Dream accomplished – Time to party!
They were on the road since 2006 realizing their dreams. For 2 years and 6 months they traveled from Australia to Switzerland by land and sea – on a bike, by hitchhiking, by tuk tuk, camel, tractor and a 1978 VW bus a.k.a. pimp.
Their journey will end on the 18th of October 2008 when they will finally reach their destination Switzerland after travelling almost 27 countries non-stop. Now its time they had a party!
Put two best mates together who are nature lovers, adventurers and a bit crazy too and what happens is a bicycle trip from Australia to Switzerland.
It started with an idea – it became a dream – then reality … which unfortunately had to change due to circumstances beyond their control
Some of their goals were:
· To travel from Australia to Switzerland by bicycle and alternative transportation (i.e. not tourist buses etc.) and occasional water crossings by boat. To begin this journey in Darwin, Australia in 2006 and complete it in Switzerland in 2008.
· Document the trip as a whole with still photography and video, focusing on social and environmental issues.
· To gear the images in this documentary for different possible outcomes. For example, a film about our journey, still photos and slide shows for exhibition.
· To live our dream!
For more information on them and their WILD trip, visit their official site www.alexkaeslin.com
1st anniversary of the Red Massacre
Operation silence
1 year ago, the “President” of Pakistan gave a signal to the security forces to execute what was termed to be “Operation Silence” which was carried out on the students of the Lal Masjid. The siege of the mosque was already put in place weeks earlier trying to strangle all possibilities of retaliation from the people holed up inside the mosque. With all of Pakistan watching in distress, the SSG (Special Service Group) under orders from President General Musharraf, himself a commando, who was personally guiding the operation, issued orders for final assault rejecting a compromise formula evolved earlier by Shujaat and ulema during talks with Ghazi.
This led to a 14 hour of heavy fighting, with the army pounding the place with all artillery available and the students giving a tough resistance in their last stand to what they termed as a tyrant, arrogant and un-Islamic system of governance. The government had claimed that there were foreign elements inside the mosque with heavy weapons, but Molana Abdul Rasheed Ghazi refuted the claim saying that there were only students inside the complex and they had only 14 licensed Kalashanakov’s to protect them. Last minute negotiations which were reaching a point of understanding between the administration and the people inside the Lal Masjid were suddenly stopped on the orders from the Presidency and the operation was given a go ahead signal, crushing any hopes of a peaceful end to the crisis.
These are the weapons the government so much feared
14 hours later, the army entered the complex which was burned and riddled with bullets but failed to find any foreign elements or heavy weapons as claimed earlier to show to the media to justify their action. The then Prime Minister, Shokat Aziz in a press conference termed the operation as “successful” while he went to eat ice cream with his family. The minister for religious affairs Ijaz Ul Haq, son of the former dictator Zia Ul Haq came on the media just to shed tears and show his helplessness against the brutality of his government and their master.
How many of the students died that day still remains a mystery which can only be uncovered once there is an independent trial on the issue.
Tribute
The Lal Masjid administration with thousands of participants from all over Pakistan paid rich tributes to the fallen “hero’s” of Operation Silence while convening a Shohida Conference at the very place the massacre took place exactly 1 year earlier. The government keeping the operation name in mind stayed silent. They did not bother to pay any tribute to the army jawans who had also fallen that day maybe knowing that it was not worth mentioning. But, the Pakistani nation pays tribute to them also and although they were forced to act by a man that has his own philosophies and can teach you on all life matters better than any other person alive or dead. Yes, he is our “President” – the all knowing man – General (Rtd.) Pervaiz Musharraf.
Let us pay tribute to the men who fell on that day from both sides as the “grand mufti” declared them both as martyrs.
The officer and jawans of the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group,who were killed during active combat at the Lal Masjid- Jamia Hafsa compound. (1st Row L-R) Capt Salman Farooq Lodhi, Lance Naik Afsar Sayab, Naik Mohammad Saddique and Sepoy Mohammad Johar Naseem. (2nd Row L-R) Subedar Mohammad Inayat Sahi, Havaldar Mohammad Khan, Sepoy Mohammad Naseer and Sepoy Mohammad Khalid Khokar
May ALLAH forgive them all and accept their martyrdom.
Why it is important to impeach the President
He should have to answer for the massacre at the Lal Masjid and should be made an example for the future generations to follow. It is important that the nation takes him to trial for the atrocities committed against his own people, just like Saddam Hussain. His use of chemical weapons and naked aggression against his people should not and will not be forgotten. He has not only brought the country on the brink of a civil war but has also endangered the very existence of Pakistan just to stay in power and please his masters. This story was repeated many years ago in Iraq by another dictator and today the same is done in Pakistan. He preaches the west to look into the reasons for extremism but never follows his own advice. He is not only a danger for the federation but also for the reputation of the army that has nosedived ever since he started to have “revelations” about making Pakistan according to his likings.
A thought to reflect upon for the President
(Inside the Lal Masjid)
No Pakistani would advocate extremist views from both sides, but they would also not approve of the policy being adopted by the government.
Dr. Aafia Siddique – The rape of humanity
Of the many crimes committed by the “President” of Pakistan, General Pervaiz Musharraf, the disappearance of Pakistani nationals is the most heinous and worth taking him to court. Musharraf himself had confessed in his autobiography “In the line of fire” that he had handed many Pakistani’s to the US. All these people were abducted and handed over to the US without giving them a fair trial in their own country and without having any extradition treaty with the US. And he did receive a price for his services to the US and that too in dollars. So, selling Pakistani’s to other countries is what our President was busy at, making millions apart from the protocol he received within the country.
One such victim of Musharraf’s greed is Dr. Aafia Siddique. The sad story of Dr. Aafia Siddique is as follows:
AAafia Siddiqui has a biology degree from MIT and earned her PhD in cognitive neuroscience from Brandeis University. She like most of the immigrants in the US was “Americanated” and was divorced because her husband wanted their eldest son to attend a madrassa whereas she wanted her children to have “western” education. This alone is evidence enough to prove that Dr. Aafia was in no way an extremist until the FBI painted her as one.
She was on her way to the airport with her 3 children, when she was kidnapped by Musharraf’s henchmen and handed over to the FBI. The FBI had no evidence to prove she had links with Al-Qaeda and their “Most Wanted” list had AAafia as a suspect wanted for questioning only.
After 5 years of torture, rape and ill treatment, Dr. AAafia is said to have lost her senses whom the British journalist Yvonne Ridley dubbed “The Grey Lady of Bagram”
The US and Pakistani authorities had been denying that they had Dr. AAafia in custody since 2003 and then suddenly she appeared in the New York court with charges of firing at the military personnel who had come to investigate her.
Some thought to reflect upon
When Bush claims that “they (the Muslims in general) hate our way of living” he is right. Yes, we (the Muslims in general) hate it when the Americans take so much care of not even hurting the animals and have those so called Animal Rights Organizations, yet they have no remorse or guilt when it comes to these Muslims. So, for Americans hurting animals is far more a serious crime than humiliating and murdering Muslims. This is the American way of living that everyone hates.
When Bush on his last Asia trip accused China of human rights violations was so drunk that he did not forget the crimes he has committed on humanity. The Americans will be active protesting at other countries for their human rights violations and yet keep a blind eye at their own. This hypocrisy is what the Muslims hate. Under what law and in which legality had Dr. AAafia been kidnapped, tortured and raped?
When the Americans accuse Saddam of killing his own people and take all military action to capture and hang him in the name of humanity and on the same lines support other dictators and oppressors who kill their own people and kidnap them.
This is what the Muslims hate and when that hate combines, it becomes the hate against America.
To our President:
How much worth was Dr. Aafia Siddique?
Did you enjoy spending that money?
