Monthly Archives: May 2011

The Truth About Music Nobody Will Tell You

We are in the age of Lady Gaga, Rihanna and the like. But what affect are these sort of nonsense-singers having on us? A bigger affect than you would probably think. I know we don’t all listen to the nonsense these two singers produce, but the liklihood is that you listen to something, perhaps, worse. Before I am called a hypocrite, let me clarify my own situation. Yeah, I listen to music (from time to time) but not very often.  

First, don’t tell me you can listen to any music, as much as you want, and it doesn’t change your state of mind. True, music is something we all like to listen to. But something we all need to come to terms with, is that, it can be extremely harmful.

Slow music can make you calm and relaxed; music can even boost your creativity and help you memorise stuff. Classical music has even been found to help digestion and reduce a stress hormone called cortisol. But then again, fast music has been linked with increased aggression and arousal levels. Interestingly, pigs eat more when listening to rock music. And music in retail shops can make us stay longer, and therefore increases the likelihood of us buying something.

Why do I mention all of this? Well, the truth is, music can alter your brainwaves and therefore your behaviour, and ultimately, your attitudes. Your brain absorbs information, whether we realise it or not, and if we are constantly exposed to something, it can become imprinted into your subconscious. If, however, music was mostly positive and about things which could benefit us, then of course, there’s no problem. This isn’t the case though, is it? I would say 95% of the mainstream music that we are all forced to listen to everyday- whether we be: in the gym, shops, work, bus etc – is all a bunch of nonsense; mainly about sex (unmarried sex, of course), egoism, why money is everything and violence. In other words, all the stuff promoted in the secular and selfish society we live in. But who cares, ay? After all there isn’t a God is there…?

Music, however, is just one instrument used to indoctrinate us. There is also the TV. Have you ever seen somebody so engrossed with what they are watching on TV, it seems as if they are almost in a trance? It’s like you could wave your hand in front of their face but they wouldn’t notice. Do you know why this is?  TV is made up of waves-just like your brain is. And when you watch TV, often, but not always, the two waves (from the TV and your brain) become entrained, until they become synchronised together. Once we are in this state, we are susceptible to subconscious messages… Don’t believe me? Research it.

Anyway, get back to your Lady Gaga and Rihanna mantra. ‘I’ll do what I want and nobody will tell me what I should do with my life’. Yep. At your own peril.

And, oh yeah, new official studies show mobile phones can cause brain tumours. Damn it. I like my Iphone. What exactly can we do without it damaging us!?!?

by Omar Shahid

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Britain & America Have Failed in Afghanistan: It’s Time To Pull Out

It’s all to obvious to most of us, apart from David Cameron and Barack Obama perhaps, that the war in Afghanistan has been a failure. Well, to be honest, most of the wars our country and the U.S. goes into ends in failure. Strategically, when the US, the world’s greatest military power, and NATO, the world’s strongest military alliance, can’t win against a poorly armed insurgency after a decade long war, then they have lost in terms of deterrence and prestige. Now is the time to pull out, unless of course, our leaders want our soldiers to continue being killed. And killed for what? 

We are told the war was initiated to quell the terrorism emerging from Afghanistan, and to help the country become a more stable state. But as long as the country is occupied by foreigners, especially imperialistic foreigners, the status quo will never change for the better. The feelings of the Taliban towards its western occupiers, and that of the western countries towards the Taliban is mutual: they both see each other as a threat. The Taliban believe their country has been illegally invaded and is under constant attack by the ‘kuffar’ (disbelievers) who are sending drones into their country-killing scores of civilians in the process in the guise of ‘collateral damage.’ The Taliban in both Afghanistan and Pakistan also see their respective governments as the enemy who are working in conjunction with the ‘kuffar.’ And so their suicide bombings and indiscriminate killings of their own countrymen are aimed attacks on their on government in an attempt to further destabilise the establishment.

It’s simple. America and Britain have invaded Afghanistan to counter the terrorism in the country. But what our leaders fail to realise is that the very reason why much of this terrorism exists is because they continue to stupidly invade countries and kill civilians. So we invade countries, to fight terrorism, which we have caused in the first place. It doesn’t make sense. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad summed it up nicely when he said: “They [America] created terrorism, and now all they want to do is fight it.” 

Afghanistan has been an unstable country for decades with rival armed groups fighting for sectarian power. By the mid 1990′s, Afghanistan became divided into spheres of control. The Mujahideen, who fought the Soviet Union, and who later became the Taliban in 1996, have had their fair share of support from the USA, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The U.S. backed the Mujahideen for obvious reasons. Saudi Arabia condone and encourage the Wahabi-like approach endorsed by the Taliban with their extremist version of Islam. And Pakistan, obsessed with their neighbours India, have often protected and aided the Taliban to counter India’s influence in Afghanistan.

Pakistan and America have a complicated relationship and the two countries often betray each other. Although Pakistan has received billions of dollars to help fight terrorism, they, in effect, abuse the role America have given them and often help to sustain and shape the Afghan taliban- undermining America’s mission.

The Taliban get recruits from ordinary afghans who want to avenge the killings of loved ones and who are fed up of the poverty, occupation and corruption endemic in their country- all exascerbated, of course, by the west. Britain and America are fighting a war they cannot win. Efforts would be better spent in the Arab countries, where the people are tiresomely fighting the tyranny of their oligarchic dictators. The $1million dollars to keep a single soldier in Afghanistan for a year is a waste of money. Bring the soldiers home! Although most of them will come back injured, mentally ill and suicidal…

by Omar Shahid

pictures from the Telegraph & Daily Mail

Britain is not France, but will we see the burqa ban in this country?

Xenophobia is on the rise in Europe, and, most probably, reaching an all time high. The views purveyed by the likes of the Dutch politician Geert Wilders, French presidential candidate Marie Le Pen et al, have become increasingly fashionable because of a number of factors. These include: the rise in populism, identity politics (targeting Muslims) and the economic recession.

On April 11th, the French government lead by Nicolas Sarkozy, introduced the ban on the face veil, and anyone found wearing the ‘burqa’ will now be fined €150. The ban-although widely criticised by Muslims around the world- provoked limited backlash in France, where a distinct separation between church and state is seen as key to a civil society. But what is it that has lead to –what many believe to be-such a hostile country, so intolerant and xenophobic?

Before we come to Britain, we must first ask: porquoi no burqa in France? Perhaps the first reason is the rise in the National Front party, now led by the charismatic and increasingly popular Marie Le Pen. Some have been quick to claim that Sarkozy opted to emulate Le Pen’s right wing stance, and in doing so, decided to ban the burqa. This may, or may not be true. Sarkozy, in June 2009, said the burqa wasn’t “welcome” in France- three years, of course- before Le Pen became the second President of the National Front. So, in fact, there may not be a link between the two.

Worryingly for Sarkozy, a new poll this month reveals that a dwindling 21% of voters support the President, whereas Le Pen remains popular and it is therefore no wonder why he is moving to the right of the political spectrum. But what remains to be seen is if countries such as our own-which prides itself on tolerance and equality-will follow the trend and ban the burqa.

Indeed, with the burqa ban in France, it will now be easier for other countries to follow suit. A YouGov survey earlier this year, taking the views of the British public, highlighted that 67% of people want full-face veils outlawed. This will give fuel to the fascist, far right parties such as the EDL and BNP and, perhaps, it will be only a matter of time until we hear virulent propaganda from the right wing pressurizing the government to take action.

Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has called the burqa ‘overpowering.’ Philip Hollobone, MP, is another critic of the burqa and has previously tabled a private member’s bill that would make it illegal for anyone to cover their face in public. “Covering your face in public is strange, and to many people both intimidating and offensive,” he said.

Britain prides itself on being a tolerant society and the blur between state and religion has always been far harsher in France. But, thinking from a purely pragmatic point of view, why should we ban the burqa-what harm does it actually do? When one is naked in the privacy of their home, no harm is done. Likewise, what harm is done when one’s face is covered?

One of the main arguments propounded by not only Muslims, but also secularists, is this:  if pornography, and women intent on dressing in the skimpiest outfits is not only accepted, but the norm, how odd is that a woman who wants to cover up to ward off gazes has become some sort of anathema.

According to Tariq Ramadan, Islamic Scholar and Professor at Oxford University, the burqa is not an Islamic obligation. However, what he does believe, and so do other prominent western scholars like Hamza Yusuf, is that freedom of choice is imperative in any society, and the government’s role is not to dictate what people can or cannot wear. It’s an intrusion of human rights-or so the argument goes.

Leader of the UKIP party, Nigel Farage has also added his voice to the debate, saying: “There is nothing extreme or radical or ridiculous” about banning the burka. This statement, in fact, seems to encapsulate the whole issue. Although the burqa ban seems wholly unlikely in this country, if we were to see a surge in right wing politics, many question whether there be much resistance against a ban?

David Cameron, the UK’s Prime Minister, infuriated many people with his speech on multiculturalism, which was perceived by many as inflammatory and a guise for attacking the Muslim community, and after that, led the country into its third war with a Muslim country in 10 years, namely Libya. Cameron, however, has been sensibly quiet on the whole issue of the burqa since his inception as PM, and for the time being; with the economy, Libya and the NHS on his mind, it would be foolish for him to delve into such polemical issues.

Pakistan: The Cursed State America Will Never Abandon

Pakistan is the only Muslim country in the world with nuclear weapons. It’s quite ironic if you think about it. Of all the Muslim countries…Pakistan? The ‘almost failed state’ which is crisis-ridden, plagued by Islamist insurgents, corrupt leaders, no democracy, and, of course, fraudulent cricket players. Why on earth does America continue to give it billions of dollars a year-what use does this ‘cursed state’ have for America? The answer is in my first sentence. Nuclear weapons.

Pakistan’s population is more than half the size of the entire Arab world with a population of 180 million. Despondently though, the majority of the people live in the depths of poverty, while the country’s uneducated and crooked leader’s, refuse to develop the country’s economy and civil institutions, instead, distribute patronage to their clan and cronies.

The country has been ricocheting between military and civilian governments for decades- each one failing one after another. The military-although ensure stability-can’t make the country develop and prosper. The civilian governments (who are probably worse) time after time end up being a bunch of crooks who suck the country of its money.

The governments of Pakistan and America are supposedly close allies, but often betray each other with repetitive regularity. Although I doubt the Pakistani government were complicit in hiding Osama bin Laden, some elements within the ISI (Pakistan’s Intelligence service) and the Army-who often work together-would have known. The relationship between the Pakistani and American governments will further be complicated and damaged by the finding of bin Laden in Abbottobad, Pakistan. Both governments are supposedly angry at each at the moment.America is furious that the Pakistani government were so negligent with bin Laden. And Pakistan claim they are annoyed that America disrespected their sovereignty by coming into Pakistan without permission.

America cannot afford to abandonPakistan though, for one simple but enormous reason. If one day Pakistan were to throw off their shackles, gain some freedom, and instate an ‘Islamist’ government (possessing nuclear weapons) who refused to bow down to America; seeing them for who they really are…a country that abandoned Pakistan for India after the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and a country that sends drones every other day into their country killing civilians in the process, America, in effect, would be screwed. America cannot afford to let this happen and that is why they will continue to ‘befriend’ Pakistan. For, in many people’s opinion, America’s ultimate aim is to take Pakistan’s nuclear weapons from them to prevent any disaster in the future.

So what now? Pakistanis in a big mess. It’s on the verge of becoming a failed state. And the idiots in government may only have a limited time before the Army-who possess the real control over the country’s affairs- force the current government to relinquish power and… take over once again.

by Omar Shahid

God & Evolution-Can A Belief In God & Evolution Be Reconciled?

In recent times, the theory of evolution’s cogency has become too ubiquitous for me to deny its veracity. When I was younger, I was indoctrinated, to an extent, to believe that the evolution theory was wholly incompatible with my belief in God and therefore some sort of anathema. What I have found, however, is that the people purporting such things not only had a very pejorative and regressive interpretation of their religion, but were also ignorant of science.

Many sects of Christianity have adopted evolution into their religious beliefs but, within the religion of Islam, it has largely been ignored, often dismissed. Of course, there have been many intellectual Islamic exegetes such as, Nuh-Ha Mim Keller, who have written fascinating commentaries of the compatibility of Islam and Evolution. In fact, it is because of his insightful exegesis that I have written this, and I therefore owe him my gratitude. Below is a brief summation of why I believe a belief in God and evolution is compatible.

First, let me clarify something. Natural selection and random mutation-both facets of the materialistic idea of evolution- cannot, in my opinion, be conciliated with a belief in theism; deism perhaps.

To say that causes and effects happen in and of themselves is to associate others with God and therefore a form of disbelief. It is God, and God alone who creates the cause and effect and conjoins the two. This leads to my second point, which is that God does not place the capacity within a cause and effect which then make them independent of God.

Seeing that evolution does occur-according to substantiated scientific research-what role does God have in it? God is in complete control and has complete knowledge of everything-significant or minor-that takes place within the universe. It is therefore by God’s will that evolution occurs and not through autonomous nature or random mutation.

Indeed, it is possible that human beings may have evolved from something else, we may have had a different form when we first existed. But have we evolved from animal primates or do we share a common ancestor? I would say no. Why? First, there is inconclusive scientific evidence , and secondly, the creation story of Adam and Eve, I believe, is not a myth but a true account of the first two human beings, not monkeys. What did these two original human beings look like? We don’t know and there’s no point trying to guess.

I’m not going to pretend I have extensive knowledge about science, because I don’t, but to summarise: a belief in macro-evolutionary evolution and variation of non human species can be reconciled with a belief in God.

And God knows best.

By Omar Shahid

Vote YES to AV

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On Thursday we have the opportunity to make the British electoral system a better one. Indeed, the referendum which gives us the choice of voting for a ranked choice electoral system is not perfect, but, it is better than our current system. These are the reasons why you should vote Yes tomorrow.

Our current First Past The Post system has major flaws. Many MPs have safe seats across the country, meaning that there are constituencies that will always generally vote for a particular political party. This leaves millions of citizens feeling disenfranchised and that their votes change nothing. AV will change this.

The current system isn’t proportional either. The Lib Dems, for example, won a quarter of all votes in last year’s elections, but only gained 1 in every 10 seats.

In the current system, a party can win with only 30% of the total vote, so how is it democratic when 70% of voters didn’t vote for them? The AV system, however, means that MPs will have to gain more than 50% of votes to win in their respective constituency, but if they don’t, the votes of the second and third choice candidates will be added up until their is a 50% majority. This is, without doubt, a more democratic system.

The latest polls show the ‘No’ campaign is 32 points ahead. But there’s still time to change your mind.

I hope the arguments I have adduced not only make sense, but also show you why AV is a better system- albeit an imperfect one. Indeed AV does have its flaws, but it will increase democracy and decrease kleptocracy. And, oh yeah, the Tories don’t want AV, that is probably the best reason why you should vote for it.

By Omar Shahid

*Picture above taken from front page of The Economist, edition 18*

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead & So Is His Ideology

Whoever said America was a selfish country was wrong. I mean, they waited until after the Royal Wedding to kill Bin Laden didn’t they?

Just as an air of suspicion and conspiracy seems to linger on about 9/11, there certainly seems to be something odd, once again, about the death of Bin Laden. No pictures, well not so far anyway, and then burying him in the sea…

So, 10 years after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, the worlds most advanced and powerful country, spending millions, if not billions in the process, have killed ‘the worlds most wanted man’.

Bin Laden had openly declared in the past that his enemies would never take him alive, and earlier this morning, we are told that he tried to defend himself as the Americans took his life. As to those who ask ‘why didn’t they capture him alive?’ – the answer is obvious. You can’t capture a man who probably had a machine gun in his hand and is not afraid to die.

We are also told Bin Laden was residing in a palace in Abbottabad, Pakistan, near a military academy. So, obviously, the Pakistani intelligence service, the ISI, were protecting him; well, until now of course. The ISI is a very complicated organisation with many different ideologies and views within it. And, possibly, due to pressure from Pakistani President Asif Zardari, or money given to certain individuals in the ISI, a faction within the dissenting Pakistani organisation gave up Bin Laden by providing America with the intelligence of his whereabouts.

Where does this leave Al Qaeda? Let us not forget this group was, of course, formed by America in the 1980′s to fight the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. In my opinion, the Al Qaeda ideology has been made bankrupt with the recent Arab uprisings, as the protesters in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya et al have shown that change is indeed possible-not by blowing up buildings- but by coming together in solidarity to demand change. These protestors have not called for an Islamic caliphate-like Bin Laden so vehemently has- but for freedom, justice and human rights.

The worlds most wanted man came from an extremely wealthy family, and by the age of 14, inherited $300 million. What led this billionaire to commit the atrocious acts on 9/11? There must have been a reason. But this reason is never discussed. We never hear ‘why’? In the resulting ‘war on terror’ which ensued after 9/11,which has ‘justified’ the killing of millions of innocent people in the process, America has created even more terrorists. Indeed, extremism has become rampant in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan as a result of foreign occupation since 2001 by the meretricious American cowboys. But until America changes their imperialistic foreign policy- no matter who they kill- they will never be safe.

And for all those people who are a tad confused. It was Saif al Arab Gaddafi, not Saif al Islam Gaddafi that was killed in Libya. In other words, the crazy guy is still alive.