Power of nonviolence and humor

 

Right or left extremists

 

A lesson in Justice

 A 16th-century painting showing the skinning alive of a corrupt judge, Sisamnes, in the year 500 BC. Sisamnes was a corrupt royal judge at the time of Cambyses ll in Persia. It was discovered that he had taken a bribe in court and passed an unfair judgment. As a consequence, the king ordered that he be arrested for his corruption and ordered that he be skinned alive. Before passing judgment, the king asked Sisamnes who he wished to nominate as his successor. Sisamnes, in his greed, chose his son, Otanes. The king agreed and appointed Otanes to replace his father. He subsequently passed judgment and ordered that Sisamnes removed skin should be used to upholster the seat on which the new judge would sit in court to remind him of the potential consequences of corruption. Otanes, in his deliberations, was forced to always remember that he was always sitting on the skin of his executed father. This helped to ensure fairness and equity in all his hearings, deliberations, and sentences.

My all time favorite - Uncle Sargam

 What a character created by Farooq Qaisar. Great sarcasm on getting rotten society.

On epidemic of psych disorders

 

On Marketing Holocaust

 

Who shook the jar?

 

Rat Race

When I was leaving for the USA, one of my teachers instructed: "You will see a huge Ratrace in the USA. Remember you are neither a rat nor are in a race." Alas! I would have remembered!

 

 

Societal manipulation

 

My Conscience Is Dying A Slow Death

 My Conscience Is Dying A Slow Death

By Javaid Jabbar. 

Sometimes in the darkest hour of the night, I call on my conscience to see if it is still breathing. It's dying a slow and gradual death

every single day.

When I pay for a meal in a fancy restaurant

an amount which is perhaps the monthly income of the guard who holds the door open, I quickly shrug away that thought. My conscience dies a little. 

When I buy vegetables from the vendor and his son "Chhotu" (a small child who should be studying at school) 

smilingly weighs the potatoes, I look the other way. My conscience dies a little.

When I'm all decked up in a designer suit (a suit that costs a bomb) 

and I see a woman at the crossing in torn clothes, trying unsuccessfully to save her dignity, I immediately roll up my window. My conscience dies a little. 

When I buy expensive gifts for my children and returning home I see half-clad naked children with empty stomachs and hungry eyes selling toys at the red traffic signal, I try to save my conscience by buying some. Yet, my conscience dies a little more. 

When my sick maid who can't come to work sends her daughter to work by making her miss school, I know I should tell the little girl to go to school, but then I look at the loaded sink full of dirty dishes and I tell myself that is just for a couple of days. My conscience dies a little more. 

When I hear about a rape or a murder of a child, I feel sad, yet a little thankful that it's not my child. I cannot look at myself in the mirror. My conscience dies a little more. 

When people fight over caste, creed, and religion and I feel hurt and helpless, I tell myself that my country is going to the dogs, and I conveniently blame the corrupt politicians, absolving myself of all responsibilities. My conscience dies a little more. 

When my city is choked and breathing is dangerous in the smog-ridden metropolis I take my car to work daily, not taking public transport, or carpooling. One less car won't make a difference, I tell myself. My conscience dies a little more. 

So when in the darkest hour of the night I visit my conscience and find that it is still breathing I am surprised because bit by bit, day by day, I try to kill it and bury it with my very own hands.

Dedicated to immigrants

I came to Canada after two years due to the pandemic (still a lot of fuss at airports for COVID-19 papers). I realized that Canadians and Americans are on different trajectories. Canadians are more about values and a pluralistic society but struggle to meet ends as everyday lifestyle is relatively expensive. Americans are progressively more on a divisive path, more individualist, and spend money freely. I have been traveling between these two countries for almost 27 years now. The last two decades, particularly America's reaction to 911, indulgence in two prolonged wars, poor political leadership from both parties, and Trump's presidency, have done a lot of damage.

For the first time, I felt a little misfit in Canada. I took a little time off. I went to Woodbine Beach in Toronto. I spent a quiet time watching the sunset and full moon. It gave me a perspective of people who must immigrate to a new culture and survive with new values.

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Life after night...

(remarked by a friend on our discussion on prostitution)

"Zaindagi ki asal surat dekhna chahte ho to - raat ki agli subah - aa ker woh gali, makaan aur us ke makeeN dekho jo bazzare husn main raat dhalne ke baad aati hai"

On Amar Jalil's Khuda Gum ho gaya hai

I was shocked (and still in shock) the way Pakistani conservative society has reacted to Amar Jalil's short story "Khuda Gum ho gaya hai" (God is lost). It is nothing but a masterpiece of literature. I didn't even find a grain of insult to anyone. I guess people have not read Iqbal's Shikwa, Manto's and Ismat Chughtaii's short stories. 

It was a beyond idiotic reaction.

Jitni tezi se Pakistani logon ko kafir bana rahe hain, Pakistan ke jhande main sirf sufed rang reh jayye ga - range-kafan.

Shape of continents and human behaviour

I have mentioned anthropologist Jared Diamond before at this blog (here). Nowadays, in my isolation time I am reading a book, "Atomic Habits". It is a very mediocre book but it mentioned an interesting theory of Jared Diamond about shapes of continents and human behavior.

"Continents that are spread out in an east-west direction, such as Eurasia, had a developmental advantage because of the ease with which crops, animals, ideas and technologies could spread between areas of similar latitude. Continents that spread out in a north-south direction, such as the Americas, had an inherent climatic disadvantage. Any crops, animals, ideas and technologies had to travel through dramatically changing climatic conditions to spread from one extreme to the other. .....................Technologies such as gunpowder were able to migrate 6,500 thousand miles from China, where they originated, to Western Europe, where they reached their apogee, in a matter of centuries. The wheel, on the other hand, developed in southern Mexico, never even managed the 500-mile journey south to the Andes."

You can read the whole article here. https://www.pbs.org/gunsgermssteel/variables/continents.html

On Amish People

When I came to this country, I didn't have much money to take airplane rides. For my residency interviews, I relied far large and wide on cheaper Grayhound buses. First time I saw Amish people at Cleaveland bus station. At first glance what impressed me is the calmness on their face after their attire, beard, and hanging too close with each other. Over the years, I grew huge respect for them and their lifestyle. Later in life, while driving through Pennsylvania rural roads, I certainly enjoyed the positive vibrations of their farmlands.

This is the first time I read this comprehensive review on them. You may like it (and beautiful pictures).

https://mydailymagazine.com/facts-that-can-change-the-way-you/50/

"The Amish people treat Demut – humility – and Gelassenheit – calmness, composure, placidity – as important qualities. They strive to stay humble and calm, rejecting what they call Hochmut, which translates to pride, arrogance or haughtiness. With their simpler and more modest ways of life, they shun modern technologies including cameras. They also don’t paint. So when a loved one passes away, they don’t have any way to visually remember them but only through their actual memory."

ﻟﭩﮑﺘﯽ ﺗﺨﺘﯽ

اﯾﮏ ﮐﻮﭨﮭﮯ کی 

ﺗﮩﺬﯾﺐ ﯾﺎﻓﺘﮧ ﻃﻮﺍﺋﻒ ﻧﮯ

ﺩﺭﻭﺍﺯﮮ ﮐﮯ ﺑﺎﮨﺮ

ﻟﭩﮑﺘﯽ ﺗﺨﺘﯽ ﭘﺮ ﻟﮑﮭﻮﺍﯾﺎ

ﻋﺰﺕ ﺑﺮﺍﺋﮯ ﻓﺮﻭﺧﺖ ﮨﮯ

ﻣﮩﺬﺏ ﺣﻀﺮﺍﺕ

ﺁﻧﮯ ﺳﮯ ﭘﮩﻠﮯ

ﺍﭼﮭﺎ ﻏﺴﻞ ﻓﺮﻣﺎ ﻟﯿﮟ

ﺍﻭﺭ ﺟﯿﺒﻮﮞ ﻣﯿﮟ

ﺍﺷﺮﻓﯿﻮﮞ ﮐﻮ ﺍُﻭﻥ ﮐﯽ

ﺗﮭﯿﻠﯽ ﻣﯿﮟ ﮈﺍﻝ ﮐﺮ ﻻﺋﯿﮟ

ﻟﮩﺠﻮﮞ ﮐﻮ ﻧﺮﻡ ﺍﻭﺭ

ﺟﺬﺑﺎﺕ ﮐﻮ ﮔﺮﻡ ﺭﮐﮭﯿﮟ

ﺍﻭﺭ ﺧﯿﺎﻝ ﮐﺮ ﮐﮯ

ﭼﭙﻠﻮﮞ ﻣﯿﮟ ﻟﮕﺎ ﮐﯿﭽﮍ

ﺻﺎﻑ ﮐﺮﮐﮯ ﺁﺋﯿﮟ

ﮨﻤﺎﺭﺍ ﻓﺮﺵ

ﮨﻤﯿﮟ ﺭﺯﻕ ﺩﯾﺘﺎ ﮨﮯ

ﺍﺳﮑﯽ ﺑﮯ ﺣﺮﻣﺘﯽ ﻗﺎﺑﻞِ ﻗﺒﻮﻝ ﻧﮩﯿﮟ

شراب ﮐﻮﭨﮭﮯ ﻣﯿﮟ

ﻭﺍﻓر ﻣﻘﺪﺍﺭ ﻣﯿﮟ ﻣﻮﺟﻮﺩ ﮨﮯ

ﺑﺎﮨﺮ ﺳﮯ ﺧﺮﯾﺪ ﮐﺮ

ﻭﻗﺖ ﮐﺎ ﺿﯿﺎﻉ ﻧﮧ ﮐﺮﯾﮟ

ﺍﻭﺭ ﺩﻻﻝ ﮐﻮ ﺣﺮﺍﻡ

ﺍﯾﮏ ﭘﺎﺋﯽ ﺍﺩﺍ ﻧﮧ ﮐﺮﯾﮟ

ﺍﺳﮯ ﻣﻌﻘﻮﻝ مُعفضہ ﻣﻠﺘﺎ ﮨﮯ

ﺍﻟﺒﺘﮧ ﺑﺎﮨﺮ ﺭﮐﮭﮯ ﮔﺌﮯ

ﭼﻨﺪﮮ ﮐﮯ ﮈﺑﮯ ﻣﯿﮟ

ﺩﻝ ﮐﮭﻮﻝ ﮐﺮ ﭘﯿﺴﮧ ﮈﺍﻟﯿﮟ

ﺁﭘﮑﺎ عطیہ مفلس لوگوں کے  

گھر کی عزاتوں کو طوائف

بننے سے بچانے پر ﺧﺮﭺ ﮐﯿﺎ ﺟﺎﺗﺎ ﮨﮯ

ﺍﻭﺭ ﻣﮩﺮﺑﺎﻧﯽ ﮐﺮﮐﮯ

ﺭﺍﺕ ﮐﮯ ﺁﺧﺮﯼ ﭘﮩﺮ ﻣﯿﮟ

ﮐﻮﭨﮭﮧ ﺧﺎﻟﯽ ﮐﺮﺩﯾﺎ ﺟﺎﺋﮯ

ﮐﯿﻮﮞ ﮐﮧ ﻓﺮﺵ ﮐﯽ

ﺩﮬﻼﺋﯽ ﮐﮯ ﺑﻌﺪ

ﺗﮩﺠﺪ ﮐﯽ ﻧﻤﺎﺯ ﺍﺩﺍ ﮐﯽ ﺟﺎﺗﯽ ﮨﮯ___

On Red Lipstick!

What a beautiful writeup on an unusual topic.

"Throughout the centuries red lipstick has signaled many things, from its early use by the elite in ancient Egypt and by prostitutes in ancient Greece, to its status in early Hollywood as a symbol of glamor. In its many hues, this color on lips has been a mighty cultural weapon, charged with thousands of centuries of meaning.....

During World War II, red lips had their bold second act of defiance. Adolf Hitler "famously hated red lipstick," Felder said. In Allied countries, wearing it became a sign of patriotism and a statement against facism. When taxes made lipstick prohibitively expensive in the UK, women stained their lips with beet juice instead. As men went off to war and women filled their professional roles back home, they donned red lips to enter the workforce. It showed their resilience in the face of conflict, Felder explained, and offered a sense of normalcy in difficult times. "It allowed women to retain a sense of their own self-identity from before the war." 

Last December, nearly 10,000 women in Chile took to the streets wearing black blindfolds, red scarves, and red lips to denounce sexual violence in the country...."

Full article here:  https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/red-lipstick-history-beauty/index.html

No to 'Cancel Cuture'

This new term  - called 'Cancel Culture' - is very popular in new generation, where they decide to cancel any person/organization, and boycott with throwing heavy abuse/shame on the internet/social media. This is a dangerous idea. A variant of populism and echo-chamber.

President Obama beautifully described when he said: “This idea of purity and you’re never compromised and you’re always politically ‘woke’ and all that stuff. You should get over that quickly. The world is messy. There are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws. People who you are fighting may love their kids. And share certain things with you.”

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/opinion/obama-cancel-culture.html

Education-2 / Milgram experiment

On our previous post 3/4 days ago regarding education, I was sharing the same quote with one of  my nephews who is doing a major in psychology. He shared this experiment done somewhere in the early 1960s to determine how normal people get willing to participate in genocide, mass murder and other heinous crime which are unthinkable in a normal situation. This experiment was carried out to explore the fine line we have between obedience to authority and personal conscience.

18 variations of the same experiment had a chilling conclusion that a common person is likely to follow any order given by his 'authority figure' and if they think in their head that authority is morally right and/or has legal power. This includes even if they have to kill other human beings. This was in high contrast to what pre-experiment surveys done in psychology communities.

It explains a lot of atrocities we see around today.

You can read at Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzd6Ew3TraA

Immigration, Muhammad, Macca and Medina

Travel is an amazing thing. You meet people and hear things you may not experience in your comfort zone. Last week, I was in England attending a medical workshop. I met an older Pakistani physician who resided and practiced medicine in a relatively small town in the Lake District area for the last 40 years. (He was kind enough to take me after the conference for a 2-day tour of a stunningly beautiful lake-district area).

We discussed the mindset of Pakistani and immigrant diasporas in the UK and the USA. We talked about immigrants' dilemma of staying in a new country and their constant inner desire to move back to their home country. He said something which I have never heard. He said:

"I came to the UK 40 years ago. I am not a very practicing Muslim. I married a Scottish woman. I never pushed my kids to adopt any particular religion. But I never returned to Pakistan and made the UK my home because that's what I learned from the prophet Muhammad's life. Although Muhammad won Mecca, he had all the good reasons and means to return to Mecca. He stayed in Medina - his new home. He treated Medina as his home and created a model state known as riyasate Medina. This is a huge lesson for all immigrants that make your new country your home and deliver all your best to your new home". 

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