Tuesday, July 31, 2012


Canadian  anchor Michael Coren appeared on his TV show wearing a niqab to seemingly mock the launch of a TV channel in Egypt that caters to women dressed in niqab. (Photo courtesy Youtube)
Canadian anchor Michael Coren appeared on his TV show wearing a niqab to seemingly mock the launch of a TV channel in Egypt that caters to women dressed in niqab. (Photo courtesy Youtube)

Canadian anchor appears on screen in full veil to mock niqab-only TV

A Canadian TV anchor appeared in a full face-veil (known in Arabic as the niqab) to present his show on Canadian Sun News TV, ostensibly in a bid to poke fun at the newly-launched Egyptian channel, Maria TV, which features women clad only in the niqab, the Maan News Agency reported on Sunday.

Maria TV, which was launched on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan earlier in July, employs only women in niqab, even for behind-the-camera jobs.

Canadian anchor Michael Coren, dressed in black from head to toe, hosted a Muslim cleric from Toronto at the studio and discussed with him the idea of creating such a channel in Egypt.

Coren asked the cleric why Muslim women dressed “in that weird way?”

The Canadian anchor also asked the imam why Muslim men do not get dressed in black like women. The imam replied saying it is the same reason that persuades Christian nuns to wear their veil in church.
Earlier this month, Coren appeared on his show to talk about a nine-year-old Canadian girl who refused to remove her hijab during a soccer tournament. During his show he said girls in such situations had two choices: remove the hijab or not play soccer.

“It has already been established so many times that the burka, hijab are not religious requirements,” he said on his show, a video clip of which was posted on July 12. “The Quran only demands modesty. Even if it is a religious requirement, so what? We respect your right to wear it but it does not mean we have an obligation to allow you to wear it in a soccer league,” he said.


Conflict

Rohingya: not welcome on either side

The Rohingya plight is overshadowing Aung San Suu Kyi's historic tour of Europe. Supporters of the military and the democracy movement have one thing in common: hate for the ethnic minority.
Some people feel Aung San Suu Kyi should speak out more in favor of the Rohingya
Rohingya Muslim men, fleeing from ethnic violence in Myanmar are intercepted by Bangladeshi guards Bangladesh has started turning Rohingya away
Rohingyas demand an end to the violence
Even as Aung San Suu Kyi is on her tour through Europe, receiving praise for her role in the fight against oppression and violence, a popular Myanmar actress has called out on Facebook to not relent in hatred for Rohingyas.

"I hate them 100 percent," the actress writes.

Hundreds of people belonging to Myanmar's Buddhist majority population have been meeting in the city Yangon over the past few days to vent their racist and sectarian hatred for the Muslim minority.

"Rohingyas out of Myanmar!" they call. Some people refer to them as terrorists, and state media now only speaks of "Bengali Muslims."

The Rohingya are, however, not from Bangladesh, but from Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma. The ethnic group lives predominantly in the country's west in the Rakhine State. They are not seen as citizens of Myanmar and do not belong to any ethnic minority groups recognized as official by the government.

For decades, they have been subjected to discrimination and violence by Myanmar's Buddhist majority. Two weeks ago, the situation escalated. The unrest continues, even if it seems to have temporarily cooled down. At least 80 people - presumably from both sides - have died and thousands of houses have been burned to the ground.
Ethnic cleansing or slander?
"It is extremely difficult to get credible information out of the region," Ulrich Delius of the rights group Society for Threatened Peoples told DW. He said it was hard to tell the difference between rumors, propaganda and the truth.

"The Rohingyas speak of ethnic cleansing and have even spoken of genocide. The Burmese majority says these accusations are all groundless. They say the Rohingya don't have the right to live in Myanmar. They refer to them as cannibals and say they are subhuman."
Rohingya protesters gather in front of a United Nations regional office in Bangkok, Thailand Monday, June 11, 2012, to call for an end to the ongoing unrestThe comments on the Internet and the demonstrations make obvious that the core of the problem is racism. And the country's process of democratization has played an unfortunate role in it. While it is surely not the origin of the racism, it has created room for the people to act out their aggression, as the "liberalization is setting free new forces," Delius explained.

He sees some similarities to the multi-ethnic Yugoslavia. He says a frequent issue in such countries is "that the people there define themselves through the exclusion of a minority group. That creates unity. Now suddenly, supporters of the democracy movement are standing next to supporters of the military and both are saying, 'we are the real Burmese. What are these idiots after?'"
The government's poor crisis management is making the situation worse, says Delius, who calls it "catastrophic."

"Simply saying, 'we'll impose a state of emergency, we don't want any more reporting on the situation,' is basically a step backwards."
A Southeast Asian crisis
To escape from the violence, people are seeking protection in neighboring Bangladesh. The latter, however, has closed its borders to asylum seekers. Asif Nazrul from the University of Dhaka told DW: "If any of the Rohingyas seeking asylum were involved in terrorism, that would not only have consequences for Bangladesh. If Bangladesh were to let in 10,000 Rohingyas today, tomorrow it could be 10 million."

This statement shows racism from the other side. The Rohingyas cannot simply be placed under a general suspicion of terrorism (although the resistance group Rohingya Solidarity Organisation, RSO, is known to have some contact to radical Islamist groups in Pakistan and Bangladesh). Also, it is not clear whether there are even 10 million Rohingyas in the world who would go to Bangladesh if they could.

The Rohingyas are not welcome on either side. "If we go to Bangladesh, they will kill us," one member of the ethnic community told DW, with his wife adding, "If we go back to Myanmar, they will kill us there."

Myanmar and Bangladesh meanwhile are busy accusing the other of not taking responsibility for the group non grata. But Rohingya don't only live in Myanmar and Bangladesh; they are also in Thailand, Malaysia, India, Pakistan and Indonesia.

"These neighboring countries are becoming increasingly impatient and demand a solution be found in the country they are from," said Delius.

Just recently (on June 21, 2012) Myanmar's government rejected a helping hand from the Malayan government, according to German press agency, dpa.
Aung San Suu KyiIndependent observation in need
There is no obvious solution to the Rohingya plight. Many feel that the country's democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi, has not sufficiently spoken out against the racism gripping the west of her country. Observers feel this is because she risks losing support for her democracy movement as prejudice preconceptions can be found throughout the Burmese population.
Amnesty International is demanding that independent monitors be sent in. Only then will the hate-fueling rumors and allegations stop.

Author: Rodion Ebbighausen / sb
Editor: Shamil Shams

Saturday, July 28, 2012



















In Pakistan, ‘liberal’ is a dirty word


The lesson to learn from this examination of the word ‘liberal’ and its Pakistani permutations is that Pakistanis are discussing political concepts without knowing what they really mean and conflating them illogically with social, religious, and moral ones.  Instead of being proud of Pakistan’s struggle to espouse liberal values, we’ve turned the word ‘liberal’ into something to be ashamed of, and for a country whose intelligentsia claims to be so politically engaged, this is a disappointing and damaging path to tread.
 
 
(By Bina Shah: The writer is an author, most recently of Slum Child (2010). She has written for numerous publications including Dawn, The Friday Times and Chowk)




Pakistanis have no dearth of curse words to fling at each other at the best of times, but one of the most vitriolic terms in vogue today is the word ‘liberal’. The word is used by itself and in various combinations — liberal fascist, pseudo-liberal — in order to shame and silence an opposing point of view in heated debates about anything from Pakistani society and religion, to the formation of Pakistan and its ideology, to the war on terror. Yet, most people who do so, have no basic understanding of what liberalism really is, and in fact, are confusing it with other concepts in a way that is both ignorant and embarrassing to observe.

First of all, Pakistanis think of a
‘liberal’ as one who drinks, uses drugs, enjoins promiscuity and wears inappropriate clothing. But this is actually a ‘libertine’ — ‘a dissolute person, usually a person who is morally unrestrained’. The most famous libertine in history was probably the Marquis de Sade and while I doubt that anyone in Pakistan could match his debauched lifestyle, anyone who “spurns or ignores accepted morals and forms of behaviour sanctified by larger society” (from Wikipedia) is called a ‘liberal’ incorrectly.

A ‘liberal’ is not the same as a ‘libertarian’, someone who adheres to the political philosophy that individual conscience and individual choice is the highest of all principles. They are individualist, distrust state power, and idealise free market capitalism. This movement believes that all services should be privatised and that taxation is a form of theft. Pakistanis, out of whom
only two per cent pay tax, seem to have perfected this tenet of libertarianism to a fine art, but our sense of individual conscience and choice is woefully underdeveloped by contrast.

So what is a liberal and what is liberalism, really? The dictionary states that liberalism is “a political orientation that favours social progress by reform and by changing laws rather than revolution”. The worldview of liberals is guided by the principles of liberty and equality in society and liberals generally espouse the concepts of constitutionalism, democracy, free and fair elections, equality between men and women, races and religions, human rights, state protection of minorities and the free exercise of religion.

Liberalism, born in the
Age of Enlightenment, has been a powerful force for change in the world; both the American and French Revolutions were inspired by liberal philosophy, monarchies and dictatorships have been overthrown and replaced by democracies, and liberalism has challenged the ideologies of both fascism and communism. More recently, liberalism as a political movement has fired the revolutions of the Arab Spring, but Pakistanis deny and fight the historical impact of liberalism on our own political and historical heritage, when in fact the liberal concept of protecting liberty and individual rights was a major factor in the creation of Pakistan.

Now, the phrase
‘liberal fascist’, as empty as it is oxymoronic, a term that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, as the principles of liberalism — equality, justice, liberty — are completely at odds with the concept of fascism, which is a form of extremely authoritarian, intolerant right wing governance that takes away the civil rights of its citizens and uses force and violence to compel them into obedience. Perhaps a ‘liberal fascist’ is someone who wants to force their liberal viewpoint on those who disagree with them, but the very essence of liberalism is that it cannot be forced on anyone.

The other phrase, ‘pseudo-liberal’, is slightly less nonsensical than ‘liberal fascist’. In its current usage, Pakistanis use this term to mean a ‘fake’ liberal — someone who claims to be a liberal but in fact believes in and supports a less tolerant political ideology. What they probably really mean is someone who practices what has been termed ‘illiberal liberalism’ or ‘selective liberalism’. This means that a person holds double standards in their liberal worldview; for example, someone will espouse the right of Palestinians to have their own separate state, yet does not support the Kashmiris in the same aspiration.

The lesson to learn from this examination of the word ‘liberal’ and its Pakistani permutations is that Pakistanis are discussing political concepts without knowing what they really mean and conflating them illogically with social, religious, and moral ones.  Instead of being proud of Pakistan’s struggle to espouse liberal values, we’ve turned the word ‘liberal’ into something to be ashamed of, and for a country whose intelligentsia claims to be so politically engaged, this is a disappointing and damaging path to tread.

Friday, July 27, 2012





With royalty and rock, London opens its Olympics


The Olympic rings are assembled above the stadium in a scene depicting the Industrial Revolution during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games at the Olympic Stadium in London, Friday, July 27, 2012. (Pool,AP Photo/Ezra Shaw)
(CBS/AP) LONDON - Britain opened its Olympics with a royal entrance like no other.
London greeted the world in a celebration of Old England that was stunning, imaginative, whimsical and dramatic - and cheeky, even featuring a stand-in for Queen Elizabeth II parachuting with James Bond into Olympic Stadium.
Moments later, the 86-year-old monarch herself stood solemnly while a children's choir serenaded her with "God Save the Queen," and members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force raised the Union Jack.
Much of the opening ceremony was an encyclopedic review of British music history, from a 1918 Broadway standard adopted by the West Ham football team to The Who's "My Generation" to "Bohemian Rhapsody," by still another Queen.
The evening started with fighter jets streaming red, white and blue smoke and roaring over the stadium, packed with a buzzing crowd of 60,000 people, at 8:12 p.m. - or 20:12 in the 24-hour time observed by Britons.
An explosion of fireworks against the London skyline and Paul McCartney leading a singalong were to wrap up the three-hour opening ceremony masterminded by one of Britain's most successful filmmakers, Oscar winner Danny Boyle.
The director of "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Trainspotting" had a ball with his favored medium, mixing filmed passages with live action in the stadium to hypnotic effect, with 15,000 volunteers taking part in the $42 million show.


Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony time, schedule: London welcomes world tonight with massive event
One of the biggest secrets in London will finally be revealed today Friday: what will happen at the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympic Games.
Friday night perhaps a billion people will finally get to see the extravaganza created by Danny Boyle, best known for the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionare."
The day got off to a resounding start as bells around the country, including London's famous Big Ben, pealed for three minutes.
The Olympic torch, which has traveled around the United Kingdom over the past 70 days, then set off on the final leg of its journey toward the stadium, aboard the royal barge Gloriana.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012



Sumera Khan / Peer Muhammad

Pakistan’s government has launched a counter-offensive against a British tabloid that ‘uncovered’ the ‘London Olympics visa scam’ after investigations into the issue apparently showed that the story was fictitious

UK tabloid sets off another sporting controversy

Published: July 24, 2012
The Sun's investigator told he could be smuggled into London games as part of Pakistan’s Olympic squad for £7,000.
LONDON:  Another potentially-crippling scandal hit Pakistani sports on Monday – and once again it was broken in dramatic style by a UK-based tabloid newspaper.
The Sun claims to have unearthed a scam, involving a “Lahore-based politician” and other officials, wherein Pakistani nationals were brought into England under the garb of participants and officials accompanying the Pakistani Olympics delegation for the summer 2012 games – set to start on Friday.
However, Pakistan’s Olympic chef de mission Aqil Shah dismissed The Sun’s claims.
According to an exclusive report of a sting operation published in The Sun, a journalist allegedly broke into “a crime ring offering false passports, visas — and access to London 2012 as bogus support staff.” The report upped the ante on the already-startling charges by saying the ring brought in “potential terrorists.”
The Sun alleges that Lahore-based politician Abid Chaudhry offered its undercover reporter in Pakistan the chance to go to the Olympics posing as an official member of the Pakistani contingent on a two-month visa in return for a million rupees ($10,000). The crime ring had been under investigation after the daily informed UK intelligence, MI6, the Home Office, the UK Border Agency and the British High Commission in Islamabad.
 
Pakistani sports officials rubbished claims by a British newspaper to have uncovered a visa scam that could have allowed potential terrorists into the Olympic Village.
 
Pakistani sports officials rubbished claims by a British newspaper to have uncovered a visa scam that could have allowed potential terrorists into the Olympic Village.

Pakistan’s government has launched a counter-offensive against a British tabloid that ‘uncovered’ the ‘London Olympics visa scam’ after investigations into the issue apparently showed that the story was fictitious.
Terming the story “propaganda,” the federal cabinet decided on Wednesday to file a lawsuit against the daily paper, The Sun, in British courts. A meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, approved the decision to sue the newspaper for publishing the report based on assumptions, said a source, adding that Pakistan will seek Rs10 billion in damages.

Monday, July 23, 2012


Twitter alert: Sana Bucha resigns?

Published: July 1, 2012
Bucha resigns, allegedly in protest of Geo’s rehiring of Dr Aamir Liaquat. PHOTO: TWITTER
Twitter was abuzz on Sunday due to rumors of major shifts in the media world – the alleged resignation of Pakistani TV anchor and columnist Nasim Zehra from Dunya TV, and the resignation of TV anchor Sana Bucha from Geo.
While Bucha’s resignation dominated trends in Pakistan for her resignation and refusal to do her show, purportedly in protest of Geo’s rehiring of Dr Aamir Liaquat (read: Delusion, denial and ‘Dr’ Liaquat), Zehra’s resignation rumor focused on her exit as a protest against the recently staged show featuring Malik Riaz, Mubasher Lucman and Mehar Bukhari. TV anchor Maria Memon tweeted that she filled in for Sana Bucha on June 30, adding weight to the rumour.
While many took the time to laud Bucha for a principled stand, many others questioned whether both resignations were just temporary stunts.
Top Tweets
If sana bucha has truly resigned because of aamir liaqat’s rehiring, big move from the lady in an atmosphere of gutter tv. Well done.
Sana Bucha resigned. That too because of Aamir Liaquat. Something just isn’t right about this.
Sana Bucha’s resignation is a novel act. Standing up against hypocrisy & bigotry are indeed, acts of bravery. Well done #Geo #Bucha
Mubashir Lucman has joined ARY, Aamir Liaquat is rejoining GEO, SanaBucha has resigned from GEO
Sana Bucha has resigned in protest for rehiring of online Amir Liaquat by Geo. She should be appreciated! (sic)
It is indeed a principled stand by @sanabucha but as @abbasnasir59rightly said people will continue 2 watch GEO & there needs 2 b 1 sane voice
The fact that people are applauding Sana Bucha for resigning because of Amir Liaqat is so funny. I’m sorry but I don’t believe a word of it.
Heard about Sana Bucha resigning because of Aamir Liaqat’s rehiring. Lady’s got guts. And nice hair.
Nasim zehra resigns cause of dunya staging show. Now sana bucharesigns cuz of aamir liaqat?! Puleeze..gimme a break. Its just grandstanding
I am so glad that sana Bucha is trending instead of Amir gives me hope (false) hi sahi
Nasim Zahra and Sana Bucha both resigned B’coz of an understanding. Yes you got it right, they’re Switching. NZ to Geo and SB to dunya.
Everyone, and I’m sure Sana Bucha included knew what Amir Liaqat was all about before the hilarious leaked video came out. #KaesaDiya
@Fareshte@sanabucha trending now” the right path is always the most fulfilling no matter how hard.
If Sana Bucha has resigned what are the odds she takes it back before the week is over?

Ramazan shows: Will you tune in to Veena, Maya Khan or Aamir Liaquat?

Published: July 16, 2012


As the arrival of the holy month of Ramazan nears, promos for shows on different networks are out in strength as the ratings war intensifies. Brace yourselves – this year your TV screens will be taken over by celebrities, sportsmen, controversial anchors and talk show hosts during Iftar time!
First up is everyone’s favourite actor and model Veena Malik. The controversial actor will be appearing on the Hero TV show “Astaghfaar”.
A stern warning to “seek forgiveness for your sins” and visuals of hellfire are followed by a very emotional Veena, who in a sultry voice tells us that she will be seeking forgiveness for our and her sins throughout the holy month. A lone tear drop makes an appearance by the end of the promo. Very emotional.
Needless to say, we’re excited about seeing Veena on the show.
Remember Maya Khan? Yes the one who raided the public park and ran after couples asking them about their marital status. Good, because Maya will also be appearing for Iftar transmissions on ARY Digital alongside TV host Dr Shahid Masood on the show “Sheher-e-Ramadan”.
Maya says:
Hum banain gay sahara eik dosray ka, kyoon kay humay hay ehsaas apnoon kaa.
We know you care, Maya. Who knows what she has in store for the viewers this time.
The legend is back. Dr Aamir Liaquat of “Aalim Online” and Ghalib film fame is also back on Geo. His return to the network wascelebrated in a song by the host himself and Mr Jeem, Geo’s mascot.
And then of course there is Lala. Everyone’s favourite cricketer Shahid Afridi will be on Express Entertainment this year, appearing on the show “Mehmaan ka Ramazan”.
Iftar time just got a little more interesting.



Reader Comments (92)

  • abc
    Jul 16, 2012 - 6:23PM
    PEMRA must take notice of it it must be stopped forthwith. These people must not be allowed and if they go on air than the disciplinary measures must be taken against the channels.
  • sensible
    Jul 16, 2012 - 6:28PM
    veena in Ramzan transmission, comn give me a break!!!
  • xyz
    Jul 16, 2012 - 6:31PM
    they are now cashing every thing ..even islam too..what a rubbish…Recommend178
  • kamran ahmed
    Jul 16, 2012 - 6:45PM
    Who cares, who is hosting and appearing in which show. Those who want ALLAH blessings during this holy month should keep themself busy in reading Quran and nawafil.Stay away from idiot box
  • Kashif Reza
    Jul 16, 2012 - 6:48PM
    Good Work Hero TV .. she’s our Heroine full of Ramazan (Or Add one thing During this Program Veena Malik keay Photo Shoots or Times Songs Chalana bhoolna)
  • Tahir
    Jul 16, 2012 - 6:49PM
    @ Kamran – I can not agree more. The TV is the last things you turn too during Ramdhan. Spend your time wisely because Allah has blessed with the blessed month. We should give our utmost respect to this month. Its a blessing from Allah, lets all Thanks Allah in this holy month and turn towards him in repleteness.
  • MOEED
    Jul 16, 2012 - 7:04PM
    i will definately not feel comfortable with veena doing any show for ramadan i can’t see my religion being commercialized now this here channel has just aired to get more rating which is not ethically good
  • B.Ally
    Jul 16, 2012 - 7:06PM
    No to Liaqat. No to Maya but big yes to Veena. Just for one simple reason. She is not a hypocrite. The others are big time two faced
  • kg
    Jul 16, 2012 - 7:06PM
    veena malik doing a show in ramadan is just wrong
    what’s wrong with our media…
  • haider rizvi
    Jul 16, 2012 - 7:14PM
    waoo what a nice way 2 do astaghfar…look at her make-up,,her expensive dress..is dis is the way to recite astaghfar..is this is the way to ask ALLAH for help???this is the best way of publicity….plz ask hero tv that what cost they are paying veena to astaghfar…this is called islam for bank balance…and what she was doing in india was called non-islamic for bank balance…shame on u hero tv
  • Javed
    Jul 16, 2012 - 7:16PM
    BS really, who care about these nonsense channel at time of Iftar, Do ppl really have time to watch and listen to those hypocrites instead of doing Iftari and going for Magrib prayer.
  • Timour
    Jul 16, 2012 - 7:28PM
    @B.Ally: Thats exactly what I was thinking.Recommend4
  • Awans
    Jul 16, 2012 - 7:29PM
    Religion is now a name of Fashion in Pakistan. . It is used for all the wrong reasons here and Ramazan is more like a Social Gathering rather than an event of Spiritual Uprightness. Also Because of us Islam has is now Transformed into an Exhibitionism and nothing else.
  • samina
    Jul 16, 2012 - 7:33PM
    RAMZAAN is the month of blessing… spend thz month according to QURAN n SUNNA. ask ALLAH for forgiveness. we are no 1 to judge others. as far as tv shows are concern thy r just topi darama we ppl knw thier actual faces so thr is nothng to trust thm again but ALLAH knes whts in thr hearts so yeh cheez ALLAH p he chor daini chaye… happy ramzan to u all
  • smj
    Jul 16, 2012 - 7:53PM
    here goes my Roza :(
  • Anonymous
    Jul 16, 2012 - 8:13PM
    No to ET, No to express news in Ramadan……….
    U always break the news that even dont exist in reality,
  • Sidra
    Jul 16, 2012 - 8:26PM
    OMG,And so Much ‘HAHAHAHHA’
    wow,people like this will be with us on aur iftaar and and Sehri.
    No wonder why we have Zardari. Hahaha, Good luck though.
    Last year sahir losdhi was there,And now theres alot more. Whatay :/
    Pakistani_Mohajir
    Jul 16, 2012 - 8:58PM
    Are we all not exploiting Islam for our own very reasons. Lesson to learn is how low as a muslim we all can go. We been exploited by “Mullah ism” off the screen and on the screen. Any one can give Fatwa against his opponent, challenging their integrity as muslim, every one thinks that he/she is better muslim because they can highlight rather advertise others wrong doings. How many a times a Mullah has sinned !! no one ever confess.. How many a times we consider the very basics of islam, not to hurt any one. Who knows who is more holy/pious than other. Better watch Veena and enjoy your roza rather than waste your time to another repetitive self created versions of Islam where “Host” is only muslim and rest are kaffirs.
    PakPunjabi
    Jul 16, 2012 - 9:32PM
    I’ll be watching none. For it is better to watch nothing and go to the local Masjid and listen to the local Mullah, than watch these 3 idiots. If there is money to be made, Veena Malik will make an angel. She has posed nude many times. Dr. Aamir Liaquat is a completely different personality off camera. And Maya Khan has danced and sang on numerous occasions. I hope and pray that they transform into better humans this Ramadan but so far this nothing but a commercial activity for all these people. The local Masjid has an old Pashtun Mullah whose voice melts away your heart and tears (unlike Veena’s) start flowing from your eyes, while the soul finds peace and purpose in life….