INSIDE TURKISH DELIGHTS - THE HAREM

Sultan Bargash (1870-88) of Zanzibar had 90 wives, concubines and slaves in his Beit al-Ajaib palace.

But more than 3 centuries earlier, Sultan Suleyman the Magnificient, established in 1541 in the Grand Seraglio at Constantinople's Topkapi Palace (now Hegia Sophia Museum, left below) the famous of all harems. It was headed by his former concubine, Hurrem Sultan, a Circassian whose fame became known as Roxelana to  the West.
 

Scenes of harem life in 1800's. Inside a harem, 1860 showing a flute player (R).

Prima donna or jewel of the harem (L); dinner time (R).

Left: Smoking a chibouque (long-stemmed pipe) or a nargileh (water pipe).

R: Mary Wortley Montagu, a traveller visited a hammam, Turkish bath.

The last of the harem of Turkish sultans was 1909 when the traditional practice was disbanded.

THANKS BUT NO THANKS TO HITLER

Hitler and Nazi Germany had grandiose designs to change the map of the world and purify the Aryan race. World War II not only resulted in new global geographic demarcations but also power.  Hence, the  dreams of the west to grab Muslim  lands and resources. The Muslim world got worse and worse, its own governance partly to blame.

Hitler at prewar Nazi rally, Nurnberg, Germany (L); triumphal parade, Warsaw, 1939 (R).

It is said that 6,000,000 Jews were exterminated by the Nazi during the holocaust . Victims at Nordhausen concentration camp (below).

The President of Iran amongst others do not believe in the holocaust. It must be remembered that it was the Persians who liberated the Jews who fled to Babylon after their kingdom was sacked by the Romans. The Jews have not return the favour to Iran but want to bomb it instead!

Taking the holocaust did happen then the Muslim world was made safer from zionism by their 6M reduced numbers. But no, the holocaust strenghtened their resolve to create a safe haven.

With British support as exemplified in the Balfour Declaration, the Jews  have ever since violently driving the Palestinians away  from their homeland.

Gen. Allenby entering Jerusalem at the end of the War (L).

The fight by the Arabs against British support of zionist state went back much earlier (L).


Two zionists instrumental in spearheading Israel state creation were Chaim Weizmann (L) and Theodor Hezl. Weizmann addressing 1942 zionist conference in New York (R).

Theodor Hezl (L)

KOK BOSAR DIBOBEK, KOK KOCIK DIHOMBUIH

Kok bosar dibobek

Kok kocik dihombuih. (Blow in air into inflatable bra using straw).

Mano deh Wanita Umno kato dio bosar tu? Den nak osahkan!!

RAYA: DON'T BE SAD

This picture (legs got blown up) could be anywhere in the Muslim world now - Rohingya, Philippine, Thailand, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Dagestan, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, Sinai, Somali, Mali, Sudan, Nigeria ...

Worst still are happening - death and destruction.

Sharon of Sabba and Shatila messacre dead.

Many other killers are alive and kicking including the Killer of Pattani (R).

Gay is Obama rampaging.

What rejoice we are talking about?

TRIBUTE TO RICE: WILL THE NATION RISE?

“Rice is so ingrained in the psychology of our people that we cannot suggest eliminating it. It is precisely because it is so important to us that we have a constructive starting point to develop interest and involvement in producing more and better rice, more cheaply and efficiently.”

Tun Abdul Razak Hussin, 18th April 1968

Padi field at the foothills of Mt. Kinabalu (L).

Buffaloes for work and meat supply then.

Mechanised planting (L) at Seberang Perak;  manual transplanting (R).

Traditional (L) and new (R) varieties.

Research resulted in high yielding varieties (L). Sanusi Junid's novel idea of integrated planting of rice on rooftop and poultry rearing below (R).

Harvesting hill padi, Sarawak (L), lesong kaki to pound padi (R), Museum Pasir Salak. These processes are highly mechanised now.

Climate change or inefficient water conservation result in water shortage (L).

Malaysia produces less than 70% of its rice needs. With increase in population, land conversion and degradation, much talk about self-sufficiency for years, lack of political will - our own supply of staple food is set to decline. Will the nation ever rise? Let those generations after us take the hindmost, yeah!

ZANZIBAR - THE SULTAN HAD 90 WIVES

The Omanis were at one time adventurous and put an end to Portuguese 200 year rule of the Swahili coast of Africa in 1698. They traded slaves, ivory, gold ... (from Africa), dates, incense ... (Arabia), and spices, cloth (India) . In mid-1800s some 50,000 African slaves were traded each year at Zanzibar's slave market.

L: Ivory trade 1800s.

The Omanis introduced clove (1818) growing in Zanzibar, zenj (black - old Arabic/Persian), bar (coast - Arabic). The trade was lucrative and the Sultan of Oman moved his capital to Zanzibar in 1832, establishing a dynasty lasting until 1964.

One Sultan Bargash (1870-88) had 90 wives and every evening he would go to the palace's (Beit al-Ajaib) balcony to choose three of them for the night.

Zanzibar's population is about 1/4 million, 30% of them Muslims, 25% Christians and the rest native religions. Descendents of mixture of Omani Arabs and Shirazi Persians and Africans make up the Muslim population. Maulidi Rasul is celebrated well (R, below). Swaleh is their revered ulama.

Stone town built in the 19th century has more than 160,000 people. As a result of the union of Zanzibar and Tanganyika in 1964 formed Tanzania.

Richard Burton (L) and John Speke (1856-59) on the search for the source of the Nile started their quest from Zanzibar (L, below).

Burton was the author of many books including The Kama Sutra of Vatsyana (1838, translator) and Personal Narrative of a Pilgimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah (1855).

MINI MINIS

Several years ago India says that it will commercialise production of the cheapest car (a mini version) in the world. Has it materialised yet?

The world's smallest series-produced car, the Fiat 500, left the factory in Turin for the first time in 1936. I have  owned a Fiat 600 before but its brake was poor.

My 15-year old Kancil is dependable, of great service and keeps me in sustainable mode. Perodua may have made a premature death to Kancil!

The penchant for small or even mini mini cars for affordability and maneuverability has been around since early 1900s.

The "Peel P. 50" was presented at the 1960 London Motor Show. It claimed to be the wold's smallest and cheapest car.

A homemade mini car on the road, 1930s, USA

French inventor Dazin on his "Dazinette", a 1HP 16mph (25kmh) in Paris. He intended to drive to Berlin in March 1936.

Engineer Riandho in his motor scooter, 1952. He drove the model from London to Cape Town hoping to go into series production if successful with the endurance test.

Mini car-and-trailer combination on its way to the London Open Air Exhibition, 24 March 1939.