Ravi S. Iyer: Worldly

This post is about a greatly tragic event in the Abbasid caliphate leading to its virtual end. I feel it is important to share info. about it, to improve understanding of history of Asia. But this post should not be viewed as anti-Islam. I would like to state that I believe in Shirdi Sai Baba's teaching of "Sabka Maalik Ek" (The master of all is ONE). In other words, I believe in ONE GOD with various religions including Islam being various paths/ways to worship and merge in that ONE GOD. Specifically, I am not against Islam, and am actually supportive of it, so long as it does not interfere in the right of others (like me, a Hindu) to practise their faiths which are different from Islam (e.g. Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Judaism), and also does not interfere in the right of some to not have faith (atheists/agnostics). Shirdi Sai Baba used to say "Allah Maalik" (Allah/God is the master) very often; I revere the same Shirdi Sai Baba, htt

The Hindu of 13th Oct. 2019 carried an interview of US Senator Ted Cruz when he was in Delhi recently. I had not come across info. that Senator Cruz was visiting Delhi or else I would have put up a Facebook post welcoming him to India (though he or his office would surely not have read it even if I had put it up). As he was a candidate for nominee for Republican Party for US president in 2016 campaign, and I followed that campaign, as an informal student of US politics, in quite some detail over the Internet, I have seen a lot of videos of Senator Cruz while on that campaign (and also a few videos later in his role as Senator). Senator Cruz also participated in the PM Modi Indian-American event in Houston, Texas, USA recently, along with President Trump and many other US political leaders. I think that was a very good gesture from US top political leaders towards India. Senator Cruz serves on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Here's The Hindu interview: https://www.

[Given below are contents of recent Facebook posts of mine.] Horrendous! This seems to be out of an Agatha Christie murder novel but happened in Kerala between 2002 and 2016! Using cyanide, Kerala woman murdered six members of family over 14 years, say police, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kerala/using-cyanide-kerala-woman-murdered-six-members-of-family-over-14-years-say-police-6055693/ . "The woman, Jolly Joseph, who belongs to Koodathai village in Kozhikode district of North Kerala, has confessed to all six murders, Kozhikode Rural superintendent of police K G Simon told reporters." As per the report, she got rid of family members of hers and of a person whom she wanted to marry, who were in her way. She poisoned her husband who died in 2011, and married another man in 2017 after poisoning the man's wife and child to their deaths. The man she married has not been arrested by the police and so may not have known about it. The report states that she g

As I very much appreciate the graciousness showed by Chinese President Xi Jinping (who is the General Secretary i.e. leader, of the Communist Party of China) towards sculpture and cultural events with religious themes during his recent visit to India, I decided to invest some time in viewing up some videos about his work in China. [Readers may want to see my recent post: President Xi Jinping of communist China very graciously appreciates at least artistic aspects of sculpture & cultural events with religious themes on his India visit, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2019/10/president-xi-jinping-of-communist-china.html .] Before I get into these videos, I need to first say that the Chinese people and the Communist Party of China (CPC) have to be congratulated on the extraordinary success they have achieved over the past few decades in lifting hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens out of poverty into the middle class or even rich class. An extract from https://en.wikipedia

Last updated on 13th Oct. 2019 I saw some or most parts of the two videos below: PM Modi and Chinese President Jinping visit world heritage sites in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PiqYPLxYEQ , 1 hr 4 mins, streamed live by Narendra Modi on 11th Oct. 2019 PM Modi and President Xi Jinping (attend) cultural event at Shore Temple in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s50IuXQhRNs , around 1 hr 3 mins, published by PMO India on 11th Oct. 2019 I was very happy to see President Xi Jinping of China graciously accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the latter was showing him around the world heritage sites in Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), Tamil Nadu, most, if not all, of which are associated with Indian religion(s) (Hinduism mainly, if not only Hinduism). BTW I would have been similarly happy if it was other Indian religions instead of Hinduism. President Xi Jinping also was very gracious when he watched the cultural event with re

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives at Chennai aiport for his informal summit with Indian Prime Minister Modi at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu (Xi Jinping is seen getting down from the aircraft at around 5 mins into the video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_KSgjZsNP0 . Xi Jinping was received by the governor of Tamil Nadu and the chief minister and deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu along with other dignitaries. Cultural teams of drummers, other musicians and dancers also welcomed him. Tamil Nadu and China have an ancient relationship.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_of_the_Tamils_with_the_Chinese states, "The relationship between the Chinese and the Tamils is 3000 years old. Trade and Cultural exchanges flourished during the reign of the Pallavas." China and India are global powers now who were ancient powers for many centuries if not millennia, and who have re-emerged after domination by Western powers for few centuries. I think China and India hav

Indian Slums vs American Slums | A Shocking Difference | A Millionaire Beggar | Karolina Goswami, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QXrItQjjyE , 7 min. 33 secs., published on 8th Oct. 2019 I shared this video as I think at least parts of it are true as of 2019. But some parts of it may be somewhat inaccurate. BTW the millionaire beggar thing is an exception and the video has only a little coverage of it. Most of the video covers issues of the poor in India (in particular, Dharavi slum in Mumbai) and in USA (in particular, the poor & homeless areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco). Living conditions for the poor in India can be terrible. I have been to slums in Mumbai and in Dombivli. I have been to Dharavi (Mumbai) slum as well. These were as part of social service volunteer work in 80s (as a National Service Scheme college student in Mumbai. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Service_Scheme ) and 90s (as Sathya Sai samithi Seva Dal for a monthly medical camp in Dombivli

SC stays tree-felling at Aarey till October 21, but 98% (that Metro project wanted to cut) already cut, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sc-stays-tree-felling-at-aarey-till-october-21-but-98-already-cut/articleshow/71485076.cms , 8th Oct. 2019 Quite regularly in the 90s while I was living in Dombivli (after 93/94 if I recall correctly), and sometimes in the late 80s as well, I used to, while travelling by Auto, often take the shortcut via Aarey forest, connecting my workplace area SEEPZ in Andheri (E) (Mumbai) to Powai thereby avoiding the need to go through the crowded road from Chakala junction in Andheri (East) to Saki Naka and then from Saki Naka to Powai (and back). If I recall correctly, this was prior to a new municipal corporation (toll-free) road being constructed that connected Western Express Highway to Powai and which ran just behind SEEPZ, which achieved the same shortcut goals. Note that I would travel by local train from Dombivli to Kanjur Marg (and back).

Warning: The wiki page extracts of Genghis Khan share some horrific brutality of Genghis Khan and his armies against those who resisted conquest. Readers who prefer not to read such matters may please skip reading the rest of this post. Perhaps I should clear one misconception that may be there in some readers. Genghis Khan was not a follower of Islam. The name Khan is a Central Asian origin title meaning ruler or military leader and is unrelated to Islam, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_(title) . However, many Muslim rulers and leaders later on adopted the name/title Khan. Genghis Khan prayed to God Tengri (Sky God), a deity of Central Asian religion called Tengrism, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengrism . Some of his descendants who ruled over parts of his empire, converted to Islam, I think, well after Genghis Khan passed away in 1227. But Genghis Khan was supportive of religious tolerance and so allowed other religions like Buddhism, Taoism & other Chinese religions, I

When author of post or comment is not mentioned, it should be assumed that it is me (Ravi S. Iyer). To save time, I am usually not providing my FB post links but only contents. I am also not hyperlinking links. So readers will have to copy-paste links from this post onto a browser link box and then browse to that link. Ek din bik jayega... Maati ke mol... https://www.facebook.com/TimelessIndianMelodies/videos/387027225301843/ The on-screen version: Ek Din Bik Jaayega Mati Ke Mol | Dharam Karam (1975) Songs | Raj Kapoor | Evergreen Mukesh Song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGYjHQbV1KE, around 5 mins. ---- I don't know what is the truth. But hats off to USA media and lot of members of USA Congress for the pressure they have maintained for the truth to be revealed about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman denies involvement, but says he takes "full responsibility" for the "heinous crime." "60 Minutes"