Negotiating to Stop Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

Of course it’s easy to sympathize with Israel’s view on Iran. When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, as he did over the weekend, “Iran must not be armed with nuclear weapons”—well, that’s a nice ringing declaration. When French President François Hollande, on his visit to Israel,says more or less la même chose—“France will not make concessions on nuclear proliferation”—I’m sure we can all empathize with France.

But if you’re an Iranian president who after engaging in a single phone call with Barack Obama, discovers on his return to his home country demonstratorsthrowing shoes at his limo (in Islamic culture, the sole of a shoe is considered particularly disgusting, a sign of total contempt), you have ample reason to, as it were, tread carefully. And yet, for some reason, neither Israel nor France seems to grasp all that. In fact, France in particular has pretty much shoved Rouhani into the kind of tight corner that practically forces him to lash out. (So did Netanyahu, who called the Iranian leader “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” but I’m betting Rouhani doesn’t worry overmuch about Israel’s character assessment.)But ringing declarations, empathy, sympathy—what do they have to do with what’s actually going on? With what could be going on, with a bit of negotiation and good fortune? How do they help the world gain concessions from a famously paranoid nation? Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, at first seemingly pliable, has recently done an about-face. After initially sending signals that if sanctions were dropped, he might be amenable to a nuclear enrichment freeze, Rouhani now, after France’s declaration and the suspension of talks, says otherwise. His country, Rouhani nowinsists, has a right “to enrichment” of uranium, and sanctions imposed by the West, he adds, will do nothing to cause Iran to back down on that enrichment project. This of course is a ringing declaration in its own right. And a dangerous one as well, since Iran may be only months away from being capable of producing a nuclear weapon.

France, for example, is adamant that operations at the nuclear reactor at Arak—not yet online, by the way—be halted. While that, of course, will be an important part of any agreement, how prudent was it for the French to insist on such a measure so early in the negotiations? That the nation of Talleyrand, the country famous for the delicacy and skill of its diplomacy, would abandon these traits at such a crucial moment is not an accident or oversight.

Netanyahu of course has his own reasons for distrust, ones that are close by and existential. Personally, I think Netanyahu sees existential threats around every corner. It is both his strength (with his electorate) and his central, irredeemable weakness in conducting foreign policy, one that France is busy exploiting right now.

No one is suggesting blind trust should be the order of the day in negotiations with Iran. But consider this: In October, Rouhani ordered a nationwide survey to find out if most Iranians support or oppose improved relations with the US. A decade earlier, previous pollsters examining the same question were jailed for conducting just such a survey because the results disturbed the country’s despots. At the time, roughly 70 percent of respondents favored restoring ties between Washington and Tehran.

So the question is this: If Rouhani is as untrustworthy, obdurate, and intransigent as the French and Israelis make him out to be, why would he have ordered a similar poll last month? He knows the likely results. We all do. Given an opportunity, given the chance and encouragement, he might just act on them.

The Himalayas

The Himalayas are mountains that are located in southern Asia. They are a part of in Nepal, India, Pakistan, Tibet and Bhutan. The mountains are the highest in the world, reaching almost 9,000 meters above sea level. The Himalayas separatethe Indian subcontinent from the inner part of Asia. The word Himalaya means “home of snow”.

14 mountains are over 8,000 meters high, among them the K2 , Nanga Parbat and Mount Everest, at 8,848 meter the world’s highest mountain. The Himalayas extendover 1,500 miles (2,400 km) from the Indus Valley in the west to the Brahmaputra Valley in the east. They are between 100 and 250 kilometers wide.

Many of the mountain peaks are sacred to the people who live in the surrounding areas. Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims go there and pray to God.

 

How the Himalayas were formed

The Himalayas belong to the youngest mountain ranges in the world. They were formed when the Indian subcontinent, which wasoriginally a part of the southern landmass, drifted to the north and crashed into Asia. This movement started about 70 million years ago and has been going on up to the present day. The Himalayas are still becoming taller, moving at about 7 cm per year. Earthquakesand volcanoes are evidence that the area is still very active.

How the Himalayas collided with Asia

 

Rivers and Lakes

Glaciers and permanent snow fields cover the higher regions of the Himalayas. They are the source of streams that flow into the two big rivers of the region.The Indus flows to the west and through Pakistan into the Arabia Sea. The Ganges and Brahmaputra flow to the east and get together in Bangladesh. They form  the largest delta in the world.

Climate

Almost every type of climate can be found in the different altitudes of themountain range. The lower slopes in the south are home to tropical plants and tea. Trees grow up to a height of 4000 meters. Wheat and other cereals are grown in higher regions.

The Himalayas influence the climate in both India and Tibet. They form a barrier for monsoon winds that blow from the Indian Ocean over India. On the front side of the mountains it rains heavily while dry air blows across the plains of Tibet.

 

Population

The Himalayas are very sparsely populated because of the harsh climate.  Most people live on the lower Indian slopes. Many people earn their living as sherpas, guiding tourists and mountaineers to the peaks of the mountain range.

The mountains have been a natural barrier for thousands of years. They stopped people from China and the inner part of Asia to mix with the Indian population. Genghis Kahn, emperor of the Mongols, was stopped from expanding his empire to the south by the tall mountains.

Most of the passes that cross the Himalayas are over 5,000 high. They are covered with snow during the winter period and almost impossible to pass.

Tourism

Mountain climbing has become the main tourist activity in the Himalaya Mountains. It started towards the end of the 19th century when many mountaineers started climbing the peaks. In 1953 Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to reach Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain.

Pass in Ladakh with Buddhist prayer flags

Digital Heaven

If you had the opportunity to live forever, would you take it? The obstacles to keeping your body alive indefinitely still seem insurmountable, but some scientists think there is another possibility opened up by digital technology: creating a digital copy of your "self" and keeping that "alive" online long after your physical body has ceased to function.

In effect, the proposal is to clone a person electronically. Unlike the familiar physical clones - offspring that have identical features as their parents, but that are completely separate organisms with a separate conscious life - your electronic clone would believe itself to be you. How might this be possible? The first step would be to map the brain.

How? One plan relies on the development of nanotechnology. Ray Kurzweil - one of the prophets of artificial intelligence - predicts that within two or three decades we will have nanotransmitters that can be injected into the bloodstream. In the capillaries of the brain they would line up alongside the neurons and detect the details of the cerebral electronic activity. They would be able to transmit that information to a receiver inside a special helmet or cap, so there would be no need for any wires protruding from the scalp.

As a further step, Ray Kurzweil also envisages the nanotransmitters being able to connect you to a world of virtual reality on the internet, similar to what was depicted in the film 'Matrix'. With the nanotransmitters in place, by thought alone, you could log on to the internet and instead of the pictures coming up on your screen they would play inside your mind. Rather than send your friends e-mails you would agree to meet up on some virtual tropical beach.

For Ray this would be, quite literally, heaven. Once you upload the brain onto the internet and log on to that virtual world the body can be left to rot while your virtual self carries on playing Counter Strike for ever.

Generations of Christians believed in Christ partly because his resurrection held out the promise that we too might be able to enjoy life after death. But why wait for the Second Coming when you can have a shot of nanobots and upload your brain onto the internet and live on as an immortal virtual surfer?

Who needs faith when you've got broadband?

(One snag: to exist on the net you will have to have your neural network parked on the computer of a web-hosting company. These companies want real money in real bank accounts every year or they will wipe your bit of the hard disc and sell the space to someone else. With your body six feet underground how will you pay? Here the anology with heaven really breaks down. God keeps heaven going for free, but the web is something you have to pay for.)

Imam Hussein (a.s.): “The Chief of the Youth of Paradise”

I have taken this stand not out of arrogance or pride, neither out of mischief or injustice. I have risen to seek reform in the community of my grandfather. I would like to bid good, forbid evil, and follow the tradition of my grandfather and my father ‘Ali bin Abi Talib.” – Imam Hussein

It is generally believed that Imam Hussein was buried at Karbala, Iraq. In time, the mausoleum shown above was built to honour his memory. It is the most visited pilgrimage centre in Shi‘i Islam after the Ka‘ba.

Editor’s note: The following introduction is taken from Dr. Azim Nanji’s article on Imam Hussein. The link to the complete article is provided below.

INTRODUCTION: Imam Hussein (a.s.) was born in Medina in 626 CE and, as a child, is believed to have been held in great affection by the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.). As a young man, he participated in the work of his father, Imam ‘Ali (a.s.), including in his military campaigns. After the death of his father in 661 CE and the accession to power of Muawiyah, Imam Hussein maintained a low profile and, although dismissive of the usurpation of power by Muawiyah, did not seek to foment open rebellion. However, when Muawiyah sought to impose his son Yazid as successor and thereby to institutionalise the rule of the Umayyad dynasty, Imam Hussein declined to offer allegiance (baya). He was approached by the people of Kufa to oppose Yazid and accept the mantle of leadership, which they believed was his right. In response to their call, Imam Hussein – together with a small band of followers and members of his family – left Mecca for Kufa. On his way, he learned of the executions of some of his closest supporters by the Umayyads and decided to urge those from his group who were not willing to put their lives at risk to voluntarily depart. He continued on his way to Kufa with the rest of the group, camping at a place called Karbala. In the meantime, a contingent from Yazid’s army of about four thousand members arrived at the scene and ordered the small band to acknowledge Yazid’s authority while also cutting off their access to the river for water.

The final confrontation  is the tragic account of the encirclement and massacre of Imam Hussein and his small army, which was said to number seventy-two men. They fought gallantly, but they were soon overpowered, and Imam Hussein, his brother, and some of his closest relatives were slaughtered. Imam Hussein’s head was taken to Damascus to be displayed before Yazid and his court.

Imam Hussein’s memory and death is commemorated in particular with great religious fervour and intensity during the first ten days of the Islamic month of  Muharram, known as Ashura, which simply means tenth in the Arabic language.  The 10th day marks the climax of the remembrance of Muharram.

The minute and stunning details of this tragic event have been written and survived from the very first day by eye witnesses. For the last fourteen hundred years, the battle of Karbala reflects the collision of the mind of Yazid and the Faith of Hussein.

Ali Akbar ibn Hussain (AS)

Ali Akbar ibn Hussain was born on 11th of Shabaan 44 AH and he was the son of Imam Hussain ibn Ali and Umm-e-Laila. He was a handsome young man of eighteen. He was also a brave soldier. He had been taught fencing and archery by his half-uncle, Abbas ibn Ali.

Ali Akbar ibn Hussain resembled the Holy Islamic Prophet Muhammad so much that Hussain ibn Ali was often heard saying that whenever I remember the Holy Islamic Prophet Mohammed I always look at Akbar.

Ali Akbar ibn Hussain had a loud beautiful voice. It was he who always recited Adhan. On the morning of the day of Ashura, Ali Akbar ibn Hussain recited the Adhan. Every one knew that it was the last time they would hear Ali Akbar ibn Hussain's Adhan. Hussain ibn Ali began to weep when Ali Akbar began his Adhan. The ladies could also be heard crying in their tents.

After the morning prayers Ali Akbar stood in front of Hussain ibn Ali. He said, "Father I request for permission to go and fight the enemies of Islam." Hussain ibn Ali looked at his son lovingly. He said, "Akbar, you have my permission. May Allah be with you! But Akbar, you know how much your mother, sisters and aunts love you. Go and say farewell to them." Ali Akbar went into the tent of his mother. Every time he wanted to come out of the tent the mother, aunts and sisters would pull his cloak and say, "O Akbar, How can we live without you?" Finally Hussain ibn Ali had to go in and plead with all to let Ali Akbar go.

Hussain ibn Ali helped his youthful son to mount the horse. As Ali Akbar ibn Hussain began to the ride towards the battlefield, he heard foot steps behind. He looked back and saw his father. He said, "Father, we have said good-bye. Why are you walking behind me?" Hussain ibn Ali replied, "My son, had you been a father of a son like me, you would surely have understood!"

Ali Akbar fought very bravely. No one dared come close to him in single combat after he had killed many well known warriors. Umar ibn-e-Sa'ad ordered his soldiers to finish off the young man saying, "When he dies, Hussain will not want to live! Ali Akbar is the life of Hussain." While a few soldiers attacked Ali Akbar another (Haseen ibn-e-Nameer) slowly crept up to him and threw a spear at his chest with such ferocity that it penetrated his chest and he felt faint. As he was falling from his horse, he cried out. "O Father, my last salaam to you!" As he hit the ground the spear broke but the blade remained lodged in Akbar's chest.

When Hussain ibn Ali heard Akbar's salaam he looked at Euphrates, where Abbas ibn Ali’s body was laying and said, “Abbas! Now that this brother of yours needs you the most, where have you gone?" With all his strength sapped by the anguish in Akbar's voice, Hussain ibn Ali began to walk towards the battlefield.

If you guys didn’t read about the battle of Khaybar, then do so because it is related to this article is so many ways. The Jews of Khaybar had revolted against the Holy Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet Muhammad and the Muslims of Medina laid a siege on Khaybar. They surrounded the fortress in which the Jews had taken shelter. The Muslims could not get victory unless they entered the fortress. There was a moat surrounding the fortress. Hazrat Ali had been unable to accompany the Muslims due to his illness. Three days passed and the Muslims could not find any solution. Even if they got across the moat they would face the famous gates of the fortress. These were made of steel, and it is said that at least twenty men were needed to push open or close each gate.

On the third day, after the morning prayers, the Islamic Prophet Muhammad summoned Ali ibn Abu Talib. Ali immediately responded. He jumped his horse over the moat and with one hand swung open both the gates of the fortress with such force that they broke off their hinges. He carried them and put them across the moat to form a bridge. The Muslims rode into the fortress and conquered Khaybar.

Now let us go back to Karbala. When Hussain ibn Ali got to where Akbar lay he took him in his arms. Akbar had his right hand on the chest. He placed his left arm over the shoulder of his father. Hussain said "Akbar, why do you embrace me with one arm only?" Akbar would not reply. Hussain tried to move Akbar's hand. Akbar resisted. Hussain ibn Ali gently moved the hand. Then he saw it! He saw the blade of the spear. Hussain ibn Ali laid Ali Akbar ibn Hussain on the ground and sitting on his knees he put both his hands on the blade of the spear. He then looked at Najaf, and cried out, "Father, I too have come to my Khaybar!" He pulled out the blade. Angel Gabriel cried out "Marhaba! Marhaba!" Akbar took a deep sigh and then lay still.

Geologic History of the Earth

Geologists are scientists who study the structure of rocks and the history of the Earth. By looking at and examining layers of rocks and the fossils they contain they are able to tell us what the Earth looked like at a certain time in history and what kind of plants and animals lived at that time.
Scientists think that the Earth was probably formed at the same time as the rest of our solar system, about 4.6 billion years ago. The solar system may have be-gun as a cloud of dust, from which the sun and the planets evolved. Small par-ticles crashed into each other to create bigger objects, which then turned into smaller or larger planets. Our Earth is made up of three basic layers. The cen-tre has a core made of iron and nickel. Around it is a thick layer of rock called the mantle and around that is a thin layer of rock called the crust.
Over 4 billion years ago the Earth was totally different from the planet we live on today. There were no plants or animals, only rock, desert, water and ice. The atmosphere probably consisted of carbon dioxide and steam with almost no oxygen to breathe.
The Precambrian Era
The oldest period of the Earth’s history lasted from the beginnings four and a half billion years ago to about 600 million years ago. At first, simple forms of one-celled life developed in the oceans. Later on bacteria and algae evolved. Towards the middle of the Precambrian, about 2 billion years ago, more com-plex organisms, sponge-like creatures and soft-bodied animals lived in the seas. During this time there was no life on land because there was not enough oxygen to breathe.

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