Sunday, September 19, 2021

Reply to Protestation (2) (English transliteration with translation) Message from Heaven for Muslims of today: Dr. Javed Jamil

 

 

Reply to Protestation (2) (English transliteration with translation)

Message from Heaven for Muslims of today:

Dr. Javed Jamil

 


فلک سے پیغام آج کے مسلم کے نام

 

ڈاکٹر جاوید جمیل

 

درج تاریخ میں اک شکوہ ہوا تھا پرسوز

 شاندار آیا جواب اس کا پھر ایمان افروز

درد تھا شکوے میں، خفگی بھی تھی بیباک بھی تھا

 اور خطبہ کی فصاحت تھی نصیحت آموز

 

 

 آج پھر آیا فلک سے ہے نیا اک پیغام 

فکر انگیز ہے، اس میں ہے مقدر کی زمام

پہلا خطبہ تھا اسی وقت کی امّت کو جواب

اب سنو کیا ہے پیام آج کے مسلم کے نام:

 

روح کے حق میں تھا برہان جواب_اول 

کہکشاں جیسا وہ پرنور تھا, مثل_مشعل

مضطرب شکوے کو سن کر جو تھے سب اہل_فلک

 خامشی چھا گئی، اور رک گئی ساری ہلچل

 مطمئن گئے سب, رک گئی ساری ہلچل

م 

 

مضطرب رہنے لگے پھر سے ہیں لیکن افلاک

انکو لگتا ہے سو_ نار چلا بندہ_خاک

انکی خواہش ہے مسلمانوں سے پھر سے ہو خطاب

تاکہ ایماں ہی نہیں, چست ہو ان میں ادراک

 

آج پھر سوچا تخاطب کروں  کچھ بات کہوں

آجکل کیسے ہیں بدلے ہوئے حالات کہوں

تم کھڑے ہو کہاں میدان_ عمل میں بولوں

اور کیسے ہیں زمانے کے خیالات کہوں

 

خوش ہوں بدلے ہوئے لگتے ہیں تمہارے اطوار

ہیں مساجد کو بھی پہلے سے زیادہ دیدار

 نوجوانوں کے لہو میں بھی روانی آئی

 قلب بھی، ذہن بھی لگنے لگے کافی بیدار

 

سرخ تحریک کا اب زور بہت ہی کم ہے

اور آزاد پسندی کی بھی لو مدھم ہے

فتنہ جو پھیل رہا تھا کبھی دہریت کا

لاش کی طرح وہ کونے میں پڑا بے دم ہے

  

روس و امریکہ بھی بھاگے، ہوئے آزاد افغان

شاہ بھی ملک سے نکلا، ہوا مسلم ایران

شام کے حال ہیں بہتر، ہوا پرامن عراق

اب فلسطین کے بھی جاگ اٹھے ہیں ارمان

 

گونجنے پھر سے لگی آج اذان_ توحید

جاگنے پھر سے لگی قوم کے اندر امید

کچھ علاقے ہیں جو قبضے میں ہیں غیروں کےابھی

 چند قلعے ہیں جنھیں ہونا ہے مسمار مزید

 

 عزم زندہ ہے مگر نظم کا فقدان بھی ہے

اور تحقیق کا سویا ہوا رجحان بھی ہے

 وقت کے کیا ہیں تقاضے یہ سمجھتے کم ہو 

اب جو درکار ہے کمیاب وہ سامان بھی ہے

 

زور_قوت بھی ہو دشمن کی جفا کی خاطر

اور تجارت بھی ضروری ہے بقا کی خاطر

یاد رکھنا یہ مگر ہو نہ کبھی فعل_ حرام

شرع_ اسلام ہے انساں کی بقا کی خاطر

 

یہ تو تسلیم، ہو ایمان سے تھوڑے مضبوط

لیکن اسلام تمہارا نہیں اتنا مربوط

حق ہے مومن کا، ہمیشہ رہے جنت کا سرور

یاد لیکن رہے ایماں ہے عمل سے مشروط

 

طرز_ افکار تمہارا  بھی تھا بہکا پہلے

اور انداز _ تمدن بھی تھا بدلا پہلے

کچھ میں تھی روس نوازی تو کچھ امریکہ نواز

 تھا نظریات نے اغیار کی جکڑا پہلے

 

عمر لگتی ہے اداروں کی بھی کم سن اب بھی

ڈستی ذہنوں کو ہے شبہات کی ناگن اب بھی

غیروں کی شہہ پہ تم آپس میں لڑا کرتے ہو

فرقہ بندی میں ہے ڈوبا ہوا باطن اب بھی

 

بے رخی اصل مسائل سے ابھی ہے بیحد

اب بھی آپس میں تعاون کی کمی ہے بیحد

بھائی چارہ جو ضروری ہے نہیں ہے موجود

آپسی رشتوں میں تقسیم بڑھی ہے بیحد

 

 جس جنوں کا ہے تقاضا وہ ابھی نادر ہے

حق شناسی کے طریقوں سے بھی دل قاصر ہے

 تجزیہ اسکا ضروری ہے کہ تم آج ہو کیا 

شان _ ماضی پہ مگر آج بھی دل فاخر ہے

 

  آخری فتح مگر ہو نہیں سکتی حاصل

سارے میدانوں میں جب تک نہیں ہوگے کامل

کرنا سر ہے نئے تحقیق کے میدانوں کو

درس میں کردو نفع بخش ہر اک فن شامل

 

حال_حاضر کو بس اب حال_گزشتہ کر دو

اپنے ہر کام کو مانند_فرشتہ کر دو

سن لو یہ خوب، ہے تدبیر کی تابع تقدیر 

وجہ_ نقصان ہو جو قطع وہ رشتہ کر دو

 

 

نظم_ نو کیا ہے فقط قوت و ثروت کا حصول

اور مفادات کی خاطر ہے ہر اک فعل قبول

صرف ہنگامہ ہے، تشہیر ہے جھوٹی ہر سو

محض دعوے ہیں، دکھاوا ہے، دلائل ہیں فضول

 

جسکو کہتے ہیں وہ موڈرن وہ وحشت ہے فقط

امن کا نام ہے اور اصل میں دہشت ہے فقط

جسکو کہتے ہیں وہ فریڈم وہ ہے بے راہروی

انکی نظروں میں ہدف حاصل_ دولت ہے فقط

 

پہلے اسباب_ مسائل کی تجارت ہوگی

پھر مسائل کے کسی حل کی وکالت ہوگی

خوب سگرٹ بھی، شرابیں بھی بکینگی پہلے

پھر شفاخانوں میں بھی بارش_ دولت ہوگی

 

نام آزادئ_ نسواں کا لیا جائے گا 

اور پھر حسن کو نیلام کیا جائے گا

عورتوں کو یہ سبق یاد کرا ڈالا ہے

ہونگی عریاں تبھی انعام دیا جائے گا

 

انکے گھر میں جو عذاب آیا دکھاتے ہی نہیں

لاکھوں مرتے  ہیں نشے سے یہ بتاتے ہی نہیں

رحم _ مادر میں جو بچوں کا کیا جاتا ہے قتل

اسکی روداد زمانے کو سناتے ہی نہیں

  

عالمی جنگوں میں جنکی رہی حصّے داری

ہیں وہ ایوان _ ممالک کے بڑے درباری

یوں بظاہر نظر  آتی ہے رقابت ان میں

بانٹ کے کھاتے ہیں دنیا کی وہ فصلیں ساری

 

 وقت آیا ہے کرو ان سے تم اب عقل کی جنگ

فکر و دانش میں دکھا ڈالو تم اب اپنے رنگ

آئنہ تلخ حقیقت کا دکھادو انکو

شعبہ_ نشر و اشاعت میں بھی ہو جاؤ دبنگ

 

عالم_نو کو بتا دو کہ فراغت کیا ہے

امن کیا شے ہے، فسادات سے فرصت کیا ہے

ان سے کہہ دو کہ گناہوں کی تجارت سے گریز

 انکو آگاہ کرو اصل معیشت کیا ہے

 

ان پہ واضح کرو اسلام کا کیا ہے مقصد

امن عالم میں، ہر اک گھر میں سکوں کی آمد 

ایسا ہر فعل منع  جو ہو مرض کا باعث

 جنگ سے دور ہو ہر ملک کی ہر اک سرحد

 

کب ہے انعام_ عمل صرف بہشتوں کا سرور

وعدہ_ حور نہیں صرف، نہ ہی جام_ طہور

 ارض پر ہو گیا مضبوط اگر حق کا نظام

ہوگا دنیا میں ہی جنت کی سی جنت کا ظہور

 

 

مستقیم ایک ہے رہ جس پہ سفر ہو پیہم

رہ وہ "انعمت علیھم" کے رہے جس پہ قدم

ساری دنیا کو محبت سے بلانا ہے قریب

تب ہی لہرائے گا کل  ارض پہ حق کا پرچم

 

وقت اب دور نہیں، ہوگا ہر اک سو اسلام

دشت و صحرا میں بھی گونجیگا محبت کا پیام

کوئی تفریق کہیں بھی نہ رہے گی باقی

ہر طرف پھیلیگا انصاف کا مضبوط نظام

 

 قتل ہوگا، نہ زنا ہوگا، نہ چوری ہوگی

ظلم کا نام و نشاں تک نہ رہے گا باقی

حکمراں یاد رکھیں گے کہ ہیں رحمان کے عبد

عام شہری کا خیال ان پہ رہیگا طاری

 

 قہر برسیگا نہ آئینگے زمیں پر سیلاب 

کوئی پیاسا نہ رہیگا سبھی ہونگے سیراب

کوئی چھوٹا نہ بڑا، سب کو میسر روزی

کوئی بھی چیز جو اچھی ہے نہ ہوگی نایاب

 

یہ سمجھنا ہے تمہیں دیں کی ضرورت کیا ہے

اور اس دیں سے مسلمان کی نسبت کیا ہے

کسکو کہتے ہیں اقامت، کسے کہتے ہیں ثبات

عبد کے فرض ہیں کیا، حسن_ عبادت کیا ہے

  

مقصد_ زیست سمجھ جاؤ تو حاصل جنت

ہر طرف فرحت _ پرکیف، ہر اک سو رحمت

کوئی تکلیف نہیں اور نہ کوئی موت کا خوف

کوئی بھی ڈر، نہ مصیبت، نہ کوئی بھی زحمت

 

دیکھو قرآن نہیں صرف شریعت کی کتاب

اس میں موجود ہیں کتنے ہی نئے علم کے باب

ہوں وہ آیات_ سماوات کہ ہو ارض کا ذکر 

ان میں مل جائے گا پر امن ترقی کا نصاب

 

یاد رکھنا کہ نہیں چھوڑنی راہ_ توحید

اور محمد (صلعم)  کے طریقے سے ہی رکھنا امید

  منتظر تم ہو جو مہدی کے تو کچھ حرج نہیں 

ایک دن ہوگی ہر اک گھر میں، ہر اک ملک میں عید

 

سہل الفاظ میں سمجھادی ہے ہر کام کی بات

ایک امید کے ساتھ آیا ہے سامان_ نجات

یاد کر ڈالو سبق اور عمل تیز کرو

پاس ہے صبح، بہت جلد گزر جائے گی رات

 

سر جسے کر نہ سکو ایسا کوئی طور نہیں

عزم محکم ہو تو تو منزل پہ قدم دور نہیں

 

 

 

 

Jawaab-e shikwah (2)

falak se payaam aaj ke musalmaanoN ke naam

Reply to Protestation (2) (English transliteration with translation)

Message from Heaven for Muslims of today:

Dr. Javed Jamil

 

 darj taareekh meiN ik shikwa huwa tha pursoz

aaya phir khutba jawaabi tha baseerat afroz 

dard tha shikwe meiN, khafgi bhi thi bebaak bhi tha

aur khutbe men fasahat thi naseehat aamoz

 

History had recorded a protestation full of anguish;

Then came an address in reply, full of deep insight

The protestation had pain, an element of anger, and was frankly presented;

And the address was elaborate, full of guidance

(Note: Complaint was directed towards God and the reply was on His behalf)

 

Darte haiN phir na ho gustaakhi-e shikwah koi

Aur karo apni khataaoN pe bahaana joi

Wo samajhte haiN basher pahle ho tum, phir muslim

Aur aadat kahaN insaaN ki rahi haq goi

 

They fear you may again commit discourtesy of protestation;

And find excuses for your own faults;

They think you are human first, then Muslims;

And the humans are not in a habit of telling the truth.

 

aaj phir aaya falak se hai naya ik paigham

fikr angeiz hai, is meiN hai muqaddar ki Zamam

pehla khutba tha usi waqt ki ummat ko jawab

ab suno kya hai payam aaj ke Muslim ke naam:

 

Today again, a new message has descended from the heaven;

Thought provoking, with the key to fortune attached;

First reply was addressed to the Ummah of that time;

Now listen what is the communication for the Muslim of modern times:

 

rooh ke haq mein tha Burhan jawaab_a awwal
kehkashan jaisa wo Purnoor tha misl_e mash’al
muztarib shikwe ko sun kar jo the sab ahl_e falak
mutmain ho gaye sab, ruk gai saari halchal

 

The first address was a source of guidance for the spirit;

Shining like a galaxy, similar to a radiant torch;

The residents of heavens who got perplexed after hearing the complaint;

They got satisfied (with the reply), and the storm got silenced.

 

muztarib rehne lage phir se haiN lekin aflaak
unko lagta hai suwe naar chala bandah_e khaak
unki khwahish thi musalmanoN se phir se ho khitaab
taakay ayman hi nahi chust ho un mein idraak

 

But again the heavens have begun to remain tense;

They feel that the Product of Dust is moving towards Fire;

Their desire is that Muslims need to be addressed again;

So that not only their faith but their understanding also gets strengthened.

Note: Product of Dust means human being

Fire means Hell

 

aaj phir socha takhaatub karuN, kuch baat kahooN

aajkal kaise haiN badle hue haalaat kahooN

tum khare ho kahaN maidaan_e amal meiN bolooN

aur kaise haiN zamane ke khayaalaat kahooN

 

Today I thought I should have conversation and say something valuable;

And talk about what are the changing circumstances;

Telling where you are standing in the field of action;

And tell the truth about the way of modern thinking.

 

khush huN badle hue lagte haiN tumhare atwaar

haiN masajid ko bhi pehle se ziyada deedar

NojawanoN ke lahoo meiN bhi ravaani aayi

qalb bhi, zehn bhi lagne lage kaafi bedaar

 

I am pleased, your ways appear to be have changed;

Mosques too have your presence in increasing numbers;

The blood of the young has started moving;

Heart and brain appear to have become more awakened.

 

surkh tehreek ka ab zor bahut hi kam hai

aur azaad pasandi ki bhi lau maddham hai

fitna jo phail raha tha kabhi dehriyyat ka

laash ki tarha wo kone me para bedam hai

 

The Red Movement has become rather ineffective;

And the glow of liberalism too has become paler;

The falsehood of atheism, which was spreading fast in the past;

Is now lying in a corner like a dead corpse.

 

(Red Movement means Communism)

 

Roos o Amrika bhi bhaage, hue aazaad Afghan

Shah bhi mulk se nikla, huwa muslim Iran

shaam ke haal haiN behtar, hua puramn iraaq

ab filastine ke bhi jaag uthe haiN armaan

 

Russia and America have fled; Afghans are free now;

The King left the country; Iran became Muslim;

Syria is better now; peace is returning to Iraq;

The ambitions of Palestine too have awakened.

 

goonjne phir se lagi aaj azaan_ e toheed

jaagne phir se lagi qoum ke andar ummeed

kuchh ilaaqe haiN jo qabze meiN haiN ghairoN ke abhi

chand qil’ey haiN jinheN hona hai mismaar mazeed

 

Azaan (Call) of Monotheism has again become loud;

Hopes of the community are beginning to open eyes;

Some areas are still occupied by others;

Certain forts are yet to be demolished.

 

azm zinda hai magar nazm ka fuqdaan bhi hai

aur tehqeeq ka soya huwa rujhaan bhi hai

waqt ke kya haiN taqaaze ye samajhte kam ho

ab jo darkaar hai kamyaab wo saamaan bhi hai

 

The desire is alive, but the discipline is wanting;

And the trend of research is still dormant;

You little understand the demands of the time:

The necessary tools are still lacking.

 

zore_e quwwat bhi ho dushman ki jafaa ki khatir

aur tijaarat bhi zaroori hai baqaa ki khatir

yaad rakhna ye magar ho na kabhi feil_e haraam

shar’ey islaam hai insaaN ki baqa ki khatir

 

Power is also essential for confronting hostilities of enemy;

And business is must for the purpose of survival;

But keep in mind prohibited activities are avoided;

Islamic Law is meant for peaceful existence of humans.

 

ye to tasleem, ho imaan se thore mazboot

lekin Islam tumhara nahiN utna marboot

haq hai momin ka, hamesha rahe jannat ka suroor

yaad lekin rahe eimaaN hai amal se mashroot

 

Agreed that you are quite firm in Iman (faith);

But your Islam is not well-coordinated;

Believers have the right to think of pleasures of Jannah;

But remember Iman (Faith) is conditional to Action.

 

tarz_e afkaar tumhara bhi tha behka pehle

aur andaaz _ tamaddun bhi tha badla pehle

kuch meiN thi roos nawazi to kuch Amrika nawaz

tha nazaryaat ne aghyaar ki jakra pehle

 

Your thinking had become wayward in the past;

Your style of living too had changed;

Some had become Pro-Russia, some pro-America;

The viewpoints of others had gripped you.

 

umr lagti hai idaaroN ki bhi kam-sin ab bhi

dasti zehnoN ko hai shubhaat ki naagin ab bhi

ghairoN ki sheh pe tum aapas meiN lara karte ho

firqa bandi men hai dooba hua baatin ab bhi

 

The institutions are still in their adolescence;

The snake of scepticism still bites your brains;

You fight among yourselves on others’ instigation;

Your inside is still drowned in sectarianism.

 

berukhi asl masail se abhi hai behad

ab bhi aapas meiN taawun ki kami hai behad

bhaaichara jo zaroori hai nahiN hai maujood

aapsi rishtoN meiN taqseem barhi hai behad

 

You are still not paying attention to real issues;

You lack mutual cooperation in a big way;

The necessary brotherhood is missing;

Mutual relations too are plagued by divisions.

 

jis junooN ki hai zaroorat wo abhi naadir hai

haq shanaasi ke tareeqoN se bhi dil qaasir hai

tajziya is ka zaroori hai ki tum aaj ho kya

shaan _e maazi pe magar aaj bhi dil faakhir hai

 

The passion which is required is still rare;

Hearts are not aware of the ways of recognising the truth;

You require analysis of what you are today;

Instead of feeling proud of your glorious past.

 

aakhri fatha magar ho nahiN sakti haasil

saare maidaanoN meiN jab tak nahiN hoge kaamil

karna sar hai naye tehqeeq ke maidaanoN ko

dars meiN kar lo nafa bakhsh har ek fan shaamil

 

But the ultimate victory cannot be achieved;

Unless you get expertise in all fields;

You have to master new fields of research;

Every good science and art needs to be in curriculum.

 

haal_e haazir ko bas ab haal_e guzishta kar do
apne har kaam ko maanind_e farishta kar do
sun lo ye khoob, hai tadbeer ki tabe taqdeer
wajh_e nuqsaan ho jo qat’a wo rishta kar do


Enough! Now turn your present into past;

Every action of yours needs to become angel-like;

Learn carefully, fortune is subordinate to planning;

Any link, which is harmful, needs to be broken.

 

nazm_e no kya hai faqat quwwat-o sarwat ka husool

aur mafadaat ki khatir hai har ik feil qubool

sirf hungama hai, tashheer hai jhooti har soo

mehz daawe haiN, dikhawa hai, dalail haiN fuzool

 

What is New World Order: nothing but gaining power and grandeur;

And for their vested interests, every activity is acceptable:

It is nothing but noise, publicity and false propaganda;

False claims, vain show; unfounded arguments.

 

jisko kehte haiN wo modern wo wehshat hai faqat

amn ka naam hai aur asl meiN dehshat hai faqat

jisko kehte haiN wo freedom wo hai beraahravi

unki nazroN meiN hadaf haasil_e doulat hai faqat

 

What is “Modern”, nothing but barbarism;

It talks of peace and it is nothing but terror;

What is “Freedom”, nothing but waywardness;

The only target in their eyes is the control of money.

 

pehle asbaab_e masail ki tijaarat hogi

phir masaail ke kisi hal ki wakaalat hogi

khoob cigrette bhi sharabeiN bhi bikengi pehle

phir Shifa khaanoN meiN bhi baarish_e doulat hogi

 

First, they commercialise causes of the problems:

Then they will promote some solution of the problem;

First cigarettes and wines will be marketed to the hilt;

Only then the hospitals will have the rain of wealth.

 

naam aazaadi_e niswaaN ka liya jaayega

aur phir husn ko nelaam kiya jaayega

auratoN ko ye sabaq yaad kara dala hai

hongi uryaaN tabhi in’aam diya jaayega

 

They will talk of “Freedom of women”;

Then they will openly market beauty;

Women have been made to learn the lesson;

If ready to show skin, only then will they be awarded.

 

unke ghar meiN jo azaab aaya dikhaate hi nahiN

laakhoN marte haiN nashe se ye bataate hi nahiN

rehm_e maadar meiN jo bachchoN ka kiya jaata hai qatl

uski rudaad zamane ko sunaate hi nahiN

 

The scourge that has afflicted their places, they will not show;

Hundreds of thousands die of intoxication, they will not tell;

The mass murder being perpetrated in the wombs of mothers—

Its stories will not be broadcast to the world.

 

aalami jangoN meiN jinki rahi hissedaari

haiN wo ewaan_e mumalik ke bare darbaari

yuN bazaahir nazar aati hai raqaabat un meiN

baant ke khate haiN duniya ki wo fasleiN saari

 

The countries that got engaged in the world wars;

Are now the big players of the organisation of nations;

Apparently they are bitter rivals;

But they jointly consume all the products of the world.

 

waqt aaya hai karo unse tum ab aql ki jung

fikr o daanish meiN dikha daalo tum ab apne rang

aaina talkh haqeeqat ka dikha do unko

shoba_e nashr o ishaat meiN bhi ho jao dabang

 

Time has come you have to engage them in a war of brains;

You have to show your mettle in intellectual domains;

You have to show them the mirror of bitter truth;

You have to master the department of media and communications.

 

aalam_no ko bata do ki faraaghat kya hai

amn kya shai hai fasaadaat se fursat kya hai

un se keh do ke gunaahoN ki tijaarat se gurez

unko aagaah karo asl maeeshat kya hai

 

Tell the new world what the actual liberation is;

What the true peace is and freedom from turmoil;

Tell them not to engage in the commercialisation of vices;

Inform them what the truth of the real economics is.

 

un pe waazeh karo Islam ka kya hai maqsad

amn aalam meiN har ek ghar meiN sukooN ki aamad

aisa har feil manaa jo ho maraz ka baais

jung se door ho har mulk ki har ik sarhad

 

Clarify to them the true mission of Islam;

Security in the whole world, peace in every home;

Ban on all practices that threaten life and health’

Away from war, every border of every country.

 

kab hai in’aam_e amal sirf bahishtooN ka suroor
waada_e hoor nahiN sirf, na hi jaam_e tahoor
arz par ho gaya mazboot agar haq ka nizaam
hoga duniya meiN hi jannat ki si jannat ka zahur

 

The prize of effort is not just the entry in Paradise;

It’s not just about hourie or the harmless wines;

If the system of truth prevails on the earth;

This world itself will become a paradise like Paradise.

 

mustaqeem aik hai rah jis pe safar ho paiham
rah wo  “an’amta alaihim" ke rahe jis pe qadam
saari duniya ko muhabbat se bulana hai qareeb
tab hi lahraaye ga kul arz pe haq ka parcham

 

Established Course of Truth is the one to continuously traverse;

The path the Blessed Ones (of God) always treaded;

The whole world is to be brought close through love;

Only then Flag of Truth will be hoisted on the Earth.

 

waqt ab door nahiN hoga har ik soo Islam

dasht o sehraa meiN bhi goonjega muhabbat ka payaam

koi tafreeq kahiN bhi na rahegi baaqi

har taraf phailega insaaf ka mazboot nizaam

 

Time is not far there will be Islam (Peace) in every direction;

Even in deserts and forests, the message of love will reverberate;

Discrimination will cease to exist anywhere;

A strong system of justice will rule everywhere.

 

qatl hoga na zina hoga na chori hogi

zulm ka naam o nishaaN tak na rahega baaqi

hukmuraN yaad rakhenge ke haiN Rehmaan ke Abd

aam shehri ka khayaal un pe rahega taari

 

There will be no murders, no illicit relationships, no thefts;

No traces of oppression and exploitation will be left;

Rulers will remember that they are servants of Kind God;

Welfare of common men will be in their hearts and minds.

 

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Regulating the Global Spyware Market Won’t Be Easy Emily Taylor (JR 239 ET 01)

Regulating the Global Spyware Market Won’t Be Easy Emily Taylor | Tuesday, July 27, 2021

                                                         

 Like picking up a rock in the garden, the NSO Pegasus spyware scandal exposes a repulsive world teaming with life in the muck and mire—so much so that it is tempting to put the stone back in place and pretend that world doesn’t exist. There are many layers to the story: the human cost, the murky ethics of selling powerful spy tools to states with poor human rights records, and the complexities of trying to regulate the global market for such software. They all point to a challenge that will be with us for some time, despite the popular outrage the scandal has caused. The stories of the human cost are awful. Take Cecilio Pineda Birto, a Mexican journalist who wrote about corruption (http://theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/18/revealed-murdered-journalist-number-selected-mexico-nso-client-cecilio-pineda-birto) and whose phone number appears on a leaked list of 50,000 numbers that is reportedly a master list of phones targeted by NSO Group’s clients using Pegasus software. Pineda was shot dead as he waited for his car to be washed. He was 38 years old. Reading about his death, it’s impossible not to wonder whether the NSO Pegasus tool’s ability to track a target’s location, or turn on a smartphone’s camera and microphone to film and eavesdrop on them, played a part in helping his killers to track him down. And who was the customer? Was it the Mexican state, or a drug cartel? Could the answer have been both? Pineda’s murder is just one of many stories, from Morocco’s intelligence agency spying on French President Emmanuel Macron, to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan and other governments allegedly using NSO’s technology to target human rights lawyers, activists and journalists (http://washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2021/nso-spyware-pegasus-cellphones/)—citizens and non-citizens alike, at home and abroad. That authoritarian states use surveillance technologies to spy on those who seek to expose their corruption and rights abuses is outrageous, but regrettably, it is nothing new. This privatized, opaque and global market for spyware, in which multibillion-dollar firms like Israel’s NSO work with intelligence agencies and governments all over the world, regardless of their human rights records, is the “bugs under the rock” moment (/) 28/07/2021 There Are No Easy Answers to the NSO Pegasus Software Scandal https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/29835/there-are-no-easy-answers-to-the-nso-pegasus-software-scandal 2/5 revealed by the Pegasus scandal. The surveillance technologies in question do have legitimate law enforcement uses, for instance to track terrorist groups or organized crime. But there appear to be few, if any, effective checks and balances to ensure that such powerful tools are not used for the purposes of repression. NSO is not the only actor implicated in the broader repercussions of this scandal. Other vendors sell spyware, and those sales are subject to export licenses granted by states—in this case, Israel. Last year, in a little reported development, a Tel Aviv court refused an application supported by Amnesty International to revoke NSO’s export license (https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/07/israel-court-notorious-spyware-firm-nso/) due to past abuses of its software by states like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Morocco and Mexico. Much like the international arms trade, the market for spyware is a global one, and private actors are key suppliers to many governments. Marietje Schaake, a former European parliamentarian and the current president of the Cyber Peace Institute, has long campaigned against the export of “dual use” technologies, or goods, software and technology that can be used for both civilian and military applications, of which Pegasus is one example. She points out that private contractors such as NSO are often based in democracies such as Israel, yet sell spyware to regimes that are well known for violating human rights at their most basic level. In an interview with Tech Policy Press, Schaake condemned NSO’s response to allegations of abuse of the Pegasus spyware (https://techpolicy.press/the-sunday-show-surveillance-and-the-future-of-tech/) by authoritarian regimes as hypocritical “nonsense.” Speaking to me over the weekend, Schaake warned of another risk associated with the free trade in intelligence grade technologies: “It puts authoritarian regimes on a fast track to achieving competing capacity to that of democratic societies.” Much like the international arms trade, the market for spyware is a global one, and private actors are key suppliers to many governments. Western firms sell arms not only to NATO allies but also to friendly countries, such as Saudi Arabia, with well-documented records of repression and human rights abuses. These countries often have legitimate reasons for purchasing those weapons or spyware, as well as illegitimate, repressive ones. It is fair to question whether vendors should be the the arbiters of whether their state customers are lying to them about the intended use of these purchases. Campaigners against these surveillance tools have long pressed for updating the rules governing export controls on dual-use technologies, which are covered by the non-binding Wassenaar Arrangement, to include spyware. In May 2021, the European Parliament and European Council adopted a regulation to modernize the European Union’s system for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2021:206:FULL&from=EN). The regulation introduces 28/07/2021 There Are No Easy Answers to the NSO Pegasus Software Scandal https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/29835/there-are-no-easy-answers-to-the-nso-pegasus-software-scandal 3/5 due diligence obligations for producers of such goods and puts greater responsibility on those companies to address the risks to international security posed by the dual-use items they sell. Of course, export controls would not have prevented the import of Pegasus software by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/18/viktor-orban-using-nso-spyware-in-assault-on-media-data-suggests), allegedly to spy on Hungarian investigative journalists. Edward Snowden has called for a ban on the global market for spyware (https://www.theguardian.com/news/video/2021/jul/19/edward-snowden-spyware-industry-should-not-exist-video), but he is a bit light on details for how such a ban should be enacted, given that the technology already exists out there and there are plenty of willing buyers. A United Nations report authored by David Kaye in 2019 similarly called for a moratorium on the global sales of spyware until more robust human rights protections are put in place (https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/28016/can-a-u-n-report-help-rein-in-expansive-and-abusive-digital-surveillance), but it generated little follow-up. I asked Sir David Omand, the former head of the British signals intelligence agency GCHQ and author of “How Spies Think,” what could be done to reduce the risks of abuse in future. Omand told me that reaching a universally accepted international agreement on spying and software would be “next to impossible.” But he does think that improvements in national requirements for due diligence prior to the sale and export of such technology could help, and that some well-established objective criteria could be used to navigate the decision-making process. “It is legitimate to sell tools for law enforcement or national security to countries that have in place protections for individual privacy rights, including transparent law, an independent judiciary, proper regulation and independent oversight,” he explained. The strength or weakness of such constraints will guide an assessment on the likelihood of future abuse. “Without such controls,” he added, “verification of how the technology is being used is problematic.” Change could also come from an unexpected source. Some Big Tech companies are using their deep pockets to mount legal challenges, threatening to hit NSO where it hurts most—in the wallet. WhatsApp is currently suing NSO for its alleged hacking of WhatsApp’s end-to-end encrypted chat app back in 2019. Even if the challenge fails, the litigation process is likely to shine some disinfecting sunlight on the murky world of surveillance tech. Unlike governments, tech companies are unlikely to also be potential or actual customers of NSO. What’s more, the spyware manufacturer is making some tech companies look bad. Alleged weaknesses in the security of Apple’s iPhone have received a lot of airtime over the past week. That’s bound to irritate a company that has made a major selling point of its commitment to user privacy and security. Apple did not join in a statement that several tech companies, including Microsoft and Cisco, filed in support of WhatsApp’s suit (https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/how-does-apple-technology-hold-up-against-nso-spyware/) stating that NSO’s actions make technology less safe for everyone. Perhaps in the future it ay hange its ind  https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/29835/there-are-no-easy-answers-to-the-nso-pegasus-software-scandal

  

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Two child law: Not just Muslims, Lower Caste Hindus also the Target (JJ1 JR238)

 

Two child law: Not just Muslims, Lower Caste Hindus also the Target

 

In short, this law will further marginalize the already marginalized, will make the poor poorer and will further disempower the weakest sections of society. This is utterly inhuman and inherently dangerous for India’s future.

Dr. Javed Jamil


Two-child policy imposition through law appears to be the latest agenda of BJP state governments. After ban on “Love Jihad”, this appears to be another attempt to ensure that the domination of Hindus, especially the upper caste Hindus continues. In fact, the Hindutva is primarily a Banyawaadi agenda, which has little to do with the basics of Hindu Dharma and is largely interested in the economic domination of business community, which in India largely means Vaish community commonly known as Banyas.

 

While, from political point of view, introduction of this bill just before the elections in Uttar Pradesh is largely believed to be a communal ploy to unite Hindus behind BJP, in social terms, it may also be an attempt to keep the population of low caste Hindus, especially Dalits in control. They may feel concerned not only about a slightly higher population growth rate of Muslims but also a higher growth rate of the scheduled castes.  See the following report published in Times of India:

 

“Four states account for nearly half of the country's Dalit population, reveals the 2011 census. Uttar Pradesh stands first with 20.5% of the total scheduled caste (SC) population, followed by West Bengal with 10.7%, says the data released by the Union census directorate on Tuesday. Bihar with 8.2% and Tamil Nadu with 7.2 % come third and fourth. Dalits form around 16.6% of India's population. The 2011 census recorded nearly 20.14 crore people belonging to various scheduled castes in the country. As per the 2001 census, the number was 16.66 crore. The dalit population showed a decadal growth of 20.8%, whereas India's population grew 17.7% during the same period." (“Half of India’s Dalit population lives in 4 states”: Times of India; B Sivakumar May 2, 2013)

 

It can be argued that purely in terms of caste/communal equations; it will ultimately boomerang on Hindus, as the combined population of SCs and OBCs is much higher than that of Muslims. But it is exactly what the Hindutva is more concerned about. While on one hand, they do not want Muslims to prosper, they are also keen to maintain superiority of Upper Castes in general and Banyas in particular within the Hindu community. The proposed Bill by Uttar Pradesh Government will serve both their purposes. On the ground of this policy, they want to reserve more and more seats in colleges, jobs and administration for upper castes. Already, through the privatization of education, they have created a massive reservation for themselves, as it is mainly the children belonging to the upper castes who have enough riches to send their children in private colleges.

Even in terms of human values and health, the effects of the policy will be highly damaging. First, it will lead to sharp increase in abortions in general and female foeticide in particular. Both are already high on many parts of the country. With fewer women, long term effects can be highly dangerous leading to more polyandry and promiscuity Second, family system will get increasingly weakened with more and more people indulging in promiscuous life. This in turn will lead to more sex transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, which still kills more than 60000 every year in the country. 

 

The policy of severely strict population has already started boomerang in many countries. China has already abandoned its one child policy and people can now have three children. In Western societies, population growth is already negative and with homosexuality on rise it is bound to worsen more. They are relying on migration from other countries. This trend will continue to rise. Till now, people from countries like India and other third world countries have been providing a sizeable chunk of this migrant population in Western countries. In countries like the US and Canada, already people of Indian origin are making their presence felt through their achievements in various fields. With strict 2 child policy, Indians will lose this advantage.

 

As I have argued previously also, Hindutva is mainly helping Banyas, both in terms of caste domination (Vaish) and in business terms (businessmen)/. In Indian terms, my now well-known phrase of “economic fundamentalism” can easily be translated into “Baniyawaad” and Baniyas as the biggest economic fundamentalists. Brahamainwaad represented dominance of the power of “knowledge”; Baniyawaad represents dominance of the power of “money”

 It has been rather a fashion for long to say that Brahamins and Brahaminwaad continue to rule the country and it is they who are responsible for the majority of the problems of the country, especially the plight of the deprived sections of society. We have failed to realise that the balance has changed quite some time back. While the Upper Caste Hindus continue to monopolise India’s socio-economic structure and their hegemony is ever on the rise, it is not Brahamins and Brahaminwaad but banyas (Vaishyas) and Baniyawqaad that now reign supreme.

All the propaganda about “Appeasement” of Muslims, and to a lesser extent about the schemes favouring Dalits and OBC Hindus, emanate from the desire to continue the centuries-old domination of Upper Caste Hindus. In the remote past, Kshatriyas ruled with the help of the intellectual power of Brahamins and the Money Power of Baniyas (Vaishyas). Then Brahamins started ruling the country with the help of the money power of Baniyas and the Muscle power of Kshatriyas. More recently, Baniyas have taken the reins in their hands turning democracy into Corporatocracy, with the help of the intellectual power of a section (not all) of Brahamins and the muscle power of Kshatriysa. This is the most dangerous phase because when the money rules, morality soon gets cremated with full honours.

 

Not only the consumer industry is largely controlled by the Baniyas, even education industry is dominated by them. The mushrooming of tens of thousands of Private institutions of all kinds in the country has introduced another kind of Reservation — the Reservation for the Rich, which again hit the Muslim community in a big way because less number of Muslims is likely to be able to pay the exorbitant fees that good private institutions demand. Privatisation has also benefited Upper Caste Hindus on business front in a big way. Through them they earn huge money and get their children highly educated. And of course they get most of the jobs in private companies.

 

The role of Baniyas is also getting increasingly high in politics. While Congress had more Brahamins than Banyas, the BJP and its sister organisations are now being driven by the Baniyas. It is they who are running the BJP show. Hindutvavad is nothing but a movement that seeks economic and political hegemony of Baniyas through polarisation of politics on communal grounds.

 

The international population control campaign was in itself a market-driven programme It may be true that the population is growing at a rate considered fast by the experts. It may also be true that such rapid growth of population escalates several prob­lems. If the infectious diseases cause mortality and morbidity at alarming rates, the mothers still die during deliveries, a size­able percentage of infants do not remain alive to celebrate their first birthday and out of the rest many more die in their paediatric age owing to lack of nutritious food and unavailability of good medical care and cities are becoming overcrowded, the popula­tion growth may be a significant contributory factor. But there are other factors related with the issues that are conveniently forgotten. Disinformation is generously used to further the birth control programme. For example, the impression has been usually disseminated that a steep rise in population would create shortage of food. The studies by the organisations monitor­ing food production have been categorical in proving that the rise in food production in the last  seven decades has been great­er than the rise in population. If the people still starve it is because the food is not allowed to reach them. It can be said with confidence that if the distri­bution of food becomes equitable, no human being on the earth will remain hungry. The earth allows birth of only as many humans as it can sustain. The economic fundamentalists know this. This is why some economists have gone to the extent in their argument that increase in food production must not be allowed to occur because if the food production rises the population will naturally expand to consume it. It can therefore be the reason why the food is not allowed to reach all the corners of the earth; if it reaches all humans it would save many a lives from starvation. This would obviously cause an increase in population. Once there are no more deaths owing to starvation, the drive for population control will receive further setback. Why exactly the economic fundamentalists seek to keep population under control is ex­plained below.

Another point that has entirely been missed is that the total bio-mass of the earth remains the same. If the human population grows the population of animals would decrease; and if the human population is reduced by natural or artificial means the animal population would increase. The question arises: should we reduce the number of human beings and increase the population of beasts? If the human population has always continued to increase, it is because Nature wants to replace the less developed creatures with the better developed. Should we endeavour to interfere with this natural phenomenon? Similarly, in order to popularise family welfare programmes, the advertisements suggest that early marriage is detrimental to the health of the girl. This again may be disput­able; if Nature has made her physically capable to reproduce, the probability of damage to her body would be minimal, provided of course she takes adequate diet and receives appro­priate medical care, which is essential as well for the older mothers. Conversely, it has been very well documented by the gynaecologists that the chances of congenital abnormalities in children and certain kinds of malignancies (cancers) of women rise with increase in the age of the mothers. The best period for procreation is below thirty. Family welfare programmes are definitely worth following as far as their objective is to save the mothers and children from diseases and death; proper spacing is essential; avoidance of pregnancies in mothers who are ill or when their other children are not healthy and if the income of the family is too meagre to sustain a large family is also under­standable. But is the programme really aimed at alleviating the problems of the common people? Unfortunately not. There is much more to what meets the eyes. Behind the “mercifulness” for the poor are several undeclared motives.

One, by fixing the blame of every problem of the world on the population growth, the economic fundamentalists are able to divert the attention of the people from their own sinister games that are in truth responsible for the sweeping poverty. When less than five per cent have more than ninety per cent of the country’s income (and wealth) in India for example, how a growth of less than two percent per annum is going to aggravate the prob­lems? Despite the high rate of population growth, the country has become self-reliant in food production and is now in a position to export it. Yet the poverty haunts about half of the nation. Even if the population growth becomes zero, with the continuous flow of wealth from the poor to the rich and from the richer to the richest, would the situation show any signs of improvement even in decades? The situation warrants harsh measures and requires that the holders of the ninety per cent of the wealth of the country are made, either through force or through change in policies, to share the benefits of their wealth with the rest of the country­men. It is not the explosion of “population bomb” but that of the bomb of myth that frightens the economic fundamentalists; lest the people should know the truth, it is better to keep them engaged in debates on the adverse effects of population growth.

Two, the big industries know that a big family uses a big por­tion of its income in purchasing food items. Rest is utilised in purchasing clothes that too are usually of cheap variety produced by small industries. Little money is left with it to buy costly consumer goods manufactured by the big industry. It tends to assist agricultural growth (and that of small scale industry) at the cost of industrial growth. It is essential therefore that the size of the family remains small so that it can save enough money to bestow on the big industries.

Three, the popularisation of contraceptive devices through promo­tion of small family norms is a great boon for the industrialists. Through these programmes, men and women are informed and conditioned with the use of methods for avoiding unwanted pregnancies. This awareness helps the commercial sex. If women had not become fearless on this account, promiscuity could never have become common. Furthermore, through the marketing of various contraceptive devices, the industries earn billions.

Fourth, encouraging men and women to marry as late as possible again immensely benefits the market including sex market. The young working women in big numbers means opportunities for dating, which helps food, fashion, hotel and many other industries. Sex market too thrives. For the sustenance of the flesh-trade, demand and supply are essential; and if the people start marrying as soon as they attain puberty, the market would take a nosedive. It is hardly surprising therefore that, to achieve success in population control, encouragement to promiscu­ity has been advanced by the Western experts as a method to discourage people from early marriage. It is also for the same reason that the so-called champions of human rights do never raise their voice against the killing of millions of children by way of abortion every year. The truth is that the so-called family welfare programmes are aimed at the disintegration of the family system because the family system is not consistent with the “devel­opment” model. The weaker the family system the more likely the members of the family are to spend money in the consumer and sex-market helping the “development” in the process.

What is needed is the proper distribution in order to decrease all kinds of inequalities. Population Management rather than Population Control should be the ultimate aim. Even if population growth becomes zero, the problems will not ease. The big cities are getting increasingly crowded not mainly because of population growth but because of the migration from  the rural to urban and from smaller cities to bigger cities. Unless massive Rural Development programmews are not organised, the problems will not cease. Anmd of coursed, massive efforts and harsh steps are needed to reverse the rising Economic Inequality. There are many ways but the most effective way will be to replace Income Tax and GST with the Wealth Tax.

 

Specifically coming to India, it is high time the country understood the designs of the forces of Hegemony. Baniyawaad needs to be confronted in its ideological as well as practical forms. For this, all the right thinking persons will have to unite. The protagonists of Hindutva should know that Dalits, OBCs and most Muslims not only belong to the same class and have common ancestral roots but also share similar beliefs regarding secularism, justice and equality. Together these classes constitute around 90 pc of India, and you like it or not, it is they along with a large number of those upper caste members, who value secularism, equality and justice, who will play a dominant role in future India and will outsmart the forces of monopolization. Two Child Policy needs to be abandoned without delay. If upper castes are so wary of the decrease in their percentage in population, they must first aggressively attend the horrendous issue of Female Foeticide. With two-child policy, Female/Male ratio will further suffer. The Equal Right to be born is the first right of equality that needs to be restored to women without wasting any more time. It is already late.

 

In short, this law will further marginalize the already marginalized, will make the poor poorer and will further disempower the weakest sections of society. This is utterly inhuman and inherently dangerous for India’s future