http://shorty667.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/457513 laughter without sorrow,
or sun without rain,
But He did promise strength for the day,
comfort for the tears,
and light for the way.

If God brings you to it,
He will bring you through it. ]]> Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:10:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/457513 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/457223 The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter:
"Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river." The little girl said:
"No, Dad. You hold my hand."
"What's the difference?" Asked the puzzled father.
"There's a big difference," replied the little girl.
"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond..So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours...]]> Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:53:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/457223 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/377441
You never said I'm leaving
You never said goodbye
You were gone before I knew it,
And only God knew why
A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried
If Love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died
In Life I loved you dearly
In death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place,
That no one could ever fill
It broke my heart to lose you,
But you didn't go alone
For part of me went with you,
The day God took you home

An appropriate poem..
In memory of my father..]]> Sun, 25 May 2008 15:24:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/377441 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/369271

Outlandish is the story of a band that insists on the vantage point called "The World We live in," as stated in the band's official site. Quite a bit has happened since Lenny Martinaz, Waqas Qadri, and Isam Bachiri broke ground in 1997 to form Outlandish and launch a career together.
In a live interview with IslamOnline.net, Waqas Qadri described how Outlandish started, "In the beginning, not so many people believed in us; back then hip hop was more looked upon as a 'black' thing, so how could a Pakistani, Cuban, and Moroccan bunch of kids ever do good? Therefore, we were forced at an early stage to take matters into our own hands."

Calling their style 'life music', Closer Than Veins Album marked a departure in this respect, particularly on the socially and politically heavy side the group has called in lyrical reinforcements. This is actually highlighting through one of their most outstanding tracks "Look Into My Eyes" that was principally written by Gihad Ali, a young Palestinian poet.

Lenny, Isam, and Waqas (From left).

Lyric:

"Look into my eyes
Tell me what you see
You don't see a damn thing
'cause you can't relate to me
You're blinded by our differences
My life makes no sense to you
I'm the persecuted one
You're the red, white and blue

Each day you wake in tranquility
No fears to cross your eyes
Each day I wake in gratitude
Thanking God He let me rise
You worry about your education
And the bills you have to pay
I worry about my vulnerable life
And if I'll survive another day

Your biggest fear is getting a ticket
As you cruise your Cadillac
My fear is that the tank that has just left
Will turn around and come back

Yet, do you know the truth of where your money goes?
Do you let your media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows

Someone tell me...

Ooohh, let's not cry tonight
I promise you one day it's through
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters
Ooohh, shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters

See I've known terror for quite some time
57 years so cruel
Terror breathes the air I breathe
It's the checkpoint on my way to school
Terror is the robbery of my land
And the torture of my mother
The imprisonment of my innocent father
The bullet in my baby brother
The bulldozers and the tanks
The gases and the guns
The bombs that fall outside my door
All due to your funds

You blame me for defending myself
Against the ways of my enemies
I'm terrorized in my own land
What am I the terrorist?

Do you know the truth of where your money goes?
Do you let your media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows?

Someone tell me...

America, do you realize that the taxes that you pay
Feed the forces that traumatize my every living day
So if I won't be here tomorrow
It's written in my fate
May the future bring a brighter day
The end of our wait

(pause)

Ohh let's not cry tonight I promise you one day is through
Ohh my brothers! Ohh my sisters!
Ooh shine a light for every Soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers! Ohh my sisters!"



]]> Sat, 10 May 2008 18:29:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/369271 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/351819
Often the most difficult challenge to improving our life, to making a change, or to implementing a plan is finding out how to motivate ourselves to take the first step toward a goal and then to remain constantly motivated.

Have you given some thought to what motivates you? What gets you going when there are constant distractions? When your intellectual and emotional energy levels are low, how do you turn things around? Or when you are working on one project that is taking lots of your time, how do you stay focused and motivated to keep going until the project is complete? These are not questions with easy answers.

However, during the teenage years, it is important that you at least begin to explore the topic of motivation and come to some understanding about how you can motivate yourself. Although your preferences and inclinations about what motivates you might change as you grow older, you will be much better prepared for college and other goals you intend to pursue.

Start With Your Intentions

No matter what activity or goal you wish to pursue, there must be an effort to make an intention, to think clearly about what it is you are about to undertake and for what reason.

Working on your intentions right at the outset also serves the purpose of helping to develop a clear objective and, God willing, a concrete sense of what is needed to achieve the objective and how much time will be needed to do so. When your motivation suffers midway through the process of achieving a particular objective, it is highly likely that the intention itself was not clear at the outset and therefore distractions easily slipped in and the focus became unclear.

Do your best from now on to articulate your intention; if needs be, take a moment to write down your thoughts. Keep your intentions clear, and check back with yourself should your motivation level starts to decline.

Develop a Plan

Starting off on a project without having a clear sense of the resources or the estimated time needed to complete it is not recommended. Not knowing what books you will need to complete a report means you will have to stop and go look for a relevant book or source each time need arises. The risk that you will become distracted or even lose motivation is great because you will have started the project already but will feel discouraged if a particular book is not available.

In addition, you will find yourself diverting valuable energy unnecessarily to look for this or that resource, and even worse, fall victim to the tendency to "help" a friend with his or her problem. You should always be helpful to friends but not at the expense of losing valuable time working on your own project that has a specific deadline. If you get bogged down with too many distractions, whether self-inflicted or peer-imposed, then you are bound to feel less motivated to continue working on the initial project, whatever it was.

Develop a plan of action right at the outset, incorporating milestones and checkpoints so that you can pace your progress, as well as appropriate break times so that you do not suffer from burnout. It is never advisable to overwork oneself or to expect that one can remain consistently and constantly motivated over the same thing.

]]> Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:40:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/351819 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/349913
A bird glides gracefully through the polluted skies above Tehran. Air pollution in the Iranian capital killed more than 3,600 people in just one month in 2006, an environmental situation described by local officials as “collective suicide.” Considered one of the world’s most polluted places, Tehran’s air is so toxic it triggers lethal respiratory and cardiac problems, with 80% of fatal heart attacks believed to be directly attributable to the noxious smog smothering the city. Half of the six million cars clogging Iran’s streets fail to meet global emissions standards and burn twice as much fuel as their European equivalents, spewing vast quantities of carbon monoxide into residents’ lungs.]]> Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:21:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/349913 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/349117
If You Take Your Eyes
Off Your Goals..
All You Will See
Are The Obstacles!!
]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:53:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/349117 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/348975 A winner says "Let's find out";
a loser says "Nobody knows."
A winner makes comitments;
a loser makes promises.
A winner says "I'm good, but not as good
as I ought to be";
a loser says "I'm not as bad
as a lot of other people."
A winner credits his "good luck" for winning -
even though it wasn't his good luck;
a loser blames his "bad luck" for losing -
even though it wasn't his bad luck.
A winner listens;
a loser just waits until it's his turn to talk.
A winner does more than his job;
a loser says "I only work here."
A winner says "I fell";
a loser says "somebody pushed me."
A winner respects those
who are superior to him
and tries to learn from them;
a loser resents the superiority of others
and tries to find chinks in their armor.

]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:35:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/348975 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/348817
Something I have read and I would like to share it...

Come into my world, a different world that is unique yet simple. Imagine a world of generosity, where neighbours compete with each other to treat and respect each other better, a world of sharing where everyone is eager to share knowledge and material wealth
Imagine a world of brotherhood where no race, culture, tribe nor nationality exist, a world of tolerance and acceptance… a strong united front with unconditional love, a world of peace where the greeting is ‘ peace be upon you!’

Imagine a world of kinship and family ties, where there is much pride in its extension, where children are great assets and a source of joy, where parents teach and guide their younger ones in kindness and patience, where the children humble themselves in front of their parents in respect and gratitude.

Imagine a world of principles where all elders are held in high esteem and younger ones in tenderness and compassion, where the best among its people are not the ones with the riches or the good looks, but rather those who are modest and gentle, those best in conduct and knowledge, those most pious..

Imagine a world of rewards and eagerness to do good, to visit and help the sick and old. a world of selflessness, where there is great satisfaction in pleasing and comforting others, a world where there is reward and blessings for every good…for visiting friends and family, for feeding people…. Anybody! Not just the needy but even your friends. Where there is reward even for removing a stone from the road!

Imagine a world liberalisation, where women are honoured and dignified, where they are given the right and duty to seek knowledge, to self expression, to earn, to inherit, a world where their sexuality is sacred, preserved and cherished, given only to a man most worthy, by law, a man who can respect and appreciate it

Imagine a world of virtue, where idleness and laziness are discouraged, where everyone is expected to work hard, to be honest, to be fair and to strive in pursuit of knowledge and fight ignorance…..a world of perseverance

A world of equality, fairness, duties and responsibilities, where men and women are guardians of one another, where responsibility to maintain and sustain is a duty for men and a choice to women, where women are recognised and gratified for bearing and nursing. Where marriage is a security and escape from lewdness and immorality, where mothers are elevated to a high status above fathers in rights and custody, where institute of marriage is scared.

Imagine a world of smiles, soft tones, gentle words, refined speech and excellent mannerism, a world of fair reasoning over any desire. A world of contentment and hope, an optimistic world that is spiritually orientated and not materialistic.

Imagine a world of humility, where kings and commons stand together side by side, toe to toe, shoulder to shoulder…. Proudly as they praise and glorify their Lord, A world of promise, of a fair judgement, a promise of eternity and a garden of paradise for the good.


Imagine a world with a religion of mercy, where sins repented are forgiven, where blessings are endless and faith grows infinitely… where you can connect with your Lord five or many times more a day to seek peace and calm… a source of joy and comfort.

Imagine my world, imagine a world of Islam where everyone is striving to be as good, to live by its simple rules… imagine coming into this world and joining it.


By Fatima Ali
Islamonline.org
]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:43:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/348817 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/344717
Be very proud to be British because..

Only in Britain...can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance..

Only in Britain...do supermarkets make sick people walk all the way to the back of the shop to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front..

Only in Britain...do people order double cheeseburgers..large fries and a DIET coke.

Only in Britain...do banks leave both doors open and chain their pens to the counters..

Only in Britain...do we leave our cars worth thousands of pounds on the drive and lock our junk and cheap lawn mowers in the garage..

Only in Britain...do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place..

Only in Britain...are their disabled parking places in front of an ice-skating rink..

NOT TO MENTION...

3 Brits died last year testing if a 9v battery works on their tongue..

142 Brits were injured in 1999 by not removing all pins from their new shirts..

58 Brits are injured each year by using sharp knives instead of screwdrivers..

31 Brits have died since 1996 by watering thier Christmas tree whilst the fairy lights were plugged in...

19 Brits have died in the last 3 years believing that Christmas decorations were chocolate..

British hospitals reported 4 broken arms last year after christmas cracker pulling accidents..

101 people since 1999 have had broken parts of plastic toys been pulled out of the soles of their feet...

18 Brits had serious burns in 2000 trying on a new jumper with a lit cigarette in their mouth..

A massive 543 Brits were admitted to AE in the last two years after opening bottles of beer with their teeth...

8 Brits were injured last year in accidents involving out of control scalextric cars...

And finally...

In 2000 eight Brits cracked their skull whilst throwing up into the toilet..

RULE BRITANNIA!!!]]> Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:16:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/344717 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/344331
A group working to develop a gel or cream women could use to protect themselves against the AIDS virus said on Tuesday they have permission to use an experimental new drug from Merck and Co.

It is the sixth HIV drug to be tested by the International Partnership for Microbicides, said the group's chief executive officer, Dr. Zeda Rosenberg.

The drug is known only by its experimental name L'644. It is a member of a class of drugs known as gp41 fusion inhibitors. They stop the AIDS virus from attaching to the immune system cells it targets.

"It's a completely different mechanism of action to what we have currently under development and what the field has under development," Rosenberg told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"It's pretty early in the life cycle for HIV. Most of us feel that, for a microbicide to be really effective, it has to get at the infection in its earliest timepoints."

Microbicides are products, such as gels or creams, that could be applied vaginally or anally to prevent transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.

So far, attempts to create a microbicide have failed.

The AIDS virus has infected 33 million people globally, according to the World Health Organization. It has killed 25 million, and there is no vaccine to prevent the fatal and incurable virus.

Condoms can protect men and women, but health experts note that many men refuse to use them. In many countries, a women who demands that her husband or partner use a condom can face refusal or even a beating.

According to the United Nations, in sub-Saharan Africa almost 61 percent of adults infected with HIV are women. Most cases of HIV are transmitted sexually.

The nonprofit IPM has another agreement with Merck for a royalty-free license to develop another compound, L'167/CMPD167, which belongs to the class of molecules known as CCR5 blockers.

"Merck is pleased to contribute the results of our research and development to this worldwide effort to protect women from HIV infection," said Dr. Daria Hazuda, vice president of scientific affairs for infectious disease and HIV at Merck Research Laboratories.

The microbicides group also has agreements with Pfizer to develop its CCR5 blocker maraviroc; with Gilead Sciences to develop tenofovir, a licensed HIV drug; with Bristol-Myers Squibb; and with Johnson Johnson subsidiary Tibotec Pharmaceuticals to try to make a microbicide out of its HIV drug dapivirine.

The field could use some successes.

Last month a study showed one microbicide candidate, called Carraguard, did not protect women from infection.

Two other potential microbicides have made women more likely to become infected -- a spermicide called nonoxynol-9 and a product called Ushercell, made by Toronto-based Polydex Pharmaceutical

(Reuters) ]]> Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:18:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/344331 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/343317 The government of the booming emirate of Dubai has decided to build the world's first museum dedicated to the life and legacy of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
"In the history of Dubai, this museum will stand as a shining milestone as it will give the world an opportunity to learn about the life and message of Prophet Muhammad," Omer bin Suleiman, the managing director of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, told the official WAM news agency.

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, also the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, has asked the Authority, only formed this week, to immediately proceed with the museum plan.

The museum, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, will be dedicated entirely to the life of prophet Muhammad.

Muhammad and the message
It will chronicle the life of the prophet and introduce the visitors to the main stops including his marriage, the beginning of God's revelation, the demise of his wife Khadijah, the incident of Al Isra'a and Al Mi'raj, migration to Madinah, the conquest of Makkah and the prophet's death.
There will be a special section on hajj and the fundamental aspects of Islam.

The aim is to introduce the world to the inspiring life of Prophet Muhammad and how he changed the course of human history.

New Role

Sheikh Mayed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the chairman of the Authority, said they decided that the prophet's museum should be the first project undertaken by the new body.

"The project also clearly indicates that Dubai is keen on playing its role not only as a bridge between the East and the West, but also between the Islamic world and the rest of the world."

Abu Dhabi, another member of the oil-rich, seven-member UAE federation, is home to what is believed to be the third biggest mosque in the world.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque, named after the UAE late founding father, is built on a 9.5-metre high hill so it is visible from far.

It covers an area of 22,000 square meters, has four 107-metre tall minarets, 82 domes of seven different sizes, 96 columns inside and 1,048 outside and can accommodate more than 40,000 faithful.

Two rooms next to the main prayer hall, with a 1,500-capacity each, have been reserved for women, who can follow sermons delivered by prayer leaders on giant television screens.

The mosque is an architectural masterpiece built 100 percent with Italian marble and decorated with thousands of rare and semi-precious stones, some encrusted in marble.

The centerpiece is a 6,000 square meter hand-made Iranian carpet which weighs 45 tones, said to be the biggest in the world, and cost more than 8.5 million dollars.

Another breathtaking piece is a huge crystal chandelier in the main prayer hall, one of seven German-made chandeliers costing more than eight million dollars.

It is 10-metre tall, 10-metre wide and weighs nine tones.


IslamOnline.net News Agencies

]]> Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:35:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/343317 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/343111
Saudi women's rights activists have posted on the web a video of a woman at the wheel of her car, in protest at the ban on female drivers in the kingdom.
Wajeha Huwaider talks of the injustice of the ban and calls for its abolition as she drives calmly along a highway.

She says the film was posted to mark International Women's Day. Thousands have viewed it on the YouTube website.

The last such public show of dissent was in 1990 when dozens of women were arrested for circling Riyadh in cars.

Last year, Ms Huwaider and other activists circulated a petition which was sent to King Abdullah urging him to lift the ban.

In the three-minute clip, she at first drives around a residential compound where she notes that women are allowed to drive because it is not a public road.

But about halfway through, without comment, she executes a left turn onto the main highway and proceeds to drive along it in defiance of Saudi law.

"Many women in this society are able to drive cars, and many of our male relatives don't mind us driving," she says in Arabic.

"I hope that by next year's International Woman's Day, this ban on us will be lifted," she concludes.

In February, two leading Islamic scholars said there was no reason to continue the ban.

However, many conservatives continue to resist reform, arguing it would lead to mingling of the sexes which is banned under Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islamic Law.

The 1990 protest, coming at the height of the Gulf crisis when US forces had come to defend Saudi Arabia, was followed by a crackdown on the women drivers and their passengers.

The women were jailed for one day, their passports confiscated, and many lost their jobs.

King Abdullah has in the past said that he thought a day would eventually come when Saudi women were allowed to drive.

BBC News.


]]> Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:33:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/343111 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/342447 Cosmetic surgery in the UK was once a luxury for the rich and privileged. Whether you needed a nose job, a breast lift, liposuction, or skin bleach, all you had to do was book a session at a posh practitioner, provided you had the money of course.

The situation today is an altogether different one. With a boom in cosmetic surgery it is now mainly accessed by Mr and Mrs Average with treatments ranging from a weekend retreat, travelling abroad for a holiday surgery or even popping out for a ‘lunchtime’ surgery.

A Global Trend!

This is not just restricted to the UK. Research amongst ethnic groups in the US has seen a 65% increase in cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is becoming increasingly popular and there has been a particularly noticeable increase among minority ethnic groups.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, cosmetic surgery amongst ethnic groups has increased by 65 per cent over the last five years in the US.

Statistics point to an approximate 11.5 million cosmetic surgical and non-surgical procedures carried out in the US last year alone - one fifth were conducted on ethnic and racial minorities. This provides evidence of the popularity of cosmetic surgery amongst non-Caucasian communities.

Social Pressure or Marketing?

Last month the consumer watchdog Which – published a report offering a startling insight into how consumers are forced into having cosmetic surgery. Researchers from the consumer watchdog visited 19 clinics in England and Wales and had one consultation at each clinic posing as prospective patients for breast surgery, liposuction and Botox during the summer of 2007. Transcripts of the consultations were analysed by experts in the cosmetic treatment field and provided an unimpressive snapshot of the cosmetic treatments industry.

At some clinics researchers uncovered pressure-selling to rush people into surgery sparking fears that sales comes before safety. At another clinic one sales assistant showed her breasts to an undercover Which researcher in order to make a breast augmentation sale.

Jenny Driscoll, a Which health campaigner, said:

“There are risks with all cosmetic treatments, so when people go for a consultation they should get accurate and in-depth advice from a medical professional, not a pitch from an unqualified salesperson.

“Our investigations in recent months have revealed a relaxed attitude towards non-surgical treatments such as Botox and it is worrying to find that it is being prescribed by doctors without them having seen or even spoken to the patient.

“The Health and Social Care Bill is currently going through parliament and Which will be calling for the government to make sure that regulation of this industry is more robust.”

The consultations took place at well-known chains and local clinics in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Bristol, Leicester and Cardiff.

Figures released in December predicted that Britons would spend more than £1billion on cosmetic surgery in 2008. Market analyst Mintel predicts that in 2008 Britons will spend more than £1bn on cosmetic surgery.

Today, the British perception of beauty is based on airbrushed images of models and photos of surgically enhanced celebrities, both young and old.

"For many the natural look simply can't compete and leaves them feeling inadequate."

“Appearance is important, but it is not everything.”



]]> Sun, 09 Mar 2008 07:16:00 EDT http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/342447 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/337819 BEST WISHES SENT YOUR WAY..
ENJOY YOUR CELEBRATION
ON THIS..YOUR SPECIAL DAY!

]]> Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:22:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/337819 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/336729 On the night of February 20/21, 2008, viewers on the night side of the Earth will observe a total lunar eclipse, which occurs when the moon passes directly behind the Earth, and enters its shadow. Observers in the Americas, Europe, and Africa will be posed for the best views.

The following table represents the predicted timetable for the lunar eclipse, as provided by Curt Renz, whose helpful astronomy website can be found at www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html.

00:37 UT – Moon enters penumbra (gray fringe shadow)
01:43 UT – Moon enters umbra (dark inner shadow)
02:18 UT – 50% of Moon’s diameter covered by umbra
03:01 UT – Totality begins (magnitude 1.000)
03:26 UT – Maximum eclipse (magnitude 1.105)
03:51 UT – Totality ends (magnitude 1.000)
04:34 UT – 50% of Moon’s diameter covered by umbra (magnitude 0.500)
05:09 UT – Moon exits umbra (dark inner shadow)
06:16 UT – Moon exits penumbra (gray fringe shadow)

The times given in this table are Universal Time (UT), also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), for the night of the 20/21. Therefore, these times are mostly in the very early morning of the 21st, just after midnight UT. To find your corresponding local time, subtract your time zone's offset from this number. So for example, Eastern time is GMT-5, so I would subtract 5 hours from each of the times listed here, so 00:37 UT becomes 7:37 PM EST. Central time is GMT-6, Mountain time is GMT-7, and Pacific time is GMT-8.

The moon will actually appear to turn a blood red color during maximum eclipse. This is an optical effect due to the refraction of sunlight by the Earth's atmosphere. Red light is bent most readily and is projected upon the face of the moon. Also notice Saturn's close proximity to the moon during the eclipse...

This is the last total lunar eclipse until December 21, 2010, so don't miss it!

Clear skies! (hopefully)...

]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:51:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/336729 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/336325 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:02:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/336325 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/336323


Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday that Israel would maintain the tighter blockade that it has imposed on the Gaza Strip since last month.

"We will continue to apply sanctions that are hurtful to the needs of the (Palestinian) population in order for it to be clear that living conditions cannot be altered only from our side," he told the parliamentary group of his Kadima party in allusion to near daily rocket fire from Gaza.

"Hamas bears responsibility for everything that goes on in the Gaza Strip, and it matters little whether it is or is not directly responsible for any given incident," army radio quoted him as telling the MPs.

Military sources said four rockets were fired on Israel on Monday, without causing any casualties.

Olmert was speaking just two days after French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner urged Israel to lift the blockade, saying the situation in the impoverished territory was "intolerable."

But Kouchner, on a visit to the region, also urged a halt to the rocket fire in order to avoid such "brutal" responses and said the creation of a Palestinian state was vital for Israel's security.

In response to the rocket fire, Israel has kept Gaza under effective lockdown since last June following the territory's takeover by the Islamist movement Hamas. On January 17 it tightened the blockade before easing it again slightly.

Olmert is expected to meet again this week with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in their latest round of peace talks, renewed in November after a seven-year hiatus.

Abbas has also demanded that the blockade be lifted, saying it is "not the people who are firing these rockets."

JERUSALEM, Feb 18, 2008 (AFP)
]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:58:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/336323 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/333939
And cannot pleasures, while they last,
Be actual unless, when past,
They leave us shuddering and aghast,
With anguish smarting?
And cannot friends be firm and fast,
And yet bear parting?

And must I then, at Friendship's call,
Calmly resign the little all
(Trifling, I grant, it is and small)
I have of gladness,
And lend my being to the thrall
Of gloom and sadness?

And think you that I should be dumb,
And full DOLORUM OMNIUM,
Excepting when YOU choose to come
And share my dinner?
At other times be sour and glum
And daily thinner?

Must he then only live to weep,
Who'd prove his friendship true and deep
By day a lonely shadow creep,
At night-time languish,
Oft raising in his broken sleep
The moan of anguish?

The lover, if for certain days
His fair one be denied his gaze,
Sinks not in grief and wild amaze,
But, wiser wooer,
He spends the time in writing lays,
And posts them to her.

And if the verse flow free and fast,
Till even the poet is aghast,
A touching Valentine at last
The post shall carry,
When thirteen days are gone and past
Of February.

Farewell, dear friend, and when we meet,
In desert waste or crowded street,
Perhaps before this week shall fleet,
Perhaps to-morrow.
I trust to find YOUR heart the seat
Of wasting sorrow.


by Lewis caroll]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:12:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/333939 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/333011

Be honest. Have you fallen for the trick? Are you happy with the way you look? If you had the chance, wouldn’t you like to change some part of you? Maybe you would like to be a bit taller or thinner or have a different colour hair. Maybe you would like to have blue eyes or a different skin tone.
In a world where millions of people are dying of hunger and disease almost every day, it is a fact that billions upon billions of dollars are spent every year on cosmetic surgery. Television, the internet and newspapers are full of advertisements telling us what we should look like. For a few thousand dollars, plastic surgeons can alter the shape of your nose, reduce the appearance of wrinkles around your eyes or make that tummy fat disappear forever.

Countless television programmes cater for the public’s desire to know more about losing weight or how to dress in a way that best conceals their less flattering features. Perhaps most us don’t go as far as plastic surgery, but probably just because we can’t afford to, not because we don’t want to. We spend plenty of time and energy, though, trying to reduce weight or to build up muscles, so that we fit into the stereotype the magazines present to us.

Trick

Let us be honest. We have all fallen for the advertising trick, which makes us believe that there is a perfect way to look. Young or old, people in every street want to look their best. And why shouldn’t they? It is not wrong to want to look nice. The problem comes when it gets out of control and the pressure on people becomes so great that they no longer feel happy not only with how they look, but also with who they are.

Young people, especially, are forced by advertising to conform to a certain type. They are told to buy the latest jeans or the latest pair of trainers. They are told that this tracksuit or this hairstyle will make them cool. Not only will their appearance alter by wearing the tracksuit. The advertising campaigns are so clever that they persuade us that we will not only look cool, but we will be cool. Our personalities will be changed, they tell us, by wearing certain brands.

This is nonsense and it is a lie. The advertising companies, remember, care nothing for the way we look or whether we are cool or not. They just want to sell their products and they will stop at nothing in piling pressure upon us to buy them.

It takes a lot of courage to resist all this pressure. At the end of the day, it all comes down to how we feel about ourselves. If we are confident and content, the advertising campaigns won’t make much of an impression. If we are vulnerable and feel in need of reassurance, they will prey upon us.

We read in the very last Surat of the holy Qur’an a description of what the shaytan does. He “whispers into the hearts of Mankind,” telling them that they are no good. This very last Surat warns us to beware of the “mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil), who withdraws (after his whisper).”

Almighty Allah has created us all with the potential of what He wants us to be. Do you think He made a mistake when He made you or I? Do you think that the One who created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in between them, got it wrong when you were born? Of course He didn’t. He tells us that “We have created Man in the best of moulds.” The best of moulds.

The big sports or cosmetics manufacturers might want to tell us otherwise, because that way they will sell their goods, but there is nothing wrong with the way we look to start with. And, by the way, looks change. What is the popular look in one age can be very unpopular in another. In some societies, looking slim is a sign that you are undernourished, not that you are attractive! Other societies favour pale skin over a sun tan. Don’t be fooled. The advertisers just want you to spend money. That’s all.

Think

Think for a moment, too, about the millions of people in the world for whom brand names and cosmetics have no place. A blind person, for example, does not care if his eyes are blue or brown if he cannot see with them. What use is a pair of the latest style in trainers to a young boy who cannot walk? Any hair at all is longed for by the young girl whose hair has fallen out through cancer treatment. You see how lucky we are? Yet there are those who make us doubt the gifts we have received, just because they want to take advantage of us.

Being happy about who we are has nothing to do with the way we dress or the colour of our eyes. Look at the happy, smiling faces of millions of people who quite literally have nothing. Yet, for them, even life itself is a gift. Just take a few moments each day to think of all the good things in your life. You had breakfast this morning, didn’t you? Spare a thought for those who didn’t.

We spoke about the last words in the Qur’an. We also read these words in the beginning of the holy Qur’an: “And behold, We said to the angels: ‘Bow down to Adam,’ and they bowed down.” Almighty Allah did not ask the angels to bow down before something that was less than them. He created Mankind as the summit of all His Creation. There would be nothing in the whole of His Creation better than Mankind.

Allah's Will

Now, apply those verses to yourself. The shaytan might keep whispering to you that you are not up to much and that you will never amount to much. He might even use the advertising companies to reinforce his message and make you believe that you have to conform to a certain look in order to be acceptable. As Muslims, though, we believe something different. We believe that Allah Almighty has created us as the very pinnacle of his Creation.

Believing anything else is to fall for the trick of those who want to take advantage of us. Whether we have the best trainers in the world, or no trainers at all, when our heads are bowed on the ground in prayer, we know the truth. When our foreheads are touching the ground we can’t get away from the facts. Allah has created us. Allah wills us into being every moment of every day. It is Allah who will make the sun come up for us the next morning and breathe life into our bodies once more.

The next time you pray, just take a moment to thank Allah for all of this and to thank Him that He made you just the person you are. He didn’t make any mistake. The challenge for us is to live up to all of this. And we can start by looking in the mirror and winking at the person we see. If we are good enough for Allah, we are good enough for anyone else, too!


By Idris Tawfiq
Islamonline.
You can visit website at www.idristawfiq.com.



]]> Sat, 09 Feb 2008 16:43:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/333011 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/319035

GAZA/RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinians are pinning scant hope on George W. Bush's Middle East visit this week to push for peace -- especially those in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip which the U.S. president will bypass.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is hoping Bush, on his first presidential visit to the Holy Land, will pressure Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to halt settlement activity and help spur talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state.

But many ordinary Palestinians are skeptical that a man seen by many as the best friend Israel has had in the White House will do much to advance their dream of an independent state.

"We have been talking about peace since 1967 but we got nothing because Israel is interested in settlements and not peace," said Saad Muqbel, a taxi driver from Abbas's West Bank stronghold of Ramallah. "Bush will go home empty-handed."

Even if Abbas does win results from Israel and the United States, any attempt at forging a deal will be complicated by the fact that rival Hamas Islamists -- who oppose the peace drive and refuse to give up fighting Israel -- control the Gaza Strip.

The United States views Hamas as a terrorist group and did not invite it to a U.S.-hosted November peace conference.

Bush, unsurprisingly, will not be visiting Gaza, and Hamas says he is not welcome anyway, dismissing the trip as a "photo opportunity" and a "black day" for Palestinians.

Abbas has ruled out reconciliation talks with Hamas unless it relinquishes control of Gaza, a condition the Islamist group rejects. He has not explained what he plans to do about Gaza. Israel cautions that dialogue could torpedo peace efforts. Continued...


By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Mohammed Assadi]]> Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:07:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/319035 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/312859
PARIS — International donors pledged on Monday, December 17, billion of dollars to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his West Bank government, while charities and UN agencies warned that Gaza Strip was on the brink of collapse.
"Without this support, without the payment of aid that will allow the Palestinian treasury to fulfill its role, we will be facing a total catastrophe in the West Bank and Gaza," Abbas told the one-day Paris donor conference, Reuters reported.

His Prime Minister Salam Fayyad asked donors for $5.6 billion by 2010, including $3.9 billion in direct support to the budget, to jumpstart a near-collapse Palestinian economy.

"To make this vision reality, we need your financial, political and moral support," said Fayyad, a West-favored economist appointed by Abbas after sacking elected premier Ismail Haniya following Hamas takeover of Gaza in June.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the donors have pledged $7.4 billion for Abbas and his government.

The US announced a donation of $555 million for 2008, saying the pledge was a "vote of confidence" in Fayyad's government.

The European Commission pledged $650 million in aid for 2008, while Britain announced a three-year aid package of up to $490 million.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged $300 million in immediate aid while Sweden offered $300 million in 2007 and 2008.

Germany pledged $200 million and oil-rich Saudi Arabia $450 million.

The one-day conference brought together representatives of more than 90 countries and organizations.

Waste

International aid and money-lending groups questioned the benefit of the record aid package, with very little expected to trickle down to the most vulnerable Palestinians due to crippling Israeli restrictions.

"Though the generosity of the donors and the extra aid money is always welcome, it is being poured into a leaking bucket," Oxfam's Middle East director Adam Leach said in a statement.

The development charity said aid efforts already in place were being seriously hampered by Israeli restrictions on movement.

"The challenge is to fix the leak, not pour faster…Due to Israel's movement restrictions and the blockade of Gaza, millions of dollars of aid for Palestinians are being lost."

Leach stressed that ending these restrictions is "the only way" to make the money pledged count.

Béatrice Mégevand-Roggo, the International Committee of the Red Cross head of operations for the Middle East and North Africa, echoed the same message.

"The measures imposed by Israel come at an enormous humanitarian cost, leaving the people living under occupation with just enough to survive but not enough to live a normal and dignified life."

The ICRC said in a report released on Friday, December 14, that the dignity of the Palestinians was being trampled underfoot by Israel's harsh security measures.

Despite receiving $10bn in international funds since 1993, Palestinians are getting poorer and 65 percent live below the poverty line.

The situation is particularly dire in Gaza Strip, which has been suffering a total closure of its borders by Israel and Egypt since Hamas takeover.

Israel has since tightened already tough restrictions, banning nearly all exports, limiting imports to humanitarian goods and slashing the amount of fuel supplied to the walled-off enclave.

The Israeli closure has cost some 80,000 Gazans to lose their jobs, according to the World Food Program.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) warned on Monday that Israeli restrictions are pushing the Gaza economy to the brink with production reduced to 11 percent of capacity down from 46 percent before June.

"The private sector in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of collapse with no scope for recovery unless the strict imposed closure regime on the Strip is lifted."

Politicized

Hamas, the Gaza rulers, slammed the Paris conference as conspiracy to divide Palestinians.

"We support all forms of aid, financial or otherwise, to the Palestinian people. But the Paris conference is coating poison with honey and is a dangerous conspiracy," spokesman Fawzi Barhum said in a statement.

He charged that the real purpose of the meeting was to further divide Palestinians by rearming Abbas.

"We completely reject politicized money tied to American and Western agendas, which is a direct interference in internal Palestinian affairs," Barhum said.

"Abbas is cozying up to the Zionist enemy and the American project in exchange for millions of dollars to strengthen his security forces for his own personal interests."

Hamas, which won a majority in the 2006 parliamentary elections also slammed a French proposal for an international force to deploy in the Palestinian territories.

"This suggestion comes in the context of a declared war against the Palestinian people and against the Hamas movement," Barhum said.

"This is a new plan to destroy the democratic choice of the Palestinian people."



]]> Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:41:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/312859 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/306545
About 60 years passed since our Palestinian catastrophe (Nakhba). Palestinian people have passed and tasted several sufferings and calamites, thus the Gaza strip which includes about 1.5 million peoples 75% from refuges, got a big share from these sufferings.

By the start of the 2 nd Intifada in 2000, Israeli occupation violated all the taboos international conventions and tortured Palestinians severely.

In the mean time, the harsh siege imposed on Gaza Strip continues for the seven months but with more cruelty. The siege hinder the freedom movement for people and goods into and out the Gaza Strip. Therefore, humanitarian situation severely deteriorated and the fragile Gaza economy die out. That economy was weak due to occupation procedures. Accordingly, the Gaza Strip turned to a big "Ghetto" All Gaza houses carry stories of pain and suffering!

Basically, Gaza Strip depends on importing goods through the occupied territories that under Israeli occupation control. Since the start of this siege, occupation prevented raw materials into the Gaza strip as well as banding exporting Palestinian home made goods! Additionally, unemployment rates reached sharp level of 70% percent. Therefore, Gaza civilians became not able to secure their basic human needs beside the sharp decrees of income which reached less than $650 yearly per capita.

Until this moment, Occupation failed in subjugating Gazans. Thus occupation is seeking all methods and means to reach this subjugation.

Occupation is targeting all economy aspects in the Gaza strip. All factories which amounted of 3700 workshop and factory closed resulted in making 65000 labors unemployed. As siege continues, farmers joined the harmed classes especially in the most significant agricultural season. Thus, another 20,000 labors became unemployed.

As for the Gaza crossings, there are 5 crossing and borders pints that link the Gaza Strip with the world. Four crossing with occupied territories and the 5 th with Egypt "Rafah terminal" The occupation takes full control of the 5 crossing points thus it is completely deteriorated and closed. Occupation dosen't allow people to move outside Gaza and also into. Morover, it allows some food lists to get into Gaza Strip while roe materials and other sorts of foods are banned to be in.

Statistics report that 37 trucks of these goods to be in while Gaza Strip needs at least 300 vans per day that include roe materials, goods and commodities.
In the health filed, it is in real danger as sick people have double trouble life of suffering. Occupation doesn't permit medical parts and medications to be in. Besides, this occupation prevents sick people to leave abroad for treatment.

Reports and statistics issued by health sections say that there 1500 peoples are in bad need to get surgeries for various diseases like kidney failure, heart disease and cancer with all its sorts. Three hundred of those sick people are in very dangerous situation.

More than 137 medical machines are out of order due to unavailability of spare parts, 23 of these machines are for kidney diylesia out of 66 machines. Eighty six sort of medications are vanished and other 132 sorts will be not available soon!

Since the launch of Popular Committee Against siege, PCAS, in November 2007, it counted 29 victims resulted from siege. Those victims were from the sick people banding from travel. They died in front of cameras and the whole world witnessed the way they died. Yet, no one made something or took an action. Those sick victims were always wondering and asking…when we will travel to be treated? This question is being asked by hundred of other sick people!

As for infrastructure domain, projects of water, sanitation, schools and health utilities stopped due to closure. Roe materials needed in operating these projects were banned to be in Gaza Strip. 250 million dollars were devoted to these projects and thousand of labors would have benefited directly and the UNRWA has had some projects. 93 million dollars that help people directly as 16000 make use of them. Beside this, occupation decreased petrol supplies that affected water and sanitation wells which stopped working. Educational, health and other bodies were closed besides there is no available stationary for students.

More than 25 municipality councils are about to suspend providing services for Gaza residents. These cancels depends fundamentally on fuel in collecting garbage and trash. In addition, students who study abroad were not able to travel back to continue their study in their universities and their futures were threatened some families were threatened to lose reentries.

The previously mentioned images are some of Palestinian sufferings in Gaza Strip. Occupation is besieging Gazns and violating international charts and human rights conventions including the 4 Geneva protocols and the international declaration of human rights.

Since PCAS started working to face this siege, it has contacted many figures and parts. Yet, we have not heard any position or stance. There are no factual actions to alleviate suffering of people. Thus, we call upon you and we ask all alive conscious to move on and make something even by words in order to help tens of thousands from inevitable crisis.

Ramy Abdu
Spokesman
Popular Committee Against siege
http://www.freegaza.ps/


]]> Sun, 09 Dec 2007 14:14:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/306545 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/298019
Investigators into a deadly air crash in Turkey have found the two "black box" recorders as they try to determine the cause of the accident.
The 57 people on the Atlasjet McDonnell Douglas MD-83 jet - all Turkish - died when it crashed in south-west Turkey at the end of a flight from Istanbul.

Debris was scattered over the area but a large section of fuselage was intact.

Officials said that weather conditions were not bad and that the plane had no known technical problems.

Baby girl

The Atlasjet flight disappeared from radar screens at about 0136 local time (2326 GMT) after the pilot had asked for permission to land at Isparta airport.

The pilot was quoted as saying: "Isparta tower, we are inbound" to which the tower replied: "Understood, Atlasjet. Continue to approach."


The wreckage was discovered five hours later in a mountainous area called Turbe Tepe (Shrine Peak) about 12km (7.5 miles) from Isparta airport.

Isparta Governor Semsettin Uzun said it was "impossible to understand how it ended up there".

Rescuers found wreckage and personal belongings strewn over a wide area and although part of the fuselage was intact, it was quickly obvious there were no survivors.

The initial death toll was 56 but a 45-day-old baby girl was later listed among the passengers.

Also among the dead was noted nuclear physics professor Engin Arik.

Cordoned off

Earth-moving equipment has cleared a path to the site to allow rescue teams to move in.

The "black boxes" - the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder - have both been retrieved.

Atlasjet chief executive Tuncay Doganer said the cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

"There was no rain, snowfall or storm at the plane's destination. There were no technical problems with the plane. The pilot was in communication with the tower until the plane disappeared," he said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on television that the transport minister had told him the plane may have clipped a hill.

"They suspect the plane's tail hit a hilltop and that the aircraft fell on its fuselage with the force of the impact," Mr Erdogan said.

About 300 soldiers helped cordon off the area as weeping relatives gathered for information.

One middle-aged woman cried: "Where are they? Where is my child?" as she urged police to let her pass.

Cengiz Dincer, who was also at the site, told Associated Press news agency his two friends were returning after a day trip to Istanbul.

"I keep thinking they'll appear from the site, it is difficult to accept that they are gone," he said.

Relatives also gathered at Istanbul airport.

The city's deputy governor, Cafer Yildiz, said: "They have great pain. This is a terrible thing, we should all support them."

Atlasjet is a privately owned, low-fare Turkish airline run by two Turkish tour operators, Etstur and Oger Tours.

Atlasjet has 15 planes for domestic and international flights.




]]> Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:38:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/298019 http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/297913

CAIRO — British Muslim organizations were united on Thursday, November 29, in defending a British school teacher Sudan accuses of insulting Islam, warning such controversies only promote misconceptions about Islam in the West.
"We call upon the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to intervene in this case without delay to ensure that Ms [Gillian] Gibbons is freed from this quite shameful ordeal," said Mohammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the umbrella Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).

Gibbons, a British teacher in her 50s, is accused of insulting Islam by allowing boy and girl pupils, as young as six, to name a teddy bear Mohammed.

MCB, Britain's largest Muslim organization, said the case was no more than an innocent misunderstanding.

"The children in Ms Gibbons' class and their parents have all testified as to her innocence in this matter," Bari said in a statement posted on his group's website.

He insisted that the whole case was "disgraceful" and defies common sense.

"There was clearly no intention on the part of the teacher to deliberately insult the Islamic faith."

Demonizing

The Ramadhan Foundation, UK's leading Muslim youth group, said the case was "not worthy of arrest or detention."

It urged the Sudanese authorities to immediately release Gibbons.

"She has not set out deliberately to offend or demonize Islam and Muslims," said Mohammad Umar, the group's chairman.

Muslim groups in the UK, home to nearly 2 million Muslims, warned that such controversies foster deep-rooted misconceptions about Islam in the West.

"[This] will only lead to the promotion of Islamophobia and further demonization of Islam," feared Massoud Shadjareh, Chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.

"Both the Sudanese government and the media must refrain from using Islam and Islamic principles to legitimize this fiasco, which may result in the unjust conviction of an innocent person."

The Federation of Muslim Organizations Leicestershire (FMO), a regional umbrella body with over 100 Muslim organizations, mosques, charities in the central England county, said such accidents would bring about a "mockery" of Islam.

"[The] only thing we can do to prevent some Muslims making a complete mockery out of Islam is to disassociate ourselves from such acts done in the name of Islam," said Abdulkarim Gheewala, FMO chair.

Umar, of the Ramadhan Foundation, agreed.

"Her continued detention will not help repair the misconceptions about Islam."



]]> Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:23:00 EST http://shorty667.tigblog.org/post/297913