uncle, forget amrika. whtz ur take on cases like imrana, charity begins at home u know

"American politician has to follow a code fashioned by Moses and vetted by Joshua. These days, however, social mores are more compatible with Solomon and David."--states Mubashar Jawed Akbar.

After reading the above statement claimed to be written by you, I really wondered if you are a Muslim ( Believer in God who created you ), although I don't judge you.

What you do is your soul's account of what you present to your Lord, and you carry it around your neck.

I am just a warner.

I really wish USA followed NON-corrupted "Book of Moses".

But it appears, it doesn't. Lord of all the Worlds knows the Best.

It appears, it follows ccorrupted version of Book of Moses, with words changed, to suit the convenience and desires of some corrupt and greedy people.

A "Muslim": is the one who does not discriminate the Prophets based on what some corrupt people accuse some Prophets, to be of or may have been of, in hand written narratives.

By accusing Prophet Solomon and Prophet David (Peace be upon them )of social mores which suit you, you clearly proved yourself to be on the side of those who accuse the Prophets ( Peace be upon them ) of actions and events around them to which they are not authors.

If Prophet David ( pbuh) showed slightest pride of wisdom, it has been revealed 38:21-24 how Allah tested him and made him realise his mistake and How Allah forgave David after he repented and gave in bounty a Kingdom and Wisdom.

When Prophet Solomon ( pbuh) missed his middle day prayer before sunset, in fascination for the coursers ( supposedly horses) of highest breeding, Allah made him realise the mistake and Prophet asked for forgiveness. Allah forgave him and gave him large Kingdom 38: 31-33.

38-34 Allah says, Solomon's body was placed on the throne and and this was test on Solomon. Then Prophet Solomon asked for forgiveness.
(38-35)
Then Allah rewarded Prophet Solomon ( peace be upon him ) just like he rewarded his father Prophet David ( peace be upon him) with control on knowledge and wisdom of all natural forces.

To the Ones like Prophet Solomon and David ( peace be upon them )who are forgiven by Allah after His tests on them and those who are respected by Seal of All Prophets and our Last Prophet Muhammad ( Peace be upon him), ----is it not preposterous and hasty to make judgement of their social mores?

Al-Baqarah 2:101-102: Allah talks in favour of Prophet Solomon.

In 101 Allah says, "People of the Book threw away the Book of Allah behind their backs".

In 2:102, Allah says, " They followed what the evil ones gaveout falsely against the power of Solomon: the blasphemers were, NOT Solomon, but the evil ones, teaching men magic and such things as came down at Babylon to the angels Harut and Marut......( rest read it yourself)
Is it not against your own soul and its oath to your Lord?

To the Prophets like Solomon and David ( peace be upon them) whose actions are clarified by none other than Our Lord and Sustainer of Our Worlds: is it right to join the hands and tongues of those who dis-believe in Our Lord and those who threw away the Book of Allah behind their backs.

Our ( All Human Kind's ) Qur'an, if you are a real Muslim, teaches us that Moses, Solomon and David are all Prophets who came as predecessors to your Last Prophet.( Peace be upon all of them )

Surah Baqarah verse 285 in Qur'an states:

"The Messenger (here it means Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon Him) believes in what has been revealed to him from His Lord ( The God= Allah or Rahman, Most Kind and Most Merciful or Ya Ha Weh or Ya Ho Wah as some brothers from People of the Book may refer to as ) as do the Men of Faith( includes their women), each one of them ( that includes every Muslim who claims himself or herself to be Muslim )
believes : in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. "We make no distinction ( Muslims say) between one and another of his Messengers" . And they ( Muslims along with Messengers and Prophets ) say : " We hear and We obey ( we seek ) "Thy forgiveness, our Lord and to Thee is the end of all journeys " 2:285

It continues on 2:286:

"On, no soul, doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. Pray: " Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that Thou did lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art Our Lord! The Sustainer of All the Worlds, Our Protector; Help us against those who stand against Faith" 2: 286

Surah Sad discusses about Prophet Solomon and Prophet David ( Peace be upon both of them ).

Surah Al-Araf, talks in continuation, of Surah Sad, as how each of the Prophets ( Peace be upon each of them) struggles for Truth and often against their own family members ( Prophet Lut (against wife), Prophet Noah (against wife) and Prophet Ibrahim ( against father or uncle called Terah), Prophet Lot (against all his family members for Truth )

Who ever is worried that Mubashar's writings are in favour of Muslims, can nicely go back to sound sleep, for he himself does not know what he is talking of and in favour of whom? and for what? and why at this stage of life?

"Pen is stronger than Sword" he claims.

But as he is growing old, he is using his pen and his hands to take the side of those who lie against their own Prophets and Messengers ( Peace be upon them )

Where is the limit for son of Adam's belly?

If you are writing what you are writing to impress them and get favours, surely you are on wrong path, far far away from what Your Lord teaches you or prescribes you to be, or prescribes you to aim for in this Life or for Life After Death.

Qur'an-Revelation and Light from Allah, clearly states enemy is not this person or that person.

Qur'an does not state Saddam Hussein or George Bush or Tony Blair or as enemies.

But it openly states Satan is our enemy whom we can't see with our naked eyes.

But it helps us to identify Dis-believers or Hypocrites no matter of which faith of what they proclaim themselves to be by mark of those who openly defy their Lord and His Prophets, His Angels and His Messengers.

Enemy is Satan and his Followers Jinnis, who dis-obey their Lord.

If we keep accusing this person or that person of these mishaps around us, how can
anyone find the way back to their Lord?

All that 55 years of intelligence and experience, you think George Bush is doing everything on his own??????? It really requires a super human task to be of so many things for one weak personality like George Bush to be of what you openly give him credit for.

George Bush not far away back in time, when quizzed was the person who did not even know what is the name of Pakistani President?

Today George Bush( in name ) makes decisions for Pakistanis through Musharaff( in name ). He makes decisions through Manmohan Singh( in name ) for Indians. If George Bush is not George Bush, if Man Mohan Singh is not Man Mohan Singh, and if Musharaff is not Musharaff, who is making decisions? did you ever even ponder.

Who is that Evil who advises George Bush and Rice to go on War on People to steal riches of the unknown lands and awards you with rewards for your betrayals?

Pray and Ask Your Lord, the sustainer of All the Worlds to open your spiritual eyes and see who is responsible for what before indiscrimately giving suggestions to those who are obedient to Evil, about what to do and what not to do.

By advising Evil, behind Bush,( who in your mind is none other than Bush himself and it may not be true) you are becoming army of Evil.

Stay away, from such adventures.

Today George Bush is doing something. Tomorrow, Satan, The accursed One, may ask some one else to do the same thing under different name. But how does that change your life or my life or anyone 's life?

Life changes when we change.

Everything negative around us changes into positive, provided we are on right path and we take Guidance of Lord to be on Right Path and take the criterion and balance of right and wrong from Revleations of Allah.

Till then we go around in circles and circles blaming each other and there is no respite until death approaches us and by then it is too late to apologise to your Lord, how we used our lives and what for what purpose.

Next time you write anything about Prophets of Allah, be warned,you must refer your Books and Revelations than making any preposterous statements.

I am mere warner and slave of My Lord, The Sustainer of All the Worlds.

Comparing Indian mentality and americans is like comparing apples and oranges. I am saying this after living in the states after quite a while. americans are more emotionally attached to the party and more blinded by mass media. but there are quite a few independent websites devoted to waking up people. right now they are blinded by christianity in politics.
Indias politicians get away because indian voters are diversified and more illiterate let alone poor media crap and minority bias.

Sex related news has in recent days crowded off from the US media, deadly serious news about Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea and the state of the US economy.

IMO, the general public's obsession with sexual lives of celebrities and its distance from national decisionmaking is partly responsible. The public's interest would be better served by an obsession with politics instead.

The American public is also rather unrealistic to expect that sexual behaviour of their politicians will be different from their own though the public and their politicians both live in the same milieu. But the fact remains that politicians in office do need moral authority when they take critical decisions on critical issues in public affairs and lapses in self-restraint (such as infidelity or alcoholism), however private, do erode the authority of those holding power.

Another factor is that love is truly free only when there is no major power imbalance between the two parties. In recent cases which were in the news, the public has been outraged by the fact that one side took undue advantage of its power and position over the other.

However the sort of bigotry and intolerance that a number of fellow Indian posters here display for others' opinions are the bigger threat to any system than moral violations in private behaviour.

While Mr. Akbar is absolutely right in pointing out that American politics is inexplicably tangled up with sexuality and sexual mores, his comparison with Indian politics is, at best, a half truth.

While it is true that the extra-marital affairs and bastard sons of Indian politicians don't really affect public opinion, it is also true that gender-bias and sexual conservatism are challenges that India must deal with. Would Mr. Akbar stand by his statement if a woman politician in India was caught up in a sex scandal? What would be the reaction of the Indian public then?

And, to all the prior posts on Indian tolerance to homosexuality, I have only three words for you: "open your eyes". Sadly, homosexuality is such a taboo in Indian society, that it still against the law to be a homosexual, let alone the issue of gay marriage. Sexuality in India has been sadly repressed for centuries. Politics in India is corrupt, at best, and quid pro quo, at worst. In such a setting, of course, the sexual escapades of the male politicians don't matter.

I think Mr. Akbar is exactly right in pointing out that the average Indian voter, who may well be impoverished and under-educated, is actually smarter than the average American voter and knows when to throw the bums out. Meanwhile, the Republicans have used Clinton's consensual affair with an adult, the gay-marriage bogeyman etc. to convince poor Kansans to vote against their own interests, time and again. (Read Tom Frank's "What's the matter with Kansas"). Frankly, India at this point, while it is far from perfect, is a better secular democracy than the US, warts and all.

As an aside, I am troubled by the rabid prose of people who appear to be fellow Hindus and Indian-Americans like me. Unfortunately, there are fanatics only too quick to use extreme words amongst Indian Hindus, as there amongst Indian Muslims and the right-wing evangelicals and zealots of all religions. And Mr. Rafiq Zakaria was an Indian Muslim and a Congress Party State Govt. Minister in Maharashtra, and his sons have distinguished themselves in the US in journalism and investment banking. They are great examples of how Indian Muslims thrive in a secular democratic India.

It's not the religion, stupid. It's about freedom and liberty and education.

Mr. Akbar,
I agree with everything you say, we Americans are receding in our openness, we are more puritanical now than the 90s, which was moreso than the 80s, which was moreso than the 70s. We are ruled by fear, never positivism nor altruism. We do not embrace an open society, in contrast to what we tell others, instead we stifle ourselves in many ways, the worst being sexually.

MJ AKbar:

To begin with, you are thoroughly wrong in comparing India with the US. India, essentially a Hindu country, symbolizes Hindu values. And the US society is mostly Christian. Hindu scriptures, Vedas, Upnishads and Gita lay greater emphasis on Karma, the sense of right and wrong; who are we? what is God? do we need God? what is our relationship with God? what are our responsibilities as a member of the social order etc etc. Sex, admittedly is a part of human endeavors, but Hindu philosophy, by and large, leaves it alone, to the judgment of those involved. Also, once you understand true meaning of Karma, you will always follow the path of righteousness, even in sex, and even in extra-marital sex; if it comes to that. But, in Christianity, and more so in Islam; sex is specifically addressed. Take Islam for example, fornication and adultery are great social sins punishable by hundred lashes and public stoning to death.

The contrast is clearly manifested in today's India's response to sexual adventures. While much of the Hindu India does not seem to care about sexual escapades of public figures, the Muslim majority Kashmir is reacting differently. The entire state administration has been paralyzed for months; there have been massive and violent demonstrations; and all this for a bunch of call girls a few low ranking government officials. These agitations have been planned and conducted by Muslim organizations. Don't tell me that George Bush is behind those protests? Imagine what will happen; if it turns out Mussharaf had a one-night stand during his stay in USA? Will it be condoned by Mullahs of Pakistan?

Your attacks on President Bush essentially reflect a perverse mind, obsessed with Islamic fanatism. Had bush sided with those sickening Palestinians, he would have been a great friend of yours. Better yet, had he forced India to hand over Kashmir to Pakistan, you would have been his great admirer.

You need to thank your fellow Muslim Fareed Zakaria, who brought you in on Washington Post. Nothing personal, but with the kind of analytical skill you display, it might have been impossible or someone else to find a place in a third class American tabloid.

I can see your point. Society is overly obsessed with someone else's sex life. It has no relevance to what is truly important. A word of advice to kris, in case you haven't read the warning about posting hate-filled comments,I would suggest you start now. Akbar is just stating an opnion.

If Bush is wrong to link a person's sexual morality to public policy, then why are all governments in the World being called upon to train people to reduce the risks of AIDS?

Promiscuity is proven to increase physical health risks and most of us also agree that the lack of fidelity also reveals a lack of character. Hardly irrelevent.

"During his five-speech campaign to revive Republican fortunes, George Bush resurrected fear as usual; but at his most sincere oratorical moment he said that the War on Terror was between Islam and "infidelity". Was this the kind of Freudian slip that would have terrified Freud himself?"

Akbar is anti Bush and he will do any thing to tarnish his image. He is pro Islam. He never criticises Islam and the Islamic terrorists and their crimes against humanity. Did he criticise Osama Bin Laden?

hey mr. akbar ,how is your mistress "seema mustafa" ,does she still get hormonal imbalance thinking of "ugly" indian, anyway tell her we all here love "ugly" indian and hope he carries out unfinished work of partition ,anyways how does it feels to be a non resident paki?

John Kennedy indulged in many offairs. No one printed them. If printed he wouldn't be elected president. FDR aslo had a mitress and no one disclosed it. Times changed and today in America we want our politicians to be perfect while we indulge in all kinds of sex in and out of marriage.

India or for that matter east will follow west as it has been following in other fields. Sexual morality will become an issue for politiciansin India as it becomes a modern state. Muslim countries will be last to follow. As Marx once wrote
" It is not social consciousness that determines social existance, on the contrary it is the social existance that determines social consciousness."

We in America ought not to dvelve into private life of politicians.

well the author himself had out of wedlock child in england as reported their by tabloids but it did not affected his popularity among the muslim fanatics or among the hindu bashers,so he might be writing here with his own experiences ,any way he gets space in post, thanks to zakaria who is the son of pakistani called rafique zakaria under whom mr akbar honed his pro pakistani writing skills

Go and sin no more, indeed.

Aren't lying and avarice sins as well? Why the focus on sex?

Just wanted to agree and disagree with Vulcan's comment that if Jesus were alive, he would protect gays and lesbians like any other human beings from unwanted attacks. Yes, he would, just as he protected the adulterous woman from the judgmental crowds who came to stone her to death in accordance with the law of that time. Jesus said, "Let him who has no sin in him throw the first stone". But, and this a very important but, after the crowds had left in shame and embarrassment, Jesus told the woman, "..Go, and sin no more". Very critical point. I forgive you. I do not judge you. But, change your life of sin. Christians are called to love the sinner but hate sin. We cannot become indifferent to sin in the name of tolerance and broadmindedness. Christians are also called to not judge for God is the ultimate judge of all. But we are called to call a spade a spade and lead those going astray on to the right path.

Well spoken. Intrusive morality is pervasive in America, but also intrusive religiosity. By some census accounts, slightly less than half the world are agnostics or atheists. Slightly more than half of America have religious affiliations. To digest the media here, one would think we are all bible thumping evangelists. What about the rest of us? I guess NOT being outraged by Danish cartoonists, cigar-wielding Presidents or gay Republicans doesn't get much press coverage.

In most of the thirld world, it is taken for granted that successful politicians will indulge their lust. After all, that's what they would do if they got in power.
This is the reason that people like Clinton are admired throughout the world.
It is only in America that politicians are held to a moral standard. The exception is those parts of the US which reflect the thirld world. In those areas, such as big cities, people view politicians the same way.

Indira Gandhi became a widow at a fairly young age, did she have any affairs? After all she was Prime Minister for a long time and human (I think). I am sure she wanted to do the "nasty", I am pretty sure she scored a couple of notches.....I wonder if she would have managed to hold on to power if such stories ever got out. Trust me the Pundits would have sent her to her pyre alive...

There is great fascination with India these days in the US, about India's economy, their brains while those may be true I would be very hesitant to give India any points for "morality". There is a popular saying that kind of explains Indian morality standards and the Khajuraho/Konark Temple fascination.

"Ganga gaye Ganga Ram, Jamuna gaye Jamuna Ram"

basically it means ..."Go with the flow...." and believe me it applies to every aspect of life in Indian society.

The people from India touched on the essence of what is different between east and west. Asia never developed a concept of prudishness. The human body and its functions are part of nature and accepted in their entirety; so are by extension the various forms which life takes on.

Europe and America are conditioned by the Christian ethic, which from the Renaissance on considered the mind as superior to the body, and the Catholic Church, which considered sex a "low level" means to insight. It produced a human being in conflict with itself. Almost all of European history is a struggle to liberate the individual from these imperfections, to rediscover the freedom to love to create. In America the two sides remained divided: the struggle for liberation was sincere intellectually, but hypocritical physically. Sexual liberation all too often didn't liberate and turned into a near obsession with sex as a symbol of power and modernity.

Politics in America plays against this background. Sex equals money equals power. Wealth became synonymous with male prowess. The "corrupt" liberation accepts "corrupt" methods. The elusive true desire to create was replaced with competition to defend the position of power. Any adverse sexual event is therefore a potential loss of power and used by adversaries to topple the contender from his position of strength. It is misunderstood and degraded Freudian theory, which stipulated sex as the governing principle of all of life.

As a consequence, scandal has often more influence on American elections than facts.

In India a person is more romantically referred if he has more affairs without breaking his family or any laws or under-age children.Indians are generally more tolerant not only towards extra-marital affairs but also towards homosexuals with an attitude of let-it-be.Question of morality rarely creeps into this nor is this even discussed,right or wrong.If you visit Khajuraho or Konark temples in India,you would see human-size Hindu Gods and Goddesses in hetero-sexual and homo-sexual acts.And the funny thing is millions of ordinary Indians
visit and see these sculptures in stone without any outrage or disapproval but only admiration for the fine sculpture artist.That is the way it should be.I visted these temples with my whole family without any feeling of outrage except enjoying the sights as a part of our picnic trip.Do you punish your children if they write or work only with their left hand ? We don't.Gays or lesbians too behave and act as they do as it is written in their genes:nothing right or wrong.I don't know why Americans work themselves up so much on this. Americans live in a dark tunnel really.
If Jesus were alive,he will protect gays and lesbians like any other human beings from unwanted attacks.

It is questionable to bring indian comparison to this?
Most Indians did not know anything about Nehrus affair(s).
Hell most dont know much about him either....
Back in US
The issues that are supposed to big deal
eg McGreevy's boyfriend who was put in charge of state security is not brought up over and over again as his being a homo....