Sunday, November 26, 2006

Denmark's Speed-Control Bikini Bandits


The topless blonde women "are working", road safety officials say


Danish ad makes road safety sexy


This movie was made by the Danish Road Safety Council and aims to draw attention to speed signs and speed limits in Denmark. Despite a decrease in speed violations, 7 out of 10 Danes still exceed the speed limit on a regular basis. Respecting the speed limits is the simplest way to save lives.

Danish road safety officials have come up with a novel way of warning motorists about the dangers of speeding - by using topless blonde women.

They have produced a spoof news report where the blondes carry road signs showing the Danish speed limit: 50 km/h.

The video - posted on the web - is aimed at grabbing the attention of young male drivers, but feminists say they hate it.

Speeding has been blamed for 25% of road deaths in Denmark.

Julia Pauli of the Danish road safety council told the BBC that the reaction to the Speedbandits video had been mostly positive.

"If you want to reach the young people, you have to communicate on their conditions... So, topless women are working," she said.

She said the advertising campaign had been tested and in the target group it was really positive - more than 50% said they were thinking more about the dangers of speeding when driving.

Asked if the council would consider using a man exposing his bottom to appeal to speeding women drivers, Ms Pauli said: "Maybe. We'll see."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6181788.stm

Published: 2006/11/24 17:42:31 GMT

© BBC MMVI Legal Notice

Friday, November 24, 2006

Taoist Temple demolished in Penang

I didn't quite read the piece in Malaysia Kini about this issue because I can't read Chinese but got the gist of it looking at the photos.

I find this so sad. But Malay politicians ALWAYS play the religious card when they want to garner votes from their community.

And its not always about brandishing a keris and clamouring for Chinese blood. I was once in an UMNO meeting at PWTC where a Chief Minister was bragging about how he refused to permit Christians to build Churches in his State and how he blocked manoeuvres to acquire land to build temples for other religions. The way he was going on, he was trying to portray himself as some kind of (Malay/Muslim) hero.

Of course, me being me, I stood up and asked him point blank wouldn't it be better for society as a whole if we gave all the communities more places of worship? Wouldn't he rather have more God-fearing citizens? Wouldn't it be sad if people turned to crime or drugs because they missed out on some religious up-bringing because his government had denied the building of churches or temples?

His response was so idiotic and typical of the myopia Malay politicians possess that I won't bother to repeat it here. Suffice it to say, we do have some classic idiots in positions of power in Malaysia. That's the Real Malaysian Tragedy.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Female circumcision 'un-Islamic'

Female circumcision has been attacked as painful and dangerous


Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation
(darker shading denotes higher rates of FGM).

Egypt's top Muslim clerics have distanced Islam from the practice of female genital mutilation, saying the religion does not prescribe it.

The head of the al-Azhar mosque, Sunni Islam's top authority, told a conference in Cairo the practice, also known as female circumcision, was not a "must".

And Egypt's grand mufti, Ali Gomaa, said the Prophet Mohammad had not circumcised his daughters.

Female genital mutilation is widespread in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

The practice, which typically involves surgically removing the clitoris of a young girl, has been criticised as an infringement on the rights of women and a threat to their health.

Parents who support the practice argue that it helps prevent promiscuous behaviour in their daughters.

Genital mutilation or female circumcision often robs women of sensitivity in their sexual organs.

Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, the top scholar at Cairo's al-Azhar mosque, told the conference: "From a religious point of view, I don't find anything that says that circumcision is a must [for women]."

"In Islam, circumcision is for men only," the Associated Press news agency quoted him as saying.

Ali Gomaa, Egypt's grand mufti, told the gathering no examples of the practice could be found in the Prophet Muhammad's life.

"The Prophet Muhammad didn't circumcise his [four] daughters," he said.

Another leading cleric, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, said that Islam did not require the practice but some clerics felt it was allowed.

Widespread practice
Female genital mutilation is widespread in Egypt, Yemen, Oman and parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

It is relatively unknown in most other parts of the Muslim world, including south and south-east Asia, North Africa and Saudi Arabia.

The practice has been traced to Pharaonic times, pre-dating Islam.

Some Christian and animist groups in Africa also practice female genital mutilation.

Some ignorant parents who erroneously back the practice cite obscure Muslim scholars and doctors who allegedly claim it is necessary or religiously desirable to remove the clitoris of young girls.

Women's groups in Egypt have been campaigning against it for years, but they know that the fight to eradicate it will take many more. Many igronant Egyptian families still circumcise their daughters, even though this is not the first time top Muslim clerics have spoken out against the barbaric practice.

Ending Female Genital Mutilation?
Rights, medicalization, and the state of ongoing struggles to eliminate the FGM in Kenya

NAIROBI, KENYA -- Being a deep-rooted cultural practice for many communities in Kenya, no one assumed it would be an easy task to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). For the first time in 1998, the Kenya Health and Demographic Survey included questions on FGM and found that 38 per cent of women had undergone the procedure. In 2003, the survey found that 34 per cent of women had undergone FGM, however in communities where FGM was almost universally practiced there was very little change. The slow rate of progress is discouraging to organizations that have been working on this issue for many years. Realizing just how much of a sustained and tailored effort FGM eradication campaigns require, international organizations and NGOs are trying to collaborate on research and intervention efforts to make greater inroads into eliminating this practice. At a conference held in Nairobi in December, UNICEF, Population Council and several other NGOs presented their latest research findings on FGM, with a particular focus on the Somali community in Kenya.

"How much longer?" said Abdi Abdullahi of National Focal Point at the conference. "There has been 80 years of campaigns and yet there's been little impact."

The papers presented at the conference showed many FGM intervention campaigns have had little to no impact, and some may have even contributed to further entrenching the practice.

FGM, female genital cutting or female circumcision, are the terms used to describe several types of mutilating operations performed to the external genitalia of girls and women. The types of procedures can be broadly classified into four groups, ranging from the removal of a small part of the clitoris, all the way to infibulation, where the clitoris and labia minora are completely excised, the wound sewn shut, and just a small opening is left for urine and menstrual flow. According to No Peace Without Justice, an Italian NGO working to eliminate FGM, there are now between 120 million to 130 million women worldwide who have undergone FGM. Another two million girls and women are subjected to the practice every year, which takes place in 28 African and Arab countries, as well as by immigrant communities from these regions.

The Somali ethnic group in Kenya has the highest prevalence of FGM - 97 per cent of Somali women have undergone the procedure, and almost all are infibulations. As in many other communities, pre-marital virginity is very important for the Somali, and FGM is considered essential in preserving virginity and family honour. Many Somali also believe that FGM is an Islamic requirement, although some Sheikhs, community elders and Muslim women's groups have clarified that infibulation is in violation of the Koran. This has led to a shift from infibulation to a less-severe form of FGM, and it is a complex issue for groups working to eradicate the practice to encourage its abandonment instead of the adoption a less-severe form.

There are many negative health consequences associated with FGM, including hemorrhage, cervical infections, urethral damage, urinary tract infections, dermatoid cysts, chronic pelvic infections, difficult and often dangerous childbirth, and a variety of other complications that can lead to death. While the health implications of FGM are very serious and form a key component of any campaign, many say that focusing almost entirely on the health aspects has not addressed the violation of rights or contributed to the elimination of the practice. Instead, a strong focus on health implications appears to have contributed to the adoption of less severe forms of FGM or having medical professionals carry out the procedure in a more sanitary manner. A Population Council study in 2001 found that 70 per cent of circumcised Abagusii girls in Western Kenya reported having been cut by a nurse or doctor, whereas virtually all of their mothers had been cut by a traditional circumciser. There are also reports that the amount of tissue cut in FGM procedures for girls in the Kisii area of Western Kenya is reducing in response to the sustained FGM campaigns that focus on adverse health outcomes.

"This is a logical reaction," explains Ian Askew, senior program associate of Population Council in Nairobi. "People want to keep practicing and they want to do so safely."

Medical staff undertake the procedure mainly for the financial incentive, while to parents they provide a relatively safe and hygienic service. The preference for medical staff to carry out FGM has significantly increased in the past decade, although trained health providers performing these services are contravening medical ethics, disregarding the Ministry of Health policy, and violating the 2001 Children's Act. According to some activists, the trend of medicalization is a major impediment to the abandonment of FGM because it only decreases the risks involved, rather than eradicating the practice altogether.

In 1999, the Ministry of Health developed a National Plan of Action for the Elimination of FGM in Kenya to eliminate the practice by 2019, and in 2001, the Children's Act made FGM illegal for girls under 17. However, the Children's Act is not well-known or understood by many communities, and there is little support for enforcement of the law. The threat of imprisonment for those caught performing the procedure has driven the practice underground in some communities, and politicians representing regions where FGM is prevalent speak cautiously on the issue in fear they will not return to parliament if they openly condemn the practice. While laws banning FGM are seen as important, there is a general consensus that a grassroots, community-level approach is best, as top-down legal policies have shown to be ineffective in changing people's attitudes.

The idea that FGM is a violation of girl's and women' rights is not accepted in many communities. Population Council found that in Somali refugee camps in Northern Kenya, most people considered FGM beneficial because of the social acceptability it brings. Women who abandon the practice have a lot to loose; their position in the community is affected, they have a harder time finding a partner for marriage, and often their dowry is affected because they are not considered virginal. While a girl's mother and grandmother make most of the decisions about circumcision, many argue that the father still holds the most influence. If men continue to alienate uncut women and encourage their daughters to be cut, it seems the practice will never be abandoned. However, recent studies have shown that men appear to be more open to the idea of abandonment than women, which presents an opportunity for FGM campaigns.

Girls are now being circumcised at earlier ages, most frequently between seven to 12 years old, compared to 15 before. It is believed young girls are better able to survive the painful experience and they are easier to convince. Circumcising girls at a younger age presents a major problem to campaigns aimed at empowering women to refuse FGM. A girl at the age of eight has considerable difficulty asserting her rights when no one is asking for her consent, and support is not available within her community. The alternative rite of passage, developed to replace FGM as a transition into womanhood without any cutting, also has little impact when girls are cut at earlier ages, because by the time girls reach the age where the ceremony would be relevant, their families may have already had the procedure done.

Education of girls is the key to the long term elimination of FGM, as women with higher levels of education are more likely to refuse that their daughters undergo the procedure. School curriculums should also teach the rights of the child and awareness on sexuality issues, which would provide awareness on what FGM entails. Some have urged NGOs working within communities where FGM is prevalent to offer support, and even temporary protection when necessary, to those who publicly declare themselves against the practice.

While FGM is a deep-rooted cultural tradition which is continued through taboos and myths, culture is not static and some changes are inevitable.

"This is a gradual process of social change that we need to accelerate on, and it's already started in some communities" says Askew.

Programs for FGM eradication must be sustainable, collaborative, and multi-faceted if they are to achieve any significant change in attitude and practice, and must be tailored to meet the needs of each specific community. This requires massive resources, time and commitment, and until the international community and governments are willing to provide this, FGM will continue virtually unabated.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Happy 20,000th!

20,000

We just had our 20,000th hit a few moments ago!

Actually, we've had slightly more visitors than that because I didn't know how to add a hit counter until a few months after I started this blog.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

You're not laughing now, are ya?


Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe (photo) presents
the strongest evidence yet that life originated in space

Clouds of alien life forms are sweeping through outer space and infecting planets with life ~ it may not be as far-fetched as it sounds.

The idea that life on Earth came from another planet has been around as a modern scientific theory since the 1960s when it was proposed by Sir Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe. At the time they were ridiculed for their idea ~ known as panspermia. But now, with growing evidence, it's back in vogue and even being studied by NASA.

In Southern India, scientists are investigating a mysterious red rain which fell for two months in 2001. According to Godfrey Louis of the School of Pure and Applied Physics, Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala, the rain contains biological cells unlike any he had seen before ~ with no DNA and the ability to replicate at 300°C. Louis has come to the conclusion that the cells are extra-terrestrial in origin.

Searching for 'our alien origins'

The Panspermia Hypothesis

Cometary panspermia explains the red rain of Kerala by Godfrey Louis & A. Santhosh Kumar (PDF file)

Horizon - We Are The Aliens

Information about the Panspermia Hypothesis

Did life on Earth arrive on a comet?

Cardiff University Centre for Astrobiology

Looking for life from outer space

Earth could seed Titan with life

Inter-world life transport argued

Comets could have seeded life on Earth

Coloured rain falls on Kerala

Space - Life From a Comet?

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Monday, November 13, 2006

Bridging the West-Muslim schism

In a report to the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a cross-cultural group of 20 prominent world figures from a variety of religions has called for urgent efforts to heal the growing chasm between Muslim and Western societies. To combat hostility bred of ignorance, the Alliance of Civilizations want education and media projects.

The United Nations' Alliance of Civilizations say the chief causes of the rift are not religion or history, but recent political developments, notably the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Furthermore, Western military interventions in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, contribute significantly to the growing sense of resentment and mistrust that mars relations among communities.

"Moreover, the perception of double standards in the application of international law and the protection of human rights is increasing resentment and the sense of vulnerability felt by many Muslims around the globe," the report said.

The panel, drawn together by the UN, says a climate of mutual fear and stereotypes is worsening the problem. In order to de-escalate extremism, it is necessary to correct misinformation and encourage constructive action.

The report argues that ignorance is the root cause of a good deal of hostility, so they also propose long-term media and youth education programmes and a focus on cultural ties.

It believes analysis and outreach is needed to address the relationship between predominantly Muslim societies and Western nations.

The Alliance of Civilisations, which includes Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, dismisses the notion that a clash of civilisations is inevitable, but says that swift action is needed. The group argues that the need to build bridges between Muslim and Western societies has never been greater.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Acute shortage of wives in China


Chinese wives in short supply

For every one hundred baby girls born in China, 117 boys are born, according to the official figures. By 2020, China could be short of around 40 million women, leaving many young men unable to find wives.

Perhaps some Chinese men can marry Kashmiri women?

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Kashmiri brides seek husbands


Kashmiri women are hot!

Seventeen years of insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir have left a distinct mark not only on the region's politics, but also on its social and cultural fabric.

And it is most noticeable in a slow, but gradual, change in the life of Kashmiri women as new trends are emerging.

Also, during the long years of militancy, the Kashmir Valley has lost at least 60,000 people - most of them young men of marriageable age.

"The loss of this particular group has added to the problem as most women now can't find grooms," says Ms Syeda Afshana, who writes on women's rights issues.


Kashmiri brides seek grooms

In Kashmir's traditionally conservative Muslim society, a lot of stigma is attached to having an unmarried daughter of marriageable age and most families do not want to talk about it.

But single women in their late 20s and 30s have now become a visible group. In Kashmir University, single women in this age group pursuing higher studies say men now prefer to marry working women. And women with permanent jobs have an edge over others in the marriage market too. As a result, many women are going in for higher education to be able to better qualify for jobs.


A Kashmiri Muslim girl

But then sometimes highly-educated women in well-paying jobs deliberately delay marriage until they find a suitable match.

"Every woman wants to marry Mr Perfect," says Salma Farhad, editor of Kashmir's only women's magazine, She.

"Her wish list is long - the man should be good looking, highly educated, someone who enjoys high social status and who can provide for her financially," says Ms Farhad.

In the absence of development schemes in the state and the high unemployment rate among Kashmiri men, that is a tall order.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

The Mongolian Connection


What is the connection between Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda (above),
Executive Director of the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre, with...


...Altantuya Shaariibuu @ Aminah Abdullah?

Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, the Executive Director of the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre, is a graduate of King's College, University of London. He was previously the Head of Strategic Studies and International Relations at the Armed Forces Defence College. The former lecturer has written books on politics, economics, defence and international relations and is completing his doctorate at Oxford University. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's (Davos) Global Leaders for Tomorrow as well as a member of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. Razak, 46, is married to former magistrate Mazlinda Makhzan with whom he has a 19-year-old daughter and is the son of National Welfare and Social Development Council chairman Prof Datuk Dr Abdullah Malim Baginda.

Malaysian Strategic Research Centre (MSRC)
10th Floor, Bangunan Getah Asli
148 Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: 03-2163 6086/6089 Public Relations Manager: Ms Frida Murtisari
Fax: 03-2163 6087
e-mail:milieu5787@yahoo.com

The MSRC was set up as an Independent institute in 1993 primarily to advance the understanding of Malaysia's domestic and international activities and its impact and ramifications on the region and the world and vice versa. The primary mission of MSRC is to enhance and promote knowledge in a number of areas, including socio-economics, education, business, politics, and security. As the nation strives to become a developed and industrialized country, its citizenry, too, must be adequately prepared, and knowledge, being a source of power, is one of the keys to success. As such, MSRC seeks to further enrich the quality of knowledge and information on Malaysia and its roles in the international arena.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Friday, November 03, 2006

Singlemost biggest regret

In 1976, I met Lord Louis Mountbatten (an uncle of Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth). Being a somewhat naive and straightforward young man, I was curious if this "super-hero" had a more human, personal side so I innocently asked him: "Sir, you've obviously led a successful life, being First Sea Lord (UK's head admiral) during World War II, Governor-General of India, etc but what would be your singlemost biggest regret in life?"

Without hesitation, he replied "To have permitted the partition of India."

A pregnant pause followed, almost unbearably long, before he changed the subject by asking me a question: "Where did you learn to speak such good English?" to which I promptly replied, tongue-firmly-in-cheek: "We get Dallas on TV in Malaysia, you know!"

Well, that broke the ice.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice