Sandstorm hits central South Africa
Category Archives: Current Affairs
Egyptian Modernity in the 1950s and 1960s
Egypt is paradigmatic of what has gone wrong over the past half century in Muslim countries. From creeping secularisation across the Arab world led by none other than Gamel Abdul Nasser of Egypt, the bête noir of the West, the modernisation of many of these countries continued apace including such countries as Afghanistan.
What happened since that momentous epoch?
During the 1950s and 1960s even that icon of secularisation and modernity, the bikini, made its appearance in these countries. It is not that these countries were becoming less religious, it was merely the acceptance that there would be a separation between temporal and religious affairs. Was this not the journey that Western Europe embarked upon after the Enlightenment?
Main picture: Sunbathers near the Port of Alexandria, 1955
Do Religions Deserve Kid Glove Treatment in the Contest of Ideas?
How is the religion which is appropriate for one determined? Certainly not by being exposed to the doctrine of each and making an informed choice. Like all other ideas and aspects of one’s life, why cannot there be robust debate and contestation of ideas?
Has one ever considered approaching all the main religions to obtain an insight into their doctrine and way of life before making such a momentous decision regarding what faith one should adopt? In the movie The Life of Pi – and I admit that it was only a movie – in which the main character, Pi Patel, obtained first-hand experience of a number of religions before making his final choice, is precisely what I have in mind.
What is the Future of Music Sales?
Even the inhabitants of Outer Mongolia must be aware of the impending demise of music as we know it; not as far as the type of music available is concerned but rather how we consume it.
Once one has loaded one’s CD collection onto one’s iPod, one will never revert back to playing individual CDs ever again. It is only the technophobes – the older generation – who resist the move to an easier more convenient way of consuming one’s music.
Collapse of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos Nigeria
Now the recriminations, finger-pointing and deflection of blame have commenced.
Like in most disasters, the emergency services and the management are not able to cope with the magnitude of the cataclysm. On the other hand the families and loved ones demand immediate answers as to the fate of the victims and precise timelines for when their fate will be known.
Malema: Uncouth firebrand or savvy politician?
Indubitably Malema’s lexicon and gratuitous use of the Race Card at every opportunity could certainly brand him as an uncouth firebrand. In his own way beneath the reckless populist does Malema represent an audacious savvy politician?
Most South Africans can readily recite their litany of examples of Malema’s uncouth behaviour or fraudulent actions. Amongst the one most quoted would be when he referred to Lindiwe Mazibuko as “Zilla’s tea lady.” Others might remember the incident where he cited Naledi Pandor diction as being un-African. In both these incidents, the recipient of his obnoxious comment was an intelligent, honest and respectable person not worthy of such opprobrium.
The iWatch: Will it revolutionise the Textures and Rhythms of Life?
Like its predecessors from the Church Clock to the Pocket Watch & finally to the Wrist Watch, will the Apple Watch, as it is officially being called, fundamentally revolutionise the textures & rhythms of life? Furthermore will it initiate the march to a totally connected always-on world?
The very idea of a wearable computer has existed in the human imagination since at least the birth of the James Bond movies. Fifty years ago it was a science fiction gadget which nobody least of all the scientists took seriously. Finally Apple has placed it at the pinnacle of its new revolution – a wearable computer. Continue reading
The Middle East Imbroglio: Selective Outrage & Morality
What was the Muslim response to release of the United Nation’s report on the civil war in Syria condemning it as the greatest human tragedy in decades? A deafening silence! The displacement of 6 million people, the creation of 2 million refugees and the deaths of 200,000 civilians in the space of 3 years did not rate a mention.
This flagrant hypocrisy does not relate solely to Syria’s heinous crimes but also to the whole of the Middle East. What has been the Arab response to the genocidal actions of the ISIS forces against the Iraqi Yazidi Sect. In fact why has Adam Habib, a vocal support of the Palestinian cause, not issued a sharp rebuke to Abu Bakr al-Bagdahi’s forces for the mayhem, death & destruction caused by their forces against a peace-loving Sunni sect. It was left to the “hated imperialist” American air force to prevent the ultimate slaughter of the Yazidis in their mountain fastnesses.
How does one Handle the Loss of a Loved One especially a Child?
Heaven forbid that I would have to lose a child especially one who is still very young. How would I cope with it? Hopefully I will not react like this mother on 702 Talk Radio.
This topic is one that most of us do not even dwell on for a second as if the maxim “out of sight out of mind” would automatically apply. Perhaps one is forced to contemplate this eventually if one reads about this occurring. Aside from the fact that it is the death of a child, one cannot possibly imagine what those other parents are enduring. By imagine I mean to be in their shoes and not some bystander or some passer-by.
First it was Malema’s “Kill for Zuma”, now the ANC’s “Kill Malema”
Instead of the “over-exuberant youth” that the ANC labelled the uncouth ANCYL Leader, Malema has now become enemy #1 for the ANC. The ANC’s true colours are revealed in the spat between itself and the EFF about bringing Parliament into disrepute.
Among the multitude of mendacious traits of the ANC such as having a culture of impunity, is that they define their opponents not as rivals but as the enemy. I contend that it is this milieu that is at the root of such repugnant comments that Malema made whilst head of the ANCYL.