With the formation of Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi the country is going to witness a novel experiment in politics. The first target has been the VIP culture. Arvind Kejriwal has refused to accept security, beacon fitted vehicle and a government bunglow not only for himself but all his ministe

Dr. Mithlaj was born and brought up in a fanatic Muslim family of Central Asia. He accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior while he was doing research for the doctorate. He was 42 years old. He married a Christian girl named *Christy 17 years ago. They had four children.
At Any cost Jesus Miss

I am thankful to the organizers of this conference for giving me the opportunity to share my views with this learned audience. The topic for the present discussion is Peace. It is a very good topic, there is no doubt about it. Regarding myself, I would say that I am a born pacifist. I would say that

Christmas day is very popular, most active and full of spirit in the world. I am sure that this day is the most beautiful and celebrated day most attractive, charming, cheerful and colorful day in the world. People feel happy to celebrate this day. If we call it happiest day in the worlds, I think i

On 11 December 2013, the streets outside the Supreme Court of India thronged with a dazed crowd, hugging, sobbing and not quite sure what had happened. Inside the hushed courtroom, the judges had just passed a devastating ruling. Lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) in India had once again b

The landscape of some urban areas of India still carves out a niche inhabited by people ignorant of celebrations of Christmas. Recently a young lady from the locality “Dhaniram ka Purwa”, an area in Faizabad district of UP was puzzled on being asked about her forthcoming plans on Christmas. The ques

(This article is based upon a CNS interview with Professor (Dr) Dilip Mathai, Dean, Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research)
HIV in today's context is a chronic condition of the human immune system. HIV is a retrovirus and the infection leads to a progressive reduction in the number of CD

Some days ago, somebody sent me a list of questions and requested me to respond to them. They were mostly related to what can be called ‘inherited’ and ‘culture-based’ religiosity.
Most people, the questioner began, blindly follow the religion into which they were born. This applies to both most n

AIDS is just one of the manifestations of HIV, said a veteran health advocate. A range of co-infections and co-morbidities also need as much attention as AIDS-related treatment and care. HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection was in spotlight at the 6th National Conference of AIDS Society of I

The human right to live without terror is, without doubt, an urgent need of our times. From the First World War till now, a great number of charters and declarations of this nature have been issued by different international forums, including the United Nations. But, as we know, these charters and d

My name is Rashid. I was a commander of a fanatic movement, who was planning either convert back or wipe out Muslim converts to Christianity in India and other Asian countries. Some of our operations were great success.
We came to know about Pastor Paul Ciniraj, a former Muslim and the group of his

An estimated 3.4 million children are living with HIV, thus accounting for 10% of the total global HIV infected population. At the same time, the number of children newly infected with HIV dropped drastically by 52% between 2001 and 2012. And yet as per the UNAIDS Global Report 2013 currently only 3

To tackle any disease it is not merely only diagnosing correctly and offering quality treatment but ensuring that the patients adhere to treatment that is of paramount importance. Timely and correct diagnosis and availability of standard, evidence-based and effective treatment cannot be of much help

Nearly three years of bloody civil war in Syria have created what the United Nations, governments and international humanitarian organizations describe as the most challenging refugee crisis in a generation bigger than the one unleashed by the Rwandan genocide and laden with the sectarianism of the

Although historic scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is keeping people living with HIV (PLHIV) alive, 1 in 10 of them succumb to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). “The good news is that survival of PLHIV has improved, but CVD is increasingly becoming one of the important causes of morbidity and

One size does not fit all. Likewise we need an expanded basket of evidence-based interventions and approaches to meet the unique needs and contexts of different key affected populations to prevent HIV. Deliberations on the first day of the 6th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (ASICON 201

(All the characters of JAGDALPUR are products of the author’s imagination. Resemblance to any person or place is coincidental. CHHATTISGARH SERIES: JAGDALPUR is about the macabre rituals of witchcraft, Maharaja Pravir, the prophecies concerning Kohinoor, and a legend that ties Kohinoor to Lord Krish

A young man from Delhi had to get to Mumbai to appear for an interview for a job abroad. He had booked a berth in a train. On the day of his departure, he left his home for the railway station in a rickshaw. It so happened that some boys threw stones at the rickshaw. At this, the young man’s friend,

On one hand the new mantra of ‘zero new HIV infections, zero deaths and zero AIDS-related stigma and discrimination by 2015’ is increasing decibels and on another hand Indian AIDS response is dealing with a complex matrix of challenges impeding programme outcomes. To compound the situation there are

Animals face two very big challenges: finding food, and defending themselves. Animals have enemies in the animal world, and so every animal has to arrange for its protection. The diverse methods that animals use to protect themselves hold great significance for human beings, because these methods ar

The 6th National Conference of AIDS Society of India (ASICON 2013) which has brought together over 700 HIV medical experts from across India with a distinguished national and international faculty opened in Mumbai. Dr IS Gilada, President of the conference and also heads AIDS Society of India (ASI)

Can Pakistan roll back its Islamic programme started by Ziaul Haq? Can the government and army change their policies? If not, we must be ready for the worst
The issue of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws has always been alive in public discourse and an attraction for the media not only in Pakistan but inte

(Translation of the Urdu book Deen ki Siyasi Ta‘abir)
Preface
This essay is a summary of my book Ta‘abir ki Ghalati (‘Error of Interpretation’). Here, I have tried to briefly clarify why I think that the writings of Maulana Abul Ala Maududi (d. 1979), the founder of the Jama‘at-e Islami and propon

On 12 1947, August a resolution was approved regarding officially addressing, Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, as the founder of Pakistan. On the same day, there was a Committee which was called" Committee on Fundamental rights of Citizen and Minorities of Pakistan". It is clear that the importance was give

Holy Father Pope Francis in his latest apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, (the Joy of Evangelization) released in the last week of November has dealt with a wide range of issues like evangelisation, parishes, secularisation, family, abortion, women’s priesthood, science and religion, the poo

There is no doubt that research and development of new diagnostic technologies and effective drugs must go ahead with full thrust. But there is no single 'magic wand' intervention and therefore deploying existing diagnostic tools optimally and managing treatment well are no less a priority to reach

The whole world wants peace. Or so any right thinking person would imagine. Yet, there are many areas of the world which are strife-torn, many areas which are slowly and partially recovering from the ravages of war. There are areas where the imminence of war is diverting great minds to negative ends

I am Mrs. Nirmala Joy. I was born in a nominal Christian home in India and went to church only at Christmas and Easter. My dad was an atheist and my mom a Christian who thought the world of my dad. When I was 19, 1 had a dream that my mother passed away and I was absolutely terrified.
Within a mont

Fight and struggle to gain the fundamental rights and respect is always been a custom of alive and awakened nations. And such kind of efforts has had been made where strong class dominates the weak class, resulting violation of fundamental rights including many other problems. After bearing the pers

In the past several days I have been a part of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s campaigning in Matiala constituency of Delhi. In this small period I have been witness to some inspiring processes and moments – motivation and hard work of persons volunteering for AAP; responses of people from various strata t

Slogans are always having values and play a very active role in the lives of the people. From the beginning of the world, armies or groups have been using slogans for their plans. Especially the political parties. The slogans are the core and manifesto of the parties and also makes the people very d

Tahir Khalil sindhu – the only Minister in Punjab province, resigned from his portfolio as provincial minister for health after Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif severely reprimanded him for inefficiency. And Pakistan Times reported “Incompetent” Sindhu gets the boots. A Health Ministry’s spokesperson s

The United Nations is demanding immediate support for the Central African Republic (CAR) during a very difficult period. Apparently over 450,000 people have fled their homes after the Muslim dominated Seleka took power and began persecuting Christians irrespective of the alleged government of nation

The government of Turkey under Erdogan can’t rest in peace unless the current political elites are attacking another nation verbally, interfering directly into the affairs of others by utilizing terrorist forces, dictating to the people of Turkey, declaring Muslims non-Muslims for not following the

Anand Grover is a lawyer from India who is known for his legal activism in Indian law relating to HIV. He is a co-founder member of the Lawyers Collective and has been UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health since 2008. He spoke with the Citizen News Service (CNS) team as the 11th International

Some days ago, someone emailed me a set of questions about Islam and Arab culture. Was there any relationship between the two, he wanted to know. If Islam is universal in its scope and appeal and so transcends ethnic and linguistic boundaries, what about the tendency on the part of some Muslims to p

Pakistan - with a Muslim majority, the country’s Christian population is quite small, about 3-5 percent is Christian. Among them, 98% are living below poverty line. In rural areas, they live under the pressure of their landlords and in urban areas most of them work as laborers and could barely make

While efforts are underway to make a peace conference on Syria possible, the surrounding atmospheres are not encouraging as opposition groups in the Syrian conflict seem to still have reservations and preconditions. The Western-backed Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the main opposition group in exi

Subaidath was a Muslim student of India. She was not having peace of mind. One day, she read a Christian tract in her dormitory. Lord Jesus Christ showed Himself to her, touched her with His nailed hands and spoke to her with mild voice, “Do not be worried and upset. Believe in God the Father and al

Author: Haroon Khalid, Publisher: Westland, Chennai & New Delhi, Year: 2013, Pages: 330, Price: Rs. 395, ISBN: 978-93-83260-23-2, Reviewed by: Yoginder Sikand
At the time of the Partition, religious minorities accounted for around a fourth of Pakistan’s population. Today, they account for just thr

I eagerly listened to him as he went on. He was sharing with me the ‘spicy’ story of the private life of a mutual acquaintance. I probed him for more ‘juicy’ details. I wanted him to go and on! At that moment, I wish he would never stop! The shocking details that he revealed stirred in me a perverse

The 64th anniversary of the death of S P Singha was recently marked by Christians in Pakistan but if I said his name outside of Christian circles, few would know him. That is because the role of Christians like Singha in the formation of Pakistan has been largely airbrushed out of our national hist

The emerging of Christian leadership in Central India can be better understood against the background of Anti-Christian violence in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. The taking over of Uma Bharati as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh in 2003 boosted the Hindu fundamental organizations to attack

Despite a 26% overall reduction in new HIV infections in Asia and the Pacific since 2001, the epidemic still outpaces regional responses. According to a new UNAIDS report on HIV in Asia and the Pacific, the rate of new infections remains the issue of most concern. According to the report, the fastes

My name is Jadavedan Potty (Pronunciation as Yaadhavedhan Potty; it means ‘priest born in Scriptures’; Scriptures means Hindu Vedas). I belong to a Hindu Brahmin (priestly) family in India. From childhood I was an idol worshiper. I used to go to temples. I used to get up at 4 in the morning and doin

Scotland is a rich tapestry of diversity. Many people from around the world have chosen to make her their home, and whilst they bring with them many differences, one of the beauties of Scotland is that she takes everyone in and makes everyone her own.
And within that tapestry, the tartan of faith c

Gulf and Western powers have proved time and again that they can collectively overthrow leaders but after this then enormous vacuums often emerge. Failing overthrowing the targeted government, then the same forces can cause untold mayhem and misery and this is currently happening in Syria. Prior to

As Christians of Youhanabad are celebrating Golden Jubilee of this most populous Christian town in Pakistan, the social media is condemning one Muslim vegetable vendor in this locality on abusing Christian women patrons of his shop.
Fr. Hennery, a Catholic missionary laid foundation of this town n

Shia Muslims all over the world should be solely focused on the martyrdom of Imam Hussein during the religious festival of Ashura. However, for Shia communities in nations like Iraq and Pakistan, then it is also a time which is fraught with danger because of Sunni Islamic terrorists. Sadly, this yea

"Why wouldn't you want to share my chocolate?" What would be your answer if a young five year old girl infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) asks this innocent question? The Indian government Department of AIDS Control (DAC) is hoping that thought provoking questions like this on HIV

Statistics by the HIV/AIDS Prevention Department of the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Vietnam shows that currently there are about 170,000 drug users in the listed record of the country. Vietnam is urging more methadone treatment for people who use drugs nationwide as it is seen as an effective method

One of the greatest causes of anti-Islamic sentiment among many non-Muslims is the way many Muslims themselves understand, interpret and express Islam—for instance, in a highly supremacist, extremely ritualistic and sometimes violence-driven manner. But, these three phenomena, it must be clearly und

My name is Sayujya Thampuratti. (“Thampuratti” is an honorific term used to address Hindu women of royal families). My father’s name is Udaya Varma and mother’s name is Sobhana Thampuratti. We belong to the Hindu Royal family of Kerala in India..
From childhood I was an idol worshiper. I used to g

World Pneumonia Day is observed on 12 November every year since 2009 to bring awareness to this leading killer of children below 5 years of age. An editorial in this month’s International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD) highlights that pneumonia is a lung disease that affects not on

In a remarkable twist of irony the forces of darkness condemn the slaying of Nasiruddin Haqqani, who was a leading figure within the Haqqani Network. Of course, this affiliated terrorist group with al-Qaeda follows the same Taliban “year zero” logic. Therefore, sectarian killings and enforcing cont

India has the world's third-largest population of people living with HIV (PLHIV) - 2.4 million. However, it has been able to make significant progress in recent years by thinking out of the box. This has led to a decline of 50% in the number of new infections over the past decade. For a country tha

The air around us has been riddled with so much of dirt that it is increasingly becoming unfit for consumption. And yet we cannot survive if we do not breathe. The theme of the 44th Union World Conference on Lung Health organised by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The

If we chose to reckon Yazeed’s character in the words of Shakespeare, “reputation, reputation, reputation; I have lost my reputation and what is left is bestial.” Yazeed lost his reputation owing to three historical blunders chiefly that; out of his impiety and avarice, he rendered himself responsib

A young scientist was awarded the third prize at Falling Walls 2013 for her research aimed to reduce mortality and complication rate in surgical procedures to treat cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), CVDs are the number one cause of death globally (30%

It is impossible for students of foreign policy to carryout research on the formative phases of South Asian Foreign and Kashmir Policies without referring to Samuel Martin Burke. His books ‘Pakistan's Foreign Policy: An Historical Analysis (1973)’ and ‘Mainsprings of Indian and Pakistani Foreign Pol

A good measure of a society’s health is to simply observe how it treats its weakest and most helpless members. By that criterion Pakistan’s treatment of its Christian minority would indicate an ailing body politic risen by poisonous bigotry and religious intolerance.
Christians, thought to be aroun

Reghu went to Bastar with Vice Chancellor Dwindra from Raipur. It was a pleasant six-hour drive, stopping at a variety of places, starting with the new capital of Chhattisgarh and then to its latest university area, where Vice Chancellor Dwindra had bought a piece of land to settle after his retir

In Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, and in other nations, you have rampant Sunni Islamic nihilism being funded and assisted by Gulf petrodollars. This Sunni Islamic nihilism firstly wants to usurp all mainstream and moderate forces within Sunni Islam and then to crush minor

All the propaganda against Syria and the obvious fact is that all religious groups only feel secure where the armed forces of Syria are in full control. All sectarian and terrorist forces are being sponsored openly by Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other small feudal kingdoms in the Gulf. Meanwhile

Learnings from Project ORCHID's pioneering work on harm reduction in northeast India shows that scale up is possible even in resource poor and conflict ridden settings. A national dissemination workshop organized by Project ORCHID in Delhi saw sharing and discussion on best practices on harm reducti

Death is the most certain stage in life. Every person definitely has to pass through this stage. For every being that is bestowed with life, the arrival of death is a must. Every living being will one day die. Every eye that sees will one day lose its light. Every tongue that speaks will one day fal

Xolelwa Joni, a multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) survivor spoke with Citizen News Service (CNS) at the 44th Union World Conference on Lung Health. This is what she said: “My name is Xolelwa Joni and I am 26 years old. I come from Cape Town in South Africa. After finishing my secondary schoo

To fathom the pedestal of Allama Iqbal necessitates predominance of not only a rational, just and broad mind, but also a passionate, mystique and spiritual heart. The duplet is often missing either in the hands of unorthodoxy as undercut in the name of modernity, or the prejudice as nurtured by myop

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) issued a position statement at the 44th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Paris, warning about the potential health impact of e-cigarettes (ECs) and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). The statement which was d

Tariq Masih aged 25, and Arif Masih aged 27 (brothers) has been allegedly accused of blasphemy on October 27, 2013 by a local Muhammad Zahid. A nominated case FIR no. 533/13 offence under section 295/B according to the Pakistan Penal Code has been registered against Tariq and Arif after being accuse

The Killing of Pakistani Taliban aka Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud along with his four associates by the drone strike in the lawless North Waziristan agency has jeopardize the proposed peace talks between the Pakistani Government and Taliban. The drone strike came at a time

The country of Bangladesh is facing a new Islamist threat which seeks to usurp the secular nature of this nation. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) opposed the creation of Bangladesh during the independence struggle of this nation in 1971 against the tyranny of Pakistan. During this period massacres on a scale r

Islamist militants in Nigeria inflict yet another brutal massacre against the people of this nation. The brutal reality of Boko Haram and other Islamist militant groups in Nigeria is that killing all and sundry is their modus operandi because morality never enters their vocabulary. Therefore, while

After a long struggle, the Indian Subcontinent won independence in August 1947. This independence was on the basis of the ‘two nation theory’. The country had been divided ostensibly to solve communal conflict between Hindus and Muslims. But, the Partition did not achieve this. In fact, it further e

There is no doubt that investment and thrust for more effective new diagnostic and treatment tools for tuberculosis (TB) must go up but alongside it is equally imperative to optimally use existing technologies. "Innovation has the ability to change the world. Innovative approaches lead us to concret

Misconception means wrongness, wrong idea, wrong thinking, misjudgment, and misunderstanding which put the person in problems. Sometimes it happens just because of carelessness and because of this action, other people gets big loss. Few days ago on 24th of October 2013 In America one of the police m

In Pakistan, on September 22, 2013, more than 125 people died and around 170 injured in a bomb attack on All Saints Church, Peshawar. Taliban, or one of their affiliate groups, had gone to St. Dominic’s Church in Bahawalpur in October 2001, shot the guard at the gate and then killed 15 people in the

This universe is of all the creatures and there is only one God who is creator of this universe. God made man as His masterpiece by His artistic hand and He is the creator of all human beings who worship Him as their creator. In the world, nobody can claim that he is only creature of God, and other

After 7 serial bomb blasts of Sunday at Patna from 0955 Hrs to 1355 Hrs in which 6 were killed and ~ 100 injured, the number of Muslims and their leaders (including socio - religious) have appeared in media & internet and have complained that – “[As usual such blasts got carried out by communal Hind

Mohanan Nair was born and brought up in a prominent Hindu family in India. He used to do pooja to the Hindu deities.
During his pooja, he always used to say, “I have so and so problems at home, I do not know who is the real God, Muslims say its Allah, Christians say its Jesus, Hindus say so many go

Today the Muslim world is in the clutches of disastrous war, mutual conflict and bloodshed over trifles. Muslim individuals are prone to quarrels. Shia-Sunni unrest is at its peak particularly in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan. The death toll only in Syria has mounted to more than 110,000 including childr

If some being from outer space were to traverse the universe in a spaceship and land on the planet earth, he would be dumbfounded at the uniqueness of what he saw, namely, human beings and many other forms of life. For the earth, in sustaining these life forms, is the outstanding exception amongst a

"2013 has been a year of tremendous progress. I am optimistic that paediatric TB will no longer be 'the neglected of the neglected'. With help of UNITAID and US Agency for International Development (USAID) we are embarking on significant changes in this direction” said Dr Melvin Spigelman, President

According to the recently released WHO Global TB Report 2013, 450,000 people fell ill with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and 170,000 died from the disease in 2012 alone. China, India and the Russian Federation have the highest burden of MDR-TB followed by 24 other countries. Although the number o

The complex transition in Egypt is being hindered by militants within the Muslim Brotherhood, terrorist groups in the Sinai region, other Islamist groups which are sympathetic towards the Muslim Brotherhood, increasing sectarianism aimed at persecuting the Christian community and increasing hostilit

The government of Syria is looking more secure in recent times compared with any other period since Gulf and NATO led nations supported sectarian forces and various terrorist groups against this country. Of course, daily terrorism in Syria and brutal Takfiri and al-Qaeda led affiliate forces are sti

This is Part III of my essay on Obama’s War with Assad. In Part II I asserted that the Russian president Vladimir Putin, having learned what happened in Libya and having experienced his own battle with Chechen insurgents, in the last minute he became the savior of President Obama’s credibility. Ther

Doing journalism in the country like Pakistan, which is dominated by Muslim religious extremist, is not easy, especially when you write about religious minorities. Pakistan is perhaps ranked the third most dangerous country for reporting. The country also has one of the highest numbers of journalist

Globally around 300 million people suffer from asthma, yet for many of them living in low- and middle-income countries access to quality-assured, affordable asthma essential medicines still remains a distant dream. This was revealed in a study conducted by Dr Zaheer Babar from the School of Pharmacy

North Korea is a real Frankenstein state of permanent control and terror. The ‘Prince-in-Power’ already has enough nuclear material to destroy Seoul and the South using some primitive, dirty bomb-style devices. It is still unclear whether the bombs he claims to have assembled are actual atomic bombs

India has certainly come a long way forward in its response to providing access to standard WHO recommended anti-TB treatment through Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) to more than 14.2 million (1.42 crores) people across the country. Yet TB continues to remain one of the key public he

Pastor Paul Ciniraj of Paul Ciniraj Ministries in India, describes the tragic cycle of prostitution that Dalit (depressed community) girls, as young as 10-years-old, are forced into by their own families in Rajasthan State.
The girls are mostly aged between 12 and 15, though some are as young as 1

The so-called dispute vis-à-vis Jammu and Kashmir has two aspects to be analyzed historically and scientifically. Firstly, the external factor which involves Pakistan and China both though Bangladesh as a splinter off Pakistan is also a shareholder in the so-called dispute. Secondly, the internal in

The al Shabab’s target shooting of non-Muslim shoppers in the Nairobi Mall adds an expressly religious dimension to the most heinous phenomenon of terrorism. It renders the global Muslim community a tacit and unsolicited ally of the terror outfits and is designed to globalize Islamophobia, fuel anti

Terrorists and sectarians aided and assisted by feudal Sunni monarchs in the Gulf have targeted a predominantly Christian and Druze part of Damascus. If this carnage was happening in any other nation then America, France, Turkey and the United Kingdom would be quick to condemn terrorism. However, th

In June this year four Shia Muslims were brutally murdered after Salafists and other radical Sunni elements incited hatred towards this minority religious community in Egypt. Images of the brutal attack quickly emerged on social media whereby the disturbing scenes show a Shia Muslim being terrorized

Mulla Ali Qari was a famous Islamic scholar and jurisprudent. He was born in Herat, now in Afghanistan, and died in Makkah in 1606. He was the author of a number of books. One of these is titled Mirqat ul-Masabih, which is a commentary on a Hadith collection titled Mishkat ul-Masabih. In the chapter

Everybody in the world believes on ideals. Some people always have ideal personality whom they love or follow. There are ideal things; ideal states and other kinds of ideals are there. It belongs to a person's nature that what he desires for his life, which he likes and what he likes. It all depends

In many non-Muslim majority countries, Muslim groups are fighting for independence in areas where Muslims are in a majority. This is happening, for instance, in Kashmir, Southern Philippines, Southern Thailand, Chechnya, Sinkiang, and so on. Muslim groups living in these areas consider the non-Musli

In Bangladesh, a man forced into marriage vents his frustration by beating his wife when she disobeys him. In Cambodia, a husband justifies slapping his wife on the grounds that she must have done something she shouldn’t. In Indonesia, some men believe that if a wife doesn’t look after her husband’s

The voice of the martyred of Peshawar church blast is not silent. All over the world Pakistani Christians have one voice for them. Last day in Kasure at Ganda Singh boarder our Christian brother sisters were gather to make their voice against Peshawar Church attack on 22nd September when the believe

“You are now going back to Canada after your tour of eight weeks to India. Nearly half of this time you have spent in Chhattisgarh.” Driver Manoj’s tone was inquisitive while on the way to Amarkantak, where Reghu had been invited for a talk by Adivasi University.
“I have come after twenty years to

Pakistani Christians continue to protest against and condemn the killings of dozens of innocent Christians in Peshawar on 22nd September. But as they mourn, it is hardly comprehensible that there are reports that the organs of the victims were stripped from their bodies and trafficked on the black m

The aggression of the Quraish of Makkah had led to war between them and the Muslims. At this juncture, among the verses that were revealed to the Prophet were these (8:61-62):
Then if they should be inclined to make peace, make peace with them, and put your trust in God. Surely, it is He who is Al

September 22, 2013 is yet another black day for Pakistan. The Country’s most vulnerable, the Christian community, endured the deadliest attack in recent history when two suicide bombers, aged 17-18, targeted St. John's Church in Kohati Gate, Peshawar soon after the service was over and worshipers we

Anger is a Weakness
The Quran (42:37) refers to truthful people as those who ‘forgive when they are angry’. This does not mean only forgiving others or forgetting one’s anger. Rather, it means rising above anger and then behaving as one should. It means thinking in a manner free from anger even whe

This is Mr. Sapru (44 years of age). He was born and brought up in India. .He grown up with communism and was a strong communist. And also he became an addict of alcohol. He was a car driver too.
He married with Blessey. She was a prayer woman, meditating Bible every day. She holds the promises of

The dastardly suicide bomb-attack on a church in Peshawar, Pakistan, recently was shocking, of course, but not entirely surprising. After all, for some time now there has been a continuing series of attacks (which have become almost a routine tradition) on religious places across Pakistan, causing t

The "Roadmap for Childhood Tuberculosis: Towards Zero Deaths" - the first-ever plan which specifically addresses TB in children and outlines the path towards zero deaths from childhood TB - was jointly launched on 1st October 2013, by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (Th

Founders of the American non-profit organisation The Hummingbird Project, Marilyn McHugh and Chris Kennedy, delivered a talk on the topic "Beneficial Soil Microorganisms" at Giri Institute of Development Studies on 8th October 2013. The Hummingbird Project strives to empower communities devastated b

War Only In Defence; The Quran (22:39) tells us: Permission to fight is granted to those who are attacked, because they have been wronged […]
This Quranic verse teaches us about an important principle. And that is that the only legitimate war is one that is fought in defence, in response to a clear

When I heard from someone about the suicide attacks on historic church namely “All Saints Church" in Peshawar. I opened my television and saw the live coverage. And I was so upset to see the causalities and the scattered shape of the church. Till several days I was not feeling normal. Later on I was

The endless nightmare of Iraq continues because of daily sectarian and terrorist attacks. In the world of Takfiri Islamists then killing all and sundry becomes part and parcel of their “unholy cause.” Therefore, the latest deliberate attack against children in a school playground isn’t shocking. Thi

Some scholars define peace as the absence of war. This definition is, to some extent, correct. If a society is free from violence and war, the situation that prevails may be termed as ‘peace’. Whenever there is no war or violence between individuals or groups, one could say, in a limited sense, that

Nida-e-Dil (The Voice of the Heart) by Talat Arzoo, Alhamd Publications, Lahore, Pakistan, HC, pages 120
Nida-e-Dil (The Voice of the Heart) by Talat Arzoo Butt is a collection of poems neatly arrayed on the shelf of longing. The book’s lay-out and the cover design are soothing to the reader’s e

A hot and dusty 2 hours ride on bumpy roads brought me from Kanpur to the nondescript Rasoolabad block of Kanpur Dehat, where a Home Based Post Natal Care Project (HBPNC) has brought about measurable improvements in maternal and child health. This project, funded by the World Bank and executed by a

The withdrawal of the Ordinance that allows the elected representatives to continue being members of the house even after being punished for more than two years by a Court has given a clear note of changes in the Indian politics. To understand the reinvigorating the Indian Parliamentary Democracy we

In the last few months you have had several barbaric attacks against students in north-eastern Nigeria. The terrorist group involved in all these massacres is the Boko Haram movement which willingly kills the followers of Christianity and Islam based on their Islamist Takfiri Sharia agenda. Therefor

NATO Turkey is an open conduit for international terrorists and a place to obtain weapons in order to commit barbarity against the people of Syria. Not surprisingly, major NATO powers like America, France, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, are exploiting their past collective deeds in Bosnia, Croatia,

Pakistan has become one of the most dangerous places for Christians to live. The Urdu newspapers Daily Insaf and Daily Khabrain both reported on 20th August, 2000 that a judge of Lahore High Court, Justice Nazir Akhter said that “Anyone accused of under blasphemy charges should be killed on the spot

The Quran (5:64) tells us: Whenever they kindle the fire of war, God puts it out.
From this Quranic verse we learn something about God’s Creation Plan. We learn that this Plan is based on the principle of peace. We learn that if someone is bent on stirring the fires of violence, we should try to do

The "Roadmap for Childhood Tuberculosis: Towards Zero Deaths" - the first ever plan which specifically addresses TB in children and outlines the path towards zero deaths from childhood TB - was jointly launched on 1st October 2013, in Washington DC by global leaders in TB control: the International

Shahbag in Bangladesh is shedding light on the tyrannical forces of religious oppression and the fifth column of militant Islamism. At the same time, Shahbag is demanding the imprisonment and proper sentencing of individuals who took part in the massacres of innocent people. This applies to the dark

Allama Mashriqi was one of the founding fathers of Islamia College (Peshawar). His long association with the said college, first as its Vice-Principal and later as Principal, brought about a revolution in education and gave new dimensions to one of the most educationally backward provinces of Britis

The present decade is braiding threads of dark future by incorporating nodes of increasing heart risk among women and children. According to World Heart Federation, “Heart disease is actually the number one killer of women, causing 1 in 3 female deaths.” This data leads to a pensive outcome and cite

In present times, in many countries some Muslims are engaged in armed conflicts in the name of ‘Islamic jihad’. The fact of the matter is that no movement can become a genuine jihad simply because its flag-bearers give it that label. An action can be considered an authentic Islamic jihad only if and

This year’s World Heart Day (29 September) theme focusses on a life-course approach to the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) with a focus on women and children. "It is a myth that heart disease and stroke only affect older, male, rich populations. CVDs affect as many women as m

I know – many of you will go against me after reading this, because you will not read and think – you will just follow the crowd.
First of all – we need to think that why we needed the Blasphemy Law, how this law became a part of our constitution. So, let us go back in the history - in 1927, the Br

United States and Iran continued to scale down 35 years of hostility between the two nations despite both the sides being sceptical of each other. But efforts are being put from both the sides to break the ice and establish some diplomatic relations. Iran was once a powerful ally of the United State

In Islam, war is not something that can be launched by members of the general public, whether individuals or groups. Rather, it is the task of a properly established government. Individuals do not have the right to engage in war on their own. Rather, war can be declared only by an established govern

God says in the Quran: “Mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes, so that you might come to know each other. The noblest of you in God’s sight is the one who fears God most. God is all knowing and all-aware. (Qur’an 49:13).
This

The Prophet Muhammad received his first Divine revelation in Makkah in the year 610 C.E. God had appointed him to spread the message of tawhid or the oneness of God. Now, with regard to this mission there was a major issue that he had to deal with. And this was that the Ka‘aba, which is in Makkah an

Most smokers would reply that no one tricked them into smoking. It was and has always been their sole decision to smoke. However, when one looks back it is not uncommon to see the different reasons why people, both young and old smoke. The common ones we all know: “we need it to be part of the group

The ghastly act of suicide bombing that left more than eighty people dead in a church of Peshawar yesterday (September 22, 2013) is condemnable on several counts:
While a crime of taking one life is as condemnable in the eyes of God as killing the entire humanity, taking as many lives as were lost

September 23, 2013
Yesterday, after our first morning service here at Christ Church in La Crosse, Wisconsin I was teaching Psalm 79 to our adult Christian Education class. This psalm is about the national lament concerning the havoc brought by brutal violence on God’s people in Jerusalem. The psa

The 2013 Asia Pacific Association for the Control of Tobacco (APACT) Conference was held in August, 2013 in Chiba, Japan to address the prevention and control of tobacco use worldwide, with a special focus on the Asia Pacific region. One of the important achievements of the conference was the signin

The Sunday Church Service at All Saints Church in Peshawar ended in heartbreak as two suicide bombers below themselves up while Sunday service just ended and killed more than 90 worshipers, 34 of them women, 7 children and more than 110 were injured. According to the Minister of Interior Chaudhry Ni

It is regret to inform you that militants attacked All Saint’s Church (protestant church) Church of Pakistan in Peshawar this morning while believers were busy in worship during Sunday Service. There were two police man deputed by the government who sit on the main gate of the church as security in

Some people argue that social problems can be solved only through ‘social activism’, particularly through demonstrating against the state, against what they call the ‘ruling class’, against what they term as caste oppression, class oppression, imperialism, patriarchy, the oppression of this or that

The ‘International Conference on Public Health Priorities in the 21st Century: The Endgame for Tobacco’, jointly organized by The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY) was held recently in D

I’m 46, and I still bed-wet. ‘Hawww!” I can hear you gasp in horror! But, please tell me (for I’d really like to know), what’s so ‘hawww!’ about this? After all, I don’t say ‘hawww!’ at the many things you may do in your bed, do I?
So, to come back to what I was saying before you interrupted me, I’

All Parties Conference – APC was held in Prime Minister’s secretariat on Monday 9 September, 2013. Addressing the political leaders at the APC, PM Nawaz Sharif said that he considered dialogue as the priority option to curb terrorism in the country, the solution to address the terrorism issue is sor

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the world’s first global public health and corporate accountability treaty and to date 177 countries are Parties to it. By signing and ratifying this treaty, these countries are committed to adopt a range of measures to reduce tobacco use, in

How people label themselves and others plays a major role in shaping the nature of their relationships. If wrong labels are used, for oneself as well as for others, it can cause great problems and tremendous misunderstandings, even violent conflicts. One example of this is how many Muslims label the

Earlier this year we had visited many biosafety level (BSL) III laboratories in India where one of the latest diagnostic tools were available to do drug susceptibility testing (DST) for tuberculosis (TB). One red-coloured sticker on these diagnostic tools caught our attention: UNITAID. This organiza

The Quran tells us: ‘Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend’ (41:34).
Taking into consideration this verse, I believe, contrary to what many Muslims constantly repeat, that there are no e

There is no doubt that tuberculosis (TB) and HIV care should be integrated at different levels, particularly in high burden settings. Being part of the UNITAID mission to report from the global launch of the largest-ever roll-out of Gene Xpert MTB/RIF machines in Yangon, Citizen News Service - CNS g

If you want to judge the utter bankruptcy of America, France and the United Kingdom and their collective roles in Syria; then just look at what is happening in Maaloula. This ancient Christian town is now under threat by al-Qaeda affiliates and the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Of course, the switch that

Diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) and also getting to know with accuracy about resistance to one of the two most powerful anti-TB drugs (Rifampicin) is increasingly becoming a reality on the ground. The largest-ever roll-out of Gene Xpert MTB/RIF machines in countries most severely hit by drug-resistant

In third world countries where public is a victim of different problems there minorities have to face extra ordinary torment and in such discriminative environment fundamental rights are unachievable. In such circumstances, somehow any leader arises and takes the responsibility to fight for the righ

In a tradition Aisha reports about the general policy of the Prophet of Islam: “Whenever the Prophet had to choose between the two, he always opted for the easier course of action rather than the harder course of action.” (Bukhari). It is very clear that the option of peace is the easier option, so

President Obama, John Kerry, John McCain and Lindsey Graham are all peddling the anti-Syrian government line and now they have a beloved “red line,” whereby they can assist the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and various al-Qaeda terrorist groups. Of course, when Carla del Ponte stated earlier this year t

Islamists in Boko Haram seek to destroy Nigeria from within by sowing the seeds of religious hatred and usurping traditional Islam. It is clear that the armed forces of Nigeria have a very difficult task because of the sheer size of the area embroiled by regular terrorist attacks. Also, the militant

I walked through the broken pots, half-burnt dolls, ransacked clothes
The smoke filled corners make up for the unlit furnace
A slipper in mid-flight by where the door once must have been
Abandoned in haste as piety came armed with sticks and stones
I walked the narrow lanes, the soot rubs off

Little Olinj was quite a naughty girl last week, and that’s why Dolly Aunty gave her to me yesterday to mind. In two days she had eaten four of Stephen Anna’s pigeons. But cats will be cats, and they’ll do as most cats would if they are set among the pigeons. And so, even though I was a little cross

Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) – can we continue to tackle these separately? According to the Global TB Report (2012), in 2011, out of 8.7 million people who developed TB worldwide 1.1 million (13%) were HIV positive. An approximate of 0.4 million HIV-associated TB deaths t

Most Islamic scholars like to quote Koranic references and hadiths and offer their own interpretations to back up what they say. However, there are no direct instructions in the Holy Koran to kill someone who insults the Prophet. Pakistani preachers are zealous, emotional and less reserved about pre

I pondered why the congregation of Pakistan’s Main Churches is shrinking, what are the reasons, causes and aspects. After cogitating this matter, I got the answers of some of the reasons and causes behind the shrinking congregation. Let's consider these reasons and causes that why our churches are d

Some years ago, 30 years old Tanveer (name changed), a noted tabla percussionist, sustained a fall that lead to a spinal fracture and complete paralysis of both his lower limbs. Although orthopaedic surgeons fixed his spinal bony fracture, he continued to have paraplegia.
After a couple of years of

The seemingly ceaseless strife in Pakistan is the result of an erroneous political interpretation of Islam. The Pakistani Government as well as the Taliban have promoted this sort of interpretation. One major damage of a political interpretation of Islam is that it projects Islam as something to be

In 1770 the Turkish naval establishment was wiped out at the Battle of Çeşme (on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea) by a Russian fleet. In 1799, the Fourth Mysore War was fought between Tipu Sultan and the British East India Company at Srirangapatanam. In this war, Tipu Sultan was killed. When

‘I had to choose between being deaf and being dead’, this is what Dalene von Delft, a Medical Doctor from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, said in her testimony at a two-day Southern Africa meeting held recently to strengthen and scale up TB /HIV responses in the workplace. The meet was supp

Head of the Delhi-based Centre for Peace and Spirituality, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is among the foremost advocates at the global level of inter-religious dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts involving Muslims and others. In this Q & A session, he responds to queries about violent conflicts

The Million Muslim March planned for Sept. 11 in Washington, D.C., has been getting a great deal of publicity. This cynical and manipulative event is an attempt to obscure the reality of what happened on 9/11, portray Muslims as victims and intimidate government and law enforcement officials into en

Sacrifices have been great in Egypt’s unrest, but Egypt’s military has made certain it is not in vain. So far the military, guided by the pro-democracy coalition, has had significant successes to chalk up to freedom efforts. In its aim to dismantle the Muslim Brotherhood, the army has arrested and j

Truth is the soul of religion. When Jesus came to earth he did not say, 'I have brought you a new religion never heard of by you or your ancestors.' He said he had not come to give a new law but to fulfill the law; in other words, 'I have come to continue giving you that which you have received befo

The distribution is not absolutely equal among the whole population, thus, demarcate among various socioeconomic groups of a country. One of the worst outcomes of income inequality is poverty, considered to be fatal for any nation’s development because poverty breeds more poverty which engulfs the w

Indian Cultural Revolution remained unfulfilled. Though, national awareness spread after independence, many important societies were untouched from this wave. Jyotiba Phule, Swami Dayanand, Vivekanand, Raja Ram Mohan Roy started reformist movement in India, but Muslims and Christians had not witness

The six point manifesto was adopted in the second Annual General Convention of Pakistan Christian Congress at Karachi in 1986. The manifesto was presented by the PCC legal committee and PCC Constitutional Committee.
Keeping in view the situation of Christians in Pakistan, the leaders of PCC thoroug

All the characters of Lizard are products of the author’s imagination. Resemblance to any person or place is coincidental.
CHHATTISGARH SERIES: LIZARD is the third short fiction in Stephen Gill’s Chhattisgarh series. The fourth would be NOISE. The common thread that unites these series is th

48 years old Deepak (name changed upon request), was leading a happy normal life with his wife and 3 children. He was working in a government job as a driver in the police department in Ramgarh district of Uttarakhand when, way back in 1997, he suddenly vomited blood one day. The doctor diagnosed hi

The military of Egypt is respecting the universal rights of all Egyptians by rooting out Muslim Brotherhood terrorism, the backers of Morsi’s regime – finding smuggled weapon stashes and arresting Morsi’s guest militias (Hamas and Al Qaida terrorists). After more than two years of protests to brin3d

You know how it is in some families: children, even if they are grown-up adults, have little or no say in any matter, not even in those that intimately concern them, and their parents presume they know what’s best. That’s how it is—or, rather, was—in my family, until I took a drastic decision this R

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (L), Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdesslem (C), and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi (R) attend press conference after closing ceremony of Fifth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum in Hammamet, Tunisia, May 31, 2012. (Xinhua

The two basic source books of Islam are the Quran and the Hadith. The Quran is believed to be the word of God, and the Hadith is the compilation of the sayings of the Prophet of Islam. The Quran contains about 6,500 verses, while the Hadith contains about 25,000 sayings of the Prophet of Islam.
Is

Founder of the New Delhi-based Centre for Peace and Spirituality, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is one of India’s best-known religious scholars and an active proponent of inter-community dialogue. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand he reflects on issues to do with ongoing debates about ‘modern’ educat

Name of the Book: Questioning the Muslim Woman: Identity and Insecurity in an Urban Indian Locality
Author: Nida Kirmani
Publisher: Routledge, New Delhi
Year: 2013
Pages; 227
ISBN: 978-0-415-70780
Price: Rs. 695
Reviewed by: Yoginder Sikand
Few subjects have been as fiercely debated as ‘the

I hardly read the papers these days—who wants a heavy dose of negativity the first thing in the morning? And so, I have no idea about the latest developments in curfew-bound Kishtwar, from where violence has spread to other parts of the Jammu province. It isn’t something new though. It’s the same ol

We (Christians in Pakistan) all know beforehand that our Government and Christian Institutions (Educational and Church of Pakistan) will not take any positive initiative for our deprived and divested Christian Youth, so let us (Christians in Pakistan) make a plan to support and to pull out our youth

Egypt is currently in deep crisis because militants within the Muslim Brotherhood and various Islamist groups were well prepared to attack police officers, Christians, security forces, and others that they deem to be a threat to their violent tendencies. It is clear that the events of the last 24 h

Muslims today generally believe that they are the ‘chosen people’. This belief is completely alien to Islam. According to the true teachings of Islam, every man and woman is equal in the eyes of God. No one enjoys a special status. God’s blessings in this world are given to people to test them, rega

The conflict in Syria continues to cause mayhem because of outside meddling which continues to support terrorism and sectarianism. It is ridiculous that the term “rebels” is still being used because untold numbers of international jihadists, mercenaries and covert operatives are in Syria. Indeed, se

Dr. Paul Bhatti, the man who now runs a deeply fragmented All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), a minority rights group which was founded by his brother Shahbaz Bhatti, the former federal minister for minorities who was assassinated in March 2011 for speaking against Pakistan’s controversial blas

My dear Christian Community of Pakistan, in this article - I am not going to explain you the causes and effects of the liquor (alcoholic beverages) on a human body, will not ask you to start or stop drinking and what good bad is. I will just try to explain you the impact of drunkenness (consumption

The PPP government had declared August 11 as minorities’ day in 2009 by the effort of then minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, who was assassinated in the country’s capital in 2011.
The day signifies Quaid-e-Azam’s speech to the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947 in which he had said, “You may

Today, ‘terrorism’ has become a buzzword. Across the globe, people are writing and talking about it. But, as far I know, no clear definition of the term has emerged as yet. People condemn terrorism but, still, they cannot specifically and clearly define what it is.
I have tried to understand this

1) Introduction
The tension between Muslims and non-Muslims, in particular Jews and Christians, as a result of the events of September 11, 2001 and beyond has made the world of ours far more intolerant and insecure than it was before. Many political, social, economic, and religious causes have been

It is surely no coincidence that two American senators with the “Obama handprints” all over them are pulling towards the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. After all, the same two senators support terrorist and sectarian forces which are fighting against secular Syria. Therefore, John McCain and Lindsey G

The Bible shows that there are two great commandments. The first commandment is to love God with all our being. The second commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves. So how do we show that we love our neighbors?
Jesus said, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other comm

The medical profession puts in evidence the gaps of the new abortion law and demands for a specific informed consent protocol that offers guarantees of validity and respect for the opinion and autonomy of women with information on the nature of the operation and its risks.
Doctors have declared the

Part-I Importance
Most of the Christian students in Pakistan after completing their education at secondary, higher secondary, bachelor’s or master’s level, want to start their professional carrier - they find out that there are no jobs for them due to the following deficiencies:
• Vocational or Pr

The Kosovo Liberation Army, Libyan militias and Free Syrian Army grew from nothing to potent forces overnight and clearly this can’t happen without the meddling of outside nations and terrorist groups working hand-in-hand. Al-Qaeda affiliates and various Sunni Islamic terrorist groups in Afghanistan

Egypt is bracing itself for more mass demonstrations and continuing chaos because certain individuals within the Muslim Brotherhood seek open confrontation. At the same time, terrorists in the Sinai region are expanding their attacks and Coptic Christians reside in fear in many parts of Egypt. Meanw

Lung cancer is lurking around along with known risk factors such as tobacco smoke. Although with recent advancements in medical science 5 years survival rate for other forms of cancer has increased considerably yet the same remains as low as 14% for lung cancer patients since past two decades. Profe

Reghu had been repeatedly warned not to go out of the campus of the Kaligarh University, because the joy of Holi also turns into a dramatic shudder of repulsion. During the celebrations, the gates of the university are sealed, and the women hostel is monitored. Reghu had been advised by Shiv and

It is Time To Retaliate our Christian Institutions And Church Of Pakistan For The Negligence Of Christian Community’s Benefits And Welfare
From more than 65 years, we (Pakistani Christian Community) are just blaming the rules, laws and system of Pakistan but have we ever thought of our owned system

Gulf and Western powers easily sacrificed the Christians of Iraq and clearly the same powers care little about the Alawites, Christians and the Shia minority in Syria which face Takfiri persecution and daily massacres. It is therefore incumbent on General Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement

Three billion people around the world still cook their daily meals with wood, charcoal, coal and other forms of solid fuel. According to the latest Global Burden of Disease update released in December 2012, resulting health impacts lead to four million deaths annually which after high blood pressure

NATO Turkey is highlighting the shady reality that various al-Qaeda affiliated groups can openly operate within a NATO member state and within areas of close proximity. Not only this, it is abundantly clear that the Erdogan government in Turkey is more concerned about the Kurdish question than aidin

With the help of foreign countries, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood together with Hamas is working to destabilize Egypt upon the successful overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Egyptian President, Mohammad Morsi.
Muslim Brotherhood leaders hold to President Morsi’s promise of bloodshed and a figh

As we stand at a pedestrian crossing or walk by a bridge, and a vehicle passes by, letting out a cloud of smoke in our face, our immediate reaction is to fan it away with our hands. We are also quick to give the driver of the vehicle a stare and even make a comment about how unclean and unsafe the a

My pessimism of Pakistan minority legislators of all political persuasions has intensified over the years. In my opinion they couldn’t care less about the people they purport to represent.
Far from leading their people from the front, the list of their betrayal from signing Sharia bill in the late

The people of Turkey are struggling to come to terms with the divisiveness of the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his main international henchman, Ahmet Davutoglu. In Turkey, according to Erdogan, either individuals follow his rhetoric whereby you are deemed “a Turkish citizen”

Islam as a religion was divided between Shias and Sunnis after the death of Prophet Mohammad in 632 B.C. Shia followed Ali Mohammad’s son in law and Sunni went behind Abu Bakr Father of Prophet Mohammad wife Aisha. This political divide between the Muslims turned into bloody sectarian clashes which

Another victim of the blasphemy law was being punished. According to the BBC news, Sajjad Masih was sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of two hundred thousand rupees for sending blasphemous text messages to Muslim clerics to seek revenge from his ex-fiancée in Gojra.
Sajjad Masih, a reside

In today’s world, census plays the most important role to share and distribute the resources in between the population and serves as bench mark for all socio–economic development plans, administrative activities, demographic research and projection of population to meet future needs. The word "censu

Family planning is a key strategy for child survival, said Michael Stern, USAID India, in Delhi this week. “We look towards India as a development innovation hub,” he added. In Delhi this week, health practitioners, researchers and policy makers discussed how the Standard Days Method (SDM) for famil

According to public statements, three days from today, on July 19th, the Muslim Brotherhood will begin attacks against Egypt’s military compounds, military personnel, government buildings, and soft targets (houses, stores, and churches) in order to recover and secure their power over Egypt -- then r

President Obama continues with his anti-Christian and pro-Muslim Brotherhood policies whereby he hopes to salvage the day for the deposed Morsi (Mursi). The same Obama administration gleefully rejoiced in the ending of the Mubarak political era but now America is claiming to be neutral in Egypt. Of

Associate professor Dr. Olimpia Iacob is editing a book on The Coexistence, a novel, by Stephen Gill. She invites scholars, historians, sociologists, politicians and writers of other genres to submit material. Editor is looking for anything worthwhile. The material would be translated into Roman

Wasim Akram’s engagement to 30-year-old Australian Shaniera Thompson has created quite a buzz in the media. Akram's first wife, Huma, died in 2009 and Akram says he never thought he would get married again but is feeling “lucky and very happy” to have found love a second time. Apparently, he even g

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are causing two-third of deaths worldwide. There is no doubt that latest launch of a robust programme to help civil society work on improving responses to NCDs is a welcome step forward. The NCD Alliance launched a new programme, formally called "Strengthening Health

Air, water and food are the 3 basic essentials (in that order) to sustain human life. One can stay without water and food for long periods but not without oxygen laden clean air even for a few moments. So breathing fresh air is essential to let us live to eat and drink and be merry. While we have th

Reghu knew that Adivasi was the Hindi expression for the aboriginals of India, and that the Adivasi were not within the Hindu caste system. He also knew that the Adivasi became paranoid about the faces from outside when their forests began vanishing. Deforestation and the debasement of their mot

During Pakistan Movement religious groups and parties opposed Quid e Azam (founder of Pakistan) and creation of Pakistan but after the existence of Pakistan these people came to Pakistan with a design to convert it into an Islamic state of their own vision and binding. That was a plan to hijack a pr

Leave aside safe nuclear waste disposal, we are not even able to take care of domestic waste on our roads, said retired Justice Rajinder Sachchar while speaking at a book launch held in New Delhi on 12th July 2013. A Hindi language book, ‘Towards A Nuclear-free World’, penned by Magsaysay Awardee, s

It is very unfortunate that during his recent visit to the UK, Paul Bhatti said Pakistan's blasphemy laws were not a problem.
Paul Bhatti is the brother of the late Shahbaz Bhatti, the heroic Pakistani Minorities Minister who was tragically murdered by extremists because he dared to criticise Paki

(An Analysis of the Amendment 2013 to M.P. Dharma Swatantra Adhiniyam 1968) Bharatiya Janata Party lead Government in Madhya Pradesh made its second attempt to amend the M.P. Dharma Swatantra Adhiniyam 1968. The first attempt was done in 2006. The background to this Bill was the report of the Narend

Now, let us discuss Collections as shown below in Figure No.4, this part-III is a continuation of the Part-II PAM system, but before discussing I want to give you an idea in a very simple manner that how the Government Projects and the Aid Plans from the Money or Loans of the World Banks or our Loca

President Obama of America, President Hollande of France and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom are laying the foundation for mass atrocities against Syrian Christians, Alawite Muslims and anyone deemed pro-government, in order to please the petrodollars of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. P

Slum settlements (katchi abadis) in the capital city are a challenge to the authorities concerned and they appear feeble to find a lasting solution to this sensitive issue. Besides the inhabitant are living miserable lives in absence of basic necessities such as clean drinking water, sanitation, ele

Part-I
In my 1st article, I have critically discussed the News “Sanitary Workers Job will be given to Religious Minorities in KPK Province”. But after all this discussion, does situation changed or something happened good in favor of us or the KPK Government replied and said sorry, the answer is a

First of all – I am thankful to My Christian Community who shared this news, as many of us feel shy of sharing such news and talks, because of the hatred we get from the Pakistani Muslim Community.
Secondly, I am not addressing to some or any specific community – I will write as an overall communi

President Obama and important inner circle leaders had hoped to install the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and throughout other parts of North Africa and the Middle East. Issues related to enforced dhimmitude on Coptic Christians, the future rights of women, mainstream Islam, secular Egypt and a whole

There has been an understandably strong reaction to the burning of Quaid e Azam’s residence in Ziarat, near Quetta, and the destruction of most of his belongings. Every Pakistani has grieved whether they are Muslim, Christian, Parsi, Hindu or Sikh. Not only in Pakistan, but throughout the world whe

The new World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on HIV treatment and prevention which were released at the 7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Kuala Lumpur do provide hope that more people living with HIV will be able to live healthy - only if these guidelines get

Political elites in America, France and the United Kingdom are helping the most barbaric Takfiri Islamists in the world and assisting the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to spread terrorism and sectarianism on a daily basis. Major Gulf powers including Qatar and Saudi Arabia are sponsoring this bloodshed in

I being chairman of (PCM),representative of (HRC) and (CLAP) visited Thailand from June 17 to June 20.I was assigned responsibility to observe circumstances of Pakistani Christian asylum seekers in Thailand, to know their problems and to collect information regarding role of UNHCR, local church , cl

Egyptians are united once again by the single yearning to rid the country of its corrupting force, Mr. Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, and, unlike two years ago, actualize the dream of democracy. There is a sense that something very significant is about to happen with both fear and hope intermingl

Voice of the Copts invites all freedom lovers around the world to stand in solidarity with Egyptian freedom-fighters in their current struggle to take back Egypt and bring about their goal of democracy.
One year ago, the Muslim Brotherhood and Mr. Morsi stole from the Egyptian people an opportuni

The endless enclosed cul-de-sac of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is leading to one dead end after another. He constantly warns that his patience is wearing thin while demonstrators are attacked and pushed around from parts of several major cities. At all times he seeks to justify his rhetoric

To make an impact on new HIV infections globally, antiretroviral (ARV)-based HIV prevention strategies need to be closely tailored to local contexts and cultures, according to a new report released by RAND Europe and AIDS Foundation of Chicago. "Mapping Pathways: Developing Evidence-Based, People-Ce

Pakistan continues to be blighted by barbaric terrorist attacks against the minority Shia community and against anyone deemed to be worthy for killing in the name of Allah. In the latest suspected Sunni Islamist terrorist outrage women were killed in the region of Quetta. It is known that Sunni Isla

Peace interventions ratio in Pakistan is always disproportional in the supply and demand. Pakistani society is gradually dipping into disharmony and going awry as demand increases and supply is less than its required level. Pakistan is unable to achieve its desired status in the comity of nations d

Outside nations involved themselves in Afghanistan over forty years ago by firstly supporting the same thought patterns that they are currently trying to prevent from ruling this nation in the modern period. Gulf nations, America, the United Kingdom and Pakistan created “this nightmare” whereby the

Minority Copts in Egypt continue to live with discrimination, oppression and persecution from the Islamic majority. Muslim attacks on Christians, random and unprovoked, are based on jihad and often sanctioned by the state -- Coptic victims often hauled off to jail for the crimes committed against th

Social and political tensions in Turkey continue to be felt throughout this country because many people opposed to Recep Tayyip Erdogan believe that the current prime minister is a threat to democracy, freedom of speech, secularism and the rule of law. If Erdogan continues by issuing threats then it

222 million women in developing countries, who want to use modern contraception methods, are not able to have access to them. Meeting women's family planning needs would prevent 54 million unplanned pregnancies, 79,000 maternal deaths and 1.1 million infant deaths. There are other savings too, for e

Wales is a small and beautiful state in the west of England and part of the United Kingdom. In the past this country has been a part of Norman and Roman empires like many other parts of Great Britain. Its national language is Welsh. It is considered as a very difficult language and a large number of

Despite acute power shortage in rural areas, varying levels of poverty and impoverishment, why is, government's heavily subsidized programme to encourage people in rural areas to install biogas and manure plants for renewable energy production, not an outstanding success? Engineer Surabhi Agarwal, M

In the region of Asia and the Pacific - though there has been continued progress towards fulfilling the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (PoA) – progress in sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality is unacceptably slow and inconsi

A girl in Malaysia today is more likely to go to a university than a boy. “65% students enrolled in tertiary colleges are women” said Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak at Women Deliver 2013. While many countries are grappling to bring down deaths of wome

A new World Bank report released at Women Deliver 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, demonstrates that investing in women’s reproductive health is smart economics. This report, formally called "Investing in women’s reproductive health: Closing the deadly gap between what we know and what we do", Jeni K

One major flaw in existing of the Election system in Pakistan that minorities and women seats are left at the mercy of political parties. The way these seats have been filled in the past and now when the priority lists were submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan - ECP by the parties. Membe

The intelligence agency of Germany, the BND, appears to be realizing that the Syrian government and the armed forces are not in the process of being overpowered. This is a remarkable turn-around because previously the BND hierarchy had predicted the end of the government of Bashar al-Assad. However,

When there are evidence-based methods to control asthma effectively, then why is the disease burden growing over the past 30 years, particularly in the low- and middle- income countries? This fact is stated clearly in the Global Asthma Report 2011 published by the International Union Against Tubercu

It is very sad to state that Christians of Pakistan are day by day persecuted under false cases in blasphemy law. This shows the weakness of Government and law & order department. Where as, many speeches had been made for the protection of minorities and all happenings show that this is only limited

Asthma causes disabling symptoms in millions of people who struggle to breathe, making ordinary activities extraordinarily difficulty – things like going to school, working at a job, looking after children or aging parents, running or even walking. About 235 million people in the world suffer from a

"It's time to control asthma", according to this year's World Asthma Day theme, but the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) says the low availability and the prohibitive cost of asthma inhalers continue to be serious challenges in low- and middle- income countries.

Nautanwa (Maharajganj district in Uttar Pradesh): Statistics never lie - they only help unravel some harsh truths. Like many social indicators in Maharajganj district only confirm that this district is one of the most undesired places for girls to live in. While 73.6 per cent of females here marry b

Today, in India, there are more than 63 million people living with diabetes, second only to China, as per the latest 5th Diabetes Atlas statistics. Being a disease of the blood vessels diabetes affects all organs. By the time the blood supply to the foot has been compromised due to peripheral obstru

The 75th death anniversary of national poet-philosopher Allama Mohammad Iqbal would budge but a few on April 21, 2013. A poet with a profound philosophy though internalized by just a handful, most of whom remain powerless to influence and wake up nation’s dormant conscience, a philosopher with a sou

There is overwhelming evidence linking lung cancer to tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoking continues to remain a major risk factor for lung cancer. Among cancers, most deaths every year are attributed to lung cancer, followed by stomach, liver, colon and breast cancers globally. Close to 1.4 million peo

One golden wish in TB care and control is surely around early diagnosis of all forms of TB. New rapid diagnostic tools have come on board over the past years such as Liquid Culture, Line Probe Assay (LPA), and Xpert MTB/RIF among others in addition to conventional gold standard solid culture and dru

Millions of women (and men) are still unable to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and prevent unintended pregnancies. Despite major thrust on research and development of new options to prevent STIs and unintended pregnancies, and efforts to expand access to existing prev

Could you ever imagine that a string of beads can act as a contraceptive device to avoid unintended pregnancies? Well CycleBeads just does that by helping women to follow the Standard Days Method (SDM)—a natural fertility awareness method of family planning. It consists of a string of 32 colour cod

We need to forgive the trespasses of others for our forgiveness. This is the result of repentance. Thus, one becomes holy and is part of all religions without any exception. Even though Buddhism does not speak of confession in general but the Pali Canon demands that a monk must confesses their indiv

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) created history in February 2007 when India became the first and only low-income country in the world with a national subscription to The Cochrane Library. This initiative of the ICMR to purchase a national license was widely hailed as an exemplar of re

(Note: From the case of Liaquat Shah it is amply clear how police, for taking credit, implicate surrendered militants as terrorists. Had it not been for the vocal protest of J&K police and CM Omar Abdullah the country would have believed that Liaquat came to carry out blasts in Delhi during Holi. No

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) marked World TB Day 2013 by formulating and publishing the much needed ‘Guidelines for Clinical and Operational Management of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis’. This new guide offers practical advice on how to manage the estimated

“I will not take all these medicines for two years... they are very strong medicines. I won’t be able to go to school” said 12 year old Abu (name changed) as the doctor explained to him that his sputum was still positive after six months of treatment. Abu was now affected with Multi-Drug Resistant T

Child Sexual Abuse is a topic few are ready to discuss much less address. Thus it came as a welcome surprise when in May 2012 the Indian Parliament enacted its first law specifically outlawing child sexual abuse. Prior to that the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act being notified, diffe

Its general perception among Pakistani Muslims that UN, USAID, British High Commission, American Embassy, Christian diplomats and other foreigners are helping Pakistani Christians, but the reality is different. Let me give you the actual situation.
On February 6, 1997, a religiously charged mob att

We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction.” they rejoice at our helplessness. You have seen the wrong done. You have seen the depth of their vengeance, all their plots against us. The law is no more. The roads to Pakistan mourn, Look, and see our disgrace.
Those who pursue us are

Tuberculosis, commonly called TB, is caused by microscopic bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It can be pulmonary in nature, when it affects the lungs and is highly infectious or extra pulmonary when it affects some part of the body other than the lungs and is less communicable. TB can be l

SLMP initial Report on Joseph Colony Massacre, Badami Bagh, Lahore
The Information
On March 08, 2013 near about 06:00PM I was informed about an unpleasant alleged incident of blasphemy in Christian vicinity of Joseph Colony, main bus stand Lari Adha, North of Lahore-Punjab, Pakistan. I was also in

Catholic Dalits (untouchables) in India are divided over how to improve their lot. Franklin Caesar Thomas and R. L. Francis both attend Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral in New Delhi. Though the two lay activists with similar backgrounds may be polite on Sundays, they don’t like each other.
Like 70 pe

Breath is life, and yet the importance of lung health is under-recognised, especially in women. No wonder then that lung disease (including respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis, lung cancer and asthma) accounts for more than 16% deaths among women worldw

Tuberculosis care and control came under gender lens when participants attending Western Regional Consultative Meeting of Partnership for TB Care and Control in India (PTCCI) shared their perspectives on TB and women. This regional consultation was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh during 5-6 March 201

So said Freddy Svane, Ambassador of Denmark in an interview given exclusively to Citizen News Service - CNS, during his recent visit to Lucknow. He rightly believes that, “Diabetes is a non- communicable disease that is self-inflicted. It is generally not something that we inherit, but something tha

Shadows of the Real is K. K. Srivastava’s third volume of poetry. The book includes a lengthy Preface by the poet called “Poetry: I love to talk of darkness.” Here he writes: “Writing poems is a way to survive. Poets feel deeply and those who feel deeply need to survive too. Through life’s thorny th

About thousand villagers in Reusa Block, Sitapur, staged a Jal Satyagrah by getting down into the waters of river Sharda and standing there all day long on 25-26 February 2013. They were demanding immediate action by the government to start work to stop erosion lest their villages and fields may aga

Narmada Bachao Andolan has been using Jal Satyagrah since 1993 as a means of protest wherein people facing submergence stay put in waist or sometimes neck deep rising waters of the river and endanger their lives. The administration or the government on the other hand is busy trying to save people by

The recently released fourth annual edition of the financing series of the Institute of Health and Metric Evaluation (IHME), ‘Financing Global Health 2012: The End of the Golden Age?’ tracks Development Assistance for Health (DAH) from government aid agencies, multilateral donors, and private founda

On my way to work every morning I listen to Asian radio. The presenter, Ravi Sharma, has a good sense of humour but aside from the jokes and the music, he also sheds light on the significant events of the day. No doubt on 11 February 2014 he will remind listeners that a year has passed since Pope B

It was a Valentine’s Day celebration with a difference. On 14th February, 2013, a vibrant crowd of Lucknowites marched from Begum Hazrat Mahal Park to Hazratganj-- the heart of the city—as a part of ‘Odhani ka Parcham’, a campaign to condemn violence against women. The three hours long event was in

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most under-reported and under-rated chronic disease for children across the world. Although childhood TB has been receiving attention from global health experts, it still remains a major cause for illness and death of children. Yet TB is preventable, treatable and cur

Civil society organizations came together in Hyderabad today to enlist gaps in tuberculosis (TB) control programme in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and appeal to authorities to strengthen the TB response. Partnership for TB Care and Control in India, along with LEPRA Society, Catholic Health Associ

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least one-third of all cancer cases are preventable. Prevention offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer. Despite strong evidence and clear mandate to protect public health, lifestyle related cancers are on an al

For a disease as old of tuberculosis (TB) how come despite all the scientific research and development (R and D) we still have about a century old BCG vaccine which is the only licensed vaccine to prevent TB - it is used extensively with approximately 100 million newborns being vaccinated globally e

Researchers, from the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group, McGill University and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), analysed data from 18 studies, spread over 27 distinct centres, and involving a total of 7,816 adults supposed to be having pulmonary TB or multidrug-resistant TB (MD

On January 26 we celebrate the Republic Day, India’s most important national event. It was on January 26, 1950, that the Constitution was enacted and India became a sovereign, democratic republic. The Republic Day is the people’s day in many ways and the Constitution of India stands fundamentally fo

The Partnership for TB care and control in India announced its first Annual award for TB Champion Individual and TB Champion Organization at its recently held National Consultative Meeting in Delhi. This award has been instituted by the partnership (and is supported by Dr. Madhukar Pai and Global He

People of Pakistan are mostly considered by some Observers and Analysts that ,are easy to be fooled since they have little Knowledge about the evil designs of the People who pretend to be noble for the People but actually they have been performing the mission of those non s

It is reported that Nigeria will now send 900 military troops to Mali in order to help this nation overcome the Islamist terrorist threat. Nigeria is a very powerful nation when it comes to regional stability and aiding various situations. However, Nigeria also faces a growing Islamist terrorist thr

There are various views, understandings and uses of terminology around the concept of freedom of religion and belief, not only within religious traditions but also in the philosophical context. In a country like Pakistan, where religion is expressed in an intense manner and religious beliefs have a

In Gujarat, people living with HIV are looking at a new therapy – marriage within the community of HIV positive people. Activist activist G.V. Joshi cites the example of a diamond worker Manohar, who was HIV positive and unmarried when he met his future wife Sujata at counselling meetings. Sujata to

Some of the political parties are starting to draft their election manifestoes for the coming elections. Many criticize these manifestoes as promising a lot but the fact is that most during the past three decades read more like a governmental policy document than anything alluding to a change.
The

While Indians are out on the streets demanding a severe law against rape after the shameful incident in Delhi, another debate has got initiated to find the root cause of this inhuman act. "A stricter law is not the solution, it is only a short term remedy. There are evidences of strict law, like dea

Civil society groups and citizens have submitted a comprehensive list of recommendations today (2nd January 2013) to government-appointed committee that is currently seeking input on how to reform laws against sexual assault. These recommendations emerged at an open consultation held in Lucknow on 2