Happy Monster Dance - Hi-5 - Season 11 Song of the Week

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Illustrations by: Amarjeet Malik

The Ayatollah (Arabic, "Reflection of Allah") Ruhollah Khomeini became leader of Iran in 1979 by forcing the overthrow of the shah and Prime Minister Shahpur Bakhtiar. Born in Khomein, Iran on May 27, 1900, the son of an ayatollah of the Shiite sect, he studied theology and by 1962 was one of the six grand ayatollahs of Iran's Shiite Muslims. Exiled in 1964 for his part in religious demonstrations against the shah, he was expelled from Iraq in 1978 and moved to France, where he emerged as the leader of the anti-shah movement. In January 1979, after the shah left Iran, he returned to lead the country, becoming faqih (supreme religious guide) for life of Iran's Islamic republic in December.

In his efforts to transform Iran into an Islamic state, Khomeini was hostile to the West. In November 1979 he supported militant students who invaded the U.S. embassy and precipitated the Iranian hostage crisis. Khomeini and other fundamentalist clerics faced opposition from Western-educated moderates, from minorities within the country, and from various leftist guerrilla groups but gradually consolidated control, imposing rigid censorship, executing members of the opposition, and banning Western customs. Khomeini used the Iran-Iraq war initiated by Iraq in 1980 to help unify the country, although he was less than successful in exporting his revolution and reluctantly accepted a cease-fire in the costly conflict in 1988. After his death, on July 3, 1989, Iran remained a theocracy, although the powers of the president were increased.

Strong Or Weak

There was a proud teak tree in the forest. He was tall and strong. There was a small herb next to the tree. The teak tree said, “I am very handsome and strong. No one can defeat me”. Hearing this the herb replied, “Dear friend, too much pride is harmful. Even the strong will fall one day”. The teak ignored the herb’s words. He continued to praise himself. A strong wind blew. The teak stood firmly. Even when it rained, the teak stood strong by spreading its leaves. At the same time, the herb bowed low. The teak made fun of the herb. One day there was a storm in the forest. The herb bowed low. As usual the teak did not want to bow. The storm kept growing stronger. The teak could no longer bear it. He felt his strength giving way. He fell down. This was the end of the proud tree. When everything was calm the herb stood straight. He looked around. He saw the proud teak had fallen.

Robot Number One - Hi-5 - Season 13 Song of the Week

Kunci Kejayaan

Colour by number-4

What does SOS mean?

 By B Sumangal; Illustration by Sudheer Nath

Recently, sailors on the nuclear submarine that sank in the Baltic Sea were isolated from rescue workers as their radio set got damaged. Luckily their radio operators knew the Morse code and were able to communicate by knocking on the sides of the ship.

There are many explanations for what the words stand for: Save Our Souls; Save Our Ship; Send Our Succour… The meaning of all three is the same - it is a plea for help by someone in distress. That's exactly what SOS is.
It is a coded signal for help that continues to be used by ships, planes and stranded people around the world even 162 years after it was invented by the American Samuel Morse, who invented the first successful telegraph instrument in 1837. The Morse code, as it came to be called, is used to send messages through a telegraph line or the wireless.
SOS is the easiest code to transmit and recognise. The code consists of three dots, three dashes and three dots . . . - - - . . . One can tap it on the telegraph or signal with a torch or even with a flag.
Before the invention of the code, long distance communication consisted of lamp signals from hilltops, smoke signals and shouted messages. In 1787, M Lammond, a Frenchman invented the first telegraph line that could send messages over a distance by means of electricity. Morse developed the first successful telegraph instrument in 1837.
Called a transmitter, the telegraph instrument converts a message into electrical signals. In 1838, Morse also developed a code that consisted of dots and dashes representing alphabets and numbers. These codes were easier to send over the telegraphic line. The dots and dashes travel across the wire and are picked up by a receiving set.
The electric signals move a metal point to print these dots and dashes on a paper tape. The code can be used to read these dots and dashes and translate the message.
In 1843, the United States Congress approved the first telegraph line from Baltimore in Maryland to Washington DC. In 1844, Morse sent the first message "What has God wrought" on this line using this code.
Because of its simplicity the Morse Code continues to be used even as mobile wireless telephones are replacing telegraph transmission.