Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Freedom of expression
Constitution of Pakistan ensures the right of peaceful protest to its every citizen. One is free to talk about one’s right. He owns constitutional right to demonstrate against anyone if he is hurt. In this way, some protestors staged a sit-in in front of Geo-Jung head office against the abusive language used by one of its anchors. Actually, the sit-in was staged against the biased reporting of Geo-Jung.
Unfortunately, this was the same Geo-Jang group that had been running and publishing headlines for freedom of expression for four consecutive months last year when Mir Shakeel was behind the bars. But yesterday it could not bear a peaceful protest against itself. Officials tried to suppress protestors with the help of police. They put right to protest and freedom of speech on foot. Geo-Jung remembers freedom when they are under strike. Sadly, they tried to play drama of attack on their head office which went flopped.
The drama of Geo-Jang’s office attack has already been exposed. It is a pity that reputable institutions have also sided with Geo-Jang in this heinous act in which Dawn News is at the forefront, which published a long page without inquiry about it. Is this journalism or capitalism in which all capitalists protect and support each other? All of the reputable institutions need to pose rightly standing for free speech and right to protest or else public will lose hope in them. Now, does Geo-Jang have face to talk about freedom of expression?
However, according to Geo-Jung sources, the protest was announced in advance but “there were no law enforcement officers present. The protesters manhandled the security staff and other employees present inside the building.
FARAZ ALI SHAH
Lahore
Eucharistic miracles
Scientists have proven the existence of human tissue in many Eucharistic miracles that have occurred till date. But do you know precisely what a Eucharistic miracle is? Do you know how many there have been in the history of the Catholic Church and what it means?
According to scholars, the first Eucharistic miracle recognised by the Catholic Church occurred in Lanciano (Italy), in about the year 700. This miracle happened when a monk, who had doubts about the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, saw the wine in the chalice turn into blood and the bread turn into flesh. Recently, after examining the relics still in existence, researchers concluded that they were indeed made of human tissue. Since this first miracle, over 160 others of the same type have occurred and have been recognised by the Catholic Church.In the year 1970, more than 1,200 years later, scientists began a thorough examination of the miraculous substances, and in 1973, WHO began their own barrage of five hundred tests, which revealed:
The coagulated substance is human blood, AB blood type, with the same protein distribution as found in normal, fresh blood. The host is human muscular striated tissue of the myocardium, left ventricle (heart); arteries, veins, the branch of the vagus nerve and adipose tissue all can be identified.
Like blood, flesh is also fresh, living tissue, because it “responded rapidly to all the clinical reactions distinctive of living beings”. Most remarkably, blood is divided into five unequal-sized parts, and yet each part weighs exactly 15.85 gms and all parts together also weigh the same 15.85 gms. A Bohemian priest, who doubted the doctrine of transubstantiation, celebrated Mass at Bolsena, a town north of Rome. During the Mass, the bread of the Eucharistic began to bleed. The blood from the host fell onto the altar linen in the shape of the face of Jesus as traditionally represented, and the priest came to believe.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Should
rapists be hanged
WITH demonic behaviour on the rise, we as a society are in a debate: should the violators of the XLV Act 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure Act 1898 be publicly hanged for their preposterous actions?
The public outcry after the Shazia Khalid case has called upon the judiciary to change the 1979 Hudood ordinance, and add Section 375-A Code 1800 to the constitution, classifying any type of sexual activity without consent as rape.
Data revealed by governmental ministries indicates that implementing the death penalty is not a feasible option. Since the rape culture of Pakistan mirrors that of India, the Jyoti Singh 2012 case serves as a valid example. The Justice JS Verma Committee ruled out that the death penalty would not make India safer for women.
As per the records of the National Records Bureau, the victim is not likely to come forward in the case of rape by a family member where they face increased pressure by families to keep the case to themselves. Additionally, the retributive justice system does not create a sustainable criminal justice system, where criminal sentences are influenced by the public outcry.
The debate as to whether rapists should be subjected to public hanging is one that extends to two opposing ends of a spectrum. In Pakistan, the roots of patriarchy find their foundations in very early times; it becomes almost imperative for a high-rated punishment to be imposed.
HASSAN ALI
Islamabad
Rewriting
air safety
Recently a United Airlines aircraft had made an emergency landing after suffering engine failure midair. As a result, the aircraft engine debris had started raining down on certain areas down below on the ground. Fortunately, no casualties had been reported from there. The entire incident had caught everyone unawares.
The proper investigation and other related activities are going on now in a collaborative manner involving the airlines, the manufacturer and other agencies. In fact, flight services have always been a matter of fantasy attracting great attention. Incidentally, this bizarre United Airlines aircraft incident had made many onlookers down under look skywards.
In fact, I can never forget the joy of watching aeroplanes in the sky over my native areas like Korkai in Tamil Nadu. Personally apart, I had got a great opportunity to view all kinds of aircraft in close proximity at an aircraft expo in Hyderabad, one of my workstations way back in the mid of 2010. Furthermore, more serious efforts are needed to improve the overall functioning of the aircraft and stringent safety measures to travel in the sky as safely as possible.
P SENTHIL S DURAI
Mumbai
