For The Record

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By Syed M.Aslam
Aug 27 - Sep 02 , 2001

*** "WHEN OPPRESSED people struggle for their rights, an effort is made to describe their just struggle as terrorism. But when occupying states use massive force and violence to deny a people their inalienable rights and indulge in state terrorism, the world watches silently."

(Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN, Shamshad Ahmad, calling for the establishment of a protection observer force in Palestinian territories occupied by Israel)

*** "IN A SOCIETY where there is poverty, discrimination and illegal profits, you can't expect young people to be perfect."

(Iranian President Mohammad Khatami criticizing repressive measures against young people in an address to the parliament)

*** "AN OUTSIDER might conclude that the Wessexes were on strike. I could not possibly comment."

(Unnamed Buckingham Palace official commenting on the boycotting of public duties by Prince Edward and his wife Princess Sophie Rhys-Jones for the rest of the year. The couple is furious about the scrutiny of their finances)

*** "SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD sometimes lose sight of the reason for research ... Instead, they are retrained by budgets or sponsors showing them off as prize poodles. A lot of scientists also get hampered by greed and jealousy among their fellow scientists. Science should be above greed."

(Stephen Forsyth, founder member and deputy chairman of research and technology institute Abu Dhabi saying genius is the main criteria to join his 'intellectual club')

*** "WELCOME TO UNDEFEATED JENIN ... whatever the Israelis destroy here, we will rebuild again and again and again."

(A resident of West Bank town of Jenin — the fountainhead of martyrdom, talking to a western journalist about the Palestinians reaction to atrocities committed by Israeli occupational forces)

*** "IT SEEMS THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA would rather feed the fishes in the Arabian Sea than the people of India."

(Petition filed by an Indian human rights group saying that nearly 208 million Indians have been affected by 'chronic hunger', despite bumper crop of 50 million tons of food grain. The petition resulted in Supreme Court's reprimanding the government for mismanaging food distribution)

*** "SEEM TO BE?"

(Hong Kong pop-star Nicholas Tse's reply to a question that he seem to be island's hottest young heartthrob)

*** "IT'S NOT AS though you hit 60 or 70 and fall apart. We're falling apart as we speak."

(Psychologist Denise Park of the University of Michigan commenting on his research that contrary to the popular opinion memory loss strikes as early as mid-20s instead of late in life as believed)

*** "CLIENTS CAN SHOW legal ownership of their Personal DNA Pattern and protect it from misappropriation and copyright infringement."

(DNA Copyright Institute of San Francisco offering to copyright DNA by recording, checking it is unique and storing it for $ 1,500 to avoid cloning of the rich and famous)

*** "THE WTO is born into an unequal world. Hence, its first mandate is to help bridge this development gap among the nations of the world. India calls upon both developed and developing countries to collaborate and make WTO work for poor."

(Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee dismissing US warning of isolation at WTO and demanding more liberalization for developing countries ahead of its ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar in November)

*** "I WOULD HAVE TO PAY around the same to stay in an old people's home and it wouldn't be nearly as much fun as here ... I need people and I must meet 16,000 people a year here."

(Beatrice Muller, an 82-year-old US widow, justifying her choice to spend her life on board the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2)

*** "LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER, in my case I don't have any choice."

(US President George W. Bush jokingly referring to his strong willed mother, the former first lady Barbara Bush, to emphasise the need of character-building conservative values and criticizing the destructive permissive culture)