Bananas

mecca

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:22:23 GMT

Mecca (in full: Makkah al-Mukarramah is an Islamic holy city in Saudi Arabia's Makkah province, in the historic Hejaz region. It has a population of 1,294,167 (2004 census). The city is located 73 kilometres (45 miles) inland from Jeddah, in the narrow sandy Valley of Abraham, 277 metres (909 ft) above sea level. It is located 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Red Sea. The city is revered by Muslims for containing the holiest site of Islam, the Masjid al-Haram. A pilgrimage to Mecca during the week of the Hajj is considered one of the Pillars of Islam, a sacred duty that is required of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to go, at least once in their lifetime. People of other faiths are forbidden from entering the city. The English word mecca (uncapitalized), meaning "a place to which many people are attracted” is derived from Mecca.

Geography
Mecca is at an elevation of 277 m (910 ft.) above sea level, and approximately 50 miles inland from the Red Sea. [The city is situated between mountains, which has defined the contemporary expansion of the city. The city centers around the Masjid al-Haram (holy place of worship). The area around the mosque comprises the old city. The main avenues are Al-Mudda'ah and Sыq al-Layl to the north of the mosque, and As-Sыg as Saghоr to the south. Houses near the mosque have been razed and replaced with open spaces and wide streets. Residential complexes are more compacted in the old city than in residential areas. Traditional homes are built of local rock and are two to three stories. The city has a few slums, where poor pilgrims who were unable to finance a trip home after the hajj settled.
Transportation
Transportation facilities related to the Hajj or Umrah (minor pilgrimage) are the main services available. Mecca has no airport, or rail service. Paved roads and modern expressways link Mecca with other cities in Saudi Arabia. The city has good roads. Most pilgrims access the city through the hajj terminal of King Abdul Aziz International Airport (JED) or the Jeddah Islamic Port, both of which are in Jeddah.
People
Population density in Mecca is very high. Most of the people who live in Mecca live in the old city. The city has an average of four million visitors as "pilgrims" and that is only in hajj time each year. Pilgrims also visit all year round for Umrah.
Government
The mayor of Mecca is appointed by the king of Saudi Arabia. The current mayor of the city is Usama Al-Barr. A municipal council of fourteen locally elected members is responsible for the functioning of the municipality. Mecca is also the capital of Makkah province., which also includes neighboring Jeddah. The governor was Prince Abdul-Majid bin Abdul-Aziz from 2000 until his death in 2007. On May 16, 2007, Prince Khalid al-Faisal was appointed as the new governor.
History
Mecca is one of the oldest and most important cities in Saudi Arabia. By the middle of the sixth century, there were three major settlements in northern Arabia, all along the southwestern coast that borders the Red Sea, in a habitable region between the sea and the great desert to the east. This area, known as the Hijaz, featured three settlements that had grown around oases, where water was available. In the center of the Hijaz was Yathrib, later renamed as Medina. 250 miles south of Yathrib was Taif, a mountain town, and northwest of Taif was Mecca. Though the area around Mecca was completely barren, Mecca was the wealthiest and most important of the three settlements. It had abundant water via the Zamzam Well, was the site of the holiest shrine in Arabia, the Kaaba, and was also at the crossroads of major caravan routes. Muhammad's great-grandfather had been the first to equip a camel caravan, and they became a regular part of the town's economy. Alliances were struck between the merchants in Mecca, and the local nomadic tribes, who would bring leather, livestock, and metals which were mined in the local mountains. Caravans would then be loaded up in Mecca, and would take the goods to the cities in Syria and Iraq. The Kaaba, a large cubical building now surrounded by the Masjid al-Haram, was one of multiple such buildings, but was the only one made of stone, and therefore the only one still standing. According to the Qur'an, the Kaaba was built by Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael). Secular historians state that Kaaba was a location where each of the many tribes of Arabia would gather on a regular basis. The building held 360 idols, representing the totem of each tribe. Prior to Muhammad in the 7th century, the most important idol was that of Hubal, having been placed there by the ruling Quraysh tribe. The Kaaba was also said to hold icons of other faiths, such as statues of Jesus and Mary. Periodically, all the Arab tribes would visit Mecca, to pay homage to the shrine, and to drink from the Well of Zamzam.
The Black Stone is a Muslim object of reverence, said by some to date back to the alleged time of Adam and Eve. It is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba.Well of Zamzam
Muslims believe that the Zamzam well was revealed to Hagar, wife of Abraham and mother of Ishmael. (Abraham is known as Ibrahim to Muslims.) She was desperately seeking water for her infant son, but could find none. Mecca is located in a hot dry valley with few other sources of water. According to tradiction, the water of the Zamzam well is divinely blessed (it is believed to satisfy both hunger and thirst, and cure illness). All pilgrims make every effort to drink of this water during their pilgrimage. The water is served to the public through coolers stationed throughout the Masjid al Haram in Mecca and the Masjid al Nabawi in Medina.
Importance of Mecca
Academic historians, however, state with certainty only that Mecca was a shrine and trading center for a number of generations before Muhammad. The extent of Meccan trade has been debated. Some historians believe that Meccah was a waypoint on a land route from southern Arabia north to the Roman and Byzantine empires, and that Arabian and Indian Ocean spices were funneled through Mecca. Patricia Crone, in her book Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam, argues that the Meccans were small merchants dealing in hides, camel butter, and the like.
According to the Qur'вn and Muslim traditions, the city was attacked by an Ethiopian Aksumite army led by Abraha in 570, the year of Muhammad's birth. The attack was said to have been repelled by stones dropped by thousands of birds, followed by a plague. Before the time of Muhammad, Mecca was under the control of the Banu Quraish. Muhammad, a member of the Banu Quraish, exiled from the city for preaching against paganism, returned to the city in triumph in 630 and after removing the cult images from the Kaaba, dedicating it as the center of Muslim pilgrimage. After the rise of the Islamic empire, Mecca attracted pilgrims from all over the extensive empire, as well as a year-round population of scholars, pious Muslims who wished to live close to the Kaaba, and local inhabitants who served the pilgrims. Due to the difficulty and expense of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage was small compared to the millions that swell Mecca today. Pilgrims arrived by boat, at Jedda, and came overland, or joined the annual caravans from Syria or Iraq. The city was small. 18th and 19th century maps and pictures show a small walled city of mud-brick houses crowded around the mosque. Mecca was never the capital of an Islamic empire; the first capital was Medina, some 250 miles (400 km) away. The capital of the caliphate was soon moved to Kufa by the fourth Caliph Ali and then to Damascus by the Ummayads and Baghdad by the Abbasids and then to Cairo after the Mongol invasion, and then at last to Constantinople by the Ottomans.
Mecca re-entered Islamic political history briefly when it was held by Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr, an early Muslim who opposed the Umayyad caliphs. The caliph Yazid I besieged Mecca in 683. Thereafter the city figured little in politics; it was a city of devotion and scholarship. For centuries it was governed by the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca, descendants of Muhammad by his grandson Hassan ibn Ali. The Sharifs ruled on behalf of whatever caliph or Muslim ruler had declared himself the Guardian of the Two Shrines. Mecca was attacked and sacked by Ismaili Muslims in 930. In 1926, the Sharifs of Mecca were overthrown by the Saudis, and Mecca was incorporated into Saudi Arabia.
On November 20, 1979 two hundred armed Islamist dissidents led by Saudi preacher Juhayman al-Otaibi seized the Grand Mosque. They claimed that the Saudi royal family no longer represented pure Islam and that the mosque, and the Kaaba, must be held by those of the true faith. The rebels seized tens of thousands of pilgrims as hostages and barricaded themselves in the mosque. The siege lasted two weeks, and resulted in several hundreds deaths and significant damage to the shrine, especially the Safa-Marwa gallery. While it is the Saudi forces that carried out the assault, they were assisted with weapons and planning by a small team of advisors from France's GIGN commando unit.
Current Status
The city has grown substantially in the last several decades, as the convenience and affordability of jet travel has increased the number of pilgrims participating in the Hajj. Thousands of Saudis are employed year-round to oversee the Hajj and staff the hotels and shops that cater to pilgrims; these workers in turn have increased the demand for housing and services. The city is now ringed by freeways, and contains shopping malls and skyscrapers.
Non-Muslims and Mecca
Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Mecca. Road blocks are stationed along roads leading to the city, with officials conducting occasional random checks to confirm that intending visitors are legitimate pilgrims and in possession of the required documentation. The main airport has a similar security policy. While one of the purpose of these checks is to ensure that the visitor is, in fact, a Muslim, they also serve to prevent illegal immigrants including guest workers whose visas have expired or who have not attained the extra permit required to perform the pilgrimage. As one might expect, the existence of cities closed to non-Muslims and the mystery of the Hajj aroused intense curiosity in European travelers. A number of them disguised themselves as Muslims and entered the city of Mecca and then the Kaaba to experience the Hajj for themselves The most famous account of a foreigner's journey to Mecca is A Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, written by Sir Richard Francis Burton. Burton traveled as a Qadiri Sufi from Afghanistan; his name, as he signed it in Arabic below his front piece portrait for "The Jew, The Gypsy and al-Islam," was al-Hajj 'Abdullah.
Economy
The Meccan economy is almost entirely dependent on money spent by people attending the hajj. The city takes in more than $100 million during the hajj. The Saudi government spends about $50 million on services for the hajj. There are some industries and factories in the city, but Mecca no longer plays a major role in Saudi Arabia's economy, which is mainly based on oil exports. The few industries operating in Mecca include textiles, furniture, and utensils. The majority of the economy is service oriented. Water is scarce and food must be imported.
References to Mecca in ancient texts
Patricia Crone, in her 1987 book Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam, gives a precis of various Greek and Roman texts thought by some to have referred to Mecca. She argues that there is no hard evidence linking those references to the South Arabian trade to Mecca.
In the Torah/Bible
Some Muslims believe that Mecca is mentioned in the Jewish Torah/Christian Bible, claiming that the word "Baca" can be found in Psalm 84:6. The verse Qur'an 3:96 indicates that "the first House (of worship) appointed for men were that at Bakka". However, some non-Muslim commentators of the Qur'ando not accept that reading of Qur'an 3:96, and most modern translations of the Bible use "Valley of Weeping" instead of "Baca."

Mecca (Makkah in Arabic) is the center of the Islamic world and the birthplace of both the Prophet Muhammad and the religion he founded. Located in the Sirat Mountains of central Saudi Arabia and 45miles inland from the Red Sea port of Jidda (Jeddah), ancient Mecca was an oasis on the old caravan trade route that linked the Mediterranean world with South Arabia, East Africa, and South Asia. By Roman and Byzantine times it had developed into an important trade and religious center, and was known as Macoraba. The sacred land in which Mecca and Medina are located, known as the Hijaz, is the western region of the Arabian peninsula, a narrow tract of land about 875 miles long east of the Red Sea with the Tropic of Cancer running through its center. The land is called Hijaz, meaning barrier, because its backbone, the Sarat Mountains consist of volcanic peaks and natural depressions creating a stark and rugged environment dominated by intense sunlight and little rain fall.
According to ancient Arabian traditions, when Adam and Eve were cast from Paradise they fell to different parts of the earth; Adam on a mountain on the island of Serendip, or Sri Lanka, and Eve in Arabia, on the border of the Red Sea near the port of Jeddah. For two hundred years Adam and Eve wandered separate and lonely about the earth. Finally, in consideration of their penitence and wretchedness, God permitted them to come together again on Mt. Arafat, near the present city of Mecca (previously called Becca or Bakkah, meaning narrow valley). Adam then prayed to God that a shrine might be granted to him similar to that at which he had worshipped in Paradise. Adam's prayers were answered and a shrine was built. (This is a pre-Islamic legend and the Koran, the Islamic Holy Scripture, says nothing whatsoever of Adam’s connection with Mecca or of a shrine he prayed at). Adam is said to have died and been buried in Mecca and Eve in Jeddah by the sea which still bears her name, jiddah, meaning maternal ancestor in Arabic.
This shrine passed away during the era of the flood, at which time the body of Adam began to float on the water while the Ark of Noah circumambulated around it and the Ka’ba seven times before journeying north where it landed after the flood. A thousand years later, according to one Islamic tradition in 1892 BC, the great patriarch of monothesism, Abraham, or Ibrahim, came to Mecca with his Egyptian wife Hagar and their child Ishmael. Here Hagar lived with her son in a small house, at the site of the earlier shrine, and Abraham came to visit her on occasion.
Nearly all scholars trace the sanctity of Mecca to the Ka’ba edifice later rebuilt at God’s express command by Abraham and Ishmael. Mention must be made, however, of the Zamzan spring and the nearby holy hills of Safa and Marwa (these hills have since disappeared under the leveling topography of modern Mecca). These geographical formations certainly predated the mythical construction of the Ka’ba and could therefore have given birth to the original sanctity of the place. According to Islamic legend, Abraham had left Mecca on God’s command, leaving Hagar and Ishmael with only some water and dates. Hagar nursed her son and they drank the remaining water. Soon thereafter, faced with great thirst, Ishmael started to cry and Hagar began to run between the hills of Safa and Marwa looking for water. She repeated the journey seven times until an angel appeared to her, striking the ground with his wing, with the result that the Zamzam spring, which Muslims consider as a tributary of the waters of Paradise, sprang forth. Henceforth Mecca was graced with a source of water which has continued flowing to this day.
After the departure and return of Abraham to Mecca, and his discovery that Hagar had died, Abraham was then ordered by God to make Hagar’s house into a temple where people could pray. Therefore, he demolished the house and began construction of the Ka’ba. God gave Abraham precise instructions concerning how to rebuild the shrine and Gabriel showed him the location. It is said that by the grace of God the Divine Peace (al-sakinah) descended in the form of a wind which brought a cloud in the shape of a dragon that revealed to Abraham and Ishmael the site of the old temple. They were told to construct the shrine directly upon the shadow of the cloud, neither exceeding nor diminishing its dimensions. Legends say the shrine was built from the stones of five sacred mountains: Mt. Sinai, the Mount of Olives, Mt. Lebanon, Al-Judi, and nearby Mt. Hira. Upon the completion of the shrine, Gabriel brought a magic stone for the sanctuary. Different sources speculate that this stone was a meteorite or a great white sapphire from the Garden of Eden, that it had been concealed on the nearby sacred mountain of Abu Qubays during the period of the flood, and that it was later restored to Abraham for inclusion in his version of the Ka’ba. Whatever its ultimate origin, the stone was most probably a sacred object of the pre-Islamic Arabian nomads who had settled around the Zamzam spring that flows at the center of old Mecca. Upon completion of the Ka’ba, Abraham and Ishmael, accompanied by the archangel Gabriel, then performed all the elements which constitute the Hajj ritual of today. The Ka’ba they had constructed was destined to become the most important sacred site of the nomadic tribes that inhabited the great Arabian deserts. (Abraham was later to leave Mecca to die in Palestine in al-Khalil).
With the passage of centuries, the original Abrahamic observances at the Ka’ba were progressively diluted by the addition of various pagan elements (these arriving via the caravan routes that led to Mecca). The pilgrims of pre-Islamic times visited not only the house of Abraham and the sacred stone of Gabriel but also the collection of stone idols (representing different deities) housed in and around the Ka’ba. There were said to be 360 different deities including Awf, the great bird, Hubal the Nabatean god, the three celestial goddesses Manat, al-Uzza and al-Lat, and statues of Mary and Jesus. The most important of all these deities, and chief of the Meccan pantheon, was known as Allah (meaning “the god”). Worshipped throughout southern Syria and northern Arabia, and the only deity not represented by an idol in the Ka’ba, Allah would later become the sole god of the Muslims.
The city of Mecca achieved its major religious significance following the birth and life of the Prophet Muhammed (570-632AD). In 630 Muhammad took control of Mecca and destroyed the 360 pagan idols, with the notable exception of the statues of Mary and Jesus. The idol of Hubal, the largest in Mecca, was a giant stone situated atop the Ka’ba. Following the command of the Prophet, Ali (the cousin of Muhammad) stood on Muhammad’s shoulders, climbed to the top of the Ka’ba and toppled the idol.
Following his destruction of the pagan idols, Muhammad joined certain of the ancient Meccan rituals with the Hajj pilgrimage to Mt. Arafat (another pre-Islamic tradition), declared the city a center of Muslim pilgrimage and dedicated it to the worship of Allah alone. Muhammad did not, however, destroy the Ka’ba and the sacred stone it housed. Rather, he made them the centerpiece of the Muslim religion based on his belief that he was a prophetic reformer who had been sent by god to restore the rites first established by Abraham that had been corrupted over the centuries by the pagan influences. Thus, by gaining both religious and political control over Mecca, Muhammad was able to redefine the sacred territory and restore Abraham's original order to it.
According to the original words of Muhammad, the Hajj pilgrimage is the fifth of the fundamental Muslim practices known as the 'Five Pillars of Islam'. The Hajj is an obligation to be performed at least once by all male and female adults whose health and finances permit it. The pilgrimage takes place each year between the 8th and 13th days of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Before setting out, a pilgrim should redress all wrongs, pay all debts, and plan to have enough money for their journey and the support of their family while away.
As pilgrims undertake the journey they follow in the footsteps of many millions before them. When the pilgrim is about 10 kilometers from Mecca he enters the state of holiness and purity known as Ihram, and dons special garments consisting of two white seamless sheets that are wrapped around the body. Entering the great Mosque in Mecca, the pilgrim first walks seven times around the Ka’ba shrine in a counterclockwise direction; this ritual is called turning, or tawaf. Next, entering into the shrine, the pilgrim kisses the sacred stone. The stone is mounted in a silver frame in the wall, four feet above the ground, in the southeast corner of the shrine. It is of an oval shape about twelve inches in diameter, composed of seven small stones (possibly basalt) of different sizes and shapes joined together with cement. Legend tells that the stone (Hajarul Aswad, the ‘Black Stone’) was originally white but became gradually darkened by the kisses of sinful mortals (some traditions say by the sins of 'offsprings of Adam').
During the next few days the pilgrim walks a ritualized route to other sacred places in the Mecca vicinity (Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat, the Mount of Mercy and Mt. Namira) and returns to the Ka’ba on the final day (the word Hajj probably derives from an old Semitic root meaning 'to go around, to go in a circle'). The plain of Arafat where millions of pilgrims assemble in a vast congregation symbolizes the plain of Mahshar or Resurrection where everyone will stand before God on the Day of Judgement. In the middle of Arafat stands Jabal al-Rahmah or the Mount of Mercy where the last verses of the Koran were revealed and where one of the famous farewell addresses of the Prophet was delivered. It is here that the alchemy of union between various aspects of human nature takes place and where men and women regain their primordial spiritual wholeness, for it was here that Adam and Eve found each other again after their fall to earth from Paradise. At Mina, where the Prophet delivered his last words during his final pilgrimage, pilgrims cast stones against three large stone pillars representing Satan (al-Shaytan) as a symbol of the eternal battle that must be waged against the demons within. Finally there is the sacrifice of an animal, a sheep or a camel, in emulation of Abraham’s preparation to sacrifice his son Ishmael.
Once a believer has made the pilgrimage to Mecca men may add the title al-Hajji to their name, hajjiyah for females. In different Islamic countries returning pilgrims will use a variety of signs to indicate they have made the Hajj; these include painting pictures of the Ka’ba (and the pilgrim’s means of transportation to the shrine) upon the walls of their homes, painting the entrance doorway of the house bright green, and wearing hats or scarves of green color. A so-called Minor Pilgrimage, known as the Umra, contains some but not all of the rites of the Hajj and may be performed at any time of the year.
The area around the Ka’ba was enclosed by a wall in 638 to create a defined space for the tawaf ritual of circumambulation. In 684 the mosque was further enlarged and ornamented with numerous mosaic and marble decorations. In 709 the Umayyad caliph Al-Walid placed a wooden roof upon marble columns to protect the arcades of the mosque, and between 754 and 757 the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mansur carried out further enlargements, including the first minaret. During the next 700 years numerous modifications were carried out although no major alterations to the form of the building occurred until the Ottoman period in the 16th century (in the 10th century the Black Stone was actually stolen for a period of twenty-one years by the Carmathians). Large-scale renovations and remodeling was undertaken in 1564 during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent, who rebuilt the minarets and replaced the wooden roofs of the arcades with stone domes. The next major rebuilding of the mosque occurred in the 20th century under the direction of the Saudi royal family and resulted in the Mecca mosque becoming the largest in the world.
The Ka’ba today stands in the midst of an open courtyard known as the al-masjid al-haram, the ‘sanctuary’. The cubical (the word Ka’ba means “cube”), flat-roofed building rises fifty feet from a narrow marble base on mortared bases of a local blue-gray stone. Its dimensions are not exactly cubical: the northeastern and southwestern walls are forty feet long, while the other two walls are five feet shorter (12 meters long, 10 meters broad, 16 meters high). The structure’s corners, rather than the walls, are oriented toward the compass points. The east and west walls are aligned to the sunrise at the summer solstice and sunset at the winter solstice. The south wall is directed to the rising of the bright star Canopus. The northeastern wall has the only door of the building, about seven feet above the ground level. Inside is an empty room with a marble floor and three wooden pillars supporting the roof. There are some inscriptions on the walls, hanging votive lamps, and a ladder leading up to the roof. The entire Ka’ba structure is draped with a black silk covering, called a kiswa, upon which passages from the Koran are embroidered in gold. The kiswa is renewed every year and the old kiswah is cut up and distributed so as to allow the barakah of the ka’ba to emanate among those to whom the pieces of the cloth are given. During the early centuries of Islamic history the kiswah was made in Egypt and carried with great ceremony to Mecca but now it is fashioned near the holy city itself.
Opposite the northwestern wall of the Ka’ba is an area of special sanctity called the Hijr, which Muslim tradition identifies as the burial place of Hagar and Ishmael (and here, too, Ishmael had been promised by God that a gate into heaven would be opened for him). In Muhammad’s time, the Hijr was a place used for discussion, prayer and, significantly, for sleep. The sleepers in the Hijr appear to have gone there specifically to have dreams of divine content: Muhammad’s grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, was inspired to discover the Zamzam well while sleeping there; the mother of the Prophet had a vision of her son’s greatness; and at the Hijr Muhammed himself was visited by Gabriel before beginning his miraculous Night Journey to Jerusalem.
The Ka’ba, the Zamzan well, the Hijr and the hills of Safa and Marwa are now all enclosed in a vast structure called the Haram al-Sharif, ‘The Noble Sanctuary’. Ringed by seven towering minarets and sixty-four gates, this truly monumental building has 160,000 yards of floor space, is capable of holding more than 1.2 million pilgrims at the same time, and is the largest mosque in the Islamic world. The sa’y, or ritual walk between the hills of Safa and Marwa, celebrating the rapid movement of Hagar and her son Ishmael in search of water and being an integral part of the Hajj rituals, is understood to represent mans quest in this world for the life-bestowing bounties of God
It is interesting to note that prior to the age of the European world explorations, the pilgrimage to Mecca was the single largest expression of human mobility. As the religion of Islam rapidly spread across the world from Indonesia and China in the Far East to Spain, Morocco and West Africa in the west, ever increasing numbers of pilgrims made the long, and often dangerous, journey to Mecca. Some came by boat, braving the Red Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Others spent months in camel caravans slowly crossing great tracts of land. The most important pilgrimage caravans were the Egyptian, the Syrian, the Maghribi (the trans-Saharan route), the Sudanese (the sub-Saharan, savanna route), and those from Iraq and Persia.
Forbidden to persons not of the Muslim faith, Mecca came to symbolize for Europeans the secrets and mysteries of the orient, and as such became a magnet for explorers and adventurers. A few of these daring travelers, such as John Lewis Burckhardt from Switzerland (who, in 1812, was also the first European to visit the ruins of Petra) and Sir Richard Burton from Great Britain were able to convincingly impersonate Muslim pilgrims, gain entrance to Mecca, and write wonderfully of the holy city upon their return to Europe. Other explorers were neither so lucky nor divinely guided; many of them disappeared or were caught and sold into slavery. To this day, Mecca remains strictly closed for persons not of the Muslim faith.
Nowadays about 2,000,000 persons perform the Hajj each year, and the pilgrimage serves as a unifying force in Islam by bringing together followers from diverse countries and language groups. In a certain sense Mecca is said to be visited by all Muslims every day; this because five times each day (three times in the Shi’a sect) millions upon millions of devout believers kneel to pray. Wherever the place of prayer - be it an established mosque, a remote place in the wilderness or the interior of a home - Muslims face towards Mecca and are united to the Ka’ba by an invisible line of direction called the qibla.
Readers interested in more detailed information about Mecca and the great Muslim pilgrimage will enjoy the excellent writings of Michael Wolfe and F.E. Peters, listed in the bibliography.
Additional notes on Mecca
On the walls of ordinary houses all over Egypt, one can still see colorful two-dimensional mementos of the sacred journey to Mecca. A lively tradition of domestic mural painting has preserved a formulaic combination of inscriptions and images of the Ka'ba and of the Prophet's mosque. Images usually show the various modes of travel to the holy places, typically including planes, trains, ships, camels, and often depict the pilgrim on a prayer carpet. These murals serve a protective purpose in addition to certifying publicly and proudly that the house's inhabitants are due the special status and prestige accorded to those who have accomplished the hajj and received the honorific title of hajji. It is especially significant that family and friends of the pilgrim execute the paintings while the travelers are away, so that the dwelling undergoes its ritual transformation even as its inhabitants do.
Seven Doors to Islam: Spirituality and the Religious Life of Muslims, by John Renard
Folklore notes on Adam
Adam was formed by god out of a handful of dust taken, according to tradition, from the Holy Rock of Sakhrah in Beyt el Maddas. When god formed Adam He left the figure lying lifeless for forty days, some say forty years, while notice was given to the Angels and the Jinn to be ready to worship him as soon as god put breath into his nostrils. At first Adam was male and female in one body, man on one side and female on the other. In due time the female part separated from the male and became a complete woman. Adam and the woman mated but they were not happy as the female refused to submit to Adam, saying that as they were made from the same dust, he had no right to order her about. So she was turned out of Paradise and, consorting with Iblis (Satan), became the mother of devils. She is called El-Karineh by the Arabs, both Christian and Muslim, and Lilith by the Jews (La Brusha by the Sephardim Jews). She is the deadly enemy of all women, especially those who have recently become mothers. When El-Karineh was driven out of Paradise, god created Eve out of one of Adam's ribs, which had been extracted while he slept. Adam and Eve were happy together until Satan succeeded in getting back into Paradise concealed in a serpent's fangs. Once there, Satan persuaded Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. Adam, having been persuaded by his wife to share her offense, was, as a punishment, cast out of Paradise together with Eve, Satan and the Serpent. All four of them fell to the earth, each coming to a different place: Adam at Serendib or Ceylon; Eve at Jiddah; Satan at Akabah; and the Serpent at Isfahan in Persia. Two hundred years passed before Adam and Eve met once more at Jebel Arafat, the mountain of Recognition, near Mecca. During these two hundred years, Eve had borne offspring of the seeds of devils and Adam had many children by female Jinns.
Additional notes on Pilgrimage and Sacred sites in Islam
The worship of saints or even of the Prophet Muhammad himself is blasphemy according to Islamic orthodoxy. When Muhammad died, he was buried in the house of his wife Aisha and it was forbidden to visit his corpse. In accordance with his teachings, no special treatment was given to the burial places of the four rightly guided Caliphs or the Umayyads or early Abbasids, and no special buildings of any importance were erected over any of their graves.
After the ninth century the veneration of tombs of pious men became popular, especially in eastern Iran, and the memorial tomb with religious or secular connotations assumed a leading place among the types of monumental buildings in Islamic architecture. Clearly the urge to build tombs owed nothing to Islamic dogma but rested on deep-seated popular belief.
The grave of a saint (awliya) is a point of psychic contact with the saint for the tomb is conceived as the dwelling place of the saint. These shrines, in different parts of the Islamic world may be called mashhad, maqam, ziyarat (Morocco), imamzada (Iran), mazar (Central Asia) and qabiristan (India) and they may be compared in function to the Christian martyrium.
Apart from the altruism involved in building a mosque, anyone who plans to include his tomb within the area of the mosque expects that this action will ensure the maintenance of his tomb, as it is integral to the architecture of the mosque, and also that his burial remains will benefit supernaturally from the prayers of the users of the mosque and also by the baraka that is generated every time the Koran is recited.
The concept of the living saint is extremely important in Islam. Pilgrims visit the shrine of a saint to receive his baraka and seek his intercession, shafa'a. .. On leaving a shrine, a pilgrim is careful not to turn his or her back on the cenotaph of the saint.
A coffin is optional, but a vault, no matter how simple, is indespensible, for the fact that the body must be able to sit up and reply to the Angels of the Grave, known as Munkir and Nakir, who question it on the first night after burial. ..Bodies are buried in the recumbent posture at right angles to the qibla (the direction of prayer towards Mecca) in such a way that they would face Mecca if turned on their side. This way the believer has the same physical relationship with Mecca in both life and death.

Potential Health problems related to the prolonged use of ICT equipment.

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:03:06 GMT

Potential Health problems related to the prolonged use of ICT equipment.

Did you know ict equipments can be harmful for your health?
With the increase in computer use, a number of health problems arisen. Health and Safety is crucial to the effective operation of a computer. Stress is widely accepted as a common and possibly the most dangerous aspect of using a computer. Furthermore repetitive strain injury, back and eye problems, strategies for prevention will be discussed.

Repetitive strain injury
A repetitive strain injury (RSI), is any of a loose group of conditions resulting from overuse of a tool, e.g. computer, etc. or other activity that requires repeated movements. It is a syndrome that affects muscles, tendons and nerves in the hands, arms and upper back. The medically accepted condition in which it occurs is when muscles in these areas are kept tense for very long periods of time, due to poor posture and or repetitive motions. It is most common among assembly line and computer workers.
Symptoms:
• Tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or elbows
• Tingling, coldness, or numbness in the hands
• Clumsiness or loss of strength and coordination in the hands
• Pain that wakes you up at night
• Feeling a need to massage your hands, wrists, and arms
• Pain in the upper back, shoulders, or neck associated with using the computer.
Eye strain
Computer work hasn't been proven to cause permanent eye damage, but the temporary discomfort that may occur can reduce productivity, cause lost work time and reduce job satisfaction. Eye problems are usually the result of visual fatigue or glare from bright windows or strong light sources, light reflecting off the display screen or poor display screen contrast. Computers are the number 1 cause of eyestrain in the United States
Symptoms:
• Eyestrain
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness or nausea
• Headaches
• Red, dry or burning eyes
• Increase in nearsightedness
• Change in color perception
• Slow refocusing
• Excessive fatigue
• Neck, shoulder and back pain
• Eye-teaming problems and/or occasional double vision
Backaches
Sitting on computer for a long period of time can cause backaches, which is felt in the back that may originate from the muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine. Not moving your muscles for a long period of time is the main cause of backache, pulled muscles) are commonly identified as the cause of back pain.

Prevention
Knees should be at a 90 angle with feet flat on the floor. Elbows should be at a 90 angle when using the keyboard and Keyboards should be adjustable. Users should be able to adjust the brightness of the screen. Users should not have to strain their neck to see the monitor; the top of the screen should be roughly at eye level. All computer workstations are equipped with an adjustable office chair and these must be used at all times. Treating back pain is to achieve maximal reduction in pain intensity as rapidly as possible. Exercises Massage therapy can be very effective. Avoid long hours of doing the same thing such as sitting on computer. Do eye exercises and acupressure massage points every hour on the computer. Set up your computer correctly. The proper viewing distance is 20-24 inches. The correct viewing angle is 10 to 20 degrees from the mid screen to the top of the screen. Use a good monitor. Make sure overall illumination of the room is no more than three times brighter than the screen. Use a desk lamp if possible instead of an overhead light. Keep your wrists relatively straight while typing to avoid carpel tunnel syndrome. Massage treatment, Soft Tissue Therapy works by decompressing the area around the repetitive stress injury thus enhancing circulation and promoting healing. Cold compression therapy circumvents occupational stress and may be one of the simplest ways to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Strengthening exercises. Rest breaks and restricts user to a predefined daily limit. Biofeedback can be used to reduce stress-related muscle tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders. When sitting - use a chair with firm low back support. Keep desk or table top elbow high, adjust the chair or use a footrest to keep pressure off the back of the legs, and keep your knees a little higher than your hips. Get up and stretch frequently--every hour if you sit for long periods of time. When working on a computer - take a one or two minute task break every 20 minutes when you work at a computer screen. Keep the screen 15 degrees below eye level. Place reference materials on a copy stand even with and close to the terminal.
To sum up using computers for a long period of time can cause tons of health illnesses and it can cause people to become addicted. To prevent this entire thing all you have to do is use the ict equipments only when you nee too, while using computer stand up every hour and do some exercise for at least five minutes.

BIRROV»NING NARXI QANCHA?

Nodira — Thu, 03 May 2007 23:23:54 GMT

BIRROV»NING NARXI QANCHA?

Davrada suhbatlashib o‘tirgan edik, mahallamizning eng keksa oqsoqollaridan biri yaqinda to‘y o‘tkazgan yigitga qarab shunday dedi:
— To‘yni yaxshi o‘tkazib oldingmi, bolam, artistning ham tanqislisini olib kelibsan, aytishlaricha 5-6 ta qo‘shiq aytib, ketib qolibdi...
Yigit oqsoqolga qulluq qilib: “Qo‘shiqchi birrovga keluvdi”, deb javob berdi.
Oqsoqol ham qo‘ymadi:
— Bu “birrov” degani nimasi?
Yigitning javob bermaslikdan boshqa iloji qolmadi:
— Qo‘shiqchi bilan bir kelib qo‘shiq aytib ketishi uchun ma’lum summaga og‘zaki shartnoma tuzasiz. Keladi, aytadi-aytadi, keyin ketadi. Qolganlar kelgan joyidan davom ettiraveradi, buva.
— Qancha berding, bolam, — deb oqsoqol tutgan joyidan qo‘ymadi. Yigit narxini aytdi.
— Obbo, bizning Chuvildoqqa (qishloqning nomi) bu pulga o‘zimizning artistlardan to‘rttasi keladi-ku, — buva mazza qilib kuldi.
Shu suhbat bahona bo‘ldimi, keyingi paytlarda ancha urf bo‘lib ketgan “birrov” haqida chuqur o‘ylab qoldim.
Mahallamizning 80-85 yoshlarni qoralagan keksalari Ma’murjon Uzoqov, Tamaraxonim, Halima Nosirova kabi el suygan san’atkorlarni tep-tekin kelib, to‘yda xizmat qilib ketganligini aytishganda ko‘pchiligimiz ishonmasdik. Saksonni qoralagan otam bir voqeani aytib bergan edi.
— Qurol degan bir yigit qishlog‘imizning podasini boqardi. Shu yigit farzand ko‘rmay yurib-yurib o‘g‘il ko‘rdi. Niyat qildi, o‘g‘lining sunnat to‘yiga Ma’murjon Uzoqovni olib kelaman deb. Hofizning Toshkentga kelganini eshitib, tinimsiz qatnayverdi, hech uchratolmadi. Shu kambag‘alning orzusi ushalsin deb poda ham navbat bilan boqishga o‘tib ketdi. Axiyri “Toshkent dengizi”ning shundoq yonidagi “Qunduzak” degan qishloqqa kelarmish degan gapni eshitib qoladi. To‘yga borib nima deb tushuntirsa tushuntirgandir, Ma’murjon Uzoqov podachining to‘yiga kelib, o‘rtadan tushgan pulni belboqqa tugib, qo‘liga berib ketgan edi.
Men ulug‘ san’atkorlarimizning bunday tantiligi, oliy himmatligi haqida juda ko‘p eshitganman. Lekin keyingi paytlarda san’atkorlarning bunday mardligi haqida biror voqeaning ovoza bo‘lganligini eshitmadim. Gazetalarda qaysi san’atkorlar bilan shu mavzuda suhbat ochilsa, darrov: “Qo‘shiq yozish pul, musiqasi uchun pul, yana klip uchun falon pul kerak”, degan chiroyli bahonalarni shunday “qog‘ozga o‘rab” gapirishadiki, beixtiyor: “Ularga ham qiyin ekan-da”, deb yuborasiz.
Darvoqe... gap “birrov” haqida edi. To‘y qilgan inson elga yozilgan dasturxoni oldida taniqli hofizning qo‘shiq aytishini orzu qiladi. Ayniqsa, qishloq odamlari uchun bu sharaf. Buni manmanlikka, o‘zini ko‘rsatib qo‘yishga yo‘yish noto‘g‘ri. Balki bu ham o‘zbek mintalitetining o‘ziga xos tomonlaridan biridir: farzandining kamolini ko‘zlagan ota-ona bu kamolot yo‘lini bir chetida farzandi to‘yida aynan ulug‘, taniqli san’atkorning bir juftgina bo‘lsa-da qo‘shiq aytishini istaydi. Axir bir xotirlab ko‘ring-a, o‘z hayotingiz davomida farzandi tug‘ilganidayoq unga mashhur san’atkorlarning ismlarini qo‘ygan, beshikdagi chaqalog‘ining to‘yiga Alloh nasib etsa falon san’atkorni olib kelishini niyat qilib qo‘ygan otalarni nechtasini ko‘rgan ekansiz? Menimcha, to‘yga nomi chiqqan san’atkorni olib kelish yuqorida aytganimizdek manmanlik, nom chiqarga emas, aksariyat hollarda ko‘p yillik orzularning ushalishidir. Qishloq odamlarining: “Falonchining to‘yida falonchi qo‘shiqlarini mazza qilib eshitdik”, degan bir og‘iz gapi to‘y egasining barcha charchoqlarini yozib yuboradi.
Masalaning yana bir muhim tomonini unutmaslik kerak. Bizning xalqimiz san’atsevar xalq, o‘z san’atkorlarini boshiga ko‘targuvchi xalq. Lekin qishloq odamlarining har kuni televizorlarda reklama qilinayotgan poytaxtdagi muhtasham saroylarda bo‘lib o‘tadigan katta kontsertlarga borishga vaqti qayda deysiz. Erta tongdan ketmoni bilan quyoshni o‘z yotog‘idan uyg‘otib, to kechgacha dalasida g‘o‘zasining ortidan jonnisor yuradigan dehqonning shahardagi katta kontsertga juda-juda borgisi keladi, u ham odam, lekin kun sanaydigan g‘o‘zasini bir kunga yolg‘iz qoldira oladimi? Dehqon yerga chigit qadalganidan so‘ng faqat g‘o‘zasining aytganini qiladi, hatto o‘z farzandining “kontsertga boraylik” degan xarxashasiga quloq tutmasa ham. To‘g‘risi, dehqonning bolasi bunday xarxasha ham qilmaydi, uning kun bo‘yi qiladigan ishi tayin — mol-holni boqish kerak. Xo‘sh, shunday sharoitda qishlog‘idagi to‘yga el sevgan san’atkorning “birrov” bo‘lsa-da kelishi u uchun katta gap emasmi? “Bir necha yil ilgari falonchi san’atkor falonchining to‘yiga kelganda bir mazza qilgan edik”, deb shirin xotiralarga berilgan hamqishloqlarimning nechasini ko‘rganman. O‘sha to‘yda necha kilo osh damlanganini hozir hech kim bilmaydi, lekin o‘sha to‘ydagi san’atkorni, uning qo‘shiqlarini qalbining to‘rida asraydi, qishloq odamlari.
Men bu gaplarim bilan nima demoqchiman. Ba’zi bir san’atkorlarimiz oldilariga umid bilan borgan to‘y egalarining avvalo cho‘ntaklariga emas, unga bo‘lgan ixlosi, ishtiyoqi va niyatini hisobga olib narxni belgilasalar ularning el-yurt ichidagi obro‘-e’tiborlari yana ham oshgan bo‘lardi.
Bundan tashqari “birrov” degani besh-oltita qo‘shiq emas-da. Buni ayniqsa cho‘ntagiga ovozi yozilgan disketni solib kelib, fonogramma bilan qo‘shiq aytib ketish hollariga solishtirsangiz, “birrov”ning narxi shuncha qimmatmi deysiz? To‘g‘ri, bu maqolani o‘qigan ba’zi birovlar: “To‘yning chiqimiga chidasangiz qiling, ko‘rpaga qarab oyoq uzating”, deb miyig‘ida kulib qo‘yishlari mumkin. Bu bor gap. Lekin xalq jon-dili bilan eshitadigan qo‘shiqlarni pulga chaqaverib, odamlarni qo‘shiqdan ham (gap yaxshi hofizlarning yaxshi qo‘shiqlari ustida ketyapti) bezdirib qo‘ymaylik deyman-da.
Xonandalar tomonidan o‘ylab chiqarilganmi yoki to‘y egasining kashfiyotimi, bilmadim, har qalay “birrov” ham odamlarimiz ma’naviyatini boyitishga xizmat qilishi kerak deb o‘ylayman.
Hamid NORQULOV

Umida Niyozova yetti yilga ozodlikdan mahrum etildi

Nodira — Wed, 02 May 2007 02:32:47 GMT

Umida Niyozova yetti yilga ozodlikdan mahrum etildi
Malik Mansur
Amerika Ovozi
01/05/2007

Toshkentda huquq himoyachisi Umida Niyozova yetti yilga ozodlikdan mahrum etilgan. Huquq faollari hukmni qoralamoqda va O’zbekistonda ularga nisbatan tazyiq kuchayayotgani haqida ogohlantirmoqda.

Umida Niyozova ustidan boshlangan sud jarayoni juda tez o`tdi. Dushanba kuni boshlangan jarayonda guvohlar ko`rsatmasi tinglangan bo`lsa, suddning ikkinchi kuni Umidaga so`nggi so`z berildi va xuddi shu kuni kechga yaqin yetti yil qamoq jazosini belgilash haqida hukm o`qildi.

Sud jarayonida faqat Umidaning opasi va Human Rights Watch vakili Andrea Berg ishtirok etishga muvaffaq bo`lgan.

Andre Berg fikriga ko`ra, Umida o`ziga berilgan so`nggi so`zda chegarani noqonuniy kesib o`tishdan tashqari, boshqa ayblovlarning barchasini rad etgan. O`zbekistonda fuqarolik jamiyatini qurish tanqidiy fikrlarsiz amalga oshmasligini, demokratik islohotlar uchun so`z va fikr erkinligi muhumligi aytgan. Shuningdek, suddan uning voyaga yetmagan farzandi borligini inobatga olishni so`ragan.

“Sud jarayoni xalqaro huquq me’yorlariga amal qilmagan holda o`tdi. Xalqaro kuzatuvchilarning sudda ishtirok etmasligi uchun barcha harakatlar qilindi. Sud adolatsiz qaror chiqardi. Biz Umida Niyozovaning zudlik bilan qamoqdan chiqarilishini talab qilishda davom etamiz deydi,” - Andre Berg.

Umida aksilkonstitutsiyaviy materiallarni saqlash, jamoat xavfsizligiga tahdid soluvchi materialarni tarqatganlikda ayblanmoqda.

Aksilkonstitutsiyaviy material sifatida Umidaning musodara qilingan kompyuteridan topilgan, Human Rights Watchning Andijon fojealari haqida tayyorlagan “Qo`rg`oshinli yomg`ir” deb nomlangan hisoboti keltirilgan.

Andre Berg ta’kidlashicha, bu hisobot O`zbekistondagi rasmiy idoralarga ham tadqim etilgan. Sudda ekspertlarning bu hisobotni aksilkonstitutsiyaviy deb xulosa berishining o`zi g`alati.

Huquq himoyachisi Surat Ikromov ta’biricha, Umida Niyozova jarayoni kabi tez o`tgan ikki kunlik sud tajribada uchramagan.

“Umida Niyozova yuzasidan shuncha bayonotlar bo`lishiga qaramasdan, diplomatik korpus vakillari, xalqaro kuzatuvchilar va jurnalistlardan birortasi jarayonga kiritilmadi, adolatsiz va o`ta qattiq hukm chiqarildi”, - deydi Surat Ikromov.

Sud jarayonida qatnashish istagida kelgan kuzatuvchilar fikricha, Umidaga nisbatan qo`yilgan ayblarning, chegarani noqonuniy buzub o`tish aybidan tashqari, birortasi isbotlanmagan. Hukm adolatsiz, zo`ravonlik tufayli chiqarilgan.

Umida Niyozova hukmini qayta ko’rib chiqish uchun sudga apellyatsiya yo’llanishi kutilmoqda.

Umida Niyozovaning sudi boshlandi

Nodira — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:02:23 GMT

Umida Niyozovaning sudi boshlandi
Malik Mansur
Amerika Ovozi
30/04/2007

Toshkentda kutilmaganda huquq himoyachisi Umida Niyozova ustidan sud jarayoni boshlangan. Umida Niyozova o’ziga qo’yilgan ayblardan faqat bittasini, chegarani noqonuniy kesib o’tganlikni tan oladi xolos.

Umida Niyozovaning sudi boshlanganidan uning opasi Shafoat Niyozova tasodifan xabar topgan va inson huquqlari bo’yicha Human Rights Watch tashkilotining Toshkentdagi vakili Andrea Bergni ogohlantirgan.

Niyozova ustidan boshlanishi kutilgan jarayon noma’lum sabablarga ko`ra qoldirilgan edi. 30 aprel kuni boshlangan jarayonda esa Niyozovaning opasi va Andrea Berg ishtrok eta olgan xolos.

“Jarayon Umidaga nisbatan ayblov xulosasini o’qish bilan boshlandi. Umidaning o`zi began izohlarga ko`ra u faqat bitta aybni - chegarani noqonuniy kesib o`tganlikni tan oladi. Boshqa ayblovlarni rad qilmoqda. Sud raisi mahkama jarayoni davomida biron narsa yozishni ta`qiqladi. Sudning to`satdan o`tkazilishi sababi esa mustaqil kuzatuvchilarning bo`lmasligini ta’minlash", - deydi Andrea Berg.

Umida Niyozova chegarani noqonuniy kesib o`tganlikdan tashqari aksilkonstitutsiyaviy materiallarga egalik qilganlikda, jamoat xavsizligiga tahdid soluvchi maqolalar tarqatganlikda va diniy ekstremistik tashkilotlar bilan aloqadorlikda ham ayblanmoqda.

Niyozova yanvar oyidan beri hibsda saqlanadi. Kuzatuvchilar nazarida Umida Niyozovaga soxta ayblovlar qo`yilgan. Uning jornalistik va huquq himoyachisi sifatidagi faoliyati hukumatga yoqmagan deyishadi ular.

DUGONAMNING MAKTUBI

Nodira — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:14:43 GMT

DUGONAMNING MAKTUBI

Salom, Nodira. O'qishni muvaffaqiyatli tugatganing bilan tabriklayman. Yaxshi kasb tanlading. O'qituvchilikni eng sharafli nom deb bilaman. Ammo, o'zim qanday qilib tibbiyot institutiga kirib qolganimni hali-hali bilmayman.

Kechagina maktubingni oldim. Avvalo qishloqqa kelib, men bilan uchrashmay ketganingga biroz xafaman. Ishxonamga telefon qilgan ekansan. Aytishdi. Tibbiyot xodimlari konferentsiyasida edik. Kech qaytdim. Ertasiga erta bilan izlasam, shaharga jo'nagan ekansan. Pochtalon kelganda o'zim ham seni o'ylab turgan edim.

Demak, Furqat bilan ajrashganimizni sen ham eshitibsan-da? Sira ishongim kelmaydi, deb yozibsan maktubingda. To'g'ri, hech kimning ishongisi kelmaydi. Har holda oramizdagi ilk muhabbatni, bir-birimizga bo'lgan hurmatimizni ko'pchilik bilar edi, o'shanda.

U damlarni eslash menga qanchalik og'ir ekanligini bilsang edi, Nodira.

Yodingda bo'lsa kerak, akam vafot etgandan so'ng, uyda onam va men yolg'iz qoldik. Bir-birimizga juda o'rgangan ekanmiz. Shuning uchun bo'lsa kerak, biror erga ketsalar vaqt juda sekin o'tayotgandek tuyulardi menga. Onam o'qishdan bir oz kechiksam, ko'chaga chiqib turar edilar. Onaizorginam...

Qishloq shaharga yaqin bo'lgani uchun qatnab o'qirdim. Sira yodimdan chiqmaydi. Bir kuni o'qishdan kelsam yig'lab o'tirgan ekanlar. Hayron bo'ldim. Mehribonim esa darrov ko'z yoshlarini artib, sezdirmaslikka harakat qilib, odatdagidek peshonamdan o'pdilar. Shuncha qistasam ham sababini anglay olmadim. Oradan uch-to'rt kun o'tgandan so'ng nuroniy ko'zlariga yosh keltirgan narsani aniqladim. Uyga sovchilar kelgan ekan.

- Bir gap aytsam xafa bo'lmaysanmi, - dedilar menga kechki ovqatdan so'ng.

- Nahotki, sizning gapingizga xafa bo'lsam, oyijon.

- Yoshing ham yigirma ikkiga etdi, qizim. Ko'p joydan so'rashyapti. Shu vaqtgacha yo'q dedim. Endi ham yo'q desam bo'lmaydi. Axir yosh boshing bilan ham ro'zg’or, ham o'qish, qiynalib ketding. O'ylab yurgan mo'ljalim bor edi. Agar xo'p desang, yulduzing topilgudek bo'lsa, shu uyda qolsalaring degandim. Axir, suyangan tog’im, ishongan bog’im...

Onamning ko'zlari yoshga to'ldi.

- Turmushga chiqish hali xayolimga ham kelgani yo'q. Bo'lgan taqdirda ham institutni tugatganimdan so'ng.

- Tengi chiqsa tekin ber, degan gap bor, qizginam. O'qishni tugatishingga bir yil qoldi, xolos. Yonimda bo'lsang o'qiyverasan. Har holda xonadonimizda erkak kishi bo'lsa, yomon bo'lmasdi.

Shu kuni uzoq vaqtgacha uyqu kelmadi. Nigohim yulduzlar olamida kezdi.

Suhbatimizdan bir oy o'tar-o'tmas Furqat bilan tanishdim. U o'zining o'gli nigohi, shirinsuxanligi bilan maftun qildi. Oromim yo'qoldi. Muhabbat qo'shiqlari qulog’imga xush yoqadigan bo'ldi. Ba'zan darsning oxirgi soatlari juda uzayib ketayotgandek tuyulardi. Qalbim tashqariga intilar, chunki har oqshom Furqat meni kuzatib qo'yar edi.

Qish kunlarining birida yo'lda keta turib:

- Sizga bir shartim bor, Furqat, - dedim, onamning gaplarini eslab. Men uning yo'q demasligini bilardim. Chunki ota-onasi yo'qligini, yolg’iz tug'ishgan opasi esa Samarqandda yashashini aytgan edi.

- Shartingizni yaxshi bilaman. - javob berdi u ko'zlarimga tikilib. - Shu hovlida onam bilan birga yashaymiz, demoqchisiz-da. Sizning onangiz mening ham onam, azizam. Olamda onadek mo'tabar zotni yolg'iz qoldirib bo'lmaydi. Buning uchun to'ydan keyin opamnikiga borib, biror hafta yashaymiz-da, so'ng qaytib kelamiz. Sizga bo'lgan muhabbatim onangizga bo'lgan mehrimning bir bo'lagi bo'ladi.

Men uning ana shunday kishi vujudini tinchlantiradigan so'zlariga ishongan edim. Odamni bilmoq, uchun bir pud tuzni birga emoq kerak, deganlari shu ekan. To'ydan keyin Samarqandga bordik. Bir hafta o'tdi hamki, uyga qaytishimizdan so'z ochmadi. Onam bilan telefonda tez-tez gaplashib turdim.

Shu orada Furqat ham ishga joylashib oldi. U menga bildirmasdan kvartira olishga harakat qilib yurgan ekan. Buni order olib kelgan kuni bildim. Janjallashib ham oldim. U esa odatdagidek, yana uch-to'rt oydan keyin, albatta, Toshkentga qaytamiz, deb yuragimga tasalli berdi.

Necha marta mehmonga bordim, onajonim bu haqda so'z ochmasdilar. Endi o'ylasam, o'sha vaqtda ham mehribonim mening tinchimni istagan ekanlar.

Kunlar o'tgan sari Furqatning "og'zini poyladim". Bilasanmi dugonajon, juda iztirob chekdim o'sha kunlarda. Chunki muhabbatimni hurmat qilib, Furqat bilan yashay desam, mehribonimning yolg'izligi yuragimni o'rtar edi. Toshkentga qaytib farzandlik burchini o'tab, onam yonida xizmatda bo'lay desam, turmushdan voz kechishim, hali yorug’ dunyoni ko'rmagan go'dakni otasiz tarbiyalash kerak edi. Chunki, Furqat shaharga qaytmaslikka qat'iy qaror qilganini aytgan edi.

Kutilmaganda qo'shnimizdan shoshilinch telegramma oldim. Unda onamning betobligi yozilgan edi.

- Kun sovuq, yo'lda qiynalasan. Ertaga bora qol, - dedi u. Opasi bilan maslahatlashgandim, u ham shunday dedi.

Men bo'lsam endi bir daqiqa ham to'xtay olmasligimni aytdim-da, safarga otlandim. Vagonga chiqib o'girganimda Furqat ham etib keldi.

Qishloqqa etib kslganimizda hali tong yorishmagan edi. Ko'chaga burilib, hovlimizda odatdagidan tashqari chiroqlar yoqilganini ko'rdim-u, yuragim orqaga tortib ketdi.

Ha, dugonajon, men kechikkan edim. Onamning keyingi vaqtlarda yurak kasaliga duchor bo'lganliklarini bilardim. Ammo, bunchalik fojiani kim xayoliga keltiribdi. O'sha kuni tunda... Yon qushnimizning aytishicha, mehribonim bo'lajak nabiralariga ism qo'yib, uni ko'rolmaganlariga afsus chekib, olamdan ko'z yumibdilar.

Bu voqeadan keyin Furqat ko'zimga juda yomon ko'rinib qoldi. Shuning uchun uning hovlini sotish to'g'risidagi taklifini rad etdim. U Samarqandga qaytdi. Men esa hovlida qoldim. O'g'limning ismini onam vasiyatlariga binoan Alisher deb atadim. Yaqinda rosa bir yil bo'ladi. Furqat bir necha marta kekdi. Shu erda qolishga rozilik bildirdi. Ammo, hayotda qilgan ishi uchun avvalgi muhabbatim endi o'zgardi. Onamning yonida yashamaganligim, farzandlik burchimni o'tamaganligim esa qalbimda bir umr armon bo'lib qoldi.

Qolgan gaplarni o'zing kelganda gaplasharmiz.

Salom bilan Dilbar.

O'zbeklar o'z xalqini siyosiy jihatdan qoloq deb hisoblaydi

Nodira — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 18:44:41 GMT

O'zbeklar o'z xalqini siyosiy jihatdan qoloq deb hisoblaydi
Odil Ruzaliev
Vashington
25/04/2007

Lavhaning audio ko'rinishi

Ayrim tahlilchilar nazarida Qirg’izistondagi inqilob va sobiq Sovet mamlakatlaridagi siyosiy jarayonlar fonida O’zbekiston siyosiy jihatdan juda passiv davlat, o’zbeklar esa siyosiy passiv millat bo’lib ko’rinadi.

Amerika ovozi bilan suhbatda bo'lgan yoshlar o’zbeklarni siyosiy jihatdan sust deb hisoblaydi va bunga bir necha sabab ko'rsatadi. Ularning birinchisi – tarixiy, Stalin davriga borib taqaladi, deydi Angliyada yashovchi Abdulloh ismli yigit. Boshqa sabab, uning fikricha, matbuotning erkin emasligi.

Buyuk Britaniyadagi yirik universitetlardan birida magistrlik darajasini olgan Farida O’zbekiston hukumatining nodemokratik siyosatiga ham ishora qiladi.

“Hukumat har bir fuqaroning siyosat bilan shug’ullanish ishtiyoqini yo’qotish uchun harchand urinmoqda. Yoshlarda fuqarolik pozitsiyasining bo’lmasligi uchun, odamlarning tanqidiy fikrlamasligi uchun harakat qilmoqda.”

Qirg’izlarning siyosiy tomondan faol bo’lishiga sabab bo’lgan omil, ya’ni kuchli muxolifat va liderlar, AQShda o’qib-mehnat qilayotgan Kamoliddin fikricha, O’zbekistonda yo’q.

Suhbatdoshlarimizning barchasi o’zbeklarning siyosiy sahnada faolsizligi negizida shaxsiy xavfsizlik omili muhim ro’l o’ynashini birday ta’kidlaydi. Siyosat bilan shug’ullanishdan oldin har bir odam avvalombor o’z oilasi taqdirini ko’z oldiga keltiradi, deydi ular.

Mustaqil jurnalist, Angliyada istiqomat qilayotgan Shohida To’laganova fikricha, 2005 yil may oyidagi Andijon voqealaridan so’ng xalqning siyosatga qiziqishi yanada so’nggan.

Bir necha yil ilgari O’zbekistonni tarixiy vatani deb bilib Qirg’izistonni tark eta boshlagan o’zbeklar bugunga kelib tarixiy vatanga qaytish ishtiyoqidan qaytgan. Chunki Qirg’izistonda ular o’zlarini ancha erkin his qilishini aytmoqda. Vashingtondagi nufuzli universitetlardan birida doktorlik darajasini yoqlayotgan o’shlik yosh siyosatshunos Alisher Hamidov Qirg’izistonda o’zbeklar ancha faol deydi.

Iqtisodiy tushkunlik va repressiv siyosat ayrimlar nazarida oddiy o’zbek xalqining kelajakka umidini so’ndirdi. Norasmiy manbalarda keltirilishicha, 3-5 millionga yaqin o’zbeklar va o’zbekistonliklar erkin va to’q hayot ilinjida turli mamlakatlarga chiqib ketgan. Bu mustaqil kuzatuvchilar fikricha millatning zamonaviy tarixidagi eng katta fojialaridandir.

TOPTALGAI GUL

Nodira — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:32:43 GMT

TOPTALGAI GUL
Muqaddas Abdusamatova

Hammasiga o'sha Mahzunanikidagi kecha sabab bo'ldi. Agar Majnuna bunaqa bo'lishini bilganda asti bormagan bo'lardi. Endi boshlanayotgan yop-yorug’ hayot yo'liga o'zi rahna solishini bilganda edi... Afsus bilmadi, bilolmadi.

... Majnuna ikkinchi kursdan buyon Azimjon bilan sirlashib yurardi. Buni hamma kursdoshlari bilishardi. Imtihonlarga darsni ham birga tayyorlashardi. Vaqti-bemahal kinoga borishdi, yotoqhonada birga choy ichishdi. O'sha kecha dugonasining tug'ilgan kuniga ham birga kelishdi.

U erdagi mehmonlar to'rda o'tirgan oq ko’ylakli ozg’in, qoracha yigitdan boshqa hammasi tanish edi. Majnuna avvaliga e'tibor bermadi. Azimjon unga shu qadar mehribonlik ko'rsatib o'tirardi. Hali tarelkasiga turli-tuman taomlar solib qo'yardi. Hali ko'rgan, eshitganlaridan gapirib kuldirardi. Muzika qo'yilgach, birga raqsga ham tushishdi. Kecha oxiriga borib rosa qizidi.

Ro'parada o'tirgani uchunmi Majnunaning ko'zi bir-ikki boyagi yigitga tushdi. U ham tikilib turgan ekan, darrov nigohini oldi. Buni ikkovidan boshqa hech kim sezmadi. Keyin Majnuna Azimjon bilan yana raqsga tushdi. O'ynab turib, u negadir o'sha yigit tomonga yurdi, yigit buni qizning taklifi deb tushundi, chog’i.

Dast o'rnidan turib o'ynab ketdi. "Yashavor Asrorqul, qo'ymaysan" dedi davradan kimdir. U chindan ham raqsga yaxshi tushardi. Ularga xalal bermaslik uchun Azimjon sekin joyiga o'tirdi.

- Ismingiz Asrorqul ekan, bilib oldik. - Meniki Majnuna, - o'yin aralash dedi qiz.

- Buncha chiroyli, - shivirladi yigit, muzika ohangiga mos harakatlar bilan ular shu qadar zavqli raqsga tushishardi. Davradagilar qarsak chalib qo'shilishardi. Majnuna esa shu dam Azimjonni unutib Asrorqulga butunlay mahliyo, uning o'ziga yarashayotgan jozibali harakatlariga qarab to'ymasdi. Raqsda kim o'zarga o'ynayotgandek noz-karashma qilar, nozli ibolar bilan uni o'ziga chorlardi.

Bu orada Azimjonning davradan chiqib ketganini ham bilmay qoldi. Kuy tugagach, o'rniga kelib o'tirgandagina u yodiga tushdi. Boshqalarning "sendan arazlab ketdi" degan ma'nodagi qarashlariga:

- Zarur ishlari bor edi, bilardim. - deb qisqa javob qildi. Nega bunday qilganini o'zi ham bilmaydi. Lekin shu topda uning negadir Asrorqulga qaragisi, yana birga raqsga tushgisi kelardi. Yigit ham buni sezib turardi.

Ular kech tarqalishdi. Mahzunaning shuncha qistoviga qaramay Majnuna o'z yotoqxonasiga ketadigan bo'ldi.

- Vaqt allamahal, yolg'iz ketsang xavotir olaman, - dedi dugonasi. Majnuna shu gapni kutib turgandek:

- O'zim ham yolg’iz ketolmayman, qo'rqaman. – Azimjonning yo'qligi darrov bilindi, - dedi. Balki Asrorqul kuzatib qo'yar, - uning ovozida iltijo ohangi bor edi.

- Siz rozi bo'lsangiz, bajonidil, - u dadil javob qildi.

Ertasi kuni Majnuna Azimjonni uchratganda har doimgidek yuragi shuvillab ketmadi. Uning zaharxanda qilib aytgan ikki og’iz gapi bamisoli ustidan muz bo'lib quyildi. Avvallari salgina qattiq gap bo'lsa, yotib uyqusi kelmasdi. Bugun bo'lsa negadir darrov ko'z oldiga Asrorqul keldi. Uning araziga kuyinmadi ham. Oradan ikki-uch kun o'tgach, darsda o'tirishganda xat yozib uzatgan edi. Azimjon hammaga ko'rsatib, namoyishkorona yirtib tashladi. "Bor-e" dedi keyin u ham. Endi uning nigohi ko'proq Asrorqulni sog’inardi.

U o'qishni allaqachon tutatib, qaysidir ilmiy tekshirish institutida ishlayotganini o'sha kuni Mahzunadan eshitgandi.

Majnunaga necha kungacha o'qishdan keyin kimdir kutayotgandek tuyulaverdi. Nazarida hozir tashqariga chiqadi. O'sha yigit bilan iliq so'rashadi, kursdosh qizlar havas qilishadi. Negaki, Azimjon bilan aloqasi uzilganini rosa gapirib yurishibdi. Zora, o'sha gaplar to'xtasa. Azimjon ham ko'rishi mumkin. Mayli ko'rsin. Asrorqul undan ortiq bo'lsa borki, kam emas...

Lekin yuragi hapriqib, tashqariga chiqadi-yu, hech kimni uchratmaydi. Necha kungacha shunaqa qilib yurdi. Yo'q, kelmadi.

Axiyri qiz buni yigitlik g’ururiga yo'ydi. O'zi borishga jazm etdi. Mahzunadan ish joyini so'rash uchun bordi. Tasodif, Asrorqul o'sha tug’ilgan kuni kitobini qoldirib, olgani kelgan ekan.

Tashqarigacha kuzatib chiqqan Mahzuna:

- Azimjonning kuyasiga uchramagin tag'in, o'rtoqjon, - deb qo'ydi dugonasining qulog'iga. Unga javoban Majnuna xandon otib chiroyli kuldi. Qizning taklifi bilan o'sha kuni ular kinoga borishdi. Qaytishayotganda ularning kino haqidagi fikrlari bir joydan chiqmadi.

- Juda sog’intirib qo'ymasdan, hech bo'lmasa institutga yo'qlab kelarsiz, - dedi xayrlasha turib Majnuna. - Xo'pmi?

Asrorqul yana o'zi yaxshi ko'rgan so'zni takrorladi: "Nasib qilsa". Lekin uni yurakdan aytmayotgani shundoqqina sezilib turardi. Uni tushunib bo'lmaydi o'zi. Bir qarasang juda ochilib-sochilib gaplasharkan. Bir qarasang "ichimdagini top" deb turib oladi.

Iigit kishining balki shunaqa bo'lgani yaxshidir. Balki... bu hammasi kibr bo'lsa-chi? Azimjon bunaqa emasdi-ku. Aytgandek, o'sha kuni u she'r ham o'qigandi, shoirligi ham bor ekan. Ishqilab tushunib etguncha yuragi yorilib bo'larkan. Majnunaning ko'ziga uzoq vaqtgacha uyqu kelmadi, xayollari chuvalashib ketdi. Baribir Asrorqulning Azimjondan ustun tomonlari ko'pga o'xshadi. Birgina shoirligining o'zi... Qizning vujudini o'rin ustida shirin orzular qamrab oldi.

Ergalab u yaxshi kayfiyat bilan uyg’ondi. O’qishga bora turib, gazeta oldi. Auditoriyaga kirib uni varaqlarkan, ko'zlari chaqnab ketdi. Asrorqulning nim tabassum bilan tushgan surati hamda bir necha she'rlari bor ekan. O'qidi. Muhabbat, sevgini alqabdi. Majnuna ularni xuddi o'ziga atalgandek, zavqlanib qayta-qayta o'qirdi. Kursdoshlarining she'r xususidagi baholari qulog’iga kirmasdi ham.

Dars tugagach, Majnuna odatdagidek qizlar bilan keta turib:

- Voy qizlar, qaranglar-a, gazetadaga shoir yigit turibdi, - deb qoldi. Majnunaning yuragi "shig’" etdi. Lekin suratda hayotdagiga nisbatan chiroyliroq ekan, - qo'shib qo'ydi boyagi qiz yana.

Asrorqul qizni ko'rdi. Turgan joyida bosh irg'ab so'rashgan bo'ldi, joyidan jilmadi.

Majnuna dugonalariga "boraveringlar" dedi-yu, o'zi yigit tomonga yurdi. Qizlarga gap topildi. Biri "Azimjon o'lsa o'ligi ortiq", dedi. Ikkinchisi, "Axir bu shoir-ku" deb yonini oldi. Uchinchisi, "manman ekan, voy-bu, namuncha, kelib so'rashsa nima bo'larkan" dedi.

- She'ringiz chiqibdi, tabriklayman, - qizning salom o'rniga aytgan gapi shu bo'ldi.

- Rahmat. Filfakda bir tanishimda ishim bor edi, - dedi Asrorqul.

- Yaxshi hamki tanishingiz bor ekan, bo'lmasa... Bizni yo'qlab kelibsiz deb o'ylabman. Mayli, qizlar kutib qolishmasin, - qiz bu gapni sinamoq uchun aytgani sezildi.

- Qizlar allaqachon ketib qolishdi. Yuring, yaxshisi kinoga boramiz.

Majnuna bu taklifdan sevinib ketdi. Film juda zerikarli ekan. U qiziqsinib Asrorqulni savolga tutardi. She'r yozishni qachon boshlagani-yu, nima uchun shu paytga qadar uylanmagani bormi, hammasini so'radi. Yigit bo'lsa uning har bir harakatini kuzatar, kishi bilmas qizni sinovdan o'tkazardi.

Kino tugagach, u bog’ga kirishni taklif qildi. Bir paytlar oqshomlari gavjum bo'ladigan bog’da odam kam edi. Ular xoliroq joydagi o'rindiqqa o'tirishdi. Asrorqul qizni kuzatib qaytdi.

Shundan keyin yana u jim bo'lib ketdi. Majnuna telefon qildi. Hayriyat joyida ekan. Asrorqul ishi ko'pligini bahona qilib kelolmasligini aytdi. Oradan qancha o'tganini bilmaydi. U yana zerikdi. Bu safar tslefon qilganiga pushaymon bo'ldi. Ko'p bezovta qilmang, qabilida aytgan gapi unga og’ir botdi. O'zicha araz qildi. Baribir yigitdan darak bo'lmadi. Azimjon oldida, kursdoshlarim oldida nima degan odam bo'ldim...

Oxiri she'r yozgan bahonasida uning ishxonasiga bordi. Asrorqul suyunib kutib oldi. Chindan ham ishi ko'pdir. Shuncha vaqt ko'rishmadik, o'ylagandi u. Yanglishgan ekan. Uning sovuq muomalasi, xuddi endi birinchi bor ko'rishayotgandek befarq qarashi alam qildi. Yaxshi ham, yomon ham gapirib ko'rdi. Bo'lmadi. Dadilligi tutib, dangaliga o'tdi.

- Bir marta kinoga borgan bo'lsak, bu sizga uylanaman deganim emas-ku. To'g’risini aytsam, biz yigitlar sehrli narsalarga ko'proq talpinamiz.

Majnuna ham bo'sh kelmadi. Aytar gapini aytib, yuragini bo'shatib oldi. Eshikni qattiq yopib, shaxd bilan ketayotgandi, Asrorqul uni kuzatib chiqdi.

- Biz siz bilan do'st bo'lib qolamiz. She'rlaringizni olib keling. Chiqarishga yordam qilaman.

Qiz bu gaplarni chala-yarim eshitdi. Endi u bilan uchrashgandagi voqealarni ko'z oldiga keltirardi.

Shu xayollar og’ushida ketayotgan Majnuna zinadan tusha turib oyoq ostida yotgan gulga ko'zi tushdi. Kimdir toptab ketgan bo'lsa ham, so'lib ulgurmagan, yaproqlari yashnab turardi. Majnuna uni qo'liga olib bir zum tikildi, negadir o'zini shu gulga o'xshatdi. Keyin uni oldi-da yon tomonidagi gulzor chetiga ehtiyotlab qadab qo'ydi.

Erdan bahra olib balki o'sib ketar deb o'yladi. Lekin u ertasigayoq so'lib qolgandi...

Boris Yeltsin - murakkab, tarixiy shaxs - yodga olinmoqda

Nodira — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:27:23 GMT

Boris Yeltsin - murakkab, tarixiy shaxs - yodga olinmoqda

Amerika Ovozi
24/04/2007

Boris Yeltsin, 1996

Rossiya o'zining birinchi prezidenti bilan vidolashmoqda.

23 aprel kuni Rossiyaning sobiq prezidenti Boris Yeltsin 76 yoshida yurak xurujidan olamdan o’tdi.

Prezident Vladimir Putin 25 aprelni umummamlakat motam kuni deb e’lon qilgan.

1990 yildan boshlab Rossiya rahbari bo’lgan Yeltsin, 1999 yilning 31 dekabriga kelib, o’z xohishi bilan iste’foga chiqdi.

"Yangi asrga yangi rahbar bilan kiramiz",- degan edi Yeltsin.

Rossiya tarixida Boris Yeltsin mamlakatning ilk prezidenti, iqtisodiy inqiroz va tanglikdan chiqishga yo’l topa olgan jasur siyosatdon sifatida joy oladi.

Boris Yeltsin, 1990, Kommunistik Partiyani jar yoqasiga yaqinlashayotganlikda ogohlantirgan nutqlaridan birida
1991 yilning 20 avgust kuni Boris Yeltsin tank ustida qilgan tarixiy nutqi Rossiya fuqarolarini jonlantirib yuborgan.

Sovet Ittifoqi rahbari Mixail Gorbachev va Kommunistik Partiyaga qarshi bosh ko’targan Yeltsin buyuk imperiyaning so’nggi kunlari yaqinlashganini bot-bot ta’kidlar edi.

Mazkur sanadan to’rt oy o’tgach, Gorbachev lavozimidan bo’shadi. Yeltsin tashabbusi bilan Sovet hukumati qulab, mustaqil Rossiya davlati vujudga keldi.

Boris Yeltsin oddiy dehqon oilasida Ural tog’larida Butka qishlog’ida, avvalgi Sverdlovsk, hozirgi Yekaterinburg shahri yaqinidai qishloqda dunyoga keladi.

Yeltsin tarafdorlari bilan tank ustida, Moskva, 1991
Kommunistik Partiya pog’onasida ko’tailsa-da, Yeltsin hashamatli avtomobillarda yurishdan ko’ra, jamoat transportida, oddiy xalq bilan birga ishga qatnardi.

1987 yilning oktyabrida Kompartiya markaziy qo’mitasi yig’ilishida Yeltsin ustozi Mixail Gorbachevning “perestroika” siyosatini quruq safsata, amalda hech vaqoga arzimaydigan gaplar deya keskin tanqid qiladi.

Bu chiqish Yeltsinga qimmatga tushadi. Uni markaziy televideniyega chiqishi, matbuotga gapirishi man etiladi va ishdan bo’shatiladi. Biroq sal o’tmay Yeltsin yana siyosatga qaytadi.

1991 yil, iyun oyida Yeltsin Rossiya bo’ylab o’tgan ilk demokratik prezident saylovlarida g’alaba qozonadi. Ikki oy o’tib tank ustiga chiqqan Yeltsin Rossiyani katta o’zgarishlar kutayotganini ta’kidlaydi.

Yeltsin Gorbachevni qayta qurish va oshkoralik haqida ko'p gapirib, amalda kam ish qilganlikda ayblagan, 1990
Rossiya demokratiyasi asoschisi deya nom olgan Yeltsinni yaxshi ko’rganlar bilan bir qatorda undan nafratlanganlar ham talaygina edi.

Demokratik qadriyatlar borasida tinimsiz so’zlagan Yeltsin, vaqti kelib byurokrat kommunist tuzumning sevimli uslubi, kuch ishlatishdan ham toymadi.

1993 yilda prezident Yeltsin Sovet davri konstitutsiyasini bekor qilib, parlamentni tarqatib yuboradi. Qonun chiqaruvchilar unga qarshi chiqadi. Yeltsin parlament binosiga qarata tanklardan o’t ochishga buyuradi. Deputatlar taslim bo’ladi.

Boris Yeltsin, 1999, iste'foga chiqishidan sal oldin
Bir yil o’tgach Yeltsin Chechenistonga urush ochdi. Rossiya qo’shinlari Chechenistonga bostirib kiradi va bo’lginchi jangarilariga qarshi safarbar etiladi. Urush 75 mingga yaqin kishining yostig’ini quritgan. Keyinroq Yeltsin Checheniston urushini katta xato deb atagan.

Rossiya iqtisodiyoti cho’kib borarkan, Yeltsindan norozilar ham ko’paydi. Biroq 1996 yilda Yeltsin qayta saylandi.

Saylov arafasida yurak xurujiga uchragan Yeltsin keyinroq yana bir necha operatsiyani boshdan kechiradi. Bir necha oy davomida mamlakat rahbarsiz qoladi. Yeltsin alkogolizm bilan ham olishayotgan edi. Bir necha bor ommani o’zining nomaqbul harakatlari bilan hayron qoldiradi.

Sog’lig’i yomonlashib borayotganini sezgan Yeltsin o’zidan so’ng merosx’or tayinlashga o’tadi. Bir yil ichida u bir necha bor bosh vazirlarni o’zgartiradi. Yana bir bora tarixiy nutq so’zlab, o’zining “hamisha birinchi” shioriga amal qiladi.

1999 yil so’nggida, yangi yil kechasida Boris Yeltsin xalqni tabriklar ekan, o’z vakolatlarini Bosh vazir Vladimir Putinga topshirayotganini e’lon qiladi. Bu bilan u Rossiya tarixida o’z xohishi bilan lavozimdan ketgan ilk rahbar bo’ladi.

SAHNADA “YALLA”

Nodira — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:23:14 GMT

SAHNADA “YALLA”

- Ansamblning dastlabki yutuqlari haqida so'zlab bersangiz.

- Kollektivimiz asli 1970 yillarda tilga tushdi.

Toshkentda bo'lib o'tgan "Biz internatsionalistlarmiz" siyosiy kushiqlar festivalida qatnashib, oradan bir yil o'tmay O'zbekiston komsomoli mukofoti laureati bo'ldi. 1973 yilda esa Berlinda - yoshlar va studentlarning X Jahon festivalida ishtirok etdik. O'shanda kuy, qo'shiq kuch-qudratining shohidi

bo'ldim. Tomoshabinlar qo'shiqlarimizdan zavqlanib bizga hamohang kuylashgandi. Qalbimda qo'shiqning qanoti borligiga,u xalqlar o'rtasidagi do'stlikni mustahkamlovchi vosita ekanligiga ishonch paydo bo'lgandi.

Ansamblimiz ijro etgan E. Shiryaevning “Xirosima” qo'shig'i hammaga birdek yoqqan edi. Vatanparvarlik ruhi bilan yo'g'rilgan har qanday qo'shiq yoshlarning tinchlik uchun kurashida ommaviy qurol ekanligini o'shanda his qilganman.

- Ansambl faoliyati doimo yutuqlardan iboratmi yo qiyinchiliklar ham bo'lganmi ?

- Bo'lmasam-chi.1970 yilda kollektivdagi barcha yigitlar u yoki bu sabablarga kura tarqab ketdi. Avvalgi ishtirokchilardan bir o'zim qoldim. Juda qiyin bo'ldi. Davom ettiray desam hammasini qaytadan boshlash kerak edi. Kim bilan? Buning uchun san'atni tushunadigan ijodiy intiluvchan yigitlar kerak edi.

- Topdingizmi shunday yigitlarni ?

- Ulardan birinchisi Rustam Ilyosov bo'ldi. U bilan Yaltada hamdo'stlik qo'shiqlarining eng yaxshi ijrochisi uchun Butunittifoq tanlovida tanishib qoldik. Bu tanishuv uchun taqdirdan bir umr minnatdorman. Uning konservatoriyani bitirgani, yuksak professionalizmi ayni muddao edi. Uning milliy musiqani jon-dilidan sevadigan tug'ma talant egasi ekanligini ko'rib yayrab ketdim. Hozir barcha xalq qo'shiqlarimiz kuyini qayta ishlab, zamonaviylashtirib, estradaga moslagan ham Rustam.

Boris Grishkovichni keyin Rustam olib keldi. U hali konservatoriyani tugatmagan bo'lsa-da, san'at sohasidagi keng mushohadasi, sologitarani yaxshi bilishi bizga ma'qul keldi. Toshkent teatr va rassomchilik san'ati institutini tugatgan Javlon To'xtaevni yangi formatsiyadagi musiqachi deymiz.

Abbos Agiev faoliyatini gitara chalishdan boshladi. Bizda hozir klavishlik asbobni hamma bemalol chalaveradi. Sezgan bo'lsangiz u ko'proq cholg'u asbobga emas, zalga qarab jilmayib turadi. Aslida sintezatorni, elektron stringni chalish katta mahorat talab qiladi. Musiqa asbobiga tikilib qolmasdan zalni o'ziga maxliyo qila olishi Abbosda ana shu mahorat mujassamligidan dalolat.

Alisher To'laganov serqirra ijodkor. Rustam kslmasdan avval faqat baraban chalardi. Lekin ansambl uchun buning o'zi kamlik qilishini tushuntirdik. Ko'p o'tmasdan doira-nog’ora - hammasini tilga kiritadigan bo'ldi. U tinib-tinchimas, mehnatkash yigit. Ishlab, o'qib charchamaydi, vokalni o'rganamanmi-o'rganaman, deb turib oldi. O'qidi, ustozlardan saboq oldi. Orzusiga etdi. "Shahrisabz"ni gohida u kuylaydi. Kollektivimiz a'zolari shunaqa fidoyi san’atkorlar.

- Ansamblning o'ziga xosligini nimada deb bilasiz?

- Eng muhimi qaytariq, taqlidchilikka yo'l qo'ymaslik, chunki birovga o'xshatib kuylash ijrochisi qanchalik talantli bo'lmasin, originaldan ortda turadi. Shuningdek, kollektivimiz ijodiy muvaffaqiyatining asosini xalq og'zaki ijodi tashkil qiladi. Buni hatto nomi ham aytib turibdi. "Yalla" bir vaqtning o'zida ham qo'shiq, ham raqs ijrosi xalqimiz san'atining turli uslublaridan biridir, xolos. Biz ko'pincha yangi dastur tayyorlayotganda xalqimiz muqaddas san'atining boy an'analariga suyanamiz.

- Boshqa san'atkorlar bilan ishlagan paytlaringiz ham bo'lganmi?

- 1984 yilda tomoshabinlar juda yaxshi kutib olgan "Yallama yorim yallo" dasturini tayyorlashda san'atda nomi mashhur postanovkachi G. Vozovskiy yaqindan yordam berdi. U dasturni mizanstsenalar bilan boyitishda barchamiz bilan birdek til topa oldi. Raqslar postanovkachisi Zav'yalovning xizmatlari ham zoe ketmadi. Bunday qaraganda sahnada mendan boshqa hammaning qo'li band. Hammada cholg'u asbob bor. Shunga qaramay sahnadagi raqs diqqatni tortadi. Rassom Kojevnikovaning kiyim tanlashdagi xizmatlarini alohida ta'kidlagim keladi. Qizig'i, kiyimlarning har birini kuy-qo'shiqlarimizga moslab yaratgan. Klassiklardan Rudakiy, Umar Hayyom, Mahtumquli va boshqalarning asarlarini ijro etganimizda ko'pincha oq kiyimda yoki zar to'nda chiqamiz. Ba'zan esa qizil, sariq rangdagi kostyumlarda, qo'shiqning mohiyatidan kelib chiqib kiyinamiz.

- Ijodiy gastrollarning ko'pligi kollektivni charchatmaydimi ?

- Gapingizda jon bor. Tomoshabinlar orasida "Yalla" Toshkentda gastrolda ekan" degan gap yuradi. Chunki biz juda ko'p safarda bo'lamiz. Deyarli barcha mamlakatlarda bo'ldik. Muhimi shundaki, kollektivimiz har bir gastrolni navbatdagi imtihon deb biladi. Unga tayyorgarlik, dasturni qayta nazardan o'tkazish mahoratni oshiradi, mas'uliyat yuklaydi.

Yana bir narsani alohida ta'kidlagim keladi. Biz chet ellarga safarga otlanganda albatta tomoshabinlar go'zal O'zbekiston, uning bunyodkor xalqi, odamlari haqida tasaivur hosil qilishni maqsad qilib qo'yamiz. "Bu o'lka qanday go'zal", "O'zbekiston", "Uchquduq", "Shahrisabz" kabi qo'shiqlar shular jumlasidan.