Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
-
Farewell Paul the Octopus
Undoubtedly the most famous Cephalopod, Paul the psychic octopus, the hero of 2010 FIFA world cup has died today at his home at the Oberhausen Sea Life Center in Germany. Paul was actually born in Weymouth and moved from the town’s Sea Life Park in 2006. He isn’t the first thing to die in a…
-
Now Shiv Sena calls for Burqa Ban
There is a saying in Sinhalese, “One who has received a beating with a firebrand, runs away at the sight of a firefly”. Similar proverbs in other languages are “A burnt child dreads fire” (English) “A scalded dog fears cold water” (French) and “One bitten by a serpent is afraid of a rope’s end” (Jewish).…
-
Lost Some Where..
Our visionary pundits of politics are busy in something which only they and the angels accompanying them are aware of. Both in domestic and international arena, it seems that the political lot has finally decided to doom this land so dear to us which our ancestors named as “Pakistan†63 years back. Whether its democratic…
-
Lyari: A Perpetual War Zone in Karachi
It’s been a long time (more than ten years) since I visited the Lyari area of Karachi, although I used to pass through it daily right up to 1998. In the last decade, gangsters have taken over the district and almost every day gang wars take place in which people are killed. But then, I…
-
Dera Ghazi Khan Mob Justice results in Another Grisly Murder
I have no words to express my fury, heartache, angst and torment over another gruesome murder of Hafiz Abdullah. Hafiz Abdullah; resident of Dera Ghazi Khan and father of thirteen children killed a man during a spat. He was caught by police. As per the rules of law, he should have been tried in a…
-
The Story of White Taliban
US led “War on Terror†is one episode where things have taken a new dimension on regular bases.  Now as we are well into the 10th year of this global adventurism and many including me strongly believe that its Afghan chapter will be entering its final chapter by the mid of 2011, a new but…
-
Harassment and Gender Bias in Pakistan
Gender and cultural bias is a very common phenomenon all over the world. But the biases and differences are twice in developing countries as in comparison with the developed nations. Let us not go so far and take the example of our own country Pakistan. In Pakistan women are always stressed, frazzled and drained by…
-
Ayodhya Verdict: Indian Muslims will always be second-class citizens
The so-called “historic” verdict by the judges of the Allahabad High Court in India has been welcomed by rabid Hindu fanatics because they now feel they can go ahead and demolish all the remaining mosques in India. Instead of recognizing that Muslims were the owners of the land on which the Babri Masjid had stood…
-
Dr. Imran Farooq Murder Conspiracy: By a MQM Supporter
Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons or property will be safe. This is what always happens in Pakistan after any major incidents. People forget some basic teaching…
-
Aafia Siddiqui Sentence: Open Letter from Yvonne Ridley
Did Judge Berman make a mistake? Will US Attorney General call for a mis-trial? Yvonne Ridley writes an Open Letter Dear Mr Holder, I am a journalist and film-maker who has been investigating the rather intriguing case of Dr Aafia Siddiqui since her disappearance with her three children in 2003. Can you please tell me…
Got any book recommendations?