United States and Canada should unite ASAP – Diane Francis

Merger of the Century by Diane Francis: Review

The argument for Canada and the U.S. to unite

Diane Francis’s Merger of the Century, HarperCollins, 403 pages, $32.99.

By: Don Tapscott

If the creation of the European Union is evidence, trade agreements, common markets and economic unions can lead to political unions. So it’s not so preposterous that 20 years after the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement, someone has finally crafted a serious proposal for the political integration of Canada and the United States.

Best-selling author, writer and pundit (and dual citizen of both countries) Diane Francis argues that the United States and Canada should unite ASAP. She sets out the economic benefits of joining forces, how the deal could be fairly structured, and the political hurdles to overcome.

Kuldip Nayar’s new book on Jinnah, Shastri, Nehru India & Pakistan

Jinnah amputated India and inflicted a permanent bleeding wound on a 5,000-year old border less society, turning friendly neighbours into cannibalistic monsters, hellbent on feeding frenzy over each other’s corpses.

More » Out Look

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?281456#.T-8SOS96nz0.facebook

Via – TK’s facebook page

Brought to book: Jemima Khan on appearing in her ex-husband’s memoir

– What’s it like to appear in someone else’s book without your knowledge or approval? After Jemima Khan got her hands on Imran Khan’s book, she had the opportunity to discuss Pakistan and their time together with her ex-husband

“Too late. Don’t worry Jem – you come across as you always wanted to – Joan of Arc,” was the response I got from my ex-husband, Imran Khan, when I asked if it would be possible to read his memoirs before they were published.

Imran and I have remained on very good terms. He even uses my mother’s house as a London base when he’s in the UK. Still, hearing that there was a chapter in Pakistan: A Personal History entitled “My Marriage”, was, I’ll admit, unsettling. I wrestled an advance copy, a brick of a book, from my sons (to whom it had been dedicated, as well as to “the youth of Pakistan”). ….

Read more » independent.co.uk

Book Review: Inside the Pakistan Army

Book Review: Inside the Pakistan Army: A Woman’s Experience on the Frontline of the War on Terror

by Aparna Pande, Research Fellow, Hudson Institute

Excerpt;

…. For any embedded analysis, of the type attempted by Ms. Schofield, the researcher must know enough about the culture, language, history and politics of the country to distinguish plausible perspectives from mere propaganda. Otherwise you end up with simply portraying what the propaganda machine asks you to do, taking away any shred of credibility. It would be akin to writing on the Soviet army during the time of the Soviet Union but under the guidance of the Soviets. Interestingly, Carey Schofield has done that too, and with little impact. Her latest book is not an academic work on the Pakistani army, but a long press release written by a foreigner.

To read complete article → Huffingtonpost

A controversial biography of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi ‘racist and bisexual’ claims new book

A controversial biography of Mahatma Gandhi has claimed that the revered political leader was racist and bisexual.

Great Soul, written by former New York Times executive editor Joseph Lelyveld, makes several new claims about the man who led India to independence.

The book alleges that as an older man he held “nightly cuddles” – without clothes – with seventeen year-old girls in his entourage, including his own niece.

It also suggests that he was in love with German-Jewish architect and bodybuilder, Hermann Kallenbach, for whom he left his wife in 1908.

“Gandhi wrote to Kallenbach about ‘how completely you have taken possession of my body. This is slavery with a vengeance’,” the book said, going on to claim that Gandhi nicknamed himself “Upper House” and Kallenbach “Lower House.”

It goes on: “He made Lower House promise not to ‘look lustfully upon any woman.’ The two then pledged ‘more love, and yet more love . . . such love as they hope the world has not yet seen.'” …

Read more : The Telegraph.co.uk

Koran burnt in Florida church

By Paul J. Richards, AFP News

A controversial US evangelical preacher oversaw the burning of a copy of the Koran in a small Florida church …

Read more : YahooNews

The People of the Book!?!

The People of the Book!?! Watch.

– You Tube Link – You Tube Link # 2 – You Tube Link 3

SINDH FESTIVAL – NOV 25- 28 AT ARTS COUNCIL KARACHI

Arts Council  ( Near Sindh Assembly Building) Karachi Sindh has planned a 4 day Sindh festival covering Society, Language and Literature in Sindhi on Thu, Fri, Sat & Sunday, 25,26,27 & 28 November 2010. It has planned various things including Literary, cultural and heritage sessions and sittings. You are requested to please keep your four days free  for memorable festival events and make Arts Council Karachi-Sindh  a centre of Excellence for Culture and literary sessions.
IN DIFFERENT SESSIONS WE DISCUSS AND REVIEW THE SINDHI SOCIETY : 1. SINDHI LANGUAGE ITS IMPACTS ON OTHER LANGUAGES AND OTHERS ON SINDHI LANGUAGE,  2. SINDHI POETRY, 3. SINDHI STORIES, 4. SINDHI TRAVELOGUE WRITERS, 5. SINDHI NOVELISTS, 6. EXPERTS ON SHAH LATEEF, SHAH INAYAT, SACHAL SARMAST  7. EXPERT ON COMPUTERS, 8. EXPERTS ON LANGUAGE, 9. EXPERTS IN MEDIA, TV CHANNELS, FM RADIOS,  10. HANDICRAFTS, 11. VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES 12. ARCHEOLOGY &THERE WOULD BE BOOK LAUNCHINGS.
1. BOOK FAIR, 2. PAINTING EXHIBITIONS, 3. BOOK STALLS , 4. SINDHI COOKING, 5. SINDHI MUSIC
All Publishers and Publishing Houses including : Sindh University Press, Sindhology, Sindhi Language Authority,  Sindhika, Roshni Publishers and all others are requested to come for Book Stalls for their Company/ Organizations.  Arts council would provide place, Tables, Covers, Electricty, Free of Cost.

A Review of Fatima Bhutto’s Songs of Blood and Sword – By Saba Imtiaz

The Bhuttos and their books – By Saba Imtiaz

Courtesy: Afpak

Over the past four decades, the name Bhutto has come to symbolize — depending on which version of history you believe — Pakistan. It has become our lot in life to obsess over the Bhuttos, discuss their macabre deaths — Zulfikar was hanged, Shah Nawaz poisoned, Murtaza and Benazir shot — and wonder how many more Bhuttos will come to rule over Pakistan.

Book Review – The Battle For GOD

In the late twentieth century, fundamentalism has emerged as one of the most powerful forces at work in the world, contesting the dominance of modern secular values and threatening peace and harmony around the globe. Yet it remains incomprehensible to a large number of people. In The Battle for God, Karen Armstrong brilliantly and sympathetically shows us how and why fundamentalist groups came into existence and what they yearn to accomplish.

We see the West in the sixteenth century beginning to create an entirely new kind of civilization, which brought in its wake change in every aspect of life – often painful and violent, even if liberating. Armstrong argues that one of the things that changed most was religion. People could no longer think about or experience the divine in the same way; they had to develop new forms of faith to fit their new circumstances.

“The Sindh Story” A Great Account on Sindh by Dada Kewal Malkani

By Zulfiqar Halepoto, Hyderabad

Karachi: Queen of the East

“It is a book which should find a place in every Sindhi home.” Shaikh Ayaz

Mushtaq Talpur shared an interesting and thrilling link to me, which is sent to him by Iftikhar Soomro. This is about a book “The Sindh Story” written by Dada Kewal Malkani, a renowned journalist, scholar and professor of Indian History. Book is dedicated to “the sacred memory of Shaheed Allah Bux Soomro & Bhagat Kanwar Ram”. Foreword is written by Dada Ram Jethmalani.

I believe that this book must have gone through by lots of friends but for me it was an amazing account.

Though the entire book is a must read account but four chapters are incredible “Sindhu is Devine” “Karachi: Queen of the East” “I am a Sindhi- Gandhi” and “Alexander’s Waterloo in Sindh”

On Karachi I must suggest to you all that you should also read our friend Gul Hasan Kalmati’s Encyclopedia like new book on Karachi “Karachi: Marvi of Sindh”

Content of the book “The Sindh Story” is very inspiring:-

Cover

Preface to Reprint

Preface

Foreword

Sindhu is Divine

Sindhu Mata

The Immortal “Mound of the Dead”

Alexander’s Waterloo in Sindh

Truth about Dahir Sen

“Jhoolay Lal”

Karachi: Queen of the East

From Brahmo Samaj to RSS

Freedom Movement in Sindh

“I am a Sindhi” — Gandhi

Thrown to the Wolves

Jiye Sindh

Allah Alone Knows

Sindhi Society and Culture

Shah, Sachal and Swami

The Sindhi Revival

Appendix: G M Syed’s Visit

Bibliography

A new Sindhi book QANOON SABHNEE LAE” (Law for All)

Book on Human, Women, Prisoner, Child & Minority Rights

A new Sindhi / Urdu book of eminent writer and lawyer Ayaz Latif Palijo is published by South Asia Partnership (SAP) Pakistan. The book “QANOON SABHNEE LAE” (Law for All) covers the laws related to Human Rights, Civil Liberties and Constitutional Rights.

The book includes the prefaces and forewords by scholars and writes like Rasool Bux Palijo, Muhammad Yousif Leghari Advocate, Hidayatullah Abbasi Advocate, Provincial Minister Sassui Palijo, Zulfiqar Shah and Dean Faulty of Law Sindh University Ahmed Ali Shaikh Advocate. In their words it is the first detailed book on laws and Human Rights in Sindhi language. They have said that this book would be a powerful democratic weapon in the hands of oppressed masses of Sindh. They have further suggested that other organizations and individuals should follow the path of SAP and reprint and distribute thousands of copies of this book in the remote rural areas of Sindh, Balochistan and Seraiki. They have emphasized upon the need of legal awareness campaign in Sindh which should include initiatives like legal clinics, lectures in Jail, lobbying for legislation, display of banners, writing of thousands of letters to concerned officers, personal meetings with women, peasants and children, awareness meetings among factory workers, communities and engagements and interaction with activists, parliamentarians, journalists and councilors.

The book is comprised of 20 Sindhi and 11 Urdu well-researched articles / write-ups on Fundamental Rights, Land Grabbing, Environmental Law, Women Rights and Pakistani Laws, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Muslim Family Laws, Child Abuses and Law, Guardianship & Ward Laws, Declaration Against the

Discrimination to Women, Juvenile Justice System Ordinance, Women Protection Bill, Peasant Rights and WTO, Child Marriage Restraint Laws, Probation, Procedure of Criminal Proceedings, Legal Importance of Nikahnama, Rights of Consumers, Compensation of Fatal Road Accidents, Honor Killings, Prison Rules, Minority Right, Laws for Aggrieved Govt. Servants, Laws for Protection of Animals, Laws for Dower & Dowry, Defamation Laws, Bonded Labor, Laws Against Public Nuisance, Wages for Factory Workers, Compulsory Free Education for the Children of Labor and the Procedure for Protection of Fundamental Rights.

The price of this 200 pages book is Rs. 120/- but it would be given free of cost to the afectees of Human Rights violations and to children, women and minority activists and prisoners. Qanoon Sabhnee Lai (Law for All) also incorporates a detailed chart of all the important sections of the Constitution of Pakistan, Civil Procedure Code, Pakistan Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Specific Relief Act and Universal Declaration of Human Rights.