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by B. R. Gowani

It’s a very patronizing and hypocritical question. But that is exactly what has been happening because Israel and some Western countries, particularly The United States, have accused Iran that its nuclear program is not for peaceful purposes but rather geared towards developing nuclear weapons. The US and Israel hold a grudge against Iran since 1979 when their friend, the Shah of Iran, was forced to abdicate his throne in the wake of the Islamic Revolution, whose leader was the fiery Ayatollah Khomeini.

Only recently, the Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton played the same old tune: “There’s nothing more important than trying to convince Iran to cease its efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon.” As was expected, Barak Obama’s style is gentlemanly and the talk is diplomatic, but the essence of the foreign policy is basically a continuation of the previous administration. The minor changes one observes in his administration is that he conveyed the Nauroz or New Year greetings to Iran on March 21 and has announced his government’s intention to fully participate, along with Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia, in any future negotiations with Iran.

As a sovereign country, however, Iran has every right to plan and implement its defense policy as it perceives necessary. Despite the fabricated stories by the Western media about Iran’s belligerent nature and the extreme threat it could pose to its neighbors if it is successful in developing the nuclear weapons, the question needs to be raised is: Does Iran needs nuclear weapons for its own defense?

The Taliban Threat

Let us cross the Iranian border and see the neighboring countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The initial phase of the US war against Afghanistan was a fury of revenge. But when many of the Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters crossed over into the border areas of Pakistan, things changed. Now they were not only defending themselves from the US onslaught, but also started to attack the US; they too wanted to expand their territorial power. They have succeeded; the tribal areas and other territory of Pakistan have come under their control too. Their power is threatening Pakistan’s sovereignty, can they invade Iran? If Pakistan as a country disappears from the world map, it is difficult to predict who will inherit what parts of it. The US war on terror entered a new phase when it realized the growing power of Taliban in Pakistan. The US does not want the WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) to fall into the hands of the Taliban in case they acquire power in Pakistan. But Iran is very aware of the hatred and intolerance the Sunni Taliban have for them. There is a distinct and real possibility that their Shia door will be the next place the Taliban may attack.

Who should worry?

In the event the Taliban become rulers of Pakistan with the nuclear button underneath their finger, then if there is any country on this planet that has to fear its sovereignty the most, it is not the US, not even Israel or India. It is Iran. Taliban are cruel and inhumane; but they are not stupid. All these countries have WMDs and so attacking them would be an invitation to self-annihilation. The maximum range of Pakistan’s nuclear missiles is 4,000 kilometers or about 2,500 miles. (The distance between Pakistan’s capital Islamabad and the US capital Washington, DC is about 8,000 miles). Iran is within this range and in clear danger of being hit and should be really worried about the Taliban coming to power.

Another reason Iran must be worried is that its Shia Muslims are a minority in the Muslim world. (Shias make up about 15% and the Sunnis about 85% of the over 1 billion Muslims worldwide; both of them have many sub-sects.) Although, Hindus, Jews, Christians, Bahais, and other non-Muslims may be infidels for the militant Muslims, and many of them do suffer as minorities in countries with Muslim majority, it is the Muslim minorities within Islam that are targeted quite often by the Sunni Muslim militants because Taliban are Sunnis. (They do harass Sunni moderates but it is the Shias who they are really after.)

A word of advise for the US

It is painful but also very difficult to step down, or be pushed down, from the zenith of power. The reality, nevertheless, has to be confronted; the US is losing its traditional power with all its economic and other problems; and the emergence of China and India as the potential new powers with the growing role of Russia as a major player on the world scene. The US has to accept the fact that Iran is on the path to develop the nuclear weapons despite the denials by its leaders. It is going to change the balance of power: there will be two nuclear powers, Iran and Israel who already possesses hundreds of weapons. And more countries are going to go the nuclear way.

Another option for the US is to initiate a move to make this planet a nuclear weapons free zone while it still is known as the Super Power. (It does not mean that the US or any other country should be allowed to transfer or build nuclear weapons on other planets or our Moon.)

B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com

By Jennifer Loftis

One billion people on this planet are overweight. And at the same time, 800 million people in the world are going hungry. As never before, supermarkets have shelves lined with dozens of brands of cereal, chips, condiments, tea and coffee. And as never before, even the poor who can not afford enough to eat are growing obese.
In his book, Stuffed and Starved, Raj Patel, a researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, writes in the introduction that it is exactly this freedom of choice that has helped cause the world’s food problem. The book takes the reader on a journey, where Patel seeks to explore and explain the world food system, starting with “choices made in the fields to choices made for our palates.”
Patel tells stories of poor farmers from around the world who once owned their land and could sustain themselves, but are now destitute because no one would buy their goods, not even the local grocery store where food is being trucked in from hundreds of miles away. He compares these farmers against other people who have enough money to buy and eat what they want, yet their bodies are paying the price of their convenience.

The book chillingly describes how genetically modified and processed food has not only ruined farmers’ livelihood, it has also ruined the taste buds. Patel argues that out of the eight different brands of apples one can buy at the supermarket, they are all of the same kind. They can survive traveling a long distance, they are large with few blemishes, have a consistent color and in general, taste nothing like they should. The marketing world of supermarkets is unveiled as the book explains that the way the aisles are arranged, what colors are used in decorating and the music that is played strongly influences choices of purchase. Patel points out that if the average shopper can outlast the marketing strategies and truly buy what is good for them and what genuinely tastes good, then very little food is actually available to pick off the shelf that doesn’t contain harmful chemicals. He leads the reader to see that in freedom of choice, there can be less real choice.

Through well-referenced facts, tables and statistics, Patel finally brings readers to his conclusion that the world food system is unsustainable. He writes that it affects individuals’ health and livelihood and it is also having a destructive affect on the environment. The system engenders cruelty to animals and demands unsustainable amounts of water and energy. Patel leaves the reader with ten practical ways to take action against the system at the individual level.

Stuffed and Starved, a well researched 400 page book, is merely an introduction into a world wide movement where people are taking steps to elevate some of the damage caused by the food system. It is a beginning education that Patel continues through one of his websites, stuffedandstarved.org. He keeps a blog updating readers on everything relating to famine, feast and food ethics. For those curious as to what their community is doing to help, there is a world map link that pinpoints organizations and actions within your area.
It is a book about a great, hidden battle and the small victories accomplished by individuals and communities. Education and self-awareness is the first offensive strategy that Patel is offering the world.

Melville House Publishing, pp 398, 2008, ISNB: 978-1-933633-49-7, $20
Vivid

(Submitted by a reader)

Parveen shakir recites chalnay ka hosla nahi

By Marc Songini

The man who mapped the human genome is now doing a major follow up by creating the components of synthetic life, offering potential biotechnology breakthroughs but also creating worries over the related ethical, safety and religious consequences.

Harvard University molecular geneticist George Church, the founder of the Human Genome Project, has led a research team to create a self-replicating ribosome. While ribosomes were reconstituted 40 years ago, this appears to be the first time it has been done succesfully and synthetically. Exactly where the research will go isn’t certain, however.

“It’s hard to predict these things,” said Church. “It’s pretty pioneering and a little bit out of the box.”

Church, a renowned researcher who led the mapping of the human genome, explained that the ribosome is a building block: It’s found in all cells and works as a protein creator and synthesizer.

“Almost everything depends on protein synthesis,” said Church. That includes antibodies, drugs, small-molecule compounds, structured materials and biofuels. “It is the main component in all living organisms and one of the most complex. Taking it apart and putting it together is a significant milestone,” he said.

“It’s really opening up new vistas,” said Anthony Forster, assistant professor of pharmacology at Nashville-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center and one of Church’s collaborators. This addresses core cellular replication processes and has applications around both DNA and RNA technology, he noted.

However, with this step forward comes a new set of ethical considerations, say experts. “We need to be critically aware of the profound implications of creating synthetic life,” said Karl Giberson, director of the Forum on Faith and Science at Gordon College in Wenham. “I don’t think this is something to be scared of. I don’t think Mother Nature is being violated in some egregious way. But this is an area of science with important ethical considerations, and religious sensibilities and higher priorities need to be on the table, under discussion.”

But having such a concern isn’t a matter of religious zealotry. “We are intruding into areas of nature that transcend us, and we need the ability to make informed and appropriate decisions,” he said.

Church said ethical and safety considerations are already being addressed. The original plan was just to improve protein synthesis. “It’s not our intention to make an artificial bacterium, much less an artificial human. Being able to make a synthetic cell is a by-product.”

Additionally, these self-replicating systems depend on multiple small molecules and very specific lab conditions to be on life support, noted Forster. “It’s not something that’s going to escape or cause danger.”

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“Guanyin (Wade-Giles: kuan-yin) is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshi’yin (Wade-Giles: kuan-shih yin) which means ‘Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World’.
“It is generally accepted (in Chinese community) that Guanyin originated as the Sanskrit Avalokite?vara , which is her male form. Commonly known in the West as the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin is also revered by Chinese Taoists as an Immortal. However, in Taoist mythology, Guan Yin has other origination stories which are not directly related to Avalokite vara.”
…
“Guanyin is the Chinese name for the Bodhisattva Avalokite vara. However, folk traditions in China and other East Asian countries have added many distinctive characteristics and legends. Avalokite vara was originally depicted as Buddha when he was still a prince, and therefore wears chest-revealing clothing and may even sport a moustache. However, in China, Guanyin is usually depicted as a woman. Additionally, some people believe that Guanyin is both man and woman (or perhaps neither).

“In China, Guanyin is usually shown in a white flowing robe and usually wears necklaces of Indian/Chinese royalty. In the right hand is a water jar containing pure water, and the left holds a willow branch. The crown usually depicts the image of Amitabha Buddha, Guan Yin’s spiritual teacher before she became a Bodhisattva.”
…
Guanyin and the Thousand Arms
“One Buddhist legend presents Guan Yin as vowing to never rest until she had freed all sentient beings from samsara, reincarnation. Despite strenuous effort, she realized that still many unhappy beings were yet to be saved. After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, her head split into eleven pieces. Amitabha Buddha, seeing her plight, gave her eleven heads with which to hear the cries of the suffering. Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokitesvara attempted to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that her two arms shattered into pieces. Once more, Amitabha came to her aid and appointed her a thousand arms with which to aid the many. Many Himalayan versions of the tale include eight arms with which Avalokitesvara skillfully upholds the Dharma, each possessing its own particular implement, while more Chinese-specific versions give varying accounts of this number.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannon

Thousand-Hand Guan Yin

(Submitted by a reader)

by Hana Shams Ahmed

Standing Up and Standing Out
[Daily Star, March 7, 2008]

Garment workers demonstrating for their rights (Photo by Syed Zakir Hossain)
Begum Rokeya’s ‘Sultana’s Dream’ was an early work of fantasy fiction. But if any group of women have come close to achieving that state, it is the 18 lakh garment workers in the 4,500 factories all over the country. In a society where a woman’s first responsibility is always seen as the caretaker of the house and mother to her children, where her career is secondary to her husband’s, it is these garment workers who have at many homes become the sole providers for their families. In many cases, it is the husbands who do the family cooking because of the late work hours wives have at the factories.
But their work is not without its share of troubles. It is an everyday struggle they have to face, and they do so with determination from offensive behaviour at the workplace, to long and tiring repetitive work, lack of recreational facilities, and the constant fight for fair pay and good working conditions. Circumstances like these can make or break a person. One woman who has been fighting these barriers for years is 33-year-old Najma Akhter. Starting out as a shy 11-year-old who had to leave school in 5th grade and join a factory as a helper, she has become one the most vocal garment worker leaders of the time.
…
One of the big problems for women working in the garment industry is the constant harassment faced from outsiders while commuting. From making comments about their bodies to stalking, groups of men make their work travel a daily ordeal. “People harassed us all the time and made awful remarks at us when we walked down the road,” says Najma, “and even when we did protests and marches people would say bad things about us: that we were not good people and that our character was bad.”
Najma has a commitment to the cause of these workers. “Because I am a sufferer I know first-hand the kind of problems they face, that’s why I always try to empower them and I want that more people take such leadership roles from the grassroots level so that they can solve their own problems,” she says, “We have had to overcome a lot of barriers to get where we are today. Now I can talk to the government, to the owners, I can talk to the buyers about the workers’ problems, and can make national and international negotiations. Everyone knows me and I can talk about how this industry can be more efficient, and I feel very proud of that. But I feel more people need to come out and take such roles.”
Najma believes that the garment industry is actually a progressive place for women in Bangladesh. “These women are working and sometimes their husbands cook for them,” she says, “you won’t even find this trend in most educated families. I don’t have to tell my husband where I’m going or when I’m coming home. When I first got married he didn’t like the kind of work that I did, but I suffered a lot to come to this position and I couldn’t go back from there.”
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By Ferdie Bester

I recently had a look at Google Trends and noticed that jobs have now finally overtaken sex as the most searched term in South Africa.
Google trends monitor what people search for on Google in South Africa. This information is displayed over time and provides an insight into current affairs.
In the graph below, the blue line shows the search volume for sex, while the red line reflects the number of searches for jobs.

Link to view: http://www.google.com/trends?q=sex,jobs&ctab=0&geo=za&date=all&sort=0

With all the economic turmoil, it is no wonder that people are concerned and it shows in what they are searching for on Google.
According to Solidarity, a leading trade union, 32 companies were already retrenching about 22 000 employees. They estimate that a further 310 000 jobs are on the line.
We at ClickMaven have noticed that some of our clients’ internet marketing campaigns deliver job seekers enquiries. This illustrates that job seekers are not finding the information they are looking for and then resort to using more traditional communication channels.
I urge employers to leverage the internet to advertise and fill positions; it is very easy to start and is cost-effective. Those with limited internet marketing resources can easily use Jobs.co.za or CareerJunction.
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Nikolas Colton Evans had talked about how much he wanted to have a child, but the 21-year-old died after he was punched and hit his head on the ground in a fight. That would have been the end of it, if it weren’t for his determined mother, a court order and a urologist.

Nikolas Colton Evans had talked about how much he wanted to have a child, but the 21-year-old died after he was punched and hit his head on the ground in a fight. That would have been the end of it, if it weren’t for his determined mother, a court order and a urologist.
Missy Evans has harvested her dead son’s sperm and hopes to find a surrogate and one day raise her son’s child. It’s a decision that ethicists say raises troubling questions; one called the potential offspring a “replacement child.”

Evans isn’t concerned about what others might think. She says she is only doing what her son would have wanted.
“He would love me so much for doing this,” she said.
Austin police say Nikolas Evans was punched during a fight on an Austin street early March 27 and then fell to the ground, striking his head. He died April 5. Police are still trying to identify the person who hit him.

After a doctor told her that nothing more could be done for her son, Missy Evans came up with the idea of harvesting his sperm. She discussed the idea with her ex-husband, her older son and other family members, and said all supported her wish to help a part of Nikolas live on through his future offspring.

She said her son once told her he wanted three sons and had already picked out names. She described Nikolas as an “old soul” interested in filmmaking, politics, music and old movies.

“My son wanted to graduate from college. He wanted to have children. And someone took that away from him,” said Evans, 42, of Bedford, located between Dallas and Fort Worth.
Evans had to go to court to get permission to harvest his sperm. On Tuesday, a Travis County probate judge granted her wish – ordering the county Medical Examiner’s Office to keep her son’s body chilled to at least 39.2 degrees and allow access so an expert could take the specimen.

Evans’ attorney Mark Mueller said no one opposed the plan.
An Austin urologist volunteered her services and collected testicular tissue from the body Wednesday night. Missy Evans said she’s been told much of the sperm is viable and is making plans for it to be stored.
Decisions such as Evans’ must be made quickly, and allow little time for a grieving person to reflect on the choice, one ethicist said.
Using the sperm brings up more issues.

“That child’s biological father will be dead. The mother may be an egg donor, anonymous or gestational surrogate,” said Tom Mayo, director of Southern Methodist University’s Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility.

“This is a tough way for a kid to come into the world. As the details emerge and the child learns more about their origins, I just wonder what the impact will be on a replacement child,” Mayo said.
He said the desire to replace a deceased child is a classic scenario that, in this case, took a nontraditional turn.
“The underlying desire would be very strong, even if she wouldn’t describe it that way,” he said.
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By The Point

The Point is in a bit of a funk. I just can’t seem to shake the urge to pepper my sentences with expletives and throw heavy objects at my computer screen whenever the letters J and Z follow each other in quick succession. Or, for that matter, the letters N, P and A.
I tried applying reason. It failed. I burnt an effigy. It left me feeling momentarily vindicated, but scorched fingertips quickly dulled my enthusiasm. Finally, I turned to the stars. For what else could explain the inexplicable?

Horoscope.com’s Monday prediction for Aries was fairly illuminating: “It’s a deceptively quiet start to a rather hectic week, so use this day to prepare. Think ahead; clear your in-tray; address any backlog; attend to the details, rather than leaving them for another day. The more you do now, the more you’ll reduce the possibility of feeling time-pressured!”

No, I’m not an Aries. But Jacob Zuma (#%*# there goes my screen) is.
THE ZUMIVERSE
In the beginning was the word; and the word was with Zuma; and the word was Zuma. Any suggestions to the contrary are part of a counter-revolutionary conspiracy.

The Gospel according to Vavi: “They were conniving… and I feel Zuma, as well as millions of workers who felt there was something untoward in the matter, have been vindicated.
The Gospel according to Phosa: “We have always said Zuma is innocent, and today it was the NPA who said it. We say to the NPA: at last you have seen the light, you have finally seen the truth. Those in the media who have been prosecuting him every day should hang their heads in shame.”

The Word of Zuma: “I do not regard myself as being above the law and no public person should be above scrutiny. In the last eight years, I did not use my position to interfere with the due course of the law… and I always presented myself in court whenever needed.
“There is no cloud. There has (sic) been allegations against me and the State has not been able to put up the case. I have not been found guilty in a court of law.”

Footnotes of a philistine: (posture check) head still surprisingly upright; definition of ‘vindicated’ — (1) to clear somebody of blame, guilt, suspicion or doubt (2) to show that somebody or something is justified or correct.

ZUMAGGEDON
Those not quite buying into the Word of Zuma (yes, the counter-revolutionaries and those hanging their heads in shame) are predicting the end of the world as we know it. Justice sacrificed on technicalities; rampant corruption; and politicians who are accountable to no one… so, just more of the same, really.
“This decision is a blow to our democracy that will be felt for years to come. The NPA, in this act, has undermined the Constitution and impoverished our judicial system, thus exposing the people of South Africa to future miscarriages of justice.” — Cope.

“It’s a shameful day in our country’s history. People must brace themselves, our justice system is crumbling. To remedy this situation the voters need to express their disgust at the polls.” — Bantu Holomisa.

“It is shocking and outrageous that the ANC’s in-fighting and power struggle has landed us in this trouble. What is even worse is the fact that it has been done with millions of rands of taxpayers’ money.” — Pieter Mulder.

“Zuma must take note that the truth is that the NPA dropped charges in spite of its assertion a few weeks ago that I had ‘a winnable case’ and also in spite of the Louis Harmse judgment, which stated that ‘a prosecution is not wrongful merely because it is brought for an improper purpose.” — Patricia de Lille.

There’s more… but it all follows pretty much the same formula.

ZUMACRACY
Between the ANC’s rewriting of history and the opposition’s declarations of righteous indignation, the week has not been entirely devoid of irony.
From Pastor Ray McCauley: “We all have a duty not to erode the integrity of the institution even when some may not agree with its decision.”

Integrity? What integrity?
“Our president has always respected the laws of this country. When he was recalled to go to court, he did so,” said Paul Mashatile. “We urge the NPA that if they want to earn our respect, they must do the right thing… let them drop the charges tomorrow.”

Erm… I’m pretty sure there was a threat in there somewhere. Somewhere between ‘if they want to earn our respect’ (who wouldn’t?) and ‘drop the charges’.

And, at a Zuma liberation celebration, ANC spokesperson Mcebisi Jonas declared triumphantly: “The people of the Eastern Cape are elated at this decision. There is excitement across the province. This decision goes very far in ensuring we have a hold of the rule of law.”
A strong hold. A firm hold. A stranglehold.

Finally, a word from the man of the moment: “My legal team was excellent. Maybe I will explain in future why I chose them to represent me. (I can hazard a guess…) I will explain when I write my book one day.”

What did I tell you? The Word of Zuma. Incidentally, it just so happens to be Mosholozi’s birthday on Sunday. Yes, that’s Easter Sunday. Try to appreciate the irony…

The Point’s monitor has been rendered useless by an angry pot plant. Feel free to share quotes from the week (which are totally and utterly unrelated to JZ) below…
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