– Khalid Hashmani
Let us convey our gratitude to those who celebrated Sindhi culture and Sindhi identity in Birmingham (UK), Calgary (Canada), Houston (USA, and Washington DC (USA). Two more get-togethers (New York on Nov. 26 and Washington DC on Dec. 5) are still planned Sindhi Culture Celebration Day festivities of overseas Sindhis to create awareness about Sindhi culture of peace and heritage.
Courtesy » Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups, 24th Nov 2011.
It is not only Sindhi-speaking people who are participating but also Pashto-speaking Sindhis, Urdu-speaking Sindhis, and Punjabi-speaking Sindhis, who live in Sindh are demonstrating their love for Sindh.
By Khalid Hashmani
The Sindhis who live in and around the Washington DC area joined festivities of the annual “Sindhi Culture Celebration Day”. The event was organized by Mrs. Nasreen and Mr. Iqbal Tareen at their residence in McLean suburb on the night between Saturday, November 19 and November 20, 2011. Several local Sindhis joined Tareens in this event to make it a memorable celebration of Sindhi culture, language and identity.
Continue reading Washington Sindhis Join in “Sindhi Culture Celebration Day” Festivities
Join Tri-State (NY, NJ and CT) Sindhi Community in celebrating International Sindhi Cultural & Solidarity Day
Venue: Kabab King Mehal, 495 Hempstead Turnpike, West Hempstead, NY 11552. Date: Saturday November 26th, 2011 , Time:7:00 pm
Wear Sindhi Ajrak and Topi and Join millions of Sindhis all over the world in celebrating their culture, language and heritage. Sindhi people cherish their Universalist peace cultural practices. This event is open to all ages. Event includes food, music concert and cultural demonstrations.
LONDON, (Press release NOVEMBER 10, 2011) World Sindhi Congress (WSC) participated and took floor in a meeting with Committee on Enforced Disappearances by Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) at United Nations, held on 10th November, 2011 in Geneva. Dr. Rubina Greenwood, Vice Chairperson of WSC presented a statement on recently killed and disappeared Sindhi political activists.
In her statement she informed OHCHR that security forces and other security agencies have been actively engaged in hundreds of forced disappearances and targeted killings of political activists and ordinary peace loving people of Sindh and Blochistan. Media sources in Sindh have reported the official count of missing people who were picked up by the various security agencies is to be close to 175.
Dr. Greenwood reported that more than 45 Sindhi political activists belonging to various students’, labors’ and other political organizations have disappeared in recent years. Amongst them are Mr. Muzaffar Bhutto, Mr. Noor Muhammed Khaskheli, Mr Shahid Notayar, Lala Yasser, Shoukat Brohi, Faisal Wagan, Riaz Kakepoto, Shah Nawaz Bhutto, Jam Bhutto, Yasir Notiar, Ali Nawab Mahar, Zulfiqar Jamalim Hameed Shar are some of the prominent names. She also said that number of ordinary law abiding Sindhis who belong to Shah Bandir and Jati areas (border villages to India) have been illegally captured by Intelligence agencies too. Among those who are also abducted include Ali Bachal Themor, Ghulam Kadir Boryio, Taj Mohammed Themor and Mohammed Boryio to name a few.
Recent appeals made by Asian Human Rights Commission which was issued on 11th October 2011 with names of students who were taken by Pakistani Agencies from Sindh University including Afzal Pahnwar, Sanaullah Bhatti and Mukhtiar Pahnwar was presented as a supporting document to OHCHR by Dr. Greenwood.
“As recently as in last two weeks i.e. 6th November and 29th October 2011 five prominent political activists including Mohammed Brohi, Nadeem
Lashari, G M Abro, Noor Abro and Anwar Depar were arrested and their whereabouts are unknown since then,” said Dr. Greenwood in her statement.
Security agencies and Police regularly engages in the murder and killing of political activists. She said that from February to April 2011 a number of prominent political leaders and activists have been killed including Zulfiqar Kolachi, Aijaz Solangi, Sirai Qurban Khuhawr, Roplo Choliani and Nadir Bugti and Noorullah Tunio. She also reported the
murders of two active leaders of Pakistan Fisher folk Forum (PFF): Haji Abubakar and Abdul Ganai Mirbahar in May 2011.
She said that this callousness of security agencies completely ignores the commitments Pakistan made just last year when it signed the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in which Article One very clearly states, “All peoples have the right to the self-determination.”
Rubina appealed to the OHCHR Committee on Forced Disappearance to put pressure on government to set up an independent investigation of the recent killings and disappearances of political activists andordinary Sindhis in line with Pakistan’s commitments to the UN Treaties addressing freedom of speech and association.
In an email message, Dr Hidayat Bhutto, the Chairperson of the WSC said, “It is important for International Community to know about the atrocities towards progressive and secular human rights and democracy workers.”
WSC regularly attends UN events where it comments on the human rights situations in Sindh and other parts of Pakistan.
The World Sindhi Institute (WSI) Condemns the Murder of the members of Sindhi Hindu Community
PRESS RELEASE (November 11, 2011)- Board members of the World Sindhi Institute in a joint statement strongly condemn the brutal murder of the three Sindhi doctors of Sindhi Hindu community in Chak town of Shikarpur, calling it a crime against the very fabric of the Sindhi Society which has been the symbol of religious tolerance in the entire sub-continent.
The members showed their deep concern over the growing intolerance in Pakistan where both legal system and social environment are increasingly becoming hostile to the minorities, leaving them helpless and vulnerable.
Echoing the sentiments of civil society in Pakistan, the WSI demanded a speedy justice to the families of victims and appealed to both federal and provincial government to play their due role in furthering the cause of peace, religious tolerance, and Human Rights in Pakistan. They further demanded the complete abolition of Blasphemy-law, which has become a tool in the hands of those who want to radicalize the society and silence all voices of reason.
WSI appeals to all political parties, representatives of civil society, legal community, networks of journalist, and enlighten individuals in Pakistan to join hands to defeat this fresh wave of violence against minorities and run a sustained campaign for the protection of human rights in Sindh and the rest of Pakistan.
“I
n January 1948—about four months after the creation of Pakistan—the federal government of Pakistan sponsored pogroms by refugees against Hindu Sindhis in Karachi, then the shared capital of Sindh and Pakistan. The pogroms resulted in the massacre of over 1200 Sindhis. When the Sindh government attempted to restore public order and return looted property, Pakistan removed the duly elected Sindh government from office. Today, exiled Hindu Sindhis are denied the Right of Return.”
“Of the approximately 30 million Sindhis living in Sindh today, approximately 3 million are Hindus and suffer particularly under Pakistan’s oppressive laws and dis-criminatory practices. Pakistan imposes the death penalty for blasphemy or apostasy.”
“With the connivance of the Pakistani authori-ties, tens of thousands of Sindhis, including a disproportionately large number of Hindu and Christian Sindhis, are held in virtual slavery as bonded laborers.”
“The last census systematically undercounted the number of Sindhis. The census forms in Sindhi were simply printed in insufficient quantities so data could not be collected in many remote villages. In addition, Hindu Sindhis were intimidated by Pakistani authorities who ac-companied the census takers in Sindh.”
“The Pakistani government has designated homes and businesses of Hindu Sindhis in this area as ‘Enemy Evacuee Property’ and seized the legal deeds to their properties.”
“Religious Studies has been made a compulsory subject for Muslims in all government and private schools. The officially mandated textbooks preach a fundamentalist and militant ideology, contravening the indigenous universalist Sufi beliefs of the Sindhis.”
“Pakistan controls all public and private advertising in newspapers through a government body called the Pakistan Information Board. In 2003, the government ordered a cut in Sindhi newspapers’ advertisement ‘quota’ by an additional 50%. Although Sindhi speakers account for about 20% of Pakistan’s population, Sindhi newspapers now receive less than 1% of the total advertising revenue.”
“In 1999, the largest circulation Sindhi monthly magazine Subhu Theendo (‘A New Day will Dawn’) was banned for spreading disaffection against the ‘ideology of Pakistan.’ The magazine focused on sustainable development and environmental protection.”
“A majority of the officials and government employees appointed in Sindh do not speak the Sindhi language. Pakistan refuses to allow the use of Sindhi in University entrance examinations or in job interviews for government employees in Sindh, and severely limits radio and television broadcasts in the language.”
“Pakistan has built several mega-dams and barrages up-stream that have impeded the flow of the Indus (Sindhu) River and its tributaries to Sindh. As a consequence, the floodplains that fed Sindh’s forests are gone, resulting in massive deforestation: less than 20% of the original 600,000 acres of forest land is now being regenerated. ”
“Water no longer flows to the sea; as a consequence, the mangrove forests have experienced a 90% decline—from 2400 square kilometers to 200 square kilometers. With-out protection from the mangrove forests, seawater has encroached—inundating 1.2 million acres of agricultural land and uprooting residents of 159 villages. The once plentiful seafood catch has been drastically reduced. The net result is that throughout Sindh, poverty levels, malnutrition and disease now match those in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
“The Sindhi national poet, Shaikh Ayaz (d. 1999) was charged with treason—a crime punishable by death—for advocating peace with India.”
Courtesy » Sonething fishy’s going on
Life Bridge is a registered nonprofit organization. Life Bridge Pakistan Trust, registered under the social welfare act of Pakistan. Life Bridge’s mission and message is one of peace and a brotherhood bound by humanity.
After having been raised in America, Dr. Geeta Chainani’s identity as a Sindhi brought her back to Pakistan in search of her family history. An unexpected twist of fate brought her face to face with what is now being termed as the “greatest natural disaster of our time” – the massive flooding that began on July 29, 2010.
After witnessing the great burden of disease whose victims mainly consisted of women and children Dr. Chainani decided to dedicate the rest of her trip to providing emergency medical care in two tent cities.
Confronted with the humanitarian crisis of “epic proportions” present following the floods and the Sindhi diaspora’s increasing interest in her work in Pakistan Dr. Chainani realized she was the only one to bridge this divide. Life Bridge was founded as that bridge, hence it’s name.
Since Sept 2, 2010, Dr. Chainani continues to provide life-saving services in the villages of rural Sindh. Together, Team Life Bridge US and Team Life Bridge Pakistan work to bridge the gaps in issues related to: Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Shelter, Food. For more visit » http://www.thelifebridge.us
Courtesy: SAMAA TV (News Beat with Fareeha Idress 9th November 2011)
Pakistan Medical Association, (Sindh Chapter)
Press Release (8th Nov 2011) – Pakistan Medical Association, Sindh Chapter , condemns the Murder of Sindhi Doctors, in Shikarpur. The soil has given birth to Great Sindhi Sufi Poets Sami and Shiekh Ayaz. People of all sects and Religions have been living in Sindh peacefully, for Centuries. This Killing is a conspiracy of dividing Sindhis into Sects and Groups, and forcing Sindhi Hindus to leave their Motherland Sindh. The Culprits were so Influential, that some of them were only arrested after the President Asif Ali Zardari’s interference. The Sindhi Hindu doctors should not think that they are left alone. They are supported by People,Intellectuals, writers , journalists, and above all their Sindhi Muslim Brothers and Sisters.
We demand from the Government to give Exemplary Punishment to the Culprits, and Decision to do so should not be affected by any Political pressures . That is the only way Govt can give back the confidence to the minorities,which are the Vital part of our Society .
Dr Samrina Hashmi, President PMA Sindh
When people all over Pakistan will be celebrating Eid-ul-Azha, the people of Balochistan will be mourning their loved ones. The responsibility for this lies with the Pakistan military, its intelligence agencies and the Frontier Corps (FC). The entire nation should be ashamed of the brutalities unleashed by the military against its own people in Balochistan. Javed Naseer Rind, a young journalist, was abducted in September and his tortured, bullet-riddled body was found the other day in the province. More than a dozen Baloch, including women, were killed last week in less than 24 hours during a military campaign in Balochistan; the same week when the FC was placed under the provincial government of Balochistan. The fifth military operation of our history is underway against the people of Balochistan but it seems that the rest of Pakistan remains oblivious to it. The apathy of the government and the nation is something that has further alienated the Baloch from the Pakistani state. Thus a new wave of separatism has found resonance in Balochistan. The lessons from 1971 have not been learnt.
Read more » Daily Times
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\117\story_7-11-2011_pg3_1
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Jeay Sindh hunger strike against missing workers
By Abbas Kassar
Excerpt;
BADIN: Jeay Sindh Mutehida Mahaz, an ultra nationalist group among all Jeay Sindh outfits, observed hunger strike here on Friday against their missing workers who, according to them have been picked up by secret agencies and were forcibly disappeared since long. ….
…. It may be mentioned here that scores of political workers belonging to nationalist parties of Sindh and Balochistan have been missing since long. The case of missing persons is being heard in Supreme Court of Pakistan. In Balochistan, the dead bodies of missing political workers have been found from various places. The action against nationalist party’s workers of Sindh and Balochistan have been causing anger among the nationalist parties to the extent that almost all groups of Jeay Sindh movement are working for independence of Sindh from Pakistan. The chairman of JSMM Shafi Burfat is being sought by police in cases of bomb blasts and anti Pakistan activities but since last 15 years he has gone underground.
Read more » The Lahore Times
http://www.lhrtimes.com/2011/11/04/jeay-sindh-hunger-strike-against-missing-workers/
By Javed Qazi
Hardly a day of the great murder of the history of Sindh passed by, that 72 years back, Sindhi Sufi mystic singer, Bhaghat Kanwar Ram, was killed near Shikarpur, that we always remember him on his anniversary day, 1st Nov. We have got a blow due to another shock that three Hindu doctors have been killed by the Bhayo Tribe in Shikarpur. Prima Facie it is due to the fact that recently the persons of this tribe had kidnapped a Sindhi Hindu girl and wanted to convert her religion to escape from the crime of kidnapping. The Sindhi Hindu community, who was in majority in the area prior partition of India, is still living by about 50000 houses, in Shikarpur. They couldn’t let this happen and they got the girl back from the Bhayo tribe. In the tribal context it was shameful for Bhayos that the most weak community, forced Bhayos and got the girl back. In a ray of revenge on very Eid day, just to send a loud and clear message to the Sindhi Hindu community, three Hindu doctors in Shikarpur were killed while they were performing their routine professional work in their respective clinics.
This is same Shikarpur where the great leader of Sindh, Shaheed Allah Bux Soomro was murdered on same grounds, almost 68 years back. Shikarpur was Hub of trade and commerce, which even Karl Marx has acknowledged on his notes on India as colony of British Empire. Prior partition it was either Karachi or Shikarpur which had colleges and best education institutions and hospitals that even Hyderabad and Sukkur was far behind it. Shaheed Allah Bakhsh Soomro was the first premier of Sindh, who was against the formation of Pakistan, was from Shikarpur city. This was due to the fact that communal groups of Manzil Masjid Gah were spread. The symbol of religious harmony, Bhaghat Kanwar the great mystic singer was murdered at that time. Allah Bux soomro another symbol of religious harmony and secularism was murdered at that time.
Continue reading MURDERS OF THREE SINDHI HINDU DOCTORS: CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY
By: Dr. Rajab Ali Memon, Secretary General, Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party – STP
We condemn the brutal murder of 4 Sindhi Hindu doctors in Shikarpur district by the criminals. The STP, being a strong advocate of secular politics, rejects the intolerance towards all religious minorities and the Sindhi Hindus in particular; since they are being continuously and systematically targeted & extorted by various agencies, dacoits, religious fanatics, and feudal/ tribal/ spiritual lords all over Sindh. We appeal all progressive elements in Pakistan to join us in condemning the rule of jungle, especially in the northern districts of Sindh; and the systematic genocide of Sindhi Hindus to compel them to leave Sindh and settle in India. We believe that the Sindhi Hindus are an integral part of Sindhi nation and equal citizens of Sindh & Pakistan. Hence, it is the foremost responsibility of the State as well as the Government (s) of Sindh & Pakistan to provide them guarantees of Life, Liberty and Property.
Courtesy » Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups, November 8, 2011.
A beautiful Sindhi folk song “Chhallro” by Kaajal Chandiramani, Kaajal’s melodious voice makes one feel like dancing…. Dance by, Bhavna Taurani, Karishma Ganglani, Kritika Ramchandani, Poonam Kateja, Sapna Bhambhani in Sindhyat ji Mauj, A Grand Evening of Dance, Mauj & Masti at Shaikh Rashid Auditorium – Dubai Event Organized by Asha Chand.
Courtesy » Sindhi Sangat » YouTube
» YouTube
Sindh Democratic forum (SDF) condemns the targeting and harassment of Kawish group of newspapers and Channels, its journalists, employees and distributors. SDF feels that it as infringement of the freedom of the Press and right to free expression and access to correct information.
We have seen that over the last week acts of violence against the daily Kawish have been mounting in the province. Violence against the management and journalists of the beleaguered newspaper is unacceptable and the conspiracy to curb the Press freedom in Pakistan will be fought by the civil society.
SDF further resolved that press is the mirror of society and Sindhi press, as an integral part of Sindhi civil society have contributed a lot to protect the rights of the people and land and exposed the enemies of the people of Sindh. In this regard Kawish group has played an unprecedented role in highlighting Sindh’s case at all levels and SDF terms this attack on the group as an attack on the vibrant and dynamic voice of Sindhi society.
They have also highlighted the issues of all downtrodden, vulnerable and marginalized people of the other federating units of Pakistan and the region and even the whole world.
SDF has seen that from the ban on government advertisement to the level of burning of newspaper bundles are parts of systematic attacks to stop the voice of marginalized and vulnerable people of the province. SDF demands that PPP regime whose entire state machinery was otherwise active in violating the human rights of Sindhi people should at least take tangible and visible steps to protect Press freedom by providing security to Kawish against attacks from hooligans.
‘Jagjit Singh was a great human being and friend’
– IP Singh
JALANDHAR: His alma mater, the city where he spent his youthful days and old friends were at loss of words while grappling with the news of demise of Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh. If his alma mater DAV College held a ‘shok sabha’ to remember and pay tributes to one of its most illustrious and famous alumni, his old friends shared the cherished memories of “good old days”.
“He was a great singer and much greater human being and friend,” said Iqbal Singh, Lt governor of Puduchery, an old co-actor in dramas and a fellow musician.
Read more » Times of India
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLHdjlIJxOA&feature=player_embedded
Courtesy» Duniya Tv News (Khari Baat Luqman ke Saath – 10th October 2011)
via » ZemTv → YouTube
– Congressional Briefing: The importance of Sindh in the U.S./Pakistani relationship: How flood aid is of humanitarian and U.S. national security interest
Washington, D.C., Oct. 7, 2011 – The Sindhi American Political Action Committee in conjunction with the Congressional Sindh Caucus will host a congressional briefing at the Capitol Hill in room HC-5 on October 13, from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00p.m. The topics for discussion at the briefing will be the current floods in Sindh, the U.S. – Pakistan relationship, and U.S. aid and assistance in the Sindh Province in regards to the floods.
Heavy monsoon rains in early August have devastated the Sindh region of Pakistan. Sixteen of the 23 districts in Sindh have been affected with over 1.7 million acres of standing crops, the Sindhis main source of livelihood, destroyed. More than 270 deaths have been reported and more than 6 million people have been displaced or directly affected by flood waters. Currently, there are 700,000 people living in temporary sites and 280,000 have been relocated to 1,800 relief camps within Sindh. There have been 120,000 pregnant women and 500,000 children who have been directly affected by the floods and more than 2 million people are suffering from flood-related diseases. Thousands of flood victims need relief and aid, but the slow and limited response of the Pakistani government and the international community has left a gap that is being filled by Islamist terrorist organizations like Jamaat-ud-dawa.
As the Sindhi people are a peaceful people, wanting a region that is accepting of religions and cultures, they stand as a crucial ally to the United States in this vulnerable region in the world. The briefing will bring to light the importance of maintaining a good relationship between the United States and the Sindhis and the Sindh region and how flood relief is of importance in this endeavor.
Speakers at the briefing will include Dr. Haider K. Nizamani, teaches Political Science at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Louis Flam, professor of archaeology, paleoecology, geo-archaeology and South Asian Studies at the City University of New York, Dr. Geeta Chainani, President and co-founder of Life Bridge US, and Dr. Gul Agha, professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Courtesy: » Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups, October 8, 2011.
– Sindhis can Prevent Deletion of Sindh From Jana Gana Mana
by Ashok T. Jaisinghani
Some persons are again trying to get “Sindh” deleted from Jana Gana Mana, the National Anthem of India written by the great poet Rabindranath Tagore. The Sindhi leaders can easily prevent the deletion of “Sindh” from Jana Gana Mana if they take one step, which I have explained below.
The main objection to the mention of Sindh in the National Anthem is the fact that Sindh is a part of Pakistan. At present, no part of Sindh is in India, though there are millions of Sindhis living in India.
This objection can be removed if all the Sindhi leaders, living in India and other countries, jointly petition the Government of Gujarat to create a small district with the name of Sindh from the District of Kutch. I am sure that the large-hearted Kutchis will accept this proposal, just as they had welcomed the Sindhi refugees from Pakistan to settle in Kutch after the Partition of India in 1947. [After partition in 1947, Kutchis are cut-off from their fellow Sindhis in Sindh but they are trying to hang on to their dialect of Sindhi, culture and traditions. Watch this that how Kuchi language and dialect is a part of mainland Sindh.]
Should the Sindhi leaders not send a petition to the Government of Gujarat requesting it to make the region of Adipur-Gandhidham in Kutch into a separate District of Sindh? The Sindhi leaders from all over the world must send such a petition as soon as possible. The majority of the people in the Adipur-Gandhidham region of Kutch are Sindhis, whose parents and grandparents had migrated to India from Sindh after the Partition of the country.
Once we are able to get a very small District of Sindh anywhere in India, there will be no need for the Government of India to delete the name of Sindh from Jana Gana Mana. Even if it is very small, the new District of Sindh will be known as a part of India. Jana Gana Mana will then require no correction, as far as the mention of Sindh in the National Anthem is concerned.
Courtesy: Desi e-lists/ e-groups, 5 October, 2011
– On Saturday October 8th, 2011 there are three events scheduled in London by World Sindhi Congress. All events of 23rd International Conference on Sindh are free.
Floods and Rehabilitation in Sindh, Saturday, 8th October 2011, 9:00 AM – 21:00 PM, Kingsley Hall, Powis Road, London E3 3HJ UK (Near Bromley by Bow Tube Station of District Line). Moderated by Ali Memon, Report from Sindh, Kadir Jatoi, Mr Sadiq Bhanbhro, Impacts of 2011 Floods in Sindh, Dr Sanjay Ahuja, Situation of minorities During Sindh Floods, Floods and Rehabilitation – Fund Raising, Gul Sanai and Team.
Session II: Rising Extremism in Pakistan – Implications for International Peace and Role of Sindhi People. Moderated by Dr Lakhu Lohana.
– Dr. Geeta Chainani, Dr. Haider K. Nizamani, Dr. Louis Flam, Dr. Gul Agha to join panel at congressional briefing Hosted by the Sindhi American Political Action Committee in conjunction with the Congressional Sindh Caucus. Date/Time: October 13, 2:00p.m. – 4:00p.m. Place: Capitol, room HC-5.
Beginning in August, the monsoon season hit Pakistan and has come to devastate the province of Sindh. With over 5 million people affected, including 2 million homeless and hundreds dead, the people of Sindh remain in a precarious situation. With little aid and relief, the Sindhi people are suffering from diseases, loss of livelihood, and nowhere to go.Join us to learn more about the Sindh, who the people are, and most importantly, how the Sindh region plays a crucial part in the United States’ relationship with Pakistan and its security.
– Different perspective – The Baloch and Sindhis certainly believe that Pakistan should be more than an Islamic monoculture
By Raza Ahmed
Pervez Hoodbhoy is a familiar name among critics who see Pakistani society in the context of extremism and terrorism. A distinctively fierce critic of nuclear weapons and technology, Hoodbhoy is a professor of nuclear and high energy physics at the Department of Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. He has delivered lectures at US and European research centres and universities. In addition to his BS, MS, and PhD degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he has received Baker Award for Electronics and Abdus Salam Prize for Mathematics.
He was awarded UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize in 2003 on science. The same year, he was invited to the Pugwash Council. He has also received the Joseph A. Burton Award from the American Physical Society.
His book, Islam and Science — Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality, has been translated into seven languages. Understandably, Hoodbhoy is one of the most sought-after commentator on nuclear and related issues today. Recently, TNS sat with Pervez Hoodbhoy and focused on various aspects of Pakistani state, society, and regional affairs. Excerpts follow. The News on Sunday: What, in your opinion, is the root cause of religious extremism-terrorism in Pakistan?
Pervez Hoodbhoy: It came from Pakistan’s foreign policy in the early 1980s. The US and Pakistan, with Saudi funding, created the deadly jihadist machinery after the USSR invaded Afghanistan. For over a decade, they armed, financed, and trained the mujahideen. Once the USSR withdrew and disintegrated, the infrastructure should have been disbanded. But then Pakistani generals, like Mirza Aslam Beg, decided to use jihadists to conquer Kashmir and establish strategic depth in Afghanistan. Those mujahideen, “assets” as they were called, are now slaughtering our soldiers and officers whenever and wherever they can.
TNS: Has Pakistan been misdirected because no political or intellectual input seems to have gone into policy making?
PH: Civilian and military governments are to be blamed for today’s catastrophic situation. Although he denies it now, let us remember that Nawaz Sharif was thick with Musharraf on Kargil and had accompanied him to visit the troops there. Our insistence on Kashmir being the number one problem is the cause of many of our sorrows. We did not realise that the well-being of Pakistan, and addressing the grievances of Balochistan and Sindh, is more important than liberating Kashmir from Indian occupation. …
Read more → The News
via → Secular Pakistan
The language of the discussion is urdu (Hindi).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gMppNoCSCYA
Courtesy: → Rawal Tv (Current Affairs with Arshad Bhatti & Latafat Siddique, Ep29 Part-2)
Mumbai, India: Renowned Sindhi story writer of Sindh and India, passed away on 15 September 2011 at Mulund Colony Mumabi due to complications of diabetes. He was 68.
He was born on April 21, 1941, in Karachi, Sindh. He was author of 11 Collections of short stories, 4 novels, and 1 on essay. Most significant amongst them are: Darda Bhari Dil (Painful heart), 1963, Dil Ji Basti (Dwelling of heart), Short Stories Collection, 1965, Chandermukhi, Short Stories Collection, 1965, Sawal (Question), Novel, 1976, Rishtan Jo Ant (End of relationship), 2001. Vishnu Bhatia was Sr. Sub-Editor, Hindustan Sindhi Daily Newspaper & Hindvasi, a Weekly Sindhi Magazine. Also he was columnist of Sindhi magazines Koonj, Sipoon, and Rachna.
Vishnu Bhatia had also written the following Radio Plays: Bebu O Bebu, Akh Pharke, Dil Dharke (Twinkle in Eye Beating of Heart), Inam (Reward), Nind Na Kar Nandan (Do Not Oversleep). Vishnu was basically a creative writer. He turned to journalism comparatively at later stage, when he joined Hindustan Daily in mid-seventies. some of his short stories have been translated in other Indian (south Asian) languages, such as Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Tamil, Telgu, Malyalam and English.
1995 he had won Lifetime Achievement Award, (At Mumbai by Akhil Bharat Sindhi Boli Ain Sahit Sabha).
The National Foreign Language Center (NFLC) at the University of Maryland is a research institute dedicated to promoting communication within the United States in languages other than English. We are currently working on a project that provides adult language learners with interactive online tools to reinforce their foreign language skills. We focus on less commonly taught languages. We are currently looking for several individuals to help us launch projects in the following languages (Parsio-Arabic script): Brahvi, Hindko (Southern), Punjabi (Western), Pothohari, Sindhi, Siraiki.
Minimum Requirements: Native, or near-native, proficiency in the target language
English proficiency: Ability to conduct Internet research and submit Word documents and/or audio files
Desired Qualifications: Knowledge of ILR scale of language proficiency
Specifically, we need educated native speakers of these languages (or individuals with equivalent proficiency levels) to review online activities and cultural notes for online foreign language learning modules for their native language using software we provide. In addition, we are looking for speakers to find authentic reading and audio passages, to record audio files, and to perform various editing tasks in these languages.
The work is part-time, contractual, and most of the work can be done from your home computer. All candidates must have permission to work in the United States.
If you are interested in working with us, or if you know a qualified candidate who would be interested in working with us, please contact the NFLC via email at recruitment@nflc.org. Submit your current resume and include the language(s) you speak in the subject line. Thank you!
Amy Menjivar
Program Coordinator, National Foreign Language Center
University of Maryland
amenjivar@nflc.org
Courtesy: Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups, 16 Sept 2011
“We Don’t Belong To Pakistan, Pak Army Is Not Ours. We Want Separate Sindh” – Pir Mazhar Ul Haq
PIR MAZHAR is talking about Pakistan’s disintegration – Instigating Sindhis to break Pakistan. Sindh has never witnessed such a h——-. He exploited genuine Sindhi sentiment for a sovereign and prosperous Sindh. He is a senior minister now, dreaming to be the next chief minister with MQM support. The language of the video clip is Sindhi & urdu (Hindi).
– 18th International Sindhi Sammelan, 16th, 17th, & 18th Dec 2011.
Once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the entire world wide community in the beautiful environment of Ahmedabad. It’s all going to be happening from 16th – 18th December 2011.
It is my honour and privilege to welcome you to the 18th International Sindhi Sammelan 2011. This mega event is hosted by Sindhi Council of India – A Global Umbrella Organisation of Sindhis of India in collaboration with Alliance of Sindhi Associations of Americas Inc., which had organized seventeen Sammelans in USA, UK, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Barbados etc, since 1992.
Sindhis have blazed their success trail in many regions of the world as entrepreneurs and professionals. However, in the process of adapting to their new homes, many Sindhis have lost touch with their roots of the language, literature, culture, cuisine, traditions and rituals of their ancestral homeland.
The objective of the conference is rekindle the spirit of Sindhiyat, the linguistic and cultural bond between Sindhis that transcends geographical distances, through this Sammelan & it’s cultural programs related to sindhi traditions.
We have invited scholors from India and all over the World to present delibrations on Sindhyat. You may enroll as delegate. Refer the details in brochure / Registration form.
I sincerely desire your participation on this memorable event.
AMAR DOULATANI
Chairman, 18th International Sindhi Sammelan 2011
National President Sindhi Council of India
Director, Alliance of Sindhi Associations of Americas, Inc
Courtesy: → http://sindhisammelanabad2011.org/
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