ambainny

This discussion was part of the PEN world voices series that i was able to attend yesterday. Idols and Insults: Writing , Religion and Freedom of Expression Juan Luis Cebrian editor El Pais, Upmanyu Chatterjee novelist English August, Hans Magnus Enzensberger poet and essayist, Nilufer Gole Turkish sociologist teaching in France, Ayaan Hirsi Ali Dutch M.P., Tariq Ramadan (by video) Professor at Oxford; moderated by Ian Buruma Dutch author. Cebrian editor of El Pais defines the concept of liberty, for city of people, which is different than city of God, freedom of thinking and disagreeing with others. 1. Universal values are not universal freedoms. Liberty does not belong to one person. Since Sept 11, 2001, and the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq criticism and provocation is the duty of writers and journalists. The Danish cartoon controversy is less about the cartoons per se but a reflection of the tension of inequality, persistence of poverty and the use of violence to resolves conf...

Democracy Now!, Apr. 15, 2006 Iraqi CBS Cameraman Released After 1 Year Imprisonment by U.S. Forces We turn now to Iraq. Violence and kidnappings continue to wrack the country and the dangers posed towards reporters covering the war are greater than ever. When Western journalists like Jill Carroll are taken hostage by Iraqi insurgents they appropriately receive international media attention, condemnation from across the globe and worldwide calls for their release. But when Iraqi journalists are detained by US forces the story is a very different one. Just consider the case of CBS cameraman Abdul Ameer Younis Hussein. In April 2005, he was shot in the hip by an American sniper while filming the wreckage of a car bomb in Mosul. US troops then detained him, claiming he had tested positive for explosive residue and that images in his camera linked him to the insurgents. He was imprisoned in Abu Ghraib for more than a year without due process. Abdul Ameer was released just last week a...

PEN World Voices: The New York Festival of International Literature: Faith and Reason David Grossman & Gioconda Belli I was lucky enough this Saturday to get too two of the talks, that have been taking place since April 25th in New York, as part of the PEN world voices. Also saw Charlie Rose, who had guest host Salman Rushdie interviewing David Grossman, from Israel and Gioconda Belli from Nicaragua. Below is a summary of Grossman and Gioconda’s ideas. Grossman spoke about being obsessed with history earlier, but in the last ten years has moved away to topics that have no space in society, like intimacy. This was a way for him to deal or struggle with the politics of the Middle East. Gioconda spoke about the social pressure to write political novels. This was a way for people to see themselves reflected in collective struggles. But she felt the need to expand from this testimonial sort of writing to expand her literature. D.G. did not believe in surrealism, fabulist or magic reali...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  At different ages Sikh wear different head gear. 4-10 years hankerchief on the juri 11-15 years patka, a cloth with 4 ties on 4 sides. That is wrapped around the juri and covers all the hair. 16-the rest of your life safa Turban with a fifty. Fifty is a cloth that is first tied on the forehead to hold the safa in place. 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  At the Sikh parade, after the marches free food is served to all. This is the Sikh concept of Langar, which means to serve food to others regardless of who they are. I remember in Delhi, my grandmother used to have a langar and we (the kids) used to serve the food to all who came. The feeling that one gets from serving other's food is hard to replicate or describe in words.