.. in the west, i see islam without muslims and
.. in the east, i see muslims without islam..
The great Islamic scholar of the 19th century, Muhammad Abdo wrote that when he visited the West he found Islam but no Muslims and upon his return to the Arab world he countenanced many Muslims but no Islam.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Khusyuk Dalam Solat
Rasulullah SAW bersabda,
"Berapa banyak orang yang mendirikan solat, tetapi yang di perolehi hanya penat dan letih, kerana mereka itu lalai dalam sembahyangnya".
"Aku selalu mengingati mati dalam sembahyang."
"Apabila kamu sembahyang anggaplah sembahyang ini sembahyang perpisahan".
Khusyuk ialah hati sentiasa hidup.
Untuk khusyuk dalam solat, perlu amalan berikut:
1. Jaga makan minum, pakaian, tempat tinggal dll supaya datang dari punca yang halal tanpa syubhah.
2. Fikiran tidak liar. Sebelum solat lintaskan kematian seakan-akan amat hampir dengan kita. Anggap setiap solat adalah solat kita yang terakhir.
3. Dirikan solat di awal waktu atau pertengahan waktu supaya tidak gopoh apabila masa hampir luput.
4. Baca dengan baik (khusnul qori'ah), berusaha untuk faham bacaan dalam solat termasuk ayat Al-Quran yang dibacakan itu terutama sekali Al Fatihah, gerakan dan maknanya (tafakhum).
5. Lakukan rukun-rukun solat secara tertib. Berusaha menyedari bahawa (khudunul qolbih) Allah memerhati sembahyang kita.
6. Ada rasa malu (haya') dan takut (khauf) terhadap kekuasaan Allah.
7. Berharap serta yakin Allah menerima solat dan amal kita.
8. Hati diajak hadir dalam solat iaitu kosongkan hati dari segala urusan yang boleh mengganggu dan yang tidak berkaitan dengan solat.
9. Membesarkan serta merasakan kehebatan Allah dalam solat.
10. Gunakan sejadah yang tidak terlalu banyak gambar yang boleh khayalkan pemikiran.
11. Dirikan solat secara berjemaah.
12. Ambil wuduk dengan sempurna.
13. Kurangkan pergerakan anggota seperti tangan dan kaki; mata ditumpukan kepada tempat sujud dan ketika tasahut lihat anak jari.
14. Azan dan iqamat terlebih dahulu walaupun mendirikan sembahyang bersendirian ataupun sekurang-kurangnya iqamat sahaja.
15. Baca surah An-Nas sebelum solat akan dapat membantu untuk kita khusyuk ketika solat nanti.
"Berapa banyak orang yang mendirikan solat, tetapi yang di perolehi hanya penat dan letih, kerana mereka itu lalai dalam sembahyangnya".
"Aku selalu mengingati mati dalam sembahyang."
"Apabila kamu sembahyang anggaplah sembahyang ini sembahyang perpisahan".
Khusyuk ialah hati sentiasa hidup.
Untuk khusyuk dalam solat, perlu amalan berikut:
1. Jaga makan minum, pakaian, tempat tinggal dll supaya datang dari punca yang halal tanpa syubhah.
2. Fikiran tidak liar. Sebelum solat lintaskan kematian seakan-akan amat hampir dengan kita. Anggap setiap solat adalah solat kita yang terakhir.
3. Dirikan solat di awal waktu atau pertengahan waktu supaya tidak gopoh apabila masa hampir luput.
4. Baca dengan baik (khusnul qori'ah), berusaha untuk faham bacaan dalam solat termasuk ayat Al-Quran yang dibacakan itu terutama sekali Al Fatihah, gerakan dan maknanya (tafakhum).
5. Lakukan rukun-rukun solat secara tertib. Berusaha menyedari bahawa (khudunul qolbih) Allah memerhati sembahyang kita.
6. Ada rasa malu (haya') dan takut (khauf) terhadap kekuasaan Allah.
7. Berharap serta yakin Allah menerima solat dan amal kita.
8. Hati diajak hadir dalam solat iaitu kosongkan hati dari segala urusan yang boleh mengganggu dan yang tidak berkaitan dengan solat.
9. Membesarkan serta merasakan kehebatan Allah dalam solat.
10. Gunakan sejadah yang tidak terlalu banyak gambar yang boleh khayalkan pemikiran.
11. Dirikan solat secara berjemaah.
12. Ambil wuduk dengan sempurna.
13. Kurangkan pergerakan anggota seperti tangan dan kaki; mata ditumpukan kepada tempat sujud dan ketika tasahut lihat anak jari.
14. Azan dan iqamat terlebih dahulu walaupun mendirikan sembahyang bersendirian ataupun sekurang-kurangnya iqamat sahaja.
15. Baca surah An-Nas sebelum solat akan dapat membantu untuk kita khusyuk ketika solat nanti.
Khutbah Jumaat - Tanggungjawab Berat Seorang Pemimpin
22 Disember 2006
Semua manusia adalah pemimpin dan di akhirat kelak semua pemimpin ini akan ditanya, disoal, dibicarakan dalam melaksanakan amanah ini. Seseorang yang dipilih sebagai pemimpin hendaklah sedar bahawa kepimpinan adalah amanah daripada Allah. Jika dia berjaya menunaikan amanah ini dengan penuh tanggungjawab dan adil terhadap orang bawahannya, maka pemimpin ini, akan dapat naungan Allah diakhirat nanti. Sebaliknya sekiranya seorang pemimpin itu gagal menunaikan amanah ini dengan melakukan penyelewengan, kezaliman, penyalahgunaan kuasa, pecah amanah, rasuah dan sebagainya, maka takutlah dengan amaran Rasulullah iaitu manusia yang paling dasyat seksaannya di dalam neraka ialah pemimpin yang zalim.
Bagi menyelamatkan pemimpin-pemimpin yang memiliki kuasa di atas muka bumi ini, Allah tegaskan supaya mereka laksanakan tanggungjawab tersebut dengan sungguh2. Tanggungjawab bagi seseorang pemimpin itu hendaklah:
1. Memastikan ibadat solat menjadi keutamaan bagi dirinya dan seluruh rakyat;
2. Menguruskan zakat dan kewangan dengan jalan yang diredhai Allah;
3. Memastikan sumber pendapatan rakyat dan negara bersih daripada sebarang sumber yang diharamkan oleh Allah.
4. Menitikberatkan soal Amar Makruf dan Nahi Munkar, iaitu mendidik rakyat supaya sentiasa mematuhi perintah Allah dan meninggalkan larangannya; dan
5. Mengutamakan Al-Quran dan Sunnah sebagai rujukkan dalam menyelesaikan segala bentuk permasalahan.
Dalam menghuraikan perkara ini, Syeikh Mustafa Muhammad Attohhan didalam bukunya Syahsiatul Muslimul Muasiri menyenaraikan beberapa amanah yang perlu dipikul oleh para pemimpin, antaranya:
1. Menegakkan syariat Allah berpandukan apa yang telah diturunkan oleh Allah;
2. Menegakkan keadilan dikalangan manusia tanpa mengira warna, kulit dan bangsa;
3. Mengambil tahu tentang permasalahan rakyat;
4. Membangunkan negara dengan jaminan pendidikan dan kesihatan;
5. Membuka ruang perdagangan, perusahaan dan pertanian;
6. Menjamin hak asasi manusia dan hak persamaan mereka disisi undang-undang; dan
7. Menjamin kebebasan mengeluarkan pendapat dikalangan rakyat.
Apabila seseorang itu dilantik atau dipilih jadi pemimpin, maka itu sebenarnya bukanlah satu berita gembira baginya. Kepimpinan bukan satu kebanggaan, bukan satu kehebatan dan bukan pula satu perkara yang menyeronokkan tetapi kepimpinan adalah amanah Allah yang perlu dipikul dengan penuh tanggungjawab. Kepimpinan bermakna seseorang itu menerima bebanan besar dan akan dibicarakan oleh Allah di Padang Mahsyar kelak.
Justeru, apabila seseorang itu dilantik sebagai pemimpin, maka janganlah dia ambil kesempatan untuk mengaut keuntungan duniawi dengan menafikan hak orang lain. Manusia sering kali lupa daratan apabila berada dipuncak kejayaan. Mereka lebih suka mempamerkan kekayaan masing-masing melebihi daripada pendapatan yang diperolehi.
Mereka lupa bahawa Saidina Umar bin Al-Khatab, walaupun baginda hanya tinggal dalam rumah yang dibina daripada tanah liat dan hidup dengan penuh kezuhudan, namun namanya tercatat didalam sejarah sebagai seorang pemimpin yang berjaya menggerakkan kuasa dunia ketika itu. Beliau adalah seorang pemimpin yang sangat dikagumi oleh kawan dan digeruni oleh musuh tanpa perlu mempamerkan kemewahan hidup baginda.
Kehebatan seseorang pemimpin itu bukanlah terletak pada kemewahan, sebaliknya pada kebijaksanaannya dalam menjalankan amanah Allah.
Budaya hidup mewah ini akan menjadikan seseorang pemimpin itu terlajak dan bertindak mengambil hak orang lain demi untuk membina kemewahan mereka sendiri. Sesungguhnya mengambil hak orang lain itu adalah merupakan satu kezaliman yang perlu dihindari.
Allah memberi amaran supaya jangan mempergunakan kedudukan dalam apa jua jawatan sekalipun untuk mengaut keuntungan dan membina kekayaan melalui firmannya dalam surah al-baqarah ayat 188 yang bermaksud “Janganlah kamu makan atau mengambil harta orang-orang lain diantara kamu dengan jalan yang salah, dan janganlah kamu menghulurkan harta kamu dengan memberi rasuah kepada hakim-hakim kerana hendak memakan atau mengambil sebahagian dari harta manusia dengan berbuat dosa, pada hal kamu mengetahui salahnya".
Perlu disedari, perbuatan menzalimi orang lain amat bahaya kerana sesungguhnya doa orang yang dizalimi sangat dimakbulkan oleh Allah. Jika kita menzalimi seseorang , lantas orang itu menadah tangan memohon doa kepada Allah, maka dengan cepat Allah akan memakbulkannya. Sesungguhnya tidak ada satu hijab yang menghalang doa seseorang yang dizalimi itu daripada didengar dan diperkenankan oleh Allah.
Sabda Rasulullah, salah satu penyakit yang sangat bahaya dan mudah berjangkit kepada mereka yang bergelar pemimpin ialah penyakit rasuah. Orang yang memegang kuasa seringkali terdedah dengan amalan rasuah.
Islam menyuruh umatnya menghindarkan diri daripada rasuah dan apa-apa sahaja yang menjurus kearah rasuah. Rasullullah bersabda bahawa barang siapa yang memberi pertolongan dan sokongan pada saudaranya utk dapat sesuatu, lalu saudaranya itu berikannya balasan kerana pertolongan itu, maka telah datang kepadanya satu pintu yang besar diantara pintu-pintu riba.
Yang penting pemimpin, kena ada tanggungjawabnya terhadap apa yang dipimpinnya, kena memenuhi keperluan rakyat, jaga keselamatan mereka, bawa depa kearah kebaikan. Yang dipimpin juga mestilah mematuhi dan menghormati pemimpin dalam apa jua keadaan asalkan bersesuaian dengan agama. Pemimpin ibarat pelayan yang mesti melayan kehendak rakyatnya. Walaupun tak sama dari sudut pangkat, tapi mesti saling tunaikan tanggungjawab dan rasa sama-sama saling perlu memerlukan antara satu sama lain.
Semua manusia adalah pemimpin dan di akhirat kelak semua pemimpin ini akan ditanya, disoal, dibicarakan dalam melaksanakan amanah ini. Seseorang yang dipilih sebagai pemimpin hendaklah sedar bahawa kepimpinan adalah amanah daripada Allah. Jika dia berjaya menunaikan amanah ini dengan penuh tanggungjawab dan adil terhadap orang bawahannya, maka pemimpin ini, akan dapat naungan Allah diakhirat nanti. Sebaliknya sekiranya seorang pemimpin itu gagal menunaikan amanah ini dengan melakukan penyelewengan, kezaliman, penyalahgunaan kuasa, pecah amanah, rasuah dan sebagainya, maka takutlah dengan amaran Rasulullah iaitu manusia yang paling dasyat seksaannya di dalam neraka ialah pemimpin yang zalim.Bagi menyelamatkan pemimpin-pemimpin yang memiliki kuasa di atas muka bumi ini, Allah tegaskan supaya mereka laksanakan tanggungjawab tersebut dengan sungguh2. Tanggungjawab bagi seseorang pemimpin itu hendaklah:
1. Memastikan ibadat solat menjadi keutamaan bagi dirinya dan seluruh rakyat;
2. Menguruskan zakat dan kewangan dengan jalan yang diredhai Allah;
3. Memastikan sumber pendapatan rakyat dan negara bersih daripada sebarang sumber yang diharamkan oleh Allah.
4. Menitikberatkan soal Amar Makruf dan Nahi Munkar, iaitu mendidik rakyat supaya sentiasa mematuhi perintah Allah dan meninggalkan larangannya; dan
5. Mengutamakan Al-Quran dan Sunnah sebagai rujukkan dalam menyelesaikan segala bentuk permasalahan.
Dalam menghuraikan perkara ini, Syeikh Mustafa Muhammad Attohhan didalam bukunya Syahsiatul Muslimul Muasiri menyenaraikan beberapa amanah yang perlu dipikul oleh para pemimpin, antaranya:
1. Menegakkan syariat Allah berpandukan apa yang telah diturunkan oleh Allah;
2. Menegakkan keadilan dikalangan manusia tanpa mengira warna, kulit dan bangsa;
3. Mengambil tahu tentang permasalahan rakyat;
4. Membangunkan negara dengan jaminan pendidikan dan kesihatan;
5. Membuka ruang perdagangan, perusahaan dan pertanian;
6. Menjamin hak asasi manusia dan hak persamaan mereka disisi undang-undang; dan
7. Menjamin kebebasan mengeluarkan pendapat dikalangan rakyat.
Apabila seseorang itu dilantik atau dipilih jadi pemimpin, maka itu sebenarnya bukanlah satu berita gembira baginya. Kepimpinan bukan satu kebanggaan, bukan satu kehebatan dan bukan pula satu perkara yang menyeronokkan tetapi kepimpinan adalah amanah Allah yang perlu dipikul dengan penuh tanggungjawab. Kepimpinan bermakna seseorang itu menerima bebanan besar dan akan dibicarakan oleh Allah di Padang Mahsyar kelak.
Justeru, apabila seseorang itu dilantik sebagai pemimpin, maka janganlah dia ambil kesempatan untuk mengaut keuntungan duniawi dengan menafikan hak orang lain. Manusia sering kali lupa daratan apabila berada dipuncak kejayaan. Mereka lebih suka mempamerkan kekayaan masing-masing melebihi daripada pendapatan yang diperolehi.
Mereka lupa bahawa Saidina Umar bin Al-Khatab, walaupun baginda hanya tinggal dalam rumah yang dibina daripada tanah liat dan hidup dengan penuh kezuhudan, namun namanya tercatat didalam sejarah sebagai seorang pemimpin yang berjaya menggerakkan kuasa dunia ketika itu. Beliau adalah seorang pemimpin yang sangat dikagumi oleh kawan dan digeruni oleh musuh tanpa perlu mempamerkan kemewahan hidup baginda.
Kehebatan seseorang pemimpin itu bukanlah terletak pada kemewahan, sebaliknya pada kebijaksanaannya dalam menjalankan amanah Allah.
Budaya hidup mewah ini akan menjadikan seseorang pemimpin itu terlajak dan bertindak mengambil hak orang lain demi untuk membina kemewahan mereka sendiri. Sesungguhnya mengambil hak orang lain itu adalah merupakan satu kezaliman yang perlu dihindari.
Allah memberi amaran supaya jangan mempergunakan kedudukan dalam apa jua jawatan sekalipun untuk mengaut keuntungan dan membina kekayaan melalui firmannya dalam surah al-baqarah ayat 188 yang bermaksud “Janganlah kamu makan atau mengambil harta orang-orang lain diantara kamu dengan jalan yang salah, dan janganlah kamu menghulurkan harta kamu dengan memberi rasuah kepada hakim-hakim kerana hendak memakan atau mengambil sebahagian dari harta manusia dengan berbuat dosa, pada hal kamu mengetahui salahnya".
Perlu disedari, perbuatan menzalimi orang lain amat bahaya kerana sesungguhnya doa orang yang dizalimi sangat dimakbulkan oleh Allah. Jika kita menzalimi seseorang , lantas orang itu menadah tangan memohon doa kepada Allah, maka dengan cepat Allah akan memakbulkannya. Sesungguhnya tidak ada satu hijab yang menghalang doa seseorang yang dizalimi itu daripada didengar dan diperkenankan oleh Allah.
Sabda Rasulullah, salah satu penyakit yang sangat bahaya dan mudah berjangkit kepada mereka yang bergelar pemimpin ialah penyakit rasuah. Orang yang memegang kuasa seringkali terdedah dengan amalan rasuah.
Islam menyuruh umatnya menghindarkan diri daripada rasuah dan apa-apa sahaja yang menjurus kearah rasuah. Rasullullah bersabda bahawa barang siapa yang memberi pertolongan dan sokongan pada saudaranya utk dapat sesuatu, lalu saudaranya itu berikannya balasan kerana pertolongan itu, maka telah datang kepadanya satu pintu yang besar diantara pintu-pintu riba.
Yang penting pemimpin, kena ada tanggungjawabnya terhadap apa yang dipimpinnya, kena memenuhi keperluan rakyat, jaga keselamatan mereka, bawa depa kearah kebaikan. Yang dipimpin juga mestilah mematuhi dan menghormati pemimpin dalam apa jua keadaan asalkan bersesuaian dengan agama. Pemimpin ibarat pelayan yang mesti melayan kehendak rakyatnya. Walaupun tak sama dari sudut pangkat, tapi mesti saling tunaikan tanggungjawab dan rasa sama-sama saling perlu memerlukan antara satu sama lain.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Financial Independence
The truth is, unless we're lucky enough to receive a sizeable inheritance, we'll need to navigate our own route to prosperity. And anyone, at any age, can develop the traits that increase wealth and decrease debt.
Part of our culture is, 'Fake it until you make it.' People rather borrow and keep borrowing to show their wealth. They buy liabilities and they make those payments forever. Debt holds people back.
By right, we should spend less than we make, live a modest lifestyle and don't live up to every raise. Some people have spent their prosperity for the next 10 years and they've done it on credit!
In summary, 95 percent of the people never achieve financial independence. For 65 percent of retirees, pension, EPF and other 'forced-saving' funds are their largest source of retirement income.
Wealth is relative, it doesn't necessarily mean millionaire. The goal to have is financial independence.
7 SIMPLE STEPS TO WEALTH
1. Develop a written financial plan
Saying we want to be wealthy isn't good enough. We need to come up with a workable plan and put it on paper.
2. Save, save, and more save
The end result of our financial plan should be systematic investment. Get in the habit of saving money. Build an emergency fund in a money market account so we don't have to raid the rest of our savings and investments when there's an unexpected major expense. Make it a point to save at least half of every pay raise.
3. Live below means
Don't be a walking billboard for overpriced designer clothes, shoes, sunglasses or jewelry. Don't allow our house or car payments to be budget-busters.
4. Lay off the credit
Try not putting anything on our cards that we can't pay off in two or three months. We need only one or two credit cards. If we have a fistful, pay them off and cancel them. Debt holds us back. It reduces cash flow for other things, including investing.
5. Make money work
It takes money to make money, but that doesn't mean we need a lot to invest. Open an account with a mutual fund company that has no-load funds and low expense ratios. Build a diverse portfolio and we can reasonably expect to earn 8 percent to 10 percent annually on our investments over the long haul.
6. Start own business
In the 1996 book The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy, the authors state that two-thirds of the millionaires are self-employed, with 75 percent of them entrepreneurs, and the remainder professionals such as doctors and accountants.
7. Get professional advice
If necessary, get a good financial planner. He/she can help us fill our portfolio with the right investments and dump the wrong ones. We don't need to relinquish control, but we do need to form a good working relationship with someone who has expertise in this complicated area.
(excerpt: bankrate.com)
Part of our culture is, 'Fake it until you make it.' People rather borrow and keep borrowing to show their wealth. They buy liabilities and they make those payments forever. Debt holds people back.
By right, we should spend less than we make, live a modest lifestyle and don't live up to every raise. Some people have spent their prosperity for the next 10 years and they've done it on credit!
In summary, 95 percent of the people never achieve financial independence. For 65 percent of retirees, pension, EPF and other 'forced-saving' funds are their largest source of retirement income.
Wealth is relative, it doesn't necessarily mean millionaire. The goal to have is financial independence.
7 SIMPLE STEPS TO WEALTH
1. Develop a written financial plan
Saying we want to be wealthy isn't good enough. We need to come up with a workable plan and put it on paper.
2. Save, save, and more save
The end result of our financial plan should be systematic investment. Get in the habit of saving money. Build an emergency fund in a money market account so we don't have to raid the rest of our savings and investments when there's an unexpected major expense. Make it a point to save at least half of every pay raise.
3. Live below means
Don't be a walking billboard for overpriced designer clothes, shoes, sunglasses or jewelry. Don't allow our house or car payments to be budget-busters.
4. Lay off the credit
Try not putting anything on our cards that we can't pay off in two or three months. We need only one or two credit cards. If we have a fistful, pay them off and cancel them. Debt holds us back. It reduces cash flow for other things, including investing.
5. Make money work
It takes money to make money, but that doesn't mean we need a lot to invest. Open an account with a mutual fund company that has no-load funds and low expense ratios. Build a diverse portfolio and we can reasonably expect to earn 8 percent to 10 percent annually on our investments over the long haul.
6. Start own business
In the 1996 book The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy, the authors state that two-thirds of the millionaires are self-employed, with 75 percent of them entrepreneurs, and the remainder professionals such as doctors and accountants.
7. Get professional advice
If necessary, get a good financial planner. He/she can help us fill our portfolio with the right investments and dump the wrong ones. We don't need to relinquish control, but we do need to form a good working relationship with someone who has expertise in this complicated area.
(excerpt: bankrate.com)
Saturday, December 9, 2006
In My Life
There are places I'll remember 
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends i still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life i've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When i think of love as something new
Though i know i'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i'll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more
(In My Life by The Beatles fr Rubber Soul Album 1965 - Lyrics by John Lennon)
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends i still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life i've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When i think of love as something new
Though i know i'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i'll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more
(In My Life by The Beatles fr Rubber Soul Album 1965 - Lyrics by John Lennon)Greatest Band of All Time
The Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo StarrThe impact of the Beatles upon popular music is limitless; they revolutionized the music industry and touched the lives of all who heard them in deep and fundamental ways. Arriving in US on February 7, 1964, they literally stood the world of pop culture on its head. The Beatles' buoyant melodies, playful personalities and charisma have created a mass adulation coined as Beatlemania. Without exaggeration, they transfixed and transformed the world in music, fashion, lifestyle and popular culture in general.
Beatles’ first Number One single in the U.S. was I Want to Hold Your Hand. During the week of April 4, 1964, the Beatles set a record that is likely never to be broken when they occupied all top 5 positions on Billboard's Top Chart, with Can't Buy Me Love at Number One, followed by Twist and Shout, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Please Please Me. The Beatles had twelve songs on the Top-100 charts that week, a feat never matched before or since.
The Beatles can unassailably be regarded as the top group in rock and roll history. Yet their significance as a band extends beyond numbers to encompass their innovations in the recording studio. The Beatles' legacy as a concert attraction is distinguished primarily by the deafening screams of fans overcome b
y the group's very appearance.For various reasons, ranging from safety concerns to frustration that no one could hear or was listening, the Beatles retired from touring after a San Francisco concert on August 29, 1966. Consequently, they began to indulge their creative energies in the studio, experimenting with sounds in ways no one had attempted before. The results included such musically expansive and lyrically sophisticated albums as Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966).
They released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), an album that has almost universally been cited as the creative apotheosis of rock and roll, a watershed event in which rock became serious art without losing its sense of humor (or sense of the absurd).
The Beatles have amassed the greatest sales for any artist. All-time sales have been estimated by EMI at over one billion discs and tapes to-date. In 2001, they had been certified for album sales of 163.5 million in the US alone. The Beatles have numerous other world records, including most recorded song Yesterday had 1,600 versions recorded between 1965 and 1985. Their compilation album 1 (released on 13 Nov 2000) sold13.5 million copies around the world in its first month, making it the fastest-selling album in music history. It's something unthinkable for a band that broke up in 1970.
Their latest album Love (released on 21 November 2006) has also topped album charts all over the world.
John Lennon was shot dead by a deranged fan in 1980 while George Harrison died in 2001 due to cancer.
Friday, December 8, 2006
Mobile Phone Virus
Nowadays, even basic mobile phones can send and receive text messages which makes them vulnerable to attack by worms and viruses. Advanced mobile phones capable of e-mail can be susceptible to viruses that can multiply by sending messages through a phone's address book. Of more important concern, a virus may allow unauthorized users to access a phone to find passwords or corporate data stored on the device. Moreover, they can be used to commandeer the phone to make calls or send messages at the owner's expense.
Unlike computers that are restricted to only a few widespread operating systems, mobile phones use a variety of systems that require separate programs to be designed in order to disable each one. While reducing overall compatibilty from an application design standpoint, this has the beneficial effect of making it harder to design a mass attack. However, the rise of cellular phone operating system programming platforms shared by many manufacturers such as Java, Microsoft operating systems, Linux, or Symbian OS, may in the future change this status quo.
Bluetooth is a wireless communication feature now found in many higher-end phones, and the virus Cabir hijacked this function, sending Bluetooth phones on a search-and-destroy mission to infect other Bluetooth phones.
In November 2004, several web sites began offering a specific piece of software promising ringtones and screensavers for certain phones. Those who downloaded the software found that it turned each icon on the phone's screen into a skull-and-crossbones and disabled their phones, so they could no longer send or receive text messages or access contact lists or calendars. The virus has since been dubbed Skulls by security experts.
In March 2005, the Commwarrior.A virus was identified to attempt to replicate itself through MMS to others on the phone's contact list. Like Cabir, Commwarrior. A also tries to communicate via Bluetooth wireless connections with other devices, which can eventually lead to draining the battery. Bluetooth telephones are also subject to bluejacking, which is the generally benign transmission of messages from anonymous Bluetooth users.
Unlike computers that are restricted to only a few widespread operating systems, mobile phones use a variety of systems that require separate programs to be designed in order to disable each one. While reducing overall compatibilty from an application design standpoint, this has the beneficial effect of making it harder to design a mass attack. However, the rise of cellular phone operating system programming platforms shared by many manufacturers such as Java, Microsoft operating systems, Linux, or Symbian OS, may in the future change this status quo.
Bluetooth is a wireless communication feature now found in many higher-end phones, and the virus Cabir hijacked this function, sending Bluetooth phones on a search-and-destroy mission to infect other Bluetooth phones.
In November 2004, several web sites began offering a specific piece of software promising ringtones and screensavers for certain phones. Those who downloaded the software found that it turned each icon on the phone's screen into a skull-and-crossbones and disabled their phones, so they could no longer send or receive text messages or access contact lists or calendars. The virus has since been dubbed Skulls by security experts.
In March 2005, the Commwarrior.A virus was identified to attempt to replicate itself through MMS to others on the phone's contact list. Like Cabir, Commwarrior. A also tries to communicate via Bluetooth wireless connections with other devices, which can eventually lead to draining the battery. Bluetooth telephones are also subject to bluejacking, which is the generally benign transmission of messages from anonymous Bluetooth users.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Outcasts
To the residents of Yarpur basti in the heart of Patna, there is nothing extraordinary in the friendship between Mohammed Jaleel and Ganesh Ram Bara. Both of them, in their mid-sixties, had worked together for many decades in the Patna Municipal Corporation as sanitation workers. They spent much of their lives in Yarpur, locally called dom basti or bhangi basti in a disparaging reference to the caste of the sanitation workers. Their work involved a variety of tasks, such as sweeping the roads, unclogging gutters, cleaning toilets, carrying filth and disposing of waste, aimed at keeping Bihar's capital city clean.Because of the nature of their job both Jaleel and Bara faced the same kind of societal exclusion.
"No Brahmin or Rajput would come to my house or drink a glass of water from my hands. No Sayed or Mallik would go to Jaleel's house or have a glass of water from his hands," says Bara. "All our social gatherings are essentially among sanitation workers, both Hindu and Muslim."
Obviously, Jaleel and Bara have led strikingly similar lives. Their day-to-day social experiences too are similar. Yet, in the eyes of the government, Jaleel is more privileged than Bara. Throughout his service, Bara had enjoyed some benefits because the Hindu safai karmachari community was absorbed in the Scheduled Castes (S.C.) list.
Jaleel never got the same benefit because he is a Muslim. "We tried to enlist ourselves as beneficiaries of various government schemes, including education schemes, which our Hindu brethren enjoy, but we were rejected each time on the grounds that we were Muslims," said Jaleel's daughter, Najma Khatun.
But this is not the story of one Jaleel and his family. Dalit Muslims across Bihar and other parts of North India who belong to castes such as Jolaha, Nutt, Bakkho, Bhatiyara, Kunjra, Dhunia, Kalal, Dafali, Dhobi, Lalbegi, Gorkan, Meershikar, Cheek and Rangrez, have the same low social ranking and are deprived of the benefit others enjoy. In many parts of North India, many of these communities have separate mosques and bury their dead in separate graveyards.
According to Mohammed Usman Halal Khor, general secretary of the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaj (AIPMM), a Bihar-based organisation of Dalits and Most Backward Caste (MBC) Muslims, the socially and educationally backward communities among Muslims "are not accepted or treated as equals by elite Muslim communities and even by sections of the clergy. They are subject to the same social discrimination faced by Dalit Hindus. Yet, Dalit Muslims are deemed ineligible for the government benefits given to Dalit Hindus."
Of the total Muslim youth in the 18 to 25 age group, a mere 8.1 per cent are in college (Hindus: 18.7 per cent; Christians: 20.5 per cent), 6.2 per cent alone are engaged in other studies (Hindus: 9.9; Christians 14.9); 30.5 per cent are employed (Hindus: 32.3; Christians 32.7) and 55.2 per cent are unemployed (Hindus: 39.1 per cent; Christians 31.9 per cent). Muslims have clicked `Pause' on education only to their disadvantage even in a progressive society that has nurtured their interests throughout history.
(excerpt: hinduonnet) Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Halal Market
“...The world is going Halal. All over France, foods marked Halal are growing in numbers. Halal meats are offered in many French public establishments such as school cafeterias. Cabot's Vermont Cheddar Cheese and France-Echos Paté de Foie de Canard (duck liver paté) have gone Halal. IKEA at Anderlect near Brussels has Halal hot dogs. McDonald's in Detroit has introduced Halal Chicken McNuggets while McDonald's in Australia has Halal burgers.....” Galliawatch, Saturday, 2 December 2006
The total number of Muslims is huge, a little more than one fifth of the world's populaton. Current world Muslim population is estimated between 1.2 billion to 1.8 billion or 18 to 26 percent of the world population spreading over 150 countries. It is claimed that Muslim is the fastest growing population in the world at a rate of 2.9 percent a year as compared to world population growth of 2.3 percent a year. At this rate, Islam would surpass Christianity as the world's main religion by 2023. Between 2000 and 2006, the average growth rate of the Muslim population at 1.9% percent is also far higher than the world's population growth rate, which averaged 1.22 percent in the same period. It is also much faster than any other major religious group.
Muslim population in 2006 is estimated at 1,596.59 million.
Muslim population in 2006 is estimated at 1,596.59 million.
No one really knows how big the global Halal market is. Estimates are usually based on the number of Muslims in the market. There are also a lot of non-Muslims eating Halal meat. Current estimates to the value of the global Halal food market range from US$150 billion to US$580 billion* a year. Total global Halal products is estimated at US$2.2 trillion (RM$7.98 trillion) and is projected to grow by 10 - 20 % annually.
* - Based on per capita expenditure on food by Muslims. (source: various)
Super Basmati Rice
Pakistan is considering a proposal from the Indian government to jointly register basmati rice produced by the two countries though some of its farmers accuse India of stealing their ‘Super basmati’ seeds.
The registration is meant to profit from the vast EU market that is currently in the process of conducting DNA tests in Pakistan before moving on to India and Nepal. India and Pakistan are the world's traditional producers of basmati rice, with Nepal recently joining them.
The EU has sent a team to conduct DNA tests of basmati rice in Pakistan, India and Nepal to determine the EU's policy on basmati imports from each of these South Asian countries.
Some Pakistani exporters alleged that India had stolen a seed variety developed in Pakistan called super basmati. They said growers in collaboration with local institutions developed the seed here, and this variety was in high demand in the world market.
However, they claimed, a few years ago two Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan took super basmati seeds with them and started cultivation in India. Eventually, Indian farmers developed a strong super basmati crop and started exporting it.
An rice exporter was quoted by The Daily Times as alleging that this was “a clear case of piracy and should be should be barred from using the name super basmati & be challenged in Indian courts”.
The EU team will decide on the comparative quality of the Pakistani and Indian basmati. If the DNA tests conducted by the EU team show Pakistan's basmati rice to be of equal or better quality to India's, the European market will remain open to Pakistani rice exports. However, if the tests fail to show the rice is of a distinct quality, the EU could impose an embargo on Pakistani basmati.
Pakistan's rice exporters say that since India has registered its basmati in the international market, Pakistan should do the same under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. They have also complained that the government was delaying framing a “Geographical Indication (GI) law”.
The official said that the government was preparing a GI law to register farm and traditional products specifically produced or manufactured in Pakistan.
Pakistan has set a $2 billion rice export target for this fiscal. Rice exporters surpassed last year's $1 billion export target by exporting $1.2 billion worth of rice.
(excerpt: indiatimes tuesday dec 05, 2006 02:47:57 am)
The registration is meant to profit from the vast EU market that is currently in the process of conducting DNA tests in Pakistan before moving on to India and Nepal. India and Pakistan are the world's traditional producers of basmati rice, with Nepal recently joining them.
The EU has sent a team to conduct DNA tests of basmati rice in Pakistan, India and Nepal to determine the EU's policy on basmati imports from each of these South Asian countries.
Some Pakistani exporters alleged that India had stolen a seed variety developed in Pakistan called super basmati. They said growers in collaboration with local institutions developed the seed here, and this variety was in high demand in the world market.
However, they claimed, a few years ago two Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan took super basmati seeds with them and started cultivation in India. Eventually, Indian farmers developed a strong super basmati crop and started exporting it.
An rice exporter was quoted by The Daily Times as alleging that this was “a clear case of piracy and should be should be barred from using the name super basmati & be challenged in Indian courts”.
The EU team will decide on the comparative quality of the Pakistani and Indian basmati. If the DNA tests conducted by the EU team show Pakistan's basmati rice to be of equal or better quality to India's, the European market will remain open to Pakistani rice exports. However, if the tests fail to show the rice is of a distinct quality, the EU could impose an embargo on Pakistani basmati.
Pakistan's rice exporters say that since India has registered its basmati in the international market, Pakistan should do the same under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. They have also complained that the government was delaying framing a “Geographical Indication (GI) law”.
The official said that the government was preparing a GI law to register farm and traditional products specifically produced or manufactured in Pakistan.
Pakistan has set a $2 billion rice export target for this fiscal. Rice exporters surpassed last year's $1 billion export target by exporting $1.2 billion worth of rice.
(excerpt: indiatimes tuesday dec 05, 2006 02:47:57 am)
Doing Business In Japan..
Small and medium-sized companies looking to penetrate the Japanese market, especially the food industry, should take a hard look at the country's rules and regulations and use trading firms to make their initial foray.
Japan, one of Asia's most prized export markets, is also one of the toughest nuts to crack. Stringent rules and regulations take time and resources that some smaller firms simply cannot afford. It is tough to get through in the initial stage, but once there the returns are worth all the effort. The rules and regulations changed very often in Japan and therefore food exporters to the country needed to keep themselves abreast of the changes. The recent changes that have been implemented are things such as hazards either from new agricultural chemicals, new additives or from global supply sources.
Japan is a prosperous country that must import a large amount of food to feed its 128-million population. The average Japanese household is estimated to have more than RM360,000 in savings and a disposable income of about RM13,600 per month. This provides a huge opportunity as long as a supplier can gain the trust of Japanese consumers.
It is necessary to go through trading firms if you are to enter the Japanese market. Many firms continue to encounter obstacles when exporting to Japan, including heavy restrictions on the ways the food is cooked and processed imposed due to fears of contamination. There cannot be any kind of foreign body in any of the consignment, as even a single foreign body - be it flies, bees, additives or any other thing - would mean that the entire consignment would be rejected. Microorganism specifications comprised the bulk of violations.
Another way to penetrate the market is to get locals spreading news of the product through word of mouth.
Asean's importance is self-evident; it has a population of 570 million, is rich in resources and is conveniently located near Japan, China, India and many other important markets. Asean is poised to become a major hub of production, feeding Asian and global markets.
Product labelling is another key aspect, where exporters must disclose all relevant information on the packaging. These include any health risks, such as allergies the product may cause.
(excerpt: mckinsey, nov 02 2006)
Japan, one of Asia's most prized export markets, is also one of the toughest nuts to crack. Stringent rules and regulations take time and resources that some smaller firms simply cannot afford. It is tough to get through in the initial stage, but once there the returns are worth all the effort. The rules and regulations changed very often in Japan and therefore food exporters to the country needed to keep themselves abreast of the changes. The recent changes that have been implemented are things such as hazards either from new agricultural chemicals, new additives or from global supply sources.
Japan is a prosperous country that must import a large amount of food to feed its 128-million population. The average Japanese household is estimated to have more than RM360,000 in savings and a disposable income of about RM13,600 per month. This provides a huge opportunity as long as a supplier can gain the trust of Japanese consumers.
It is necessary to go through trading firms if you are to enter the Japanese market. Many firms continue to encounter obstacles when exporting to Japan, including heavy restrictions on the ways the food is cooked and processed imposed due to fears of contamination. There cannot be any kind of foreign body in any of the consignment, as even a single foreign body - be it flies, bees, additives or any other thing - would mean that the entire consignment would be rejected. Microorganism specifications comprised the bulk of violations.
Another way to penetrate the market is to get locals spreading news of the product through word of mouth.
Asean's importance is self-evident; it has a population of 570 million, is rich in resources and is conveniently located near Japan, China, India and many other important markets. Asean is poised to become a major hub of production, feeding Asian and global markets.
Product labelling is another key aspect, where exporters must disclose all relevant information on the packaging. These include any health risks, such as allergies the product may cause.
(excerpt: mckinsey, nov 02 2006)
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