Political: Israel must compensate the Reconstruction of Lebanon

If Israel is sincerely true in its claims that it did not target civilian infrastructure such as roads, airports, houses etc delibrately, then it must compensate for the reconstruction of those civilian infrastructure that it destroyed.

The mood amongst the western nations is shamefully to purely disarm Hizbullah. What is more critical is the reconstruction of Lebanon. Even if one does not wish to subscribe to this, it is without doubt that Israel bears the full responsibility for having destroyed civilian infrastructure and therefore rightfully it must rebuild it or compensate for the rebuilding of it. If North America and Europe do not have the moral strength to call for this, then indeed they have reached the pits of moral bankruptcy. In this crisis, the West have wasted their reputation as champions of human rights to earn the notoriety as obstructors of human rights. Hence their only way to salvage their honor and dignity is to act strongly to have Israel compensate Lebanon. Currently the West is chickening out from this and instead are bailing out Israel by paying for the compensation themselves. Till the West gathers its courage to protect the very values that it always claimed to uphold, it will remain to be viewed upon as an accomplice of Israel.

Political: Dear West, Whose and What Freedom Do You Love?

It was really unpleasant to hear yet again that another group was planning to retaliate against US and UK by carrying out attacks on civilian flights, only to be crippled fortunately in time by British authorities.

Bush summarized the event as “This nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom”

This notion Bush that he loves freedom has been articulated by him on numerous occasions. Blair, being Bush’s concubine, have also reiterated it on numerous occasions. Similarly you can hear this rhetoric from many European and American politicians, neo-conservatives and neo-liberals.

The fundamental question is what this freedom that they love is. Freedom itself is a noble word which every major religion propagates. However what these Western politicians, neo-conservatives and neo-liberals, who have de-sacralized themselves to be seculars understand by the word freedom differs from the universal understanding of the word freedom.

Freedom is the state of being in liberation of something oppressive. Western politicians, neo-conservatives and neo-liberals understand freedom as liberty to do what they wish and want. This is where East is East, West is West, never shall they twain.

For the past three hundred years, since the West came out of the barbarity of its dark ages, it first trod the globe colonializing countries and communities, invading lands, occupying lands, killing women and children and taking possession of indigenous wealth, resources and endowments of their colonies. Then they justified this by claiming they love God and want to bring God’s message to the heathens of the east and/or for the service of the Queen. Nothing stopped them to think that they, in order to achieve those ends, are using the most barbaric means of invasion, occupation, oppression and plundering.

In the two world wars, the West adopted the most horrifying methods of warfare mankind had ever seen, resulting in the greatest fatalities ever in any war. Indiscriminate killing of people and indiscriminate destruct of cities were justified as means to stop the enemy. Japan was the only eastern nation that paralleled the barbarous standards of the West in those two wars. Japan justified it as necessary means to protect its industries.

Today again we see the West continuing in its arrogant ways to use any means to achieve its ends. Preemptive wars on false pretexts, indiscriminate killings of civilians or supporting of indiscriminate killings of civilians, indiscriminate destruction of cities, forced implementation of tyrants in governments or supporting of tyrannical governments, categorical tortures and indefinite detentions and blasphemous degradation of sacred symbols are means the West uses without any qualms to meet its ends of promoting self-interests, protecting corporations, occupying and taking control of indigenous’ resources and facilitating limitless self-expression.

So to the question whose freedom does the West love, the West loves its freedom and not that of others, unless if loving that freedom of others will promote its freedom.

As for the question of what freedom does the West love, the truth is what the West loves is not freedom but having the liberty to do whatever it wants and wishes. I guess Bush being not so intellectual enough and you can never expect a Texan to articulate that, he can only refer to it as freedom. But this is pure uncontrolled, indiscriminate behavior or rather barbarity. When one wonders where do Al-Qaeda and its zealous friends get their inspiration, it is just a big irony that globalization has only had them gain motivation from the West in their earnest desires to destroy the West.

The general global Muslim population find themselves in a dilemma with Al-Qaeda trying to win their hearts and support on one side and the West on the other. However Muslims view both these two groups with equal contempt for both these groups are equally barbaric and beastly. As a Muslim we have a duty to be freedom loving, free from anything oppressive such as the evil, bad or the ugly, which means we have to be free from the Muslim extremists and the West. Its interesting to see in the triangle between the global Muslim population, Muslim extremists and the West, each hate what the other love, though Muslim extremists and the West seem share a love for the freedom to indiscriminately kill civilians.

Peace, love and recyle….

Put out the Fire, Agni Koothu ( Theatre of Fire)

In a multiracial, multi-religious, multi-lingual society such as Singapore, where diversity is pervasive, unity will be its strength and disunity will be its death knell. In such a highly diverse country disunity is worth less than a match but combustible enough to set everything on fire, whereas unity is less eloquent than charming words but supreme enough to propel the country to greater heights. We cannot allow elements to sow discord, suspicion or divides. We equally cannot permit anyone to promote racism or intolerance.

Pharoah was an unjust and cruel king who oppressed the tribe of Israel. When God sent Moses, peace be upon him, the mission was to establish justice. Moses, peace be upon him, did exactly that. However as the tribe of Israel only knew how to live by justice with no sense of love, they became territorial. God then had to send Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, to establish love.

Modern Singapore as we all know was built by a lawyer who came at a time where crime was high, injustices were vast etc. His natural response was to establish justice which he did impressively. People too have learned how to live by the law. An unfortunate outcome is that of a society having many people who only have a sense of "law" but no sense of love, hereby being territorial. To them nothing is wrong as long as its not criminal or illegal. However not everything that is legal and non-criminal is not cruel or unethical. HOwever for one to understand ethics, a heart is required. The pursuit of "justice" or "law" alone without a sense of love, will only kill that heart within us. When that heart in us dies, we become a beast that is territorial, vicious and cruel. Agni Kootthu is one such entity. They simply have no regard for anything unethical, intolerant, insensitive as long as they can legally do it. To them, their territorial instincts will only have them naively believes its not a wrong but their fundamental right. In fact they are now aggressively trying to rally up support to pressure authorities to relax the laws for this or future productions. Legal boundaries of expression dont necessarily start and end with social boundaries of expression. In a multi-racial society like this, should a community identify a boundary of expression as the limit, others must respect it. As artists, one must have greater sense to respect these limits of others and not insist on straying these social boundaries till restrained by legal boundaries. Thats beastly behaviour.

Thenmoli, Agni Kootthu's president, was behind the staging of Talaq play some years ago which stereotyped Indian Muslim community as being ridden with women abuse. Even when the authorities banned the play to protect sensitivities of the Indian Muslim community, she attempted to stage it forcibly and had to be arrested to prevent it. Now again Agni Kootthu has produced a racially insensitive play which again the authorities has banned and Thenmoli is again getting confrontational. Refer to her reply here

Agni Kootthu must realize that their zealeous and radical attitudes amount to nothing less than racism. They are nothing less then being intolerant. What they are doing is unethical, even if they are to be allowed to do it legally. This form of Hindu fundamentalism and secular extrimism will only bring about divides, confusion and destroy goodwill. Their fiery brand of fanaticism is racism not arts. Its racial harrassment. Agni Kootthu need to put out their fire....

If Agni Kootthu really want to explore and address issues in other communities, they have to do it with a sense of love not with a sense of fire.

MDA Must Ban Agni Kootthu, Elangovan and Thenmoli

Agni Kootthu did it again..... They have come up with a theatre play production "Smegma" that is racially insensitive. MDA has banned it. This play is written and directed by Elangovan and its production manager is Thenmoli. This is not the first time Agni Kootthu and its crew led by Elangovan and Thenmoli have produced racially insensitive plays. A few years ago the infamous Talaq play was the brainchild of these people. It was also banned. Thenmoli disregarded the ban and was arrested for disorderly behaviour when police intervened to stop her from staging the play against the ruling.

I myself am an artist and i can only say this. Being an artist does not gives one the liberty to be insensitive to others. The sensitivities of others prevail before the liberty of one to express. Furthermore I as an artist can only express what i know about something. But my facts need not be truth and reality. Until the meaning of that something arrives at me or until I arrive at the meaning of that something, can i understand the truth and reality of it.

Sadly Agni Kootthu, Elangovan and Thenmoli are nothing more than a sect of Hindu fundamentalists and/or secular radicals who have arrived at no understanding of anything that they vehemently like to claim they know well. Their intolerance is deplorable. Had this country human rights regulations, there will be ample grounds to bring them before justice for racism. They have no regard for tolerance, sensitivities or even the law. In this multiracial Singapore, in order to preserve racial harmony, I urge the government to ban Agni Kootthu, Elangovan and Thenmoli and National Arts Council must suspend all future and present funding to this group and these individuals.