Lest we forget - we are responsible and we need to act to save Pakistan

Lest we forget: we were given (not forced) money to breed snakes. When the money ran out, we continued to feed and breed the snakes thinking it will only bite whoever we ask it to bite.

Snakes are now a large family living in our house which they think is legitimately theirs and want us to leave or become snakes ourselves. Doesn't help dwelling upon who paid for making these snakes.

We have been doing this for the last three decades. Result is that the snakes have multiplied and mutated - just look at all sorts of mutated snakes trying to find all sorts of poisons (arguments) to support their brethren.

Yes, justice will be hurt, rights will be trampled, innocent will become involved - but when removing a filthy gangrene you sometimes have to cut the healthy organs as well. Sound cruel, but it saves the body.

Brutal massacre of school children in Peshawar

What is a bigger tragedy: Brutal massacre of 126 school children and their teachers, or that the nation of 200 million immediately pointing fingers at Arabs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Indians, and others. Still not looking into the mirror to look at the real terrorist and dealing with it. Every single one of us has contributed to this day with our apathy. Only victims today are the 126 deceased and their loved ones. Every one else had their fingers on the trigger. إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعون

Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood

Found these verses on Palestinian peace so very haunting:

“To Alef, the letter
that begins the alphabets
of both Arabic and Hebrew-
two Semitic languages,
sisters for centuries.

May we find the language
that takes us
to the only home there is -
one another's hearts.

...

Alef knows
That a thread
Of a story
Stitches together
A wound.”
― Ibtisam Barakat, Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood

Is your Charity reaching the right people - be extra careful this Ramadan!

According to reports Muslims in the UK donated over 100 million to charities last Ramadan. This was a conservative estimate that did not include donations to local mosques, private charity and donations to non-Muslim charities.

Unfortunately, not every penny given for charity reaches the deserving. Whilst most of the charities are legitimate and work hard to make your charitable pennies work harder, there are those who do not hesitate to exploit the generosity of others even in this holy month.

Charity Commission in the UK have listed the following top ten tips to help you make the right choice when donating your money for the good causes.

Presence of a Registered Charity number on a website/brochure/letter from a charity is not evidence that a charity is legitimate. Please check the charity's name and registration number against the online charity search tool.

1. Before giving, check the charity's name and registration number against the online charity search tool: Find a charity - register of charities
2. Fundraisers require a licence from the local authority (or the Police in London) to collect in a public place. Check that they have this. If the collection is in a privately owned place, check that they have the owner's permission.
3. When approached by collectors, check whether they are wearing a proper ID badge and that any collection tin is sealed.
4. If in doubt, ask the collector for more information - a genuine fundraiser should be happy to answer questions and explain more about the work of the charity.
5. Genuine fundraising materials should feature the charity's name, registered name and a landline contact number. Be wary of those that list only a mobile number.
6. Make sure when you give to radio and television appeals that the process is secure. Ofcom lists the rules for radio and television charity appeals on its website: Licensing - Ofcom website
7. Take care when responding to emails or clicking links to a charity's website to ensure that they are genuine. Instead, search online for your chosen charity to check you have the right web address. For further guidance see: Guidance for donors - Get Safe Online
8. Carefully review collection bags for clothing and household goods to ascertain whether they are from a genuine charity.
9. After making these checks, if you think that a collection or appeal is not legitimate, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and inform the Charity Commission: Action Fraud - Police
10. Don't be pressurised to give to a collection immediately. If in any doubt, donate directly to charity.

Charity's Commission has also produced this very useful video to help avoid giving your charity to wrong people and charities.

More information and advice is available from Charities Commission http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/ 

50 baby names banned in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's interior ministry has issued a ban on a range of baby names because they are deemed to be against the Kingdom's cultural, religious and moral codes. Names banned include foreign names, names that might be misconstrued as royal lineage, and those with potentially blasphemous connotations in line with Saudi religious school of thought. There are certain oddities in the list as well, for example Binyamin and Abdul Nasir are banned and the motive appears to be political in nature rather than cultural, religious or moral. List of names banned is as follows:

Malaak (angel)
Abdul Aati
Abdul Naser
Abdul Musleh
Nabi (prophet)
Nabiyya (female prophet)
Amir (prince)
Sumuw (highness)
Al Mamlaka (the kingdom)
Malika (queen)
Mamlaka (kingdom)
Tabarak (blessed)
Nardeen
Maya
Linda
Randa
Basmala (utterance of the name of God)
Taline
Aram
Nareej
Rital
Alice
Sandy
Rama (Hindu god)
Maline
Elaine
Inar
Maliktina
Lareen
Kibrial
Lauren
Binyamin (Arabic for Benjamin)
Naris
Yara
Sitav
Loland
Tilaj
Barrah
Abdul Nabi
Abdul Rasool
Jibreel (angel Gabriel)
Abdul Mu’een
Abrar
Iman
Bayan
Baseel
Wireelam