Earthquakes and load-bearing walls
By Khalid A.
London UK
Concrete slabs resting on load-bearing walls are lethal in an earthquake zone. The sequence of destruction in several earthquakes in recent years was observed as follows:
The walls moved, crumbled or gave way. The roof slab resting on the walls fell down as a lethal weapon and crushed the unfortunate victims.
Mere strengthening of the structure is not the real solution. We have to create a structure where there is no separate wall or separate roof. Such structures do exist in the shapes of domes or semicircular barrel sheds. The dome or the barrel shell should start from the ground level up. So there will be no separate load-bearing walls. Such a monolithic structure is strong and stable against vibrations and tremors. It can be constructed of concrete or fiber glass, etc. Eskimos construct their igloos from ice blocks!
Even large concrete pipes can be placed in public buildings as earthquake/air raid shelters.
Entry Tickets to Paradise
The Taliban are selling ‘entry tickets’ to paradise and our so-called scholars have been giving them approving smiles.
It is quite important to dispel the ‘worldly’ concept of paradise being propagated by the semi-literate mullahs. The great sage Rabia Basri once declared:
I feel like burning the paradise and quenching the hell-fire, thus making people seek purely Allah’s pleasure, without the greed for paradise or the fear of punishment.
Allama Iqbal says:
Saudagri naheen yeh ibaadat khuda ki hai
Ai bay khabar jazaa ki tamannaa bhi chor day
The concept of paradise as taught in madrassas is a worldly version rather than a heavenly one. A true paradise, by definition, would be a state of eternal harmony, blissful serenity and tranquility. There will be not a breath of scandal or a whiff of jealousy. Hatred, pain or sorrow will be unknown. Human mind will be at peace with itself. This can be achieved by total submission to the Creator. There is no question of quid pro quo, where you count your deeds and multiply them by 7 or 70 and demand your rewards.
One can imagine, if the Taliban were to enter the paradise (as perceived by them), they would be busy counting their rewards, demanding more and would be jealous of others around them.
I would appeal to your readers to beware of numerous Madrassa’s where money is coming from enemies of the Ummah and where young minds are being poisoned with the promise of ‘paradise’ to the would-be assassins.
