The Savar Tragedy

Devastation swept through Bangladesh as news of the collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar echoed throughout the country several days ago. At least 3000 people - mostly garments workers - were inside the building when it collapsed at 9am on Wednesday morning. The building owner had been forewarned of its structural inadequacies on Tuesday by industrial police who had observed large cracks in the building, advising that work be suspended immediately. These warnings were ignored, and workers were pushed to attend work regardless. The top 4 floors of the 8 story building were also constructed illegally. Details of the story can be read here. As of now, over 360 people are known to be dead and 2500 have survived, although 1000 suffer injuries of which many are critical.

Rescue teams as well as the general public have been gently and carefully lifting survivors into safety. They've been selflessly risking their lives, rummaging through the rubble for signs of life and distant, hopeful cries for help, night and day, rain or shine. By now the stench of decomposing bodies is unbearably strong, and larger machinery such as cranes are being brought in to lift the concrete pieces as hopes of recovering further bodies by a slower process diminishes. BBC has posted photographs of the incessant and extremely courageous rescue efforts on the scene.

Bangladesh houses some 3.2 million garment workers, mostly female, who sew clothes for big Western brands such as Wal-mart, Primark, Gap, Mango, Matalan etc. They work for 12-14 hour shifts, 30 days a month for an average wage of a meager $37/month. Aside from structural integrity, Bangladeshi garments factories also lack emergency fire evacuation exits as exposed by the Tazreen Fashion factory burning in November 2012, in which 117 were killed. Following investigations it was found that a supplier was using clothing from Tazreen without Wal-mart's approval.

This disaster, alongside many other cases of indecent safety standards in third world factories (e.g. in Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Mexico), have attracted criticism from rights groups against large Western companies that exploit cheap labour in these countries without taking responsibility for safety. The companies do not own the building, but this is not sufficient justification for neglect if they are using the products manufactured by the workers there.

Western activists criticise retailers and apparel companies for not doing more to force improvements in a country where working conditions are poor and government oversight is lax.

Companies often resist efforts to force a deeper discussion about the tradeoffs.

Before Wal-Mart invited shareholders to this year's annual meeting, to take place June 7, the board of directors rebuffed another effort to force a shareholder vote on workplace safety issues.

According to documents filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, a shareholder presented a proposal to require the company to report on its progress for assessing risks to human rights in its operations and supply chain. But Wal-Mart said the proposal was so similar to the one that failed in 2011, and that it already addresses the request through its standards for suppliers, that it did not merit reconsideration. The SEC approved its decision to reject the request for a shareholder vote.

Source: http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/04/27/despite-disasters-bangladesh-works-for-retailers

It just makes me sick to my stomach to think that retail giants continue to get richer by wringing every ounce of production possible from the poor, with complete disregard for their lives. The Walton family, founders of Wal-mart, is the richest family in the world. People like Glenn Murphy, CEO of Gap, earns a staggering salary of $1.5 million a year. Maybe this is unrelated, maybe these facts are disjointed and irrelevant, but I'm just underlining the gulf of difference between the rich and the poor in this world. Exactly how much more money do they need for themselves at the expense of our innocent people? It's very heartbreaking.

...the Clean Clothes Campaign calls upon brands sourcing from Bangladesh to sign on to theBangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement immediately.

The CCC, together with local and global unions and labour rights organisations has developed a sector-wide program for action that includes independent building inspections, worker rights training, public disclosure and a long-overdue review of safety standards. It is transparent as well as practical, and unique in being supported by all key labour stakeholders in Bangladesh and internationally.

This agreement has been signed last year by PVH Corp, and campaigners are hoping that the signing of this agreement will pave the way for establishing safer work environments in Bangladesh's retail industry. The National Garment Workers Federation of Bangladesh has also been fighting for this cause and has lodged a petition on Change.org.

>> Please sign this petition and share: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/primarkjobs-mango-matalan-ensure-safety-for-workers-compensate-victims-of-building-collapse <<

The collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar, Bangladesh

No human life should be sacrificed simply to maintain the luxury of consumerism in the developed world. Every person who died in this tragedy represents an established life and a family. This is not only the responsibility of Western retailers, but every person involved in the construction of these buildings, such as the engineers and owners who were rightfully arrested over the last few days, as well as the corruption of the government/bureaucrats for not ensuring that people are paid their due wage and rights. The tragedy reflects the deep injustices and malpractices abundant within society and deserves immediate attention from us all as a whole.

Abortion (again)

Yes yes, I am aware that there is bigger news out there (namely, Boston Marathon bombing) but first let me get this article out of my system. I think it has brought forward some contentious issues and facts which I believe is useful for me to address here just so that my blog can act as another outlet/source that brings together this kind of information on abortion.

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Full Article: http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/could-this-happen-here-20130415-2hvh5.html

I found the above article on Daily Life (Sydney Morning Herald) which, by the way, is increasingly becoming one of my favourite leisure time reading websites for their exploration of gender issues. The article is titled "Could this happen here?" - referring to the possibility of stricter abortion laws coming to Australia if the Abbot government gains power in the next election. And, with the advent of LifeChoice groups on NSW university campuses, I believe the abortion debate is very relevant to the present mindset of Australian youth.

The article first reflects on the current status of women's reproductive rights in America, and how conservative politics, particularly during George Bush's government, has encouraged states to limit abortion rights. Some means by which these restrictions have been implemented over the last 1-2 years include:

• Transvaginal ultrasounds - in Virginia, Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana - a bill was passed requiring that a forced 'diagnostic ultrasound' of the fetus be undertaken two hours prior to performing an abortion, in order to ascertain the age and viability of the fetus. 
• The article asserts that this method is a "vile abuse of power". A patient is subjected to an unnecessary medical examination that invades her body with the aim of 'humanising' the fetus and inducing her guilt.
• Restriction of state health funding for Planned Parenthood and other health centres that provide abortion services - in Arizona, North Carolina. 
• In actual fact, abortion makes up only 3% of PP's patient care services (see pie-chart below). The lack of funding not only curbs access to abortion, but also limits the ability of these centres to provide essential services like cancer screenings, contraception,  STD testing and pre-natal care for poorer women reliant on these facilities.

Source: http://www.factcheck.org/2011/04/planned-parenthood/

• In 2011, South Dakota proposed a legislation that could potentially allow for the 'justifiable homicide'  or the killing of abortion providers. This is a tremendously regressive proposal that unjustly equates abortion to manslaughter.  
• Recently, North Dakota also passed the 'Heartbeat Bill' - a horrendously backward law that rules against the termination of a pregnancy if a heartbeat is detected (detection is possible as early as 6 weeks). This law is all-encompassing, meaning it is applicable even in cases of rape or genetic abnormalities in the fetus. 
• I am surprised at how this bill can be passed in light of the fact that an Irish-Indian woman died late last year from septicemia after being admitted to hospital for miscarriage pain. The hospital consultant had repeatedly refused the poor lady's request to abort her child based on the understanding that they had detected a fetal heartbeat and that Ireland is a "Catholic country" - Read: http://www.smh.com.au/world/irish-hospital-told-husband-foetus-would-die-20130409-2hi0q.html

All of this, for me, seems somewhat extreme for an Australian context. But I was surprised to learn that abortion laws in Australia are not as liberal as I had expected. Nevertheless, they are far more rational than the appalling Heartbeat Bill of North Dakota. Here is a quoted summary of Australian laws from http://www.childrenbychoice.org.au:

• Queensland & New South Wales: Abortion a crime (bad!) for women and doctors. Legal when doctor believes a woman’s physical and/or mental health is in serious danger.  In NSW social, economic and medical factors maybe taken into account. (good!)
• Australian Capital Territory: Legal, must be provided by medical doctor.
• Victoria: Legal to 24 weeks. Legal post-24 weeks with two doctors’ approval.
• South Australia & Tasmania: Legal if two doctors agree that a woman’s physical and/or mental health endangered by pregnancy, or for serious foetal abnormality. Counselling compulsory in Tasmania. (hmm...) Unlawful abortion a crime.
• Western Australia: Legal up to 20 weeks, some restrictions particularly for under 16s. Very restricted after 20 weeks.
• Northern Territory: Legal to 14 weeks if 2 doctors agree that woman’s physical and/or mental health endangered by pregnancy, or for serious foetal abnormality. Up to 23 weeks in an emergency.

It often seems like some pro-life advocates have cleverly sugar coated their misogynistic principles with slogans for preserving the sanctity of life. According to PP, the states with the strictest abortion laws also lack reform in areas concerning women in education, poverty, female-to-male income ratio, women in legislature as well as childcare/foster care/welfare/and education funding. These people cannot be pro-life, if they are disregarding women's lives. By contrast, the establishment of safe and reliable abortion practices in the US have shown social/mental and health benefits in families. For example, couples who were previously discouraged by the prospect of giving birth to a genetically abnormal baby are now hoping for a child with the assistance of amniocentesis (a test conducted by taking a uterine fluid sample and screening for unusual fetal developments) and abortion services. Women who are most affected by unwanted childbirth such as teenagers and single mothers now have the option of re-planning their life (Source: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA/med_social_benefits_2009-11.pdf).

I have written about this issue before, and I will say again, that my pro-choice stance is in no way founded upon disrespect for human life, motherhood or for children. But there are numerous possible scenarios that may necessitate abortion. The availability of safe, legal and accessible abortion clinics is therefore essential, particularly so that the less privileged in society are not driven to seek attention from the likes of Kermit Gosnell - a freak doctor in Pennsylvania who was charged with "delivering seven babies alive and then using scissors to kill them" (Details: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/19/kermit--gosnell-charged_n_810976.html)

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Further information on anti-choice measures that have been enacted in 2012 can be found in The Status of Women's Reproductive Rights in the USA report by NARAL Pro-choice America at the following link: http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/download-files/2013-who-decides.pdf.

Did God Create the Universe?

I watched this episode of Curiosity hosted by Stephen Hawking, recently, on the topic of "Did God Create the Universe?". I made some notes on the episode and will summarise them here. I will also end with some counter responses to this episode that have been made by the website creation.com - the reason why I'm including both for and against arguments on this topic is to highlight the point that debating this age-old question is futile and very subjective to individual belief.

Full episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLkf78_rcu4

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Summary - Did God Create the Universe? Season 1 Episode 1 of Curiosity:

The episode begins by presenting a selection of belief systems throughout history that have been made redundant by scientific progress. Hawking starts by describing how the Vikings of Norse Mythology assigned a different deity for phenomenons of nature they could not explain. For example, Thor was the god of lightning, Aegir the god of sea, and Skoll - was a wolf god who allegedly ate the Sun to cause what is now known as the solar eclipse. The Vikings would try to scare Skoll away with their waving swords and when the sky returned to normal, they believed their actions had worked.

It was Aristarchus of Samos, Greece, in 300BC who began to study the sky and draw geometrical diagrams to assist his observations. He suggested that the eclipse is not a divine occurrence, and was merely due to the Earth casting a shadow over the moon. He rationalised that the stars were not cracks in the floor of heaven as his peers believed, but were of the same nature as our Sun. Aristarchus also supported the heliocentric model.

Hawking then proceeds to Galileo Galilei's story from 1609. Galileo constructed a telescope and observed that the moons of Jupiter were orbiting the planet - hence proving that not all entities in space revolves the Earth. Galileo was under house arrest for 9 years for his groundbreaking discovery and was made to renounce his heresy by the Church.

Aristarchus' calculations from 3rd century
Source: Wikipedia.org

Those who studied the nature of the Universe were often dubbed as heretics and the Church was threatened by their ideas and rationality. Ultimately a solution to this threat was proposed by the religious-minded: the laws of nature are governed/owned by God, and He may break them if he so wished. However, Hawking stresses that there is a distinct difference between arbitrary made-made laws that continuously adjust and readjust to accommodate progress in society, and the absoluteness of nature's laws. From the above stories it is apparent that over time scientific knowledge has gradually eliminated the need for religion, and ultimately God.

So, how did the Universe originate?

Hawkings explains that there are three fundamental ingredients required for the formation of our universe.

1. Matter/Mass - i.e. dust, ice, rocks, gas, liquids, etc
2. Energy - this drives the processes and masses within the universe
3. Space

In the 1900s, Albert Einstein theorised that mass is equivalent to energy by his famous equation E=mc2. This reduced the above ingredients list to only two items: mass/energy and space. Now, when the big bang occurred, it produced enormous amounts of positive energy. But this positive energy is countered by an unseen negative energy which is stored in space. To illustrate, Hawking asks his audience to imagine a man who decides to build a hill from soil. He digs up the ground and produces a mound of dirt, but in the process, also creates a depression in the ground where he has dug. This is the nature of positive and negative energy. These energies cancel one another out, implying that there was nothing at the start of our universe. However, even if on a macroscopic level it may seem like the universe was created from nothing, at a quantum level, traditional physics breaks down completely, and particles appear (and disappear) from nothing all the time. I'm not quite sure how this works - but Briane Greene's documentary The Elegant Universe may give you some idea.

Hawking states that the Universe was once a minuscule black hole smaller than a proton, which warped space-time to such a degree that time was at a standstill, and therefore did not exist at all. I'm not a physicist/astronomer so I will try to explain to the best of my knowledge how a black hole works. A black hole is basically a very big (usually dead) star which has collapsed under it's own gravitation to form a kind of funnel, or a deformed region of space-time from which even light cannot escape. If light enters a blackhole, it is slowed down, and hence, time itself from an outside observer appears to slow down. This effect is known as gravitational time dilation. 

So if time did not exist prior to the big bang, then a God/Creator was unlikely to be present before the bang to have caused it. On this premise, and along with the history of science-religion conflict in which science consistently won out, Hawking justifies the non-existence of God.

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Creation.com posited that the above argument made by Hawking can be negated by two simple counter-points in relation to the positive-negative energy analogy provided by Hawking. They say:

1. The formation of the hill needed a cause - i.e. the man with the shovel
2. This 'cause', i.e. the man, existed before he built the hill

They also argue that:

• The universe could not have created itself because until it existed, it was not in a position to create itself
• According to critics of the big bang - scientists Alex Williams and John Hartnett (both Australian) - believe that the universe could not have materialised by a quantum fluctuations alone as the laws of quantum physics were not established prior to the bang. 
• They also state that the life-time of quantum events are inversely proportional to their mass, and therefore the lifetime of our universe should be less that 10^-103 seconds (i.e., incomprehensibly short). 
• Furthermore, particles today appear within space. Before the big bang, there was no space/vacuum for particles to appear in.
• Some of the competing theories presented in a Curiosity episode on Parallel Universes also debunk Hawking's stance as one claims that when a blackhole swallows a star, it ejects it out the other end - and this is how our Universe could have been born. This implies that time before the big bang did exist.

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What's my opinion on all of this? I think that the question of God's existence is beyond us. The problem with religion is NOT spirituality, or the belief in some great and mysterious omnipresent power/force. The problems with religion lie within the superstitions, traditions and separatist mindsets that cause divide within communities and breed intolerance and dislike towards people of another faith/caste/gender/race/sexual orientation/social status/etc.

I remember watching a debate between Hassanain Rajabali (a Shia Muslim) and Dan Barker (an atheist) in which Rajabali argues that to dismiss the existence of God through science is irrational as God cannot be compartmentalised by time/space or any other relative dimension. I doubt one's belief in God can be swayed by insisting that time did not precede the big bang, as most would say God is not restricted by time or the laws of our present universe, but sits outside it all. (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c5-vVwJ2eQ)

If believing in God gives purpose to one's life, then so be it. As long as it is not imposed on others, I am happy to simply not comment on their personal belief.

Attack on the Other Half

A quick update on the Shahbag vs Longmarch/BanglaSpring situation. The Hifajat-Islam men have attacked female journalists and have attempted to bar women from entering rallies. Even female garbage collectors were not spared from harassment by Hifajat and were pushed out of rally sites.

Nadia Sharmin told bdnews24.com that she was attacked around 3pm when she went to cover the rally.  

“Some Hifazat activists came to me and told me that admission of women to the rally is not allowed. They said, ‘You resort to falsehood. You’re the agents of Ganajagaran Mancha.’ At one point of the conversation they assaulted me. I took shelter in a car nearby and then they even tried to vandalise the car,” she said.  

  

Later, several journalists tried to take Nadia to Bijoynagar where she was attacked again. 

“Fifty-sixty activists hurled brickbats and water bottles at me at Bijoynagar. They snatched my mobile phone and handbag having several thousand takas. Then they threw me on the ground and beat me up,” she said.  

Injured in the head, left side of the neck and leg, Nadia was sent to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.  

She said she was attacked only for being a woman.  

Financial Express Reporter Arafat Ara said she was obstructed by the Hifazat men around 4pm at the Paltan intersection when she was going to office.  

“Several activists stopped my CNG (auto-rickshaw). Then they said ‘You’re not wearing scarf, so you can’t go this way’,” she told bdnews24.com.  

“I asked why I can’t go just because I am not wearing scarf? It’s my personal business whether I wear scarf or not. Who’re you to talk about this? Then they got locked in argument with me. At one stage I started for my office again ignoring their obstruction.”  

She said it is beyond anyone’s imagination that women would face such obstruction while going to office. “Females of our country attained progress in education and employment. Now moves are trying to take it (progress) back.

A poor old woman collecting water bottles at Paltan at noon was driven away from the area on the pretext that ‘it is not a place for females’. 

Full Article: http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/04/06/women-denied-entry-to-hifazat-rally-area

Take a look at this picture. This is the image of hundreds of thousands, not a mere few, crying out for atheists to be hanged in the name of freedom to practice their own faith. It may not be apparent from the photograph, but there isn't a single female in this rally. Is this their impression of freedom? Then why are their women-folk not allowed to "freely" march alongside them on their rightful path? Oh, that's right, because freedom only applies to the male half of the population.

Source: http://gdb.voanews.com/

I also found a wonderful quote by blogger Futile Democracy which aptly describes my stance on freedom of expression, and as he/she has a greater command over English than myself, instead of paraphrasing it I will provide the direct quote here. He/she says:

“It is my belief, that the freedom to satirise, mock, laugh at, criticise, as well as question all authoritative ideas, including all religions that themselves are openly critical of how those outside the faith live their lives, is the cornerstone of a progressive, and reasonable society. These ideas include the freedom to satirise and criticise and question deeply held political ideals, including my own. We must not allow religions to be free from satire, nor criticism, simply because it is cloaked in ‘faith’. To close them to criticism/satirism by using State controls and violence, means that the protected ‘idea’ becomes an ‘idea’ we are forced to respect; not an ‘idea’ that earns our respect, we are forced to bow to its apparent wonder, not of our own volition, and so humanity cannot progress the idea, dismantle the idea, or strengthen the idea, and move forward. It thus gives the ‘idea’ an authority above what it is reasonably justified in having, over the lives of not just its followers, but those who don’t wish to adhere to its principles. This is dangerous.”

The only part of this above quote I will comment on are the words "mock" and "laugh at". I understand that nobody deserves to be suppressed/hurt for expressing their opinions, but our bloggers must realise that as literary activists, their words have power to move as well as invoke deep anger within people, given that real, insightful intellectuals in a country like Bangladesh are rare. Bloggers should be careful about using obscene language and propagating hateful/untrue messages through their writing so that they don't unnecessarily provoke widespread violence towards themselves and others. But I repeat, use of obscene language does not provide a warrant for Islamists to behave in the way they do.

Source: http://futiledemocracy.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/solidarity-with-the-bangladesh-bloggers/

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Another beautiful article I found on The Daily Ittefaq demonstrates how freethinkers who use logic to demonstrate their outlook are unfairly misunderstood by the blinded fanatics. 

Read it here: http://www.clickittefaq.com/editorial-oped/bloggers-are-criminals/

Save Bangladesh!

"Radical Islamists yesterday kept marching towards Dhaka from different parts of the country, defying blockades and hartal amid a tense situation. 

Infuriated by what they say is obstructions by the government, Hefajat-e Islam, organiser of today’s long march, is set to announce the next course of action to realise its 13-point demand"

The thirteen demands are:

1. Reinstate the phrase “Absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah” in the constitution as one of the fundamental principles of state policy 

2. Pass a law providing for capital punishment for maligning Allah, Islam and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and smearing campaigns against Muslims 

3. Stop all propaganda and “derogatory comments” about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by the “atheist leaders” of the Shahbagh movement, bloggers and other anti-Islamists; arrest them and ensure stern punishment to them 

4. Stop attacking, shooting, killing and persecuting the Prophet-loving Islamic scholars, madrasa students and people united by belief in Allah 

5. Release all the arrested Islamic scholars and madrasa students 

6. Lift restrictions on mosques and remove obstacles to holding religious programmes 

7. Declare “Qadianis” (Ahmadiyyas) non-Muslim and stop their publicity and conspiracies 

8. Stop foreign cultural intrusions including free-mixing of men and women and candlelit vigils, and put an end to adultery, injustice, shamelessness, etc in the name of freedom of expression and individuality.

9. Stop turning Dhaka, the city of mosques, into a city of idols, and stop setting up sculptures at intersections, colleges and universities 

10. Scrap anti-Islam women policy and education policy and make Islamic education mandatory from primary to higher secondary levels 

11. Stop threatening and intimidating teachers and students of Qawmi madrasas, Islamic scholars, imams and khatibs 

12. Stop creating hatred among young generations against the Muslims by misrepresentation of Islamic culture in the media 

13. Stop anti-Islam activities by NGOs, evil attempts by Qadianis and conversion by Christian missionaries at Chittagong Hill Tracts and elsewhere in the country

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/hefajats-demands/

This all sounds like a joke to me. Bangladesh is a country of 158 million people, of which 10.3% consist of minority groups of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. The percentage may sound insignificant, but this represents a whopping 1.6 MILLION people in Bangladesh. Religious fundamentalists vandalised nine idols in three different Hindu temples yesterday. But violence will only beget violence, and tolerance begets tolerance. How dare they want to impose Islamic education and jurisprudence in our country where generations of people from different religions and different ideologies have lived side by side in tolerance and cultural diversity. And Khaleda Zia should know that an Islamic government would never let her run for prime minister-ship for being a woman. The hypocrisy is blatantly obvious. 

"Activists of the 23 organisations who have been enforcing the 24-hour hartal since last evening kept their presence at 20 points in the city." 

"Ruling Awami League men were also instructed to remain vigilant at different parts to assist the law enforcers to thwart any attempt of subversive activitiesMany activists of BNP-Jamaat-led 18-party alliance that has already extended support to the long march to cash in on people’s religious sentiments may join Hefajat’s rally."

And cashing in they are. The hartal has blocked transport networks, and yet the Islamists have been able to hire vehicles to reach their destination. Clearly the opposition BNP and Jamaat are paying these youngsters off. Imran H Sarkar, the convener of Gonojagoron Mancha, has requested for a peaceful meeting to settle differences between the groups but the Islamists have said they will not negotiate with an atheist. This, in my opinion, has reached the pinnacle of bigotry, and I blame the government for stirring emotions and not handling the situation responsibly!

Full Article: http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/dhaka-tense-over-long-march/

March Wrap Up

So there were a number of articles that I found interesting over last month, but either didn't get time to write about them or had forgotten that I had saved their links. I will share each one here and make short comments also.

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Full Article: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/religion/christianity/creation-scientist-offering-10000-anyone-who-can-disprove-genesis-creation

March 27, 2013

A Californian scientist "Dr. Mastropaolo is certain that the Biblical creation narrative found in Genesis can be defended in the face of evolutionary science. In fact, he’s so sure of this that he’s willing to bet $10,000 on it." Dr Mastropaolo is a Young Earth Creationist, i.e., he believes the world is between 6000 and 10000 years old.

I am really not sure where this guy received his "science" education from, but your average high school student should be able to tell him about a phenomenon called radioactive dating from the decay of unstable isotopes, and fossil layers. Chapter 4 - Silence and Slow Time - of Richard Dawkins book, The Greatest Show on Earth, explains both the difficulties and the successes of the method. He says that although fossils are generally embedded within sedimentary rock which cannot be dated, layers of igneous rock associated with sedimentary layers CAN be dated. He also explains that there are 158 unstable isotopes of which 121 are extinct. The extinct isotopes are those with half-lives of under 200 million years, while the surviving isotopes have half-lives greater than 700 million years. This alone shows the world is not 6000-10000 years old because if it was, all 157 isotopes would still be present. 

The reason why evolutionary science cannot disprove the creation story is because religious fruitcakes insist on it being a metaphor, and re-interpret it for every scientific discovery that invalidates it. So there is no way to challenge a shifting story.

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Full Article: http://www.smh.com.au/world/delhi-has-four-rapes-a-day-says-minister-20130307-2fopq.html

March 8, 2013

Just a few horrifying statistics on the number of rapes in India. You will all remember the barbaric incident from late last year where a 23 year old girl in Delhi had been raped on a bus, beaten, had her genitals mutilated by an iron bar and stripped of her clothing before being dumped naked with her boyfriend on the side of the road by five men. She died from her internal injuries two weeks later. This grueling story has put India in the hot seat and brought worldwide attention to their neglect of rape cases. Since then more women have become braver about coming forward with complaints. The report states:

"Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran told the Indian Parliament's upper house 181 rapes had been reported in the city between January 1 and February 15, an average of about four a day." (OMG!)

"In 2012, 706 rapes were reported, at an average of less than two per day. The increased rate might be attributable to increased reporting of assaults."

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Full Article: http://www.smh.com.au/world/push-to-make-black-magic-a-crime-in-indonesia-20130308-2fpc7.html

March 8, 2013

I found this article mostly amusing. The black magic law is harmless, but just a little bit out of place in the 21st century. What is of concern though is the prospect of jailing those who live together outside of wedlock. It says:

"Australian travellers to Indonesia beware: smuggling drugs will still earn you jail time but, if an official draft of the country's new criminal code becomes law, witches and people practising "black magic", even adulterers and those living together outside wedlock, may also be locked away. 

The new draft law is meant to modernise Indonesia's 1918 Criminal Code, which was last updated in 1958, but some of its proposals constitute a big step back to the Middle Ages. 

In a country where many people earnestly believe that they could be killed, injured or robbed by a sorcerer using black magic, that crime will, for the first time, become part of the criminal law."

Oh, and it also states that "white" magic is perfectly legal :-P Sometimes articles like these make me realise how futile my hope for enlightenment is, where so many people in the largest Islamic population in the world still believe magic is real. If only it was real, I would have asked for an end to poverty and injustice with the wave of a wand.

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Full Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/14/britons-iraq-invasion-wrong-poll

March 14, 2013

Thought this survey was interesting and showed how the people of Britain and probably other Allied nations understand that all the rhetoric about fighting terrorism and weapons of mass destruction from over 10 years ago has not made a lasting impression on good people, and that the majority now know how destructive the wars have been for their own countries and its international relations.

"More than half the British public believe the decision to invade Iraq was wrong and more than a fifth believe Tony Blair should be tried as a war criminal, according to a poll conducted to mark the 10th anniversary of the conflict.  

A majority (56%) of the public believe the war has increased the risk of a terrorist attack on Britain. More than half, (53%), of those questioned think the invasion was wrong, while just over a quarter (27%) think it was right, according to the YouGov survey.... 

More than a fifth (22%) believe Blair knowingly misled parliament and the public and should be tried as a war criminal over the conflict, according to the poll."

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Full Article(s): http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/15/muslim-brotherhood-backlash-un-womens-rights
http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=30731

March 15, 2013

Ok so my comments for the above two articles (which should be read in conjunction with one another) might shound ranty, but is oh-so-necessary for me cause it simply makes my blood boil. The articles are about the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt's denouncement of the very rational, humanistic and egalitarian conclusions of a UN declaration that seeks to 'End Violence against Women" (see link to conclusions at the end of post). Between the 4th and 15th of March 2013, at the New York UN Headquarters, the 57th session on the UN Commision on the Status of Women (CSW) convened to discuss the declaration. 

The Brotherhood's denouncement states:

"...The (declaration) includes articles that contradict established principles of Islam, undermine Islamic ethics and destroy the family, the basic building block of society, according to the Egyptian Constitution. 

This declaration, if ratified, would lead to complete disintegration of society, and would certainly be the final step in the intellectual and cultural invasion of Muslim countries.... 

A closer look at these articles reveals what decadence awaits our world, if we sign this document: 

1. Granting girls full sexual freedom, as well as the freedom to decide their own gender and the gender of their partners (ie, choose to have normal or homo- sexual relationships), while raising the age of marriage. 

2. Providing contraceptives for adolescent girls and training them to use those, while legalizing abortion to get rid of unwanted pregnancies, in the name of sexual and reproductive rights.

3. Granting equal rights to adulterous wives and illegitimate sons resulting from adulterous relationships. 

4. Granting equal rights to homosexuals, and providing protection and respect for prostitutes. 

5. Giving wives full rights to file legal complaints against husbands accusing them of rape or sexual harassment, obliging competent authorities to deal husbands punishments similar to those prescribed for raping or sexually harassing a stranger. 

6. Equal inheritance (between men and women). 

7. Replacing guardianship with partnership, and full sharing of roles within the family between men and women such as: spending, child care and home chores. 

8. Full equality in marriage legislation such as: allowing Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men, and abolition of polygamy, dowry, men taking charge of family spending, etc. 

9. Removing the authority of divorce from husbands and placing it in the hands of judges, and sharing all property after divorce. 

10. Cancelling the need for a husband’s consent in matters like: travel, work, or use of contraception.  

These are destructive tools meant to undermine the family as an important institution; they would subvert the entire society, and drag it to pre-Islamic ignorance... 

In conclusion, we call on women's organizations to commit to their religion and morals of their communities and the foundations of good social life and not be deceived with misleading calls to decadent modernization and paths of subversive immorality..."

It saddens me that words like equal rights, sexual rights, reproductive rights, protection, sharing, partnership, respect and freedom are seen to be threatening by these people. In  no way do any of the above points undermine family. There are so many practices in Islamic countries that undermine family, and force women to remain in households that are harmful and belittling for themselves as well as well as their children. And although it may be true that abortion should essentially be an upsetting concept or experience for a parent, a number of benefits with regards to family life have been observed in areas in the United States where abortion was legalised and made safe and accessible to women. Benefits can be found on the Planned Parenthood website here: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA/med_social_benefits_2009-11.pdf

Egyptian people have fought hard to overthrow the Mubarak government, against its dictatorship, corruption and violation of human rights. It will be absolutely heartbreaking if the revolution became wasted on the mere transferal of one dictatorship to another.

CSW Conclusions 2013: daw/csw/csw57/CSW57_agreed_conclusions_advance_unedited_version_18_March_2013.pdf

Mother Land

I am absolutely appalled by what is happening in Bangladesh with regards to the Shahbagh Movement. For those who are unfamiliar with this movement, I can briefly explain what I understand of it, but you have to bear with me as I am not particularly well acquainted with the Bangladeshi political scene.

On the February 5, 2013, protests began in Bangladesh in which people demanded for the capital punishment of notorious razakars Abdul Quader Mollah and others who they believed had committed atrocities against people of Bangladesh during the Liberation War in 1971. Razakar is the word used by Bangladeshis to refer to pro-Pakistani nationals of Bangladesh who allied with the Pakistani army during the war and perpetrated brutality against their own race. For details of this brutality, see the Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1971_Bangladesh_atrocities

A key group known as the "bloggers" or online activists, mostly comprised of the younger and more tech savvy generation of Bangladesh, also protested in favour of the capital punishment of razakars for carrying out or orchestrating mass murder and rape of minors during the war. Abdul Quader Mollah for example had been charged with the shooting of 344 people, a beheading and the rape of an 11 year old child. A few of these bloggers are self-proclaimed atheists, and are openly critical of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The razakars on the other hand are generally associated with the Jamaat-e-Islami party of Bangladesh. The government in the beginning had supported the Shahbaghers, trialed Mollah in an International War Crimes Tribunal and have found him guilty of the charges. He and 2 others have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

From here starts the long-imminent battle between the two sides. Violence from both sides have been recorded, and 60 people have died so far. The death of Rajib Haider is one that comes to mind, an atheist blogger brutally hacked to death by supporters of Jamaat for insulting Muhammad on his blog in what I believe was a tragic attack against freedom of expression in a secular country.

Recently the government has turned their backs on the Shahbager's in fear of the Islamist  group Hefazate Islam and alike, by arresting several bloggers for blasphemy. The Daily Star reports:

"The blogger community, Shahbagh activists and ordinary citizens yesterday strongly condemned the arrest of three bloggers on charges of defaming Islam... 

The government has targeted the bloggers instead of taking action against the Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies, who are killing people, resorting to yellow journalism, spreading communal hatred and instigating violence, they added.... 

Imran H Sarker, the Gonojagoron Mancha spokesperson, said it saddened the nation that a government, which came to power pledging a “digital Bangladesh”, had shut down a whole blog based on a few entries... 

The detained bloggers are Subrata Adhikari Shuvo, 24, Russel Parvez, 36, and Mashiur Rahman Biplob, 42... 

Yesterday, representatives of the blogging community organised another press conference at Madhur Canteen in Dhaka University... 

Baki Billah, online activist and blogger, addressing the news conference said, “The government is increasingly surrendering to the demands and wishes of Hefazate Islam.”... 

The protesters said if the bloggers had committed crimes, they could have been tried under existing laws of the country. But harassing, defaming and treating them as wanted criminals cannot be accepted... 

Facebook and other social media sites were also abuzz with criticism of the anti-progressive stance of the government..."

Full Article: http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/bloggers-baffled/

Since that report the government has further arrested another blogger named Asif Mohiuddin on blasphemy charges. Asif Mohiuddin has already received stab wounds from Islamists in January this year. The opposition-backed Islamists have announced that they will organise a non-stop march starting from April 7. "A series of hartals, road blockades and sit-ins like those by the Shahbagh protesters are under consideration of the BNP-led alliance, insiders say". The country is in grave strife, and is moving towards the creation of a more intolerant culture. I am worried that my nation will plummet into a state of civil war because of a government with no backbone, with no consistency in its approach. It had attempted to use the Shahbag movement to fulfil its own political agenda against the opposition but couldn't carry through the ideology the Shahbager's are fighting to uphold. This all makes me very very sad.

A secular nation will cater to the needs of everyone, not just a few. Why anyone would be opposed to such an idea to the point where they are instigating violence and tension is incomprehensible to me. I should note, however, that I am generally against capital punishment (though the war criminals seem to deserve it). I believe those remorseless murderers should be made to live life in suffering, away from the comfort of their families and friends, to be reminded every day of their unjust slaughtering of innocent lives.

Bloggers form a human chain before Raju memorial on Dhaka University campus yesterday demanding an immediate release of arrested
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/ 

Pope Francis Surprises

Even though he's the pope, the head of an ecclesiastical body and therefore divergent 
from my secular morality, I am willing to give credit where credit is due.

Much to many Catholic traditionalist's dismay, the Pope "washed and kissed the feet of two women, one of whom was a Muslim, during a Maundy Thursday" at a juvenile detention centre *Gasp!*. These were girls between the ages of 14 and 21, and hence adding to the adorableness of the matter! In the Bible, the book of John 13:14-16 it states:

"14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet." ...16 "Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him...."

So essentially, the whole point of the ceremony is to demonstrate that everyone is equal. Hence, the Pope was only following the Bible's orders. Nothing to be shocked about.

Pope Francis
Source: http://www.abc.net.au

Full Article: http://www.readability.com/articles/qnfzxmwj