Papa don't preach!

Tuesday, September 19, 2006 POPE & “ The Sword of Islam”.PAPA don't preach? I have been consciously trying to avoid commenting on this very sensitive and controversial issue, since it broke out. I feel that I am not competent enough and further I too, like so many others who have been commenting, know very little about the whole subject. So I decided to stay away, and I am staying away. HOWEVER, I am quite amused by the way “ Secular, Liberal media” and the “secular” brigade has taken the whole issue. Two great religions Islam and Christianity, both “secular” are debating an issue with the “secular” media caught in between. I can sense how they wish that a HINDU priest had said it THAN POPE; they would have been more comfortable, in-fact delighted is the right word. After all HINDUS are “communal”. What a screaming headline would have been then” COMMUNAL, FUNDAMENTALIST, FASCISTS, DIVISIVE, INHUMAN ETC.” LAUNCHES AN ATTACK ON THE “MINORITIES”. Absolutely? “Politically Correct”. How the “secular industry” would have loved it! An issue so Dear to “them”. After all rozi roti ka sawal hai bhai. Just imagine, what would have happened? Had it been… 1.Narrender MODI? Remember the way in which the “media” and “secularists” had reacted when he merely mentioned then CEC as James Michael Lyndough. 2.Praveen Togadia? Would have been hanged by NOW. 3.RSS or VHP or BAJRANG DAL? What more the “secularist” could have asked for? 4.Had the POPE said something about “HINDUATAVA” instead of ISLAM? He, THE POPE would have been appreciated for his “objectivity, insight etc.”. 5.How would the protesters have been labeled? Though, HINDUS as a community would have reacted just the way Muslims are reacting the world over- I DOUBT VERY MUCH- yet would have been seen as “FASCISTS”. Thinking all that could have happened, all the possibilities, I am very glad that IT DID NOT HAPPEN. I AM PROUD TO BE An INDIAN first and then HINDU. And this has dampened the spirits of “secularists”. Celebrated stars and a “self confessing and proud too bastard, and successful too at the same time”, NGO’s, Documentry filmmakers, TEIESTA’s of the world, sad day for you???? Sorry folks. Just as I am Proud to be an INDIAN HINDU, at the same time I feel sad that the “political correctness” of the “media” and “secularists” force them to label ME, as COMMUNAL… SO BE IT, DAMN I CARE. To quote Swami Vivekanand Ji from his speech made at the parliament of religions in Chicago in 1893.Swami Ji said… “The Christian is not to become a Hindu or Buddhist nor a Hindu or Buddhist to become a Christian, but each must assimilate the spirit of the other and yet preserve his individuality”. He asked every one “…to help and not fight, assimilate and not destroy to ensure harmony and peace and not dissension.” This is the SECULARISM I want “WE” to understand. Each and every religion is GREAT, and I (as a HINDU) respect the rights of their followers to practice it the way they want. However each religion evolved over the time. Many of the religions, Hinduism and Christianity especially, got rid of many things, which were not recommendable for the modern time. Such as SATI, CHILD MARRIAGE, INEQUILITY, SEX DISCRININATION etc. were discarded from our HINDU religion. Because Hindus like, Swami Vivakanand, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Sant Jyoti Bha Phule, Swami Dayanand Sarswati and many many more took pains to reform the society. And the reforms came from with in (from with in the community). So did Christianity do away with many Victorian era practices? Because questions were asked and answered, debated and discussed as it is the only solution. But Islam has not done much debating, (each time some one, any one for that matter starts a debate, the voice is tried to be silenced by the sheer mob fury and violence) leave alone reforms. I suppose the absolute finality of the HOLY Quran and unquestioning surrender of faithful makes it difficult to debate first and if at all. And this is what ALL Papa POPE is asking for. So we witness the outrage, each time they are questioned. This perhaps is not advisable for any one in general and for followers of ISLAM in particular when most of the terrorists have Muslim sounding names, if not “MUSLIMS”. Mean time, PAPA DON’T PREACH ????? Regards Anil Joshi 3:06:05 PM Posted By Anil joshi Comments (42) Politics Comments Peter Tuesday, September 19, 2006 3:25:23 PM The popeIf you read carefully, what the pope said during a reading at theRegensburg University, you will notice the following:1. The fact , that Mohammed wants the Islam to be defended by weapons,that is fight, was only a QUOTATION, not the POPE?s own words.2. The Pope said, that every religion that is depending on violence can not be right.I think anybody is aware, that today nobody ,especially not aman in the POPEs position wouldbe so undiplomatic to say anythingagainst one of the big religionsof our world!But first of all;: raed carefully what EXACTLY the POPE said, and not what the PRESS,TV etc. are writing ! Kalyani.S.Shankar Tuesday, September 19, 2006 3:33:41 PM Good and i believe that PAPA said right,so PAPA DO PREACH. Shruti dewan Tuesday, September 19, 2006 3:38:01 PM Absolutely right,Islam has not been reformed and the problem lies in what they call themselves as the ULTIMATE.I agree they are the ULTIMATE in Killing Innoncents.what say? Proud Hindu Tuesday, September 19, 2006 3:48:59 PM We are not cowards,problem is the Jaichands of the like V P Singh,Arjun Sing,RAM_DOSSA,Mulayam etc.Bring Modi to Delhi and see the difference.Proud Hindu Paresh Tuesday, September 19, 2006 3:49:40 PM WELL SAID SHRUTI I AGREE WITH YOUPARESH jj Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:05:02 PM kudos to anil joshieurope experienced renaisance and christianity was modernisedthe pope took on the role of a peacemaker. For all his statements i do accept the pope as a holy guy.at least he does not advocate violence.Islam was spread by the sword. the majority of the ancestors of today's muslims were infact innocent children kidnapped from the mughal army and forced to embrace islam trueindian Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:08:35 PM All this Islam bashing should stop.Islam means peace.Islam preaches brother hood,all those semi litterate calling them selves as popular,are manipulators .All Islam wants is JUSTICE.True Indian. Prem kumar Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:29:52 PM islam is a wonderful religion of all. i read a lot about islam it is talking about one god, equality among all humans, what is right, forbid evil things which no other religion pacticed because islam is ultimate religion one should followprem i m gulnani Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:32:26 PM Dear Anil,I have logged in after a considerable time,II found that you have not lost the touch.You have said it right that Islam needs reforms,but who is going to bell the cat?They start rioting the moment some one say any damn thing.I agree that IT IS MOB FURY.with regardsI M GulnaniShiridi prem kumar Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:35:54 PM this pope lost his mental balance. if one is look at history who is responsible for all destructions and killings. This pope is from the Germany which has produced Hitler, the main warmonger of Second World War. The Protestant-Christian-Germany and Catholic-Christian-Italy together with Buddhist-Japanese started the Second World War. The Jewish-Controlled-Protestant-Christian-USA, Jewish-Communist-Controlled-Orthodox-Christian-Russian and Anglican-Christian-England fought these three and dropped two Atom-Bombs on the Buddhist-Japanese. 45 million people died in the Second World War 1939-1945 due to the war fought between Christians and Buddhist. so don't blame islam, blame your christianity. gaytri n Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:38:02 PM true media should reflect on it's secularism and so do the Islam.I read true indian and want to ask the same u asked .y do most of the terrorists have muslim sounding names?POPES or RSS's conspiracy.Gaytrichennai prem kumar Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:39:22 PM islam was revealed to mankind thru prophet mohammad by GOD almighty. It does not require any reform because god can never make mistake. it is not a religion created by human being. look at our hinduism believe in all stupidity, encourage child marriage, sati, divide human beings on cast basis. hinduism was created to fool all indians but to protect 2%. oh hindu awake.prem-a dravidan Shruti dewan Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:41:20 PM Come on this so called "prem kumar" we all know who you are.Face the reality do not hide behind some stupid and obivious pseudoname.fake people,fake identity.what say? irshad Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:45:17 PM anil joshi is a pathalogical sicm man.avoid him like plague. Shruti dewan Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:52:59 PM Dravidan,ooh!great leaders like karunanidhi, mulayam, vp singh, lalu, mayawathi to save india.SO YOU ARE FAKE MAN SO YOU ARE,TAKE ALL YOUR GREAT LEADERS ALONG AND DROWN IN BAY OF BENGAL.GOOD RIDDENCE. prem kumar Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:53:16 PM you 2% sruti devan, i am not a fake identity but a true dravidan, the real son of soil, believe in equality. you 2% dividing india in the name of hiduism. india need more great leaders like karunanidhi, mulayam, vp singh, lalu, mayawathi to save india from 2%. shame on RSS, VHP, BJP. Indu Mukhoppadya Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:53:21 PM I watched you on NDTV X factor on friday,u look good man.Indu anandkant Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:58:39 PM we can come to debate and question what pope said was right or not - in my view , if you read his personal apology statement - " feel deeply sorry for reaction in Islamic world on my remarks on Islam..." is he sorry for saying it or Muslims reacting to iti question the timing and need for saying all this nonsense - what someone said in 14th century needs no repetition from him and why say when you don't believe it - was it a book reading section with someone instrcuting him to read out the specific text - absolutely cover up and lame excuse statement An invisible and cold war has been aggravated between Islam and Christianity - in times when muslim fundamentalists are all looking to attack and finding reasons for it like Iraq, Afghanistan - no need for a responsible Pope to add fuel to fire -what was going through his mind when he said it - what did he expect to happen from his statement - people rushing to convert to christianity becuase islam is fundamentally farcist or violent OR reforming the religion OR what????at this juncture it's not a feasible or sensible option to wage a war against islam as that's flimsy, unwarranted and purely emotional and intolerant - if 2 biggest cmmunities hate each other - no one will win - irrespective of who is right or wrong - the greatest irony of such events is that the repurcussions are borne by those who have no connection or responsibility for it - Islam needs reforms but not in belief rather reform the preachers who misinterpre the religion to misguide relatively lesser educated people and in teh end attracting wrong perception about the whole belief prem kumar Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:09:45 PM anandkant, i fully agree with you. why pope has to talk what someone said in 14th century. this means he believe in it. when he see protest all over world then he cover up. this 2% internet terrorists who hate islam waiting for oppurtunity immediately join together. you are absolutely correct anand Islam needs reforms but not in belief rather reform the preachers who misinterpre the religion.prem To Prem Kumar Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:20:05 PM Prem Kumar,People would comment not because what you said but because u r an id**iot. There are 3 things u should know. Just that a bas**tard only can curse his mother so also a mentally sick person alone can curse his own religion. Secondly little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Hindus have given the world the Vedas, the philosophy of Yoga and message of peace. There are evil minded people in every religion so also some Brahmins among Hindus did some bad things but that no way means what u said about hindus.Lastly the very words u have said proves beyond doubt that u personally do not have a religion. Remember religion does become gr8 because of numbers but because of other things which people like u and terrorists cannot understand prem kumar Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:25:11 PM towards the end all religions will come to an end and ONLY islam will remain prem kumar Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:36:46 PM how come brahmins among hindus did some bad things only. NO. they did great damage and are doing even today. is there any difference between these two terrorists MODI and BINLADEN?. one is hiding can not come out openly. look at modi he killed hundreds yet ruling gujarat and idiots like you still supporting. so you 2% internet terrorists are really bad for india's progress.prem-a dravidan Punkinhead Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:38:00 PM Mr. Joshi,U think if the Pope had said anything wrong about Hindus there would have been a mild reaction from the so called Parivar unlike what the muslims are doing?Come on Joshi ji...don't be so immatured...the world has seen the violent reactions of Sangh on many issues...be it valentine day or savarkar or vande mataram or Gujarat riots or babri etc etc etc. prem kumar alter ego Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:48:26 PM Prem Kumar,People would comment again not because you are probably a frustrated youth but because your IQ is low and have an acute lack of good reading skills. Who mentioned Modi here?Atleast Modi is allowing non hindus to live, uor new prophet Osama wants everyone save his blood to be dead.Also y are u so shy in claiming to be a muslim? Beats me !!! Shruti dewan Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:57:04 PM hey prem,cool it dude! NDTV guys would have a LOL of a life time reading uor comments. Guess u r making a laughing stalk of uorself...watch out LOL :) anubha Tuesday, September 19, 2006 7:30:27 PM Hai,man how many "prems"crawiling here? BTW what are querraling for?Go get some life LOL.anil from where did you collect the quote of swami Vivakanand.Nice one.BTW good satire on media.lago raho munna bhai.i watched you too,and who is this girl drooling over???? anubha Right Path Tuesday, September 19, 2006 7:45:06 PM Why we can not think widely that we all are from one father (Adam)and one mother (Eve). Then, what is the problem if anybody follow any religion? Always all the way around questioning of Islam. You know why? Because Islam is not only a religion like others, but it is the way of complete life (spirtual and worldly)to reach heaven where we came from. Try to understand each other and do not stick the western media what they manipulate all the beleivers. beland u Shivangii,Jaipur Tuesday, September 19, 2006 8:13:47 PM Right Path???????right path is on the wrong side of the road(moderenity i mean).Islam of course is a religion of,pieces and not peace.PIECES BE UPON YOU. Deviyani Pahawa Tuesday, September 19, 2006 9:19:42 PM wher is RUZAN?No comments?waiting for you to respond.Deviyani Pahawa K. Venugopal Tuesday, September 19, 2006 9:28:27 PM Mr. Anil Joshi, you are absolutely fantastic! Deviyani Pahawa Tuesday, September 19, 2006 10:10:26 PM RUZAN,lost in wilderness?Any answer to this?Deviyani Pahawa randomman Tuesday, September 19, 2006 11:54:33 PM Hi Everyone,I am enlightened by this ongoing great war of words on the supremacy of 'Religions'.It is a treat to see sentinels of each religion oggling and outpouring statistical data and sensitive tales from other religions to ridicule it.Does it make their religions great? I do not know.All the same, my convictions remain steadfast i.e. First,No religion is good or bad; it is only an opinion born out of intolerant views. Second, religion is a way of life, laying down certain norms for temporal and social living of a man. It is an idea of a particular time period and it keeps refining. Watch the divisions in each religion. Third, religion is a private affair and should be locked at home.Finally, I am not an athiest. I am Proud to be 'Hindu' but i donot sell my religion. And I care a damn what 'Pope' or 'Head Priest' of 'MECCA' thinks about it. If it is good it will say so. Only the 'weak' think otherwise. Alisha Wednesday, September 20, 2006 12:06:10 AM I agree with you random man, I've been visiting this blog offlate and all I see is bikcering about religion. It pains me to think this is what our country has come down to. What's even sadder, is that educated people like ourselves, indulge in such language. All I can say, if you know who you are, know who your god is and truly believe in your religion, you would not find the need to defend your beliefs and question those of others.Thats all I can say! loud Wednesday, September 20, 2006 12:24:07 AM LOWDE KA TEEN ruzan_shah Wednesday, September 20, 2006 4:00:57 AM Thanks to all in general who was waiting for my response & Deviyani in particular.....lolAs Anil himself stated in the blog that he has very little knowledge on the subject, I dont think its proper for me to discuss,debate or argue with him on the subject.But as usual his blog make me laugh.On the one hand he advocated importance of debate & discussion whereas on the same blog he contradicted himself by saying "Papa Dont Preach"So Mr Anil tell me what side u belong to ?Joshi ji aapNa idhar ke hoNa udhar keAap ho "Beechwale"lolAnyway only defective stuff needs reform and Islam is immaculate , it doesn't need no reform so u guys stop worrying about Islam & better keep ur house straight.You need to do many more reformsin your faith.And Anil proudly mentioned Raja Ram Mohan & others for their positive work but my friend let me tell you that those reform started within Hinduism only after arrival of Islam & Christianity in Inida.I challenge u to show me a single reform pre-dated to the inception of Islam & Christianity in India.Like every other religion we too have some problems but we know the root cause of those problems.People are picking up on Islam due to some bad followers but they have to understand the historical facts.Indeed many people converted to Islam and with them they brought some bad stuff to the community.We know that and we are trying them to be a true muslim by totally discarding their bad heritage. If Ganga dump her own water as garbage into Jamuna, Jamuna is bound to riverberated....lolIf u happen to visit any river after flood u will notice all those garbage which drawned in from others, others who just cant clean up their own sins hence give it up or dump it in the lerch.So we are doing that divine work of spiritual & psychological cleansing,instead of refusing something which is imperfect we accept it coz we know it will become straight by the touch of Islamic teachings. ruzan_shah Wednesday, September 20, 2006 5:20:46 AM C o n t i n u e.......Anil know the trueth that they have no formula for all those persecuted & opressed people who converted to Islam.Yes Hinduism has no remedy for the upliftment of shudras.So u guys exploited them & left them to die.Islam shows them dignity of human lives,equality & straight path hence they converted to Islam.It is the positive divine appeal of Islam which prompted all those converts to Islam. Nobody can spread religion by sword. I challenge u to make India Hindu state by sword if you can ?Nobody can ever do that.My friend Anil doesn't understand differance between question & accusation.....lolor may be thats his way to ask question , by accusing others.Its damn easy to accuse everything but hard to offer way out.For an exampleHinduism allows their followers to drink Alcohol but its forbiden in Islam and look almost 90 % of the converts are not drinking alcohol.So the point is we are doing spiritual purification and such a mamoth task takes time so be patient & dont accuse us of something that we are doing , what u guys left untouchable.Once again thanks to all those who were anxious for my response, keep it up, seek the trueth & the trueth will set you free.(If anybody wants more details on opression of dalits by upper cast Hindus please refer "Riddles in Hinduism" by Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar)I suggest "beechwale" Joshi Ji to refer full text of decussion between 14 th century Byzantine Emperor & An Iranian Scholar of Islam which was backdrop of Benedict's referance.Plz check the full text & specially the conclusive part that will wake up Kumbha Nidra of "Ardha Satya" manav like you.Any more comments from my great Hindu breatherns ? Farhan Wednesday, September 20, 2006 9:52:00 AM Hey do not get too excited about things and start giving statements that "Hindus are communal". No one ever say that any relogion is communal. Rathers its the individual that you have mentioned in your blogs like the Modis and Togadias who are. And whom do you think they want to benefit with this stance. We are in ourself stupid enough to vote these guys to power and listen to them.Do not ever target any religion because of some individuals acts. altamash Thursday, September 21, 2006 12:23:57 PM what pope said was completly lie to hide the truth of islam. and give a bad image to islam so that ppl stay away from islam. first of All in islam it does nt allow to belive whatever without reasoning but it seem in christianity.for eg. church teach that to attain salvation u hav to belive that jesus (pbuh)died for our sin other wise u wont attain salvation.but on other hand jesus said in bible that u can attain salvation only by keeping the commandment(by keeping the commond of God in old and new testiment)he dont said that to attain salvation u hav to belivie i died for ur sin he doent said this and if u read bible christian community r breaking commandment and v muslims r keeping the commandment for eg in bible it is told that jesus was circumsised on the eight day. but u ll hardly find any christian who is circumsised.but v muslim all r circumsised. v know jesus kept beared but hardly a christian v found who keep beared . even pope dont. if u ll read bible pork is prohibited but u ll find church allow it.church made it compulsary to belive in trinity but the word trinity no where present in bible.but its there in Qur an it says "dont say trinity. just stop it its batter for u" so in this way its not islam to b followed without any Question. its christianity i know a revert christian to islam whenever he used to ask a question about christianity. they used to answer that its a matter of faith. they used to say that if whole world belive in it why dont uthey fail to realize muslims dont belive in that what they had made in there religion. on other hand in Qur an it addreses to the man of understand its syas in many places that this is the scripture for those who had understanding. and if u ll c its not islam which is to b belive without Question its christianity which has no answer for its belive. altamash Thursday, September 21, 2006 1:04:24 PM first of all God will not ask me on the day of judgement that was osamabinladen a terrorist. what i can say that seens i hav not met him personally i dont know. if he is going against Qur an he is wrong coz there is nothing in Qur an which speaks against humanity.this is coz of western media they r bombarding misinformation about islam.and if u ll c its really a battle betn christian religion and islam in winning the heart of people i.e to become supreme. inspite of all efforts made by christian community to degrade islam .islam is the fastest growing religion in wolrd esp in usa and europian country. thats why enemy of islam r getting frustrated.and they putting their all efforts to meline islam and this was one of the attempt of christian wolrd in the form of pope.but according to statistic 35000 american accepted islam in usa alone after 7 month of 9 11 .which was reporten in times magazine . this shows that the more u try to meline islam the faster its grows.and it will grow coz Allah (the one true God) says in Qur an "i hav sent the with truth and the religion of islam so that it will over come over all religion however much the wrongdoer dont like it altamash Thursday, September 21, 2006 1:13:30 PM islam was not spread by sword. the following points will pove itOpinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary.The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book "Islam at the cross road" (Page 8):"History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated."Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years.Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers.5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e. Christians since generations. If the Muslims had used the sword there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained a Christian. altamash Thursday, September 21, 2006 1:19:38 PM 6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years. If they wanted, they had the power of converting each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was not spread by the sword.7. Indonesia and Malaysia.Indonesia is a country that has the maximum number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. May one ask, "Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?"8. East Coast of Africa.Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was spread by the sword, "Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?"9. Thomas Carlyle.The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book "Heroes and Hero worship", refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: "The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can." altamash Thursday, September 21, 2006 1:23:13 PM 12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to 1984.An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, year book 1986, gave the statistics of the increase of percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, and Christianity had increased only by 47%. May one ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam?13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe.Today the fastest growing religion in America is Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe in Islam. Which sword is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?

What is Jihad

Tuesday, September 19, 2006 What is Jihad? =====>>> (Must Read to Know) Jihad is one of the most misunderstood, and abused aspects of Islam. There are some Muslims who exploit and misuse this concept for their own political objectives. There are many non-Muslims who misunderstand it. There are some non-Muslims who misinterpret it to discredit Islam and Muslims.What is Jihad?The word Jihad does not mean “Holy War”. It means “struggle” or “striving”. The word for war in the Qur’an is “Harb” or “Qital”. Jihad means serious and sincere struggle on the personal as well as on the social level. It is a struggle to do good and to remove injustice, oppression and evil from the society. This struggle should be spiritual as well as social, economic and political. Jihad is to work hard to do right things. In the Qur’an this word is used in its different forms 33 times. It often comes with other Qur’anic concepts such as faith, repentance, righteous deeds and migration.Jihad is to protect one’s faith and one’s human rights. Jihad is not a war always although it can take the form of war. Islam is the religion of peace, but it does not mean that Islam accepts oppression. Islam teaches that one should do one’s utmost to eliminate tension and conflict. Islam promotes non-violent means to bring change and reform. Actually, Islam urges that one should eliminate evil through peaceful means without the use of force as much as possible. In Islamic history from the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) until now, Muslims most of the time resisted oppression and struggled for liberation in non-violent and peaceful manners.Islam teaches proper ethics in the situation of war also. The war is permissible in Islam, but only when other peaceful means such as dialogue, negotiations and treaties fail. It is a last resort and should be avoided as much as possible. Its purpose is not to convert people by force, or to colonize people or to acquire land or wealth or for self-glory. Its purpose is basically: defense of life, property, land, honor and freedom for oneself as well as defense of others from injustice and oppression.The basic rules of war in Islam are:1. Be strong so that your enemy fear you and should not attack you.2. Do not begin the hostilities. Work for peace as much as possible.3. Fight only those who fight, no collective punishment; non-combatants should not be harmed. Weapons of mass destruction should not be used.4. Stop hostilities as soon as the other party is inclined to peace.5. Observe the treaties and agreements as long as the enemy observes them.Allah says very clearly: (Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not do aggression, for Allah loves not the aggressors.) (Al-Baqarah 2: 190)(The prohibited month, for the prohibited month, and so for all things prohibited, there is the law of equality. If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, transgress ye likewise against him. But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves.) (Al-Baqarah 2: 194)Jihad is not terrorism:It is to be emphasized that terrorism against the innocent civilians, whether through aggression or suicidal means, is under no circumstances permissible in Islam. Islam encourages the oppressed people to struggle for their liberation and it commands other Muslims to help those who are oppressed and suffering, but Islam does not allow, under any circumstance, terrorism against non-combatants and innocent people. Terrorism is not Jihad, it is Fasad (mischief). It is against the teachings of Islam. There are some people who use their twisted arguments to justify terrorism for their causes, but it has no justification: Allah says: (When it is said to them: 'Make not mischief on the earth,' they say: 'Why, we only want to correct things.' Indeed they are the mischief doers, but they realize (it) not.)(When it is said to them: 'Make not mischief on the earth,' they say: 'Why, we only want to correct things.' Indeed they are the mischief doers, but they realize (it) not.) (Al-Baqarah 2: 11-12)Islam wants to establish a world order where all human beings - Muslims and non-Muslims - can live with justice in peace, harmony and good will. It gives its followers full guidelines to find peace in their personal and social lives, but it also tells them how to extend the good will on the basis of human relations towards others. Muslims worked under these principles for centuries. People of many faiths lived with them and among them. Islamic societies were known for their tolerance, generosity and humanity.In our modern society where we are living in a global village, where non-Muslims are living with Muslims in the Muslim countries and Muslims are living with non-Muslims in countries where non-Muslims constitute a majority, it is our duty to bring better understanding among ourselves, work for peace and justice for all people and cooperate with each other in matters of goodness and virtue in order to stop all terrorism, aggression and violence against the innocent people. This is our Jihad today. 3:52:29 PM Posted By certainly certainly Comments (5) Uncategorized Comments Farhan Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:16:18 PM Well Said. As you already have done I want to reiterate that our Jihad today is to strive to leave in harmony with our neighbours. But this world is made of people who misuse the texts of the holy Quran and eyewash poort and young innocent brothers to take up the path of aggression and take innocent lives. onlooker Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:42:22 PM Whatever u guys say ...but truth is unlike any other religion in this planet, Islam is the only relgion that had its prophet shedding blood of others...Jesus was mecilessly killed but still he remained docile and forgave the sinners, Hindu saints always took to non violence, Buddha was also totally non violent... Can't think of any saint/prophet except for Muhammed who taught with the sword Manwendra Tuesday, September 19, 2006 4:47:31 PM I have firm belief in what is said.Further, no religion in the world is based on violence and all of them teach us fraternity, love and peaceful co-existence. K.Venugopal Tuesday, September 19, 2006 7:35:54 PM The faith of Muslims is based on Allah's declaration that Islam is the only true religion. Muslims believe that they have a bounden duty to preach Islam to the world. When they preach, they are actually telling their audience that any path other than Islam has no sanctity. This is one basis of Jihad – Jihad by the sword (Jihad bis saif). There are Jihads and there are Jihads. Jihad bis saif does mean holy war for the sake of sanctity, i.e. to purge all other, according to Islam, so-called religions. If it hasn't quite happened, it is because worldwide Islam is still in a minority. jj Tuesday, September 19, 2006 9:01:18 PM in the international conference of world religions, a document was circulated among the religious leaders to sign that "all religions are true"the hindus signed it, the budhists signed it. the sikhs and the jews did it.all except muslisms and christianswhy this hypocrisy ??

Block these blogs

Block These Blogs There seems to be a rush for blogs on issues related to religion and god. Can NDTV block these topics. Religion and God are very personal issues. Let us not make our personal views and comments public. FOR GOD'S SAKE BLOCK THESE BLOGS 4:55:32 PM Posted By Nagarajan A Comments (5) Uncategorized Comments XYZ Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:12:07 PM Rightly said Mr.Nagarajan.This is absolutely true that these personal views should be kept personal because when they become public they only create hatred for one another. Punkinhead Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:32:39 PM Using the word "ISLAM" makes the blog the POTD. Why avoid it?Has nay meaningful blog been the POTD? Write anti islam or anti hindu and there u are as POTD.Now we'll have Mr.Anil Joshi's blog as POTD in a short while! Wanna bet? K.Venugopal Tuesday, September 19, 2006 8:50:45 PM Dear Nagarajan,Please do not call for blocking of blogs. Freedom of expression alone brings thoughts to light, perchance thoughts that could be lodestars in our journey through life. vanisuresh Tuesday, September 19, 2006 10:10:50 PM Religion has been the most abused term. Speaking about one's faith and defending it is the basis of everyone's living. If one does not have a faith in God, i will call him a liar and a fool."The fool says in his heart there is no God"People take more time to make all choices in life which is but a few years and never even think to care about the creator. They would be eternally lost if they dont find out the true God. Freedom of expression gives people a chance to know the truth. Do not ask for blocking as this would be a brutal step and inhumane. raj1057 Wednesday, September 20, 2006 4:48:13 PM Dear Vanisuresh,I am a firm beleiver in god and religion. I am only saying by allowing such topics for discussion in the name of freedom of expression, it causes divisions in the society which can be very detrimental in a secular country like ours. Any way thanks for all of you for your comments.

Thursday, September 21, 2006 Words of Mother Teresa Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world. Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go. From PavanSep2006 Visit my webpage 7:07:28 AM Posted By Pavan Venkatesh Comments (3) PhotoBlogs Comments K. Venugopal Thursday, September 21, 2006 9:05:14 AM Mother Teresa's words above are letter perfect. In fact, she would have been my heroine, but her mission was to convert. Conversion is the worst thing a religious person can indulge in, for it is akin to saying my religion is right, yours wrong. Her saving grace is that she helped innumerable suffering humans. But her successor is a Brahmin who came from a rich family. Why did her successor have to convert to help the suffering? Only because that was what Mother Teresa actually taught. Naveen Thursday, September 21, 2006 11:39:35 AM K. Venugopal, U really SUCK! Well, tell me one thing. Whome will you appreciate? Atleast ur mother? since she gave birth to you? Haaaaah! John Thursday, September 21, 2006 2:12:01 PM Naveen its better if u could have done some homework before commenting.K. Venugopal is 100% right

Vande Maataram Centenary celebrations

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 Vande Maataram Centenary celebrations Both BJP and Congress leaders are not aware that there is no event that happened 100 years ago on this day as far as Vande Maataram is concerned. Or these leaders deliberately mislead the people of this country on a sacred issue like this. Can we say that these leaders who talked so much politics on this issue subsequently , are Nationalists. They made mockery of Vande Maataram. Even veteran leaders of BJP did not know about the National song.Even Media has played its role on this issue. It is pitiable that those who have to guide the people of this country are busy in playing needless politics which are not in anyway solving the problems of common people of this country. 5:53:57 PM Posted By TLN Sundara Raja Comments (2) Politics Comments jj Tuesday, September 12, 2006 7:20:04 PM TLN Raja,U R absolutely correct, our Indians fellow must understand with this type of dirty politics. K. Venugopal Tuesday, September 12, 2006 9:59:55 PM What was celebrated was the centenary of Vande Mataram being sung at the AICC in 1905. Wasn't that a significant event, considering that the session took place in the gathering momentum of the reaction to the preparation for partition of Bengal? The question to be asked is, what role did Vande Mataram play in reversing the first partition of Bengal? How was Vande Mataram able to arouse Hindus and Muslims equally at that time? Was our inability to reverse the partition of India because by then the Congress (in which Nehru had the upper hand, which hand was not there during the first Bengal partition) had compromised on the song and truncated its singing to appease the Muslims, who by such appeasement had moved away so much from the spirit of the first Bengal partition days and declared that they are a separate nation?

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 The Life of the Prophet Muhamad - a question In the blog by Mohammad Irshad Hussain, in chapter 3, 'The Elephant Refuses to Move', it is noteworthy that the Ka'bah that Allah protected contained idols, as the incident happened before the birth of Mohammad. Since this incident is etched in the Quran, was Mohammad in error in not protecting the Ka'bah with the idols rather than cleanse it of idols, something which Allah himself did not do? Was there then a specific instruction from Allah to Mohammad to destroy the idols in Ka'bah? 9:16:34 PM Posted By Venu Gopal Comments (3) Musings Comments Roger Tuesday, September 12, 2006 9:42:28 PM Venu,It is a question you could have asked in the blog you refer to. What purpose does it serve to post another blog, other than mischief? ghodsawar Tuesday, September 12, 2006 10:16:27 PM What trash rumplestiltskin Wednesday, September 13, 2006 5:14:49 PM brother,its a silly question!

Dear Roger, am I being boycotted?

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 Dear Roger, am I being boycotted? Dear Roger, I have had no intentions of the sort you ascribe. My reply just did not kick start in the comments slot, as was the experience of all the bloggers for the past few days. They must have rectified the fault by the time you responded here. Why, I responded to a blog by TLN Sundara Raja today on the subject of Vande Mataram on the comments slot itself. As a matter of fact, I have only one point against Islam and that is their claim that Islam is the only true religion. Add this to the religious fanaticism practised by ardent Muslims and you have a potent combination that is deadly. Christianity too claims that it is the only true religion and then go about converting folks, which irritates the Hindu to no end. The saving grace is that the greatest ‘terrorist’ the Christians have produced is the saint-to-be Mother Theresa whereas Muslims have actually produced a charismatic Osama bin Laden who actually asks a whole nation to convert to Islam en-bloc! P.S. I could not paste my comments on my own blog. Is NDTV (maybe Muslim-friendly Barkah Dutt?) trying to boycott me for asking all those silly questions on Islam and making grandiose statements on Hinduism? I did manage to break the 'ban' net to comment on a blog on Vande Mataram, though. 11:02:47 PM Posted By Venu Gopal Comments (2) Uncategorized Comments ruzan_shah Wednesday, September 13, 2006 12:32:53 AM Well at last u r coming up to ur original colour Venu.All these days u were argueing & praising ur way of life i.e Hinduism as the most tolerant.It was u who repeatedly argued that Hinduism accept differant ways to & means to God.Infact that was the strongest point u were rotating ur debate around that it gives u freedom of expression in differant ways & its like rainbowbuLook what u r doingU saidChristians are terroristmuslims r terroristu didnt even spared Mother TerresaTell me what kind of tolerance u were talking about, where is that ?Thanks anyway because you urself broke ur myth.Congrats bro now we can discuss real trueth.Go ahead. K. Venugopal Wednesday, September 13, 2006 7:09:03 AM Dear Ruzan Shah, If you care to re-read my blog, you will notice that I put the word terrorist against Mother Theresa in apostrophes for that's what I meant - the saving grace - that the best of Christians do not go about killing people in the name of religion. The worst they have done is to be dogmatic about conversions. On the other hand, Osama bin Laden, a candidate for Khalifa is ever one is sought to be propped up, goes all the way to want to convert America wholesale. Coming from him, you would guess the fate he might have planned for America otherwise - nuke ‘em maybe? Please read diligently whatever you are reading, Ruzan Shah - not just the Quran.

Some thought provoking incidents

Wednesday, September 13, 2006 Some thought provoking incidents What is your mission ? someone asked swami chinmayananda. The swami replied with a punch "to convert hindus to hinduism". How true it is ? when hindus cease to be hindus, what can be more saddening. Few incidents come to my mind. thye have indeed left a deep impact on my psyche. My grandmother was a teacher in a convent. Some of her best friends are catholic nuns. They used to visit us many times. I have even gone to the convent and visited the church. I have always had a good deal of appreciation for the discipline and orderliness of catholics An year later, i was taken on an school picnic trip. All of us students visited the murugan temple on top of a hill. All of us went inside a shrine except one kid who avoided the group and stayed outside. His name was mathew a boy of 11 years. Our teacher asked him for the reason and he told that it was totally forbidden to enter a non christian shrine. Another event in my home was equally thought provoking. My mother is a teacher. She invited her students , a gang of 8 girls to our house. It was ugadi day and my mother had prepared delicious prasad. All the girls accepted it, except one. Her name was elizabeth and she refused the prasad as if it was poison. I shocked to imagine that the mind of a 10 year old kid could be poisoned in such a fashion I have all reasons to believe that the christian missionaries are out to turn tolerant people into intolerant people. And for this very reason they have to prosecuted. Whatever be the acts of service and preaching, the intention behind all this is certainly most unholy. They are working under the orders of the vatican and are out here to destroy an age old culture. Why dont they try to convert muslims ? Have hindus ever thought about this. Why dont missionaries take up conversion activities in pakistan or bangladesh or indonesia ? we need to introspect. The fault is with us. We have to change from inside out. And for this Hindus should cease to be selfish. The government must take steps to protect the religious diversity of this nation ----- or i am afraid that we have to face more incidents like graham stewart staines ------------------ 4:19:03 PM Posted By jumbo jumbo Comments (4) Musings Comments jo Wednesday, September 13, 2006 4:52:53 PM Hi jumbo,u r right...cristian missionaries shud hav a daring heart to approach muslims for conversion...coz both of them r truely glued to their own religion...hindus need to understand this...they hav taken hindu's tolerance for granted...its high time for everybody to raise against such offence...lets respect n hav tolerance towards all religions. Born1945 Wednesday, September 13, 2006 4:54:29 PM Your are correct but partially.Muslims are also converted alongwith Hindus. The target is ...the one who is very poor or the one who is ill and have no mioey to eat and treat themselves. These people are the targets. Some organisations are good enough to start re-conversion. They are working on it..Areas are North,North-East India. They are opening Hindu schools over there.Everyone can contibute monetarly or by other ways ( posted as teacher for 6-12 months in schools over there...). Thanks to them.and regards to everyone Manish Wednesday, September 13, 2006 5:24:16 PM Yes indeed its true that the conversion is there for both muslims and hindus albiet only in India. I personally know many converts and if you sift through the lot carefully, majority of them have not only poor backgrounds but also are mostly from Dalit section of society. Missionarries find these downtrodden and alienated lot far easier to entice and convert. One basic thing which plays a major role is the funda of equality in christian sect and no casteism. Yes, its true that missionarries and preachers try very hard to make converts stick to some rules laid down by them to prevent such converts going back to original sects. This includes things like not entering other religion shrines and all.Either way its a fact that most converts realize at a stage that its a dream gone sour! But then its too late by then... Maybe its all about being educated and understand the game ... K. Venugopal Wednesday, September 13, 2006 9:58:14 PM Christianity and Islam devalued themselves, issued counterfeit coins of sham face value marked "This is the only true religion" and circulated in the marketplace of faith. The discerning Hindu eye, long ago issued the golden sovereign marked "Truth is one and the wise express it variously" and evolved a storehouse of spiritual experience. The world faces war of civilisations with faith poised to battle faith; the Hindu light of spiritual experience must most shine now, to save noble humanity.

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad - Chapter 9

Wednesday, September 13, 2006 The Life of The Prophet Muhammad Chapter 9 THE YEAR OF SORROW The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and his followers went back to a normal way of life but the years of hardship had made Khadijah very weak. She became ill and soon afterwards she died. Thus, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) lost his beloved wife and friend, the first person to accept Islam and support him. She had been a refuge from all his troubles and, through her good-heartedness, the best company in his suffering. He had loved her very much. This happened in 619 A.D., the year which became known as the 'Year of Sorrow'. Soon after this, the Prophet Muhammad's uncle and protector, Abu Talib, also died. Abu Talib had been one of the most respected men in Mecca-one of the elders of Quraysh. Even though he had never been a follower of Islam, he had protected the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) against his enemies. Not only was this a sad occasion for the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) but also a dangerous one. According to Arab custom anyone who is under the protection of another is safe so long as his protector lives. Now, with the death of his uncle, the Prophet's protection was gone. The Prophet's enemies rejoiced to see him so sad, without a wife to console and comfort him, and without his uncle to protect him. They began to treat him worse than ever before. Even small children insulted him. One young man actually threw some filth on the Prophet's head, but the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) went home without making anything of it. When one of his daughters rushed, weeping, to wash it away, he comforted her saying, 'Do not weep my little girl, for Allah will protect your father.' Abu Talib had been the Prophet's last tie with Quraysh and the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) now felt that Islam could make no further progress in Mecca because the hearts of Quraysh were closed against him. He decided, therefore, to travel to Taif where he hoped to find support. He walked all the way to the town, which was seventy kilometres away. There he spoke in all the places where people gathered, but no one listened to him. He met the leaders of the three most important tribes but they would not listen either. Not only did they take no notice of what he said, but they laughed at him and ordered their slaves to insult him and pelt him with stones. Sadly, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) left the city and found a quiet place near a wall on the edge of town where he could be alone. There he prayed to Allah in these words: O Allah, to Thee I complain of my weakness, helplessness and lowliness before men. O Most Merciful, Thou art the Lord of the weak, and Thou art my Lord. To whom wouldst Thou leave my fate? To a stranger who insults me or to an enemy to whom Thou hast given power over me? If Thou art not angry with me, I care not what happens to me. Thy favor alone is my objective. I take refuge in the Light of Thy countenance by which the darkness is illumined and on which this world and the other depend, lest Thy anger descend upon me or Thy wrath light upon me. It is for Thee to be satisfied until Thou art well pleased. There is no power and no might save through Thee. The wall near which the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was sitting belonged to a garden owned by two brothers. When they heard his prayer, they were very sorry for him and sent one of their slaves to him with a dish filled with grapes. Before he began to eat, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said 'Bismillah' -- 'In the Name of Allah. ' The servant, whose name was Addas, was very surprised at these words, which he had never heard before. 'By Allah " said ‘Addas, 'this is not the way the people of this country speak. ‘ 'Then from what country do you come, ’Addas, and what is your religion?' asked the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). 'I am a Christian from the Assyrian town of Nineveh', he replied. 'From the town of that good man Jonah, son of Matta', added the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). 'How do you know about him?' asked 'Addas. 'He is my brother -- he was a Prophet and I am a Prophet', answered the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.). ‘Addas bent down and kissed the Prophet's head, his hands and his feet, because now he saw that he was truly a Prophet (p.b.u.h.). The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) then walked back to Mecca. He was now able to put up with everything patiently for he knew that Allah would never leave him. His journey to Taif had not been in vain for ‘Addas, the Christian, had become a Muslim, and this was to be the beginning of great changes. 5:25:56 PM Posted By Mohammed Irshad Hussain Comments (3) Society Comments rumplestiltskin Wednesday, September 13, 2006 6:08:57 PM Subhanallah! Alhamdulillah! Praise be to Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. jj Thursday, September 14, 2006 5:13:31 PM Is your allah merciful to non muslims alsoi can confidently say that God as he has been described in the vedas is merciful to every single soul on this earth K.Venugopal Thursday, September 14, 2006 9:22:56 PM Khadijah was the first person to accept Islam. 1,700 years later, I hear that Muslim women in many parts of India are still not allowed into mosques. Is this true?

Islam should not pass off faith as fact

Friday, September 15, 2006 Islam should not pass off faith as fact It is interesting that Islam not just states what it declares are facts, but requires Muslims to believe in them. This is very sensible of Islam, because many things cannot directly be proved as facts to everyone. Life after death (as stated by Islam) has not yet occurred. Islam says it will occur and till then all we have to prove that it will occur is faith. If we are very deep in our faith, then it becomes as good as a fact for us. Why Islam calls for faith in what it says (about, for instance, life after death) is that thereby, by turning it into a fact for the faithful, it can have the necessary effect on the faithful that Islam wants. Science, on the other hand, does not call for any faith - at best it requires the scientist to be patient and await the results of tests which it says would prove such and such a thing. What I find disconcerting is that in Islam the faithful are trying to pass off as facts that which are merely in the realm of faith. Faith is something that concerns the individual. This Hinduism appears to have understood and that is why its religious culture is individualistic in nature. My contention is that Islam should be propagated without trying to pass off faith as fact. 9:07:19 AM Posted By Venu Gopal Comments (2) Musings Comments jj Friday, September 15, 2006 12:07:49 PM In semitic religions like islam and christianity eventhough the prophets had revelations, none of them seemed to have a face to face talk with god in their lifetimeRamakrishna paramahamsa declared that god can be seen and experienced by every one even while he is living on earthThe difference varies from person to person in the intensity with which the soul longs for the union with god rumplestiltskin Friday, September 15, 2006 3:50:43 PM Purnjanam is not cycle of Rebirth but life after death.The common word used for the Doctrine of Rebirth is ‘Punarjanam’. In Sanskrit Punar or Puna means ‘next time’ or ‘again’ and Janam means ‘life’. Therefore Punarjanam means next life or the life here after. It does not means coming to life again and again. Most of the reference for Punarjanam in the other Hindu Scriptures besides the Vedas if read keeping life hereafter in mind including the quotation of Bhagavad Gita and Upanishad it give us a concept of next life or life again but not life again and again. This concept of Rebirth again and again was developed later on after the vedic period to rationalize the indifferences found in different individuals at birth and different surrounding in which people live. Since the creator Almighty can not be unjust....to be continued

Never ending religion talks

Wednesday, September 13, 2006 NEVER ENDING RELIGION TALKS I reside in the college hostel with my 200 friends and well over 3 yrs. We proud to be a hosteler and never compromise on the issue of unity.Hostels are young, talented, dynamic and repesent themselves as a team whenever there is a need. We ain't know any religion, caste or region.Although disputes occur but we never relate them with the trivial categories which Government has made to quench their thrust for votes. We play hard and work harder.We don't give a damn about what our forefathers have did in the name of religion or any thing else. After all it is the success of the nation matters most at the end of day.When i see the never ending mud-slinging on the name of the discussions on the religion, i get disgruntled and disheartened. I dont believe they are youths, they must be some oldy who has nothing left in his life other than denunciation and all those depressing talks. India is in verge of becoming the most youthful nation in a few years.So,its an urge to all leaders to respect youth,support their cause and donot mindlessly lathicharge them on the orders of some autocratic leader who has nothing to do with the dream to make india a incredible place to live in. JAI HIND from an indian yougster. 7:22:39 PM Posted By Rahul Sharma Comments (4) Politics Comments K. Venugopal Wednesday, September 13, 2006 11:21:54 PM Dear Rahul Sharma, Being young is no big deal. All 'oldies' were young once.Here are some tips from an 'oldie'. You say you have lived in peace with 200 friends for 3 years in the college hostel. That's promising. The world out there is huge, but you must nurture the technique of peace you have discovered in the college so that you can radiate it in the world outside the college. Most youngsters lose their idealism after college and then it is one rat race to be on top of the social ladder. You say you are talented, dynamic and represent yourselves as a team when needed. That's the way to go. But don't sell your talents to the highest bidder at college campus recruitments. Try to put in some years of social work in the villages or slums before you settle down to a secure job.You say you "ain't know any religion". Well buddy, it's best for you that you do. Read Swami Vivekananda for starters. You won't be misled on religious matters from then on. Everyone needs the crux of religion/spirituality. Only then will we be men of integrity. Otherwise we keep searching for something that always appears missing or fleeting and we will ever be in a state of conflict. All the world's a family, so do not bother about any specific regions. But also remember that each region has its uniqueness. Do seek to understand them. Only then will you seek to travel, which travel broadens the mind. Otherwise your travel will only be business travel, from 5 star hotel to 5 star hotel, with nary a difference of culture for you to profit by. K. Venugopal Wednesday, September 13, 2006 11:22:44 PM Dear Rahul Sharma, I agree Governments, being run by politicians, do politicize everything. But then that's how politicians are, they need votes to continue being successful politicians and therefore need to cater to one constituency or the other. Youngsters like you ought to ensure that they do not form themselves into any constituency except the Indian constituency, thereby defeating the politicians' tendency to play to the gallery. You have, my friend, to give quite a damn about what your forefathers were. Only then will you be able to judge where they went wrong and where they got it right. They couldn't have been all that bad, could they? If they were, would they have got bright children like you? Sharma, not just success of the nation, but success of humanity itself - that's how big your vision must be. Vasudeva Kutumbakam, remember? Never get disgruntled and disheartened over anything. There always is a lesson in every nook and corner of society as well as with the most idiotic of arguments. Try to follow the thread. Even if you don't learn any lessons, you would have become more patient! Let's say India is on the verge of becoming the most youthful and enlightened nation. Without the enlightenment aspect, we would just reflect the angry-young-man spirit in us. Don't wait for any leadership's support. Create the leadership yourself. You should have not just the dream to make India an incredible place, but the intelligence to wake up to the incredible reality that is India. Bharath Mata ki Jai! From an Indian veteran. jkeshav Thursday, September 14, 2006 5:20:07 AM By religion one means spiritualism. Without which societies and the social-fabric they depend upon, can be torn apart as it has happened in the West. As a long term resident of US & Canada, I am the first hand witness of this. One does not have to be overtly religious but cultivating spiritualism is the recognition of a superior being and that we are all a part of this cosmos.Yes never in India's history have we seen such huge number of youth under 35years of age. It is our duty to empower the youth and give them proper guidance and moral codes for their success. And make certain that they dont go the way the western youth have gone, particularly from the U.S.!By the way I almost am a youth by age but definately yes at heart ! vandal1078 Friday, September 15, 2006 12:18:04 AM Whenever we begin to lose the battle of being successful we try to establish that we win over west in tradition and spirituality.Instead of being rudimentary,time is now for the people to change with time and develop a devoted working force.