Captain Yusof Ahmad who uses the pseudonym the 'Ancient Mariner' has passed away. I cross checked with other blogs after receiving a comment in my blog. My condolences to his loved ones. I never knew him but got to know him through his blog. I had placed his link in my blog. Once again my deepest and sincerest condolences to his loved ones.

This is the guy who heads the MACC. When his son was caught over the issue of his bringing child pornographic material into Australia. His son, a pilot, pleaded guilty and paid a fine for the offence. He said this,“I can bet with you that it’s something that you will find on most men’s handphones.” Is he not as sick as his son? Maybe he has porn in his handphone. Dear Ahmad, all men are not as perverted as you or as your son. We have mothers, wives, sisters, grandmothers, aunties and of course daughters. Maybe it is normal for men in your family to carry porn in their handphones.

So now the father of a porn carrying pilot wants us to trust him in his investgation of Teoh Beng Hock's death? Please we are not morons, by the way do not make my ba**s laugh with your so called investigation.They definitely have something to hide, his bunch of goons love cows and Lexus.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is conducting its own internal inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock’s death and will make public its findings.MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan said the commission had nothing to hide. “We will reveal all. When we have all the facts ready, we will hold a press conference and give a full report,” he said. Ahmad said the MACC would not be shaken by the attacks against it by political parties. “Politicians can say what they like. But whatever they claim will not change the facts and evidence. The truth will be out soon,” he said. Yeah, same truth like your son's porn in Australia with your convoluted logic!

Banner for Teoh Beng Hock, thanks to Jeff Ooi

First you need to get rid of the current UMNO led regime. That means, no more supporting MCA, MIC, Moquito Party PPP and the other many smaller mosquitos. These are the parties that prop up UMNO and make UMNO audacious, which means recklessly bold in defiance of convention, propriety, law, or the like; insolent and brazen. They give excuses for UMNO to continue to rule under the pretext of being multi racial, taking care of the needs of each individual race, under the banner of the BN. What they actually perpetuate is the supremacism of one race. Which in turn makes UMNO abuse the rule of law, with the help of government institutions headed by the "Little Napoleans", without fear of repercussions. They know that the people are impotent. East Malaysians better wake up, before a similar incident happens in your own back yard.

Once that happens you can bring justice for Beng Hock and the many victims who have died due to Police brutality, god knows there are many. You can bring these paragons of "law enforcement", plus our juciciary and now our infamous MACC to justice. You will be able to throw in a few Ministers in to face the music, maybe starting with the head honco himself.

No matter what screwups the Pakatan Rakyat does, people do not die. These screwups are birthing pains, tolerate them. You must apply the first principle of war, which is "The selection an maintanence of aim". Do not deviate from that aim, do not add on other aims, for surely you will fail. Hold on to the first aim of getting rid of the UMNO led regime.Tell Pas to get it's shit organised and stop being shit stirrers with unity talks with a power crazy rabid organisation.

Then after conducting a clean up of the civil service, appointing people with a sense of fair play and justice, only then can justice be served. Justice for Teoh Beng Hock, Kugan and the many dead. Which will of course lead to better ruling of this beloved country of ours. So people stay focussed, wake up.

From the Malaysian Bar Council:

It is astounding that yet another individual has been found dead, under highly-questionable and dubious circumstances, in the context of an investigation conducted by yet another law enforcement agency. Such incidents merely cement, in the public mind, the perception that law enforcement officers are either negligent or reckless in fulfilling the duty of care that they owe to those who have been called in to assist in investigations; even worse, severely abusive towards them.

This is not the first time that the MACC has reportedly held witnesses and interrogated them overnight. It is indefensible that a witness in a routine investigation should have been deprived of sleep and interrogated for more than eight hours, reportedly from about 5 p.m. until 3.45 the next morning. Even detained persons have the right not to be interrogated during the night. Rule 20 of the Lockup Rules 1953 provides that detainees “shall be locked up for the night by 6.30 p.m. and shall rise and be dressed by 6.30 a.m.” They are to be allowed adequate rest. If there was insufficient time to finish questioning Teoh during reasonable hours of the day, he should have been released and asked to return on another day. He was not a flight risk, and indeed was to have had a civil registry marriage on the following day.

All MACC officers who were part of Teoh’s interrogation must be suspended immediately. All officers who had contact with Teoh must be questioned to establish a detailed record of accountability for his whereabouts and welfare. The investigation papers and diaries/logbooks should also be seized to avoid allegations of tampering. We note that this incident is the latest in a deplorable string of deaths occurring in the context of investigations carried out by law enforcement agencies. For the full statement go here.....

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Najib: Promise to find the truth. This is in relation to the death of Teoh Beng Hock. The police will thoroughly and professionally investigate the death of Teoh Beng Hock to find out what actually happened, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. He called on all quarters not to speculate or make statements, which could confuse the public. The Star

People, do you really trust him? Well, are we now not allowed to speculate? Confused about the half truths, spins and lies, a resounding yes! There have been so many thorough investigations with alot of NFA's (No further action). In relation to Najib himself, was a thorough investigation carried out on Altantuya Shaaribuu's murder, why was PI Bala not called? Until today after his fish head curry no one knows his where abouts. Many people are still curious about the motive for the killing of a model. She moved in elite circles and was the mistress of a political aide to Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Remember this, "I saw Azilah outside the jeep carrying a bag containing an M5 weapon and silencer from the jeep that was located at the foot rest of the passenger seat and gave it to me ordering me to "shoot to kill" the Chinese woman who was inside the jeep". Dear Mr. PM we have yet to be convinced about you finding out the "truth". Your track record speaks volumes on your so called truth.

Yes what about the custodial death of poor Kugan, according to your goons, he drank water and died . People are still waiting for the truth, when is the truth going to happen. While at it please explain why was the pants, of the late Mr. Teoh Beng Hock seen shredded when he actually did a free fall down 9 floors. We await with bated breath for your answers, the "truth". Wink, wink and wink.

The denial by Jainisah Mohd Noor in Malaysiakini who is a public relations officer for the National Registration Department director-general, was quick in, eeerrr well, denying that 'Big bullies at registration department' do not exist citing regulations and department orders, my, my, that was quick. You know why they were quick, they could give a coherent answer. There are four religions cited in the MyKad, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Later Taoism was added, making it 5. Confucius?????? NO.

Yes, they are definitely monkeying around with my religion. I wrote to those ignoramuses in the NRD. Remember my case where the NRD had me converted to Confucius, until today I have yet to hear a squeal from them, since I highlighted the issue on the 10th of July 2006! Here is my letter to Malaysiakini. I believe they have no plausible or sane answer for their blunder. That is why they are chickening out to reply to me.

I wrote to : zainuddin@jpn.gov.my , who was the Director of JPN Perak, with copies to others. Read my letter I wrote to them. I was not civil to them at all, as I was pissed, totally pissed, still am.

This letter was the sanitised version published in Malaysiakini, my original is a bit more spicy. I applied for my new MyKad quite some time back, long before the deadline. My wife and I collected ours at the state National Registration Department office, the one near the Perak Medical College in Jelapang.

What was shocking was that people who had filled their religion as Christians were registered as ‘Buddha’. Buddha was a person and Buddhism is a religion. There were a a large number of them. What really riled me the most was that I suddenly found myself converted to "Confucius". Confucius is a person, the practice or a way of life is known as "Confucianism". But I was against putting religion in the identity card from the beginning.

My next question is this: Is this a scam on the part of the NRD to make people pay for corrections? RM10 for every correction will amount to a substantial sum. I do not understand the rationale of that. Because of their gross incompetence and ineptitude, we have to pay a price? On my part, I refuse to pay. I took a day off, of my limited and valuable off days, to renew and get this glorified MyKad. The next question is, can I claim for my mileage and for my off-day in cash for their blunders?

I think, and many others think so too, that the NRD people are monkeying around with the religion of others. Over and above, they want to rip people of their hard-earned money. I would also suggest that all NRD staff attend some kind of sensitivity training from the top down.

Or is there a hidden agenda behind all these doctored blunders? MyKad: Hidden agenda behind blunders? In Malaysiakini.

When a person falls at whatever the height, his clothing does not shred, food for thought. Yes, there is blood, enlarge image, you can see blood in a flow, congealed at his head. "No one in his right senses will imagine to commit suicide a day before he is slated to be married." Revealed DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang. Another needless death whilst being "investigated", this time Teo Beng Hock an aide to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah. Whatever the MACC spins, ultimately the responsibility is theirs and theirs alone. Remember poor Kugan who died in Police custody whilst being "investigated"? He drank water and died according to the Police. . It looks like one must not drink water in Police custody.

Have the MACC joined the bandwagon of the Police? Oxford Jamaluddin, the Chief of UMNO Goons, ooops Youth, who previously condemned Karpal Singh when his louts,(UMNO Youth) were harassing a wheel chair bound MP, he defended the thuggery of UMNO Youth. This time he says, "I will call for Royal Commission of Inquiry but we must not pre-judge and cast aspersions as per LKS (Lim Kit Siang)". Malaysiakini in full. Can you trust this guy? This is an exercise in Public relations to make over his image. It will probably go the way of Kugan and the Mongolian lady.

Click on image to enlarge.

Look at the picture his pants seat is torn ...looks like they held him over the window by his pants .....Raja Petra's account:

So they continued to torture him. And he could no longer stand the torture. After all, he is not the macho type of man. He is but a gentle man who only wanted to get married this weekend. That was all that he wanted. They threatened to kill him if he refuses to talk. With tears running down his cheeks he begged for mercy and pleaded with them not to harm him. They threatened to throw him off the top floor if he refuses to talk. Sobbing like a baby he went down on his knees and begged for his life.

They dragged him across the room and opened the window. Then something went terribly wrong. It was supposed to be just a threat. They just wanted to put fear in him. They did not really want to throw him off the top floor. They just wanted him to see what the ground floor looks like from the top floor. The unfortunate young man panicked. He went ballistic when he saw the distance he would have to travel before hitting the ground floor. He struggled. They could not hold onto him. Gravity took over and the life of this young man was prematurely snuffed out. Extract from Malaysia Today

I guess the MACC would be more innovative than the Police, they might say, "he tripped over his shoe laces, flew out of the window, fell a few floors down and died".

At the end of the day, he died in the premises belonging to the MACC, they are responsible. When shit happens within your area of responsibility, you are responsible. Do not pass the buck! It pisses off intelligent people like the rakyat, if you are still thinking that the people believe everything you say to absolve yourselves of blame.

Man, I don't believe this. I know I may be jumping the gun here, but I think this "culture" of people taken in for questioning and dying after a "FALL" must end now. Even as I am typing this, I am so enraged by this careless attitude. Healthy, normal people just don't simply die from a fall. And the worse part is, the authorities in charge will merely say that they will "conduct a full (more like FOOL) investigation" and as long as I can remember, nothing conclusive comes out as a result of these investigations. Even the poor Kugan, found dead with bruises and a badly scarred body, still these "investigators" can't find anything amiss. Sick authorities - J Yong Malaysian Insider. My deepest and sincerest condolences to his loved ones-edit.

Why couldn't the US President talk tough in Cairo like he did to the Africans. African people are not as hot-headed as peoples from certain other parts of the world and they are receptive to a little well meaning and constructive criticism. Some peoples are more mature than others. This is one of the best descriptions of Obama's hypocritical, immoral and dangerous foreign policy. Let us hope that the besotted main stream media of the USA take cognizance of this excellent analysis.He is utterly consistent in siding with Fascists while objecting to Democracies.

The simple explanation is that President Obama is a coward, and standing up to people who hate liberty, and would kill him in an instant if they got the chance, simply isn't in his bag of tricks. On the other hand, scolding Africans, or Americans for that matter, is a totally risk free way for Obama to demonstrate his own superiority. He gets nothing but applause for skipping all over the world and apologizing for how unworthy America is to have a President as great as him. Everything Obama does can be explained by unlimited self-regard coupled with moral cowardice.

SPEAKING in Ghana on Saturday, Barack Obama lectured Africans on local repression, corruption, brutality, good governance and accountability. The startling contrast to his June speech in Cairo was revealing.

Stroking Muslim and Arab nations has become the hallmark of the US President's foreign policy.

In Egypt, he chose not to utter the words terrorism or genocide. In Egypt, there was nothing "brutal" he could conjure up, no "corruption" and no "repression". In Ghana, with a 70 per cent Christian population, he mentioned "good governance" seven times and added direct calls to "make change from the bottom up". He praised "people taking control of their destiny" and pressed "young people" to "hold your leaders accountable".

He made no such calls for action by the people of Arab states, despite the fact not a single Arab country is free, according to the latest Freedom House global survey. Before the Muslim world Obama donned the role of apologist-in-chief. Over and over again his examples of shortfalls in the protection of rights and freedoms were American: the "prison at Guantanamo Bay", "rules on charitable giving (that) have made it harder for Muslims to fulfil their religious obligation", impediments to the choice of Muslim women to shroud their bodies.

Christian Africa was to be treated to no such self-flagellation. In a rare tongue-lashing for Africans from any US president, he chastised: "It's easy to point fingers and to pin the blame of these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense helped to breed conflict ... but the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy ... or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants ... tribalism and patronage and nepotism ... and ... corruption."

He might equally have said to the Arab and Muslim world: "It's easy to scapegoat Israel and blame your problems on the presence of Jews -- albeit on a fraction of 1 per cent of the territory inhabited by the Arab world -- but Israel is not responsible for poverty, illiteracy, torture, trafficking, slavery and oppression rampant across your countries." But he did not.

In Ghana he pointed to specific heroes who had exposed human rights abuse, singling out by name a courageous investigative reporter. In Egypt, though journalists and bloggers are routinely threatened, jailed and worse, no such brave soul came to mind.

In a Christian African nation he said: "If we are honest, for far too many Africans, conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes."

To the Arab and Muslim world he could have said: "Since the day of Israel's birth Arab and Muslim countries have made conflict with Israel a part of life, warring over land and manipulating whole communities into fighting in the name of Islam to render the area Judenrein." Continued here.....

Saudara,

I just read that recently you and a friend visited one of the churches that I belong to. I was surprised that you had to do it in disguise. You should have told the Catholic community there that you were coming and we would have given you a grand welcome.

Such was the experience of the MP for Shah Alam, Khalid Abdul Samad from Pas, who was even given a standing ovation when he visited and had a dialogue with the parishioners of the Church of the Divine Mercy in Shah Alam last year.

Some time back I was attending a Mass (Catholic worship) in a Catholic church in Petaling Jaya and was very moved by the presence of a group of Muslim students together with their Muslim professor who had taken them there as part of their “exposure programme”. None of them were converted.

You see we are not an underground church nor do we function in a clandestine manner. Our hearts are on the holy and not on the hideous. We even pray for Najib the PM, though I feel we do not pray enough for the Opposition. We also pray for people like you who do more harm than good to the name of your religion of peace, tolerance and compassion.

Further, what takes place in Catholic churches is highlighted in our in-house newspaper which was quite unknown to the whole population and whose readers formed an insignificant number – until the Government decided to prevent it from using the word “Allah”. Alas, the Herald should thank the Government for making it so well-known today.

Religious Misfits

It is a pity that you have gone through so much trouble to “investigate” under guise what is going on in Catholic Churches or that “Muslim teenagers were being converted to Christianity in Kuala Lumpur 's churches every Sunday” . You should have gone directly to the Special Branch, which sends it officers to visit our churches occasionally. Surely they will be able to tell you that you would be only wasting your time!

As for the information that Muslims are being driven in droves into Catholicism (which you have concluded to be “false” in your article) it has been a fallacious and stale rumour for quite some time, spread by those who have an obsession and paranoia or by the increasing number of lower echelon zealots or “Little Mullah Napoleons” running riot with their brand of religion.

In Feb. 2006, the Mufti of Perak, Haji Harussani Haji Zakaria, claimed that 250,000 Muslims (of which 100,000 were Malays) had apostatized themselves, while 100,000 more had submitted applications to do so. Of course he was unable to substantiate his claim because it was false.

In Nov. 2006, about 500 Muslims protested in front of the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Ipoh following a SMS wherein the same Mufti had disclosed that about 600 Muslim students of the Ungku Omar Polytechnic were to be baptized by national mariner Azhar Mansor!

The church was not converting Muslims but instead was holding the First Holy Communion Mass (one of the rites of initiation to the faith) for 98 Catholic children, many of whom were traumatised by the sight of a threatening mob. Imagine the very unfortunate impression the young Catholics would have got of Islam and of Muslims.

The mufti who had proven to be more of a misfit, was not man enough to own up . He blamed it on an SMS sent out by a woman! Why no action was taken against the mufti, and why the authorities remained mute (on both occasions) over his “mischief” remains but a mystery. You must have been motivated by the mufti.

If indeed the Catholic Church has the conversion of Muslims as its hidden agenda, it would surely have started converting hundreds or even thousands of impressionable young Muslims through its Catholic Mission schools which have existed for as long as 100 years, But no such thing has ever happened.

The Muslim classmates and friends that I had in St Michael’s Ipoh are still good and respected Muslims today, and such was their appreciation and respect for the La Salle Brothers that they made sure that their children in turn would attend a La Salle school or a Convent!

Sacrilegious

Sadly, your disrespect knew no bounds. You chose to abandon all human and religious decency with impunity as a journalist and a Muslim. Under pretense of being a Catholic you participated in the church service and even partook of the Holy Communion (a white and sacred wafer) strictly meant only for Catholics.

You consumed the white wafer which Catholics hold as very sacred and treat with utmost reverence, and both of you spat out the remnants, photographed it and published the picture in an article entitled "Tinjaun Al Islam Dalam Gereja:Mencari Kesahihan Remaja Murtad" which was published in the May 2009 issue of the Al Islam magazine.
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I shudder to think of what could happen if the reverse took place -- if for instance two reporters from the Herald were to enter a mosque disguised as Muslims, partake of the rituals and desecrate something which the congregation considers very sacred.

I can imagine Khairy Jamaluddin leading a group of Umno Youth thugs and burning the effigy of the Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur and even threatening to set fire to a few churches, and Zulkifli Nordin rousing up a mob and invading the Herald’s office and demanding that it be shut down for good; or certain Muslim NGOs insisting that the two journalists be jailed under the ISA!

It makes me wonder how does a “creature” like you exist in this country? Are you the product of the educational, social or even religious system or process created by Bolehland’s leaders (also read as “Umno”) over the past 30 years?

How is it possible that you could blatantly trespass into a place of worship, violate its sanctity, insult its adherents, even publish your transgression and completely ignore the implications and consequences (will there be any)? What gives you such audacity?

It all points to the reality of you being a cog in Umno’s machine – a political party that has politicised religion for its survival by creating unfounded insecurities amongst Muslims and a distrust of other religions. Meanwhile it dominates, dictates, decides and even defines what non-Muslims can and cannot discuss, deliberate on, and display in print.

Najib’s 1Malaysia is really Malaysia in one big mess!

As I join my Catholic brothers and sisters in forgiving you (a Catholic duty we are reminded of!), I also pray that you will feel the full weight of God’s wrath upon you.

I feel sad for the many good Muslims in this country who have a respect for peoples of other faiths, for not only have you insulted Catholics but you have insulted them too. Islam would do well without religious misfits like you!

Martin Jalleh
(15 July 2009)

I was in receipt of a question from a Chinese reader of my articles on the Urumqi uprising asking why the Indians are silent on the brutalities committed by the Uighurs on the Han Chinese. The reply sent by me is given below:

In India, people are worried over the brutality of the Uighur jihadis to the Han Chinese civilians. I personally support strong action by the Chinese security agencies against those involved in riots and violence. I am sure in their heart of hearts many Indians will feel the same way against the trouble-makers. At the same time, they don't say it openly because the Chinese authorities remained silent when the jihadi terrorists in Kashmir acted in the same way as the Uighur rioters.

Moreover, the Chinese delegation to the UN opposed the declaration of the Lashkar-e-Toiba as a terrorist organisation till the LET attacked in Mumbai in November last. Both India and China face jihadi terrorism emanating from Pakistan. They should jointly combat it. That is possible only if China stops helping Pakistan and considering it an ally.

(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. He is also associated with the Chennai Centre For China Studies.E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com) South Asia Analysis Group

According to the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, Kenyans and Nigerians are wild about America. No surprise there, in view of who our president is; presumably other sub-Saharans would be similarly enthusiastic.

Out of Africa, we are rather less popular. The Germans, for some reason, are narrowly pro-America, and India, after years of assiduous courtship by President Bush, only slightly anti. Among the rest . . . well, all you need to know is that our biggest fan is Egypt.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- At least four people were killed and 32 wounded as six Baghdad-area churches were bombed within 24 hours, officials told CNN. The first bombing took place Saturday night at St. Joseph's church in western Baghdad, according to an Interior Ministry official. Two bombs placed inside the church exploded at about 10 p.m. No one was in the church at the time of the attack.

Sunday afternoon, three bombs exploded outside churches, wounding eight civilians, the official said. The bombs detonated within a 15-minute span, between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m. Two of the churches are in central Baghdad's al-Karrada district, and the third is in al-Ghadeer in eastern Baghdad.



Sunday evening, a car bomb exploded outside a church on Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad just after 7 p.m., the official said. Four people died, and 21 were wounded. And in southern Baghdad's Dora district, a bomb outside a church wounded three other civilians.

Most of the churches were damaged in the bombings, according to video footage.

One Christian Iraqi, interviewed outside Sacred Heart Church -- one of the two in al-Karrada -- said the bomb went off shortly before 5 p.m., as members were arriving for Sunday evening mass. No one was hurt, Sabhan George told CNN, but the bomb damaged the church building and some cars outside.

George said he is concerned about the church bombings. If this continues, he said, "there will be no Christians left in Iraq."

St. Joseph's was one of six churches hit by coordinated bombings of Christian houses of worship in Baghdad and Mosul in 2004. The church is in the al-Jamiaa neighborhood of Baghdad, a former stronghold of al Qaeda in Iraq. There have been recent reports of an increase in targeted attacks in the area.

Many of Iraq's estimated 1 million Christians have fled the country after targeted attacks by extremists. In October, more than a thousand Iraqi families fled the northern city of Mosul after they were reportedly frightened by a series of killings and threats by Muslim extremists, who apparently ordered them to convert to Islam or face possible death. At least 14 Christians were killed in Mosul in the first two weeks of October.

Separately, gunmen shot and killed an official in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Sunday morning, a local police official told CNN.Using guns with silencers, the assailants opened fire on Rizko Aziz Nissan outside his home in central Kirkuk at 8:15 a.m.

Nissan was an Iraqi Christian, but the motives behind his killing were not immediately clear. Kirkuk is 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Baghdad. CNN

...and they call this, a moderate state-edit. AMMAN // Women’s activists in Jordan said they would step up their fight against so-called honour crimes after two women were killed on the same day, and a man jailed for shooting his raped sister had his sentence halved. On Thursday, a 20-year-old man stabbed his older sister several times with a kitchen knife and then smashed her head with a rock, an official and reports said.

A criminal prosecutor working on the case said an autopsy was being carried out but the brother had confessed and had been taken into custody. According to the prosecutor, who wished to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to talk to the press, the woman had spent the last three months in Juwaidah prison for women fearing her life was in danger.

“She had been living in difficult circumstances. Her parents separated 18 years ago. She had family problems and she stayed with her grandparents at her uncle’s house.” But reports said the woman, a mother of one, had “disappeared” from her house a month ago and that police had found her with a man in an apartment and had taken her into custody.

The brother was called to collect her on Thursday, the prosecutor said, and they returned to the family home in an eastern Amman suburb. “The brother went out for food and when he returned home, he said he found his sister at the door talking to a man,” the prosecutor said. The brother confessed that he became enraged and stabbed her, according to the prosecutor.

Just hours earlier, a 34-year-old woman was stabbed to death 15 times by her younger brother in the Jordan Valley, Ehssan Salamat, the lead criminal prosecutor in Amman, said. Police told Agence France-Presse the man believed his sister was having an affair and was four weeks pregant. “An investigation is under way and we are examining the samples,” Mr Salamat told The National.

Thursday’s deaths bring the number of women killed in the name of honour this year to 13. Last year, there were 17 such deaths. Women’s activists have renewed their calls on parliament to tighten penalties for these crimes. Jordanian laws are often lenient towards men convicted of honour crimes. On Tuesday, a court in Amman halved the jail term of a man who shot dead his raped sister “in the name of honour”.

Women’s activists decried it as a step backwards.“In the past few years, the number of honour crimes had fallen and it was a positive indicator. We thought we were moving ahead particularly because some of the sentences were tougher than usual,” said Enaam Asha, the director of the programmes at the Sisterhood Is Global Institute/Jordan, a non-governmental organisation set up in 1998 to promote women’s rights.

“But having such crimes – and not only the recent ones – carried out consecutively is a dangerous indicator,” she said. Ms Asha said that the number of honour crimes in the first two to three months was the same as the first eight months of last year. “This is a message that we to need to intensify our efforts.” The National

LAST week, 4,000 US Marines launched a major operation in Helmand, the poppy- queen province in southern Afghanistan. The Marines performed magnificently, reaching their objectives with minimal casualties -- mostly from the 110-degree heat. But something important was missing: Afghans in uniform.

A few hundred Afghan players showed up in the backfield. But the village elders saw American guns.

The Marine mission is to provide security for villagers, build trust and instill confidence in the Kabul government. This would all be far easier if the Afghan military and police were competent, trustworthy and present.

After 7½ years in Afghanistan and despite extensive efforts, we and our NATO allies have produced only a now-you-see-'em-now-you-don't Afghan army. The police are corrupt, partisan and loathed by the population.

We made better, if imperfect, progress in Iraq. Yet there, too, questions remain about the integrity of the military and the utility of the police.

What's the problem? Why haven't years of effort and billions of dollars, coupled with our training expertise, forged fully reliable military units and constabularies? The answer lies in our own military culture.

As an officer, I knew I could walk into any Army outfit and find 100 percent support for the assigned mission. It didn't matter whether or not we liked each other personally, or which state we were from, or what our religion or ethnicity happened to be. We were all American soldiers.

But the various peoples we called "Afghans" (or "Iraqis") have very different values. In Afghanistan, an ethnic Tajik lieutenant isn't sure he can rely on a Pashtun major. In Iraq, a Shia officer may not share all he knows about the enemy with a Sunni counterpart. Continued here......

You brought back magic into music, leaving an indelible imprint. You gave dance an indescribable grace and showed impeccable mastery of movement.

You merged music and video and brought about a MTV generation. You magnificently and incredibly blended and bridged arena rock, soul and pop.

You moved the world’s conscience with your humanitarian spirit and inspired us with your clarion call to care for the hungry, homeless, HIV/AIDS victims and those without hope.

You mesmerized peoples of all races, languages and cultures, in every country, instilling in them the message that what mattered most was love and mutual respect.

You were matchless – you were an original, creative, unique and magnetizing musician and artist.

You were a true troubadour who ruled and “thrilled” the world” and you were also a tortured soul and a troubled life with a tumultuous childhood.

You were the very “Man in the Mirror” who chased after a “Childhood” you never had. You craved to be Peter Pan, and clamored to be a child forever on Neverland.

You were extraordinary. You were enchanting, exciting, entertaining and enamoring and you were also notoriously eccentric and erratic.

You were the world’s greatest pop icon, and an inspiration to countless – and sadly you were also accused of ignoble deeds such as being a child predator and “dangerous” to the young.

You dared us to look at the “Man in the Mirror” – and you would also literally deface and deform what you saw in the mirror, with three decades of plastic surgeries.

You sang “We are the World”. You moonwalked all over the earth. But often you waked alone – like a lonely lost comet spinning out of control, a sullen solitary sorry sight.

You wanted to “heal the world” – you, a “wounded orphan”, a masked man with a “washed-out dream” and a weary worn-out soul of make-believe marriages, a King of pop finding peace in painkillers.

You were so free and yet so “addicted” to the adulation and adoration of your fans which in the end annihilated you. You were alienated from a normal life, a man of undisputed fame made to look like a freak.

You were a “beautiful boy” who tried so hard to bounce back and to “beat it” when you realized you were near-barren of creativity and bankruptcy. You were a blessed soul who died of a broken heart.

You were a superstar scarred. You were a very human hero – frail and flawed – and yet, the finest and “simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived”.

You were tainted talent with transcendent creativity – musical magnificence of immeasurable magnitude. Goodbye Michael Joseph Jackson. May God grant you peace.

We will remember you -- a man who made HIStory.
(15 June 2009)

The French Republic is not blessed or burdened with a First Amendment. So when Pres. Nicolas Sarkozy recently suggested that France ban the wearing of the burqa in all public places, the Chamber of Deputies took it up.

Unlike the headscarf, which covers a woman’s hair but leaves her face visible, the burqa is a head-to-toe covering that makes walking draperies of women. Some, like the chador worn in Afghanistan, feature a mesh covering for the face. The Saudi version usually sports a slit for the eyes.

Here’s an online catalogue’s description of one: “Khimar and niqab set made of an all season, buttery soft georgette. Reaches to approximately knee level (depending upon your height) and provides full coverage. Arm openings about half-way down the khimar are a convenient feature with this style. Edges are embellished with matching satin trim. Imported from Saudi Arabia. Available in your choice of Navy Blue, Brown, or Saudi Black.” Yes “Saudi black.” In a country where summertime temperatures often reach 120° Fahrenheit, the geniuses designed a garment for women that is stifling and black.

In London, which has come to resemble Algiers more than New York, these walking shadows are everywhere. Even in summer, some women who wear the “Saudi black” burqa also wear black gloves and sunglasses over their facemasks. One would no more strike up a conversation with such a specter than with Darth Vader. Continued here...

Bringing you more songs of yester years, refreshing your memory........ May your days always be filled with music, laughter, joy and happiness. Click on The YEARS................ IT'S OURS................. Put on your headphones or Speakers 'on'......sit back and ENJOY...

...........YOU'LL LOVE IT....................

1. Year 50 - 54

2. Year 55 - 59

3. Year 60 - 64

4. Year 65 - 69

5. Year 70 - 74

6. Year 75 - 79

7. Year 80 - 84

8. Year 85 - 89

Thanks to Naban

Video footage is now available of the Mumbai jihad attacks.

Part 1



See Part 2 and Part 3 here.

The deeply religious nature of the Mumbai jihad attacks comes through in transcripts of phone conversations between the attackers and their handlers. These transcripts were published last week in the Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail had the transcripts removed, reasons not known. They were saved by Pamela of Atlas Shrugs. Here is an extract of a part of the transcripts:

Wasi: 'Do one of them now, in the name of God. You've tied them up, right?'

Akasha: 'Yeah. I'll untie their feet.'

Wasi: 'Just stand them up. If they're tied up, leave them tied up.'

Akasha then raises another objection. He doesn't want to kill the two women in the room where he and Umer are sitting.

Wasi: 'It'll only take two shots. Do it in the room where you are now.'

Akasha: 'All right, yes.'

Wasi: 'Do it. Shoot them and shove them over to one side of the room.'

Akasha shuffles off somewhere but leaves the line open. Wasi holds the line for a full seven minutes. He calls Akasha's name a few times, then hangs up. In the next call, ten minutes later, Akasha seems more upbeat.

Akasha: 'Please don't be angry. I've rejigged things a bit and now...'

Wasi: 'Have you done the job yet or not?'

Akasha: 'We were just waiting for you to call back, so we could do it while you're on the phone.'

Wasi: 'Do it, in God's name.'

Akasha: 'Just a sec... hold the line...'

Akasha places the phone in his pocket. There is a lot of rustling (presumably Akasha crawling over to the hostages) followed by silence. Then a loud burst of gunfire. And then silence. More rustling, then Akasha is back. His voice has changed markedly. It's now a deep, eerie rasp.

Wasi: 'That was one of them, right?'

Akasha: 'Both.' Read the complete transcripts here...

IN DECEMBER 2007 Benazir Bhutto said, “I now think al-Qaeda can be marching on Islamabad in two to four years.” Before this interview could even be published she was murdered, most likely by the Pakistani Taliban, an al-Qaeda ally. Benazir’s words now look all too accurate. A jihadist victory in Pakistan, meaning the takeover of the nation by a militant Sunni movement led by the Taliban, would have devastating consequences. It would create the greatest threat the United States has yet to face in its war on terror. Pakistan as an Islamic-extremist safe haven would bolster al-Qaeda’s capabilities tenfold. The jihadist threat bred in Afghanistan would be a cakewalk in comparison. The old Afghan sanctuary was remote, landlocked and weak; a new one in Pakistan would be in the Islamic mainstream with a modern communications and transportation infrastructure linking it to the world. The threat would be almost unfathomable. The implications would be literally felt around the globe. American options for dealing with such a state would be limited and costly.

The growing strength of the Taliban in Pakistan has raised the serious possibility of a jihadist takeover of the country. Even with the army’s reluctant efforts in areas like the Swat Valley and sporadic popular revulsion with Taliban violence, at heart the country is unstable. A jihadist victory is neither imminent nor inevitable, but it is now a real possibility in the foreseeable future. This essay presumes (though does not predict) an Islamic-militant victory in Pakistan, examining how the country’s creation of and collusion with extremist groups has left Islamabad vulnerable to an Islamist coup. Continued here....