The Last Mughal

William Darymple the author of The Last Mughal: the fall of a dynasty(Delhi 1857) wrote in New Statesman that the westerners, especially the Christian extremists, in 19th century India radicalised the moderate Muslim into extremism. He said the venom of one provide the lifebloods of other. He argued that those who fail to learn from history are destined to forever repeat it.

It was, according to him, the same type of madrasah in India (Pakistan was part of India then) that produce Alqaeda and Taliban of today. The rise of wahabbism during that period in India was the result of British aggressive policy of regime change, removing the moderate Muslim Mughal emperor on the excuse that they were morally weak.

Today the evangelical Christians politician regards Muslim as an "incarnate fiends" or evils that needs to be crushed. It is history repeated itself by radicalising moderate Muslims to become extremists believing that an offence, like suicide bombing, is a form of defence against the aggressive Christians.

Dick Cheney's hunting accident

Can't help laughing out at jokes by US comedians and satirist about Cheney's quail hunting accident in which he fired shotgun pellets at a lawyer friend Harry Whittington.

David Letterman:

Good news, ladies and gentlemen, we have finally located weapon's of mass destruction: it's Dick Cheney.

Jay Leno:

When people heard he shot a lawyer, his popularity is now 92%.

And here is something I just found out today about the incident. You didn't know this. Turns out Cheney tortured the guy for half an hour before he shot him.

Andy Borowitz:

Mr Cheney acknowledge that the man he sprayed the pellets on Sat was not Ayman al-Zawihiri but rather Harry Whittington...........blaming the mixup on faulty intelligence.