pEvening Diary

Playing Creator

2007-07-07T23:36:00.000+04:00

Playing Creator(www.gulfnews.com)
7/7/07

Playing creator Recent news about genome technology will create a moral crisis ("World on brink of artificial life with genome transplant", Gulf News, June 30). This discovery will question the basic foundation of faith. The idea that man is attempting to be a creator means that man is trying to "play God".
But the fact remains that man is treading into many forbidden areas and creating doubts in the minds of people on basic tenets of faith. If man can create a living thing then he can of course manipulate it as per his requirements!
Mr Ahsan Ghori,Abu Dhabi

What went wrong in Lal Masjid

2007-07-07T23:33:00.000+04:00

What went wrong in Lal Masjid (http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/)
7 July 2007

LIFE is a God-given gift. How elated and thankful one feels when a child is born! One cannot understand how a person is brainwashed in a way as to make him give away his life by killing himself and many others for what is termed “a better and blissful after life”. It defies logic.One has to live his or her life in this earth and do whatever good he or she can do for the wellbeing of the mankind. Radicalism leads one nowhere. If the Islamic cleric who heads the mosque was arrested while trying to escape in a burqa, it shows what a coward he is. As the saying goes, a ship should have only one captain. In the same way, a country should have only one leader; and the rule of law should be followed by all. If everyone starts framing their own rules for others, it only leads to chaos, as is currently witnessed in Pakistan.
— Ahsan Ghori

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Saddam days were better

2007-06-26T22:30:00.001+04:00

Saddam days were better
24 June 2007
THE photos of starving, neglected and abused special-needs children of an Iraqi orphanage that have appeared in the media two days ago were horrifying indeed. Our heart bleeds and eyes shy away when we have a look at it. Children, especially special-needs children, need more care and affection. Who is to be blamed for the plight of these unfortunate children? Is it the war, or Saddam Hussein, or the children themselves, for being born as special-needs children with no voice of their own. These are all signs of the effect the war has on Iraq. People are in a state of shock, and are benumbed as they see bombs exploding everyday, corpses lying on the roads, places of worship being blown up and violence taking precedence over everything.A state of senselessness is what war brings; and now, who is to be blamed? Saddam? Unfounded weapons of mass destruction (WMD)? Democracy? Now we feel Saddam was a lesser evil.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Friendly fire,really?

2007-06-26T22:27:00.000+04:00

Friendly fire, really?
21 June 2007
IT'S called “friendly fire”, as yet another unfriendly act kills more civilians in Afghanistan. How much can one country bear this collateral damage by air strikes which are supposed to be state-of-the-art precision strikes? It precisely misses the mark or kills civilians, especially children.The American forces claim they targeted terrorists and blame terrorist groups for whatever loss of civilians and children on the ground that these terrorists used them as human shields. By the ill-coordinated and drastic actions by American forces, the future of these unfortunate children is lost and the wrath of the public is all they accumulate instead of winning the hearts and minds of the people. Their mission in Afghanistan will be hard to achieve if they do not accept responsibilities for their action and do the best to correct and halt the killings by friendly fire or whatever euphemisms they tacitly use. I do not understand how easily they shift the blame onto the terrorists and evade responsibilities for their actions.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

The Pagans of the 21st century

2007-06-26T22:26:00.000+04:00

The pagans of the 21st century
14 June 2007
I FAIL to understand how a killing can bring honour to a family. A father killing his own daughter for the glory of the family? What a shame! One cannot imagine how regressive the people of certain societies are in this progressive 21st Century. Psychologists say children are under the control of parents until they reach their teens and it is the duty of every parent to impart whatever family values and mould the child’s behaviour in their young age. But during teenage, many parents forget the role they must be playing in their children’s life, and when they go wrong, make a lot of fuss. It is the parent who must take the blame for not playing the role he or she should in normal course have played in the upbringing of their children. Saving lives can bring honour; not taking lives.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi
PS: I wrote this after reading in a daily about a father murdering his daughter for not accepting his choice and eloped with her love.

Dress Code

2007-06-26T22:25:00.000+04:00

On dress code
19 June 2007CULTURAL ingress brings with it alien habits and it is unavoidable in a cosmopolitan city and the fastest growing country in the world like the UAE. People learn about different dressing habits. I have seen many Europeans wearing local, traditional dress and likewise, I have seen people from other cultures trying out various Western outfits. There is no harm if people accept any dress code and do not breach the privacy of the person. Women wearing revealing outfits attract unwanted attention from the opposite sex. So I think it is prudent for women to dress modestly and avoid feeling uncomfortable.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

War For Peace

2007-06-26T22:24:00.000+04:00

War for Peace
It is 40 years since the infamous Arab Israel war and no signs of peace in the near future or the will to resolve the issue. The Israelis have bitten a little too much what is not their own and now is suffocating and no medicine have any effect to cure the sickness. The only way out when something is choking you is to take it out and leave it where it belongs. This way the whole structure will be safe and healthy as simple as that. The Israelis are asking for their right to be recognized and I am sure Arabs have no problem accepting Israel as long as they give up all that they have grabbed during the course of the war. During this era of Globalization it doesn’t make sense if anyone talk about isolating one country over other instead one should talk about coexistence with one another and improving relations continuously As time passes it is bound to become one global world where there is peaceful coexistence between people in this planet. This God given wonder to humanity is not yours not mine but ours & if we accept this we can see the transformation towards peace we all sought for. Let us all go out in warfooting pace to resolve issues for peace and peaceful co existence & say no to war which polute the world.We need to clean up the mess, the damage caused by war to the humanity & to environment.Let peace prevail to keep the world the beautiful place it was and it will be.
Ahsan ghori

PLUNDER RESOURCES

2007-06-26T22:22:00.000+04:00

Resources exploited.

The gulf between poor and the rich will remain and there will be a disparity until some mechanism is put in place to stop the hording of wealth by rich and exploiting the poor. The best systems is for the rich to share their wealth as no wealth is their own but only God’s wealth and are duty bound to share the wealth as per various religious doctrines. The basis of religious charity is to help the poor and the downtrodden. This they claim as duty towards GOD & following Gods path and Gods wishes.
Many crimes in this world are committed by people who have wealth and by those who don’t have it.
The recent study shows that the poverty is reducing in the world for the first time and the reason for this to happen is globalization.
Countries like India, China are for the first time growing in economy after being plundered of their resources innumerable times. This time the exploitation of resources is a different kind of resource namely cheap educated labor. The multi national companies want to exploit this available labor to their benefit by setting up companies and making bases to increase their profitability which otherwise could be less if globalization had not happened. Never the less since investments are pouring into the poor countries the labor & also countries economy is benefited. The process of development of these countries is there for everybody to see. Is it for the good or bad only time will tell.
Many industries are being set up and with it pollution is also increasing at a rapid pace.
One gains material wealth but loses natural wealth and tranqulity.The developed countries are now talking about climate change and stopping emission of harmful gases.
The developing countries will now again bear the brunt of this new calamity since all the industries are now being set up in these countries and they cannot stop it as the expanding economy of the country is a string attached to it. Our zeal to improve our economy and bask in the glory of wealth will somehow again cause us harm in the name of health and once again the country will bear the burnt of exploitation.But during the transition period some will enjoy the benifits of wealth and feel happy about it.But if you consider the future one can clearly forsee what is to come.
The west will once again enjoy the fruits of our resources that are of cheap labor.One may ask well,How the hell then can we improve ourselves?The best way is to do things the Indian way and not ape the western ways.The simple reason being when we ape we only follow or imitate.To become leaders we should have our own ideology & and strong positive views.As we want to hold on to our values and customs we need to hold on to our own ideas and believe in ourselves.That is the way forward.The way things are moving it is leading towards total caos.The baloon is expanding only to be burst.
Ahsan ghori

Tony's Words,Deeds

2007-06-16T22:09:00.000+04:00

Tony's Words,Deeds

14 May 2007
TONY Blair's decision to resign came as no surprise, and his speech last week outlined his achievements during his tenure while he apologised for his failures. What struck me most was when he said that his job was not the toughest one in the world; and that the more tough jobs were of the parents of disabled children and disabled people. The question is, how many people have been maimed in Iraq by the war that he fought along with Bush for the past four years? Does he have a count? Or, how many have been killed, and how many have been orphaned? All the same, I admire Blair's oratorial skills which helped him overcome the opposition many a time.
Ahsan ghori,Abudhabi

People as people

2007-06-16T22:08:00.000+04:00

People as people
21 January 2007
THE exposure by media of racism involving an Indian diva in Big Brother reality show proves, if anything, the intolerance and cultural hypocrisy of some people. Racism is prevalent in its various forms all over the world. It affects the common man and many suffer it silently for obvious reasons. When people go to live in developed countries as minorities, these things happen. I believe racism can be eradicated only if people accept people as humans irrespective of their class, creed, colour, sect and gender.All religions basically teach people to respect one another, but what we see now all over the world is only disrespect and violence, against each other, be it physical or mental.
- Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Surge,cut,What more?

2007-06-16T22:05:00.000+04:00

Surge, cut, what more?
23 February 2007
A SURGE of troops from Uncle Sam and then a withdrawal from his running mate in the Iraq expedition, namely Great Britain. And, America praising the British move. What is happening?All these seem like a joke at the expense of the Iraqi people. Does anyone have a plan to help America come out of the Iraqi quagmire? It is all politics and the people are doomed to suffer.What happens in Iraq will continue and it will have its own repercussions irrespective of the surge and withdrawal. Iraq will get back to its feet one day but in the process thousands and thousands of lives will be lost.
- Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Letter to Editor-Jan 2007

2007-01-13T22:22:00.000+04:00

Al Maliki’s failure (www.khaleejtimes.com)
9 January 2007

EID is a festival of sacrifice. As such, the execution of Saddam Hussein on that day was wrong; yet, however, his supporters say he died like a lion. They mean he sacrificed his life for the people of Iraq. Prime Minister Al Maliki’s claim is that the people celebrated Saddam’s death and that the execution was a gift for those who were maltreated by Saddam and his regime. But, by choosing the day of sacrifice for the execution, the government has inadvertently made him a martyr. The aim of capital punishment is to show to the people the fate that awaits those who commit heinous crimes. This aim was not achieved in this case, because of the hurry with which the Iraqi dispensation executed him, and by choosing the wrong day for it to happen.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

People as people
21 January 2007

THE exposure by media of racism involving an Indian diva in Big Brother reality show proves, if anything, the intolerance and cultural hypocrisy of some people. Racism is prevalent in its various forms all over the world. It affects the common man and many suffer it silently for obvious reasons. When people go to live in developed countries as minorities, these things happen. I believe racism can be eradicated only if people accept people as humans irrespective of their class, creed, colour, sect and gender.All religions basically teach people to respect one another, but what we see now all over the world is only disrespect and violence, against each other, be it physical or mental.
- Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi
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Letter to Editor Oct 2006

2006-10-12T21:56:00.000+04:00

When in Rome...
14 October 2006(www.khaleejtimes.com)

THIS is with regard to the Khaleej Times Comment, ‘Beyond the veil’ (October 9). There is a saying that when in Rome, do as the Romans do, and I think it is apt in the case in question as well. I agree with the analysis about blending in when we find ourselves in other counties. However, it should be within limits. As regards the argument about the veil, I think that since covering the face is not compulsory, but a matter of personal choice, one should not have too much difficulty in adapting with the climate of the new land, wherever that may be.
- Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Dictates of logic
10 October 2006 (www.khaleejtimes.com)

I FAIL to understand international economic policies. I feel they are against the natural balance and destabilise the equilibrium. As a layman, I simply fail to understand how economists artificially play with numbers in order to bring about price stabilisation. To me, the dictates of logic would suggest that if a commodity is found in abundance, its prices should reduce, but that is not always the case in the international market.

I believe that the people have the right to use God’s given abundance. Why can’t the doctrine of comparative advantage dictate trade as per theory, so in the end countries can have some of everything, but giving what that have more of for something they have less of?

At the moment, there is unnerving trade imbalance in the international market. One fails to understand what the fruits of centuries of progress have amounted to. Why can’t trade be fair to one and all?

If a strong realisation does not set in, and drivers of the global economy remain oblivious to the real needs of countries and people comprising them, then there is little hope for the future of international political economy. The present state of affairs defies the dictates of logic, and to no small extent.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Gods Bounty

2006-10-07T23:21:00.000+04:00

God given Abundance

I fail to understand world economic policies. I feel it is against natural abundance. As a layman, I do not understand how the economists in order to control the price play with the numbers to artificially project & succeed in setting the scene of the world market in the name of value stabilization. To me as per logic when there is an abundance of substance available the price should come down but that is not the case. The people have the right to use God given abundance rather than be pawns moved by power players. Some countries have abundance of resources be it oil, mineral, cultivation, human etc, etc. Why can’t the trade be fair to one & all. Supply to other countries what they don’t have & get what you don’t have and the balance remains equal rather than being tilted in favor of one country over another. There is imbalance in trade only when the power players put little value for the goods you supply against what they offer. Each and every country is blessed with resources by GOD but the devil in the people have created the inequality and hence caused to form the G -8,Super powers, First world ,second world, third world where in reality there is only one world. God never will like people to suffer in his bounty but the whole scenario we now see is created by people, who out of sheer greed manipulated the simple logic of give & take and be fair.
Initially, it was looting of wealth from countries, which were rich in resources and now the new ploy of threatening the countries with sanctions. If it goes on like this the balance can never be equal but tilted in favor of power whereas the aim of the people living in this world should be to become equal in all respects. Strive to abolish 1st 2nd & 3rd world & become one happy free world in the real sense. Never control anything that you have more than you need but give it to others who don’t have. Isn’t that the basic principle which we are flouting. Why do we control & accumulate? Think about it.
Ahsan Ghori

Created & Lost

2006-09-24T01:20:00.000+04:00

Created & Lost

Point to ponder. God is the creator but does he have control over his creation. If you look at the things logically you will understand that anything that is created is for a purpose. Its end result is very much in the view of the creator when he decides to create something. Similar to that concept God also has the end result predetermined.
But as any object there is a chance of malfunction and misuse. If that happens the object is either condemned or repaired. By repairing the object it is again put to use for the purpose it was meant to be. If it is of no use then it is condemned. Also there is fixed life for the object & never can it go on & on for ever. As the object is given a guide line for best performance similarly mankind is given a guideline for best performance.
But the irony is the object after being created is at the mercy of the user and the creator has no control over it, mankind also I believe is completely out of control of its creator.
Let me give a simple example to make my point clear.
The creator of a chair is a carpenter & the creator is always outside the object. So is God as he has created the universe & everything within. He as per logic should be surely outside the universe. Our mind is limited to comprehend God. I believe in supreme power. Common sense says there is something more powerful than us. But all the rest doesn’t make sense. For example in the case of the object, chair, the carpenter has no control over it as soon as it goes out from his hand. Who use it, damage it or whatever is not under his control and that is the same logic with human creation. God’s job is done with the creation and whatever happens after that is all independent of his creation. It is action, reaction & consequences. It leads from one stage to another & all are consequences of deviation from the guide line.
Like the chair if it is used for the purpose it is created, it serves the purpose, but if used other than for the purpose, then its action has different connotation & the creator can only stand by and watch.
The reality is as the deviation by mankind has already occurred from the guideline he set for us to follow what we now see is consequences of the deviation. The creator is just watching. This I think will explain the reason why God is not in Muslim Ummahs side & we find destruction all around us.We time and again ask ourselves why is God not helping us? He simply cannot because we already have deviated. We have to bear the consequences and that is the rule of law.
What I mean is we have taken a different course.Can we come back into the right course is the point to ponder........

The Twisted War Game

2006-07-23T22:46:00.000+04:00

The Twisted War Game

Two soldiers kidnapped = multiples of 100 civilians murdered(Lebanon).
How can one justify this equation? Isn’t it grossly disproportionate? I think this absurd logic is what Bush, Rice and their coterie believe in. To justify an act by coining a word called terrorism, using it as & when they please, killing & maiming innocent civilians, displacing communities, depriving livelihood & the end result of creating havoc & lasting civil war. In the world stage US allows this to happen directly or indirectly.
Isn’t there a better way to tackle terrorism? I am sure there is and the need of the hour is to use non violent ways effectively. To quash the ideology of terrorist has to be the focus of world powers and efforts should be made to remove it from the root. The mind & attitude of people should be changed to respect human beings. Therein lays the solution.
To achieve that the first & foremost should be to gain the confidence of the people and use that human force to drive terrorist out rather than using brutal fire power which is not giving the desired results as we have seen it time and again boomerang. The number of terrorists is miniscule but the reach & support they have with people is enormous. The basics are simple that is people are not happy with the government policies and so terrorists exploit this to their advantage. Many countries oppose the action of US but are compelled to ignore because of dependency & lack of support.
To maintain equilibrium in a balance we need two equal weights and so is the power play in the world politics but right now we have tilted balance because US is the sole superpower. All world players big & small need to dance to their tune. This dance will soon become a break dance & then the unthinkable will happen.
That is when the other countries unite & say enough is enough and it will then culminate to the great East West War. Is this the future America is envisaging? If America wants a peaceful world then it should drastically change its foreign policy and find alternate ways to combat terrorism. I would say they are now sophisticatedly primitive in the sense they are supporting the principle of give 2 take 200 so that the other is lost in the count of numbers. They need to understand numbers don’t work in this game.
If this war game is played there will be no winners & the only looser will be Humanity.
Ahsan Ghori

Sick Mind Of Terroist

2006-07-22T20:06:00.000+04:00

Sick Mind Of Terrorist

I always wondered what goes on in the mind of the terrorist when he gears himself to carry the ghastly act of killing innocent civilians. The Bombay train blast killed hundreds of innocent civilians who where commuting from work place to home as there daily routine to earn bread for their family. Whatever be the ideology of terrorists there is no reason whatsoever for blowing off innocent civilians in this brutal way. One cannot comprehend why men cannot come out from the primitive state of killing one another.
How many families lost their livelihood by the death of their loved ones? Why do these terrorist have to resort to such kind of brutality when they very well know that they cannot achieve any bargaining power after carrying out these activities instead they loose out in the process when there is retaliation from the other side & they end up loosing whatever sympathy they had mustered because of the suppression from the powers that rule.
To my understanding the terrorist can have only three motives.
To let the world know that they can strike and cause damage to the systems of the country and that is why they own responsibility for the acts they commit.
Retaliation for the sufferings they possibly would have undergone because of government aided forces or policies & hence they are now blank in their mind & only thought is revenge with no restrictions.
To gain bargaining power by carrying out these activities

Terrorists & their sympathizers believe strongly that they will win if not in this life at least in the afterlife as they have been fed with distorted versions of holy books that they have a guaranteed place in the paradise. This of all is the prime motivation of their movements as man will not fight if failure is in sight & the reward is hell. The best way to suppress terrorist is to destroy their ideology & make them feel they will not be rewarded.
If we follow the tit for tat policy it will only breed more terrorist and I can say right now we are in the skewed path in the fight against terrorism. We need to change our strategy to destroy the virus that causes sickness.
Ahsan Ghori

Letter to Editor June 2006

2006-06-06T11:18:00.000+04:00

Crumbling curricula (www.khaleejtimes.com)
27 June 2006

AS I read the top story on children sliding into depression (KT, June 25), I wasn’t in the least surprised because we already have curricula to orchestrate this kind of stressful development.Unless we make a real effort to revamp educational systems, even parents must live on the edge.Excessive focus on academics as against declining moral conditioning is to blame.Teachers must complete huge portions in too little time, students need to constantly perform and ‘prove’ and parents share in the anxiety. Children need schooling to develop as whole individuals who can contribute their share to the world.Somewhere along the way, however, we have lost the whole concept, triggering a crazy rat race. Children should enjoy going to school and only when such a day arrives will education triumph.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Quota system in Indian varsities
6 June 2006

MANY articles about reservations in Indian universities have been printed in newspapers, and captured the attention of layman. I am for reservation because it has a humanitarian idea of bringing inequality towards equality. I believe affirmative action is required if we need to uplift the weaker sections of society. Reservations should start at the base level so that there is ample time to mould the individual to compete at a higher levels, and in that way, efficiency and merit is not compromised.We have to give chance to the weaker members of society. To do that, the best way is go to the roots and try to make it stronger, so that the tree is strong to withstand the storms of life. So in toto, a common goal to bring equality should be the motto of humanity.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Extinction of XY

2006-05-25T23:28:00.000+04:00

Pointing towards Extinction of XY

The telltale sign for the extinction of the male species from the family of Homo sapiens is what we see the way things are progressing in this world. The research is progressing towards unisex in future and it favors the female sex.

If they can produce sperms from their own cells(stem cell research) then there is no need for a male role in the process. Procreation is not a problem and the females don’t have to depend on male germ.

Moreover as there are plenty of sperm banks there is no dearth of sperms. If they want babies they can just walk into any sperm banks & choose the baby as per their desire.

What need is there for the male germ? The advent of sperm banks, stem cell research & designer babies means women don’t need men physically for procreation. Stem cell research & gene technology all point towards unisex. The survival of fittest in the unisex scenario favors the female sex. The supposedly weaker sex (anomaly) will finally become stronger & do away with the XY. The option to choose the Childs sex at present in poor countries which lead to female foeticide can be reversed and the futuristic scenario of preference only for same sex will lead to a possibility of male extinction. As I see it everything is falling into place for a woman only world.
The society is disrupting at a rapid pace. Many men are dying in wars & calamities. The Social fabric is at odds all over the world as we see it in our everyday life. The institution of marriage is at cross roads. The role of males as provider no longer holds good. Is it for good or worse we will know only as time passes? Is it Paranoia? No it is not. It is just a forecast for the future years to come.
Ahsan Ghori

Democratic System In India

2006-05-16T10:18:00.000+04:00

Democratic System

Now that the recent elections have concluded in various provinces in India & results are out some pertinent questions came up in my mind.I always had a doubt about the system because it only reflects the majority mandate. Is it then the people’s choice as we call it? It is of course the majority choice even if the margin of victory is very small no doubt about it whatsoever.Now the minority will have to accept defeat and abide by the rule of the people who won in spite of having an ideological difference. So will the people be happy with the rule & policies of the ruling government. Of course not is the answer for those who supported the opposition party.Now as I see it there is a flaw as many are not happy with the decision but will have to accept it. This predicament made me wonder if this system the best after all.Democracy is defined as “Rule of the people for the people, by the people” In democracy many times people vote for who they want not what they want. But is this the right system? I think not. The main thing that makes democracy wrong is that it doesn’t seek out what is best for its citizens but does what majority wants so what about the voice of those minorities who did not agree or lost out in the vote. I do agree democracy is the good system in the face of earth at the moment but it needs a lot of changes to make it the best system. It needs to inculcate the best from other systems to gain acceptance by people world over. Democracy transcends boundaries laid down by religions in the name of freedom of speech. I think man should limit himself of his freedom if it is likely to offend others choice. These laws should be in harmony. The real democracy will be when the government is able to satisfy all the people under its umbrella that is those in their side & those in the opposition by consensus. I feel a lot more refined democracy will be the answer & the world will be a peaceful place if all embrace that.
Ahsan ghori

Reservation Issue

2006-04-12T13:09:00.000+04:00

Reservations In Indian Universities

The basis of Reservations in general is to give a chance for the deprived members of the society to be on par with other members of the society. I agree wholeheartedly with the Government in this regard. I feel it is a good policy but the implementation has gone haywire. Many claim university seats by exploiting the loop holes & by using, money power, political clout etc. They are not deprived in terms of power or economy. Actually the real deprived are still left behind & so the reservation policy becomes ineffective.
The authorities need to plug the loop holes & implement it the best way to serve the purpose it was intended for. Reservation only gives you a place in the university but to graduate from the university the student has to go through the entire process & grind as everyone does. So in principal one should not doubt the credibility of the graduates passing out from the universities be it doctors, engineers or whatever as long as they complete the entire system successfully.

In my opinion if people loose faith about the system of the university then that needs serious thinking. I think more concentration is given on the entrance requirements & exams to the universities rather than the talent or capability of graduates that come out from the university after going through the entire process successfully. I think the product that comes out from the university should be acceptable if the standard for graduating from the university is good & the system follows the norms strictly. So the only concern is that many students who have scored better during the qualifying exams to get admission are bypassed.
As I see it there is only a thin line of difference on the scores for qualifying & in fact the difference is (decimals) in many cases which is negligible. What difference does it make between a person who scores 90% & one who scores 88%.Is there too much of difference in intelligence? Will he make a poor quality professional when he does graduate? I think not. Then why should he be denied a place to join the professional colleges especially if he or she is from those deprived classes. The qualification requirements for entry in the universities are set based on research and any student who could achieve the requirements should be capable enough to succeed. So one cannot say that the student is not fit for the course he is opting if he succeeds in fulfilling the requirements set by university for graduating.

The problem is what about those who were left out because of this clause regarding concession for the deprived. The best solution for this problem is to have better colleges with better infrastructure so that the intake is more & the standards of the product are high. That way all can be accommodated.To have better standards the educational systems should be changed & the product becomes desirable in the job market. This is where the concentration should be rather that fighting against the deprived class. I agree reservation with proper implementation is for a purpose, but it has taken a wrong turn for worse. Let us be more pragmatic. Whenever there is imbalance allocations are made to balance it out.

I felt dismayed when I read the news Doctors go on indefinite fast in the capital because the would-be or the so called doctors who take oath to serve the people are protesting for the wrong reasons & if they are reasonable they wouldn’t deprive the poor who are affected by this strike. I feel they care less for the poor. The attitude of doctors is of prime importance in this noble profession. The society does not require high end doctors who don’t have an attitude to serve the people. If at all they want to protest they have to adopt ways where the care for society is not compromised. It is the same in all professions that are primordially to serve the society in general

Ahsan Ghori

Common wealth & Patriotism

2006-04-12T13:04:00.000+04:00

GAMES & PATRIOTISM

The 28th commonwealth games came to a spectacular end & now all thoughts are towards the next game to be held in India in 2010.The Indian flag held high & a lot of improvement with regards to the Indian medal tally standings on the medal table as India stood 4th overall. The high note was the display of the spectacular event where the former world beauty queen, the bollywood beauties & dancers gave a scintillating performance showing the rich culture & traditions of Indian heritage plus waving to the crowd & pocketing a cool Rs 3 crore for the 11 minute performance. All this is fine & it was a great showmanship. The unacceptable part is when Aishwaria Rai says she did this out of patriotism for her country & I fail to understand this, if it is for patriotism, why the Rs 3 crore for the performance? instead she should be doing it for free. Isn’t this hypocrisy of the highest order? Politicians are to be blamed for the this bollywood mania & the hype they create which makes the crowd go hystrical.The games are a show of endurance & hard work the athletes have to go through to achieve the best for the nation. That is patriotism in my opinion. But for all their effort they are given second class treatment compared to the divas. If you ask the Indian populace to name the athletes who won the medal no one knows but Rani Mukerjeee wow! All know her. I think the government should spend a lot of money to improve the athletes & give them the status they deserve so that many talented youth are encouraged to join sports instead of heading to bollywood.We need to set our priorities right.

Letter to editor -Apr 2006

2006-04-06T08:57:00.000+04:00

On brain power (www.khaleejtimes.com)
6 April 2006

I AGREE with an observation on the Opinions page (KT April-4) about the immaturity of the brain during the teenage, though teenagers consider themselves as being mature. Psychologists say that the frontal cortex of the brain, that controls the sense of reasoning, is not fully matured during teens. So, when one cannot reason, the reactions are haphazard and one tends to take immature decisions based on momentary emotions. We all fall prey to these emotions be it love, hate, or anger, and many a time we realise the folly later and regret. Sometimes it is too late and the damage is already done. I advocate freedom with guidelines, because when we have guidelines, we know the outcome of quality of the product. The same with human relationships as well.
- Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Letter to Editor -March 2006

2006-03-22T08:42:00.000+04:00

English — the universal lingo (www.khaleejtimes.com)
30 March 2006

I READ your Comment, ‘Much ado over language’ (KT, March 26) with great interest. English still has a long way to go to become a global language. Though, at the moment, English is the only language which can stake its claim as a global language. Two-thirds of the world’s population doesn’t speak English.This may be because India and China, the two most thickly populated countries, do not have English as their national language. Languages are in the heart of the people. For example in India, the provinces are demarcated on the basis of languages. Even a country was split on the basis of language and formed like Bangladesh. It is fresh in people’s mind that there are certain languages like Aramaic, Sanskrit, and Latin etc., which have disappeared and are not in use, except in books of reference. So, it is obvious that people like to retain their cultural identity.I think this could be the reason people are so passionate about their language. Also, people are aware that language also brings with it its cultural baggage, and people are hell-bent on maintaining their own culture. This is the root of resentment.The ingress of English language is so powerful that even in remote villages in India, you will find people mixing English words in their native language while communicating.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Appeal of dictators (www.khaleejtimes.com)
22 March 2006

HOW come dictators appeal to people. How can a tyrannical person hold sway on tens and thousands of people and I find it ironic that Milosevic’s coffin was given a public viewing, despite the fact that he was held on charges of crimes against humanity. Milosevic was an evil dictator who presided over the deaths of countless thousands. He died a lot more peacefully than his victims. I expect that even Hitler would have had bleeding hearts follow his casket to hell, but it is hard to mourn the killer when the victims are unavenged.How come people support dictators like Hitler, Mussolini, Saddam Hussain. It really makes me sad that some people talk of Milosevic as if he was a man who had some kind of noble goals of keeping Yugoslavia together. He, of all people, is responsible for Yugoslavia falling apart they way it did. He is also known as the Balkans butcher. Dictators will disappear only when all the people unanimously reject them. These dictators thrive on the weakness of people who support them for their favours to them of power, money and idelogical brainwashing that they feed into the weak minds of the otherwise normal people. There is hope only when people consciously respect humans irrespective of cast, creed, race and gender.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Peace

2006-02-16T10:55:00.000+04:00

Why that is when all religions teach peace there is hatred from the followers of respective religions?
When people are provoked their nature is upset & they are derailed into negativity - the result violent reaction .Islam is tested , provoked time & again & I only hope we do not fall to the impulse reaction of reacting violently as we have seen happening all over the world now . The hatred & violence that has erupted in response to the cartoons are wrong in my opinion & indefensible too. I believe we need to keep peaceful & positive behavior in the face of provocation. We need to be positive model for humanity in this world. Right now humanity is at crossroads.
The name Islam connotes peace. It is a religion for peace & Islamic living is living in peace. All Islamic teachings are oriented towards peace. When we greet a person we say Salaam Alaikum which means peace be on you. When we greet a stranger or any person with those words how can we have hatred. There is no room for hatred in Islam. The conversation begins with peace & ends with peace. The very first verse in the Quran says “In the name of God, the most merciful, the most Compassionate” .Every thing is about compassion, forgiveness & peace. Those who act kindly in this world will have Kindness. God gives highest reward for those who practice peace. If there is no peace there is no progress, no development & in my opinion peace is the message we need to spread & hope the world understands the message.
Ahsan Ghori

Letter to Editor - Feb 2006

2006-02-07T08:43:00.000+04:00

Revelations on a rainy day
27 February 2006

THE recent downpour has opened the eyes of the people to the poor quality of construction of some buildings which had remained hidden behind the glossy and cosmetic cover-up of marbles, tiles, glass, paint etc. Buyers unwittingly fall into the hands of real estate agents who display eye-catching images of these apartments to lure them. The owners of such buildings will now regret purchasing property on impulse. Isn’t the proverb ‘All that glitters is not gold’ very apt in this regard?Many people waste their hard-earned money by investing in such buildings. The authorities concerned need to attend to this at the earliest. The problem lies in accepting the lowest tender for construction work and setting unrealistic deadlines to finish the job. The quicker the job has to be finished, the more stringent should be the quality requirements. There is also the need for independent third party organisations to inspect the buildings to guarantee the quality of construction. Everyone, I suppose, will agree that the UAE needs more rain, but it certainly does not need any leaky apartments for sure.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Scribble, scribble (www.gulfnews.com)
20 February 2006

Graffiti is a sight that can evoke mixed reactions. The public views graffiti as an eye sore. Why do people scribble on the walls, especially in public washrooms? I don't understand what secret delight individuals derive by writing vulgar remarks on the wall. I think the solution lies in changing the public's perception of toilet graffiti. We should welcome it by giving a chance to the rebels and having them scribble on writing boards.

From Mr A. Ghori,Abu Dhabi

Friday sermons (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
17 February 2006

I FEEL a large percentage of the people who attend Jumah prayers are passive listeners during the sermons. This is because the majority of the people are immigrants who cannot decipher the Arabic language though they can say the prayers and read in Arabic. Yes, it is important to learn and understand Arabic language but given the situation, are we comfortable when what the Imam says does not reach out to the majority of the people? Does that achieve the intended purpose of the whole exercise? Topics of importance to Muslims are delivered by the Imams during the sermons and the people need to know what is being said. I feel efforts should be made to translate the information delivered for the benefit of those who do not understand. To start with at least the summary of the sermon can be printed and distributed in various languages.

· Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Corruption in the medical profession (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
7 February 2006

CORRUPTION is something that has to be checked with strong measures. I agree with most of your views in the Comment in this respect (KT, Feb. 5). Gone are the days when the medical profession was considered noble. Doctors are driven by greed and pride instead of empathy and compassion for their patients. Many join the profession for status and wealth, not for service.Today, it has become a multi-million dollar business. In the subcontinent, the concept of five-star and seven-star hospitals, linking treatment with tourism, is leading to greed and rivalry among the medical practitioners. The doctors at government clinics have their own private clinics and the poor patients are referred to their clinics for better care. It seems many doctors are running the show for the pharmaceutical companies. Quacks are everywhere. Selling of human organs is rampant. In many third world countries, because of high rate of poverty and illiteracy, the middlemen succeed in cajoling the poor people into selling their body organs, blood and what not. Everyone turns a blind eye to the sufferings of people and cares only about material gains.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

DS Conference

2006-01-23T11:26:00.000+04:00

DS conference -knowledge village

Speaker - Sue Buckley

My views

I attended the regional conference about children with Down syndrome in Dubai, Knowledge village. The speaker focused mainly about inclusion of these children into mainstream which is a noble thought. It should be like that & they are moving towards that goal in Europe & other places. It also made me wonder how difficult it is to achieve that when the society view education that is being imparted in school is all about grades & success rates. Normal children are being admitted in schools on the basics of their score in entrance tests, affluence & so many varied reasons. Now when we talk about inclusion of children with Down syndrome who are slow learners many schools will bluntly reject that idea. The speaker stressed that Down syndrome children also have feelings just like normal children & they should not be deprived of their rights rightly so.
I had a skewed point of view where I thought to give the children the best chance we should have school for Downs where only children having this disability are given the education rather than having them in disabled schools where children of various disabilities attend. Therefore the children are given proper attention & care they require & don’t underachieve on their potential. This is same as we have All Girls schools, All Boys schools, Deaf & dumb schools, American schools ,French schools, Indian schools, Arabic schools where the children find some commonality with their peers. So should be the case with Downs schools. As we all know each one of us is different the Downs children also understand that they are different, in my view. So Instead of doing the hard job of trying to include them where the intellectual level is quite obvious, instead have something where their intellectual level is fully exploited & their potential given credence. I feel the best way of inclusion is to impart knowledge about downs in normal schools & also have weekly visits of children from both schools so that they understand & mingle. I feel this is the best way to intermingle & feel all are the same children of One God.
Ahsan ghori

Letter to editor-Jan 2006

2006-01-02T08:41:00.000+04:00

Children of the same God (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
25 January 2006

I ATTENDED the regional conference on children with Down’s Syndrome at Knowledge Village in Dubai on January 21-22. The speaker focused mainly on the inclusion of these children into the mainstream system, which is a noble thought. But it made me wonder how difficult it would be to achieve that, when the education that is being imparted in schools are all about grades and success rates. Normal children are being admitted in schools on the basis of their scores in the entrance tests, affluence and other reasons. Many regular schools will bluntly reject the idea of including children with Down’s Syndrome who are slow learners. The speaker stressed that Down’s Syndrome children also have feelings like normal children and they should not be deprived of their rights. Rightly so.I have a skewed point of view, however, where I feel that to give children the best chance, we should have schools where only children with this disability are given education, rather than having them in disabled schools attended by children of various disabilities. The children can thus be given proper attention and care they require. Each one of us is different.Children with Down’s Syndrome also understand that they are different, in my view. So, why not provide them with an environment where their intellectual level is fully exploited and their potential given credence? I feel the best way is to impart knowledge about Down’s Syndrome in normal schools and also have weekly visits of children from both schools so that they understand and mingle. I feel this is the best way to feel that all are the children of one God.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Dubai’s rapid transformation (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
21 January 2006

AMERICANS have poor knowledge of the world outside their land. For them, America is the world and the world is America. The Middle East is known to a few as the ‘Land of Black Gold’. The Gulf wars were also a reason for the Americans to know about the countries here, mainly because their troops were involved. The Middle East was known more to the outside world as a tax-free haven. Here, people come to earn money tax-free and take all of it home. The equations have changed now as many have started investing here and feel at home.However, the once-insignificant Dubai came to the attention of people the world over due to its amazing development in a short period of time. The landmarks, the festivals, tourism, and the resolve of the leaders here were noticed and people world over know Dubai as a glittering city of gold. People who have neither come here nor seen Dubai on television, think Dubai to be some kind of a desert land where people live in tents and camels are the mode of transportation. The greening of the desert leaves one in astonishment.The amazing change from an insignificant land to a city of fun, entertainment and opportunities within a short period of time would surely have had an effect on the common American to notice this city and be inquisitive about it. All this could not have been possible without the vision of leaders and the effort of every human who has worked here. So, all are indebted to each other as we need two hands to clap, and people hope Dubai will shine in its glory.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Dubai beckons (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
18 January 2006

WHAT the US does best is understand itself and what it does worst is understand others. They seem to know nothing about the outside world. For Americans, America is the world. There is a certain degree of American pride in being different. Americans have isolated the world. Why is it that they always want to be different? Why does the American president say ‘God bless America.’ Instead, he should be saying ‘God bless humanity’.I have even heard people say if you want to see heaven in earth, come to America. The present American president, when he took office, had very poor knowledge of people and places of the world, other than America. So how can we blame the people for not knowing about the outside world? The amazing progress of Dubai has made its impression in such a way that even the common man seems to know about this City of Gold. When Americans have noticed Dubai, that means Dubai has been recognised by the whole world for the incredible development it has made and become a role model for the neighbouring countries to emulate. It has made a mark in the world by having the ‘world’ in its waters. Also, the buildings are reaching out to the sky. Sky is the limit for the only place to be seen from space, apart from the Great Wall of China.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Born free? Indeed! (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
1 January 2006

ISN’T it strange that discrimination takes place in a famous hospital in the capital? And what an irony, it is when we say ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’ that discrimination happens at the place where they are born. Basic human rights tell us ‘Human beings are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in brotherhood’.The Holy Quran says the same: “Everyone was created by Allah and everyone is equal.” Then why do we mortals discriminate? Prejudice and discrimination are negative manifestations of integrative power. Instead of bringing people together, it pushes them apart. People should be welcomed and made to feel at home instead of making them feel that their rights are routinely violated as human beings. Do away with discrimination and love fellow beings should be the message if one wants to see a united world where peace prevails.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Emirates Evening Post - One Language

2005-12-21T08:03:00.000+04:00

Emirates Evening Post

One Language

I happened to overhear a conversation by the Asian couple in a restaurant in the UAE.They were dining and were talking so loudly that I could not avoid hearing them. The bearer who served them spoke very little English and when he left, the person turned and lamented about those who do not understand English. I am sure that many of you may have been in a similar situation, where you cannot communicate with someone because you do not speak the same language. It is a fact that immigrants who learn English tend to do better economically than those who do not therefore, should they all learn English to get ahead in life? English may be needed for communication in multi cultural, multi-linguistic situations but to what extent it should replace the local language completely?
On the other side, we can see more & more companies, web-sites, and restaurants are posting information in a number of languages. Are they sending a message that it is okay not to learn English? The question is whether we want immigrants to assimilate into the “American way of life”, lose their language, and learn to speak only English? Dont you realize that the move has already started in UAE? English- speaking/teaching schools are sprouting all over the Emirates.
It has become a fad among young people these days that they just barely manage to speak their mother tongue. That they know little of it. Many of them speak their mother tongue with an English accent. Take the example Radio4 humfm.It is an Indian radio channel and all the jockeys speak 90% English. The reason could be perhaps they are more comfortable in English than their native language because, during their formative years they gave so much importance to English that they forgot the importance of their mother tongue. Do they think that all labour class people of Indian origin understand English? Maybe these radio channel are catering only to English speaking people of Indian origin.Well,who cares about labourers anyway?
People who cannot speak English are looked down upon. Jobs invariably go to those who have better command of the language. So where are we now? Other languages will soon be confined to the history books. Can we do anything about this or do we have to this as the way things should progress?
Ahsan Ghori
Abu Dhabi

Reponse to One language

Global Language

Dear Mr Ghori

You wrote an excellent letter to the editor on Monday, October 31, about the historically rapid & global spread of English.
You started with an anecdote of overhearing an English speaking Asian couple in a restaurant dealing with a waiter who could speak very little English. They then lamented about people who could not speak English. You ended your tale by pointing out most of us have been in a similar situation where we cannot talk to someone because we do not share the same language.
You must be in the language teaching profession because your letter pretty well covered every major point that deals with the topic of World English today.
Stating that an immigrant would prosper if they mastered English, you then asked the question: “Should all immigrants learn English so they can get ahead in life?”
I feel they should. English has become a sort of global gatekeeper and if you want to get into the city of riches; you’ve got to speak its language.
While entertaining the idea that English may be useful for cross-culture communication in a multi cultural country, (and the world at large) you then questioned if it would be a good idea if English totally replaced the local language.
I don’t think it would be such a good idea. In my opinion, a people’s language is their identity: lose it and you get cut off from your culture and your past. Socially speaking, you will become a sort of half-person.
We need a global language, and for historical, economic and political reasons English has seized the mantle. This has created some interesting twists to the situation. I have read from a number of Linguists the ratio of people who speak English as a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) language outnumbers those who speak it as a first language3 to 1.This mean that west does not own English anymore. Now those who have learned it, own it. From now on grammatical and lexical changes will be made more & more from countries like India, china and the like.
For instance, take the MacDonald’s slogan” I’m lovin’ it.” If it were the Queens English, it would be “I love it.”(You don’t use the present continuous with a sate verb in Queens English)
My professor told me that this grammatical innovation is of Indian Origin and it is a good one because it makes grammatical sense. But what he found interesting is that McDonalds publicity department took it on in the first place as their official slogan. This illustrates that it is not the west that is necessarily making the changes in English now.
I think the solution to the problem of having a global language while retaining the cultural identity is to teach both the native language & English to children from the very beginning with equal measure. But, when teaching English to children, teach it as an international language, stripping it of all its western cultural baggage. They don’t need it.
Sometimes, wellmeaning institutions try to get students to speak like a ‘native English speaker’ therefore burdening them with numerous, unnecessary and even harmful details. These schools must realize that there has been a motivation shift in language learners. They are learning English as ‘lingua franca’ (global language) and not necessarily as a means to speak to those from England or America.
Your letter had many other points that I would love to address, but it would make my letter unbearably long. I am setting up a website dedicated to the topic of World English at http://www2.gol.com/users/bishop/ and I would like to put your letter on my site due to all the excellent points that you made. But I won’t do this without your permission. My e mail address is mailto:bishop@gol.com.Please email me your approval to do so. I would also like you or any other readers of Emirates Evening post who are interested in the role of English in the world today to log on to my web site after November-14,which will have a blog embedded in it to facilitate some lively conversations

Michael Bishop
Abu Dhabi

Note: I have given permission to publish my letter in Michael Bishop's web site.

My Musings about Belief

2005-12-04T16:47:00.000+04:00

My MUsiNgs AbOuT BeLIeF

Why do we believe? Two things lead to belief in my opinion.
One is Logic & the other one is faith. Mere faith & dull faith is dangerous. It makes a man reactionary. A child believes his parents but as his brain develops, he realizes not all things his parents do are right then he starts questioning & accepts things when logical explanation is given. Logic is human invention. It gets entrenched in our thinking to the point where we believe if something is not logical, it cannot be true.
Belief of unseen is faith. Faith is acceptance of Gods will over our own will. Faith is like pleasant breeze. We do not see it but we can feel it. When you feel the cool breeze, it soothes you & you are at peace. The same breeze turns into a storm & becomes violent which ultimately disturbs your tranquility. You are in turmoil & you are not able to understand the reason. You try to intervene this with logic & when you have no answer you leave that on the unseen. The logic can only be the unseen & it is beyond our mental capabilities. We accept unseen due to our mental stagnation. This I say is forced logic to arrive at a conclusion to pacify & subdue the storm.
Others opinions drown out your own inner voice. Actually, we are living with the results of other peoples thinking. Belief is security. We believe whatever the holy books tell us to do. However, there is a selfish motive or desire in doing all that. A desire to be rewarded here or hereafter by the unseen for having faith & following his rules. We accept what GOD says for our benefit. Being selfish is a human trait. However, when in your heart you know all things belong to GOD then all things will bring you pleasure.Selflessness is the virtue. Knowledge of Supreme is not gained by argument. It is intuition rather than reason, which could lead you to the path of ultimate truth. We need to come out of worldly desires Power, fame & sex. Truth cannot be borrowed, it should come from within. It has to be experienced to know about it. It happens when your thinking goes beyond the mind.
Anyone who dares to challenge the validity of faith is called a renegade. Everyone considers himself right. Therein lays misfortune. Religions they say replace evil with good. Is this true when we see the things happening in this world? It seems to me that religion is creating a storm of sorts. Most of the hatred is because of religion. We find people ridiculing other religion. We see differences even within the ambit of their own religion. How can this be true? Logic says it is not true. There should be no differences in one religion or any religion in this world because human beings are one species. Something is terribly wrong somewhere.
I wish there is no hatred only peace, peace & more peace.
Ahsan Ghori

Letter to editor (local daily)-Dec

2005-12-01T11:33:00.000+04:00

DEC-2005

Beyond the veil (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
24 December 2005

THE article, ‘Beyond the veil’, by Irfan Hussain (KT, Dec 22) is quite interesting in the sense that it highlights the plight of women by family bondage.Women should be more vocal, united and forthcoming if they really want to change discrimination. It is not going to happen outright, but will take its own time. Things have to change internally and the steps they take will ultimately lead the society to change and to accept them. There are societal values that support discrimination against women and legitimise violence against them. An example is the honour killing. This is so common in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Jordan. What honour, and what values? Isn’t this horrific?Marriage by force is another case in point and this issue is common in the religions of the subcontinent. Until prejudice and injustice and discrimination are ended for all people, none of us can claim to be truly free. Women should stand up and speak against the culture of shame and also fight for their rights which they feel they are being deprived of rather than having a common agenda of aping men. However having said that, in my opinion, men and women cannot be equal. Men and women are stronger in their own respects. The problem is when we are trying to equalise the opposites. Both need each other and both are strong in their own ways. Women and men are different and it is proven scientifically that men and women think differently. Both have different physical characteristics. I always believed that one should not try to act stronger or control the other, but instead go hand in hand to achieve the common ground. Therein lies the solution, and instead of fighting for equality one should fight for respect, dignity, discrimination and their common rights.
— Ahsan Ghouri, Abu Dhabi

Corrupt parliamentarians (www.Khaleejtimes.ae)
18 December 2005

WHEN representatives of the people elected by the people for the benefit of people accept bribe and do not perform his job, it undermines democracy. It betrays the trust and tolerance of the people. It takes two or more to create corruption. Both the giver and the taker should be punished to stop this corruption spreading like cancer. The Indian government should take concrete action and immediately expel the corrupt members from parliament. The country is developing into a regional super power and so corruption, which is prevalent there, is dangerous for the economic and political development of the country.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Smile please (www.gulfnews.com)
1/12/2005

Smile is the only curve that straightens things up. But why do most people not smile at all, be it strangers or neighbours? Many would have encountered people in the elevators trying to avoid looking at you. The atmosphere in the lift is definitely heavy and dry. Is it because of lack of trust or no concern for fellow human beings?
From Mr A. Ghori,Abu Dhabi

Letter to Editor(Local daily)-Nov

2005-11-07T09:30:00.000+04:00

NOV-2005

Fortune-telling (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
26 November 2005

THE world is fast developing in all aspects but people cannot keep pace with the development and fall back to old habits and superstitions. I am appalled by the acts of the sensation-mongering media, which beam shows related to fallacy, which in turn make gullible people fall in to traps like questionable sciences. A favourite local radio & TV channel catering to a wide audience have on their show numerology & astrology. I feel this pseudo- science has its basis on fear & ignorance of people. Therefore, we need to encourage people to shun this habit of depending on numbers & stars in the constellation clashing with the stars of birth, thereby giving the person luck or bad luck. It does have a placebo effect for sure, and that is all to it in my opinion. Many people whose religious beliefs strictly forbid superstition still are anxious to follow this false superstitious belief. This is not a good sign. Destiny of any person is determined by his own efforts & by God's will.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Needed: freeze on rent hike (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
22 nov 2005

FOOD, clothing and shelter are the basic needs of human beings. Now the UAE is facing a situation which reminds me of the famous words by a traveller, while he was on a journey in the sea. "Water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink". The situation is almost the same with regard to shelter here, and I say, "Buildings, buildings everywhere, but not one is affordable for a stay". The authorities may think of innovative ideas to sort this problem out, by not favouring one over the other.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

TV censorship (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
16 November 2005

CENSORSHIP in television by authorities is required for sure. The simple reason is that we are living in a society bound by rules and regulations, and hence we need to be careful not to offend other people's sentiments. What is acceptable for one person is not acceptable for another. The word "free" is so pleasing to hear, but the truth is, if we are free to do whatever we want to do, then there will be only chaos and confusion. So, somewhere down the line, there is need for controls and limits. In mathematics, when we have limits, we arrive at a formula that helps to solve the problem; and when there is no limit, it becomes infinity with no solution in sight. Therefore, the logic is always to limit oneself to arrive at a solution. The method adopted may vary but the solution and conclusion is the same. Censorship varies from country to country, but one should know the limits and follow the rules set by any country. Opinions vary, values vary, outlook varies, but if one considers and respects others' opinions, rather than impose their opinions on others, that would be better.
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Sightings and celebrations (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
10 November 2005

RELIGION is very sensitive issue. People are so scared to discuss anything about religion fearing a backlash.Many times as a layman when I try to discuss religion or express my logical thinking on many religious issues, the reply I get is ''let us leave it to people who have learned religion and follow what they say with no questions asked whatsoever''. When Mr. Galadari wrote about this moon sighting issue, many of us agree with him but dare not question anyone. I should say that I totally agree with him, as Islam is the religion of unity. As far as and wherever possible, we should show unity and brotherhood. I also agree with the reply of Mr. Moideen (KT Nov -6) that it is not possible to unify and have a standard time for the whole world, as the time zones are different. However having said that, there is certainly room for improvement. For example, back home in India Eid was celebrated on different dates in the same state or province. This causes problems regarding declaration of holidays for the authorities as they are unsure when to give them.Many times, they declare restricted holiday during Eid and as the term itself suggests, it is because of a restriction in the Muslim mind for whatever reason. It will be more convincing and helpful for Muslims if scholars or learned men come up with unanimous decisions on such issues acceptable to all.It is high time we bring about uniformity in our religious observances and show the world the solidarity in faith and brotherhood.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Smile, please! (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
3 November 2005

SMILE is the only curve that straightens things up, but then, why do most people not smile at all, be it strangers or even neighbours residing in the same building. Many of you would have encountered people in the elevators trying to avoid looking at you. They look up, down or at those numbering buttons in the lift, waiting desperately with their mouths shut for the elevator to reach their respective floors. The atmosphere in the lift is definitely heavy and dry. Many a time, one can sense the uneasiness amongst the crowd. Does a pleasing smile cost them anything at all? Same is the case when you go to a shop .The salesperson hardly smiles. There is a Chinese saying which says don’t open a shop unless you like to smile. Why is this innocuous smile missing with the people in this part of the world? I wonder what could be the reason! Is it because of a lack of trust or no concern for fellow human beings? Can anyone enlighten me on this?
— A. G., Abu Dhabi

Why two-tier holiday system?
3 November 2005

RAMADAN is the month of sacrifice, patience, giving and goodwill. The people working in the private sector after month-long preparations are put to the test right on the eve of Eid on having to be patient and not to be envious or show jealousy. They have to accept the two-tier holiday system wherein the private sector follows the Islamic calendar (Shawwal 1&2 of Hijri year 1426) as holidays, and the public sector follows the Georgian calendar (Nov 2 to 6, Year 2005) as holidays. Now, can anyone explain to me why can’t the public sector employees also follow the same holidays as for the private sector or vice-versa.Many countries around the world follow the same rule as far as holidays are concerned — be it public or private sector. As we are going global, let’s go global in this regard also. The shopping festival has started and the slogan is ‘One world, one family one people’. Is this true?
— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

My Letters to the Editor(UAE)-Local daily

2005-09-29T10:43:00.000+04:00

Khaleejtimes(25/10/05)

Scene at an accident spot
25 October 2005

THIS is the scene when an accident happened on Shaikh Zayed Road. The huge mass of humanity that had collected itself there made me think. Were all of them there out of concern? Was sympathy, empathy, pity and all other synonyms for that fellow feeling we have, the reason? Or, was it just curiosity? Or, were people so bored with their routine life that any event was a welcome change?To me, that definitely seemed a reason when the vehicles stopped and formed a long queue on the scene. Many drivers and passengers got down from the vehicles and rushed to the spot. While they returned to their respective vehicles, they promptly gave answers about the event they just witnessed to the heads popping out of the cars from the vehicles. I wonder if this helps in any way to those who are affected or to the paramedics who are desperately helping the victims. It is only a hindrance to them.However, having said that it is just a human inclination towards some happening, the news of that will soon spread like wildfire by word of mouth. Whatever it is, one thing is sure — humanity swarms at any spectacle, be it an accident or anything else. Can’t help it, can we?

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Khaleej times 23/10/05 (www.khaleejtimes.ae)

Importance of education
23 October 2005

EDUCATION is very important for any man or woman. If one is not educated, one is not enlightened. Since women are forced or rather kept away from education, it is easy to suppress them, so that men can have their way.I think what Mr Galadari says is that woman’s education should be the number one priority for any government, (Comment, KT, Oct. 14) let it be a developed, developing or underdeveloped world. There is a saying if you educate a man you educate one person, but if you educate a woman you educate an entire family.Since women are less educated as per statistics, this should be the top priority. By education, one widens one’s knowledge, understands basic rights, and fights for those rights. This, I think, is empowerment. People have a mistaken belief that economic independence will lead to women’s empowerment, thereby to their emancipation from all problems, which is not always the case.I have seen many women earning more money than men by doing hard labour, but still suffering at the hands of men who get drunk and beat up their wives. Educated workingwomen supplement the family income, and men look out for educated women as partners to double their income, but the woman’s rights do not change and it remains the same as before. So many women end up doing dual roles. In short, they get exploited.I think education is important for them to understand and fight for their rights. Also the system, the culture, tradition all should be understood and changed with the times so as to suit and keep pace with the developing world. Many ridiculous, traditional customs, which suppress women, are still practised. Each and every activity should have sound reasoning.For one to be emancipated, people’s attitudes too should change. Money is power and too much of it can do more damage than good if one has a wrong attitude. Therefore, along with education, a whole lot of things should change, and somewhere, we need to make a beginning. The whole world should consider all human beings as equal and do away with discrimination of any kind.

— Ahsan Ghori, by e-mail

Khaleej times, 22/10/05

Rules are for human beings
22 October 2005

MUCH has been talked about workers’ timings and its effect on productivity. A couple of months ago, it was about midday break for workers during the summer months. Now, it is about reduced timings during the holy month of Ramadan. I feel these reductions in timing are given, taking into consideration the ability of human beings to cope with extreme temperatures or to accommodate the rigours of fasting the whole day without even drinking a drop of water. In both the cases, the body is prone to lose its vital requirement of water and get dehydrated.This could sometimes turn out to be fatal if the body is strained beyond its limits. Production is not everything. Human beings are not machines. Therefore, the rules laid down by the local authorities are justified. The labour authorities also are doing a good job by bringing the culprits who violate the law to book. However, as the number of people on vigil is proportionately less than required, some companies are flouting the laws. One should obey the laws of the country either as employers or as employees. The least any country would expect is that people obey the laws of the land as long as they are here. I hope we all adhere to the rules laid down in this fast developing and tolerant country.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Gulf News 18/10/05(www.gulfnews.com)

Quite proportionate

It is common sense that the fasting person cannot be productive beyond 6 hours.
When a person is fasting, he cannot even drink a drop of water and hence the body is prone to dehydration.
The labour law stipulates 8 hours of work for a normal human being, based on the capacity of the human body for maximum productivity.
Now, can anyone tell me how efficient a dehydrated human being can be? Got to be less than 8 hours, therefore 8-2 = 6 hours is fair enough.

From Mr A. Ghori,Abu Dhabi

Note: This letter was written in response to an article where the author adovacates normal working hours for everyone.In gulf countries the working hours are reducedby 2hrs during ramadan month.

Khaleej Times, 16/10/05 (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
Wastage of food
16 October 2005

‘IT CANNOT be more precise than this’ is my response to Mr Galadari’s Comment on ‘Fasting and Ramadan’ (KT, Oct 13). The basic problem of Muslims is that they don’t understand or misunderstand the real objective of following the rituals. During Ramadan, I have seen many families inviting their friends and relatives for Iftar and often, one could witness a palatial arrangement of various dishes to break the fast, and then a lavish dinner follows after prayers. It has become a sort of competition.The womenfolk talk about the dishes they prepared and try to outdo the other when their turn comes to serve the platter. Do they think about the poor man who works so hard in the sun with just one meal for him and his family to survive. I think they do not. Many take advantage during the Ramadan month by being lazy at work. I have seen many a time work getting delayed because people are lethargic even early in the morning when they start work. The reasons could be celebrations dragging into late in the night in many cases.It has become common for people to say that if you want to get any job done, do it either before or after the Ramadan month, because during Ramadan, work will take its own time to get done. Already, with shortened working hours and sluggish workers, it’s obvious that this is what one can expect.The majority of our ‘ummah’ is illiterate, and it is the obligation of the educated to educate the illiterate the right way, so that people understand why God has commanded us to follow the rituals the right way by first understanding and then practising. It’s not the ritual that is important, but the real factor hidden behind each ritual. That is what purifies our soul and gets us closer to God.

— Ahsan Ghori, by e-mail

******

I AGREE 100 per cent with Mr Galadari and again request my Muslim brothers and sisters to please refrain from unnecessary expenditures, and instead divert that money towards the poor and the needy. In general, it is observed that the public here in this region wastes a lot of food. There are millions of Muslim infants, women and children dying every day due to hunger around the globe, especially in Africa. So, think about them and exercise your responsibilities accordingly.
— Arif, Sharjah

Khaleejtimes

Demand and supply
11 October 2005

WITH reference to Francis’ letter about demand and supply (KT, Oct 6), I feel what he says is logically correct, but it’s not always right to use the statement ‘If you don’t feel like it here, just leave.’ Many who come here to work and live in this country consider it as their own. So, to say ‘just leave this place’ is not only inappropriate, but also downright rude. Housing here has definitely become a nightmare due to escalating rents, especially for low and middle income employees.The real estate industry has taken over the market and trying to gauge the people by creating a hype. People who have lived comfortably as per their earnings suddenly find themselves squeezing into one room to make ends meet. The sudden escalation in rents — in some cases as much as 50 per cent — has made people appeal for help to find a place to live. The government has also announced about building low-cost houses. This has to be expedited. Right now, many people are priced out of the market and living in sharing accommodation which also reflects in the standard of living in this country.So, to project a vibrant UAE, the government needs to swiftly take action in this regard, as many have started to live frugally. Hope the UAE becomes the best place to live on the earth in all respects for all people, the poor included.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Gulf news 3/10/05
Put it to vote

I refer to the news item "A taboo waiting to be broken" (Gulf News, September 29) regarding women driving cars in Saudi Arabia.
Why don't the authorities solve the problem by involving women themselves as it concerns them?
Why not ask Saudi women their views about being allowed to drive cars by conducting a poll.
Based on the result, the authorities can have a clear idea whether to allow women to drive and thereby stop undue outside interference in their country's internal affairs.

From Mr A. GhoriAbu Dhabi

Khaleejtimes 2/10/05
Stress — the great killer

2 October 2005
WITH reference to your article ‘Mental stress needs proper attention’ (KT, Sept 27), I agree with your views and my views are very much close to yours. I feel sympathy and anger at the same time that an entire family was wiped out in a brutal way, presumably because of some mental disorder of one man. Cannot imagine the horror the children or his wife would have gone through when this man (suspect) or any man would have attacked them due to an insane mind caused by stress and various factors. When it comes to the mind, it is difficult to read anyone’s mind unless you say it out.Many times, I have heard people say it’s all in the mind. It’s the mind that matters, but the fact is many neglect this grey matter. Stress, if not properly managed, is a killer. Not only does it take a person’s life, but it also has a ripple effect on the society in general. I used to wonder why so many institutes related to human conditioning have mushroomed in the UAE, which was not the case 10 years ago. Many would have heard in the media about these stress-busters like hypnotherapy, laughter therapy, aroma therapy, Yoga to ‘Art of living’ centres .When did we forget the art to live? Perhaps, due to the incredibly fast-paced development in this part of the world, human beings are not conditioned to cope with the pace, without being stressed. Therefore, we need this external support in the name of institutes for de-stressing ourselves, but it reminds me of the wonderful support system God has devised in the name of family for us and its role of being supportive to each other.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Khaleej times (www.khaleejtimes.ae)
Stress kills

29 September 2005

WITH reference to your ‘Comment’ (Mental stress needs proper attention, KT, Sept 27), I am in agreement with your views. I am also sympathetic and angry at the same time. An entire family gets wiped out in a brutal manner, presumably because of the mental disorder of one man. I cannot imagine the horror the children or his wife would have gone through when this man went about insanely attacking and slaughtering them.When it comes to the ‘mind’, it is difficult to read it. I have heard people say ‘it’s all in the mind’. It’s the mind that matters. Yet, many of us neglect the grey matter.Stress, if not properly managed, is a killer. Not only does it take a person’s life, but it also has a ripple effect on the society in general. In recent times, many institutes related to human conditioning have mushroomed in the UAE. This was not the case 10 years ago. The media has spoken about hypnotherapy, laughter therapy, yoga and art of living centres. When did we forget the art to live? Perhaps the incredibly fast-paced development in this part of the world is to blame. We need this external support in the name of institutes to de-stress ourselves. Meanwhile, we have forgotten about the wonderful support system God has devised for us in the name of ‘family’. Instead, what we have is the ‘nuclear family’.Nuclear families kill interaction between people. Men and women are ruled by materialism, and success is measured in terms of the bank balance. The culture of showing off and other social evils creep in. The outcome is an increase in the divorce rate, and broken families.The author, fortunately found support in his family with which he was able to handle the situation. I agree wholeheartedly with him. There can be no wrong in the system God gave to humanity.

Ahsan Ghori-by e mail

Gulf news 28/9/05 (www.gulfnews.com)

Survival of humanity

If the contracting company is not able to pay wages on time, it is unfit to be in the business. Also, if the market is unable to pay money to the contracting company for the job done, the company must stop the work immediately and the government should expedite the process to rehabilitate the handicapped market players. The question here is not about the system but survival of humanity and human rights.

-From Mr A. GhoriAbu Dhabi

Khaleejtimes(www.khaleejtimes.ae)
Issues and approach to faith
26 September 2005

WITH reference to your article ‘Liberating faith, rigid followers’, I think you have missed certain dictums from our book which clearly state that Muslim women and men should be modestly dressed. Now, the question is, how modest is modest? I think the dress Sania wore at the US Open left nothing more to the imagination and was certainly not acceptable if she claims to be one who follows the faith. I am a great fan of Sania and I believe she has the capability to reach the top 20 in the world. Being a tennis lover and player myself, I appreciate her game and am proud of her achievement. About the question of the so-called scholars giving out a fatwa, I agree with you, the members of the community have to put their heads down in shame. The prepostrous statements of the so-called ulema does not speak for the majority of Muslims. We need not be too liberal like the Westerners, which is against our faith, but a somewhere-in-between solution could be found, to keep pace with the world and at the same time not to be left out.

— Ahsan Ghori, by e-mail

Gulf news 11th sep 2005,(http://www.gulfnews.com/)
Pride and prejudice

President George W. Bush says he will not ask for help but will accept any help that comes from anywhere.What is the problem if he asks for help? How can one think of ego at a time when the country is reeling from a disaster?When calamity strikes, we realise how interdependent we are on one another.That is the reality. However, as time passes and with our short-term memory, we soon forget all this and are back to our 'normal' self and our false ego.That is the irony.

- From Mr A. Ghori,Abu Dhabi

Khaleej Times: 10th Sep 2005(http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/)
The ‘superpower’ too is vulnerable
10 September 2005

WHY would the world’s richest country accept donations, but not ask for it. Isn’t it false pride? We proclaim we are independent and proudly brag about being so. We go on with our life until some sort of calamity strikes us and makes us realise how interdependent we are with one another. However, as time passes, our memory being short-term, soon we forget all that and are back to our so-called normally abnormal selves. Right from the things we eat, walk or drive to work, each and every activity is linked to a system of dependency. Even our life depends on another person. Take for example you are driving to work and though you are a good driver, for you to reach the destination safely, your life depends on how good the other person drives or follows the system. Nevertheless, if nothing unfortunate happens and you reach your destination safely, you feel elated about your driving capabilities. You even proclaim that you no longer have to depend on anyone to reach the place, but the fact is you are dependent on the machine that you drive and so many other factors. You think you are independent, but in reality you are not. You are actually interdependent. A ‘feel-good’ factor is always there when you can satiate your ego by saying I am independent. That is the irony. All are interdependent and not independent. Even after your death, you are dependent on another person to dispose of your body. The world will be a better place if we all accept the fact that we are interdependent and not independent. I feel the term ‘independent’ should be removed from our vocabulary as we all need each other. Katrina, nature’s fury, taught us a lesson that I hope people won’t forget, especially the so-called superpower.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Confusion

2005-09-21T13:08:00.000+04:00

Oh God help me out
Because I cannot
Make out why the hell
I need to quell

The emanating thought
From infinity to nought
That fill my skull
And make me mull

The ghost that we prod
The God that we bond
To talk about God
Is interesting, sometimes odd

I understand the devil
That he is evil
I cannot understand God
For he is incomprehensible

Some are afraid of Ghost
And some are afraid of God
But afraid we are
Humans that we are.

-Ahsan Ghori

Two worlds

2005-09-12T17:07:00.000+04:00

Two worlds

LIVING IN TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS

He sits on his bed
Of wooden planks
Balancing upon piles
Of bricks

His black eyes
Sunk into a tiny skull
Dull pools, which hold
A lifetime of pain

Stick-like arms
Lie across his
swollen stomach
His breathing is shallow

He is too weak to move
Nine years old,
And slowly dying
Because he does not have
Enough to eat

He sits on a padded chair.
Chubby fingers thumping
At the computer keyboard
In one corner of his bedroom

His tiny eyes, almost
disappearing
Into his round face
Glazed by the long hours
Of staring at the screen

A plump stomach bulges out
From beneath his T-shirt
His breathing is heavy.
He is too tired to play outside

Nine years old
And slowly dying
Because he has
Too much to eat.

Two boys
Two countries
Same world.

-Ahsan Ghori

Independent or Interdependent

2005-09-06T16:02:00.000+04:00

Independent or Interdependent
As I closed my eyes to sleep a lingering thought that perturbed me slowly crept in my mind & opened my eyes.
It made me ponder about the things we take in life for granted in our everyday life. We proclaim we are independent & proudly brag about being so. We go on with our life until some sort of calamity strikes us & make us realize how interdependent we are with one another. However, as time passes, our memory being short term soon we forget all that & we are back to our so-called normally abnormal self. Right from the things we eat, walk or drive to work each & every activity is linked to a system of dependency. Lo! Behold! Even our life depends on other person. Take for example you are driving to work & though you are a good driver, for you to reach the destination safely your life depends on how good the other person drives or follows the system. Nevertheless, if nothing unfortunate happens & you reach your destination safely you feel elated about your driving capabilities. You even proclaim that you no longer have to depend on anyone to reach the place, but the fact is you are dependent on the machine that you drive & so many other factors isnt?
You think you are independent but you are not. You are actually interdependent.That is the reality.
A feel good factor is always there when you can satiate your ego by saying I am Independent. That is the irony.
A lot of discussion is going on about independence of women. Independence I think is a relative term. You might have heard your neighbor saying my daughter has become independent now. It means no longer dependent of her father for money, as she is earning enough by working or doing business. However, she earns only by being dependent on the place of work or business. All are interdependent & not independent. Even after your death, you are dependent on another person to dispose off your body. The world will be a better place if we all accept the fact that we are interdependent & not independent. I feel, the word independent should be removed from our vocabulary as we all need each other in this world from the moment we started breathing until we stop breathing & laid to rest peacefully or burnt to ashes.

Doctored Doctors

2005-08-30T21:22:00.000+04:00

One question that hit me hard but bounced back with answer is,

Queston : Are Doctors blinded by money?
Answer : Yes,very much so.

Who cares what the patient or the patients anxious loved ones go through as long as the
money is flooding the platter.

It only makes me think if the doctors are competent enough to give the right diagnosis or if they are beating around the bush.
I thought it could be one isolated case, but no, I was wrong.I later understood that it is the Doctor's habit to loot the ignorant
Ignorant people have no place in this world.
The simple logic is, you got cheated because of your ignorance.You are to be blamed yourself for being so......
Hey,before you go to the Doc go to the web & stuff all you can into your grey matter.
The world has shrinked.
Survival of the fittest.
Am I the wise Owl?

2005-08-01T08:19:00.000+04:00

My daughter SAFA

Dad's Love

2005-07-27T15:56:00.000+04:00

Abba, No one can replace you
These were the words of my sister
True, you have left us it is past a year
All I have is memories, a heart
Full of love & my eyes full of tears
To remember your love right through the years
Your warmth & caring somehow they belong
Strengthening my sense of right & wrong
How much I love you I cannot say
It is more than words can say
I know, I haven’t been the child I should
With love & patience I understood
The love you gave us will make me sail
Through the travail of life's trail
How lucky I was to have had you
Abba,no one can replace you

Ahsan Ghori

That night

2005-07-24T08:27:00.000+04:00

It was my wedding anniversary day. As usual my dad was the first to call me to wish. Even though he lived on the other side of the Arabian Sea he never fails to call me on such occasions.
I was in the office when my cell phone rang with the melodious music, that I had recorded.

He says 'Salaam alaikum, happy wedding anniversary, Ahsana'(that’s how he used to call me).
I reply 'thank you abba, Thanks'. His voice was clear & crisp. How could anyone at that moment have any inkling of the things that are going to unfold on the evening of that day?
Here in Ruwais oil refinery, Abudhabi things seem to be normal, my colleagues joking around while they work, weather hot & humid.
Later in the evening , I played Tennis as that was the routine & after sumptuous dinner I retired to bed & soon went into deep slumber.
I was in deep sleep when I was rudely awakened by the ringing of my cell phone.
I always dreaded calls at midnights. Somehow a tension envelops me when the phone rings during the eerie nights. This time was no different either. My hands stumbled to pick up the phone, which I keep within reach near the night lamp when I lay in the bed.
My heart missed a few beats & then raced to a frantic speed;
a definite thought something is not ok.
I slowly recollect & say ‘hello hello’.
A voice not familiar to me says, 'I am calling from Palayamkottai , NGO colony'. At that moment I knew well this is it. My hands start to shiver & I mumble,' yes ,tell me'.
He says, 'your dad is in serious condition'.
I reach to the bed lamp to switch it on & was shouting ‘WHAT’ ‘WHAT’ when I heard someone prodding that man ‘Tell, Tell’ & then he goes on, 'your father died'.
I failed to react, no words, my lips shudder & he goes on & on telling me, he is trying to contact every one whose names are mentioned in the diary that my father has neatly jotted down. He ended with, 'come as early as possible', I will call again to find out 'when you are coming, so we can arrange for last rites accordingly'.

I was dumbfounded, didn’t know what to do, I cupped my face with both my hands & stared into oblivion. Nothing, nothing at all. A torrent of grief soon engulfed me & tears slowly overfilled my eyes & ran down my cheeks.
These were the words that blurted out of my lips at that moment,'Allah ya Allah ya Allah'
The phone rang again & with my sweaty hands picked it up & said Hello, hello………

The Gift

2005-07-18T08:13:00.000+04:00

An Angel No Matter
An Angel No Matter

When she came into this world
She did not cry
She received light blows to make her cry
God, she’s my daughter, my daughter
They said she’s is born with a syndrome
She is an angel no matter
They name it Down’s,21 trisome(y)
This occurs because of the extra chromosome
She’s now almost eight
Her ears have closed tight
The invisible waves which travel through the air
Cannot tickle her ear for her to hear
But they tickle my eyes for a tear
To cascade on my cheek
And I become meek
God, she is my angel daughter no matter no matter.

: Ahsan Ghori

My note: This was the feeling(a poem if u can call it) when I learnt my daughter lost her hearing

Dear God

2005-07-17T13:57:00.000+04:00

Dear God

Dear God I'm grateful I can say
I've not been grumpy this fine day
No greed or anger have I shown
Or envied what is not my own
I've not been mean in things I've said
But soon I must get out of bed
And when I do,dear God, I'm sure
I'll need your help a great deal more.

SALTY SWEET LOVE STORY

2005-07-16T15:05:00.000+04:00

SALTY SWEET LOVE STORY

A Love story u will never forget

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after
her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but being polite, she agreed.
They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she
felt uncomfortable, she thought, please, let me go home.. suddenly he asked the waiter: "would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."

Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but, still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously: why do you have this fetish?

He replied: "when I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked
playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea ,
just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the
salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown
so much, I miss my parents who still live there".

While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That's
his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart.
A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves
home, cares about home, has responsibility of home..
Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her
childhood, her family. That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story.

They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets
all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee!

Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, then
they were living the happy life... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that's the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said: "My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life lie. This was the only lie I said to you---the salty coffee. Remember the
first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I had promised not to lie to you for anything.. Now I'm dying, I'm afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth:

I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste.. But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again".
Her tears made the letter totally wet.

Someday, someone asked her: what's the taste of salty coffee?

It's sweet. She replied.

Letter to editor

2005-07-16T13:46:00.000+04:00

A compilation of few letters written by myself published in local news paper.

Gulf news 28/9/05 (www.gulfnews.com)

Survival of humanity

If the contracting company is not able to pay wages on time, it is unfit to be in the business. Also, if the market is unable to pay money to the contracting company for the job done, the company must stop the work immediately and the government should expedite the process to rehabilitate the handicapped market players. The question here is not about the system but survival of humanity and human rights.

-From Mr A. GhoriAbu Dhabi

Khaleejtimes(www.khaleejtimes.ae)

Issues and approach to faith

26 September 2005
WITH reference to your article ‘Liberating faith, rigid followers’, I think you have missed certain dictums from our book which clearly state that Muslim women and men should be modestly dressed. Now, the question is, how modest is modest? I think the dress Sania wore at the US Open left nothing more to the imagination and was certainly not acceptable if she claims to be one who follows the faith. I am a great fan of Sania and I believe she has the capability to reach the top 20 in the world. Being a tennis lover and player myself, I appreciate her game and am proud of her achievement. About the question of the so-called scholars giving out a fatwa, I agree with you, the members of the community have to put their heads down in shame. The prepostrous statements of the so-called ulema does not speak for the majority of Muslims. We need not be too liberal like the Westerners, which is against our faith, but a somewhere-in-between solution could be found, to keep pace with the world and at the same time not to be left out.

— Ahsan Ghori, by e-mail

Gulf news 11th sep 2005,(www.gulfnews.com)

Pride and prejudice

President George W. Bush says he will not ask for help but will accept any help that comes from anywhere.
What is the problem if he asks for help? How can one think of ego at a time when the country is reeling from a disaster?
When calamity strikes, we realise how interdependent we are on one another.
That is the reality. However, as time passes and with our short-term memory, we soon forget all this and are back to our 'normal' self and our false ego.
That is the irony.

- From Mr A. Ghori,Abu Dhabi

Khaleej Times: 10th Sep 2005(www.khaleejtimes.ae)

The ‘superpower’ too is vulnerable
10 September 2005

WHY would the world’s richest country accept donations, but not ask for it. Isn’t it false pride? We proclaim we are independent and proudly brag about being so. We go on with our life until some sort of calamity strikes us and makes us realise how interdependent we are with one another. However, as time passes, our memory being short-term, soon we forget all that and are back to our so-called normally abnormal selves. Right from the things we eat, walk or drive to work, each and every activity is linked to a system of dependency. Even our life depends on another person. Take for example you are driving to work and though you are a good driver, for you to reach the destination safely, your life depends on how good the other person drives or follows the system. Nevertheless, if nothing unfortunate happens and you reach your destination safely, you feel elated about your driving capabilities. You even proclaim that you no longer have to depend on anyone to reach the place, but the fact is you are dependent on the machine that you drive and so many other factors. You think you are independent, but in reality you are not. You are actually interdependent. A ‘feel-good’ factor is always there when you can satiate your ego by saying I am independent. That is the irony. All are interdependent and not independent. Even after your death, you are dependent on another person to dispose of your body. The world will be a better place if we all accept the fact that we are interdependent and not independent. I feel the term ‘independent’ should be removed from our vocabulary as we all need each other. Katrina, nature’s fury, taught us a lesson that I hope people won’t forget, especially the so-called superpower.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

Khaleej Times(www.khaleejtimes.ae)

Letter to Editor

Suspicious spouse
29 July 2005
I WAS really taken aback on reading the KT report of a Syrian barber beating his second wife to death for standing in the balcony and that too after 10 pm. This kind of cruelty is beyond comprehension in this modern age. The poor lady must have suffered silently since her marriage.There are many such suspicious and narrow-minded husbands who enjoy treating their wives as slaves and beating them up as and when they like even for silly reasons. It's high time that men and women are given equal status, and encourage victims of such atrocity to report it to the authorities, failing which they get away scot free. Hope this "wife beater" gets the punishment he deserves so that others are discouraged from acting in this way.
— Name withheld on request

Response
Suspicious spouse
2 August 2005
I REFER to the letter, Suspicious spouse, (KT July 29). I agree that it is barbaric for a man to beat his wife to death. But if the second wife of this Syrian man had obeyed her husband's advice, not to stand in the balcony or peep through window unnecessarily, she would have fulfilled her husband's wishes and command and then she would be alive now and her husband would not have ended up in jail. In married life, it is expected that both the partners take the advice of each other in the right spirit. In my view, every man is suspicious and narrow-minded in dealing with the issue concerning woman. No man is a saint. When a man looks at a woman, his look is always lewd, if the woman moves freely, it gives him wrong signals. A woman standing in the balcony or peeping through window or roaming without any purpose will always be giving wrong signals to a man. Can any man deny my contention?

Kamal by e-mail

Response
More on ‘suspicious spouses’
3 August 2005
THIS is in response to suspicious spouse, (KT, Aug 2) by Kamal. I agree with Kamal when he says " in married life, it is expected that both the partners take the advice of each other in the right spirit." I personally feel this Syrian husband was insecure in his second marriage, and probably he felt his young wife will cheat on him. Perhaps, to show his actual control on her, he resorted to beating her black and blue. Unfortunately, the outcome was fatal. If their marriage had been based on love, trust and respect and if this Syrian man had acted in a mature way he wouldn't have landed in cell.May be, suspicion is the basic instinct of human nature, especially in a relationship concerning love and marriage but it is essential to force trust in our minds before falling into the trap of suspicion, which comes very easily in anyone's mind. I am sorry to say that this Syrian man was very possessive and violent, and it is this nature that landed him in jail.

— Sneha Stephen, Dubai

******

WITH reference to Suspicious spouse (KT, Aug 2) , I must say that I am shocked to read the preposterous statement that 'his wife should have fulfilled husband's wishes and command'. Then he goes on to say that 'advice should be taken in the right spirit by husband and wife. I wonder, how he put the blame on the dead victim, and that too for not obliging to the narrow thinking and chauvinism of her husband, who eventually murdered her? To me, anyone who kills his wife for seeing her on the balcony is a monster. What kind of civilisation is this where women cannot even look out from the balcony or breathe fresh air. I feel pity for the women who need to take permission from their men to even look out from the balconies. I guess for people like Kamal, the only purpose balcony serves is for drying and hanging clothes. I would like to inform him that in places like Abu Dhabi there is a penalty for hanging clothes in the balcony whereas there is no penalty or fine for looking out from the balcony.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

******

THE 'suspicious' man's place is definitely in the prison. I am referring to the Syrian man who beat her wife to death for standing on the balcony of the house. People who are guilty are more suspicious. Moreover, man is supposed to be stronger than the woman, so it is expected that he should be tolerant.
— Dr M. Bhaijee, Michigan, USA

6 August 2005,KT

I REFER to Suspicious spouse (KT, Aug 2), I would like to advise Kamal that he should not see the world from his eyes only. The world is full of different kind of people hailing from varied background with different cultures. To say that all men and women should behave in the way he likes is going a little too far and speaks of ignorance. The way to remove this kind of ignorance is to travel around the world and understand different cultures, to learn and listen to others. If we do not see other places or try to learn about culture of other people, and think that whatever we know is all that is there in this world then we would only be spreading bigotism.If we want to be open-minded then we will have to learn about the world around us. In India itself there are some communities where a woman is allowed to have more than one husband. This practice is going on for years and no body has questioned it.
— B. John, Chicago

Khaleej Times13th July, 2005(www.khaleejtimes.ae/)

Letter to Editor

What’s faith got to do with it?
3 July 2005

WITH reference to your article ‘Why link terror to religion’ (KT, July 11, I agree with your comments about the misconception. But then again, I feel Muslim clerics and leaders should strongly condemn the terrorists with no buts. These only portray them in such a way that the Muslim Ummah have a soft corner for the terrorist actions as a reaction. I think we should distance from the terrorist completely and no justification for terrorist actions shall be accepted or given credence. Moreover, as fatwas are issued against those who desecrate the religion of Islam and teachings, they should also be issued against these terrorists who, as you rightly say, do not belong to our religion. They quote scriptures for their actions and the clerics should strongly come out against this. The problem here is because they quote the scriptures for their actions which is misconstrued as the belief and faith of the people who belong to Islam by others. Hence, the term ‘Islamic terrorist’ I suppose, whereas other terrorists whom you mention in your article never quoted the scriptures. We also have to look into ourselves and correct the wrongs. It’s time all are treated as equals with no discrimination. It is time for introspection, but at the same time, we do not agree with the western media and the hype they create. I feel Islam is the best religion with the worst followers.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

My Note- Would like to see the world where Politics & religion segregated,where people love people just as humans nothing more nothing less.

Gulf news-13th July, 2005(www.gulfnews.com/)

Letter to Editor

I've heard enough of these bombings, killings, hatred and terrorism. The smiles on people's faces are fast disappearing. Why don't we have a World Peace Day like Father's Day, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. It is time the world addresses this issue to give peace a chance. At least give it a try.

From Mr A.Ghori ,Abu Dhabi

Editor's note: Peace Days, in one form or another international or world are declared on occasion by the UN or other respected bodies

My note- Feel helpless about the happenings in this world.I am a peace loving guy.

Khaleej times-4th July, 2005

Letter to Editor

No basic facilities, 4 July 2005

COMPANIES are ready to pay fines instead of stopping work. Fines have minimal effect as the authorities already have a taste of it, trying to impose it on speeding vehicles. Instead, if responsible contractors are asked to stay in the hot sun for two hours every day, outside their cool AC cabins, I think they will better understand the plight of labourers and shut their vocal cords for two months until the temperature settles down. Isn’t this a humane approach? I believe so.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

My Note-my feelings about the poor labourers & how they are exploited

Gulf News, 30th may,2005

Letter to the editor

Noble work

I am a parent of a special-care child living in Abu Dhabi
The school held its annual day function recently. While watching the performance, I observed the expressions of the audience and was choked with emotion seeing them smile wholeheartedly and applaud in unison whenever a child, with great determination, walked up after stumbling to the stage to perform.
When the parents went up to the stage to sing with the children, I could only think how lucky we are to have the Indian Ladies Association which provides special care for children. Hats off to the staff.

-From Mr A.Ghori,Abu Dhabi
My note-She is my daughter SAFA a cute one.
She is Down syndrome girl. Please Pray for her health & for us to bring her up the best we can.

Response

Gulf news, 1st june, 2005

They need us

I attended the Indian Ladies Association Special Care Centre's open day and I agree with Mr Ghori("Noble work" Gulf News, May 30). Every child's performance was magical, thanks to the dedicated staff and volunteers who work for months towards this special day
A very special school with very special staff who do an incredible job in caring for the children who attend. If anyone is looking for a worthwhile cause to support, look no further.
These ladies are in dire need of funds to help them to continue to brighten the lives of many special children and raise awareness for the plight of special needs children in Abu Dhabi

From Ms D. Long,Dubai

Khaleej Times-5th May
Letter to the editor

Visa woes

MY MOTHER applied for a visit visa to the UK on 2nd May at the UK embassy, Abu Dhabi for a visit to her son and family. She waited for four long hours before being called for the interview, and then the visa was rejected. The reason given by the visa officer was that she was going to the UK to look after her son’s kids and is not going to come back to the UAE as the son in the UK is earning more money than her son here. The officer never realised that being a widowed mother, she was entitled on compassionate grounds to stay with her son as his dependent. Also, she chose the UAE because the weather in the UK is too cold for her to bear. I fail to understand how a 67-year-old lady is going to look after the son’s kids, when in reality, it is she who has to be looked after and also why a 67-year-old would want to jump visas and live illegally there. Can’t comprehend the thinking of visa officers and how they are they trained to refuse genuine cases. The UAE, being a compassionate country, granted her the residence visa.

— Ahsan Ghori, Abu Dhabi

My note-My mom got visa in her second attempt.The letter did have an role to play as the officer enquired about the letter & explained the reasons for rejecting her visa to me.