The Social Divide That Humans Love - Poor Students Not Given Top Jobs

It seems that the world is destined to be divided into zillions of man made divisions. Humans can hardly believe in equality because they love the divide and differences as long as they are getting benefits out of the situation. We love geographical divides, cultural differences, language barriers and many other barricades that we have created ourselves. We stand apart because we will bring in religion, sects and beliefs too. We feel great because we have more wealth than the others and of course if we get the chance to improve our social standing we will love to be called an elite.

This is something that is happening all over the world. I have seen it in Pakistan all my life. I read of the same everywhere else too. It is the same story everywhere.

One of latest reports from UK revealed that the poor students are not given the right job opportunities or the highly skilled graduate positions and as a result of this the social mobility in UK is getting abnormal.

The poor social mobility record of UK will only improve if students from low income families are given an equal chance for top jobs. There is a massive increase in polarization in the job market. Thus there are lots of professional jobs and unskilled jobs. While middle ranking skilled trade jobs are dropping immensely. UK has become an hour glass economy,which is not good.

Till the poor students are not allowed to take the more stronger academic courses rather than being pushed for the softer courses (like media, arts, design, photography and business studies), employers will not hire them.

This is just the example of one country. But what we should not forget is the great division that we have created ourselves. Of course, everybody is different and people have to face different circumstances and that is how life is shaped. But, by now it is evident that this is how the majority wants things to be.

The truth is humans love differences! They are defined by their social divide!

Wedding Deadline

Marriage is such an important topic for everybody. People who are married want those who are single to settle down. People whom I interact with, most of them are not really my friends but mere acquaintance but even they don't waste too much time and ask me this question time and again.

It's so weird how some people say, we are giving you one more year now. Get married by then. I don't get it why are they all excited about somebody else's marriage. I don't even bother if somebody is single or married or divorced. 

This woman I know, often asked me at work place the same thing. Her own marriage was a business deal that the entire world was affair of. She married this man because she was growing old and by marrying him, her status improved. Her husband is often seen with call girls at parties. Often, when he goes or work trips, he indulges in similar practices. The wife is aware of all this. She is happy with one international trip annually and lots of expensive gifts. 

Now, I know it may be a convenient stand for her but for some people marriage is really not the only thing. By all means, marriage is more than such worldly and materialistic business deals. Just today, I read the cover story on marriage and how expensive an event it has become now. It is all about showing off, spending shit loads of money on clothes, jewellery, food, decor and much more. The truth is that most people prefer to spend so much money on marriages to impress people who are not even your well-wishers. In most cases, they just dislike you. What's the point of impressing such people? But we live in a materialistic world where we are surrounded by such norms.

I heard of marriages where now Muslim brides dress up in white dresses like Christians do and they show the entire reel of the bride from her infancy till she gets married. There are weddings with 10 menus being offered to meet everybody's taste buds. Recently, a bride arrived in a helicopter at the wedding spot. This is so cheap and unnecessary I feel.

Simplicity is just so rare. Everything has become so fake and identical. Last year, I thought was the year in which all the meanest people I knew got married. It was the perfect year for them to get married somehow. 

 George Clooney

 George Clooney with his wife Talia Balam. Their marriage ended in 1993.

George Clooney with his present girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis

George Clooney's father really wants his son to settle down. His father thinks even his parents have had a such a successful marriage, that they have been married for 51 years. So, he wishes George to marry too.

George on the other hand, has a very different stance on things. George is at the moment going out with Elisabetta Canalis but he is very clear on things. He doesn't want to marry anyone. He says he got married once but he sucked at it so he doesn't want to give it another shot. He married Talia Balsam and that marriage ended in 1993. Since then he has never settled down.

"I hate to blow your whole news story," said the younger Clooney, "but I was married, so I gave it a shot."

Clooney said that "shot" ought to have "proven how good I was at it."

I am sure almost everybody wants to settle down in life and to fulfill their dreams but people shouldn't be concerned or bothered. I think just like religion, love and relationships are all so personal. If anything happens, it was meant to happen whether good or bad. If it doesn't it was never meant to be. People should just not bother thinking about when will everyone settle down. Life goes on with or without it.

George Carlin on Religion

I have seen this video even before where George Carlin, who is now dead gave a little comic speech about how he felt Religion is all Bullshit.

People do get offended about a lot of things he said...but nevertheless it is just another view. He says it in a fun way and not with hatred how he feels about religion. He said he really tried hard believing in the fact that there is a God - an invisible God who has a divine plan and who sees upon us. He also said that the longer you'd live the more you will realize that the world is so fucked up with corruption, cruelty, death, hunger, poverty, suffering, pain and much more. He felt if that's how God is managing things, than that isn't impressive. And he joked he worshipped the sun because he could see it at least and Joe Pesci who knew how to get things done :)

I know people will get offended, but he spoke well. Another thing he raised was if God has it all planned than why do we keep praying all the time. Half of the times what we want does not even come true.

Of course, I still believe in God and a divine presence.

George Carlin on Religion

Suicide Bombing Again?

Needless to say the Muslims who are clear on their understanding of Islam would agree to the fact that suicide bombing is not an act that is allowed to be performed. And here by Muslims I don’t mean religious scholars and preachers – I am talking about the common people. There are some basic fundamental teachings that we cherish because Islam talks about peace. So do all the other religions around the globe. And suicide bombing was never a part of these learnings.

I do not remember us being taught that we have the right to call another Muslim a non-Muslim. In fact, we were clearly told that he is not a Muslim who calls another Muslim a kafir. We don’t have the right to judge and decide on who is practicing what and his/her religious inclinations. Our aim should be to focus on our lives and ensure we are fulfilling our role and responsibilities as a true Muslim and we will get so busy, we wouldn’t get the time to think about others in the first place.

Another thing, we as kids were told that committing suicide is wrong in Islam because God gave us this life and He shall take it away as, when and how He has decided. Besides that hurting yourself is too not permissible.

And suicide bombing is certainly not a part of Islam. Some ignorant fools have this belief that they should kill themselves in the name of God and kill others who don’t deserve to be alive while doing so – suicide bombing. And this is jehad and they are shaheeds. This looks like an absurd thought with no logic. Hurting yourself is not allowed, killing someone else is not allowed, calling another a non-Muslim is not allowed, yet they go on doing things and call it Islam. You can just pull your hair! It makes no sense.

Years ago we read Talibans and Usama bin Laden were the enemies of USA. But now their list of enemies have grown. They are everywhere doing what they do best. And even Pakistan itself has become so disturbed by their presence. It is so weird every other day we hear news updates on bomb blasts. People are just dying.

It is so upsetting that yesterday, in Lahore another suicide bombing took place to get rid of Allama Sarfaraz Ahmed Naeemi – who was a renowned religious scholar who openly condemned that Talibans and their ways were un Islamic. And so they chose a Friday and got the scholar down along with others who definitely didn’t deserve to die because they had gone to pray. How can this be right?

So the madness of Talibans is spreading. And people who have the courage to stand up and speak their mind openly against them are targeted to spread fear among the rest. Does this mean people should stop going to mosques for prayers, do we stop going for shopping in the market, do we stop sending kids to schools…because they seem to be everywhere for their so called jihad. And when will this shit end?

One Lousy Story

We meet all kinds of people. Few months ago, I met this lady on the net. Just like many, she too thought it was okay to presume. Anyway, she narrated this story of a Muslim girl. According to her, this girl is now a convert. She has accepted Judaism. The lady went on further & said that people are scared to talk about their religion.

Religion is a very personal thing & I don’t see the need to discuss it even with my best people. But the way she was babbling, it was obvious she thought I was either an atheist or someone in search of religion. And just like that girl who, most probably, could be a figment of her imagination, she thought I too might embrace some other religion. I didn’t like it, but somehow I tackled that lousy situation.

You know I don’t understand why people have this bad habit of presuming everything. Fine. I can understand that some people can’t go beyond their country & religion. But it doesn’t mean others too would fall in love with what is important to them. To be honest, I also don’t hold a very high opinion about converts. What good are they? If someone’s faith could be shaken so easily, then something is wrong somewhere.

I can’t say I admire that woman’s guts. I think it was stupid on her part to even thought of such a thing. I don’t even seem to be the kind of person you can get on your side, even if you have all the smart answers in the world. And to think that I might get influenced & then follow someone blindly – that seems to be one hell of a lousy joke. Come to think of it, getting all influenced & following someone for whatever reason…that is more like slavery, to my mind & I have always been against it.

Anyway, this was one lousy story, cause someone tried to crack one lousy joke. And the end result was all lousy. Nevertheless, I think it’s the right time to share with you all this story.

Stoning to death

The question is: Does religion prescribe the punishment of stoning for adultery? The Holy Quran does not prescribe stoning as the punishment for adultery. There is not a single verse in the Quran that mentions the punishment of Rajm. However, the Jewish answer to the question is of course yes. The Old Testament explicitly depicts various adulterous sexual acts & prescribes that those indulging be “put to death.” (Leviticus 20:10-21)

The Arabic word rajm/rajama is similar to the Hebrew word ragam, which means ‘to collect or cast stones.’ But Muslims cling to the punishment of rajm. Naturally the question arises: Why are some Muslims following the Jewish practice & prescribe stoning as the punishment for the sin of adultery? There is not a single verse within the revealed verses of the Quran wherein the penalty of "Stoning to Death” is prescribed by God, for any crime or sin.

Zina includes sexual intercourse between a man and a woman not married to each other. It therefore applies both to adultery (which implies that one or both of the parties are married to a person or persons other than the ones concerned) and to fornication, which, in its strict signification, implies that both parties are unmarried.

Allah's Supreme Law, in Surah Nur (24):

“A Surah which We have sent down and which We have ordained: In it have We sent down Clear Signs, in order that ye may receive admonition.” 24: 1

“The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication, -- flog each of them with a hundred stripes; Let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: And let a party of the Believers witness their punishment.” 24: 2

As we can see…Rajm (stoning to death) is no where mentioned in the Quran. In fact, it contradicts Quranic verses. Haidth which mentions this mode of punishment are very ambiguous and if there is Hadith which contradicts the Quranic injuction must be rejected as inauthentic. It is clearly mentioned in the Quran that punishment of the Married slave women (who was slave before getting married) would half that of a married free woman. So it is evident that there can be no half of "stoning to death”. Punishment for the adultery is 100 lashes which is clearly mentioned in the Quran and there is distinction of married or unmarried there.

We must bear in mind that it’s the Quran that is primary source of Islamic laws and not Hadith especially when it contradicts the categorical Quranic injunction. Holy Prophet(PBUH) himself has said that if you find anything in the Hadith that contradicts the Quran, throw that Hadith on the Wall. And Hadith were compiled 200 years after the death of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).