Public opposition to a plan by an Australian mining company, Lynas, to build a rare earth refinery in Pahang, Malaysia, was on show at a protest outside Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on May 20. Lynas plans to ship ore from its Mount Weld mine in Western Australia, through the port of Fremantle, to Malaysia. There it will be refined to extract rare earths, which are widely used in the manufacture of computers and electronics. The refinery will produce about 230,000 tonnes of solid waste a year. The waste, containing radioactive thorium and a range of heavy metals and toxic substances, will be dumped in Malaysia. Malaysian Socialist Party MP Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, told Green Left Weekly there was strong community opposition to the Lynas rare earth refinery plan. “This whole Lynas deal has been done...

Of all the evils spawned by the feudal society, honor killing is arguably the most heinous. Apologists try to equate it with “crime of passion” but crimes of passion are abrupt, unmediated, and impulsive acts of violence committed by persons who, in their own lights, have come face to face with an incident wholly repulsive and unacceptable and who technically and for the duration of the act, are insane and incapable of self-control. One well known and illustrative example is that of an Indian Naval officer, Commander Nanavati who some thirty years ago went to his apartment, found his wife and her paramour in conjugal embrace, shot both of them, went out, accosted a traffic policeman, confessed to the killing and demanded...

For the Indian media, only the celebrities are important. If you are not famous enough, your say, your cause and even your life has little news-value for the mainstream media. In India, when a celebrity sneezes, whole media weeps in sympathy whereas when ordinary people die, in protest, atrocities, calamities, or even in state sponsored massacres, it’s hardly a news. Although there have been many such cases in the past of the mainstream media’s obsession with an issue involving a celebrity, while being completely tame about serious issues involving ordinary citizens, I will focus on some recent or rather ongoing cases. Corruption is long-standing menace in India, but media’s role in...

The Afghan imbroglio is getting worse for Pakistan. There is an emerging consensus in the West that the failure of the NATO forces in Afghanistan is due to the active Pakistani support of the insurgents. Pakistan has a clear stance that it is not extending any help to the Taliban or Al Qaeda. The American leadership and intelligence agencies are however of the view that their opponents are getting support from within Pakistan’s geographical boundaries. There have been plenty of incidences over the past several years to substantiate this conclusion. The latest of these is the unnoticed residence of Osama bin Laden in the heart of one of the most important garrison...

Tauba Tauba, Allah Maafi, What is happening in Salamabad? The Mreecans have gan mad. They are holding this convention where all the peepals of third world, acdc, gays and lesbalians are coming. Only narmal peepals af Pakustan Peepal Paty are not coming. Every bady is so shamed that no bady is taaking. Every bady is keeping his mum.  I am taaking only. I don’t think so, this kind of gathering can be aloud in the Salamic Rupublic af Pakistan. It can be aloud in Waziristan. It can be aloud in Jalalabad. But sir ji, it can nat be aloud in Pakistan. I have asked Firdaus Baji Waan, to raise her vice. Fust, in Salamabad and then in the UN. I will spoat. The roosters af Sialkot will spoat. Yes we can.

Deriving pleasure out of pain and suffering inflicted on others is extreme savagery and despicable cruelty. Those who advocate harsh and inhumane punishments i.e. hanging/flogging in public and chopping off limbs etc. have, in their subconscious, developed a deep obsession with the pain (inflicted on others). These are the perverted minds that hate the victims and love the oppressors. In this age and time when the ideas of freedom, liberty and human dignity are being reshaped, in Pakistan, the popular discourse is still primitive and retrogressive. This popular narrative not only glorifies Muslim oppressors of the past but equally eulogizes other fataheen (Conquerors) of the past ruthless dictators...

Psychological disorders are not necessarily individual. At times their symptoms appear in a collective as well and are equally disastrous. A sizeable proportion of Pakistani Muslims are afflicted with a number of irrationalities and absurdities they are made to believe through clerics’ mania and Islamization of the society in general. “Blessed are we for we are Muslims and the best of prayers is the prayer for the preservation of one’s faith,” is something that most of the eminent and ordinary Muslims are heard of saying. “Islam is the natural faith of mankind. Therefore every human person is Muslim by nature. Society and culture coerce them to other faiths etc”. Reality contests the perception. Religion...

People derive this perception about myths and traditions from their milieu and by reading wrong history books. In which are written form the elitists’ point of view. Such myths are promoted by despotic government in the past to protect their property and privilege. As far as the concept of punishment is, the best policy to protect private property is to punish people severely as warning and as prevention of committing crime without understanding the social, economic or political causes. History tells us that exemplary punishment has failed to check crimes. Why people do not demand to reform and change the society and demand to eliminate the causes of injustice and inequality? Neither our intellectual nor ruling classes are interested to change the structure of the society which provides them privileges and power... Conspiracy theory is deep rooted in our society. It is easy to blame other for our problems and be satisfied.

BBC reported, "The US is so concerned about security in Pakistan that it is considering plans to enter the country to prevent extremists getting hold of nuclear material". According to Senator McCain, Pakistan's ISI has connections with the Haqqani network. In his confirmation hearing Lt. Gen. John Allen said he is aware that explosive devises used against American forces in Afghanistancome from Pakistan. Adm. McRaven thinks Pakistanis know where Mulla Omar is. So, the US-NATO has enemies in Pakistan in their cross-hair. But the war is not the root cause of the predicament Pakistan finds itself in. Declared #12 on the list of failed nations, Pakistan is the 3rd most dangerous country for women.

Following poem is Sain Sucha’s reaction to the video Sri Lanka's killing fields, and to other atrocities committed by the devotees of various religions.