the concept of enlightened moderation Professor Naveed Shahzad skilfully made the discussion more diverse and absorbing by raising a basic but crucial question as to whether education is must for enlightened moderation or the nation could get it without becoming 100 per cent literate and educated. A vast majority agreed that enlightened moderation was not conditional with one being educated. Amongst the participants, Saeed-ur-Rehman, who studies at the Jamia-ul-Uloom ul Islamia, Karachi, made a well-researched and different presentation. Despite being a ‘madrisa’ student, he confidently voiced his independent point of view fluently and in good English. Saeed, who did not agree with post-9/11 approach adopted by some of the Muslim leaders said that development, be it economic, social, cultural, scientific, technological, political or religious on a global level, is inevitable. It can be promoted by a moderate approach, as extreme policies do not click. All the nations have to adopt ‘give-and-take to accommodate and pursue moderate policies like those propounded in Islam, he remarked. Saeed also asked the world organisations to review their policies while urging the west and its think tanks to study Islam with open mind and impartiality. He admitted that Europe and America have certainly made techno-scientific advances and are progressing remarkably well in the material world but they lack humanistic values and value for human life. He said in the present global village, non-violence and understanding of the largest human group ever, is key to development. He also dug into human history to prove that it was full of extremism in all fields. "It has not come into existence by coincidence. It has several key factors such as extremism, poverty, deprivation and suppression and exploitation," he explained. The religious seminary student observed that ignorance breeds extremism as in this case no other point of view except of one’s own is acceptable, thus knowledge is blocked from benefiting human intellect. He believed that powerful nations like US and Europe of today tend to promote ignorance and allow it to flourish in the rest of the world. But he believed that the main reason of religious extremism is alteration in heavenly books. The popes, monks and rabbis of the time changed some verses in return for little worldly luxuries. He blamed the kings for destroying religions for their personal benefits and gains. He also observed that extremism defies consultation, dialogue and therefore understanding and mutual cooperation. So it retards development and leads to civil commotion, eventually creating insecurity and disturbing law and order and blocking investment and retarding economic activities, Saeed explained. He questioned that why is it so that a nun can be covered from head to toe and she is respected for devoting herself to God but when a Muslim does so she is labelled as oppressed. Today would be the last day of the convention that would be chaired and addressed by General Pervez Musharraf.

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (46280)	5/24/2004 1:21:27 PM
From: the navigator	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

in 1987 when I saw poverty and inequality of Washington heights and when 125th Street was crime infested and Clinton was no one in Arkansas or a Guv, I bought properties around Columbia University and today this is one of the finest portfolio, now eat your heart, Hey, step back! I'm not talking about taxes you paid on monies you made to enrich yourself and your ego. Do you pay income taxes on your personal income? Now that the issue of taxes is resolved lets go to the blood, my father served in British Land Forces from 1939 than served on the eastern front against the Japanese, as 'kakazais' we are a martial race and hence your vote crap and your democracy crap is out of order here And what your father did in WW II is irrelevant to our discussion. That sacrifice was your father's. if I was a US citizen my kids would have definitely served like my older brother did get commission of the Army he is citizen off I'm looking for a personal sacrifice from you. Something that would cost you more than all your riches. Something that is irreplaceable. I'm looking for you to sacrifice one of your children. I believe non-citizens are allowed to serve in our military. Put your children where your mouth is.