World After The Fall Of Berlin Wall

(Courtesy : Dawn)

BERLIN: The United States should cede some of its powers to international organisations to create a ‘world order’, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday in an unusually sharp criticism of Washington before she led world leaders through the Brandenburg Gate — the climax of ceremonies marking 20 years since the Berlin Wall came crashing down in 1989.

‘We Europeans are used to this…. We have voluntarily given up many of our powers to Brussels and to the European Union,’ said the German chancellor.

‘But our American partners find it much more difficult to hand over powers to the International Monetary Fund or to any other international organisation,’ she said.Within the EU, Germany has become used to accepting the will of the majority, even if it does not agree, but this has not yet lodged itself in the American psyche, she added.‘What we need today is a much more multi-polar vision than that to which we have become accustomed,’ the chancellor said.’ This world will only be a peaceful and good world if we have more of a world order and more multilateral cooperation,’ she said.

On a recent trip to Washington, Angela Merkel received one of her greatest honours and biggest embarrassments in the space of a few hours.

She was the first German leader to address a joint session of Congress but, soon afterwards, she learned of an abrupt about-turn by car maker General Motors which was supposed to sell Germany’s Opel to her preferred bidder but decided to keep it instead.
Washington said the White House had played no part in the decision, but the German press described it as a bitter slap in the face for the chancellor.

Fall remembered

Ms Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany, marched through the historic Brandenburg Gate with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and representatives from across the European Union.

The leaders joined more than 100,000 revellers who thronged the monument despite a steady cold drizzle.

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and ex-Polish president Lech Walesa also appeared at the landmark, which now stands as the symbol of German unity.

‘It is not only a day of celebration for Germans,’ Ms Merkel said of the anniversary. ‘It is a day of celebration for the whole of Europe.’
In a surprise video address beamed into the ceremonies, US President Barack Obama said he still took inspiration from the courage of East Germans who stood up against their oppressive regime.

‘Few would have foreseen … that a united Germany would be led by a woman from (the east German state) Brandenburg or that their American ally would be led by a man of African descent,’ he said.‘But human destiny is what human beings make of it.’

But Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sounded a sour note, saying the end of the Cold War did not justify any nation’s global dominance, in a clear swipe at the United States.‘The transition to a new multipolar world is today very important for most countries, for all the countries in Europe and the world,’ he said.

Medvedev said Russia had often felt on the back foot since the Wall fell, despite assurances at the time that NATO would not expand eastward, as it since has.

‘We were hoping the disappearance of the Warsaw Pact would be accompanied by a different degree of Russia’s integration into common European space,’ he added.‘What have we received as a result? Nato is still a bloc whose rockets are targeting the Russian territory.’

British prime Minister Gordon Brown called the unity of Berlin, Germany and Europe ‘majestic’ achievements.

The Wall ‘was swept away by the greatest force of all — the unbreakable spirit of men and women who dared to dream in the darkness,’ he said.

French President Nikolas Sarkozy said the global community still needed to live up to the promise of that euphoric night.

‘The fall of the Berlin Wall is an appeal, an appeal to all to vanquish oppression, to knock down the walls that throughout the world still divide towns, territories, peoples,’ he said.

Crowds surged to hear Berlin’s renowned State Opera orchestra play strains of Beethoven and Wagner and cheered the symbolic toppling of 1,000 giant styrofoam dominoes along two kilometres of the Wall’s former course, where border guards once had shoot-to-kill orders.

At least 136 people who tried to cross it were killed during the 28 years it stood. The Wall was raised in Aug 1961by the erstwhile East German government in an attempt to stop immigration to the West.

Following weeks of protests against the regime, East German authorities suddenly allowed people to travel to the West on the now epochal night of Nov 9, 1989.

After almost three decades as prisoners in their own country, stunned East Germans streamed to checkpoints and rushed past bewildered guards, many falling tearfully into the arms of West Germans on the other side.

Easterner Christel Schneider, now a 62-year-old bank employee, said the mood that night was electrifying.

‘I crossed the border into the West — it was madness,’ she said, still breathless from the memories. ‘There were so many people that we were driving at a snail’s pace.’

Eleven months later, in Oct 1990, East and West Germany unified.—Agencies

Iqbal : Everyone has his Own

By Aliarqam

Today when we are facing a devide at almost every aspect on almost everything from religious interpretations to political ideas, from personalities to  their concepts and thoughts, from hisrory to its interpretations and from educational policy to foriegn policy and from national issues to the Wars at our doorsteps.This devide is most of the times having extremes on every sides.

In our society  Qur’anic Ayaats, Ahadiths of the Prophet(saaw) and Iqbal verses are used as conclusive remarks most of the time crushing difference of opinion in every debates. When News Channels were condemning Jehadis and terrorists they were using Qura’nic Ayaats of  La Tufsidoo dil Arz  and a few days earlier At Talaat Husain Show Dr. Safdar(PML-N) was using Hadith in favour of his opinion and on objection from the host he said, “Musalman Ki tou siasat shuru hi Masjid se hoti hai”(politics of muslims start from the mosque) and in the same way  when the Nation was preached that Foriegn aid is a curse for them, famous Iqbal Verse are used “A Tair Lahotee Us Rizq Se Maut Achee Jis Rizq se Aati Ho Parvaz mey Kotahi”

Unfortunately as in Pakistan everyone has the right to quote and interpret Qura’n O Ahadiths for their own means and under their own slogan, in the same way whether its an honour or not but Iqbal Verse has the same status.

Interstingly Qazi Husain in every speech of him and every article appearing at the Newspapers has Verses of Iqbal Urdu and Persian quoted and interpreted and last week Hillary Clinton also praised Iqbal and visited his Tomb.

When we We as a nation has made everything disputed.In the same way personalities though respected but everyone has his own Context.

 

OIC : 40th Anniversary

10:0522/09/2009

Sergei Demidenko, an expert on Arab affairs at the Institute of Strategic Assessments and Analysis

(Courtesy ; Ria Novosti)

Question: What could you say about the work of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) 40 years after its inception?

Answer: I cannot say that the work done by OIC has been effective. Unfortunately, the Organization comprises countries with various political, cultural and economic interests. In effect, the OIC is a kind of discussion club, which does not adopt any decisions but creates a necessary platform and facilitates long-term decisions. On the whole, the OIC is more of a discussion club.

Q.: What, in your opinion, has the OIC accomplished in the past 40 years?

A.: The OIC is probably one of the few discussion platforms in the world that enables Islamic countries to discuss various important regional and civilizational issues now of concern to the Arab world and the Islamic world. We should keep in mind that the OIC is one of the few organizations dominated by former Third World countries. This is very important because it is probably the only platform where they can discuss their problems without the great powers, the United States, the European Union and their pressure, and tackle various issues together.

Q.: Do you think these countries and the world as a whole would not fare better without the OIC?

A.: It is not completely correct to pose the question this way. I believe this organization should be viewed in the long-term context. The OIC can play a constructive role in the future. But, in my opinion, this will happen after most Islamic countries achieve success, primarily in the economic and political spheres. Consequently, such countries will gain a voice among industrial states. Quite possibly, the OIC will then be able to draft more or less important decisions.

At present, the OIC is just a conglomerate of states that are multidirectional in all respects.

Q.: What could you say about specific contacts and cooperation between the OIC and Russia?

A.: Russia has observer status with the OIC and must retain its presence in this organization. Whether we like it or not, Russia is also part of the Islamic world because many of its citizens preach Islam. Russia must keep its eyes open and follow various political and economic trends in the Islamic world because this directly affects us.

Q.: What should the OIC do in order to increase its influence in the solution of regional and global problems?

A.: OIC leaders are unable to change anything in this respect. An evolutionary process is a top priority. The organization will change, depending on changes in the Islamic world’s socio-political situation. Its role will also change as a result.