Conflict

Sri Lanka
Conflict: Military says Sri Lankan forces have entered the guerrillas' de facto capital, Kilinochchi, predicting it will fall within hours.

3. Copy the headlines and the link to a news item reporting on that conflict.
Sri Lanka Says Troops Captured Rebel Center
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/world/asia/03lanka.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=sri%20lanka%20Kilinochchi&st=cse

4. Summarize the news item in your own words in 5 - 8 sentences. (identify the main ideas)
they announced the capture of the de facto rebel capital, dealing at least a serious symbolic to the ethnic Tamil separatists ambition to create a homeland of their own.

5. Describe the conflict.
Government troops capture the northern town of Kilinochchi, held for ten years by the Tamil Tigers as their administrative headquarters. President Mahinda Rajapakse calls it an unparalleled victory and urges the rebels to surrender.

6. Which ones are the roots of the conflict?
the ethnic Tamil separatists’ ambition to create a homeland of their own.

7. a) Who is involved in the conflict?
president Mahinda, people of the town Kilinochchi and the tamil tigers
b) Where is it happening? Kilinochchi
c) When did it happen and how long has it been going on? last friday

Pakistan: A Nation Divided

Which is its location?
Pakistan is located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East.

What countries does it border with?
It borders with the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, Afghanistan and Iran in the west, india in the east and China in the northeast.

What does the geography say about the country?
The climate is characterized by hot summers and cool or cold winters. Pakistan has four seasons: a cool, dry winter from December through February; a hot, dry spring from March through May; the summer rainy season, or southwest monsoon period, from June through September; and the retreating monsoon period of October and November.

What is the dominant religion?
Muslim

Which other exist?
Sunni, Shi'a, Christian, Sikhs, Hinduism, Parsi, Buddhist

What are the different ethnic groups?
Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun, Indo- Aryan, Arab, Baloch, Afghan, Muhajir.

Which ones are the main customs and traditions?
Many cultural practices, foods, monuments, and shrines were inherited from the rule of Muslim Mughal and Afghan emperors. The national dress of shalwar qamiz is originally of Central Asian Women wear brightly coloured shalwar qamiz, while men often wear solid-coloured ones. In cities western dress is also popular among the youth and the business sector.
There are many festivals celebrated annually in Pakistan: Pakistan Day (23 March), Independence Day (14 August), Defence of Pakistan Day (6 September), Pakistan Air Force Day (7 September), the anniversaries of the birth (25 December, a national holiday) and death (11 September) of Quaid-e-Azam, birth of Allama Iqbal (9 November) and the birth (30 July) and death (8 July) of Madar-e-Millat. Labour Day, ( May Day), Several important religious festivals are celebrated by Pakistani Muslims during the year; the celeberation days depend on the lunar Islamic calendar. Ramadan, the ninth month of the calendar, is characterised by daytime fasting for 29 or 30 days and is followed by the festival of Eid ul-Fitr. In a second festival, Eid ul-Adha, an animal is sacrificed and the meat is shared with friends, family, and the less fortunate. Both Eid festivals are public holidays, serving as opportunities for people to visit family and friends, and for children to receive new clothes, presents, and sweets. Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Christians in Pakistan also celebrate their own festivals and holidays.


How is this his life different from yours?
our differences are alot because i really like to spend time with my school friends, go partying with them and just have fun. also, he like politics and im not very interesed in that types of things.

Which custom caught your attention?
they cannot eat pork, he cannot be with girls.

How does his religion affect his way of acting?
As a Muslim, Minhaj is forbidden from many things like drinking alcohol, eating pork and to order vegetarian dishes. he was raised to hang out only with muslims, he only do things with his family.

Name:
Zasahari
Religion:
Hindu
Ethnicity:
Punjabi

How often do you go to a religuous service? Where? Waht happens there? my family has the tradition that all mornings before any activity me have we need to pray and make our ritual.

Do you know anyone of a different religion? How do you get along? no, im not allowed to talk to other people that is not from my religion, i only spend type with hindus.

Do boys and girls hang out socially? Do you go to parties? i dont hang alot with the opossite sex, i usually stayed home unless its a family tradition.

How many people live in your house? How do you interact? my family is very big. my parents are used to have big families because its traditions and i personally think that is good becuase you have all the support requiered.

Who goes to school in your family?
my 2 brothers and me my sister stays at home helping my mom because shes the older one and the first to get out of the house, she needs to learn how to manage a house. Thats what my dad says.

How do you dress? personally i like the tradition cloth because its very colorfull and pretty but my favorite is the The choli:It is a tightly fitted blouse that ends just below the bust and is worn under a sari. It can be long sleeved or even short sleeved.

Which ones are your daily chores? every morning i do my rituals, i help my mom making breakfast, later i help my dad to organized my brothers i come back from school i do my homework and start getting ready for my family dinner.

What does it mean to be belong to your ethnic group? Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language like many other modern languages of South Asia. The Punjabi language is a descendant of Sauraseni Prakrit, which was the chief language of medieval northern India

Where are your relatives from? Pakistan and India

Do you hang out with people of other ethnicities? How do you get along? i dont hang out with other ethnicities.

Do you have to marry someone of your same ethnicity? yes, as i allready sayed my family is very traditional so they would not let me marry other from a different ethnicity.

Describe a typical tradition.
one of my favorite traditions is The Both Eith is were my mom and my dad family gather to spend time together and to childrens recieved presents and clothes. i really enojyed that period of the year because i can se my family spending time together and having a great time.