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.
Ineffective UN
Even after two brutal World Wars, nothing seems to have changed for the large majority, who continue to suffer endlessly.
Racism and apartheid systems continue to survive, so does the brutal and merciless scourge of ethnic cleansing and the persecution by powerful egoistic groups and countries against members of other faiths, religions and race.
In WW2, it was the Jewish faith which faced religious persecution by Nazi White Supremacists who held power in Germany.
For the past seven decades the people of Palestine have faced a never-ending merciless series of eviction from houses where they lived for centuries, forced to live in large concentration camps by Zionists.
The IDF, which is the most powerful army in the region, having the strongest army, navy and air force with an Iron-Dome to protect it from any aerial attack, fighting against Palestinians with no army or navy nor an air-force, makes no sense.
The US and many other Western countries justify it as Israel’s right of defence, to bomb schools, houses, hospitals, water systems etc of people living in a besieged place called Gaza. Reminds us of the WW2 massacre of Jews.
It seems the Law of Jungle prevails and nothing has changed except the race and religious beliefs of the victims of brutality. In the eyes of many in the West, the Palestinians are not even human beings.
On 13 April, the first of Ramadan Kareem, the IDF stormed Al-Aqsa mosque to disable the sound system used by the Imam for Azaan and forcefully dispersed peaceful Muslims offering prayers.
Not satisfied with this, they again stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque on 27 Ramadan Kareem with grenades, live bullets and tear gas shells. All these actions went unnoticed in the USA, Europe, UK etc. This was followed by aerial bombing.
It was when the Palestinian groups located within Gaza responded that these countries stood up to support Israel’s right of defence as if it were the victim, not an occupier and a state that practises racism and even apartheid.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
A pen is mightier than a sword
There are many social and educational references that prove the power of pen is mightier than sword logically.
Taking the living example of Judiciary in our society, pen saves importance of laws in writing which can be interpreted for decision making in civil as well as criminal courts where written statements and agreements play importance role in front of judges, who write freedom and punishment for innocent and wrong doers respectively on the basis of pen writing. Unlikely of swords, which have no power important in our courts.
Being Muslim, we should not forget to mention the purest example of Islam. It was spread not on the peak of swords in the world initially but, on the writing of Muslim scholars of the times.
They also shaped words of Allah the Almighty in holy book with help of pen. It is ever lasting power of a pen writing at advent of Islam in Muslim advancing society.
Here stories, great decisions of nations, warnings and guidelines can be found in prose forms for living together peacefully in the worldly society without any force of swords and discriminations.
Added to this, there is quote “Ink of scholar is holier than blood of martyr” shows that the power of writing of scholars is stronger than using sword in war, hatred and conflict.
As power of sword ends with death, loss and destruction, which indicates physical force more ever in negative sense. But the power of a pen brings inspirations as well as motivation to human lives.
With help of pen, men could write history, problems along with solutions, wisdom and knowledge and they shared this storage with generations which worked wonders for other people.
On other hand, sword brought people ended in men’s bad reputation and material losses to the human society.
It is, therefore proved that a pen is for peace, prosperity and knowledge with mental satisfaction comparatively, a sword is to force destruction and mental illness with nightmares.
FARHANA KALEEM
Karachi
Social sites
The popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Myspace have taken over the world by storm in many ways.
These sites let the users make profiles automatically where they can communicate with friends, families and strangers through pictures, blogs, music, links and many other ways.
As social networking sites become more important to society, some people agree that these online sites are causing the society a great trouble, especially for the youth. Many sites cause harassment, bully, violation of someone’s privacy, etc.
Social media sites can change a person’s life but these days it is affecting people negatively, especially the youth.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
