New Blog

Dec 22, 2009

Today I created my first wordpress blog. I would be spending more time in my new wordpress blog than the blogspot one. But I am not going to leave this blog either. From time to time I will keep updating this blog. After all old is gold. However, I find my new blog very interesting and I also promise myself that every day I will post a new article. I am also scared if I can follow my new promise. I hope this would not be like any other unfulfilled promises of mine . Anyways, I wanted to tell who ever is following this blog to also check my new blog www.diealiya.wordpress.com for new updates. That is if any is following this blog. . I also welcome comments from readers so that I will know people are reading my bad English 

Pandora in the eyes of Iraqis and Afghanis


Yesterday when I was watching the long-talked movie AVATAR, so many thoughts appeared in my mind. The movie was based on a war between powerful humans and powerless natives of Pandora called Na’vi, for pieces of stones or natural mineral buried around the village of Na’vis. This natural mineral has a very high price in the market. Na’vi’s are 6 feet tall human like creature with a tail. They prayed to a god called Eywa. They were happy aboriginals with their own language and sacred culture before humans invaded their world. The movie shows the year 2150’s. Human’s were, as usual, blessed with the heavy machinery equipments of new technology and fine brain that they were able to create a human conjoined Na’vi using the DNA of Na’vi and humans and the brain of human being where one can survive when the other is asleep in a kind of box with brain awake. The life of Na’vi is video recorded by the human Na’vi when the Na’vi is asleep. When I was watching the movie, words of my Afghani friend keep rolling in my mind. He said that in the movie you will see exactly how the American troops destroyed a agriculturally rich village in Afghanistan. However, I am not sure if Americans were after any natural resources in Afghanistan unlike in Iraq where there is a huge oil reserves that Americans were always after specially the petroleum company of President Bush. Having said this, it is also true that Afghanistan is a nation for varieties of fruits and valley with awesome landscapes. Additionally, Americans and its allies fought in Iraq although they did not find any WMD to declare war against a sovereign state. However, they destroyed saddam’s regime which they could have done in a more peaceful manner rather than killing innocent civilians.

In the movie, a guy named Jack, an ex-marine soldier who paralysed his legs while on the job become DNA created Na’vi. The Na’vi of him try to find a diplomatic solution to shift the Na’vis from the surrounding but it was too late because he already supplies enough information needed by the American troops to conduct a heavy loaded war against powerless Na’vi’s who got bows and arrows and their god. The scientist’s words were ignored and they declare war against this innocent people and invaded their village killing Na’vis. It was sad to see how war broke destroying their most sacred huge trees. It could be the same thing which happened in Afghanistan and Iraq. Americans acquired modern war equipments and technology that they can trace and killed a person with less effort and more guns, missiles, explosives and so on. They might have bombed the mosques and historical buildings and took many lives. They might have destroyed houses of innocent people and take everything they have leaving them shelter less refugees. In the movie, at final scenes, Jack and his few friends manage to convince the Na’vis to fight against humans and save their land. They manage to defeat humans with the help of their god, Eywa. Would this be what is happening in present world?. It seems terror attacks were conducted by powerless to fight against powerful terrorists. However, the powerless are considered as terrorists and more terrorist attacks are conducted in the name of ‘war against terror’ with no end to it and no winning. In the movie, the Na’vi’s let few humans to stay with them and let others to leave their world, Pandora. In the final scene Jack choose to be a Na’vi leaving his human species. Whether it was for love because he fell in love with the daughter of the Na’vi’s leader or because his legs were paralysed as human and as Na’vi he gets his legs back. I am not sure of the reason. But I was not happy because he left the human species for another. But he might have a better reason too. It might be better off as kind other creature than a cruel human.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, women with deep inconsistency and hidden cause.

Dec 19, 2009

In one of my irregular book shops scanning day, my eyes caught in a book named infidel authored by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Instantly I went through it is summary, and I could not believe what she wrote about Islam. Indeed, it was expected as she once was brought up as Muslim in one of the failed state which led her to experience a tough time in her childhood. But this is not excuse of what she is exaggerating about Islam. I did not buy the book as I knew I may not be able to take it with me to my home country and also it might boil my blood. Later that day, I browse about her. She was born in Somalia to orthodox Islamic and political family. She wore hijab as a Muslim and her family migrated around Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Kenya before she obtained political asylum in Netherlands in 1992, under a political controversy. She denounced Islam after September 11, 2002 attack. She became elected as House of Representatives of Dutch parliament in 2003. The controversies regarding her Dutch citizenship led her to resign from the parliament. More importantly she lives under police protection following the death threat from Islamists group cause of her contribution to the Van Gogh’s movie ‘submission’. Currently she is a fellow in American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. She has been living in the United States since then. She has acquired number of prizes for her outspoken, fearless, courage (that is what West has described her) from the Europe, United States. She has been categorised as a critic of Islam and a feminist. She stand against her belief of women discrimination and other feminist issues in Islam such as female circumcision, child marriage, freedom of expression and so on. She has connected all these social evils to Islam. She has not only criticised Quran, but also the Prophet (pbuh). She worked for assimilation of immigrant population and detaches them from Islamic principles. In one of her debate against Tariq Ramadan, she was only talking about the feminist issues in Islam. I feel she lack a basic knowledge of Islam. She hardly knows what she was talking about. She keep on referring we Muslim, while she is already denounced Islam and named herself as an ‘atheist’. She has no right to call herself Muslim anymore. She also called Tariq Ramadan that he is inconsistent while I find this lady more inconsistent. She took part in the protest against Salam Rushdi’s ‘satanic verse’ and now she is worse than Salman Rushdi. Her controversies against Dutch citizenship and trying to intertwined her childhood experience to religion misleading thousands of people for the sake of fame if cannot be inconsistency, then what other name can we suit it. She worse hijab and now wear western clothes and still is vowing that she has not lost her identity. Come on lady, you already lost your identity when u became Dutch citizen and denounced Islam. I feel she is a puppet of the west who craved for their wealth and material fame. She has fallen for neo-colonialism propaganda and gave up everything good in her. In my opinion she is not a feminist, she is targeting Islam only, she is just desperate for material fame. She calls for freedom of expression and rights of the individual when she is misleading and destroying rights of thousands of Muslims. In social justice, each and everyone is equal. If she can speak exaggerated false statements about a one particular religion and disturb the peace then she had indeed is not worse than a criminal. If her cause was innocent, then she should have not targeted Islam. If she is capable she should know the differences in religious verdicts and social and cultural evils present in societies cause of social agencies. She should have not said that what Bin Laden’s fatwa is presented in Qur’an and is intolerant book. If west has considered her a knowledgeable person, the she should know that anyone can translate verses according to their agenda. If her iman is pure and powerful she could not have fallen for the acts of cowards. She deserves to be punished for causing emotional harm to thousands of people and disrespecting their rights to worship.

Revival of Female circumcision in the Maldives

Dec 14, 2009

I knew about female circumcision when I was in high school. A friend told to a group of us that her Aunt was circumcised when she was young. I never gave much thought to what she said may be because I was just ignorant. Since then I never heard about it untill I saw a documentary on Muslim female circumcision in North Africa. The interviews of many parties involved were included; as some denied that female circumcision was Islamic but in fact is a tradition and culture of the specific tribes or regions. Authors have said that it was more traditional or cultural belief than a religiously motivated as there is no evidence in religious texts regarding female circumcisions. Recently, I saw headline on a female circumcision outbreak in South of Maldives posted on Haveeru daily news paper. It seems that it was a religious jurists or theologians who are issuing fatwa among midwives regarding the female circumcision. However, the issue was brought to media by the attorney general who seems has authentic sources of such information. But when I went through some comments made by readers, the readers are not very sure about the authenticity of the issue. Hence, I am not sure if it is a tool used to achieve political agenda or it is revived in Maldives again. Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, has said that male circumcision is important rite of initiation in Islam however, there is nothing in the religious sources, Qur’an and Sunnah, which suggests that it is prescribed ritual of initiation for women in Islam. Moreover, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) indicated and ordered pagan males who converted to Islam to undergo circumcision but there is no evident that the Prophet ordered female converts to undergo circumcision. Hence, as the Prophet did not mention clearly about female circumcision, it is evident that female circumcision is not obligatory in Islam and it was not rooted from historical Islam and is not a principle of Islam. Moreover as many jurists argued that it is more cultural and reinvention to the tradition by the people. Hence, it is also possible that whatever is happening in Maldives is influenced by the cultural aspects of another nation or region where the theologians have acquired their education. Likewise, may be a tactic used by these jurists to revive Islam in Maldives as they fear current situation in Maldives is contributing to the deviations from authentic Islam. There is also possibility that the politicians are just spreading rumours to achieve a political agenda. Whatever is the reason, it is not very ethical thing to attach religion to these kinds of acts and mislead people. These reinventions to religion is one of the reason why the ‘others’ got chance to criticize Islam. They always use this kind of things to blame Islam as religion and the actions of current Muslims indeed, are giving them opportunity to succeed in their propaganda against Islam. Hence, Maldivians need to be more cautious.

Pay Cut Protests

Dec 4, 2009



When a friend told to me that he has a letter for me to sign, I did sense that it was something related to the recent protests around Maldives on pay cuts. There was a cut in government official’s salaries up to 5-20% to deal with the current economic crises and budget deficit. The pay cut came months after it was raised without allowances by new government. The increased in salary however, was not enough for a person with family and lives in a rented place in Male’. The prices of goods and properties also rose during this time where the increased salaries had a zero impact as a result. But surprisingly, the decrease in civil servants salary while some independent commissions and members of parliament got away without any reduction caused many civil servants to protest against this discrimination. The people who are representing the sentiments of the citizens are enjoying their full high salary and benefits while people who have more responsibilities suffered a reduction in their salary. Additionally, it seems the forecast budget with 4.7 billion deficits does not have a reserve to accommodate increase in salary if any is to happen next year. This contradicts with the president’s promise that a three month survey would be conducted and if economy is recovering then they would increase the salary of civil servants. But so far the action of government does not seem that they have any intention of increasing the salary in near future. As a result of these broken promises, a group of Maldivians are trying to get as many sign as possible to bring the attention of members of parliaments. They are hoping that their elected members may debate the issue in the parliament and willingly accept the reduction in their heavy salary. Moreover, the letters does not specifically say to increase civil servants salary but it says to cut salary of members of parliament so that there will not be differential treatment. Some are reluctant to sign these letters because they know that thing would not change anything as benefits will remain in the hands or powerful. The group argue that if their MP’s did not take action, then people will think twice before they cast their vote in next term. I am not sure if it is going to happen. The votes of people are usually bought by powerful MP’s so whether you like it or not you cast your vote for the MP who you knew once withheld your compliant. One thing I did not like is when people bring the excuse of previous government’s resistance to justify the reluctance of today. But in reality people are not sure what they want now. They wanted change and they brought it, now that they brought the change they regret it. But it is also true ‘we will never know the outcome unless we try’- so here we go again another protest against pay cuts.

The Summer Vacation in The Gold Coast

Dec 3, 2009





I was looking forward to a chance to escape from the Melbourne since my vacation began. My wish came true when a friend asked me to join them on a trip to the Gold Coast. We stayed for 3 nights in a mesmerizingly beautiful service apartment, Chevron towers. We left Melbourne in the morning in Tiger airways and arrived the Gold Coast at 830 am. We checked into our apartments at around 11am. We had fish and chips for lunch and for the first time I saw calamari dish. The day was hot and sunny but we roamed around aspendale beach. We also roamed around Q-Deck and took a ride in one of the fastest lift in the world to 77th floor of Q-Deck tower. Q-Deck tower is designed in a way that you can get a 360 degree view of the Gold Coast. We headed to home from the Q-Deck and freshen up and went out for dinner. The night view was nice and peaceful. The roads were not crowded and shops were opened till 9pm I suppose unlike Melbourne where shops closed at 4 or 5pm. We had dinner at Chinese restaurant. The rice bowl which looked tiny was more than enough to fill our stomach. I do not know what make me like the meal so much but the food was very tasty. We roamed around a bit and headed to home and slept. I was surprised to see my friends up the next morning when I got up. I grabbed my breakfast and we all went to Wild and Wet World, where it is full of water rides. I choose to stay behind as I felt it is not ethical to go into water with lots of clothes. It was again steamy and hot day. We then left the place to Movie World at around 230pm. Movie World was a place everyone wanted to go. We took few pictures before we all went into the Walt Disney’s shop. We got stuck there and missed the Disney character parade. However, manage to have glimpse at few characters. We also took a Soopy Doo ride which was surprisingly scared. We went home in the evening and had dinner outside again in Thai restaurant but did not enjoy their foods. The next day we went to Sea World where I enjoyed seal show and dolphin show and also sesame tree show. We headed to movie world again but got stuck in the bus stop because the next available bus was after 30 mins hence, we might miss ‘Hollywood Stunt Driver’. Then I thought hit me that if we take taxi we can reach on time. So we manage to hire taxi van from the other side of road and reached to Movie World on time. I love the show although it was very hot in there. I manage to see some fantastic stunts by various professionals. We all seemed enjoyed it coz no one stop talking about it. We then had our lunch at Gotham Cafe’ where you get a huge drink in Bet man stamped plastic glass. We also manage to see Scoopy Doo characters and afterwards the Disney character parade. Additionally I and another friend decided not take rides so we roamed a bit in the kid’s area and wild and west areas. We again went to have dinner outside but the place was about to close so we ordered take away. I went with another two friends to Hard Rock Cafe’ which was one of the most talked place among my friends from Indonesia. It was my first time to see this place. But my friends seems know this place and they did buy some stuff from there although the prices were not cheap. The next day we headed to the train station, thanks to Danny . We all got tickets which cost 19.50 AUD and everyone was giving 50 AUD and when my turn came I gave AUD 20 and the service lady gave me also a change I quickly said that I gave only 20 AUD. . It was my lucky day. Then we boarded to train but we did not get a good seat from a same place so we divided. I stayed behind but my friend did not want to leave me alone so she came and sat next to me. We had a good talk about family and country till we reached Brisbane. It did not seem very long journey. It was less than 2 hours I suppose. It was good my friends got friends over in Brisbane who took us around. But when I was waiting to board ferry transport, the wind blew away my ticket. I did not know what to do. I do not know the procedure so I was very uncomfortable although my friend’s friend helped me out to get ticket from ferry. I had to buy another ticket for second journey because I took off-peak one which expired when we get down. We manage to go to University of Queensland (QU) and took a few pictures as we were running out of time. But fortunately the friends in Brisbane provided transport and we manage to reach to airport before time. On the other hand, the flight got delayed for 30 minutes. We all freshen up at the airport and ate the rest of cookies left. We reached Melbourne at 9pm and reached home at 11pm. I was dead tired but manage to upload some pictures to the face book. I was also still in a shock of losing my ferry ticket and confused with my attempt to shake hands with my friends friend’s in Brisbane. I was not aware of their culture. But as far as I know if a person (lady) initiates to shake hands then there is no problem for the man to shake her hand. But to my surprise one of a guy was just holding his two hands tight when he said goodbye although, I took my hand to shake. I later realised that I put myself in embarrassing situation. His wife was also there and she was indeed wearing fully covered dress with a long veil. She also does not seem she likes me. Anyways, overall I find the trip very interesting although it was a sunny and bits of embarrassing and weird situations occurred. Moreover, I often find myself in a situation called ‘alien’. But it is a worth to escape to the Gold Coast in this summer.
 
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