Clipmarks | arifsali's clips

Thousands of Muslim American soldiers

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:07:50 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Ultimately, this use – or misuse – of fear and rumour over Hasan's Islamic faith should be moot in light of the record of the thousands of Muslim American soldiers who have served and made sacrifice – such as Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, awarded the prestigious Purple Heart and Bronze Star and praised by Colin Powell, who now rests in Arlington cemetery after giving his life to protect and serve his country in Iraq. There are currently 20,000 Muslims serving with honour in the US military, according to the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council. If Hasan's faith is ultimately proven to be the misguided inspiration for his violence, then the brave and patriotic service of thousands of Muslim American soldiers renders him an isolated and aberrant exception.

Tags: army, muslims, united states

GRB 090423 - the most distant known object in the Universe

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:57:01 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: via chestnut501 http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/B59F45DC-4C41-47C7-8E47-E06B1F83D4EB/

Clip Source: www.star.le.ac.uk

In this week's edition of the science journal Nature, two international teams of astronomers report their observations of the most distant object yet seen in the Universe. Dubbed GRB 090423, the record-breaker is an example of a gamma-ray burst, the brightest and most violent explosions known to exist. The explosion is thought to accompany the catastrophic death of a very massive star as it ended its life, and is triggered by the centre of the star collapsing to form a black hole.

"This observation allows us to begin exploring the last blank space on our map of the Universe", said Professor Nial Tanvir, who led one of the teams.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Nature press notice

GRB 090423 background FAQ

Figures from paper

Tags: astronomy, nature, science, universe

"Muslim world"

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:37:23 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Makes a lot of sense, I would read the whole article at the source.

Clip Source: newsweek.washingtonpost.com

If the American public very wrongly holds American Muslims responsible for the tragedy in Fort Hood, a major problem in my mind is the narrative that Muslims as a community and many well-meaning Americans, including President Obama, have promoted. That is, the concept of the "Muslim world." The idea reached its climax during the President's much vaunted speech to the Muslim world from Cairo earlier in the year. I argued then, that the appellation of a "Muslim world" is facile.

Muslims are as ethnically, socially, ideologically and politically as diverse as any religious group in the world. Of course they share a religious tradition, and will advocate for human rights abuses affecting co-religionists globally. And, of course, as a minority, Muslims in America must work to present a unified voice.

But when we give in to the conception of a monolithic Muslim world crossing national boundaries, then the equation changes quickly.

Tags: muslims, united states

Fear and hatred of Islam

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:02:50 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: twitter.com

Heed this very Christian pastor when he says: fear and hatred of Islam b/c of what happened at Ft. Hood is against the God of love.

Tags: muslims, united states, religion

Behind the scenes at a Karachi fashion show

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:42:35 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.theglobeandmail.com

Behind the scenes at a Karachi fashion show

Models and designers at Fashion Pakistan Week in Karachi have one message for the country's militants: "It's defiance, sheer defiance," says Rizwan Beyg, a leading designer who once dressed Diana, the late Princess of Wales.

Photos

Tags: fashion, pakistan

Pakistan fashion week defies Taliban

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:56:43 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Pakistan's fashion week began on Wednesday in defiance of the Taliban's preference for strict adherence to modest Islamic veils.

As Pakistan's army battled religious extremists in South Waziristan, Karachi's top designers sent models down catwalks with bare shoulders and exposed navels in an unusual display of skin in a country where most women cover up.

Tags: fashion, pakistan

Fannie Mae to Allow Borrowers to Lease Homes

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:21:08 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: I'm sure that unknown managing company will rake in lots of business through this program.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Thousands of borrowers on the verge of foreclosure will soon have the option of renting their homes from Fannie Mae, under a policy announced Thursday.

The government-controlled company, through its new Deed for Lease program, will allow borrowers to transfer ownership to Fannie Mae and sign a one-year lease, with month-to-month extensions after that.

But the effort is likely to affect a relatively small number of homeowners.

The rental program is designed to help homeowners who don’t qualify for a loan modification

Fannie Mae has hired an outside company, which officials declined to identify, to manage the properties.

Tags: economy, foreclosure, homes, united states

Clinton in Pakistan encounters widespread distrust of U.S.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:04:34 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: The last sentence speaks volume.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

The discontent is not just from radicals, even college students and respected journalists question Washington's intentions in Pakistan. Some liken U.S. drone missile strikes to terrorism.

Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan - Every time Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tried to win over Pakistanis during her three-day charm offensive last week, they fired back a polite but firm message:

We don't really trust your country.

Some of the most biting criticisms came from well-mannered university students and respected, seasoned journalists, a reflection of the breadth of dissatisfaction Pakistanis have with U.S. policy toward their country.

"You had one 9/11, and we are having daily 9/11s in Pakistan," Asma Shirazi, a journalist with Geo TV, told Clinton during the Islamabad town hall meeting.

Tags: pakistan, terrorism, united states

12 Google Wave Invitations

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:26:00 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: I can give out 12 to fellow clippers if you are still enthusiastic enough. First priority to those who are already following me on Clipmarks.

FYI, I don't use Wave, it is not useful for me at the moment.

Clip Source: wave.google.com

Google Wave is an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration. A wave can be both a conversation
and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

Tags: google, wave

10 Fascinating Recently Discovered Photographs

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:53:12 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: listverse.com

Scopes Trial

Taken: 1925
Discovered: 2005

Florence Nightingale

Taken: 1858
Discovered: 2006

Jonathan

Taken around: 1900
Discovered: 2008

Lincoln’s Second Inauguration

Taken: 1865
Discovered: 2008

Neil Armstrong’s Face

Taken: 1969
Discovered: 2009

New York City

Taken: 1848
Discovered: 2008

King Edward VII

Taken: 1909
Discovered: 2009

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan

Taken: 1888
Discovered: 2008

Peter Schiff

Taken: 1939
Discovered: 2008

Phineas Gage

Taken: Around 1850
Discovered: 2009

Tags: history, photos

The other side of Angelina Jolie

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:24:12 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: i48998.posterous.com

Tags: hollywood

People give birth and die on Facebook (internet actually)

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:56:19 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: The thing about Facebook and Twitter is that unlike earlier times on the Internet, these two companies have shaped the perception of people connected to each other more closely than ever before. Everyone is on-line on FB or Twitter or both!. Not that people were not connected earlier via email or email groups (and some exclusively still are), but FB and Twitter are humongous instant messenger type services where everyone perceives as something where you know others are on (email does not give a perception that you are on and individual instant-messenger were always individual).

So as Facebook comes up with ideas on what to do with people who are dying on the internet, I think they should also come up with some special arrangements when people are born. I'm not talking about some FB application (I hate them and they are annoying). There is no denying that babies are being born on Facebook every day (it sounds weird but that is a truth).

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Facebook has announced that it will be giving friends and family the option to "memorialise" the profiles of members who have died.

It follows some cases of members receiving updates about dead friends.

If a user is reported as deceased, Facebook will remove sensitive information such as status updates and contacts.

Tags: facebook, internet, life

UN: Arab World Rife with Illiteracy & Lacks Innovation

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:45:35 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.themedialine.org

U.N. report finds one third of Arabs illiterate and only $10 per person spent on scientific research.

The level of education, research and innovation in the Arab world is appalling, a new United Nations report has claimed.

The report, produced as part of a partnership between the United Nations Development Program and the United Arab Emirates-based Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, found that despite the efforts of scientists and researchers throughout the region, the Arab world makes up only 1.1% of global scientific publishing and the low level of investment into research has led to relatively low levels of innovation throughout the Arab world.

Tags: arab, education

Muslims' Scientific Inventions

Sat, 26 May 2007 21:35:31 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: More at the source

Clip Source: www.themuslimweekly.com

Telescope

Abul Hasan is distinguished as the inventor of the Telescope, which he described to be a "Tube, to the extremities of which were attached diopters".

Pendulum

The Pendulum was invented by Ibn Yunus, a genius in science who lived in the reign of Aziz Billah and Hakim bi-Amr-illah, the Fatimid monarchs of Egypt. The invention of the Pendulum led to the measurement of time by its oscillations. His outstanding work Sijul Akbar al-Hakimi, named after his celebrated patron Hakim bi-Amr-illah, was acknowledged to be the masterpiece on the subject replacing the work of Ptolemy. It was translated into Persian by Omar Khayyam in 1079.

Tags: invention, science, muslims, history

Islamic countries push a global 'blasphemy' law

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:55:47 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.csmonitor.com

As a new member of the UN Human Rights Council, the US must persuade other countries not to go along.

Remember the Danish "Muhammad cartoons" that set off riots by offended Muslims more than three years ago? The debate pitted freedom of press and speech against notions of freedom from insult of one's religion. It rages still – but now in a forum with international legal implications.

For years, Islamic nations have succeeded in passing "blasphemy" resolutions at the United Nations (in the General Assembly and in its human rights body). The measures call on states to limit religiously offensive language or speech. No one wants their beliefs ridiculed, but the freedom to disagree over faith is what allows for the free practice of religion. The resolutions are misguided, but also only symbolic, because they're nonbinding.

Symbolism no longer satisfies the sponsor of these resolutions

Tags: muslims, world, human rights, religion