The dramatic but not unexpected decision of the Australian police to drop all charges of terrorism against Mohammed Haneef is the best piece of news a Friday morning could have brought for the family of the Mudigere-born doctor. And it is sweet vindication for his wife Arshiya who has consistently maintained her husband’s innocence.
But the decision, exactly 25 days after he was picked up with a one-way ticket for a flight back home, is also a valuable lesson for an increasingly suspicious world that is quick to condemn, conclude and hang. Here, then, are eight lessons we can pick up from the arrest, release, continued detention, and eventual exoneration of a son of Karnataka on a faraway continent.
8. Thank god for the media and judiciary: The war on terror has emasculated the legislature and the executive in democracies across the world. The judiciary is the only pillar preventing the war from getting totally farcical. And if it weren’t for the Australian media, especially the stellar role played by The Australian, Haneef’s civil liberties would have been sealed and sold to the lowest common denominator by now.
7. Human rights are global: The right to a dignified life is not the exclusive privilege of the rich, white or those of the right religion or language. It is everybody’s. Men and women; rich and poor; white, black and brown; Christian, Hindu and Muslim. This is not about pseudo-secularism—it’s about being human and reacting as humans, not as hate-spewing, scare-mongering pseudo-nationalists.
6. Common sense isn’t quite so common after all: Even Haneef’s newborn baby, Haniya Kulthum, would have had a simple explanation for his SIM card or his one-way ticket back home, but who in his right uniform likes to listen to a newborn baby even if it’s talking common sense when there is an asymmetrical global “war” without an end in sight to fight?
5. White police are no better than ours: Discrepancies between the Australian police interrogation transcript and their affidavit in court show that the slick efficiency of white cops is only in Hollywood flicks and they are no better or worse than their brown and black counterparts. And that white, brown or black, police have an pavlovian ability to do their political masters’ bidding.
4. Politicians will do anything to stay in power: White politicians haven’t descended from the high heavens. They too are in the game for power, pelf and profit, and will do anything to ensure their continued supply. Godhra magically happened just when Narendra Modi was about to face an election. Mohammed Haneef happened when John “Adolf Hilter” Howard was going for an election.
3. Stand up, speak up, be heard: Indian public opinion has been unduly subdued and cautious in the Haneef case. Partly because of the fear of being proved wrong, largely because of the religious hatred that the pseudo-nationalists have injected in us. But if you can’t find your spine even if—especially when—it doesn’t concern you, when the facts stare you in the face, maybe you should consult your doctor.
2. Terror laws are a joke, here, there, everywhere, anywhere: Any law which allows civilians to be picked up on the flimsiest of pretexts, to be released when nothing is found, and then threatens him with a jail sentence if he tells the world what he underwent in custody means you are just a pawn in a larger game against a faceless enemy. Fear nobody in questioning the mockery of your civil liberties.
And, finally, the biggest lesson from l’affaire Mohammed Haneef is not a cliche, after all.
1. You are innocent until proved guilty: Nothing is what it seems from the outside in the modern world. There are layers and then there are layers. Talk is cheap, but it pays not to prejudge; not to jump to a conclusion that someone else, playing on your fears and fantasies, has cooked up for you. It isn’t over till the fat lady has sung.
***
Read churumuri.com‘s full coverage here: L’affaire Haneef
27 July 2007 at 4:04 pm
All points well taken but the fact remains that if a similar incident took place in India there would have been a massive cover up, or a government sponsored attempt to paint the suspect with the deepest possible coat of black. Afzal guru and SAR Geelani’s travails would bear that out. That it took the Australian government ONLY 25 days to admit discrepancies in their investigation is not that bad. C’mon dont take away the western world’s right to be paranoid. Remember, at the cliched end of the day no-one died.
27 July 2007 at 8:25 pm
Never trust Mullahs
27 July 2007 at 9:04 pm
There is another lesson – You can’t hide the truth for ever! No amount of jingoism by diarrhea mouths could suppress the facts and truth.
Now, I really would like to see Haneef or Indian Government suing Australia for their arrogance so this won’t happen again to people like you and me because our college roommate turned out to be a terrorist scumbag!
27 July 2007 at 9:05 pm
And who wrote this piece of ‘magic’? :)
27 July 2007 at 9:24 pm
“Godhra magically happened just when Narendra Modi was about to face an election. Mohammed Haneef happened when John “Adolf Hilter” Howard was going for an election.”
Conspiracy theories also happen — when people lose rationality and begin to believe the world is out to get them.
27 July 2007 at 10:28 pm
1. You are innocent until proved guilty: Nothi….THEN WHY DOES MEDIA PASS VERDICTS BASED ON THIER OWN REPORTS, WHEN IT SUITS THEM? (remember that Mr Modi has NOT BEEN proven guilty in any case pending against him!)
2. Have no mercy on “suspected terrorists” as they may come in any shape/ colour/ guise…
3. Remeber that people are assessed by the company they keep/ their supporters…and ALMOST ALWAYS human rights organisations including amnesty have backed anti nationals/ terrorists (rmember the way they supported the terror groups in Punjab/ J & K?—also ran smear campaign against police and armed forces)
27 July 2007 at 10:36 pm
What did the mother of two Bangalore Brothers say immediately after London failed Bombing & Scotland fiasco?
“MY SONS ARE INNOCENT”.
Everybody, specially relatives and a large section of Muslims never accept the complicity of fellow Muslims in Terrorism. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS WELL KNOWN. IN QURAN, THERE IS A PASSANGE WHICH ASKS MUSLIMS TO HELP/NEVER CONDEMN A FELLOW MUSLIM WHO IS ENGAGED IN JIHAD WITH INFIDEL.
Islamic Jihad is a global phenomenon, and educated/well off Muslims are leading it.
AS PER MY RESERACH, ISLAMIC TERROR IS DEFNITE INDIAN CONNECTION. TALLEST ISLAMIST LEADERS OF 20TH CENTURY (Maududi & Sayyid Kutb) WERE INSPIRED BY SHAH WAHIULLAH WHO ALSO INSPIRED DEOBAND, JAMAT-E-ISLAMI AND TABLIGHI JAMAT FOUNDERS.
27 July 2007 at 10:39 pm
2 Indians were caught after Madrid Bombing.
Not a single Indian Press raised any issue. PM did not loose sleep.
Why? Because they were Hindus?
Who is behaving Communal way here? Its me, or these Indian Press and perverted Churumuri?
27 July 2007 at 10:44 pm
>>Godhra magically happened just when Narendra Modi was about to face an election. Mohammed Haneef happened when John “Adolf Hilter” Howard was going for an election.
Paul Keating waited for the judicial system to at least deliver a verdict (may not be final verdict yet).
Why Churumuri is commenting on Godhra, when its still under Judicial review?
The “Banerjee Committee” (later upgraded to Commission) was hillarious to the least. It was setup to probe Godhra when an already full Commission was looking into it.
And we know how Banerjee gave his report just prior to Bihar Election.
Neither this report can be tabled in Parliament as given judgement by High Court and Supreme Court did not vacate that either.
WAKE UP INDIAN PRO-ISLAMIC, JIHADI FIENDLY PRESS. SHOW RESPECT FOR COURT, AT LEAST AS SHOWN BY KEATING.
YOU CANNOT CLAIM: HEADS I WIN, TAILS I LOOSE.
27 July 2007 at 10:48 pm
WHY POTA WAS REVOKED WHEN INDIAN SUPREME COURT, HIGHEST COURT OF LAND UPHOLD THAT?
Kerala Assebly passed a resolution to release a terrorist who masterminded a blast/riots which kileld some 100 people.
UPA used Bin Laden look alike, not once, but twice during polls for Muslim Vote.
Show us any one country which has done this.
And all these are done in India, which is biggest victim of Islamic terror.
27 July 2007 at 10:49 pm
Fact is, Indian Pseduo class have no respect for Indian legal system.
Extreme opinion like this is enraging huge amount of people, thus generating lots of hits to their site/
But little they realise, its cutting last vestiges of Hindu Muslim tolerance.
27 July 2007 at 10:53 pm
http://ia.rediff.com/news/2007/jul/11pows.htm
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jul/27inter.htm
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jul/11sheela.htm
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2007/jul/11sd1.htm
These are just a small fraction of thoughts, inner psychological working of those who are engaged in Jedad, their support base.
27 July 2007 at 10:55 pm
Biggest lesson is for Muslims,
When your cousin plots murder, you should go to police and hand over your cousin.
When your cousin attempts murder, you should call up 911 inform them it was your cousin who did it even before police call and not some number your mom told to call.
If you don’t start coming out in large number to denounce Jihad. More people like Haneef will be behind bars. Haneef you owe your life to the good will India has in western countries. Try reforming your religion.
27 July 2007 at 11:13 pm
*begin my rant
Chattrjee not my site but still, urge you to please post one rant at a time. or post multiple rants in one page. it is becoming mighty hard to track what others are saying in other discussions.
*end my rant
before you go off awake kannadigas…
sleepy kannadiga.
27 July 2007 at 11:23 pm
TS..My comments are moderated yen maadli
27 July 2007 at 11:25 pm
Ask Churumuri to ban every post whoever don’t agree with them..
27 July 2007 at 11:28 pm
Well the only thing I can think of as Bhaskar Chattrjee begins his ranting is Henry the second and his outburst against Thomas a Becket “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”. I am no king but BC sure ought to take up the sage advice of TS for the sake of OUR sanity.
27 July 2007 at 11:28 pm
Glasgow Update: Whoops – Our Bad.
by matttbastard
Nick Bryant of BBC News details what led to the collapse of the (flimsy) terror case against Dr Mohammed Haneef. If this shameful debacle doesn’t provide Australian voters with ample justification to (finally) give Bush-licking …
27 July 2007 at 11:32 pm
You guys have ZERO respect for judiciary in India. When its pointed out, you guys try to cover under pretentions.
Answer the questions raised, if you can.
27 July 2007 at 11:33 pm
Where were you guys when 2 Indians were put in Jail after Madrid bombing?
Sleeping?
How far you guys can further this debate, if behave such communal, facist fashion?
27 July 2007 at 11:46 pm
If the basic premises is: ONE IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY, is it applied to Narendra Modi?
27 July 2007 at 11:52 pm
If Haneef was in Suadi Arabia or Libya both countries practicing Haneef’s religion, he would have been buried by now. If the reeorism charges are dropped it does not mean he is innocent. Wait for a few months or an year his activities will surface alowlly after he is back in Bangalore and received with a hero welcome.
28 July 2007 at 2:13 am
Do not speak in Arabic. Speak in Hindi or English,
28 July 2007 at 2:31 am
or in Sona Bangla !!!
28 July 2007 at 2:40 am
And if Churumuri guys think by these types of polemic u will be bringing tolerance in the society in India, u are greatly mistaken.
It actually inflames a large section of people, including people like us who originally don’t belong to rightwing but forced to, because of precisely these types of dishonesty, openly communal approach.
Furtunately, very few people read these types of blogs. Else, Guj will be repeated everywhere.
28 July 2007 at 2:41 am
Charges against Haneef is dropped and he is under house detention for next few days. Any Indian will welcome it.
Why it was needed to bring Modi, Gujarat here?
28 July 2007 at 2:43 am
lo chatterji right helo, siva
28 July 2007 at 3:00 am
Mr Chaterjee, kindly request you not to hog space.
28 July 2007 at 3:27 am
Make Churumuri a intranet then, if you donot want to hear on the crap dished out here. As long as it dishes out crap, and available in the Internet, people are free to raise issues.
28 July 2007 at 4:11 am
Most pathetically, has anybody said every Muslim in India is terrorist? Or that Jihadi terrorism is related with Islam as a religion?
Guj CM Modi, who is been equated here with Hitler, HIMSELF SAID JIHADI TERRORISM IS NOT RELATED WITH ISLAM AS RELIGION. Modi also reiterated that in his speech in Mumbai after 711 blasts. Go and check the full speech which is available in the net.
So, pathetic Indian Psuedos (who posted this article) are fighting with whom?
And how? What sort of fight for justice is this by omitting, distorting facts.
WHY INDIAN PSUEDOS ARE SO APOLOGETIC? EVEN DISTORT, OMIT FACTS CONVENIENTLY?
28 July 2007 at 4:14 am
I ask a question: Even if Haneef were proved to be a terrorist, would that have made every Indian Muslim, educated ones as trrorist?
Should it be proven Deobandis of Godhra planned the train burning, would that have made every Indian Muslim terrorist?
Obviously not. Its a big country where 150 m Muslim live and unlike in Europe/USA, they are rooted here.
But that does not mean, we have to be apologetic about Muslim Lumpens, Jihadis either. They have done huge damage to non-muslims of Bangladesh, PAK, Kashmir, including their own faith/culture.
SO, PSUEDOS PLEASE STOP APOLOGIZING FOR MUSLIM LUMPENS, JIHADIS. If they are fringe of Indian Muslim community, which they are, WHY INDIAN PSUEDOS ARE SO APOLOGETIC?
Its a psychological disorder, Dhimmitude, which Indian Psuedos are suffering from.
28 July 2007 at 4:31 am
BC
You have made your point. You can afford to relax for a while and come back with more interesting examples of dhimmitude. Thanks.
28 July 2007 at 6:26 am
Media/ Bloggers/ Pseudosecularists/ Amnesty International/ Danny/ Gaby/ Buddhi Jeevis etc…WAKE UP!
there are 48 other Indians waiting for Justice, rotting in jail all over the world…
sadly:
-no human rights guys ever talk about them, no blog wasted space for them…
-none were involved in terror acts (some were even caught in mid sea, for crossing the imaginary internationl borders!)
-none were photographed in thier jail cell, and their photos were not digged out of school records for daily display in the press
-no OB vans were placed in front of thier houses to beam images of relatives
ALL BECAUSE, THEY ARE ALL NON MUSLIMS???
28 July 2007 at 7:57 am
Well written Bhaskar Chaterjee. Until I read from you, i never knew that 2 Indian (cussed hindus) were held on the same charges as haneef. I think manmoron slept for the whole week then.
Please ignore the quislings. Keep writing . When dhimmis cant answer your questions with logic they simply indulge in cheap calumny.
The author made vivid the dhimmi encoding in his DNA by first vouching for ‘presumed innocent until proved guilty’ and then comparing modi with hitler, when modi’s guilt hasn’t been proved hitherto in any court of law and is therefore innocent by the standards they claim to believe( Top lesson learnt!).Sickening Bull crappers.
I remeber another incident a few years back where in jhabua in orissa, a few nuns were raped. And all of the secular media pronounced RSS and Bajrang Dal guilty. Then there was a commision of enquiry, whose findings revealed that the rapists were actually ALL christians and none of the dhimmis even wrote anything about the revelations of the commission, let alone apologise. These dhimmis will lead to another partition of india soon, if by that time islamic jihadis wouldnt have made our lives hellish enough
28 July 2007 at 9:23 am
BC,
Nim prakaara hanifge yen maadbeku? You really look foolish now that Haneef has been shown to be innocent and yet you keep posting… BTW kannada is not urdu. Even if it is written in English script.
28 July 2007 at 9:25 am
BC,
Whatever you mean by pseudo, you sure sound like one. For all your rabble rousing, in real life I bet you cant hurt a fly.
28 July 2007 at 10:49 am
Despite all invectives directed againt Australian investigating authorities, in the end they had the grace to accept they were wrong. Just think of the parallel in India; they would have gone to any length to justify thier acts howsoever it was wrong or indefensible. Haneef cleared of the charges shoudl be a welcome news but at the same time see how our Prime Minister acted in haste by summoning the Australian High Commissiner even when the issue was in the initial stage of inquiry by the Australian authorities. Does it not ring an alarming bell?
28 July 2007 at 11:08 am
@Bapu
Yes, the Australian investigating authorities “had the grace to accept they were wrong”. But what about your own grace to accept that you and your ilk are wrong and are only now trying to appear reasonble? Can you guys talk about anything without spewing venom on Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi or the UPA?
If you or I were in Haneef’s position, we should expect as a matter of right the external affairs ministry (not the prime minister, mind you) to summon the concerned embassy or high commission to take up our case. That’s the least courtesy we as citizens of this country are entitled to.
But somehow, the logic of civility doesn’t seem so appealing, does it, when the only alarm bell is the one ringing in your head at how differently the NDA would have handled this? That alarm bell should have started ringing when Jaswant Singh accompanied the hijackers of IC 814 to Khandahar.
28 July 2007 at 5:19 pm
Yashika>>But somehow, the logic of civility doesn’t seem so appealing, does it, when the only alarm bell is the one ringing in your head at how differently the NDA would have handled this? That alarm bell should have started ringing when Jaswant Singh accompanied the hijackers of IC 814 to Khandahar.
Bring a legislation (as in case of Israel and USA) that Govt of India will NEVER DEAL with Terrorists and release hostage.
And see who stands where. Those who released Azhar Masood will support that, but Psuedos will oppose it. Remember POTA?
People like you are most discredited, double-speakers. You guys run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. Stop this double speak and wake up before its too late. Being Indian, I am ashamed how a section of our own people due to narrow religous and ideological ground oppose anti-terror laws.
They were released to save 100+ life, though its reported Advani did not agree. And we all know THOSE WHO LATER REVOKED POTA WERE WHIPPING UP PASSIONS OF RELATIVES OF HOSTAGES.
28 July 2007 at 5:19 pm
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jul/26inter.htm
Interview with A S Dulat, former RAW Chief
Question: Do you think the Kandahar event cost India dear?
Answer: It cost India nothing! The Jaish-e-Mohammad was already there; its leader, who happened to be the ideologue, was released. But many lives were saved.
28 July 2007 at 8:44 pm
Churumuri was great till it was hijacked by this mad man. he reminds me of Orwell’s def of a fanatic- One who doubles the efforts after having lost sight of the objective. This BC is a glaring example of how a good discourse on so many things gets so one tracked. It’s almost as sad for me to say bye to churumuri as it was to say bye to my school in Mysore when we moved to the UK.
Most of all I will all the talk of Lovely Mysore and the opps to rib DB:)
28 July 2007 at 8:50 pm
I suspect that Hannef’s story has some way to go. His compatriots are now charged in Britain and their cases ome up for hearing in a few weeks from now. Rumour is that Haneef’s background still needs unearthing, and hence the Australian police say that the investigation is continuing. A few bloggers has said Haneef is not cleared, but the terrorism charge has been dropped. It will take sometime for the truth to come out of the woodwork.
28 July 2007 at 10:23 pm
Gaby & Co!
Please run a campaign…
for awarding “Rajyotsava Award for Dr Haneef”
All those who support Ka Ra Ve…
how come you are silent on Dr Haneef`s relatives not speaking even a word in Kannada? If you do not tolerate English signs, why do you tolerate a Bangalorean not uttering a sinle Kannada word? are they exempt from your rule of Kannada in Karnataka?
28 July 2007 at 10:49 pm
Hey Gowdre,
I am not carrying a breif for Haneef- I have adequate faith in the criminal justice system of the Ozzies despite the goofups and John Howard. If anything its the ozzies themselves who dont like the way the whole thing has been carried out from the PM of the state of Queensland to a poll on bleeding conservative Sky news mate.
What I was feeling sorry is about the way this BC has hijacked the forum for his crazy ranting and hatred messages and then this man also crosses the political neutrality of this Kannadiga forum and holds out A POLITICAL PARTY as better than the others. Compared to him even neevu Gowdre and DB seem sane?
Ee kodangina swalpa teppagiru andiddu tappa??
29 July 2007 at 6:14 am
@Gaby, I agree with your anguish some over guys hogging precious webspace…I leave the blogmaster to have the judgement…
Please swalpa flashback maadi…
Haneef gets detained by police – media goes on overdrive…
Haneef is charged – media and amnesty go overdrive on propaganda that auzzie police are bad! (even Haneefs wife called names on auzzie police over live media)
Now haneefs charges are withdrawn…media claims victory, paints the police black…
Now, sit back and analyse…why did we hype the whole thing?
He was NEVER arrested, NOT convicted, Chargesheet withdrawn…
If the media had behaved in a repsonsible way, lot of trees would have been saved, Indias pride would have remained intact, probably, whole news would have died in two days time, with Haneef back in India…
would the media do the same thing, if an army soldier/ poor fisherman is detained by a foreign nation: NO they have not done it!
Then why this special treatment for Dr Haneef & Co? (Kannadigas should be ashamed of Dr Haneefs family, who can not even make a sentence in Kannada- at least in Media)
probalby there are no answers…
29 July 2007 at 12:05 pm
Raviraj Valalmbe Gowda
Are you a completely ignorant person or do u just lack the ability to process anything?
In the last 49 years no one has ever been held in police custody by the AFP (Australian Federal Police). The last time where someone was treated as though they were guilty (i.e. be held in custody and have thier VIsA revoked was…umm let me see …NEVER). In fact during WW2 was the only time wen australia held people without charges for and indefinate period of time (the germans in australia were accused of being spies and were detained at this time…by the way if you don’t know any world history i’m sorry for your ignorance).
And one more thing that i cant seem to figure out is why you seem to be “ragging” the media. If you were in Haneef’s postion you would be nothing but grateful to them. Yes its true that the media does not give every case like this (or similar to this as this case is a precedent in the Australian legal system and if the first time that the judicial arm seems to be corrupted by the parlimentary arm) but you need to remember that the media just like any other company are profit orientated organizations and as such the seek RATINGS (do you know what that is Mr. ignorant?). It must however be noted then that the media cannot “generate hype” unless there is not already something already there to help out. In this case and let me spell it out for you here…..There was an INNOCENT man being acused and held for completly injust reasons. Not to mention THE AFP being accused of EVIDENCE TAMPERING and the minister of immigration cancellin this mans VISA inoreder to hold him in the country even after the courts had granted bail that way effectively bypassing the judicial arms power using immigration laws set out by the parlimentary arm.
Lastly I have no idea what you have against the family of this man. Are you insulted that someone doesn’t know your language (Kannada), wake up Mr.Ignorant Kannada is not even a significant language in the world today (Everybody speaks ENGLISH and in INDIA (thats where you live by the way–> Hindi is a NATIONAL language and KANADA is the STATE language). Have you ever heard of migration? its when people move to a certain place from another and considering INDIA has more than 20 different languages I doubt that many people know all 20 (both oral and written) fluently.
So for your IGNORANT ranting my not so considerate or intelligent friend (wait…you arn’t a friend i make it a point not to associate with your kind of ignorant people). Leave the MEDIA and the FAMILY of this VICTIM alone.
Dr.Haneef should be hailed as a Hero, for the way he handled himself during the whole of this ordeal. He was interogated, held in isolation, had evidence manipulated against him and yet he did not get violent or abuse any of the AFP that did this to him.
FYI (it means For your information…) the AFP is being asked by the australian public to have a independent Inquest against them over the handling of this case. Also the australian public is demanding that the immigration minister step down over the Haneef case and his actions in abusing his powers regarding immigration and granting Visa’s.
So while the rest of the world is grateful that nothing went wrong and an innocent man was not charged..hateful and ignorant people like you are still out there and “free” to create mischief.
Do us all a favour, excercise your right of freedom of speech with other lunatics of your kind, maybe then your ranting would be more appeciated.
(P>S> Very informative posts by Bhaskar Chattrjee: although i don’t agree with everything you have to say, you sound like you have a basis of argumentation and are atleast not just ignorantly ranting.)
29 July 2007 at 2:55 pm
Dear Mr.Bhaskar,
Please answer the following:-
1. Do you approve the massacre of thousands of lives(inclusive of Hindus)after Godhra?
2. Why there is discrimination in rehabilitation of Post Godhra Victims?
3. Shouldn’t we support a ‘victim of circumtances’ like Haneef just because we didn’t rise our voice against the detention of Indians in case of Madrid bombing?
4. Can’t we see Haneef as an Indian rather than a Muslim?
5.”If the basic premises is: ONE IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY, is it applied to Narendra Modi?”
I am of the opinion that the above principle can’t applied to all. Because the ‘POWER’ful like Modi have all the resources-Legal, Monetary and otherwise-to remain unproven. But what about me,you……..?
6.”You guys have ZERO respect for judiciary in India.” I have heard and read some right wing activists saying that Ram mandir will be built even if the court rules otherwise. So what about the respect for judiciary in this case?
7.Now the terorrism charges against Haneef are dropped. Do you accept his innocence?
29 July 2007 at 3:38 pm
Gowdre unfortunately we live in an era where the media simply live for soundbytes and have never been a responsible force. A poor farmer or soldier doesnt make the smae sensationalism as this- just consider a Muslim- Howard’s government record- a dumb media and a poulation to lap it all up- a heady cocktail- very sad and all that- but how does the media get corrected- like u said there arent any easy answers.
BTW isnt there anything to prevent anybody raving and ranting on these pages?!
29 July 2007 at 10:09 pm
@anonymous…(or the enlightened soul)
before calling names on fellow blog commenters, please note:
i said there are 48 other Indians waiting for Justice, rotting in jail all over the world…i repaeat all over the world…NOT in Austarlia…
according to you, if media and hype can settle things, why have courts/ police etc…have every issue settled by “trial by media” – much cheaper that way!
I was the first to recommend, Rajyotsava award for Dr Haneef! (for holding the Karanataka flag high, in the recent past!)
I have every right to criticize media, as blogging is the only place where media may be criticized! (or else face their wrath!)
Media goof up:
why go as far as Australia? see how a poor Mangalorean couple suffered because of mindless blackmailing media…
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=36321&n_tit=Mangalore%3A+Man+Aggrieved+by+TV9+Report+Gives+his+Side+of+Story)
WHY BRING THE ROT OF GENERAL MEDIA INTO BLOGGING???
29 July 2007 at 11:51 pm
Haneef is aie by the freeom of speech and respect for the law the Aussies have. How can one believe when he says that he knows Sabeel Ahmed well to the extrent of giving him the SIM card, and oes not know what his friends called the ‘Cambrigemob’ were upto. Why give SIM car anyway in Britain. The mobile phone tariff are cheap an the phones are`cheap.
We have been saying that the fact he was released does not mean he is innocent. The intelligence may point otherwise which cannot be produce in a court of law as evience until the laws are changed. The police knew about the activities of one of the 7/7 bombers in Britain through intelligence but could nothing as the courts in Britain and in Australia have to be shown evidence. The American laws were changed from English laws and if Haneef was arrested in US, he would have been kept in prison for a long time. Welcome this guy if you will, but terrorists are clever and we have not heard the last words about Haneef. If were Aussies I would have left this guy in his place, monitor him secretly giving him a long rope and would have moved to apprehend him when he is further into his activities. The Aussies moved prematurely perhaps triggere by British arrests and Haneef ha packeted his income from Australian TV appearance grinning all the way to the bank.
7 August 2007 at 1:33 pm
Thank God, there is no TADA like act in Australia. At least they are graceful enough to release Haneef after realizing their mistake and respecting the public opinion. Can the same logic of `No one is guilty until it is proved ` be extended to Bombay blast accused also? Many of them have been released for want of clinching evidence after languishing in prison for many years. Does it mean that they should sue the state on the charge of false implication? let us not generalize; criminal jurisprudence is much more complex. Time has come to evolve a system to deal with inter national terrorism plugging all the loopholes not to allow the criminal to escape from the clutches of law on technical and flimsy ground, at the same time stringent steps are needed to prevent arbitrary action by any country.