OutSyed The Box |
- Bill Nye : Do Not Mix Religion And Education
- Slinky Sam Buses
- Education Issues 2 : Universities As High Income Generators
- Taliban Beheads 17 For Attending Party
- Abdal Hakim Murad On Sahih al-Bukhari
| Bill Nye : Do Not Mix Religion And Education Posted: 28 Aug 2012 01:06 AM PDT Hi folks. This is a You Tube of the famous "Bill Nye the Science Guy". In the 1990s my young sons would hardly miss an episode of "Bill Nye The Science Guy" on TV. Here he is again speaking up in favour of Science. Do listen to the video, it is very short. This is an Islamic video. Bill Nye is worried about the influence of the religious folks on children in the United States. There are still quite a few of them in the US. The difference (or rather the similarity) is that in the US the religious people are Bible thumpers. There is a 'christian' theme park in the US which shows human beings coexisting with the dinosaurs. This is scientifically impossible because dinosaurs lived tens of millions of years before humans. The human being, homo sapiens, has a history of less than 500,000 years (approx.) Bible thumpers say that is a huge error because (according to their Bible) the earth was created 6,666 years before the current date. So the dinosaurs could not be more than 6,666 years old too. Of course this is another 'tanpa menggunakan akal' situation. If we use logic and thinking we cannot accept such beliefs. But if we indulge in 'tanpa menggunakan akal' then we too can accept that dinosaurs were created not more than 6,666 years ago. Fruitcakes were invented shortly after that. But Bill Nye is not going into so much detail about religion. He is not arguing about any specific religious beliefs, including creation versus evolution. Bill Nye is simply saying let the kids go through the education system first. Let them learn the physics, the biology and the chemistry and complete their education without being confused by religion. Once they have grown up then they can go and seek their religious knowledge - (on their own time and on their own money - these are my words). Bill Nye also makes a prediction - he says in about 200 years religion will die a complete death. I think this will happen much earlier. The question is how painful will the process be? Looking at Malaysia for example our Government schools are becoming like PAS religious madrassahs. (Yo doh, it is PAS that is benefiting the most from the "Islamic-cessation" of school learning ok). Ours could be a more difficult and painful process. Government school now starts with a baca doa, kids are thought to enter the toilet with their left leg and exit with their right legs. The guru agama can overrule even the headmaster in decision making in the school. Girls cannot play volleyball, they cannot run, school concerts cannot do this, cannot do that and all sorts of religious crap. Sejarah studies are filled with incredible stories about "Islamic history" - which no one can verify whether they really happened in the manner written in the sejarah books. There are only 'pros' taught to the kids with no contrarian views or criticism allowed. (Because it is religious lah). And much of the information is not relevant to anyone. Much of the information only seeks to highlight differences between the Muslims and the non Muslims. Or they are designed to make the Muslims feel good that a long, long time ago my great heroes threw dirt in the face of your heroes. Its not history, its just a macho thing. Since we are a Constitutional Monarchy, I believe it will be more relevant for us to study the history of Oliver Cromwell, with all the pros and cons - he chopped off the King's head in merry old England - and expedited the idea of 'Constitutional Monarchy'. It will also be useful to study in precise detail the nation building and reformation under Meiji Japan, with all the pros and cons. And maybe the near miraculous rebirth of industrial Germany under Adolf Hitler - also with all the pros and cons. Then history will be more relevant to us in the modern age. When we were living in the 1960s and 1970s (where api, air tak ada, where emak bapa kita pun tak tahu baca atau menulis, where people still mandi berkemban di tepi sungai) the rest of the world was also not too far advanced. Even the British banks still used huge Ledger Books to record every deposit and withdrawal. There were no computers then. At that time, if you believed that dinosaurs were created just 6,666 years ago you were not much different from your neighbours who believed that once a year, after a full moon, trees would magically bend down on one particular night. Those were all illogical "tanpa menggunakan akal" beliefs. You can only accept such things when you do not use your akal. What saved us at that time (1960s, 1970s) was that we did NOT teach too much of these illogical beliefs in the Government schools. During my time there was very little agama taught in school. Before my time, there was almost none. We learnt agama at home on our own time from our parents and from the 'kelas mengaji Quran' as well as from the Masjid. School was devoted to learning useful subjects. My fondest recollection was learning at ACS Ipoh (up to Form 1) and Form 4 & 5 Science at the Melaka High School. At the Melaka High School in 1976/77 Science was taught with military precision. We first had the theory taught in class. Then we would march to the lab and perform Science experiments about what we had learnt in theory. The lab experiments gave us visual confirmation of the theory from the chemistry, biology and physics. It was just so interesting. Those of us who were more inclined would go to the library and read up more about what we were learning. We were not confused about masuk tandas angkat kaki kiri, dinosaurs were created 6,666 years ago and stuff like that. That is why in Malaysia today the generation of the 60s and the 70s are still balanced and more reasonable. Those who went to school in the 80s and 90s onwards have become something else - especially the Muslims. They have become Taliban. The younger generation is becoming even more Taliban. The big difference between the 1960s/1970s and the present time is that the world has changed at light speed. The Internet, Twitter, satellite TV, You Tube, TED Talks, globalisation are here inside our bedrooms. We are really living in a super modern age. And people of all shades, colours, cultures meet everyday, mix around, do business together, work and play together. In Perth, Australia, Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong and even Kuala Lumpur the mix of human beings is fantastic. Now is the time to teach universal, inclusive values to our kids which will help them mix easily and freely with their fellow human beings of different cultures and races. Not uncommon, ridiculous, backward, dunggu, false, exclusive and even satanic values that make our kids feel like strange aliens among other human beings. We are not equipping our kids to survive in the 21st century. Let the kids go through the education system first. Let them learn the physics, the biology and the chemistry and complete their education without being confused by religion. Once they have grown up then they can go and seek their religious knowledge - on their own time and on their own money. Yet, sadly what we see is that in the 21st century, some people are just getting to warp speed about angkat kaki kiri, kismis ajaib, air jampi, hantu, polong, who-doed, no who-doed, agama this and agama that. Bila duit minyak habis nanti, nak gembala unta pun dah tak boleh dah. Lagi ramai dunggu dari unta.   |
| Posted: 28 Aug 2012 01:03 AM PDT  The city of Dresden, Germany will soon be getting a monstrous addition to its public transportationsystem that can only be described as a train on wheels. Designed by Fraunhofer IVI and the Technical University Dresden, the three-section Autotram Extra Grand bus is 98 feet long and can carry 256 passengers, but doesn't require any special training for its driver. Said to be as easily maneuverable as a commonly sized bus, the Autotram Extra Grand makes use of a computer system to aid its driver with turning. The system's primary purpose is to ensure that the rear section of the bus precisely follows the front and middle sections at all times. In addition to the sophisticated guidance system, the bus incorporates green technology in the form of a hybrid gas and electric engine that can travel five miles operating purely on battery power. The Autoram Extra Grand will hit the streets of Dresden in October after completing safety testing outside of the city. Its makers say that they've already received inquiries from other cities around the world about getting their own versions of the bus, since it costs much less to put into operation and maintain than commuter rail systems, yet still carries a massive amount of passengers. Can we get some of these to ply the Federal Highway say between KL and Shah Alam? Plus other main arteries around the city? Cities like Chicago had these buses since the 1970s. They were called "Slinky Sams". Other places called them 'slinky buses' or 'articulated buses'. They can take 150 to 250 passengers at one go and are wonderful tools to clear large numbers of people from the city centres during rush hours.      |
| Education Issues 2 : Universities As High Income Generators Posted: 27 Aug 2012 09:00 PM PDT The graphic here shows what is called a Space Elevator. This idea was first mooted in 1895 by a Russian scientist. Scientists say that this Space Elevator is now possible using present day technology. This is just an introduction. Just two things to note - that straight line in the picture represents a "tether" or cable that goes straight up from the Earth's surface into outer space. That "tether" is about 35,000 km long !! Secondly they need to put this 'Space Elevator' somewhere near the Equator - to secure what is known as a "geo-stationary" orbit. That is where Malaysia can play a role - we are closer to the Equator than Sri Lanka, a suggested site for a Space Elevator. Perhaps we can discuss this some other time.  I would like to talk about our universities. So far I have been invited to attend two Round Table discussions on Education. I thank the Government for inviting me. I appreciate the Government inviting me to these Round Tables because I am usually a little loud at these meetings - I say what I want to say. I make no apologies but I believe I speak for everyone, especially the common man, tak kira bangsa, agama, bahasa and etc. Education is so important. I would like to share some of these discussion points. I must tell you that so far there is almost unanimous agreement that English should be made the medium of instruction at least for Mathematics and Science subjects. Some others and myself have even suggested that we just revert to the English based education system that we had up to the 1970s. (There was nothing wrong with it, why go and change something that was not broken?) Hopefully all these ideas are really absorbed by the Government and not just a ruse to make people like me feel 'syok sendiri'. I have also repeated more than once that we should take religion out from the schools. Religion and religious education should be left to parents on their own time and their own money. Religion is causing serious damage to our young kids and it is also causing serious polarisation in our Government school system. Anyway here is something else I suggested at one of these Round Tables - but very briefly only because I did not want to monopolise the discussion. We have to gear up our universities and colleges to produce engineers, scientists, technologists and graduates who are market oriented and who have market skills from the day they graduate. One of these methods is by organising 'technology based' competitions on a periodic basis. Plenty of funds are made available to public universities to conduct research. But we do not see or know how much of the money was spent, how the money was spent or what marketable products were produced. (One day I will share some scary stories in this area as well). If the product of some scientific research or technology becomes marketable it means two very, very big things. First the science or the technology (which are two very different things) have connected with the marketplace. A useful product has been made. Secondly (and more importantly) the students, the professors, the lecturers and the university too - all those who were involved in the project - would have learnt about competing and surviving in the marketplace. This exposure and understanding of market forces is very important especially for our country, where the very confused "Proton School of Management" which insists that "paying higher prices for cheaper products" is actually a good thing - is still quite dominant. ("Beli mahal jual murah itu bagus"). This is the 'tongang terbalik' business philosophy. Anyway my suggestion is that our public universities (and private universities as well if they have the money) organise annual or bi-annual technology contests to see which university or accredited college can design and produce the best 1. small internal combustion engine 2. small jet engine 3. small rockets and 4. robots 5. etc etc Here are some pictures :  1. Above here is a small internal combustion engine which can be used in chain saws, lawn mowers, water pumps, generators, food processing and numerous other applications.  2. Above and below here is a small jet engine. The picture below shows the components of a small jet engine. It is not too difficult to design and manufacture a prototype.  3. This is a palm sized jet engine which may have marketable use.  4. These last two pictures show small rockets. They may look small but they can reach 6000 - 10000 feet altitudes.   5. Finally this is a picture of a small robot that has sensors, cameras, computer programs and movable arms that can pick things up.  Some of these things like the rockets or mini jet engines may not be marketable but that is alright. That does not mean that students and the universities cannot learn about competion and marketing a product by making mini jets and small rockets. Internal combustion engines, jet engines and rockets require practical application of knowledge in heat, metallurgy, metal cutting, jet and rocket fuel chemistry, mechanical engineering, aerospace technology and of course computer programming. Robotics will develop skills in artificial intelligence, laser technology, sensors, miniature electronics and electric motors. These are 'multi-taskers' - meaning a student who can design and shoot a small rocket can find employment in a host of industries including chemical industries. A student who can design and build a robot can find employment in almost any part of the electronics industry including electronic security and surveillance systems. The possibilities are endless. Alright, this is not my own brilliant idea ok. For many years there have been similar contests in the United States. Universities and colleges meet regularly to show their latest robot, rocket or jet engine. Prizes are awarded and students acknowledged for merit (which opens doors for them with potential employers). What is important about these competitions is their rules or parameters which impose strict discipline on the students and their professors. For example the jet engine cannot weigh more than X kilos, must produce at least Y pounds of thrust and must be made under a total cost of US10,000 - or something like that. The rocket cannot exceed X metres in length, must weigh not more than Y kilos fully fueled, must have solid propellants (liquids propellants are too dangerous for students) and must reach a minimum height of Z metres into the sky. Or things like that. These rules are similar to market conditions where the market sets strict criteria for a product to succeed. So the students learn to deliver the best product or the maximum output for the minimum amount of money. They learn to perform under severe material and financial constraints. They learn to compete. Unlike the 'Proton School of management' they learn to produce the highest quality product for the cheapest price. That is the only way they will have a chance of winning the competitions. And the competitions are repeated every year or every two years. So new students (and their professors) who enter the same competitions have to work on improving the science, the technology, the designs and the manufacturing process for the same product year after year. It builds great amounts of expertise and skill in young students. We already have the universities, we already have the students and faculty and we definitely have the money. So I think this can be done.   |
| Taliban Beheads 17 For Attending Party Posted: 27 Aug 2012 08:49 PM PDT
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| Abdal Hakim Murad On Sahih al-Bukhari Posted: 27 Aug 2012 07:01 AM PDT By Abdal Hakim Murad This is a very short "academic" article written by the rising Cambridge "religious" scholar Dr Abdal Hakim Murad of Cambridge University. You can click on the link above for the original article. First some background about Abdal Hakim Murad. Dr Abdal Hakim Murad, born in 1960 as Timothy John Winter, is a British Muslim scholar and educator. "Shaykh" Abdal Hakim is currently the Shaykh Zayed Lecturer of Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University, Director of Studies in Theology at Wolfson College, and a doctoral student at Oxford University, where he is examining the relationship between the state and Sufi tariqat in the Ottoman Empire. Shaykh Abdal Hakim i. graduated with a double-first in Arabic from Cambridge University in 1983. ii. study the traditional Islamic sciences at the University of al-Azhar in Egypt for several years iii. equal number of years in Jeddah iv. administered a commercial translation office v. two years at the University of London he studied Turkish and Persian. Shaykh Abdal Hakim's interests include: Muslim-Christian relations, Islamic ethics, Sufism, Islamic theology, Hadith studies, orthodox Muslim responses to extremism, sexuality in Islam, Islam and gender, Islam and the West, British Islam, religious life in Ottoman Turkey, and the Scriptural Reasoning project. Shaykh Abdal Hakim serves as the secretary of the Muslim Academic Trust (London), Director of The Anglo-Muslim Fellowship for Eastern Europe, President of the UK Friends of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Director of the Sunna Project, which has published the foremost scholarly Arabic editions of the major Sunni Hadith collections. Here is a picture of Syakh Abdal Hakim Murad. 
The booklet intends to introduce non-Arabic speakers to one of the most seminal genres of Muslim religious literature, namely, the hadith commentary. It is surprising that no serious translations at present exist from this voluminous and influential body of writing, given that there are few hadith which can be understood adequately without reference to the often complex debates which have taken place concerning them between the scholars.
Ibn Hajar considered the hadith collection of Imam Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari (AH 194-256), entitled al-Jami' al-Sahih ('The Sound Comprehensive Collection'), to be the most reliable of all the hadith collections of Islam. His respect for the compiler was no less total, as is evident from the short biography which he offers of him, which portrays him as a saint as well as a scholar. He recounts, on Firabri's eye-witness authority, how the imam would make ghusl and pray two rak'ats before including any hadith in his work, and always carried on his person one of the hairs of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He i. collected his Sahih in Khurasan, and ii. arranged it in the sanctuary at Mecca, and iii. completed it while seated between the minbar and the Blessed Prophetic Tomb in Madina. His miracles (karamat) are numerous and well-attested. Once, after helping to build a fortress to defend the Muslim community, he provided the laborers with three small coins' worth of bread, but even though there were a hundred laborers, there was enough for all. Despite his abstemious personal habits, he was endlessly generous to his students. One of his scribes, Muhammad ibn Abi Hatim, said: 'When I was with him on a journey we would stay in a single room together, and I would see him rising fifteen or twenty times in a night to light the lantern, and work on an isnad, after which he would lie down again. I asked him: "Why do you impose all of this on yourself instead of waking me?" and he would reply, "You are a young man, and I don't wish to interrupt your sleep."' - copyright Abdal Hakim Murad
Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Number 188: Narrated 'Amr bin Maimun: "During the pre-lslamic period of ignorance I saw a she-monkey surrounded by a number of monkeys. They were all stoning it, because it had committed illegal sexual intercourse. I too, stoned it along with them."
(Bukhari 2:134) The sun rises between the two antlers of Satan. (Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 537) Narrated Abu Huraira: "If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease." (Bukhari Kitabul Ta'abir) Seeing a black woman in a dream is the sign of an oncoming epidemic. (Bukhari, Beginning of Creation 2:231) "The hellfire complained to Allah, "One part of me is eating the other part." So, the hellfire was allowed two breaths - one in summer and one in winter. That is how you see the change of seasons." (Bukhari Beginning of Creation 2:237) Adhaan (the call to prayer) puts Satan to flight, expelling gas as he runs away. (Bukhari, Beginning of Creation 2:244) Rats are the lost tribe of Israel because they drink not the camel's milk, but drink goat's milk. (Bukhari, Beginning of Creation 2:245) Five animals are sinful, so kill them even in Makkah: rat, scorpion, eagle, crow, and a biting dog.   |
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