New trends in getting freedom

History has never stopped making new nations but its processes like any other natural process has its developmental stages. In other words we can say the process of making nations are evolving. We can divide the process of nations broadly into three eras:

1- The era of large empire nations
2- The era of nation states
3- The era of state’s nation

1- The era of large empires:



In history of early known history we read about a few nations like Persians, Greeks, Babylon’s, Assyrians, Romans, Egyptians, Mongols, etc. Actually these were the name of large empires. The presence of these large empires doesn’t mean that there weren’t other nations. There were other nations but they were divided into tribal systems that were unable to express themselves as a nation. Hence we can say that in this era of empires there were two basic characteristics, 1- A large empire and 2- Different tribes loyal to empires. These two faces of this era were exchangeable. Whenever a visionary and determined head of a tribe had succeeded in uniting fellow tribes to construct an empire they became an empire nation. The most prominent example of this phenomenon occurred in 12th century when Genghis Khan united Mongol tribes and they construct large empires mostly in Asia. The opposite of this process was also true. Whenever an empire had broken down they had scattered in small tribes. Again Mongols present the best example for this phenomenon. When the Mongol empires had broken down to Turks and Chinese they were again dissolved out into small tribes especially out of Mongolia. Today we can find Small number of Mongols in India and Pakistan in form of Hazaras, Hazaravis, etc. Outside of Mongolia the only place where large number of Mongols still exists in form of Hazaras are Hazarajat in current Afghanistan. Still these Mongols have mixed with Chinese, Turks and Aryan to develop a new nation by name of Hazaras (azara).

In this era the process of making a nation were battles. It was wars and battle which decided which tribes grow to an empire nation or which empire nation broken down into tribes. Sure! The empires made laws, institutions for governance which develop languages, knowledge, arts and skills and more profoundly values which distinguished the empires from each others. These official languages, knowledge, skills and values develop common cultures in people living in large cities under empires and in areas under influence of these laws and values. At the same time, tribes had their own tribal laws and values. The rise and fall of empires created many well developed cultures. These cultures were also influenced by geographical, religious and ethnic factors. The empire developed cultures which made way to develop nations.

2- The era nation states:

As the Science made its ground firm and the resulting technologies changed life styles and mindsets of people, the result were introduction of a large number of middle classes into every area of earth. Middle classes were conscious of their identities based on their values. The development and expansion of knowledge were keys in creating awareness among masses of people to search and organize for their identity. The crisis of identity even took help from theories in Science in order to make their identities unshakable for flaws of history. The most exploited theory in this regard is theory of evolution. The most conspicuous use of this theory was made during reign of Hitler for German nationalism. 20TH Century was the climax of this era. The First World War and Second World War in real sense were wars of identities. Both in Europe and Asia large empires like British Empire and Ottoman Empire broken down to give way to new nation state. Most of these nations fought for their freedom. Most of the freedom was achieved by armed and mass resistance against these empires. It is strange that the two large nations of world, Russia and china expressed their nationalism through communist revolutions. Now it was ideologies that were the source of recognition and identity of state nations. It became necessary because a state had to define their economic and political systems. Russian and Chinese though had nearly the same ideologies but their national identities were more important than ideologies so they never united but used the ideologies to serve their national identities. The same were true for non-communist state nations. In Europe though the Christianity were a common religion between state nations but national identity were more important than religion, so every nation states preserved their identities. Here in Asia and Africa, the Muslim national states were also gave more importance to their state nationality than to their religion or their races. Neither pan Arabism nor Islamism could unite people of Middle East but state nationality was more important than religion or race or language.

3- The era of states nations

As we have discussed earlier the state nationalities went beyond the ideological, religious and race barriers. Now it was the laws of stated which defined the nationalities. The developed countries were in constant need of workers especially skilled workers in order to sustain their rapidly growing economy, so they opened their doors to people of other areas to become part of their nations. This move changed the concept and definitions of nationality. Today we find the developed countries as nations of skilled and developed people who have gathered from around the world to have a better life. Better life and rapid growth are making people migrate and change the old concepts of nationalities. The emergence of United Nations after World War II and the urge for human rights as consequences of human right abuses during Second World War II led to a new behavior and attitude of people in different areas of world. Human rights become an essential part of state nations.

On the other hand where state nations comprised of different ethnic groups and their government failed to provide social justice or equal opportunities for growth, the disrespect and prejudice dominant, the people of particular identities are searching for way to become new nations of world.

New trends to get freedom

The emergence of United Nations and becoming of Human rights as essential part of the nation states changed the general attitudes of people and nations around the world. If we look to the purpose of United Nation, which is described in charter of UN, (The charter of UN drafted by representatives of 50 Nations in San Francisco, California in 1945) we find that 1- the principles of equal rights and rights of self determination of people, 2- promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion, are included in it. Following is the reference to purpose of UN,

CHAPTER I

PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES
Article 1

The Purposes of the United Nations are:
1. To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
2. To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
3. To achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and
4. To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.


The United Nations are also were responsible in resolving the crisis and conflicts between member states. Though strong nations continued to violate the basic rules of the United Nations but again the countries are more careful while violating the UN’s charter. This behavior led to new method for freedom of the new nations. The freedom of East Timor and Albania is the examples of these new trends.

In both East Timor and Albania the opinion of people was known under the protection of armed forces of strong nations. In East Timor, it was Australian Army which protected the people of East Timor from Indonesian Army and under Australian Army the East Timor voted for their independence and hence got independence. The same happened in Albania, where the international peace keeping forces protected Albanian from Serbian armed forces and under the supervision and protection of international peace keeping forces the Albanian declared their independence.

The above mentioned trends opened the door for Russia and Russia adopted the same strategy for independence of Ossetia and Abkhazia. By attack of Georgia against the self declared independence of Ossetia, as Georgian army attached this area, the Russian Army intervened and protected the people of the area. Under supervision and protection of Russian Army the Ossetia declared its independence which is recognized by Russia.

Conclusions:

Based on above mentioned facts and new trends I have concluded that the best way that people of an area that wish to get the right of self determination and independence should be as follows:

1- The representatives of the people call for an international conference on their rights of self determinations.

2- They should persuade the international community to deploy the peace keeping forces in their area to protect them against invasion or massacre or abuses of human rights.

3- Under the supervision and protection of the peace keeping forces they make a referendum for their independence and rights of self determinations. The referendum for independence will make the struggles and movements for freedom a lawful movement and the resulting state as a lawful state.

4- The peacekeeping force is helpful in keeping law and order restored and the administrations to become capable of providing and maintaining the social justice and services.

What really is wisdom?

Wisdom

Experience as wisdom:

Everyone is wise to some extent but degree of wisdom differs among individuals and groups of people. How we determine who is wise? Let’s have a general to special approach to wisdom. It was a tradition in villages and suburban areas where doctors are scarce to consult to an old experience women for troubleshooting in child caring. The same method was used in solving the social problems. For solving disputes the old men were consulted and their decisions were accepted. These old women and men were the source of wisdom for those people. For these people wisdom were equal to experience. These old men and women had experienced these types of problems several times in their lives so their decisions were more practical. They had the knowledge of local vegetations, animals, regions, traditions, cultures and they knew most of the individuals and families and their histories so their solutions and opinions were wiser than others. There is a famous Hazaragi sayings that, “experienced men are more reliable than doctor”.

The same method is practiced in modern days but here despite of the experienced men and women there are experienced professionals. The experienced professionals make firms and provide consultancy to private organizations, businesses and governments. This is also an acceptance of experience as wisdom because the private organizations, businesses and governments have their own professionals but lack the experience of the consultants.

Success as wisdom:

Another aspect of wisdom that is commonly accepted is success. Successful individuals are accepted as wise men. People consult related successful persons for solving their problems. This concept of wisdom is also accepted to most modern people. People take ideals and some approach the successful people in the field they wish to master in order to make their success assured. Here success wipes out the factor of age and experience.

Leadership as wisdom:

Leadership is another factor of wisdom that is commonly accepted. People look to their leaders as wise men. This concept of wisdom is weakened and is going to be more dimming as time is passing. There are several reasons and factors that this concept of wisdom is weakening. The most significant reason is the modern politics. In modern politics the mass media has a vital role in making images of politicians and these politicians rely heavily on their images. Politicians make lies in order to achieve their political objectives. The media helps politicians in their lies both in making image of them and also breaking images of opponents for political benefits. Most of these lies are done under patriotism, nationalism and national security. Even patriotism makes lies more acceptable than truths. Here wisdom means making such lies that overshadow truths in order to achieve a certain objectives. These perceptions of politicians make people rely more on the prejudices and benefits rather than on wisdom.

But these concepts are not equal in all places. The sources of leaderships differ in different cultures and societies. In some cultures and societies still leadership is a source of wisdom. Most of these leaderships come from spiritual and religious leaderships. As religion and knowledge that come from spirituality is considered as absolute knowledge so the representatives of these knowledge is also considered as a source of wisdom. Sometimes, the misuse of the knowledge or due to political participations these leaderships become questionable but the knowledge itself is unshakable and there are always devoted scholars that will provide alternative leaderships. This leadership is believed as a source of wisdom to their followers.

Professionals as wisdom:

Another aspect of the wisdom that is related to modern world is professionalism. Modern men developed beliefs on the professionals and professionalism. The market economy helped it spread to the areas that were expected common to everyone. Though Professionalism is a positive aspect of modern world but it has drawbacks also as modern men specify their wisdom to the specific fields. Personal wisdom is going to be extinct in modern world.

What really is wisdom?

Certainly there are wise men whose wisdom changes the lives of people but these people do not belong to neither of said categories. They are neither experienced old men or women, successful men or women as people consider success and also they are neither professionals nor they are in leadership positions. So keeping this in view, what really is wisdom? I asked the same question from an inspirational lecturer.

He answered me with certainty, “Surely scholars are wise men”

I looked to him in astonishment and again asked, “OK! If the scholars are the wise men so do you think that wisdom is attainable?”

He replied, “Certainly that is true”.

I wasn’t satisfied by his short answers and again asked, “Scholars gain knowledge about facts or created facts. For example a sun rise in east and set down in west is a fact and is attainable. If the wisdom is the knowledge of facts then it is attainable but it is a common experience that the wisdom of people with same status of knowledge is different. Their response and acts in same situations are different and not only different but are of different levels. It seems to me that the wisdom is a matter of personal judgments.”

“I agree with you” He replied while nodding his head in confirmation.

By gaining his approval I added, “Is it not easy to understand the wisdom through accepted historic wise men?”

“That is a good approach” He responded.

“Most historic wise men like, Zarusthra, Gotham Buddha, Socrates, etc were searching for truth so searching for the truth is the criteria for wisdom.” I added more.

“You are on right path” He nodded as sign of approval.

“Though knowledge and experience is the basis of common wisdom that can be acquired and they are also the basis of the personal judgments but more important than all these is attitude and approach that one has. This develops a wisdom that is higher than common wisdom that people are mostly accustomed and that is the real wisdom that we seek and they open new ways for humanity.”

He was still expecting me to continue my opinion as he was listening with full attention so I continued,

“This type of wisdom that comes from search of truth mostly contradicts with established wisdom. The event of the trial of Socrates, the Socrates was blamed of corrupting the youths because he was encouraging the youths to think into facts and their nature to find the truth. So truth was as criteria for wisdom to Socrates”.

“So, do you think that established wisdom is not based on truths, it is why contradictions come out of thinking process?” he asked.

“Though the main reason for contradictions are prejudices and our profits that influence our thought processes in making established wisdoms but the thinking methodologies and approaches are also effects” I replied him.

“So you think that a thought process solely purposed to discover truth produce high level of wisdom that is missing in established wisdom rooted in prejudices?”

“Sure” I replied with zeal.

Analyzing Competition

Analyzing nature of biological competition

According to popular theory of natural selection, there are more offsprings that could be survived. Offspring compete with each other over limited resources and only fittest survive and weaks are perished. Does it really a fact or it is a just an interpretation of the observations. Are there is alternative interpretations that could explain these observations or only survival of fittest is the only explanation best fit parsimony? Let's work it out,

War with weak

It seesms that it really fits the survival of fittest theory that weaks have to be perished. But let revisit this observation. Predators prefer to prey on the younger or new born babies as they are less experienced, less energetic and require less efforts/energy to prey on. On the other hand the organisms use different tactics to protect their young and babies. If this is a merciless competition why a group of organims protect the babies in group? They live in group, graze in group and migrate in a group. Though groups protect you from predators but as a group of organisms rely on the same sources of food so there is a competition among groups for limited resources?

In fact contrary to concept of competition, biological systems tends to be energy efficient. They prey on younger and easy preys to conserve energy. Similary in order to conserve energy they tend to live in group. In a group of organisms both weak and strong live togather because they divide their responbilities and specialize in specific functions in order to be more energy efficient. The strongest tend to defend weaks, the experienced tend to lead and weaks tend to search for food or take care of youngs. It is not necessary that all group of organisms have the same pattern of organizations. Their organizations reflects their needs and environments.
Besides predators are selective when prey is frequent but prey is scarce they try on every prey in the reach.

Making Alliance

If there is a competition among the same species over limited resources so why predators tend to hunt in group? Predators and other organisms tend to make alliance against their prey or enemies and share the prey or resources.

Defensive Display

A lot of organims evolved denfensive and sexual displays like like horns in lot of organisms, feathers in cocks, tails in lizards and salamanders, legs in spiders, bright colors in snakes, and so on are to conserve energy by avoiding competitions with competitors or keeping away the predators.

Food for thought:

These all strategies to conserve energy can be observed from prmitive organims to most evolved one like human and superpowers. Sometimes people tend to look at these strategies as great work of wisdom and high intellect but in fact they are part of our instinct and we tend to act in those way irrespective of our intellect levels.

Is technology, the new god? (Opinion)

In God we trust. Really? It is the question that have raised new questions. People living with modern world perspective practically believe more in technology than believing in concepts prevailed in traditional world views. Religious beliefs and rituals are now categorized as superstitions. People with modern world views argue that if you pray, you are not sure, whether your prayers are accepted or not but when you use technology, you are certain of solutions. Hence though people may not accpet verbally but they do accept it practically.

However there is another perspective and that is the perspective of nature. Men try to solve its problems through use of technology but then they found the harms that they did. When human realize of the losses due to their actions it is too late to repair them. The ecological loss due to deforestation, over-exploitations, defragmentations, introduciton of invasive species and pollutions have resulted in loss of critical species that were providing essential ecological services. Certainly, technology may solve some of the problems but at costs not even comparable if we had just saved them. The services the ecosystems provide to us is much cheaper and sustainable than services that we want to provide by innovations and technology. Throughout history men were believing in different gods, godesses and in one God. If technology is a new god, then it is a god that has paradise in one hand and hell on other and he use both of his hands.

Understanding debt

We frequently hear about economic debt and ecological debt but perhaps one more serious debt that affect greatly both of the previous debts are understanding debt. We are living in a globalized world where you find tons of the articles and books about global thinking and strategies but there is not a serious effort to make the global thinking a part of mind of masses. Specialized articles, books and conferences are feeding only the minds of elites who are supposed to have a good understanding of societies across the nations. However what feed public minds are the news channels, Newspapers, movies, novels, blogs, commonly read magazines and celebrities from politicians, actors to writers. Unfortunately these sources of informations are more interested in creating fascinations out of dramatizing and fantasizing the news and stories and hence increasing misunderstanding and mistrusts.

It is illogical to think of finding a homogenized society in any corner of the world. All socities are heterogenous. Extremists, moderates, seculars and aliens (those who don't care about anything except their personal lives) are solid parts of every society. The proportions of these categories change over time depends who get more projections, supports and benefits. Certainly projecting extremists and treating people of a color, race, nationality or religion with a single stick mean giving more projections and supports to extremists or in other words pushing a society toward extremism.

In this age of information masses are really ignorant about societies that they categorize as "others". In current global scenario, masses in west including college and university students are ignorant about muslim societies and the same is true about the muslim world. Masses in muslim world is ignorant about western societies including college and university students. Poeple claim that they have a thorough understanding of th issues but their main source of knowledge is News channles, internet, newspapers, documentaries, blogs, movies, etc which are all objective in their reports. It is what I call understanding debt.

What of the main reasons that people resist to know about other societies is the anger and prejudice that they have about others. Main cause of prejudice and anger is rooted in ignorance. When people are angry they lose their logic and sense of judgment and react violently or try to humiliate others. These actions create chain reactions which increase the gulf between two parties.

Making your opponent angry is a well known strategy in gambling, sports, politics and of course wars. In 2006 world cup, Materazzi played this strategy very well. He used offensive words to make Zidane angry and with an angry reaction Zidane not only France lost the world cup but it aslo resulted in end of Zidane glorious career.


The same game is played globally by Muslim world and West, the supposed opponents of the conflicts. The extremists in Muslim world use suicide bombings, target killings, abductions, etc to make people in West angry and they are playing well as media is projecting them. The same is true with Western extremists. They use sketches of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and other ways to insult muslims. They are successful in their aims as Muslim world is helping them by becoming angry, protesting against them, burning shops, attacking ambassies and so on. Some failed people, who failed to get recognition in their domains exploit these situations. Artists use sketches to get fame in West and failed people join the ranks of extremists to get populairty in Muslim world.

It is time that masses in both muslim world and west stop helping extremists by being indifferent to these people and all sources which feed public minds try to educate people and hence decrease the understanding deficiet. Every year we see conferences on climate change and also global NGO's and Universities across the globe doing research and conservation work on climate change and related issues as a threat to humanity. However we don't see any knind of efforts to reconcile these conflicts. The whole issue is surrounding Israel-Palestine conflict. It is only one part of conflict that could be solved by creating more understanding among masses of West and Muslim world. The Arab-Israel issue is difficult to solve because people are very sensitive to issue and it is politically very costly. Hence no leader has enough courage to deal with it seriously. All plays it to gain more political weight rather than to solve. It is all the result of misunderstang. As this issue is long so we may look in future about its economic aspect (Bycotting products and also economic sanctions).

Sophism missing the brain research (Opinion)

Sophism was a big movement in Muslim world that enriched every society that they flourished in. Unfortunately, exteremism caused a drastic decline in the sophism. Current brain research revealed that if we could switch off the left hemisphere then right hemisphere of brain forget self and becomes unite with everything surrounding us. It is exactly the experience and ideas that sophism work, look and preach. Universal brotherhood, sisterhood and being one with universe. It is the left hemisphere of the brain which gives sense of time and our individual distinctness. If sophism adapt the research in behavioral sciences and also researches in Neurology, for sure it will a come back of Sophism in Islamic world which is much needed to stop extermism.

Muslims are suffering from lack of confidence:

The participation of Muslim women in current UK elections caught the attention of press and BBC started saying that Muslim women are more confident in West than Muslim women in Muslim world. Really!!!!!! For a moment I was thinking the Muslims women in West and I couldn't come up with good numbers of muslim women with big achievements in West. When I looked back, I found the Myrtyre Banzir Bhutto who elected twice as prime minister of Pakistan, Fahmida Mirza, current Speak of National Assembly and National assembly of Pakistan with 30% women representative. If we look back when find Muslim women like Fatima Jinnah (Mother of Pakistani nation) and Rana Liqat Ali Khan (the wife of first Pakistani Prime minister) struggling for Independance of Muslims of India. If we look to neighboring Iran which is blamed for restricting rights of women, you will find women in every sphere of life with highest rates of education in region. From parliment to medical science to businesses everywhere woem are crowded. When I met an Iranian girl at Dubai airport who was going to Shanghai and she was alone and sole representative of his company for business talks. I was amazed of differences of pictures that we get from media about Iranian women and actual Iranian women that we met.

Let's go to the most backward and war torn country of the region, Afghanistan which is famous for its harsh Taliban culture. We find women like Habiba Sarabi the governer of Bamiyan Province of Hazarajat who struggle and voice for her ignored people and Dr. Seema samara the head of human rights who voice for human rights especailly rights of women.

Though these are bright pictures from Muslim world that we see no comparison in West but still the majority of Muslim women in majority of muslim world have no voice as they are not exist. Sure! here the Muslim women lack confidece. This lack of confidece is defect of their essence but the systems that have enslaved them.

More important than this issue is the lack of confidence in Muslim intellectuals that I clearly observe. The lack of confidece in Muslim intellectuals are not only limited in Muslim world but also clearly observable in West. They cann't express themselves. It is not because they don't beleive in their ideas or in integrity of their ideas but because of lack of commitment that knowledge ask for.

The craze for popularism or change?

United States is a country which is truly leading the world in terms of global culture. In a digital world where education, business and even friendship and relations went digital, google, yahoo, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, e-bay, Twitter, facebook, Wordpress, blogger and tons of other digital products alongside of the hollywood is shaping the global thinking and mindset of the people. The grasp of the local cultures and traditions are loosening and people are becoming American by the spirit and soul though not nationality.

American dominance in feeding the global thinking have got a new turn recently after the 2008 presidential election. The Obama's famous phrase, "Yes, we can", "Yes, we did" and "Change" have created a new craze for popularism in politics. People around the world is following this new craze. While I call this craze? Politics, unlike fashion, novels, shows and movies are not only for personal enjoyments but they decide the fate of people and future generations. A craze for popularism may degrade some values and meanings that are decisive in directions of society.
Once, not very far, just in previous century the rebellion was very popular in politics and it was attracting youths. Che had a symbolic personality that was fueling that craze. Youth without understanding socialism and communism were joining parites with such had such menifesto.

The popularism is back in politics. Conservative Party of UK is copying, Obama's presidential compaign by announcing their manifesto as "CHANGE" and by adapting the phrase, "The change in believe in". Surely, the conservative party of UK will not be the last party as other parties around the world will jump in to benefit from current craze among people, especailly youth.

We make jokes with our friends, "Yes! You can". "There is nothing that you can't" "You can jump out of windows from third floor". "You can run drink the whole gallon of milk" and so on and the reply comes, "If you want to succeed in USA, swim against the stream" "If you really want to succeed don't do what others do". "Don't breathe because others breathe" "Dont eat, because others eat" and we laugh. Though these are jokes but these are real desires that people in politics show some real change so popularism do not fall from face.

Popularism is not limited to politics only but also in plays and arts. When soccer matches turns in tense realtions between two countries (Egypt and Algeria, for example) and marriage of two sportsmen the most deabted topics in every sphere of life (The marriage of Indian Tennis star, Sania Mirza and Pakistan's Cricket team's Captain, Shoaib Malik). These things looks illogical and it is what is called craze.

Craze are necessary from time to time to put some thrill and fascination in lives of people who get tired of serious politics though.

The Fall of Muslim World

The easiest way to escape of one's failure is to blame the system. You will find crying faces everywhere that do not tire of complaining and blaming others for their failures. Politicians are famous of their escape reasoning. However listening to an intellectual using the same level of superficial reasoning is really astonishing.

In a dinner, we were debating the fall and rise of nations. I asked a Muslim professor who is teaching about the Middle East. He started blaming the West for the failures of the Muslim world. He was contradicting with his previous argument in which he blamed Mongol invasion of the Muslim world as the reason for fall of the Muslim world.

It was simply misinterpretation of the history. The Mongolian invasion and following Mongolian empire led globalization and to renaissance. European colonization led to democratization and creation of the nation states. Today's globalized world is the fruit of the all these developments.

Yes, Mongolian invasions, colonization, WWI, WWII, cold war, War on terror, all have destructive consequences. But no nation in the world has escaped war. Every single nation on the earth has faced invasions, destructions, economical, political and social crises. What about Germany and Japan who faced defeat and massive destruction in WWII? Are these two nations struggling among third world countries or among economical and technological powers of the world?

If Mongolian invasion was the cause of failure then what about China and India? Both China and India faced Mongolian invasions and were proud part of the Mongolian empire. If colonization is the cause of fall then what about the India, Singapore? What about Malaysia that is a Muslim country?

Some argue that most of the post colonial nation states are failures. I accept the fact but Israel is also a post colonial nation that was created. She has established herself as a successful nation, despite of the sensitivity, likes and dislikes related to this nation state?
Some of the nations succeeded to rise up again out of the destructions, invasions and colonization and others failed. Why? There should be some solid reasons that we have to look. Unless the causes of the illness are not diagnosed the blame game and complaining won’t solve the problems.

A lot of Muslim scholars have pointed out the causes but I would like to add my opinion. To me, the conscious participation of the masses in the affairs of the nation is key to success of a nation. When I say conscious, it means that people understand their role and have the ability to serve their roles. Both understanding and ability comes from a purpose education. The second way of the conscious participation of people is the spirit of the free thinking in the intellectuals and their willingness to lead their nations.

As it comes in Muslim world, the public education system was absent in the Muslim world during all Muslim kingdoms and caliphates and free thinking was oppressed especially after Al-Ghazali’s refutation of the philosophers (You can read it in Wikipedia under title of the “The Incoherence of the Philosophers,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incoherence_of_the_Philosophers ). The Al-Ghazali’s works and influences on kings led an end to free thinking in the Muslim world and the results were catastrophic as Muslim world went out of the list of nations who were contributing to Human knowledge. The misuse of Fatwa and killings of Muslim thinkers snatched the spirit of the conscious participation of the Muslim masses. It is the real fall of the Muslim world.

The only way to free Muslims from extremist is the revival of the free spirits that earlier Muslim scientists have whose contributions are the source of the pride for Muslims. This sense of pride needs translations. Muslims intellectuals need not to escape of the real weaknesses that historically there have inherited. They have a golden era and need to revive the same spirit, Reasoning and free thinking which the core of generation of knowledge is.

Individualism and change

With president Barack obama's presidential campaign the word change and the phrase "Yes we can" became very famous worldwide. The whole world was expecting big changes and the impacts of those changes on the whole world. But we really saw major changes. I was looking for reasons that despite a great desire for change all over the world we do not see the changes.

During my quest I saw a strage contrast between the West and East in the people's response to events. Large demostrations and massive participation of people in huge demonstrations in East, especailly in Middle East and South Asia is eye catching. You may think that people are politically aware, responsible and active but the rsult is nil. Why?

On other hand, it is really hard tast to pull people togather and much difficult to pull them out on the street in the West. In conference rooms only tens of people and with some success hundreds but if you call these people on the street, even lesser people. You may think, people are politically unaware, irresponsible and inactive. But it is not true. Perhaps people don't want change. It is not true either.

The real difference between massive demonstrations in East and far less participation of people in the rellies in West is due the socail structures. In East people are more social and the population is well divided on the ethnic, lingual and religious basis. Identities have deeply embedded into lives of people so a call for demonstration get more response than in West where neighbors are strangers and people live thier individualistic lives. Pulling people on the street requires a tremendous efforts and appeals to people.

But both these issues and differences are not much related to change. Change comes from intellectuals. In both East and West the layers of intellectuals who have desires, willingness to appeal and lead the change is missing. Without presence of this layer in a society the demostration of people is no more than a mob and slogans of the change is nothing more than business of poiltics.

What is needed most?

One thing does not change much when you across cultures and nations. And that is all need continuous inspiration and motivation. It doesn't make difference what is your level of education, what is your job and circumstances. Whenever you get some difficult task or hard times you try to delay it by spending more times on easy works or unncessary works. You lose concentration, time and energy and it affects your performance. An inspiration or motivation make you energetic and more focused with amazing results. It is why people always look for motivation and inspiration. As it is not only increases productivity but also make life interesting and satisfying.

A few weeks ago I was talking with my friend and I asked about the general level of hope in our community. "Overall people have lost hope and they try to leave the country because other countries give thme a hope for a better life." My reply was one of the reason that people have lost hope because people with successful lives do not come out to share their stories, skills and opinons to people. So people could learn and inspired to how, harness their potentials. And also people could learn the opportunities that have to excel."

To me, the contribution of the successful people is really necessary and it is what every society and community needs most. "If you give fish you are feeding for one day but if you are teaching how to fish then you are feeding for life time" It is a close meaning of a Chinese proverb.

Free freedom is a myth (Opinion)

Freedom is the dearest concept to human being but there is not free freedom. If you think that freedom is natural rights of human then you are utterly wrong. Just try it to get free. Go to deseart, Jungle, remote moutains etc where nobody out there to give you instruction or you have to obey man-made laws and obligations. Yes you can do it but with a cost. You are denied of the knowledge, services and technologies that you get living in a city. If you live in city you get these resources but you have to abide laws, follow social norms and take instructions. Eeverything you want to do, you have to pay for it. What you can do is depend how much you can afford. Hence your freedom is limited by the price you can afford and willing to pay.

What should be excluded from free market economy? (Opinion)

A few years before we were reading about financial crises in the papers but now we read them in the faces and behaviores of people. People have different opinions about financial crises but one thing all agree on that financial crises occur from time to time. If it happens from time to time so it is the responsibility of the governments to know which of the society is most vulnerable to these crises and what kind of the prevention benefit them most?
As it is concerned to me, my analysis is, the basic social services like, health, education and community housing should be excluded from free market economy. I accept that free market economy is necessary for harnessing the creativity, leadesrship and education of a nation. However health, education and community housing for those who can't afford private housing or renting is the most basic human needs that has no harm to creative competativeness.
A hundred percent private health services mean denying life to a lot of people who cannot afford it. A hundred percent private higher education means denying high education to a lot of talented poor students who deserve but can't afford it.

CONTRASTISM

While listening to the North Carolina Symphony, I was unable to define my feelings. I was amazing about the abstractness of my feelings. Then I started to concentrate on the music to find my answer. Yes the answer was in the music. The music had a contrasting composition. Contrast has a unique ability to excite the human mind. It is a wonderful technique to liberate and free the mind. Here I thought that if the men of literature and artists also apply this technique in their discipline a whole new genera of art and literature will be produced that could make the base of a new culture in the history of future.

Definition:-

Contrastism is an aesthetically or romantic expression of feelings in literature and arts using contrasting feelings, symbols, colors, sounds, objects, etc.

Short explanation:-

Two opposite feelings make a very unique composition to awake up the feelings motivated by intuition, a feeling that rarely happens. When music or an expression make the feelings run between defined or commonly known but contrasting feelings, it makes the emotions abstract. Here in the abstraction of feelings one's emotions and sensations wander and struggle for point to rest. Wandering of this kind are neither joys nor sadness but an abstract feeling. One in this status awakes the intuition and reveals the points that very rarely available to normal thinking process. In normal state of mind both logic and emotions have clocks. Emotional clocks determine the status of one's routine emotions and also clock of logic determine one's normal judgment. Contrastism makes disturb these clocks and make one liberated of his routine for some special set of feelings and judgments. This is a strong tool in the hand of the creative men wherever they apply

It Is Not Raining To Wash My Tears

The eyes can’t cover the heights of towers
Mind slept when failed measuring powers
Stomachs are filled but bodies are exhausted
As roses replaced by plastic flowers

It is not raining to wash my tears
There is no cry to awake my ears
Cessations are ruling over passions
As greediness leads the careers

O! My dear heart, don’t wish those wings
That devoured the crowns of Kings
Hew in a way your rocked fortune
That led those who were off the hinges
3/7/2002

Equality....????
It is the end of end
Beginning of a new trend
For proud of beauty and glory of mind
I told my heart to be kind
I washed my blood to whiteness of peace
That could bond with every possible bind

But I was wrong of thinking equality
Lord have decided the rule of superiority
Lord may help me of avoiding sympathy
Keeping thicker the blood remain my priority

It is the end of end
And beginning of a new trend
We have to pay for every move of history
Until evils of hearts have to surrender
9/6/2003

But Nearer Is My Skin
It was the place where I was born
How strange! All images of childhood torn
A pleasure more than pleasure of childhood
No glimpse of old evening, morning and noon

It was a total change but everything was splendid
A change in manners was a progress indeed
Everyone was busy but silence was by its pleasant softness
Cleanliness was as evident as heart of a candid

My pleasures changed to proud when I met my kith and kin
Near is my shirt but nearer is my skin
Awareness has washed the last dots of sin
It proved that from determination, God’s will could be win

Days later, my hearts filled with din
I threw my all impression into bin
Things that I searched were out of scene
Fish’s tail is not much different from fish’s fin
Never seen a wrestler that by himself wrestled
The attractive but empty shell whistled

When there is no direction then greed rule
That between a castle, many have castled
I pray to Allah that wisdom may kiss them
And ostentations may not tease them
That their beliefs do not bow to doubts
Time may not see their children’s eyes out
6/9/2004

Pomegranate (Punica Granatum)

Background Information:

Punica granatum belongs to Lythraceae family of plants. It is a shrub to tree size plants that grow in Mediterranean climate. It is grown both as a fruit tree and as ornamental trees. Despite of its great adaptability, it is limited to warm areas as it can’t endure cold. It is thought that it is originated in ancient Persia and spread to rest of warm climate region from semi-arid to subtropical regions. This assumption is supported by the genetic diversity of Punica from Iran. More than 760 genotypes of Punica are reported from Iran. Beside Iran, Southeast Turkey and Mediterranean Basin are the areas that are well known for diversity of Punica from ancient times. Iran and Turkey is still famous for their production of Punica. In 2003, Iran produced 665,000 tons of Punica and Turkey is producing approximately 100,000 metric tons each year (Ercisli et al., 2007). Beside Iran and Turkey it is extensively produced in India, China, Russia, Japan and California of USA. Beside California, it is cultivated in Arizona, Georgia, Alabama, Nevada and Utah (Hodgson et al., 1917). The, Mediterranean countries ancient home of Punica are still producing Punica and include Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and neighboring Spain. Punica has symbolic importance in cultures and religions originated in Middle East and Mediterranean region, like ancient Greece, ancient Persian cultures and Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Areas of the world where the pomegranate is cultivated, shown by red dots
Its Persian name is “ انار” which is pronounced as “Annar” and it is known with its Persian name in South Asia and Central Asia specially in Urdu and Persian speaking areas. It is called “رمان “Arabic which is pronounced as “Romman”. Its scientific name, Punica granatum is derived from two Latin words, “pomum” meaning apple and “granatus” meaning “seeded”.
General Description:

Punica is shrub in colder regions but in tropical regions, it reaches to tree size of 10 to 15 feet in height. Trees are usually deciduous though some varieties are evergreen. It's flowering time ranges from spring to late summer which increases the success of pollination. Starting from visible part, leaves are usually opposite and sometimes alternate. The leaves are approximately half inch wide and 3 inches long and their shape is oblong and lanceolate. They are relatively thick, without glands, and cutin coating is visible by bright surfaces of leaves. Its leaves have entire margins.

The flowers are dominantly red however some varieties with red and white colors are reported from Java area of Indonesia ( John Uri Lloyd, 1897). The flowers are zygomorphic with five to seven thick and leathery adnate sepals and with same number of petals. Flowers are axillary, solitary or in small clusters, borne mainly at the tip of branches. On average flower size is half inch in size. Calyx are peculiarly orange or red in color, showy, tubular with five to seven sepals. Petals are crumpled and are white to scarlet red in color. Some flowers are steril and fall off early. The imperfect flowers have small pistils. Almost all flowers in ornamental types are steril (Hodgson et al., 1917). The fruit size varies greatly. Fruit weight ranged from 103.38 to 505.00 g and fruit volume from 99.41 to 547.88 cm3 (Vahid et al, 2009). The fruit is composed a thick leathery envelope, covering red juicy seeds that are separated in different chambers by white skinny layers.

General Classification:
Kingdom: Plantae, Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Myrtales Family: Lythraceae
Genus: Punica Species: Punica granatum
Formerly Pomegranate was classified in a separate family Punicaceae that had a single Genus Punica. Genus Punica is now included in family Lythraceae. The closest to Punica granata is Crape myrtle trees in Lythraceae family which have identical leaves and sepals to P. granata. Order Myrtle contains 14 families of flowering plants.
Important Chemicals:
The bark of its roots tastes sour and turns water blue that precipitate in ferric salts. This is due of presence of 20 to 22% of tannic acid which is also called punicotannic acid referring to Punica. Beside fruits the rinds of fruits are also rich in punictannic acid containing almost 19%. Wild types have higher concentration of punicotannic acid than cultivars ones. Some flowers have tannic acid that taste bitter and turn saliva red. The root bark also contains several alkaloids. The most important one which posses anthelmintic properties are known as pelletierine. Pomegranate fruit is rich in vitamin-C and ellagic acid and it is famous for its rich anti-oxidant.
B-Sitosterol, Friedelin, D-Mannitol, Ursolic and Betulic acids were detected in the different parts of Punica granatum L (Ashraf et al. 1962?)

Following is the a table of nutrients content of Pomegranate taken from USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23 (2010),

Refuse: 44% (Skin and membrane)
Scientific Name: Punica granatum

Uses:
Cuisine and Fruit:
Aash (Persian soup) is one of the favorite dishes in Persian cuisine. Pomegranate Aash is one of many varieties of Aash series dishes. It is one of favorite fruit in Middle East, Mediterranean region, Central Asia and South Asia.
Tanning:
Moors is famous in tanning morocco by rind of Punica and it were Moors that introduced morocco to Spain. Beside Moors, Chinese and Japanese also use rind of Punica for tanning.
Dyeing:
Rind of Punica is used to dye fabrics and cloths in ancient India (and it is used but limited) and in Balkh area present day Afghanistan.
Medicinal Properties:
The anthelmintic properties of rind of pomegranate are found from ancient papyrus and it is used in this way in ancient Roman Empire (Hohn Uri, 1897). The combination of powdered rind of pomegranate and opium is used to control diarrhea in home remedies.
Other Medicinal Properties:
Asharf (Ashraf et al, 1962?) tested on the effect of D-Mannitol extracted from different parts of pomegranate (bark of root, leaves and flower) and seed oils and on mice rabbits to see their effect. Following is the summary of their experiments,
“Biological testing of the various extracts of the leaves, seeds, root and stem bark revealed their hypotensive, antispasmodic and anthelmintic effects. D-Mannitol was found to possess some anthelmintie properties and possible constipating value. Hormonal experiments on the oil showed that it has an oestrogenic activity but is devoid of any androgenic effect.”

Sensitivity:

As Punica granatum is native in semi-arid tropical region so it is really sensitive to frost, especially early frost in winter and spring. So, it is needed to save the plant from frost and too much humidity. Another aspect that should be cared is winter pruning. As plant grow vigorously when climate is suitable so pruning in winter is necessary to keep plant in shape and also having more fruit bearing branches.

Several pests have reported from California State of US includes, flat mite (Brevipalpus lewisi), Omnivorous leafroller (Platynola stultana), western leaf-footed plant bug, Comstock mealybug and Root-knot nematode. Besides, its fruits are damaged by heart rot as a result of Alternaria fungus infection.

References:

Anonymous, 2003. Area under cultivation and production of selected perennial crops. Iran Statistical Year Book 2003. Statistical Center of Iran.

A. SHARAF, M. ]3. E. FAYEZ & S. A. R. NEGI, PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF PUNICA GRANATUM L. Research Units of Pharmacology and Natural Products, National Research Centre, Cairo, U.A.R., 1962?

Ercisli S, Agar G, Orhan E, Yildirim N, Hizarci Y (2007). Interspecific variability of RAPD and fatty acid composition of some pomegranate cultivars (Punica granatum L) growing in Southern Anatolia Region in Turkey. Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 35: 764-769.

Graham, S. A., Thorne & Reveal (May 1998). "Validation of subfamily names in Lythraceae". Taxon 47 (2): 435–436.

Robert W. Hodgson, "The pomegranate", University of California Press, Berkeley, Bulletin No. 276, January 1917. P, 163, 169,

Vahid Akbarpour, Khodayar Hemmati and Mehdi Sharifani, Physical and Chemical Properties of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Fruit in Maturation Stage, American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 6 (4): 411-416, 2009

How to resolve terror

How to resolve terror

OR

War on terror, brain washing and UNESCO

In 1993, Samuel P. Huntington published in magazine “Foreign Affairs” an article that set the direction of the political view of world after the simple world model of cold war bipolarity. This article modified in a book by name of “clash of civilizations” that was published in 1996. The world of post cold war was not simple like bipolarity of cold war world that were divided based on two major ideologies or economic systems. The post cold war world was an era of revival of religious and cultural identities. Not only people of newly independent central Asian countries but also Russian federation saw a surge for religious identities. The Balkanization and Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian and Albanian war in heart of secular Europe was giving weight to the arguments of Samuel Huntington. There were many ethnic groups, cultural groups and religious groups divided into two camps of socialist and capitalist but now they were all on their own. Soon the fault lines between cultures and religions became evident and the competitions and conflicts began. The first global conflict began by name of “war on terror” that was started after 9/11 attacks on USA.

The world of cold war was not simple as was told. The world was not as bipolar as it was pictured. It was not simply two camps of socialist and capitalist that deterred each other’s powers. Each camp was a cluster of miscellaneous groups that were dependant on each other. The capitalist camp that was claiming liberty, democracy and secularity as their core values were involved in massive brain washing of Muslims to assemble a large enough forces of so called, “Mujahidin” that fight a “holy war” against so called, “infidel communists”. How massive brain washing worked? The brain washing they used was based on mechanism of “isolation”. We can call this type of massive brain washing as “Isolationism”. Why was isolationism that much effective that it shook the whole fabric of Muslim world and destroyed the core values of Islamic societies and replaced them by a new value and that is “Extremism”. The sole product of isolationism is extremism which was suited the interest of capitalist camp as extremism means absence of logic and rationalism. Illogical and irrational warriors were easy to engineer and use them as were wished. Few well known tactics of isolationism are as follows,

1- Isolation from mainstream education and society: Constructing a network of Madrasas (religious schools) that were dependant on foreign aid. Prior to the “Holy war” the Madrasas was dependant on society for their funding. I remember the rows of Taliban led by a Mullah who were collecting money and ration going from shop to shop at Qandahari Bazar. Similarly, it was a common scene to see Taliban standing beside doors of homes asking for food while we were on our way back to home from school. But as foreign aids flow in the Madrasas turned into complex of buildings and the Mullahs in pickups. The foreign aid isolated Taliban and Mullahs from society. Now they were not dependant on society but despite recruiting the children of families who were unable to attend schools, have food and proper clothing. The Madrasas became the home of extra and poor children. Now we couldn’t see the Taliban in Bazars and beside doors. They were cut out of society and were isolated.

Now it is recognized that how much it was dangerous to isolate small children that are unable to judge and decide from their families and society and raise them in particular environments of extremism. As these children were isolated from their families and were raised in Madrasas so they had no emotional attachments to their families, society, its culture and traditions. They were emotionally attached to the teaching of Madrasas. They were looking the whole world and their events from world view of Madrasas.

It is common tradition that students get twelve years of common education and then they go to professional colleges and universities to specialize in particular branch of knowledge due to following reasons:

a- The particular field of knowledge is specialized and requires a mature mind capable of understanding it to specialize in it. The world has a consensus that twelve or fourteen years of general education is required to specialize in a particular field of knowledge. Ignoring the general knowledge for admissions and entry into religious school is underestimation of religion. It means that religion requires no preparation for understanding and it is an insult of religion as religion is given a lower rank than other natural and social sciences.

b- It is the natural rights of the student to choose the field of knowledge he is interested in. Admitting a child that is unable to think about choosing fields of knowledge of his interest to Madrasa means deciding his fate without knowing his interest and hence ignoring his natural rights.

Disconnecting the Madrasas from general schooling was and is acts of educational, cultural and economical isolation. It was an act of massive brain washing that shook the foundations of Islamic societies by spreading extremism and intolerance.

2- Ideological Isolationism:

a- Disconnecting the Madrasas from general education by calling general education as alien to religion and a source of preaching of infidel beliefs led to an ideological isolation. The Mujahidin that were brought from nearly all Islamic countries in Afghanistan were targeting those families whose sons and daughters came to Kabul for education and hence forced people to attach to alien them from general education and there were no alternative except Madrasas. It was an effort to isolate people ideologically. This was a successful struggle as it is not only declined the number of indigenous professionals that were necessary to run government and provide basic services to people so the Kabul government were dependant on Soviet professionals and it caused the collapse of Kabul government. Secondly it spread extremism which was necessary to have popular support for Holy War.

b- Though extremism was a way to fight back soviet camp in Afghanistan and all Islamic countries but the open support of extremism caused deepening the fault line between different sects of Islam and other religions also. Sectarian and ethnic violence become common in Pakistan and Afghanistan but it was acceptable Capitalist camp because it was fueling Holy War against soviet camp. The Civil War in Afghanistan during cold war and after Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan has been neglected by international community. These civil wars changed the demography as Mujahidin that had come from all over world declared Afghanistan their base camp and a sanctuary for extremism. These extremist were already became global as their arms has been stretched in four of five continents under support of capitalist camp. They had the capability to export their goods globally and they did it successfully.

We can understand this tactic of isolation very clearly in Swat Valley of NWFP of Pakistan, where Tehrik Taliban Pakistan are bombing and setting on fires schools (until now they have destroyed 200 schools in Swat Valley). They have banned the girls from attending schools. They are targeting political workers, police men, government servants, tribal leaders, CD shops and saloons. They had threatened the lawyers and had established their own courts where they punish people. Why they are targeting schools? Simply because they want to finish all means of education except of Madrasas so they could isolate people ideologically to convert masses into extremists. These all were happening in Afghanistan during the Afghan Jihad but were neglected by international media to not harm war against Soviets.

c- Ideological isolation of Muslim world was not started during cold war but it was started during Colonization of Muslim world. The British Empire has to take the largest part of blame as they struggled hard to secularize the Muslim world which provoked reactions and people blamed modern sciences as evil and western culture. If it were allowed that people of area adopt modern science into their current cultures, it would revolutionized the Islamic world. The reactions to Colonization Muslim institutions, scholars and intellectuals divided into two camps of modern and traditional and both took the extremism and isolation as their tools to shape the Islamic world. The secularization of Turkey and Iran were symbolic which led to Islamic revolution in Iran. The conflict between Modernists and traditionalists in Islamic world do no led to a renaissance but to deep social divisions and developments of social classes. The cultural identity lost and due to chaos there were no destined educational, economical and social reforms so the Muslim world could not develop an ideological identity and integrity. The failure of ideological identities provide great opportunities for extremism to hijack people, brain wash them by isolation and fuel conflicts.

d- Due to ideological disintegration of Islamic world into modernist and traditionalist the clear vision of Islamic states remain obscured and they failed to institutionalize their societies so today we see no global ranking educational, scientific, industrial, economical and political institutions in Islamic world. A judgment of loss, failure and backwardness led people to mistrust on their state governments and hence it makes people easily available and acceptable for extremists and extremism.

3- Cultural Isolation: As culture is multifaceted so we describe a few aspects of it that were really affected hardly,

a- Language isolationism: Language is a means of communication and a way of thinking. Isolating a language means snatching a particular way of thinking and communicating. Indian subcontinent is the best example language isolationism. Ghamidi in a Geo TV program by name of Ghamidi described it this way, “By isolation from Urdu language, we have been isolated 300 years of our civilization. By isolation from Persian, we have been isolated from 900 years of civilization and by isolation from Arabic language; we have been isolated 1400 years of civilization.” When England conquered India by defeating Moguls Empire and replaced the Persian language by English. Hindus followed English men to isolate Muslims of India from their history, culture and religion by replacing the Urdu language and Arabic letters by Nagri letters. After partition of India, the Nagri letters replaced the Persian intentionally that their Muslim populace couldn’t read and write Urdu, Persian and Arabic. The rich culture and tradition of Mugal Empire was replaced by intolerance and extremism. Another example of language isolationism is a lingual and cultural conflict between Persian speaking and Pashto speaking. It was an intentional effort of Pashtoon Kings to disconnect people of Afghanistan from their history as Pashtoons had no history in Afghanistan. It was Persian, Mongols and Turks that ruled this area. Pashtoon in an effort to disconnect people from their culture and history imposed Pashto but it was a failure and it is still the source of conflict. The isolation of people from rich culture and tradition of Persian introduced extremism based on racism, religious intolerance and several massacres and continued conflict till today.

b- Historical isolation: Historical buildings and art pieces are evidence of evolution and maturity of culture and cultural traditions. It reveals the aesthetic tastes of a nation and society. Destroying Buddhas of Bamiyan was an act of historical disconnection and isolationism. It was intentional effort of the Taliban to erase the cultural identity of the Hazaras and force them towards the extremism by a historical isolationism. Similarly the Hindus destroyed the historical Babari Mosque to disconnect Muslim from their past and to down their morality as a nation connected to whole Muslim nationhood. Similarly, the control of Golden Mosque by Israel makes the suspicion stronger that Israel tries to destroy Golden Mosque of Palestine to disconnect Palestinians and Muslim from the Palestine and their first Qibla.

c- Communication isolation: Banning on photography, cinematography, performing arts, sport events and cultural events like spring season celebration (Jashani Nauroz),etc by name of religion not only slow down the creativity but also tolerance. Every society has core values based on it develops cultural events. There were always efforts that will never stop to rebel against these values. The assessments of rebellions and evaluation of cultural events is the works of intellectuals which can create alternative and positive means that could foster both creativity and tolerance. Self expressions through art, media and cultural events are means of social communication in which both individuals and society are assessed and evaluated to set the direction of society and individuals living in it. Isolating people from these activities make both individuals and society blind enough to become easily susceptible for mass brain washing.

4- Economic isolationism: Economic isolation is an old and widely used technique applied mainly for subjugation. Both Iraq and Afghanistan which are currently the focal point for war on terror were economically isolated before attacks on them but the history of Afghanistan is more interesting than Iraq. In last quarter of 18th century the Afghanistan became a buffer zone state between two empires of Britain and Russia. To support her army mobility the British Empire constructed a networks of railway lines, paved roads, bridges, electricity, postal services, telephoning and cantonments throughout then Indian subcontinent. It is clearly visible than all these infrastructures is consistent to Border of Afghanistan in today’s Pakistan Chaman (A border city between Pakistan and Afghanistan and Iran’s border with Afghanistan (Heart: Border city between Afghanistan and Iran). Why there were no roads, rail way lines, bridges, postal services, telephoning, etc in Afghanistan. Is it due to its geography or people of the area doing not want such services? The fact is that Afghanistan south is a semi desert to desert area and the central Afghanistan’s highlands have divided it clearly into three distinct areas of north, central and southern areas. These geographical divisions suited ideally for being a buffer zone state between two Empires. To keep the buffer zone state of Afghanistan intact it was necessary for both empires to keep it isolated poor and illiterate so both extremists’ people and extreme conditions keep each power to not enter in such a red and harsh zone. It also suited the rulers of Afghanistan as they weren’t able to deliver social services to their people and defend them so they pressed more the people of area by ethnic and religious cleansing and conflicts. It is a common belief in people of Afghanistan especially oppressed areas that rulers of Afghanistan intentionally do not and did not developed Afghanistan because they believe that it is hard to rule on literate, aware, wealthy and politically empowered people. The economic isolation of Afghanistan by both Empires followed by later power bordering Afghanistan to make a sanctuary for extremism. Economic isolation of Iran, Palestine, North Korea, Cuba are very well known sources of conflicts in global levels beside many more countries in Asia, Africa and South American continents.

5- Administrative isolationism:

a- Areas in which administrations physically do not exists and are run by traditional means of tribal chiefs or some representatives of governments to rule the area are examples of administrative isolationism. No constitutional laws, judiciary systems and hence no means of justice for poor and weak. These areas are susceptible for extremism as people are forced to ally with mighty people to ensure their security.

b- The same happens on international levels where strong countries make regional alliance and weak countries are forced to cooperate with them. Those countries who can find a place in alliances are forced to adopt extremism as a mean of survival or some deterrence.

The above mentioned tactics for isolationism are those of very clearly visible efforts that are not limited to capitalist camp. The same tactics are adopted by socialist and communist camp also. The most famous example of the socialist isolationism was isolation of East Germany, North Korea and South Korea and North Vietnam and South Vietnam that the isolation of north and South Korea still continues. The isolation of Inner Mongolia, Tibet and other areas of China is another example of isolationism of communist camp.

How to resolve terror and role of UNESCO

Certainly, terror results from climax of extremism. We have discussed the reason of extremism and its spreading. The mechanism of extremism is isolationism. By isolating people educationally, economically, ideologically, culturally and historically the massive unlearning process began. Once people are unlearned by disconnecting them from their past and present, they become readily susceptible for learning new things. The unlearning old ones and learning new ones are called brain washing and when the same process are applied to whole society then it is called massive brain washing.

Resolving terror is possible by reducing extremism and by reversing the mechanism of extremism. Following strategies will be key in resolving the terror:

1- Resolving the isolationism of religious schools: Just like theology, philosophy, literature, economics and other social and natural sciences the study of religion is a specialized study and require a general education that those interested in specializing in religious studies and become religious leaders of society they could understand the society by having practical knowledge of society as well as a rational level of understanding to study the religion. Hence minimum twelve or fourteen years of general education should be necessary for admission in religious schools. The responsibility of UNESCO as a global representative of all nations of world to monitor the religious schools of all religions and ensure to make their studies specialize like universities and students could enroll after completion of general education. The admission of children in religious schools are violence of their natural rights so it should be given the human rights of children to get general education and states should be helped and make accountable for the human rights of their people.

2- Resolving the ideological isolationism: Though there is not the same resistance to natural and social sciences as it were during colonization periods but still the failure of Islamic countries to create globally renowned universities, research centers and industrializations so it is the responsibility of UNESCO to help the Muslim world in setting up such centers so the Muslim world slowly come out of sense of loss. I should admit here that Muslims are sensing inferiority as they are certain in their beliefs but it is the sense of loss that make them incline towards extremism. The Muslim world is serious in gaining their lost honor and dignity. The struggle of Iran and Pakistan in scientific and technological excellence is an evidence of such desires. Banning the Muslim countries from technologies and sciences will increase extremism and helping them in their achievements and peaceful uses of sciences and technologies will make them harmonious with world ideologically and culturally.

3- Resolving cultural isolationism: It is really appreciable that UNESCO are declaring several historical sites, world heritage and helping in preserving and maintaining them. But it is also important that UNESCO help nations of world to connect them with their cultures and hence resolving the cultural isolationism. Language is the most active and effective part of culture that require special consideration. We have provided an example of language conflict in South Asia and efforts to disconnect and isolate people culturally from their history, identity and religion. UNESCO can play a vital role in preserving the language that have large reserves of cultural achievements and creations to connect people in with their cultures and hence help them to appreciate and accept cultural differences and hence discourage extremism. Promoting the rich languages and cultural and literary reserves of them through academic and popular cultures make people understand the cultural evolutions and reasons for cultural differences.

4- Resolving economic isolation: Certainly there is global organization like World Trade Organization to promote the global free trade but the regional alliances like EU, ASIAN, Arab League and AU along with protectionist policies of each country are stronger than WTO. If organizations like World Economic Forum are struggling to promote global trades based of free market principles than there is also World Social Forum to challenge it. It is sign of positive change as global leaders along people are struggling to voice their views for promoting global trade. It is the sign of global democracy in globalized world where still tyranny exist even in UN. The VETO power of five victorious countries of World War Two is a global dictatorship and tyranny which is the greatest obstacle to real globalization. The VETO power and regional organizations like EU, AU, Arab League, ASIAN, SAARC, NATO, etc are isolating people of world from each other and making classes in world. It makes people feel victims of unjust and consider themselves oppressed. It provides them reasons for extremism. I know the fact that regionalism has strong roots in economic interests, cultural and geographic ties. Neither countries in regional alliances nor the VETO power countries like to sacrifice their hegemony but the struggle of people of world in forums like WEF and to face it WSF is appreciable but if these two forums come to face and challenge each other democratically under UN and more openly by letting representatives from all sects of all parts of societies around the world to debate and present their program to global communities would resolve the economic, political and cultural isolation.

5- Resolving administrative isolationism: The networks of roads, bridges, postal services, telecommunications, electricity, air ports, etc are become mature and diverse enough that they could connect whole world physically by such networks. There are several areas in world that lack the resources to connect themselves to world network. I think these networks are key in developments as well as in harmony and reducing extremism. The developed nations can help the countries lacking capacity in developing networks as well as good governance by shifting decision making into community levels. Empowering communities and connecting them to global communities make them responsible part of globe both contributing and accountable communities of the global communities.

Clash of Empires

Yes! Faith and family, blood and belief are what people identify with and fight and die for as Samuel Huntington noted but besides ideology and income can also be added to list of fight and die for. Certainly! Samuel Huntington rightly noted that a world of post Soviet era would be a world of clash of civilizations as world never ceases clashes. We can find the description of rise and fall of Empires and clash between them in the works of earlier historians that world knows and this descriptions still continues. It is not also continues as explosion of Medias are describing every tiny developments and provide new perspectives to people.

Though Samuel Huntington’s clash of civilizations is a reality and is working but is a sub-paradigm of real paradigm that is Clash of Empires. In Post Soviet world it is more real sub-paradigms just like Sino-Soviet clashes was a sub-paradigm of Cold war world. In Cold war world there were two empires, USA and USSR. The fall of Soviet Union was the fall of an Empire. Any country that has expansionist tendency is called an empire. Empires have changed their facets and identity throughout the history. Empires like Byzantine Empire had a religious identity, empires like Chinese Empires had a cultural and racial identity, Empires like USSR had an ideological identity and Empires like USA is a democratic and capitalist empire. In post soviet world, USA, European Union, China, India, Russian Federation, Japan, Pakistan, Iran and Israel have raised as empires of 21st century some representing traditional ancient empires (Iran, China, India, Japan and Russia) and some like USA and EU have risen as new empires.

Clash of civilizations is a good effort for post soviet world but it fails to explain world war I and World War II from near history while Clash of empires can explain why Germany started a nonstop war in Europe, Africa and why Japan allied with Germany. There was a simple reason, the Germany, Japan and Italy wanted their shares of colonies occupied by Britain and France. Clash of Empires does not appeal to people as it is an old and traditional paradigm as well as does not represent the individualistic and grouped identities of people as clash of civilizations but this paradigm rule the history as evolution rule biology and geology. Clash of Empires is based on clash of elite groups and ruling class of world with each other over conflicts of their expansionist interests. People are used for these conflicts under frame of race, language, religion, region and ideologies. Certainly! I didn’t underestimate and ignore freedom movements and revolutions which stand for the people but these freedom movements and revolutions are hijacked by elite and ruling classes of societies to promote expansionist agendas.

In modern Empires and Imperialism is thought of a characteristics of ancient is used against opponents. Nation states loved to be called republics but people forget that Rome was also a republic and at the same time was an empire. So being a democratic country does not qualify for not being an empire. Empires are systems of governments but attitude of governments. Any government or an organization with expansionists’ attitudes and capabilities are empires. Let’s compare the modern nation states and their imperialistic natures.

The concept of nations based on cultures, ideologies, religions and ideologies, etc are suitable theatrically but in practice it is the security of lives, property, basic liberties and future that attract people to become part of a nation. Modern nations are based on this fundamental concept and it is generally known as welfare state. The extensive migration of people from poor country that were their homelands for centuries or perhaps for thousands of years into an unknown country in search of better life is enough to prove this concept.

Based on this concept we see that world map is a nonstop victim of change. Why? The answer is in the movements of people, cultures, religions, and ideologies, economic and social developments. Mobilities were never smooth and peaceful. The violent movements of people change the map of the world by two main processes:
1- Accretion
2- Disintegration
Even a superficial knowledge of lingual, racial, religious, cultural and ideological distribution of people can help one redraw the map of all five continents. Map of the present day world defines the borders of the nation states as they are representations in the United Nations. But the represented nations are real nations instead they are modern day empires.

Nations in true sense can never be represented in the world because nations couldn’t develop systems that bring an accepted leadership or representation of them to the world. Let’s see what could be the basis of the real nations,
i- Nations based on religion
ii- Nations based on race
iii- Nations based on language
iv- Nations based on culture
v- Nations based on ideology
vi- Nations based on geography

vii- Nations based on the some or all aspects mentioned above
Modern nation states either divide a race, language, geography, religion and culture’s boundaries or accrete some of them to make a culturally, religiously, racially, lingual, geographically plural country. Look to some of the following examples:
Arab world is divided into nation states like, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates,………….Etc.
Turkish world is divided into Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan………….etc.
Persian world is divided into Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, etc.
Chinese world is divided into China, Taiwan..etc.

English World is divided into England, USA, Canada, Australia,…..etc.
Islamic world is divided into 51 Nation States.
Christian world is divided into

Nation states have accreted several races for Afghanistan accreted Pashtoons, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Tjiks and these ethnic groups are fighting each other either for dominance or survival. We can extend the example of Afghanistan to nearly all nation states of the world.

As Nation States both divide and accreted races, religions, cultures, Languages etc so it is easy to redraw the maps of them and we see such efforts. One of such efforts were made by, Ralph Peter’s essay published in US Armed Forces Journal in 2006 Under the title, “Blood Borders How a better Middle East would look”. In this essay Peter had redrawn the maps of several important nation states like Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. This essay caused anger in these countries and they responded by redrawing US maps by accrediting States of Texas, New Mexico and California to Mexico. Similarly, the State of the Oklahoma is suggested a free state of the Red Indian or Amerindians.

These redrawing of maps and counter redrawing maps show the unnatural divisions of borders among present nation states as well as imperialist nature of modern nation states.

Globalization is defined as interconnectedness of people through trade, communication, travels and cultural interaction. It is a general concept of globalization. There is a more specific concept of globalization and that is perspectives of experts about the globe. Same globe but different expertise and perspectives make different looks of it. To an eye of a geologist globe is consists of several plates and micro-plates that do not match to political boundaries which we are generally familiar. When an economist look to globe it divides and map out based on mercantile systems and economic groups based on earnings or expenditures. A historian looks to globe as changing political boundaries of rising and falling Empires. A religious man looks to globe to find boundaries of religions distributions. He divided the globe almost more or less than eight categories as Samuel Huntington did. Even a zoologist divide the globe based on migration lines of birds or distribution of some animals.

Hence globe means different things to different people. It depends on their expertise and imaginations. The lines that an expert draws on globe may be real or imaginative. Certainly! Imaginative lines drawn on globe is mostly controversial and the subject of disagreements. But people respond to imaginations of different people differently. These imaginations are foundations of Empires that always thinking of redrawing the maps.

Imaginations of elite group can influence the thoughts and actions of ruling classes and imaginations of ruling classes are the matter of concern to people around the world because their thoughts and actions shape the lives of people.

Imaginations have no boundaries. This is the foundation of clash of civilizations. Cultures, civilizations, religions and ideologies provide the frames for imaginations to be expressed. It is true that these frames can shape most imaginations but not all. So when Samuel Huntington tries to figure out what will be next in world politics after nearly half a century ideological clash between capitalist and communist camps, he finds no other frames except cultures and their assemblages in form of civilizations. Cultures, civilizations and globalizations are not new and they have existed for thousands of years so we can trace back the clash of civilizations in history and could see the nature of these clashes and their evolution.

In very near history just a little more than half a century earlier there was World War II as it is popularized. Certainly this was not an ideological war, as USSR was alliance of capitalist USA and British Empire. OK! If it was not an ideological war then certainly it must be clash of civilizations? No! It was also not clash of civilizations as Japan was allied with Germany and USA (having strong roots in Protestantism) was fighting against Germany, the birth place of Protestantism. Oh! Then it must be war between Fascism and liberals? No! It was not a war between fascist and liberals as British Empire and France and USSR had forcefully colonized nations in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, South China Sea and East Europe so we can’t call them liberals. Despite we can call them fascists as they weren’t different from Germany, Italy and Japan. What Germany, Japan and Italy wanted? The right to colonize the other nations rule and exploit them. If it is fascism then Britain, France and USSR were older and experienced Fascists.

I accept that cultural similarities and differences are playing and will play key role in world politics in post Soviet world but the real player is imaginations. If cultures would fail to provide a frame for the imaginations of elite and ruling classes of a nation then certainly they would search for another frame to fit their imaginations and project them in world politics.
War on terror is a best example of a frame that fitted imaginations of elite and ruling classes that were crossing the cultural boundaries in post Soviet world politics.
US used against Saddam, Al Qaida and Taliban
Sri Lanka used against Tamils
India used against Pakistan
Pakistan Used against Taliban
Saudi Arabia used against Al Qaida
Russia used against Chechnya
Turkey and Iran used against Kurds
All these wars looking cultural clashes at first hand but in reality they all are clash within cultures and civilizations.
Another important aspect of clash of civilization is cultural alliances but again in post Soviet world we see it is not working.
Alliance of Iran and Venezuela
Based on political and economic cooperation
Alliance of China and Pakistan
Based on political, strategic and economic cooperation
Alliance of Pakistan and USA
Based on military and technological cooperation
Alliance of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia with Israel
Based on political cooperation
Alliance of Iran and North Korea
Based on technological support
Alliance of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan with Russia
Based on economic and political cooperation
Ideological Alliances
World economic forum Vs World Social Forum
Other frames for imaginations
Islam is used as a frame
Soviet were afraid during Afghan War that USA is creating Ottoman Empire
In post Soviet Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan confederation to Emirate of Taliban
Democracy is used as a frame for imaginations.

It is thought that the violent conflicts in Islamic world is due to interference of West especially under war on terror policy but besides this it is also a fact that Islamic countries had long traditions of feudalism till now and modern world is providing room for people to actively participate in governance. As there are very less room in Islamic countries for participation of people in governance so it is causing violent conflicts. These conflicts are even intensified by not accepting the rights of minorities participate in governance and self rule and it makes the problems even more complex.

It is true that people are defining themselves increasingly in terms of religious identities, cultural identities, racial, ethnic and lingual identities but as we saw alliances of states can’t follow these lines as states are organized bodies of societies which require economy, knowledge and technologies for running, defending and expanding these societies so their alliances are based on economic, military, technological and cultural cooperation.
When we use the terms, Islamization, westernization, Asianization, Hinduization, Christianization, secularization, radicalization to express certain trends in societies we should keep in mind that societies are dynamic and these processes are the results of organized efforts. People generally follow the popular culture and in age of diversification of mass media, popular cultures are also have diversified. This diversification of popular cultures have diversified the trends in societies so we can see the several trends in the same country are going on the same time which led to the conflicts within societies. New channels have popularized politics and people are continually addicted to news around globe and hence reacting and making opinions accordingly. Objective reporting has aided to so called processes of Islamization, westernization, Asianization and so on.

Realignments of demography based on sectarian, racial, lingual and ethnic lines has happened in Balkan areas, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc. But this process is related to areas in crises and it is compensated in other areas and regions by mixing of migrated people.

If we take a page from history when Spain was going through a process of forced Christianization of Muslims and Jews, the migrated Muslims and Jews repopulated in Ottoman Empire. In modern times, violent conflicts in Iraq forced people to realign on the bases of sectarian (Shia and Sunni in Baghdad) and ethnic lines (Kurds and Arabs in Kirkuk) then many Iraqis migrated to neighboring countries of Syria, Jordan and as far as western countries. Hence realignments of people is not a new process but is related to violent conflicts.

Anglo-Latin divide is historical. Historical rivalries of Carthage to Rome, Spanish Empire to British Empire have laid the foundations of Anglo-Latin divide in settled continent of America.
Persian-Turk and Persian –West divides are also a historic divide. All these historical divisions are due to clash of Empire from old age till our time and it will continue.

Middle point technique for Major and minor struggles

Introduction:

Progression is inevitable and evolution is ultimate. The progression may be positive or negative. It is the evolution that decides which progressions are positive and should evolve to survival and which progression had to be steadily erased. These are commonly expressed as “Natural selection” or “survival of fittest”. What all organisms or bodies of organisms do is struggle for survival.

How an organism struggle: OR in other words what are the tools of struggle OR mechanism of struggle?

The tools or mechanism of struggle is known as adaptations.

If we apply the above mentioned definitions to human society we come to following conclusions:

1- In struggle for survival the major importance for an individual human being is his/her survival OR in other words the greater part in struggle is served in the struggle for the survival of the individual human being. We can call it as Major Struggle. Major struggle is also endorsed by human society. Human societies have a series of institutions to help an individual in his major struggle for survival:

(i) The most important and natural institution is, family. When a baby can’t help himself survive, it is family which helps him learn the basic tool or adaptations for survival.

(ii) Culture

(iii) Religion

(iv) Civil laws

(v) Schools, colleges, universities, religious institutions like mosques, churches, temples, etc

These all institutions are to help individuals become able successful in their struggle for survival. It takes long, expensive and painstaking processes that an individual human being become able to sustain their survival. Hence the major part of struggle of an individual human being is involved in major struggle.

2- The second part of survival is involved in survival of social institutions which help individuals in their survival. An individual hardly survive without society so it is natural that all individuals contribute their parts for survival of social institutions which are key to individuals’ survival. As these contributions are minor so we can call them as Minor Struggle.



Major Struggle:

As now it is resolved that the largest part of the struggle is involved in individuals struggle for survival and there are social institutions which help individuals become able to sustain in their major struggle it is time to work for improvement of the techniques for major struggle. Following is the general approach of societies.

1- As system an individual is composed of different systems (digestive system, nervous system, respiratory system, and excretory system), every system composed of organs, organs composed of tissues and tissues composed of specialized cell, so an individual in himself is an organization.

2- As an individual is an organization so maintaining this organization should be like a large organization. It should have monetary system based on values and objectives.

3- Every society has laws, cultures and religions which define which acts are beneficial for this organization and are appreciated and which acts are dangerous for this organization and are depreciated.

4- Cultures and religions have rituals and practices that evolve men in their major struggles.

5- The appreciated values by laws, religions and cultures should be examined by scientific methods to evaluate the ways they are presented and are prescribed to improve them to best of the human knowledge.

The values are there and similarly the rituals and practices are there to help men evolve in their major struggles but these values and rituals have lost their effectiveness due to unfamiliarity of individuals with their objectives and underlying facts. I have my own approach in my major struggle writing here by keeping in mind that it may help someone else in his major struggle as well getting a suggestion for better techniques. I call my technique as a middle point technique and is as follows:

1- The monitoring system is an essential part of an organization to maintain its achievements well as functionality. The best practice that I am practicing since my school times is self accountability. My teachers taught me that every night that we prepare ourselves to sleep it is the best time for a self accountability because you have finished a whole day struggle and you are preparing for another day of struggle. One has to recall the memories of whole day’s activities and thoughts and evaluates them against the values. Which of his actions were in accordance to values and become part of his achievements and improvements and which of his actions and thoughts were against the values and degraded him. Now it is time to plan for the tomorrow. One has to divide the whole time to best use his time and plan what acts he has to do to improve him. It is very essential for self accountability that one becomes of habitual of present himself to himself before sleep for accountability. Self accountability is a strong tool for choosing best adaptations in major struggle for survival.

2- In worships one speaks to one he believes is his creator. The basic purpose is accountability and help. He knows that the creator have set rules and values and speaking to him is one kind of accepting of the misacts and promises of future well acts, so the worships is another kind of self accountability which makes one able to best adaptations in his major struggle for survival.

3- As every night is a point between two days (A day passed for accountability and a day coming for planning) similarly ones position in society is a point between people with lesser position than him and people with higher position than him. Here is the test of values and achievements. Here one has to help the people with lesser positions and compete with those who are with higher position. The method is simple. Teach the people with lower positions and learn from those with higher position. Both teaching and learning is a noble act and approach both in helping himself and helping others. When we talk of teaching and learning we never mean of formal teaching and learning methods. Creating opportunities and behaving with good manners with lower positions are ways of teaching. Studying methods and devising methods for competing for higher positions are methods of learning.

Minor Struggle:

Minor struggle is to establish and help the institutions in society, in its struggle for survival. Survival is not only means existence in societal terms but standard livings and a collective struggle for certain objectives. As we have already discussed there are institutions in society that bind society towards standards and collective objectives. The most fundamental of these institutions is family. Everyone is part one or several institutions and these institutions decide the fates of individuals. As everyone is part of an institution or several institutions so everyone has a middle position. He can teach and learn to make the institutions strong, functional and more reliable and hence help them in their struggle for survival.

Minor struggle can lead to great achievements if the individuals are trained and evolved through major struggles and major struggles are followed objectively. The greatest asset of minor struggle is individuals who evolve themselves through major struggles. Everyone can and should contribute to minor struggle but how to lead these contributions must be set by professionals because the radical contributions may lead to chaos.