Archive for August, 2005

Interview with Prof Nurcholish Madjid

< ![CDATA[Photo: Nurcholish Madjid (right) with current Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (Photo by Tempointeraktif)
Nurcholis Madjid is a towering figure, the frontrunner of pluralism and tolerance. He’s admired by many Indonesians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. He encourages secularism, i.e. partition between politic and religion (Islam); supports pluralism and diversity among all cultures, communities and faiths. [...]

Indonesia Moderate Muslim Icon Dies at 66

< ![CDATA[Noted Muslim intellectual Nurcholish Madjid passes away at 66
JAKARTA (JP): Noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid died on Monday at the age of 66.
Cak Nur, as the intellectual was known, had been admitted to Pondok Indah Hospital in South Jakarta on Aug. 15 in a critical condition.
Cak Nur’s medical problems first became ill after he [...]

Biometric data twist to trick hackers

Biometric data twist to trick hackers
World biometric industry income reached $1.5 billion in 2005
A trick reminiscent of a fun-house mirror might improve the security and privacy of the access-control technology that examines fingerprints, facial features or other personal characteristics.
In such systems, known as biometrics, a computer generally reduces an image to a template of “minutia […]

Obituary Martin Lings

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Obituary
Dr. Martin Lings
Islamic scholar concerned with spiritual crisis
Gai Eaton
Friday May 27, 2005
The Guardian
Martin Lings (Abu Bakr Siraj Ad-Din), who has died aged 96, was a public-school educated Englishman who converted to Islam, spent many years as keeper of oriental manuscripts and printed books at the British Museum, and is best known as the author [...]

The Anti-Semitic Syndrom

< ![CDATA[Anti-semitism is a word many westerners think like a word of ghost. no body have the gut to say anything against the semit nation which is literally jews and the arabs, but in practical term exlusively and luxuriously owned only by the Jews.
Everybody in the West knows what does it mean if you are [...]

Sir Archibald Hamilton and Islam

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Sir Archibald Hamilton
Statesman and Baronet
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“There is no religion that is so maligned by the ignorant and the biased as is Islam; yet if people only knew, it is the religion of strong for the weak, the rich for the poor…
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About the author: Sir Abdullah Archibald Hamilton Bart, formerly Sir Charles Edward Archibald Watkins Hamilton, [...]

Charles Le Gai Eaton and Islam

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Charles Le Gai Eaton is believed to be the inspirator behind the many converts of British Establishment.
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Former British diplomat and Author
“I did not see how I could put one foot in front of the other unless I understood where I was going and why….All I knew was that I knew nothing - nothing, that [...]

HIV: trial shows male circumcision cuts risk

HIV: trial shows male circumcision cuts risk
By. R. Prasad in Chennai
More research is needed to conclusively prove that male circumcision offers protection against HIV infection

ONE MORE trial has shown a positive correlation between circumcision and reduced risk of HIV infection. A trial involving more than 3,000 heterosexual male volunteers in South Africa has shown […]

Brain chemistry link to placebo effect

Study shows brain chemistry link to placebo effect
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Patients will feel better if they believe they’re taking painkillers — even if their doses contain no medication, according to a University of Michigan study.
The study, examining the placebo effect, shows that the brain releases chemicals that relieve pain in patients who believe […]

Embryonic stem cell made

Scientists: Embryonic stem cell made
Monday 22 August 2005, 16:08 Makka Time, 13:08 GMT
The stem has been created through fusion with skin cells
US researchers said they have created a new human embryonic stem cell by fusing an embryonic stem cell to an ordinary skin cell.
They hope their method could someday provide a way to create tailor-made […]

Oil Prices Cripple US Foreign Policy

< ![CDATA[How to Escape the Oil Trap
Both Iran and Saudi Arabia are now awash in oil money, and no matter what the controls, some is surely getting to unsavory groups.
By Fareed Zakaria
Newsweek
Aug. 29 - Sept. 5, 2005 issue - If I could change one thing about American foreign policy, what would it be? The answer [...]