|
|
|
Mail Box
THIS is in reference to the cover story (YW January 24) in which an ‘amazing phenomenon’ is presented as something real and of practical value. Since Young World caters to the intelligent adolescents in Pakistan, they deserve better.
Young people are fascinated by outlandish stories and often take these to be factually correct. The popularity of telepathy, horoscopes (our newspapers are full of them) and other paranormal phenomenon shows that the unquestioning minds of the young and adults are very susceptible to them. What lacks is a proper understanding of the scientific method and how claims about paranormal phenomenon are analyzed and invariably refuted.
The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (www.csicop.org) was set up specifically to investigate claims about the paranormal. Readers would do well to visit this informative site to explore how all controlled trials to verify telepathy have proved negative, starting with the much-publicized investigation of Uri Geller, who claimed to have power of telepathy and telekinesis — the ability to move objects using thought. While at that interesting site, readers would do well to read about the ‘placebo effect’, which through ‘suggestion’ can achieve amazing cures. Faith healing, which is common in Pakistan, can be explained through this powerful phenomenon.
The normal world is amazingly fascinating and mysterious — that’s what good articles in our papers need to highlight. Our kids needn’t waste their time learning things that science has already shown to be patently untrue, and others that can be explained away easily.
Q. ISA DAUDPOTA
The article on telepathy was printed with a view to telling the readers about various phenomena on which research has been made. The readers are not supposed to start practising these techniques. But we believe there is no harm in reading about them even if they have been proved negative. Inquisitive minds have to be given food for thought, and when we print such articles we expect our readers to search the Net for further information.
Ed
A great mistake
AS Muslims, we believe in Almighty Allah. But nowadays it is very common for people to go to fortune-tellers and ask about their future. However, a fortune-teller is also a human being like us and he can’t tell about his own life and death. Only Allah knows what the future holds.
Such fortune-tellers and people who claim to cure the sick, to make the poor very rich, and many other false promises are just fake and a source of making fools of others. Trips to them destroy one’s faith in Allah.
All such things are due to the carelessness shown by us in offering prayers and in acting accordingly upon the teachings of Islam. We do not ask for the help of God Almighty, who can do everything. It’s still not too late, we should bow before Allah and ask for his forgiveness, because He is always kind and merciful to his fellows and loves them very much.
FAIZA SHAMS,
Karachi
Treating customers with respect
IT has been observed lately that shopkeepers treat their customers on the basis of their appearance. If a person looks affluent and well to do, the shopkeeper will treat him well. However, if the customer is a simpleton then he can very well expect to face a dejected attitude. This isn’t fair. All customers should be treated alike.
I hope this letter would help improve this situation.
M. SHAHAB KHAN,
Karachi
|
|
|
|
