.: Speculations :.

I wonder if the 'feel good' year is starting to become a disastrous year after all.

A few days ago, Malaysia was quite shocked, joyously, when the mainstream medias reported about a 19A1 student in Johor. They even snipped some news about the State's Education Department interest and research about the girl and her successful score.

Nevertheless, my friend told me yesterday that it was just an untrue speculation. For once, I silenced, and I waited till today for the news to come out. Yep, true enough. The girl didn't actually scored a perfect 19A1s. Even then, to me, it is still OK since her scores was 18As. Not bad after all. Taking 19 subjects is not that easy, I must say.

But, the point here is not about the girl, nor the score. It is about how the mainstream media are goin for super-speculating news. Seriously, since the 1 trillion news which makes the people in the corridors of power arrogantly smiled all over the world, such big news have been reported almost everyday. All about the 'feel good' year, while the bad, ugly side of our country is being pushed to the corner so that not many would be able to see them.

From what I know, being honest and true is part of journalism. Of course, there is always an easy-ladder where you can speculate and tell lies in the media, and hoping that it will become 'true lies', but it is never an easy thing. Such cases did happen, such as the manipulation in United States of America which made Bush the President.


Yet, if the speculation turned out to be false :
1) The reporter will surely be dead. This is because such mass media must have the reporter's name together in the article. Also, the reporter is the one, usually, not only write the article, but also does the research. Thus, such speculation for sure is an insult to the media itself.

2) The mass media. When a mass media reported a false event, the reputation will surely decrease. Even if the was a scapegoat to apologise for such trembling issues, in the eyes of the commons, "A lie is a lie". That's it. A justification which not many can change.

3) The subject itself. Honestly, don't you yourself felt insulted, or humiliated, when you knew that the news about you, which was freely distributed among the citizens of Malaysia, turned out to be a false news. If it was me, it won't be easy for me to walk around the corridor of the commons, especially when there are already banners with my face in it.

As a conclusion, speculations, or better still, manipulation of mainstream media must be stopped, at all costs. Even if we are, truly, going to the 'feel good' year, news must be truly selected and scanned, for the sake of honesty.

"O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done." [Al-hujuraat:6]

To Nadiah Amirah Jamil, good luck in your future, and may the Blessings of Allah be with you.

The End

Islamic-Christian Front Defends Al-Quds

IslamOnline.net & News Agencies

Al-Quds is home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site. RAMALLAH — Muslim and Christian leaders in Al-Quds (occupied east Jerusalem) announced Saturday, March 3, the formation of a joint front to defending the city and its holy sites. "It is a non-profitable organization; open for all people and bodies interested in protecting Al-Quds, whether inside or outside Palestine," activist Hassan Khater, author of the Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa Encyclopedia, said in a statement. Khater said the front aims to defend Al-Quds city and its Muslim and Christian sanctities against Israeli aggressions. Palestine’s Chief Judge Tayssir Al-Tamimi said the new front would serve as a melting pot for Al-Quds loving people. "This front seeks to coordinate stances of the local and foreign bodies concerned with Al-Quds to stand up to the judaization of the holy city," Al-Tamimi told reporters at a joint press conference with Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church Attallah Hanna. Al-Tamimi said the nascent front came at a critical time as Israel continues its excavations close to Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli bulldozers started on February 6 demolishing the wooden bridge leading to Al-Maghariba Gate, sparking widespread protests in the Palestinian lands and Muslim countries. Israel denies the work poses any risk to the holy site. But Palestinians and Muslims say that the digging is part of an Israeli scheme to shaken the foundation of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The excavations unearthed works of Islamic architecture including floors and walls dating back to the Mamluk era, including two prayer rooms lying under Al-Maghariba Gate, one of 14 gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the Muslims’ first Qiblah [direction Muslims take during prayers] and it is the third holiest shrine after Al Ka'bah in Makkah and Prophet Muhammad's Mosque in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Its significance has been reinforced by the incident of Al Isra'a and Al Mi'raj -- the night journey from Makkah to Al-Quds and the ascent to the Heavens by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Unity Father Hanna said the new front reflects the Islamic-Christian unity in defending Muslim and Christian sanctities in Al-Quds. "From now on, peoples across the world will hear Arabs, Palestinians, Muslims and Christians speak in one voice," Hanna said. "We will expose the Israeli violations in Al-Quds," he vowed. Hana urged all Muslims and Christians to support the front. "Al-Quds needs you," he said. Al-Quds is home of some of the holiest Christian worship places including ancient Jerusalem Church and Greek Orthodox Church. Christian community in Jerusalem supports East Jerusalem being a capital to the long-hoped Palestinian state. The UN culture agency UNESCO has designated the old city of Al-Quds as a world heritage site. In 1982, UNESCO added the holy city to the List of World Heritage in Danger. Israel captured and occupied Al-Quds in the six-day 1967 war, then declared its annexation in a move not recognized by the world community or UN resolutions. British daily the Guardian had unveiled a confidential UK memo accusing Israel of rushing to "judaize" Al-Quds to prevent the city from becoming the capital of a future Palestinian state. Comatose Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon revealed plans last year to link Al-Quds with the large Ma'ale Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank by building thousands of new homes. Backed by court orders and wealthy donors, ultra-nationalist Jewish groups continue to evict indigenous Palestinians from their homes in Al-Quds in forced transfers of property to Jewish settlers.

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Somehow I remembered about one of the big signs of Qiamat, or The End of Days, which is when Islam and Christian unite to defeat a party until they live in the hills. Perhaps this is it?

S for Study (Part I)

Might be that I am a little late for this, but then again, not too late for this. Somewhere last month, ESU held a talk in my campus. Well, I am not a Petronas scholar, so at first I didn't really cared about the ESU talk.

But soon after, someone forwarded a YM mass-message (by the way, in case any of you didn't know, YM means for Yahoo! Messenger). I opened it, and it was the pictures above I saw, which makes me rethink again about posting this issue.

Definitely this issue has been the 'issue of the issues', or in other words, an issue that was never resolved. I understand that sometimes it is just hard to cope with the studies. But then again, I still see people getting GPA below 2.5 for two or three consecutive semesters, and yet still have the time, or should I say, spend most of their times in other non-academic things.

Especially entertainment-based activities. I understand, if, they were subject to entertain themselves before they start study. Sometimes I do stuffs like that too. But to do it most of the times, and yet keeping the lecture notes and book aside, is of course something not right.

For me, to score is a probability, but to study is a reality, a must for all students. How do you expect people to let go of their studies, especially people who are scholar-bounded people? Let me remind you again, scholar-bounded people.

Scholar-bounded people are people that are trusted to study, local or overseas, and serve the scholar provider, if not nation, and the community. Thus, if someone was to get a GPA below 2.5 every semester, what is the point in that? Serving the community while you are not even interested in study? That is a NO for that.

One more thing that also need to be highlighted, the reality. Every year we keep hearing about jobless graduates. Well, at this time it is not a major concern for the university, but what will happen in these 2, 3 years, if more and more people are receiving the 'letter' from the university ?