Little Rock

Extract 1:-
Few pictures capture an epoch. But in the contorted, hate-filled face of a young white girl named Hazel Bryan standing behind Elizabeth, screaming epithets at her, Counts encapsulated the rage of the Jim Crow South. And even behind her large sunglasses—her eyes were as sensitive as the rest of her—Elizabeth embodied something else: the dignity, and determination, and wisdom, and stoicism, with which black Americans tried to change their lot.


Extract 2:-
"This little girl, this tender little thing, walking with this whole mob baying at her like a pack of wolves" was how Benjamin Fine later described the scene. Once she reached the bus stop, Elizabeth sat herself down at the edge of the empty bench, as if not wanting to take up too much space. "Drag her over to this tree!" someone shouted.

I have always been in awe of the American Civil Rights Campaign, not because of what was achieved but how and with what it was achieved. In the 1950s most of the African-American population were till living in miserable ,segregated areas working in low paying jobs.

They were oppressed, the Jim-Crow laws legalized discrimination, denied the right to vote, had no colleges, poor schools for their kids, abused in their faces, terrorised by the Ku-Klux Clan and other white supremacist groups AND STILL THEY DARED TO HOPE.

They demanded equality and they fought for it -peacefully. The struggle was hard but segregation ended.

But the story gas still not ended. Discrimination still exists, the black population in America is still marginalized.

YET THE DOORS OF OPPURTUNITY ARE WIDE OPEN.

There is a lesson here for the world today especially the Islamic world. Stop whining about being discriminated. CREATE INTELLECTUALS. Educate each and every child so he has the courage to fight rather than just blame others.

final extract:
"It doesn't matter whether your teacher likes you or not; study for yourselves. Even a shy person can develop steel. And if you reach out to someone being harassed, you can save his life."


Read the full story here.

The Initiative must come from wihin

This is an interesting article I read about mosques being able to regulate themselves. Click to read the whole story. I think it is quite a positive step.

I have always beleived mosques can be used to spread a better message, not just within muslim communities but also outside. The hearts and mind can be won with a concerted effort. What plagues Islam is bad P.R. !

Anyway the best thing is the initiative has come from within. Its muslims who must realize the chaos we are in-both as individuals and as a group and make amends.

Update

So I have not posted for long.

I know the excuse is pathetic but the fact is my internet connection was down.

And I was not really in the mood to go to a cyber-cafe and blog. Beyond the obvious ,let me confess that I was procrastinating big time.

Well all good things must end.

SO how have things been? Boring as usual.

Last year of engineering is indeed a farce. After being placed one seriously does not feel like studying. I just hope I can get myself to study for my semester exams which are to be held in December. Dont really want the infamy of a backlog.

Anyway looking at the bigger picture I recently sat for the C.A.T.(Common Aptitude Test) for admission to the IIMs. And I managed to kind of blow it. The paper was easy but tension got the better of me and I managed to mistime the paper. But the world is still there and if I dont clear the sectional cut-off this year I shall try again next year and hopefully ace it then.

I have made my choice and I shall be moving towards the MBA stream rather than M.S. Its hard to explain why but the main tilting point was the fact that I think an MBA would lead me to more opportunities of leadership and creativity.

Btw have a SOP to write for FMS and I only have a day. The evils of delaying till the last moment.

This is me

Okay this is a photo of mine that I was working on for long.

No, this is not a sketch.

It's a manipulation using two different softwares sequentially.