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REINVENTING SOCIETY IN THE WAKE OF BIG DATA

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Few weeks ago an article described how the cellular phones work as tracking devices and can tell a lot about the cellular phone user’s behaviour. The article below in “Edge” describes how the Big Data is changing the society.

“[SANDY PENTLAND:] Recently I seem to have become MIT’s Big Data guy, with people like Tim O’Reilly and “Forbes” calling me one of the seven most powerful data scientists in the world. I’m not sure what all of that means, but I have a distinctive view about Big Data, so maybe it is something that people want to hear.

I believe that the power of Big Data is that it is information about people’s behavior instead of information about their beliefs. It’s about the behavior of customers, employees, and prospects for your new business. It’s not about the things you post on Facebook, and it’s not about your searches on Google, which is what most people think about, and it’s not data from internal company processes and RFIDs. This sort of Big Data comes from things like location data off of your cell phone or credit card, it’s the little data breadcrumbs that you leave behind you as you move around in the world.

What those breadcrumbs tell is the story of your life. It tells what you’ve chosen to do. That’s very different than what you put on Facebook. What you put on Facebook is what you would like to tell people, edited according to the standards of the day. Who you actually are is determined by where you spend time, and which things you buy. Big data is increasingly about real behavior, and by analyzing this sort of data, scientists can tell an enormous amount about you. They can tell whether you are the sort of person who will pay back loans. They can tell you if you’re likely to get diabetes.”

To read the complete article click on the link below;

http://edge.org/conversation/reinventing-society-in-the-wake-of-big-data

 

Question Of The Day- What is the solution to Pakistan’s Problems?

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We,Pakistanis living in USA are witnessing the situation in Pakistan with more concerns than the people facing these realities on ground everyday.We as a community feel bad and ashamed for all wrong doing in all spectrum of society.We hear all the times various issues problems and crisis in the country but no solution. I would like to hear from the intelligentsia of our community here,

“How they feel about it and what would they suggest to resolve the crisis enabling to establish a stable and normal society”

Looking forward,

Tahir Mahmood

 

 

Why We Become Terrorists… And How We Can Be Stopped By Saif Shahin

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This article was forwarded by Nasik Elahi. It is a thought-provoking article and commentary on why the efforts to stop terrorism are failing both by the concerned Muslims as well as by the West. The author argues that fear mongering always wins-both by those in West who are creating Isalmphobia and by those who claim that Islam is in danger and propagate Jihad to save Islam and Muslim populace. The author writes about Muslim populace;

“Thus, a global enterprise works to create an Islamic populace, whose members think of themselves as “Muslims” and nothing else, who revel in their supposed victimhood and live perpetually in fear of physical and cultural survival. We look at the rest of the world as an enemy we are at war with, an enemy we must fight and kill―even if it means dying in the process. “Martyrdom”, in fact, is hailed as the highest virtue we can aim for.

Depending on individual factors, Muslims the world over are persuaded by this message to varying degrees. Most of us buy the idea of victimhood; we live in fear, talk to friends, family and children about it (thus spreading the message further), but basically get on with our lives. A few are persuaded enough to join the “war” ourselves.”

Some in the West use the same tool to scare their populace. The author write;

(To be sure, there is a similar Us-Versus-Them communication being propagated in the West by credible “experts” such as social theorists Bernard Lewis and Samuel Huntington, and popular commentators such as Glenn Beck and Daniel Pipes. It is remarkable how much the two opposing sides in this war―Islamists and Islamophobes―agree with each other, and how well they work in tandem, helping each other out by validating each other’s “fear-arousing appeals”.)

 

The author argues that same time tested method “fear”, as described by Hovland in his 1953 book “Communication and Persuasion” should be used to be successful against terrorism. The Author writes;

“A crucial reason why communicators of peace find it difficult to have greater impact is that the content of their communication is not “fear-mongering”, identified by Hovland as being the most persuasive. This problem can be overcome if they present terrorism not simply as a misinterpretation of Islam but as a mortal danger to Islam. Much is written on how Islamophobia encourages terrorism―the opposite is also true. We need to say more on how terrorism creates the very conditions that Muslims fear, and how this fabricated atmosphere is, in fact, driving a number of Muslims away from Islam. Another way our communicators can challenge the credibility of Ladens and Naiks is by questioning the obligation for we, the audience, to see ourselves as Muslims first and Muslims last. Of course we are Muslims, but each of us has a lot of other identities at the same time―sexual, racial, regional, national, linguistic, professional, and so on. Why can’t I see myself more as a journalist, more as an Indian or more as a cricket enthusiast, and less as a Muslim?”

To read the complete article click on the Link below:

http://newageislam.com/islam,terrorism-and-jihad/by-saif-shahin,-new-age-islam/why-we-become-terrorists…-and-how-we-can-be-stopped/d/8284

Allama Iqbal And Concept Of Pakistan by Fayyaz Sheikh

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I am not a fan of poetry; I never studied Iqbal thoroughly except whatever I learned during my school years in Pakistan. Recent discussion on allegations against Iqbal of conversion from Qadiyani to Sunni Muslim for personal gain, which I believe are malicious and false, gave me a chance to read more about Iqbal. During this discussion it was repeatedly said by some participants that there is no proof that Iqbal played a role in the concept or creation of Pakistan.

See below two samples of e-mails

Excerpt of e-mail by Mian Aslam  to Salik Sahib.

He (Iqbal) did not conceive Pakistan. In fact he clarified his position to Colonial Masters through personal letters that he did not mean to promote the idea of a separate country for British Indian Muslim subjects.

Excerpt of e-mail by  Wequar Azeem  to Salik Sahib.

“Mian Aslam Saheb is right though about Iqbal’s contribution towards making of Pakistan. He has been glorified for conception of Pakistan without the backing of, in fact contrary to, historical facts.”

During my recent study of Iqbal, I came across historic facts which prove that Iqbal conceived the idea of a separate Muslim State and played a role in supporting the efforts of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Iqbal was the President of Punjab Muslim League when he delivered the famous Presidential address in Allaabad on December 29, 1930 at the 25th Session of All India Muslim League. In this address he specifically addressed the concept of a separate state for Muslims and mentioned the possible future boundaries of Pakistan. He declared in this address;

“I would like to see the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sind and Baluchistan amalgamated into a single State. Self-government within the British Empire, or without the British Empire, the formation of a consolidated North-West Indian Muslim State appears to me to be the final destiny of the Muslims, at least of North-West India.”

The full text of the speech can be read at Columbia University Website  URL link http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/txt_iqbal_1930.html

The similar excerpts from speech can be found in book ‘Gabriel’s Wing by Schimmel Ann Marie, published 1962, pages 33, 34. Link;

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=goE3AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA153&dq=Muhammad+Iqbal+illness#v=onepage&q=Muhammad%20Iqbal%20illness&f=false

The author of this book also writes( page 34) that Iqbal did not judge from a hasty time bound point of view, is clear from a letter written in 1909 to a friend ;

“I have myself been of the view that religious differences disappear from the country, and even now act on this principle in my private life. But now I think that the preservation of their separate national entities is desirable for both the Hindus and Muslims. The vision of a common nationhood for India is a beautiful ideal, and has a poetic appeal, but looking to the present conditions and the unconscious trends of the communities appear incapable of fulfillment”

The above letter was written to a friend Munshi Ghulam Qadir Farrah. The reference to this letter can also be found on Columbia University Website.

The author of the book further writes on page 34; “Iqbal willingly lent Mr. Jinnah his help in consolidating Muslim Party. On March 23, 1940-two years after Iqbal’s death-the creation of independent state of Pakistan was accepted officially as the goal of Muslim League.

In my view, above convincingly proves that Iqbal conceived the idea of a separate Muslim State and was also politically active to support Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Claims that no such record exists does not hold up. If some contrary record exists, please bring forward. Please keep in mind that such record should be according to generally accepted verifiable standards.

Fayyaz A. Sheikh