Habib Siddiqui

No matter how one abhors it, the pornography of violence has become part of our life these days. There is rarely a day when we are spared of its horrific images invading our privacy, being shown on the TV screens and newspapers. There is something absolutely wrong and hideous with this American culture. Gone are the days with TV programs like ‘I Love Lucy’ and ‘Gilligan’s Island’ that one could watch and enjoy with all members of the family - parents and children alike -- without worrying about when to switch the channel for its offensive or gruesome contents! Even the children’s programs (including the cartoon shows) on the TV are full of sex and violence these days! But who can deny the influence of what one hears and sees? In my line of work I travel a lot, often traveling to the southern U.S. states. In my rental cars, when I turn on the radio, thanks to the choice of the pervious renter or rider of the car, it is often the arrogant and hateful voices from radio talk show hosts bom...

In recent months with some Israeli diplomats and their family members themselves being targets of IEDs attached to cars, SUVs, fingers have been pointed to Iran. As you may know several Iranian scientists suspected of working for the nuclear program have been killed by the Israeli Mossad agents (and probably the CIA) inside Iran. Targeted assassination of Muslim scientists and engineers has been a specialty of the Mossad since the rogue nation came into existence more than half a century ago. While it is armed to the teeth with all kinds of WMDs, thanks to its backers in the West, Israel does not want anyone to come anywhere close to becoming a competitor. So, it has bombed Osirak facility in Iraq in 1981, even though the facility did not have a weapons program. It misguided the Bushies to launch the Iraq war in 2003, which only revealed later that the Iraqi regime did not have any WMD. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have bankrupted the USA, and killed some 6,000 of its soldiers, a...

The USA and the UNSC won't stop the massacre in Syria. These powers say that Syria is not Libya and that it is not in their interest to stop the massacre there. But when it comes to Iran, these same nuclear Brahmins and veto powers have no problem to do everything that their true master - the Israeli warmongers - dictates. Short of a real war, they are doing everything to choke the people of Iran. It does not matter that the Iranian supreme leader and the president have repeatedly said that they consider nuclear weapons haram in Islam, and that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful for medical use! No, you can't make a believer out of a disbeliever when it shuts its ears to truth. No loudspeakers would do any good! For another brilliant article by Nima, click here .

For a brilliant article on recent massacre of Afghans click here .

Dear Dr. Dipu Moni, Salam. It is gratifying to learn that because of the success of the initiative you took pressing the legitimate right of Bangladesh to explore oil and gas in the complete area of deepwater block DS-08-11 of the Bay of Bengal, long conceived a disputable area, now Conoco-Phillips will be able to conduct exploration. It is a great victory for Bangladesh and its people. And you ought to be credited for making Bangladesh's voice not only heard but respected and honored. Thank you for a job well done. I hope our other big neighbor India would also see the maritime verdict announced by the ITLOS as a clear sign to resolve the mater of disputed maritime boundary with Bangladesh amicably. But if history is any barometer to judge what to expect from India, I won't be surprised if she refuses to open its eyes and ignores Bangladesh's legitimate rights. India has already made a mockery of Bangladesh's goodwill and is abusing its territory to ship its goods to ...

The seventh century which saw the rise of Islam also saw Christian Europe enter the Dark Ages. In the western Europe the invading Goths had almost obliterated the culture and technology of the Romans. In the Eastern Roman Empire, centering in Constantinople, the Church had all but suppressed Greek science and philosophy. India was languishing in a period of stagnation; and China, while blossoming richly in the arts, was almost wholly devoid of science. It was during this period of decline and stagnation that Muslim Arabs, the followers of Muhammad (S) – the Prophet of Islam, became the torchbearers or vanguards of knowledge in our world. They created an Islamic civilization, driven by inquiry and invention, which was to become the envy of the rest of the world for nearly a millennium. It is this spirit, the unquenched thirst for knowledge, which made Abu Rayhan al-Biruni to ask a question on inheritance law or some other related issue while he was lying on his deathbed. (Abu Rayhan al...