Pig Heads Found in Kuala Lumpur Mosques

27th January 2010: Severed pig heads were found in two mosques in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The act was seen as severely offensive, as pigs are considered 'unclean' by Muslims. This is followed by a spate of attacks on churches over the use of the word 'Allah.' So far, 11 churches, 2 Muslim prayer halls, 1 Sikh temple and now 2 mosques have been vandalised in a series of attacks on places of worship in Malaysia.

The nation's police chief, Musa Haroon has linked the vandalism to the previous acts - saying that the 'modus operandi' of the attacks was similar. It is possible that the attacks were carried out by the same group - who wanted to create tensions between the different religious groups in Malaysia.

Worsening of Ties

It will be some time before we find out who is responsible for fueling racial tensions in Malaysia. But thing is for sure, things are taking a turn for the worse. It is sad to see a beautiful and ethnically diverse country falling victim such petty troublemaker tactics. What's worse is the change in attitudes of the common Malaysian. Even within the same religion - people stand divided over the issue. Some Muslims think it's okay for other religions to use the word Allah, while other do not think so. Not only is it pushing different groups apart but also creating rifts in existing groups. There seems to be little room left for the liberal-Muslim or Christian.

It is time that the moderate groups from every religion made their voice heard instead of being a sleeping majority. We can make a difference!

Shah Rukh Khan for President of South-Asia!

Some honesty from an IPL team owner, and looking good while doing it too. A step in the right direction. Lets hope that his influence over the young people of India and Pakistan will change things for the better for a shared future.

Sports For The Unsporting

In a surprise turn of events, all of the 11 Pakistani cricketers, including Shahid Afridi,  up for bidding for the Indian Premier League have gone unclaimed. Pakistan is the current World Twenty20 Champion and widely considered to be one of the best Twenty20 teams around. However, none of the 8 IPL teams found a single Pakistani player fit to be a part of their teams.

The news came as a shock to Pakistani cricket officials, players and public as well. It seems odd that the best side in the game was ignored in the most glamourous event of the game. 

A Mish Mash of Reasoning

The Pakistani players had missed the initial deadline to be  a part of the IPL, as the NOC by the Pakistani government to travel to India was not received in time. Hence, there were no visas by the  7th December deadline and the Pakistanis were replaced by their IPL teams with fresh recruits. IPL boss, Lalit Modi said that the only the Pakistanis could be a part of the IPL would be through the auction on 19th December.  But the players were ignored in the auction. It is the football equivalent of the Brazilian national team not being allowed to complete in the English Premier League.

The Pakistani sports minister Aijaz Jhakrani said he had complained to his Indian counterpart about the exclusion of Pakistani players from the lucrative IPL games. But the 'complaint' proved to be of little use as the Indian minister said that the IPL was a private venture and had nothing to say about the issue. As the ball was passed back to the IPL bosses, who continued to claim that the Pakistani players went unsold because of the uncertainty surrounding their availability - due to visa and NOC issues.

The Reprecussions

Needless to say, Pakistanis at all levels - politicians, players and the people - were miffed. At a time when India-Pakistan ties are in serious need of some tender, loving care. And the one thing that both peoples are passionate about - cricket - is now driving the two even further apart. In the previos IPL seasons it was refreshing to watch traditional rivals playing together on the same time and putting on a flamboyant show of Twenty20 cricket. This was followed by an official cancellation of a Pakistani Parliamentary delegation to India. With the opposition calling for a complete ban on any sports activity with India and screenings of Indian movies.  Needless to say, both countries will suffer the consequences of this childish behavior - if I can care to call it that.

The whole series of events is just damaging on many levels. The IPL instantly loses  its popularity with Pakistanis at home and abroad. Broadcasters and cable TV operators in Pakistan are already talking about not showing the series at home. There goes the advertising  revenue for both the Indians and Pakistanis. 

The IPL could also have been a great opportunity for India and Pakistan to warm up its strained diplomatic ties over the alleged Mumbai attacks - providing a unique opportunity to have both teams on the same team. And as most South Asians will agree, cricket is a unique binding force for the people of these nations. But as I write this blog, I am watching the Indian and Pakistani teams playing an Under-19 cricket world cup game. 

UPDATE: Pakistan just won the quarter-final match against India in the Under-19 tournament.

  I will go so far to say that public diplomacy goes much further than so-called officials calling on each other. This was a golden opportunity that both sides failed to make the most of and went on make things worse on the political front. But the question of who started the whole row and which side is to blame – I will leave to the readers’ better judgment. Here’s hoping for an injection of sporting spirit for both sides.                                      

War of The Words: Malaysia Edition

The recent spate of attacks on churches in Malaysia has further divided its complex social structure. The attacks on the churches were incited by the overturning of a law that made it illegal for non-Muslims to use the word 'Allah' - in reference to God.

How It All Started

The row started when the authorities moved to ban the import of religious books by The Sabah Evangelical Church of Borneo - the reason being the use of the word 'Allah' in a Christian context. A Roman Catholic publication - The Herald also received multiple warnings from the government that it would have its licence revoked if it continued the usage of 'Allah.' This led the two organizations to move against the ban on the usage of the word 'Allah' by non- Muslims. However, the Malaysian government later back-tracked on its actions by reversing the ban and allowing The Herald to use the word 'Allah' in reference to God. This resulted in a spate of attacks targetted at churches and Catholic schools across the country by extremist groups - opposed to the reversal of the ban.

What Went Wrong?

Malaysia has been seen and often quoted as a diverse and peaceful example for many Muslim countries. Yet, the government's attempt at encouraging more cohesion between the religions only resulted in violence. Which forces me to think that it may be too late for any governmental to rectify what it's own policies have resulted in - over the years - an alienation of the various cultural and religious groups from each other.

Malaysia has always seemed to be an organic society - growing with and embracing its diversity of peoples in daily lives but the law suggests otherwise. More recently, the strict implemenation of these laws has pushed the communities apart. Prior to the church burning incidents, there was the Hindraf controversy, where Hindu rights activitsts were arrested. The group demanded equal opportunity for ethnic Indians and an end to the advantages granted to the majority Malays by the goverenment. The arrests were made on the basis that Malaysia law does not allow public meetings for more than 5 people and that the protest could incite racial tensions. The arrests only led to more bad blood between the government and ethnic Indians.

On the other hand, the government - in particular the Prime Minister, Najib Razak, himself is engaging in some serious public relations activity with his 1Malaysiablog - which is updated regularly and aimed at peace-building and engaging the people in the works of the government. The blog has been condemning the attacks on the churches - insisting that they are not representative of the wider Malaysian or Islamic ideology.

Mind Your Language

But this very problem is, in fact, the result of a 1986 legislation prohibiting non-Muslims from using words such as Allah, Baitullah, Solat and Kaabah. The words are obviously Arabic in nature and not native to Malaysia or any other Muslim country outside the Arab world. The question then arises - does any group have the sole right to use a language/certain words? If so, who can define the 'ownership' of vocabulary? Christian and Jewish Arabs have been using the word Allah and it variants since time immemorial as a reference to 'God.' Similarly, every language has its specific word for the idea of 'God' - 'Khuda' in Persian and Urdu, 'Tuhan' in Bahasa Melayu/Indonesia and so on.

While I do understand the outcry of the minority groups over the use of the word 'Allah' and the seemingly nonsensical original legislation - is it really worth the trouble it has caused? This is an issue both parties should take into consideration.

The fact that the word Allah has been used by Christian and Jewish Arabs for ages in often quoted in arguements for the case that everyone should be allowed to use the word Allah. In this case, Arabic is the mother-tongue of all three religious groups in question - Muslims, Jews and Christians and hence, no contention for the use of the word 'Allah.' Similarly, Pakistani Christians use the word 'khuda' without a second thought. The question here, should not be a religious one, but a linguistic one.

If we take a strictly linguistically puritanical approach - when religious texts are translated, the translation should be complete - including references to God. This would simply ensure a better understanding for the reader and possibly lead to less confusion and conflict. In the Malaysian context, if the 'Christian' books in question were in Malay then the word to be used should have been 'Tuhan,' and not Allah. Allah being an Arabic word.

But the truth of the matter is - languages are not set in stone - they are constantly evolving and representative of social changes as they happen. But at a time when the common usage of the word Allah by the Muslim and Christian groups of Malaysia, could have been a common ground between the two - it has become a divisive force. For everything that Shakespeare is worth, there is much truth is his words - 'what's in a name?' If we called God by any other name, He would be just as forgiving?

Pakistani Journalists Seach For Common Ground in Nepal

Between 5th and 8th January 2010, 30 mainstream Pakistani journalists converged in Kathmandu, Nepal for a training program. The training was led by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and Search for Common Ground (SFCG) and funded by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).

The journalists were picked from a wide range of mediums including print, TV, radio and online. The training covered topics such as reporting on minority issues, the use of language in reporting, conflict resolution, digital media and working towards a common grounds based media reports.

Bringing Together Religious and Mainstream Media

The program also brought together seemingly opposing groups from Pakistani media - religious and mainstream on the first day of training - with a mixer of sorts between the two groups. The interaction helped dispel many pre-conceived notions held by the groups about each other. It served as an invaluable networking and contact-building exercise as well. 

Responsible Reporting and Conflict Resolution

The journalists were trained in how to report more objectively on issues of minorities - including religious, social and ethnic minorities.  There were also several hands-on activities about resolving conflict situations and creating media reports that help find common ground in a conflict situation. These sessions were led by Lesley Abdela, Juliette Schmidt and Rashad Bukhari.

Digital Journalism

Participants workshopped with Hoda Osman from ICFJ on the basics of blogging - thereby adding a crucial new dimension to their reporting mediums - whether it be print or broadcast. They also learnt about the basics of web design and engaging online users.

The training program provided a platform for the journalists explore various possibilities in the presentation of their reports. The training program is part of a larger effort to train journalists from Muslim countries in common ground media - as a means of resolving conflict.

Freedom Sound

Blast at Indian Atomic Plant Raises Concerns

On 30th December 2009, a high intensiy explosion at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), India resulted in the death of two scientists - Umang Singh and Partha Bagh. Their bodies were severly charred and the equipment reduced to dust. BARC was established in 1953 as a Atomic Energy Establishment and conducts research in Biotechnology and Gama Rays. The Indian authorities have said that no radioactive material was involved in the incident.

Concerns for India's Neighbours
The mysterious circumstances surrounding the incident has raised alarm for India's neighours. The condition of the dead bodies may lead to suggest that the plant was experimenting with chemical and biological weapons technology. The Indian leadership sees China as an imminent threat and may be preparing for war.

Another possibility is that Indian scientists are working on a revamp of their nuclear weapons systems. In a August , 2009 interview of senior nuclear scientist K Santhanam, with “Times of India” confirmed that the only thermonuclear device tested was a “fizzle”.

Lastly, the 'blast' may have been targetted at the scientists themselves - on the suspicion that they have could leak any sensitive information they had access to. There have been previous reports of scientists dying in mysterious circumstances.

What Next?

Whatever the reason for the blast - the blast did raise safety concerns with India's neighbours, with chemcial and nuclear warfare being a reality in the region. The incident is also an indicator to the IAEA to look into the Indian nuclear problem and the concerns it is raising.

The Indians should engage in a detailed investigation in an effort to make its nuclear program safer. The accident may give rise to the idea that India is preparing for a war of proportions that the region is yet to see.

In The News Tonight!

Welcome to my brand new blog about things that should be in the news but are not. Join me as I bring you the best and worst of news from around the world that goes unnoticed. Feel free to share any such 'news' you may come across.
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