Frontline
December 1998
Observatory

Holocaust victims ape Nazi tormentors

Just over half a century has passed since the Jews suffered the terrible holocaust during World War II. But they seem to have taken their very oppressors as their gurus. Just as Joseph Mengele, a Nazi scientist, had carried out genetic experiments to develop an ethno-weapon for Jewish destruction, Israel is reportedly conducting experiments to develop a weapon that would exclusively destroy Arabs. Israeli scientists at Nes Tzyiyona, the main research facility for Israel’s clandestine chemical and biological arsenal, are trying to identify some genes carried by Arabs in order to create a genetically modified bacterium or virus. The scientists hope to engineer deadly micro–organisms that attack only those bearing the distinctive genes, and once administered, alter the DNA in their host’s living cells. Once developed the micro–organisms could easily be spread in the air or water of the land, causing the desired destruction.

One of the scientists working on the project said the task was complicated by the fact that both Arabs and Jews are of Semitic origin. "We have, however, succeeded in pinpointing a particular characteristic in the genetic profile of certain Arab communities, particularly the Iraqi people", he said. Similar efforts for a "pigmentation weapon" that had been on in South Africa in the 1980s had been unsuccessful. Foreign Report, that monitors security and defence affairs, has reported that Israeli scientists had used some of that South African research in order to develop an ‘ethnic bullet’ against Arabs. The report also said that research was reportedly being conducted by studying the genetic make–up of Jews of Arab origin.

Protests have been made by some quarters. Dedi Zucker, a member of the Israeli Parliament, opposed such research saying, "Morally, based on our history and our tradition and our experience, such a weapon is monstrous and should be denied."

Memorise the Quran, get pardon!

The Church has long prescribed memorising and recital of biblical passages to ‘erring’ children as penance for sins confessed. Dubai now seems to have learnt the wisdom of the practice. As part of a series of innovative measures to rehabilitate prisoners (which include access to phones, faxes and even secretaries to help maintain business while in custody!), Brigadier Abbas Ali, director of prisons for Dubai’s Office of Punishment, recently announced that for every section of the Quran that a prisoner learns to recite from memory, his/her sentence will be reduced accordingly. Those who memorise the entire Quran and recite it from memory, in other words become a Hafiz–e–Quran, will be accorded a full pardon — unless they are serving a life sentence. Although no pardons have yet been issued, the scheme shows great promise as 12 female and two male non–Muslim inmates have already converted to Islam! But what if an accused in a crime is already a Hafiz–e–Quran? Would he automatically be granted pardon? Or is the very possibility of such a pious man committing a crime beyond consideration?

In Berlin, Islam in schools is OK now

While the debate over the compulsory recitation of Vande Mataram and Saraswati Vandana rages in India, the Berlin State’s Superior Administrative Court ruled in early November that Islamic Studies could now be made available to the large number of Muslim students in Berlin schools. The ruling applies only to Berlin, which like the other 15 states in the country has exclusive control of its education system. Though classes in Catholic and Protestant faiths were already being offered to about 40 per cent of the children, the Islamic Federation had to agitate for classes in Islamic Studies for over a decade. The city’s commissioner for foreign affairs attributed this long delay to a European phobia towards Islam, generated by the television images of Iraq, Algeria and Iran. She added that the fear is ‘gravely misplaced’.

The Islamic Federation, representing 25 Islamic groups in Berlin, will now be preparing the syllabus as well as organising the classes for the allotted two hours a week. The decision is clearly a positive move towards recognising the rich multi–ethnicity of Germany, the largest European state with the largest foreign population, including 2.2 million Turks. An estimated 35,000 Muslim children will now receive Islamic instruction including lessons on the Quran and Islamic tradition, which according to court ruling, will be conducted in German. While religion is a compulsory subject in most of Germany, in Berlin, Bremen and Brandenburg parents are given a choice of enrolling their children either for religious or for non–religious classes on ethics.

‘Root of all evil’, beware!

The Markaz–ul–dawat–wal–Irshad, the most powerful Islamic Organisation in Pakistan, has threatened to seize control of the White House. The organisation has been severely criticising the US, especially since the August 20 US attack on the Saudi fugitive, Osama bin Laden’s secret training camps in Khost, Afghanistan. Hafeez Mohammed Saeed, leader of the organisation asserted in a convention organised on November 6 that the White House was ‘the root of all evil’. He also said that the organisation had a well–fortified campus at Murdike near Lahore where youth were given training to wage Jihad (Holy War). Jihad, he asserted, was not terrorism but rather, guaranteed International Peace. He does not seem to have clarified however, how the seizure of the White House would purify this ‘root of all evil’.

Cows and cricket, Vedas and women

According to Swami Nishchalanda Saraswati Maharaj, cricket goes against one of Hinduism’s main tenets. The high priest has voiced his opposition to the game in light of the fact that cowhides are used for the manufacture of cricket balls. Thus the game, he feels, must be held responsible for the sin of killing thousands of cows every year. He has appealed for the complete boycott of cricket by Indians and asserted that an alternative would have to be found if the game were to continue in India.

He has also called for a nation–wide campaign against the 125 factories which produce these balls using cow hides. He said these factories slaughtered up to nine cows a day for their manufacturing purposes.

Besides, Swami Saraswati Maharaj has once again appealed to women not to chant the ancient Hindu texts, as this may have an adverse effect on their mental and physical health. Indian women were born to be mothers, he said, and exhorted them to remain chaste and pure, unswayed by the influence of their western counterparts. "Indian women may not be too learned, but, they are purer compared to their counterparts elsewhere".

AIDS campaign is ‘un–Islamic’

In Iran, mullahs have played a major role in the population control programme, but Pakistan’s mullahs who won’t tolerate any ‘sex-talk’ have obstructed the AIDS campaign in the country. In a recent seminar, an Islamic leader said that using condoms was "un–Islamic" and that AIDS was a "western disease".

While official reports claim there are 1,345 cases of HIV infection in the country, Birjees Mazhar, manager of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), estimates there are 50–80,000 cases and experts agree AIDS is on the rise in Pakistan. Although banned, prostitution continues to be secretly practised. Campaigners feel that the need to spread awareness about sex, AIDS, and condoms has acquired even greater urgency now. However, the move for Islamisation of Pakistan may well be a setback to their efforts, as the move would grant much greater powers into the hands of the clergy, who are opposed to any discussion on ‘such’ issues.

"Even now it is difficult to spread awareness about AIDS among the people, but the situation may worsen as mullahs get more influential", said Tahira Khan, a campaigner with the Karachi Reproductive Health Project. She added that opponents would "use the umbrella of Shariat" to oppose information campaigns about AIDS. Another campaigner was threatened by local clerics when she distributed illustrated literature in a poor neighbourhood on the ground that she was indulging in un–Islamic practices.

Attiya Dawood, from a non–governmental organisation said more openness was required to counter social taboos. She also said that while the world community was talking openly about the disease through which 14 million people have already died, successive governments in Pakistan had failed to launch an effective AIDS control programme, fearing a backlash from the clergy.


[ Subscribe | Contact Us | Archives | Khoj | Aman ]
[ Letter to editor  ]
Copyrights © 2001, Sabrang Communications & Publishing Pvt. Ltd.