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With the explosion of mobile-phone use and the gradual spread of broadband internet in Pakistan, access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) has increased, as have citizen journalism and online activism. In response, over the past three to four years—under both military rule and an ostensibly democratic civilian government—the authorities have adopted various measures to exert some control over cyberspace and the sharing of information online. Although the authorities often frame new restrictions as necessary for national security, the war on terror, or protection against blasphemous content, research has revealed that in many cases, hidden under such justifications is an ulterior motive that is political.
In the early 1990s, text-based internet was introduced to the country and the first e-mail service provider in Pakistan, ImranNet,[1] was established. The spread of e-mail and digital technologies began to expand with the initiation of the Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP) in December 1992.[2] With financial assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),[3] SDNP succeeded in enhancing computer literacy and providing dial-up internet and e-mail services to urban centers across the country[4] from five nodes based in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar.[5] In 1994-95, Digicom, an entrepreneurial Internet venture, launched the first internet service access point in Karachi.[6] This heralded the beginning of the internet industry in Pakistan. By 2002, the then-Minister of Science and Telecom and his team brought more than 800[7] cities online across the country via dial-up connections. Internet and mobile-phone penetration spread further with the deregulation of the telecom sector, though a large urban-rural divide persists.[8]
As of 2009, the number of internet users stood at around 20.4 million [9] and there were about one million broadband users as of mid-2010.[10] Mobile-phone penetration is greater. According official figures released in December 2010, there were more than 100 million mobile-phone subscribers[11] with 7 mobile companies[12], and teledensity including fixed telephone lines, wireless and mobile phones reached 65. percent of the population.[13]
According to International Telecommunications Union (ITU) statistics, the penetration of internet in Pakistan was slightly over 10 percent in 2009.[14] By contrast, the penetration of mobile phones stood at 61.7 percent by the end of 2010.[15] Factors such as poor infrastructure, high costs, low literacy, difficult economic conditions, age, and culture are some of the constraints that have particularly limited the development and proliferation of the internet in Pakistan.[16] High prices, poor copper wire infrastructure, and inadequate monitoring of service quality by the government regulator have further limited the expansion of broadband internet penetration.[17] Even though the prices for internet use have fallen considerably in the last few years,[18] access remains out of the reach of the majority of people in Pakistan. Most users in Pakistan access the internet either at their workplace or as students at universities and colleges. Cybercafes provide some internet service but are limited to major cities.
In June 2010, the minister in charge of information technologies reported a growth by 150 percent in broadband access since 2008;[19] however, these figures can be misleading given the poor quality of the connections. High quality broadband services remain concentrated in large cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Wireless service providers using WiMAX and EVDO along with mobile operators Mobilink, Ufone, Telenor, Warid, and Zong have also been struggling to attract consumers due to high prices and poor performance and coverage. Pakistan does not yet have a third generation (3G) network, which is also a hindrance for the spread of broadband internet and other wireless services.[20] Remote areas of the country have no access to broadband, and are left with only a slow, intermittent dial-up connection, rendering any meaningful online activities very difficult.[21] This situation is particularly challenging for students in rural areas who seek to study via distance learning, but are then deprived of multimedia lectures and tutorials. In addition, most of the areas in the conflict-stricken Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly Northwest Frontier Province) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are without internet access at all.
Promoting access to the internet for the masses has not been a development priority for the government, and few resources have been allocated for this purpose. The only example of such an investment has been the establishment of 365 Rabta Ghar[22] (public telecenters in rural areas) by the PTA as a pilot project; however, little information is available on their current status or impact. Financial incentives, cultural traditions, language barriers, and most importantly, the lack of a robust telecommunications infrastructure, also weigh against great expansion of internet connectivity.
In recent years, the Pakistani authorities, either via government order or court decisions, have on several occasions blocked access to various Web 2.0 applications, such as the video-sharing website YouTube, the photo-sharing application Flickr, and the social-networking tool Facebook.[23] Such blocks are often carried out under the rubric of restricting access to "blasphemous" content; however, further research into the individual incidents has found that the restrictions consistently corresponded to circumstances suggesting politically-motivated censorship.[24] The blanket shut downs have affected a large number of users. For example, the most recent incident was a ban on Facebook that occurred on May 19, 2010 (see details below). At the time, there were approximately 2.5 million Facebook users[25] in Pakistan, and according to Alexa.com, it was the country's third most popular website.[26]
The first incident of blocking occurred at the end of February 2006 when the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) issued instructions to all internet-service providers (ISPs) in Pakistan to block any website displaying the controversial cartoon images of the prophet Muhammad that had been published in a Danish newspaper. The block particularly focused on Google and Blogspot, a blog-hosting service.[27] The ban continued for approximately two months.[28] More recently, upon orders from the Lahore High Court, the PTA, using the pretext of limiting the circulation of blasphemous content, instituted an extensive blockage of internet content from May 19 to 31, 2010.[29] The heightened restrictions were in response to the creation of a "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" contest on Facebook and a legal appeal initiated by a relatively unknown organization called the Islamic Lawyers Movement. The ban resulted in the blocking of 10,548 websites and critical information sources like YouTube, Flickr, the user-generated online encyclopedia Wikipedia, and more.[30] Mobile-phone providers also halted Blackberry services, at first completely, but then only web-browsing functions.[31] The blocking was widely criticized by civil society circles, particularly given the collateral damage caused, whereby all users of these particular applications were affected. Responding to public protests, the blanket blocks were generally temporary, and as of the end of 2010, most of these services were available, though the authorities appeared to shift their efforts to blocking individual YouTube videos or Facebook pages instead (see Limits on Content). The exception was access to applications such as Facebook and Twitter via Blackberry devices, which remained restricted throughout 2010, though a range of tips for circumventing the blockage circulated online.[32]
As of December 2010, there were 50 operational ISPs[33] throughout Pakistan, along with 10 broadband service providers and 2 HFC Operators providing broadband internet. For its backbone, Pakistan is connected via the Pakistan Internet Exchange (PIE) with SEA-ME-WE 3 and 4, along with backup bandwidth provided by Trans-World Associates (TWA).[34] The current total internet bandwidth landing in Pakistan is 105,000 Mbits.[35] The licensing division of the PTA[36] is responsible for licensing telecom service providers including ISPs and mobile-phone providers; cybercafes do not require a license to operate. The process for obtaining a license for an ISP or mobile-phone provider routinely involves long bureaucratic processes and payment of hefty licensing fees. Since there is no regulatory agency to issue licenses, opening a cybercafe is relatively easy.[37]
The PTA is the primary regulatory body overseeing internet and mobile-phone services. The Prime Minister appoints the chairman and members of the PTA, and the body reports to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.[38] Industry representatives, civil society groups, and independent experts have serious reservations about its openness and independence as a regulatory body.
Since January 2003, the government of Pakistan has taken steps to censor some online content, though the system for doing so is not particularly sophisticated.[39] The authorities primarily rely on a blacklist of URLs that are blocked at both the PIE level and by individual ISPs. According to testing conducted by the Open Net Initiative in 2006 and 2008, censorship efforts focused symbolically on pornography and websites related to religious conversion, with some restrictions being inconsistent across different ISPs. More comprehensively blocked is content perceived as anti-military, blasphemous, or anti-state, while the most systematically censored is information disseminated by Balochi and Sindhi political dissidents.[40] For example, the website of the Washington-based World Sindhi Institute[41] and the website Lal-Masjid[42] are blocked. In November 2010, the authorities blocked The Baloch Hal, the first English language news website focused on Baluchistan, approximately one year after its launch.[43] The authorities have cited Section 99 of the penal code, which allows the government to restrict information that might be prejudicial to the national interest,[44] to justify their blocking.
Despite such limitations, Pakistanis have relatively open access to international news organizations and other independent media, as well as a range of websites representing Pakistani political parties, local civil society groups, and international human rights organizations.[45]
However, a confidential document that the PTA submitted to the Lahore High Court in June 2010[46] and that was later obtained by activists cites a series of policy guidelines that point to government plans to expand content filtering.[47] In this document, the Ministry of IT (MIT) calls for the establishment of a system whereby an opaque Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Evaluation of Websites receives complaints from the public, the ministry, or the PTA, evaluates whether they should be blocked, and if it finds that they should be, issues a directive to the PTA for blocking either the IP address or the URL of the relevant site. The document also includes a list of vaguely worded categories of information considered "unsuitable," including but not limited to: "information pertaining to any objectionable content," and websites that "bring contempt to the country or its people," websites that "undermine Islam or ridicule, disparage, or attack any religion," websites that bring "contempt of the defense forces, police, air force or any other institution of government," and websites that contain "propaganda in favor of any foreign state having bearing on any point of disputes or against any friendly foreign state."[48] If implemented, these policy guidelines would significantly increase restrictions on the free flow of information over the internet.
Indeed, a September 2010 submission by the MIT to the Lahore High Court cited that the committee had begun functioning and was comprised of representatives from the MIT, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Interior, security agencies, and the PTA, among others. According to the document, by September 2010, "more than 12,000 blasphemous and anti state/social websites have been blocked from access through the directives of the committee."[49] Specifically during August-September 2010, over 247 URLs were reportedly blocked, mostly related to an incident of a U.S.-based pastor initiating a campaign to burn copies of the Quran. A list of the banned URLs attached to the submission included web pages from international news outlets like the New York Times or the Cable News Network (CNN), blog postings critical of Islam, mostly based in the United States, and dozens of links to YouTube videos or Facebook groups.[50] The submission also referenced growing communication between the Pakistani authorities and administrators for websites such as Facebook and YouTube in order to prompt rapid removal of controversial content, such as the "International burn a Quran day" Facebook group.[51] No further details related to the committee's scope of work or the criteria used to inform blocking decisions have been made public, however.
Although the professed goal of the government is to limit access to pornographic materials, extremist groups, and anti-state activists, also targeted is certain information perceived as damaging to the image of the military or top politicians. In some incidents, such as the circulation of videos of a member of the armed forces being involved in land grabs,[52] or the President telling members of the audience to shut up in the middle of a public speech,[53] the government has blocked specific URLs; error messages seen by users refer to the censored content as "blasphemous," or that the "site is restricted," although it was apparently blocked for political reasons. By contrast, Facebook and Twitter postings by militant Islamic groups such as Hizbut al-Tahrir, including comments inciting violence against the Ahmedi religious minority, have been allowed to circulate with few restrictions.[54]
Most online commentators exercise a degree of self-censorship when writing on topics such as religion, blasphemy, separatist movements, or human rights protection for women and homosexuals, given the sensitivity of both the government and non-state actors to these subjects. There were few reports of authorities contacting bloggers to remove specific content or requiring moderators on discussion forums to delete certain messages.
A wide variety of government agencies are involved in online content censorship, but the PTA is the main body overseeing such restrictions. There are no published or known guidelines as to how or why some content is blocked, or what mechanisms may be available for challenging censorship decisions.
The relationship between citizen journalism and traditional media is mutually reinforcing, particularly with respect to a number of daring, investigative bloggers and the circulation of online videos. For example, in August 2010, a YouTube video was posted exposing the brutal killing of two brothers in the presence of senior police officers.[55] Following the video's circulation, several satellite television stations aired the story as well. This prompted the Supreme Court of Pakistan to initiate a high level inquiry into the killings. In another incident from May 2010, a mobile-phone video showing police humiliating and torturing a woman who approached a police station in Faisalabad to report a theft was posted on YouTube;[56] it too led to departmental inquiries and punishment of the perpetrators.[57] In September 2010, a mobile-phone video appeared online showing Pakistani soldiers arbitrarily killing six civilians as part of an anti-Taliban offensive in Swat valley. The incident drew international attention, including debates within the United States on whether to cut funding to the Pakistani military as a result.[58]
Although many civil society groups have been able to use the internet to advance their cause, mobile phones are the predominant medium for mobilization around political and social issues. The movement from 2008 to 2010 by lawyers and others calling for the reinstatement of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and greater protection of judicial independence is perhaps the most prominent example of how citizens have used social-networking websites, text-messaging, and other new media tools to successfully challenge state repression.[59] The recent floods in Pakistan have prompted many Pakistani citizens and members of the diaspora to mobilize and raise funds online on websites such as Facebook and Twitter.[60]
Article 19 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants the fundamental right of freedom of speech, although it is subject to several restrictions.[61] Pakistan also became a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)[62] in June 2010, although it added several reservations to its instrument of ratification.[63] These reservations include: (a) supremacy of the country's own constitution; (b) supremacy of Islamic ideology; and (c) self-determination on the provision of rights. In a positive development, in December 2010, a Lahore High Court judge rejected a petition requesting that the Wikileaks website be blocked to protect national security, in the process affirming the public's right to access such information. The decision raised hopes that it could potentially serve as a precedent for the future protection of citizens' right to access content online.[64]
Several pieces of legislation are used to restrict freedom of expression, including online. In 2008, former president Pervez Musharraf introduced a draconian Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance (PECO).[65] The ordinance called for long prison terms for offenses involving vaguely worded terms like "lewd" and "immoral," and declared as cyber crimes actions such as sending unsolicited text-messages and circulating photos without the permission of the person who was photographed. The ordinance was widely viewed as an effort to curb the use of digital media in organizing protests or circulating criticism of Musharraf.[66] The regulation lapsed in 2009, but was later tabled before the national assembly for approval to reactivate it. However, in November 2009, the Prime Minister returned it to the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Information Technology for further consultation and development of a new draft. In doing so, he cited its restrictive approach to free expression as the reason.[67] As of December 2010, the bill was pending and a new draft was still awaited.
Section 124 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on Sedition is extremely broadly worded, and the 2004 Defamation Act allows for imprisonment of up to five years, though neither is frequently used to punish journalists and has yet to be used to punish online speech.[68] Rather, another section of the penal code, Section 295(c), which addresses blasphemy, was used by police in 2010 to initiate proceedings against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg after a user of the social-networking tool created a group hosting a competition to draw the prophet Muhammad, a task considered offensive by many Muslims.[69] The maximum punishment under the law is life imprisonment or the death penalty. Following a wave of jokes about the president that circulated over e-mail, in July 2009 the government announced that several agencies had been tasked with tracing electronically transmitted jokes, and that offenders could face a 14-year prison sentence.[70] Despite such threats and the harsh legal environment, there were no Pakistani bloggers or activists imprisoned for online activities as of the end of 2010.
Fear of government surveillance is not a significant concern among most bloggers and online activists in Pakistan, with the exception of individuals in Baluchistan. Nevertheless, the Pakistani authorities and particularly intelligence agencies have some monitoring capacity. Before providing services, ISPs, telecom companies, and SIM card vendors are required to verify the National Identity Card details of prospective customers and to authenticate them with the National Database Registration Authority.[71] Although the Electronic Crimes ordinance expired in 2009, ISPs and telecom companies were reported to be continuing to keep logs of customer communications and convey them to security agencies as needed under directives from the PTA. In recent years, provincial authorities have pressured the central government to grant greater surveillance powers and location tracking ability to local police as part of efforts to curb terrorism and violent crime.[72] As of the end of 2010, it was unclear how much the authority had been broadened. According to some reports, the PIE positioned at the international internet gateway has the capability to monitor all incoming and outgoing traffic, as well as store all e-mails. In addition, Pakistan is reported to be a customer of Narus, a U.S.-based firm known for designing technology that allows for monitoring of traffic flows, as well as deep-packet inspection of internet communications.[73]
Although Pakistan is one of the most dangerous environments for traditional journalists, with at least 12 being murdered in 2009 and 2010,[74] no bloggers or online activists have been killed to date. However, during the internet crackdown that occurred in May 2010, there were several incidents of non-state actors, particularly Islamic extremists, attacking or threatening bloggers and others who were advocating against the blocking of online resources. In one instance, a mob attacked[75] a press conference[76] organized at the Karachi Press Club, though the club's personnel were able to disperse the tensions. During the same period, several free expression activists and bloggers received anonymous death threats. Most such messages were sent via text message from untraceable, unregistered mobile-phone connections, usually originating from the tribal areas of the country, and several had very specific details related to the individuals' profile or recent activities. Similarly, as some militant Islamic groups consider cybercafes to be sites of moral degradation, they have initiated attacks and bombings of such access points. Most attacks have occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and FATA, but in July 2010, bomb blasts also struck two cybercafes in Lahore, injuring six people.[77]
[1] "Brief History of IMRAN.PK, Internet Email in Pakistan," http://www.imran.com/imran.pk.html, accessed January 14, 2011.
[2] "Project Document for Sustainable Development Networking: Pakistan," Sustainable Networking Development Programme (SDNP), http://www.sdnp.undp.org/countries/as/pk/pkpdoc.html, accessed January 14, 2011.
[3] "SDNP Pakistan: Success in Networking for Development," Sustainable Networking Development Programme (SDNP), http://www.sdnp.undp.org/stories/pakistan.html.
[4] "SDNP Pakistan's effective use of dial-up UUCP technology to promote communication in absence of connectivity," Sustainable Networking Development Programme (SDNP), http://www.sdnp.undp.org/countries/as/pk/pkuucp.html.
[5] "SDNP Pakistan: Success in Networking for Development."
[6] Tariq Mustafa, "Internet Access in Pakistan: A Brief Review," Network Startup Resource Center, June 24, 1998, http://www.nsrc.org/db/lookup/report.php?id=898710351381:488973341&fromISO=PK.
[7] "ICT Profile- Pakistan," Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme, http://www.apdip.net/projects/dig-rev/info/pk/.
[8] Ministry of Information Technology, "De-Regulation Policy for the Telecommunication Sector," Government of Pakistan, July 2003, http://www.pakboi.gov.pk/pdf/Derregulation%20Policy.pdf.
[9] International Telecommunications Union (ITU), "ICT Statistics 2009—Internet," http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/icteye/Reporting/ShowReportFrame.aspx?ReportName=/WTI/InformationTechnologyPublic&ReportFormat=HTML4.0&RP_intYear=2009&RP_intLanguageID=1&RP_bitLiveData=False, accessed March 4, 2011.
[10] Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, "Telecom Indicators—Broadband Subscribers by Technology," http://www.pta.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=269:telecom-indicators&catid=124:industry-report&Itemid=599, accessed January 14, 2010.
[11] "Mobile Phone Users Cross 99m Mark," The Express Tribune, August 17, 2010, http://tribune.com.pk/story/40007/mobile-phone-users-cross-99m-mark/.
[12] Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, "List of Mobile Operators," http://www.pta.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=850&Itemid=625, accessed February 24, 2011.
[13] Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, "Telecom Indicators," http://www.pta.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=269:telecom-indicators&catid=124:industry-report&Itemid=599, accessed February 24, 2011.
[14] ITU, "ICT Statistics 2009—Internet."
[15] Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, "Telecom Indicators—Annual Cellular Mobile Teledensity," http://www.pta.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=269:telecom-indicators&catid=124:industry-report&Itemid=599, accessed January 14, 2011.
[16] A. Khan, Gender Dimensions of the Information Communication Technologies for Development (Karlstad: University of Karlstad Press, 2009).
[17] Muhammad Jamil Bhatti, "Broadband Faces Obstacles in Pakistan," Ohmy News, December 20, 2006, http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?at_code=381272.
[18] Ahmad Sajjad, "Pakistan Broadband Free Fall," blog post, Ahmad Sajjad Blog, March 3, 2008, http://sajjadzaidi.com/2008/mar/pakistan_broadband_free_fall/.
[19] Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, "2009-2010 Annual Report," http://www.pta.gov.pk/annual-reports/pta_ann_rep_2010.pdf, accessed January 14, 2011.
[20] "3G Mobile Phones but no 3G Networks in Pakistan," blog post, Mobile Phones Blog, June 16, 2010, http://www.best-mobiles.com/3g-mobile-phones-but-no-3g-networks-in-pakistan/.
[21]Pakistan Ministry of Information Technology, "Broadband Penetration in Pakistan: Current Scenario and Future Prospects," http://202.83.164.26/wps/wcm/connect/9a156580487ff5f7adaefd84e866145a/MoITStudyonBroadbandPenetration.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=9a156580487ff5f7adaefd84e866145a&CACHEID=9a156580487ff5f7adaefd84e866145a&CACHEID=9a156580487ff5f7adaefd84e866145a, accessed January 14, 2011.
[22] Babar Bhatti, "Rabta Ghar Updates—PTA Press Release," Telecom PK, January 7, 2009, http://telecompk.net/2009/01/07/rabta-ghar-updates/.
[23] "Pakistan Blocks Access to Youtube in Internet Crackdown," British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), May 20, 2010, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10130195.
[24] "How Come Content Against Salman Taseer can be Termed as 'Blasphemous'?" Bytes for All Pakistan ICT Policy Monitor Network, March 1, 2009, http://pakistanictpolicy.bytesforall.net/?q=node/160.
[25] http://www.checkfacebook.com/.
[26] http://www.alexa.com/topsites/countries/PK.
[27] Jefferson Morley, "Pakistan's Blog Blockade," blog post, Washington Post Blogs, March 8, 2006, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/worldopinionroundup/2006/03/pakistans_blog_blockade.html.
[28] "PTA Unblocks Blogspot," Teeth Maestro, May 3, 2006, http://teeth.com.pk/blog/2006/05/03/pta-unblocks-blogspot.
[29] Waqar Hussain, "Pakistan Blocks Facebook Over Mohammed Cartoon," Agence France-Presse (AFP), May 19, 2010, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iqKZNUdJFQ6c8ctdkUW0C-vktIEA.
[30] "The Shameful Saga of the Internet Ban in Pakistan," Association for Progressive Communication (APC), July 22, 2010, http://www.apc.org/en/node/10786/.
[31] Aamir Attaa, "Blackberry Services Go Offline in Pakistan," Pro Pakistani, May 20, 2010, http://propakistani.pk/2010/05/20/blackberry-services-go-offline-in-pakistan/; Aamir Attaa, "Blackberry Services Yet to be Fully Restored," Pro Pakistani, June 4, 2010, http://propakistani.pk/2010/06/04/blackberry-services-yet-to-be-fully-restored/.
[32] Omair Zeeshan, "Getting Around the Blackberry Browsing Quagmire," Express Tribune, January 7, 2011, http://tribune.com.pk/story/97391/getting-around-the-blackberry-browsing-quagmire/; "Blackberry users in Pakistan can Migrate to Enterprise Service for Unrestricted Use," blog post, Teeth Maestro, January 23, 2011, http://teeth.com.pk/blog/2011/01/23/blackberry-users-in-pakistan-need-to-migrate-to-enterprise-service-for-unrestricted-use.
[33] Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (ISPAK) www.ispak.pk.
[34] "Cable and Wireless Worldwide Wins New Contract from Transworld Associates for International Data Services," Cable and Wireless Worldwide, July 21, 2010, http://www..cw.com/cable-wireless-worldwide-wins-new-contract-from-transworld-associates.
[35] Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (ISPAK) www.ispak.pk, accessed January 5, 2010.
[36] Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, "Functions and Responsibilities," December 24, 2004, http://www.pta.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=359&Itemid=325.
[37] Sehrish Wasif, "Dens of Sleaze," Express Tribune, July 22, 2010, http://tribune.com.pk/story/29455/dens-of-sleaze/.
[38] Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, "Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996," Chapter II, Page No. 6, http://www.pta.gov.pk/media/telecom_act_170510.pdf, accessed January 14, 2011.
[39] "Country Profile—Pakistan," OpenNet Initiative, December 26, 2010, http://opennet.net/research/profiles/pakistan.
[40] Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, "Letter to All ISP/DSL Operators Regarding Blocking of Websites Access," April 25, 2006, http://pakistan451.files.wordpress.com/2006/04/PTA%20-%20Blocking%20of%20website%2025-4-06.pdf.
[41] World Sindhi Institute: http://www.worldsindhi.org/ blocked in Pakistan.
[42] "Lal Masjid issue and its Blocked Website," Teeth Maestro, April 12, 2007, http://teeth.com.pk/blog/2007/04/12/lal-masjid-issue-and-its-blocked-website.
[43] "The Baloch Hal Banned," Baloch Hal, November 9, 2010, http://www.thebalochhal.com/2010/11/the-baloch-hal-banned/.
[44] Pakistan Criminal Procedure Code, 1898, http://www.intermedia.org.pk/mrc/medialawdocs/CriminalProcedureCode.pdf, accessed January 14, 2011.
[45] "Country Profile—Pakistan."
[46] Ministry of Information Technology, "Policy Guidelines for Effective Monitoring and Control of Blasphemous/Offensive Content Over Internet in Pakistan," June 2010, https://boxcrack.net/boxcrack/assets/docs/Pakistan.pdf.
[47] Confidential Pakistani document reveals plans for stricter control of the internet and freedom of expression http://www.apc.org/en/news/confidential-pakistani-document-reveals-plans-stri.
[48] Ministry of Information Technology, "Policy Guidelines for Effective Monitoring and Control of Blasphemous/Offensive Content Over Internet in Pakistan."
[49] Ministry of Information and Technology, "Mohammad and Ahmad vs. GOP etc. in the Lahore High Court, Lahore," Government of Pakistan, September 14, 2010, http://pakistanictpolicy.bytesforall.net/files/PTA%20Response%20to%20LHC.pdf.
[50] Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), "Blocking of Websites Having Blasphemous Content," Government of Pakistan, June 25, 2010, http://pakistanictpolicy.bytesforall.net/files/Blocked-monitored-websites.pdf.
[51] Ministry of Information and Technology, "Mohammad and Ahmad vs. GOP etc. in the Lahore High Court, Lahore."
[52] Shahzad Ahmad, "Internet Censorship in Pakistan: Naval Chief Misuing His Powers," Association for Progressive Communications (APC), August 18, 2008, http://www.apc.org/en/blog/freedom/asiapacific/internet-censorship-pakistan-naval-chief-misusing-.
[53] "When Zardari 'Shut Up' an Inattentive Audience," Indian Express, February 10, 2010, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/when-zardari-shut-up-an-inattentive-audien/578139/.
[54] Issam Ahmed, "Newest Friends on Facebook? Pakistan Militants," Christian Science Monitor, July 8, 2010, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0708/Newest-frien....
[55] Mob kills two young brothers in Sialkot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76M42nh6nJ0&feature=related and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0bC_ZAV5aU; "Two Innocent Brothers Killed in Sialkot Live," PK Mirror, August 21, 2010, http://www.pkmirror.com/2010/08/21/two-innocent-brothers-killed-in-sialkot-live/.
[56] Faisalabad Police tortures woman on filing theft complaint: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjizdtPDrio&feature=related.
[57] Mohhamed Saleem, "Footages Revive Old Case: Woman's Torture Brings Police in the Dock," Dawn, May 3, 2010, http://news.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/footages-revive-old-case-womans-torture-brings-police-in-the-dock-350; However, later on they were reinstated. Supreme Court also took suo moto notice and issued orders to arrest the police officials involved in the woman torture case: "SC Orders Arrest of Cops Involved in Torture," The Express Tribune, May 3, 2010, http://tribune.com.pk/story/10448/cj-takes-suo-moto-notice-on-faisalabad-torture-case/.
[58] Jane Perlez, "Video Hints at Executions by Pakistanis," New York Times, September 29, 2010, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/world/asia/30pstan.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2; "Extrajudicial Killings by Pakistan Army," blog post, Teeth Maestro, October 3, 2010, http://teeth.com.pk/blog/2010/10/03/extra-judicial-killings-by-pakistan-army.
[59] "In Pictures: Lawyers Protest," British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), March 12, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6442747.stm.
[60] Issam Ahmed, "Pakistan Floods: How New Networks of Pakistanis are Mobilizing to Help," Christian Science Monitor, August 19, 2010, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0819/Pakistan-floods-How-new-networks-of-Pakistanis-are-mobilizing-to-help.
[61]The Constitution of Pakistan and Fundamental Rights http://www.sdpi.org/know_your_rights/know%20you%20rights/The%20Constitution%20of%20Pakistan.htm.
[62] "President Signs Convention on Civil, Political Rights," Daily Times, June 4, 2010, http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\04\story_4-6-2010_pg7_18.
[63] Maheen Gul-Malik, "ICCPR and the Sialkot Incident," Daily Times, September 9, 2010, http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\09\09\story_9-9-2010_pg3_2.
[64] "Wikileaks Exposing People, not Damaging Nation," Dawn, December 11, 2010, http://www.dawn.com/2010/12/11/wikileaks-exposing-people-not-damaging-nation-lhc.html.
[65] "President Promulgates Ordinance to Prevent Electronic Crimes," Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), November 6, 2007, http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58277&Itemid=1.
[66] Irfan Ahmed, "New Cyber Law in Pakistan Restricts Free Speech," OneWorld South Asia, January 24, 2008, http://southasia.oneworld.net/Article/new-cyber-law-in-pakistan-restricts-free-speech.
[67] Khawar Ghumman, "Government Fails to Form Body on Electronic Crimes Bill," Dawn, January 6, 2010, http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/govt-fails-to-form-body-on-electronic-crime-bill-610.
[68] "PPC Section 124-Sedition: Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Federal or Provincial Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine." http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/1860/actXLVof1860.html; Karin Deutsch Karlekar, ed., "Pakistan," in Freedom of the Press 2010 (New York: Freedom House, 2010), //www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=251&year=2010.
[69] Maija Palmer, "Facebook Founder Faces Pakistan Probe," Financial Times, June 17, 2010, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3aaf867e-7a42-11df-aa69-00144feabdc0.html.
[70] "SMS Joke on Zardari May Land you in Pak Jail," NDTV, July 20, 2009, http://www.ndtv.com/news/world/sms_joke_on_zardari_may_land_you_in_pak_jail.php; Karlekar, ed., "Pakistan."
[71] National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), www.nadra.gov.pk ; "Verification of CNICs: Nadra Signs Contract with Three Cell Phone Companies," NADRA, July 29, 2009, http://www.nadra.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111:verification-of-cnics-nadra-signs-contract-with-three-cell-phone-companies&catid=10:news-a-updates&Itemid=20; Bilal Sarwari, "SIM Activation New Procedure," Pak Telecom, September 3, 2010, http://www.paktelecom.net/pakistan-telecom-news/pta-pakistan-telecom-news/sim-activation-new-procedure/.
[72] Masroor Afzal Pasha, "Sindh Police To Get Mobile Tracking Technology," Daily Times, October 29, 2010, http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\10\29\story_29-10-2010_pg7_18;
"Punjab Police Lack Facility of 'Phone Locator', PA Told," The News, January 12, 2011, http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=25244&Cat=2&dt=1/14/2011.
[73] Timothy Carr, "One U.S. Correspondent's Role in Egypt's Brutal Crackdown," Huffington Post, January 28, 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-karr/one-us-corporations-role-_b_815281.html; "Narus: Security Through Surveillance," Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, November 11, 2008, http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/surveillance/2008/11/11/narus-security-through-surveillance/.
[74] "Journalists Killed in Pakistan Since 1992," Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), http://cpj.org/killed/asia/pakistan/, accessed February 24, 2011.
[75] Farieha Aziz, "Critics of Facebook Ban Face Nasty Battle," Newsline Magazine, May 21, 2010, http://www.newslinemagazine.com/2010/05/critics-of-facebook-ban-face-nasty-battle/.
[76] Samia Saleem, "Conference on Internet Censorship Ends on Sour Note," The Express Tribune, May 20, 2010, http://tribune.com.pk/story/14763/conference-on-internet-censorship-ends-on-sour-note/.
[77] Mohammad Faisal Ali, "Six Injured in Two Lahore Blasts," Dawn, July 18, 2010, http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/metropolitan/03-explosion-reported-in-garhi-shahu-lahore-ss-08 .


I was watching this video of dude perfect when some areas of the black background appears slightly greyish in youtube. I tried erasing the phones memory but didnt work. Had this problem for a few days and I dont know what to do.
Galaxy S4 Android Phone: Important data lost despite backups??
can you auto play games, drawing notes, listening to youtube at the same time on a chromebook?


There aren't many people I would drive five hours round trip on a Saturday for, but Jill is one of them. And she's getting married next month ( !!! ) so that was more than enough reason to make a trip to Boswell this weekend.
Jill and I have been friends since the first day we both moved into the 3rd floor dorm rooms in Dadisman Hall at WVU. I remember stealing her Cosmo magazine and leaving a note to let her know (I think) on the first day there. Somehow my thievery didn't drive her away. The next two years in Morgantown, we were roommates and I think once you live with someone you either hate them forever or are bonded together for eternity.
I'm speaking for the both of us…but I'm thinking we are the latter.
^^ Kat, Jill and me. Friends / roommates / hell raisers since 2003.
The shower was wonderful, as I'd suspected it would be. I've met Jill's family several times now and I felt right at home being seated next to her Momma, Grandmas and Aunties. They are all seriously the sweetest ladies ever.
Wedding season is coming again, folks! I'm super excited to watch my gorgeous friend walk down the aisle, marry the man of her dreams and be surrounded by all of the people who love her.
I'm bummed that I didn't walk away with more and better pictures than I did. Some idiot [me] doesn't know how to use her own camera and had the ISO settings on some weird spot and half of the pictures were blurry or grainy. Sorry Bean!
I am PUMPED for May. Can't wait to laugh, cry and dance the night away in celebration of the newlyweds. Yay love and weddings!


The wolfMQTT v0.3 release adds a new example for secure firmware update. This example uses the wolfSSL embedded SSL/TLS library to hash/sign the binary image and send it over MQTT. The example has two applications. One is called fwpush, which hashes, signs and publishes the firmware image over TLS to an MQTT broker. The second is called fwclient, which subscribes to the example firmware update topic, receives the firmware image and validates the signature of it. This example is located in examples/firmware.
For questions please contact support at support@wolfssl.com.


West Valley College student, Julie Marie Zerwekh, bags her food at the West Valley Community Center's Mobile Food Pantry.
About 3,600 students or 12 percent of the 30,000 students at two local community colleges struggle to pay for food.
All that stands between swimming pool cleaner Julie Zerwekh and a brighter financial future is food.
With enough to eat, the 40-something woman will be able to realize her dream of graduating from West Valley College and landing a white-collar job as a paralegal. Without it, she'd have to drop out and continue swabbing pools and inhaling harsh chemicals to survive.
But by the time Zerwekh pays the rent in her Scotts Valley mobile home park and for gas to commute to school, there's not much left over for groceries.
That's where a special program run by West Valley Community Services to help students at West Valley and De Anza community colleges comes in.
The program offers free food, emergency financial assistance, case management and benefit referrals to students like her who struggle to cover the high cost of living in the Bay Area.
"I could double my income if I can stay in school,'' Zerwekh said recently as she filled a bag with staples like free eggs, oats, milk, lentils, brown rice and butternut squash. Her goal is to work in Santa Cruz for the public defender's office, where she'd have better hours and be able to help others.
The West Valley agency estimates that about 3,600 students or 12 percent of the 30,000 students at the two community colleges struggle to pay for food. About 9,700 have a hard time keeping a roof over their heads.
West Valley Community Services offers a Mobile Food Pantry to clients living in Los Gatos, Saratoga, and West San Jose with barriers to transportation.
"This is deeply troubling, given that both colleges are located in two of the most affluent ZIP codes in Silicon Valley,'' said Sujatha Venkatraman, the agency's associate executive director.
The agency helped more than 1,000 students with food assistance during the fiscal year ending in July. About $20,000 in Wishbook donations would allow it to continue operating for another year.
Oyantai Rodriguez lives at home in San Jose with her mom, but even without having to contribute to the rent the 20-year-old has to work two jobs to pay for gas and other bills.
An aspiring art gallery director, she takes home only about $200 a week and relies on the food pantry to avoid having to spend money on lunch. Macaroni and cheese is one of her key staples.
The program takes some of the economic pressure off her mother, who works as a technician in the radiology department of a local hospital.
Packaged foods and fresh fruits and vegetables are given out at the Food Pantry.
Donations will help West Valley Community Services provide outreach services and emergency financial assistance to low income and homeless community college students struggling with food and housing insecurity.


text:
Aglaia basiphylla est une espèce de plantes de la famille des Meliaceae.

Publication originale
 United States Exploring Expedition 1: 237. 1854.

Notes et références

Liens externes

Meliaceae
Espèce d'Angiospermes (nom scientifique)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Both Marte and I have shared our tasting notes on Talisker Storm. You can read the articles here and here, both in Norwegian. At our last meeting for The Ladies' Share we tasted Talisker Dark Storm. Do you wonder what is the difference between those two? Dark Storm is supposed to be "the peatiest" whisky from Talisker. Although "the peatiest" does not actually mean a higher ppm level, but the casks have been heavily-charred for an intensely smoky flavour.
Talisker Dark Storm is bottled at the traditional ABV for Talisker: 45,8. The whisky is released for Travel retail.
Both sweet and salty on the palate. I get a lot of different fruits. After a while it reminds me of warm apple cake with cinnamon. The peat is hiding in the background, I think. The peat behaves in a different way when it comes to the taste; it is the first thing to hit the palate. Then the peat changes to sweet licorice. The licorice gives it a warm and rich taste. Salt and pepper as well. Quite clean. Still a lot of peat and smoke on the finish. To me the finish is the most complex part of this whisky. At first it is quite dry from all the peat. Then there are dried fruits which gives it warmth. And then it turns more sweet like a brown sugar swizzle stick.


Walnut wood flooring inspiring black hardwood dark brown natural. Chevron oak wood flooring chevron oak dark brown smart tiles. Chevron oak wood flooring chevron oak dark brown smart tiles. Decorating: wonderful dark brown natural wood laminate flooring home.


This week we sit down and explore the Get Slender Program in detail with Ambassador. Elisa's coach Suzie.
Interview with producer, DeVon Franklin, Miracles From Heaven Gina Pastore & Big Wave Dave: Featuring Elisa Producer/CEO Reaching Out Production & Producer / DeVon Franklin,producer. Topic: "Miracles From Heaven". Starring Jennifer Garner.
This week Ambassador Elisa interviews the parents of Katie Perry, Mr. and Mrs. Hudson.


text:
Q: Haptic feedback in Compact Framework 2 running on Windows Mobile 6.5 I'm writing a Compact Framework 2.0 application on Windows Mobile 6.5
Several of the built-in controls (e.g. button) produce haptic feedback - small vibrations - when clicked.
Is there any way the same thing can be achieved in custom controls?
I'm aware of some platform specific APIs for this - but I'm looking for a generic WM6.5 API to call if there is one.

A: There is no "generic" managed Windows Mobile mechanism for this.  Your best bet is to abstract the implementation into an interface, then have it determine at run time what you're running on and instantiate the implementation based on that.
The LED notification API is probably the most common implementation by OEMs and I think would cover the majority.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I see that there are few discussion on this topic, some being successful(but with some fixing) and some hit a brick wall.
There were few things to fix, that is removing SCTP service/protocol which is ok, then there are fixing the DHCP legacy protocols/ports and then update IPS definition which we have IPS turned off.
This is quite frustrating and not a smooth upgrade.
Warnings: It is recommended to resolve the following problems.
Title: Legacy DHCP Relay Services - Change in behavior in R80 and higher.
* Description: Legacy DHCP Relay services were found in the security rule base. Action is required in order for DHCP Relay to function properly post-upgrade.
1). Remove legacy DHCP Relay services and add new DHCP Relay services. See sk104114 for instructions. This is the recommended action if managing only R77.20 gateways and above.
2). Keep legacy DHCP Relay services and make changes to the Gateways and the Security Management Servers. See sk98839 for instructions. Do this if managing any gateways which are older than R77.20.
Policy ##Firewall, rules: 1, 2, 3.
For more information, see sk104114 or sk98839.
* Description: Deactivating IPS protections by categories will be supported for pre R80 gateways only.
When using the profile with R80.10 gateway it will not be supported.
So now, we have rollback to R77.30 with the new DHCP protocols as per SKs.
Now, the problem is that, there are few services are broken using the new DHCP protocols and we have to re-roll back to the legacy DHCP.
In R80.10 or R80.20, how would this be addressed?
We were following the steps described as per installation and upgrade guide of R80.10 which is similar to the method that we did the upgrade from previous versions, e.g. R67 -> R75 -> R77 using ./mdsseup export and migrate import.
I hear the pain Alex. We had some issues with DHCP migration from legacy to new (unrelated to R80.10 upgrade, we did prior R80.10). If I was you, I would still try to fix DHCP prior upgrade and get rid off legacy mode. The new one is so much more logical and easier to use.
Both "legacy" and "new" services are supported in both R77.30 JHF and R80.10 GA versions. The difference is that R80.10 GA requires some action to be taken when upgrading from R77.30 using "legacy" services, to properly use those legacy services.
You should be able to configure either service type on either version, according to the sk IDs mentioned in the upgrade warning (sk98839 for legacy services, sk104114 for new services). We always recommend using the new services, however if these conflict with other services and your policy requires legacy services, you can use those instead.
If you are having issues configuring your services according to either of those sks or think that they are not clear, I would recommend working with support for further assistance.
"Now, the problem is that, there are few services are broken using the new DHCP protocols and we have to re-roll back to the legacy DHCP."
Can you add more details on what went wrong when using the new services? what protocols got impact? what kind of impact?


text:
Q: how to print odd and even rows into two columns in postgresql I have a table and i want to print the result in following format.
insert into recipes values (1, 'Scrambled eggs');
insert into recipes values (2, 'Fondue');
insert into recipes values (3, 'Sandwich');
insert into recipes values (4, 'Tomato soup');
insert into recipes values (6, 'Liver');

Expected Result:
 **left_title | right_title**
         NULL | Scrambled eggs
       Fondue | Sandwich
  Tomato soup | NULL
        Liver | null

I was able to write a sql like below to get the expected result. But wondering if there are other ways to get the expected result.
with left_cte as (
    SELECT g,r.title,row_number() over() as id FROM
    generate_series(0,7,2) as g  left join recipes r on g = r.page_no
    ),
    right_cte as (
    SELECT g,r.title,row_number() over() as id FROM
    generate_series(1,7,2) as g  left join recipes r on g = r.page_no
    )
    select l.title,r.title from left_cte l join right_cte r using (id)

A: I just used a full outer join and a where clause to take the evens from a and the odds form b:
select a.title,b.title
   from recipes as a
   full outer join recipes as b
      on a.id+1 = b.id
   where a.id%2=0 or b.id%2=1
   order by coalesce(a.id,b.id);


THEN that FLY; a tiny microscopic sized insect; jets into your nose holes, darts into your eyeballs, buzzes your ears, rides free into your mouth on every inhalation !!!
HERE you're a 170 lb human, maybe a big shot CEO, a star athlete, the Pope or billionaire AND you're surrounded!
WHAT to do? You frantically swing your arms, slug the air with your fists, swear like a banshee while the whole neighborhood on patios enjoys your performance.
HOW do you save face? Soon all your DEFENSES are down, your OFFENSE quits and you realize your quarterbacking this master manipulating object that's got you SACKED!
SURRENDER? Finally you run for cover inside, giving up your territory.
WHOOPS……what does this remind you of? They wear $5000. suits, pompous hairdos, lush in perks and park it in Washington D.C.
HALLOWEEN is timely to match their already FREAKY face lifts, nose jobs, hair pieces of which is never appropriate. Thank God for the holidays.
These media flys are in your face, wallowing in your TV/Radio space, smothering your (what's left of intellect) with their (love of self) propaganda. All the while you benefit from brainwashing, higher taxes, cable fees and tranquilizers.
SOLUTION: 1st Set up a NO FLY ZONE, 2nd Build a B.S. Defense, 3rd Launch a SWAT War Offense, 4th Declare a BUG FREE SOCIETY !!!


Export Import Data Ra India, is a premier company that exports and imports goods from countries including United States Of America, and host of other countries.
Ra India, is a premier company that exports and imports goods from countries including United States Of America, and host of other countries.
Ra India is a leading exporter of (E38)SONA MASOORI RICE PACKED IN JUTE BA GS 20 LBS (9.07 KGS) BAG EACH, E 18 KESAR MANGO PULP SWEETENED "PRIYA BRAND" 6 CANS X 850 PER TRAY (PACKED ON OTS CAN, E-36 MOONG DAL WHOLE (55 LBS EACH BAG), E-36 URAD DAL WHOLE (55 LBS EACH BAG), SEVEN ROSES ROSE WATER, having HS Codes 10063009. The company has its head office at 18,Mitra Mandal Colony, Pune, Maharashtra411009.


text:
Rebuilding after Cyclone Gita
Topics: cyclone emergency "natural disaster"
On Feb 12, Cyclone Gita tore through Tonga. It was the strongest the country had seen in 60 years, and thousands of families lost their homes and their entire livelihoods. Your gifts to the emergency appeal saved lives in the days immediately following the cyclone and are now helping people to get back on their feet.
Just two days after the storm, I was on the ground to support our local partner and to help identify which communities had been hit the hardest, and who was most in need of shelter, food and water.
We travelled by plane to different areas of the island, including 'Eua, to assess the damage and interview with people affected by the cyclone.
As soon as I landed, I could see the damage. There was debris everywhere, uprooted trees and crops and homes and schools were destroyed. The entire electricity grid was blown apart too, so no one had access to phones or power for days, some weeks.
Ketoni Hakeai, a school teacher who lost his entire home.
Thousands of houses had been partially or totally destroyed by the cyclone. Families were forced to take refuge in crowded evacuation centres. Many families still are still homeless.
Thanks to your support, we were able to reach families with clean drinking water in the days following the cyclone. Without it, people would have to travel long distances to find a safe water source. This has many risks – especially for children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
Some of the 300 20L water bottles we are distributing to some of the most vulnerable families, thanks to your support. This is Siu, the Programs Director at our partner organisation Tonga National Council of Churches.
As well as providing clean water, we provided tarpaulins to families whose roofs were blown off and walls destroyed, so they could stop the rain and wind from entering their homes. It's still the middle of the cyclone season in Tonga, so it rains almost every other day.
Vai Teu and her family have been living in a tent since their house in Hofoa was completely destroyed by the cyclone. Your gifts helped to provide them relief in the form of tarps and clean drinking water.
This has been devastating for families across Tonga. And it impacts the poorest people, or those with large families the hardest, putting them under a lot of extra pressure. Many people who rely on subsistence farming have lost all of their crops and are struggling to feed their families.
Recovery is a slow process but with your support, we will continue to provide relief in the form of water tanks and farming programs, especially targeting the most vulnerable, including single parent families and people with disabilities.
Makafonua, in Hofoa village, has helped to shelter 12 people in his home since the cyclone. Thanks to your gifts, we were able to reach them with clean drinking water, so they didn't have to travel long distances to safely access drinking water.
Yvette Crafti, Disaster and Emergencies Program Coordinator

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Django Admin has the default Today and Now buttons for datetime fields.
These seem to use the local time, but store it as UTC in the db without converting it. Meaning, if its 10PM local time, the Now button will populate with 22:00 but will store as 22:00 +0:00:00. This is confusing as it makes it very hard to understand what is going on.
It would be better if the buttons used UTC's current date/time and stored as such, or use the default timezone and store the appropriate offset.
PS sorry if dupe, i tried searching but admin, today, and now are hard terms to search on.
In order to clarify what we're talking about, could you tell me the values of the USE_TZ and TIME_ZONE settings in your app?
I suppose the hard part is there is no timezone settings for auth_user, so you can't specify the Admin User's timezone separate from the server settings.
I'm a bit surprised that you set TIME_ZONE = 'UTC'. I suppose your application is used by users in multiple time zones, and UTC is the least controversial choice?
The admin buttons should use the "current time zone". Then it's up to developers to ensure that their users have the correct "current time zone". This is how Django supports multiple time zones. If you don't do anything special, the "current time zone" is the same as the "default time zone" defined by the TIME_ZONE setting.
I'm accepting the ticket because it's clearly an UX bug. Now, we need a plan to fix it, and such a plan should be discussed on the DevelopersMailingList first.
Server side knows about the timezone for the current request (either set by a middleware or coming from settings.TIME_ZONE) so it can give the expected offset to the JS.
The now button would then use UTC + the given offset instead of local time.
Now would then be, "now as treated by the server" as opposed to "now the time on your wrist watch".
Technically, an offset from UTC isn't sufficient. If you don't use the time zone definition from the tzinfo database, you're going to hit bugs around DST transitions (eg. load the form before the transition, click the "now" button after the transition). Since web pages are supposed to be short lived, an offset might be acceptable, but I'm always reluctant to make a feature 99% correct. The whole point of time zone support was to be 100% correct even around DST transitions.
I realize my initial explanation wasn't very clear, so I'll expand a bit. The problem isn't UTC vs. local time. It's "browser time zone" vs. "current time zone".
When a value is submitted through a form, Django interprets it in the "current time zone". Currently, if the "browser time zone" differs from the "current time zone", Django won't interpret correctly the value sent by the browser. Assuming we have a way to detect when the "browser time zone" differs from the "current time zone" (which, in the reporter's case, is UTC because that's his "default time zone" and he didn't do anything special), the "now" button should prepopulate with now in the "current time zone" rather than in the "browser time zone".
Note that this problem already existed before I added support for time zone, and it also exists when USE_TZ is False. If the browser's time zone isn't the same as TIME_ZONE, you hit the same issue.
i set server to UTC because my app defaults timezones for users, and every user must choose when they signup. so no one uses the default server setting. UTC seemed reasonable given thats how the stuff is stored in the db anyway.
IMO the only 100% solution here is to have some ability to tell the admin site how to activate the admin user's timezone (there can be multiple admins in diff tz's). without a timezone column in auth_user (which is kind of curious but i'm sure a deep issue), i'm not sure how to handle it other than perhaps a tzinfo dropdown in the header so a user can choose (and a cookie to save it).
See #7717, #14253 and #18768 for some previous, related discussion about the topic.
Since there have been a lot of previous discussion on the topic, I'm gonna explain in detail the reasoning behind this patch.
As Aymeric describes in 7, the issue at hand is "browser time zone" vs. "current time zone".
"browser time zone" is usually the time zone on the user's computer, it's a time zone we basically know nothing about on the backend.
"current time zone" is the time zone on the backend for the current request, which by default comes from settings.TIME_ZONE unless manipulated by timezone.activate() (i.e. in a middleware).
For whatever value we find in the date/time input field, the backend will assume it's given to him in the "current time zone", which again, is the only time zone it knows about.
When both "browser time zone" and "current time zone" are the same, all is well since there is no ambiguity.
However when those two differ, as things are now, you start having issues. For example, if your field controls the publishing of an article (pub_date), you get the weird behavior where you ask to publish something now and nothing happens, because "now" for you is not the same as "now" for the backend.
A more ambitious solution to those naive datetime would be to have a new SelectDateWidget with an additional dropdown menu for the time zone and maybe explicit shortcuts like: "now (backend)" and "now (local)".
displaying the offset between "browser time" and "server time" would improve usability — "why does it put 11:07 in the field? It's 16:07 here!"; ideally this would appear only when using the auto-fill options and when the offset isn't 0.
In fact, it makes sense to display the offset as soon and __admin_timezone__ and (new Date()).getTimezoneOffset() don't match. The latter appears to be in minutes with the POSIX convention, ie. -60 * X for UTC + X hours.
I updated the branch to add a warning when there is a time zone mismatch. I'm open to suggestions for better wording.
As soon as we are good with the implementation, particularly the markup, I'll start work on the selenium tests.
I've tried to come up with selenium tests but it turned out to be problematic because both the LiveServer (which runs in a different thread) and the browser (because of selenium) run in the default time zone (America/Chicago).
I tried changing the time zone for either selenium or the LiveServer with a custom setUpClass() but I didn't manage.
browser_offset = 480  # Singapore.
I'm pretty much out of ideas. In case anyone want to have a go at this, the basic testcase looks like this: https://gist.github.com/loic/5899006.
Found a workaround and updated the branch: https://github.com/loic/django/compare/ticket20663.
Fixed #20663 -- "Today" and "now" admin shortcuts.
to account for the current timezone.
Refs #7717, #14253 and #18768.
Fantastic. I've made very minor tweaks and pushed the patch. Thank you so much!
Fixed failing test around DST change.
error margin when we detect a DST change is near.


text:
Here's how Sunny Hinduja's father reacted on learning about his acting plans
Updated: June 21st, 2021, 11:20 IST
Mumbai: Actor Sunny Hinduja, who was recently seen in The Family Man 2 decided to become an actor when he was in standard seven. However, he recalls not revealing his plans to his family, especially his father Satram Hinduja, until he was in class 12.
"When I told my brother in the 12th grade he was very happy because it turned out that dad wanted me to be an actor. My brother told me that day that when our father was in his 20s, he had applied to be in FTII to learn acting. But at the time he was doing a job, and because he was the only earning member he couldn't go. I never knew this. When I got to know, this encouraged me. This is something that my father wanted and his younger son did it. I made this plan and eventually told him," Sunny told IANS.
"I feel my father has a big role in my life, to shape me into the kind of person, the kind of relativity I have towards people. How I think and aim, I have got from him," shares the actor.
He goes on to explain: "He taught me morality. I have always seen him as my superhero. He taught me such good things that they have become part of who I am and it helps me now. He guided me constantly. He still calls me and tells me to be humble and respect everyone. He taught me to aim for the best."
The actor, who will soon be seen in a web series, says he feels happiest when he sees pride in his father's eyes.
"He is very proud and he reads my articles and interviews and gets so emotional. He read so many articles about 'Aspirants' (the show that made Sunny a household name). When I see pride in his eyes, I feel this is what happiness is. I feel your parents are your roots and if they are happy, there is nothing better than that," shares the actor.
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Padma Shri awardee Raveena Tandon to grace new OTT show after 'Aranyak'


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Stop the Hate: The Problem of Hate Crimes in America
This paper looks at the disturbing rise of hate crimes in the United States, and measures taken by the government to combat the issue.
This paper deals with hate crimes in America , the nation's response to the concept of the hate crime, and what measures are taken to prevent them. The author includes explicit historical references in the paper regarding anti-Semitic, racial and homosexual prejudices, etc.
Prejudice is an omnipresent force, evident in civilizations throughout history. People naturally fear that which is different and unusual. Prejudice manifests itself in many forms, an innocent assumption, vulgar graffiti, offensive language, and even assault. It is when a crime becomes motivated by prejudice that it becomes a hate crime. Over the past few years, the nation has experienced an alarming number of disturbing and sometimes deadly hate crimes. The dragging death of Africa-American James Byrd, Jr., in Jasper, Texas; the deadly attack on Matthew Sheppard, a gay student in Laramie, Wyoming; the shooting rampage targeting minority citizens in Chicago; and the shootings of children at a Jewish community center in Los Angeles, California, followed by the murder of Joseph Santos Ileto, a Filipino-American mail worker.
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All of these events have left a trail of dead or wounded victims and traumatized, horrified communities.
How to cite this essay
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Bias and Hate Crimes
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The Ultimate Hate Crime: Corrective Rape
Love and Hate:The Scarlet Letter


Teaching and testing have been understood as two interrelated components. Many experts in curriculum planning, teaching, and testing have discussed the interrelationship between the two.
According to Brown (1996) there are three movements of language testing approaches: the psychometric-structural movement, the integrative socio-linguistic movement, and the communicative movement. Djiwandono (1996) states five approaches of language testing: the traditional, discrete, integrative, pragmatic, and communicative approach.


Envisioned as a riverine park along the Mayo River corridor from Virginia to the Town of Mayodan, Mayo River State park is under development, but offers basic state park amenities on the 400-acre site of the former Mayo Park, a historic and prized community gathering place. The centerpiece of the park is a restored pavilion-style picnic shelter designed by renowned architect Antonin Raymond. This is flanked by picnic grounds, small fishing ponds and a growing network of hiking trails. Rangers offer free interpretive programs at the park and outreach programs at area locations can be arranged. Paddling opportunities on the mild whitewater Mayo River are available from local outfitters.


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Cape Historical Society to meet Tuesday
By Staff | Nov 3, 2011
The regular monthly meeting for the Cape Coral Historical Society will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday Nov. 8, at Cultural Park Theatre, 528 cultural Park Boulevard.
The featured speaker will be Dr. Stephen D. Engle, Ph.D., from Florida State University. He is currently professor of history at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. His topic will be "Lincoln's Crisis of Federalism." It deals with the negotiation of power between Lincoln and his loyal governors.
A native of the Lower Shenandoah Valley, Engle grew up near Harpers Ferry, W.Va. In his time at FAU, he has served as the director of graduate programs (1997-2002) and as chair of the department (2002-2007). His current projects include a history of northern federalism during the Civil War, as well as a project that focuses on the role of northern governors in shaping political and military policy during the war.
His most recent work examines federalism and states rights in the North during the Civil War and is entitled "All the President's Statesmen," currently under consideration with Johns Hopkins University Press.
This is a rare opportunity to meet an accomplished and gifted lecturer and author on the Civil War. No reservations are required, and there is no admission fee.


The aim of this project was to provide a quality walking experience for the general public by improving the condition along the Mourne Way.
The project wants to address the damage caused by walkers and in doing so proactively support the land owners of this section of the Mourne Way. Ongoing damage to boundaries by the general public has allowed livestock onto the track which has further damaged boundary walls, combined with poor drainage and track surface, this part of the Mourne Way is in very poor condition.
Funding from DRAP helped the applicant to drain, scrape and stone the surface of the Mourne Way paths, repairing the effects of wear and tear by walkers.


text:
@interface WeexSDKManager : NSObject

+ (void)setup;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Q: How to get the mode of a column from a dataframe using spark scala? I'm trying to get the mode of a column in a dataframe using spark scala but my code is not working.
For example
val type_mode = dfairports.groupBy("type").count().orderBy("count").first()
print("Mode", type_mode.get(0))

A: You're almost there! You're probably getting the least common value now, since the orderBy function by default orders by ascending values. So taking the first element will take the lowest value.
Try:
val type_mode = dfairports.groupBy("type").count().orderBy(desc("count")).first()
print("Mode", type_mode.get(0))

Hope this helps :)


Hi, we are happy to see that you have chosen to come here to our website and decided to choose this page. You will find all the Dressing crossword clue solutions and cheats. It is a fascinating brain game that will keep your mind occupied for a very long time. We are also sharing some Dressing crossword clue to help you out.
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Understanding Europe
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Syrians who crossed the Evros river between Greece and Turkey in May 2018 | Photo: Reuters / A. Konstantinidis
Syrian war
Refugees in Greece
How are Syrian refugees finding life in three different host countries?
Latest update : 2019/02/07
By Emma Wallis Latest update : 2019/02/07
A study by the University of Glasgow has looked at the experiences and aspirations of Syrians in three different host countries, the UK, Lebanon and Greece. They hope that their findings will help inform policy makers to make decisions to aid integration.
Help me find a job. I have two masters with distinction, I am a previous champion in swimming, I won one of the most competitive scholarships in the world, and I am a community developer and a public speaker. It is shameful not to be able to find a job
_ Syrian refugee
I would be a valuable member of society if I was given the chance.
These are just two messages Syrian refugees interviewed for the 'Building Futures' survey, carried out by the University of Glasgow, had for their host communities.
Lebanon, Greece or the United Kingdom – when asked how content Syrian refugees living in these countries were, their answers varied sharply depending on where they were.
Syrians in the UK appear to be happiest – they came in first place for all the positive feelings, like pride, confidence, gratefulness, happiness, and hope. Greece, on the other hand, topped the charts, with Lebanon not far behind, for the negative feelings like anxiety, sadness, desperation, fear and anger.
The differences may have something to do with the different educational levels of the Syrian respondents in each country, and perhaps also the state of the economy and provision of social welfare in each location, as a new study suggests.
The University of Glasgow, for their survey 'Building Futures', spoke to 1,516 Syrians in Greece, Lebanon and the UK between April and October 2017 about their experiences, their aspirations and skills. All respondents were between the ages of 18 and 32, all of whom are international protection beneficiaries or applicants. The study's aim was to promote consensus and cross-community understanding "in a context of strained public resources and anti-immigration sentiment."
Resettlement versus asylum routes
Aside from comparing refugees in the three countries, the study further differentiated between refugees who arrived in the UK using their own means (the so-called 'Asylum Route' - AR), and those who had been resettled under programs in the UK (the so-called 'Resettlement Route' -RR).
In fact, there were great differences between the feelings of Syrians who had arrived via the RR route and those who had arrived with their own means, hoping to seek asylum, AR. Maybe because of their vulnerability and sometimes lower educational levels, the RR Syrians had a lower employment rate than those who had arrived and immediately had to fend for themselves to survive.
"[The asylum route AR] forces [people] to become more integrated in the labor market, but this doesn't mean that they are better integrated into society as a whole," explains Dr Dimitris Skleparis, a researcher in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow, and one of the co-authors of the study.
On the other hand, RR Syrians in the UK were happiest with the authorities, their welcome and the support they had received even though they took longer to enter the job market, partly because they spent longer on language courses.
Differences in skills,
The researchers found that those in Lebanon tended to have the lowest educational levels (on average) and those in the UK the highest. Although unemployment was higher for the Syrian population than for the host communities, more people were employed in the UK too than anywhere else. Unfortunately, the study found, that those people tended not to be utilizing their skills and were often employed in lower skilled jobs than their education levels and previous qualifications would suggest.
Again, this might have something to do with the economies of the countries and the fact that those in Greece mostly did not want to stop there but had hoped to make it to the UK or other northern European countries but had been stopped either because of borders being closed or because they ran out of the means to get further.
More similar than different
Despite the many variations, Syrians in all three host countries cited language as the main block to their integration and access to the job market. Not understanding the local way of doing things and a lack of contacts was also a problem.
Some people in all three countries reported some levels of hostility from the host population or a lack of understanding about the situation of Syrian refugees in general. The most hostility was suffered by Syrians who had fled to Lebanon. They were also, perhaps not surprisingly, the group of people who most wanted to return to Syria when the war was over.
Skleparis clarifies that although both Syrians and Lebanese speak Arabic, they have very different accents, despite their geographical proximity. "Along with the problem of misunderstanding, the other thing is all the labels that their accent brings with it, [in Lebanon]."
There were also similarities between Syrians and their host communities, even more than perhaps either side might at first imagine, said Skleparis. Part two of their study, which should be published in summer 2019, will look at what 3,000 members of the host communities in Greece, Lebanon and the UK think of Syrian refugees. Skleparis has some results back already. He found that for Syrians and UK born citizens the same three ingredients made up a "good life", only in slightly different orders. For British citizens, family, health/bodily integrity and then education were the most important and for Syrians, health/bodily integrity, family and then work were keys to a good future.
"The different order in the first and second position makes perfect sense," says Skleparis. "Refugees have fled a war-zone and have first-hand experience of the importance of [health and] bodily integrity. The choice of 'work' as the third most important component potentially shows the aspiration to be financially independent and feel useful."
That wanting to be useful is a thread which runs throughout the study. The researchers found that more people were hoping to work in their new countries than had worked in Syria. That trend went across both men and women. The study concludes with one message which seems to sum up the research so far:
"I am human just like you, treat me with respect and give me the opportunity to rebuild my life."
The study has made recommendations for policy makers with the aim of improving integration across the board. Although there are already differences between AR and RR people, Skleparis thinks that policy makers need to provide more support across the board. He admits that there has been reluctance to do that because it presumably says tacitly to AR people 'OK you can arrive by illegal means but you will still get support.' That's where the policy should be changed, thinks Skleparis. If those who have stronger skills were given the boost of language courses and integration into a corresponding job, they would actually be more beneficial to their host society overall.
They are also advising governments to stop setting refugees apart and start treating them more inclusively overall. "They are here, they are part of society, so there is no reason why we should talk about vulnerability in terms of being a refugee. We should talk about vulnerability in general because it affects both host populations and refugee populations," explains Skleparis.
Family of drowned Syrian toddle Aylan Kurdi reject new film featuring Steven Seagal
Migrants: 329,000 return to Syria from Turkey
Germany puts decisions about Syrian asylum 'on hold'
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text:
Newspapers Must Stop Cheating Readers
My Twitter timeline tells me that newspapers are cheating their readers with what is necessarily advertisements masquerading as news. Maybe it is their necessity with dropping advertising revenue. Unfortunately, it is weaning away discerning readers.
The Truth Remains Unchanged
Readers buy newspapers for news/ infotainment and not for advertisements. Many readers depend on news and other content in the newspaper to take decisions in their lives. I may be exaggerating the last bit, but even in the digital age, it holds true at least in the Tier-2 and 3 towns. Print still has a role to play.
Native advertising was earlier considered a digital news problem. Today, it finds itself in newspapers, what they claim to be advertisers-influenced behaviour.
A reader expects their newspaper to highlight the sponsored content, disguised advertisement, advertorial, or native advertising. Not doing so is breaching the reader-newspaper trust.
The lack of clear and well-regulated norms/rules/guidelines for such disclosure is in many ways responsible for readers' failure in identifying native ads.
Is the Bold Editorial Dead?
WNP;-What's new in publishing laments the fact that the old editorial guards are dead and buried. The kind that believed in preserving the objectivity in newspapers. They would never think of collaborating with brands to help them mask their advertisements as editorial content. From their perspective, native advertising is unethical and deceptive. It only shows disrespect for media consumers. They fear it might push journalism over the edge, to the point of no return.
The Ugly Side
The same article points out. Some editors don't have anything against native advertising. On the contrary, they believe, if appropriately incorporated, sponsored content could bring significant financial benefits and help publishers protect their businesses while also bringing value to readers.
A two-year-old estimate says that native advertising generates 18% of overall advertising revenues, and publishers expect it will reach 32% by 2020.
Now is that not alarming as a reader.
The Breach of Trust
I further quote from the above report. 'Journalists are expected to unbiasedly report, with their end goal of accurately informing the public. When sponsored content comes into the picture, the motives change as their goal becomes profit-oriented. Journalists then agree to tell stories that fit a brand's marketing objective. They do so in exchange for money, which automatically undermines their professional role'.
If that not a breach of trust, then nothing is.
Secular Guidelines Should Apply to All Media
There is a high decibel demand on social media influencers to specify if the content is sponsored and paid. Ironically, the coverage of ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India) guidelines for such acts in digital content on platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram is in the newspapers known not to follow the guidelines. The industry is applauding ASCI for the welcome step.
It is beyond my understanding why should similar guidelines not apply to all news media. Why newspaper as a respectful infotainment provider not be hauled for this breach.
ASCI is trying to control digital when it has failed to control it in newspapers.
I found an advisory for TV advertising but failed to see one for print.
I am sure the guidelines exist. But, how often have they been used to bring errant newspapers to the task? My tweet request to ASCI on the subject went unanswered.
Native Advertising/Sponsore Content – Not New
Native advertising is not a new format, as many newspapers would want us to believe. Wojdynski and Evans (2016) define native advertising as "any paid advertising that takes the specific form and appearance of editorial content from the publisher itself". It is considered effective if the media can mimic the content produced by journalists and, through such advertising, gain the same credibility as news.
A study across five European counties observes that news outlets do not follow a consistent way in disclosing native ads visually, negotiating the balance between transparency and deception. In this balance, news organisations do not boldly push for transparency and instead remain ambiguous. Their analyses showed that both national and organisational characteristics matter when shaping the visual boundaries of journalism.
The Root Cause
The problem is newspapers over-dependence on advertising revenue. And advertisers desire to see enhanced efficiency/ROI for newspaper advertising. Everyone getting on the bandwagon cannot be an excuse for other newspapers to follow it.
Really what defines such unethical behaviour is the organisational ethos and an understanding that they can get away with it. Each newspaper is trying new means to avoid flagging such content.
No One Will Bite The Bullet
The newspapers must bite the bullet of upping their cover price even at the cost of losing the fringe readers. It may seem a dangerous strategy, and maybe it is when done in isolation. But, collectively executed, it is what the doctors prescribe. The business model needs an overhaul.
Alarm Bells
No surprise that a 2017 report by International News Media Association (INMA) and The Native Advertising Institute (NAI) found something alarming.
• Slightly more news media companies are offering native advertising as an option, 51% this year compared to 48% last year.
• Last year, 35% of publishers surveyed described native advertising as "very important" to their companies. This year, 50% did.
• Last year, 26% of publishers were working with an external agency to deliver native advertising. This year, that number is half at 13%.
• 27% of news media companies surveyed have a dedicated native advertising team, up a bit from last year's 20%.
You realise how alarming the issue.
There is no denying that it is becoming more difficult for readers and regulators to identify the advertising content masquerading as news and, therefore, misleading and deceptive. It is challenging to regulate, as there is no standard format. Newspapers find new ways and captions to sidestep the issue and need to flag such content.
It is time for ASCI to focus on it. It will help the readers and the industry.
Why pinpoint social media influencers and expect them to flag the sponsored- paid-for content and allow newspapers to continue having a ball. Some visible practical steps will help.
One may further read this report; native Advertising in India: How one company set the benchmark.
Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior business and marketing strategist and educator. He writes on MxmIndia every Wendesday. His views here are personal
A wishlist for Advertising, Marketing, Media & More
Should repeat offenders of ASCI guidelines be debarred from awards & felicitations?
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If self-regulation fails…
ASCI Influencer Guidelines: A Good Start But Must Evolve With Time


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What is the modern argument against obligatory head coverings?
1 Corinthians 11:4-6 gives these instructions about head coverings:
4 Every man who prays or prophesies while having something on his head dishonors his head, 5 but every woman who prays or prophesies with uncovered head dishonors her head, for she is one and the same with the one whose head is shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover herself, let her hair be shorn off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her head shorn or shaved, let her cover her head.
This instruction is disregarded by many modern denominations as being only culturally relevant. Why is this argument applied to this particular instruction whilst in the same denominations it is not applied to most other instructions in the New Testament? I presume there must be something making this instruction unique from the perspective of the theologians in those denominations. However, I have been unable to find out how they argue this.
culture women 1-corinthians
David MulderDavid Mulder
It might help if you pointed out one or more "other instructions in the New Testament" that these denominations don't disregard. – Matt Gutting May 4 '15 at 14:32
Re: the original version of this question: In recent centuries, Christian women have commonly worn a hat with a veil to church rather than a headscarf. Here is an example. – Lee Woofenden May 4 '15 at 14:37
@LeeWoofenden: How come you changed it to conservative? I quite definitely would not consider a denomination like baptists to be conservative... – David Mulder May 4 '15 at 17:01
@MattGutting I dunno, 'love your enemies', 'be baptized', 'do not kill', 'do not commit adultary', sexual immorality etc. – David Mulder May 4 '15 at 17:03
I based that on your "non-liberal" wording in the original question. But I'm happy to have you clarify the intent of your question. – Lee Woofenden May 4 '15 at 19:47
Since the question does not specify a denomination, I am assuming that any denomination is OK. I thus am basing my answers with one of the clearest doctrinal statements I could find. However, it is pretty representative of most arguments that argue against obligatory head coverings, coming from a variety of theologies.
Here is a statement by the Reformed Presbytery In North America, which I believe is considered pretty conservative on most issues. The argument is that the context of 1 Corinthians shows it is an example of Paul's larger argument of being culturally sensitive, not an instruction for all people in all cultures. In the later part of chapter 10, Paul discusses meat offered to false idols. He says that it would be unlawful for a Christian to eat such meat in the context, because that would constitute worshiping the idol.
10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. (NRSV)
Immediately after that statement, however, he says
23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are beneficial.
(The quotes are added by NRSV because it is seen as something Corinithians were saying to justify their behavior. Paul responds not be denying the statement, but by saying there are other considerations in play than just lawfulness.) Paul goes on to make it clear that it is not the act of offering it to the idol that makes the meat unlawful, but the cultural context. He goes on to say
27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I mean the other's conscience, not your own. For why should my liberty be subject to the judgment of someone else's conscience?
Thus he is saying 27) don't cause offense by asking if the meat had been offered to an idol, but also 28-29) if you know it is, don't eat it and appear a hypocrite, because (implied) this may inhibit the unbeliever from being Christian.
Next comes the head covering passage at the start of chapter 11 and then instructions about receiving the Lord's Supper. He says that some member have been causing offense by making their higher social status known during the meal. He advises these members to "eat at home" so as to not cause offense by displaying their cultural status. Or as the linked document says:
similar to Paul's concern for godly order, decorum, and the eschewing of offense in 1 Corinthians 10 (in regard to meat offered to idols), Paul instructs the Corinthians how they should order the circumstances that surround the celebration of the Lord's Supper. He teaches them that it is offensive and divisive to fail to wait for one another, and that if the reason one cannot wait is hunger, then it would be expedient to eat something at home before coming. Although, we may never see this particular offense arise in our circumstances, nevertheless the principle of unoffensive behavior in a public setting is applicable to many circumstances.
The argument continues that the next several chapters cover similar themes - the orderly use of spiritual gifts and how to conduct church service in an orderly fashion - which can be understood as respecting cultural norms. Thus
In keeping with this context, we believe that Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 was continuing in the same general line of argument. He addresses the headcovering practice which was culturally acceptable to the Corinthians, and seeks to teach them that they are not to be offensive, divisive or contentious by altering the customs of the land, when they come to worship. He is laying down the same principle as that taught both before and after the headcovering passage. In effect he is saying, do not alter the established order of this circumstance when you see that it will be offensive and destructive to the unity of the church.
Since it is no longer a cultural norm to where head coverings for women, the advice no longer applies.
To cross-reference, here is another argument by a believer coming from a completely different background. He adds some points (such as the setting of Paul's instruction likely not being a church service) and explains the cultural background, but the basic argument is the same - the context of the passage shows it is not a specific instruction, but rather part of a general argument to respect cultural sensitivities. I imagine this would be the route taken by most who would not adhere to a "headcoverings are required" doctrine. This reasoning wouldn't apply to (most) other passages, because there is no surrounding context saying "X is lawful, but should be avoided anyway" in other NT writings.
ThaddeusBThaddeusB
Could you say this is why a Christian living in muslim countries should not eat pork, not because it is unlawful but because it is a cultural norm, the breaking of which could make a conversion harder? – Neil Meyer Nov 14 '18 at 14:03
The counter-argument to this is that Paul is not basing his reasoning in culture, but in Creation itself, meaning that it is universally applicable. – ig-dev Nov 2 '19 at 16:59
1 Corinthians 11 was basically church protocol in terms of gender-specific outfit (vv. 2-16) and conduction of the Lord's supper (vv. 17-34). These are steeped in the cultural practices of Corinth. Women were to wear head coverings because a regular female citizen of Corinth did so. Not wearing a head covering meant you were a prostitute. Men weren't to wear head coverings or grow their hair as long as women's because they were men. Men didn't do that. HOWEVER, Paul was merely appealing to Corinthian culture because that was how they distinguished men from women then.
If you were to assimilate that to today's culture it would basically be this: As a man you are created a man. As a woman you are created a woman. Glorify God accordingly to the specific and unique gender He has given/assigned to you.
PhilipPhilip
Ok so if I understand the passage correctly then the covering is a symbol of submission to my "head", being my father or God if my father is dead, if I'm single and my husband if I'm married.
Now I come from a community where only married women are expected to have a head covering and if one's unmarried daughter wears one outside of church it brings shame to the family because it symbolizes that she's been sexually active, and no longer a virgin.
And it used to be a way of shaming single women who were sexually active outside of marriage. So I'm curious if it now brings shame instead of honour to ones head is it now still required?
KorvinStarmast
AganethaAganetha
This appears to be a related question, but not an answer to the question. While you have shared a meaning, it does not seem to explain "the modern argument against obligatory head coverings" ... unless you can share with us which faith community uses the head coverings you have explained here. Which faith community does what you describe? That may clarify your answer somewhat. – KorvinStarmast Nov 2 '19 at 17:54
Welcome to christianity.SE. The tour and the help center explain how SE Q&A sites are different from forums. – KorvinStarmast Nov 2 '19 at 17:55
1 Corinthians 11:15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
Paul says that the long hair of women acts as a covering. "for a covering" can be translated "in place of a covering" or "instead of a covering".
The actual prohibition is rather narrow. Only women who have short hair while they prayeth or prophesieth are required to have a "covering".
Most churches do not have anyone, male or female, who prayeth or prophesieth so the issue becomes moot.
timftimf
Your answer started out well, but "Most churches do not have anyone, male or female, who prayeth or prophesieth so the issue becomes moot." significantly weakens your credibility. Most of the churches I am connected to both pray and prophesy quite regularly both during meetings and outside of meetings. – nickalh May 8 '15 at 18:43
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