Rojak or the melting pot

Japanese Government to Keep ‘Hooligans’ Away from Summit

2008-01-07T13:03:00.000+08:00

Japanese Government to Keep ‘Hooligans’ Away from Summit

TOKYO - The Justice Ministry has begun preparations to put into force a hooligan provision of the immigration law to prevent anti-globalization activists from entering the country to protest the Group of Eight summit meeting to be held in Hokkaido in July.

More here

Whatever happened to mandarin?

2008-01-06T17:13:00.000+08:00

Language in Singapore is something that's fascinated me. Not the language itself (as can be proven by my hard-earned Cs in second language), but how it's treated. There are four official languages in Singapore - Malay, English, Mandarin, Tamil. Once upon a time, it seemed like everything was translated into all four languages - signages, official documents, brochures, etc.etc. It started to change - nowadays, it's actually quite fun to spot when and where and what language is used. Usually you'll find that it's English + Another. The Another can be Japanese (usually tourist areas), Bengali (ReallY! More on that another time), Mandarin, Malay.

It's worth a thesis in its own right. In the meantime, I'm wondering why "What's Up Doc", a newsletter for patients published by the National Healthcare group of Polyclinics, only has English, Tamil, and Malay. No Mandarin. It's quite unusual.

Does this mean that all Chinese can speak English, and they're worried about the Malay and Indians?

On further examination, I realised that the articles were about healthy eating during Hari Raya Puasa and Deepavali, which sort of explains everything, really. Still, I can't help being a little tickled by it all.

In the meantime, I'm tempted to try the recipe for Nasi Tomato yang Menyihatkan (Healthy Tomato rice).

Santerias against global warming

2008-01-05T20:45:00.000+08:00

Lately, religious leaders of all faiths from all over the world have been pointing out to their congregation that global warming, is, well, global, and it behooves all good Muslims/Christians/Buddhists to take care of the earth.

Apparently that includes Santeria priests.

HAVANA - Priests offering New Year's prophecies from Cuba's Afro-Cuban religion on Wednesday gave few hints on the future of convalescing leader Fidel Castro and instead warned about dangerous climate change and epidemics.

More here

(Yes, they do the animal sacrifice thing. Humanely. They consider themselves sorta Catholic.)

How to do what you love

2008-01-03T08:17:00.000+08:00

Rather interesting post
here.

Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. It causes you to work not on what you like, but what you'd like to like.

That's what leads people to try to write novels, for example. They like reading novels. They notice that people who write them win Nobel prizes. What could be more wonderful, they think, than to be a novelist? But liking the idea of being a novelist is not enough; you have to like the actual work of novel-writing if you're going to be good at it; you have to like making up elaborate lies.

True dat. I often think it'll be fun to be a world-class fencer, but the idea of practicing squats ... not so much.

The test of whether people love what they do is whether they'd do it even if they weren't paid for it—even if they had to work at another job to make a living. How many corporate lawyers would do their current work if they had to do it for free, in their spare time, and take day jobs as waiters to support themselves?

Actually, I find the idea that some corporate lawyers would do their current work for free because they like it.. faintly disturbing. I have respect for lawyers, as with any other profession, but for some reason i find myself adding, "Yeah, I bet mass murderers would be happy to do it for free too."

"Come for an interview, plztnx"

2007-12-13T16:05:00.000+08:00

This may be an employee's market, but that doesn't make the job hunt any fun. That said - I'm not particularly impressed by a comapany who called me down for an interview recently. Upon arriving, I was told that they had decided they wanted me for a different position than the one I had applied for.

Ok, it was similar enough that it wasn't such a stretch, but it was not necessarily something I would have applied for, would have required working in a different part of town, with decidedly different job prospects and environment.

Then again, perhaps I should have been tipped off by the HR person who called me the day before to confirm that I was coming down. Her opening line on the phone was, "Eh, this is X from the XYZ. You tomorrow coming down hor?"

The interview didn't inspire confidence either. I was asked two questions in total - and one of those questions was, "So, do you have any questions for us?"

The coupe de grace came as the interview wrapped up. "Oh, the person whom you'll be working under and hiring you isn't here, she's on holiday. If we shortlist you, you'll be asked to come for a second interview."

So why ask me to come down in the first place? I had to take leave for this. Gah.

I don't think they'll be calling me. I may cost too much. Am I an elitist?

A teddy bear called Muhammad

2007-12-10T18:32:00.000+08:00

A pretty cool article about the Muhammad teddybear incident in Sudan, by Arsalan Iftikhar, the contributing editor for Islamica magazine in Washington, D.C.

From the article:

While I was making the global network-television rounds during the Danish cartoon controversy a few years ago, it dawned on me that our human collective was going to continue having international crises every time some backward Muslim knucklehead irrationally reacted to global events somewhere.

Having been asked to explain virtually every kooky action performed by some criminal Muslims worldwide, I saw a new chapter added to the legacy of this sad phenomenon in recent weeks. This time, it was a story about a little teddy bear named Muhammad that lived in the deserts of the African nation of Sudan.

When the incident broke out, I was heartened by the number of commentators on the BBC Have Your Say article, who announced that they were Muslim, and now fully intended to name their next cat Muhammad just for kicks. Of course, there were those who felt very very strongly about it, and thought that the teacher should be lucky that she wasn't getting executed.

Of course, at the heart of it, the story was about culture, not Islam. As you know, Muslims are differents! Some wear scarfs, some belly button rings. Some booze it up, others go vegetarian. Sometimes they're all in the same family (ref: Egypt).

This was my impression of the reactions:

1. Muslims in countries with clear judicial systems and clear recourse to expressing displeasure, seem to feel that if the parents had felt so offended, they should have just asked the teacher to change the name.

2. Muslims in relatively first-world countries, where they were not the underclass, offered to name their next cat Muhammad.

3. Countries with a Muslim majority that had been former British colonies, dryly asked if there would have been a similar outcry if it was a local teacher.

4. Countries with a Muslim majority that had been former British colonies, and still suffering from the aftereffects, thought the world should stay out of this, and the teacher in question should thank her lucky stars that she wasn't executed.

The categories overlap, of course. They're not exact, and definitely not scientific. But to me, it seems to say once again, that the whole conflict had never been about religion. And if that's the case, why are Muslims worldwide on trial? And what's the point of thinking that moderate Muslim leaders will necessarily solve the problem? To Sudan, it's just another case of colonial imperialism.

I'm not saying that moderate Muslim leaders shouldn't bother to speak up. They still have a pull with Sudanese Muslim groups that most world leaders don't have. But at the end of it, the rest of us should stop passing the buck to religious organisations to "take responsibility" for their own, and acknowledge there's more to it. It's too simplistic - and oh yes - fundamentalist.

In the meantime, I agree with Arsalan Iftikhar:

Meanwhile, the world has had yet another chuckle at the expense of every Ali, Akbar and Ahmad out there.

Let me explain: I call this the "Ali, Akbar and Ahmad" phenomenon, which is comparable to the old adage about "Tom, Dick and Harry." To put it in proper context, I would say something like, "I am sick and tired of having to answer for every Ali, Akbar and Ahmad who does some idiotic thing around the world."

But alas, Ali, Akbar and Ahmad always come calling.

If I were given the opportunity, I would fly to the United Kingdom to offer Gillian Gibbons a peace offering. I would express my sadness for her ridiculous ordeal and humbly offer her a teddy bear to put a happy ending on this story.

And that teddy bear's name would be Muhammad.

Indians will rule the world - first stop, Lousiana

2007-10-22T01:59:00.000+08:00

Indian-American wins in Lousiana

The US state of Louisiana has elected its first non-white governor, Bobby Jindal, since the 1870s.
Mr Jindal, 36, also becomes the youngest US governor and the first Indian-American to head a state.

----

Ah. That's why we need the GRC system, because clearly the minorities can't get ahead, and because the majority always votes along racial lines. This is despite David Marshall and JB Jeyaratnam getting in without racial hassle, or needing the minority quota on a group ticket.

Bobby Jindal managed it in Lousiana, and there's a Sikh mayor somewhere else. They're doing it in a country where there's an even lower population percentage of Indians than in Singapore. They manage to get representation.

So why do we need GRCs again?

CMIO promotes ignorance

2007-10-21T23:28:00.000+08:00

Today is Dasera.

Wha?

Dasera is a major Hindu festival, as it makes up one of the three-and-a-half auspicious days (sade teen muhurta) of the year. It is the name imparted to the tenth day (dashami) of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month, Ashvin. Also known as Dasara, Dusshera. and Dusshera.

Bet you didn't know that. Serangoon Road was in full swing Sunday night. I first realised something was up when nearly every Indian-driven lorry/goods vehicle had a garland across the grill.

The thing I really hate about the CMIO is that it gives you the false idea that there's all there is to the various races in Singapore. Just four categories - memorise their official holidays and customs, and you're done. Who needs to know more?

It's especially ridiculous when you consider that the entire spectrum of Indian religious gets subsumed under one category. India, nicknamed the Empire of the Soul, gets one lousy slot. Cos, you know, Parsi=Gujerati=Sikh=Hindu=yeah right.

And it does have an effect on people - I can't count the number of times I've heard people say,"Eh? Got Indian Muslims?" or express bewilderment that Indians come in various shapes, sizes, costumes, and religious accessories. Sadly, it's usually the Chinese who have that reaction. However, the Chinese get shortchanged in their own way - there are Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien, and don't you dare confuse one for the other to some members of the older generation. My grandpappy hates Hakka, for reasons that I prefer not to think about.

Of course, dealing with all the variations is a bit.. messy. Much easier to have four boxes, to make the statistics easier. And the national holidays. And the costumes on national day, and racial harmony day. Much easier to act as though the variations don't exist.

Sometimes I think that the whole CMIO structure isn't about celebrating diversity, it's about making diversity uniform so that you don't have to think so hard.

The Power of Faith, Muzzled.

2007-09-26T23:31:00.000+08:00

Now that Singapore's finally woken up, and realised that there's something happening in Myanmar, I wonder if the powers that be are going to add al-Qaeda to their prayers tonight. In thanks.

After all, it's thanks to them that religious organisations in Singapore are very determined to toe the line and maintain the harmony.

Ok, no, it's not as simple as that. But historically speaking, religious organisations have power, even if they don't have an army, or even a treasury. In Myanmar and in Thailand, the Buddhists monks have a power of sorts, and they can and will use it politically.

In Singapore, there's no reason to believe it can't happen here. After all, more than one person believes that the Christian pastors hold some political influence, and there's a reason why certain visiting imams are going to get their speaker's pass revoked. Religious organisations do have power, even in secular Singapore. Some might even say, especially in secular Singapore, where people are turning to a religious revivalism to fill that unspoken hole left by a rapidly modernising country.

However, there's a current political clime of suspicion left by the events of September 11th. Every religious group is suspected of potentially fomenting inter-religious violence. At this point in time, it only makes sense for the religious leaders to support the status quo. A push for political change runs the risk of being seen as divisive, or opens themselves up for charges of being "disruptive". There are far more groups right now interested in doing interfaith work,than leading demonstrations or pushing the anti-Iraqi-war stance.

It's not as simple as that, of course. The Singapore government has shown that it's quite capable of maintaining religious peace and solo control of the country's joystick in the past. But I can't help thinking that the current "terrorists!!!OMG" atmosphere has given the religious groups an added impetus to stay the hell away from Parliament Lane.

MCPs thrive on the P65

2007-08-22T09:30:00.000+08:00

From a commenter on the p65 blog:

I am not homophobic, long back in my polytechnic days I dated a girl who is bisexual (she told me) and I have studied abroad in a country where “gay is ok” and have studied with persons with such orientation, even befriended them and if they visit this country and if I have the resources, I’d accomodate them in my home. However, to change the law concerned with them right now, is perhaps not the best of ideas because although a lot of noise has been heard as of late calling for the change, it is all coming from a small liberatarian portion of an Asian city state. It is because somebody was a part of a Rafflesian alumnus, a possible future leader of this country we cannot afford to lose, that that person chose to abstain from going anywhere near that segment of society. It is that sort of a person, that thinks like the majority of his people. Do not challenge such sentiments or Lynette, you yourself for one may not have a boyfriend for long, or a decent husband born in this country ever, unless he is bisexual.
- Harish Shah, July 22nd, 2007 at 9:00 pm

How on earth does stuff like this get through the moderator?

No, really. This is classic male chauvinist behaviour - "behave little woman, or you're going to be single all your life, and as a woman, that would be TERRIBLE for you." It's demeaning, because it in effect puts down the other party, by reminding them that they are female, and lesser.

Don't believe me? Reverse the situation.

Do not challenge such sentiments or Harish, you yourself for one may not have a girlfriend for long, or a decent wife born in this country ever, unless she is bisexual

Doesn't quite have the same punch, does it?

Of course, I could be taking it out of context.... *sidles away sheepishly*

Things I have said to evangelists

2007-08-02T16:01:00.000+08:00

It happened again. Two girls, bright, perky (in more ways than one), polite - approached me in a shopping mall, and asked me if I would be interested in attending a "special event" at their church.

I've always had a special interest in Christian evangelists in Singapore. Singaporeans as a whole seem to be shy about approaching strangers. Evangelists on the other hand, don't seem to mind, in fact, they're quite happy to do so. It's something they share with those credit card roadshow folks, time-share marketeers and "Hi we are looking for model" people.

(strangely enough, students on flag day seem prepared to die of embarrassment. And block the escalator while doing so.)

Anyway, I've thought that it was quite cool that they did so - after all, it takes guts to go up and tell complete strangers that they're currently on the pathway to hell. In some sense, I envy them - I've always wanted to tell people that they're going to hell.

So let's get this straight - I admire what they do, and the kind of conviction that can get you to overcome so many years of cultural conditioning.

But to be honest, it's a hassle to tell them that you're not interested in the kind of ecstasy they're pushing. After the most recent attempt at conversion, I started to think about all the experiences I've had with evangelists.

Mezzo, age 12

Bespectacled, vaguely aware that there's going to be an exam. Not entirely sure what religion is, except that for some it means no charsiew bao, and for others, no free time on Sunday morning.

Evangelist cousin, 19, and therefore has the answers to the cosmos. She corners me in her bedroom, along with an even younger cousin. Younger cousin is Catholic, or so her mother has told her.

Evangelist Cousin: Jesus saves. Accept him. Become christian.

Mezzo, age 12: Really?

EC: Yeah. Take a look at this handy little Christianity 4 Noobz booklet I happen to have here. All here.

Mz12: But I think I'm [insert faith].

Younger cousin: And I'm already Christian, cos I'm Catholic.

EC: Nya-uh. Did you know that [prominent leader of faith] went to hell? There was this guy, see, who had an mystical vision, and saw [leader] in hell. It's true. You can trust people with mystical visions.

Mz12 + younger cousin: *looks*

EC: Look, you wanna go to hell?

Mz12: .. no?

EC: Excellent. Take this book, and the booklet, and start reading it. Younger cousin, take one too, I know you're Catholic, so you'll need one. I'm so glad!! Oh, and do you want the rest of your family to go to hell?

Mz12: .. no?

EC: Well, you know what to do! I have more Christianity 4 Noobz booklets, just ask me for them. *leaves the room*

YC: Did we just get converted? Mum is going to kill me.

Mz12: I think you go to hell if you convert.

YC: Mum's worse.

Two weeks later -

Mz12: *dials* Um. Evangelist cousin? I don't think I can be Christian anymore.

EC: Oh no, why?

Mz12: I think my family would get upset.

EC: You're a very brave kid. You can do this.

Mz12: No, I don't and I think I'm too young and you're not allowed to chose religions if you're too young. I can't even watch porn yet, how can I choose Gods?

EC: You watch porn?

Mz12: Erhm. Bye.

Mezzo, age 15

A typical teenager, trying to fit in while trying to stand out. Hesitating a touch too long at a bus interchange, as if unsure of where to go.

An evangelical surveyer approaches, to show Mezzo@15 the way, the only way.

ES: Hey, do this survey. The one that cunningly yet casually asks you your religon with other data that only exists to make it look legit.

Mezzo@15 is a teenager, looking for a way, trying to take root while trying to uproot.

ES: Oh ho, I see you are a 'freethinker'. Let me get you to sit down and ask further questions.

Mz15: Sure? Why not?

ES: Have you seen my l33t Christianity for Noobz booklet? Got one right here. Now, if you're feeling lost, that's because Christ needs to be on the throne of your life. Like in the picture here. See? There's this cross, and it's sitting on a throne. That's good, cos now there's a big circle around the cross and the throne and you, and GOD, who unlike Christ and you, actually gets his name spelled out.

Mz15: I think I've seen this comic before.

ES: The circle is like your life. It's a circle of life, but without Elton John, because Elton is gay and God hates fags. Hahah. Now, the other picture, you're on the throne, Christ is not, and God is OUTSIDE the big circle which is your life. Which makes God sad. Do you want to make God sad?

Mz15: No?

ES: Then accept Christ on the throne of your life!

Mz15: Um. Yeah. Let me think about that. Thrones.

ES: Here, take my Christianity for Noobz booklet. In fact, take three.

Mezzo, age 17

It's junior college, and partying is what you do, apart from angst. You're a jc kid, ergo, you party. Any party.

Friend: Come along to my Easter day party!

Mz17: Awesome! Ooh, movie! Ooh, guy in robes! Talking to himself! Ok, it's like he's going to die, no wait, he doesn't have to die, he's asking his father why he has to die.. eh. Think I know how this goes.

Evangelist Party-goer: Hi, person. Come sit with me! Don't worry about your other friend, she'll be sitting with my friend. It makes things easier when I break you down, um, bond with you.

Mz17: *notes that EP is unfanciable, loses interest*

EP: Hey, lookie at my Christianity for Noobz booklet!

Mz17: *spaces out*

EP: *ten minutes later* .. and here, God is in your life, cos Christ is on the throne. Also, he's the pathway to heaven!

Mz17: Never mind. Er, you know, I'm kinda already [member of faith]. And aren't all Gods one god anyway, and teach basically the same thing? We're all brothers. And world peace.

EP: No. Christ is the only pathway to heaven!

Mz17: Like Led Zeppelin?

EP: *is polite*

Mz17: *wonders if wise-assery keeps you out of heaven*

Mezzo, age 21

Still finding the way, but university's given the tools to navigate. If you're going to find your way, it helps to find your starting point.

At a train station this time, because Singapore's finding new ways too. Two girls approach, with a survey in the hand, and faith in the heart.

Evangelist Girls: Hey, survey! You're freethinker?

Mz21: Sorta, but I'm also kinda [insert faith here]

EG: Oh. Um. Could we go through this booklet with you?

Mz21: No. Absolutely not. Look, I've got friends who show me the way already, ok?

EG: Oh, which church? Come on, strike up a conversation with us, that way, it's harder for you to be so mean as to just leave.

Mz21: One of them. Thanks, but not interested.

EG: But! Save! Throne!

Mz21: No, don't worry about me, ok? Anyway, I've a friend who's going to turn up in a bit, so I don't want to keep him waiting.

EG: We could meet your fr..

Mz21: We're in a hurry. Movie. But thanks for caring.

Friend turns up, Mezzo@21 fills him in.

Mz21: They're the ones over there.

Friend: The pair talking to a makcik?

Mz21: Yeah.

Friend: They're dedicated.

Mz21: Optimists.

Friend: Christ is Hope, remember? Hey, that one's hot.

Mezzo, age 24

At 24, family starts being bearable again. You stop imagining that you're actually adopted, and acknowledge you could be related. Again, at a junction, a surveyer approaches.

Evangelical Surveyor, ver. 2: Ah. You're [member of faith].

Mz24: Uh huh. *wonders if actual prayers are required*

ESv2: Well, nice to meet you.

Mz24: *wonders if the booklet is the same colour* Huh? Where'd she go? That was fast!

Mezzo, present day

I'm standing in Novena Square, and the girls have pamphlets. I'm a working adult, almost visibly English-educated, and I look younger than I am. I'm not surprised I was picked.

The girls ask me if I'm interested in a special performance at their church. They've got leaflets, with colourful Photoshop images. For a moment, I miss that little orange booklet.

They ask me to come and listen. I know a bit more of what I am, than I did at 12. I know how to stand out and fit in, because I'm not 16. I'm not 17 either, and I know that nice-sounding concepts need to be supported by understanding and facts. Moved beyond 20, so I've done the readings. No longer a tentative 24, I can stand firm and say it, because I am an individual, and belonging to a family or a group greater than myself doesn't change it.

And I've been working for awhile, and I know what to say.

MzPresent: Thank you. But I already believe in Jesus.

Evangelist girls: That's fantastic!

Their pleasure is palpable. For a moment I feel like telling them that I don't think they understand it the same way I do. But what's the point? They'd get upset, and right now, they're happy and if I am a true believer in my faith, I wouldn't do that to them.

Maybe I should have just been straight with them. I didn't lie. Some beliefs are common to all humanity, too.

But I do believe. In my own way, and so do they. And it doesn't threaten me at all.

-------

Events described here are real, though I will admit to paraphrasing it for the purposes of coherency and to allow for my impressions to come through. I've actually been approached many more times than this, but some were less pleasant, as well as somewhat irrelevant.

To the two evangelists I met at Novena - Um. Sorry. Yes, I do go to a church in Bishan, like I told you, but when I said "church", I was broadly interpretting it as "place of worship". By the way, you're cute. Really. Are you single?

Wordblock!

2007-03-22T12:00:00.000+08:00

Where's a good synonym for "falloopalazza" when you need it?

Bah.

Voices of Youth in Denmark

2007-03-07T16:17:00.000+08:00

As Danes view the drab rubble of what was once a vibrant youth centre few applaud the decision to demolish a hotbed of creative youth culture.

But even fewer condone the organised outrage of youths that left parts of Copenhagen resembling a war zone.

From the BBC

There's a dark side to everything, even youth culture. They're a far cry from the fresh faced enthused young "delegates" that pop up at every generic Youth Conference, determined to Change the World and Make Youth Voices Heard.

They're prepared to fight for what they believe in, and for them, it doesn't mean talking about it.

Judging from the well-organised battle plans and the cases of prepared projectiles and petrol bombs found in Ungdomshuset, Europe would do well not to underestimate the anti-establishment resolve of some of its more politicised youths.

In a way I admire them. Not for their ability to accomplish goals - because I think that compromise is a virtue, but because they're willing to go beyond talk.

That said, don't do drugs and petrol bombs. They're bad for you and the environment.

Sorry about that, Mr Chia

2007-03-06T17:21:00.000+08:00

Prisoners subjected only to psychological torture report as much mental anguish as those who are beaten, according to new research.

The study of nearly 300 survivors of torture from the former Yugoslavia found that those who experienced no physical torment later developed equally high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as those who did. The survivors also rated the distress caused at the time by the two types of torture equally highly. Researchers say the findings provide a strong argument against the use of psychological maltreatment of prisoners - referred to by some as "torture lite".

The UN convention against torture came into force in 1987, prohibiting acts that cause severe pain or suffering in order to gain information from prisoners. Nevertheless, torture still appears widespread around the world: a 2005 report by Amnesty International found that systematic torture occurred in 104 out of 150 countries surveyed.

Since the attacks on the US on 11 September 2001, the nation received severe criticism for torturing suspected terrorists abroad, such as in the Abu Ghraib prison and at the Guantanamo Bay naval station. Officials claimed that the psychological torture used against detainees there - such as sleep deprivation - were legal as these did not cause direct physical harm.

"These techniques were designed to break down prisoners to get information without leaving a physical mark on them," explains Leonard Rubenstein, executive director of Physicians for Human Rights.

Sham executions
To investigate the impact of purely psychological torture, Metin Basoglu of King’s College London, UK, and colleagues surveyed 279 survivors of torture from the former Yugoslavia, including both soldiers and civilians from the previously war-torn region.

Between 2000 and 2002 the survivors answered questions about the nature of the torture they endured. The majority of them had endured beating and other forms of physical torture, including electric shocks, tooth extractions and suffocation. But about 20 of the survivors experienced purely psychological manipulations, such as sham executions or the torturing of family members and threats of rape.

The researchers collected medical assessments of whether the torture survivors showed signs of PTSD - a form of lasting anxiety. They found no difference in the prevalence of this disorder between the two groups.

Mind and body
They also asked the participants to rate their distress during torture on a scale of zero (no distress) to four (maximum distress). Both those who suffered physical torture and those who experienced physiological torment alone rated their overall level of stress as 3.5.

Basoglu says the findings challenge the common perception that psychological torture is less distressing than physical torture. "Implicit in this distinction is a difference in the distressing nature of the events. The evidence takes issue with that," he says. "And since psychological torture is as bad as physical torture, we shouldn’t use it."

The findings chime with previous work, say others. "The conclusions are completely consistent with what those subjected to these draconian practices have reported," Rubenstein says. He points out that US Senator John McCain, who experienced torture as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, has said that if he were forced to make a decision between enduring psychological or physical torture, he would not hesitate to pick the latter.

Bad intelligence
McCain and fellow lawmakers pushed for an explicit ban on the US using any form of torture. In 2005, US president George W Bush signed the bill outlawing the torture of detainees. And officials later revised the Army Field Manual to explicitly ban certain treatments of detainees, such as forced nudity and sex acts, hoods or duct tape on the eyes, and electric shock. "We don’t know what the CIA is doing, though," Rubenstein notes.

Beyond question of human rights violations, recent reports have also raised doubt over whether any form of torture produces reliable information, he adds.

"Torture generates extremely bad intelligence data" and is "enormously counterproductive", according to bioethicist Steven Miles at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, US. He gives the example that some of the information linking Iraq to Al-Qaeda, which later proved wrong, came from a man named Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi during CIA interrogations in Egypt that involved torture.

From New Scientist.

Good thing we outsourced it to Kuala Lumpar in the '60s.

Farsitube! - Skiing in Iran

2007-03-05T14:41:00.000+08:00

There's Farsitube?

Far out.

Check out Skiing in Iran. It's an amatuer documentary on, um, skiing in Iran and the axis of evil.

Singapore Mosques reaching out to non-Muslims

2007-03-05T12:54:00.000+08:00

Muis aims for all mosques to reach out to non-Muslims

The goal is to have all 69 mosques in Singapore reach out to those beyond the Muslim community, by the year 2009.
Challenging new-generation mosque leaders at their investiture yesterday to adopt an inclusive attitude towards non-Muslims, Mr Alami Musa, president of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), said: "Doing so can ensure that our mosques become a catalyst for national integration."

So far, said Mr Alami, 56 mosques are running joint programmes for the elderly with grassroots organisa-tions such as the community development councils (CDC).

But he hopes all 69 would reach out beyond the community in the next three years, as spelt out in Muis' second three-year work plan unveiled over the weekend. One major change announced was that Muis would manage mosques in clusters, CDC-style.

Shouldering the responsibility of shaping the "community-friendly mosques" will be 197 individuals invested as volunteer members of 18 mosque management boards. Of the 57 who are newcomers, 14 are tertiary educated.

Those Today spoke to felt there was scope for mosques to conduct more programmes with non-Muslim organisations. Such tie-ups should go beyond meals together during festive seasons, said Mr Anis Maricar, 36.

He suggested forming working committees to share experiences on common social problems, such as broken homes and low-income families.

Mr Kamsari Sanuh, 38, added: "And when we have agreed on which areas to focus on, we can move on to conducting workshops that can benefit not just Muslims but also non-Muslims." /rose

Posting this for my own interest. Good idea if it actually works out.

Christ: "King of the World!"

2007-02-28T09:14:00.000+08:00

According to James Cameron, director of such classic theological treatises as Terminator, Aliens and especially Terminator 2, Jesus Christ died on the cross at Golgotha. On this, both he and the Pope agree. But instead of rising from the grave three days later, pouring himself a cup of coffee and then wandering the countryside inviting disbelievers to jam their index fingers into his crucifixion wounds, Jesus stayed dead and spent the next two millennia rotting in the grave. And bad news, Christians! James Cameron claims to have DNA evidence to prove it.

From Table of Malcontents

I'm not a big believer in Christ being reborn myself, but.. Titanic director James Cameron? Like, "King of the World", makes him qualified to certify the King of Peace?

The tombs have been around for awhile, but James Cameron has a documentary coming out on the subject, directed by Jewish director Simcha Jacobovici, which may explain the press conference.

Reactions - the theologians think he's misinformed, the archeaolgists think he's press hungry, and the local Jews who live around the area the tomb was found?

They're quite happy.

Local residents told the BBC News website they were pleased with the attention the tomb has drawn.

"It will mean our house prices will go up because Christians will want to live here," one woman said.

When I link to you, I link myself

2007-02-28T00:10:00.000+08:00

I updated some of my links, and added new ones. I've got to think of a better way to organise them, or at least come up with some terrible catchy trendy title for each link section.

I rather liked this one: Muslime-a-day. Lots of lovely photos, and it's a lovely, sensitive website run by Hijabman. Very peaceful.

The Perfect P

2007-02-27T13:24:00.000+08:00

Don't look here.

Seriously, what was he thinking? Was he thinking? And that smile on his face when he talks about having anal.. with what, an elephant? I've never been one for prayer, but if it'll help me forget faster..

The 40 year old Egyptian Virgin

2007-02-24T13:05:00.000+08:00

Shiekh Khaled El Gindy, an Al-Azhar scholar and member of the Higher Council of Islamic Studies told The Daily Star Egypt that he agrees with the new fatwa.

"Islam never differentiates between men and women, so it is not rational for us to think that God has placed a sign to indicate the virginity of women without having a similar sign to indicate the virginity of men," El Gindy said.

"Any man who is concerned about his prospective wife’s hymen should first provide a proof that he himself is virgin," he added.

From Daily Star, Egypt

I rather like Egypt.

Other bits -

Even more shocking to many observers, Gomaa said that if a married woman had sexual intercourse with another man but truly regretted her actions and asked God for forgiveness, she should not tell her husband.

"According to Sharia, if a husband knew that his wife had sexual intercourse with anyone else, he should divorce her, so by not telling him she would be protecting her home and her life," he explained

I rather like the idea of someone interpreting the old books according to the principles they were founded on, rather than on some pet issue latter-day clerics found pressing. It's also good to see someone who realises that there's a huge difference between a cultural practice that sprung up because of the need to be able to apply a principle in that period of time, and a religious obligation.

According to the good mufti here, the overriding principle is protection of life and self, which takes precedence over telling your husband of your vagina's extra-curricular activities. The latter is based on the idea that the vagina somehow belongs to the husband, and as such, he gets to control it, as his personal spawning pond.

In the way he's interpreting it, the mufti is essentially saying that a women's well-being takes precedence over some man's sexual right.

It's International Women's Day next month. I'm in that kind of mood. On a side note, the mufti sounds a bit looney. I should probably check if it's been reported anywhere else.

The women of Iraq

2007-02-18T15:37:00.000+08:00

The war turns gender roles on its head.

In Iraq:

We were asked to send the next of kin to whom the remains of my nephew, killed on Monday in a horrific explosion downtown, can be handed over. The young men of the family, as was customary, rose to go.

“NO!” cried his mother. “Isn’t my son enough?? Must we lose more of our youth?? You know there are unknowns who wait at the Morgue to either kill or kidnap the men who dare reach its doors. I will go.”

So we went, his mum, his other aunt and I.

I was praying all the way there.

I never thought a day would come when it was the women of the family, who would be safer on the roads.

Read the rest of it at Inside Iraq

There really isn't anything that I can say that hasn't been said before, and said better. But with the mess in Iraq now, it's hard to remember that the other conservative Arab nations were worried about Iraq, not for Saddam, but because Iraq looked and behaved a lot like America - wealthy, modern, and moderately secular.

Ghost Brides of Shaanxi

2007-02-06T16:05:00.000+08:00

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have arrested three men for killing two young women to sell their corpses as "ghost brides" for dead single men, a Chinese newspaper reported, warning the dark custom might have claimed many other victims.

Yang Donghai, a 35-year-old farmer in western China's Shaanxi province, confessed to killing a woman bought from a poor family for 12,000 yuan ($1,545) last year.

She thought she was being sold into an arranged marriage, but Yang killed her in a gully and sold her corpse for 16,000 yuan, the Legal Daily reported on Thursday. He and two accomplices then killed a prostitute and sold her for 8,000 yuan before police caught them.

"I did it for the money; it was a quick buck," Yang said, according to the paper. "If I hadn't slipped up early, I planned to do a few more."

The women were victims of an old belief, still alive in the yellow-earth highlands of western China, that young men who die unmarried should go to their graves accompanied by deceased women who will be their wives in the afterlife. Often these women die natural deaths.

Police in Yanan, the poor and dusty corner of Shaanxi where Chairman Mao Zedong nurtured his Communist revolution, said the dark trade went beyond these cases.

"The actual number is far from just these," the paper said.

Yang and two helpers sold the bodies to Li Longsheng, an undertaker who police said specialized in buying and selling the dead women for "ghost weddings". It was unclear what happened to Li.

From Reuters

China is a crazy place, and it's on the brink of implosion.

Then again, we've been saying that for awhile.

Things I heard in the Kallang Roar

2007-02-01T21:55:00.000+08:00

A conversation that did not quite happen last night after the Singapore-Thailand game.

"Anyway, we wanted to shout 'Ho Ching', but decided against it."

"'Ho Ching'? Why?"

"Cos she brought down Thailand? And wasn't even trying?"

"No shit. I guess we know who wears the Lee pants now."

"Guess so - didn't they used to say that she's a man?"

"She'd totally take out the Thai team."

"Yeah. They're all girls, anyway."

"Girls? Really?"

"They're Thai, they're all transgender - didn't you watch Iron Ladies, the one about the volleyball team?"

"Those were men pretending to be women, not the other way around."

"Yeah. Wonder if Ho Ching plays volleyball."

"Thanks, now you made me think about Ho Ching's kar-ching."

Anyway, that conversation didn't happen. But the game was fun, for reasons that had nothing to do with the game. The National Stadium's got a lot of memories for me - I remember being a performer for the SEA games, and the days spent with classmates practicing our moves and our bridge game. The way Khong Guan biscuits and 100 plus tasted (the official sponsers). The stairs that always smelled of urine, even after they cleaned it up. Blissfully caught in the rain with the one that I thought was my first true love.

The grand old pee-stained lady's going to go soon. I don't want to launch into a discussion as to whether she should be kept; architect historian that I am, I want to build and preserve at the same time.

But I was glad to be there once last time - with thousands of others, to cheer on the national team, so that we could say all the things we never say, in that one last Kallang Roar.

(And for those of you who weren't there, yes, someone led the crowd in a cheer that went *clapclapclap* SHINCORP!* A lot of things get said at the National Stadium, that we never ever say outloud. )

Description of the day

2007-01-23T19:17:00.000+08:00

"At rest, it was a sad little mushroom cap sleeping in a bed of pubic hair." - anonymous Internetizen

I wish I could write like that. Really.

En memoriam

2007-01-14T23:55:00.000+08:00

I've always had a reluctant crush on MP Ms Indranee Rajah, ever since her great boobs and fantastic poise caught my attention. I don't know her personally, and I think she's mildly condescending, but I've never had the urge to diss her competence. She's ok, and I think she mostly knows what she's doing.

So the news of her brother's death was - well, I wouldn't say upsetting, since it's not as if I was friendly with either of them - so let's just say that it caught my attention in a "oh shit, that sucks" kind of way.

Of course, the fact that it took place two floors below me was a factor as well.

I heard that Dr Rajah had a heart attack while a student was consulting him in his room. Much as I live for the drama, I'll skip this starring role in ER: Singapore edition.

Poor guy. Heart attacks are just awful - it's out of the blue, and that little chunk of muscle that we never pay attention to as it blip-blops along suddenly goes blip-blop-bzzzzt.

You never get to say goodbye - so other people have to do it for you. I don't know the man, so the notice that was sent out on the mailing list will have to do:

Death Notice - Dr Ananda Rajah

It is with great sadness that I write to say that my friend and
colleague Ananda Rajah died on the afternoon of Tuesday, 9 January
2007, of an apparent heart attack at the age of 54. Ananda is probably
best known for his research on the Karen and on ethnic relations,
particularly relating to Myanmar, but anyone who had the pleasure of
knowing him will also remember his fine sense of humor and the great
pleasure he took from relating to friends, colleagues and students.

Paul Kratoska
Editor, H-SEASIA

He was one of the first generation of NUS academics, back when it was the University of Malaya. He would have remembered a time when the university believed itself an insitution of learning, not the Human Resource centre of Singapore, when they accepted government grants as homage, not as payment.

And now he steps into the past, carrying his memory with him. I think the older professors look at him, and see their own future - the last of a greater generation, marginalised by a government that sees them as inconvenient reminders of another time.