YOU KNOW , YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW

 

 

 

 

You know ...

 

You know ...

 

You know ...

 

 

No. I don't know.

 

 

But if I know,

 

Why are you telling me ?

 

 

WORLD ECONOMY - RENDER UNTO CAESAR THAT WHICH IS CAESAR'S

 

 

SHARE THE WEALTH

Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's

And render unto God, that which is God's.

 

Luke 20:25

 

The solution to the real problems of the world's economy is not to destroy or to steal the wealth and beauty that is in the hands of the super rich, but to restrain them by every non-violent means and take the excess of their ill-gotten gains and share it fairly according to need and merit with everyone.

 

Any wealth or treasure that has been stolen by anyone must be returned to its rightful owners. Only then can we hope to live in peace knowing that none are hungry and none are angry because they have been cheated and robbed.

 

LIKE THE NAZIS, DAWN MCSWEENEY STOLE PERSONAL TREASURES

Like Adolph Hitler and his Nazi henchmen, Dawn McSweeney and her self-proclaimed "partners in crime" stole personal treasures and destroyed lives

 

This painting by Gustav Klimt was stolen by the Nazis and finally returned to the family that owned it. It took many years, but justice finally came for this family.

 

GUSTAV KLIMT   Adele Bloch-Bauer I

 

 

 

National Public Radio reported on January 17, 2006 that "The Austrian National Gallery is being compelled by a national arbitration board to return five paintings by Gustav Klimt to a Los Angeles woman, the heir of a Jewish family that had its art stolen by the Nazis.                         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt

 

http://dawnmcsweeney.blogspot.com/2011/02/like-nazis-dawn-mcsweeney-stole_16.html

MOURIDES - THE OTHER ISLAM - PEACE AND HARD WORK

 

Senegal's Mourides:

Islam's mystical entrepreneurs

By Tim Judah

 

BBC WORLD NEWS

 

 

Mouridism is, for me, two paths: one is the way to God, the other path is the doctrine of work and dignity. Because if you don't work, you hold your hand out and lose your dignity"

       Youssou N'Dour Musician

 

 

Senegal's Mourides: Islam's mystical entrepreneurs

 

By Tim Judah Crossing Continents, Radio 4

 

Many of the street vendors commonly seen in Italy, France and Spain selling sunglasses, bags and souvenirs are members of a highly industrious, entrepreneurial branch of Sufi Islam, which has its roots in Senegal.

At the entrance to Touba, Senegal's second-largest city, is a gateway arching over the road under which a sign urges visitors to respect the orders of the local Islamic leader and to not smoke.

Touba, a four-hour drive east of the Senegalese capital Dakar, is the spiritual home of the Mouride Brotherhood, a branch of Islam which holds the sanctity of work as one of its core beliefs. Perhaps this explains why the city is covered in adverts for international banks and money transfer services.

Who is Amadou Bamba?

Amadou Bamba was born in Baol, in central Senegal, in 1853. A renowned poet, mystic, and prayer leader, he founded the Mouride Brotherhood in 1883. He was renowned for his emphasis on work, and his disciples are famous for their industriousness. Bamba led a peaceful struggle against French colonialism.

As his popularity grew, the French government sentenced Bamba to exile in Gabon and later in Mauritania. By 1910, the French recognised he was not a threat, and he was released. In 1918, he won the French Legion of Honour for enlisting his followers in World War I. He died in 1927.

Today, followers donate earnings to the Mouride Brotherhood, who in turn provide social services and business loans. This is the only surviving photo of Amadou Bamba. His image adorns buildings, buses and taxis all over Senegal.

I am taken on a tour of Touba's great mosque by Cheikh Sene, a Mouride scholar from nearby Bambey University.

In a quiet corner of the mosque men sit chatting, while in a nearby room younger men are busy, hunched over computers working on the mosque's website.

A constant stream of people come to the mosque to pay homage at the tomb of Amadou Bamba - a Sufi mystic and founder of the Mouride Brotherhood.

For true believers, says Mr Sene, the path laid down by Bamba is nothing short of "the real practice of Islam". It is also a path of which many other Muslims in the world strongly disapprove.

Famous followers

They include the humblest of peasants to Senegal's now somewhat beleaguered president, Abdoulaye Wade, who has recently faced intense criticism amid recent protests against proposed changes to the constitution.

More than a million Mourides make the pilgrimage to Touba each year

Perhaps the best-known follower of Mouridism is the musician Youssou N'Dour.

When I met him in the television station he owns in Dakar, he talked about his 2004 Grammy award-winning album Egypt, which celebrated Amadou Bamba and Mouridism.

He argues Mouridism is a counter to the post-9/11 stereotype of Muslims. "In the West, you read all about terrorism... we're all lumped together. But those of us who understand that it's a religion of peace, love and sharing mustn't give up.

"Mouridism is for me two paths - one is the way to God, the other path is the doctrine of work and dignity. Because if you don't work, you hold your hand out and lose your dignity."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14344082 

August, 2011

 

CHILD ABUSE IN INDIA - LITTLE CHILDREN RAPED AGAIN AND AGAIN

 

 

CHILD LABOR IN INDIA  

 

By:  Shaju and Deepa, India

 

This day is celebrated as Children's day all across India. But majority of the children still face a lot of problems in our country everyday such as child labor, malnutrition, sexual abuses, not getting proper education etc.

 

Even though the government and various welfare organizations are trying hard to help the struggling kids and overcome their problems, but the count is not decreasing.

 

In India,there are about 50 million children who are below 14 years of age are engaged in some kind of labor. For instance, in a town named Sivakasi in the state of Tamil Nadu, there are thousands of children working in fire cracker factories.

 

The reason for engaging them is simple. The owners don't have to give much wages to them. Almost they are paid only one-tenth for a normal person.

 

Although the Child Labor Prohibition Act bans the child labor, but still these laws are not enforced completely. This has always been a problem in India. The laws that are formulated are never followed. In addition of the existing laws, the government has to make tougher laws against the child labor.

 

Education is still a dream for many kids in India. Another important reason why the child labor has to be thrown out of is that it deprives them the education they require to survive in this modern world. Today,computers and technology are playing an important role in the world and hence the kids must be provided with a proper education.

 

The government has made tremendous efforts in order to provide education for every kid by providing free education, uniform dresses and books. In addition, food, milk is also provided for the poor people to come to schools. But as per government statistics, still there are around 8 million kids are not attending school even though education is considered as a fundamental right in our country.

 

The parents have to take much responsibility in their kid's education in order to give them a wonderful future. Education should be made a must for everyone to overcome this problem. The number of schools especially in the villages should be increased.

 

Malnutrition is another important problem faced by the children in India. As per various reports, every year there are at least 2 million below 5 years of age die due to various preventable and curable diseases. Half of the country's children are underfed and around 45 per cent of children below the age of 3 are underweight.

 

In spite of rapid increase in economy growth in India, the child mortality is bad compared to small countries such as Bangladesh. The rate stands at 7.2 per 100 live births. India ranks very low in the world in public health spending. India is also a member of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), but it is not following member states guidelines to recognize child's inherent right to life. This needs to be taken care with utmost importance, as the country is expected to face these kinds of problems more in future.

 

Another worst problem that the country faces is sexual abuses against children. If you open any newspaper in India, you can see a least one child abuse case highlighted almost every day. Such is the rat eat which is the child abuse is increasing in the country. It sounds very shocking but it is the truth. In fact, the cases that are reported to the police are very less as the families fear for shame and media coverage makes them even more difficult.

 

The children below the age of even five are getting raped again and again. More than 90 per cent of the abused are the girls. Even the teachers whose responsibility is to provide good education are involved in such shameful acts. Also there is no clear law in India to tackle these issues. The laws have to be made strict and should be enforced in order to punish those responsible for these merciless criminal activities.

 

If India has to be become a developed nation, the child abuses should be tackled as soon as possible and the children should get the basic essentials such as education,food. Until then celebrating children's day every year doesn't make sense. Hope India overcomes these problems and a true children's day will be celebrated in near future with happy smiles in the faces of all the children in the country.

 

"Child labor has assumed gigantic proportions today. In most developing and under-developed countries, children are exploited because they work more than the adults at less than half their wages. In India, child labor is rampant in carpet-weaving, the bead industry and wayside eating houses. Their lot is, indeed, pitiable. The following measures are suggested to improve their lot:

 

Education for all must be made mandatory for all children of school-going age in all parts of the country, and it should be free. Children should be encouraged to attend school and, if need be, their parents be given incentives for sending their children to school.

 

Legislation , such as the British labor laws of the late 19th century, banning child labor be enacted and strictly implemented at all levels. No child below the age of 14 Should be allowed to in sub-human conditions that have become the lot of child laborers today. Stringent punishment should be meted out to the employers as well as the parents of such children, who are below 14years of age and working in factories.

 

The Government should generate mass awareness about the harmful effects of child labor on the society. Non-governmental organizations such voluntary leaders like Swami Agnivesh should be encouraged in their efforts towards eradicating child labor.

 

Basic necessities of life must be made available to the people at the grassroots level because it is economic compulsion That forces the parents to send their children to work at an early age as more hands supplement the family's meager income.

 

This, coupled with vigorous family planning drive,should lead to the improvement in lot of child Laborers and, in due course of time, in the elimination of child labor from India" 

THE MEANING OF THE WORD LOVE

 

 

Stop saying

 

"Love"

 

When you mean

 

Sex.

 

You will never know

 

Love

 

Until you learn the difference.

 

 

Mr. Nostalgia, Cliff Carter

 

 

 

 

I am the Words,

You are the Music,

We are The Song !

Always,

The Sheba

 

http://cliffcartermrnostalgia.blogspot.com

 

 

THE PLIGHT OF TENANTS - MONTREAL, QUEBEC - AND ELSEWHERE

 

 

Over the years, I have experienced and witnessed abuses by a few really nasty landlords. Threatened by a LaSalle landlord while my husband was in hospital, I had to flee my home and go into a women's shelter. I have suffered pounding noise, freezing cold, threats and physical injury.

 

Landlords and their agents don't do their nasty stuff in front of witnesses, so I can sympathize with tenants who tell me their experiences. There is rarely anyone who can or will testify on their behalf. But I have witnessed and I have investigated and I have testified in court on behalf of abused tenants.  

 

Here are some detailed reports.

 

The most recent -

 

July 30, 2011

 

PROFILE OF A MONTREAL LANDLORD

http://phylliscartersjournal.blogspot.com/2011/07/profile-of-montreal-landlord.html

 

1989

 

MONTREAL POLICE DODGE, STIFLE AND BURY VITAL REPORTS

 

When Sabrina tried to start a tenants' association in a tenement on the West island in Montreal, she nearly lost her life. It turned out the janitors were members of a motorcycle gang known to police. But the police Sabrina summoned to the scene  failed to make a report of the attempt to burn her alive in her car in the building's garage and the criminals walked out of Quebec criminal court smiling - much to the chagrin of the Montreal Police detectives who were protecting her and her aged husband. The criminals were not smiling when they left civil court. The story was featured in The Montreal Gazette.

 

http://phylliscartersjournal.blogspot.com/2010/06/montreal-police-dodge-stifle-and-bury.html

 

 

May, 2003

 

QUEBEC COURTS - "LET'S MAKE A DEAL"

 

How one Cote des Neiges, Montreal, slum lord welcomed new Canadians

 

http://phylliscartersjournal.blogspot.com/2010/06/quebec-courts-lets-make-deal_02.html

 

 

November, 2009

 

SACRIFICING JUSTICE FOR PEACE - JUST THIS ONCE

 

No one told me workmen were going to smear carpet glue in front of my door.

 

It took weeks for my leg to heal.

 

There were witnesses, X-Rays, medical reports, and physical evidence - but I didn't want to complain. I just wanted to live in peace.

 

http://phylliscartersjournal.blogspot.com/2011/01/sacrificing-justice-for-peace-just-this_9439.html

 

See photo of my leg - following.

 

 

PHYLLIS CARTER - NOVEMBER, 2009