December 2013 ~ BOTH COIN

AMERICAN CULTURE IS BAD?

I have great difficulty understanding this notion among Muslim people, (well Pakistani, since I am a Pakistani) that deem American culture is bad.

Are we Pakistanis stupid? Do we have lower IQ as a nation or we do have brains but we just refuse to use our brains?

Whenever I say that "I love American culture", these are few of the responses I get:

1. What? You like 12 year old kids having sex?

2. What? You like single moms?

3. What? You like Zina? (adultery)

4. What? You like sex before marriage?

To Pakistanis, America is all about "sex". The forbidden word.

And if a Pakistani living in Pakistan said that, I would understand. I know that they do not know better because they have not seen America.

But, these responses come from people who are enjoying their fabulous lives in America. People who enjoy the privileges America gives them gratuitously. People who enjoy freedom and safety that America gives them, day and night. People who would never go back to the country of pure with "higher moral values". People who have chosen to raise their kids in this country of "immoral" people.

That indeed makes me wonder. Are we that stupid?!

No one forces you in America to have sex.

No one forces you to allow your children to have sex at age of 12.

On the contrary, in Pakistan, young girls are forced into marriages they don't want. Men flog their wives. Despite women wearing the burqa and hijab, rape is rampant. Honor killings are an everyday happenings. A girl was shot in the head for being an advocate for education for girls. And, America took the girl under their wing never mind that Pakistanis generally abhor Americans!

Malala meeting the Obamas and Pakistani Taliban swore to kill Malala for this. Now, who is barbaric?

Think about that for a moment or maybe let this perspective sink into your brainwashed skull.

America offers you individual freedom. That is the key people. You are free to live your lives the way you want to - that is the beauty of it. If you want to stay virgin all your lives, you are free to do so. If you want to have million sexual partners and choose to die from AIDS, be their guest. If you want to wear a bikini, more power to you! If you would rather cover your hair, by all means you have the liberty to do so!

They will not tell you how you should live your life. Most of all, they are not hypocrites and they are honest. Honesty is a rarely found quality among Pakistanis.

If American values were so bad, they would not be this successful. If our values of suppression were so good, we would not be down in the gutter right now.

Think about it. Think.

America has a culture of individual freedom, a culture of human equality, a culture of honesty and a culture of freedom of expression.

America is a land of opportunity. America is a land where they truly follow and make you follow the laws. America has a culture of cleanliness. They protect your individual rights here. They take weaker party's side.

So, do not get offended if I say that America is very close to being heaven on earth. Just try to take these values back home if you can!

The most easiest thing to do in the world is criticizing others and the hardest thing to do is take a good look at ourselves before moral policing others. I am not adulating America - I am just saying that before pointing our forefingers at the seeming faults of America, look at the four fingers pointing back at you!

Just try to take these values back home if you can!

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READING A BOOK MAY CHANGE YOUR BRAIN

Reading a novel may change your brain, scientists have found.

A study focusing on the lingering neural effects of reading a narrative by researchers at the Emory University have detected what may be biological traces related to this feeling - actual changes in the brain that linger, at least for a few days, after reading a novel.

Twenty-one undergraduate students participated in the experiment, which was conducted over 19 consecutive days.

All of the study subjects read the same novel, 'Pompeii' - a 2003 thriller by Robert Harris that is based on the real-life eruption of Mount Vesuvius in ancient Italy.

For the first five days, the participants came in each morning for a base-line fMRI scan of their brains in a resting state.

Then they were given nine sections of the novel, about 30 pages each, over a nine-day period.

They were asked to read the assigned section in the evening, and come in the following morning.

After taking a quiz to ensure they had finished the assigned reading, the participants underwent an fMRI scan of their brain in a non-reading, resting state.

After completing all nine sections of the novel, the participants returned for five more mornings to undergo additional scans in a resting state.

The results showed heightened connectivity in the left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with receptivity for language, on the mornings following the reading assignments.

Neuro scientist Gregory Berns, the lead author of the study said:

"Even though the participants were not actually reading the novel while they were in the scanner, they retained this heightened connectivity. We call that a 'shadow activity, almost like a muscle memory."

Heightened connectivity was also seen in the central sulcus of the brain, the primary sensory motor region of the brain.

GIRLS, DATE A RESEARCHER!

Do consider dating a person who does research. They are this ethical lot who argue or convince the world that copying others’ article/work is not such a heinous crime unless the appropriate references are mentioned. They follow these ethics more than any other professional in the world.

Additionally, they may be effortlessly capable of travelling, reading, writing and of course, gorging biriyani as well.

Date a guy who does research. He is the one who believes in himself more than anyone else. He can endure any rough situation. He won't grumble behind your back. Researchers can fight for their own rights and problems. Though they believe in god, they won't expect Rama, Allah or Jesus to descend every time to support them. They won't even praise Buddha (for they say he is the first researcher in written history.)

You may find them in almost every educational institute in the world. If there is a person who doesn't bother about the happenings/trends in the world and focuses only on his/her work or if there is a person who is in her/his late twenties but the mannerisms/activities resemble the ones in early twenties, well, you know who they are.

For all you other students out there, you don't have to go far looking for researchers - they are around you. They come to a lecture hall for a course you just came for attendance. They may come for distributing answer sheets, collecting assignments, conducting surprise tests, as your teaching assistant in your lab, as a supervisor during your exams or sometimes even setting up audio systems in seminar halls. During such scenarios, don't miss the opportunity to get their mail id for asking their mobile number could sometimes turn out to be a bad idea.

Apart from cribbing for your internal marks and getting your doubts cleared, try initiating a talk with them for other reasons. He may be that special someone you are looking for, to date or maybe even spend the rest of your life with, you never know so don't miss the opportunity.

Date a guy who does research. They know the value of education. They are the ones who live their lives with cogent objectives. They analyse problems in all possible angles and attempt to solve them in a faster, smarter and more economical way. They won't jump to conclusions before careful examination. They listen to you carefully and acknowledge it from their heart. They 'live' in reality; not in text-books. They are the reason behind people who contribute something worthwhile to humanity . They know the strong connection and coherence between past, recent past, present, near future and future. Above all, he knows the real value of 'patience'.

It is easy to date a person who does research . They won't expect gifts, surprise treats or expensive apparel. They are the ones who spend the least amount of money from what they earn. Simple acts can make them cut loose with you. Just appreciate all the small things they do apart from their research and it's done. Appeal to him by talking some simple sentences in his mother tongue. If he plays basketball, encourage his game even if he doesn't know how to dribble. If the person writes some crap and asks you to read, just pretend like you read it and applaud them by saying they have a great sense of writing. Recognize their multi-tasking skills and encourage it.

Ask him about his research sometime when he is free. Inform him whenever you come across any word related to her/his research however trivial. Help them with a web search when in the need. It implies you are concerned about him. And, if he tells something to you in excitement, don't disappoint them by telling him that you know it already. You can impress him by finding a way to put a new symbol in Latex or by solving some statistical problem in a software.

Lie to him that he will be the next Sir C.V Raman or Bill Gates Though it's a lie, he will be smiling for it. That will boost their confidence. You can get your things done at that moment.

He may not know what politics means; how terrorism affects the nation; where Rocketfeller Center is, who Rajinikanth is, when your birthday is, why Micheal Jordan is called 'The God'; but never ever underestimate his general knowledge . Researcher will surely know that the left shoe fits only in the left leg. Mind it! So let them be in their own world.

Date a person who does research because you deserve a smooth sail in the tempest called life. He can keep your life technologically updated and at times, can hint you of your ignorance. Researchers' contribution in research may be mind-blowing but still they will be modest enough to believe that it’s just a tiny droplet in a vast ocean - appreciate their humbleness and do not tempt them with a fantasy world because it means nothing to them. Researchers have a good grip on reality so let them do their research as per their wish without interrupting them.

Date a person who does research because It is a very safe option; for two reasons. One, it is easy to breakup if you feel like for they are not the ones scared of facing failures. They see such failures every day in their research. They understand you and will let you move on after breaking up. He won't bother you thereafter. Second, he won't plan to breakup with you because he will implicitly believe for good that getting someone better than you is not as easy as doing research.

Propose a person who does research. You can propose in an air-conditioned conference room after his seminar surrounded by empty chairs. Or in lab, where he is post-processing his results at 3 AM. Or on the day when his research article gets published in a refereed journal. Or even on a random day when he is thinking about quitting research. The medium of proposal can be, but not restricted to, email, gtalk, skype or whatsapp. You can make a technical proposal by slipping in a text in his experimental apparatus. In case he doesn't respond, put a reminder. (And even if that doesn't work , consider the one sitting next to the person).

Once the proposal sets the stage, you get hitched; in a cliche place in an obsolete manner, surrounded by a group of researchers who may be on the verge of finding something groundbreaking. You may end up finding these researchers to be more complex working on even more convoluted fields when compared to your better half. Your honeymoon trip may be accompanied by a conference presentation in one of the education institutes of US ,UK or Europe (and the expenditure taken care by its funds) . Now, if by chance, he decides to name your kid as Newton, Edison or Marie curie, don't be startled. May be he is really inspired by their work.

Date and marry a person who does research. To your kids, he will be the role model in every way. he will teach them to read rather than to mug. No body can teach kids better about surviving among their competitive peers but researchers. He can explain the chaos theory in simple words and he can discuss with them, the nuances of arts, necessity for understanding science and the reason for innovating new technology. He will not only show them that life is bounded by uncertainties but will also show them how to overcome them. Also, remember that genetically, chances of your kid becoming a nerd/geek becomes quite high if you end up marrying a researcher.

If you want to accomplish something in life, I urge you(even in the next generation) to date a person who does research.

Date a person who does research. Date, Love and Marry. You won't regret it. Trust me.

PS: Just FYI, I am doing research and I am still single. Wink, wink..

PERIODS??!! SSSHHHHH!!

Let's face it - girls, especially Indian girls are shy-shy blush-blush when discussing about periods to their male counterpart.

We have no problem in announcing publicly that their daughter has gotten her first period - throwing a feast to 'celebrate the event', complete with invitation cards!

But then mothers forbid their daughters from telling their fathers or brothers that they are having their periods - it is a taboo.

Indian logic.

I believe that I'm very bold, broaching a subject steeped in hypersensitivity. Menstruating Hindu women are deemed 'dirty' and they are not allowed to pray, go to the prayers altar in the house and temples.

But, we pray to goddesses - and see how some of us treat women.

Perhaps the only time menstruation is discussed openly is in high school, in the Science subject, in the chapter Reproduction and the Physical Education syllabus which discloses the bodily changes of both boys and girls when they hit puberty – things would change, we were told in a serious voice; hair would grow in new places, breasts would sprout and the intimate part would bleed each month followed by discomfort for girls, shoulders would broaden, facial hair would debut and voice would break for boys.

And, these chapters are dreaded by teachers and they try to finish up with it as fast as they can and it is equally awkward to the students who are experiencing and going through the stuff that are being taught to them.

I went to an all girls school and it was pretty awkward when we came to the chapter Reproduction because my Science teacher was male! He literally blushed when he explained the details and went about it in the speed of a bullet train - but, we, girls, were in the know because in the first year of starting high school, we were briefed on periods and puberty and how to deal with it but we were dependent on our Science teacher for a deeper understanding of the works.

I bet this chapter of Reproduction would leave those teachers and students in all boys and coed high schools having butter fingers! Especially in coed schools - you know what I mean.

Once a girl starts menstruating, she is told not to be as close as she was with her male siblings - a distance should be maintained.

Here's a confession from a woman like me:

"My brother who is five years younger to me, has always been my best friend, my greatest enemy and also my biggest confidante. Like every other sibling duo, we also had those fierce fights which ended in either me scratching him with my long nails or in him gaining the pleasure of pulling my hair and us screaming and chasing each other in the house and pulling pranks off at each other, indulging in boisterous camaraderie.

Then I got my first period and things changed - I was told that whatever was happening to me during those five days was supposed to be a secret and should to be discussed only with my mother. Of course I was delighted that at least both mom and I had a secret to share, but on the other hand, I longed to share the same with my brother. I wanted to tell him about how my body was changing every day, why I was experiencing mood swings, why I was skipping school due to abdominal cramps and why I was taking longer than usual in the washrooms these days.

Like other girls my age,even I kept quiet because that was what was expected out of me. Today however, I consider myself as an equal culprit along with those who brainwashed the innocent mind of my brother with made-up stories about sanitary napkins. It was as if we were assigned a task of unleashing our creative prowess in describing the details of a sanitary napkin to a young boy by employing euphemism.

Diapers, cotton balls to heal an open wound, every explanation was given to satiate the never ending questions of an inquisitive boy like my brother but menstruating women are not wounded each month by some invisible, unpredictable 'accident'. What a flawed theory! I guess the napkin also wondered when it actually served so many roles! An invisible cloud of shame engulfed me as a result of which I could never speak to my brother about this subject. I couldn’t tell him the truth – that menstruation was nothing but a biological process that took place in every woman’s body that is as natural as sweating. I couldn’t, in the first place, tell him that as a result of our mother menstruating,we were in fact brought into this world.

I just hope that someday, I would be able to open up to my only younger brother so that he needn't to hesitate to speak about menstruation with any other woman in his life."

Just in case the brother becomes a high school Science teacher in an all girls school, I hope he won't blush and go through the chapter Reproduction in the speed of the Road Runner and go beep, beep at crucial parts.

Below is an Indian ad that tried to break the shackles of the taboo surrounding menstruation, that you can't tell your brother that you are having your periods.
I recently let off this issue off my chest in Facebook and I had unknown girls messaging me and sending me friend requests questioning me how can I be so shameless, talking about periods on a public platform and they chastised me and called me condescending names. One girl blocked me after telling me what she thought of me - it was pretty ugly, believe me.

While that was the case of girls, guys appreciated me for being open and forthright and thanked me! This was a response that I didn't see coming my way - I was expecting girls to back me up but that didn't happen and I think I now understand why. It is all about mentality. Just treat the knowledge about menstruation as general knowledge. What's the big deal? We can be feminists and demand equal rights and then be shy to talk about periods? That is not wholesome, is it? That is like not acknowledging our identity as all round capable females! I also realized that we have a long way to go but I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

WOMEN HAVE SMALLER BRAINS THAN MEN SO THEY ARE LESS INTELLIGENT THAN MEN?

I do not think that all women have smaller brains than all men. just like all women are not shorter than all men. Many women are taller than men. Even I am taller than several men I know.

Internal organs too are bigger or smaller depending on your overall physical stature.

In general, men have bigger frames than women. A woman might have smaller kidneys but they clean blood just as good. A smaller size heart for a smaller person, pumps blood just as well.

Function is the crux here, not size. Size literally doesn't matter when it comes to intelligence so the theory that women are less smart/ intelligent because their brains might be smaller, is pure crap and indicates that person who came up with the theory is not a smart enough person himself.

If you look around you, every household, school and college where women were given equal opportunities, they did better than men.

Some families and cultures keep their girls dumb by not giving them equal opportunities of education and exposure.

Education, books and exposure makes any human smarter.

An average woman lives 12 years longer than an average male. If anything, her organs must be functioning better then.

Look around you and pick 10 couples that you know. It can be your family or friends. See who is doing better, the wife or the husband, when it comes to activities of daily living, responsibility and work.

It's not size. Opportunities and IQ are what matters when measuring intelligence and it is irrespective of gender.

Unfortunately, among all religions, Muslims are behind mentally.It is not because they have smaller brains; it's just because they are trained to not use their brains at all.

STRIVE TO DISCOVER THE TRUTH

The condition that arises in oneself when evidence is presented against one’s belief and they simply cannot come to terms with reality and accept it is known as cognitive dissonance.

What makes us uniquely human? It is the ability to think, to reason, to understand and be aware makes us human. Our greatest evolutionary gift is our brain so why do we have to squander it and why not understand its implications better?

In the abyssal, cognitive dissonance is the greatest enemy of mankind - it hampers progress, causes wars, and breeds extremists. It is the root of all major evil, as it forestalls our ability to learn and to change; for without errors - we can never learn. Without being erroneous we would just be living with half-truths and whole lies. The truth, will ultimately free you.

What you’re about to read, may it show you the light and make you free my kin.

Over the last 700 million years, we have constantly evolved to be what we are today,

Homo sapiens - the genetic code is a testimonial. Fossilized evidence has been found all around the world. Evolution is not a mere theory anymore, all the evidence there is points towards Darwin’s theory and there is still no any valid evidence for the other theories such as creationism.

The problem is, even people who believe evolution is true disassociate themselves from the process. They somehow skipped all the professed lower forms of animal life and just started out at the top of the evolutionary ladder. Let’s be honest to ourselves.

All animals are conscious, as much as we humans - it doesn’t take a nuclear scientist to tell you that, every person who’s ever raised an animal knows that. We are wholly intertwined, humans are not any more important than animals are to this universe. And we are judged when we are dead and other species aren’t? No. We just happen to be an intelligent animal, capable of changing the face of earth. But, before nature, we are nothing - we are just a chapter in the universe's billions of years' history.

But, we are an integral part in the history of the cosmos and will continue to be so in the future.

Einstein enlightened us by saying “Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be transferred from one form to another”.

All of us are a part of a same cosmic ocean, our deaths and inconsistencies don’t matter. When we die, what we were gets transferred into something else but it’s never lost. It is always there, so beautifully forever; how many previous generations down have you been connected to be alive today? That’s mind blowing and mesmerizing. You will never know it when you’re dead, we cannot be conscious of being unconscious. Death and birth are continuous and intermittent events, and will go on forever.

We finally have to chance to understand life, its meaning. Don’t let the dissonance stop you from understanding what the truth is because only the truth will unite us and will guide is; we just cannot let it go, we have waited and come far too long to understand and comprehend the truth.

The world is beautifully balanced. Good or evil, strong or weak, lasting or temporary, ultimately it's balanced. Newton’s third law of motion cites at balance. The balance is strikingly the most important feature to take note of, for if we realize it we can direct our attention to progress in the important direction, it would mean realizing the true human potential.

Our concept of reality is in line with what we want to see, not what really is. What really is disheartening is that we do not see the truth of life. The truth will convert us from mortals to an immortal being where information is passed down and mistakes are corrected and progress is emphasized, but over subsequent generations; just like how we improve ourselves in our daily lives.

Life is too beautiful when you’re free; you’d just wish everyone would see the same light that you do. The truth is only bitter initially, a true life is but the closest thing you can be to heaven. The beauty of the present will become easy to perceive and appreciate. Living in the present; without a desolate past or an unresolved and hazy future to interfere in your life. A true freedom and liberation, the veracious spiritual enlightenment we all have always foraged.

Ultimately, do not believe anything you hear or anything you’ve been told. Have the critical eye and the critical ear; everything must be subject to your criticism. Don't take stuff at face value. Don't believe what your father tells you, what your mother tells you, what your teachers teach or what your religion tells you. Do research, seek proof and strive to discover the truth. Being wrong would expand your mind’s horizon. Scrutinize what you’ve just read, take the principle and abandon the rest.

It’s just a matter of a few hundred years, ultimately the truth would unite us and we would be together in paradise, here on earth; but that will happen only if we are aware of the truth.

We all want to be in paradise, so why not start early?

I AM FROM ESTATE? WHERE ARE YOU FROM, NEW YORK CITY?

There is a general notion of high class Indians (so they call themselves) here, in Malaysia, that Indians from estates (rubber, coconut, cocoa, tea, sugar cane, etc plantations) behave ignominiously , thus the brand, "Estate" for those Indians who get derailed from a politically correct path, those who go to Tamil schools and those who dress gaudy.

These so called high class Indians are quick to point their scornful finger at other Indians who are perhaps less fortunate, off the right track or can't speak much English as "Estate."

Other attributes befitting the "Estate" brand are as follows:

- Reacts adversely to anything foreign, especially language and knowledge contents.

- Does not have any acceptable social skills.

- Does not know what is common sense and decency.

- For many, for example, questions like how much is your salary, are you married, where is your thalli (a yellow string Indian Hindu married women wear around their neck, it tied by their respective husbands on their wedding day) to them are subjects of conversation.

My contention is, do only those Indians from or live in estates succumb to the thought patterns listed above? Doesn't individuality, upbringing and exposure play crucial roles in forming one's thought process? What right does one have to brand a loud, maybe obnoxious and swearing Indian "Estate"? Don't those Indians in cities swear and rock the boat and simply be wayward?

Indian workers in palm oil plantation taking a break

Many of us don't see this branding as offensive, perhaps even oblivious to it. But, this name calling is on par with the slur p*riah - if you are from an estate, then you are lowly and a shame. The shame actually lies with the name caller, for his or her lowly act.

Our forefathers, toiling in rubber plantations.

To those who like to call not so urban and trendy, not very hip and happening, not having English words on the tip of their lips fellow Indians "Estate", where were you born? New York City? On Fridays, you will still have saambar (Indian lentil curry) rice at home but you behave like you grew up eating pasta and grilled cheese sandwich.

Going by history, our great-great grandparents who were brought by the British to Malaya, worked on crops plantations during colonial times while some were professional builders, road layers, (we practically laid the foundation for modern Malaysia) teachers and money lenders. That makes the origination of most of us estates. Just because we moved to cities doesn't make us cool or classy. Our heritage and ancestry lie in the estates we forsook for better lives and to keep up with times.

I was born in an estate and I would go fishing, climb trees and just gallivant the estate greenery which nurtured me. Snakes, eagles, river otters and owls were common place and it was completely swell growing up where and the way I did. How many of us have seen a cocoa fruit, de-husk a coconut, drink milk straight from a cow's udder and know how to tap rubber trees? I do and I'm proud to say that I am from an estate. Never forget our roots and humble beginnings no matter how high we may climb in our lives!

WHAT CAUSES MATERNAL MORTALITY

Losing a wife and mother to maternal death (the death of a woman, while pregnant) can leave a family devastated and disintegrated

Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are responsible for maternal deaths. The maternal death count is calculated by Maternal Mortality Rate, acronym, MMR.

The definition of maternal death:

According to the WHO, 'Maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.'

Causes of maternal death:

1. Hemorrhaging is the number one cause of maternal deaths

2. Infection or sepsis

3. Anemia

4. Obstructed labor: when the size of the fetal head is disproportionate to the mother's pelvis

5. Complications during an abortion

6. Hypertensive disorders including high blood pressure, protein in the urine, edema, kidney failure and sudden weight gain

7. AIDS/HIV

8. Heart diseases

9. Hepatitis

10. Eclampsia (seizures during pregnancy, while giving birth or post labor)

Besides maternal deaths, women can also experience maternal morbidity, which is obstetric fistula (or vaginal fistula). This is a medical condition in which a fistula (hole) develops between either the rectum and vagina or between the bladder and the vagina. But, this can be easily treated and does not lead to death.

Compared to ages ago, maternal deaths have reduced significantly thanks to the advancement of medical field but pregnant teens and pregnant women in their 40s are more susceptible to maternal mortality given their not-prime-condition-to-give birth.

WINSTON CHURCHILL'S QUOTES PARODY

1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

9. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

10. In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, Notify:' I put 'DOCTOR'.

11. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

12. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

13. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure...

14. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

15. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

16. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

17. I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to find one now!

18. A woman's place is in charge.

19. Build it and they will complain.

20. Hospitality: making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.

WHEN MUSLIMS CARE FOR DOGS.. (PART 2)

If you haven't read Part 1, read it here:
When Muslims care for dogs.. (Part 1)

Pak Mie said it takes between RM40,000 and RM50,000 a month to run the shelter, which has no proper running water or electricity for now, and donations came in form of cash, food and medicine.

The hatred for what Pak Mie does runs so deep that there is a group called Pak Mie Animal Shelter Hell on Facebook and some blogs that attack the couple over what they do.

Pak Mie said some people take one look at his shelter and start criticizing before trying to understand the hardship and commitment required to run the place.

"Some have lodged complaints with the local veterinary department. The officers here came to inspect the shelter, hear my explanations and left satisfied. My critics were still unhappy and even took their complaints to Putrajaya (Malaysia's administrative seat) but we are still here. It is always easier to talk than to do the actual work. They should try rescuing strays themselves, set up a better shelter and outdo me. Show me a good example and I will follow. It will do a lot of good if others also start rescuing the animals."

In recent months, Pak Mie and Mak Intan's furry kids were also looking at an eviction.

Mak Intan was rescued by a bunch of stray dogs when she was washing clothes in a river near her place. She slipped and fell into the river and a stray dog saw her being swept away by the river's current. The dog then brought with her fellow strays and together, they pulled Mak Intan to the bank of river. Mak Intan said, her eyes, glistening, she owes her life to dogs and that she doesn't understand why Muslims hate such lovely, sentient creatures..

The state City Council had ordered the couple to get out of the government reserve land and a plot belonging to the private Malaysian sewage treatment consortium beside a river in the plot of land, which they had been occupying for years now with their simple makeshift shelter.

This happened around the same time Pak Mie was told he could not relocate his animals to another remote area some 37 km away, where he had bought a piece of land and started building a new shelter.

He had already invested more than RM300,000, which partly came from a donation, on the project.

"The land in Kuala Nerang was a good place as it was not near any residential area but some villagers started to object. I had allowed veterinary students to conduct operations to spay 10 of my dogs there. The villagers came, saw what was happening, and lodged complaints.We had planned to move there in September but now I have to sell the land. I cannot pursue it any more to avoid problems and tensions with the locals. It would not be safe for my dogs any more," Pak Mie lamented.

With assistance from the local MP, Gooi Hsiao Leung, the couple were given a reprieve until the end of this month.

However, the authorities have recently granted permission to Pak Mie to keep his existing shelter with the condition that he builds a more proper place for the animals.

"I was directed to set up a proper shelter with a septic tank so the animal feces will not flow into the river, and also cement the ground.

"I have no idea how and when we will finish building the new shelter. We can only work on it bit by bit when we have some money," he said.

Pak Mie, who refers to himself as “ayah” (father) when he talks to his dogs, said he and his wife just want to be allowed to care for the animals they rescued from the streets in peace, and that he would face even cannon if anyone tries to take his animals.

"They are precious to us and we have made many sacrifices. Mak Intan even took time to learn from veterinarians how to treat the animals for minor illnesses and injuries. She doesn't go home to sleep if she has to care for the sick animals."

Pak Mie said he hopes the authorities will find a better solution to control the stray population than catching the animals and destroying them.

"Putting a dog to sleep sounds humane but why kill a perfectly fine animal when the stray population can be controlled by spaying? If the Government does not want to spend money to set up shelters, then think of a way that does not involve taking an innocent animal's life."

Pak Mie said he and Mak Intan would keep on saving dogs and caring for them until they die, even though age has already caught up with them.

"We are training our grandson Alif Affandi to take over from us. I have told him that if he does not do well, he would be dishonoring the both of us."

On why he does not allow the public to adopt dogs from his shelter, he said people who wanted to be kind to dogs should rescue strays from the streets themselves. "There are many out there to be saved and given a home. That is how they can truly help, not by adopting or buying dogs.

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WHEN MUSLIMS CARE FOR DOGS.. (PART 1)

In a country where Muslims abhor dogs for religious reasons, one Muslim couple have bucked that belief to rescue and care for stray and abandoned dogs.

They are from Malaysia, an Islamic country, known for her mistreatment for dogs - most Muslims there detest dogs and are intolerant of Muslims having dogs. The nation's city councils too, dispose stray dogs in a most cruel way as shown in the video caught by a civilian below.

That video sparked outrage among dog lovers, predominantly non Muslims in the country. Then, the story of a Muslim couple who were rescuing stray dogs for more than 2 decades cropped up into the Malaysian media and despite the outrage among the Muslims in the country and even from the state Islamic Department pressuring them to vacate the land where the shelter is located, they remain steadfast to their cause.

Pak Mie with some of his furry kids. He refuses to part with any of his dogs and says that spaying will solve the problem of stray dogs.

From their waking hour to the minute they finally retire to bed, the couple, widely known as Pak Mie and Mak Intan devote almost every second of their time to care for their some 800 "furry kids" at the Pak Mie Animal Shelter in the rice bowl state in Malaysia.

Despite the workload, the couple have no army of workers to help them run the makeshift animal shelter. Only their grandson and a helper assist them.

"We have been doing this for more than 20 years. The job is hard as it is not a nine-to-five job. We do not close up at the end of the day, go home, put our legs up and watch television. We skip meals and lose sleep.

"But we keep going simply because we have compassion. The ability to feel compassion, even towards a sick stray dog, is important," Pak Mie or Muhammad Azmi Ismail said.

Despite their work with strays, the 56-year-old and his wife, Mak Intan or Halijah Idris, have seen and heard their fair share of condemnation and criticism from others, who cannot accept their affection towards dogs.

The former contractor said even his own siblings could not stand him because he uses his money to feed dogs, something that brought no profit or benefit.

"People have said all sorts of things. They said my wife and I will suffer until we die because we care for dogs. So I quit my contractor job and Mak Intan took her pension 23 years ago because we wanted to see how far their words would come true. We refrained from asking our relatives for help. Fortunately, things have ways of taking care of themselves," Pak Mie said of his 66-year-old wife who is an army pensioner.

When they began taking in strays, they had scant money to feed the animals and nurse the sick ones. They rented a place to put the sick ones before they eventually built their makeshift shelter.

"For food, Mak Intan and I could eat bread. For the dogs, we needed more. So I went to a Chinese chicken rice shop to talk to the boss, who agreed to let me have all the leftover rice and meat daily. Another left expired sardine cans for us. "But Muslim food outlets will sooner throw the leftovers into rubbish bins rather than let me have them. Until today, I am still trying to find out why some Muslims look at dogs with such contempt, as if they are worse than the devil," he said.

Mak Intan will stay up all night to nurse an ill dog. Pak Mie said many people, including those from the state religious council, had gone to see him about his dog-saving work but he never gave in or gave up.

"I asked them one question. Show me where in the Hadith (Hadiths and Sunnahs are exegesis to the Quran, penned down hundreds of years after Prophet Muhammad's demise by Islamic clerics) says touching, feeding and giving medicine to a dog and even sharing a bed with the animal are sins. If they are, I want to know which Hadith says so."

"God gave us a mind to think for ourselves and do what is right, and of all the millions of creatures on earth, the Quran mentions dogs several times. Not camels, goats or any other animal," he said, referring to an example that Allah forgave a prostitute when she drew water from a well for a thirsty dog.

"God gave us a mind to think for ourselves and do what is right, and of all the millions of creatures on earth, the Quran mentions dogs several times. Not camels, goats or any other animal," he said, referring to references in the Quran to dogs, including one permitting believers to consume animal flesh killed by hunting dogs.

"If a starving dog looks at you when you eat, do you throw stones at it or do you give it some food? Remember we are given minds to think."

Apart from verbal abuses, the couple also face accusations and slander with some people questioning the way he runs his shelter and accusing him of pocketing the donations he had received from well-wishers.

He said some people have claimed that he gets US$85,000 a month from international donors and he was "thankful" that people thought he was rich."

One is forced to think that those who spread such malicious lies would go to heaven and Pak Mie and Mak Intan would go to hell for giving hapless and voiceless animals a new lease of life.

"I am a millionaire now then. Why would I be doing this still if I am now so rich? I can just pay other people to care for the dogs. Mak Intan and I can go on holidays. This is one of the reasons I never wanted publicity for the shelter. People will start talking. When we started, we tried to keep things quiet because a Muslim couple rescuing and adopting dogs can become an issue. I never gave interviews to the media until last year when the local council wanted to confiscate my dogs," he said, adding that he hoped his critics would lodge police reports against him so he can open his accounts for investigation.

Read Part 2 here: When Muslims care for dogs.. (Part 2)

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