Hazara Idealism

Much of the great philosophers, politicians, economists, men and women of letters and scientists rise out of ruins of wars and stresses of social tensions. These great men were feeling and experiencing from deep within themselves the human feelings of pains and joys. Their imaginations were not gained out of words in books or lectures delivered in classes of well acquainted universities or discussions in cafes filled with smokes of tobaccos. Their imaginations were not sparkled with music and dances. They had felt what really human nature is when they are free to act. What human can do when they have no fear of accountability and they feel ultimate power? What religions, ideologies, culture or in whole humanism mean to men with they are in tensions or they are filled with anger? What survival and struggle means to those who are filled with fear? Great men have felt all these and when they talk or think of human nature they are think in originality with naked experiences of human nature and when they imagine of solutions or talk of humanity they really means when they talk of liberty, freedom, responsibility and morality. Aesthetics to them is life itself which worth living. Aesthetic is not mere existence but living.

Now when Hazaras have experienced both as a nation and individuals in deep what the human nature is for centuries. They have lost a lot in every aspects of life through centuries and now when they realizing their existence they know, what life is and what life means. They had suffered for longest time period any other nation had suffered worst kinds of threats, confiscations, persecutions, massacres and all kind of prolonged siege, so they know well what struggle for survival means. Now the world will expect of their deep experiences to produce great politicians, economists, philosophers, men and women of letters and scientists that will add to understanding of humankind about human. This is called Hazara idealism.

When a nation begins a renaissance to resurrect or take rebirth, they are usually in a position to overcome the threats to their existence and now they are walking towards their essence. When we use words like renaissance, it means that we are against the traditions and cultures that were and are and we are on the struggle of creating the whole sets of new cultures and traditions to replace all existing ones. When we come to Hazaras, then the situations change.

1- Hazaras have a lost glorious past that had changed the whole course of regions and had deep influences in history of mankind and in lives and cultures of the people they ruled on. Still India symbolizes the Taj Mahal which is the remnant of the Mogul Empire. Urdu is another contribution of the Mogul empire which is a connecting language in South Asia and national language of Pakistan. Mongols though destroyed all who resisted them starting from china to Iran, North Africa and Baghdad but left these nations with glorious empires and enriched cultural and economical foundations. Before rise of Islam, Hazaras were Buddhists. To thanks the Buddha for his teachings they carved largest standing and sleeping Buddahs in heart of Hazarajat. As Buddha were an Indian so when later on when Moguls ruled India, they had in mind the debts of teachings of Buddha, so they enriched the culture of India by introducing Urdu, Qawali, religious tolerance, unique Mogul constructions and symbol of love Taj Mahal. Hazaras were also in debt of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) for His teachings so they remained loyal to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and His family throughout of their history after they choose Islam as their new religion. Hazaras as loyal to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and His family were considered infidels by radical Muslims and were massacred several times by orders of Jihad against them from Abdurrahman to Taliban. The Hazaras never converted as they believed in righteousness of teachings of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) reached to them by family of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) not by others.

2- Then there are centuries of dark ages when Hazaras alienated from world by economical, political, religious, cultural and physical siege. The elongated siege and continuous struggle to wipe out Hazaras physically resulted in worst psychological scars on Hazaras that Hazaras forgot to live not only as a nation but even like human beings.

3- The third stage is a stage of transition when Hazaras started to realize their existence. It is the time when Hazaras tested and are testing the world they live in by allowing different forces to rule and to choose the most suitable out of them. The Hazaras have tested tribalism and tribal leaders, Communist socialism, Mujahidin, nation state, capitalist democracy. Unfortunately, Hazaras have not got hopelessness after every promises made by these systems and their representatives.

4- After the bitter experiences and bitter factual realization of the failure of the all exported and imposed solutions and promises of revitalizing the existence of Hazaras now it is time to take inspiration from glorious past and struggle to create a whole sets of new tools to create new cultures, traditions, economical and political systems as well as well new knowledge to not only make Hazarajat to standards of Hazaras but also set example to world to follow. The historical experiences of Hazaras are great assets for them. They just need to mold them into master pieces that change the human history. This is called Hazara Idealism.

Energy drives evolution (Opinion)

Energy drives evolution:

If we accept the Haldane model of origin of life on the earth then we it was energy (lightening, UV and heat) that made it possible that inorganic compounds evolve into first life forms. And now the most recent product of evolution (man) has used energy (liquid and solid fuel and also gravity) in his struggles to explore and colonize the space. Life's first choice of energy source was water, as water itself is a source of energy and also it is a universal solution that have dissolved essential nutrients and minerals so life in its first step colonized oceans, then shores and swampy areas and continued to plain areas and cold and mountainous aras and air. In the tales of evolution I will explore the journey of life in colonizing energy sources.

Introduction:

Evolution is a fact and it is evident in all disciplines of biology and as biology is expanding by introduction of new areas new evidences of evolution is emerging. But despite of this ongoing expansion in biology, the evolution is still unexplained. Evolution still stands at the same place where it was started. Majority of scientists link the expansion in biology as an expansion in evolution. But to me it is because of ambiguity. We have to distinguish evolution as a natural process that is evident equally in physical, chemical and biological worlds (If we are looking from perspective of each discipline). But we are more interested in biological evolution because it is related to us (to our physical being, to our identity, culture, language, society, beliefs, knowledge and everything).

We hear new expressions in biological evolution like, modern synthesis, punctuated equilibrium and modern synthesis extended. These are all indicating advances in biology not in evolution. When Darwin presented his mechanism of biological evolution it was based on natural selection and common descent. Biological evolution is still sticking to these two concepts by adding or accreting new advances in biology. When new concepts and advances are made in inheritance or genetics then by adding these advances into Darwinian concepts, it became modern synthesis. When fossil records show an almost regular pattern of mass extinctions, especially the big five then by adding this new advances the concept of the punctuated equilibrium emerged. Still this process is continued. Behavioral studies, developmental biology, cultural evolution, etc are being added to concept of evolution and hence the concept of extended modern synthesis emerges.
As I told earlier though biology is expanding but evolution is still standing where it was started. The real scientific concept of evolution is started from Darwin and the most famous book of Darwin is “On the origin of species” which is published on the November 1859. Now after one and half century later, we still couldn’t find an accepted definition of species. Yes! Biology despite of the big advances still faces the Species problem.

Besides species problem, still the origin of life, Cambrian explosion is still unresolved and there is widening gap between concept of evolution between paleontology and genetics. Though computers have given us possibilities of computations and graphical reconstructions and presentations but still we have to resolve the most basic questions that evolution faces and try to look into alternative beside natural selection. Environmental sciences are showing new pictures, especially the dominant roles of gravity, energy, cycle of elements and nutrients in changing ecosystems. Now it depends on us that either we are bold enough to this new information to look into alternatives or not?

In Tales of evolution, I will try to return to basic concepts of evolution and try to look them from new perspectives. YOUR COMMENTS AND CRITICISMS ARE WELCOMED. I will publish them in series and put the links below on this page.

Is "Arab Spring" the 2nd Great Arab Revolt? (Opinion)

Though we look to current rapidly changing Middle East as "Arab Spring" and a move towards a democratic Middle East but it is also interesting to know the 2nd and less heard opinions on this situation... I thought it is not going to harm if we learn about this perspective also and it goes like,

The first great Arab Revolt was against the Ottoman Empire funded chiefly by British Empire to reshape the Middle East... The current controlled revolutions in Arab countries entitled as "Arab Spring" seems like a 2nd Great Arab Revolt to reshape the Middle East... and it was inspired and based on the first great Arab revolt... The first Arab Revolt not only torn apart Ottoman empire into many Arab dynasties but also reduced Ottoman Empire into much smaller secular Turkey. Besides, it also gifted the Arab-Israel conflict... It might look like a "conspiracy theory" but international interference, military interventions and sanctions definitely cause doubts on the indigenous nature of these revolts and it helps emergence of theories like that of 2nd Great Arab Revolt...

Following is a part of documentary about 1st Great Arab Revolt (Though it escapes many facts that are interesting to know about current Arab ruling families),

Science and metaphysics

August 5th, 2008

In an era that we term it as an era of quantum mechanics, certain issues have raised which force us to rethink about them. In physics, we study about characteristics of

- Energy
- Force
- Field of force
- Gravity
- Magnetism
- Spin

But what is energy? What is force? What is field of force? What is gravity? What is magnetism? What is spin?

To all these questions we are silent because nature of things is beyond the mechanism of science. Scientific study starts from observation and nature of things are not visible so nature of things is beyond scope of the science.

Similarly in biology we study about the characteristics of

- Life
- Intelligence

But what is life? And what is intelligence? Is beyond the scope of biology as life and intelligence is beyond the observations.

Every discipline has its own methodology. It is the methodology that defines a discipline and made them workable. Scientific method has not developed overnight or by one person. It has its developmental stages. Once it was totally an area of religions, spiritual movements and magic that was explaining all processes. It was mainly rooted in ancient cultures. All processes were explained by beliefs rooted in these cultures and spiritual movements. Philosophy took birth from debates, discussions, dialogues and lessons of Sophists in ancient Greece. Struggles for convincing others put basics of logic and later on search for truth devised logic in a mechanized form.

1- These mechanized logic help philosophy to explain objects and processes in a rational manner.
2- These logics were in approach of anyone that wants to learn them and apply them.
3- They were also helpful in predicting consequences.

Contrary to magical and spiritual knowledge that were specialized to some persons, logic was a common and convincing method of explaining and understanding the world. In Islamic era, the Muslim scientists added to logic the process of experimentations or practical verifications of logic. These two developments provided the basic foundations for advent of Science. Science is growing as new disciplines are introduced but still logic for explanations and experimentations for verification of experimentations are two basic tools for all scientific disciplines.
Now it is a well devised way which works like machine for generation of scientific knowledge.
Though it is common to all who attended school but it worth mentioning for sake of comparison and it is as follows,

1- Observation
2- Hypothesis
3- Experiment
4- Result (deduction/induction)
5- Laws/Principle

Though it is a successful method that generates reliable knowledge and is contributing to human evolution but it still it fails to answer anything about nature of matter, energy and fields of forces. Human can’t stop themselves from perusing about nature of things hence we need to reconsider metaphysics. Science has set an example for us both by its developmental stages and by its successful mechanism that caused it to diversify, become popular, unify scientific knowledge, set standards for judgments and guidance for both followers and other disciplines. Sure! Metaphysics are running on logic but it needs one another tool like experimentation in science to make it a reliable and a generator of knowledge and understandings.

Argument:

It is a common knowledge and a commonly accepted fact that there is an order in nature. We call this order as discipline. Science and especially quantum mechanics proved and popularized that this order and discipline is quantized or simply calculated. Hence we can say that there is a calculated discipline in nature. If there is calculated discipline in characteristics of nature then there also should be calculated discipline in nature of things or nature. Calculated discipline is common in nature but it is our approach that we have divided it into physics and metaphysics. What are observable comes under consideration of science. Those things that are part of nature but is not visible didn’t come under area of study of science hence it should come under study of another discipline. As metaphysics were already studying these, so why not revitalize it by providing it a methodology of study? It just requires a methodology like science for revitalizing it. There is one problem that works like an obstacle for devising a methodology for it and that is nature of things is not sensible but they could be felt. Feelings are not discrete and measurable like senses (tools of observation).

Result:

As there is calculated discipline in nature, so there shouldn’t be difference between characteristics and nature of things or nature. Science devised a methodology and succeeded in explaining nature and using its forces hence it is also possible to develop a methodology for metaphysics and make it explain the nature of things that is beyond the scope of scientific study.

President Obama’s speech to Muslims and clash of civilizations

President Barack Obama's speech at Cairo University to Muslims world at June 4th 2009 was composed mainly of following parts:

1- Acknowledgment of clash of civilizations
2- Announcements of ending clash of civilizations policy
3- Acknowledging of Muslim’s role in development of world in pre-modernity period.
4- Asking for a cooperation to counter the sources of clash of civilizations
5- Acknowledging seven sources of clash of civilizations to be faced cooperatively,

Though it is against my habit to quote directly a speech but here I quote directly some paragraphs of speech due to its historical importance. I am not declaring it, historical because it is President Obama’s speech to Muslim world but because it is the announcement of the President of USA to end clash of civilizations.

By collapse of Soviet Union in 1991 the cold war as well as bipolarity of cold war world ended. The USA stood as a sole superpower so there was a need of a new world order. Political theorists tried hard to map out post soviet world. Samuel Huntington published an article by title of “Clash of civilizations?” in 1993 in Foreign affairs magazine. This article started a non-ending debates as well as suspicion of “others civilizations” and us against them attitudes. The emergence of neo-conservatism in President Bush’s period and the global war of terror proved clash of civilizations as a foreign policy of USA. Neo-conservatism is defined in the Wikipedia as, “Neoconservatism is a political philosophy that emerged in the United States of America, and which supports using American economic and military power to bring liberalism, democracy, and human rights to other countries.”

In 1996, Professor Joseph Nye, proposed the projection of smart power which is adopted by Obama administration as is evident of use of this term several times during the Senate confirmation hearing of Hillary Clinton for position of Secretary of State on January 13, 2009. Adopting smart power as a foreign policy was to disband clash of civilizations as it is impossible to project soft power while clashing with civilizations. Though clash of civilizations attracted a widespread attentions across of the globe but it didn’t worked as a paradigm and especially as a foreign policy, as it led the world generally and USA, especially to an economic depressions that took too much before healing to normal. The global economic depression was as significant event as collapse of Soviet Union as it let the Nation States, global institutions as well as political thinkers to realign themselves and to not look only from windows of desires but also from windows of ground realities.

The speech of President Obama to Muslim world is the announcement of ending clash of civilizations and the projection of smart power. Let’s see what the time will judge on the role of smart power in post clash of civilizations world.

I will give headings to parts of speech that acknowledges aspects of clash of civilizations,
1- Acknowledgment of clash of civilizations

“We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and Muslims around the world, tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation but also conflict and religious wars.

More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims and a Cold War in which Muslim majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.

Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11, 2001, and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians have led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and western countries but also to human rights.”

2- Announcements of ending clash of civilizations policy

“Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire.

We are shaped by every culture. Drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept, E pluribus unum: Out of many, one. Assimilation of Clash of civilizations?”

3- Acknowledging of Muslim’s role in development of world in pre-modernity period

“It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra, our magnetic compass and tools of navigation, our mastery of pens and printing, our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires, timeless poetry and cherished music, elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.”

4- Asking for a cooperation to counter the sources of clash of civilizations.
... let there be no doubt, Islam is a part of America. And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations: to live in peace and security, to get an education and to work with dignity, to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.”

Of course, recognizing our common humanity is only the beginning of our task. Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead. And if we understand that the challenges we face are shared and our failure to meet them will hurt us all.

For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations.

When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. When innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience.

That is what it means to share this world in the 21st Century. That is the responsibility we have to one another as human beings. This is a difficult responsibility to embrace, for human history has often been a record of nations and tribes, and, yes, religions subjugating one another in pursuit of their own interests.

Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners to it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership, our progress must be shared.

5- Acknowledging seven sources of clash of civilizations to be faced cooperatively
Now, that does not mean we should ignore sources of tension. Indeed, it suggests the opposite. We must face these tensions squarely. And so, in that spirit, let me speak as clearly and as plainly as I can about some specific issues that I believe we must finally confront together.

1- The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all its forms.
2- The second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world.
3- The third source of tension is our shared interest in the rights and responsibilities of nations on nuclear weapons.
4- The fourth issue that I will address is democracy.
5- The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedom.
6- The sixth issue — the sixth issue that I want to address is women's rights.
7- Finally, I want to discuss economic development and opportunity.



References

1- Text of Obama's speech to Muslims, 2009, Associated press:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090604/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_text_7
2- Clash of civilizations? Samuel P Huntington, 1993, Foreign Affairs,
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/48950/samuel-p-huntington/the-clash-of-civilizations
3- Neoconservatism, Wikipedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism
4- Smart Power, Wikipedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_power