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Entrance to Ancient Timbuktu Mosque Distoryed

It is a sad day today because the militants in Mali have just destroyed the door to the entrance of the Sidi Yahya mosque , a 15th century mosque, in Timbuktu (also called Tombouctou), a city we knew because of this rhyme...chul meray matkay tombouctou, kahan ki burhiya, kahan ka tou?)  "they tore the sacred door off which we never open," said a resident.

It is said that they came with pick-axes, they cried 'Allah Akbar ' and broke the door. It is very serious. Some of the people watching began crying. No doubt about it.

A man, a relative of a local imam (religious leader), said he had spoken to Islamist group Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith) who have gone on a rampage destroying cultural treasures after occupying the town for three months.

I think that people like these, the religious zealots, have become a cancer of the society. Muslim countries have created their own enemies within their own borders and amongst its own people. A lot has to do with the policies that governments of many of the Islamic countries pursued for years and now it is backfiring.

Source: Here
Read more here.

Quote of the Day!

"In a closed society where everyone's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity."

(Hunter S. Thompson)

Picture of the Day: World's Largest Blood Drop (South Korea)

Participants form the world's largest human blood drop to celebrate World Blood Donor Day in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, South Korea on Thursday.

Photocredits @ Chosun Ilbo.

Pakistani Media is God's Vice says BBC!

A very intersting and comprehensive article by BBC Urdu's Wussatullah Khan can be read in detail here. The author has tried to question the limit for the media - the so-called TV Channels. Accroding to him, television  is NOT doing any service for the society but instead is endangering the lives through its unthoughful and provocative programs (where people's private lives becomes a tamasha on TV..why???) and this menace MUST STOP!

There is a famous proverb: "jis ki laathi uski bhains"  or simply put: who has the power has his say.
In case TV channels do NOT know how to use their power in a right and just manner - keeping in view the morals and ethics to do a program - then they must be sued and heavily fined. These days our media ceases to understand that with a camera in hands - they must act responsibily!

In our system, nobody is trying to find wrong within their own ranks and that is interesting for me.

We all remember Madrassa Hafsa's Burqa clad girls (of Lal Masjid Crisis). A detailed report by Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) can be read here. Professor Adil Najam in an article entitled "Laathi Raj: Jamia Hafsa's Offensive on a Divided Offensive"  wrote:

"...if one believes that the violent and coerced imposition of any one view - conservative or liberal; secular or religious - is wrong, then one has to reject all laathis (sticks). One has to be as opposed and as appalled at the laathis being wielded by the burqa-clad women on Jamia Hafsa as one was a few weeks ago to the laathis wielded by the police at lawyers..."

Two wrongs don't make a right!

Since the introduction of endless TV channels, degradation of moral, ethical values is on the rise, insanity prevails and the reports and programs have gone from bad to worse which has added fuel to the fire in an already crazy and evil system!

FOR FURTHER READINGS

1-  An Article by DAWN News: Big Brother (and Sister) is Watching You

2- Another post at Zee News here.

3- BBC Artile: Moral Policing of Taliban Style by a Pakistani Private Channel.

An Indonesian Student Buried at the H-8 Graveyard!

M.Faud B.(Born: 7th. March 1965 - Died: 8th. Feb. 1988) was an Indonesian student at the International Islamic University, Islamabad who died in 1988 in an accident. On my last visit at the H-8 Graveyard in Islamabad, I made sure that the grave is cleaned up and maintained properly.

When this Indonesian student visited Pakistan to study, he definitely had no idea that he will be here to stay ( like this) - so far away from his family and friends and very unlikely for them to visit.

It is surely NOT an easy task for the breaved family and friends to pay him a visit here in Pakistan. There is just a little note for you all: that his grave is taken care of from time to time - please do NOT worry!

May his soul rest in peace!


I am sure, Pakistan must be in your mind, always, in case you want further information leave a comment and I will try my best to get for you answers from the administration..

25th December's Importance!

When we were growing up in Pakistan, we learned from home about respecting all different religions and hence, I witnessed cooking special food and praying "special prayers (nawafil)" on this day at home. I am utterly thankful to my parents that they provided us an atmosphere where we learned to love and respect people without ever thinking what ideological or religious affiliations they have had or what social strata they belonged to and it stayed with us until today...

Those days are gone and its  not just being nostalgic about 'my times' as a kid but really the differences are unfortunately alarming. I was shocked yesterday when a 5 or 6 year old girl asked me what my sect is??
I told her that I am a muslim only without a sect which puzzled her and she stared at me like a monkey rapidly blinking her eyes! I found out that she is the daughter of a moazzan of our neighborhood mosque .This girl must have heard these discussions at home and so my concern is shall we NOT cleanse our clergy and  'educate the moazzans and the khateebs first' and not to indulge in sectarianism??? I was given a reply that the girl was: "just a kid and I must ignore" and my reply was: reaaaaaaaally, if so, Pakistan ka Allah He Hafiz!!!!!

Today, I wish people a very Merry Christmas (which is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ (Esa (peace be on him) also Isiah in Islam) whom many have no clue that people of the Islamic faith also considers as one of the most important prophets.

25th December is also the birth anniversary of the founder of Pakistan: Quaid e Azam.

Today is also the birthday of my mom!

One more thing that happened today is Imran Khan's rally and I only wanted one thing - a rally without chairs but again, there were chairs (60,000 for families which means that we will never learn from our mistakes) and I will never understand why in Pakistan there is a culture of chairs in political rallies because I have seen that in the US, France, Japan and South Korea - no political rally has chairs!!!! Why do we????

I am very unhappy with the performance of Salman Ahmad of Junoon at Imran Khan's rally- it was very lame as he lip-synced on Ali Azmat's song NOT even lip-synced his own song - shamless guy who is here to fool Pakistan - like many others & got away with it. Crowds should have booed him but we are such a naive nation which never protested on what should be strongly protested upon. We in Pakistan are also living in a culture of live performances and Salman Ahmad proudly calls himself an American Pakistani - at least he should have learned the ethics of musical live performances from his country of residence! He left a bad taste in my mouth!

On a final note for the day: I hope that in Pakistan we learn to respect humanity and tolerance which is also the main message of Islam. Humanity and tolerance is the rule of sanity which of course does NOT  exist in Pakistan. We have lost all moral and ethical values at a rapid pace in a little over a decade and have become extremely violent, disrespectful, corrupt, dishonest nation of the world. I feel sorry about Jinnah's Pakistan but hopelessness is a sin and so I expect a better Pakistan some day!


NOTE:
Here is a Reply to ALIVE 's COMMENT' below !
(my comments section of this post has an error, could NOT fix it, sorry about it)!

@ Alive: Thank you for your very comprehensive reply, I really appreciate that!

You wrote that Muslims have lived without any major violent clashes amongst themselves however, in the pre-modern and modern history of the Muslim countries, it otherwise. Millions of Muslims have been slaughtered within the Muslim countries for the mere fact of having had different sects or ideologies by the ruling elites. If we say that, conditions were NOT violent then we are belittling the sacrifice of all those who lost their lives.
As far as Pakistan’s sectarian violence is concerned, I agree with you for the most part.
You said that “… A common man will seldom talk about sects unless you urge him to …”  in today’s Pakistan, a common man is more than concerned about sects than ever before BUT the counter measures you mentioned are an efficient method to deal with it, no doubt!
Last but not the least, I am with you and pray that Pakistan, despite all odds, will become a progressive and vibrant country. It has a potential to stand with nations such as Singapore, Malaysia or South Korea but to get there, sacrifices have to be made, probably by indulging in “Jihad bin Nafs” ( Jihad against your self). After all, WE ( the people) have to pull ourself  out insead of watching ourself going down passively.

Dated: 13th Jan. 2012

Islamabad: A Capital for Refugees!

My father was posted to Islamabad in early 1960s when all the ministries were shifted in this newly built administrative capital  of Pakistan from its original capital Karachi. We have witnessed it evolving into one of the fastest growing cities here which was once an abode of people who used to work either for the federal government or for the foreign missions in Pakistan. Almost everybody knew everybody else and this is a proof of how small this place actually was.

In late 1970s and early 1980, with Ziaul Haq in power, we saw hoards of Afghan refugees in Islamabad. The theme was generosity and hospitality of the Pakistan government towards the people in war torn Afghanistan. Refugees in Islamabad were those with money and power back home. They simply changed the landscape of Islamabad. Sectors such as G-8 and G-9 were pested with Afghan refugees and G-9/4 can be rightly called the "Little Kabul" in Islamabad. They had their schools, clinics, businesses and community centers there and 70% of the residents were Afghans. They were among the most prosperous business owners of Islamabad and had their businesses in 'the most expensive' commercial areas. These people have NOT been repatriated back and Pakistan has failed miserably on its policy related to refugees which has taken a toll on Pakistani masses.

With its own out-of-control population - Pakistan never have had enough of refugees at the expense of the welfare of its own people. A logic hard to understand. We had a fair share of more than 3.5 million Afghans refugees according to the UN estimates but there is likelihood that the numbers were much higher because Pak-Afghan border which is 2,430 km long was always porous. Only in Islamabad at a certain point their numbers reached 300,000. In Islamabad-Rawalpindi region alone, there numbers reached more than half a million. There were more Afghans than Pakistanies at one point in certain sectors in Islamabad like the infamous "Peshawar Moor" (G-9/4) - the Afghan Hub. Many of the apartments whether government or private were rented out to Afghans because they were willing to pay whatever prices and were ready to live in really small /cramped "one-room setups" while sharing kitchen and toilet. A family usually comprised of of 8 or 9 people. It has been reported that one person used to hire a place and then sublet it to a number of families - room by room and the trick was and still is: they call themselves joint family. The Afghans and the local populace have never had good relations. Afghans are extremely disrespectful of Pakistanies - most of the time. It has been 32 years when the first batch came to Pakistan and now their second and at times third generations have grown up here. According to the UNCHR, NWFP has about 2 million Afghans, Baluchistan about 800,000 and Islamabad 50,000 ( which is a misleading number) and details can be seen here.

In mid 1990s and by 2000, these people have moved to the sectors F-10 and F-11 but honestly, their presence is felt everywhere. I have heard that huge communities of Afghans are living in an area called "Sadiqabad" of Rawalpindi - a twin city of Islamabad. Even within Afghan people we have those who are ethnically Pashtuns (they are usually poor and are found in the refugee camps) and then Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks (the wealthier Afghans).

The story of these refugees does NOT seem to end - government of Pakistan has failed to come up with "any" policies in collaboration with UNHCR and the Afghan government to repatriate these millions and millions back to their country - which need them more. Landlocked Afghanistan is equally a major player in what ails Pakistan today. Smuggling of both food and weapons as well as drug trafficking routes and channels criss-cross Pakistan from Northern and Western borders.

Pakistan is one of the leading countries involved in all sorts of human trafficking of not just Pakistanies but it serves as a transit country for illegal foreigners as well. The destinations are diverse. They have an easy access to 'good-to-go' forged papers such as fake Pakistani National Identity Cards and passports - thanks to the corruption in Pakistan and particularly at the Passport and Immigration offices of Pakistan under the auspices of Ministry of Interior.

The story doesn't end with Afghan refugees because in 1990s, we also saw a huge numbers of Arabs, Somalis and Sundanese in Islamabad. In mid 1990s, Pakistan brought refugees from Bosnia Herzegovina and one could see them in government hospitals (PIMS) frequently. I have to stress that the fault lies in the policies of Pakistan with respect to the number of refugees flowing in the country and one of the catalyst is the thriving corruption to the core of Pakistani society as well. I will NOT hold any of these communities responsible because they have succeeded due to the loopholes in our system.

Right from the beginning, Pakistan was unable to confine them in specific areas as the rule goes in all other countries. We have Iran as an example but in Pakistan they were free to move any where and these Afghans are everywhere - WHY???

WE NEVER FORESEE the effects of these people on our fragile economy and became silent observers to how jobs shifted to these refugees from our people.

We never cared as to how their presence affected the natural resources as well as the environment in general.

Provincial governments of Baluchistan and NWFP have given various warning on how likely is the possibility of outbreak of various diseases such as Congo Hemorrhage Fever and malaria over and over again.

How Pakistan has put in jeopardy the the well-being of its local people and that of the ecosystem?

What made us stuck with short term unrealistic goals and poor policies?

What were the effects on our culture and society per se. because of these refugees?

Are they NEVER gonna leave???

We are becoming another Afghanistan -  we are compared with them more often than not which is  very alarming. We should bring our own house in order rather than worrying about the entire world. We should worry about our own people, people of Pakistan - rather than inviting the world's entire refugees here. We are NOT doing any service in any way. I think we have to rethink that Persian proverb: "Kerdan  Sud Aib, Na Kerdan yuk Aib". We should learn to say "NO"!

in SALLAm inSHALLOm (NYT)

After two years of hard work, the project was finalized and exhibited in Tel Aviv. The fabric used for this collection, the central motifs, are borrowed from Muslim and Jewish symbols. Artists who participated  also had a very mixed and interesting baggage to their backgrounds. Their main notion was: that Judaism and Islam can live side by side.

credits@ The New York Times.

Pictures of the Day: Earless Rabbit in Japan

Earlier this year Fukushima Diiachi Nuclear Disaster shaked not just Japan but the whole world.
There are all sort of concerns for people in and outside Japan of the impact of radiation exposure.
On You Tube, a Japanese Vlogger uploaded a video of his earless rabbit born after this disater in Fukushima area. This video has reached 3 millions hits so far and has made headlines - for the concerns.
For details read here.

Inaugration Address of 35th Mayor of Seoul

I have done a post on  Park, Won-soon earlier, he gave an inaugural speech (see here), in which he said that the people of Seoul are the mayor of Seoul. Unless, the higher-ups are unable to think of and for public, there is very little hope for change for masses at large. I have confidence that Seoul will remain dynamic but will keep its original structures, its age old character intact - which it was losing in the name of a modern looks.

Seoul is one of the very modern and hightech of cities, I can confidently say that among the major capital of the world, Seoul is among the leaders as it provides all kind of facilities, freebies, support system, 24 hours services of all sort, safety to each and every individual and the list goes on - which is hard to find anywhere in one city.

Mayor Park said in his speech that:

"I will support your lives as I communicate and sympathize with you on site.My ears will be open to hear your wishes and opinions, and your opinions will be reflected in every step and every area of my administration. The citizens of Seoul are the captains, navigators, and helmsmen of this "Seoul Ship" on which I too am a passenger.I ask you to join this new wave of history the "Seoul Ship" will sail upon.The Mayor of Seoul is a citizen, and the citizens are the Mayor of Seoul."

I hope that we see an even more prosperous and citizens friendly Seoul - balancing both traditional and modern.

Pakistan: A Responsible Nation?

It was early morning hours when I heard of a NATO strike and the death toll was 5 soldiers but as I write this and the day proceeded  28 soldiers have been confirmed dead and scores injured. This is called: history repeating itself - every now and then. These brave soldiers, serving in Pakistan Army, are the unknown and unsung heroes of the post 9-11 era. These soldiers on frontlines are facing the brunt of hatred (in the name of collateral damage or misunderstanding) not just of the foreign forces (here I mean: American/NATO forces and our 'first love' and 'obsession' Afghanistan) for 'not doing enough' and for being responsible for all the evils that plague the world but also from the ordinary Pakistanies and Taliban to whom these soldiers are an accomplice to America's WAR ON  OF TERROR.

Today, I was expecting an appeal 'from so-called political elites' to hold an organized and civilized protest at all levels in Pakistan, not the same old 'lame' Talk Shows on TV - which mostly confuse and mislead Pakistanies. Today, I was expecting a 'nationwide candlelight vigil' or a 'peaceful rally to condemn NATO bombings' in an all-out manner to mourn our dead family members (fathers, sons, brothers and husbands). Today, I was expecting that out of the ordinary, every single Pakistani man, woman and child will come out of their comfort zones to show solidarity with the bereaved families and also to make an effort to send a message to the perpetrators that we are NOT a country of the living dead but NO, I was expecting too much and YES, I was dead wrong!

Sadly enough - nothing of sort happened here in Pakistan and nobody seems to care (at all) either - young boys are playing cricket outside, men sitting in front of TVs, women busy cooking and life is on the go as usual. Why is that? Why, we as a nation, can NOT feel the loss, suffering and pain of our fellow Pakistanies? Do we have any self-respect?? Are we NOT equally responsible for what ails us?? Are we really a nation in the first place??? Are we eligible to call ourselves human beings, still??

I feel that we are more of a crowd than a nation. We have make mockery of our founding fathers, of Islam and Islamic values in Pakistan. I don't know if we are a failed state or not but we are definitely a 'Failed Nation'. Islam that emphasizes on "Haqoq ul Ebad" (what we commonly know as Human Rights) is almost a rare commodity in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. We don't RESPECT LIFE - period.

I know that the response from Pakistani  government will be a lame one - may be President Zardari will write an article in the Washington Post (or may be NOT because Pakistani life is not even worth it) and the Prime Minister will call for the cutting of NATO supplies (which he already did, probably for a week or so but it will be restored soon). They will create a drama (and this government is surely not the first to do so). A drama for the masses and for our media. A drama to divert attention from hundreds of serious issues that equally need attention. A drama where a common person's sufferings (here and here) are always hijacked by the corrupt politicians and the Pakistani elite for their personal gains and not for the issue itself or the victims per se.

As a nation, we have failed again to register our protest in a civilized manner and this is apathetic and shameless. No wonder, this sort of a tragedy will happen again - because we are not a nation but in fact a conglomerate of feudals and industrialists - who can not and will never feel the pain of a common person.

Today, I blame NATO, AMERICA, AFGHANISTAN and PAKISTAN for all the mess that we are in. All the countries mentioned above  are the partners in the creation of angry, radical and violent non-state actors not just in this region but globally.


ADDENDUM

Koreans Protest the Death of School Girls by American servicemen in a road accident.

More pictures of Korean Candlelight Vigil (the whole country was crying)

"It all went very well"said a NATO General in 1999 after bombing ethnic Albanians in 1999 here.

Beyghairat Brigade

The band, Beyghairat Brigade is featured in the New York Times - which is huge in itself. The article entitled: 'A You Tube Hit Challanges Extremism in Pakistan' can be read here. Their song title is catchy, particularly if you are from South Asia: Aalu Anday (referring to Potatoes and Egg Curry).

This is NOT the first song ever of this kind, Shahzad Roy, Najam Shiraz, Strings and a couple of other singers have some interesting songs to their credit with tough messages in their lyrics - but almost always in a satirical way.

Beghairat (Shameless) Brigade has highlighted all the defining moments in the past few years in Pakistan for its race to the bottom. The lyrics of the song talks about us that we as nation chose our heroes from amongst killers (Qadri), terrorists (Kasab) and mullahs in burqa (Lal Masjid Imam) but not people like Professor Abdus Salam, a Nobel Laureate in Physics. Talking of Professor Abdus Salam,  I would like to refresh memory that he was denied to start a university and a research center in Pakistan for the mere fact that he was from a minority sect. Professor Salam who was disowned by Pakistan. On his gravestone: "Bismiallah" was removed (how bizarre and sick). Though in reality, Professor Salam  is the real hero in contemporary Pakistan who had to leave his homeland to persue his work with a very heavy heart and he is the founding member of the world renowned research center in Italy: CERN.  We must admit that there have come moments when we have proved that we are one of the most pathetic nations on the world map - who categorically discriminate, categorize and kill its own kind for political and worldly gains only.

Beyghairat Brigade in an interview with DAWN News said with Beyghairati that: "...we do NOT believe in 50% of the lyrics of the song per se....it is a just a song and must NOT be taken too seriously". What???? Are you serious??
Boys: my advice is, stand by what you say or sing in his case!!! Raising voice against wrongdoing isn't that bad!

Our tragedy is the complacency with whatever wrong is happeing in Pakistan and choosing silence over raising voice aganist the wrongdoing at every step.

이드 무바락/ Eid Mubarak to Everyone!

It is Eid Al Adha today around the world . So Eid Mubarak!
In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh Eid will be celebrated tomorrow (Monday, November 7th. 2011) and hence, it will be a very busy day . Wish everyone a very auspicious day!

KITE FLYING FESTIVAL (Seoul: Nov 6th)

Kites and kite flying has a very long history. Fascination of men to fly and to touch the sky led to inventing kites which turned into a more sophisticated hobby and then a national obsession. In almost all cultures and civilizations we see the importance given to kite flying and particularly in Asia.

In the Indian subcontinent - kite flying is a huge festival and Vasantu also called Basant - celebrating the coming of spring has the most important feature called kite flying. The city of Lahore is the hub. It kicks off in late February to early March and plays a very important role in conneting us with relgion, folklore and tradition - all in one string and has brought us a feelings of 'being free' by simply flying a kite in the air. Skies in early spring are filled with colorful kites giving a sense of spring in the sky.

China is credited with the invention of kites some 3000 years ago and there are many legends and myths to its creation. In Korea, if we look at the old painting, we see children flying kites and definitely it has been equally popular in Korea too. With modernization these simple hobbies have become large ventures or projects which have been used to attract tourists and has, in turn, initiatied the Kite Flying Association in almost all the countries. Here, Kite Flying Association of Korea is celebrating the Kite Festival scheduled on November 6th (Sunday). For registration please visit the website of Korea's Kite Flyers Association and click on a form for foreigner's to apply.

First 250 entries are eligible for free kites and string and will also be able to contest in the grand prize by Seoul Mayor and 5 more different organization.

Location: Yeouido, Han River Park across Yeouido SoonBok Um Church.
For more info. call: 02-3780-0561
Register at: http://www.kokfa.or.kr/
Contact person: Mr. Cho (02-720-4114)

LOK VIRSA FESTIVAL IN ISLAMABAD (Oct 7- 16, 2011)

Pakistani handicrafts, culture and its heritage can be fully experienced at the Lok Virsa Festival in Islamabad at Shakar Puryan - across from Zero Point.

This is one of those festivals for which I had to wait desperately for an entire year. It never disappointed me. I have so beautiful memories of Lok Virsa and of going there with people - who are no more with us. I am feeling extremely fortunate that I can visit Lok Virsa this year...last time I was able to go there was when I was living in Islamabad - many years ago.

While visiting Lok Virsa don't forget to visit the museum that is also located in the area and is one of the coolest efforts to get to know Pakistan - a little better.

Lok Virsa has one whole week and will come to an end on October 16th. 2011.

Artisians from all over Pakistan are invited and it is full of beautiful handicrafts and souvenirs from Pakistan. Live music and food is another attraction. Now that people do NOT have much of a choice to go outing with their families and all they do is watch TV ( being couch potatoes) - I'd suggest them to definitely go there and enjoy your day. For kids and also for many of us adults - it can be an educational and fun experience.

For more information visit the website of LOK VIRSA.

Hire a Surrogate Mother: That's IT!

Surrogate Mothers in a Makeshift Home in India (BBC photo)

We are living in intersting times - times of breaking news every second, that is.
A Pakistani Television reported last week that a doctor here in Pakistan was involved in kiddnapping a newborn baby in a government hospital with the help of a young woman...and she said: she was trying to help a mother who could not conceive. Voila! This is a story of Pakistan -  insane ad infinitum!

 In such a case, where we can not trust our doctors, lawyers, police, teachers, mullahs, government representatives - what is left for a common man. I wonder why, this affluent woman never thought of getting help from our neighboring country India. They could help her become a mom in a much more legal and descent way and the price tag is also very economical. Unfortunetley, in recent years , we in Pakistan have totally forgotten how to do things the right way....

Next time, if somebody want to have their own baby, want to become a mother or a parent - give this idea  (hire a surrogate) a thought instead of kidnapping others children!!!

This story below was published in The New York Times on Oct.4, 2011.
NEW DELHI — The plot of the Marathi-language film “Mala Aai Vhhaychy” (“I Want to Be a Mother”) asks a deceptively simple question: Does Yashoda, a woman turning to surrogate motherhood as an escape from poverty, have any claim on the child she is under contract to bear for Mary, an American fertility tourist? In the melodramatic world of Indian cinema, the answer is a heartwarming yes. In real life, it may not be that easy to script a happy ending.

Since 2002, when commercial surrogacy was legalized in India, the surrogacy industry has boomed, becoming a key part of the country’s lucrative medical tourism market. The cost of surrogacy for prospective parents is about $14,000 in India, compared with an estimated $70,000 in the United States. A 2008 study valued the assisted reproductive industry in India at $450 million a year.

Across India, fertility clinics attempt to replicate the success of Akanksha and other clinics in the small town of Anand in the western state of Gujarat, which was the country’s first surrogacy hub. But the boom masks growing concerns about the rights of the women, many of them from poor homes and sometimes illiterate, who choose to become surrogate mothers.

Up to now, India’s laws have not addressed directly the complexities of surrogacy, though an assisted reproductive technology bill is before Parliament and expected to be ratified by early next year. But a team of researchers from Sama, a nongovernmental women’s health organization, has raised concerns about the bill in a recent paper. “The many ethical issues that are emerging out of unrestrained spread of the technologies remain,” the researchers write.

The legislation attempts to regulate the clinics and doctors engaged in reproductive technologies and their relationship with prospective surrogate mothers.

While Sama welcomes this attempt to govern the industry, it fears the legislation favors the rights of the commissioning couple over those of the surrogate mother. The bill makes it clear that women engaged in commercial surrogacy will have no rights over the child they have contracted to bear. The proposed law does not spell out what a surrogate mother would be paid in the case of a miscarriage or other complications during pregnancy.

Its provisions would stipulate that only women between the ages of 21 and 35 can be surrogates. It sets the maximum number of times a woman can contract her womb for surrogacy at five live births, in contrast to three in an earlier draft. But Sama notes that it does not address the number of assisted reproductive cycles a woman can experience, an important issue for the women’s health.

When the first clinics opened their doors in Gujarat, Akanksha’s founder, Dr. Nayna H. Patel, said in a much-repeated quote that surrogacy was a win-win situation for all. Many Indian doctors agree, arguing that it is in the interest of clinics to take good care of the women involved in commercial surrogacy.
“Most clinics provide protection to the woman in many ways, looking after her health, nutrition, daily needs, and some will even offer to take care of her family,” Dr. Ruma Satwik, associate consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, said in an interview.

But currently, the responsibility for taking care of the women is left to individual doctors and clinics.

“We have all kinds of legal documents to protect the commissioning couple,” Dr. Satwik said. “The surrogate mother stands to lose in the absence of concrete laws to protect her, and the provisions of the ART Bill are probably not enough.”

In 2008, Dr. Sadhna Arya, a gynecologist in Jaipur, was part of the team of doctors involved in the complex case of a baby who was born to an Indian surrogate mother after the contracting couple, from Japan, decided to divorce. At the time, Dr. Arya spoke out against the way in which surrogate mothers were treated in India: “You have treated the surrogate mother like an object, used her as a factory.”

Today, Dr. Arya says bluntly, “Surrogate mothers are from poor backgrounds and are hardly aware of their rights. The ART law is trying to find a balance between the legal and the unethical, but unethical practices still remain.”

The U.S. journalist Scott Carney investigated surrogacy clinics in Anand for his book, “The Red Market,” on the hidden trade in human bodies and body parts.

“Before India, only the American upper classes could afford a surrogate,” he wrote. “Now it’s almost within reach of the middle class. While surrogacy has always raised ethical questions, the increasing scale of the industry makes the issue far more urgent. With hundreds of new clinics poised to open, the economics of surrogate pregnancy are moving faster than our understanding of its implications.” Manju, 29, a domestic helper in Delhi who asked that her full name not be used, said she had thought about surrogacy ever since her sister-in-law gave birth to a surrogate baby two years ago.

“She went off to Gujarat, and the family kept it very quiet,” said Manju, alluding to the stigma that sometimes attaches to surrogate mothers in India. “But she made a lot of cash, much more than my income for a year.”
A month ago, Manju was approached by the representative of an unlicensed surrogacy clinic in the northern state of Haryana looking for surrogate mothers. She said she might take them up on their offer.
“It’s good money,” she said. “Risks? What risks? Any fool can have a baby, it takes a smart woman to get paid for it.”

Some interesting reads include:

Surrogacy: An Ethical Issue (PBS reports).

Childless couples look to India for Surrogate Mothers (The Christian Science Monitor).

A Child: Made in India ( India's Business of Surrogate Motherhood: The New York Times)

India's Surrogate Mother Industry (BBC)

South Sudan: A New Country

Sudan is divided into two countries, North Sudan with its capital Khartoum and South Sudan - a new addition in the list of countries - has Juba as its capital. South Sudan is the 193 rd country recognized by the UN. The best part is, Northern Sudan is the first country to accept its new neighbor. The south's independence follows decades of conflict with the north in which some 1.5 million people died.

Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, a referendum was held on independence, which was favoured by more than 99% of voters.

The new country is rich in oil, but one of the least developed countries in the world, where one in seven children dies before the age of five.

Unresolved disputes between the north and south, particularly over the new border, have also raised the possibility of renewed conflicts. A new law passed by the National Assembly in Khartoum has withdrawn Sudanese citizenship from all southerners.

The UN refugee agency (UNCHR), has urged both governments to prevent statelessness.

This event has made afresh the division of India and then, the division of Pakistan. All three of us - India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are doing O.K...actually, Pakistan must work a bit hard - to restore peace with itself. We must find a common cause to work for and with other entities within Pakistan. We have to pull ourself out of the labels such as: the most dangerous; corrupt; unstable and ....bla, bla, bla....in the world!

Last but not the least: Congratulation South Sudan and South Sudanese citizens on this special / historic occassion - wish you prosperity, progress and peace!

For details read here at NYT.

What do we call this?

It is sold in traditional oriental medicine related herb markets in Korea.
이거뭐라고해요!