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Events - Guest - 06-17-2004
<!--emo&:thumbdown--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' /><!--endemo-->
INVITATION:
You are invited to the following screenings:
1. The Boy in the Branch, 27 mins
2. Men in the Trees, 98 mins
Both directed by Lalit Vachani
3. Final Solution, 150 mins [shorter version]
Dir: Rakesh Sharma
Date: 19th June, 2004, Saturday Time: 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Juhu Jagruti Hall, A.J. Commerce College, 1st
floor, Opp NM College, Vile Parle West, Mumbai
Amrit Gangar
This has been organized by various institutions. The
idea is to
sensitize the middle classes [particularly Gujarati]
about Gujarat genocide.
o o o o o
I am enclosing information about my recent film -
Final Solution ( India; 2004; Digital Video format -
miniDV; 209
minutes).
Awards : Wolfgang Staudte award and Special
Jury Award (Netpac), Berlin International film
festival (Feb 2004).
Silver (Best Doc category)/Humanitarian award,
HongKong International film festival.
Special Jury Mention, Munich Dokfest.
Special Award instituted and given by NRIs for a
Secular and Harmonious India (NRI-SAHI), USA.
Festivals: Berlinale ( International premiere
of the film), HongKong, Fribourg, Hot Docs
(Canada), Zanzibar, Durban, Commonwealth film
festival (UK), One world filmfest (Prague),
Istanbul 1001fest, Singapore, Flanders
(Belgium), World Social Forum (Mumbai; Indian
premiere), Vikalp (Mumbai filmfest organised by
Campaign against Censorship) and several other
filmfests.
Please let me know whether you will be interested
in acquiring a copy of the film for your
institution/ library. I'd be very grateful if
you could forward information about the film to
your colleagues and friends, especially those
teaching at Universities or working with
institutions/NGOs, asking them to support the
film by buying copies. Please note that copies
are available at a discount for individuals/
activists/ students. Please also note that the
film has distributors in different countries -
so, to place an order or for price queries,
please send your postal address as well.
Regards
Rakesh Sharma
Final Solution is a study of the politics of
hate. Set in Gujarat during the period Feb/March
2002 - July 2003, the film examines the
consequences of Hindu-Moslem polarization in the
state.
Part 1 : Pride and Genocide deals with the
genocidal violence against Moslems and its
immediate aftermath. It probes the patterns of
pre-planned violence by right-wing Hindu cadres
which many claim was state-supported, if not
state-sponsored.
Part 2 : The Terror Trail reconstructs through
eyewitness accounts the attack on Gulbarg
(Ahmedabad) and acts of barbaric violence against
Moslem women at Eral and Delol/Kalol
(Panchmahals) even as Chief Minister Modi
traverses the state on his Gaurav Yatra.
Part 3 : The Hate Mandate documents the poll
campaign during the Assembly elections in Gujarat
in late 2002. It records in detail the
exploitation of the Godhra incident ( in which 58
Hindus were burnt alive) by the right-wing
propaganda machinery for electoral gains.
Part 4 : Hope and Despair studies the situation
after the storm and its impact on Hindus and
Moslems - ghettoisation, the call for economic
boycott of Moslems and continuing acts of
violence more than a year after the carnage.
The film is anti-hate/ violence as "those who
forget history are condemned to relive it".
Dir: Rakesh Sharma Tel : +91 98203 43103
<mailto:finalsolutionindia@y...>carnagefilm@y...
/ <mailto:actindia@v...>actindia@v...
Final Solution has been shot and edited on DVcam;
it is subtitled in English. Copies of the film
are available on VHS pal / Video for Rs 2000 for
NGOs/ activists groups/ libraries and
organisations. Copies are available for Rs 1000
for Individuals and for Rs 600 for students/
grassroots activists. Please mail a bank draft
payable at Mumbai favouring Rakesh Sharma to : PO
Box 12023, Azad Nagar post office, Mumbai 400053.
Rakesh Sharma began his film/TV career in 1986 as
an assistant director on Shyam Benegal's
Discovery of India. His broadcast industry
experience includes the set up/ launch of 3
broadcast channels in India: Channel [V], Star
Plus and Vijay TV and several production
consultancy assignments. He has now gone back to
independent documentary film-making. His last
film Aftershocks : The Rough Guide to Democracy
won the Best documentary film award at Fribourg,
Big Mini-DV and at Big Muddy and won 7 other
awards {including the Robert Flaherty prize}at
various festivals in USA and Europe during
2002-03. It has been screened at over 90
international film festivals.
Events - Guest - 06-17-2004
Wait, my daughter will be back...then a neighbour brought the morning paper
Events - Guest - 07-07-2004
<!--emo&:mad--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Kashmir se Godhra tak
CROSSING THE LINES: KASHMIR, PAKISTAN, INDIA
A documentary film by Pervez Hoodbhoy and Zia Mian
Produced for the Eqbal Ahmad Foundation, 2004 (45 minutes)
"A compelling fresh look at an age old problem that could be the spark
of a nuclear war." [Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban]
"This film violates the grand narrative of nationalism on all sides.
It shocks with its unfamiliar humanity." [Khaled Ahmed, Daily Times]
After four wars, Kashmiris and their land are divided between Pakistan
and India, the source of recurring crises. The next war may well be a
nuclear war. In this tragedy, each side tells the story of the
injustice and violence of the other, and feels only the suffering of
their own. This path-breaking independent documentary film, made in
Pakistan, challenges us to look at Kashmir with new eyes and to hope
for a new way forward.
The film uses interviews of key figures and ordinary people from every
side, rare archival footage and computer animations to chronicles the
wars, the failed efforts at peace and the daily toll this failure
exacts on those caught in this tragic struggle. We hear leading
Kashmiri militants voice the frustration of their hopes for democracy
and their desperate rebellion against oppressive Indian rule. We see
how Pakistan's relentless determination to confront India created an
Islamic holy war that brought terror and death to Kashmir. Radical
Hindu leaders in India, and Islamic militants in Pakistan, explain
their shared conviction that Kashmir is part of a greater struggle
that knows no limits. We discover how amid rising religious passions,
governments in India and Pakistan seek to build national identity
through cultivating prejudice and hatred towards the other.
Rejecting the national ambitions of Kashmiris, Pakistanis and Indians
alike, the film offers a vision of a shared future for all of South
Asia built on a common humanity.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
ORDER THE FILM ON DVD
Payment must be by check, drawn on a US bank, or money order.
i) For individuals - $35; for institutions - $100
ii) $______(optional, as contribution to the Eqbal Ahmad Foundation)
Contributions of $100 will recieve a free complimentary copy of
"Between Past and Future - Selected Essays on South Asia" by Eqbal
Ahmad (Oxford University Press, 2004) - NOT FOR SALE in the USA.
Please mail your order to:
EQBAL AHMAD FOUNDATION
P.O. Box 2021
PRINCETON, NJ 08542-0222, USA.
Your Name __________________________
Address ________________________
City ___________________________
State/Zip/Country ______________________
Email ______________________
o o o o o
Three films on communalism
As a follow up to our screenings of three films - two on RSS viz. The
Boy in the Branch and Men in the Tree by Lalit Vachani and Final
Solution by Rakesh Sharma, we are now screening three more films:
Godhra Tak - The Terror Trail by Shubhradeep Chakravorty; Hey Ram -
Genocide in the Land of Gandhi; and Night and Fog by Alain Resnais.
Details given below.
Night and Fog would remind us of the genocidal history that humanity
would never like to repeat but what happened in Gujarat? And why?
Let's not allow anyone to turn Gujarat into a 'laboratory' for
killing.
Screening schedule given below.
Amrit Gangar
I N V I T A T I O N
You are cordially invited to a private and exclusive screening of
three outstanding documentary films that have ventured to explore
some of the most crucial socio-cultural-political undercurrents
affecting our society. These films have been acclaimed the world over.
Godhra Tak - The Terror Trail, 2002, 60 mins
Dir: Shubradeep Chakravorty
An investigative documentation of the barbaric incident on 27 Feb
2002, when coach S6 of the Sabarmati Express was burnt at Godhra in
Gujarat, India. Fifty-nine people, including several kar-sevaks died
in that fire. The film tries to find out what actually happened at
Godhra railway station on that day and how far the allegation of
conspiracy is true.
Hey Ram - Genocide in the Land of Gandhi, 2002, 15 mins
Dir: Gopal Menon
This documentary makes relation between partition, Babri and Guajarat
riots in backdrop of a song. Its main argument is that Gujarat's
riots were not communal but they were genocide.
Night and Fog, 1955, 32 mins
Dir: Alain Resnais
The title takes up a Nazi slogan directed against those opposing the
system; they were classified as particularly dangerous. One of the
first cinematic reflections on the horrors of the Holocaust, Night
and Fog (Nuit et Brouillard) contrasts the stillness of the abandoned
camps' quiet, empty buildings with haunting wartime footage. The text
emphasizes the timelessness and transferability of events and, in
view of the struggle for liberation in Algeria at that time, it is a
warning against new executioners. In other words, Gujarat cannot be
a 'laboratory' for killing ever again.
Date: July 12, 2004, Saturday
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Venue: Narsee Monjee Commerce College, 1st floor, Opp. NM
College, Vile Parle West.
Organizers: Shree Keertan Kendra, Sane Guruji Arogya Nidhi, Keshav
Gore Smarak Trust, Yusuf Meherally Centre, Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal,
Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Mumbai, Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Usha
Mehta Memorial Trust and Ekta
Events - Bhootnath - 07-07-2004
> Kashmir se Godhra tak
> CROSSING THE LINES: KASHMIR, PAKISTAN, INDIA
> A documentary film by Pervez Hoodbhoy and Zia Mian
> Produced for the Eqbal Ahmad Foundation, 2004 (45 minutes)
.
.
.
> Date: July 12, 2004, Saturday
> Time: 4:00 p.m.
> Venue: Narsee Monjee Commerce College, 1st floor, Opp. NM
> College, Vile Parle West.
> :b Organizers: Shree Keertan Kendra, Sane Guruji Arogya Nidhi, Keshav
> Gore Smarak Trust, Yusuf Meherally Centre, Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal,
> Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Mumbai, Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, Usha
> Mehta Memorial Trust and Ekta :b
Hmmm getting ready for Maharashtra State Elections.
Events - Guest - 07-09-2004
Received via email - anyone know more about this:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Communists in India - IISc related
I thought of bringing some recent incidents in IISc to your
attention.
1. Prasthutha (a nationalist students forum) had long back organized
a talk by Michel Danino about Aryan Invasion Theory (2001). The
young IISc pinkos attended and got trashed by Michel. The talk was
well received by IISc community.
2. Recently Prasthutha organized another talk on similar topic by Dr
S R Rao. Titled as "Is Aryan a race or a language or both?", the talk
attracted huge crowd. Obviously S R Rao gave fitting answers to the
young pinkos.
3. Disturbed by no-invasion and no-migration theories doing well in
IISc, pinkos came up with a 'brilliant' idea of giving lecture by
themselves. They have a forum called Forum for India (FFI) which does
nothing but India bashing. Under this forum they organized a talk by
its student member. I paste the abstract and invitation below in the
text format.
4. Prasthutha members did a good amount of last minute research on
aryan theories. They attacked the speaker very well with the
questions and etc. Even though the attack was not very much
sophisticated in terms of scholarship (expectedly), it helped
keeping the speaker in the defensive mood. During the talk, the
pinko speaker showed the map of India in a wrong way. This
attracted the ire of many audience who asked him for an immediate
apology. Speaker denied an apology justifying that he is a humanist
and that he did not care for political boundaries. He insisted that
the wrong map was indeed the reality.
5. Outraged by this many disturbed students complained to the
Director of IISc and to other related office bearers. I was told
that few outsiders who attended the prog complained to police about
this incident as well.
6. Few disturbed students have put up nice posters throughout the
IISc protesting this incident. I attach the poster in the text
format below as that can give a much better understanding of the
events.
Regards
Ravi
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FFI's invitation for the talk
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Vox Populi "The people speak"
Forum for India aims at providing a space for the voice of the common
people to be heard. As a step towards achieving this end, we have
decided to initiate a series of talks, on various issues related to
our country, to be given by members of the campus community. We feel
that this series will be a step towards involving the IISc community
in healthy discussion and debate on various issues of importance and
hope that it will help us move a few steps forward in understanding
the unparalleled complexity of India's heritage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FFI welcomes you to the first of this series of talks on:
Answering the Aryan question: From Myths to Molecular Genetics
by
Partho Sarothi Ray
Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology
Indian Institute of Science
Venue: Management Seminar Hall
Date and time: 30th June, Wednesday, 6.00 pm
The question of the origins and the migrations of the Aryans has
been a controversial issue over the past 150 years. However,
research in a number of different fields ranging from the
comparative study of languages to molecular genetics has provided us
today with a clearer picture about who the Aryans were, where they
originated from and how they spread over a vast area of Asia and
Europe. Of special interest has been the role played by the Aryans
in the history of India. In this talk, evidence from various fields
of enquiry like comparative philology, linguistics, archaeology,
molecular genetics etc. will be presented in an attempt to provide
answers to these interesting questions. These questions will be
discussed specifically with reference to India in order to gain a
clearer understanding of the controversies that has recently been
raised on this issue.
Forum for India
ffi_bangalore@y...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Poster protesting the act of FFI
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Voice For Indian Martyrs (VFIM)
Contact us: vfim_iisc@y...
"Forum For India "gifts" the crown of India on a golden platter to
Pakistan and China"
Friends,
A talk with the title "Answering the Aryan question: From Myth to
Molecular Genetics" was held on 30th of June 2004, in the Management
studies seminar hall. In this talk, the speaker Mr.Partho Sarothi
Ray, a student of the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology
misrepresented a map of India, our great motherland with the Aksai
Chin and Gilgit areas removed from our boundaries. When the members
of the audience raised objection to this misrepresentation, the
speaker defended it saying that what he had represented was "reality"
and that he was a humanist and did not believe in political
boundaries. Another member of the "Forum for India" asked the
question "what do we have to do with two chunks of wasteland". When
a person in the audience asked the speaker to apologize, he fiercely
defended his misrepresentation.
<b>It is routinely observed that the members of this so called "Forum
for India" do not stand up when Our National anthem is played in
functions/talks organized in IISc.</b>Â <!--emo&:o--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ohmy.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Bharata Mata, alas! You have been stabbed behind your back yet again
by your own misguided children.
********
A few questions beg attention
1. Is this forum really a "Forum For India" or a "Forum For ISI
Agents"?
2. Is Mr.Partho Sarothi Ray not guilty of sedition?
3. If Mr.Partho Sarothi Ray is a humanist, why did he choose a
political map and in that, a wrong one, what was the message he
was trying to convey?
4. What were the speaker's motives behind the misrepresentation of
the map of India?
5. Does Mr.Partho Sarothi Ray accept the Union Government's
position on Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, or do even these
have some other "reality"?
6. Do people like Mr.Partho Sarothi Ray be allowed to continue to
be citizens of this great country?
7. Should the "Forum for India" not be banned for this grave attack
on the Indian Ethos and its identity?
8. If the "Forum for India" is allowed to function unbridled, what
will be the next "reality" (because, even parts of Rajasthan can
be considered to be waste land by a few)?
9. Should Mr. Partho Sarothi Ray be allowed to continue as a
student of this great Institute enjoying benefits of scholarship
provided by the government of a country, the boundaries of which
he refuses to consider legitimate?
10. Is this incident not an insult to our martyrs who have laid down
their lives defending this Great Nation?
11. Is this not an insult to those who brave temperatures of -50 °C
in Siachen and > 50 °C in Rajasthan, just for our sake?
*************
O Martyrs, we are sorry that we couldn't identify A BAND OF TRAITORS
thriving amidst us.
We owe more to our soldiers and their family than what we owe to our
mothers. If we cannot become SOLDIERS at least we should not forget
and disrespect their sacrifices.
**********
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Events - Guest - 07-09-2004
University of Maryland Campus Event <!--emo&:rocker--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rocker.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rocker.gif' /><!--endemo-->
A talk by Ms Sandhya Jain this Sunday, on campus
Develop Empower & Synergize India (DESI) at University of Maryland, College Park invites you to
A talk by <b>Ms. Sandhya Jain on "Nationalism in Indian Media".</b>
The talk would be followed by an interactive question and answer session. The talk is open to all and free
Venue: 3258 A.V.Williams
Time: 4.45 pm
Date: 11th July 2004 (Sunday)
Visit http://www.desiumd.org/sandhyajain for more details.
Light refreshments will be served!
Speaker Profile:
Ms.Sandhya Jain is a social development consultant and a columnist with The Pioneer, a leading newspaper of Delhi. She writes extensively on contemporary issues relating to the civilizational ethos of India, under-development, education, women, child and social abuse. She is a Post Graduate from Delhi University and has been an eminent columnist in the mainstream Indian news media.
Ms.Sandhya Jain is a member of the Media Editorial Board of 'Stree Shakti' - the official magazine of the Department of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Human Resource Development. She is a member of the US based NGOs such as The Religious Consultation on Population, Reproductive Health and Ethics & Religion Counts. She is also a contributing member of the Indo-UK Roundtable, which recommends methods of increasing economic and bilateral cooperation between the two countries to the respective Governments.
Events - Guest - 07-14-2004
COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
July 12, 2004
Memorandum
TO: Members
FROM: James A. Leach
Chairman, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
SUBJECT: Hearing on "<b>Islam in Asia</b>"
1:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Room 2172 Rayburn
-------------------------
On Wednesday, July 14 at 1:30 p.m. in room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific will hold an open hearing on "Islam in Asia." The witnesses will be: Meredith Weiss, Assistant Professor and Director of the Graduate Program Department of International Studies DePaul University; Douglas E. Ramage, Representative, Indonesia and Malaysia, The Asia Foundation; Ambassador Husain Haqqani, Visiting Scholar Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Ambassador Thomas W. Simons, Jr., Consulting Professor, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University.
Overview of Islam in Asia
Islam and Asia are rarely connected in the American mind. For most Americans, Islam is a faith of the Middle East, intricately part of that human crucible's glories and tragedies. Yet the vast majority of the world's approximately 1.2 million Muslims live in Asia, which is home to the four largest Islamic countries in the world (Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India). By contrast, even though many people in the world consider Islam to be mainly an Arab religion, less than 20% of the Muslims in the world live in Arab-speaking countries. Islam in Asia is diverse, as varied as Christianity in the West. Consequently, generalizations are perilous.
Islam in Southeast Asia is relatively more moderate in character than in much of the Middle East. This moderate side of Islam is to be seen through such organizations as Muhammadiya and Nahdlatul Ulama in Indonesia. This moderation stems in part from the way Islam evolved in Southeast Asia. Islam came to Southeast Asia with traders rather than through military conquest as it did in much of South Asia and the Arab Middle East. Islam also was overlaid on animist, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions in Indonesia, which are said to give it a more syncretic aspect. Islam spread throughout much of Southeast Asia by the end of the seventeenth century.
Islam in Asia is more "culturally and politically diverse" than in the Middle East and has been undergoing a revival in Asia. Several factors may contribute to this Islamic resurgence in Asia. Internally, the forces of globalization and the impact of Western culture have played a role, especially the effect of rapid industrialization and resulting urbanization. External factors include the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, Islamic revolution in Iran, the export of Saudi-backed Wahabi Islamic fundamentalism, and the Afghan war against the Soviets. The conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, as well as counter-terror operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan are also sources of frustration for some South Asian Muslims.
Differing Schools of Islamic Tradition
The majority of Muslims are Sunni Muslims, while 10-15% are Shiite. This difference stems from disagreement over the succession to the prophet Mohammad. In South and Southeast Asia, Shiites are a significant portion of the population in only Afghanistan and Pakistan. Wahhabism has played an important role in the resurgence of Islam in Asia. It stems from a 18th Century movement founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab which preached a literal interpretation of the Quran and an orthodox practice of Islam. Historically there has been a close relationship between Wahhabism and the Saudi dynasty. Sufism is another more "mystical" variant of Islam, though its presence in Asia is small except for parts of South Asia.
Connections with Extremist and Terrorist Groups
The Islamic revival is changing the face of political Islam in Asia. This revival has a complex relationship to the level of extremism in the region. While Islam in Southeast Asia has been moderate in character, it is undergoing a process of revivalist change in some segments of society. The resurgence is in part inspired by links to the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Some Asians returning from Islamic religious schools in the Middle East and Pakistan have returned with a new, radical and extremist form of Islam that is more likely to be anti-American or anti-Western in character. There are also up to 1,000 violent extremists among those who returned from fighting against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Some of those radicals have gone on to spread extremist ideology, particularly by linking with local Muslim extremist groups who tend to have more nationally or regionally defined goals and who are largely opposed to local moderate Muslims. From one perspective "the most effective policies towards Muslim Asia will be those that contain extremism while working with, rather than against, the Muslim majority's aspirations for social and economic improvement."
There are a number of Islamist groups in Southeast Asia that have linkages, either direct or indirect, to terrorist organizations. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and Abu Sayaff are examples of groups in the Philippines where Islamist ideology, secessionism, criminality, and linkages to international terrorist networks are evident. The terrorist Jemaah Islamiya (JI) organization, which seeks to establish an Islamic Khalifate across much of Southeast Asia and establish Sharia law, has ties to Al Qaeda. In Thailand, the Patani United Liberation Organization (PULO) and the New PULO have been fighting to gain separatism for the Muslim majority southern provinces.
The few Muslims of North East Asia are found in China for the most part. China is home to approximately 20 million Muslims. The largest group is the Uighurs of Xinjiang Province in western China. The Uighur minority has experienced unrest of an Islamic character in recent years. Many Uighurs seek autonomy within China. Demographic trends arising from Han-Chinese in-migration are projected to make the Uighurs a minority in their home province.
Connections between Islamic extremism and terrorist organization in South Asia appear to be more extensive than they are in Southeast Asia. This stems in large part from the presence of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is also a function of long term conflict in Afghanistan and in Kashmir. The extremist Taliban regime gave sanctuary to Al Qaeda until it was crushed. Since that time remnant Al Qaeda forces have linked up with other Sunni extremist groups in South Asia including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi. Pakistan has also experienced Sunni-Shiite conflict. Meanwhile, an extensive array of madrassas, including some that teach a militant anti-Western and anti-Hindu perspective, operate in Pakistan. A coalition of Islamist political parties control approximately 20% of the seats in Pakistan's legislature. It has also been reported that Al Qaeda fighters escaped to Bangladesh after the fall of Afghanistan to American and Afghan Northern Alliance forces and that Bangladesh veterans of the conflict in Afghanistan have played a role in establishing radical madrassas in Bangladesh. While India has experienced significant inter-communal strife between Hindus and Muslims, it is largely domestically focused with the exception of Pakistani based groups operating in Kashmir.
The scope of the Islamic revival in Asia, and the extent to which increased religious fervor will translate into extremist positions or political power that will express itself in violent ways towards the West, is debated. Some see this phenomenon manifesting itself more in terms of increased piety among individuals within society without necessarily expressing itself politically. In this regard, they believe that because fear feeds extremism the war against terror should include a better appreciation of Islam in the West. A key distinction for some in this debate is the distinction between cultural or religious identity and political identity. An Islamic revival that finds its _expression through cultural or religious means is not necessarily a threat, even as some in the Islamic world would manipulate it to their anti-American or anti-Western ends.
An examination of recent developments with political Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia illustrate this point. Radical Islamist parties have not demonstrated broad appeal among Indonesian or Malaysian voters in recent elections even as some segments of these societies have experienced a resurgence of Islamic belief. The Islamist Parti Islam se Malaysia experienced significant electoral set backs in the 2004 elections to the relatively more secular Barisan National Coalition of Prime Minister Badawi, who is himself regarded as a respected Islamic scholar. In Indonesia, Islamist parties made small gains based not on their Islamist agenda but on their anti-corruption and good governance policies. Secular and nationalist parties clearly are preferred by voters in Indonesia and Malaysia even as Islam remains a core value of the people. There are also fundamentalists in Southeast Asia that would introduce strict Islamic law but would not advocate the use of violence to do so. There is also a distinction to be made between those who would focus primarily on local or national objectives, such as secession for a Muslim province, rather than focus on the international agenda advocated by Al Qaeda.
Alienation and humiliation appear to be keys for understanding the Islamic resurgence in Asia and for understanding why individuals are drawn to terrorist groups. Frustration from diminished expectations driven by economic malaise, the lack of effective political participation, and a sense of humiliation may be at the core of why many Asian Muslims have become radicalized. It is thought by some that U.S. policies can help best by assisting moderate elements in Asia to "respond to mainstream Muslims' hopes for economic improvement and political participation ... education, balanced development, participatory governance, and civil peace" that will give hope to alienated individuals who might otherwise drift towards radicalism. Some observers feel that diminishing the ranks of alienated Asian Muslims will in turn restrict room for maneuver by extremists and terrorists by limiting active or passive support from the societies within which they operate.
U.S. Policy Initiatives
The United States Department of State document Patterns of Global Terrorism 2003, published in April 2003, identifies U.S. policy initiatives for addressing the war against terror. It emphasizes a policy of defeating terrorist organizations of global reach by attacking their sanctuaries; leadership; command, control, communications; material support; and finances. The Coordinator for Counter-terrorism, Ambassador Cofer Black, emphasized the need to develop "sustained international political will and effective capacity building" to more effectively fight terrorism. Within this context Ambassador Black identifies Malaysia's opening of the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Counter-terrorism in August 2003 as a key example of counter-terrorism capacity building in Asia.
Observers have commented that the U.S needs to do more in the area of public diplomacy in addition to its initiatives in the area of education. Much of the current anti-U.S. sentiment in Asia is a reaction to U.S. policies towards Iraq and the Israel-Palestinian dispute as well as increasing identification among Asian Muslims with their coreligionists at the core of the Islamic world. This was demonstrated by the rapid decline in approval ratings of the U.S. in Indonesia, from over 70% in 2000 to only 15% in 2003. The declining popularity of the U.S. among Asian Muslim populations has made it difficult for some regional leaders to be associated with American policies. As noted above, major U.S. initiatives are under way in Indonesia and Pakistan to help improve the quality of the education those countries provide for their citizens.
If you have any questions about this hearing, please contact James McCormick or Andi Effendi at 6-7825.
Tiernen Miller
Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific
Committee on International Relations
(202)226-5921
Events - Guest - 07-14-2004
<!--QuoteBegin-k.ram+Jul 9 2004, 11:24 AM-->QUOTE(k.ram @ Jul 9 2004, 11:24 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--> University of Maryland Campus Event  <!--emo&:rocker--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rocker.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rocker.gif' /><!--endemo-->
A talk by Ms Sandhya Jain this Sunday, on campus
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Anything interesting to report?
Events - Guest - 07-17-2004
http://www.jihadunspun.com/intheatre_inter...le=10020&list=/
<!--emo&:omg--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/omg.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='omg.gif' /><!--endemo-->
An Invitation To Sikhs And Hindus To Embrace The Truth
Jul 13, 2004
Press Release: Al-Muhajiroun, UK
Hundreds of Muslims from across the UK are set to converge in Londonâs Trafalgar Square on the 25th of July for the Annual Rally for Islam. This year will be the 9th anniversary of the rally and promises to be the best yet.
The British public will once again witness many non-Muslims: previously Jews, Christians, Hindus & Sikhs (idol worshippers), Atheists, Socialists etc giving up their false beliefs and ideologies in order to embrace the divine way of life which Islam offers to them openly and publicly. Debates and discussions on the inimitability of the Qurâan and the finality of the Message (of Islam) from God through the Messenger Muhammad (saw) will be held, with an invitation for all present to either refute Islam or accept its superiority. The speakers will also set out to present Islam as the only real future for Britain and indeed the World in terms of maintaining Honesty, Home-land Security, Morality, Mental well being, Family protection, continued scientific and material progress, psychological health as well as providing a comprehensive code for humanity to live their life by.
The Square will also host a number of Marquees presenting various aspects of Islam such as its unique economic system able to solve the problems of inflation, the hoarding of wealth and the fair distribution of resources -Islamâs unique social system which eradicates the exploitation of the sexes and eliminates promiscuity, pornography and sexual deviancy and Islamâs ruling system based upon the concept of sovereignty for God alone, where man is not a dictator (like Bush or Blair) but rather Godâs trustee on Earth managing mankindâs affairs according to Godâs infallible law...etc...
Here is a message to all the Sikhs and Hindus; put your pride to one side and accept the Truth. Yes, Islam, the religion that you detest the most is really the only religion that will help you when you leave this life.
To the Hinduâs; forget the caste system and all the fuss about reincarnation and accept the fact that everybody is equal in the eyes of God and all will be accounted on the Day of Judgement. As for the Sikhs, acknowledge, that as a man-made system your belief is really just a hotpot of different religions and opinions âjumbled togetherâ.
The fierce disagreements between Muslims and Hinduâs have been going since the advent of Islam.
Historically, the effect of Islam in the Indian sub-continent region was instant. Its emphasis on One God corrected many of the social issues and âmysticalâ beliefs associated with Hinduism at the time. The caste system was seen in its true nature; a racist structure geared to preserve the rich over the poor. Islam offered those at the bottom of the organization a way of being equal and simultaneously having a belief system that fitted naturally with the human self.
The Hindu tradition of worshipping idols was (and still is) seen as a major act of ignorance, as creation can never worship creation, particularly when there is a Creator who has designed and established everything from apples to zebras. Also, the heavy emphasis on superstition places the individual under much stress in his daily life. Islam in comparison has no place for false notions as everything is under the control of Almighty God therefore dismissing any talk of good or bad luck.
As mentioned, Islam corrected the numerous inadequacies Hinduism imposed on society; thus impressing on intellectuals such as Guru Nanak (the founder of Sikhism) that the religion of Muhammad (saw) was in fact the truth. However, Nanak could not accept Islam in its entirety so chose just the key features that favoured him and the people.
However, because Sikhism is man-made it has many weaknesses, all Sikhs must ponder the following: Firstly, the religion lacks depth and is easily brainwashed by more dominant systems. Hinduism still has a great influence on the Sikhs as the caste system highlight â the idea that everyone is equal in the eyes of God is rarely practised by the Sikhs, as inter-caste marriage is still a taboo subject. Secondly, Nanak made no claims to divinity or to kinship with God and did not want to be worshipped as a kind of prophet (K.Singh, 1953). But, today many Sikhs do this by hanging a picture of Nanak and directing their prayers towards it. Thirdly, unlike Islam where the doctrine has stood firm for over 1400 years, Sikhism has evolved; taking in new directions with every new Guru. Key elements of the religion have been dramatically altered such as the treatment of the dead; in Nanakâs time they were buried whereas today they are cremated. Surely, these facts that are just a scratch on the surface emphasise the lack of Divinity found in this belief.
Islam offers the individual and society peace, happiness and security as everybody acknowledges his and her Creator, Allah (swt). All the problems that man faces are not sorted out via various mystical ritual acts but through having Trust in Allah (swt). Islam is the religion for the whole of Mankind, whether somebody comes from Africa, Asia or Europe. Furthermore, the love of money, which is so rife in both Hinduism and Sikhism, forcing some people to be treated or considered insignificant because they do not have the latest BMW or Mercedes, is considered unimportant in Islam. The good deeds of an individual in this life and worthwhile actions that are not motivated by economic reasons will help the Believer to attain blissful happiness in Paradise.
The Seal of Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (saw) said that at the lowest level of Paradise each person will have up to 10,000 servants! Another saying of the Holy Prophet (saw) was in relation to the love of this life to the Hereafter. He said (saw) the material life of this world is like a drop of water whereas all the delights in the next life are equivalent to the Ocean.
So, the message to any Sikh and Hindu is do your research and ask yourself "are you Sikh or Hindu because you really want to be or is it because your parents are". Remember, on the Day of Judgment, no religion will be accepted from Allah except Islam. Come to Trafalgar Square on the 25th July 2004 and give up your false beliefs and accept the perfect and embrace Deen of Al-Islam.
âAnd whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.â [EMQ 3:85]
Events - Guest - 07-17-2004
<!--QuoteBegin-Viren+Jul 14 2004, 08:31 AM-->QUOTE(Viren @ Jul 14 2004, 08:31 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-k.ram+Jul 9 2004, 11:24 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(k.ram @ Jul 9 2004, 11:24 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--> University of Maryland Campus Event  <!--emo&:rocker--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rocker.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rocker.gif' /><!--endemo-->
A talk by Ms Sandhya Jain this Sunday, on campus
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Anything interesting to report? <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Viren,
I could not attend the event. I will try and find out.
Events - Guest - 08-09-2004
BBC World Service's "Heart and Soul" program on Goddesses will
feature an interview with HHR. This can be heard on Wednesday 11th
August 1045; 1545; 2045; Thursday 12th August 0245 . and for schedule
times in the US and other countries please go here..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/index.shtml
Events - Guest - 08-13-2004
AAPI = American Association of the Physicians of Indian Origin
DOES AAPI SUPPORT CROSS BORDER TERRORISM?
STOP JOINT INDO/PAKI DAY INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION
AAPI Coordinator Amit Shah plans joint Indo/Pak Independence Day
on August 14th in Houston, Texas with Pakistani Terrorists!
Call Amit Shah at (803)286-4666 (Office) or (704)540-8799 (Home).
Tell this traitor and his organization to stop supporting terrorists!
or e-mail him at allhealth@h...
OR
Attend this "celebration" holding placards like 'PAKISTAN SHOULD STOP
TERRORISM AGAINST INDIA'
Announcement sources ( a paki and a pseudo-secular one! )
http://www.dawn.com/2003/08/07/nat23.htm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/129276.cms
Wish 'doctors' like Amit Shah were more smart and were not getting
used by
Pakistani machinations. Or is he a stooge of ISI? He should have
read Pakistani
designs before indulging in joint celebrations thus endorsing
continuing
Pakistani terrorism against India/US.
Part I: Beware of Musharraf
Part II: Why are the jihadis targeting children?
Part III: The threat in the North East
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------\
---------------
This is being held in California also according to DAWN.
http://www.dawn.com/2003/08/07/nat23.htm
Joint Indian, Pakistani Independence Day in US
By Our Correspondent
NEW YORK, Aug 6: A group of Pakistani and Indian physicians living
in North
America plan to organize a joint celebration of "Independence Day"
of both
countries from Aug 14 to Aug 16 in California, Houston, Boston and
Atlanta.
The events are being organized by an Action group of Physicians of
South Asia
(APSA) which is also coordinating with other non-physician groups
for such an
event, Dr Zaffar Iqbal a convener of the group said.
Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy is expected to be the keynote speaker at the
California
event.
The efforts to bring Pakistani and Indian Physicians to work for
peace in
South Asia is coordinated by Amit Shah (Indian Physician) and Zaffar
Iqbal
(Pakistani Physician).
The APSA which was formed a month ago has 35 members with an
objective to
develop trust and exchange of ideas between Indian and Pakistani
communities
living in the United States.
Dr Zaffar Iqbal says that APSA wants to support peace initiatives
between the
two South Asian countries in order to promote tolerance to the
diversity of
South Asia and prevent rise of religious extremism in south Asia.
APSA has setup
a "Dosti Fund" to achieve its objectives.
Events - Guest - 08-13-2004
Assembly of Houston Hindus invite you to a Memorial service as part of
Hindu Holocaust Day - August 14th Observance. On this day every year,
tributes are paid to all those who were murdered by Islamic and Christian
tormentors of humanity in the worst holocaust in human history, inspired
by barbaric creeds masquerading as religions. More information on the
Holocaust is available at http://www.hinduholocaust.com .
The Houston program is part of an observance of a minute of
silence at a precise time all over the world. Details of the worldwide
program are also attached.
Details of the Houston program follow.
Date: Saturday, August 14, 2004
Time : 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Venue (changed):
Anjali School of Dancing
2615 Cordes Dr.
Sugarland, TX 77479
Directions coming from North
Take Hwy 6 exit on 59 South
go left under the freeway
take right on Lexington
take left on Cordes
http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?ed=iYEv2...2CU4&csz=Sugarl
and%2C+TX&country=us&new=1&name=&qty=
For further info contact:
Dilip Mehta
Tel: 281-491-7922.
Cell: 713-553-7384.
============= Hindu Holocaust Day Worldwide Observance =========
A N A P P E A L
To observe a minute of silence
on
Hindu Balidan Smaran Diwas
(Hindu Memorial Day)
and
Hindu Holocaust Day
August 14th, 2004
at
7:00 PM Indian Time
2:30 PM GMT/UTC
(other local times: see below)
[Ref: http://www.hinduholocaust.com ]
Freedom lovers around the world, and Hindus in particular, are
requested to observe a minute of silence precisely at 7:00 PM Indian
Standard Time on August 14th, 2004. Your minute of silence at this precise
time around the world will go a long way in remembering all those who gave
up their lives in the defense of Hindu civilization, including the ones
that die everyday on the remote mountains and valleys of Kashmir, and
plains of Bangladesh. Your minute will also remember all the victims of
religion-inspired barbarism that was unleashed on unsuspecting Hindus
around 712 CE, that is continuing even today. The ugly face of this
barbarism can be seen in Bangladesh where scores of Hindus and Buddhists
are being tormented on a daily basis.
August 14th is significant, as on this day 58 years ago, a weak
and timid Hindu leadership finally capitulated in front of the
ideological monster. They vivisected the beloved Matrubhumi and
Devabhumi of the Hindus, Bharatvarsha, believing that that would satiate
the lust of the monster. Proved wrong they have been, as the same
monster, demands more blood, particularly in Kashmir and Bangladesh.
Before August 14th, 1947, Hindu leaders might have lost control of the
land, which they regained later, but they never accepted defeat,
mentally or physically. However, 1947 proved to be an anomaly in the
long freedom struggle. The only motherland of the Hindus was brutally
chopped off by its own unworthy sons, and the flesh of Mother India was
offered on a platter to the monster.
With a minute of silence Hindus, all over the world must also
resolve to end this nightmare. Once and for all!
Minute of Silence must be observed at the following precise time:
USA (Pacific) - 6:30 A.M.
USA (Central) - 8:30 A.M.
USA (Eastern) - 9:30 A.M.
UK - 2:30 P.M.
India - 7:00 PM
Suva (Fiji) - 6:00 AM (next day on Aug. 15th)
Other local times : please calculate [help: www.timeanddate.com]
On-Line Resources:
http://www.hinduholocaust.com
http://www.geocities.com/hindoo_humanist
http://www.hindutva.org/holocaust1.html
http://www.hindutva.org/holocaust2.html
http://www.mantra.com/holocaust
Events - Bhootnath - 09-04-2004
** World Sanskrit Day Celebration **
** (organized by Samskrita Bharati) **
Date: Sept. 8th 2004 (Wednesday)
Time: 7:30pm to 9:00pm
VENUE:
Sunnyvale Hindu Temple
450 Persian Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Main Speaker
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shri Krishna Shastry
Organizing Secretary, Samskrita Bharati India
Guests of Honor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shri Akhilesh Mishra
Deputy Consul General, Indian Consulate
And
Br. Shri Prabodh Chaitanya ji
Resident Acharya, Chinmaya Mission, San Jose
All including children are welcome. FREE Admission.
This public program is being organized to celebrate World Sanskrit
Day (officially observed this year on Sun Aug 29; full moon day in
the month of shraavaNa).
Samskrita Bharati is a voluntary non-profit organization dedicated
to bringing Samskritam back to daily life. By organizing courses,
camps and other activities, Samskrita Bharati is creating
Samskritam-speaking communities across the US.
Call 408-530-8439 or 510-494-8112 for details
Email: samskritabharati@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.samskrita-bharati.org
Article on Shri Krishna Shastry
http://www.samskrita-bharati.org/news/gulfnews031201.html
About San Jose Chinmaya Mission Resident Acharya Br. Prabod
Chaitanya
http://www.chinmaya-sanjose.org/leaders.html#Prabodh
Events - Guest - 12-04-2004
Dear Friends,
A meeting has been called for all Hindus at the Peralta Community Place (Peacock Hall)3681 Peralta Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Sunday, December 12, 2004 to assess the present plot to attack and demean our great Dharma in India. All facilities are extended to all other religions in India, but Hindus and patriots are under suppression. Meeting will objectively analyze what's happening to our beloved mother country and also discuss what can be done to save the knowledge and great treasures given to us by thousands of our Rishis and Maharshis. Please write to me if you wish to make a presentation at this gathering. I request you to contact your friends and concerned Hindus and invite them to this gathering. We can't stand on the sideline and tolerate atrocities being committed on Hindus by traitors at the inspiration of Sonia. She was against patriot Narendra Modi in Best Fakery case. She displaced Uma Bharati by her ruthless behavior. Now false charges have been framed against the Kanchi pon tiff. Money is taken from Hindu temples to fund Hajj for Muslims. Arjun Singh has recently fired over 3,000 school principals of over three years tenure, because they were hired during NDA rule in the name of desaffronization. Story is long. Brothers, wake up before it is too late.
Humbly requesting your presence and support,
Dr. Rameshwar Singh
Events - Guest - 01-03-2005
Indian Commie/Fascist ANTI-INDIA HATE FEST in London<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->EVENT : INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL. (2ND WEEK OF JANUARY 05)
We've been offered some amazing documentaries, far to many for one night so we are organising a week long event. Submissions most welcome, fictional or documentary. We'd also like to include some live cultural stuff like dance so please get in touch if you know of something appropriate.
Movements in Motion: An Indian Film Festival
A week of documentary films and discussions
food, music, dance performances
http://rampart.omxtra.net/modules/news/
Phone 07050 618445 email rampart@mutualaid.org
from 10 - 15 January 2004
at the rampART Creative Centre and Social Space, East London
1. Adivasi (Indigenous peoples) resistance/life - 10 January 2005, Monday
(Doors open 7.30 p.m. for 8 pm screening)
- The bee, the bear, the kuruba -This film provides
insights into the Kurubas' way of life, situating itself with the kurubas (a tribe) in South Karnataka. An understanding of how 'development' projects create conflicts amongst Adivasis.
- Suits and Savages - An exploration of the World
Bank/Global Environment Facility funded ecodevelopment project carried out in the same region in Karnataka. A closer look at what the Bank thought it was doing and the resistance it met from the Kurubas.
- 5 years on - An update on the situation shown in the previous film.
2. Casteism - 11 January 2005, Tuesday (Doors open 7.30 p.m. for 8 pm screening)
- Lesser Humans - A look into India's caste system through the lives of manual scavengers in Gujarat.
- The die is caste - How violence rooted in caste conflict has led to the emergence of Maoist and Marxist-Leninist groups in the state of Bihar.
3. Women fight back - 12 January 2005, Wednesday (Doors open 7.30
p.m. for 8 pm screening) - Burnt Not Defeated - Attacks on women using acids like sulhuric and hydrochloric acid mean only one thing for those who do survive - debilitating effects, physical and mental. Faced with increasing acid attacks by husbands, neighbours, employers, colleaugues on one hand and indifferent and apathetic Government structures on the other, women in Karnataka decide to fight back.
- When Women Unite - In 1992, women in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh revolt against government supply of liquor to their villages.
The resistance spreads like wildfire. In four months, 800 village shops
have been stormed and shut by angry women. In 12 months, the movement has spread across the state of Andhra Pradhesh. Three years later, the government is compelled to declare state-wide prohibition. It is an account of actual incidents put together through the testimonies of activists, government officials, liquor dons and the women in 22 villages of Nellore district recreating the emotional ! intensity and the tensions of the struggle.
4. The myth of India - 13 January 2005, Wednesday (Doors open 7.30
p.m. for 8 pm screening) - Beyond the construction of India as a once-was colonized country, we hope to show that India as it exists today is infact brutally colonial itself.
- Naga Story, the other side of silence - The Nagas are a 3-million-strong indigenous people who occupy the North-East frontier of the Indian subcontinent. The Naga political struggle is one of the oldest nationality movements in South Asia, continuing till present times. The film provides an introduction to the history of the Naga struggle, and documents the human rights abuses suffered by the people in more than 50 years of the existence of Independent India.
- Development at Gun Point - Attempts to 'develop' the nation has inevitably meant displacement of adivasis from their lands and a consequent loss of their identity, livelihoods. Adivasis in Kashipur, Orissa, faced with forced evictions and violence from the state and the multinational companies, unite to offer fierce resistance. An ongoing struggle, the adivasis have successfully refused the company officials and the police forces entry to their lands for the past decade.
The bauxite mining and alumina refinery projec! t remains at the initial survey stage.
5. Urban India - 14 January, Friday
(Doors open 7.30 p.m. for 8 pm screening)
- The tales of Night fairies - Five sexworkers - four women and one man - along with the filmmaker/narrator embark on a journey of storytelling. Tales of the Night Fairies explores the power of collective organizing and resistance while reflecting upon contemporary debates around sexwork. The simultaneously expansive and labyrinthine city of Calcutta forms the backdrop for the personal and musical journeys of storytelling.
The film screening and discussion will be followed by Kathak dance performances by Jasmine and group. Indian classical / rap and fusion music follows.
6. Anti - Nuclear/Militarisation - 15 January, Saturday
(Doors open - 11.30 a.m. for 12 p.m. screening)
- <b>War and Peace - India gets another nuke bomb </b>and celebrations and explosions of patriotism and nationalist fervour sweep the country. The film is a detail of the militarism wave with implications for India and Pakistan as well as a look at Japan and US - two countries with a shared nuke history.
- Buddha Weeps in Jadugada - India's only uranium mining site is located in Jadugada, an adivasi area in Jharkhand. Buddha weeps in Jadugada attempts a description of the price being paid by the people there to sustain India's nuclear dreams and in turn their attempts to take on the Uranium Corporation India Limited and the entire Indian nuclear establishment.
7. Fundamentalism - 15 January, Saturday
- In the name of God - IN THE NAME OF GOD focuses on the campaign waged by the militant Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP - Hindu fundamentalist group) to destroy a 16th century mosque in Ayodhya said to have been built by Babar, the first Mughal Emperor of India. The VHP claim the mosque was built at the birthsite of the Hindu god Ram after Babar razed an existing Ram temple. They are determined to build a new temple to Ram on the same site. This controversial issue has led to a series of religious riots and finally culminated in the mosque's destruction in December of 1992. The resulting religious violence immediately spread throughout India and Pakistan leaving more than 5,000 dead, and causing thousands of Indian Muslims to flee their homes. Filmed prior to the mosque's demolition, this film examines the mo! tivations which would ultimately lead to the drastic actions of the Hindu militants, as well as the efforts of secular Indians - many of whom are Hindus - to combat the religious intolerance and hatred that has seized India in the name of God.
- Gujarat, A Laboratory of Hindu Rashtra- Set in the fundamentalist violence unleashed in Gujarat from February 2002 on, this film documents the lives of people in about 14 villages in Anand District, Gujarat, in which the homes and businesses of the Muslims were burnt down, looted, and destroyed. In some of the villages such as Dharmaj, Siswa, Mogri, the Muslims who had been living there for decades have not been allowed to come back. Through interviews with VHP (Hindu fundamentalist group) leaders as well as with ordinary people in Gujarat, the film examines the reasons why Gujarat was a fertile ground for fascism.
- Passengers - Months after the carnage, people still struggle to find their lives again.
Indian classical / rap and fusion music performances follow film screenings and discussions.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Events - Guest - 02-17-2005
<b>Public Debate on Kashmir</b>
Organised by IKV and Stichting Agni
File Kashmir: http://www.agni.nl/cms/index.php?id=19,0,0,1,0,0
File Bangladesh : http://www.agni.nl/cms/index.php?id=16,0,0,1,0,0
Public Debate on Kashmir
Organised by IKV and Stichting Agni
Toegang Gratis
19-02-2005; 15:00
Theater Concordia, Hogezand 42, The Hague
www.theater-concordia.nl
Starting in the afternoon at 15.00 with debate and film screening for the
official session
which is at 18.00 to be followed by an informal session
and a nice Surinamese dinner prepared by Stiching AGNI.
Informative materials will be available,
under which a special, recently printed newspaper on Kashmir in Dutch
language.
Speakers from Kashmir:
a.. Ms. Anuradha Bhasin from Jammu, executive editor of Kashmir Times
(invited by IKV)
b.. Mr. Khurram Parvez from Srinagar, executive coordinator of the J&K
Coalition for Civil Society (invited by IKV)
c.. Ms. Asma Bhasir Dhar from Srinagar, coordinator of the KWIPD Kashmir
Womens' Initiative for Peace and Disarmement (invited by IKV)
d.. Mr. Aswhani Kumar Churngoo from Jammu, representing the PKM Panun
Kashmir Movement (invited by St. AGNI)
Folder Public Debate on Kashmir
Mr. Sital on behalf of Stichting AGNI and Ms Marjan Lucas on behalf of IKV
will introduce the debate.
For information please contact
Ms Marjan Lucas at mlucas@ikv.nl www.ikv.nl
Mr. S.Sital s.sital@agni.nl
AGNI dossier Kashmir ®
26 Oct 1947
Maharajadhiraj Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession
27 Oct 1947
First batch of Indian
troops flown to Srinagar to fight Pakistanis Aggression of Kashmir
01Jan 1948
India submitted a formal complaint to Security Council, as India was anxious
to avoid direct conflict with Pakistan.
Events - Guest - 02-24-2005
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Friends,
The Penn State Vedic Society is extremely honored to host eminent scholar and scientist, Prof. Subhash Kak on Feb 25th and 26th, 2005. Prof. Kak is the Donald C. & Elaine T. Delaune Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering, and Professor in the Asian Studies and Cognitive Science Programs at Louisiana State University, LA. He will deliver special lectures on two very interesting and thought-provoking topics: The Aryan Invasion Theory & Consciousness and Artificial Intelligence. We look forward to seeing you all. Please visit:
http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/vedicsociety/Lectures/kak.htm for the graphics version.
Session topics:
1. The Aryan Invasion Theory and India's History (25th Feb, Friday, 6:30 pm, 102 Thomas, FREE ENTRY)
Abstract: India's early political history and its culture and society have been traditionally analyzed on the basis of the invasion of the Aryans into the country around 1500 BC. The current status of this theory will be discussed and the newest findings from archaeology, genetics, and history of science that have a bearing on this question will be presented.
2. Consciousness and AI (26th Feb, Saturday, 11:30 am, 102 Thomas, FREE ENTRY AND FREE LUNCH)
Abstract: Consciousness is the ultimate scientific mystery. Will machines ever be conscious? Does consciousness reduce the quantum wave function? What does neuroscience have to tell us about it? These questions will be examined in this talk.
-------------------------------------------------- ----------------------
About the speaker:
Dr. Subhash Kak joined the Louisiana State University faculty in 1979, with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has worked in the areas of wireless, data security, neural networks, information technology, and quantum information processing. His research on neural networks has focused on instantaneously trained neural networks (INNs) and their applications to prediction, data compression, and communications.
Personal webpage: http://www.ece.lsu.edu/kak/hist.html
Dr Kak is the Donald C. & Elaine T. Delaune Distinguished Professor at LSU and a prominent thinker. Some of his accomplished books include:
1. The wishing tree.
2. In the search of the cradle of civilization (co-authored with G.Feuerstein and D. Frawley).
3. The Gods Within: Mind, Consciousness and the Vedic Tradition.Munshiram Manoharlal, New Delhi, 2002. ISBN 81-215-1063-5.
4. Computing Science in Ancient India, 2000. ISBN: 81-215-0985-8. (with T.R.N. Rao) (USL Press, Lafayette, LA, 1998).
Technical books include:
1. Advances in Communications and Signal Processing, Springer-Verlag, 1989. (with W.A. Porter).
2. Advances in Computing and Control, Springer-Verlag, 1989. (with W.A. Porter and J.L. Aravena).
3. The Architecture of Knowledge: Quantum Mechanics, Neuroscience, Computers and Consciousness, CSC/MLBD, 2003.
With Best Regards,
Team Vedic Society.
(www.thevedicsociety.org)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Events - Guest - 03-03-2005
Came via email..
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Pro-Hindu Meet in NY March 5th . Please attend
---------------------------------
INDIAN AMERICAN INTELLECTUALS FORUM, INC.
41-67 Judge Street, Suite 5P
Elmhurst, N.Y. 11373
Katarian@aol.com
March 1 2005
Seminar
<b>INDIA UNDER SIEGE</b>
Saturday, March 5th at Santoor Restaurant
Registration (with Nand Ramsinghani) and Buffet Lunch should be completed before 01:00 pm.
Seminar from 01:00 to 04:45 p.m. sharp
A Seminar titled "INDIA UNDER SIEGE" will be held Saturday, March 5th at Santoor Restaurant, 257-05 Union Turnpike, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, Tel.: 1-718-343-4298/1-718-343-4291.
You are cordially invited to participate in the Seminar.
The following community leaders have agreed to speak on the subject mentioned against each:
Prof. Ved Chaudhary
Academic Bias against Hindus in US School System
Mr. Pabitra Chowdhury
Watch out for Anti-India Media
Sanjay Garg
How in Past, Permit Raj, and now, New Laws Putting Indian Economy
under Siege
Dr. Narindar Kukar
Hindus under Siege
Mr. Ravi Karmarkar
Dual Citizenship: Pros and Cons
Dr. Uma Mysorekar
Get Involved Now
Dr. M.G. Prasad
Know Your History and Tell it to Your Kids
Dr. A.V. Raghunath
India under Siege due to Rajsik and Tamsik Leaders
Smt. Rajya Laxmi
Loss of Spirituality in India
Mr. Bidyut Sarkar
Power Point Presentation â Bangladeshi Hindus
Prof. Indrajit Singh Saluja
India under Siege from Social and Communal Division
Mr. Niranjan Shah
Do You Know Your Leaders?
Dr. Rajesh Shukla
Population Explosion: A Threat to India's Integrity
Prof. Babu Suseelan
Political Participation, Goal Directed, Now Is the Time
If you desire to distribute copies of your write-up, you may bring about 50-60 copies with you. Arrangements are being made to post the articles on www.Hinduunity.org website for future reference. Thought provoking articles could be sent to the concerned authorities for their action.
We will also appreciate it very much if you could propose a solution to the problem which perturbs your mind, in a few words.
With your cooperation, I hope, we will be able to start our program exactly at 01:00 p.m.
With highest regards,
Narain Kataria
Organizing Secretary
Registration and Buffet Lunch contribution: $12.00
PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR PARTICIPATION NO LATER THAN MARCH 1ST.
Directions to Santoor Restaurant
From Long Island Express
Take Exit 32 - Little Neck Parkway Exit South
Make Left on Union Turnpike
Go up to 257th Street
Santoor Restaurant is on your left - Park your car in the Parking Lot behind the restaurant.
BY BUS: TAKE Q46 BUS FROM QUE GARDEN/UNION TURNPIKE TO 257TH STREET<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Events - Guest - 03-17-2005
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->You are cordially invited to the
<b>Ekal Vidyalaya Music Concert</b>
<b>Ramayana Fame Sushil Baveja and Ashok Pandey</b>
Saturday, March 26, 2005
From 4:30pm to 7:00pm
At Robert J. Shapiro Auditorium,
Tollgate school
575 Centerville Road, Warwick, RI
Adults: $25, Students: $10, Children under 12: free
DIRECTIONS: Take 95 South to exit 10 B and continue on Rt. 117 West. Pass two traffic lights and take a first right after the second light. Go up the hill and the auditorium is on the third right in the school complex. From 95 North, take exit 10, continue on Rt. 117 West and the remaining directions are as above.
Please contact any of the following for details
Ram Nehra : (401) 848-2024
Amrut Patel: (401) 942-2942
Sharad Bhatia: (401) 245-3342
Pummi Suri: (401) 822-8350
Please visit www.ekal.org to spread the light of education in India.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->