Pain of Afghan suicide women

BBC News Website:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6196716.stm

Gulsoom's story is a heart wrenching one. Married to a 40 year old man at the age of 15, Gulsoom is one of many young ladies in Afghanistan who have been subjected to abuse by their spouses. So much so, it has driven them to suicide. Gulsoom had a husband who accused her of drug abuse, took her to a land faraway from her family and then beat her up when had no money for him to buy heroin. Sick and tired of her miserable life, she sought to end it all by setting herself alight using petrol.

Stories of spousal abuse are not uncommon. They are rampant in both third world countries as well as developed ones. More often than not, the victim is usually the wife. It is indeed sickening to see these innocent women live under constant fear and trepidation. In recent times, several NGOs have even come up with campaigns to raise awareness of spousal abuse. However I must say these campaigns have not succeeded in addressing the root cause of the matter.

Since Adam and Eve, women have always been viewed as the weaker sex. Let me say this is not a stereo-type but a mere fact. Husbands are always regarded as the head of the household, fairy-tales and novels often depict a forlorn lady waiting for her knight in shining armour to rescue her, even influential rulers of nations are mostly men. Need I say more about the power struggle between the two gender?

However not many men have lived up to the standards set for them when this God-bestowed responsibility of taking care of the fairer sex. One does not have to look far to see evidence of negligence and abuse. As a male, I must say it is shameful and appalling to see men who have taken vows before his family and his god break those promises in ways that even Saddam Hussein's torturers would have been proud of.

Going back to those campaigns I was talking about, well these campaigns merely tell people that abuse is bad, a certain group of people will be affected and that women must muster up the courage to report these abuses. Like I said, it does not address the root cause and will be most likely fail. I believe that men must come to realise that they ought to respect the fairer sex. Respect for women must be instilled from the day they are born. People like Gulsoom suffer in such ways because their husbands regard them as slaves, items for pleasure and punching bags when they get angry with anything in life. This ought to change. They certainly don't do things like that to the woman who bore them so why must it happen to their wives. Let's hope all these activists get it. Teach our children to respect the other sex. Not to "struggle against social injustices and fight for gender equality" although it might help in some ways, but after all it will be still "struggling" and "fighting" and how long do we want husbands and wives to be doing that?

Font Size

Mr. Goh

I know that you have commented on my font size before. I have taken note of that and tried to make the fonts in my recent posts of a legible size. However, some postings still have quite small font sizes even after adjusting. I'm not quite sure how else I can adjust the sizes. I apologize for the inconveniences this has caused.



Clarence

Britney Spears goes bald

CNN Website:-http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/17/britney.bald.ap/index.html

Queen of Whack, Britney Spears, has apparently chopped off her locks in her search for a fresh start. The controversial singer has had a troubled 2006 which ended in her divorce from fellow artiste Kevin Federline.

Britney is no stranger to making news in the tabloids and has ever since she started her music career back in early 2000.

Perhaps that intense scrutiny of the media and the public has taken its toll on one of pop cultures more recent icons. An emotional Britney told her hairstylist that her mom was not going to like what she was about to do.

Since she started singing, Britney has enjoyed a glittery pop career, constantly churning out number one hits, earning her millions of fans all across the world. However, it has not been all that glamorous recently. In recent years, Britney has been constantly making the news for all the wrong reasons, from marrying a guy in a drunken stupor to turning up at public events without her underwear. Many wonder if she has gone the way of Mr Whacko Jacko, Michael Jackson, the King of Pop back in the 90s.

Thanks to evolving technology, celebrities now live life under the public's scrutiny almost 24/7. Paparazzis make life almost unbearable for them as their every move is reported in the weekly tabloids. I must concede that these "superstars" are human beings too. Britney Spears however seems to be making one too many of these "human errors". I believe that as role models, celebrities have to lead an exemplary life. Yes there is no doubt one is bound to commit a mistake here and there, but to do it on such a regular basis shows their young impressionable fans that as long as you have fame and money, you can do anything! Including stuff that makes you look really stupid.

Pastor with 666 tattoo claims to be divine

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/16/miami.preacher/index.html

Some know Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda as the reincarnate of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, many others know him as one of the many modern day heretics that claim to be the returning Christ, coming to build his church.

Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda pastors a church made up of thousands all around the world, but mainly Hispanics. He is based in Florida in a church where followers gather weekly to sing songs of love and adoration to "Papa" Jose, some going as far as making six-figured donations to express their feelings to the man they know as God.
Some have even bought him luxury items such as Rolex watches, a BMW convertible as well as multi-million corporations.

In these days, fanatical religious groups are not uncommon but many experts have classifed Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda's one as a dangerous cult. The followers admire their leader so much that if one day he was to be exposed as a fake, imagine the trauma it would cause to each and every follower as well as their families.

We must be very careful in choosing the kinds of doctrines we listen and believe in, ultimately questioning ourselves what would become of us if we took those doctrines in. If we ended up like "Papa" Jose's followers giving everything to him, then maybe we should take a few steps back to check and see if we're doing the right thing. This man has no proof that he is the Son of God and in recent media interviews has conveniently stated that he does not perform miracles like Jesus did in biblical days. The reason being he has come back to build his church and not to perform miracles. I say leave the Hispanic people alone. For years, they have suffered in many parts of America after escaping from their native country in search of a better life and now they end up throwing away everything to a man who claims to be God. It's one thing to con someone, but to con the multitudes using the name of God, to me that is just utterly disgusting.

U.S. to allow 7,000 Iraqi refugees

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/14/us.iraq.refugees/index.html

In an unprecedented move, President George Bush has announced plans to resettle Iraqi refugees in the United States in perhaps an attempt to divert attention from the poor human rights record the Coalition troops have chalked up in the Middle-East.

Even though this might be a political move, I still feel that President George Bush has done a good thing in moving these Iraqis to his country. With the migration situation in the United States already in a huge mess, President Bush is doing a very brave thing in introducing even more immigrants to his country.

As for these Iraqis, this will bring them much relief from the crisis that has crippled much of the nation. But I really wonder whether the Iraqis are being helped or will they be setup for another fall. A few years ago, President Bush promised the Iraqis freedom from tyranny and a better life. Today, most Iraqis back in Iraq will tell you they had a better life under Saddam then the current regime which is made up of Sectarian Militias and President Bush's troops. So after the move, will these Iraqis be able to settle down properly or will they be subjected to abuse by the American people? Only time will tell.

Tug of war waged over Anna Nicole's mansion

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/11/smith.bahamas.ap/index.html

Anna Nicole Smith left behind a legal mess when she passed away recently. Now, more than 4 man claim to be the biological father of her newborn baby girl as well as heir to her multi-million dollar assets.

I find it a shame that these man have so openly claimed to be the father of this girl in order to inherit Anna Nicole's wealth so soon after her death. One must really wonder how this poor baby girl would react when she learns about this when she's old enough to understand what happened. The rules of the game are pure and simple, prove that you are the father of this girl and you're a millionaire.

I feel that regardless of who the biological father is, the court should award the custody of this baby girl as well as the wealth that Anna Nicole Smith left behind to her enstranged mother. Even though the relationship between Anna Nicole and her mother was not all that rosy, I believe that she would be the only person to take a personal interest in the development of this baby girl and not spend the money on a lavish lifestyle these other man who claim to be the father would. Although she's not an angel, she has proven to have sound character and judgment in reprimanding Anna Nicole for her terrible lifestyle that involved sex, drugs and scandals. My heart goes out to this baby girl who is caught in a middle of a legal battle fueled by jealousy, greed and evil.

China condemns 'foot-brawl' match

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/football/02/09/china.brawl/index.html

In a football match that was suppose to be a friendly, players from the Chinese Olympic team decided to give up their day jobs and engaged in a brawl with players from English side Queens Park Rangers. Even officials from the Chinese team got in the act and it all ended with one Chinese player knocked out cold.

Even though the Chinese are renowned all over the world for their pugilistic skills, I feel there was hardly any reason for them to exhibit their martial art abilities in a middle of a friendly football game. By being an athlete, one has to abide with the rules of the game and under no circumstances behave in any manner that would bring the game into disrepute. However, these Chinese football players, I mean thugs, certainly felt that they had to make a point using violence.

It is needless to say that athletes are very often looked upon as role models, and for a developing country such as China, one that is predicted to become a world leader soon, it is imperative that athletes set a good example for the youths of the nation, who might become future leaders. There is no doubt that competitiveness and a fierce desire for success makes a good team, however it must be balanced with a healthy dose of sportsmanship and the ability to be graceful in the face of defeat.With the next Olympic Games looming, China now has to face a new evil aside from the disgraceful pollution the country is shrouded in. Let's hope that this evil will not rear it's ugly head every again.

Indonesia to declare H5N1 Disaster

Bird Flu Hits Indonesia. Again.

CNN WEbsite: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/31/indonesia.birdflu.ap/index.html

After insisting that the Avian flu was under control for the longest time, the Indonesian authorities have now decided to admit that they have once again failed to control the spread of the H5N1 virus.

Many people would feel that this was inevitable as Indonesia is still an impoverished country and do not have the necessary infrastructure to tackle this deadly disease. However I believe that both farmers and the Government have to take the blame for this recent “turn” of events.

Since 2003, the world has been put on high alert against the threats of a deadly virus called the Avian flu. It is indeed sad to see that Indonesia, after 3 years, are still unprepared to deal with virus that has claimed the lives of many around the world. It is known that Indonesia has had to tackle other domestic problems and kudos to the Government for being able to pay off all their debt to the IMF recently. As much as the Government is making progress, I believe that it is insufficient as the most important thing on the agenda has yet to be settled. Indonesia being one of the world’s largest countries in terms of population size will become one big virus itself if they do not contain the spread of diseases such as the H5N1 virus. We saw how potentially deadly the spread of such diseases can be in the form of SARS from the China-Hong Kong region in 2002 and the world does not need another reminder before we start taking action.

Freed Guantanamo inmate to contest Australian state election

CNN Website:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/255982/1/.html

Surprise, surprise ALP! The Australian Labour Party, the ruling party of the state of New South Wales, Australia, woke up to find out that in next months state elections they will not be up against a Harvard graduate but one from the notorious Guantanamo Bay camp.

Mamdouh Habib, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay has declared his intentions to run for the New South Wales state elections and will be pitting himself against more popular Anglo-Saxon politicians. He is particularly fighting for a seat in Auburn, a suburb home to a large number of Muslims and migrants. Mr. Habib has stated that his intention was to end “the scapegoating of Aborigines, Muslims and migrants”.

I suppose it helps that the suburb he’s running in has people of the same ethnic background as he does. However, I really think that even if Mr. Habib won the elections, how much of an impact would he be able to make on the way the Aboriginal people, Muslims and migrants are treated in Australia? The struggle for respect and equality is a familiar story for any minority group in any country across the world. With his “sterling” credibility, as an ex Camp X-Ray detainee, I’m sure Mr. Habib would be able to touch the lives and capture the hearts of the Australian People. In your dreams Mr. Habib.

If he really wants to make an impact, Mr. Habib would be better off setting up an awareness group to educate people about equality for all races. Being an ex-con in that sense could be a good thing as it is publicity. However, what kind of publicity would you really be receiving? Even after being elected, I’m sure many people would spare the time to hear what Mr. Habib has to say, after all the stories of life in Camp X-Ray could be as entertaining as Arabian Nights.