Dalai Lama received Gold Medal in Washington DC "My religion is kindness"

Last week I was listening to His Royal Highness Dalai Lama speaking in Washington after receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest civilian honor. The Congress, with the Democrats in majority, decided to award the 72 year old Tibetan spiritual leader, who represents Peace and Harmony. In 1989 Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace prise by the Norwegian Nobel committee, the chairman said this was "in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi."

President Bush who handed the gold medal made it clear in his speach that this is a medal for religious freedom. China expressed its opposition to Congress's decision to honor the Dalai Lama. The medal's past recipients include Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa.

Basically we are all the same human beings with the same potential to be a good human being or a bad human being .The important thing is to realize the positive side and try to increase that; realize the negative side and try to reduce.

Few years ago I read the International Bestseller ‘The Art of Happiness’, by HH Dalai Lama. Back then his writings and his personality captured me. Tenzin Gyatso (born 6 July 1935) is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. In 1950, at the age of 15, he was enthroned as Tibet's Head of State and most important political ruler while Tibet faced occupation by China. After the collapse of the Tibetan resistance movement in 1959 and the Chinese invasion in Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso fled to India.

I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life.

Although I am not Buddhist, but there are some great lessons I have gained through Dalai Lamas life. I value his world view and his courage to fight for something he believes in. I believe we can all learn beautiful things from each other, we just need to be open to learning and respecting each other!

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.

Political Spin Doctors are the Greatest threat to Democracy

(Extracts from my article!)

On Alastair Campbell’s resignation August 2003 the Mirror described the Labour Spin doctor and the brain behind their success, as ‘The Most Powerful Man in Britain’. The Sun acknowledged Campbell as ‘The King of Spin’.

In Europe, the long and drawn-out fight for ‘liberty of the press’ appeared first and most vigorously in Britain. Although the government still did control the media, but this friction did continue and still prevalent to this day, however in a much more clever way. Britain was the birthplace of the ‘freedom of the press’. John Stuart Mill’s ‘On Liberty’ complained that the utilitarian theory of the press freedom is symptomatic of an age which is ‘destitute of faith but terrified’ at scepticism. Utilitarianism reinforces the assumption that people are entitled to feel sure, not that their opinions are true, but that they could not live without them, and that these opinions have a self-evident utility. He offered three reasons why the guarantee of freely circulating opinion through the press is essential.

First, any opinion which is silenced by government or civil society because it is allegedly false may prove to be true, in the sense that it may conform to the facts and survive vigorous counter-arguments about those facts. Those who seek to censor potentially true opinion naturally deny its truth. But in so doing they make the unwarranted assumption that their certainty is equivalent to absolute certainty. To assume infallibility is to suppress potential truth. It is to decide the truth of an opinion for others, without allowing them to hear or digest counter-arguments.

Second, though an opinion turns out to be false, it often contains an ounce or two of truth. The prevailing opinion on any matter is rarely the whole truth. This means that it is only by confronting it with other, contrary opinions that the full truth can be attained. In public affairs, truth necessitates combining and reconciling opposites.

Mill argued, finally that even if an opinion is the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, it will soon degenerate into prejudice – into a ‘dead dogma, not a living truth’ – if it goes unchallenged. The fatal tendency of mankind to leave off thinking about a thing when it is no longer doubtful, is the cause of half their error. It is certain that many present opinions will be rejected by future ages, as it is that many, once general, are rejected by the present. Truth can also degenerate into prejudice if it is not exercised by counter-claims.

Mill doubted the comfortable dictum that in the end truth always wins out against persecution. History teems with examples of suppressed truth. Truth has no inherent power to prevail against the dungeon, the stake or the arrogant censor. Truth requires liberty of the press as its ally. No special laws or spin doctors should exist to hamper the freedom of newspapers, journals, books and pamphlets to print facts and advance opinions. Only a free press with no pressure can guarantee that there is an abundant supply of facts and arguments about the facts, thus cultivating the habit of questioning and correcting opinions and ensuring the victory of Truth over falsehood.

These trends in Western democracies are worrying. They indicate the growing quantity of political power which is normally unaccountable either to citizens or to the mass media, or not subject to the rule of law. Citizens are not aware if the state officials have for example been influenced by private interested parties. During the 1980s, the Thatcher governments sought to protect official secrecy and to path up a culture of prudent silence and mumbo-jumbo within public institutions by charging outspoken civil servants. Public opinion was manipulated through lies and misinformation, and sections of the press were encouraged to connive with the government’s own distortions. The government made a failed attempt to suppress Spycatchers, the memoirs of the former MI5 officer Peter Wright. There was a overt censorship of radio plays, news and documentaries on BBC and ITV: the Foreign Secretary sought to prevent a documentary exploring the SAS shooting of IRA members in Gibraltar in 1988.

‘A state is bound to be more dangerous if it is not governed openly by the people, but secretly by political forces that are not widely known or understood’
Andrei Sakharov, 1987

International Womens Day!!

My deepest congratulations goes out to all women across the globe. I find it a priviledge being created female, and honored that we have a day to celebrate such beautiful creation on the face of the earth! There is a reason you and I are women and not men, and I believe what women bring into the world men cant, and vise versa. I believe each gender must be valued, as we all can bring in beautiful aspects to life, taken we know who we are and how to express ourselves in a way that we were created to express what ever is all about us!

In my life I have personally come across some of the most amazing women, and I have tried learning something from each one. I enjoy reading books authored by women.

Two of the most amazing women I know,and whose life and love I appriciate!

My mother:She is dedicated,honost,faithful,loving,giving,sharing,seeking peace,loving, down to earth, doesnt take herself too seriously, courageous and so many other beautiful qualities.
My sister:loving,caring....she is one of the rare people you come across who give so much of themselves, it is amazing. she will always go the extra mile in order to show the sea of love that is within her!

Value Womanhood!

Iran attracting Media attention!

Iran has hit the media headlines, either it be Broadcasting or the press media, on both sides of the Atlantic. Journalists and reporters are not only interested in the political sides of the ancient country, but also looking at some other aspects of Iran.

Relations on Iran and USA, watch here!

Ex BBC Rageh Omar's documentary on Iran, watch here!

This weeks Time magazine photo coverage of iran, watch here!

Just today I read several articles in the Independent, Times, Guardian on Iran. Iran has for sure attracted attention.

Tony Blair visits my University

Prime Minister Tony Blair visited the University of Brunel in West London yesterday, to launch fundraising for higher education. I am completing my MA Journalism at Brunel.

Please read more on this site:
http://www.brunel.ac.uk/news/events/pm/

Al-Jazeera reporter Rageh Ommar, has fallen in love with Iran!

Ex-BBC reporter Rageh Ommar, who was ‘bought’ up by the newly launched Al-Jazeera international says he has fallen in love with Iran. Tonight BBC4 is showing a documentary made by him on life in Iran. He says the reason he wanted to make this documentary was because while working in Iraq prior to the Bush/Blair invasion he never did any reporting on how ‘normal’ people live their daily lives. He did not want to repeat the same mistake with Iran.

Mr. Omaar goes to Iran as the Islamic Republic is ‘celebrating’ its 28th year of ruling. In my view it is a great honour that such a prominent reporter has taken interest in our country. I think as we see people becoming interested in Iran, we should also make an effort in getting to know the history, politics, cultures and people of other nations.

I hear many Iranians ‘bragging’ about our 5000 year old history, and how culturally rich we are. In my view this is often said with an ignorance that disappoints me. I think and know many countries of the world who do have great history, politics, culture and people we can learn from. I do not think it is right to think we are better than other nations or people. I believe if we want to see changes in our people we must stop being so ignorant, and show our respect and interest in nations of the world that can teach us great matters in life!

Please visit Mr Ommar's article on Iran in Time http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east//article1363826.ece?Submitted=true

Ruth Kelly chooses private school

Ruth Kelly, former Educational minister from the Labour party, is sending her disabled child to a private school, paying from her own pocket, 15.000£ a year. This is rather a controversial issue, as her party has caused many private schools to shut, and 'demanded' people to use the public schools. so the question is why is she not using a public school for her child? her other children are all in public schools.

This has become a headline in British media these last days, people have become frustated over again on politicians, on why they say one thing, but do something else. you could question, do their rules and regulations only apply to the public, but not to those who are holding major positions in the government, or those who have great amount of money.

Ruth Kelly decided to push aside her political position in order to give her child a better support in a private school. I am thinking what would I do in her position, do you choose to act within your ministerial role or your role as a mother. It can not be easy to have a life in the public domain, and constantly being under scrutiny of the public and the media. Although I like to say she should have acted according to her Labour party opinion, but on the other hand, it is admirable the courage she is showing in choosing her child over her reputation.

Would you act differently?