November 2004

I’ve found one teaching in all religions that holds the answer to most of the problems of the world, best captured by the teaching “Love thy neighbour as thyself”

This beautiful teaching isn’t so difficult to apply to loved ones. It’s not so easy to apply to the distracted woman in the dented Nissan Micra in front of you in the morning rush hour; who leaves a gap in front that a couple of nuclear trains could get into, so that she has sufficient reaction time to avoid a collision while she composes a text on the mobile phone in the passenger seat. I have tried to put myself in her shoes more often. And it seems to be working - the heels do my back in, the pointed end crushes my toes, but it will feel great when I take them off!

I tried to enter a side street today, but was blocked by a lady driver intent on occupying the middle ground (oh how I wish there were more people with that bent). She looked at me and started to become restless. She reversed a little, then moved forward a little. I did something unusual; I resisted the middle-finger-salute that is my standard message to drivers who offend my sensibilities - and instead - I smiled - broadly - mouthing “it’s ok, don’t worry”. I sat patiently and moved on without complaint or ill-will.

I must try it more often. It made me feel better about myself and I’m sure the lady was slightly relieved by my unexpected attitude too. Imagine the world where everyone did that, most of the time? Would we be lashing out as a society at those we don’t trust, in the grip of unreasonable media-fuelled fear and hysteria? I think not. Tolerance used to be a byword for this country, or at least I feel it was in some circles. Maybe my Starck specs have started to tint a lighter shade of rose.

2000 years on, we are murdering, pillaging and raping in the name of Christ in Iraq. I wouldn’t say that our current actions accurately reflect the philosophy of Jesus.

From the destruction of Red Indians to the humiliation of the Iraqis. From the enslavement of Africans to the obliteration of the Japanese. From the sponsoring of dictatorships all over the world to the attempted destruction of the voice of native people in the same places. From Israel to Vietnam.

I love the West. Sincerely. It is better than dictatorship. But it is the most hypocritical empire in the history of humanity. I love the West because many points of view can be expressed. But the views of many are controlled by the power of a very few. I love the West because it is as much in my blood as is Islam or Pakistan, if not more so. But the abuse of power in the West is greater than with any empire in history.

There is hope. I am allowed to express this shame. In a repressive, tyrannical (US-sponsored!) Arab regime like Saudi Arabia or Iraq (once allies of America) I wouldn’t be allowed this freedom. It’s the hypocrisy, the holier-than-thou attitude. It pisses me off that Bush gives lectures on the spreading of freedom and free elections while his puppets are re-instated in Iraq and a stooge is in place at Afghanistan.

Inequality is rife. Even without a job, I’m better off here than just about anywhere else in the world. I thank God that I live in my beloved London, which I have served and which has looked after me.

I hope that sanity will prevail. There is hope, hope for the West, but that is a luxury that many people under the cosh of brutal regimes established and sponsored by the West do not have. We really must stop calling people terrorists when we have taken the lives of their entire families and left them homeless, stateless and hopeless. When you are left with nothing to live for, it becomes very easy to die for what might be. Especially when your enemy is committing acts of terrorism on a daily basis and calling it a War on Terror. The appropriation of language is really the biggest crime we’ve committed. It has deprived us of the only tool we have to enable human progress. The Truth.

No, I’m not covering Huey Lewis, though some of the items on sale at Retrofone appear to date from the era of Patrick Bateman’s favourite band.

If you can’t be arsed with Bluetooth and you think Java is a densely populated island in Indonesia then one of these clunkers from yesteryear might be right up your strasse. What I liked most about this site is their motto - “Yesterday’s connectivity today”.

Blunkett has totally lost it. This arsehole clearly never read any books. Oh of course, they probably don’t have 1984 in Braille, do they?

Just by writing the above, I could be in breach of his proposed laws banning what might be construed as a precursor to pre-terrorist activity, be it unintentional or completely innocent. It seems that unless I’m sucking on his truncheon, 24/7, I couldn’t ever hope to be innocent.

Which attributes must I have to get onto his “clean” database then? Clearly, a Muslim male of Pakistani descent who thinks the current government is debased, corrupt and clueless is utterly buggered!

It has taken me a very long time to do this, but here we are, some of my music on the Internet. The boring stuff I’ll leave until the end. For now, just give me your feedback if you haven’t heard this stuff before. Also, pass the music onto anyone who might be able to get me signed, or through three degrees of separation, might know someone who might know someone.

Music is my passion. Here are a couple of my songs. Please share them - or better still, point people to the links here.

The Sound of Your Name
When The Chips Are Down

I am licencing my music under the Creative Commons terms. They are simple and allow much freedom.

This music free to share under a Creative Commons Music Sharing License.

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Fat and thick?