BELOW IS A COLLECTION OF MANY  MS-DOS FILE-RENAME ROUTINES,  from “Experts Exchange“, FOR A VARIETY OF NEEDS.
ALL HERE IN ONE PLACE, FOR YOUR EASE & PLEASURE    : )

N o t e s :
– Some code is
condensed using the ‘&’ sign (for NT/2k/XP) or the ‘|’ sign (for 98)
which often allow use of multiple commands on one line. See http://computerhope.com/issues/ch000177.htm
“Can you type more than one command at one command prompt?”. (Some of
what fails:  ‘|’ after ‘if’ or ‘call’ statement; ‘&’  after ‘if’,
‘&’ after ‘set’ as in:set x=y&if  %x%==y echo y; the set doesn’t
happen until AFTER a line break! Weird language…) Note: to echo the
‘&’  you must ‘echo ^&’
-The code-author’s EE id usually follows each code block.
-Some code  just ‘echo’s the rename commands to be run. Must remove the ‘echo’ from ‘echo ren’ to actually do the deed.

~~ Add a suffix (*_n): ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinXP/Q_21678938.html
FOR %%f IN (*.*) DO ren %%f %%f_n
::mgh_mgharish

~~ Remove a suffix (Remove b in   a_b.c) ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Q_21506296.html
@echo off&for %%f in (*_*.*) do call :ProcessFile %%f
goto :eof
:ProcessFile
for /F “delims=_. tokens=1,3” %%c in (“%1”) do echo ren “%1” “%%c.%%d”
::Adam314

~~ Add a prefix (S1*): ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_20591441.html
for %%i in (*.*) do move %%i s1%%i  
::bryancw
for /f “delims=” %i in (‘dir/b’) do ren “%i” “s1%i”
::ManuelGuerra

::pbarrette
The DOS command shell, to include WinNT/2K/XP
has always acted strangely when using wildcards in the middle of
filenames. The truth is, that wildcards almost never work correctly when
the wildcard is in the middle of the filename.
For example:
“REN *.TXT *-S1.TXT” will result in the file TEST1.TXT being renamed to TEST1.TXT-S1.TXT
“REN *.TXT S1-*.TXT” will result in the file TEST1.TXT being renamed to S1-T1.TXT

~~ Remove a prefix — a fixed # of bytes. Replace with new prefix. (SFyymmddhhmm.csv->SISCR12mmddhhmm.csv ) ~~
*** “:~4%” crop feature: where is it documented? Please let me know… – callrs***
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_20784641.html
@echo off
for %%i in (SF03*.CSV) do (set fname=%%i) & call :rename
goto :eof
:rename
::Cuts off 1st 4 characters of fname, then appends prefix
ren %fname% SISCR12%fname:~4%
goto :eof
::-SethHoyt

 
~~ Add a prefix to numbers-only file-name: ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_21474433.html
for /f %%a in (‘dir /b *.txt ^| findstr /I /X /R /C:^[0-9]*.txt’) do ren %%a prefix%%a
::or for 8-digit files only:
for /f %%a in (‘dir /b *.txt ^| findstr /I /X /R /C:^[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9].txt’) do ren %%a pyxbl%%a
::mpfister

~~ Rename to random number: ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinNT/Q_20781578.html
@echo off&setlocal
set FileMask=*.bmp
for /f “tokens=*” %%a in (‘dir /b /a:-d “%FileMask%”‘) do call :process “%%a”
goto :eof
:process
:loop
set rnd=%Random%
if exist %rnd%%~x1 goto loop
ECHO ren %1 %rnd%%~x1
goto :eof
::oBdA

~~ ??? wildcards ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Miscellaneous/Q_21623266.html
ren ???xxx??? ???zzz???
::paraghs

~~ Recurse through all sub-directories (excluding current), changing extension: ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinXP/Q_21328624.html
@echo off
for /f “tokens=1 delims=” %%a in (‘dir /s /b /ad’) do if exist “%%a*.asp” echo ren “%%a*.asp” *.html >> rename.cmd
::leew

~~ Rename all jpg files in a folder tree (to cover.jpg): ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_20696712.html
@for /R c: %%f in (*.jpg) do echo rename “%%~ff” cover.jpg
::SteveGTR

~~ Recurse thru sub-directories, renaming files ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinXP/Q_20849138.html
FOR /r %1 IN (.) do MYRENAMEBAT.BAT %1
::RaviPal .   Where the bat file is:
@echo off&echo This will rename all files containing ‘_fixed’.
echo CHANGE THE FOLDER&cd %1&Pause
rename *_fixed.zip *.xxx
rename *.zip *.zip.old
Rename *.xxx *.zip

~~ Suffix a date: ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Miscellaneous/Games/DOS_Games/Q_10314402.html
ren c:tempabc.txt abc%date:~4,2%-%date:~7,2%-%date:~10%.txt
::temadan

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_21625029.html
@echo off&if [%1]==[] goto :usage
set strFile=%1
set strExt=%strFile:~-4%
set strNew=%strFile:~0,-4%
ren strFile %strNew%%date:~6,4%%date:~0,2%%date:~3,2%.%strExt%
goto :eof
:usage
RenFile OriginalFilename
::sirbounty

~~ Copy, adding system date: ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_20611296.html
@ECHO OFF
FOR /F “TOKENS=2-4 DELIMS=/ ” %%F IN (‘DATE /T’) DO (SET TODAY=%%F%%G%%H)
COPY /Y /B C:TEMP*.VCH C:UploadCombined.vch
REN C:UploadCombined.vch Combined-%TODAY%.vch
::pbarrette

~~ Rename jpg files to their file-time-stamp: ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinXP/Q_20805899.html
@ECHO OFF
FOR
%%V IN (*.jpg) DO FOR /F “tokens=1-5 delims=/: ” %%J  IN (“%%~tV”) DO
IF EXIST %%L%%J%%K_%%M%%N%%~xV (ECHO Cannot rename %%V) ELSE (ECHO
RENAME “%%V” %%L%%J%%K_%%M%%N%%~xV & RENAME “%%V”
%%L%%J%%K_%%M%%N%%
~xV)
::From PC-Mag
::arjanh

~~ Copy, appending current date: ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_21554862.html
@echo off&setlocal
::Change these as necessary
set Source=d:temp&set Dest=d:temp2
if “%Source:~-1%” NEQ “” set Source=%Source%
if “%Dest:~-1%” NEQ “” set Dest=%Dest%
if not exist %Source% goto :Error
if not exist %Dest% goto :Error
set Today=%date:~0,2%%date:~3,2%%date:~6,4%
for %%z in (%Source%*.*) do call :ProcessFile “%%z”
goto :eof
:ProcessFile
set FilePath=%~1&set FileName=%~n1&set FileExt=%~x1
::Remove the echo from the next line to do the actual copy
echo copy “%FilePath%” “%Dest%%FileName%_%Today%%FileExt%”
goto :eof
:Error
echo Either the source or destination directory does not exist
::Adam314

~~ Date Image Files based on date taken etc. ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinXP/Q_21374636.html
– http://www.hugsan.com/EXIFutils/html/features.html Rename image files based on the value of EXIF and IPTC fields
– http://www.kuren.org/exif/ How to read EXIF Tags  (Similar to above)
– http://www.unidreamtech.com/index.php Powerbatch
– http://www.stuffware.co.uk/photostudio/ Photo Studio
– http://djernaes.dk/download/jpegdate14.zip  – http://big.park.se/files/extra/exchange/jpgdate.zip

~~ Rename all files to 3-digit Number (001, 002, …): ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_21062570.html
:: Change c:temp1 with the folder your files are in. Don’t put .bat files in that folder.
@echo off&setlocal&set count=0
for /f “usebackq delims=” %%x in (`dir /a:-d /b “C:TEMP*.*”`) DO CALL :NUMBER %%x
goto :EOF
:NUMBER
set NAME=%~n1%
set EXT=00%count%
set EXT=%EXT:~-3%
echo ren “%1” “%NAME%.%EXT%”
set /a count+=1
goto :EOF
::MaartenG (-)
–>Below is MS-DOS 6 version, with c:temp1 being path to files to rename.
——————— rename00.bat
ECHO OFF|set n1=0|set n2=0|set n3=0
for %%a in (c:temp1*.*) do call renameit.bat %%a
set n1=|set n2=|set n3=|set nx=
——————— renameit.bat
rename %1 %n3%%n2%%n1%
set nx=%n1%| call incnx.bat
set n1=%nx%
if not %n1%==0 goto end
set nx=%n2%| call incnx.bat
set n2=%nx%
if not %n2%==0 goto end
set nx=%n3%| call incnx.bat
set n3=%nx%
:end
—————————- incnx.bat
if %nx%==0 goto number0
if %nx%==9 SET nx=0
if %nx%==8 SET nx=9
if %nx%==7 SET nx=8
if %nx%==6 SET nx=7
if %nx%==5 SET nx=6
if %nx%==4 SET nx=5
if %nx%==3 SET nx=4
if %nx%==2 SET nx=3
if %nx%==1 SET nx=2
goto end
:number0
SET nx=1
:end
::For-Soft

~~ Rename all files to prefix + a number  (images_1.jpg, images_2.jpg …) ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_21347867.html
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_21536842.html
@echo off&set /a cnt=1
for %%a in (*.jpg) do call :PROCESS “%%a”
goto :EOF
:PROCESS
echo rename %1 images_%cnt%.jpg
set /a cnt+=1
::SteveGTR

~~ Replace First Dot ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/Win2000/Q_20596712.html
@echo off&setlocal&echo.&set Test=FALSE
if %1.==. goto Syntax
if %1==/? goto Syntax
if %1==-? goto Syntax
if %2.==. goto :begin
if /i not %2==/test goto Syntax
set Test=TRUE
:begin
for /f %%a in (‘dir /b /a:-d %1’) do (
  set FilePath=%%~dpa&set FileName=%%~na&set FileExt=%%~xa&call :process )
goto :eof
:process
if %FileName%==%FileName:.=% goto :eof
for /f “tokens=1* delims=.” %%a in (“%FileName%”) do set NewFileName=%%a-%%b
echo %FilePath%%FileName%%FileExt% –^> %NewFileName%%FileExt%
if /i %Test%==TRUE goto :eof
ren “%FilePath%%FileName%%FileExt%” “%NewFileName%%FileExt%”
goto :eof
:Syntax
echo %~nx0&echo.
echo Replaces first “.”, if any, of the file name with a “-“, but not the extension&echo.
echo Syntax:  &echo repdot ^<File^> [/test]&echo.
echo ^<File^>: The specified directory/file is processed
echo /test:  No renaming is done, files that would be renamed are only displayed.
echo.
::oBdA

~~ Move tokens around ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinNT/Q_20686191.html
@echo off&setlocal&set Folder=%1&set Pattern=samptest.txt.*
dir /b %Folder%%Pattern% 1>NUL 2>NUL
if errorlevel 1 goto Syntax
for /f %%a in (‘dir /b %Folder%%Pattern%’) do (
  set File=%%a&  call :process)
goto :eof
:process
echo Processing %File% …
for /f “tokens=1-3 delims=.” %%a in (“%File%”) do (
  set Name=%%a
  set Number=%%c)
set NewFile=%Name%%Number%.edi
:: *** Remove the “echo” in the next line to “arm” the script
echo ren %Folder%%File% %NewFile%
goto :eof
:Syntax
echo.&
echo ediren.cmd&echo.
echo Renames files matching samptest.txt.^<Number^>
echo to samptest^<Number^>.edi&echo.&echo Syntax:
echo ediren [^<Target Directory^>]&echo.
echo If no target directory is specified, the current directory is used.
echo The directory must be specified including the trailing “”!
echo.
::oBdA

~~ Other ~~
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Programming_Languages/C/Q_20124580.html
MoveFile – Rename an existing file or a directory
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_20721695.html
renaming files but exclude newest
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Programming_Languages/Cplusplus/Q_20929292.html
Comparing,moving, and renaming files in a DOS atmosphere
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/MSDOS/Q_21587969.html
A batch rena
me operation which cannot be done with dos, can someone do it in/with vbscript?

~~ General Renaming Utilities referenced in posts: * means freeware ~~
http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/system/fwfilerename.html File Renaming Tools*
http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php Bulk Rename Utility*
https://sourceforge.net/projects/renameit/  http://www.beroux.com/renameit/ Opensource Rename-it*
http://www.joejoesoft.com/vcms/108/ Rename Master*
http://www.kellysoftware.com/software/Rename4u.asp Rename4u (Kelly Software)*
http://www.azheavymetal.com/~lupasrename/news.php Lupas Rename 2000*
http://www.irfanview.com/  IrfanView* (File–>Batch Conversion/Rename…)
http://www.publicspace.net/windows/BetterFileRename/ Better File Rename (Not Free)
http://www.123renamer.com/buy.htm File and MP3 Tag Renamer (Trial)

~~ Below is my own code from answer to “Rename Files Instantaneously”:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/Win98/Q_21864152.html ~~
=================================================renlef+.bat
:: renlef+.bat
::
Prefix ADD utility for file names: Adds the specified prefix and delim
(& optionally isolates delim by spaces) to all files that have
specified extension
:: Doesn’t perform the rename, but generates &  writes the commands to a bat file
:: If prefix+delim is already in the original name, then ignores the file unless doall=1
::
:: Arguments:
::   %1 – Prefix to add
::   %2 – Delimiter to add
::   %3 – Extension of file
::   %4 – Space – Set to 1 to add space to both sides of delim
::   %5 – Doall – See “If prefix+delim…” note above
::
:: v1.01  By Ravinder Singh (‘wiz’ on the quickmacros forum), May 26, 2006
::
::
:: if exists renlef+_.bat goto FILEEXISTS
@echo off
setlocal
set outfile=renlef+_
if exist “%outfile%.bat” del “%outfile%.bat”
if %1.==. (set /a exitcode=98&goto USAGE)
if %2.==. (set /a exitcode=98&goto USAGE)
set adn=%1&set delm=%2&set ext=%3&set space=%4&set doall=%5&&set count=0
if %doall%.==1. goto SIMPLE

for %%a in (*.%ext%) do (
if %space%.==1. (
     echo %%a| find “%adn% %delm% “
     if errorlevel 1 (set /a count+=1&echo ren “%%a” “%adn% %delm% %%a”  >> “%outfile%.bat” ))
if NOT %space%.==1. (
      echo %%a | find “%adn%%delm%”
     if errorlevel 1 (set /a count+=1&echo ren “%%a” “%adn%%delm%%%a” >> “%outfile%.bat”     ))
)
goto :DONE
:SIMPLE
::  separated routine here ’cause wasn’t able to integrate ’cause of weird behaviour in msdos on Win2K
:: e.g. if you SET XX=YY, then echo “%XX%” doesn’t give us XX’s value within a FOR loop, but only on exit from loop
for %%a in (*.%ext%) do (
     set /a count+=1
     if %space%.==1. echo ren “%%a” “%adn% %delm% %%a”  >> “renlef+_.bat”
     if NOT %space%.==1.      echo ren “%%a” “%adn%%delm%%%a” >> “renlef+_.bat”)

:DONE
if %count%==0 (
     echo No files found that match criteria.&echo.
     set /a exitcode=97
     goto usage
     )
type renlef+_.bat
echo.
echo type: %outfile%         To rename the above %count% files files! Or edit %outfile%.bat
goto :EOF

:USAGE
echo USAGE: %~nx0  WHAT-TO-APPEND-TO-LEFT   DELIMETER   EXTENSION  SPACE? ALL?
exit /B %exitcode%

:FILEEXISTS
echo renall.bat exists. (Check ^& ) Delete file first.
exit /B 99
====================================================renlef-.bat
:: renlef-.bat
::
 – Prefix REMOVAL utility for file names: Cuts the specified prefix
that precedes a space and/or the specified delimiters in a file name
:: As a precaution:
:: — All rename commands are generated & then displayed on screen
:: — All rename commands are written to a file which can be run  (after any optional or required user’s edits)
::
:: Arguments:
::    %1 – Word to remove
::    %2 – Optional delimiters, in addition to the default space, that separate %1 from the part you want to keep
::    %3 – Extension of file
::
:: E.g. to remove initial “PART” from all files that start with “PART # “:
::     renlef- PART #
::
:: v1.01 By Ravinder Singh (‘wiz’ on the quickmacros forum), May 26, 2006
::
@echo off
setlocal
if %1.==. (set /a exitcode=98&goto usage)
set cut=%1&set delims=%2&set ext=%3&set outfile=renlef-_&set count=0
if exist “%outfile%.bat” del “%outfile%.bat”
::if not exist  “%outfile%.bat” set writeToFile=1
set writeToFile=1

:: Let user see and verify all rename commands before we execute them
for /f “usebackq delims=” %%i in (`dir /b %cut%*.%ext%`) do @call :TEST “%%i”

if %count%==0 (
     echo No files found that match criteria.&echo.
     set /a exitcode=97
     goto usage
     )
echo.
echo type: %outfile%           To rename the above %count% files! Or edit %outfile%.bat
goto :EOF
::1*

:TEST
set /a count+=1
set name=%1
FOR /f  “usebackq tokens=1,2,3 delims=%delims% ” %%j IN (`echo %name%`) DO @set mycmd=ren %name% “%%k
echo %mycmd%
if %writeToFile%==1 echo %mycmd% >> %outfile%.bat
goto :EOF

:usage
echo usage: %~nx0   LEFT-TRIM-STRING   DELIMS    EXTENSION
exit /B %exitcode%

:: Other notes
::
:: original basic routine, with delimiters being “- “
::for /f “usebackq tokens=1,2,3  delims=- ” %%i in (`dir /b %1*`) do echo ren “%%i – %%j” “%%j”
::
:: 1* — Optional code, can use if you don’t want to create %output%.bat
:: Now prompt whether or not to do the batch rename
set/p input=Enter y to execute the above commands, anything else to quit:  
if not %input%.==y. goto :EOF
for /f “usebackq delims=” %%i
in (`dir /b %cut%*.%ext%`) do @call :RENAMEALL “%%i”
goto :EOF
:RENAMEALL
set name=%1
FOR /f  “usebackq tokens=1,2,3 delims=%delims% ” %%j IN (`echo %name%`) DO ren %name% “%%k
goto :EOF

Cloud computing is a term used to describe both a platform and type of application. A cloud computing platform dynamically provisions, configures, reconfigures, and de provisions servers as needed. Servers in the cloud can be physical machines or virtual machines.

Figure 1: Major components for building a dynamic infrastructure to reduce costs improve service and manage risk

Advanced clouds typically include other computing resources such as storage area networks (SANs), network equipment, firewall and other security devices. Cloud computing also describes applications that are extended to be accessible through the Internet.

These cloud applications use large data centers and powerful servers that host Web applications and Web services. Anyone with a suitable Internet connection and a standard browser can access a cloud application.

The cloud computing architecture is built upon several functional component blocks (for example, compute resources or deployment environments), which are organized into specific layers of a pyramid.

The width of these layers represents the depth of technical expertise required to build and/or deploy that layer.

At the apex of the pyramid are users accessing the applications; in the center is a dynamic control plane that traverses all others and provides real-time connectivity, information coordination, and flow control between the layers.

An important strategic consideration is the integration of all the pieces of the infrastructure to create the cloud.

Users or brokers acting on their behalf submit service requests from anywhere in the world to the Data Center and Cloud to be processed.

Figure 2: Cloud architecture

The SLA Resource Allocator acts as the interface between the Data Center/Cloud service provider and external users/brokers. It requires the interaction of the defined scheduled mechanisms to support SLA-oriented resource management.

Google App Engine [3] allows a user to run Web applications written using the Python programming language. Other than supporting the Python standard library, Google App Engine also supports Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for the data store, Google Accounts, URL fetch, image manipulation, and email services. Google App Engine also provides a Web-based Administration Console for the user to easily manage his running Web applications. Currently, Google App Engine is free to use with up to 500MB of storage and about 5 million page views per month.

Microsoft Live Mesh [4] aims to provide a centralized location for a user to store applications and data that can be accessed across required devices (such as computers and mobile phones) from anywhere in the world. The user is able to access the uploaded applications and data through a Web based Live Desktop or his own devices with Live Mesh software installed. Each user’s Live Mesh is password protected and authenticated via his Windows Live Login, while all file transfers are protected using Secure Socket Layers (SSL).

Both the applications of Google and Microsoft cloud initiative can be divided into divided into three phases [5]. There are phases involved in resource recovery, scheduling, and executing.

In the second phase the best match between the set of jobs and available resources is determined. The second phase is a NP-hard Problem [6]. The computational grid is a dynamic structure and exhibits unpredictable behaviour such as:

• Computational performance of each resource varies from time to time.

• The connection between computers and mobile phones may be unreliable.

• The resources may join or relinquish the grid at any time

• The resource may be unavailable without a notification.

The scheduling of cloud architecture is dynamic in nature and moreover Grid middleware and applications are using local scheduling and data co-scheduling. The approach of replication has been also applied and assisted in scheduling and optimization of replication.

There are different existing algorithms like the Genetic algorithm (GA) is used for searching large solution space. On other hand, simulated Annealing (SA) is an iterative technique that considers only one possible solution for each meta-task at a time. Ant Colony Algorithm (ACO) is the latest entrant to this field.

ACO algorithm can be interpreted as parallel replicated Monte Carlo (MC) systems [7]. MC systems are general stochastic simulation systems, that is, techniques performing repeated sampling experiments on the model of the system under consideration by making use of a stochastic component in the state sampling and/or transition rules.

Figure 3: Cloud Services Under ACO

Experimental results are used to update some statistical knowledge about the problem. In turn, this knowledge can be also iteratively used to reduce the variance in the estimation of the described variables and directing the simulation process toward the most interesting state space regions.

Analogously, in ACO algorithms the ants sample the problem’s solution space by repeatedly applying a stochastic decision policy until a feasible solution of the considered problem is found. The sampling is realized concurrently by a collection of differently instantiated replicas of the same ant type.

Each ant “experiment” allows to adaptively modifying the local statistical knowledge on the problem structure. The algorithm is recursive in nature.

[1] Chu, K. Nadiminti, C. Jin, S. Venugopal, and R. Buyya. Aneka: “Next-Generation Enterprise Grid Platform for e-Science and e-Business Applications”, in Proceedings of the 3th IEEE International Conference on e-Science and Grid Computing (e-Science 2007), Bangalore, India, Dec. 2007.

[2] A. Weiss, “Computing in the Clouds”, netWorker, Volume 11, No.4,pp.16-25, December, 2007.[3] Google App Engine, http://appengine.google.com [accessed in Octobe
r 2010]

[4] Microsoft Live Mesh, http://www.mesh.com [accessed in  October 2010]

[5] Stefka Fidanova and Mariya Durchova,” Ant Algorithm for Grid Scheduling Problem”, Large Scale Computing, Lecture Notes in Computer Science No. 3743, Springer, , pp 405-412, 2006.

[6] Yaohang Li, “A bio-inspired adaptive Job Scheduling Mechnism on a Computational Grid”, International Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, Vol.6.No.3.B, March 2006.

[7] Dorigo, M., Maniezzo, V., Colorni, A.: The ant system: “Optimization by a colony of cooperating agents”, IEEE Transactions on Systems”, Man, and Cybernetics, part B, 26(1) pp. 1–13, 1996.

[8] S. Venugopal, X. Chu, and R. Buyya, “A Negotiation Mechanism for Advance Resource Reservation using the Alternate Offers Protocol.” In Proceedings of the 16th International Workshop on Quality of Service (IWQoS 2008), Twente, The Netherlands, June 2008.

[9] Soumya Banerjee, Indrajit Mukherjee, and P.K. Mahanti. “Cloud Computing Initiative using Modified Ant Colony Framework” World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 56 2009

Common Wealth Games – 2010

Several English teams have delayed their arrival in New Delhi because of hygiene concerns!!!

Media is eager to find instances of poor Indian Hygiene

Now go through the following snaps from UK.

Concerns of Hygiene is not just a problem of India.
Forward this mail to all citizens, especially media people, who just see the Best of westerners and Worst of our Country.
Admit our inexperience in conducting such a big event,
&
Come out to support INDIA.

Younger, Westernized Muslim women are
seeking out trendy styles, with one Orange County student selling
designs inspired by Vogue and Elle. But some critics wonder whether the
stylish creations defeat the purpose of modesty.

Marwa Atik,19, right, adjusts a scarf on her friend Marwa Biltagi. Some of Atik’s friends had gathered at her Orange County home to model her new line of scarves for a photo shoot for her website, Vela Scarves. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Disney restaurant hostess sues for permission to wear hijab

By Raja Abdulrahim, Los Angeles Times October 7, 2010

On one of the holiest nights of
Ramadan, Marwa Atik chose a crowded Southern California mosque to debut
her latest creation.

It was just after midnight when the 20-year-old walked into the Islamic
Center of Irvine, dressed in a long, flowing burgundy robe, her head
wrapped in a charcoal-colored chiffon hijab, trimmed with decorative gold zippers.

After the group prayers, sermon and Koran recitation, a woman approached
Atik, gesturing at the scarf. “OK, I want one,” she said excitedly.
“How can I get it?”

Atik has taken the Muslim head scarf, often known as hijab,
and turned it into a canvas for her fashion sensibilities, with ideas
inspired by designs from Forever 21 and H&M as well as haute couture
runways and the pages of Vogue and Elle. Showing her latest design at a
mosque was her way of gauging sentiment on scarves that go beyond the
limited fashion realm they have thus far inhabited, such as floral and
geometric prints or lace and beaded embellishments.

“I knew that I wanted to do a zipper scarf, because I knew that zippers
were in style,” Atik said, her head covered this day with a sea-foam hijab, echoing the color of her light green eyes.

The hijab has long been a palette of sorts for changing styles
and designs, and shops across the Middle East are replete with colors
and shapes that can vary from region to region. Some women in the
Persian Gulf region wear their hair up in a bouffant with the scarf
wrapped around it like a crown. Syrians are known for cotton pull-on
scarves, the hijab equivalent of a T-shirt. And in Egypt veiled brides visit hijab stylists who create intricate designs and bouquets of color atop the bride’s head.

But Atik’s experiments with the hijab, which is meant as a symbol of modesty, are created with an eye toward being more adventuresome and risky.
To some, the trend heralds the emergence of Westernized Muslim women, who embrace both their religion and a bit of rebellion.
But to others in the Muslim community, what Atik is doing flies in the
face of the head scarf’s purpose. When the scarf is as on-trend as a
couture gown, some wonder whether it has lost its sense of the demure.

Eiman Sidky, who teaches religious classes at King Fahd mosque in Culver
City, is among those who say attempts to beautify the scarf have gone
too far. In countries like Egypt, where Sidky spends part of the year,
religious scholars complain that women walk down the street adorned as
if they were peacocks.

“In the end they do so much with hijab, I don’t think this is the hijab the way God wants it; the turquoise with the yellow with the green,” she said.

The conflict is part of a larger debate among Muslims on which practices are too conservative and which too liberal.

And at a time when Muslims hear stories about women filing lawsuits
after not getting hired or being barred from wearing head scarves at
work — most recently at two Abercrombie & Fitch stores and Disneyland — the message is reinforced that the hijab is still regarded with suspicion.

For women like Atik, an Orange Coast College student who works part time at Urban Outfitters, fashion-forward hijabs are an attempt not only to fill a void, but to make the scarves less foreign and more friendly to non-Muslims.

The Islamic religious parameters for hijab — that the entire body
must be covered except for the face and hands — are broad enough to
include those who wear black, flowing abayas to those who pair a head scarf with skinny jeans.

“We’ve gotten maybe just a few people saying, ‘Oh, this is defeating the
purpose,'” said Tasneem Sabri, Atik’s older sister and business
partner. “It really comes down to interpretation.”

The criticism means little to Atik, a petite young woman who favors skinny jeans, embellished cardigans and knee-high boots.

Atik sees the fashion industry’s treatment of the hijab as staid and lackluster. She wants to make the scarves edgier, with fringes, pleats, peacock feathers, animal prints.

“We want to treat the hijab like it’s a piece of clothing,
because that’s what it is, it’s not just an accessory,” said Nora Diab, a
friend of Atik who began the venture with her but bowed out to focus on
college. “We can still dress according to what’s ‘in’ while dressing
modest.”

Scarves from Atik’s recent collections are sold under the label Vela,
Latin for veil. In addition to the exaggerated zippers, there are
Victorian pleats, military buttons and even a black and white scarf with
gold clasps named simply Michael (as in Michael Jackson).
A recent design features a plain scarf with a large sewn-on bow, called
“Blair,” after the “Gossip Girl” character. There is also a growing
bridal scarf collection.

The scarves have a certain unfinished look to them, with frayed edges
and visible stitching. Atik sews many of them herself, though she
recently hired a seamstress to help fill orders placed through the Vela website.
The scarves, which are not available in stores, range in price from $15
for basic designs to $60 for high-fashion styles, pricier than many on
the market.

When not in class or at work, Atik spends most of her time researching
trends, designing new scarves or filling orders. She makes frequent
trips to Los Angeles for fabric.

Atik said she is inspired by risk-takers such as Alexander McQueen, the late avant-garde designer with an eye for shock value.

“I feel he says it’s really OK to be different,” Atik said while taking a coffee break in Los Angeles’ Fashion District.

Atik, whose parents are from Syria, began wearing the head scarf in
eighth grade. She was the editor of her high school yearbook but found
herself spending more time browsing fashion websites than looking at
photos of student clubs and activities. After school she would spend
hours at Wal-Mart reading fashion magazines. In the summer of 2009 when she and Diab decided to design hijabs, she took sewing classes, the youngest among a group of elderly women making patterned quilts.

Before a photo shoot for her website this year, Atik did last-minute
hemming and sewing at her makeshift work space in the kitchen of her
Huntington Beach home. The kitchen table was covered with half-completed
designs. Bags of satin and chiffon fabric sat on chairs and lacy and
beaded scarves spilled out onto the fruit bowls.

Atik fingered a beige and pink chiffon scarf.

“I think we’re going to try a couple on you,” she told her friend Marwa
Biltagi, who had arrived wearing a loosely wrapped black and gold scarf.
“Because either way you can work it.”

In the backyard, Biltagi and others posed beside palm trees, heads
cocked to the side, backs arched. Someone commented that it looked very
French Vogue.

“One, two, move, yeah exactly like that…. OK, I’m going to be taking
like a lot so just keep switching it up…. Yeah, I like how you had
your hand up on the wall,” Atik said as she clicked the camera. “I feel
like we need music.”

Her mother watched from the kitchen.

“There are people who say that it’s not a hijab. As long as it
covers the hair, I noticed these young people, they like these things,”
Safa Atik said. “Why I encouraged her is because … she’s making
something that looks nice.”

Alaa Ellaboudy, who runs the blog Hijabulous (“A hijabi’s
guide to staying fabulous”), is familiar with the scolding that
non-traditional scarves can prompt. The Rancho Cucamonga resident wears
her scarf tied behind her neck and has a penchant for dramatic eye
makeup and bright clothes.
“Everyone has their opinion, ‘Oh no that’s haram [forbidden], you can’t do that,'” Ellaboudy said. “But for me, it’s always about finding that balance and still looking good.”

On her blog, she defines “hijabulous” as being “exceptionally stylish yet conforming to the Islamic dress code.”

When the over-sized September issue of Vogue arrived, Atik flipped through the pages for inspiration.

A few weeks later, stocking up on fabrics and an ostrich feather in the
Fashion District, she went from store to store with the same request:
“Do you have a leopard-print chiffon?”

At her third store she saw a leopard print but thought the look and feel of the silk fabric were not quite right.

“I wouldn’t want this on my head. If only it was chiffon, I’d be all over it.”

raja.abdulrahim@latimes.comCopyright © 2010, Los Angeles Times

Canada’s War on Islam: The Case of Mahboob and Momin Khawaja | Dissident Voice

by Stephen Lendman / October 9th, 2010

Canada, like other Western countries and Israel, is partnered in America’s War on Islam — a post-9/11 “war on terror” scheme to vilify Muslims as culturally inferior gun-toting terrorists for political advantage. As a result, thousands of innocent victims have been lawlessly persecuted, bogusly charged, imprisoned, tortured, and in some cases extrajudicially murdered in cold blood.

Two previous articles, among many others, explained what all Muslims face, accessed here and here.

Mahboob Khawaja, his son Momin and family, are Pakistani Canadians, bogusly targeted for alleged involvement in terrorism.

Dr. Khawaja is an “academic specializing in Strategic Studies with special interests in Western-Islamic Civilizations, Change and Conflict Resolution.” His books include “Muslims and the West: Quest for Change and Conflict Resolution,” as well as many published articles, his latest titled “Fallacy of the ‘War on Terrorism.’ ” Accurately described as a “self-defeating,” inhumane, “cynical framework of greed and tyranny,” it shamelessly perceives Muslims “as the culprits waging war against the Christian West.”

In fact, the opposite is true. It’s been longstanding, then intensified post-9/11 globally, claiming millions of innocent victims, thousands as political prisoners, Canada as culpable as America.

Mahboob explained how he and his family were persecuted, saying:

“It was a combined (American/Canadian/UK) project, my wife and children arrested at gunpoint in Ottawa while I was working in a university in Saudi Arabia. My family home was attacked by 50 – 60 armed (Royal Canadian Mounted Police – RCMP) without any formal search warrant, looking for a bomb,” but found nothing.

In fact, Mahboob’s door was blown open. Masked RCMP burst in, telling his family to get down on the floor, then asking “Is your house booby-trapped? Where are the explosives?” Of course, there were none nor any booby or other traps.

“Simultaneously, I was arrested in Arabia and jailed for two weeks. The Saudi Intelligence showed me the formal Canadian request, but (Security) Minister (Anne McClellan) and the Government in Ottawa denied” sending it. “The documentary evidence,” however, refutes “this public lying.” No matter. The damage was done. Canadian and global media reports destroyed his “professional career as a professor in global politics,” as well as his son, Momin’s, as a software developer.

Government-sponsored media ads and reports vilified him, his wife and children as “terrorists,” the same fate as for hundreds of others bogusly portrayed, their lives grievously impaired as a result. A family friend and president of the regional Canada-Pakistan Association, Qamar Masood, believed at the time it was a case of mistaken identity. Importantly, “Just imagine how they’re going to live through this ordeal,” he said. “And after that, living in a neighborhood with so many eyes looking at them, it’s very hard,” because of the entire cross they’ll forever have to bear.

Mahboob’s son, Momin, was falsely accused of a UK bomb plot, a March 31, 2004 Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) report saying he “became the first person charged under Canada’s (2001 Anti-Terrorism Act on March 30) when police accused him of terrorist activity in Canada and in England.”

Though acquitted on that charge, he was held without trial for over four years, then convicted on October 29, 2008, and sentenced on March 12, 2009, after a bench trial, to ten and a half years (over and above time served) for donating $859 to an Afghan refugee charity, and two other changes, including:

– “making a device” that, in fact, “was to stop cell phone signals in mosques, academic institutions, hospitals,” and other facilities from being identified; and

– “attending some (alleged) unknown camp during a visit to Pakistan,” the same bogus charge against other innocent victims traveling abroad to Muslim countries, some to visit families, then linking their visits to terror plots or training for involvement in future ones.

Despite the gross injustice, the CBC reported on April 14, 2009 that Canada’s federal government appealed the sentence for a longer one, possibly for life on least one of the charges. At trial, “The Crown had sought two life sentences plus an additional sentence of 44 – 58 years,” while the defense argued for seven and a half years with “double credit for time already served.”

However, Judge Douglas Rutherford called Momin “a willing and eager participant” in a terror plot, despite no evidence whatever for proof. Nonetheless, he accused him of “assist(ing alleged terror plotters) in many ways,” adding that “It matters not whether any terrorist activity was actually carried out,” stopping short of questioning if any were, in fact, planned.

Surprisingly, he said authorities hadn’t proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Momin had any direct knowledge, let alone involvement, an admission that should have mandated acquittal, yet he cowardly refused to release him.

Mahboob said these issues are being appealed, but after six years, Momin is still imprisoned, victimized by Canadian state terrorism like thousands of others in America and globally. In earlier writing, he explained how Canadian Intelligence Agencies and their complicit media terrorize innocent civilians. More on that below.

First, on March 12, 2009, the BBC updated earlier Momin reports, headlining its account “Khawaja: The Canadian connection,” saying:

He conspired with four other men “jailed for life in April 2007 for a UK bomb plot linked to al-Qaeda, receiv(ing) a sentence of 10 years and six months” for his alleged role.

A software developer, he “worked in the technical support department of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and had a good knowledge of electronics. Of Pakistani origin, he became fascinated by radical Islamist politics, and its focus on conflicts in the Muslim world.” He allegedly “traveled to Pakistan in 2003 and met members of a loose network of jihadi sympathizers – men who believed that violence was legitimate.”

These and other charges were alleged at trial, the BBC, like Canadian and US media, accepting them on faith – no matter that they’re entirely bogus and should have been thrown out because no credible evidence was presented, only the usual unsubstantiated government version of events, some based on secret evidence unavailable to counsel.

Yet BBC accused Momin of terrorism, saying he returned to Britain “intent on building a bomb,” his role being “to help to build the detonator.” In fact, a sting, a setup, targeted him at a claimed Heathrow Airport meeting with Omar Khyam, the accused “ringleader.” MI5 and London police allegedly monitored it. UK authorities informed Canada’s RCMP who arrested Momin on March 29, 2004, claiming they “found documents and papers sympathetic to violent jihadi courses of action” in his home, besides whatever information UK authorities provided, all of it contrived and bogus.

As a result, on October 29, 2008, a Judge Douglas Rutherford “ruled that (Momin) had knowingly participated in the (alleged) foiled plot against several British targets, including a shopping center, nightclub and the gas work.” Though bogusly charged and convicted, he’s now imprisoned and falsely branded a terrorist, an accusation that will haunt him forever.

An earlier article discussed the bogus London terror plot, accessed here.

It explained the following, a technique used
repeatedly in Britain, Canada, America, and elsewhere. A government cooperator was paid to entrap and testify against targeted Muslims. The so-called London plot (called the Fertilizer Case) used Juniad Babar, a dubious character nicknamed “Supergrass” by Britain’s media.

In 2004, he agreed to cooperate with FBI agents after being indicted in June. He then pled guilty to four counts of conspiring to and providing, and attempting to provide, material support or resources to terrorists. A fifth count involved providing funds, goods, or services to benefit Al-Qaeda. In return for a reduced sentence, he copped a plea, requiring him to provide “substantial assistance,” including entrapping and testifying against targeted Muslims, ones authorities want to frame and convict.

London’s Fertilizer Case involved a half-ton of ammonium nitrate, allegedly to blow up a London shopping center, nightclub and other targets – bogus charges that nonetheless got targeted “bombers” convicted and imprisoned, including Momin, even though there was no plot and no crime. In his case, “two hired agents of the Canadian intelligence services (charged him) with two counts of ‘bomb making’ (involvement) in (Britain),” where the other alleged plotters were brought to trial, not him.

Writing earlier about media complicity with authorities, Mahboob quoted British author Adam Curtis saying, “international terrorism is a fantasy that has been exaggerated and distorted by politicians” for political advantage. It’s “a dark illusion that has spread unquestioned through governments around the world, the security services and the international media.”

To advance American, UK, Canadian, and Israeli imperialism, their “ruling elite(s) invested heavily to institutionalize animosity towards Muslims and the Arabs. The new 21st century colonial masters view humanity in numbers and digits, not as living moral beings with rights and dignity.”

In America, extremist neo-cons “use racism and religious fanaticism to fuel hatred towards Muslims and Islam, and engulf the world with horror of military conquests (and occupations) to further the dictum of” global dominance.

In America, Britain, Canada, Israel, and other Western states, Muslims are treated like sub-humans, vilified as dangerous villains unfit to co-exist with superior Judeo-Christians, a subtle and overt government/media spread message. As a result, nominal democracies act tyrannically, serving privileged elites, not popular interests, and needing enemies to justify expansionist policies, including imperial wars and state-sponsored terrorism to further them.

In an earlier article, Mahboob asked:

“What did Canada achieve (by) destabiliz(ing) the Khawaja family, drain(ing)-out their human energies in arrest, torture and (persecuting them for years) as ‘Muslim terrorists’…?” The “demonstrable record (shows) Canada had no incidents of extremism or terrorism at all,” putting a lie to government accusations based on an alleged plot that never existed. Authorities even claimed they never raided the Khawaja home even though family members were terrorized and arrested. Possessions were seized, damage done, and hundreds of neighbors saw it.

The plain truth is that Western nations face no Islamic threat. Claiming one is a US-concocted lie. Authorities and media reports viciously spread it to justify state-sponsored terrorism against innocent victims like Mahboob and his family, including son Momin, now imprisoned for being Muslim at the wrong time in Canada.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. Contact him at: lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site and listen to The Global Research News Hour on RepublicBroadcasting.org Mondays from 11AM-1PM US Central time for cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests. All programs are archived for easy listening. Read other articles by Stephen.

This article was posted on Saturday, October 9th, 2010 at 7:00am and is filed under Canada, Corruption, Discrimination, Human Rights, Media, Military/Militarism, Pakistan, Propaganda, Racism, Religion. ShareThis

Burj Khalifa..

Resurgent Islam defines Tajikistan Trans-National identity « Pakistan Ledger

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Rupee Wala

On the eve of a meeting between Tajikistan and Pakistan the atmosphere in Tajikistan is moving towards trans-national Islam. On the one hand the Tajik President Emomali Rahmon faces a militant insurgency. On the other hand Tajiksitan is getting in touch with its roots–rejecting Soviet colonialism.

Many in the region yearn for Greater Khorasan (khor “sun” + asa “literally, like or akin to, but usually meaning arising from”), which includes Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

The ECO is Greater Khorasan–and its presence is everywhere. The Federal Minister shared Pakistan’s view on Energy Cooperation in ECO region and conveyed Pakistan’s recommitment to the spirit, goals and objectives of the ECO.

The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member countries have are enforcing the Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA) by launching a Truck Carvan, which will start from Pakistan on Thursday. It will move across the region and terminate at Istanbul, Turkey after passing through Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

A symbolic send off ceremony was in Islamabad which was attended by dignitaries and businessmen. It was a Pakistani initiative of Pakistan so the Caravan was launched from Pakistan. Trucks from all Member States (One from each) including Pakistan assembled in Quetta. The Truck Caravan is being jointly organized by ECO Secretariat in Tehran and International Road Transport Union (IRU), the sources informed.

The TTFA, which provides access to the land-locked countries, was signed by the 10 member states. Increased road, rail and inland water transportation will give a much needed boost to international trade and social activities in the ECO region.

Recently the Federal Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources of Pakistan Mr. Naveed Qamar led Pakistan’s delegation to attend the 2nd Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) ministerial meeting on energy and petroleum on October 1, 2010 at Dushanbe.

President Emomali Rahmon was eger to market the hydropower potential of Tajikistan, road and rail links. The Pakistani minister underscored that Tajikistan being ideally positioned and so close to Pakistan had a huge potential for exporting hydropower to Pakistan. Recently Russia had hosted an Afghan, Pakistan, Tajik summit which pushed for rail and road links from Pakistan to Fergana and Duhambe.

Farangis Najibullah, Zarangez Navruzshoh describe the trends in Tajikistan which goes beyond trade and economics.

Until earlier this year, one 19-year-old student from the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, was known as Shohrukh to his friends and family.

But he recently decided to ditch his “purely Tajik” first name and now answers to “Muhammad,” the name of Islam’s prophet.

“I came to this decision gradually,” Muhammad says. “I learned about Islam and wanted to get a suitable Muslim name for myself.” He says that he heard that “on Doomsday, everyone will be called by their first names, so I wanted to be called Muhammad.”

So-called Islamic names are becoming increasingly popular in the predominantly Muslim country.

Like Muhammad, those who have chosen new names are largely young men in their late teens and early 20s. And an increasing number of parents are picking Islamic names for their newborn babies.

Experts say the trend reflects the growing influence of Islam among Tajiks.

New Fashion

Approximately every fifth baby girl born in Dushanbe gets an Islamic name, and the most popular girl’s name is Sumayah, according to officials in the capital’s civil-registration office.

“Other newly popular names for girls include Asiya and Oisha, a Tajik version of the Arabic name Aisha,” says Zebo Bobojonova, the director of the Shohmansur civil-registration office in Dushanbe.

“We wouldn’t hear such names fives ago, when Iranian and Indian names like Googoosh, Anohito, and Indira were among the most desired names by parents coming to our office to get birth certificates for their babies,” Bobojonova says.

Aisha is the name of one the prophet’s wives, while Asiya is the name of a Muslim noblewoman mentioned in the Koran. According to Islamic teachings, Sumayah was the first martyr of Islam.

Names of prominent Islamic figures such as Muhammad, Yusuf, Abdullo, and Abubakr have become a trendy choice for Tajik baby boys.

Some local mullahs and imams encourage people to choose Islamic names for their children. Hoji Mirzo Ibronov, a prominent mullah and the imam of a mosque in the southern town of Kulob, says that as a local religious leader it’s his duty to convey the hadiths, sayings and deeds attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, to Muslims.

“I tell people that Allah prefers names like Abdullah and Abdurrahmon, and generally names with the combination of “Abd” [meaning ‘servant’ in Arabic] followed by another word describing Allah, such as Abdulqahhor, Abdulmannon, and Abdurrahim,” Ibronov says. “We tell people that according to the hadiths, Allah likes such names.”

Rising Religious Fervor

Mullahs and imams enjoy enormous respect among their local communities, as Islam is on the rise in the country. Boys as young as 6 oe 7 years old usually attend evening prayers in their neighborhood mosques, followed by the imams’ sermons.

Compact discs with religious leaders’ sermons explaining Islamic values are widely available in local markets.

Dilshod Rahimov, a Dushanbe-based specialist on art and culture, says such sermons and the abundant religious literature have a vast influence on young people’s mind-sets.

“Young men who are changing their first names to Islamic names are putting their religious identity before their national identity. Everybody has the right to choose whatever name they want for themselves or for their children, but I think it is somehow superficial,” Rahimov says.

“You don’t have to have an Islamic name to be a proper Muslim. For instance, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, people follow their religion but they don’t have to bear Arabic and religious names.”

Strolling through the streets of Dushanbe, the influence of religion is ever-present. One can see young people listening to sermons instead of pop music. Religious speeches and sermons are used as ring tones and groups of students can be seen listening to the speeches and sermons of their favorite imam-khatibs out loud on their phones.
The number of people attending Friday Prayers also continues to rise, to the extent that some mosques have been required to build second or even third floors and widen the area of worship to house all the attendees.
Since he took office in 1992 following a bloody civil war that resulted in the defeat of a mostly Islamic opposition, the government under President Emomali Rahmon has prohibited polygamy, banned the wearing of the hijab in government offices and in universities, and has outlawed prayer outside of the mosque.
But Said Ahmadov, former head of the Committee for Religious Affairs, says that 70 years of living under communism has made people more focused on religion and its benefits. “Using this awareness,” he explains, “they are trying to follow Shari’a law. In the meantime, this positive move disclosed many shortcomings of Tajik secular law.”
“People have by now gained more knowledge of Islamic culture and Shari’a rules,” Ahmadov says. “And the fact that some secular laws have not been properly implemented or are not being followed appropriately plays a role here.”

‘Call Me Muhammad’

Names like Sumayah or Asiya were almost unheard of in Tajikistan just a few years ago, when many parents preferred old Persian names for their children.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the names of the characters from the 10th-century Persian poet Abulqasim Firdawsi’s epic “Shahnameh” were the most popular both for baby girls and boys.

Hundreds of thousands of Tajik girls were named after Persian princesses and queens, such as Tahmeena, Gurdofarid, and Sudoba, while pre-Islamic royal names like Siyovush, Faridun, Jamshed, and Bezhan were fashionable names for boys.

At that time, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, local media encouraged a revival of the country’s ancient Persian heritage.

But some of those Jamsheds are now trading in their names for Islamic ones, Rahimov says. After all, Jamshed was a Persian monarch who followed Zoroastrian teachings.

As for 19-year-old Muhammad, he has yet to officially register his new Islamic name. The legal process for changing your name is a lengthy, complicated, and costly process in Tajikistan.

It involves obtaining letters and references from a variety of government agencies, including local authorities, local and central registry centers, and Interior Ministry branches, among others. Applicants are also required to provide police clearance certificates from every place they have lived since the age of 16, along with a letter from their school or workplace.

In addition to bureaucratic hurdles, the rampant bribery in government agencies makes the process even more expensive. It’s a common practice in Tajikistan to pay bribes for every document or letter people get from government offices, if they want to obtain the document on time.

But it doesn’t really matter, Muhammad says. “My friends and family call me by my new name and that’s enough for now,” he says. October 06, 2010, In Tajikistan, Islamic Names Are The New Fashion
by Farangis Najibullah, Zarangez Navruzshoh

Radia Free Liberty says “Even as the Tajik government maintains tight control on religion, the majority Muslim population is increasingly turning to Shari’a law — the sacred law of Islam, which is not sanctioned by the state — to resolve disputes, family affairs, and personal matters…Said Ahmadov, former head of the Committee for Religious Affairs in Tajikistan, told RFE/RL in early August that there has been an increase in the observance of Shari’a law among Tajikistan’s majority Muslim population since the country’s independence nearly 20 years ago. A Gallup poll released in August found that 85 percent of Tajiks said religion was an important part of their lives, with only 12 percent saying it was not, making Tajikistan first among Central Asian states in terms of religiosity.”