Azlan Adnan Look-alikes

Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Yes!

Well, I suppose you could say I'm famous:

Google:
Results 1 - 20 of about 27,600 English pages for azlan adnan. (0.25 seconds)

Yahoo!:
1 - 10 of about 14,000 for azlan adnan - 0.20 sec.

MSN:
azlan adnan Page 1 of 3,591 results

No prizes for guessing which is my favourite search engine!

Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Proteus

Proteus is the first full size WAM-V - Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel - a new class of watercraft based on a patented technology that delivers a radically new seagoing experience.

Wave Adaptive
Unlike conventional boats, the hulls of a WAM-V conform to the surface of the water. A WAM-V does not push, slap or pierce the waves. She utilizes flexibility to adapt her structure and shape to the water surface. Instead of forcing the water to conform to the hull, she gives and adjusts; she "dances" with the waves.

A superstructure is flexibly connected to specially designed inflatable pontoons called sponsons by several components that actually move in relation to one another. A WAM-V has springs, shock absorbers and ball joints to articulate the vessel and mitigate stresses to structure, payload and crew. Two engine pods, containing the propulsion and ancillary systems, are fastened to the hulls with special hinges that keep the propellers in the water at all times.

Modular
The payload module on a WAM-V can be switched with a different one in less than an hour, transforming the WAM-V into another vessel for a different use. Some examples of possible payload modules include:

luxury cabin for two

simple cruising accommodations for up to six passengers

twelve passenger transport

scuba diving platform

lab for collection and on site analysis of specimen

oceanographic equipment deployer

emergency response unit

surveillance station

In most versions, the payload module is a self-contained craft that can lower to the surface, detach and operate under its own power.

A full size 100-foot WAM-V with 12 tons full load and 2,000 gallons of fuel aboard, Proteus has ocean crossings and long-range mission capabilities of up to 5,000 miles. Once she has reached her destination, her low draft (8 inches forward and 16 inches aft, at half load) allows operations in river deltas, shallow littoral waters and lagoons.

Users with limited experience can learn to pilot her quickly because she has the responsiveness and maneuverability of a small powerboat.

The invention and original design is by Ugo Conti, Ph.D., D. Eng. and it was co-designed by Jim Antrim of Antrim Associates, Naval Architects.

Environmentally Friendly
The WAM-V technology is environmentally friendly by its very nature and design. In spite of the large size necessary to negotiate the open ocean, the WAM-V produces a minimum wake. Being ultra light, its anchors are those of a much smaller vessel, thus decreasing disruption to the ocean floor. Fuel consumption is significantly less than that of other vessels with comparable characteristics. The WAM-V, with her light weight, very low draft and soft hulls, is kind and forgiving to everything she comes in contact with.

WAM-V is a Trade Mark of Marine Advanced Research, Inc., a privately held California corporation.
Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Xin Niem Kwei Ler

In Malaysia, decorations or statues of pigs are an unusual sight

Millions of people are returning home for the start of Chinese New Year in what is described as the world's biggest human migration.

Sunday marks the start of the Year of the Golden Pig, which is believed to be particularly auspicious. The festivities have already been getting under way across many parts of Asia, with a large number of businesses shutting for the break.

Chinese New Year is a time for people to spend with their families, visit relatives and friends, hold feasts, buy new clothes and exchange red envelopes of gift money called ang pow. The Year of the Golden Pig falls once every 60 years.

The traditional red lanterns - a symbol of good luck - are being hung up, but this year, however, in Malaysia, decorations or statues of pigs are an unusual sight. The Year of the Pig is celebrated with greater restraint and sensitivity in Asia countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia with large Muslim populations, which view pigs as offensive and unclean.

Some soothsayers warn that the pig can bring turbulence, and warn of a rise in natural disasters and conflict in 2007.

The pig is the last of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac

Pigs symbolise good luck, but also turbulence

2007 is the year of the fire (golden) pig

Babies born in Golden Pig years are believed to be particularly lucky

Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Huge python caught

The 70 kg python is 7.1 metres long and is 60 cm in diameter

The New Straits Times reported the capture of a huge python in Kampung Pogoh, near Segamat, Johor. It was later collected by officers of the Wildlife and National Parks Department in Segamat.

I hope it doesn't end up in some Chinaman's cooking pot!

Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Gem stones, my foot!

The stones (at left) allegedly produced by Siti's toe.
NST Pix by Nashairi Mohd Nawi.

The New Straits Times reported the case of an extraordinary toe which produces gem-like stones.

The toe belongs to a 23-year-old girl, Siti Suhana Saadon, from Taman Cempaka in Durian Tunggal, near Alor Gajah who had become an overnight sensation when TV3 aired the bizarre story of crystal-like stones popping out from beneath her toe nail.

Her rubber-tapper mother Kamariah Komeng, 52, said Siti Suhana's left toenail has been discharging crystal-like beads over the past three months.

A medical specialist has expressed interest in checking Siti Suhana's condition, describing that it was unusual. "The stones looked like gems," said the doctor who is attached to the UKM Faculty of Medicine.

The Star, however, got the last word when it exposed this elaborate hoax. After Siti Suhana Saadon was admitted to the Putra Specialist Centre in Malacca on Thursday afternoon, doctors bandaged her left toe with gauze and sealed it with adhesive plaster.

Nothing here: No crystal-like beads or other out-of-the-ordinary objects
can be seen after Dr Senasi unwrapped Siti Suhana's left big toe on Saturday.

Yesterday, in the presence of curious reporters, surgeon Datuk Dr A. Senasi unwrapped the bandage to see if there were any beads.

There was none.

"As we can see, there is neither any crystal nor any other foreign object here," he said and proceeded to dress the toes with a new set of gauze.

Gem stones, my foot.

Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Unique Marine Life

Philately Joint Issue Malaysia-Brunei
Unique Marine Life
Date of Issue: 6-Feb-2007

Miniature Sheet
Miniature Sheet Value: RM2.00
featuring
Chambered Nautilus Nautilus pompilius (left),
and
Spotted Boxfish Ostracion meleagris (right).

Stamps
Stamp Value: 50 sen (2 designs)
featuring
Orangestriped Triggerfish Balistapus undulatus (left),
and
Leaf Scorpionfish Taenianotus triacanthus (right).

Stamp Sheet
Sheet Content: 20 Stamps

You may purchase these philately stamps from Pejabat Pos Mini Kota Warisan from February 6 2007 whilst limited stocks last. These stamps are destined to be collector's items because they are marked 2006 but actually issued in 2007 due to the postponement of the issue date. Besides, don't they look absolutely gorgeous?

Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

White English people are ignorant stupid racists.

"It's a sweeping, inaccurate generalisation but it's the impression that might have been left in the minds of millions of people..." more

Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Boycott QANTAS

To learn why, click here.

Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Africans treated like shit in Malaysia

Yes, Africans are treated like shit in Malaysia, as this article written by my good friend Jonathan from the BBC ~ which describes the experiences of two black Americans who were mistaken for Africans in Malaysia ~ will attest:

Incidents may mar Malaysia's tourism bid

One of the reasons blacks are treated this way in Malaysia is because there are a lot of Africans involved in criminal activities here. And, quite frankly, Malaysians are, by and large, pretty much fed-up and therefore these blacks and their like are not welcome in Malaysia.

I have personally dealt with African tenants who have not paid rent, people with implausible names like "Mr Fine" and "Prince." They seem to congregate in certain neighbourhoods like Damansara Damai and Batu 9, Cheras. Many claim to be students, footballers, or even, as one clearly incorrigible conman notoriously did, football coach to the Malaysian national and Selangor state teams, but are really nothing more than confidence tricksters.

Having said that, there is also a sizeable community of blacks in Cyberjaya, but they comprise of MMU students and are not necessarily associated with criminal activity.

Everyday, I get bombarded by Nigerian scammers who send e-mails trying to con me into parting with some money. One of the old scams is the "bovine medicine" scam, where they claim to have a dairy farmer in the UK willing to buy some antibiotic for cows at an exorbitant mark-up. The implausible thing is, they also give you the contact details of the seller of the drugs, who are themselves, in reality.

What they try to get you to do is to pay cash for the meds with the promise of them getting an unsuspecting farmer to pay for it at many times the price you paid for. Of course, the buyer never pays you because there's no such farmer in the first place. If you're greedy and gullible, you may well fall for this scam.

However, if you're level-headed you'd realise that since they have the buyer in hand and also know the seller, why do they need you to conclude the deal for them? Its not as if you're some world-renown expert in veterinary pharmaceuticals. Neither is Malaysia on the leading edge of pharmaceutical production that UK farmers have to source meds from here.

These Africans must be pretty stupid to think we'd fall for a scam like that. Its these stupid Africans that we want sent back to Nigeria or whatever AIDS-infected cesspit in Africa they came from.

As for the rest, Selamat Datang ke Visit Malaysia Year 2007, please pay cash, and have a nice day!

And, finally, a special message for Wayne Wright and his fellow American compatriot Yahweh Passim Nam: at least now you know how almost every Muslim visitor ~ including our International Trade and Finance Minister ~ to your wonderful land of the free gets treated. Actually, you got off pretty lightly ~ you didn't have to endure anal probes, did you?

Americans have a habit of treating others like pieces of shit and whinging when they get a piece of their own medicine. Why don't you show some grit like the Brits ~ lie back and think of Uncle Sam, for Chrissakes, be a man!

And Wayne, don't scream "I'm an American citizen!" ~ shouting a daft thing like that will get you killed in most parts of the world these days, man. Duh!

To annanorm:

This has been my experience with African tenants. If you've had better luck, then good luck to you. Tenants who don't pay rent and expect to stay for free are scum as far as I'm concerned.

As for African spam scammers, this will dispel you of your ignorance. Its typical of the daily scam spam I get:

PA. Executive Director Project,
The South Africa Petroleum Association,
14th Floor, ABSA Centre Adderley Street
Cape Town 8001, RSA.
Email: engr.fiennes.r@fsmail.net
Telfax:+27-86.603.8732.


For your kind attention:
Dear friend,

I sought your contact through your country business portal encyclopedia conferring you as a trustworthy and consistent person. I am Engr. Fiennes Ralph, the PA to the Chief Executive Director of Project, with the South Africa Petroleum Industry Association ( (SAPIA)). My commission - The South Africa Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA))-which is in charge of managing and supervising the disbursement of oil sales revenues for the South Africa government which covers payment to foreign and local contractors that have executed contracts for the Government.

The revenue under our control runs into several hundred of millions of dollars monthly. Myself and other colleagues in the SAPIA are currently in need of a foreign partner with whose bank account we shall transfer the sum of Two hundred Million United States Dollars ($200,000,000.00USDm). This funds was accrued from various over invoicing of foreign contractors?? payments made over the years from 1999 to November 2006.

The Total fund is presently waiting in the Government Account named (R.S.A INDEPENDENT REVENUE(s) account overseas . However, by virtue of my position as civil servant and staff of the SAPIA , I cannot acquire this funds in my name. This is because as a top civil servant, I will not allowed by the law of the country to own or operate a foreign bank accounts outside our country for now. I have been delegated as a matter of trust , to look for an overseas partner in whose account we would transfer the fund, hence the reason for this mail. We shall be Transferring the money to your account with the company name you may provide as the beneficiary under the guise that you are being paid for a contract which you/your company executed for our country through the Commission.

For your support and partnership, please reply me to negotiate your fees or the percentage you wish to be paid when the funds arrive your bank account. You must however note that this transaction, with regards to my disposition to continue with you, is subject to these terms. Firstly, our conviction of your transparency, Secondly, that you treat this transaction with utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Finally and above all, that you will provide an account over which you have absolute control.

The transaction, although discrete, is legitimate and there is no risk or legal liability either to ourselves or yourself now or in the future as I will have put in place all the necessary machinery (Foreign Lawyer) who will equip you with enough documentation qualified and approved you as the contractor who the funds is due to ensure a hitch free transfer of the fund into your account upon acceptance for our subsequent sharing according to our agreed ratio. The transfer will be effected to your account within five - seven (5-7) working days from the date we reach an agreement and you furnish me with a suitable bank account and company name with your contact phone & fax number for transmission of the relevant documents to you.

I am looking forward to do business with you as per your promised of confidence in this transaction, Please mail back your response through my above email address for me to update you on my plans as to how we intend to actualize this transaction.

Send all your reply to my business Lmail: (engr.fiennes.r@fsmail.net )

Warm Regards,

Engr. Fiennes Ralph

Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

HOUSE FOR SALE: Kota Warisan

SUBRA HOUSE FOR SALE:
Jalan Warisan Permai, Kota Warisan, Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, 43900 SEPANG

Single-storey semi-detached house with extra land area (3950 sq ft) for sale. Build-up area 1,500 sq ft, including extensions. Located in quiet neighbourhood, in cul de sac. Extensively renovated with wet and dry kitchens, drying area for clothes, built-in kitchen cabinets, plaster ceiling. Well-appointed with decorative fans, extra tiling in bathrooms and all round the house, including driveway. Japanese garden with fountain in front yard. Garden in extra land area includes mature palm trees.

Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, wet kitchen, dry kitchen with built-in cabinets. Area for washing/drying clothes. One air-conditioner in master bedroom, two water heaters in each bathroom.

Asking Price: RM290,000 or nearest offer.
Please call me to make appointment to view: 019-28-AZLAN

Satellite Photo:
http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=2827493&x=101701711&z=18&l=0&m=a&v=2

More Photos of House (please sign up as a facebook member first):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=512&l=e3262&id=503560142

ALL SOLD IN 2006 SO PLEASE STOP BOTHERING ME! ESPECIALLY THAT STUPID BUGGER 019-312 7535 WHO KEEPS TEXTING ME AFTER MIDNIGHT. EFFING IDIOT!

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

A drive in the countryside

On Thursday, I went to JPJ Banting to convert a client's Provisional driving licence to a full licence as well as renew another client's full license. The conversion and renewal just took a few minutes as I was the only person in the queue.

Actually, as soon as I reached the JPJ counter, it started raining cats and dogs and I had to wait for the rain to abate before I could even get to my car.

These red water apples Syzygium samarangense are being sold for RM5.00 a kg. US$1=RM3.70

On the drive back, I stopped at a fruit stall along the road somewhere near Olak Lempit and bought some cut fruit ~ jambu air Syzygium samarangense (syn. Eugenia javanica) ~ for RM1. It was a mix of the green and purple varieties, and they were very sweet and juicy. I had them with powdered "asam boi". Scrumptious!

These rambutans Nephelium lappaceum L. are being sold for RM2.50 a bunch.

At the next stall, about a kilometre down the road, I bought a bunch of rambutans Nephelium lappaceum L. for RM2.50. They seemed to be a hybrid of sorts as the colour was a mottled mix of yellow and red. They were very sweet and "lekang," as "lekang" as the yellow "Rambutan Gading" cultivar.

Somewhere near Bukit Changgang, I gave in to temptation. There is a sideroad heading north that I have noticed many times before, but never had the time to explore. It has a sign that said "Petaling Tin Berhad 2.4 km." I had always assumed that this sideroad would lead to a tin dredge.

Well, I took the turning and soon the road gave way to a sandy lane. I drove for ages, but there wasn't a tin dredge in sight. After a few kilometres, I turned left onto a narrow single-lane asphalt road at Kampung Orang Asli Pulau Kempas. I don't know what "pulau" means in the orang asli language, but its certainly not "island" as in Malay. There is another orang asli village near Cyberjaya called Pulau Meranti. As meranti and kempas are names of tropical hardwood trees, I suspect "pulau" probably means "grove."

After a further few kilometres, I passed Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Cheeding and recognised where I was. I had been here two decades ago, to visit the Bukit Cheeding Estate, a plantation owned by Boh Tea that grows lowland tea.

Eventually, I reached the main Klang-Banting road, somewhere near Sungai Sedu. I turned left towards Sungai Manggis, turned left again there and headed home.

Copyright 2003-2006 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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