Middle East has been on fire for many many years.  Every day, hundreds of innocent lives are maimed, killed and the mayhem is beyond the comprehension of a any civilized human being.  Muslims are killing their Muslim brothers and sisters along with other minority groups living in that part of world.  Under the pretext of religion, lot of innocent lives have become victim of sectarian scuffles.  However, the unfortunate part is that the Sheikhs in the Middle East do not care to find a solution to this on going madness in the Muslim communities of these countries.  they cann't lift themselves up from politics and contorted version of their religion and try to think outside that enclosed box to find a solution to this inhumane tragedy.  'Fatwa' is a very interesting word in Islam.  But I am little confused and may be some one can help me understand the true meaning and purpose of this diktat. First of all, my discussion with some of the Muslims who profess to know more about Islam than I do, revealed that these Fatwas can only be issued by the government and not by any  Imams or Mullahs.  Is it true?  Secondly, what does it mean?  Does it mean that the person against whom this Fatwa is issued needs to be assassinated? I am not sure.  Bunch of Mullahs, Imams and other Muslim scholars in India just issued a Fatwa against the activities of ISIS in the Middle East and sent this 15 volume dossier to the United Nations for some kind of approval.  Another confusion.  What will happen to the activities of ISIS even if UN approved this dossier?  Is UN going to take any initiative to stop the barbarous acts of ISIS?
Definitely not.  UN does not have the capability, will and enforcement power to stop it.  So, even though there may have some goodness hidden in this diktat, what purpose does it serve to change the ideology of this unIslamic behavior?  In my opinion, Mullahs and Imams should not waste time issuing these diktat, instead spend rather invest time in changing the ideology of their Muslim brothers and sisters to over this madness.  The problem is not with the teachings of Islam, the crux of the problem lies with the convoluted and contorted interpretation of Koran by the Mullahs.  Therefore, the burden is on the shoulders of Mullahs in the mosques to deliver spiritual discourses while preaching Islam - spiritual which leads the audience to love, respect and treat others humanely.  ARE MULLAHS, IMAMS AND OTHER SO CALLED AUTHORITIES IN ISLAM LISTENING?

Central government of India needs a big applause for the action taken to provide shelter to the minority group of people who are Pakistani nationals and entered India before December last year.  As we all know, the minorities in Pakistan are treated as a second class citizens, being forced to convert to Islam failing which they are killed, maimed and forced to marry into the Muslim families.  There is no chance for them to educate themselves, being part of the election and judicial  system or enjoy any type of freedom of speech.  Their life in Pakistan is not better than a person in the prison for a life time.  This action is a step in the right direction to alleviate their sufferings, and with the hope that they can have a decent human life in India with a full liberty of speech, faith and freedom.  Not knowing the details of this communication granting them a stay in India even though their documents/visas have expired, this writer would like to see another friendly and humanely gesture on the part of an Indian government and that is to provide these new settlers financial support as a seed money for lodging, boarding and starting some small scale business so that they can stand on their feet and become productive members of the community along with some assistance towards education for their children.  This will have a long term political gain for the BJP and more over a long lasting good wishes for India.

Army Chief of Pakistan stated, while celebrating 50th anniversary of 1965 war with India, that the Pakistani army is capable of defending Pakistan irrespective of the scale and length of an impending war with India.  He also emphasized that there is a big difference between the Pakistani army of the past and the present.  In addition, he said that Kashmir is, as he put it, an unfinished business for the last 68 years to make it part of Pakistan.  Needless to say, these are good points, delivered diplomatically, to keep the morale of the Pakistani forces high.  But when it comes to reality which means fighting a war with another country, , one ought not to look for diplomacy and contorted statements.  One should seek factual information, especially when the opponent is more powerful in every respect - militarily, economically and its size.  When Army Chief of Pakistan made his statement, had he forgotten what happened to his country in the last four wars with India.  In one of the wars of 1971, Pakistan lost half of its territory - now Bangladesh.  I will be interested to see if Pakistan celebrates 50th anniversary of 1971 war also and how do they present the facts to its population.  Unfortunate part of Pakistani history is that it is run predicated on lies, baseless statements, misguidance and misinformation.  Giving Army Chief a benefit of doubt, may be he was boasting of Pakistan's nuclear bombs when he made above statements, knowingly that his nation cann't win a conventional war with India.  That makes sense.  However, there is a big risk involved in that statement and assumption.  Pakistan knows that India has a declared policy of not using a nuclear bomb 'first'.  But Pakistan and including this Army Chief should know that any usage of nuclear arsenal by Pakistan on India will have an unimaginable consequences.  True, Pakistan can create a very substantial damage to India by exploding nuclear bombs first, but its repercussion will be so devastating on Pakistan that it may not exists on the map.  IS PAKISTANI ARMY CHIEF READY FOR THAT?

What has happened in this rape case involving a few Indians and a Japanese girl is shocking and equally shocking is the quickness and a fair delivery of strict judgement to punish the perpetrators for a long term imprisonment.  The court's decision, needless to say, is to be admired.   I am sure it brought lot of relief to the victim and her family because that is what they looked for - a fair judgement.  All leaders and judges at other states' level ought to take a cue from the handling of this rape case to set an example that under no circumstance the criminal of such heinous rape cases will be spared irrespective of their association, affiliation and status in the society.  However, in my opinion, this case took 6 months to dispose off which is still a long time.  There needs to be special courts set up nationwide where only rape cases will be heard and disposed off within weeks, not in months and years.  One does not want to prolong the agony to the victim and his/her family awaiting the closer of such cases. 

Pakistan's history is full of lies and distortion of facts. Defese Minister of Pakistan - Mr. Asif - is just repeating the same version of Pakistan's previous annals by saying that Pakistan won 1965 war against India when the whole world, especially many Pakistani retired generals admit that India defeated Pakistan in 1965 very badly as the former did in the 1971 and the Kargil War in 1999. It is very strange that the Pakistani government does not feel shy at all by presenting distorted facts to its citizens. Agreed that a large majority of Pakistanis are not literate, and by design they have been deprived of this privilege, but there is no uproar either from the press and media either against the misrepresentation of facts. I am not sure how long the Pakistani leaders will be able to pull on with the contorted and baseless arguments, but one thing is sure that they cann't make fool of the whole world any more. The civilized society knows the historical truth and it is a matter of time Pakistan will become a very irrelevant entity on the international forum. As far as Pakistan's scuffle with India is concerned, I do not profess to be a military expert, but I can say that if and when there is another war between these two countries, it is going to be full of destruction. Since Pakistan cann't win any conventional war against India , and God forbid, if it leads to a nuclear war the consequences will be beyond description and in all eventuality Pakistan will be wiped off the map with substantial damage to India too - but India will survive.

What Mr. Baig's organization is doing is a step in the right direction to change a thought process of non-Muslims about Muslims.  However, this writer has his own apprehension and that is if this billboard campaign is really genuine or is it another ploy to gain the good will of non-Muslims about Muslims.  I am asking Mr. Baig if his organization is going to stand up openly condemning any terrorist act perpetrated by any Muslim anywhere in the world, if his organization is going to work as a true citizen and report any noticeable anti-national activity in their community to the legal authority, if his organization can confirm that Muslim mosques are not going to be the recruiting centers of future martyrs and the audience is not going to be brain washed with the concept of jihad and infidel.  Can he and his organization do it?  Religious places ought to deliver sermons only and only on the topic of spirituality which teaches the audience how to be peaceful, love each other and respect each other and not to hate and kill each other.  Unfortunately, most of the so called Imams and mullahs in the mosques are not spiritually literate.  They deliver discourses either predicated on their own distorted understanding of Koran or as they are guided by their financiers to proliferate their philosophy of Islam.  In both cases, it is harmful and does not serve the humanity the way it should.  Hence, the whole world is a victim of this convoluted and contorted version of Islam.  What is happening in the Middle East, especially the activities of ISIS, is a shameful live example of Muslims.  What is Mr. Baig's response to it and what his organization is doing to stop this inhumane activity, other than just pasting and displaying billboard signs.

I am not sure how far this check from the Muslim community of Gorakhpur for 11,111 rupees will go to take care of the grievances of Gita Press striking employees, but certainly it is a gesture to be praised.  This is a type of ideology needed this day when there is lot of ill-will spreading between Hindus and Muslim communities.  All Muslims and Hindus ought to take a cue from this incident.  Because this is the only way to root out the basic cause of friction from the communities - helping, loving and respecting each other.  Yes, it is an uphill battle to change the mentality of brain washed people ( both Hindus and Muslims), but the gesture cited above is a step in the right direction to achieve this objective.  Also, what is needed to accomplish this goal is a demonstration of an outright condemnation whenever there is any act perpetrated by any brain washed group of people to damage the relationship of these two communities. This demonstration ought to follow right away from the moderate communities of both religions.  Therefore, the onus is on the moderate leaders of both the communities.  It is a historical fact that irrespective of the fact whether a fight is between family members, at a state level, national level or even between two countries,fighting with each other does not solve any problem.  It just brings destruction and more destruction.  Do we want to pursue a path which leads to destruction?