“The 99 Superheroes”: Are Islamic Cartoons justified?

In Islam, every man or woman who enters the fold of the ‘Divinely ordained’ religion is bound by a number of laws and beliefs that he is to adopt for sustaining in the material world. No doubt, the most important faith among these is to believe in the uniqueness of the Creator, His Powers and His Attributes. It is thus, known to be the responsibility of Muslims to not only commit their lives to their creator but also convey the message to those who still dwell in ignorance.

A few days ago, while skimming through some news websites on the internet I came across one of president Obama’s speech that he delivered during a Summit on Entrepreneurship a month ago. The speech covered topics on what areas he wanted American citizens to look upon to add on to their productivity and how they should collaborate with each other to promote their common goals of sustenance. Among this speech was also a topic that caught all my eyes and ears. The president shed light on a Muslim figure; Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa for his contributions on capturing the imagination of youngsters through a message of tolerance with his comic series entitled “The 99 superheroes”.

This series of comic heroes as I discovered later were actually derived from the 99 names of Almighty Allah. The founder of Teshkeel Comics, Mutawa, considered his act to be a way of building a bridge between the Muslim extremists and the Western ideology by making use of the Islamic concepts to promote universal virtues. The comic book with a monthly subscription around US, UK, Middle East and several other countries since first printed in May 2006, for me was hard to swallow.

The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) himself once mentioned that angels would never enter the house of those who had pictures. For every believer it should be clear that images and portraits of any living thing or cartoons for that matter cannot be justified in the jurisdiction of Islam. In this regard, not only the images but those personifying the attributes of God in cartoon characters cannot be allowed. A human being can possess one or many virtues attributable to God for His 99 names, but the use of cartoons in this case raise questions and controversies similar to the past incidents at Denmark and recently reincarnated on Facebook.

One cannot deny alcohol to be condemned, interest to be forbidden and the taste of pork to be justified in Islam. Cartoons or any other expressions of art, no matter what angelic purpose they might seem to pursue cannot be allowed in any case no matter what.

The author is an associated editor at IslamTribune a US based Online News Magazine, which tries to address the issues pertaining to people around the world especially the muslim community. Visit IslamTribune.com for Breaking News, Current Affairs and blogs run by people who have more to share with this world.

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The Mexican Oil Spill - Is it Over?

The oil spill that ruptured in the Gulf of Mexico is slowly seeping into the Middle East. Although the State authorities tried their best ways, closing the lakes from reaching the Eastern part and started lining up barges to stop the spilled oil from spreading. However, the oil spill is spreading as the sea has no boundaries but the clean up crews are working hard to collect the tar from the dock as quickly as possible to reduce the damages as much as they can.

Quite a huge amount of oil waste has been collected and the tests on sea life have not as yet turned up with oil contamination and this shows hope for the remaining sea life. These are incidents that are really unpredictable but a little care and precaution can surely help you to resolve such problems within a short time.

The slow response of the American government as compared to the fast forward reactions and solutions of the Malaysian and Singaporean people in such matters shows that they are far better in environmental performance. BP is surely responsible and needs to face all the liabilities in the circumstances of grave danger which may cause environmental destruction to both the coastal areas and the marine life living there.

The slow reaction of the Americans really speaks out that there is surely a need to make amend in the oil prevention policy within the US soil. The huge oil spill disaster occurred just days before the American president announced that more oil would be drilled of the Eastern and the Mexican shore of America. The most troubling question lurking behind the minds of the local population that are at risk is will they be able to survive the oil spill.

The bad weather conditions and the storm threat surely acts as an obstacle and halts most of the work at the oil spill. The reports of the oil spill are based on the State and Federal official conclusion. Plus the government makes its reports based on two estimates firstly it reports are based on the study of the undersea video of the oil and gas that is leaking out from the site and the study of the flow rate group is also combined to form the final report. But due to bad weather there may also be problems in getting the exact estimates and International news is filled up with the latest updates in the rescuing strategies used for the oil spill disaster.

The oil spill workers have landed on safer waters so that they don't get tangled up with the storm and are waiting for the weather to tone down so that they can start of with their protective measure in fast forward way.

IslamTribune.com is a US based Online News Magazine, capturing different perspectives of people and their view on News around the world. For more detailed insights on US and the Middle East News visit the website.

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CNC News - A New Voice of China Has Been Launched

Although the whole world has globalised and many innovative changes have taken place but the minds of the people are still running on the single track of discrimination between the races and there is quite a difference in the way that the Eastern world is looked up. The recent launch of the English language channel of China called the CNC looks quite productive but the critics are afraid that it may behold the international audiences skeptically especially as it will not be able to win the hearts of the westerners.

The latest global news channel is going to turn out a new source of information for the global audience. After the success story of many globalised channels in English China also planned this launch so that it could also have a media platform with the global influence but with their own agenda in mind.

Though this is certainly not the first globalised English medium channel of China which offers 24/7 service but the real problem is that though the CNC channel is being broadcasted globally providing global news round the clock Chinese people will not be able to view the channel and this sure stand out the biggest flaw with the launch of this channel.

There are many Chinese people who have mastered the English language and the foreigners in China can also get all the global news by watching this channel but the real fact is that it is unavailable for them and sure will be an obstacle in the growth of the Chinese Economy.

All this is certainly is because of a political purpose which really creates a climate of strict censorship but still there are ways that the CNC world will pave the road to the top of the developing world. As until know no other channel has seen successfully established and held a dominance position. Most of the government channels of China are actually the eye and the tongue of the ruling party of China and they deliver the news according to the set restrictions by the governing party.

The real truth behind the success story of China is the fact that it uses its official language as the medium of education and communication within the local population and so people show their best potential when working in their own country with their past traditions and communicating in the medium that they understand best. The globalised world has certainly packed all the countries of the world in a chain reaction where a little problem in one certainly messes up the entire connection.

The author is an associated author at IslamTribune.com a US News Magazine, capturing different perspectives of people and their view on News around the world. For more detailed insights on US and the Middle East News visit the website IslamTribune.com.

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Another Ecological Invention - Concrete That Reduces Pollution

The latest scientific experiments and research have led to new discoveries that can really help in reducing the pollution problem. Scientists have come up with a new type of concert that helps reduce pollutants in the environment that lead to acid rain.

Netherlands finest researchers in Enid Hoven University of Technology have been successful in developing a paving material that eats up the aerial pollutants, especially green house gases and is soon to be the most crucial tool for improving the quality of air in industrialized locations.

The new concrete absorbs nitrogen oxide from the air and turns it into Nitrate a quite harmless substance. Scientists are confident that it can be mixed with Asphalt and used as a perfect material to build roads and walls that will be free from wear and tear due to environmental l factors.

Today, industrialized countries responsible for vehicle emission and fossil fuel usage have been reportedly increasing in the percentage of nitrogen oxide in the air. This is the main cause of acid rain and smog that ends up causing adverse health effects on humans and also effects the material used in building. Though the government has imposed strict air regulations, the quality of air in most busy streets is still low.

As revealed upon severe experimentation, the new found concrete is not affected by the pollutant which is why it has recently been used on the pavements of a Dutch town in Hengelo. The results are positive and have inspired hope that it's really going to reduce acid rain and leave positive effects on the environment.

Thus, areas where there is increase in air pollution will undoubtedly find this very useful. Plus it is quality material that doesn't require much maintenance and doesn't wear off easily. Though the material is quite expensive at the moment public usage seems to be confined with just a few people. For this reasons, scientists are continuously trying out new experiments to reduce the cost down to at least 10 percent. This should be in your best interest as this way you will not have to spend more on maintenance when you use quality materials that are healthy for you as well as the environment.

There is always hope for the future and our hope is our motivation that keeps us going. Maybe some day our inspired hope will offer more feasible solutions to the problems and difficulties that we face in our economy. We should abide by the laws and follow strict rules and regulations that will help us reduce the effect of pollution in our lives so that we can lead a quality life.

The author is an associated author at IslamTribune a US based Online News Magazine, capturing different perspectives of people and their view on News around the world. Visit IslamTribune.com for more updates around the world and International Business News.

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Now Make Free Phone Calls to US & Canada with Voice in Gmail!!!

Well this is like one of those days when you buy the last Willy Wonka Chocolate in the shop and win your Golden ticket to visit the Chocoloate factory....lol! I might have got a little carried away with all the excitement rushing up through my nerves, but on a more serious note Google's dedication to be best at everything and its wishful days of eventually taking over my and your computer does not seem too far!

Like everyday, I seated myself infront of the computer to check my gmail account to connect back to the wireless world most of us have been accustomed to and get rid of those unwanted messages piling up to infinity and beyond. Surprisingly a pop-up message with a "New! Make phone calls from Gmail" feature notification.

To some people, they would still prefer skype while others would just be astounded with additional features like a preload 10cent credit, which you could use to call around the world for as low as 2 cents per minute. Well, I'm a miser what actually made me breathless wa sthe power to call on landlines and phones with my google account and all that for FREE! Atleast that what it seems when they say Free Calls to U.S and Canada in 2010.

Some of us might already be using services like Google Voice to call from our cellphones to each other like we do for Nimbuzz or Skype but this stuff is neat, really neat! Dial a direct number whether your friend is not signed in or is still in bed even when you are outside U.S.

Although Voice in Gmail has a lot of benefits, I somehow fear that this may be another way of tracking what the gmail users have been up with or even surpassing the algorithims that Google Adsense implemented to find out the demographics, likes and dislikes of IPs and people.

Additionally, one more funny yet irritating scenario could be to get actual human voice calls, with real people or recorded messages on software telling you to buy their stupid shampoos and so called money back guarantee teeth whiteners. I'd really love to hear such funny voices....but lets see how it really goes!

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Pieces of Greenland Drift Away Because of Global Warming - Measures Required

Greenland, North America's own Iceland lying between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, no longer seems to be a favorite destination for tourists that once delved in its beautiful landscape.

Are humans really responsible for global warming?

Are we the ones responsible for triggering and increasing the rate at which global warming is effecting the environment?

Whatever the cause may be, we sure need to identify this as quickly as possible before we reach the point of no return. The whole world will be effected by global warming as it is not only a problem faced by a country but will end up effecting the lives of the entire world. You may wonder what the reason maybe, but what most do not realize is their own contribution to such devastation including excessive fossil fuel burning, CFCs and industrial wastes.

Large glaciers of ice, four times the size of Manhattan have broken off from Greenland according to the latest updates. It is believed that fresh water stored in this ice island can keep the Hudson River flowing for about two years. The broken ice pieces on the other hand can also block Nares Strait which separates Greenland and Canada and while it continues to melt down and flow into the open waters of the Atlantic. According to environmentalists the rising temperatures of the Arctic have been identified as the underlying reason for global warming, and as of now they have reached their warmest levels.

Scientists are working hard to find solutions and alternate fossil-free energy resources to sway this environmental hazard but there are still unanswered question that need to be answered. If we don't catch up with the real reasons we will never be able to find remedies in the situation. All the research conducted up till now confirms that the sea level rising beyond current predictions is the culprit causing global warming in this area.

The climatic and environmental changes are affecting the animal life living in the areas that are more at risk. With melting of the Arctic ice the flora and fauna found the Arctic region are now even found at lower altitudes. Most animals are not adapting to the rising temperatures and may end up being extinct because they are more suited to live in ice-covered areas. The eco system is also suffering a lot and there are chances that many species may end up being extinct.

The species of polar bear and seals are more badly affected as they usually give birth to their little ones in lairs and caves but because of the early spring rain these lairs collapse and kill the young offspring's. If global warming continues in this way it looks as if soon enough the Arctic Ocean will soon be ice free.

We are experiencing global changes in the air, water as well as the ground and these are changing the face of the earth. We can all step forward and play our part by adopting ways that will help to reduce the effect so that we can reduce it to some extent. Start using eco-friendly energy, use minimum resources and produce less waste. Re-use, Reduce and Recycle today if you want your kids to see a tomorrow!

The author is an associated author at IslamTribune a US based Online News Magazine, capturing different perspectives of people and their view on News around the world. Visit IslamTribune.com for more updates around the world and News in the Middle East.

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The Deadliest Plane Crash in Pakistan, flight ABQ-202

28th of July would always remain a tragic day in the history of Pakistan, when domestic flight ABQ-202 of Air Blue Airlines crashed on Margala Hills early in the morning. 6 crew members, pilots and 146 passengers on board, looking forward to reach their destinations found instant death to be their destiny. Incidents like these are obviously unpredictable, but what is even more tantalizing is that not only do the lives of victims are at loss but, instances like these destroy the lives of families involved.

Grief stricken families were devastated with the news and crowded the airport awaiting news of any possible survivors. International news agencies and the local news channels flashed the updates on the plane crash, while Thursday became a national day of mourning declared by the Pakistani government. Over a 100 bodies were badly mutilated and burned under the wreckage, while the rest missed body parts. Rescue workers strived day and night to retrieve fingers and bones to be collected and identified for each individual who boarded the plane.

No one to date has been able to discover the true cause of the devastation. Where some speculate that the bad weather may be the culprit, others think it to be either the incompetence of the flying pilots or loss of communication with the control tower. But whatever the truth may be, the lives of 152 Pakistanis and their families had run down to ruins. The death of these passengers has also destroyed the lives of many close relatives and various other employees of the airline industry in Pakistan.

Among the victims of the plane, there seems to be a long list of young men and women that idealized a promising future for Pakistan. Entire families have been wiped out while some have lost their fathers, mothers and their dear siblings. These are devastating incidents that makes your heart cry out for the realities that are living dead. It was the worst plane crash in the history of Pakistan, after the 1988 crash of General Zia-ul-Haq a martial law administrator that left twisted metal wreckage hanging from the tree tops with clouds of dense gray smoke rising from it.

No one knows what really happened but as the black box has been found the reason of the crash may be revealed soon enough or remain a mystery depending upon its contents. We can avoid the mistakes that led to the crash but the real fact is that we can't bring back the survivors to life. Although the cause of the plane crash is still to be determined, the irreparable damage can never be replaced.

An associated release for IslamTribune.com a US based Online News Magazine, capturing different perspectives of people and their view on News around the world. For more detailed insights on US and the Middle East News visit the website.

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Outrageous Floods and the Will Power For Survival

The rising waters hit the land of Peshawar in Pakistan and left a trail of shrieks and wailing when people drowned and their houses were completely wiped out from the face of this earth. The rooftops were filled with people signaling for help and weeping for their loved ones who were missing. The tallest men were stranded in on the rooftops and looking for ways out. You can just imagine what must have happened to the little babies and kids trying to make way in the flood waters to live up another day. All television channels were filled with breaking news and giving the latest updates on the floods and the damages caused by it.


Saturday was a black day in the life of the people living in the pathan territories of Khyber Pukhtoon Khua as the death toll was rising with the receding waters of the flood. The roads of this North Western province of Pakistan are damaged and all means of communication are cut off hindering the rescue workers from doing their rescue work. When these natural disaster start to recede they spring up the threat of diseases and brings with it more deaths.

The Pakistanis when hit by floods were so devastated and frightened because such an unpredictable situation had arrived without even the slightest hint so that these victims could have evacuated the area beforehand. These drowning men and women clutched at straws and trees or anything that they thought could save their lives from getting swept in the flood water. Buildings and homes on the other hand started crumbling and sunk to the ground with all the furnishings of the inmates who once saw these places as home.

The lists of missing people in these affected areas seem to be growing by the hour. They are ones whose survival is still essential for their relatives and children looking with lifeless eyes hoping for the safety of their fathers and mothers who were swept in the floods.

You can never know the true state of damages and disaster caused by the floods as there are areas that are completely cut of and are unreachable due to the devastating damages. The rooftops are still filled with people in the hope that maybe rescued. Hunger and diseases are lurking in the air ready to attack people who are even a little weak. These are the devastating conditions of the effected people.

But the hope and the faith in Almighty is strong enough to push the people forth so that they can stand up to a new found zest in life and start their lives from where they left off. There sure is a sunny day after every dark night as this is the motivation that keeps the Pakistanis afloat. Life is precious whether it's your or these feeble ones, take care and spend every moment of your life as if they are the last ones.

IslamTribune.com a US based Online News Magazine, capturing different perspectives of people and their view on News around the world. Visit IslamTribune.com for more updates around the world and Breaking News.

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A Response to an Article on Dawn.com " On being ‘kafir’ "

Well...the article itself seemed quite fluffed up with sufism, which again itself is quite debatable in context of islam.

However, I'd like to shed light on a word in the english dictionary: "infidel" which means a non-believer in a certain religion.

The word can be defined using several dictionaries and encyclopedias, however every definition would depict the same concept.

To start of I'd like to point out that I'm a muslim and Chrisitans for instance would find me as an infidel for I do not believe in their religious teachings of the Holy Ghost, Jesus (son of God) and God (father of Jesus). For this reason, they have every right to call me or anyone else who rejects their belief of religion an "Infidel" and thus I would be someone who is not of their christian faith but another faith.

The word "Infidel" when translated in Arabic means the same as Kaafir.

The word Kafir is in no way used to abuse any person, but just to draw a boundary based on religious beliefs among people. I still have non-muslim friends in the US and even here where I live, but they would be Kaafir for me since they do not believe in my religion while I wouldn't mind if they call me a non-hindu, non-christian or infidel even for that matter since I only believe in the teachings of Islam.

The issue of, 'the Hindu youth who was a member of Youth Parliament, Pakistan.....also a passenger of the recent plane crash' I believe is another publicized matter for the press and the media to aggravate the differences among the public.

The plane crash was indeed tragic, while the devastations were even worse, you'll agree with me when you see pictures of bones and fingers on TV as the invetigating teams could not find what body parts belong to which human being. Upon being separated every corpse had to have a coffin which could be handed over in order to proceed with the funeral. Such body parts could not really be handed over in case of some passengers, as they might be unbearable for such families.

In such a scenario where most of the corpse belonged to muslim passangers, differentiating the corpse of non-muslims seemed rather important. While muslim corpse were being buried, perhaps in respect of the Hindu funeral traditions, the folks responsible might have decided to separate the corpse of this Hindu boy marking as Kafir so his family or anyone repsonsible might carry the homa rituals for delivering the corpse to its end.

the Original Article may be viewed on http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/on-being-kafir-380

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Review: Intel Core I5 The Smart Performance Processor

Nine months earlier, what Intel introduced as its solution to lagging computer and frozen screens has been hot cakes over the market. Yes, this is the Intel Core i5 processor that many people got their eyes attached to during the extensive sales promotion that were held a couple months ago. The smell of owning a MacBook Pro presenting a Core i5 processor built with a 4MB cache inside was just too good to be true for many awaited gaming fans.

Available processors

Among the first to be released was Intel's Core i5 750, Lynnfield with its 2.66GHz, 4 core processing capabilities, along with an 8MB cache. Later versions include Arrandale Core i5 5xx with half the L3 cache for mobile processing capabilities and Clarkdale which was a desktop version having somewhat the same running speeds as the former version. Today 5xx, 6xx and 7xx processors are available in all three models.

Added Features

• Dual core 32nm processing for Intel® Core™ i5 600 and 700 processors run two same frequency processors within a single processor.
• Up to 8MB of L3 Intel® Smart Cache enables steady access to numerous, commonly used files and enhance the user's gaming experience.
• Intel® HD Graphics for sharper, brighter images and videos provide ultimate HD viewing even in active matrix laptop screens and desktops.
• Dual channel integrated memory controllers provide DDR3 1333MHz high speed memory. Keeping up with data intensive application processing is not an issue any more.
• Advanced technology, Intel® Turbo Boost identifies and enhances speed variations for heavy applications to enable seamless processing.

Recent claims on the Intel® Core i5-600 processors have been introduced with Hyper-Threading technology where processing threads are known to be equally distributed among both the cores. This allows the users to work on multiple tasks at the same time, without any offsets on time and money.

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The Use of Potassium Chloride and Saline Solution

Potassium chloride (KCl) is a chemical compound that resembles the common table salt but in reality is an odorless and colorless metal halide salt. Potassium is formed naturally as Sylvite but needs to be extracted from Sylvinite ore. However it can also be artificially manufactured by crystallization of salt water solution. While, a saline solution is a solution of Sodium chloride and sterile water and the normal saline solution is 9% Sodium chloride. Both Potassium Chloride and Saline solution are administered intravenously in their diluted form and are also beneficial for other medicinal purposes.

Uses of Potassium Chloride
Potassium chloride has a variety of uses, the most important being one of the main ingredients in making fertilizer as it is essential for the growth of specific plants. Potassium chloride is also used as an ingredient in medicines, for scientific applications, food preservative and also as a substitute for table salt. Potassium is essential for human body and the easiest way to replenish the body of Potassium Chloride is by taking it orally. Medically potassium chloride is used in the treatment of Hyperkalemia and also injected intravenously in the treatment of Potassium deficiency but only after being diluted and this is usually done when oral replacement is not feasible. Potassium is chief citation of human body cells and maintains the body fluid composition and electrolyte balance. While potassium in essential in carbohydrate synthesizing and is also important for nerve and muscle contraction

Warnings
Some uses mentioned above are common everyday, beneficial uses of potassium chloride. But what most people do not know is that if misused, potassium chloride can also become life threatening. For this reason it is also used as intravenous injections in judicial execution. Other lethal injections are with the medical fraternity that uses potassium chloride in fetal intra cardiac injections inducing abortions in pregnant women in their second and third trimester.

Medicinal Use of Saline Solution:
The normal saline solution is commonly used in patients suffering from dehydration through an intravenous IV drip especially the people who fail to consume foods and nutrients by mouth. Normal saline is also diluted with glucose to reduce the complications that may develop due to infusion of saline solution so that it can reduce the concentration of sodium circulating in the blood. It is also used in intravenous injections as it is a non proyegnic solution for fluids and electrolytes replenishments for intravenous administration.

Benefits
Saline solutions are also beneficial for rinsing and safe storing of contact lenses as well as nasal drops in patients suffering from sinus problems. Saline solution acts as a moisturizer for dryness, itching and crusting in the nose. Warm saline solutions can be used to pulsate irrigation of the nasal passage as it helps to bring more circulation to the area and is also is void of any anti microbial agents.

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